Kraken Preview: Jared McCann Jersey Card

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This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on this collectibles blog and my personal one, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a week, several players haven't found a team yet and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

Key exits: Joonas Donskoi (RW), Daniel Sprong (RW), Carson Soucy (D), Ryan Donato (RW), Martin Jones (G), Morgan Geekie (RW), and Jesper Froden (RW/LW).

Key arrivals: Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (C), Brian Dumoulin (D), Kailer Yamamoto (RW), and Connor Carrick (D).

Top prospects: Shane Wright (C, 19 years old, went from projected first-overall pick to fourth to being sent down to Juniors to being named captain of Team Canada's World Juniors team to ending up sixth in team scoring - fourth among centres! - and a full 16 points behind Connor Bedard in seven games, still probably a future middle-six player), Ryker Evans (D, 21 years old, 44 points in 77 AHL games last season), David Goyette (C, 19 years old, a bit on the short side but dominant in the OHL), Ty Nelson (D, 19 years old, undersized speedy defenseman with nice offensive skills), Jagged Firkus (RW, 19 years old, good offensive skills but needs to add muscle to his 153-pound frame), and Eduard Sale (W, 18 years old, was named the 2022-23 Rookie Of The Year in Czechia).

I didn't have them in the playoffs last year and they ended up eliminating the reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche, so I'm aware I may have to eat my words at some point, but this roster is two goalies, a GM and a head coach short of making an actual permanent dent in a divisional race of the playoffs. Like the light blue on their white uniform, it's probably NHL-caliber, but... there's just something missing.

What makes their odds look good:
The Seattle Kraken have been on an upward trajectory since coming into the NHL two seasons ago, with steady progress and smart salary cap management. They had 13 players hit the double-digit mark in goals last season - six of them with 20 or more - two more at nine, and one apiece at eight and seven. As far as I remember, I have never seen this balanced an offense in practice.

Question marks: What about that goaltending, eh? Team goaltending below ,900 is simply unacceptable in today's NHL.

Outlook:
GM Ron Francis wanted depth - essentially icing four second lines - but without the elite talent that the Vegas Golden Knights have; hopefully the draft can remedy that in time. There is definitely a solid base, but Francis has not poven to be able to get to that next step as a manager, to take a very good roster and turn it into a champion, which is why he was let go in 2018 as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Prediction:
Fifth in the Pacific Division.

Jared McCann led the Kraken with 40 goals last year in what may end up proving to be a career year, but he can certainly hit 30-35 goals on a consistent basis. A former first-round pick (24th overall in 2014, Vancouver Canucks), fans expected McCann to be a top-six player right away and the fact that he wasn't seemed to have hurt his confidence.

A trade to the Florida Panthers didn't fix anything, and as the league forged an opinion that he may be at best a third-liner, the Pittsburgh Penguins offered him that role on a silver platter; not only did he excel at it, but he also showed that he still had that sparkle - so much so that the Pens were convinced the Kraken would select him in the expansion draft; to at least recoup an asset, they traded his rights to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who wanted to ensure Alexander Kerfoot remained with the organization; offering up McCann nearly guaranteed he would be taken, thus semi-protecting Kerfoot for the remainder of his contract with the Leafs. He signed a two-year deal with the Arizona Coyotes this summer, as the Leafs went through an organizational shift at the bottom of their roster.

In the second of a five-year deal with a cap hit of $5M, McCann will no doubt be worth his salary for the remainder of his contract. He loves being relied upon for goals and it will be at least three or four years until Seattle can develop a finisher who will be able to challenge him for his spot. This is a perfect fit for both player and team.

Here he is as a rookie with the Canucks, wearing their white (away) uniform, on card #J-JM from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Champ's set and Relics / Rookie Relics sub-sets:

It features a blue "event-worn" jersey swatch from a rookie photo shoot.

Internationally, McCann suited up for Canada at the 2019 World Championships, winning silver and finishing the tournament with 2 goals and 5 points in 10 games.

My Canucks Numbers Project: An Introduction

After my Habs Numbers Project, my Oilers Numbers Project and my Sens Numbers Project, might as well get started publicly admitting I'm also on a Canucks Numbers Project.

The team as it is known now was founded in 1970 and has changed uniforms a lot since, at the rate of once every five years or so, usually in a complete overhaul.

The Canucks' and Sens' players have been the most responsive in answering my requests, I think, when it comes to current players, in the many years since I've started blogging about cards and collectibles, and I've been getting a decent amount of in-pack hits as well to get me started on my quest, with 29/67 worn uniform numbers accounted for so far, which is why I decided to pursue the task.

Here's the list of those I have featured here thus far:

Head Coach: Marc Crawford: check!
1: Kirk McLean: check! (also: Roberto Luongo 4x6)
2: Dan Hamhuis: check!
3: Kevin Bieksa, Brent Sopel and Doug Lidster: check!
5: Bryan Allen (twice): check!
6: Adrian Aucoin: check!
7: David Roberts: check!
10: Pavel Bure: check!
12: Stan Smyl (twice): check!
14: Alexandre Burrows (twice), Geoff Courtnall and Steve Bozek: check!
16: Trevor Linden once, (then twice): check!
17: Ryan Kesler, Radim Vrbata and Bill Muckalt: check!
18: Igor Larionov: check!
19: Markus Naslund, Petr Nedved and Jim Sandlak: check!
21: Mason Raymond: check!
22: Daniel Sedin: jersey card check!
24: Curt Fraser: check!
25: Dan Kesa: check!
26: Frank Corrado: check!
27: Sergio Momesso and Harold Snepsts: check!
33: Henrik Sedin: jersey card check!
35: Alex Auld and Troy Gamble: check!
36: Jannik Hansen: check!
40: Maxim Lapierre: check!
41: Curtis Sanford and Ronalds Kenins: check!
44: Todd Bertuzzi: jersey card check!
45: Jordan Schroeder: check!
46: Nicklas Jensen: check!
47: Yann Sauvé: check!
48: Hunter Shinkaruk: check!
49: Zack Fitzgerald: check!
58: Robert Kron (twice): check!

Captains: 5 of 13: Smyl, Lidster, Linden, Naslund, Luongo, H. Sedin


Which means I'm looking to fill these (luckily I have all 4 retired numbers):

4: GM Jim Benning, Gerald Diduck or Nolan Baumgartner would be nice
8: Willie Mitchell and Chris Tanev
9: I sent Zack Kassian mail years ago, might have to ask Brad May instead
11: no one's worn it since Mark Messier's odd turn as a Canuck
13: Nick Bonino's number, Raffi Torres' too
15: the most-worn number in team history
20: I really liked Alexander Semak back in the day
23: Alexander Edler or Marc Bergevin work well here
28: I've been meaning to write Dave Capuano...
29: Aaron Rome or Tom Sestito work
30: I'll try Ryan Miller and Garth Snow
31: Eddie Lack did not respond, I'll try Corey Hirsch
32: I tried Dale Wiese last year, I'll give it more time
34: I probably have a Jassen Cullimore
37: Jarkko Ruutu would be cool
38: Pavol Demitra or Jan Bulis would be nice
39: this is Dan Cloutier's number
42: Josef Beranek wore it first

And the following numbers have only been worn by one or two players: 48, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 62, 64, 66, 71, 72, 77, 79, 81, 89 and 96.

Canucks Preview: Todd Bertuzzi Jersey Card

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: 2020 is a different beast and requires adaptability; in my case, it means the joint posts with my "main/personal" blog will not be in the "player here/analysis there" format but rather the entire scope of the analysis will take place here and the player will have some sort of direct connection to what's written. Two more caveats: at this point, the NHL has not even confirmed the division make-ups yet despite the season being set to start a month from now, and several impact players such as 25-to-30-goal scorer Mike Hoffman and 20-goal journeyman forward Anthony Duclair, among others, haven't found a team yet. And quite a few teams are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much maneuvering left to do.

That being said, let's start with the one division we're pretty sure is going to happen if only because of the border situation, the Canadian Division, and the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks are deep and ba;lanced, but furthermore, they also have cornerstone superstars in every aspect of the game, from Elias Pettersson up front to Quinn Hughes on defense and Thatcher Demko between the pipes. There is a possibility that Hughes will hit his sophomore slump and that the Demko from the regular season shows up more often than the Conn Smythe-caliber playoof one, but that's why Nate Schmidt and Braden Holtby were acquired in the off-season: as support staff rather than go-to guys, they can still flourish, particularly Schmidt, who was the Vegas Golden Knights' second-best blueliner.

What makes their odds look good:
The forwards: behind the elite greatness of Pettersson lies an array of well-developed draft picks who have become key contributors, including captain Bo Horvat, oft-injured Brock Boeser, and the ever-improving Adam Gaudette and Jake Virtanen, but also acquisitions Tanner Pearson, Brandon Sutter, Micheal Ferland and Antoine Roussel, though some fans balk at their cap hits.

The blue line is also solid with Alexander Edler in a prominent role, Tyler Myers handling the middle and Jordie Benn in a depth role, allowing the likes of Hughes, Schmidt, and potential rookies Jack Rathbone and Brogan Rafferty to fill in proper roles at their own pace.

Question marks:
From their age alone, Hughes and Demko remain question marks, but they have shown their upside to be high enough to want to prepare for a step back but not bank on it. Instead, it'll be about how many games Holtby can step into and keep his team in the game, how many games Boeser will lose to injury and how much ice time vs cap space ratio Loui Eriksson will take.

Outlook:
Maybe the post-season has me sold on Vancouver higher than they should be, but they were damn impressive and worth a gamble. They have no glaring weaknesses - even their coach (Travis Green) and GM (Jim Benning) look very good at this point, something I did not envision myself writing as early as two years ago.

Prediction:
First in the Canadian/North Division.

There was a time at the turn of the millennium when the Canucks were the best team in the West and boasted the top line in the NHL, whose physical play rivaled the Philadelphia Flyers' Legion Of Doom, but with more speed, with the most-feared man on ice towering above linemated Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison, Todd Bertuzzi.

As for most power forwards, it took a while for Bertuzzi to earn a regular spot in the lineup, not scoring 25 goals until the age of 24, the New York Islanders - who had selected him 23rd overall in 1993 - throwing in the towel the year before. It took until his age 26 season to become a point-per-game player (actually posting 85 in 72 games, 36 of them goals) in 2001-02, which was also his first season in the plusses (+21). For three seasons, Naslund and Bertuzzi would garner end-of-season All-Star Team nods as the pre-eminent wingers of the time with Ilya Kovalchuk and Jarome Iginla... until Bertuzzi snapped and sucker-punched Steve Moore in the incident that now bears its victim's name.

Twenty years later, the details can be hazy, so here's the gist of it: in mid-February, Moore, of the Colorado Avalanche, delivered a dangerous hit to the head of Naslund, then the NHL's leading scorer, which went unpunished by the referees. Tempers flared, and the following members of the Canucks organization had this tosay after the game:

Bertuzzi: "Moore is a pice of shit."

Head coach Marc Crawford: "The referees need to show more respect to one of the league's stars."

General Manager Brian Burke, whose previous job was as the NHL's executive vice president and director of hockey operations, menaing he was in charge of handling suspensions: "It was a marginal player going after a superstar with a headhunting hit".

Resident tough guy Brad May also put a "bounty" on Moore's head.

When the teams met again two weeks later, the Avs dominated the Canucks in a manner where the NHL code usually dictates the losing side will play more physically (usually dirty) and the winning side should start resting its best players to avoid useless injuries; Crawford, in full knowledge of Bertuzzi's comments about the affair and friendship with Naslund, deliberately sent him on the ice to go after Moore, with May's bounty still active, in a losinbg cause, in the third period of a now-meaningless game. Bertuzzi tried to get Moore to agree to a fight, which Morore delclined, having previously answered the bell against Matt Cooke in the first period. I'll let Wikipedia finish this one:

With Colorado leading 8–2 midway through the third period, Bertuzzi began following Moore around the ice, attempting to provoke him into another fight. With Moore ignoring him, Bertuzzi grabbed Moore's jersey from behind and punched him in the jaw, then deliberately slammed Moore's head into the ice as the pair fell. Bertuzzi, as well as several other players from both teams, landed atop Moore after he fell to the ice.

Bertuzzi eventually plead guilty to assault charges.

My take on this is everythig was handled the way it usually is in the NHL and it was one of the rare instances where dumb luck doesn't save the day, everything goes down like it should and a terrible accident/situation occurs. Moore's dirty hit was a "hockey play", the Canucks' overreaction self-escalation was a "hockey habit", Crawford's decision was "hockey code" and Bertuzzi's own headhunting of Moore was also a "hockey play" - all situations that never should have been in the game in the first place but that was brought into the league in the 1970s by the Broad Street Bullies and Big Bad Bruins and rose to prominence again as a means to counter the New Jersey Devils' trap with intimidation in the mid-1990s.

Moore never played pro hockey again. Bertuzzi was never the same player, falling to 15-to-20 goals and 40-some points per season as fans in all arenas booed him, the media labelled him an agressor for doing the same moves he had previously be applauded for and sticking up for his friend and teammate. He later apologized to the media for acting like a steroid-rager with them for years and admitted he broke down mentally. Here he is on card #M-TB from Upper Deck's 2005-06 MVP collection and MVP Materials sub-set:

It shows him wearing the team's white (then-home) uniform with the first orca logo and features a black game-worn jersey swatch.

Yann Sauvé Jersey Card

Tired of getting loaned left and right to all corners of the AHL and ECHL, Yann Sauvé set his sights towards Europe in 2016-17 and has almost never looked back.

The former Vancouver Canucks draft pick (41st overall in 2008) to be a middle-pairing defenseman, as he was already a hulking shut-down blue-liner in the LHJMQ at 6'3" and 209 pounds, but with players his age or slightly younger, he could also contribute offensively. In the professional ranks however, as is often the case with defensemen - particularly those built rugged - it was a slow process made even slower by a concussion suffered when he was hit by a car in training camp in 2010. It took him two months to recover and he was relegated to the AHL instantly and also playing a bit in the ECHL, which prepared him for the following five seasons, during which he suited up for 13 teams in three different leagues:

from HockeyDB

That's a lot of travel.

When the offer to play for the Croatian KHL team KHL Zagreb Medvescak came (the "KHL" in the team name does not refer to the league they played in but to the Croatian initials for "Ice Hockey Club"), he jumped on it, but when the team failed to make the playoffs in February, he felt it was too early to pack it in until the Fall, so he went back to the ECHL's Manchester Monarchs until German team Munich Red Bulls Ice Hockey Club (or as they're called in he DEL, EHC Red Bull München) requested his services for a playoff run. He had one final regular-season game to play before that, and he decided to make his mark by amassing no fewer than 25 penalty minutes and a game rejection as he got acquainted with his teammates. The team won the league championship.

He spent the 2017-18 season in the U.K., scoring 10 goals with 27 assists for 37 points (sixth in team scoring, first for defensemen) and 96 penalty minutes (second only to fellow Montréaler Mathieu Gagnon's 106) in 54 games with the Nottingham Panthers.

He gave Austria a chance for 2018-19, splitting the season between KHL Zagreb Medveščak (which had jumped leagues for financial reasons that were never resolved) and EC Panaceo VSV after the Zagreb team folded, with similar statistics; he had 6 goals and 8 assists for 14 points with 12 penalty minutes and a -11 rating in 24 games in Zagreb and 2 goals, 10 assists and 12 points with 16 penalty minutes and a -12 rating for for Villach.

He spent the 2019-20 season playing for France's Grenoble Brûleurs de Loups (literally: Wolf Burners), scoring 6 goals with 15 assists for 21 points ion the highly-offensive Ligue Magnus He also had 57 penalty minutes and - more importantly - a +26 defensive rating.

Grenoble seems like a perfect fit for him, and I hope he finds some stability there. As a French Canadian, I believe he's relatively exempt from the "Imported Players" quota when in France, so that's a plus.

This is what he looked like in the Canucks' white (away) uniform, on card #165 from Upper Deck's 2011-12 SPX set and Rookie Jersey sub-set:

It features a karge blue "event.worn" jersey - a rookie photo shoot - and is numbered #318/799. While the foil looks silver in the scan, it's actually gold to the naked eye.

Harold Snepsts: Two Autographed Cards

For all intents and purposes, the Vancouver Canucks look like they'll be eliminating the reigning Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues tonight, meaning a new champion will be crowned among the eight remaining teams.

The Boston Bruins last won it in 2010-11 but reached the Final last year; the Tampa Bay Lightning won it in 2003-04 and last reached the Final in 2014-15; the Colorado Avalanche last won it in 2000-01; the Dallas Stars last won it in 1998-99 and reached the Final the following season; the Philadelphia Flyers last won it in 1974-75 and last reached the Final in 2009-10; the New York Islanders last won it in 1982-83 and last reached the Final the following season; and the Canucks (est. 1970) and Vegas Golden Knights (est. 2017) have never won the chalice, but Vancouver has been to the Final three times (1981-82, 1993-94 and 2010-11).

