Mike Marson Unique

I started collecting Hockey cards in 1972 and Mike Marson was the first player I ever saw on a Hockey card who was African American. I believe that Marson was either the 2^nd or 3^rd African American player to ever play in the NHL up to 1974. He was only 19 years old in his rookie season with the Washington Caps. He scored 28 points which would be a career high. This is his 1975-76 Topps rookie card.

Another great thing about this card was that it captured which I think was an in between period skate around. The photo angle is also very unique (especially for Hockey cards up to 1975).

Also, what is not unique is that the Washington Capitals are in there home uniforms.

 A quick history lesson all through the 1970s and into the 1980s, All NHL teams that were at home wore their white uniforms and all road teams wore their dark uniforms. This lasted I believe up to the early 1980s.  (P.S. a quick internet search determined that the change to dark jersey home uniforms happened in 2003-04 – I swore this happened in the early 1980s.)

Beginning with the 1975-76, most action shots on Topps Hockey cards were taken in Washington. For later sets in the 1970s, almost all Topps NHL Hockey card photos were taken in Washington D.C. Almost exclusively for all Topps cards, at this time, if an opponent appear in the background of a Topps Hockey card, that opponent would be a Washington Capital (except for Capital cards themselves). How I longed to see a Pittsburgh Penguin on a Hockey card in their home whites. In fact most of the Topps NBA card photos that were taken in the late 1970s were taken at Washington Bullets homes games. However, it was not as exclusive as the NHL cards.