Scott Gomez Autograph Card

Maybe he didn't put up too many points on the board in the first round, but Scott Gomez was a big part of the Montréal Canadiens' success in these playoffs with his leadership skills, something he hadn't shown too often during the regular season. Yet there he was, a calming influence in the dressing room, confident but not cocky, dispensing advice to Maxim Lapierre on the bench in between plays...

That's why the New York Rangers offered him a truckload of money and the key to the city so he'd leave the neighbour New Jersey Devils: he'd been there, done that, sometimes with poise, and he knows when to turn the energy level up to make you forget he'd been invisible the week before.

So, today, on the eve of the second series against the Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh Penguins, we remember his leadership skills rather than the 15 minutes of misconduct penalties that he took spread over only two games. And we recall he, at least, unlike, say, Sidney Crosby, has a Calder Trophy.

Yes: hats off to Scott Gomez.

This card (#234) is from the 2000-01 Pacific set; it's a special insert card that is exactly the same as his regular card from the set, except for the fact that it came with an autograph in blue sharpie and an additional ''Authentic Autograph'' logo that Pacific deemed important enough to add to the front of the card. These inserts typically sell for $10.