Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
Herb Brooks will forever be remembered best as the coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that accomplished the “Miracle on Ice” and won a gold medal. He almost won a gold medal as a player, too, with the 1960 Olympic squad. However, it was not meant to be, as explained by this 1991 trading card… Continue reading “Card of the Week: Herb Brooks”
While sifting through a stack of cards from Sports Illustrated for Kids recently, I found this odd little piece of cardboard. It is unusual I n that it is a card of a collegiate hockey player. No wait – a collegiate woman hockey player. Hold the phone – a Swedish woman collegiate hockey player who is also an Olympic hero: Maria Rooth. Continue reading “Maria Rooth”
Next month is the 30th anniversary of the United States’ biggest Olympic triumph – and one of the biggest upsets in sports history: the Miracle on Ice. During the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY, American goaltender Jim Craig helped the U.S. beat the ridiculously-talented Soviet hockey team. Craig stopped 36 of 39 shots, and the U.S. hung on to win the semifinal game 4-3. Two nights later, Craig and company beat Finland 4-2. It was the first time since 1960 that the United States would win a gold medal in Olympic ice hockey. Continue reading “Jim Craig: An American Hockey Hero”
For the next two months, the Card of the Week will feature a card of a past Olympic hero, starting with Cammi Granato. She was the team captain of the 1998 U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team. It was the first time that women’s hockey was a medal sport at the Olympics, and the U.S. team beat Canada in the final game to win the gold. Continue reading “Card of the Week: Captain Cammi”
This card is a winner on two counts. Normally, a bad paint job would be enough to merit Card of the Week status. But what drives this one home is that wonderful helmet-o-hair atop Peter Marsh‘s head. Continue reading “Hair Helmet”
During the summer of 1996, the Chicago Blackhawks made one of their worst trades in the decade – hell, in their history – when they sent fan-favorite Jeremy Roenick to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Alexi Zhamnov, Craig Mills and a first round draft pick. As a result, the Blackhawks became a downright abysmal team for the next 12 years. Another downside was this cheesy, tacky card of Roenick straddling a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Note the manly tassels hanging from the handlebars. Continue reading “Road Rash Roenick”
During the 1991-92 season, a set of 24 hockey cards was issued in specially-marked boxes of Corn Flakes cereal. Superstars found in the set included Steve Yzerman, Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Brett Hull…and Cornelius Rooster. Though small in stature, the Corn Flakes’ famous mascot overshadows them all, putting up numbers that would make even The Golden Brett jealous. Continue reading “Fantastic Fowl”
Like most hockey fans, I too made an attempt to play the game. Having discovered hockey in January 1989, I quickly decided that it was a game that I must learn to play. I soon purchased a floor hockey stick, and encouraged all of my friends in the neighborhood to follow suit. By March of ’89, we were playing street hockey in the alley behind my Aunt’s house on a regular basis. But that was not good enough for me; I would also have to try my hand at ice hockey…real hockey. Continue reading “Card of the Week: Me”
Classic Games put out a few nice cards in the early-to-mid 1990s. This isn’t one of them. Supposedly, the illustration of the hockey player on fire is Anaheim Mighty Ducks draft pick Paul Kariya. At least that’s what the name at the bottom of the card says. Continue reading “Roast Duck”
The 2008-09 Champ’s Hockey set was one of the strangest releases in recent memory. The cards had a design harkening back to the original Champ’s set from the 1924; they came in both standard and smaller, “cigarette” sizes; and had an odd, 192-card “Natural History Collection” subset, featuring animals like the Great White Shark and the Carrier Pigeon. But hands down, the weirdest thing about Champ’s was the one-per-case “Fossil Cards.”
Fortunately, I was lucky enough to get one of these. No, it wasn’t something cool like a Tyrannosaurus Rex tooth or a Wooly Mammoth tusk – just a Neolithic Stone Tool. As Charlie Brown would say, “I got a rock.” Although – as cliched as it sounds – it is kind of cool to own a piece of history. Continue reading “Card of the Week: I Got a Rock”