The Bryan Trottier rookie card appeared in the 1976-77 O-Pee-Chee and Topps sets. The hockey card of the New York Islanders great in both sets was number 115. According to Beckett Hockey Magazine, the O-Pee-Chee version is valued at up to $60. The wider issued Topps version is valued at $35.
Why is the Bryan Trottier rookie card the most valuable card in the 1976-77 O-Pee-Chee series? Trottier is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame (inducted in 1997), a six-time Stanley Cup winner and owner of several major NHL individual awards.
Trottier played his junior hockey in Western Canada with the WHL’s Swift Current / Lethbridge Broncos for three seasons from 1972-73 to 1974-75. Bryan was the Western Hockey League Player of the Year in his last year with Lethbridge while tallying 144 points for the Broncos.
The New York Islanders chose Trottier in the second round of the 1974 NHL draft, 22nd overall. He spent fifteen seasons in an Islanders jersey before ending his NHL career with three years as a Pittsburgh Penguin. In his rookie season with New York, Trottier was an easy selection for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top first year player.
The first four of Trottier’s six Stanley Cups as a player came consecutively with the Islanders starting in 1979-1980. He would later win two in a row with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991-92 and 1992-93. Bryan again won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. However, it was behind the bench as an assistant coach.
In 1978-79, Bryan became the first player from a post original six expansion team to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s highest point-getter with 134. Trottier was also awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player that season.
Trottier finished up his NHL career with six 100+ point seasons. He is still first on New York’s all-time career assists and points list and second overall in career goals. Bryan reached the 50 goal plateau once, preferring to set up sniper Mike Bossy instead. He played in eight NHL all-star games in his eighteen seasons. His number 19 was retired by the Islanders in 2001 and hangs from the rafters at Nassau County Coliseum. It is one of six New York Islanders retired numbers, mostly the Stanley Cup era of the early 1980’s.
The Hall of Famer is still active in NHL hockey today. After ten seasons behind various benches in the NHL and AHL, Bryan has moved up to the front office for the New York Islanders and has spent the past four seasons as Director of Player Development.