The 1994 (versus the New York Rangers) and 2011 (Bruins) Finals each went the full 7 games while the 1982 one was a four-game sweep by the Isles, a series that could have dragged on longer if the usually-dependable Harold Snepsts hadn't made a crucial error in overtime, a turnover leading to Mike Bossy's game-winning goal.

Snepsts could by no means be mistaken for Denis Potvin or Ray Bourque, but defensively, he was very intimidating. He could fight, push, check (and cross-check!) with the best of them and his presence around the net meant the opposition thought twice about approaching goalie Richard Brodeur. That style of play would bring both Brodeur (1983) and Snepsts (1977 and 1982) to the All-Star Game.

He was an extremely popular figure among Canucks fans for his pleasure at just being in the NHL, his joy and his superb moustache; most were angered when GM Harry Neale sent him to the Minnesota North Stars, a mistake his successor, Pat Quinn, promptly corrected by bringing him back for leadership in 1988. By that point he was an injury-prone #6-7 D, but he helped guide young guns like Trevor Linden and Adrien Plavsic into becoming the core that would lead the team to its next Final.

He played his final 61 games with the Blues.

I mostly remember his days in Vancouver with the "Flying V" uniform, as seen on card #344 from O-Pee-Chee's 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee set:

Of course, all hockey fans my age will also remember him with St. Louis because of Pro Set's 1990-91 Series 2 card, because we all spent our entire allowances on those packs of "the coolest cards on ice":

Snepsts was part of the last six NHLers to not wear a helmet.

After retiring, he took on coaching jobs in the AHL (head), NHL (assistant), IHL (head) and WHL (head), but spent the most time as a scout, first with NHL Central Scouting and now with the Canucks.

He is a member of the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

He signed both of these cards in blue sharpie at a convention of retired athletes.

Hunter Shinkaruk Autograph Card

Hunter Shinkaruk is still just 24 years old, so not only is it a bit early to call him a first-round bust - he was the Vancouver Canucks' selection at the 2013 draft, 24th overall - but he remains halfway through playing all of the Canadian NHL teams, having also spent time with the Calgary Flames and the Montréal Canadiens' AHL affilitae Laval Rocket.

This year, he was released by the Charlotte Checkers after a 20-game stint (4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points, 4 penalty minutes and a -1 rating, so really not much to show for it) and he's since signed on with the KHL's Kunlun Red Star, a team that stands sixth in its division with a 25-25-3-4 record (57 points in 57 games, 131 goals for, 149 goals against) despite dressing a bunch of former top NHL prospects like Brandon Yip, Adam Cracknell, Spencer Foo, Gilbert Brulé, Devante Smith-Pelly, Andrej Sustr, Wojtek Wolski, and Griffin Reinhart, as well as famous sons Jake Chelios and David Bondra.

Here's hoping he finds the inner strength and an agent with jedi-level convincing powers so he can also suit up for the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs in the next decade. Posterity demands it.

As a player, he has blazing speed - think NHL-elite-level speed - and isn't afraid to park himself in front of the opposition's net despite being just 5'11" and 190 pounds, like a somewhat taller Brendan Gallagher... except the finishing touch he demonstrated when he scored 49 and 37 goals in 60-some games with the Medecine Hat Tigers in Juniors has yet to translate to the pro game. The only time he reached the 20-goal mark was in 2015-16, where he had 21 in 45 games with the Utica Comets, 0 in 1 game with the Canucks, 6 in 17 games with the Stockton Heat and 2 in 7 games with the Calgary Flames.

It's like he never got over being traded the first time and has since wallowed in the middle- or bottom-six of minor leagues, unable to find a prominent role even on sub-par teams.

Here's hoping he puts all the ingredients together in the next couple of years and bounces back enough to ensure he has a future in the game...

In the meantime, this is what he looked like in the Canucks' white (away) uniform, on card #RR-25 from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Contours set and Rookie Resume sub-set:

It features a blue-sharpied on-sticker signature. His #48 slots him perfectly in my Canucks Numbers Project.

Robert Kron: Three Autographed Cards

There was a piece of news that flew a little under the radar last summer, a few days after the Carolina Hurricanes matched the Montréal Canadiens' offer sheet to Sebastian Aho, and it involved the man who was most responsible for drafting Aho, Robert Kron, an amateur scout when the young star was drafted in the second round (35th overall) in 2015, and for the past two years "Head European Scout": he is now Director of European Scouting.

