Sunday, November 2, 2014

2 Packages, 54 New Autographs

  After scanning the whole collection to this site I was able to get an update, accurate total number of NHL signatures. I ended up taking out a number of autographs that I want to upgrade.  The grand total is now officially 4,048 unique player signatures.
This mail post comes from just two packages.  One was from Check Out My Cards and represents a couple of months of buying from the website. I can't say how much I like that they will ship everything together from the States for just $3.  The second package comes from a fellow collector who deals in team issued AHL/IHL cards. He had some signed sets available and I found a few great signatures. 


Peter McNab
I check the newly added cards on Check Out My Cards on a regular basis. This card alone made that a worthwhile thing to do. When I saw this card listed at $20 I couldn't hit the buy it now button fast enough. I've been searching for the card a long time because its currently Peter McNab's only certified autograph. It's a very limited autograph card and the couple I've tracked on ebay went for a lot more than what I paid. McNab is a former NHL All-Star who twice scored 40+ goals in a season. His father, Max, also played in the NHL and that signature is still on my want list. 

Ron Francis
Ron Francis was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. He won the Stanley Cup twice with Pittsburgh, won the Lady Byng Trophy 3 times, the King Clancy Trophy, the Frank J. Selke Trophy and was named to the NHL All-Star team 4 times. He's currently the general manager of the Hurricanes. Considering how long he was an NHL star, Francis doesn't have a ton of autographs on the market.

Bernie Federko
Bernie Federko holds numerous St. Louis Blues team records such as most career points, assists and games played. He scored 1130 points in 1000 career regular season games. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. 

Craig Ramsay
Upper Deck recently released Craig Ramsay's first certified autogrpah in their Classics set. Ramsay played over 1000 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres between 1971 and 1985. He's notable for being named to the NHL All-Star team in 1976 and in 1985 he was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward. He won a Stanley Cup in 2004 as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Stan Smyl
As a junior hockey player Stan Smyl won the Memorial Cup in 1977 and 1978 with the New Westminster Bruins. In 1978 he was named Memorial Cup MVP. He spent his entire NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks, holding team captaincy from 1982-1990.

David Lumley
Dave Lumley played nearly 500 regular season+playoff games in the NHL between 1978 and 1987. As an Edmonton Oiler he won the Stanley Cup in 1984 and 1985.  This is is Lumley's first certified autograph, from an Upper Deck set featuring only the Oilers.

Jiri Crha
Czech goalie Jiri Crha was member of the Toronto Maple Leafs for two seasons, from 1979 to 1981. He appeared in 69 NHL games over that span.

Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas won the Vezina twice and in 2011 also won the Conn Smythe Trophy and Stanley Cup. His career is a great story, the unconventional American goalie spent many years in Europe before establishing himself as an NHL goalie. 

Tuukka Rask
In 2014 Tuukka Rask won the Vezina Trophy, was named a first team NHL All-Star and guided Finland to an Olympic bronze medal. He won the Stanley Cup in 2011 as a the Bruins' backup goalie. 

Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Quick has been one of the leagues best goalies since winning the 2012 Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy. He won his second Stanley Cup last season and also captured the Williams Jennings Trophy. 

Semyon Varlamov
Despite his recent legal issues, Semyon Varlamov has one of the league's best goalies lately.  The 2006 first round Capitals pick represented Russia at the 2014 Winter Olympics. 

Darrin Madeley
For a long time I wasn't sure if this card existed. It's Madeley's only certified autograph and I'm happy to finally knock it off the wantlist. These 1992 Classic autographs are certified on the back and can be hard to find. I'm still searching for a Jean-Yves Roy autograph from the same set. Darrin Madeley was a college star who played 39 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators between 1992 and 1995.

Adam Munro
A first round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2001, Adam Munro appeared in 17 NHL games with the club between 2003 and 2006.  

Jeff Skinner
Jeff Skinner won the 2012 Calder Trophy but playing in Carolina has lowered the value of his autograph to the point where I was able to land this one at a great price. 

James Van Riemsdyk
James Van Riemsdyk was drafted 2nd overall by the Flyers in 2007. He represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics. His younger brother, Trevor, recently made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks. 

