Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction June 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/26/2024
Appearing to be mostly a career minor leaguer, playing in a total of 592 American Hockey League games in his career with a stint with the NHL's New York Rangers consisting of 77 games over the course of three (3) seasons, Johnny Bower, commonly referred to as "The China Wall", would finally get his full-time ticket to the National Hockey League from Punch Imlach and the Toronto Maple Leafs beginning with the 1958-59 season. Helping lead the Maple Leafs to a quartet of Stanley Cup championships in the 1960s, Bower would also claim a pair of Vezina Trophies as well. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976, Bower would have his number "1" retired by the Leafs in 2016 after it was raised to the rafters of Maple Leaf Gardens twenty-one (21) years earlier. Offered here, we present this vintage mid-to-late-1960s goalie glove attributed to have been game-worn by Leafs legend Johnny Bower.
Coming accompanied with an intriguing and eyebrow raising story, the glove is said to have been used by our consignor during his years playing juvenile hockey with the Parry Sound Brunswick's between 1968 and 1972. The owner/manager of the club was Alex Eagar, owner of the Brunswick Hotel and the man who bought Bobby Orr his first pair of skates. He was a very good friend of Tommy Naylor, the equipment manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Mr. Eagar occasionally got used equipment Harold Ballard did not know about. In 1968, this glove showed up in our consignor's equipment stall and he used it for over two (2) years before moving away for school.
In researching the glove, we have see that the timeframe of his story matches up with photographic images of the era which show that Bower changed the model of Kenesky glove he wore in that era by going from three (3) large wrist protector bands to four (4), as seen on the glove being offered, and that the placement of the Kenesky label is found higher-up on the glove seen in images like on this example here. Additionally, while a conclusive photo-match of Bower using the offered mitt could not be found, leading us to offering the piece as being attributed to have been used by Bower, Getty Image #114929351 (October 7th, 1967 vs New York) shows Bower wearing a Kenesky made glove with a similar label placement as seen on the one being offered while a pair of mid-to-late-1960s Maple Leafs postcards (not included but shown on this listing) shows the difference between the two models (wrist protectors bands).
A Kenesky made offering of rich black leather with brown piping accents and a trapeze lace style pocket similar to the gloves worn by first basemen in baseball, a partially worn out but still fully affixed Kenesky label displaying the brand's name as well as "Made in Canada" and "Hamilton, Canada" appears over the backside of the four (4) roll wrist. Remaining in overall excellent condition despite its age and level of use, all the lacing remains intact and is not completely dried out while the leather forming the body of the glove remains soft and supple with some rubbing/fraying/scuffing present in areas. Additionally, vintage black tape has been wrapped around pull laces on the backside, there are a couple of small red paint marks at the tip of the pocket and there is some sweat staining/darkening of the material on the inside of the cuff caused by use.
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