Another un-documented error card discovery by Vintage Hockey Cards Report? We’ve searched the web and nowhere is it noted that Gary Dornhoefer is spelled Gary Dornhoffer on the back of his 1974-75 Topps hockey card. Number 44 from the 1974-75 Topps series belongs to Gary Dornhoefer of the Philadelphia Flyers and is considered a common card. The awesome resource for error cards at OneStopHockeyCards.com does not list this as an error in their Hockey Card Error Guide.
Dornhoefer began play in the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 1963-64. The season before, Gary’s junior career ended with an unsuccessful Memorial Cup appearance with the Niagara Falls Flyers. It was Dornhoefer’s second season with the Flyers who were at the time sponsored by the Bruins.
Over three seasons with Boston, Gary played a total of 62 games – less in each successive season. He played the entire 1966-67 in the American Hockey League with the Hershey Bears and it looked like his NHL flame might be burning out. Expansion changed Dornhoefer’s destiny, however.
The Philadelphia Flyers picked up Gary in the 1967 expansion draft. He never played a game in the AHL again and remained a Flyer until his retirement after the 1977-78 season. Dornhoefer played a total of eleven seasons in Philadelphia, winning two Stanley Cups in 1973-74 and 1974-75. he surpassed the 20 goal plateau five times and topped out with 30 in 1972-73.
Despite the fact that Dornhoefer is a just a simple ‘unlisted star’ according to Beckett Hockey Monthly
Gary remains in the Philadelphia Flyers organization today. After years as a colour commentator, Dornhoefer is now an Ambassador of Hockey for the team.