But did you know that he was drafted with the 69th overall pick in the 1984 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings? He was chosen ahead of two guys who went on to have hall of fame careers themselves: Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille.
Anyways... this was today's tidbit of baseball trivia and my way of showing off a trio of hockey cards I've recently added to the collection. Don't worry... I'll keep things short since there aren't a lot of people interested in hockey cards among my readership.
Let's start things off with a whale...
1995-96 Seattle Thunderbirds #12
Patrick Marleau is one of my all-time favorite hockey players and this is his very first trading card. This card has been on my eBay watchlist for years and it doesn't pop up very often. So when I saw it with a $4.50 BIN price tag I got excited. The only problem was the seller was charging $3.50 for shipping.
I decided to see if the seller had anything else for sale that I could use to justify the shipping rate. That's when I found this for $1.12 (+ 50¢ shipping):
1997-98 Dynagon Ice Blue #34
This card won't mean much to anyone unless you collected hockey cards in the 90's. Simply put... these Ice Blue parallels were tough to pull. This is a very nice addition to my Joe Sakic PC, which I haven't officially announced... but have been actively building for years.
The final card is my most recent California Seals purchase:
1970-71 Topps #72
This card purchase was inspired by two bloggers: Joe (@ The Shlabotnik Report and Jay @ Card Hemorrhage). Both have featured Seals cards on their blogs which reminded and motivated me to buy this card.
Harry Howell is one of only a handful of Seals players who is inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame, although he is primarily known for his years with the New York Rangers.
The NHL restart begins today. The San Jose Sharks didn't qualify, so I probably won't be following things too closely. But best of luck to those of you who have teams in the hunt.
Here is today's question of the day:
Do you follow hockey? Do you collect hockey cards? Do you have a favorite team and/or player?
It'll be interesting to see what percentage of my readership actually cares about the sport.
Happy Saturday and sayonara!
Sayonara Salute
2019 Topps WWE Undisputed Autographs #A-KS
2019 Topps WWE Undisputed Autographs #A-SU
I've made it pretty clear that I'm not an avid wrestling fan, but over the past year or so... I've casually followed Asuka and her tag team partner Kairi Sane. Earlier this week, Kairi said goodbye to her colleagues and fans as she plans to head back to Japan to spend more time with her family. Sayonara Kairi! You will be missed.
I really don't follow Hockey, and only know the greats. Gretzky, Hull, Lemieux and that level of players. I wouldn't say no to early Gretzky's or RC's of any of the greats, but since I am probably now willing to pay what they go for, I will likely never have any of them.
ReplyDeletePatrick Roy is one I wouldn't mind getting my hands on, though I can't tell you much about his career.
I do follow hockey and glad to see that they are back to playing. I am a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets. And I do collect hockey cards. I collect Blue Jackets, Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, and other goalie base and low end inserts. I am always looking for new hockey card trading partners.
ReplyDeleteI do follow hockey even though I don't really collect hockey cards. I'm a diehard Rangers fan. I don't know that I really have a favorite player right now--I mean, I love Mika and Henrik, but, you know, one is the best player on the team and the other is the best goalie we've ever had, with all due apologies to Eddie Giacomon and Mike Richter. Derek Stepan was my favorite until he left the team. When I was a kid, my favorite was Steve Vickers.
ReplyDeleteFunnily I just went today to check on which Glavine rookies I have. I have the Donruss and Score, but not the Topps above. I did know about Glavine being drafted...the way I heard it was the trivia question, what two Hall of Famers were drafted by the LA Kings in 1984? The answers being Robitaille and Glavine.
I've casually followed hockey on and off over the years. Watched every Flyers game on TV during their 1987 playoff run and the same with their 1997 playoff run. But I've spent most of my life in California and my level of hockey knowledge reflects that.
ReplyDeleteI recently started.
I was a Flyers fan. More of a San Diego Gulls (AHL) fan now due to geography. Wondering if I should adopt the Ducks, because they're the Gulls' parent team.
Ron Hextall was my first favorite hockey player and still is my favorite.
I was a pretty big hockey fan growing up and through the mid 90s. I was part a group that were inaugural season ticket holders for the mighty ducks. When I moved to Minnesota, there was no team here, but I got back in to the sport and became an inaugural season ticket holder for the wild in 2000. I don't follow as closely these days, but did follow the two kings (still my favorite team) Stanley cup wins. Luc robitaille was my favorite player and I still add cards of his from time to time.
