Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
I hope everyone is staying safe and social distancing. The NHL has been kind, giving me enough topics to write about. Last week was packed with hockey news with signings, interviews, and injury updates. So, sit back and relax as I cover two interesting extensions in Columbus, potential Olympic rosters, and a lot more!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Canada’s B Team and Blue Jacket Extensions”
For what was another slow week in hockey, I have a solid variety of takes. We can thank St. Louis Blues’ GM Doug Armstrong for staying busy. I’ll share my thoughts on his variety of moves and an update from the NHL regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. I’ll also take a look into a surprise retirement and a contract termination.
Stay safe everyone!
In today’s episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish take a look back at the 1973-74 Topps and O-Pee-Chee hockey card sets. They also get caught up in all the hockey happenings in the news. This episode is 1 hour and 35 minutes of pure hockey goodness!
Show Notes, Links and Images:
Video: Sal’s appearance on Pittsburgh Hockey Now (Puck Junk)
Jessica’s “Genuine Heroes” trading card (Twitter)
Kris Versteeg retires — again! (ESPN)
1973-74 Topps Hockey checklist (Trading Card DB)
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee checklist (Trading Card DB)
The story of Dale Tallon wearing #9 for the Blackhawks (Puck Junk)
Here’s Sidney Crosby with a dog:
1973-74 Topps and O-Pee-Chee hockey card images:
1973-74 Topps #162 – Billy Smith
1973-74 Topps #81 – Bill Barber
1973-74 Topps #149 – Dave Schultz (RC)
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #237Larry Robinson (RC)
1973-74 Topps #119 – Doug Favell
1973-74 Topps #129 – Dale Tallon
1973-74 Topps #32 – Dan Maloney
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #3 – Phil Roberto
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #124 – Steve Durbano (RC)
1973-74 Topps #173 – Jean Ratelle
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #91 – Joe Watson
1973-74 Topps #31 – Wayne Stephenson
1973-74 Topps #85 – Dave Keon
1973-74 Topps #83 – Brian “Spinner” Spencer
(I accidentally called him “Dave” in the episode)
1973-74 Topps #10 – Ken Dryden
1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #121 – Mike Robitaille
…and the cartoon on the back. (More about that story here.)
1973-74 Topps #100 – Montreal Canadiens
1973-74 Topps #182 – Derek Sanderson
1973-74 Topps #15 – Gary Unger
1973-74 Topps Insert Stickers – Bruins logo / Penguins flag
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 Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.
Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■
Back in 2018, I was paid $250 to play hockey. No, it wasn’t on a professional tryout contract with a minor league team, but rather for a television commercial. That said, they would recruit practically anyone who owned hockey gear — including me, a guy who had been playing for less than five years at the time.
I was a guest on Pittsburgh Hockey Now, discussing my article for The Hockey News about the Russian Penguins. For those who don’t know, the Russian Penguins were a joint venture between Russia’s Red Army hockey club and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins from 1993 to 1995. If that sounds like a crazy idea, well…it was. The Russian Penguins had everything from strippers to mobsters, as well as a few future NHL players, too. I also show off a few rare pieces of Penguins memorabilia. ■
Love hockey collectibles and/or hockey culture? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group and follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Hockey card collecting was on a precipice during the 1989-90 season. It hadn’t yet taken the plunge into the abyss of overproduction, inflated prices and rookie cards of practically anyone who got within 10 feet of an NHL uniform — succinctly known as the “Junk Wax Era.” Hockey cards were rapidly becoming more and more popular, accelerated by the trade of Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.
Yet, only two companies issued mainstream sets that season. The 198-card Topps set was sold in the U.S. and its near-identical, though slightly larger, cousin O-Pee-Chee sold a 330-card set in Canada.
But if you dig a little deeper, you will find that there were many other cards issued that year that stray from the beaten path — from team-issue cards to minor and junior league trading card sets, to cards printed on the side of food boxes.
Here is a look at the 15 best hockey cards from the 1989-90 season. Keep in mind that most of these cards aren’t particularly valuable, with most ranging from $2 to $5 each — and even that might be pushing it. Anyone with a love of hockey cards and hockey history should consider having these in their cardboard collection.
