Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction April 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/1/2024
A hockey powerhouse established in 1946, CSKA Moscow, known in the west as simply "The Red Army" club, has won more Soviet championships and European cups than any other team in history. In addition to nine division titles and record six Continental Cups, CSKA has reached the Gagarin Cup Finals six times, winning in 2019, 2022 and 2023. The club also became the first one to win both the Continental Cup and the Gagarin Cup in the same season. Boasting and alumni list that includes eight (8) names inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as players and one (1) as a builder, CSKA played 36 games against NHL teams from 1975 to 1991 and finished with a record of 26 wins, 8 losses, and 2 ties with 34 of those games coming as part of the Super Series exhibition tours. Offered here, we present this Russian hockey stick that was acquired during Super Series 1989 on December 29th, 1988, the day before CSKA defeated the New York Islanders 3-2, which has been signed by the Russian "Big Five" of Viacheslav Fetisov, Alexei Kasatonov, Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov. An "elite" model twig made by Tisa that displays various stamps over both sides and have never had tape wrapped around either the handle or blade, the stick remains in excellent condition with some light marks throughout from age and handling while a stripping accent sticker is affixed over the lower shaft as well. Also showing a bit of spotting/foxing over the blade and some areas of the shaft the stick has been signed by the likes of Fetisov, Kasatonov, Krutov, Larionov and Makarov over the forehand side of the blade with black marker ink signatures that all display well and remain in excellent condition. Originally obtained by MeiGray founder, Barry Meisel, in his days as a sports reporter with the New York Daily News, the stick has had a MeiGray hologram affixed to the backside of the upper shaft and comes accompanied by a matching LOA signed by Barry as well.
Instrumental to the hobby as one of the founders of the MeiGray Group in 1997, a hobby entity paramount in the authentication of game-worn jerseys and equipment, pioneer collector Barry Meisel enjoyed almost two decades as a successful sports journalist. Beginning with his days interning for the Binghamton Evening Press while a senior in college, Meisel explains how his passion for collecting was fueled, stating “My plan was to get a game-worn jersey for every team I covered once I became a pro hockey writer. I got a Barons, then a Broome Dusters, Binghamton Whalers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers. It was the late '80s. My first career was born. From the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin to the Morristown, NJ, Daily Record, to the New York Daily News”.
In his dozen years with the New York Daily News, Meisel covered the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and New York Giants. He also spent the early-1990s serving as the News’ investigative sports reporter, with additional time as a columnist for The Hockey News (1982-90) and The New York Giants Newsweekly (1990-96), with a few book authored including 'Losing the Edge: The Rise and Fall of the Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers’. Despite building a vast and encompassing grouping of items, Meisel notes, "I have my favorites. The Scotty Press that still sits in my home office. My 1983-84 Detroit Red Wings Ken Holland, the minor-league goalie in Binghamton who became a lifelong friend, and who had a cup of NHL coffee before becoming a Hall of Fame General Manager. And my 1994 Stanley Cup Finals New York Rangers white Craig MacTavish, who was wearing this jersey in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden on June 14, 1994. MacT knocked the final faceoff into the corner with 1.6 seconds left on a 54-year Jinx, the night the Rangers allowed the Monster of MSG to one day Die in Peace. This jersey is on display at the Garden, to remind every Blue Seater from old Section 433 that the wait was worth it”.
Classic Auctions in honoured to have been chosen to sell the Barry Meisel personal collection, with dozens of high-quality jerseys offered including an endless supply of important New York Rangers specimens from Rod Gilbert, Peter Sundstrom, James Patrick, Mark Tinordi, Kris King and other Blueshirts as well as WHA jerseys from the Indianapolis Racers, Quebec Nordiques and Ottawa Nationals. Additional gems that will have bidders salivating includes Peter McDuff’s 1973-74 AHL Providence Reds game-worn home and away jerseys, bobble head dolls, important programs and other assorted memorabilia.
As always, we hope these long-loved treasures find new appreciative collectors, with Meisel stating it best, “It's time for Classic Collectibles and my good friend Marc Juteau to help me find my gamers new homes. Time for others to enjoy the greatest hobby alive."
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