This is a Moscow Dynamo game worn jersey, but I don’t know much about it.  I mean, I know it’s a Dynamo jersey, but I don’t know what era it’s from, or who wore it.  I do know that it’s game worn.  And just look at that collar.

The lace on the front was cut or burned short.  I’ve seen this before, like from Derrick Byfuglien (not to be confused with Dustin).

The big logo on the front is “Russian Federal Insurance, while the smaller D logo near the heart is the Dynamo logo.  That’s just how things work in leagues that are overseas.  The business model is different, and the jerseys go into that model as well.

The SV logo on the sleeve also shows up on my Lokomotiv jersey.  I have no idea what it is for.

You can see the differences between this and my other Moscow jersey.

It resembles this Dynamo jersey more, thanks to the logo placement on the front.

If you have a chance to pick up a Russian game worn jersey, do so.  They are some of the coolest jerseys out there, and they are made of different material than what you see on NHL jerseys.  Also, Moscow Dynamo, favorite team of Puck Daddy’s Dmitry Chesnokov, no longer exist.  They merged with another team, and while they have kept the Dynamo name, it just isn’t the same.

If anyone wants to help with some info on this jersey, hit me up in the contact form.

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Sorry, but I’m shy on time this morning.  No bonus content today.

The Avalanche were feeling the sting of losing a few long time key players, including Peter Forsberg, Dan Hinote, and Adam Foote. But for me, the season was marked with a goalie-go-round that seemed unnecessary. David Aebischer was faultering (but ended the season with a winning record for the Avs), Peter Budaj had some solid play but faltered at times, and Jose Theodore eventually showed his face in a trade from Montreal. But Vitaly Kolesnik was the guy who was thrown in at a moment of desperation.

The 2005-06 Colorado Avalanche Vitaly Kolesnik game worn jersey:

Kolesnik was the third goalie, playing in the AHL for the Lowell Lock Monsters (not to be confused with the Lake Erie Monsters), who the Avs were sharing an affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes (who won the Stanley Cup that year, largely on the work done in Lowell during the previous AHL season). Kolesnik was called up for a little while, and the Avs carried three goalies for a bit. Call ups and being sent back down was confusing at the time, with the new waiver rules in the CBA. No one knew what was going to happen when someone was called up. Would they be wearing the team colors in a few days, or playing for someone else.

Kolesnik didn’t really shine in net, but the Avalanche weren’t taking the minor league system seriously enough then, and it would show in the next few seasons of play. And the three headed goalie monster took it’s toll.

For Kolesnik, the writing was on the wall. With the Avalanche trading for big name and big dollar Jose Theodore, and Peter Budaj the next goalie the Avs would be turning to, Kolesnik was going to be stuck in the minors barring the unforeseeable. Kolesnik packed his bags the next year and headed to Russia. Vitaly was a part of the 2006 Kazakhstan Olympic team, that won one game and lost four. I don’t know how many of those Kolesnik played in.

The two things that are a little unique about this jersey are the patches. First, the obvious one. The Avalanche ten year anniversary patch:

A cool – but not overly photogenic – patch. I know there were mixed reviews on the patch, but there are mixed reviews on everything. I like it. Enough said.

The other interesting part is found inside the hem of the jersey.

Meigray, the people who deal with NHL, AHL, ECHL and other league’s game worn jerseys put a patch inside the jersey (sometimes outside the jersey) to authenticate and catalog it. Notice the dates on the Meigray patch, and the small patch they added on. You can’t have a game worn jersey during the lockout, can you? Also, check out the NHL logo. It’s the logo previous to the change after the lockout.

For some reason, I have a place in my heart for third goalies. They work hard in the system, and have less slots available to them. You could be a solid goalie, but things just don’t work for you with a team. To me, this is a classic example.

When people ask me about my Russian jerseys, they want to know what my connection with the Russian game is. And there really isn’t one. I have a respect for their hockey history, their game, their players. And I love their jerseys. The ads, the design, the logos. And the feel. A Russian hockey jersey feels different from a North American jersey.

This jersey has been around the block, and it shows. From Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, here is Ivan Tkachenko’s game worn jersey:

There is an art to these jerseys. The logos remind me of the promise of the future, the flying cars and jet packs we think we were promised. That team crest alone is worth the jersey on it’s own.

And check out the rip on the ‘B’ on the lower right of the logo. This jersey has been through some battles. (click any photo to make it bigger)

The back of the jersey.

