How do you respond to an insult in 2019?

One way, apparently, is by quickly printing up a batch of cheeky T-shirts – and then cashing in on the branded merchandise.

That’s just what the Carolina Hurricanes, an NHL team, did amid some hockey hullaballoo with famed Canadian pucks commentator Don Cherry. The prickly broadcaster known for his strong opinions and wildly outlandish suits branded the Hurricanes “a bunch of jerks” for their elaborate on-ice victory celebrations.

Within what the team says was less than 24 hours of the Saturday insult, the ‘Canes took the phrase, slapped it on T-shirts, and readied to begin retailing the tees to their fans.

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We’re a bunch of jerks and we have the shirts to prove it. Available now via the link in our bio!

A post shared by Carolina Hurricanes (@nhlcanes) on Feb 17, 2019 at 1:43pm PST

Credit for the merchandising quip goes to Dan LaTorraca, Hurricanes’ director of digital marketing, and Mike Forman, VP of marketing and brand strategy. They worked with BreakingT, a firm that specializes in rapidly producing “real time” apparel in response to buzz-tastic phrases, moments and topics in pop/sports culture.

On Friday, the Hurricanes celebrated their victory over the Edmonton Oilers by simulating that one of their players had won the contest with a walk-off home run. Cherry went nuclear.

"This is the National Hockey League. These guys, to me, are jerks. They're still not drawing [fans]. I'll tell you one thing, they better not do this in the playoffs," Cherry said the following day. "That is absolutely ridiculous. I know all the broadcasters are afraid to say something ... I know what I'm talking about. You never do anything like that. They're still not drawing. They're still a bunch of jerks, as far as I'm concerned."

The postgame victory celebrations started this year. Owner Tom Dundon wanted to make the home games – which, as Cherry rightly pointed out, are not well-attended – more entertaining for fans. Players have engaged in choreographed performances that include limbo, playing “duck, duck, goose” and more.

The Carolina Hurricanes came up with the Duck Duck Goose celebration https://t.co/ed2kx8Qz1j

— HockeyTroll.ca (@Hockeytroll_ca) February 2, 2019

While the ‘Canes drew criticism from some fans for the price ($32) of the “Bunch of Jerks” T-shirts, hockey aficionados far beyond the Carolinas, including folks in Canada, Minnesota and Europe, have expressed interest in buying the tees.

For promo distributors and apparel decorators, the shirts further spotlight the keen demand for in-the-moment branded merchandise – and how creative quick-thinking can lead to a winner that turns into marketing gold. Check out our feature to learn more about moment merch.

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