tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41039068846596870422024-03-12T19:52:32.806-04:00Whalers Hockey Cardsshoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-71004123650401405262014-05-26T08:56:00.001-04:002014-05-26T08:56:55.938-04:00The What Was I Thinking Files - 1994-95 Be A Player AutosHave you ever forked over your hard earned money for cards you don't even really like? Odds are if you're a player or team collector you're familiar with this experience. I fell victim to this just recently, when I stumbled across this Ted Drury autograph from 1994-95 Be A Player:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zboKUM6gLas/U4HkxQt53pI/AAAAAAAAZH4/1JxY2SYHbv0/s1600/1994BeAPlayerAuto034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zboKUM6gLas/U4HkxQt53pI/AAAAAAAAZH4/1JxY2SYHbv0/s1600/1994BeAPlayerAuto034.jpg" height="400" width="286" /></a></div>
Ugh! This has to be one of the ugliest autographed cards in my entire collection. This hodgepodge of unlicensed crap is truly one for the player or team collector only. Yes, the autograph is on-card, but does that even matter in this case? There are only two reason I picked this up...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e9uefcOQ0_w/U4HkxrU7nWI/AAAAAAAAZH0/PsnjU6lqr8E/s1600/1994BeAPlayerAuto034Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e9uefcOQ0_w/U4HkxrU7nWI/AAAAAAAAZH0/PsnjU6lqr8E/s1600/1994BeAPlayerAuto034Back.jpg" height="400" width="286" /></a></div>
...as you can see the white box about 1/4 of the way down the back says 'Hartford', so this is technically a Whalers card. The other reason I purchased it? It set me back $1.29. What can I say, I guess the team collector in me couldn't pass up an autograph I "needed" for around a buck.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJS2YQPKJfc/U4HkxsnVBcI/AAAAAAAAZHw/8hlI6JjBvgg/s1600/1994BeAPlayerAuto035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJS2YQPKJfc/U4HkxsnVBcI/AAAAAAAAZHw/8hlI6JjBvgg/s1600/1994BeAPlayerAuto035.jpg" height="400" width="285" /></a></div>
The seller even had four other Whalers from the set, and they're all just as u-g-l-y! These photos make it difficult sometimes to even tell where the player signed.<br />
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Five new Whalers autographs that set me back less than $7 total. I've gotta look over the checklist at some point, but let's hope when I do that there aren't too many more of these for me to track down!shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-49534053929307222582014-01-19T19:49:00.000-05:002014-01-19T19:49:15.293-05:00Whaler Ink - Daryl ReaughIt's high time I published my first post of 2014 here at Whalers Hockey Cards. Since I usually dedicate Sunday to featuring autographs on my other blog, I thought a nice large, on-card signature might be appropriate:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lu8Of-KDXgg/UtxvcEBgD5I/AAAAAAAAXrU/W5fK4_QbxdE/s1600/2012PaniniClassicsSignaturesSS-REA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lu8Of-KDXgg/UtxvcEBgD5I/AAAAAAAAXrU/W5fK4_QbxdE/s1600/2012PaniniClassicsSignaturesSS-REA.jpg" height="400" width="283" /></a></div>
This Daryl Reaugh autograph hails from the 2012-13 Panini Classics Signatures set, specifically the Social Signatures insert set. This is actually the second Reaugh auto I've shown here, apparently Panini is a fan of his as he was also featured in the <a href="http://whalershockeycards.blogspot.com/2013/03/whaler-ink-2010-11-panini-dominion.html">Brass Bonanza autograph set</a> from the inaugural Dominion release. I like the bold colors, great photo, giant signature and Whalers logo, it makes for a very attractive card.<br />
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Unfortunately, I'm not big on the concept. Apparently the idea is to showcase the Twitter handle of the depicted athlete. I'm not a Twitter user, and the Whalers seem like an odd choice for this set given that AOL dial-up internet and Windows '95 were all the rage when there was last an NHL team in the city of Hartford.<br />
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Even the back of the card talks about how Dallas Stars fans clamored for Daryl to "take to Twitter", which I find hard to believe. Oh well, they can't all be winners I guess, and at least I only shelled out less than $10 for this one...shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-16073030881537428792013-10-17T11:11:00.000-04:002013-10-17T11:11:16.969-04:00The Roster - 1987-88 Burger King/Pepsi Team IssueWell it's certainly been some time since I posted here, but I've still been adding Whalers cards to my collection over the past few months. With the NHL season in full swing, it's time to begin showing some of the goods. I'm starting off today with another team issued set that I was lucky enough to acquire as part of a larger lot of cards. In my last post we saw the 1993-94 team issued set, which were <a href="http://whalershockeycards.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-roster-1993-94-coca-cola-team-issue.html">standard sized trading cards sponsored by Coca-Cola</a>. This post will focus on the 1987-88 set, sponsored jointly by Burger King and Pepsi.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCLS2kMsykw/Ul_qEVcjdhI/AAAAAAAAWpI/VhoRvX7xeoM/s1600/1987JuniorWhalers01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCLS2kMsykw/Ul_qEVcjdhI/AAAAAAAAWpI/VhoRvX7xeoM/s400/1987JuniorWhalers01.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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<b>#1 - John Anderson</b> </div>
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The cards in this set are larger than a standard trading card, measuring just over 3 1/2" wide, and a hair over 8" tall. This was the size used throughout most of the '80s, certainly more familiar to me from my years of membership as a Junior Whaler. These team issued sets represent some of my absolute favorite Hartford Whalers cards. The photos are large, full color, and crisp. I'd say they look better than what Topps and O-Pee-Chee were putting out at the time in terms of quality. Very basic design along the bottom with the sponsors, Junor Whalers logo, and awesome hockey-playing whale. You'll notice there is no player name on the front.<br />
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The backs are extremely varied and informative, thanks in part to all the available space. There is just so much good information here that at the time wasn't available elsewhere. Since that scan's a lot to look at, here's a breakdown of everything these card backs provide:<br />
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Along the top you get all the basics...player name, mugshot, jersey number and position, vitals, etc. Below that though is the good stuff...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ubs_hOKgoEI/Ul_x-ek-iuI/AAAAAAAAWsQ/yeVxG8yyWL8/s1600/1987JuniorWhalers01Back-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ubs_hOKgoEI/Ul_x-ek-iuI/AAAAAAAAWsQ/yeVxG8yyWL8/s400/1987JuniorWhalers01Back-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The write-up is very well done. First you get a breakdown of the previous season, but again quite in depth. Looking at the back of John's O-Pee-Chee card wouldn't have informed you that 12 of his goals the previous season were lead-producing goals, a team best. After that you get another nice write-up of the player's career to date. Below that are some interesting personal facts; I like that they asked John what his career objectives were and he mentioned coaching (he would go on to coach the Atlanta Thrashers, wouldn't blame you if you had forgotten).<br />
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Next up are full career stats, and I mean <i>full</i> stats. John's time in the OHL is noted here, and they even take the time to separate NHL totals and just Whalers totals. I love the footnoted events too along the bottom.<br />
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Last but not least the sponsors even provide an inspiring message to young Junior Whalers everywhere. Aside from the irony of Burger King and Pepsi providing health tips, I'm not really sure "study hard" is a health tip per se, but we'll give them credit for trying. Man, I might have to dedicate an entire post to just these card backs one of these days...<br />
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<b>#2 - Dave Babych</b></div>
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This particular year's set contained 21 cards. Since there are no card numbers, these are generally sorted alphabetically by last name and numbered that way for reference purposes.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AanswIfLaRw/Ul_qEe8iXZI/AAAAAAAAWpA/Gyv4eWd75d4/s1600/1987JuniorWhalers03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AanswIfLaRw/Ul_qEe8iXZI/AAAAAAAAWpA/Gyv4eWd75d4/s400/1987JuniorWhalers03.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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<b>#3 - Sylvain Cote</b></div>
