TTM: Dan Daoust

   This is the second time I received a TTM from Dan Daoust.  The first was back in 2013.  I sent to him again since I now had some custom cards for him to sign, which were featured in a previous Lost Cards.  He signed both, kept the copies I offered him and returned a note saying "Nicely done with the cards".  It's always a warm fuzzy feeling when a player keeps the customs offered and the cherry on top is when they include a short note.  
  What is interesting is that he only played 4 games with the Canadiens but remembered his number with them.  

Lost Cards: 1990-91 OPC Borje Salming

  During the 1970s, with the influx of expansion teams and watering down of talent, games in the NHL were often being decided by fists shots, just as much as they were with wrist shots.  The game became far more rough and brawls became more common place.  At the same time, a new group of pioneers were joining the NHL, the Europeans.  They brought along with them a reputation of being highly skilled, but soft, and easily physically intimidated.  In the 1973, Borje Salming was one of three Swedish players to join the NHL. 

  The first Swedish trained player to try the NHL was Ulf Sterner in 1965.  Not used to the physical style of play, Sterner played one season in North America, appearing in 4 NHL games, before retruning to Sweden.  In 1969, the IIHF, hockey's main governing body in Europe, adopted body-checking rules similar to the NHL.  This made the jump from Europe to North America a bit easier.  In 1972,  Thommie Bergman became the second European trained player to play in the NHL, when he signed on with the Detroit Red Wings.  The following season, three players made the jump from Europe, as Salming and Inge Hammarstrom signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tord Lundstrom signed with the Red Wings.  Out of the four Swedish players, it was Borje who made the biggest impact.

  The discovery of Salming was a bit of a fluke.  The Maple Leafs sent scout Gerry McNamara to Sweden to scout Inge Hammarstrom.  Instead he was captivated by Salming.  McNamara was so impressed, he corralled Salming in the team's dressing room and asked him to join the Leafs on the spot.

  Salming notched an assist in his first NHL game, against the Buffalo Sabres on October 10, 1973.  His first goal didn't come until January 23, 1974, against Michel Larocque of the Montreal Canadiens.  Salming finished the season with 5 goals, 34 assists for 39 points.  He finished third in Calder voting for best rookie.  OPC bestowed "The King" with a rookie card in the 1974-75 OPC set, but it was a posed shot, so here's an action upgrade.  

1974-75 OPC Borje Salming (RC)

  Borje quickly became one of the NHL's best defenceman and fan favourite in Toronto.  So enamored were the fans, that Borje was nicknamed "The King".  Over the next six seasons, Salming was a member of the 1st Team All-Star once and five times as a 2nd Team All-Star.  He set career highs with 78 points in 1977-78 and had 19 goals in 1979-80.  More important than any of the statistics, Salming earned the respect of his opponents with his toughness.  Swedish and Europeans were categorized as timid and soft.  In particular, Swedish players were referred to as "Chicken Swedes".  While Salming didn't drop the gloves very often, he played a physical style and refused to be intimidated.  Salming proved that some European players had the determination and toughness to be stars in the NHL.

  OPC/Topps did fairly well with Salming cards, giving him action or on-ice shots for most of his cards.  There was one in particular I felt needed an upgrade, the 1977-78 OPC.  Not only does it suffer from a corny pose, Salming is not even looking at the camera.  

1977-78 OPC Borje Salming

  By the late 1970's, more Western Europeans were coming over.  Eastern Europe was made up of Communist states and the players were not allowed to join the NHL.  In 1979, the NHL had a mid-season three game series, coined the Challenge Cup, with the Soviet Union.  Salming was one of three Swedes, along with 23 Canadians, to play for the NHL All-Stars.  Salming was pointless in three games as the Soviets defeated the NHL All-Stars two games to one.  It would have been cool if OPC had a subset or inserts of the players from the Tournament in the 1979-80 set.  Could you imagine if the set had a Vladislav Tretiak rookie to go along with the Gretzky?

1979 OPC Borje Salming (CC)

  The 1980s were dark days for the Leafs and Salming saw his point totals drop off.  After scoring a career high of 78 in 1977-78, Salming's point total decreased every season for the next 10 seasons.  One part of the issue were injuries.  During the 80's, Salming only played 70+ games twice.  A knee injury in March ended Saliming's 1984-85 season.  The next season he missed over two months due to injury, playing only 41 games.  

  In May of 1986, Salming admitting in an interview that he had tried cocaine "five or six years ago, but not since".  This admission came shortly after Sports Illustrated posted an hockey article of an alleged Edmonton Oilers cocaine problem.  The NHL set their drug rehabilitation program back decades by suspending Salming for the entire 1985-86 season.  By the time the season started, his suspension was reduced to eight games.  

  The 1986-87 season got worse for Salming.  On November 26, 1986, Salming suffered one of the more infamous on-ice injuries.  After being knocked down in the goal crease, Salming had his face stepped on by Gerard Gallant, who was being pushed backwards over Salming.  Salming received 250 stitches in his face.  The "Chicken Swede" returned to play in two weeks with a giant scar running up his face.  Salming looked more like a James Bond villain than a hockey player, white kitty-kat and all.

  Salming played 16 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  His last card as a Maple Leaf was in the 1988-89 set, a warm-up shot.  Not a fitting way to cap Salming's time as a Maple Leaf.

1988-89 OPC Borje Salming

  Salming signed as free agent with the division rival Detroit Red Wings during the 1989 off-season.  Salming was tired of losing and was hoping a chance at a Stanley Cup.  Salming joined the Red Wings in time for OPC to give him the airbrush treatment.

1989-90 OPC Borje Salming

  The switch of teams for Salming saw a switch of fortune for those teams.  The Red Wings went from first place in the Norris to last and out of the play-offs.  While the Maple Leafs, who had missed the play-offs  the previous season, climbed the standing to 3rd in the Norris.  Salming played in 49 games, netting 19 points.  1989-90 was Salming's final season in the NHL.  He returned to Sweden to play three more seasons, including the 1991 Canada Cup and 1992 Olympics.  In 1996, Salming became the first European-trained NHLer to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

  Salming's retirement from the NHL left him out of the 1990 junk wax boom.  I kept it old school and created a 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee to cap off his career.

1990-91 OPC #533 Borje Salming

1990-91 OPC #533 Borje Salming

Lost Rookies: 1986-87 OPC Mark LaForest

  Mark "Trees" LaForest played in parts of six NHL seasons, but yet only had a single NHL card.  A bit of a late bloomer, not only was Mark undrafted by the NHL, he didn't make the OHL until he was 19 years old.  After playing his overage season in the OHL with the North Bay Centennials, Mark was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Red Wings in 1983.

  Mark bounced around the minors for two seasons before putting up solid numbers with the Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL in 1985-86.  He was called up to Detroit in December of 1985 and made a huge impression in his first NHL game, beating the heavily favoured Philadelphia Flyers, 4-1.  LaForest made 35 saves in the upset.  On January 28, 1986, Mark notched his first career shutout, stopping 26 shots in a 7-0 victory over the Washington Capitals.   Otherwise, there were very few highlights in Mark's rookie NHL season.  He finished 4-21-0, .845, and 4.96 GAA with one shutout.  For the goalie fight fans, there was one highlight as LaForest fought Clint Malarchuk, and the two went at it, "like a couple of hippos, all padding and blubber."

  On a bright note, Laforest was sent down to play in the 1986 AHL playoffs and backstopped the Red Wings to an AHL Calder Cup Championship.  The following season, LaForest spent the majority of the season in the AHL, winning the "Baz" Bastien Trophy as the league's top goalie.  He did spend 5 games in the NHL, going 2-1-0, .892, and 3.30.  During Detroit's surprising play-off run, LaForest was called upon to be the back-up.  During the second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he gave a pair of tickets to a Wings play-off home game to some friends who were living across the boarder, and river, in Windsor.  The friends showed their appreciation, and loyalty, by going to the game with faces painted blue and white in support for the Leafs.   On an unrelated note, LaForest never did play another game with the Red Wings.

1987-88 OPC Mark Laforest.

  The Red Wings traded LaForest to the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2nd round pick during the 1987 off-season.  LaForest went 5-9-2, .874, 3.72, with a shutout in 1987-88.  He saw his first career play-off action in the 1988 play-offs.  With the Flyers losing 4-1 in game Four against the Washington Capitals, LaForest replaced starter Ron Hextall between the pipes early in the third period.  The goalie change invigorated the Flyers as they roared with three 3rd period goals and then Murray Craven potted the game winner in overtime.  The win gave the Flyers a 3-1 series lead in the best of 7.  The Flyers tried the same recipe in Game 5 as LaForest entered the game in the 3rd period with the team again down 4 to 1.  They didn't get the same result as the previous game as the Flyers lost 5-2 and Laforest was kicked from the game for being the third man in a fight.  Hextall played the rest of the series as the Flyers went on to lose three straight games, including game 7 in overtime, and the series.  

1988-89 OPC Mark LaForest

  Mark played another season as Hextall's back-up for the Flyers, going 5-7-2, .871 and 4.12.  He lost his back-up gig when the Flyers traded for Ken Wregget of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 1989 trade deadline.  He finished the season with the Hershey Bears of the AHL.

