2003-04 Manitoba Moose SP Home Authentic
#31 Johan Hedberg
Manufacturer: SP
Size: 56
Purchased From: Facebook Authentic Hockey Jersey Addicts Group
Lettered by: ACE/JetsGear
The Story: I don't make a habit of collecting jerseys from teams that aren't the Penguins or their affiliates. But the story behind this jersey is what makes it special.
Back in early-2001, the Penguins were making a late-season push towards the playoffs, but their goaltending was an area where improvement was needed if they were to compete. Due to a combination of injuries and inconsistent play, the Penguins sent their scouts out to scour the world for the best minor-league goalie they could find. Pens Assistant General Manager Eddie Johnston recommended Johan Hedberg, who was signed to a contract with the San Jose Sharks, though he was far enough down their depth chart (the Sharks were loaded with quality young goalies) that he was playing with the unaffiliated Manitoba Moose in the International Hockey League's final season. When Pens GM Craig Patrick pulled the trigger on a trade with the Sharks, Moose coach (and former Penguins defenseman) Randy Carlyle pulled Hedberg aside inside Winnipeg International Airport to let him know he had been traded to Pittsburgh. More importantly, he wasn't going to a team in the Penguins' farm system. He was reporting straight to Pittsburgh! This is where the story begins, and a cult hero was born!
The Penguins were on a road trip, and since Hedberg was joining the team on the road, he didn't have the opportunity to get a new mask ordered and painted. Instead, he wore his old bright blue Manitoba Moose mask, complete will a big moose head and the word "MOOSE" on each side. In his NHL debut, he stopped 41 of 44 shots in a 6-3 Penguins win over the Florida Panthers, and he went on to play in nine of the Penguins' last eleven games, boasting a 7-1-1 record with a 2.64 goals against average. He quickly became a fan favorite in Pittsburgh, and the Pens faithful at Mellon Arena would cheer "MOOOOOOSE" when he made a timely save. One adventurous fan with a can of green spray paint even changed the exit sign on the Parkway West from "Heidelberg" to "He d berg!" "Moose-a-Mania" continued through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and although he only went 9-9 in the playoffs, his 2.30 GAA and .911 save percentage bettered his regular season numbers. The Penguins, due in large part to Hedberg's efforts, made it further than expected in the playoffs and, more importantly, they had a clear number one goalie heading into the 2001-02 season.
"The Moose" went on to play another two seasons in Pittsburgh before being traded to Vancouver. During the 2003-04 season, Vancouver had sent him to their minor league team, the Manitoba Moose, now part of the American Hockey League, on a two-game post-injury rehab assignment. This jersey is a home authentic from that season, and though I'm not crazy about the Vancouver Canucks logo patch on one shoulder, this is a sharp looking jersey! I think the antler-shaped numbers and the detail on the crest are really cool, and Ultrafil jerseys are easily my favorite, but the story makes this one even cooler. Imagine, a guy played for the Moose, left town to be nicknamed "The Moose," then ended up coming back to play for the Moose. If that's not the definition of "full circle," I don't know what is!
After years of looking for an authentic jersey from the years Hedberg played for the Moose, I finally found one in the "Authentic Hockey Jersey Addicts" group on Facebook. The gentleman who was selling it lives in the Winnipeg area and I told him my story, and I still can't believe the lengths to which he went to allow me to get the jersey I had wanted for 15-plus years! He not only gave me a great price on the jersey itself, but he was kind enough to take the jersey to a Moose game to get it lettered to 2003-04 team specifications by the team's customizer, ACE, at the arena! I've never seen a fellow collector go out of his way like this to help me get exactly what I was looking for, and I hope I'll have the opportunity to return the favor to him one day!
But there's even more to the story for me, personally. It was during The Moose's magical 2000-01 season that my young daughter was just learning about hockey and the Penguins. She was just turning two, and was getting her first taste of how rowdy playoff hockey was at home. She caught on quickly, and when Hedberg would make a glove save and she heard the home crowd, she would cheer "MOOOOOOTH" (with that lispy two-year-old voice) right along with them! So this jersey is for her, but it also brings back memories of a really fun time in my hockey fandom. And isn't collecting jerseys all about the memories?
