1994-95 Minnesota Moose Stephane Morin Jersey

July by the Numbers reaches #25 as we head north to Minnesota.

While the Minnesota Moose only played two seasons in St. Paul, Minnesota after the departure of the NHL's North Stars for Dallas, they provided some exciting hockey, generally of the rougher kind typical of the International Hockey League in those days, and one wildly successful logo, which was ranked #1 in a poll by The Hockey News and led all minor league teams in terms of merchandise sales.

One of the highlights for the Moose during their first season in the old St. Paul Civic Center was undoubtedly the play of Stephane Morin, who scored 33 goals and a 81 assists, nearly double the next closest on the roster, for 114 points to win the league scoring title to capture the Leo Lamoureux Memorial Trophy.

Other players to suit up for the Moose in Minnesota were Dave Christian, who set the team record for goals in a season with 38 and whose Moose road jersey was featured earlier here at Third String Goalie, team captain and current University of North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol, all-time team penalty minute leader Brad Miller, former Red Wing and 16 year NHL veteran Reed Larson, the first North American to play in Russia Tod Harjte, whose memoir of his experience "From Behind the Red Line" can be purchased here (six used copies for a PENNY at the time of this writing!), former NHLers goaltender Tom Draper, Stew Gavin, Gordie Roberts and last but not least, the unfortunately named goaltender Parris Duffus.

Today's featured jersey is a Starter 1994-95 Minnesota Moose Stephane Morin home jersey which features the IHL 50th Anniversary patch worn during the Moose's first season when Morin won the IHL scoring title.

While the three color combination of purple, forest green and black was a questionable choice at best on the black road jerseys, it does come across slightly better on the home white jerseys, but not by much. While the separation of the green from the purple and black is marginal for the larger numbers, it really becomes a dark mass when reduced in size for the name on the back.

While the back of the jersey has it's flaws, the front of the jersey is a winner, with the popular Moose logo and the added shot of color from the IHL anniversary patch.

Here's some rare non-fighting clips of the Moose in action.

It's back to business as usual with the fisticuffs, but another rarity, the Moose in action at the St. Paul Civic center after the famous clear boards had finally been replaced due to age and the advent of dasherboard advertising rendering them ineffective.

For comparison, here's a WHA Fighting Saints highlight package with some road games with the usual boards and some home game action with the unmistakable clear boards.