Robyn Regehr Autograph Card

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My first reflex upon seeing that the Calgary Flames' "Reverse Retro" uniform was, in fact, the return of the "Flaming Horse" black jersey, was "Cool! A return to the Darryl Sutter and Jarome Iginla era!" I always appreciated that uniform as an alternate; it's really beautiful, even though I have a soft spot for the classic/current red-and-yellow as the "main" team identity.

Of course, at this point, Sutter is actually back behind the team's bench, riding a three-game win streak after defeating Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the rival Edmonton Oilers last night.

Another staple of Sutter's success is Robyn Regehr, who not only was a member of the 2004 Flames team that made it to Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, but he was also on the 2013-14 Los Angeles Kings team that won its second Cup in three years with a Conference Final sandwiched in the middle. A mostly defensive defenseman, Regehr hit the 20-point mark three times (with a high of 26 in 2005-06) and, while he was rugged, generally remained below the 75-penalty minute threshold and never reached the century mark.

He is remembered fondly, with many seeing him as one of the best Flames players of all time (14th via Flames Nation, and 'best #28" for Matchsticks And Gasoline), which says a lot considering he was traded for the much-beloved Theoren Fleury; my own quick estimate has him ranked around the 20th spot, probably behind Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Al MacInnis, Joe Nieuwendyk, Mike Vernon, Mark Giordano, Gary Suter, Fleury, Johnny Gaudreau, Joel Otto, Joe Mullen, Hakan Loob, Kent Nilsson, Lanny McDonald (who in terms of career achievements would likely land top-three or top-five but as a Flame is within reach of the top-10) and perhaps Sean Monahan and Guy Chouinard. In his prime, there was no one in Canada you wanted to avoid meeting in a corner than him.

Of course, he fits perfectly as #28 in my Flames Numbers Project with the signed insert version (gold variant) of card #154 from In The Game's 2000-01 Signature Series collection:

It features a thin black-sharpied, on-card autograph with his jersey number tagged at the end. What a beautiful card!

Robyn Regehr Jersey Card

If the Calgary Flames end up making the playoffs, Robyn Regehr is one guy they'll be glad to have on their blue line. He is the prototypical shut-down defender, huge and quick, able to move the puck and armed with a decent shot, both speed-wise and for accuracy.

But what he has the most is determination. He is the youngest-ever winner of the Bill Masterton trophy, which he won at age 19, after making his NHL debut in 1999-2000 despite having broken both legs in a car crash in the summer of 1999 - doctors even said it was unlikely he would walk before the end of the year, yet he was on the ice on October 28th for a game against the Ottawa Senators, after having played 5 games with the AHL St. John's Flames.

That's just what he does, defy the odds; born in Brazil and raised early in Indonesia where his brother Richie was born (their parents were Mennonite missionaries, preaching Jesus' Word through nonviolence), he only started playing hockey in Saskatchewan when he was 7, three years behind the other kids. But by the time thw WHL went into the bantam draft in 1995, he was the Kamloops Blazers' first-round pick. By the 1998 NHL draft, he was the Colorado Avalanche's first pick (19th overall), but he was traded to the Flames in the deal that sent Theoren Fleury to Denver.

Throughout his career, he was injured more times than just about any of his teammates: rib, abdominal and wrist injuries in 2002-03; torn ligaments in his foot in the Stanley Cup final in 2003-04; a knee injury in 2005-06; another knee injury in the 2006-07 playoffs; a puck to the face and a dep bruise on his foot from blocking a shot (that was believed to be a broken foot for some time) in 2007-08; yet another knee injury in 2009-10 to end his season at 75 games.

And yet, he is as effective as he's always been, despite the numerous knee injuries, two of which could have ended his career. Don't ever tell this guy he can't do something, unless you actually want it done is all I'm saying. That's why he wears an "A" on his jersey.

And although he didn't participate in the 2010 Winter Games, he has represented Canada numerous times before: at the 1999 World Juniors (a second-place finish); 2000 and 2005 World Championships (fourth and second place, respectively); the 2004 World Cup (gold) and the 2006 Turin Olympics (a disappointing seventh place that shocked the nation).

He follows in his parents' footsteps, as he is very active in helping the less fortunate, both in his community and around the world; he made a trip to Mozambique for the Right To Play foundation, and co-heads (with his wife) the Impact Foundation that helps kids deal with ''the challenges of growing up'' in Calgary.

This card (#U-RR) is from Fleer's 2006-07 Fleer Ultra set, subtly produced by Upper Deck (the address on the pack and cards barely states ''UDC'' and that the cards are ''by permission of Fleer LLC) and bears the Ultra Uniformity trademark as well; it incorporates a black piece of a Flames jersey, most likely from the dark, away jersey. Viewed as a ''common'' jersey card, it usually fetches around or less than $20, but I, for one, am glad to have a Regehr in my collection - what a guy!