Puck Treasures: Remembering non-existent '95 All-Star Game
Puck Treasures looks to find those hidden hockey treasures from the past and give them their proper remembrance. Seen an interesting piece of hockey apparel? Send us an email at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com.
The NHL's All-Star Game has provided hockey fans with many memories over the years. Who can forget Mario Lemieux's four goals in front of the home crowd in 1990? What about Wayne Messmer's memorable rendition of the National Anthem at Chicago Stadium during the Gulf War in 1991? Of course, there's always Owen Nolan's(notes)called shot on Dominik Hasek(notes) in 1997.
In 1995, the festivities inside the San Jose Sharks arena provided more memories in hockey history. What a great time that was! Who can forget Jaromir Jagr(notes) of the Pittsburgh Penguins cutting his mullet off after losing a bet with Robert Reichel in the shooting accuracy competition?
My favorite memory will always be Blaine Lacher of the Boston Bruins and Jim Carey of the Washington Capitals winning co-MVP's after two memorable periods in net and later thinking, "Those guys are going to be battling for the Vezina Trophy for years!"
Wait, what? None of that happened, thanks to the lockout?
Oh, but all those faux-memories come flooding back after seeing all of this great All-Star Game apparel from that day that never happened.
Celebrating what never was ...
The 1994-95 NHL season was saved in January of 1995 after a 101-day lockout. The season was shortened to 48-games and the New Jersey Devils won their first Stanley Cup by sweeping the Detroit Red Wings. Besides the 34 games that were lost (and later the franchises in Winnipeg and Quebec), San Jose-area hockey fans were left out in the cold when the All-Star Game was canceled. Going unsold was such still-available apparel like the All-Star Game hat, pennant, patch, pin and commemorative puck which are certainly collector's items almost 15 years later.
Making up to the San Jose-area, the NHL named the Sharks hosts of the 1997 All-Star Game, yet oddly decided to tweak the logo despite having all of this leftover merchandise sitting in a warehouse. Did someone forget to send the unused stuff to a third world country?
