The Russian 3

Back in 1992 the NHL was an explosive and exciting league and offensive numbers were high and no one was aware of the decline that was eventually to follow. Selanne and Mogilny tied for the most goals in the league with 76 and 14 players in total would score 50 goals that season. Mario Lemieux had an amazing 69 goals in 60 games. If Mario played the full 84 games he may have scored 96 but fact of the matter is streaks and slumps happen but I do believe he might have scored 90 that year.

What was equally exciting was the promise of all the young stars in the league and in particular Fedorov, Mogilny and Bure. Fedorov was coming into his own setting a career high in goals (34) and points (87) while just playing 73 games. Mogilny as previously mentioned scored a career high 76 goals and 127 points. Meanwhile, Bure scored his first of consecutive 60 goal seasons and he would flirt with that total a few more times in his short career.

Having lived through this golden age of hockey I have always been interested and enamored with these three superstars and hope all three make the Hall of Fame some day. As a result I was pleased to land all three in autograph form. What is another cool tie is all three have their rookie cards in Upper Decks 1990-91 release where Bure and Fedorov were listed as Young Guns. However, Mogilny had already played an NHL season with the Sabres so he didn't get the same cardboard treatment but nevertheless is a rookie in the set. Seeing these cards as a kid and wanting to pull them out of every pack I believe only adds to my nostalgia with these three players. So here are their autos, please enjoy!

2015 Leaf Signature Series MVPs Sergei Fedorov Auto

Unlicensed products can really be amazing or really awful. What Dr. Price and ITG accomplished in their over 10 years of making products like Heroes and Prospects and others must be acknowledged. I believe ITG was a fantastic company that did quite a bit with very little and pushed other companies to step up their game and use their licensing to it's fullest. Since the buy out, Leaf has tried to continue the trend but to be honest with you I really can't comment on the product as I don't really own many pieces or have tried purchasing any packs or boxes. I do own a couple singles with the being one of them and I like the card and feel that it's a good product. Given collector's hesitation towards this product, secondary market prices are low and this card was had for a very good price (about half book value).

95-96 Be A Player Global Training Alexander Mogilny Auto

The second auto of my trio is a card from the mid-90's. If I have one regret it wasn't loading up on boxes of this stuff once upon a time. With that however, who would have known that little from this era would have been very desirable. Even over time lots of the auto stuff has diminished to very affordable prices too and this potential HOF on card auto was a very affordable 10 dollars.


99-00 Upper Deck Retro Inkredible Pavel Bure

Despite Mogilny's 76 goal season and 473 career goals in less than a 1000 games, most would probably name Pavel Bure as the best goal scorer in the bunch. Personally I do consider him and Alex equals in those regards but with that being said, Bure was the most explosive of the three. Hard to say what may have happened if he didn't have all those injuries (how many times have we said that about a player) but two 60 goal seasons and a couple near misses showed everyone what he was capable of accomplishing. I love this card and the large and prominent auto. Florida isn't how I'd like to remember him but nevertheless this was a pleasure to add to the collection.

Do you have any memories of these three lighting it up? Would you have a preference of one over another on your team? If I could pick one it would be Sergei because he was the most complete but if I had just one game to play, Bure in his prime would be pretty awesome too. Thankfully the Devils did have Mogilny and we do have a Cup to show for his efforts! Thanks for stopping by!

A nice little haul from my buddy Dave.

Sometimes just adding simple cards to your collection can be almost as fun as landing a huge card. Here are a few little fun ones I added early this summer from my buddy Dave. Dave sometimes trades and sometimes sells these were all added for under 2 bucks a piece.

13/14 Artifacts Autofacts Tuomo Ruutu

 I try to get autos of Devils players past and present no matter how long their stay is. Looks like Tuomo will be a mainstay on the 4th line and so far he has played very well for us. Interesting auto to say the least, but I do like he numbers his signature.

12/13 Panini Classics Derian Hatcher Auto

When I first got into watching hockey and collecting cards both Kevin and Derian Hatcher were beasts. Kevin was the older brother and he had a great start to his career setting up high expectations for Derian. While Kevin was by far the more offensive d-man, Derian had himself a very good career too including a Stanley Cup in 1999 and an induction into the American Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010. While I don't think either Hatcher will make it into the HHOF, I do believe both brothers had amazing careers that most can only dream of.


