The Avs Hockey Podcast

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

Erik Johnson, 2015-2016 Game Worn White Jersey

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With the Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club changing jersey acquisition operations a few seasons ago and moving more toward charity-based auctions getting game worn jerseys has been a little more of a challenge as of late.  I was fortunate enough to get this jersey (post-auction) from a buddy of mine not long ago.

This set two white jersey was worn during all of the road games between November 30, 2015 and January 27, 2016.  No goals were scored by Erik Johnson while he wore this jersey, but that definitely doesn’t mean that it lacks a story.  If there’s history behind a jersey I am always more than happy to track it down.

EJ doesn’t fight very often, but he got into a scrap wearing this jersey.  New Jersey Devils pest forward Jordin Tootoo excels at getting under the skin of opponents.  December 1, 2015 in New Jersey was no exception.

I’m far from an expert when it comes to fighting in the National Hockey League, but I’m pretty sure that taking someone’s helmet off and then punching that person on top of their head is generally frowned upon.  Not only was the neck worn out (and then repaired) as a result of this fight:

…EJ had to go get repairs to his scalp.  Here’s the celebration following the final horn showing the aftermath (a 2-1 Avalanche victory):

That’s yucky.

And just when you think EJ’s face and head hadn’t suffered enough, here’s what happened two nights later at Madison Square Garden.  Kick him in the grill, Rick.

EJ was extremely lucky here.  That could have been so much worse.

I own several game worn Erik Johnson jerseys.  The elbows on this jersey are pretty trashed which is consistent with the other game worn EJ jerseys I’ve seen.  The dark mark above the right elbow as well as the multiple repairs make for an easy photo match.

Here is the damage and paint transfer on the left elbow.

Who doesn’t love patches?

And this patch inside the lower left side of the jersey makes everything official.

A big thank you to Vince Talavera for giving me the chance to add this jersey to my collection.  I’m obviously going take great care of it.  Vince is a friend and a true asset to the jersey collecting community.

Until the next AHP jersey post, take care and Let’s Go Avs.

Thank You, Carey Price

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Just in case you hadn’t heard yet, Avs rookie forward Mikko Rantanen recorded his first career hat trick last night against the Montreal Canadiens.  I’m pretty sure you knew that already.

I had the fortunate opportunity to watch the last night’s matchup from the fourth row off the ice.  We were just outside the blue line of the zone the Avalanche attacked twice.  I had the chance to see many details I otherwise wouldn’t see in my normal season ticket seats.  (They are on the red line in the first row of the third deck.)  The biggest bonus was watching Carey Price up close and personal and how he chooses to conduct himself on the ice.  There were a couple of things I wanted to write about and share, so here goes…

Example One: After a milestone goal (like a player’s first career hat trick goal) it is customary for a teammate (other than the actual goal scorer) to retrieve the historical puck for the goal scorer’s trophy case, mantel, etc. After Rantanen recorded his third tally Nathan MacKinnon went to get the puck for 96.  That was nothing new.  Here’s where things get good though.  After the goal, Carey Price picked up the puck in his glove.  Linesman Lonnie Cameron skated in and was ready to do what he does, get the puck and trade it out for a new fresh puck or get ready for the ensuing faceoff at center ice or whatever else.  Carey Price looked right passed Cameron and held his glove directly out to MacKinnon so he could get the puck for his teammate.  MacKinnon said something nice to Price, gave Price a stick tap on the rear, and we’re ready for more hockey.  Check out the video below.  This is the good hockey stuff.

Example Two: The Avalanche ended last night’s game on the penalty kill.  As the last few seconds ticked off the clock the Avalanche cleared the puck all the way down the ice and the final horn sounded.  I continued to watch Carey Price as the puck laid on his stick.  He could have done a few things with that puck that I wouldn’t have been surprised by.  One, flip it harmlessly (or angrily) down the ice (at no one in particular.)  Or two, just leave the puck where it was.  It had obviously been a long game for Price and the rest of his team.  I didn’t really have a third option in my head, but Price unexpectedly showed me one.  He picked up the puck with his blocker hand and flipped it over the glass to a young Canadiens fan who was sitting behind the net.  That was a very cool (and in my opinion) the best option.

