Author: Sal Barry

Sal Barry is the editor and webmaster of Puck Junk. He is a freelance hockey writer, college professor and terrible hockey player. Follow him on Twitter @puckjunk

Puck Junk Podcast #103: Nov. 17, 2021

2020-21 Skybox Metal Universe Hockey
Plus: Inflated Hobby & Retail Box Prices

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk all about the 2020-21 Skybox Metal Universe set. What makes it great — and not so great? Then, the guys talk about how the prices of hobby and retail boxes are getting out of hand. It’s 1 hour and 8 minutes of hockey goodness. 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Chicago Sports Spectacular (show website)
Bridgeview Card Show & Autograph Signing (show Facebook page)
VintageGraphs: Sports Autographs & Collectibles (Facebook page)
2020-21 Skybox Metal Universe checklist (Cardboard Connection)
The horrible Mel Bridgeman hockey card (Puck Junk)
The equally-horrible Glen Hanlon hockey card (Puck Junk)
The “Lettuce Head” Bryan Pitton hockey card (Puck Junk)
Puck Junk Podcast #21: The Worst Insert Sets from the 1990s (Puck Junk)
Puck Junk Podcast #78: Brian Slagel Interview (Puck Junk)
Puck Junk Podcast #14: 1996-97 Fleer Metal Universe (Puck Junk)

Some images from the 2020-21 Skybox Metal Universe set:

Elias Pettersson – base card

Auston Matthews – retro insert 

Carey Price – Intimidation Nation insert 

Alex Ovechkin – ALON insert

Patrick Kane – Platinum Portraits insert

Finally, here’s the Ryan Getzlaf card that Tim was talking about:

2013-14 Upper Deck #171 – Ryan Getzlaf…making an entrance indeed!

What do you think of the 2020-21 Skybox Metal Universe set? Are you collecting it? Leave a comment and let us know!

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group, subscribe to Puck Junk on Apple Podcasts and  YouTube, and support this site at the Puck Junk Online Shop. 

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk. ■

Rookie Cards of Every NHL Head Coach for the 2021-22 Season

Every NHL head coach was involved in hockey at a high level prior to coaching in the world’s best hockey league. Some were NHL players, while others played major junior, collegiate, or minor pro hockey before coaching. Thus, all 32 NHL head coaches have had at least one hockey card issued sometime during either their playing or coaching careers.

Here is a list of rookie cards for every head coach in the NHL. Some had mainstream “rookie cards” found in sets  like Topps, O-Pee-Chee, Upper Deck, and Pro Set cards. Others did not play — or did not play long — in the NHL. In their cases, I tracked down the earliest trading card that coach had. I’ve indicated the value of each card and how difficult the card is to find today.  

Continue reading “Rookie Cards of Every NHL Head Coach for the 2021-22 Season”

Puck Junk Podcast #102: Oct. 27, 2021

NHL, NHLPA, Upper Deck Extend Trading Card Deal

Sal Barry and Tim Parish discuss the NHL and NHLPA extending their exclusive hockey card licensing agreement with Upper Deck and why this is great for hockey card collectors. The guys also talk about new, upcoming and cancelled — yes, cancelled! — hockey card releases. Finally, Sal and Tim take a look at this season’s NHL television coverage by ESPN and TNT  — what’s good so far and what could be better.  This week’s episode is 1 hour and 35 minutes of pure hockey goodness! 

Show Notes and Links:
NHL and NHLPA Extend Rights Deal with Upper Deck (The Hockey News)
Upper Deck Signs Nick Suzuki to Exclusive Autograph Deal (Upper Deck)
2021-22 Game Dated Moments Week #1 (Upper Deck e-Pack)
Promo Team Pack #1: Vegas Golden Knights (Upper Deck e-Pack)
Upper Deck Cancels & Delays Some Hockey Products (Twitter)
NHL Fails to Televise Marleau’s 500th Goal (Puck Junk)
Lake Station, Indiana VFW Card Show on October 30, 2021 (Facebook)
Fall Sport Card Expo in Toronto, November 11-14, 2021 (Show Website)
Chicago Sports Spectacular, November 19-21, 2021 (Show Website)

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk. 
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube. 

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

Puck Junk Podcast #101: Oct. 21, 2021

1990-91 Score Hockey
Part 4 of the ’90-91 Retrospective Series

Sal Barry and Tim Parish continue their Retrospective Series about hockey cards from the 1990-91 season. This time, they discuss the 1990-91 Score Hockey sets — the American set, the Canadian set, the Rookie and Traded set, the Young Superstars set and even the 100 Hottest Stars and Rising Stars set. What made Score great back then and do the cards still hold up today? It’s 73 minutes of pure hockey nostalgia! 

Show Notes, Links and Images: 
1990-91 Score American Checklist (Trading Card DB)
1990-91 Score Canadian Checklist (Trading Card DB)
1990-91 Score Rookie and Traded Checklist (Trading Card DB)
1990-91 Score Young Superstars Checklist (Trading Card DB)
1990-91 Score Hottest Stars & Rising Stars Checklist (Trading Card DB)
The 1990-91 Score mail-away checklist page (Puck Junk) 
Every 1990-91 Hockey Card Set Ranked (Puck Junk)
Write us a review at Apple Podcasts (link)

Some images of the 1990-91 Score Hockey sets:

1990-91 Score American #1 – Wayne Gretzky

1990-91 Score American #1 – Wayne Gretzky (back)

1990-91 Score American & Canadian #2 – Mario Lemieux

1990-91 Score American & Canadian #2 – Mario Lemieux (back)

1990-91 Score American #440 – Eric Lindros (Rookie Card)

1990-91 Score American #439 – Martin Brodeur (RC)

1990-91 Score American #407 – Jimmy Waite (RC)

1990-91 Score Canadian#330 – 1990 Memorial Cup Champions

1990-91 Score American unopened pack

1990-91 Score American Boxed Set

1990-91 Score Canadian Boxed Set

1990-91 Score mail-away checklist page (more info) 

1990-91 Score Rookie and Traded #70T – Jaromir Jagr

1990-91 Score Rookie and Traded #20T – Sergei Fedorov

1990-91 Score Rookie and Traded #110T – Wayne Gretzky 2000th Point

1990-91 Score Young Superstars #7 – Mats Sundin

1990-91 Score Young Superstars #4 – Peter Sidorkiewicz

1990-91 Score Hockey’s 100 Hottest Stars and Rising Stars set

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk. 
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube. 

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

Titillating Sports: The Start of the 2021-22 NHL Season

Sal Barry was a guest on Titillating Sports with Rick Tittle to discuss the start of the 2021-22 NHL season. Topics include the Seattle Kraken making its franchise debut, Carey Price taking a medical leave of absence, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s poor start, and if Alex Ovechkin can break Wayne Gretzky’s record for most goals.

You can learn more about Rick Tittle here and listen to full episodes of his show here. Special thanks to Sports Byline USA for providing this audio clip.

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Rick Tittle on Twitter @RickTittle. 
Follow Sports Byline USA on Twitter @SportsBylineUSA. ■

The Best 2021-22 NHL Game-Night Giveaway Items

Today is the start of the 2021-22 season. All teams will play a full 82-game schedule for the first time in three seasons, and all teams will allow spectators at their games. Also making a comeback are game-night giveaways. You know, the free stuff that you can get when you go to certain games. 

So, here is a list of the best game-night giveaway items that teams will dole out during the 2021-22 season — from a Ryan O’Reilly Winter Classic bobblehead, to a Star Wars-themed Flyers poster, to ugly holiday sweater t-shirts that several teams will give out. 

Continue reading “The Best 2021-22 NHL Game-Night Giveaway Items”

Puck Junk Podcast #100: Oct. 8, 2021

The Best and Worst NHL Mascots

For the 100th Episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry is joined by Tim Parish, Blake Isaacs and Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard to talk all about NHL mascots. Which mascots are the best? The worst? Which mascots give us nightmares? Which mascot are we most likely to kiss? Plus, will the Seattle Kraken ever have a mascot? It’s 95 minutes of fun hockey talk.

Show Notes, Links and Images: 
Gritty hanging out with Patrick Stewart and Stephen Colbert (YouTube)
Gritty on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (YouTube)

The original Tommy Hawk (left) and the current Tommy Hawk:

Nyisles was the New York Islanders’ mascot during the team’s “Fish Sticks” jersey era.

Finally, here is the evil Purple Tentacle from “The Day of the Tentacle” computer game. Could this become the Seattle Kraken’s first mascot?

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk. 
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Follow Blake Isaacs on Twitter @bisaacs1995 & Instagram @bisaacs1995.
Follow Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard on Instagram @flyingv2112.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube. 

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

 

David Backes’ First Hockey Card

2001-02 Lincoln Stars #2: David Backes

Today, 15-year NHL veteran David Backes signed a one-day contract with the St. Louis Blues so that he could retire as a member of the team he spent most of his career with. The Blues picked Backes in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in the second round, 62nd overall. Five years later, Backes made his NHL debut, played 10 seasons with the Blues, and then another five seasons split between the Boston Bruins and the Anaheim Ducks.

But 20 years ago, a fresh-faced, 18-year old Backes was playing Junior A hockey with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL and was included in the team’s 2001-02 trading card set. Of course, back then Backes was a little shorter and a lot lighter 

Continue reading “David Backes’ First Hockey Card”

About the Cards: Episode 166

Yesterday, Sal Barry and Tim Parish were guests  on the “About the Cards” Podcast. They joined show hosts Ben and Stephan to talk about the new NHL Seattle Kraken expansion team, Fanatics buying up all the sport trading card licenses, how this could affect hockey cards and Upper Deck, and much more. The show is about 2 hours and 20 minutes, so give it a listen next time you need some good background banter. 

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG. 
Find more episodes of About the Cards on their YouTube Channel.

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group, subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube, and support this site and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

Puck Junk Podcast #99: Aug. 27, 2021

Advertising on NHL Jerseys
Plus: Fanatics Storms the Card Industry

Sal Barry and Tim Parish discuss the NHL’s decision to allow advertising patches on jerseys. Is this a great new way for the teams to make money, the beginning of the end, or both? Plus, they talk about how Fanatics acquisition of the Major League Baseball trading card license will affect the trading card industry — including hockey cards. Also: Henrik Lundqivst, the PWCC-eBay feud, and the time Wayne Gretzky hosted Saturday Night Live. It’s one hour and 38 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images: 
NHL team jersey fronts can have ads starting in 2022-23 season (ESPN)
Solitaire 2.0 cards (President’s Choice Trading Cards)
Video: Henrik Lundqivst blocks pies on The Tonight Show (YouTube)
Video: Henrik Lundqvist playing guitar on The Tonight Show (YouTube)
Video: Car commercial starring four Pittsburg Penguins (Puck Junk)
Video: Wayne Gretzky on Conan O’Brien (YouTube)
Fanatics Acquires Baseball Card Licenses  (Sports Collectors Daily)

Here’s that Red Wings card that has a piece of a manufactured “Buy War Bonds” patch…

This is the patch that was used on this card:

War Bonds Patch

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

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube. 

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