Phil Bourque’s 1985/86 Baltimore Skipjacks Jersey - 226 PIM SEASON!

Bourque wore this sweater during the 1985/86 AHL season for the Baltimore Skipjacks during home games at the Civic Center

Old-school thick CCM knit showing excellent game wear inside and out. Straight line of stitching remains inside back of neck from were 1985/86 CCM was affixed; neck stretched out from fight damage and front of collar popped with stressed and hanging stitching; back or neck seam compromised/broken stitching evident. 

Decent stick and hack marks on front body and front hem - heavier wear showing on both sleeve with tons of game damage including board burns, scuffs and unrepaired holes. Good use showing on both sleeve numbers; elbow stitching broken and frayed. Super heavy pilling showing inside both sleeves as well - back body is consistent with more of the same even game wear.

Rubberized front logo; sleeve and back numbers are sewn on twill. 

Individual screened letters for name on back, which has been covered by the team with a yellow heat-pressed plate, likely to re-use jerseys for camp the following season. BOURQUE name can‘t be seen from the exterior view, however very clearly seen from interior view, consistent with other known examples from this set 

Cloth tie downs have been cut out at base of strap with plenty of freyed stitching remaining.

Video evidence supports several Jax players not wearing the AHL 50 year patch on this set of home gold sweaters, Bourque being one of them - since most jerseys in the black road set did have the yellow AHL 50 patch, it’s possible the team didn’t add as many to this set since yellow patch on gold jersey was difficult to see 

Since distinguishing between 1984/85 and 1985/86 unpatched Skipjacks gold jerseys can be difficult, further evidence confirming this as a 1985/86, as seen in pictures and video: Bourque custom shortened his jerseys in 1984/85 obscuring the CCM logo on back right hem, this sweater is not custom shortened and the CCM logo is visible. Also and equally important, Baltimore used a plain font for the sleeve/back numbers in 1984/85, this sweater features the fancy numbering font Baltimore changed to in 1985/86

Bourque earned 226 in the bin in 1985/86 and fought several times at home in this jersey including bouts v Freddy’s David Bruce (10.30.85), New Haven’s Bryan Erickson (11.03.85), Freddy’s Gary Lupul (11.25.85), a few roughing misconducts v Springy’s Dale Henry (2.2.86), Hershey’s maniac Steve Martinson (2.9.86) and Bingo’s John Mokosak (3.30.86) - check out the YouTube link below to see Bourque fighting in the very jersey featured on this page!