News Releases

Need a hockey fix? Canada Post can help!

Jan. 21, 2005

While NHL arenas sit empty and Canadians pine for their favourite sport, hockey games are still being played in arenas across the country. In many Canadian towns, junior hockey teams rule the ice. As the stars of tomorrow take centre stage, Canada Post will again pay tribute to the players of yesteryear with a sixth series of stamps honouring NHL All-Stars. The stamps will be available for sale in post offices across the country on January 29, 2005.

Featured on the stamps will be goaltender Grant Fuhr, forwards Henri Richard, John Bucyk, and Bryan Trottier and defensemen Allan Stanley and Pierre Pilote. The stamps will be unveiled at the AHL Edmonton Road Runners home game (against the Grand Rapids Griffins) on Thursday, January 27th - with all six players being honoured in attendance.

The stamps will be available in both traditional gummed sheets of six as well as self-adhesive sheetlets of six, with 3.3 million sheets in each format printed. Collectors and hockey fans will also want to check out the special related product that includes signed lithographs, collector cards, coasters and a commemorative boxed set of stamps with a special puck.

The stamps were designed by Stéphane Huot of Montréal. As with the previous sets, Huot is assisted by Pierre Rousseau, a computer artist who retouched all of the portraits and added colour to some which were black and white. Consistent with the look of previous issues, this sheet consists of six stamps illustrated by François Escalmel plus six portraits of the "stars", retouched by Rousseau. The postage stamps on the left and right sides of the sheet feature action shots of the players in puck-shaped frames. The interior of the sheet has formal head-and-shoulder portraits of the players - superimposed upon star-shaped backgrounds.

Additional information about the players featured on this year's stamps and other Canadian stamps, can be found in the Newsroom section of Canada Post's website, and a downloadable high-resolution photo of the All-Stars stamps are in the Newsroom's Photo Centre. Stamps and Official First Day covers will be available at participating post offices, can be ordered online by following the links at Canada Post's website www.canadapost.ca, or by mail order from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada and the USA call toll-free: 1-800-565-4362 and from other countries call: (902) 863-6550.

CANADA POST'S 2005 NHL ALL-STAR STARTING LINE-UP…

Grant Fuhr Grant Fuhr's arrival in the NHL coincided with Edmonton's rise to power in the League. Though his goals-against averages were often high behind such an offensive-minded team, Fuhr earned a reputation as a clutch goaltender who would not surrender the big goal. He was at his best in the playoffs, helping the Oilers win the Stanley Cup in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988. Fuhr was born in Spruce Grove, Alberta, located just outside the city of Edmonton, on August 28, 1962 and played his junior hockey with the Victoria Cougars. The Edmonton Oilers made Fuhr their first pick (eighth overall) in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, and he enjoyed a stellar rookie season as a 21-year old in 1981-82. Between 1991 and 1994-95, Fuhr was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Buffalo Sabres, and Los Angeles. In the summer of 1995, he was signed by the St. Louis Blues where his career was revived. The 1995-96 season saw Fuhr set an NHL record by playing in 79 games -- 76 in a row. After four years in St. Louis, Fuhr was picked up by the Calgary Flames in 1999-2000, where he played an injury-plagued final season. He became just the sixth goalie in NHL history to win 400 regular-season games on October 22, 1999. In 2003, the first year of his eligibility, Grant Fuhr became the first black player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Allan Stanley Allan Stanley was often overlooked behind star teammates and fellow great defensemen such as Doug Harvey, Red Kelly and Tim Horton, but he played 1,244 games over a 21-year NHL career and was eventually recognized as one of the greats of the game. He was noted for his ability to anticipate the flow of the game and for rarely being caught out of position. Allan Stanley was born in Timmins, Ontario, on March 1, 1926. After his Timmins juvenile club won the All-Ontario finals in 1943, he was invited to training camp by the Boston Bruins, playing for amateur teams until he was traded to the New York Rangers (1948-49) where he played for five years. His laid-back style did not endear him to the team's fans and he was sent to the minors in 1953-54 and then traded to the Chicago Black Hawks (1954-55), and then to Boston in 1956. A knee injury late in the 1956-57 season forced him to miss Boston's run to the Stanley Cup finals (coach Milt Schmidt said losing Stanley was the main reason his team fell to the Montréal Canadiens) but Stanley was voted the Bruins' most valuable player the next season when Boston made a second unsuccessful run for the Cup against the Canadiens. The Bruins traded Stanley to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1958, where Stanley enjoyed the best years of his career, winning the Stanley Cup in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. Stanley concluded his career with the Philadelphia Flyers (1968-69) and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.

Pierre Pilote Pierre Pilote was an aggressive defenseman who could play the body and rush the puck effectively. He was also a skilled playmaker who consistently ranked among the top-scoring defensemen of his day. His 59 points on 14 goals and 45 assists in 1964-65 were an NHL record for defensemen in the pre-expansion era. Pilote was born on December 11, 1931, in Kenogami, Quebec, but his family moved to Fort Erie, Ontario, when he was young. He learned to skate as a child, but did not play his first game of organized hockey until he was 17. Pilote was a product of the Black Hawks system, and was called up to Chicago during the 1955-56 campaign and became a regular the following season. Pilote quickly became known as a tough guy who should be avoided, a reputation that was enhanced when he knocked out both Henri and Maurice Richard during the same mix-up in a game against the Montréal Canadiens. He did not miss a game for five straight seasons from 1956-57 through 1960-61. Chicago improved rapidly during this time, going from perennial last-place finishers to Stanley Cup winners in 1961. Pilote led all NHL players with 12 assists and 15 points during the 1960-61 playoffs, leading the Black Hawks to their first championship since 1938. In addition to being a key member of Chicago's Stanley Cup-winning team of 1961, Pilote also served as Black Hawks' captain until 1967-68. During most of this time, Chicago was the league's most dangerous offensive team, and though they did not win the Stanley Cup again, the Black Hawks finished in first overall in the NHL standings (for the first time in franchise history) in 1966-67. After the 1967-68 season, the Black Hawks traded their quiet superstar to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The aging veteran spent just one year in Toronto, retiring after the 1968-69 season. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.

