Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction April 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/30/2024
The oldest professional hockey team in the world and one of the most storied franchises in professional sports, the Montreal Canadiens headed to Canada's west coast for training camp before the start of the 1961-62 season, holding camp in Victoria, British Columbia and then playing exhibition games in Vancouver, Seattle, Trail, Calgary, Regina, and Winnipeg. Done as an attempt to counter the Toronto Maple Leafs' reputation as Canada's team and hoping to increase popularity, offered here, we present this Bobby Rousseau game-used stick attributed to that training camp and pre-season that is signed by members of both the Canadiens and WHL's Vancouver Canucks. A CCM Professional Pattern Made model with "Rousseau" stamped over the upper shaft, the stick retains its original white-over-black tape job on both the handle/knob while the black tape that was once wrapped around the blade has been removed, revealing additional CCM logo stamps over both sides. Additionally, "Rousseau" is handwritten in pencil over the upper shaft and is mostly covered by the handle/knob tape. Having been varnished over the shaft, the stick has been signed in blue ballpoint pen ink over one side by noted members of the Canadiens including HOFers Jacques Plante, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Toe Blake, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Tom Johnson, Ken Reardon as well as Ralph Backstrom, Bob Ellet, Bill Hicke, Giles Tremblay, Lou Fontinato, Marcel Bonin, Don Marshall, Jean Gauthier, Al MacNeil, J.C. Tremblay, Phil Goyette, Cesare Maniago and Jean-Guy Talbot with all the autographs displaying well though it needs to be mentioned that autograph of Al MacNeil shows a bit of smudging. Over the other side, the stick appears to be signed by numerous members of the WHL's Vancouver Canucks including Paul Andrea, Don Bamburak, Wayne Hall, Phil Maloney, Mike Kardash, Dale Anderson, Ray Cyr, Larry Popein, Ron Hutchinson, Claude Evans, Dave Duke, Jerry Kruk, Angie Defelice, Howie Hughes, Barrie Ross, Francis Roggeveen and Eddie Shamlock with these signatures penned in black pencil and fountain pen. For the stick itself, it shows light examples of game-use via a few dark marks and abrasions over the lower shaft and heel areas while there are cracks extending into the blade from the toe.
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