Mystery Pack, Mystery HHOFer?

  I had a great time at the Toronto Sportrscard Expo and I use that for material for future posts.  Another thing I try to do on my holidays is to hit the Dollar Stores and grab some mixed packs.  I usually stay strong and keep my spending restricted to the $1 mixed packs but every now and then I double down and get the $2 Surprise Box.

  The Surprise Box usually has 3-4 smaller packs of 4-5 cards, and sometimes a sealed pack of cards or supplies.  In this particular pack, it included a mixed pack that claimed  "1 Guaranteed Hall of Famer".  Perhaps you can check out the cards and help me find the Hall of Famer.

    Out of these five players, none are currently in the HHOF.  So who does Prestige consider a guaranteed HHOFer?  First off, we can eliminate Wayne Presley and Anatoli Semenov.  Presley, a one time 30 goal scorer, spent the majority of his career on the checking line and never won any awards.  Semenov didn't come to the NHL until he was 28 and proceeded to play for six teams in seven years.  Jonathan Quick has had a great start to his career, with a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe, but it is way too early to even think about Quick in the HHOF, let alone issue a guarantee.  Quick still needs several great years to get into the HHOF talk.  Remember how hot J.S. Giguere was at one time?
  Pat Verbeek scored 522 goals, good for 34th all-time.  Verbeek retired in 2002 and has yet to be elected to the HHOF.  Verbeek was never a dominant player during his era and accumulated his career totals while playing 1424 games over 20 seasons.
  That leaves Curtis Joseph.  Joseph retired in 2009 but was passed over in his first year of eligibility for the HHOF in 2012.  While Joseph has some impressive career numbers, including 454 career wins, he has never been truly great.  Joseph has never won any major individual honours nor has he won a Stanley Cup.  A win the 1996 World Cup could have helped his cause, but instead Joseph, and Team Canada, lost their last two games in huge upset by team USA in the final.  I never thought of Joseph as an elite goalie.  Unless there really is a "Toronto Bias", then I can't see Joseph being called to the Hall.
  What do you think?  Was there a guaranteed HHOFer in that pack?

Toronto Sportscard Expo

  The Toronto Sportscard and Memorabilia Exposition is taking place this weekend.  I plan my holidays around the spring show every year.  The show is a sensory overload for the hockey collector.  There is a lot more than just cards to be seen and bought.  There are loads of memorabilia from jerseys, sticks, pictures, programs, McFarlanes, hockey coins and a lot more collectibles.  The theme for the autograph guests is the the 1993 Stanley Cup Champions Montreal Canadiens.  I rarely buy tickets for the autograph guests.  Patrick Roy will be there but will cost you $180.  Although I might get one or two of the cheaper players.  Do you think Andre Racicot will inscribe "Red Light" if I asked? 
  Last year, one of the highlights for me was meeting "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.  He was promoting he new book.  Throughout the day, you could hear a "Hoooooooo!!  reverberate through the expo. I even got onto the Upper Deck Hacksaw Jim Duggan video at the end of day.  You can see me Hoooooo-ing.

Hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

  I will definitely be at the expo again this year.  I am considering going for two days this year, Saturday and Sunday.  I don't have much of a game plan going in.  I don't usually spend much on a single card.  I tend to buy a lot of cheaper cards.  I think I'll be looking for lesser name rookie autos and numbered cards of star players.  I'll be keeping an eye out for cheaper game used.  Last year a guy had a binder of game used stickered at 50% or less of book, and then everything in the binder was another 50% off.  I got a Patrick Roy game used stick card for $5.  I hope he is there again.  Another great table was the guy who had dozens of 5000ct boxes of base cards and was basically selling them for a dime each, even Taylor Hall and Sidney Crosby.  I am getting excited just typing this. 

  Are you going to the show?  Do you have a game plan?

The 90s Goalie Project - Askey me about it

  The 90's Goalie Project was first mentioned in a  post several months ago, and while it has been slow going, it is still on going.  I have added four or five to each Sportlots order. Let's look a few of the newer ones.

