Pack Attack #1 (11-12 Contenders)

Intro/Rules 

In this series I will be giving away FREE cards in each and every episode. How do you get your hands on these free cards? It's simple. I pick a product for each episode and write about the it. I will then show a card I got in a pack(s) from the specific product and tell the story behind it. I am asking you to read my review and make one of your own through your response. 

I am looking for creative responses with good stories. It is not so much about the card but the awesome story behind it. I don't care if it is a base card, although a patch or something may get you some brownie points. It's the story that really matters. 

Pictures are encouraged 

Whoever gives the best response will win a free card from the product that is featured in the episode.  

Ready. Set. Read and respond! 

Review 

Contenders 

What comes to mind when you think of Contenders? Hmmm...... Booklets! On-card Autos! Rookies!  

Yes, Contenders has some cool sets in it along with some awesome aspects. But does it have depth? To me, no, it does not. It is a very basic product in my eyes. Basic is fine. Its just.... basic. Sure you can get booklets but how many sets are there really? I want a product to have that really rare card that everyone wants. This is more of a product that revolves around set-collectors rather than the collectors that want some sweet, funky, rare cards. Perhaps that is why the price dropped. Ever since it did, mine along with many others' attention has been caught. Maybe it was a good thing that the price dropped. I rarely buy boxes yet I have had 2 Contenders boxes. Doesn't that say something? The bottom line is, this price drop was a really good thing for us buyers. Sure, its a basic product, but it's extremely solid for $60. The design is nice, the autos are sweet, and the chance at a 1/1 patch/auto is pretty cool too. Don't forget the booklets as well. Overall, for the price, this product is pretty good. 

Pack Attack 

My pack attack pull came from the second box of Contenders I bought. I bought this box at the Toronto Spring Expo. Here is the pull.... 

Going into the Expo I figured I would buy a box, but what? Then, I walked into the huge room full of tables and searched for the best deals. I came across a box of Rookie Anthology for $70, and a box of Contenders for $60. I was torn. There was only one thing to do... wait. Yup, that's what I did. I continued my search (this time for cards) and let my mind think for a little bit. In the end, I bought the box of Contenders for $60. Boy was it a good investment. I went into the car to go home but before we left, I had one thing to do... bust the box! I busted it with my mom and when I saw that thick redemption I froze. Then when I saw more names than I can read without flipping out, I... well, I flipped out! 

That is my story! I hope you enjoyed and I look forward to your response!

The winner will be determined on May 23 2013

Don't forget to check out my Youtube

This was written by Riley (NothinButHockeyCards)
Please be sure to comment and share with all your friends. Your views and contributions are much appreciated.
Thank you

The Stanley Cup Winner

The Stanley Cup Playoffs. All of us hockey fans love it. It is a time to be on the edge of your seat and shout for joy or burst in tears. Who doesn't love that?

            The players in the NHL live for this moment. The moment that defies everything. The moment you hoist the Stanley Cup in the air victoriously. They put their blood, sweat, and tears for this very moment... To be known as a Stanley Cup Winner.

            The question is, what team will win the Cup this year? Could it be the fan-favourite being the Chicago Blackhawks? Or will it be the underdog being the New York Islanders? Maybe it will be the team stuck in the middle such as the Toronto Maple Leafs. How many people would like that? Maybe the real question is, how many people would hate that? Usually, the team that makes the journey to winning the Cup is not the fan-favourite, nor the bottom team, but a team like Toronto. I'm not saying Toronto will win, no sir. I'm just saying, their that kind of team that makes it. Although the question still remains, who will win the Stanley Cup?

            My opinion is what counts here, isn't it? All jokes aside, I believe the fan-favourite takes the gold in this one, Chicago. My long list of reasoning would have to start with the team's domination. Their season was started with an impressive winning-streak, shattering the record that was once held by another team. They were already guaranteed to be in the playoffs by just over the half-way mark of the season. Chicago then went on, ruthlessly, destroying anyone in their path taking 1^st place in the league for the 48 game season. Clearly, they are not a force to be reckoned with. If they keep this up for the playoffs, which, so far, they have, they will be unstoppable. Will they keep it up?

            I believe Chicago will continue their path of destruction as they have too much depth in their team to let it go. They have been coached with perfection leaving little room for error. One of the key aspects in their game is the mix of players they have on the roster. They have the veterans guiding the younger stars along the way. After this leaves the young stars taking care of the rookies who are shredding it up this year. They have a complete balance of skill when it comes to age. We know they have the offensive skill along with defensive power, but who is between the pipes? In net they have a shaky yet reliable goalie being Crawford. If there is anything that is going to kill the Blackhawks it is the goalie but even this is unlikely as Crawford is a strong goalie. He can be shaky as stated before but he has a good back-up goalie and his own skill to keep him covered. As you can see, the Blackhawks seem to have everything going for them. All they must do now, is keep it going. This will be their greatest challenge. This will determine whether they are a truly deserving Stanley Cup team. Can they repeat what they did in 2010? Can they win the Stanley cup? I think so. Only time will tell....

The Toronto Expo Experience

As we all know, this is a very big event for those in the hobby. We all come together to do what we love, collect. But we are going to talk about my day when I went to the expo. Let's start by saying, it lacked no awesomeness... I know, that's not a word. Or is it?

I got up at 8:30 am. It was a Saturday. This is important to know because how many teenagers enjoy getting up at 8:30 am on a Saturday? Not me. It was worth it. To the good part, I left for the expo at about 10:30 am and arrived at 11:00 am. As I entered I was encountered by a friend and 1000's of cards. It was like hockey card heaven. There were 100's of tables. Some run by people who were in it for the money, as expected. Some run by people who want more than just money but the experience. Those were the guys to buy from.

I acquired plenty of PC cards along with some nice trade bait like.....

Then I busted a blaster of 10-11 Series 1 and a hobby box of 11-12 Contenders. What I got was... well... amazing!

You don't expect much from a blaster, right? Well, I would recommend it for one reason, the rookie crop. This is why I got it in the first place. Ironically enough, I pulled the top pick of the 10-11 draft pick, Taylor Hall.

That was just an appetizer. What I pulled in my hobby box was a full on meal. No. It was a week's worth of meals. I pulled this....

Yup, so that was an awesome expo. Wouldn't you say so? If you can make the Fall one, please go! You might just get as lucky as I did. Not to mention the experience was amazing. The boxes just distracted me from that. Just a bit...

Last but not least, the videos I made showing off some cards from the expo.... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7eyxehnHmw

This was written by Riley (NothinButHockeyCards)
Please be sure to comment and share with all your friends. Your views and contributions are much appreciated.
Thank you