You can purchase these cards, or any of my Missing Link creations, for $10 each postpaid, or $7.95 each for 3 or more. Email me at: [email protected], volume discounts available on larger orders.
Floyd Curry Gerry James Rudy Migay Jack Bionda Carl "Buddy" Boone Real Chevrefils Gerry Foley Parker MacDonald Jack McIntyre Billy McNeill Al Millar Johnny Peirson Gordon Strate Dave Creighton Ian Cushenan Hank Ciesla Les Colwill Larry Leach Tom McCarthy Bob Perreault Thanks again to Bob Fulton and his quest to acquire every 1950's player that missed a card.
You can purchase these cards, or any of my Missing Link creations, for $10 each postpaid, or $7.95 each for 3 or more. Email me at: [email protected], volume discounts available on larger orders.
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Today's post will feature a number of 1950's Blackhawk creations, some familiar names and some not so familiar names. I'll start with some 1955-56 Parkhurst style cards and then move up in years as we go. Ed Litzenberger was a scoring star in junior with the Regina Pats, in 1950-51 he led the league with 44 goals in 40 games and was also the leading point producer in the playoffs. In 1952-53, he played a pair of games for the parent Montreal Canadiens but spent most of his first two years as a pro in the QHL. In 1953 he was presented the William Northey trophy as the league's top rookie after a 26-goal performance. He began the 1954-55 season in Montreal but was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks after 29 games. Litzenberger got increased ice time in Chicago and scored 40 points in the last 40 games of the season and was named the Calder trophy winner. He didn't get a 1955-56 card issued, his rookie was part of the 1957-58 Parkhurst set. Here is my 1955-56 rookie creation. Jack McIntyre was also a scoring star in junior but with the St. Catharines Teepees. After scoring 28 goals for the AHL's Hershey Bears in 1950-51, the young defender scored 12 goals in 51 games as a rookie with the Boston Bruins. The next year, his solid work helped the Bruins reach the Stanley Cup finals. After starting the 1953-54 season in the minors, McIntyre was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks for cash. He scored a career-high 18 goals in 1956-57 before a trade sent him to the Detroit Red Wings. McIntyre played his last three NHL seasons there before returning to the minors. After sitting out the 1967-68 season, the veteran blueliner retired after playing one last year of senior hockey with the Woodstock Athletics. Nick Mickoski played over 700 NHL games for four different clubs during the Original Six era. Beginning in the 1948-49 season, "Broadway Nick" spent parts of seven seasons with the Rangers and in 1950-51 he hit the 20-goal mark. Mickoski joined the Chicago Black Hawks in 1954-55 and was a fine two- way worker until he was picked up by the Detroit halfway through the 1957-58 season. After playing 66 games for the Wings in 1958-59, he was acquired by the Boston Bruins where he played his last NHL season. He retired in 1969 after spending three years with the Grand Falls Cataracts in the Newfoundland senior league. Bill "Mosie' Mosienko turned pro with the Chicago Black Hawks at the age of 18 and was sent to the minors for seasoning. He split the next two seasons between the NHL and the minors before earning full-time duties with the Black Hawks in 1943. Teamed on a line with Clint Smith and Doug Bentley in 1943-44 the threesome went on to set an NHL record by amassing 219 points. In 1945 he won the Lady Byng Trophy. Mosienko is best remembered for his record three goals in 21 seconds scored against goalie Lorne Anderson of the New York Rangers on March 23, 1952. Despite his 14 NHL seasons he would only get 4 hockey cards issued, none for 1955-56. Metro Prystai played three seasons with the Moose Jaw Canucks of the SJHL, leading them to three straight provincial championships plus a trip to the Memorial Cup finals. He also led the league in scoring for two of his three seasons. Prystai joined the NHL in 1947 with the Chicago Blackhawks but after 3 years he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. He would win a Stanley Cup with the Wings in 1951-52 when he scored two goals and added an assist in the final game. By 1954-55, Prystai was given a return ticket to play in Chicago again. He plugged away in the Windy City for just over one season before he was hustled back to Detroit where he remained until his demotion to the minors in 1957-58. He rounded out his on-ice career with the Edmonton Flyers of the WHL later that year. Allan Stanley made headlines in the hockey world before he ever saw the NHL. After two seasons in the AHL with Providence his steady play came to the attention of Frank Boucher, general manager of the New York Rangers. Boucher gave the Reds $70,000 for the rights to Stanley, a huge amount for an untried player, and there was a great deal of hype surrounding the young defenseman when he arrived in New York. After 5 unheralded years on Broadway he was sent to the minors early in the 1953-54 season. Stanley returned to the Rangers the next season and played 12 games before being traded to the Chicago Black Hawks. He played one season with Chicago before he was sold to the Boston Bruins. Before the 1958-59 season began, Stanley was once again on the move, this time to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He ended up playing 10 seasons in Toronto, finally living up to his early hype when the Maple Leafs won the Cup in 1962, the first of his four Cup wins with the team. His final title came in 1967, and after one more season with Toronto, he moved to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1968 and finally retired in 1969 at the age of 43. He would never have a Blackhawks card issued. George "Red" Sullivan was ushered into the pro ranks with the Hershey Bears in 1949-50 and he managed to 3 game stop with the Bruins the same year. It wasn't until 1951-52 that Sullivan finally got a full-time job in Boston. But over the season and a half that followed, he failed to make a significant