Finally, putting a timeline to the 1979 O-Pee-Chee Hockey print run using player trade dates, card images and events as markers
Working out the timeline for the print run is made harder with no variations to delineate a print run from updates, in that there is only one version of every 1979 OPC card. If we could map variations, then we’d really have something. So, the only empirical knowledge we have are trade dates and how they are reflected in the card design, a distinction not shared in the Topps version.
Methodology
The approach to determining the timeline was simple; record when every trade occurred (for a player with a card) and compare the trade to the cards to see if any there are any differences, thinking that the timeline might reveal itself when I came to the point when trade statements weren’t being added to the card design. This finally did happen on November 2nd, 1979 – the three trades between the Rockies and the Rangers consisting of Barry Beck, Pat Hickey and Mike McEwen – each card updated with a traded statement. But the players with cards in the next trade, on November 13, 1979 between the Blues and the Penguins – Bob Stewart for Blair Chapman – had no traded statements, each in their old uniform on their old team’s card. Bingo.
Observations
As the table below reveals, the distinct periods of time in 1979 / 80 in which each status dominates also reveals that they didn’t pay attention to certain player’s cards. In going back a few years, the series includes a number of players who enjoyed a number of seasons in the NHL throughout the mid-late 70’s, but who’s image was still pulled from the WHA or CHL archives rather than send a photographer out to take a new picture. Also interesting to note is that the last trades made and recorded with the correct layout and wearing the correct jersey on the correct card are Wayne Dillon and Barry Melrose, traded to the Jets and pictured playing at home in Winnipeg against Boston. According to their schedule that year, they played Boston twice in 1979, once in each city, and the home game was on Friday, October 26, 1979, which was when this picture must have been taken. This was also the last weekend before the suggested print run period. Since no other players with cards are reflected in their correct jerseys after this date, this was the last picture taken for the set. Other than images of players from Expansion teams (which consists mostly of images from ’75 – ’78 seasons), a disproportionate number of images were taken when teams were hosting the Washington Capitals.
Assumptions
Some assumptions do have to be made for all of this to be an accurate measuring stick, and one is that, at no time was there a substantive decision made to move forward with the print-run when O-Pee-Chee had knowledge of a trade and decided not to record it. If so, the only time that would make sense would be in the last few weeks of November when they might have been trying to rush to the holiday market and a few other trades came through that they chose to ignore. There were fourteen trades (of players who have cards) between the suggested timeline and the end of the year. It stands to reason that OPC would have been aware of end-of-year trades from simply being in the business for decades, and yet still decided to go to print, likely with the intention to fulfill a production and distribution schedule which needed to be initiated at the beginning of November to succeed.
A second print run?
When we talk about having a card from the first print-run, what we are really saying is “when the first batch of cards were printed” or “in the earliest days of the print-run”, because after comparing the cards to the trade schedule, there is no clear evidence of the company doing anything to the series after November 13, 1979.
“In 1974 Topps changed its release strategy. No longer were cards released in series, but all at once. From 1974 until 1992, Topps would release brands in this fashion, with two small exceptions in 1974 and 1976, when Topps issued its first traded sets. Topps’ rationale for this change from multiple series to a single series is visible on an advertisement on a Topps wax box in 1974, which explains that making all cards from the set available in a pack will Keep Topps baseball exciting and selling all season long. – Artie Zillante, Chair, Professor of Economics, November 25th, 2007.
1979 NHL Trade Table
June 1978 – November 1980
A timeline table of players who were traded and also had a card in the 1979 / 80 OPC series
LEGEND: New Card / New Photo | New Card / Old Photo | Old Card | TIMELINE EVENT
June 15th, 1978
OPC ONLY
Bob Stewart
North Stars > Blues
June 16th, 1978
OPC ONLY
Thomas Gradin
Black Hawks > Canucks
August 8th, 1978
OPC ONLY
Bob L. Murdoch
Minnesota > Blues
(’78 Cleveland Barons jersey, NHL Rookie Card, CHL since ’71, 54 games with Blues, returned to CHL until ’80)
TOPPS: Kings card
Dale McCourt
Detroit > LA
** ACTUAL TRADE DATE **
Awarded as compensation to LA for signing restricted free agent Rogie Vachon by Detroit
October 5th, 1978
OPC ONLY
Walt McKechnie
North Stars > Maple Leafs
October 9th, 1978
OPC ONLY
Pierre Bouchard
Montreal > Washington
(claimed from Montreal in ’78 Waiver Draft, NHL voided trade and he retired in protest, later joined Capitals March 16, ’79)
November 9, 1978
Photo taken for the Gretzky rookie card, Springfield Mass., against the New England Whalers at the Springfield Civic Center. The Bruins photographer Steve Babineau was there to get a shot of Gordie, but a number of images came from that night; basically anyone in the series wearing a WHA Whalers jersey.
