Artist behind Canucks' Lunar New Year jerseys says design intended to promote community, 'positive change'

The Vancouver Canucks will soon be sporting a new look during warm-ups in honour of the Lunar New Year.

Trevor Lai made more than 80 sketches while designing the jersey, which features the Canucks' orca logo transforming into a tiger, to match the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese zodiac.

Lai said he worked hard to incorporate Vancouver's Chinese heritage into the design.

"On the shoulder patches, I put the Chinatown Millennium Gate, and that was really important, and to put the Chinese characters of the Vancouver Canucks team into the gate to say that we are one community," Lai said.

"I think that message is also really resonating. So, to see the fanbase of all ethnicities get so passionate about this design is really an honor and I really thank the team for letting me do it."

The lifelong Canucks fan said he wanted his design to honour the team's logo, while also symbolizing "positive change" for the new year.

"If you look at the fin of the design, obviously that was the biggest challenge for me," Lai said. "It's like, how do you put a fin on a tiger? You know, that doesn't really work in nature. And then I thought it was a perfect space to put the Chinese character for Tiger … It goes right in the fin, and it just happened to fit perfectly with the Chinese calligraphy. And I was really happy about that."

The Canucks will wear the jerseys during warm-ups as part of their Lunar New Year celebrations.

Proceeds from sales of merchandise bearing Lai's design will be donated to Elimin8Hate, which is the advocacy arm of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival and works to combat anti-Asian racism in Canada.