In the modern world of hockey card collecting, the appeal of retired players within new releases practically ensures that many of the game's greatest legends will be discovered by new generations of hobbyists. However, there was a time where retirement often meant that a last card was exactly that, and there are plenty from Parkhurst, Topps, and O-Pee-Chee that deserve a second … [Read more...]
1978-79 O-Pee-Chee: Goodbye Bobby, Hello Mike
With the NHL and WHA in the final stages of their seven-year battle, hockey card collectors were surprised to see that there would only be cards from one of the leagues and welcomed the 1978-79 O-Pee-Chee set with open arms. For the fifth straight season, O-Pee-Chee's set was made up of 396 cards. The set is a major source of frustration for those wanting to put a high-grade … [Read more...]
5 Bargain Classic O-Pee-Chee Stanley Cup Final Cards
In the classic era of O-Pee-Chee hockey cards that ran from 1968-69 until 1992-93, the game's annual showdown for the Stanley Cup was only rarely given proper tribute on cardboard. Since O-Pee-Chee was often at the mercy of producers at Topps for card designs and the majority of their set content during this era, Canadian kids rarely got a rundown of the previous year's … [Read more...]
1976-77 Topps Hockey Short on Rookies but Big on Subsets and Inserts
For the most part, the 1976-77 Topps hockey set was your standard run-of-the-mill 1970s hockey issue. But in addition to numerous subsets in the release, Topps also introduced a unique insert, which helped it stand out from others. Here's a closer look at Topps' issue for the 1976-77 hockey season. 1976-77 Topps Hockey Overview The 1976-77 Topps hockey set was a 264-card … [Read more...]
Hall of Famers, All-Stars Anchor 1972-73 Topps Hockey Set
Topps continued production of its hockey cards in 1972. The 1972-73 Topps Hockey set included a few rookie cards, but the set was led by the usual collection of Hall of Famers along with an All-Star subset. Here's a closer look at the issue more than 40 years later. 1972-73 Topps Hockey Basics The 1972-73 Topps hockey card set was fairly typical for what Topps produced in both … [Read more...]
Ken Dryden Rookie Card Headlines 1971-72 Topps Hockey Set
Even with recent expansion, there were just 14 teams in the National Hockey League when the puck dropped on October 8, 1971. While going deeper into rosters for the O-Pee-Chee brand, Topps' 1971-72 hockey set remained at just 132 cards. 1971-72 Topps Hockey Basics The 1971-72 Topps hockey cards maintained the standard 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" size. However, the cards were much … [Read more...]
1970s Hockey Cards: 10 Great Rookies
For the National Hockey League, the 1970s were marked by dominant teams and blazing superstars, as the Montreal Canadiens and their stalwart lineup took home six Stanley Cup titles during the decade, while the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers picked up two each. But the 1970s also saw the birth of new franchises and the debuts of several players who would help to shape the … [Read more...]