Hockey fans have a chance to grab the Team USA jersey right off Ryan Miller's back.

Fans now can bid on the sweaters worn by the star Sabres goalie and his teammates during

their thrilling, silver medal-winning run in the Olympic tournament.

USA Hockey for the first time has reached a deal with a private company to auction off

authenticated, game-worn jerseys from a host of international competitions — including

the 2010 Olympics — and officials anticipate high demand.

"There's been an interest in it for a long time," said Dave Fischer, a spokesman for USA

Hockey. "The Olympics, as you know, happen once every four years. The product has never been

in the market before."

The deal covers jerseys worn by Team USA in men's and women's tournaments going back to the

'90s, including the 1996 World Cup and the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics.

But the highlight is the jerseys worn by Team USA last month, and officials said Miller's

should draw the highest bids.

"Without a doubt — he was the best player in the tournament," said Barry Meisel,

president and chief operating officer of the MeiGray Group, which is running the online

auction at http://auction.nhl.com.

The auction proceeds will go to the USA Hockey Foundation.

The agreement includes sweaters worn by men and women representing Team USA in the

Olympics, the world championships and the world junior championships.

"There are hundreds of jerseys from the past, probably 10, 15 years," said Meisel, a former

hockey writer for the New York Daily News. "To collectors, having game-worn jerseys from these

tournaments, direct from the source, is exciting."

MeiGray has arrangements with a number of NHL teams, minor-league teams and junior teams to

sell their jerseys, and the company worked with the Sabres from 2002 to 2006.

Back then, Miller bought some of his own jerseys from MeiGray, Meisel said.

The Sabres now hold their own online auctions of game-worn jerseys, between four to six

times per season, with proceeds benefiting the Sabres Foundation, said Michael Gilbert, a team

spokesman.

MeiGray sold the jersey worn by Wayne Gretzky in the old-timers game that preceded the 2003

Heritage Classic for $26,500, Meisel said.

And the jersey that Sidney Crosby wore in the 2008 Winter Classic in Buffalo, won by

Crosby's Penguins in a shootout, fetched $45,000, he said.

"It was not someone in Buffalo," Meisel added.

But MeiGray has never had an agreement with USA Hockey. The organization made the deal to

give fans a chance to own a piece of amateur hockey history and to raise money to support its

programs, Fischer said.

The auctions will begin with the men's Team USA jerseys from the Vancouver Olympics.

The two-week men's hockey tournament drew the kind of attention not seen in this country

since the "Miracle on Ice" team won the gold medal in the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.

Miller earned the tournament MVP award as he led Team USA to the gold medal game, which

ended in an agonizing overtime loss to Canada.

"It was a terrific showcase for our sport," Fischer said.

Starting at noon Monday, fans could bid on any of 20 white USA jerseys, including Miller's,

worn in the team's 6-1 preliminary round win over Norway. That auction ends March 31.

Beginning at 6 p.m. today, fans can bid on any of 20 1960 retro Team USA jerseys worn in

the team's surprising 5-3 victory over Canada in the last preliminary round game. This auction

ends April 1.

In addition to Miller's jersey, local fans may want to bid on jerseys worn by South Buffalo

native Patrick Kane, East Amherst native Brooks Orpik and former Sabre Chris Drury.

USA Hockey is holding on to the jerseys of three players from each game, including Miller's

retro jersey — which will be framed and displayed at its facility in Colorado Springs,

Colo. — and the white jerseys worn by Kane and Drury.

The players got to keep the blue Team USA jerseys they wore in the other Olympic contests,

including the gold medal game against Canada, Meisel said.

USA Hockey equipment managers all but snatched the jerseys off the players' backs in the

locker room after the games to ensure none of the sweaters fell into the wrong hands, Fischer

said. "It's tight control on the jerseys, trust me," he added.

And, to answer a common question, Meisel said the jerseys won't come with authentic

game-worn sweat and blood.

"They've been laundered," he said.