1977-78 O-Pee-Chee 244 Don Murdoch Hockey Card (Front)
1977-78 O-Pee-Chee 244 Don Murdoch Hockey Card (Back)
1977-78 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Voted as NHL rookie of the Year for 1976-77, he rocketed off to the fastest start ever by a rookie in modern day history of league. Scored twice in 1st Ranger game, October 6, 1976 vs. North Stars, then victimized the same team less than a week later with fantastic 5-goal performance tying rookie mark established in 1947. Don scored on a penalty shot vs. Canucks, November 3, 1976.
En Français
Recrue de l’Année de la LNH pour 1976-77, c’est la première fois dans l’histoire de la ligue qu’un jeune ait réussi aussi rapidement à s’imposer comme vedette. Il marqua 2 buts dès son premier match pour les Rangers, le 6 octobre 1976 contre les North Stars. Une semaine plus tard, il marqua 5 buts en un match contre le même club, égalant ainsi un record établi par une recrue en 1947. Le 3 nov. 1976, Don marqua un but contre les Canucks sur un lancer de punition.
Details
There is an ERROR on the back of this 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee Don Murdoch rookie card. He was not the Calder Trophy winner in 1976-77 as NHL rookie of the year. It was a fairly close race, but Murdoch finished second in voting behind Calder winner Willi Plett of the Atlanta Flames. However, he did score a pair in his first NHL game and did tie Howie Meeker’s record for most goals by a rookie.
On November 6, 1976, the New York Rangers were in Vancouver for a game against the Canucks at the Pacific Coliseum. Murdoch scored what would be the winning goal in the second period, assisted by Dave Maloney. With the score 5-1 in the third and time running out on the home team, Harold Snepsts threw his stick at the puck and at 15:17, Don was awarded a penalty shot. The rookie scored on Vancouver goalie Curt Ridley, scoring the final goal in a 6-1 Rangers win.
Don was the sixth overall pick at the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft by the Rangers after junior seasons with 82 and 88 goals as a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers. Between 1976-77 and 1981-82, Murdoch played in 320 regular season and 24 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Rangers, Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings.