Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
The first ever collegiate player selected in the NHL Amateur Draft and enjoying a four (4) year career with the Michigan Tech Huskies, Al Karlander would be selected seventeenth (17th) overall by the Detroit Red Wings at the 1967 NHL Amateur Draft and would go on to play a total of 212 games in the National Hockey League with the Red Wings, as well as 269 games in the World Hockey Association with the New England Whalers and Indianapolis Racers. Offered here, we present this Red Wings jersey worn by Karlander in the early-1970s, specifically between the period of 1970-73 which has been photo-matched! A durene knit offering made by General Athletic but void of any of their brand labeling, a size "48" tag is affixed to the inner collar below a partially detached/tattered label from Olympic Sporting Goods, Detroit's long time equipment provider. Decorated over the front of the scarlet red garment with Detroit's famed winged wheel team crest that features embroidered details throughout its entirety, the sleeves and verso have been styled with Karlander's number "15" in single layer white tackle twill numerals. Coming with excellent provenance in that the jersey originally was acquired from former Red Wing Dennis Polonich, the jersey retains its original garter style fight strap on the interior. Displaying heavy game-wear throughout its entirety, including a large number of team repairs (7 on the front, 2 over the back numbers, 7 on the reverse, 3 over the reverse hem, 1 over the right shoulder and 5 on the left sleeve), additional battle scars are observed through a large number of heavy board burns and coloured paint transfers throughout both sleeves, lower left hip and left hip while heavy sweat and equipment stains appear over the front hem and blood stains are in place over the reverse hem also. Additionally, there are stick marks throughout, pilling on the interior and multiple pulls/snags over its entirety. With the Red Wings last wearing this style of jersey during the 1972-73 season based on the fact that they switched to a "reverse" style crest beginning in 1973/74, these sweaters were kept by the team and subsequently training camps, photo shoots, etc., which can be confirmed by viewing photos of Red Wings players used for O-Pee-Chee hockey cards in both 1974-75 and 1975-76, which show them wearing this style. Regarding the photo-match, the jersey is matched to an image of Bill Hogaboam that is seen over the front of his 1974-75 O-Pee-Chee card, which shows a match to the offered jersey via things such as the unique spacing between the number and white stripe of the left sleeve, the style of the prongs in the wheel of the front crest, the distinct pattern of white thread at the bottom edge of the wheel in the team crest and how it shows more in certain areas and finally, the bump in material at the top of the team crest where the wheel and wing meet. A special and seldom seen vintage Motown offering, a comprehensive LOA booklet from Global Vintage will accompany the piece.
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