Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction February 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2016
Incredible and extremely rare 1930s Toronto Maple Leafs game-worn blue wool sweater evokes long ago memories of the Kid Line and trip after trip to the Stanley Cup finals. After their first Stanley Cup win in 1932, the Maple Leafs produced great playoff teams throughout the rest of the decade, yet were unable to reclaim hockey's top prize despite the presence of top line forwards Charlie Conacher, Joe Primeau and Harvey "Busher" Jackson, all Hall-of-Famers. This rare Leafs beauty was originally obtained from the family of Jack Shill, a left wing who played 42 games with Toronto in the mid-1930s, including the 1936-37 season when he recorded eight points in 32 games. Shill wore a variety of numbers over the course of his stints with the Leafs, including #19, which is sewn onto the back of this vintage sweater in white felt. Turk Broda also wore #19 briefly as a rookie in 1936-37. Broda took over goaltending duties from fellow Hall-of-Famer George Hainsworth, who appeared in three games before he was traded to the Canadiens. The Maple Leafs debuted this particular style of their blue jersey in 1934-35, when Shill was loaned to the Boston Bruins. He returned to the Leafs the following season and appeared in three regular season games before contributing three assists in nine playoff games. "Toronto Maple Leafs" is spelled out in individual blue felt letters sewn with white thread onto the sensational white felt veined maple leaf crest on the front. The #19 in white felt sewn onto the back of the jersey remains remarkably clean. The blue wool on the outside of the sweaters has faded somewhat, not surprising for a jersey that dates back over 70 years. A couple of dozen holes are to note throughout the jersey, none nearly as large as a dime. A "Monarch Knit All Wool" tag is sewn inside the front left hem, and a look at the interior of the sweater gives a sense of the rich royal blue color originally displayed. A truly wonderful opportunity for Maple Leafs/ rare jersey collectors!
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