Last March, the AHL’s (American Hockey League) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins featured a Star Wars Night theme night with jerseys designed by Dave Filoni. Dave is a big fan of all things related to Pittsburgh Penguins hockey, and this was his second contribution to their “farm”-team’s uniform designs. The 2016 design featured a Rebel Symbol, 2017 Darth Vader, and 2018 had an Imperial Stormtrooper. This year’s jersey will feature a Clone Trooper. Following the Star Wars Night game, the team jerseys were auctioned off for charity. I experienced another heartbreaking defeat in the auction and another opportunity to own one slipped through my fingers.
However, I was determined to find a hockey jersey suitable for furthering my Star Wars Night hockey game adventures. In my search I came across Geeky Jerseys and was immediately attracted to the unique novelty of their designs. They’ve created teams based on characters and franchises from movies, TV, video games, comics, and beyond. Their product line includes hockey jerseys, baseball hats, and a few baseball jerseys.
My quest was not finished because upon discovering their site, I found that their available Star Wars-themed products were out of production or my size wasn’t available. The company produces a very limited number of jerseys but offer the option of releasing more based on demand. On their site you can view their past offerings and have the option to mark your interest. I was a bit disappointed, but it looked like I found what I had been looking for, so I just had to bide my time.
A week or two ago I received their email newsletter announcing the release of new products. In the current line they were offering the “Mandalorian Mercs 2.0” hockey jersey. With the relatively recent announcement of Jon Favreau’s live-action television series The Mandalorian, I interpreted this as the Force was compelling me to acquire this design. I immediately ordered one for myself. In a surprisingly short time, I received a delivery notification that the package containing my jersey was awaiting my return home.
My immediate impression upon opening the parcel was the quality of the product. The material was of the durable stock you find in a professional hockey jersey. They can be used on and off the ice. The embroidery is immaculate, and the positioning of the patchwork is centered and squared to a precision on par with a military uniform.
The color scheme for the 2.0 version remains the same as the original design. The front patch of the 2.0 varies from the original jersey. The original jersey featured Boba Fett with “Mercs” emblazoned across. The revised version has removed Boba Fett and features a human skull with two of Boba Fett’s signature EE-3 Carbine canted on either side. Personally, I like the new version more than the original. The shoulder patches are the same as the original version with the familiar “Kyr’bes” symbol and the “Jaster’s Feather” or “Journeyman Protector” sigil. The back of the jersey features “Slave 1” for the name and number. This feature is not customizable, but who would want to change it?
One thing to keep in mind when purchasing a jersey is they are intended to be worn over the numerous pieces of protective equipment the players wear underneath. The goalie size shirt would be even larger than regular player size.
Overall, I am completely satisfied with the jersey and it is exactly what I was looking for. Should I ever acquire a Dave Filoni jersey, the “Mandalorian Mercs” jersey will be a perfect alternate for when I attend those games that aren’t featuring the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins (it’s a pet peeve of mine when people wear jerseys that are not associated with the game at hand). I’ve been inspired to attend as many games that feature the Star Wars Night themes. I am fortunate to be within reasonable driving distance to at least six AHL teams. I could do the same for four NHL teams, but the theme doesn’t appear to have been included in this season’s promotional schedules.
Regardless, it will certainly not gather dust in the closet. At the same time, I hope to win the auction at this year’s Star Wars Night featuring the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins versus the Springfield Thunderbirds.