Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Spring 2013
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/18/2013
An incredible piece, this amazing 1942-43 Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup championship ring is the one that was presented to Hockeytown legend Sid Abel. And what a story it has to tell! The 1942-43 Red Wings won the Prince of Wales Trophy after finishing first overall with a 25-14-11 mark and 61 points during the 50-game regular season. Detroit beat Toronto in a six-game semi-final to avenge its loss to the Maple Leafs in the final one year earlier. The Red Wings swept the Bruins in a four-game final as goalie Johnny Mowers posted shutouts in the last two games at Boston Garden to bring the Cup back to the Motor City for the third time in franchise history. Abel, the Red Wings' 24-year-old captain, finished second in playoff scoring. He had five goals and eight assists in 10 games for 13 points, one behind teammate Carl Liscombe. Abel, who died in 2000, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969 and his number 12 was retired by the Red Wings.
This historic and unique 14-karat gold ring presented by the Red Wings to Sid Abel is an extremely rare opportunity, only the second one we have encountered. Crossed hockey sticks and two pucks are engraved on the ring's flat rectangular tableau along with "Stanley Cup, 1942-43, Detroit" - all in reverse! The previous Red Wings 1943 Stanley Cup ring we sold at auction was the one awarded to Liscombe, who related the story behind its distinctive appearance. He explained that Jack Adams, the Red Wings' legendary coach and GM, "gave the team an option of a ring or a $400 bonus." Being that it was the height of World War II, it is no surprise that the Detroit players chose the money. NHL president Red Dutton, though, insisted that the players be given the bonus as well as the ring. Furious at Dutton's rebuke, Adams had the rings stamped in reverse and, as Liscombe pointed out, "made in a size too small for any of us to wear." The ring, which weighs about 10 grams, is stamped "14K" inside its size 9 1/2 band. It is wonderfully preserved with nice sharp details on the face and wear that shows in the form of very light scratches, nicks and scuffs. This historic Stanley Cup treasure from one of the greatest Red Wings of them all comes with an LOA from the Abel family.
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