Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/18/2025
Advancing to the Stanley Cup final in each of the franchise’s first three (3) seasons of existence, the St Louis Blues joined the NHL in the expansion of 1967 that concluded the Original Six era and have won ten (10) Division championships thus far, along with a lone Stanley Cup, in 2019. Offered here, we present this vintage circa 1974-75 St. Louis Blues game-worn jersey that is attributed to have been worn by Dave Gardner an/or Craig Patrick. Further research has shown that Dave Gardner only wore the number 6 in 1973-74. He also wore the number 6 at the start of the 1974-75 season until Chris Evans is reacquired by the Blues on October 29th 1974 with Evans from then on wearing the number 6 that he previously wore with the club and Dave Gardner switching to the number 27. On November 10th 1974 Gardener is traded to the Seals in a multi-player deal which brings Craig Patrick to the Blues. Patrick, in his first game with the Blues, on November 16th 1974 starts wearing the number 27.
A durene knit offering made by Rawlings, a tattered brand label that includes a size "50" designation is affixed to the inner collar along with a sewn on twill "27" number swatch. Decorated over the front of the jersey with a familiar Blues team crest that has been administered in a layered tackle twill style, the sleeves and verso have been accented with the number "27" in stacked tri-layer tackle twill numerals, with the blue layer of the sleeve numbers being embroidered. Retaining a small loop style fight strap on the interior that has been reinforced/repaired with a layer of material sewn overtop of it, the jersey shows battle scars via stick marks over the front, reverse and both sleeves, team repairs over the lower front, lower reverse and left sleeve, board burns over both sleeves, coloured board paint transfers over the right cuff and reverse hem and pilling/material stretching on the interior, the front of the jersey also shows some spot staining that is worth mentioning for accuracy. Hailing directly from the personal collection of Kimmo Leinonen, a Classic Auctions LOA will accompany the piece.
Born in Tampere, Finland, in 1949, and beginning his rise in the hockey ranks as a junior hockey coach while also involved in the hockey stick industry in Canada and Germany, Finnish hockey executive and writer Kimmo Leinonen had a connection to the NHL as he was employed as a scout for the New York Rangers from 1978-79 to 1982-83. As a founding member of the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 - where he served as chairman from 2011 to 2018, Leinonen also helped to establish the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1996 and was the director of public relations and marketing for the organization from 1995 to 2007. His later career included an appointment as general secretary of the 2012 and 2013 Ice Hockey World Championships co-hosted in both Finland and Sweden. The hockey guru has written multiple books on the history of hockey in Finland, and for his great contributions to the sport, was inducted into the builder category of the Finnish Hall of Fame in 2011. He was further acknowledged as the only person from Finland to win the Paul Loicq Award in recognition for his efforts in international ice hockey in 2023. We are pleased to offer items from his personal collection that he acquired during his years as the IIHF director of public relations and marketing from 1995 to 1997, with others originating from later in his career as well as international hockey memorabilia he collected and items he was gifted.
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