Monday, December 31, 2012

Thanks For A Great Year!

I know it's been over two weeks (almost three) since my last post, but with time off from school I've been taking advantage of the busy holiday season and working till my feet bleed. With that being said, between work, family and stuffing my face with food every night, blogging has slowly found itself at the bottom of the to-do list.

I don't have anything to report hockey card wise today, but I would like to thank all those who have read my blog over the past year. I've gained a lot of new followers in 2012 and I'm happy to meet so many new and kind collectors. I'd also like to thank my readers that have been with me since the very beginning, without your support and feedback, I probably wouldn't be writing today.

I hope to expand but be more precise in my collecting in 2013 with my Canucks and Dan Cloutier. Hopefully I can bring some entertainment and interest along the way!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see more of everybody in 2013!

GO NUCKS GO!

Monday, December 17, 2012

CRAZY CARDS - The King of NYC

You don't have to know me for long to understand I'm a huge Canucks fan. But every once in awhile I notice another team or player that catches my fancy.

It seems that maybe the New York Rangers have sparked an interest in me. That may just be the lockout talking; but, as of right now, they hold a spot as my second favourite team. I mean you look at their line-up and it's just full of superstars up and down. Don't get me wrong, I hate the '94 Rangers (Messier) just as much as the next guy. They (Messier) took our first Cup right out of our hands and I will aways have resentment toward them (Messier) for that.

Basically, I'm a fan of one player in specific that started this whole roller coaster of appreciation - Henrik Lundqvist. This guy is a beast of a keeper and I grew to like the man behind the mask in the series 24/7 from the Winter Classic a year ago (boy I'll miss that this year).

So when I saw the card below up for a 10er, I had to have it:


This was the main point I ever bought random packs of Donruss Elite last season. I think these die-cut game used cards are really cool! They all have specific numbers in which they are limited to, in this case 213. That number is dependant on the record or stat the player is featured with.


In this case the number is related to his 213 career wins up until the 2011-12 season.

Love this card, love the player...just a whole lot of love.

But even with all this appreciation, the Canucks are ALWAYS my number one.

GO NUCK GO!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

DAN CLOUTIER PC - THANK YOU MIKE!

About a month ago, I got an e-mail from a fellow collector who had a couple of really nice Cloutier cards he was willing to part with. His website, The Potvin Collection, showcases some very nice Potvin and Gagner pieces. Unfortunately, with free time at a minimum (evident by my weekly posts) I had to put our potential trade on the back burner.

A little over a week ago though, Mike contacted me again and said he was sending the two Cloutier's for nothing in return! Wow, I can't believe the kindness of hockey card collectors, it truly is a tight community!

Well Mike, before I even show off the two beauties, I have to thank you greatly! And don't think this will go unnoticed, the kindness will be returned!

Anyways, like I mentioned, the cards are some really nice pieces.


I've seen this card on the Bay for awhile but haven't been happy enough with the prices to jump. Thankfully, I can cross this off the want list. The GU window is a little different and the colour swatch the dark Canucks navy blue.

What really pops out at me on this card is the photo choice. The card comes from the ITG Action set so it's appropriate that ITG used an actual action photo, not just a shot of Cloutier in his ready position. Thumbs up ITG!


WOWEEEEE! That's a nice looking piece of GU goodness! That's a piece of his pad by the by. The scanner didn't really show it vert well, but the pad is a white (not so crystal white though) tone with a nice grey seem running straight across the patch. 

Hands down the coolest piece of Cloutier on card memorabilia yet! I'm looking to trying to get one piece from each set of equipment. So far I have: jersey, stick and pad; just need the glove and blocker!

Thanks again Mike! I'm really excited in getting these new Clouts!

As always, check out the website on the right hand side to see my entire Dan Cloutier PC!

GO NUCKS GO!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

SWEET (AND SOUR) SIGS - Marty McSorley

I recently discovered that my LCS has a bunch of IP AUTO's for five dollars a piece. A little pricey for non-certified AUTO's that are sometimes of players that got 30 seconds on NHL ice, but, I digress. I'm reassured of their authenticity (about 99.9%) because with each player in his big binder, he has either a photo with him, his wife or his close friend alongside the card(s) kinda like a personal certification with every card.

