Logan Couture Swatch Card

There's something I can't totally get into when I see Logan Couture play, and I could never quite put my finger on it, until, when researching him to showcase this card, I realized his favourite player growing up was Buffalo Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek. Having grown up a Patrick Roy fan myself, not only could I not stand Hasek, but also feel he stole a few Vezinas from Roy - at least he retired with 0 Conn Smythes to Roy's record of 3...

But back to the San Jose Sharks' 30-goal man, who managed 21 in this lockout-shortened season... well, he's an NHL All-Star, might have a shot at playing for Team Canada in the Olympics, but will never win a Stanley Cup as long as he remains in San Jose... the Hockey Gods have decreed it.

This card features him wearing the Sharks' white (away) jersey, perhaps the nicest white jersey they've ever had. The enclosed swatch is also white, and most likely from that same uniform. The card is part of Panini's 2011-12 Crown Royale set (card #3, the Heirs To The Throne sub-set), and is die-cut, which is a neat look:

There's a white spot at the top-left of the scan, in the cut; it's dust that was on the scanner, the card itself is pristine.