1973-74 O-Pee-Chee 8 Gregg Sheppard Hockey Card (Front)
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee 8 Gregg Sheppard Hockey Card (Back)
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
Card Notes
He missed 14 games with injuries last year, and could hit the 30-goal mark this season. Greg was named MVP in the Central League before making the Bruins.
En Français
Il manqua 14 parties à cause de blessures l’an dernier. On espère qu’il réussira 30 buts cette saison. JPU dans la L. Centrale avant de se joindre aux Bruins.
Details
A slight ERROR on this 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee card has Sheppard’s first name spelt with just one “g” when there are supposed to be two. The previous season, his 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee rookie card addresses this variation of Gregory by spelling it Greg with a period. By 1974-75, OPC got it right, spelling it Gregg.
Sheppard did not reach the 30 goal plateau in 1973-74 as the back of the card speculated. Over 75 games, he put just 16 pucks between the pipes. However, when it came to the playoffs, Gregg stepped up to lead the mighty Bruins offensively. His eleven goals and 19 points over 16 games led the team and he was second overall to just Rick MacLeish of the Flyers with his 13 goals and 22 points.
By 1974-75, though, Gregg did reach the mark with exactly 30 goals for the Bruins. That year, he also hit his career high of 78 points. In both 1975-76 and 1976-77, Sheppard had career bests with 31 goals in each campaign.
In 1971-72, his third full season with the Central Hockey League’s Oklahoma City Blazers, Sheppard proved his was ready for the NHL. He scored 41 goals and assisted on 52 for 93 points while earning MVP honours. He was part of a three way tie for the CHL goal scoring lead with J.P. Bordeleau and Ross Perkins. His 93 points placed him third in the league, four points behind Perkins and Jean Payette.
On September 6, 1978, Sheppard was traded by the Bruins to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Dick Redmond (a three team deal that also included the Atlanta Flames and Jean Pronovost). He finished out his career with Pittsburgh. In all, between 1972-73 and 1981-82, Gregg played in 657 regular season and 82 playoff games in the National Hockey League.