Everyone’s favourite minor hockey league tribute to one of the longest-running shows in television history is back for another season this weekend.
The American Hockey League’s Springfield Thunderbirds will once again take the ice as the Springfield Ice-O-Topes on Saturday, February 8, when they host the Providence Bruins at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. The annual tribute to The Simpsons dates back to 2020.
After moving the Simpson-ified version of the Thunderbirds’ primary logo on the front of jerseys last season, the Ice-O-Topes logo is back on the chest this year. The logo consists of a pink-frosted donut with yellow electrons flying around it inside a navy blue roundel. “SPRINGFIELD” is written in yellow at the top of the roundel, while “ICE-O-TOPES” is written at the bottom. In between are pink lines interrupted by yellow lightning bolts.
The collar is navy blue with a royal blue insert at the front. A broad navy blue stripe with a narrower royal blue stripe runs around the waist. The sleeve has two navy blue stripes with a pink stripe dotted with donut sprinkles in between.
The right shoulder has a navy blue radioactivity symbol with a one-color Simpson-ified Thunderbirds logo inside. The left shoulder has the full colour Simpson-ified logo inside two roundels; the inner one reads “BOOMER BRAND SEAL OF APPROVAL” while the outer one reads “IT’S NOT JUST GOOD, IT’S GOOD ENOUGH” — a callback to Krusty the Klown’s seal of approval from the Season 4 premiere, “Kamp Krusty.”
Printed inside the collar in yellow is the phrase “HACK THE BONE” — another callback, this time to the classic Season 6 episode, “Lisa on Ice.”
Photos posted to the Thunderbirds’ social media channels didn’t show what names and numbers on the back and sleeves of the jersey would look like. They also didn’t show much of the equipment they would be paired, though their mascot Boomer appeared to be wearing navy blue gloves and pants.
Saturday’s game between the Ice-O-Topes and Bruins is already sold out. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.
