Historical Hockey Memorabilia Spring 2012
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/12/2012
A mesmerizing, captivating and thought-provoking treasure, perhaps one of the most desirable historic Toronto Maple Leaf mementos ever to be offered for public sale, is this marvelous gold and diamond creation, presented to none other than Bill Barilko after he helped the blue and white to the Stanley Cup championship in 1948. For Barilko and the Leafs, it was the second of three consecutive Cup triumphs, this one acquired by sweeping the Red Wings in the finals, with Harry Watson's first period goal proving to be the Cup-winner as Toronto clinched with a 7-2 win in Detroit in Syl Apps' final game in a Leaf uniform. Turk Broda had shutout the Wings 2-0 in game 3 at the Olympia, while the first two games of the series, at Maple Leaf Gardens, saw the Leafs post 5-3 and 4-2 victories. The youngest team to win the Cup the previous season, Toronto had taken the '47-48 regular season crown, acquiring Max Bentley from Chicago in a blockbuster trade in early November, the Dipsy-Doodle-Dandy playing huge and paying huge dividends with 48 points in 53 games, before leading the playoffs in assists as the Maple Leafs took out Boston in five semi-final games, with Barilko contributing a goal along the way.
Young Bashin' Bill had journeyed a long way to join the Leafs late the previous season. The defenseman from northern Ontario earned his nickname for his hard body checks after being called up by Conn Smythe following a recommendation by Tommy Anderson, Barilko's veteran defense partner with the Hollywood Wolves of the Pacific Coast Hockey League. Traveling from California in planes, trains, and automobiles, Barilko arrived in Toronto and went on to help the Leafs to four Stanley Cup victories in five years. The legend of Barilko grew after the strapping and popular blueliner scored the Cup-winning goal in overtime in game five of the '51 Cup finals against Montreal, in what was to be the last game he ever played. The hero went missing on a summer fishing trip, never to be seen again. Search party after search party came back from the James Bay area without a trace of the small plane he and a companion were in. The wreck was finally discovered in January of 1962, a few months before the Leafs won their first Cup since Barilko's famous goal 11 years earlier!
As for this exceptional keepsake, it features a glimmering, substantial, (approximately .56 carat), diamond on the face, with an inverted horseshoe bearing those wonderful words, "Maple Leafs - World Champions." Below is "1947-48" with both the outer edges of the year and the aforementioned words exhibiting marked wear and the original blue paint that acted as the background having partially worn-off. On the interior of the size 11 ring is where "BIRKS 10K" and the hallmark are stamped. Expected light scratches and some small dents are detected upon magnification. Originally purchased from Bill Barilko's nephew in 1986, with the chain of ownership from then on being known. The thought that it was once worn with pride by Bill Barilko, one of eight Leafs to drink from Lord Stanley's silverware in five years, but who died at just 24 years of age, is stirring. A letter of provenance will accompany this sensational piece.
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