Vintage Rookie Card Haul

I have been a bit slow on getting this post together. About 2 months back, I picked up a monster lot of vintage hockey rookie cards. And I mean MONSTER. Most of these players were “names,” and quite a few of them are now in the Hall of Fame.

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Rene Robert (RC) -Robert, along with Rick Martin and Gilbert Perreault, played on Buffalo’s famed “French Connection” line.

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Jerry Korab (RC) -“King Kong” Korab played 14 seasons in the NHL, with Chicago, Buffalo and Los Angeles.

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee GuyCharron (RC) -Charron would eventually go on to captain the Atlanta Flames.

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Dave Hudson (RC) – Never again will card companies superimpose players over a bright pink background, but I can dream. By the way, I’m slowly building a ’72-73 OPC set. Only 300 cards (or so) to go…

1974-75 O-Pee-Chee Lanny McDonald (RC) – Now we’re talking! Lanny before the mustache. He is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

1974-75 O-Pee-Chee Scotty Bowman (RC) -A Hall of Fame coach, general manager and executive. The greatest mind in hockey.. Unfortunately, this Scotty Bowman card has a few creases and rough corners.

1974-75 Topps Denis Potvin (RC) – A third HOFer in this lot. Potvin played 15 seasons with the New York Islanders.

1975-76 O-Pee-Chee W.H.A. Larry Pleau  (RC) – Pleau played for the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association.

1978-79 Topps Doug Wilson (RC) -Wilson played 16 seasons in the NHL, won the Norris Trophy in 1982, was the first-ever team captain of the San Jose Sharks, played in 8 All-Star Games, was a 1st Team All-Star once and a 2nd Team All-Star Twice. And he should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I think he was blacklisted by the NHL owners because Wilson was heavily involved in the Players’ Association

1978-79 O-Pee-Chee Brian Sutter (RC) -The most successful of the six Sutter Brothers who played in the NHL.

1980-81 O-Pee-Chee Michel Goulet (RC) -Another Hall of Fame player, Goulet started his playing career in the World Hockey Assocation with the Birmingham Bulls. He then played for the Quebec Nordiques and Chicago Blackhawks. Unfortunately, a concussion ended his career in 1994.

1980-81 O-Pee-Chee Brad Marsh (RC) -Notice the giant “A” was airbrushed off of Brad Marsh’s jersey. That’s because in 1980 the team moved from Atlanta to Calgary. Also notice that Brad Marsh has hair! By the time I started watching hockey, he was practically bald.

1980-81 O-Pee-Chee Craig Hartsburg (RC) -This guy was a teammate of Michel Goulet’s with the Birmingham Bulls, then played a decade for the Minnesota North Stars.

1980-81 Topps Mike Gartner (RC) -Gartner played a season in the WHA before going on to a 19-year Hall of Fame career.

1981-82 O-Pee-Chee Darryl Sutter (RC) -Here a Sutter, there a Sutter, everywhere a Sutter Darryl eventually became the team captain of the Blackhawks, but his career was cut short by injuries.

1981-82 O-Pee-Chee Dino Ciccarelli – Dino was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

1981-82 O-Pee-Chee Peter Stastny (RC) -Stastny won the Calder trophy in 1981. He played 15 seasons in the NHL with  the Quebec Nordiques, New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues.

1981-82 O-Pee-Chee Jari Kurri (RC) -A major reason why the Oilers were such a powerhouse in the 1980s.

1981-82 O-Pee-Chee Glenn Anderson (RC) – Another Hall of Fame Edmonton Oilers player.

1981-82 O-Pee-Chee Andy Moog (RC) – Moog was a backup goalie for several seasons until he got traded to the Bruins.

1981-82 O-Pee-Chee Kevin Lowe (RC) – With players like Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Anderson and Lowe,s it any wonder that the Oilers won 5 Stanley Cup Championships in 7 years?

1981-82 O-Pee-Chee Paul Coffey (RC) – Oh, and Paul Coffey too. Unfortunately, this card has a light crease to the left of the Oilers logo on Coffey’s sweater. Still, it is a pretty badass card to own.

1984-85 O-Pee-Chee Tom Barrasso (RC) -Barrasso won the Calder, Vezina and Jennings Trophy during the 1983-84 season, and had a lengthy NHL career.

I got a few non-RCs in the lot too…

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Rick Martin – This is Martin’s 2nd card. Along with Rene Robert and Gilbert Perreault, Martin was on the Buffalo Sabres famed “French Connection” line.

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Chris Chelios – The 2nd-year card of my hero, Chris Chelios. I am actually trying to collect every Chelios card ever made, and still needed this relatively easy-to-find card.

1975-76 O-Pee-Chee W.H.A. Poul Popiel – Popiel was the first person from Denmark to play in the National Hockey League, and was later an All-Star player in the World Hockey Association (as indicated by this card). One day, I hope to own this entire set.

1975-76 O-Pee-Chee W.H.A. Jacques Plante – I’ll leave you all with arguably the best (not necessarily most valuable) card of the lot–Jacques Plante. After retiring a year to coach the Quebec Nordiques, Plante made a 1-year comeback with the Alberta Oilers of the World Hockey Association. I love the way Plante is gazing off into the distance, and that he is holding his invention–the goalie mask. A fitting “last” card for the legendary player.

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Author: Sal Barry

Sal Barry is the editor and webmaster of Puck Junk. He is a freelance hockey writer, college professor and terrible hockey player. Follow him on Twitter @puckjunk

7 thoughts on “Vintage Rookie Card Haul”

  1. Nice haul! Those are the sort of cards I hope to pick up at the show this Sunday. I think my favourite is the Korab rookie.

  2. Those cards suck! That has to be the worst collection of has-beens, nobodies, and never-were's that I have ever seen.

    If only they were mine.

    Seriously, though…where did you find all those in one place?

  3. Suck? They sure do. Especially those Coffey and Barrasso guys.

    Tim, gotta keep a few secrets on how I find the stuff I find. But I guarantee that I did NOT find them in a 10-cent rummage bin 🙂

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