Puck Junk

Todd McFarlane Talks About the New NHL SportsPicks Hockey Figures

It is no secret that Todd McFarlane, the founder and CEO of McFarlane Toys, is a huge hockey fan. McFarlane was a part-owner of the Edmonton Oilers from 1998 to 2008, and designed the “gear” logo that adorned the Oilers’ third jersey from 2001 to 2007. His toy company made a line of hockey action figures called SportsPicks from 2000 to 2014.

A new Connor McDavid figure from the 2023 NHL SportsPicks line.

SportsPicks were the “gold standard” when it came to hockey action figures, for their attention to detail and great player likenesses.

As popular as the figures were, McFarlane Toys stopped making them in 2014. But after a nine-year gap, SportsPicks are coming back with an all-new line of action figures featuring eight different NHL players.

I recently had the opportunity to ask McFarlane about the new line of NHL SportsPicks figures – and why they stopped making hockey figures in the first place.

Sal Barry: Why did McFarlane Toys stop making NHL SportsPicks figures in 2013? And hockey SportsPicks altogether in 2014? (NOTE: The 2014 figures were in Team Canada Olympic jerseys and were not licensed by the NHL.)

Todd McFarlane: The main reasons were quite simple: Continue reading “Todd McFarlane Talks About the New NHL SportsPicks Hockey Figures”

2021-22 Credentials Hockey Box Break

The 2021-22 Credentials Hockey set by Upper Deck was released in August 2023, just a few months shy of the 2023-24 hockey season. That makes Credentials a bit of an “old” product, with rookie cards from almost two seasons ago. More so, Credentials also contains cards from the cancelled 2020-21 Credentials cards, as well as rookie update cards from 2019-20 Credentials – meaning, you can get rookie cards from three different seasons in one box!

A box of 2021-22 Credentials hockey has eight packs. Each pack has six cards for a total of 48 cards. When 2021-22 Credentials was released, it cost about $150 per box. Now, it’s around $110 per box. A hobby box contains either an autographed card OR a non-autographed acetate card.

I recently opened a box of 2021-22 Credentials. Here’s what I got in my box.

Continue reading “2021-22 Credentials Hockey Box Break”

Puck Junk Podcast: 2021-22 Credentials & Stature Hockey Cards

Episode #165: September 15, 2023

Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about TWO sets of recently-released hockey cards: 2021-22 Credentials and 2021-22 Stature. Other topics include 2022-23 Parkhurst hockey cards on e-Pack, the Upper Deck Rookie Showcase, and an auction for a Connor McDavid Young Guns rookie card that exceeded $100k. It’s 79 minutes of hockey goodness!

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Sign up for the Puck Junk Email Newsletter here.
Sport Card Expo Toronto Fall 2023 Guests (website)
Upper Deck NHLPA Rookie Photo Shoot (Sports Collectors Digest)
Sal’s story on how he got a Tuukka Rask rookie card (Puck Junk)

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Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube.

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2021-22 Stature Hockey Box Break

Upper Deck’s Stature Hockey cards, first released during the 2019-20 season, features serial-numbered cards printed on thick, shiny foil stock. These accoutrements give Stature a sense of gravitas to them. The cards are shiny and thick, while most are numbered. Upper Deck released its 2021-22 Stature Hockey set in August of 2023; yes, that is a full year after the season it is based on had ended!

Regardless, if you liked Stature hockey cards from the past two seasons, then you will like the 2021-22 Stature set as well. A hobby box contains eight cards and costs around $145. That’s a bit cheaper than last year, when Stature was selling for around $180 for an eight-card box.

A box of 2021-22 Stature Hockey contains two base cards, one rookie card, one autographed card, one insert card, and two numbered parallel cards. The eight card in the box is either an additional rookie card, autographed card, or numbered parallel.

I finally got my hands on a hobby box of 2021-22 Stature Hockey. Here is what is inside.

Continue reading “2021-22 Stature Hockey Box Break”

Puck Junk Podcast: 2023-24 MVP Hockey Cards

Episode #164: September 7, 2023

In this episode, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk all about the 2023-24 MVP Hockey card set, which is the first set for the new season. The guys take a look at the design, the inserts, the rookies – and the ridiculous amounts of cash money that the Connor Bedard redemption cards are selling for. Plus, they discuss the new Professional Women’s Hockey League, the NHL’s announced future participation in international tournaments, and the change in CEO at Leaf Trading Cards. It’s 76 minutes of hockey goodness!

Show Notes, Links and Images:
2023-24 MVP Hockey Card Checklist (Trading Card DB)
Sal mentioned a goalie named David Altshuller – his name is actually Daniel Altshuller (oops!). Here’s the article about how Daniel Altshuller played zero games yet was pictured on over 80 hockey cards (Puck Junk)

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Connect with us and other hockey fans on the Puck Junk Facebook Group.

Subscribe
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel.

Support
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

Clemente’s Corner: The Legacy of Jack Adams

Here’s a quiz question that could stump even the biggest hockey fan: Name the only person in history to win the Stanley Cup as a player, manager and general manager?