impression with the club's brass. By 1953, he was back in Hershey where he remained until the Chicago Blackhawks secured his rights in 1954. In the Windy City he gave fans their money's worth for two seasons before being traded to the New York Rangers in 1956. After 5 seasons on Broadway he was demoted to the minors in 1961. At that time, he joined the Kitchener Beavers of the EPHL and then the Baltimore Clippers of the AHL where he hung up his blades in 1963. He also would never have a Blackhawks card issued. Jerry Toppazzini led the Barrie Flyers of the OHA to a Memorial Cup victory in 1950-51 on the strength of 106 points in 66 games. After a season with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, Toppazzini joined the NHL in 1952, putting in short stops with the Bruins, Blackhawks and Red Wings before settling in with the Bruins again for the core of his career. In 1957-58 he set, what was at the time, an NHL record, scoring 7 short-handed goals in one season. Toppazzini remained with the Bruins until 1964 before rounding out his on-ice career with the Pittsburgh Hornets of the AHL, the Los Angeles Blades of the WHL and the Port Huron Flags of the IHL. Harry Watson played 14 seasons in the NHL on four different teams from 1941 to 1954. At 18, he made the jump to the NHL, entering the league with the New York Americans in 1941. He scored 10 goals and recorded eight assists in his rookie year with the Brooklyn club before the Americans disbanded just two years later. The next season he went to the Detroit Red Wings, where he was an instant hit. In his first year there his 13 goals helped the Red Wings finish first overall in the regular season. In the playoffs he was dominant as the Wings beat Boston in four straight games to win Stanley Cup. Watson spent two years in the Canadian Armed Forces before he rejoined the Red Wings for the 1945-46 season. The next year Conn Smythe acquired him for the Toronto Maple Leafs and he helped the Leafs win the Stanley Cup four times during nine seasons at Maple Leaf Gardens. After the first eight games of the 1954-55 season, Conn Smythe sold him to Chicago for cash. He played three seasons with the Black Hawks before finishing his NHL career in 1957. His only 4 hockey cards are all in a Leafs uniform. Larry Wilson managed to make a living out of playing in the minors for virtually his entire professional hockey career. Over a 23 year career he saw action in 152 NHL games. Wilson played in 21 games for the Detroit Red Wings over three seasons before he was sent to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1953-54. Over the next three years he appeared in the last 131 games of his NHL career. He finished his career after the 1969-70 season spent with the Dayton Gems of the International League. In his final professional season, at the age of 39, Wilson played in 68 games, had 20 goals and 43 assists for 63 points. Billy Dea had a 20-year professional hockey career that began in 1952 with the Saskatoon Quakers of the WHL and ended after the 1971-72 AHL season, spent with the Tidewater Red Wings. During that time he appeared in 397 NHL games with stops in New York, Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh and back in Detroit. The 1971-72 season was Dea's last in the NHL when, at the age of 39, he appeared in 42 games, scoring six goals and three assists. All that would get him 3 hockey cards, to as a Red Wing and one as a Penguin. Her is my 1958-59 Topps custom creation. Bill Dineen played six NHL seasons in the 1950s, breaking in to the NHL in 1953-54 with the Detroit Red Wings. He played in 70 games as a rookie, scoring 17 goals and adding eight assists. After four-and-a-half years he left Detroit with two Stanley Cup rings, moving to the Chicago Blackhawks for the last 41 games of his NHL career in 1958. At the age of 27, Dineen felt he still had lots of hockey left in him, so he continued to play professionally in the minor leagues for another 13 years, playing until the age of 38. He would not get a Blackhawks card issued. Ed Kachur played hockey for more than two decades but his NHL career consisted of less than two years of service with the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1956-57 and 1957-58. He would spend the next 14 years in the minors. Highlights of Kachur's minor league sojourn included winning the Calder Cup with the Buffalo Bisons in 1962-63, leading the AHL with 47 goals in 1967-68 and being named to the league's first all-star team that same year. What made Kachur's 47-goal output so special that year was the fact that it was the highest goal total by a player in any professional league. He retired in 1972 after playing a season with the Johnstown Jets of the EHL. He would never get a hockey card issued until the 1994 Parkhurst Missing Link set. Jim Thomson was a rugged defenseman and team leader who played 787 NHL games over 13 seasons. Except for his final season in Chicago all of them came in the Blue & White in Toronto. He was regarded as one of the league's toughest foes and placed on the NHL Second All-Star team in 1951 and 1952. He also participated in seven All-Star Games and was an integral part of Stanley Cup wins in 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1951. During the 1956-57 season he spent time as the Leaf's captain. Prior to the 1957-58 schedule, Thomson was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks for cash. The deal was a result of Thomson's involvement with Ted Lindsay's attempt to found a player's association. He suited up for 70 games in the Windy City and helped solidify the team's blueline before retiring at the end of the regular season. He would not get a Chicago hockey card issued until the 1994 Parkhurst Missing Link set. Lorne Ferguson had a long, eventful career that saw him suit up for three different NHL clubs. He turned pro with the Tulsa Oilers in 1949 and also went up to the NHL with the Boston Bruins, getting into three games and scoring a goal and an assist. The next season was Ferguson's first full year with the Bruins, and he posted 16 goals and 33 points in 70 games. In mid-season 1955-56 he was sent to the Detroit Red Wings. Ferguson finished that year with the Wings and spent all of the next campaign with Detroit, but in 1957 he was on the move again on when the Red Wings traded him to the Chicago Black Hawks. The 1958-59 season was Lorne Ferguson's only full season as a Chicago Blackhawk, and it would also be his last year in the NHL. Despite being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 1960, the rest of Ferguson's career was spent at the minor pro level. Norm Johnson played briefly in the NHL during the 1950s with Boston and Chicago then ended up playing nearly two decades in the minors becoming one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the WHL. Johnson received a chance to play in the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 1957-58. He played fairly well in a 15-game trial then played 39 games the following season. Part way through the year he was claimed on waivers by the Black Hawks. Johnson worked in seven regular season games in 1958-59 and was an emergency call up for two games in the 1960 semi-finals. That would be the last of his NHL career. His rookie, and only, card was issued as a Bruin in the 1958-59 Topps set. Danny Lewicki was a consistent scorer during nine NHL seasons spent with three teams. Although he weighed only 148 lbs., the tenacious forward drove hard to the net and didn't back down. "Dashin' Danny" debuted with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1950-51 and scored 16 goals and then played nine playoff games as the club won the Stanley Cup on Bill Barilko's overtime goal. Lewicki was a regular with the Leafs in 1951-52 but spent most of the next two seasons with the AHL's Pittsburgh Hornets. In July 1954 he was traded to the New York Rangers and scored a career-high 29 goals that season. Lewicki was a consistent offensive player in New York for three more years then played 58 games for the Chicago Black Hawks in 1958-59. Before retiring in 1963 he spent four years in the AHL with the Buffalo Bisons and Quebec Aces. John McKenzie arrived in the NHL in 1958-59 with the Chicago Blackhawks and then embarked on a seven-year shuffle between Chicago, Detroit, New York and the minors. He made it to the Bruins in 1966 and stuck around Boston long enough to claim his second Stanley Cup victory in 1972 before jumping to the WHA where he was hired to play and coach the Philadelphia Blazers. From Philly, he hopped around the WHA making stops in Vancouver, Minnesota and Cincinnati before settling for his final three seasons with the New England Whalers where, after the 1978-79 his #19 was retired. He would never have a Blackhawks card issued. Ken Wharram provided speed, consistency and an exemplary work ethic during a 14 year NHL career spent entirely with the Chicago Black Hawks. Since Wharram weighed only 160 pounds, his speed, agility and on ice smarts proved to be his ticket to survival in the rough and tumble NHL. In September 1969 Wharram was coming off his seventh straight 20-goal season when he found himself in the intensive care unit diagnosed with myocarditis. His heart recovered to the point where he could lead a normal life but he made his retirement official prior to the opening of the Hawks' training camp in September 1970. He missed a hockey card in the 1959-60 sets. Thanks to Bob Fulton for these requests as he continues his quest to acquire every 1950's player that missed a card.
You can purchase these cards, or any of my Missing Link creations, for $10 each postpaid, or $7.95 each for 3 or more. Email me at: [email protected], volume discounts available on larger orders. Short post to add some not so recent 1969-70 CTNW creations, majority of them Minnesota players with a pair of additions. Gary Bauman signed with the Montreal Canadiens after 3 years varsity at Michigan Tech where his save percentage (.916) and longest winning-streak (16 wins) still stand as records. He spent most of his first 3 pro seasons in the minors but did get to Montreal for 2 games in 1966-67. During his short stay he also got to play 20 minutes in the All-Star Game and, when he and his goaltending partner Charlie Hodge stopped everything thrown at them, they became he only goalies to ever record a shutout in an All-Star Game. Finally found a permanent spot in the NHL when he was picked up in the 1967 Expansion Draft by the Minnesota North Stars. He would play in 26 games in the 1967-68 season, going a dismal 4-13-5, while also seeing time in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. The 1968-69 season wasn't stellar for Bauman either, as he would only play seven times for the North Stars (0-2-1), before being sent to the Central League's Memphis South Stars. After taking a year off from hockey, Bauman returned to his native Alberta, playing for the Calgary Stampeders of the Alberta Senior League. He would play there for two season (1970-71 and 1971-72) before retiring for good. Had a rookie card issued in the 1968-69 OPC set as a North Star, client wanted a '69-70 creation. Andre Boudrias was only 5'8" but used his speed and accurate passing skills to play nearly 700 NHL games with five different teams in a solid career. He led the OHA in scoring in 1962 and 1964 but then spent the majority of his first four pro seasons in the minors as property of the Canadiens. Expansion gave Boudrias a chance to shine after he was acquired by the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 53 points in 1967-68 but a production decline in 1968-69 saw him dealt to Chicago 53 games in to the season. Boudrias provided solid defensive play for the Black Hawks and then St. Louis Blues for 2 seasons before joining the expansion Vancouver Canucks in 1970-71. He topped the 60-point mark in each of his first five years with the club and served as the team captain in 1975-76. Made the jump to the WHA's Quebec Nordiques for 2 seasons before retiring in 1978. Had a rookie card issued in the 1968-69 OPC and Topps sets, as a North Star, here is his '69-70 creation. Mike Chernoff played 3 years junior with the Moose Jaw Canucks and then turned pro with the St. Louis Braves of the Central Hockey League for 1966-67. He signed with the North Stars as a free agent in October 1968 and played just a single game, his only NHL action. Mike spending his next season in the CHL, then three more years in the AHL before jumping to the WHA for the 1973-74 campaign. Played 36 games with the Vancouver Blazers that season and 3 the next before retiring at year end. He would never get a hockey card issued, here's his North Stars custom rookie. Wayne Connelly began his pro career with the Montreal Royals of the EPHL in the 1959-60 playoffs and by the next year had made a 3 game NHL debut as a Canadien. The 1961-62 season was Connelly's rookie year in the NHL, when he played in 61 games for the Boston Bruins, collecting 21 points. Spent the next 5 seasons bouncing between the Bruins and the AHL before he was selected by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1967 Expansion Draft. In 74 games, he scored an NHL career-high 35 goals and 56 points but midway through the following season was traded to the Red Wings. He would play another 11 seasons with the last 5 coming in the WHA. His rookie card, as a Canadien, was part of the 1961-62 Parkhurst set. Gary Dineen would have a considerably shorter NHL career that consisted of four games with the North Stars in 1968-69. He played high school hockey in Toronto with the St. Michael's College and Neil McNeil. In 1963-64 he spent a bit of time with the Toronto Marlboros then represented Canada when it finished fourth at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics. The next year he played with the University of British Columbia before playing for Canada at the 1965 World Championships. In the mid-60s Dineen continued with his commitment to the national team and won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 1967 and the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. The veteran pivot was traded to the North Stars by the Maple Leafs in 1967 and spent the most of the 1968-69 year in the CHL with the Memphis South Stars and then bounced around the minors until retiring in 1971. He would never have a card issued. Larry Hillman played 20 NHL and 3 WHA seasons over his 22 year pro career making NHL stops in Detroit, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Buffalo. He would add WHA appearances in Cleveland and Winnipeg before retiring after the 1975-76 season. By the end of his well-traveled career Hillman had captured six Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs and Red Wings. His rookie card, as a Bruin, was part of the 1957-58 Topps set. Wayne Hillman, brother to Larry, had a 17 year pro career with NHL stops in Chicago, New York, Minnesota and Philadelphia. He would also play 2 WHA seasons in Cleveland to end his career. Unlike Larry he never got to hoist the Stanley Cup. His Blackhawks rookie was part the 1961-62 Topps set. Joey Johnston skated for his hometown Peterborough Petes in the OHA for three seasons. He was highly regarded by the scouts and the New York Rangers made him the eighth player chosen in the 1966 Amateur Draft. Johnston scored 24 goals for the Blueshirts' CHL affiliate in Omaha but was traded in June 1968 to the North Stars. He played 11 games with them in 1968-69 but he spent most of his time in the franchise's farm system. A 1971 trade to the California Golden Seals saw Johnston score 28 goals in 1972-73 and 27 the next season. A trade sent him to the Chicago Black Hawks in 1975, but the lingering effects of a car crash were too great and he was forced to retire. His rookie card, as a Golden Seal, was part of the 1971-72 OPC set. Marshall Johnston had a four year collegiate career and a lengthy run with the Canadian National Team to his credit before he joined the National Hockey League in 1967. He joined the expansion North Stars late in the 1967-68 campaign but couldn't secure a regular spot on the North Stars blue line. After appearing in just 49 games for Minnesota over four seasons the North Stars traded Johnston to the Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 1971. Before he could head to camp with his new club, he was on the move again when the Canadiens shipped him to the Golden Seals. He spent the next three years patrolling the blue line for California, and enjoyed solid offensive production in 1972-73 when he scored 10 goals and 30 points for the Seals. The following year was his last as a player as he retired following a 50 game final season in California. His rookie card, as a Golden Seal, was part of the 1972-73 OPC set. Danny Lawson showed glimpses of his potential during five NHL seasons but it was more evident in junior and a five-year stay in the WHA. He played 44 games for the Red Wings in 1968-69 to start his NHL career but was traded to the North Stars before the year ended. After 108 games in Minnesota over 3 years he was claimed by the Buffalo Sabres at the Intra-League Draft in June 1971. A jump to the WHA Philadelphia Blazers for 1972-73 saw him lead the league with 61 goals. Lawson continued to produce over the next five seasons when he never failed to top the 30-goal mark. He retired in 1977 after scoring 30 goals and helping the Winnipeg Jets reach the Avco Cup final. His rookie card, as a Blazer, was issued as part of the 1974-75 OPC WHA set. Barry MacKenzie was instrumental in helping St. Michael's Majors capture the 1961 Memorial Cup title. He went on to play one season with the University of British Columbia before opting to join Canada's national team for the next four seasons. A two-time Olympian, MacKenzie represented his Canada at the 1964 Winter Games and helped them win bronze in 1968. He had his playing rights traded to the North Stars by Toronto in 1967 and went on to make his NHL debut with Minnesota during the 1968-69 season. Despite playing the majority of the season in the CHL with the Memphis South Stars, MacKenzie managed to suit up for six games with Minnesota, his entire NHL career. Following his brief stint in the NHL, MacKenzie became a player/coach for IHC Seibu-Tetsudo in Japan before retiring from the game at the end of the season. He would never get a hockey card