Top 30 NHL Players of All-time: #27

So what you don't know is this is round 2 of this post. As a flash back to the early days of this blog, Blogger decided to vomit out my post when I hit published and dismiss all my supposed "save" that were automatically done while creating it. Now that I have that out of the way, I am also willing to bet a number of you know who is next on the list based on their similarities to #28. Joe Sakic.

#27. Joe Sakic. Quintuple gold medal club (WC, WJHC, 2 Cups, Olympic Gold and World Cup). He’d win a Hart, Pearson and Smythe trophies and be named to the All-Star team 3 times. His 1.19 PPG is 12th all-time which is impressive given the number of dead puck era seasons he played.

89-90 Topps Rookie

What I enjoy so much about the rookie card is you get a chance to see one of the few players who wore 88 for the Quebec Nordiques.

89-90 OPC Autographed Rookie

When you look at the careers of both Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman before retirement and after, there are so very many similarities for these two boys from British Columbia. Both lead struggling franchises to the promised land more than once as a Captain and with very similar career points per game numbers. 

What separated them for me and why Joe is 27th on my list goes down to the minor details. Truth is I'd love to have either of them as the centre-piece of my franchise and with the right tools you'd have a champion. Both wound up in the HOF and both won Cups, Smythes and other league awards. They'd even both win Pearson trophies but Sakic would also get a Hart. Yzerman would win a Selke but while you'd consider him the superior defensive talent between the two, it's worth even noting that Sakic also garnered Selke votes and finished second in Selke voting back in 2001.  

In the end it was a gut feeling and a stat that broke the tie for me. My gut feeling was if I had to pick one, I'd go with Sakic over Yzerman. Sakic was a slightly better producer in the postseason (greater than a PPG compared to Yzerman who was a little less than a PPG). Finally when you compare their career PPG in the regular season Sakic edges out Yzerman 1.19 to 1.16. That's how close they are, but when you consider the lean scoring years while in their prime Sakic had to endure and put these numbers that is saying something. 

According to hockey-reference their career numbers are close but the edge once again goes to Sakic with more points in less games based on career totals. Sakic has 1696 adjusted points to Yzerman's 1650 and when you consider Sakic played over 100 fewer games, Sakic gets the 27th spot.

Thanks for stopping by, I'll be along shortly with number 26. 

Top 30 NHL Players of All-Time: #28

The next two picks on my list were really really difficult to rank and I only knew they must be on my list. Many will think they need to be much higher and I probably agree with you. However, at the same time I feel they both may have been victims of just playing in an era with so many superstars.

#28. Steve Yzerman. Steve was a winner both individually and as a leader of a team. 3 Cups, Triple Gold Member and many other medals. He won the Selke, Pearson, Conn Smythe and Masterton showing he can do it all. Over 600 goals and 1700 points also prove his remarkable abilities. 


84-85 OPC Rookie

 How do you place someone so great on a list of other amazingly great players? I had a very difficult time with this. In the end I tried my best to weigh all factors. Offensively Steve was superb including a season I still am in awe (65 G, 90A, 155 PTS). For his career he's among all the elite (top 10 in all three offensive categories). As a leader he was also among the games best and perhaps as good as Messier if you ask me. Defensively, the man was top 5 in Selke voting 5 times and perhaps if underrated in any area it may be in this. He did an excellent job rounding out his game in the second half of his career earning him a spot among the greatest of the great and that's why he's 28th on my list.

So...why isn't he higher? One really surprising fact is Steve only was ever named to the year end AS teams once. I know guys like Wayne and Mario made it difficult for him to get the recognition he deserved but in the end I had to place him here and I hope to prove myself in the coming posts.

Thanks for stopping by, #27 is every bit as good as #28.

Top 30 NHL Players of All-Time: #29

Next up on the list and perhaps you may begin to get a sense of what I value or may not value from a player.

#29. Brett Hull. The Golden Brett lead the NHL in goals 3 times including an amazing 86 goal season. He was the 1991 Hart Trophy winner and he’s a 3x All-Star. One of the best pure goal scorers who was an underrated passer. 741 career goals and one of the most infamous Cup goals.

