April 23, 2024
Features

One man’s quest for the world’s rarest hockey jersey

Phoenix-based American is North Korean hockey shirt collector

If you’re a sports memorabilia collector these days, you can get pretty much anything your twisted little heart desires. Want a pair of game-used socks? Not a problem. How about a game-worn jockstrap (with letter of authenticity)? A mere click away. Anthony Ferra, on the other hand, goes for the truly unusual: North Korean ice hockey jerseys.

The North Korean national ice hockey team competes in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s basement third division, though Ferra, who funds his jersey habit as a security consultant in Phoenix, says the squad is “actually pretty darn good for how ‘secluded’ they seem.” And their shirts, as might be expected, are “arguably the hardest hockey jersey to get in the world.” Still, he’s managed to acquire several DPRK jerseys over the years, using a combination of ingenuity and good, old-fashioned social media stalking.

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