TBC: Book Of Jerseys

If there's one thing that piques my interest in the hockey world, it's the fashion and design that goes into jerseys. Call them what you want - jerseys, sweaters, tarps, whatever - but the colours and designs used by teams become the identity of that franchise. Think of the Fisherman's legacy when it comes to the New York Islanders or how the bleu-blanc-et-rouge is synonymous with the Montreal Canadiens. It's those team identities that fans embrace when cheering for their favorite teams, so finding collections of amazing jerseys is always a treat. In saying that, Teebz's Book Club had a chance to review the Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys, written by Steve Milton and published by Firefly Book, and their collection of jerseys might be unparalleled for the number of teams and leagues it covers!

From the 49thshelf.com website, "Steve Milton has over forty years' experience as a sportswriter and writes for the Hamilton Spectator. He has won numerous Ontario Newspaper Awards and has been both a Gemini and National Newspaper Award finalist. He is the author of more than twenty books and is a member of both the Skate Canada Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He lives in Hamilton, Ontario." It should be noted that Milton retired from the Hamilton Spectator in 2023 after 38 years at the newspaper, and now spends his summers covering the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and FC Forge as a Multiplatform Columnist for Hamilton Sports Group, writing for both club's websites while lending his expertise to the Ticats Audio Network and the Forge Audio Network. He has also appeared on various programs for CTV and TSN in his career where he provided sports coverage, and he also wrote for The Sporting News.

I'll be honest when I say I did very little reading when I first went through the Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys. The pictures of some of the jerseys are amazing in showing details like puck marks and holes when it comes to how beat up these integral pieces of the uniform get, but it was downright amazing to see jerseys that I had never seen before. Brian Leetch's jersey from the Cheshire High School Rams, Rod Langway's jersey from the Randolph High School Blue Devils, and Harry Howell's WHA jersey from the New York Golden Blades were all featured in the first section of legendary players, and I had never seen these jerseys in such vivid colour and resolution!

The international section of jerseys in the Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys is a treasure trove of amazing images. Jörgen Jönsson's Färjestads BK jersey from the 1998 Spengler Cup is a gorgeous artifact, Constant Priondolo's jersey from Italy's Alleghe Sile Caldaie has an interesting story to it, and Cammi Granato's jersey from the NWHL's Vancouver Griffins is a sight to behold! Each jersey displayed in the book comes with a write-up about the player who wore the jersey, giving some insight on the career of the player whose jersey is part of the Hockey Hall of Fame. For some of the lesser-known players, it was very interesting to learn about their careers!

The section in the Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys about all-star game jerseys has tidbits of information from the NHL All-Star Games that are featured, but it's the minor-league and junior all-star game jerseys where there are some gems. The "Champions" section is loaded with interesting jerseys, but it's the "Hockey Hodgepodge" section that captured my attention. There are many interesting sweaters in this section that probably could have had their own books such as the Edmonton Flyers, the Riverdale Skeeters, the Des Moines Oak Leafs, and the Preston Rivulettes! This book is filled with history!

One of the interesting bits of history came from the All-Star Game section where it seems that the NHL was helping other leagues by giving them their old jerseys! Milton wrote of the 1972 NHL All-Star Game jerseys and the Robbie Irons' 1973 IHL All-Star Game jersey,

"Irons' IHL All-Star sweater is of the same vintage and style as Ed Giacomin's NHL Eastern Conference All-Star sweater, a design that the NHL had used for several years, ending in 1972."

Could you imagine the NHL sending their old jerseys to the AHL or ECHL today when they changed designs? I completely understand the IHL not having piles of money to outfit their all-stars every year back in the early-1970s, but to wear another league's sweaters seems a little crazy. Of course, hockey at both levels was all sorts of crazy back in the 1970s so maybe I shouldn't be all that surprised that this sort of clothing swap happened. If I hadn't read the Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys, I wouldn't have known about this fact!

Overall, the Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys is a feast for the eyes when it comes to all the jerseys shown on its 192 pages. I would have liked to have seen more information about the jerseys and that part of their careers pertaining to those players who wore them, but there's enough information about a number of players that I didn't know to make the profiles worth it. Because of the great pictures, the chosen jerseys and the historical nature of those jerseys, and the info about the players, the Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys certainly deserves the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval!

The Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys was released on August 30, 2012, so copies of the book should be available at libraries and local bookstores. The book is easy to read with no crass language and zero controversial stories, and the sections are filled with amazing images with each two-page set having a photo and a write-up, making the book easy to put down if one needs a break. In saying that, I read the Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Jerseys very quickly because of its easy-to-read nature, and it is absolutely recommended for all hockey fans, especially those who love hockey jerseys and hockey history!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!