The Blackhawks currently have a 2-0 lead in their 2nd round Stanley Cup series against the team from Minnesota, known as the Wild. With no offense to their fans when I think Minnesota hockey I still picture the North Stars. The North Stars first season was 1967-68 but their first cards were the ones below, 1968-69. With the exception of Claude Larose, who was, like Danny Grant, pictured as a Canadien, this is a complete team set. While certainly far from "pack fresh" I did pull these cards from packs over 45 years ago.
The great thing about these cards is the Stars jerseys you see were all a prototype. They wore them only in preseason games. The logo changed when they player their first official game.
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And the NHL, if they had any brains, would do a Heritage Game between the Wild and the Dallas Stars.
Awesome cards! I too still think of the North Stars whenever I hear Minnesota.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great batch of cardboard. I saw the North Stars during their last season in Minneapolis before they moved to Dallas. It was a game between the Red Wings and Stars...
ReplyDeleteExcellent cards! I smile every time I run across a North Stars card in my collection... it still doesn't seem right that a hockey team should be allowed to leave Minnesota for Texas. I love that logo, and every since I saw Denis Leary's character on "Rescue Me" wear a North Stars t-shirt, I've been thinking that I need to get my own North Stars shirt.
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