HERSHEY, Pa. — "Hockey players are very fashion-oriented. You show up to the rink and guys are wearing these nice three-piece suits and like nice shoes," recalled Hershey Bears' center Mike Vecchione.
Chocolatetown's alternate captain is the first to admit, that while he's sharp on the ice with wins in dramatic fashion, he's not the most fashion-forward when it comes to the locker room.
"They're talking about what brand this and that is, I'm like, 'I don't know, man, I get stuff off the rack,'" laughed Vecchione.
However, as his confidence grew during his time in Hershey, another idea grew from him just being himself.
"I came into camp in my second season doing well and you know I just started roaring a lot, scoring goals and roaring. Like, the whole bear experience," claimed Vecchione. "Some other guys were picking up on it. It kind of became our little thing. It's just really caught fire. The fans are doing it. I was talking to my fiance and a couple of other people close to me and they're like, 'You should try to brand this and like do your own.'"
He floated some ideas and since it's not associated with the Hershey Bears, he had meetings with the higher-ups to see what he was allowed to produce and license. Eventually, MV19 hit the ice for fans and his teammates.
"I got a bunch of T-shirts and sweatshirts and handed them out to them and in return, they had to come take pictures with me and be models, which was fun. We have that brotherhood in the locker room and it just goes far beyond, just the rink," added Vecchione.
And it's not just fans. With the way AHL licensing works, it can be hard for local sports shops like Bleacher Bums in the Capital City Mall to stock anything Chocolatetown-related, but what they can, they do. That's when they heard about MV19.
"We thought, 'hmm, how could we make this a benefit for both?' The fan base is in dire need for it and want for it. So we reached out to him, and came up with an agreement. He had all the licensing in place already for his line," recalled Bleach Bums co-owner David Sklar.
"I didn't really expect it to be such a huge response," Vecchione said. "The town is just so tight-knit and everybody kind of supports everybody. I think it is like the perfect town to try and do something like this and with the fans' response, the players' response, and the general public, it's been amazing."
Bleacher Bums has a history of selling Hershey Bears merchandise over the years, but even at their Hagerstown location, chocolate and white items have sold well, because people get more bang for their buck driving to Hershey, than to see their big brothers, the Washington Capitals.
"What we can pick up from Mike adds a little bit of a personal touch, as well, because now you have a guy who you follow on the ice and you get his product. It's not just the Bears, but that's his product. So I think the folks like that," added Sklar.
"Seeing people sit behind the bench with my brand on or I'll be skating around and people throw their hat against the glass and show me that they're wearing and just all that affection is just amazing," claimed Vecchione.
The roar's main representative top priority remains the Bears and their quest for a three-peat, but in between the season and gearing up for a wedding next year, he can unwind by tinkering with new ideas for his brand.
"Obviously, I'm going to try and play as long as I can and be a Bear as long as I can and wherever this brand takes me, it would be great but," Vecchione states. "As for right now, I'm in a good spot and I'm very excited."
"We're getting ready to put in our backup orders to get ready for the holidays," said Sklar. "We're excited to see what else he can come up with, with designs. Maybe we can get another Cup Championship shirt for next year and they're off to a great start so far this year. So, were hopeful."