1969-70 O-Pee-Chee 76 Stan Mikita Hockey Card (Front)
1969-70 O-Pee-Chee 76 Stan Mikita Hockey Card (Back)
1969-70 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
Card Notes
One of the most prolific scorers in NHL history, “Stash” is slippery, fast and elusive. His 1967 hat trick: MVP, Scoring championship, Lady Byng Trophy. Born in Czechoslovakia, Stan was one of the first to successfully use a curved stick.
En Français
Un des plus éminents compteurs dans l’histoire de la LNH, “Stash” est coulant, vif, et surprenant. Son tour du chapeau en 1967: joueur le plus utile; campion des compteurs; trophée Lady Byng. Né en Tchécoslovaquie, Stan fut le premier à se servir avec succès d’un bâton recourbé.
Details
It’s interesting that O-Pee-Chee notes that Stan Mikita was a triple crown winner in 1967 (1966-67) but doesn’t note that he repeated the feat in 1968 (1967-68). Despite his point total dropping by ten from the previous season, Mikita won his fourth and final Art Ross Trophy in 1967-68. Again, he would also win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Lady Byng Trophy.
The most underrated fact about Stan’s NHL career is the Lady Byng Trophy wins. Mikita completely transformed his style of play in the mid 1960’s. In 1964-65, he sat 154 penalty minutes during the regular season, placing him seventh in the league, and an additional 53 PIM over 14 playoff games. By 1966-67, he sat just 12 minutes in penalties and was considered one of the cleanest players in the league.
Mikita did “discover” the curved stick. Stan and teammate Bobby Hull were so successful using it, in fact, that the National Hockey League introduced a new rule in 1970 limiting the curvature of a stick blade to a 1/2 inch.
Stan Mikita appeared in 1,394 regular season and 155 Stanley Cup playoff games in the NHL between 1958-59 and 1979-80, all with the Chicago Blackhawks. His jersey number 21 was retired by the Black Hawks in 1980 and Stan was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.