Nels Stewart was nicknamed "Old Poison" as he was the most feared goal scorer in the NHL during his career. Born in Montreal but raised in the Toronto area he joined the Montreal Maroons for the 1925-26 season. As a rookie he captured the 1926 Hart trophy as the league's MVP, the same year he helped the Maroons capture the Stanley Cup. He repeated as MVP in 1930. By the time he retired in 1940 the burly, 200-pounder had collected a total of 324 goals and 191 assists in 653 league games. He was the first to score more than 300 goals in the NHL, and his total goals would stand until 1952 when Maurice Richard surpassed it. Stewart played with the New York Americans and the Bruins after leaving the Maroons. His 1933-34 OPC rookie shows him as a Bruin but I created a "variation" for my client.
Babe Siebert entered the NHL with the Montreal Maroons in 1925-26 and became part of the famous S Line, the most feared line in hockey until 1932, when Siebert was traded to the Rangers. In New York, Siebert won his second Stanley Cup in 1933 but was traded to Boston midway through the following season. In 1936 Cecil Hart became coach of the Canadiens and insisted the club pick up Siebert. In the twilight of his career, Babe returned to Montreal. His speed was gone but Hart wisely put him back on defense where he was just as effective as ever. In his first year with the Canadiens, he won the Hart Trophy. After the 1938-39 season, he retired, and just a few weeks later he was named the new coach of the Canadiens. Tragedy struck, however, on August 25, 1939, when he drowned at the family resort. He had cards issued as a Ranger and as a Canadien but none as a Bruin or Maroon.
Max Quackenbush joined the Boston Bruins on loan from the Indianapolis Capitals of the AHL on December 5, 1950. The move allowed him to realize his dream of playing in the NHL with his brother Bill. Max would play 47 games that season, registering four goals and six assists. Detroit traded Max the following season to Chicago and he would play his final NHL games that year. In 14 games with the Blackhawks, during the 1951-52 season, he would be credited with one assist. He would never get a hockey card issued.
Walter "Babe" Pratt turned professional in 1935, having been signed by the New York Rangers. In 1935-36 he played most of the season in the CAHL with the Philadelphia Ramblers but got a 17 game stop in New York. He played full-time with the Rangers the next year and up until 4 games in to the 1942-43 season when he was dealt to Toronto. Pratt had his best seasons with the Maple Leafs. In 1943-44, he led all defensemen with 57 points in 50 games - the best total ever by a defender and a mark that would stay in the books for 21 seasons. In 1944 Pratt was awarded the Hart Trophy and the next season when the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup he scored the winning goal. The Leafs dealt him to Boston in 1946 and he played his final 31 NHL games as a Bruin. His only hockey card, as a Maple Leaf, was issued in the 1955-56 Parkhurst "Old Time Greats" subset.
Jim Morrison was an offensive defenseman who helped the Barrie Flyers capture the 1951 Memorial Cup. His first professional season, 1951-52, was split among four teams, the highlight coming when the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired him from the Boston Bruins. Morrison went on to play six and a half seasons with the Blue and White. The Leafs would send him back to Boston for the 1958-59 season but they quickly dealt him to Detroit. After a single season there he was off to Broadway but only played 19 games before being sent down to the AHL. It would take him 8 years to return to the NHL for his final 2 seasons as a Pittsburgh Penguin. He had his rookie card card issued as a Leaf but never got a Bruins card for either of his 2 stops.
Gord Redahl was originally signed by the New York Rangers and played his first professional season in the WHL for the Winnipeg Warriors. The Boston Bruins drafted Redahl from the Rangers during the summer of 1958 and gave him an 18 game audition but was then optioned to the Providence Reds. That would be his only NHL time in his 16 year pro career and didn't rate him a hockey card.
We'll shift from Bruins to another type of Bears for the next batch, a group of 7 Chicago Bears in the 1964 Philadelphia Gum style, all of whom were part of the 1963 NFL Championship team.
The Bears’ second-round draft pick in 1963, Steve Barnett was a guard in the NFL for just two seasons, also playing for the Redskins in 1964.
Earl Leggett, a defensive lineman, was a first-round pick who played for the Bears from 1957-65 before continuing his career with the Rams and Saints.
Allen Jacobs was a senior fullback for the 1964 Utah team that beat West Virginia 32-6 in the Liberty Bowl, staged in Atlantic City, N.J., as the first indoor bowl game. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and played mostly on special teams as a rookie for the NFL champions. He was then was traded to the New York Giants.
Gary Alexander played for the San Francisco Giants (1975–1977), Oakland Athletics (1978), Cleveland Indians (1978–1980) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1981). In a seven-season major league career, Alexander posted a .230 batting average with 55 home runs and 202 RBI in 432 games played. His best statistical season was 1978 when he hit 27 home runs and had 84 RBI, 57 runs, 112 hits, and 20 doubles in 148 games, all career-highs. Alexander caught John Montefusco's no-hitter in 1976. He had cards issued with the Giants, Indians and Pirates, here are his Athletics CTNW creations.
Wayne Hillman played 14 seasons in the NHL before ending his career with a pair of WHA seasons as a Cleveland Crusader. He had all kinds of NHL cards issued but none in the WHA, here is his 1974-75 WHA creation.
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.