Hell's Valuable Collectibles

Peter Budaj: 3 Autographed Cards

2012-02-10T12:36:00.001-05:00

I sent Peter Budaj 4 cards and a fan letter care of the Montréal Canadiens on December 21st, 2011 and got these three back signed in black sharpie on February 9th, 2012 - a very quick turnaround. No idea what happened to the other card, and don't remember what it was, either. But three is more than alright.

Budaj started his career with the Colorado Avalanche, backing David Aebischer, then José Théodore during the 2005-06 season. He eventually became the starter (backed by Andrew Raycroft) before taking a backseat to Craig Anderson. On the left, from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Rookie Class set (card #35), you can see the Avs' original away jersey, while on the right, from UD's 2008-09 Victory set (card #143) is the Reebok version of that jersey, pretty similar but absolutely ugly, where the black and white from the sleeves is replaced with piping on the chest, and an additional blue stripe appears for no reason under the arms.

On the first day of free agency last summer, when many were hoping the Habs would sign Théodore, Mathieu Garon or Jean-Sébastien Giguère to back up Carey Price, the Montréal Canadiens instead turned to Budaj - for two seasons. So far this year, despite going 2-5-1 (with a 2.73 GAA and .906 save %), Budaj has played as well as Price, he just hasn't been very lucky. This card showing him in training camp (before he got his current Ned Flanders-clad helmet) is from Panini's 2011-12 Score set (card #260).

I like that Budaj also added his respective jersey numbers on the card - 31 for the Avalanche, and 30 for the Canadiens, a number previously worn by star enforcer Chris Nilan.

Devan Dubnyk: 3 Autographed Cards

2012-02-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

Devan Dubnyk is a top goaltending prospect from the Edmonton Oilers organization; he was so promising, in fact, that they chose him over Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers. I sent him these three cards and a fan letter - care of the Oilers - on March 25th, 2011, and got them all back, signed in black sharpie, with his number (40) tagged at the end (even though he wore #30 in two of the three pictures) on October 27th, 2011.

Pictured above are two different seasons' worth of Kamloops Blazers' home jerseys. The card on the left is from In The Game's 2004-05 Heroes And Prospects set (card #71), while the one on the right is from the 2005-06 Heroes And Prospects set (card #178). I like the consistency of these sets, in that they stay similar enough to be recognized, but different enough to figure out they're from different seasons. Kind of cool that he played for the Blazers and was drafted by the Oilers, who share the same uniform colours.

The third card is from In The Game's 2007-08 Between The Pipes set, the Future Stars sub-set (card #12). Sure, it's a poorly-lit low-resolution picture as the BTP sets often have, but where else are you going to find respectable AHL cards?

Dubnyk played 35 games with the Oilers last season, going 12-13-8 with a 2.71 GAA and a .916 save %; he's set to play more games this season, having already appeared in 27 games (10-12-1), with a 3.01 GAA and .908 save %, as they finally have play

José Theodore Jersey Card

2012-02-06T05:24:00.002-05:00

Year in and year out, these days, it seems José Theodore gets no respect. He gets signed to small-ish contracts and constantly has to battle for his ice time with younger goalies.

This season, he stands at the middle of all league stats with a 14-9-5 record, a 2.50 GAA and a .916 save percentage with a free-falling Florida Panthers team.

Last season, with the Minnesota Wild, he went 15-11-3 (2.71 GAA and .916%), and the year before that, with the Washington Capitals, he went an astounding 30-7-7 (2.81 GAA and .911%) on a team that was going all cylinders on offense and didn't care about D at all.

José still has game, and should play in the NHL for at least 3 more good years.

This card is from Upper Deck's 2001-02 Mask Collection set, the Super Stoppers goalie jersey sub-set (card #SS-TH). It depicts him as a member of the Montréal Canadiens (another huge swatch), the year where he was going to win the Hart, Vezina and Crozier trophies. With the stats he's keeping, they're going to have a hard time keeping him out of the Hall Of Fame someday...

I got this for $1.99 on Ebay a few years back, when he was with the Colorado Avalanche...

Matt Duchene Jersey Card

2012-02-06T05:07:00.001-05:00

For a guy who went third overall at the 2009 draft (behind John Tavares and Victor Hedman), Matt Duchene is carving out quite a career for himself. He is already the youngest player in Colorado Avalanche history to reach 100 points (beating out my all-time favourite player Joe Sakic, who spent an extra year at the junior level), and youngest ever to lead the team in scoring, the following season.

This season, he hasn't played since December 29th because of an injury, but he did gather 24 points in 39 games, including his very first career hat trick on November 4th.

This card is #AF-MD in Upper Deck's 2010-11 SP Game-Used set, and what I like about it the most isn't the unusually big swatch but the fact that it is numbered #1/100... that's right, I got the very first chunk of tissue tagged onto a card from this jersey, for this season. Everything about this card screams ''Awesome''!

Lars Eller Autographed Card

2012-01-23T16:56:00.001-05:00

I had originally sent Lars Eller the three following cards, on November 19th, 2011:

Today I received this one back, signed in black sharpie:

and the other two unsigned. Whether that means he doesn't like Panini or Score cards or just signs one at a time, I'm unsure.

To many, Eller is the promising center the Montréal Canadiens got from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for playoff hero goalie Jaroslav Halak. To others, he's the 4-goal man from a month and a half ago.

To me, he's the heir to Tomas Plekanec as the all-around quality two-way center who can rack up nearly a point per game regardless of who he is playing with. In a few years, of course.

In the meantime, he can continue on his quest to be the best Danish player in NHL history.

The card he did sign was from Upper Deck's beautiful 2011-12 Victory set, and is card #105 in the collection.

Phil Kessel And Nikolai Kulemin - Jersey Card

2012-01-21T01:52:00.001-05:00

I seem to collect these dual Phil Kessel jersey cards, don't I? Well, I don't. So this one and the one linked in the previous sentence are for trade, if anyone's interested. For reason of Leafs and Bruins...

Phil Kessel is currently proving he is a first-line sniper in the NHL because the Toronto Maple Leafs are no longer a laughingstock... although they are a far cry from where they were when the season started. He will be participating in his second straight All Star Game later this month and played in his 400th NHL game in December against... his former team, the Boston Bruins.

Nikolai Kulemin is currently in his fourth season with the Leafs after they chose him in the second round in 2006. He managed to rack up 30 goals and 57 points last year, which is pretty impressive considering he played with Mikhail Grabovski all season long.

This card, from Upper Deck's 2010-11 SPX set, the Winning Combos sub-set (card #WC-KK). The piece of jersey belonging to Kessel is white while Kulemin's is blue, and both are guaranteed to have been used in an official game.

Again, it's for trade.

Miki Black Autograph Card

2012-01-21T00:58:00.000-05:00

Benchwarmer's 2011 Vault set was advertised as a means for the brand to liquidate past redemption products it still had in stock as inserts, with added brand-new autograph cards to boot. This is card #14 in their ''recycled-image-for-new-autograph-card'' sub-set.

Miki Black - formerly known as Miki Twinning - is a model who has appeared in such TV shows as Entourage, Manswers, CSI: New York and Las Vegas and has recently started a rock band in which she sings and plays guitar. She has a B.F.A. in Commercial Art/Computer Design from Millikin University (Illinois), though, so she's more than just a pretty face.

But what usually catches most people's eye is her attraction to problems, namely alcohol, drugs, and a propensity for drama which allegedly can turn into failed suicide attempts, according to a guy who claims to be her ex. He has written this very public open letter to her, probaly trying to catch a bit of the vapors from her success:

My name is John Hofman & in 1991 I dated a sexy little lady whos name was Miki Twining , now known as Miki Black. She was one little hell cat for sure. I could tell you some tells ,but for now I wanted to share how very srewed up mentaly , she was.
     At the time she was taking Lithium & on 2 occassions she slit her wrists . Once sitting on my couch she took a knife & stabbe herself in the leg. Another time while driving down the street she opened the door ( she was driving ) & hung outside the car & was being drug down the street.
        I realy loved that girl but I got caught up in her problems & ended a mess myself. The thing I will always remeber was when she looked me in the eye & said " I am evil & you do not want to fall in love with me "
       I just recently found out that she is now Miki Black , the model. I hope & pray she is doing good & has overcome whatever problems that haunted her back then. If for any reason Miki should read this , I want to say how very sorry I am that I could not love her & care for her as she needed because of my own problems with drugs & alcahol . I hope you will forgive me & know I will always love you .
                                                             sincerly
                                                       John S Hofman

Good luck, man.

David Desharnais: 2 Autographed Cards

2012-01-19T13:43:00.005-05:00

This season, David Desharnais has arguably been the Montréal Canadiens' top center. A star playmaker since his days in juniors, where he captained the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, he went undrafted because of his diminutive stature (5'7'', 177 pounds) but was signed as a free agent after a tryout with the Habs, then promptly shipped to the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones, where he dominated, gathering 106 points in 68 games (plus 33 more in 22 playoff games) to win league MVP, Rookie OF The Year, First All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team awards and leading his team to the championship.

He then spent the next two seasons with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, scoring 24 goals and 58 points in his rookie year in 2008-09, then 78 points in 60 games to lead the team in 2009-10. Last year, he had colelcted 45 points in 35 games with the Bulldogs before getting called up with the Habs, where he's been ever since.

The card on top, showing him in the Bulldogs' white uniform is from In The Game's 2009-10 Heroes And Prospects set (card #43), while the one on the bottom, in the Habs' white jersey, is from Panini's 2011-12 Score (card #252). Both are signed in blue sharpie, with his jersey number from the card tagged at the end, 36 and 58 respectively, both rare feats considering he generally wore #51 at all professional levels. The cards were signed in person at a pre-season game in Québec City; a fellow collector traded these to me in exchange for some basketball (2) and football (1) autographed insert cards.

I'm a big fan of this little man, and I hope to send him some TTM cards soon as well.

Brian Engblom Autographed Card

2012-01-17T16:39:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I participated in a contest organized by the reference in hockey card collecting, Sal Barry. And I won, kind of: I did answer correctly, but wasn't the first to do so. He did send me this magnificent consolation prize, though: an autographed 1981-82 Topps Brian Engblom card (card #10 in the set manufactured by Topps).

It is signed in black sharpie and I'm pretty sure he got it through the mail, as can be attested by his other Engblom success, which includes a nice back story on how he's now a very interesting colour commentator. He mentions writing to him in the future, and that post does have the same card, but signed in blue, so I assume mine is from a later shipment.

I would like to thank Sal publicly - for being a really nice guy through contests like these, but also for being the reference we all follow through his Q&A section - as well as for the fact that he's always available to answer any new questions we might have.

And since I was born in the late 70s, I don't really have many memories of Engblom as a member of the Montréal Canadiens, with whom he won 3 Stanley Cups. Instead, I view him more as a King or Capital; thanks to Sal for making Engblom a member of my hometown team in my mind from now on!

Colin Kaepernick Jersey Card

2012-01-12T18:11:00.000-05:00

Colin Kaepernick is a young quarterback with a cannon arm and his name in the record books already, for having passed 10,000+ yards and rushed for 4,000+ more - the only QB to do so in FBS history while with the Nevada Wolf Pack.

Now a member of the San Francisco 49ers, he will have a shot at joining the ranks of 49ers immortal QBs such as Joe Montana and Steve Young.

This card was a steal on Ebay at 99 cents. It is card #5 of Panini's 2001 Absolute Memorabilia set, numbered 6/50. It contains a piece of clothing - likely the pants considering the seam - that he wore at the NFL PLAYERS Rookie Premiere, specifically on May 21st 2011. I like that Panini went out of its way to include the date, it shows attention to the product and care for the fan - and an added touch of authenticity.

Mathieu Carle Autographed Card

2012-01-12T17:48:00.000-05:00

For a few years, Mathieu Carle was considered the Montréal Canadiens' top prospect on defense, ahead of such players as Mark Streit, Yannick Weber and even P.K. Subban. Unfortunately, freak injuries at ~~two~~ three consecutive training camps where he looked poised for a roster spot have turned him into one of those ''probably-too-good-for-the-AHL'' players who'll never get a full-time position in the NHL because of a stall in his development and... a lack of experience caused by little more than bad luck.

