1980 Rob McClanahan "The Miracle on Ice" Game Used Stick that Scored the Game Winning Goal in Gold Medal Game. ...

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Sold on May 3, 2013 for:

$38,837.50 Bid Source: Mail/Fax bidder

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1980 Rob McClanahan "The Miracle on Ice" Game Used Stick that Scored the Game Winning Goal in Gold Medal Game. "If you lose this game, you'll take it to your graves." Coach Brooks spun on his heels, took a few steps, paused, and turned once again to face his team. "To your #%$&ing graves," he repeated. After the most improbable and glorious of victories against what every expert believed was an invincible foe, the Americans sat in the locker room during the second intermission of the Finland game two days later, 20 minutes from seeing the Gold Medal slip from their grasp. Perhaps drained by the exertion and emotion of the greatest underdog victory in American sports history, the US team had come out flat in the finale, and trailed the Finns by a score of 2-1 in the Gold Medal game.

But in those last 20 minutes, the scrappy young American squad charged from the gate to start the third, evening the score at two when Phil Verchota took a Dave Christian pass in the left circle and found the back of the net at 2:25. Smelling blood, the young Americans pressed onward, and took the lead three minutes later when star forward Robbie McClanahan accepted a Mark Johnson pass and went five-hole on the Finn goalie for what would prove to be the game-winner. Johnson would finish the American attack and lock up the Gold at three and a half minutes left in regulation with a short-handed score, the last of three unanswered goals in the third and final period.

Fresh off our historic Platinum Night Auction, in which we sold Mike Eruzione's game-winning stick from the "Miracle on Ice" game against the Soviets, here we present McClanahan's "KOHO 221" stick he used to score the game winner against Finland in the 1980 Winter Olympics gold medal game. Wrestled away from many spectators by the friend of our consignor (Mike Eruzione's first cousin) after many of the United States players threw their sticks into the stands, this historic twig displays perfect characteristics in every way.

It can be definitively video matched at the 11-14 second mark of the first Youtube video below, as McClanahan comes onto the bench, and again the "KOHO 221" stick is seen in the second Youtube video below as he scored the historic go-ahead goal.

The original black tape has since been removed, but remnants are easily visible on the knob and blade. In addition, "MC CLANAHAN" is properly stamped in black ink on the upper shaft of this uncracked stick, while the lower shaft still displays its red and transparent striped sticker.

With bidding starting out at a conservative $5,000, and while taking into consideration the comparable Eruzione stick recently setting a record price at more than $260,000, we fully expect this to be one of the most exciting and significant lots in our May catalog auction. Notarized letter of provenance from Richard Fucillo (Mike Eruzione's first cousin).

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