Thursday, December 24, 2015

07-08 The Cup Gold David Clarkson Auto Rookie /27 x 2!

Yes ladies and gentlemen you read that title correctly! Once upon a free agent signing I sold my 07-08 The Cup Gold Clarkson for a decent price considering it was damaged. Well since then David's career hasn't gone as planned and I have forgiven him and welcome him back and hope he can straighten out his career. In doing so, I managed to buy a PAIR of his The Cup Gold rookies for much less than I sold my damaged one for. Truth is most Leafs fans are unloading his cardboard after paying a premium (not unlike the Leafs) and it is a buyers market. Here's hoping he can restore some faith and get back to his potential!

07-08 The Cup Gold David Clarkson Auto Rookie /27
 Numbered 23/27 that makes this baby an eBay 1/1!!!!



07-08 The Cup Gold David Clarkson Auto Rookie /27
This one is numbered to my favourite number making it an equally awesome Dave 1/1.


Well Mr. Clarkson, you have your work cut out for you but I believe in you! So Merry Christmas David Clarkson and Merry Christmas to all those reading this! I sent out a few packages today and a few more will go out in the New Year. Thanks to all those who returned after my hiatus and I look forward to 2016 coming as it can't be any worse than this year.....I don't need to knock on wood here ;)




Wednesday, December 16, 2015

2014-15 Upper Deck Trilogy Green Level 2 Leon Draisaitl Auto Rookie /99

Ok, the parallels and this title are a little bit much I know. But, it is partially that reason why many of these Trilogy rookies have found their way into my home because they are affordable. Leon might be the best kept secret because ever since McDavid went down, he has come up and put up some pretty impressive numbers. As of today, Leon is 4th in the NHL when it comes to points per game and if he plays the full season at this pace he will have 29 goals, 59 assists and 88 points which is pretty impressive for the second year player.

I have had a chance to watch him play a few games this season and I am very impressed with all aspects of the game and his size was one thing that really stood out to me and how well he plays with the puck. His play definitely gives Edmonton some options about moving some of their other star players (particularly a forward), to hopefully add a quality defenseman to help out the back end. 


2014-15 Upper Deck Trilogy Green Level 2 Leon Draisaitl Auto Rookie /99
Like the rest of the Trilogy rookies, this is on a foil board with a sticker auto. The green isn't the nicest of colours but the /99 definitely makes it much more tolerable. I just wish the more rare the card the better the colour choices. His auto isn't very exciting but I do appreciate seeing his number with the signature. Pleased to add this to my collection and I hope Leon keeps developing into the superstar I think he could become.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Huge Pile of 13-14 UD Game Used including many HOF'ers

I have mentioned in many posts previous how great my LCS is for finding random deals and the owner's dislike of game used cards. They have always tended to be in my favour and this batch I have to show off today are a result of his dislike and eagerness to unload game used cards on the cheap. 13-14 Upper Deck was bought in mass quantities by people in Nova Scotia in the hopes of landing one of their very own...Nathan Mackinnon. As a result lots of boxes were opened and at a rate of 2 per box game used cards found their way into the 3 for $5 bin. Thankfully Upper Deck included many Hall of Fame players and future Hall of Fame player in that release and here are some that I pulled and others than I bought from the 3 for $5 bin.


 Nick Lidstrom
Personally I wouldn't call him the best defenseman of my generation because there were so many who I felt were every bit as good, if not better. But there is no arguing with 7 Norris Trophies and 12 All-Star appearances. 

Dale Hawerchuk
 
 We all know I love this guy so I won't go on and on about him. I think his 81 goals in 72 games during his final year of junior to go with 183 points is just amazing.

Ron Francis
Ron is second all-time in assists with 1249. Can't remember who's first but this total is pretty impressive.

Ray Bourque
No player has taken more shots in the NHL than Ray Bourque. He is first with 6206 career shots.

Borje Salming
Only 3 players have been on the ice for more power play goals against than Borje (621). They are Chris Chelios (708), Ray Bourque (687), Mark Messier (683). Not bad company for a relatively unwanted stat.

Doug Wilson
Doug is a 7-time all-star who also won the Norris in 1982. He would score 39 goals and 85 points that season which are both very impressive.

Peter Forsberg
Peter's 1.25 points per game average leaves fans wondering what could have been for his career if not for feet and ankle injuries forcing him to miss time an a relatively early retirement.

Jaromir Jagr
Jagr continues his assault on the record books. 4th all-time in goals and points and rising!

Dino Ciccarelli
Dino was just solid all-around. However, best known for scoring and he finished up with 232 career power play goals which is good for 9th all-time.

Jari Kurri
Jari scored an impressive 39 short handed goals in his career which is good enough for 6th all-time. The leader in that department however scored nearly double that and I think played on the same line as him (Gretzky).

Paul Coffey
Another former Gretzky teammate. Paul is a 3-time Norris Trophy winner who nearly scored 50 goals in a season (48) which is a total I don't believe will ever be touched again.

Joe Mullen
Joe Mullen is a 3-time Cup winner and former leading American born scorer.

Guy Carbonneau
I've heard people argue that he belongs in the Hall of Fame. He is a 3-time Selke and Cup winner, both are pretty impressive.


Justin Faulk
Future superstar defenseman? At the moment in time, he is on pace to score over 30 goals which has only been done twice since 1990. Kevin Hatcher ('93) and Mike Green ('08)
 
Patrick Sharp
Patrick has already won 3 Cups and could find himself on a team this season to win his 4th. He owns a very respectable 10 goals and 22 point in 30 games while taking on a leadership role in Dallas.

Robin Lehner
Ok, not all my jersey cards are amazing. What does the future have in store for Robin in Buffalo. The future will definitely reveal it soon enough and I am guessing good things.

Benedict Kovalchuk
Once upon a time I would have enjoyed this card. Now I just own it and nothing more....

Well there you have it! I pulled a couple of these but for the most part, they were purchased at the LCS in my 3 for $5 bin which is pretty awesome and always being topped up which means I have a few more to share in a future post! If any interest you, please let me know as I could be convinced to part with some.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

11-12 The Cup Enshrinements Adam Henrique Auto /50

Think about your favourite team. Do they have a face of the franchise? When I try and think about the other 29 teams in the league and their current roster, quite often an image of a player pops in my head and for that player I have a hard time picturing them anywhere else because they embody that team to me. Right now Anze Kopitar is working on a new contract, but there is a chance that he may sign somewhere else and for me personally I can't see that at all. True, it is very likely something that could happen but given how long he's been there and what he as done, I have trouble seeing it. Same with the Sedins, they are Vancouver to me. Look at the Ducks, could you see Getzlaf playing for any other NHL club? I don't think I can come up with one for EVERY team because there are a few like Toronto who are in a state of flux but even then, JVR is likely a player they will hang on to regardless and he is who comes to mind for me with the Leafs.

For the Devils, we have been pretty fortunate. We have had Mr. Devil (Ken Danyeko), perhaps not the best player but certainly was consistent and has three Cups. Martin Brodeur until the unthinkable happened and he left for a few games. Right now, I would say that person is Adam Henrique. The goal's he's already scored for us, and how everything the he does seems to align with our franchise and it's past and future directions. Not a bad guy to have if you ask me. Is he our best player and will he be? No, but he has all the other intangibles that you do want and they are the reason why I consider him the face of our franchise.


11-12 The Cup Enshrinements Adam Henrique Auto /50
Here is that face in foil form! Please excuse the debris that always seems to follow foil scans around. This card is a nice one in person and was designed rather well if you ask me. Nice black and white foil with a trim of red on the bottom.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Scott Weiland....Thank You.

Being a blog primarily about hockey and hobby means that this post is a little out of place but since it is my blog and I have written about other stuff in the past this post isn't completely unheard of. The other day I was floored when I heard that Scott Weiland passed away. I know it isn't supposed to be a huge surprise given the lifestyle he had and the numerous poor choices but when you consider how much drugs other people have done and survived you had to figure Scott wasn't as bad as they were. But fact of the matter is we are all different and we all owe a death and I guess it was Scott's time.

I have been a fan of his since the early 90's and have followed his career closely and have enjoyed nearly his entire catalogue of music. I even enjoyed his Christmas album called The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year where I believe he truly demonstrated what an amazing performer he was. It is with great sadness as a fan that I will no longer be hearing any new material but I figured I would throw a simple post out there about one of my favourite performers and a song that I seem to never tire of hearing.



Thursday, December 3, 2015

14-15 ITG The Vault Larry Robinson Auto & Jersey 1/1 (Or when a 1/1 is manufactured)

Ok, the hobby does some strange things in order to make a dollar and some times I think it has gone a little too far. I am curious to know your thoughts on this one. ITG had a release in the past year called The Vault where a bunch of cards were bought back, labelled and redistributed with the idea that they were rare and unique (1/1). So here is one example of such card that I picked up this past summer. 



14-15 ITG The Vault Larry Robinson Auto Jersey 1/1
This card was originally from one of the Superlative releases and features a nice on the card auto and a small piece of a Montreal Canadiens sweater. If you look at the upper right you will see the card was defaced with a ruby foil job and the numbering of 1/1. There are 49 other cards out there just like this one but they don't have the ruby foiling. So the question is, does my Larry Robinson card deserve to be more expensive and highly regarded than the other 49 non-ruby foiled copies?

I personally am not sure if it is any more special than it's other brothers but thankfully I was able to purchase this for probably cheaper than the other 49 sold for so I might be inclined to think the foil job actually decreased the value of this card. While I personally don't consider this card a 1/1, I do consider it a nice auto game used card of a Hall of Famer who once coached the Devils to a couple cups and am proud to have it in my collection.  

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

14-15 Upper Deck Series 1 Group F Eric Lindros Game Jersey

Usually white swatches are lame and unexciting. Not this one though, this one is filthy!


14-15 Upper Deck Eric Lindros Game Jersey

This looks like a pretty solid puck mark that the Big E took to the big torso. Say what you want about jersey cards, I still enjoy them and when you can land them for a $1.50 like I did in the spring for this one, it's all fantastic. Not all my past pick ups are jaw droppers but I couldn't resist a bargain when I saw it so the Big E joined my big collection.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

11-12 Upper Deck The Cup Brett Connolly Rookie Gear Booklet /25

There are some cards you just don't appreciate until they are in your hands and I believe this one falls in that category. I really haven't been looking for this card at all but when searching for Brett Connolly patches I noticed a dealer selling several BC The Cup Rookies and inserts and there were two of these booklets for sale. Sadly they ALL ended within a second of one another so I had to make my choice and go hard for it. In the end, I am pleased with the outcome and landed a whale!


11-12 Upper Deck The Cup Brett Connolly Rookie Gear Booklet /25
Here is the outside of the booklet. 25/25 and all the promises of swatches inside....



Here is the inside!!
I want to go on the record by saying I am not a huge fan of booklet cards and am almost angry each time I have to shell out 10 bucks for a one touch to hold the card but this is one massive exception. The left side is neat with a huge signature which is a good thing for Brett because his auto is pretty simplistic (even more so since he started in the NHL) and it's size brings out more details. The right side is pure gold. Patches, jerseys and straps are already in my collection but, seeing all three together is pretty cool and the patch features a few breaks and even some silver. But the best part and the reason why I went for this one instead of the other booklet is the laundry tag. I believe it speaks for itself and it is telling me Mr. Connolly is either a size 50 or 52. Like himself, this jersey was made in Canada. Just awesome.

So the big question is do I chase all his rookies now that I have come this far....perhaps I should. But I will just need to figure out what is exactly out there before I tackle that type of mission but in the meantime, my collection grows still!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

14-15 Upper Deck The Cup Damon Severson Auto Patch Rookie /249

With the Devils performing far beyond most's expectations to this point in the season, we have lots to be thankful for. While our struggles of recent years have been blamed on Lou, the truth is Lou did leave behind many wonderful working parts and our defense is definitely something Lou should be proud of and with the right coach they are firing on all cylinders. Damon Severson is one young defenseman I hope to see more and more of as the years go by and I have added to my Severson collection and I would say he joins Brett Connolly, Adam Henrique and Ryan Ellis as a member of my PC.


As far as rookies go, they never get any more desirable than The Cup. A nice swatch with three colours and a centralized autograph. The truth is this isn't my favourite Severson card in my collection but it is definitely among the top 5. I look forward in the coming weeks to share all my Seversons as well as many other additions and successes.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

"We Have a Trade to Announce".....

Whenever I make a trade I wish I could hire Bettman to make an announcement for me:



I have agree to trade a box of 15-16 UD Series 1 which could possibly contain one of the hottest rookie cards since 05-06 in exchange for what I consider the best card from the 1990's, the Holy Grail if you will.....


Very excited to make this trade with Walt T. I decided to post the trade here so everyone can witness/moderate our trade. Walt isn't apart of any forums etc so rather than go through that painful process we will make our trade public here so he gets piece of mind and so do I. He has agreed to ship first and once it arrives I will post its arrival here and then ship his box to him and both of us will use tracking. Anyway, pleased to be back blogging and very pleased to share this awesome trade in my opinion and I hope he hits a McDavid.


