1971-72 O-Pee-Chee 179 Norm Ferguson Hockey Card (Front)
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee 179 Norm Ferguson Hockey Card (Back)
1971-72 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Tied the all-time goal-scoring record for a rookie in his first season with Seals by scoring 34 goals in 1968-69. Seals looking to him to regain that first-year form.
En Français
Il égala le record de buts pour une recrue durant sa première saison avec les Seals en comptant 34 buts en 1968-69. Les Seals espèrent qu’il regagnera sa bonne forme de la première année.
Details
The record referred to on the back of the card was for the “modern-game” in the NHL. Joe Malone sort of owned the record, at the time, with 44 goals in 1917-18 with the Montreal Canadiens. However, it was his third year of major league hockey with two years in the NHA as a member of the Quebec Aces. The NHL was founded for the 1917-18 season. Cy Denneny scored 36 in that season, as well. Denneny was not a rookie, but technically, all players that season were NHL rookies.
Along with Ferguson, Danny Grant of the Minnesota North Stars also scored 34 in 1968-69 as a rookie while playing one less game than Norm. The record now belongs to Teemu Selanne with his 76 goals as a member of the Winnipeg Jets in 1992-93. Ferguson lost out to Grant by just a handful of votes for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.
Three of Feguson’s 34 goals in 1968-69 came on the night of January 25, 1969 in a games against the Red Wings at Detroit Olympia. The Seals lost the game 5-3 with Norm scoring all the team’s goals. Gerry Ehman and Ted Hampson assisted on two of the three and all were scored on the legendary goalie Terry Sawchuk.
Ferguson didn’t return to that rookie form in 1971-72, scoring 14 goals over 77 games. This was the end of his time in the National Hockey League, jumping to the WHA for the 1972-73 season. Between 1972-73 and 1977-78, Norm played 436 regular season and 26 playoff games in the World Hockey Association with the New York Raiders, Jersey Knights, San Diego Mariners and Edmonton Oilers. He had three seasons with 36 or more goals, topping out with 39 with the Mariners in 1976-77.