"Star Wars Night" is a pretty common promotion in the sports world. Once a season, franchises big and small frequently celebrate the space epic by encouraging fans to dress up as their favorite characters and come out to the ol' ballpark. There might even be some giveaways and Star Wars-themed contests. That sort of thing.
But one minor league hockey team is taking the Star Wars Night concept to glorious new heights this weekend.
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On Saturday night the Toledo Walleye host the Kalamazoo Wings. But the teams won't wear their normal jerseys. Instead, Walleye players will wear X-Wing pilot shirts, while the Wings will play in Darth Vader-themed jerseys. Here's a look:
Toledo Walleye
The jerseys aren't just a fun stunt, though—the instant collectors' items will be auctioned post-game, with X-Wing proceeds benefitting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Vader proceeds going toward the Wounded Warrior Project. Meanwhile, fans are welcome to come in Star Wars costume with a prize for best get-up, as per traditional Star Wars Night protocol.
The Stanley Cup trophy will also be present for photo ops on Saturday night. But that's a minor footnote on a night like this.
Image: Sascha Steinbach/Getty Images