If you want to make these current NHL playoffs player-centric, we could go with
Pascal Leclaire and how the team that drafted him - the
Columbus Blue Jackets - is now eliminated and the team that traded for him - the
Ottawa Senators - is still in the running, as the highest seed in the Atlantic Division no less. And neither team existed when I was growing up in the 1980s, if I want to make this Seb-centric.
It's so hard to fathom that Leclaire's been retired since the end of the 2010-11 season and that he's still just 34 years old. Those hip injuries not only took a toll on his body, they ruined the best years of his life.
Sure, he never achieved what an 8th overall pick (2001) is expected to, but no one can take away his two silver medals (2002 World Juniors and 2008 World Championships) with
Team Canada, both times falling to
Russia.
He played with the Jackets more, so it's fitting that this card shows him wearing their blue (home) uniform:
That's card #HM-PL from
Upper Deck's
2007-08 Fleer Hot Prospects set and
Hot Materials sub-set, with a matching blue game-worn jersey swatch.
I used to love his
TPS pad designs, which you can see a bit of on the card but even better below:
They just seem to be perfect at redirecting pucks to the corner, one of the moves I always try to teach young kids first.
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