Gordie Howe’s game-worn jersey from the games in which he tied and then surpassed Maurice Richard to become the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer sold for $81,425 on Tuesday night at Classic Auctions.
The jersey is photo-matched by MeiGray to games on Oct. 27, 1963, in which he scored his record-tying 544th goal, and Nov. 10, 1963, when he scored his record-breaking 545th goal.
Howe, who played his final NHL game at the age of 52 in 1980, retired with a total of 801 goals and 1,850 points, both records which would be broken by Wayne Gretzky.
“Mr. Hockey,” widely considered among the greatest players to ever take the ice, remains third on the NHL’s all-time goals list, having been surpassed by Alex Ovechkin, who is expected to break Gretzky’s record within the calendar year.
Tuesday’s auction fittingly saw Ovechkin’s 544th goal jersey sell as well, clearing $16,000.
The passing of the torch from Richard to Howe marks one of the most significant moments in NHL history, as the two generational talents famously competed for 15 seasons in which their careers overlapped. The duo faced off four times in the Stanley Cup Finals in a five-year period between 1952 and 1956, with Howe’s Red Wings taking three of the four against Richard’s Canadiens.
After Howe scored his 545th goal, passing Richard, he told reporters, “Now, I can start enjoying life again.”
The jersey is photo-matched based on unique stitching characteristics found on the team crest, as well as various repairs to the jersey. Classic Auctions noted Howe’s No. 9 had been changed and lowered by equipment staff after the season and “recycled in some capacity” — which is not uncommon for vintage jerseys.
Other notable Howe jerseys to cross the auction block include the sweater he wore between 1968 and 1971, which SCP Auctions sold in 2016 for more than $77,800. At the time, MeiGray said it was one of eight Howe gamers matched by the company. Howe's 1964-65 jersey sold for more than $190,000 at Classic Auctions in 2024, and a jersey from his final season in Detroit sold in 2024 for more than $173,000.
The most expensive Howe card to ever sell at public auction is a PSA 8.5 copy of his 1951 Parkhurst rookie card, which fetched more than $205,000 in May 2021.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.