The Habs traded his rights to the Anaheim Ducks in July 2011 in an attempt to give him a shot somewhere else. I would have loved for him to be sent to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he could have been paired with... their Matt Carle. ''Matt Carle to Matt Carle, back to Matt Carle''... that would have been priceless.

Here's what Hockey's Future has to say about Mathieu Carle:

Carle is a strong offensive presence from the blue line, with good skating and strong puck-handling ability. He can tend to get a little too focused on his offensive game, though, and will occasionally neglect his defensive responsibilities. When he does focus on his own end, he is willing to drop in front of shots, and is good positionally. However, that is when he does. Consistency and focus is an issue with Carle’s play. He has good size, and is willing to get his nose dirty from time to time, but will have to use his size more effectively, and more regularly, in order to intimidate the opposition.
Carle has the talent to be a top four defenseman in the professional ranks. Whether or not he can get the focus to attain the level of his ability is another matter. He will look to further improve his defensive game, while cutting back on needless penalties.

This card is from Upper Deck's 2009-10 Series 2 set (card #472). He signed it for me (in blue sharpie, adding his jersey number, 72) after a practice at training camp prior to the 2010-11 season where he... suffered a freak injury for the third straight year.

Cam Talbot Autograph Card

2011-12-28T17:14:00.000-05:00

Cam Talbot has spent the past 3 seasons changing leagues and jerseys more often than underwear. Undrafted, he went from the University of Alabama-Huntsville to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack when the New York Rangers signed him as a free agent. He then split the 20110-11 season between the Wolf Pack - which became the Connecticut Whale midway through the season - and the ECHL's Greenville Road Warriors, earning a call-up with the Rangers but seeing no ice time.

He is currently #3 on the Rangers' depth chart in nets, after superstar Henrik Lundqvist and top backup Martin Biron. Some New York writers are having fun at his expense for always getting called up but never playing.

This beautiful foil card came in a pack of Panini's 2011-12 Certified (card #160) and is from the Freshman Signatures sub-set. It is signed on card in blue sharpie.

Mike Modano Jersey Card

2011-12-18T20:01:00.000-05:00

Definitely one of the best American players of all time, Mike Modano retired at the beginning of the season when no team would offer him a contract. He spent all except one season as a member of the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise, with his lone season with another organization coming last year, his hometown Detroit Red Wings.

A staple of international competition, Modano played for Team USA 11 different times (which makes guessing which edition this jersey emanates from a useless endeavour), winning the silver medal at the 2002 Olympics as well as the 1991 Canada Cup, and gold at the inaugural 1996 World Cup (the Canada Cup's replacement). All this in addition to 2 Stanley Cup finals (one Cup, with Dallas, in 1999), an All-Rookie Team nod in 1990, and 8 All Star games.

This card is from In The Game's 2011-12 Canada Vs. The World set, the World Junior Grads insert sub-set (card #WJG-25). It is the Silver Version, but as with the Ryan Miller card, I have no idea how many were made.

Ryan Miller Jersey Card

2011-12-18T18:40:00.002-05:00

Ryan Miller has probably been the best goalie in the world for the past 2 years, with a Vezina trophy and a silver medal at the Olympics to show for it. And he's from the famous Michigan Miller family, which has already produced 5 NHLers.

Sure, this season hasn't exactly started off on the right track - he was even yanked last night after surrendering 5 goals on 15 shots in just less than 30 minutes - but you can count on him to bounce back in a major way. And, as long as the Buffalo Sabres make the playoffs, with the team they have, they can beat any team there.

This card is from In The Game's 2011-12 Canada Vs The World set, the Global Greats jersey sub-set (card #GG-19), featuring a dark blue swatch of Miller's former AHL team, the Rochester Americans. And, yes, I find it weird that they took an AHL jersey rather than a Team USA one, but it's a nice big swatch, so that's that. Also, I'm aware that it being a 'Silver Version' means something about the number of cards produced, but I have no idea what it is and the product's webpage doesn't say.

Matt Carkner: 2 Autographed Cards

2011-12-17T16:23:00.000-05:00

I've been following Matt Carkner's career since he was drafted by the Montréal Canadiens (my hometown team) 58th overall in the 1999 draft. It was a second-rounder, but he was the Habs' first pick because the New York Islanders' held the Habs' first-round pick (10th overall, they chose Branislav Mezei with it, not a big loss) from the Trevor Linden trade.

The Habs never signed Carkner, though, so after his time in juniors - all with the Peterborough Petes - was done, the San Jose Sharks signed him and sent him to their AHL affiliate Cleveland Barons, where he spent the better part of 5 seasons, dressing for just 1 Sharks game, in which he collected an assist and a penalty.

After a season in the Pittsburgh Penguins' system, he was signed by the Ottawa Senators, who assigned hid to their AHL affiliate in Binghampton for two years. Since 2009-10, however, he has been a full-time Senator, serving as the Sens' official enforcer and also a reliable presence defensively. In many respects, he reminds me a bit of Lyle Odelein, a former Habs crowd favourite.

This season, he has just played 4 games so far, as he was injured; he came back on December 10th.

I sent him the two cards, care of the Sens, on November 19th - the same day I sent these ones to former Senator Peter Sidorkiewicz - and got them both back, signed in black sharpie with his jersey number (39) added on the end, on December 14th - less than a month later!

The card on the left is from Panini's beautiful 2010-11 Score set (card #348), while the one on the right is from Panini's equally stunning 2010-11 Crown Royale collection, card #8 from the Achievements sub-set (numbered 399/499), celebrating his first NHL goal, which came 10 years after he was drafted, against the Islanders' Martin Biron. He also scored a triple-overtime goal in the playoffs against the Penguins' Marc-André Fleury that year.

Peter Sidorkiewicz: 5 Autographed Cards

2011-12-09T01:53:00.003-05:00

An Adams division rival who played the Québec Nordiques and Montréal Canadiens often made it so that I could see Peter Sidorkiewicz in at least a third of the games he played when I was growing up, even though back then not all games were televised.

Born in Poland, Sidorkiewicz' family moved to Canada in time for him to play through the Canadian minor hockey system, culminating in his playing for the OHL's Oshawa Generals, leading to his being drafted by the Washington Capitals, who eventually traded his rights away to the Hartford Whalers, who let him perfect his game for 4 seasons with their AHL farm team, the Binghampton Whalers.

After splitting duties with superstar goalie Mike Liut for a season - earning an All-Rookie Team nod in the process - he was given the net full-time in the following season when the Whalers sent Liut to... the Capitals.

After 4 successful seasons with the Whalers, however, he was left unprotected for the expansion draft and he was the very first player chosen by the Ottawa Senators. The inaugural season may not have been the easiest, but Sidorkiewicz provided the team and its fans most of its brightest moments, as can be attested by his presence at the 1992-93 All Star Game. He was so good, in fact, that the New Jersey Devils traded for him at season's end - for 3 players, a goalie (Craig Billington), a forward (Troy Mallette), and a draft pick. Unfortunately for him, Martin Brodeur took the #1 goaltending job, and Sidorkiewicz only played 4 games over 5 seasons in Jersey, spending the bulk of his time in the minors.

Still, All-Rookie and NHL All Star - that's a heck of a career.

I sent these 5 cards and a fan letter to Sidorkiewicz's home on November 19th (2011). I got them back on December 7th, all signed in black sharpie. In my letter, I mentioned that I, too, as a goalie, used to wear more than one brand of gear, with Brian's also being my choice of glove, as can be attested here, when I played for the Bantam AAA Sens in a summer league prior to moving on to the Midget AAA level:

I did use Vaughn blockers, though, not Brown like him.

Onto the cards:

These three are of Sidorkiewicz in the Whalers' early-90s home (white) and away (green) jerseys; these would change a bit before their move to Carolina. Notice how the team's logo is white on their away jerseys - just like in their WHA and early NHL days - but that the home one has it coloured in green and blue.

The card of the left is from Upper Deck's 1991-92 Upper Deck set (card #325), classy and simple with the white borders. I also like the picture on the back, making a glove save on a shot that's clearly too high, with Randy Ladouceur checking a New York Islanders player behind the net:

The card on the right is from Score's 1992-93 Score (Canadian) set (card #41), while the one in the middle is from Fleer's 1992-93 Fleer Ultra set (card #150) and despite showing him in the Whalers' uniform, has his listed as a member of the Senators. That's because 'premium' sets such as Ultra were produced later in the year, so they had enough time to update their data at least to Opening Day.

But the following two cards are the ones I prefer, not just because the signature fits with the uniforms, but because I actually really liked the Sens' original jerseys: black, red and white, how could you go wrong?

The card on the left, where he is sporting the home (white) uniform, is from Score's 1992-93 Pinnacle set (card #371). Pinnacle was Score's premium brand, and as the card market started to switch (93-96), they tried to re-brand themselves by changing the company's name to Pinnacle Brands, trying to market itself as premium-first, with Score becoming their lone low-level product.

The card on the right, with the dark (away) jersey, is from Pro Set's 1992-93 Pro Set collection (card #125).

Ironically, the face-only team picture on the back of each card has him wearing the other jersey:

I must say I really like how he went out of his way to sign all the cards at the bottom, keeping the integrity of the pictures and of his poses. And he took the liberty of putting the cards in penny sleeves - which I hadn't even included (here's why, thanks again Sal!). All of that in less than three weeks!

Adam Henrique Autograph Card

2011-12-05T10:55:00.000-05:00

I went to a dollar store last week and they had packs of Panini's 2011-12 Score, which I had originally purchased two boxes of, and I figured at a buck apiece, they weren't all that expensive, so I purchased 5 packs.

35 cards in total, 4 Highlights cards, 5 glossy, 1 Net Cam and 3 Hot Rookies, plus the one pictured above of Adam Henrique, autographed (blue sharpie on a sticker). I like Panini's thought process here, to tack a sticker on the card for the autographs: it allows for a faster turnaround, enabling the cards to be in the packs rather than be sent redemption-style, plus it helps to differentiate between the cards you pulled up already autographed and those you'll collect yourself, which will likely be direct on the card.

As for Henrique, he is a stud. He plays for the defensively-minded New Jersey Devils and still managed to rack up 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in 22 games so far, including 6 in his last 5 games, 10 in his last 10. The former third-round pick (87th overall in 2008) has won the Memorial Cup twice in juniors, and a silver medal (with Team Canada) at the World Juniors. A winner just like the Devils like 'em.

Michelle Baena Autograph Card

2011-11-21T23:36:00.000-05:00

It's been a month and a half since I last posted about Michelle Baena. She remains a highlight of the Benchwarmer sets, as is evidenced by this 2011 Benchwarmer Vault autograph card (card #RG8), signed in black sharpie.

What I particularly like about this sub-set is they all seem to be dressed in the Racer Girls uniform, a usual insert set for Benchwarmer, but one Baena usually isn't included in as far as I know. But it goes back to the series' initial plot line - sports-inspired model cards.

Drew Doughty Jersey Card

2011-11-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

Drew Doughty is a force to be reckoned with, and probably will be for quite some time. He is the second-youngest ever Norris Trophy nominee (behind only Bobby Orr), and youngest Team Canada men's team medal winner (2010 Olympics) since Eric Lindros (1991 Canada Cup).

Having grown up a Los Angeles Kings fan, getting drafted by them (second overall, 2008) and playing for them is a dream come true. Kind of makes you wonder, though, why he held out on the team for 13 days during training camp to sign a contract ($56M for 8 years) that pretty much ensures the team won't be able to afford a high-priced free agent at the trade deadline to pack the team up for a Cup run in this salary-cap era.

With all due respect for Doughty, at that price, I strongly prefer my Montréal Canadiens' one-two punch of Andrei Markov ($5.75M) and P.K. Subban ($1M, probably 4 next season)...

