Lost Cards: 1992-93 OPC Norm Foster

  It took awhile for Norm Foster to make the NHL.  Originally drafted 230th overall, in the 11th round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins, Norm did not make his NHL debut until 1991.

  Norm was drafted straight out of the BCJHL.  He opted to go to college instead of junior hockey and played four seasons with Michigan State University in the NCAA.  During those years he was able to win two different championships.  He won a Gold medal as a member of Team Canada in the 1985 WJHC.  Norm backstopped Michigan University to the 1986 NCAA Championship, winning top goalie of the tournament.

  Norm 's first professional season was 1987-88, with the Milwaukee Admirals of the IHL.  After that, he spent three seasons in the AHL before making his NHL debut during the 1990-91 season.  With starters Reggie Lemelin, and then Andy Moog, going down to injuries, Norm found himself as the #1 goalie in Boston... for a week.  It didn't start out too good with Norm losing 6-2 against the Pittsburgh penguins in his NHL debut on February 2, 1991.  He bounced back the next night with his first career win, which was also against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  His last game as a Bruin was a 6-5 win against the Oilers on February 7th.  After playing three straight games for the Bruins, Norm was benched as Lemelin made his return from injury.  Foster finished the season with the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL.  

  Norm had a rookie card in the 1991-92 Upper Deck set, but was shutout of all other sets.  In fact, that was the only NHL card ever produced of Norm.  I couldn't find any usable pics of Norm as a Bruin so I couldn't add anymore Bruins cards to Norm's portfolio.

  Although Norm changed franchises to start the 1991-92 season, he didn't change teams.  He was traded from the Bruins to the Edmonton Oilers for a 6th round draft choice, but he remained  a member of the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL.  With back-up Peter Ing playing poorly in Edmonton, and starter Bill Ranford twice going down to injuries, Foster was called upon to play a career high 10 games during the 1991-92 season.  He went 5-3-0, .891, and 2.79.  Including allowing only 6 goals during  four game winning streak.  It wasn't enough for the Oilers, as the team made a trade with the Quebec Nordiques for back-up Ron Tugnutt. 
 

1992-93 Fleer Ultra Norm Foster

  With Tugnutt now in the fold, Foster found himself again starting the season in the AHL.  He would never return to the NHL.  Although he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1993, he never played a game for the team.  He retired after the 1994-95 season.  

  3rd and 4th string goalies tend to get forgotten about by the card companies.  There are goalies who played in several NHL seasons with several different teams but yet only have 12 cards -  all rookie cards.  For some reason, Norm Foster jumped out at me as someone who needed another card.  This was also my first go at the back of 1992-93 OPC.  I think it went pretty good, although there was a large amount of space to fill with text, and since I am not bilingual, meant I needed twice as a much to say on the back.

1992-93 OPC #397 Norm Foster

1992-93 OPC #397 Norm Foster

Lost Rookies: 1983-84 OPC Brian Hayward

 Brian Hayward was part of the NHL's best one-two goalie punches in the late 80s.  Brian was the 1B to Patrick Roy with the Canadiens, but that wasn't enough for Brain, he wanted more.
  Hayward didn't play junior hockey, instead he played with Cornell University in the NCAA.  Like most college players, he went undrafted.  He signed as a free agent with the Winnipeg Jets in the summer of 1982.  Brian was called up in January and pushed incumbent back-up Ed Staniowski to the minors.  It took Hayward a bit longer to gain the #1 spot in the crease.
  As the Jets broke training camp in 1984, they traded away incumbent #1, Doug Soeteart to the Montreal Canadiens.  The Jets started the season with Hayward, and fellow 24 year old, Marc Behrend.  They split games early on, as Behrend was hot, but as he cooled, Hayward took over.  Hayward finished second in the league with 33 wins and was 5th in Vezina voting.  He ended the season on a personal 12 game unbeaten streak, going 10-0-2, .902, and 2.86.  It was good enough to get a headshot in the 1985-86 set.  Although, I feel the front of the card needed an upgrade.

1985-86 OPC Brian Hayward

  He followed that up with a dud.  In the 1985-86 season, Hayward went 13-28-5, .843, and 4.80.  In four seasons, Hayward's GAA went from 3.71 to 4.87 to 3.83 to 4.80.  Sensing inconsistency, the Jets traded Hayward to the Montreal Canadiens for another struggling goalie, Steve Penney.  OPC caught the trade in time to have Hayward in his Canadiens uniform and matching headband for the 86-87 set. 
  Hayward joined rookie sensation, Patrick Roy, in Montreal and the duo became the elite goalie pairing of the late 1980s.  They played a time share but both wanted to be number one.  The competition between them helped the duo capture three consecutive Jennings trophies.  In his first season with the Canadiens, Hayward led the NHL with a 2.82 GAA.  In his first three seasons with the Canadiens, he finished in the top five for GAA each season.  Hayward was even the Canadiens goalie in the 1987 play-offs after Roy got blown out in Quebec.  OPC had Hayward in warm-up gear for most of his OPC cards with the Canadiens, so I made a reskin for his 87-88 OPC.

