Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction February 2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2018
Indeed meriting an adjective in the title is this fabulous early hockey award, accompanied by a fascinating story. A week-long winter sporting event already planned in Burlington, Vermont for February of 1886 became a full-fledged winter carnival when the already famous Montreal Winter Carnival, which had begun in 1883, had to be cancelled because of a smallpox epidemic. Officials from Burlington received admirable cooperation from Montreal organizers who, as the Burlington Free Press reported, "have not consented to our borrowing the name and spirit of the carnival, but have generously offered to assist us in every possible way." The hockey matches involved the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association and the Montreal Crystals, who disputed the Montreal City championship that year, and the local Van Ness House club, with Ottawa withdrawing after mild weather forced the Carnival dates back a week to February 22-26. Lake Champlain was the hockey venue, more specifically the Central Vermont railroad slip, protected on three sides by docks which gave spectators a fine vantage point. The hockey matches were saved for the final day of the Carnival, with the Montreal A.A.A. and Crystals battling through two scoreless 20 minute "games" before R. Smith of the AAA scored in sudden-death in the first hockey game ever played in the area. The AAA club, winners of the 1885 Montreal Winter Carnival tournament, then captured the championship in Burlington by beating the Van Ness House team, (its members playing their first match ever after only a few practice sessions), 3-0 in two 15-minute "games." The silver medal was then won by the Crystals who beat the locals 1-0, the match reduced to two 10-minute frames because of gusting winds and snow drifts which hampered spectators' visibility!
Text shown in an 1886 Vermont Winter Carnival program states that 7 gold medals were presented to the winners (the Montreal AAA), and 7 silver medals were presented to the other tournament finalists (Montreal Crystals). The gold-plated championship medal offered here was presented to an unknown member of the Montreal AAA team. All original and with two hockey players depicted on the nickel-size piece encircled by a golden wreath, the backdrop of which dangles from crossed hockey sticks, the award is identified "1886" on a fancy metal piece fastened to a red and blue-striped ribbon. The "B-C-C" initials at the top likely represent Burlington Coasting Club, the original organizers of the "week of winter sports" which turned into the Carnival. A few very minor defects to the ribbon is to note, so is minor scratches on a small area of the back of medal done by a jeweler to test its gold content, but overall, the rarity has been preserved in splendid condition and is from a tournament which saw the first organized hockey game played between Canadian and American teams. Yes, history was made on Lake Champlain over 130 years ago!
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