The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye have an incredible theme jersey planned for Don Cherry night. In true ‘Grapes’ fashion, the Walleye will wear a jersey that looks like one of Cherry’s checkerboard suits in Toledo’s yellow and baby blue color scheme.

The Hockey News

Don Cherry is one of the most recognizable figures in all of hockey, and a big part of that is it’s not hard to spot the Coach’s Corner host every Saturday night during Hockey Night in Canada. Just look for the most spectacularly dressed on set, and that’s Cherry.

Cherry’s suits have been everything from garish to great, and the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye have certainly taken notice. That’s why Jan. 23 the Walleye will be hosting ‘Don Cherry Jersey Night,’ and the jerseys for the evening are exactly what one would hope. The Walleye aren’t interested in showcasing Cherry’s more subtle attire. Instead, they’re going all out with a nod to one of Cherry’s checkerboard suits.

Everything about the jersey is spot on. The high collar is just like Cherry’s, the rose on the lapel is a great touch and even the cuffs are extend out like Cherry’s normally do. It’s not pictured, but one can only assume there are some solid cufflinks as part of the ensemble.

Before he was the host of Coach’s Corner, Cherry was a successful NHL coach and a former minor league defenseman. Cherry will almost certainly get a kick out of seeing one of his suits turned into a theme night for the Walleye, too.

Following the contest, Toledo plans to hold an auction for those in attendance to win the jerseys right off the players’ backs. All proceeds from the auction will go to the American Cancer Society and Walleye Wishing Well, a charity that provides assistance to local organizations.

The club has already wowed fans with one theme night this season when they wore 8-bit jerseys that gave a nod to Nintendo’s Super Mario games, and Don Cherry night won’t be the final time the team suits up in a one-off jersey. On April 8, the Walleye will close out the season by paying tribute to the local baseball team, the Toledo Mud Hens, the Triple-A affiliate of the MLB’s Detroit Tigers.

The Walleye are the ECHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. Alumni include current Red Wings Luke Glendening and Petr Mrazek. Brian Lashoff and Tom McCollum, currently with AHL Grand Rapids, also came through Toledo.