WTF Hockey Card: Sergei Nemchinov (1991-92 Upper Deck #355)

Sergei Nemchinov
1991-92 Upper Deck #355
 (card back)

Was curious why the back of this card shows Sergei Nemchinov in a Russian uniform, with his New York Ranger teammates in the background.

My conclusion is that the photo must have taken in 1990 during the Central Red Army's NHL Tour, where the Soviet Wings beat the New York Rangers 3-1.

1994-95 Topps Premier

John Casey
1994-95 Topps Premier #229

Found about 60 of these in a random box...

Paul Cavallini
1994-95 Topps Premier #246

Had never owned any cards from 1994-95 Topps Premier, but I like the neat, clean design of the cards.

Phil Housley
1994-95 Topps Premier #353

Phil Housley, shown here wearing 60 instead of his usual number 6 jersey.

Cool Cards: Arturs Irbe

Arturs Irbe RC
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee #501

A couple cards of Latvian netminder Arturs Irbe.

I like how you can see the airborne puck.

Arturs Irbe
1993-94 Topps Premier #442

Arturs Irbe spent five years in goal for the expansion San Jose Sharks. He was the main man by the 1993-94 season, making over 2000 saves in 74 games, finishing with a 2.71 goals against average.

Arturs Irbe
2000-01 Upper Deck #34

Coming off a season in which he played 75 games, Irbe would play 77 games during 2000-01 (third highest record number of games played by a goaltender in a single season).

He also helped the Hurricanes reach the Finals in 2002.

Party Like It's 1994-95...

Rob Niedermayer
1994-95 Pinacle #168

Barely have any cards from 94-95 in my collection...
(Too busy playing hockey to collect hockey...)

Picked up a random mixed binder with a bunch of cards spanning 40 years...
(everything from 1989-2019)

Bryan Marchment
1994-95 Score #107

Going through the plethora of sets and years was a bit tedious, but it was fairly entertaining at the same time.

Al MacInnis
1994-95 SP #104

Part of my fascination with cards from 1994-95 is that I'd seen all this stuff advertised back in the day, but never actually got my hands on it. Now I literally have a handful from each set.

1994-95 was the first year for Upper Deck's SP brand. The cards look great (but the gold foil looks terrible when scanned).

One Hit Wonders

Gary Galley
1994-95 Donruss #166

Being a thrifty hockey card collector, I've started picking up huge boxes/binders of random doubles or partial sets that someone else doesn't want to bother going through.

Steve Thomas
1995-96 Ultra #263

A few stray cards I've recently added to my collection...

Mike Ricci
1998-99 UD Choice #180

I now have but a single card from each one of these sets.

Pat Falloon (1991-92 Pro Set #558)

Pat Falloon
1991-92 Pro Set #558

The final card needed to complete my 1991-92 Pro Set...

This means I now have at least one copy of every single base card for all three years of Pro Set and Pro Set Platinum.

Doesn't bother me that the Pro Set cards are pretty much worthless...

All filed away into binders, the sets are so large that they pretty much serve as a set of NHL encyclopedias, covering 1990-91, 91-92 & 92-93.

Cool Cards: Dave Andreychuk & Bobby Baun

Sabres
1989-90 O-Pee-Chee #299

On this Buffalo Sabres Team Card, Dave Andreychuk seems to innocently trip an unsuspecting opponent.

Bobby Baun
1991-92 Ultimate Original 6 #30

Bobby Baun can be seen performing a similar action on this card...

I get like the way his stick blade is turned completely backwards to hook the opposing player.

Cool Card: Kenny Jonsson (2002-03 O-Pee-Chee #59)

Kenny Jonsson
2002-03 O-Pee-Chee #59

I absolutely love the battle taking place in this snapshot...

Kenny Jonsson of the Islanders against who I believe to be Jason Arnott of the Devils.

Both players are equally intent on gaining position.

Cool Cards: Ron Hextall

Ron Hextall
1994 EA Sports #114

In the right place at the right time to raid a Ron Hextall collection sale. Some nifty gems for 25 cents each...

A stray card from the mail in set available to supplement the NHL '94 video game. Real-life photo on the front, with in-game attributes on the back.

Had never actually seen one of these cards myself, but knew exactly what it was the moment I saw it.

As a fan of the NHL '94 game, I was pleasantly surprised.

Ron Hextall
1994-95 Pinnacle Masks #MA6

Hextall was only with the Isles for a season, but I was thrilled to find one of these elusive (and normally expensive) 1994-95 Pinnacle Masks for my collection.

Ron Hextall
1994-95 Upper Deck #170

Hex is back in Philadelphia. Fresh off his stint with the Islanders, he's still wearing the blue & orange pads.

Cruel Card: Marian Hossa (2008-09 SPX #58)

 Marian Hossa
2008-09 SPX #58

A hired gun for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marian Hossa was on the losing side of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, in which the Penguins fell to the Detroit Red Wings.

Hoss jumped ship, sold his services to the Wings, only to lose to his ex-teammate Penguins the following year.

I just like the huge "X" on the graphic, with the Detroit logo and red background, with Hossa still in a Pittsburgh uniform.

After two consecutive trips to the final with two different teams (and being on the losing side both times) the hockey gods felt he had suffered enough, and he won the Stanley Cup the following year with the Chicago Blackhawks.