88-89 OPC Rookie

10-11 Limited Auto /49

What is the greatest single NHL season goal total? Many including myself would say it is Wayne's 92 goal season. That number was insane and to this day has never been broken. However, what would happen if you gave Joe Malone an 80 game season back in 1917-18? Would he have scored more? He did have 44 goals in just 20 games. However each era needs to be measured with a slightly different yard stick. Some statisticians try and do that by normalizing game numbers, average offensive output etc. When you take the approach that Hockey Reference does, you'd learn the greatest season is Brett Hull's 86 goal season in 90-91. 90-91 Wasn't as offensively open as some seasons in the 80's and more offensive than anything in the past 20 years but his numbers would normalize to a 78 goal season which is the highest by 6 goals over Ovi's normalized 72 goal season in 07-08. 

Hull was a monster when he played much like his father and he was indeed an excellent passer and decent all-round player who'd end up on some Selke ballots in 02-03. Brett lead the NHL in goals 3 times and is 8th in goals per game all-time as well. 

Personally I like him higher than Dionne as if I needed one more spot to fill a one game win all line-up, Hull is that difference maker who could take over a game or seal the deal on the PP. However, he did have his weaknesses too and as a result isn't higher on my list as well. 

Thanks for stopping by, #28 is coming next. 

Top 30 NHL Players of All-Time: #30

For the past couple years, a friend of mine and I have spent lots of time making lists. We both really enjoy reading them which in turn awakes a challenge of making one yourself. The lists have varied from movies to music to sports. I am going to share some of my results on here starting with my current one, The Top 30 NHL Players of All-Time.

For this list, I made my rankings based on a number of factors and a primary focus of wanting to look back on my list in 5 years and feel it still has held up well. However, given stars like McDavid, Matthews, Kucherov and others, their impacts have been huge thus far but too small a sample size to ASSUME they will remain healthy and on the same projection they currently are on. I have also included cards from my collection to make this fun for myself. In addition, I've been sharing my list on Twitter which I have included what I have already said but have been able to add a little more insight on here because I am not faced with character restrictions.

If a player made the NHL they were eligible for the list and I also included their international resume as well so that I was comparing complete careers as a whole.

#30. Marcel Dionne. Marcel didn’t accomplish as much as most HOFers in terms of awards but he did pile up stats galore. Marcel averaged the 5th most PPG (1.31) in NHL history and was a 4 time all-star. In 18 years he’d only play 49 playoff games but he’d have 45 points there.

1971-72 OPC Rookie

1992-93 OPC Alternate Rookie Autographed

When I started my list I had a larger list of players who I felt would make a case to make the top 30. Some spots were easier than others but where you make a "cut-off" is both difficult and important as you are saying this in the minimum of what it would take to make your list. Yes Dionne's resume is not as great as others but hockey is a team sport and it speaks as much about him as it does as his circumstances.

I can't imagine leaving someone who had scored 731 regular season goals and 1771 points off my list. Marcel would top 100 points 8 times in his career, 5 times of those placed him in the top 3 in the league. Internationally Marcel would represent Canada a number of times and put up very respectable numbers on those occasions. For his efforts he'd win a Canada Cup in 1976 and three bronze medals at the World Hockey Championship at a time when Canada didn't send their best and Russia had a pro team participating.

Why isn't he higher? To be honest, he has done nothing wrong in his career but hasn't done enough to separate himself from the players above. Still I have him ranked higher than Joe Thornton, Guy Lafleur, Sergei Fedorov and many other HOFers. I believe that Marcel is a player who was excellent in a time when the league was rough and if you moved him to any other era he would have been just as successful individually as he was in his career.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there.

18-19 Upper Deck SP Evan Bouchard /25

Despite my previous post about the gamble with opening product, the truth is I still buy the odd pack here or there but much of what you will see has occurred over the past year and a half (and at a rate significantly less that I have at any point in my life). If I do buy a product it's usually where the cost is low or the promise of reward is congruent with my beliefs. One product that came out at the end of last year was Upper Deck SP. Not to be confused with SP Authentic.

The analogy that I will use is think of SP Authentic as Coca-Cola or Pepsi. It's the name brand flashy version of soda and SP is the RC Cola or Great Value version. Both have their markets and I personally think both are great. However, SP Authentic carries a pretty high pack and box price where SP can be had for much less. SP delivers some neat rookies and rookie parallels and offers a nice bang for your buck which had me drawn in. While they don't have the resale value of SP Authentic's Future Watch, I personally wasn't buying packs for that.

