1980-81 O-Pee-Chee 195 Mike Gartner Hockey Card (Front)
1980-81 O-Pee-Chee 195 Mike Gartner Hockey Card (Back)
1980-81 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
Card Notes
Finished 2nd in voting for WHA’s Rookie of the Year for 1978-79 season. A teammate of Ryan Walter in junior hockey before turning pro. Led Capitals in scoring, 1979-80.
Steve Atkinson scored Capitals 1st successful penalty shot 2-1-74.
Details
The 1978-79 winner of the Lou Kaplan Trophy as rookie of the year in the World Hockey Association, of course, went to Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers. Finishing second to The Great One is quite an honour.
The line about being a teammate of Ryan Walter in junior hockey is a bit deceiving. Mike Gartner played in the OHL with the St. Catharines Blackhawks and Niagara Falls Flyers while Walter played in the WHL with the Kamloops Chiefs and Seattle Breakers.
However, both Mike and Ryan were teammates with Team Canada at the 1978 World Juniors. The tournament was held in Montreal and Quebec City and Canada came out with a bronze. Both Gartner and Walter contributed eight points. That total was not good enough for the top ten with Wayne Gretzky leading the tournament with 17 points.
Gartner’s 36 goals and 68 points did lead the Washington Capitals in 1979-80. His 32 assists were down the list with Robert Picard leading the way with 43. Ryan Walter was second with 42.
Mike Gartner would play 1,432 regular season and 122 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1979-80 and 1997-98 with the Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes.
Gartner is one of only eight players in NHL history to score more than 700 goals. His 708 place him in the eighth spot. Mike was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. His jersey #11 was retired by the Capitals in 2008.
Trivia Snippet
ERROR! The date is a year off. Steve Atkinson did score on a penalty shot but it was on February 1, 1975. The Capitals weren’t even in the NHL on February 1, 1974.
The game was on the road against the Vancouver Canucks at the Pacific Coliseum. At the time, Washington was shorthanded, killing off a hooking penalty on Mike Bloom. Atkinson was awarded the penalty shot at 12:57 of the second period and scored his eighth goal of the 1974-75 NHL season.
It didn’t help Washington’s luck. The Capitals could not win their 5th game of the year, instead dropping their 42nd loss 5-2. Ken Lockett was between the pipes for the Canucks.