1974-75 O-Pee-Chee 11 John Davidson Hockey Card (Front)
1974-75 O-Pee-Chee 11 John Davidson Hockey Card (Back)
1974-75 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
Card Notes
John was one of the brightest lights last season, even though the Blues failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. He is one of the few goaltenders to ever jump right into the NHL from junior hockey. John was the first choice of the Blues in the 1973 Amateur Draft and most hockey people feel he will become an established NHL performer.
En Français
Même si les Blues ne se rendirent pas aux éliminatoires de la Couple Stanley, John fit de l’excellent travail. Davidson est l’un des rares gardiens à passer directement du hockey junior à la Ligue Nationale. John fut le premier choix des Blues lors du repêchage des amateurs en 1973. Les experts sont convaincus qu’il restera dans la LNH.
Details
John Davidson and Wayne Stephenson shared the number one role equally for the St. Louis Blues in 1973-74. The rookie Davidson posted a 3.08 goals against average over 39 games. The Blues finished sixth in the eight team West Division, ten points out of the last playoff spot.
In that first year of NHL hockey for John, he placed fifth in the voting for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year behind Dennis Ververgaert (Vancouver Canucks), Borje Salming (Toronto Maple Leafs), Tom Lysiak (Atlanta Flames) and winner Denis Potvin (New York Islanders).
Davidson was the fifth overall pick at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft after playing junior for the Calgary Centennials in the WCHL. He was the first of two goalies to be selected in the first round. Terry Richardson was picked by the Detroit Red Wings but went on to play just 20 games in the NHL.
John’s time in St. Louis didn’t last long. He played for the club in 1974-75, this time in the number one role with veteran Ed Johnston and rookie Yves Belanger backing him up. On June 18, 1975, he was traded to the New York Rangers, along with Bill Collins for Jerry Butler, Ted Irvine and Bert Wilson.
Between 1973-74 and 1982-83, Davidson played in 301 regular season and 31 Stanley Cup playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Blues and Rangers. He helped the Blue Shirts reach the Stanley Cup final in 1978-79 before losing to the Montreal Canadiens.