• Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
  • Hot on Ebay
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Hottest Topps Living Set Auctions on eBay
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Nolan Ryan Cards
      • T206 Cards
      • 1952 Topps Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Stephen Curry Cards
    • Most Watched Football Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Soccer Cards
      • Panini World Cup Stickers
    • Rookie Cards
    • PSA 10 Cards
    • Sports Autographs
    • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
  • Search 268X60

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

Top Mobile

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
    • What’s Hot in the Shop
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / Vintage Sports Card News / Normand Leveille: A Promising Career Tragically Cut Short

Top Banner 486X60

Mile High Card Co.

Normand Leveille: A Promising Career Tragically Cut Short

June 11, 2018 By Stephen Laroche

One of hockey’s most heartbreaking tales involves the premature end to the career of Normand Leveille – a left winger who was showing potential for the Boston Bruins a little over 35 years ago.

Leveille was the 14th overall pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft and was selected immediately before a future Hall of Famer in Al MacInnis. Coming off a breakthrough campaign where he scored 55 goals and racked up 101 points with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, he was a QMJHL Second Team All-Star and had no problems in cracking the opening night lineup for the Boston Bruins.

Embed from Getty Images

By his fourth NHL game, he finally made the score sheet as he not only opened the scoring in an 8-5 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on October 14, 1981, but also scored the winning goal against Murray Bannerman. It was the first of six multi-point games during his rookie campaign. Two nights later, he also potted the difference maker when clashing with the ill-fated Colorado Rockies.

Over the course of the regular schedule, he missed 14 outings – mostly due to a knee injury he suffered while facing the Hartford Whalers on November 1, 1981. Returning in early December, he posted five points over his first five games back in the lineup.

As his first NHL season wound down, Leveille’s production tailed off a bit and he sat in the press box over two rounds. Once October hit and hockey was back, he took his game to a new level and looked great with eight points over his first eight games – including a two-goal effort at home against the Vancouver Canucks on October 14, 1982.

Just nine days later, his promising career came to an unexpected end.

As the Bruins paid a visit to Vancouver as part of a long seven-game road swing, the score was tied at one after the first period when Leveille was rushed to hospital after he mentioned that he was experiencing some dizziness. Doctors performed a seven-hour operation to deal with a brain aneurysm – but it was determined to be congenital rather than related to something that happened on the ice.

While the doctors were able to save his life, there was no way that he was going to play again. At the age of 19, he has a long road to recovery ahead. He spent three weeks in a coma and eventually regained the ability to walk. All told, he skated in just 75 games and put up 17 goals and 42 points over that time.

Leveille was on the mend, his first hockey card hit the market in packs on 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee, a card that is inexpensive today. That was the first of two straight years where there was a hockey card set produced only for the Canadian market as Topps had gone on a temporary hiatus (but did produce a sticker album for American collectors).

The crowd at Boston Garden was in for a big surprise on February 11, 1984 as Leveille made a surprise appearance and stepped onto the ice. A little over a decade later, he was back again for the closing of the hallowed barn and he skated out with the help of former teammate Raymond Bourque.

Since his career came to such an abrupt end, he has been incredibly active in charitable efforts and helping others with disabilities.

Starting in the 2010-11 season, Panini America paid tribute to Leveille’s short career with several cards – including a broad range of certified autographs and pieces of his Bruins jersey. The vast majority of autos are limited to 99 copies or less and are consistently strong sellers. There is even a Shirt Off My Back dual memorabilia card with him and Bourque from 2011-12 Panini Certified that also has a scarce signed version.

With a limited cardboard legacy and a story that is both tragic and inspirational, Normand Leveille’s cards are a must-have for hockey fans. His tale is an important part of franchise lore and it is made even more special by the fact that he devotes so much time to helping others as well.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • Digg

Related Stories:

Esposito Selling Jerseys, Pucks, Sticks…and Cast…from Collection Upper Deck Card Honors Willie O’Ree Bruins Willie O’Ree Game Jerseys Up for Bids MeiGray Auction of the Week: Bruins St. Patricks Day Warm Up Jerseys

Bottom Mobile

Bottom Banner 336X280

About Stephen Laroche

There aren't many things Stephen Laroche hasn't done in the hobby since the 1980s--from designing sets for a card company to editing hobby magazines-- but writing is his primary passion.

Filed Under: Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee, boston bruins, Normand Leveille

Left #1 200X50

What\\\

Left #2 200X150

Left #3 200X150

Right #1 160X240

Memory Lane

Right #2 160X240

Left #4 160X600

Right #3 160X600

  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

Right #4 – 160X240

Bargain Corner

  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $100
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards Currently Under $5
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards Currently Under $5
  • Pre-1980 Graded Basketball Cards $5 and Less
  • Pre-1980 Graded Hockey Cards $5 and Less
  • Complete Sets Under $10 with Free Shipping
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30
  • Rookie Cards Under $1

RSS Auction Report

  • Iconic Auctions February 23, 2019 Autographs & Memorabilia Auction In Progress
  • Bid Now On The Current Weekly Sunday Auction by EvansArchive on eBay
  • Landmark Mystery Fiction Collection of Otto Penzler Offered by Heritage Auctions in March 6 Rare Books Auction
  • Clemente’s 1972 All-Star Ring, His Final Baseball Award, To Be Sold in Mile High Card Company March Auction


Categories

  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Library of College Football
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Old Hockey Card Sets
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Shopping
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia
    • Around the Hobby
    • Sports Memorabilia News
  • What's Hot in the Shop

Sponsor Links

  • Buying Vintage Sports Cards
  • Game Used Jerseys
  • Every Athlete Autograph Event
  • 1952 Topps Baseball
  • Championship Rings For Sale
  • Vintage Basketball Cards
  • NBA Signed Items
  • Signed Sports Memorabilia
  • UFC Memorabilia
  • Autographed Baseballs
  • NASCAR Autographs
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cards
  • Player Pictures
  • Vintage Football Cards
  • Sports Card Boxes
  • Sports Collectors Store

Left #5 200X50

Sports Card Forum

Pages

  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 20 Hottest Barry Sanders Football Cards
  • 2016 Cubs Replica Championship Rings Don’t Cost a Fortune
  • 2017 Topps Definitive Collection Box Breaks, Most Watched
  • 50 Hottest Kareem Hunt Rookie Cards
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • About Us/Contact/Advertise
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Affordable Vintage Sports Cards and Collectibles
  • Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Best Derek Jeter Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Best Display Cabinets for Sports Memorabilia
  • Best Joey Votto Rookie Cards
  • Current Most Watched Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Eagles Super Bowl Champions Memorabilia Guide
  • Fanatics Under Wraps 2017 Next Level Edition Autographed Baseballs
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Great Gifts for Cubs Fans
  • Guide to 2018-19 Clemson Tigers National Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to Houston Astros Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Memorabilia
  • Hank Aaron Cards on eBay
  • Henrik Lundqvist Rookie Cards a Strong Long-Term Play
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Hottest Lonzo Ball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini World Cup Stickers on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Hottest Topps Living Set Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest Topps NOW Cards on eBay
  • Hottest UFC Relic Cards
  • Hottest Xander Bogaerts Rookie Cards
  • LeBron James Lakers Jerseys Already Available
  • Links
  • Mickey Mantle Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
    • Hottest Michael Jordan Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Patriots Super Bowl 51 Champions Merchandise
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Test
  • The 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Kris Bryant Auto Saga: A Timeline
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top Selling Patriots Super Bowl Championship Items
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
  • What’s Hot on eBay
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Write About Your Sports Collection

Copyright © 2019 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Genesis Web Design by Wickam Group