Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction April 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/30/2024
A veteran of 794 National Hockey League games as a member of the esteemed Montreal Canadiens where he won a total of five (5) Stanley Cup championships, J.C. Tremblay would jump ship to the upstart World Hockey Association and the Quebec Nordiques for the 1972-73 season, with the team negotiating with the Los Angeles Sharks for his rights. Becoming Quebec's first real star player and playing with the club in all seven (7) years that they played in the WHA, Tremblay would lead the club to an AVCO Cup championship in 1977. Elected as an inaugural member to the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame in 2010, offered here is this photo-matched jersey that was worn by Tremblay during the 1974-75 WHA season. A Tricot Sport Maska made offering with the original brand tag still affixed to the inner collar though missing the once accompanying washing instructions tag that was affixed beside it, the jersey measures out to roughly a modern size "44" when measured from pit-to-pit. Decorated over the front of the durene knit garment with a Nordiques team crest that has been administered in layered tackle twill style, with the white layer now pink due to colour bleed from the red layer, the distinguished captain's "C" has been added over the left breast and fleur-de-lis with "Quebec" underneath have been screened on over both shoulders, with the traditional French coat of arms now showing damage/fading from numerous washes and wears. Styled over the sleeves and verso with Tremblay's number "3" in either single or dual layer tackle twill style, "Tremblay" is spelt out in single layer white letters that have been screened on over the affixed fabric nameplate that is in place at the top of the reverse. Exhibiting excellent game-use throughout its entirety, stick marks and board burns/scrapes are present over the front and both sleeves with other board burns/scrapes seen over the reverse side as well. Also showing team repairs over the front, reverse and both sleeves while unrepaired holes and fabric runs are observed over both the front and reverse with additional stick marks over the right shoulder and wear/fading to the red layer of the crest on the front and number "3" on the back. Void of a fight strap on the interior and showing pilling on both the interior as well as the exterior of the jersey, the piece comes accompanied with a MeiGray LOA and COR.
Regarding the aforementioned photo-match, the jersey is matched to an image of Tremblay taken during the 1974-75 season that is shown in an accompanying Minnesota Fighting Saints game program from that year's playoff series vs Quebec that is matched to the stick mark observed underneath the fleur-de-lis on the right shoulder.
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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