Chicago Black Hawks Pat Stapleton 1970-1971 NHL Hockey Jersey (40/Medium)

Chicago Black Hawks Pat Stapleton 1970-1971 NHL Hockey Jersey

Size: 40 (Medium)

Brand/Model: Gunzo’s/General Athletic Authentic

Condition: 9/10. Remarkable condition, especially for a 55 year old jersey.

Not much needs to be said about this gem. This is the exact style that the Hawks wore on the ice for the 1970-1971 season. Of course back then they were known as the “Black Hawks” and it wasn’t until the 1986-87 season that they shortened it to the one-word Blackhawks that we know now.

What sets this jersey apart is the Gunzo’s Berwyn, Illinois tagging, a detail only seen on a very narrow window of jerseys made around 1970 before Gunzo’s was forced to relocate after a fire. Not only does that place this jersey in that short-lived and highly collectible production run, it’s one of the very few surviving examples from an era where authentic jerseys were basically impossible to find. Game worn Hawks jerseys at the time were commonly sent down to be used by the Dallas Black Hawks of the Central Hockey League. They were stripped of the “C” tomahawk shoulder patches on the shoulders and replaced with “D” versions, then used and re-used until they were unwearable in most cases, so an original, un-modified version of this style is near impossible to find.

Hawks legend Pat Stapleton was a 5-time NHL All-Star and finished 3rd in Norris Trophy voting in 1966 and 4th in 1971 and 1972. After signing with the Chicago Cougars in 1973, Stapleton won the WHL’s version of the Norris Trophy, the Dennis Murphy Trophy, as the leagues best defenseman in the 1973-74 season.

If you need this piece of hockey history for your collection, act now because you will likely never find another!