1973-74 O-Pee-Chee Juha Widing #159 Los Angeles Kings

Description

1973-74 O-Pee-Chee Juha Widing #159 Los Angeles KingsThe Flying Finn was one of the most unlikely stars of the 1970s, and this 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee Juha Widing card, number 159, is his best looking issue from the heart of his prime. Widing was born in Finland in 1947, raised in Sweden by Swedish parents, and became only the third Finnish born player to appear in the NHL, a trailblazer long before European scouting became routine. He played junior hockey in Brandon, Manitoba, broke in with the New York Rangers in 1969-70, and was traded to Los Angeles in February 1970 along with Real Lemieux in the deal that sent Ted Irvine to New York, a swap that quietly changed the Kings for the next decade. From 1970-71 through 1972-73 he led Los Angeles in scoring three seasons running, and the 1972-73 campaign, the one printed on this card back, produced 16 goals, 54 assists and 70 points in 77 games. He finished his Kings career with 342 points, still among the top twenty in franchise history, and he later returned to the organization as a coach. Kings owner Jack Kent Cooke famously called him Whitey, and the O-Pee-Chee cartoon caption on the back plays on that nickname, a charming detail that makes the bilingual English and French reverse as collectible as the photograph. The front shows him in the purple and gold Kings sweater and helmet, captured in dim arena light during a game rather than the studio, which gives this card an unusually atmospheric look for the set. the corners are in good shape overall, the right edge is the roughest part of the card with visible wear, the bottom edge shows light fuzz, and a few tiny white print specks sit in the dark background. The photograph is naturally moody and slightly dark, which is normal for this issue rather than a defect. Centering is solid, and with no creases the conservative estimate is EX 5.Grade Estimate: EX 5