“It’s not that easy being green.”
Kermit was opining about being the color of leaves and blending in, but the Phoenix Coyotes introduction of the “Desert Specials” (their title, not mine) did anything but blend in. Fans around the league mocked the design. Players hated wearing it.
The jersey had a short lifespan from 1998-2003, and there is where you’d think the story ends.
Jersey collectors in the late 2010’s had other ideas, however.
The “peyote” or “desertscape”, as collectors have dubbed it, gained a second life as a cult favorite and hard to find gem of jersey collections. It’s even rarer in game worn circles.
The set date sheet accompanying MeiGray sales of the Phoenix Coyotes 1998-1999 alternate game worn jerseys. (photo courtesy of Yotes97 on eBay)
These beauties were first introduced during the second half of the 1998-1999 season by the Yotes.
The Phoenix Coyotes unique alternate jerseys offer a taste of the Southwest. The trim depicts a desert scene at night with two saguaro cacti in the foreground and the now familiar coyote moon rising over the mountain landscape. Two desert-dwelling nocturnal lizards known as geckos decorate the shoulders.
They were worn in 13 total games; 10 in the regular season and three in the playoffs versus the St. Louis Blues. The team went 6-6-1 while wearing the peyotes that first season.
This is the first green alternate game worn I’ve had in my collection. They don’t pop up very often, and even more rarely with name players. I’ve only seen three or four actively for sale in my time collecting.
Teppo Numminen’s gamer has a surprising amount of wear. It’s the most I’ve seen on any of the three jerseys of his I’ve owned.
Both the left and right sleeves have a plethora of board burns and even a few small unrepaired holes as a result. The right sleeve has a nice puck mark on the #2 of the sleeve which led to the above photomatch. There are also two stray puck marks just below the sleeve numbers. The left sleeve has a glancing puck mark on the sleeve number #7.
The front of the sweater has the alternate captain’s “A” and puck and stick marks scattered throughout the desert setting depicted at the waist of the jersey. There are also a few faint slash marks in the black area of the desertscape.
The back of the jersey is relatively clean with the exception of a slash mark near the larger saguaro cactus at the hem.
This was a surprise add to the collection, to be sure, but a welcome one.