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<b>#4 - Kevin Dineen</b></div>
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Current head coach of the Florida Panthers...<br />
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<b>#5 - Dean Evason</b></div>
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<b>#6 - Ray Ferraro</b></div>
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A nice action shot on this one. Look at those dinged up, ad-free boards! And remember when people used to wear ties and jackets to sporting events?<br />
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<b>#7 - Ron Francis</b></div>
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Team captain and the all-time greatest Hartford Whaler...<br />
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<b>#8 - Stewart Gavin</b></div>
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<b>#9 - Doug Jarvis</b></div>
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<b>#10 - Scott Kleinendorst</b></div>
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You'll notice that while most of the cards feature full-bleed photos, on this one the blue border along the bottom extends all the way around the photo. I don't know this for a fact, but I believe this was done to designate the rookie cards in the set.<br />
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<b>#11 - Randy Ladouceur</b></div>
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<b>#12 - Paul Lawless</b></div>
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Here's an example of being able to get a card of a lesser-known player. As far as I know Paul was featured on just one trading card ever from a major release, 1983-84 O-Pee-Chee. Here we get a look at him a few years later.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQriPT5wMlc/Ul_qHAmdfyI/AAAAAAAAWqI/GLW6UUyjwVc/s1600/1987JuniorWhalers13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NQriPT5wMlc/Ul_qHAmdfyI/AAAAAAAAWqI/GLW6UUyjwVc/s400/1987JuniorWhalers13.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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<b>#13 - Mike Liut</b></div>
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The large area for the photo is particularly nice on this Mike Liut card, my favorite photo in the set. The days of the brown pads and wooden sticks...<br />
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<b>#14 - Paul MacDermid</b></div>
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<b>#15 - Dana Murzyn</b></div>
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<b>#16 - Joel Quenneville</b></div>
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Great old-school shot of your Stanley Cup champion head coach in Chicago, Joel Quenneville.<br />
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<b>#17 - Torrie Robertson</b></div>
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Another little-known player. I believe Torrie has three major release cards, '85-86 O-Pee-Chee, '86-87 O-Pee-Chee, and '90-91 Pro Set, that's it!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c4MYEL4qLoI/Ul_qJNHqJPI/AAAAAAAAWrk/YS91g_iASNw/s1600/1987JuniorWhalers18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c4MYEL4qLoI/Ul_qJNHqJPI/AAAAAAAAWrk/YS91g_iASNw/s400/1987JuniorWhalers18.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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<b>#18 - Ulf Samuelsson</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oeCmHN_XKjo/Ul_qJQvH1GI/AAAAAAAAWq8/RD_B1YhdjvU/s1600/1987JuniorWhalers19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oeCmHN_XKjo/Ul_qJQvH1GI/AAAAAAAAWq8/RD_B1YhdjvU/s400/1987JuniorWhalers19.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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<b>#19 - Dave Tippett</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VG3V-JwSQsA/Ul_qJU7Q1EI/AAAAAAAAWrE/LWcWwyQwze4/s1600/1987JuniorWhalers20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VG3V-JwSQsA/Ul_qJU7Q1EI/AAAAAAAAWrE/LWcWwyQwze4/s400/1987JuniorWhalers20.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<b>#20 - Sylvain Turgeon</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AaEN-48Z-fA/Ul_qKDB3-zI/AAAAAAAAWrc/6PE-kTzvzxY/s1600/1987JuniorWhalers21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AaEN-48Z-fA/Ul_qKDB3-zI/AAAAAAAAWrc/6PE-kTzvzxY/s400/1987JuniorWhalers21.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>
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<b>#21 - Steve Weeks</b></div>
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There you have it, the complete 21-card set. As far as I recall, the only way these were distributed were as complete sets to Junior Whalers members via mail. The best part about my set is that I've also got the membership card that came along with them!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VO0UWFNRtMg/Ul_qKCUAU8I/AAAAAAAAWrQ/348TSOqoT18/s1600/1987JuniorWhalersNNO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VO0UWFNRtMg/Ul_qKCUAU8I/AAAAAAAAWrQ/348TSOqoT18/s400/1987JuniorWhalersNNO.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
As you can see, Ron Francis was the club's President. That's not his John Hancock on that facsimile auto though, at least not based on the Francis autos I have. <br />
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This set really gives me a feeling of nostalgia, and given how difficult these cards are to come by I'm grateful to have crossed it off the list. These bring us up to 116 unique Whalers cards and counting featured here so far...shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-72322729906718104952013-07-06T12:37:00.000-04:002013-08-05T20:46:08.715-04:00The Roster - 1993-94 Coca Cola Team IssueNearly every year of their existence, the Hartford Whalers had a team-issued set of cards with a different local sponsor. I'm a big fan of these sets for a few reasons. In addition to being great oddball cards for the team collector, they're relatively scarce as well, so they're fun to chase. At times you can go months or years without seeing these cards pop up even once on the secondary market. My favorite thing about these sets though is that they often give you a chance to get a Whalers card of a lesser-known player that would likely be overlooked in the major releases. <br />
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For many of the early sets in the 1980s the cards were over-sized, <a href="http://whalershockeycards.blogspot.com/2013/04/wanted-whalers-1985-86-wendys-junior.html">like the ones I've shown here from the 1985-86 release</a>. The 1993-94 team set though, sponsored by Coca Cola, returned to the standard size for a modern day trading card. There were 24 cards in the set, and I've finally managed to track them all down. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xOmRdPrXajg/Udg3iiKm-SI/AAAAAAAAVoE/cOD9JVNJaNo/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xOmRdPrXajg/Udg3iiKm-SI/AAAAAAAAVoE/cOD9JVNJaNo/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola01.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<b>#1 - Sean Burke</b></div>
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As you can see, there's not much to the design. Plain, white card stock (which I have to say is relatively thin and flimsy) with a portrait shot inset. Team name, player's name and position along the bottom, team logo and sponsor's logo along the top. I'm not generally a fan of portrait cards, but these do give you a good look at some of the insane haircuts that were in fashion in the game of hockey in the early '90s.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e41ZDUCo7ZM/Udg3imaZxUI/AAAAAAAAVoM/YxWuqosTySo/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e41ZDUCo7ZM/Udg3imaZxUI/AAAAAAAAVoM/YxWuqosTySo/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola02.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<b>#2 - Adam Burt</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0xVEyBj-1jU/Udg3isVHAxI/AAAAAAAAVoI/YoHGX3YKLnU/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0xVEyBj-1jU/Udg3isVHAxI/AAAAAAAAVoI/YoHGX3YKLnU/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola03.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<b>#3 - Andrew Cassels</b></div>
