Friday 5: Thrift Store Player Jersey Bucket List

6 days ago

4 min read

So I recently celebrated my wedding anniversary with my wife by spending a couple days in Toronto, including a stay in Maple leaf square. I don’t know if my stay behind enemy lines had anything to do with the Sabres' come from behind win at Scotiabank arena last night, but I will happily take any credit I can get. A big goal on the trip was to explore some of the city’s thrift stores, which my wife has really gotten me into in the last couple years.

Of course, I always pour over the sports sections. You will see some crazy things there, especially jersey wise. Names you may have forgotten, era’s of jerseys that fanatics wants you to forget about, but when you see the perfect holy grail find, it’s like hitting the jackpot. No jackpots were hit on this recent trip, but it did get me thinking, what are the five Buffalo Sabres player jerseys on my thrift store bucket list.

Daniel Paille Slug Logo Home Jersey

Okay I said these were jackpot picks, and while Paille is probably better remembered as a Bruin, for me, he’s a southern Ontario Sabre. The Welland native was someone I loved, not just for his game but because of his connection to Niagara. I’m not sure how many Paille home slug jerseys sold period, but it sure seems like stumbling upon one would be a one in a million shot. Unless maybe there’s a thrift store in Welland that I need to hit up.

Probably not a good sign if online, I could only find this autographed Paille card from sportmemorabilia.com

Dominik Hasek Home White Classic Crest

If you close your eyes and picture a Hasek jersey, which comes to mind? Is there a certain picture maybe? Did I just trigger you or are you somehow a stable Sabres fan? Or maybe you’re just not old enough for the camera shot from inside the net while Brett Hull scores the winning OT goal on Dominik Hasek to win the Stanley Cup. For that reason, I don’t want a Hasek goathead jersey. Give me a classic home white with blue and gold trim. I doubt these are ending up in thrift stores, especially since I’m not even seeing any original, legitimate ones on eBay. But hey, a guy can dream.

This one posted for sale from eBay user iaber_9496 is kind of like a remake of what I am looking to find, but heck even if I came across this one, I would have to jump on i

Miroslav Satan Home Goathead

This is a sentimental one because this was my first jersey when I was a kid. I thought I was so clever and funny wearing a jersey to catholic school with “Satan” across the back. But Miro was the first star player that stood out to me. And I also had the chance to meet him after my first NHL game. I feel there’s probably one floating around in rough condition in a thrift store somewhere in Buffalo, and if I find it… it will be mine once again.

Going Places In Style on eBay has this one up for over $300, don't tell your local thrift store owner...

Andrew Peters Alternate Red

Okay this is getting out there but stay with me. Peters was another player who I was able to quickly identify with because he was a St. Catharines native. He had the toughest job in the NHL, and held it down as an enforcer on some of my favourite years of being a Sabres fan. I would even level him up in my EA Sports NHL game so that he’d score 49 goals in my dynasty mode. I remember seeing a red alternate Peters jersey for sale online, and I should have jumped on it. I didn’t, I regret it and now I comb through thrift store racks, hoping, praying, that some crazy southern Ontario Sabres fan had to donate the jersey of their hometown enforcer and I’ll have a shot to claim it as my own.

Google images couldn't even show me Peters Alternate red jersey from 2006, I found a slug on Etsy, but it has already sold, dang.

Daniel Brière Eastern Conference All Star Jersey

Remember when Daniel Brière was an all star for the Sabres? Remember when he won the MVP of the game in 2007? Remember when you cared about the NHL All Star game? Maybe this one doesn’t exactly count but I want to count it. In the midst of a season where the Sabres would be the best team in the regular season, their star forward and co-captain showed out with 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points. So maybe that is why I love these particular all star jerseys so much, or maybe they were just really cool and well designed. Either way, I want one. And even if it feels like an impossibility, I do believe that somewhere, in an old store, that smells like mold and cardboard, with dust on shelves that haven’t been touched in 15 years, there is somehow a pristine Brière, slug based, eastern conference all star jersey just waiting for me to bring it home.