Stumped? The answer is Jack Adams.

If that name is familiar it’s because Adams has a trophy named after him: the Jack Adams Award. It is given each year to the coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success.”

Who was Adams?

Why does he still matter?

Should collectors even consider chasing his cards?

These are the questions I was searching the answers for when I read recently that Adams’ rookie card had turned 100 years old.

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: The Legacy of Jack Adams”

2022-23 Upper Deck AHL Hockey Box Break

Upper Deck issued its 2022-23 American Hockey League trading card set in June of 2023. The set has 150 cards of AHL players – some prospects who will go onto long careers in the NHL, and others who played a handful of NHL games but went on to long careers in “The A.”

Fortunately for minor league hockey card enthusiasts, this set isn’t too hard to put together. There are 100 base cards and 50 short-printed Star Rookies – and you get one Star Rookie in each pack!

A box of 2022-23 Upper Deck AHL costs around $50 and has 12 packs. Each pack has 10 cards. Here’s a look at what’s inside a box of 2022-23 Upper Deck AHL.

Continue reading “2022-23 Upper Deck AHL Hockey Box Break”

2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy Box Break

First released during the 2017-18 season, Upper Deck Synergy hockey cards feature all the bells and whistles. Synergy cards are two layers thick. Like past years, the 2022-23 Synergy cards have a top layer that is printed on die-cut foil board, and a bottom layer is printed on clear plastic.

One thing that makes Synergy an odd release is that the base cards are very hard to find. You read that right; the base cards are tough pulls. Synergy base cards of veteran players are serial-numbered to 13 copies each, while Synergy rookie cards are numbered to 23 copies each. What you will normally get in a box is mainly Red Parallels, which some may mistake for the base cards.

That said, Synergy is not a cheap product. A box has eight packs, with each pack containing three cards, for a total of 24 cards. When 2022-23 Synergy launched at the end of June 2023, a box was $100; now the price has settled to $85.

I opened a hobby box of 2022-23 Synergy. Here is what was inside.

Continue reading “2022-23 Upper Deck Synergy Box Break”

Puck Junk Podcast: 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Cards

Part 6 of the ’90-91 Retrospective Series
Episode #163: August 31, 2023

Sal Barry and Tim Parish continue their ’90-91 Retrospective Series with a long conversation about the 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey card set, including the set’s colorful design, most-sought-after error cards, the legendary Stanley Cup Hologram, and the set’s enduring legacy. Plus, if there was a Pro Set Drinking Game, what would the rules be? It’s 103 minutes of nostalgic hockey goodness!

Show Notes, Links and Images:
1990-91 Pro Set Brett Hull Promo Card (Puck Junk)
1990-91 Pro Set Stanley Cup Hologram (Puck Junk)
Remembering the 1990 Chicago Hockey Show (Puck Junk)
Custom Helmut Balderis Card (Puck Junk)
That Rene Bourque Card that Sal Has Been Hoarding (Puck Junk)
1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Checklist (Trading Card DB)
List of 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Errors (Trading Card DB)
Every 1990-91 Hockey Card Set Ranked (Puck Junk)

Past 1990-91 Retrospective Podcasts:

1. Part 1 – 1990-91 Bowman Hockey Cards
2. Part 2 – 1990-91 Topps & O-Pee-Chee Hockey Cards
3. Part 3 – 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey Cards
4. Part 4 – 1990-91 Score Hockey Cards
5. Part 5 – 1990-91 Upper Deck Hockey Cards

Images of some 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Cards:

Connect
Connect with us and other hockey fans on the Puck Junk Facebook Group.

Subscribe
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Email Newsletter and the YouTube Channel.

Support
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

2021-22 Upper Deck ICE Box Break

For the first time in three years, Upper Deck Ice is back. Ice was last released for the 2019-20 season, then was cancelled for 2020-21. The 2021-22 Ice set came out at the end of the 2022-23 season. So, it is the first Ice set in two seasons, but took three years to come out.

Anyway, now that Ice has been out for a while, the price of a box has gone down a bit, from $130 to $110. A hobby box has 12 packs, with each pack containing six cards. A box also includes a “Bonus” pack of 2020-21 Ice – so if you really want to build the cancelled Ice set, you could, though it would be tough.

One selling point of Ice is that all autographs in the set are “hard-signed,” meaning that the autographs are on the card itself and not on a sticker later applied to the card. A box of Ice also contains at least two Ice Premieres rookie cards, which are printed on acetate (clear plastic).

I opened a box of 2021-22 Ice, which was also the subject of the Puck Junk Podcast recently. But I thought it would be nice to show off what I got in my box. So, let’s take a look at what my 12 packs of 2021-22 Ice – plus the 2020-21 Ice bonus pack – had inside.

Continue reading “2021-22 Upper Deck ICE Box Break”

Episode #165: September 15, 2023

Episode #164: September 7, 2023

Part 6 of the ’90-91 Retrospective Series Episode #163: August 31, 2023

Part 6 of the ’90-91 Retrospective Series
Episode #163: August 31, 2023