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Here's an example, your textbook mullet with some good curl at the back.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kf6sVX_w4G4/UgBHKrp1dmI/AAAAAAAAV50/aw10R0tcQP8/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kf6sVX_w4G4/UgBHKrp1dmI/AAAAAAAAV50/aw10R0tcQP8/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola04.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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<b>#4 - Randy Cunneyworth</b></div>
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Nowadays I remember Randy more for his coaching stint with the Montreal Canadiens, which I believe lasted around 15 seconds, than from his playing days.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASzGhbLAmyQ/Udg3jC5mX6I/AAAAAAAAVoY/yd1QMxH-0zs/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASzGhbLAmyQ/Udg3jC5mX6I/AAAAAAAAVoY/yd1QMxH-0zs/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola05.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<b>#5 - Alexander Godynyuk</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CUrurJ_u-Po/Udg3jVmXesI/AAAAAAAAVoo/vNBVaDa8jg8/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CUrurJ_u-Po/Udg3jVmXesI/AAAAAAAAVoo/vNBVaDa8jg8/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola06.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<b>#6 - Mark Greig</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Du5C-korNLk/UdhGqp9D-9I/AAAAAAAAVrM/ZqUUHmNv1nU/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola06Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Du5C-korNLk/UdhGqp9D-9I/AAAAAAAAVrM/ZqUUHmNv1nU/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola06Back.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here's a look at what a back looks like. Not much going on here, black and white, essentials and stats...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vko2fHDefwg/Udg3jlYEapI/AAAAAAAAVok/BpGfmYlBRqk/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vko2fHDefwg/Udg3jlYEapI/AAAAAAAAVok/BpGfmYlBRqk/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola07.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<b>#7 - Mark Janssens</b></div>
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Sort of a variation on the standard mullet here, looks like that one little piece to the right is trying to get away.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWstr2xbw5A/Udg3kGitbLI/AAAAAAAAVqQ/1fzIXHThicM/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWstr2xbw5A/Udg3kGitbLI/AAAAAAAAVqQ/1fzIXHThicM/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola08.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<b>#8 - Robert Kron</b></div>
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The tight-cropped mullet, more of a European feel, very classy.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5amipvFNXs/Udg3kJ9p4wI/AAAAAAAAVo4/QaOYfYmvOGk/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5amipvFNXs/Udg3kJ9p4wI/AAAAAAAAVo4/QaOYfYmvOGk/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola09.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>#9 - Bryan Marchment</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWraq7PGaTY/Udg3kdcDSWI/AAAAAAAAVpA/37Gz8_J7BA8/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWraq7PGaTY/Udg3kdcDSWI/AAAAAAAAVpA/37Gz8_J7BA8/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola10.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<b>#10 - Brad McCrimmon</b></div>
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Brad sadly passed away along with 44 others in the Lokomotiv airline disaster in 2011.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tg-S9EvAClI/Udg3kk-o5ZI/AAAAAAAAVpE/gyF8mFQJD3c/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tg-S9EvAClI/Udg3kk-o5ZI/AAAAAAAAVpE/gyF8mFQJD3c/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola11.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>#11 - Pierre McGuire</b></div>
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Those of you who recognize McGuire from his NHL broadcasting work, including this past season's Stanley Cup playoffs, may not realize that he was, for a very short time, the head coach of the Hartford Whalers.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8F6AdZHC2rE/Udg3k4YubgI/AAAAAAAAVpM/6ZqOdiKY4_4/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8F6AdZHC2rE/Udg3k4YubgI/AAAAAAAAVpM/6ZqOdiKY4_4/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola12.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>#12 - Michael Nylander</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bb38oMXHsjs/Udg3lJkqyeI/AAAAAAAAVpg/TCaleegN1mM/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bb38oMXHsjs/Udg3lJkqyeI/AAAAAAAAVpg/TCaleegN1mM/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola13.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
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<b>#13 - James Patrick</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pVghPuJArss/Udg3lXmiIHI/AAAAAAAAVpY/xI9N16HqUgA/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pVghPuJArss/Udg3lXmiIHI/AAAAAAAAVpY/xI9N16HqUgA/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola14.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<b>#14 - Frank Pietrangelo</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WLtfuaWO5CA/Udg3lg9S7YI/AAAAAAAAVpo/6L00K_FnfOo/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WLtfuaWO5CA/Udg3lg9S7YI/AAAAAAAAVpo/6L00K_FnfOo/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola15.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>#15 - Marc Potvin</b></div>
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I wrote about this card on my other blog earlier this year, <a href="http://shoeboxlegends.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-ultimate-hockey-card-mullet.html">warning it's pretty depressing</a>. In any event, I think it's the only card out there that depicts Marc with the Whalers so I'm happy to have it.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EQMWMEhDY0Y/Udg3l5uGKHI/AAAAAAAAVpw/IFLoyxwiCSw/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EQMWMEhDY0Y/Udg3l5uGKHI/AAAAAAAAVpw/IFLoyxwiCSw/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola16.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<b>#16 - Chris Pronger</b></div>
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The Whalers really did have some quality players despite their almost total lack of success. This is one card for the Pronger super-collector only I think! Is it just me, or does he look a little "slow" in this photo?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ubsHifW6rCs/Udg3mI23vBI/AAAAAAAAVp4/FHLtEgV8mHA/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ubsHifW6rCs/Udg3mI23vBI/AAAAAAAAVp4/FHLtEgV8mHA/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola17.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<b>#17 - Brian Propp</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4cWO-JSS-vg/Udg3mZxHnOI/AAAAAAAAVp8/ku3fDc99kKw/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4cWO-JSS-vg/Udg3mZxHnOI/AAAAAAAAVp8/ku3fDc99kKw/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola18.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<b>#18 - Jeff Reese</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CDDbCaBZCgc/Udg3m_4JeUI/AAAAAAAAVq4/Rh41CrPhbz4/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CDDbCaBZCgc/Udg3m_4JeUI/AAAAAAAAVq4/Rh41CrPhbz4/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola19.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<b>#19 - Geoff Sanderson</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cmAOIVD6lfI/Udg3m3aUg5I/AAAAAAAAVqM/yHFd2O8VqNU/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cmAOIVD6lfI/Udg3m3aUg5I/AAAAAAAAVqM/yHFd2O8VqNU/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola20.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<b>#20 - Jim Sandlak</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CS1kC4QcAgs/Udg3nb1UFTI/AAAAAAAAVqY/J0tnyfXQadk/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CS1kC4QcAgs/Udg3nb1UFTI/AAAAAAAAVqY/J0tnyfXQadk/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola21.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<b>#21 - Jim Storm</b></div>
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Makes Chris Pronger look like Albert Einstein.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBee-nsf7vQ/Udg3ntzJZnI/AAAAAAAAVqg/NIaYmLWseTc/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBee-nsf7vQ/Udg3ntzJZnI/AAAAAAAAVqg/NIaYmLWseTc/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola22.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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<b>#22 - Darren Turcotte</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqmXTBnZ7bA/Udg3nwvUCaI/AAAAAAAAVqw/otwTM9X7F80/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqmXTBnZ7bA/Udg3nwvUCaI/AAAAAAAAVqw/otwTM9X7F80/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola23.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<b>#23 - Pat Verbeek</b></div>
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Best career of any player in the set, or would you give that to Chris Pronger? I'm going with Verbeek myself.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9vyOf2zPNwE/Udg3n4gENYI/AAAAAAAAVqo/sa5jZAWHPYo/s1600/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9vyOf2zPNwE/Udg3n4gENYI/AAAAAAAAVqo/sa5jZAWHPYo/s400/1993HartfordWhalersCocaCola24.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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<b>#24 - Zarley Zalapski</b></div>
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That's a wrap, the 1993-94 Coca Cola Whalers team set. Not the most exciting batch of cards, but essential for a team collector like myself.shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-24303081547196962512013-06-17T08:06:00.000-04:002013-06-17T08:06:39.541-04:00Whaler Ink - 2012-13 Upper Deck SP Game Used Ron FrancisYes I'm still around and no, I'm not abandoning this blog any time soon. Let's keep the count of Whalers cards going with two cards from a relatively new release.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8HpKXRPe3jA/Ub74Yq8fRII/AAAAAAAAVb4/01UOsJHjOXI/s1600/2012UpperDeckSPGameUsed059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8HpKXRPe3jA/Ub74Yq8fRII/AAAAAAAAVb4/01UOsJHjOXI/s400/2012UpperDeckSPGameUsed059.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
When the checklist came out for this year's SP Game Used offering from Upper Deck, I was excited to see that Ron Francis was included as a Hartford Whaler. I wasn't going to buy any of the product since Francis was the only card I was interested in, but luckily Douglas from <a href="http://buckstorecards.blogspot.com/">Sportscards from the Dollar Store</a> was kind enough to pick the card out for me at a show and mail it to me. Just another example of the awesomeness of the sports card blogging community.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-92VBz_wjOCI/Ub74Yj5OL5I/AAAAAAAAVb0/7bnyC0sT43I/s1600/2012UpperDeckSPGameUsedAuto059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-92VBz_wjOCI/Ub74Yj5OL5I/AAAAAAAAVb0/7bnyC0sT43I/s400/2012UpperDeckSPGameUsedAuto059.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
I was especially grateful to receive the card, as I had already picked up the autographed version you see here. As you can see, the autograph card is exactly the same as the base, but with a sticker auto applied, and a back that certifies the autograph:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IQIlSM0KpDc/Ub74Yo86ivI/AAAAAAAAVcA/HzQOesVs3bA/s1600/2012UpperDeckSPGameUsedAuto059Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IQIlSM0KpDc/Ub74Yo86ivI/AAAAAAAAVcA/HzQOesVs3bA/s400/2012UpperDeckSPGameUsedAuto059Back.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
I'm happy to see the Whalers get included more and more in recent releases by both Upper Deck and Panini, and I hope this trend continues. This is my third Ron Francis Whalers autograph, although there are quite a few others out there still. Thanks Douglas for tracking down the base card to accompany my autograph.<br />
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We've now looked at 70 unique Whalers cards and counting here at Whalers Hockey Cards...shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-12761440236505025582013-05-19T19:44:00.000-04:002013-05-19T19:44:14.199-04:00Whalers A to Z - Christer AbrahamssonI'll be chronicling my attempts to collect a card of every player who ever suited up for the Whalers (and has a card) here under the title "Whalers A to Z".
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9K93c-puWzY/UZlflee_32I/AAAAAAAAUys/NeHr2AJ2it0/s1600/1975O-Pee-CheeWHA028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9K93c-puWzY/UZlflee_32I/AAAAAAAAUys/NeHr2AJ2it0/s400/1975O-Pee-CheeWHA028.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
Christer Abris, who legally changed his name to Christer Abrahamsson, seemed like an appropriate place to start this project. He's the very first Whaler on the list alphabetically. Far from a household name, Christer played the majority of his professional career in Sweden. The exception was a three year stint with the New England Whalers of the WHA from 1974 to 1977.<br /><br />New England signed Christer from the Swedish Elite League prior to the 1974-75 season. During his first season with the team he appeared in just 16 games, going 8-6-1 with a 3.24 GAA and a shutout. Abrahamsson saw increased time the following year, appearing in 41 games, however his GAA increased and his win percentage and save percentage both decreased. Nevertheless, the Whalers played him even more in his third season with the team in 1976-77. His GAA increased again, and he posted just 15 wins to 22 losses, failing to record a single shutout. The team released him following the season.<br /><br />
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I chose to show Christer's 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee WHA card, because it's the only card of his that I currently own. He's got a couple in the '76-77 WHA set that I'll be chasing down soon...shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-88415582783169769222013-05-04T11:56:00.000-04:002013-05-04T11:56:01.769-04:00Mr. Hockey's Stick!Just a few weeks ago I picked up my <a href="http://whalershockeycards.blogspot.com/2013/03/whaler-ink-gordie-howe.html">first Gordie Howe certified auto</a>. When I saw today's card up for auction a short time later, I thought it would be the perfect card to accompany my autograph.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_SpXdPO--WU/UYKAiJF15xI/AAAAAAAAUnU/qNaTGnfFDZQ/s1600/2001UpperDeckNHLLegendsPH-MH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_SpXdPO--WU/UYKAiJF15xI/AAAAAAAAUnU/qNaTGnfFDZQ/s400/2001UpperDeckNHLLegendsPH-MH.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
This Pieces of History game-used stick card comes from the 2001-02 Upper Deck Legends set. The checklist for these relic inserts is <a href="http://www.psacard.com/PSASetRegistry/SetComposition.aspx?c=4259">quite impressive</a>, and Howe is actually featured twice (once with Detroit, once with Hartford). Howe is referred to as Mr. Hockey on the card front.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--PcBRdROUe0/UYKAiYyP9eI/AAAAAAAAUnY/qyS7xVrX0PM/s1600/2001UpperDeckNHLLegendsPH-MHBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--PcBRdROUe0/UYKAiYyP9eI/AAAAAAAAUnY/qyS7xVrX0PM/s400/2001UpperDeckNHLLegendsPH-MHBack.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here's the back, similar split design as the front, this time with a more closely cropped head shot from the front photo contained within the same circle that the stick piece was on the front. Once again, Gordie is referred to only as Mr. Hockey, multiple times. Odd that the word Howe doesn't appear once anywhere on this card.<br />
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I'm happy to have added my very first Howe relic to my growing Whalers collection. This one was a steal too, at just $15 shipped. I have a few other Whalers game-used cards I'll be showing here in the near future...shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-9498916086331718602013-04-27T21:05:00.000-04:002013-04-27T21:05:35.905-04:00The Roster - 1988-89 ToppsThe 1988-89 Topps hockey set contained the standard 198-card checklist that was commonplace for the company's hockey sets of the era. This one is widely known as the "push-pin set", and featured some big rookies like Brett Hull and Brendan Shanahan. The Whalers were featured on 11 cards in the set:<br /><br />
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<b>#3 - Joel Quenneville</b></div>
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<b>#24 - Sylvain Turgeon</b></div>
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<b>#36 - Kevin Dineen</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dr2VSbL2VB4/UXxuR5WVWeI/AAAAAAAAUgM/nmhro43SlCE/s1600/1988Topps052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dr2VSbL2VB4/UXxuR5WVWeI/AAAAAAAAUgM/nmhro43SlCE/s400/1988Topps052.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<b>#52 - Ron Francis</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ekGbBLatGKQ/UXxuZZZyF_I/AAAAAAAAUgU/Q9XX_4nW48w/s1600/1988Topps075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ekGbBLatGKQ/UXxuZZZyF_I/AAAAAAAAUgU/Q9XX_4nW48w/s400/1988Topps075.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>#75 - Carey Wilson</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-878YOCyKuR4/UXxufVbIbGI/AAAAAAAAUgc/P1iZRBlyt5E/s1600/1988Topps085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-878YOCyKuR4/UXxufVbIbGI/AAAAAAAAUgc/P1iZRBlyt5E/s400/1988Topps085.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<b>#85 - Dave Tippett</b></div>
