Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction November 2024
Still an especially fierce competitor and dominant force despite a veteran of almost two decades of NHL hockey, a young Stan Mikita learnt a valuable lesson after slashing Gordie Howe early in his career and calling the superstar “an old man”, with Mr Hockey returning the kindness to the rookie with a check that caused a concussion. From the era when the legendary superstar was anything but washed-up, offered here is this stick used by Howe as a member of the Red Wings circa 1965 that has also been signed by approximately nineteen (19) members of the 1965-66 Red Wings. A Northland Custom Pro example with "Howe" stamped over the shaft and his famed number "9" penned to the upper shaft in black marker ink, additional stamps for both "Northland Skis" and "Olympic Sporting Goods Co." are found over either side of the upper shaft as well. Retaining its original tape job of black around the handle/knob as well as the blade, the pair of accent stripes at the bottom of the shaft are still present and fully intact. Exhibiting good game-use via numerous dark marks throughout, heaviest over the lower shaft, heel and untaped sections of the blade, other various marks and abrasions are found throughout as well including some wear to the underside of the blade near the heel and cracks in the toe. Also displaying a roughly 2" long chip/missing piece in the shaft, the stick dates to circa 1965 based on the annotation penned over the top side of the shaft reading "1964-65 Red Wings Finish 1st - Regular Season Champions - 40 Wings - 23 Losses - 7 Ties - Eliminated In First Round Of Playoffs By Montreal 4 Games To 2" and the roughly nineteen (19) autographs that have been penned over one side of the shaft which have been done so by players that were at the Red Wings training camp of 1965. For the signatures, all done in green marker ink, those that have signed the stick include; Howe, Watson, Fonteyne, Bergman, Hampson (liquid smudging), Marshall (liquid smudging), Delvecchio (light liquid smudging), Boivin, Wall, Henderson, Smith, Prentice, MacGregor, McDonald, Bassen and Ullman, plus around three (3) others that have been nearly completely wiped out and are illegible.
A prolific behind the scenes historian of all things related to the City of Detroit, James Mackey would begin his professional career as a graphic designer after graduating from Wayne State University with a BA at 20 years of age. Soon finding himself at Channel 2 News in Motown by 1960, where his career spanned a tumultuous 42+ years, ending in 2002 with him retiring as Graphic Manager. Throughout that wonderfully rich career with Channel 2, he was fortunate enough to have won 4 Emmy Awards for set design. Beginning to photograph the Detroit Tigers and Lions as a correspondent for Channel 2 News around 1960 as well, he was hired as a freelance photographer by Olympia Entertainment in 1962, where he would spend the next 34 years procuring some of the greatest hockey moments to have been caught on film in Detroit Red Wings history and in the mid-1960s he would become the graphic artist & cartoonist for the Detroit Red Wings Magazine with multiple sections in each program including "In The Click Of It", "Red Wing Magazine" and "Sticks and Yuks by Mackey". Building many life long relationships with numerous Hockey Hall of Fame greats. Most notably, Gordie Howe, who even went as far to invite Jim to Pittsburgh for the opportunity to capture Gordie scoring his 700th goal, their relationship spanned their entire lives. Described by his son Eric with "He loved sports period", whether it was boat racing, lacrosse, baseball, football, hockey, Jim was there covering the event and capturing moments that will live on forever. As part of its current auction, Classic Auctions is proud to present some of the premier items from the collection of James A. Mackey.
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