TTM Success: Steve Downie

  I was always a big Steve Downie fan.  I loved the way he played the game - with reckless abandon.  His career started out a bit too reckless as he was suspended for a vicious hit on Dean McAmmond in an exhibition game.  Downie was suspended 20 games before even playing an official NHL game.  The Flyers, who had drafted Downie in the 1st round in 2005, eventually tired of his act and sent him to Tampa in 2008.
  It was with the Tampa Bay Lightning that Downie, under the tutelage of Rick Tocchet, finally started to reel in his game and become a top 6 forward.  In 2009-10 Downie became the first player since 2002, to score 20 goals and get 200 PIM in the same season.  He also had a great post-season, helping the team make it to the semi-finals.  Downie wasn't able to build on that success and was traded to the Colorado Avanlache in 2012.  Downie finished the season strong with the Avs but was injured for almost the entire 2013 season.
  One of things I like about TTMing is learning about the players when you do research to make a kiss kick ass request letter.  Although sometimes you learn some things that aren't too flattering.  In junior, Downie attacked teammate Akim Aliu during a team practice. Downie, in his 3rd junior season, was upset that Aliu, a rookie, had refused to take part in a hazing incident, which involved being naked on the team bus. That's messed up.
  In the process of preparing a TTM, have you ever learned anything disagreeable about that player?

2013 Trade Deadline Update

  The 2013 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone.  Let's use that an excuse to make some retro update cards for some of the players traded in the days leading up the deadline.


  Brenden Morrow is following up his second least productive season in the NHL, with his least productive.  Morrow had 11pts in 29 games this year with the Dallas Stars before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  In seven games with the Pens so far, Morrow has one goal and one assist.  The Pens don't need Morrow for his scoring as much as they need him for his grit and toughness.










  The St. Louis Blues added a few veterans to its blueline at the trade deadline.  One of them was Jay Bouwmeester, whom the Blues acquired from the Calgary Flames.  While not expected to produce offensively, Bouwmeester had three assists in his first three games as a Blue









  Ryane Clowe was goalless in 28 games with the San Jose Sharks.  Hardly the type of player you'd think would create a buzz at deadline time.  The New York Rangers were interested and Clowe paid immediate dividends, scoring twice in his first game as a Ranger.








  The biggest name at the trade deadline was Jarome Iginla, who was reported to be traded twice in the same evening.  The first time to the Boston Bruins, and then to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  So far, Jarome has not lit up the scoresheets in Pittsburgh, having one goal and one assist in his first five games as a Pen.  Can Jarome win that elusive Stanley Cup this year with the Pens, or maybe he'll need to pull a Raymond Bourque and stick around for another year.






  There were two big name goalies on the block at the trade deadline, neither of them moved.  Roberto Luongo is still in Vancouver and Miikka Kiprusoff announced his plans for retirement, just so he could stay in Calgary.  That left Ben Bishop, the odd man out in Ottawa, to be the biggest name, and size, goalie to be moved at the trade deadline.  Bishop has started all four games for the Lightning since the trade, including a shutout in his Lightning debut.







  Marian Gaborik put up two 40 goal seasons in New York in the past three years but found himself in the doghouse in 2013 and eventually as a Blue Jacket.  For the first time ever, the Columbus Blue Jackets found themselves as buyers at the trade deadline and they made a splash by trading for Gaborik.  Gaborik has welcomed the move, scoring 5 points in his first 4 games for Columbus.








  The Philadelphia Flyers, a pre-season favourite to contend, are one of the biggest disappointments of the season.  Currently, sitting in 12th place in the East, it appears the Flyer won't even make the play-offs, but atleast they got tougher.  The Flyers acquired Jay Rosehill from the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Rosehill, who had not played in the NHL this season, joined the Flyers just in time for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Rosehill made the Leafs pay, beating up Leafs tough guy Colton Orr and also scoring the game-winning goal as the Flyer won the game 5-3.





  Jaromir Jagr found himself on the move, joining his third team in two seasons.  In his Bruins debut, Jagr would score the lone goal in a 1-0 Boston Bruins victory over the New Jersey Devils.  Jagr, who turned 41 this season, is looking for that elusive third Stanley Cup, after winning two in his first two seasons. 









   Derek Roy is the third former Dallas Star to be included in this update.  Roy was traded to the Vancouver Canucks to help provide some scoring depth.  Roy, who has been a borderline point a game player in his best seasons, has started slow with the Canucks, notching one assist and four shots on goal in three games since the trade. 

TTM Success: Enrico Ciccone

  Enrico Ciccone  made his NHL living with his hands.  He led the NHL in PIM in the last lockout-shortened  season of 1994-95, with 225 PIM.  A fan favourite, Ciccone would play for seven teams in his career, with two stops in Tampa and Washington.  Ciccone now works as a hockey analyst in Quebec.  I love the inscription on the Dallas card, "Keep Punching!"  

