1967-68 Topps 67 Ralph Backstrom Hockey Card (Front)
1967-68 Topps 67 Ralph Backstrom Hockey Card (Back)
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Card Notes
Ralph did not have a good season last year, scoring only 14 goals. This smooth-skating centre, voted “Rookie of the Year” when he entered the NHL, has a lot of hockey know-how and the Montreal club are counting heavily on Ralph this year.
En Français
Ralph, un grand favori des Montréalais, n’a pas eu une très bonne saison l’an passé avec seulement 14 buts. Ce bon patineur, qui fut “la Recrue de l’Année” à son entrée dans la LHN, connaît bien son hockey.
Details
The part about Ralph not having a good year might be a touch unfair. True, his goal production was down to 14 in 1966-67 from 22 in 1965-66 but he increased his playmaking, resulting in just one total point less. Never one to lead the league in goal scoring, anyway, Backstrom had a career best of 27 goals in 1961-62 with the Habs, placing him seventh in the NHL that year.
Ralph was the Calder Trophy winner in 1958-59, dominating the voting and leaving other contenders Carl Brewer, Ab McDonald, Charlie Burns and Norm Johnson in the dust. Backstrom contributed 18 goals and 40 points for the Canadiens in 64 games that year. He also put up a healthy eight points in eleven playoff games to win his first of six Stanley Cup titles.
All six Stanley Cup championships came as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. He came close in 1972-73 after a late season trade sent him from the Los Angeles Kings to the Chicago Blackhawks for Dan Maloney. The Hawks reached the final before falling to Backstrom’s original club.
Between 1956-57 and 1972-73, Ralph Backstrom appeared in 1,032 regular season and 116 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Canadiens, Kings and Blackhawks. He went on to play 304 regular season and 38 playoff games in the WHA between 1973-74 and 1976-77 with the Chicago Cougars, Denver Spurs/Ottawa Civics and the New England Whalers.