LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - A Very Special Addition

Storytime!  And this one might just be one of my favorites this year.

For the past year or so, I've been noticing more 'show' cards or 'expo' cards of Linden's being released than I have in a long time.  Many collectors don't chase these cards as they are not true pack-inserted pieces of cardboard.

Fair enough.  But to me, these cards sit right in the wantlist with all the others.

Coming across a show card didn't have the excitement like it once did.  A little oversaturation will do that (even if the cards are 1/1's).  But a month or so ago, I came across a show card on ebay that made me jump.

2003/04 Be A Player

In The Game Action

#583 Montreal Expo SHOW /10

A show card from almost 10 years ago is virtually impossible to find these days.  They rarely pop up.  When they do, I've got my radar set to 10.

So I keep tabs on this ebay auction and for the next week I am literally counting down the days before auction end.

I knew the precise time that the auction would finish up and set my alarm for 5 minutes beforehand so I could casually place my bid.  The buzzer rang and I made my way up to the computer.  I fired it up and double-clicked on the internet icon.

No connection!  Something was up with my network signal.

So I start cursing.  I restart my computer and by the time I get the ebay page up on my screen - the auction was over.

I was beside myself.  Sick to my stomach.  Not only would the card be going to another person, it went for a fraction of what I was willing to spend.

For the next while, that miss was all I could think of.

But rather than give up on the card (which I would have done if it were pretty much any other card), I decided to keep pursuing it.

I found out who the winning bidder was and decided to contact him out of the blue.  I asked if he would consider selling the card as I would gladly pay over and above what he shelled out.  Of course I did it respectfully and without trying to be invasive.

Not long after, I received a reply from the winner of the card.  It turned out that he was a Linden collector.  He didn't really have a huge attachment to the card and said that he would be happy to work something out.  I was thrilled.

Over the next few days, my new Linden collecting friend and I worked out a trade that I think was a win-win.  He was able to pick up some nice parallels and I was able to snag a card that would probably never be seen again.

The cards were mailed off and I sat back and thought about the whole chain of events.  A huge smile on my face appeared.

The card arrived today and it's a real fave of mine.  If it hadn't been for that computer glitch, I might never have met this generous Linden collector.  As much as I will be enjoying this show card, I have no doubt that I will enjoy the friendly banter that the two of us will shoot back and forth over the days, months and hopefully years to come.

Thanks very much Glenn for your generosity.  It was a blast to meet another Linden collector.

30 in 30 - Oh Thank You Internets!

In my quest to come up with a list of 30 documentaries before my launch date (tentatively set for Oct. 1), I have scoured a number of different resources to ensure I actually have 30 films in hand to watch.

Obviously, the internet will play a huge role in accomplishing this goal.  Not only will I be able to track down where some of these movies live, with some, I'll be able to actually watch them online.

Here's a few that I'm adding because I know they have a place in the world wide web where I can go to watch.

First up, Sonicsgate: Requiem For A Team.

This film is about how the Sonics were torn away from Seattle in 2008 after 41 years in the NBA and were moved to Oklahoma and became the Thunder.  The film was created by Sonics fans in order to educate the public on what really happened.

It won a Webby Award for Best Sports Film in 2010.

Looks interesting.


Next up, a classic from the glory days (at least for me) of the NHL.  Never Say Die: The Story of the New York Islanders is just that.  The building and pinnacle of the Isles franchise.

It's an old doc, but I'm looking forward to seeing it.


The Game Of Their Lives is a 2002 film about the 1966 World Cup and focuses on the North Korean team who were 1000:1 longshots and yet made the quarterfinals.  For this documentary, a BBC producer was given unprecedented access to North Korea.

I have a feeling this will be more than just a soccer story.


More Than A Game is a 2009 documentary film that follows NBA star LeBron James and four of his teammates through their high school years in Akron, Ohio.  I remember hearing about James before he went to the NBA and how his team's high school games were out-drawing a lot of college matches.

Not expecting it to be as good as Hoop Dreams, but should still be an interesting watch.


Fire In Babylon is a critically acclaimed film about the West Indies cricket team of the late 70's/early 80's in the turbulent era of apartheid in South Africa.  It's a sport I know little of and am excited to see this film.


With the 2012 London Olympics now in the books, there was a lot of talk about the 2012 "Dream Team" and comparisons to the 1992 "Dream Team".  The Dream Team is about that 1992 team.  One for the ages.


Finally, TT3D: Closer To The Edge is about The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, the greatest motorcycle race in the world.  Here's the trailer.

OK, I'll bite.

Getting closer.

'30 in 30' - LIST OF MOVIES

1. Hoop Dreams

2. Murderball

3. The Endless Summer

4. Pumping Iron

5. Undefeated

6. Michael Jordan: To The Max

7. Bobby Fischer Against The World

8. Jim Brown: All American

9. Tyson
10. Knuckleball
11. Magic and Bird: A Courtship Of Rivals
12. Touching The Void
13. The Curious Case Of Curt Flood
14. The Last Gladiators

New additions.....

15. Sonicsgate: Requiem For A Team

16. Never Say Die: The Story of the New York Islanders

17. The Game Of Their Lives

18. More Than A Game

19. Fire In Babylon

20. The Dream Team

21. TT3D: Closer To The Edge

TO THE BIKE SPOKES!! - Petr Nedved........AGAIN!

Poor Petr Nedved.  He's getting more hobby love for all the wrong reasons.

This is the third time he's appeared here on this blog and the first two times were not pretty.

1990/91 Pro Set Series II

#643 Petr Nedved

Granted, it is a Pro Set card, but man you've got some bad luck going when it comes to hockey cards Petr.

Is it some sort of 'mini-me' theme they tried?  You look like you're about 3 feet tall.  Add to that, I get more of the guys in the crowd than I do you.

Cropping must not have been a high priority when it came to card production back in the day.

And look at Nedved's face.  I'd be pretty ticked too if I had this kind of card.

Oh and by the way, all the cool guys tuck their shirts in the back.  Didn't you get the memo?  I guess not.  You were probably prancing around in your pyjamas.

I'm seriously considering changing the name of these posts to "The Petr Nedved Award".  He's definitely earned it.

Because you just won't go away...

PPPPPPPFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!

TO THE BIKE SPOKES!!!

1 vs. 100 - This PC Is Still Alive!

It has been months since I've had any sort of update on my 1 vs. 100 project.  Two reasons for that.  First - I just haven't been pursuing it too much.  Second - I only have 14 cards left to track down.....tougher than it sounds.

But the most recent traders night yielded me not one, not two, but three new cards for the collection.  An amazing feat if you ask me.

More so since they all came from the same person.

2005/06 The Cup

Honorable Numbers

#HN-DG Doug Gilmour  /93

A sweet auto/patch card from Killer to start things off.  The patch may be blah, but that serial number is what shines for me.

And check out that auto.  Not bad.  You definitely know what number he wore.

2011/12 Titanium

#113 Alexei Emelin  /84

When I saw these odd numbered parallels in this year's Titanium product, I knew that it would help my cause.

Emelin has this card numbered to 84 as it was his draft position.  He also has a card numbered to 74 which is his jersey number.

I love the fact that I'm adding unique cards to this project and that these new finds are getting me closer to the finish line.

2007/08 The Cup

#170 Stefan Meyer (gold)  /64

Another patch/auto to end things off.  This one is courtesy of Stefan Meyer.  I was really excited to land this one as it has a gorgeous patch but was slightly bummed when I saw that there was a bit of a ding on the right hand side.

On the flip side, there is a Stefan Meyer hoarder who has almost half the print run of these cards so far.  I'm hoping to trade him for a different card /64.  Win-win for both of us then....right?

Anyways, this was a hugs find for me and brings me just that much closer to finishing one of my most daunting projects ever.

87 out of 100  (87%)

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - NYI Panini Photo Card

This past week has been vacation week for me.  Work gives us a small windows for time off during the summer and so August becomes a bit of a quiet work environment.  Nice and relaxing.

Even more relaxing was the week-long golf trip I took to British Columbia. That is if you call a 3-night, 4-day trip to BC playing 6 rounds of golf relaxing.  My brother-in-law, a couple high school buddies and myself did nothing but drive, golf, sleep and maybe had one or two beverages in between.  And I loved it.  I look forward to this trip every year (this was our seventh) and it didn't disappoint.

I'm fourth on the depth chart when it comes to our golf game, but I hold my own.  I'm pretty competitive and I like that it's a challenge to try and beat the other guys.  Well, the last round of the trip was the first time I finished a round on top.  It was a pretty cool feeling.  A great way to end the week.

But now it's back to work on Monday and back to some blogging.  There's a bit of a backlog with some stuff I want to show off so I'll try to do my best to get caught up.


This item was a nice surprise in the mailbox.  One that I actually had no clue was in my possession.

