1981-82 O-Pee-Chee 310 Rick Vaive Hockey Card (Front)
1981-82 O-Pee-Chee 310 Rick Vaive Hockey Card (Back)
1981-82 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
Card Notes
Rick has been a top scorer throughout his hockey career. He had 8 power play goals and 2 short handed goals for the Maple Leafs in 1980-81. An excellent skater with fine balance.
Rick won QJHL’s Rookie of the Year Award for the Sherbrooke Beavers in 1976-77.
En Français
Rick a été un excellent compteur pendant toute sa carrière. En 1980-81, il réussit 8 buts durant des jeux de puissance et 2 buts à court d’un homme pour les Leafs. Rick est un bon patineur dont l’équilibre est excellent.
Rick fut la Recrue de l’Année dans la LHJQ en 1976-77, alors qu’il jouait pour les Castors de Sherbrooke.
Details
Rick Vaive was honoured with the Michel Bergeron Trophy in 1976-77 as the QMJHL’s rookie of the year. He scored 51 goals and assisted on 59 for 110 points. In the high scoring Q, this didn’t come close to placing him in the top 10. Sherbrooke went on to win the President’s Cup before going winless at the Memorial Cup tournament.
In his second year with Sherbrooke, Vaive increased his numbers to 76 goals and 79 assists for 155 points. Again, in a highly offensive league, this was just good enough for fourth on the team. However, the performance caught the eye of the Vancouver Canucks and they drafted him fifth overall in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft (actually after his lone season in the WHA with the Birmingham Bulls).
To date, Rick owns three of the top five single season goal scoring performances in Toronto Maple Leafs history. His 54 goals in 1981-82 were a team record until Auston Matthews put up 60 in 2021-22. The three time 50 goal scorer would finish his career with 441 goals over 876 regular season games.
Rick Vaive played in the National Hockey League from 1979-80 to 1991-92 with the Canucks, Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres.