Boyd Gordon: 7 Autographed Items

My returns from the Edmonton Oilers have been great so far this year, as this Boyd Gordon surprise marks my third return from the boys in blue this Spring, though technically, seeing as I'd sent it on March 30th, 2014 and got it back on May 1st, 2015 (a 396-day return!), it probably counts as one of those I sent last season.

Originally a Washington Capitals first-round draft pick (17th overall) in 2002, Gordon was seen by then-GM George McPhee as the team's second-line center for the foreseeable future, and a terrific 2005-06 season with their AHL affiliate Hershey Bears in which he tallied 38 points (off 16 goals) in 58 regular-season games and 8 more points in 21 playoff games en route to a Calder Cup sure hinted at that, but because right-handed centers who win faceoffs are such a hot commodity - and perhaps because the most points he ever produced at the NHL level was the 29 he got in 2006-07 - he eventually found his niche as a shut-down center and penalty killer, most notably with the Phoenix Coyotes, suiting up for 95% of their games for two years after 4 seasons of less than 70 games per with the Caps.

Because of that, I included two cards of his showing him with the team from Arizona, both in the Coyotes' white (away) uniform:

On the left is card #392 from Panini's 2013-14 Score collection, while the card on the right is from the 2013-14 O-Pee-Chee set by Upper Deck, and is #214 in the series.

Some coaches (hello Dallas Eakins) have tried using his ability at winning faceoffs as a way to jump-start their powerplay, but once the team had puck possession, he would usually be called off the ice in favor of another of the Oilers' top producers, which was a tad unfair and a bit of a thankless job.

I was a big fan of the Oilers signing him as a free agent to solidify their third line, so it made sense to also send custom cards depicting him in both the team's current/retro uniforms, including one of him in the faceoff circle:

They are variants C, B and A of card #30 of my own Hell's Kitchen 2013-14 Series 2 set.

He also signed the two index cards I had included to protect the cards:

Like everything else, they're signed in old-school, thick black sharpie, with his jersey number tagged at the end (15 in Phoenix, 27 in Edmonton). Some have smudged a little, but I don't mind, as my collection is for personal purposes, not monetary or exchange value, and is usually about players I respect and admire.