#TBT: Let’s talk jerseys

Editor’s Note: To get everyone excited for the season to start, we’ll be running a #TBT post every Thursday, focused on your memories as a Sharks fan. You can keep the conversation going in the comments or head over to the Fanposts section to tell your own story! If we like your story, we’ll feature it on the Fear the Fin Twitter. This week, we’re throwing it back to your first or oldest hockey jersey!

The hockey jersey is the ultimate status symbol in our sport. There’s something significant to the first time you put one on, whether it’s to play or to support the team you love.

We asked the Fear the Fin staff to reflect on their first or oldest jersey. Here’s what they had to say:

Sie Nicole

I didn’t really start investing in jerseys until more recently. My first ever jersey was a Dallas Stars Patrick Sharp jersey. It was before he wore the A in Dallas, but in a mix up due to him wearing it with Chicago, it had an A on it. I was sent a second one without the A, but the accidental A jersey always seemed to bring good luck. I’ve made the mistake of wearing it in Chicago too many times, though.

My first Sharks jersey was an all black Jason Demers jersey because I love living in denial. I wore it to my first ever game at SAP Center last year.

KYLEDEMETRIUS

My oldest jersey is also my first jersey! Also in Canada it's a hockey sweater, not jersey, but I digress. I was a small child, and as readers may already know, had just been converted to the teal side.

Fast forward maybe a year or so, when a family friend had decided to get me a gift. He had known I was hockey crazy, and especially for this new Sharks situation. Little did my tiny heart realize what I would be receiving.

It's at this point I'd like to make a disclaimer: I am not a fan of and would never have my own name on a jersey. I think it's weird and lame to smash your name on a pro sports jersey. At five years old though, I had no choice and was just excited to receive stuff.

So I get my surprise gift, tear into it, and couldn't believe my eyes. A. SHARKS. JERSEY. Not only that but it was in my size and had my name on it and was totally mine forever. I'm 99% sure I wrestled my way into it right there on the spot and vowed never to take it off. I 100% wore it to school the very next day to show off.

To this day, it still hangs in my closet in all its glory. I will never get rid of it, and most likely will pass it on to my kid someday. Not to mention it's an original design, which is the best hockey sweater ever.

Evan.Arnold

My oldest Sharks jersey is still my favorite one that I own. It’s a vintage 1993 CCM teal jersey. I love this jersey because it’s so simple and beautiful, and it’s from the year I was born. It actually took me almost a month to track down, since I bought it before the Sharks re-released it as the heritage jersey last season (totally not salty about that). My love affair with Sharks jerseys has snowballed over the years, and my collection is officially up to 8 at this point. I used to display some of them on the wall in my dorm room senior year, and I always had a story to tell my visitors about a game that I went to when I was wearing each jersey. My favorite story is that I was wearing the black authentic Logan Couture jersey right behind the goal where he sniped Quick in overtime in Game 3 of the 2013 playoffs.

orionredgrave

Once upon a time, I liked the Penguins—we all make mistakes! My first jersey was a Kris Letang away jersey, which, to be honest, I only bought because it was 50% off. Ultimately, still a waste of money. I never, ever wear it, not even around the house. It hangs in a dark corner of my closet that I'm not sure I could reach anymore, even if I wanted to.

cat_hong

My first jersey was one of the "kid jerseys,” that are actually referred to as youth jerseys. The jersey was white with some teal strips and the old Sharks logo with the “San Jose Sharks” word mark. It was one of the ones that looks like a jersey, but it is not actually a jersey.

I didn't care about that. My parents got it for my first Sharks game and I thought that it looked really cool.

This has really been the only jersey I have ever owned, and I found it again a couple of years ago. But because I got it when I was still in elementary school, it’s just a souvenir now.

Dylan Whitehead

My first was a Jeff Friesen away jersey, despite the fact I had ordered a home jersey. When I called the vendor in Winnipeg to advise them of the error, they sent me the correct jersey and I ended up with 2 Friesens. From there I got Brad Stuart, Joe Thornton, Devin Setoguchi, and Steve Bernier shirts. Last year, I ordered an Igor Larionov jersey from the '93-'94 season, which I wore when I flew out for Game 6 of Stanley Cup Final. To this day, Larionov is my favorite player to ever don a Sharks uniform.

heydevo

I seriously had to do some deep digging in my noggin for this one. Reaching back as far as I can remember, the first jersey I ever owned was for the Murphy Cup champion San Jose Rhinos!

Roller Hockey International was blowing up ever since its inception in the early 90s, and right from the get-go the San Jose Rhinos were a good team. Roller hockey being a completely different sport from ice hockey made it fresh and incredibly fun. The San Jose Arena (currently SAP Center) is always an amazing atmosphere to watch a live sporting event, and the Rhinos were no exception.

I recall walking to the games from San Pedro square, donning my purple and safari gold Rhinos jersey. The logo was unique enough, featuring a large rhino stomping on crossed hockey sticks, though the font shared similarities to the Jurassic Park font. What I loved most about the jersey was the fact that the away jersey was purple – I mean most hockey teams had a color palette of red, blue, black or gold – it was so rare to see purple (and yes, this was before I was aware of the LA Kings’ Forum Blue jerseys)!

I swear, I used to live in that jersey. Unfortunately, I have no idea where it’s at now. Knowing me, it’s probably crumpled up in a box in my dad’s garage. Maybe it’s time for a visit to break out some good old RHI nostalgia.

Erika Towne

My first and favorite jersey is none other than #12, Patrick Marleau (with the C on the front, of course). My love for the team started a little late (2004), so Marleau pretty much is Mr. Shark to me. I picked the jersey out shortly after "discovering" the team during the '04 playoffs. And even though Patty's moved on, I'll still be sporting it when he returns to the Tank in October.

East Bay Ry

The first jersey that I owned was a blank, white Oilers jersey some time in the 80's. What can I say, I was a huge Gretzky fan.

The oldest jersey that I still own is this Felix Potvin Leafs jersey that my grandparents gave me for Christmas in 1993.

And for a long time, that Potvin jersey was the only one I owned. I did not own a Sharks jersey until 2008 when my then-girlfriend, now-wife bought me an autographed Jeremy Roenick jersey in teal at a charity auction. This was, of course, before he publicly ranted against Patrick Marleau.

Please stop laughing at me. Now, it's your turn:

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