French_Connection
New Member, Must Send First
Hello everyone!
I'm a little late on making this post, but I wanted to wait for a specific purchase that was made in the final days of December to arrive before doing my year-end review.
2021 was one of the most productive and enjoyable years for my collection. I greatly expanded my Gilbert Perreault autograph collection past the 100 count mark (currently at 103!), scratched off a bevy of great names from my HHOF autograph list, had an amazing start to a new project: certified autographed cards of members enshrined in the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame (88 different players collected already), and picked up a large number of amazing cards in general.
For this post, I want to show off a cross-section of my favorite pickups from throughout the year. Let's get started!
Upper Deck Chronology
Few recent sets have grabbed my fancy like the two volumes of Chronology have and Vol. 2's addition to E-Pack only fueled my interest in adding some more of these beautiful cards. My year-end post for 2020 was purely a Chronology showcase and this year easily could have gone in a similar direction. I want to show off more this year but here are some of my favorites this time around
Gold Premium Base:
1 in 100:
Canvas Masterpiece and Letterman:
A smaller side goal I made for my collection in 2021 was to add more recent autographed cards of already enshrined HHOF members or players who will be there inducted some day in the future. For a lot of all-time great players, my most recent iterations of their signatures came out of 2012-13 Classics Signatures, so Chronology offered a great opportunity to add beautiful new cards of these players. My favorites from the cards above are probably the Recchi (nice to see him signing UD again), the Bossy and Price mem-autos (the Bossy jersey swatch is amazing), and the Salming and Mahovlich canvas autos (both numbered out of /25 and a good compliment to the Eddie Belfour canvas I pulled in 2020). The Auston Matthews Letterman was a pull off of E-Pack and is my first Matthews autograph (which was a huge relief because I really didn't want to have to pony up for one later).
Gilbert Perreault Autographs:
I could easily make a full retrospective post for Perreault additions for 2021 - I easily added over 35+ autographs. Instead, I will limit it to nine cards that stood out as my favorites.
Perreault #9 - 2005-06 UD The Cup Limited Logos 19/50
I have a number of Perreault autographs from various years of The Cup, but this is my first from one of the premium mem-auto sets out of the product. The signature is faded but it still makes my list of favorites due to the brilliant emblem swatch and the fact that 05-06 is the year that started it all for The Cup.
Perreault #8 - 2001-02 UD Game Used Tools of the Game 94/100
Early 2000s UD really pings the nostalgia meter for me and I absolutely love the design of this card. The fact it is a piece of skate takes it to another level for me. I can't believe there are 100 copies of it - a hard-signed card with a premium memorabilia piece would be very short printed in current iterations of SPGU.
Perreault #7 - 2007-08 UD The Cup Dual Cup Enshrinements 16/25 with Tony Esposito
I pulled in a few Dual Cup Enshrinements this year and this is my favorite of the bunch. Great design, clean signatures of two great players, low-numbering. Rest in peace to Tony O, who we lost in August of 2021.
Perreault #6 - 2016-17 UD Artifacts Honoured Members 27/27
If I was a madman (or at least a filthy rich one), I would attempt to put the entire set of HM autographs together. This may be my favorite autograph design UD has created in recent years (I can't believe it comes out of Artifacts) and I was thrilled to find this Perreault copy for a pittance on the Beckett Marketplace.
Perreault #5 - 2015-16 UD Team Canada Master Collection Signature Three 15/15 with Mike Bossy and Mike Gartner
If I was going purely by design-aesthetic alone, this would card would make my top three overall for the year. Three all-timers, with gold ink and embossing popping on different shades of red, plus a glossy finish. This card is sexy!
Perreault #4 - 2019-20 UD Buyback of 2009-10 The Cup Programme of Excellence Dual 1/5 with Marcel Dionne
I was ecstatic when this card showed up on eBay and even more ecstatic to win it. I love everything about it. Classy design, premium product, low numbering, and autographs from two underappreciated HOF players. While the card itself is a 2009-10 design, it was only released in the 2019-20 UD Buybacks set, making this the most recent Perreault autograph from an Upper Deck product.
Perreault #3 - 2004-05 UD Legends Classics XSP x2
This card could have easily been number one on my overall list. I have a great deal of fondness towards many of the sets that came out during the full year lockout (Legendary Signatures, SPA, Legends Classics, ITG Franchises) but many of Perreault's autos from these sets were heavily short-printed. I've managed to snipe a few throughout the nearly two decades since the 2004-05 release season but a few have remained elusive white whales.
However, right at the beginning of 2021 I managed to spear the card pictured above (along with a Dual Classics signature of Perreault and the late Rene Robert). The Perreault Legends Classics is an XSP, meaning it has a print run of 55 or less (more than likely much less). It was surreal to finally bring in a card that I had spent literally half of my life searching for... and then I found another one on Mercari! In the same year! For dirt cheap! So now I have two! This hobby is really weird sometimes.
Perreault #2 & #1 - 2001-02 BAP Ultimate Memorabilia 2nd Edition Gold Autograph 7/10 and 500 Goal Scorers Autograph 8/15
I have to pair these two cards together, which showed up for auction recently at the same time. Both are from the 2nd edition of the venerable Ultimate Memorabilia set. Each box featured five packs containing a single BGS pre-graded, slabbed card. As the name of the set indicates, it was mostly focused on memorabilia, but the 2nd edition did feature two autograph sets: a signed version of the 500 Gold Scorers memorabilia set and an autographed base-card type design. Moreover, the base autos could come in a gold version numbered to /10 or less.
Perreault was not featured in the 1st edition at all but he did have a number of cards in the 2nd edition, including the two autograph sets. These two cards weren't necessarily on my radar but that was mostly because I never expected them to show up anywhere, so I grabbed them ASAP when the listings popped. The grades are pretty rough for cards went directly out of production straight to the grading company... but who cares! I'm thrilled to have these two in the collection. They're excessively short-printed 20-year old autographs of my PC player from a ground-breaking set. What more could I ask for? Well, maybe one thing:
It wasn't mentioned or pictured in the listing, but each one came in the original pouch that would have been inside the pack. Just an unbelievably cool pair of additions to my collection.
Okay, now it is time to move on to my favorite non-Perreault additions for 2021. I'll do a top 15 from here - Let's go!
#15 - Dylan Cozens 2020-21 UD SPGU Team Canada Green Auto Patch 6/10
This doesn't necessarily fit in my collection, aside from the fact that Cozens plays for Buffalo, but it's a really nice looking card and ended up being one of my favorite 2021 additions to look at. The "patch" is actually a piece of the striping on the glove, which I think is pretty neat.
#14 - Vladislav Tretiak 2020-21 Leaf Pro Set Memories 1/20
Now this one very much does fit in my collection. I decided to try a single box of Pro Set Memories and was fortunate enough to pull a Tretiak auto (my other autograph was The Big M). While it is not the first Tretiak in my collection, I had never pulled one myself before. This card is based on the 91-92 Pro Set design. I think Leaf knocked this product out of the park!
#13 - Sidney Crosby 2009-10 UD Be A Player Signature Series
I didn't have a Crosby autograph in my collection previously. Even after all these decades of collection, he had eluded me. I wanted to pull one myself, which was part of why I was still Crosby-less, but alas, I finally decided to plunk down the $100 a seller was asking for this card. It would be higher on my list if it was numbered or featured an on-card signature, but I am still happy to finally knock The Kid off my list (with an eye on bringing in an upgrade in the future). I think I got an absolute steal here.
