Gary Bauman signed with the Montreal Canadiens after 3 years varsity at Michigan Tech where his save percentage (.916) and longest winning-streak (16 wins) still stand as records. He spent most of his first 3 pro seasons in the minors but did get to Montreal for 2 games in 1966-67. During his short stay he also got to play 20 minutes in the All-Star Game and, when he and his goaltending partner Charlie Hodge stopped everything thrown at them, they became he only goalies to ever record a shutout in an All-Star Game. Finally found a permanent spot in the NHL when he was picked up in the 1967 Expansion Draft by the Minnesota North Stars. He would play in 26 games in the 1967-68 season, going a dismal 4-13-5, while also seeing time in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. The 1968-69 season wasn't stellar for Bauman either, as he would only play seven times for the North Stars (0-2-1), before being sent to the Central League's Memphis South Stars. After taking a year off from hockey, Bauman returned to his native Alberta, playing for the Calgary Stampeders of the Alberta Senior League. He would play there for two season (1970-71 and 1971-72) before retiring for good. Had a rookie card issued in the 1968-69 OPC set as a North Star, client wanted a '69-70 creation.
Mike Chernoff played 3 years junior with the Moose Jaw Canucks and then turned pro with the St. Louis Braves of the Central Hockey League for 1966-67. He signed with the North Stars as a free agent in October 1968 and played just a single game, his only NHL action. Mike spending his next season in the CHL, then three more years in the AHL before jumping to the WHA for the 1973-74 campaign. Played 36 games with the Vancouver Blazers that season and 3 the next before retiring at year end. He would never get a hockey card issued, here's his North Stars custom rookie.
Gary Dineen would have a considerably shorter NHL career that consisted of four games with the North Stars in 1968-69. He played high school hockey in Toronto with the St. Michael's College and Neil McNeil. In 1963-64 he spent a bit of time with the Toronto Marlboros then represented Canada when it finished fourth at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics. The next year he played with the University of British Columbia before playing for Canada at the 1965 World Championships. In the mid-60s Dineen continued with his commitment to the national team and won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 1967 and the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. The veteran pivot was traded to the North Stars by the Maple Leafs in 1967 and spent the most of the 1968-69 year in the CHL with the Memphis South Stars and then bounced around the minors until retiring in 1971. He would never have a card issued.
Wayne Hillman, brother to Larry, had a 17 year pro career with NHL stops in Chicago, New York, Minnesota and Philadelphia. He would also play 2 WHA seasons in Cleveland to end his career. Unlike Larry he never got to hoist the Stanley Cup. His Blackhawks rookie was part the 1961-62 Topps set.
Marshall Johnston had a four year collegiate career and a lengthy run with the Canadian National Team to his credit before he joined the National Hockey League in 1967. He joined the expansion North Stars late in the 1967-68 campaign but couldn't secure a regular spot on the North Stars blue line. After appearing in just 49 games for Minnesota over four seasons the North Stars traded Johnston to the Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 1971. Before he could head to camp with his new club, he was on the move again when the Canadiens shipped him to the Golden Seals. He spent the next three years patrolling the blue line for California, and enjoyed solid offensive production in 1972-73 when he scored 10 goals and 30 points for the Seals. The following year was his last as a player as he retired following a 50 game final season in California. His rookie card, as a Golden Seal, was part of the 1972-73 OPC set.
Barry MacKenzie was instrumental in helping St. Michael's Majors capture the 1961 Memorial Cup title. He went on to play one season with the University of British Columbia before opting to join Canada's national team for the next four seasons. A two-time Olympian, MacKenzie represented his Canada at the 1964 Winter Games and helped them win bronze in 1968. He had his playing rights traded to the North Stars by Toronto in 1967 and went on to make his NHL debut with Minnesota during the 1968-69 season. Despite playing the majority of the season in the CHL with the Memphis South Stars, MacKenzie managed to suit up for six games with Minnesota, his entire NHL career. Following his brief stint in the NHL, MacKenzie became a player/coach for IHC Seibu-Tetsudo in Japan before retiring from the game at the end of the season. He would never get a hockey card issued.
Mike McMahon Jr., the son of NHL player Mike McMahon, turned pro with the Kitchener Beavers, where he played for five games to close out the 1961-62 season. From there he joined the Sudbury Wolves of the EPHL for one year. The biggest turning point of his career occurred in 1963-64, when the NHL's New York Rangers used him for 18 games. He was also called up for one game in 1964-65, but got an extended stay in 1965-66 when he appeared in 41 games. In the summer of 1966 McMahon was traded to the Montreal Canadiens but was unable to crack a strong Habs defense. The NHL expansion for the 1967-68 season saw him traded to the North Stars and had the most productive year of his career. The next year saw the start of a 4 year NHL trek thru Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and New York. By 1972-73 he was off to the WHA for 4 seasons and then played a year in San Diego before finishing out his playing career in 1976-77 with the AHL's Springfield Indians. His rookie card, as a Ranger, was part of the 1965-66 Topps set.
Bill Orban played three NHL seasons in the late 60s and was a fine goal scorer in the minors. He joined the Chicago Black Hawks in 1967-68 and was a solid checker for nearly two years. In February, 1969 he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars and was used sparingly there until early in the 1969-70 season. He retired in 1975 after playing one last season with the CHL's Dallas Black Hawks. His rookie card, as a Blackhawk, was part of the 1967-68 Topps set.
Brian Smith played junior for the Brockville Canadiens, who advanced to the Memorial Cup playoffs in 1960. In 1963 the Montreal Canadiens traded his rights to Springfield of the AHL where he played for three years. In 1967 the NHL expanded and the Los Angeles Kings acquired the Springfield franchise. The Kings needed to fill their roster heading into their first season and Smith made the grade, appearing in 58 games, scoring ten goals and 19 points. Smith was traded back to Montreal in the summer of 1968, but never played a game for the Habs, being traded again in November to the North Stars where he played nine games to round out his NHL career. He was out of hockey for two years but made a comeback in 1972-73 with the start of the WHA. Smith signed a contract with the Houston Aeros and played in 48 games, retiring at the end of the year at the age of 32. He would never get a hockey card issued.
Leo Boivin would also end his lengthy 20 season NHL career as a North Star. However, he started the 1968-69 season in Pittsburgh. His rookie card, as a Maple Leaf, was part of the 1951-52 Parkhurst set but he did not get a 1969-70 Penguins card issued.
Thanks to Darryl Babineau for his ongoing custom 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.