Archive for 2012

Here is the update to perhaps the most boring Stanley Cup Final Four ever:

Gun to head, I am rooting for the Kings only because their AHL affiliate the Manchester Monarchs are about 45 minutes away. But honestly, I could not care less. The day after the Bruins got eliminated, I had my TV shut off for the summer and haven’t watched a lick of hockey since. But congrats to Dave, Dawgbones, Neil, and Michael. May the odds ever be in your favor.

Let’s talk cards, shall we? Or more specifically, let’s talk about cards that are probably no interest to about 90% of my readers.

I was at my LCS yesterday with my uncle (we are both collectors) and noticed a new product on the shelf: Topps 2012 U.S. Olympics Team & Olympic Hopefuls. So, I am not a big Olympics guy, but I was bored, had a few bones to spend, and bought a couple of packs. My uncle, a much bigger Olympics fan than myself, also bought some and ended up giving me all of them, which is something he usually does. Anyways, let me say this about the cards: they are beautiful. The design is nice, the images of the athletes are a sort of photo-paint job, and Topps did a good job capturing emotion. The set is only 100 cards and features three parallels: bronze, silver, and gold. Bronze are one per pack, silver one per two, and gold one per three. There are some insert sets, which I’ll get to as well as autographs and memorabilia.

First, all the base cards including the parallels:

See? Beautiful, right? Some names I know, others I have no clue, but I think I might actually watch a bit of the Games this Summer and be on the lookout for some of these athletes.

Oh, here is what the backs look like:

Pretty basic design with a nice little write up. Nicely done.

I pulled three different inserts. One is from the subset Olympic Heritage and falls 1:8…

I guess each card represents a specific event. Now I know that Hungary has the most medals in water polo; who knew?!

Next is a set called London 2012 Olympic Games Venues, which is 1:12…

Not much to look at here but I have to think the other cards in this set are a bit more…visually pleasing.

Lastly is the set Opening Ceremony which falls at 1:24…

Ugh, the Nazi games. Funny how Topps makes no reference to this AT ALL.

So there you have it. I really like this set and with all the cards my uncle gave to me, I am tempted to build it. If anyone has any for trade or wants any for their set, please let me know.

1998-99 Bowman CHL #150

I always had a soft sport for Andrew Peters despite him playing for the Buffalo Sabres. I think it was a combination of his old-time boxing stance, general good nature, and his beating and bloodying of Donald Brashear that made me a fan of his. He was the sort of player who knew his roll and embraced it with open arms.

Peters’ road to the NHL started i the OHL where he was a seventeen year old left winger for the Oshawa Generals. During his first season (97-98), he would immediately step into his role as enforcer, dropping the gloves a whopping 33 times in 60 games while racking up 220 penalty minutes. While his fight card for that season was a virtual who’s-who of career minor league journeymen, future NHL tough guy Matt Carkner squared off against Peters. In addition to his fisticuffs, he would tally eleven goals and seven assists.

1998-99 Bowman CHL #150

He would be drafted that summer by the Buffalo Sabres with the 34th pick in the second round. He was taken ahead of guys like Brad Richards, Erik Cole, Brian Gionta, and some dude named Pavel Datsyuk. Building upon his first year with the Generals, Peters would follow that with a fourteen goal, ten assist season while cutting down his PIMs to 137. His fights were still up there at 24 and included a bout against Brian McGrattan.

During the next season (99-00), Peters would wear the sweater of the Kitchener Rangers for a total of  42 games, his fewest to date. His scoring dipped, as can be expected, to just six goals and thirteen assists. More surprising is his major decline in PIMs (95) and fights (7); I can find no reason for this drop, but I have to assume he was still as tough as ever.

1998-99 Bowman CHL Autographs Blue #A33

The next season would see Peters make the leap to the AHL and the Rochester Americans, the farm team for the Buffalo Sabres. Over the course of the next two seasons in Rochester, Andrew would reclaim his role as enforcer. In 116 games, Peters would total 506 penalty minutes and fight 44 times, while scoring only four goals and helping out on five others; stats of a true tough guy! During that second year, he would lead the AHL in PIMs with 388 and go toe-to-toe against players like Dennis Bonvie, Shawn Thornton, Matt Carkner, Eric Godard, and Darcy Hordichuk.

