1963-64 Parkhurst #31 - Jean-Claude Tremblay

Jean-Claude Tremblay is the 27th card added to my 1963-64 Parkhurst set. The card is a bit off center (about 70/30), but the corners are nice and the back is clean.

I wonder if anyone ever ordered one of those Stanley Cup replicas. What was it made of, paper-mâché?

Parkie Percent Counter:  27%

Review: 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update

Released in April 2010, the 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update Set featured 200 cards that extended the O-Pee-Chee set issued earlier in the 2009-10 hockey season. This was a smart move by Upper Deck, who currently leases the "O-Pee-Chee" brand name from Topps. (Full Story)

Who's Signing 'Graphs at the 'Hawks Con?

The Blackhawks still haven't confirmed exactly WHO will be signing autographs at the 2010 Blackhawks Convention--or Hawks Con, as I'm gonna call it--this weekend. According to a source of mine, the team won't let fans know until the convention actually starts on Friday.

Many of the players who are usually at the convention won't be this year because they got traded away. Adam Burish, Cam Barker, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Kris Versteeg will not be at Hawks Con like they were the past 2 years.

It is doubtful that Cristobal Huet will be showing his face around Chicago, considering that he is all but confirmed to be sent to the minors so his $5.25 million dollar salary doesn't count against the salary cap.

And sadly, Bob Probert passed away earlier this month. He seemed to enjoy being at last year's Hawks Con, and would probably have attended the show this year.

However, some of the panelists were announced on the 'Hawks website, so we can assume a good number of these active and former players will be signing at the convention:

• Patrick Kane
• Jonathan Toews
• Duncan Keith
• Brent Seabrook
• Brian Campbell
• Patrick Sharp
• Ed Olczyk 
• Denis Savard
• Troy Murray
• Bill Hay
• Bobby Hull
• Dennis Hull
• Stan Mikita
• Tony Esposito
• Pierre Pilote
• Glenn Hall
• Joel Quenneville
• Mike Haviland
• Mike Kitchen

Now, you're probably wondering, "Where the hell is Annti Niemi? Why isn't he going to be at Hawks Con?"

Niemi is due for a raise--somewhere in the $3 million dollar range a la Jaroslav Halak--and might not be a 'Hawk much longer. Today is his arbitration hearing, which will impact whether he will sign with the Blackhawks or walk as a UFA.

Attending the Hawks Con is probably the furthest thing on Niemi's mind right now.

1963-64 Parkhurst #3 - Leonard (Red) Kelly

I have been working on a new set review that isn't quite ready to share just yet, so in the meantime here is another card in my ever-increasing 1963-64 Parkhurst Hockey Set.

Red Kelly is my 26th card. This one also has a few pin holes in it, but otherwise is not a bad-looking card. No stains, no creases and no badly-rounded corners.

Hawk Bits

A few quick thoughts on what's going down in HAWKeyTown...

Stanley Cup visiting Elmwood Park - The Stanley Cup will be in the Chicago suburb of Elmwood Park on Wednesday, July 28.. However, the Cup will be at a private event, held at First Security Bank. The Wirtz family owns First Security Bank.

Who's Signing Autographs? - As of Tuesday, the Chicago Blackhawks still haven't told us who will be signing autographs at the Blackhawks Convention this upcoming weekend. Sure, some are a given (Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito), but who else? Maybe I'll just bring one card of every Blackhawk ever, just to be safe. The team did announce a pretty explicit autograph policy, though.

Training Camp Fest - On September 18, the Blackhawks will hold a Training Camp Festival. Seriously. For $5, you can watch the team practice. There is also a charity run/walk/skate event, and a 3-on-3 street hockey tournament. Tickets can be bought here.

Easy Come, Easy Go- Last month, the Chicago Blackhawks traded away three good players and a prospect for Marty Reasoner and Jeremy Morin. Last week, the 'Hawks traded Reasoner to the Florida Panthers for Jeff Taffe. Guess Reasoner's $1 million annual salary was taking up too much cap space. Funny, though, because the 'Hawks made a big deal about acquiring Reasoner, going so far as to "Photoshop" him into the Indian-head sweater (above). But Reasoner's subsequent trade to the Panthers was nary a mention on the 'Hawks home page.

JR in the HOF - Former Chicago Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame last week. Roenick was a favorite player of mine, so I certainly hope that he will make it into the "real" Hall of Fame when he is eligible in 2012. For those who missed it, I posted a Career in Cards about Roneick earlier this month.

1963-64 Parkhurst #8 - Carl Brewer

This is the 25th card in the 1963-64 Parkhurst set that I am slowly building.

That's 25 out of 99 cards.

Twenty-five percent.

One-fourth of the way there.

Hoo-yah!

As you can see, this card of Carl Brewer--like the card of Robert Baun--has pinholes in it. But like I have said before, I didn't pay a heck of a lot for it (less than $4).

Card of the Week: I Smell a Rat

The term "rink rat" is used to describe a kid who hangs out at an ice arena and does chores in exchange for ice time. In the early 1990s, Rink Rat was also the name of a character featured on Pro Set hockey cards. (Full Story)

2010 Blackhawks Convention - Passes

On Thursday, I received my passes to the third annual Chicago Blackhawks Convention--a full 8 days before the convention starts. Last year, I got the passes barely 2 days before the convention started. Of course, the team's last-minute mailing practices last summer cost Dale Tallon his job.

Anyway, here is what the front of the pass looks like. As you can see, it has a large shiny object on it.

Yup, they put a HOLOGRAM sticker in the upper right corner. It really makes the pass feel both classy and official.

The back of the pass features a nice group photo, where the team seems to be celebrating some sort of joyous occasion.

Though if I was as cool as a certain Transformer, then I wouldn't need any passes.

I also got this "letter" from team captain Jonathan Toews:

Wow, he put my name in ALL CAPS...I must be important.

This other note was enclosed, which mentions the "new wristband policy" for acquiring autographs. According to the Blackhawks' website, this will in theory make it easier to get autographs. Which means that in practice it will make it harder to get autographs.

The Blackhakws Convention is July 30 to August 1, 2010. Like the past 2 years, I will post photos and videos from the convention, along with a day-by-day recap. Stay tuned.

1963-64 Parkhurst #18 - Robert Baun

Robert Baun is the 24th card in my 1963-64 Parkhurst Hockey Set.

There are a few pin holes in the card and a dent on the back at the top. One of the corners is also rounded a bit.

But at $2.50--yes, two dollars and fifty cents--I could not turn down this 47-year old "artifact."

47 years back, someone felt strongly enough about this card to want to pin it up where it could be seen and enjoyed.

If you think about it, this card was more loved than most modern cards, which are slapped into protective plastic immediately and sequestered in cool, dark, dry places for the rest of their existence.

1963-64 Parkhurst #50 - Alex Delvecchio

The last time I bought a Parkhurst card from 1963-64, it was February. Attending a card show this weekend, I decided to rectify that issue and get me some old Parkies. This one is of Hall of Fame Red Wing Alex Delvecchio, who proudly displays the "C" as team captain on his uniform.

The back of the card has a bit of a flaw--a slight crease towards the middle. The crease does not break through to the front, and actually looks worse in the scan than in real life.

This is the 23rd card in my 1963-64 Parkhurst set. Later this week, I'll reveal the other cards I picked up at that show.

Last Year's Upper Deck - New Low Price!

I noticed an interesting trend at my local Target retail store--last year's Upper Deck cards are back on the shelves at lower prices.

Here is a tin of 2008-09 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey Cards--you know, the series that no one bought--for $12.99.

This perplexes the hell out of me. As my girlfriend can attest, I practically memorize the trading card aisle at my local Target store. Every time we go there--about once a week--I beeline for the cards, hoping to find something new and cool to purchase. I don't recall 8-pack tins being sold at Target last year.

So, my theory is that Upper Deck had a bunch of unsold 24-pack boxes sent back to them, repacked the packs in tins and sent them back at a reduced price. Further supporting this idea is that these are 8-card packs, and not the standard 5-card packs usually found in tins and blasters.

That might also explain this blaster box of 2008-09 Upper Deck Ice.

I also don't recall Ice being sold in blaster boxes during the 2008-09 season. Either Upper Deck had a ton of last year's Ice sitting around their warehouse, or a retailer returned them en masse.

Upper Deck's "Extreme Value" wasn't just limited to hockey cards. Old football cards have also found their way to the shelves.

How about that? Nine packs of football cards for $6.99. But if this is 50% off, then the normal blaster price for football is $14, and not $20 like a hockey blaster. Man, even at full price you football collectors have it so good.

I also spotted this complete football factory set for $14.99. It even includes 2 jersey cards. Granted, it is from 2008--like the football blaster--but $15 for a complete set is more of a deal than $13 for 8 hockey packs.

Has anyone else spotted "old" cards from the past year or two making a comeback on the shelves of your local retail store? I guess selling off old cards at half-price is one way Upper Deck is raising the funds to pay off their lawsuits, eh?

Hawks Junk...

...coming to a store near you. 

An obvious byproduct of your favorite NHL team winning a championship is all of the "puck junk" that suddenly becomes available for sale. This is neither good nor bad to me. Most of this stuff I won't buy, but it still makes me happy to see 'Hawks-related merch in July.

Hell hath frozen over...

Recently, Sports Illustrated--or as I like to call it, College Basketball Illustrated--did their annual hockey cover. I bought this because I do not ever recall a Blackhawks player being on the cover in  the past 30 years.

Can you spot all the traded players? 

Of course, every print publication (remember those???) was out in full force, with their "Commemorative Edition" Blackhawks retrospectives. USA Today sold one, as did SI, and a few other mags / papers. Fighting the urge to buy every single one of them, I settled on HawkeyTown, put out by the Chicago Tribune.

For those of you who like hockey and toy trains--well, you are in luck! Some company really thought that this  HO-scale Blackhawks Electronic Train Set was a good idea. I guess if you like toy trains, you are old enough to remember real trains, before the oil and automotive industries pretty much ran the railroad industry into the ground.

Speaking of mass transit, these signs have been spotted on buses around Chicago. I almost took one, but then figured that the sign would benefit more where people could see it--you know, in case they weren't aware of the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup victory. Of course, if I see another one, it might end up in "the collection."

Besides, it isn't like you can't just go to a store and buy a Blackhawks' sign...

...or two, or three. Banners, pennants, flags, FatHeads, window decals, stickers...just about anything you could think of to cover up that hole in the wall your roommate made in a drunken stupor. 

The Patrick Kane pennants were "Limited Edition" of 5,000. From the looks of it, they made 4, 996 too many of them.

Put this in your Cup and drink it. 

The Coca-Cola company made these commemorative cans, congratulating the 'Hawks on their Cup win. In my own defense, my Mom bought me this six pack of soda (honest). One of them will end up on my shelf next to a sealed, Blackhawks-themed can of Old Style Beer.

One of these kids won't be here in September.

And then, of course, there are t-shirts. Lost of them. Most have pretty crappy designs.This one is just funny, though it only came in kid sizes. It has cartoon versions of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Antti Niemi. Whoa, hold on there. Maybe they should have re-signed Niemi before putting him on a t-shirt. With the Blackhawks, matching the offer sheet tendered to Nicklas Hjalmersson, Niemi might be the next salary cap casualty.

LeBron in Miami = Good for Chicago Hockey

Lebron James signing with the Miami Heat is the best thing that could have happened for hockey in Chicago.

Actually, it doesn't really matter where James ended up--so long as it was not with the Chicago Bulls.

