1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Cliff Koroll #222 Chicago Black Hawks

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Cliff Koroll #222 Chicago Black Hawks Add a rugged piece of early seventies Chicago hockey history to your vintage collection with this 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Cliff Koroll #222 Chicago Black Hawks card which captures the dependable right winger at the peak of his powers during one of the most colorful eras in Black Hawks lore. This was the era when Chicago Stadium was roaring, Bobby Hull had just departed for the WHA, and Tony Esposito was redefining goaltending while gritty Canadian forwards like Koroll carried the offensive load with workmanlike consistency and surprising scoring touch. For collectors who chase the classic O-Pee-Chee look with its warm tan border, solid blue photography background and bright yellow nameplate, this card delivers that unmistakable early seventies nostalgia that Canadian hockey collectors grew up sorting on basement floors. Cliff Koroll remains a beloved figure in Black Hawks history not for flashy headlines but for relentless durability and quiet production. One of the few players to come out of the American college system, the Canora Saskatchewan native graduated from the University of Denver before joining Chicago and quickly established himself as a 20 goal threat who could play every situation. In 1971-72 he netted 22 goals in 73 games while the Hawks finished first in the West, and a year later he would again top 20 goals while providing muscle on a line that balanced the artistry of Stan Mikita and the finishing of Jim Pappin. Over 814 career NHL games, all in a Chicago uniform, Koroll recorded 208 goals and 462 points, reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1971 and 1973, and earned a reputation as a loyal team first player who never took a shift off, a story that still resonates with Original Six and expansion era enthusiasts who value character as much as stats. This card comes from the celebrated 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee set, the Canadian counterpart to Topps distinguished by its bilingual English and French text and its smaller print run which makes clean examples significantly scarcer today. Card number 222 sits in the middle to high series and features the iconic orange header with team name, the cartoon fact box at top with its playful hockey humor, and the complete NHL Career Record table on the reverse that 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee collectors prize for its detailed bilingual biography. This is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with English and French text, not a Topps single language or puzzle back, and it is marked PRINTED IN CANADA at the bottom which is the key identifier for the more desirable O-Pee-Chee version. The front presents with strong visual appeal, centering is slightly to the right at approximately 60/40 left to right and near 55/45 top to bottom with a full beige border visible on all four sides, corners are sharp to the naked eye with only a faint touch of softness at the upper right and lower left visible under close inspection through the protective sleeve, edges are clean with no major chipping to the tan border aside from a whisper of wear along the lower yellow panel, and the surface is glossy and free of creases, wrinkles, or indentations with bold color on the head and shoulders portrait and no print snow or staining. The back shows even age toning typical of O-Pee-Chee cardboard with crisp orange borders, clean text, and no wax stains, paper loss, or writing, though light handling wear is evident on the edges under magnification which keeps this from grading at the mint level. Based on the visible corner touch, slight centering shift, and light edge aging without creases, a conservative raw grade of EX 5 is appropriate and leaves room for a satisfied buyer, making this 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Cliff Koroll #222 Chicago Black Hawks an honest, collector grade example for set builders and Chicago fans seeking an affordable Koroll in original condition. Grade Estimate: EX 5