The Jersey Update

Sorry for the delay everyone, it has been a busy week and then also we had server issues off and on last night and the first half of today. For those that have followed Blackoutdallas recently or have read the writings about winning the jersey contest, thank you for your thoughts and questions about what has happened.

Quick refresher on the story: I was one of the lucky fans chosen to get to meet a player and get the jersey off that player’s back right after the end of the home finale for the season. I was paired at the last second with Philip Larsen, considered the Stars top prospect and a player that Stars fans should be keeping their eye one since the Stars traded their other high D prospect in the Lehtonen trade. I shake Larsen’s hand, little chit-chat, and I tell him congrats since that night was his first ever game in the NHL. He signs the jersey, and we take a couple pictures before I head off to the side.  Use winners stay around to the side and watch the some of the others get their jersey’s, but the whole time I am watching Modano skate around the ice as he let’s his emotions get to him and he waves and applauds the arena. As I am watching this, a former ticket holder rep named Ryan comes up to me. I know him as the guy who was my rep when I had my season tickets (which I hope to get back next season) the last few years. He lets me know he is now working as one of the Client relations managers and that he has something to ask me. He knows I am a involved fan and presumes that I knew it was Larsen’s first game, to which I said yes. He informs me that Philip would actually really like to keep the jersey for him and his family, being that it was a big night for him. He tells me that if I do give it back to Larsen, that he can get me one from another player that I want. So I think for a quick second and let him know that it is no problem at all and that I understand. He asks who I would like, and before he can finish I point out to Mo and tell him it would be a dream come true to get a Modano game worn and signed jersey. He says that he can not promise anything but he will try, and asks if I have a back-up who would it be. I think for a split second and tell him Brad Richards since I have been following his career since the last couple of years he was in Tampa Bay and he is my 2nd favorite Star on the roster. Ryan gives me his card and says he will do the best he can, and should be able to get one from Richards if not from Modano.

So I talk to Ryan at the beginning of this week to check up and see if there is any progress. He lets me know that as soon as the season ended, most of the marketing and relations staff went on break except for some ticket reps. He says that what he can get me will be by whatever they have already basically in their stock (that is used for contests and auctions), but that he will try to see if he can hunt down a Modano jersey if they have any left seeing as the condition it is for and that other players and staff would agree since I was willing to do something for Larsen. But he said it might take 2-3 weeks to get people back in and look around. He said if anything happens and they do not have one from either player, then they might wait until the beginning of the next season and get one from the 1st game of the season. So it is still kinda of up in the air, but I will be taken care of and I might just have to wait a couple months and get a jersey or get to meet a player at the start of next season. Of course, if Modano retires and they are already out then I will be out of luck there. But I guess we will wait and see!