1970-71 O-Pee-Chee 69 Gary Smith Hockey Card (Front)
1970-71 O-Pee-Chee 69 Gary Smith Hockey Card (Back)
1970-71 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Gary is an exciting goaltender to watch as his style is sometimes unorthodox – inclined to wander from the crease, Gary will carry the puck up to the blue line himself – a trick that gives his coach grey hair – Gary played in 63 of Oakland’s 76 games last season.
En Français
Gary est un gardien de but excitant, car son style n’est pas très orthodoxe; il a tendance à s’éloigner de ses filets et à transporter personnellement la rondelle jusqu’à la ligne bleue. Il fait souvent pâlir son instructeur. Gary participa à 63 des 76 joutes des Seals la saison dernière.
Details
Gary Smith started his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs but saw just three games in 1965-66 and two more in 1966-67. At the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, he was the eleventh overall pick and the second goalie to be taken by the Oakland Seals behind Charlie Hodge. After the franchise’s first season, Smith took over as the number one goalie.
The game count in the info snippet on the back of this 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee hockey card is an ERROR. Smith actually played 65 games for the Seals in 1969-70, not 63. Gary’s 2,035 saves that year led the NHL and remains as the 15th most in a single NHL season. He also led the league that year in losses, goals against and shots on net.
Despite mostly getting beat upon by opposing teams in 1969-70, Smith managed two shutout wins. On November 30, 1969, he made 36 stops to help the Seals to a 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Gary Jarrett scored the only goal with less than six minutes left in the game. Roger Crozier had a decent game of his own for the Wings, allowing just the single goal on 32 shots.
On January 17, 1970, Gary and the Seals skated into the Montreal Forum and shutout the Habs 3-0. Smith only had to make 21 saves while Earl Ingarfield, Norm Ferguson and Gerry Ehman provided the offense.
Between 1965-66 and 1979-80, Gary Smith appeared in 532 regular season and 20 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Oakland Seals, Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets.