1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Marc Tardif #11 Montreal Canadiens

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Marc Tardif #11 Montreal Canadiens Before he became a WHA scoring legend, Marc Tardif was a power forward learning his craft in Montreal and this 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Marc Tardif #11 Montreal Canadiens captures that fascinating crossover moment. Shown in a full body action pose in the red Habs uniform with blue pants against the green backdrop, this low number card is visually strong and historically rich. The 1972-73 season was the final NHL campaign before Tardif jumped to the Los Angeles Sharks and then the Quebec Nordiques of the new World Hockey Association, a decision that changed his career arc and made his NHL issues key bridge cards for both NHL and WHA collectors. In Montreal Tardif was the second overall pick in the famed 1969 draft that also produced Bobby Clarke, and he developed into a tough corner presence who could score. He won Stanley Cups with the Canadiens in 1971 and 1973, scoring 25 and 31 goals in his last two full Habs seasons while learning from veterans like Frank Mahovlich and Jacques Lemaire. After moving to the WHA he exploded into superstardom, winning two Avco World Trophies with Quebec in 1977, capturing the Gordie Howe Trophy as league MVP in 1976 and 1978, leading the WHA in goals twice and retiring with 316 WHA goals plus 194 NHL goals for more than 500 major pro goals combined. His 1977-78 season of 65 goals and 154 points remains one of the great offensive years in 1970s hockey history outside the NHL. This 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee card features the classic tan border, vertical team name and yellow ribbon design that is beloved for its retro simplicity. The reverse is the true Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with English and French text describing him as one of the toughest players to beat in the corners, full NHL record and PRINTED IN CANADA, confirming it is not a Topps version and not a puzzle back. It is essential for 1969 draft, WHA stars and Nordiques history collections. corners show even light touches on all four tips with no major rounding or white breakthrough beyond minor edge dots, edges are largely clean with slight roughness on the right tan border, front color is bold with good focus and no snow or print defects, centering is approximately 60/40 left to right and 55/45 top to bottom with complete borders, back is clean and legible with uniform toning and no marks, no creases wrinkles or embossing seen through the sleeve, supporting a conservative raw grade estimate of EX 5 that balances strong presentation with realistic vintage tolerance. Add this future WHA MVP to your cart and own a key low number from the high demand 1972-73 set. Grade Estimate: EX 5