Lost Rookies: 1988-89 OPC Ken Baumgartner

   Ken "Bomber" Baumgartner was one of my favourite players when I was a child.  I was an Islanders fan and they didn't have much on go other than Lafontaine and the truculence of Baumgartner and Mick Vukota.  Looking back, it's shocking to see that Baumgartner was an Islander for only about two seasons.

  Ken played his junior hockey with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL.  He was selected as the Scholastic Player of the Year in 1984 and won a Memorial Cup in 1985, which included a fight with Bob Probert that spilled into the penalty box. The Sabres used their last pick, 245th overall, in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft to draft Baumgartner.  

  Baumgartner never played for the Sabres as he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in January of 1986 as part of a five player deal.  Ken finished his junior career in 1986, and like many young adults, visited Europe.  Ken was a dual-citizen of Canada and Switzerland.  He played the 1986 season in the Swiss league.  It was a change of pace for Baumgartner as fighting was not part of the European game.  Although he still managed to rack up 85 PIM in 36 games.  He attributes his time in the Swiss leagues as key to him making the NHL.  Instead of focusing on fighting, he had to focus on playing a complete game.  He returned to North America at the end of the Swiss season and began his career in the Kings organization.

  Ken made his NHL debut on January 4th, 1987 and immediately went to work, earning the first penalty of the game, then later starting a line brawl after a elbowing New Jersey Devils' captain, Kirk Muller.  For his first career game, he accumulating 19 PIM, including a game misconduct.  He scored his first career goal on March 19, 1988 against Glen Hanlon of the Detroit Red Wings.  In the 1988-89 season, Ken set a career high with 286 PIM, while only playing in 49 games.  In two seasons and a bit, Ken played 91 games for the Kings, notching 10 points and 501 PIM.  That's an average of more then 5 PIM per game!

1989-90 OPC Ken Baumgartner

  The Kings traded Baumgartner and Hubie McDonough to the New York Islanders for struggling sniper, Mikko Makela on Novermber 29, 1989.  The trade jumpstarted the Islanders.  The Isles were 5-18-3 before the trade but went 23-6-3 after the trade was made.  The momentum wore off as the Isles went on a 1-14-5 run and found themselves in last place in the division.  The team rallied for the last two games of the season, winning both, including against the Philadelphia Flyers in their last game of the season.  The final standings in the Patrick Division had the Flyers last with 71 points, the Pittsburgh Penguins in 5th with 72 points, and the Islanders with the last playoffs spot at 73 points.

  Although the first place New York Rangers made quick work of the Islanders in five games during the first round, game one at Madison Square Gardens was a memorable, and controversial, one.  With a little over a minute to play, the Islanders leading scorer Pat Lafontaine, 54 goals and 105 points, was the recipient of a shoulder to head check from James Patrick.  A clean hit in 1990; a game misconduct in 2020.  Lafontaine suffered a concussion and was carried off the ice on a stretcher.  The Rangers fans cheered, as John Cougar Mellencamp's Hurts So Good was played in the arena while Lafontaine laid on the ice.  Outside the arena, Ranger fans rocked the Ambulance that Lafontaine was in.  Inside, it was still a one goal game, with the Rangers leading 2-1 with a minute and change to play.  

  After an Islanders icing with two seconds left to play, and still down by one, Islanders coach, and HHOFer, Al Arbour, sent a message.  He sent his top 4 PIM leaders onto the ice, Baumgartner, Vukota, Gerald Diduck and Gary Nylund, as well as Bryan Trottier (No wonder Trottier was bitter at the Islanders when he left).  The Rangers countered with their heavyweights including Chris Nilan, Kris King, and Mark Janssens.  The Rangers lined their players up near the blue-line instead of the face-off circle to show they weren't looking to fight.  Instead of lining up for the face-off, Baumgartner skated in circles like a caged animal waiting for the puck to drop, getting wound up to charge the Ranger players.  The brawl was a black-eye for hockey, as well as for Al Arbour.  The NHL suspended Vukota for 10 games, and Baumgartner for one.  The Islanders were fined $25,000.  Lafontaine would miss three games before returning to play in the series game 5 finale. 