Think about it. Right now the Chicago Blackhawks are the "Number Two" team in Chicago, right after the Bears. Football is so popular in Chicago, that only a dynastic performance by another Sports team would unseat them--like the Chicago Bulls did in the 1990s when they won 6 NBA titles (And yes, "Sports" is a proper noun in Chicago.)

If the biggest free agent in NBA history signed with the Bulls, it would elevate their status to at least that of the Blackhawks. And if Lebron led the Bulls to one or more NBA titles, then they could easily unseat the Bears as the team in Chicago.

Besides, a raving egotist like LeBron would only draw attention to himself--and thus to the Bulls--and away from the Blackhawks and hockey.

The 'Hawks earned all the attention they are getting in Chicago right now. They won the Stanley Cup. They have a marketable group of young players signed for a long time. And they have legions of new fans.

LeBron James being on the Chicago Bulls would have negated those factors.

In order for hockey to succeed in the Windy City, the Blackhawks have to be great, and all the other sports teams here need to be bad. That is the harsh reality of Chicago Sports. Hockey will continue to grow in Chicago, but only if the Blackhawks remain competitive and the other Sports don't provide any big distractions.

Card of the Week: Unbeatable

Bob Probet died suddenly and unexpectedly on July 5, 2010. A man who went toe-to-toe with the likes of McSorley, Domi and Brown - and overcame problems with drug abuse - ultimately lost a battle to a heart attack. Needless to say, Probert was a tough man. No card better epitomizes Probert's toughness than his 1990-91 Upper Deck hockey card. (Full story)

A phone call from Bob

Tomorrow (Friday) is Bob Probert's funeral.  Every fan I've spoken to--and every blog I've read--have all expressed their sadness at the untimely passing of the popular ex-NHL enforcer.

A short Bob Probert story I'd like to share happened in February of this year, when Mr. Probert called my cell phone. No, I am not claiming to have known the man--but it isn't every day that a former NHL player calls up a run-of-the-mill hockey blogger such as myself.

To protect his privacy, I am leaving out the name of Probert's friend, who initiated the phone call. Also note that the following conversation is paraphrased from my memory.

February 3, 2010. Around 7 pm, I was heading out the door when my cell phone rang. I did not recognize the number--it had some area code I did not know--but being the adventurous type answered it anyway.

"Hello."

"Hi, is this Sal?" a man asked. "I'm a friend of Bob Probert's. He's wondering if you would email me a copy of his picture on your site."

"Huh?" I asked, not sure what to make of this.

"Hang on a sec," the man said. He passed the phone to someone.

"Hi, this is Bob Probert."

"Seriously?" I asked. "THE Bob Probert."

"Yeah."

"Wow. What can I do for you?"

"You know that picture on your website, where I'm in a 'Hawks jersey and smiling?" Probert asked. "I was wondering if you could email a copy of it. I'm playing in a charity game out in B.C. (British Columbia) tonight, and I want to make copies of it to autograph for fans."

"It's a good picture," I said. "But it's already signed by you." (I got the photo signed at the Blackhawks' Convention last summer).

"Do you think you can somehow cover up the autograph?"

"Sure. Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?"

"OK."

Not thinking very hard, I quickly asked "What was your most memorable fight?"

"Oh, man I get asked that one a lot...."

"I'm sorry," I said. "It isn't exactly the most original question to ask you."

"They were all pretty memorable," Probert said. "But I guess I'd have to say probably the one with (Tie) Domi."

"What's your favorite memory as a player?"

"Easy. Scoring the last goal ever at Maple Leaf Gardens."

After that, I talked again with Probert's friend, who gave me the technical details (what size to scan the photo, where to email it). Since they were in B.C., the charity game would not start for a few more hours, which bought me some time to work my "Photoshop magic" and digitally remove the autograph.

Hockey players are said to be the nicest athletes around. I know Probert signed a ton of autographs for fans at last year's Blackhawks' Convention, and from what I heard he never turned down signing for someone. 

As a hockey fan, it was nice to "give back" a bit to a player who was always so willing to give to the fans. And though it lasted only a moment, it was a cool experience to converse with a player that I enjoyed watching back in the day.

