1973-74 O-Pee-Chee 247 Yvon Labre Hockey Card (Front)
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee 247 Yvon Labre Hockey Card (Back)
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee NHL Checklist
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Card Notes
After an outstanding junior career during which he was named the outstanding defenseman in his league, Yvon was drafted by Pittsburgh in 1969. He turned pro with Baltimore of the American Hockey League in 1969-70, but couldn’t crack the Penguins lineup until the following season. He’s not a high scorer, but relies instead on solid, fundamental defensive play.
En Français
Comme junior, Yvon, fut nommé le meilleur défenseur de sa ligue, avant d’être repêché par Pittsburgh en 1969. Il devint professionnel avec Baltimore de la Ligue Américaine en 1969-70 et passa aux Penguins la saison suivante. Il ne compte pas souvent mais il fait du bon jeu défensif.
Details
Yvon Labre played his major junior hockey with the Toronto Marlboros and was a fourth round pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins at the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. He would play just 16 more games with the Penguins in 1973-74 before becoming the eighth overall pick at the 1974 NHL Expansion Draft, going to the Washington Capitals.
The back of this 1973-74 Yvon Labre rookie card contains an error. His stats for 1972-73 should be zeros across the board as he played the full season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears. The numbers would seem to be from his 1970-71 season when he played 21 games for Pittsburgh. However, the assist total should read 1 and not eight. He did, however, score a goal and add eight assists with the Baltimore Clippers the year before but over 64 games.
With the Capitals, Labre became an instant leader with the expansion team. Despite scoring just four goals over 76 games in 1974-75, his first was also the franchise’s first goal ever scored in a home game. On October 15, 1974, Washington hosted the Los Angeles Kings at the Capital Center. Yvon put the home team up 1-0 at 4:35 of the second, scoring on Rogie Vachon. Dan Maloney tied it up shortly after and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Between 1970-71 and 1980-81, Yvon Labre played 371 regular season games in the National Hockey League with the Penguins and Capitals. He did not play in the post season. His jersey number 7 was the first to be retired by the Capitals, raised to the rafters in 1981.