1979-80 O-Pee-Chee NHL Hockey Cards

The 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee NHL hockey card set consists of 396 hockey cards. Of course, the highlight is number 18, the rookie card of Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers. This set marks the final cards for Hockey Hall of Fame legends Ken Dryden, Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull.

This is the first post-World Hockey Association set and includes for the first time players from the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets NHL franchises.

Other than Gretzky, the 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee set is not overly heavy in valuable rookie cards. However, the RC’s of Barry Melrose, Bobby Smith, Charlie Simmer and John Tonelli are of some significance. None of these went on to the Hockey Hall of Fame, although Smith, Simmer and Tonelli should be considered. John Tonelli has since had his number 27 retired by the New York Islanders.

Four cards of moderate value are the checklists of the four new teams that came from the WHA. Instead of a team photo on the front, these four checklists simply show the team logo. For the Whalers and Jets, it was a look at the modified logos that differed from what they previously wore in the WHA.

1979-80 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist

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1979-80 NHL Standings

1979-80 NHL Scoring Leaders

1979-80 NHL Season

The first year of the expanded National League with four additional teams that had come over from the defunct WHA. Watered down versions of the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers appeared in the NHL for the first time.

The Hartford Whalers did the best out of the new teams, finishing the year seven games below .500 with 73 points. The Whalers were the only one of the four to qualify for the post season, being swept in three games by the Montreal Canadiens in the preliminary round.

Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings and Blair MacDonald led the NHL with four hat tricks each. Dionne gets the edge with a four goal game against the Colorado Rockies on October 23, 1979. He added an assist on a Dave Taylor for a five point night. This certainly helped Marcel in accumulating the 137 points that left him tied for the league lead with Wayne Gretzky.

The Philadelphia Flyers were the top team during the regular season with 116 points. The Sabres, Bruins and Canadiens also topped 100 points. The Broad Street Bullies then went on to reach the final before losing to the New York Islanders in six games. Other than Pat Quinn winning the Jack Adams, the Flyers were shutout when it came to individual awards and All-Star Team selections.

The 1979-80 NHL season also came with a major rarity: a three way tie for the goal scoring lead. Blaine Stoughton of the Hartford Whalers, Charlie Simmer of the Los Angeles Kings and Danny Gare of the Buffalo Sabres all finished the season with 56 goals. Simmer gets the nod, appearing in just 64 games.

Besides the new teams, 1979-80 was a transitional season for the NHL in other ways. After winning the Stanley Cup championship in four straight seasons, the Montreal Canadiens were bounced in the quarter-final by the Minnesota North Stars in seven games. The New York Islanders eliminated the Kings, Bruins, Sabres and Flyers to capture their first of four straight titles.