1996-97 Starter Road Authentic
#66 Mario Lemieux with Captain's "C"
Manufacturer: Starter
Size: 52
Purchased From: PenguinJersey.com
Lettered by: NJK Lettering
The Story: It seemed that everybody and their brother had a Mario Lemieux Penguins jersey. At this time, I never owned one, and as Lemieux had already been in the league for 12-plus years, I had a hunch that they'd be hard to come by after he retired. Prices of his jerseys had already begun escalating, so I figured it was time to make a move. So I contacted Jim Kubas of penguinjersey.com (the predecessor to pittsburghhockey.net, the best Penguins reference site on the net) about a jersey he has listed on his site. I was able to get this blank jersey at a good price, and from there, I took it out to see my good friend Norma at NJK Lettering. She took care of the lettering on this one, though the sleeve numbers and nameplate letters are a little smaller than team spec. Nonetheless, I finally added a Mario jersey to the collection, and one that I've got a ton of compliments on when I wear it. Now that the jersey is about 20 years old, it has some minor wear, but it's still in great shape and looks good, too!
Size: 52
Purchased From: PenguinJersey.com
Lettered by: NJK Lettering
The Story: It seemed that everybody and their brother had a Mario Lemieux Penguins jersey. At this time, I never owned one, and as Lemieux had already been in the league for 12-plus years, I had a hunch that they'd be hard to come by after he retired. Prices of his jerseys had already begun escalating, so I figured it was time to make a move. So I contacted Jim Kubas of penguinjersey.com (the predecessor to pittsburghhockey.net, the best Penguins reference site on the net) about a jersey he has listed on his site. I was able to get this blank jersey at a good price, and from there, I took it out to see my good friend Norma at NJK Lettering. She took care of the lettering on this one, though the sleeve numbers and nameplate letters are a little smaller than team spec. Nonetheless, I finally added a Mario jersey to the collection, and one that I've got a ton of compliments on when I wear it. Now that the jersey is about 20 years old, it has some minor wear, but it's still in great shape and looks good, too!