While the NHL had previously toyed with the idea of moving the then-struggling Montreal Canadiens to Cleveland in the mid-1930s, the idea never came to fruition – but the city on the shore of Lake Erie was definitely interested in the game. Locals were soon treated to a minor league team instead in the form of the AHL's Barons. The club enjoyed great success as it … [Read more...] about Mistake By The Lake – The Cardboard Legacy of the NHL’s Cleveland Barons
1983-84 O-Pee-Chee Hockey: An Underrated Gem
When hockey fans of a certain age think back 40 years, they are transported to a time where the New York Islanders dominated and the Edmonton Oilers were poised for greatness. With those two clubs squaring off in the Stanley Cup Final, it seemed like destiny and while the club from Long Island prevailed to make it four straight championships, the future seemed to belong to … [Read more...] about 1983-84 O-Pee-Chee Hockey: An Underrated Gem
Dallas’ Star On The Rise: Collecting Roope Hintz Rookie Cards
The Stanley Cup playoffs have seen plenty of surprises in 2023 and the play of Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz has fans cheering and collectors buzzing for his rookie cards after taking the lead in the postseason scoring race with 22 points over a 14-game span. An offensive outburst like this comes as little surprise to keen observers as Hintz has shown steady growth in … [Read more...] about Dallas’ Star On The Rise: Collecting Roope Hintz Rookie Cards
The Cardboard Legacy of Gordie Howe’s Goodbye Goal
Gordie Howe's final days as an NHL player saw the 52-year-old legend in a Hartford Whalers uniform and his last goal came 40 years ago this week. This monumental moment was not properly covered in the next season's hockey card sets, but there are still options out there for collectors to relive the end day of an incredible career.Gordie was already by far the NHL's all-time … [Read more...] about The Cardboard Legacy of Gordie Howe’s Goodbye Goal
Glasnost on Ice: Collecting Rookie Cards of the NHL’s First Soviet Players
Heading into the 1989-90 season, hockey fans were intrigued by the arrival of talents from the Soviet Union, but hockey card collectors would have to wait a year - and for the hobby to boom - before adding most of them to their collections. All told, ten players from behind the Iron Curtain skated for an NHL club in 1989-90 and while some of them were bound for the Hockey … [Read more...] about Glasnost on Ice: Collecting Rookie Cards of the NHL’s First Soviet Players
Vintage Pack Facts: 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee Hockey
Coming off a wild season where Gordie Howe retired, Wayne Gretzky rose to prominence, and the New York Islanders won their first of what proved to be four straight Stanley Cup championships, Canadian kids were ready to bust open packs of 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee. No one could possibly expect then that this set would prove to be arguably the decade's best in terms of rookie and … [Read more...] about Vintage Pack Facts: 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee Hockey
Elusive Ink: Missing Certified Autograph Cards for 10 NHL Greats
Certified autograph cards have been a part of the pack-ripping experience for collectors for 30 years and thousands of athletes have been asked by trading card manufacturers to sign for them. For hockey cards, these thrills started when Pro Set, Score, and Upper Deck had limited Patrick Roy, Bobby Orr, and Brett Hull autographs as part of their core 1991-92 releases. It was … [Read more...] about Elusive Ink: Missing Certified Autograph Cards for 10 NHL Greats
1959-60 Parkhurst: Two Solitudes on Cardboard
Back in 1945, respected Canadian author Hugh MacLennan wrote a novel entitled Two Solitudes and it addressed the tensions between French and English Canadians through a mythological lens. A decade-and-a-half later, those tensions were readily apparent on the ice as the Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs battled for NHL supremacy - a rivalry which … [Read more...] about 1959-60 Parkhurst: Two Solitudes on Cardboard
10 Underrated Hockey Rookie Cards of the 1960s
The game of hockey was aiming to grow in the 1960s and as the NHL was ready to move from the Original Six era to a 12-team league. Before expansion, it was tough to crack a roster and it was tough for a special talent to make it up - even for a few games. Sometimes, these players might have found themselves a hockey card, too. However, even the stars can become forgotten … [Read more...] about 10 Underrated Hockey Rookie Cards of the 1960s
The Big Three: Collecting the Heart of the 1970s Montreal Canadiens
Throughout the 1970s, the Montreal Canadiens were the most dominant club in hockey. While the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers tried to wrestle that title away from them throughout the decade, the team's defense corps that featured the Hall of Fame trio of Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, and Guy Lapointe ensure that Lord Stanley's Mug was staying with the Bleu, Blanc et … [Read more...] about The Big Three: Collecting the Heart of the 1970s Montreal Canadiens