Why doesn't this ever happen to me???

The rules are simple... if you never went pro, you can sign a contract on a moments notice, and play right away. Maybe I need to get my phone number out there more....



Phoenix Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov became ill Thursday morning leaving backup Jason LaBarbara alone against the Rangers. Needing a backup, the Coyotes tried to turn to goalie coach and former NHL All Star goalie Sean Burke. But being a former pro, Sean would have to clear waivers before signing. So they went the amateur route.
The Coyotes signed Tom Fenton, who works in the community relations department at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. Fenton played four years of ice hockey at American International College in Springfield, Mass. The native of Sarnia, Ontario, had a 1-12-1 record, a 3.60 goals-against average and .886 save percentage during his senior season of 2008-09.

How the hell did the Coyotes even know about this guy???


This is the third time something like this has happened in the last couple of years.... hopefully my turn is coming. Maybe if the starting goalies ate more shrimp or something......

All Hail The Cobra! Gary Simmons!

My latest TTM success is from former NHL goaltender, Gary "The Cobra" Simmons.
Gary was nice enough to personalize the photo I sent, along with signing two cards.
A 75/76 Topps...

and a 78/79 OPC.

Gary registered a shutout in his very first NHL game against Atlanta 10/11/74.

Gary was also nice enough to send a hand written letter to me thanking me for my interest in his career and answering a couple of questions I had asked him in my fan letter.

I asked Gary about what it was like being a goalie for an expansion team in the early '70's NHL.

He responded that, while it was very challenging at times, it was still playing the greatest game in the greatest league in the world.

About his nickname of 'The Cobra", Gary told me that a teammate of his while playing for the Phoenix Coyotes of the WHL in 1972 told a reporter that his new goalie was "lightning quick, like a cobra."

The reporter put that in his newspaper column, and the name stuck.

Thank you Mr Simmons!!!!

Happy Halloween - NHL Style

I could go the route of posting some of the greatest, bloodiest fights. But that's been done. (not that I didn't enjoy the fours hours on YouTube watching them... again...)
But instead, I'll go the educational route.
Go back. Go waaay back... to Halloween 1972. The place, Philadelphia. The Flyers wanted to play a joke on their rather portly starting goalie, Doug Favell. They took his plain, white mask, that was like the mask worn by every other goalie in all of hockey, and painted it bright orange. Like, you guessed it, a pumpkin.
You can imagine the joking and the remarks by his teammates.
This was the very first time that a goalie had a painted mask other than plain white. Doug, the good natured fella that he is, decided to stick with it... with a minor modification. No more pumpkin.

After that, other goalies followed suit. Doug was later traded along with a 1st round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Bernie Parent and Larry Goodenough.

The mask needed modifying for his new team colours. And new country.

To end his career, Doug finished out with the Colorado Rockies, and a season with the brand new expansion Edmonton Oilers.

With all of the mask art we see today, a cultural icon of sports, all of it started with a Halloween prank in 1972.

Thanks for being a sport Doug!

I did it again.....

I've been working on my wantlists, desperately trying to get some trades going and finish off some sets before the 2009 stuff hits.
Well, the trades haven't been forthcoming, and it looks like I've committed to another set. I love these cards.
So now I'm working on Series One, when Series Two hits in mere days.
Perfect. Why do I always do this? Derek Roy - Buffalo (Flying through mid air... nice effort.)
Brad Richards - Dallas
Drew Stafford - Buffalo
Anze Kopitar - Los Angeles ( pronounced like it's spelled, a great player on a crap team)

Niklas Kronwall - Detroit

Peter Budaj - Colorado (pronounced Boo-DIE)

Ryan Smith - Colorado

Henrik Sedin- Vancouver (no, you haven't been drinking too much... you're not seeing double, that's his twin brother Daniel beside him)

Mike Smith - Tampa Bay (All Rookie Team last season, also the rare, sideways printed version)

Tomas Vokoun - Florida ( this is one heckuva goalie pack!)

Zybnek Michalek - Phoenix (pronounced .... oh hell, I don't know...)

Joffrey Lupul - Philadelphia

Jean-Sebastien Giguere - Los Angeles Ducks of Anaheim (just seeing if you're paying attention)
Look at his eyes following that puck! Awesome.

Simon Gagne - Philadelphia

Guillaume Latendresse - Montreal ( finally! a Canadien)

Henrik Lundqvist Masked Men

Wow. A great pack. Not a lot of stars, but a lot of goalies, and superb photography. this was half of one of those FatRackBlister thingies that I busted first here... I've bought three of those so far and no doubles or damaged cards........yet. I love 'em...

A trade/want list will be up soon...