Derek Sanderson - This road black dureen gamer by Wilson was first worn by Derek Sanderson during the 1973-74 NHL season. Sanderson was among the most popular players on the team known as the Big Bad Bruins who dominated the NHL in the early 1970’s with 3 Stanley Cup Finals appearances and 2 Cup titles in 5 years. “Turk” was the 1968 Calder Trophy winner as Rookie of the Year. The 1969 playoffs saw 2nd year man Sanderson lead the NHL in goals scored. The following season of 1970 saw the Bruins win the Stanley Cup with Derek leading all playoff participants in PIMs with 72 in 14 games played. His playoff career saw him compile 18 goals and 187 PIMs in 56 games played. His career was oh too short, based largely on Sanderson’s combination of injuries and off-ice problems – helping place the “Bad” in Big Bad Bruins”. Derek managed better than 200 goals and 450 points in a 598 game regular season career. After winning a Stanley Cup in 1972, Derek jumps ship and signs a huge deal with the new WHA as a member of the Philadelphia Blazers. He soon regrets having made this decision and finds himself back with Boston in February of 1973. Upon his return in 1973 his old player number 16 is no longer available so Derek wears number 27. Unhappy with his new number, Derek decides to ask for a lower number prior to the start of the 1973-74 season. Trying to get him as close to his old number as possible, the new number given to him is 17, which he wears to begin the 1973-74 season. Derek only manages to partake in 29 regular season contests before succumbing to season ending injury. This was Sanderson’s road jersey worn during the 1973-74 season.

Bobby Schmautz - In February of 1974 the Bruins make a trade which they hope will fill the void of the loss of Sanderson. Bobby Schmautz is the player acquired and he is given the now injured Sanderson’s player number 17. At this point in February, the Bruins are already wearing their 2nd set of jerseys, which feature a higher number placement on the back and naturally Schmautz is given one of those for day to day use. During this time, the entire first set of game jerseys are kept handy by the Boston training staff. They are used by the Bruins as their TV set gamers during the 2nd half and playoffs. Fans that tuned into the NBC game of the week, as well as televised playoff contests featuring the Bruins, saw them wearing their 1st set of jerseys. So Schmautz does wear this jersey during those national TV games. The most memorable of all of the televised contests was game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Philadelphia. The Flyers held a 3-2 series lead and won a thriller at the Spectrum by the score of 1-0 to clinch the Stanley Cup. Schmautz was wearing this jersey during that Cup clinching game. The 1974 playoffs saw Schmautz score 9 points and compile 44 PIMS in 16 games played. Bobby became another beloved Boston Bruins winger who would flourish under the guidance of head coach Don Cherry through the rest of the decade of the 1970’s. Schmautz represented the Bruins in 3 Stanley Cup Finals over a 5 year period. In the Bruins march to the 1977 Stanley Cup Finals, Bobby scored a league leading 11 playoff goals. He netted a total of 271 goals and 557 points during a productive 764 game career which saw him partake in 2 NHL All Star games including 1974, the season which he sparingly wore this jersey.

Sewn to the shoulders of this striking black dureen are the Boston Bruins 50-year anniversary patches. The game wear is solid consisting of stick marks, board burns, fine inner pilling and a few team-sewn repairs. Shown above are photos of both Sanderson and Schmautz wearing this gamer during play in the 1973-74 season. Also shown above are video highlights of Schmautz weaing this exact gamer during the Cup clinching game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals. This gamer skated the ice alongside other Boston legends such as Orr, Espo, Bucyk, Cash and Hodge. This is a classic piece of Boston Bruins history, worn during a Stanley Cup Finals season, by not only one but two beloved Boston Bruins forwards.