The original 1961 Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup championship banner, which previously hung in the hockey team's (now-demolished) Chicago Stadium, sold for $37,500 on July 17.

The sought-after banner was last offered in 1994

Bought by restaurateur Gus Cappas in 1994 for $15,000, yesterday's sale corresponds to a 5% pa increase.

Leslie Hindman Auctioneers oversaw the sale of the colourful banner.

Demand for high-grade hockey memorabilia is huge.

In November 2012, a banner celebrating the Toronto Maple Leafs' 1967 Stanley Cup victory sold for $34,000, while Wayne Gretzky's 500th goal game-worn jersey made $297,997 (excluding buyer's premium) in June 2013.

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