13/14 Score Mason Raymond Auto

I have been a fan of this kid for a while. Great player and now with the Flames he should get a chance to play regularly on the top line and I wouldn't be surprised if he hits 25-30 goals this year if he stay healthy.


11/12 Panini Certified Gold Brad Richards Auto /25

I have been a fan of Brad's for a very long time. Sadly his career hasn't been as consistent as I hoped but like a few on the NHL greats, when the game is on the line and it is the post-season, no matter how bad his regular season was, you want him on the ice. Brad is a winner and so is this card. It was without a doubt the centerpiece of this lot. There was also one more card but it is already destined to go somewhere else so I want to leave it as a surprise and hopefully the next recipient enjoys it as much as I was going to. 

Cheap Chiros Part 4

Okie dokie, lets put an end to this series and move on to other things right? In all honesty, I actually had fun spreading this one out and this last batch are some of my favourites....

11-12 Panini Limited Calvin de Haan Rookie Auto /299

Calvin is another defenseman and another former Team Canada junior, seems to be the theme huh? Came out a little blurry, likely because of the top loader and the face the auto wasn't touching the surface of the scanner because it is a recessed swatch. Really happy to get this one that is for sure!

11-12 Panini Limited John Moore Auto /299

Like Dalpe, I seem to be the leader in the unofficial John Moore fan club. This is a another nice example of Panini Limited and a pretty nice looking auto. If he ever hits it big so do I....John may not have the offensive potential of de Haan, but I think he could be a soild rear guard in the future.

10-11 Luxury Suite Brad Mills Rookie Auto /499

Brad came up briefly for a cup with the Devils and has moved on to the Rockford Ice Hogs where he will try and crack a tough Blackhawks lineup.

10-11 Luxury Suite Nick Palmieri Rookie Auto /499

I loved Nicky! He went from being first-line winger to trade bait over night and is now with the Whale in the AHL (Rangers) and may  be as far from the NHL as he was in high school. I hope he does get back and play in the big league, but I think he will need some luck there.

11-12 Upper Deck World of Sports Billy Smith Auto

Here is the grand finale and HOF'er I promised. I actually found this lot deal doing a season on a Billy Smith auto. I am a little sad there is no photo of him on this product, and I really don't know why. However, the auto is a pretty solid one which is easy to read and features his number 31 tucked away in the S curl.

There you have it, you survived the long series of posts and I am proud to say the whole lot ran me about 2 bucks a card believe it or not. Some you might say aren't worth the cost while others are. I believe they are all awesome and worth every penny and more. One day I will get around to sharing the 67 autos I bought in the summer for a paltry 25 bucks with shipping, but that is indeed for another day.

Cheap Chiros Part 3

Here is part three....some pretty solid autos which really helped me decide to go after the lot purchase. Almost all of these autos are new to my collection which is a nice bonus.

09-10 BAP Chris Campoli Auto

I best remember Chris as a Senator. He currently is over seas I believe playing for Biel in the Swiss league.


09-10 BAP Cody Franson Auto

Cody was a fairly hyped prospect and former World Junior for Team Canada. Took some time to adapt to the NHL level, but seems to be doing very fine with the Leafs right now and has 11 points in 15 games.

09-10 BAP Ron Hainsey Auto

Until I saw this card, I had NO IDEA he was an alternate captain in the NHL. Crazy huh?

11-12 Black Diamond Gemography Matt Halischuk Auto

Black Diamond is notoriously skimpy on the autos so seeing this one had me interested. Seeing Matt Halischuk made it a slam dunk. I still love this kid even if he isn't a Devil anymore, but his NHL potential appears to be more suited for the third or fourth line which does sadden me a little.

07-08 BAP Signatures Double Jokinen/Bouwmeester

JayBo and Joker....Both came to Calgary, both disappointed. Truth is they both really hit their stride with the Panthers and are still good players in their own right, but clearly were optimized by the sunshine!

09-10 BAP Mason Raymond Auto

I like this kid a fair bit, could even be my favourite current Canuck not named Booth. However, after a break out year in 09-10 which saw him pot 25 goals, I suspect many Canuck fans are hoping those days will come back soon.