They have three packed binders full of these bad boys. With such a wide variety you really get a great range of signatures; some are "SWEET" and some "SOUR." That is why this new segment is called "SWEET (AND SOUR) SIGS," no it's not because I really like Chinese cuisine (although I do).

Today, we have just one AUTO from that bunch of binders and it is...

 

Marty McSorley, a man who really needs no introduction. There are a couple of things that really attracted me to this card. First, it's not quite sized like a regular card; it's the same thickness and about a half an inch shorter. Of course you'll notice that the card itself is quite unique as it was issued by the USDA which is "A Public Service in Fire Prevention." It has one kick ass cartoon on the back ta boot!

Second and most obvious is the actual signature, which was the main reason for the purchase. It's signed in a sweet blue sharpie, yet, unfortunately pretty unclear. There was a much clearer AUTO in the binder but this card was too priceless to give up.

Here's a clearer look at his AUTO I pulled off the interweb...


This is courtesy of "My Hockey Card Obsession" actually (first one that showed up on Google images...hope you don't mind Brett). 

This card really gives a better look at his signature. Mine, unfortunately doesn't include his number 33 though.

Here's the thing, I don't really have a clear cut definition of a good or bad AUTO. I just see one and know. So with this whole "SWEET AND SOUR" thing, it's my straight up opinion.

For this AUTO the long straight lines from the "TY" in Marty and the "MSLY" in McSorley really puts him in the good books. It looks like he took time and pride in his signature which I think is missing from the current stars. 

For me Marty McSorley is certified:

SWEET
How's about you?

SWEET or SOUR?

GO NUCKS GO!

Monday, November 26, 2012

I GOT RIPPED OFF (But I Don't Mind) - PART 2

In my previous post I described my relationship with my LCS owners. Don't get me wrong there's a strong bond that builds between fellow collectors, but some times you just feel ripped off.

Last week I showed four new Cloutier cards (two base, one parallel and one insert) in which I payed a hefty eight dollars for. Three of those cards could probably be found in your local quarter box, but hey, at least I kept my purchases local (yay Canada).

Exhibit B would be the pack of Certified I bought at the same time I did the Cloutiers. I've boughten three packs of Certified (here and here) and all three cost me ten bucks a piece. I knew at the time I bought those three other packs that the sign said they were 13 dollars each and I was getting somewhat of a bargain (although ten dollars is the actual cost listed by Panini).

Unfortunately for me this time I did not get that break, I already had 18 bucks of product in my hand (four Cloutiers and another card I'll list later) so why didn't he shave the access three bucks? I guess I just have to bite the bullet, I'm glad I did though because this is what I got:


My solid four base cards pretty much promised in every pack plus...


An extra Tyler Myers base? What could this mean...


Hey! Another Tyler Myers, this time one I actually care about! I actually do love the monster that is Myers. His size is impressive as is, add on the fact he plays on what I would say is in my top three favourite east coast teams and we got ourselves a keeper. It doesn't hurt that he also wears my third favourite number.

For those of you that are interested, my favourite numbers are: first and most important to me - 13, then 24 and 57. 

If you survived that last sentence, let's talk about the actual card. The card in itself is all foiled, similar to the base cards, it has a square GU window with a cool blue swatch beneath. It's also numbered to 299 copies which is just below average for a GU card these days - not bad.

Now, here is my question to you: what's your relationship like with your LCS owner/employees? Are you sometimes caught in sticky situations like the past two I've shared with you?

Let me know your thoughts...

GO NUCKS GO!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

I GOT RIPPED OFF (But I Don't Mind) - PART 1

Relationships are a weird thing in the hobby.

You make a lot of friends that you might not have made due to our obsessions with cardboard. Sometimes, relationships can make deals harder than they have to be. Such is my life at my LCS.

