1984-85 Washington Capitals Pat Riggin Jersey

Born on this date in 1959, Pat Riggin played his junior hockey with the London Knights from 1975-76 to 1977-78. He was then signed by the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA as one of six underage players in an attempt to gain the upper hand on the NHL, who did not allow players still in their teens to play in the league. Birmingham's strategy earned them the nickname of the "Baby Bulls". The 19-year-old Riggin shared goaltending duties with the oldest player on the club, 38-year-old Ernie Wakely, who was twice Riggin's age.

Following the season the WHA ceased to exist and Riggin was drafted by the Atlanta Flames of the NHL. Riggin split his time in the following 1979-80 season between the Flames and the Birmingham Bulls franchise which became a member of the minor league Central Hockey League.

It would be Riggin's only season in Atlanta, as the franchise relocated to Calgary for the 1980-81 season. He also took over as the number one goaltender, playing in 42 games and going 21-16-4 as well as posting a winning record in the playoffs with a 6-4 mark in 11 games played. He would play one more season with the Flames as his workload increased to 52 games.

Following the 1981-82 season Riggin was traded to the Washington Capitals where he registered three consecutive winning seasons while his workload increased from 38 games to 41 in 1983-84 when he won the Jennings Trophy with Al Jensen, to 57 in 1984-85 which included a career high of 28 wins.

That seasons performance earned Riggin his first opportunity to play in the 1985 World Championships for his native Canada where he earned a silver medal.

He began the 1985-86 season with Washington, but was involved in a swap of goaltenders with the Boston Bruins, who sent Pete Peeters to the Capitals early in the season. Riggin led the Bruins with games played that season with 39, as five different players saw time in the Bruins net that season.

He fell out of favor with the Bruins in 1986-87 and was eventually assigned to the Moncton Golden Flames of the AHL for a time before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in February of 1987. Following the regular season, Canada called once more for the 1987 World Championships, where they finished just out of the medals in fourth.

Riggin began the 1987-88 season with the Penguins, but after 22 games and a 7-8-4 record, was sent to the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the IHL where he played quite well in 18 games, compiling a 13-2-0 record with a goals against average of 2.70 before retiring at the end of the season with a career NHL record of 350 games played and a record of 153-120-52 and a career goals against average of 3.43 and 11 shutouts.

Today's featured jersey is a 1984-85 Washington Capitals Pat Riggin jersey as worn the season Riggin had the best season of his career with 28 wins in 57 games played.

While many may assume the Capitals jerseys remained the same during the early days of the franchise, there were subtle detail changes, which included adding names to the back of the red road jerseys in 1977, changing to single color names beginning in 1979-80, dropping the number of stars on the arms to just four for 1983-84 and 1984-85, adding the fifth star on the arms back in 1985-86 and making the names two colors again in 1987-88 through the end of the lifespan of this classic jersey style until it was replaced with an entirely new set of jerseys, which sported an entirely new identity package consisting of a new logo and all new team colors in 1995-96.

Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1985 Team Canada Pat Riggin jersey as worn in the 1985 World Championships. This jersey is made by Adidas as evidenced by their iconic three stripe motif which runs down the length of the sleeves in addition to the adidas logo on the upper right chest.

We believe Adidas was the first jersey manufacturer to adorn the jerseys at the World Championships with their brand logo, as well as taking it a step farther by incorporating their identity into the design of the jersey itself when they arrived on the scene in 1982.

Tackla of Finland continued that plan in 1988 to 1994, with the final year being with Reebok logos. Nike then entered into a partnership with the IIHF in 1995, which remains in effect to this day.

In today's video section the feisty Riggin gives Swede Pelle Lindbergh of the Philadelphia Flyers the business, but it does not escalate.

Next, Riggin, now with the Penguins, faces a penalty shot by Alan Kerr of the Islanders.

1985-86 Washington Capitals Dave Christian Jersey

Born into a legendary American hockey family on this date in 1959, Dave Christian, son and nephew of 1960 Olympic gold medalists and founders of the Christian Brothers hockey stick company Bill and Roger Christian, as well as nephew of 1956 Olympic silver medalist Gordon Christian, played his youth hockey for Warroad High School followed by college hockey at the University of North Dakota in 1977-78 and 1978-79.

