The 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee NHL hockey card set consists 264 cards featuring players from the 14 teams in the league at the time. The Topps version contains half as many at 132 cards and is missing important pieces like the Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne rookie cards.
The Ken Dryden rookie card is the highlight of the 1971-72 set, with Lafleur and Dionne not far behind in importance. Of course, the Bobby Orr card ranks high in monetary value.
Also a feature in this set are two retirement cards. The careers of both Gordie Howe and Jean Beliveau are commemorated with special cards, in the OPC set only. Both were fast-tracked for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, without the usual three year waiting period.
However, Howe’s card (and retirement) was premature, returning to major league pro hockey for the 1973-74 season. Gordie played in the World Hockey Association until the league was swallowed by the NHL after the 1978-79 season. Howe then played one more campaign in the National Hockey League for 1979-80 with the Hartford Whalers.
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
| Number | Player |
| 1 | Poul Popiel |
| 2 | Pierre Bouchard RC |
| 3 | Don Awrey |
| 4 | Paul Curtis RC |
| 5 | Guy Trottier RC |
| 6 | Paul Shmyr RC |
| 7 | Fred Stanfield |
| 8 | Mike Robitaille RC |
| 9 | Vic Hadfield |
| 10 | Jim Harrison |
| 11 | Bill White |
| 12 | Andre Boudrias |
| 13 | Gary Sabourin |
| 14 | Arnie Brown |
| 15 | Yvan Cournoyer |
| 16 | Bryan Hextall |
| 17 | Gary Croteau |
| 18 | Gilles Villemure |
| 19 | Serge Bernier RC |
| 20 | Phil Esposito |
| 21 | Tom Reid |
| 22 | Doug Barrie RC |
| 23 | Eddie Joyal |
| 24 | Dunc Wilson RC |
| 25 | Pat Stapleton |
| 26 | Garry Unger |
| 27 | Al Smith |
| 28 | Bob Woytowich |
| 29 | Marc Tardif |
| 30 | Norm Ullman |
| 31 | Tom Williams |
| 32 | Ted Harris |
| 33 | Andre Lacroix |
| 34 | Mike Byers |
| 35 | Johnny Bucyk |
| 36 | Roger Crozier |
| 37 | Alex Delvecchio |
| 38 | Frank St. Marseille |
| 39 | Hubert “Pit” Martin |
| 40 | Brad Park |
| 41 | Greg Polis RC |
| 42 | Orland Kurtenbach |
| 43 | Jim McKenny RC |
| 44 | Bob Nevin |
| 45 | Ken Dryden RC |
| 46 | Carol Vadnais |
| 47 | Bill Flett |
| 48 | Jim Johnson |
| 49 | Al Hamilton |
| 50 | Bobby Hull |
| 51 | Chris Bordeleau RC |
| 52 | Tim Ecclestone |
| 53 | Rod Seiling |
| 54 | Gerry Cheevers |
| 55 | Bill Goldsworthy |
| 56 | Ron Schock |
| 57 | Jim Dorey |
| 58 | Wayne Maki |
| 59 | Terry Harper |
| 60 | Gilbert Perreault |
| 61 | Ernie Hicke RC |
| 62 | Wayne Hillman |
| 63 | Denis DeJordy |
| 64 | Ken Schinkel |
| 65 | Derek Sanderson |
| 66 | Barclay Plager |
| 67 | Paul Henderson |
| 68 | Jude Drouin |
