Offseason Update: Badgers Try Hand at Fashion Design

Hockey and high fashion don’t typically mix. But when your team is owned by a fashion designer, which the Boston Badgers‘ Paul Galette is, such an unusual scenario can become reality.

The Badgers just finished their most successful season ever, posting a .500 record for the first time. It was a feel-good season for the team, and the players expressed a desire to get back together during the offseason. Galette accommodated that desire with an unorthodox offer: he invited his players to spend a day at his fashion house, including an opportunity to design their own outfits.

“It’s definitely not a typical hockey-player activity,” said Galette. “But I knew it would be a fun creative opportunity for them, and something that they don’t get to do every day. So why not?”

Almost all of the Badgers showed up. Some of them came because they wanted another chance to hang out with their teammates. Some were genuinely interested in seeing how fashion houses work. Others… well, in the words of RW Levi Rudyard: “I figured I’d have a chance to meet some models.”

When the players arrived, Galette took them on a brief tour of the house and introduced them to some of his fellow designers. “It was pretty cool to meet them, really,” said LW Pascal Royal. “They are in some ways like us. Everyone thinks we just get to have fun all the time, but there is a lot of work into it. Designing is the same.”

After that, the owner brought the players into a “collaboration space,” a room that allows designers to work together and bounce ideas off of one another. The players gathered around a large table in the center of the room, where they were given paper and a variety of art supplies and invited to design their own outfits.

“I told them they could be as practical or as whimsical as they wanted to be,” Galette said. “Designers can get their inspiration from anywhere: natural scenes, animals, things they see on the street. There are no rules and no bad ideas. Even something completely crazy or unworkable can light a spark that leads to a beautiful design in the end.”

The design session was a bit awkward at first because, as D Matt Cherner noted, “I haven’t done any drawing since I was in grade school.” But eventually they warmed to the task, and they came up with a number of fascinating designs. LW Casey Thurman drew an evening gown inspired by a peacock’s feathers. Cherner designed a suit that resembled the Northern Lights. G Roger Orion sketched out a tuxedo that featured the Badgers’ colors and logo. D Brody “Bruiser” McCallan, meanwhile, designed a truly wild outfit which he described as “the world’s only pimp superhero. Like Superfly, but even flyer.”

Little did the players know it, but Galette had another surprise in store for them. After treating the team to a lavish lunch at a nearby restaurant, Galette announced that he would have their designs made into actual outfits. And a couple weeks later, he invited them back to see those outfits on display, as he held a fashion show that the team streamed on YouTube.

“I knew they’d go gaga to see their designs brought to life,” Galette said. “It’s an awesome feeling for any designer, the first time they see their designs in real life.”

The players reacted with laughter and delight as they saw their designs paraded up and down the runway. And in additional to actual models, several of the players themselves took a turn on the catwalk. Orion modeled his Badgers-colored tuxedo, saying “I wish I’d had this for my wedding, although my wife is probably glad I didn’t.” Thurman modeled Cherner’s Northern Lights suit, and trilled “I Feel Pretty” in falsetto as he walked. McCallan, meanwhile, not only donned his pimp-superhero costume, he also closed out the show by squeezing into Thurman’s peacock-feather dress. As the burly blueliner sashayed along, his teammates laughed and catcalled.

“Yeah, they made fun,” said McCallan, “but only because they didn’t want to admit that I totally rocked the dress.”

All in all, it was a fun team-building event, and the players thoroughly enjoyed themselves. “If you’d told me I was going to love designing fashion outfits, I’d have called you crazy,” said C Alain Beauchesne. “But these were memories I will keep for all my life. Except for the Bruiser in that dress… that I hope to forget.”

Offseason Update: A Colorful Offseason for Igloos

At the suggestion of the team owner, the Anchorage Igloos decided to celebrate the rainbow with a special outdoor event. Called “Rainbow Off Ice”, the event centered on celebrating Pride Month and the warmer weather in Anchorage. The players took to the blacktop to play street hockey in front of their fans, surrounded by a world of rainbow. The event was $30 to attend; all profits were donated to the Trevor Project, an organization that specializes in providing support for LGBT+ youth.

Kids from a local elementary school were brought in the day before to decorate the pavement with chalk art that centered around pride. The players were given custom jerseys to rock the rainbow; those were auctioned off at the end of the event, with all money from the auction being donated to GLSEN, an organization that fights to end LGBTQ+ discrimination within school systems.

