Jonas Andersson-Junkka Autograph Card

Yet another twin post with Sal's ''NHL Busts'' series! This time around, Jonas Andersson-Junkka!

Drafted 104th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1993, Andersson-Junkka only played one season in North America, in 2000-01 for the AHL's Syracuse Crunch. He played until 2003-04 in Europe, collecting between 0.25 and 0.5 points per game, on average. He's seen here wearing an airbrushed version of Team Sweden's jersey, with the three crowns on the front of the jersey taken away, and a generic 'SWEDEN' taking their place; he has represented his home country in both the U-18 and U-20 (World Juniors) tournaments.

The card is from Signature Rookies' 1995-96 Draft 96 set (card #), and is numbered 198/4500 (Sal's is #1776). It can usually be found for cheap on Ebay, although some sellers dream about making $10 out of it.

Leland Irving Autograph Card

For six years, Leland Irving has been considered the Calgary Flames' top goaltending prospect, the one who will take over for Miikka Kiprusoff when he decides he's had enough. He even played 7 games last season, keeping a decent .912 save percentage (with a 1-3-3 record and 3.19 GAA, but still...) in the NHL.

This season, however, the Abbotsford Heat are leading the AHL, and with Danny Taylor and his 3-1-1 record and 1.97 GAA in 5 games, and Barry Brust's 1.00 GAA and .962 %, Irving has only seen action in one game so far.

Still, he's only 24, and he's paying his dues in the AHL. And he doesn't have to live with the burden of being The Next One and yet failing time and time again, for five years, to win a playoff series. Then again, the Flames boast one of the five best goalies in the world and haven't even made the playoffs since the 2008-09 season. But as a first-round pick (26th overall in 2006). he'll get all the chances he needs to make a lasting impression.

This card is from In The Game's 2011-12 Between The Pipes set (card #A-LI in the GoalieGraphs insert sub-set), and boasts a sticker autograph (in black sharpie) next to Irving in the Heat's white jersey.

2 Kevin Bolibruck Autograph Cards

How do you one-up legendary hockey card guru Sal when you've been following and duplicating his ''NHL Busts'' series of hockey autographs?

You see his Kevin Bolibruck, and you add another...

First, ''his'', from Signature Rookies' 1995-96 Draft 96 set, (card #5), numbered 1793/4500, sporting his hometown junior team Peterborough Petes' white (home) jersey, with its logo hidden for copyright purposes:

And secondly, from Signature Rookies' 1995-96 Draft Day set (card #4), a wholly different set of 4500 signed cards (this one numbered 2350) for/of relative nobodies, wearing the Petes' dark blue (away) uniform:

Bolibruck was drafted twice: first by the Ottawa Senators in the 4th round (89th overall, 1995), then by the Edmonton Oilers in the 7th round (176th overall, 1997). In the meantime, his rights had been acquired by the Chicago Blackhawks, but since he failed to sign a pro contract with either the Sens or Hawks, he was eligible for draft again after a two-year hiatus.

While he never did play in the NHL, he did spend 5 seasons in the AHL and has been playing in Europe since 2003-04. He is currently back in Italy's top league with the Pontebba Sport Ghiaccio, with whom he won the 2008 Italian Cup.

Scott Gomez Jersey Card

If you read yesterday's post about Tomas Plekanec, you realized that was but one of the two swatch cards I got in that trade...

The second one is of the Montréal Canadiens' much-maligned ''fourth-line'' center Scott Gomez, from In The Game's 2002-03 Action (Ruby Jersey, #M-25), featuring a nice red piece of game-used jersey and shows him wearing the New Jersey Devils' white (then-home) uniform.

Say what you will about his cap hit and inability to score (except for empty-netters, and even then...), the guy is quick, swifty, and an adept passer. He's also a Stanley Cup champion, and has one trophy Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky never got their hands on: the Calder, as rookie of the year (in 1999-2000).

He's also a good citizen, and a great tipper, as can be attested by many of my service-industry friends who've been lucky enough to serve him.

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.