Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Winter 2019
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/26/2019
An important chapter in his career and fresh off a Stanley Cup championship with Montreal, Frank Mahovlich was one of 35 players personally selected by Harry Sinden in the summer of 1972 to represent his nation as a member of Team Canada, and take on the best the Soviet Union could produce in the epic Summit Series. The Big M would play in six of the eight tournament games, appearing in each of the Canadian contests, netting a pair of points including a goal and an assist. More success would await the Timmins native upon his return to Canada, with the Habs again winning the Stanley Cup in 1972-73, with Frank scoring an impressive 93 points in a season that also witnessed his milestone 500th career goal, scored on March 22nd 1973. With this his final Stanley Cup victory, Mahovlich would spend a final NHL season with the Canadiens before embarking on additional time in the WHA with both the Toros and Bulls. Scoring just over 1100 career-points along with an especially impressive 15 All-Star Game appearances, Mahovlich would be enshrined as a hockey immortal in 1981.
Originating from his personal collection, we are proud to present Frank Mahovlich’s historically important 1972 Team Canada Summit Series alternate captain’s home jersey. Tricot Maska labeling sits affixed to the collar, along with the remnants of a second original tag. Styled with the iconic maple leaf ascending from the waistline along the garment’s front section just below the alternate’s “A” over the left breast, “27” appears on verso below “Canada”, with all identifiers constructed in matching single-layer white tackle twill. The sleeves have also been shortened, with the red durene material beneath the white maple leaf removed to lighten the garment, a trait common to other Team Canada gamer jerseys from the series.
The garment’s red colouration remains deep and vibrant, with just very light toning to the sections of white material, with the crest, alternate’s “A” and verso letters/numbers all clean, with just a single stick mark on the upper portion of the maple leaf. A few additional marks from game use are visible including over the lower right sleeve, with a few tiny stains near the left seam. Lastly, some puckering has occurred to the reverse numbers, with a single team repair over the lower front, where a small hole was covered by “bunching-up” the fabric. A pair of numeric images are included, with one showing the two loose threads in the alternate captain's "A", the other, the small black spot over the left shoulder, with neither high resolution enough to call a definitive photo-match. Worn with pride by a prominent Hall of Fame member while an entire hockey-centric nation held its breath, this sweater far exceeds its status as just a sports uniform, registering as both a precious Canadian artifact and paramount cultural treasure. A Classic Auctions LOA will accompany this significant specimen.
By clicking this button, you will IMMEDIATELY bid the amount selected.
By clicking this button, you will submit this amount as your MAXIMUM (absentee) bid. The auction software will place bids on your behalf up to this amount only as it is bid against competitively by other bidder(s).