My shop has been open for about 25 years and is owned by an older couple. They're rough around the edges but really nice folks. Problem is, everything in that store is ten dollars overpriced. Of course, they'll always give you a "deal" but it'll still be overpriced.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad. In fact, I think that is great business sense by both of them. They really play up the Vancouver market well, but sometimes I feel ripped off.

For example, I go into the store with a 20 dollar budget. Basically my goal was to go check out their old Canucks base binder for Cloutiers and see what GU and AUTO's they had in stock. With even a 20 dollar bill I thought I could get a lot done, wrong.

 I got two base, one parallel and an insert; let's take a look at them and then I'll let you know what I paid for them.

The one you see on either side of this text comes from what I think is my favourite Upper Deck Series 1 set - ever. Bold statement, I know. Nostalgia has a huge part in me saying that. I just love the borders, the full sized pics and the boxiness of the back design. Plus this was the set I seemed to see most of when I was trading with my buddies.


I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to see this card. This is also very nicely designed; the all foil and pop out figure on the card is quite neat! 

I also like how the back has that red section that is titled "Bowman Briefing." It's that creativity that I believe is missing in a lot of base sets today. You could tell there was great time in writing the "Résumé," "Skills" and "Evolution" portions.
Speaking of nostalgia, this is the definition of the word! McDonalds hockey cards, otherwise known as another excuse to go grab a happy meal as a kid. These things were so fun to rip open with friends. I remember my uncle would come over sometimes and have like 25 packs of this stuff for me to open with him (and the packs weren't cheap)! If you hit a cool insert (especially die-cut ones) or a hot rookie, you were the guy to talk to the next day.


Good old grade five... I know that hitting an AUTO or GU card was near impossible, but if you did, you were a rich man!

I remember when this insert came out and wanting to have it so bad. I did eventually get my hands on a copy but for some reason lost it along the way. Fortunately, I picked this one up with the other three cards at my LCS. Plus, it's in much better shape than my last copy was!

Looks like four pretty solid pick-ups to me. Probably my most exciting low end Cloutiers I have, but what did I pay? Well at a flea market in Florida I would have probably gotten all four card for a dime. At my LCS, I payed two bucks a piece. Yup, eight bones for four cards.

But like I said in the title, I don't mind.

I got to look through three binders packed with IP and TTM AUTO's and laugh at a few good stories with the gentleman store owner. I got to talk hockey (lockout, concussions etc.) But most importantly, I went home with cards I liked and was happy AND the owners got paid so they were happy AND we both had a good time doing it.

That is what the hobby is all about.

But hey, my wallet still had 12 bucks to spare before I hit my cap. Unfortunately my heart thought it had about 32 bucks left...

Stay tuned for "I GOT RIPPED OFF (But I Don't Mind) - Part 2"... There are some interesting cards coming up.

As always take a look at C4K CLOUTIER and mozy through my Dan Cloutier PC.

GO NUCKS GO!

Monday, November 19, 2012

DOUBLE PACK RIP: 2012-13 Certified

After hitting that sweet Taylor Hall/Adam Henrique Redemption from my first pack of Certified, I decided to try my luck two more times.

You know the expression "quit while you're ahead," well I guess you could say that about the next two packs. At the same time though, I'm not totally bummed with what I got; it's just that nothing is gonna beat that crazy dual AUTO.

On to pack numero uno:


Every pack contains five cards and this pack contained its standard four base cards. Like I said last time, I like the look of the cards. I'm not head over heels, but I think they're cool.


Nice! An autograph in my second pack! Looks like I'm two for two. All I can think of though is: I want a Canuck! So for the 11 bucks this pack cost me, I got me a no-namer. But hey, for me any signature (besides Mark Messier) is accepted with open arms in the good old collection. Don't know a whole lot about Cory, if their are any of his collectors out there, let me know! *cricket*




Alright, so now I already think I'm pushing my luck before even busting this third pack. But then again, it's a thick one... Decoy or GU card? Well I opened it up and saw the top of the thick card was white not the regular brownish colour most decoys are. Plus, it looked in good shape unlike the majority of decoys when you open the top of packs.