In any event, while I await a response from Doughty (I sent him 4 cards on March 29th), I did manage to scoop this nice card up, from Panini's 2010-11 Crown Royale set (yet another collection from the mid-90s Panini has revived), the Lords Of The NHL sub-set (card # 9, numbered 55/99) featuring a swatch of the no-longer-in-use Kings' vintage purple jersey.

Upper Deck Victory 2011-12 Box Break

2011-11-17T03:52:00.000-05:00

As every year, Upper Deck's 2011-12 Victory set is a beautiful, cheap (around a buck a pack) set that happens to be the first release of the season. And like just about every year, Sidney Crosby is the brand's poster child.

And after years of featuring perfect-to-get-autographed white backgrounds, this season's set features a colourful background fitting each team, one that looks pretty good:

Also, there are a ton of nice-looking inserts, just about in every pack. Here was my box's breakdown:

36 packs per box, 6 cards per box, total cards: 216

Regular cards:

Victory Rookies: 17 (including one checklist card of Cody Hodgson)

Game Breakers: 9, including Taylor Hall

Star Of The Game: 9

MVP (which used to be a set of its own): 16

MVP Rookies: 2, including Hodgson

Montréal Canadiens (my home team): 7 (including P.K. Subban, plus one Rookie of future star Brendon Nash)

All in all, the first set to leave me fully satisfied this season...

2 Donruss 2010-11 Blaster Box Breaks

2011-11-17T03:29:00.000-05:00

Toys R Us had a ''special'' on Panini's 2010-11 Donruss blaster boxes - basically, mini-boxes of 8 packs - so I purchased 2 to see what was up with that. 16 packs, 10 cards per - 160 cards total.

Now, I appreciate that Panini is trying to revive the early-90s brands Upper Deck doesn't own such as Donruss and Score, but I find it rather odd that they'd try to make Donruss seem like a middle-to-upper class set, because I must say that at $2 a pack these seemed like a total waste of money - and at regular price, and the suggested retailer price, of $3 per - getting 10 of these so-so designs and sub-par pictures reminiscent of Panini stickers sure feels like getting ripped off:

And I can't get my head around the fact that they want me to believe these cards are worth 30 cents each on average...

Here's the breakdown:

16 packs, 10 cards per, total cards: 160

Regular cards: 146

Rated Rookies: 5

Ice Kings: 1, Mario Lemieux

The Ultimate Draft: 1, Thomas Vanek

Boys Of Winter: 1, Niklas Backstrom

Montréal Canadiens (my home team): 7 (including 1 Rated Rookie, Brock Trotter).

There is no way in hell, I'm getting any kind of money's worth for this crap...

Craig Simpson: 4 Autographed Cards

2011-11-14T10:04:00.000-05:00

Score another one for the Edmonton Oilers!

I sent Craig Simpson these four cards and a fan letter on November 25th, 2010, care of the CBC's Audience Relations department, and got them all back, signed in black sharpie with his jersey number (18) added, on September 13th, 2011. For a broadcaster who travels following Western Canadian teams, that's a pretty good turnaround.

Simpson is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Oilers (1987-88 and 1989-90) and holds career NHL records for best shooting percentage both in the regular season (23.66%) and the playoffs (33.65%). He has 68 points in 67 career playoff games, proving he was good under pressure. He scored a career-high 43 goals in a mere 59 games in 1987-88 (he had 13 more in 19 playoff games) and had a career-high 76 points he following season with 35 goals in 66 games.

He also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres, but I mostly remember him as an Oiler, skating on a line with Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson.

Sports must have played a major part of his childhood, as his mother was Canadian Olympian Marion Simpson, his brother is hockey player Dave Simpson and his sister Christine covers hockey for Sportsnet. His son Dillon Simpson was drafted by the Oilers in the 2011 draft.

Craig got into a bit of controversy when participating in Battle Of The Blades, a Dancing With The Stars-like skating competition on CBC. Paired with iconic gold-medal Olympian Jamie Salé, he won the competition, however when it was revealed the two had had an affair, it broke both their couples apart.

Now, onto the cards.

This card shows Simpson wearing the Oilers' legendary away jersey and is from Score's 1992-93 Score (American) set (card #260). The card below (also #260) is from the 1992-93 Score (Canadian) set and shows him in the Oilers' home uniform. I like that Score went through the trouble of making two distinct sets that year rather than just have one be bilingual and not the other.

The next two cards also show Simpson in the Oilers' blue jersey:

The card on the left is from Pro Set's 1990-91 Pro Set collection (card #95) while the one on the right is from Score's inaugural 1990-91 Score set (card #58). While I always liked the initial Score set, I'm getting re-acquainted with the first Pro Set one and am liking it again as well. Its design was original and appealing - it's too bad it was over-abundant and is now worth nothing.

Claude Giroux Dual Jersey Card

2011-11-14T07:48:00.000-05:00

I love finding great deals on Ebay!

This beautiful dual-patch jersey card - from a rookie photo shoot, but still nice! - of the Philadelphia Flyers' Claude Giroux was being auctioned with a starting price of $1.99 - and no one else bid, so I got it for that price!

It's from Upper Deck's beautiful 2008-09 Ice set (Fresh Threads sub-set, card #FT-GI) and has both a black and a white swatch.

After leading his team in scoring with 76 points last season, the Flyers saw it fit to hand Giroux the team's reigns by trading captain Mike Richards and associate captain Jeff Carter in the off-season, and Giroux has responded great so far: he currently sits 8th in the NHL for goals (with 9) and 9th for points (with 19).

2 Score 2011-12 Box Breaks

2011-11-14T07:24:00.003-05:00

Just like last year, I decided to purchase two boxes of this year's lower-end product, the 2011-12 Score set by Panini. I've liked Score since its late-80s baseball sets and became more of a fan when they made the move to hockey in 1990-91 with all the other manufacturers.

After their initial season, however, their designs weren't as fun, their featured rookies were awful, and my interest waned. History seems to be repeating itself.

This year's set contains 550 cards: 35 ''highlights'' cards, 465 regular cards and 50 rookies. Additionally, there are 20 ''short-print'' rookie cards, which happen to be the best ones - from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Gabriel Landeskog, with Alexei Yemelin and Sean Couturier thrown in for good measure - and a flurry of sub-sets. View the complete checklist here.

At a buck per pack, 36 packs per box and 7 cards per pack, these are the most affordable hockey cards on the market, even though very few cards will ever be worth the 15 cents average you're purchasing them at; what you want are the inserts, preferably the autographs. I managed to get a redemption card for one, which will be a rookie to boot (just like last year's Jordan Eberle, only this time, a player I have no clue about, Carson McMillan). Most of the rest will be used to gather autographs, although I'll probably try to sell the Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby cards along with a few rookies on Ebay for a buck apiece, trying to get at least a third of my money back.

Score's strengths, like Upper Deck's O-Pee-Chee line, resides in the number of cards in its set, where it's not just the NHL's top-100 scorers, but also a few role players who nowadays don't appear as frequently in card sets. Collectors and autograph-seekers such as myself appreciate that a lot.

But lower-end sets sell at less and probably make the company a whole let less cash, so cost-cutting measures such as having the autograph cards be the same as the regular ones albeit with a sticker on which the player's signature is affixed are now widely accepted. Others, however, such as these two cards of Jason Pominville from box #2 with the exact same picture are downright insulting, especially when you get them in the same pack:

And while we're at it, can we talk about the cheap design? The lines on the side are reminiscent of last year's Donruss set by the same company, but with an added white border comes off like its trashy cousin.

Add that to the fact that some pictures are too light as if the camera's flash was too intense (or, more likely, Panini went overboard on Photoshop):

(actually, the scan makes these look much better than they do in real life)

others are too dark, like they were taken in a minor-league arena in the 1980s:

and others just have the colours looking all kinds of wrong:

If I didn't intend on just getting most of these signed, as a collector being given this sub-par product, I'd be pissed off. In this day and age of people not having jobs let alone any money, Score is showing tremendous disrespect to its clientele.

And that's saying nothing of this Nik Antropov card, with a picture snagged at the awful press conference that passed for the Winnipeg Jets' jersey unveiling:

Anyhow, here is how the first box broke down:

36 packs, 7 cards per: 252 cards

Regular cards: 134

'Glossy' parallel: 35, including two 'Highlights' cards, and a few stars including Tim Thomas, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrice Bergeron.

'Gold' parallel: 1

Hot Rookies: 19, the biggest name being Blake Geoffrion, and one of the cards being a short-print, Ryan Johansen.

Playoff Heroes: 2

Sudden Death: 2: Ilya Kovalchuk and John Tavares.

The Franchise: 1, Jeff Skinner.

Net Cam: 3

First Goal: 1, Derek Stepan.

Score B: 1, Corey Perry.

Making An Entrance: 3, Carey Price, Nicklas Lidstrom and Miikka Kiprusoff.

Highlight Cards: 19 regular, two glossy.

Montréal Canadiens (my home team): 10, including 1 rookie (Aaron Palushaj), 1 Making An Entrance (Price), 1 Highlight (P.K. Subban) and 1 Glossy (Andrei Markov).

Plus the redemption card.

------------------------

Here is a breakdown of the second box:

36 packs, 7 cards per: 252 cards

Regular cards: 169

'Glossy' parallel: 35, including five 'Highlights' cards - chief of which a Mario Lemieux Winter Classic card - and a few young stars including Shea Weber, John Tavares, Brayden Schenn, and Tyler Seguin.

'Gold' parallel: 1, Ryan Getzlaf.

'Black' parallel: 1

Hot Rookies: 18, the biggest name again being Blake Geoffrion, and two of Chris Vande Velde - with a short-print, Matt Read.

Playoff Heroes: 1, ironically of Roberto Luongo...

Sudden Death: 2: Alexandre Burrows and Jason Chimera.

The Franchise: 1, Luongo again.

Net Cam: 3, Luongo, Carey Price and Cam Ward.

First Goal: 1, Erik Condra.

Making An Entrance: 3, Patrick Kane, Martin St-Louis and Jamie Benn.

Highlight Cards: 17 regular, five glossy.

Montréal Canadiens (my home team): 10, including 1 rookie (Aaron Palushaj again), 1 Net Cam (Price), and 1 Glossy (P.K. Subban).

Tony Gwynn Jersey And Stamp Card

2011-11-12T22:27:00.000-05:00

I'm typically not a fan of the Americana-series cards, because I can do without getting a bunch of dinosaur cards. And the ''celebrities'' you can possibly get are either deceased, are shown in an awful picture, or are just plain nobodies.

And when you get an athlete, he is never shown wearing his major league team's colours, because the card company didn't purchase the rights to show it. Such is the case with this still-fine Tony Gwynn card from Panini's 2010 Century Collection (card #45, numbered 69/250).It contains a piece of jersey ''worn by Gwynn in an official game'', so probably as a member of the San Diego Padres - the only team he played for in his Hall Of Fame 20-year career; it also contains an official U.S. stamp commemorating the sport of baseball. But the picture shows him wearing his hometown Long Beach Polytechnic High School uniform...

As a Montréal Expos fan, I can say Gwynn was one of the few players from opposing teams I truly respected: he never hit below .309 (!!), won 8 batting titles (almost every other year!), struck out only 434 times in his career (!!!) and had an inside-the-park grand slam (!!!!).

His mother was born on August 6th, a day on which he hit his 2000th hit (1993) and - one I saw on TV - his 3000th, in 1999, against the Expos' Dan Smith. He also hit his 1500th against Montréal, off pitcher Steve Frey.

Matt Moulson Jersey Card

2011-11-12T21:07:00.002-05:00

This beautiful, extra-thick card jersey card from Panini's 2010-11 Dominion set (card #61, numbered 31/99) features a nice picture of Matt Moulson and a decent-sized dark blue swatch from the New York Islanders' home jersey. I used to be indifferent about the Isles' jerseys, but this return to their original design is a breath of fresh air after over a decade of sub-par uniforms.

As for Moulson, he's one of those feel-good hockey stories, a forgotten prospect passed over by two teams (the Pittsburgh Penguins, who drafted him 263rd overall in 2003 without ever signing him, and the Los Angeles Kings, who signed him to an entry-level contract but only gave him 29 games of NHL time) who became a two-time 30-goal scorer for the Isles, playing with prodigy John Tavares, a fellow Mississauga native.

Ralph Intranuovo Autographed Card

2011-11-10T09:11:00.000-05:00

After having seen the Edmonton Oilers give the Montréal Canadiens a lesson in opportunistic defensive hockey on Tuesday, it seemed fitting to feature this card next, as it depicts both those teams' farm clubs in the early 1990s.

Ralph Intranuovo was one of those 50-goal, 100-point juniors card companies viewed as a blue chip prospect, but having been chosen in the 4th round (96th overall) at the 1992 draft shows there was a bit of doubt in his case.

But the Oilers really liked him, not only drafting him, but the season after losing him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, they traded for his rights again. All in all, he played 22 games in the NHL - 3 with the Leafs, 19 with the Oilers - and has two goals and four assists to show for it. At age 37, he is still playing professionally, in Italy, with HC Asiago.

This card (#186), from Classic's 1993-94 Pro Prospects set, sees him in the away uniform for the Cape Breton Oilers, a team for which he once scored 46 goals and 93 points in a single season (1994-95). He signed it in blue sharpie for a friend of mine, who ended up selling me his collection.

Guillaume Latendresse: 4 Autographed Cards

2011-10-31T04:37:00.002-04:00

Guillaume Latendresse is an under-rated sniper and power forward often criticized either for lack of speed - which isn't entirely true, it's more that he's far from graceful in his stride, however his hits totals always show he's often near the puck - or lack of commitment to being in shape. These criticisms are odd, considering he has always been a good point producer at every level.

From the day he was chosen second only to Sidney Crosby at the LHJMQ draft, he had 49, 78 and 83-point seasons in juniors, which led to his being picked in the second round by the Montréal Canadiens, where he started his career. While with the Habs, he had the NHL's highest point-per-minute played ratio in the league, but hometown critics were too strong, and he was traded to the Minnesota Wild, where he scored 25 goals in a mere 55 games to cap off the 2009-10 season, before scoring the very first goal of the 2010-11 season on his way to an injury-crippled 11-game, 6-point year.

This year, as of writing this entry, he has 1 goal, 4 assists, good for 5 points in seven games, and he stands second on the Wild.

I'm confident he'll silence his critics at some pint, and they'll just let him play; perhaps at that moment he'll shatter the 30-goal plateau consistently, like a modern-day Keith Tkachuk.

I sent all 4 of these cards (care of the Wild) at the end of last season, on March 29, 2011, and received them back, signed in black sharpie, on October 4, 2011. He added his number below his signature - 84 with the Habs (the first NHL player to wear that number, by the way), and 48 with the Wild.

The card on the left, the Habs' classic red jersey, is from Upper Deck's beautiful 2007-08 SP Authentic collection (card #18), while the one on the right, in the Canadiens' white uniform, is from the equally eye-catching and unique 2007-08 McDonald's set (card #27), also from UD; it's all-foil, relief printing.

Unfortunately, I didn't have Guillaume wearing the Wild's home uniform, only the (white) away jersey, but he was kind enough to still sign both: on the left, a 2010-11 Score card (#254) from Panini, and a UD 2010-11 Black Diamond (card #69), which, ironically, looks darker and almost better on the scan than in person.

For having played in summer pick-up games with him and other NHLers such as Jan Bulis, Martin Havlat, and a slew of others, I can tell you this: he'll always match whatever talent's on the ice to be the most effective player - not the flashiest, but among the most productive.

Patrick Poulin Autograph Card

2011-09-02T18:51:00.000-04:00

Just like the Pat Falloon card I wrote about last week, this ''extremely limited edition card'' of retired NHL player Patrick Poulin features him in his junior team's uniform, the LHJMQ's St-Hyacinthe Laser, whose other notable alumni include Martin Brodeur, Martin Gendron, Georges Laraque, Pierre Sévigny, Éric Charron and Éric Landry. Because the team had previously been the Verdun Junior Canadiens, they kept the Habs' uniform design and just apposed the new team appellation's logo.

Poulin was chosen 9th overall in the first round of the 1991 draft by the Hartford Whalers, ahead of notable players such as Martin Lapointe (10th), Brian Rolston (11th), Alexei Kovalev (15th), Markus Naslund (16th), Ray Whitney (23rd), Zigmund Palffy (26th), and Sandis Ozolinsh (30th), on the strength of a 70-point season (32 points, 38 assists in 56 games) with the Laser.

The following season, he exploded with 52 goals, 86 assists, 138 points in 56 games in juniors, earning him the Q's Jean Béliveau Trophy as leading scorer - and prompting the Whalers to give him a chance on their team in 1992-93, where he fared respectably with 20 goals and 51 points in 81 games.

The following season, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks with Eric Weinrich for the Hawks' sniper Steve Larmer and mean defender Bryan Marchment - a sign he was valued at the time. Unfortunately, the Hawks weren't content with his half-point-per-game average in the Windy City and sent him packing to the Tampa Bay Lightning with bruising defenseman Igor Ulanov for enforcer Enrico Ciccone. Both teams also swapped second-round picks in the deal in which Poulin was pretty much rendered an afterthought.

After a 12-goal, 26-point season (73 games) in 1996-97, Poulin was once again traded (again with Ulanov!, also with enforcer Mick Vukota), this time to the Montréal Canadiens - a uniform he knew well - for Stéphane Richer, Darcy Tucker and David Wilkie, in one of many trades then-GM Réjean Houle made that completely decimated the team.

Poulin kind of retired as a Hab, splitting his final season in 2001-02 between the NHL club (5 assists in 28 games) and its AHL affiliate Québec Citadelles (12-7-19 in 31 games). The team included him in its Centennial celebrations nonetheless.

Other similarities with the Fallon card from last week include it being from The Score Board's 1991-92 Classic Draft Picks set, being ''extremely limited'' numbered 75 (or 95, it's unclear)/1100, a signed insert in blue sharpie. He is shown wearing the Laser's then-home jersey, modeled on the Montreal Canadiens' uniform, awaiting a pass with a Canadien-brand stick. Small world.

Derek Roy Autograph Card

2011-08-29T18:43:00.000-04:00

One team I'm sure will surprise many this season is the Buffalo Sabres, who have improved their defense, offense, and have one of the 5 best goalies on the planet in Ryan Miller.

But their key marquee player remains the underestimated Derek Roy, who is a Jonathan Toews-type of player: a point-per-game or close who is also very capable of playing in his own end and taking the puck away from opponents.

Plus, he's a capable leader, as he serves as his team's current alternate captain and has been a captain in juniors - for his OHL team the Kitchener Rangers, which he led to the Memorial Cup, where he even won the MVP trophy, the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy.

He has also twice won silver for Team Canada - once at the World Juniors (2003), and once at the World Championships (2008). And how do you make a winning team? By incorporating winners into it. And Derek sure is one.

This card (#DR) is from Upper Deck's 2006-07 Be A Player set and features Roy wearing the Sabres' infamous ''slug'' jersey in its white version. His signature - from a black sharpie - is on a sticker which was apposed onto the card.

Pat Falloon Autograph Card

2011-08-26T03:54:00.002-04:00

Pat Falloon was the second player chosen overall at the 1991 draft, behind ''The (First) Next One'', Eric Lindros. He was also the San Jose Sharks' very first pick ever.

As the first pick of an expansion franchise, one is expected to be the cornerstone of the team for years to come, perhaps a decade or longer, but Falloon never even reached the 60-point plateau. After a little more than 4 seasons, the Sharks dealt him to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he played well for two and a half years before being sent to the Ottawa Senators in return for another top-pick ''flop'', Alexandre Daigle. He also had brief stints with the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins when neither of these teams were close to their dynasty form of 10 years previous.

Over the years, he was nicknamed ''Fat Balloon'' for his lack of conditioning. Despite all that, he still managed to gather 322 points in 575 NHL games - perhaps insufficient for a top-line player and second-overall pick, but pretty decent for a hockey player, period. But players chosen after him and Lindros at the draft went on to have better careers, such as Scott Niedermayer (3rd), Peter Forsberg (6th), Brian Rolston (11th), Alexei Kovalev (15th), Markus Naslund (16th), Ray Whitney (23rd), Zigmund Palffy (26th), and Sandis Ozolinsh (30th).

The card is from The Score Board's 1991-92 Classic Draft Picks set, and is ''extremely limited'' numbered 546/1100, a signed insert in blue sharpie. He is shown wearing the Spokane Chiefs' then-away jersey, modeled on the Montreal Canadiens' uniform, making a play with his head down and a Canadien-brand stick.

Ted Drury Autograph Card

2011-08-26T03:21:00.000-04:00

With the sad news of Chris Drury retiring, I thought I'd talk about this signed insert card of his older brother, former NHLer Ted Drury, from Classic's 1994-95 Classic set, which never made the Beckett price guide because it wasn't licensed by the NHL nor the NHLPA - and perhaps also because they were cheaply made and as thin as cardboard can get before it's simply called ''paper''.

It is numbered 827/1920, which Classic still dares to say is a ''limited edition''. Yes, this signed version is ''limited'' to less than 2000 - bravo. How many of the original card did you print? And why does the whole back have to be the proof/guarantee, why can't the autographed version also have Drury's stats or at least a mention of which team he was playing for or drafted by?

In this instance, Drury's wearing Team USA's colours, either from the World Juniors or the National Team, which he was a part of for two seasons. It should be mentioned that before the NHL's players were allowed to play in the Olympic games, most countries (a notable exception was the USSR, who sent a combination of the Moscow Central Red Army team and other star players) had a year-long National Team program where players practiced year-long and played friendly games against low-level professional games to get ready for the next Games.

Drury played for those teams while he attended Harvard University, where he played 3 seasons after being drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1989. He only spent half the 1993-94 season with the Flames, as he was traded to the Hartford Whalers in mid-season. After spending the 1995-96 season with the Ottawa Senators, he spent just over 3 seasons with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks - his longest tenure with a single team, ever - before bouncing around with 3 more NHL teams, 2 AHL teams and 3 German teams before reiring in 2007.

Despite moving around like a prison escapee on the run, Ted Drury still managed to put up decent checking-line numbers everywhere he went, as can be attested from these statistics:

- 93 points and 367 penalty minutes in 414 NHL games
- 121 points in 74 NCAA games
- 30 points and 33 penalty minutes in 69 AHL games
- 168 points and 384 penalty minutes in 252 DEL games

Ryan Smyth: 5 Autographed Cards (Part 1)

2011-06-26T15:14:00.005-04:00

Timing is everything!

I sent Ryan Smyth - one of my favourite Edmonton Oilers of all time! - these 5 cards, care of the Los Angeles Kings, on March 25th, 2011, along with a fan letter wishing him the best for the upcoming playoffs. I got them all back, signed in black sharpie, on May 23rd, 2011 after a quick elimination at the hands of the evil San Jose Sharks. And what a unique signature it is!

In my letter, I also added that I never thought he'd one day be a part of another team than the Oilers, but that I was happy to see him with the Colorado Avalanche, alongside my favourite player, Joe Sakic, and that he did look good in a Kings uniform. But that it wasn't the same as with the Oilers.

Well, karma has hit, as the trade to send him back to Edmonton was finalized yesterday, with the Kings getting Colin Fraser and a seventh-round pick in return.

So I now have this card to remind me of his Colorado days:

It is card #144 in Upper Deck's 2008-09 Victory collection.

