TORONTO — Canada Post is honouring some of hockey's greatest players with its latest NHL collection of postage stamps.
The 2017 Canadian Hockey Legends issue includes Maurice (Rocket) Richard, Jean Beliveau, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, and Wayne Gretzky.
"The players we immortalized on this year's stamps redefined hockey over careers that spanned more than 60 years," Canada Post president and CEO Deepak Chopra said Wednesday in a release. "They inspired us — and each other — with feats that boggle the mind. They are the ultimate six. We hope that by issuing these stamps during the NHL's centennial, we have helped make this milestone year for the NHL even more special."
As a group, the players scored more than 9,500 points in almost 7,000 regular-season games, won 40 Stanley Cup championships – 30 as players and another 10 as management – and more than 80 individual awards.
Each stamp features an image of the player in uniform with the Stanley Cup image in the background. The release is the final instalment of Canada Post's five-year series of hockey stamps.
Team jersey stamps were released in 2013, Original Six defencemen stamps came out in 2014, Great Canadian Goalie stamps were released in 2015, followed by an issue of Great Canadian Forwards last year.
Canada Post issued its first hockey-themed stamp in 1956. It featured three players wearing Canada jerseys.
The Canadian Press