Review: 1988-89 Topps Hockey

For a third year in a row, Topps released a 198-card hockey set. The 1988-89 Topps Hockey set featured bright colors, quirky design elements and some good rookie cards too. It also used a press conference photo for the first time. (Full Story)

Bob Probert dead at 45

Former NHL enforcer Bob Probert passed away this afternoon. He was 45 years old.

Probert played for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.

More on this story can be found here.

It is always sad to see anyone die too soon.

Career in Cards: Jeremy Roenick

Jeremy Roenick played 20 years in the NHL, and was known for his fast skating and flashy offense. He appeared in 9 All-Star Games, scored over 500 goals and over 700 assists in his career. Here is a look back at his career--in cards--of the man known as "JR".

June 11, 1988 - The Chicago Blackhawks draft Jeremy Roenick in the 1st Round, 8th overall, in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft (as shown on this 1992-93 Fleer Ultra card).

Roenick starts the season with the Blackhawks, scoring 18 points (9G, 9A) in 20 games. After that, he tallies 70 points for Hull in the QMJHL in only 25 games, and later 16 points in 7 games for Team USA at the World Junior Championships. He then returned to the Blackhawks for the 1989 playoffs.

1989-90 O-Pee-Chee CUSTOM card - Despite playing 20 regular season and 10 playoff games the year before, Roenick was snubbed by Topps and O-Pee-Chee, and was not included in either of their card sets. Thus, I made a custom card of JR. Here he is wearing number 51, which he wore early in his NHL career before switching to his familiar number, 27. Roenick was nominated for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, but lost to 29 year-old Calgary Flames winger Sergei Makarov.

1990-91 Upper Deck - Roenick would finally receive a true rookie card--in every set that was made that year (Topps, OPC, OPC Premier, Upper Deck, Pro Set, Bowman and Panini). He would score 94 points in 80 games, and appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game in front of the hometown fans in Chicago.

1991-92 Pro Set Puck - JR would become the 3rd Blackhawks player in history to score 50 or more goals during the '91-92 season, when he netted 53. His totals for the year was 103 points (53 G, 50 A) in the regular season and 22 points (12 G, 10 A) in the Playoffs. The Blackhawks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals that year, but were swept by Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Also notice the "throwback" Blackhawks jersey, which was worn in many games during the 1991-92 season.

1992-93 Parkhurst - For the second consecutive season, Roenick would join the "50 Goal Club", netting an even 50 to go along with 57 assists for a total of 107 points. This would also be his second year leading the Blackhawks in scoring.

1993-94 Panini - Roenick would fall just short of 50 goals, scoring 46. But he would add 61 helpers for 107 total points, matching his point total from last year.

1994-95 Parkhurst Vintage - During the lockout-shortened season, Roenick would sustain an injury, limiting him to 33 games, but would still be a point-per-game player, scoring 34 points that year.

1995-96 Skybox Emotion - An injury would limit Roenick to 66 games, but he'd still score 67 points (32 G, 35 A).

During the summer of 1996, Roenick's contract was up for renewal. He was a restricted free agent, and was asking for $3 million a year--well worth it, considering that a healthy Roenick was a 50 goal, 100 point player; and was still a point-per-game player during seasons where he missed games due to injuries. And while $3 million would have been consistent with what other players his skill level were making, the Blackhawks instead decided to trade Roenick to the Phoenix Coyotes for Alexei Zhamnov.

The Jeremy Roenick era ended in Chicago after 7 1/2 wonderful seasons.

Zhamnov would hold out--and eventually receive--$3 million a year from the Blackhawks. Roenick would take his show to other teams, but would never match his scoring output from his days in Chicago.

1996-97 Fleer Ultra - In his first season with the Phoenix Coyotes--which was the first year for that team--Roenick tallied 29 goals and 40 assists for 69 points, putting him 2nd overall for team scoring.

1997-98 Leaf Studio -JR scored 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points. That put him 2nd again overall for team scoring.

