1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Terry Harper #172 Los Angeles Kings

Description

1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Terry Harper #172 Los Angeles Kings This 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee Terry Harper #172 Los Angeles Kings card captures one of the toughest defensemen of the 1960s and 1970s in the classic purple and gold of the Kings. Printed in Canada, the 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee issue is beloved for its bilingual English and French backs, and this card carries the authentic Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, not a puzzle back, complete with the Terry Harvey golfing cartoon that Canadian kids of the era chuckled over. Harper broke into the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens and collected five Stanley Cup championships during the Habs dynasty years before bringing his bruising, shot-blocking style to the Los Angeles blue line, where he logged heavy minutes against the Bobby Hulls and Phil Espositos of the world. The French and English biography on the reverse recounts how he broke his jaw more than once and played through a serious hand injury, a testament to the fearlessness that made him a fan favorite in both Montreal and Los Angeles. Set against the green studio backdrop with the Kings crown crest on his sweater, this card is a time capsule from the season hockey changed forever, issued the same fall as the 1972 Summit Series. the front shows a cluster of yellowish staining spots in the upper right portion of the green photo area along with a lighter mark near the top border, the top left corner is slightly soft while the remaining corners are presentable, edges show mild wear consistent with the era, centering runs approximately 44/56 top to bottom with the standard left band of the design, and there are no creases or wrinkles visible on either side in the high resolution scan. The bilingual career record table remains fully legible with the orange PRINTED IN CANADA line intact at the bottom. A conservative grade estimate of EX 5 accounts for the visible staining in the photo field and light corner and edge wear rather than any structural damage. For Kings collectors, Canadiens dynasty collectors, and builders of the 341 card 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee set, Harper is a genuinely hard player to find in clean Canadian-printed form, and this example prices well below graded comps while offering honest vintage character. Grade Estimate: EX 5