There’s trouble brewing between the London Knights and a memorabilia collector who says they owe him a jersey.
A lawsuit was filed Tuesday afternoon.
London memorabilia collector Scott Galbraith says he won an online auction for a game worn Mitch Marner jersey and he paid more than $3,500 to secure it.
Galbraith's lawyer Gene Chiarello, a former Knights goalie, says his client believes the jersey he paid for is at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
"What he is alleging he received, is a jersey that was not in fact warn in game competition. He thinks it wasn't worn in the regular season, the playoffs or the Memorial Cup. So the jersey he's alleging he's received is an imposter."
CTV News spoke with London Knights governor Trevor Whiffen from his office in Toronto and he said there were negotiations to appease Galbraith. Chiarello says that fell apart over a final clause.
"Delivering him the proper jersey is what he bargained for, so there should be no need for a release, a confidentiality agreement. When one goes to the store to buy a shirt, you give the store money, and the store gives them a shirt. And while you might sign your Visa slip, you don't sit there and sign a confidentiality and release."
Central to the case will be proving the jersey was or was not game worn. A hockey memorabilia expert says the process of authenticating hockey jerseys hasn't changed in decades. Poring over hundreds of photos is necessary to get a definitive answer.
"You've got to find marks which are going to be characteristic of that shirt and that is how you determine them," Brian Logie said.
Whiffen said he has not seen the court documents and declined comment until he could read them.
