Michal Rozsival Jersey Card

Michal Rozsival won two Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks, but it's the team that initially drafted him - the Pittsburgh Penguins, 105th overall in 1996 - who are still in the running this year.

He'll be an unrestricted free agent for the third time in his four seasons with the Hawks, but they probably need him back, as his 16-17 minutes of ice time are pretty much the only thing stopping Duncan Keith from averaging over 30 himself, as he did when Rozsival broke his leg in last year's playoffs; sure, it enabled Keith to star in one of the most impressive performances in NHL playoff history, but it's not something one can replicate every year.

The Czech defender has lost a step, however, but can be counted on for steady defensive play with a good partner and 10-15 points in 45-55 games on a second pairing, probably for one more year, before becoming a third pairing player for his last season or two, health permitting.

Here he is wearing the Pens' turn-of-the-millennium black (then-away) uniform, from Pacific's 2001-02 Private Stock set (card #83 of the Authentic Game-Worn Jersey / Game-Used Gear sub-sets):

It features a white game-worn jersey swatch.

Andrew Cassels: Jersey Card

Andrew Cassels spent three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, and I think this jersey card from Pacific's 2001-02 Private Stock (Game-Used Gear card #98) is all I have to remind me of those days:

What's cool is they specify which season the (white) jersey swatch is from - and it's of note that it was 2 seasons prior to that edition. Lucky for them he was still with the Canucks for that year...

I successfully received 6 autographed cards from him last June, mostly of his days with the Hartford Whalers.

Roberto Luongo Jersey Card

Today, a change of the guard occurs: Martin Brodeur will watch from the bench while Team Canada relies on Roberto Luongo to lead them to an Olympic medal.

Despite appearances (like, say, unmerited Vezina trophies for career achievements when it should be awarded to the season's best), Luongo has been the best Canadian goalie for the past 5 years. We're talking about a guy who was on possibly the worst team in the league yet managed to lead it in save percentage, breaking records for most shots against and most saves made in a single season.

He was made to carry teams; from his junior years, where he led two different teams to the Memorial Cup, two World Junior Championships (no medal as Mathieu Garon's back-up, silver as a starter), to appearing in 3 World Championships two gold medals, one silver), to being the highest-drafted goalie at the time (4th overall, since surpassed by both Rick DiPietro and fellow Canadian netminder Marc-André Fleury).

He still has a lot of playing left to do, both in these Olympic Games and in the NHL, so I'll leave it at that for now.

This card (#52) is from Pacific's 2000-01 Private Stock set and Authentic Game-Used Gear sub-set, and includes a swatch of a game-worn white jersey from his New York Islanders jersey, although the card lists him as a member of the Florida Panthers - he was traded on draft day by 'Crazy' Mike Milbury right after announcing their picking DiPietro; Luongo was sent to the Panthers along with the team's eventual captain Olli Jokinen in exchange for second-rate sniper Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha.

Luongo was quoted as saying:

"I didn't expect it at all. One day they're telling me I'm the goalie of the future, and the next day I'm gone. I didn't really appreciate that. The good side is that [the Panthers] wanted me."

(Another) Jarome Iginla Jersey Card

Sure, I already talked about Jarome Iginla - in a jersey card no less - here, but after today's blockbuster trade, I had to mention someone from the Calgary Flames - and I couldn't find a Dion Phaneuf card (other than his usual rookies), nor have the Sutters returned the cards I sent by mail. So I went back to the fool-proof plan: The Captain.

Mind you, this 2001-02 Private Stock 'Authentic Game-Used Jersey' card from Pacific depicts Iginla when he was but a mere alternate captain (just like in the first card). The patch is red, and neither the home nor the away jerseys had much red in them, only near the waist and wrists, so it's from a relatively small piece of real estate. Pacific has taken a bit of a dive, but this is still worth at least $25 on the open market.

It takes a special man to lead by example the way Iginla does, maybe the type of man who marries his eighth-grade high school sweetheart. No matter how tough he can get on the ice, you expect him to be righteous at all times, and he has been so far. He's an example for kids, helps in the community, has won Olympic Gold... he just needs a Stanley Cup to make it all worthwhile. And should the Sutters find the right mix of players to do so, this could be his year.

At the beginning of the season, I ranked the Flames 4th in their Conference, but also Stanley Cup finalists - against the Philadelphia Flyers, whom I also placed fourth. It would make for a fantastic finale, and, really, honestly, I wouldn't know who to root for - Ray Emery, Daniel Brière, Simon Gagné, Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell on one side, Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Jay Bouwmeester, Robyn Regehr and the Sutters on the other; just the most intense hockey to end the season with.