issued. Walt McKechnie played two years of Junior A with the Leafs' OHA affiliate, the London Nationals but never clicked with the Leafs' organization. In 1967 he was traded to Phoenix of the WHL where he took rookie-of-the-year honors in 1968. He made the NHL later that year in a playoff showing with the Minnesota North Stars and his arrival marked the beginning of a career that became one of the most nomadic in NHL history. In total, he changed major-league teams 12 times and was once on the rosters of five different clubs over a 12-month period. All told, at the NHL level, he skated for the North Stars, Golden Seals, Bruins, Wings, Capitals, Barons, Leafs and Rockies before he finally hung up his blades for good in 1984. His rookie card, as a North Star, was part of the 1970-71 OPC set. Mike McMahon Jr., the son of NHL player Mike McMahon, turned pro with the Kitchener Beavers, where he played for five games to close out the 1961-62 season. From there he joined the Sudbury Wolves of the EPHL for one year. The biggest turning point of his career occurred in 1963-64, when the NHL's New York Rangers used him for 18 games. He was also called up for one game in 1964-65, but got an extended stay in 1965-66 when he appeared in 41 games. In the summer of 1966 McMahon was traded to the Montreal Canadiens but was unable to crack a strong Habs defense. The NHL expansion for the 1967-68 season saw him traded to the North Stars and had the most productive year of his career. The next year saw the start of a 4 year NHL trek thru Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and New York. By 1972-73 he was off to the WHA for 4 seasons and then played a year in San Diego before finishing out his playing career in 1976-77 with the AHL's Springfield Indians. His rookie card, as a Ranger, was part of the 1965-66 Topps set. Barrie Meissner played a total of six games in the NHL, all with the Minnesota North Stars. Following a junior career in Saskatchewan, Meissner signed a free-agent contract with the expansion North Stars in the summer of 1967. He played in one game with the team that year and was also called up to Minnesota for five games in 1968-69. Meissner continued to play professional hockey for another five years retiring after spending the 1972-73 season with the Cleveland Barons of the AHL. He would never get a hockey card issued. Bill Orban played three NHL seasons in the late 60s and was a fine goal scorer in the minors. He joined the Chicago Black Hawks in 1967-68 and was a solid checker for nearly two years. In February, 1969 he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars and was used sparingly there until early in the 1969-70 season. He retired in 1975 after playing one last season with the CHL's Dallas Black Hawks. His rookie card, as a Blackhawk, was part of the 1967-68 Topps set. Duane Rupp played his junior hockey for the Flin Flon Bombers where his team won the Memorial Cup in 1957. During the early to mid-1960s he picked up a few NHL games with the Rangers and later with the Leafs. In 1967-68, he finally picked up full-time action in the Blue and White, he finished as a +16 and made an appearance in the All-Star Game. But the Leafs left him unprotected in the Intra-League Draft and the North Stars picked him off. After 29 games they traded him to his most notable home, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Over five seasons with the club he added stability to the Pens' blueline while increasing his point totals over his earlier NHL stints. In 1973, at age 35, Rupp left the NHL for good to join the Hershey Bears of the AHL. But then the World Hockey Association arrived and he put in a season with the Vancouver Blazers and most of a second with the Calgary Cowboys. He would finish his pro career with the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 1977. His rookie card, as a Maple Leaf, was part of the 1967-68 Topps set. Brian Smith played junior for the Brockville Canadiens, who advanced to the Memorial Cup playoffs in 1960. In 1963 the Montreal Canadiens traded his rights to Springfield of the AHL where he played for three years. In 1967 the NHL expanded and the Los Angeles Kings acquired the Springfield franchise. The Kings needed to fill their roster heading into their first season and Smith made the grade, appearing in 58 games, scoring ten goals and 19 points. Smith was traded back to Montreal in the summer of 1968, but never played a game for the Habs, being traded again in November to the North Stars where he played nine games to round out his NHL career. He was out of hockey for two years but made a comeback in 1972-73 with the start of the WHA. Smith signed a contract with the Houston Aeros and played in 48 games, retiring at the end of the year at the age of 32. He would never get a hockey card issued. Elmer "Moose" Vasko was a large, fast, and skilled defenseman who came up through the Chicago Blackhawks farm system. While with St. Catharines his Tee Pees won a Memorial Cup in 1956 and the next year he was with the Blackhawks for the first of 10 seasons. He would be part of a Stanley Cup victory in 1961 and retired after the 1965-66 season. But as the 1967 expansion approached Minnesota North Star general manager-coach Wren Blair approached his Chicago counterpart, Tommy Ivan, to get permission to approach Vasko. Vasko was ready to return to hockey and he won his fourth All-Star selection in 1969 before finally retiring as a player in 1970. His rookie card, as a Blackhawk, was part of the 1957-58 Topps set. Leo Boivin would also end his lengthy 20 season NHL career as a North Star. However, he started the 1968-69 season in Pittsburgh. His rookie card, as a Maple Leaf, was part of the 1951-52 Parkhurst set but he did not get a 1969-70 Penguins card issued. Bryan Watson made NHL stops in Montreal, Detroit, Oakland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Detroit (again) and Washington over his 18 year pro career before retiring after the 1978-79 WHA season as a Cincinnati Stinger. His rookie card, as a Red Wing, was part of the 1965-66 Topps set but he would never get a Seals card issued.
