16 Warren Rychel
1995-1996 Inaugural Season
Starter Mesh.
No set tag. Neck tagging 54-R.
Another great first-year Av's jersey. This jersey shows a fair amount of wear, consisting of random black marks around the body and sleeves and several light board burns in the forearms. The crest also shows a variety of black marks. The jersey shows evidence of fighting, with a repair to the front "v" of the collar and some evidence of pulling in the gussets. Both sleeves have been altered by splitting the underarm seam and adding an extra fabric panel and a larger gusset panel in the arm pit. Both sleeves have also been shortened approximately 3/4 inches. When I received the jersey, it had been autographed on the right chest above the crest, which has now been removed without a trace. As with all first-year Av's jerseys, the crest is smaller and the Starter/ NHL logo is boxed on the rear hem. The shirt, which originated from Mr. Rychel, is accompanied by the dealer's LOA.
[ click on individual thumbnails to see larger images ]
Neck tagging
Hem tagging
Wash tags
Crest marks
Mark on chest
Sleeve marks
Sleeve marks
As a youngster growing up in southwestern Ontario, Warren Rychel found himself in the hands of NHL defenseman Pat Stapleton, but not for reasons related to hockey.
Rychel used to hang out with his buddy, future NHLer Mike Stapleton, Pat's son. During the harvest on the farm near Strathroy, the lads were climbing around above a large conical funnel used to channel grain into storage. While the men were on a coffee break across the street, young Rychel fell into the funnel and became lodged at the bottom with grain closing off his breathing passages. A yell for help brought Pat Stapleton and company who saved the lad's life by forming a human chain suspended upside down. Stapleton extended his arms just far enough to wrestle Rychel free from the smothering grain.
Rychel survived to eventually have his day, like the Stapletons, in the NHL. But the path was long and winding in nature. Even his junior career was marked by travel. During his three years in the OHL, he skated for Sudbury, Guelph, Ottawa, and Kitchener.
Although never selected in the NHL draft, Rychel did sign as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks' organization. The move sparked the beginning of a lengthy stay in hockey's equivalent of the boondocks. He patiently put in stints with Peoria, Saginaw, Chicago, Indianapolis, Moncton, and Kalamazoo while his NHL rights were passed to Winnipeg and then to Minnesota.
In 1992-93, however, he caught his first big-league break. The L.A. Kings were in need of a grinding forward that matched Rychel's profile. They signed him as a free agent and set him loose on the league as a take-no-prisoners pugilist who fought often and remembered to play enough hockey to look respectable.
After several seasons of stability, Rychel's rights began to move again in 1995. In February of that year, he was traded to the Washington Capitals who flipped him to the Leafs. He put in 29 games in Blue and White and was then sold to Colorado. He played one season with the Avalanche and then landed in Anaheim with the Mighty Ducks. There, Rychel played parts of two seasons in his usual physical mode and was then returned to the Avalanche where he rounded out his career in 1998.
Left Wing - Shoots left
Born: May 12, 1967 - Tecumseh, Ontario
6-0, 205 lbs.
Signed as a free agent by Chicago, September 19, 1986. Traded to Winnipeg by Chicago with Troy Murray for Bryan Marchment and Chris Norton, July 22, 1991. Traded to Minnesota by Winnipeg for Tony Joseph, December 30, 1991. Signed as a free agent by Los Angeles, October 1, 1992. Traded to Washington by Los Angeles for Randy Burridge, February 10, 1995. Traded to Toronto by Washington for Toronto's 4th round choice (Sebastien Charpentier) in 1995 Entry Draft, February 10, 1995. Traded to Colorado by Toronto for cash, October 2, 1995. Signed as a free agent by Anaheim, August 21, 1996. Traded to Colorado by Anaheim with future considerations for Josef Marha, March 24, 1998.
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