Winter Auction 2018 Ending February 17
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/18/2018
For eight seasons after World War II, Chuck Rayner starred as the goaltender for the New York Rangers of the NHL. Rayner was the lone bright spot on a series of consistently lackluster Rangers teams, earning a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame despite having a losing record in his career. Rayner made three All-Star teams during his career, which was interrupted for three seasons due to World War II. During the War, Rayner starred for the Victoria Navy team that competed in the minor league Pacific Coast Hockey League.
Rayner’s best season came in 1949-50, when he became only the second goaltender in NHL history after Roy Worters to win the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the most valuable player in the NHL. The Rangers finished in fourth place in the NHL that season, qualifying for the playoffs and handing the Montreal Canadiens a shock defeat in the first round. The Rangers faced a Detroit Red Wings team loaded with future Hall of Famers in the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals, a final series that ended with a thrilling double-overtime contest at the Detroit Olympia. Rayner kept the Rangers in the game for over 88 minutes, before a Pete Babando goal put the Red Wings over the top. Rayner retired from the NHL after the 1952-53 season, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.
Offered here is a miniature Hart Trophy, presented to Rayner on March 15th, 1989 by the New York Rangers. The trophy measures approximately 14 ½ inches tall, with a weight of roughly 2.6 pounds, and resembles a silver torch atop a hexagonal wooden pedestal. The top of the trophy is surrounded by a decorative design that resembles flames. “Hart Memorial Trophy / Presented to the National Hockey League as it’s [sic] / Most Valuable Player Award” is etched on the decorative top piece of the trophy. A small plaque on the pedestal is etched with “Chuck Rayner 1949-50 Presented by New York Rangers March 15, 1989”. The top is slightly tarnished, but otherwise this is a truly astounding display piece. This item comes with a LOA from the Rayner family.