Yes, that is a Battlestar Galactica hockey jersey, and if you're frothing at the mouth like we are right now, keep reading.
The jersey is the brainchild of Vancouver-based graphic artist Dave Delisle, who runs a website called Dave's Geeky Ideas. How I've never heard of it before now is baffling; as someone who lives in the liminal space between hockey and nerdity, it's pretty much perfect. (I say "pretty much" because any true BSG egghead knows the only sport in their universe is Pyramid. But I digress.)
For instance, here's an awesome Game of Thrones-inspired Stark clan Direwolves jersey:
Delisle's was recently profiled for Wired.com, where he explained the motivation for his nerdy hockey sweaters. No it's not just because he's Canadian (although, conveniently, he is). From Wired:
"You might think [I design hockey jerseys] because I'm Canadian and, thus, have a one-track mind. The real truth is hockey jerseys are a brilliant canvas on which to showcase a team's identity. That logo on the chest is like a Superhero insignia. No other sport has a jersey or uniform where the team logo can be so prominent."
The motivation also had a little something to do with the aforementioned Game of Thrones, which makes sense, since that show rules. Still Wired:
The fascination of merging hockey and geek worlds began last July. "I was caught up in Game of Thrones fever, and had noticed all the house symbols would make for excellent sports team nicknames and logos. Then Reddit got wind of these, and I was flooded with e-mail requests, and since I wanted one too, I arranged a team order." The result was a short run of actual hockey jerseys based on his design.
Dave may have also been motivated by the return of the Winnipeg Jets last summer, an announcement that inspired many graphic artists to suggest team names and create jersey designs. Delisle made up some mock Jets logos, but he also proposed Winnipeg's team be named the Mechs, with his badass, Gundam-inspired mockup:
It wasn't the only time he dabbled in the robotic look for alternate hockey sweater. Here's his Voltron-inspired Grand Rapids Griffins jersey:
But if it's straight nerdity you're after, here's a slideshow of some of our favourites:
So, so good. I especially like the Jurassic Park "Muldoon" jersey.
Once your nerdgasm reaches its refractory period, take a moment to visit Dave's recently launched hockey-exclusive blog, Dave's Geeky Hockey, and maybe add it to your blogroll.