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

13-14 Artifacts Emerald Brett Connolly Team Canada /8

After a very long and much needed break to begin getting things taken care of I feel that I might be ready to come back and continue sharing my adventures and sharing in those of others. Thank you very much to all those who wrote me and have stayed in contact a variety of different ways including sending along PWEs (yes I am looking in your direction Jeff, thank you very very much).

I plan on easing myself back into this possibly with a post every few days but the truth is I probably will post whenever I feel like it and that will be possibly more frequent! I have loads of new additions and fun things to have shared that have happened to me in the collecting side of things over the past few months.

To kick things off, why not go with 2 of my three collecting loves. Brett Connolly and Team Canada. If only the Devils would make a play for this kid and offer Boston a young defenseman!

13-14 Artifacts Emerald Brett Connolly Team Canada /8

While the emerald foil has never been a love of mine, I think it isn't bad on this card. The patch piece is just fantastic. You may not see it that well but there is gold peaking out in the bottom right portion of the watch. Brett's auto features his number 8 from playing in junior and I am guessing UD used up all his 28 signature stickers on the UD Team Canada set.

This card was one I had been watching for quite a while and when the price creeped down to a reasonable number I threw them an even more reasonable BO and it was accepted! If only a couple others could do the same.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone who's kept checking out my blog and at least allowed the old hit count to grow slightly and those who may have discovered my blog in my absence. I hope to keep you all coming back and thank you for your patience!

Dave

Monday, July 13, 2015

a small hiatus

Hi readers and fellow bloggers. I am writing a post not about hockey cards and not about hockey but rather about me. I have been blogging for a number of years now and have managed to string together enough words for 700+ posts. I have met many people and made many friends and even more trades. I have loved every moment of my blogging experience and I never want it to end.

Over the past 5+ years I have seen bloggers come and go, some have taken breaks and others have packed it in. There are a number of OG bloggers who have been there before me and are still going strong and regardless of who they were I have enjoyed something from everyone. It used to make me sad when I would see someone take a break or step away and in many cases I don't know if I truly understood why.

Well this past year since I developed carpal tunnel, had surgery, severe knee contusion, two bouts of bronchitis and two bouts of pneumonia. In addition there are some other life factors and it just seems that I am spread out far too thin to handle everything. I don't write this for any reason other than to share a small piece of my life to by boys when they read this and to my friends to explain that I am not ignoring anyone but rather trying to just get by :)

I will be doing a couple of things, first is I will be back and when I am, I will be posting back at my usual pace. Secondly, despite my hiatus from blogging, I will still be collecting. I always have time to flip through cards and stay in touch with my hobby so I will still be collecting and lurking behind the scenes and comments on all your great posts people.

Before I sign off for my break, I want to thank Jeff from 2x3 Heroes and Shane from Shoebox Legends for two great PWEs. I promise my first posts back will be to share your generosity. In the meantime I will be looking for ways to hit you both back! Thank you guys, you are great. I also want to thank Sal from Puck Junk not only for being an inspiration for getting me into blogging and collecting but also for a package he tried sending and hopefully will be able to get to me now that I sent him my address (sorry about that curve ball buddy).

Sports card collecting isn't just for kids and I hope each and everyone whose out there collecting is still there when I return. Thank you all for the page visits and comments over the years, I am truly humbled by the amount of people who check my site on a daily basis and have an interest in my adventures to the flea markets, swap meets and LCS.

Good night all, and see you back very soon!

Dave Harrison

Saturday, July 4, 2015

08-09 OPC Premier Cory Schneider Auto Rookie /299

As we all know, life goes on. Still its tough to see a fixture of an organization leave and in the past couple years the Devils have had two mainstays step aside for the next generation with both Marty and Lou moving on to some degree. The amazing thing, is I just need to say their first name and chances are you know who I am talking about. Well the future is now, or so they say and lets start collecting in that direction



08-09 OPC Premier Cory Schneider Auto Rookie /299
Cory is not new to the organization and I have added a couple of his cards to my collection over the years. I had two autographs to this point, one numbered to 99 and another to 25. But as far as rookie went, I only had one lowly rookie and it was from 08-09 OPC which I pulled from a pack. So I wanted to rectify the situation a while back and I was able to do so by acquiring the above card. 

Nice on card auto with actual game-used event used swatches. What a shame they say game on the front and event on the back. I'm sure many have already gripped about this so I will move on to the nice on card auto and decently low print run of 299. I've said this before and I'll say it again for value, it's hard to beat OPC Premier and Sweet Shot when their Young Gun counterparts are far more plentiful and far less cool in my opinion. 

Friday, July 3, 2015

14-15 Artifacts Gold Spectrum Evgeny Kuznetsov Patch Auto Rookie /3

Let's file this under reasons why you should ALWAYS go to your LCS on a regular basis. I stopped by a while back and just went to chat with the owner about this and that and as we were talking I spotted the below card in the showcase:


14-15 Artifacts Gold Spectrum Evgeny Kuznetsov Patch Auto Rookie /3
I was awestruck. The patches were fantastic, the signature is good and numbered 1/3!! That's pure ebay 1/1 gold! So to top it all off, he's a decent prospect and a rookie I've been looking to possibly add to the collection. The price....less than 2 packs of Artifacts! I know that's a lot of exclamation points but truth be told, they were totally warranted!

What to do with this card? I know I can sell it and make a handsome profit, I know I could trade it and probably do well there too. But for the meantime, I think I'm just going to enjoy it. I asked the owner how he came across this card and he said that the guy who pulled it buys packs all the time and usually just leaves stuff behind in exchange for more packs. I guess there are collectors like that out there but given the cost of the card, he probably wouldn't have been able to trade it for much which boggles this blogger's mind.

Kuznetsov had his first full NHL season this year and finished up with 11 goals, 26 assists and 37 points in 80 games. He then put another 5 in the net during this past post-season and was electric at times. While his numbers seem small, taking time to adjust to the NHL is expected and of all the top 10 players in rookie scoring, Evgeny had the second fewest average time on ice per game behind Kevin Hayes. But towards the end of the season, Kuznetsov put up a very respectable 13 points in his final 16 games. I believe there will be a bright future in the NHL for this particular Russian and hopefully Ovi will help him blossom into a superstar.


Monday, June 29, 2015

1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #42 - Floyd Smith

The last of my tall boys (for now) is number 42 in the set and number 6 in my collection, Floyd Smith. Floyd played in parts of 13 NHL seasons in a total of 616 regular season games. He scored over 20 goals twice and over 40 points three times which is very respectable for the time period.


1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #42 - Floyd Smith

As far as my tall boys go, this one is one of the better conditioned ones. Crease free with just a little wear and tear on the card.




I don't know if I like the card or feel bad for poor old Floyd. Floyd was a very good player in the AHL and would be a decent NHL player but apparently he is best noted for who he married? The cartoon is a little tragic if you ask me but still a fun sign of the times.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #6 - Terry Sawchuk

Let's get back aboard the Tall Boy Train! Since my last post about my fourth one I have added a 6th so here is number 5 and I will share number 6 in my next post. I find this card very interesting for a number of reasons. First of all, it has been loved numerous times probably by numerous people. I suspect this card could have been handled more than a 1970's pay phone. With that being said, it only adds to the character. What I like more about this card is it happens to be an UER but there might be more than meets the eye here too and I am curious to get YOUR take on it.

So when you look this card up in the "bible" it lists the card as an uncorrected error because on the back of the card his name is spelled incorrectly. The correct spelling is on the front of the card "Sawchuk" and on the back they have included a second c spelling it "Sawchuck". How much saw can a saw chuck chuck anyway? Lame? Yeah probably...

But what interests me even more is the front of the card where Terry appears to be wearing a jersey with a number 25 on it. I was perplexed by the situation and did a little research because I always knew Terry to wear 1 or 30. Well it turns out according to Hockey Reference Terry wore other numbers including 29 for the Red Wings in 1968-69 and 24 during the 1964-65 season with the Leafs. I have no idea why he wore 24, Johnny Bower had his number 1 and Terry would switch to 30 the following season so the 24 remains a bit of a mystery to me. However, Terry isn't even wearing 24 in this photo which only adds to my intrigue. So I did a little more digging and it turns out someone else was in the 25 jersey during that season and it was a player named Pete Stemkowski. Pete played about half that season 36 games or so and had 20 points during his "rookie" season that year. So did they put someone's head on someone else's body? No. It turns out Pete was left out of the Tall Boy set and his rookie doesn't appear until the following year. So my best guess is this photo was taken at the start of the season (hence Terry's very tanned neck) and he probably hadn't settled on a jersey and just grabbed the first free one on the pile.

What is also interesting is the following season Topps used the exact same photo and just cropped it so you can't really see the number on the jersey. Enough of my ramblings, on to the cardboard!


1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #6 - Terry Sawchuk
Creases? Sure, but the colour is still sharp and the card has some gloss still!


Not sure why someone wrote 43 on the back of this card but it must have meant something.


Well there you have it, my 5th card from this set. It almost seems like I could actually complete this thing? Well maybe, someday.

Monday, June 22, 2015

14-15 Upper Deck Trilogy Aaron Ekblad Level 2 Auto Rookie /399

It is a little less than a week away from this year's entry draft and being a Devils fan has gotten exciting for the first time in a couple months ( I wasn't too excited about a coaching change) but we get a chance to draft a piece of our future. Who will it be? Time will of course tell, Ray may have some surprises up his sleeve like the time we landed Cory Schneider or maybe he will just draft the best available player at the time.

Last year the best player in the draft and arguably the best rookie this past season was Aaron Ekblad. In my opinion he was a lock for the first overall pick much like this season's lock will be Connor McDavid. However, how big of an impact would this boy in a man's body actually bring to an NHL club. Well nearly from the beginning it was significant and by the end of the season he was arguably one of the best defenseman in the Eastern Conference. He still has lots to learn but the Panthers have gotten much more exciting thanks to an impressive collection of young forwards, Bobby-Lu in goal and a vastly improved blue line. 


14-15 Upper Deck Trilogy Aaron Ekblad Level 2 Auto Rookie /399
It appears that Trilogy is my love child this season as all the big rookies are in the set and the prices on the secondary market are very very reasonable. I was able to score this card for less than the cost of a pack of Trilogy. I have been a fan of Aaron Ekblad since he was granted exceptional status in the OHL. Internationally Aaron was a rock for the gold medal winning team this past spring at the World Championships and while I think his international resume could grow in the future it might be his only World Championship in the near future because I suspect the Panthers will be a playoff team before long. However, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey (age restrictions don't appear to play in his favour if the projections are correct) and 2018 Olympic Games will definitely feature this talent on Team Canada's blue line.


Thursday, June 18, 2015

Hockey Cards and Music - Tragically Hip - Fifty Mission Cap

One post I have been meaning to do since I started this blog was one about the song Fifty Mission Cap by the Tragically Hip. The song is about Bill Barilko and his final NHL game and following tragic demise. What I like about the song is not just it's a very interesting story, not just because it describes a card from my favourite set of all time but also because it references a hockey card I actually owned before I even heard the song. When the song came out and I listened to the lyrics I knew exactly what they were referring to and that just added to my enjoyment of all things related to Fifty Mission Cap. 


1951-52 Parkhurst #52 The Winning Goal
I wish I owned this card. Still on my want list and without a doubt one of the best hockey cards ever made and definitely one of the best from the 1951 set. Just sheer awesomeness. Because Bill went missing after this season, he wasn't actually included in the 1951-52 Parkhurst set because they just featured players from the 1951-52 season as opposed to players who played in the previous season so for some fans, this card is Bill Barilko's rookie.

As iconic I believe the previous card was, it was actually this next card from the 1991-92 Pro Set Series 1 set that The Tragically Hip reference. The photo is a zoomed out and larger than the Parkhurst one but still the same iconic scene.


Back side
Here is the back side of the card which was references in the song.


Fifty Mission Cap

Bill Barilko disappeared that summer
He was on a fishing trip
The last goal he ever scored
Won the Leafs the cup
They didn't win another till nineteen sixty two
The year he was discovered
I stole this from a hockey card
I keeped tucked up under

My fifty-mission cap
I worked it in
I worked it in to look like that
It's my fifty-mission cap
It's his fifty-mission cap
And I worked it in
I worked it in
And I worked it in to look like that
And I worked it in to look like that

Bill Barilko disappeared that summer (in nineteen fifty one)
He was on a fishing trip (in a plane)
The last goal he ever scored (in over time)
Won the Leafs the cup
They didn't win another till nineteen sixty two
The year he was discovered

In my fifty-mission cap
I worked it in
I worked it in to look like that
It's my fifty-mission cap
It's his fifty-mission cap
And I worked it in
I worked it in
And I worked it in to look like that
And I worked it in to look like that

It's my fifty-mission cap
It's my fifty-mission cap
It's my fifty-mission cap
It's my fifty-mission cap



Tuesday, June 2, 2015

11-12 Upper Deck Ryan Nugent Hopkins Young Gun

My BFAM Tom has been a fantastic friend completing a number of trades with me. One day he told me about the tin of 11-12 Upper Deck Series 1 he was given by a LCS and I wished him luck and even said I hope he pulls a RNH rookie. Sure enough, he did! What else did he pull? Brett Connolly. So being the nice guy I am I told him he did very well on his box and told him how awesome the cards actually were. I then proceeded to offer up an extra Brodeur auto I had and he was game for the deal!

