Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction Fall 2022
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/21/2022
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, 1972-1973 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 that “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 divulged which team-goal said puck accounted for. At the onset of the NHL Puck Program, goal pucks were offered to collectors mounted on aluminum plaques. These were costly to produce and sold poorly. Fewer than 150 were produced for sale to collectors, and very few remain. Offered here is one such plaque. This particular puck was used by left winger Marc Tardiff to score the Montreal Canadiens 1st goal of season vs the Minnesota North Stars at the Montreal Forum on October 7, 1972. Assisted by Rejean Houle, the Granby QC native scored this game-winning goal at 4:29 of the 1st period for his 1st goal of the season and 54th of his 194 career goals. Montreal defeated the North Stars 3-0. Tardif’s goal was the 1st NHL Registered Goal Puck and Plaque of the Program scored in Montreal. The rubberized Canadiens crest remains fairly clean while exhibiting light crazing. The aluminum plaque remains in good condition with light scratches and marks present while the cardboard easel is still affixed to the reverse.
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