The only thing certain in the NHL is change

Game Seven last month between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings marked the last time these teams will face each other in a Western Conference playoff series.

Next year, the NHL will realign its conference structure, doing away with six divisions in favor of four larger divisions. As a result, the Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets will move to the Eastern Conference. It will be the first time since 1980-81 that the Blackhawks and Red Wings will not be divisional rivals. Continue reading “Blackhawks & Red Wings: Rivals No More”

Just a quick note for those who still look at this site now and then. I haven’t abandoned this blog, but I’ve just been super busy the past two months, working on my second Masters Degree (I know, quite the boring academic).

Apologies for slacking off and generally being uninvolved in the card-collecting blogosphere.

But I’ll be back with some new quality content later this week--both here on Puck Junk and at Sal’s Hockey Autographs.

Plus, I’ll be launching an all-new project at the start of next week. Stay tuned.

Thank you for your patience.

I’ve been busier than usual lately. Just finished writing a 10-page paper for a research methods class. Anyway, here are a few updates that you may find interesting:

My ’94-95 Lockout Article in Beckett Hockey #249

I have a 2-page article in the May 2013 issue of Beckett Hockey (#249). It is entitled A Hobby-Changing Experience, and is about the 1994-95 NHL Lockout and the long-term effects it had on the hockey card industry. A few sets got cancelled, a few new innovative ideas were tested–and there was even a lawsuit between two companies! Check out the issue–on sale now–for all of the interesting details.

Also making this a GREAT week for hockey…

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The Norgeeks are Number One!

For the first time ever, I won a fantasy sports league. The Norgeeks (my team) won this year’s annual Just A Bit Offside fantasy hockey pool. Two years ago (as Team Puck Junk), I finished 4th, while last season I finished 2nd. Talk about progress.

Really, the guy who saved my season was Ray Emery. I picked up the Blackhawks backup goalie as a free agent, and he went 17-1-0 this year. That really helped, since Jonathan Quick and Braden Holtby performed horribly until the latter half of the season.

Unfortunately, Emery was injured for the last few games of the season. But that brings up my last piece of good news:

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Carter Hutton Makes His NHL Debut

Who is Carter Hutton, you ask? He is the Blackhawks’ top minor league goalie. And after 4 seasons of working hard in the minors, he finally got a chance to play in an NHL game. This is the first time I really pulled for a player to get a shot in the big leagues.

Hutton appeared as a backup for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2009-10, the San Jose Sharks in 2010-11 and the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12. But he never actually stepped on the ice in any of those games, so while he has a few rookie cards in 2010-11 card sets, he never actually played in an NHL game. Until this past Saturday.

After 4 seasons of getting so very close, Hutton finally got his shot. He made 25 saves in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Blues, vying for better playoff position, fielded their regular lineup, while the ‘Hawks rested many of their regulars and gave numerous other IceHogs players a chance to play. So, the game was kind of one-sided from the get-go, but Hutton did well enough that I think Coach Joel Quenneville might give him a shot next year in training camp.

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So far, a great week.I had an article published, won first place in my fantasy hockey league and a minor league player I like got a chance to play in the NHL. And it’s only Tuesday. What other good hockey-related things might happen this week?

Earlier this month, I attended the taping of a pilot episode for a new TV show called “A Piece of the Game.” Think “Antiques Roadshow,” but about sports memorabilia. Scott Beatty, the co-owner of AU Sports Memorabilia, was one of the appraisers on the show, and asked if I would be willing to appear on the show and bring some of my hockey autographs.

I agreed to, and even bought a swanky card frame to display my 20 best Blackhawks autographed cards.

Of course, nothing ever goes as planned. Continue reading “I was on TV recently. Sort of.”

I can scratch another goal off of my “bucket list.” In the March 18 issue of The Hockey News, I have a full-page article entitled “Picture Perfect.” Normally, I write short, card-related articles for THN called “In the Cards.” This is my first full-page article for THN, and my first article for them that focuses on hockey instead of trading cards.

“Picture Perfect” is about the Chicago Outdoor Hockey League, a recreational league that plays all of their games in outdoor rinks and has enjoyed rapid growth. In February, the COHL held their all-star game at Soldier Field, which was the first-ever hockey game held at the famous football stadium.

The March 18 issue of The Hockey News should hit newsstands and mailboxes later this week. If you happen to read the article, please let me know what you think of it.

Go get the March 2013 issue of Beckett Hockey (#247). I have a new article in it, entitled From Patches to Packaging, where I discuss interesting oddball hockey sets.

But I do more than that–I also talk about each set’s significance in a historical context, such as what was going on in the NHL and in the trading card industry at the time. Anyone can look in a price guide to know that there were 70 “Action Patches” released in 1992-93, but what’s the deal with the “prototype” patch? Or why was a certain team omitted from another set?

Hopefully, anyone who buys this month’s issue not only enjoys my article, but learns something from it too.

