The hunt for hockey history is on. With assistance from our friends in Toronto, we have started our own search for items on the Hockey Hall of Fame's most wanted list.
We want this to be interactive, so if you know where any of these artifacts are located, or if you've heard rumors of historical whereabouts while standing around the skate sharpener, be sure to reach out to me on Twitter @ESPNJoeyMac.
The first few items we're investigating are a rare sweater, a record-breaking stick, a historic, game-winning puck and an iconic goalie mask.
"Our main objective is that [artifacts], once we know about them or find them, are preserved and kept for heritage sake," said Izak Westgate, manager of outreach exhibits and assistant curator at the Hall of Fame in Toronto. "Would it be great to have them in the Hall of Fame, where they can be displayed and shown to everyone? Absolutely. But as long as we know they're out there and someone is keeping it and making sure it'll be in good condition long-term, then really that's the most important thing, whether it's another museum or in someone's special collection who really cares about it. Because you would hate to see -- especially the extremely rare items -- go missing because once they're gone, they're gone forever."
Let the scavenger hunt begin.
WANTED:
The stick Toronto Maple Leafs captain Darryl Sittler used during his record-shattering 10-point game against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, 1976
We're not talking any old piece of lumber. On Feb. 7, 1976, Sittler scored six goals and added four assists for 10 points en route against goalie Dave Reece to an 11-4 win over the Boston Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens. This lost item is especially important given the fact that the Maple Leafs are celebrating their centennial anniversary this season.
"I never did have it," Sittler said during a phone interview. "After the game, I guess the trainer -- Joe Sgro was our trainer at the time -- he had kept it. I had heard, and I can't confirm definitely, but I had heard that he had a fire and that stick was in it. I'm also not sure if I used one, two or three sticks that game. Most nights I had a few sticks ready, so I have no idea." ESPN.com was unable to reach Sgro.
Sittler said he doesn't have anything from that record-setting game. "Back then, you didn't pay as much attention to that stuff, unfortunately," Sittler said.
And there is another item Sittler is interested in finding. He scored the series-clinching overtime goal in Game 2 of the best-of-three Canada Cup finals against the Czechs in 1976 at the Montreal Forum. After the game, the teams exchanged jerseys.
"I think I got jersey No. 25 and that jersey's at the Hall, but I don't know where my jersey is," Sittler said. "Obviously, it's probably back in [the Czech Republic], but I've wondered if that guy still has it, or gave it away. If someone has it, I would definitely want it."
That "guy" is former Czech forward Bohuslav Ebermann. He wore No. 25 during the '76 Canada Cup. He also won a silver medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics and was the captain of Czechoslovakia in the 1980 Winter Games.
WHY:
"Not that you want to say anything will never be broken, but it's one of those on the list, especially with the way the game is played today, that it would be highly unlikely that anyone would ever break that record," Westgate said. "Just from that significance alone, you would love to have it in the Hall of Fame."
STATUS:
Location unknown for both his stick and jersey.