Tag: 2020-21

Puck Junk Podcast: Hockey for the Holidays

Episode #79: December 23, 2020

In our second holiday-themed episode of the Puck Junk Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish share stories — their own and those submitted by listeners — about getting hockey-related items for Christmas. Karine Hains, Canadiens beat writer for HockeyBuzz.com, joins the guys to tell her tale of an awesome hockey gift she received in 1990. Sal and Tim also talk about the upcoming 2021 NHL season and the fake Alexis Lafreniere hockey cards being sold on eBay. 

Thanks to everyone who shared their stories. Scroll down for pictures of some of these great hockey presents. 

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Karine Hains’ Montreal Canadiens blog (HockeyBuzz.com)
Karine Hains on Twitter (@KarineGHG)
2021 World Junior Championships (website)
President’s Choice Trading Cards (website)
Quebec Police Investigating Fake Lafreniere Cards (Sports Collectors Daily)
Heroes of the Crease Goaltending Museum & Memorabilia (website)
Puck Junk Facebook Group (Facebook)
Listen to the full New York Islanders Christmas Album (Puck Junk) 
More info about this podcast episode’s cover image (Puck Junk) 
Here is last year’s hockey/holiday themed podcast (Puck Junk)

The fake Alexis Lafreniere Quebec Pee-Wee Tournament hockey card.

Some of the gifts that our listeners have gotten over the years:

The Wayne Gretzky table hockey game.

Many years after Aaron Nelson got the Gretzky Table Hockey Game for Christmas, he started a table hockey club at the school he teaches at. 

Nick Wiseman received this Ducks photo signed by the entire team. 

Glenn S., who plays goalie, got this awesome-looking goalie lamp. 

Tyler Tenneson received a puck signed by Mats Zuccarello (top left corner) from his wife as a present one Christmas. 

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk.
Follow Tim Parish on Twitter @TheRealDFG.
Podcast intro & ending music for this episode is from the New York Islanders Christmas Album, entitled “Home for the Holidays” and released in 1979.

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. ■

Blake’s Takes: NHL Season to Start January 13th

Last week was an important one in the NHL. We’re inching closer to officially starting the 2020-21 season with a start date and number of games announced. I’ll give my two cents about a new type of advertisement that is rumored to happen this season. Also, I’ll look into some tough news for a few fan-favorites and one of the weirder announcements of the week. Happy Monday!

Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: NHL Season to Start January 13th”

Puck Junk Podcast: Interview: Brian Slagel, CEO of Metal Blade Records & Hockey Jersey Collector 

Episode #78: December 17, 2020

In this special episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast, Sal Barry and Tim Parish are joined by Brian Slagel, the CEO of Metal Blade Records. Brian launched the careers of heavy metal bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Overkill, Fates Warning, GWAR and many more. He is also a longtime hockey fan who owns over 800 game-worn hockey jerseys. Brian talks about what it was like going to L.A. Kings games before and during the “Gretzky Era,” tracking down-hard-to-find jerseys and how he gave Metallica their first big break. If you like hockey and metal, you’re going to love this episode.

Show Notes, Links and Images:
Metal Blade Records Website (link)
Brian Slagel on Twitter (@brianslagel)
Brian Slagel’s jersey collection (YouTube)
Brian Slagel talks hockey & metal  (YouTube)
“Raining Blood” by Slayer (YouTube)
“Seek and Destroy” by Metallica (YouTube)
“Name” by Goo Goo Dolls (YouTube)
Mike McKenna hockey stats (HockeyDB)
Jacques Mailhot hockey stats (HockeyDB)
Cody Glass hockey stats (HockeyDB)
The college player that Brian talks about is Owen Power (Michigan Hockey)
Austin IceBats logo (SportsLogos.net)

Brian shared some pictures of his jersey collection: 

Brian Slagel (left), with former NHL goalie Mike McKenna, showing off a rare Tuscon Scorch jersey. The Scorch folded before playing in any games. 

Brian Slagel’s jersey collection consists of about 800 game-worn jerseys and 1,200 additional rare and/or autographed jerseys. 

Special edition “Metal Blade Records” San Antonio Rampage jerseys. 

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 Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn 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. ■

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 Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn 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 Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Podchaser, PocketCasts, Castbox , Castro,
Overcast, TuneIn 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. ■