Baldy Northcott is certainly a legendary pioneer from the early days of the National Hockey League. He is also a pioneer of the hockey card world. What would seem to be the first uncorrected error card (UER) belongs to Baldy Northcott from 1933-34.
Just the facts:
- Baldy Northcott played for the Montreal Maroons and Chicago Black Hawks in the 1930’s.
- Northcott’s 1933-34 V129 rookie hockey card is considered UER because his name is spelled Northcote.
- Northcott scored the Stanley Cup winning goal for the Maroons in 1934-35.
- Baldy finished third in scoring for the 1932-33 NHL season.
The folks that printed the 1933-34 V129 series, had a problem with Baldy’s last name, spelling it Northcote on the front of the card. It is considered Northcott’s rookie card and is valued at $200. The value is a far cry from the Harry Oliver rookie card from the same set that is valued at $15,000.
Baldy, known by his parents as Lawrence McFarlane Northcott, played in the NHL from 1928-29 to 1938-39. He played his entire career with the Montreal Maroons expect for his final season which was spent with the Chicago Black Hawks. The Maroons ceased to exist after the 1937-38 season. Northcott, along with Earl Robinson and Russ Blinco were dealt to Chicago for $30,000. Just like Baldy, both Robinson and Blinco each played just one season with the Black Hawks.
Northcott led the Maroons in goals (22) and points (43) during the 1932-33 NHL season. His goal total was good for fourth in the league and his points placed him in third. Bill Cook of the New York Rangers was the league leader that season. The following year, he led the Maroons with 20 goals, a total that placed him sixth in the NHL. His last true offensive blast came in 1935-36 when he finished 10th in the league with 36 points.
Perhaps the highlight of his career came in 1934-35. The Maroons captured their second of two Stanley Cups with a three game sweep of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It marked the last time a non-Original 6 team would win the championship until the 1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers. Northcott scored the winning goal in game three for the Maroons.
The Baldy Northcott Trophy is awarded each year to the top Junior B team in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The winner of the trophy goes on to compete for the Keystone Cup that is awarded to the top Junior B team in all of Western Canada.
Although born in Calgary, Alberta, Baldy made his mark in Manitoba when he coached the Winnipeg Rangers to a Memorial Cup title in 1940-41. Northcott is an honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
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