Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction June 2010
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/22/2010
Legendary Hall of Fame goalie Chuck Gardiner's original signature is clear to see on this vintage souvenir mini stick signed by 20 members of the 1931-32 Chicago Black Hawks. Stanley Cup finalists against the Montreal Canadiens the previous season under Dick Irvin, the Black Hawks faced their former coach in a quarter-final matchup against Toronto, which had lured away the Hall of Fame coach earlier in the season. Gardiner shut out the Maple Leafs 1-0 in the series opener at Chicago Stadium but Toronto roared back to claim the two-game, total-goals series with a 6-1 victory at brand-new Maple Leaf Gardens. Gardiner won the first of his two Vezina trophies that season and he was named the NHL's First All-Star team goalie for the second straight year. A second team All-Star the following season, he returned to the first All-Star team and won a second Vezina in 1933-34 when he led the Black Hawks to their first Stanley Cup. Tragically, Gardiner died of a brain hemorrhage two months after Chicago celebrated its first championship. Fellow HOFers Art Coulter and George Boucher also signed one side of the shaft along with Gottselig, March, Romnes, Thompson, Wentworth, Abel, Ripley, Lowrey, Holmes, Adams, Bostrom, trainer Eddie Froelich and others. A faded "McNiece & Orchard Ltd" stamp from the Montreal sports store remains on both sides of the blade. Minor leaguer Curly Kohlman is among six signatures that appear on the top of the other side of the shaft. A sensational display piece from the early days of the Black Hawks featuring signatures of the franchise's first wave of hockey greats.
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