Toronto Maple Leafs fans will have an opportunity to own a piece of the team’s history as dozens of treasures from the iconic Maple Leaf Gardens went up for auction.
Among the 112 prized pieces up for grabs are historic photographs, a penalty box, locker room doors and a toilet from the Leafs’ locker room.
“It’s filthy, it’s disgusting … and everyone is interested in it,” auction organizer Hersh Borenstein said of the toilet Thursday, on the opening day of the auction.
Borenstein’s Frozen Pond memorabilia firm is running the auction.
He told CTV Toronto that the toilet originally sold for $3,600 in 2000. This time around, the bidding will start at $250.
Borenstein predicts the biggest seller will be the 1967 Stanley Cup banner – which proudly hung in the arena’s rafters for decades, representing a golden era in Leafs’ history.
The banner originally sold for $66,000 but Borenstein expects it to fetch much more.
“We’re hoping to hit well into six figures. That’s our goal,” said Borenstein, adding that the banner is “by far” the most expensive item on the auction block.
The items come from private collector Sherman Cunningham, who is emptying out his prized collection for which he paid more than $400,000.
Leafs’ fans interested in owning a piece of the team’s history will be looking at an estimated $600 price tag for the auction’s least-expensive pieces.
All the auction items will be on display from Thursday to Saturday at the former Maple Leafs Gardens, located at the corner of Carlton and Church Streets. The team moved to the Air Canada Centre in 2000 and the Gardens have since been converted into a grocery store and athletic centre for Ryerson University.
Bidding will continue online through Nov. 14 on the Frozenpond.com and NHL.com websites.
With a report from CTV Toronto’s John Musselman
