Henderson Jersey Homecoming Tour
byIn 1972 Paul Henderson scored three of the most famous (and important) game winning goals in hockey history during the Summit Series including the one that won it all against Russia. This wasn’t just international play – it was Canada reclaiming hockey as its game, even from behind the Iron Curtain.
Recently Mitchell Goldhar bought Paul Henderson’s famous #19 Team Canada jersey (for over $1 million) and decided to share it with the rest of the country. He’s put together a cross-Canada tour that will have stops in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and BC where Henderson will drop the puck at the Canucks game April 2nd.
“It will be a wonderful place for parents to bring the kids and educate them about something that happened 29 years ago,” Paul Henderson told me over the phone. He’ll be accompanying the tour for 20 of the jersey’s 65 stops. The Henderson Jersey trailer will park at each location where hockey fans young and old can enter and view memorabilia, take photos, and learn about the epic series.
While the tour wasn’t his idea, Paul enjoys connecting with fans and hearing their stories. He told me that a man came up to him in Winnipeg a while back and said, “My dad and I never had a good relationship, we just didn’t get along but in 1972 we watched that series together and finally found something we both really liked.” The man told Paul that the series changed his family. “You get all kinds of stories like that,” Paul added.
Paul made sure to emphasize that it’s free to visit the trailer, he’s got a free DVD that tells his life story, and he’ll gladly pose for photos.
Stops in the Lower Mainland include:
Surrey: April 1, 2011 at Surrey Sport & Leisure (Unit 110 16555 Fraser Hwy)
Vancouver: April 2, 2011 at Rogers Arena
Maple Ridge: April 3, 2011 at Planet Ice (23588 105th Ave)
