1974-76 Brad Park Game Worn New York Rangers Jersey....

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Sold on Aug 1, 2013 for:

$7,767.50 Bid Source: Internet bidder

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Hall of Fame sweater exhibits two seasons of NHL action

1974-76 Brad Park Game Worn New York Rangers Jersey. As Joe DiMaggio was to Ted Williams, so was Brad Park to the legendary Bobby Orr, fueling countless debates of superiority and the legendary sporting rivalry between New York City and Boston. Park and Orr were both Hall of Fame defensemen known for their scoring prowess and pugnacious tendencies, and they frequently scrapped on the ice, leading most to assume the pair shared a mutual antipathy. But years afterward Park would put such speculation to rest, explaining, "I saw no reason to be upset because I was rated second to Bobby Orr. After all, Orr not only was the top defenseman in the game but he was considered the best player ever to put on a pair of skates. There was nothing insulting about being rated number two to such a super superstar."

Here we present one of the final jerseys worn by the Blueshirts' all-time greatest defenseman, exhibiting heavy wear from a complete 1974-75 season and a portion of 1975-76 before he was painfully dealt to the hated Bruins to play for fans he had publicly derided as "animals" and "thugs." The key to this multi-season attribution lies in the fabric of the upper left chest, where we can see the stitching outline of both the 1974-75 assistant captain's "A" and the circular path of the team's Golden Anniversary patch that replaced it the following year.

"Rangers" is applied in the classic stair step design on the chest beneath the laced collar, and the bold number "2" on verso is applied in the same red and white tackle twill format. Several repairs above the digit strengthen the area where Park's surname once resided, suggesting the jersey was repurposed after Park's departure for Beantown. Proper "Cosby [size] 48" labeling appears at interior collar. Tremendous wear is evident throughout, with multiple team repairs, stick marks, board burns, and everything else you'd hope to find from a jersey worn by this bruising Hall of Famer. LOA from Joe Tomon. LOA from Heritage Auctions.