1991-92 Paul Coffey Game worn Jersey (set 1)
Considered by many to be the smoothest skating defensemen of all time, Paul Coffey wore this jersey early in the 1991 season before being traded to the Kings in February of ‘92. Originally traded to the Penguins on November 24th, 1987, Coffey brought legendary skill and poise to an evolving Penguins team. He would score an incredible 440 points in less than five seasons with the Pens, and help propel them to their first Stanley Cup in 1990-91. Coffey played in eight all-star games, holds or shares 33 NHL records, and is a true legend of the NHL. His 1,531 points is surpassed only by Ray Bourque. Is one of two players to retire with a points per game average above 1.0, an honor he shares with the ubiquitous Bobby Orr. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.
While wearing this jersey, Coffey surpassed Denis Potvin to become the highest scoring defenseman of all time. On October 17th 1991, Coffey brought the puck into the offensive zone and dumped it to Lemieux before taking a hit. Lemieux set up Kevin Stevens for a tap in goal, which earned Coffey the record-tying assist. Then, early in the third period, Coffey took a shot from the point that was gathered in by Bob Errey, who in turn beat Glenn Healy to register Coffey’s record breaking point!
This jersey is matched to various photographs and game footage which is detailed below, including October 17th vs the Islanders, November 27th vs the Devils, Dec 17th vs the Sharks, and the ubiquitous1992 championship video “Against the Odds.” The jersey is otherwise littered with stick marks, board burns, and seven team repairs! It is unquestionably a hall of fame piece!
A loose thread on the upper left, some extra sewing on the right, and an uneven hand-cut black 7 match up very well
A diagonal stick mark on the front of the jersey matches a photo of Coffey chatting with Peter Taglianetti
As Coffey and Lemieux celebrate a goal, a matching repair can be seen on his right elbow
From Dec. 17th vs San Jose, a large diagonal stick mark can be seen in two different clips.
The mark can be seen again during the second period break.
As Coffey turns around, you can see a thick black stick mark. At first I assumed the jerseys couldn't be the same, but upon further inspection, evidence of the mark can clearly be seen in the exact same location. I've been told trainers scrubbed out the worst marks when possible.
A stick mark on Coffey's left shoulder appears throughout the game.
On Oct. 17th: Stick marks/holes match the jersey to video stills of his record breaking 1,053rd point.
As Coffey receives a plaque from Craig Patrick, matching smudges can be seen to the upper right of the crest. Keep in mind this jersey was washed after each of it's 27 games.
Though blurry, what looks like extra sewing matches what can be seen on the jersey
The space between the C and O appears to be wider than the space between the O and F, and the first F appears to lean to the left relative the second F. You can also see how the Y is closer to the numbers than the C.
Harder to match because of the angle, the nameplate and numbers are closer on the right than the left. This can be seen on many other photos as well, but the angle makes it all the more obvious
The set 2 jersey very clearly does not have similar spacing between the Y and the 7 below it. Additionally, the positioning of the F's does not match.
Coffey wore two jerseys during the first half of the season, and you can see how the second jersey's 75 patch does not match the positioning in relationship to the shoulder yoke. There is also a tuft of black thread that is not present, further eliminating the second jersey as a possibility.
From the banner raising: The fight strap sewing shows through the back of the jersey at the bottom of the right 7, and makes an imprint on the yellow twill as well. Some other vague similarities are present but not definitive, though the positioning of the F's and the gap between the nameplate and numbers is apparent.
