Patrick O'Sullivan Autograph Card

What's cool about platforms like Twitter is that you can interact with other people on any subject - even professionals, as was the case today when Patrick O'Sullivan and I disagreed on not just Patrick Roy leaving his dual position as Colorado Avalanche head coach and VP of Hockey Operations, but goalies as coaches in general.

I think Roy saw that GM Joe Sakic wasn't going to provide him with another top-4 defenseman - although some are still available on the free agent market, namely Kris Russell, whereas the Avs also have decent trade chips up front with the likes of Matt Duchene to acquire one from another team, be it one of those who have already moved (Adam Larsson, Erik Gudbranson, Dmitri Kulikov, P.K. Subban, Shea Weber) or someone who is currently under the radar (Torrey Krug, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Alexander Edler or Nathan Beaulieu).

And while a lot of people discredit Roy's Jack Adams Trophy because the team's possession stats have always been skewed, that's more the product of a D that cannot find a way to get the puck to their forwards than of a coach who doesn't understand what system to play or what buttons to push; other former goalies have done (Gerry Cheevers) and are doing wonders behind the bench, such as Jeff Blashill and Peter Skudra, not to mention Jacques Martin's work on the Pittsburgh Penguins' sub-par defense group, enabling them to play to their strengths and hide their weaknesses on their way to this year's Stanley Cup.

And that's saying nothing of the work the likes of Félix Potvin and Jocelyn Thibault are doing in Juniors and the fact that a good portion of NHL in-game analysts have played the position, the best of whom are Marc Denis, Kelly Hrudey, Darren Pang, and Glenn Healy, and José Theodore being one of the worst. That shows a pretty deep understanding of the game...

I, of course, might be tooting my own horn:

That being said, here is O'Sullivan wearing the Los Angeles Kings' former white (home) uniform, from Upper Deck's 2007-08 Trilogy set (and Script 1 and Young Stars sub-sets):

That's card #S1-PO in the series and features a blue-sharpied on-sticker autograph.

Patrick O'Sullivan Autograph Card

I hinted at Patrick O'Sullivan's troubles with his father when I featured him in 2013, but he came out with his autobiography a month ago where he goes into much further detail just how skewed of a relationship it was.

There are pretty much scenes of torture in there, at the hands of a father, John O'Sullivan, whose own hockey dreams were left in the minors and who channeled his anger and aspirations onto his son, as many hockey parents are wont to do. Patrick had a bit of a temper in Juniors and ealy in his professional career, taking retaliatory penalties as a means to let his anger out, until a stint with the Minnesota Wild put him in Jacques Lemaire's path, which went a long way into providing him with guidance, leading to added maturity.

After all was said and done, he managed to win two gold medals with Team USA (2002 U-18 and 2004 World Juniors) and appear in 334 NHL games, scoring 58 goals with 103 assists for 161 points.

Here he is wearing the Edmonton Oilers' awful initial white (away) Reebok uniform, from Upper Deck's 2013-14 Edmonton Oilers set, with card #FI-PO of the Franchise Ink sub-set:

It's signed on-sticker in thin blue sharpie.

Patrick O'Sullivan Autograph Card

Patrick O'Sullivan is widely considered one of the biggest draft ''busts'' in recent NHL history, but most of the other cases aren't as documented as his, and we can easily pinpoint its origins to an abusive father, career minor-leaguer John O'Sullivan, who even went as far as banging on the rink's glass and shouting (swearing) at his son during an OHL game, making the family problems public. Patrick filed for a restraining order on John.

Projected as a first-rounder, Patrick was instead chosen in the second round, 56th overall, in 2003, the strongest crop of the last generation.

After averaging almost a goal per game and two points per in Juniors, Patrick entered the AHL on a similar high note, re-writing the Houston Aeros' history books with 47 goals and 93 points as a rookie. Still, his rights were passed around ten times as he suited up for a total of 5 NHL teams so far, twice belonging to the Phoenix Coyotes and going through both Alberta teams.

He now plays in Europe.

With 161 points in 334 NHL games (he's never played in the post-season), his statistics aren't awful, but they're far removed from what most blue chip prospects manage. His Team USA totals are more impressive, though, what with 29 points in 28 games with Junior teams (and gold at the 2004 World Juniors as well as the 2002 U-18 tournaments) to go with 14 points in 19 men's games. At 28 years old, though, chances are his peak years are past him, if not most productive.

I got this card in a trade for a Bryan Allen autographed card and a few minor league singles because I had another autograph card of his that I figured I'd put in a binder together, and because I was already deep into Panini's 2012-13 Fleer Retro inserts:

Like most of my own pulls, it uses the 1996-97 Skybox Autographics design; they do, after all, come in every ten packs... This one is #96-PO in the set and shows him wearing the Coyotes' white (away) jersey, a simple-yet-effective hockey design, though to make it more classic, the purple could be changed for maroon...