Jerseys worn by the Boston Bruins when the club honored hockey pioneer Willie O’Ree earlier this season are on the auction block.
MeiGray Auctions, in partnership with the team, is offering 23 game-worn sweaters carrying the special commemorative patch in an online sale.
O’Ree holds a special place in hockey history as the first black player to appear in a game. The Bruins commemorated the moment on Wednesday, January 17, the 60th anniversary of the day he made his NHL debut. He was honored during a special pre-game puck drop before the Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens, 4-1, at TD Garden in Boston.
The Bruins wore the set of jerseys with a Willie O’Ree 60th Anniversary Patch added to the right breast in one game only, but they wore them without the patch in five previous games.
Among the jerseys up for auction are those donned by Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy, Tuukka Rask and Brad Marchand.
The jerseys are registered into the Bruins-MeiGray Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program. Each was authenticated immediately after it was used. Each jersey has been security-tagged, serial-numbered, and registered into the NHL-MGG Population Report.
The auction runs through February 22.