1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Rick Martin #157 French Connection Buffalo Sabres

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Rick Martin #157 French Connection Buffalo Sabres This action-shot 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee card freezes Rick Martin mid-stride, stick on the ice, embodying the speed and flair that made him one of the most electrifying young left wingers of the era. Martin is best remembered as the left side of Buffalo's famed "French Connection" line alongside center Gilbert Perreault and right wing Rene Robert, one of the most dynamic scoring trios of the 1970s. This particular card documents his sophomore campaign after an eye-popping rookie season in 1971-72 in which he potted 44 goals and finished as runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year, narrowly edged by Montreal's Ken Dryden. The card back proudly recounts his junior pedigree, noting he was the OHA's leading goal scorer and an all-star performer before turning pro, foreshadowing the star he would become in Buffalo. Martin would go on to earn multiple NHL All-Star selections and remains one of the most beloved Sabres in franchise history, with his number 7 eventually raised to the rafters. The bilingual back, presented in both English and French as was standard for the Canadian O-Pee-Chee brand, lists his career totals through the 1971-72 season and includes the charming hand-drawn cartoon vignette noting "Martin excelle au golf" (Martin excels at golf), a detail typical of early-70s OPC humor inserts. confirmed genuine O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, not a puzzle-back variety. Visual inspection through the protective sheet shows solid corner integrity with only faint fraying at the bottom two corners, clean edges with no major chipping, and centering that is respectable left-to-right but shows some top-to-bottom drift, a common trait of this notoriously hard-to-find-well-centered set. The action photograph retains excellent color saturation and the orange border shows no noticeable fading. No creases, folds, or surface scratches were detected in the scan, though as always with vintage cardboard we recommend a conservative grade until handled in person. This is a foundational card for any Sabres or French Connection collection and a must-have for fans chasing Rick Martin's early-career issues. Grade Estimate: EX 5