1970-71 O-Pee-Chee 97 Ernie Wakely Hockey Card (Front)
1970-71 O-Pee-Chee 97 Ernie Wakely Hockey Card (Back)
1970-71 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
Card Notes
Ernie combined with Jacques Plante in the Blues nets last season to be runner-up in the Vezina Trophy race. A stand-up type goalie, Ernie has twice won leading goalkeeper awards – 1962-63 season – CPHL and 1963-64 season – CPHL – last year was his first in NHL.
En Français
Ernie et Jacques Plante firent équipe pour garder les filets des Blues l’an passé; ils finirent en deuxième place pour le Trophée Vézina. Ernie est un gardien qui reste debout. Il fut le meilleur gardien de la LHPC en 1962-63 et 1963-64. Il débuta dans la LNH l’an passé.
Details
By 1969-70, Ernie Wakely had been in pro hockey for a full decade. His rookie season in the NHL occurred at the age of 29. The back of this hockey card has a slight error in that it wasn’t actually Wakely’s National Hockey League debut. Ernie appeared in a single game with the Montreal Canadiens during the 1962-63 season and another single game with the Habs in 1968-69.
Between 1959-60 and 1968-69, Wakely played for ten different minor pro teams across four leagues. He was top goaltender in 1962-63 CPHL with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens and again the following year with the Scotty Bowman coached Omaha Knights.
In the NHL, Ernie appeared in 113 regular season and ten playoff games with the Canadiens and St. Louis Blues between 1962-63 and 1971-72. In the World Hockey Association, Wakely played 334 regular season and 31 playoff games between 1972-73 and 1978-79 with the Winnipeg Jets, San Diego Mariners, Cincinnati Stingers, Houston Aeros and Birmingham Bulls.