Well there you go 7 more autos on 6 cards. I hope to put this series of posts out of their misery with my next post. I promise a HOF'er and some more reasons why I chased this lot!

Long over due contest thanks to Drop The Gloves!

Here is another post that I have really been meaning to fire off, but alas no time and no life has been in the way.... When the Devils lost in the Cup final, Casey's contest at Drop The Gloves! ensured I wasn't a complete loser as my randomly assigned team was the LA Kings.

Here is my Kings ransom of loot and crown jewels! Thanks Casey.

07-08 SPX Jack Johnson Rookie /999

Remember back to 07-08 when Jack Johnson was the top hold-over rookie? Well his career hasn't quite taken off as some have predicted but he is a pretty good defenseman who missed out on a ring thanks to a trade with the Bluejackets.

10-11 Crown Royale Drew Doughty Auto /100

Here is someone who didn't miss out on his ring. Drew is a going to be a huge part of the 2014 Games if NHL'ers are allowed to participate and I do respect this guy's game.



Both of these guys are very welcome additions to my collection especially Doughty since this is my first auto of his and my Johnson is my first legit auto rookie of his. In addition to these two awesome cards, there were a pile of other rookies of current and former Kings including Jeff Carter, Brayden Schenn etc. So thank you very very much for helping me deal with a loss Casey....it did sting a tiny bit less knowing you were going to take care of me.

Super Amazing Trade with Casey from Drop The Gloves!

A few weeks back Casey from Drop The Gloves! Posted some sweet cards he wanted to trade/sell. Well, I should happen to have been in the market for a Milt Schmidt auto for quiet sometime, and I mostly blame it on Shane from Shoebox Legends, and primarily this particular post. 

Anyway, Milt is still alive and kicking, but I don't really own any cards of his that I would want to mail away and risk losing, and time isn't on my side these days in terms of prep, writing etc. so I really just wanted to buy one. Well, it turns out that Casey was looking to sell or trade just what I wanted so I contacted him and I got more than I bargained for! Casey didn't want to break the set apart and when I realized that the other two fellows in this threesome are deceased I knew I should just chase all three. 

The set itself was 5 cards, featuring three players and the book value on the set is 10 bucks according to the Beckett Bible. What I found interesting is the set, which was printed in '94 and was limited to 3000 copies WAS NOT RELEASED as an autographed set. So chances are, these three guys were there signing these autos in person. Of course, there is no way to know for sure because I didn't live in Waterloo until 1998, but knowing that all these guys were around in the area at that time and all three autos seem very legit and the Beckett lists this set I suspected these were legit.

So I made a trade offer or two and in the end we came up with something that could work! Here is the first half of the trade, these were the cards I was expecting.

Milt Schmidt signed this card in blue ink. Milt was by far the best player in the trio of cards and he was elected to the HOF in 1961. His pro career started in 1936 and he played for several seasons before going to war for his country. That cost him 4 seasons of pro hockey which I am sure was insignificant to him because of what he was fighting for. However, in spite of missing many prime years of his playing career, he put up some great numbers for the time period including 5 seasons where he was in the top 10 in scoring. Milt retired with 2 cups and 575 points which at the time was one of the highest in NHL history (Maurice Richard was the leader with 725 pts).

Woody Dumart signed his card in red ink. Woody is the other HOF'er in the group and like Milt played before and after the war. Like Milt he went away and fought for his country and like Milt he had won 2 cups and a variety of NHL honours. Woody unfortunately has already passed away so I knew this card was a must have because there aren't as many of his autos floating around on the open market.

Wilbert Dutch Hiller signed his card in black ink. Dutch was arguably the least successful of the three despite winning two cups of his own and playing a solid 9 seasons in the NHL. Dutch was never called to the HOF, but that doesn't make this card any less desirable, what I like about these three guys is they are all from a little part of Ontario called Kitchener-Waterloo where I spent many happy years in University there. These are three guys who have tasted NHL success and lived long and healthy lives. Unfortunately Dutch has also passed away, but I really appreciate Casey giving me a change to obtain one auto I have wanted for a while and two other autos that I know I could never get through a TTM.

Also, don't forget this is only the first half, the second half of the trade is equally awesome because these cards came unexpectedly!