1977-78 Topps Wayne Thomas

I'm hoping to make this blog a little more relevant in 2015 with posts a little more often than once a month.  What I want to do is just grab a card that I have in my sights, and do a quick little post.

Do the backup goalies skate on the ice with a towel wrapped around their necks anymore?  Just seeing this brought me back to the days when I first started following hockey back in the mid 70's.

Flipping to the back....

I see that Wayne earned the Molson Cup for the Habs in 73-74, and played 42 games in net.  Then I think, wasn't Ken Dryden part of that club?  It appears that Wayne was the beneficiary of Ken Dryden's holdout for a better contract.  The next season, Wayne would sit on the sidelines for the entire season while Dryden and Bunny Larocque shared the goaltending duties. 

The Leafs gave up a first round draft pick to acquire Thomas so he could play a grand total of two seasons for the Leafs.  Wayne wound up losing the starting job to Mike Palmateer in 76-77.

Wayne wound up being waived at the beginning of the 77-78 season and was claimed by the Rangers, where he would play for 4 more seasons before retiring. 

Wayne is now a VP and assistant GM of the San Jose Sharks, 2nd in command to long time GM Doug Wilson.