The One Real Bill Barilko Hockey Card

The 1951-52 Parkhurst hockey card series marked a return to mainstream hockey cards after over ten years. The 1951-52 Parkhurst was highlighted by the rookie cards of Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, Terry Sawchuk and Doug Harvey. The fifth most valuable card in the series was a highlight card featuring Bill Barilko of the Toronto Maple Leafs scoring the overtime goal on Gerry McNeil of the Montreal Canadiens that brought the Leafs the Stanley Cup.

The all too short life of Bill Barilko is well documented in print and song. Barilko’s life and death are a legend in Canada. After scoring that magic overtime Stanley Cup winning goal against the Canadiens in 1951, Barilko was in a small plane that went down in dense Northern Ontario forest en route to a fishing trip. His remains were not found until 1962. The Maple Leafs did not win another Stanley Cup after 1951 until 1962. The Canadian rock band, The Tragically Hip sang about Barilko with the song “50 Mission Cap”.

Timmins, Ontario born Barilko was playing for the Hollywood Wolves of the now long defunct Pacific Coast Hockey League in 1946-47 when he was called up to the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League. Bill never made it to Pittsburgh. He bypassed the AHL and went straight to the Maple Leafs.

Barilko was an immediate fit with Toronto and was a regular defenseman for four years from 1947-48 to 1950-51. In five years with the Maple Leafs, including 18 games in his 1946-47 call-up season, Barilko played 252 regular season games, contributing 62 points and sitting 456 minutes in the penalty box. In playoff action, Barilko saw 47 games, adding 12 points from the point.

The 1951-52 Parkhurst number 52 was the only card with Barilko on the front. The card isn’t even considered Bill’s rookie card because it’s a highlight card. Although the Gordie Howe rookie card is valued by Beckett Hockey at $3000 and Richard and Sawchuk are well over $1000, the Barilko/McNeil card comes in at a respectable $500.

A great read on the life and death of Bill Barilko is the 2004 Barilko: Without a Trace by Kevin Shea. The book is 359 pages packed with great information and memories on Barilko from his youth in Timmins to his death in the forests of Northern Ontario.

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