Parkhurst’s 1961-62 set consists of 51 hockey cards of players from the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings. The most valuable cards in the set belong to Gordie Howe of the Red Wings and Dave Keon of the Maple Leafs. The hockey cards of the number one goaltenders from each of the three teams are among the most valuable in the set.
Jacques Plante – Montreal Canadians
Card number 49 in Parkhurst’s 1961-62 set belongs to Jacques Plante, goalkeeper for the Montreal Canadiens. The card has a book value of $175 and is the fourth most valuable card in the set. Like all hockey cards, the 1961-62 series celebrates the achievements of the previous year. Plante led Toe Blake coached the Canadiens to a first overall finish in the six-team National Hockey League during the 1960-61 regular season.
Jacques appeared in just 40 of Montreal’s 70 regular season games, scoring an average of 2.80 goals and recording two shutouts. Plante also played eight games in the EPHL with the Montreal Royals. Backing up Plant was Charlie Hodge, who played in 30 games for the Habs.
Plante played in the NHL from 1952-53 to 1972-73. Along with the Canadiens, he also played for the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. Jacques was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978.
Terry Sawchuk – Detroit Red Wings
Card number 31 in Parkhurst’s 1961-62 set belongs to Detroit goalie Terry Sawchuk. The hockey card comes with a slightly lower book value than Jacques Plante at $125. 1960-61 was not a stellar year for Sawchuk. Playing in just 38 games, he posted a 3.23 GAA and posted two shutouts. Backing up Terry was Hank Bassen, who played 34 games, the most in any season during his sporadic NHL career.
The Red Wings, coached by Sid Abel, placed fourth in the six-team league during the regular season, barely qualifying for the postseason. However, Detroit reached the Stanley Cup Final before falling in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Terry Sawchuk played in the National Hockey League from 1949-50 to 1969-70. In addition to the Red Wings, Terry also played for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Rangers. He was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971.
Johnny Bower – Toronto Maple Leafs
Despite winning the Vezina Trophy in 1960-61, Bower’s 1961-62 Parkhurst card number 3 has a book value of just $60. In 1960-61, Johnny played 58 of Toronto’s 70 games, recording a 2.50 GAA and recording two shutouts. Because the Maple Leafs allowed the fewest goals of the six teams, Bower received the first of two career Vezina Trophies from him. Backing up Bower were Cesare Maniago and Gerry McNamara, each playing fewer than ten games.
Johnny Bower played in the NHL from 1953-54 to 1969-70 with the New York Rangers and Toronto. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.