1991-92 OPC Ken Baumgartner

 

  Baumgartner played another season and half for the Islanders before being traded.  His career totals as an Islanders were 175 games played, 13 points, and 678 PIM.  He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 1992 trade deadline.  On December 9, 1995, Baumgartner scored a goal against the Dallas Stars.  He did not score again until, two franchises later, October 10, 1998.  He had a goalless drought of 194 games, which just outside of the top 10 all-time in the NHL.  In 1997-98, while playing for the Boston Bruins, Baumgartner had zero goals and one assist in 82 games.  Baumgartner retired following the 1998-99 season.

  Baumgartner's career numbers, 54 points, 2242 PIM in 696 games, and on-ice actions scream GOON!  Juxtapose that with his off-ice accomplishments.  He was the 1984 WHL Scholastic Player of the year.  During his playing days he attended Hofstra University and earned a degree in business.  He was the Vice-president in the NHLPA union.  After retiring he earned a MBA at Harvard and works in Finance.  Not the type of guy who basically fought for a living or dying his skin yellow and with a mohawk.

  Baumgartner's first NHL card was during the 1990-91 junk wax boom.  He never did have one as a Los Angeles King other than a team-issued card.  So here is Ken Baumgartner's 1988-89 OPC rookie card with a picture from this fight with McSorley.

1988-89 OPC #276 Ken Baumgartner (RC)

1988-89 OPC #276 Ken Baumgartner (RC)

Lost Cards: 1990-91 OPC Reed Larson

  After winning heaps of accolades, and a National Championship, while playing for his home state,  Minnesota University, in the NCAA, Reed Larson was drafted 22nd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2nd round of 1976 NHL Amateur Draft.  A tough defenseman with a cannon for a shot, Larson was the top ranked American in the draft.

  Larson's university career came to an unceremonious end as he was suspended for assaulting an official during a regular season game during the 1976-77 season.  He turned pro shortly after and joined the Red Wings for the end of the 76-77 season, netting one assist in 14 games.  Larson fared much better in the 1977-78 season.  He scored his first career goal against Denis Herron of the Pittsburgh Penguin, on October 26, 1977.  It was the game-winning goal.  He finished the season with 60 points in 75 games.  At the time, 60 points was a season record for rookie defencemen.  

  As a member of the Red Wings, Larson was an incredibly consistent player.  From 1978 to 1986, Larson scored between 17 to 27 goals per season, and 58 to 74 points.  During his time with the Red Wings, he set franchise single season records for Defencemen in goals, 27 (still a team record), assists, and points.  During the 1983-84 season, he became the All-Time American-born career points leader.  The following season, he became the All-Time American-born Career Goal leader.  He has since been bumped down to 35th for points and 50th for goals.  Larson appeared in three All-Star games for the Red Wings, scoring a goal during the 1980 All-Star game that was held in Detroit.

  The Red Wings had little team success during Larson's time with them.  The Red Wings were nicknamed the Dead Wings during the 1970s and consistently one of the leagues worst teams until the late 1980s.  During the 1985-86 season, Larson was traded to the Boston Bruins for Mike O'Connell.  At the time of the trade, Larson was leading the Red Wings in points.  The change of scenery did not work for Larson.  He was no longer the top defenceman, as the Bruins already had Ray Bourque.  Larson had 36 and 34 points in his two seasons as a Bruin, as injuries hampered his play.  He missed the end of the 1988 regular season with an injury and was in and out of the line-up during the play-offs, including the finals against the Edmonton Oilers.  He was in the line-up for the Game Four tie against the Oilers, the night the lights went out.  The last time game in play-offs history.

  Larson was a free agent after the 1988 season, but suffered nerve damage in serious car crash during the off-season.  The injury raised questions regarding his health.  He was able to sign with the Oilers near the end of training camp.  He played exactly ten games with the Oilers, scoring nine points.  Four of those points, came in a single game.  He was traded to the New York Islanders for future consideration in December.  With the Islanders, he scored 20 points in 33 games.  The Islanders were sellers at the trade deadline and Larson was traded to the North Stars for a 7th round daft pick.  Larson netting 9 points in 11 games as a North Star.  So for the season, Larson played on three teams, scoring 38 points in 58 games. 

