1971-72 O-Pee-Chee 142 Bill Hicke Hockey Card (Front)
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee 142 Bill Hicke Hockey Card (Back)
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Detoit has hopes Bill can fit into their style of play once he becomes accustomed to it. Scored 79 goals in four seasons with California Seals – a club record – before going to Pittsburgh prior to the start of 1971-72 season. Sold to Detroit early in the season.
En Français
Détroit espère que Bill s’habituera à leur style de jeu. Il compta 79 buts en quatre saisons avec les Seals de Californie – un record pour le club – avant de passer à Pittsburgh avant la saison 1971-72. Vendu aux Red Wings au début de la saison.
Details
First off, the front of this 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee Bill Hicke hockey card is a classic “Frankenstein”. It’s Hicke’s head pasted on the body of Bill Collins. Second, Bill never did fit in with the Detroit Red Wings. He played 12 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins to start the 1971-72 NHL season and spent the rest of the year with Detroit’s minor league teams in the CHL and AHL. He would never play in the NHL again.
After a stellar junior career with the Regina Pats, Bill was able to catch the tail end of the Montreal Canadiens five year Stanley Cup dynasty. He played one post season game for the Habs in 1958-59 and seven in 1959-60. These would be the only championships of his pro hockey career.
His first season of pro was spent with the Rochester Americans in the AHL, where he certainly got noticed. In 1958-59, Hicke scored 41 and assisted on 56 for 97 points over 69 games with the Amerks. He took home the hardware, winning the Dudley Red Garrett Award as rookie of the year, the Les Cunningham Award as most valuable player and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as top scorer with a 12 point edge over runner-up Ken Schinkel of the Springfield Indians.
Between 1958-59 and 1971-72, Bill Hicke played 729 regular season and 42 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Oakland Seals and Pittsburgh Penguins. He played a season in the WHA with the Alberta Oilers in the league’s inaugural 1972-73 campaign.