Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
After everything the NHL has been through since March, we’re a maximum of six games away from the Stanley Cup Finals. Both series are going into Game 5 with one team up 3-1. I’ll highlight each series as well as a few other notable storylines around the NHL. P.S. I need the Stanley Cup Finals … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Cup Finals Almost Set”
2020 finally showed us mercy and gave us three game sevens in one round of playoff hockey. We deserved it. In all seriousness, last week was an awesome week for the NHL, as three out of four playoff series went to a game seven. I’ll share my thoughts on each of those series as well … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Game Sevens Galore”
Which Grey Beard in the “Playoff Bubble” Do You Want to See Win the Stanley Cup? It took what felt like forever, but Round One of the 2020 NHL Playoffs is finally underway. (And yes, this blog post is two days late; I’m working on “Quarantine Time” here, so bear with me.) After a four-and-a-half … Continue reading “No Stanley For Old Men: 2020 Edition”
Sunday night marked the end of the Qualifying round and the beginning of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The most important takeaway of that sentence is that the NHL has succeeded in building a bubble to protect players and staff from COVID-19. Because of that, the odds that a Stanley Cup champion will be crowned in … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: The Playoffs Are Set”
After a week off, I’m back to share some takes with you all. If you want to see some pictures of my (socially-distanced) road trip vacation, here you go. Otherwise, the last two weeks could not have been a busier week in the NHL. Real, live, hockey games took place and the NHL is back! … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Welcome Seattle”
Hey, Wayne! What is This Book? Please Explain. Stumbling around in a discount book store last fall, I found a copy of 99 Stories of the Game by Wayne Gretzky sitting by the cash register. I’d seen this book before and had passing interest, as in I was mildly interested in reading it one day, … Continue reading “Book Review: 99 Stories of the Game”
The NHL continues to dominate sports in a world infested with COVID-19. The NHL and NHLPA agreed to extend the CBA last week. The new CBA confirmed quite a few details regarding the future of the NHL. That includes firm dates for the league’s Phase 3 and Phase 4 Return to Play Plan, an approved … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: We Have a New CBA”
Our hub cities have finally been leaked. The NHL season will continue in two cities in Canada: Edmonton and Toronto. There was also big news reported on a possible return to the Olympics for NHL players. Overall, last week offered a lot of positive in the hockey world. Which is something we all need badly … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: We Have Hub Cities!”
Last week was a busy one in the NHL. The Sabres fired their GM, the AHL made a major announcement, and the NHL took another step forward with social justice. I’ll dive into all of those topics in addition to a few other tidbits. Let me know what you think in the comments.
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, … Continue reading “What if…the Quebec Nordiques Drafted Denis Savard?”