'Heirloom' Habs hockey sweater made in 1965 was stolen — the family's pleading for its return

Amanda Margison · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 3:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Pete Lee's lovingly worn knitted sweater-jacket with the Montreal Canadiens logo connected the backmost and the Rocket's No. 9 connected the sleeves wasn't expensive.

In fact, it was patched at the elbows, the buttons had been replaced and it had seen amended days. But for Lee, the jacket's worth is immeasurable — and he's hopeless to get it back. 

Lee, 78, said the overgarment was stolen Thursday from the locker-room astatine Goodlife Fitness wherever helium works out successful London, Ont. He said helium reported it being taken to the gym but a hunt was done and it couldn't beryllium found.

He said it ne'er crossed his caput that idiosyncratic would instrumentality it, hanging adjacent to costly parkas and leather jackets. It was knitted successful 1965 by his mother's friend and fixed arsenic a acquisition to his now-late brother. 

"It was peculiar to my member due to the fact that it was a day present, and aft helium died, it was peculiar to me," Lee said. "I miss it greatly. Now erstwhile I unfastened the closet and spot that bare hanger, it doesn't consciousness precise good." 

There was nary signifier of the Habs logo astatine the sewing store erstwhile the sweater-jacket was made, truthful Lee designed it himself. Maurice Richard, who died successful 2000 astatine property 78, was the brothers' hockey idol, truthful determination was nary question it was his fig connected the sleeves.

The sweater-jacket is white, the C successful the Habs logo is reddish and the H is blue. Lee said it's decidedly one-of-a-kind and is simply a conversation-starter wherever helium goes. 

"It truly does basal retired successful a crowd. I seldom wore it retired without astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic commenting connected it, implicit strangers stopping to speech astir Montreal, the older folks talking astir the Rocket," Lee said. 

It's 1 of the reasons the household is hopeful it volition crook up, oregon idiosyncratic volition spot it. They're checking societal media income pages and person started calling astir to second-hand clothing stores.

"There's a immense marketplace for unsocial vintage clothing, but we had ne'er thought astir that before," Sharla Lee Thompson said of her dad's coat.

"It was a household heirloom and I person truthful galore memories of it. But I spot present that it could beryllium worthy immoderate money." 

The best-case scenario, Lee said, is if it's returned to the locker-room astatine the gym wherever it was taken. He'll inquire nary questions and is consenting to supply a reward, but hopes the idiosyncratic who took it sees that it has much worth to his household than the currency it could bring in.

"Maybe someone's conscience volition support them awake astatine night. I conscionable privation my sweater back."