The 1954-55 Topps National Hockey League set was the first produced for the company. In total, there were 60 cards featuring players from the four U.S. based teams: Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers.
Not heavy in valuable rookie cards, the set does include first cards for such notable players as Doug Mohns, Camille Henry and Don McKenney.
1954-55 Topps NHL Checklist
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1954-55 NHL Season
The 1954-55 NHL regular season saw the Detroit Red Wings edge out the Montreal Canadiens for first place overall. The Wings finished with 95 points while the Canadiens were just one win and two points behind in second. There was then a 23 point gap between the Habs and the third place Toronto Maple Leafs.
Bernie Geoffrion was the Art Ross Trophy winner as the league’s top scorer. Boom Boom led the NHL with just 75 points. This is the lowest total since the league moved to a 70 game schedule, not including strike/lock-out shortened seasons.
A good percentage of Bernie’s offense came during a February 19, 1955 home game against the Rangers. The Habs won the match easily, 10-2. Geoffrion scored five goals (four on the powerplay) and added an assist for a six point night. Gump Worsley was in net for the Rangers for the duration.
Despite Geoffrion’s offensive performance, it was George Armstrong of the Maple Leafs that took home the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. Bernie was even relegated to the Second All-Star with the teammate Maurice Richard named to the First Team.
On March 31, 1955, Don Cherry played his only game in the National Hockey League. It was game five of the semi-final series between Cherry’s Boston Bruins and the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum. The Habs won the game 5-1 to take the series and Grapes was left off the scoresheet.
As expected, Montreal and Detroit met in the Stanley Cup final. Without the services of Rocket Richard for the playoffs, the Wings were able to capture the championship in a series that went the full seven games.
1954-55 NHL Standings
| Team | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA |
| Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 42 | 17 | 11 | 95 | 204 | 134 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 41 | 18 | 11 | 93 | 228 | 157 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 70 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 70 | 147 | 135 |
| Boston Bruins | 70 | 23 | 26 | 21 | 67 | 169 | 188 |
| New York Rangers | 70 | 17 | 35 | 18 | 52 | 150 | 210 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 70 | 13 | 40 | 17 | 43 | 161 | 235 |
1954-55 NHL Scoring Leaders
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
| Bernie Geoffrion | Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 38 | 37 | 75 | 57 |
| Maurice Richard | Montreal Canadiens | 67 | 38 | 36 | 74 | 125 |
| Jean Beliveau | Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 37 | 36 | 73 | 58 |
| Earl Reibel | Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 25 | 41 | 66 | 15 |
| Gordie Howe | Detroit Red Wings | 64 | 29 | 33 | 62 | 68 |
| Red Sullivan | Chicago Black Hawks | 69 | 19 | 42 | 61 | 51 |
| Bert Olmstead | Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 10 | 48 | 58 | 103 |
| Sid Smith | Toronto Maple Leafs | 70 | 33 | 21 | 54 | 14 |
| Ken Mosdell | Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 22 | 32 | 54 | 82 |
| Danny Lewicki | New York Rangers | 70 | 29 | 24 | 53 | 8 |
1954-55 Topps Complete Set Video [Fronts]
1954-55 Topps Complete Set Video [Backs]
