Historical Hockey Memorabilia Spring 2012
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/12/2012
This magnificent gold and diamond creation was presented to Pit Martin after he helped the Chicago Black Hawks to the NHL regular season championship in 1969-70. Chicago and Boston actually each finished with 99 points, but the Hawks had five more wins than the Bruins and were awarded the Prince of Wales Trophy. Martin, who had come to the Hawks in the lopsided trade that sent Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield to the Bruins following the '66-67 season, turned out to be the best of the arriving trio which included Gilles Marotte and goalie Jack Norris. The crafty center contributed his first of three 30-goal seasons in '69-70, adding 33 assists for 63 points, to take third place in team scoring behind perennial leaders Stan Mikita (86) and Bobby Hull (67). Martin was recognized at season's end when he was named winner of the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey.
Pit's personal championship memento meanwhile features a huge 1.2 carat diamond, valued at more than the ring's opening bid, and is surrounded by 12 smaller real diamonds of approximately three to five points. Encircling the glittering gems is "69 NHL 70 Champions" in raised lettering. One shank features the famous Hawks Indian head logo, along with "Chicago" on a banner above and "Harmony" below. The other shank includes an American flag and a raised image of the Prince of Wales trophy, with "H. Martin" above and a partially worn "Pride" below. The inside band is stamped "Josten 10K". The ring is size 10-1/2 and will be accompanied by a letter of authenticity from the dealer who originally sold it on behalf of Martin in 1999. We spot a few light scratches upon magnification, with visible wear exhibited on the shank bearing the late Martin's name. A native of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Pit died tragically in a snowmobile accident in December of 2008 at age 64. Known for his clean play, the 5'8" center skated in over 1,100 NHL games, scoring 324 goals and totalling 809 points. Good luck with this captivating keepsake.
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