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I started collecting when I was a kid, buying packs of Topps and O-Pee-Chee cards here and there back when they actually had hockey cards in convenience stores. Then came the mass-produced Pro-Set cards which were followed in short order by the first Upper Deck release. The cards were just the beginning of my collection, in time came signed picture, pucks and jerseys from there, the next logical step was game-used items. Only problem there is that those cost a very pretty penny, but then along came the Canadiens loyalty points program Club 1909 and that’s how I got my first game-used items.
It’s a popular program though and the best items are both highly sought after and expensive points wise so it’s far from easy to get the items from the players you really want. Time and time again, I missed out…Last month though, I was able to strike a deal with a friend who’s been luckier than me on that front and I landed 2 game used jersey. The first one is a Brendan Gallagher white game-used from the league’s centennial season (which means that it has that nice patch on the arm) and the second on is a Max Domi white game-used jersey worn last season.
Yesterday was Reverse Retro day, today, it’s Game Used day! 2 big additions to the collection, a Gallagher from the league centennial season which is autographed and a Domi with some great puck marks! I might have called the mailman Santa #gohabsgo #ch #habs #canadiens pic.twitter.com/FBivU03L8u
— Karine Hains (@KarineGHG) December 11, 2020
While plenty of people are partial to Price and Weber, I’ve been after Gallagher’s stuff for years. He may not be a first-round pick or put up the most points every year but there is just something about the way he plays the game. The energy, the dedication and the determination, the man never takes a shift off and is such an inspiration for everyone on the ice. Clearly, I’m not the only one to think so considering the contract Marc Bergevin gave him back in October. Needless to say, this jersey is not going anywhere soon and it’s become one of the cornerstones of my collection.
As for Max Domi, well, I know, he’s now gone but that doesn’t change the fact that I have a lot of admiration for the guy. His first season in Montreal was memorable and I’m sure that his second one could have been much better in different circumstances. What I do admire about Domi though is how hard he had to work to achieve is hockey dream. If you haven’t read his book “No Days Off… I highly suggest you read it. Much of it is about how he deals with Type 1 Diabetes and how his diagnosis impacted his pursuit of the ultimate goal, making it to the NHL. That kind of perseverance has always impressed me. Just like when Markov suffered severe knee injuries twice and came back just as good as he was before even though he had lost some mobility. While I was very disappointed to see Domi being traded, I understand that the emergence of both Suzuki and Kotkaniemi has made him surplus to requirement and the ideal bargaining chip to address an organizational need for our Habs. Hopefully, the Canadiens will find a way to hang on to Phil Danault because if they don’t, we may end up missing Domi dearly…Of course, if Poehling can take the next step and Evans proves himself capable of playing as he did in the bubble on a permanent basis, the Canadiens might just be able to cope with Danault’s loss.
When I received both of those jerseys in the post last week, I’ll admit it kind of kicked my excitation for the new season up a notch, it has been quite a long time since the Habs were so active in the off season and I cannot wait to see how it all pans out. Will Anderson be able to make me forget about Domi? How will Gallagher cope with the pressure which normally comes with signing a big extension? What about Tyler Toffoli? Where in the line-up will he land? How will our new and improve blue line fare? How will Edmundson and Romanov fit in the line-up? And will Jake Allen finally be the answer to our back-up goaltending woes? Hopefully, we hear a formal announcement about the new season in the coming days and training camps open in short order. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the line-up will look like, if I had my wish, it would go like this:
Tatar-Danault-Gallgher Why fix what isn’t broken?
Drouin-Suzuki-Anderson The first two developed a nice chemistry in the bubble and Anderson has got sandpaper to his game which really lacks in Drouin’s so that could be a great mix and he could create space for the other two.
Toffoli-Kotkaniemi-Armia Toffoli was asked prior to signing if he was comfortable playing on the left wing and he said that he was. Just think of all those KK play that Lehkonen couldn’t complete? Toffoli should be quite the improvement. As for Armia, he did very well last year and I’m hoping he builds up on that.
Lehkonen-Evans-Byron Yes, I’m sticking with Evans here, he did well in the playoffs and deserves it. Unless Poehling puts on quite a show at camp, I doubt he’ll be able to steal his spot. I like Byron’s speed and Lehkonen is a reliable player, you just have to accept that he’s not a big producer.
Chiarot – Weber Took some time for Chiarot to get used to the system last season, but once he got going, he did fit right in alongside the captain.
Edmundson – Petry Apparently, in chats with Julien, Edmundson has been told that he was penciled in on the second pair with Petry, so I expect that’s where he’ll start at least.
Romanov – Kulak I think both Bergevin and Julien have said that they expect Romanov to start the season in Montreal. Bergevin even went as far as saying that he wanted him to be eased in by starting on the 3rd pairing. I know, I’ve got Kulak on his off side but I liked his performance in the bubble and for me, he deserves to stay in the line-up.
Price – Allen Do I need to add anything? That’s about the most obvious choices ever.
Extras: Weal, Mete, Fleury (I’d rather see Poehling in the AHL playing regularly than kept with the big club and not be in the line-up for games).
So, what would your line-up look like? I’m hoping this season convinces me that the next big ticket item I need to chase for my collection is a Nick Suzuki game-used jersey…Oh, and have a look at what the Canadiens added to their YouTube channel today:
A Canadiens Zoom virtual Christmas party! #gohabsgo #habs #ch https://t.co/sj40VD8cAK
— Karine Hains (@KarineGHG) December 15, 2020
Edit: Following Angela Price on Instagram finally paid off, Carey Price and family are flying back to Montreal on December 26. This season is happening people, Price wouldn’t come back if it wasn’t!