1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Larry Hillman #176 Buffalo Sabres Defense

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Larry Hillman #176 Buffalo Sabres Defense Larry Hillman's 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee card shows the seasoned defenseman late in a remarkable, well-traveled NHL career that quietly makes him one of the most decorated Stanley Cup winners of all time. By the time he arrived in Buffalo, Hillman had already collected championships across multiple franchises, an achievement recognized by hockey historians as one of the more remarkable Cup-winning resumes in league history, having lifted the trophy with Detroit in the mid-1950s and again with Toronto and Montreal in later years. The card back playfully notes that Hillman "is in his 19th year in professional hockey" and jokes about his young defensive partners looking up to him, a nod to his elder-statesman role on the young Buffalo blue line. Having debuted in the NHL as a teenager in the 1950s, Hillman's career arc from Original Six rink rat to veteran mentor on an early-1970s expansion team is a genuinely compelling piece of hockey history, and this card is one of the relatively few O-Pee-Chee issues documenting his brief but meaningful stint with the Sabres. The reverse, formatted in the traditional Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual English/French style, lists an extensive career statistical table reflecting nearly two decades of professional play, along with a small hand-illustrated cartoon panel typical of the set's charming design language. this is confirmed to be a genuine bilingual O-Pee-Chee back, not a puzzle-back issue. Visual inspection of the card reveals moderate wear consistent with handling, including softened corners on at least two edges, light surface scuffing near the borders, and centering that shifts noticeably off-axis, a persistent characteristic of this hard-to-find-well-centered print run. The white jersey photography remains generally clear, though the overall presentation places this example in the lower-middle condition range compared to sharper cards on the same sheet. No major creases or tears are apparent, and the cardboard stock appears free of staining or moisture damage. Given the visible corner and centering issues, we are applying a conservative grade rather than assuming better condition than the photographic evidence supports. A worthwhile pickup for collectors who appreciate the deep, multi-decade, multi-Cup-winning career this quietly legendary defenseman compiled across the Original Six era and into the expansion years. Grade Estimate: VG 3.5