Bob Bailey played for nineteen teams in his professional career and was included in trades involving over twenty players, in fact he was traded for Bill Dineen three times !!! His NHL tour of duty included Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago, never for a full season, between 1953 and 1958 and he managed only a few goals in the Original Six. Bailey had his best offensive season when he was 34, after almost 19 years of hockey, scoring 132 points for the Dayton Gems in the IHL in 1965-66. He had 2 hockey cards issued, a 1954-55 Parkhurst Maple Leafs rookie and a 1957-58 Topps Blackhawks card. Here is a '55-56 Parkie Toronto custom.
Alex "Fats" Delvecchio spent more than two decades with the Detroit Red Wings and when he retired in 1973, he trailed only long-time teammate Gordie Howe in games played, assists and total points. In 1950-51, he led the OHA with 72 assists and had a one-game trial with Detroit. After starting the 1951-52 schedule with the Indianapolis Capitals of the AHL, he joined the Red Wings for good helping Detroit win the Stanley Cup in 1952. In 1952-53, he replaced Sid Abel on the Production Line between Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team. He had hockey cards issued every season from '51-52 until '74-75 except for 1955-56.
Charlie Hodge caught the attention of the Montreal Canadiens' scouts as a youth and began his apprenticeship with the Junior Canadiens in 1949-50. In 1951-52, he became the undisputed starter on the junior Habs and turned in a league leading GAA of 2.22. He turned pro in 1953-54 with the Cincinnati Mohawks of the IHL registering a league-high 10 shutouts and a 2.34 goals-against average and a and Turner Cup championship. He got his first NHL action, with Montreal, in '54-55 and had an "In Action" card issued in the '55-56 Parkie set which is acknowledged as his rookie, here's my version.
Gilles Mayer made a few appearances for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 50's but was better known as a top junior and a workhorse in the American Hockey League. Between 1949-59 and 1962-63, Mayer was a regular in the AHL but was recalled by Toronto on occasion and posted a NHL career record of 2-6-1 with a 2.78 GAA. Mayer also won at least 30 games in the AHL seven times; including a league high 46 with the Pittsburgh Hornets in 1951-52; played on five Calder Cup Champions, was a five time all-star and won the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award for allowing the fewest goals in the league five out of six years in beginning in 1951. He would never get an NHL hockey card.
Terry Sawchuk keeps making my custom order lists !! We have bio'd him on several occasions so will simply post his '55-56 Red Wings custom card this time.
Cal Gardner played three years of junior hockey in Winnipeg but entered the military for the duration of World War II. Fresh out of the service in 1945, he joined the New York Rovers of the EHL and netted 73 points in 40 games. That earned him, and in fact his entire line, a trip to Broadway but only Gardner survived beyond three seasons. After a little more than two campaigns in New York, he was sent to the Leafs, home of the highlights of his career. Over the next four years Gardner notched 163 points in 247 games, made two All-Star game appearances and, celebrated three Stanley Cup victories. In 1952, he joined the lowly Blackhawks for one season before settling in for his final 4 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins. He had cards issued from '51-52 to '54-55, here's his '57-58 Topps custom.
Parker MacDonald, like Terry Sawchuk, has had multiple appearances on our custom order lists, here is his '57-58 Topps New York Rangers custom.
Marty Pavelich played three years of junior hockey with the Galt Red Wings of the OHA from 1944 to 1947. When Pavelich went to the Motor City in 1947, after a short stay in Indianapolis of the AHL, Pavelich settled in for a ten-year NHL career on the Wings checking line. While Gordie Howe, Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay took care of the offense, it was up to Pavelich and his crew to be sure the Wings twine remained relatively "unbulged". During his decade in Detroit, the Wings won four Stanley Cups. He would have cards issued from '51-52 thru '54-55, here is a '57-58 Topps Red Wings custom.
Metro Prystai put in three full seasons with the Moose Jaw Canucks of the SJHL between 1944 and 1947 leading the league in scoring for two of his three seasons. Prystai joined the NHL in 1947 with the Chicago Blackhawks but lasted only three seasons with the Hawks before he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. The most exciting event of his career came when, in 1952, the Wings swept the entire playoffs, winning all eight contests and Prystai scored two goals and 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. He also would have cards issued from '51-52 thru '54-55, here is a '57-58 Topps Red Wings custom.
Ulf Sterner made his debut with Tre Kronor when he was only 17 years and 9 months and was also the Swedish national team's youngest rookie of all times. He was also Europe's; and Sweden's; first player to join the NHL at a time when the League consisted of six great clubs appearing as a New York Ranger for 4 games in 1964-65. That wouldn't earn him a hockey card so here is his '65-66 Topps custom rookie card.
Andre Peloffy was a 12th choice, 111th selection overall, by the New York Rangers in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft. He made his professional debut in 1971-72 with the EHL's New Haven Blades where he earned EHL North Rookie of the Year honours. Prior to the 1974-75 NHL season, the New York Rangers traded Peloffy to the Washington Capitals where later that season he made his NHL debut, 9 games that would be his NHL career total. That was enough to make him the first NHL player ever born in France. He would add 10 WHA games with the Whalers before embarking on a 10 year European career, but would never get a WHA or NHL card issued. Here's his '75-76 Capitals rookie, we will add a Whalers WHA card in the future.
Thanks to loyal customers Bob Fulton and Doug Ball for the incentive for these CTNW creations !!!
You can purchase these cards, or any of my Missing Link creations, for $10 each postpaid, or $7.95 for 3 or more. Email me at: [email protected], volume discounts available on larger orders.