1972-73 O-Pee-Chee 138 Cesare Maniago Hockey Card (Front)

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee 138 Cesare Maniago Hockey Card (Back)

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Maniago is extremely quick for his size. He was the leading goalie in two minor leagues before finally sticking for good in the NHL with Minnesota. Won 20 games for the North Stars last season. Cesare and Bill Goldsworthy are the last of the original North Stars.
En Français
Maniago est aussi extrêmement rapide. Meilleur gardien dans deux ligues mineures avant de jouer régulièrement pour les North Stars. Vingt victoires pour Minnesota la saison dernière, sa meilleure année jusqu’ici. Maniago et Goldsworthy sont les seuls qui restent de l’équipe initiale des North Stars.
Details
Before becoming a full-time NHL goalie, Cesare Maniago spent several years in the minors, bouncing between nine teams in four different leagues. He was an EPHL champion in 1961-62 with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens and CPHL MVP in 1964-65 with the Minneapolis Bruins. Over that time, he did get some NHL experience, appearing in seven games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1960-61 and 14 with the Montreal Canadiens in 1962-63.
Maniago was the first player picked by the Minnesota North Stars at the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, fourth overall, taken from the New York Rangers. He instantly became the team’s first number one goalie and retained that role for nine years. In the inaugural 1967-68 season for the Stars, Cesare posted a career high six shutouts.
He would come close to that number in 1970-71 and 1972-73, posting five blanks in each. Maniago finished his NHL career with 30 shutouts, his first with the New York Rangers in 1965-66 and his last with the Vancouver Canucks in 1977-78.
Of his five shutouts in 1972-73, three involved making more than 30 saves. The most was a 38 save performance against the expansion Atlanta Flames in a 3-0 home win. Curt Bennett led the way with seven of those shots while Minnesota got goals from Danny Grant, Murray Oliver and Bill Goldsworthy.
Between 1960-61 and 1977-78, Cesare Maniago played 568 regular season and 36 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars and Vancouver Canucks.