1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Barry Long #288 Rookie Card Los Angeles Kings

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Barry Long #288 Rookie Card Los Angeles Kings Finish a Kings rookie run or add a notable NHL/WHA crossover player with the 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Barry Long #288 Rookie Card Los Angeles Kings. Long is pictured in the franchise’s original gold-and-purple uniform against a bright green background, standing beneath the bold vertical Los Angeles Kings name and beside the crown shield. The full-body studio portrait emphasizes his imposing size, while the saturated colours make this a strong display card from one of O-Pee-Chee’s most visually distinctive 1970s sets. Card #288 is Long’s recognized rookie and sits near the end of the NHL portion of the release, making it relevant to both player collectors and later-number set builders. Long’s career bridged the NHL, the World Hockey Association and the post-merger Winnipeg Jets. After developing in junior and minor professional hockey, he joined Los Angeles for the 1972-73 season. He later moved to the WHA’s Edmonton Oilers, where a 20-goal season in 1974-75 earned him Second Team All-Star recognition. After joining Winnipeg, he became a dependable contributor to the Jets and again received WHA Second Team All-Star honours. Long returned to the NHL with Detroit, later played for Winnipeg after the merger and represented Canada internationally. Following retirement, he became head coach of the Jets; his 1984-85 team won 43 games, recorded 96 points and advanced beyond the first playoff round. Career accounts document 280 NHL games, 387 WHA games, two WHA Second Team selections and his later Winnipeg coaching tenure [1](https://icehockey.fandom.com/wiki/Barry_Long). His story gives this rookie broader resonance than a typical common: it is a starting point for a career intertwined with the growth of western professional hockey. The reverse states card number 288, lists Long as a defenceman and notes that Los Angeles acquired him from the Chicago Black Hawks organization. A cartoon labels him the biggest of the Kings’ defenders, while the career-record area reads “Not in N. H. L.” because the card was produced before his first major-league season. The biography appears in English and French. This is explicitly an original Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual text back, not a puzzle back. “O-P-C” and “Printed in Canada” are visible, and established checklists classify #288 as Long’s rookie card [1](https://www.ebay.com/p/16056543212?iid=274729085074). The card displays four intact corners with light softening, most visible at the upper-left and lower-right. The left edge has a naturally rough cut, and the bottom edge shows mild whitening with several tiny fibre breaks. Front colour remains strong, with small print dots scattered in the green field and light age toning in the tan border. The reverse shows even cream toning, a few small spots, modest perimeter wear and a tiny pale surface fleck in the lower text area. No writing, erasure, wax stain or paper loss is visible. Centering appears approximately 50/50 left to right and 51/49 top to bottom. The scans do not reveal a definite crease, wrinkle, pinhole or indentation, though sleeve imaging cannot rule out extremely fine bends. A conservative EX-MT 6 estimate is justified by the strong centering, bold colour, comparatively square corners and apparently crease-free stock. The light edge wear, corner touches, toning and minor print flaws prevent a Near Mint call. This is an appealing raw rookie that connects the original Kings aesthetic with WHA history and the enduring hockey culture of Winnipeg. Grade Estimate: EX-MT 6