Alexander Perezhogin Jersey Card

There are players that your team will try to sell you as 'Future Stars' eventhough they couldn't find the back of the net if they were caught in it (we call them Chipchuras); there are others who get drafted really late and turn out - surprisingly - to be gems, cornerstones, 'Franchise Players' (such as Pavel Datsyuk and Andrei Markov); others have the potential to become stars, but management loses patience with them, or they're never really given a fair shot, and they turn into scoring machines elsewhere (like Mike Ribeiro and John LeClair).

Then there is Alexander Perezhogin.

The team sold the fans on him, they definitely thought he was top talent; he believed so, too. But no one thought he was a headcase, for some odd reason, but it was there all along.

We're talking about a guy who left his home country Kazakhstan with his coach to play with Avanguard Omsk in the late 90s and actually became Russian in the process - he left his roots behind and changed his citizenship.

Then he came to North America to play with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Montréal's farm team, where he didn't even get to finish the season - he was suspended for the remainder of the playoffs as well as the whole following season - the longest suspension in AHL history - for cross-checking an opponent in the face, rendering him unconscious and leaving him convulsing on the ice.

During his AHL suspension, as it would have not been too kosher to have him play in the NHL during that time span, he returned to Omsk.

Upon his return to North America in 2005, he spent the better part of the next two seasons with the Montréal Canadiens, playing over 60 games each year in a relatively limited role, playing mostly with Tomas Plekanec, the Habs wanting to let them develop progressively, at their own pace. While Plekanec became the team's best centerman in the past 3 seasons (despite the presence of Saku Koivu and Scott Gomez), Perezhogin left for the KHL, unsatisfied of 'only' being used between 12 and 15 minutes per game.

In his first year playing with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, so-named in honour of Salavat Yulaev, a national hero of Bashkiria who was from Ufa (thanks, Wikipedia! - kind of like if the Habs were named to ''Maurice Richards'', I guess), he gathered 21 goals and 41 points in 50 games. In his second year, he'd upped that total to 28 goals, 22 assists (good for 50 points) in 55 games, helping his team win the KHL championship, ensuring its place in the 2009-10 Champions League. Also on the team's roster are former NHLers Alexander Radulov, Alexei Medvedev, Dmitri Kalinin, Viktor Kozlov, Oleg Tverdovsky, Patrick Thorensen and Ilya Zubov.

He was also a part of the Russian team who won the gold medal at the last World Championships, playing alongside Ilya Kovalchuk and 5 Ufa teammates, defeating Canada for a second straight year; he is likely also to make the cut for the Russian team in the upcoming Olympics.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens have struggled to find a top-6 forward to complete their second line... (and have another headcase on board who hasn't even scored yet - hi, Sergei!)

This is card #FE-AP from Upper Deck's 2006-07 Be A Player Portraits series and sports a piece of jersey that Perezhogin has worn in a photo shoot.

Autographed Scott Young Card

I wasn't a fan of my hometown Montréal Canadiens growing up - it was too easy: they were everywhere, they were always winning, everyone knew at least one of them in person, and too many people loved them, not just here, but all over the continent; to this day, in any given arena where they're the visiting team, you'll see a strong contingent of Habs fans supporting the winning-est team in the sport's history.

No, I was a fan of the Québec Nordiques. Blue to the Habs' red, Quebecers to the Habs' Canadians, the new kid in town rather than the establishment, the underdog instead of the favourite. After the Stastnys and Goulet came Sakic, Sundin, Nolan and Stéphane Fiset - a new generation ready for prime time, a high-scoring machine built through both five years of mediocrity and some of the best trades of the past 25 years.

Not quite part of the elite of that squad but a key piece nonetheless was Scott Young, the team's second-line right winger and point man on the power play. His shot was as accurate as it was hard, and his passing skills could also be used at that position, while also giving prime powerplay time to the other offensive weapons on the team (Joe Sakic, Owen Nolan, Mike Ricci, Mats Sundin, Wendel Clark) while giving either Leschyshyn or Duchesne a well-deserved break if they'd been on the ice as the other team's penalty was called.

He was the most important 'not-quite-star' player on that team, which is what I told him when I met him (he wasn't too impressed despite acknowledging that I meant well). In 5 years with the organization, three times he scored 20 goals or more, but only once reached 30, winning the Stanley Cup when the team moved to Denver in 1995-96; he had already won it as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1990-91. He was traded entering his final year under contract, as all parties knew he'd be on his way out anyway, looking for greener pastures with a more prominent role elsewhere - and it sort of happened with the St. Louis Blues, although it did take him until his third year there to score 40 goals.

This was signed during those St. Louis years, but I couldn't resist having him sign a Nordiques card - and this one is my favourite of him in that uniform because of the back of the card: the most beautiful jersey in the game - and the Château Frontenac as the backdrop - a terrific sight. It's signed in black sharpie - one that seemed to be on the verge of dying.

