Ty Conklin Autographed Card

The Edmonton Oilers are unstoppable. I had them finishing fourth in the Pacific Division and fighting for a playoff spot - unrealistically hoping they could pass the San Jose Sharks in third place but ultimately falling just short, possibly by a single point. But you can never count out a team led by Connor McDavid, apparently.

I'm also extremely glad for James Neal finding the back of the net again; he is one of my favourite forwards, so having him on the team I followed the most as a kid, teenager and young adult meant a lot in itself, and his rejuvenated self is just (delicious) icing on the cake.

Mikko Koskinen is also getting accustomed to the NHL ice surface and speed; he and Mike Smith are playing well in the crease, giving their defense a well-deserved confidence boost that they don't have to be perfect to win games.

Which brings me to another Oiler that tended goal some 15 years ago, Ty Conklin, seen here looking much happier when he still had a career .914 save percentage, 2.36 GAA and a winning record (19-14-4):

That's card #37 from Upper Deck's 2005-06 Ice set, which he signed in blue sharpie at a card show in 2017 or 2018.

He was chosen as the 2004 World Championships' Best Goaltender, helping Team USA to a bronze medal.

Ty Conklin Autographed Card

The Edmonton Oilers may not have won the first overall pick in the NHL's lottery last night, but that won't stop me from checking off #1 from my Oilers Numbers Project with this card of Ty Conklin's:

It's card #284 from In The Game's 2002-03 First Edition set, showing him in the team's turn-of-the-millennium white (home) jersey, with the "oil driller" shoulder patches. He signed it in blue sharpie in January 2012 in his second stint with the Detroit Red Wings.

Though he was undrafted, he was a star goalie for the University Of New Hampshire Wildcats from 1998 until 2001, prompting the Oilers to sign him as a free agent. He was a huge part of their future in nets until he went unprepared in Game 1 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final after an injury to Dwayne Roloson, making a huge mistake letting in the game-winning goal in an empty net, essentially giving the puck to Carolina Hurricanes captain Rod Brind'Amour.

He never again suited up for the Oilers.

He did have two pretty good seasons in his NHL career, notably in 2007-08 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, going 18-8-5 with a .923 save percentage and 2.51 GAA, playing in the Winter Classic against the Buffalo Sabres, earning the Second Star.

He also had a decent 2009-10 season as Chris Mason's backup with the St. Louis Blues, playing in 26 games, going 10-10-2 with a .921 save percentage and 2.48 GAA.

Essentially, however, he'll be remembered as a goalie who had six seasons with a save percentage under the .900 barrier, suiting up for six different NHL teams interspersed with stints in the AHL and in Germany.

Pascal Leclaire And Ty Conklin - Jersey Card

Because many players care more about ice time and making money than the city where they play in or being on a championship team, we rarely see players spend their entire careers with the same team anymore. Both goalies here are no longer with the team in which they are pictured here (Conklin himself has been on 3 other teams since), but at least the card depicts a picture, jersey and team name that all fit at the time.

Upper Deck didn't have enough of the usual brands they were producing, they absolutely needed to flood the market with one more, and that's why they came up with this (beautiful) set: 2006-07 Artifacts, with these jersey cards being part of the Tundra sub-set. This Dual Jerseys card (TT-PT) depicts Pascal Leclaire wearing the Columbus Blue Jackets' blue uniform (though the patch seems to be from a white one), and Ty Conklin, backup extraordinaire who has been to the last 3 Stanley Cup Finals, in his Edmonton Oilers white jersey (the patch being bronze coloured, like the stripes on the arms or waist). The card is numbered 120/125.