2011 All-Star Game in Raleigh

The All-Star Game is coming up this weekend. I will watch it, as I have every year (post-lockout). What I'm looking forward to most is the Skills Competition tomorrow and the Guardian Project during the second intermission on Sunday.

Here's a few facts about this ASG:
-Chicago and Vancouver each have 3 forwards in the game, CHI also has 1 D-man (the most among individuals represented).
-Buffalo, Edmonton, Florida, and NYI have only 1 rookie participating this weekend.
-Calgary, with Iginla's withdrawl, have no players represented in Raleigh.
-Peter Laviolette will not coach former coachee Eric Staal, Ward still a possibilty.
-Chara has won the Hardest Shot three years in a row (MacInnis holds 4 in-a-row record).
-The last ASG two brothers played in at the same time; 2000 (Pavel, Valeri Bure).
-Two former ASG MVPs are playing in this years game, Briere and Eric Staal.
-Just five goalies and two defenseman have been named MVP since it's 1962 inception.
-Philadelphia has had one MVP; 1980, Reggie Leach.
-Panini will release Score redemption cards at the game; the cards have special ASG2011 logos on them.

A Few Random Packs

First off, two score retails packs.

Pack 1:
450-Mike Komisarek
422-Barrett Jackman
39-Saku Koivu
370-Scottie Upshall
1-Joe Sakic Season Highlights
508-Justin Mercier
458-Alexandre Burrows Glossy


A rookie and a really nice card of Sakic's '19' being lifted to the rafters, plus a former Flyer.


Pack 2:
445-Kris Versteeg
483-Karl Alzner
345-Sergei Gonchar
229-Tomas Vokoun
285-Shea Weber
501-Nazem Kadri
367-Shane Doan Glossy


One down, one to go. The Kadri and the Subban 'Hot Rookies' are the ones to get.


2008-09 Upper Deck Series 1:
99-Andrei Kostitsyn

15-Pavel Kubina

30-Erik Johnson

79-Brendan Witt

197-Francois Beauchemin

186-Chuck Kobasew

170-Dion Phaneuf

HT8-Vincent Lecavalier Hat Trick Heroes


I didn't really collect this set so these cards are all 'new' to me. Plus the Phaneuf picture rocks.

2009-10 UD Victory Pack 1:
37-Eric Staal
68-Johan Franzen
219-Riku Helenius Rookie
109-Max Pacioretty
20-Clarke MacArthur
196-Alexander Semin

Pacioretty is the only new card I pulled from this pack. I already had two Helenius'.

Pack 2:
13-David Krejci
114-Shea Weber
GB36-Shane Doan Game Breakers
21-Derek Roy
160-#87
198-Sergei Fedorov

Roy and Doan are new, the rest are doubles.





P.S. Does anyone know if Score is gonna have a series 2 update?

The pictures will all appear in a period of days.

2010-11 Score

My second favorite set from the early 90s, Score is back and it has a throwback look.

500 Base, 50 Hot Rookies, The Franchise.

The rookie cards: I like the whole card except one thing... The cloudy/explosion/spacey background behind the player.

The Franchise: Looks great, good insert... One thing, the team name is written in a funny way, yet I love this card.
I look forward to collecting and breaking down this set.

UPDATE: and apparently, owning the Score license makes you crazy with Lindros Fever, because I read the set includes Lindros and Patrick Roy. Looks good