FOCUS ON PHILATELY: Last stamps of hockey series feature yet another Ukrainian (03/06/05)

FOCUS ON PHILATELY

by Ingert Kuzych

Last stamps of hockey series feature yet another Ukrainian

For the last five years Canada Post has been issuing National Hockey League All-Star stamps, and every year but one included a player of Ukrainian background. This year's release of six stamps was announced as being the last of the series, but once again a Ukrainian Canadian is featured.

The NHL players honored are goaltender Grant Fuhr, defensemen Allan Stanley and Pierre Pilote, and forwards Henri Richard, Bryan Trottier and Johnny Bucyk. Mr. Bucyk, who went by the nickname of "Chief" because of his swarthy complexion, was no Native American, but was of pure Ukrainian extraction.

Ironically, the stamps could not be unveiled at an NHL game this year, as was the practice each of the past five seasons. Team owners and players could not reach an agreement in an ongoing labor dispute and the 2004-2005 season has been canceled - the first time ever an entire season of a major professional sport has been suspended in North America.

This is the third consecutive year that stamps were issued in both a self-adhesive booklet (Figure 1) or as part of a gummed souvenir sheet (Figure 2). Stamps from the first three issues were released as souvenir sheets only. Quebec native Stephane Huot, who designed four of the five previous sets of NHL All-Stars stamps, once again designed this year's issue. The stamp designs show the players in action inside what look like hockey puck frames. The labels attached to the souvenir sheet versions show head-and-shoulder portraits of the players in front of a star-shaped background.

The previous players of Ukrainian background who appeared in this series were Wayne Gretzky (2000), Terry Sawchuk (2001), Mike Bossy (2003; in two formats, self-adhesive and gummed) and Johnny Bower (2004; two formats). Since the Bucyk stamp is also in two formats, the total number of collectible stamps with Ukrainian connections comes to eight.

About Johnny Bucyk

Johnny Bucyk was born in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1935, and that is where he played his minor league hockey with the Edmonton Flyers. In 1953 he first played on a line with two fellow Ukrainians, Bronco Horvath and Vic Stasiuk. Horvath was the trigger man at center, while the other two scored from the wings. They played well enough to move up to the NHL: Stasiuk was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, and that is where Bucyk ended up as well. Horvath went to the New York Rangers.

Lynn Patrick, coach of the Boston Bruins, remembered how well the line played together and through various trades reunited the trio for his club by 1957. It was Boston sports writer Leo Monahan who picked up the fact that all three forwards were of Ukrainian origin and coined a name for the unit of the "Uke Line." It would become one of the most famous scoring lines in NHL history (Figure 3).

The masterful chemistry of the line was based on the fact that they were able to - at least initially - spend so much time together working on their game. According to Bucyk, "One of the big elements in our success could be attributed to the fact that when we first started playing in Boston, we all lived together in a place we rented from Pat Egan; we ate together, drove to the rink together, and that gave us the opportunity to discuss whatever we were doing wrong, particularly just after a game."

"During some games, we would even come off the ice arguing what we were doing right or wrong. That was the key: being able to talk to one another, and that not only went for the Uke Line but for the entire Boston Bruins team," Bucyk noted.

Throughout the four years they played together as a unit with the Bruins from 1957 to 1961, the Uke Line was responsible for scoring more than 270 goals. This was in the pre-expansion days of the NHL, when defenses ruled and goal scoring was at a premium. But Johnny Bucyk's big frame helped him get around (or through) the toughest of defensemen. At 6 feet and 215 pounds, he was the biggest left-winger in the game during his era.

Both Horvath and Stasiuk went on to play for other clubs, but Bucyk remained with the Bruins, where he improved with age. After years in the doldrums, eventually the Bruins also improved. In 1970 they won the Stanley Cup championship. In 1971 the team had a phenomenal year, rewriting the record books; incredibly, they were upset in the playoffs. That was also Bucyk's best year ever, as he scored 51 goals and contributed 65 assists (his previous highs had been 31 goals and 42 assists). At age 35 he was the oldest man in NHL history to score 50 goals.

In 1972 the Bruins would atone for their loss of the previous year by winning the Stanley Cup again. In 1975 Bucyk became the seventh man in NHL history to score 500 goals. He retired in 1978 with 556 career goals and 813 assists, having played for 23 years in the league - 21 with the Bruins. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981. The Hockey News, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration in 1997-1998, selected the top 50 NHL players of all time. Johnny Bucyk came in 45th on the list.

About the stamps

The 50-cent NHL All-Stars stamps and souvenir sheets were printed by the Canadian Bank Note Co. by offset lithography. The self-adhesives are six-color, the souvenir sheet seven-color. Both the souvenir sheet and booklet panel contain six stamps. The quantity for the souvenir sheet stamps is 2,215,200, while the total for the self-adhesive stamps is 3.3 million. Appropriately, first day ceremonies took place in Edmonton (Bucyk's hometown) on January 29. Three official first day covers - each bearing two of the six stamps - were prepared for the occasion (Figure 4).

Booklets, souvenir sheets and first day covers may all be ordered from Canada Post Corp. through their toll-free telephone number, 1-800-565-4362, or online at www.canadapost.ca.

References

l. Hollander, Zander. "The Complete Encyclopedia of Hockey" (fourth edition). Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 1993.

2. Miller, Rick. "Final NHL ALL-Star Stamps Showcase Six Living Greats." Linn's Stamp News, Vol. 78, No. 3979 (January 31): 1, 44, 45.

3. "NHL All Stars." Canada's Stamp Details. Vol. 14, No. 1 (January-March 2005):16-19.

4. Tatomyr, George. "Beyond the Uke Line." Trenton, Ontario: City Print, 1992.

5. "The Top 50 NHL Players of All Time." Toronto: The Hockey News, 1998.

Ingert Kuzych may be contacted at P.O. Box 3, Springfield, VA 22150 or at his e-mail address: ingert@starpower.net.

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