1960-61 Parkhurst 36 Alex Delvecchio Hockey Card (Front)
1960-61 Parkhurst 36 Alex Delvecchio Hockey Card (Back)
1960-61 Parkhurst NHL Checklist
Card Notes
Here is a player who has everything it takes to be a super star. Now playing his 11th season with the Wings, Delvecchio is still only 29. He plays either centre or left wing but has played more centre. Winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1958-59 he made the Second All-Star Team in 1952-53 as a centre and again in 1958-59 as a left wing. Called “Phats” by his teammates.
En Français
Un joueur qui a tout ce qu’il faut pour être une grande étoile. C’est sa 11e année avec les Wings. Il n’a que 29 ans. Il joue centre ou aile gauche, mais plus souvent centre. A gagné le trophée Lady Byng en 1958-59. Membre de la 2e équipe d’étoiles, comme centre en 1952-53 comme centre et en 1958-59 comme aile gauche. Surnommé “Phats”.
Details
I’m always intrigued by the spelling of Alex Delvecchio’s nickname on the back of this 1960-61 Parkhurst card. “Phats” instead of “Fats” seems to only appear on this card and nowhere else. The fact it’s spelled that way on both the English and French snippet seems to say that Parkhurst meant it that way and it wasn’t a mistake.
Delvecchio would win the Lady Byng Trophy two more times, 1965-66 and 1968-69. He is one of just nine players in NHL history to win the award three or more times. Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers holds the record with nine wins.
Alex definitely did have a hatred for the penalty box. Over 1,550 regular season NHL games, he sat just 383 penalty minutes. His ‘bad boy’ year came in 1954-55 when he amassed a whopping 37 PIM. In that 1958-59 season mentioned on the back of the card, Delvecchio was handed just three minor penalties over 70 games.
The two seasons mentioned on the card when he was named a Second Team All-Star were the only two times he would be selected. However, he did appear in 13 NHL All-Star games. Alex helped the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup championships and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.