1989-90 OPC Reed Larson - Oilers - Islanders - North Stars

  Larson was a free agent during the 1989 off-season.  With interest dwindling in the former All-Star, Larson signed to play with HC Allege overseas in Italy.  Larson did return to the NHL one last time.  He was signed by the Buffalo Sabres in March of 1990 and played a single game.  After the season he returned to Italy to play professionally until 1994.  At 38 years old, Larson returned to Morth America and played 9 games in the IHL with the Minnesota Moose during the 1994-95 season.  He was elected to the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.

  Larson's last NHL card with in the 1988-89 set as a Boston Bruin.  After playing for three teams during the 1988-89 season, he did not get a OPC card and his one game stint with the Sabres did not draw any interest from any manufacturer.  Surprisingly, there is a high quality picture of Laron's brief stint with the Sabres.  So here is a career capper of Larson.

1990-91 OPC #530 Reed Larson

1990-91 OPC #530 Reed Larson

Lost Rookies: 1988-89 OPC Glenn Healy

  Glenn Healy has become more known as a hockey personality than as a hockey player.  Let's look a closer look at Glenn Healy the hockey player.  Healy attended Western Michigan University in the early 80s and went undrafted by the NHL.  He signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings in 1985.  Healy was called up to the Kings in November of 1985, as starter Bob Janecyk was out with injuries.  Healy played his first NHL game on Novermber 25, 1985, when entered the game in relief of Darren Eliot.  The Kings were down 3-0 to the Hartford Whalers when Healy entered the game during the 1st period.  The game ended 9-0.  Shortly after the Kings made a trade for new starter Roland Melanson and Healy was buried on the depth chart.

  Healy spent the majority of his first two professional seasons in the AHL.  In 1987, Healy broke camp as the back-up goalie for the Kings.  He won his first NHL game on October 28, 1987, a 5-2 victory against the New York Rangers.  His first career shutout was against the Vancouver Canucks on February 28th, 1987.  Healy was used sparingly down the stretch, playing 3 of the teams last 13 games, but took over the starting gig in the play-offs after Melanson gave up 9 goals in the play-offs opener against Calgary.  Healy went 1-3 during four play-off games as the Kings were eliminated in the first round.

  Healy began the 1988 season as the back-up but became the starter after Melanson gave up 11 goals to the Calgary Flames on October 16th.  The 1988-89 season was Wayne Gretzky's first season as a King.  As the season progress, there became a glaring weakness with the Kings - the goaltending.  On February 22nd, the Kings traded a package of players, including back-up Mark Fitzpatrick, to the New York Islanders for Kelly Hrudey.  Healy's days as the #1 in LA were over.

1989-90 OPC Glenn Healy

  And so were his days in LA.  Healy was a free agent in the 1989 off-season and was signed by the New York Islanders, who had to give up a 4th round pick as compensation.  The Islanders now had the Kings duo of goalies from the previous season.  Healy and Fitzpatrick, barring injuries, split the crease with the Islanders over the next four seasons.  Both goalies got rookie cards with the Islanders during the 1990 junk wax boom.  Although neither made the premier set of OPC Premier, who instead included Islanders rookie goalie prospect Jeff Hackett.  So I figure I will add an OPC Premier rookie of Healy for the high-end 1990 junk wax collectors.  Healy set a NHL record, since surpassed, by saving 51 shots in a shutout, against the Vancouver Canucks on January 16, 1990.

