Puck Junk Podcast: October 22, 2019

1981-82 Topps Hockey Cards

This week, Sal Barry and Tim Parish reminisce about the 1981-82 Topps Hockey card set — a set that had different cards depending on what region of the U.S. you lived in. They also talk about new hockey releases for the week, including (deep breath) CHASE STICKERS! (Yes, that’s a thing.) Plus, five outrageous eBay hockey auctions and P.K. Subban’s new YouTube channel. Sal also goes off topic for a bit and talks about Star Wars; you have been warned.

Today’s podcast clocks in at 1 hour and 16 minutes, so take your shoes off, get comfy and hit that play button.

Did you enjoy this podcast? Is there a topic you would like us to talk about in an upcoming episode of the Puck Junk Podcast? Leave a comment and let us know!

Follow Sal on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast intro music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.
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Blake’s Takes: Drew Doughty is Back and Happy One-Year!

This week marks my 52nd week writing this column. Although I’ve been writing Blake’s Takes for a bit over a year, this felt like the perfect time to celebrate. I want to thank everyone who reads this column each week. I appreciate all of your support and I have really enjoyed the experience. A special thanks to my number-one fan, Aaron Walters, for all of the kind words. Here’s to another 52 weeks!

The NHL is buzzing right now and takes are easy to come by. For this week’s Blake’s Takes, you can expect a Jack Hughes update and additional Devils’ news. Also, I’ll feature one of the best rivalries in the sport that flared up over the weekend and highlight what could be this year’s best goal.

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Blake’s Takes: There’s a New Captain in Vancouver

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.

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Puck Junk Podcast: October 15, 2019

2019-20 Artifacts Hockey Cards

In today’s episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal and Tim discuss the new 2019-20 Artifacts Hockey set. Tim also talks about his failed attempt to buy the new Score Hockey cards. Plus, Sal speaks with Tony Siriani, a product manager for Upper Deck who works on the annual Artifacts set.

Did you enjoy this podcast? Is there a topic you would like us to talk about in an upcoming episode of the Puck Junk Podcast? Leave a comment and let us know!

Follow Sal on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast intro music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.
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Puck Junk Podcast: Hockey Card Sets We Want to See Return

Episode #27 – October 8, 2019

In this episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal and Tim talk about hockey card sets that they want to see return. Plus, talk about the new Topps NOW stickers and Leaf Superlative sets for 2019-20, as well as some hockey memorabilia items that went for crazy prices on eBay. This podcast is 1 hour and 18 minutes long because we love talking about hockey cards.

Hopefully, you like listening to us talking about hockey cards, too. If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a comment and let us know.

Follow Sal on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast intro music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.
Like this podcast? Support the site and buy a shirt

Rookie Cards of Every NHL Head Coach for the 2019-20 Season

Some NHL head coaches had long careers in the NHL, instantly giving them credibility to the players that they mentor. Other NHL head coaches got nowhere near an NHL rink during their playing days, but worked hard and finally ended up in “The Show” behind the bench.

Regardless of their path, it is always fun to see what an NHL head coach looked like during their playing days. So, for a third year in a row, I’ve dug up a rookie card for each and every NHL head coach. For you non-collectors out there, a “rookie card” is usually understood to mean a player’s first card in a mainstream set, like Topps, O-Pee-Chee or Upper Deck, among others.

However, because many NHL head coaches never actually played in the NHL — or if they did, it was only for just a few games — they never got an official rookie card. In their cases, I decided to share those coaches’ earliest-known trading card — even if it was from a minor league or junior league team.

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The Best 2019-20 NHL Game-Night Giveaway Items

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 mad that I didn’t think of it first. The Chicago Blackhawks will give out Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome salt and pepper shakers, while the Red Wings are giving out nesting dolls. The San Jose Sharks are giving away a badass 3-D sculpture of their secondary logo (shown above).

Surprisingly, only nine teams are giving away bobblehead figures. Perhaps last year’s Joe Thornton bobblehead that was missing a chunk of its beard made most other teams’ marking and PR people realize that they could never, ever top that — so why even try? That didn’t stop some teams from trying, though. The Blackhawks and Nashville Predators are each giving away six bobbleheads over the course of the season. The New Jersey Devils will give out a bobblehead of P.K. Subbam as “The Subbinator,” while the Anaheim Ducks will give away a John Gibson “bobble legs” figure.

Here is a list of the coolest giveaway items from each NHL team. I’ve skipped the mundane stuff like t-shirts and hats instead focusing on items that are collectible or kitschy.

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Blake’s Takes: No More Bran Muffins

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 find out why this week’s set of takes is about muffins.

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Puck Junk Podcast: September 30, 2019

2019-20 Upper Deck MVP Hockey Cards

(Player not working? Listen to the Puck Junk Podcast on SoundCloud.)

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK! OK, maybe you can call it a comeback. It’s the long-awaited return of the Puck Junk Podcast, with your hosts Sal Barry and Tim Parish. In this episode, Sal and Tim talk about the 2019-20 Upper Deck MVP Hockey Card Set, the end of Panini Hockey Stickers, the upcoming Topps Hockey Sticker Set, and more. Play time is 1 hour 5 minutes, so get comfy before pressing that play button.

And if you enjoyed this podcast, leave a comment and let us know!

Follow Sal on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast intro music by Jim “Not the Goalie” Howard.
Like this podcast? Support the site and buy a shirt

Blake’s Takes: The Dominos Continue to Fall

The dominos continue to drop around the league as another few RFAs finally broke their respective stalemates. I’ll give my takes on those deals, the great, the good, and the decent. There was also some huge news that could prevent another lockout. The NHL offseason is exciting once again!

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