Ken LeBlanc and his hockey memorabilia
Scroll through photos of the PropertyGuys' co-founder's collection. To read about his "splurge," <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-growth/success-stories/he-shoots-he-scores-with-hockey-memorabilia/ /article2256742/">click here.</a>
PropertyGuys.com Inc. co-founder and hockey memorabilia collector Ken LeBlanc watches, appropriately enough, a hockey game with his daughter, Isabelle, 5, at their Moncton home. Both are sporting Leafs jerseys bearing No. 81, which belongs to leading goal scorer Phil Kessel.
Some of the memorabilia belonging to PropertyGuys co-founder Ken LeBlanc carefully displayed in the sports memorabilia room in his home, including souvenir banners, autographed pucks, mini jerseys and photographs. Much of the collection focuses on his favourite team, The Toronto Maple Leafs, and two of his favourite players, former Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings all-star Wayne Gretzky and current Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
A Wayne Gretzky original tabletop hockey game. Above it is a personally autographed Gretzky photo, and beside it, a stadium seat from Maple Leaf Gardens, with the auction number he used to purchase it, sitting on top
Ken LeBlanc's showcase and displays of sports cards, pucks and magazine covers. The thousands of cards he owns include rookie and autographed ones. He also has about 1,600 autographed pucks.
Autographed pucks from Sidney Crosby, including a favoured one that Ken LeBlanc asked the Pittsburgh Penguins captain to sign when he was just 16. He says the hockey player was so gracious and friendly that he became a lifetime fan and will likely never bring himself to part with that puck.
PropertyGuys' Ken LeBlanc with his cherished Sidney Crosby autographed puck.
Ken LeBlanc's daughter, Isabelle, sits in one of his most treasured possessions: a vinyl seat from Maple Leaf Gardens from the section in which Mr. LeBlanc sat when he watched the last hockey game played by the Toronto Maple Leaf and the Montreal Canadiens at the legendary stadium in 1998. He bought the seat for $1,400, bubble gum still stuck to it, at an auction of Gardens memorabilia.
A certificate of authenticity for seat no. 15, section 95, row M from famed Maple Leaf Gardens. Ken LeBlanc bought the seat at auction for $1,400 commemorating the fact that he attended the last game played by the Leafs and the Canadiens at the Gardens, and sat in that very section.
A stadium seat from Maple Leaf Gardens that PropertyGuys' Ken Leblanc purchased at auction.
Another view of his showcase of sports cards, magazine covers and figurines of 'The Great One'
Ken LeBlanc's collection also includes cereal and Kraft Dinner boxes bearing Wayne Gretzky's image. Mr. Leblanc’s collection includes every Wayne Gretzky hockey card made, replica Gretzky jerseys from every team Mr. Gretzky has played on, several eight-by-10 photos of “The Great One” and hockey gloves that Mr. Gretzky wore during his 1992-1993 season with the L.A. Kings.
The pile of cards are all about The Great One, from his rooky card to his retirement, as well as autographed pucks
A certificate of authenticity for a puckused in an Ed Belfour shutout game. Above it is a picture of Ken LeBlanc and his father, Gerry, sitting in Tie Domi's private box at the Air Canada Centre.
Ken LeBlanc's "500 club," glass case, featuring autographed pucks by NHL players who scored over 500 goals in their career
Another wall of the sports memorabilia room that includes a hockey helmet signed by all of Team Canada on winnning a gold medal. Other notables: bottles of wine from Wayne Gretzky's winery, a Gretzky bobblehead, autographed photos and pucks
The light fixture in Ken LeBlanc's sports memorabilia room is a replica of a Maple Leafs score clock
A shadow box autographed photo of No. 27, former Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings player Darryl Sittler.
Some of the hockey jerseys that form part of Ken LeBlanc's memorabilia collection. He owns about 45 jerseys, including some that were game-worn and others are are autographed or replicas. No. 87: Sidney Crosby, one of Ken LeBlanc's favourite players.
PropertyGuys' Ken LeBlanc stretches at the Moncton Coliseum before playing in a Property Guys-sponsored gentlemen's hockey league. He wears No. 67, for the last year the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup and the year he was born.
PropertyGuys' Ken LeBlanc, right, with his father, Gerry. As a child, he would don a Leafs sweater for the Saturday night ritual of watching Hockey Night in Canada with his father.