Puck Junk Podcast: The NHL’s Game Plan for 2021

Plus: the $1.29M Gretzky RC
Episode #77: Dec. 15, 2020

Sal Barry and Tim Parish discuss the NHL’s plans for the upcoming 2021 NHL season, including rumored start dates and division realignment. Then they talk about the recent sale of the O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card that sold for $1.29 million at auction — and speculate over what could be the next hockey card to sell for $1 million.

Show Notes, Links and Images: 
Potential NHL divisions for the 2021 season (NBC Sports)
NHL, NHLPA working toward Jan. 13 start (NBC Sports)
Gretzky rookie card sells for record $1.29 million at auction (NHL.com)
Comparison of the Bobby Orr RC vs. the “USA Test Issue” (Trading Card DB)
Link to rate and review the Puck Junk Podcast (Apple Podcasts)
Finally, Gordie Howe’s “appearance” on The Simpsons

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyiHeartRadioStitcherPodchaserPocketCastsCastbox , Castro,
OvercastTuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube

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

Blake’s Takes: Gretzky Breaks Another Record

Another week of 2020 is in the books. There weren’t many notable headlines last week, though I dug deep and ended up finding some of my favorite stories from the past year — all of which are random and offbeat. I think you’ll like them. This week, I write about what you all care deeply about: hockey cards. I also get into a bit of social justice and investigate another photo of Connor McDavid looking awkward. 

And I almost forgot, Happy Hannukkah!

Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Gretzky Breaks Another Record”

2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #4

After opening my first three boxes of 2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers, I wondered if I made a mistake — either buying too many or too few boxes. At the rate I was going, it didn’t seem like four boxes was going to get me 400 unique stickers towards the 666-sticker set. On the other hand, maybe I was just wasting my money, and should have stuck with three boxes like I did the previous year. 

But what’s done is done. I bought four boxes, so of course I’m going to open all four boxes. Hopefully, my luck would change with the final box. 

Continue reading “2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #4”

2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #3

Another day, another box break of 2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers. Before opening my third box, I had 263 stickers  (198 regular stickers and 65 foil stickers) out of 666 total stickers needed to complete the set. Hopefully, this box helps more than the measly 24 stickers that the last box provided me. Continue reading “2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #3”

2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #2

The 2020-21 Topps Hockey Sticker Collection is not for the timid. At $1.00 per five-sticker pack — or $1.39 for those in Canada — it is going to easily cost over $100 to put the 666-sticker set together. It will take you 134 packs to build a set, and that’s assuming that you don’t get any doubles. However, getting doubles seems to be the name of the game when putting together this year’s Topps Hockey Sticker set. 

Continue reading “2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #2”

2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #1

I enjoyed the 2019-20 Topps Hockey Sticker Collection enough that I decided to collect the 2020-21 set. What really pushed me to collect this year’s set, though, was that certain stickers were designed to look like old Topps hockey cards. Nostalgia is a powerful drug — powerful enough for me to purchase four boxes of 2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers. Over the next few days, I will post about what stickers I got, including how many were duplicates and how close it brought me to completing the 666-sticker set. 

Yes, you read that right. There are 666 stickers in the set. 666 is also the Number of the Beast (according to Iron Maiden), and this sticker set is truly a BEAST to complete. 

About 2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers 

2020-21 Topps Hockey Sticker packs contain five stickers — four regular stickers and one shiny foil sticker — and cost $1 in the U.S. and $1.39 in Canada. A full box has 50 packs for a total of 250 stickers. Packs are made of foil and are “crimped” at the top and bottom like a pack of Topps cards. This is unlike Panini sticker packs, which were two pieces of paper glued together. And unlike Panini stickers of years past, Topps Hockey stickers are affixed to cardboard backings (instead of paper), making them more “card like.” To house the collection, Topps also issued an 80-page album, which costs $2 in the U.S. and $2.79 in Canada. 

Since I knew I was going to try to complete this set from the get-go, I decided to buy four 50-pack boxes, all from the same retailer. Here are the results of my first box. 

Continue reading “2020-21 Topps Hockey Stickers Box Break #1”

Puck Junk Podcast: The Million Dollar Gretzky Rookie plus 2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey

Episode #76: December 9, 2020

After a three-week hiatus, Sal Barry and Tim Parish are back with a new episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast. This time, they talk about the release of 2020-21 Upper Deck Series One Hockey cards — and some of the production problems that have plagued the set. The guys also discuss the PSA 10 Wayne Gretzky O-Pee-Chee rookie card that will become the most-valuable hockey card of all-time. Plus, new and upcoming releases, “COMC Jail,” and more.

Show Notes, Links and Images: 
2020-21 Upper Deck Series One Hockey Checklist (Cardboard Connection)
President’s Choice Trading Cards (website)
Upper Deck E-Pack (website)
Why – and How – Hockey Cards Have Made a Comeback (The Score)
PSA 10 Wayne Gretzky OPC Rooke Auction (Heritage Auctions)

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyiHeartRadioStitcherPodchaserPocketCastsCastbox , Castro,
OvercastTuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube

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

Best of the Worst: 2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey

Greetings, my fellow hockey fans who aren’t watching hockey! While we are trying to socially distance and wash our hands like NBC Sports washed it’s hands of several problematic co-hosts, Upper Deck dropped a lump of coal in our turkey before yelling, “Happy St. Paddy’s Day!” and throwing beaded necklaces at us. And who can blame them since we don’t know what day it is, let alone what holiday. But that’s no lump of coal: it’s a box of Upper Deck’s Series 1!  If it was coal, it would have said “Panini.”

Before jumping to the goods, I was worried that I wouldn’t find enough cards to make fun of in a post, and this has been the case for the past few boxes of Upper Deck’s flagship hockey set. Honestly, the first half of the packs that I exhumed not only lacked of comical merriment fuel, but frankly, they lacked anything awesome or inspiring. The cards were boring. Dull. Safe. But thankfully, the later half of the box got things back on track! 

Continue reading “Best of the Worst: 2020-21 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey”

Blake’s Takes: Evander Kane’s Twitter Brawl

I’m back after a two-week hiatus. I hope everyone ate themselves sick during Thanksgiving or just another Thursday for our Canadian readers. Most of all, I hope everyone stayed safe.

It’s been an odd last two weeks. The biggest news was Tampa Bay inking Mikhail Sergachev to an extension. The rest of my takes this week will cast a wide net from interesting to flat out weird. If I accomplish anything this week, I hope you learn something.

And if you don’t learn anything, at least listen to this song. But, if you don’t like my column, you probably won’t like the song either.

Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Evander Kane’s Twitter Brawl”

Puck Junk Podcast: Reverse Retro Jerseys, Part 3

Episode #75: November 20, 2020

Sal Barry, Tim Parish, Jim Howard and Blake Isaacs conclude their talk about the new NHL Reverse Retro jerseys. In part three of this three-part podcast, they look at the new jerseys for the New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets. 

Show Notes, Links and Images: 
Pictures of all Reverse Retro Jerseys (Instagram)
Pictures and Information about the Reverse Retro Jerseys (NHL.com)

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Follow Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard on Instagram @FlyingV2112.
Follow Blake Isaacs on Twitter @bisaacs1995.

Podcast music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.

Subscribe to the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyiHeartRadioStitcherPodchaserPocketCastsCastbox , Castro,
OvercastTuneIn and SoundCloud.

Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and subscribe to Puck Junk on YouTube

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