If You See Kay's Blog: May 2016

I noticed recently that my hockey collection has developed a strange pattern that I think was entirely coincidental.

Aside from Montréal Canadiens, I have jerseys for Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche and Oklahoma City Blazers. While that may not be unique in and of itself, I have acquired two apiece of those latter teams: one white, one dark. If they could mate, then I would be the Noah of hockey.

My pair of Leafs jerseys were purchased together on eBay for $35 in May 2010. On the plus side, each one had a different logo and they were significantly different sizes. The larger white jersey is one of my favourite jerseys (aside from any Les Canadiens).

I bought my first Phoenix Coyotes jersey from a second-hand store called Savers in May 2012 before attending Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals to watch the LA Kings face the Coyotes. Of course, the one I purchased was an old school "kachina" jersey, so I noted on Twitter how if you're going to bandwagon onto the home team, make it look like you have been there from the start! (For the record though, I was pulling for Kings that post-season.) Years later, I found a matching kachina jersey. As a result, I look like I have been howling for the Yotes since '96, but I was never a fan of the team until that 2012 run with Smitty in net.

My first Colorado Avalanche jersey was a Patrick Roy jersey in a sparsely bidded auction on eBay that I won for under $20 (pre-shipping). Not surprisingly, my second Avs jersey was another Patrick Roy jersey that I won for just over $20 (pre-shipping) because (as my Twitter bio reads) "I'm a Patrick Roy guy."

Last year, I started reminiscing about my first true home hockey team: Oklahoma City Blazers. I got their home jersey for a birthday in the late-90s. For over a decade, that and my red Canadiens jersey were the only two hockey jerseys that I owned. After finding a cheap OKC Blazers shirt for under $5 on eBay (free shipping), I soon followed auctions related to the extinct franchise and I found an away jersey for $20 (pre-shipping).

In addition to my other Montréal Canadiens jerseys, which include their traditional red and white versions, as well as their Centennial throwback to the Club Athletique de Canadien (CAC) jersey and more, I even bought a unique looking airbrush jersey of a scrimmage game face-off with all over print on the jersey. Not to be left out, today I found its matching (or opposing?) jersey in the same style with an unidentified winking Montreal goalie on it, which I immediately purchased for under $25 (free shipping).

After this latest purchase, I realized that my hockey jersey collection may be complete! I did not know that completing this collection was even possible.