After brushing through these:


I got to the thick card and...




............





............





............





............





DECOY... Darn it.

But I did get this!



Numbered to /999 copies, this is a pretty cool insert. I really like the banner logo that says "Masked Marvels" and I actually like the fact it showed the goalie's mask as well as the top part of his jersey, I think it adds context to the card.

Overall not bad. More importantly, I'm not kicking myself over the money spent. Now if that first pack was all base, we might have had a different story...

GO NUCKS GO!

Friday, November 16, 2012

OOPSIES! Contest #2 - Answer

A quick little update on the part 2 of 5 "OOPSIES" contest. Like I said before, this was an easy one! You guys didn't disappoint, as everybody earned at least 2 points this round.














ANSWER: Normand Rochefort played Defence as stated on 
the back of the card. The error is on the front of the 1990-91 Score card, where it indicated Normand as a Right Winger.



Like I said, not hard. All 14 responses were correct so everybody gets 2 point added onto their total. But, NordH gets 3 for being the first to respond. I accidentally published his comment before the contest closed so I had to delete it so no one else would see. That's why it shows his comment as being not visible.

Anyways, this is how the points look after two contests:

1. Brad Larocque - 4 points
2. 1976ers - 3 points
    NordH - 3 points
    Jess - 3 points
    Cap'n Canuck - 3 points
    JGBlargh - 3 points
    Sébastian Hell - 3 points
    Kazi - 3 points
    Jason - 3 points
10. Dave H - 2.5 points
      Kevin Osimitz - 2.5 points
      Skroeker - 2.5 points
13. JS - 2 points
      BTHCC Kyle - 2 points
      Sean - 2 points
      Hockey Fan (Paul) - 2 points
17. Matt Pederson - 0.5 points 

GO NUCKS GO!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - C4K Edition

No you are not reading that title wrong. I'm taking a page out Brett's book from MY HOCKEY CARD OBSESSION and doing my own "Linden Card of the Week." Not many big Linden cards come through my collection, not to mention unique ones like this.

First, some back story. Over the lockout many Canucks have done meet and greets at local Vancouver malls. Alex Burrows had his signing a couple weeks ago and last week Trevor Linden and Ryan Kesler had a dual signing at "The Bay" downtown (for you Americans out there, "The Hudson's Bay Company" is Canada's main department store). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make it out to any three of these guys signings.

To my delight though, a buddy in my Electrician Apprenticeship program was going to see Linden along with one of his other friends. He asked if I wanted to come along, but I declined as I had practice that evening. I asked if he could grab me an autograph while he was there and he said he could "see what [he] could do."

The next day he said they limited everyone to one signature per person, but they were handing out extra AUTO's throughout the line. The stack of extra signatures was half of T-Lind and half of Kess, the line was about 500 to 600 people long. So if my math is correct, this oversized card is limited to about 250 to 300 copies.

My buddy handed it to me with a smile today, but I think my smile was bigger. Trevor Linden is after all - Captain Canuck.

Before I continue, let's take a look at the card:


The card is 5" by 7" and is signed by Mr. Linden himself. There are some questions I raise though, why in the world did he not sign it vertically? Also, why does it say "Guys' Night Out" on the top? Whatever the answers are, it doesn't matter - it's Linden after all.

Although, it seems there is a crimp or crease in the top right corner, which is disappointing. Also, the card is blank on the back. Like I said before, I don't care because it's Trevor Linden!

There you have it folks. A C4K version of a MHCO classic, hope it didn't disappoint too much!

GO NUCKS GO!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

OOPSIES! Contest #2 - Normand Rochefort

It's time for Round 2 of "OOPSIES!" Considering only a select few of the 14 some that guessed last time got it right, we're making this one a little easier.

In french Normand Rochefort's last name literally means "Hard Rock." Thankfully, this card error is soft as pudding. I'm expecting all of you to guess right this time, and no cheating!