1987-88 OPC Brian Haywrd

  Although the pairing worked great for the Canadiens, it was not always amical.  Hayward and Roy both wanted to be the starter.  They were also roommates.  There are stories of Hayward staying up late at night watching TV on the evenings before Roy was scheduled to start, but early to bed on the nights he was scheduled.  Implying Hayward was not above dubious tactics to get the edge on Roy.  As the season progressed, Roy continued to improve and became the main starter in the play-offs.  Roy won the Vezina in 1989 and during the 1990 season approached coach Pat Burns and made a case to be the clear  #1 starter.  Roy also petitioned and got himself a new roommate.
  Up until Feb 1st, Roy had started 29 games compared to Hayward's 25.  Roy was 16-11-2, .907 and 2.64.  Hayward was 10-10-4, .883, and 3.20.  For the rest of the season, Roy started 23 games, and Hayward 4.  Roy's play improved once was the clear #1, enough so he won his second consecutive Vezina trophy.  It was also the only season that the Hayward-Roy combo did not win the Jennings trophy.
  The time share was over and Hayward knew we he was no longer goalie 1B for the Canadiens.  Hayward.  Roy started the 1990-91 season firmly entrenched as the teams #1 goalie.  Hayward responded by going home and demanded a trade.  He claimed the Canadiens promised him a shot at playing half the games and that team had reneged.  Brian firmly believed he was #1 goalie quality and wanted the chance to show it.  It took a month into the season before Hayward was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for Jayson More.  Unfortunately for Hayward, North Star incumbent Jon Casey was not going to give up the crease so easily.  Hayward was once again on the wrong side of a 1A-1B platoon.  Even worse, Casey took over in the play-offs and led the team to a surprising Stanley Cup finals run.
  A bit of hockey oddity, the Minnesota North Stars became two teams after the 1991-92 season, the Minnesota North Stars and the San Jose Sharks.  Although only a handful of NHLers would be dispersed to San Jose.  Brian Hayward was left unprotected by the North Stars and he was selected by the Sharks in the dispersal draft.  Later that day,  the defending Campbell Conference champs North Stars, and the Sharks participated in an expansion draft.  In that draft, the Sharks selected Jayson More third overall.  An odd twist to the Hayward-More trade tree.

1992-93 Fleer Ultra Brian Hayward

  Hayward stunk in San Jose.  Part of this was due to a back injuries which cost him most of the 91-92 season and ended his career in 92-93.  Part of this was due to the Sharks stinking.  In his second season with the Sharks, and last in the NHL, Hayward posted a 2-14-1, .856 and 5.55 stat line.  His save percentage and GAA were worst in the league for goalies with 10+ games played.  He retired after the 1992-93 season.
  Hayward had a single card as a Jet.  He procured a rookie card in the 1985-86 OPC set.  Let's jump a few years ahead and give Hayward a rookie card in the 1983-84 OPC set.

1983-84 OPC #398 Brian Hayward (RC)

1983-84 OPC #398 Brian Hayward (RC)

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1992-93 Fleer Ultra Islanders Legends

  Was looking at some Mike Bossy cards on eBay and I figured I'd quickly whip one up using a template I previous made for Fleer Ultra.  Then why stop there.  So here are five Islander Legends from the 80s Dynasty.  No big write-up needed.

Lost Rookies Tim Hunter

  For a player who played 16 NHL seasons, 815 career games,and over 3146 PIM, Tim Hunter was severely under serviced in the trading card market.  Hunter had a total of eight base cards made of him during his career, which included the hockey card boom of the early 1990s.  He played parts of nine seasons, 432 career games and led the NHL in PIM twice before Pro Set and OPC gave him a RC during the 1990-91 sets.  Here's my version of a 1984-85 OPC Tim Hunter rookie card.

1985-85 OPC Tim Hunter (RC)

  Hunter's best years were with the Calgary Flames.  He played a huge role in the Battle of Alberta and was a fan favourite during his time in Calgary.  Tim won a Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989.
  The hobby continued to ignore Tim Hunter later in the 1990s.  Hunter played for three teams after the Calgary Flames, and except for an insert card produced after the season after he retired, no cards were made of him.  Hunter was left unprotected in the expansion draft on 1992.  The Tampa Bay Lightning selected him but the next day traded him to the Quebec Nordiques for future considerations.
 

1992-93 Fleer Ultra Tim Hunter

    Hunter, who became the second player to ever to wear #65, only played half a season with the Nordiques before being picked up off the waiver wire by the Vancouver Canucks.  Hunter spent three and half season with the Canucks, including the 1994 Stanley Cup finals.

1992-93 Fleer Ultra Series 2 Tim Hunter

  Hunter finished his career with a season in San Jose.  His last career fight was against Ken Baumgartner of the Anahiem Ducks.  Hunter was third on the all-time career PIM list when he retired.  Currently he sits in eighth place.  After a decade of being an assistant coach in the NHL, Tim is now the head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.

1997-98 UD Collector's Choice Tim Hunter

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