LOT #19943 |
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1946-47 Bob Fillion Game Worn Jersey....
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Sold on Oct 18, 2008 for:
$11,950.00
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Description
1946-47 Bob Fillion Game Worn Jersey. Founded in 1909, which pre-dates the National Hockey League by eight years, the Montreal Canadiens remain the oldest continuously-operating professional ice hockey team around. With such a long-standing heritage supporting the legendary franchise, the level of reverence that accompanies "La sainte flanelle," which translates to "the holy flannel sweater," should come as no surprise to learned hockey enthusiasts.Offered here is an outstanding rarity as we present the 1946-47 red wool Canadiens sweater worn by Bob Fillion of the legendary Quebec hockey family that produced seven siblings who pursued the sport. The beautiful gamer includes the felt interlocking "C" and "H" that the team has used some variation of since the 1917-18 campaign. The white-on-blue "5" at verso has been attached to the jersey with wavy stitching. Much in the way of Fillion's on-ice use can be discerned by the ten unrepaired holes that pepper the uniform's body front and verso. Additional holes are found in the sleeve elbow areas, however many of these have been remedied by extensive team repairs. Team repairs are also in the left shoulder area as well as on the verso near the waist stripe.
In seven years with the Montreal Canadiens, Bob Fillion helped the Habs lift the Stanley Cup twice, once in 1944 and again in '46. The left-winger from Thetford Mines was a solid checker whose defensive contributions to the team were far more important than his ability to put the puck in the net. Fillion's NHL career almost exactly coincides with the onset of the Original Six Era, which means that any of his jerseys are inherently more desirable due to the demand in the hobby for this particular jersey style. Having shared the same ice as such legends as Maurice Richard, Toe Blake, Elmer Lach, and Buddy O'Connor, this iconic sweater carries with it quite a connection to greatness and will easily compliment any advanced collection.
Though Montreal set the high-water mark for the regular season in 1946-47 with 78 points, they were upended in the Cup Finals quite possibly thanks to a miscalculation by their netminder Bill Durnan. Speaking to a member of the media after the Canadiens' 6-0 drubbing of the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1, Durnan said that the Leafs did not deserve to be on the same ice as his team. When Toronto head coach Hap Day posted this quote up in his team's locker room, what ensued was a fired-up Maple Leaf squad that took four of the next five games. If not for Durnan, we may very well be offering a Championship sweater today.
Provenance is superb as this sweater was acquired by a Canadian dealer in the early 1990s from Fillion himself and was in turn sold to our consignor. What better way to commemorate the centennial of hockey's most-storied franchise than with this fine rarity from over six decades ago? Excellent vintage Habs gear is rarely found in such visually appealing condition. LOA from MeiGray. Guide Value or Estimate: $10,000 - $12,500.
Auction Info
2008 October Signature Sports Collectibles Auction #710 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
October, 2008
17th-18th
Friday-Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 3
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,139
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid per lot.
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