1973-74 NHL Boston Bruins # 17 Derek Sanderson / Bobby Schmautz Game Worn - White Home 50th Anniversary Jersey
One of the nicest jersey styles worn by the NHL Boston Bruins is this 1973-74 Wilson Dureen V-Neck with the 50th Anniversary Patches on each sleeve. This is the first year the Bruins wore a "V-Neck" style collar. This jersey is the style the team wore when playing televised games. The team introduces this style at the start of January 1974. The year "74" is hand written in marker on the Wilson Collar tag. The numbers on the back were sewn slightly lower on the back to accommodate the placement of a name-bar for the televised games.
My research on this jersey has been very extensive. Previous information on which games were televised by NBC is not completely accurate. For Example the information on the internet regarding NBC coverage states the Bruins played a televised game at home vs Philadelphia on March 10, 1974. In fact Boston was in California playing the Seals that evening. More information regarding the actual games televised was listed in the back of the Boston Bruins 1973-74 Yearbook.
The first game televised is actually on Saturday, January 12 vs Montreal Canadiens. Montreal wins 7-3. The Hockey News makes reference to this game as "the Boston Bruins laid an egg in their NBC television debut". Derek Sanderson is in the lineup in this game wearing this # 17 jersey. He assists on a goal by Dave Forbes.
Derek Sanderson sustains an injury at some point after this game and plays his last game wearing # 17 on January 26th on Long Island vs the NY Islanders in a 4-0 victory. In his absence the Bruins acquire forward Bobby Schmautz from the Vancouver Canucks on February 7th for Fred O'Donnell. He plays his first game February 9th at home vs Philadelphia, a 5-3 win. Schmautz wears # 17.
Sanderson does not return to the Bruins lineup until March 6th in St. Louis, an 8-0 win. Sanderson wears his familiar # 16 as it is now available due to the trade of Fred O'Donnell to Vancouver for Schmautz. Sanderson would wear the # 16 for the remainder of the season which consisted of only road games , March 9 vs L.A. Kings and March 10 vs California Seals. Sanderson got into an altercation with a team mate following that game and missed the flight back to Boston the next day. He was permanently suspended by the team and never played another game for the Bruins.
The other games that are confirmed NBC game of the week games from Boston were played:
- Saturday, January 27th vs Philadelphia Flyers (W 5-3): No player wears # 17
- Sunday March 17th vs New York Rangers (W 5-2): Bobby Schmautz wears # 17
- Sunday March 31st vs Detroit Red Wings (W 6-1): Bobby Schmautz wears # 17
I can conclude that this jersey was worn by both Derek Sanderson and Bobby Schmautz during the 1973-74 NHL Season. The wear on this jersey however is consistent with having been worn for more than three games. Also there are stick marks and stains in the area where the name bar was which implies that the jersey was also worn in game without a name bar. With the Bruins having played several back to back home games in the months of January, February, March and April, it only stands to reason that they likely would have used these jerseys instead of having to get the other set laundered and repaired in time for the game the next day. Also the Bruins played several other weekend games in which these jerseys could have been worn for televised games not noted on any TV schedule.
For example the following games were played on a Sunday at home in Boston with previous home game on Saturday noted.
- Sunday, January 20 vs Los Angeles Kings - (Sanderson would have worn # 17)
- Sunday, February 10 vs Minnesota North Stars - played previous Saturday vs Philadelphia (Schmautz would have worn # 17)
- Sunday, March 3 vs Toronto Maple Leafs - played previous Saturday vs Detroit (Schmautz would have worn # 17)
- Sunday, March 24 vs Montreal Canadiens - played previous Saturday vs Atlanta (Schmautz would have worn # 17)
- Sunday, April 7 vs Toronto Maple Leafs (Schmautz would have worn # 17).
DETAILS OF THE JERSEY:
- WILSON dureen size 50 tag sewn into collar with "74" written in marker on tag
- Measures to a size 48 at chest
- Front Crest measures 8 7/8" across and 8" tall and is sewn 1/4" below the gold V-Neck
- Sleeve # is 4 1/8" tall and 2" wide at the base
- Back # 17 sewn 3 1/2" below should black stripe. The # 1 is 9 5/8 while the # 7 is slightly taller at 9 3/4
- There is a 2 3/4" hem
- The double garter belt fight strap shows softness, discolouration from sweat and rust bleed from the metal
WEAR
- Sleeves show burns, sweat stains, crimping of the dureen material in the underarm area and a couple small un-repaired holes
- The neck shows considerable pulling and stretching and pilling
- The front shows sweat stains in the upper right chest, heavy scrapes, light black slash marks and material pulls in lower left
- Considerable softness to the crest with some light stains, black marks and scrapes
- Crimping in the dureen material on the side
- The back shows black scrape marks and stains above and to the left of the # 17 ( points to jersey having been worn without a name-bar at some point)
- Considerable softness and scrape marks in the numbers
- Circular team repair on lower gold stripe along with a small un-repaired hole, small red board burn and scrapes
- Two separate stitch outlines above the # 17 indicates there were two separate name bars.
- The interior shows very heavy pilling throughout especially in the under arm area where there is a linear build up of material
- Loose thread at intersection of right shoulder and black stripe - matches to close up photo of Derek Sanderson
Photo Match
- There is a photo of Derek Sanderson on the sidelines in which you can see a loose thread in the exact same location that the loose thread appears on this jersey.
Based on this extensive research and observations made of game worn Bruin jerseys from this period I conclude that this jersey was worn by Derek Sanderson and Bobby Schmautz during the 1973-74 NHL season.