1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Denis Dupere #167 Toronto Maple Leafs

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Denis Dupere #167 Toronto Maple Leafs Add 1970s Leafs depth and character with this 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Denis Dupere #167 Toronto Maple Leafs card, featuring the mustached left winger who was one of the league's most reliable penalty killers and a Central League scoring star before his NHL breakthrough. Denis Dupere was born in Jonquiere Quebec in 1948 and came up through the Toronto organization, starring with Tulsa in the Central Hockey League where he led the league in scoring and earned a call up to the Leafs in 1970-71. He was a strong two way forward, excellent on the penalty kill, and known for his work ethic and ability to play a checking role against top lines. In 1971-72 he played 78 games for Toronto and showed offensive upside with double digit goals. He would later become a valuable piece for the expansion Washington Capitals. This card is notable for showing Dupere in the rare purple Leafs practice jersey variant that O-Pee-Chee used for some photos in this set, with his trademark mustache and long hair that scream 1970s hockey style, set against the orange background. The 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee set remains a collector favorite for its colorful design and large player images. This is the Canadian O-Pee-Chee version with the bilingual English and French back and cartoon illustration, not a puzzle back, printed in Canada with career record and bilingual text describing his penalty killing prowess. Front shows corners with light rounding, top left and bottom right showing the most wear, edge chipping is light along the beige border, surface has good gloss with no creases, centering is about 60/40 left to right and 60/40 top to bottom. The back shows normal O-Pee-Chee cardboard toning, no stains, no writing, clean stats box, slight edge roughness on left side, no bends or wrinkles, supporting a conservative EX 5 grade that reflects vintage handling rather than major defects. The 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Denis Dupere #167 Toronto Maple Leafs is perfect for 1970s Leafs collectors, penalty kill specialists fans, and those who love the unique photo variations of this classic set. Grade Estimate: EX 5