Here she is:



Find the error and the points are all yours!

Here are ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN GET POINTS:

1) Find error and comment correctly (2 points)
2) Be the first person to find the error and comment correctly (3 points)
3) Find the error partially, but not in it's entirety (1 point)
4) READ, but can't find the error although looking. Comments saying "I dunno" or something along those lines (0.5 points)

And if you are wondering where you are in the standings, look no further:

1. 1976ers - 3 points
2. Brad Larocque - 2 points
2. JS - 2 points
4. Jess - 1 point
4. Cap'n Canuck - 1 point
4. JGBlargh - 1 point
4. Sébastian Hell - 1 point
4. Kazi - 1 point
4. Jason - 1 point
10. Dave - 0.5 points
10. Kevin Osimitz - 0.5 points
10. Matt Pederson - 0.5 points 
10. Skroeker - 0.5 points

GO NUCKS GO!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

VERSUS: Dan Cloutier Hit VS. 2012-13 Certified

Money in my pocket. Oh why do you taunt me?

With some pocket change to spare this week, I passed by my overpriced but extremely welcoming LCS to pick up some cards. I decided to pace myself...really I did! Of course, things don't always go as planned.

I was talking to the husband (it's a husband and wife that own this shop) and he was telling me one day when I have more time to stop in to see the massive binder of Cloutier cards he has. I agreed and asked him to quickly show me some of his GU and AUTO's of my favourite player.

Turns out he had two on hand. One was an AUTO from the most recent BTP (the one I already have) and the other was a high serial numbered GU card of his.

I asked the price of the GU piece of cardboard and to my utter shock it was a whole 20 bucks! No way José, he knew I wasn't gonna pay anywhere near that price. He then brought it right down to it's BV of 15 bucks.

I politely said "I was thinking more like 5." He smiled and said we could package something up. In the end I bought one pack of Certified and the Cloutier card at a clean 20 bucks total. Perfect for another edition of "VERSUS!"

So let the battle begin:

DAN CLOUTIER HIT


Like I said, high numbered GU card. It's pretty basic and I believe on eBay I could have probably nabbed it for 3.99 plus shipping, but the owners a nice guy. I think that's what it's all about in the end, meeting stand up guys and gals in the hobby. 


What I really like about this card though is actually the info on the back. It says "In 2003-04, Dan wore this Canucks sweater and recorded his 100th win." Now that's cool! 

To think that this jersey is actually a hallmark in Cloutier's career is crazy!

This ten bucks was well spent, but did it beat out my single pack of Certified?

FINAL SCORE: 8.5/10

2012-13 CERTIFIED

This one pack out of ten was a long shot for anything good, but for ten bucks it was worth the gamble; and boy was it worth it!


I won't get into the base cards too much, but I like them. I'm not going crazy over them, but I do think they are really cool. It may not seem like this in the scan but you can see the background through the foil. 

The BIG hit of the pack was this beauty...or soon to be beauty!


My very first redemption! I'm not sure why I'm excited because these things are a huge pain in the arse, but hey it's my FIRST ONE! 

Now let's dissect this bad boy. It's a DUAL Signature numbered to 100 copies and the player selection is of the Adam Henrique and Taylor Hall variety.

WOWZA! This is gonna be a good one!

I already redeemed it via paniniamerica.net and I put my time frame as 4 months. So hopefully this card shows up before then. 

My question is should I raise the time frame to 8 months (if possible)? What do you guys think, from experience, will be the time frame between my redeeming it online until I see it in my mailbox?

By any means this 10 dollar pack of cards get's a well deserved high mark of...

FINAL SCORE: 9.5/10

DAN CLOUTIER - 8.5/10     <     CERTIFIED - 9.5/10

This was certainly a fun one!

Because of that redemption goodness, I bought two more packs of the 2012-13 Certified product.

I'm weak.

More on that tomorrow!

GO NUCKS GO!

Sunday, November 4, 2012

OOPSIES - Contest #1 Answer!

