Jerseys of Vancouver: An extremely rare Canuck

This is a weekly feature that attempts to highlight rare Vancouver jerseys and the people who wear them. This week belongs to Vancouver Canucks former defenceman Evgeny Namestnikov and Nicky Lau. 

Jersey: 
Black (and white) Canucks #2 Namestnikov 

When did you get it? 
I've been collecting jerseys ever since I could remember. My earliest recollection of a jersey that I can remember was from the inaugural season of the expansion team from the San Jose Sharks. It was a white jersey I believe. I think from that moment on, I've been collecting jerseys. I've collected from all four major sports, but in the last couple of years, I've dramatically shifted focus, and have turned my attention toward my local teams of the Vancouver Canucks and Whitecaps.

I'm 34 years old, and like any other kid, went through the hockey card collecting phase when i was young, and kept cards of Mr. Namestnikov.

So for the longest time, I made due with just an authentic jersey, with fight strap and a 95-96 Canucks 25th patch sewn on. Then, just a couple months back, with blind luck, I was contacted by a private seller, and he had both a home and away game-worn jersey of Evgeny's and now, I am the proud owner of his game-worn jersey.

Why him? 
I admired Evgeny because, as I recall, he was an undersized defenceman, but he made an—albeit brief—impact when called up to the big show. I loved seeing his hard grit and physical play, and that gave me inspiration to start playing the game of hockey.

I've never met Evgeny, and have never had any interactions with him, but was always a fan of his. I guess, it was because of his long last name that intrigued me to be a fan of his. I made a promise that if i ever had the chance to purchase any of his game-worn jerseys, that I would not hesitate and would jump at the chance. 

If you want to be featured in a future Jerseys of Vancouver, email n_caddell@straight.com and explain why you think your jersey is rare and what it means to you.
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