1990-91 OPC Premier Glenn Healy

  Healy was a key performer in my favourite all-time hockey moment - David Volek's 1993 game 7 overtime winner.  Healy was the Islanders starting goalie during their surprising run in the 1993 play-offs.  The Islanders 1993 Game 7 series win over the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champs Pittsburgh penguins is one of hockey's greatest play-off upsets. 
  Healy was a impending free agent in the 1993 off-season and was unlikely to resign with the Islanders.  Healy was left unprotected in the 1993 expansion draft was selected as the 3rd goalie overall by the Anahiem Mighty Ducks.  Then the next day there was another phase of the expansion draft.  This time, the three older expansion teams, the San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators, were able to pick players from the the two new expansion teams, Anaheim and the Florida Panthers.  This phase was added since the three older expansion teams were historical bad, and were somewhat screwed over in the previous expansion drafts compared to the Ducks and Panthers.  Healy was not protected by the Ducks and was picked up by the Lightning, who then immediately traded him to the New York Rangers, who had lost goalie John Vanbiesbrouck in the expansion draft.  That's four teams in two days for Healy.  He went East coast to West Coast to South Coast to East coast, and in the end just moved across town.
  It was a good move for Healy.  Although he returned to being a back-up goalie, he won a Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1994.  Healy spent four seasons with the Rangers.  He received his lone career Vezina vote in 1995, in a season he only played 17 games.  Healy signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997 to serve as the team's back-up.  In 2000, Healy became a frivolity as he became the first known NHL player to be injured by bagpipes.  He was attempting to mend his bagpipes when he cut himself with a pair of scissors.  Healy retired after the 2000-01 season.  Healy was featured sparingly during his last few seasons with the Leafs.  He did get a career capper with Pacific, who were solid in giving players career cappers, in the 2001 set.  I figured I'd do a 2000-01 UD Vintage for Healy since it's a set I really like, and already have a template for.  Not the most flattering picture (someone must be winding up for a slapshot), but surprisingly there was not an abundance of full-body pictures of Healy as a Leaf.

2000-01 UD Vintage Glenn Healy 

  After retiring, Healy was a director in the NHLPA and then a colour commentator for Hockey Night in Canada with CBC.  I would say as a commentator, he was not beloved, but his opinions kept viewers tuned in and kept his career going.  As mentioned earlier, Healy never had a Kings card, so it's fitting that I made him a  Lost Rookie, and in the purple and gold no less.

1988-89 OPC Glenn Healy (RC)

1988-89 OPC Glenn Healy

The Lost Bossys: Baseball Edition Pt 3

  So awhile back I started doing the Topps/OPC baseball designs and I figure what better way to motivate myself than to feature Mike Bossy.  If you missed it, Part One is here, and Part Two is there.  Part Three took me a little longer due to two factors, one was moving, and the other was that I felt the 1987 Topps/OPC is a sacred design, reserved only for baseball.  1987 was the first baseball pack I ever opened.  So it felt weird putting a hockey player in the frame, but I did it.  And you know what, it works.  You could say the wood panelling represents the hockey stick.
  So the digital cardboard baseballification of Mike Bossy is complete.  I flipped flopped between OPC and Topps.  Some cards just look better as Topps due to the frame design, otherwise I went with OPC, or neither.  If I had to pick a favourite, I would go with either the 1983 or 1985.   Which design do you think goes best for hockey?

1985 OPC Baseball Mike Bossy

1986 OPC Baseball Mike Bossy

1987 OPC Baseball Mike Bossy

The Lost Bossys: Baseball Edition Pt 2

  The baseballification Mike Bossy's career in cards continues.  By this time, the Islanders Dynasty was in full swing and Bossy had solidified his place as the NHL's top sniper, who is not named Gretzky.
  The 1981 card was a bit of a pain since I had to swap out a baseball cap for a hockey helmet.  The 82 and 83 were fairly simply.  I switch to making them Topps cards since the Topps logo looks a lot better than the OPC in these sets.  I always loved the 1984 set but I couldn't find the right font for the team name so I actually cut and pasted each letter off other 1984 Topps cards, but then had to get them all the same colour.  Not the way I like to do it but the best font I could find would have cost $40.  I like making these cards but I am not up for buying fonts.
  Three more to go.

1981 OPC Mike Bossy

1982 Topps Mike Bossy

1983 Topps Mike Bossy

1984 Topps Mike Bossy

The Lost Mike Bossys: Baseball Edition Pt. 1

  What if Topps/OPC used their baseball designs for hockey?  I am not sure but it does give me an excuse to make some more cards of my favourite player, Mike Bossy.  I have the first three done, but hockeyizing the 1981 Topps gave some frustration switching the baseball cap into a hockey helmet that could have a position and team name on it.  So for now, just three Bossy on baseball designs.

