Olympic Ice Hockey is Like Star Trek Movies

It’s the Whole Even-Odd Thing,
If You Know What I Mean

I am excited about the 2026 Winter Olympics so far. We will see USA and Canada battle it out for the gold medal in the Women’s tournament. And for the first time in a long time, we may see a USA-Canada showdown in the men’s tournament, too. 

This is the first time in 12 years that the NHL shut down two weeks to allow its players to participate in the Olympics. This is the first Olympics that headlined Auston Matthews for Team USA and Connor McDavid for Team Canada.  

But as awesome as having Olympic rosters stuffed with top-level NHL talent, the men’s ice hockey tournament at the Olympics isn’t always great…for North American fans, anyway. 

In fact, men’s Olympic ice hockey reminds me of the old Star Trek movies from the 1980s and 1990s, where the odd-numbered films were bad, while the even-numbered films were great. The same pattern applies to men’s Olympic ice hockey since 1998. 

Continue reading “Olympic Ice Hockey is Like Star Trek Movies”

Puck Junk Podcast: 2025-26 Allure Hockey Cards

Episode #239: February 11, 2026
Plus: Favorite Memories from Past Olympics

This week, Sal and Tim take a long look at the new 2025-26 Allure Hockey Card set. Plus, they talk about Artemi Panarin getting traded to the L.A. Kings – and why Macklin Celebrini signed some cards as “Chester.” It’s 115 minutes of hockey goodness – with chapters, so you can skip to your favorite part. The YouTube version of the podcast features photos and video.

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Follow Sal Barry on X @PuckJunk, Instagram @PuckJunk & Bluesky @puckjunk.bsky.social
Follow Tim Parish on X @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X @ClementeLisi. 
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

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2024-25 Credentials Hockey Box Break

The 2024-25 Credentials hockey card set was released in mid-July 2025, a good month after the ’24-25 season ended. A hobby box of 2024-25 Credentials has eight packs, with each pack containing six cards, for a total of 48 cards. When the set originally debuted, it was around $125 per box. The price dropped by the end of 2025 to about $110 per box, but as of this writing has climbed back up to about $120 per box. 

Anyway, I recently opened a hobby box of 2024-25 Credentials Hockey. Let’s see what was inside.

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Puck Junk Podcast: 2026 Men’s Winter Olympic Hockey Preview

Episode #238: February 4, 2026
Plus: Favorite Memories from Past Olympics

Sal and Tim have a long discussion about the upcoming 2026 Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament, which will be the first Olympics since 2014 to feature the NHL’s top players. The guys talk about the rosters for all 12 teams, the groups, and some of their favorite memories from past Olympic hockey tournaments. The YouTube version of the podcast has photos and video.

 

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X @PuckJunk, Instagram @PuckJunk & Bluesky @puckjunk.bsky.social
Follow Tim Parish on X @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X @ClementeLisi. 
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,  
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor.

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. ■

Clemente’s Corner: The 5 Best Olympic Hockey Jerseys of All Time

With the Winter Olympics starting later this week in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, hockey will once again take center stage in one of sport’s most exciting tournaments.

This edition will be even more special given that it marks the return of NHLers, like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Rasmus Dahlin, to the Winter Olympics. This makes the tournament more competitive as ever given that the best players in the game will go head-to-head for a shot at a gold medal.

I love the Olympics (yes, even the curling), but the men’s and women’s ice hockey tournaments rank at the very top of my list. With national pride on the line – and maybe even a U.S. vs. Canada gold-medal game lurking in our future – it’s a 12-team tournament that can’t be missed.

In celebration of this quadrennial spectacle, here are my top 5 Olympic men’s hockey jerseys of all time:

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: The 5 Best Olympic Hockey Jerseys of All Time”

Is 2026 the Year I Finally Get Organized?

Not a New Year’s Resolution But a New Collecting Mindset

The past two years, I boldly gave my Collecting Resolutions as editorials for this newsletter. In 2024, I said I was going to organize my hockey action figure collection. And for 2025, I claimed that I was going to try to finish as many sets as possible.

So, how did I do on those resolutions? Continue reading “Is 2026 the Year I Finally Get Organized?”

Puck Junk Podcast: 2025-26 MVP Hockey Cards

Episode #237: January 13, 2026
Plus: Patrick Kane, Glenn Hall & Bob Pulford

In the first episode of 2026, Sal and Tim talk about the 2025-26 MVP Hockey Card set, which was recently released on Upper Deck e-Pack. The guys also talk about the passing of Hockey Hall of Fame members Glenn Hall and Bob Pulford, and Patrick Kane scoring his 500th goal. The YouTube version of the podcast features photos and video.

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on X @PuckJunk, Instagram @PuckJunk & Bluesky @puckjunk.bsky.social
Follow Tim Parish on X @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Clemente Lisi on X @ClementeLisi. 
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

Listen
Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,  
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor.

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. ■

Clemente’s Corner: 3 Things Hockey Collectors Can Expect in 2026

I don’t have a crystal ball, but all indications are that this will once again be a big year for trading cards and collectables.

In a year where you have NHL stars competing at the Winter Olympics, Upper Deck pumping out new sets and some big shows filling our days and nights, the year is likely to be one of the most interesting and potentially impactful 12 months for hockey card collectors. Whether your focus is on Young Guns, international stars or show exclusives, this is a year worth planning for.

Here are three things to watch for this year.

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: 3 Things Hockey Collectors Can Expect in 2026”

The Puck Junk Bad Hockey Card Hall of Fame: Class of 2025

As the year comes to an end, it was now or never to announce the Puck Junk Bad Hockey Card Hall of Fame: Class of 2025. And what a class it is! 

This year, we have two new members of the Bad Paint Job Category, four new members of the Bad Photograph Category, two new members of the Bad Idea Category, and one new member each in the Bad Head Swap and Bad Mistake Categories.

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