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1975-76 O-Pee-Chee WHA Mark Howe Rookie Card

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Recently inducted Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Howe first appeared on cardboard with father Gordie and brother Marty on hockey card number one of the 1974-75 O-Pee-Chee WHA series. For whatever reason, O-Pee-Chee didn’t produce individual hockey cards of each of the Howe’s that season. Therefore, the official Mark Howe Rookie Card came in the 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee WHA series.

eBay is being flooded by Mark Howe hockey cards!

mark howe 1975-76 o-pee-chee vintage rookie hockey card
1975-76 O-Pee-Chee Mark Howe Rookie Card.

Mark Howe’s number 7 vintage hockey card of that 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee set was valued by Beckett Hockey as high as $50, before his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. There would be a definite possibility of a value increase in the coming months. In contrast, the 1974-75 O-Pee-Chee number 1 card featuring all three Howe’s is valued at up to $80. Gordie Howe’s card from the 1975-76 set is valued the same as Mark’s and Marty’s rookie card is a steal at $6.

Mark Howe first appeared in an NHL set in 1979-80 after the World Hockey Association merged with the NHL.O-Pee-Chee card number 216 featuring Mark Howe of the Hartford Whalers is valued at just $3.

Howe played just one year of junior hockey before being lured to the WHA’s Houston Aeros. In 1972-73, Mark contributed 104 points in 60 regular season games for the OHA’s (Ontario Hockey League) Toronto Marlboros. He was the recipient of the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as MVP of the Memorial Cup tournament as the Marlboros captured the Canadian major junior crown.

In his first season of WHA hockey, Howe scored 38 goals and totalled 79 points to capture the Lou Kaplan Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year. On those merits, Mark entered the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft and was selected in the second round, 25th overall by the Boston Bruins – three spots behind fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier. Of course, Mark chose to stay with the family in the WHA.

Howe’s top season in the WHA came in 1978-79 with the New England Whalers when he contributed 107 points. He would truly step out of his father’s shadow when he came to the NHL, making the switch from forward to defense.

Mark Howe’s NHL career lastest from 1979-80 until 1994-95, playing with Hartford, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. He was a First Team All-Star on three occasions (1982-83, 1985-86 and 1986-87) and played in four NHL All-Star games. He was the league’s +/- leader in 1985-86.

Although the Stanley Cup eluded him as a player, Howe was part of two teams that made it to the finals. His 1986-87 Philadelphia Flyers lost in the finals to the Edmonton Oilers. In his final NHL season, his Detroit Red Wings lost in the finals to the New Jersey Devils.

On the international front, Mark used his Canadian/American dual citizenship to his advantage. He remains the youngest male to win a medal in ice hockey at the Winter Olympics. As a 16 year old with USA in 1972, he won Olympic Silver. Howe then played for Canada at the 1974 Summit Series, pitting the best of the WHA against the Soviet Union, contributing six points in seven games. In 1981, he crossed the border again and played for the United States at the Canada Cup.

In the end, Howe played 929 NHL regular season games, totalling 742 points and played 426 in the WHA, adding 504 points.

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