1958-59 Topps #43 – Charlie Burns

Paging through a binder of old hockey cards, this one of Charlie Burns–donning a helmet–sticks out like a sore thumb. Of course, he must have really stood out on the ice during his rookie season of 1958-59. Back then, Burns was the only NHL player to wear a helmet.

Burns sustained a head injury while playing junior hockey, resulting in a fractured skull. Surgery was performed and a metal plate was inserted into his head. From that point forward, Burns wore a helmet in games and in practices until he retired in 1974.

The backside of the card notes both his injury and his status as the league’s only helmeted player. The biography paragraph mentions that “he’s in comeback after severe skull injury.”

The cartoon, though, is ridiculous–and perhaps a bit insulting–as it shows a helmet-wearing player ramming another player in the midsection. Burns was not a reckless player, so the cartoonist was going for a cheap laugh. Mind you, this was during a time when even goalies didn’t wear masks and anyone wearing a helmet was usually considered soft.

Burns didn’t seem to mind the helmet, though. The photo above is obviously a posed portrait, so he easily could have removed his headgear before smiling for the photographer. But he chose to leave it on. A few of his other early cards show him posing while wearing a helmet.

Burns enjoyed a 16-year professional career–including 11 seasons in the NHL–all while wearing a helmet. Although he probably wouldn’t have worn it if he didn’t need to, he was a trailblazer nonetheless. By the time he retired in 1974, other players were starting to follow Burns’ lead and take a greater interest in their own safety on the ice.

1994-95 Classic Milwaukee Admirals – The Fabulous Fritz

 I recently purchased a team set of 1994-95 Milwaukee Admirals, made by Classic Games, when I unearthed this little unexpected gem: Fritz Usinger–a.k.a. “The Fabulous Fritz.” This was a card that totally caught me off guard when I first saw it. Who the heck is Fritz, and why is he so fabulous?

The front shows us a rosy-cheeked lawn gnome, wearing goalie equipment from the 1950s, strolling–not skating–by while catching a flying bratwurst with an open bun.

Suddenly, I’ve lost my appetite.

The Fabulous Fritz is a cartoon mascot used on the sign for Usinger’s Sausage Shop (picture here). Fritz Usinger is also the name of the business’s present owner. Usinger’s has been in business in Milwaukee since 1880.  The sole purpose of this card was to make Milwaukee Admirals fans, circa 1994, aware of the sausage shop’s existence.

The back of the card tries to play up both Fritz’s love of making sausage and his supposed love for hockey. His height and weight are listed as “short” and “stocky” respectively, his favorite food as (surprise!) “Bratwurst,” while his Win-Loss total reads “It’s how you play the game that counts.”

I think we are all pretty used to advertisements on team-issued card sets, usually in the form of a sponsor logo somewhere on the card.

So, which do you prefer–a sponsor card like this one–potentially displacing a more relevant card–or a sponsor logo on every card in the set?

For me, a card like this is amusing for about 5 seconds. I’d rather have a card of the team’s mascot, secretary or PR guy.