88-90 Scott Young Hartford Whalers Jersey

July 27th, 2008

This is a game worn home Hartford Whalers jersey from the 1980’s of right wing Scott Young.

Scott Young was drafted eleventh overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft behind players Jimmy Carson, Zarley Zalapski, and Jocelyn Lemieux who would also eventually spend time with the Whalers. Of those players, though, Young would have the longest and most successful NHL career.

Many NHL fans tend to forget that Scott YOung began his long NHL career in Hartford. Prior to “sticking” with the St. Louis Blues, Young bounced from Hartford to Pittsburgh (for Rob Brown), then to Quebec, which moved to Colorado where he was dealt to Anaheim. From there, he signed with the St. Louis Blues spending 4 seasons there before heading to Dallas.

For his final season in 2005-06, he returned to the St. Louis Blues.

Based on the lack of the NHL’s 75th Annoversary patch, this jersey is from either the 1988-89 or 1989-90 season.

The jersey is a Maska airknit manufactured by CCM that I originally acquired from another collector in 1997.

There is no size printed or penned in on the tag. Young’s number 27 is written on it in black sharpie.

Name, numbers, and crest are all sewn. There is no nameplate, the letters are individually sewn on directly. The rear CCM hem pattern is white-white-white, with blue lettering, and is embroidered.

Inside, the fightstrap shows some fraying and the velcro is filled with green thread from the green pants the team wore at the time.

The exterior of the jersey shows tons of wear. Board burns, repairs, and thick stick marks litter the entire jersey.

There are some easily identifiable black marks across the front crest as well as the back numbers, but to date, I haven’t found a photo match though I’ve no doubt one will turn up sooner or later. As luck would have it, most of the time the photos on hockey cards were not taken in Hartford, so the Whale are almost always in their road greens in the photos.

Posted in Hartford Whalers, National Hockey League | No Comments »

1997-2008 Hartford Wolf Pack Practice Jersey

June 1st, 2008

This is a game worn yellow Hartford Wolf Pack Practice jersey.

This size 56 knit jersey is manufactured by Bauer. Bauer supplied the Wolf Pack with jerseys from 1997 through 2000. The Wolf Pack have re-used these Bauer jerseys in practice and training camp since that time.

In practice, the Wolf Pack have traditionally worn 6 different color jerseys. There would be four forward lines — one in red, one in royal blue, one in green, and one in yellow. Defenseman always wore navy blue. Goaltenders would wear black. Those coming off of injury, not yet signed, or not expected to play would wear white.

In recent years, the numbers applied to practice jerseys — of late, manufactured by SP and Rbk — have been seemingly random and would be more easily associated with football linebackers.

I’ve also seen the same player wear a different number (or no number at all) numerous times, but back when the Bauer jerseys came in, they all (for the most part) matched up to the player’s game jersey.

During the Wolf Pack’s Bauer era, from 1997-2000, the only player to wear number 20 was P.J. Stock.

Jordan Owens is pictured in this jersey from a practice in October of 2007 — his game jersey was actually number 46 during the 2007-08 season.

The jersey shows numerous board burns but not heavy wear as it was only used in practice and during training camp scrimmages. There is some staining around the collar. The crest is sewn on and is identical to the game jersey crest of that time.

The number is a thick black heat seal — not the type that will ever peel. Bauer’s “B” logo is sewn (not embroidered) to the front and the back hem features a large satin material Bauer patch as well. There is a fight strap.

I acquired this jersey direct from the Hartford Wolf Pack on May 31, 2008.

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04-06 Mark Van Vliet Quinnipiac Bobcats Jersey

May 31st, 2008

This is the game worn 2004-06 home Quinnipiac University Bobcats jersey of winger Mark Van Vliet.

Prior to transferring to the NCAA Division III Neumann College Knights for the 2006-07 season, Mark Van Vliet began his college career at Division I Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

As a freshman in 2004-05, Van Vliet skated in 34 games, scoring 6 goals and adding 13 assists.  For his sophomore season, he skated in 28 games, again scoring 6 goals but only netting 5 assists in a more limited role.

This size 52 home jersey is manufactured by SP, though the back of the neck features an ironed on ITECH logo. The jersey is a knit material except for the maroon striping, which is an airknit material.

