Puck Junk Podcast: The Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Plus: Notable HHOF Snubs
Episode #156: July 1, 2023

In this supersized episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry, Tim Parish, and Jim Howard talk about the seven new Hockey Hall of Fame inductees for 2023 – Henrik Lundqvist, Tom Barrasso, Mike Vernon, Pierre Turgeon, Caroline Oullette, Ken Hitchcock, and Pierre Lacroix. The guys also discuss three players who are long overdue for a call from the Hall. It’s 106 minutes of hockey goodness!

Show Notes, Links and Images:
The Mike Vernon vs. Patrick Roy fight (YouTube)
Ken Hitchcock’s “Rookie Card”:

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Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk. 
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard (Instagram @flyingV2112)

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Puck Junk Podcast: 2022-23 Trilogy Hockey Cards

Plus: 2023 Stanley Cup Finals Recap
Episode #155: June 24, 2023

After a bit of a hiatus, the Puck Junk Podcast is back! In this episode, Sal Barry and Tim Parish give their thoughts on the victorious Vegas Golden Knights beating the faltering Florida Panthers to win the 2023 Stanley Cup Championship. Then they take a long look at the 2022-23 Trilogy Hockey card set, including what they like about it and what could be better. It’s 82 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
What Haters Get Wrong About the Vegas Golden Knights (Puck Junk)
Puck Junk Podcast: Are Redemption Cards a Necessary Evil? (Puck Junk) 
Box Break: 2022-23 Trilogy Hockey Cards (Puck Junk)

Here is Sal’s INCORRECT Stanley Cup Finals prediction: 

Yeah…that tweet did not age well. 

And here is Sal’s “appearance” on the NHL on TNT:

A better look at the tweet of the Michael Scott / Paul Bissonnette graphic:

8 New And Necessary Punctuation Marks We Really Need

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Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk. 
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard (Instagram @flyingV2112)

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Subscribe to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,  
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor. Subscribe to the Puck Junk Channel on YouTube.  

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Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

Clemente’s Corner: Top 5 Connor Bedard Cards to Collect Before He’s Drafted

Hockey fans are already looking forward to the start of next season with the 2023 NHL Draft that’s slated to take place on June 28 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

For only the second time in team history, the Chicago Blackhawks will select the No. 1 overall pick after winning the top spot in last month’s NHL Draft Lottery. The Blackhawks have only had the first pick once and that was in 2007 when the team selected Patrick Kane, who helped Chicago win three Stanley Cups. Sixteen years later, the Blackhawks will most likely add highly-touted prospect Connor Bedard to their 2023-24 roster.  

Bedard has had a busy few weeks. Earlier this month, he was one of 106 prospects invited to take part in this year’s NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. He was also recognized as the most outstanding player in Canadian Major Junior Hockey and given the CHL David Branch Player of the Year Award. This past season, Bedard was ranked the No. 1 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting ahead of draft after finishing first in points in the WHL this season with 143 points (71 goals and 72 assists) in 57 games.

Bedard, who turns 18 on July 17, has been called a generational talent who many have already compared to Connor McDavid. Collectors will have plenty Bedard cards to chase later this year. His Young Guns card and other Upper Deck rookies are likely to turn next season’s releases into some of the most-sought after products in the entire hobby.

For now, there are several options out there for those looking to collect cards of the budding center, especially for those who like junior league and national team cards. These cards don’t generally get hobby love, but they are fun to collect and do give people a chance to get their hands on cards of Bedard before he makes his professional debut. 

Here are five Connor Bedard cards to collect ahead of this year’s draft:

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: Top 5 Connor Bedard Cards to Collect Before He’s Drafted”

2022-23 Trilogy Hockey Box Break

After being cancelled for the 2021-22 season, Trilogy came back for 2022-23 — albeit, near the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Trilogy is perhaps best known for its “Signature Pucks” cards that feature a small rubber puck with an autograph on it, embedded right into the card. Trilogy — or should I say Trilo3y, with a “3” as the “g” since that is how it is spelled — also tends to use the number 3 as a recurring theme. 

A box of Trilogy Hockey cards costs around $130 for a six-pack box. Each pack contains four cards, and the box promises one autographed card and one memorabilia card. 

I recently opened a box of 2022-23 Trilogy. Here is what I found inside. 

Continue reading “2022-23 Trilogy Hockey Box Break”

Puck Junk Podcast: 2022-23 Upper Deck Series Two Hockey Cards

Episode #154: June 6, 2023

In the latest episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish take a long look at the 2022-23 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey Card set — including some of the best photos, the new insert sets, and the top Young Guns rookie cards to collect. It’s 69 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
2022-23 Upper Deck Series Two Checklist (Cardboard Connection)
Here are some of the cards that we talk about in this episode:

#387 - Sidney Crosby
#386 - Bryan Rust
#430 - William Karlsson
#394 - James Reimer
#465 - Andrei Kuzmenko Young Guns
#499 - Buoy (Kraken Mascot) Young Guns
#LB-21 - Tage Thompson Lunch Box Legends
#PZ-35 - Marc-Andre Fleury Instant Impressions
#WG-8 - Auston Matthews World Junior Grads
#CC-2 - Lukas Reichel Calder Candidates
#CC-6 - Dylan Guenther Calder Candidates
WT-8 - Welcome To. Colorado

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Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk. 
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard (Instagram @flyingV2112)

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Subscribe to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,  
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor. Subscribe to the Puck Junk Channel on YouTube.  

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Support 
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

2021-22 SP Game Used CHL Edition Hockey Box Break

Released in March of 2023, the 2021-22 SP Game Used CHL Edition set focuses on players from the Canadian Hockey League — that is, major junior players from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Western Hockey League (WHL), and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Needless to say, one big reason a set like this is desirable is because it has cards of Connor Bedard, who is expected to be taken first overall at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. 

