Hey All,

I've been crawling through the interwebs for too many hours straight now (my contact lenses are in an uproar) and I can't find an answer to satisfy my curiosity.

I have an Alexander Ovechkin jersey. It's the red Away jersey and it has the assistant captain's "A" badge on it, so I know it must be dated anywhere between 2006-2007. It has the RBK CCM NHL Center Ice tag still on it! It's a size 52 and I've scoured the internet enough to feel confident it is an authentic on-ice jersey.

My main curiosity is in the authentication of the signature. In the many hours I've been flipping through Google pages, I've greatly increased my knowledge of authentication. I've had my eyes roughly opened to the fact there are some serious issues in the credibility of certifications. Even the "reputable" agencies have numerous issues. 

The jersey I have is "certified" by GAI - GV514314 - and the signature/name on the COA card is Steve Sipe...

I was extremely excited when I bought this jersey, but now I can't help but feel a sour taste in my mouth. Ovechkin was (still is, though he needs a good kick in the >>>>) one of my favorite players, so it's just really hard to think this signature isn't legit. I know GAI/GA has the most issues in regards to their legitimacy, but most of the issues I've heard of are baseball or automobile racing related.

I've also read GAI went out business, but if I'm not mistaken, GA LLC is the reborn entity, so...please, I really don't need to be told "they're out of business". I only mention that because I've been reading so many posts on different internet forums and that seems to be the most prevalent response whenever someone wants to discuss GA/GAI certifications.

Anyway, so...any thoughts? What is the common word on GA/GAI certified hockey memorabilia? Has anyone heard of issues with Ovechkin-specific items? Any input on this will be greatly appreciated - thank you!