Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
The Stanley Cup Finals are set. The defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning will square off against the underdog Montreal Canadiens. I’m excited to watch such an interesting matchup. If Tampa Bay wins, they’ll be the first team since 2017 to win back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships. If Montreal wins, they’ll be the first Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup since they did it back in 1993. Game One is tonight. Buckle your seatbelts.
Thirty years ago was the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. First-overall pick Eric Lindros was by far considered the best player available in the draft — a can’t-miss prospect who would be the next Wayne Gretzky.
In fact, Lindros was called “The Next One” since he was 14 years old. And who could argue? He was 6’4″ and 230 pounds. He scored 149 points in just 57 games during his last season of major junior hockey. Lindros was a dominant force that could control the game. So, it wasn’t any surprise when the Quebec Nordiques selected Lindros with the first-overall pick.
But was Lindros really the best player in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft? Would NHL scouts and GMs spend a first-overall pick on The Big E, or someone else, knowing then what we know now?
So, let’s imagine that we could re-do the first round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. Let’s set our Wayback Machines to June 22, 1991, pack an iPad with Hockey DB and Hockey Reference already bookmarked — we’ll worry about finding a WiFi hot spot when we get there — and see how the first round of the 1991 Draft would have played out in our alternate timeline.
I’m back after a week off and we’re right in the thick of the Conference Finals. Both series are nearing their end as both matchups have given us amazing hockey. This week, I’ll take a look at both matchups and the four teams that are still alive.
I’ll also share a few of my favorite stories from across the league, including two notable extensions and one fun and inclusive hire in the Pacific Northwest. Happy Tuesday!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Stalemates in the Conference Finals”
Sal Barry and Tim Parish discuss upcoming hockey releases, such as 2020-21 Upper Deck Extended Series, plus the 2021-22 O-Pee-Chee, MVP, Upper Deck Series One and Topps Sticker sets. They also talk about this weekend’s upcoming Sport Card Expo Virtual Edition and the hockey autograph guests at this summer’s National Sports Collectors Convention. It’s 90 minutes of hockey goodness!
Show Notes, Links, and Images:
Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group here.
Register to attend the Sport Card Expo Virtual Edition (link)
41st National Sports Collectors Convention website (link)
Chicago Sports Spectacular website (link)
Dallas Sport Card Show website (link)
Topps Now Hockey Sticker Archive (Topps)
Dunkin’ Donuts commercial with bubble hockey guys (YouTube)
Interview with Billy Celio of Upper Deck (Puck Junk)
Images and details about 2021-22 MVP (Beckett)
Images and details about 2021-22 O-Pee-Chee (Beckett)
Images and details about 2021-22 Upper Deck Series 1 (Beckett)
State Farm commercial with Andre Dawson (iSpot.tv)
Pictures of the upcoming 2021-22 Topps Hockey Sticker Collection
The Young Guns design for 2021-22 that some collectors are criticizing:
The Gritty “Gaming” card that will be in 2021-22 MVP Hockey:
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.
Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube.
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■
Hockey cards exploded in popularity during the 1990-91 season. Baseball, football and basketball cards had steadily gained momentum during the 1980s. In 1990, it was hockey’s turn. Upper Deck, Score and Pro Set joined incumbents Topps and O-Pee-Chee to release hockey card sets that season. This resulted in an arms race between the five companies, who tried to outdo each other and make cards of the best prospects and hottest rookies before their competitors did.
As a result, a slew of great rookie cards were issued that year. The 1990-91 NHL season had arguably the best rookie class of any year for hockey card collectors. The NHL rookie of the year winners from 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994 all had rookie cards made during the 1990-91 season. And over a dozen future Hall of Fame players had rookie cards in ’90-91.
The downside was that most hockey cards from 1990-91 were produced in such vast amounts that it is considered the start of the “Junk Wax Era” for hockey cards.
Yet not all hockey cards issued during the 1990-91 season are worthless. In addition to some great rookie cards, there are also some hidden gems and a legendary chase card. Plus, any card on this list with a high PSA or BGS grade can fetch a premium on the secondary market.
But graded or ungraded, these are the 35 best hockey cards from 1990-91 that every hockey card collector should own.
Have you ever wondered what it is like to work for a trading card company and make decisions that influence the product that end up in collectors’ hands? This week, Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk with Gregg Kohn, Vice President of Product Development at Leaf Trading Cards, and a former executive with Upper Deck. Gregg talks about working on current sets like Lumber Kings and Pearl Hockey, and reveals many new details about the upcoming Pro Set Memories Hockey card set.
Show Notes, Links, and Images:
The two books that Gregg refers to are “Hockey Night Fever” and “The California Golden Seals” (review of the Seals book here).
Follow Gregg Kohn on Twitter @scoobycub
Review of the film “The Love Guru” (Puck Junk)
The 1999 Upper Deck Century Legends Ken Dryden card (Puck Junk)
Review: 1991-92 Pro Set Platinum Hockey (Puck Junk)
Images of upcoming hockey cards by Leaf Trading Cards:
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.
Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube.
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■
Last week’s hockey news was dominated by Mark Scheifele’s hit on Jake Evans that resulted in a four-game suspension. There was a heated debate on Twitter over the severity of the suspension. Scheifele appealed but the suspension was upheld. Outside of Scheifele’s suspension, there were a few other gems in the hockey world that I’ll share with you all. That includes huge steps in diversity and my favorite play of the week
Happy Monday!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Scheifele Suspension Upheld”
Thirty years ago was the “Hockey Card Explosion,” when hockey cards skyrocketed in popularity as several new companies entered the market during the 1990-91 season. In the third part of this special podcast series, Sal Barry and Tim Parish take a long look at the 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey set, which was the most-valuable and arguably the most-popular set from that season.
Show Notes, Links, and Images:
Write us a review at Apple Podcasts (link)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey Checklist (Trading Card DB)
Every 1990-91 Hockey Card Set Ranked (Puck Junk)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey Card Images
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #38 – Wayne Gretzky
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #38 – Wayne Gretzky (back)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #63 – Mario Lemieux
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #63 – Mario Lemieux (back)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #6 – Rob Blake (Rookie Card)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #30– Sergei Fedorov (Rookie Card)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #50 – Jaromir Jagr (Rookie Card)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #51 – Curtis Joseph (Rookie Card)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #71 – Mark Messier
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #74 – Mike Modano (Rookie Card)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #76 – Andy Moog
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #100– Jeremy Roenick (Rookie Card)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #103 – Denis Savard
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #114 – Mats Sundin (Rookie Card)
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #126– Mike Vernon
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier Wrapper
Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast opening and closing music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.
Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.
Love hockey? Join the Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube.
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■
Just like the Golden State Warriors, the Maple Leafs have blown a 3-1 series lead in the first round of the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Is it the Drake curse?
Regardless, the Maple Leafs couldn’t get it done. I’m sure the entire hockey universe will be talking about this for years to come. That is this week’s first take.
My other takes highlight some of my favorite moments from Game 1 between the ‘Avs and Golden Knights. That game alone provided two worthy takes. My last two takes are a surprise. Keep reading for some great hockey content.
Happy Tuesday!
“State of Play” is the 10th and final episode in the first season of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and it delivers what viewers have been expecting all along: a rematch between the Don’t Bothers and the Mighty Ducks. It does this with some plot twists and — to quote Coach Orion from the third Mighty Ducks film — a few “little duck tricks.”
NOTE: This review contains minor spoilers.
Continue reading “Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 10”