HammerHawks
THE Niklas Hjalmarsson Super Collector, Verified T
Warning: This is a long read, so buckle up. I promise it is worth it. Don't be lame and skip right to the end. LOL
It's Thanksgiving today here in the US, and I couldn't think of a more fitting day to share this card with you all.
As everyone knows, 2020 has been a hard year, and that has been no exception for myself. My wife and I were in the process of moving right as COVID began affecting things in North America, and while doing the move, I learned I had been laid off temporarily. Well, that ended up being not-so-temporary, and then late in the summer I was told my position was being eliminated. Needless to say, the spring and summer was extremely difficult, both emotionally and economically, as my wife had also quit her full-time job the week before our move (talk about unfortunate timing).
After spending a lot of time job searching and applying (and many disappointments along the way), I was finally able to land a job in September that was a very good fit for me both personally and professionally, which I was obviously exceptionally grateful for, and the first sign of "normal life" in quite some time. Arguably the biggest thing to be grateful for with the new job was the monetary component of it, as it was a notable pay increase over my previous job, and obviously much better than I had been doing for many months leading up to being hired.
Right around that time, Aaron (creasecollector) and I had Dr. Price on our podcast, Center Ice Card Cast. The episode was an absolute blast, as we got to really know Dr. Price on a more personal level (much more than just interacting with him on here) as well as getting to learn more about his career in the hobby and newest product, President's Choice Game-Used.
After talking with the legend himself, I quickly found myself wanting to do a Made To Order, and had some lofty visions about what the card could be using a specific player. But eventually, the idea hit me and I knew without a doubt that it was what I wanted, and with my financial state leveling out with the new job as well as the urgency this type of card required to get it done, it was the right time to pull the trigger on the project.
It was a huge ask and was not easy, but Dr. Price and his team knocked it out of the park (as they always do), and for that, I am eternally grateful as well.
To give some context for the card, some of you may recall one of the biggest highlights of my collection: My 2003-04 ITG Used Signature Series Triple Memorabilia complete set. I have fond memories of the set growing up, and after acquiring a couple cards from the set a number of years ago, made it a goal to finish the set, which I completed last summer.
For those not familiar with the set, here is my complete set!
And here's a close up of an individual card so you can have a better look at the design:
Given the nature of the set as well as the vision I originally had with the player and available memorabilia of his, it just made sense to use the design of the set for my Made To Order card. Again, this was no easy task, and I cannot thank Dr. Price enough for making it happen. I could not be any happier with how the card came out, and I think you will see why!
Is this the greatest hockey card ever made? Well, I'm not sure I can truly go there, but in my mind, it has to be right up there, and the fact that I own it makes me exceedingly grateful. Needless to say, this is a "forever PC" card and is unquestionably the most epic card I will ever own.
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
I promise it is worth it to keep scrolling...
Be-FREAKIN-hold!!!
And not only is it a Vezina triple memorabilia (one of only three in the entire world!!!), but it is also a Dr. Price hard-signed autograph card!
Here's a tidy front and back image!
So yep. All that can really be said is "WOW!"
Additionally, I could not pass up the opportunity for the card to serve as a highlight for a podcast episode, so, as Aaron and I say, I did the incredibly difficult thing of doing it "For the Pod" and waiting to open the package until the day after I received it so that I could open it live on the episode with Dr. Price himself, which was truly an amazing experience that I will cherish...sharing that moment with him is something I will never forget. Of course, Dr. Price and I then discussed the card for a while, so if you'd like to hear more about the card and what went into it, please check out episode 19 of Center Ice Card Cast!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TBG5usAXFw
And finally, I'll finish off the post by sharing my "big three" of Vezina cards!
If you made it through all of that, thank you, and I hope you feel it was worth the time! I'm grateful for this community and grateful to be able to share awesome cards like this one with you guys! I think we can all agree that our hobby has given us some sense of normalcy through all of this, and that is absolutely something to be grateful for this year!
It's Thanksgiving today here in the US, and I couldn't think of a more fitting day to share this card with you all.
As everyone knows, 2020 has been a hard year, and that has been no exception for myself. My wife and I were in the process of moving right as COVID began affecting things in North America, and while doing the move, I learned I had been laid off temporarily. Well, that ended up being not-so-temporary, and then late in the summer I was told my position was being eliminated. Needless to say, the spring and summer was extremely difficult, both emotionally and economically, as my wife had also quit her full-time job the week before our move (talk about unfortunate timing).
After spending a lot of time job searching and applying (and many disappointments along the way), I was finally able to land a job in September that was a very good fit for me both personally and professionally, which I was obviously exceptionally grateful for, and the first sign of "normal life" in quite some time. Arguably the biggest thing to be grateful for with the new job was the monetary component of it, as it was a notable pay increase over my previous job, and obviously much better than I had been doing for many months leading up to being hired.
Right around that time, Aaron (creasecollector) and I had Dr. Price on our podcast, Center Ice Card Cast. The episode was an absolute blast, as we got to really know Dr. Price on a more personal level (much more than just interacting with him on here) as well as getting to learn more about his career in the hobby and newest product, President's Choice Game-Used.
After talking with the legend himself, I quickly found myself wanting to do a Made To Order, and had some lofty visions about what the card could be using a specific player. But eventually, the idea hit me and I knew without a doubt that it was what I wanted, and with my financial state leveling out with the new job as well as the urgency this type of card required to get it done, it was the right time to pull the trigger on the project.
It was a huge ask and was not easy, but Dr. Price and his team knocked it out of the park (as they always do), and for that, I am eternally grateful as well.
To give some context for the card, some of you may recall one of the biggest highlights of my collection: My 2003-04 ITG Used Signature Series Triple Memorabilia complete set. I have fond memories of the set growing up, and after acquiring a couple cards from the set a number of years ago, made it a goal to finish the set, which I completed last summer.
For those not familiar with the set, here is my complete set!
And here's a close up of an individual card so you can have a better look at the design:
Given the nature of the set as well as the vision I originally had with the player and available memorabilia of his, it just made sense to use the design of the set for my Made To Order card. Again, this was no easy task, and I cannot thank Dr. Price enough for making it happen. I could not be any happier with how the card came out, and I think you will see why!
Is this the greatest hockey card ever made? Well, I'm not sure I can truly go there, but in my mind, it has to be right up there, and the fact that I own it makes me exceedingly grateful. Needless to say, this is a "forever PC" card and is unquestionably the most epic card I will ever own.
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
I promise it is worth it to keep scrolling...
Be-FREAKIN-hold!!!
And not only is it a Vezina triple memorabilia (one of only three in the entire world!!!), but it is also a Dr. Price hard-signed autograph card!
Here's a tidy front and back image!
So yep. All that can really be said is "WOW!"
Additionally, I could not pass up the opportunity for the card to serve as a highlight for a podcast episode, so, as Aaron and I say, I did the incredibly difficult thing of doing it "For the Pod" and waiting to open the package until the day after I received it so that I could open it live on the episode with Dr. Price himself, which was truly an amazing experience that I will cherish...sharing that moment with him is something I will never forget. Of course, Dr. Price and I then discussed the card for a while, so if you'd like to hear more about the card and what went into it, please check out episode 19 of Center Ice Card Cast!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TBG5usAXFw
And finally, I'll finish off the post by sharing my "big three" of Vezina cards!
If you made it through all of that, thank you, and I hope you feel it was worth the time! I'm grateful for this community and grateful to be able to share awesome cards like this one with you guys! I think we can all agree that our hobby has given us some sense of normalcy through all of this, and that is absolutely something to be grateful for this year!
