1968-69 O-Pee-Chee 29 Gordie Howe Hockey Card (Front)
1968-69 O-Pee-Chee 29 Gordie Howe Hockey Card (Back)
1968-69 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Pro hockey’s “Mr. Everything” has done it all… like five scoring championships, three MVP awards and nine first All-Star teams. He’s the supreme hockey player and is still going after 22 years.
En Français
Avant. Voici l’homme à tout faire du hockey… y compris cinq championnats des compteurs, trois trophées pour le joueur le plus utile et neuf positions dans l’Equipe d’Etoiles. C’est le joueur de hockey par excellence et il n’a pratiquement pas ralenti après 22 saisons dans la LNH, ce qui naturellement est un autre record.
Details
ERROR! Between 1950-51 and 1962-63, long before this 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee hockey card was published, Gordie Howe won the Art Ross Trophy six times and the Hart Trophy six times. The back of the card states that he’d won the Art Ross five times and the Hart three. Also, prior to the release of this card, Howe was a First Team All-Star ten times, not nine. He would be selected First Team again in 1968-69 and 1969-70.
Even after 22 years, the best was yet to come. In 1968-69, Gordie Howe put up career best numbers with 44 goals and 59 assists for 103 points. This put him third in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind Phil Esposito and Bobby Hull. Interestingly, that year the Detroit Red Wings were coached by Bill Gadsby. As a player, Gadsby started his NHL career in the same year as Howe.
1968-69 was the start of the end for Gordie. His numbers dropped considerably over the next two years and he retired for the first time after the 1970-71 season. However, Howe made a comeback to major league hockey in 1973-74 with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association and again put up great numbers with 100 points in his first year in the WHA and 102 in 1975-76.