2017 Reebok Stadium Series Alumni Game Worn
#19 Bryan Trottier
Manufacturer: Reebok
Size: 56
Purchased From: The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation
Lettered by: Pro Knitwear
The Story: Bryan Trottier is one of the NHL's all-time greats. When the Penguins signed him as a free agent on July 21, 1990, he had already won four Stanley Cups in his 15 years as a member of the New York Islanders. A team looking to rebuild, the Isles released him from his contract due to declining offensive production. However, the Pens were headed in the other direction - they expected to be Stanley Cup contenders with a young and talented group of players - and were in need of some veteran leadership and Stanley Cup experience. Trottier fit that need better than anyone could. Though his best years were clearly behind him, he primarily served as the Pens' third-line center tasked with providing on-ice guidance to a new young winger from whom the team expected big things by the name of Jaromir Jagr. "Trotts," along with Joe Mullen, brought a workmanlike, lead-by-example attitude to the Penguins and, specifically, to Jagr. Trottier had seen it all and done it all over his career on Long Island, and he was exactly the "calming force" (in the words of Penguins goalie Wendell Young) that the young squad needed. He helped Jagr, who was already a great individual talent, become an effective team player, and that third line provided significant contributions, both offensively and defensively, in the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup Playoff runs that ended with Trottier earning his fifth and sixth Stanley Cup rings. And, though he had "been there and done that" long before he came to Pittsburgh, he showed the youthful exuberance and excitement that many thought were also behind him. Trotts retired after the 1991-92 season, but came back in a dual-role as player and assistant coach for the 1993-94 campaign. From there, he hung up his ice skates for good, though he did play the 1994 season for the Pittsburgh Phantoms of the Roller Hockey International league before claiming his seventh Stanley Cup ring as an assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche, the last of his Hall of Fame career.
Fast forward to 2017. The Penguins were getting ready to play in a Stadium Series game at Heinz Field against their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. In what has become an NHL tradition for outdoor games, the Pens and Flyers, both in the middle of their 50th seasons, held an Alumni Game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on January 14, 2017. Bryan Trottier wore this jersey in that Alumni Game. He served as the Pens' top-line center and took the opening faceoff against fellow Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke. And even at 50 years old, Trotts looked like a little kid out on the ice!
When the Penguins Foundation auctioned the jerseys worn in this Alumni Game in May of 2019, I knew Trottier's jersey was the one I wanted. This Reebok Edge 2.0 jersey - the style of the last year that pre-dated the migration to Adidas-made jerseys - is exactly the style worn in NHL games that season. This jersey features the Penguins 50th Anniversary patch on the right breast as well as two internal tags designating it as a game worn jersey from that Alumni game. As expected for a jersey worn in one game - especially an alumni contest that would involve minimal checking - wear on this jersey is very light. On the rear, Trottier autographed the number "9" boldly with an inscription reading "HOF 97," alluding to his Hockey Hall of Fame induction in 1997, his first year of eligibility. I'm very happy to add a "one game wonder" from one of the best players to lace up skates to my collection!
Size: 56
Purchased From: The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation
Lettered by: Pro Knitwear
The Story: Bryan Trottier is one of the NHL's all-time greats. When the Penguins signed him as a free agent on July 21, 1990, he had already won four Stanley Cups in his 15 years as a member of the New York Islanders. A team looking to rebuild, the Isles released him from his contract due to declining offensive production. However, the Pens were headed in the other direction - they expected to be Stanley Cup contenders with a young and talented group of players - and were in need of some veteran leadership and Stanley Cup experience. Trottier fit that need better than anyone could. Though his best years were clearly behind him, he primarily served as the Pens' third-line center tasked with providing on-ice guidance to a new young winger from whom the team expected big things by the name of Jaromir Jagr. "Trotts," along with Joe Mullen, brought a workmanlike, lead-by-example attitude to the Penguins and, specifically, to Jagr. Trottier had seen it all and done it all over his career on Long Island, and he was exactly the "calming force" (in the words of Penguins goalie Wendell Young) that the young squad needed. He helped Jagr, who was already a great individual talent, become an effective team player, and that third line provided significant contributions, both offensively and defensively, in the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup Playoff runs that ended with Trottier earning his fifth and sixth Stanley Cup rings. And, though he had "been there and done that" long before he came to Pittsburgh, he showed the youthful exuberance and excitement that many thought were also behind him. Trotts retired after the 1991-92 season, but came back in a dual-role as player and assistant coach for the 1993-94 campaign. From there, he hung up his ice skates for good, though he did play the 1994 season for the Pittsburgh Phantoms of the Roller Hockey International league before claiming his seventh Stanley Cup ring as an assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche, the last of his Hall of Fame career.
Fast forward to 2017. The Penguins were getting ready to play in a Stadium Series game at Heinz Field against their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. In what has become an NHL tradition for outdoor games, the Pens and Flyers, both in the middle of their 50th seasons, held an Alumni Game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on January 14, 2017. Bryan Trottier wore this jersey in that Alumni Game. He served as the Pens' top-line center and took the opening faceoff against fellow Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke. And even at 50 years old, Trotts looked like a little kid out on the ice!
When the Penguins Foundation auctioned the jerseys worn in this Alumni Game in May of 2019, I knew Trottier's jersey was the one I wanted. This Reebok Edge 2.0 jersey - the style of the last year that pre-dated the migration to Adidas-made jerseys - is exactly the style worn in NHL games that season. This jersey features the Penguins 50th Anniversary patch on the right breast as well as two internal tags designating it as a game worn jersey from that Alumni game. As expected for a jersey worn in one game - especially an alumni contest that would involve minimal checking - wear on this jersey is very light. On the rear, Trottier autographed the number "9" boldly with an inscription reading "HOF 97," alluding to his Hockey Hall of Fame induction in 1997, his first year of eligibility. I'm very happy to add a "one game wonder" from one of the best players to lace up skates to my collection!