Mark Messier signed as a 17 year old free agent, after his 5 game Indianapolis Racers debut, with the Cincinnati Stingers. Here's my CTNW to mark his second shot at the pro ranks.
Donald "Sandy" McGregor played one game with the Junior A Toronto Marlboros in 1956-57 but spent his final two years of eligibility in Guelph playing with the Biltmores. At the age of 20, McGregor turned pro signing a contract with the Trois-Rivieres Lions of the EPHL. He spent the next two years in the league with Kitchener before moving on to the AHL in 1962-63 as a member of the Baltimore Clippers. While playing for the Clippers in 1963-64, McGregor received the call to join the New York Rangers for two games. He saw limited ice time while filling in, but did make it to the official game sheet by picking up a two-minute minor penalty. That would be his entire NHL career, although he spent the next 5 seasons in the AHL he never made it back to the big show. He would never get a hockey card issued so here is a '64-65 Tallboy CTNW to mark his time on Broadway.
Dennis Hextall, son of Ranger great Bryan Hextall, Sr., played his junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings before joining the University of North Dakota. After he completed his degree, declined an scholarship for a Master degree and jumped for the pro ranks with Knoxville, Omaha and Buffalo. In 1967-68 he got a call to New York for a pair of playoff games. He would another 13 regular season games in 1968-69 before getting traded to Los Angeles. His 1969-70 OPC and Topps rookie cards both show him as a King, here's my '68-69 Rangers CTNW Missing Link rookie. |
Dunc Wilson's first taste of the big league came in the 1969-70 season where he played one game for the Philadelphia Flyers, allowing three goals in a loss. The following year when the expansion Vancouver Canucks selected him and he tended goal for 35 games that year and in 53 games for the Canucks the next year. After one more year as the Canucks' number-one backstop, Wilson was sent to the Maple Leafs for the 1973-74 season but was shipped off to the New York Rangers near the conclusion of the 1974-75 season. He then a two-year stopover in Pittsburgh before returning to Vancouver for one last kick at the can in 1978-79. During NHL career, Wilson never once had a winning season, although most of those years he played on sub-par teams.
His 1971-72 OPC rookie was issued as a Canuck, here is his 1970-71 Flyers CTNW rookie.
Don McLeod was a career minor league netminder in the Detroit Red Wings' organization, playing with four AHL and one CHL team in his first two seasons of professional hockey. Then, during the 1970-71 season, McLeod got the call and joined the Red Wings appearing in 14 games. The next season he was chosen by the Philadelpha Flyers and spent the year with the Flyers as well as Richmond and Providence of the AHL. McLeod jumped to the WHA at its inauguration in 1972-73, playing with the Houston Aeros and in 1973-74 led the Aeros to the WHA championship earning the Ben Hatskin Trophy recipient as the WHA's top goaltender. McLeod spent six seasons in all as a WHA goaltender, with stints in Vancouver, Calgary, Quebec and Edmonton as well as Houston and all his hockey cards issued are WHA cards, here is his Flyer's 1972-73 CTNW creation.
Robbie Moore went undrafted by NHL teams, but he was taken in the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft, 187th overall by the New England Whalers although he never played in the league. In 1978-79 Moore signed a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers and played in five games posting an official record of 3-0-1 with two shutouts, but he was unable to crack the lineup on a regular basis. Moore played just one other game in the NHL and that came in the 1982-83 season when he stood between the pipes for the Washington Capitals. He played one last year of pro hockey with the Milwaukee Admirals in 1983-84 before retiring at the age of 29 without getting a hockey card issued. Here is my 1979-80 CTNW Flyers rookie card.
Glenn Resch was in his 14th NHL season when he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1986. He played only 25 games as a Flyer before hanging up his pads for good in 1986. OPC issued a 1986-87 Flyers card of a Resch headshot in a terrible airbrush uniform here's my CTNW version.
Marc D'Amour played his Junior career with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds after which he signed a free agent contract with the Calgary Flames in 1982. D'Amour payed his dues in the Flames minor league system. When the Flames traded veteran Don Edwards to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1985 an job was created in Calgary and D'Amour was given his NHL debut playing 15 games. D'Amour's next opportunity came after he signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Flyers on September 30th 1988. D'Amour was a minute shy of playing a period for the Flyers during the 1988-89 season and did not surrender a goal. D'Amour spent the rest of that campaign and all of the next three in the Flyers minor league system. He then retired from hockey in 1992 with getting a regular hockey card issued although he was part of the '85-86 Flames Red Rooster Team set. Here is his 1989-90 Flyers CTNW creation.
Thanks to Darryl Babineau, Randy Vanasse and Doug Nicol for these CTNW inspirations !!!
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.