For the next two-pack break, I present you with some 1994-95 Pinnacle U.S. Edition Series 1 cards.

Here is what the big Beckett book says:

…Series 1 packs had exclusive Canadian and U.S. inserts…Members of the St. Louis Blue and Calgary Flames are posed in front of a locker which displays their newly designed sweaters. Rookie Cards include Mariusz Czerkawski, Eric Daze, Eric Fichaud, Ed Jovanovski, Jeff O’Neill and Wade Redden. A one-per-case (360 packs) insert card was produced for Canadian and U.S. series 1 packs. Pavel Bure is numbered MVPC, while Domink Hasek is MVPU.

Wow, this set sure does sound exciting. There are some inserts in the U.S. series including Artist’s Proofs (1:36 packs), Rink Collection (1:4), Boomers (1:24), and Team Pinnacle (1:90). Did I get any? Look on to find out.

First, the wrapper:

Ah foil! We can thank Upper Deck for making wax packs a thing of the past. I get that collectors were tired of wax/gum stained cards, but with almost every pack containing a dummy card, couldn’t they just put that on the bottom and bring back the wax? Getting back to Upper Deck for a moment, I actually liked their early pack types. Y’know, that heavy foil type stuff? It felt like you were actually ripping into something. The Pinnacle foil pack is just flimsy, 90′s garbage. Whenever I try to find a reason why I got out of cards in the mid-90s, I can turn to Pinnacle, Pacific, Crown Royale, and Score as the reason. Basically, every set that Panini is trying to bring back.

This set is just hideous. The design in boring, the gold foil is tacky and unnecessary, and the backs like the if the whole of the 90′s threw up. Ugh.

Don’t believe me? Just look…

Two things you may not have known about Brian Noonan:

1) He was involved in a trade that brought Tony Amonte to Chicago.

2) He scored the game winning goal in game 7 of the ’94 Stanley Cup Finals for the New York Rangers.

And that is Brian Noonan.

There are only two players in the history of my Bruins fandom that I absolutely could not stand: Marty McInnis and Andy Hilbert. Hilbert I openly rooted against and not-so-secretly wished he would get the tar kicked out of him. McInnis less so, but I still could not stand him. Why? No clue. There are just some players who you dislike.

Hey, how come he is not posing in front of his locker with the new Flames sweater?! German Titov came into the league late, at the age of 28. He enjoyed a decent little career with a handful of 20+ goal seasons. He would eventually be part of a trade for this guy…

Ken Wregget has three claims to fame:

1) Led the league in wins (25) for the ’94-’95 season.

2) Won a Stanley Cup.

3) Faced the first penalty shot ever awarded during an overtime period in NHL playoff history.

I have absolutely nothing to say about Boris Mironov. Sorry Boris.

Bill Houlder enjoyed his best, and only, season with the Anaheim Ducks: 14 goals, 25 assists. Not bad for a defenceman.

Did you know that Patrick Flatley was once the captain of the Islanders? Neither did I.

Jeff Norton suited up for 10 different teams during his 15 year career. According to Wikipedia, he was on the receiving end of a Trevor Linden check that put him through the glass. That fact was for you, Brett.

John Vanbiesbrouck: Hockey Hall of Famer? Naaaaah. John Vanbiesbrouck: American Hockey Hall of Famer? Yep. His Wiki page is very interesting.

Zdeno Ciger once scored 31 goals. True story.

I could never get behind Adam Oates. Why? Because he was dealt to the Bruins for my favorite player, Craig Janney. Sure, Janney was soft, but man could he pass. As well as Oates? Probably not but it wasn’t that huge of a drop-off.

Paul Ranheim = WHALER-JO!

A Yan Kaminsky rookie?! Sadly, no. Pinnacle, why you gots to lie to me?

Another Russian? Apparently, or at least according to Wikipedia, Alexei Gusarov is considered to be “one of the finest Russian defensemen to ever play.” Huh, how about that.

So there you have it, a pack of 94-95 Pinnacle. Seventeen examples of pure-90′s junk. If anyone wants any of these, let me know.

Part two coming soon. Yay.

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