From left to right: #5 Grant Babcock 'A', #11 Willyam Gendron 'A', #72 Brett Merner 'C', #18 Mike Murtagh 'A', and #19 Connor DeTurris 'A'.
Clippers' ‘Midnight Sails’ Jerseys honour the team’s past and celebrate its future.
The Nanaimo Clippers will be unveiling a new alternate jersey – ‘Midnight Sails’ – tonight against the Victoria Grizzlies. The result of a collaborative effort between our Season Ticket Holders, Billets, former Coaches, Managers, Owners, and Players. These jerseys aim to honour the past and celebrate the future of our storied franchise as we continue our pursuit of the Fred Page Cup.
The design process was carried out at Pedestrian Studios, a local design consultancy company, in multiple sessions throughout the summer. The meetings included discussions on what the team and the city means to the group, with committee members sharing their Clippers' stories and experiences. All of this is with the goal in mind of honouring the City of Nanaimo, as well as all the fans who have shown their support for the team since its inception in 1972.
Nanaimo born, and raised, Clippers Captain Brett Merner stated “It was an honour to be a part of the designing process with such great people from the organization and community. Guys like Michael Olson, who played here, won here, and built the Clippers culture. The culture that makes us who we are, promoting from within, and moving up the ranks. This jersey helps represent our whole community; it’s bigger than just the team.”
Following the conclusion of the design sessions, Jared and Mel Rhind from Pedestrian Studios were left with the difficult task of incorporating the elements and ideas discussed into a cohesive jersey that the Design Committee, the Players, and the Fans can all be proud of. The final result was the ‘Midnight Sails’ Jersey. A jersey that honours the history of the team while maintaining a clean, modern look. Mel and Jared Rhind described their inspiration when designing the jersey as, “We know the Clippers are a tough team, let’s provide them with a look to match their spirit”.
The crest, an ‘N’ that recalls memories of the Clippers teams in the mid-1900s, combined with the ship that is the team's namesake is the centrepiece of this jersey. The primarily black colour scheme provides a tough, physical impression that is sure to intimidate our opponents just as much as it excites our fans. The white and orange stripes on the arms, waist, and legs hold true to the team’s colours and provide contrast against the black background, completing the design.
The ‘Midnight Sails’ alternate jersey will be worn at special game nights and community events throughout the season with game-worn player jerseys becoming available for purchase in a Jersey Auction after the 2023/24 season has concluded. Make sure you pick up your tickets for tonight's game to see these jerseys in action for the first time!
Catch all of the exciting action at a 2023-2024 Nanaimo Clippers game.
Tickets can be purchased at tickets.nanaimoclippers.com.
