David Rukavina's custom jersey displays the best of now and then in Penguins goaltending.
One half of the sweater is a white Matt Murray Penguins jersey, while the other half is a gray Marc-Andre Fleury sweater. Rukavina had gotten the hybrid jersey made after former franchise goalie Fleury was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.
"I like Matt Murray and I like Marc-Andre Fleury," Rukavina said. "I was really disappointed when we lost Fleury. "I just wanted to show my support for both goalies."
After surprising his girlfriend with tickets to the first-ever matchup between the Golden Knights and the Penguins in Las Vegas on Dec. 14, Rukavina had the idea of getting the jersey specially made for the occasion.
"Knowing we were going to the game after I had gotten Jill the tickets as a surprise for Christmas, I was hoping to get a picture of the two of them warming up by the glass of the game," Rukavina said. "But unfortunately, that didn't transpire."
He won't be able to make it Tuesday when the Penguins host the Golden Knights, but Rukavina has traveled for multiple playoff series in recent years and wants to continue the trend - hopefully to see one of his two favorite goalies between the pipes.
"We've traveled to a lot of places," Rukavina said. "We've been to Ottawa and Tampa Bay for the playoffs, so I would root for the Penguins and we will follow them if we go to the playoffs. I want the Penguins to go to the Final, but Fleury's doing a great job with the Golden Knights. So if the Penguins aren't in the Stanley Cup Final, I would definitely pull for Marc-Andre Fleury to get another championship."
The dual jersey was a hit in Las Vegas with Penguins and Golden Knights fans alike. Rukavina happily dealt with the admirers of his one-of-a-kind sweater.
"When we were headed to the arena in Vegas there were tons of people trying to take a picture with the jersey, shaking my hand," Rukavina said. "People were telling me it was a great idea and awesome jersey."
This whole experience has helped reawaken Rukavina's fandom. After not following the team for an extended period of time, he has since become re-immersed in the Penguins.
"I was a Penguins fan when I was a kid, but I had lost interest," Rukavina said. "Once I started dating my girlfriend Jill three years ago, she's a huge fan so I became pretty re-invested."