1998/99 Panini

Photocard (large)

This card came from Brad over at Cards From The Crease.  He saw it and thought I might like it (which I do).  I had no idea he was mailing it off as it was a generous gift from him.

He e-mailed me a little while back asking if I received it.  I thought he meant another shipment that arrived a couple months ago.  He indicated that he sent off an envelope and that I should have received it by now.

I did a little rummaging and sure enough I found it.  It was tucked in between some flyers in my recycling bin.  Thankfully he mentioned it to me or it would have been forever lost in the world of the recycled.

This card is the size of a postcard and was a unique product from Panini back at a time when my Linden collecting had taken a completely different look (Linden as an Islander was weird to see at the time).

I liked this set as it had some neat photos.  It's a shame that odd-sized cards just don't get the same hobby love as their 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 counterparts.

Thanks very much for the gift Brad.  I really appreciate it.  While I do have a copy already, I will continue my trend of replacing the one in my collection with the one you sent.

RAISE THE CUP - New, New And More New

Had a few nice successes over the past month.  Cards for a few different projects have found their way to me and it's giving me a nice boost of motivation as the new hockey card season is gearing up.

While there are still a few major releases left for the 2011/12 season, the first product of 2012/13 (O-Pee-Chee) came out this past week.  I opened a few packs so stay tuned for my thoughts.

But first, I thought I'd share some new Raise The Cup cards.  A couple were from trades, one was a nice gift and a couple were just sitting in the binder.

So let's go.

2005/06 Upper Deck The Cup

#41 Scotty Bowman /249

This base card of Scotty Bowman was picked up at a trade night at the start of the month.  I gave up a little more than I should have and now that I think about it I would have been better to walk away from the transaction.

I was pretty frustrated by the guy who I dealt with as he kept playing the "my cards are gold, your cards are crap" game.  Some of his dollar figures just downright insulted me.  He should be happy he got what he got.

Moving on.

2011/12 Panini Contenders

Contenders Legacies

#151 Steve Yzerman /999

This card was included in a package that had a couple Linden cards coming my way.  It was a nice surprise as I didn't even know he had the card.

Both the Yzerman and the Bowman cards cut the Stanley Cup in half.  Terrible cropping if you ask me.  Why couldn't they just include the whole photo?

1997/98 Score

#228 Vladimir Konstantinov

This card might be one of the nicest all-time Raise The Cup cards.  The expression on Vlad's face, the entire photo is included and his teammates are all behind him.

Truly a cherished moment in time.

Love it!

1991/92 Score

#315 Mario Lemieux

A trifecta of Lemieux cards to finish off the show & tell today.

This one is a great looking photo that is enhanced by a nice soft glow filter on the pic.  You can see it in the white of the Penguins logo and around the edge of the Cup.

A nice card from 20 years ago.

1991/92 Pro Set

#318 Mario Lemieux

Another nice card for different reasons.  This one is cluttered with just the one logo in the top left corner.  It also has a little more action in the shot.

Who can tell me the name of the assistant captain?

1991/92 Upper Deck

#436 Mario Lemieux

This last card is not quite as nice.  The shadow over Mario's face and the fact that the card is focusing on his playoff MVP win as opposed to his Cup win makes this third in the Lemieux race today.

Rare since it's an Upper Deck card and they normally lead the charge.

Anyways, it's a nice bunch and I'm happy to add them to the binder.

Current Collection - 89 cards

CARDBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY - Maurice Richard

I love black & white photos. I think they're more intimate and strong than their color counterparts. Bold and commanding attention while remaining somewhat subtle. Not overpowering......but instead - powerful.

Some of the most iconic photographs in NHL history come from the black & white era of the 40's and 50's.  They get very little love when it comes to the cardboard form.  But every once in a while a little gem will pop up.  Sometimes when you least expect it.

1992/93 Score

#549 Maurice Richard "The Legend"

I'm sure most of you have seen this photo before.  I'll go so far as to call it iconic.  Maurice Richard had one of the most intense looks ever.  Period.

I would not want to be the goalie he's barreling in on when he's got that type of game face going.  Intimidation to the umpteenth degree.

But while most people might just be mesmerized by Maurice's eyes, there's a lot more to this photo if you take the time to look.

Raise your hand if you started your hockey career with a straight-bladed stick?  Now raise your hand if you had no idea stick blades were at one time straight.  That's right, you could go into a store and just "buy a stick".  You didn't have to look for a left or a right.

I feel old.

If you ever get the chance to try using one - do it.  You'll have a much better appreciation for stickhandling......and you'll probably have a wicked backhand.