I also have this memento of his time in Los Angeles, card #77 of UD's 2010-11 Black Diamond set:

(continued in the next post)

Ryan Smyth: 5 Autographed Cards (Part 2)

2011-06-26T15:14:00.003-04:00

(continued from the previous post)

But the real prize of this mailing remains the cards picturing him as an Oiler. After Wayne Gretzky and Kevin Lowe - or perhaps even on par with them - Smyth rounds up my top-3 favourite Oiler skaters ever. These three cards have him wearing all three Oilers' uniforms he's worn over the years:

The one on the left - the dark blue 'away' jersey - is from UD's 2005-06 SP Authentic set (card #41); the card in the middle - the 'home' jersey -is from the 2003-04 In The Game set (card #38) by In The Game; and the card on the right, in which he's sporting the Oilers' then-third jersey designed by Todd McFarlane - my favourite alternate jersey in all sports - is from Topps' 2002-03 Topps Total set (card #268).

Welcome home, Captain Canada!

Marian Gaborik Jersey Card

2011-06-15T16:15:00.000-04:00

Yes, another 2010-11 Marian Gaborik jersey card! This time around, it's card #16 from Panini's 2010-11 Limited set, numbered 73/99.

It looks like the New York Rangers are going to let Chris Drury go to have a shot at signing Brad Richards... With master passer Richards to set up sniper Gaborik, the Rangers could make a push for first in the Atlantic division next season.

Did you know Gaborik is one of only 3 players to have scored 5 goals in a single game in the past 15 years? The other two are Mario Lemieux and Sergei Fedorov...

Dana Tyrell Autograph Card

2011-06-08T13:34:00.000-04:00

In honor of the Tampa Bay Lightning's playoff run, here's an autograph card I pulled from a pack of Panini's 2010-11 Crown Royale - a signed (in blue sharpie) Rookie Royalty card (#150) numbered 102/499.

The player featured on the card is Dana Tyrell, a former 2nd-round draft pick who is slowly but surely making his mark with his team. In a limited role in his rookie season, he managed to score 6 goals, gather 9 assists - good for 15 points - in 78 games, on a team that usually runs just 8 or 9 forwards throughout a game. I could see him scoring 20 eventually.

Dustin Boyd: 3 Autographed Cards

2011-06-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

All 3 cards were sent to the Hamilton Bulldogs on March 30th, 2011 and received June 7th, 2011, all signed in black sharpie.

I was so happy when the Montréal Canadiens signed Dustin Boyd last summer; with Maxim Lapierre on a third line, they could have wreaked havoc on opposing teams while getting their share of points. Unfortunately, both are gone now, one in the Stanley Cup finals, the other (Boyd) leaving for the KHL, Kazakhstan to be more precise.

Boyd had been a force in juniors for the Moose Jaw Warriors, with a 61-point (in 66 games) season in 2004-05 and a 90-point outing the following year in just 64 games. Here is their black jersey:

The card is from In The Game's 2005-06 Heroes And Prospects set (card #322).

He had begun his career with the Calgary Flames:

The card on the left - in the white uniform - is from Upper Deck's 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee set (card #15) and is a gold-chrome plated card. I wasn't sure the signature would ''stick'' to it, but ironically, it's the card on the right - the red uniform - from UD's 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee set (card #308) that sees a bit of Boyd's autograph erase away.

He'd also had a quick stint in Nashville, but I don't have a card of him in the Preds' uniform. It's too bad Jacques Martin never gave him a chance - he's pretty rough with all young guys, unfortunately.

I wish him the best in the KHL...

Claude Giroux: 3 Autographed Cards

2011-05-16T14:35:00.001-04:00

I sent Claude Giroux the five cards picture above on March 30th and got all of them back on May 13th. These two were returned unsigned:

I guess he wanted to preserve the sanctity of his rookie card and didn't want to think back to last year's playoffs...

I'd been following his career closely since his days in Juniors, after he got drafted; I even took two trips to Hull/Gatineau to watch him play, which is where I purchased these cards (unsigned - he signed them in blue sharpie in the mailing):

They are both from In The Game. The card on top is from the 2007-08 Heroes And Prospects collection (card # 45) while the one on the bottom is from the 2008-09 Heroes And Prospects set (card #85). I'm not usually a fan of the colour orange on clothing, but the Gatineau Olympiques pull it off rather well, I think.

He also took the time to sign one of his Philadelphia Flyers cards, from Upper Deck's 2010-11 Victory set (card #141):

Maybe I'll send him the other two back in a few years to try to complete my ''different jerseys'' collection, but I'm the meantime I'm quite satisfied that this up-and-comer took the time to sign these three cards. He is becoming so productive that the Flyers can now afford to seriously consider letting go either Mike Richards or Jeff Carter to land a top-notch goalie to get them to the Cup. And should they get there, Giroux is clutch enough to land the Conn Smythe trophy.

Corey Crawford: 4 Autographed Cards

2011-05-13T18:15:00.002-04:00

Let me start by saying I was very disappointed to see Corey Crawford not be nominated for the Calder trophy, as he put up elite-goalie statistics in his very first NHL season for a depleted Chicago Blackhawks team he nearly took to the second round after casting former Olympian Marty Turco to the sidelines. I might even have nominated him for the Vezina instead of Pekka Rinne (although Tim Thomas is pretty much a shoe-in to win it).

''Crow'', as he is often called by teammates, had a longer-than-expected road to the NHL, considering how dominant he'd been at all levels: a 17-3-1 record and 1.92 GAA in Midget AAA leading to four exemplary Junior seasons in the QMJHL for the Moncton Wildcats where, apart from the first year, he always accumulated twice as many wins as losses, a GAA in the twos and a save percentage above .915 - including an incredible 2003-04 playoff run where he went 13-6, 2.15 and .940, showing the Hawks some promise after they'd made him the 52nd overall pick in the 2003 draft.

He holds quite a few Moncton records: best GAA (2.47 in 2004-05), most wins (35, in 2003-04), and most shutouts (6, 2004-05). He was twice named to the Q's second All-Star team (2004 and 2005).

With Nikolai Khabibulin and then Cristobal Huet with the parent club, Crawford was relegated to the AHL for his apprenticeship. His first stop was with the Norfolk Admirals, as evidenced by these 3 cards from In The Game:

The one on the left is from the 2005-06 Heroes And Prospects set (card #236); the one in the middle is from the 2006-07 Heroes And Prospects set (card #72); and the one on the right is from the 2006-07 Between The Pipes set, the Future Stars sub-set (card #9).

When the Hawks changed their AHL affiliation to the Rockford Ice Hogs, Crow got to match his Hawks' jersey design with a logo reminiscent of the Iowa Chops - a superb combination, as can be attested by this 2007-08 Between The Pipes card (#8, the Future Stars sub-set):

I sent Mr. Crawford these 4 cards with a fan letter on March 29th and got them back on May 9th, all signed in black sharpie, all personalized ''À Sébastian'', in French, with his jersey number (29) added. It made my day, to say the least.

Roman Hamrlik: 4 Autographed Cards

2011-05-05T12:58:00.000-04:00

Some of my friends, over the years, have complained about Roman Hamrlik's play, somehow expecting more out of the veteran's play but, in all honesty, in the past few years when a team leader such as Andrei Markov went down, The Hammer elevated his play, took charge and often played double the amount of minutes he should have.

When I sent Hamrlik these 4 cards on November 23rd, 2010, I was surprised to realize I didn't have any of him in the Montréal Canadiens' uniform. Seeing as he could leave as an unrestricted free agent this summer, I was hoping to have a signed memento in my local team's colours, but perhaps it was not meant to be. Ironically, in December, opening packs of different brands of 2010-11 cards, it seemed I got him in every other pack I opened. But I am happy with the cards I did send, which I received, all signed in black sharpie, on May 4th, 2011:

First, two depicting him with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had made him the very first pick overall in the 1992 draft:

The card on the left, where the signature gets a little lost on the foil, is from Donruss' 1996-97 Leaf Limited set (card #4), while the one on the right is from Score's 1993-94 Score set (card #131). For a while, he was ranked second on the team's all-time assists list, in part due to his best year ever, in 1995-96, when he tallied 16 goals, 49 assists and 65 points. He spent six seasons with Tampa, his longest tenure in the NHL.

After leading the Edmonton Oilers' defense squad for 3 seasons at the end of the 90s, he moved on with the New York Islanders, where he would have 46- and 41-point seasons, and another 16-goal campaign.

The card on the left, seeing him sport the team's away uniform, is from Upper Deck's 2003-04 MVP set (card #268); it seems the autograph's ink didn't quite stick to the card on that one, which is odd, considering it wasn't all that glossy. The card on the right has him in the Isles' home uniform, from Topps' 2000-01 Stadium Club set (card #221).

After the Islanders, he spent the locked out 2004-05 season playing with his older brother for ZPS Zlin in the Czech league, and two seasons with the Calgary Flames before joining the Habs.

Ilya Bryzgalov Jersey Card

2011-04-25T15:54:00.000-04:00

Here's one guy who put himself in the proverbial hot water recently: Ilya Bryzgalov said if his Phoenix Coyotes moved to Winnipeg, he wouldn't tag along, citing cold weather, nothing to do, and a lack of a Russian population:

You don't want to go to Winnipeg, right? Not many people live there, not many Russian people there. Plus it's cold. There's no excitement except the hockey. No park, no entertaining for the families, for the kids. It's going to be tough life for your family.

At least he gets points for being honest, and it reminds the rest of us who would prefer more Canadian teams in the NHL that it wasn't always easy for Winnipeg and Québec - even Calgary and Edmonton, actually - before those teams were forced to move in the mid-1990s: free agents shunned them, the smaller cities didn't have much corporate support, and the weather was becoming an issue, what with Gary Bettman establishing teams in warm, non-traditional markets.

So hockey players will have this dilemma: will they want to play for higher salaries in sold out arenas and perhaps have a summer home elsewhere, or will they want to play in non-hockey climates to empty arenas for mid-range salaries?

And with the playoffs he's had, letting in soft goals in each game, Bryzgalov may be looking at something even lower than mid-range in pay. For millions, he might have to go to the KHL, despite another terrific NHL regular season, in which he tallied 36 wins to go with his 2.48 GAA and .921 save %. And the season before that, he crushed the team record for wins (formerly of 33) by getting 42, with a 2.29 GAA and .920 save % in 69 games to garner a Vezina nomination.

That was odd, considering he is third of all time for longest shutout streak in playoff history, a feat he achieved with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2006 - the year before they won the Cup.

This card (#36) is from Panini's 2010-11 Limited set, and is numbered 012/199; it sports a burgundy patch at the perfect spot ~~right on his crotch~~ at the bottom of the jersey, letting a bit of the team's logo pass through above it.

Kevin Lowe: 3 Autographed Cards

2011-04-13T11:09:00.001-04:00

Obviously, I'm still learning when it comes to collecting autographs, and some lessons include how many of what to send to whom.

I sent Kevin Lowe - now the Edmonton Oilers' President - a fan letter along with the 5 cards pictured above on November 17th and got them all back today - 3 signed in thick black sharpie, and these two unsigned:

Then again, it's not like he'd worn a different uniform on all those cards, just that he has an 'A' on one and nothing on the other, compared to the 3 cards he signed on which he's wearing the captain's 'C'. And, as the guy who looks over the day-to-day operations of a hockey team in a hockey-mad town, I'm sure he had better things to do than respond to all autograph inquiries.

In that respect, I'll focus instead on the cards he did sign... and on the man himself.

From the get-go, Lowe was a prodigy. In Juniors, he was named the first English-speaking captain in QMJHL history (with the famed Québec Remparts) before becoming the Oilers' first NHL draft pick - ever. He went on to score their first NHL goal, too.

The QMJHL introduced a trophy named in his honour in 2005, which is to be awarded to the league's best defensive defenseman, but I've always found it unfair to catalog a defenseman with 432 NHL regular-season points and 58 playoff points (in 214 games) as ''defensive''. Sure, those aren't Paul Coffey-like numbers, but they sure are Hall Of Fame numbers, and ''jersey retirement'' numbers.

