In 2009, Upper Deck produced an insert set in the 2009-10 The Cup identified as a Sidney Crosby Tribute set that harkened back to 2005-06 Upper Deck The Cup that produced the iconic #180 Sidney Crosby Rookie Patch Patch card serial numbered /99.
After the serial numbered 08/10 Mario Lemieux Sidney Crosby Tribute card was posted in a Facebook group being in a current eBay auction, I had to do a double-take when I saw the "patch" used for the card. The card features a yellow "Air-Knit" material with a black and white tackle twill - clearly a portion of a number from a jersey that would have been from the 1988-89 through 1991-92 era of Penguins jerseys in which they wore yellow sleeves with black and white numbers.
After the serial numbered 08/10 Mario Lemieux Sidney Crosby Tribute card was posted in a Facebook group being in a current eBay auction, I had to do a double-take when I saw the "patch" used for the card. The card features a yellow "Air-Knit" material with a black and white tackle twill - clearly a portion of a number from a jersey that would have been from the 1988-89 through 1991-92 era of Penguins jerseys in which they wore yellow sleeves with black and white numbers.
THE CARD CURRENLY UP FOR AUCTION
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The card currently up for auction - along with a 2005-06 The Cup base card - sold in January 2024 for $4,227.00 (USD) on eBay - prior to the following research having been conducted:
From 1984-85 (Lemieux's rookie season) through January 4, 1989 (Home (white) jerseys) and January 12, 1989 (Road (black) jerseys), the Penguins wore screened-on or heat-pressed numbers.
For the purpose of properly identifying terminology on hockey jerseys, below are examples of the different materials that will be discussed in the research that follows.
For the purpose of properly identifying terminology on hockey jerseys, below are examples of the different materials that will be discussed in the research that follows.
Air-Knit
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Ultrafil
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Mesh
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Here are some examples from the 1984-85 through mid 1988-89 season when they switched to sewn-on numbers beginning on January 7, 1989 (Home (white) jerseys) and January 15, 1989 (Road (black) jerseys)...
1984-85 CCM Mesh (Yellow in Pre-Season Only) (Screened-On)
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1985-86 CCM Mesh (Yellow in Pre-Season Only) / Cooper Mesh (Screened-On)
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1986-87 Cooper Mesh (Screened-On)
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1987-88 CCM Air-Knit (Screened-On)
Set 1
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Set 2
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1988-89 Set 1 CCM Ultrafil (Screened-On)
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Simply by jersey material and construction of the logos, name and number on back and sleeve numbers alone from 1984-85 through the middle of the 1988-89 season, the 2009-10 Upper Deck The Cup Mario Lemieux could not possibly have been from one of those jerseys.
Not let's look at the rest of the 1988-89 season through the 1992 Stanley Cup Final - the remaining period during Lemieux's entire career that he would have worn yellow sleeves with a black number outlined in white tackle twill.
Beginning on January 7, 1989 (Home (white) jerseys) and January 15, 1989 (Road (black) jerseys), the Penguins began wearing CCM Ultrafil jerseys - remember, the 2009-10 Upper Deck The Cup card has Air-Knit as the yellow material. The Penguins would wear CCM Ultrafil jerseys in every single set of jerseys for the remainder of the 1988-89 season through the 1992 Stanley Cup Final.
Not let's look at the rest of the 1988-89 season through the 1992 Stanley Cup Final - the remaining period during Lemieux's entire career that he would have worn yellow sleeves with a black number outlined in white tackle twill.
Beginning on January 7, 1989 (Home (white) jerseys) and January 15, 1989 (Road (black) jerseys), the Penguins began wearing CCM Ultrafil jerseys - remember, the 2009-10 Upper Deck The Cup card has Air-Knit as the yellow material. The Penguins would wear CCM Ultrafil jerseys in every single set of jerseys for the remainder of the 1988-89 season through the 1992 Stanley Cup Final.
1988-89 Set 2 CCM Ultrafil (Sewn-On)
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1989-90 CCM Ultrafil (Sewn-On)
Set 1
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Set 2
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1990-91 CCM Ultrafil (Sewn-On)
Set 2
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Set 3
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1991-92 CCM Ultrafil (Sewn-On)
Set 1
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Set 2
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Set 3
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From 1992-93 through 1996-97 (Lemieux's final season before his first retirement from the National Hockey League, the Penguins wore CCM Ultrafil Home and Road jerseys (1992-93 through 1995-96) as well as a CCM Air-Knit for the 1995-96 season before switching to Starter brand knit (Set 1) and mesh (Set 2) jerseys for the 1996-97 campaign.
Here are examples of each:
Here are examples of each:
1992-93 through 1995-96 CCM Ultrafil / Air-Knit
Home (White)
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Road (Black)
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Alternate (1995-96 Only)
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1996-97
Set 1 (Knit)
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Set 2 (Mesh)
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When Lemieux returning to the National Hockey League in 2000-01, the Penguins were wearing CCM/KOHO Air-Knit jerseys; however, they would have never had the black and white numbers - or any other portion of the jersey with lettering on a yellow Air-Knit section. The yellow color continued to be worn in 2001-02 before the Penguins switched to the Vegas Gold color, replacing yellow, with the start of the 2002-03 NHL season:
2000-01 through 2001-02 CCM/KOHO Air-Knit
Home (White)
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Road (Black)
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Alternate
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2002-03 through 2005-06 CCM/KOHO/Reebok
White
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Black
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After careful review of the entirity of Mario Lemieux's career and jerseys that he wore, I can conclusively say that Mario Lemieux never wore a jersey "in an official NHL game" as the card attests at any point during his entire playing career.
Below are exemplars of other cards from the 2009-10 Upper Deck The Cup set including two of the remaining nine cards from the serial numbered Sidney Crosby Tribute insert set as well as three cards from the Limited Logos insert set serial numbered out of 50 that feature similar swatches - yellow Air-Knit material with black and white numbers - that the card currently up for auction depicts.
Below are exemplars of other cards from the 2009-10 Upper Deck The Cup set including two of the remaining nine cards from the serial numbered Sidney Crosby Tribute insert set as well as three cards from the Limited Logos insert set serial numbered out of 50 that feature similar swatches - yellow Air-Knit material with black and white numbers - that the card currently up for auction depicts.
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