The first edition of the ever continuing contest editions of "OOPSIES" was a success. I got a great response from long time readers as well as brand new followers! I love to interact and be up to date with who reads my blog, and this new segment will do just that.

So with that being said, let's see how you guys did this week! The card came out about 20 years ago but is still quite interesting...






ANSWER:

On the back of the card, the picture is NOT of Benoit Hogue, but instead of Dean Kennedy










There you have it folks, now you can get your sleep at night. Let's see what YOU guessed.

I got 13 responses for this first contest and only three got the COMPLETE answer.

Yes, 1976ers, Brad Larocque and JS all get at least two points this week. Since 1976ers was the first to get it right out of the three, he gets three points; well done!

Six of you guessed that the picture on the back is wrong, but couldn't identify who. Some guesses were Rob Ray, Grant Ledyard and Donnelly. So for half a correct answer you all get 1 point.

The final four all didn't know the answer but put up some pretty creative guesses. Two of you guessed that Hogue's position is off, which is kind of true, but vague as many players could make the switch from Left Wing to Center. Another guess was that his team is wrong as Hogue did get traded to the Islanders shortly after this card was produced, but lest, that is not the answer. The most meticulous answer though was how Skroeker took the time to read Hogue's stats and assume that 54 goals in the QMJHL was a bit on the high side. However, he did score 54 goals for the St. John Beavers one season. A+ for effort though!

Here are the standings:

1. 1976ers - 3 points
2. Brad Larocque - 2 points
2. JS - 2 points
4. Jess - 1 point
4. Cap'n Canuck - 1 point
4. JGBlargh - 1 point
4. Sébastian Hell - 1 point
4. Kazi - 1 point
4. Jason - 1 point
10. Dave - 0.5 points
10. Kevin Osimitz - 0.5 points
10. Matt Pederson - 0.5 points 
10. Skroeker - 0.5 points

Looks like it's still anybodies game! Keep on checking back for the upcoming "OOPSIES" contests. I'm still undecided whether to go five contests or ten, so if you have a preference let me know. 

P.S. - Next ones an easy one!

GO NUCKS GO!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

DAN CLOUTIER PC - Update

Just a quick little post for today. I wanted to mention that I'm now completely caught up on my Cloutier PC website called C4K CLOUTIER. I went mad and put up ALL my base, insert, rookies etc. from my Cloutier collection.

The only thing missing are two GU cards, I need to scan them and quickly pop them on. Other than that, it's all there!

I put a lot of work into showcasing my virtual Cloutier collection, so let me know what you like, what you don't like and everything in between!

As always, e-mail or leave a comment if you see any cards I don't have for my Cloutier PC!

In other news, I got a great response for the first "OOPSIES" contest yesterday! I'll give it one more day and then I will reveal the answer and the points list! If you haven't entered yet, see below!

And make sure to click the link on the right to visit C4K Cloutier!

GO NUCKS GO!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

OOPSIES! Contest #1 - Benoit Hogue

About three weeks ago I posted the first edition of "OOPSIES" in which I showcased a Joe Thornton card with a very obvious error on the back. I was rummaging through boxes of base cards trying to find errors when the question came to me: Why tell the answer right away?

As a reader of Collecting For Kicks, what anticipation or excitement is there when I give you the answer to the error right away? Therefore, I'm making a dramatic change to this segment. Instead of just showcasing a card, asking can you find the error and just answering that sentences later; I'm gonna actually see if you can FIND THE ERROR.

This is how it will work. First, I will show a card with an error either on the back or front of the card. After you examine and identify the mistake, post a comment telling me what the error is. If you get it right, you get 2 points! I'll do ten contest post of "OOPSIES" and the reader with the most points will get a prize that is TBD!

Fun right? But there is more! Here are ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN GET POINTS:

1) Find error and comment correctly (2 points)
2) Be the first person to find the error and comment correctly (3 points)
3) Find the error partially, but not in it's entirety (1 point)
4) READ, but can't find the error although looking. Comments saying "I dunno" or something along those lines (0.5 points)

So, even if you can't find the error, you can still have a chance to win great cards! So come and read! Since we don't want others simply copying answers from previous comments, I've switched my comments to always be moderated. So NO COMMENTS WILL BE VISIBLE UNTIL AFTER THE CONTEST CLOSES.