I bought a couple packs from my local Walmart and was fortunate to his this card:

18-19 Upper Deck SP Evan Bouchard Rookie Authentics /25

Simple SP Authentic inspired design here, sticker auto which is a detractor for some but not me. It's very low print run is one think all people can get behind. 

I love the back. Stats, vitals and a guarantee. Can't ask for much more.

Evan Bouchard was drafted 10th overall in 2018 and is considered a blue-chip prospect. He put together an excellent junior career playing for the juggernaut London Knights in the OHL and you can see his second last season on the back of this card. He'd return for more "seasoning" where he'd score 53 points in 45 games and another 21 points in 11 playoff games and another 8 points in 8 playoff games with the Condors. This past season he played all his games in the AHL and has put up a very respectable 36 points in 54 games which is good enough for a tie for second in team scoring and tops among their d-men.

This success is far from a given as many players who have done well in junior have had trouble translating it to NHL success, especially when a player has benefitted from other talent on the team. For example, Aaron Berisha scored 45 goals one season with the Knights (good enough for second just behind Christian Dvorak) would never get drafted, play university hockey in Canada before heading to Austria.

When it comes to Evan, I think he will make it to the point he will be an NHL player for good and a good one at that. He has the potential to be the best defenseman on the Oilers or at the best least their go-to offensive defenseman. When you add him with the weapons they already possess you get the feeling they could be as good as Sid, Gino and Letang were and still are. Time will tell but I do feel good about this prediction. Thanks for stopping by and see you next post.

In The Game Really Had Game

Since 1910 hockey cards have existed in many different configurations and the evolution over the past 110 years has shown collectors many advancements. Are those advancements good ones? Since 2000 when In The Game made history but cutting up history for their 2000-01 Be A Player Memorabilia Set collectors and fans have had mixed feelings. As a whole, I'd say it has been positive as many more sets would feature "memorabilia" pieces embedded in cards and there is a whole culture of collectors who live and breathe "APRs".

There has also been cards on CD, virtual cards and many other different iterations. Autographs on card, on sticker and even pieces of table clothes and banners from special NHL events. Personally, I like some of the changes but there are many I can live without. However, for ever fan out there who dislikes much of this stuff, there are others who use products like e-Pack all the time and strive to complete rainbows and chase "Bounties".

I have become disillusioned a bit by the many products that are out there today which really are just repeats of other ideas that were lukewarm received at best the first time. Is it laziness in companies like Upper Deck or is it just a case where collectors really only care about the top 5% players in the league and the rest are nothing more than just filler cards? Once upon a time the jersey card was a chase card which was the result of truly beating some incredible odds. Today even low production numbered jersey cards from high end products leave you with a card that may be worth no more than a couple bucks on the secondary market. Collecting isn't necessarily about the money but for a fan of someone like Duncan Keith, what motivation is there to drop 200 bucks on a box when you could just by that card for 5 bucks on eBay? The answer is simple, gambling. The hope you could land the $1000 autograph or rookie that box is potentially hiding.

As a person who has always loved vintage, this has just confirmed for me that vintage cards are one way to keep my passion going when it comes to the hobby and there really is no shortage of very cool and very fun vintage sets out there. However, not all modern cards are junk. I also have found myself appreciating the many cards that In The Game has put out over the years (specifically from 2000-2015). So today I am going to share one such card.

2009-2010 ITG Superlative Vol 2 Milt Schmidt Patch SP /15

The front of this card is what truly makes this a winner and for what the back is lacking in my opinion the front is making up for it. You get a good photo of Milt on the front and you are coupling it with an amazing patch which you can completely picture where it came from on his jersey. What you don't see is loads of foiling and modern embellishments which you get on many cards today. 

 Here is the back side of the card. Very plain and while I'd love to see something about Milt or at least some vitals, you are treated to a write up explaining what you are seeing on the front of the card. Try and find that on most modern cards today. I have both bought and pulled cards which did leave me puzzled wondering what article of clothing or gear was my "player worn" piece originated as when it was on the player.

