Bert Olmstead 1961-62 Parkhurst #4

Bert Olmstead quietly got his name on the Stanley Cup five times and found his way into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. The man who retired from the game rather than play for the New York Rangers, became the first ever coach of the Oakland Seals when the NHL expanded to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season.

Bert Olmstead - 1961-62 Parkhurst #4

The 1961-62 Parkhurst card was the second last hockey card produced of Bert during his playing career, in his last season in the National Hockey League. He appeared on number 57 of the 1962-63 Topps set as a member of the New York Rangers, although he never played a game with New York and retired before the season started.

The 1961-62 card is valued as a common card. Olmstead’s 1951-52 Parkhurst rookie card has a book value of $125. The 1961-62 Parkhurst hockey card celebrates the 1960-61 season when Bert scored 18 goals and assisted on 34 for 52 points over 67 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Olmstead was fourth on the team for points.

Bert Olmstead - NHL Player

Olmstead played in the National Hockey League from 1948-49 to 1961-62 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Over his career, Bert played 848 regular season games, scoring 181 goals and assisting on 421 for 602 points. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, he played an additional 115 games, adding 59 points.

Bert’s first full season came in 1949-50 with the Blackhawks. He played the full 70 game schedule, scoring 20 goals and assisting on 29 for 49 points. The following year was interesting for Olmstead. On December 3, 1950, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings from Chicago. However, without playing a game for Detroit, he was traded on December 17 to the Montreal Canadiens for Leo Gravelle. This means, at some point, Olmstead was property of every Original 6 team, except for Boston, but only played for three.

Olmstead showed off his talents as a playmaker with the Canadiens in 1954-55. Over the full 70 game schedule, Bert scored just ten goals but assisted on 48 for 58 points. He led the league in assists with five more than teammate Doug Harvey. Olmstead also placed seventh in the NHL for points and seventh for penalty minutes.

The following year, the numbers increased. In 1955-56, Bert scored 14 and assisted on 56 for 70 points over 70 games. He was once again the NHL assist leader, nine ahead of Andy Bathgate of the New York Rangers. At the time, the 56 assists was a new NHL single season record. Olmstead’s 70 points placed him fourth in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind teammate Jean Beliveau, Gordie Howe of the Red Wings and teammate Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard.

In that 1955-56 season, Bert had an eight point game. The feat was a league record, tying him with Rocket Richard. The record stood until 1976 when Darryl Sittler of the Toronto Maple Leafs totalled ten points in a game against the Boston Bruins.

Olmstead won four Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens, 1952-53, 1955-56, 1956-57 and 1957-58. He also won a Stanley Cup championship in his final year as a player, 1961-62. In 1985, Bert Olmstead was finally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Bert Olmstead – Head Coach 

Olmstead had a short three year career in coaching. In 1965-66 and 1966-67, he was head coach of the Vancouver Canucks of the WHL. In 1967-68, Bert was the first ever coach of the Oakland Seals in the NHL.

In 1965-66, the Canucks placed third in the six team Western Hockey League. In the playoffs, Vancouver lost the opening round in seven games to the Portland Buckaroos. In spite of the loss, the Canucks outscored the Buckaroos 28-27 on the series.

The following year, Vancouver placed third in the now seven team league. The Canucks reached the WHL finals before being swept in four games by the Seattle Totems.

His year as a head coach in the National Hockey League lasted 64 games. With the team winning just eleven games and totalling 47 points under his leadership, Olmstead resigned.