Circa 1969-70 Gordie Howe Game Used and Team Signed Northland Custom Pro Stick.
This stick was used by Gordie Howe in either the 1969-70 season or at the start of the 1970-71 season as indicated by the fact it was signed by 18 members of the team who played at the very start of the 1970-71 season only. This stick has all the correct indicators for a stick used by Gordie Howe in this era. He used this style of Northland Custom Pro frequently during this period. His name "HOWE" is stamped on the blade correctly. The black bulldog tape on the blade is consistent with the his style while the tape has been removed from the knob to accommodate the autographs. The stick shows several puck marks and nice wear to the blade while remaining free of any cracks or breaks.
The lie on this stick is a “6R”, (six - right) which is consistent with most Howe sticks used in this period. In his career he was known to use everything from a 5 to a 7.
The signatures were done on one side of the stick in a red ink which bled into the wood causing some of them to be difficult to discern, however I was able to identify 17 player signatures along with that of trainer, Lefty Wilson. Only one signature has me stumped right now.
From top of the shaft to the base we have the following autographs:
- Red Berenson
- Wayne Connelly
- Bob Baun
- Bob Falkenberg
- Gary Bergman
- Lefty Wilson (trainer)
- Frank Mahovlich
- Dale Rolfe
- Gordie Howe
- ?
- Billy Dea
- Jim Rutherford
- Alex Delvecchio
- Jim Niekamp
- Jim Shires
- Al Karlander
- Gary Unger
- Roy Edwards
- Pete Stemkowski