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.

Bear-Cat Blast...

Ray Bourque
1994-95 Select #18

Who could have imagined a full seven game series between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers?

The Cats have managed to claw their way back against the mighty Bruins.

Boston set an NHL record in 2023 for the most successful regular season ever. Imagine if this "near perfect" season was ended by a first-round Playoff exit at the paws of an undercat.


A "retro" card featuring both teams...
Both players on this card are legendary within their respective franchises: Bruin defender Ray Bourque against Panther Scott Mellanby (first player to score a "rat trick").

Death Mask...

Jamie Storr
1994-95 Select #170

Freaky Mask Friday and my fascination with Ancient Egypt... This card of Jamie Storr immediately caught my eye...

The artwork on his goalie mask depicts an Egyptian Pharoah (or King).
It's especially fitting within the Los Angeles Kings motif.

Looks pretty slick while at the same time being relatively simple. (Bonus point for the fact that the gold Select Rookie emblem looks like a pyramid!)

Jamie Storr had (at least) three different mask designs during his time with the LA Kings.

In addition to Jamie Storr having used this Egyptian theme, apparently two other former Kings goalies briefly had their own renditions of the Egyptian Pharoah on their masks. (Rob Stauber & Stephane Fiset)

Playing for Keeps...

Mike Gartner
1994-95 Select #95

Really like the perspective on this snapshot...

A bit of an unusual angle for a hockey card, but in this instance it really works.

Get to see the length of the ice, with players from both team benches on their feet to see what's happening.

Toronto and Vancouver met in the Western (Campbell) Conference Finals in 1994, so it's possible that the photo was taken during that series.

Thunder Road...

Daren Puppa
1994-95 Select #45

Suddenly noticing all kinds of Tampa Bay Lightning VS New York Islanders within the cards of my collection...

Possibly because both teams were together in the Atlantic Division from 1993 to 1998, and a big chunk of my collection falls within that era.

Is that an Islander glove in the foreground?

Chris Gratton
1995-96 Topps #70

Always liked this card. Actually looks as if the defender is trying to get out of the way.

Patrick Flatley
1995-96 Topps #139

Just happened to pull an extra copy of this card from a re-pack...
As one of my favorite cards from the set, just had to include it.

Brad Richards
2003-04 O-Pee-Chee #221

Brad Richards won the Con Smythe trophy as Playoff MVP during Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup victory in 2004.

Noah Welch
2009-10 Upper Deck #92

Possibly my all-time favorite Lightning uniform is the white "away" jersey from 2007-08, which were also used as third jerseys until 2011.

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.

To Peel or not to Peel? (1996-97 Select Certified)

Ron Hextall
1996-97 Select Certified #63

1996-97 Select Certified
Total Cards: 120

One of the brands to be released with a clear layer of plastic covering the card front was Select Certified.

As far as I know, this fad was only around for a few years during the mid-late 1990s. Really not sure if many people adhered to the instructions to "Remove Protective Film".

Ruslan Salei RC
1996-97 Select Certified #109          

Never had any of these cards back in the day, but couldn't pass on the deal, especially since the "Remove Protective Film" was still intact.

Glad the original owner of the card resisted the temptation (and instructions) to remove the layer. It's now safely tucked into a toploader, where the protective film will never be removed.

Have since acquired several cards with film. Was that clear plastic honestly to protect the cards? Or was it just a clever marketing gimmick? Either way, it's a fun reminder of a simpler time.

Select (a Pinnacle Brand)

Stephan Lebeau
1994-95 Select #65

1994-95 Select
Total Cards: 200

Another card from a lockout-shortened season... A premium card set released by Pinnacle.

Saw the marketing for the Select brand in Beckett magazines during 1994-95, but had yet to actually hold one of these in my hands. It's the only card from this set in my collection at the moment.

Stephan Lebeau
1994-95 Select #65
(card back)

Stats are neat & tidy, card number is legible. Always enjoy an alternate snapshot on the back of the card - In this case it's a full sized photo.

Counting the inset photo on the front, there are three different photos on the card... A practice that's almost become extinct today.