Murray Balfour: 1959-60 Topps 33

1959-60 Topps 60 Murray Balfour Hockey Card (Front)

1959-60 Topps 60 Murray Balfour Hockey Card (Back)

1959-60 Topps NHL Checklist

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Card Notes

Murray was purchased from Canadiens shortly in advance of last summer’s draft. Rough and rugged, he started as forward last season at Rochester but switched to defense and led the AHL in penalties. Not related to Earl Balfour.

En Français

Il a été obtenu du Canadien par la voie du repêchage. Il était un ailier droit avant d’être converti en un joueur de défense par le club Rochester la saison dernière. Il n’existe aucun lien de parenté entre lui et Earl Balfour.

Details

Indeed, Murray Balfour’s 181 penalty minutes with the Rochester Americans in 1958-59 led the AHL with a decent 28 PIM edge over runner-up Bob Dailey of the Cleveland Barons. At that point, he was a prospect of the Montreal Canadiens. On June 9, 1959, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks and was instantly a regular with the Hawks in 1959-60.

In 1959-60, Balfour was fifth in voting for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year behind winner and teammate Bill Hay, along with Murray Oliver, Ken Schinkel and Stan Mikita. In that rookie season, Murray scored 18 and assisted on 12 for 30 points over 61 games.

However, Balfour’s first NHL goal came two years earlier in a rare call-up to the Montreal Canadiens. In his first of three games with the Habs in 1957-58, Murray opened the scoring in a game between Montreal and the Bruins at Boston Garden. The goal was scored at 8:42 of the first period on Boston goalie Harry Lumley, assisted by Jean Beliveau and Dollard St. Laurent.

Between 1956-57 and 1964-65, Murray Balfour played 306 regular season and 40 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins. He was a Stanley Cup champ with the Hawks in 1960-61. Unfortunately, Balfour’s career and life were cut short, dying from lung cancer in 1965 at the age of 28.

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