Hockey stick Wayne Gretzky used at 13 to score 1,000 lifetime goal up for auction

TORONTO – The hockey stick Wayne Gretzky used when he was 13 years old to score the 1,000th goal of his life will be put up for auction.

The stick had belonged to Ron St. Amand, who was Gretzky's coach in 1974. He died last year at age 73.

Rather than decide which one of her children should inherit the stick, which has Gretzky's signature, St. Amand's widow decided to put it up for auction through Heritage Auctions. Bidding is set to close Aug. 1.

The value of the stick isn't clear because Gretzky memorabilia generally doesn't go back that far, but the New York-based auction house expects it to fetch $20,000 or more. The highest bid online as of Friday morning was $8,000.