As I finish up this post I want to make something very clear, I am not shitting on any one company or any one collector. If there is something out there you like/love, chase it, collect it and don't let the opinions of others diminish your enjoyment of that pursuit. For myself, I have changed over the past couple years and while I still appreciate the memorabilia card, the need to own 30-40 pieces of a single player definitely isn't there anymore. With that being said, please keep enjoying your finds and successes and I will continue to do so myself and share them on here.

Forgotten Records

If you were to ask the typical NHL fame, many would be able to tell you who has the NHL record for most points in a game. Darryl Sittler's magical night happened Feb 7th 1976 when he scored 10 points (6G, 4A) against the Bruins. Sure many have come close but no one, not even the Great One equalled this number.

In the AHL, the single game record has stood for so long even the Leafs have won a Cup or three since then. Art Stratton put up an impressive 9 assist performance on St. Patrick's Day 1963 against the lowly Pittsburgh Hornets. Despite his impressive point per game production (1.14 ppg) based on 766 points in 669 ganes, he'd never get much time in the NHL.

This takes us now to the WHA. The most point in a WHA game record belongs to Jim Harrison who matched Sittler with an amazing 10 point performance (3G, 7A) against the New York Raiders nearly three years before Sittler's 10 spot. Jim being no stranger to setting records apparently set a record (I discovered while researching background on this) he scored the fastest natural hattrick in WHL history scoring 3 goals in 24 seconds.

1970-71 OPC Jim Harrison RC

Jim would have a better NHL opportunity than Art Stratton as he'd see 324 games of NHL action compared to 232 WHA games. While his NHL production wouldn't match his WHA, he'd put up some fine numbers including a career high of 41 points in just 60 games with the Blackhawks during the 76/77 season.

What are some forgotten records that stand out to you?

Anyone interested in a box break?

Hey all! Like I have mentioned previous I have been very active on Twitter in lieu of posting on here which has been both good and bad. I am still working on balancing my time and efforts. One thing I have started on Twitter is organizing a box break. I have participated in the past with some of the ones my fellow bloggers have put on and it has always been lots of fun so I thought I would take a stab at one. Here are the products I am looking at breaking:

There are some beauties in there. Loads of great rookies and memorabilia cards to be had. I am asking $27 CDN a spot so if you want in, please just comment below and I will add you or send me an email. I have included the rules below and please don't hesitate to ask any questions.

90-91 Pro Set Mike Krushelnyski Error

If you were a hockey card collector in the early 90's there is a strong chance that you had a few Pro Set cards in your collection and if you collected any sport except baseball from the same time period the same probably could be said as well. Pro Set created sets for the NFL, NHL, PGA, NASCAR and even non-sports sets like Yo! MTV Raps.

Pro Set took all these licenses and approached their production with the more is more approach and thus earned the reputation as being the King (or Queen) (or Genderless leader) of the Junk Wax World. However, in this mass production, there are some gems to be found. If you haven't had the chance yet, please check out the latest issue of Beckett Hockey Monthly because there is a pretty cool article written by Sal from Puckjunk.com which showcases some of these rare gems. For me, one that I needed was this card and I'm glad I was able to add it to my collection.

Hard to think that a 7th year card of am NHL journeyman would be one of the more valuable cards created by any company from 1990-91. The error was likely easily spotted and fixed quickly which adds to the scarcity of the card and is why it's somewhat sought after. Perhaps it is time to comb through your old shoeboxes and bins for 90-91 Pro Set as you could be in possession of some diamonds in the rough. Thanks for stopping by, next post won't be Pro Set related I promise.

Hi Everybody! It isn't Dr. Nick...

Hey all, still not dead but somedays it probably felt like it. Truth is I am still around, I have been tweeting a bit lately and a bit during the summer and early fall. One of the reasons is it is just so easy to post and interact and it can be done anywhere. However, I am dedicated to start posting here, especially after a few years of limited posting and content. One project I do have on the go for all those who are into Twitter or Pro Set please check me out @ProSetCards.

I can't leave you hanging on here without posting something so here is a gem I found on COMC ages ago.


90-91 Upper Deck Sergei Fedorov Young Gun French

Once upon a time I remember when I was a kid and we had satellite tv there used to be these QVC-style sports card auction site/sales site. Usually it was just sales and my step-dad and I would watch it for hours. The guy pretty much always said (Neear-mint to Miiint). The grainy standard def broadcast of the early 90's wouldn't betray his analysis either. On this channel I saw Brett Hull OPC rookies selling for 150 dollars and this about card was pushing close to 100 dollars on some evenings. I paid $1.58. Money very well spent because I remember laying on the floor wishing I had that card because I thought someday it will be worth some serious money. Well turns out it isn't but the memories are priceless and that is the true value! Anyway, I hope this post finds you all well and I promise to be back in a day or two! Cheers.