1989-90 OPC Mark LaForest

  In a neat twist, the Flyers traded LaForest the the Maple Leafs in September of 1989, for a pair of late round draft picks.  An early season injury to Jeff Reese, opened the door for LaForest.  After winning his first game as a Maple Leaf, a 8-4 victory over the Washington Capitals, LaForest endeared himself to the Leafs fans by dropping the blocker and fighting New Jersey Devils goalie Sean Burke.  Laforest became part of a 1A-1B goalie timeshare with Allan Bester, which ended in January when LaForest injured his knee when he fell on the ice... while walking in front of his house.  This reopened the door for Jeff Reese to regain the net and Laforest was the odd man out when the play-offs began.

  Laforest set a career high with nine wins during the 1989-90 season and with the junk wax boom of 1990, he finally got a rookie card.  His one and only NHL card was from the 1990-91 Upper Deck set.  He was shutout of all the other sets.  

1990-91 OPC Mark Laforest

  Laforest was traded to the New York Rangers in the 1990 off-season along with another feisty player, Tie Domi for Greg Johnston.  Buried in the Rangers depth chart behind former Vezina winner, John Vanbiesbrouck, and future star, Mike Richter, LaForest never played a game for the New York Rangers.  He spent the entire 1990-91 season with the Binghamton Rangers of the AHL, where he won his second career "Baz" Bastien Trophy as the AHL's top goalie.  He is one of only two goalies to win the "Baz" Bastien Trophy multiple times. LaForest played two seasons playing for Binghamton in the AHL.

  Mark was left unprotected by the Rangers in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft.  He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators as the 4th, and final, goalie of the draft.  LaForest never made the team.  He spent the majority of his two seasons as a Senator in the AHL.  He did not make his debut as an Ottawa Senator until March 4th, 1994.  Like all Senators goalies during the early 90s, he didn't fare too well, posting a 0-2-0, .823 and 5.59 in five games.  

  LaForest never had a card as a Senator.  I was not much of a hockey card collector in the mid-90s and I am not much of a fan of any of the sets.  This was when foil became popular and foil is difficult to replicate in photoshop.  Not a design I can be proud of, font issues again, but I felt I should post a Senators card of LaForest.  

1994-95 Upper Deck Mark LaForest

  LaForest was without a NHL contract following thr 1993-94 season and spent the rest of his career playing in the minors.  He retired from professional hockey in 1997.  He is still active in NHL Alumni games and has played in Alumni Outdoor Classics for the Flyers and Maple Leafs.

  

1986-87 OPC #278 Mark LaForest (RC)

1986-87 OPC #278 Mark LaForest (RC)

Lost Cards: 1995-96 Upper Deck Collector's Choice Gary Leeman

  

   Gary Leeman is best known for two things - scoring 50 goals as a Maple Leaf, and being traded for Doug Gilmour.  Or at least, that is how I remember him.  

  Leeman was drafted by the Toronto Maples in the 2nd round, 24th overall, in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft.  He was drafted as a defenseman.  After scoring 86 points in 70 games with the Regina St. Pats of the WHL, he won the Bill Hunter Trophy as the league's best  Defenceman and was a 1st Team All-star.  After the WHL season ended for the St. Pats, Leeman made his NHL debut, playing two games in the 1983 play-offs in the first round against the Minnesota North Stars.

1982-83 OPC Gary Leeman (pre-RC)

  Gary broke camp as a member of the Maple Leafs for the 1983-84 season.  Leeman scored his first career NHL goal on December 10th, 1983, against Reggie Lemelin of the Calgary Flames.  Since was still under 20, the Leafs loaned him to Team Canada to play in the World Junior Hockey Championships.  Canada finished 4th.  Leeman finished his rookie season with 4 goals and 8 assists in 52 games.  It earned him a rookie card in the 1984-85 OPC set. 

  During the 1984-85 season, Leeman began to spend more time as a forward and eventually made the transition to a full-time.  Gary struggled through the injury bug during his first three NHL seasons, playing in 52, 53 and 53 games during his first three NHL seasons.  

1985-86 OPC Gary Leeman

  Gary started to show signs of breaking out during the 1985-86 season.  He had 32 points in 53 games during the regular season .  A turning point was a two month trip to the AHL in January.  He scored 28 points in 23 games with the St. Catherine's Saints.  Upon being recalled,  Leeman scored five points in the last five regular season games and then added 12 points in 10 play-off games.  Leeman did not make either the 85-86 or 86-87 OPC sets.

1986-87 OPC Gary Leeman

  Gary built on his late season success during the following season.  He had 52 points in 80 games, including 20 goals, during the 1986-87 season.  Gary followed that up with back-to-back 30 goal seasons.  It was all a lead-up to a career season in 1989-90.  Leeman led the Leafs with 51 goals and 95 Points.  He became only the second player in Toronto Maple Leafs history to score 50+ goals in a a season.  Leeman and the Leafs ended the 1980's as a team on the rise.  The Leafs had a solid youth core, including players like Leeman who had improved on his point total in each of his seven NHL seasons.  As a team, the Leafs finished 3rd in the league in goals.  

  It all came crashing down in the 1990-91 season.  The Leafs dropped to 18th in the leagues for goals scored, and Leeman regressed to scoring only 17 goals and 29 points in 52 games.  Leeman missed two months of the season with a shoulder injury.  Although before the injury Leeman only had 5 goals and 10 points in 19 games.  Leeman did shows signs of life near the end of the season, netting 6 goals and an assist in the final 10 games.  There was also discord in the dressing room.  Teammate Al Iafrate was going through a rough divorce and Leeman was dating his ex-wife.  Iafrate requested a trade due to personal reasons.  He was traded in January, while Leeman was injured.

  The following season was no better for Leeman.  He was suspended for four games for hitting Minnesota North Stars player Mark Tinordi across the jaw with his stick.  His goal total continued to nose-dive.  He had 7 goals in 34 games before the Leafs traded him to the Calgary Flames, in one of the all-time bad trades in NHL history.  It was a ten-player deal, which is the largest in NHL history, and the one in which the Leafs received Doug Gilmour.  

  Leeman was buried on the depth chart of the Flames, behind Theo Fleury and Sergei Makarov.  Over parts of two seasons with the Flames, Leeman had 11 goals and 23 points in 59 games.  During the 1992-93 season, Leeman again asked to be traded and was sent to the Montreal Canadiens for Brian Skrudlund.  The trade put some spring back in Leeman's stride, as he netting 13 points in his first 9 games as a Canadien.  He slowed down as the season came to an end, finishing with a total of 18 points in 20 games as a Hab in 92-93.  Leeman suffered an ankle injury on April 2nd and missed the final five games of the regular season and first two of the play-offs.  Leeman was nagged by injuries throughout the play-offs and only played in 11 of the Canadiens 20 play-off games, scoring 3 points.  He did dress for the entire Stanley Cup Finals and got to lift Lord Stanley's Mug as NHL champion. 

1993-94 Score Gary Leeman

  While writing up this post, I decided I should try to make a card out of the picture of Leeman hoisting the Cup.  I went with 1993-94 Score since I figured I could create a template quickly and I like the simplicity of it.  Unfortunately, the font wasn't that simple.  The font I used was the closest font I could find, but it's still a bit off.  I almost went against posting this.

  Injuries continued to nag Leeman.  Leeman played only 31 games, scoring 15 points, during the 1993-94 season.  He missed time due to shoulder and forearm injuries.  Leeman also played 23 games with the Canadiens; farm team in the AHL.  Leeman was a free agent for the 1994-95 season, which was a lock-out shortened season.  Leeman signed on with the Vancouver Canucks.  In ten games, he scored goals.  He didn't play in the final two months or play-offs for the Canucks, or their farm team.  I am not sure if there was another injury or a healthy scratch.

  After playing in Europe for the 1995-96 season, Leeman took another crack at the NHL.  He played two games for the St. Louis Blues, scoring one assist, while spending the rest of the season in the minor leagues.  Leeman returned to Europe for the 1996-97 and played there until he retired in 1999.

  Leeman finished his career with 199 goals and 466 points in 667 games.  After scoring 51 goals in 80 games during the 1989-90 season, he finished his career scoring 47 goals in his last 208 games.

  Leeman's last NHL card was an autograph insert from the 1994-95 BAP set.  Which is arguably not a NHL set, since it was only authorized by the NHLPA and not the NHL.  All the players were either featured in street clothes or NHLPA jerseys from the 4-on-4 NHLPA charity games they played during the lock-out.  So while it was a Vancouver card of Leeman, it was not a Vancouver Canucks card.  I couldn't find a picture of Leeman from his two game stint as a Blues, so instead Leeman's career capper is a 1995-96 Upper Deck Collector's Choice.  