1978 Topps Mike Bossy

1979 Topps Mike Bossy

1980 Topps Mike Bossy

Fan Requests 2: Mike Bossy 50 in 50

  Bossman22 suggested I do something to spotlight Mike Bossy's record tying 50 goals in 50 games.  Bossy was the second player in NHL history to score 50 goals in 50 games.  The first was Maurice Richard, 36 years earlier in 1944-45.  Only three other players have accomplished the feat since, with Wayne Gretzky smashing the it the next season with 50 goals in 39 games, including 15 in the last five games!

  I did a four card subset for Bossy but struggled with deciding which template to go with.  First, I used the base card and switched the team name to 50 in 50.  I really like the design of the base card.  Although the 1981-82 OPC set had a Record Breakers subset.  So I tried that design as well.  I am a bit torn between the two, so I decided I will post both side-by-side and let you guys be the judge.

1981-82 OPC Mike Bossy 50 in 50

1981-82 OPC Mike Bossy 50 in 50

1981-82 OPC Mike Bossy 50 in 50

1981-82 OPC Mike Bossy 50 in 50

And then I went with a suggestion of using the Super Action subset for the 50th goal.  I cheated on the font for the "SUPER ACTION".  Usually I find the correct, or close enough, font but I wasn't able to match it up with a (free) font from the internet.  So I used the Paint Bucket and then touched up the stray pixels the best my patience could.  Can you find the puck in the picture?  Took me a while.

1981-82 OPC Super Action Mike Bossy

Fan Requests

  Okay, maybe I am exaggerating by saying fan requests, but on my Lost Page: 85-86 OPC, Mike said if he could add a card to the 85-86 set, it would be Petri Skirko.  Petri led the Canucks in points in his sophomore season and had four straight season of 30+ goals.  His rookie card was in the 86-87 OPC set, which was a very peculiar picture.  He's not even looking at the camera.  For the card I made below there is an fairly big issue.  The Canucks had the Flying V jerseys until the 1984-85 season, so this picture is from sometime after the set was actually released.  I originally had the perfect picture for the card but things didn't quit look right.  First off was the helmet on Petri was different than anything else he had worn and next was the mask on the goalie in background.  Turns out I almost posted  Lars Molin as Petri Skriko card.  So the card below is a bit of a cheat.  I actually believe, based on the patch on the hip, this picture is from the 1986-87 season.  I could not find a suitable picture of Skriko in a Flying V jersey.  Mike also suggested a Todd Bergen and Mats Thelin.  The Bergen will posted as a Lost Rookie in the upcoming weeks.  Thelin is in the queue for a Lost Rookie.

1985-86 OPC Petri Skriko (RC)

  Bossman22 commented on a few posts, basically any post that had Mike Bossy and wanted more Mike Bossy.  Since the Islanders and Bossy were my favourites as a child, I actually had one in the queue already.  Been working on a few more Bossy's to celebrate his 50 in 50 accomplishment but can't quite decide on the frame.

1989-90 OPC Mike Bossy

  If you have a player you would like to see in a 80s set, or another set I have already posted, comment below.  If it inspires me, it will likely show up on the blog at a later date.

The Lost Mike Bossy's: 90-91

  Mike Bossy was a gifted goal scorer, who retired early due to back issues.  He played 10 seasons in the NHL and scored 50+ goals in his first nine seasons.  He was the second player in history to score 50 goals in 50 games.  Bossy retired after scoring 573 goals in 752 games.  He holds the NHL career record for average .76 goals per game.  In his final NHL season, 1986-87, Bossy had 29 goals and 56 points in 41 games before missing two week due to his back injury.  He would only score 9 goals and 19 points in his final 22 regular season games.
  If Bossy had been able to play a few more seasons, could he had challenged Gordie Howe's 801 career goals?  If he could have played 6 more seasons and average 40 goals a year, he would have done it.  Granted, if all players had perfect health for their full careers, I am pretty sure the record book would look very different.
  Assuming Bossy's back held up until the junk era, here's his 1990-91 base cards.