The crest and numbers are all sewn on, as is the knit nameplate. There are no holes or repairs on the jersey, but it does show considerable wear — it would never be mistaken for as new.

As pointed out by another collector, this jersey was worn during the 2004-05 season and the 2005-06 season. The evidence of an oval Atlantic Hockey patch having been removed is apparent from the inside. On top of it, the rectangular ECAC patch is sewn on. Quinnipiac University joined the ECAC for the 2005-06 season.

I acquired this jersey on May 31, 2008 from Ryan Johnson. It was originally in the collection of James Hein.

Posted in NCAA, Quinnipiac Bobcats | No Comments »

06-07 Ryan Haggerty Atlantic All Stars Jersey

April 20th, 2008

This is the game worn 2006-07 road Atlantic Allstars jersey of forward Ryan Haggerty.

The Atlantic Allstars are an elite AAA youth hockey tournament team based out of Cromwell, Connecticut. Coaches for the team have included NHLers Bob Crawford and Yvon Corriveau.

Ryan Haggerty played forward for the 1993 team during the Spring and Summer of 2007 following the regular season where he played in the Mid-Fairfield Youth Hockey program.

This road jersey shows light wear with some board burns on the sleeves. It is a size large black, white, red, and navy airknit manufactured by AthleticKnit. The lace from the lace-up collar has been removed. The eyelets are metal. There is no fight strap.

The embroidered front crest and tackle twill shoulder stars are sewn on. The remaining sleeve stars, numbers, and name are screened on with a heavy duty material.

I acquired this jersey in April of 2008 from Kevin Nizolek via eBay.

While the jersey may not appear to fit into my collection, I really wanted to add one because I personally designed the team logo with suggestions from the team administrators back in November of 2005.

Posted in Youth Hockey | No Comments »

94-95 Paul Brousseau Quebec Nordiques Jersey

March 17th, 2008

This is the game worn 1994-95 road Quebec Nordiques jersey of right wing Paul Brousseau.

Paul Brousseau was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the second round, 28th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.

Brousseau began his major junior career as a member of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in 1989-90 as a 16-year-old. IN 57 games during his rookie year he scored 17 goals and 41 points. The following year he played in Trois Rivieres with the Draveurs, scoring 30 goals and 96 points in 67 games. In 1991-92, Brousseau was sent to the Hull Olympiques where he once again scored 96 points, albeit in ten fewer games. During his final year of junior with the Olympiques, he finished the year with 75 points on 27 goals and 48 assists in 59 games.

In 1993-94, Brousseau turned pro and joined the Cornwall Aces of the AHL, the affiliate of the Nordiques. In 69 games he scored 18 goals and 44 points.

This jersey is from the strike shortened 1994-95 season and shows very light wear — perhaps used during the abbreviated pre-season as Brousseau did not play an NHL game that season.

It is a size 56 knit jersey manufactured by CCM. All logos and numbers are sewn. The name is sewn to a knit nameplate.

Brousseau’s chance at the NHL came in the 1995-96 season when he suited up for eight games with the Colorado Avalanche. During that stint he scored his one and only NHL goal. The next season, he joined the Tampa Bay Lightning and played a total of 17 games for the Lightning over two years.

In 2000-01, he led the AHL’s Louisville Panthers in scoring as also played one game for the Florida Panthers before deciding to head to Europe for the remainder of his hockey career.

I acquired this jersey in January of 2007 from Pete Mehdradeh who had originally purchased it from Murf Denny. While this jersey doesn’t fit my “Hartford” theme, I’d always wanted an all-sewn Quebec Nordiques jersey.

Posted in National Hockey League, Quebec Nordiques | No Comments »

92-93 Wayne MacPhee Brantford Smoke Jersey

March 10th, 2008

This is the game worn 1992-93 home Brantford Smoke jersey of defenseman Wayne MacPhee.

Wayne MacPhee was an undrafted rough and tumble blueliner who spent 4 junior seasons in the OHL with the North Bay Centennials playing alongside old school tough guys like Kevin Kerr and Nick Kypreos.

Following his junior days, he opted to attend the University of Prince Edward Island for two years and was named a CIS All-Canadian during the 1991-92 season.

He would begin his pro career in the fall of 1992 playing for his hometown Brantford Smoke, at the time, members of the Colonial Hockey League and the team won the Colonial Cup that season. This jersey is from his rookie season.

MacPhee would play in Brantford for 6 seasons as the CoHL would eventually become the United Hockey League in 1997.

I acquired this jersey in February of 2008 from Rick Cormier up in Moncton, NB.

The jersey shows nice wear with many repairs, including some re-inforced repairs up near the size tag. The jersey is a size XL and has a narrow snap and velcro fight strap. The red and black numbers are all sewn on.

The crest is a sewn-on twill patch with the train logo screened on. The is evidence of some blood staining on the smoke just above the engine.

The name is also screened to an Ice Sheen nameplate that is sewn on. The back hem features a HiLi manufacturers patch sewn on the right side.

This jersey is the only CoHL in my collection. It is also the only HiLi Ice Sheen jersey in my collection.

It is most definitely the ugliest jersey in my collection, by far, and therefore one of my favorites too.

Posted in Brantford Smoke, Colonial Hockey League | No Comments »

85-86 Sylvain Turgeon Hartford Whalers Jersey

March 4th, 2008

This is the game worn 1985-86 road Hartford Whalers jersey of left wing Sylvain Turgeon.

Sylvain Turgeon was drafted second overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft behind Brian Lawton. While Lawton would turn out to be a bust for the Minnesota North Stars, Turgeon would have immediate success at the NHL level leading the Whalers with 40 goals in his rookie season as an 18 year old.

Based on the CCM “born-on” date behind the size tag that reads “86 04″, this jersey was either worn towards the end of the 1985-86 season and/or the beginning of the 1986-87 season.

The Whalers only lasted two rounds (9 games) into the 1986 playoffs and based on the heavy wear this jersey shows, it’s reasonable to believe that it could also be from the 1986-87 season.

The jersey is a CCM mesh that I originally acquired from another collector in October of 1997.

The size tag, which is falling off reads TG/XL. It also has Turgeon’s 16 written on it in black sharpie as do all of the Hartford Whalers jerseys in my collection.

Name, numbers, and crest are all sewn. There is no nameplate, the letters are individually sewn on directly. The rear CCM hem pattern is blue-blue-green, with white lettering, and is embroidered.

Inside, the fightstrap has pulled free from the twill base and the snap has also been pulled through. Turgeon was hardly a brawler, but the fightstrap clearly shows that it was a different game in the 1980’s.

The exterior of the jersey shows a ton of wear. Board burns, repairs, and stick marks litter the sleeves and front of the jersey. The white sections on the sleeves show some yellowing. The stitching at the front of the neckline has popped.

There are some easily identifiable black marks across the front crest as well as the numbers on the right and left sleeves, but to date, I haven’t found a photo match though I’ve no doubt one will turn up sooner or later. As luck would have it, most of the time the photos on hockey cards were not taken in Hartford, so the Whale are almost always in their road greens in pictures.

This is one of my favorites in my collection. Partially because it’s from a fan favorite of my favorite team, but mostly because of all of the wear it shows and because of the small size. It was a different era in the NHL. Equipment that fit, more goal scoring, and a lot more rough stuff…

Posted in Hartford Whalers, National Hockey League | No Comments »

98-99 Joe Suk Macon Whoopee Jersey

March 2nd, 2008

This is the game worn 1998-99 road Macon Whoopee jersey of center Joe Suk.

While born in Chicago, Joe Suk opted to head north as a teenager and spent four seasons playing for the Hull Olympiques before opting to go to University — again, north of the border.

Following four seasons playing for Dalhousie, Suk made his professional debut in the ECHL with the Louisville Riverfrogs for the 1995-96 season.

That would be the peak of his professional career as the following season, he headed to Macon, Georgia to play for the Central Hockey League’s Macon Whoopee.

This jersey is likely from the 1998-99 season when Joe suited up for 68 games. He finished fifth on the team in scoring with 15 goals and 26 assists. His younger brother, Steve Suk would finish second on the team in scoring that season.

Following his playing career and after the Whoopee folded, Suk became the general manager of the Macon Trax which played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, the WHA2, and the Southern Professional Hockey League before eventually folding as well. He is still involved in hockey in the Atlanta area.

The jersey is made of a mesh material and the numbers, front crest, shoulder patches, and the assistant’s “A” are all sewn tackle twill. The nameplate is mesh and the letters are individually sewn.

