Decades and Dollars

Dale Hunter and Barry Pederson

After a distinguished playing career and over 1000 career points Hunter is trying to boost his post career resume as an NHL head coach with the Capitals.  Perderson had some great season in Boston, including 44 and 46 goal years, but he sputtered out after being traded to the Canucks for Cam Neely.  Pederson's first autograph.  

Steve Payne and Wally Weir

Payne and Weir get their first autographs in Decades.  Payne was two time all star for the North Stars.  Weir played what seems like an unremarkable 320 NHL games and 3 WHA seasons.  I was surprised to see his name on the checklist for this product.  

Jacques Martin and Gordie Howe

Martin's first autograph.  Goes into my oddball collection since Martin never played in the NHL. He was the NHL's 98/99 Jack Adams award winning coach of the year. I have a few other Howe autographs but this is my first signed card, it was had at a very reasonable price.

Zenon Konopka and Steve Kasper

Kasper was another to have his fist autograph in Decades.  The Certified Collision Course Zenon Konopka is his only autograph, rather odd for a player who had lead the league in PIM two years in a row.  I missed picking one up after the initial release because I thought he would have a few more autographs to come.

Johan Backlund, Travis Morin and Mike Foligno

Backlund played a total of 40 minutes for the Flyers in 09/10.  Morin played 3 games for the 10/11 Dallas Stars.  A veteran of over 1000 NHL games Foligno now has 2 sons in the league.  

Scott Jackson and Ryan Stoa

Scott Jackson played 1 game for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 09/10.  Ryan Stoa has scored 4 goals and 7 points in 37 games as a Colorado Avalanche.  

Jason McBain and Rhett Rakhshani

From 1995-1997 Jason McBain played 9 games for the Hartford Whalers.  Rakhshani, who actually hails from Souther California, has played a handful of games for the New York Islanders. 

Nikita Nikitin, Trevor Gillies and Chris Summers

After being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets Nikitin has become a solid NHL defenseman.  The undrafted Trevor Gillies made his NHL debut for the 05/06 Anaheim Mighty Ducks yet had to wait a few more years to get his NHL rookie card.  He has played over 50 games for the Islanders since 2009.    Summers has played in a handful of games for the Coyotes and remains with the team.

Olivier Latendresse, Cody Bass and Junior Lessard

These cards were bought in a cheap lot.  Olivier Latendresse never dressed in the NHL so it goes into my oddball collection.  Cody Bass has played for both the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets.  Lessard split his 27 game NHL career between the Stars and Lightning.

Slava Kozlov, Rem Murray and Michal Pivonka

Kozlov won back to back Cups with the Red Wings.  Murray's last game in the NHL was the Stanley Cup finals, playing for Edmonton in their 05/06 cinderella run.  Pivonka was a point per game player for Caps.

Ken Klee, Landon Wilson and Jeff Odgers

Klee recently retired with over 900 career NHL games.  Wilson is a journeyman who even recently played for the Dallas Stars in 2009.  Jeff Odger's 2364 NHL penalty minutes explains his role, a long time tough guy.

Jon Rohloff, Bill Berg and Steve Heinze

All of Rohloff's 150 NHL games were for the Boston Bruins. Berg played on the solid Leafs teams of the early 90s, his name may sound familiar to non Leafs fans for being a current NHL analysts.  Boston actually refused to give Heinze the #57 (referring to the ketchup), he did wear the number after being traded from the team.

Denis Pederson, Harry York and Petr Schastlivy

Pederson played just under 500 NHL games, seeing time in New Jersey, Vancouver, Pheonix and Nashville.  Harry York is one of few NHLers of Cree descent.  Schastlivy played a few seasons in Ottawa and one in Anaheim.

Eric Weinrich, Chris Terreri and Radek Dvorak

Weinrich played over 1000 NHL games.  Terreri won 2 Stanley Cups as Martin Brodeur's backup.  Dvorak now plays for the Stars, his seventh NHL stop.  

A  few TTM autographs to end,

Steve MacIntyre

Macintyre was never drafted and fought his way to the NHL, he's currently a Pittsburgh Penguin.

Jim Vandermeer

The current Shark is closing in on 500 NHL games

Mike Kaszycki

Played over 200 NHL games, most notable trophy is a Memorial Cup.

Seinfeld!?

Keith Brown, Clint Malarchuk and Garry Howatt

Keith Brown spent 14 seasons as a full time member of the Hawks.  He also ended his career with a couple seasons in Florida.  Clint Malarchuk spent a number of years in the NHL with Quebec, Buffalo and Washington.  He's best remembered for the 1989 on ice skate to throat injury that nearly killed him, read about the "survivor" here.   Howatt won two Stanley Cups with the Islanders in 1980 and 1981.  He was a scrapper who lead the team in PIM in each of those first two Cup winning seasons.  

Alexander Vasyunov, Nick Spaling and Dwight King 

Vasyunov passed away shortly after I purchased the card, he was in the KHL plain crash. He played 18 games for the 10/11 Devils. The Spaling was a redemption received from Panini and originally a dirt cheap ebay pickup with a bad title.  He's a current full time Predator who has already played a couple seasons in Nashville.  The king is the most notable card here for my collection since this is his only autograph rookie card and it is limited to just 99.  He's a solid, big body forward who can score.

Carter Hutton and Adam Hauser

Carter Hutton falls into the "backup only" category while Adam Hauser did manage a whopping 51 minutes in goal for LA in 05/06.  This is Hauser's only autograph card.

Gaston Therrien, Ed Staniowski and Patrick Warburton

Therrien played 22 games for the Nordiques and is a fairly popular french hockey analyst.  Staniowski added the card as an apology for a long wait on the return! He spent a decade tending goal in the NHL. The Warburton, even tough it's headed for my oddball binder, is my favourite here because I'm a huge Seinfeld fan. He's pictured here with his New Jersey Devils face paint on thus the NHL connection, do you remember this Seinfeld episode? (I do!)  

Patrice Tardif and Howard Walker

Tardif is most notable for being part of the deal that sent Wayne Gretzky to the St. Louis Blues.  Walker played 83 career NHL games for the Caps and Flames.