Everyone who collected hockey cards during the early 1990s knows of the Stanley Cup Hologram released by Pro Set during the 1990-91 season. But many don’t know about his little brother – the NHL 75th Anniversary Hologram, produced a year later. To commemorate the NHL’s diamond anniversary, Pro Set made 10,000 copies of this card and randomly inserted them into foil packs of 1991-92 Pro Set Series 2 hockey cards. Continue reading “Historic Hologram”
Category: Hockey Cards
Card Imitates Life
1992-93 Topps Stadium Club card #410 – Pat Elynuik
“Art imitates life,” or so the saying goes. Sometimes, cards imitate life too. Such is the case with this card of former NHL player Pat Elynuik. On his 1992-93 Topps Stadium Club trading card, Elynuik poses with a bunch of Topps, Bowman and O-Pee-Chee cards from the previous year.
It is a worthless hockey card that shows a bunch of equally worthless hockey cards. Continue reading “Card Imitates Life”
Review: 2002-03 Fleer Throwbacks
91-card set “punches it” old school
There are hockey card sets dedicated to goaltenders. There are hockey card sets dedicated to leading scorers. And then, there’s Fleer Throwbacks.
At a glance:
– 2002-03 Fleer Throwbacks
– 91 cards
– 1 “bonus” Bob Probert card
– Size: 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″
– Download Checklist
The term “throwback” implies something that hearkens back to an earlier time period or age. The 2002-03 Fleer Throwbacks hockey set features 91 former players who aptly fit that description – men who were tough enough to play in any era. Most of the players in this set were known for their rough-and-tumble style of play, while others were just gritty. No, this isn’t merely an homage to “goons” or “enforcers” – though Fleer Throwbacks has plenty of those, too.
Review: 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update
200-card factory serves as a nice addendum
Released in April 2010, the O-Pee-Chee Update Set featured 200 cards that extended the O-Pee-Chee set issued earlier in the 2009-10 hockey season. This was a smart move by Upper Deck, who currently leases the “O-Pee-Chee” brand name from Topps.
In 2009, Upper Deck released a 200-card Update Set for its 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee set, but in 5-card packs. Three out of 5 of the cards in the pack were parallels, making this a particularly hard set to piece together. Fortunately, Upper Deck did not repeat that mistake, and instead issued the 2009-10 Update as a pre-collated factory set. Continue reading “Review: 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update”
I Smell a Rat
1991-92 Pro Set card #RR1 – Rink Rat
The term “rink rat” is used to describe a kid who hangs out at an ice arena and does chores in exchange for ice time. In the early 1990s, Rink Rat was also the name of a character featured on Pro Set hockey cards. Continue reading “I Smell a Rat”
Unbeatable
1990-91 Upper Deck card #448 – Bob Probert
Bob Probet died suddenly and unexpectedly on July 5, 2010. A man who went toe-to-toe with the likes of McSorley, Domi and Brown – and overcame problems with drug abuse – ultimately lost a battle to a heart attack.
Needless to say, Probert was a tough man. No card better epitomizes Probert’s toughness than his 1990-91 Upper Deck hockey card. Continue reading “Unbeatable”
Career in Cards: Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Roenick played 20 years in the NHL, and was known for his fast skating and flashy offense. He appeared in 9 All-Star Games, scored over 500 goals and over 700 assists in his career. Here is a look back at his career–in cards–of the man known as “JR”. Continue reading “Career in Cards: Jeremy Roenick”
Low Flame
1997-98 Donruss card #160 – Theoren Fleury
Theo Fleury was one of the shortest men to play in the NHL. Looking up at him from a “worm’s-eye view” perspective gives the diminutive forward a sense of importance and grandeur. But also viewing him “through the mask” of a goalie makes the photo less believable. If Fleury was only 5-foot-5, how short was this goalie? Continue reading “Low Flame”
Horrible ‘Hawk
1986-87 O-Pee-Chee card #243 – Gary Nylund
No, Gary Nylund was not horrible–but this card sure was. That slack-jawed look of disgust on Nylund’s face says it all about this awfully airbrushed card. After 4 years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nylund was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on September 6, 1986–giving O-Pee-Chee just enough time to alter the photo on this card to make it look like he was with his new team. So, what’s wrong with this picture? Where to even start? Continue reading “Horrible ‘Hawk”
Painted Penguin
1986-87 O-Pee-Chee card #209 – Warren Young
It has been quite a while since I’ve written about a bad hockey card, so what better way than to ease back into it by picking on an awfully airbrushed card from the 1980s. In this case, a card of former Pittsburgh Penguin left wing Warren Young. Continue reading “Painted Penguin”