Now on to the gloves.  Even though the photo bares no color, I can just imagine the battered beige gloves that are consuming Richard's hands, wrists and forearms.  Monsterous, yet Maurice still found a way to have a goal-scorer's touch.  I wonder if he cut out the palms so that he could get a better grip on the stick (my dad used to do that with his).  And I love the "hot dog wiener" look that the gloves give.  It just reeks of retro.

The sweater.  Man does that just look heavy.  It must have been a sauna wearing that out on the ice.  I love the lack of flash and pizzaz the jersey commands as it just embraces its simplicity.  Just the logo on the front - that's all that mattered.

And while everybody today wears a helmet (and most sport a visor as well), I can't imagine what "The Rocket" would have looked like if he donned a lid.  That photo would look a whole lot different.

Lastly, let's take a look at the background.  I'm pretty confident that this photo was from a staged set-up (or he's a real cocky dude for posing).  I'm assuming the lights are from windows of some sort and I love that the ice surface seems endless.  The black just engulfs everything except Maurice.  He stands alone.

I love the fact that Score took the time to include this pic in their 92/93 release (the Canadian product release).  Blunt and to the point, Maurice Richard truly earned the moniker of "Legend".

I wanted to give credit to the photographer who flashed the bulb and captured this great moment, but I'm having one heck of a time figuring out that puzzle.

My research initially led me to La Presse (Montreal's newspaper...I think that's where it originated) and carried me towards AP (Associated Press) where the photographer is listed as 'anonymous'.  The rights to the photo belong to Bettmann/Corbis/AP Images but I can find nothing with regards to who actually took the photo.

Sadly, it may remain a mystery to me, but this gem will live on forever.

It's that good.

ONE SHEET, ONE SET - 94/95 Premier Finest 'The Go To Guy'

I was flipping through one of my 'One Sheet, One Set' binders tonight and I came across one......... ugly.............. set.

Gotta post about it.

Let me start by saying 1994/95.  Gotcha scared?  How about Topps Premier.  Shakin' in your boots now right?  And an insert set to boot.  This could get nasty.

But the whole reason why I started this project is so I could appreciate the never-ending card design templates out there - both good and bad.  There's always something to take away from every set shown.  Sometimes it's as simple as "Here's not what to do".

1994/95 Topps/OPC Premier Finest

'The Go To Guy'

This 15 card insert set showcases the clutch players in the NHL at the time.  It's a decent checklist of players including Modano, Sakic, Hull, Roenick and......... yes......... Messier (ugh).

Back in the mid-90's these cards were considered higher-end.  Coming in one out of every 36 packs, it seems like a pretty flimsy box hit today, but back then I could see people being a little more excited to pull one of these.

Just a little...... and not for long.

I'll also say that these cards don't scan well.  But that might be a good thing because there won't be too many points scored this round.

Where to start?  Where to start?  How about the photo selection.  All the cards use a full-body shot that often show the player coasting or just looking off into the distance (perhaps admiring a nice crisp pass that they've just fired off).  There are a couple decent photos, but for the most part it's a weak grouping - especially for an insert set.

The background looks like a clear ripoff from the Saved By The Bell intro. Terrible blue colors and shapes and starbursts galore.  It's one set my sister might find appealing (and that's not a good thing).

The font styles and and effects put on the text just reek of a junior Photoshop guy who has tripped into the templates folder.  Just click away and hope for the best.  And let's look at the font styles closely.  One.... two.... three.... four different fonts used on the front of the card.  Absolutely no cohesiveness.  For shame.

The only positive quality about the card front is the foil-type effect placed on it.  It makes the cards look like there some sort of embossing to it - but there's not.  It nice and shiny.....par for the course when it comes to cards from this time period.

I flip the card over and I nearly lose my lunch.  My eyes start to jitter in my skull and the endless questions begin.

Could you use any more font styles on the back?  Twenty-three different types weren't enough?  Yikes!

Everything is just all over the place - and nothing carries over from the front of the card (not that it would have helped).  Random numbers and letters just strewn everywhere.

And so what else does this card back need?  How about a pie chart.  Yippee!  We got one.  And could it be a more vague stat?  Percentage of total teams' offense?  Really?  Do I need an abacus or something to sort this information out?  My sundial says no.

And then to slap a player photo in the mix with little to no authority just wraps this failure of a card with a nice bow.  And look at the black cones in the background.  Do they serve a purpose?  Is this another fancy Photoshop filter?

