Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction Fall 2022
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/21/2022
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, 1972-73 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 the “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 disclosed which team-goal said puck accounted for. This particular puck was used by iconic superstar and HOF center Phil Esposito to score the Boston Bruins 45th playoff goal of the season vs the Chicago Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium on April 30, 1974. Assisted by superstar Bobby Orr, the Sault Ste. Marie native scored the goal at 18:44 of the 3rd period for his 7th goal of the playoffs and 44th of his career, with a total of 61 career playoff goals scored. Boston won the game 4-2 on Chicago ice to eliminate Chicago in six games and to move into the Cup Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers. The rubberized Blackhawks logo has a good scrape on the outer edge that extends into the puck while the Goal Puck Program label remains clean with a light blemish at the bottom while light wear to the rest of the puck is exhibited.
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