1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Gilles Marotte #27 Los Angeles Kings

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Gilles Marotte #27 Los Angeles Kings Round out your Los Angeles Kings team page with this 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Gilles Marotte #27 card, a wonderful example of the tough guy charm that made the Canadian O-Pee-Chee issue so special. The bilingual English and French back, the authentic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back rather than a puzzle back, explains that Captain Crunch was the nickname Los Angeles fans pinned on this husky rearguard, obtained from Chicago after coming up through the Boston organization, and the cartoon caption reveals that Gilles collected comic books, a perfect pop culture detail from the season of the Summit Series. The front portrait is one of the most photogenic in the Kings team run, Marotte grinning in the gold and purple home sweater with the assistant captain A on his chest and the famous crown crest front and center against the green studio backdrop. Numbered 27, this is an early series card that every 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee set builder needs, and Marotte's combination of a fun nickname, French Canadian roots, and classic Kings imagery gives it lasting appeal well beyond the checklist. the card shows moderate, even corner wear with the top left corner slightly rounded and layering visible at the tips, light white chipping along the bottom edge, clean side edges, bright unfaded color with strong gloss and no staining, vertical centering of approximately 48/52, and the standard left-weighted horizontal layout of the 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee design, with no creases, wrinkles, or writing visible on the front or back in the high resolution scan. The bilingual biography, career record, cartoon, and the orange PRINTED IN CANADA imprint all remain crisp and legible. A conservative grade estimate of EX 5 reflects the corner rounding and bottom edge chipping, with the strong color and clean surfaces keeping the card well above lower grade examples of the same number. Kings collectors, fans of old school defensemen, and French Canadian player collectors will all find this Captain Crunch card a characterful, honestly graded addition at a friendly price. Grade Estimate: EX 5