Carey Price has had some recent issues (including punching/spearing people with his blocker more than a few times), but last night he really impressed me.  He showed class, professionalism, patience, leadership, and how players can be ambassadors for the game of hockey, even when things aren’t going well for them and their team.  I have a huge passion for the game and I really didn’t need any more reasons to love it more going into last night’s game.  I, however, left Pepsi Center feeling good about an Avalanche victory and even better about the game itself.

So thank you, Carey Price.  You made an impression upon an “opposing” fan last night.  Thanks for reminding me what the game, and sports, can be all about.  It won’t be forgotten, for all of the very best reasons, anytime soon.

Let’s Go Avs (and Carey Price when he’s not playing the Avs)

The Avs Hockey Podcast, Episode #105

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In this podcast James “Tapeleg” Gralian and Jay talk about the first half of the 2016-2017 season, depressing stats, Jarome Iginla’s 1500th career game, and the Cody Mac trade.  Those topics and much more Avs and hockey stuff in episode #105 of The Avs Hockey Podcast.  Hang in there with us Avs fans.  Things will get better someday.

Things You Should Click On

The Avs honor the fourth-longest tenured player in their team history.

This was awkward.

Outdoor History: Blake Comeau, Stadium Series Game Worn Jersey

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On February 27, 2016, in front of a crowd of 50,095 fans, the Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club became the 22nd team to play in a regular season outdoor NHL game.  The Avs lost to the Detroit Red Wings 5-3, but it was still a lot of fun to be a part of some hockey history.  At no point in my hockey fan experience did I ever think that I would ever, at any time, watch a hockey at Coors Field.  It was an experience I will always remember.

Along with all if the obvious fanfare was, of course, the jerseys.  They were a special set of jerseys worn just for the game which included the traditional outdoor game extra large arm numbers (because the fans are seated so much further away from the action), a nice 5280 touch on the collars (a nod to Denver’s elevation, 5,280 feet, one mile above sea level (hence “The Mile High City”), and very cool patches.

The Red Wings and Avalanche wore three sets of jerseys during the game.  The set worn during the third period was kept by the players.  The second period set was eventually given to each team to do what they wanted to with them.  And the set worn during the first period was auctioned off, not long after the game, by our friends at The MeiGray Group.  At that moment though, no one was sure, including the Avalanche organization itself, whether the set from the second period was going to be auctioned off at any point.  (They eventually were auctioned off after the season ended.)  Due to the fact that this may have been the only set (at the time) that was going to be made available to the public, I had to go hard after a jersey.  So that’s exactly what I did.

Rewind to when the jerseys were listed for auction.  It was time to look for wear.  Those of you who know me and my collection well, that’s what I do.  I watched the first period of action in the game a handful of times looking for big collisions with the boards, rubs on the glass, slashes, and whatever else may lead to recognizable damage (also known as a photomatch.)  The best photomatch happened on the right arm number of Jarome Iginla’s jersey after he rubbed against the boards on the near side of the ice.  Unfortunately, his jersey was one of the five first period Avs jerseys which weren’t made available in the first auction.  The other unavailable jerseys included Erik Johnson, Francois Beauchemin, Nick Holden, and Nathan MacKinnon.  (Those five jerseys went to Upper Deck to make game used sports cards.  Don’t yell at me.  I don’t make the rules here.)

In a related note, Blake Comeau had the primary assist on Tyson Barrie’s first period goal.  It was a good hockey goal.

I didn’t originally notice anything too interesting about the goal until I saw a slow motion replay NBC played on the way to the first period intermission well after the goal.  Keep a close eye on the back of Comeau’s left shoulder just above the “C” on the name plate as he joins his teammates for hockey hugs.  (I needed to slow it down to frame-by-frame but you can see a mark for sure.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vf4lcInNRA&feature=youtu.be

It didn’t take me too long to figure out where that mark came from either.  It was left from the tape on the blade of Detroit defenseman Mike Green’s stick.  He clipped Comeau just prior to Comeau’s pass to Barrie.  Watch the original video of the goal (above) to see that.

Now I had a video match to a mark on a jersey I didn’t own yet.  Those are dangerous (for me) in auctions.  Safe to say things turned out just fine.

Here’s a closer look at the mark on the jersey near the nameplate (just above the “C”.)

And an even closer look.

I love this stuff.

So on top of being extremely fortunate enough to be at Coors Field for the historic Stadium Series game, I now have a piece of  history from the game in my collection.  I wouldn’t say I have one particular favorite jersey in my collection, but this one is definitely part of a handful of jerseys which I will not consider parting with anytime soon.