Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
Happy third night of Hannukkah and merry Christmas Eve. This edition of Blake’s Takes won’t be very festive, but it will have some interesting content. Last week was a busy week in the NHL. Taylor Hall was finally moved and Ilya Kovalchuk is now a free agent! I’ll also highlight a breakout performer and take … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Hall Moves to Phoenix for the Holidays”
Sorry I kept all of you waiting! Of course, the one weekend I go on vacation I miss all the great storylines. Regardless, in this edition of Blake’s Takes, I’ll take a look at the league’s response to abusive behavior that has dominated the headlines recently. I’ll also shoot off a few takes about fired … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Big Changes Announced at Board Meeting”
For this week’s takes, I dive into the entire Bill Peters saga and why his comments illuminate a growing issue in the NHL. I also comment on a few notable extensions up in Boston and look into a team moving up in the standings.
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.
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 … 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 … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: No More Bran Muffins”
Trading Cards Brought to You by Smokey the Bear At a glance: – 1988-89 L.A. Kings Team Set – 25 cards – Standard Size: 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ – Download checklist The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention sponsored a set of Los Angeles Kings trading cards during the 1988-89 season. Of course, we know … Continue reading “Review: 1988-89 Los Angeles Kings Set”
I love one day contracts, AND HERE’S WHY!
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 … Continue reading “Why 1-Day NHL Contracts Are Stupid”
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 … Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: ‘Canes Ink Keeps Flowing”