1998-99 Upper Deck

Tom Askey had a very brief NHL career, playing seven regular season games and one play-off game.  His NHL career was also winless, retiring with a record of 0-2-1. Tom played for Ohio State University before turning pro.  In four seasons, he went 17-68-10, with a 4.59 GAA.  Yikes, but it drew the attention of the Mighty Ducks who drafted him 186th in 1993.

  When Brian Hayward was traded from the Montreal Candiens, there was a glut of young goalies vying for the back-up job behind Patrick Roy.   Jean-Claude Bergeron was one of those young goalies.  1990-91 was JC's only season with the Canadiens.  In the 1991 expansion draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected goalie Fredric Chabot from the Montreal Canadiens.  The Canadiens protected two goalies, Patrick Roy (duh!) and JC Bergeron.  The very next day, either the Lightning or Canadiens realized they got the wrong man, the Lightning traded Chabot back to Montreal for J.C. Bergeron.  It was the first trade in the history of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

  This is an example of not using a player's rookie card.  Pauli Jaks had a rookie card in the 1991-92 Upper Deck update set.  Problem is, that he is part of the World Junior Championship subset.  I am looking for goalies' first NHL card, so his RC was ineligible for this project.  Pauli Jaks has only one NHL card, to go with his one NHL career game.  On January 25th, 1995, after allowing four goals in the first period against the Chicago Black Hawks, the LA Kings would bench Jamie Storr in favour for Pauli Jaks.  Jaks would allow 2 goals on 25 shots in 40 minutes. Jaks returned to Europe in the offseason.

 If you have been a dedicated reader of this blog, which I am sure you are, you already know that Glen Hanlon was the first NHL goalie to allow a goal to Wayne Gretzky and know you will know who was the last goalie the Great One beat.  It was Wade Flaherty.  On March 28th, 1999, Wayne Gretzky scored his 894th career NHL goal in a game against Flahety and the New York Islanders.  For Flaherty, it was the 245th goal scored against him in his career. 

  

$1600 and 30 minutes on eBay. What do you do?

  Drop The Gloves issued a challenge.  Spend $1600 BIN on eBay within 30 minutes.  Here we go!

  1979-80 OPC Wayne Gretzky RC KSA 6.5 - $460 BIN

   I need on of these for my 1979-80 OPC set and I wouldn't settle for anything other than a graded copy.  I'd be too worried about it being a fake otherwise.  I would settle for one graded 6.5 since I don't want to break the bank for it either.

  1970-71 OPC Ken Dryden RC PSA 7 - BIN $499
 
  There is a certain allure about Ken Dryden and his cards.  Perhaps it is because he won't allow any new cards with his likeness to be produce, so therefore, there's not a thousand different cards of him.  That makes his RC an easy choice, especially when dealing with $1600 and only 30 minutes.   










1978-79 OPC Mike Bossy RC PSA 9 -  BIN $145

  Although I rarely got to watch Mike Bossy when I was a child, he became my all-time favourite player.  I already have a few copies of his rookie card but none of them are graded. This card is a classic.

2007-08 UD Cup Mike Bossy Patch/Auto #/15 - BIN $175
  A beautiful on card auto with two two colour patches.  Not the most unique patches but thus was the best one on eBay during my 30 minutes.  I could go through $1600 without adding a Mike Bossy patch/auto card.












  2008-09 Ultimate Collection Cam Neely Patch/Auto #/10 -  BIN $175
  Cam Neely is another one of my favourites while I was a kid.  The patches on this on are great and so is the auto. 






  2010-11 Limited Trios - Wendel Clark, Cam Neely and Rick Tocchet #/99 -  BIN $35
 I overpaid for this one.  There are a few nicer ones already BIN and at a lower price.  But this a card I really want.  If I had more time on eBay, as in days or weeks, I would have waited this one out until a nicer version came out.  By either via fantasy or reality, I will own a version of this card someday soon.