This is gonna be the test run, so PLEASE PARTICIPATE (even if you don't know the answer).

Without further introduction...

1991-92 UD Benoit Hogue (#159)



This card is actually one of my favourites from the set because of the picture on the front, but there is an error! 

Can you find the mistake?

One last thing, no cheating! We are working on the honour system so please don't Google it or look in your Beckett, but use your hockey card knowledge and try!

Have fun and good luck!

GO NUCKS GO!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

TRADE - Thanks Paul!

For the past little while Paul and I have been exchanging e-mails back and forth trying to figure out some sort of deal to send some Howard cards his way and Canucks cards my way. A week ago we confirmed the final deal and voila! they arrived on Thursday.

The actual trade broke down like this:

TO PAUL:

2012-13 Jimmy Howard Score Base
2012-13 Jimmy Howard OPC "Pop Up"
1997-98 Marian Hossa BAP AUTO

TO ME:

2006-07 UD MVP Luc Bourdon RC


It's an unfortunate thought to think how prominent Bourdon may be in the league at the moment. At the time of his passing he was considered the Canucks number one prospect. A question that has occurred to me in the past years from all the deaths in the league is: should the team get some compensation for the loss of a player? Of course, the death of a teammate is the one moment in sport where you can put the competitiveness aside. But, after all is said and done, should a team get an equal number draft pick of the player that passed? 

Nonetheless, this card gets a special spot in the collection. We will never forget you Luc!

2008-09 Fleer Ultra Brendan Morrison "Ultra Uniformity"


These Fleer GU jersey cards are simple and can be put together into a nice little set. Morrison was part of the Westcoast Express line but didn't get as much of the spotlight as Big Bert or Nazzy. Nice blue swatch to bank in the collection.

2007-08 ITG BTP Drew MacIntyre "Goalie Graphs"


Last but not least was this Drew MacIntyre AUTO I've had my eye on for over a year. I've seen many copies come and go on eBay and when I saw this on Paul's trade list, I pounced. I don't know why but, I really like Drew's signature and this will fit perfectly in my "Part 2" plans for "The Goalie Project".

What wasn't included in the trade were the extra Goalie Project cards Paul threw in. Another example of a fantastic trader in the hockey card community!

                                                                                           

Included were two Luongo's (above), a nice Corey Hirsch (right), as well as a Mike Fountain RC (right). Plus another Luongo, this time a Champs mini (not pictured).

Those bottom two McLean cards are probably my favourite of the four above but especially the one on the left. I'm gonna go out on a lim and say that bottom left card named "Painted Warriors" is my favourite McLean in my entire collection. It really showcases Kirk's mask well, plus I've never seen that  insert set before.


To finish off the package were five Cloutier's (four of which I did not own)! I appreciate how Paul really sent off cards that would aid with my various projects, it is a huge help!

