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BUFFALO, N.Y. — Playing as a team often means looking like one, too.
"There’s a lot of uniformity,” said Matthew Keeler, owner and founder of SkateSkins. “Everything top to bottom was fully complete in the uniform aesthetic from obviously jerseys, but down to the shoes.”
As a kid, Keeler felt like that personality was lacking in hockey.
“I would always like draw […] sketches of skates and then draw different designs on them too,” he said.
Then Keeler grew up.
“I started to realize the game is a bit more dull," Keeler said. "Essentially what SkateSkins is, is a customizable accessory for your skates.”
Started in 2020 in Buffalo, he launched a way for brands, teams and individuals to show who they are and what they care about on the ice.
This is the third year the company has partnered with Hockey Fights Cancer.
“When we originally picked up our partnership, no SkateSkins were allowed to be worn on ice in warmups,” explained Keeler.
Five years and tens of thousands of orders later, Keeler got the call he was waiting for: the Philadelphia Flyers wanted to wear SkateSkins during warmups. A number of Flyers players wore custom skins designed by Philadelphia-area pediatric cancer patients.
"We worked alongside the NHL and Hockey Fights Cancer, ultimately, to make that happen," he said.
It put a smile on some special faces, too.
“The kids really crushed it,” Keeler said. "Such a powerful moment for them. The kids themselves had some pretty cool phrases and sayings that I think really ultimately helps them and their mission to beat cancer."
Hockey News