Boxes of 2021-22 SP Game Used CHL Edition Hockey have just five packs, with each pack containing three cards, for a total of 15 cards. Each box guarantees at least four hits per box, which may be a game-used jersey card, an autographed card, or an autographed jersey patch card. Boxes sold out relatively fast at hobby shops and online card retailers, and are now commanding upwards of $300 per box on eBay. Let’s just say the Connor Bedard hype is real. 

I opened a box of 2021-22 SP Game Used CHL Edition. Let’s see what’s inside. 

Continue reading “2021-22 SP Game Used CHL Edition Hockey Box Break”

Puck Junk Podcast: Where will the Arizona Coyotes Go?

Plus: The Return of Fleer Ultra
Episode #153: May 30, 2023

In this episode, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about where the Coyotes might relocate to if they can’t get an arena deal in Arizona. They also discuss the Maple Leafs firing GM Kyle Dubas, Fanatics acquiring PWCC, Leaf Trading Cards new Art of Hockey set, and the return of Fleer Ultra. It’s 90 minutes of hockey goodness! 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Arizona Coyotes Arena Plan Rejected by Voters (ESPN)
Fanatics Buys PWCC (ESPN)
2021-22 Leaf Art of Hockey Checklist (Cardboard Connection)
2021-22 Fleer Ultra Coming Out on e-Pack
Images of the upcoming 2021-22 Fleer Ultra Hockey set (click to enlarge)

2021-22 FleerUltra_F4_pg17_crd17_Suzuki
2021-22 FleerUltra_F6_pg37_crd37_Perfetti
2021-22 FleerUltra_F43_pg11_crdPC11_MacKinnon
2021-22 FleerUltra_F34_pg22_crdM22_Panarin
2021-22 FleerUltra_F30_pg32_crd232_Zegras
2021-22 FleerUltra_F37_pg22_US22_Marner
2021-22 FleerUltra_F38_pg84_crdFF34_Raymond
2021-22 FleerUltra_F40_pg16_crd16of30RM_Bergeron
2021-22-FleerUltra_F42_pg7_crdSK7_McDavid

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk. 
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard (Instagram @flyingV2112)

Subscribe
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,  
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor. Subscribe to the Puck Junk Channel on YouTube.  

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Support 
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

Puck Junk Podcast: Blackhawks Win the NHL Draft Lottery

Plus: 2021-22 SPx Hockey Cards
Episode #152: May 12, 2023

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery. They also discuss the first round upsets in the 2023 NHL Playoffs, some of the NHL coaches who were fired, and 2021-22 SPx Hockey cards. It’s 86 minutes of hockey goodness. 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Blackhawks Win Draft Lottery, Connor Bedard Sweepstakes (ESPN)
2021-22 SPx Hockey Box Break (Puck Junk)

Here’s that Mike Grier hockey card we talk about on the show:

And here are the four cards Sal got in his box of 2021-22 SPx Hockey:

Follow
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk & Instagram @PuckJunk. 
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG & Instagram @therealdfg66.
Podcast closing theme music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard (Instagram @flyingV2112)

Podcast opening music for this episode “Get Ready for This” by 2 Unlimited.

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Subscribe to the Puck Junk Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Overcast,  
PlayerFM, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher,
or Transistor. Subscribe to the Puck Junk Channel on YouTube.  

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Support 
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■

2021-22 SPx Hockey Box Break

Another set that was released a year after it was supposed to is 2021-22 SPx Hockey by Upper Deck, which came out at the end of March 2023.  A box of SPx costs around $130 and contains four packs. Each pack contains one card.

I’ll say that again for emphasis: a box of 2021-22 SPx Hockey costs $130, and contains four one-card packs. Math may not be my strong suit, but that averages to $32.50 per card.

Yikes!

With a buy-in like that, SPx is not for the meek. It’s a high-risk / high-reward type of set where you get at least two “hits” per box — those hits being either autographs, memorabilia cards, or one of each. The other two cards are referred to as “Tech Cards,” presumably because they go above and beyond standard card design. 

I recently opened a box of 2021-22 SPx Hockey. Let’s see what I got.

Continue reading “2021-22 SPx Hockey Box Break”

Clemente’s Corner: 6 First Round Playoff Heroes Worth Collecting

Role Players and Small-Market Stars Shine Brightest in the NHL Playoffs

The NHL playoffs rarely disappoint in terms of fun and drama. The first round has been a slog, but also a round tinged with upsets.

The record-breaking Boston Bruins, among the favorites in the Eastern Conference to reach the Stanley Cup Final, were dumped out early by the Florida Panthers in seven games. Over in the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers series with the Los Angeles Kings stood out as the most-exciting – only overshadowed by the Seattle Kraken eliminating the defending champions Colorado Avalanche. 

Both upsets – the Panthers beating the Bruins and the Kraken beating the Lightning – went to seven games. Having the President Trophy winners and the defending Stanley Cup Champions bounced out of the playoffs — and in the same night! — is truly amazing. 

Also, not having any team sweep was certainly a sign of how talented even the lower seeds have been this spring.

Teams aside, the playoffs are also about individual skill. For card collectors, the playoffs can help or hurt a players’ value. Of course, this is just the start. The playoffs are a two-month grind that involves lots of grit and some luck.

One of the biggest storylines from this first round is the ability of second-fiddle players, not the stars, to shine. Whether it meant scoring key goals or making that big play, it was the sidekicks that have shined brightest so far.

Here’s a look at six players who have done just that, while seeing their stocks go up. All figures cited below based on eBay sales and COMC.com.

Continue reading “Clemente’s Corner: 6 First Round Playoff Heroes Worth Collecting”