Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction February 2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2018
In 1972 founders of a company named Hockey Diversified Inc. envisioned that each puck shot into the net to produce an official goal scored in an NHL hockey game would develop a degree of intrinsic collector value for hockey fans everywhere. The founders took this idea to the NHL and procured the rights to all such NHL pucks during regular season and playoff games for a period of five years. Pucks shot into the net for a goal were collected by the referees, given to the time keepers to label and then shipped to Hockey Diversified to further label with scoring details. The pucks were then marketed to the public by Hockey Diversified Inc. Unfortunately this idea was ahead of its time and pucks sold poorly. The program lasted only two seasons, 1972-1973 and 1973-74. Hockey Diversified Inc. dissolved shortly thereafter. Classic Auctions is honored to have been chosen by an original founder of Hockey Diversified to sell, at upcoming auctions, residual, unsold pucks from that “NHL Registered Goal Puck” collection.
Each puck originally distributed by Hockey Diversified could be obtained by mail with the buyer’s choice of team and possibly player. A label was affixed to each puck listing the scorer, team and date, along with a code that divulged which team-goal said puck accounted for. This particular puck was used by star defenceman Pat Stapleton to score the Chicago Black Hawks 237th goal of the season against the New York Rangers at MSG, on February 28, 1973. Assisted by Pit Martin, it was the Sarnia native’s 10th goal of the season, and 43rd and final NHL goal of his noteworthy career. The game-tying marker, it occurred on the power play at 15:13 of the third, with the Hawks completely even with the Rangers throughout the evening, with both clubs securing 3 goals on 25 shots. Regarding condition, the rubberized Rangers logo exhibits a slice through the bottom section, while the Goal Puck Program label remains fairly clean with just a few tiny blemishes. There is also the aforementioned slice that runs across the puck on the Rangers’ logo side. Stapleton would move onto the WHA following the 1972-73 NHL season, spending 5 years in the rebel league, appearing for Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Chicago.
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