Today's subject: Favorite "other" card in my collection - hockey, soccer, wrestling, etc.
My Columbus Blue Jackets collection is still very small and consists only of cards that I've acquired through trade. I don't have it in me to spring for a blaster or a hobby box yet. I just don't know enough about the league as a whole to really know what to look for. I know the Blue Jackets roster up and down - I almost never miss a game on TV and I've now attended dozens of games in person - but outside of CBJ, I could probably name you 25 other players around the league. I know the perennial all-stars and some of the young stars, and that's about it.
I'm really excited for the NHL Playoff to launch with the 24-team tournament. As a country we're so starved for sports that I think these games will receive record viewership. It will also be a great chance for casual NHL fans like me to watch other teams and learn more about the league as whole. Who knows, maybe I'll come out of it and pick up a blaster of Upper Deck Hockey. Lord knows it's the only retail product you can on the shelves find these days.
The card for today's selection made it's debut on the blog back in December when I acquired it via trade with Doug at Sports Cards from the Dollar Store. The trade ended up being a big one and involved over a dozen cards from each of us.
This was the card that started it all:
Pierre-Luc DuBois - 2016 Upper Deck Team Canada Juniors #/175
Pierre-Luc Dubois, or PLD as he's affectionately known in Columbus, is one the game's most promising young centers in the league. He'll be 22 in two weeks and he's already put together three solid seasons in a row.
After seeing this card posted in a box break recap on Doug's blog, I knew I wanted it. I shot him a note asking if it was available and it sparked our first trade, and a rare exchange with a trade partner north of the border. It's fitting that my only hockey-centric trade was with a partner in Canada!
I love this card for a lot of reasons. Aside from alternate home/away jerseys, it's not often that you get your favorite players in unique uniforms. I'm betting hockey cards have a big advantage there. I suppose Topps makes a point of capturing unique jerseys in baseballl with Father's day camo, Mother's Day pink, World Baseball Classic, etc. I would think Soccer cards also feature National team jerseys when possible. Anyhow - my point is, PLD is wearing a Team Canada jersey and it's badass.
My absolute favorite feature on this card is the serial number. Not just the existence of a serial number, nor the number itself. The red color of the stamp is what makes this card so fantastic to me. It's in the same red foil as PLD's name and the Upper Deck logo. Three cheers for matching color schemes! Serial numbers are always sweet and I have no complaints about any of them. Except the ones that are just printed on the card and not stamped in. Those are lame. Card manufacturers, take note. If you're going to stamp a serial number of the front of a card, THIS is how you do it!
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