TTM: Roman Hamrlik

I best remember Roman Hamrlik with Tampa Bay Lightning, fighting Toronto Maple Leaf Doug Gilmour back in the mid 1990s.  An internet search pinpoints October 23rd, 1993 as the date of the fight, but I can't find a video of it.  If anyone knows of one, can you please post it below.

Hamrlik played in his 1379th game this past season, which is currently the best amongst active players, since Niklas Lidstrom retired, and is good for 36th all-time in career games played.  Hamrlik can move into the top 25 next season.  Hamrlik is also one of  the three remaing active NHL players who appeared the in landmark videogame NHL '94.  A game I played, and kept stats on paper, for a full 82 game season... for all 26 teams.  

Mr. Hamrlik signed 3 of 3, c/o the Washington Capitals.

TTM: Mathieu Garon

Mathieu Garon has worked his way into the starting goalie gig in Tamp Bay this season.  The previous starter Dwayne Roloson will be a UFA this off-season, so whether the Lightning bring in competition for the job via free agency remains to be seen.  The Lightning is Garon's sixth NHL team and fourth in the past four seasons.  Aside from the teams pictured with the autographs, Garon has also been with the Oilers and also played 5 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008/09; good enough for a Stanley Cup ring.  Garon has played in two career play-offs games and has never been scored upon.   Mr Garon signed 3 cards and a picture.  He kept a copy of the picture as offered.  Thank you Mr. Garon.

TTM: Cedrick Desjardins

Cedrick Desjardins' first NHL game was against the Montreal Canadiens, the team that had traded him away  to Tampa Bay for another goalie prospect, straight up.  58 seconds into the first period, Montreal scored.  For the other 59 minutes, Desjardins shut out his former employer and was selected 2nd star of the game (Stamkos had a 4 point night).  Two days later, Desjardins was the 1st star of the game while allowing one goal on 38 shots against the New York Rangers.  Mr. Desjardins has not played in the NHL since.  Tampa Bay acquired Dwayne Roloson and sent Desjardins back to the AHL.  Desjardins signed with the Colorado Avalanche in the off-season and plays for the Lake Erie Monsters in the AHL.  He currently leads the AHL in GAA and Save Percentage.

It is amazing how a goalie can shine when called upon on the NHL level but yet never stick with the team.  I really hope Mr. Desjardins gets another shot at proving he can be a NHL regular.

88-89 OPC Tribute: St. Louis and Leafs

  Trying out a new format.  Is it better or worse?

#26 - Martin St. Louis

  2003-04 was a very good year for Martin St. Louis.  Martin won the Art Ross trophy as top scorer and then won the Stanley Cup.  St. Louis started his career in Calgary and over two seasons, scored 20 points in 69 games.  The Tampa Bay Lightening signed Martin St. Louis as a free agent in 2000 and he has been almost a point per game (0.96) player ever since.  Smooth move, Calgary.

#27 - Dion Phaneuf

  Dion Phaneuf's card marks a major improvement in the 88-89 OPC Tribute set.  No silly, it's not because it's the first Leafs cards.  It's the first photo used from the 2011-12 season.  That's right, we're so on the cutting edge here at The Cardboard and Me that we are immortalizing hockey moments into cardboard mere hours after they happened.  I bet Tim Conboy (Tim who?) still doesn't know what hit him.  

#100 - Johnny Bower

  Now here's a card for Leafs fans to enjoy.  Johnny Bower was a 29 year old rookie in 1953-54.  He played 77 games for the New York Rangers over three seasons before getting a chance to don the Maple Leaf in 1958.  His career with the Maple Leafs was highlighted by four Stanley Cups including the 1966-67 season.  Johnny Bower made the Hall of Fame in 1976 and is the only hall of famer to play more games in the AHL, 592,  than the NHL, 552.

Ouch.  Puck in the face at 2:25.

88-89 OPC Tribute; 1st Page complete

With card #9 being added, we now have our first page for our binder.  Steven Stamkos' card is the first of the post 88-89 expansion teams to be included.  I had to come up with the colour scheme.  The colour scheme of rest of set looks mostly random.  I am sure if I looked hard enough I could find a theme but instead I chose to go with the ugly colour theme that seems to scream throughout the original set.  I was cheering for the Lightening to go to Finals just to see more of Stamkos's beard.  I swear his face aged at least 10 years during those playoffs.

#8 - Steven Stamkos

Jimmy Howard had a few, very brief, stints with the Wings over three seasons before an All-Rookie team performance in 2009-10 cemented him as the Red Wings #1 goalie.  Keep your eye on the puck, Jimmy.

#9 - Jimmy Howard