Tomas Plekanec Autographed Card

Tomas Plekanec, one of the players I respected the most during his playing days, has lived through his share of bittersweet - mostly bitter - moments in 2018.

First, he was traded to forever rivals Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline last year, then re-signed by the Montréal Canadiens - playing his 1000th NHL game at home at the Bell Centre - only to see his contract be annulled/bought out a month into the season.

"Pleky" had always been a leader with the team, taking his licks more often than deserved, whether it be waiting his turn behind Chris Higgins, Michael Ryder and many others to get a chance to make his mark offensively, to constantly being asked to carry struggling wingers back to productive times to being passed over twice for the captaincy (while carrying the title for the Czech Republic internationally, usually on teams that included Jaromir Jagr), then suffering the insult of being a healthy scratch to start the year.

He had immersed himself in Montréal so well that despite his wife (Lucie Plekancová Vondráčková) being a superstar singer and actress in the Europe, their two children's first language was French.

He twice led the Habs in scoring, both times so much ahead of everyone else, it was ridiculous:

2009-10, via HockeyDB

2010-11, via HockeyDB

And most of the time, he was also far ahead in plus/minuses as well, despite always playing against the opposition's top lines and starting in the defensive zone, even in his rookie season:

via HockeyReference

Honestly, objectively, he should have retired with at least one Selke Trophy, despite his career overlapping the likes of Pavel Datsyuk, Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews.

It's not over yet, either, as he signed on to play with Jagr for Rytiri Kladno but accepted a loan to Champions League team HC Kometa Brno when it was clear Jagr was injured long-term.

He knew he was one of my favourite players and many times sent me unrequested autographed cards, such as this 2008-09 Series 1 card (#96 in the set, signed in blue sharpie) by Upper Deck:

I'm fairly certain I'd have even more of those if I didn't move every other year like the average Montrealer.

Hats off, Mr. Plekanec, and congratulations on a solid NHL career. 2018 wasn't easy for you, but you handled it with class, once again setting an example for the rest of us to follow. You will be missed.

2016 World Cup Figurines Review

Last September, I purchased three 2016 World Cup of Hockey figurines by Imports Dragon, and I must say I was let down a bit. I mean, I get that they didn't have a lot of time to produce and market them, but still, some of their flaws show a definite drop in quality from the ones I'd purchased years ago from McFarlane Toys.

Back in the day, McFarlane made awesome sports-related toys, as well as film-related and music-themed ones; I had Slash from Guns N' Roses, Angus Young from AC/DC, Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead, all of Metallica, Freddie Kruger from the Nightmare On Elm Street films, Little Nicky from the Adam Sandler movie, Michael Myers from the Halloween series, Eric Draven from The Crow, Samuel L. Jackson as Shaft from the remake, Edward Scissorhands, but the highlights were my hockey figurines, including four of Patrick Roy (red and white Montréal Canadiens uniforms, and burgundy and white Colorado Avalanche uniforms), a couple of Wayne Gretzky (black Los Angeles Kings uniform, white Edmonton Oilers with the Stanley Cup), P.K. Subban (Habs red), Miikka Kiprusoff (red Calgary Flames uniform), Saku Koivu (Habs white), Mats Sundin for some reason (Toronto Maple Leafs blue, with a crooked pin under his skate), four of Joe Sakic (white Avs uniform, burgundy and alternate as well, and Québec Nordiques blue), Cristobal Huet (Habs red), Chris Chelios (Canadiens red), and Jose Theodore (Habs red, which I had him sign the base of).

Most of them were stolen, so I tried moving on, although I have purchased smaller ones of comics/film characters Batman and Black Widow in the past couple of years, which got me started again. My favourite of the three hockey ones is, of course, that of my favourite goalie (and by far the best of the tournament), Jaroslav Halak, sporting Team Europe's white (away) uniform, in a butterfly/glove save stance:

One thing I don't like is they are too rigid to change positions, yet fragile enough that you feel they might break if you tried, so I left his glove arm bent towards the back:

I'm not certain how realistic his waist size is, here... And here's the back:

Where I have the biggest issue, however, is with the otherwise pretty Tomas Plekanec (wearing the Czech Team's red uniform) and Andrei Markov (Team Russia white):

Their faces are their own, but the bodies come from the exact same mold, they just painted different uniforms and numbers on them:

McFarlane had a habit of re-using a player's mold for different teams and/or uniforms - OF THE SAME PLAYER; they didn't recycle them on their entire line.

Also, the Plekanec is missing his captain's "C":

And here's the Markov on its own:

They're worth it for how nice the uniforms are on their own, basically Adidas versions of their usual international jerseys, but decent ones. However, the toys themselves don't compare favourably to their predecessors, although I will readily admit that even McFarlane's quality had gone down when they started making too many per year.

McFarlane series 1-10: 9/10
McFarlane series 11-33: 8/10
Imports Dragon World Cup: 6.5/10

Edit, June 9th, 2017: According to the pictures on this Beckett Hockey page, they seem to have five player molds and three goalie molds. It's still incredibly lazy.

Three Tomas Plekanec Jersey Cards

At this point, readers know my soft spot for Tomas Plekanec, who deserves to have had a Selke Trophy at this point in his career (and, in my opinion, he deserves the one they gave Ryan Kesler most of all).

I was going to wait until he signed an extension to feature these cards, but as the Montréal Canadiens' annual golf tournament is coming and players are starting to arrive on the South Shore, Habs players who are already here (Pleks spent the summer training with the team's staff) are starting to receive media attention, and The Turtlenecked One, with his pending UFA status up in the air, has started fielding questions about his contract status.

How many times does he expect to have to answer these questions if he doesn't sign soon? A thousand. And how many talks has his agent had with the team? Zero. But he would like to re-sign and finish his career with the bleu-blanc-rouge, the team that drafted him 71st overall in 2001.

What would be a reasonable cap hit for one of the top-5 two-way centers in the league who is about to enter regression, as he turns 33 in October? A reasonable way to look at it is to understand the CBA: contracts signed after age 35 carry huge penalties in the event of injuries (particularly the type of injuries that lead to retirement), as well as for sending veterans in the minors. Which means there are two options for Habs GM Marc Bergevin: a two-year contract leading to the next negotiation which would lead #14 to his final pre-35 contract, or a long-term deal that will lead him to retirement.

Plekanec made $5M per season in his last deal, a six-year pact in which he posted first-line numbers while playing with third-line checking wingers for most of that run.

The first option would be more costly (essentially paying full value for both years for a player who has proven to still be in his prime, scoring 26 goals and posting 60 points last season, so around $6M per), while the second would offset some of the cost with an expected decline that will possibly lead him to finishing as a third-line veteran center if it goes the way I see it, with a five- or six-year deal, leading him to age 37 or 38. I could see the salary structure going from $5.5M to $3.5M over a six-year deal, with a full no-trade clause kicking in at year 3 as the salary starts to decrease, ensuring he retires as a Canadien if he wants to. Six years, $28M, for a $4.67M average.

Now that that's settled, here's a trio of cards that took me a while to connect, from Upper Deck's 2013-14 Series 2 set (#GJ-TP of the UD Game Jersey sub-set):

Three game-worn jersey swatch cards. Bleu. Blanc. Rouge.

I first pulled the white one a year and a half ago in a box I'd purchased with a friend. Then I pulled the blue one in a repackaged pack of multi-brand cards, so at this point I figured there had to be red ones as well, and they were probably easiest to find. It turns out the white ones (matching the picture on the card) were the most common among my contacts, but I did manage to secure the red one right before the playoffs started last year, in exchange for a few Team Canada cards I had laying around.

Obviously, I feel like I won that trade, regardless of my giving away Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Getzlaf and some promising youngsters such as Samuel Morin in return (because those were regular-issue cards, unsigned or anything, and they'll help a fellow collector out with their own set-building).

Tomas Plekanec Jersey Card

All summer, I've been hearing nonsense on Montréal Canadiens forums, like ''he's awful'', ''he has slowed down'', ''he won't score 10 this year'', ''I'm glad he isn't the captain'', ''trade him'', and ''he's no Patrice Bergeron''... and yet here stands Tomas Plekanec, atop the league scoring leaders, with 3 goals in 2 games - a game-winner, and a game-tying goal.

Sure, playing with Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher finally gives him capable offensive wingers rather than restrict him to just playing defensively, but that kind of talent doesn't just disappear anyway. Plus, he's always been great internationally with the Czech Republic, shining alongside Jaromir Jagr, at times even captaining the team.

It won't last, because nothing ever does, and no one has ever scored 100 goals (and Wayne Gretzky's record of 92 will stand for a long time still). I just hope no team makes it difficult for GM Marc Bergevin to hold on to him for a long time by offering a solid top-6 forward and two top-60 draft picks to obtain him this season - he still has another year left on a contact that carries a reasonable $5M cap hit.

Among the current crop of Habs players, he and Andrei Markov are the two I really, absolutely want to see retire as Canadiens - with P.K. Subban (and eventually maybe Galchenyuk) as (a) strong candidate(s) as well.

It was a no-brainer for me to accept a trade with another collector this summer for the following card, a beautiful, extra-thick jersey card from Panini's 2010-11 Dominion set (card #53, numbered 2/99) featuring a nice picture of Plekanec wearing the Habs' classic ''bleu-blanc-rouge'' uniform and a decent-sized blue swatch from the same home jersey:

Unlike last year's set, the 2010-11 Dominion collection was classy, sober, understated and clear. Like the player depicted on the card.

Tomas Plekanec Jersey Card

Regular readers know how much I like and respect Tomáš Plekanec, one of the five best two-way centers in the world. He would be one of my two choices for next Montréal Canadiens captain, with Andrei Markov, another one of my favourites, for three to five years, assuming they retire with the team and that P.K. Subban is ready to take on the mantle afterwards (I think he will be).

Both Markov (Team Russia) and Plekanec (Czech Republic) have worn the 'C' internationally, and both have worn the 'A' in Montréal.  Plekanec has captained the Czech team at the World Championships as well as the last Olympics, usually forming a formidable duo with Jaromir Jagr. He has won gold at the World Juniors (2001) and silver (2006) and bronze at the World Championships (2011 and 2012).

Always counted upon to play against the opposition's top line because he is so responsible defensively, Plekanec also usually gets to take most of his face-offs in his defense end. Regardless, he is as consistent as they come, flirting with or reaching the 70-point mark when playing with top-level talent (still while shutting down the opposition, manning the first penalty-killing unit and obtaining sparse powerplay minutes), but will also get 50-60 points playing with mid-level and grinder-type players, usually veterans the coach wants to reward for their valiant efforts, à la Brian Gionta, Travis Moen and Brandon Prust.

He's often unfairly targeted as ''not a point-per-game player'' in Montréal by folks who don't know the game and don't see everything else he brings to the team, and rarely praised for his contributions when playing with guys who, frankly, don't belong in a top-6, but as far as 1-A centers in the NHL go, I place him ahead of Brad Richards, Ryan Kesler, and pretty much everyone not named Sidney Crosby or Jason Spezza; it could even be argued Spezza's defensive faults rank him below Plekanec on many experts' lists...

And so it is with a happy face that I post this 2013-14 SP Game-Used Edition card (#AF-TP of the Authentic Fabrics sub-set) by Upper Deck, showing him wearing the Habs' classic red (home) uniform, but with (my pet peeve) a not-matching white swatch:

Plekanec made the news this week when Brad Marchand said he hated him. Plekanec responded yesterday.