Kristopher Letang
Kris Letang is a 3 time NHL All-Star who helped Pittsburgh win the 2009 Stanley Cup. He was a 2013 Norris Trophy finalist and recently signed a huge 8-year contract with the Penguins.

Ryan Kesler
Ryan Kesler scored 41 goals for the 2010/2011 Vancouver Canucks, was named an NHL All-Star and was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy at season's end. He won an Olympic silver medal with Team USA in 2010. 

Adam Henrique
Adam Henrique has played over 200 games with the Devils since making his debut during the 2010/2011 NHL season. He won the Memorial Cup twice with the Windsor Spitfires as a junior player,   2009 and 2010.  He was named a finalist for the 2012 Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. 

Eric Staal
The oldest of the Staal brothers, Eric was drafted 2nd overall by the Hurricanes in 2003. The 4 time NHL All-Star is a member of "Triple Gold Club," having won a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold and World Championship. 

Rick Nash
Notable accomplishments of Rick Nash include being drafted 1st overall in 2002, winning the 2004 Rocket Richard Trophy, being named an NHL All-Star 5 times and winning 2 Olympic Gold medals with Team Canada, 2010 and 2014. 

Jeff Hamilton
Jeff Hamilton scored 32 goals and 77 points in 157 career NHL games. He played for the Islanders, Blackhawks, Hurricanes and Maple Leafs. Hamilton doesn't have many certified autographs on the market. 

Jordin Tootoo
The first Inuk player to play in the NHL, Jordin Tootoo recently released a book about his difficult life. He has played well over 500 games in the NHL, most with the Nashville Predators. 

Cory Conacher
Cory Conacher made his way to the NHL as an undrafted college grad. He has played 3 years of NHL hockey and has dressed with the Lightning, Senators, Sabres and Islanders. 

Damien Brunner
Damien Brunner came to the NHL as a 26 year old free agent, having played a number of season of pro hockey in the Swiss leagues. Brunner played a year in Detroit and then signed with the New Jersey Devils. He represented Switzerland at the 2014 Winter Olympics. 

Charlie Coyle
Charlie Coyle was a San Jose Sharks first round pick in 2010 but was traded to the Minnesota Wild before he made his NHL debut. He's already played well over 100 games with the Wild and was recently signed to a new 5 year contract. 

Kevin Henderson
An undrafted forward, Kevin Henderson took an unusual route to the NHL. After his junior career was over he spent a couple of season at the University of New Brunswick before starting his pro career.  Few Canadian University players end up in the NHL these days but Henderson played 4 games with the 2012/2013 Nashville Predators, scoring 1 goal. 

Tyler Pitlick
Tyler Pitlick appeared in 10 NHL games with the 2013/2014 Edmonton Oilers. He's the nephew of former NHL player Lance Pitlick. With Panini no longer producing hockey cards I'm going to miss shiny cards like this. 

Steve Oleksy
Steve Oleksy has played 60+ games in the NHL with the Washington Capitals since 2012/2013. The undrafted defenceman spent time at Lake Superior State University before embarking on a pro career.

Jonathan Rheault
Providence College grad Jon Rheault played 5 games in the NHL with the 2012/2013 Florida Panthers. 

Hampus Lindholm
A big defenceman from Sweden, Hampus Lindholm was selected 6th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2012 NHL draft. He was named to the 2013/2014 NHL All-Rookie team. 

Magnus Hellberg
The first goalie picked in the 2011 NHL draft, Magnus Hellberg appered in 1 game with the 2013/2013 Nashville Predators.

Maxime Macenauer
Maxime Macenauer played 29 NHL games with the 2011/2012 Anaheim Ducks. The forward scored 1 goal and 4 points.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Belarus native Andrei Kostitsyn was drafted 10th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2003. He scored 20+ goals in a season 3 times as a Canadien. 

Anton Belov
The Edmonton Oilers signed Russian Anton Belov as an undrafted free agent. The defenceman only lasted a year in North America, playing 57 games with the 2013/2014 Oilers.

Kevin Connauton
Kevin Connauton was drafted by the Canucks but traded to the Stars in a deal that sent Derek Roy the other way. He made his NHL debut in 2013 and has already played over 40 games with the Stars. 