ReplyDeleteThe owner of the Blackhawks didn't put them on free television when I was a kid. As a result, none of us followed the team.
ReplyDeleteThat's a yes to at least two. I did miss hockey and am glad it's back, even though I won't get to see many of the games. As for fandom, I took up rooting for the Hurricanes upon their arrival in North Carolina.
ReplyDeleteVery fair weather. I end up at a few Rangers games a year and was at the All-Star game this year. Really only pay attention if Rangers going deep in playoffs.
ReplyDeleteI follow hockey casually and do the same with hockey cards. Unless you're born into a hockey town, it's a difficult sport to connect with -- it's tough to follow on TV, everyone's helmeted up. That was my situation. But I do appreciate it more than some sports.
ReplyDeleteAnd I did know about Glavine. He made my all-baseball hockey team a couple of years ago: https://nightowlcards.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-canada-day-all-baseball-hockey-team.html
I know you've been following my journey into hockey, so instead I'll comment on two of the cards...first, nice find on the minor league Marleau. Minor league team sets seem to be some of the hardest hockey cards to lay hands on.
ReplyDeleteI've gotten quite a few of Harry's Rangers cards, but none from his time with the Seals. It's possible my oldest Rangers card is of him, although there's no known date since it's a Bee Hive card.
Do you even have to ask? Yeah, I follow hockey a wee bit.
ReplyDeleteAm I excited about these playoffs? Not so much. Especially after finding out about NBC's meddling and involvement ...... Not cool.
As for your add on Sakic to justify the $3.50 shipping charge..... that's cute considering the average american seller on ebay charges between $24 and $40 to ship ONE card to Canada.
He better damn well be hand delivering it for that price. And they wonder why sales are down....
No. No. No. Kairi yum.
ReplyDeleteI don't follow hockey much although I root for the Kings and Ducks more than the rest of the NHL. I used to follow hockey more when I used to work at the Pond of Anaheim when the Mighty Ducks first started playing there. In fact, it's quite possible that I unknowingly passed by gcrl during the inaugural Mighty Ducks season.
ReplyDeleteCasual hockey. Was bigger into it in the 1990s and early 2000s with the Sharks but kind of dropped off post lock-out. Don't collect the cards but could be tempted by a bunch of those 1990s Sharks.
ReplyDeleteThose ice blue parallels really were tough to find!
ReplyDeleteI don't follow hockey quite as much as I did back in high school and college (my playing days), but I still go to a couple of games a year.
As for collecting hockey cards, yes. I mostly try to complete sets from the 1980s and 1990s (my collecting days).
I'm much more of the guy who appreciates a good ol' game of hockey or a skilled play, regardless of the team or player. Can't really say that I have any favorite teams or players that I specifically collect.
All that to say . . . keep posting hockey card content ;-)
I watch hockey. My favorite team is the Blues, but I will check out the Hurricanes from time to time since they are local. When I lived in St. Louis, Pierre Turgeon's kids went to one of the schools I worked at briefly. Nice guy.
ReplyDeleteI have a few autographs of Blues players, but not a big hockey collector. I think Brett Hull is likely my best hockey autograph.
I wish I was more of a hockey fan. I don't have anything against it, rather I just don't follow it enough to have any type of conversation about it. Locally, I do attend quite a few Norfolk Admirals games as my company has a corporate VIP box (that hardly anyone ever uses). Back in 2012 the Admirals were quite a big deal as they set a professional hockey record for the longest winning streak, winning their 28th consecutive game on April 15 against the Adirondack Phantoms. The entire city were hockey fans around that time. In college (1997-2001), my roommate had a talk-radio sports show and he would get "press passes" to the Carolina Hurricanes games. The press passes gave us access to the locker rooms as well as the clubhouse. We attended one game and met Wayne Gretzky. He was the nicest guy, spent quite a bit of time with us and gave us both signed hockey pucks. I feel guilty that the experience was mine - I'm not a true fan and I know that many would kill for the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteAs a Canadian my younger years were spent obsessed with hockey (it was only after spending a few years in an American school that baseball displaced hockey as my favorite sport). Gretzky was my favorite player by far, I had a huge poster of him on the wall in my room and a big blanket of him on my bed.
