Clemente’s Corner

Clemente’s Corner: Oddball Collectibles Highlight the Fall 2024 Toronto Expo

The National Sports Collectors Convention may be the show everyone wants to attend each summer, but the Toronto Sport Card Expo is the show I need to fly to each fall.

The four-day show, which concluded this past weekend, is Canada’s biggest card and memorabilia show – and one that I have made a point to attend each November.

Held twice a year (there is also a spring edition), this fall’s get-together was packed with collectors and featured sports cards and memorabilia from the past and present. The show, however, is known for its hockey cards.

While I did buy cards for my collection, I also spent hours looking through bins rummaging for oddball hockey collectables that are the norm at Canadian shows.  

Here are some cool items I saw at the show (all dating back to the 1990s) and their backstory: Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Oddball Collectibles Highlight the Fall 2024 Toronto Expo”

Clemente’s Corner: Celebrini The Real Teal In Sharks Rebuild Year

“Do You Know the Way to San Jose” remains a popular song. It’s catchy. It has a good beat. I has endured the test of time. First released in 1968 by singer Dionne Warwick, it also remains an homage to the California city. 

Fast forward 56 years and Macklin Celebrini did find his way to San Jose. The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, Celebrini is also hoping to endure the test of time by having a very strong first pro season. 

Like the song, the 18-year-old center in a Sharks uniform also marks a homecoming of sorts. In fact, the Vancouver native is no stranger to San Jose. As a child, he moved to California and played for the San Jose Junior Sharks AAA team. As a member of the U14 team, Celebrini featured in 54 games and amassed an astonishing 49 goals and 45 assists for 94 points.

In addition, Celebrini – nicknamed “The Cheetah” because of his speed – has added hype to card collecting this season. All No. 1 picks typically do. How he will do in the coming weeks and months will have a huge impact on his rookie card values. For starters, he had a goal and an assist in his first game at SAP Center, a 4-2 preseason loss on Sept. 22 to the Vegas Golden Knights.

In the hopes that Celebrini will be a favorite among collectors, Upper Deck signed Celebrini to an exclusive autograph deal back in July.

“We’re committed to bringing fans even closer to their favorite NHL players, and the addition of Celebrini reflects our dedication to showcasing both seasoned legends and emerging stars,” said Upper Deck President Jason Masherah. “We’re proud to represent him at such an exciting time in his career and look forward to capturing his success on the ice once he makes his NHL debut.”

I caught up with Celebrini at last month’s NHLPA Rookie Showcase, organized in conjunction with Upper Deck, in Arlington, Va. During his appearance there, Celebrini took the time to discuss the upcoming NHL season, playing alongside a former rival and his favorite hockey card ever.  

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Celebrini The Real Teal In Sharks Rebuild Year”

Clemente’s Corner: Josh Doan Takes Father-Son Legacy to Utah

Josh Doan

If the name Josh Doan sounds familiar it’s because you may remember his father, Shane.

The elder Doan spent his entire 21-year NHL career with the Arizona Coyotes franchise, beginning with the original Winnipeg Jets in 1995 before playing in Phoenix for two decades. He was the last remaining player active in the NHL from the original Jets before he announced his retirement in 2017.

Last season, his son Josh made his debut for Arizona. But his Coyotes career only lasted 11 games. The franchise relocated to Salt Lake City over the summer, where they will be known as the Utah Hockey Club this coming season.

Doan got the chance to put on the new Utah jersey for the very first time this Wednesday when he attended the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Arlington, Va. The annual event – held in cooperation with Upper Deck – allows the card company to take photos and collect autographs of the 35 rookies in attendance to be used in future releases.

Doan, sporting the new Utah jersey for the very first time, talked about the coming season, what it’s like to be on a new team and what cards he liked to collect as a child. 

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Clemente’s Corner: Why Fanatics Fest Was Better for Hockey Fans Than the National

It’s been quite a busy summer for card and memorabilia collectors. Over the span of just a few weeks, both the National Sports Collectors Convention and Fanatics Fest NYC took place in Cleveland and New York, respectively.

Many of you went to one of these big shows. Some may have even gone to both. I was among that group who walked thousands of steps in an effort to compare the two shows and figure out which one was better.  

So, which one was the better show?

The answer depends largely on what you were looking for. The National is a card and memorabilia show with autograph signers. Fanatics Fest was sold as the first-ever “immersive sports festival” that also had a card show as a part of it. They, too, had signers, but it was much bigger and the production value high enough to make it a first-class event.

Here are three reasons why Fanatics Fest NYC was better than this year’s National when it comes to hockey fans and collectors:

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Why Fanatics Fest Was Better for Hockey Fans Than the National”

Clemente’s Corner: All Eyes on Cleveland for the 2024 National

It’s that time of year. The days are longer and hotter. Kids are out of school. And collectors are gearing up for the National Sports Collectors Convention once again.

The five-day NSCC opens on July 24 (with the annual VIP Party) at Cleveland’s I-X Center featuring over 600 dealers and vendors spread out across 420,000 square feet. Organizers are already calling “the second-largest trade show event to occur in the NSCC’s 44-year history” following last year’s record-breaking show in Chicago.