| 69 | Keith Magnuson |
| 70 | Ron Harris |
| 71 | Jacques Lemaire |
| 72 | Doug Favell |
| 73 | Bert Marshall |
| 74 | Ted Irvine |
| 75 | Walt Tkaczuk |
| 76 | Bob Berry RC |
| 77 | Syl Apps RC |
| 78 | Tom Webster |
| 79 | Danny Grant |
| 80 | Dave Keon |
| 81 | Ernie Wakely |
| 82 | John McKenzie |
| 83 | Ron Stackhouse RC |
| 84 | Pete Mahovlich |
| 85 | Dennis Hull |
| 86 | Juha Widing RC |
| 87 | Gary Doak |
| 88 | Phil Goyette |
| 89 | Lew Morrison |
| 90 | Ab DeMarco RC |
| 91 | Gordon “Red” Berenson |
| 92 | Mike Pelyk |
| 93 | Gary Jarrett |
| 94 | Bob Pulford |
| 95 | Dan Johnson RC |
| 96 | Eddie Shack |
| 97 | Jean Ratelle |
| 98 | Jim Pappin |
| 99 | Roy Edwards |
| 100 | Bobby Orr |
| 101 | Ted Hampson |
| 102 | Mickey Redmond |
| 103 | Bob Plager |
| 104 | Barry Ashbee RC |
| 105 | Frank Mahovlich |
| 106 | Dick Redmond RC |
| 107 | Tracy Pratt |
| 108 | Ralph Backstrom |
| 109 | Murray Hall |
| 110 | Tony Esposito |
| 111 | Checklist |
| 112 | Jim Neilson |
| 113 | Ron Ellis |
| 114 | Bobby Clarke |
| 115 | Ken Hodge |
| 116 | Jim Roberts |
| 117 | Cesare Maniago |
| 118 | Jean Pronovost |
| 119 | Gary Bergman |
| 120 | Henri Richard |
| 121 | Ross Lonsberry |
| 122 | Pat Quinn |
| 123 | Rod Gilbert |
| 124 | Walt McKechnie |
| 125 | Stan Mikita |
| 126 | Ed Van Impe |
| 127 | Terry Crisp RC |
| 128 | Fred Barrett RC |
| 129 | Wayne Cashman |
| 130 | J.C. Tremblay |
| 131 | Bernie Parent |
| 132 | Bryan Watson |
| 133 | Marcel Dionne RC |
| 134 | Ab McDonald |
| 135 | Leon Rochefort |
| 136 | Serge Lajeunesse RC |
| 137 | Joe Daley |
| 138 | Brian Conacher |
| 139 | Bill Collins |
| 140 | Nick Libett |
| 141 | Bill Sutherland |
| 142 | Bill Hicke |
| 143 | Serge Savard |
| 144 | Jacques Laperriere |
| 145 | Guy Lapointe |
| 146 | Claude Larose |
| 147 | Rejean Houle |
| 148 | Guy Lafleur RC |
| 149 | Dale Hoganson RC |
| 150 | Al McDonough RC |
| 151 | Gilles Marotte |
| 152 | Robert “Butch” Goring RC |
| 153 | Harry Howell |
| 154 | Real Lemieux |
| 155 | Gary Edwards RC |
| 156 | Rogatien Vachon |
| 157 | Mike Corrigan |
| 158 | Floyd Smith |
| 159 | Dave Dryden |
| 160 | Gerry Meehan |
| 161 | Rick Martin RC |
| 162 | Steve Atkinson RC |
| 163 | Ron Anderson |
| 164 | Dick Duff |
| 165 | Jim Watson |
| 166 | Don Luce RC |
| 167 | Larry Mickey |
| 168 | Larry Hillman |
| 169 | Ed Westfall |
| 170 | Dallas Smith |
| 171 | Mike Walton |
| 172 | Ed Johnston |
| 173 | Ted Green |
| 174 | Rick Smith |
| 175 | Reggie Leach RC |
| 176 | Don Marcotte |
| 177 | Bobby Sheehan RC |
| 178 | Wayne Carleton |
| 179 | Norm Ferguson |
| 180 | Don O’Donoghue RC |
| 181 | Gary Kurt RC |
| 182 | Joey Johnston RC |
| 183 | Stan Gilbertson RC |
| 184 | Craig Patrick RC |
| 185 | Gerry Pinder |
| 186 | Tim Horton |
| 187 | Darryl Edestrand RC |
| 188 | Keith McCreary |
| 189 | Val Fonteyne |
| 190 | Sheldon Kannegiesser RC |
| 191 | Nick Harbaruk RC |
| 192 | Les Binkley |
| 193 | Darryl Sittler |
| 194 | Rick Ley |
| 195 | Jacques Plante |
| 196 | Bob Baun |
| 197 | Brian Glennie |
| 198 | Brian Spencer RC |
| 199 | Don Marshall |
| 200 | Denis Dupere RC |
| 201 | Bruce Gamble |
| 202 | Gary Dornhoefer |
| 203 | Bob Kelly RC |
| 204 | Jean-Guy Gendron |
| 205 | Brent Hughes |
| 206 | Simon Nolet |
| 207 | Rick MacLeish RC |
| 208 | Doug Jarrett |
| 209 | Cliff Koroll |
| 210 | Ron “Chico” Maki |
| 211 | Danny O’Shea |
| 212 | Lou Angotti |
| 213 | Eric Nesterenko |
| 214 | Bryan Campbell |
| 215 | Bill Fairbairn RC |
| 216 | Bruce MacGregor |
| 217 | Pete Stemkowski |
| 218 | Bobby Rousseau |
| 219 | Dale Rolfe |
| 220 | Ed Giacomin |
| 221 | Glen Sather |
| 222 | Carl Brewer |
| 223 | George Morrison RC |
| 224 | Noel Picard |
| 225 | Peter McDuffe RC |
| 226 | Brit Selby |
| 227 | Jim Lorentz |
| 228 | Phil Roberto RC |
| 229 | Dave Balon |
| 230 | Barry Wilkins RC |
| 231 | Dennis Kearns RC |
| 232 | Jocelyn Guevremont RC |
| 233 | Rosaire Paiement |
| 234 | Dale Tallon |
| 235 | George Gardner |
| 236 | Ron Stewart |
| 237 | Wayne Connelly |
| 238 | Charlie Burns |
| 239 | Murray Oliver |
| 240 | Lou Nanne |
| 241 | Lorne “Gump” Worsley |
| 242 | Doug Mohns |
| 243 | Jean-Paul Parise |
| 244 | Dennis Hextall |
| 245 | Bobby Orr [Hart Trophy & Norris Trop] |
| 246 | Gilbert Perreault [Calder Trophy] |
| 247 | Phil Esposito [Art Ross Trophy] |
| 248 | Gilles Villemure [Vezina Trophy] |
| 249 | Johnny Bucyk [Lady Byng Trophy] |
| 250 | Ed Giacomin [First Team All-Star] |
| 251 | Bobby Orr [First Team All-Star] |
| 252 | J.C. Tremblay [First Team All-Star] |
| 253 | Phil Esposito [First Team All-Star] |
| 254 | Ken Hodge [First Team All-Star] |
| 255 | Johnny Bucyk [First Team All-Star] |
| 256 | Jacques Plante [Second Team All-Star] |
| 257 | Brad Park [Second Team All-Star] |
| 258 | Pat Stapleton [Second Team All-Star] |
| 259 | Dave Keon [Second Team All-Star] |
| 260 | Yvan Cournoyer [Second Team All-Star] |
| 261 | Bobby Hull [Second Team All-Star] |
| 262 | Gordie Howe [Special Retiremnet Card] |
| 263 | Jean Beliveau [Special Retirement Card] |
| 264 | Checklist |
Back To O-Pee-Chee NHL Index Page
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee NHL Hockey Card Collection [Video]
1971-72 NHL Season
1971-72 was the last year that the National Hockey League would stand alone in the major leagues of hockey, at least until 1979-80. The World Hockey Association would start up for 1972-73 and many NHL players, including some big names, would jump ship.
The Boston Bruins dominated the regular season, winning 54 games and totaling 119 points, ten better than the second place New York Rangers. The Rangers and Bruins dominated the race for the Art Ross Trophy with each team placing three players in the top ten. Ultimately, it was Phil Esposito that took the crown with 133 points.
Of note, the Philadelphia Flyers did not qualify for the post season. Both the Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins tied with 66 points with the Pens squeaking into the playoffs with the tie-breaker. Philadelphia would not miss the playoffs again until the 1989-90 season.
Like the regular season, the playoffs were dominated by the Bruins and Rangers. Boston took out the Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues to reach the final, losing just a single game to Toronto along the way. New York took out the Montreal Canadiens before sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks to earn their shot against the Bruins.
In the final, it was Boston winning their second Stanley Cup championship in three years, taking out the Rangers in six games. The Bruins were never down in the series, holding 2-0, 2-1, 3-1 and 3-2 leads before eliminating the Rangers in a 3-0 game six on the road at Madison Square Garden.
Along with the Hart Trophy and Norris Trophy, Bobby Orr was also awarded the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP. The iconic blue liner had an incredible 24 points on five goals and 19 assists over 15 playoff games.
1971-72 was an important year for newcomers. Future Hockey Hall of Fame members that played their first games include: Marcel Dionne, Billy Smith and Guy Lafleur. Other important players joining the league include: Terry O’Reilly, Rick Martin and Dave Schultz.
It was the end of the line for greats Dick Duff, Bob Pulford and Don Marshall. John McKenzie, Eric Nesterenko, J.C. Tremblay, Ted Green and several others would play their final NHL games but would continue on in the World Hockey Association.
1971-72 NHL Standings
| East Division | |||||||
| Team | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| Boston Bruins | 78 | 54 | 13 | 11 | 119 | 330 | 204 |
| New York Rangers | 78 | 48 | 17 | 13 | 109 | 317 | 192 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 78 | 46 | 16 | 16 | 108 | 307 | 205 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 78 | 33 | 31 | 14 | 80 | 209 | 208 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 78 | 33 | 35 | 10 | 76 | 261 | 262 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 78 | 16 | 43 | 19 | 51 | 203 | 289 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 78 | 20 | 50 | 8 | 48 | 203 | 297 |
| West Division | |||||||
| Team | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 78 | 46 | 17 | 15 | 107 | 256 | 166 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 78 | 37 | 29 | 12 | 86 | 212 | 191 |
| St. Louis Blues | 78 | 28 | 39 | 11 | 67 | 208 | 247 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 78 | 26 | 38 | 14 | 66 | 220 | 258 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 78 | 26 | 38 | 14 | 66 | 200 | 236 |
| California Golden Seals | 78 | 21 | 39 | 18 | 60 | 216 | 288 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 78 | 20 | 49 | 9 | 49 | 206 | 305 |
1971-72 NHL Scoring Leaders
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | 76 | 66 | 67 | 133 | 76 |
| Bobby Orr | Boston Bruins | 76 | 37 | 80 | 117 | 106 |
| Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers | 63 | 46 | 63 | 109 | 4 |
| Vic Hadfield | New York Rangers | 78 | 50 | 56 | 106 | 142 |
| Rod Gilbert | New York Rangers | 73 | 43 | 54 | 97 | 64 |
| Frank Mahovlich | Montreal Canadiens | 76 | 43 | 53 | 96 | 36 |
| Bobby Hull | Chicago Black Hawks | 78 | 50 | 43 | 93 | 24 |
| Yvan Cournoyer | Montreal Canadiens | 73 | 47 | 36 | 83 | 15 |
| Johnny Bucyk | Boston Bruins | 78 | 32 | 51 | 83 | 4 |
| Bobby Clarke | Philadelphia Flyers | 78 | 35 | 46 | 81 | 87 |
| Jacques Lemaire | Montreal Canadiens | 77 | 32 | 49 | 81 | 26 |