Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction October 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/9/2016
The pride of Selkirk Manitoba along with fellow HOFer Bullet Joe Simpson, Harry Oliver first saw professional hockey action with Calgary in the WCHL, taking on the mighty Montreal Canadiens and a young Howie Morenz in a losing cause for Lord Stanley’s grail in 1924. 11 NHL seasons would follow his time in Alberta, with the bulk of those seasons spent in Beantown with the fledgling Bruins before moving on to a 3-season swan song with the New York Americans. Oliver would conclude his NHL career with 212 points in 463 games played, more than enough for enshrinement in hockey’s house of holy.
Honouring the city’s centennial in 1982, the Lord Selkirk Minor Hockey Association published a volume covering the rich hamlet’s century of hockey prowess, with LSMHA President Gladys Zinnick visiting the 83 year old star in his home in Winnipeg to reminisce about old time hockey. A photo in the book features Oliver displaying his HOF induction plaque, with numerous team photos and awards pictured in the background, a testament to early-20th century sensibilities and frugality. This adherence to posterity by Oliver accounts for the survival of this miraculous Bruins wool, with Harry’s nephew Danny Oliver selling 5 sweaters to a Toronto dealer at a Vancouver show in the mid-1990s.
Absolutely stunning in appearance and condition, an inverted label from prominent Boston maker Horace Partridge remains affixed to the inner hem, with a second inserted label along the collar exhibiting a handwritten notation. Featuring a gorgeous tri-layer felt-on-felt team crest with chenille Bruin, the beige sweater has been accented with chocolate brown and mustard sleeve, upper and lower striping bands, with “9” on verso in matching felt-on-felt construction. Some very light staining/discolouration has taken place in a few minor spots, including near the team crest and on verso near the reverse number. This historically important Bruins wool sweater has been narrowed down to use in the either the last season the club played at Boston Arena in 1927-28, or their first season at Boston Garden in 1928-29 when they were crowned as Stanley Cup Champions.
Combining the factors of provenance, age, condition, rarity and desirability, we feel more than confident in calling this miraculous Harry Oliver Boston Bruins wool sweater one of the hobby’s most prized and treasured examples, worthy of centerpiece status in the world’s greatest hockey collection. Please note that this item may be subject to a silent reserve.
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