Which is why I was shocked to learn the Oilers hadn't retired it yet. And I only found that out when I watched an Oilers game and saw last year's #1 pick Taylor Hall wear the famed #4 jersey. How a guy with 7 All Star Game appearances, 6 Stanley Cups (5 with the Oil, one with the 1994 New York Rangers which consisted of most Oilers' dynasty players), holding team records for games played in the regular season (1037) and playoffs (172), a past captain on a team overflowing with leadership, who coached them to a 2nd place finish then as general manager got them to a Cup Finals doesn't get his jersey retired is beyond me, but maybe they're just waiting for him to no longer be involved with the team to thwart accusations of nepotism - I don't know.

Growing up, I was a huge Oilers fan. And the way I saw it, Wayne Gretzky was the offensive catalyst, of course, but my second favourite skater was Lowe - not Mark Messier, not Jari Kurri, not Glenn Anderson (who later became a Leaf), Coffey, Steve Smith or Craig MacTavish (the last player to play without a helmet). It was Lowe - the guy who could score the opportune goal from the point but would also always shut down the opposing team. And I loved both goalies - Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog, not so much Bill Ranford, who was traded for Moog.

Let's have a look at the cards he signed:

On the left, from Pro Set's 1991-92 Parkhurst set (card #51), we have him wearing the team's blue (away) uniform, augmented by the captain's 'C'; in the middle, from Score, a 1992-93 Score (card #39) depicting him in the team's home uniform, again serving as captain; and on the right, from Upper Deck's 1991-92 Upper Deck set (card #186), again in the away uniform, this time sporting the assistant captain's 'A'. And what a distinctive signature!

All in all, I'm extremely happy to have gotten these cards back. I think Kevin Lowe is one of the most important players in the Oilers' dynasty and, thus, in NHL history. I view him as no less than the Oilers' own Larry Robinson. To have worn a letter on his jersey in the Gretzky/Messier years before inheriting the 'C' for himself shows just how highly his teammates regarded him, and the measure of the man can also be attested from his numerous appearances on French Canadian TV, where he always accepts to be interviewed in French, not only showing respect to Quebecers, but reminding us he'll always be one of us - he just happens to have become successful a little further West.

Craig Anderson: 4 Autographed Cards (Part 1)

2011-04-12T13:31:00.000-04:00

Some are wondering if the Ottawa Senators were wise to sign Craig Anderson to a 4-year contract extension a few weeks ago but I, for one, think it could work out.

Sure, he and Michael Leighton spent years in the Chicago Black Hawks' system without being given a proper chance and both were pretty much thrown away like hole-filled socks, Leighton spending years on waivers and Anderson being dealt to the Florida Panthers, who already had an All Star #1 goalie in Tomas Vokoun.

Of those years in the minors, I kept this card as a memento:

It's from In the Game's 2006-07 Between The Pipes set, the Future Stars sub-set (card #10), where he's wearing the Rochester Americans' red jersey.

And as a Panther, I have this one:

It's card #126 in Upper Deck's 2008-09 Power Play Boxed Set and shows him with the same mask he wore on the AHL card. In his first season with the Panthers, he went 8-6-1 (2.24 GAA; .935 save %) in 17 games, the most impressive of which was a 1-0 win against the New York Islanders on March 2nd in which he set an NHL record for most saves in a shutout, with 53. In 2008-09, he went 15-7-5 with a 2.71 GAA and .924 save %, cementing his position as a goalie who could, perhaps, get the job done.

And that's what the Colorado Avalanche were banking on when they signed him to a 2-year deal, and they gave him every opportunity to shine, giving him the net for 15 straight starts to begin the season - a team record. He got a shutout in his second game and was the league's second star for two out of 4 weeks in October. He became only the fourth goalie in franchise history to record 30 wins in a season, and by season's end, he held team marks for games played, minutes played and saves made - beating the best goalie of all time, Patrick Roy, for all three. And as interesting as a 38-25-7 record, a 2.63 GAA and a .917 save % are in the regular season, his 2.62 GAA and .933 save % in the playoffs were even better.

(to be continued in the next post)

Craig Anderson: 4 Autographed Cards (Part 2)

2011-04-11T19:50:00.004-04:00

(continued from the previous post)

Things looked promising and he became a fixture in hockey card sets, as these two Upper Cards can attest:

The one on the right is from the 2010-11 Black Diamond set (card #2), while the one on the right is from the 2010-11 Victory collection (card #51). I love how the blue ink of his signature matches the blue on his equipment.

Unfortunately, 2010-11 didn't work out as well for him with the Avs, and he was traded to the Sens at the deadline. He gave them a look at what he could achieve by going 11-5-1 in 18 games, with a stunning 2.05 GAA and .939 save %.

All in all, I feel that putting your trust in this former OHL goalie of the year (with the Guelph Storm) is a worthy gamble. I told him as much in a fan letter I sent him along with these 4 cards on March 25th, two weeks ago. He signed them all in blue sharpie, adding his jersey numbers (30 in Rochester, 31 in Florida and 41 in Colorado) at the end, stylistically. I received them on April 8th, a little more than a week later! The only reason I didn't write this post on Friday was that my scanner was out of commission.

Now, many of you know I'm a jersey nerd and usually try to have players sign different jersey designs on the cards I send. Take a look at the Panthers' and Avs' jerseys: Reebok didn't try very hard with these two, as they are identical. The (ugly) pipings are at the same place, the team's main logo is on the chest and their pseudo-alternate/State logos are on the shoulders, and the colours on both arms go all the way down. If it wasn't that one team's main colour is burgundy while the other's is an orangey-red, they'd be the same. Once again, Reebok shows us how good they are at failing - and recycling.

Marc-André Gragnani Autograph Card

2011-04-04T07:50:00.000-04:00

Timely posts: it's what I do.

Last night, the Buffalo Sabres made a step towards the playoffs by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 on an overtime goal by Marc-André Gragnani. The Montréal native was in the third game of his recent stint with the Sabres; he was also in the NHL for 3 games in late January, but spent the rest of the season with the Sabres' AHL affiliate Portland Pirates.

The Sabres' third round pick in 2005 (87th overall), he had played his junior hockey with the P.E.I. Rocket of the QJMHL. In his last two seasons there, the defenseman averaged more than a point per game. He holds the Pirates' records for assists and points by a defenseman in a single season.

This minuscule card is from Upper Deck's 2008-09 Champ's set (card #CS-MG), and is of the Mini Signatures sub-set. This series is pretty much Upper Deck's ''hockey answer'' to Topps' Allen & Ginter baseball set, cards that have an old-school feel, with generally absent countours and where the image looks like a painting or a drawing.

UD's Champ's brand is a nod to the Champ's Cigarette Company of Canada, which produced a hockey card set in 1924-25; those cards were smaller than the regular format, because they had to fit inside a pack of smokes. In homage, UD not only made this set a 200-card fare of its regular-sized cards but also a 480-card of mini cards; where they went nuts is that the set of mini cards features 192 base player cards, 95 short-run rookie cards, a bunch of cards featuring athletes from other sports in what is labeled the ''Hall Of Legends'' sub-set, as well as roughly 200 animal cards and 14 fossils.

And that wasn't a metaphor. Check the Jaguar out here. That's way too much 'National Geographic' for my taste. Might as well have stuck with the original product and included cards about cigarette brands, or even actual tobacco instead.

Raffi Torres: 3 Autographed Cards

2011-04-03T03:48:00.002-04:00

This could be the season where we find out whether Raffi Torres is cursed by the Hockey Gods or if he will find - like Marian Hossa before him, last season - solace in hockey's Holy Grail by season's end.

Indeed, championships have eluded Torres so far, from a bronze medal at the World Juniors (2001) to a Calder Cup final in each of his two AHL seasons (but no wins), culminating in the heart-breaking 7-game loss his Edmonton Oilers suffered at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

After relatively quiet stints with the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets, he is back on a contender with this season's Vancouver Canucks, the odds-on favourite so far. On a personal level, he looks like he'll score at least 15 goals this season, the fifth time he will have reached that number. His best season was in 2005-06, when he collected 27 goals to go along with his 14 assists, good for 41 points in 82 games; he followed that in the afore-mentioned Cup run by going 4-7-11 in 22 playoff games.

I sent Mr. Torres these three cards and a fan letter, care of the Canucks, on December 3rd, 2010 and got them all back, signed in blue sharpie, on April 1st, 2011. He added his jersey number (14) at the end. All three show him in the Oilers' white ''home'' jerseys from the few years right before Reebok came in and ruined the Edmonton team's look.

The card in the middle is from Upper Deck's 2006-07 Victory set (card #82), and the one on the right is from the 2006-07 Upper Deck Series 1 collection (card #81). But the stand-out piece among those three is without question the card on the left, this one:

It's card #121 in Upper Deck's terrific 2006-07 Ovation set, which I also touched upon here in a post on Pascal Leclaire. The ink smudged a bit because of both the card's foil material but also because of the three-dimensional feel they gave it through its unusual texture. When I got these gorgeous cards, I never thought I'd get one autographed, let alone two (so far).

All that being said, I wish Mr. Torres the best of luck in... turning his luck around come June.

Carey Price Autographed Card

2011-04-02T07:17:00.003-04:00

Here's a story for you: On January 29th, 2010, I sent Montréal Canadiens' star goalie Carey Price two cards (one in the Habs' white uniform, the other in red - both in penny sleeves, which I no longer do) and a mini-standee I got in a weird pack of cards and a letter explaining what I do with this blog, asking him to sign the cards and saying he could keep the standee, 'cause I thought it was cool, and maybe he'd like it too, since it's an unusual piece. On April 1st, 2011 (April's Fool's Day, more than a year later!), I get my pre-addressed envelope back... with this one card, signed in black sharpie - and both my sleeves.

Now, I won't complain nor bite the hand that freebies - players are by no means obligated to sign, reply or return anything, and those that do - I feel - do so as a sign of respect and appreciation for their fans.

And I'm not going to pretend I'm Price's #1 fan, either, as you can see from the first paragraph from this post on Jaroslav Halak. But he does have a legion of faithful followers, and pleasing even just a few of them once in a while has got to be time-consuming.

And that's the thing: I'm not sure if he kept the other card because he gets so many requests he has a ''one-per-person'' principle, or because he read my blog and noticed I wasn't sold on him yet, that I'm waiting for some playoff success first. Or maybe he doesn't trust that I wouldn't sell the cards. The point is I don't know.

What I do know is I'm glad I didn't also send cards of him in the Hamilton Bulldogs' uniform, nor Team Canada (at the World Juniors) and the Tri-City Americans (his WHL days). I would have been pissed to lose those cards.

No Habs goalie has sparked so much passion - whether it's for or against him - in a long, long time. Not even José Théodore, who hung around with members of biker gangs and cheated on his recovering-from-giving-birth wife with Paris Hilton.

Price fans will remind you he was a first-round draft pick (5th overall), won World Junior gold (in a shootout, no less) and was named the AHL playoff MVP en route to a Calder Cup with the Bulldogs in his first pro season, which he started in April of that year, after his junior career ended when his WHL team lost in their playoffs.

His detractors will see his absence of a Memorial Cup as a lack of experience, and the fact that he was cut from Team Canada in his first World Juniors try-out - after being drafted in the first round by the Habs, meaning at least 3 other goalies his age were considered better than him. They'll also point out that when he did win gold, in his last year of eligibility in juniors, he did so as an adult, playing against some kids who were three or four years younger than him. They'll also likely say his Calder Cup happened with a team that was going to win it anyway, with or without him, as they had dominated the AHL all season, and he came in riding the high of his WJC gold and merely followed through.

All of that is true. Both sides are right. But none of that pertains to the NHL, the only place where he is expected to perform as an elite athlete and should be judged as such.

And in his rookie season (2007-08), he made the All-Rookie team. Whether the Habs should have kept their #1 goalie Cristobal Huet at the trade deadline has little to do with Price himself and a lot more to do with GM Bob Gainey's over-confidence in his young stud, but the Boss had judged that Price had played well enough to be given the reigns in his first year going into the playoffs. And, as usual, the Habs beat the Boston Bruins in the first round. So, the actual test would start in Round 2, where career backup Martin Biron looked like the second coming of Patrick Roy as his Philadelphia Flyers demolished the Canadiens en route to a 4-1 series win during which Price seemed to break down at every game, tears appearing in his eyes, a child against men.

