Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction Spring 2023
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/2/2023
In 1972 founders of a company named Hockey Diversified Inc. envisioned that each puck shot into the net to produce an official goal scored in an NHL hockey game would develop a degree of intrinsic collector value for hockey fans everywhere. The founders took this idea to the NHL and procured the rights to all such NHL pucks during regular season and playoff games for a period of five years. Pucks shot into the net for a goal were collected by the referees, given to the time keepers to label and then shipped to Hockey Diversified to further label with scoring details. The pucks were then marketed to the public by Hockey Diversified Inc. Unfortunately, this idea was ahead of its time and pucks sold poorly. The program lasted only two seasons, 1972-1973 and 1973-74. Hockey Diversified Inc. dissolved shortly thereafter. Classic Auctions is honored to have been chosen by an original founder of Hockey Diversified to sell, at upcoming auctions, residual, unsold pucks from that “NHL Registered Goal Puck” collection.
Each puck originally distributed by Hockey Diversified could be obtained by mail with the buyer’s choice of team and possibly player. A label was affixed to each puck listing the scorer, team and date, along with a code that divulged which team-goal said puck accounted for. At the onset of the NHL Puck Program, goal pucks were offered to collectors mounted on aluminum plaques. These were costly to produce and sold poorly. Fewer than 150 were produced for sale to collectors, and very few remain. Offered here is one such plaque. This particular puck was used by Pete Stemkowski to score the New York Rangers 87th goal of the season vs the Toronto Maple Leafs at MSG, on November 26, 1972. Assisted by Dale Rolfe, it was Stemkowski's 2nd of the season and 109th of his career, with a total of 206 career goals. Scored at 14:46 of the first to increase the Rangers lead by one, they would add four in the second including a second goal by Stemkowski, and beat-up on the Leafs 7-4 at home. The rubberized Rangers logo is clean, with the aluminum plaque in beautiful condition.
By clicking this button, you will IMMEDIATELY bid the amount selected.
By clicking this button, you will submit this amount as your MAXIMUM (absentee) bid. The auction software will place bids on your behalf up to this amount only as it is bid against competitively by other bidder(s).