Parade of 53-54 Parkhurst Day 6 - Bert Olmstead

Next up is Dirty Bertie. The one award that was always out of reach for Bert Olmstead was the Lady Byng and I am more than sure he was fine with that. Every team needs a little grit and sandpaper to win a championship and it was safe to say Bert provided that service for the Habs. Bert would win four Cups in his career with the Habs and one more with the Leafs before retiring from hockey. 

While Bert never lead the league in PIMs, he was never one to shy away from physicality or taking the occasional penalty. Bert was best known for being able to dish out hits with the best of them but he could also dish out passes and actually lead the league in assists in back to back seasons (1954-1956). 

1953-54 Parkhurst Bert Olmstead

Bert has great colour like the last couple cards but a few more creases and some rounded corners. Based on the look on his face and body language my best guess is he's dished the puck off and is about to be hit by another player.

Here is the back side of the card which points out that he was traded to Montreal from Detroit. What is most interesting is that trade occurred during the regular season but he would never actually play a game in Detroit. He would start that 1950-51 season in Chicago and would be traded to Detroit in Dec of 1950. Then got flipped to Montreal about 17 days later in the trade mentioned on the back of the card. The original trade from Chicago to Detroit saw Bert being traded with Vic Stasiuk for Lee Fogolin and Steve Black. What I find neat about that trade is both players going from Detroit to Chicago are from my hometown (Fort William which eventually becomes Thunder Bay). Needless to say the best piece of any of these trades was Bert and I am sure both the Hawks and Wings may have regretted those deals eventually.

Parade of 53-54 Parkhurst Day 5 - Eddie Sandford

Eddie Sandford is a player who I didn't know much about before doing this post but afterwards learned that it takes many players to make a team successful and sometimes the best one on the team are the most reliable ones and reliability is what Ed Sandford always brought to the table. 

Ed broke into the league in 47-48 at the age of 19 and would last 503 games and leave the NHL when he was 27. Each season he played except for one which saw him play just 10 games, Ed would score between 10-16 goals each and every year of his career. The highlight of his playing career would likely have been 1953 when he played in the Stanley Cup finals against the Canadiens. Ed had a career postseason which saw him score 8 goals in 8 games but unfortunately the Habs were just too much for the Bruins and they would win the series 4-1. 

Eddie would play another couple seasons and eventually hang up his skates after a season split between the Hawks and the Wings. Eddie would rejoin the Bruins and work for them in a variety of different capacities. 

1953-54 Parkhurst Eddie Sandford

This card is sharp! Maybe not the corners, but the colouring and lack of creases make it a great looking card. I also love the action shot and the inclusion of a couple other players and a few folks in the stands. This really is just one beautiful piece of cardboard in my eyes. 

Here is the backside. As you can see it is not the best centering but I assure you it is at least cut straight. My scanner and the penny sleeve the card is in created a bit of an optical illusion here. Thank you so much for stopping by! For all those out there who care, Happy Canada Day!

Parade of 53-54 Parkhurst Day 4 - Sid Smith

Growing up in Ontario and living in Canada the Maple Leafs have always been around me in terms of television, media and just general conversation. However given that I am a member of the under 40 years of age demographic, the 1993 season was probably their best year and best chance to win the Cup since I have been alive. What I find neat is when I collect and complete older sets is imagining how different the world was at that time (when the Leafs were on top). 

This brings us to Day 3 and Mr. Sid Smith. Sid won three Cups with the Leafs with the last one being in 1951 which was a couple of seasons before this card was printed. If the Conn Smythe Trophy existed back in 1951 Sid would likely have been a finalist. Sid was the Leafs leading goal scorer during that playoff run and finished one goal behind the Rocket who had 8. Max Bentley lead the team in points and playoffs in points with 13 just 3 ahead of Sid Smith. 