He first donned a United States National Team sweater for the 1979 World Junior Tournament and was then a member of the United States National Team for the schedule of games they would play in 1979 in preparation for the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Coached by Herb Brooks, Christian and the rest of the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team would pull off the upset of the century, as the team of college age players would defeat the mighty Soviet Union National Team in "The Miracle on Ice" and go on to defeat Finland to capture the gold medal, adding to the family legacy of Olympic gold.

Following the Olympics, Christian turned professional with the Winnipeg Jets, who selected him in the second round of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, the Jets first draft as a new member of the NHL after being founded in the WHA. He played 15 games with the Jets that season, scoring 18 points in 15 games which included his first goal on his first shot of his first shift, just seven seconds into his NHL career!

Playing his first full season with the Jets, Christian proved himself right at home in the NHL, scoring 28 goals and 71 points to lead the team in scoring while playing in all 80 of the Jets games, setting the tone for a career noted for his dependability as well as his durability.

At the conclusion of the season Christian played for the United States once again, this time at the 1981 World Championships where he had a great tournament, scoring 8 goals and 11 points in 8 games. Before the next NHL season began, his country came calling once again, this time for the 1981 Canada Cup.

His second season with Winnipeg saw his point total increase to 76. His last season with the Jets was cut short by 25 games due to torn shoulder muscles, but over the course of the next nine seasons he would miss just 10 total games.

His rights were traded to the Washington Capitals in June of 1983. He made the transition to the Capitals with ease, scoring a point per game with 81 points in 80 games, which began a streak of three consecutive seasons without missing a game.

Before the 1984-85 NHL season, Christian added to his international resume by competing in his second Canada Cup for the United States. After a 69 point season in 1984-95, he had the best offensive season of his career when he scored 41 goals and 83 points to lead the club in scoring.

He would play three more seasons with the Capitals, extending his 20 goal, 50 point streak to six, as well as fitting in another World Championship appearance for the US in 1989, contributing 7 points in 6 games.

After 28 games of the 1989-90 season, Christian was acquired by the Boston Bruins for his offensive skills and veteran leadership. The move paid off for both sides as Christian and the Bruins made the longest postseason run of his career as Boston made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

He played one more season with the Bruins before being transferred to the St. Louis Blues as compensation for a pair of free agent signings by the Bruins of former Blues players. Prior to joining the Blues, Christian had the honor of competing for the United States in his third Canada Cup, this one in 1991.

After one season with the Blues, Christian was claimed by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1992 waiver draft. He played 60 games for Chicago in 1992-93 and 9 at the start of the 1993-94 season before being assigned to the Indianapolis Ice of the IHL for 40 games.

His final two seasons of pro hockey were spent with the brand new Minnesota Moose of the IHL, scoring 38 goals and 80 points in 81 games in 1994-95 and 46 points in 69 games of the 1995-96 season before retiring.

He finished his NHL career with 1,009 games played, 340 goals and 433 assists for 773 points and an appearance in the 1991 NHL All-Star Game to go along with his gold medal won in 1980.

Today's featured jersey is a 1985-86 Washington Capitals Dave Christian jersey as worn during this finest NHL season when he set a career high with 83 points to lead the Capitals in scoring.

While many may assume the Capitals jerseys remained the same during this era, there were subtle detail changes, which included adding names to the back of the red road jerseys in 1977, changing to single color names beginning in 1979-80, dropping the number of stars on the arms to just four for 1983-84 and 1984-85, adding the fifth star on the arms back in 1985-86 and making the names two colors again in 1987-88 through the end of the lifespan of this classic jersey style until it was replaced with an entirely new set of jerseys, which sported an entirely new identity package consisting of a new logo and all new team colors in 1995-96.

Bonus Jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1980 United States Olympic Team Dave Christian jersey as worn in the gold medal clinching game against Finland on the final day of the 1980 Olympic tournament, the sixth time the United States had come from behind during their seven games.

