The Rapid City Rush of the ECHL paid tribute to the heroes of D-Day from their home state of South Dakota and beyond with special edition jerseys over the weekend.
The Rush — the ECHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames — donned the jerseys on Saturday, March 30, when they hosted the Allen Americans on their annual Military Appreciation Night. They were designed in collaboration with local artist Aaron Pearcy and honor the upcoming 80th anniversary of D-Day while also celebrating the proud history of military service in South Dakota and across the United States.
The jersey has a grey base, with graphics covering the front that include Allied soldiers storming beaches on D-Day (June 6, 1944) and fighter jets flying overhead. The Rush’s primary R logo is superimposed over top. Names and numbers on the back and sleeves are set in a distressed stencil font.
Pearcy, a local tattoo artist and graffiti muralist, said creating the jersey was a “fun challenge.”
“Being tasked to find the right mix of honoring the military, shining light on this moment, and still being able to put it on a jersey that’s wearable was a lot of fun,” he said on the Rush’s website.
“It wasn’t enough for me to just throw a picture on there and call it good,” he added. “I wanted to make it colder, and kind of fit the cold hockey theme, so I was going for that icy look and feel with it too.”
On the back of the jersey, under the numbers, the patch of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association appears, which reads “I SUPPORT COMBAT VETS.” The organization will receive the funds raised when the jerseys are auctioned off after the game.
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