1967-68 Detroit Red Wings
# 16 Ted Hampson & Garry Unger Game Worn Home Jersey
This jersey has been photo matched to both Ted Hampson and Garry Unger in the 1967-68 NHL season. Ted Hampson was born in Togo, Saskatchewan, Canada, Dec. 11, 1936. He played his junior hockey with the Flin Flon Bombers of the SJHL and his minor pro hockey with the WHL Brandon Regals and Vancouver Canucks and the AHL Providence Reds and Rochester Americans. He made his NHL debut in 1959 with the Toronto Maple Leafs then played three seasons with the NY Rangers before making his way to the Detroit Red Wings in 1963. He spent parts of 5 seasons between the NHL Red Wings and the AHL Pittsburgh Hornets before being traded to the expansion Oakland Seals on January 9th, 1968 with John Brennanan and Bert Marshall for Kent Douglas. Before the trade was made the Wings had a record of 17 Wins, 15 Losses and 6 ties. Over the course of the next 23 games there was no player who wore # 16 for Red Wings, and the team went a dismal 5 Wins, 14 Losses and 4 ties in that period. The trade of Ted Hampson to Oakland had obviously had serious repercussions for the team. As a result on March 3, 1968 one of the biggest trades in NHL history occurred when Detroit dealt Norm Ullman, Paul Henderson, Floyd Smith and Doug Barrie to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Frank Mahovlich, Pete Stemkowski and Garry Unger. Garry Unger would wear # 16 for the remainder of this 1967-68 season with the Red Wings.
Garry Unger was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, December 7, 1947. He played his Junior hockey with the ABJHL Calgary Buffaloes and the OHA London Nationals before being signed with the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs, where he played his minor pro with the Rochester Americans in 1966-68 and Tulsa Oilers in 1967-68. He made his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1967-68 season scoring his first NHL goal.
By this time in the 1967-68 season the Red Wings were too far out of a playoff spot and ended up not making the playoffs in spite of having a slight turn around after the big trade. Garry Unger would play 13 games in 1967-68 with 4 of those games at home in the red # 16.
I have spoken to Detroit Red Wing fans who were from Detroit, who remember this period in the Red Wings history. They talk of how the Red Wings became more competitive between 1968 and 1970 with the addition of Mahovlich, Unger and Stemkowski. Garry Unger scored a CAREER HIGH 42 goals in the 1969-70 season.
Then came Ned Harkness. He completely blew up the team. I have had the pleasure of discussing this period with Hall of Famer, Marcel Dionne who made his debut with the Wings in 1971-72. "The only player left was Nick Libbett after Harkness got through with tearing down the team" said Mr. Dionne.
Gordie Howe retired after the 1970-71 season , another likely affect of the Harkness regime.
This jersey has the Olympic tagging in the collar with frayed size tag. Both are consistent with the size and style of those documented as having been from the 1967-68 season. It is a tremendous piece of history from the Olympia era.