Steve Mason Jersey Card

Earlier today, I received this note from Bobby Clarke's management team informing me that he no longer signs autographs for free and wants folks to donate to a diabetes association before they get signed items from him, which I find is noble:

As a diabetes-stricken adult myself (I've been off insulin for two years but it's pretty much inevitable that one day Metformin will not be enough and I will have to go back to the needle), I may very well do that in the future.

For now, however, I still wanted to feature a member of the Philadelphia Flyers as a link to that, but also because against all odds, they are still clinging to playoff hopes by what seems to be pretty much Shayne Gostisbehere's sheer will.

Although, to be fair, The Hockey Writers aren't wrong when they claim that the rest of the Broad Street Bullies' season lies on the shoulders of starting goaltender Steve Mason, the former Calder Trophy winner and Vezina runner-up who has given new life to his career after stagnating (and perhaps even regressing) with the Columbus Blue Jackets for a few years.

Indeed, though he is having an okay year thus far (outplayed a bit by backup Michal Neuvirth), he had a Vezina-worthy season last year, going 18-18-11 on a team that missed the playoffs, with a 2.25 GAA and .928 save percentage with 3 shutouts, following the previous year's stellar playoff performance (2-2, 1.97 GAA and .939).

In 2012-13, after starting the year in Columbus, he went 4-2-0 with the Flyers in the final stretch, with a 1.90 GAA and .944 save percentage in Philadelphia.

It's now clear the former Team Canada alumnus (a 2008 World Juniors gold medal winner, with Best Goalie and Tournament MVP awards to go with it) is back among the elite at his position, and I'm starting to like the way he looks in orange:

That's card #GJ-SM from Upper Deck's 2014-15 Series 1 collection and UD Game Jersey sub-set, showing him in Philly's current/retro orange (home) uniform, with a matching game-worn jersey swatch inserted on the ideal spot considering the picture used.