Rick Middleton 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee 37 Hockey Card (Front)
Rick Middleton 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee 37 Hockey Card (Back)
1975-76 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
Card Notes
Was most valuable player and leading goal scorer in OHA play. Broken leg hampered bid for NHL rookie honors last season. Power play specialist.
En Français
Joueur le plus utile et meilleur compteur de l’AHL pour 1972-73. L’an dernier, une fracture à une jambe l’empêcha d’être choisi la meilleure recrue dans la LNH. Spécialiste du jeu de puissance.
Details
Indeed, despite 22 goals and nearly a point per game pace, Rick Middleton didn’t receive much love in the Calder Trophy voting in 1974-75. The winner of the rookie of the year award was Eric Vail of the Atlanta Flames with Pierre Larouche, Danny Gare, Bob Hess and Ron Greschner also in the running.
In 1972-73, Middleton scored 67 goals and assisted on 70 for 137 points over 62 games with the Oshawa Generals. He led the league in goal scoring and finished third in the race for the Eddie Powers Trophy, 22 points behind leader Blake Dunlop and ten points behind second place Dennis Ververgaert. Rick was honoured with the Red Tilson Trophy as OHA Junior ‘A’ most valuable player.
He was a first round pick by the New York Rangers at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft but spent his entire first year of pro hockey in the American Hockey League with the Providence Reds. He was given the Dudley “Red” Garrett Award as the AHL’s top rookie and helped the John Muckler coached Reds reach the Calder Cup final before bowing out to the Hershey Bears.
Middleton would spend the 1975-76 season with the Rangers before being dealt to the Boston Bruins for Ken Hodge. He would spend the rest of his NHL career with Boston. He had five consecutive seasons with 40 or more goals and topped out with 51 in 1981-82. He twice topped the 100 point plateau.
Between 1974-75 and 1987-88, Rick Middleton appeared in 1,005 regular season and 114 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Rangers and Bruins. He was a Lady Byng Trophy winner in 1981-82 and was a Second Team All-Star that same season.