#12 - Mr. Hockey 2001-02 BAP Signature Series Vintage Autograph /20
After pulling a dual autograph of Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull in 2020, I wasn't necessarily looking to add another. However, this card pinged on one of my saved eBay searches and I couldn't resist going after it. I was pretty shocked I was able to pull it in for only $77, considering the name and the stated print run of /20. A big draw with this card for me is that he is pictured with the Houston Aeros - the eight other autographs I have of Mr. Hockey all picture him with the Red Wings.
#11 - Sven Tumba 1997-98 Swedish Alfabilders 739/2000
I made a post about this card when it came home during the summer. If you are unfamiliar with Sven Olof Gunnar Johansson Tumba, do yourself a favor and spend some time looking into the massive impact he had on hockey and golf, amongst other things. He wasn't just a great player (who had the opportunity to play in the NHL but turned it down due to not wanting to lose his national team status) but a revolutionary person within the sport. He was a member of the inaugural IIHHOF class of 1997.
#10 - Ken Dryden 2019 President's Choice Solitaire Papercut 1/1
I think most of us know the story on Ken Dryden and his autograph stance with hockey cards. His only certified signature from a pack is found in the Future Trends 1972 Summit Series set. I still want to add that card to my collection, but this one above finally pushed me to add a Dryden to the collection. I really dig what Dr. Price has done with the Solitaire cuts and I few others over this past year. Glad to cross a big name off my HOF list.
#9 - Ted Kennedy 2003-04 ITG Parkhurst Toronto Maple Leafs Original 6 Autograph
This makes it on my list because it is a card I had been after for many years. I think Ted Kennedy is underappreciated in the hockey world and, while I had a few great autographed cards of him already, I was always smitten with the hard-signed design of the ITG Original Six series. With a stated print run of /85, it isn't necessarily ultra rare, but it is hard to find an affordable copy. I grabbed this and a Sid Smith from the same set as a pair from a seller. Very happy to add another Kennedy auto and to finally scratch off a card that had been on my want list for so very long.
#8 - Vaclav Nedomansky & Josef Palecek 2011-12 CS 1972 Winners Take All Dual Autograph 6/10
I also made a post about this card when it came in. Big Ned was inducted into the HHOF in 2019 and I had to do some high-and-low searching to bring home a certified autograph of him from an actual set. One of the best things about my foray into colleting IIHHOF members is that it brought me into contact with passionate collectors in Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Russia, and more. Everyone was super supportive of my endeavors and made me feel really proud to be a part of this hobby.
#7 - Syl Apps 2007-08 UD The Cup Legendary Cuts 3/3
I think this card mostly speaks for itself. I wish UD did more hockey cuts because I think they do a great job when they dabble in it. I would have this one higher but I do have some questions about the legitimacy of this signature as belonging to Apps, as he usually signed the "S" in Syl differently. However, I was able to find a couple other examples of the "S" found in my copy.
Either way, Syl Apps Sr. is legitimately one of the greatest hockey players of all time and was inducted into the HHOF in 1961. Thankful to have this card in my collection.
#6 - Brendan Shanahan 2018-19 UD Chronology Vol. 1 Franchise History Gold Premium Autograph 5/10
How about something more recent? I love everything about this card. The memorabilia piece, the fact Shanahan is pictured with Hartford, the fact they have a game-used piece of Hartford jersey at all (he only played a total of 76 games for them). Shanahan has finally started signing UD cards again and I had to work some trade magic to pry this away from another user on the ePack site. This card has stayed on permanent display since I brought it home.
#5 - Herb Carnegie 2005-06 ITG Heroes & Prospects Series 2
Much like the Kennedy above, this is another card that had been on my want list for ages. Hckycdn93's year-end post also features this card and has a very well-written summarization for why Carnegie is so important to the history of the game. I highly recommend giving that a read!
#4 - Foster Hewitt 2013-14 Panini National Treasures Kindest Cuts 1/1
My favorite thing about this card is the inscription: "He shoots and he scores." It doesn't get anymore iconic than Foster Hewitt. I am up to 15 different certified signatures of broadcasters who have been awarded the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award (which is accompanied with inducted into the HHOF), and it's a thrill to have the a cut of the namesake to the trophy himself.
