Conor Garland wore this red set gamer for the Roadrunners during the 2017-2018 season.
It was Garland’s second professional season and his offensive production nearly doubled in year two. He went from scoring 14 points in 55 games in 2016-2017 to nearly doubling that total to 27 points in 55 games in the following season.
It was a sign of things to come.
2017-2018 was the last time Garland spent the full season in the AHL.
Conor Garland waits for the puck to drop against the San Diego Gulls on April 25th, 2018. (photo credit: Tucson Roadrunners)
The Scituate, MA native regained his impressive offensive form the following season and emerged as the best player on the Arizona Coyotes for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks.
This sweater was worn in the second half of the 2017-2018 season and in both of the Roadrunners playoff series.
It has decent wear throughout, starting with three small holes on the hem of the right sleeve and a larger one in the top band of the hem just above it. There is a small burn that looks like a stick mark next to those holes.
The right sleeve has more board burns throughout, as well as stick marks and stains in the elbow.
The left sleeve also has board burns throughout as well as two small repairs - one above the wrist and another just below the elbow. The left sleeve #8 has a nice stick/puck mark that has led to several photomatches.
The front hem of the jersey has a considerable amount of pilling all the way across, and the neck features an interesting little repair or sewing alteration that looks to have been the result of the middle adjoining copper section being ripped from the right side of the collar. This repair is visible in several photos as well.
The back of the jersey has a huge stick mark slashing across the #8 that shows up in several photos from the Texas Stars series in the playoffs that even continues up towards the left shoulder. There are also other marks on the back beneath the nameplate on the right side of the number.
Garland was a fan favorite in Tucson, and perhaps the fan favorite alongside Michael Bunting and Adin Hill. His departure from the Coyotes organization is a huge loss.
I’m super happy to have a few shirts from his time in Tucson and in Glendale in my collection.