1967-68 Topps 15 Mike Walton Hockey Card (Front)
1967-68 Topps 15 Mike Walton Hockey Card (Back)
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Card Notes
Mike spent part of last season with Toronto, but was sent to Rochester for further development. A smart playmaker, Mike was rookie of the year in the CPHL and won the Red Garrett Trophy his first year in the AHL. Should become a Leaf regular this year.
En Français
Mike joua une partie de la dernière saison pour Toronto, mais on l’envoya à Rochester. Mike fut choisi recrue de l’année dans la LHPC et se mérita le Trophée Red Garrett à sa première saison dans la LHA.
Details
Mike Walton certainly made a splash in the minors, winning consecutive rookie of the year awards in two different league. In 1964-65 with the Tulsa Oilers in the CPHL, he scored 40 and assisted on 44 for 84 points over 68 games then led the team with 13 points in the playoffs. His 84 points placed him fourth in overall scoring.
In 1965-66 with the Rochester Americans in the AHL, Walton scored 35 goals and assisted on 51 for 86 points. He led the Amerks with 12 points in the playoffs with the team winning the Calder Cup championship. Mike finished in a three-way tie for fifth in overall scoring, just a point behind Jim Pappin.
During that 1965-66 season, he also saw his first NHL action, appearing in six games for the Maple Leafs. He had a goal and three assist for four points over that stretch. On November 21, 1965, in a 7-3 win over the Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium, Mike scored his first NHL goal, putting one past Glenn Hall with help from Ron Ellis. He also assisted on a goal by Eddie Shack for a two point game.
1967-68 was certainly the year Walton became a regular with the Maple Leafs. After a decent playoffs in 1967, helping the Buds to a Stanley Cup championship, Mike led the team with 30 goals in his first full season of NHL hockey. He tied John Bucyk for ninth in NHL goal scoring, just a goal behind eighth place Jean Beliveau.
Early in the 1967-68 season, Walton recorded his first of three NHL hat tricks in a game against the Boston Bruins. We take a closer look at that performance in the Facebook post embedded below.
Between 1956-66 and 1978-79, Mike Walton played 588 regular season and 47 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks. He was a two-time Stanley Cup champ, winning one with Toronto in 1966-67 and one with Boston in 1971-72.