Posts Tagged ‘Rookie’

Before I get to pack two of the 94-95 Pinnacle junk, I wanted to show off a few new additions.

First, there is this beauty…

2010-11 Upper Deck The Cup #97 Adam McQuaid /199

Finally, an Adam McQuaid on-card autograph and a rookie to boot. I tried to win a gold version of this numbered to /54 but lost out twice, so I settled on the regular version. Fine by me, I just wanted his signature. I have never opened any UD Cup and never plan to, not because I don’t want to but because I think it is a colossal waste of money. I could have spent $1000 easily opening this stuff just to pull this card OR I could go on eBay and get it for under $30. As a side note, this card is effin’ thick. It is like six cards glued together; maybe if I pull them all apart there will be six different McQuaid rookies. Hmmm…

This summer, the only cards I have been buying are Marty Barrett and PJ Axelsson cards for my player collections. Barrett is fairly easy because he played long before the era of parallels, jerseys, and autographs. Axelsson, on the other hand, is a bit trickier, thanks in large part to Pacific and their 8 million parallels. I have been making progress, though, and will share when the time is right. For now, you get this card…

2003-04 Parkhurst Original Six The Big One #1 PJ Axelsson /10

This card was given out at the 2004 Vancouver Big One show through a redemption program. Aside from the 1/1 printing plates of PJ, this is one of his rarest cards even though it is really a gimmick-y sort of card. Whatever! For a Axelsson collector like myself, I had to have it. Plus, it was like $3.

Finally, let me talk a little Panini. As most of you know, I am not a huge fan of any of their products. I think they look and feel cheap and produce way too many unnecessary inserts. They have really only released a handful of things that I dig. The Normand Leveille auto was a very nice and long overdue card. There is some stuff out of Dominion involving Derek Sanderson that has my interest piqued. The Ice Kings is a nice set, although a signed version would have been A+. However, my most favorite set that they have released is the Tough Times set, especially the autographed version. A while ago, I wrote that they finally got around to sending my the Lyndon Byers auto redemption. About a month before that, I had emailed them asking when these would be shipped. No response ever came until they sent me the card. Smash cut to last week. In my mailbox was a package from Panini. Thinking it was one of the other redemptions, I ripped it open only to find…

WHAT?! Panini fail!

Now wait, I am actually not complaining. Their goof is my gain. Actually, my good is YOUR gain as I will be having a contest soon with this being one of the prizes, along with a stack of other autographs and memorabilia cards from all sports. Stay tuned for that!

Okay, time to go. More later!

The exciting conclusion to the two-pack 90-91 Upper Deck break. Part one is here.

MEGA MOJO CASE HIT! Okay, not really, but the first card of the pack isn’t a bad one. There are three different Gretzky holograms; the other two are of him shooting and him standing. Word of advice: if you ever commit a crime, DO NOT drop one of these cards at the scene; they are basically a fingerprint grabbing machine.

Nice! First base card is of tough guy Garth Butcher. Loving that 20th Anniversary patch. Did you know he was the 10th overall pick in the ’81 draft?

Canuck hot pack! Greg Adams was a decent little player, having four seasons of 30+ goals.

Great shot of Darren Turcotte battling Frank Musil for a puck as a fresh-faced Mike Modano looks on. I don’t have much to say about Turcotte other than he was traded for one-time personal favorite Craig Janney.

Laurie Boschman is awesome for three reasons: moustache, the Winnipeg Jets uniform, and the name Laurie. Not necessarily an enforcer, Boschman was certainly one tough hombre. He was also the 9th overall pick in the ’79 draft.

What is the best part of pulling a rookie of the 17th overall pick in the ’87 draft and center for the Canadiens? Absolutely nothing. Andrew Cassels has this dubious distinction though: He is also the only known player to have scored two separate goals in incidents where a slap shot puck ricochet off of his face (according to Wikipedia).

MIRACLE ON ICE-JO! Great photo of Mark Johnson facing off against fellow Miracle on Ice-r, Neal Broten.

This card of John Tonelli trumps the Kevin Dineen card from the previous pack for best card. This beauty has it all: moustache, awesome emotion, and pre-game stretching. Heck, it even has some Whaler action in the background. Tonelli has four Cups to his name along with a Canada Cup Championship, in which he was the MVP of.

Look everyone, a Paul Ysebaert rookie card.

Kelly Kisio enjoyed a nice stretch of seven seasons with 20+ goals. He is currently the GM of the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League and has led them to two championships.

Not again, Upper Deck.

Look at Bernie Nicholls’ numbers sometime. He finished his career with 475 goals and more points (1209) than games played (1127). He is one of eight players to score 70+ goals in a season and one of five to tally 150+ points in a season. In the “Who Were They Traded For” department, he was dealt from the Rangers to the Oilers for Mark Messier.

Dirk Graham completes the trilogy of moustaches. Were you aware that he was a Selke Trophy winner?

So there was have it: two packs of 90-91 Upper Deck Series 1. If anyone wants any of these cards, just drop me a line and they are yours.