Peters would get a small sip of the big show the following season as he skated in four pre-season games for the Sabres. Hoping to impress the parent club, he dropped the mitts four times, but was sent back to Rochester for another year of seasoning. While not quite equaling the previous season, Peters would score three goals with no assists while putting up 233 PIMs and squaring off nineteen times.

1998-99 Bowman CHL Autographs Blue #A33

The following year was Peters’ big break. He would make the team out of camp and suit up for 42 games, replacing legendary Sabre tough guy Rob Ray. Over the course of the season, Peters would only score two goals with no assists, but everyone, including himself, knew that was not his role. Thirty-six times Peters would drop the gloves in order to give his team a spark, defend a teammate, or just entertain the hometown fans. His first regular season fight in the NHL came on October 11th, 2003 against the New York Islanders. Andrew Peters found a willing dance partner in tough guy Eric Godard and the two went at it. Either because of nerves or simply because he was over-matched, Godard got a solid victory over the rookie. Undeterred by the loss and wanting to prove his mettle, Peters would square off against Eric Cairns later in the same game. While not an overly thrilling tilt, Peters hung in there and proved to the Sabres organization that he was willing to throw ‘em.

About a month later, Peters would be in his first memorable battle against Francis Lessard of the Atlanta Thrashers. About halfway through the first, the two went toe-to-toe, with Peters landing the better of the shots. The best fight of that season, though, came on December 13th against the Minnesota Wild, with Andrew coming out on the losing end in a big way. Squaring up in his signature boxing pose against 6’5″ Matt Johnson, Peters was rocked early and then nearly knocked out. Being the tough customer that he is, Peters would bounce back during the second half of the season and put in solid efforts against Tie Domi, Rob Ray, Donald Brashear, and Todd Fedoruk. He finished the year with 151 PIMs.

Topps Pristine Gold Refractor Die Cuts #174 /33

The NHL labor dispute forced the cancellation of  the 04-05 season, but the following season saw Peters still withe Sabres. His toughness was appreciated by the club and the fans as he would spend the next four seasons with Buffalo. Over 158 games, he would score only two goals and assist on three others, but his willingness to fight remained steady. While he would never come close to his rookie campaign of 36 fights, he would man up 61 times. One of his most common opponents was Brian McGrattan, then of the Ottawa Senators. During the 04-05 season, they would go at it four times, with Peters scoring an overwhelming win on February 4th. A well placed shot right on the nose stunned and bloodied McGratton and, abiding by the tough guy code, Peters called for the refs to step in and get McGrattan some medical attention. Some other highlights from those years included a toe-to-toe bout against Darcy Hordichuk, the aforementioned Brashear bout, a spirited scrap against Ottawa goaltender Ray Emery, and an entertaining go around with Andre Roy.

Topps Pristine Gold Refractor Die Cuts #174 /33

Peters would sign with the New Jersey Devils at the start of the 09-10 season and play in just 29 games. While he did not record a point during his time with Jersey, he did earn himself 93 PIMs and fought eleven times. This would turn out to be his last year in the NHL and he would go out with a late bout knockdown of Jody Shelley on March 25th. He was waived following the season but signed by the Florida Panthers for the 10-11 season. He played during the pre-season but was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Darcy Hordichuk. He was then immediately loaned to his old AHL club the Rochester Americans where he played in two games and recorded two penalty minutes. After breaking curfew with the club, he was released and instead of reporting to the Manitoba Moose, Andrew Peters announced his retirement on February 8th, 2011 at the age of thirty. He career numbers: 229 games, 3 goals, 7 assists, 650 PIMs, and 113 fights.

Andrew Peters’ career was not without come controversy, though. He has admitted to using steroids early in his career but had stopped after the FDA banned them in 2004. He was suspended one game for punching Colton Orr from the bench. During a game against the Maple Leafs, he imitated a golf swing directed towards Wade Belak, a gesture not appreciated by the Toronto faithful. And long before Alexandre Burrows was biting fingers, Peters was on the receiving end of a chomp by Jarrko Ruutu. 

All said, though, Andrew Peters was an entertaining fighter. He may not have won a ton of fights, or stayed on his feet for a bulk of them, but he was always willing to go. His classic stance was fun to look at and he seemed like a good-natured guy. During his off-seasons and in retirement, Peters has been active in charity work. He has raised money for a variety of organizations and continues to do so. I leave you with this funny clip: