Senators Preview: Thomas Chabot Autographed Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite the regular season being set to start today, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) two star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much work left to do.

Key exits: Brady Tkachuk (RW), Lars Eller (C), James Reimer (G), Nick Jensen (D), Dennis Gilbert (D), Lassi Thomson (D), Olle Lycksell (F), Mads Sogaard (G), Arthur Kaliyev (RW), Jan Jenik (D)

Key arrivals: William Eklund (RW), Samuel Ersson (G), André Burakovsky (LW), Samuel Blais (LW), Philip Tomasino (RW)

Top prospects: Carter Yakemchuk (D, 20), Logan Hensler (D, 19), Jonas Lagerberg Hoen (RW, 18), Blake Montgomery (LW, 21), Jorian Donovan (D, 22), Leevi Meriläinen (G, 24), Jaxon Cover (LW, 18), Xavier Bourgault (RW, 23)

The Ottawa Senators did some fine house cleaning in the offseason, clearing/cleansing the air in the (neighbouring) nation's capital.

What makes their odds look good:
Tim Stützle is a legitimate #1 centre, Jake Sanderson is an all-world defenseman, Thomas Chabot has been to an All-Star Game, Linus Ullmark is a Vezina winner, Artem Zub is a world-class defensive defenseman, Drake Batherson is a true top-six sniper, Claude Giroux still has gas left in the tank, Dylan Cozens is a good secondary centerman, Warren Foegle brings the lower-tier power forward element, Ridly Greig is a terrific wish-you-were-on-my-team pest (while Nick Cousins is the league's most-despised one), and Eklund still has untapped potential to break out as a first-liner.

Question marks:
Head coach Travis Green took a giant leap forward last season - does he have another step ahead in him? Is the Tkachuk addition-by-subtraction with the actual addition of Eklund enough to remain a wild-card team while the Florida Panthers get healthy again and the Toronto Maple Leafs have improved?

Outlook:
This is a good team with plenty of youth who can improve. They'd make the playoffs in any other division, but it's going to be a dogfight in this one.

Prediction:
6th in the Atlantic Division.

The Sens did the right thing today and righted a wrong from five years ago by naming Chabot the team captain. He had previously been a long-serving alternate captain for the team; internationally, he has worn both the "A" (2017 World Juniors, where he was tournament MVP) and "C" (2022 World Championships) in leading Team Canada to gold medals, a feat he also achieved at the 2019 Worlds.

Here he is wearing Ottawa's magnificent white (away) uniform on card # 127 from Upper Deck's 2021-22 Series 1 set, which he signed in blue charpie around 2023:

Blue Jackets Preview: Kirill Marchenko Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite the regular season being set to start in a matter of days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) two more star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much work left to do.

Key exits: Kirill Marchenko (RW), Miles Wood (LW), Elvis Merzlikins (G), Boone Jenner (C), Mason Marchment (LW), Danton Heinen (LW), Egor Zamula (D), Brendan Smith (D), Zach Aston-Reese (LW/RW), Brendan Gaunce (C), Ivan Fedotov (G), Dysin Mayo (D), Hunter McKown (C)

Key arrivals: Matthew Knies (LW), Steven Lorentz (C), Emil Andrae (D), Valeri Nichushkin (RW), Ryan Lomberg (LW), Colton White (D), Phoenix Copley (G), Luke Tuch (RW)

Top prospects: Jackson Smith (D, 19), Cayden Lindstrom (C, 20), Pyotr Andreyanov (G, 19), Jordan Dumais (RW, 22), Sergei Ivanov (G, 22), Oscar Hemming (LW, 18)

I was waiting for the Marchenko shoe to drop before posting my Columbus Blue Jackets review and, as expected, it turned out to be a blockbuster.

What makes their odds look good:
They still have the reigning Norris Trophy winner in Zach Werenski, who nixed a trade to the Dallas Stars this summer to remain in Columbus. Knies is a 23-year-old top-6 forward with untapped offensive potential. Jet Greaves looks solid in net. Adam Fantilli extended well into his prime as training camp came to a close.

Question marks:
As the Werenski and Marchenko sagas proved, players are impatient to win, and not everyone sees the Blue Jackets as a team who can be a Stanley Cup contender in a relatively short window; they are on most no-trade lists and thus must draft, develop and nurture talent to get there.

Outlook:
General Manager Don Wadell has experience assembling and running teams that aren't exactly a destination, having previously served in the same position with the Atlanta Thrashers (1998-2010) and Carolina Hurricanes (2018-2024), the latter winning the Cup with his former assistant Eric Tulsky tweaking the lineup just a few months ago. He got enough good pieces back in the Marchenko trade that he doesn't need to pivot to (another) rebuild, he just needs to make sure he has the right coaching and development staff so that as many prospects as possible reach the NHL and have an impact. For now, they are a bubble playoff team with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins all fighting for a wild-card spot.

Prediction:
5th in the Metropolitan Division.

Marchenko is a tall, heavy player (6'3", over 200 pounds) with great hands who can protect the puck, deke multiple opponents on the same play and shoot accurately. He led the Jackets in goals in the last three seasons, posting nearly a point per game in 2024-25; on a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, he has a shot at 40-goal and 85-to-90-point seasons. Here he is on the "Red Jersey" variant of card #18 from Upper Deck's 2024-25 SP Game-Used Edition set:

It shows him wearing the Jackets' blue (away) uniform, and carries a matching game-worn jersey swatch.

Islanders Preview: Ryan Pulock Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a few days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Anders Lee (LW), David Rittich (G), Carson Soucy (D), Adam Boqvist (D), Maxim Shabanov (RW), Marc Gatcomb (C), Travis Mitchell (D), Cole McWard (D)

Key Arrivals: Matias Maccelli (LW), Vitek Vanacek (G), Matthew Kessel (D),Mitchell Chaffee (LW), Logan Stanley (D)

Top prospects: Malte Gustafsson (D, 20), Victor Eklund (LW/RW, 19), Kashawn Aitcheson (D, 20),Cole Eiserman (LW, 20), Dmitri Gamzin (G, 23), Danny Nelson (C, 21)

Losing captain Lee and a roster's worth of depth defensemen with none of them being replaced by new arrivals (save for Stanley earlier today) means the prospect pool (ranked 9th in the NHL by The Athletic) will be asked to jump in and play important roles. Head coach Peter DeBoer will have to balance teaching, accepting mistakes and winning enough to be in the mix for the playoffs.

What makes their odds look good:
A fine prospect pool, an elite goaltending tandem (Ilya Sorokin and a returning Semyon Varlamov from a two-year injury rehab), a smart GM in Mathieu Darche, and a superstar in the making in Matthew Schaeffer are a good starting point.

Question marks:
xxx

Outlook:
Hopefully, Bo Horvat and Brayden Schenn can combine to replace Lee's leadership, but this isn't the team that will end DeBoer's streak of not winning Stanley Cups despite being the most-hyped coach on the market.

Prediction:
6th in the Metropolitan Division.

Now in his 12th NHL season, Ryan Pulock is still dependable, although no longer among the best defensive defensemen in the league who got Norris votes in 2020-21; he remains an effective pair with Adam Pelech, but they are now a second pairing playing fewer minutes against elites, while Schaeffer gets the most ice time. Here he is from a set a decade ago:

That's card #RM-RP from Upper Deck's 2016-17 Series 2 set and Rookie Materials sub-set, and features a silver swatch of a jersey worn in a rookie photoshoot.

Video Of The Week: Bizarre

(product links go to sponsored Amazon products, previous post links go to related pages on my blog, news and place links go to source pages)

There was a time around the turn of the millennium when Eminem was on top on the world - not just in rap, but he led the entire music industry. His albums were consistently at #1 despite boy band / girl group pop dominance, and he took it upon himself the use his tide to rise everyone in his orbit who deserved it, notably via D12 (a.k.a. The Dirty Dozen), a collective of talented artists that also included Proof (deceased in 2006), Bizarre, Denaun "Mr." Porter (a.k.a. Kon Artis) , Kuniva and Swifty McVay (the latter two keeping the mantle alive to this day); Obie Trice was a fequent collaborator.

Many of these rappers, like Eminem himself, mixed wit, sarcasm, and humour with astute observations of difficult upbringings to create a brand of hip hop that was relatively unique in the mainstream, with Bizarre being the one who would usually push the boundaries of good taste with off-kilter references and associations, such as:

I'm not bisexual I'm an intellectual, transsexual, with one testicle
And I ain't saying shit just 'cause it rhymes, I got colon cancer - I'm dying

or

There’s no way I could be the gay rapper: I only fuck animals

Shock value was his calling card.

Cut to today, where he doesn't seem as alert as he used to be (his speed has slowed to a Notorious B.I.G. level), is still prone to mixing the funny with the braggadocio and reality-based texts, but with more cultural references and a lot less in-your-face shock. His new song Mercy is the second single off of Don't Cross The Street and is much better than the previous one, Amityville 2: This was directed by ad agency Mic Drop Media.

This Week's Top 10s

(product links go to sponsored Amazon products, previous post links go to related pages on my blog, news and place links go to source pages)

Top 10 Songs:

10. MISTAKEN IDENTITY, Everlast (2026)
9. SCOTCH & POCHES, Bleu Jeans Bleu (2026)
8. MERCY, Bizarre (2026)
7. ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID, t.A.T.u. (2002)
6. GONE AWAY, The Offspring (1997)
5. DAI DAI, Shakira featuring Burna Boy (2026)
4. THE FATE OF OPHELIA, Taylor Swift (2026)
3. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME, Olivia Rodrigo & Robert Smith (2026)
2. FABIEN K, Angine De Poitrine (2026)
1. FAUT QUE TU DISES WOW, Bleu Jeans Bleu (2026)

Avalanche Preview: Martin Nečas & Nathan MacKinnon Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a couple of days, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Ross Colton (C), Jack Drury (C), Valeri Nichushkin (RW), Alex Barré-Boulet (C), Jack Ahcan (D), Ivan Ivan (C), Isak Posch (G), Chase Bradley (RW), Joel Kiviranta (LW), Nick Blankenburg (D), Jason Polin (RW)

Key Arrivals: Jaden Schwartz (LW), Zachary L'Heureux (LW), Fedor Svechkov (C), Magnus Chrona (G), Fabian Lysell (RW), Vincent Hinostroza (C), Noah Juulsen (D)

Top prospects: Egor Shilov (C, 18), Ilya Nabokov (G, 23), T.J. Hughes (C/RW, 24), Gavin Brindley (RW, 21), Mikhail Gulyayev (D, 21), Lysell (RW, 23), Sean Behrens (D, 23), Francesco Dell'Elce (D, 21)

Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon once again lead this veteran team as the cream of the NHL in what is now a changed salary landscape. This is the last year of Makar's low cap hit, which likely means the Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup contention window will fade for a couple of seasons before opening up again in 2030. This franchise is led by elite talent, both on the ice and in management, as was cemented by Joe Sakic confirming he will stay on as Avs GM for the foreseeable future.

What makes their odds look good:
They dominated the NHL so much in their first 50 games last year - 35 wins, 6 regular-time losses, 9 overtime losses - that they could afford to coast to the Presidents' Trophy despite tons of injuries to key players in the second half (and the three playoff rounds). There has been a churning of the depth, but the star players remain, and they still have the best goaltending tandem in the league. It might not be as easy as last year, because head coach Jared Bednar will want his team to pace itself, but another finish at the top is a very strong possibility.

Question marks:
Injuries can happen, as can fatigue with the head coach; but apart from that (and perhaps even despite it), this team should finish in the top-3 in both the regular season and the playoffs.

Outlook:
With secondary scoring like Brock Nelson (coming off his fourth 30-goal season), Martin Nečas (38 goals and 100 points last season, effectively replacing Mikko Rantanen, whom he was traded for), Nazem Kadri (still producing at 2 points per 3 games pace), Schwartz, tough third-linner Nicolas Roy, clutch playoff performer Artturi Lehkonen and captain Gabriel Landeskog, the Avs are the deepest team in the West with far less competition than the Florida Panthers have in the East. And that's without mentioning Olympian Devon Toews on the back end, helped by Brent Burns, Sam Malinski, Josh Manson and Brett Kulak.

Prediction:
1st in the NHL.

Today being my birthday, my kids and wife each gifted me a special hockey card - and this was the one my son chose for me:

That's card #T2-MR from Upper Deck's 2025-26 Artifacts collection and Tundra Teammates sub-set, featuring Nečas and MacKinnon, two 100-point superstars each with a piece of game-worn jersey, numbered 50/99. I likely never would have pulled it out of a box myself, and MacKinnon is one of my favourite players, so you can imagine how stoked I was to receive it.

