Business first; prize packages went out the other day. Keep an eyeball on your mailboxes you lucky winners. Speaking of contests and prizes, Sal over at Puck Junk has a contest going on, so go on over and enter yourself. Hurry, though, time is running out!

Okay, so a few weeks ago, my local card shop got in a sizable stash of mid-to-late OPC hockey goodness. There were big stars, but all the cards were in very nice condition. The owner (a fellow enforcer fan) and I went through the hundreds and hundreds of cards and picked out all of the goons; I will post those at a later date. What I wanted to share with you now were some additional random goodness from the lot.

1975-76 O-Pee-Chee #189 Bill Clement

1978-79 O-Pee-Chee #364 Bill Clement

Clement, Clement. Hands of cement! Clement is one of my favorite hockey analysts (along with Andy Brickley), so I needed to grab these cards. Also, he was a pretty good player. Gotta love the cartoon-y airbrush job on the 75-76 card, plus, doesn’t he look like he’s eight feet tall?

1977-78 O-Pee-Chee #278 Craig Patrick

I could never pass on a card of a member of the Miracle on Ice team.

1978-79 O-Pee-Chee #243 Jim Bedard

This card was recently voted by Beckett as one of the funniest cards ever produced. Or something. He certainly does look like a miserable human being in this picture. The back says that he is an up and coming goalie who hopes to have a long career in the NHL. Sadly, that never happened. He played just two seasons and went 17-40-13 with a 3.94 GAA during his time with the Capitals. Maybe Jim’s future came to him in a dream and hence the beaten down expression.

1978-79 O-Pee-Chee #280 Bruce Boudreau

There is just something about Bourdreau as a coach that I have always liked. He seems like a very serious guy behind the bench but I alway imagined him being funny in the locker room. Of course we all know now what he is like in the locker room. Thanks HBO! Weird that the back of his card contains no signature.

1982-83 O-Pee-Chee #328 Barry Melrose

I didn’t even know this card existed. I thought he just had the one rookie and that was it. No hockey collection is complete without a Melrose card. And just because I want to share another Hockey Falls clip (not like I need an excuse)…

Now let’s get to my Hockey Hall of Pretty Good revamp. I’m going to make a quick note; I am going to start counting a full season as any player who played in more than 40 games and ignore seasons with less. Why? Because its sort of unfair to count cups of coffee or injury shortened seasons when evaluating players.

Last post, I went through the 1974-76 classes, kicking out Dickie Moore, George Armstrong, Johnny Bower, and Bill Quackenbush while keeping Pierre Pilote and Glenn Hall. It was a tough group of players and I am doubting my rejection of Bower. But I must stand firm!

In case you missed the previous posts, here they are:

1961-1966
1967-1970
1971-1973
1974-1976

Let’s do this!

1977
Alex Delvecchio
Tim Horton

Delvecchio played an amazing 22 seasons, all with the Red Wings. During that time he finished in the top-10 in goals five times, assists ten times, and total points eleven times although he never led in any one category. He did take home thee Lady Byng Trophies and three Cups, so he has some hardware. Alex was very good for a very long period of time, routinely putting up 60+ points a season. Heck, at age 40, he totalled 71 points, his 2nd highest. I don’t think he was ever truly great but he was just so consistent and very good year in and year out that I think I have to put him in. I do wonder how good he would have been if he didn’t have Howe and Lindsay on his line, but I’m looking at his stats for what they are. He is in, but I am doubting my judgement here. Is it better to be dominant for 5 seasons and pretty good for ten OR very good for 22 seasons?

Next is the donut man, Tim Horton. Like Delvecchio, he played for 22 seasons. As a defenseman, he was regarded as one of the best of his time. He was also said to have been one of the strongest guys in the league. He never won a Norris Trophy or any other individual hardware, but he was named to three NHL All-Star 1st Teams and three 2nd Teams. He also won four Cups with the Leafs and is a beloved figure in Canadian sports history, if not also in regular history. Horton is in.

Inducted: Alex Delvecchio and Tim Horton
Kicked out: No one

1978
Andy Bathgate
Jacques Plante
Marcel Pronovost

Bathgate first. 15 seasons in which he finished in the top-10 in goals seven times, assists nine times (leading twice) and points nine times (leading once). A Hart Trophy, two selections as a 1st Team All-Star, two as a 2nd Team All-Star and one Cup is a nice little resume but I want great. I mean, his #9 jersey was raised to the MSG rafters AFTER Adam Graves’ #9 was. Hmmm. Bathgate is out.  It should be noted that he shares a little history with the next guy.

Jacques Plante is known for bringing the goalie mask to the game, but do you know who the player was that hit him in the face with a shot that led to the mask? Yep, Andy Bathgate. Plante played 12 complete seasons and good chunks of four others. He is basically a no-brainer but lets just recap. He led the league in wins five times (6th overall), goals against average eight times and shutouts four times. He won SEVEN Vezina Trophies, one Hart Trophy and six Cups. He was dominant at his position during his time and is one of the best goalies of all-time. Jacques is obviously in.

Pronovost, whose name I always want to spell Provonost, played 17 seasons and was known for his passion to make the big hit, oftentimes throwing himself with reckless abandon into a player or play. He was also considered one of the best poke and stick checkers of his time. He never won any individual awards or finished in the top-10 in any offensive category but he was a part of five Cup winning teams and averaged almost 20 points a season. I don’t really know much about him other than what I’ve read and until someone presents me with an article or evidence that he was a rock solid blueliner, I have to kick him out. Sorry, Marcel.

Inducted: Jacques Plante
Kicked out: Andy Bathgate and Marcel Pronovost

Okay, that is all I have time for right now. I’ll be back soon enough with more inductees!

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