SkipTheDishes is kicking off the new NHL season with the introduction of The GameTime Tarp, the latest product in its growing line of “Active Wearable Tech.”

Skip is calling the creation an “all-purpose fashion item,” which is perhaps stretching the meaning of the words “all-purpose” and “fashion.” (There’s no quibbling that it’s an item, however.)

The GameTarp was conceived as a follow-up of sorts to 2021’s “Playoff Pants,” which were created so that fans completely engrossed in the game could absentmindedly wipe excess wing/rib sauce off their fingers without permanently staining their clothes, the furniture, or a family cat.

It comes in the form of three-quarter length unisex hoodie made with what Skip describes as “absorbent fibres” and featuring a towel-lined front pocket for easy hand wiping and a possible solution to what it describes as a “mid-game spillage situation.”

Like “Playoff Pants,” the product was once again conceived in partnership with Canadian fashion designer Izzy Camilleri, who was tasked with developing a product keeping sports fans, gamers and “multi-tasking eaters” in mind.

Skip has also enlisted Edmonton Oilers star Leon and women’s Olympics star Marie-Philip Poulin to demonstrate the Tarp’s functionality in a new spot that will debut on Oct. 14. Directed by The Jerk Store out of production company The Deli, the spot will appear during NHL telecasts and across conventional TV, supported by in-arena and digital activity across social and online video.

“As a Canadian company we’re constantly reimagining the at-home hockey viewing experience and the ways we can elevate it,” said Phil Sylver, Skip’s head of creative, brand and content, in a release. “The GameTime Tarp is a testament to our team’s understanding of true fandom, and how Skip can make these moments even more fun.”

Media for the campaign was handled by UM Canada.