1974-75 O-Pee-Chee 25 Gilbert Perreault Hockey Card (Front)
1974-75 O-Pee-Chee 25 Gilbert Perreault Hockey Card (Back)
1974-75 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Audio Version:
When Gil suffered a broken leg last season, the Sabres hopes for a playoff berth were severely hampered. The former rookie of the year and number one overall selection in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft is one of the flashiest performers in the NHL. Gilles has been in the superstar category since his very first game in the NHL. He is a former winner of the Lady Byng Trophy.
En Français
Lorsque Perreault se fractura une jambe l’an dernier, les Sabres étaient au désespoir. Gilbert, qui fut le tout premier choix au repêchage des amateurs de 1970, a déjà été la “Recrue de l’Année”. Il devint une super-vedette dès sa première partie dans la LNH. Ancien gagnant du Trophée Lady Byng.
Details
First off – slight ERROR on the back of the card. The information snippet (English version) refers to Perreault as Gilles. The Gil is, of course, short for Gilbert, not Gilles. The French version doesn’t try to shorten his name and just refers to him as Gilbert.
In 1973-74, with Perreault missing 23 games, the Buffalo Sabres finished fifth in the East Division, ten points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot. However, with a healthier Gil in 1974-75, the team turned things around and finished tied for first overall with the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. The Sabres then reached the Stanley Cup final before falling to the Broad Street Bullies in six games.
Perreault’s 96 points over 68 regular season games in 1974-75 placed him ninth in the race for the Art Ross Trophy, one point behind Rod Gilbert and 39 points behind leader Bobby Orr. Gilbert finished third in voting for the All-Star centre position behind Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke.
As for being a superstar from his very first game… On October 10, 1970, Buffalo played their inaugural game in the National Hockey League. The match was on the road at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena against the Penguins. The Sabres and Penguins went into the third period tied at one. Perreault scored the winning goal, his first career goal and point, at 11:26 of the third period on the power play with assists going to Gerry Meehan and Kevin O’Shea.
On February 1, 1976, he set a Buffalo record that still stands today. In a game against the California Golden Seals at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Gil had two goals and five assists for seven points in a 9-5 win. No other player in Sabres history has had that many points in a game. Three of the assists were on Danny Gare goals and all nine goals were scored on Gary Simmons.
His Lady Byng Trophy win in 1972-73 was the only time he went home with the award. Playing the full 78 game schedule, Perreault accumulated just ten penalty minutes while contributing 28 goals and 88 points. Over his NHL career, he sat a modest 500 PIM over 1,191 regular season games.
Between 1970-71 and 1986-87, Gilbert Perreault appeared in 1,191 regular season and 90 playoff games in the National Hockey League, all with the Buffalo Sabres. He twice surpassed the 100 point plateau, achieving a career best of 113 in 1975-76. Perreault had his number 11 retired by the Sabres in 1990 and remains the only player to wear that number for the team. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame that same year.