The Avs Hockey Podcast

Two Fan's Perspectives on Colorado Avalanche Hockey...and jerseys too.

Peter Forsberg Blue Alternate Game Issue: A True One-of-a-Kind

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I received some outstanding news recently about this jersey.  (By the way, there are many, many more details regarding it and another Forsberg game-issued jersey that I acquired at the same time here.)

This is the jersey that Peter Forsberg would have worn on February 16, 2011 against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Pepsi Center.  Instead, he retired from the National Hockey League on February 14.

The interesting recent detail about this jersey is that it has now been officially documented that it was the ONLY one made for Forsberg to wear on the ice last season.  Normally the team makes two sets of alternates (and maybe one back up for guys that like to drop the mitts) for the players that are on the roster the entire season, but in Forsberg’s case, the team only made one since he would have worn it, had he been healthy enough to play, for only three games.

If a fan decided to have this jersey made on their own, via acquiring a blank jersey and having it customized, it would be considered a “jersey foul” since Forsberg never wore this particular style jersey on the ice during an official NHL game.  But in the case of this jersey, it’s the one and only Forsberg blue alternate that simply cannot be considered a jersey foul.  No other blue alternate Forsberg jersey has this distinction.

Thank you very much to my friends at MeiGray who made this jersey available to me.  Now my collection is just a little more unique and that’s always a great thing.  I couldn’t be more proud that this jersey now hangs in my closet.

Peter Forsberg, 2008-2009 Euro-Tour Game Issued Jersey

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I have two other Peter Forsberg game issued jerseys in my jersey collection, but the one featured in this post may just be my favorite.  It’s unique, it has quirks, it has a story, and it’s international.  That’s a good combination.

This is a jersey made for Peter Forsberg to wear during the 2008-2009 Euro Hockey Tour.  Details about the Euro Hockey Tour can be found on Wikipedia here.  As any hockey fan knows, Forsberg’s health seems to come and go quite quickly, so I’m sure this jersey was made by the team “just in case.”  Again, it’s not game used, but was made for him to wear on the ice.  That keeps the price lower while still being uncommon.

Here’s the front.

And here’s the back.

The name below the numbers is always an interesting look.  Here’s a closer look at the nameplate.

Hemma, by the way, is a Swedish appliance store.  Their prices are very competitive too!  (I have no idea about that, just thought it would be entertaining to add.)

Each sleeve also has a Svenska Spel patch above the numbers.  This company is big in the regulated gambling business in Sweden.

The other advertising patches on the jersey feature a company called DnB NOR.  This is Norway’s largest financial service group.

Enough about the patches already, let’s talk a little more about the jersey itself.  One thing about international jerseys is that they have similar construction for the most part.  One, the numbers are made of a felt-like material.  Here’s a closer look.

Another thing is that these numbers aren’t stitched on the jersey at all.  I’m not sure whether it’s because the fabric is so light that stitching is not needed or because the jerseys won’t get quite as much as use as your normal NHL jersey, but this is seen often on international jerseys.  The letters on the nameplate are only heat pressed as well.

Another thing I noticed right away was the use of different fabrics.  There is a mesh material, a traditional Air Knit nameplate, and another Air Knit-like material that makes up most of the jersey.  Check out the specifics in this close up.

One thing that’s fun about my collection is that I can attempt to wear a jersey to a game that I’m positive no one else will be wearing.  Sometimes the difference in my jersey is just a patch or an alternate captain’s “A”.  Saturday night, October 8th, 2011 (opening night against the Detroit Red Wings as well as the night the Avalanche retire Peter Forsberg’s number 21) I’m 100% positive that they’ll be other gold Tre Kronor (Three Crowns) Peter Forsberg jerseys at Pepsi Center.  I am also 100% that no other gold Team Sweden jersey will be just like mine.

Thanks for the jersey, your injuries (which led to this jersey being much more affordable), and the memories, Peter Forsberg.  Next stop for you, if many Avalanche fans had an actual vote, would  be the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Sandis Ozolinsh 2000 All-Star Jersey: Poppin’ My Collar One Last Time

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I popped my (hockey) jersey collar once, and then I popped it again, so naturally I’d like to pop it one more time because poppin’ collars is just plain fun.

I ran across a rare 2000 World All-Star jersey blank on eBay a while back and knew there was at least one more Avalanche player, besides the players on the jerseys in the posts above, that would look great on it.  That someone turned out to be Latvia’s own (check out the left sleeve below)  Sandis Ozolinsh.  Ozo was known as one of the premier offensive defenseman of his day and had five great seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.  I won the jersey on eBay, bought a red Air Knit nameplate from a buddy of mine, and had Denver Athletic work their magic to create this jersey.

Why number 18 rather than his usual number 8?  Ozolinsh must have had a small discussion with then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim right wing Teemu Selanne prior to the game.  It’s the player with more career goals that usually gets to keep their jersey number if there are duplicate numbers for the game.  That was the case here.

Quick!  What’s the only thing better than one All-Star patch on an All-Star jersey?  Answer: Two commemorative patches.

The NHL 2000 patch, in various team colors, was worn by every team in every game throughout the 1999-2000 NHL season.  The All-Star patch was worn by the Maple Leafs all season as the All-Star game was played in Toronto at Air Canada Centre (I love spelling things that way) on February 6, 2000.

Ozolinsh’s claim to fame in this game didn’t come by way of a multi-goal MVP performance or even a large handful of assists, it came by taking the only penalty of the game, a hooking call, at 5:51 of the third period.  Oops.  You have to work VERY hard to get called for a penalty during an All-Star game.  Way to go Ozo!  Nicely done!

Based on the rosters from the 2000 and 2001 NHL All-Star games I believe I’m done poppin’ my collar when it comes to this style of jersey.  Only the World style of jerseys from those two games had collars on them.  I guess I could always venture outside my favorite team’s jerseys, but that would be a dangerous move for my collection, the extra space in my jersey closet, as well as my bank account.  That’s definitely not the plan for right now, but I guess you never know.  Stranger things have happened, like someone taking an actual penalty during an NHL All-Star game.  Thanks for the memories Ozo.

Joe Sakic: 2000 All-Star Jersey with a Mystery Signature

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As a jersey collector there simply are some jerseys you just have to wait for and this was one of those jerseys.  This is a 2000 All-Star jersey that I purchased blank that was then customized by Denver Athletic into a Joe Sakic classic.

Why 91?  Back in 2000 Steve Yzerman was still playing for the Red Wings and was obviously a regular when it came to all-star games.  As tradition goes, the player with more career goals and/or seniority gets to keep their jersey number if there are duplicate numbers.  Sakic then switched the nine and the one and became 91.  Sakic had also done this in past international tournaments when Sakic and Yzerman were both on Team Canada.

Acquiring this jersey took a lot of patience and time, but it was worth it.  Blank jerseys in a style this old don’t pop up on eBay very often at all.  The eBay auction had a mystery attached to it though.  You can see on the back of the right shoulder that this jersey is autographed.  I usually don’t make a habit of buying jerseys that are autographed because I like to wear them to games, but I had waited too long for a blank version of this jersey to pass on it.  Here’s the autograph.

The seller didn’t list who the jersey was signed by and I had a really tough time figuring out who it was as well.  I did know, right away, that unfortunately it wasn’t Joe Sakic’s signature.  I won the auction for a decent price and waited for an explanation.  I didn’t have to wait long as details were within the confirmation email from the seller.  They notified me that, per eBay policy, they weren’t allowed to list who the jersey was signed by without proper documentation.  According to the seller the signature was from recent Hall of Fame inductee, number 93, Doug Gilmour.  Gilmour didn’t play in the 2000 All-Star game so I have no idea what his signature is doing on this jersey.  And on a quick side note, he really likes apples.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18zsScCM1kY[/youtube]

 

There are ways to get pretty much anything off jerseys, including signatures in Sharpie, but I think I’ll leave it on there.  Why not?  It’s not hurting anything.  Two Hall of Fame players represented on one jersey is a pretty good thing and plus, they’ll always have a special connection.