The 1965–66 Coca-Cola Hockey Issue: One of Hockey's Most Underrated Vintage Sets
The 1965–66 Coca-Cola hockey issue is one of the hobby's most unique vintage releases. Rather than purchasing packs of cards at a corner store, collectors earned them by drinking Coca-Cola or Sprite and redeeming specially marked bottle caps through the mail. Once enough caps from a particular NHL team were collected, fans received an 18-card perforated sheet featuring every player from that club. In total, the complete set contains 108 player cards representing all six Original Six teams.
Unlike the colourful Topps and O-Pee-Chee cards of the 1960s era, the Coca-Cola issue features simple black-and-white player photographs printed on thin paper stock. The cards measure approximately 2¾ × 3½ inches
Because they were originally distributed as perforated team panels, finding examples with clean edges—or better yet, complete intact strips—is much more difficult than many collectors realize.
Although the set contains no traditional rookie cards by today's hobby standards, it does include several players in their rookie season, making it an important issue for vintage collectors. Notable names include Gerry Cheevers, Phil Esposito, Yvan Cournoyer, Ed Giacomin, Paul Henderson, Dennis Hull, and Ken Hodge. One particularly interesting card is Bernie Parent, whose Coca-Cola issue predates his mainstream Topps rookie by several years.
1965 Johnny Bower Coca Cola Card
From a goalie hockey card perspective, my favourites are Johnny Bower and Roger Crozier. Neither card is flashy, but that's exactly why I enjoy them. The straightforward black-and-white photography, uncluttered layout, and clean typography.
Despite being over 60 years old and considered vintage, individual Coca-Cola cards remain surprisingly affordable.
Most stars can still be found in respectable condition for well under the cost of comparable Topps issues, making the set an excellent entry point into vintage hockey collecting. Intact perforated panels and high-grade examples command stronger premiums, but overall the 1965–66 Coca-Cola issue remains one of the hobby's best values—a fascinating promotional release that deserves far more recognition than it receives.