Tomas Plekanec Jersey Card

The Montréal Canadiens' top center is playing with fellow Czech superstar and good friend Jaromir Jagr for Jagr's HC Kladno during the lock-out. Jagr has knocked on the Habs' door for the past two summers, eager to play alongside Tomas Plekanec, only to be turned down both times.

Not only could the Habs have used Jagr's 19 goals and 54 points, but he could have lent a steady hand at Plek's right, where a total of 9 wingers took their chance throughout the season; the left flank was just as much of a revolving door, as the Canadiens chose to keep their top-producing line of David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole intact, leaving their best center without a designated winger for pretty much the whole season.

If only for that reason, I wish Plekanec a long lock-out, so he can enjoy playing with a quality winger for as long as possible, as head coach Michel Therrien has already said he'd leave the Habs' ''first line'' intact.

This card (#GJ-TP) is from Upper Deck's 2010-11 Series 1 set (the Game Jersey sub-set), and features a swatch from and picture of the Habs' white (away) jersey. I got it in the mail on Wednesday, part of a trade with Brad from Cards From The Crease, a one-sided trade this time as I received two jersey cards and some 20 Habs cards and stickers, while I merely sent him a Mario Lemieux 2010-11 Ice Kings card from Donruss (by Panini). I do plan on giving more when I'm done unpacking my cards from my late-summer move. And maybe get into trading more, in general.

Tomas Plekanec: 3 Autographed Cards

What a terrific Holiday Season it's turning out to be... first my childhood inspiration Sergio Momesso wrote back, then Trevor Linden - the only Canuck I cared about in the 80s and 90s apart from Petri Skriko and Tony Tanti, whose names I thought were amazing. And today - four returns, starting with this one, Tomas Plekanec. I had sent a fan letter along with these three cards care of the Bell Centre on November 19th, a terrific, swift return from one of the league's best all-around players.

Indeed, The Turtleneck-Wearing One (a team staple in the 80s that he's the only one keeping alive) has steadily accumulated 20-plus goals in four consecutive seasons while collecting tons of assists from his highlight-reel near-impossible passes, most often while shutting down the opposing team's top line. It's why, even in games where he won't make the scoresheet, he won't be in the minuses despite playing over 22 minutes. I don't think the Montréal Canadiens have had a player of his skill set understand the subtleties of the game as well as he had since a certain Jacques Lemaire in the late 70s and early 80s. The only year in which his production dipped in his career was the season during which neither of his then-wingers - Alex Kovalev and Andrei Kostitsyn - managed to get get the puck in the net at the same pace as usual. The nifty passes were still there, along with the defensive prowess, but the assists didn't add up, explaining why it's also the only season where he scored more (20) than assisted (19).

I love these cards. As usual, I tried to pick different jerseys and managed to do so with the classic home and away Habs uniforms. Also, for the card on the left, notice he's wearing jersey #35 (despite signing #14 on the card!), the number he wore for his first three seasons, a time during which he and fellow youngster Chris Higgins were more or less battling for the same position (top line, penalty-kill, powerplay), and the other kid got the better breaks; I still have my Plekanec #35 jersey - I've been a fan of his for a while! That card is from Fleer's 2007-08 Fleer Ultra set (card #98), ''secretly'' made by Upper Deck: there is mention on the card and back of it being made at the ''UDC plant, Las Vegas'' complete with its address, but the full name doesn't appear anywhere.

The card in the middle, where's he's sporting the team's red jersey, is from Upper Deck's 2010-11 Victory set (card #103), a beautiful, ultra-glossy set. I got a box of these and barely got any quality inserts, but the base cards made up for it.

The card of the right, where his slap shot is testing his stick's strength to its limits, is from Panini's 2010-11 Score set (card #271), a beautiful set that pays tribute to the brand's very first set (from 1990-91).

