Looking Out For Number One...

Craig Billington
1995-96 Upper Deck #112

Nobody cares about a stack of loose cards from 1995-96 Upper Deck. Since there are huge gaps in my collection, I'll snatch up random handfuls for the simple pleasure of sifting through them.

Craig Billington wore the oldschool number 1 jersey for every team he played for, including Boston Bruins.

Kinda find it strange to see jersey number 1 still being worn in Boston...

Most of the Original Six teams have retired the number 1 jersey, and honored it with the name of (at least) one former netminder.

Gerry Cheevers
1968-69 O-Pee-Chee #140

This got me wondering about Gerry Cheevers' number 30, not currently retired by the organization.

He won 2 Stanley Cups as a member of the Boston Bruins.

(Jersey number 30 has subsequently backstopped the Bruins to a Stanley Cup in 2011, worn by the now controversial Tim Thomas)

While Cheevers did briefly wear jersey number 1, he's more commonly associated with number 30.

Just happened to add this one to my collection a few days later.

Tiny Thompson
2004-05 In The Game Franchises #331

Also couldn't resist scanning this one, found in a re-pack.

Current goalie Tuukka Rask has recently become the all time wins leader in Bruins history, second only to this guy...

Hall of Fame goaltender Tiny Thompson helped the Bruins win their first ever Stanley Cup in 1929. He also won the Vezina Trophy four times during his ten-plus seasons in Boston.

It was a different era, and while the Bruins may never raise this guy's name to the rafters, the fact that his name still stands with 252 wins in a Boston uniform is pretty impressive... Especially since the NHL season was considerably shorter back then.

Just glad to have neat little tidbits like this.

Mikhail Shtalenkov
1995-96 Upper Deck #91

Only have a couple cards of goaltender Mikhail Shtalenkov.

This one caught my eye because of the action in front of the net. An opposing player has been knocked down, with a visible skate of another player in the mix.

Jim Carey
1995-96 Upper Deck #344

Blessed and cursed by sharing a name with a Hollywood celeb (albeit with different spelling). This earned him goofy nicknames like "The Net Dectective", but didn't stop Jim Carey from winning the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender in 1995-96.

He quietly left the hockey world around the turn of the millennium.

Jim Carey
1995-96 Upper Deck #344
(card back)

A better look at Carey's AHL Portland Pirates mask. The color scheme actually fit perfectly with the original Washington uniforms. He did get another painted mask with an eagle at some point.