I know a lot about hockey, but the only difference I can see between "Head" and "Director" is that there is also a "Head" of North American Scouting (Mike Dawson) on the Canes' staff, but no "Director", so Kron's probably got the last word in case of a difference of opinion.

Although I mostly think of him as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, he only played 144 games in British Columbia versus 272 with the Hartford Whalers and 237 with the Hurricanes for a total of 509 with the organization; he finished his NHL career by suiting up for 118 games over two injury-filled seasons with the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets, so it's no surprise that when he looked at option after his playing career, he would revert back to Carolina.

Here he is rocking my favourite Canucks uniform, the 1985-97 black (away) one that replaced the "Flying V" of the early 1980s:

These are both considered "Rookie" cards; on the left is #52 from O-Pee-Chee's 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier collection; while the card on the right is from Upper Deck's 1990-91 Series 2 set and Young Guns sub-set.

And here he is sporting the white (home) version of that uniform on card #239 from Pro Set's 1991-92 Series 2 collection:

It's my second-favourite pale Canucks uniform, after the Markus Naslund-era ones from 1997-2007.

He signed all three cards in blue sharpie at the Bell Centre around the 2009 amateur draft, where John Tavares was selected first-overall. It was his first draft as a scout, and only two of the Canes' six picks taht summer played in the NHL: Brian Dumoulin (51st overall, second round, 81 points in 342 games) and Rasmus Rissanen (sixth round, 178th overall, 6 games). First-rounder Philippe Paradis, a bruising 6'2", 205-pound forward, mostly played in the AHL and is currently in Québec's LNAH - perhaps the most physical league in the world these days - where he has 8 goals, 5 assist, 13 points in 19 penalty minutes in 12 games with the Jonquiere Marquis so far this season.

Ronalds Kenins Autograph Card

Ronalds Kenins is a Latvian left winger who was born to play in the Swiss League: he is relentless, quick, a very good play-maker and smart both with and without the puck, the type of guy who can play a middle-six role anywhere - in international competitions, in Europe, in North America - and not hinder his team or look out of place.

However, at 6' and 200 pounds, he is a little light to play a power forward-type of game and produce points in the NHL, Sweden, the Czech League or the KHL, whereas he plays and looks more imposing in Switzerland, France and Italy and can complement his game with decent offensive statistics there because of his strong two-way play.

Undrafted, he was given a chance by the Vancouver Canucks in the middle of the decade, splitting his time between the NHL team and its AHL affiliate Utica Comets in 2014-15 and 2015-16, but when he got an offer to go back to the Zurich Lions for the 2016-17 season on a two-year deal, he jumped on the opportunity to go back.

He's currently in the second season of a three-year deal with the Lausanne HC, where he's on a 0.5 point-per-game pace.

Here he is wearing the Canucks' blue (now-home) uniform, on card #IPA-RK from Upper Deck's 2015-16 Ice collection and Ice Premieres Autographs sub-set:

It features an on-card blue sharpie signature. The card is see-through plastic, acetate-style, and is numbered #426/499. It is gorgeous.

Kirk McLean Autographed Card

I must admit I was surprised when Twitter showed #RIPKirk trending among Vancouver Canucks fans with one man specifically asking Canucks fans to tweet a farewell to his father "Kirk", who had "just passed away". It turns out it's either a hoax or just someone sharing the same same name, not the guy featured wearing the team's beautiful 1985-1997 black uniform on card #16 from Donruss' 1995-96 Donruss set:

You might not be able to see it, but Kirk McLean signed it for me in fading black sharpie via snail mail to the Canucks a few years ago. I was a Brian's man myself, but I'm hit with a bit of nostalgia looking at those Vaughn pads and glove (I could do without the brown blocker).

McLean to me is part of the trifecta of Best Canucks Goalies with Roberto Luongo and Daniel Bouchard, not quite the Hall Of Famer Luongo was, but a two-time Vezina nominee nonetheless, the guy who stopped 52 shots in Game 1 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final to lead Vancouver to a 3-2 win over destiny's New York Rangers.

