The Hershey Bears had a festive look for their game on December 10 against the Charlotte Checkers, rocking Ugly Christmas Sweater jerseys at Giant Center.
The chocolate and white jerseys were immaculately designed and produced by hockey apparel company Violent Gentlemen. And since I went to art school, my opinion is unassailable.
“Some call them ugly, but we call them perfect,” Mike Haydis, Violent Gentlemen’s vice president of operations, told RMNB. I do not disagree.
The jerseys feature patterns and texture imitating knit sweaters with a Christmas theme. There are silhouetted trees in a snowy meadow and leaping reindeer. There are snowflakes and roaring bears. There’s a mix of chocolate and caramel colors with bold accents of red. And then to complete the look, the Bears’ roaring circle crest is stitched over the top, creating a fantastic overlay look.
Bears’ second line center Jimmy Huntington modeled the entire getup in the weeks heading into the game.
Here’s a detail shot of the Bears’ logo.
Photos: Hershey Bears
“For this jersey, it’s a fully sublimated body that we added a full crest and numbers to that are stitched on,” Haydis explained. “We can do sublimated, full cut, and sew jerseys, or combination versions. To get the level of detail that is on this jersey, sublimation was the only way for the body.
“The jerseys are a pro material, so it’s ready to be put to the test in a game and has a proper fight strap. We’re so, so proud of our jerseys and put a lot of pride into them. We know how important it is that they can withhold the rigors of a game, so we don’t take shortcuts on the material or process.”
Violent Gentlemen drew inspiration for this year’s look from Bears-themed ugly Christmas sweaters they designed the year prior. The Bears internally thought, these would be great as jerseys, so they inquired if it was possible. From start to finish, the process took nearly a year.
Need a last-second Christmas Gift like our @ViolentGents Ugly Sweaters?
You can pick up any last minute online orders by clicking "Pick Up At Hersheypark Supply Co" on our website and heading to Supply Co. underneath The Chocolatier at Hersheypark! https://t.co/zRbFnDG0Nw pic.twitter.com/KC6mAov2gC
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) December 20, 2022
“After the sweater from last season did so well and we were talking with the team about plans for this year, it just came out that we had to do a jersey with an accompanying sweater that fans could purchase as well,” Haydis said. “Their fan ‘gets it’ and so stepping it up a notch was the only next step here.
“Brian Talbert, one of our co-founders, worked directly with the team and there was a bit of back and forth on some calls and emails to get it just right,” Haydis continued. “It was so easy though, the team knows what they like, we know what we like, and we all just came together to make a killer design that we’re so proud of. It’s funny: sometimes designs have a back-and-forth that seems to go on forever, but it never happened here – it was just so quick for everyone to be like, ‘Yep, that’s the one.’ We have made jerseys since we started, so getting our love of ugly sweaters onto a jersey is a dream come true.”
Although Violent Gentlemen did not mass-produce the jerseys, fans flocked to purchase a matching pullover at the Hershey Bears’ team store. Meanwhile, the on-ice Ugly Christmas Sweater jerseys raised an obscene amount of money in a postgame auction. According to a Hershey Bears’ fan page on Facebook, Dylan McIlrath’s game-used jersey sold for the most, netting $3,050 — just eclipsing Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ethen Frank’s sweaters that raised $3,000 each.
Hershey has worn three different specialty jerseys so far this season, all created by Violent Gentlemen. The brand also designed Hershey’s Hockey Fights Cancer and Opening Night championship jerseys, both of which were fully sublimated.
The 12-time Calder Cup jerseys were only worn during warmups.
Violent Gentlemen’s latest creations are part of a long line of creative merch the company has designed for the Hershey Bears. Much of the team’s creative 2023 Calder Cup champion merch, including trucker hats and several ROAR related t-shirts, came from the brand, with members of Bears faithful likely rocking the gear on any given night.
Get the new “They Poked the Bear, Now We ROAR” @ViolentGents Championship shirt exclusively in-store at Hershey Sports from 12 pm – 8 pm tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/QmgOofxK0X
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) July 21, 2023
“We got an AHL license a couple years ago and I immediately knew that the Hershey Bears were one of the teams I had to work with,” Haydis said. “I love their logo, I love what a great team they have year after year, and as I met some of their front office team, I realized they were down to have fun making great merch.
“We started slow, showing them a couple options to bring in to start and then once they realized their fan loved our product, it was easy and grew rapidly. It probably helped that when it all started, I wanted to immediately be involved as a sponsor as well and we were able to work with the team to also take care of their Ice Crew (Rink Rats).”
Haydis called the Bears’ 2022-23 championship season the partnership’s best year yet.
“We started showing them more designs, more bodies, and then when they went on a run last season, we were talking a ton and starting to really lean into helping with all their different product needs,” Haydis said. “From the beginning of the season to the start of this season, we collaborated on Ugly Christmas Sweaters, tees, hoodies, hats, and were just having so much fun being a part of their journey, and it culminated with them wearing a jersey on Opening Night.”
it doesn’t move the ball at ll
Not just a tough guy t-shirt brand anymore, Violent Gentlemen has grown rapidly in recent years since Mike Hammer and Brian Talbert founded the company 2011. They currently work with a handful of NHL teams, including the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken, Vegas Golden Knights, and Washington Capitals. They’re also in talks with other clubs, too.
“People have to always keep in mind, this is a brand that was started by fans for fans of hockey,” Haydis said. “We didn’t start thinking we were going to be making sticks and other technical products day one. We wanted lifestyle apparel influenced by our background, geographical location and initially, as Ducks fans in Anaheim. We were selling bootleg merch in the parking lot at Honda Center.”
The company quickly attracted attention from figures both within and outside of the NHL.
“What we then started noticing was that NHL and former NHL players were coming to our website and shopping without us knowing, or they were finding out who we were and asking to come down to the warehouse to get gear,” Haydis said. “We’ve been lucky enough to meet a ton of celebrities who just want to hang out, talk hockey and be a part of what Brian and Hammer are up to. Guys like CM Punk aren’t that different from us, really. They’re very good at what they do, can communicate it well and draw people in to their orbit.”
Summer of Punk officially here! @CMPunk pic.twitter.com/de7ZV24VGN
— Violent Gentlemen (@ViolentGents) August 21, 2021
Violent Gentlemen works with roughly a third of teams in the AHL and ECHL, as well as with club, high school, and college. The Bears and Ontario Reign are Violent Gentlemen’s biggest AHL partners, and the brand helped launch the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ store and website when the team was first announced.
They’ve extended their reach even further into music, collaborating with bands like Rancid, Better Lovers, A day to Remember, and The Ghost Inside.
As for the future, fans can expect to see more projects in the pipeline very soon.
“We also have a pretty big pop-up happening at the All Star Game this February in Toronto,” Haydis said. “I have no clue what I can and can’t say, but we’ll be out there and its going to be insane.”
Headline photo: Hershey Bears/X
