Custom From Start to Finish

Last week, the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL) All Stars in the Premier and Elite Divisions crossed the pond on an epic European tour. Now, I'm lucky enough to know Mike Walley and Andy Musto, the league commissioners, personally and I'll tell you, they're some of the most realest dudes in the business. Verbero was pumped to have the opportunity to coordinate these All-Star Teams' absolute fire kits. We did the boys right from their filthy game wear and threads and coordinated, customized mitts. They were wheeling in Slovenia, I'm telling you!

Custom Game Wear, Custom Gameplay

Beyond the custom game wear, we were also involved in coordinating their logistics with our boy, Boris Renaud. Boris was the president of the Croatian Hockey Club and used his connections to set up some games for the ACCHL Premier and Elite All-Star Teams. They played against the KHL Sisak Knights, a downright force in the Croatian hockey scene. As one of the oldest teams, they're steeped in history, with a legacy that extends over 93 years. The Knights have carved their name on the championship trophy multiple times, and their most recent victory cements their position as the league's reigning champions. But the boys were up to the task, with Premier rolling 5-2 and Elite notching a W with a 6-2 final.

That was just the appetizer; the ACCHL boys played against club teams considered the Slovenian National Selection for these exhibition games. Premiere took Slovenia National A down 3-1, and Elite rolled 9-3 against Slovenia National B. The games were played at their home rink in Bled, a nice city if you like crystal-clear lakes and mind-blowing mountains in the background.

From there, the ACCHL All Stars headed over to Austria to squeak by a squad from Steiermark Graz 3-2; they came into contact with the Graz club through our connections with Red Bull Salzburg. These games were played at Merkur Eisstadion, which seats about 6,000 people and promotes itself by saying, "The place where men start crying. And real ladies roar." Put that on a t-shirt and make a million dollars. You're welcome.

And then, finally, they took the ice to play the U20 squad from Red Bull Eishockey Academie. One look at the $60-million facility they built will make you want to start learning German. RBA is considered one of the most preeminent ice hockey schools in Europe. Both U20 teams they played were comprised of players Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, Russia, and Croatia. 

Hockey Life, Done Right

But that wasn't all...the players got to do some rad off-ice activities while on their tour. Sightseeing in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, as well as Lake Bled. Some players even got to ski in the Slovenia Alps and visit the coast of Slovenia in Piran. They also checked out the city of Salzburg and got to experience the the Red Bull Hanger 7 Exhibition. They even got to test drive one of the stunt planes. (Not really).

The Team Behind Your Entire Conference

We talked last week about how Verbero is the Team Behind Your Team, and when it comes to the ACCHL, we are the Team Behind an Entire Conference (that Mike Walley and Andy Musto are doing an unbelievable job running, BTW). Verbero is the same when it comes to our mission and vision when working with our customers. We are the Team Behind Your Team if you're beer leaguers or mites. And we're the Team Behind the ACCHL. We're about growing the game and giving these players an opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. A worldly experience while they grow as hockey players and human beings. Because that's what it's all about, baby!

We're not just here to stay; we're here to push the limits and grow the game. And, of course, to be the Team Behind Your Team. If you want to get in on the action, hit us up.