Size: 56
Purchased From: Facebook Authentic Hockey Jersey Addicts Group
Lettered by: ACE/JetsGear
The Story: I don't make a habit of collecting jerseys from teams that aren't the Penguins or their affiliates. But the story behind this jersey is what makes it special.
Back in early-2001, the Penguins were making a late-season push towards the playoffs, but their goaltending was an area where improvement was needed if they were to compete. Due to a combination of injuries and inconsistent play, the Penguins sent their scouts out to scour the world for the best minor-league goalie they could find. Pens Assistant General Manager Eddie Johnston recommended Johan Hedberg, who was signed to a contract with the San Jose Sharks, though he was far enough down their depth chart (the Sharks were loaded with quality young goalies) that he was playing with the unaffiliated Manitoba Moose in the International Hockey League's final season. When Pens GM Craig Patrick pulled the trigger on a trade with the Sharks, Moose coach (and former Penguins defenseman) Randy Carlyle pulled Hedberg aside inside Winnipeg International Airport to let him know he had been traded to Pittsburgh. More importantly, he wasn't going to a team in the Penguins' farm system. He was reporting straight to Pittsburgh! This is where the story begins, and a cult hero was born!
The Penguins were on a road trip, and since Hedberg was joining the team on the road, he didn't have the opportunity to get a new mask ordered and painted. Instead, he wore his old bright blue Manitoba Moose mask, complete will a big moose head and the word "MOOSE" on each side. In his NHL debut, he stopped 41 of 44 shots in a 6-3 Penguins win over the Florida Panthers, and he went on to play in nine of the Penguins' last eleven games, boasting a 7-1-1 record with a 2.64 goals against average. He quickly became a fan favorite in Pittsburgh, and the Pens faithful at Mellon Arena would cheer "MOOOOOOSE" when he made a timely save. One adventurous fan with a can of green spray paint even changed the exit sign on the Parkway West from "Heidelberg" to "He d berg!" "Moose-a-Mania" continued through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and although he only went 9-9 in the playoffs, his 2.30 GAA and .911 save percentage bettered his regular season numbers. The Penguins, due in large part to Hedberg's efforts, made it further than expected in the playoffs and, more importantly, they had a clear number one goalie heading into the 2001-02 season.
"The Moose" went on to play another two seasons in Pittsburgh before being traded to Vancouver. During the 2003-04 season, Vancouver had sent him to their minor league team, the Manitoba Moose, now part of the American Hockey League, on a two-game post-injury rehab assignment. This jersey is a home authentic from that season, and though I'm not crazy about the Vancouver Canucks logo patch on one shoulder, this is a sharp looking jersey! I think the antler-shaped numbers and the detail on the crest are really cool, and Ultrafil jerseys are easily my favorite, but the story makes this one even cooler. Imagine, a guy played for the Moose, left town to be nicknamed "The Moose," then ended up coming back to play for the Moose. If that's not the definition of "full circle," I don't know what is!
After years of looking for an authentic jersey from the years Hedberg played for the Moose, I finally found one in the "Authentic Hockey Jersey Addicts" group on Facebook. The gentleman who was selling it lives in the Winnipeg area and I told him my story, and I still can't believe the lengths to which he went to allow me to get the jersey I had wanted for 15-plus years! He not only gave me a great price on the jersey itself, but he was kind enough to take the jersey to a Moose game to get it lettered to 2003-04 team specifications by the team's customizer, ACE, at the arena! I've never seen a fellow collector go out of his way like this to help me get exactly what I was looking for, and I hope I'll have the opportunity to return the favor to him one day!
But there's even more to the story for me, personally. It was during The Moose's magical 2000-01 season that my young daughter was just learning about hockey and the Penguins. She was just turning two, and was getting her first taste of how rowdy playoff hockey was at home. She caught on quickly, and when Hedberg would make a glove save and she heard the home crowd, she would cheer "MOOOOOOTH" (with that lispy two-year-old voice) right along with them! So this jersey is for her, but it also brings back memories of a really fun time in my hockey fandom. And isn't collecting jerseys all about the memories?