1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Jacques Laperriere #205 Montreal Canadiens

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Jacques Laperriere #205 Montreal Canadiens Hall of Fame defense anchors any serious vintage set and this 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Jacques Laperriere #205 Montreal Canadiens offers elite pedigree from the heart of the Canadiens dynasty. Laperriere patrolled the Montreal blue line from the early 1960s through 1974 with textbook positioning, crisp first passes and fearless shot blocking, forming legendary pairings that allowed the Flying Frenchmen to play their fast transition game. The 1972-73 campaign ended with another Stanley Cup for Montreal over Chicago in six games, and while young stars like Guy Lafleur and Steve Shutt grabbed headlines, veterans like Laperriere provided the steady defensive conscience that made championships possible. His trophy case tells the story of sustained greatness. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in 1963-64, was named to four NHL All Star Teams, played in five All Star Games and captured six Stanley Cups in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1973. Injuries limited his games in several seasons yet he still retired with 282 points in 691 games and a reputation as one of the smartest defenders of his generation, earning induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987. For pop culture and hobby context, Laperriere bridges the Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard era to the Lafleur and Dryden era, making his late career cards essential for collectors building a complete run of Montreal Hall of Famers. This 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee issue is instantly recognizable with the tan border, vertical MONTREAL CANADIENS lettering, yellow name ribbon and white away jersey portrait that pops against the green background. The reverse is the true Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back with dual language biography noting his Calder Trophy and comeback from injury, full statistical table and PRINTED IN CANADA imprint, confirming it is not a Topps print and not a puzzle back. It pairs perfectly with J. C. Tremblay, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe for a 1970s Habs defense collection. corners look nicely square with only micro touches at the bottom corners, edges show minimal border chipping with original tan gloss intact, front print is sharp with clean white jersey and strong color saturation, centering is approximately 55/45 both ways with balanced borders, back is clean with readable stats and light even toning and no staining or writing, no creases wrinkles or indentations visible through the protective sleeve, supporting a conservative raw grade estimate of EX-MT 6 that acknowledges the high grade appearance while remaining safe for ungraded vintage. Add this Hall of Fame defenseman to your collection today and lock in a cornerstone Montreal card with lasting collector demand. Grade Estimate: EX-MT 6