TO THE BIKE SPOKES!!! - Roman Hamrlik

Sometimes hockey cards give you a glimpse of your favorite players off the ice. Case in point...

Paul Kariya

Doug Gilmour

Ouch. Most times.....that's not a good idea.

Here's another one that creates the argument "Should I stop collecting?"

1996/97 Upper Deck Be A Player
#133 Roman Hamrlik

Roman Hamrlik.....or should I say Rico Suave. What is this card all about?

Do I really need to know that he towel dries his hair? Do I need to know that he likes to pout his lips? Or maybe he just bit his tongue. And do I need to know that he likes to stare blankly into camera lenses?

If I were a mind reader, I'd say he's thinking "Concentrate....... concentrate..... look at my nice white towel."

How this became a hockey card is beyond me. It makes me appreciate the other cards in the set where the jersey logos have been completely airbrushed off. They actually look nice now.

Oh, by the way, Rico prefers heavy metal music....particularly Metallica. I'm sure they're happy to hear that.

Rico, for your absolute non-hockey pic, this is an easy trip....


PPPPPPPFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!

TO THE BIKE SPOKES!!!!!!!

(actually, this might just bypass the binder and go straight in the trash. It's one creepy looking picture)


The real Rico Suave. Separated at birth?

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - A Limited Puck

It was a nice little mailday for me yesterday after what was a fairly dry month of January (which suited my wallet just fine).

First, I received a nice box of shiny mid-90's insert cards for my 'One Sheet, One Set' project. They were being sold for a quarter a piece. No question that if I found that sort of quarter binder at a show here in town, I'd have gobbled them all up.

As it was, I limited myself to just a certain amount so as to not go overboard.

Sadly, there were about a dozen cards missing from the list I gave the person. Hopefully he will rectify the mistake. Stay tuned though for some outstanding 'One Sheet, One Set' posts. There are some beauties.

Also in the mailbox was a single Linden card for my main pc. Again, not without some drama, this card was given the bare minimum for protection when shipped (something I just don't get). It's as if the sender is just asking for something to go wrong with the envelope and the card to be damaged. Some minor reinforcement would have alleviated all the headaches.

Good news....the card was unscathed.

2011/12 Panini Limited
Game Pucks #9 /20

This season's puck card (and parallel) are a nice step up from last year's debut. This hard signed card /20 is the 'common' version with a parallel /5 on the checklist as well (which is incoming).

I like the bigger die cut area for the puck, the action shot is really nice and of course the autograph straight on the card (where last year it was a sticker).

Most importantly, it's the first dent in the Limited checklist for this season. I've passed on a number of opportunities to pick up some base parallels (partially because I thought they were too expensive....but on occasion I was just too lazy to bid).

Slowly, I'll knock those cards off the list.

CARDBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY - Johnny Bower

When I see vintage hockey photos (to me that means from the 50's and 60's) they often contain an essence of focus.

Sharp, distinct moments captured on film. The players look like 'real people' as opposed to the machine churned stars of today. Helmetless, they have character and individuality. The composition as a whole is simpler too. No logos on the boards, the lighting makes it feel like the player in focus is the only one on the ice.

To me, they are a world apart from photos in today's NHL.

Both have their pros and cons - don't get me wrong. I enjoy a lot of current day pics, but there's just something about a quality vintage photo.

This card really reflects that.....and more.

1992 Ultimate
#32 John Bower

First of all......John Bower? John?

In the years and years that I have been collecting cards, admiring goalie and their masks and just being a fan of hockey, I have never heard Mr. Bower referred to as John.

I had to do a double take just to be sure that this card was indeed of "The China Wall" himself. But looking at that mug, there was no doubt.

Back to the card. I've never seem this photo floating around in my numerous searches of goalies and their masks. Granted, I don't do a ton of Johnny Bower searches, but he has worn the fibreglass lids....so there have been searches.

A lot of the things I mentioned above come into play with regards to this card.

Other than the fact there's a flying puck shot just over the net, you'd think Bower was the only one on the ice. The shot seems so isolated. I love that you can actually see a shadow going up the back boards. Something you would never see in today's game. Makes me wonder what kind of flash setup the cameras had back in the day.

And for Johnny himself....man that's some good air. Because those pads are overly light. I can't recall too many goalies these days giving a leap like that.

So much action captured so precisely. I love that there's no blur at all in the shot (something that can occur with sports photos...or fast moving action in general). It blends the stillness of photo with the action of real life. Something no video or film can do.

That's part of the reason I love hockey cards. The appreciation of the photographer's effort is put on display. Like a little mini gallery.

And while I am a big fan of black & white photos, I only wish this fabulous pic would have been presented in color.

One last note...on the back of the card, John (as he's listed as well) didn't become an NHL regular until the age of 35. Most NHLers today are out of the game by that age if they haven't broken into the league as a regular.

Amazing.

STASHED IN THE CLOSET - The Great Gretzky

Last week, Wayne Gretzky celebrated his 51st birthday. Fifty-one! Boy how time flies.

I was 7 when I was introduced to hockey cards. That was the year after Gretzky's rookie card - 1980. I can still remember getting the Gretzky 1st team All-Star card and thinking that it was the Holy Grail of my collection. So much so, I think I wrote my name on the back of it.

I was in high school when Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles. The world just seemed to stop as a group of us watched Wayne's press conference. Surreal.

I remember working my first job in the news industry when Gretzky retired. Again, it was such a huge story....front page news everywhere. I remember grabbing dozens of copies of newspapers thinking they would eventually be worth something.

And now he's 51. I've forgotten that he coached for a few years, I forgotten that he's a generation past in the league. What I do remember are the fantastic memories he was able to carve on the ice.

So when I saw this book sitting on the shelf, I thought I'd share it.


The Great Gretzky. Even in 1980 (when this book was written) he was adorned with the moniker. Talk about expectation and pressure put on someone.

This 94-page book written by Edmonton newspaper writer Terry Jones takes the reader through Wayne's youth, his junior days, his pro start in the WHA and his initial push in the NHL.


As a kid, it was all about the photos though. And this book had some nice ones. While mostly in black & white, there are a few 'sections' dedicated to glossy color photos.

Looking back, I'm surprised I never took the scissors to it (as I did with some of my other hockey publications).

By the way.....love the Jofa helmet.


Not as much as the CCM lid though (I hardly remember him in that getup).

But there was also some good quality reading material. I tried to convince my teacher of that in elementary school. Sadly, I was not allowed to use The Great Gretzky for my book report.

Lame.


Here's a little piece on Gretzky and the ruling about his ineligibility to win the Calder trophy for rookie of the year (how many of you knew he didn't win that piece of hardware?).


You think players today are signing ridiculously long contract terms? How about this gem that Wayne signed in 1980. A near 20-year contract! Keeping him an Oiler until 1999 (not quite Mr. Pocklington).

While the book is battered, bruised and for some reason has a pear-scented 'scratch and sniff' sticker on it (which no longer works), it proudly sits in my hockey collection.

There's just something about items you obtain (and manage to hold on to) as a kid that just makes it seem way more special.

Lastly, the cover of the book gave me some inspiration. Maybe it's the zone I'm in right now, but when I scanned it in tonight, it looked just like....


a hockey card. So I indulged and created this custom piece honoring the book - and Wayne's birthday.

Custom Creations - Here It Is!

A huge hurdle was overcome this past week.

As many of you know, I have been working on a Toronto Maple Leafs 1967 Stanley Cup Finals ticket stub card for a while now. Design after design, revision after revision. Many times, I was frustrated that I couldn't 'get it', but it was a great lesson in perseverance.

With the arrival of the card to its rightful owner, I can now show it off here for all of you to see.


This card now holds the honor of being the most important card I've built to date.

Why? Because it has given me a confidence level that I haven't hit previously.

Yes, it took hours to design. Yes, it took hours to build. Yes, I was sweating it the whole way...but it was all worth it.

And his reaction? It was exactly what I hoped it would be...sheer and utter amazement (including some words I can't repeat on this blog).

That made it all worth it to me.



As important as it was to find the right balance of 'stuff' on the front, I knew that the card back would hold the bulk of the information.

I wanted to make sure the importance of this ticket stub wasn't lost. After all, it was from game 3 (a game that Toronto won in double overtime), it was from the last Stanley Cup year that Toronto was victorious and it was from a year that had just a spectacular lineup.


Here's a better look at the shadowbox effect I gave this card. Normally, the top layer would sit flat on the cut autograph, but here you can see that the ticket stub almost floats in the background. The separation gives off a really cool effect when you hold the card back at arms length.

The shadows I added to the design mixed with the actual depth of the card give off a 3D-like effect. Something that I still am really impressed I nailed.

Was it tough to do? You bet. But just because something is tough to do doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.


It's a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and I feel as though I can move forward with my customs with a new sense of energy and confidence.



Case in point. This Ab McDonald card was one that I banged off in no time (or so it felt).

The toughest part of this design was finding a suitable photo of Ab to use. Some of these guys just don't have much in the way of high quality photos.


It's a simpler design for sure, but sometimes you don't need to go gangbusters.

My custom design year has gotten off to a great start, and I know I've got some good stuff coming down the pipe too.

Stay tuned.

RAISE THE CUP - I've Been Eyballin' These

If there was ever a wantlist for my 'Raise The Cup' project, these three cards would be front and center.

I've seen them in display cases and on dealer's tables, but didn't pick them up earlier because I felt the price was just too high to pull the trigger.

All I can say is that my patience (yeah..... that's what I'll call it) paid off.

2009/10 Upper Deck
Biography Of A Season
#BOS1 - Sidney Crosby

This card was a gift from Brian (Captain Canuck) who has gone above and beyond on numerous occasions - and it's very much appreciated.

A note to all of you - reciprocate good gestures. Eventually you will lose track of 'who owes who' and then it just becomes more fun.

Cheers Brian!

It's weird to think that it has been almost 3 years since Sid has raised the Cup. And what a gorgeous photo. Exactly what this project is all about.

While I'm not a Penguins fan, I hope Crosby has a chance to hoist the trophy again in the future.

His card says he was the "youngest captain of a Stanley Cup winner". He might hold that distinction for a long time.

2010/11 Upper Deck
Hockey Heroes
#HH-YZ - Steve Yzerman

This card was a definite eye-catcher in the display cases. Awesome artwork. I've probably seen 10-12 copies of it without even trying to find one. But they all had $10 price tags on them.

Just a little on the high side for me to pull the trigger (especially when they aren't that rare).

Well, a simple trade has put a quick end to the 'search'. Now the card can finally fill that spot in my collection.

His card says he "served as team captain for 18 years...making him the longest-serving continuous captain in the history of any North American professional sports league". Another untouchable? Maybe.

2011 National Hockey Card Day
#HCD-JT Jonathan Toews

This card has been another nemesis of mine for quite some time.

It's a fantastic shot of Jonathan. Look at his eyes...just like he's a schoolkid.

I've seen this card as well on dealer tables galore, but the $5 asking price was something I just couldn't do (considering that these cards were giveaways originally).

Well, it was a gift from Michael (over at Collecting For Kicks) who sent this beaut along with a few others as a thank you for some work I'm undertaking for him.

Cheers Michael!

Toews' card says he "tied a club record for playoff points with 29". Me thinks this will be the first record to go.

Well, that's three great additions to the binder (which is slowly forming into a nice page-flipper). This could go down as the most fun project I've got going.

Thanks to everyone who has helped me with this project (and all of my collections for that matter). It's very much appreciated.

Current Collection - 71 cards

ONE SHEET, ONE SET - 2007/08 BTP, The Rival League

I got around to working on my collection over the weekend and sorted through some cards that ended up in my 'One Sheet, One Set' project.

And while there's still a lot of organizing to do, I feel a little better knowing that I've got an actual post to celebrate the progress.

This set is for all you retro card lovers. I definitely fall into that category. A good old school design (with solid photos) really speaks to me.

Let's see what these cards have to say.

2007/08 In The Game
Between The Pipes
The Rival League

This subset has become a standard inclusion in the popular goalie product. Every year these cards are released, I check out the WHA inspired cards first. Sometimes ITG hit the nail on the head...other years they miss the mark.

In 07/08, In The Game included 11 'Rival League' cards into their 100 card set. A decent representation, but it leaves me looking for more.

It's important to note that in the mid-70's, the WHA was more than just a feeder league or a place for the older guys to head off to and prolong their career. This league put the NHL on notice that there was another option for players (and fans).

Sure, they had some recognizable veterans wearing their sweaters, but they also managed to pluck some top prospects away from the NHL as well.

What many consider to be chaotic league ended up being a very important era in professional hockey.

There's lots to be learned from the history of the WHA.


And that's what these cards try to offer...some insight into 'The Rival League'.

The first thing that hits me when I see these cards are the photos. Much like cards from the 70's, there's lots of room laid out for the pictures. No overlapping textures or color gradients. Just a simple framing for a photo that will let the shot speak for itself.

These cards employ a very consistent photo style. The 3/4 shot. Top of the head to about the knees. What I like about this is that you get a good look at the great looking jerseys, all-brown pads, waffle blocker and tiny catching mitt.

Some of these guys don't even look like they're wearing equipment when you match them up to their current counterparts.

What I do wish though, was that more of the goalie would have been wearing their masks. The majority of the photos are either staged shots (against the 70's style off-white wall) or warmup pics. A pretty big miss in my books.

Still, I've seen the photo selections from other years' Rival League subsets and the 07/08 selection is one of the best.

One thing I would like to see (and I'm not sure what limitations ITG has on WHA material) would be a mention of team names on the card front. The Cleveland Crusaders, The Cincinnati Stingers, The Toronto Toros, The Philadelphia Blazers.

That just reeks of retro.

As for the card design, ITG really hit the retro feel bang on. Rounded corners are aplenty and the double line border gives me that feeling of vintage familiarity.

The bottom of the card gives us some differing colors for the background to the players names. A decent selection that has an air of pastel. The grey used behind 'The Rival League' is nice....the blue behind the ITG logo is ok (maybe a little too bold).

You really can't get much simpler that this for a design. Well.....actually you can. I appreciate that ITG didn't do that though.


The back of the card looks like it comes straight from a WHA set back in the day.

A simple layout, blocks instead of curves (interesting) and with a palette based in browns.

Much like the front of the card, the back employs a nice font style. Simple, all capitals, tall and comfortable to look at.

If you notice, the team name appears on the back. Again, the omission of this information on the front can't be overlooked.

The one line of career WHA statistics are acceptable on these cards since they celebrate the entire career. What this leaves room for is more information below.

Sadly, this is where I think these cards fail slightly.

Rather than give us some great stories or unique quips about the players, the information basically lists how and when they came into the league, where and when they played during their WHA career and when it ended.

It lack personality big time.

While it must be difficult being a writer for card backs, I think there's more than enough space to come up with something that would make a person reflect, remember or dream.

By going the route they did, I would have preferred a year-by-year breakdown of their stats.

It's very minimal when it comes to the logos and copyright information on the back. It just makes the illusion of a retro card that much more believable.

Because this is a subset featured in a product that celebrates goalies from today and yesterday, the card stock has a much more modern feel.

Definitely more glossy, smooth, precisely cut and centered, it would be cool to really emulate that cards from the 70's (if you know what I mean).

Still, if you're a fan of the WHA, this subset (and the Rival League cards from other years) are a must.

With just a little searching, they can be had for the same price as the regular base cards. Waiting a year or two after the release might even get you some cards thrown your way for nothing.

A solid concept that could be pushed just a little further in my opinion.

3.5 out of 5