90-91 Bowman Mike Bossy

90-91 OPC Mike Bossy

90-91 OPC Premier Mike Bossy

90-91 Pro Set Mike Bossy

90-91 Score Mike Bossy

90-91 Upper Deck Mike Bossy

Lost Cards: 1987-88 OPC Glenn Resch

  The best New York Islanders goalie in the 70s was not Billy Smith, but Glenn "Chico" Resch.  Chico consistently outplayed Billy in the regular season, but was part of a few disappointing early exits for the Islanders as the decade came to a close.  Which is why one is in the HHOF and the other is one of the most underrated goalies of the 70s/80s.
  Resch was property of the Montereal Canadiens, as one of the last players under the old sponsorship program.  Feeling his chances of making the NHL were not a guarantee, he opted to get educated and accepted a scholarship with at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.  Resch guided the university to it's first ever post-season win in 1971, and was selected to the WCHA 2nd All-Star team.  He attended the 1971 Montreal Canadiens training camp but the team was engorged with young goaltender talent, including rookie Ken Dryden, whom had led them to a Stanley Cup the previous spring.  Resch also found himself behind his idol Rogie Vachon, Phil Myre, Wayne Thomas and Michel Plasse.  The Canadiens had six goalies under contract who we all between the ages of 22 and 26.
  Resch was sent to the Muskegon Mohawks of the IHL to play the 1971-72 season.  Resch won multiple awards including top goalie and rookie of the year.  His play, and the voice of junior coach Bob Turner, drew the attention of New York Islanders GM Bill Torrey.  The Isles and Habs swung a trade that saw four players, including Resch and veteran goalie Denis Dejordy, head to the Island in exchange for a 2nd round draft pick, whom the Habs used to select Glen Goldup.
  Resch would spend two more seasons in the minors, including a brief call-up in 1973-74, before making the NHL for good in 1974-75 season.  Resch was in the back-up role for the regular season, but was given the starters gig in the play-offs.  Then he lost it to Smith, then Smith lost it to Resch.  Resch led the Islanders to an improbable run that included a 3-0 comeback against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the quarter-finals, and then almost duplicating the feat in the semi-finials, pushing the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Philadelphia Flyers, to seven games.  The Islanders lost in the Stanley Cup semi-finals in four out of five years from 1975 to 1979.

1974-75 OPC Glen Resch Variant (RC)

  In the six seasons leading upto the Islanders 1980 Stanley Cup victory, Glenn and Billy Smith posted remarkable similar regular season numbers.  Although Resch was twice selected as a 2nd Team All-Star.

Query Results Table

Rk	Player	Tm	From	To	Active	GP	W	L	T/O	GA	SA	SV	SV%	GAA	GA%-	SO	MIN	GPS
1	Glenn Resch	NYI	1974	1980	6	248	138	61	42	600	6938	6338	.914	2.49	77	22	14450	57.3
2	Billy Smith*	NYI	1974	1980	6	248	121	66	51	648	6871	6223	.906	2.74	84	13	14213	51.5

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/23/2019.

  It was the play-offs, in particular the failings, that has Smith in the HHOF and Resch traded into wasteland of the Colorado/New Jersey franchise.  Looking at the five post-season runs leading up to the 1980 Cup win, Smith had been outplayed by Resch overall.

Query Results Table

Rk	Player	Tm	Pos	From	To	Active	GP	W	L	GA	SA	SV	SV%	GAA	GA%-	SO	PIM	MIN
1	Billy Smith*	NYI	G	1974	1979	5	30	16	11	82	863	781	.905	2.88	94	1	38	1705
2	Glenn Resch	NYI	G	1974	1979	5	34	17	15	74	932	858	.921	2.37	80	2	4	1874

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/23/2019.

  After the play-off success of 1974, the inability to reach the Stanley Cup final the next four seasons were viewed as disappointments.  In particular was the 1978 play-offs, in which the Islanders didn't win a round.  Resch started all seven games against the Toronto Maple Leafs.  He allowed four in the first period of game 6 before being pulled, and then allowed the overtime series winning goal to Lanny McDonald, at home, in game 7 to complete the upset.
  The following post-season, Smith and Resch split starts.  Although their play was similar, Resch lost three games to Smith's one and was in between the pipes in the game six loss to the New York Rangers.  It was another shocking upset and yet another season the Islanders failed to advance to the Stanley Cup finals.
  The 1980 playoffs started off like the previous season, with Smith and Resch alternating starts.  Smith and the Islanders easily beat the Los Angles Kings 8-1 in the series opener.  Resch struggled in game two, allowing 6 goals in 20 minutes of play as the Islanders lost 6-3.  Resch would be benched as Smith started all but one of the remaining games in the Islanders play-off championship run.  The other game Resch started was a 2-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