The Igloos players loved the event, saying that the change of pace was fun and that they were encouraged to see the organization give back.

Many of the decorations put up for the event were inspired by player suggestions. For example, the “Walk of Pride” was inspired by LW Les Collins, who suggested that the players enter on a multi-colored version of a red carpet. During the entrances, fans could take photos with players in front of a background of pride flags.

After almost a month of searching, GM WIll Thorndike was able to find a rainbow carpet suitable for the occasion. Thorndike reflected on his purchase: “I never thought I would be ordering a custom carpet for the boys, but I was impressed that I was able to fulfill their request.”

The flags had actually arrived while the season was still ongoing, and needless to say there were a lot of them, According to a team intern, the flags were bulk ordered with over 1,000 of each type. Due to the large size of the shipment, the boxes of pride flags wound up overflowing into the hallway leading to the locker room. The boxes became a running joke among the players, who started a betting pool to guess how many were in each box.

Igloos C Jake Frost said the event was: “the most colorful hockey event to come from the SHL.”

Goalie Ty Worthington took the event as a chance to finally show his own pride to his teammates, as he came out as bisexual. His teammates fully accepted him and were happy for him to be able to be his true self.

.“I don’t care what parts Ty is into,” said D Olaf Martinsson. “All that matters to me is his skills in the net and his friendship on and off the ice.”

In a post-event interview, Worthington stated that “I never thought I would be so closely tied to an offseason event. As a member of the [LGBTQ+] community myself, I was able to enjoy the festivities in a much more personal way. I’m glad that I can finally share my true self with everybody. And I loved wearing my flag as a cape!”

It seems safe to say the event was a roaring success with both the fans and the players. The event was able to raise over $31,000, with about 700 attendees in total. The players’ social media was quite bright with their photos from the festivities and the players were tagged in a plethora of colorful selfies.

“I hope we do this every year,” said Frost. “It was a great event and I was glad to be part of it.”

Galaxy Fire Coach James

Two years ago, the Washington Galaxy shocked the SHL world by firing coach Rodney Reagle and hiring Peter James to replace him. Although Reagle had lead the Galaxy to two SHL Finals, the team’s record had slipped, and the team ownership reportedly felt that the coach’s goofy, lighthearted, sometimes outrageous approach was no longer working. By picking the low-key and serious-minded James, Washington hoped to change the team’s culture and return to contention.

Instead, the ensuing seasons have turned into a disaster. James failed to connect with his players and failed to charm either the media or the fanbase. The team ‘s record plummeted from mediocrity to abject disaster. The team’s attendance drooped along with their on-ice performance. GM Ace Adams lost his job due to the team’s struggles. Most of the team’s stars have left, either in trade or via free agency. And after two years and a 37-78-13 record, the Galaxy have apparently seen enough; this week, they announced that James was being let go.

“We thank Peter James for his service to the club,” said GM Wilson Shuster. “No one doubts his hard work and dedication. Unfortunately, it’s become clear that this wasn’t the right fit, for Peter or for the team. It’s time to begin a new chapter for this team.”

According to team sources, James’ attempts to crack down and impose greater discipline on the team met resistance from Galaxy veterans, most of whom liked Reagle and were displeased about his firing. Their defiance undermined the coach’s authority, and James in turn urged the front office to get rid of them and turn to younger players from the minors. But the minor leaguers proved overmatched, and they found James remote and difficult to talk to.

Things went from bad to worse this season, as Washington finished with the league’s worst record. The team’s best player in 2020 was arguably C Harvey Bellmore, who signed a four-year free agent deal with the club before the 2019 season. But Bellmore is a well-known partier and practical joker, and he and James grew to detest one another. Team sources say that Bellmore’s strong year was fueled by the hope that a contending team would want to acquire him. But he stayed put, and his defiance of James only grew. He mocked the coach behind his back, mimicking James’ rigid posture and awkward speaking style in fake pep talks during practices and on team flights. The coach in turn hit Bellmore with multiple fines and complained repeatedly to the front office, to no avail.

Meanwhile, James struggled to escape the shadow of his larger-than-life predecessor. Ironically, Reagle’s penchant for wacky costumes and colorful quote might have been a welcome distraction during the last couple of down years. Instead, reporters largely tuned out James’ colorless press conferences and gave the team less coverage. And fans started to stay away altogether. There was a group of diehards who sat behind the home bench at Constellation Center and called themselves “Reagle’s Eagles,” wearing curly wigs and fake wings to every game. They loved to interact with the coach, who would frequently toss them pucks and autographed T-shirts. When James arrived in town, the diehards swapped their wings for six-shooters, renamed themselves “The James Gang,” and tried to connect with the new bench boss. But James didn’t engage with them, and they eventually stopped coming to games.

The Galaxy tried a number of gimmicks to goose attendance, using the B-52s’ “Cosmic Thing” as a rally song and turning the team Twitter account over to star RW Jefferson McNeely‘s wife to post memes of the couple’s daughter during a game. But as the losses piled up and the stars kept leaving town, Reagle’s Eagles weren’t the only fans who weren’t turning out anymore. This combination of trouble factors caused the front office’s faith in James to evaporate quickly, leading to this week’s dismissal.

Reached for comment, James thanked the Galaxy for the opportunity and said, “I wish it had turned out differently.” He declined further comment.

Washington is one of several teams that will be seeking a new coach this offseason; the Michigan Gray Wolves, New York Night, and Milwaukee (formerly the Dakota Jackalopes) also have openings. It’s believed that former New York coach Nick Foster and former Dakota coach Flim Dahlgren will be on the Galaxy’s shortlist, along with Hamilton Pistols assistant Jack Thornberry and minor-league coach Mel Longian.

Igloos Co-Owner Buys Jackalopes, Moving Them to Milwaukee in ’21

Coming into the 2020 offseason, the SHL had one item atop their to-do list: find a buyer for the Dakota Jackalopes. The league assumed control of the Jackalopes from then-owner Roger Scott at the trading deadline, as the team encountered severe financial distress. They had no interest in continuing to operate the team next season, so they were eager to find a new owner as soon as possible. They understood that the new owner was likely to relocate the team. They didn’t expect, however, that the new owner would already be a member of the SHL family.

Colin Mills, co-owner of the Anchorage Igloos, officially agreed this weekend to purchase the Jackalopes franchise. Mills had reportedly been in talks with the league for several weeks, and the other owners unanimously approved the sale on Sunday. Upon taking ownership of the team, Mills announced that he would be moving it to Milwaukee.

“I am pleased to announce that this saga has finally reached its conclusion,” said SHL Commissioner Perry Mitchell. “We have tried for multiple years to seek an outcome that would allow the Jackalopes to remain in the Dakotas, but it has become painfully clear that the market was not viable. Now, the franchise has a new lease on life, with an owner who has the means and the track record of success, and in a city that can support it. I’m excited for great days ahead!”

For Mills, the choice of city was a no-brainer. “I love Milwaukee,” he said. “It’s a lively, fun city and a great place for a hockey team. Honestly, I can’t understand why there hasn’t been a team there from the start. I can’t wait to bring the Vandy to the shores of Lake Michigan!”

The new owner said that his first priority would be to hire a general manager, and then work with the new GM to hire a coach. The Jackalopes did not renew the contracts of GM Paul Mindegaard or coach Flim Dahlgren at the end of the season. Mills said that the new GM would have free rein in shaping the roster – and a healthy budget with which to do so. Dakota finished the season with the league’s smallest payroll.

“As an owner, I want to find the smartest GM I can, and then trust him to evaluate the talent and build a winning team,” Mills said. “One thing’s for sure, though: the days of salary dumps and avoiding high-dollar players are over. I want our team to have a competitive payroll, and we certainly have plenty of room under the cap to go stock up.”

The Jackalopes players reacted positively to news of their new owner. “I’m going to miss our fans in Dakota,” said LW Ryan Airston. “They were the best. But playing in front of bigger crowds, and knowing that we’ll be able to re-sign guys and go after big-name free agents, that’s really exciting! It’s such a change from the last few years that I’m still a little bit in shock.”

“I’m looking forward to having some stability, finally,” said LW Joe Freelander, who earlier this year called for the Jackalopes to move. “There’s been so much churn in the locker room, so many questions about what was going to happen. Now we have some answers and a stable future, and that will allow us to just focus on hockey.”

Mills said that he plans to hold a rally in Milwaukee soon, at which he will unveil the team’s new name and logo.

And what happens to the Igloos? Mills sold his share of the team to his co-owner, Leslie Mills. She seems to be looking forward to sole ownership. “Finally, I have total control!” Leslie Mills said. “It’s all mine! Hahahahaha!”