SHARK WEEK (Day 2): Hack It...

Jeff Hackett
1992-93 Pinnacle #105

Reeled in this Shark from a re-pack.

Jeff Hackett was one of the poor unfortunate souls who was taken in the Expansion Draft (from the NY Islanders), ground into chum and  fed to the brand-new Expansion Team San Jose Sharks.

The 1991-92 San Jose Sharks finished dead last, with the worst NHL regular season record of all time. (Today's Expansion Teams are fixed in such a way that they can go all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first year...)

FIVE different netminders saw action for the Sharks during that first dreadful year (Hackett, Myllys, Irbe, Hayward, Flaherty)

Hackett also has the distinction of having played for three of the Original Six teams (Chicago, Montreal and Boston)

Did not already have this card in my collection, so for me it's a decent catch.

Jeff Hackett
1991-92 O-Pee-Chee Premier #108

Two cards from my existing collection.
First up, is Jeff Hackett's card from 1991-92 OPC Premier.

Jeff Hackett
1992-93 Upper Deck #308

Obtained a few copies of this card a few years ago when I finished my 1992-93 Upper Deck set.

Didn't have this one back in the day. Digging the overhead angle - Plus the surreal blue paint of the goal crease.

SHARK WEEK: Shark Hunting...

Brian Hayward
1992-93 Pinnacle #266

Kicking off SHARK WEEK with Freaky Mask Friday and one of the coolest hockey cards ever - Brian Hayward's card from the very first edition of Pinnacle Masks.

This card is part of the base card set. Future releases saw the Pinnacle Masks become a separate subset.

Brian Hayward wore a rather unique goalie mask during his brief tenure with the San Jose Sharks...



I remember seeing a full sized poster of his mask and thought it was awesome... But had never actually owned a card featuring the infamous shark mask.

Had caught a few glimpses of his mask on other cards...

 

Mark Tinordi
1991-92 Pro Set Platinum #58

1991-92 was the debut year for the Sharks franchise.
It also happened to be the 75th anniversary of the NHL - So all team uniforms featured a commemorative "NHL 75" patch.

Mike Sullivan
1992-93 O-Pee-Chee #144

Barely noticeable, but the Shark mask is there - Albeit out of focus and in the background.

Pretty sure there's at least one other card in my collection with a Brian Hayward cameo with the mask. If I find it, my intention is to add it to this post...

Fast Eddie...

Ed Belfour
1995-96 Pinnacle #153

A half-decent look at Ed Belfour's iconic eagle for Freaky Mask Friday.

Organizing my duplicates, and was once again thrilled to discover an extra copy of this card. (Might even put it in a toploader and stick it to my wall)

We saw the bird appear with all kinds of color schemes, from gold & green in Dallas, to blue in San Jose...

Ed Belfour
1993-94 Leaf #62

But it's the red one from his early days with the Hawks that instantly comes to mind when thinking of Eddie The Eagle.

Pinnacle of Achievement...

Keith Jones
1995-96 Pinnacle #27

Onward to 1995-96, is it?

STILL getting my collection in order.
At least I've made progress.

Picked up so many sets at the same time, I'd almost lost track.
Mass acquisitions.

Some people buy an entire collection from a seller...
I'm the guy who picks through what that person doesn't want, to gradually acquire the stuff I'd like to have in my own collection.

Entire stacks of binders of complete (and near-complete) hockey card sets.

The hockey-card collecting (and organizing) season basically lasts around six months for me... It starts mid-winter, and tapers off as the days get longer.











 

 

 

Scott Mellanby
1995-96 Pinnacle #78

Tidying up the daunting mess, and can't really say when the mid-point of the "collecting" season occurred.

Had even pulled out a few boxes of near-complete (75-80%) sets - With the intention of putting the cards in a binder, leaving spaces for the "missing" cards. But never actually got around to some of them.

Now I'm tucking things away for summer, and taking care of a few more piles.

This year (aside from several re-packed packs), I did not acquire any boxes, sets or binders...

Figured just sorting what I had would keep be busy (and out of trouble).
Used to think that was just an expression...

Eric Lacroix
1995-96 Pinnacle #82

Nearly forgot that I had picked up the entire set of 1995-96 Pinnacle, in binder, in one shot.

Sure, it's less fun that way - But simply couldn't pass it up. A lot of these complete sets in binder have been filed away in the card closet, with the notion of pulling it out.

Nikolai Khabibulin
1995-96 Pinnacle #118

I definitely do recall looking at this set when I first got it - But really didn't scan that many cards.

Bob Cat Flying High...

Sergei Bobrovsky
2020-21 Upper Deck #79

The Florida Panthers advance to the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals with a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Championship.

Every game in the series was decided by a goal, however.

After winning the first two games in overtime, the advantage seems to be Florida's goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky who earned a shutout in Game 3.

Sergei Bobrovsky
2011-12 Score #349
(Glossy Parallel)

Had to look up exactly how long Bobrovsky had been in the league... I knew he spent years in Columbus, but actually began his career with Philadelphia.

In a photo that was probably taken during the pre-game warmup, it almost looks like "Goalie Bob" has been chased from the net (full of pucks behind him).

The Mummy Returns...

Stephane Fiset
1996-97 Select Certified #8

Quite a find for Freaky Mask Friday.
Was surprised to unearth this card...

Had heard about a Stephane Fiset "Mummy Mask".
Wasn't aware that I had a card entombed in my collection.

From 1996-97 Select Certified, it must have been the rather distracting "REMOVE PROTECTIVE FILM" text that prevented me from noticing it.

Of course I'm leaving the film on...
I enjoy keeping my stuff as "mint" as possible - And I especially enjoy not following directions.

Stephane Fiset
1997-98 Pinnacle Inside #23
UER: Secondary photo is Jamie Storr

Mummy Brought Back to Life...

Found yet ANOTHER Egyptian Death Mask, this time from 1997-98 Pinnacle Inside.

(Didn't take much digging, as I only have several cards from the 190 card set)

This one's an Uncorrected Error - But it still counts as a "Mummy Mask" on an LA Kings goalie helmet.

Stephane Fiset
1997-98 Pinnacle Inside #23
(card back)
UER: Photo on back is Jamie Storr

It's Stephane Fiset's card - But apparently the masked photo is of Jamie Storr (who's mask was featured previously in a previous post).

I find this especially cool - We get to appreciate some Ancient Egyptian art... Possibly brought back to life through some supernatural magic (or because the company screwed up).

The only OTHER Kings' goalie said to have worn a "Mummy Mask" would be Robb Stauber - Who has just 47 cards to his name (according to TCDB.com). None of Stauber's cards appear to depict him actually wearing such a mask, however.

Absolutely Epic...

Andy Moog
1995-96 Pinnacle #114

Awesome view from a time when the netcam was relatively new...

Bonus point for Budweiser ad on the scoreboard.

On The Doorstep...

T.J. Oshie
2010-11 Pinnacle #28

T.J. Oshie has a close range scoring chance that appears to get thwarted by Boston goaltender Tukka Rask.

Was always intrigued by Oshie's jersey number 74...

Cool cards like this made me want to pursue the entire set...

Focusin'

Alexei Yashin
1994-95 Pinnacle #28

Another card destined for the duplicates pile...

Managed to score the entire set of 1994-95 Pinnacle, but still enjoy this card.

Alexei Yashin displays some incredible balance and concentration.

Long Island Horizon...

Josh Bailey
2011-12 Pinnacle #232

Onward with 2011-12 scans, to an awesome overhead angle to capture Josh Bailey knocking the puck past Martin Brodeur of all people.

(Sorry Marty, you can't stop 'em all)

Ray Ferarro
1991-92 Upper Deck #311

Another horizontal card with an Islander around the net. This time Ray Ferarro attempts the wraparound.

Also digging the obscure goalie cameo. It could be Frederic Chabot who wore number 1 with the Montreal Canadiens during the 1990-91 season. It's neat that he shows up on this card, as he played just 3 games (a total of 108 minutes) that season.

Mike Modano

Mike Modano
2010-11 Pinnacle #128

After 20 years with the Stars organization (back to the days of the Minnesota-based North Stars) Mike Modano would finish his career playing 40 games with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2010-11 season

He wore number 90 in Detroit, his usual number 9 being retired in honor of Gordie Howe.

Mike Modano
1994-95 Upper Deck #SP-21

Probably the card that has the most action within the 1994-95 Upper Deck SP insert set. Mike Modano is being mauled by a couple members of the St Louis Blues.


1994-95,Upper Deck,Insert Cards,2010-11,Pinnacle,

Treasure Ahoy!

Pekka Rinne
Between The Pipes Future Stars #39

Haven't got nearly enough hockey cards featuring pirates - The logo of the Milwaukee Admirals is close enough for my liking.

This is a pre-NHL card of Pekka Rinne in the American Hockey League.

Recently announcing his retirement, the four-time NHL All-Star and 2018 Vezina Trophy winner will be remembered for helping bring the Predators closer than they've ever been to a championship (with a Stanley Cup run in 2017).

Following his impressive career, I was amazed to learn he was drafted in the 8th round (258th overall) in 2004.

Pekka Rinne
2010-11 Pinnacle #86

A lot has happened in the past couple years... Didn't realize that Pekka Rinne actually fired the puck into the opposing team's empty net to score an NHL goal in January of 2020.

He's actually the second Predator netminder to "score a goal" (Chris Mason was credited for a goal in 2005-06 when the Phoenix Coyotes dumped the puck into their own net during a delayed penalty).

With 15 year NHL career (all of which played in Nashville) he played almost twice as many games as the second-leading Nashville Predators netminder (Tomas Vokoun).

Pekka Rinne won 369 career games, 60 shutouts, a 2.84 goals-against average with a .907 save percentage.

WTF Hockey Cards: 1994-95 Pinnacle #58 (Petr Nedved)

Petr Nedved
1994-95 Pinnacle #58

Petr Nedved (of the Blues and eventually Rangers) appears to be joking around with a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Seems he might even be laughing at his brutally taped hockey stick.

Is it possible that Petr Nedved is even mocking Petr Klima? Because Klima would have been a member of the Lightning at the time...

However, any cards depicting Klima with the Lightning seem to show him with a "normal" tape job...

Petr Klima
1992-93 Upper Deck #551

Petr Klima card, buried deep within the 1992-93 Upper Deck set.

Some really great horizontal cards in this binder - Just don't normally have the page flipped that way to appreciate them...

Former Oiler Paul Coffey (shown here with the LA Kings) attempts to check Petr Klima.

What an ugly tape job on Klima's stick...

Is that done on purpose as a distraction or something?

Mike McPhee...

Mike McPhee
1993-94 Pinnacle #163

Couple of cards that caught my attention, both of 10 year NHL veteran Mike McPhee.

Just two seasons with the Stars, wearing number 17. He had previously worn number 35 as a member of the 1986 Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens.

Here he is causing havoc for Vancouver goaltender Kay Whitmore. Snow spray, and at least one other player in the mix.

Another great looking card that's easy to overlook.

Mike McPhee
1994-95 Pinnacle #105

Shuffled to Minnesota in the 1992 off-season (for a 5th round draft pick), Mike McPhee spent one season playing for the "North Stars" and another year with the team as the "Dallas Stars".

In this snapshot, it looks like he's chopping the Tampa player right in the back. Ouch!

Pittsburgh VS New York Islanders

Ulf Samuelsson
1993-94 Fleer Ultra #204

The 2021 playoff matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders is the sixth playoff series between these teams. (previous playoff meetings: 1975, 1982, 1993, 2013 and 2019)

The Divisional Playoff bracket has also been re-instated for the 2021 season with the Islanders and Penguins in the "East Division".

The Pens and Isles were in the Patrick Division from 1981-1993.
From 1993-1998, the Penguins played in the "Northeast Division" while the Islanders were in the "Atlantic Division".

The teams were "re-united" in the Atlantic Division from 1998-2013, joining what became known as the "Metropolitan Division" from 2013-2020.












Historically, the Islanders have owned the Penguins in the Playoffs. Going into 2021, the Islanders had only lost a single series against the "mighty" Penguins... (Pittsburgh emerged as the victor in 2013)

This includes the historic 1975 series where the Isles came back to win in seven games over Pittsburgh after being down 3-0 in the series.

Vladmir Malakhov
1993-94 Pinnacle #104

Another memorable event in 1993 was the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins up 3-1 in the series, only to fall to the Islanders who managed to survive elimination and win in seven.

The Stanley Cup was up for grabs, and it would also mark the end of Divisional Playoffs. Not only were teams separated by he newly formed "Northeast" and "Atlantic" Divisions, but the playoff format had eliminated the divisional brackets.

From 1993-2020 the top teams in each conference would be seeded seeded from 1 thru 8 (regardless of standing within their respective divisions).

Washington VS Boston

Zdeno Chara
2011-12 Score #61

My fascination with this 2021 playoff matchup is Washington's Zdeno Chara facing his former teammates in Boston.

This marks the fourth time that these franchises will meet in the postseason.

In previous meetings, the Bruins emerged as the victors in 1990 (en route to the Finals), with the Caps winning in 1998 (also making it to the Finals). The teams also met in a 2012 playoff matchup won by the Capitals.















A number of trades between these two franchises during the 1990s and early 2000s also managed to catch my attention, for whatever reason...

From nhltradetracker.com:

Steve Leach
1993-94 Pinnacle #73

After 6 seasons in Washington, Steve Leach played 5 seasons in Boston where he would score 159 of his 283 career NHL points.

Al Iafrate
1994-95 Select #80

The acquisiton of Al Iafrate was definitely exciting for Bruins fans...

Unfortunately, the big defenceman with the booming slapshot would only suit up for a dozen games with the Bruins. He missed a couple seasons due to injury, returning to play briefly with the San Jose Sharks.

Joe Juneau
1994-95 Topps/OPC Premier #100

Washington landed Joe Juneau in the Al Iafrate trade. Juneau would spend six seasons in Washington, scoring 234 points in 312 games with the Caps.

(Juneau would also play in Buffalo, Ottawa, and Phoenix before finishing his career in Montreal)

Adam Oates
1999-00 O-Pee-Chee #202

After nearly 6 seasons with the Bruins, Adam Oates became a member of the Washington Capitals, and would provide veteran leadership for the Caps during their 1998 appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Sergei Gonchar
2002-03 Upper-Deck #175

In a season when the Bruins were already heavy favorites to win The Cup, the 2004 acquisition of Sergei Gonchar and Michael Nylander definitely seemed to improve the Bruins' chances...

However, the Bruins were defeated in the first round in a seven game series against their hated rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.

Whalers & Flames Trade of '94 (Gary Suter Becomes a Hawk)

Gary Suter
1993-94 Pinnacle #14

Always interested to find out how players arrived at certain teams...

Gary Suter was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Hartford Whalers as part of a six-man deal in 1994.

Suter never actually played a single game for the Whalers, as he was sent to Chicago the very next day.



















From nhltradetracker.com:

Jocelyn Lemieux
1994-95 Premier #122

The Hartford Whalers traded Gary Suter (along with Randy Cunneyworth) to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Jocelyn Lemieux (and Frantisek Kucera).

Gary Suter
1995-96 Upper Deck #284

My favorite Gary Suter stat:

"Gary Suter became the first Chicago defenseman to register a hat trick in a playoff game on April 24 1994"

-https://blackhawkup.com/2014/06/26/throwback-thursday-gary-suter-2/


Defenceman Gary Suter also holds the NHL record for most assists in a single game by a rookie with 6 assists in a 9-3 Calgary Flames victory over the Edmonton Oilers (Apr. 4, 1986). He was also the NHL rookie of the year in 1986.


This particular card has a Brett Hull cameo on the front, Chris Chelios on the back.

Ninety-Five Nostalgia...

Sylvain Cote
1994-95 Pinnacle #33

Two random cards that happened to catch my eye...

Horizontal snapshots featuring the Pens VS Caps rivalry. Tomas Sandstrom also appears on both cards.

Looks like Sylvain Cote has just managed to evade the forecheck by Sandstrom.

Tomas Sandstrom
1995-96 Upper Deck #185

Another battle on Tomas Sandstrom's card, with the home & away teams reversed.

At the time these cards were released, the "Patrick" Division no longer existed.
The Capitals were playing in the "Atlantic" Division with the Rangers, Islanders, Flyers and Devils (along with the Panthers and Lightning).

The Penguins had been grouped with the "Northeast" Division (Bruins, Sabres, Whalers, Canadiens, Nordiques and Senators).

2010-11 Pinnacle

Ryan Clowe
2010-11 Pinnacle #35

2010-11 Panini Pinnacle
Total Cards: 270

Recently added a small stack of 2010-11 Pinnacle to my collection.

Really appreciating some of the great snapshots in this under-rated set.

Great one-on-one with Ryan Clowe against the Dallas Stars' goaltender Andrew Raycroft.

Nick Foligno
2010-11 Pinnacle #63

Nick Foligno with an open ice hit on Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins.

(Lucic is also flying from a check on Cam Janssen's card number 32)

Martin Biron
2010-11 Pinnacle #71

Goaltender Martin Biron is so bored that he's sweepin' up the hats after a hat trick.

Tyler Myers
2010-11 Pinnacle #173

Decent action card, players battling for the puck with snow spray. Tyler Myers' card just happens to have a Sidney Crosby cameo.

Shave The Whale...

Dougie Hamilton
2020-21 Upper Deck #32

While I haven't been motivated to pick up any 2020-21 NHL product, I couldn't resist adding this lone card to my collection.

For the second year in a row, Dougie Hamilton of the Carolina Hurricanes is depicted in a Whalers uniform in the main Upper Deck flagship set.

So far, the Hurricanes have kept Whale sightings to a minimum. The Hurricanes dressed as Whalers for a single game against the Kings in 2019-20.

Was there some sort of backstory to a Kings VS Whalers rivalry that I'm not aware of? Surprised that the Kings appeared on the ice wearing "modern" jerseys, as opposed to some purple & yellow retro throwback uniforms...  Why not go all out and call it "Eighties Night"?

Obviously the jerseys are clever marketing ploy, but I'd rather see the Hurricanes wear true Whalers' colors then the "reverse retro" (predominantly grey) uniforms they'll be wearing in 2021.

Dougie Hamilton
2020-21 Upper Deck #32
(card back)

(Bonus point for goaltender on the bench wearing a Whalers cap)

Fans also got to experience a couple of Bruins VS Whalers games in 2018-19. Regardless of how sacrilegious it may be for the Hurricanes to wear Whalers' jerseys, it's not the players' fault.

The only thing that makes it acceptable is (outside of playing EA Sports' NHL 94) it's the only way to see the Boston Bruins faceoff against the "Whalers", their former division rivals.

Hard to believe it's been more than 20 years since the Hartford Whalers moved to Carolina and became the Hurricanes.

Slowly, over the past couple of decades, the team has built a new legacy in Carolina. This includes Stanley Cup run in 2002, and eventually the excitement of winning it all in Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.

Mike Tomlak
1991-92 Upper Deck #310

As far as defunct hockey teams are concerned, Hartford Whalers merchandise is possibly the most sought-after. It's something that Hartford supporters can take pride in... Although many fans are still understandably bitter over losing their team to another city in the first place.

David Booth
2010-11 Pinnacle #116

Whale sighting in Florida! This is already a terrific snapshot on it's own. Just noticed a background detail that makes it a bit more special... There's a guy in the crowd wearing a green Hartford Whalers shirt.

Florida being a tourist destination, I suppose the fan could be on vacation, taking in a game between the Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers.