Overlooked But Not Forgotten

steveottfan

steveottfan

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Since the new millennium, more specifically the 99/00 NHL season, approximately 2,503 players have made their NHL debuts. Card companies have been diligent in getting at least one NHL rookie card for each guy...well almost. A handful have been overlooked. I've been keeping notes over the years and thought some here might be interested in the topic.

Personally, I think it would be great if the post 05/06 guys got some love in a future set. A throw in in a big checklist. Or even one of their own 'rookie update' cards featuring all 3 on one card with a little explanation of who they are and why they are getting a card now.

2005/2006 - Present

Gregory Stewart
Played 28 NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens between 2008 and 2010.

Lee Sweatt
3 NHL games with the 2010/11 Vancouver Canucks.

John Ramage
1 NHL game with 2014/15 Calgary Flames and 1 NHL game with 2015/16 Columbus Blue Jackets.

EDIT:
Adam Berti
2 NHL games with 2007/08 Chicago Blackhawks

1999/2000 - 2003/2004

From the 99/00-03/04 season only 3 guys missed out on official hockey cards, they all made their debut during the 99/00 season. After this year companies started to champion 'update' sets, which usually covered the scrubs.

Jeff Lank - 2 games 99/00 Flyers
David Van Drunen - 1 game 99/00 Senators
Geordie Kinnear - 4 games 99/00 Thrashers


So 2,503 different people have made their NHL debuts this millennium and only 6 guys, 0.2%, inexplicably did not get an official RC card made.


There's another list that carries some relevance here. During these years, 99/00-03/04, a number of players were left with official cards, but no 'NHL' cards. All these guys have UD/Topps/ITG/Bowman cards of some sort, but depict them with their junior or international team. These come from the times before rules dictated that a player had to suit up in a game to get a card. So these gentlemen get 'honorable mentions' here. Note: This list only applied to pre 2004 debuts. From 2005/06 onwards, everyone except the 3 listed above have been depicted on an NHL card.
Mathieu Descoteaux
Mathieu Chouinard
Jeremy Riech
Tommi Santala
Mikko Jokela
Ross Lupaschuk
Jaroslav Kristek
Michal Sivek
Damian Surma
Zdenek Blatney
Derrick Walser
Martin Grenier
David Morisset
Nikos Tselios
Luke Sellars
Brad Ralph
Chris Armstrong
Miika Elomo
B.J. Young

Edit:
Greg Leeb
Alexandre Giroux (05/06 debut)

Backup Goalies
Another relevant item of research related to this topic. We all know of guys like Kevin Nastiuk and Zack Fucale, goalies who have tons of NHL cards but only dressed as backups. You can view the full list here. Since 99/00 there have been dozens and all have cards except these overlooked fellows:
Jonathan Boutin - 07/08 TP Lightning
Joel Martin - 10/11 NY Islanders
Nathan Marsters - 05/06 Anaheim Ducks
Jeff Maund - 2000/01 Chicago Blackhawks
David Brumby- 2000/01 Minnesota Wild
Randy Petruk - 2001/02 Carolina Hurricanes

*Note that the emergency guys like Rob Laurie, Chris Levesque etc. aren't listed here because they never qualified to have cards produced. The gentleman above had NHL contracts, were members of the NHLPA and thus eligible to have RCs produced.


Anyone able to shed some light on why guys like Sweatt, Stewart and Ramage were overlooked?
 
Last edited:
I'm surprised the list is as small as it is. Kudos to every one of those companies involved, if that's all that makes the list.

Sneaking them into a set (like you said, something with a big checklist) would be a neat idea... I don't think the cards would have mass appeal, but RC collectors (particularly of those specific teams) would likely want them.
 
steveottfan said:
Anyone able to shed some light on why guys like Sweatt, Stewart and Ramage were overlooked?
Click to expand...

I can't say for sure regarding Lee Sweatt but maybe this is as good as a reason as any.

He made his debut Jan 26, 2011 (Age 25) - not sure if that was post cut off that season or not, he played 3 games before being sent down (and then not sent down due to a injury at practice that shelved him for the year).

He then signed with the Sens on July 1 (so now any RC the next year would require a pre-season photo if they wanted to reflect that)

He THEN retired from the Sens/NHL on Aug 12 (day before his 26th birthday) as he didn't want to be a minor league/bubble guy and didn't want to give up on his post-hockey career. (Now, NOT a member of the PA - not sure if he could have cards produces then)

I have one of his (2?!?) gamers but apparently photobucket is being a little blank, so I can't link it.
 
Tommi Santala is an interesting one...guy played 60+ games in the NHL as I recall.

Makes me wonder who has played the most NHL games in the modern era and never got a rookie card at any point.
 
I would love to know pre-1999 numbers of who didn't get a RC... I bet that would land somewhere in the 10-20% range.... especially pre-1990
 
Excellent thread!

numbern9ne said:
I would love to know pre-1999 numbers of who didn't get a RC... I bet that would land somewhere in the 10-20% range.... especially pre-1990
Click to expand...

I have a list of NHL players from 1967- who have no cards whatsoever, but my list excludes players who have obscure team issues such as Daniel Poulin and Peter Hayek (both incidentally played their only NHL games for the North Stars in 1981-82)
Listed by Beckett as:
1977-78 Kalamazoo Wings #6 Daniel Poulin
1982-83 Birmingham South Stars #11 Peter Hayek
2CHLIHL.jpg
 
one of my boss at the bell centre is jean-marc lanthier, he playe some 105 games in the nhl with the canucks but never got a rookie card
 
byrone said:
Sad that a couple of the players listed have passed away at young ages, Nathan Marsters and B.J. Young
Click to expand...

Marsters was a freak accident. A car hits a deer, it gets to its feet and marsters hits it again. The deer went through the windshield and he was pronounced at the scene. On a side note Youngs widow married his best friend. Kind of F'd up if you ask me.
 
Didn't Sean McKenna play in over 400 games and not receive an official card until he was included in the ITG Franchises set, post retirement?


My best,

Ken
 
re-ac-tor said:
Didn't Sean McKenna play in over 400 games and not receive an official card until he was included in the ITG Franchises set, post retirement?


My best,

Ken
Click to expand...

Yep 414 games, but that card is still classified as an RC :-)
2002-03 Fleer Throwbacks also has few similar cases to Mckenna.
Glen Cochrane with 411 games between 1978-89 gets closest to Mckenna, but again that Fleer Throwback is considered an RC by Beckett at least.

This is my leader board for players without no RCs whatsover:
Steve Patrick 250
Hannu Virta 245
Timo Blomqvist 243
Steve Dykstra 217

I'm sure somebody can better that.
 
I'm still waiting for Ryan Johnston to get a RC for Montreal this year. He has played 10 games over the past two seasons but has yet to make an Upper Deck checklist.. If he doesn't get a card in the next couple of releases, he will likely join this list as well.
 
byrone said:
Paul Boutilier?
Click to expand...

Paul Boutilier, 288 games and no RC. That is pretty good!

I'll raise you a Joe Paterson. 291 games and no RC :-)


EDIT. And a few more without RCs - I'm sure there is still somebody with more :-)
Mark Reeds 365 games
Jim Pavese 328
Glen Currie 326
 

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