Freaky Mask Friday (Calvin Pickard, Colorado Avalanche)

Just Don't Call It a Yeti...

Calvin Pickard
2013-14 Panini Prizm #224

With a midwinter dumping of fresh powder, it seems like an ideal time to bring out another Avalanche goaltender card.

Shown here with his first NHL team (Colorado), Pickard has also played for Toronto, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Detroit.

Currently backstopping the Edmonton Oilers, the goalie will surely be jinxed with a mention that he's currently one of the hottest goalies in the league in terms of wins.

Hasn't lost a game in 2025, and has managed 11 wins in his last 12 games.

Detroit Red Wings' Netminders...

Thomas McCollum
2010-11 Panini All Goalies #30

Random "new" cards added to my collection, featuring a few goaltenders from Original Six team Detroit Red Wings.

2010-11 Panini All-Goalies
Total Cards: 100

Actually get a kick out of the "All Goalies" logo with the old time goaltender mask. The goal sticks make it look like a skull and crossbones. Cheesy or not, but I kinda like it.

On the front of this card, the faded background helps from revealing that the backup goaltender is probably warming up against the boards. Thomas McCollum appeared in just three games in two seasons.

Still, I have a respect for the unknown goaltenders. Also find it interesting that he wore number 38, one of the less common  numbers in the traditional "goalie number" range.

Jimmy Howard
2010-11 SP Authentic #104

Jimmy Howard has been the main man in the Detroit net for a number of seasons, having been with the team for his entire career.

2010-11 SP Authentic
Base Cards: 1-200
(Short Print / Serial Numbered: 201-310)
Total Cards: 310

While I'm always happy to add random SP Authentic cards to my collection, I feel there's already an abundance of whitespace on a typical SPA card - The "fade to white" effect towards the bottom of the card makes it look like they were trying to save money on ink...

Another minor, nit-picking detail regarding the player and team name... The small foil letters are super-imposed over a grey background (containing a redundant team name).

Three cards from this set in my collection so far, this one being the first goalie.

Jonathan Bernier
2018-19 Upper Deck #317

Just happened to pull this card of Jonathan Bernier. First card I have of him in a Wings' uniform. He's worn number 45 with every NHL team he's played for (LA, Toronto, Colorado & Detroit) except for a season in Anaheim. (He wore number 1 with the Anaheim Ducks as jersey 45 was occupied by defenceman Sami Vatanen).

2018-19 Upper Deck
Base Card Numbers: 1-200, 251-450
Short Print / Serial Numbered: 201-250, 451-500)
Total Cards: 500

Random Re-Pack...

Hungry for hockey, I busted open a random re-pack from my stash.

Only one third were duplicates.  I take it as a win anytime the majority of these "value packs" contain cards that I don't already own.

Andrei Vasilevskiy
2019-20 Upper Deck Artifacts #15

A modern card of this season's Stanley Cup winning goaltender.
Vasilevskiy was voted best netminder the previous season.

Ever notice that guys who win the Vezina trophy eventually seem to backstop a team to a Stanley Cup?

(Tom Barasso, Ed Belfour, Dominik Hasek, Tim Thomas, Brayden Holtby)

This makes a total of three cards from this set in my collection.
One of the better Artifacts card designs, in my opinion.

Semyon Varlamov
2013-14 Panini Contenders #18

Thought I already had this card of Semyon Varlamov...
(Turns out I have his Panini Prizm card from the same year)

2013-14 Panini Contenders
Total Cards: 287

Overall, it's a half decent looking card. The Photoshop effect almost looks like a pencil drawing, which is kinda neat. Including the back of the card however, they've managed to use the same photo three times...

Eric Fichaud, Zigmund Palffy, Todd Bertuzzi
3 Star Selection
1996-97 Collector's Choice #323

New York Islanders card, featuring the combination of an unpopular team logo with a highly controversial player...

Have mixed feelings tucking this one into my collection, but every hockey card is a piece of history, pretty or not.

The Head That Wears The Crown

Ryan Clowe
2011-12 Panini Crown Royale #77

2011-12 Panini Crown Royale
Total Cards: 182

While an entire set of die-cut cards doesn't really appeal to me, I do enjoy occasionally finding one or two.

Didn't realize that Panini now has the Crown Royale brand - But I believe this card was visible as bait for me to purchase a re-pack...

I prefer vertical cards to horizontal ones, so I kinda like this one. The silver crown is awesome, and the front of the card is relatively well done.

Just not sure why they chose such a large font for "2011" and "2012". (To me, that information is better kept to the back of the card)

Overall, the card design definitely gets a passing grade (probably a "B plus" or an "A minus").

Ryan Clowe
2011-12 Panini Crown Royale #77
(card back)

Nothing really wrong with the back, although I'd like to see the stats board a bit higher... (Maybe instead of those weird diagonal pieces, whatever they're supposed to be. Possibly the bands that wrap the crown around the back of the head?)

Also not a fan of the format used for the player's height, weight, date of birth, with alternating colors... Find it too awkward to read.

Ryan Clowe scored 112 goals and 197 assists for 309 points in 491 career games.

(also had 46 points in 70 playoff games)