Nearly 22 million watched as Sidney Crosby threw his hockey stick and gloves into the air after scoring the gold-medal winning goal in overtime against the United States.
Yet none of the eyeballs glued to this country’s most historic hockey moment seem to know where the star’s stick and left glove went.
Now the hunt is on for these missing pieces of Olympic history, and the investigation into the missing hockey gear may eventually come to involve Hockey Canada, Vancouver Police, Vanoc and the International Ice Hockey Federation.
“We don’t think this is funny in any way,” said Scott Salmond, director of Men’s National Teams for Hockey Canada. “We’re more disappointed for Sidney and the country. It was a huge goal and a great moment for Canada and to have it tarnished is just a shame.
“If 80% of Canadians saw him score the goal, somebody must have seen something and we hope they come forward to help us out.”
Speaking to TSN Wednesday, Crosby said he has no idea where his equipment went.
“I don’t know where it got lost or how but in the heat of the moment you are not too worried about that,” the Cole Harbour, N.S. native said. “We’ll see if it turns up but I’m just happy to have that gold medal.”
After scoring his game-winning goal in overtime, the Team Canada captain tossed his Reebok-brand stick and gloves into the air. The right glove ended up in the mesh netting above the glass in the end zone while the other glove and stick landed on the ice. Sometime between that moment and the players’ jubilant return to their dressing room following the medal presentation, Salmond says he believes someone, somehow, was able to snatch the equipment off the ice.
He says Hockey Canada, with the help of police, are reviewing security footage from several cameras inside Canada Hockey Place in the exuberant moments following Team Canada’s win.
Like they do at the conclusion of most games, Hockey Canada equipment managers and trainers were immediately on the ice to collect sticks, gloves, helmets — all of which are labelled with the players’ names. Once taken to the team’s bench, the equipment was loaded into plastic bins that were wheeled down the tunnel beneath the stands leading to the dressing room. It wasn’t until trainers were returning the equipment to players’ lockers that they noticed Crosby’s stick and glove were missing.
Initially, it was also thought that the Team Canada Captain’s helmet was also missing, but that was later found in a hockey bag on the floor of the dressing room.
Salmond says Hockey Canada has requested a list of personnel with access to these areas from Vanoc, which is responsible for venue operations. He says Hockey Canada isn’t even entertaining the idea that one of their own employees might have taken the historic items.
“That’s not even a question in our minds.”
A more likely scenario, says Salmond, is that the equipment was taken just moments after Crosby’s goal, when the Zamboni doors at the end of the ice — just behind the net — were opened to allow Olympic personnel to set up for the medal presentations.
“It seems likely the items were taken from the ice as opposed to our dressing room, probably through the Zamboni doors,” he said. “If someone did manage to get into our dressing room, they would have to grab those items and walk through hundreds of people to get out…for whatever reason, everyone wants to be part of the celebrations and perhaps someone made a bad choice.”
This isn’t the first time Crosby helped a team to a championship only to discover his game-winning gear missing. Following Canada’s gold medal win at the 2005 IIHF world junior hockey championship in Grand Forks, N.D., the then-17-year-old discovered his jersey was missing from his hockey bag. The red pullover later turned up in a mailbox after an Air Canada baggage handler admitted to the theft. It eventually sold at a charity auction for $22,100.
Brian Ehrenworth, president of Frameworth Sports Marketing, which distributes all licenced Sidney Crosby autographed memorabilia, says the Team Canada captain’s missing stick, if recovered and sold at a legitimate auction, could fetch more than $50,000, while the glove could garner somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000.
Over time, however, the values could skyrocket.
“This stick is going down in history and if it remained outside the Hall of Fame, in my opinion, it could be worth almost six figures. Maybe not today, but it will eventually be that way,” Ehrenworth said.
The Hockey Hall of Fame had requested the stick for its collection, but will now have to make do with Crosby’s pants.
Spokeswoman Kelly Masse, says while the missing stick is regrettable, the Hall will receive Jerome Iginla’s stick, Ryan Getzlaf’s helmet and the socks of goalie Roberto Luongo.
“Anything we can get from the gold medal game, we’re so appreciative of,” Masse said. “It would be nice to get Crosby’s stick and maybe we still will.”
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