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

2020-21 Upper Deck NHL Star Rookies Box Set Checklist & Review

While at my local Target store the other day, I decided to take a look at the trading card aisle, knowing full well that Target was currently not selling sports cards. But maybe I’d get lucky and find some top loaders or penny sleeves or — hey now, what’s this?

Yes! My local Target had a few of the 2020-21 Upper Deck NHL Star Rookies Box Sets in stock for $20 each. The set contains “one 25-card rookie set per box,” plus one in every 20 sets has an autographed card. 

Autograph or not. I was pretty happy to find this because I haven’t seen any sports cards at Target since May, and $20 for 25 cards seems like a bargain nowadays. And I’ve always been a sucker for boxed sets that focus on a particular subject — in this case, hockey rookies — and that I could just buy and be done with. 

So, let’s take a look and see what goodness $20 will bring me. 

Continue reading “2020-21 Upper Deck NHL Star Rookies Box Set Checklist & Review”

Re-imagining the 1991 NHL Entry Draft

Thirty years ago was the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. First-overall pick Eric Lindros was by far considered the best player available in the draft — a can’t-miss prospect who would be the next Wayne Gretzky. 

In fact, Lindros was called “The Next One” since he was 14 years old. And who could argue? He was 6’4″ and 230 pounds. He scored 149 points in just 57 games during his last season of major junior hockey. Lindros was a dominant force that could control the game. So, it wasn’t any surprise when the Quebec Nordiques selected Lindros with the first-overall pick. 

But was Lindros really the best player in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft? Would NHL scouts and GMs spend a first-overall pick on The Big E, or someone else, knowing then what we know now?

So, let’s imagine that we could re-do the first round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. Let’s set our Wayback Machines to June 22, 1991, pack an iPad with Hockey DB and Hockey Reference already bookmarked — we’ll worry about finding a WiFi hot spot when we get there — and see how the first round of the 1991 Draft would have played out in our alternate timeline.

Continue reading “Re-imagining the 1991 NHL Entry Draft”

Puck Junk Podcast: Upcoming Hockey Cards for 2021

Episode #95: June 17, 2021

Sal Barry and Tim Parish discuss upcoming hockey releases, such as 2020-21 Upper Deck Extended Series, plus the 2021-22 O-Pee-Chee, MVP, Upper Deck Series One and Topps Sticker sets. They also talk about this weekend’s upcoming Sport Card Expo Virtual Edition and the hockey autograph guests at this summer’s National Sports Collectors Convention. It’s 90 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links, and Images: 
Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group here.
Register to attend the Sport Card Expo Virtual Edition (link)
41st National Sports Collectors Convention website (link)
Chicago Sports Spectacular website (link)
Dallas Sport Card Show website (link)
Topps Now Hockey Sticker Archive (Topps)
Dunkin’ Donuts commercial with bubble hockey guys (YouTube)
Interview with Billy Celio of Upper Deck (Puck Junk)
Images and details about 2021-22 MVP (Beckett)
Images and details about 2021-22 O-Pee-Chee (Beckett)
Images and details about 2021-22 Upper Deck Series 1 (Beckett)
State Farm commercial with Andre Dawson (iSpot.tv)

Pictures of the upcoming 2021-22 Topps Hockey Sticker Collection

The Young Guns design for 2021-22 that some collectors are criticizing:

The Gritty “Gaming” card that will be in 2021-22 MVP Hockey:

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. ■

The 35 Best Hockey Cards from 1990-91

Hockey cards exploded in popularity during the 1990-91 season. Baseball, football and basketball cards had steadily gained momentum during the 1980s. In 1990, it was hockey’s turn. Upper Deck, Score and Pro Set joined incumbents Topps and O-Pee-Chee to release hockey card sets that season. This resulted in an arms race between the five companies, who tried to outdo each other and make cards of the best prospects and hottest rookies before their competitors did. 

As a result, a slew of great rookie cards were issued that year. The 1990-91 NHL season had arguably the best rookie class of any year for hockey card collectors. The NHL rookie of the year winners from 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994 all had rookie cards made during the 1990-91 season. And over a dozen future Hall of Fame players had rookie cards in ’90-91. 

The downside was that most hockey cards from 1990-91 were produced in such vast amounts that it is considered the start of the “Junk Wax Era” for hockey cards. 

Yet not all hockey cards issued during the 1990-91 season are worthless. In addition to some great rookie cards, there are also some hidden gems and a legendary chase card. Plus, any card on this list with a high PSA or BGS grade can fetch a premium on the secondary market. 

But graded or ungraded, these are the 35 best hockey cards from 1990-91 that every hockey card collector should own. 

Continue reading “The 35 Best Hockey Cards from 1990-91”

Puck Junk Podcast: Interview with Gregg Kohn, VP of Product Development at Leaf Trading Cards

Episode #94: June 10, 2021

Have you ever wondered what it is like to work for a trading card company and make decisions that influence the product that end up in collectors’ hands? This week, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk with Gregg Kohn, Vice President of Product Development at Leaf Trading Cards, and a former executive with Upper Deck. Gregg talks about working on current sets like Lumber Kings and Pearl Hockey, and reveals many new details about the upcoming Pro Set Memories Hockey card set. 

