2013-14 Alexander Ovechkin Game Used & Signed Hockey Stick - The Grice Brothers Collection. ...

Description

2013-14 Alexander Ovechkin Game Used & Signed Hockey Stick - The Grice Brothers Collection. In the 2013-14 NHL season, Alexander Ovechkin continued to dominate as the Washington Capitals' offensive leader. He scored 51 goals, winning his fourth Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer. Ovechkin added 28 assists, totaling 79 points in 78 games. Despite his individual brilliance, the Capitals missed the playoffs, finishing fifth in the Metropolitan Division. Ovechkin's defensive play was often criticized, as he finished the season with a -35 plus-minus rating. However, his goal-scoring prowess remained elite, and he participated in the 2014 Winter Olympics, representing Russia in Sochi, though the team fell short of expectations.

Ovechkin terrorized the opposition when he used this Bauer "TotalOne NXG" stick during the 2013-14 season. Perry Nelson's research reveals the tape job is consistent with sticks from this era. The blade tape has been removed for Ovechkin to sign on in silver paint pen. "Ovie 8" is stamped on the handle. Good use is exhibited. LOA from Perry Nelson. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from Beckett Authentication Services.

More Information: A pair of conscientious brothers from Colorado, 20-year-old Austin and 12-year-old Blake Grice, have always taken it upon themselves to make a positive difference in this world. They believe in putting others first and helping whenever and wherever they can. Toward that end, they have consistently donated their time and efforts to raise money for charities including the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Derek Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation, the Roger Clemens Foundation, and various charities that support Autism research, a condition that Austin lives with every day.

This time around, however, the Grice Brothers are auctioning off their private game-used (and signed) hockey stick collection, which has taken more than a decade to build. All the money raised with this latest effort through Heritage Auctions will go to the Assist the Officer Foundation to benefit the family of Darron Burks, a Dallas Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty on August 30, 2024. A rookie officer in his first year on the job, Burks was new to the force after leaving his job of more than 16 years as a high school math teacher and coach at Texans Can Academies. He felt a calling to join the police force and make a difference. He was 46 years old.

While Officer Burks' senseless execution was reason enough, the fact that his passing occurred within the same week as the tragic deaths of Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau compelled the Grice Brothers to spring into action. The Gaudreau Brothers were struck by a car while riding bicycles in Salem County, New Jersey, on August 29. They were at home to serve as groomsmen at the wedding of their sister, Katie, the next day. Their tragic deaths gained plenty of attention since Johnny Gaudreau was a starting left wing for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.

Barrie Grice, their father, wants people (and collectors) to know that his sons genuinely believe in giving back and that he is always amazed by their giving nature. "Our sons have always been selfless, and God-fearing young men," he shared.

"The boys went through the hockey stick collection they built, looking for the Johnny Gaudreau stick they knew they had," he continued. "Sure enough, they found it, and decided they wanted to sell it to raise money for the police officer, using Johnny and Matthew's spirits to help another, uniting tragedies in kindness. Brothers honoring brothers."

Their game-used hockey stick collection is now up for bid at Heritage Auctions through December 7, 2024. It includes 19 game-used hockey sticks from NHL stars ranging from Peter Forsberg, Tukka Rask and Patrick Kane to Alex Ovechkin, John Tavares and Vladimir Tarasenko. Within that lineup, 14 of the sticks also boast the autograph of the original owner. A single-signed puck also is part of the mix, that one coming from the late Johnny Gaudreau.

While the acquisition of each of the different items has a unique story behind it, one stick has meant more to the Grice Brothers than any other. When Blake was born, he spent his first month in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to his extremely premature birth. During that time, Austin attended a L.A. Kings/Colorado Avalanche game where he was given an autographed, game-used stick from Kings center Anze Kopitar.

"When Blake was talking to Austin about it on the phone [Austin is away at college, studying at the Univ. of Colorado Boulder], he asked his brother if he was sure he wanted to give that stick up. Austin responded: 'There are more important things than a hockey stick, Blake. Like with your birth, the main thing is you are okay, and you are here to be my brother. Those families lost people forever. It's fine, let's donate that one too.'

"My wife and I were just amazed, speechless."

The online auction runs from November 14 through December 7 at Heritage Auctions.