It was manufactured by Jersey Express and is a size XXL. The ironed-on Jersey Express logo on the rear hem has fallen off, though there is still evidence of it being there. There is a velcro-snap fight strap.

The front fig leaf crest is signed by Suk with his number 77 immediately underneath. The jersey shows light wear overall.

I originally acquired this jersey from William Samples in February of 2004.

While this jersey doesn’t really fit my usual “Hartford” theme, who could not want a Macon Whoopee jersey with the classic fig leaf logo?

And when the player’s last name is Suk and the team’s name is Macon Whoopee, well, it’s almost like an added bonus.

Posted in Central Hockey League, Macon Whoopee | No Comments »

03-04 Marc Staal Sudbury Wolves Jersey

February 24th, 2008

This is the game worn 2003-04 road Sudbury Wolves jersey of defenseman Marc Staal.

The jersey is a Maska Ultrafil knit jersey manufactured by CCM. It’s a size 54 and shows no customizations. There are stick marks all over the front hem and the sleeves are littered with board burns, small un-repaired holes, and slices.

There is one large unrepaired 3+ inch horizontal slice just below the “W” on the front crest. In fact, there aren’t any repairs on this jersey, though it could definitely use some work.

The front crest is all sewn. On the chest are the OHL’s league patch on the right side and the CCM patch on the left size. The back has the CCM patch again sewn to the back of the neck and the CHL logo is embroidered to the lower left side hem. The fightstrap is stained blue.

Marc Staal wore this jersey for his first season in the OHL in 2003-04 when he scored just one goal, along with 13 assists, over 61 games. Hardly league leading numbers, but his defensive ability lead him to be drafted in the first round, 12th overall, by the New York Rangers in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

I originally purchased this jersey from long time Sudbury Wolves employee Curtis Hall in January of 2006, a few months before Staal would take the ice for my hometown Hartford Wolf Pack during the 2006 Calder Cup playoffs.

As memory serves, Staal was terrible his first 12 games at the professional level and essentially cost the Wolf Pack a playoff series, but another year in Sudbury for the 2006-07 season was just what he needed as he’s holding his own on Broadway these days…

Posted in Ontario Hockey League, Sudbury Wolves | No Comments »

93-94 Scott Humeniuk Springfield Indians Jersey

February 24th, 2008

This is the game worn 1993-94 home Springfield Indians jersey of defenseman Scott Humeniuk. It may also have been worn during the 1992-93 season.

The jersey is a Maska Ultrafil knit jersey manufactured by CCM. It’s a size 50 and shows no customizations. The wear isn’t exactly light, but it doesn’t show tons of wear as stick marks tend to wash out of maska knit jerseys with repeated laundering.

There are numerous small holes on the sleeves and board burns on the elbows and shoulders. The neck line exhibits DTG’s classic “general filth”. I hate that term, but sometimes it’s the best way to say it.

Everything is sewn on and the name is sewn on to a knit nameplate. The CCM logo on the back hem is embroidered in navy with white letters.

The crest is really unique for a hockey jersey. It’s made of the typical tackle twill that you see on most jerseys, but the detail on the indian, most noticeable on the hair and the feather, is embroidered with chenille, giving it some definition reminiscent of old high school varsity letters.

Springfield Indians jerseys don’t come up too often in the market, especially the few seasons that they wore the Hartford Whalers‘ color scheme before becoming the Springfield Falcons, so this is one of my favorites in the closet. I acquired it from collector Dennis Arnold on March 18, 2007.

Scott Humeniuk was an undrafted defenseman who was signed by the Hartford Whalers prior to the 1990-91 season. Never reaching the NHL, Humeniuk’s best pro season came during the 1993-94 season in Springfield when he scored 15 goals and added 42 assists over 71 games.

After his time in Springfield, he bounced around a bit for 2 seasons at the AHL/IHL level playing for the Minnesota Moose, Portland Pirates, Rochester Americans, and Providence Bruins before heading to Europe where he spent one season in Finland and another in Germany.

Humeniuk returned to North America for the 1998-99 season and found a spot on the blue line for the ECHL’s now defunct Baton Rouge Kingfish.

Unfortunately, Humeniuk’s season was cut short that season after suffering injuries, including a stroke, in an automobile accident. It also marked the end of his hockey career. Later, the Kingfish would retire his number.

Posted in American Hockey League, Springfield Indians | No Comments »