1995-96 Collector's Choice Gary Leeman

1995-96 Collector's Choice Gary Leeman

Lost Cards: 1990-91 OPC Dan Daoust

 Dan Daoust was born in Montreal, Quebec, but grew up in Ontario.  He played with the Cornwall Royals of the QMJHL.  Daoust and the Royals won the highly controversial 1980 Memorial Cup.    Even though he had back-to-back 40 goals seasons, Dan was not drafted by any NHL team.  There were concerns about Daoust's size, which was generously listed as 5'10" and 160lbs.  Unable to get a NHL contract, Daoust signed on with the Nova Scotia Voyagers of the AHL, the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate.  In his first professional season, Daoust led the team, and finished second in the league, with 98 points.  His play earned him a contract with the Montreal Canadiens.
  Daoust spent another season in the AHL before making his NH debut on October 6, 1982.  The next night, he notched his first career point, an assist, against the the Boston Bruins.  He played again on October 9th, but then only played one more game as a Canadien, on November 23rd, before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 3rd round pick on December 17th.  I am not sure if he was injured or a healthy scratch during that time. The Canadiens were deep at the Center position, including fellow rookie, Guy Carbonneau, and Daoust did not fit in the team's plan.
  Daoust never had a card with the Canadiens.  He did get a rookie card in the 1983-84 OPC set as a Maple Leaf.  Since I found a neat picture of him as a Hab, I decided to make a rookie card of him as a Hab in the 1982-83 set.  Daoust sported quite the afro early in his playing days.  In the 1970s, OPC would sometime include players who had no NHL experience in their sets.  I don't remember them doing it for any player during the 1980s.  I wonder who was the last player OPC/Topps put on a card without any NHL experience, prior to the Junk Wax boom.

1982-83 OPC #401 OPC Dan Daoust (RC)

1982-83 OPC #401 Dan Daoust (RC)

  Dan was given more opportunity to play in Toronto and he took full advantage of it.  He scored 51 points in 48 games as a Leaf during the 1982-83 season and made the 1983 All-Rookie Team.  The following season, he set career highs with 18 goals, 56 assists and 74 points.  The following season, 1984-85 was a disaster for the Maple Leafs as they continued their downward spiral.  The team finished last in the NHL and last in goals scored.  As a team they scored 50 less goals than the previous season.  Daoust point total dropped to 54 points.  Although the Leafs team goal total would bounce back the follow season, it was a sign of things to come for Daoust.
  Daoust was bumped down the depth chart in 1985-86.  The Leafs had acquired Tom Fergus, and top prospect Russ Courtnall was finally fulfilling his high draft pick status.  That left the former top two Leafs centers, Daoust and Peter Ihnacak fighting for ice time on the bottom two lines.  Daoust was asked to take on a more defensive role.  Although Daoust thrived in that role, his point total basically fell of the side of the earth.  His 20 points in 1985-86 was the highest season total for the rest of his career.  OPC made a card for Daoust in 86-87 but he would not make the set again until 89-90.  So here is a 1987-88 card of Daoust.

1987-88 OPC Dan Daoust

And now a 1988-89 OPC of Daoust for the Danny Doooo mega-collectors out there.

1988-89 OPC Dan Daoust

  Daoust played for the Maple Leafs until the 1989-90 season.  In his final season as a Leaf, Daoust led the team with 4 shorthanded goals and 8 short handed points.  After the season, he signed overseas with the Swiss league.  He played professionally overseas until he retired in 1997.
  Daoust never received any cards in 1990-91 Junk Wax boom.  I assume he announced his intentions early to sign over seas, well before the card companies finalized their checklists.  Dan returned to the Toronto area after his stint in Europe.  He still lives in the Greater Toronto Area and is active in Alumni hockey.
  So for the first timer ever, two Lost Cards in one post, I present a 1990-91 OPC Dan Daoust career capper.