Jesper Fast
Swedish forward Jesper Fast has played over a dozen games with the New York Rangers since making his NHL debut with the team in 2013/14. 

Marcus Kruger
Forward Marcus Kruger has played over 200 games with the Blackhawks since 2010. He helped the Hawks win the 2013 Stanley Cup and in 2014 helped Sweden capture an Olympic silver medal.

Carson McMillan
Since 2010/2011 Carson McMillan has played 16 games with the Minnesota Wild, scoring 2 goals and 5 points.

Zack Kassian
Zack Kassian was drafted 13th overall by the Sabres in 2009. He was traded to the Canucks for Cody Hodgson in 2012. 

Alan Kerr
How great are these team issued New York Islanders cards? I think they're hilarious. Between 1984 and 1993 Alan Kerr played over 400 regualar season+playoff games in the NHL. He scored 20+ goals in a season twice with the New York Islanders. 

Roger Kortko
From 1984 to 1986 Roger Kortko played 79 regular season and 11 playoff games in the NHL with the New York Islanders. 

Randy Boyd
"Take the damn picture already." Poor Randy Boyd does not look impressed here. Between 1981 and 1989 he played 250+ NHL games between the Penguins, Blackhawks, Islanders and Canucks. 

Steve Fletcher
Steven Fletcher appeared in 1 playoff game with the 1987/88 Montreal Canadiens and 3 regular season games with the 1988/89 Winnipeg Jets. 

Dale Craigwell
Between 1991 and 1994 Dale Craigwell appeared in 98 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks. 

Dan Ratushny
Dan Ratushny played 1 game in the NHL with the 1992/1993 Vancouver Canucks. He's also notable for winning an Olympic silver medal in 1992 with Team Canada. 

Jason Cirone
Jason Cirone appeared in 3 NHL games with the 1991/1992 Winnipeg Jets. He played a number of years of pro hockey in Italy, getting his citizenship and dressing for the country at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Scott Fraser
A Dartmouth College alumni, Scott Fraser played 72 regular season and 11 playoff games in the NHL. Between 1995 and 1999 he dressed with the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers. 

Ken Hammond
Between 1985 and 1993 Ken Hammond played just over 200 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He was well travelled, having dressed in the NHL with the Kings, Oilers, Rangers, Maple Leafs, Bruins, Sharks, Canucks and Senators. 

Gary Emmons
Gary Emmons scored 1 goal in 3 career NHL games with the 1993/1994 San Jose Sharks.

John Purves
John Purves scored 1 goal in 7 career NHL games with the 1990/1991 Washington Capitals. 

Mark Mowers
I'm guessing that they were a little short on Mark Mower pictures when they produced this set. There aren't many cards with poorer shots.  To make it even worse, the head shot used on the reverse is from the same picture. An undrafted University of New Hampshire alumni, Mark Mowers played almost 300 games in the NHL between 1998 and 2008. He suited up with the Predators, Red Wings, Bruins and Ducks. 

Perry Ganchar
Between 1983 and 1989 Perry Ganchar played 49 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He dressed for the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Peter Taglianetti
Peter Taglianetti is most notable for being a member of the 1991 and 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins, who won the Stanley Cup both years. The defenceman played over 500 regular season+playoff games in the NHL.

Scott Harlow
A Boston College alumni, Scott Harlow was originally drafted by the Canadiens in 1982. He played just 1 game in the NHL. He picked up an assist in that game, with the 1987/88 St. Louis Blues. He has recently worked as a scout for the Edmonton Oilers. 

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Larry Dyck
Larry Dyck appeared in 5 NHL games as a backup goalie between 1992 and 1996. He dressed with the Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks. 

Terry Simpson
Between 1986 and 1996 Terry Simpson spent time as head coach of the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Winnipeg Jets. He later served as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1996 to 1998.

Trevor Gretzky
I have a small stash of autographed baseball cards that have some kind of link to the great game of hockey. The link here is obvious, Trevor is Wayne's son. He plays pro baseball and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. I still have to land a Tom Glavine autograph to highlight this little baseball collection. 

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