The highest valued rookie card in the 1964-65 Topps Tallboys series? Marcel Paille of the New York Rangers! Proof that scarcity sometimes trumps star power when it comes to the world of vintage hockey card collecting.
The Marcel Paille rookie card is the highest valued rookie card in the 1964-65 Topps series and is only surpassed in value by Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Tim Horton and Stan Mikita. Beckett Hockey Monthly
Marcel Paille is a hockey legend, however, for more than his 1964-65 Topps rookie card. Paille, who passed away in 2002, was inducted posthumously into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame in 2010. When Marcel wasn’t playing with the New York Rangers, he was playing in the AHL. Paille played in the league from 1956-57 until 1973-74.
During his days with the Rangers, he spent much of his time with their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Indians. In his first three years with Springfield (1960, 1961 and 1962), the team won the Calder Cup as the AHL’s playoff champion. After his big year in 1964-65, he played seven seasons with the Providence Reds before getting one last chance at major league hockey.
In 1972-73, Marcel Paille was backup goaltender to Bernie Parent with the Philadelphia Blazers of the World Hockey Association. Paille played 15 games for the dismal Blazers, recording a less than stellar 4.81 goals against average. He returned to the AHL in 1973-74 for one last season, playing for the Richmond Robins.
Twice, Paille won the Harry Holmes Memorial Award as the goalie with the fewest goals against in the AHL. Marcel was a three time First Team All-Star and a two time Second Team All-Star in the AHL.
Marcel still owns several AHL records to this day, including:
- Most games played by a goalie – 765
- Most playoff games played by a goalie – 87
- Most playoff wins – 49
- Longest playoff shutout streak – 207:27
- Most playoff minutes played – 5368