WHA Inaugural Year - Los Angeles Sharks

The WHA, or World Hockey Association began with the 1972-73 season with twelve teams. One of them being the Los Angeles Sharks.

The Sharks would play two seasons in L.A. before moving to Detroit for the 74/75 season as the Michigan Stags. Unable to compete with the Red Wings, they once again moved, this time mid season on January 18, 1975 to Baltimore to play as the Blades.

They franchise would fold at the end of the season.

But at the very beginning, not unlike every Maple Leaf season, the franchise was full of hope. Excitement.

Look at these happy, smiling faces.

What we have here is an original 8x10 Los Angeles Sharks team press photo. My scanner cut off a bit on the right side, but all the info is there.

I picked up this little beauty at our annual gimungo card show last weekend. Okay, it wasn't THAT gimungo, but everything is relevant.
I oogled it all weekend, and at the close of the show late Sunday, I pounced.
Okay, not so much as pounced as pleaded for a better price. But it worked. (obviously)

Keeping the WHA history alive... one little bit at a time.

(Oh, isn't it odd that the 1972 Sharks had better uniforms than the 2016 San Jose Sharks?)

Uniform Greatness... or is it? You decide...

okay, so we all saw the epic greatness that is the Ryan Miller card is his throwback jersey.

today we have Take Two.

Jonathan Quick, early 80's style.

our dear friend, the globe trotting bamlinden declared of the Miller, too bad it's not an action shot, he's just coming off of the bench.

Fine.

Miller Pros
- awesome uni
- colour matched pads
- custom mask

Miller Cons
- not an action shot, stepping onto the ice

Quick Pros
- awesome uni
-action shot

Quick Cons
- same old pads and mask, not matching
-perhaps cropped too closely


What say you? Which is the greater card? The poll is to your right. You know what to do.

Pic of the 2015-16 season

This.
Is.
Awesome.

One of my faves... #16 All Time..... Willi Plett.

Willi Plett was always one of my favourites. I never really saw him play. (if I did I don't remember) But I'll always remember him for this.

His 1977-78 rookie card. This is the Topps version, I of course, had the OPC. But the pic is the same. It comes from a time when no one knew what rookie cards were. And if we did, no one wanted them. It was the stars and your favourite players that everyone wanted. But I liked this one because it was different. He's sitting in the penalty box.

Appropriate for someone from this project, no?

Willi played from 1975 to 1988. Mostly for the Flames (Atlanta and Calgary) and the North Stars.
He won the Calder trophy as Rookie of the Year in 1976 scoring 33 goals and 23 assists with 123 PIMs.
His best year was his first with Calgary after the franchise relocation. He popped 38 goals and 30 assists with 239 PIMs.
BooYeah!

Willi finished his career with 834 games played, 222 goals, 215 assists and 2572 PIMs.

Here he KO's Dave Schultz , gives Bob Probert more than he could handle, and, my personal favourite, puts the beat down on Terry O'Reilly. Among others....



Random facts no one may care about.....
- If memory serves me well... Willi was the first NHL'er born in Paraguay.
- If you like, you can find cards of Willi in a current hockey card set. Recently released SP Authentic has insert cards, autograph cards, and autographed patch cards of Willi.
I need to get me some of that....



1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16. Willi Plett -2572
17.
18.
19. Gary Roberts - 2560
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35. Dave "The Hammer" Schultz - 2294
36.
37. Brad May - 2248
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

#37 All Time..... Brad May

Brad May played with seven teams over 18 seasons in the NHL. That's 1041 games played to you and me.

1990/91 Score #427

 1990-91 Upper Deck $455

1041 games played
127 goals
161 assists
288 points
2248 PIMs (#37 all time)

Brad currently is a tv talking head for the Buffalo Sabres, and Sportsnet in Canada when they get desperate.
Brad may be best known as the player that allegedly put the bounty on Steve Moore that allegedly led to the Todd Bertuzzi incident.

Brad won the Stanley Cup while with Anaheim in 2007.





but then there is always this......................





Now some of the more keen readers may have noticed that there was not one, but two cards posted up top. A Score portrait shot with the great smile and tremendous mullet, and an Upper Deck card with May busting down the ice for Team Canada sans helmet on his way to a gold medal at the 1990 World Junior Championships.

We're going to run into this from time to time in our journey. And this is where you get to chime in your two cents. (and I find out who actually reads to the bottom)
We're going to vote.
Which card should make it into my Top 50 of All Time binder?
Score? or Upper Deck?

The voting thingie is on the right sidebar near the top. Sound off in the comments below to try and sway others to your side.


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19. Gary Roberts - 2560
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35. Dave "The Hammer" Schultz - 2294
36.
37. Brad May - 2248
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

#19 All Time.... Gary Roberts

Yes. Gary Roberts. Not exactly known as a goon. Or even a tough guy. But I guess if you last 21 seasons with six teams, your stats start to add up.

1989-90 OPC #202

1224 games played
438 goals
472 assists
910 points
2560 PIMS (19th all time)

Gary is now known as the go to guy for NHL fitness training. Many of the league's best study under him in the offseason to maintain or better their fitness levels. Apparently dropping the gloves is NOT part of it.

Although maybe it should be.








1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19. Gary Roberts - 2560
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35. Dave "The Hammer" Schultz - 2294
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

#35 All Time... Dave "The Hammer" Schultz

the beginning of a new project for me starts now. I'm going to collect the rookie cards from the top 50 All Time NHL Penalty Minute Leaders. And if that ain't enough, I'm going for an auto and a relic card from each of them as well.
The autographs should be easy enough I think. The relic cards just may not be possible. I'll find out when I build my 'official' checklist.

But let's start with arguably the most famous of them all. Most people just know him as "The Hammer".


1973-74 OPC #166

Hard to believe but Mr. Schultz is only #35 on the list with 2294 PIMs.

But that is in only 535 games played. He also tallied 79 goals and 121 assists for 200 points.



1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35. Dave "The Hammer" Schultz - 2294
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.