It’s only one letter on the front of the hockey card but it is an instantly noticeable error. The front of the number 109 card in the 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee World Hockey Association set has the last name of Lars-Erik Sjoberg misspelled Sjoverg. They did get it right on the back of the card.
Although this card is valued no higher than a common, the Lars-Erik Sjoberg rookie card from the previous year’s set is valued at $8. The complete collection of 1974-75 O-Pee-Chee WHA hockey cards consists of 66 cards and is valued at $200. Number 66 has a history of rookie card magic with both the 1951-52 Parkhurst Gordie Howe RC and the 1958-59 Topps Bobby Hull RC being the 66th and last cards in their respective sets.
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Sjoberg played just six years in North America, five with the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA between 1974-75 and 1978-79, and one year with the Jets in the NHL, 1979-80. Lars-Erik was Winnipeg’s first team captain in the National Hockey League. Why the short pro career in North America? Sjoberg was an established pro in Sweden and was 30 years old when he arrived to play for the Jets in 1974-75.
Lars-Erik was team captain for Sweden at the 1976 Canada Cup. Sweden went .500 in the six team tournament which featured just two teams advancing after the round-robin for a single championship game. Canada faced Czechoslovakia in the final and won 5-4.
In 1977-78, he totalled 50 points from the blue line over 78 regular season games and earned the Dennis A. Murphy Trophy as the WHA’s best defenseman. At 5’8″, he earned the nickname ‘Little General’.
Sjoberg helped the Jets to three Avco Cup (Avco World Trophy) championships. In the seven years of the WHA, Winnipeg played in five Avco Cup finals. In 1975-76, the Jets faced the Houston Aeros in the finals with Winnipeg sweeping the series and outscoring their opponents 24-11. In 1977-78, it was another sweep, this time the victim was the New England Whalers. Once again, the Jets heavily outscored the opposition, 24-8.
In the final year of the World Hockey Association, 1978-79, Winnipeg was a weaker team than in years past but still reached the finals. Their opponent featured a young kid named Wayne Gretzky but the Jets squeeked out with a four games to two victory. Impressively, Edmonton outscored Winnipeg 26-21 in the series.
Lars-Erik was employed as a scout for the New York Rangers when he died of cancer in 1987. Although not a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame or the IIHF Hall of Fame, Sjoberg is honoured by the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.