Gotta love when both sides are happy on a trade and as much as I like Brodeur, I definitely wanted this card which has eluded me so far and felt I could spare an auto for the biggest Brodeur fan I know.


11-12 Upper Deck Ryan Nugent Hopkins Young Gun
I would have had that same look on my face had I pulled this card! The Oilers are hopefully going to turn the corner finally on their rebuild and RNH is one of their players I would say are a cornerstone for their future and this past year he proved it by leading the team in goals with Jordan Eberle (24) and finishing second in team scoring with 56 points.

Monday, June 1, 2015

The second best result I could hope for! And Namestnikov

So obviously the best I could hope for would feature the Devils in the Cup final against a scrub team and they would win in 4 straight. However, that wasn't even close to happening so my two adopted teams (Hawks of course) and the Lightning are in the finals. While Brett Connolly is no longer in Tampa, I still really enjoy watching them play and have kind of adopted them as one of my teams. I also banked my hockey pool heavily on TB and with a 24 point lead and the entire Triplet line on my roster it is safe to say I won that pool.

So who do I want to win the Cup? I honestly don't know. I have been cheering for the Hawks since the 1990 and I have followed the Lightning pretty closely over the past couple seasons and they have some very deserving players on the roster. I guess I will just sit back and enjoy what will probably be an amazing Cup final and be happy no matter who wins.

Speaking of winning, here is a little gem!


14-15 SPx Spectrum FX Red Rookie Auto /399 Vladislav Namestnikov

























It is almost unfair the amount of young talent the Lightning have in their system. While it is pretty easy to give all the credit to Steve Yzerman, the fact of the matter is the scouting staff has done an amazing job drafting early, drafting late and even finding undrafted talent (Tyler Johnson). When you have a 3rd overall pick (Drouin) sitting in the press box that just shows the world the amount of talent on your roster.  One player who doesn't always get much press is Namestnikov. He finished up his rookie season compiling 9 goals and 16 points in 43 games after putting up over a point a game in the AHL this year (35 points in 34 games). He currently is playing on the 4th line but is available to jump up on the higher lines if an injury were to occur. Namestnikov is only 22 years old and symbolizes the bright future Tampa will have going forward win or lose after the season.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

14-15 Fleer Showcase Hot Prospects Damon Severson Auto Rookie Patch /375

The Devils have been a team in transition. Since our last playoff appearance (2012 Stanley Cup Finals) we have been slowly turning over the roster and the position most affected has been on defense. We used to be known as the no-name defense but in a couple of years we will have one of the best blue-lines in the NHL. Don't believe me? That's fine, I will let the team do the talking but I figure in about 2-3 seasons it will be our strong point once again.

One of the best surprises of the season has been the play of Damon Severson. Prior to his broken ankle he was playing every bit as much as Aaron Ekblad and even was having as much as an impact as the 2014 first overall pick. However, the ankle injury forced him out and when he came back he had some rust and didn't quite match his early season performance. Well a summer of rest and training will hopefully rejuvenate his game and he will only continue to progress. 



14-15 Fleer Showcase Hot Prospects Damon Severson Auto Rookie Patch /375
I am a pretty big fan of these despite their low book value. A good two colour patch to go with a sticker auto and a print run of 375.

For people who don't follow the Devils, Severson finished this year playing 51 games (5 goals, 12 assists, 17 points) which was good enough for 4th among rookie defenseman and really he could have been 3rd if he played a few more games. Damon also was 2nd among rookies for average ice time per game with 21:57 (2 seconds behind first). So to say he was pulled from the pan and put in the fire is an understatement, but he handled himself well and I look forward to seeing what he is capable next season!





Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Hook, line and sinker!

OK, does it make me a sucker if I know I am a sucker? Well, when Upper Deck came out with yet ANOTHER let's celebrate our past insert I was wondering when will it all end. Truth is, I have missed out on ALL the other celebrations so why would the 25th Anniversary be any different? Well nostalgia got the better of me and I guess the silver anniversary was the one that made me cave. While I have yet to buy any packs of this year's release, I did at least hold out until Series 2 came out and featured my beloved young gun buy backs and I bought a former Devil Bobby Holik for a mere couple dollars!

2014-15 (90-91) Upper Deck High Series Bobby Holik Young Gun /25
So I paid a couple dollars for a 50 cent card but it does have some foiling and a handwritten number 21/25. Enough cynicism, what I do like about the card is it represents the 25th anniversary of my collecting, its a rookie of a player who was very instrumental in the Devils winning their first two cups and finally he is wearing at sweet Whalers jersey which is just one of those uniforms that you only appreciate once its no longer in the league!

Friday, May 15, 2015

10-11 Panini Certified Jordan Eberle Auto Rookie Parallel Red /100

One PC that has been neglected over the years is my Jordan Eberle one. I even traded off one of my Eberle auto rookies (Donruss Rated Rookie) so I feel like I needed to balance it off and bring in a new one and a few months ago I managed to get a Red version of a card I already owned and loved.

10-11 Panini Certified Jordan Eberle Auto Rookie Parallel Red /100

Red front and numbered 14 unlike my regular version of this card. Also a different coloured swatch which is also a great feature since they look amazing paired up.


Here is the back, nearly identical except it is numbered to 100. Not a bad addition and pleased to have it in my possession. I am tempted to try for the other parallels but probably won't actively pursue it since many have been probably scooped up and sit in collections or are still buried in packs.

Friday, May 8, 2015

07-08 Sweet Shot Sweet Beginnings - Carey Price Rookie /599

Well, since I don't have my latest Tall Boy scanned and I have a free moment, why not feature a different pick-up in the last few months. Given his win last night which could be his last of this season, I am featuring Carey Price.

 07-08 Sweet Shot Sweet Beginnings - Carey Price Rookie /599
This season he was on fire and carried a pretty average Habs team into the stratosphere. Please forgive my scan, I didn't want to take it out of the one touch holder and clearly that was a mistake as it is pretty blurry. I assure you this is a gem and I love the Sweet Shot cards because they are filled with frills like player worn swatches and serial numbering but can be had for less than a Young Gun of the same player.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #15 - Norm Ullman

Here is the fourth Tall Boy in my collection and I already have news, I managed to pick up a fifth! So if you are disliking these posts, the end is extended just slightly and if you like them it has be prolonged just for a bit longer. This post is about HOF'er Norm Ullman.


1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #15 - Norm Ullman
Norm has made an appearance in my collection before as a TTM return so I am definitely a fan of him as a person and a player. I am a pretty big fan of this card and love the look of the old gloves and the colour scheme is just awesome.

 
Here is the back side, same as the previous with facts, stats and a comic. I am not sure if Norm was insulted or flattered by his comic but personally I thought they could do a little better on this one!


Sunday, April 26, 2015

1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #109 - Pierre Pilote All-Star

The Tall Boy train continues with this one featuring HOF'er Pierre Pilote. Like my recent additions, this has it's characteristics. This one has a little paper loss on the front from being taped but it is crease free and in pretty great condition otherwise. Totally with the 5 bucks I spent on it.

1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #109 - Pierre Pilote All-Star
Very cool design, I like that they had All-Star cards in the set and the stars at the top and bottom are one of my favourite designs about the front.


Unlike the regular base cards, the All-Star cards have no cartoon and are all facts and info. 53 points in 70 games is/was very impressive especially when you consider Stan Mikita lead the league in scoring with 89 points. Pierre was not only a first team all-star but he also won the Norris that year.

Friday, April 24, 2015

1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #82 - Ted Lindsay

Tall Boy number two that was recently added was that of Peyton Manning HOF'er Ted Lindsay. This card would never have been created if not for a comeback after 4 years of being out of the game. He did come back just for the one season before retiring again for good. In case you were wondering, he managed to score 14 goals and 14 assists in 69 games which was higher than his previous season's totals.

1964-65 Topps Tall Boys #82 - Ted Lindsay
Like my checklist, this one has received much love in the form of touching. It may have also been dropped, kicked, hugged or even spent an afternoon in a pocket. Either way, it has creases which is why the 75 dollar card was very easily purchasable for 5 bucks.
 

Here is the backside and again you can see some drag marks across a rough surface like a floor or sandpaper. No stats because he missed the previous few seasons but a cool comic which all of these cards feature. Ted's second last season was in 59-60 with the Blackhawks which is why it says "he desired to finish career in a Red Wing uniform".