This home green dureen gamer by General Athletic and A&B Sporting Goods was worn by Mike McMahon during the 1968 NHL season. McMahon began his NHL career with the New York Rangers in 1963-64 and spent 3 seasons with the club pre NHL expansion. In 1967-68 the NHL went from the Original 6 to 12 teams and the Minnesota North Stars were born. McMahon was an original member of the new franchise and played for parts of 2 seasons in Minnesota before joining the Chicago Blackhawks for a partial season. Mike spent the 1969-70 season with the Red Wings and Penguins and then became a member of the expansion Buffalo Sabres in their first year of existence, 1970-71. After a brief return to New York, McMahon joined the WHA for their inaugural season and spent 3 years playing for the Minnesota Fighting Saints before a final year with the San Diego Mariners. McMahon’s ties to the Minnesota area were strong in the late 60’s and early 70’s and he became a fan favorite with Minnesota hockey fans.
Proudly sewn to the left breast of this gamer is the alternate Captain’s “A”. Sewn perfectly into the collar are the A&B Sporting Goods and size tagging. The General Athletic tag is sewn perfectly into the hem. The game wear on this vintage dureen is on the lighter side with some stick and slash marks and inner pilling worthy of mention. Shown above are two North Stars team photos. The first is from 1967-68 that shows McMahon sitting in the front row and sporting the “A”. The second is from 1968-69 that shows McMahon standing in the top row, far right and sporting the “A”. This 45-year old gem features still vibrant colors and remains in flawless condition, having been impeccably preserved by its original owner who explained to us that he obtained it right out of the Met back in 1968. To our knowledge this is the only example of its kind to ever appear in the hobby, speaking to the extreme rarity of this early North Stars gamer. This expansion era hobby rarity comes with the added bonus of the coveted letter of honor and would become the instant cornerstone in any Minnesota collection, choice!
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