Archive for February, 2010

First, my recent eBay purchases:

2001-02 Be A Player Signature Series Vintage Autographs #VR-20 Henri Richard /80

1995 Signature Miracle On Ice #39 Marc Wells /2000

1995 Signature Miracle On Ice #39 Mark Johnson /2000

These put a small dent in two collections: HOF autographs and the Signature Series Miracle On Ice set.

Next are two cards I picked up in a trade from my local shop:

2005-06 Upper Deck Trilogy Ice Scripts #IS-MT Marty Turco

1984-85 O-Pee-Chee #67 Steve Yzerman

Not shown are two cheapish rookies: 05-06 UD Victory Zach Parise and a 09-10 UD Collecter’s Choice Tyler Myers Silver edition. I picked up the Turco because it’s just such a sharp looking card and autograph. And he could potentially make the HOF down the road. Who knows? The Yzerman…well, I have one already but this one is pretty nice. It’s up for trade if anyone is interested.

Also, is anyone doing the 09-10 MVP or Collector’s Choice sets? If so, I have a mini pile of each to help build sets. Same goes for 2010 Topps and UD baseball. Let me know.

Bruins Friday! Today’s Bruin is Boston cult hero and beloved tough guy Stan Jonathan.

Where do I start with Jonathan. He is widely regarded as one of the toughest guys to ever lace up a pair of skates. He was on the small side, standing at only 5’8″, but this full-blooded Tuscarora Indian took a backseat to know one and never backed down. If I had to compare to him to a modern day enforcer, I think PJ Stock comes pretty close. Nicknamed “Bulldog” by coach Don Cherry, Jonathan was the sort of player who would, as his junior coach Roger Neilson stated, “take two punches to get in one of his own – and the one is a dandy.”

Jonathan broke into the NHL with the Bruins during the 75-76 season, but played in only one game. He came up for good the next season, scoring 17 goals on only 71 shots. In fact, he led the NHL in shooting percentage that season. He also played left wing on a line with Hall of Famer and world class gentleman, Jean Ratelle. And in the fighting department, he beat tough as nails Keith Magnuson for his first NHL fight. He also took on guys like Dave “The Hammer” Schultz and Andre “Moose” Dupont. He was instantly a crowd favourite.

For his sophomore season, Jonathan put up 27 goals to go along with 25 assists. He finished 5th in the league in shot percentage. It was during this season that Jonathan’s legacy as one of the toughest players in hockey begun. During Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the hated Canadiens, Montreal coach Scotty Bowman sent out Pierre Bouchard, Gilles Lupien, and Rick Chartraw to send a message. Don Cherry countered with Jonathan, Terry O’Reilly, and John Wensink. At the six minute mark of the 1st period, all hell broke loose. Everyone grabbed a dancing partner with Jonathan lining up with a much bigger Bouchard (6’2″). The two went toe to toe for the first few punches before Jonathan took over and absolutely pounded Bouchard. Ultimately, Bouchard crumpled to the ice with a broken nose and cheekbone with blood pouring from his face. Bouchard was never the same after.

Jonathan played for five more seasons and put up respectable numbers. He was a tough guy, but also a decent offensive player. One of his highlights was scoring a hat trick off of Ken Dryden during the playoffs. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 82-83 season but retired at the end of the year, his tough, no-nonsense play taking a toll on his body. He continues to be a fan favourite in Boston to this day.

Onto the card. This is Jonathan’s rookie card and I love the picture they used. Would you mess with this dude? I know I wouldn’t. The Topps/OPC design is simple; a clean white boarder with team and player names on front. I like the back with the hockey stick on the left and the fun fact cartoon at the bottom. This card was only available in the OPC version. At $3, it’s a must for any Bruins and/or enforcer collector.