Three Twenty-Five...

Michal Rosival
2005-06 Parkhurst #325

Still one of my favorite "retro" card designs...

Was lucky enough to obtain a few hundred cards from this mammoth 700 card set. (To put it in perspective, the old 1990-91 Pro-Set was a jigsaw puzzle with 705 pieces).

The 2005-06 season was lost due to the lock-out - Which turned me off to collecting hockey memorabilia for over a decade. (NHL execs should take note, because technically, WE pay for your yachts, sports cars, AND your mistresses)

Sure, I've returned to the hobby (somewhat jaded and bitter) - And after getting that rant out of my system, I can't deny the fact that it's relaxing and enjoyable to spend an entire nostalgic afternoon sifting through "new" cards that I've never seen before.

Having a few albums like this from each decade offers a really great representation of players who were in the league at the time.

Three Twenty Two (1993-94 Parkhurst #322 - Ulf Dahlen)

Ulf Dahlen
1993-94 Parkhurst #322

Another one of my favorite cards from 1993-94 Parkhurst.

Looks like a rebound is coming off goaltender Tim Cheveldae. The snapshot captures the split second when the puck is bouncing in the air.

1993 Playoffs (Playin' Overtime)

Warren Rychel
1993-94 Upper Deck #93

From Wikipedia:

"These [1992-93] playoffs featured an NHL record 28 overtime games, of which the Canadiens set a playoff record for most overtime games won in one year with ten."

Jon LeClair
1993-94 Upper Deck #167

The eventual champion Montreal Canadiens actually found themselves down 2-0 in games to Ron Hextall and the Quebec Nordiques in the opening round of the playoffs.

Pivotal Game 3 went to overtime with the Canadiens prevailing, even after they had a goal disallowed (due to a high stick).

With the OT victory, the Montreal Canadiens had cut the series lead down to 2-1 in favor of Quebec Nordiques.

If Quebec had managed to score, Montreal would have found themselves in a stranglehold. The Canadiens managed to escape sudden death, and went on to win the series 4-2.

1992 Playoffs (Video Victory)

Sergei Federov
1991-92 Topps #401

History was made during the 1992 postseason series between the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota North Stars.

With the North Stars leading the series 3-2, Game 6 went into overtime.

From Wikipedia:

"Video replay was used to decide a playoff game for the first time in game six of the Detroit–Minnesota division semifinal.

Sergei Fedorov of the Red Wings appeared to hit the crossbar behind Minnesota goalie Jon Casey during the first overtime, but after the North Stars iced the puck immediately afterward, referee Rob Shick called for a video review, which determined that the puck had entered the goal just below the crossbar and caromed off the frame at the back of the net. Fedorov was awarded the goal, giving the Red Wings a series-tying victory"

As the technology was relatively new, the commentators were talking about how it would be something if a video review were to determine the outcome of a playoff game. Today it's just the standard. Pretty much everyone playing in the NHL today grew up in the age of video replay.

The Wings would go on to win the series in Game 7.

Mike Modano
1992-93 Fleer Ultra #96

From Wikipedia:

"This was the final playoff series played by the Minnesota North Stars. The next time that the Stars franchise made the playoffs was in 1994 when they were known as the Dallas Stars. Game six [1992] was the final playoff game played at the Met Center."

1991 Playoffs (No Sweeping)

Mike Craig
1991-92 Upper Deck #125

Just an interesting tidbit about the 1991 NHL playoffs.

From Wikipedia:

"This was the first NHL playoffs without any series sweeps since the 1972–73 season. In addition, this season set the record for most playoff games played with 92, which stood until 2014"

Ice Meets Metal...

Bryan Berard
1999-00 Topps Chrome #78

Wouldn't go out of my way to acquire Topps Chrome, but it's always neat to have a few...

Especially when it's a particularly good snapshot of an Original Six matchup.

Ron Superior...

Ron Francis
1996-97 Leaf #11

One of my newest Ron Francis cards, and possibly my favorite...

Already had a couple good ones in my collection, but none can compare to the action captured on this card.

Looks like Francis is still tracking the puck, as Washington's Dale Hunter falls to his knees in an effort to grab and slow the future Hall of Famer.

Bonus point for wearing the captain's "C" during Mario's absence.

Another random diagonal "KOHO" stick visible in the foreground, in the hand of (presumably) a fourth Washington Capital defender.


The Pens and Caps were Patrick Division rivals from 1981-82 thru 1992-93. They were "re-united" from 2013-14 to 2019-20 in the Metropolitan Division.

As of 2020-21, both teams play in the newly formed East Division.

Feelin' Groovy...

Owen Nolan
1997-98 Upper Deck Smooth Grooves #SG24

Not very often that a re-pack yields an insert card...

