Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction June 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/25/2024
Setting the sports world on fire with his arrival in the fastest league in the world, Wayne Gretzky would first don an NHL sweater in the fall of 1979, and would instantly begin to rewrite the record books. Already one of the most talked about names in hockey by the time he entered the National Hockey League with the Edmonton Oilers after the fall of the rival WHA and slipping his first of 894 career goals past the Vancouver Canucks’ Ed Hanlon, on Oct 14, 1979, "The Great One" would register 137 points over 79 regular-season games – a record that still stands for the highest point total by a first-year player, with his first of eight-consecutive Hart Memorial trophies earned as the NHL’s most valuable player. Offered here, we present this stick used by Gretzky during his rookie season in the NHL with the Oilers. A Titan Pro model twig that based on research by noted Gretzky collector Shawn Chaulk would have been used by Wayne in late October of 1979 (Gretzky used multiple types of different sticks during his first season), a now faded "W. Gretzky" appears stamped over the shaft in red letters while Gretzky's number "99" has been penned above it in black marker ink. Retaining its original and now well worn white-over-black tape job wrapped around the knob/handle of the stick, which has seen all four (4) sides of the shaft shaved down and the front plus reverse of the blade as well as the lower shaft darkened, it is important to note that the stick was used by someone other than Gretzky at some point afterwards. Additionally, the stick sports a few rings of vintage black tape around the middle of the blade that is not original to the stick when Gretzky was using it as Wayne used black tape around the heel area in this era. Showing evidence that there was tape in that area at one point, there is also evidence of it having been applied over the entirety of the blade as well. Showing game-use in the form of numerous dark and coloured marks throughout the shaft, lower shaft and heel areas, including red post paint transfers, a handful of abrasions are present throughout as well while some wear also exists to the underside and top edge of the blade that is heaviest around the heel itself and over the entirety of the top edge. Finally, there is a small crack/chip in the middle of the blade at the bottom edge of the forehand side that under the applied tape that is worth mentioning for accuracy. A Classic Auctions LOA will accompany.
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