In mid-season 1981-82 Paul Baxter, after leading the WHA in career penalties, had the second most penalty minutes in NHL history in only his third season. Baxter, who had to overcome a serious injury in 1980 when linesman Bob Hodges skated over his wrist severing four tendons, finished the season with 409 penalty minutes. He had spent 5 WHA seasons with Quebec and made his NHL debut as a Nordique in 1979-80 earning a rookie card in that years OPC set.
Jock Callander played his junior hockey in the WHL with Regina and in his last two seasons he produced staggering totals of 146 goals and 343 points, leading the league in 1981-82. Undrafted he signed as free agent with St. Louis but saw his first NHL ice in Pittsburgh. Played 101 regular season and 12 playoff games as a Penguin over 5 seasons before he was dealt to Tampa. Only saw 8 games in Florida but managed to get his rookie card in the 1992-93 ProSet series.
Marty McSorley signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins while he was in the midst of a fine two-year career with the OHL's Belleville Bulls. He played 72 games for the woeful Penguins in 1983-84 but spent most of the next season in the minors. Then his luck changed and he was off to Edmonton where he earned his 1987-88 OPC rookie card. Here is his Penguins debut card.
Gary Rissling signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals in 1978. Over the two seasons that followed, Rissling split his time between the Hershey Bears of the AHL and the Caps. In either locale, he played it the same, cutting a swath of penalty minutes across any and every rink. In 1981, Rissling was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins who acquired him for his pugnacious behavior to add some life to the Pens' dispirited lineup. He played parts of 5 seasons there before he finished out his pro career with the Baltimore Skipjacks of the AHL in 1987. His only hockey card was issued as part of the 2002-03 Fleer Throwback set.
Mike Zigomanis played 13 seasons of pro hockey with NHL stops in Carolina, St. Louis, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Toronto. Played 197 NHL games with 75 of those coming with Phoenix in 2006-07. That earned him his only hockey card in an NHL jersey in the 2007-08 OPC set, had 6 others issued, all showing him as a junior or minor leaguer. We have previously done him as Maple Leaf Missing Link, here's his Penguins custom.
Colin Campbell played in the WHA with Vancouver for a season after junior before he joined Penguins in 1974-75 playing 123 games over 2 years. He was then sent to Colorado but came back for the 1977-78 and 1978-79 seasons, his 1978-79 OPC card was issued with him in a Rockies uniform.
Gilles Lupien was taken 33rd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1974 Amateur Draft but then spent three years developing with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the AHL. Lupien was a solid sixth defenceman on the Habs and was a member of the 1978 and 1979 Stanley Cup teams. Prior to the 1980-81 season, the towering blueliner was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins but was sent to the Hartford Whalers before the end of the year. He retired as a player in 1982 after spending most of the season with the AHL's Binghamton Whalers. His 1980-81 OPC rookie card was issued as a Penguin but shows him in a Montreal jersey.
Thanks to Dave Draskovic for his custom Penguins 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.