Sometimes, research takes you in directions which contradict your previous research, let's walk through a recent bit of research that led me to update this page. In June 2022, Grey Flannel auctioned a Stan Mikita jersey. The jersey was a V neck Wilson dureen red jersey with 2 color numbers. The jersey did not have a name on the back and there was no mention of photo of a year tag in the jersey. Based on these facts, I was skeptical of the jersey as my research did not point this combo to any year within the 1970's based on my previous research. So my project began.
There was a photomatch in the auction of the Mikita jersey, but that match was to a posed photo of Mikita. Those posed photos from the Hawks in the 60's & 70's should always be taken with a grain of salt as the team reused jerseys as practice jerseys and these posed photos used on team postcards, etc were often taken at practice.... so the jersey pictured may or may not have been used by that player in a game after recycling and number changes. I started my research by looking for action photos of Mikita wearing the jersey. It had nice wear including a few prominent marks, so if he wore it, I should be able to find a picture. As many of you may know, that's often easier said than done on older jerseys, especially prior to the 1980's as there were more photos and video available starting in the early/mid 1980's... but I gave it a shot. And bingo... totally lucked out as there were marks on the jersey that showed up on photos housed at Getty Images, the first place most collectors go for modern jerseys, but as found here, is also useful on occasion for older shirts. So, now I knew Mikita wore it. Research continued. The combo of 2 color numbers, a V collar and no name on back did not make sense based on previous research. What I found was, I did a shotty job of researching the 76-77 season. I had seen 76 tagged jerseys, and these were cross collar. So I assumed the jerseys for 76-77 followed earlier patterns where the previous season's playoff jerseys. However, with the Mikita in-mind, I looked into the 76-77 season with newspaper archives and lo-and-behold, the V necks were used in game 1 of the season, with the notable exception of Bobby Orr. I also contacted the auction house and confirmed there was no year tag in the jersey. Another unknown now known... at least with this Mikita. At the end of the research, I was able to confirm the V neck being widespread in the 76-77 season, at least for the reds in the regular season. In the Playoffs, I had already confirmed that V necks were worn. and Mikita wore a white V neck when he hit 500 goals in Feb. So while there are still lingering questions of the white in the early regular season and the lack of year tag on jerseys beyond the Mikita, I have updated the 76-77 page to reflect the additional research. Never assume!
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AuthorJust a huge Hawks fan with a collecting habit. Archives
April 2024
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