Seth Eady, 10, loves hockey and drawing pictures. So when the Virden Oil Caps launched a contest to design a new jersey for the team, he grabbed his colours and got right down to work. And he won.
The hockey club announced last week that Seth, a Grade 5 student at Virden Junior High, created the winning entry in their Jersey Design contest.
“When my mom showed me that the Oil Caps had posted the winner, I was so excited and couldn’t believe I won,” he wrote in an email to the Empire-Advance. “I was just happy to be in the top five!”
The win means his design will be drawn onto an Oil Caps jersey by local graphic designer Brooks Freeman and be worn by the team in a game.
Seth will get one of the jerseys and will get to drop the puck at the Jan. 18 Oil and Energy Appreciation Night game on home ice against the Portage Terriers. He and four other finalists will also receive free game tickets and recognition of their accomplishment on social media.
An avid fan of the Oil Capitals, he said, “I really like watching the Oil Caps play. It will be so cool to see them wear the jersey I designed.”
After the game, the team jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the Virden Oil Capitals Foundation.
Thrilled with entries
Director of Business and Hockey Operations, Jamie Hodson, is “thrilled” with the interest from students. “Many of the jersey designs really have shown there is a lot of passion for our hockey club at the ground roots in our community… It was difficult to get this down to five designs.”
The contest began with VJH students drawing their ideas onto jersey templates. The top three were chosen from each classroom and submitted.
Then the hockey club picked the top five designs and asked the public to vote for their favorites online and in person at the arena.
Seth Eady is the son of Michael and ShayIn Eady. The family, originally from Newfoundland, now lives in Virden.
