Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction April 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/1/2024
Setting up shop in the National Hockey League beginning with the 1924-25 season, the Montreal Maroons, founded as a team for the English community in the City of Montreal, would win the Stanley Cup in both 1926 and 1935 and were the last non-Original Six team to win it until the expansion Philadelphia Flyers won in 1974. Featuring an all-time roster that includes a total of eleven (11) Hockey Hall of Fame inductees, the Maroons, hampered by financial difficulties that were caused by The Great Depression, suspended play after 1938 and despite efforts to rerevive the team, the franchise was canceled in 1947, leaving the Canadiens as the lone team in Montreal. Offered here, we present this group of four (4) late-1940s NHL letters outlining the official termination of the Maroons franchise. Dated between June 3rd and June 10th of 1948, Letters to and from Clarence Campbell and Ian Johnston of Johnston, Heighington and Johnston discuss the NHL’s decision, with one, dated June 8th, 1948, being nicely signed by the NHL president at the bottom with a deep blue coloured fountain pen ink signature that displays without issue. Also including a draft letter for Mr. Len Peto, the man spearheading the effort to revive the Maroons franchise in Philadelphia, and a copy of the NHL Governors Meeting minutes from June 3rd, 1947, listed in the minutes are various rather interesting topics including the first official NHL All-Star Game and the redesign of the Stanley Cup into the one that we now know today. Excellent items for hockey historians, the paper pages are all in good condition for their age with light toning apparent throughout as well as the odd small rip/tear.
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