1981-82 O-Pee-Chee 343 Darcy Rota Hockey Card (Front)
1981-82 O-Pee-Chee 343 Darcy Rota Hockey Card (Back)
1981-82 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
Card Notes
Darcy led the Canucks with 5 game winning goals in 1980-81 and added 7 power play goals for year.
Darcy led WCHL with 73 goals for the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1972-73.
En Français
Darcy finit premier à Vancouver pour les buts gagnants en 1980-81 avec 5 et il marqua en outre 7 but durant des jeux de puissance.
Darcy fut le meilleur marqueur de buts de la LHOC en 1972-73 avec 73 pour les Oil Kings d’Edmonton.
Details
Darcy Rota indeed led the WCHL in goal scoring for the 1972-73 season. His 73 goals with the Edmonton Oil Kings put him a single goal ahead of Ron Chipperfield from the Brandon Wheat Kings. In overall scoring, Rota’s 129 points placed him fourth in the league, 25 behind leader Tom Lysiak and ten behind third place Lanny McDonald.
The Chicago Blackhawks liked what they saw in Darcy and selected him 13th overall at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft. As a side note, the Houston Aeros picked him ninth overall at the WHA Amateur Draft that same year.
His time in the Windy City would come to an end part way through the 1978-79 NHL season when he was shipped, along with Ivan Boldirev and Phil Russell, to the Atlanta Flames in exchange for Greg Fox, Tom Lysiak, Harold Phillipoff, Pat Ribble and Miles Zaharko.
It never panned out in Atlanta and Rota was once again on the move part way through the 1979-80 season. This time, Darcy and Boldirev were off to Vancouver in a trade with the Canucks. Don Lever and Brad Smith went in the other direction. Back in his hometown, Rota would have the best years of his NHL career.
In 1981-82, he helped the Canucks reach the Stanley Cup final for the first time, ultimately losing to the New York Islanders. In 1982-83, he had a career year with 42 goals, leading Vancouver in that category. However, 1983-84 would be his last year in the league after spinal injuries shut him down.
Between 1973-74 and 1983-84, Darcy Rota appeared in 794 regular season and 60 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Blackhawks, Flames and Canucks. His cousin Randy Rota also played in the NHL from 1972-73 to 1976-77 with the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies.