Flyers to Debut Custom Skate Designs Honoring young cancer Patients
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Flyers will become the first NHL team to wear custom SkateSkins during pregame warmups, honoring young cancer patients through artwork featured on the players’ skates. The initiative, a collaboration with SkateSkins and Hockey Fights Cancer, will see each Flyer player sporting a unique design created by children battling cancer.
The Flyers’ adoption of SkateSkins marks a meaningful milestone for the brand and the NHL’s ongoing hockey Fights Cancer campaign. “This is our second year of a Hockey Fights cancer partnership that we have through the NHL, and this will be the first time that they’re being worn on NHL ice,” SkateSkins founder Matt Keeler told ESPN. ”This is a pretty big milestone moment, and yeah, for us, the Flyers really just wanted to be the first team to wear it, and I think they have some pretty cool ideas of what they want to do for the future down the road.”
Players participated in a custom design event, with those not involved in the event wearing a Hockey Fights Cancer design created by SkateSkins, featuring a placard for players to write the names of those they are honoring. Keeler noted that players purchased additional pairs of the custom designs to gift to the young artists whose work they showcased.
“I love being the first [team] to do this,” said Flyers forward Ronnie Listino. “It also shows our team is definitely one-for-all. And I think this also shows that one person’s like, ‘this is really critically important to me.’ and I think most people would say cancer has impacted their life in some way or another. So, for everyone to jump on board very quickly for this initiative was really, really exciting.”
the NHL approved the use of SkateSkins during warmups prior to the start of the current season. Several NHL players, including Auston Matthews and Clayton Keller, have previously supported SkateSkins, and the brand has been utilized in leagues such as the AHL and Canadian junior leagues. The Flyers have indicated they will consider allowing players to continue creating SkateSkins designs for other causes or personal expression.
Hockey Fights Cancer, a joint initiative of the NHL and NHL Players Association in partnership with the V Foundation for Cancer Research, is currently in its 27th season.
