72-73 OPC Team Canada Series 2 Insert - Jean-Paul Parise

Great to see Parise get a chance to play in this tournament. He didn't really tear the league up offensively and in fact was in the minors a number of years before getting his NHL shot. However, as you can see, he didn't disappoint putting up 4 points in 6 games and his best NHL season came right after playing in the Summit Series where he posted 27 goals and 75 points. 

Clearly Zach inherited a pretty good pedigree from his dad, too bad he will be playing for the US of A during the Sochi Olympics. I know Canada could use him, but you can't fault a kid for representing his birth place!

A Huge Thanks to '67ers

As some of you know, my LCS shop bought someone's collection and began liquidating everything as fast as they cool. Stuff was priced to sell and often unsorted to some degree. As I shared my experience with a 79-80 Topps box, '67ers from Diamond Cuts and Wax Stains was curious if there were other boxes that might contain similar treasures. He contacted me and asked if I could look, so I did and reported back what the cost would be and cost to ship and he was more than willing to pay those prices so the deal was done. I wasn't interested in cutting myself in on handling fees or anything like that, I just wanted to help out my LCS and '67ers wanted to have the same fun I had. Well as they say, no good deed goes unpunished, here is what arrived in my mailbox a week or two later...

Pure Vintage Goodness!!!

65-66 Topps Bill Gadsby

 An amazing defenseman who was ranked 99th all-time by the original The Hockey News top 100 players of all-time in 1998. He didn't post offensive numbers like Orr, but gave 100% every shift and could punish you both on the scoresheet and on the ice. According to Legends of Hockey, he had an insurance policy which paid him 5 dollars for each stitch he took playing hockey and with over 600 stitches in the face, he had two incomes!

70-71 OPC J.P Parise

 Another awesome card, this one of Zach's father. Shame he departed for the land of 10 000 lakes, but J.P will best be remember by me for what he did at the '72 Summit Series and for having grown up two towns over from where I lived in High School.

68-69 OPC Jacques Lemaire

Maybe the best coach in Devils history, this card is from VERY early in Lemaire's career. I believe this is his second year card, with his rookie coming from the lone set the year before 67-68 Topps.

71-72 OPC Jacques Lemaire

Here is a slightly older Lemaire from the Iconic 71/72 OPC set.

65-66 Topps Elmer Vasko

Here is another card from the 65-66 Topps set and MAN O MAN, is it in amazing shape. This card has corners that can put an eye out and the centering isn't too shabby either. Vasko was a beast and even though he didn't put up the same offensive numbers as Gadsby, he was a two-time NHL second-team all-star.

What an amazing selection of cards and all cards I didn't own! The condition and selection of cards '67ers sent me was awesome and I really really appreciate the gesture! Thank you very much and I still am enjoying them!