Hershey Bears release 2018 Outdoor Classic Uniforms

Thursday afternoon the Hershey Bears released the first images of their 2018 Outdoor Classic uniforms. The white sweaters will be worn against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on January 20.

The uniforms feature HERSHEY across the chest. Hershey last wore cross chest wordmark in 2009, but the design features a similar to the 1969 uniforms the Bears wore to win the Calder Cup.

“We’re excited to unveil our specialty jersey for the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic,” Bryan Helmer said via press release. “This jersey celebrates the rich tradition of the Hershey Bears and pulls design elements from many historic eras in our 80 year history. We’re thrilled to take the ice outdoors in this jersey, and represent the great tradition of the Chocolate and White.”

The famous skating Bear returns to a Bears uniform for the first time since 2012 in the bottom corner of the sweater.

Jerseys will be for sale at the Bears team store in sublimated form leading up to the game, then replica versions will be avaiable for purchase at the 2018 Outdoor Classic.

The uniforms were designed with the help of Joe Bosack & Co., who designed the Bears current logo that changed in 2012, as well as the 2013 and 2018 Outdoor Classic logos and 80th anniversay logo.

Press release:

(Hershey, PA- December 14, 2017)-The Hershey Bears have unveiled the design for the specialty jersey the club will wear at the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic, held Jan. 20, 2018 at Hersheypark Stadium. The jerseys will be worn by the Bears as they battle the Lehigh Valley Phantoms outdoors in the can’t-miss event of Hershey’s 80th Anniversary Season.

“We’re excited to unveil our specialty jersey for the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic,” said Hershey’s Vice President of Hockey Operations Bryan Helmer. “This jersey celebrates the rich tradition of the Hershey Bears and pulls design elements from many historic eras in our 80 year history. We’re thrilled to take the ice outdoors in this jersey, and represent the great tradition of the Chocolate and White.”

The game-worn specialty jerseys will be auctioned off post-game following the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic with proceeds benefiting the Central PA Food Bank, Red Cross of Central PA Region, and the American Special Hockey Association. Sublimated versions of the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic jersey will be available for sale at the club’s team store, Hershey Sports, next week. Replica versions of the sweater will be available at the Outdoor Classic on Jan. 20.

The jersey features “HERSHEY” diagonally down the front of the uniform, and striping that are both in a similar style to the sweaters Hershey wore when they won the 1969 Calder Cup. Designed in the classic Chocolate and White color motif, the jersey features the popular “skating bear” logo worn for many of Hershey’s most memorable decades, and for many battles with the Phantoms during their days in Philadelphia.

The jersey also features the 80th Anniversary Season logo and the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic logo on the shoulders. Both logos were designed by Joe Bosack & Co. of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Bosack also worked with Hershey on the design of the 2018 Capital BlueCross Outdoor Classic jersey, and designed Hershey’s current set of logos.

The Phantoms will be wearing specialty jerseys as well, which will be released soon. Additionally, the Bears Alumni and the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni Association will be wearing special jerseys for the Alumni Game on Friday, Jan. 19. Those jerseys will be unveiled soon, and both alumni team’s jerseys will be auctioned off post-game.