December 29th, 1978
TOPPS: Same card
Dennis Ververgaert
Canucks > Flyers
OPC ONLY
Kevin McCarthy
Flyers > Canucks
January 16, 1979
TOPPS: Same card
Richard Mulhern
Flames > Kings
TOPPS: Same card
Bob J. Murdoch #276
Kings > Flames
March 12th, 1979
OPC ONLY
Jocelyn Guevremont
Sabres > Rangers
(’78 Sabres jersey)
May 24th, 1979
OPC ONLY
Curt Bennett
Blues > Flames
June 7th, 1979
TOPPS: Same card
Phil Myre
Blues > Flyers
TOPPS: Same card
Blake Dunlop
Flyers > Blues
June 9th, 1979
OPC ONLY
Barry Gibbs
Blues > Islanders > Kings
OPC ONLY
Terry Richardson
Blues > Islanders
(another trade to come)
June 13th, 1979
OPC ONLY
Don Kozak
Canucks > Hartford > Springfield
(from expansion)
June 14th, 1979
OPC ONLY
Terry Richardson
Islanders > Whalers
The NHL Expansion (WHA Merger)
Friday, June 22nd, 1979
For a complete list of the players introduced / claimed back, please see Wikipedia
TOPPS: Blackhawks card
Bobby Hull
Left Chicago to play for the Jets from the WHA start to finish; jersey airbrushed to look like he came from Chicago. The Topps version has Hull on a Blackhawks card in a “Chicago” jersey. (more)
OPC ONLY
J. Bob Kelly
Edmonton acquires J. Bob Kelly from Chicago, but OPC uses the Flyers’ Bob Kelly image, so right new team, wrong image. J. Bob Kelly added the “J” to try to differentiate himself, but this card is proof this didn’t work. See how this card should have looked.
OPC ONLY
Dave Semenko
Minesota > Oilers
(correct card)
Reclaimed by Minnesota from Edmonton, traded back to Edmonton Aug. 9. Why is this card the only player from the expansion with the correct card layout?
OPC ONLY
Ron Plumb
Wasn’t traded, stayed with Whalers from WHA to NHL (rookie card), his only NHL season, shown in his ’75 San Diego Mariners jersey. Plumb had three years after ’75 with Cincinnati they could have used.
OPC ONLY
Roland Eriksson
Minnesota ’76-’78, June 7, ’78 signed as free agent by Vancouver for 35 games, January ’79 signed as free agent by Winnipeg (WHA) for 33 games, September 27, 1979 moved to Sweden for their entire season. Never played for Winnipeg in the NHL.
The Topps Print Run
June 25th – August 9th, 1979
This marks the last date when a Topps card was updated.
June 28th, 1979
OPC ONLY
Barry Melrose
Nordiques > Jets
(photo: Oct. 26, 1979)
OPC ONLY
Jamie Hislop
Jets > Nordiques
July 2nd, 1979
OPC ONLY
Bill Lochead
Rockies > Rangers
July 9th, 1979
TOPPS: no statement
Ken Dryden
(retires)
July 25th, 1979
OPC ONLY
Wayne Dillon
Rangers > Jets
(photo: Oct. 26 1979)
August 1st, 1979
TOPPS: Nordiques card
Richard Brodeur
Nordiques > Islanders
August 3rd, 1979
TOPPS: Pittsburgh card
Pete Mahovlich
Penguins > Detroit
TOPPS: Detroit card
Nick Libett
Detroit > Penguins
August 9th, 1979
OPC ONLY
Dave Semenko
North Stars > Oilers
(the last correct card, ’78 Oilers jersey)
The NHL Entry Draft
Thursday, August 9, 1979
The NHL selected 126 players for entry, to be conducted after the NHL-WHA merger. The four WHA teams had joined the NHL on the condition that they be placed at the bottom of the draft order, as opposed to the top of the order, the usual for expansion teams. Also, the minimum draft age was lowered from 20 to 18 to coincide with the merger causing three years of draft picks in the same draft resulting in the best draft classes in history.
No player drafted has a hockey card in the ’79 OPC series. Perhaps Topps had already assembled the layout for the sheets and gone to print. If so then the timeline for the Topps print run predates August 9th, 1979.
August 16th, 1979
TOPPS: Flyers card
Wayne Stephenson
Flyers > Capitals
August 22nd, 1979
TOPPS: Kings card
Dale McCourt
Wings > Kings > Wings
** COURT CASE RESOLUTION DATE ** McCourt got a temporary restraining order on Sept. 18, ’78 allowing him to stay with the Red Wings until the case was resolved until this day, August 22nd, 1979. He never played for LA, Topps airbrushed a Kings uniform when the initial trade took place August 8th, ’78 and went to print, all OPC could do was update with a statement at this time.
TOPPS: Detroit card
Andre St. Laurent
Red Wings > Kings
August 30, 1979
TOPPS: Canadians card
Pat Hughes
Canadiens > Penguins
Discover the printing error that contaminated numerous Gretzky rookie cards
TOPPS: Pittsburgh card
Denis Herron
Penguins > Canadiens
October 5th, 1979
TOPPS: Sabres card
Rene Robert
Sabres > Rockies
TOPPS: Rockies card
John Van Boxmeer
Rockies > Sabres
October 10th, 1979
OPC ONLY
Don Laurence
Flames > Blues
OPC ONLY
Ed Kea
Flames > Blues
TOPPS: Blues card
Garry Unger
Blues > Flames
(rights only)
October 23rd, 1979
OPC ONLY
Bobby Lalonde
Flames > Bruins
October 26th, 1979
Date of the last photos taken for the print run: Game between Jets (3) v. Bruins (2). For the Jet’s Melrose / Dillon cards to be the correct layout, the print run must have happened after this date.
