Vancouver’s Pain: The 1984-85 Cam Neely Rookie Card
Filed Under (Cards, NHL) by admin on 13-01-2009
Tagged Under : Cam Neely, Hockey Cards

It is the only rookie card presently in existence where a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame is wearing a Vancouver Canucks uniform, yet it serves as a painful reminder to Canucks fans of a trade that is (perhaps unfairly) regarded as one of the most lopsided in league history.

While the trade did result in Vancouver losing an undeveloped player who would go on to become one of the grittiest players in league history and one of the remarkably few to ever score 50 goals in 50 games, it is largely forgotten that the player the Canucks got in return (Barry Pederson) had recently enjoyed two 100-point seasons with the Boston Bruins.
Even in his Bruins career, Neely never reached this mark, though perpetual injuries were largely to blame. An additional burn to the Canucks was that they threw their 1st Round (3rd overall) draft pick into the deal, which ultimately materialized into Glen Wesley, who would play over 1400 NHL games.
In three years with the Canucks, after being drafted 9th overall, Neely never topped 21 goals or 39 points. The management decided to go in a different direction, acquiring some proven scoring, and almost immediately upon arriving in Boston, Cam Neely helped lead the Bruins to two Stanley Cup finals in 1988 and 1990.
Neely also won the Bill Masterton Trophy for his perseverance and dedication to hockey, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005.
The 1984-85 production run of O-Pee-Chee and Topps hockey cards is actually one of the more aesthetically pleasing sets, with some creativity and workmanship evident in the design. This set is not only pleasing to the eye but includes the rookie cards of several future greats, including Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings), Pat LaFontaine (New York Islanders), Pat Verbeek (New Jersey Devils), Doug Gilmour (St. Louis Blues), Chris Chelios (Montreal Canadiens), and both Dave Andreychuk and Tom Barrasso (Buffalo Sabres).