Thanks to Darryl Babineau for his ongoing custom requests !! You can purchase these cards, or any of my Missing Link creations, for $10 each postpaid, or $7.95 each for 3 or more. Email me at: [email protected], volume discounts available on larger orders. More Boston creations to start this post, lots of demand for the Beantown Boys !! I'll list in chronological order starting with a couple of 1933-34 Canadian Gum style cards. Joe Matte was a member of the Hamilton Tigers team that competed at the 1919 Allan Cup and was acquired by the Toronto St. Pats in January of 1920. After only 17 games with Toronto Matte was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens but never suited up for the club, as he was shortly acquired by Hamilton in the NHL. Played 4 seasons in Western Canada before signing as a free-agent with the Boston Bruins in December of 1925. Three games into his season with the Bruins, Matte was claimed on waivers by the Montreal Canadiens in January, 1926. He went on to finish the year with Montreal before opting to retire following the 1925-26 season. He would never get a hockey card issued. Moe Roberts was a free agent signing in December of 1925 by Boston and played in two games with the Bruins before joining the Can-Am League for the next six seasons. Signed as a free agent with New York Americans in 1931, playing 1 more NHL game, and joined them again in 1933-34 for 6 more. Roberts' last NHL action came as the assistant trainer for the Chicago Black Hawks when he had to replace an injured Harry Lumley in a game against the Detroit Red Wings early into the 1951-52 season. Bill Cupolo spent two years of junior with the Stratford Kroehlers then, as a result of wartime player shortages, joined the Boston Bruins in 1944 straight out of junior. Cupolo played 47 games for the B's and scored 11 goals and 24 points then suited up for seven more playoff contests. Cupolo notched another goal and three points in the post-season. With Bruin regulars returning to the roster in 1945, Cupolo's NHL career was over. Cupolo played Senior hockey with the Sydney Millionaires for two seasons starting in 1950 then briefly returned to professional hockey in the Eastern League during the 1951-52 season. Cupolo played his final season, back at the Senior level, with Chatham and Stratford then retired in 1954. He would never get a hockey card issued. Adam Brown played nearly 400 games for three different NHL clubs in the 1940s and '50s and was also a solid minor pro competitor. During his first pro season, Brown scored 36 points in 28 games for the AHA's Omaha Knights in 1940-41. He split the next year between the minors and the Detroit Red Wings and was disappointed when he didn't make the NHL at training camp in 1942. Rather than sulk, Brown scored 34 goals for the AHL's Indianapolis Capitals then joined the Wings for their drive to the Stanley Cup in 1943. Brown scored a personal-high 24 goals in 1943-44 when he played on a line with Don Grosso and Joe Carveth. The next season he played senior hockey then returned to score 20 goals for Detroit in 1945-46. In December 1946 he joined the Chicago Black Hawks in a deal that brought Leo Reise and Pete Horeck to Motown. Brown was a solid defensive player for nearly five years in Chicago before playing 33 games for the Boston Bruins in 1951-52. He retired in 1955 after playing two and a half years in the minors and one season with the NOHA's Sudbury Wolves. He had a Bruins rookie card issued in the 1951-52 Parkhurst set, client wanted a '52-53 Parkie custom. Stan Baluik played seven games with the Boston Bruins in 1959-60 but spent the majority of the season with Providence in the AHL, where he was the league's rookie of the year. For the next four years he was among the AHL's top scorers, earning a reputation for his play-making and face-off skills, but failed to earn another try with the Bruins and retired in 1964. He would never get a hockey card issued. Gord Turlik had a a league-leading 65 goals and 101 points in his final SJHL season in 1959-60. His dominant offensive outburst was good enough to catch the attention of the Boston Bruins and he joined the Bruins for 2 games but was unable to register a point. He spent the next two years toiling in the minors with stops in Sudbury, New York, Indianapolis and Kimberley. After missing all of '62-63 with an injury he joined the WIHL Spokane Chiefs. He would finish his career with 12 years there before retiring after the 1971-72 season. He would never get a hockey card issued. Bobby Lalonde excelled as a Montreal Junior Canadien, tallying 127 points in 61 games in 1970-71. The Vancouver Canucks secured his rights in the 1971 Entry Draft and he played parts of six seasons with the Canucks, breaking the 20-goal plateau during his first full campaign. In 1977, he was claimed by the Atlanta Flames and he tallied 24 goals and 32 assists in 1978-79. Joined the Bruins for the next 2 seasons before playing his last NHL game with Calgary in 1981-82. He had his rookie card issued as a Canuck in the '72-73 OPC set but never had a Bruins card issued. Thomas Gradin played nearly 700 NHL games in the 70s and 80s and is best known as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. He scored 20 goals as a rookie with Vancouver in 1978-79 and the next year had his first of three 30-goal seasons. He would spend 8 seasons in Vancouver before finishing his NHL career as a Bruin in 1986-87. He had his rookie card issued as a Canuck in the '79-80 OPC and Topps sets but never had a Bruins card issued. Ray Neufeld was a scrappy competitor who used his size and scoring ability to good effect during his 595-game NHL career. He recorded four 20-goal seasons and set up his linemates for many goals through his hard work in the corners. After scoring 54 goals for Edmonton of the WCJHL in 1978-79, he was taken 81st overall by the Hartford Whalers at the NHL Entry Draft. Neufeld played mostly in the AHL for three years before earning a full time slot on the Whalers in 1982-83. Early in the 1985-86 season he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets where he spent 3 more seasons before he was traded to the Boston Bruins. Played 15 games as a Bruin over 2 years but spent most of his time in the minors for his new club. He retired in 1990 after scoring 27 goals for the AHL's Maine Mariners. He had