Why is the NHL obsessed with St. Patricks day? The league doesn’t do this for any other holiday, but when it comes Saint Patty’s, they create an entire line of products. At the Penguins games against the Senators and Bruins this weekend, the crowd at the Mellon Arena was clad in all sorts of green garb. Many fans even had the special St. Patrick’s day green jersey’s.
The Atlanta Thrahsers are even having a silent auction of their special St. Patricks Day jerseys (Click here for that story). Honestly, I want to know what the craze is all about? I just don’t get the NHL’s random obsession with St. Patrick’s day. Is there even one single Irish player in the NHL? Now there’s some food for thought. Well, feel free to let me know what you think about the St. Pat’s gear. Would you buy a green jersey of your favorite NHL team? Why?
Sidney Crosby is Irish. Yes, really! It’s Sidney Patrick Crosby. Last year he was the honoree at the American Ireland Fund Dinner.
1hockeychics,
Thanks for the tip, but it turns out that Sidney Patrick Crosby was actually honored at the Pittsburgh AIF Gala last year, according to its official website, for, “leadership in community and charitable activities,” not for being Irish.
The gala was a nice way to bring the Pittsburgh community together and Crosby does a lot of great things for the Pittsburgh community (check out his Little Penguins Learn to Play Hockey program if you don’t believe me) so, I think he fully deserved to be the AIF honoree. Plus, he is a mega celebrity here in the ‘Burgh, so of course they would want to honor him.
But alas, the fact that Crosby has an irish sounding middle name still does not explain to me the NHL’s obsession with St. Patty’s day.
Every other league is in on the St. Patricks Day merchandise jamboree and they make a lot of money off of it. NHL finally went with it. I know from the NBA that the Knicks Irish Jersey sold really well.