Pelle Lindbergh & 1981 Swedish Hockey Team Signed Hockey Yearbook

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This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/2/2015

Lindbergh (D. 1985 at age 26) was a Swedish goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers. Having gained fame while playing for local team Hammarby in his youth, and especially making his debut in the highest Swedish hockey league with AIK (Stockholm) leading him to the Swedish national team in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, Lindbergh set his sights on the North American game. Lindbergh owns the distinction of being the goaltender on the only team that did not lose to the gold-medal-winning Team USA at the 1980 Olympics, as his Team Sweden and Team USA played to a 2-2 tie in the first game of the tournament. After being drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft (2nd round, 35th overall), he started out his North American career during the 1980–81 season by playing a couple seasons for the Maine Mariners of the AHL before playing his first games for the Flyers in 1981–82. In 1982–83, he was named goalie of the NHL All-Rookie Team. He led the NHL with 40 victories during the 1984–85 season and won the Vezina Trophy, the first European goaltender to do so in NHL history. That same year, he was also named a First Team All-Star. In addition Lindbergh was the first goalie to bring a water bottle on ice with him during NHL games. Lindbergh did this to combat severe dehydration he commonly suffered from. This practice first drew criticism from opponents and coaches alike, but is now the norm for NHL goaltenders. On November 10, 1985, he drove his customized Porsche 930 Turbo into a wall in front of a Somerdale, New Jersey elementary school. Lindbergh died the next day. Anything signed by Lindbergh is very RARE. We offer a picture booklet put out for the Swedish team for the Canada Cup September 1-13, 1981 signed by Lindbergh and 23 other coaches and players on the team. In addition to Lindbergh the book includes autographs of Kent and Ulf Nilson, Petterson, Steen, Salming, Gradin, Andersson, Hedberg, Kallur, Lundholm, Molin, Eriksson, Jonsson, and Coach Parmstrom and Nilsson. WOW!!!! Talk about rare. comes with a JSA auction letter.