Scott Niedermayer Jersey Card

Congratulations are in for Scott Niedermayer, who was just inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame this week, alongside obvious choice Chris Chelios and dark horse Brendan Shanahan, as well as coach Fred Shero (Philadelphia Flyers, as a ''builder'') and Geraldine Heaney for women.

Although I personally don't feel like the teams he was on wouldn't have won without him, the fact remains: he was on all those championship teams, from winning gold at the World Juniors (1991) to the Memorial Cup (1992) to four Stanley Cups (1995, 2000 and 2003 with the New Jersey Devils, and 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks), World Cup gold (2004) and silver (1996), World Championship gold (2004) and Olympic gold (2002 and 2010). For all those men's teams, only those recognized to be among the best were even invited, and having been the only defenseman not named Nicklas Lidstrom to win the Norris trophy between 2001 and 2008 (he won it in 2004) certainly also proves he was just that.

Maybe I would have been more amazed had he won a Calder Cup (AHL championship) to complete the collection...

Also, he was a member of one of the biggest flops ever, the 1992 World Juniors Team Canada that finished 6th (!!!) of eight teams with a roster that included Eric Lindros, Darryl Sydor, Kimbi Daniels, Patrick Poulin, Martin Lapointe, John Slaney, Turner Stevenson, Paul Kariya and Trevor Kidd. He is now one of the Ducks' assistant coaches.

Still, he's a hockey legend. And this is a beautiful card, from Upper Deck's 2011-12 Artifacts set (card #27):

It's serial numbered 28/125 and is comprised of two black patches matching the card's background and clashing perfectly with the Ducks' white uniform. It's hard to see his captain's 'C' in this position, but we all know it's there. Contemplate it, that's what a winner looks like.