Before there were umpteen hockey mags full of glossy action photos. Before cable television came up with sports-paks bringing every single game to your living room. Before the internet brought pictures and videos from every moment and every possible angle of every possible game to your fingertips. We had In Action hockey cards.
As a kid in London, Ontario during the 1970’s, the London Free Press typically printed a few black and white low quality shots of the Toronto Maple Leafs a couple times per week during the NHL season. Unless a team was playing Toronto, you simply didn’t see them on a regular basis. In Action hockey cards had a special value back then. They proved that it wasn’t just the Leafs against the world. Other teams played other teams.
Of course, the mid to late 1970’s saw regular hockey cards feature ‘In Action’ type shots but 95% of the time it was the league against the Washington Capitals.
Beckett Hockey Monthly has eight NHL Action cards listed with a value over a common card in the 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee set. Typically, the IA card is valued at around half of what the feature player’s regular card is worth. For example, the Bobby Orr #58 NHL Action card is valued at up to $40, whereas his regular card is valued at $80.
Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr, Brad Park, Stan Mikita, Eddie Shack, Gump Worsley, Tony Esposito and Dave Keon are featured on 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee NHL Action hockey cards. In this article, we’re going to focus on the Esposito and Orr cards.
With the number 58 card of Bobby Orr, they could have picked a better match-up. The front of the card features Orr in front of the Los Angeles Kings net. The defenseman trying to clear Orr is wearing number 5 and is Hockey Hall of Famer Harry Howell. I’m guessing the gent in the L.A. net is Gary Edwards but if the pic is taken the previous season, 1971-72, it could be a handful of goalies.
The number 76 card of Phil Esposito is a much busier scene. O-Pee-Chee was thinking with this card, pitting Phil against his brother Tony.
Boston is threatening in the Chicago end and brother Tony is guarding the net while Phil takes up his usual spot directly in front. Battling Phil is Chicago defenseman Keith Magnuson. Joining Phil on the offensive is linemate Ken Hodge. Their is a Chicago Defenseman covering Hodge but I’m not sure who it is.
There is a great hockey card related blog out there that, quite frankly, puts this one to shame. Anyone reading this should check out Diamond Cuts and Wax Stains by 1967ers. The author has graciously corrected and added insight to other articles here with IA type cards (without making me look like an ass!) – I’m hoping he’ll return with some insight on the L.A. goalie and Chicago D-Man. Diamond Cuts and Wax Stains is loaded full of great articles that will keep any hockey fan busy for hours (seriously). Unfortunately, he has yet to give up on the Leafs…
I have put the Orr and Esposito cards up for auction at eBay (7-day auction starting September 28, 2011), as well as the number 196 NHL Action hockey card of Tony Esposito. Bid here – if you win, mention you read this article and I’ll waive the shipping fees! Starting bids are just $.99.
First – thank you very much!
I’m going to have to dig around a bit, but the interesting thing about that player that should help identify him is that he’s wearing a helmet. That was a pretty rare thing to be doing in 1972. He also appears to have a single-digit uniform number with a rounded base.
Now, the guy that I think it looks like is foward Cliff Koroll, but he wore #20. Unless that 2 is folded funny, I can’t see how that works.
This is going to bug me.
It’s possible that that white streak is the bar at the bottom of a #7, which would make that Pit Martin, who definitely wore a helmet in 1971-72.
This video shows him in it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwABbpkTlz0
Looked at some more clips. The bar at the base of the 7 was more pronouced on the road uniform. That’s Pit Martin. (Also – Koroll picked up that helmet later.)
Good stuff! The pic makes Pit look big, being 6″ shorter than Hodge – they look about the same height from that angle.
I think the goalie has to be Gary Edwards. There’s a picture on eBay at the moment that shows him in that mask.
I’m not dead happy with the thought of that being Pit Martin, though the angle could be playing tricks, as you say. Watching more video, there were three Hawks wearing helmets in 1971-72 – Mikita, Koroll (the helmetless video I saw was actually 70-71) and Martin. That gives us sweater numbers 21, 20 and 7, accordingly. Given the bar on the base of the 7 and the fact that it appears to be a single digit number, that leaves Martin.
It’s always possible that Doug Jarrett sported a helmet briefly, but I see no evidence of it.
Looking at the picture, Martin could be coming at Hodge more from the side. He could be a good three feet away. If only we could see his feet.
Ya – the mask is unique to Gary. Speaking of Pit – I’d almost forgot about his tragic death. At least he was doing something he loved – the story is like something out of a Stompin Tom or Tragically Hip song…
Comments are closed.