A unique piece of hockey history is up for sale, with a rare Vancouver Millionaires sweater hitting the auction block.

The cream and maroon wool cardigan is believed to have belonged to Hall of Fame goalie Hugh Lehman, who backstopped the Millionaires to a Pacific Coast Hockey Association championship in 1922-23.

About 10 to 15 sweaters were made for players and staff to celebrate the achievement, but the one currently up for sale is believed to be the last of its kind, said Mike Heffner, president of Lelands Auction.

B次元官网网址淥f those 10 or 15, itB次元官网网址檚 amazing that even one survived,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ecause you put clothing dormant in storage for even 10 years, if theyB次元官网网址檙e not cared for properly, moths can get at them, they can deteriorate. And having something that is (almost) 100 years old, like this, that survived through so many different stages is incredible.B次元官网网址�

Not only did the sartorial souvenir survive, it remains in excellent condition, complete with the original wood buttons, the remnants of a tag, and a patch on the left front pocket with the MillionairesB次元官网网址� iconic B次元官网网址淰B次元官网网址� logo.

It was made in a time when even hockeyB次元官网网址檚 top stars would squeeze every possible ounce of life out of their equipment, Heffner said.

B次元官网网址淧layers wore the same jersey for the whole season and sometimes for multiple seasons because teams didnB次元官网网址檛 have the money that teams have now.,B次元官网网址� he said, noting that if a jersey was ripped during a game, it would simply be sewn up and given back to the player.

B次元官网网址淭he garments werenB次元官网网址檛 worth anything back then. They were considered just sweaty, old hockey jerseys.B次元官网网址�

When a piece like the Millionaires sweater finally outlived its usefulness, it wasnB次元官网网址檛 carefully packed away to be preserved for posterity, either.

B次元官网网址淎ll it was considered was a shirt or a jacket or the time, and once it wore out, things were discarded,B次元官网网址� Heffner said. B次元官网网址淭hey were thrown in the trash. And they were worn until they couldnB次元官网网址檛 be worn any longer, just like hockey jerseys.B次元官网网址�

The sweater currently up for sale was previously displayed at the Original Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, Ont., and while Heffner said he canB次元官网网址檛 prove its ownership, the story thatB次元官网网址檚 been passed down is that it belonged to Lehman.

Born in Pembroke, Ont., in 1885, Lehman played 22 seasons of professional hockey and won the Stanley Cup with the Millionaires in 1915.

He spent two years in the NHL, too, joining the Chicago Blackhawks at age 41. Lehman set a record in November 1926 as the oldest goalie to win his debut when Chicago beat the Toronto St. Patricks.

That record stood until February of this year, when 42-year-old Zamboni driver David Ayres caught international attention for coming in as an emergency backup for Carolina and helping the Hurricanes beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3.

Lehman was known for being one of the first goalies to regularly leave his net, and he was nicknamed B次元官网网址淥ld Eagle EyesB次元官网网址� because he was so good at tracking loose pucks.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1958. Three years later, he died at the age of 75.

Heffner expects the unique Millionaires sweater will end up in a private collection, but said its next owner may also donate or lend it out to a museum where it could be appreciated by the public.

As of Thursday, the top bid for the piece of hockey history was US$3,137. Heffner believes it could fetch as much as $10,000 before the auction closes on Dec. 11.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press

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