* We’re in the process of fixing a mistake we made adding cards to this collection – the pictures, names and card numbers are correct but the titles on each misread 1951-52 Parkhurst*
The 1940-41 O-Pee-Chee V301-2 NHL set consists of 50 hockey cards, numbered 101 to 150. The set is a continuation numerically from the 1939-40 V301-1 set that lists 100 cards. The 1940-41 set marks the end of mainstream hockey cards for more than a decade. The next set to appear is the 1951-52 Parkhurst set. This is also the last set to feature players from the New York Americans. By 1951-52, the Americans were long extinct from the National Hockey League.
These cards are larger than the present day dimensions, although the ratio of height to width is exactly the same. The 1940-41 O-Pee-Chee V301-2 cards measure 5 inches wide by 7 inches in height.
The most valuable rookie card in the set belongs to Milt Schmidt of the Boston Bruins. One of two cards featuring Turk Broda of the Toronto Maple Leafs has a book value equal to that of the Schmidt RC. Other significant rookie cards belong to Elmer Lach, Max Bentley and Ken Reardon.
| Number | Player |
| 101 | Toe Blake |
| 102 | Charlie Sands |
| 103 | Wally Stanowski |
| 104 | Jack Adams |
| 105 | Johnny Mowers RC |
| 106 | Johnny Quilty RC |
| 107 | Billy Taylor |
| 108 | Turk Broda |
| 109 | Bingo Kampman |
| 110 | Gordie Drillon |
| 111 | Don Metz |
| 112 | Paul Haynes |
| 113 | Gus Marker |
| 114 | Alex Singbush RC |
| 115 | Alex Motter RC |
| 116 | Ken Reardon RC |
| 117 | Pete Langelle |
| 118 | Syl Apps |
| 119 | Reg Hamilton |
| 120 | Cliff (Red) Goupille |
| 121 | Joe Benoit RC |
| 122 | Sweeney Schriner |
| 123 | Joe Carveth RC |
| 124 | Jack Stewart RC |
| 125 | Elmer Lach RC |
| 126 | Jack Schewchuk RC |
| 127 | Norman Larson RC |
| 128 | Don Grasso RC |
| 129 | Lester Douglas RC |
| 130 | Turk Broda |
| 131 | Max Bentley RC |
| 132 | Milt Schmidt RC |
| 133 | Nick Metz |
| 134 | Jack Crawford RC |
| 135 | Bill Benson RC |
| 136 | Lynn Patrick |
| 137 | Cully Dahlstrom |
| 138 | Mud Bruneteau |
| 139 | Dave Kerr |
| 140 | Bob (Red) Heron |
| 141 | Nick Metz |
| 142 | Ott Heller |
| 143 | Phil Hergesheimer RC |
| 144 | Tony Demers RC |
| 145 | Archie Wilder RC |
| 146 | Syl Apps |
| 147 | Ray Getliffe |
| 148 | Lex Chisholm RC |
| 149 | Eddie Wiseman RC |
| 150 | Paul Goodman RC |
And why the larger size after years of smaller card sizes? I contend it was the success of St Lawrence Starch Company’s Bee Hive which shared a Toronto-based ad agency with the London baed O Pee Chee gum company. Crown Brand duplciatd BeeHive’s efforts and tried to play catch-up…then WW2 happened and it was game over for new card sets for a decade. Bee Hive as a mail-in promo kept rolling until 1945 but they too had to close down for three years until the recovery from the was was complete.