Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction June 2025
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/24/2025
A fierce competitor, stalwart defender, and respected leader, Ruslan Salei enjoyed a long NHL
career that spanned over 900 regular season games. Selected ninth overall by the Mighty
Ducks in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Salei quickly became known for his steady defensive
presence and physical style of play. Over the course of 14 seasons, the Belarusian blueliner left
his mark with the Ducks, Panthers, Avalanche, and Red Wings, culminating in a career-best
campaign in 2006-07 with the Florida Panthers, during which he recorded a career-high 6 goals
and 26 points while serving as an alternate captain.
This blue alternate captain’s jersey was worn by Salei’s in the 2006-07
season. Tagged in the collar with a size 56 tag, this jersey features the RBK logo patch stitched
onto the reverse neckline. It features Florida shoulder patches on both shoulders, an alternate
captain’s “A” stitched on the left breast, which displays subtle restitching, likely due to thread
fraying or in-season reinforcement. Affixed to the interior is the fight strap.
This jersey has been through some serious battles. A small hole is visible just below the
alternate captain’s “A” on the front. The right arm shows multiple small holes, complemented by
board burns along the sleeve. The left arm features two additional holes; one on the shoulder
and another near the cuff, with a stick mark slashing across the “2” on the arm. On the reverse,
“SALEI” is spelled in white over red tackle twill on a navy nameplate, while his number “24”
appears on both sleeves and the back in white over red tackle twill as well. A distinct red
transfer mark appears on the “4” on the back of the jersey.
Inside the jersey, two patches are sewn to the hem. The first is an official team
game-worn patch, which corresponds with the information found on the accompanying LOA,
identifying the jersey as “Blue Set 1.” The second is the MeiGray patch.
Tragically, Salei’s life was cut short in 2011 when he was among the victims of the devastating
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash that claimed the lives of nearly the entire team on the eve of
their KHL season.
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