The Mount Rushmore of Hockey Cards

In 2015, PSA started putting together The Mount Rushmore of Cards for each segment of the hobby. These are not necessarily the four most valuable or scarcest cards, these are the cards that best represent the hobby as a whole. It is a combination of their overall importance and the symbolic power of the card image itself. From left to right, the prestigious side of the mountain starts with the most iconic prewar hockey card in the hobby – the 1911 C55 Georges Vezina. Vezina set the standard for goaltending excellence and this early tobacco card is as tough as they come in high-grade. Next up is easily one of the best-looking trading cards ever designed, in any sport – the 1954 Topps Gordie Howe. Part of the first hockey effort from Topps, this card contains brilliant color and fantastic artwork. In the third slot we have the rookie card of one of the most beloved players in the sport’s history – the 1966 Topps Bobby Orr. The brown-colored borders surround the image of this young Boston legend. Finally, the mountain wouldn’t be complete without the debut issue of The Great One – the 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky. It is hard to imagine anyone coming along and surpassing the standard set by the greatest of them all. While Gretzky also has a Topps rookie, the O-Pee-Chee is clearly the tougher and more desirable of the two. This is PSA’s Mount Rushmore of Hockey Cards. To read more about this set click here.