Hockey cards, collectibles and culture
Chicago Blackhawks legend Tony Esposito passed away on Tuesday at the age of 78. Like practically every other hockey fan, I had no idea that he was ill. And like the rest of the hockey world, I was shocked, surprised, and saddened by the loss of the man known as Tony-O.
This week’s main headline is Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild’s contractual stalemate. Will the Russian phenom really return to the KHL? I’ll add my two cents this week on the matter.
I’ll also continue catching up on a few of the major trades and acquisitions from the last few weeks.
Have a great Tuesday!
The second wave of offseason craziness was just as hectic as the first. Massive contracts were signed across the league. There were also a few blockbuster trades that involved the games’ best players.
In this week’s column, I’ll give my two cents on some of my favorite transactions from the last week or so. I’ll also talk about some of my favorite puck junk I acquired over the last week.
Happy Monday!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Offseason Madness Continues”
Sal Barry and Tim Parish talk about longtime Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith getting traded to the Edmonton Oilers, and give their opinions about the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, Vladimir Tarasenko wanting out of St. Louis, and the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft. Then they shift their focus to trading cards and discuss National Hockey Card Day, Upper Deck Extended Series Hockey, and the upcoming National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago. It’s an hour-forty of hockey goodness.
Show Notes, Links, and Images:
Oilers acquire star defenseman Duncan Keith from Blackhawks (ESPN)
What Haters Get Wrong about the Vegas Golden Knights (Puck Junk)
Topps Now Hockey Sticker print runs (Topps)
National Hockey Card Day images and retailer list (Upper Deck)
National Hockey Card Day trade group (Facebook)
National Sports Collectors Convention website
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. ■
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.
This was an action-packed week in hockey. Two notable players decided to retire, which was sad. However, we did see a milestone from a veteran and a first goal by a rookie. As usual, I’ll highlight one of my favorite plays from last week, provided by one of our usual suspects.
Happy Monday!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: 2 Goals, 2 Retirements and a Milestone”
This week was fun to write about. The big news was that the NHL and ESPN agreed to a new broadcast deal bringing NHL games back to ESPN. In addition to my take on the new broadcast deal, I’ll weigh in on a contract that I predicted a few years ago, as well as my all-time favorite hockey/music collaboration.
Happy Monday!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: The NHL Partners with ESPN for New TV Rights”
Is New York Rangers rookie and first-overall draft pick Alexis Lafreniere living up to his hobby hype? That is the big topic for this week’s episode of the Puck Junk Hockey Podcast. Sal Barry and Tim Parish discuss all things Alexis, plus the PSA price increases, new card releases and the upcoming National Sports Collectors Convention. The guys also discuss Keith Yandle, Brent Seabrook, Darryl Sutter, Walter Gretzky and Mark Pavelich.
Show Notes, Links and Images:
Keith Yandle plays 1000th game (NHL.com)
Walter Gretzky, Father of Wayne Gretzky, Passes Away (ESPN)
Mark Pavelich, Member of “Miracle on Ice”, Found Dead (ESPN)
Barry Beck Blasts Rangers, John Davidson on Facebook (Facebook)
Brent Seabrook Announces Retirement After 15 Seasons (NHL.com)
Calgary Flames Re-Hire Darryl Sutter as Coach (Yahoo)
Upper Deck e-Pack Commercial (iSpot.tv)
Topps Now NHL Sticker Archive (Topps)
President’s Choice Trading Cards Vintage PaperCuts (President’s Choice)
2016 Leaf Jack Eichel Box Set Review (Puck Junk)
41st National Sports Collectors Convention Announcement (Facebook)
2020-21 Parkhurst Hockey Info and Checklist (Beckett)
PSA Raises Prices, Suspends Crossover Service (Sports Collectors Daily)
Woman arrested for Fake Alexis Lafrenière cards (Montreal Gazette)
2020-21 Alexis Lafreniere Collection Boxed Set (Cardboard Connection)
Upper Deck Alexis Lafreniere Memorabilia Collection (Upper Deck Store)
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 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. ■
Another exciting week in the NHL. Unfortunately, there was some sad news as Brent Seabrook decided to retire due to injury. I’ll provide some context and honor him as he deserves to be honred. I’ll also touch on a few other important honors as well as a horribly tone-deaf coaching hire.
Happy Monday!
Continue reading “Blake’s Takes: Brent Seabrook Hangs Up the Skates”
Last week was an eventful one in the NHL. The only hard thing for me to do was to chose which five topics I wanted to cover. I tried my best to touch on a variety of things. Perhaps the two most important stories were Patrick Kane scoring his 400th career goal and the drama surrounding Artemi Panarin.
Happy Monday!