Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction - March 2007
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/27/2007
Prior to Game 4 of the 1972 Canada-Russia Series In our opinion, the coolest, niftiest, neatest and most exceptional lot in Alan Eagleson’s extensive collection from his lengthy and important involvement in international hockey is this mind-boggling set of Russian nesting dolls. Like the title says, they were given to Team Canada players prior to game 4 of the famous Canada-Russia Series in 1972. The date was September 8th and the place was Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum. In the customary pre-game exchange of gifts, Team Canada players received different size dolls, and back in the dressing room, they were all “put together”. Eagleson was given the set of dolls and over in Russia he went about acquiring smaller (12-piece) sets for each member of the team. A fascinating story to go along with a fascinating display once the 32(!) pieces from Vancouver are all “out in the open”! We’ve examined each brightly painted thin wooden doll individually and can report that 16 of them exhibit cracks which for the most part are small hairline affairs, with only five dolls with what we would call significant (or more than one) cracks. Handling and viewing these pieces of hockey history is a real treat. A full-page color photo of five Canadian players holding their dolls just after receiving them is included in the classic “Twenty-seven days in September” book (page 67), and features Phil Esposito, who later that night would give his famous interview with CTV’s Johnny Esaw. Without their hockey-significant past, the dolls’ value is high, but with it, they’re priceless. The interior of the largest (two-foot high) doll is autographed in black marker by Alan Eagleson, who will also sign a letter of authenticity to be included with this one-of-a-kind chance of a lifetime.
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