Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
One of Motor City’s all-time greatest, Steve Yzerman spent his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings, registering over 1,700 points including almost 700 goals and helping lead the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup Championships. Hanging up the skates after the completion of the 2005-06 season and inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, Yzerman would play a pair of junior seasons in the Ontario Hockey League in the famed maroon and white of the Peterborough Petes between 1981 and 1983, putting up numbers impressive enough to be drafted 4th overall by the Red Wings at the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Offered here, we present this Peterborough Petes jersey worn by Yzerman during his first OHL season of 1981-82 in which he put up 64 points in 58 games played. A lightweight knit style offering made by Cooper that was first introduced for the 1981-82 season for use with Cooperalls, a brand label displaying a size "Large" designation is affixed to the inner collar along with a small and mostly washed out CAHA label as well. Decorated over the front of the jersey with a familiar Petes script logo that has been screen printed on, the sleeves and verso have been styled with the number "8" in heat pressed on rubberized numerals that show some cracking and flaking throughout. Of note, research shows that Yzerman was likely the only player to wear the number "8" for Peterborough during the 1981-82 season, with lineups from that season listing him as wearing the number until Peterborough's January 7th game against Kitchener, which he is then listed as having switched to his familiar number "19". For the rest of the year, no player is listed as having worn the number "8" after Yzerman. Featuring a worn out "Cooper" brand logo label heat pressed on over the reverse hem and retaining a loop style fight strap on the interior which is damaged around the edges where it is attached, the jersey shows excellent game-wear throughout including numerous team repairs over the front, reverse and both sleeves, stick marks throughout the body and sleeves, board burns throughout the body and sleeves, coloured board paint transfers around the lower front, reverse and both sleeves, small unrepaired holes throughout and general filth plus sweat staining from use/age. Also showing some light pilling on the interior, it also needs to be mentioned that it is possible that the jersey was worn by Dave Russell during the 1982-83 season, the only player during that year listed as having worn the number "8", due to the fact that the Petes were notorious for recycling jerseys from one season to another in that era. Furthermore, the jersey can be dated to being used in either 1981-82 or 1982-83 based on the smaller size numbers that are found over the sleeves. In 1980-81 when the jerseys were made by Maska, the numbers were larger and beginning with the new set in 1983-84, the numbers went large again while during the two (2) year period these jerseys were worn, the numbers on the sleeves were smaller, like on the jersey being offered. These examples can be seen in team photos that are shown in the Petes' 50th anniversary book on page 60 and 61, a copy of which is included with the jersey being offered. Regarding the photo-match, the jersey is matched with Yzerman's 1981-82 Pronto Print Peterborough Petes card which shows a match to the stitching fold/imperfection at the left side of the collar.
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