his rookie card issued as a Whaler in the '83-84 OPC set but never had a Bruins card issued. Ron Sutter, with his twin brother Rich, were the last of 6 Sutter brothers to make the NHL when they were both drafted in 1982, Ron by the Flyers and Rich by the Penguins. Ron joined the Flyers in the 1982-83 season and remained with them for nine seasons before he was traded to the Blues in 1991. In 1994, Ron was on the move again, heading to the Nordiques who, in turn, sent him to the Islanders then next year. Ron signed with the Bruins after only one season in New York, but left the team after the 1995-96 season to join the Sharks. He spent 4 years in San Jose before signing with the Flames for the 2000-01 season, his last. He had his rookie card issued as a Flyer in the '84-85 OPC and Topps sets but never had a Bruins card issued. Greg Zanon played three seasons in the BCHL before enrolling at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the fall of 1999. Following an impressive collegiate career, Zanon joined the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals in the fall of 2003 and was a key contributor in the club's run to the 2004 Calder Cup championship. For the next several seasons Zanon would split time between the AHL and the Nashville Predators. On July 1, 2009, Zanon signed on with the Minnesota Wild as an unrestricted free agent and provided the Wild with a stable defensive presence. His time in Minnesota would come to an end in 2012 when he was traded to the Boston Bruins. After 17 games in Boston he signed with the Avalanche and played his final 44 NHL games with them in 2012-13. He had a handful of 2005-06 Predator rookie cards but never got a Bruins card issued. Jay Pandolfo was drafted by New Jersey in the 2nd round of the 1993 Entry draft out of Boston University. During his first three seasons with the Devils he shuttled back and forth between Jersey and their AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats. After 13 seasons in New Jersey he was released and signed as a free agent with the Islanders for 2012-13. Released again after the season he signed with Boston but retired after only paling 18 games in 2013-14. He had a pair of 1993-94 rookie cards issued as a member of the USA Junior team. He would not get a Bruins card issued. Simon Gagne was an NHL regular just a year after being drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1998. The skilled, speedy forward posted huge numbers during his final year of Junior, then stepped right into the Flyers lineup and posted 20 goals without a day spent in the minor leagues. He would spend 10 seasons in Phillie but dealt with concussions for part of that time. In 2010 he was dealt to Tampa Bay but after just one season in Tampa he was on the move again. This time, as an unrestricted free agent, he inked a deal with the Los Angeles Kings. Won a Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2011-12 but appeared in just 11 games during the 2012-13 season before being traded back to Philadelphia. Played 27 games as a Flyer before being released and signing as a free agent with the Bruins but retired after playing 23 games in the 2014-15 season. His rookie card was issued in the 1997-98 Upper Deck Team Canada set, he did not get a Bruins card fr his final season. Zac Rinaldo was drafted in the sixth round, 178th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers and was assigned to the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms. He played the entire 2010-11 regular season with the Phantoms, however he made his NHL debut on April 22, 2011 during Game five of the first round series against the Sabres in a 5-4 overtime victory. Rinaldo played four seasons with the Flyers, known as a tough, high energy guy for their bottom two lines. At the end of the 2014-15 season, Rinaldo was traded to the Boston Bruins for a third round draft pick. He had a number of 2011-12 Flyers rookie card, here is his 2016-17 Bruins custom. Andy Bathgate had an NHL HHOF career that doesn't need a lot of bio so we will concentrate on his life after the NHL. After the 1970-71 NHL season, spent in Pittsburgh, he ended his playing career as a player-coach in division A in Switzerland. In 1973-74 he took over behind the bench of the WHA Vancouver Blazers who limped their way to a 27-50-1 won, lost, tied record. That was his last coaching foray but the next season he came out of retirement lacing up with the Blazers for 11 games. Here's a WHA custom card. Ed Hatoum played parts of three NHL seasons starting with the Red Wings and then suiting up for the Canucks. He spent most of the 1972-73 season with Seattle in the WHL but made a 16 game WHA debut with the Chicago Cougars. He jumped to the Vancouver Blazers for 1973-74 with Bathgate as his coach. Hatoum retired in 1976 after playing two years of senior hockey in the WIHL with the Nelson Maple Leafs. He would never get a hockey card issued, we previously created his Red Wings rookie card, here's his WHA custom. Ray McKay toiled for three different NHL clubs in parts of six seasons in the 1960s and '70s, making his rookie debut in 1968-69 as a Blackhawk. In 1971, the Buffalo Sabres picked up McKay and he played 39 games on the club's young blueline. In 1972-73, McKay was with the AHL's Cincinnati Swords when they won the Calder Cup. A few weeks later, the California Golden Seals claimed him and he played 72 games in 1973-74. McKay joined the WHA's Edmonton Oilers in 1974-75 and ended up playing for Cleveland, Minnesota, Birmingham and back in Edmonton over the next four years. He returned to the AHL in 1978-79 with the Springfield Indians then retired the next summer after playing most of the year with the Hershey Bears. None of that would earn him a hockey card, we had previously created customs as a Blackhawk and a Golden Seal, here's his Oilers WHA creation. Vic Mercredi was the second pick of the Atlanta Flames, 16th overall, in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft. He failed to earn a starting spot on the Atlanta Flames roster in 1973-74, and was sent to play for the Omaha Knights of the CHL where he had 21 goals and 57 points in 68 games. He spent another year in Omaha, suiting up for 64 games, but also was called up to the Flames for the only two games of his NHL career. Mercredi had also been drafted by the WHA in 1973 by the