The 1957-58 Topps hockey set marked the company’s return to the sport after a two-year break that followed the 1954-55 debut set. Topps must have felt pretty optimistic about the sports bubble gum business at the time, because it also produced its first basketball card set that winter.
1957-58 Topps Hockey Basics
The set consists of 66 cards representing only players from the four U.S.-based teams in the National Hockey League—the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. Measuring the newly standard 2-1/2″ by 3-1/2″, the cards were sold in packs of four cards.
Design
The cards were fairly colorful with both posed action shots and portraits set against red, blue or yellow backgrounds. At the bottom was the player’s his name in a nice-looking italic font, position, team name and even a team logo.
The backs were printed horizontally and offered text in both English and French against red and blue backdrops. There was a single line of stats from the 1956-57 season and a large cartoon quiz on the right side.
Rookie Cards and Major Stars
There were four notable rookie cards in the set: Johnny Bucyk (#10), Glenn Hall (#20), Pierre Pilote (#22) and Norm Ullman (#46). The biggest stars on the checklist included Ted Lindsay (#21), Terry Sawchuck, whose name was misspelled with an extra c (#35), Gordie Howe (#42) and Gump Worsley (#53).
The 1957-58 Topps set is not difficult to put together and the cost of most cards is generally pretty reasonable. Even a very nice-looking EX example of the Howe often runs less than $200
.
The Sawchuk and Hall rookies are also popular with collectors. Centering, as usual during the era, is often the biggest condition challenge.
Complete sets vary in price depending on condition. Goldin Auctions sold a fairly high quality set for just over $1,600 in 2016.
You can see 1957-58 Topps hockey cards on eBay by clicking here.
1957-58 Topps NHL Hockey Checklist
1 Real Chevrefils
2 Jack Bionda RC
3 Bob Armstrong
4 Fern Flaman
5 Jerry Toppazzini
6 Larry Regan RC
7 Bronco Horvath RC
8 Jack Caffery
9 Leo Labine
10 Johnny Bucyk RC
11 Vic Stasiuk
12 Doug Mohns
13 Don McKenney
14 Don Simmons RC
15 Allan Stanley
16 Fleming Mackell
17 Larry Hillman RC
18 Leo Boivin
19 Bob Bailey
20 Glenn Hall RC
21 Ted Lindsay
22 Pierre Pilote RC
23 Jim Thomson
24 Eric Nesterenko
25 Gus Mortson
26 Ed Litzenberger RC
27 Elmer Vasko RC
28 Jack McIntyre
29 Ron Murphy
30 Glen Skov
31 Hec Lalande RC
32 Nick Mickoski
33 Wally Hergesheimer
34 Alex Delvecchio
35 Terry Sawchuk
36 Guyle Fielder RC
37 Tom McCarthy RC
38 Al Arbour
39 Billy Dea RC
40 Lorne Ferguson
41 Warren Godfrey
42 Gordie Howe
43 Marcel Pronovost
44 Billy McNeill RC
45 Earl “Dutch” Reibel
46 Norm Ullman RC
47 Johnny Wilson
48 Leonard “Red” Kelly
49 Bill Dineen
50 Forbes Kennedy RC
51 Harry Howell
52 Jean-Guy Gendron RC
53 Lorne “Gump” Worsley
54 Larry Popein
55 Jack Evans
56 George “Red” Sullivan
57 Gerry Foley RC
58 Andy Hebenton RC
59 Larry Cahan
60 Andy Bathgate
61 Danny Lewicki
62 Dean Prentice
63 Camille Henry
64 Lou Fontinato RC
65 Bill Gadsby
66 Dave Creighton
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