The blue jerseys are the lesser known jerseys from the tournament, as it was the white ones they were wearing when they defeated the Soviet Union and the style which has been much more heavily marketed since then.

Today's video highlight is Christian scoring for the Minnesota Moose on a breakaway in what may very well be the quietest arena on planet Earth.

1993-94 Washington Capitals Al Iafrate Jersey

Known for his powerful slapshot, Al Iafrate was born on this date in 1966 in Michigan. During the 1983-84 season, Iafrate played 61 games for the United States National Team, which included competing at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Following the Olympics, Iafrate finished the season with the Belleville Bulls of the OHL prior to being drafted 4th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs that spring., making him the first US born player ever selected by the Maple Leafs in the first round.

Iafrate made the Maple Leafs roster that fall, and completed his 12 year NHL career without ever having played a single game in the minor leagues, not even on a rehab assignment despite the many injuries that would plague the later stages of his career.

During his first three seasons with the Maple Leafs, Iafrate scored 21, 33 and then 30 points prior to taking his offensive game to a new level with 52 points in 1987-88 when his powerful slapshot found the back of the net on 22 occasions, up from a previous high of 9. After dropping back to 33 points in 1988-89, he set a new career best with 21 goals and 63 points in 1989-90. Also in 1990 he gained recognition by winning the Hardest Shot competition at the SuperSkills event as part of the NHL All-Star weekend with a shot clocked at 96 mph.

After 42 games of the following season, Iafrate was traded to the Washington Capitals. He was a vital member of the Capitals power play, which resulted in a jump in points to 51, up from 32 the year prior. During the 1992-93 season, he would set a career highs with 25 goals and 66 points. His year would also include winning the Hardest Shot contest at the NHL All-Star Game SuperSkills event once again with a blast of 105.2 miles per hour, a mark that would remain the standard for 16 years!

After scoring 45 points in 67 games for the Capitals in 1993-94, Iafrate was on his way to join the Boston Bruins for the final 12 games of the regular season and a run at the playoffs, which saw him play and additional 13 games for Boston. During that season's All-Star weekend, he would win his third Hardest Shot competition with a drive clocked at 102.7 mph.

Iafrate would miss the entire 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons while recovering from knee surgery. He was traded to the San Jose Sharks at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft before he could resume playing for the Bruins, but his playing time as again limited due to injuries. Iafrate would play 59 games for the Sharks over two seasons.

At the conclusion of the 1997-98 season, he would compete for the United States at the World Championships for the only time in his career. He then announced his retirement from the game in September of that year.

Iafrate would total 799 NHL games, 152 goals and 311 assists for 463 points. Additionally, he would be whistled for 1,301 penalty minutes.

Today's featured jersey is a 1993-94 Washington Capitals Al Iafrate jersey which features the Capitals 20th Anniversary patch, barely able to fit on the front due to the number of stars filling the front of the Capitals jerseys like no other.

The Capitals wore their star-spangled jerseys from the time of their NHL debut in 1974 through the 1994-95 season when they stopped wearing their classic red, white and blue jerseys and changed to a new blue and black color scheme.

Bonus Jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1986-87 Toronto Maple Leafs Al Iafrate jersey. This jersey features the King Clancy Memorial patch on the upper left arm.

The Maple Leafs adopted this style in 1970 and wore it through the 1991-92 season until adopting a new style based on the jerseys they originally wore from the 1930's to the 1960's.

Today's video segment is a compilation of goals scored by Iafrate with his powerful slapshot, as well as setting his long standing record in the hardest shot competition through the power of the mullet.

1998-99 Washington Capitals Peter Bondra Jersey

It began like any other game when the Washington Capitals hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning on this date in 1999. Corey Schwab started in goal for the Lightning while the Capitals number one Olaf Kolzig took his familiar place in the crease for Washington.

