2001-02 Koho Road Game Worn
#8 Hans Jonsson
Manufacturer: Koho
Size: 54
Purchased From: Facebook Game Worn Hockey Jersey Collectors Group
Lettered by: The Pittsburgh Penguins
The Story: Many years ago, I purchased a late-90's Starter Road Authentic jersey and had it lettered to be a Darius Kasparaitis jersey. I wasn't happy with the lettering on it, and ever since, I wanted a "real" one. Over the years, other jerseys and other priorities took precedence to buying one, but I always kept this in the back of my mind. As time went on, these "Jammie" jerseys, which featured a futuristic look that was popular in the 90's (they earned that nickname because people equate this look to pajamas), became harder and harder to find, and the harder it got, the higher the prices went. From time to time, I'd see highlights of Petr Nedved's fourth-overtime game winner against the Capitals and Kasparaitis's Game 7 overtime winner against Buffalo and I'd be reminded that I wanted one of these that was just like the on-ice jerseys. But after a while, I quit looking for them, as the Pens kept coming out with new jerseys and getting my hands on a jersey like this kept slipping further and further into the back of my mind.
Late-2016 and early-2017 became a time where I wanted to fill gaps in my collection. Still, I wasn't really searching out one of these jerseys, but I happened to stumble upon this one as I was perusing the Game Worn Jersey Collectors Group on Facebook. When I saw this game worn jersey for a lower price than most of-the-era authentics were selling for, I immediately sent a note to the owner asking if it was still available. Unfortunately, another buyer from Switzerland had beaten me to the punch, so I was out of luck. I thanked the owner for his response and asked him to let me know if his pending deal fell through. A couple of days later, I got a message from him telling me that he was going to give his prospective buyer one more day, but if he wasn't paid within 24 hours, the jersey could be mine! The only problem was that I was heading out of town on a business trip that day, so I needed to be sure that I kept an eye on my e-mail in case that message did come. Sure enough, about 10 minutes after I left my hotel for a 45-minute trip to a business meeting, the e-mail that I was waiting for came. I was really excited, and I knew I had to make a move immediately, so I pulled my car over onto the side of a highway on Long Island and processed an online payment right then and there. After exchanging e-mails with the owner (or, I guess he became the former owner at this point), I ended up being a much happier guy when I got to the meeting than I was when I left the hotel!
The same day, this gentleman, located in Western Canada, shipped the jersey and I tracked it to my house with a lot of excitement. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to own a game worn jersey like this, and once I received it, I was very happy. The jersey had some game wear to it, even though the black jersey hides a lot of it. There were some stick marks and a couple of board burns, as well as two unrepaired holes - one on the first layer of a reinforced elbow and a larger one on the back of the left shoulder, near the nameplate. There was no major damage, however, as I'm not a fan of jerseys that look like they went through a wood chipper, though some people like that kind of thing. I was just as happy with the player selection. Hans Jonsson was a steady, often underrated defenseman for the Penguins for four full seasons, from 1999-2000 through 2002-03, playing in 242 NHL games, all with Pittsburgh, before returning to finish his career in his native Sweden. He was one of those guys who wasn't supposed to make it to the NHL after being drafted in the eleventh round draft pick in 1993. But his hard work resulted in his being able to live out his dream. I always admired that about him, and I was proud to have one of his gamers in my collection.
Yes, I was proud. However, in mid-2020, I was also proud to sell this jersey to a collector in Sweden who was a huge Hans Jonsson fan. The sale of this jersey opened up a spot for a similar, yet more unique jersey for me. I guess, in some ways, collecting jerseys is like managing a hockey team. Sometimes, you have to give up something good to get something good in return. This was the first and only jersey I ever sold, as I"m not a "trader" - I collect what I want and I keep what I collect. But I know this one is in the hands of someone who will undeniably appreciate owning the jersey of his fellow countryman.
Size: 54
Purchased From: Facebook Game Worn Hockey Jersey Collectors Group
Lettered by: The Pittsburgh Penguins
The Story: Many years ago, I purchased a late-90's Starter Road Authentic jersey and had it lettered to be a Darius Kasparaitis jersey. I wasn't happy with the lettering on it, and ever since, I wanted a "real" one. Over the years, other jerseys and other priorities took precedence to buying one, but I always kept this in the back of my mind. As time went on, these "Jammie" jerseys, which featured a futuristic look that was popular in the 90's (they earned that nickname because people equate this look to pajamas), became harder and harder to find, and the harder it got, the higher the prices went. From time to time, I'd see highlights of Petr Nedved's fourth-overtime game winner against the Capitals and Kasparaitis's Game 7 overtime winner against Buffalo and I'd be reminded that I wanted one of these that was just like the on-ice jerseys. But after a while, I quit looking for them, as the Pens kept coming out with new jerseys and getting my hands on a jersey like this kept slipping further and further into the back of my mind.
Late-2016 and early-2017 became a time where I wanted to fill gaps in my collection. Still, I wasn't really searching out one of these jerseys, but I happened to stumble upon this one as I was perusing the Game Worn Jersey Collectors Group on Facebook. When I saw this game worn jersey for a lower price than most of-the-era authentics were selling for, I immediately sent a note to the owner asking if it was still available. Unfortunately, another buyer from Switzerland had beaten me to the punch, so I was out of luck. I thanked the owner for his response and asked him to let me know if his pending deal fell through. A couple of days later, I got a message from him telling me that he was going to give his prospective buyer one more day, but if he wasn't paid within 24 hours, the jersey could be mine! The only problem was that I was heading out of town on a business trip that day, so I needed to be sure that I kept an eye on my e-mail in case that message did come. Sure enough, about 10 minutes after I left my hotel for a 45-minute trip to a business meeting, the e-mail that I was waiting for came. I was really excited, and I knew I had to make a move immediately, so I pulled my car over onto the side of a highway on Long Island and processed an online payment right then and there. After exchanging e-mails with the owner (or, I guess he became the former owner at this point), I ended up being a much happier guy when I got to the meeting than I was when I left the hotel!
The same day, this gentleman, located in Western Canada, shipped the jersey and I tracked it to my house with a lot of excitement. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to own a game worn jersey like this, and once I received it, I was very happy. The jersey had some game wear to it, even though the black jersey hides a lot of it. There were some stick marks and a couple of board burns, as well as two unrepaired holes - one on the first layer of a reinforced elbow and a larger one on the back of the left shoulder, near the nameplate. There was no major damage, however, as I'm not a fan of jerseys that look like they went through a wood chipper, though some people like that kind of thing. I was just as happy with the player selection. Hans Jonsson was a steady, often underrated defenseman for the Penguins for four full seasons, from 1999-2000 through 2002-03, playing in 242 NHL games, all with Pittsburgh, before returning to finish his career in his native Sweden. He was one of those guys who wasn't supposed to make it to the NHL after being drafted in the eleventh round draft pick in 1993. But his hard work resulted in his being able to live out his dream. I always admired that about him, and I was proud to have one of his gamers in my collection.
Yes, I was proud. However, in mid-2020, I was also proud to sell this jersey to a collector in Sweden who was a huge Hans Jonsson fan. The sale of this jersey opened up a spot for a similar, yet more unique jersey for me. I guess, in some ways, collecting jerseys is like managing a hockey team. Sometimes, you have to give up something good to get something good in return. This was the first and only jersey I ever sold, as I"m not a "trader" - I collect what I want and I keep what I collect. But I know this one is in the hands of someone who will undeniably appreciate owning the jersey of his fellow countryman.