Buffalo company lands deal with Chicago Blackhawks

A Buffalo company has recently established a partnership with the Chicago Blackhawks, granting them an opportunity to pursue future design deals in the National Hockey League. Just Dishin, owned by Matthew Keeler, operates the Skate Skins brand and is dedicated to enhancing creativity and fashion in the realm of hockey. The collaboration with the Blackhawks is seen as a significant step forward for the company, which has already attracted interest from other NHL teams. The partnership resulted in the launch of a co-branded streetwear collection for Blackhawks fans, featuring a range of merchandise such as hoodies, T-shirts, hats, skateboard decks, stickers, and a rug. Keeler considers this project to be the largest they have taken on thus far. The Blackhawks contacted Keeler in June, expressing their desire to target a younger demographic and embrace the trend of sports-inspired fashion. Keeler and his team subsequently traveled to Chicago to pitch their merchandise and plans. The Blackhawks ultimately granted them full creative control over the design, with most of the manufacturing being outsourced. The team’s efforts were lauded in a recent statement by Jerry Ferguson, the Blackhawks’ vice president of marketing, emphasizing the representation of the sport’s evolving style and the enthusiasm of the next generation of hockey players and fans. Just Dishin’s previous notable projects include the creation of eight custom pairs of skates for top hockey players in the EA Sports NHL video game team of the year. Currently, the company is working with EA Sports to design and manufacture various hockey equipment items, including sticks, gloves, bags, and goalie helmets, with completion expected by the end of January.