Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction November 2024
A member of the 1960 Memorial Cup champion St. Catharines Teepees during his junior career, Bill Speer would go on to play a total of 130 games in the National Hockey League during his career, suiting up with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins over that time, winning a Stanley Cup championship with the Bruins in 1970. Also playing 135 games in the rival World Hockey Association, offered here is this Pittsburgh Penguins jersey worn by Speer during their inaugural season of 1967-68. A durene knit offering made by Gerry Cosby's that features a partially detached Gerry Cosby label affixed inside the reverse hem alongside a sewn in size "48" lab as well, the once found "67" year tag that was beside the size swatch has long been lost to time. Having had "GG" penned inside the reverse hem in now partially washed out black coloured ink, the front of the classic tie-neck style garment, now a cream colour instead of white, is decorated over the front with "Pittsburgh" going diagonally down the chest in individually applied baby blue-over-navy drop-shadow tackle twill letters. Void of a fight strap on the interior, the sleeves and verso of the jersey have been styled with Speer's number "17" in matching style dual layer drop-shadow baby blue-over-navy numerals. Never having had a name or any type of nameplate added over the upper reverse, the jersey shows game-wear via board burns and red coloured board paint transfers over both sleeves, a stick mark near the right elbow, an unrepaired hole over the right elbow, an unreapired hole near the left cuff, a fabric run under the "7" of the left sleeve, unrepaired holes in each of the underarm gussets (which are done in a thicker wool like material) and spot staining throughout. Also sporting an additional fabric run over the right sleeve and some light pilling on the interior, the cuffs at the ends of both sleeves have been heavily stretched out. Worn throughout the season before being recycled into the next year's pre-season, it is also worth noting that the inaugural season Penguins jerseys were recycled to the University of Pittsburgh club team in 1971-72 as well and that there style code tag from Rawlings sewn behind the tie-neck of the collar. A well worn example with lots of life left to live, don't miss out on this gem from the first year of expansion in the National Hockey League.
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