Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
This week was an exciting one in the NHL. Three major milestones were hit, all on the same day. I’ll dive deep into those milestones and will highlight a pair of rookie defenseman that are tearing it up this year. Also, I’ll take a look into the frenzy taking place in Toronto. Happy Monday!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: The Rise of Rookie Defensemen”
This week, I’ll dive into the firing of Don Cherry and why its a good thing for hockey. I’ll also give my take on a trade most people haven’t heard about and a hot start you should know about.
This week’s Blake’s Takes highlights two things, big goals, and huge surprises in the standings. This past week featured two of the best goals in the NHL over the last few seasons. Also, I’ll dive into two teams that are playing above and below their offseason expectations.
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Big Goals and Huge Surprises in the Standings”
For this week’s Blakes’ Takes, I share my thoughts on Roman Josi’s monster contract extension. I take a look at a few teams that have lost their stars due to injuries. Also, you can find my takes on the most surprising teams of the year and one scorching hot start.
This week marks my 52nd week writing this column. Although I’ve been writing Blake’s Takes for a bit over a year, this felt like the perfect time to celebrate. I want to thank everyone who reads this column each week. I appreciate all of your support and I have really enjoyed the experience. A special thanks to my number-one fan, Aaron Walters, for all of the kind words. Here’s to another 52 weeks!
The NHL is buzzing right now and takes are easy to come by. For this week’s Blake’s Takes, you can expect a Jack Hughes update and additional Devils’ news. Also, I’ll feature one of the best rivalries in the sport that flared up over the weekend and highlight what could be this year’s best goal.
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Drew Doughty is Back and Happy One-Year!”
It’s so easy to fire off hot takes when the season is rolling. Last week, we saw another major market team announce their newest captain. I’ll share my thoughts on an unsurprising reunion and a very surprising career resurgence for a pair of key veterans.
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: There’s a New Captain in Vancouver”
There was no shortage of storylines this week as the season is officially here. The Maple Leafs decided to name their next captain right before puck drop, we saw a few contract extensions handed out, as well as a little ice in St. Louis. I’m excited for what this season has in store and the takes that will come with it.
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: There is a New Captain in Toronto”
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.
Continue reading “The Best 2019-20 NHL Game-Night Giveaway Items”
The NHL offseason is officially on fire after all of the high-profile RFAs have signed. That’s not the only news around the league. The NHL announced a major partnership that will go against the grain. We also saw one of the bigger trades of the summer and a new captain was announced. Read on to find out why this week’s set of takes is about muffins.
The dominos continue to drop around the league as another few RFAs finally broke their respective stalemates. I’ll give my takes on those deals, the great, the good, and the decent. There was also some huge news that could prevent another lockout. The NHL offseason is exciting once again!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: The Dominos Continue to Fall”
