1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Fred Harvey #246 Minnesota North Stars

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Fred Harvey #246 Minnesota North Stars Add a premier piece of 1970s hockey heritage to your collection with this original 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Fred Harvey #246 Minnesota North Stars vintage card. Known affectionately throughout the hockey world as 'Buster,' Fred Harvey was one of the most heralded Canadian junior prospects of his era, selected in the first round, eighth overall, by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. Hailing from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Harvey was renowned for his lightning-quick release, offensive instincts, and opportunistic scoring in front of the net. After honing his craft and lighting up the scoresheet with the American Hockey League's Cleveland Barons, Buster earned a full-time spot with the North Stars, scoring twenty-one goals and fifty-five points during a breakout 1972-73 season in Minnesota. Harvey's distinguished NHL career spanned eight seasons with the North Stars, Atlanta Flames, and Detroit Red Wings, totaling over one hundred career NHL goals and 224 points in 392 regular season games while helping lead his teams into the Stanley Cup playoffs. This classic card features a youthful portrait of Buster Harvey in the North Stars' beloved green, gold, and white uniform, framed within a brilliant hot-pink arch against vintage tan cardstock borders. The distinct retro palette and clean photography make this a standout single from the expansive 1972-73 release. This card is preserved in remarkably attractive, high-eye-appeal condition for vintage cardboard of this vintage. The card features an authentic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, presenting French and English bios along with a cartoon noting his right wing position and his path through the Cleveland Barons. Centering on the front is superb, measuring approximately 50/50 left-to-right and 50/50 top-to-bottom, with identical balanced centering on the reverse side. The four corners exhibit mild, uniform softening at the tips with slight paper fiber exposure, while maintaining sharp square shape with no heavy corner rounding or dog-ear creases. The edges show the authentic Canadian O-Pee-Chee factory wire cut with minimal edge chipping along the border perimeters. The front surface retains vibrant gloss, crisp focus, and deep color saturation, free of hairline scratches, creases, or surface indentations. The reverse is clean, bright, and completely unblemished by wax marks, pencil writing, or album residue. Weighing the light corner softening against the exceptional centering, radiant color, and total lack of structural creases, this card warrants a conservative raw Grade Estimate: EX-5