This card was from the 1993-94 Leaf series (card # 108), made by the same company that used to produce Donruss cards, before they were acquired by Pinnacle Brands in the mid-90s (Score, Pinnacle) and Panini recently.

Luc Richard Mbah A Moute Autograph Card

I'll be the first to admit that I'm no basketball fan - it doesn't really appeal to me, and I was never quite sure why. Yes, it was invented in Canada, it is similar to hockey in that the same players on the surface play both offense and defense and there are offsides, and the goal is to score in the net... I don't know.

But I do understand the game, and I do like the highlights they show on TV - and the dunk contests at the All Star Game. And I know who the star players are - Bryant, Allen, Anthony, Shaq, King James...

But I have no clue who Luc Richard Mbah A Moute is - I just love his name. So when I was presented with a chance to purchase this card on Ebay, I jumped on it. A quick glance at Wikipedia will tell you that he's from Cameroun, has in twin playing College ball, and that he was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. You'll also learn he's a prince, as he is a son of the elected village chief, Camille Mouté à Bidias.

That's right - the coolest name in sports (Ochocinco being a really close second) - and a fucking prince. He is a prince, and his name is funky.

As for the details of the card itself, it's from Upper Deck's 2009-10 SP Signature Edition series (the card is #I-LM, from the Ink Credible sub-set), and sports a beautiful signature, in blue sharpie, on a sticker that was later put on the card. It is numbered 218/499.

Pierre Turgeon Autograph Card

And now... the captain... of YOUR... Montréal No-Names... Pierre Turgeon!

Yes, another one from the worst card series of all time... Upper Deck's 1995-96 Be A Player set.

This time, it's the now-centennial Montréal Canadiens who have the honour of not having their team name nor logo appear anywhere on the card - they even airbrushed it off of Turgeon's chest. I'm glad they kept the captain's ''C'', though, as well as his number and the brand name on his gloves.

Turgeon holds a particular place in the Habs' history. He was the last to have been near producing a 100-point season for the team since Mats Naslund in the 1980s (he got 96 in 1995-96), had actually achieved that goal before (106 in 1989-90 for the Buffalo Sabres and 132 in 1992-93 with the New York Islanders), and was only named captain because he was the most talented (read: skillful) player on the team that year, not because he was the most vocal or hardest-working player in the locker room. He was also a member of the team for a mere 106 games spread over three seasons (the end of one, a full one, then was traded at the beginning of the third year), so his reign as captain turned out to be uneventful.

It's fun to note that on his way here, he cost the team Kirk Muller (captain) and Mathieu Schneider but on his way out, he was only worth Shayne Corson; mind you, the guy who traded him away, Réjean Houle, is also the guy who gave away the best goalie of all time (Patrick Roy) and his team's captain (Mike Keane) for an overhyped skinny #2 goalie (Jocelyn Thibault) and two somewhat talented enigmatic lazy forwards (Andrei Kovalenko and Martin Rucinsky). Trades like that are the reason why the team went from perennial contender to bottom-feeder in two years (and for almost a decade) - and why they have remained near the ''last available playoff position'' spot for the better part of the last 6 years as well.

Oh well.

Needless to say, this local superstar's card, possibly the only one I own of him wearing the local team's colours (but not crest...) ranks and sits... in the middle of every pile I end up stacking it in. It's card #S152, for those keeping count.

Braydon Coburn Rookie Jersey Autograph Card

In the same vein as Chris Davis' all-dressed card, here's another triple-threat rookie-jersey-and-autograph card, this time depicting young defenseman Braydon Coburn when he was with the Atlanta Thrashers (who sent him to the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2006-07 trade deadline for over-the-hill defenseman Alexei Zhitnik in the hopes of going all-in to secure the team's first - and only - ever playoff spot, one of the most lop-sided trades in recent memory).

Coburn is a 24 year-old 6'5'', 225-pound defenseman from Calgary whose upside compared to other stellar Albertans as Dion Phaneuf and Jay Bouwmeester in that they all have grit and size but also spectacular speed and a knack for putting points up on the board. Coburn actually holds (in a six-way tie) the record in the WHL for the most goals in a game by a defenseman (with 4). He also brings leadership to the table: look at the picture closely, you'll see he is sporting the Captain's C. Keep in mind this is his rookie card... a rookie captain in a team loaded with veterans and with two star players (at the time, both Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk were still with the team)? Oh yes. I'd take him on my team any day.

This particular card, from the 2005-06 SPx series by Upper Deck (Rookie Jersey sub-set, card #181, numbered 156/1499) sports a jersey worn in a photo shoot and an autograph on a sticker that was apposed to the card later - therefore, it's ''all fake'' if you're looking for a game-worn jersey or a card that the player actually touched with his hands - but it's still a testament to Coburn's talent that they couldn't wait to have him play an actual game before releasing a card depicting him (as a captain, no less).

