Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction Spring 2022
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/1/2022
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, 1972-73 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 the “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 disclosed which team-goal said puck accounted for. This particular puck was used by HOF superstar Phil Esposito to score the Boston Bruins 6th playoff goal of the season, in Game 2 of the 1974 Stanley Cup quarterfinals, vs the Toronto Maple Leafs, at Boston Garden, on April 11, 1974. Assisted by fellow HOF member Johnny Bucyk and Carl Vadnais, it was Espo's 1st goal of the playoffs and 38th of his career, with a total of 61 career playoff goals scored. Scored on the power play at 7:34 of the third to put the Bruins up by two, Boston would add a final goal for a 6-3 win at home. Espo would score three points which included assisting on the winning goal. They would take the series in four straight. The rubberized Bruins logo and Goal Puck Program label both remain clean, with light wear to the puck.
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