Pure nastiness.  A set that you should avoid unless you find them in a "Free" box at a garage sale, need to buy your younger sister a special birthday gift or just want a good laugh.

I'm laughing...... for real (only on the inside though).

0.5 out of 5

30 in 30 - Determined To Find These

I've been slowly building a wishlist of documentaries I want to see as part of my '30 in 30' project.  But I've been finding that the tough part isn't finding titles for me to watch (there seem to be a lot of sport docs out there), it's physically finding the documentaries.

I don't have to explain how difficult it would be to try and watch a documentary that I don't have access to.

But with that in mind, I will build a list that (for the most part) I feel confident I can track down copies of.  I will also have a couple of standby titles just in case something falls through.

The newest additions to the list are some that I've had my eye on for a while.

Knuckleball is a new movie that focuses on one of the most rare and unique type of ballplayers ever - the knuckleballer.  I'll admit, I'm a sucker for R.A. Dickey.  I'll root for that guy any day of the week.  Tim Wakefield is also a prominent player in the doc.

Fingers crossed I can track down a copy.

Magic & Bird: A Courtship Of Rivals isn't as new, but any HBO doc I haven't seen is one that goes on the list.  They do solid stuff - period.  Add to that the fact that the mid-80's was a magical time for me and sports and I got to see Johnson and Bird at their best when sports was nothing more in my mind than just a game - pure innocence.

Touching The Void is one I'll have no problem tracking down.  I've seen it at the local library.  This one sits on the line between documentary and action/adventure.  I'm putting it on the list because I want to see how much of that line is blurred.

Check out the trailer and you'll see what I mean.

Next, I'm adding The Curious Case Of Curt Flood to the list.  I was told about this way back when I initially posted about sport documentaries.

Flood basically sacrificed his career to fight for what he thought was right.  Free agency, challenging baseball's reserve clause and standing up for what he believed in - even if very few supported his cause.

Definite must see.

Lastly (fingers crossed) I am putting The Last Gladiators on the list.  Less Slap Shot and more The Wrestler or Requiem For A Heavyweight, this documentary is about the enforcers of the NHL and life after they hang up the skates.  The central character is Chris "Knuckles" Nilan.

One reviewer laid it all out in one sentence,

"This documentary shows the aftermath, the tough guys' denoument, as their lives - and the role they played - dissolve in a unique mixture of regret, shame, pride, self-destruction and nostalgia."

The filmmakers are the same guys that did the Catching Hell doc (highly recommended).

Gotta find Nilan!

Now no peeking ahead of time.  Trailers - yes, the full doc - no.

'30 in 30' - LIST OF MOVIES

1. Hoop Dreams

2. Murderball

3. The Endless Summer

4. Pumping Iron

5. Undefeated

6. Michael Jordan: To The Max

7. Bobby Fischer Against The World

8. Jim Brown: All American

9. Tyson

New additions.....

10. Knuckleball

11. Magic & Bird: A Courtship Of Rivals 

12. Touching The Void

13. The Curious Case Of Curt Flood 

14. The Last Gladiators (gold if I can find this one)

UH-OH........Gorgeous Card Alert

There are times when my quest for new things Linden uncovers gems never before seen.  New innovations, the bar gets raised or never before seen treasures are unleashed.

I saw this beauty pop up on ebay yesterday and it has my brain spinning.

To most, it's nothing more than an ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 11 Superbox card - just as it says.  Nothing fantastic right?  (I mean yes, the card is sweet, but what's so special about it)

Well, let me tell you.  This card is the very first of its kind.  Not just a door opener.....it's a door crasher.

This little chunk of jersey is the culprit.  It signifies the first time ever that a non-Canucks jersey piece has been used for a Linden memorabilia card.

And knowing that ITG has a game-used Trevor Linden Montreal Canadiens jersey at its disposal for upcoming products - makes me excited and scared....all at the same time.

I think the 'lull' is officially over.

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - Hockey Day In Canada

When it comes to my Trevor Linden collection, I like to add all sorts of stuff.  Regular issue cards, promo cards, show cards, oddball stuff - I've even landed some posters, figures and magazines.  While I primarily go after his hockey cards, I do dabble in other pieces of Trevor Linden memorabilia.  Often times it's the initial 'wow factor' that makes me want to pursue it.  Rarity and focus on the player being another.

This item is one that I was excited to see come my way.  Mostly because I didn't even know it existed until it hit my mailbox.

This Scotiabank Hockey Day In Canada photo comes from just this past season.  It's about the size of a Beehive card/photo and was issued out (I believe) to people who attended the HDIC event held in Richmond.

