Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/18/2025
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 trio of Johnny Bower items that includes a vintage December 1964 copy of Hockey Illustrated with Bower seen over the cover, a Bower signed 1993 "Legends of Hockey" postcard that features the artwork of Doug West and lastly a copy of Bower's 2004-05 Upper Deck "Legendary Signatures" autograph card. With both signed items featuring Bower's recognizable autograph penned in thin blue marker ink that displays without issue, both pieces are found in good condition, showing just light wear to the edges and corners while the postcard comes with a COA from Frozen Pond and the card has been graded by KSA to the tune of a MINT 9 designation. For the magazine, showing some pencil notations over the front cover and expected wear from age and handling including toning and edge/corner plus spine wear, the blue marker ink signature of Bobby Hull appears inside the front cover and displays without issue.
Please refer to our “SPORTS AND NON-SPORTS TRADING CARD RETURN POLICY” in the “AUCTION RULES”.
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).