Flames Preview: : Matthew Coronato Banner Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a week, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key Exits: Blake Coleman (C), Victor Oloffson (LW), Étienne Morin (D), Ryan Lomberg (LW), Olli Maata (D)

Key Arrivals: Simon Nemec (D), Maxim Tsyplakov (RW), Jake Middleton (D)

Top prospects: Zayne Parekh (D, 20), Cole Reschny (C, 19), Carson Carels (D, 19), Samuel Honzek (LW, 22), Cullen Potter (C, 19), Henry Mews (D, 20), Ethan Wyttenbach (LW, 19), Matvei Gridin (RW, 20)

The Calgary Flames are one of two teams - with the Vancouver Canucks - who are at the teardown part of their rebuild, which should see them finish in the bottom two teams in the NHL.

What makes their odds look good:
Dustin Wolf is looking for a bounce-back season in nets, Nemec and Parekh will be very good on their blue line for years to come, Zach Whitecloud and Middleton makes them hard to play against right now, and there are a lot of promising forwards that should reach their prime in the next two to five years - but they're not there yet, and their ceilings have yet to be determined.

Question marks:
How long of a leash does Wolf have in net - or does it even matter if he falters since the point of this season (and the next two or three) is still to stockpile quality draft hauls? Matt Coronato led the team last season with 45 points; can someone reach 55 or 60 this year? How long does head coach Ryan Huska have to show improvement?

Outlook:
This rebuild will determine GM Craig Conroy's future employment: a successful one sees him continue with the Flames, and failure will likely mean he will not get another chance anywhere else. And you never know how it'll pan out: teams usually trade veterans for draft capital, but who you trade to and where those teams finish impacts the selection rank; then you have to make the right picks - best player, most upside, best work ethic, best fit - the team determines the criteria; and you need to develop those guys into the best versions of themselves, which requires not just a good hockey staff but also training facilities, good working environment, team culture. For now, we know the Flames will not enter their new arena as contenders next season, but we have no idea how long it will be until they come knocking at the playoff's door.

Prediction:
7th in the Pacific Division.

As mentionned previously, Coronato seems to be at the front of the pack of young Flames forwards. Here he is on card #BYHC-MC from Upper Deck's 2024-25 SP Game-Used collection and Banner Year and Heritage Classic sub-sets, wearing the Flame's uniform from that game:

As stated on the back of the card, it features a piece of banner that was used at the event. Specifically, the bottom-right part of the event's logo:

Coronato has been a point-per-game player in the USHL, in the NCAA for the Harvard Crimson, and in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers:

From what I have seen, he has good hands and isn't afraid of traffic, using physical contact to protect the puck and/or move it forward. He's a little on the small side at 5'10" and 183 pounds, but already has seasons of 24 (47 points) and 18 goals (45 points) under his belt; 30-goal seasons are not beyond his capabilities (he scored 48 in 2020-21 on his way to being named the USHL's Forward Of The Year). He is currently on a seven-year contract that will pay him $6.5M per season. In the current NHL landscape, it'll be second-line money in two or three years.

Kings Preview: Alex Turcotte Autograph Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a little over a week, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Andrei Kuzmenko (LW), Phoenix Copley (G), Mathieu Joseph (RW), Jeff Malot (LW), Jacob Moverare (D)

Key Arrivals: Mats Zuccarello (RW), Corey Perry (RW), Erik Haula (LW),Erik Gustafsson (D), Lane Pederson (C/RW), Scott Perunovich (D), Jan Jenik (D)

Top prospects: Elton Hermansson (LW/RW, 18), Liam Lefebvre (C, 19), Adam Goljer (D, 19),Carter George (G, 20), Hampton Slukynsky (G, 21), Henry Brzustewicz (D, 19), Franceso Pinelli (C, 23), Vojtech Cihar (RW, 19), Erik Portillo (G, 25)

I'm surprised there are so many prospects on this list, considering GM Ken Holland's propensity of trading them (and high draft picks) for aging veterans.

What makes their odds look good:
New head coach Peter Laviolette has a (long) history of over-delivering results in his first year behind a team's bench. Artemi Panarin is still a good first-line player.

Question marks:
What does life after Anze Kopitar look like? How much gas does Drew Doughty have left in the tank? How will goalies Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg split starts?

Outlook:
There are a lot more question marks on this team than there are sure-fire positives, and that's before factoring in the fact that the Los Angeles Kings have been ousted in the first round of the last five playoffs. Their so-called blue-chip prospects take longer than expected to become difference-makers, and there is a real possibility that Alex Laferrière (third-round pick, 83rd overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, generally considered a middle-six winger) might outscore Quinton Byfield (second-overall pick in the same draft, thought to be the team's #1 centre for the last couple of years) atop the team's standings this year.