1990-91 OPC #531 Dan Daoust

1990-91 OPC #531 Dan Daoust

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

Lost Cards: 1984-85 OPC Dale McCourt

  First off, the good news is that I pulled my computer out of storage and I hooked it up.  Which means I can work on making up more Lost Cards.  I had this one already 75% done before the move so it was a quick one to finish.
  Dale McCourt was a highly touted teenager.  He was the CHL player of the year in 1977.  The Detroit Red Wings selected him first overall in the 1977 Amateur draft.. He finished his rookie season with 72 points in 1977-78 and finished 4th in Calder voting for top rookie.  The Calder was won by Mike Bossy that season.  McCourt led the Red Wings into the play-offs and the team beat the Atlanta Flames in the first round before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup winners, the Montreal Canadiens.  It was a big turnaround for the Red Wings, but they felt like they were missing a key piece.
  That key piece was a goaltender.  In the 1978 offseason, the Red Wings sign restricted free agent Rogie Vachon.  Free agency was quite a bit different back in the 1970 than it is today, it basically did not exist.  A NHL team held your rights until they decided they didn't want you anymore.  At the time Rogie was 32 years old and a 13 year NHL veteran.  So when the Red Wings signed Vachon, they owed the Kings equalization.  Which meant the Wings had to send players to Los Angeles Kings as compensation for signing Vachon.  This form of free agency effectively negated the "free" in free agent.  If the teams could not come to an agreement for compensation, then each put their offer into a NHL Arbitrator and live by the arbitrator's decision.  The Red Wings offered Bill Lochead and Jim Rutherford.  The Kings asked for Dale McCourt.  Like everything else in the 1970s, the Dead Wings lost.
  Except, McCourt would not live by that decision. McCourt was fiercely loyal to the Red Wings.  McCourt refused to go to Los Angeles and filed a case that ended up with the Supreme Court in America.  The court awarded an injunction that allowed McCourt to continue to play with Detroit until the matter was decided.  The Red Wings and Vachon had a dreadful season.  McCourt basically equaled his previous season, scoring 71 points.  The debacle of compensation hung over everyone's heads for the 1978-79 season.
  The Kings even offered McCourt a $500,000 a year contract, which would have made him one of the highest paid skaters in the game.  Not to mention the chance to play with Marcel Dionne, one of the top scorers of the 1970s.  Who ironically, forced equalization a few seasons before when the Kings signed him as a free agent away from Detroit.  McCourt later claimed that he would have gone if traded, since trades are part of the game.
  Eventually the Kings and Wings came to terms with alternative compensation.  In August of 1979, the Red wings sent Andre St. Laurent, and two 1st round picks (Larry Murphy and Doug Smith) in exchange for the rights to Dale McCourt.  Officially, McCourt was a Red Wing again.
  Unfortunately, OPC/Topps didn't get the memo in time.  So sure that McCourt would be forced to play with the Kings, they airbrushed into a Kings uniform for the 1979-80 set.  Since the OPC set is released later, they had time to add in a "Now with Red Wings" to the card.  It is certainly one of those oddball cards from the 1970s.  It gives me a chance to correct that error.

1979-80 OPC Dale McCourt (Corr)

  In the end, the Vachon signing was a sign of the time for Detroit in the 1970s.  Vachon played poorly in Detroit and never felt comfortable.  And one of the 1st round picks they traded turned into a HHOF defenceman, in Larry Murphy, 8th overall.  The other draft pick, Doug Smith, was the 2nd overall pick.
  McCourt had a couple of point-per-game seasons with the Red Wings until the team attempted a shake-up in December of 1981.  McCourt, along with Mike Foligno, were sent to the Buffalo Sabres for veterans Danny Gare and Jim Schoenfield.  They lost in that trade as well.  The Red Wings were one of the worst teams in the NHL until the Yzerman era.
  McCourt never found his place with the Sabres.  While skilled offensively, he was not a fast skater and did not fit with star forward Gilbert Perrault.  He also clashed with Scotty Bowman over defensive responsibilities.  In October of 1983, after scoring four points in five games, McCourt was released by the Sabres and made a free agent.  Toronto Maple Leafs signed him, with no equalization needed.
  Things seem to click for McCourt while in Toronto.  After taking a few games to get adjusted, he had 22 points in 16 games.  Then after that, he hit a wall.  At one point, he had one point in 16 games.  After finishing the 1983-84 season with the Leafs, the former 1st overall pick left the NHL at age 27 and took his game to Europe.  He retired from professional hockey in 1991.  His last NHL card was in the 1983-84 set.  He never had a card in a Leafs uniform.
 Dale had an interesting career.  He was a highly touted player who fizzled out of the NHL at an early age.  He had several good seasons but never made the jump to stardom.  His biggest impact was challenging the NHL and refusing being awarded to the Los Angles Kings as compensation.  The court battles and uncertainty took a toll on him.  He became one of those "what if" players.

1984-85 OPC #406 Dale MCCourt

1984-85 OPC #406 Dale McCourt

Lost Cards: 1985-86 OPC Mike Palmateer

  The Popcorn Kid, Mike Palmateer, was an fan favourite in Toronto during his first tour of duty with the team, although his farewell tour did not go so well.
  Drafted 85th overall in the 5th round of the 1974 draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Palmateer made his debut on October 24, 1976.  Upon being called up, Palmateer reportedly told the Leafs "Your hunt for a goalie is over.".  Palmateer made good on his claim, winning his first three games and going 7-2-1, with 2 shutouts, including one against the Montreal Canadiens, in his first ten.  Palmateer became the Leafs goalie of choice.  Palmateer received a rookie card from OPC in the 1977-78 set but it was one of those helmetless inaction shots, so I put together an action variant for Palmateer.