Granted, it's from the 1990s, so it has little monetary worth... But once again the nostalgic value is priceless.

Always been a fan of the oldschool Sharks uniform

Now have a total of 2 cards from this 60 card subset.

Owen Nolan is possibly the most famous hockey player born in Ireland.

Owen Nolan
1997-98 Upper Deck Smooth Grooves #SG24
(card back)

Bonus point for the All-Star patch on his jersey (from the 1996-97 All-Star game in San Jose).

Part of the original Quebec Nordiques team that relocated to Colorado, it would appear as if Nolan wore a Colorado Avalanche jersey for a brief period of time before being traded to the San Jose Sharks on October 26, 1995.

Owen Nolan
1995-96 Skybox Emotion #40

Nolan appeared in just 9 games for the Colorado Avalanche (in which he scored 8 points). Only 6 major cards list him as a member of the Avs.

In the 1995-96 Parkhurst International, Skybox E-Motion, and Upper Deck sets, he's wearing an Avalanche jersey.

(The 1995-96 card sets from Leaf & Pinnacle feature members of the Colorado Avalanche still wearing their Quebec Nordiques uniforms)

Topps Realm...

Michal Handzus
1999-00 Topps #191

Really starting to like the 1999-00 Topps set...
Only have a handful of cards so far.

Can just barely see the puck through the nameplate, but it's still a great snapshot.

Manages to squeeze five players onto a horizontal card featuring the St Louis Blues in enemy territory.

Robert Svehla
1999-00 Topps #154

Defenceman Robert Svehla was part of the Florida Panthers team that went all the way to the 1995-96 Stanley Cup Finals.

His name always makes me think of Sheeva from Mortal Kombat 3 (released in 1995).

Club Cards...

Brendan Shanahan
1999-00 Stadium Club #106

1999-00 Stadium Club
Total Cards: 200

Damn... Had never actually seen any cards from this set.

Found a nice little stack for my collection.

Very first card in the deck was an airborne Brendan Shanahan, hell-bent on getting a shot off with the goaltender down and out.

Approximately 85 cards in total, which is nearly half of the set.
Simply could not get over the photographs... So many amazing snapshots.

Pavel Bure
1999-00 Stadium Club #9

Unsure whether Pavel Bure has put the puck in the net, or whether the goalie managed to grab it. Either way, it's a great-looking card.

In addition to the amazing photo, I couldn't help but notice the New York Islanders' goaltender wearing number 28. Not a common goalie number for this time period, so I had to look it up...

Seems that it would belong to Felix Potvin (his usual number 29 was already occupied by defenceman Kenny Johnsson).

Random Base Cards from mid-1990s Upper Deck...

Esa Tikanen
1995-96 Upper Deck #126

Esa Tikanen is no stranger to the NHL playoffs.
I like seeing how excited this guy is when he scores a big goal.

Bucket on crooked, and getting mobbed by teammates...
Although the Blues were eliminated in the first round, Tikkanen did score a GWG in the 1995 playoffs.

In this snapshot, he's just scored the first of his 2 goals in Game 6 to help keep the Blues alive, forcing a seventh game.

Esa Tikanen NHL playoff stats: 51 goals, 46 assists for 97 points in 114 career playoff games.


Definitely a sign of the times with those St Louis Blues uniforms.

Never thought there could ever be more red on a Blues jersey... (Fast forward to 2021)

Esa Tikkanen
1995-96 Upper Deck #126
(card back)

Back of the card is great too.

A nice look at the mask of Anaheim's Mikhail Shtalenkov.
Bonus point for beer ad on the boards.

Troy Loney
1993-94 Upper Deck #438

Reminds me of another card featuring the Mighty Ducks...

Front just happens to feature a cameo of Islanders' goaltender Ron Hextall (who also has a great looking card: 1993-94 Upper Deck #424).

Troy Loney
1993-94 Upper Deck #438
(card back)

Back of the card shows Troy Loney against a Detroit Red Wings goaltender.

Could not identify the goalie in the photo, wearing number 31 for the Wings...

It appears to be Peter Ing, who played just 3 games that season.

Five different netminders saw action for Detroit that season.
(Osgood, Cheveldae, Essensa, Riendeau, Ing)

Earnin' Stripes...

Dave Scatchard
1999-00 UD MVP Stanley Cup Edition #113

Had often wondered about the colored stripes on the shoulders of the New York Islanders jerseys.

Although no longer part of their uniform, the "4 stripe" emblem / patch was around for over a decade (from 1998-2010).

Steve Webb
1999-00 O-Pee-Chee #73

Apparently, the four diagonal stripes on the shoulder represents the four consecutive Stanley Cups that the Islanders won between 1980-1983.

Decided to pick out four Islanders cards showing the stripes.

Dave Scatchard
2000-01 O-Pee-Chee #150

Had to include this card of Dave Scatchard because of a background detail I couldn't ignore...

The zebra on the boards is turning its' head AWAY from the puck!

Blake Comeau
2009-10 Upper Deck MVP #117

Felt obligated to choose another card featuring a white jersey.
Minus one point for AT&T ad on the boards.

While the stripes were on the regular home & away jerseys (for 12 years), when the third/alternate orange jersey was introduced (2002-2007) it was devoid of shoulder stripes.

Puckstopper or Ball Player?

Reto Berra
2014-15 Upper Deck #298

Had never even heard of this guy...

Born in Switzerland, Reto Berra played just 76 NHL games between 2013-2018.

Drafted by St. Louis, played games for Calgary, Colorado, Florida and Anaheim.

Shown here wearing the goalie number 20, which is less common in North America.

(he also wore number 29 with Calgary, and number 1 with Anaheim).


2014-15 would also be the last year for the "Bigfoot" shoulder patch on the Avs jerseys.
The sasquatch patch had been part the team's uniform since the relocation to Colorado in 1995-96.

Morphin' Rangers...

Andy Bathgate
2011-12 O-Pee-Chee #516

Taking a look at cards of the New York Rangers. Some of them are new to my collection, others I've had for a while.

I believe that jersey number 9 is now retired by every single one of the Original Six teams.

The New York Rangers have actually honored two players under that digit:
Andy Bathgate & Adam Graves, both in 2009.

Note the Rangers logo used from 1967-1971.

Pavel Bure
2002-03 O-Pee-Chee #16

Before number 9 was retired it was briefly worn by Hall of Famer Pavel Bure, who was with the NYR from 2002-2003.

Bure must have chosen 9, as number 10 was occupied by Sandy McCarthy.


Eric Lindros and Sandy McCarthy are visible on the bench in this snapshot.

Ed Giacomin
1991-92 Ultimate Original Six #20

Another retired NYR number is the oldschool goalie jersey number 1.

Eddie Giacomin was the Rangers goaltender for a decade (1966-1976).

His was the second Ranger number to be retired (after Rod Gilbert's number 7).

Chuck Rayner
2003-04 Parkhurst Original Six New York #87

Jersey number 1 was also worn by Chuck Rayner, the Rangers starting goaltender for 7 seasons (1945-1953). Won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1949-50, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.

Note the even older Rangers logo used from 1936-1947.

Ron Duguay
1982-83 O-Pee-Chee #221

I kinda thought it was only for a short while, but the Rangers had "New York" on their blue road uniforms for almost a decade (1978-1987). Their white home uniforms still had the word "Rangers".

Brian Leetch
1999-00 O-Pee-Chee #30

The popular blue Statue of Liberty jerseys were first introduced in 1996. A white version was also briefly worn during 1998-99.

In the 1999-00 O-Pee-Chee set, both Brian Leetch and Peter Nedved are depicted wearing this jersey.

Brian Leetch's number 2 jersey was also retired by the Rangers in 2008.

Legendary!

Mike Gartner
2000-01 Upper Deck Legends #129

NHL Legends (Mike Gartner)

2000-01 Upper Deck Legends
Total Cards: 135

Wasn't even aware of this set, until finding this lone card.

1980s photograph of sniper Mike Gartner playing for the Caps.


From the back of the card:

"Gartner holds the NHL record for the most career 30-goal seasons with an amazing 17 in 19 seasons."

Incidentally, he was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

Mike Gartner
2000-01 Upper Deck Legends #129
(card back)

Somehow I never realized that Mike Gartner had been a member of the Minnesota North Stars for almost a year... In March 1989 Gartner was traded (along with Larry Murphy) from Washington to Minnesota in exchange for Dino Cicarelli and Bob Rouse.

The Rangers would acquire Gartner a year later, in March 1990.

Mike Gartner (Highlight)
1992-93 Score #443

Recently added a pair of cards to my collection, celebrating Mike Gartner's milestones.

I like the way the puck is still on edge, rolling out of the net.


From the back of the card:

"...scored his 500th NHL goal in a game against the Capitals... kind of ironic that it came against Washington"

[Mike having been a long-time member of the Washington Capitals]

Mike Gartner (Highlight)
1994-95 Score #242

From the back of the card:

"...wearing the colors of the New York Rangers on December 26, 1993 ...he scored the 600th and 601st goals"
[of his NHL career]

Gartner was traded to Toronto in March of 1994 so the Rangers could acquire the services of Glenn Anderson.

Retro Active...

