1958-59 Parkhurst 16 Ralph Backstrom Hockey Card (Front)
1958-59 Parkhurst 16 Ralph Backstrom Hockey Card (Back)
1958-59 Parkhurst NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Ralph’s popularity is regarded as having been the wheelhorse of the Junior Canadiens the last two seasons and a look at his 1957-58 record would support the claims. Playing all three forward positions as well as an extended period on defense, Backstrom racked up the imposing total of 98 points, 45 of those being goals. Hockey people are unanimous in their praise of Backstrom as an outstanding professional prospect.
En Français
La popularité de Ralph vint d’avoir travaillé de toutes ses forces avec les Canadiens Juniors pendant les deux dernières saisons, et un regard jeté sur son record de 1957-58 supportera ces affirmations. Jouant aux trois positions avant aussi bien que sur la défense pour une période assez longue, Backstrom accumula le total imposant de 98 points, dont 45 buts. Les amateurs de hockey sont unanimes dans leurs éloges qu’il deviendra un joueur professionnel remarquable.
Details
First off, a bit of an ERROR with the stats on the back of this 1958-59 Parkhurst hockey card. Prior to 1958-59, Ralph Backstrom had appeared in a total of five NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens, not the 20 mentioned on the back of the card.
The “Hockey People” were certainly right about Backstrom, he was an outstanding professional prospect. In this first full season with the Habs, 1958-59, he scored 18 goals and 22 assists over 64 games while also adding eight points in 11 playoff games. He earned the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year with a wide edge in voting over second place Carl Brewer of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Four of those eight playoff points came in the Stanley Cup clinching game five of the final series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The score ended 5-3 with Ralph scoring one and assisting on three. He was involved in every Montreal goal except for Marcel Bonin‘s game winner.
Between 1956-57 and 1972-73, Ralph Backstrom played 1,032 regular season and 113 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. He moved on to the WHA for 1973-74 and played a total of 304 regular season and 38 playoff games over four years with the Chicago Cougars, Denver Spurs and New England Whalers.