Wayne Gretzky’s final game in an Oilers uniform, in which Edmonton clinched the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in five years, has spawned two of the biggest records in hockey memorabilia: Gretzky’s jersey and stick from that game both sold for NHL records ($1.45 million and $336,000, respectively).
His gloves from that historic contest set a record Monday as well when they sold for $482,600 at Sotheby's.
The gloves, which already owned the NHL record with a $204,162 sale in 2022, went for more than double that amount three years later. The auction house had placed a pre-sale estimate of $400,000 to $600,000 on the photo-matched gloves.
During the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Gretzky recorded 43 points across 19 games in one of the greatest performances in playoff history.
The game-worn memorabilia market has been on a rapid ascent over the last few years. Gretzky, in particular, has been the subject of multiple headline-grabbing sales, including the aforementioned memorabilia from the final game in an Oilers uniform, as well as the sale of his final career game jersey for $715,120 in 2023.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for [cllct], the premier company for collectible content.