1980-81 OPC Glenn Resch Variant

  The following season, the Islanders, convinced they would go with Smith in play-offs, and encouraged by the play of rookie Roland Melanson, traded Resch to the Colorado Rockies.  Billy Smith and Islanders would go onto win the Stanley Cup three more times.  Resch and the Rockies would move to New Jersey to become the Devils.  Resch played in the heyday of the Mickey Mouse Organization.  Resch went on to lead the league in losses twice, once as a Rockie and once as a Devil. His GAA with the Rockies/Devils would be 4.10.

1981-82 OPC Original and Reboot

  Glenn was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers late in the 1985-86 season.  In a season and a bit with the Flyers, in limited play, he posted a GAA of 2.97.  He still had it.

  In Resch's last NHL season, he backed-up Calder winner, Ron Hextall, and accompanied the team to the 1987 Stanley Cup finals.  Along the way, Resch played an integral part of play-offs pre-game brawl that would change NHL rules.  The Flyers lost the Finals in seven games to the Edmonton Oilers.

  Resch would get a sorry looking airburshed job in the 1986-87 OPC set.  As a Resch fan, it was not justice.  So created a career capping Lost Card of Glenn Resch for the 1987-88 OPC set.

1987-88 OPC #269 Glenn Resch

1987-88 OPC #269 Glenn Resch

1992-93 Fleer Ultra Islanders Legends

  Was looking at some Mike Bossy cards on eBay and I figured I'd quickly whip one up using a template I previous made for Fleer Ultra.  Then why stop there.  So here are five Islander Legends from the 80s Dynasty.  No big write-up needed.

TTM Success: Derek King

  Selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1985 entry draft by the New York Islanders, Derek King, put together a solid NHL career.  He scored 261 goals in 830 career games.  In 1991-92, King scored 40 goals for the Islanders.  King also played a big role in helping the 1993 Islanders knock off the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs, by collecting eight points in the series.  King would also play with the Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues before retiring in 2000.  He is now the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. 

 ,

The Islanders other Potivn

  No, not Jean.  Its Felix Potvin.  Felix "the Cat" spent two half-seasons playing for the Islanders.  During the 1990s, Potvin was a fixture between the pipes for the Toronto Maple Leafs, leading the league in GAA in 1993 and helping the Leafs reach back-to-back conference finals in 1993 and 1994.  Although by the end of his tenure with the Leafs, he led the NHL is losses in back-to-back seasons.  The Leafs made two major moves in the summer of 1998, hiring Pat Quinn and signing free agent Curtis Joseph.  Potvin was regulated to back-up.  Frustrated by rarely playing and no news on the trade front, Potvin walked out on the team in December.
  It took over a month before the Leafs were able to deal Potvin.  His destination was the New York Islanders.  Potvin's days on the island were forgettable.  He lost his first five games and injured his groin in his eighth, forcing him to miss two months.  The following season was no better.  He struggled on a poor Islanders team and the back up was the Islanders goalie of the future, who was fast tracking himself to the starting gig.  A week before Christmas, Potvin was traded to the Vancouver Canucks.  (Milbury would later trade goalie of the future Roberto Loungo that summer to make room for the future goalie of the future, Rick Dipietro.  WTG Mike!)  With the exception of a spectacular late season run and play-offs in 2001 after being traded to the Los Angeles Kings, Potvin played out his career as a journeyman goalie.
  During his time with the Islanders, Potvin played 33 games, won 7, lost 21, and tied 4.  I barely remember Potvin as an Islander, but those were dark days indeed.  Although once I saw this card, I had to have it.  I was randomly searching different players when I found it on eBay.  I have always liked Potvin and I loved that his card had a swatch that appears to be from an Islanders jersey.  I also have a fondness for stick cards.  The only thing I don't like is that the stick seems like it from the middle of the stick, meaning the inside of the stick.  It seems to be a theme for the SPX cards of that year.  Next on the list is a Joey MacDonald New York Islanders jersey card.  Anyone?