Best of the Worst: 2014-15 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey

2014-15 Upper Deck Series 1: Best of the WorstUpper Deck, unarguably, hands down, without a doubt, has the BEST picture for their Series 1 and 2 sets over any other card company. I always look forward to buying a hobby box or two when they come out just for the photograph and candid shots they somehow get. Seriously, I marvel at the angles and wonder how many pictures are shot and how many must end up on the cutting room floor/recycling bin of the computer.

So I was super excited to get my hands on this new box that came out! And while there were some great ones there….I noticed a lot of stinkers too! From the box I bought here’s my list of my Top Ten Best of the Worst: Continue reading “Best of the Worst: 2014-15 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey”

What’s That Song in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game Commercial?

If you live in the U.S., chances are you’ve seen the above commercial for the upcoming NHL All-Star Game — probably ten times an hour when watching your favorite team on TV. Visually, it’s a pretty cool commercial, with elite NHL players as celestial bodies in the sky, playing hockey among the stars. But if that tune playing in the ad has started to grow on you after hearing it for the 40th time, you’re probably asking, hey, what’s that generic-sounding alt-rock noise in the background?

Well, I’m glad you asked. Continue reading “What’s That Song in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game Commercial?”

Career in Cards: Jean-Paul “J.P.” Parise

1971-72_OPCJean-Paul “J.P.” Parise passed away on Wednesday at the age of 73 after a year-long battle with lung cancer. It’s always tough to see one of our hockey heroes pass away, and though I never saw Parise play, I admired him. He had a steady, 12-year career in the NHL, reaching the 20-goal mark seven times. Parise also represented Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. He reached the 20-goal plateau seven times. Here is a look back at his career achievements as a player, illustrated with his hockey cards. Continue reading “Career in Cards: Jean-Paul “J.P.” Parise”

Randy Carlyle looks worried on this card

carlyle_largeThis is not a very flattering hockey card of Randy Carlyle. No, it isn’t as embarrassing as Glen Hanlon’s OPC Leaders card, or as bad as Bryan Pitton’s Score card. But it still sucks.

Just look at Carlyle’s face on his 1987-88 Topps trading card. Is he experiencing bad gas? Or a toothache? Did playing for the Winnipeg Jets in the late 1980s take its toll on him?carlyle_headOr…is Carlyle having that daydream again? You know, the one where he’s the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs 25 years in the future? Well, he won’t have to worry about that anymore.

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Regardless, this is one of the few hockey cards that Carlyle will not autograph. ■

Ed Belfour Originally Wore Number 1

belfour_1989This is one of the earliest photograph of Ed Belfour as an NHL player. It predates his “Eagle” mask. In fact, this photo is so old that he’s wearing number 1. Practically every photo you find of Belfour with the Blackhawks shows him wearing number 30, which was his number from 1990 to 1997. His 1990-91 Upper Deck rookie card (and 2003-04 Topps Lost Rookies card) shows Belfour wearing number 31. But Eddie the Eagle started his career wearing number 1 for six weeks — the same number that Glenn Hall donned for a decade. Continue reading “Ed Belfour Originally Wore Number 1”

Book Review – The Lost 10 Point Night: Searching for My Hockey Hero . . . Jim Harrison

cover_Lost-10-Point-NightThe Lost 10 Point Night: Searching for My Hockey Hero, Jim Harrison is not your typical biography. Instead of the usual formula — early days, career and post-career with current reflections woven throughout — this is a story about both the subject and the chronicler, liberally flip-flopping between past and present. The result is a book that, in many ways, is more about the journey than the destination.

Continue reading “Book Review – The Lost 10 Point Night: Searching for My Hockey Hero . . . Jim Harrison”

Puck Junk’s Top 5 Articles of 2014

First off, I would like to thank everyone who visits this blog, reads my stuff, trades cards with me, and generally enjoys talking hockey. 2014 was a good year for Puck Junk, with many new readers visiting and commenting on this site. So, I’ve taken a look to determine what were Puck Junk’s top five articles in 2014. There’s proof in numbers, so if you missed one of these the first time around, give it a read; you’ll probably like it. Continue reading “Puck Junk’s Top 5 Articles of 2014”

Top 10 Hockey Card News Stories of 2014

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2014 was an eventful year for the hockey card industry. So much went down in our humble little hobby, which is always overshadowed by baseball card collecting, that it felt like the 1990s again. There were exclusive deals, company mergers, rookies galore and even a book about hockey cards. Here is a rundown of the ten biggest hockey card news stories for the year. Continue reading “Top 10 Hockey Card News Stories of 2014”

Book Review: Hockey Card Stories

cover_hockey_card_storiesHave you ever looked at an old hockey card and wanted to know what the story was behind the photograph? Or wondered what the player thought of their own card? That is exactly what author Ken Reid thought when he wrote his new book, “Hockey Card Stories: True Tales from 59 of Your Favorite Players.” Reid, an anchor for Sportnet Central, interviewed former NHL and WHA players, picking key cards from each player’s career — sometimes their rookie card, other times just a card of interest — and talked about them. His book is a page-turner for anyone who grew up loving hockey cards. Continue reading “Book Review: Hockey Card Stories”