#3 - Dominik Hasek 2018-19 UD Chronology Vol. 1 1 in 100 Autograph Memorabilia 24/25
The Dominator! This may be my favorite card added this past year and is another that stays on permanent display. Upper Deck really nailed it with Chronology from a design standpoint. Hasek has a pretty big signature and it pops well on this particular design. The mem-piece is also one of my favorites from a card, ever. As a Sabres fan, I couldn't be any happier.
#2 - Lionel Conacher 2013-14 ITG The First Six Papercut 1/1
This may be the rarest cut auto I reeled in this past year. There's just not many autos of him out there, considering his untimely death in 1954. The Big Train was a massive figure who factored in prominently in many areas outside of just hockey; from a hockey standpoint, he was inducted into the HHOF in 1994. Happy to have this in the collection. No one does cuts better than ITG-era Dr. Price.
#1 - Gilles Tremblay 2008-09 UD Montreal Canadiens Centennial Habs Inks
FINALLY! This card had been on my wantlist from the moment this set was released 13ish years ago. It's not listed as one of the SPs in the set, yet I had never seen one available for sale individually. It was always part of a complete set sale going for tens of thousands of dollars. I finally speared this white whale in December and it arrived safely in the mail today.
I won't go super in depth on Tremblay. He was a great complimentary player for the 60s Canadiens, winning four Stanley Cups before serious health issues sidelined his career. He would then go on to team up with Rene Lecavalier for 27 years on La Soiree du Hockey, which would earn him the 2002 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award and a spot on the HHOF. Tremblay passed away relatively recently from heart failure in 2014.
Beyond happy to have this card and am glad it comes from the beautifully classy Habs Centennial set.
Anyway everyone, thank you to those who stuck around until the end of my post and it has brought me genuine enjoyment getting to read all of the other year-end review posts. I already have two massive cards coming in for 2022 and can't wait to make "next year's" post!
I'm a little late on making this post, but I wanted to wait for a specific purchase that was made in the final days of December to arrive before doing my year-end review.
2021 was one of the most productive and enjoyable years for my collection. I greatly expanded my Gilbert Perreault autograph collection past the 100 count mark (currently at 103!), scratched off a bevy of great names from my HHOF autograph list, had an amazing start to a new project: certified autographed cards of members enshrined in the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame (88 different players collected already), and picked up a large number of amazing cards in general.
For this post, I want to show off a cross-section of my favorite pickups from throughout the year. Let's get started!
Upper Deck Chronology
Few recent sets have grabbed my fancy like the two volumes of Chronology have and Vol. 2's addition to E-Pack only fueled my interest in adding some more of these beautiful cards. My year-end post for 2020 was purely a Chronology showcase and this year easily could have gone in a similar direction. I want to show off more this year but here are some of my favorites this time around
Gold Premium Base:
1 in 100:
Canvas Masterpiece and Letterman:
A smaller side goal I made for my collection in 2021 was to add more recent autographed cards of already enshrined HHOF members or players who will be there inducted some day in the future. For a lot of all-time great players, my most recent iterations of their signatures came out of 2012-13 Classics Signatures, so Chronology offered a great opportunity to add beautiful new cards of these players. My favorites from the cards above are probably the Recchi (nice to see him signing UD again), the Bossy and Price mem-autos (the Bossy jersey swatch is amazing), and the Salming and Mahovlich canvas autos (both numbered out of /25 and a good compliment to the Eddie Belfour canvas I pulled in 2020). The Auston Matthews Letterman was a pull off of E-Pack and is my first Matthews autograph (which was a huge relief because I really didn't want to have to pony up for one later).
Gilbert Perreault Autographs:
I could easily make a full retrospective post for Perreault additions for 2021 - I easily added over 35+ autographs. Instead, I will limit it to nine cards that stood out as my favorites.