 2010-11 Dominion Pen Pals Ken Linseman and Steve Ott - BIN $25
  This is another card which I overpaid.  I know a couple of these went in the past for $15.  I love the pairing on this card.  It's very well matched.    Linseman has a terrific auto.











 3200ct box of Hockey Cards - BIN $60 + $25 S/H
  The contest didn't mention shipping and handling but I figure I better add it in for this one.  I love going through boxes of hockey cards to see what treasures may lie within.  I don't mean patch or auto cards, even a Bob Corkum or Donald Audette card could trigger a treasured childhood memory or at least bring back the joys of being a kid who could appreciate a card without wondering how much it goes for on eBay.  I just hope this box isn't as Flyers heavy as in the picture.





  1989-90 OPC Dave (David) Volek RC - BIN $1
  Last, but not least, is a David Volek rookie card.  Volek scored the game seven overtime goal that sent the heavily favourite, and defending Stanley Cup champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins to the golf courses, while the New York Islanders, and a very young me, went to cloud nine.  I do already have this card, but I got when I got the 1989-90 OPC factory set as a kid, well before Volek's goal, but he deserves a place amongst my Hockey Greats RC collection.  I was looking for a Graded copy but there was none on eBay.  According to the PSA population report, there is only one 89-90 Volek RC ever graded by them.  It was a 10.  In comparison, journeyman NFL QB Billy Volek has had 135 of his SP Authentic rookie card sent in to be graded.




  So there it is, $1600 in 30 minutes, or less.  Every dollar spent.  Check out the contest at Drop the Gloves to see what other bloggers are buying and for a chance to enter as well.

Photoshop: Vintage Goalie Masks

  I have been playing around in Photoshop with the filter.  The majority of it, I'd deem uninspiring.  Although I really like the two pictures below.   Doug Favell's sunburst mask, and Jacques Plante as a Toronto Maple Leaf.

Doug Favell

Jacques Plante

   While Jacques Plante is famous for being the first goalie to regularly wear a mask in the NHL, Doug Favell is actually the first ever NHL goalie to play with a painted mask.  On October 31st, 1971, Doug Favell was a victim of a prank by Philadelphia Flyers trainer, Frank Lewis.  Frank painted Favell's mask all orange.  Favell played that night and became the first goalie to played with a painted mask.  The trend caught on and it helped spur on some of the great masks ever since.

  But the story doesn't end there.  After receiving a new mask, Doug Favell was approached by the HHOF for the mask.  Favell gave the HHOF the mask and it was on display for years, before it was realized that the mask on display was a fake.  Through an extensive search, the real mask was found in the storage rooms of the HHOF, mysterious repainted.  The story does have a happy ending as Favell was able to get his original Mask back, since technically he never "donated" the mask, and has had it restored.  For more details on the story, check out this website. 

TTM Success: Dan Daoust

 Dan Daoust had a hot start to his NHL career in 1982-83, collecting 52 points in 52 games as a rookie.  He followed that up with 74 points in 78 games, then he started to change.  In his third season, he dropped to 54 points in 79 games.  Over his last five seasons, Daoust scored matched his point total from his sophomore year, although it took 313 games to do so.  Daoust had turned into a second line scorer into a third line checker and penalty-kill specialist.  He left the NHL in 1990 but went on to play several more seasons in Europe.   I vaguely remember watching Daoust while I was a child, but I do remember the name.  It's just a fun name to say.  Da-ohhh!

2012-13 Fleer Retro with 1992-93 Fleer Ultra Retro

  I am excited about the insert sets in 2012-13 Fleer Retro.  In particular, I love the 92-93 Fleer Ultra Insert set. I don't think I'll be busting a box at $200+.  I got suckered in by Panini Signatures, so I learned my lesson, for the time being.  I am planning on going to the Toronto Sports Card Expo and I will definitely be hunting down the new 92-93 Fleer Ultra inserts.  I have some good childhood memories with that set.  In the meantime, I put together a template and fired out some cards for guys who weren't part of the set.

Steve Ott

Brandon Prust

Chris Neil

Kevin Westgarth

Matt Martin

Brian McGrattan