Their position is perfectly understandable. It is a controversial subject at the best of times, but there have been a few occasions in the past where fisticuffs, or the aftermath thereof, have been immortalized on cardboard.
While I could probably fill a book with my own experiences in helping build the Tough Customers and Enforcers releases produced in years past by In The Game, I want to instead talk about one of the greatest hockey cards ever made.
At the suggestion of one of my oldest and friends in the hobby, John Pichette, it was only natural to pay tribute to the 1973-74 card of Phil Roberto. The first full-fledged fight shown on a hockey card, it is the product of an era where licensing and approvals were not as rigid and there is so much to appreciate about this 2.5" x 3.5" piece of cardboard.
First off, astute hockey fans will instantly notice that Roberto's opponent is none other than Hockey Hall of Famer and New York Islanders icon Billy Smith. That fact alone puts this card in a lofty spot in the hockey card collecting community, and with a little bit of research, a story can be discovered.
While this card was covered in Ken Reid's excellent book, Hockey Card Stories, with perspective from Roberto himself, there are some more details about the incident that can be shared. The moment itself was immortalized by photographer Lewis Portnoy, who shot out of St. Louis throughout the 1970s and early 80s. He also shot a few other cards in the set, but strangely, his work was not used much on hockey cards (if at all) beyond that until the past decade or so. Even still, his collection is something that should appear more on cards as it currently resides at the Hockey Hall of Fame waiting to be explored fully.
Getting back to the exact moment, I decided to try to figure it out a few years ago while working on my book, Changing The Game: A History of NHL Expansion. Knowing that the photo was taken during the disastrous first season for the Isles, I then examined box scores to determine if there were any games between them and the Blues in St. Louis where Smith or Roberto were assessed a major penalty.
It did not take long to figure this out thanks to the Hockey Summary Project.
The game took place on March 10, 1973 as the Islanders were mired in what became a six-game losing streak. With a rag-tag roster that lost a lot of potential talent to the debuting World Hockey Association, the Islanders were not setting the league on fire. However, with original Blues member Craig Cameron opening the scoring at the 1:49 mark of the first period, they were a little feisty that night.
At 4:34 of the opening stanza, things went a bit crazy as Roberto and Smith dropped the gloves. Portnoy got his shot and the photo editor for Topps eventually selected it for use on a card a few months later. Needless to say, it was something that was not to be repeated again. Sure, you will see a few post-fight shots once in a while in the sets that have come out over the past 45 seasons, but this is something truly unique and worthy of the praise it receive. It's Old Time Hockey at its finest and card collectors know it.
As for the game itself, the Islanders jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second (Dave Hudson), but the Blues tied it up before the siren rang out. Who scored those goals? Roberto, of course!
Once the puck dropped in the third, the Blues pulled away with goals by Pierre Plante, Chris Evans, and Garry Unger. In the late stages, the Isles tried to rally with tallies from Bryan Lefley and Ralph Stewart, but it was not enough to even force a tie.
While the O-Pee-Chee card shown above has distinct red borders that chip easily, the Topps version has green borders instead. Additionally, nitpickers who love getting every variation of a vintage card will know that this O-Pee-Chee set can be found with light or dark backs.
When I first got into collecting I sought this card out. Best 1 dollar purchase I ever made!
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