At only 5'6' and 135 pounds, diminutive defenseman Bobby Benson played only one season in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, in 1924-25, recording one assist in eight games. But for Benson the NHL experience wasn't the highlight of his successful hockey career. He was in fact a part of Canada's hockey history before he ever turned pro. In 1920 Benson competed in a hockey tournament that would prove to be the true highlight of his career. He was a member of the 1920 Canadian Olympic team that traveled to Antwerp, Belgium, for the first and only time that ice hockey was played in the Summer Olympics. Benson's Winnipeg Falcons defeated the University of Toronto seniors in a two game Allan Cup final series in March 1920 and were invited to represent Canada at the Olympics, where they won gold. He would never have a hockey card issued.
Center John Ingram was also a veteran scoring star in Moncton, New Brunswick when he was given an opportunity to play in the National Hockey League by the expansion Boston Bruins. Ingram, who was known as "Jack" during his career, joined the Moncton Victorias in 1918 and twice led the circuit in goals before he was contacted by the new Boston franchise about the possibility of making the leap to the professional game. Ingram played just one game with the Bruins during their inaugural season in 1924-25, but was unable to find the net for Boston and he returned to Moncton and the Senior game shortly after. He also would never rate a hockey card.
Bobby Rowe was born in Heathcote, Ontario and spent 9 years in the PCHA, the last of them in Seattle. Rowe was a member of the Seattle team that competed in the 1919 Stanley Cup Challenge Series against Montreal that was cancelled due to the influenza epidemic and was a member of the 1920 team which fell short against Ottawa. Following the 1923-24 season, Bobby Rowe was traded to the Boston Bruins where he played in his only four career NHL games. In those four games with the Bruins, Rowe managed to score his first and only NHL goal before the Western Hockey League's Portland Rosebuds signed him as free agent in January of 1926. Bobby Rowe retired from hockey following the 1925-26 season. He had his rookie card released as part of the 1911-12 C55 set.
Thanks to John Lehman for his continued vintage Bruin requests. Bob Mooney is another of my faithful customers with a Bruin leaning. Just sent him off a set of 7 1948-52 Bruins Exhibit cards modified to fit the modern 2 1/2' x 3 1/2" sheets, these were posted full-size on a prior posting. He also likes his vintage NFL football and this order included 4 football as well as a new Exhibit card of Cliff "Fido" Purpur of the Blackhawks.
Ben Agajanian is considered the first “kicking specialist” in pro football. Known as “The Toeless Wonder”, he had four toes on his kicking foot crushed off in a work accident. The Armenian-American kicked field goals for 14 different teams during his professional career that spanned from the 1940s to the 1960s. He was one of only two players to play in the All-America Football Conference, the AFL and the NFL. After his playing career he became pro football’s first ever kicking coach serving as the Dallas Cowboys’ kicking coach for 20 years.