Following sports is a favorite pastime for millions, if not billions, of people worldwide. Different disciplines are more popular in certain regions, while others prefer something else.
A good example is football’s popularity, or soccer, in the old continent, Africa, and Latin America. On the other hand, you will see that cricket is the most popular one, by far, in South Asia, in countries such as India or Pakistan.
In the US, you will see that the most popular discipline is American football. It is followed by basketball. In third place, you will find hockey. Hockey is widely perceived as a highly popular sport in many other parts of the world, such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, etc.
At the same time, hockey sports memorabilia is among the highest-regarded ones. Autographed ones are held in high regard. If you want to see autographed hockey jerseys, then look at this collection.
However, the popularity of this sport is highest in the United States. Hockey is widely popular for the jerseys players wear. We must admit they are highly stylish, so nobody should be surprised why many love them.
Today, we want to discuss the most expensive hockey jerseys ever sold at an auction. Of course, we will focus on those that occurred in the United States. Without further ado, let us begin.
Paul Henderson 1972 – $1.3 Million
Older generations remember the legendary match between Canada and the Soviet Union in 1972. It was easily one of the most entertaining matches in the history of the story.
After four matches in the summit series, the Soviet Union national team won three matches, while Canada won only one. So, you will agree that this was a big problem for Canada’s national team, and they needed to do their best to turn it around.
Those familiar with the sport’s history know how strong the Soviet Union’s national team was back then. However, Canada was able to win the next three matches in a row and turn the series around.
The hero of the Canadian national team was Paul Henderson. He scored a massively important goal in the eighth match to ensure the win for his team. His achievement is even more important because the last four matches were all played in Moscow.
With that in mind, nobody should be surprised why many considered Paul Henderson, a hero. The recognition for his efforts during the series came several decades later.
The jersey he wore during the last four matches in Moscow was sold for $1.3 million at an auction in 2010. To this day, this is the highest price paid for a hockey jersey. We can all agree that Paul Henderson deserved that recognition.
Wayne Gretzky 1979 – $1.29 Million
Regardless of the team you prefer, if you are well-versed in the sport’s history, you will agree that Wayne Gretzky is considered among the most competent hockey players ever.
Therefore, we can see that his jerseys are easily among the most sought-after ones among memorabilia collectors. He played for many household teams during his long and successful career that spanned over 20 decades.
He played for Indianapolis Racers, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and many more high quality times of the day. As with the previous name on this list, Wayne Gretzky comes from Canada and has played for the national team for many years.
At an auction in 2016, his jersey from 1979 was sold for $1.29 million, placing it at the second-highest place for the price. But there is an interesting story behind this jersey.
The jersey in question wasn’t from any important match or tournament. Instead, it is the one from the beginning of his career. We are talking about his first professional season.
Another interesting fact about this one is that it is widely known as the only one he has worn in actual games. Others are just pieces with his signature, but he didn’t wear these. So, you can see just how important this one is, even though it doesn’t come from some important match.
Bobby Orr 1970 – $1.05 Million
The next entry on our list is about Bobby Orr. Bobby Orr is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the history of the NHL league. Generations born between the forties and fifties remember this player quite well.
He was astonishing while playing for great teams such as the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks. Since his professional career ended back in the late seventies, younger generations did not have the opportunity to witness his ingenuity and versatility as a player.
His jerseys have been sold for high amounts throughout the years. They found their place in numerous collections. However, the most prominent sale occurred in 2011.
The jersey he wore, while he played for Boston Bruins was sold for slightly more than a million dollars, $1.05 million, to be precise. A bit of mystery is tied to the story about the sale because the buyer decided to remain anonymous.
Mike Eruzione 1980s – $657k
The last piece we want to address in our list is Mike Eruzione’s jersey from the mid-eighties. For those who do not know about this player, he was the captain of the US national team.
He became widely known for participating in a match against the Soviet Union, where his team achieved an important win. Why is this match so important? The US team was composed of collegiate and amateur players.
On the other hand, the Soviet Union team was filled with superstars who were easily among the best players in the world. The match was played in the Winter Olympics hosted in Lake Placid in 1980. As a result of winning this match, the US team could participate in the final match against Finland.
The Bottom Line
Sports memorabilia is a massive market, and you can find countless interesting items, no matter the discipline. Here, you can find the most expensive hockey jerseys ever sold at auctions. We are certain you will find this insight interesting and informative.
