1968-69 marked the second year since the National Hockey League expanded to 12 teams. The league still went with the ridiculous two division split that put all six expansion teams in one group. Every team but St. Louis from the West Division would finish a minimum eight points behind last place Chicago from the East in the overall standings. If St. Louis was switched to the East, they would finish fourth.
The Blues swept away the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings before being swept themselves in the Stanley Cup finals against the Montreal Canadiens. St. Louis was also the first of the expansion teams to put a player among the top ten in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. Red Berenson finished with 82 points in 76 games to place eighth, a point behind Alex Delvecchio of the Detroit Red Wings.
1968-69 also saw the birth of the 100 point season in the NHL. Three players surpassed the magical plateau with Phil Esposito leading the way, shattering the league record with 126 points. Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe also topped the mark with 107 and 103. Stan Mikita came within three at 97.
I thought it would be fun to take a look at the 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee hockey cards of the top ten point-getters and how the value of their cards compares to their placing in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. Of course, there’s the argument that their achievements in 1968-69 were not celebrated on cardboard until the following year. However, like any time travel story – just relax and go with it!
1. In an odd Esposito twist, Phil had many more assists than goals in 1968-69, en route to an Art Ross Trophy victory. Espo scored 49 and assisted on 77 for 126 points in 74 games for the Boston Bruins. As a side note, he led the top 10 scorers in penalty minutes, as well, with 79. As mentioned, Phil’s 126 points established an NHL record for most points in a season. Just two years later, he would shatter his own record with 152 points. Esposito also earned the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s MVP.
The Phil Esposito 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #7 hockey card is valued by Beckett at $40. This value places him third among the top 10.
2. Bobby Hull finished second with 107 points. He led the league with 58 goals, establishing an NHL record that Esposito would also shatter two years later when he scored 76. The scoring exploits of Hull and Stan Mikita could not keep Chicago out of the East Division basement in 1968-69.
The Bobby Hull 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #16 hockey card is valued at $75. This value places his card as the second most valuable in the top ten.
3. Gordie Howe finished the 1968-69 season with 103 points. He was one of three Red Wings in the top ten that season. It was the only time over his ridiculously long NHL career that Howe topped 100 points.
The 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #29 hockey card is valued at $100 and is the most valuable of the top ten.
4. Setting up Bobby Hull on many of his 58 goals and scoring 30 of his own, Stan Mikita totalled 97 points, his career high.
The 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #155 hockey card is valued at $30, placing Mikita fourth among the top ten.
5. Ken Hodge was often an unsung hero with the Boston Bruins, playing in the shadow of Esposito and Bobby Orr. Hodge scored 45 and assisted on 45 for 90 points to finish three points up on Yvan Cournoyer. It was not his career high as Hodge would reach 105 points twice with the Bruins in years to come.
The 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #8 hockey card of Ken Hodge is valued by Beckett as a common semi-star at $10. Hodge is one of just two in the top ten to not have a rated hockey card that season.
6. Yvan Cournoyer scored 43 and assisted on 44 for 87 points. The point total was his career high but he did score more goals in 1971-72 with 47.
The 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #62 Yvan Cournoyer hockey card is valued at $20, placing him fifth and tied with Frank Mahovlich of the Detroit Red Wings.
7. Alex Delvecchio scored the fewest goals of any of the top ten with 25. His 83 points in 72 games placed him seventh overall. The point total was a career high for Alex. He was the Lady Byng Trophy recipient in 1968-69, sitting just four minor penalties all season.
The 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #28 Alex Delvecchio hockey card is valued at $15 and places him seventh.
8. As mentioned above, Red Berenson became the first of the 1967 expansion team players to place in the top ten. His 82 points with the St. Louis Blues came on 35 goals and 47 assists over the full 76 game schedule. This was a career season for Berenson.
The 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #114 Red Berenson hockey card is valued at $10, tying him with Ken Hodge for the lowest value among the top ten.
9. Frank Mahovlich was looking a little like a Hull family member in 1968-69 with 49 goals and just 25 assists. His 78 points placed him ninth in the league, tied with Jean Ratelle.
The 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #31 Frank Mahovlich hockey card is valued at $20, placing him sixth among the top ten.
10. Tied with Mahovlich, the composition of Jean Ratelle’s 78 points was quite different. Ratelle scored 32 and assisted on 46 in 76 games. It was not a career high for Jean, a few years later in 1971-72 he reached 109 points with the Rangers.
The 1968-69 O-Pee-Chee Jean Ratelle #77 hockey card is valued at $12, placing him in eighth.
