With the World Hockey Association spreading into markets throughout North America in the early 1970s, the National Hockey League needed to combat the rival league - even if it meant expanding at a dangerous rate and watering down the amount of talent playing at the highest pro level at the time. Enter the 1974-75 Washington Capitals - a club whose auspicious start ranks as the … [Read more...]
A Collector’s Guide to the 2019 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductees
The annual announcement of new inductees by the Hockey Hall of Fame always creates discussion among fans - especially in years where there are some controversial choices made by its Selection Committee. This year, there has been plenty of uproar over the talents that are being enshrined in November. No matter how they feel, many hobbyists are already on the hunt for rookie … [Read more...]
1977-78 O-Pee-Chee WHA Has A Difficult Legacy
Down to eight teams heading into the 1977-78 season, the World Hockey Association was on its last legs, but that did not stop them from being involved in a trading card project for the fourth straight year. The 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee WHA set marked the end of an era, whether or not collectors cared much at the time. Even now, it appears that O-Pee-Chee got a little overzealous … [Read more...]
Hockey’s 10 Most Underrated Rookie Cards Of The 1980s
For the generation that grew up watching hockey in the 1980s, there are plenty of heroes from that era which are still heavily praised. The exploits of players like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy and many others are well-remembered, but there are also those that were stars at the time which have been forgotten or are in danger of fading into the ether of hockey … [Read more...]
1975-76 O-Pee-Chee Hockey: Traded Cards Come Into Style
One of the greatest quirks about classic O-Pee-Chee cards regardless of sport was that the London, Ontario-based company was quick to update their cards with notations of trades or other player movement. The familiar "Now With..." notation was a part of Canadian childhood for many years as we saw many of our favorite players in their old uniforms since there was not enough time … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1977-78 Topps Hockey
The Montreal Canadiens were still dominant. Cleveland had a franchise. The Colorado Rockies (no, not the baseball team) were a team (and made the playoffs). The 1977-78 NHL season had a lot going on but American kids collecting hockey cards found a kind of comfort food in the form of Topps hockey cards, which still came with gum and plenty of … [Read more...]
1979-80 Topps Hockey Ushered In New Era
It was the first Topps hockey card set to feature The Great One, and the final one to include Mr. Hockey. In some ways, the 1979-80 Topps set ushered in the modern era of National Hockey League cards. Wayne Gretzky’s rookie card (No. 18) is the key card in the set, and the 264-card product is the final main run appearance of Gordie Howe (No. 175). Even the design signaled … [Read more...]
10 Underrated 1970s O-Pee-Chee and Topps Hockey Rookie Cards
The 1970s were a fantastic era to be a hockey collector as countless young people on both sides of the border were able to crack open packs each year and chew tons of gum. While not everyone kept their cards and may even have a few cavities to remind them of this time, those that still collect today may want to consider looking at grabbing some rookie cards from O-Pee-Chee and … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1974-75 O-Pee-Chee Hockey
Canadian collectors who began their ritual of buying hockey cards in the fall and winter of 1974-75 discovered some changes in the packs that they snared from the shelves of local markets and drug stores: they'd need to buy more of them if they had any hope of completing a set. Saving their snow shoveling and errand money to buy a full box was great--but they would … [Read more...]
1973-74 Topps Hockey Set Loaded With Hall Of Famers
The 1973-74 hockey season marked a changing of the guard in the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers became the first team from the 1967 expansion class to win the Stanley Cup, stopping Boston in six games. Topps was also undergoing some changes in its hockey product, most notably expanding its set by 22 to an all-time high of 198 cards. That’s a good thing. Not only did a larger … [Read more...]