Washington failed to capitalize on a power play opportunity at 1:37 and the Lightning also could not score with their first man advantage at 8:17. Peter Bondra of the Capitals broke the stalemate at 10:40 shortly after Kelly Miller's charging penalty expired 23 seconds earlier. In fact, Miller received an assist on the goal. Despite two more power plays, Washington could not add to their lead and the period ended with the Capitals up by a goal and leading in shots by a comfortable 13-4 margin.

Peter Bondra

The well-travelled Mike Sillinger scored his fourth goal of the season from Rob Zamuner and Darcy Tucker at exactly 5:00 with both teams at even strength to tie the game at 1-1.

And then it began.

Bondra struck for the second time in the game at 9:46 to regain the lead for Washington and he completed his hat trick just 35 seconds later from Adam Oates. It was Bondra's 20th goal of the season, his eighth consecutive season of 20 goals or more.

Calle Johanson made it 4-1 for the Captials 1:29 later from Andrei Nikolishin and Brian Bellows 9th goal came just 35 seconds afterwards at 11:50 to stretch the Washington lead to 6-1. This marked the end of the line for Schawb in the Tampa Bay goal, and he was replaced by former Captial and NHL veteran Bill Ranford, who was rudely greeted by Joe Juneau's 10th goal of the season, from Bondra and Nikolishin just 1:15 after entering the game.

Bondra then confirmed the rout with his fourth of the game another 63 seconds afterwards from Oates and Juneau at 14:33.

James Black joined the scoring parade from Nikolishin, his third of the period, and Bellows at the 16:56 mark, the Capitals seventh even strength goal of the period.

Jaroslav Svejkovsky's third goal of the season, from Steve Konowalchuk and Jan Bulis came on the power play at 19:20 to give Washington eight goals in the second period alone and set a new NHL record for the fastest 8 goals by one team, which they did in 9 minutes and 34 seconds.

The period ended with Washington leading 9-1, with their 8 second period goals coming on 25 shots to Tampa Bay's 8. Once Bondra began the record scoring binge, the longest Washington went without a goal during the period was just 2 minutes and 24 seconds.

After the break, Washington set another record for the quickest 9 goals by one team in league history when Bellows 10th of the season, from Oates and Juneau, lit the lamp at 1:18 on the power play, giving the Capitals 9 goals in the span of 11:32.

The remainder of the game was scoreless as the Capitals cruised to a 10-1 final score and outshot Tampa Bay 46-22 for the game.

"Tonight was a night where we scored early and just kept going forward," said Bondra, who matched his goal total for the previous seven games. "I don't think I played bad before. I would hit a post. Tonight was a night when the puck went in. Everything I shot went in."

14 of the 18 Capitals scored a point, led of course my Bondra's 5 points. Defensemen Johansson and Joe Reekie were both a +5. Conversely, every Tampa Bay player, save for Tucker who was even, finished the game with a minus rating with Wendel Clark and Chris Gratton getting tagged with a -4 for the game during which the last place Lightning were missing five defensemen due to injuries.

Today's featured jersey is a 1998-99 Washington Capitals Peter Bondra jersey as worn during his four goal performance during the Capitals record setting scoring binge against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While Bondra's four goal game was certainly impressive, it was not his best, as he once scored five goals in a game on February 5, 1994 in a 6-3 Washington victory over - the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Capitals had adopted this style of jersey, often referred to as "the screaming eagle" style in 1995 after 21 seasons wearing their original red, white and blue jerseys. This style remained in use through the 2006-07 season before a complete redesign in 2007 coinciding with the new Reebok Edge jerseys saw a return to patriotic red, white and blue colors.

2006-07 Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin Jersey

Taylor Hall was drafted #1 overall last night in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. Hall, from the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL will be looking to establish himself as a bona fide NHL player, if not a star in the NHL.

The four players drafted first overall on this date are a mixed bag of success, and include Alexandre Daigle, picked #1 by the Ottawa Senators in 1993, Patrik Stefan, the first ever choice by the Atlanta Thrasers in 1999, Alexander Ovechkin, selected first overall by the Washington Capitals in 2004 and John Tavares, made the overall number one choice by the New York Islanders just last year.