A few more design elements and ads on the jersey.

This is one of the few Russian jerseys I own that isn’t made by Lutch. It has a different, thicker feel to it, maybe a little more durable feeling.

Big time thanks to Dmitry Chesnokov for his help with Mr. Tkachenko. Find him on Puck Daddy here, or on Twitter. Or you can hear him on an old episode of The Rink here.

Plymouth plays in the OHL, one of the few US teams in the OHL. For those who don’t know, it’s on the outskirts of Detroit (but don’t hate it right away). Junior hockey is rife of turnover, at times more turnover than in college hockey. Players get drafted, sometimes high enough that they will move on quickly from their junior team, and that makes it hard for fans to latch on to a particular player. That doesn’t mean the fans are any less loyal to the team of the players. Here for now is the motto of the juniors.

I had wanted a Whalers jersey from my first game there, but when I was ready to buy, the choice was either a $100 replica, or a $200 ‘authentic.’ I put authentic in quotes, because the authentic version was still air-knit material, which wasn’t what the players were wearing. I like the thicker, less prone to pulls material they had for their on ice jerseys.

As luck would have it, the team was auctioning off their game worn jerseys from a previous season while I was there, and there were deals to be had. Most of the jerseys had the 2008 Memorial Cup patch (a Cup the Whalers did not win), but not this jersey. And the end result was, no one wanted it. With a lower starting bid than a store bought ‘authentic,’ and no one bidding against me, I got the deal of the season.

So who is Beal? I believe this jersey was made for Chad Beal, although he didn’t stick with the team.

What this jersey did do for me was garner an introduction to the coach of the Plymouth Whalers, as well as the second overall pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, Tyler Seguin.

Don’t worry, kids, that’s soda in his hand. (I look tanked in that picture, but I swear I’m not. Really)

And some day, I expect that variety and uniqueness to land me on a coveted, infamous Puck Daddy jersey fouls post. And with all due luck, this jersey will get me there. But this, is not a jersey foul.

I present to you the Huntington Blizzard mascot worn jersey:

This is a true winter jersey, one of the thickest I own. If it were worn by a player, it would have acted like body armor. Throw a fleece under this jersey and you could take on winters in Alaska.

But why would this be a jersey foul? Well, it isn’t, but seen from the back, it could be misconstrued as one.

That’s right, 1 1/2. If you didn’t know this was a MASCOT WORN jersey, you assume this was a foul. But it is more unique than anything else.

As an added bonus, a short story. The Central Hockey League team that played a few years in Broomfield, CO, the Rocky Mountain Rage, had a head coach that played in Huntington. I wore this jersey to a game, knowing that the players and coaches had to walk by an area where the fans could see and chat with them. The coach saw my jersey and gave me the thumbs up. Then I turned so he could see the back, and the look on his face was one of confusion. It was a fun moment for me.

I get asked about my jerseys all the time. Some of it is genuine curiosity and interest, and some of it is rubbernecking at the guy who isn’t dressed like everyone else. It was the curiosity aspect that brought me this jersey. For those who didn’t know, yes they play hockey in the UK. From the British ELITE league, may I introduce the Sheffield Steelers:

Look at those colors.

The story goes that I was at a Hartford Wolfpack game, and was taking a stroll through their gift shop, when I spotted a couple who were wearing jerseys I had never seen before. I had to ask them where these had come from, and they told me a bit about the ELITE league, which I had only heard of online at that point. They were from England, and spending time seeing hockey games in the US.

That is some serious orange.

As I said me goodbyes, and was about a block from the fan store, I heard someone calling out to me. It was the woman I had been talking to, and she handed me this jersey. I really didn’t know how to respond. I was wearing my first game worn jersey and one of my absolute favorites, my Cincinnati Cyclones jersey, and couldn’t give that up. She just said it was OK, and to look them up sometime if I made it to a Steelers game.

It was an amazing gift, more than I could imagine someone giving a complete stranger.

Some day, I want to take her up on that offer, and see them at a Steelers game. Maybe even take a tour of the ELITE league (now up from eight teams to ten). The only question will be, what to wear?

What? Christmas was five months ago? Why didn’t anyone tell me?

Finally, the long promised jersey post is here. Meet the Lake Erie Monsters Mark McCutcheon Game Worn Jersey:

Now, I didn’t know much about McCutcheon (actually, I didn’t know anything about McCutcheon), so I went to look up him up from the nameplate on the back of the jersey. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

One slight problem. They misspelled his name.

