Pete Lee’s cherished knitted sweater-jacket featuring the Montreal Canadiens emblem on the back and Rocket’s No. 9 on the sleeves holds sentimental value despite its worn-out appearance. The 78-year-old Lee is distressed after the jacket was stolen from the locker room at a Goodlife Fitness center in London, Ontario, where he frequents. The jacket, crafted in 1965 by his late brother’s friend and gifted to honor his brother, holds immense emotional significance for Lee.
Distinctive in its design, the sweater-jacket showcases a unique Habs logo that Lee himself created due to the unavailability of a pattern at the time of its making. The incorporation of Rocket Richard’s iconic number on the sleeves pays tribute to the hockey legend, resonating deeply with the brothers’ admiration for him. The white jacket with a red ‘C’ and blue ‘H’ has been a conversation starter wherever Lee goes, attracting attention and nostalgic conversations about Montreal and the revered Maurice Richard.
In a bid to retrieve the stolen family heirloom, Lee’s relatives are actively searching through social media platforms and local thrift stores, hoping for a lead. While acknowledging the potential monetary value of the distinctive vintage item in today’s market, the family remains hopeful that someone will recognize its significance and facilitate its return. Lee emphasizes that the ideal outcome would be the jacket’s safe return to the gym locker room, with no questions asked and a reward offered to the person responsible, underlining the irreplaceable sentiment attached to the treasured garment.
