1969-70 O-Pee-Chee Claude Larose #194 Minnesota North Stars GOOD 2

Description

1969-70 O-Pee-Chee Claude Larose #194 Minnesota North Stars GOOD 2 The 1969-70 O-Pee-Chee Claude Larose #194 Minnesota North Stars GOOD 2 features a proven Stanley Cup winner during his productive Minnesota chapter. Larose leans toward the camera in the original green North Stars sweater, creating a dynamic portrait that stands out against the set’s turquoise background, wood-grain hockey-stick graphic, and bright green wing medallion. The combination of expressive photography, early franchise colours, and a respected player makes this an appealing vintage single even in well-loved condition. Claude Larose brought scoring skill, defensive responsibility, and physical edge to every lineup he joined. Best known for his years with the Montreal Canadiens, he won five Stanley Cups as a player in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, and 1973. Between his Montreal stints, he spent two productive seasons with Minnesota. During 1968-69, the exact season summarized on this card, Larose scored 25 goals and added 37 assists for 62 points in 67 games. Skating with Danny Grant and Danny O’Shea, he helped Grant win the Calder Memorial Trophy and scored the tying final goal in the 1969 NHL All-Star Game. Larose later returned to Montreal for more championships and finished his NHL career with 226 goals, 257 assists, and more than 900 games played. He remained in hockey as a coach and scout, adding another Stanley Cup association as a scout with Carolina in 2006. Card 194 therefore connects the Canadiens dynasty, the young Minnesota franchise, and a long life in professional hockey. Its reverse includes bilingual biographical copy, statistics through 1968-69, and a cartoon naming golf and fishing as Larose’s hobbies. This is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee issue with English and French text and the Printed in Canada notation. It is not a puzzle back. The front is moderately centered, approximately 54/46 from left to right, and retains strong green colour. All four corners are soft, with visible rounding and fibre wear at the upper-right and both lower tips. Several diagonal lines, wrinkles, and scratches cross the upper portrait and jersey areas, while additional scuffing is present near the borders. The cream edges show chipping and darkened handling wear, especially along the bottom. The back has rounded corners, whitening along the turquoise perimeter, fine surface scratches, and localized wrinkling near the top and lower regions. The text and statistics remain completely legible. Because the card was scanned inside a protective sleeve, some very fine lines may be on the plastic, but the combined corner, edge, and apparent crease wear justify a conservative GOOD 2 estimate. The card is intact and has no visible writing or missing pieces, yet multiple surface lines and rounded corners prevent a VG grade. It remains a colourful, affordable card of a five-time Stanley Cup champion and an excellent addition to a vintage North Stars or Claude Larose collection. Grade Estimate: GOOD 2