Antti Niemi had a rookie card in pretty much every Upper Deck set produced during the 2009-10 season. Usually when that happens, a photo gets recycled here or there. In this case, someone must have thought this picture was so nice that they used it twice.
Card of the Week
Deja Vu Tuesday: Ryan Johansen
The photograph on Ryan Johansen’s 2014-15 Upper Deck trading card is bad. No, it isn’t quite as terrible as the infamous Bryan Pitton Score rookie card from a few years back. Nor is it the worst card of all time, though it is the worst card from this year’s UD Series One. Seeing the back of a player on the front of his own card is unremarkable. In fact, this photo is so unremarkable that apparently no one at Upper Deck noticed that they used the exact same photo on Johansen’s card from the previous season. Continue reading “Deja Vu Tuesday: Ryan Johansen”
When is a rookie card not a rookie card?
I’ve finally acquired one of the hardest-to-find cards for my 2010 Blackhawks RC project: a 2008-09 Be A Player Antti Niemi “Rookie Redemption” card. Even though it is a part of a set that predates Niemi’s rookie cards, this technically does not count as his rookie card. Confused? Intrigued? Then read on. Continue reading “When is a rookie card not a rookie card?”
Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano played hockey in his youth
NASCAR driver Joey Logano won the Daytona 500 yesterday. At 24 years of age, he became the second-youngest driver to win that race. But half a lifetime ago, Logano was at a crossroads. He excelled at racing, but also played hockey. Just as Jeff Skinner selected hockey over figure skating and Tom Glavine opted for baseball instead of hockey, a young Joey Logano also had to make a choice.
Continue reading “Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano played hockey in his youth”
Randy Carlyle looks worried on this card
This is not a very flattering hockey card of Randy Carlyle. No, it isn’t as embarrassing as Glen Hanlon’s OPC Leaders card, or as bad as Bryan Pitton’s Score card. But it still sucks.
Just look at Carlyle’s face on his 1987-88 Topps trading card. Is he experiencing bad gas? Or a toothache? Did playing for the Winnipeg Jets in the late 1980s take its toll on him?
Or…is Carlyle having that daydream again? You know, the one where he’s the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs 25 years in the future? Well, he won’t have to worry about that anymore.
Regardless, this is one of the few hockey cards that Carlyle will not autograph. ■
Deja Vu Tuesday: Phil Esposito
I like this photo of Phil Esposito. His hair is a mess, his face contemplative. It’s a great portrait of the Hall of Fame center. You can see the captain’s “C,” the double 7s — the reason Wayne Gretzky decided it was OK to wear double 9s — and the Rangers shield logo. The O-Pee-Chee card company must have liked it too, because they used it again, even when they probably shouldn’t have. Continue reading “Deja Vu Tuesday: Phil Esposito”
Card of the Week: Wrong City Lights
Editor’s Note: Jim Howard is a new Puck Junk contributor.Show him some love and leave him a comment below.
A few years ago, Panini released a cool, relatively inexpensive hockey series called Pinnacle. One of the nicer points was that it didn’t dole out the same stats that you found on every card that year, but rather told you a story about that player featured on the cards.
Pinnacle’s autograph and jersey swatch cards were labeled as “City Lights” and went further by showing a player, gargantuan size, floating in front of their team’s city sky-line as if they’re in the process of receiving a pass from Godzilla and about to put it past King Kong — all the while informing of some special fact about the city or a historical event loosely related to that franchise. Neat; and I like jersey cards because they are good for collecting autographs!
Now, I know some collectors dislike jersey cards, especially cards that feature a swatch from the player’s previous team. But the Hurricanes card for the City Lights series sent me right over the edge! Since Jeff Skinner has only played for us, Panini couldn’t mess the jersey up. Instead they picture the wrong city. And not just any city, but Charlotte — Raleigh’s cross-state rival. Continue reading “Card of the Week: Wrong City Lights”
Wendy’s Founder Had a Hockey Card
Dave Thomas, the founder of the Wendy’s chain of fast-food restaurants, had his own hockey card. If you are asking yourself why…well then, read on. Continue reading “Wendy’s Founder Had a Hockey Card”
Card of the Week: 1999-00 Upper Deck Century Legends #23 – Ken Dryden
I acquired a personal grail of mine recently when I added this card to my collection: a 1999-2000 Upper Deck Century Legends Ken Dryden. It’s a card that technically does not exist, and yet I have one. Continue reading “Card of the Week: 1999-00 Upper Deck Century Legends #23 – Ken Dryden”
Card of the Week: 1951 Hit Parade of Champions Jack Stewart
One thing I absolutely love about collecting is that you will find cards out there that you never knew existed. In the past, I’ve come across some pretty sweet cards unbeknownst to me, like this one about the 1934 Blackhawks and another one about Lester B. Pearson. My latest cool find is this 1951 card of Hall of Fame defenseman Jack Stewart, from a set called Hit Parade of Champions. Continue reading “Card of the Week: 1951 Hit Parade of Champions Jack Stewart”