Connor McDavid has scored 162 goals since he turned pro in 2015, and his first score was particularly memorable.
The jersey McDavid wore on the night he scored his first NHL is part of Goldin Auctions’ October Legends sale, which ends on Halloween night. There are two sessions of the October Legends Auction, with the second half ending on Nov. 1.
To say that expectations were high for the 18-year-old rookie — the overall No. 1 pick of the 2015 draft, who was touted as the second coming of Wayne Gretzky — would be an understatement. McDavid was held pointless in his first two NHL games after his debut with the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 8, 2015, but that would change in his third game.
On Oct. 13, 2015, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, McDavid scored his first goal, beating Dallas Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen in front of the net with 7:42 left in the second period.
McDavid’s score tied the game at 2-2, but it wasn’t enough as Jason Spezza’s hat trick — including the tiebreaking goal with 4:30 left in the third period — gave Dallas a 4-2 victory.
McDavid would score 16 goals in 45 games during his rookie season, which was curtailed when he broke his left clavicle on Nov. 3, 2015. Since then, he has scored 30, 41, 41 and 34 goals.
The jersey up for grabs is white with blue-and-orange accents and a large Oilers logo patch sewn on the chest. McDavid’s No. 97 is on the back of the jersey and on its sleeves, all sewn in blue. An NHL patch is sewn on the front collar.
A size “56” flag is attached to the back inside collar, and a MeiGray 2015-16 game-worn patch is sewn inside the jersey. The notation “1st NHL Goal” is handwritten on the fight strap in silver marker.
“This is the most significant hockey jersey worn in the last few decades to surface in (an) auction,” Goldin Auctions CEO and founder Ken Goldin said. “We expect the jersey to sell upwards of $300,000.”
The jersey comes with a letter of authentication from the Oilers/Mei Gray (serial number M02827), and there is also an LOA from Sports Investors Authentication. The company also photo matched the jersey.
The jersey is one of more than 1,900 high-end sports cards and memorabilia items in the auction.
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