An early star of ice hockey, Morenz played 14 seasons in the NHL, and he won three Stanley Cups with the Canadiens. He had several notable achievements including three Hart Trophies. Morenz led the Canadiens in points and goals for seven straight seasons, and he was one of the
ten top scorers for the league ten times.
Morenz was born in Ontario to a family of two parents, three sisters, and two brothers. Like many other Canadian players of his day, Morenz got his start by playing shinny, which is a no rules street hockey but on ice. He began experimenting with organized ice hockey at eight years old. Incidentally, he let in 21 goals as the goaltender in his first game.
His talent was soon recognized, and he joined standout youth teams. When he turned 18, Morenz got a job with the Canadian National Railways factory. Between family, work, and hobbies such as horse racing and the ukulele, Morenz joined the Ontario Hockey Association with the Stratford team.
Morenz was quickly recognized by senior teams. He joined the senior league team in Stratford, and he played for both teams, where he led both leagues for goals and assists during the playoffs that year.
His big break came in 1923 at the age of 20. The owner of the Montreal Canadiens, Leo Dandurand, had heard rumors of Morenz’s talent. The owner visited Stratford, saw Morenz live, and offered him a spot on the Canadiens.
However, Morenz was a minor, so the decision was left to his father, who wanted him to finish his apprenticeship in the factory. After some cajoling, Morenz signed a three year deal of $3,500 per year (which was an expensive rookie contract).
Playing with the Canadiens from 1923-1934, Morenz was a huge success right away, and he maintained his exceptional status until he left. Many of his achievements are listed above, and Morenz’s best years were with the Canadiens.
Morenz was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks as his productivity declined, and then he was traded to the New York Rangers for half a season.
Cecil Hart, coach of the Canadiens from 1924-1932, was rehired as a coach. He agreed to come back on the one condition that Morenz be
brought back to the Canadiens.
Tragically, Morenz may be best remembered for his death. He died in 1937 at the age of 34 as a result of complications from a broken leg suffered in an NHL game. 50,000 people came to visit his casket in Montreal during the memorial service, and the city mourned his death for months.
The tributes to Morenz were substantial. His number was retired by the Canadiens which made Morenz the first player in the NHL to have a number retired in his honor. Furthermore, he was part of the original nine inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Morenz was named the best hockey player of the first half of the 1900s by the Canadian Press.
Morenz had a great career for the early NHL, and though he is already commemorated by several NHL achievements, Morenz is well represented in early hockey cards.
1923 V145-1 Howie Morenz
This set is typically considered anonymously produced, so it’s referred to by its catalog designation. It was most likely produced by the candy company William Patterson, Ltd., but nobody knows for certain.
The set has 40 cards, and they measure 2” x 3 ¼”. King Clancy, Cy Denneny, and Aurel Joliat join Howie Morenz as rookies on the set. Bert Corbeau is so dramatically short printed that collectors traditionally consider the set complete with or without him.
Not many of the cards from this set have survived. Morenz has 37 cards registered by PSA.
Prices are hard to nail down due to the infrequency of sales, but the most expensive and recent sales were $22,000 and $15,000 for PSA 5’s in 2017 and 2019, respectively. For $1,000, you would be lucky to find a card at any grade due to its rarity.
1924 V145-2 Howie Morenz
As you can probably tell from the catalog number designation, this set is the second year of the mystery producer. There are identical or similar details for this Howie Morenz card.
For one, this set is even less common than the earlier release. Morenz has about 15 cards registered by PSA, and that number will most likely not grow by much over the years.
The most recent most expensive sale was for a PSA 6 in 2018 for $3,535. For $1,000, you should be happy with a PSA 1 or 2, if you are lucky enough to find one.
1933 Goudey Sport Kings Howie Morenz
The 1933 Goudey Sport Kings is a major set that features star athletes from several sports, including baseball, hockey, football, swimming, aviation, tennis, and bicycling. It even has stars like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, as well as football studs like Jim Thorpe. It is one of the most popular pre war sets in existence.
The set has 48 cards, and they measure 2 ⅜” x 2 ⅞”. The cards have a solid background with the logo of “Sport Kings Gum.” The
most sought after pieces are the baseball cards.
There are over 200 cards preserved by PSA alone, and many of them are in high grade. Mint condition cards are rarely sold. The highest recent sale is for $8,100 for an 8.5 in August of 2020. With $1,000, you could probably grab a PSA 7.
1933 O-Pee-Chee Howie Morenz
The Series A and B of this set were released in 1933 by O-Pee-Chee. The same numbering would be continued on Series C and D in following years.
Howie Morenz is found on Series A which is catalogued as the “1933 O-Pee-Chee V304A”. There are 48 cards in the set which measure 2 5/16” x 3 9/16”. It shows each player with a black and white photograph posed against a background of stars and either orange, red, blue, or green. Many of the cards are rookie cards.
Morenz has nearly 100 cards registered by PSA. Mint graded cards would go for over $10,000. If you had $1,000, you would have to drop to a PSA 4.
Conclusion
Though his tragic death helps to define Morenz’s legacy, he remains one of the most important early standout stars of the NHL. Cards of Morenz may be somewhat rare, but they do an admirable job of commemorating an early superstar.