Had created some 1895 Old Judge Cigarette Cards style Chess Masters a while back, had a request to add a Bobby Fischer card to this group. Amazing story, child chess prodigy, perhaps the greatest ever who ruled the chess world only to walk away for 20 years. After that reclusive period he resurfaced to played a match against Boris Spassky which would get an arrest order issued for him by the U.S. Government and his U.S. passport rescinded. Lived balance of his life as an Icelandic resident after obtaining special citizenship from their government.
Serge Beaudoin was drafted by the NHL Philadelphia Flyers in 1972 because of his fighting abilities but the majority of his career was spent in the WHA where he played for 4 teams over 6 years. After his stops with Vancover, Phoenix, Cincinnati and Birmingham the two leagues merged and he was out of a job. However the Atlanta Flames signed him as a free agent in 1979 and he played 3 NHL games before he was back in the minors, with Birmingham in the Central league, where he retired in 1981. Here is a custom Vancouver Blazers WHA card.
Larry Israelson played 4 years of varsity with Notre Dame before turning pro. He had a pro career that consisted of 105 WHA games with the Blazers and Calgary Cowboys intertwined with stops in the CHL, AHL, SHL and NAHL over 3 seasons. He retired following the 1976-77 season.
John McKenzie first broke into the big leagues with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1958-59 and then embarked on a seven-year shuffle between Chicago, Detroit, New York and the minors. He made it to the Bruins in 1966 and stuck around long enough to claim his second Stanley Cup victory in 1972 before jumping to the WHA where he was hired to play and coach the Philadelphia Blazers. From Philly, he hopped around the league making stops in Vancouver, Minnesota and Cincinnati before settling for his final three seasons with the New England Whalers where, in the end his #19 was retired.
Pat Price was selected 11th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1975 Amateur Draft but opted instead to join the Vancouver Blazers of the WHA where he signed as an untested rookie for $1.3 million. After a single season he was with the Islanders and would play 726 NHL games with stops other in Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Quebec, New York as a Ranger and Minnesota.
Paul Terbenche played 189 NHL games in the 1960s and '70s but spent most of his pro time in the WHA and the minors. The Chicago Black Hawks prospect turned pro with the CHL's St. Louis Braves in 1966-67 and was solid as a rookie in 1967-68 but was relegated to the minors the next season. Terbenche was claimed by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1970 Expansion Draft and played most of two years with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the Western League. Beginning in 1972-73, he was a regular on the Sabres' blueline for two seasons before jumping to the WHA. The steady rearguard played four years in the league with five different franchises, including the 1979 Avco Cup champion Winnipeg Jets. He retired in 1981 after playing two years in the CHL with the Birmingham Bulls.
Thanks to Andy Zamora, Rick Vogel, Roger Brownlee, Brad Leggett, Moe Quevillon and Jim Robben for their 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.