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<b>#114 - Ray Ferraro</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W7efu_6NDjw/UXxu20NkH2I/AAAAAAAAUgs/V-rmdqWxDQY/s1600/1988Topps127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W7efu_6NDjw/UXxu20NkH2I/AAAAAAAAUgs/V-rmdqWxDQY/s400/1988Topps127.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>#127 - Mike Liut</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zu3I71vfr18/UXxu75Dnf6I/AAAAAAAAUg0/AaLCvvRdrzo/s1600/1988Topps136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zu3I71vfr18/UXxu75Dnf6I/AAAAAAAAUg0/AaLCvvRdrzo/s400/1988Topps136.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>#136 - Ulf Samuelsson</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EUv2CtGHIN8/UXxvF1pb0pI/AAAAAAAAUg8/D3Bo3pv-fA0/s1600/1988Topps164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EUv2CtGHIN8/UXxvF1pb0pI/AAAAAAAAUg8/D3Bo3pv-fA0/s400/1988Topps164.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>#164 - Dave Babych</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5HR2JtGdlQ/UXxvOeYYwCI/AAAAAAAAUhE/H_mYADbV3cU/s1600/1988Topps190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5HR2JtGdlQ/UXxvOeYYwCI/AAAAAAAAUhE/H_mYADbV3cU/s400/1988Topps190.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<b>#190 - John Anderson</b></div>
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John is the lone Whaler pictured in home white. There you have it, the 1988-89 Topps Hartford Whalers!shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-61753228497513556952013-04-20T17:17:00.000-04:002013-04-20T17:18:11.511-04:00The Roster - 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee PremierToday's post features one of the "top shelf" sets that hit the hockey card universe in 1990-91, O-Pee-Chee Premier. This set featured a solid design and some big name rookies including Jagr, Roenick and Fedorov to name a few. While it has crashed back down to earth in terms of book value, I think the design has really held up over time. The Whalers are represented on 5 cards from the 132-card set:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xf4JMwq4fQs/UXMArib7qhI/AAAAAAAAUa4/jVSveAPKokc/s1600/1990O-Pee-CheePremier002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xf4JMwq4fQs/UXMArib7qhI/AAAAAAAAUa4/jVSveAPKokc/s400/1990O-Pee-CheePremier002.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>#2 - Jergus Baca</b></div>
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Jergus certainly has an entertaining name. He played in all of 10 career NHL games, all with the Whalers, but it was at the turn of the decade when card companies were starting to go crazy, so you'll be seeing more of him on this blog.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPDNIsrVvCU/UXMAzNZCXvI/AAAAAAAAUbA/IX3rkQh_4sk/s1600/1990O-Pee-CheePremier023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPDNIsrVvCU/UXMAzNZCXvI/AAAAAAAAUbA/IX3rkQh_4sk/s400/1990O-Pee-CheePremier023.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<b> #23 - Kevin Dineen</b></div>
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<b>#32 - Ron Francis</b></div>
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Ron is certainly worthy of inclusion in this set, one of the game's all-time best. I always liked this shot.<br />
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<b>#43 - Bobby Holik </b></div>
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Another solid selection, Bobby went on to have a very good career in the NHL.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSs5-l3rhAo/UXMBk6kKRjI/AAAAAAAAUbY/mvUNlMozhiQ/s1600/1990O-Pee-CheePremier128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cSs5-l3rhAo/UXMBk6kKRjI/AAAAAAAAUbY/mvUNlMozhiQ/s400/1990O-Pee-CheePremier128.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<b>#128 - Carey Wilson</b></div>
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The Whalers could never decide whether they wanted Carey Wilson or not. He came to them in a trade from Calgary for the second half of the 1987-88 season, and actually did quite well. 34 games into the next season though, they turned around and dealt him to the New York Rangers. Fine, maybe they had seen enough and wanted to go in another direction. A year and a half later however, he was back in a Hartford sweater, returning from New York in the deal that brought Michael Nylander to Hartford.<br />
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If you're a casual hockey card collector, or just looking for a decently priced older hockey set to pick up for fun, you could certainly do worse than 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier. You should be able to score a complete set for around $20 or so, and I remember a time 20 years ago when a few of the individual cards booked for more than that! Just the 132 base cards and no inserts, how refreshing.shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-59949330878020139322013-04-08T20:00:00.000-04:002013-04-08T20:00:42.196-04:00Wanted Whalers - 1985-86 Wendy's Junior WhalersToday's post is my first Wanted Whalers post, which, as you've probably correctly assumed based on the title, means I'm missing some Whalers cards and need help tracking them down. This first post features a really obscure team-issued set, so I'm not expecting much luck, but if I'm going to build a master Whalers collection I'll need to find them someday...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cBiyjDHG3O8/UWNMfp550fI/AAAAAAAAUTs/GCvXuNBt-u4/s1600/1985WendysJrWhalers07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cBiyjDHG3O8/UWNMfp550fI/AAAAAAAAUTs/GCvXuNBt-u4/s400/1985WendysJrWhalers07.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
Here's what I'm looking for, the 1985-86 Junior Whalers set sponsored by Wendy's. I've got this Ron Francis and two others, but that's it. As you'd imagine, they don't seem to crop up all that often. <br />
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From the 1982-83 season through the end of the franchise's time in Hartford, the team issued small sets each year (the only exception being the 1994-95 season, where the set was omitted for some reason). These sets were funded by a different local sponsor each year, and were a great chance for fans to get some "cards" of the lesser-known players that may have been overlooked by O-Pee-Chee (and most <i>certainly</i> were overlooked by Topps). I put the word cards in parentheses in that last sentence because many of the sets don't really resemble your standard trading card. <br />
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The '85-86 release that you see here features a card that is both taller and wider than your average trading card, in fact I sometimes see these referred to as postcards. You get a large, full-bleed photo, fairly high quality given the year these were released, and a small area at the bottom for the Junior Whalers and Wendy's to get some advertising. There's no mention of the player name on the front of the card, and some of these definitely aren't so obvious, especially all these years later! <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QVxOJF2yW8/UWNMfmJ1uGI/AAAAAAAAUTo/GN4eoG7eM40/s1600/1985WendysJrWhalers07Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QVxOJF2yW8/UWNMfmJ1uGI/AAAAAAAAUTo/GN4eoG7eM40/s400/1985WendysJrWhalers07Back.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
Here's a look at the back, certainly very busy. It kind of reminds me of the sports section of a newspaper...black and white, small headshot, some short paragraphs, stats at the bottom, even some advertising. Not the most exciting card back, but let's face it these are all about the color photos on the front.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WTxYb3vb0gY/UWNMfvsokjI/AAAAAAAAUTk/AkFwbos85KQ/s1600/1985WendysJrWhalers18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WTxYb3vb0gY/UWNMfvsokjI/AAAAAAAAUTk/AkFwbos85KQ/s400/1985WendysJrWhalers18.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
I picked up everyone's favorite player to hate, Ulf Samuelsson, in the same auction as the Francis card. These really are nice looking cards. The area at the bottom sort of looks like something that would have come out of a '70s O-Pee-Chee WHA release.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oKGsnfSzZCg/UWNMqTTfaiI/AAAAAAAAUUE/0U0ps6AEAms/s1600/1985JrWhalersSizeCompare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oKGsnfSzZCg/UWNMqTTfaiI/AAAAAAAAUUE/0U0ps6AEAms/s400/1985JrWhalersSizeCompare.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
