Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
Able to witness the stardom and glory that was the run of four (4) straight Stanley Cups won by the Montreal Canadiens between 1976 and 1979 to cap off a decade that they won six (6) of Lord Stanley's mugs in, offered here are the press pins issued to famed sports journalist Frank Brown for the 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Each in the shape of the Stanley Cup and measuring slightly longer than 2" in height, the pins hailing from 1976 (Canadiens over Flyers in 4 games), 1977 (Canadiens over Bruins in 4 games) and 1978 (Canadiens over Bruins in 6 games) are all stamped "Sterling Silver" on their reverses while the 1979 (Canadiens over Rangers in 5 games) pin carries no such designation over its backside. All displaying the shield emblem of the National Hockey League over their fronts as well as the year and "News" at the bottom, the pins are seen in overall good condition, showing some light surface wear/tarnishing and light scratches over each while tape has been wrapped around the points on the reverse of each as well. Additionally, also included with the lot is a collection of thirty-tree (33) Canadiens media passes that were used by Brown to gain access to the Montreal Forum and Bell Centre, most have been signed by Brown under the top edge in either blue or black pen ink. With majority of the passes in the lot measuring roughly 7" x 3", the passes are found in a variety of colours including green, pink, white, yellow. orange and blue and display Canadiens logos, date, and seat information in the press box. In terms of condition majority are in overall excellent condition for their efforts with some showing additional handwritten notations, creases/fold lines and corner/edge wear from handling or storage in the pocket of Brown's jackets. A Classic Auctions LOA will accompany the lot.
Publishing his first paid hockey article in a New York Rangers game program in 1970 that earned him a total of fifty ($50) dollars, from there, Frank Brown began his career as a journalist for The Associated Press, typically covering the Montreal Canadiens. Under the leadership of Stan Fischler, Brown stated he learned the "courage of my convictions" after being handed Gordie Howe's phone number. Moving on to the New York Daily News in 1980, where he would remain until 1998, when he joined the National Hockey League as a communication executive, a position he would hold with the league until his retirement in 2018. He was awarded the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.
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