1967-68 Topps 75 Rogatien Vachon Hockey Card (Front)
1967-68 Topps 75 Rogatien Vachon Hockey Card (Back)
Card Notes
A rookie in the NHL, Rogatien was outstanding in the latter part of the season and the playoffs. Montreal protected this rookie in favour of Charlie Hodge during the NHL expansion draft.
En Français
Un nouveau venu dans la LHN, Rogatien fut sans égal durant la dernière partie de la saison et les éliminatoires. Montréal protégea cette recrue au lieu de Charlie Hodge au moment de l’expansion de la ligue.
Details
1968-69 proved that Montreal made the right choice in keeping Rogie Vachon over Charlie Hodge. He was the team’s number one goalie, appearing in 36 games. Vachon posted a 2.87 goals against average over the regular season with two shutouts.
It was in the playoffs when Rogie truly became a star for the Habs. Although he split time fairly evenly with Gump Worsley over the team’s 14 post season games, Vachon played all four in the final series with Montreal sweeping the St. Louis Blues for the second year in a row.
Over the four games in the final, Vachon allowed just three goals, shutting out the Blues in game three and allowing just a single goal in each of the other games. He faced 107 shots over the four games, including 29 in the 4-0 game three shutout.
As for Charlie Hodge, he was picked up by the Oakland Seals with their first pick at the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. The veteran appeared in 58 games for the club in their inaugural season but would be reduced to a backup goalie over the next two campaigns.
Vachon remained with the Habs until a November 4, 1971 trade sent him to the Los Angeles Kings for Denis DeJordy, Noel Price, Doug Robinson and Dale Hoganson. Montreal had their man in Ken Dryden and the Kings certainly found their man in Rogie.
Between 1966-67 and 1981-82, Rogatien Vachon appeared in 795 regular season and 48 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Canadiens, Kings, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins. He was part of three Stanley Cup championships in Montreal and was inducted (finally) into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016.