Houston Aeros, who traded his rights to the Calgary Cowboys. He ended up playing three games with the Cowboys in 1975-76, failing to register a point but did spend 29 minutes in the penalty box. With his professional career sputtering in North America, Mercredi moved to Sweden where he played for 18 games in 1976-77, and despite averaging almost a point per game, decided to return to North America. He then joined the Phoenix Roadrunners of the PHL and played one game with the AHL's Springfield Indians. He played one year of senior hockey in the BCSHL in 1979-80 before retiring. He would never get a hockey card issued, here's one for his WHA career. Bob Jones played two NHL games with the New York Rangers in 1968-69. He next spent time with the AHL's Buffalo Bisons, as well as the Seattle Totems, Salt Lake Golden Eagles and Portland Buckaroos of the WHL. In 1972 he was chosen by the Houston Aeros in the WHA General Player Draft and his rights were traded to the Los Angeles Sharks. Jones also played for the New York Raiders, Baltimore Stags and Indianapolis Racers. He retired after the 1975-76 season spent with the Mohawk Valley Comets of the NAHL, where he scored 109 points, before retiring. He would never get a hockey card issued, we previously created a Rangers custom rookie, here is his Racers custom. Garnet "Ace" Bailey made his NHL debut with Bobby Orr's Bruins in 1968 and played his last pro season with Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers in the WHA in 1978-79. Bailey won two Cups with Boston and also played for Detroit, St. Louis, and Washington. He ended his career in the Oilers organization, the WHA team that had drafted him in 1972. After a brief stay as a player with the Houston Apollos, the Oilers farm team in the CHL, Bailey retired and was named the Houston head coach. He is a popular request in the CTNW realm, we have done at least 3 Bruins customs, here is his WHA creation. Jeff Brubaker spent parts of eight seasons in the NHL during the 1980s. The rugged forward was chosen 102nd overall by the Boston Bruins in 1978 but opted to start his pro career in the WHA with the New England Whalers. He ended up in the NHL anyway when the franchise became part of the WHA-NHL merger in 1979-80. He also made NHL stops in Montreal, Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton, New York and Detroit. Not enough to get him a hockey card, we created a Maple Leaf custom, here is his WHA creation. Frank "Bucky Pope played 1964 and 1966-67 with the L.A. Rams and 1968 for the Green Bay Packers. Pope had a sensational rookie year in 1964 after being drafted in the 8th round by the L.A. Rams out of tiny Catawba college. Pope's 31.4 yards per catch average was the best in the league and remains the second-best all time in the NFL. At the opening of the 1965 exhibition season. he injured his knee and his football career was basically over. Pope missed all the 1965 season, played a little in 1966 and was healthy enough to catch eight passes for two TDs for the Rams in 1967. He was in Atlanta's camp and played briefly for Green Bay in 1968 before hanging it up. Pope never had a mainstream football card, Bob Lemke has created a beautiful 1965 Philadelphia style Rams rookie card, here is the best Packers rendition we could find for client's request. Richard "Rich" Baska played 18 games for the Denver Broncos in 1976-77 recording 1 fumble recovery. Undrafted out of UCLA he signed with Denver for 1976 appearing in 14 games. After 4 more games in 1977 his football career was over, never earning a card, here's his Broncos custom creation. Brett Goode is the long snapper for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He played college football at Arkansas and was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2007. After being placed on waivers by the Jaguars for the second time he signed with the Packers on January 1, 2011. He was part of their Super Bowl XLV win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has yet to get a football card issued, here's a 2016 Score Packers custom. Letroy Guion is the nose tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played with the Vikings from 2008 to 2013 before signing with the Packers in March 2014. He finally earned a Panini card, as a Packer, in 2016-17, here is my custom creation. Joe Haeg is a guard for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He played college football at North Dakota State, and was drafted by the Colts in the 5th round, 155 overall, of the 2016 NFL draft. Haeg signed his rookie contract with the Colts on May 5, 2016 and played in 15 games never earning a football card. Aaron Ripkowski is a fullback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He played college football at Oklahoma. Ripkowski was drafted by the Packers in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Ripkowski was the Packers' backup fullback behind veteran John Kuhn. He appeared in 15 games, finishing the year with nine tackles on special teams. Ripkowski recorded his first career NFL reception, an 18-yard catch and run from Aaron Rodgers against the Carolina Panthers in Week 9. In 2016 Ripkowski became the starting fullback after the Packers did not re-sign John Kuhn. He has not had a football card issued to date. Joseph Carl "JC" Tretter Jr. is the center for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He played college football at Cornell, and was drafted by the Packers in the 4th round, 122nd overall, of the 2013 NFL Draft. In 2016, Tretter started seven games for the Packers before going down with a knee injury in Week 7. He was inactive for the rest of the games in the regular season before having surgery on January 17, 2017. He earned a Panini card, as a Packer, in 2016-17, here is my custom creation.
Thanks goes out to Bob Mooney for these CTNW ideas !! You can purchase these cards, or any of my Missing Link creations, for $10 each postpaid, or $7.95 each for 3 or more. Email me at: [email protected], volume discounts available on larger orders. |
AuthorI am a lifelong Maple Leaf fan, now retired, who started creating custom cards for myself of Toronto players who never had a card issued in the Maple Leaf uniform. From posting some of these on eBay it has become the proverbial "snowball down hill" !!! Archives
March 2024
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