1962-63 Topps 58 Jean Ratelle Hockey Card (Front)
1962-63 Topps 58 Jean Ratelle Hockey Card (Back)
Card Notes
Always a high scorer in junior hockey, Jean started first pro year as Ranger in 1961-62, but was dropped to Eastern Pro league at the half-way mark. Big center has all the tools for stardom once he matures professional.
Details
In his final season of Junior A hockey with the Guelph Royals, Jean Ratelle scored 40 goals and added 61 assists for 101 points over just 47 games. He led the league in assists and was just two points behind teammate Rod Gilbert in the race for the Eddie Powers Trophy as the league’s top scorer.
Success at the National Hockey League level certainly wasn’t immediate for Jean. It wasn’t until 1965-66 when Ratelle left splitting time with the minors for good. He split three seasons between the Rangers and the Baltimore Clippers of the AHL.
However, once his NHL career caught on, Ratelle became one of the game’s major players. He finished up with 1,281 regular season and 123 playoff games played between 1960-61 and 1980-81 with the Rangers and Boston Bruins. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.