Here's Ulf pictured side by side with a standard sized trading card, to give you an idea of the scale. These are certainly large and cumbersome to store. Right now I've just got them in a pile until I figure out what to do with them.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MC-8jFDkuco/UWNMf0ybjKI/AAAAAAAAUT0/YGSJthxUOek/s1600/1985WendysJrWhalers19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MC-8jFDkuco/UWNMf0ybjKI/AAAAAAAAUT0/YGSJthxUOek/s400/1985WendysJrWhalers19.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Finally, the only other card I have from this set, defenseman Risto Siltanen. Unless I'm mistaken, these were not given out at Wendy's restaurant locations, but rather were given away to members of the Junior Whalers hockey club. My brothers and I were proud, card-carrying Junior Whalers members for a few years, and received some of the cards, but I was only three when these came out, so the '85-86 set was before my time as a fan. I have no idea where most of the Junior Whalers cards I got while I was in the club later in the decade are either, which is a shame. Often you'll find these for sale autographed, because the team would host a "Junior Whalers Day" where members of the club could spend time at the Hartford Civic Center, meet the players, and get in-person autographs. Not surprisingly these cards were popular items for the autograph meet and greet sessions.<br />
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There are 23 total cards in the '85-86 Wendy's Junior Whalers set. I've added the 20 I'm missing to my Whalers Want List over in the sidebar, if you ever stumble across any let me know!shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-43348731006465864872013-03-31T20:28:00.000-04:002013-03-31T20:28:46.859-04:00Whaler Ink - Gordie Howe!Today is the 85th birthday of one of the best players to ever lace up a pair of skates, Gordie Howe! To celebrate, today's post features a Howe card, and represents one of the best new pieces to enter my hockey card collection so far in 2013.<br />
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When I was a youth hockey player back in the day, I was afforded the opportunity to meet Mr. Hockey at a card and memorabilia show in Connecticut. I even got a nice Red Wings puck signed by him, which I still have to this day. Since I got back into collecting in 2007, I've wanted an autographed card of Gordie to go with it. Prices are generally high though, as you'd expect for a Hall-of-Famer and one of the all-time legends of the game. If I was going to shell out $60+ for an autographed card, I wanted to really make it worth it. Recently I stumbled upon a card that fit the bill, and after some haggling back and forth with the seller this gem arrived in my mailbox:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S6_xaxHl4SM/UVbOpKrR3fI/AAAAAAAAUIk/n_kLLF6hsHI/s1600/2010UpperDeckCanadianSpringExpoPS-HO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S6_xaxHl4SM/UVbOpKrR3fI/AAAAAAAAUIk/n_kLLF6hsHI/s400/2010UpperDeckCanadianSpringExpoPS-HO.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
Not bad, huh? As you'd imagine, the majority of the Howe autos out there depict him with Detroit, but I wanted one showing him in Whalers jersey instead. I was drawn to this card, which was distributed by Upper Deck at the 2011 Canadian Spring Expo, by the fantastic photograph as well as its relative scarcity. With just 15 hand-numbered copies in existence, and having only ever seen this particular example myself, it was entirely possible that I'd never have another chance to own one of these. The auto is a sticker, but it doesn't bother me in this case just because this card met all of my other criteria.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOGjdWP3JXo/UVbOpGKO7LI/AAAAAAAAUIg/Irj3_Q0Wz44/s1600/2010UpperDeckCanadianSpringExpoPS-HOBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vOGjdWP3JXo/UVbOpGKO7LI/AAAAAAAAUIg/Irj3_Q0Wz44/s400/2010UpperDeckCanadianSpringExpoPS-HOBack.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
Here's the back, with a paragraph authenticating the autograph and a nice big Whalers logo. I think it's safe to say this immediately becomes one of my best Hartford Whalers cards. Right now it sits proudly displayed on the bookshelf in my office/card room, where I'll hopefully enjoy it for many years to come. <br />
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Happy 85th Gordie!!! shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-1642142516828891002013-03-28T08:42:00.000-04:002013-03-28T08:42:42.814-04:00The Roster - 1990-91 Score1990-91 was the season the hockey card market expanded, much like what happened to the baseball card landscape in 1981. O-Pee-Chee and Topps were back as usual, but joining them were newcomers like Upper Deck, Score and Pro Set. "High-end" sets, like O-Pee-Chee Premier, appeared for the first time as well. I've always thought that Score's inaugural release that season is an under-appreciated set that often gets lost in the shadow of Upper Deck. In all, there are 20 Whalers cards on the checklist:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8nIl-_tPKT8/UVMhBXUCuuI/AAAAAAAAUF4/PzetjPEoukc/s1600/1990Score021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8nIl-_tPKT8/UVMhBXUCuuI/AAAAAAAAUF4/PzetjPEoukc/s400/1990Score021.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>#21 - Scott Young</b></div>
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I didn't really pick up on it as a kid, but the photography in this set is actually pretty solid. I think the design is creative too. I would have changed just one thing about the cards, but I'll get to that in a minute.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s1DmXVQGz08/UVMhByliiUI/AAAAAAAAUGA/bdy9_nkXW_M/s1600/1990Score035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s1DmXVQGz08/UVMhByliiUI/AAAAAAAAUGA/bdy9_nkXW_M/s400/1990Score035.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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<b>#35 - Pat Verbeek</b></div>
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<b>#46 - Peter Sidorkiewicz</b></div>
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I was watching last night's Bruins/Canadiens game as I got the images ready for this post, and I just had to laugh at the difference in goaltender equipment between the netminders in that game and Peter here.<br />
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<b>#70 - Ron Francis</b></div>
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1990-91 Ron Francis cards are always kind of sad for a Whalers fan.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZLf_h3o54M/UVMhCbbNJFI/AAAAAAAAUGI/OgpNksc2s_k/s1600/1990Score083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZLf_h3o54M/UVMhCbbNJFI/AAAAAAAAUGI/OgpNksc2s_k/s400/1990Score083.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<b>#83 - Sylvain Cote</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_joLfF-LZ0M/UVMhCsHxayI/AAAAAAAAUGQ/glyF_jF_DH0/s1600/1990Score099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_joLfF-LZ0M/UVMhCsHxayI/AAAAAAAAUGQ/glyF_jF_DH0/s400/1990Score099.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<b>#99 - Brad Shaw</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9vG9Jkx6Uwg/UVMhC8SrO9I/AAAAAAAAUGg/QqRZauAvzVg/s1600/1990Score134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9vG9Jkx6Uwg/UVMhC8SrO9I/AAAAAAAAUGg/QqRZauAvzVg/s400/1990Score134.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>#134 - Ray Ferraro</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RfjCmFJaOQw/UVMhC3x17rI/AAAAAAAAUGc/sVyi8kbYhj0/s1600/1990Score152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RfjCmFJaOQw/UVMhC3x17rI/AAAAAAAAUGc/sVyi8kbYhj0/s400/1990Score152.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>#152 - Ulf Samuelsson</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7rdGmR1FMA/UVMhDCDbRBI/AAAAAAAAUGk/T2-sUr_lQow/s1600/1990Score172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7rdGmR1FMA/UVMhDCDbRBI/AAAAAAAAUGk/T2-sUr_lQow/s400/1990Score172.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<b>#172 - Dave Babych</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lu23k86azk4/UVMhDxCOUMI/AAAAAAAAUG4/_RKI5NrrQlc/s1600/1990Score192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lu23k86azk4/UVMhDxCOUMI/AAAAAAAAUG4/_RKI5NrrQlc/s400/1990Score192.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<b>#192 - Dave Tippett</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jimANKzhDpw/UVMhEMU58TI/AAAAAAAAUG0/yUDirxKOGi8/s1600/1990Score212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jimANKzhDpw/UVMhEMU58TI/AAAAAAAAUG0/yUDirxKOGi8/s400/1990Score212.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>#212 - Kevin Dineen</b></div>
