Ryan Whitney was drafted in the first round of the 2002 NHL entry draft, fifth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. After finishing college at BU in 03-04, he played a dominant season with the WBS Penguins before making his NHL debut in 2005-06. Whitney exploded for 14 goals in his second season with the Pens, realizing his potential as an elite puck-moving offensive defenseman. He finished 13th in Norris trophy voting as the NHL’s top defenseman.

In 2007-08 the up and coming Penguins were selected to face off against the Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium for the first ever NHL Winter Classic. The game was a television spectacle, drawing millions of viewers around the world to see hockey played in the elements. Fans were treated to a blizzard, and a tight checking game that ended with an iconic Sidney Crosby game winning shootout goal.

This jersey was worn by starting defenseman Ryan Whitney as he walked out of the locker room with pyrotechnics flashing, as he stood at center ice for the national anthem, and throughout the first period when Colby Armstrong scored the game’s opening goal with Whitney on the ice. It shows predictably light wear with some board burns on the left cuff. The jersey is matched to an image of Whitney chatting with Crosby before a face off, as the set tag has a unique pucker on the upper right, and is positioned right of center, sloping diagonally to the left. On the right arm, the elbow reinforcement caused a bit of the blue stripe to pucker, revealing extra white space, clearly seen in the photo and on the jersey. The bottom of the back #9 has a loose thread that is also barely visible in the photo.

Like most Pens fans, watching this game was a family affair; I remember it vividly. At the time it was the biggest game the young Pens team had played, and Ryan Miller and the Sabres were a formidable foe. The powder blue uniforms became an iconic look for the Pens, and you can still find them at games to this day. I’ve wanted one of these since I watched the game, and I’m thrilled to finally add one to my collection.