News Archives - Page 6 of 28

The 38-Year Old Rookie: How Injuries Opened the NHL Door for a Veteran Journeyman

Connie Madigan was a force in the minor leagues for 15 seasons before finally getting a crack at the NHL

Cornelius ‘Connie’ Madigan didn’t raise many eyebrows when he made his NHL debut on Feb. 6, 1973, with the St. Louis Blues. The team was so beset by injuries that 12 defensemen suited up for them that season.

However, the 38-year-old Madigan set a record that night that still stands: he was the oldest rookie to play in the NHL. And with today’s game being all about speed, it’s a safe bet that distinction will never be surpassed.

Back then, Madigan didn’t know he was setting a record. He was just happy to finally get a shot in the NHL. “Blues broadcaster Dan Kelly told me after a game that I was the oldest NHL rookie,” said Madigan, now 84. “I told him it should have been a long time ago.”

Don Cherry, who played with and against Madigan in the minors, added: “Connie should have gotten his chance when he was in his 20s or early 30s. He would have been a lot better. But a lot of guys were like him and never got a shot.” Read the rest of the story at The Hockey News.

Four Tips for Moving Your Collection

Moving to a new home is a stressful time – even more stressful if you also have a collection that needs to be moved. In a perfect world, you buy a house and then start filling it with sports cards and other treasures, without ever having to worry about getting your collection safely from Point A to Point B.

But things don’t always happen that way. Maybe you rediscovered collecting a few years after college, dug up your old collection out of your parents’ basement, and took it back to your apartment to rekindle your interest. Or maybe you sold your house for that bigger and better house. Regardless of the reason, when you move, you want to move your collection without it getting damaged. After living in the same place for 12 years, I recently had to relocate myself and my sports card collection to a new home. Here are four tips on how to do it safely and effectively.

1. Get organized

This almost goes without saying, but a little organization goes a long way. If you have the time and room, several weeks before a move is a great time to sort your collection, as it will make packing and unpacking easier. Gather up all of the same type of collectibles and get them into one area so that you can pack them together. Many collectors, myself included, have a habit of stashing things here and there. For example, I had some hockey pucks displayed on a shelf, more pucks in a box in my closet, and even more pucks in a 1,600-count card Shoe Storage Box that was stashed with my cards. Once I got all my pucks in a row, I realized that I’d need a heavy-duty box with handles to move them in.

It is best to box similar items together for two reasons. Read the rest of the story at the BCW Supplies Blog.

Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming Virtual Expo

As many of you know by now, the Spring Sport Card Expo is taking place this weekend as a “Virtual Expo.” Sure, you won’t be able to walk around a convention floor and sift through cards until your fingers are numb. We all miss that experience, but the promoters of the Sport Card Expo are giving us the next-best thing: the first-ever Virtual Expo! It will be an opportunity to meet other collectors, buy some cards and other collectibles, and hear special guests tell stories during panel discussions. If that wasn’t cool enough, the Virtual Expo is now free for attendee s. Read on to learn about what you need to get the most out of this weekend’s upcoming “Virtual Expo.”

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What if…the Quebec Nordiques Drafted Denis Savard?

How a series of backroom deals 40 years ago robbed the Quebec Nordiques of a future superstar — and gave the Chicago Blackhawks one of their all-time greats

Forty years ago today, on June 11, 1980, the NHL held its annual draft in Montreal. With the third overall pick, the Chicago Blackhawks selected Denis Savard, a skillful and speedy center who became the face of the franchise during the 1980s. Savard dazzled fans with his moves and was part of the team’s rebuild towards respectability. Any media guide or team-written biography will tell you of Savard’s offensive prowess. What is almost never mentioned is that Chicago’s selection of Savard was a perfect storm of backroom negotiations by the Blackhawks, a poor decision by the Quebec Nordiques, unfair rules against expansion teams – and the stellar play of a fellow Quebecor named Réal Cloutier.

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Hockey is Officially Back: Breaking Down the 24-Team Playoff

*Clears throat* Hockey is back, baby!