Petr Nedved Autograph Card

This card may be from the first series to offer a regular set of autographed cards - Upper Deck's 1995-96 Be A Player set, arguably one of the worst sets of all time.

Because they were only licensed by the NHLPA (and not the NHL), Peter Nedved is seen here wearing the Pittsburgh Penguins' colours - but that's all he's sporting. Nowehere on the card is the word 'Penguins' nor the team's logo to be seen - it was even airbrushed out of the picture.

The back of the card doesn't have any statistics or text related to the actual player, only a fac-similed 'signed' word from Ted Saskin saying:

You have received a card personally autographed by the NHL player depicted on the front of this card.

This 1996 NHLPA Be A Player trading card's authenticity is guaranteed by the NHLPA:
One Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z3

This certificate guarantees the authenticity of the player's signature.

The NHL player depicted did not autograph this card in the presence of a representative of the NHLPA.

Enjoy your autographed card.

Ted Saskin
Senior Directir Business Affairs And Licensing
NHL Players' Association

Yes, you read that right - twice they ''guarantee the authenticity'', yet they still make it abundantly clear that the card was NOT signed in the presence of NHLPA reps, so, really, there is no guarantee.

So they guarantee that the player on the front of the card, who they can't name, wearing an NHL jersey with no logo and affiliated to no NHL team (just the city of Pittsburgh) signed this card with no one to witness it.

Not that I don't trust a former second overall draft pick who played for 8 different NHL teams (and twice each for the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers, for a grand total of ten NHL transactions)... just that I think the NHLPA offers us a lack of respect and transparency with every single detail of this card.

Dwayne Roloson Jersey Card

Here's a card depicting Dwayne Roloson in what I believe to be his finest hour in the NHL - as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. Sure, when he played with the Minnesota Wild, he had two seasons where he stopped over 92% of shots against, but the system they were playing likely helped, and there were no playoffs in which to judge him.

However, when he was traded to the Oilers at the end of the 2005-06 season, his impact was immediate, as he led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes - and the Oilers probably would have won had Roloson not gotten injured in Game 1.

This card (#AF-DR) is from Upper Deck's 2006-07 SP Game Used edition, the Authentic Fabrics Jersey sub-set, and is special for sporting two colours, red and blue. Keep in mind that I have no clue whatsoever as to where there might be red on a recent Oilers jersey...

Pascal Leclaire And Ty Conklin - Jersey Card

Because many players care more about ice time and making money than the city where they play in or being on a championship team, we rarely see players spend their entire careers with the same team anymore. Both goalies here are no longer with the team in which they are pictured here (Conklin himself has been on 3 other teams since), but at least the card depicts a picture, jersey and team name that all fit at the time.

Upper Deck didn't have enough of the usual brands they were producing, they absolutely needed to flood the market with one more, and that's why they came up with this (beautiful) set: 2006-07 Artifacts, with these jersey cards being part of the Tundra sub-set. This Dual Jerseys card (TT-PT) depicts Pascal Leclaire wearing the Columbus Blue Jackets' blue uniform (though the patch seems to be from a white one), and Ty Conklin, backup extraordinaire who has been to the last 3 Stanley Cup Finals, in his Edmonton Oilers white jersey (the patch being bronze coloured, like the stripes on the arms or waist). The card is numbered 120/125.

Trevor Kidd Autographed Card

He was destined for greatness... Trevor Kidd was the Calgary Flames' first-round draft pick (selected 11th overall, ahead of goalies Martin Brodeur and Félix Potvin and skaters Keith Tkachuk, Chris Simon, Doug Weight, Slava Kozlov, Sergei Zubov and Craig Conroy, among others). Maybe the Flames saw something in him, but his goals-against average in juniors was above 4.00 - pretty high for a #1 goalie, unbelievably high for a first-rounder.

He won over 20 games twice with the Flames, and once more with the Carolina Hurricanes, and finished his NHL playing career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is believed to be playing in Europe (although I couldn't find any statistics beyond the 2005-06 season when he played in Germany) and owns a high-end coffee chain in Canada (Mountain Bean Coffee Co.).

This autograph was taken in person while he was a Leaf, but because I hate the Leafs and at least respect the Flames - and because he looked better in a Flames uniform than any other, in my humble opinion - I chose this card, a 1994-95 Flair card from Fleer (card #25).

Chris Davis Card - ''With Everything On It''

What's more valuable: a rookie card, a jersey card, or an autographed card? The Topps Company didn't want to have to find out, so they made this card that is all three.

Indeed, as stated in the top-right corner of this 2007 Topps Performance card (card #122), it's Chris Davis' 'Rookie RC Card'; the autograph is either a very well-placed sticker or part of the card (and, unlike Upper Deck cards, is guaranteed to have been signed in the presence of company representative); and the 'relic' (the piece of jersey) was worn during the 2007 NFL Rookie Premiere.

A nice catch - just like the one that seems to be almost happening in the picture on it.