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
Plus: The Problem with ESPN+
Episode #171: December 8, 2023
Sal Barry, Tim Parish, and Clemente Lisi talk about a bunch of topics – including the Corey Perry fiasco, the problem with ESPN+, Patrick Kane signing with the Red Wings, Tristan Jarry’s goalie goal, Black Friday purchases, and more. It’s TWO HOURS of hockey goodness!
The Sport Card Expo in Toronto attracted a record crowd and proved that Canada’s biggest card show is not just about hockey cards and collectibles.
It was once billed as “the world’s biggest hockey show,” but the Sport Card Expo in Toronto is now much more than that.
The Expo, held twice annually in the spring and the fall, is Canada’s largest sports cards show. The most-recent Sport Card Expo took place on Nov. 9-12. While most dealers had quite a bit of hockey cards and memorabilia for sale, there was certainly no shortage of baseball, basketball, football and non-sports cards.
“People in Canada don’t only collect hockey,” says Mike Bergman, owner of Lower Level Sports Cards in Winnipeg. “People collect all sports — anything that has a card, even pop culture. It’s about collecting what they like and what’s in their mind from their childhood.”
Dealers from the U.S. who traveled north of the border also tend to shy away from bringing too much hockey with them.
“Here, I bring more of everything else but hockey,” says Chris Worczak, owner of Niagara Sports Cards in Niagara Falls, N.Y. “Everybody has hockey here. So, I’m going to bring the stuff that’s different, like vintage baseball cards.”
The Fall 2023 Sport Card Expo was the largest since the show first began in 1991. Not only did it boast a higher attendance, but the show was physically bigger, taking up just under 200,000 square feet across three halls at the International Centre in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga.
Sal Barry, Tim Parish, and Clemente Lisi talk all about the two big card shows that took place in November: the Fall 2023 Sport Card Expo in Toronto and the Fall 2023 Chicago Sports Spectacular. The guys discuss what they saw at the shows, what they bought, the autograph guests, and more. Plus, is there such a thing as “The Bedard Bump”? It’s 112 minutes of hockey goodness!
In this SWAGNIFICIENT new episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the 2023-24 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey card set. The guys also discuss Frozen Frenzy, the NHL waffling on pride tape, a record-setting sales of a Topps Now sticker (you know which one), and more. It’s 117 minutes of hockey goodness.
Show Notes, Links, & Images
Two New NHL Documentaries (NHL.com)
Sport Card Expo Toronto Website
2023-24 Upper Deck Series 1 Checklist (Trading Card DB)
Finally, here’s that Alexandre Daigle hockey card advertisement from 1993:
Plus: The Return of Topps Now Stickers
Episode #168: October 18, 2023
In Episode #168 of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the 2022-23 Black Diamond Hockey Card set. Other topics include the return of Topps Now Hockey Stickers and Game Dated Moments for 2023-24, Ebay’s revised policy for trading card listings, and how Tim organizes his Pittsburgh Penguins hockey card collection. It’s 83 minutes of hockey goodness!
Show Notes, Links & Images:
The first six Topps Now Hockey Stickers (Topps)
Info on Game Dated Moments (Upper Deck)
Revised Policy on Ebay Trading Card Listings (Ebay)
Ebay Trading Card Conditions Explained (Ebay)
Connor McDavid “Gold Label Edition” SportsPicks Figure (McFarlane Toys)
A few Images of 2022-23 Upper Deck Black Diamond Hockey Cards:
2022-23 Black Diamond base card2022-23 Black Diamond Rookie Gems2022-23 Black Diamond – Exquisite Collection Rookie Card2022-23 Black Diamond – Team Logo Jumbos Autograph2022-23 Black Diamond – Diamond Might insert card2022-23 Black Diamond – Relics jersey card
Hockey fans loves free stuff and will sometimes go through great lengths to get it. How else do you explain thousands of fans lining up outside of the rink on a freezing February night a good 90 minutes before puck drop – all so they can get a free bobblehead figure that kind of looks like their team’s star player?
Pro sports teams know this all too well, or they wouldn’t do it. Suddenly, a game that may have not drawn a sellout crowd does – all because of a special hat, shirt, or whatever the Flyers decide to put Gritty on this year.
Since today is the start of the 2023-24 season, now is a good time to see what free goodies NHL teams have lined up for ticket-buying fans this year. Twenty-two out of 32 teams are planning at least one giveaway.
Bobbleheads seem to be the most-popular item, with 12 teams planning on giving out at least one, and 39 different bobblehead figures being given away across the league. The Kings have five bobblehead giveaways planned, including a unique Dia De Los Muertos Goalie Bobblehead figure. The Red Wings, Canadiens, Kraken, and Blues are all giving out four bobbleheads during the season. The Blue Jackets are giving out three bobbleheads this year, including a special Bob Ross bobblehead limited to just the first 500 fans who buy a special ticket package.
However, the Blues may have out-bobbled the competition this year with two of their planned releases: a bobblehead of Jordan Binnington on a motorcycle…
Binny on a bike!
…AND a Jordan Kyrou figure dressed as The Mandalorian – complete with removable helmet.
But a Mandalorian NEVER removes their helmet in the presence of others.
Now, THIS is the way!
The giveaway, that is.
In fact, Star Wars themed nights seems to be the way that NHL teams are trending this year, as nine teams are giving away some sort of Star Wars trinket to help sell tickets:
Carolina Hurricanes – Star Wars-themed item (TBA)
Columbus Blue Jackets – Star Wars-themed jersey
Florida Panthers – Star Wars Shirt
Los Angeles Kings – Star Wars Retro Tin Lunchbox
Nashville Predators – Star Wars Predators Jersey
New York Islanders – Star Wars Bucket Hat
Ottawa Senators – Star Wars Senators Puzzle
Philadelphia Flyers – Star Wars Poster
St. Louis Blues – Star Wars Jordan Kyrou Mandalorian Bobblehead
Other interesting, non-Star Wars items that teams are giving out this year include an Arizona Coyotes Kachina Trucker Mullet Hat, a Columbus Blue Jackets Nesting Doll Set, a Detroit Red Wings Gravy Boat, Philadelphia Flyers Gritty Earmuffs, a Pittsburgh Penguins Trapper Hat, and a Washington Capitals Sonny Milano “Chia Head.”
Below is a list of the best promotional items that NHL teams will be giving away during the 2023-24 season.
In the latest episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Clemente Lisi ask their biggest questions of the 2023-24 season: how well will Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard play – and can his 1/1 rookie card hit six figures? Can the Golden Knights repeat as Champions? What will the Lightning do without Andrei Vasilevskiy? Plus, they talk about the upcoming ODR Hockey Heroes video game. It’s 90 minutes of hockey goodness!
Show Notes & Links:
“Blog” was actually the Word of the Year in 2004 (Wikipedia)
ODR Hockey Heroes game trailer (YouTube) ODR Hockey Heroes Kickstarter Campaign (Kickstarter)
Download and play demo of ODR Hockey Heroes (Steam)
NHLPA/Upper Deck Rookie Showcase (Sports Collectors Digest)
Follow Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk.
Follow Clemente Lisi on Twitter @ClementeLisi.
Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube.
Now three years into its comeback, Skybox Metal Universe hockey cards feature colorful designs of NHL players superimposed over space backdrops, with metal design elements. Hence, “metal” and “universe.” The cards are also printed on shiny, foil cardstock, While the designs aren’t quite as over-the-top as the Metal Universe cards from the 1990s, they will still appeal to both oldschool collectors who remember those sets, as well as the newer collectors who want something different.
A hobby box of 2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe contains 15 packs. Each pack has seve cards, for a total of 105 cards. Hobby boxes originally cost around $130, but are now down to around $120 per box. A box has 15 various insert cards – including autographs, though those are not guaranteed – and 30 short-printed cards.
I recently opened a hobby box of 2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe hockey cards. Here is what was inside.
Plus: The Return of NHL SportsPicks
Episode #166: September 29, 2023
In Episode #166, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the new 2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe Hockey card set, including what’s great about it, what could be better, and strategies for completing a set. They also discuss the new NHL SportsPicks figures by McFarlane Toys, Brad Marchand being named team captain of the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock getting fired for doing Mike Babcock things, and more! It’s 100 minutes of hockey goodness.
Show Notes, Links and Images: Todd McFarlane Interview (Puck Junk)
The National Picks Chicago as Site for 2026 (Twitter)
Panini Stickers Feature on 60 Minutes (YouTube)
A few images from 2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe Hockey:
2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe base card2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe base card (back)2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe short-printed rookie card2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe – 2013 Retro 2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe – 1998-99 Retro2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe – Aspects 2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe – Premium Prospects2022-23 Skybox Metal Universe – All-Starring
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.)
