Memorabilia Memories #1

The hot mess that is Pucked in the Head continues to spread its messy, hottie wings this week. Not only will we build on Ross Arbo’s awesome coverage of BC Superweek and introduce our first single-A Vancouver Canadians baseball coverage, we’re proud to bring into the fold a wee bit we like to call

Will DeConto shares with us the story behind his Alex Burrows signed jersey. Image courtesy of Will DeConto. Autograph courtesy of Alex Burrows.
Will DeConto shares with us the story behind his Alex Burrows signed jersey. Image courtesy of Will DeConto. Autograph courtesy of Alex Burrows.

Memorabilia Memories #1 — Alex Burrows Canucks Jersey

My name is Will DeConto and I am hockey memorabilia collector. I collect just about anything to do with hockey, but my main focus is gathering signed memorabilia, which I have been doing for five years now. Pucked in the Head has graciously offered me a place where I can talk about pieces in my collection and how you can get into the hobby and build one of your own.

In a previous job in Vancouver, I had the opportunity to meet many Canucks through dealings at work (as luck would have it, that’s also how I met Jason, the fellow who runs this very website). One of the most prized items in my collection is my signed Alex Burrows jersey. The reason: the story of how it got signed, which took more than four months.

More after the jump.

It was the day after the Canucks were unceremoniously eliminated from the playoffs by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 playoffs. That night, I ordered an Alex Burrows jersey from a friend of mine. I figured it was time I actually owned a jersey, so why not get one of my favourite player.

Sweet! The centrepiece of Will's collection is this autographed Alex Burrows jersey. Image courtesy of Will DeConto.
Sweet! The centrepiece of Will’s collection is this autographed Alex Burrows jersey. Image courtesy of Will DeConto.

During my day at work, who dropped by but Alex Burrows. He was getting ready to head back to Quebec for the off-season. We had a friendly chat, and I brought up that I’d just ordered one of his jerseys the night before. He smiled, and offered to sign it when he got back at the beginning of the new season. I was floored. I didn’t even ask, it hadn’t even dawned on me, to be honest. I stuttered acceptance and told him I’d be sure to keep it on hand in the fall.

Summer came and went, and during the off-season it was announced that Burrows was to have shoulder surgery and wouldn’t start the 2010-11 season. When the year began, I started to wear my Burrows jersey at work, as my employer was always kind enough to let me show my fandom at work during the season. One day, I was sitting in the back having lunch when my boss called to me: someone was here to see me. I could tell in the tone of his voice it was important, so I dropped my sandwich and headed out front.

And there he was: Burrows! We had a quick chat as he was on his way out to practice that day (it was a few days before he made his season debut post-surgery), and he said, “as I recall, I owe you a signature on that jersey if you still want it.” I couldn’t help but be amazed that, after so many months, he remembered. He signed my jersey and it has hung on my wall ever since. A year or so later, a few months after I’d moved out of Vancouver, my brother met Burrows at a charity signing. He mentioned to Alex that he was my brother, and wouldn’t you know it, even though I hadn’t seen him in almost a year), Burrows asked how I was and what I was up to. A class act all the way.

To some people, it’s just a signed jersey. To others, they’d be disappointed that it’s personalised — collecting purists would consider this shirt damaged goods! To me, though, it goes to show that not all athletes are rich, arrogant, pretentious people. They know what it’s like to be a fan, and they go that extra mile to make a lasting impression. I have had many great experiences with Canucks players over the years, but to me, this is my favourite experience with any hockey player. The simple fact that he offered to sign my jersey without me even asking, and then months later followed up on that offer spoke volumes about the kind of person that Alex Burrows is.

Thank you to Alex Burrows for this wonderful keepsake, and to Pucked in the Head for allowing me to share the story. I hope you enjoyed it, and will be back to tell you about some other pieces in my collection soon.