Sid was a very good player during his time in the league and arguably would make the Hall of Very Good if one existed. He scored 20 or more goals six times in his career and finished in the top 10 in scoring three times. His best season was when they won the Cup in 50-51 when he finished with 30 goals and 51 points. Sid would eventually leave the NHL and move to the Ontario Senior league but before he hung up his skates for good he helped lead Team Canada to a Gold Medal a the 1958 World Hockey Championships were he'd score 9 goals and 14 points in 7 games. 

1953-54 Parkhurst Sid Smith

As you can see from the front, the card is a bit worn but what is very great is the colouring on the front still looks like it might have when it emerged from the pack 64 years ago. A few creases and rounded corners indicate it was probably played with a bit before it when into a box somewhere for a long period of time.

Here's the back side of the card. As you can read he was definitely a contender each season for the Lady Byng and would actually win twice in his career. Sid would also finish in the top five in voting for the award another four times.

Well thanks for stopping by, only a few more to go in this parade before I get a chance to update and share some other cards from my collection.

Parade of 53-54 Parkhurst Day 3 - Dave Creighton

Next up in the parade is Dave Creighton. Much like one of my heroes Alex Delvecchio, Dave was born in what would be known today as Thunder Bay. Dave would be born on the Port Arthur side rather than the Fort William which means little today but back in the day I am sure there would have been a little rivalry. 

Dave had a very respectable NHL career playing in over 600 games over the course of 12 years. His best offensive season was in 57-58 when he scored 52 points in 70 games. Dave would also score 20 goals twice and had over 15 goals in 6 different seasons and finish with 140 goals and 314 points in his career. Dave never won the Stanley Cup but did play for it in 52-53 when the Bruins lost to the Habs 4 games to 1. Dave did have one other accomplishment and that was he was a father to a former NHLer Adam Creighton. 

53-54 Parkhurst Dave Creighton

Here is the front side of the card. While Dave had been in the league for a few years, this is only his second NHL card with the first being from the previous 52-53 seasons. This card features a neat action shot where you can almost see the whole puck as it arrives on his stick (or just left his stick).

Here is the back side of the card. Much like the front, it has been well loved and handled but still in acceptable shape despite the mis-cut.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to continue the parade over the next couple days!

Parade of 53-54 Parkhurst Day 2 - Jimmy Thomson

Day two and the parade continues! This time we have a stop in Toronto with card number 8 which features NHL legend and player's advocate Jimmy Thomson.

53-54 Parkhurst Jimmy Thomson

I really like this card for a few reasons. First off like his rookie card, it clearly demonstrates an action photo which was translated into a piece of art. Second of all, look at his face, the detail and concentration also indicate this isn't just a posed shot. 

Another thing I love about this card is the write-up on the back. Just take a moment to read through it! I am sure the same thing popped out to you as it did me. In all just a pretty cool piece of NHL cardboard.

Jimmy was an excellent and reliable NHL player who spent 13 seasons in the NHL and from the sounds of things could have played longer if not for some issues with Conn Smythe and Jimmy's desire to start a player's union. During his playing career Jimmy would win the Memorial Cup and 4 Stanley Cups. In addition to these team accomplishments, he would also be named to the NHL second all-star team twice. Sadly Jimmy did pass away back in 1991 but his legacy in the NHLPA will live on in his honour.

Parade of 53-54 Parkhurst Day 1 - Bill Dineen

It's been a few years since I have last updated my progress on the 53-54 Parkhurst set. I have added a few more since that time and thought I would share them all in a parade of Parkhurst cards. When I last took count I believe I was at 24 based on my previous post and I will have that number over 30 by the end of it all so please enjoy the next few posts!

53-54 Parkhurst Bill Dineen UER RC

I know what you're thinking, it says Al Arbour on here and you are correct. The Hall of Fame head coach has an error of a RC. It seems Parkhurst put a picture on Bill Dineen on his card instead of Al and his very distinctive glasses. Al's pic does appear in the set but it's on card number 38 instead and it's on Bill Dineen's card. Based on the Beckett and collectors in general despite this card stating everything about Al Arbour, it's considered to be Bill Dineen's rookie.

