Tyson Sexsmith Autograph Card

Tyson Sexsmith had a tremendous 2007 Memorial Cup tournament in which he led the Vancouver Giants to the title on the strength of a 1.40 GAA and .936 save percentage in 5 games after a WHL playoffs in which he went 14-7 with a 1.79 GAA and .914 save percentage in 22 games.

The San Jose Sharks chose him in the third round (91st overall) at the 2007 draft, making him the first WHL goalie to hear his name called out that year. He led his Juniors league in goals-against average two years running, and holds the career record for shutouts with 26.

He spent the three seasons after his Juniors career in the Sharks' system, mostly with the AHL's Worcester Sharks, but also suiting up for the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings and Stockton Thunder. He then plied his trade in three different leagues for the 2012-13 season, first with the KHL's Novokuznetsk Mettalurg (based in Siberia), then with the AHL's Abbottsford Heat, and finishing in Italy for a short playoff run with the Bolzano HC Foxes (which now plays in the Austrian League, EBEL, where they won the championship this year); the Foxes currently has a goalie who bears the same last name as me, Günther Hell, an Italian.

I don't know what became of Sexsmith for the last two years, but I'd like to find out. Panini believed in him enough to feature him in their 2013-14 Score set, as seen here in card #SS-TSE of the Signature sub-set, sporting the nicest Sharks white uniform of all time, which would be even better without the football-style jersey number on the front, above the logo:

It features an on-sticker autograph, signed in thin blue sharpie with the number 31 tagged onto it, though he's pictured wearing #37. This card was an add-on from a trade last year.