I was putting some cards up on eBay yesterday and came across something that I usually take for granted. There was both a 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee and 1972-73 Topps Pete Mahovlich hockey card. Something so obvious and common, I realized I’d never really thought much to compare an O-Pee-Chee and Topps card of the same player from the same year. I had noticed many a time that the pictures on a lot of cards from those two sets were different from each manufacturer, but just in passing. Of course, in the years ahead, the two would most often share their photo stock.
So, here’s Peter Mahovlich, a ‘semi-star’ that played for a few NHL teams but shone with the Montreal Canadiens. O-Pee-Chee felt they could be a little more informal, seeing as Peter was from Canada and so were they, and called him Pete on the back of the card. On both fronts and the back of the Topps card, he is referred to as Peter.
The fronts do feature different pictures of Mahovlich, although judging by every little detail, they are obviously from the same photo shoot. Topps must have paid more because the smile is much wider on the front of that hockey card.
On the back, it’s like one of those ‘spot the differences’ games where they put two pictures side by side and you’re supposed to pick out all the subtle differences. The card number is different – Topps is number 42 and O-Pee-Chee is 124. There was the previously mentioned first name differential. The little cartoon block has the same picture but, of course, the O-Pee-Chee card is in English and French. There is a slight difference there in that the English (the same as the Topps card) states that Peter is out of his brother Frank’s shadow. In French, he has just made a good reputation for himself and there is no mention of the ‘Big M’.
In the blurb on the back, the Topps and the O-Pee-Chee French are mostly the same. However, the English in Canada were not informed that Pete led the Canadiens in penalty minutes in 1971-72. As a kid, who actually read hockey cards as a source of information, I was often intrigued that the Francophones often received extra tidbits that us English just didn’t have access to.
As far as values go, the O-Pee-Chee card is at $3 and the Topps hockey card is at $1.25. The Peter Mahovlich rookie card came in the 1966-67 Topps set as number 103 and is valued at $30.
To see if these values hold true, follow the eBay auctions of the two Mahovlich cards through these links:
Pete Mahovlich 1972-73 O-Pee-Chee #124
Pete Mahovlich 1972-73 Topps #42
Who is Peter Mahovlich?
After three seasons with the Hamilton Red Wings in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1963-64 to 1965-66, Mahovlich played sparingly in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings for the next three seasons. He became a member of the Montreal Canadiens for the 1969-70 season and it was with the Habs where Pete’s NHL career flourished.
With Montreal, Mahovlich was a part of four Stanley Cup winning teams. He played seven of the eight games for Team Canada at the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. His best offensive season came in 1974-75 when he contributed 117 points, good enough for fifth in the NHL. The following season, he surpassed the 100 point plateau again with 105, tying him for
sixth in the league with Jean Ratelle.
Mahovlich was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1977-78 season and played with them through the end of the following season. He returned to his roots and played two more seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. He finished his NHL career with 773 points over 884 regular season games. He added 72 points in 88 playoff games.