I won’t have an article in the April 2013 issue of Beckett Hockey, but I am currently working on my next piece for the May 2013 issue.

I was excited that National Hockey Card Day in the USA was “celebrating” its second anniversary this past Saturday. Comic book collectors have “Free Comic Book Day.” Baseball card collectors have (or at least had) “Free Baseball Card Day.” So, it is pretty awesome that hockey card collectors in America have what is basically “Free Hockey Card Day.”

Unlike last year, though, I only hit up two shops. Most stores within Chicago were not participating–though many in the far-off suburbs were. And this year, I only needed to build two sets–one for me and one for Kazi. Last year, I had a few more sets to put together, hence visiting more stores. This year, NHCD was a more streamlined experience.

Store #1
The first shop I visited was Elite Sports. The owner is nice, but his store does not have much in hockey cards. Fortunately, the pack of O-Pee-Chee I bought (to get the free Jonathan Quick card) had a sticker of Marc-Andre Fleur, thus completing my sticker set.

Store #2
The second card store I went to was AU Sports, now in Morton Grove (link). One of the owners, Frank, is a big hockey fan and was proudly wearing his red Patrick Sharp Blackhawks jersey. A few customers at the store gave me their NHCD packs, so after a total of 7 packs (plus a few loose cards Frank threw my way), I had two complete sets. Mission accomplished.

And yes, the collation was much better this year than it was in 2012.

I also purchased a few goodies from AU Sports, including:

• 13 more Jeremy Roenick Rookie Cards for my “1000 JR RCs Project”
• A complete set of 1999-00 Upper Deck HoloGRFX hockey cards
• A complete set of 1999-00 Topps Premier Plus hockey cards
• A Chicago Hounds (a 1-year UHL team) pocket schedule

Did any American collectors participate in NHCD? If so, let me know how you did.

Also, I have a few extra NHCD cards–check my Singles, RCs & Inserts Trade page. I am looking to trade for the Gretzky/Lemieux Canada Cup card and some of the oversized NHCD Canadian cards.

 

Now it is America’s turn! National Hockey Card Day in the United States is on Saturday, February 16. Visit a participating card shop and receive a free pack of exclusive Upper Deck trading cards. Each pack contains 5 cards from the 15-card set. A 16th card–of Jonathan Quick hoisting the Stanley Cup–is available if you make a purchase at the card shop.

To find a participating retailer in the United States, visit the NHCD website.

To read more about NHCD in the U.S., check out the Upper Deck Blog.

Last year, there were five shops within reasonable driving distance from my apartment. This year, though, only two or three. My goal for today is to get a complete set for myself and an extra set or two to trade to my Canadian friends.

Check out the February 2013 issue of Beckett Hockey (#246), which has a 3-page article written by yours truly. It is entitled Stars in the Making, and discusses “Pre-Rookie Cards”–that is, cards that are issued before an NHL player’s career.

In it, I speak with three experts on the subject: Dan May of Center Ice Collectibles, Ralph Slate of The Internet Hockey Database, and Dr. Brian Price of In The Game Trading Cards. Each offer a unique perspective about the cards made before a player becomes famous.

This is my first article for Beckett Hockey since February 2009–exactly 4 years ago–when I wrote about the history of fighting in the NHL. It is pretty cool to contribute to, and see my name in, a magazine I grew up reading.

If you happen to pick up the latest issue of Beckett Hockey and read the article, please let me know what you think.

I will also have an article in the March 2013 issue.

Today is National Hockey Card Day in Canada. Hobby shops are giving away exclusive packs of hockey cards. Each free pack contains 5 cards from a 15-card set. A 16th card–featuring Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky–can be obtained if you make a purchase.

Toys R’ Us and London Drugs are also participating in NHCD and are giving away oversized cards. There are five different “blow ups” available: Bobby Orr, Jaden Schwartz, Sidney Crosby, Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla.

To find a participating retailer in Canada, visit the National Hockey Card Day website.

To read more about NHCD, check out the Upper Deck Blog.

Set Wanted: If any Canadian collector out there ends up with an extra set, an extra blow-up card or two, or a few extra wrappers, I will trade you for them. I plan on trying to put together several U.S. NHCD sets next weekend, so I should be able to trade you a U.S. set, or something else from my Trade List.

Specifically, this is what I am looking for:

• A 15-card NHCD Canadian set
• The special Wayne Gretzky / Mario Lemieux 1987 Canada Cup card
• 2 checklist cards
• 4 empty wrappers
• Oversized Joe Sakic card
• Oversized Sidney Crosby card
• Oversized Jaden Schwartz card
• Oversized Jarome Iginla card
• Oversized Bobby Orr card

I am interested to know how NHCD in Canada went for you this year. Did you score one–or many–packs? Did you pull an autograph or get one of the oversized cards? Feel free to post a reply on how your National Hockey Card Day went.