(Photo: Matthew Gray Gubler of Criminal Minds and girlfriend Ali Michael.)
Change is good.
At least that is what the Grande Prairie Storm is hoping as it
introduces its new jersey.
The team, for the fifth time since it was formed back in 1995, has
changed the look of its home and away jerseys.
To kick off the 2011-2012 campaign Storm players will be decked out in
jerseys that have a definite Buffalo Sabres look to them.
“Personally I think they are the best looking jersey we have had since
the team was formed 16 years ago,” said Storm business manager Don
Moon. “These are the old style Sabres jerseys – very clean and classic
and not cluttered like a lot of the hockey jerseys you see nowadays. I
think the players and the fans are really going to like them.”
The jerseys got off to a good start on the weekend at the Dan
Akroyd-sponsored dinosaur ball, which was a fundraiser for the new
dinosaur museum being built near Wembley.
A bevy of celebrities were in the city for the ball and they
autographed several jerseys and several of them even posed for photos
in the new Storm sweaters for photographer Suzanne Sagmeister, the
official photographer for the event.
During the season at Storm home games the autographed jerseys will be
auctioned off with half the proceeds going back to the dinosaur museum
building fund.
“Dan Akryod, Donna Dixon, Robert Kennedy, the Canadian Tenors and all
of the celebrities signed jerseys on the weekend,” said Moon. “The
auction for the jerseys is going to be a unique way to get a celebrity
autograph on a Storm jersey and at the same time support the Storm and
dinosaur museum.”
Three of the celebrities – Hollywood actor (Criminals Minds) Matthew
Gray Gubler and his super model girlfriend Ali Michael and best
selling author Patricia Cornwell even donned Storm jerseys to have
their photo taken.
“They were really good sports about it,” said Moon. “I’m sure if the
ice was in Matthew would have donned skates and gone for a spin around
the rink. He really enjoyed his time in the city and was very
accommodating.”
The team wore jerseys modelled after the Hartford Whalers for its
first year in 1995-1996. At that time the team wore green helmets and
green pants.
Because the Calgary Canucks also had Hartford style jerseys the Storm
switched to a Washington Capital style sweater in 1997 and went to
black helmets and black pants with the main colors dark blue, green,
grey and white.
In 2000 the team chose Nashville Predator jerseys and eliminated the
green color, but keeping with the dark blue, gold, grey and white
Nashville color scheme and moved to dark blue pants and helmets. In
2009 the team stayed with the Nashville style, but upgraded to the new
Nashville look and the same colors.
First chance for local fans to see the Storm in their new jerseys is
Sunday, Sept. 18 when they host the Drayton Valley Thunder at 2:30
p.m. in the Canada Games Arena. For the team’s home opener on
Saturday, Sept. 17 the team is hosting the Hanson Bros. and will be
wearing Chiefs jerseys identical to the ones the Hanson Bros will be
wearing. Those jerseys will be auctioned off during the game.