Trevor participated in a floor hockey event there and signed photos for people afterwards.

So I'm wondering why mine wasn't signed?  :)

Again, I had no idea this item existed until a Linden collector, whom I've know for many years, e-mailed me asking if I would be interested in one.  We had been working on a trade/sale for a number of weeks and this was placed into the mix.  He didn't send me a scan at the time so I was really excited to see the item when it arrived in my mailbox last week.

Needless to say it fits really nice into my Linden collection.  I have a number of oversized cards and team issued items that make for a unique component to my overall Linden collection.

Thanks Victor for the help with my collection (not just for this item, but for all the pieces you've helped me add).  I really appreciate it.

CARDBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY - Dominic Roussel

Do any of you recall the time Tiger Woods made that ridiculous putt that seemed to curve forever (at the 2005 Masters)? Remember seeing the Nike logo on his ball.....perfectly timed to show as it was sinking into the hole?


"In your life!" indeed.

I came across a hockey card recently that made me think about that putt. About how unlikely the logo would line up ever so perfectly.  A thousand tries and you couldn't recreate it.

1994/95 Leaf

#223 Dominic Roussel

This picture is definitely a one in a million shot.  Check out the Flyers logo on the puck as it sits propped up on Dominic's glove.

And Roussel's eyes are just piercing it as he remains concentrated (obviously to balance it as long as possible).  In fact, it doesn't even look like he's focused on the puck.....it looks like he's posing for the camera.

Cheeky.

You gotta think that this photo was used solely because of the puck.  It's an otherwise bland photo.

But that puck!  In your life!

It just goes to show that a split second can really make the difference between a regular, everyday photo and a pretty spectacular shot.

'DID YOU KNOW' - An Unlikely 40

This tidbit of info comes from a custom card creator that has been going about building his own collection of Vancouver Canucks cards to be sent through the mail to be signed.

He was showing off some of his newest successes and mentioned a stat that made me do a double-take.  I was intrigued and thus started digging for more information.


If I asked you to name some of the top snipers in Vancouver Canucks history, who comes to mind?

Pavel Bure?  Markus Naslund?  Daniel Sedin?  Tony Tanti?

Trevor Linden?

OK......I know Trev isn't a guy that put the puck in the net that often (although he did pot 30+ goals in 6 different seasons) but Vancouver has never been known as a team that has that uber-scorer.

note: I don't count Bure.  He needed to have more than just 2 good seasons.

Where am I going with this?  Stay with me.

If I were to ask you who the first Canuck to score 40 goals was, would you be able to name him?

Thomas Gradin?  Stan Smyl?  Andre Boudrias?

Wrong.  It's somebody who never would have entered my brain.

Ron Sedlbauer.  He had one fantastic season in 1978/79 where he scored 40 goals for a Canucks team that seemed to be going nowhere.

It must have been those fancy new "V" uniforms that did it.

But that's not the most interesting part of the story.  With Ron's 40-goal season, a new NHL record was set.

DID YOU KNOW: Ron Sedlbauer holds the NHL record for recording the lowest number of assists in a 40-goal season.

Definitely a one-dimensional player, Sedlbauer contributed just 16 assists to his impressive 40-goal output.  I call 'puck hog'.

That record stood as his and his alone until the 2003/04 season.  Can you guess who tied the record?
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The New York Rangers newest saviour......Rick Nash.

This might just go down as the oddest of odd couples when it comes to an NHL record.


Back to Sedlbauer.....I thought I'd give him the spotlight for a couple moments (since he may never pop up again).

Ron was Vancouver's first draft pick (23rd overall) in the 1974 Amateur Draft.  Some guy named Bryan Trottier was picked 22nd.  Not bad company at all.

He was drafted ahead of Hall of Famer Mark Howe, All-Stars Danny Gare, Charlie Simmer, Mike Rogers and Ron Greshner.  He was also picked ahead of two other Canucks greats - Harold Snepsts and Tiger Williams (who was drafted by Toronto and later traded to the Canucks).

Sedlbauer played a total of 430 games in the NHL and tallied 143 goals and 86 assists.  His (then) team record 40-goal season included 15 on the powerplay (also a team record).

His linemates that year?  Chris Oddleifson and Hillard Graves.  Two more guys who will probably never get any more face time on this (or most other) blogs.

What made that 1978/79 season so special?  Who knows.  But it's one that  still holds a place in the NHL record books.

Now you know.