Presented is an extremely rare hockey jersey - one of the toughest to find: A Vic Hadfield game worn jersey from the 1972 Summit Series, with Team Canada playing the Soviet Union. All Team Canada sweaters from the '72 Summit Series are highly sought-after. This jersey comes with a MEARS Letter of Opinion that gives this '72 Vic Hadfield Summit Series jersey a "FINAL GRADE: 10." Vic Hadfield was a left wing who played 16 NHL seasons: New York Rangers (1961-73), Pittsburgh Penguins (1974-77). Hadfield came into the NHL as more of an enforcer than a scorer, but he gradually became a highly effective offensive force. He was a part of the New York Rangers' famous GAG Line, with GAG standing for "Goal-A-Game." The other members of the GAG Line were center Jean Ratelle and right wing Rod Gilbert. His best NHL season was 1971-72, when Hadfield scored 50 goals and added 56 assists for 106 points. That great campaign helped Hadfield become selected for Team Canada in '72 prior to Team Canada's eight game Summit Series against the Soviet Union. Team Canada was filled to the brim with talent on its 35-man roster, and playing time was very limited for Hadfield. As a result, after two games in which he played in the Summit Series, Hadfield left the team after two Swedish exhibition contests, and he returned home to Canada, receiving criticism for his action. Team Canada won the Summit Series 4-3 in games, with a tie. In Hadfield's NHL career, he played in 1,004 games and scored 323 goals with 389 assists, for 712 points.

According to a 2002 CBC Documentaries article posted by writer Darryl Webster, the Team Canada '72 sweater was designed in less than 24 hours in the summer of '72. Hockey promoter Alan Eagleston, promoting the Summit Series, came to advertising executive and former Boston College hockey standout Terry O'Malley, who was heavily involved in the preparation for the Summit Series, and Eagleston stated Team Canada needed the design of an attention-getting sweater by the time of a scheduled press conference the next day, in Toronto. O'Malley hired art director John Lloyd, who was given permission to be creative. Lloyd went shopping and bought two long-sleeved red shirts and two long-sleeved white shirts, and with the help of his wife, an accomplished seamstress, Lloyd had the shirts cut and sewn, as he designed a white jersey with a red stylized Maple Leaf on front - for the games in Russia, and a red jersey with a white stylized Maple Leaf for the games in Canada. The design was highly praised, and it became an immediate hit. Much later, Paul Henderson's Number 19 Team Canada Summit Series sweater went for 1.2 million dollars at auction. 

The offered Hadfield, dureen jersey was designed for the games in Canada. It features the iconic white, stylized Maple Leaf over a red background. On back, near the top, is "CANADA" in sewn-on white, 4 3/8" tackle twill letters. Below the country's name is Hadfield's Number 11, in approx. 11", single tackle twill, sewn-on white numerals. In the collar, two tags have been removed, but a Tricot Sport Maska manufacturer's tag remains, along with what appears to be a single numeral "1" from Hadfield's "11" number. The sweater has a 25" chest measurement and a 29.5" torso measurement. The jersey shows great wear, with a tiny, hardly noticeable hole of about 0.25" in the white Maple Leaf, and some stains, and also many loose threads, from use. The jersey comes with the aforementioned MEARS Letter of Opinion that gives the extremely rare jersey a FINAL GRADE: 10.

Estimated domestic USA shipping cost only. Does not include handling or insurance: 21.09 Please feel free to contact us for a more accurate shipping cost.