Winnipeg Arena
October 30th, 1979
TOPPS: Detroit card
Greg Carroll
Detroit > Whalers
(Free Agent Released July ’80; 6 games with Springfield, 71 with Hartford ’79-’80)
November 2nd, 1979
TOPPS: Rockies card
Barry Beck
Rockies > Rangers
TOPPS: Rangers card
Pat Hickey
Rangers > Rockies
TOPPS: Rangers card
Mike McEwen
Rangers > Rockies
The O-Pee-Chee Print Run
Saturday, November 3rd – Monday November 12th, 1979
The point where trades are no longer being recorded
November 13th, 1979
Bob Stewart
Blues > Penguins
Blair Chapman
Penguins > Blues
December 7th, 1979
Gord Lane
Capitals > Islanders
Mike Kaszycki
Islanders > Capitals
December 10th, 1979
Bobby Schmautz
Bruins > Oilers
Per-Olov Brasar
North Stars > Canucks
December 13th, 1979
Dave Farrish
Nordiques > Maple Leafs
December 21st, 1979
Ron Sedlbauer
Canucks > Black Hawks
Harold Phillipoff
Black Hawks > Canucks
December 27th, 1979
Pat Boutette
Toronto > Whalers
(no statement – image taken either December 30, ’78 or March 28, ’79; standing next to Tom Rowe in a ’78-’79 Capitals jersey)
Bob Stephenson
Whalers > Toronto
December 30th, 1979
Joel Quenneville
Toronto > Rockies
Lanny McDonald
Toronto > Rockies
(no statement – image taken either December 30, ’78 or March 28, ’79)
January 2nd, 1980
Jack McIlhargey
Canucks > Flyers
January 4th, 1980
Kris Manery
Minnesota > Canucks
There are 34 additional trades between January 4th and the end of August, ’80, which is when Topps would have gone to print for their 1980-81 series. None of the following trades have updated cards in the ’79 OPC run.
January 10th, 1980: Dave Hutchison Toronto > Chicago (toronto card), Pat Ribble Chicago > Toronto (chicago card)
January 17th, 1980: Alan Hangsleben Whalers > Capitals (whalers card) Tom Rowe Capitals > Whalers (capitals card)
February 8th, 1980: Ivan Boldirev Flames > Canucks (flames card) Darcy Rota Flames > Canucks (flames card) Don Lever Canucks > Flames (canucks card) Brad Smith (no card)
February 10th, 1980: Richard Mulhern off waiver from LA > Toronto (LA card)
February 16th, 1980: Pat Ribble Toronto > Capitals (chicago card) Mike Kaszycki Capitals > Toronto (islanders card)
February 18th, 1980: Tiger Williams Toronto > Canucks (toronto card) Jerry Butler Toronto > Canucks (toronto card)
February 25th, 1980: Bobby Schmautz Oilers > Colorado (still bruins card)
February 27th, 1980: Bobby Hull Jets > Whalers (jets card, “Chicago” Jersey)
March 3rd, 1980: Walt McKechnie Toronto > Rockies (toronto card)
March 10th, 1980: Jerry Korab Buffalo > LA (buffalo card) Butch Goring LA > Islanders (LA card) Bill Harris Islanders > LA (islanders card) Bill Harris Islanders > LA (islanders card)
March 11th, 1980: Don Murdoch Rangers > Oilers (rangers card) Cam Connor Oilers > Rangers (oilers card) Ron Low Oilers > Quebec (Quebec card, capitals jersey)
June 6th, 1980: Randy Holt LA > Flames (no card but in penalty minutes card) Garry Unger Flames > LA (flames card blues jersey)
June 10th, 1980: Dave Shand Flames > Toronto (flames card)
June 11th, 1980: Barry Dean Flyers > Oilers (flyers card) Mike Palmateer Toronto > Capitals (toronto card) Robert Picard Capitals > Toronto (capitals card)
July 1st, 1980: Jean Pronovost Flames > Capitals (flames card)
July 15th, 1980: Gilles Gilbert Bruins > Detroit (bruins card) Rogatien Vachon Detroit > Boston (detroit card)
August 6th, 1980: Gord Smith Jets > Rangers (jets card)
August 21, 1980: J.Bob Kelly Flyers > Capitals (Photo Actually Bob Kelly, wrong team)
TOPPS PRINT RUN
September 4th, 1980: Al Smith Whalers > Rockies (whalers card)
September 15th, 1980: Andre Dupont Flyers > Quebec (flyers card)
October 6th, 1980: Richard Brodeur Islanders > Canucks (islanders card, “Chicago” jersey)
October 30th, 1980: Bill Stewart Buffalo > Blues (buffalo card)
November 11th, 1980: Jere Gillis Canucks > Rangers (canucks card)
November 21st, 1980: Jack McIlhargey Flyers > Hartford (still canucks card)