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Kevin is the only horizontal Whalers card in the set. I wish Score had gone with all horizontal cards for this one, I feel like the hockey rink design is much more effective in this format, and most of the horizontal cards that they did put in the set have really great photos.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xnk1xh1-g8Y/UVMhEL3Xz7I/AAAAAAAAUGw/bOkHqv59rQA/s1600/1990Score237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xnk1xh1-g8Y/UVMhEL3Xz7I/AAAAAAAAUGw/bOkHqv59rQA/s400/1990Score237.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>#237 - Todd Krygier</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBbh0LhkPKE/UVMhEtocbaI/AAAAAAAAUHA/6Td5ylJxn6o/s1600/1990Score259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBbh0LhkPKE/UVMhEtocbaI/AAAAAAAAUHA/6Td5ylJxn6o/s400/1990Score259.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<b>#259 - Dean Evason</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek3lQgZkgiI/UVMhEo2zM-I/AAAAAAAAUHE/MosXmiXKFMs/s1600/1990Score276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek3lQgZkgiI/UVMhEo2zM-I/AAAAAAAAUHE/MosXmiXKFMs/s400/1990Score276.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<b>#276 - Randy Cunneyworth</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-klSyjeIbzbU/UVMhEqK4K3I/AAAAAAAAUHI/quufYv3gv-g/s1600/1990Score302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-klSyjeIbzbU/UVMhEqK4K3I/AAAAAAAAUHI/quufYv3gv-g/s400/1990Score302.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<b>#302 - Yvon Corriveau</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35exMRdVFvI/UVMhE9bsGLI/AAAAAAAAUHQ/3RHPqLxszWE/s1600/1990Score325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-35exMRdVFvI/UVMhE9bsGLI/AAAAAAAAUHQ/3RHPqLxszWE/s400/1990Score325.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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<b>#325 - Brad Shaw All-Rookie Team</b></div>
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Brad's the only Whalers player to be featured on multiple cards in the set.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nroXJjEkbUs/UVMhFLGHBPI/AAAAAAAAUHY/GjN4y_xQi_Q/s1600/1990Score370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nroXJjEkbUs/UVMhFLGHBPI/AAAAAAAAUHY/GjN4y_xQi_Q/s400/1990Score370.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<b>#370 - Adam Burt</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEICYrXyFlY/UVMhFN7F_bI/AAAAAAAAUHc/xwpgVcnf338/s1600/1990Score402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yEICYrXyFlY/UVMhFN7F_bI/AAAAAAAAUHc/xwpgVcnf338/s400/1990Score402.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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<b>#402 - Kay Whitmore NHL Prospect</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jx6BHzCEWGI/UVMhFqOIcpI/AAAAAAAAUHg/mE-AGWQJ9RI/s1600/1990Score419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jx6BHzCEWGI/UVMhFqOIcpI/AAAAAAAAUHg/mE-AGWQJ9RI/s400/1990Score419.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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<b>#419 - Terry Yake NHL Prospect</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SoLrOIWD-oU/UVMhFysl-yI/AAAAAAAAUHo/v8GdvX2cNuU/s1600/1990Score431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SoLrOIWD-oU/UVMhFysl-yI/AAAAAAAAUHo/v8GdvX2cNuU/s400/1990Score431.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<b>#431 - Mark Greig First Round Draft Choice</b></div>
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I've always found this card comical, because it almost seems like Mark is in disbelief and shock that he landed with the Whalers. It was the Whalers who would be disappointed in the end though, as Mark spent more time with their minor league affiliate than he did with the NHL team in three of his four years with Hartford. Ultimately the team dealt him to Toronto.<br />
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There you have it, your 1990-91 Score Hartford Whalers!shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-48438139497776588732013-03-25T18:30:00.000-04:002013-03-25T18:34:40.073-04:00Whaler Ink - 2010-11 Panini Dominion Brass BonanzaI will be showing off all of my Hartford Whalers autographs here over time under the heading Whaler Ink, and adding each of them to the inventory/checklist in the sidebar as well. After all, what would a good Whalers collection (or reference site) be without some autographs!<br />
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To kick things off, I'm going to showcase what is currently the pinnacle of my Whalers autograph collection, the 2010-11 Panini Dominion Brass Bonanza set. This 10-card autograph set was a really great concept, based on the theme song that the Whalers used to play at home games (Brass Bonanza). I knew I wanted these as a cornerstone of my Whalers collection, and my collection in general, and luckily this set hit shelves at a time when I had some disposable income burning a hole in my pocket. I was lucky enough to track down all 10 within just a couple months of the set hitting shelves, and I'm glad I did as I don't stumble across these too often anymore.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QUZhi1EVNl0/UVDFHxqoybI/AAAAAAAAUEA/T_10gchJNuM/s1600/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QUZhi1EVNl0/UVDFHxqoybI/AAAAAAAAUEA/T_10gchJNuM/s400/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>#1 - Bobby Hull - #'d/24</b></div>
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The first two cards in the set are serial numbered to a scant 24, and they're also two of the bigger names as far as what an average collector would be seeking, so it's no surprise they were the toughest two to nail down. Bobby Hull could be seen as an odd choice, as he played just 9 games with Hartford at the tail end of his career, but I'm glad he was included.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-twwb1KM5EEY/UVDFH9qa0oI/AAAAAAAAUEE/PDgHzNNnME0/s1600/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza01Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-twwb1KM5EEY/UVDFH9qa0oI/AAAAAAAAUEE/PDgHzNNnME0/s400/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza01Back.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
I won't show them all, but here's a look at what the backs look like. Very nice design front and back in my opinion, and even a different photo, well done Panini!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F4oKzCCHsDA/UVDFH3fcqZI/AAAAAAAAUEI/mn7DtCKT1OE/s1600/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F4oKzCCHsDA/UVDFH3fcqZI/AAAAAAAAUEI/mn7DtCKT1OE/s400/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>#2 - Brendan Shanahan - #'d/24</b></div>
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The other more scarce card was Brendan Shanahan, another guy who wasn't around in Hartford too long. On top of that I think we can say there was a "mutual dislike" between Shanahan, the team, and the fans during his time here, so this is a strange selection. When I posted this card on my other blog a long while back it was noted in the comments that it seems like Panini chose the players who skated with Hartford that average hockey fans would recognize most, rather than the players who fans of the team really identified with. I agree with that wholeheartedly.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VCF0WEwxDRk/UVDFIapWt3I/AAAAAAAAUEY/TmdydkYTZdY/s1600/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VCF0WEwxDRk/UVDFIapWt3I/AAAAAAAAUEY/TmdydkYTZdY/s400/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza03.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>#3 - Keith Primeau - #'d/50</b></div>
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From here on out the rest of the cards are serial numbered to 50 copies...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dbkyuGW3iA8/UVDFIdLnQsI/AAAAAAAAUEQ/odvhDOCNgV8/s1600/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dbkyuGW3iA8/UVDFIdLnQsI/AAAAAAAAUEQ/odvhDOCNgV8/s400/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>#4 - Nick Fotiu - #'d/50</b></div>
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A much more fitting selection for the set, Nick played with both the New England Whalers of the WHA and the Hartford Whalers of the NHL.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xkI8DcphNro/UVDFIe2oy8I/AAAAAAAAUEU/WA-5rITzhzg/s1600/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xkI8DcphNro/UVDFIe2oy8I/AAAAAAAAUEU/WA-5rITzhzg/s400/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza05.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>#5 - Paul Coffey - #'d/50</b></div>