Perreault #9 - 2005-06 UD The Cup Limited Logos 19/50
I have a number of Perreault autographs from various years of The Cup, but this is my first from one of the premium mem-auto sets out of the product. The signature is faded but it still makes my list of favorites due to the brilliant emblem swatch and the fact that 05-06 is the year that started it all for The Cup.
Perreault #8 - 2001-02 UD Game Used Tools of the Game 94/100
Early 2000s UD really pings the nostalgia meter for me and I absolutely love the design of this card. The fact it is a piece of skate takes it to another level for me. I can't believe there are 100 copies of it - a hard-signed card with a premium memorabilia piece would be very short printed in current iterations of SPGU.
Perreault #7 - 2007-08 UD The Cup Dual Cup Enshrinements 16/25 with Tony Esposito
I pulled in a few Dual Cup Enshrinements this year and this is my favorite of the bunch. Great design, clean signatures of two great players, low-numbering. Rest in peace to Tony O, who we lost in August of 2021.
Perreault #6 - 2016-17 UD Artifacts Honoured Members 27/27
If I was a madman (or at least a filthy rich one), I would attempt to put the entire set of HM autographs together. This may be my favorite autograph design UD has created in recent years (I can't believe it comes out of Artifacts) and I was thrilled to find this Perreault copy for a pittance on the Beckett Marketplace.
Perreault #5 - 2015-16 UD Team Canada Master Collection Signature Three 15/15 with Mike Bossy and Mike Gartner
If I was going purely by design-aesthetic alone, this would card would make my top three overall for the year. Three all-timers, with gold ink and embossing popping on different shades of red, plus a glossy finish. This card is sexy!
Perreault #4 - 2019-20 UD Buyback of 2009-10 The Cup Programme of Excellence Dual 1/5 with Marcel Dionne
I was ecstatic when this card showed up on eBay and even more ecstatic to win it. I love everything about it. Classy design, premium product, low numbering, and autographs from two underappreciated HOF players. While the card itself is a 2009-10 design, it was only released in the 2019-20 UD Buybacks set, making this the most recent Perreault autograph from an Upper Deck product.
Perreault #3 - 2004-05 UD Legends Classics XSP x2
This card could have easily been number one on my overall list. I have a great deal of fondness towards many of the sets that came out during the full year lockout (Legendary Signatures, SPA, Legends Classics, ITG Franchises) but many of Perreault's autos from these sets were heavily short-printed. I've managed to snipe a few throughout the nearly two decades since the 2004-05 release season but a few have remained elusive white whales.
However, right at the beginning of 2021 I managed to spear the card pictured above (along with a Dual Classics signature of Perreault and the late Rene Robert). The Perreault Legends Classics is an XSP, meaning it has a print run of 55 or less (more than likely much less). It was surreal to finally bring in a card that I had spent literally half of my life searching for... and then I found another one on Mercari! In the same year! For dirt cheap! So now I have two! This hobby is really weird sometimes.
Perreault #2 & #1 - 2001-02 BAP Ultimate Memorabilia 2nd Edition Gold Autograph 7/10 and 500 Goal Scorers Autograph 8/15
I have to pair these two cards together, which showed up for auction recently at the same time. Both are from the 2nd edition of the venerable Ultimate Memorabilia set. Each box featured five packs containing a single BGS pre-graded, slabbed card. As the name of the set indicates, it was mostly focused on memorabilia, but the 2nd edition did feature two autograph sets: a signed version of the 500 Gold Scorers memorabilia set and an autographed base-card type design. Moreover, the base autos could come in a gold version numbered to /10 or less.
Perreault was not featured in the 1st edition at all but he did have a number of cards in the 2nd edition, including the two autograph sets. These two cards weren't necessarily on my radar but that was mostly because I never expected them to show up anywhere, so I grabbed them ASAP when the listings popped. The grades are pretty rough for cards went directly out of production straight to the grading company... but who cares! I'm thrilled to have these two in the collection. They're excessively short-printed 20-year old autographs of my PC player from a ground-breaking set. What more could I ask for? Well, maybe one thing:
It wasn't mentioned or pictured in the listing, but each one came in the original pouch that would have been inside the pack. Just an unbelievably cool pair of additions to my collection.
