Flames great Lanny McDonald is one of the NHL legends to have his face featured on a sockBABSOCKS
Toronto-based sock maker Babsocks is "launching the Sockey Hall of Fame," which is an "ambitious project that is creating socks for many of the most famous players in NHL history, with the end goal of getting 150-plus faces on footwear," according to James Mirtle of THE ATHLETIC. Fifteen NHL teams have already "agreed to sell the socks and display Sockey Hall of Fame signage in arena stores." The idea also includes an "online subscription service, where fans will be able to sign up to get delivered a random NHL alumni sock every month or two." The concept is a "full partnership" with the NHL Alumni Association, led by Exec Dir & President Glenn Healy, who is "spearheading a wide-scale effort to increase alumni revenues." Most of the proceeds are "expected to be directed back toward helping NHL alumni in need." Hockey HOFers with socks "ready to go" include Mats Sundin, Cam Neely, Bobby Clarke, Joe Sakic, Ray Bourque, Stan Mikita, Brett Hull and Mike Modano. Recently retired "fourth-liner turned social media star Paul Bissonnette also has his own sock as a way to help promote the concept." Most of the likenesses on the socks are "immediately recognizable." In all, approximately 50,000 socks are "being produced for the first trial run." Babsocks has "sold roughly 400,000 pairs" in the past three years (THEATHLETIC.com, 9/11).