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Another guy chosen for his recognizable name only, given that he played just 20 career games with the Whalers. Still an on-card autograph of a Hall-of-Famer though!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQMIQ3E1AqQ/UVDFIxup36I/AAAAAAAAUEo/t8gFLhKCPJc/s1600/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQMIQ3E1AqQ/UVDFIxup36I/AAAAAAAAUEo/t8gFLhKCPJc/s400/2010PaniniDominionBrassBonanza06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>#6 - Ray Ferraro - #'d/50</b></div>
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<b>#7 - Tiger Williams - #'d/50</b></div>
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<b>#8 - Daryl Reaugh - #'d/50</b></div>
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<b>#9 - Ron Francis - #'d/50</b></div>
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Ron is one of the select Whalers that gets hobby attention from Upper Deck as well, so he's actually got a few certified autographs out there in a Whalers sweater. Can't argue with that, he is the all-time best Hartford Whaler as far as I'm concerned.<br />
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<b>#10 - Pat Verbeek - #'d/50</b></div>
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In closing, another very fitting selection, one of the under-rated players of all-time.</div>
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<br />So there you have it, the 2010-11 Panini Dominion Brass Bonanza set! You can gripe a bit about player selection, but I applaud Panini for this set. I'm obviously heavily biased, but I think these cards have a fantastic design, front and back, an interesting premise that's a bit different than your average insert set, and best of all the autos are on card. I don't deny that Panini has its share of issues, but they get one mark in the 'Pro' column as far as I'm concerned for having a wider focus when they look back to hockey's past in their releases. Sets like this one, or 2012-13 Panini Classics Signatures, give collectors a chance to score some autographs of players who are often overlooked or forgotten by Upper Deck...</div>
shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-30612733786925117442013-03-24T10:00:00.000-04:002013-03-24T10:00:28.097-04:00Oddballs - 1985-86 7 ElevenTime for the first oddball card to be featured here on Whalers Hockey Cards. This one's from the 1985-86 7 Eleven hockey set. I've sometimes seen these referred to as "7 Eleven Credit Cards", I'm guessing based on the fact that they have rounded corners and a horizontal layout, but in truth these are a bit smaller than a credit card. There are 25 total cards in the set, if you're interested you can <a href="http://shoeboxlegends.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-top-20-under-25-6-1985-86-7-eleven.html">read a writeup and see scans for all 25 cards on my other blog</a> (it's worth checking out for the photo of Ron Duguay alone!). The Whalers, like all teams, have just a single card in the set:<br />
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<b>#7 - Ron Francis/Mike Liut</b></div>
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I'll grant you that this is never going to stand out as one of my more aesthetically pleasing Whalers cards. It is a unique item that you don't see every day though, and given that the entire set cost me just $1 it was a no-brainer to add to my Whalers collection. Each card depicts portrait shots of two stars from the team on the front, and getting the call for the Whalers were Ron Francis and Mike Liut. Liut is a notable selection for a couple of reasons. First, there are only 2-3 goalies featured in the set, and secondly he is pictured in St. Louis Blues sweater since he had come to Hartford in a trade just the season before this set was released.<br />
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The back of these cards doesn't focus on the players depicted on the front, but instead gives a brief write-up on the team in general. I think 7 Eleven did a pretty good job summarizing the Whalers in so few words. They managed to get in some examples of the team's futility (Civic Center roof collapse and failure to make playoffs), but also noted the loyalty of the fans despite the team's lack of success. Not a bad synopsis of the franchise if you ask me.shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-77531232861681072352013-03-22T19:13:00.000-04:002013-03-22T19:13:31.539-04:00The Roster - 1991-92 Score Young SuperstarsA quick post today, featuring the 1991-92 Score Young Superstars set. This was released as a small, 40-card boxed set by Score, highlighting some of the game's brightest young players. With such a small checklist, this one's an easy target for team collectors (the Red Wings have the most players featured in the set, with four). Two players from Hartford made the list:<br />
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<b>#5 - John Cullen</b></div>
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Cullen was unfairly criticized by discouraged Whalers fans upon his arrival, since he came to the team in one of the worst transactions in NHL history, which I will refer to here only as "the trade". In the end, he didn't stick around long, but he was basically a point-per-game scorer in his 109 total games with the team. He was no Ron Francis, but let's face it, very few players in the league could fill those shoes and John was a very good (All-Star even) player during his brief time with the team.<br />
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<b>#36 - Bobby Holik</b></div>
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Speaking of trades, the Whalers took Bobby with the 10th overall selection in the 1989 NHL entry draft, yet dealt him to the Devils after just two seasons (along with the draft pick that became Jay Pandolfo, who is still in the league and has suited up for 10 games with Boston this year!). He went on to really blossom with New Jersey, and won two Cups there. Unfortunately, if you're following this blog you're going to be subjected to a lot of this type of stupidity. In this case though, at least the Whalers received Sean Burke in return, who would become their mainstay between the pipes for the duration of their stay in Hartford...shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4103906884659687042.post-31135021136919522722013-03-21T10:19:00.000-04:002013-03-21T10:19:41.092-04:00The Roster - 1989-90 ToppsIt seemed only appropriate that I start off this new blog with the very first hockey cards I collected as a kid, 1989-90 Topps (I collected the O-Pee-Chee set as well). The 1989-90 Topps set contained just 198 cards, typical of the smaller Topps hockey sets of the era. The Whalers were represented on 12 cards in the base set:<br />
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<b>#11 - Peter Sidorkiewicz</b></div>
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<b>#20 - Kevin Dineen</b></div>
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<b>#32 - Pat Verbeek</b></div>
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My first post here, and already the first instance of airbrushing, seems only fitting...<br />
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<b>#46 - Dave Babych</b></div>
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<b>#70 - Ray Ferraro</b></div>
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<b>#91 - Brian Lawton</b></div>
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<b>#97 - Mike Liut</b></div>
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<b>#124 - John Anderson</b></div>
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<b>#134 - Dave Tippett</b></div>
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<b>#162 - Sylvain Cote</b></div>
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<b>#175 - Ron Francis</b></div>
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<b>#183 - Paul MacDermid</b></div>
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Included in packs of '89-90 Topps were the standard team sticker cards that were packaged in with many of the '80s Topps hockey sets. The Whalers were not represented within the first 12 stickers, each of which depict one of the league's stars. They do however, like all teams, have a team sticker in the set:<br />
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<b>Team Stickers #25 - Hartford Whalers</b></div>
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So, that's a complete 1989-90 Topps Whalers team set, the first of many I'll be featuring here on Whalers Hockey Cards. Eventually I hope to complete a Whalers master collection of every card from every year (excluding 1/1s, etc), but it's going to be a while if it ever happens at all. In the meantime, if there's a particular team set you'd like to see leave me a comment!<b> </b>shoeboxlegendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11642879419337014960noreply@blogger.com12