As always, there will be a plethora of signers – from Hall of Famers to current stars – and corporate booths featuring the likes of Topps, Upper Deck and PSA. In other words, there’s something for everyone – no matter how you collect.

For hockey collectors, the National remains a must-visit – especially if you’ve never been to one – although the Toronto Sport Card Expo (held twice each year) is hockey heaven. Nonetheless, there will be something for hockey fans in Cleveland.  

Here’s a look at what to expect at the 44th National Sports Collectors Convention, which runs from Wednesday, July 24 to Sunday, July 28:

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: All Eyes on Cleveland for the 2024 National”

Clemente’s Corner: Celebrini Adds Hype To This Year’s NHL Draft and Collecting

Move over, Connor Bedard. The hockey hobby will soon have a new darling.

With the two-day NHL Entry Draft scheduled to start on June 28 in Las Vegas, a new No. 1 pick is likely to put the hobby hype machine into overdrive when it comes to Macklin Celebrini.

The Boston University phenom – the consensus top overall pick – is very likely to end up in a San Jose Sharks jersey next season. After recording 32 goals and 64 points in 38 games last season in the NCAA, Celebrini has shown that he’s ready for the NHL.

For Celebrini, a move to San Jose would be good for him and great for the rebuilding Sharks. They were the worst team in the league this season. Like Bedard with the Chicago Blackhawks, Celebrini is expected to get onto the roster and play alongside forwards William Eklund, Will Smith and Logan Couture.

Here’s what you need to know about the promising star ahead of the draft: Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Celebrini Adds Hype To This Year’s NHL Draft and Collecting”

Clemente’s Corner: Hockey Collectors Should Make a ‘Pitt’ Stop to Learn Penguins History

Take a stroll through downtown Pittsburgh and there’s a lot of American history to take in. The second-most populous city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia – known both as “Steel City” for its role in that industry and the “City of Bridges” for its 446 spans – has also plenty of sports history.

Aside from the Steelers and Pirates (sorry football and baseball fans), the Penguins could very well be the team that has left the deepest impression on the city. In fact, the Penguins have also played a vital role in the history of the NHL, especially since Mario Lemieux was drafted by the team in 1984.

Over the next 40 years, the team has made the playoffs 28 times and lifted the Stanley Cup in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016 and 2017. In the process, fans got to delight in the scoring heroics of Lemieux, then Jaromir Jagr and later Sidney Crosby.

Those five championships – proudly displayed on the façade of PPG Paints Arena – are part of the city’s iconic downtown. But the streets around the arena – usually bustling with fans – are empty these days. The Penguins, for the second straight season, failed to make the postseason.

My travels took me to Pittsburgh last month just as the playoffs got underway. Instead of taking in a game, I went on a search for – what else? – Penguins memorabilia. Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Hockey Collectors Should Make a ‘Pitt’ Stop to Learn Penguins History”

Clemente’s Corner: Rookies You Should Collect Besides Connor Bedard

Say the word “rookie” and the name Connor Bedard instantly comes to mind. It’s a reflex. None of us can help.

While the Chicago Blackhawks center may very well be on his way to taking the Calder Trophy, there are other rookies – even sleeper ones – that may be worth gobbling up now given that the majority of people are so laser-focused on acquiring Bedard.

Players like Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils and Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks have lived up to the preseason hype, although both have been overshadowed by Bedard mania. Both Hughes and Carlsson remain in the mix – although they are longshots – to capture the Calder.

Instead, here are five NHL rookies from this season (not named Bedard) who remain under the radar and worth chasing:   

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Clemente’s Corner: Connor Bedard’s Young Guns Prices Do Not COMP-ute!

Amid the usual sea of Michael Jordan, Mark Grace and Walter Payton cards and jerseys, another – much younger – athlete was prominently on display at the recent Chicago Sports Spectacular.

Connor Bedard was very much on the minds and tongues of many at the three-day event, the Windy City’s biggest sports collectables gathering and one of the best-attended regional shows in North America.

And Bedard’s Young Guns card was hands down the most-talked about item – even by those who don’t typically buy hockey. It was a card that had shaggy-haired teens carrying silver cases scurrying about in search of it, while seasoned collectors shook their heads (some in disgust) at some of the prices in the showcases.

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Connor Bedard’s Young Guns Prices Do Not COMP-ute!”

Clemente’s Corner: Stephane Matteau Recalls His Memorable Playoff Goal 30 Years Later

The year was 1994 and the New York Rangers were having a magical season. Captained by Mark Messier, the Broadway Blues were a team built to win under coach Mike Keenan. Featuring veterans Adam Graves, Kevin Lowe, Glenn Anderson and Steve Larmer, the Rangers would eventually hoist the Stanley Cup by season’s end after beating the Vancouver Canucks.   

The win ended a 54-year Stanley Cup drought. Thirty years later, Rangers fans still fondly recall that championship run.

Along the way, the team gave fans a series of memorable moments. The biggest is undoubtedly Stephane Matteau’s incredible game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils. Looking back, those seven games were one of the best playoff series ever contested.

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Stephane Matteau Recalls His Memorable Playoff Goal 30 Years Later”