2008-09 saw the All Star Game being presented in Montréal, with 4 Habs players making the team through fan voting, including Price. He aggravated an injury at the game - which the coaches and management felt he should have missed - and never quite got his groove back. When the playoffs came, round one was against the Bruins, which - as History will tell you - is a shoe-in. But the B's swept the Habs in 4 games, humiliatingly. And Price's play was so-so (0-4, a 4.11 GAA and .878 save %).

2009-10 was more of the same, as Price went 13-20-5, with a 2.77 GAA and a decent .912 save percentage while Halak took over the starting goalie role. When called upon in the playoffs, Price went 0-1 in 4 games, with a 3.56 GAA and .890 save %.

But for 2010-11, the Habs went all-in with Price, trading Halak and hiring Alex Auld as a backup. And they only let Auld start 11 games, leaving the bulk to Price, which may have proven to be too large a workload for him. As a matter of fact, he was pulled in 3 of his last 6 starts - in less than two weeks.

Now, I was a goalie myself, for more than half my lifetime; I also currently serve as a part-time goaltending coach for minor junior teams. I'd like to help out an actual goaltending coach in the AHL or NHL someday. From my experience, in this day and age, goalies should NEVER play back-to-back games, except if between the two the other goalie got injured and a minor-league call-up couldn't make it on time. And, under any circumstance should a goalie play in back-to-back games in different cities. Price has done that many times this season; it doesn't give him the advantage; it doesn't even give him a chance.

It's as if the Habs' brass weren't aware that no goalie in the NHL has advanced to the third round of the playoffs while playing more than 60 games in the same regular season since the lock-out. Not even Roberto Luongo, nor Miikka Kiprusoff, nor Evgeni Nabokov, nor Marc-André Fleury, nor Martin Brodeur. Speaking of Brodeur, he hasn't even made it past the second round since his last Stanley Cup... in 2003. That's eight years ago, folks.

But back to Price.

Because he was overworked, the Vezina and Hart talk died out in the past 10 days, but more importantly, it's unfair to pit his recent struggles on anything else than fatigue. Which means we're stuck with yet another season in which it's unclear whether he has what it takes to thrive full-time at the NHL level.

Plus, in my opinion, his one true test remains how well he'll fare in the playoffs. A week or so from now. I sincerely hope he pulls himself back together in time, because it looks like we'll be facing those damned Bruins again, and that's supposed to be a ''gimme'', what with the ghosts of our pasts that scare the living shit out of them year in and year out.

And in case you're wondering about the card, it's from Upper Deck's 2008-09 Victory set (card #89); the one he kept was from the 2009-10 Victory set.

Ron Sutter: 2 Autographed Cards

2011-03-29T18:31:00.000-04:00

Always a pleasure to get mail from hockey royalty.

I sent these two cards along with a fan letter to Ron Sutter, care of the Calgary Flames where he works as a scout, on November 29th, 2010 and got them both back, signed in black sharpie, on March 28th, 2011 - 4 months later. Considering the many trips scouts make in a year, this is a tremendous return, kind of like getting the cards back in the same week.

Of all the Sutter brothers, Ron was the last to retire. He played with his twin brother Rich on three different teams: the Memorial Cup-winning Lethbridge Broncos, and the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues, for a total of 8 seasons. He also played with the San Jose Sharks while his brother Darryl was the team's head coach.

Because he played in the East more, in what was then called the Prince-Of-Wales conference, with the Flyers, mostly, but also the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins and my-then favourite team Québec Nordiques, he is by far the Sutter brother I've seen play the most.

And now for the cards:

This is card #476 of Pro Set's 1991-92 Series 2 set, basically an update because he was traded from the Flyers to the Blues in September of that season. It's an impressive feat to get an 'A' on your chest upon your arrival on a new team, but in all fairness, Ron had just spent the past two seasons as the Flyers' captain, becoming no less than the fourth Sutter to wear the 'C' on his chest.

But my favourite of the two cards, of course, is this one:

Card #482 of Leaf's 1993-94 Donruss Series 2 set, released mid-season to update players who had been traded (in Sutter's case, from the Blues to the Nordiques in January 1994) and as an excuse to feature rookies before the next season's releases. It was rare, from, say, 1983 to 1995, to have Nordiques players portrayed in their home (white) jerseys on trading cards, as most of the NHL's photographers preferred the relatively calm weather of New England - where roughly a third of the league's teams called home - to Canada's frigid winter conditions - not to mention having to travel to a city where most people only spoke French, as opposed to Montréal or Ottawa, where bilingualism was more common.

Manny Malhotra Autographed Picture

2011-03-29T17:49:00.001-04:00

Where do I start with this one?

I always liked Manny Malhotra. From the time he was a kid, he was compared to Jarome Iginla all the time: consummate leader, a knack for scoring, unstoppable.

In Juniors, he captained the Guelph Storm to the Memorial Cup, was named to the tournament's All Star team and awarded the most sportsmanlike player of the tournament. That year, he was also named the OHL's scholastic player of the year en route to being drafted in the first round by the New York Rangers. He also captained Team Canada twice: once at the 3 Nations Cup (now the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament) with the undefeated (6-0) under-18 team, and once at the World Juniors in 2000, winning the bronze medal.

But it never worked out with the Rangers, who at first had and then were looking for an immediate solution to the retirement of Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky at center and didn't have time to groom a kid into the role. But four years spent with their AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack (including a Calder Cup win) had made him into an amazing defensive forward.

But the Dallas Stars acquired him because they wanted an Iginla-like player. But one goal in 16 games to finish the 2001-02 season, 10 points in 59 games the following year and no points in 9 games to start the 2003-04 saw him put on waivers and subsequently claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets, with whom he would improve his points totals for four straight years, often in match-ups against the opposing team's best lines.

Then came a successful season with the San Jose Sharks (19 goals, plus-17 rating, ice time on the powerplay, a relatively long playoff run), before he was signed to a three-year contract on July 1st, 2010 by the Vancouver Canucks, who are looking for a Cup run themselves.

With the Canucks in first place, Malhotra was second in the NHL in faceoff percentage with an astonishing 61.8% and was a major reason for the team being the second-ranked in the league for penalty-killing when he was struck in the eye by an errant puck on March 16th. He has undergone surgery and will miss the rest of the season; while the team remains mute on the subject, it is widely believed he will require at least one other surgery before it is known whether he will recover his eyesight.

Ironically, a friend of mine who lives in Vancouver sent me this autographed picture, postmarked March 14th, two days before the accident. I got it yesterday. While I welcome the gift, my thoughts are more with Malhotra, hoping he'll make a full recovery.

Jordan Eberle Autograph Redemption Card

2011-03-11T13:08:00.000-05:00

Year in and year out, regardless of their position in the standings, the Edmonton Oilers offer their fans exciting, speedy, creative teams that rarely take the night off. This season's crop is no different, apart from the fact that it could very well finish in last place overall.

One of the kids leading this brigade is Jordan Eberle, who scored the first beautiful goal of the 2010-11 season, on one of the league's 5 best goalies, no less:

Despite his status as a rookie, he already sports the alternate captain's A on some occasions; and while many will make a case for Taylor Hall, his young teammate on the Oilers who was the last draft's first-overall pick, it is Eberle who holds the record as Canada's all-time highest scorer at the World Juniors, despite only appearing in two championships, winning gold in 2009 and silver in 2010.

As a junior player, he was named the CHL's Player Of The Year in 2010, to go with his 2008 scolastic player of the year award and two first-team all star nominations. That's pretty much the definition of ''blue chip prospect'' right there.

This card's history dates back to October, when I purchased two boxes' worth of Panini's 2010-11 Score hockey cards. I was happy with what I pulled, except for this blank card that said it was for 'redemption'; while I'd heard of these cards, it was the first time I ever got one myself. The process was simple enough: go on Panini's website, claim the serial number of the card, get told it's of Eberle and... wait.

Well, I got it today. Eberle in the Oilers' white pajama-like jersey, Hot Rookies sub-set (card #556), with a sticker on top of it with Eberle's autograph in blue sharpie. Note that he's wearing #78 on the picture but signed as #14, the number he's currently wearing with the Oilers now that he's made the team for good.

Caprice Bourret Autographed 8x10 Picture

2011-03-11T06:36:00.000-05:00

Model? Try supermodel.

When the whole world knows you by your first name, and most folks don't even know your last name - you've definitely made a name for yourself. This is what Caprice Bourret has achieved, through modeling mostly, but since she has retired from the glitzy world of runways and advertising, she has successfully ventured into business endeavours such as her lingerie line By Caprice Lingerie, which she started first by licensing her name to a company (Debenhams) for them to make a buck off it, then by re-purchasing the rights to her name and releasing her own stuff; her brand-name has since expanded to include swimwear, sleepwear and bedding.

All this, of course, coming from a woman who between the ages of 23 and 28 was on the cover of over 250 magazines, the least of which was the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, but also Maxim, FHM, Vogue, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Esquire and many others. You'll notice those magazines are targeted to both men and women, teens and adults of all ages. She was all-encompassing as a hottie, but also had the brains to market herself like few others.

Because of that, she has gone on to host numerous TV programs - mostly in Britain, but on our side of then pond, she has also appeared in The Surreal Life. She has gone on to play in theater (Rent and The Vagina Monologues), and released a music single.

And every time she was on TV, whether a Reality TV show or presenting an award at a televised ceremony, she has always appeared as one of the smartest there, never flubbing her lines, always on point, always graceful. Some politicians have 20-people teams of writers and handlers and don't appear as natural and well-spoken in front of the cameras.

I sent Caprice an email on March 2nd and got this signed 8x10 picture (black sharpie, inscribed ''Lots of Love, xxxx'') on the 9th - a single week later, thanks to Her Majesty's post service, U.K.

Scott Munroe Autographed Card

2011-03-08T12:40:00.001-05:00

I hope this veteran netminder finds his way to the NHL some day, mostly because I want to hear TV commentators repeatedly saying the words ''the Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan native''. For now, however, he's in the KHL, playing for the Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

He's put up awesome numbers in the AHL (career GAA of 2.60; career save % of .919) after an exceptional collegiate career at University Of Alabama in Huntsville, where he was the CHA's Rookie of the Year coming in and co-Player of the Year leaving. He holds just about every Chargers' goaltending records and is the guy you want in nets when the going gets tough: he once stopped 33 of 34 shots faced in a single period (against powerhouse University of Minnesota) and was the winning goalie in the AHL's longest game ever played, making 65 saves in a 3-2 overtime win that lasted 142:58 against the Albany River Rats.

This card is #47 in In The Game's 2007-08 Between The Pipes set, the Future Stars sub-set. A friend of mine sent Munroe two last season, care of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (the New York Islanders' farm team), thinking the goalie might keep one, but instead he sent both back, signed in blue sharpie. Knowing how huge a fan I am of journeyman goaltenders, he gave me one. This is one instance in which a black sharpie might have done a better job, but I'm not about to complain here!

Michael Ryder Autographed Card

2011-03-08T12:12:00.001-05:00

How to go from ''hero'' to ''despised'' in Montréal in two easy steps:
1. stop giving it your all
2. leave as a free agent and sign with a bitter rival

This is the third time I've featured Ryder, now of the Boston Bruins, here; I'd previously done it once in a solo jersey card, and once on a dual card (with Phil Kessel). This card is from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Victory set, the Game Breakers insert sub-set (card #GB24).

When Ryder's dad was in town, they'd always eat breakfast together at the same restaurant. If you left them alone during the meal, he'd gladly sign for you afterwards as he was leaving the premises. This blue sharpie Aztec-like signature happened on one of those mornings. He added his jersey number, 73, at the tail end of the unique signature.

I have to admit he looked great in the Montréal Canadiens' bleu-blanc-rouge, though.