That’s right, the team misspelled his name, on his own jersey. The one he wore. The team. This is the same team that hasn’t made the playoffs in their three years of existence. Not once.

But I digress. Here are his stats, according to TSN.

OK, so we have a game worn jersey with the player’s name misspelled (Ok, I’m letting it go, but my mind is blown), but is there damage? Does it look game worn? You bet it does:

This is an original style (1.0) RBK EDGE jersey, and I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t feel durable.

That’s some serious damage, most likely from the shoulder pads of McCutcheon. No wonder they changed the jersey materials after the first batch.

More jerseys coming soon.

Last year, I was the proud recipient of an Alaska Aces Game Worn Chris Beckford-Tseu jersey, which was timely since I was going to spend some time in Anchorage. This year, I got three jerseys.

Three.

Who’s the luckiest guy ever?

I’ll split this up into two posts, because I don’t think your heart can handle all the awesomeness at once.

First up, the Moscow Penguins:

This is not a game worn jersey, but it sure is awesome. It’s obviously referring itself to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the number, 66, is a reference to Mario Lemeiux. But I don’t know a lot about this jersey. Other than I love it.

The jersey is made by Lutch, like most of my Russian jerseys. They are some of the softest jerseys around.

How about them logos (click on any image to make it larger):

Dmitry Chesnokov of Puck Daddy and several other places (including being a guest on The Rink Podcast) tells me this translates to “Moscow Hockey Federation.”

Next up, the first Rebook EDGE jersey to find it’s way into my collection. It’s a John-Michael Liles practice used jersey:

Now, this is my first Rebook EDGE jersey I have ever owned, and I have a few impressions.

First, it’s weird. It feels weird, it hangs weird, it lays down weird. You know how, with an old jersey or a t-shirt, when you lay it down, it flattens out? This doesn’t. I couldn’t make the damn thing lie flat for the photos, no matter how much I tried.

Then, there is the reflective piping. There is more piping on this thing then on the previous Rebook practice jerseys. And boy, does it catch the light. Look what happens when I turn the flash on:

Holy cow! I’m blinded!

These guys aren’t riding motorcycles at night, they are playing hockey. What is the point of all that?

Anyways, a few more. I wanted to compare the new jersey to my old Skrastins practice used jersey, so here you go.

Oh wait, there’s more, but you are going to have to check back in a day or two. One last jersey to come.

Technorati Tags: Jerseys, Russian Hockey

(the picture is from Icethetics, who got it somewhere else)

Great, the Avs will be playing in a Snuggie.

Look, I’ve made no secret of my dislike to the RBK EDGE jerseys, and the Avs home and away jerseys aren’t my favorites. These? Add them to the list.

I’m really not sure what the point of having a photo negative of the previous 3rd jersey is. Perhaps it’s just to create something a little different. Or as some would put it, a money grab (remember folks, it’s only a money grab if you don’t want to buy one) For me, the maroon is the primary Avalanche color, and the old 3rd jersey was full of win. This one is blue, and lousy with it. And I do mean lousy. I’m still not a fan of the piping on the shoulders (or anywhere on the EDGE jerseys).

Does that say Avalanche on the back of the neck? What the hell is that, a dog collar? What is the point? You know what should say Avalanche on it? The Stanley Cup. Oh, it does? Twice? Sweet.

Oh, and I like how Paul Stastny taped his socks on, like he was going to play a game. I guess old habits die hard.
I know some people have a problem with Colorado printed down the front of the old third jerseys, but I like it, and if there is any reason to like this jersey, that’s it. It’s a classy and classic look. It makes the jersey look like it belongs in a hockey rink, rather than in a shoe store. If there is one thing I am truly grateful for, it’s that Joe Sakic’s old locker is encased in glass, so this jersey will never find it’s way in. And the first person to put #19 on the back of one if these should be hit in the nose with a rolled up magazine and told, “NO!”

I think I will have to see these things first hand before I pass final judgement, but from the initial images, I am not a fan. That’s just my opinion. What’s yours?

Update: Does the fact that I like the old Avs third jersey and don’t like the new Avs third jersey make me a hypocrite? Maybe, and I can live with that.  But if you take something that works, stick it in a blender, turn that blender on high, and declare a success, I wouldn’t call that a good idea.

Technorati Tags: Jerseys