Ryan Smyth: 5 Autographed Cards (Part 2)

                 (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!

Ryan Smyth: 5 Autographed Cards (Part 1)

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)

Marian Gaborik Jersey Card

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

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

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...