Okay, now it is time to move on to my favorite non-Perreault additions for 2021. I'll do a top 15 from here - Let's go!
#15 - Dylan Cozens 2020-21 UD SPGU Team Canada Green Auto Patch 6/10
This doesn't necessarily fit in my collection, aside from the fact that Cozens plays for Buffalo, but it's a really nice looking card and ended up being one of my favorite 2021 additions to look at. The "patch" is actually a piece of the striping on the glove, which I think is pretty neat.
#14 - Vladislav Tretiak 2020-21 Leaf Pro Set Memories 1/20
Now this one very much does fit in my collection. I decided to try a single box of Pro Set Memories and was fortunate enough to pull a Tretiak auto (my other autograph was The Big M). While it is not the first Tretiak in my collection, I had never pulled one myself before. This card is based on the 91-92 Pro Set design. I think Leaf knocked this product out of the park!
#13 - Sidney Crosby 2009-10 UD Be A Player Signature Series
I didn't have a Crosby autograph in my collection previously. Even after all these decades of collection, he had eluded me. I wanted to pull one myself, which was part of why I was still Crosby-less, but alas, I finally decided to plunk down the $100 a seller was asking for this card. It would be higher on my list if it was numbered or featured an on-card signature, but I am still happy to finally knock The Kid off my list (with an eye on bringing in an upgrade in the future). I think I got an absolute steal here.
#12 - Mr. Hockey 2001-02 BAP Signature Series Vintage Autograph /20
After pulling a dual autograph of Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull in 2020, I wasn't necessarily looking to add another. However, this card pinged on one of my saved eBay searches and I couldn't resist going after it. I was pretty shocked I was able to pull it in for only $77, considering the name and the stated print run of /20. A big draw with this card for me is that he is pictured with the Houston Aeros - the eight other autographs I have of Mr. Hockey all picture him with the Red Wings.
#11 - Sven Tumba 1997-98 Swedish Alfabilders 739/2000
I made a post about this card when it came home during the summer. If you are unfamiliar with Sven Olof Gunnar Johansson Tumba, do yourself a favor and spend some time looking into the massive impact he had on hockey and golf, amongst other things. He wasn't just a great player (who had the opportunity to play in the NHL but turned it down due to not wanting to lose his national team status) but a revolutionary person within the sport. He was a member of the inaugural IIHHOF class of 1997.
#10 - Ken Dryden 2019 President's Choice Solitaire Papercut 1/1
I think most of us know the story on Ken Dryden and his autograph stance with hockey cards. His only certified signature from a pack is found in the Future Trends 1972 Summit Series set. I still want to add that card to my collection, but this one above finally pushed me to add a Dryden to the collection. I really dig what Dr. Price has done with the Solitaire cuts and I few others over this past year. Glad to cross a big name off my HOF list.
#9 - Ted Kennedy 2003-04 ITG Parkhurst Toronto Maple Leafs Original 6 Autograph
This makes it on my list because it is a card I had been after for many years. I think Ted Kennedy is underappreciated in the hockey world and, while I had a few great autographed cards of him already, I was always smitten with the hard-signed design of the ITG Original Six series. With a stated print run of /85, it isn't necessarily ultra rare, but it is hard to find an affordable copy. I grabbed this and a Sid Smith from the same set as a pair from a seller. Very happy to add another Kennedy auto and to finally scratch off a card that had been on my want list for so very long.
#8 - Vaclav Nedomansky & Josef Palecek 2011-12 CS 1972 Winners Take All Dual Autograph 6/10
I also made a post about this card when it came in. Big Ned was inducted into the HHOF in 2019 and I had to do some high-and-low searching to bring home a certified autograph of him from an actual set. One of the best things about my foray into colleting IIHHOF members is that it brought me into contact with passionate collectors in Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Russia, and more. Everyone was super supportive of my endeavors and made me feel really proud to be a part of this hobby.
#7 - Syl Apps 2007-08 UD The Cup Legendary Cuts 3/3
I think this card mostly speaks for itself. I wish UD did more hockey cuts because I think they do a great job when they dabble in it. I would have this one higher but I do have some questions about the legitimacy of this signature as belonging to Apps, as he usually signed the "S" in Syl differently. However, I was able to find a couple other examples of the "S" found in my copy.
Either way, Syl Apps Sr. is legitimately one of the greatest hockey players of all time and was inducted into the HHOF in 1961. Thankful to have this card in my collection.
#6 - Brendan Shanahan 2018-19 UD Chronology Vol. 1 Franchise History Gold Premium Autograph 5/10
How about something more recent? I love everything about this card. The memorabilia piece, the fact Shanahan is pictured with Hartford, the fact they have a game-used piece of Hartford jersey at all (he only played a total of 76 games for them). Shanahan has finally started signing UD cards again and I had to work some trade magic to pry this away from another user on the ePack site. This card has stayed on permanent display since I brought it home.
#5 - Herb Carnegie 2005-06 ITG Heroes & Prospects Series 2
Much like the Kennedy above, this is another card that had been on my want list for ages. Hckycdn93's year-end post also features this card and has a very well-written summarization for why Carnegie is so important to the history of the game. I highly recommend giving that a read!
#4 - Foster Hewitt 2013-14 Panini National Treasures Kindest Cuts 1/1
My favorite thing about this card is the inscription: "He shoots and he scores." It doesn't get anymore iconic than Foster Hewitt. I am up to 15 different certified signatures of broadcasters who have been awarded the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award (which is accompanied with inducted into the HHOF), and it's a thrill to have the a cut of the namesake to the trophy himself.
#3 - Dominik Hasek 2018-19 UD Chronology Vol. 1 1 in 100 Autograph Memorabilia 24/25
The Dominator! This may be my favorite card added this past year and is another that stays on permanent display. Upper Deck really nailed it with Chronology from a design standpoint. Hasek has a pretty big signature and it pops well on this particular design. The mem-piece is also one of my favorites from a card, ever. As a Sabres fan, I couldn't be any happier.
#2 - Lionel Conacher 2013-14 ITG The First Six Papercut 1/1
This may be the rarest cut auto I reeled in this past year. There's just not many autos of him out there, considering his untimely death in 1954. The Big Train was a massive figure who factored in prominently in many areas outside of just hockey; from a hockey standpoint, he was inducted into the HHOF in 1994. Happy to have this in the collection. No one does cuts better than ITG-era Dr. Price.
#1 - Gilles Tremblay 2008-09 UD Montreal Canadiens Centennial Habs Inks
FINALLY! This card had been on my wantlist from the moment this set was released 13ish years ago. It's not listed as one of the SPs in the set, yet I had never seen one available for sale individually. It was always part of a complete set sale going for tens of thousands of dollars. I finally speared this white whale in December and it arrived safely in the mail today.
I won't go super in depth on Tremblay. He was a great complimentary player for the 60s Canadiens, winning four Stanley Cups before serious health issues sidelined his career. He would then go on to team up with Rene Lecavalier for 27 years on La Soiree du Hockey, which would earn him the 2002 Foster Hewitt Memorial Award and a spot on the HHOF. Tremblay passed away relatively recently from heart failure in 2014.
Beyond happy to have this card and am glad it comes from the beautifully classy Habs Centennial set.
Anyway everyone, thank you to those who stuck around until the end of my post and it has brought me genuine enjoyment getting to read all of the other year-end review posts. I already have two massive cards coming in for 2022 and can't wait to make "next year's" post!