1998-99 Topps Gold Label- Roenick led the Coyotoes in scoring with 72 points (24 G, 48 A) and appeared in his 5th All-Star Game.

1999-2000 Upper Deck MVP Stanley Cup Edition -Another year, another All Star Game. And another year as the Coyotes leading scorer. (34 G, 44 A, 72 TP).

2000-01 Upper Deck Vintage - Roenick led the Coyotes in goals (30, assists (46), points (76) and penalty minutes (114). 

Thus ended Roenick's first stint with the Phoenix Coyotes. A shame that such a talented player would be stuck on such an abysmal team during the prime of his life.

2001-02 Parkhurst Waving the Flag -JR signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers. During the 2001-02 campaign, he scored his 1,000 point and played in yet another NHL All-Star Game. He led the Flyers in assists and points. He was also a part of the U.S. Olympic team that won a silver medal.

2002-03 Upper Deck MVP - Still gong strong, Roenick led the Flyers in goals (27), tied for the lead in assists (32) and also led in points (59). He played in his 1,000 NHL game and his 8th All Star Game.

2003-04 Upper Deck Ice -  A slapshot to the face--breaking his jaw--would limit JR to 62 games that season. He still tallied 47 points, and played in his 9th and final NHL All Star Game. During the skills competition the night before the All Star Game, Roenick would score 4 out of 4 in the Accuracy Shooting competition.

2004-05 - The year of the NHL lockout. Roenick did not play in the minors or in Europe that year. He claimed to be suffering from a concussion caused by his jaw injury the previous season. This caused some tension between him and the Philadelphia Flyers (who had to pay him during the lockout because he said he was injured). Before the next season started, JR was traded to the Los Angeles Kings.

2005-06 Parkhurst - Roenick's only year in L.A. was forgettable, as he scored 22 points in 58 games.

2006-07 Upper Deck - Roenick was back with Phoenix, but only for one year. He scored 11 goals and 17 assists in 70 games. He also caught flack from Coach Wayne Gretzky. Roenick was a healthy scratch, so he left the arena to go to a restaurant instead of sitting in the press box with the other scratched Phoenix players. Other than the "restaurant" controversy, it was a pretty forgettable year.

At this point, Roenick said he was going to retire. It seemed like it was going to be a sad ending for what had otherwise been a wonderful career.

Then Sharks GM Doug Wilson called.

Wilson and Roenick were roommates when they played together on the Blackhawks in the early 1990s. Wilson gave JR another chance at hockey, and probably another chance at life too. Instead of ending his career in disappointment, Roenick got to end on a relatively higher note, playing 2 more years with the San Jose Sharks.

2007-08 O-Pee-Chee CUSTOM card - Apparently, Upper Deck thought Roenick DID retire, because they didn't bother to make ANY card of him during the 2007-08 season (other than a few jersey cards...they were probably blowing out all of their leftover 'Yotes jerseys from the prior season). But Roenick REALLY should have had a card that year, so I made him one.

As a fourth-line checking center, Roenick tallied 33 points in 69 games, and another 5 points in the playoffs. Most importantly, that year he netted his 500th goal, making him the 3rd American player to score 500 goals in the NHL.

2008-09 Upper Deck - Roenick's last hurrah in the NHL. He scored a scant 4 goals and 9 assists in 69 games. But one of those assists was his 700th.

After that season, he retired. His career totals were 513 G, 703 A, 1216 P in 1363 games.

2009-10 O-Pee-Chee - Despite being retired, Roenick was included in the 2009-01 OPC set (I guess this makes up for not having a card during 2007-08).

Roenick was an analyst for both TSN for NHL games, and NBC during the Winter Olympics and the Stanley Cup Finals. His statement after the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup will always stay with me....

"For the kid who was there in 1992 who was crying when I came off the ice in after we lost Game 4 at Chicago Stadium — you waited 18 years. I hope you have a big smile on your face. Congratulations.""

Me and Jeremy Roenick, October 1991.