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1961-62: The Year Topps Jumped the Gun on 2 Rookies

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When O-Pee-Chee was back fresh on the hockey card scene in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, Topps was known to exclude even high end rookies that were included in the O-Pee-Chee sets. Perhaps, this was a lesson learned from their 1961-62 set when they jumped the gun on two rookies that combined for a total of six career games in the National Hockey League.

Rino Robazza

rino robazza chicago blackhawks 1961-62 toppsThe Rino Robazza rookie card is number 39 in the 1961-62 Topps set. The native of Kirkland Lake, Ontario was shown as a Chicago Black Hawks rookie with the special front design designated for rookies and coaches that year. It was the only hockey card of Robazza and he never played a single game in the NHL. That’s not to say his professional career wasn’t at least somewhat eventful.

Rino played two years of junior hockey in the OHA with the St. Catherines Teepees, 1956-57 and 1957-58. He went on to play pro hockey from 1958-59 to 1965-66 in the WHL, EPHL and AHL.

As a rookie in the WHL in 1958-59, Robazza played for the Calgary Stampeders in the WHL. The team finished first overall in the nine team league and reached the finals before being swept by the Seattle Totems. Rino finished second in the league with 157 penalty minutes over 62 regular season games.

Robazza played in the EPHL finals two year later in 1960-61 with the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds. The Billy Reay coached team faced off against the Glen Skov coached Hull-Ottawa Canadiens. The Thunderbirds pushed the series the full seven games but lost to the Canadiens in the end.

Rino was back with Sault Ste. Marie the following year. The team finished last in the league and did not qualify for the post season. Robazza led the league with 207 PIM in 67 games. He did get to play with two future members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Phil Esposito appeared in six games for the Thunderbirds while Gerry Cheevers played 29 games in net.

In 1962-63, Robazza followed Esposito to the Syracuse Blazers of the EPHL, a team that relocated to St. Louis, Missouri midseason. However, he was no longer the toughest kid on the block. Nick Polano led the Blazers in penalty minutes and finished second in the league. Rino fell to sixth with just 111 PIM.

Robazza ended his career with three years in the American Hockey League with the Quebec Aces.

Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM
1956-57 St. Catharines Teepees OHA 52 2 4 6 0
1957-58 St. Catharines Teepees OHA 52 10 19 29 0
1958-59 Calgary Stampeders WHL 62 5 17 22 157
1959-60 Calgary Stampeders WHL 30 2 12 14 80
1959-60 SSM Thunderbirds EPHL 6 0 0 0 27
1959-60 Buffalo Bisons AHL 25 0 4 4 12
1960-61 Buffalo Bisons AHL 32 1 4 5 24
1960-61 SSM Thunderbirds EPHL 32 2 7 9 35
1961-62 SSM Thunderbirds EPHL 67 8 18 26 207
1962-63 Syracuse/St. Louis Braves EPHL 66 3 26 29 111
1963-64 Quebec Aces AHL 47 1 2 3 52
1964-65 Quebec Aces AHL 39 3 6 9 57
1965-66 Quebec Aces AHL 64 0 12 12 58

Al LeBrun

The Al LeBrun rookie card appears as number 61 in the 1961-62 Topps set. Another Northern Ontario boy, LeBrun was born in Timmins. Al’s NHL career was much longer than Robazza’s. He appeared in six games, four with the Rangers in 1960-61 while still a junior with the Guelph Royals and two in 1965-66, also with the Rangers.

LeBrun played four years of junior in the OHA from 1957-58 to 1960-61, three with the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters and one with the same franchise renamed the Guelph Royals. The Royals are the present day Kitchener Rangers.

Al played pro hockey until 1973-74 in the EPHL, WHL, CPHL, NHL and AHL but mostly in the WHL. He sat out the 1963-64 season.

The pinnacle of his career came in 1964-65, playing for the St. Paul Rangers in the CPHL. He was named the league’s most valuable defenseman. LeBrun led the Rangers to a first overall finish during the regular season in the six team league. St. Paul then met the Tulsa Oilers in the finals and won the championship in six games.

LeBrun’s final six years were spent with the San Diego Gulls of the WHL. His final year, 1973-74, was also the end of the line for the Gulls. The team folded with the San Diego Mariners of the World Hockey Association moving into town.

Despite only playing four games in the NHL while still in junior in 1960-61 and his other two games still years in the future, the 1961-62 Topps card was surprisingly not LeBrun’s only mainstream appearance on cardboard. Al actually was included in the 1962-63 Topps set as well on card number 50.

 

Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM
1957-58 Guelph Biltmores OHA 34 0 1 1 0
1958-59 Guelph Biltmores OHA 54 3 12 15 55
1959-60 Guelph Biltmores OHA 48 5 13 18 0
1960-61 Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers EPHL 1 0 0 0 0
1960-61 Guelph Royals OHA 47 4 12 16 0
1960-61 New York Rangers NHL 4 0 2 2 4
1961-62 Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers EPHL 70 0 16 16 36
1962-63 Vancouver Canucks WHL 55 5 8 13 31
1964-65 St. Paul Rangers CPHL 66 11 15 26 52
1965-66 New York Rangers NHL 2 0 0 0 0
1965-66 Minnesota Rangers CPHL 69 4 13 17 38
1966-67 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 26 1 8 9 24
1966-67 Los Angeles Blades WHL 42 1 8 9 33
1967-68 Dallas Black Hawks CPHL 61 6 17 23 53
1968-69 Memphis South Stars CHL 34 1 4 5 20
1968-69 San Diego Gulls WHL 29 1 4 5 8
1969-70 San Diego Gulls WHL 72 7 18 25 37
1970-71 San Diego Gulls WHL 66 3 13 16 50
1971-72 San Diego Gulls WHL 72 2 17 19 67
1972-73 San Diego Gulls WHL 72 2 16 18 101
1973-74 San Diego Gulls WHL 37 0 4 4 10
NHL Totals 6 0 2 2 4

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