While Daigle managed to play in the NHL for 10 seasons, he never managed more than 51 points in any season, scored a high of only 26 goals, one of only two seasons with 20 or more, was traded four times, including twice in one day, and found himself out of hockey after only seven seasons and four different teams at the age of 25. He made a comeback after two seasons away from the game and made his way back to the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins for half a season. He then signed with the Minnesota Wild for a season and a half, which it must be noted included his second 20 goal season and equalling his career high of 51 points.

After leaving the NHL, Daigle has continued to play professionally in Switzerland, putting up as many as 61 points in a 44 game season. Overall however, Daigle is considered to be a draft bust considering his lofty status as the #1 pick and having never scored more than 51 points in an NHL season, when compared to the 137 he scored in 53 games in junior hockey in 1992-93.

Patrik Stefan, a center from the Czech Republic, the first overall choice by the Thrashers failed to impress during six seasons with Altanta. Stefan's playmaking abilities did not make up for his goal totals, which hovered between 5 and 14. Never registering more than 26 assists, Atlanta shipped him out to the Dallas Stars, where he played only 41 games, which included one of the biggest gaffes in NHL history, when he failed to put the puck into an empty Edmonton Oilers net from inside the Oilers crease! To make matters worse, the Oilers got control of the puck and scored with 2 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, earning him heaps of ridicule from announcers and fans alike.

(note the Oilers wearing the Teammates for Kids patch on their jerseys in the video, worn only on January 4, 2007)

At the conclusion of the season, Dallas chose not to resign him and he too moved to Europe but played only 3 games for SC Bern in Switzerland before retiring from hockey. Stefan is clearly considered a bust and his failure to develop clearly hurt the Thrashers, who have only qualified for the playoffs once in their ten years, a first round sweep by the New York Rangers in 2007, the year after Stefan was dealt to Dallas.

Alexander Ovechkin, taken first overall in 2004 really needs no introduction. Currently the most dynamic player in the world today, Ovechkin has already scored more NHL points in five seasons than Daigle and Stefan combined, including 52 goals as a rookie, leading the league in scoring in 2008 and leading the league in goals in 2008 and 2009. His hardware cabinet includes the Calder Trophy, the Pearson Award/Lindsay Award three times, the Art Ross once, the Hart Trophy twice and the Richard Trophy twice. Internationally, Ovechkin has won a gold, silver and two bronze medals at the World Championships after capturing a gold and a silver at the World Juniors.

Additionally, he hits like a freight train, is currently a +64 for his career and celebrates each goal with the joy of a kid. The Oilers can only hope to get a player of his quality and caliber.

John Tavares was selected first overall just one year ago wasted little time letting the league know he had arrived, scoring a goal and an assist in his first ever game on October 3, 2009. He ended up finishing second in rookie scoring with 54 points while playing in all 82 games.

Internationally, he's off to a good start, having won gold medals at the 2008 and 2009 World Juniors, including being named the MVP in 2009 after scoring 15 points in six games, and was named, at just 19 years of age, to Team Canada for the 2010 World Championships.

Will Tavares increase his scoring totals as he becomes accustomed to the NHL game and continues to mature, or will he follow the path of Daigle (who scored 51 points in his rookie season) and become a pedestrian player who failed to live up to the lofty expectations of a number one draft pick?

The Islanders, just like the Oilers now, will be hoping their scouting, research and judgement will pay off with an ace, rather than a joker.

Today's featured jersey is a 2005-06 Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin jersey as worn during the first period of Ovechkin's first ever NHL game with the NHL Cares/Katrina patch on the right chest.

The NHL Cares/Katrina patch was worn by all players during just the first period of their first home game of the 2005-06 season. The game worn jerseys were then auctioned off for charity to raise funds for the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Ovechkin's jersey sold for a high bid of $6,710.

Here is Daigle being taken first overall by the Senators in 1993, a pick that was "the consensus number one draft pick, the best player available".

Next up is Patrik Stefan being selected first in 1999, the first ever pick by the Atlanta Thrashers in their history. "A player you can build your franchise around. No doubt about it." Oops.

Here is Alexander Ovechkin being taken #1 overall by the Capitals in 2004. Nice Sunday school hair, Alex.