Alex Auld - 3/3 COMPLETE! 27 TOTAL
Murray Bannerman - 1/2 COMPLETE! 1 TOTAL
Martin Brochu - 3/3 COMPLETE! 4 TOTAL
Richard Brodeur - 1/3 COMPLETE! 16 TOTAL (1 JERSEY, 1 EVENT-USED, 1 AUTO)
Gary Bromley
Bruce Bullock - 0/0 COMPLETE! 1 (TEAM PHOTO) CARD
Sean Burke - 2/3 COMPLETE! 21 TOTAL
Frank Caprice - 0/0 COMPLETE! (NO ISSUED CARDS)
Jacques Caron 
Ed Dyck - 0/0 COMPLETE! (NO ISSUED CARDS)
Ken Ellacott - 0/0 COMPLETE! (NO ISSUED CARDS)
Bob Essensa - 3/3 COMPLETE! 14 TOTAL
Mike Fountain - 3/3 COMPLETE! 12 TOTAL
Troy Gamble - 2/2 COMPLETE! 21 TOTAL
George Gardner 2/2 COMPLETE! 2 TOTAL
John Garrett - 2/3 COMPLETE! 3 TOTAL
Glen Hanlon - 1/3 COMPLETE! 6 TOTAL
Johan Hedberg - 3/3 COMPLETE! 7 TOTAL
Rick Heinz - 0/0 COMPLETE! (NO ISSUED CARDS)
Corey Hirsch - 3/3 COMPLETE! 54 TOTAL (1 AUTO)
Charlie Hodge - 2/2 COMPLETE! 3 TOTAL
Arturs Irbe - 3/3 COMPLETE! 29 TOTAL
Jason LaBarbera - 2/3 COMPLETE! 4 TOTAL
Ken Lockett - 0/0 COMPLETE! (NO ISSUED CARDS)
Roberto Luongo - 3/3 COMPLETE! 65 TOTAL (2 JERSEY)
Drew MacIntyre - 1/3 COMPLETE! 1 TOTAL
Cesare Maniago - 1/3 COMPLETE! 3 TOTAL
Bob Mason - 1/1 COMPLETE! 1 TOTAL
Dave McClelland - 0/0 COMPLETE! (NO ISSUED CARDS)
Steve McKichan - 0/0 COMPLETE! (NO ISSUED CARDS)
Kirk McLean - 3/3 COMPLETE! 157 TOTAL (1 AUTO)
Rob McVicar - 1/1 COMPLETE! 1 TOTAL
Alfie Michaud - 1/1 COMPLETE! 7 TOTAL
Tyler Moss - 3/3 COMPLETE! 5 TOTAL
Mika Noronen - 3/3 COMPLETE! 6 TOTAL
Maxime Ouellet - 2/2 COMPLETE! 3 TOTAL
Félix Potvin - 3/3 COMPLETE! 32 TOTAL (1 AUTO)
Andrew Raycroft - 1/3 COMPLETE! 7 TOTAL
Curt Ridley - 2/3 COMPLETE! 2 TOTAL
Dany Sabourin - 2/3 COMPLETE! 2 TOTAL
Curtis Sanford - 3/3 COMPLETE! 7 TOTAL
Cory Schneider - 1/2 COMPLETE! 12 TOTAL (2 JERSEY)
Corey Schwab - 2/3 COMPLETE! 2 TOTAL
Petr Skudra - 3/3 COMPLETE! 4 TOTAL
Gary Smith - 1/3 COMPLETE! 2 TOTAL
Garth Snow - 3/3 COMPLETE! 23 TOTAL (1 AUTO)
Kevin Weekes - 3/3 COMPLETE! 10 TOTAL
Steve Weeks - 1/3 COMPLETE! 11 TOTAL
Kay Whitmore - 3/3 COMPLETE! 20 TOTAL
Dunc Wilson - 1/3 COMPLETE! 2 TOTAL
Wendell Young - 1/2 COMPLETE! 5 TOTAL 

WANT LIST:

Murray Bannerman (RC)
Richard Brodeur (RC - Non-Canucks Card)
Gary Bromley (ALL THREE)
Sean Burke (RC)
Jacques Caron (Non-Canucks Card)
John Garrett (RC)
Glen Hanlon (RC - Canucks Card)
Jason LaBarbera (Canucks Card)
Drew MacIntyre (RC - Non-Canucks Card)
Cesare Maniago (RC - Non-Canucks Card)
Andrew Raycroft (RC - Canucks Card)
Curt Ridley (Non-Canucks Card)
Dany Sabourin (Non-Canucks Card)
Cory Schneider (RC)
Corey Schwab (Canucks Card)
Gary Smith (RC - Non-Canucks Card)
Steve Weeks (RC - Non-Canucks Card)
Dunc Wilson (RC - Non-Canucks Card)
Wendell Young (RC)


Thanks again Paul!

GO NUCKS GO!