The Iowa Heartlanders are going hog wild with special edition uniforms this weekend.
The ECHL affiliates of the Minnesota Wild based in Coralville, Iowa, are celebrating their home state’s proud tradition of pork production on Saturday, November 30, when they host the Bloomington Bison on “Crispy Bacon Night.” And the themed uniforms that the Heartlanders will wear for the game are something else.
The Heartlanders unveiled the uniforms on their social media channels on Wednesday, November 27, calling them “horrendously perfect.” The jerseys, pants and socks combine to give the overall effect of a pig farmer wearing denim overalls.
The jersey itself has a pink and grey plaid pattern on the sleeves and the upper chest for the farmer’s collared shirt. The denim overalls cover most of the chest and back. On the front of the jersey, the Heartlanders’ primary logo sits on the pocket of the overalls in the middle of the chest. Several strips of bacon poke out of that same pocket. The shoulders of the jersey depict the straps and buckles of the overalls. Sponsor logos are overlaid on the shoulders and the right chest.
The pants and socks both have a blue denim pattern, completing the overalls look, with darker pockets on the back of the pants. The numbers on the back and sleeves are pink with black outlines and set in the Heartlanders’ usual font. Nameplates are black with white lettering. Under the number on the back, a pink curly pig’s tail pokes out from the overalls.
According to the Heartlanders, there are more pigs (23 million) in Iowa than people (4 million), so a pork-and-bacon-themed night is a perfect fit.
Along with the jerseys, the Heartlanders will be handing out thundersticks designed to look like bacon strips, and they’ll host a bacon-themed pregame party at the nearby Hyatt Hotel Exhibit Hall.
Your Crispy Bacon experience doesn’t end when you walk in the door… in fact, it’s just beginning and will carry over into the game, with specialty concessions, in-game bacon activities, and pork eating contests.
This is sure to be be one of the most unique nights in Heartlanders history.
Game-worn jerseys are being auctioned off through Dash, with bids closing at 7:45 p.m. CT on Saturday.
Puck drop between the Heartlanders and Bison is set for 6 p.m. CT Saturday at the Xtream Arena in Coralville. If you want to see these jerseys in person, tickets are still available through the Heartlanders’ website.