WINNIPEG – Canada’s National Junior team will take to the ice Monday against Finland in Winnipeg wearing Team Canada replica vintage jerseys from the storied season of 1920. This vintage ‘antique gold’ jersey manufactured by Nike, not only pays tribute to the 1920 Winnipeg Falcons, Canada’s first gold-medal winning team in Olympic ice hockey, but also signifies a celebration of Canada’s rich hockey history and tradition.

Canada’s World Cup of Hockey championship team wore this ‘antique gold’ jersey in its first game of the World Cup in Montreal on .

In addition to Canada wearing the jerseys in honour of the 1920 Falcons, eleven direct descendants of Falcons players will be in attendance and honoured at Monday’s game in Winnipeg.  All 22 game worn sweaters from Monday’s game will be benefiting various charities in Manitoba through various auctions.  Two of the jerseys will be auctioned off during Monday’s game at the MTS Centre for those in attendance at the game, with proceeds going to the Canadian Hockey Foundation and various local Manitoba charities.

“Canada has a long-standing history of great success in International competition and we are again honouring the past by wearing this vintage jersey of the 1920 Winnipeg Falcons, a team that defied the odds and earned gold,” said Bob Nicholson, President, Hockey Canada. “These historic jerseys honour the 1920 Winnipeg Falcons championship team, and also every past Canadian international hockey team, men’s and women’s, and every player, coach and fan that has ever been a part of Team Canada’s tradition of hockey excellence.”

The 1920 Winnipeg Falcons were a team of Icelandic immigrants that had to create their own league to play the game they loved. The Icelanders quickly developed as a skilled and rugged hockey team and handily won the Manitoba and Western finals before advancing to the Allan Cup final in Toronto, where they faced the heavily favored University of Toronto for Canada’s senior hockey championship and a right to represent the country at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. At Antwerp, the Falcons defeated Czechoslovakia, the United States and eventually Sweden in the final game by a lopsided 12-1 final to earn gold.

Hockey Canada in partnership with Nike has launched a full line of apparel to accompany the vintage 1920 Winnipeg Falcons jersey, including headwear (caps and toques), T-shirts, jackets and sweatshirts. The entire Nike line is currently available at sporting good stores, licensed product retailers and specialty shops across Canada. The 1920 Winnipeg Falcons jersey is listed at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $130.

The Team Canada 1920 jersey is one of many jerseys that Hockey Canada, in partnership with Nike, has launched as part of its Team Canada Classics Program line-up, honouring the teams and the vintage jerseys of past Canadian hockey  teams.  Last season, Hockey Canada launched similar classic jerseys for Canada’s national teams from the 1970’s.