We follow with a profile of John Tavares, last year's #1 overall draft pick.

Finally, we conclude with Taylor Hall being selected #1 in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.

1989 Washington Capitals Clint Malarchuk Jersey

Born on this day in 1961, Clint Malarchuk was originally drafted by the Quebec Nordiques #74 overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft and spent the majority of the season in the American Hockey League but did make his NHL debut with a pair of appearances with the Nordiques in 1981-82.

He would again spend most of his time in the AHL in 1982-83, but did earn his first NHL victory in 15 games with the Nordiques, posting an 8-5-2 record. The following season he again split time between the AHL and the Nordiques, only this time with the majority of games spent in the NHL, again finishing the season with a winning record of 10-9-2.

Malarchuk played all of 1984-85 with the Fredericton Express in the AHL before becoming a full time NHLer in 1985-86, seeing action in 46 games in Quebec, going 26-12-4. After one more season with the Nordiques, and appearing in a career high 54 games, Malarchuk was traded to the Washington Capitals as part of the deal which brought Dale Hunter to the Capitals.

As the Capitals number one netminder, he matched his career high with 54 games, winning 24 of them and leading the NHL in shutouts with 4. He made it into 42 games with the Capitals in 1988-89 before being traded on March 7th to the Buffalo Sabres who sent Calle Johansson to Washington.

15 days later Malarchuk would suffer a grotesque injury when his throat was slashed by a skate during a game, causing a ghastly scene on the ice as he bled profusely from a severed carotid artery and feared for his life. Sabres trainer Jim Pizzutelli, a former army medic in Vietnam, rushed to his aid to control the bleeding until doctors arrived, saving Malarchuk's life. It took doctors 90 minutes and 300 stitches to close the horrific wound, but Malarchuk would spend just one night in the hospital. Two days later he made an appearance at a Sabres game, receiving a two minute standing ovation. Incredibly, four days after the accident he would return to practice and a week later he played for the last five minutes of the final game of the regular season.

The following season he would play 29 games, going 14-11-2. An increase in games to 37 preceded his last season in the NHL, as he saw action in 29 games as he again split time with Darren Puppa.

Following the conclusion of his NHL career, Malarchuk would play three seasons in the IHL, first with the San Diego Gulls, followed by two with the Las Vegas Thunder, highlighted by going 34-10-7 in 54 games in 1993-94. He would get into 1 game in 1995-96 and three the following season while the assistant general manage and coach to conclude his playing career. His #30 would be the first number retired by the Thunder.

While in Las Vegas, Malarchuk, known for his wacky sense of humor, pulled one of our favorite pranks ever. He told a reporter that he spoke fluent Czech and proceeded to translate the reporter's questions to then 18 year old Radek Bonk, as well as Bonk's replies. The problem was, Malarchuk didn't actually know a single word of Czech, and was speaking gibberish to Bonk, who struggled to keep a straight face throughout!

Today's featured jersey is a CCM 1988-89 Washington Capitals Clint Malarchuk jersey, from his second season in Washington D. C.

This jersey features the five stars down the sleeves, which the Capitals jerseys had from 1974-75 until 1982-83 until going to just four stars for two seasons until reverting back to five again for the 1985-86 season.

The Capitals wore these jerseys from their inception in 1974 all the way through the 1994-95 season. What really sets the authentic version of the Capitals jersey apart from the replica jerseys is that each letter of the Capitals logo on the front is a separate piece of material, rather than the entire crest being embroidered in a smaller size onto a patch, which would then be sewn onto the jersey. Each of the 16 stars on the chest and sleeves are also separate pieces of material which are sewn on. If you can get an old game worn or authentic Capitals jersey, do so, as it is one of the largest differences in quality between the authentic and the replica of any jersey.

Today's video section begins with an interview with Malarchuk shortly after his injury. You have to just shake your head at the part where he says "it's part of the game."

Here is Malarchuk having a full on slugfest with Troy Gamble and then discussing the fight and his subsequent suspension while playing for the Las Vegas Thunder.