Back for another instalment of the “Display Case”, and boys do we have a doozy!!! The true measure of an other-worldly collectible is a great piece and a great story. This one DEFINITELY exceeds on both counts! You don’t need me to tell you though, as owner Mike Hoffman, a Philidelphia lawyer, spins quite the narrative for us...

I have a piece of memorabilia that I love, I use, and I had to get out of a police impound.

I have plenty of pictures and will send them along if you find this story intriguing. About 2.5 years ago, about 6 months after Paul Holmgren replaced Bob Clarke as the GM of the Flyers, Flyers’ Charities (first at a “Meet the Flyers Event” and then on the NHL’s website) offered Clarke’s desk for sale. It didn’t sell for the $500 asking price. Being in South Jersey and knowing that I had a big enough vehicle to move it, I made an offer of $350 for this desk. We settled on $425, right in the middle of those two.

The day we scheduled pickup ended up being the day of the Phillies World Series parade. I went to the Flyers practice facility. All was there but the center drawer, with a note that I could pick that up at a later date, as certain autographs still being acquired for it. That was fine. The day happened to be when my mother, and law office manager, was on vacation with my father (and law partner). My mother, one with a penchant for the dramatic and vulgar, owns a 1988 GMC Suburban (yes OWNS – STILL!!!) with the words “MOTHER TRUCKER” written on the back. This vehicle is the one I brought to the facility to pick up this desk.

While waiting for the 5 guys it would take to load this monster into the truck, I was watching the parade on the TVs. A guy walks up to the desk and I know who it is right away. I give a knowing nod to Marty Biron, who is also watching the parade with interest. The guys load the desk in my car, and I head off for the 45 minute drive back to my office. About 10 minutes after leaving the facility, I notice a police car following very close behind me. Being a municipal court attorney, I don’t get fazed by this, because I wasn’t speeding, due to the precious cargo. Upon the road turning from 2 lanes to 4 lanes, and obviously at the outer edge of this cop’s jurisdiction, he switches on the lights. I pull into a parking lot. He asks for my license and I give it to him. He asks for the car’s documents. My mother has them, in St. Thomas. So, I explain to the officer to please check the insurance database. I have insurance on my vehicle which would confer insurance onto this vehicle and my parents also have insurance. As for the registration, he tells me its’ 8 months expired. Yikes, Mom! I tell him I will correct it immediately upon getting back to my hometown, and I to please write me the ticket for not having the correct documents at the correct time and I will pay them, as she should have had them in the car.

Unfortunately, this cop took me for a smartass, because I used the statute numbers and explained that I do this type of law all the time. He told me that because of the no insurance ticket he was going to write, he was going to impound the vehicle. On a Friday night, 30 minutes from my house, with a dead cell phone, a cop just told me he is impounding my mother’s car, with Bobby Clarke’s DESK inside. I tell him what the cargo is, and I inform him of its priceless nature (not that I just paid $425 for it) and that should any damage come to the desk, I would immediately file tort claims against the municipality and the tow driver. He told me they would be careful, dropped me at a convenience store (without a phone of course) and left. I was obviously upset and the woman in the store asked me if I wanted to use the phone. I called my secretary, told her where to have my wife pick me up and where to send the letters of representation with the ticket numbers. Then, I told her to contact my mechanic to try to get the car’s docs from DMV and get them to the impound to get the car, as the storage fees for the weekend would likely add up to be significant. They were $300 when the car was released on Monday.

The tickets were dismissed, the prosecutor told me “well, at least you have a story out of it!” Through gritted teeth, I thanked him. Then, I moved the desk into the reception area of my office, where it still resides. It has gouges on the inside of the leg areas from where skates on crossed legs were used by its owner. This is the desk that Clarke stared down Carl Lindros across. This is the desk where Clarke made the decision to stop doing his job and hand the reigns to Holmgren. The center drawer is signed inside by Clarke, Holmgren, Bill Barber, Dave Brown, Bernie Parent, Gary Dornhoeffer and Bob “the Hound” Kelly. I didn’t really want kelly. . . . but when dorny signed kelly was there and signed too. Underneath the drawer, a few players (who thought someone buying a desk as memorabilia was funny) also autographed, Briere, Carter, Gagne, Richards among the many.

I put up a plaque with the cert of authenticity and a pic of Holmgren with the desk and Clarke with the cup. It’s a great desk a great story, and its functionally used every day.



The Winners Picture




The COA




The Signed Drawer






The Ticket




The Skate Marks




The Desk in Use




What a story!!! Hope everyone enjoyed it, and remember that you can share your prized collectible by emailing me a picture(s) and story at the address below! They may not all be as elaborate as this one by any means, but we’d love to hear them! So share away and you could be featured in the “Display Case”!

Shawn Gates
[email protected]
Twitter: ShawnHockeybuzz
Facebook: Shawn Gates
BBM: 311A4F7D

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Ultimate Set Build

INDEX



Previous “Display Case” Articles

#1: The “Frankenstick!”



Previous "Devil's In The Details" Articles

#1: Beware the "Factory Sealed Box"!

#2: The Price Guide"

#3: What IS A Rookie Card?


Previous Product Previews & Reviews

2010-11 Panini Score Hockey
2010-11 Panini Certified Hockey
2010-11 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia, 10th Edition


Previous “Who Am I?” Articles

#1, #2, #3, #4, #5


Previous “WHAT IF…?” Articles

#1 What If The NHL Contracted To 24 Teams?

#2 What If Quebec Traded Lindros To The Rangers Instead Of The Flyers?

#3 What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?

#3a What If Calgary Drafted Martin Brodeur Instead Of Trevor Kidd?: A RESPONSE

#4 What If The WHA Never Existed?

#5 What If The Position Of Rover Had Not Been Eliminated?

#6 What If Pittsburgh Had Not Been Awarded A Team In 1967?

#7 What If Steve Smith Had Not Scored In His Own Net In Game 7?

#8 What If The NHL Had a Cross-Conference Playoff Structure?

#9 What If The NHL Asked For Fan Ideas For Improving The Game??

#10 What If Henderson Had Missed The Net In Game 8?

#11 What If You Could Sneak Into A Stanley Cup Celebration?

#12 What If The NHL Returned To Quebec City?

#13 What if Toronto and Edmonton Had Traded Teams in 1981?

#14 What if You Could Create Your Own Hockey Dream Team?

#15 What if An Active Player in the NHL “Came Out” as Gay?

#16 You Could Assemble Your Own Fantasy Pick-up Hockey Team?

#17 Hockey Had A Champions League Tournament?

#18 Team "X" Did NOT Make Trade "Y" At The Deadline?

#19 Gretzky Had Been Called For he High Stick?

#20 Star Players Hadn't Had Their Careers Cut Short?


Previous “Devil's Advocate” Articles

Gary Bettman and the Phoenix Coyotes


Previous “According to Twitter” Articles

Olympic Gold Medal Game

Olympic Hockey

Kovalchuk Trade


Previous “Humpday Hockey Videos”

January 20, 2010: Pain for Pleasure

January 27, 2010: National Anthems

February 3, 2010: Dion Phaneuf

February 10, 2010: Hockey Fans



Previous “Who Knew?” Articles
#1: Gordie Howe

#2: The Zamboni

#3: Maurice “The Rocket” Richard

#4: Ron Hextall

#5: Stanley Cup Abuse, Neglect and Versatility

#6: The Puck

#7: Don Cherry

#8: Cam Neely

#9: The Early Years of Les Canadiens

#10: Hockey Superstitions!

#11: Olympic Hockey Pt1



Previous “Town Without A Team” Articles

Booger Hollow, Arkansas

Hell, Michigan



Previous “Hockey Psychology” Articles

State Dependent Learning

Arousal and Performance

Depression