1977-78 OPC Mike Palmateer

  In the 1978 playoffs, Palmateer's stellar play helped the Leafs upset the New York Islanders in overtime of Game 7.  The Leafs made it to the Stanley Cup semi-finals before getting swept by the Montreal Canadiens.  Mike continued to start for the Leafs but suffered an ankle injury in December of 1979.  He returned a month later, but re-injured his ankle ten minutes into his first game.  Afterwards, Palmateer claimed he felt rushed to return to action and was not actually ready to return.  It took another month before Palmateer played again.
  With his contract up after 1980,  Palmateer and Leafs could not agree on a new contract and were headed to arbitration, before Palmateer was traded to the Washington Capitals in a multi-player and draft picks deal.  Robert Picard, a previous Lost Card, was the key piece received by the Leafs.   The Capitals believed their search for a goalie was over.  In fact, Caps GM Max McNab, believed they would be "set in goalie for the next ten years."  Unfortunately, Palmateer's time with the Capitals was marred by injuries and only lasted two seasons.  Palmateer got a lame warm-up shot for the 1981-92 set, which I previously tackled during the 1981-82 OPC Goalie Reboot.  Palmateer played only 11 games during the 1981-82 season, his second with the Caps, due to injuries, and did not earn a card in the 1982-83 set.  Here's what a 1982-83 OPC Palmateer may have looked like.

1982-83 OPC Mike Palmateer

  There is a story regarding Palmateer leaving the hospital, where he was scheduled for knee surgery, since he was called in to fill-in for injured goalie Wayne Stephenson.  After the game, Palmateer returned to the hospital and had the surgery that week. Obviously, this would not be the type of decision that help prolong a career.  Although, I cannot find out when this actually was.  Stephenson and Palmateer were only teammates during the 1980-81 season.  The best guess I have is either December 17, 1980 or January 4th 1981.  Palmateer suffered a knee injury during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguin on December 12th.  Stephenson started the next game, but did not play again until January 4th.  I cannot find info on his injury.  Palmateer started all the games between Dec 17th and January 4th.
  On January 4th, Palmateer started, and injured his leg in the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers.  he was replaced by Stephenson, who finished the game.  Neither goalie played again until January 24 for Palmateer, and February 5th for Stephenson.  In the meantime, Dave Parro started 6 six games and Rollie Boutin started 2.  I would really like to find a newspaper article on this to confirm it.  Since it really is an incredible story.
  The contract Palmateer had signed withe caps put him into the upper echelon of NHL earners.  Frustrated with the returns on investment, and the Capitals abysmal on-ice performance, Capitals owner Abe Pollin basically cleaned house of the Palmateer deal, firing GM Max McNab, coach Gary Green and shipping Mike Palmateer back to the Maple Leafs for cash during the 1982 offseason.
  Palmateer, once again, ended the Leafs hunt for a goalie.  Although Leafs management was unimpressed as his play, as it was hindered by the numerous injuries he had incurred and had continued to suffer.  It didn't help that Palmateer had another contract dispute with the Leafs, winning a salary arbitration case after the 1983 season.  In the 1984 training camp, Palmateer and the Leafs brass once again had disagreements over his injuries.  Palmateer believed he should have rest days after games to heal up while the team felt he should have be back at practice the next day.  With youngsters Ken Wregget and Allan Bester poised to make the jump to the NHL, the Leafs felt Palmateer and his attitude should stay home.  After going unclaimed in the NHL waiver draft, the Leafs paid Palmateer to stay home.  They did not even assign him to the minors.
  In February of 1985,  the Edmonton Oilers contacted the Leafs about acquiring Palmateer.  Grant Fuhr had suffered an injury and the team was looking for a veteran to back-up Andy Moog while Fuhr healed.  Although the deal never materialized, Palmateer did attend the Oilers 1985 training camp, in which he played against the Leafs in exhibition play.  He never made the team and retired after being cut.
  If he had been traded, or had made the team, perhaps he would have had a place in the OPC set.  Highly unlikely, but he does land a spot on the Lost Cards.

