Introduction

I began collecting hockey cards sometime around 1990 - although I cannot recall the exact date. The first card that I remember owning was this 1991-92 Upper Deck Eric Lindros card. This card was particularly noteworthy because it featured Lindros alongside Wayne Gretzky on the back. At the time, Lindros was thought to be "The Next One," but as everyone knows, his career was derailed by concussions.

My collection continued to grow throughout the years, as did my passion for hockey. I played travel hockey growing up in North Carolina and traveled throughout the East Coast for games and tournaments. I also religiously watched hockey on television - routinely the Washington Capitals on HTS. In the 90's autographed cards rarely found their way into packs of cards - the only set that I remember that featured autographed cards was the Be A Player set. So, I spent many hours mailing cards to players, hoping to have an autographed card returned to me. Then, in 1997 the Hartford Whalers moved to North Carolina and for the first time, I gained access to NHL players (Up until that time I had only been to 1 NHL game - a preseason game in Greensboro between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins).

1999 MAHL Pee Wee Champions / State Games Gold Medal Winners

In the summer of 1997, the Hurricanes held a fan fest in the Greensboro Coliseum. My team was invited to participate in a youth street hockey tournament at the event. Every member of the Hurricanes was present and available for autographs. Due to a lack of interest in hockey, only a thousand or so people attended and I was able to get 5-6 cards autographed by every player. The Hurricanes played in Greensboro for the next two seasons and I routinely attended games, armed with a box of cards and a sharpie. During those two seasons, I spotted players in the crowd who weren't dressing and got another 20 or so cards autographed. One particularly memorable encounter was with Hurricanes goaltender Trevor Kidd on the concourse, where he graciously signed 3 cards for me while juggling a large soda and box of popcorn. During those two seasons, I also got the opportunity to play twice during intermission - once when the Bruins were in town and then again when the Red Wings were in town. Then, sadly (at least for me) the Hurricanes moved to their new home in Raleigh. The longer drive from Winston-Salem and the more restricted access to players at the Entertainment & Sports Arena effectively ended my days (at least for the moment) of seeking autographs. (Note: I have a number of pictures from various Hurricanes events and games during their first two seasons. I will post these photos later).

With the Hurricanes in Raleigh I slowly stopped collecting cards and autographs for about 6-7 years. Then, in 2009 I moved to Raleigh and my passion for the Hurricanes was reignited as I was surrounded by thousands of other fans on a daily basis. I attended about 1/3 of the Hurricanes home games during the 2009-10 season and then increased my total to 3/4 during the 2010-11 season (including 1 pre-season game and the NHL Skills Competition and All-Star Game). I also began attending the Hurricanes signings at Harris Teeter, with Erik Cole and the "Cole Cut Sandwich" being my first.

Sometime this summer, I got the idea to start looking around on eBay for autographed Hurricanes cards. My first objective was to buy autographed cards of Hurricanes players whom I had met, but hadn't had the foresight, at the time, to get their autograph. I soon found that the hockey card industry had changed dramatically since I last had collected cards. For one, autographed cards were now prevalent in packs. It was no longer a big deal to get a players Rookie Card - unless that Rookie Card also was autographed and had a jersey swatch (exceptions to be discussed later). Furthermore, there were different types of autographs - those on the actual card vs. those on a sticker affixed to the card. After getting my bearings, I once again embarked on my quest to  collect Hurricanes cards.

This blog will display and discuss the Hurricanes (and sometimes other) hockey cards that I add to my collection. My goal is to collect unique cards and also get some steals on other "hot" cards. From time to time, I also will post autographs that I get at Hurricanes events around town. So, with my introduction out of the way, I will begin posting the Hurricanes cards that I have collected over the past few months. Once I have posted my entire collection, I will continue to post as I acquire new cards throughout the year. I hope you enjoy seeing my collection and reading my thoughts.