Prediction:
5th in the Pacific Division.

Which brings us to Alex Turcotte. A former first-round draft pick himself (5th overall, 2019), he is about to begin his third full-time NHL season, having never posted a point-per-game average in (parts of) four different seasons in the AHL. Even with the Wisconsin Badgers of the NCAA, he had 9 goals, 17 assists and 26 points in 29 games in 2019-20, after five very productive seasons with the U.S. National Under-18 Team, playing behind the likes of Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Matthew Boldy, Trevor Zegras and Matty Beniers.

Here is Alfie Turcotte's son wearing the Kings' white (away) colours on card #SS-AT from Upper Deck's 2024-25 SPx set and Super Scripts sub-set:

It features a blue-sharpied sticker autograph affixed to the card.

Hurricanes Preview: Rod Brind'Amour Dual Jersey Card

(team and product links go to sponsored Amazon products, player links go to related pages on my blog, news links go to source pages)

This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a little over a week, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Frederik Andersen (G), Mike Reilly (D), Noah Philp (C)

Key Arrivals: None.

Top prospects: Bradly Nadeau (LW, 21), Felix Unger-Sorum (RW, 20), Charles-Alexis Legault (D, 22),Semyon Frolov (G, 19), Justin Poirier (RW, 19), Charlie Cerrato (C, 21), Justin Robidas (C, 23), Nikita Artamonov (LW, 20)

The only departures were an oft-injured, 37-year-old goalie, a depth defenseman, and a fourth-line centre - and with no notable arrivals, their replacements will come via the team's system, which will inject some youthful energy to a group that played until the end of June. Alexander Nikishin is at a contractual impasse and may be used as trade bait for a player in a similar situation from the Detroit Red Wings, a top-end goalie from the Winnipeg Jets, as part of a package for a defenseman from the Minnesota Wild, or any other roster player who used to warrant $7.5M in salary and whose value rose above $12M this summer.

What makes their odds look good:
They won the Stanley Cup in just 19 games (only three playoff losses) mere months ago, and the only lineup changes so far have been limited to letting depth guys go and replacing them with younger options. These guys have been playing this system for years and it's paid off well in every regular season so far.

Question marks:
Will the goaltending hold up with Brandon Bussi as the #1 guy and Pyotr Kochetkov being asked to triple his workload from last season? Does it even matter, though?

Outlook:
They won't necessarily coast to a first-place finish because, like Charlie Sheen, they only have one speed ("Go!"). But they are a machine that will only be stopped by time and the effects of years of compound physical play, like last year's Florida Panthers.

Prediction:
1st in the Metropolitan Division.

Head coach and former captain Rod Brind'Amour is no stranger to the Carolina Hurricanes' success, as he has them playing just like he used to himself, with speed, skill, strength, intelligence, stamina and led by willpower.

As a player, Rod The Bod amassed 452 goals, 732 assists and 1184 points in 1484 regular-season NHL games that included the entire Dead Puck Era, as well as 51 goals and 60 assists for 111 points in 159 playoff games, culminating with a Stanley Cup in 2006 (and another Final in 2002) and two Selke trophies as the league's best defensive forward. He has better credentials than many current Hall of Famers. He also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 1994 World Championships.

As a coach, he won the Cup last summer, but is also one of the rare winners of the Jack Adams Trophy (best head coach, 2020-21) to not get fired the very next season. Maybe that's his way into the Hall.

Here he is wearing the Canes' red (home) uniform on card #AF-RD from Upper Deck's 2008-09 SP Game-Used Edition set and Authentic Fabrics and Dual Jerseys sub-sets:

As implied, it features two (black) game-worn jersey swatches.

Top 10s Of The Week

(product links go to sponsored Amazon products, previous post links go to related pages on my blog, news and place links go to source pages)

Top 10 Songs:

10. MIDNIGHT SUN, Zara Larsson (2026)
9. YOU IN '95, Beth Bombara (2026)
8. THE FATE OF OPHELIA, Taylor Swift (2026)
7. MISTAKEN IDENTITY, Everlast (2026)
6. PAPA WAS A ROLLIN' STONE, The Temptations (1972)
5. JOLENE, Dolly Parton (1974)
4. OPALITE, Taylor Swift (2026)
3. THE CURE, Olivia Rodrigo (2026)
2. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME, Olivia Rodrigo & Robert Smith (2026)
1. DAI DAI, Shakira featuring Burna Boy (2026)