Brian Boyle
2009-10 O-Pee-Chee #490

Only have nine of these base cards from 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee, plus two "retro parallels".

While I don't mind the design, I could do without the repeating letter "E" that makes up the border.

Figured the odds of having the same player's card in a 800 card set would be pretty slim...

Brian Boyle
2009-10 O-Pee-Chee #490
(Retro Parallel)

Turns out that I happened to have Boyle's parallel when I checked my newly acquired handful of cards.

Bonus point for a different LA Kings uniform on each photo.
Gotta laugh at Nike logo on retro card.

Bear Necessities...

Travis Boyd
2017-18 Upper Deck AHL #8

A lone card featuring the better known AHL teams: The Hershey Bears.

Currently serving as the minor-league affiliate of the Washington Capitals, I tend to associate the Bears with the Philadelphia Flyers...


From Wikipedia:

"The 1984–85 season was also the first of a dozen year affiliation with the Philadelphia Flyers who shared the club with the Boston Bruins that year before taking over as the sole parent club the next season and remained so through 1995–96...

The Washington Capitals returned as the Bears NHL parent club in 2005 after a 21-year span with the Boston Bruins, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Colorado Avalanche. (The club has also had earlier NHL affiliations with the Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres)"

King Me...

Jonathan Quick
2019-20 SP Authentic #17

2019-20 SP Authentic
Base Card Numbers: 1-100
Authentic Moments: 101-116
Serial Numbered: 117-251
Total Cards: 251


The second card from 2019-20 SP Authentic to go into my collection.

Simple design, goes well with the LA Kings motif and Jonathan Quick's goalie gear.

A thrifty collector like myself doesn't land many of these, so considering it's a goalie card, it's probably the catch of the day.

Art of Collecting...

Art Ross
2004-05 In The Game Franchises #68

Recently stumbled upon this article:

Art Ross Trophy | 5 Things You Didn’t Know
https://thehockeywriters.com/five-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-art-ross-trophy/

"Art Ross Was a Defenseman

I had erroneously assumed that because the trophy that bears his name is for the league’s top scorer, that Art Ross himself would have been a high scoring forward.

The reason that the trophy is named for Ross is because he donated it to the NHL sometime after he retired."

A week later, I pulled this card from a re-pack.

Kickin' it Oldskool...

Braden Holtby
2014-15 Upper Deck #478

Another dose of nostalgia with the oldschool Washington Capitals uniforms.

Bonus point for the fan in the background wearing a retro Caps jersey...

The Vancouver Canucks signed Braden Holtby (winner of the 2018 Stanley Cup) while losing free-agent Jakob Markstrom (a 2020 NHL All-Star) to Calgary.


Somebody should slap the girl who's looking at her phone.

Jamie Benn
2019-20 Upper Deck MVP #75

Another girl playing with her phone...

Bonus point for "retro" Dallas Stars jersey worn by the fan on the left.

Joe Pavelski
2019-20 Upper Deck #393

A retro Pens jersey in the Dallas crowd.

Jake Guentzel
2019-20 Upper Deck #351

Finally, a card featuring Jake Guentzel of the Penguins with a throwback Winnipeg Jets jersey on a spectator.

Thin Ice...

Brad Richards
2010-11 Upper Deck Ice #14

2010-11 Upper Deck Ice
Base Card Numbers: 1-60
Serial-Numbered Rookies 61-110)
Total Cards: 110

The first card from 2010-11 Upper Deck Ice added to my collection...

After learning that the base set has only sixty cards, I don't think I'll be pursuing this one. Still, I'll gladly file any that I happen to find into my "modern" Upper Deck binder.

Another member of the 2004 Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning, Brad Richards was traded to the Dallas Stars in 2008. The deal also brought goaltender Mike Smith to Tampa.

NHLers of the Past & Present (Evgeny Davydov & Evgenii Dadonov)

Evgeny Davydov
1993-94 Topps Premier #444

Evgeny Davydov (Left Wing)
Born: 1967, USSR
Drafted:  12th round 1989 (235th overall)
NHL Career: 1992-1995
Teams: Jets, Panthers, Senators
Numbers Worn: 40,11,13

Scored 79 points in 155 career games.

Evgenii Dadonov
2019-20 Upper Deck #295

Evgenii Dadonov (Right Wing)
Born: 1989, USSR
Drafted: 3rd round 2007 (71st overall)
Active NHL Career: 2010-present
Teams: Panthers, Senators
Numbers Worn: 63

Citizen Cane...

James Reimer
2019-20 Upper Deck #306

Closeup look at the "Canes" white away jerseys.
Didn't realize that these had officially become the new road uniform.

Just noticed the miniature "hurricane flag" inside the "C".