He won the Molson Cup (most Three Stars selections) honours three times at a time when Pavel Bure and Trevor Linden were on the team, which says a lot about the weight he carried on the ice. He's also participated in the 1990 and 1992 All-Star Games and played for Team Canada at the 1990 World Championships, finishing in fourth place.

In ten and a half years in Vancouver, he got to write a lot of the team's record book, and most of the enviable ones (wins, shutouts) were beaten by Luongo in some 70 fewer games, but he still has those for games played, playoff games played (68 vs 64), playoff wins (34 vs 32) and losses.

he's also played for the New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers, but he'll always be Vancouver's Goalie In Black to me. With this regular-sized card, he knocks Luongo's 4x6 picture off my Canucks Numbers Project for #1.

Stan Smyl: Two Autographed Cards

Last month, the Vancouver Canucks introduced their new captain, Bo Horvat, and while I do not currently have any of his memorabilia, I did have a couple of signed Stan Smyl cards I could feature, so here we are.

By the time I got really interested and invested in following hockey - and I dove right in, learning the current and career statistics of every player in that era as well as those of a select few Hall Of Famers by reading the daily stats before going to school from 1987 until 1995 - Smyl was past is 60-, 70- and 80-point seasons and settling into the role of a checking elder statesman who ran into injury trouble, prompting three consecutive nominations for the Masterton Trophy, but also bringing his points-per-game average from the 0.85-0.90 range to a still-respectable 0.75.

He's the one from whom Trevor Linden learned to supplement his talent with the will and ability to also take on a leadership role, a skill set that enabled him to be the team's President of Hockey Operations for a little over four years.

"Steamer" also embodies the "classic Canucks" look, in my opinion, with the black "skate" logo uniform, pretty much with this pose and picture, on card #283 from O-Pee-Chee's 1989-90 O-Pee-Chee set:

And what about this picture, taken 20 years ago (notice the team's 20th Anniversary patch on the left shoulder), still playing close to the net in the danger zone at age 32, a year before retiring, on card #374 from Score's 1990-91 Score Canadian (Bilingual Edition) collection:

That's a young Mark Fitzpatrick he's about to come into contact with.

He sent me these two cards at an old address I forwarded my mail from about a year ago, and I just fell upon them last weekend.

Steve Bozek: Three Autographed Cards

(As per years past, this is a twin-post with my "regular" blog, where I predicted the Vancouver Canucks would finish fifth in the Pacific Division in 2019-20).

Those were my favourite Vancouver Canucks jerseys by far. The predominant black, the golden-orange that stands out, and just a bit of red to accent both. I miss them dearly.

Steve Bozek had 89 points in 41 games in his draft year playing for the NCAA's Northern Michigan University Wildcats, so it was a bit of a surprise to see him fall to 53rd overall, which is when the Los Angeles Kings called his name out. To prove he was no fluke, he led all College players the following year with 90 points in 44 games, a team record that still stands.

He had an immediate impact with the Kings, as an injury to Charlie Simmer gave him the opportunity to line up with Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor on the first line; his 33 goals were a team record for a rookie at the time, but have since been surpassed by Luc Robitaille (45 in 1986-87).

It would be short-sighted to not at least put a caveat to the fact that his rookie season was his best, statistically, what with his 33 goals, 23 assists and 56 points all being career highs; the fact of the matter is he's missed 10 to 25 games to injury in most following seasons, sometimes over 40, and he still put up point-per-game averages close to 0.5 seven times, including in his penultimate season, in 1990-91, which was his last one with the Canucks.

Between his time in L.A. and all the way up the coast to Vancouver, he spent the bulk of five seasons with the Calgary Flames earning praise for his two-way play and helping them reach the 1986 Stanley Cup Final, and 7 games with the St. Louis Blues. His final NHL season was in 1991-92, as he signed a one-year deal as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks before playing one year in Italy (11 points in 15 games in 1992-93) and one game in Slovenia in 1993-94.

But I remember him best from his days with the Canucks, where he proved to be a strong penalty killer. Here he is on a slightly blurry picture with card #293 from Pro Set's 1990-91 Series 1 set:

And here he is on two cards from Topps:

On the left is card #325 from the 1991-92 Bowman collection, while the one on the right is #28 from the 1991-92 Stadium Club set, with the mention that he's now with the Sharks.

He signed all three cards for me in black sharpie at a card show in Toronto a couple of years back; I think he lives there now and works as a financial advisor.

He won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 1991 World Championships.