Henri Richard Henri Richard did not possess the fiery temper of his famous older brother Maurice, but he proved to be an aggressive player who could not be intimidated despite his size. Even at a time when hockey players were much smaller than they are today, Henri Richard was smaller than most. He stood only 5'7" and weighted just 160 pounds. Many predicted he was too small to stay in the league, but he lasted 20 years and played for a record 11 Stanley Cup champions. He is the Canadiens all-time leader in games played. Born in Montréal on Leap Day, February 29, 1936, Richard enjoyed a brilliant amateur career in his hometown with the Nationales and Junior Canadiens. He joined the Montréal Canadiens in 1955-56 when his brother Maurice was at the peak of his fame and the team was about to embark on an unprecedented run of five straight Stanley Cup championships. "The Pocket Rocket" quickly became a fan favourite and established himself among the league's best offensive talents. In his third year (1957-58) Richard led the NHL with 52 assists and his 80 points ranked him second overall in scoring. Richard consistently ranked among the league's points leaders in the years that followed, scoring a career-high 30 goals in 1959-60. In addition to his offensive talent, he was also an excellent checker who was often used by the Canadiens to help kill penalties. Henri Richard continued to star with the Canadiens throughout the 1960s, winning the Stanley Cup again in 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969. By the 1970s, Richard's production had slowed, but he remained a wily veteran whose presence helped the Canadiens win Stanley Cups again in 1970-71 and 1972-73. At the end of the 1973-74 season, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for his perseverance and dedication to hockey. Richard retired after the 1974-75 season with 358 goals and 1,046 points to his credit. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 and to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Bryan Trottier Bryan Trottier was a member of six Stanley Cup champion teams during 18 seasons as a player in the NHL, winning four in a row with the New York Islanders between 1980 and 1983, and two straight with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. Trottier ended his career in 1993-94 as one of the highest-scoring players in hockey history, and as one of the best two-way centers ever to play the game. At a time when specialists were beginning to take over from the all-round player, Trottier was a throwback. He was a defensively sound centerman with the vision and instincts of a pure scorer. Trottier was born on July 17, 1956, in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, the Metis child of a Cree/Chippewyan father and a non-Native mother. He was selected as an underage player by the New York Islanders in the second round (22nd overall) of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. Trottier entered the NHL in 1975-76 and he went on to set an NHL rookie scoring record with 95 points (32 goals, 63 assists), winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Trottier won the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion with 134 points in 1978-79 and beat out Guy Lafleur to win the Hart as well. In 1980, he earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP as the Islanders won their first Stanley Cup championship in just their eighth season in the NHL. On July 20, 1990, Trottier signed as a free agent with Pittsburgh where his leadership skills were credited with helping the talented young Penguins develop into Stanley Cup champions. He retired after Pittsburgh's second Stanley Cup victory in 1992 and returned to the Islanders in a front-office job. Still feeling the desire to play, he went back to Pittsburgh for a final season in 1993-94, where he also acted as an assistant coach. Trottier joined the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach in 1998-99 and won the Stanley Cup again in that capacity in 2001. He served briefly as head coach of the New York Rangers in 2002-03. At the time of his retirement as a player in 1994, Trottier ranked 15th all-time in NHL history with 524 goals, sixth in assists with 901, and sixth in points with 1,425. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.

John Bucyk John Bucyk stood six feet tall and weighed 215 pounds, which made him the biggest left winger in hockey during his career. Still, he was a remarkably fast and agile skater. Though often overshadowed by bigger stars, when Bucyk retired in 1978, he had 556 goals and 813 assists for 1,369 points. Bucyk spent 21 seasons with the Boston Bruins, where he was known as "Chief" after a Boston sports cartoonist mistook his dark features for those of a Native Canadian. Bucyk was born in Edmonton on May 12, 1935, and played all of his junior and minor pro hockey in his Alberta hometown. Bucyk joined the Boston Bruins,where he helped the team reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1957 and 1958. The Bruins fell on hard times in 1959-60, and missed the playoffs for eight years in a row. During that time span, Bucyk led the team in goals three times and points on four occasions; his scoring totals seemed to keep getting better as he got older. Unfortunately, his career was almost ended by a back injury when he was in his mid 30s. From then on he had to wear a harness, but he continued to play left wing well into his 40s. The Bruins' fortunes made a quick recovery after the NHL expanded in 1967. With Bobby Or and Phil Esposito now on board, Boston became a powerhouse, and Bucyk finally played on a Stanley Cup champion in 1969-70. Boston re-wrote the NHL record book in 1970-71, winning 57 games and scoring 399 goals. Bruins teammates Esposito, Orr, Bucyk and Ken Hodge finished 1-2-3-4 in the NHL scoring race. At the age of 35, Bucyk became just the fifth man in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season. He reached career highs with 51 goals, 65 assists and 116 points while spending only 8 minutes in the penalty box to beat out Dave Keon for the Lady Byng Trophy. The Bruins suffered a stunning loss to Ken Dryden and the Montréal Canadiens in the first round of the 1971 playoffs, but bounced back to win another Stanley Cup title in 1972. On October 30, 1975, Bucyk became just the seventh man in NHL history to score his 500th career goal. Bucyk retired in 1977-78 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.