All three cards were signed in black sharpie and have his jersey number (#14) added on. You might notice it's a tad different from the AHL insert card I wrote about last year, but that's pretty normal: he has worked his signature into a 'professional autograph'. There are many similarities, the way he writes his first name, for one, ending it in a twirl. His last name is just longer, and where he used to favor the 'K' in it, he now keeps it subtle.

Here's hoping he finally gets a Selke trophy nod this year.

Tomas Plekanec Autograph Card

Just like his teammate and fellow underdog Jaroslav Halak, Tomas Plekanec looks really good wearing the Montréal Canadiens' bleu-blanc-rouge... even if, in this case, it is with a Hamilton Bulldogs' crest on the chest.

Currently sitting 6th among NHL scoring leaders, Plekanec hasn't had it easy, but has improved his play and statistics every single season since reaching the Czech Elite League in 2000. In two full seasons with HC Kladno, he accumulated 18 and 23 points - just about half a point per game; during those two seasons, he also participated in 2 World Juniors tournaments, gathering two points (a goal and an assist) the first time, and 7 in 7 games the next.

He then went to the AHL, playing for the Bulldogs, where, playing alongside Chris Higgins, had seasons of 46, 66, and 64 points, but - more importantly - playoff performances of 5 points in 13 games (2002-03), 7 points in 10 games (2003-04), and 6 points in only 4 games in 2004-05 as the Bulldogs' unchallenged leader.

That performance is what got him to make the team for the Canadiens the following season, where he garnered 29 points in 67 games (as well as 4 assists in 6 playoff games). At this point, he had shown some promise, but the Habs' brass had begun favoring Higgins instead - Higgins was soon promoted to top-line status while Plekanec was seen as en eventual third-line center at best (and trade bait at worst), behind Saku Koivu and Mike Ribeiro.

In 2006-07, he reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time and had 47 points in total. Then came his breakout season: 29 goals and 40 assists, good for 69 points, centering the team's first line between Andrei Kostitsyn and Alex Kovalev, leading the Canadiens to a first-place finish in the conference. Always his own harshest critic (and a terrific team player deflecting the attention from Carey Price's less-than-stellar showing against the Philadelphia Flyers, where he was outplayed by their backup goalie Martin Biron), Plekanec took the blame for the Habs' early exit by claiming he'd played ''like a little girlie''.

The following year, Plekanec took a lot of flak from Montréal media and fans by 'merely' posting 39 points on the board; there was suggestion and misconception that his 'lack of production' might stem from his still ''playing like a girlie'' and not driving to the net as often as he should have, but no one ever mentioned the part about Andrei K's coming in partied-out and unable to perform and Kovalev's hitting the posts three times more often than he shot pucks in the net. Instead, they put the blame on Plekanec, who was relegated to second-line status after the All Star break (still carrying Andrei K around, but with Kovalev moved with Koivu and Alex Tanguay). Additionally, he was still being used as the team's top penalty-killer.

This season, rid of playing under Kovalev's shadow - he has since moved on to the Ottawa Senators - and despite having changed linemates every period for the first 25 games of the season, he has managed to be the most consistent point-getter on an offensively-challenged team. So much so that for the past dozen games or so, not only has he awakened Andrei K - who had been in a scoring coma for the first quarter of the season - but coach Jacques Martin has also assigned the team's most exciting player, sniper Mike Cammalleri, to man the left wing with them - to great success.

Faithful to their usual Habs bi-polarity, media and fans are just now requesting the team sign him to a long-term contract, rather than throw ''the girly man'' to the wolves. Gotta love this town!

Speaking of love, this card has everything a fan could want: the NHL team's colours, the AHL team's logo (adding a 'rareness' effect to the card), and a manufacturer-guaranteed autograph that seems to say 'Tout Pleky' (and really, this year, mostly, has been 'All Pleky' indeed). It's taken from In The Game's 2005-06 Heroes And Prospects series, and is card #A-TPC in the collection.

Here's to wishing he gets a medal at the Olympics - I wonder who they'll pair him with. Jagr?