Here is the back side of the card which again talks about Al and his abilities with the puck. Bill started off in the NHL before eventually becoming an AHL star. Bill managed to hit double digits in goals 3 out of his 5 NHL seasons as a player. Bill Dineen was also a coach like Al and was also a successful coach like Al. Bill won two Avco Cups (WHA) and coached for a small period of time in the AHL and NHL. Bill did have a couple sons who would go on to play in the NHL most notably Kevin Dineen who also like Al and his father Bill would spend time coaching in the AHL and NHL. Kevin currently is an assistant coach with the Blackhawks and Bill sadly passed away about two years ago. Bill was inducted into the WHA Hall of Fame in 2010 and will forever be the face of this "Alger Arbour" card.

Back with a line of Golden Misfits

Wow, that was far longer than it needed to be but time is one of those things that seem to fix all. I did a little networking tweek between my desktop and network and all is well again. So, the playoffs have been nearly as surprising as the regular season was to me and I think front and center is the Golden Misfits line in Vegas.

Center

William Karlsson

Poor Wild Bill has had to change locations a few times in the last 5 years. Since 2014 he has played for 6 different clubs but it is with Vegas he as truly found a home. Hard to believe he was once a Duck but it is true. He played 18 games with them scoring 2 goals and an assist during that time. Then during trade deadline 2015 he found himself shipped to Columbus as part of the failed James Wisniewski deal which was a disaster for Anaheim and James didn't even suit up for a single playoff game. After stealing him away from Anaheim, Columbus lost him in the expansion draft and the rest is history. 43 goals and 78 points in the regular season and 12 points in 13 playoff games mean Wild Bill is money! 

Above is the front and back of his Trilogy Rookie Premieres card. It is numbered to /225 and I landed it years ago in a lot deal. Might have paid 2-3 dollars a card at the time.

Right Wing

Reilly Smith

While William Karlsson was clearly the biggest surprise of the line, both the other two guys are players clearly showing they belong among the leagues elite and have put together a great season thus far. Reilly Smith had a great year finishing 4th in team scoring with 60 points but he did so only playing 67 games. Prorated you are looking at a player who would have had 73 points this year. Unlike Karlsson, Reilly has had some success in the past including two seasons where he broke 20 goals and he also hit at least 50 points. Reilly was a player who has done well but was more of a salary dump by the Panthers who felt they had loads of other young players set to get big pay days and needed the room. Good for a team with a need for talent and lots of cap space. 

Above is a Panini Prime Rookies parallel which is numbered to /50. I picked this one up after Reilly's first 20 goal season when he was with the Bruins. Reilly has technically been traded 3 times and wasn't an expansion pick up. He was traded out of Dallas as part of the Seguin trade. Then he was traded to Florida as part of a salary dump of Marc Savard and then he was traded to Vegas as a dump of his own salary (5 yr, 25 million) which as he current production is a great deal. This post season Smith has had 14 points in 13 games.

Left Wing

Jonathan Marchessault

Last one from the top line is my favourite player of the three and arguably maybe even the most talented. Originally Jonathan Audy-Marchessault, he was a player who played very well in the Q but always was deemed too small. However, he managed to score very well in the AHL as well but despite some excellent production (295 games, 254 points) he would only see 49 NHL contests between the Jackets and Lightning over three seasons. Caught deep in the depth chart meant he was expendable and the Panthers decided to give him a shot. A few injuries to the Panthers roster gave him some more ice time and he delivered scoring 30 goals with the Panthers last season. Seeing there was a looming salary cap issue (perhaps Luongo's crazy contract has lead to these issues) they didn't protect him and Vegas said thank you very much!

While technically his goal production was "down" this season, with just 27 goals instead of 30, his assists were up significantly as he managed to bump his career high from 51 points last year to 75 points this year. Above is his Select Auto Rookie which is numbered to /399. I landed this one from the LCS last year from pocket change (about 3 dollars) just as he was starting to heat up for the Panthers.

So time will when this Cinderella story will end and regardless of it's outcome I know this will be among one of the greatest stories in modern NHL history and we can certainly say the top line had much to do with the success Vegas has achieved.

What are your thoughts? Have you had a few of the Vegas players in your collection without realizing it? When do you think this season will end for them?

Will My Scanner Ever Get Fixed?

Well Gallant has lead his team to the conference finals and last night the Jets punched their tickets so on to the conference finals we go! My hobby fun has continued in my blogging absence with some great trades and pick ups.

