1972-73 O-Pee-Chee 240 Gregg Sheppard Hockey Card (Front)
1972-73 O-Pee-Chee 240 Gregg Sheppard Hockey Card (Back)
1972-73 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
One of the last players to graduate to the NHL from the days of junior sponsorship, Gregg was a pleasant surprise for the Bruins this season. At the midway point of the schedule, he was tied for the lead among rookies in point scoring. In 1971-72, he led the CHL in goal scoring (41) and won the MVP award.
En Français
Un des deniers joueurs à venir d’un club junior commandité, Greg fit très bonne impression à Boston cette saison-ci. Au milieu de la saison, il était premier ex-aequo comme producteur de points parmi les recrues.
Details
1971-72 was Gregg Sheppard’s third full season with Boston’s CHL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blazers. His 41 goals put him in a three-way tie for the league lead in goal scoring with J.P. Bordeleau and Ross Perkins, five ahead of Steve Vickers. His 93 points placed him third, just four off the lead.
In his rookie 1972-73 NHL season, Sheppard finished with 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points over 64 games. He finished sixth in Calder Trophy voting as NHL rookie of the year, behind winner Steve Vickers, as well as Bill Barber, Billy Harris, Jim Schoenfeld and Dan Bouchard.
In just his second NHL game, Gregg recorded his first hat trick. Sheppard scored three in an October 29, 1972 home game at the Boston Garden against the expansion New York Islanders. He scored the first three goals of his NHL career in a 9-1 blowout. All three were scored on Billy Smith. Terry O’Reilly, playing just his eleventh NHL game, had a goal and three assists for the Bruins.
Included in his 24 goals were a pair of shorthanded markers. Sheppard would total 17 SHG over his career and was a specialist at the penalty kill. Two years later, he would have a career best of seven.
Between 1972-73 and 1981-82, Gregg Sheppard played 657 regular season and 82 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. Five times, he topped the 20 goal plateau and a had a career best 31 goals in both 1975-76 and 1976-77.