Conor Garland burst onto the scene in 2018-2019 and has quickly become the most dynamic forward in recent Coyotes history.
The former 5th round pick (he was passed over completely in his original draft year) has seen his offensive game grow leaps and bounds since his debut, and he’s currently leading the way for Arizona and averaging nearly a point per game in his third season in the NHL.
He wore this jersey on the road throughout his 2018-2019 rookie season.
Garland originally got off to a slow start in professional hockey.
After dominating the QMJHL, his first two seasons in the AHL were forgettable by any standard. He scored just 41 points in 110 games and there were few signs of his once tremendous offensive upside.
In 2018-2019, the worm turned and Garland scored 25 points in 21 games and earned a midseason call-up to Glendale. From there, it becomes a story about a young man seizing his opportunity.
Conor Garland shown on the ice during a January 12th, 2019 matchup versus the Oilers with the puck in the net in the background. He had just scored a goal after Jordan Oesterle’s shot redirected off the side of his face. The wound required 10 stitches, and Garland returned to the game and scored another goal.
If Garland’s reckless style wasn’t enough to endear him to fans, the game on January 12th, 2019 solidified his status as a fan favorite.
Garland was crosschecked to the ice in the crease by Adam Larsson. The force of the check knocks his helmet askew, and as he’s attempting to get himself up out of the crease Jordan Oesterle wrists a puck in from the point that hit Garland’s exposed noggin and deflected into the net.
After receiving 10 stitches, Garland returned to the ice for the 3rd period and later scored another goal.
How can you not fall in love with that?
“G” was wearing this jersey (as you can see in the photomatch above) during the “face goal”, and he also wore it for his second professional goal. His first goal jersey, the 2018-2019 Kachina, was given away to fans by the team during the Shirt Off Their Back event on Fan Appreciation Night at the end of the 2018-2019 season.
His rookie season gamer has solid and very noticeable wear with multiple stick and puck marks on the front and sleeves providing solid photomatches.
The right sleeve has two pieces of internal tape cover a couple of cuts at each spot. There are a few stick marks, and also one large slash mark near the elbow that has a small unrepaired hole at the top of it. This mark has been matched to quite a few games. There are also a few more puck and stick marks scattered throughout.
The right breast has a stick mark near the armpit, and there is another puck or stick mark at the collarbone. Those have also provided photomatches. There is also a cut just above the hem on the bottom right of the jersey that is unrepaired.
The left sleeve is cleaner, but does have a few stick/puck marks and some burns, and there’s one tiny stick mark on the bottom left of the jersey.
The left sleeve also features a pretty gnarly stick mark on the #8 of the #83 sleeve number. This mark is present in a lot of photos of Garland throughout the season, including the “face goal” photomatches.
Conor Garland celebrates with his teammates after scoring his second goal of the night on January 12th, 2019 against Edmonton. Garland scored his second goal in the third period after returning with 10 stitches from the “face goal” he scored earlier in the game.
The back of the sweater has two stick marks at the “G” in Garland, and another couple of marks on the lower left near where the end of the sleeve hangs toward the hem. There are a couple of other smaller marks down near the hem below the numbers and below the right sleeve.
He wore this jersey in 24 games in the 2018-2019 regular season and 1 game in the 2019-2020 preseason. Garland scored 8 goals and 3 assists in those 24 regular season games, and had 1 goal in the preseason contest.
It is photomatched to 21 of the regular season games, and also matched to a 22nd game where he was a late scratch which would have been his NHL debut.
Garland has become the most fearsome piece of a long dormant Arizona Coyotes attack.
Together with the recently minted “Short Leash Line”, Garland has averaged right at a point per game while putting up gaudy possession stats alongside Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller.
It remains to be seen whether Garland can remain a season long threat as an elite scorer. It seems fair to surmise, however, that should his body hold up to the pounding he puts it through, his floor is at the very least a 20 goal, 30 assist player from here on out.