However, since I upgraded my wifi network my scanner has not wanted to participate in the party. This isn't the first time I've encountered this issue, its just the first time I've had this problem and my solutions haven't worked. I will give it a proper college try this weekend and hopefully be back posting on Monday! Hope all are well in the blogging world and I look forward to being active soon.

In the interim, here is something in honour of the Jets making their first ever conference finals from my COMC account.

Will Gerard Gallant Ever Get Respect?

I think it is safe to say the answer to my question is yes when he hoists this year's Jack Adams Trophy as best coach. However, this has been a long time coming if you ask me and the number of times he's be slighted or over looked will probably make this seem that much more sweet too.

Even the hobby world hasn't been the kindest to poor Gerard. Let's look at his rookie card.

87-88 OPC Gerard Gerald Gallant Rookie

Well for starters Gerard apparently goes by Gerald for this particular season, I am sure it was a pretty simple misunderstanding given Gerald is likely a more common name than Gerard. Still its never nice to have your first hockey card ever with the wrong name on the front.

 When you flip it over there is more insult to injury. OPC/Topps consistently write his name as Gerald on the back too. Then you look to see it wasn't even his first NHL season. It took three years for Gerard to get a rookie card and in all fairness he put up some decent numbers in some of those seasons. Again, no respect for Gerard.

Once upon a time the 87-88 OPC set was a must have for all collectors. It was loaded with pretty talented and highly priced rookies and second year cards. Some of the notables were Luc Robitaille, Adam Oates, Ron Hextall, Mike Vernon and many many others. Patrick Roy's second year card also has a great deal of collector's attention and the book price was nearly 200 in the early 90's. Today the set can be had for about half that price and many of those rookies came down to earth thanks to the internet making transactions easier and cards more available and a decrease in demand. Still during all that time a Gerard Gallant rookie could be had for a handful of nickels. Gallant would go on and have a decent NHL career scoring 30+ goals 4 times and 200+ penalty min in those seasons which is a feat few have accomplished. A bad back would force him out of hockey until he'd come back as a coach.

Gerard would win two QMJHL championships as the coach of the Sea Dogs and then he would come to the NHL and get the Panthers back in the playoffs. After a rough start the Panthers gave up on poor Gerard and made some other strange strange from office moves. Then came along the Vegas Golden Knights. I almost think the lack of respect poor Gerard has had over the years made him a perfect choice to run the Island of Misfit Toys because this year has been like none other and I believe they could very well make it out of the first round in the playoffs. Regardless of what happens I believe Gallant is a huge factor and maybe a Jack Adams will help get some of that respect and people will know the name Gerard and not Gerald for good!

Despite this season's successes, you can still land a Gallant rc for a great deal. Currently the book price on Gallant is about $1.00 compared to Ulf Samuelsson's rookie from the same set which books for $6.00! Which of those would you rather in your collection or running your team?

Thanks for stopping by!

Back Checking - Sandis Ozolinsh

Wow, it's been ages since I have done some back checking, so here is one that hopefully will make you smile like it did for me!

About a year ago I was at the LCS and I found a box of 93-94 Upper Deck Series 1 and 2 there for 10 dollars a piece. Given I didn't ever complete either of these sets I decided it would be fun to buy them and break them.

The set as a whole is much like early Upper Deck sets, very well designed, good photography and a backside which featured a second photo and all the necessary stats and vitals.

93-94 Upper Deck Series 1 Wayne Gretzky #99

 Here is a good example. Great colour scheme and a fantastic action shot of the Great One.

 Here is the back side. A different game, same Wayne and all the stats for the past 5 years as well as career totals. Sadly one of those seasons is not like the other and we can all thank Gary Suter for that one.

93-94 Upper Deck Series 1 Sandis Ozolinsh #72

Much like the Gretzky, a pretty cool action shot here. Carrying the puck with his heads up and players behind him are on their feet! Then you flip the card over and I am honestly at a loss for words on this one:

Is that Ace Ventura?

Or perhaps it is his impersonation of SJ Sharkie? Either way, when I saw this side of the card I must admit it made me laugh and even now it's still funny and maybe one of the most memorable card backs I have ever come across. I do comment Upper Deck and Sandis on their creativity and while I must say my first thought was WTF, it's actually a fun card and collecting should be all about fun! What are your thoughts? Is this card a winner or a loser for you? Do you have any card backs that stand out as memorable to you?

Thanks for stopping by!