Why I Wish the Abbotsford Heat Stayed

       So now you know. I am from Abbotsford, a city not known for it's hockey obsession. Even though most of the people I know are hockey crazy. That's probably why I know them. So why go to an Abbotsford Heat game if the Canucks are next door? The Abbotsford Heat moved early this summer, and now the excessive amount of money the city spent on the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre will go to waste. What will we use it for? Sure, it's a good concert venue, but is that really something to have the building's fate riding on? (Although when Christian hip-hop artist tobyMac came to town on his Hits Deep Tour, the AESC did have it's largest attendance ever).

 Every so often, the Abbotsford Heat played host to a Legend of Hockey, such as Lanny McDonald, Kirk McLean, Mike Bossy, or Grant Fuhr. Half an hour prior to the game, these legends had an autograph session, where you were allowed to bring one item to be signed.

Unfortunately, I only made it to the Grant Fuhr session, but I gave two cards to my companions, and kept one for me to be signed, therefore getting three cards with a graph. Being the generous sort, I gave one to my friend for his birthday, and I traded another away. I still have the oldest Grant Fuhr that I got signed that day, a 90-91 Upper Deck, now with a nice, clean graph, written in blue sharpie, which goes along with the Oilers colours at that time.
If only people in Abbotsford cared about our local team a bit more. The only time we got good attendance was when the 'Nucks affiliate came. Alas! Woe is the Heat.

WHA Hall of Fame at the Canada Sports Hall of Fame PACK!

           The Canada Sports Hall of Fame recently hosted a WHA feature, and I was lucky enough to be in Calgary at the time, and had some time to kill. I had never been to the Hall, and I reveled at the incredible hockey artifacts and the great interactive features. With the WHA feature came souvenirs, and what's a Hockey Association without hockey cards, right? There were 10 cards in each pack, and they were $10 each, a bit of a steep price, but the collector in me won out, and I made the purchase. It featured the famed Winnipeg Hotline of Ulf Nilsson, Bobby Hull, and Anders Hedberg, the brother combo of Marty and Mark Howe, and a World Hockey Association card, featuring the AVCO World Trophy. It also came with players such as Pat Stapleton, Robbie Ftorek, Andre Lacroix, and the first-ever hockey card of Paul Hoganson. R.I.P. WHA.

Paul Hoganson, Pat Stapleton, Joe Daley, Robbie Ftorek, Al Smith, Andre Lacroix.

Ron Grahame, The Winnipeg Hotline (Ulf Nilsson, Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg), Marty & Mark Howe.

The One and Only....JERSEY CARD!

       Yes, it's true. I only have one jersey card. It's a 2010-11 Black Diamond Game-Used Quad Jerseys Lanny McDonald. It does have four patches compared to the usual one, and looks like they are from when McDonald played for the Flames and/or Rockies. There is a stain on the bottom-right patch, and it is more likely from my clumsiness than a real stain on his jersey. As usual, the patches are certified by the president of Upper Deck to have been used in a real NHL game.

A Misleading Card

      Now comes the time to show you a card that got me quite mad at it. A 1992 O-Pee-Chee Denis Potvin, remade from 1974-75. It says the front has a picture never used on a card, and it also says that the back is a reproduction of his rookie card, from 74-75. I quote: "This card back is a reproduction of his card RC #195 from that year, and in NRMNT condition is valued at $65.00 in the fourth Edition of the Charlton Standard Catalogue of Hockey Cards." My card isn't in mint condition, of course, being a hand-me-down, but if it was, according to this card, I could sell it for 65 bucks. I have a hunch that it means his rookie card is worth $65, and not my card, although it sounds as if it means my card. Maybe I'm lucky, and it does mean I have a good card, but not likely. OPC usually has great cards, but I am kind of mad at them for this.

Here's the front

And the back (ANNOYING)

Pack update #1

      It's time for my first pack update!
I recently visited the local dollar store (the city I live in does not have a card store), and picked up a few of the mix packs you can normally find there, of course, the cards were not the greatest, but I did rake in a 90-91 OPC Top Prospect Curtis Joseph and a few other pointless rookies. I seem to have a lot.

I also received a 91-92 Pro Set HHOF Terry Sawchuk:

In previous dollar store packs, I have hauled a 2011 Parkhurst champions Borje Salming and a 2011 UD National Hockey Card day Heroes Gordie Howe. Oh yeah, and a 91-92 Pro Set Nicklas Lidstrom rookie. Dollar stores are not to be underestimated.

Hooray for dollar stores!

Series info

         Hello again,
Today, I will inform you of the numerous series that will be going on while this blog is active. I will have several posts featuring goaltenders, rookies, cards with interesting player poses, and ones that feature interesting info on the back. Like a certain 2002 BAP Signature series Denis Arkhipov. Without that card, I never would have known that he enjoys tennis and likes perogies. See what you can find out about players you've never heard of? Hockey cards can be very educational!

Introduction

           Welcome to a blog of hockey cards. In this blog, I shall be humbly showing off my collection of hockey cards, updating on new packs, and scrutinizing the cards that are embarrassing players everywhere. Sure, I may not have as good a collection as the people at My Hockey Card Obsession or Just Another Hockey (Card) Blog but please be generous and read my blog. As an introduction, have a look at this 91-92 Score Man of the Year Brett Hull. Someone get the fire extinguisher.