Minor league hockey teams wear glorious ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ jerseys

Imagine skating onto the ice as a minor league hockey player fighting for your career, and back at you stares … SpongeBob SquarePants. That’s the magical experience that happened to the Cincinnati Cyclones when they faced the Indy Fuel, the Blackhawks’ ECHL affiliate, in a 5-2 loss Friday night.

The Fuel victory to snap a four-game losing streak is great, but the photos from “Nickelodeon Night” via Nuvo.net are even better.

Minor league hockey teams are known for their goofy jerseys, as they’re a fun way to drum up interest, but these are especially wacky. What better way to celebrate the spirit of competition than beloved characters from a 1990s children show, right?

The Cyclones, as you might’ve noticed, wore Patrick Star jerseys, so at least things were even.

This player looks super happy to have an amorphous sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea (SpongeBob SquarePants!) on his jersey.

As the Blackhawks’ minor league affiliate below the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL, the Indy Fuel have been home to draft picks such as Matheson Iacopelli, Robin Press, Nathan Noel, and Radovan Bondra this season. Hopefully they’re preparing those Dexter’s Laboratory jerseys next.