rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
The Western Hockey League’s snazziest sweaters return to Medicine Hat for another night of organ donation awareness when the Tigers host the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday night at the Canalta Centre.
In each of the past two seasons, the WHL Suits Up to Promote Organ Donation featured uniforms inspired by Don Cherry’s vast wardrobe of flashy suits, however the promotion opted to move forward without Cherry’s name attached following his dismissal from Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada in November.
As a result, the Tigers will sport bright orange jerseys with a prominent blue HNIC logo on the chest instead of a suit-style sweater when they hit the ice on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
“I really like the fact that they still did a jersey and decided to do something in order to raise money (for the Kidney Foundation of Canada),” said Tigers captain James Hamblin. “It would have been a shame if, because of that, they weren’t allowed to.”
That meaning is to raise awareness for the importance of organ donation while drumming up funds for the Kidney Foundation of Canada. The game-worn jerseys will be sold through an auction which starts with Saturday’s puck drop and closes Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
The jerseys also pay tribute to the Logan Boulet Effect – a movement to promote organ donation spurred by Humboldt Broncos defenceman Logan Boulet, who died along with 15 other teammates, coaches and team staff in a bus crash on April 6, 2018.
Each of Medicine Hat’s jerseys will have “The Logan Boulet Effect” stitched along the inside of the collar, and fans can purchase green Logan Boulet braces at the game for $5 each.