1985-86 OPC #276 Mike Palmateer

1985-86 OPC #276 Mike Palmateer

Lost Cards: 1990-91 OPC Robert Picard

  Robert Picard  had a bright start to his NHL career but eventually settled into a second pairing defenceman.  Picard, a highly touted prospect, won the Emile Bouchard trophy in 1977 as the QMJHL best defenceman of the year.  He had 92 points and 267 PIM in 70 games.  The Washington Capitals selected him 3rd overall in the 1977 NHL Amateur draft.
  Picard grew up, and played his junior hockey in Montreal and thus was an avid fan of the Montreal Canadiens.  The Capitals were able to secure his NHL rights before the Montreal Canadiens had a chance to select Picard.  Although there was one other possibility.  The WHA was still around and kicking, and there was a chance the Quebec Nordiques could draft and sign Picard.  The WHA held its draft a week after the NHL had theirs.  The Capitals signed Picard to a contract on the same day they drafted him.  This was not enough to scare the Nordiques away, as the Nordiques drafted Picard 37th overall in the WHA draft and then also signed Picard to a contract.  Picard was now under contract to the Capitals in the NHL and the Nordiques in the WHA.
  The Nordiques offer was about $50,000 more and they also had homefield, or provincial, advantage over the Capitals.  Picard was adamant about playing in Quebec and even stated "I would rather deliver pizzas in Quebec" than play for Washington.  The contract with the Quebec Nordiques was ruled void by WHA president Howard Baldwin, based on a 1974 agreement between the leagues that the WHA would not sign players under NHL contracts.  Picard reluctantly joined the Washington Capitals in time for the 1977 training camp.  As fate would have it, the Capitals visited the Quebec Nordiques for a cross-league exhibition on October 12, 1977.  During the game, a pizza was thrown on the ice.  No word if Picard delivered the pizza off the ice.
  Picard scored 37 points in his rookie season and then followed it up with a career best 21 goals and 65 points.  The next season his totals took a slight dip to 11 goals and 54 points.  He also set a career high of 122 PIM, which is surprising since his NHL career high was less than half of his QMJHL career low in PIM, 267.  The Capitals sold high on Picard in the 1980 offseason and dealt Picard in a package deal to the Toronto Maple Leafs for goalie Mike Palmateer.  OPC caught wind of the trade and Picard got the airbrush treatment for the 80-81 set.  Since it was Picard's only card as a Leaf, I decided to give Picard a proper card as a Leaf.

1980-81 OPC Robert Picard

  Picard was selected to play in the 1981 All-Star game as the lone representative for the Leafs.  I found this very strange since the Leafs also had defencemen Borje Salming and Ian Turnbull, and neither were injured at the time of the All-Star game.  Picard had 25 points and a -32 by the all-star break compared to Salming's  58pts and +3, and Turnbull's 53pts and -7.  Why Salming or Turnbull didn't play instead is beyond me.  Picard would not return to Toronto as he was traded on the day of the All-Star game to the Montreal Canadiens for goalie Michel Laroque.
 Picard was finally a Montreal Canadien.  Unfortunately, it was not the homecoming Picard had hoped for.  The Canadiens entered the play-offs as the number three overall seed, but were swept by the coming-of-age Wayne Gretzky and Edmonton Oilers in the first round.  Picard had 72 points in 141 games over parts of four season with the Canadiens.  A month into the 1983-84 season, Picard was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets for a third round pick in the 1984 draft.  It is arguable the most important trade of the decade for the Canadiens.  They use the 3rd round pick to draft future HHOFer Patrick Roy.
  Picard played about two seasons with the Jets, scoring 12 goals in 84-85, it was his first time reaching double digits since 1980.  The following season he was dealt again, this time to the Quebec Nordiques.  The trade seemed to jump start Picard, as he collected 34pts in 48 games after the trade.  No reports of pizza this time.  He led the team in defenceman scoring even though he barely played half the season with the team.  Quebed won the Adams division but were promptly swept in the first round.  Picard spent three more full seasons with the Nordiques, scoring 28, 16, and 21 points.
  In his final season, Picard was traded mid-season once again, this time to the Detroit Red Wings.  Including his stats with Quebec, he finished the season with 0 goals and 8 assists in 44 games.  Even with the junk wax explosion of 1990, Robert Picard was absent from cardboard.  The Red Wings designated Picard to the minors at the end of training camp, instead Picard retired.
  Picard came out of junior as a top prospect who could score and fight.  Early in his career he did some scoring but never show the same truculence as he did in junior.  He had 1282 PIM in 282 games in the QMJHL, or 4.54 PIM per game.  In the NHL, he average 1.14 for his career and had a career high of 1.71 PIM per game with the Canadiens in 81-82.  It is interesting how he left that part of his game in junior and never returned to it during his career in the NHL, even after it was evident he would not be a top offensive defenceman.
  Picard's last card was part of the 1989-90 OPC set.  He never had a card as a Red Wing.  So here is the Lost Card of Robert Picard.

1990-91 OPC #529 Robert Picard

1990-91 OPC #529 Robert Picard