Show Notes, Links, and Images: 
The two books that Gregg refers to are “Hockey  Night Fever” and “The California Golden Seals” (review of the Seals book here).
Follow Gregg Kohn on Twitter @scoobycub
Review of the film “The Love Guru” (Puck Junk)
The 1999 Upper Deck Century Legends Ken Dryden card (Puck Junk)
Review: 1991-92 Pro Set Platinum Hockey (Puck Junk)

Images of upcoming hockey cards by Leaf Trading Cards: 

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. ■

Puck Junk Podcast: 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey

Part 3 of the ’90-91 Retrospective Series
Episode #93: June 4, 2021

Thirty years ago was the “Hockey Card Explosion,” when hockey cards skyrocketed in popularity as several new companies entered the market during the 1990-91 season. In the third part of this special podcast series, Sal Barry and Tim Parish take a long look at the 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey set, which was the most-valuable and arguably the most-popular set from that season. 

Show Notes, Links, and Images:
Write us a review at Apple Podcasts (link)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey Checklist (Trading Card DB)
Every 1990-91 Hockey Card Set Ranked (Puck Junk)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey Card Images 

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #38 – Wayne Gretzky

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #38 – Wayne Gretzky (back)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #63 – Mario Lemieux

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #63 – Mario Lemieux (back)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #6 – Rob Blake (Rookie Card)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #30– Sergei Fedorov (Rookie Card)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #50 – Jaromir Jagr (Rookie Card)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #51 – Curtis Joseph (Rookie Card)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #71 – Mark Messier

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #74 – Mike Modano (Rookie Card)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #76 – Andy Moog

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #100– Jeremy Roenick (Rookie Card)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #103 – Denis Savard

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #114 – Mats Sundin (Rookie Card)

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #126– Mike Vernon

1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Wrapper

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. ■

Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 10

“State of Play” is the 10th and final episode in the first season of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and it delivers what viewers have been expecting all along: a rematch between the Don’t Bothers and the Mighty Ducks. It does this with some plot twists and — to quote Coach Orion from the third Mighty Ducks film — a few “little duck tricks.” 

NOTE: This review contains minor spoilers. 

Continue reading “Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 10”

Puck Junk Podcast: The Return of Pro Set Hockey

Episode #92: May 27, 2021

This week, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the upcoming Pro Set Memories Hockey card set by Leaf Trading Cards. As fans of Pro Set cards from the 1990s, the guys have quite a bit to say about these new Pro Set cards, which will consist of autographs and serial-numbered buybacks. They also talk about the upcoming Sport Card Expo “Virtual Edition” and recent hockey card releases. It’s 85 minutes of pure hockey goodness. 

Show Notes, Links, and Images:
Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group here.
Register to attend the Sport Card Expo Virtual Edition (link)
Sal’s interview with Bobby Hull from November 2020 (Puck Junk)
Topps Now Hockey Sticker Archive (Topps)
2020-21 Upper Deck NHL Rookie Box Set (Upper Deck)
The rare Taro Tsujimoto card (Puck Junk)
Information about Pro Set Memories hockey cards (Blowout Cards)
1989 Upper Deck Dale Murphy error card (Trading Card DB)
1983-84 Steve Larmer and Steve Ludzik error cards (Puck Junk)
1991-92 Parkhurst Santa Claus card (Puck Junk)
Buy a retro hockey wrapper t-shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. 

Images of the forthcoming Pro Set Memories set:


Finally, the Pro Set Memories sell sheet:

Click to see larger.

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. ■

Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 9

“Head Games” is the penultimate episode in season one of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. It skillfully continues the series’ trajectory towards an inevitable final showdown between the Don’t Bothers and the Mighty Ducks. It’s a great episode that entertains without an iota of hockey action. 

NOTE: This review contains minor spoilers. 

Continue reading “Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 9”

Puck Junk Podcast: Target Stops Selling Sports Cards

Plus NFTs, COMC & New Hockey
Episode #91: May 20, 2021

Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about Target’s decision to stop selling sports trading cards in its retail stores. Is the end of retail flipping? And does the hobby need retail packs, anyway? The guys also discuss NFTs, new hockey card releases and Tim FINALLY getting his order from COMC six months later. It’s 80 minutes of hockey goodness.

Show Notes and Links:
Dapper Labs Lawsuit Story (Coindesk)
New Jersey Devils NFT coins (Twitter)
Topps Now Hockey Sticker Archive (Topps)
President’s Choice Trading Cards “Roots” cards (PCTC)
Dispute Over Cards Leads to Gun… (Sports Collectors Daily)
Target Stops Selling Cards, Citing Safety Concerns (NY Times)
Rate our show and write us a review on Apple Podcasts

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 new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube. 

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