Collector Daniel Gilchrist has collected everything and anything related to Nikolai Khabibulin for 25 years. He owns several game-used goalie sticks, a game-used jersey and game-used goalie pads once worn by “The Bulin Wall.” He also has dozens of autographs and thousands of cards of Khabibulin, who is — if you haven’t guessed it by now — Gilchrist’s favorite player.
Gilchrist set out on one of his biggest collecting goals in 2016 when he decided to track down all 24 Nikolai Khabibulin logo patch cards from the 2013-14 Upper Deck Edmonton Oilers Collection trading card set. Although the pieces of Oilers logo aren’t from a game-worn jersey, they are still a sight to be seen when assembled. Gilchrist recently talked with Puck Junk about what challenges there were in his quest to collect all 24 logo patch cards of his favorite player.
Sal Barry: How long have you been a hockey card collector?
Daniel Gilchrist: Since I was 14. My family moved from Winnipeg to Edmonton in 1988, a few days after Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Kings. My cousins sent me a care package when we moved, and it had a bunch of hockey cards in it, including a Brett Hull rookie card. That’s how I got started.
SB: How did Nikolai Khabibulin become your favorite player?
DC: It’s actually a pretty funny story. Continue reading “The Quest for Khabibulin”
I hope you’re all healthy and safe during this quarantine season. It was a busy week for me as I celebrated my 25th birthday last Monday. To stay busy, I’ve been exclusively watching full movie series in my spare time. I’ve watched all five films in the Jason Bourne series. I’ve also watched all three Star Wars trilogies. Yes, all three TRILOGIES, and Solo, which was surprisingly much better than I expected it to be.
In hockey news, it was a sad week. Over the weekend, we lost Edmonton Oilers player Colby Cave, who was 25-years-old. Obviously, nothing else comes close to the importance of the loss of Cave. However, discussions have taken place on how to move forward with the season after quarantine ends. More on that below.
Lastly, Happy Easter and happy Passover to all my monotheistic homies. Here’s a song I recommend you turn up to if you’re celebrating either, or just want to jam.
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: The NHL Brainstorms Ways to Continue the Season”
In the latest — and dare we say greatest? — episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish look back at the “ugly baby” known as the 1992-93 Topps Hockey card set. They also discuss all the latest hockey happenings (or lack thereof) going on over the past week. Spoiler alert: they get off topic for a bit and talk about The Love Guru. You have been warned. This week’s show clocks in at 1 hour 49 minutes.
Show Notes, Links and Additional Images:
Puck Junk Podcast about NBC firing Jeremy Roenick (Puck Junk)
The National Sports Collectors Convention statement on COVID-19 (NSCC)
2019-20 Upper Deck Game Dated Moments Week 26 cards (Upper Deck)
1992-93 Topps Hockey Checklist (Trading Card DB)
Every 1992-93 Hockey Card Set Ranked (Puck Junk)
Tim Parish’s blog (The Real DFG)
1992-93 Topps Hockey card images:
#1 – Wayne Gretzky, first card in the set
#529 – Eric Lindros, last card in the set
#166 – Mike McNeil, taking a sip
#318 – Dino Ciccarelli, scrumming it up
#318 – Dino Cicarelli, card back
#318 – Dino Ciccarelli, Gold Parallel
#318 – Dino Ciccarelli, Gold Parallel back
#414 – Denis Savard, just standing around
#406 – Gaetan Duchesne, sitting somewhere
#364 – Dan Lambert, wearing glasses
#501 – Bryan Marchment, wearing a half-cage
#522 – Frank Pietrangelo, in a deep crouch
#9 – Nicklas Lidstrom Super Rookie
#265 – Mario Lemieux All-Star
#67 – Jim Thomson (RC). He later appeared in the 2009 film The Love Guru
1992-93 Topps Hockey sell sheet (via Trading Card DB):
1992-93 Topps Hockey Poster:
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 Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn and SoundCloud.
Love hockey? Join the new Puck Junk Facebook Group
Support this podcast and buy a shirt from the Puck Junk Online Shop. ■
Although it was a quiet week in the NHL, most of my takes this week are not COVID-19 related. We could all use some positive news. On that note, today is my 25th birthday, so please include your birthday wishes in the comments. Stay safe everyone!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Player Polls & Trick Shots”