Collectibles

1991 All-Star Game Program

If you haven’t noticed by now, I have been waxing nostalgic lately about the 1991 NHL All-Star Game. Here is the program that I purchased that weekend. It has been tucked away, bagged and boarded the past 20 years so as to remain in mint to near-mint condition

The front features a generic All-Star goalie standing in front of the Chicago skyline at night. I don’t think it is meant to be any specific goalie, just someone from the “home” team–that being the Campbell Conference.

But the cover quadrupled in coolness when you unfolded it…

Click on the image to see super-sized. 

Yes! Generic All-Star goalie versus Hall of Fame and all-time Blackhawks great Stan Mikita! Even the mightiest generic All-Star goalie is no match for Stan the Man.

The program itself has pictures both the All-Stars and the retired players who participated in the Heroes of Hockey Game. There is also history about the Chicago Blackhawks (for the out-of-towners attending the game) and info about the Skills Competition.

I think I paid $5 for this, which was kind of steep in ’91, considering that a standard program cost $3. I didn’t mind, though. How many times do you go to an All-Star Game? And with league expansion imminent in 1991, I knew that the All-Star Game would not return to Chicago for a very long time.

Maybe another 10 years and Chicago will get its turn again?

1991 All-Star Game Ballot

With the NHL All-Star Game on January 30 just a few weeks away, I’ve started thinking a lot about the one and only All-Star Game I got to go to.

Twenty years ago, I attended the 42nd NHL All-Star Game, which was held at old Chicago Stadium on January 19, 1991.

My Aunt Gayle and Uncle Pat had seasons tickets to the Chicago Blackhawks, and I was lucky to go to a lot of games from 1989 to 1992.

During the first half of the season, you could always find All-Star Game ballots and ballot boxes in the Stadium hallways.

Like every other kid,  I used to vote for my favorite players as much as humanly possible. Hey, it’s hard to stuff the ballot box when you are just 15 years old, and this was before online voting and writing programs to stuff the ballot box for you.

So, who would you have voted for in 1990? 

Click on the ballot to read the names.

1990 Blackhawks Holiday Card

This came in an envelope postmarked December 19, 1990…

Midway through the 1990-91 season, the Chicago Blackhawks sent my Aunt Gayle this holiday greeting card. This card was sent to all their season ticket holders. My Aunt knew that I collected everything hockey, so she gave me this card for safe keeping. And here it is, 20 years later. Continue reading “1990 Blackhawks Holiday Card”

1989 Blackhawks Holiday Card

From 1989 to 1992, my Aunt Gaylehad seasons’ tickets to the Chicago Blackhawks games. In December of ’89, the Blackhawks sent her this holiday card…

Click to see larger.

The front shows a Christmas tree, adorned with lights, a glowing Blackhawks logo and a silver ornament,  reflecting an exciting scene from a Blackhawks game. Denis Savard, arms raised in the air, has scored against the New York Rangers. The crowd at old Chicago Stadium erupts in thunderous applause. Continue reading “1989 Blackhawks Holiday Card”

Bad Ad

I saw this advertisement at a bus stop in my neighborhood the other day. It is an ad for the NHL on VS., featuring Chicago Blackhawks players.

A poorly-designed ad. Yes, I’ve been quite critical lately.

The first thing that bugs me is how close Dave Bolland and Jonathan Toews are. I have never seen hockey players lean into each other–shoulder to shoulder–when jumping the boards. Plus, Bolland’s eyes are looking right at Toews, while Toewes is looking off into the distance. Shouldn’t he be looking at the guy he’s about to collide with?


Secondly–why doesn’t Toews have a stick?

Third, Adam Burish’s elbow makes a cameo. That number 37 at the left edge of the poster used to belong to Burish. Now, no one wears it because all the new ‘Hawks know they can’t possibly replace Burish’s awesomeness.

There’s a wider version of this ad that I’m trying to get a photo of–it’s on the side of Chicago buses, but the darn things won’t hold still long enough for me to snap a pic. I wonder how man ex-Hawks are on the larger (wider) version of this advertisement.

1990 Blackhawks Red-White Scrimmage Roster

Twenty years ago was the 1990-91 season–a season in hockey that I will never forget. My Aunt Gayle had season tickets to the Chicago Blackhawks, and I went to a lot of games that year. The ‘Hawks were the best team during the regular season. The All-Star Game was in Chicago. And let us not forget that the hockey card scene EXPLODED in 1990-91…but that’s another story.

Click image to see larger

Being 15 years old at the time and into everything hockey, I saved a lot of stuff from that year. Not just the cards, but anything I could get my hands on. Here is a roster sheet from the annual 1990 Blackhawks Red Vs. White Scrimmage–or the “Red-White Game” as us ‘Hawks fans called it. Continue reading “1990 Blackhawks Red-White Scrimmage Roster”

1990 Indianapolis Ice ticket stub

I didn’t have the time today to do a full write-up, but came across this old ticket stub from 1990 while filing away some team schedules my new friend Bill gave me (thanks, Bill). The stub in question is from a team called the Indianapolis Ice, who for the majority of their existence were the top minor league affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The wavy pink lines make this ticket stub hard to read, so go ahead and click on it to see it more legibly. You’ll notice that it reads Indianapolis Ice vs. Bad Guys..Just lovely. That always made me laugh. So politically un-correct. Not “vs. Opponents” or “vs. TBA”, but against the BAD GUYS!!!

Unfortunately, I did not attend this game. My Mom and Aunt Gayle went to Indianapolis, and my Mom gave me her stub (as well as a few other Indy Ice things). Since this was from a playoff game, the tickets were printed before the opponent–and the date–were known. That makes figuring out the day of this game rather difficult.

The ticket says 1990 Playoff Game I. Since “I” is the 9th letter of the alphabet (last time I checked), that would mean that this game was most likely against the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, since that is the team that they played in Round Two.

During the playoffs, goaltending duties for the Ice were mostly left to Jimmy Waite, with Darren Pang chipping in here and there a few games. The leading playoff scorers for the Ice were Mike Eagles and Mike Stapleton. The Ice won Round One 4-1 over the Peoria Rivermen, and won Round Two 4-1 against Salt Lake. In the third and final round, the Ice swept the Muskegon Lumberjacks 4-0 to win their first and only Turner Cup Championship.

Pittsburgh Penguins Keychain

Every time I renew my subscription to “The Hockey News,” I get a free “spinner” keychain. One side features a team logo, which spins around to reveal an alternate logo on the other side.This year, I chose the Penguins, and received it a few days ago.

One side of the keychain has the “penguin with a stick” logo… Continue reading “Pittsburgh Penguins Keychain”