Bad Wax

Player: Bernie Parent

Position: Goalie

Set: 1968-69 Bernie Parent

Card Number: 89

Why is These Cards are Must Have?: Since my wife and I have really been getting into hockey lately, we decided to start a definitive collection list for hockey cards.  I decided to start with the 1968-69 set simply because pre – 1968-69 the card prices stretch into the stratosphere.  The Bernie Parent card is a must have because he may be one of the best goalies of All Time.  You would never know that from his statistics, simply becaue he played for some of the worst teams in hockey.  All that aside, he won 2  Vezina Trophies (best goalie in regular season) and 2 Conn Smythe Trophies (Stanley Cup MVP).  His career 2.55 goals against average (GAA) is amazing considering the teams he played with.  He had his best seasons between 1972 and 1975, where he started 204 of a possible 234 games for the Philadelphia Flyers.  He brought them two Stanley Cups in that time and won nearly 125 games for them in that stretch, including an amazing 1.89 GAA season in 1973 – 74.  Even though his stats weren’t as lofty as some of the other Hall of Fame goalies, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 simply because without him on those bad teams they would have lost by a much wider margin each game.  Hockey is one of the few sports that take a player’s team situation into account when deciding on Hall of Fame entry. His amazing popularity also helped him with his case.

On a Scale of 1 to 10, How Must Have Are These Cards?: An 8, perhaps a top 15 goalie all time, you’ll have to pay the “goalie premium” associated with some of the older goalies, his card is not as desirable as say a Roy or Esposito, but it’s definitely a tough find and very deservedly on this list. You can find these cards for about $100 for the O-Pee-Chee version or roughly  $50 for the Topps version on eBay (more if graded).