ReplyDeleteI've never really actively collected hockey cards, but I have a small Gretzky collection from his early years (not including his rookie card unfortunately though I do have his 2nd year). That collection ends very abruptly at the end of his Oilers years. The "trade" scarred me so badly as a kid that I can't bear to look at any cards of him with the Kings or other teams after that. I'm pretty sure there is a huge population of my fellow 40 something Canadians out there who feel the same.
Dang, Kairi is heading back home...Don't blame here though as she definitely has to put family first!
ReplyDeleteGreat trio of cards Fuji, especially that vintage Seals slab! As you know I'm a huge hockey guy, played for almost 15 years growing up, watch a ton of NHL today, and yes I collect the cards also. The Bruins are reluctantly my favorite team since I typically cheer on the locals, but at heart I'm still a Whalers fan all the way.
ReplyDeleteI do not follow hockey. I did when there were 6 teams. Starting losing interest when the NHL went to 12 teams. When Don Cherry started appearing on HNIC between periods I was done with hockey. I was a Chicago fan. Bobby Hull was my favourite player. Thanks for the interesting post.
ReplyDeleteI'm a die-hard Buffalo Sabres fan, which means I'm used to disappointment. I don't actively collect hockey cards, but I've gotten a few Sabres in trades.
ReplyDeletei meant to tally up everyone's responses in regards to the hockey and collecting hockey questions, but i'm a little short on time and i want to at least reply to each of you.
ReplyDeletethe diamond king - sounds like hockey to you is like boxing to me. as for patrick roy, he was definitely one of the most popular goalies back in the day, but i heard he's kind of a jerk
ohio tim - columbus didn't get their team until i was pretty much out of the hobby. but if i find any blue jackets, you'll be the first to know.
brett alan - that's a great trivia question. richter is one of my all-time favorite rangers.
elliptical man - oh no. not the ducks. lol. they're one of my least favorite teams
gcrl - did you ever attend the ducks casino nights? i went to one of those back in the day to get graphs
runforekelloggs - that's crazy. that being said, they seem like they have a pretty loyal following
p_dawg68 - i was rooting for the hurricanes when the faced edmonton back in the stanley cup finals. still jealous that they have a championship and the sharks don't
the lost collector - i hear ya. i tend to pay closer attention to my teams when they're winning too.
night owl - great post. sad that i missed it, but better late than never
billy kingsley - wow... you own an original bee hive? that's pretty darn cool
captain canuck - whoa. those shipping charges are insane. if i lived in canada, i'd only be purchasing cards from fellow canadians. heck, i'd probably just pay for a p.o. box in the nearest us city and have my cards shipped there, then go down every now and then and pick up my packages
johnnys trading spot - yeah, she's easy on the eyes.
bbcardz - i'll ask you the same question as him... did you ever attend the ducks casino nights? i went to one for autographs year ago
nick vossbrink - i have plenty of sharks extras. if you shoot me an email with a reminder, i'll send some your way. or let me know the next time you're in the bay area and i'll give you a box
gregory - thank you. i'm glad i'm not the only collector who remembers how tough those ice blue parallels were to pull. my next hockey post will likely take place when my next comc shipment arrives. i have another seals card in there... along with more ice blues
the snorting blue - i liked turgeon. i remember wanting to buy his rookie card back in the early 90's when i worked at a card shop. not sure if i ever did. and hull was definitely the man. loved the hull and oates combo.
troublewiththecurve.net - wow. yeah, meeting gretzky would probably be a lot of hockey fans dream.
sean - yeah... that trade rocked the sports world. i wasn't following hockey back then, but i definitely remember the trade and the famous card of him holding up his kings jersey
sumomenkoman - yeah. heard she got married last year and wants to spend more time with him. at least we still have asuka
shoeboxlegends - love your hockey posts. you're one of the first bloggers i think of when i think of hockey cards
fred pike - thanks for commenting. bobby was a little before my time, but i did watch his son play.
matt - i feel like i'll be joining the disappointment club for the next few years. but that's okay... the sharks had a nice run. shame they couldn't bring home the prize though
Never did the ducks event, but went to "skate with the kings" a couple of times.
DeleteIf you're ever looking for a bit of a boost to your Sakic collection, hit me up. I've got a few doubles that you could probably use.
ReplyDelete