When I began collecting the NHL officially back in January 2017, a current season pack was not the first I opened...I had found some packs from 2014-15 MVP and one of them ended up being the first pack. The first player was goalie Eddie Lack, and as of right now...it's my only card of him. Earlier this week, he announced that he had taken a coaching job at Arizona State University, essentially ending his playing career...although he's not calling it retirement. He's been struggling with injury for several years and has put his playing career "on hold" for now. If he can regain his health, he's leaving the opportunity open that he may play some more...but history has shown that most players don't come back once they've taken a coaching job. If this truly is the end of his career, it's a stark contrast to the first player out of my first NBA pack, who played for 13 years after I opened that pack. (Sam Cassell). Unfortunately I don't remember who was the first person out of my first NASCAR pack. There's only one left active from my first season, but the possibility does exist that it could have been Morgan Shepherd.
If Eddie Lack is done, he's going to end up being a fairly obscure player. He got into 143 NHL games with four different teams. He last played in the NHL in 2017-18, which was my first full season. He did get over 200 cards so odds are more will join the one I do have at some point. I actually like getting cards of obscure players more than the superstars, to be honest, so I think it's actually pretty cool.
I thought it was an interesting contrast between the two sports where I know who was first, and worthy of a quick post.
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| 2014-15 MVP #193 |
That's pretty cool that you know who was in your first pack. I can't even begin to think of what mine would've been.
ReplyDeleteLuckily I have it all on Excel, so I don't have to try and remember.
DeleteI saw that he'd taken a coaching job. I assume it's a HC position but maybe not. Either way there aren't many goalies who coach anything but other goalies. And I'm impressed(though not surprised) that you know the first card in your first pack. I only have a vague recollection of what teams I saw in my first-ever hockey pack (1990-91 Pro Set) though I'm about 90% sure Jari Kurri was in there.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's a HC job, I think it's a goalie coach position. I wish I could remember all 10 cards from my first NBA pack. I only remember 2.
DeleteI have no idea who the first player from my first pack was... but the only chance he's still playing is if it was Jaromir Jagr. There's about a 98% chance my first pack was some 1990-91 product... which was his rookie year.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how long his career has been. I was 4 years old when he turned pro and 30 years later he's still going.
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