Gordie Howe turns 86 today, which means that he has now been retired (34 years) for as long as his NHL/WHA career actually took to play (1946-80).
The most famous card of Gordie is probably his RC. One that doesn’t get the recognition is this one, which is his second card (1952-53). It uses a slightly more visible version of the same picture but has the added benefit of a wordy back and more complete stats.
I lucked into this one years ago. Somebody’s sniper program must have had a glitch. It’s in fantastic shape and the final bid can’t have made anyone very happy – anyone other than me, that is.
You could get a sense of how important a player was by the amount of text Parkhurst crammed into the back. Gordie and the Rocket got the most.
From Gordie’s later career, this is a card that I’ve always been fond of that you don’t see all that often. It’s just a posed shot like so many WHA cards were, but I like it all the same. Gordie was still in peak form, scoring 100 points per season or thereabouts and being centered by his son. Unthinkable, really.
Happy birthday, big guy, and continued health and associated good things.
Diamond Cuts and Wax Stains 