1974-75 O-Pee-Chee 304 Rick Middleton Hockey Card (Front)
1974-75 O-Pee-Chee 304 Rick Middleton Hockey Card (Back)
1974-75 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
Rick was named rookie of the year and was also voted to the first All-Star Team as he led the Providence Reds to the final round of the American Hockey League playoffs last season. He’s a smooth-skating forward with a definite knack for scoring. He was a first round selection of the Rangers in the 1973 Amateur Draft, and appears to be a good bet for future stardom with the New Yorkers.
En Français
Nommé Recrue de l’Année et membre de la première équipe d’étoiles alors qu’il mena les Reds de Providence jusqu’à la dernière ronde des éliminatoires dans la Ligue Américaine l’an dernier. Les Rangers le choisirent à la première ronde du repêchage des amateurs en 1973 et on est convainçu qu’il brillera pour les New-Yorkais.
Details
After a standout junior career with the Oshawa Generals, the New York Rangers selected Rick Middleton 14th overall in the first round of the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft. Instead of jumping to the NHL club for the 1973-74 campaign, Rick spent a year in the AHL with the Providence Reds, earning the Dudley Red Garrett Award as the top first year player.
He excelled with 36 goals and 84 points over 63 regular season games with the Reds. In the post season, he added 15 points in 15 games. The John Muckler coached Providence club, with the help of goaltending duo Curt Ridley and Peter McDuffe, finished second in the Northern Division and reached the Calder Cup final before falling to the Hershey Bears.
Middleton was destined for future stardom, as the back of the card suggests. However, it would not be in New York. After two decent seasons with the Blue Shirts, Rick was traded to the Boston Bruins prior to the 1976-77 campaign, in exchange for Ken Hodge.
Between 1974-75 and 1987-88, Rick Middleton played in 1,005 regular season and 114 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Rangers and Bruins. He was the Lady Byng Trophy winner in 1981-82 and in 2018, his jersey number 16 was retired by Boston.