Rob Niedermayer Autograph Card

2011-03-08T05:36:00.000-05:00

Yes, another card from Upper Deck's infamous 1995-96 Be A Player set, this time, card #S184, showing Rob Niedermayer wearing Team Canada's colours, probably from his years as a junior, playing for the Medecine Hat Tigers. Jim Carey got the same treatment, of assuming he'd represent his country at the upcoming World Cup.

Rob won a Stanley Cup with his brother Scott, who I featured both in a positive and negative light.

Nowadays, Scott is retired and Rob plays for Scott's old team, the New Jersey Devils, who are going through a revival of sorts with Jacques Lemaire replacing John MacLean as head coach despite having left the team last summer. Rob is married to Jessica Bentall, daughter of Canadian musician Barney Bentall.

Jarome Iginla Jersey Card

2011-03-08T05:12:00.001-05:00

Yes, ladies and gentleman: the fourth Jarome Iginla jersey card I've featured in a little over a year! There was an All-Star jersey, a red swatch, and a black swatch.

So I figured I was due for a white swatch. This is card #GA-JI from Upper Deck's 2003-04 Honor Roll set, the Grade A Jerseys sub-set. It features a piece of the Flames' white (home) jersey, despite showing him wearing the black ''flaming horse'' jersey. It is, however, guaranteed to have been used in an official game by Iggy himself. I've seen this card hover between $35-75, usually selling for above $50. He was the team's alternate captain at the time.

Last weekend, my favourite captain in the NHL (since Joe Sakic's retirement, of course) became just the 10th player in NHL history to score 30 or more goals in 10 consecutive seasons. That smells like the Hall Of Fame to me. Now, if only he could get his hands on a Stanley Cup...

Jay Bouwmeester Autograph Card

2011-03-08T04:54:00.000-05:00

Here's a beauty: card #BW of Upper Deck's Sign Of The Times sub-set from the 2005-06 SP Authentic set. It is a thin blue sharpie hard-signed (directly on the card rather than on an applied sticker) card of then-Florida Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.

You'll notice from my previous Bouwmeester jersey card posts (here and here) that I am fond of the still-young current Calgary Flames alternate captain. He has uncanny speed for a man his size, can pass and shoot like a powerforward and covers a lot of ice defensively; sure, he could be more robust, à la Chris Pronger, but the Edmonton native might not be the NHL's current Iron Man if he did.

The seven-time Team Canada member has won medals at every level of international play except the Olympics - expect that to change in 2012.

Cory Stillman Autograph Card

2011-03-08T00:24:00.001-05:00

Ah, yes - the much-maligned 1995-96 Be A Player set from Upper Deck, with all the team logos missing. This is card #S132 in the set, from which I have already featured cards by Keith Tkachuk, Petr Nedved, Pierre Turgeon, and Brian Savage.

This time, it's former Calgary Flames winger Cory Stillman. Stillman was a first-round pick in the 1992 NHL draft (6th overall) and spent many seasons on the Flames' first line before being traded to the St. Louis Blues.

His main achievement may have been the consecutive Southern Stanley Cups, in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning and 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes - both times against Albertan teams, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, respectively, both in 7-games series.

After time spent with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers, he is back in Carolina with the 'Canes.

Alex Kovalev Autographed Card

2011-03-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

Almost lost in the shuffle of this year's Trade Deadline was the trade that sent Alexei Kovalev from the Ottawa Senators to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 7th-round draft pick. It could be the most meaningful trade of them all, simply because when he wants to, Kovy can be the best player in the league.

And on a team missing the injured Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, that's precisely what he'll need to be.

Statistically, the Pens are the team he's had the most success with: 44 goals, 51 assists, good for 95 points, all career numbers for him, in 79 games in 2000-01. However, he was even more inspired three seasons ago, when he captained the Montréal Canadiens in the absence of injured Saku Koivu and led the team in scoring, going 35-49-84 in 82 games.

It's also weird how he never got a hat trick while playing for the Habs but did get one in Ottawa, where he scored a lot less total goals.

Look for him to dominate for the Pens down the stretch and impress during the playoffs, where he's at his best. Unless the coach doesn't let him play. But with former teammate Mario Lemieux in the owner's seat, I'm fairly positive Kovalev will be given all the latitude he needs to provide for his team.

This card is from Donruss' 1996-97 Donruss set (card #176) and sees him during his first stint with the New York Rangers, where he won the Stanley Cup in his second season with the club. He signed it for me in black sharpie at a Habs team function, saying he'd rather sign a card of him in a Canadiens uniform, to which I replied ''you look almost as good wearing the Rangers' colours'', which made him smile.

Vincent Damphousse: 5 Autographed Cards (Part 2)

2011-03-03T17:57:00.005-05:00

(continued from the previous post)

And finally, a card from his days with the Sharks:

He played five and a half seasons in San Jose, never again reaching an average of a point per game on a powerhouse team led by Owen Nolan. As for the current crop of Sharks, they had triumphant regular seasons that inevitably led to early post-season exits. This particular card is from Topps' beautiful 2000-01 Stadium Club set (card #183), which were being sold in dollar stores at the time in Montréal, when hockey went through a short phase where no one cared for it in the city.

He signed a free agent contract with the Colorado Avalanche prior to the 2004-05 lock-out, but never got to play with them, as he announced his retirement when play resumed a year later. He was always very active with the players' association, even serving as vice president under Trevor Linden at one point. He was one of the few visionaries during the lock-out who realized a salary cap tied into the revenues with more than half of it going to the players might actually benefit the players more in the long run - which it did, nearly doubling their salaries five years into the deal.

Vincent Damphousse: 5 Autographed Cards (Part 1)

2011-03-03T17:57:00.004-05:00

I was hoping March would be different from February for many reasons - tremendous back pain and frozen bank accounts being the two main issues that have crippled me. But if it means getting more mail from former captains, I'll endure a bit more pain.

I sent Vincent Damphousse these 5 cards and a fan letter on November 30th, 2010, and received them all back, signed in black sharpie, on March 2nd. He added his jersey number at the tail en of his distinctive signature - 21 for the Edmonton Oilers, 25 for the San Jose Sharks and Montréal Canadiens.

Drafted 6th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Damphousse's single greatest individual moment came when he represented his first team in the 1991 All Star Game, where he tied Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for most goals in a game, with 4.

His greatest team moment, however, would come as a Hab, as part of the team that won the 1993 Stanley Cup. Of course, I had to send cards depicting him in both Canadiens uniforms:

The card on the right - in the red, 'away' jersey - even has the 1992-93 Stanley Cup Finals patch on the jersey; it's from Topps' 1993-94 Stadium Club set (card #240). He had 39 goals and 58 assists - good for 97 points - the year he won the Cup. The card on the left - the white 'home' jersey - is card #110 in the 1995-96 Parkhurst set, one of only two NHL seasons in which the Parkhurst brand emitted its own series since its revival in the early 90s.

He served as team captain from 1996 until 1999; he was a huge star in Montréal: he was a hit with the ladies (at one time even dating one of my mom's friends), and appeared in TV commercials, such as this one for Head & Shoulders:

Before the Habs, Damphousse had a one-season stint with the Edmonton Oilers during which he scored 38 goals and got 89 points in 80 games, as can be seen in these two cards:

The card on the left is from the 1992-93 Topps set (card #55), which used foil on the front, something collectors were more used to from Upper Deck; the card on the right is from the borderless 1991-92 Pro Set Series Two, by Pro Set - card #381 - which featured all the players who had been traded since the release of the first set, and rookies it had missed.

(to be continued in the next post)

Billy Tucci Autographed Comic Book

2011-03-03T03:12:00.000-05:00

Billy Tucci is an American writer and comics author best known for his creator-owned title Shi, a Japanese/American female martial artist and swordsperson. Shi is usually considered of the ''Bad Girl'' genre of comics: typically, they are tough, mean and violent female characters, whether they're heroes or villains.

Tucci publishes under his own imprint (company), Crusade Comics; he often portrays Shi with heroes from other publishers - these titles are called ''crossovers''. This particular book, Shi/Vampirella #1: Crusade Collectables Edition is actually a crossover with the character Vampirella, a vampire-hunting vampire who, depending which origin story you follow, is either from a planet called Draculon, or is the daughter of Lilith, Adam's first wife before Eve (you know - the Bible story Adam and Eve).

Like the Jude Millien comic I wrote about in February, this was purchased from a reliable seller on Ebay, who got it signed in black sharpie at a comics convention and is liquidating most of his stuff. Some go for big money, I was the winner of two of the lowest-priced items.

Mike Fisher: 4 Autographed Cards

2011-02-26T00:54:00.000-05:00

Oh, the irony. A day after posting how January was a slow month in regards to receiving mail back, I got some from two of my favourite players in the NHL. And while I'm still struggling to find the proper words for my piece on Alexandre Burroughs, I'm honoured to write this post on one of the league's best two-way players, Mike Fisher.

I sent Mr. Fisher a fan letter and these four cards (care of the Ottawa Senators) on November 17th, 2010 and got all four back, signed distinctly in black sharpie (adding his jersey number, 12, to each), on January 18th, 2011, two months after my initial letter, and roughly after a month before getting traded to Nashville. I still have trouble imagining him as a member of the Nashville Predators, but I guess it makes sense to play for a team close to where his wife - country singer Carrie Underwood - lives and works.

As usual, I picked cards with different uniforms on them. I was always partial to the Sens' black uniforms, like in this card, from Topps' 2002-03 Topps Total set (card #148):

This jersey is different from the Sens' first black jersey, in that the sleeves sport huge gold horizontal lines instead of white and red - an upgrade, in my opinion - but sports the now-main logo with the centurion facing the front rather than sideways (I preferred the original, sideways logo, seen at the top of the card, which seemed more sober and professional - less cartooney). The jersey also had maple leaves, representing the Canadian flag, on each shoulder, which the original did not.

In the mid-to-late 1990s, many studies came out demonstrating that teams in red uniforms tended to win more championships - by a 3:1 margin over blue, and nearly 10:1 for every other colour. And so, the Senators introduced a red jersey, which kind of became their main home jersey along the way:

This card is from Topps' 2000-01 O-Pee-Chee set (the NHL Prospects sub-set), and is card #289 in the collection. It also bears the ''OTT-9'' mark, meaning it's the ninth in the collection of a Senator.It serves as his main rookie card for the Topps and O-Pee-Chee brands.

And then, of course, there are the current Reebok (''RBK Edge'') practice-like atrocities they wear nowadays, as seen in these two cards:

I chose the card on the left because it shows the edge of the jerseys, with no defining line to end it, which used to be customary. It also clearly shows that both shoulders harbor the 'O' patch. It's from the 2008-09 Upper Deck Series 1 set (card #64). The card on the right, from Upper Deck's 2010-11 Victory set (card #133) shows the team's logo more prominently, and a bit of the black-coloured underarms, which lead to the wrists in some odd way. It also shows he's made his way to being named assistant-captain on the team, which reflects how he went from a defensively-minded youngster under coach Jacques Martin at the time to the reliable 20-to-25-goal scorer he currently is, still in the positives for his +/- stats despite being on poor Ottawa teams of late.

I wish him the best of luck on the Preds. If I ran a team, he'd definitely be on my shopping list this July 1st.

Roberto Luongo Autographed Picture

2011-02-25T19:42:00.000-05:00

Alright, full disclosure time.

I sent Roberto Luongo the following three cards (of him wearing the Florida Panthers uniform, explaining I was trying to gather cards of him in different jerseys) and a fan letter, care of the Vancouver Canucks, on November 29th, 2010:

I got them all back on February 2nd, 2011, unsigned, with a printed letter saying he'd enclosed an autographed picture to thank me for writing. Which would be this one:

I looked around the web to see if others had had the same picture, trying to find out if it was a real sig or an autopen; 150 Google Image pages later, I've come to the conclusion that it's real, based on the fact that there are tons of different of such pics, mine being the only one I've seen of his glove-hand catching the puck and the signature overlapping on his left-leg pad.

If anyone can attest to the contrary, I'd be glad to know and correct the post.