Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Fall 2017
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/7/2017
Larry Aurie was one of the smallest players ever to play the game. At only 5-feet-6, 148 pounds, he played much bigger and established himself as one of Detroit's early hockey stars, combining a deft scoring touch with excellent speed and puck handling skills. His fiery competitiveness earned him the nickname "Little Dempsey" after the great heavyweight boxing champ, with his heart and desire earning him the respect of fans and fellow players. But it was Jack Adams and team owner James Norris who were most impressed and when Aurie left the Wings line-up, it was declared by Adams that no other player would wear number "6". To this day, the jersey number is considered retired in Detroit, although nothing has ever been made official.
Originally purchased in the Detroit area from the Aurie family who's collection of treasures also included Larry's 1934 Ace Bailey All-Star Benefit Game uniform, we have an extremely rare Detroit Red Wings sweater worn by the Sudbury native during the 1930s. An untouched O’Shea cloth label with size “40” swatch sit affixed just above the inside hem, with no tagging present along the collar. Styled with the famous winged-wheel team crest in felt with chain-stitched detailing, the deep red sweater has been accented with a thick cream-coloured felt reverse “6”, with single white striping band utilized over the sleeves and lower hem. Littered with at least nineteen darned wool repairs, the scarce wool has been otherwise preserved in outstanding condition.
We needn’t point out to advanced collectors that early examples hailing from Motown pale in comparison to other big league wools, with this sweater arguably the best surviving Red Wings specimen in existence. A Classic Auctions LOA will accompany, and please take note that this item may be subject to a silent reserve.
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