As preseason nears, there’s a not-so-small contingent of fans that are getting their decor ready for the season. Autographed posters, commemorative mini helmets, sometimes even a stick or two — merchandise can tie hockey fans even closer to their favorite teams.
These pieces of Detroit Red Wings memorabilia are pretty interesting, whether for their rarity, obscurity or desirability.
Lucas Raymond “1st Goal” Puck
Most autographed pucks are just a regular old puck with a player’s signature stamped on it. This one is a little more unique.
This puck, sold by the NHL Shop, is a Lucas Raymond “1st NHL Goal” puck. It’s surely not his authentic first goal puck — one, because Raymond surely has that tucked away somewhere and two, because there are six of them left up for sale. But, this design adds a little flavor to an age-old sports merch tradition of the signed puck. It’s likely one he signed after his first goal, and he’s scored so many since then that it’s worth a lot.
For a ride-or-die Raymond fan, this puck could be a cool piece of memorabilia to decorate a room with. Maybe they could pair it with a signed copy of his next contract, too.
Ticket Stub from the Last 1978 Playoff Game at the Detroit Olympia
Walking through Little Caesars Arena, you’re bound to run into the old light-up lettering of the Detroit Olympia, the Red Wings’ home turf up until 1978. If you’re a fan who wants a piece of that lore in your decor, this ticket stub from the 1978 playoffs might be the next best thing.
Up for sale on eBay, this item is a PSA graded stub from the Red Wings’ April 13, 1978 win over the Atlanta Flames. This 3-2 win in the preliminary round of the playoffs set Detroit up for a series against eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal, where the Red Wings only won a game at the Montreal Forum. Detroit didn’t make the playoffs again until 1984, and it took three more seasons for it to win a series.
The rarity makes it an intriguing piece, though its $350 price tag is expensive. If you think that’s bad, though, don’t even look at what a stub from the last game at Joe Louis Arena runs for.
Pavel Datsyuk 2002 Stanley Cup Bobblehead
Pavel Datsyuk is headed to the Hall of Fame. Might this 2002 Stanley Cup bobblehead be headed someone’s way, too?
The item features a big-headed Datsyuk holding the Stanley Cup on top of an icy base. That championship came during his rookie season on what remains one of the greatest dream teams in NHL history. Datsyuk tallied 11 goals and 24 assists in 70 games that season, then added six points in the playoffs en route to his first of two championships. The other came in 2008, where he was more of a central figure in the team’s success with Henrik Zetterberg and age-defying Nicklas Lidstrom.
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