Jarret Stoll Autographed Card

Jarret Stoll never actually retired from the NHL, but when he failed to secure a contract atfter a tryout with the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of the 2016-17 season and then signed with the Los Angeles Kings as a scout, the writing was not only on the wall but written in spray-paint.

Of course, he did win two Stanley Cups with the Kings, centering their checking line. While in L.A., he received some Selke Trophy votes in three different seasons, and had in his final year with the Edmonton Oilers as well.

Here is my favourite card of his, which happens to be during his days in Edmonton:

It's #20 from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Ovation set, and he signed it in (fading) blue sharpie after a Kings game in 2014-15. Ovation cards were like Ice and Artifact - a tad expensive for almost no "pulls" and just a few common cards, but so beautiful and classy. The silver foil on this card is really marvelous, and the cardboard has a three-dimensional feel thanks to the relief, which simulated used ice. It's too bad they went the way of the dodo.

He was inducted in the Kootenay Ice Hall Of Fame on March 1st (he was actually the first inductee).

Jarret Stoll Jersey Card

It hasn't been an easy season for Jarret Stoll...

After the Los Angeles Kings made it clear they wouldn't re-sign him, he was caught bringing cocaine and ecstasy to an end-of-the-season pool party in Las Vegas (charges were later reduced to misdemeanors); he was then signed as a free agent by the New York Rangers over the summer to be their fourth-line center, but he was released after 29 games with just a single goal and 3 total points to show for it.

He was then claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Wild, who are now in the thick of a Wild Card race with the Colorado Avalanche and may miss the postseason altogether, which would be the second straight year Stoll would miss the playoffs while playing on a team that should theoretically contend for the Stanley Cup.

He did win the prized championship trophy with the Kings in 2012 and 2014.

He had a busy career in Juniors, captaining the Kootenay Ice to a Memorial Cup championship and playing on two World Juniors medal-earning editions of Team Canada (bronze in 2001, silver in 2002 while serving as captain) and going through the draft process twice - initially picked 40th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2000, then 36th overall by the Edmonton Oilers after the Toronto Maple Leafs (who had acquired his rights from the Flames) had failed to prove they had signed him on time - apparently, the team just sent its fax in to the NHL too late which, let's be honest, is a typical Leaf and Flame thing to do.

He had his best NHL season with the Oilers in 2005-06, posting 68 points (on 22 goals and 46 assists) in 82 games and another 10 points in 24 playoff games as the team lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in 7 games in the Cup Final. He hit the 20-goal mark only once more (in 2010-11, his third in L.A.) and went over 30 assists (31) and 45 points (47) again only in 2009-10.

He currently has 3 goals, 3 assists and 6 points in 49 games with the Wild. He did get a moving video tribute in his first game back against the Kings, though.

Like Wayne Gretzky, I'll remember him mostly as an Oiler (50%) and a King (40%), and very little for what he will have achieved with other teams. Unlike Gretzky, he likely won't have a 10-minute salute in his final game in Canada to remind us he played with the Blueshirts...

So here he is in the Oilers' turn-of-the-millennium uniform (where the orange is more copper and with shoulder patches instead of a regular "hockey design") with card #J-JS from Upper Deck's 2007-08 Series 1 set (and UD Game Jersey sub-set):

It's a nice card that features a blue game-worn jersey swatch. I got as the "guaranteed hit" card in a re-pack that I bought from Giant Tiger five or six years ago.