Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell:  Legendary Blue

These longtime teammates and lifelong friends were two of the greatest Rangers, and this night was long overdue. Howell, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979, won the Norris Trophy in 1967 and has played more games than any Ranger in history. Bathgate, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978, won the Hart Trophy in 1958-59 and was the Rangers’ most dominant player of the 1950s.

And so on Sunday, February 22, 2009, the Rangers paid tribute to Bathgate and Howell by retiring their jersey numbers. Bathgate’s 9 and Howell’s No. 3 were raised to the Madison Square Garden rafters prior to the Rangers’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Bathgate and Howell became only the seventh and eighth Rangers ever to have their jersey numbers retired.

Now you can own a game-worn jersey, goal-scored puck, or game-used puck from this historic night. Now up for bid at auctions.nhl.com is the unique set of blue game-worn jerseys worn by the Rangers in the first period on Bathgate-Howell Night. Every jersey sports the unique Bathgate-Howell Commemorative Patch on the right shoulder.

The New York Rangers-MeiGray Group Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program is proud to commemorate "Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell: Legendary Blue" by offering collectors across the globe the opportunity to own a piece of history …… the actual jersey worn in the first period of Bathgate-Howell Night by #5, Daniel Girardi, of the New York Rangers.

This jersey is a Size 58 and is registered into the NYR-MGG Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program as number F09551.  This jersey has the Bathgate-Howell Night Commemorative Patch sewn onto the right shoulder of the jersey.

The Rangers wore a set of blue jerseys in the warmup prior to the game (defensemen and goalies wore a number 3 over the right breast on the warmup jerseys, forwards wore a number 9 over the right breast), and three new sets of blue jerseys in each of the three periods, all sporting the Bathgate-Howell Commemorative Patch on the right shoulder.

Each jersey was authenticated and security-tagged before the game by MeiGray, and marked by an NYR-MGG Program Director with the period number in the fight strap.  This jersey up for bid was worn throughout the first period. The set of jerseys worn in the second period remain property of the Rangers. The jerseys worn in the third period were awarded to the players, with our thanks for their participation on this great night.

Additionally, every jersey worn throughout the 2008-2009 NHL season by the Rangers contains a uniquely numbered inventory tag sewn into the jersey BEFORE IT IS WORN BY THE PLAYER ON THE ICE. This tag is equipped with covert security features regularly checked by NYR-MGG Program Directors so we can tell who wore the jersey, and when.