Barilko’s disappearance in 1951, four months after shooting the winning Stanley Cup goal against the Montreal Canadiens, had fueled many superstitions as to the Leafs inability to regain the Stanley Cup in the years after his disappearance. Many believed that the curse of Bill Barilko would not end until his body was found in the mountains where his plane, the Fairchild 24, had gone missing. As the news of his disappearance hit the media, the largest search-and-rescue operation in Canadian history took place. The Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Canadian Air Force Rescue Coordination Centre began their formal search on August 29th, with headquarters set up at the little airport in Kapuskasing, a pulp-and-paper town on Highway 11 in the north. Barilko’s disappearance fueled many rumours about him disappearing to the Soviet Union to teach hockey as well as other variations of the same story but none rang true as Barilko’s body was discovered 11 years later on June 7, 1962. Garry Fields, a pilot with Lands and Forests discovered the remains of the Fairchild 24 and Barilko’s remains while flying on duty. Five weeks after the Toronto Maple Leafs broke their curse and won back the Stanley Cup.
The haunting story related to the Schaefer Cup makes it an invaluable addition to anyone’s history collection. The cup is 1PT pewter cup, weighing 1.25lbs, was manufactured by Dunhill and made in England, and it is an original custom item - 1/1 very rare. This item comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and Guarantee under Auctionwire’
This charity auction will benefit Helping Cope Through Hope a non-profit, non-partisan, voluntary Christian Outreach Organization established on June 11, 2005.
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