Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
Still affectionately known in the hockey circles as simply "Mr. Hockey", Born March 31st, 1928 in Floral, Saskatchewan, Gordie Howe would get his first taste of professional hockey at age 15 in 1943 when he was invited by the New York Rangers to their training camp held at "The Amphitheatre" in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He played well enough there that the Rangers wanted Howe to sign a "C" form which would have given that club his National Hockey League rights and to play that year at Notre Dame, a Catholic school in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, that was known for producing good hockey players. Turning down the offer the Blueshirts made him, Howe would return home and be noticed by the Detroit Red Wings in 1944, who extended the kid, who would become known as "Mr. Hockey", an invitation to their camp in Windsor, Ontario. Signed by Detroit to the same previously mentioned "C" form and enjoying a 1944-45 season with the Galt Red Wings and a 1945-46 campaign with the Omaha Knights of the USHL, Howe would finally crack the Motor City lineup on October 16th, 1946. In true Howe fashion, the 18-year-old right winger scored his first of 1071 professional goals (including both regular season and playoffs in the NHL and WHA) that night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit's Olympia. Switching to his famed number "9" after his rookie season and becoming a mainstay in Detroit's lineup for 25-years, Howe would lead the Red Wings to four (4) Stanley Cup Championships, win six (6) Hart and six (6) Art Ross Trophies and be named an NHL All-Star a total of twenty-one (21) times.
Retiring from the National Hockey League at the conclusion of the 1970-71 season but making a comeback in the World Hockey Association beginning in 1973-74 to play with his son's Mark and Marty as a member of the Houston Aeros, the Howe's, led of course by their father, would lead the Aeros to the AVCO Cup in back-to-back years of 1974 and 1975. Finishing out his WHA tenure with two (2) seasons with the New England Whalers, Howe would find himself back in the NHL for the 1979-80 season with the merger between the NHL and WHA, where he would play one final season, suiting up in 80 games and registering 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points at the age of 52-years-old.
Coming into the 1963-64 season sitting in second (2nd) place on the National Hockey League all-time goals list with a total of 540 markers scored up to that point, Detroit’s contest on October 27th, 1963 against the Montreal Canadiens at the Olympia in Detroit would see Howe pot the 544th career goal of his career, tying former Habs legend Maurice Richard as the NHL’s all-time goal leader. Coming at 11:04 of the third (3rd) period and assisted by both Bill Gadsby and Bill MacGregor, the goal would be the fourth (4th) of four (4) on the night for the Red Wings in what would eventually be a 6-4 loss to the Canadiens. Fast forwarding fifteen (15) days to November 10th, 1963, once again on home ice at the Olympia against the Canadiens, the man dubbed “Mr. Hockey” would put the puck past Habs goalie Charlie Hodge at 15:06 of the second (2nd) period to pass “The Rocket” for his 545th career goal and putting him alone in first (1st) place atop the National Hockey League’s all-time goal scoring leaders list. A short-handed marker, the goal would be assisted by Billy McNeill and be the third (3rd) of three (3) goals scored by Detroit that day as they defeated Montreal by a final score of 3-0.
Conclusively photo-matched to both historically significant markers, the first matches come via Getty Image #52092275 (October 27th, 1963 vs Montreal – Howe Tie’s Richard w/ 544th Career Goal), the image shows a match to the unique stitching characteristics in the team crest over the front, to the repairs in the left sleeve just below the white stripe and to the repair found in the front of the jersey just underneath the wheel part of the front crest. For the second match, via Getty Image #515553712 (November 10th, 1963 vs Montreal – Howe Becomes NHL’s All-Time Leading Goal Scorer), the image shows a match to the same unique stitching characteristics in the team crest found over the front of the jersey, to the same repairs in the left sleeve just below the white stripe and to the repair found in the front of the jersey just underneath the wheel part of the front crest. Additionally, the jersey is matched to an additional image of Howe taken in the Red Wings dressing room after the game on November 10th, 1963 in which he became the league’s all-time leading goal scorer, with it picturing Howe wearing a paper crown that reads “KING” over the front of it and showing matches to the same unique stitching characteristics in the team crest found over the front of the jersey and to the repair found in the front of the jersey just underneath the wheel part of the front crest.
A scarlet red durene construction offering made by General Athletic, the company's label that was once sewn inside the reverse hem has long been lost to time while the label from Olympic Sporting Goods, Detroit's equipment provider of the era, is still found affixed to the inner collar along with a size "48" fly tag. Decorated over the front with a familiar Red Wings winged-wheel team crest that features embroidered details throughout, the sleeves and verso of the jersey have had Howe's famous number "9" sewn to them in single layer white tackle twill numerals. Of note, the number “9” in place over the reverse of the jersey was changed and placed lower by team equipment/training staff after the season as the jersey was recycled in some capacity. In researching this, our findings indicate that the placement of the number, the material of the number, the shape/font of it and the stitching used to affix it to the material itself all correspond to the numbers used on the back of the Red Wings jerseys during the 1964-65 season and specifically, to the 1964-65 Gordie Howe jersey previously sold by us in our September 2024 auction. Also, in images taken of Howe and the rest of the Red Wings during the pre-season of 1964-65, Howe is seen wearing this jersey with the original “9” still on the back (which was of a different font, being straight at the bottom instead of rounded) with the numbers of the rest of the jerseys worn corresponding to this and indicating that the Red Wings wore their 1963-64 sweaters during the next year’s pre-season contests. Furthermore, one image of Howe from the 1964-65 pre-season is matched to the team repair seen near the bottom of the left shoulder. Exhibiting excellent game-wear throughout its entirety and void of a fight strap on the interior, stick marks are observed over the front, behind the left shoulder, both sleeves and the reverse while red board paint transfer marks are present over the reverse hem and right sleeve in the area of the elbow. Also showing additional battle scars via a number of board burns/scrapes over both sleeves as well the body on both sides plus a few small unrepaired holes that are scattered throughout both as well, the body and sleeves are riddled with team repairs, with roughly twelve (12) throughout the left sleeve, twenty (20) throughout the right sleeve, thirteen (13) over the front and front hem and eight (8) over the reverse and lower reverse. With additional fabric runs and holes seen throughout the body and sleeves, it should also be mentioned that both the interior and exterior of the jersey show pilling and that there are a few popped stitches around the hem, cuffs and elbow reinforcements.
Still regarded as possibly the greatest player to ever grace the National Hockey League throughout the entirety of its history, the jersey, one of the finest Howe examples from his days as the leader of what was the Original Six era and beyond Detroit Red Wings was once worn by the man who still sits at third (3rd) overall on the National Hockey League’s all-time goal scorer list. A truly esteemed offering that is sure to become a staple of your all-important collection, the relic is accompanied by a MeiGray Letter of Authenticity and Certificate of Registration as well as copy of Getty Image #52092275 which shows the photo matches to the jersey as listed above with the matches themselves highlighted.
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