Known as the "Chicoutimi Cucumber" for his unparalleled composure in the net, Georges Vezina starred for the Montreal Canadiens from 1910-25, leaving the team just four months prior to his death from tuberculosis at age 39. Vezina's Canadiens secured Stanley Cups in two distinct eras, first in 1916 with the NHA (an NHL precursor), and again in 1924 as part of the NHL's "original six." Vezina cemented his legend as the sole Canadiens netminder during his 16 year career, leading the league in goals against average seven times. When he passed in 1926, Montreal created and donated his eponymous Vezina Trophy to the NHL, presenting it annually to the league's outstanding goaltender. Vezina was also honored posthumously as one of the Hockey Hall of Fame's nine inaugural members in 1945.

Fresh to the hobby, this stunning Georges Vezina 1910 Sweet Caporal Postcard, graded PSA VG-EX 4, features a striking black-and-white image of the rookie goaltender posed in a studio setting. It exhibits gentle rounding at the corners with some modest chipping along its edges. These imperfections do little to diminish its overall attractiveness as an extraordinary and compelling look at one of hockey history's top stars. The reverse displays gentle age-related toning and what appears to be a smudge along the right edge. Independent of technical grade, this ranks among our hobby's most desirable rookie cards from any sport, with special consideration to Vezina's pioneering role as a dominant goaltender during early professional hockey's significant time of growth.

This card's portrait pose will be familiar as matching that of Vezina's rookie #38 1911 C55 Imperial Tobacco Hockey card, one that's particularly prized by collectors. The 1910 Sweet Caporal postcard proves considerably rarer, with just 10 photo postcards known across the combined PSA and SGC population reports. That's a fraction of the 298 graded for his C55 rookie card and we know of no publicly recorded sales for individual Georges Vezina 1910 Sweet Caporal Postcards in any grade. This compounds our auction's significance, as Vezina stands head and shoulders above his contemporaries in terms of impact to his sport and place in our hobby. Any vintage collection instantly rises to a new level upon acquiring a rarity of this unique stature.

Size: large
Condition: yes