1969-70 O-Pee-Chee 192 Al Hamilton Hockey Card (Front)
1969-70 O-Pee-Chee 192 Al Hamilton Hockey Card (Back)
1969-70 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Alan had a sixteen game tryout with Rangers last season, but was sent to Buffalo of AHL for further pro experience. Coach and General Manager Francis has high praise for Alan’s future in NHL.
En Français
Alan fut essayé pour seize joutes avec les Rangers la saison dernière, mais fut envoyé à Buffalo dans la LHA pour acquérir plus d’expérience comme professionnel. L’instructeur et gérant général, Francis, a fait son éloge au sujet de son avenir dans la LNH.
Details
The stats on the back of this 1969-70 O-Pee-Chee hockey card are a bit off. The card shows that Al Hamilton had not played in the NHL during the 1968-69 season or, in fact, any time prior. That is wrong. Along with his 16 game tryout mentioned in the info snippet, he also appeared in two games for the Rangers in 1967-68 and four games in 1965-66, along with a single playoff game in 68-69.
In a somewhat regular role, Al appeared in 59 games for the Blue Shirts in 1969-70, along with five more in the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, those games would be the last he’d play for the franchise. The Buffalo Sabres selected Hamilton as their second pick at the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft.
After two years in Buffalo, Al chose to jump to the upstart World Hockey Association for the Rebel League’s inaugural 1972-73 season. He spent the entire existence of the WHA with the Edmonton Oilers, serving as team captain for the club’s first four years. When the Oilers became part of the NHL in 1979-80, Hamilton also returned to the league for 31 games before retiring.
Between 1965-66 and 1979-80, Al Hamilton appeared in 257 regular season and seven playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Rangers, Sabres and Oilers. In the WHA, he played 455 regular season and 27 playoff games between 1972-73 and 1978-79, all with Edmonton. Al was an inaugural member of the WHA Hall of Fame.