The Pittsburgh Penguins have fallen victim to a bobblehead heist.
The NHL team is reporting that a shipment carrying bobbleheads in legendary alumni Jaromir Jagr’s likeness has been stolen.
The bobbleheads arrived in California ahead of Thursday night’s game against the San Jose Sharks, the team confirmed, but did not make it to their final destination in Pittsburgh.
The memorabilia were meant to be handed out to fans, in celebration of 52-year-old Jagr, who played with the Penguins from 1990 to 2001.
“All fans in attendance will receive a voucher that includes a one-time scannable barcode that will be required to pick up the bobblehead at a later date,” the team confirmed in a statement on X.
Immediately, amused hockey fans pointed a collective finger at one suspected culprit, zeroing in on the Philadelphia Flyers’ seven-foot tall, irreverent and slightly unsettling mascot, Gritty.
Gritty, ever the joker, stepped up to take responsibility for the stolen goods, replying to the Penguins post with one of its own.
Gritty posted a GIF from Game of Thrones to X, telling the Penguins, “I want her to know it was me.”
In all seriousness, Penguins president of business operations Kevin Acklin said in a statement the club has contacted state and federal authorities to look into the incident.
“While this unfortunate incident adds to the legend of Jaromir Jagr, who will be in attendance as our guest at (the) game, we look forward to resolving this theft and delivering the prized Jagr bobbleheads to their rightful homes, with our fans,” Acklin said in a statement.
Bobbleheads are a prized collector’s item for many pro sports fans and nights when they’re distributed often drive ticket sales and prices.
Furthermore, a 2021 study published in the Journal of Sport Management found that bobblehead and other merch giveaways can boost attendance in the long term and build fan devotion.
Bobbleheads in baseball were first made popular in the 1960s, when the first paper-mâché and ceramic bobbleheads were distributed by the MLB.
On Ebay and other popular online auction portals, they can fetch anywhere from a few to thousands of dollars, depending on the player, team and rarity of the figurine.
According to WorkandMoney.com, the most expensive bobblehead ever sold at auction was a 1961 New York Yankees generic player in mint condition — one of two in existence — that fetched an almost US$60,000 purse.
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