TORONTO -- A hockey stick believed to have been carved
between 1852 and 1856 was sold at auction for $2.2 million and will
be displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The hickory stick is purported to be the oldest hockey stick.
The oldest stick now on display in the Hall of Fame is from 1881.
Seller Gord Sharpe said 26 bids were submitted worldwide, with
the winning bid from a Canadian who plans to offer the stick to the
hall.
Proceeds from the sale will go to fanscharity.com and its World
Charity Award program, both run by Sharpe. The goal is to promote
the importance of charities, particularly those aimed at children.
Sharpe said the stick was carved by Alexander Rutherford and
handed down to him by his great uncle, Melville Rutherford. Before
the auction, Sharpe's stick was on display in a glass case in Wayne
Gretzky's Toronto restaurant.