My hockey fix

Anyone who watched the NHL playoffs these season saw the too quick exit of my Blackhawks. The Preds have been playing well. I think they caught us during a scoring drought, just as we passed them in the standings before the end of the season when they had a problem finding the twine. But the season ended fast and the papers were talking about blowing up the Hawks and this and that. I get it - it's what their job is. Stir the pot and come up with the craziest click bait possible.

YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT THIS BABY LOOKS LIKE TODAY!

Thankfully, I have DJ north of the border at Sportscards From The Dollar Store to help supply me with hockey. I don't buy enough, mostly because the releases are too expensive. And picking up any Blackhawks in a 250 mile radius will wear out your credit card.

Anyone remember PowerPlay? I picked up a few packs back in the day. Loved the idea. Storing them was a whole other issue (obviously). Paired up with a couple other pieces of junk wax. Konroyd works in the studio for TV broadcasts. You may remember Dave Christian in a far different sweater. Yup, along with Jack O'Callahan, we had a 2nd Miracle on Ice player in a Hawks sweater. Dave played 69 games to close out his NHL career, though he played a few more in the minors after leaving the Hawks.

This is the spot where I post cards that scan like total crap. Thanks Panini!

Three rookies. LeBlanc, Panarin and Dumont. Needless to say, one has been far better than the other two. Dumont did okay with the Sabres and Predators for a few seasons. LeBlanc is doing what he can playing in the German hockey league.

Once again, DJ surprised me with a couple hits. Hawkins is a player that is trying to make it to the bigs, but injuries seem to sideline him often. He is still toiling in AA ball. The Oduya is the 2nd manu-patch from the Championship Rings set dropped on me from Canada, the first being TVR.

Thanks again, DJ. I have to work on a return package, but to start I need cash. I need a trick for free stuff.