Did you go to the hockey game at FirstOntario Centre on Wednesday? Did you get one of those yellow T-shirts? Did you then get home and, like plenty of others, peel off the thick black strip under the word Bulldogs to check out what was underneath?

Yes, funny story about that.

"We screwed up," laughs Hamilton Bulldogs team owner, Michael Andlauer.

Knowing the game was being shown from coast to coast on Sportsnet, he wanted the place to look great. Mainly to show Canada that Hamilton is a hockey town. So, he gave the go-ahead several days before to order the shirts and printing began. Roughly 9,000 of them saying HAMILTON BULLDOGS with the team logo. And below that, 2018 OHL CHAMPIONSHIP.

Unfortunately, in the rush to make it happen, the team forgot to call the league to get approval to use "OHL."

Hey, stuff happens. Canadian Football League players have had to black out sponsors' logos on their shoes when the stuff isn't that of a league sponsor. Dream Team basketball players sponsored by Nike had to cover their Reebok gear with American flags back at the 1992 Olympics.

Anyway, Andlauer didn't want to throw them out. He didn't want to spike the entire idea.

"I didn't want to print another 9,000," he chuckles.

So, volunteers from the Bulldogs front office got to work covering each mention of OHL with a black strip. For two days, they worked on three heat presses to get the job done. President and general manager Steve Staios even came in for an hour or so to help.

In the end, the shirts were fixed, the arena looked amazing and everyone was happy. In fact, Andlauer loved the look so much that for Sunday's Game 6 he's ordered 9,000 rally towels. With OHL printed on them.

Yes, they got permission.

sradley@thespec.com

905-526-2440 | @radleyatthespec

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Spectator columnist Scott Radley hosts The Scott Radley Show weeknights from 6-8 on 900CHML

- Bulldogs hold off Greyhounds 6-4, take 3-2 OHL series lead