1972 O-Pee-Chee Tim Ecclestone #55 Detroit Red Wings

Description

1972 O-Pee-Chee Tim Ecclestone #55 Detroit Red Wings Versatility is its own kind of heroism, and this 1972 O-Pee-Chee Tim Ecclestone #55 celebrates one of the most adaptable forwards of his era, a Toronto-born winger who could slot into all three forward positions and kill penalties with equal calm. The full-body pose against the green backdrop shows him crouched and ready with the puck, and the back bio notes plainly that Tim can play all three forward positions, the kind of one-line scouting report that coaches treasure and collectors now find charmingly understated. Ecclestone's résumé includes a chapter that few players ever earn, as a member of the St. Louis Blues teams that stormed to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the franchise's first three seasons, an improbable run that made those Blues heroes legends in a hockey-mad city. By the time this card was printed he had brought his two-way intelligence to Detroit, lining up wherever the team needed him and backing the back bio's praise with steady, professional play that rounded out a long and respected NHL career. The card comes from the 340-card 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee set with the classic tan woodgrain border, yellow name banner and circular winged wheel crest that define the issue. The reverse is the true Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, with the English and French biography printed side by side above the cartoon panel and career record table, confirming the Canadian OPC printing and not the American Topps version, and it is not a puzzle back design. the front shows centering at roughly 55/45, slight corner wear at the top left with the other corners holding up well, light edge chipping along the left border, and a glossy surface free of creases, wrinkles and marks, while the bilingual back remains clean with crisp orange ink and no staining. Grading conservatively as I do for all raw vintage OPC, the corner wear and edge chipping keep this at a raw estimate of EX 5, an honest grade for a card with a Stanley Cup Final pedigree at a price any Blues or Red Wings collector can justify. Grade Estimate: EX 5