A stolen autographed Wayne Gretzky jersey valued at $10,000 was taken from a retail store in Kelowna, British Columbia. The jersey was signed by Gretzky and was part of a limited edition collection of jerseys. The RCMP are asking for the public’s help in locating the jersey. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP.
An autographed $10,000 Wayne Gretzky jersey was one of many items stolen from a sports memorabilia store in downtown Kelowna, BC, according to the RCMP.
In a press release, RCMP says they received a call at 2:10 am Tuesday morning reporting a break-in at Player’s Choice Sports on Cawston Ave. 470 reported.
Police released a photo of the suspect, who they said broke into the store by smashing the front window with a hammer.
Store co-owner Jason Wobshall says he’s still compiling a list of stolen items, but among them is an Indianapolis Racers jersey signed by Gretzky. The hockey legend played eight games for the Racers of the World Hockey Association in 1978 before joining the Edmonton Oilers.
A front window and the main entrance of Player’s Choice Sports are boarded up after the burglary. (Submitted by Katie Jenion)
Wobshall says he still has the certificate to prove the authenticity of Gretzky’s signature. He says the shirt is valued at $10,000 as signed jerseys are rare.
He adds that several boxes of sports memorabilia worth about $20,000 were also stolen.
“They’re being stolen like that really sucks,” he said.
Wayne Gretzky is pictured as center for the Edmonton Oilers in 1986. Before joining the Oilers, he played eight games for the WHA’s Indianapolis Racers. (Dave Buston/Canadian Press)
“The Last Kick in the Butt”
Player’s Choice Sports has been vandalized many times during its 18-year history, including a broken window last November, Wobshall says.
“When we got the notification [that] said the door had been forced open, it was a new one for us,” he said.
Latest data from Statistics Canada shows that Kelowna had a crime severity rating of 122.29 in 2021, a higher rate than Vancouver (81.64), Victoria (71.45) and Abbotsford-Mission (78.24).
Despite the costs associated with repairs, Wobshall says he never wanted to make an insurance claim because it would only increase his premiums.
“Like so many small businesses, we just eat this,” he said. “We weren’t surprised at all because [vandalism and break-ins are] exactly what happens here with every business downtown.”
Wobshall hopes Tuesday’s burglary was “the last kick in the butt” before his shop moves to a new location outside the city centre. A soft opening of the new location at 310 Banks Road is planned for March 1, he says.
Jason Wobshall is hoping this week’s burglary was the “final kick in the butt” before his shop moves out of the core downtown area this weekend. (Joel Ballard/CBC)
Meanwhile, RCMP is asking the public for help in identifying the suspect.
“A theft like this causes immense financial damage to a small local business in our community and the RCMP will use every investigative tool available to find and arrest those responsible,” Kelowna RCMP Media Officer Const said. Mike Della-Paolera said in a written statement.
Source: www.cbc.ca
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