Chatting with a hobby friend the other day, he jokingly (but with a small bit of true curiosity) blurted out "You've probably seen it all by now, haven't you?" It made me smile...one of those slow, reflective, Cheshire cat-type grins. I've learned that no matter how long you stroll through a garden, if you keep your eyes open, pay attention and allow unlikely possibilities to appear...they sometimes will.
Believe it or not, it's happened a few times this year...and I'm a decades-long player collector.
I'll take you back to the spring card show here in town...so, April. It's a semi-annual bonanza that I really look forward to and enjoy. A lot of local guys are there to sell but it's also a chance to get some out-of-towners setting up a few tables. I quite like it when my window shopping has some new and exciting displays.
I met up with a longtime friend who dug out some of his collection from the 80's and 90's and decided to do some research on them. Why am I telling you this? He's responsible for leading me to the table where I found this item - literally as I was wrapping up my day and ready to leave.
I had found nothing Linden-related on any of the tables at that show. It's a hit-or-miss situation with me and local shows these days. Not many Lindens to chase the last couple seasons. So I wasn't too shocked to be shut out. But this final table not only saved the day, but provided an item I had never seen...and it likely goes down as one of the most unique in my collection.
The vendor had a lot of non-card items...programs, photos, ticket stubs, knick knacks, that sort of thing. I had passed by his table a couple times during the day but nothing really drew me in. My buddy was checking a couple things out so I decided to dig through some of the side boxes - mostly to kill time.
I flipped through a box of programs, magazines and other flat items and caught a glimpse of a player I knew all too well. Linden's look in the early 90's...the posture, the Cooper helmet and the captain's C had me stop and confirm. Yup, it was Trev.
And what I pulled out had me wide-eyed.
Yeah...it's a Hamilton Canucks info pamphlet. I shook my head and started my detective work. Why Hamilton? Why Trev? This makes no sense.
So this item is a season ticket and information pamphlet for the (at the time) newly formed Hamilton Canucks. They were the AHL (American Hockey League) farm team for the Vancouver squad from 1992 to 1994 (a very small window). The challenge at the time...they had no players, so they had no photos to entice and inspire their potential fanbase in Hamilton as they were entering the market.
Enter, Trevor Linden. The team decided to put the captain of the parent squad on the front of the foldout. He had never played in the AHL, he went straight to the big leagues, but it made sense for him to be the poster boy. If you're going to promote a new team, why not start with a player like Trev.
It's just extremely odd to see him associated with a Hamilton Canucks banner. It still looks weird when I look at it all these months later. A very cool weird though. I mean come on...that is one killer looking photo of Linden. I love that intense stare. And that time period is my absolute fave for Linden pics.
The price was even nicer. I'm sure most people would shake their head at a $4 tag for a 30-year-old pamphlet of a now defunct AHL team, but that was an outstanding price in my eyes. I knew it would be coming home with me. Another fantastic day at the card show.
But stay tuned...this wasn't the only fun Linden item I found at that table. :)
Lesson learned. Always take the time to stop and look. You never know what you might come across.
Nice find. It'd be cool to get Trevor to sign this. I wonder if he'd comment on it.
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