UNC Hockey To Wear Canes-Inspired Sweaters For Monday's Governor's Cup

RALEIGH, NC. - After over 24,000 fans made their way to Carter-Finley Stadium for last year's "Frozen Finley" between NC State and UNC, this year's matchups have a few more eyeballs.

The two American College Hockey Association (ACHA) teams will meet again for their annual Governor's Cup game on Monday at PNC Arena, and the Tar Heels are set to debut new Canes-inspired alternate jerseys for the occasion.

Revealing them on Wednesday morning, the warning flag stripe on the tail of most jerseys worn by the NHL club since 1997 is a featured element on UNC's threads.

"The design was a joint effort between players and staff. The players made many contributions, such as the pattern on the jersey and socks," UNC head coach Adam Dauda shared. "The staff had the idea of the cursive TarHeel logo on the front."

Working with PowerTek to bring the sweaters to life, the group mulled over a few options before finalizing their decision, which wound up working in a historical campus element as well.

"Ultimately there were three designs that we all voted on and this one came out as the winner," Dauda continued. "The Old Well was a great last-minute addition by the players."

Wednesday's reveal gathered strong attention on social media, partially due to the eye-catching photos, which featured players wearing the jerseys at the aforementioned Old Well. A well-known landmark on the campus in Chapel Hill, the Old Well served as the primary source of drinking and bathing water for the students, faculty, and staff when the campus first opened.

"Last season, for the outdoor game at Carter-Finley, we did our uniform reveal in our football facility's Jordan Experience Room, the same spot our football recruits do theirs. Those were white and worked great in that space," J Banzet V, UNC Hockey's Director of Media spoke of the creative direction. "This time around, I knew we had a navy uniform and couldn't go back to that room again, so we picked the most iconic spot on campus, the Old Well, and went to work."

"We're honored that UNC will pay homage to the Hurricanes with their Governor's Cup uniform. It's truly a testament that the game is growing in our neck of the woods," Canes Vice President of Marketing & Brand Strategy Dan LaTorraca shared. "As the Hurricanes continue to ascend, so does hockey at all levels in the Carolinas."

Off to an 11-5-1 start, the Tar Heels will be looking for revenge after falling to the IcePack earlier this season in overtime. NC State is currently 9-9 and on a three-game win streak.

Both NC State & UNC's rosters also currently tout local-grown leading scorers.

NC State sophomore and Holly Springs product Zach Herman paces his unit with 23 points in 18 games, while UNC's Patrick O'Shaughnessy, from Greensboro, leads his team with 18 points in 15 games.

A first-hand sign of the growth of hockey in the area, both played for the Jr. Hurricanes before representing their collegiate teams. Herman skated with both the USPHL Premier and Elite teams, while O'Shaughnessy had success with both the 14U & 15U AAA Jr. Hurricanes clubs, among his other stops.

Tickets to Monday's Governer's Cup game, which starts at 7 p.m., can be purchased here.  Parking is $10 and can also be paid for in advance.

UNC's new Canes-inspired alternate sweaters are available for order now via the team's official shop.

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