2002 Nike Team USA Olympic Home Authentic
#13 Bill Guerin with IIHF Patch
Manufacturer: Nike
Size: 52
Purchased From: Facebook "Authentic Hockey Jersey Addicts" group
Lettered by: Unknown
The Story: Bill Guerin was drafted fifth overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1989 Entry Draft, becoming the first player of Hispanic descent to play in the NHL, and by the time he came to Pittsburgh at the 2009 trade deadline, he had played for seven NHL teams. That's exactly why the Penguins brought him in. Having lost to Detroit in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, the Pens were positioning themselves for another run for the Cup in 2009 and decided that experience and leadership were a missing puzzle piece. Much like they did with Bryan Trottier back in 1991, the Pens wanted a proven leader who could produce on the ice and be a strong locker room presence to get them over that hump. Coincidentally enough, they turned to the New York Islanders again, trading a third-round draft choice for their captain.
Guerin exceeded his expectations from the day he arrived. He forged a great relationship with Pens captain Sidney Crosby and proved to be a leader in the room and on the ice for Pittsburgh. He was the type of player who gave 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time, and that resulted in his getting key minutes for the Pens. He made key contributions in the 2009 playoffs, including netting an overtime game winner against Philadelphia, which ended with his hoisting his second Stanley Cup, 14 years after his first. Those results, along with his relaxed demeanor and and by-example leadership quickly made him a fan favorite in Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh fan base played a big role in his signing a one-year contract extension. In the 2009-10 season, he continued leaving it all on the ice every game, scoring some big goals and a lot of grit, even at age 39. In the 09-10 season, he also became the first player in NHL history to score 20-goal seasons with seven different teams. He ultimately retired as a Penguin on December 6, 2010, ranking seventh all-time among American-born players with 429 NHL goals, and moved into a Player Development Coach position with the team, where he exhibited the same level of leadership that made him such a highly-regarded teammate. As he moved through the organization as an assistant general manager and general manager of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins, he was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 before earning two more Stanley Cup rings as an executive in 2016 and 2017.
Having represented the United States in the 1998, 2002, and 2006, this jersey matches what he wore in 2002, when he scored four goals in six game on the way to a silver medal performance. I have another 2002 US Olympic jersey in the collection, but having a properly-customized jersey to all team specs was important to me (you'll notice the lettering is off a bit on the Barrasso jersey), and wearing a Billy Guerin jersey to the arena will definitely get me some looks. He's a fine example of the kind of player whose jersey I'm proud to wear, so I was thrilled to add this one to the collection in early-2021.
Size: 52
Purchased From: Facebook "Authentic Hockey Jersey Addicts" group
Lettered by: Unknown
The Story: Bill Guerin was drafted fifth overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1989 Entry Draft, becoming the first player of Hispanic descent to play in the NHL, and by the time he came to Pittsburgh at the 2009 trade deadline, he had played for seven NHL teams. That's exactly why the Penguins brought him in. Having lost to Detroit in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, the Pens were positioning themselves for another run for the Cup in 2009 and decided that experience and leadership were a missing puzzle piece. Much like they did with Bryan Trottier back in 1991, the Pens wanted a proven leader who could produce on the ice and be a strong locker room presence to get them over that hump. Coincidentally enough, they turned to the New York Islanders again, trading a third-round draft choice for their captain.
Guerin exceeded his expectations from the day he arrived. He forged a great relationship with Pens captain Sidney Crosby and proved to be a leader in the room and on the ice for Pittsburgh. He was the type of player who gave 100 percent effort 100 percent of the time, and that resulted in his getting key minutes for the Pens. He made key contributions in the 2009 playoffs, including netting an overtime game winner against Philadelphia, which ended with his hoisting his second Stanley Cup, 14 years after his first. Those results, along with his relaxed demeanor and and by-example leadership quickly made him a fan favorite in Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh fan base played a big role in his signing a one-year contract extension. In the 2009-10 season, he continued leaving it all on the ice every game, scoring some big goals and a lot of grit, even at age 39. In the 09-10 season, he also became the first player in NHL history to score 20-goal seasons with seven different teams. He ultimately retired as a Penguin on December 6, 2010, ranking seventh all-time among American-born players with 429 NHL goals, and moved into a Player Development Coach position with the team, where he exhibited the same level of leadership that made him such a highly-regarded teammate. As he moved through the organization as an assistant general manager and general manager of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins, he was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013 before earning two more Stanley Cup rings as an executive in 2016 and 2017.
Having represented the United States in the 1998, 2002, and 2006, this jersey matches what he wore in 2002, when he scored four goals in six game on the way to a silver medal performance. I have another 2002 US Olympic jersey in the collection, but having a properly-customized jersey to all team specs was important to me (you'll notice the lettering is off a bit on the Barrasso jersey), and wearing a Billy Guerin jersey to the arena will definitely get me some looks. He's a fine example of the kind of player whose jersey I'm proud to wear, so I was thrilled to add this one to the collection in early-2021.