On Tuesday, the NHL released a video of commissioner Gary Bettman explaining the NHL’s decision to push through the COVID-19 pandemic and finish the season. A lot was explained, some things tentative and others not. I’ll break down Bettman’s explanation and gives my thoughts on the now official 24-team playoff. Continue reading “Hockey is Officially Back: Breaking Down the 24-Team Playoff”

How to Get a David Ayres Rookie Card

The whole sports world has been abuzz about David Ayres, the 42-year old emergency backup goaltender who manned the pipes when both Carolina Hurricanes goaltenders went down with injuries in a February 22 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ayers, who works for the Toronto Marlies AHL team as a facilities manager and Zamboni driver, was on hand for the Maple Leafs should either team need an emergency goalie. He played in nearly half of that game and stopped eight out of 10 shots that he faced, recording the win in the Hurricanes’ 6-3 victory. He is the first EBUG to be credited with a win in an NHL contest.

Of course, whenever an EBUG makes an appearance, the question is if he will be featured on a hockey card. And the answer is yes — Ayres will be featured on two hockey cards this year. One you can purchase between now and the morning of Friday, March 6, as a part of Upper Deck’s “Game Dated Moments” set. The other Ayres card will come out in May, but will be much tougher to get.

So, if you’d like to own a David Ayres rookie card right now, but don’t understand how Upper Deck E-Pack works, never bought hockey cards online before, or haven’t bought trading cards since they came packaged with gum, then read on.

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Hockey Road Trip Across the Carolinas

Hello, hockey nerds! Today, I’m hopefully going to wow all of you, and maybe inspire some of you to go on a Hockey Road Trip. Over the summer, Tom Dundon, The Most Interesting Man in Hockey, reached an agreement with the Greenville (South Carolina) Swamp Rabbits to become the ECHL affiliates of the (North) Carolina Hurricanes. This made a lot of sense as they are only little more than an hour’s drive from Charlotte where the Calder Cup Champion AHL affiliate Charlotte Checkers play. Almost as soon as this was announced, my friends and I waited with bated breath for the schedules of all three teams to be published and looked for a time to visit on a Lost Hockey Weekend Roadtrip. That perfect weekend ended up being January 17 to 19, 2020.

My wife, my best friend and I planned this weekend because all three teams were playing at home on consecutive days; the Canes played on Friday, the Bog Bunnies on Saturday, and the Checkers on Sunday afternoon, which was all too perfect because with a three hour drive back, it meant that we only had spent one night out of town and without having to take a day off of work!

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Do You Know What You’re Missing On E-Pack?

Do you know that feeling you get when all you want to do is open some packs? But it’s late in the day, or there are no card stores nearby. How would you like to open packs, boxes or even cases of hockey cards no matter where you are, no matter what time of day it is, while also being able to chat and trade with fellow hockey collectors?

With the evolution of online shopping and e-commerce over the past few years, it was only a matter of time until the sports card industry caught on to the “buy stuff in my pajamas” concept. Upper Deck’s e-PACK sports and entertainment platform provides collectors the ability to do just that and even more.

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Puck Junk’s Top Articles of 2019

It’s the end of the year as we know it — and I feel fine! As 2019 winds down to a close, I’d like to share Puck Junk’s most-read articles from 2019. So, even though Every 1990-91 Hockey Card Set Ranked had the most page views on this site in 2019, it was published three years ago and does not count for this list. But I do make exceptions and count articles published really late in 2018 as 2019 articles.

Remember, if you haven’t read any of these, then they’re new to you. So, take a look and see which gems you may have missed in 2019.

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The Best 2019-20 NHL Game-Night Giveaway Items

Today is the start of the 2019-20 NHL season — and with that, a bevy of new game-night promotional items will be given away to ticket-buying fans in most cities.

Many of these giveaways sound pretty fun. For example, the Philadelphia Flyers will give away a Gritty Chia Pet, which seems so obvious that I’m mad that I didn’t think of it first. The Chicago Blackhawks will give out Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome salt and pepper shakers, while the Red Wings are giving out nesting dolls. The San Jose Sharks are giving away a badass 3-D sculpture of their secondary logo (shown above).

Surprisingly, only nine teams are giving away bobblehead figures. Perhaps last year’s Joe Thornton bobblehead that was missing a chunk of its beard made most other teams’ marking and PR people realize that they could never, ever top that — so why even try? That didn’t stop some teams from trying, though. The Blackhawks and Nashville Predators are each giving away six bobbleheads over the course of the season. The New Jersey Devils will give out a bobblehead of P.K. Subbam as “The Subbinator,” while the Anaheim Ducks will give away a John Gibson “bobble legs” figure.

Here is a list of the coolest giveaway items from each NHL team. I’ve skipped the mundane stuff like t-shirts and hats instead focusing on items that are collectible or kitschy.

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