Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Fall 2020
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/20/2020
Fascinating images/items from George Springate’s early football career here are led by a gorgeous big team photo of the 1963 Hochelaga Helcats. What a nickname! And check out the cool devil’s tridents that appear on the helmets and killer felt pennant. Captain of the team, George appears (wearing #43) smack dab in the middle of the 16” by 20” original photograph, displaying marvelously in its apparent original wooden and wood-backed frame. The near mint 19” pennant is free of pinholes and leads us to say “find another.” An individual photo (11” x 14”) pictures “Helcat” George in his mid-twenties and is joined by three smaller laminated team photos. A Letter of Authenticity from the Springate family will accompany this splendid lot.
The three smaller team photos are approximately 7” by 9” with the two earliest images featuring squads of teenagers. We spot George wearing #17 in one (back row, sixth from the left) and #42 in the other (middle of the front row). The third pictures another edition of the Helcats, with different style helmets and our featured star standing in the middle of the back row. Finally, there’s also a 4” by 5” snapshot of George (dated 1959) as a member of the Rosemount Bombers.
The George Springate Collection
Classic Auctions is pleased to offer the personal collection of George Springate. A native Montrealer, George had an amazingly diverse and storied life. Long-time Montreal Alouettes fans know him as the placekicker for the 1970 Grey-Cup-winning Als, while also serving as a Quebec MNA; others for his police, education and political careers.
A unique Canadian, George made impressive contributions to his community, province and country throughout his life, for which he received the Order of Canada among many other honours. A superb fundraiser, he raised millions of dollars for Canadian youth, as well as other charities. Of particular interest to sports enthusiasts/collectors is his more than 50 years of organizing charity events, most particularly the dozens of celebrity skate-a-thons and Oldtimers hockey games that produced scarce and sought-after souvenirs, many featured in this auction.
While a Montreal police officer, George acquired two law degrees and played football at McGill University, was a radio and television personality, and a law professor for 33 years, co-founding the Police Technology Department at John Abbott College. Later in life, he served as a Canadian citizenship judge for 14 years, the last five as Canada’s Senior Judge. Following his death in November 2019, a House of Commons tribute stated, in part: "George was larger than life. He was a friend to all. He touched our lives by his friendship and his philanthropic work, which benefitted so many wonderful causes and organizations." Indeed, what a life!
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