Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction April 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/30/2024
Playing his junior hockey in his home province of Saskatchewan and serving in the Canadian Military in 1944 and 1945 during World War Two, Max McNab would play one season in 1945 with the Regina Caps before pursuing his NHL dream, beginning with a few short stints in the United States Hockey League (USHL), International Hockey League (IHL) and American Hockey League (AHL) before earning a call-up to the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings. Wearing Detroit's red and white colours for a total of three (3) seasons between 1947-48 and 1949-50, totalling 128 games. Suiting up for twelve (12) games in 1947-48, fifty-one (51) games in 1948-49 and sixty-five (65) games in 1949-50, McNab would help the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup championship in 1950 as the MoTown club would knock off both the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers in the playoffs and play in ten (10) of the fourteen (14) postseason games Detroit would play in that year. Spending most of the 1950-51 season with the Indianapolis Capitals of the AHL except for a pair of playoff games during Detroit's series against the Montreal Canadiens, McNab would be traded to the Chicago Black Hawks but never suit up for the club, instead taking his talents out west and playing out the rest of his career with the New Westminster Royals of the PCHL/WHL between 1952-53 and 1958-59. Offered here, we present this Detroit Red Wings jersey worn by McNab during their Stanley Cup championship season of 1949-50.
With internet research and included copies of line-ups from hockey programs and vintage newspaper clippings showing that McNab only wore the number "11" (the number on the back of the offered sweater) during the 1949-50 campaign, it is also worth noting that vintage newspaper clippings with images of McNab in his white Red Wings uniform dating from late in the 1948-49 season, specifically March 24th, 1949 and March 26th, 1949 during the 1949 Stanley Cup Semi-Finals against the Montreal Canadiens, clearly show him wearing a sweater with a team crest over the front that differs from the one that is seen on the one being offered here. Additionally, a copy of a newspaper clipping from the 1950 playoffs that is dated April 5th, 1950 clearly shows that McNab wore the number "11" during those playoffs. Of note, we could not find which number he is listed as having worn in the pair of playoff games that he partook in during the 1951 postseason on March 27th and 29th against the Montreal Canadiens but due to the amount of game wear on the jersey it is unlikely he wore this jersey in only those those two (2) games. Furthermore, our research tells us that McNab wore the numbers "27" and "10" in 1947-48, the number "10" in 1948-49 and finally, the number "11" in 1949-50.
A wonderfully preserved wool construction example from the early days of the National Hockey League's "Original Six" era of play, "Rawlings" and size "44" labels are affixed inside the reverse hem, with time and age now showing that the jersey measures out to roughly a modern size "43" after checking. Featuring a knitted red stripe around the collar and additional red stripes in the sleeves and over the hem, the front of the garment is decorated with a felt Red Wings team crest that features beautifully embroidered details throughout while McNab's number "11" has been sewn to the reverse in single layer red felt numerals. Of note, there are areas of colour bleed around the collar and crest due to age and washings. Because of this, the white areas of the crest have largely turned a pink colour while the white body and sleeve are an off-white/cream colour. Void of any sort of fight strap on the interior but showing pilling throughout the inside, the piece displays with good game-wear including light stick marks over the front and sleeves, sewn team repairs over both elbow areas, red board paint transfer marks over both elbows that are heaviest on the right side and board burns. Also showing additional signs of wear via some discolouring/sweat staining near the end of both sleeves from rubbing up against McNab's gloves as well as around the collar, the sweater hails from McNab's personal collection and will be accompanied by a McNab Family LOA along with all of the previously mentioned newspaper clippings and lineups that we used for research, both originals and copies.
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