Hershey Bears Controversial Jersey Design

One of the few things left in professional sports considered "sacred" is the design and logo of the uniforms to which all athletes identify with. Another time-honored tradition is the AHL's 75 year long legacy of developing major league talent in such cities as Hershey, PA.

Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press who is rather outraged about the whole development.
Hershey is not some backwater but one of the pre-eminent spots in the hockey world. As no less than Gordie Howe said, “Everybody who’s anybody in hockey has played in Hershey.”

Indeed it's true. In a time when franchises float around and rise quickly as much as they disappear, the Hershey Bears have long been a standard of how to survive in a non-major market especially in a town where travelers go for chocolate and not hockey.

So, boosting a minor league team's revenue is the always present alternate jersey design. Hoping that the fans will buy them and wear them to the arena. (In this case, the Giant Center.) To honor the achievements of back-to-back AHL Calder Cup championships, the Hershey Bears jersey honoring those wins also feature the logos of the beaten teams Stars and Moose.

I too would have to wag a finger at a stunt that did not signify the expected classiness from a well-run organization as old as the Hershey Bears and their community. The ultimate bragging rights to a championship season is the ring and the inscribed name on the trophy.

[Edit: After a few fans from Hershey have found their way to the blog page that I have sourced, I have learned that the jerseys were actually only worn a few times and auctioned off for charity.]

[Via: Pro hockey Talk @ NBC Sports]