Snap Shots: Colorado Captures the Cup

Hello, Puck Junk readers! I know it has been over a month since I last wrote my Snap Shots column. Yes, we all get busy — but I was crazy busy. Crazy busy enough that I even used bold and italics at the same time! Between my work as a teacher and setting up at a three-day card show recently, I was in a time crunch. Something had to give, and unfortunately, it was this site for a little while. But now I’m back! 

Anyway, enough about me. A lot happened in hockey over the past week. Naturally, we must start with the Colorado Avalanche winning the 2022 Stanley Cup Championship. 

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Puck Junk Podcast: May 4, 2020

The Carolina Hurricanes & Chicago Wolves Affiliation 

After a two-ish week hiatus, the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast is back! This time, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the new affiliation agreement between the Carolina Hurricanes and the AHL’s Chicago Wolves — which leaves the Charlotte Checkers in limbo. They also discuss the new Pro Visions insert cards found in 2019-20 Upper Deck Credentials Hockey and the difficulties of packing and moving a card collection to a new home.

Show Notes and Links: 
The Chicago Wolfpack: Official Wolves Booster Club website
Charlotte Checkers’ statement on its NHL affiliation (Checkers website)
Spring Sport Card Expo website 
May Chicago Sports Spectacular website
National Sports Collectors Convention statement on 2020 show.
The 2020 Chicago Blackhawks Convention is Cancelled (Blackhawks)
Upper Deck Game Dated Moments for Week 30 (Upper Deck Blog)
2019-20 Credentials “Pro Visions” insert cards (Beckett)
2019-20 Upper Deck Credentials commercial (video)
Opening chase scene from Beverly Hills Cop (YouTube)

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

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Blake’s Takes: Bruins Break Binnington

The Stanley Cup Finals continue. The Blues are now down 2-1 to the Bruins after Jake Binnington’s worst game as a pro. Torey Krug has put the Blues on notice and the Bruins’ powerplay continues to roll. We also have some exciting news in the AHL and ECHL.

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2019 Calder Cup Preview: Charlotte Checkers vs. Chicago Wolves

The 2019 American Hockey League’s Calder Cup Finals start on Saturday (schedule here). The Charlotte Checkers, who are affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes, take on the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. AHL teams only play against teams within their conference during the regular season, so this is the first time this year that the Checkers will take on the Wolves. 

Jim Howard, Puck Junk’s resident “Caniac,” and Sal Barry, who has followed the Chicago Wolves the past 25 years, give their insight as to which team will win. Either way, it won’t be a sweep. 

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Review: Chicago Wolves 25th Anniversary Card Set

The Chicago Wolves have been a top-notch hockey team over the past 25 years, winning two Turner Cup Championships in the old IHL and two Calder Cup Championships in the AHL. Many former NHL stars, future NHL stars and minor league legends played for the team over the past quarter-century. Earlier this month, the Wolves issued a trading card set honoring its best players. Like past team sets, the Wolves’ 25th Anniversary team set does not disappoint.

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Panini America and My Long-Lost Redemption Card

How long is too long when waiting for a redemption card to arrive? Six months? A year? Two years? More? My most recent redemption took nearly four years of waiting, followed by four weeks of nagging, but it finally arrived. 

Recently, in my never-ending request to clear the piles of cards off of my desk, I found a redemption card that I had redeemed long ago. This was supposed to get me an autographed Akim Aliu rookie card from the 2012-13 Panini Limited Hockey set. I opened a box of these cards way back in mid-2013, registered the redemption number via Panini’s website, and then forgot about it. So did Panini. 

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Review: 2015-16 Chicago Wolves

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The Chicago Wolves, the American Hockey League affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, gave away a team set of trading cards towards the end of the 2015-16 season. This year’s Wolves set has a wide player selection, but making it truly memorable is the gritty, cool-as-hell design that you’d expect to see on superhero cards instead of minor league hockey cards. Yet, the Wolves pull it off, making for one awesome-looking set.

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