1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Don Tannahill #238 Rookie Card Vancouver Canucks

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Don Tannahill #238 Rookie Card Vancouver Canucks Few cards capture the flowing-haired spirit of early-seventies hockey like this 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Don Tannahill #238 Rookie Card Vancouver Canucks collectors seek out for its fantastic full-pose photography, available now from Alex Collect. Tannahill is shown crouched in his gear against the set's signature magenta background, number 16 visible on his sleeve — one of the better action-style poses in the entire 341-card issue. Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in 1969, Tannahill starred for the Boston Braves of the American Hockey League, where he scored at nearly a point-per-game pace, before Vancouver claimed him in the 1972 Intra-League Draft. He rewarded the Canucks immediately, potting 22 goals and 56 points as an NHL rookie in 1972-73, one of the best freshman seasons in the young franchise's history. This is his true rookie card, issued the very autumn he broke into the league. The reverse carries the genuine Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with English and French text, an injury-themed cartoon, the NOT IN N. H. L. banner and the O. P. C. copyright with PRINTED IN CANADA credit — a bilingual biography back, not a puzzle back. this is one of the stronger cards on the sheet. Centering is pleasing on both axes with only a slight shift toward the bottom, and all four corners retain good structure with only the faintest touch of wear visible under magnification at the lower left. The left edge shows the trademark rough O-Pee-Chee factory cut with light fiber fuzz, while the remaining edges are comparatively smooth. Color and gloss are strong, the pink background pops, and we found no creases, wrinkles, surface indentations or print stains on either side; the back is clean and free of handwriting. We grade this conservatively at EX-MT 6, acknowledging that vintage OPC edges and half-century-old paper stock make true near-mint claims risky without professional review — but the eye appeal here genuinely flirts with NM. A terrific mid-grade rookie for Canucks team-set builders and 1972-73 OPC completists alike. Cards from this beloved Canadian issue with this level of freshness are getting harder to source raw, so add this one to your cart while it lasts. Grade Estimate: EX-MT 6