I love one day contracts, AND HERE’S WHY!
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News & Views
Why 1-Day NHL Contracts Are Stupid
Seriously, NHL teams! Stop it already!
Yesterday, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that they signed goaltender Cam Ward to a one-day contract so that he can retire as a member of the Hurricanes. I’ve always been irritated when teams do this; it’s trite and stinks of an NHL club wanting a photo op — and maybe to smooth things out a bit with jilted fans. It is time for the NHL to put an end to the one-day contracts.
Blake’s Takes: Summer Heat
Last week was a surprisingly busy week in hockey. Although, the news that was reported last week was closer to what TMZ would report on rather than NHL.com. Regardless, this week’s takes will consist of a drug-related suspension, a few new uniforms, and some fun predictions of our newest crop of captains!
Blake’s Takes: The Offseason Rolls On
The NHL needs to take a page out of the NBA’s playbook and create some buzz during the offseason. There is no one talking about the NHL. Other than a few small signings, roster movement is dead. Thankfully, there were a few headlines that people were talking about this week. You can look forward to a personal story, a new alternate jersey, and a surprisingly long take about a player’s need for a dictionary. Enjoy!
Blake’s Takes: ‘Canes Ink Keeps Flowing
This week, I had to scratch and claw to find five things worth writing about, but I did it. I could never disappointment my fans. This week, the Hurricanes dominated the news cycle after they re-signed GM Don Waddell, and after Waddell announced that captain, Justin Williams, is still mulling retirement. There were a few other diamonds in the rough like a big jersey retirement and a trophy malfunction.
My Recap of the 2019 National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago
I went to the 40th National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago last week (July 31 to August 4). This is the 6th time I’ve been at The National. Going to world’s biggest sports memorabilia show for five days takes a lot out of you, from standing and walking around most of the day, to the visual overload of cards, memorabilia, cards, jerseys, cards, photos, cards, game-used items and cards.
But I have finally recovered, so here’s my recap of my experience at the 2019 National Sports Collectors Convention.
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Blake’s Takes: Low Risk, High Reward
The past week in the NHL was relatively quiet, but there were a few stories that provided a bit of excitement. This week, I’ll examine one of the biggest extensions in league history for a goalie and multiple low risk, high reward signings that could impact the playoff race. I’ll also preview two more teams for the upcoming season.
Hockey Trade Night at The National
This Friday, after The National Sports Collectors Convention wraps up for the night, two colleagues and I will be hosting a Hockey Card Trade Night. Meet other hockey fans, trade cards with each other, and take part in our free raffle. The get-together will be at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare right across the street from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
Here are the full details:
Date: Friday, August 2, 2019
Time: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Location: Hyatt Regency O’Hare, 9300 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
(right across the street from the DES Convention Center)
Room Number: DFW
For More Info: Call 586-522-5093 or email TreesCollectables@aol.com
We should have a sign out in the lobby that looks like the graphic above.
Hopefully, some of you who see this will be at The National and will visit our little hockey card trading event. ■
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
I Used FaceApp on Some Hockey Cards
Like 12.7 million other people this month, I downloaded FaceApp because it looked like a fun little phone app to play around with. For those who don’t know, FaceApp is a program for mobile phones that lets you take a picture and, using artificial intelligence, alters it by adding a smile, facial hair or glasses, among other things. You can also age a person to look older or younger than they actually are, with convincing results.
It’s a very cool app, but unfortunately, like the 12.7 million other users, I didn’t realize that it had a questionable privacy policy. So, I ended up deleting FaceApp from my phone a few hours later, but not before having fun with some hockey cards.
Blake’s Takes: A Look Ahead to Next Season
With free agency having settled, hockey news has slowed down over recent weeks. So, I decided this week would be the perfect time to start my season previews. Each week, I’ll choose a few teams to feature and assess what we can expect from them this year. This week features the Sabres, Penguins, and Kings. I also take a look at one of the more-surprising extensions signed last week.
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