Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction February 2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2018
Born on the shore of Lake Ontario in the Kew Beach neighborhood of Toronto in the final decade of the 19th century, George Hainsworth first played junior hockey with the Berlin Union Jacks before moving on to the Berlin City Seniors and Kitchener Greenshirts. Three seasons would follow in the old WCHL with the Newsy Lalonde-led Saskatoon Crescents/Sheiks before being signed by Leo Dandurand to play for the mighty Montreal Canadiens in 1926, with the Habs suffering the recent loss of George Vezina who sadly passed that spring. Hainsworth would prove up to the task of filling Vezina’s skates, with three consecutive Vezina Trophies won including the first in 1926-27 – with the trophy recently gifted to the NHL by the Canadiens owners – along with back to back Stanley Cup championships in 1930 and 1931. Ranked number 46 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 greatest hockey players, Hainsworth would complete his career with parts of four seasons spent representing the Maple Leafs in Toronto along with 4 final games played for his beloved Canadiens. Currently third on the NHL's all-time shutout list behind Martin Brodeur and Terry Sawchuk, enshrinement would occur in 1961 posthumously, with Hainsworth passing in 1950 at the age of 57.
A once in a lifetime opportunity, we have the actual Vezina Trophy that was presented to George Hainsworth for his historic performance during the 1928-29 NHL season that witnessed the superstar garner an improbable 22 shutouts in just 44 games, along with a minuscule 0.92 GAA, records safely sealed for all time. At a majestic 16” in height, four chased silver columns support a beaver-topped dome, with three inserted crossed goal sticks with laurel wreath. Perched atop a finished black wooden base, a plaque affixed lists the particulars including “Miniature of the Geo. Vezina Trophy” and “Season 1928-29 George Hainsworth”. Modern restoration is to thank for the important nearly century-old keepsake’s remarkable condition, with one of the inserted sticks masterfully restored by a trophy company, along with both the wooden base and felt underside, with these important restorative measures undertaken in the 1990s.
Minor surface wear is present throughout the silver finish, with additional oxidation to the affixed plaque. With absolutely no damage or obtrusive wear, the important award displays absolutely brilliantly, and would be the centerpiece within any advanced gathering of paramount historical hockey memorabilia. Originally obtained from a Montreal antique dealer in the 1990s that had previously purchased the trophy from the Hainsworth family, an LOA will accompany.
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's (NHL) goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". It is named in honour of Georges Vezina, goaltender of the Montreal Canadiens from 1910 until 1925, who died in 1926 of tuberculosis. Upon Vezina's death, the trophy was donated to the League by the Canadiens' owners, Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau and Joe Cattarinich to honour Vezina permanently. It was first awarded at the end of the 1926–27 NHL season to George Hainsworth who had come to Montreal to succeed Vezina, who also won the trophy in 1927-28 and 1928-29.
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