Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Spring 2019
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/18/2019
Rick Ley was the only player to wear No. 2 in the history of the WHA New England Whalers and NHL Hartford Whalers. A key member of the inaugural Avco Cup champions, the hard-hitting defenseman took over the Whalers’ captaincy from Ted Green in his fourth season in New England. The “C” is sewn on the left breast of Ley’s 1976-77 Whalers game-worn captain’s jersey with size 48 Wilson tagging in the neck, which he also wore during the 1977-78 preseason. This green durene classic with pilling inside the jersey has a team repair to the Whale patch on the left shoulder, two more team repairs on the front and team repairs at the bottom of the “2” on the back and around the anchor patch of the cut fight strap.
More game wear shows in marks on the elaborate Whalers crest on the front, marks on the whale patch on the left shoulder, board burns on the sleeves, a board burn and unrepaired burn hole on the left front hem at the hip, black marks, board burns and unrepaired burn holes on the left rear hem and tail at the hip, and some reddish-brown stains on the upper right of the “2” on the back which also has some yellow stains. Surname letters are white and gold double twill sewn directly onto the jersey, the same material as the No. 2 on the back. Numbers on the sleeves are sewn-on green-and-yellow double twill.
Ley played all of New England’s seven seasons in the WHA and his 478 regular season games with the Whalers ranks sixth in the history of the rebel league and is a record for the most with any WHA team. He spent nine seasons with the Whalers, including the team’s first two in the NHL, and his No. 2 was retired by Hartford on December 26, 1982.
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