The Forecheck: The story behind UConn's 'Hook C' jerseys

The Huskies pulled out specialty jerseys for their contest at Fenway Park on Saturday.

Jan 10, 2023

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How UConn’s Hook C jerseys were born

On Saturday, UConn men’s hockey revealed a special jersey for the Frozen Fenway game featuring the Hook C — UConn baseball’s logo — on the chest. It was a sight to behold.

With the showcase game at the historic Fenway Park in Boston, Mike Cavanaugh knew the Huskies needed to do something to honor the Huskies’ baseball team.

“We wanted to pay homage to our baseball team and the program that not only Jim (Penders) has built but Coach (Andy) Baylock and everybody before him,” Cavanaugh explained. “It's got such great tradition and when you play at Fenway, I think it was only right to honor our baseball team and their program.”

The process surrounding these specific jerseys began over the summer, but the idea first popped into Cavanaugh’s head when UConn played its first Frozen Fenway game back in 2017. But UConn’s apparel partner Nike needed more time to design and make them, so that idea got dropped. After that, the team tried to place a Hook C patch on the jerseys but ran into trademark issues.

As a result, the Huskies were the only team in the event not to wear a unique jersey back in 2017. Cavanaugh wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again.

UConn wasn’t confirmed for the Frozen Fenway until late in the summer. That gave the Huskies a window of only a few months in order to craft the uniform.

The first order of business? Get permission from Penders to use the logo.

“I went and asked Jim, ‘Would you have a problem with this?’ And he was like, ‘Absolutely not. I think that would be awesome.’ So he was all for it,” Cavanaugh shared.

Even though Penders doesn’t view himself as the keeper of the Hook C, Cavanaugh still wanted his permission.

“I could go on and bookstore and buy [a Hook C hat],” Cavanaugh said, “but I just wanted his buy-in…I just think it's the right thing to do.”

Director of Hockey Operations Joe Ferriss ran point on the project. He found a supplier who could work within the time constraints and the design started to come together. Initially, the jersey featured the Hook C on its own but after some discussion, the team decided that adding the “Connecticut” wordmark across the chest looked better.

It wasn’t perfect — UConn would’ve preferred a stitched jersey instead of screen printed — but that ultimately made little difference. The Huskies finally had a special jersey for the occasion, while the coaches and program staffers planned to wear Hook C hats.

The team kept the sweaters under wraps until just a few hours before puck drop, when Penders unveiled them in a video.

UConn Men's Hockey @UConnMHOC

Fired up and ready to represent the Hook C with pride❄️🏒🚌

The look was immediately well-received. The players loved it — Matthew Wood wrote “What a jersey” on Instagram and others shared that sentiment — while the first batch available to fans on the UConn Husky Shop sold out in a matter of minutes.

“It's obviously a good thing for marketing and branding your program and generating interest — and the fans love it,” Cavanaugh said.

Even with the instant popularity, UConn won’t wear them again. They were planned as a one-off and will stay that way — especially after the players were given the jerseys to keep after practice on Monday.

Hook C’s hockey history

Saturday wasn’t the first time UConn men’s hockey used the Hook C on a jersey. Matt Barry, a project consultant for the school, discovered that the logo used to be the captain’s C on jerseys.

The four players from the right on the bottom row all have the captain’s letter on their left shoulder.