LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - 1997/98 Donruss Canadian Ice Auto

This week's Trevor Linden card is another of my all-time favorites. It was one of his early autograph cards (they were a new concept a decade ago) and it took a good 10 years to track down.

1997/98 Donruss Canadian Ice Autograph
Redemption only (/1500)

This card has a real cool looking design (I love the name text and how it is placed in the background). It's a simple photo not taken from game action, but rather a photo shoot. The starburst at the bottom for the signature area also looks good. This card was really ahead of it's time back in 1997. Not an overdone design yet a bold statement.

I first heard of this card when I was opening up a pack of Donruss Canadian Ice. Inside there was an advertisement card.


Basically, it allowed you to send in $25 and you would receive an autographed card. All the money collected would go to the Trevor Linden Foundation in support of children's charities. COOL! Donruss was recognizing Trevor as one of the most active players in supporting his community and children's charities. Another reason why I am a big fan of his. There would only be 1500 of these autographed cards issued out.

There was only one little problem. I opened the pack of cards up a couple years after they were released. The offer had expired almost two years earlier.

I immediately began hitting up my old friend ebay. No luck. I kept my eyes peeled. Nothing!

I was on the search for one of these redeemed autograph cards for the better part of 10 years before I finally found one up for auction on ebay.

I think I ended up paying $40 for it, but I knew I wanted it. I figured that $25 of it at some point went to charity. When I finally got the card in my hands, I was even more impressed with it. It has sort of a foil finish to it and the signature is "hard signed" (as opposed to a lot of the "stickers" placed on cards nowadays). I knew that at some point, he had this very card in his hands.

Since finding the card, I have seen a couple others pop up on ebay, but I'm sure that they never released the 1500 cards they said they would - or else everyone has kept them diligently in their collections.

I'm glad I've got mine.

Another one on the list of Trevor Linden cards I own.

Until next week.