1990 Pro Set Hockey

It was a little more than two weeks ago that some hockey was opened up, so here's a look at Pro Set's 1990 NHL offering.  The design echos the football offerings from Pro Set, only with a curved border at the bottom of the card, likely to represent the puck.

I've read elsewhere that 7-8% of the cards contain an error.  Actually, most player cards contain a language error, that other figure represents an additional error in either fact or spelling.

If there is one nice thing to be said about Pro Set 90, it's that the card on top of the pack is identifiable.  I just grabbed one but it turns out this pack has a Wayne Gretzky.

Card 118 - Wayne Gretzky.  This card has some damage from sitting in a wrapper for 21 years.  I estimate this downgrades its value from "fire starter" to "blemished fire starter".

Card 113 - Jon Casey.  Wikipedia says he is most remembered for giving up a couple of game-winning goals in the playoffs.  I like the art on his mask.

Card 382 - The William M. Jennings Trophy.  I had no idea this award even existed until seeing this card.  Pro Set included a lot of filler cards like this but since it taught me something I can't hate on this particular card too much.  The award is given to the goalies on the team which allows the fewest goals. 

Card 64 - Trent Yawney.  Apparently he played portions of 12 seasons in the NHL and the Canadian national team at the '88 Olympics.  Now he coaches with the Sharks.

Card 246 - Paul Gillis.  There's nothing all that interesting to say about Gillis except for what's on the back of his card, so this is as good a time as any to show it off.

It might be a bit hard to make out, but if you can read the name, birth date, height and weight in the bottom left hand corner, they are listed in French.  The entire rest of the card is English, but each and every card has the player's vitals in French.

Card 398 - Mike Richter, Rookie Goals Against Average Leader.  Richter was a top goalie of his time and now he runs marathons and triathlons.  This card has a printing error on the back where the word "plays" is missing its "p".

Card 272 - Rich Sutter.  One of the many Sutters to play hockey, but the only one of his generation never to cash a cheque from the Calgary Flames.  Note the bored looking people in the crowd.

Card 173 - Janne Ojanen.  He played 98 games in the NHL, all for New Jersey.  He had more success in his native Finland.

Card 305 - Jim Sandlak.  The back of Sandlak's card says he hoped to become a fireman once his hockey career was complete.  Plans apparently changed because now he has a landscaping firm in London, Ontario.

Card 143 - Larry Murphy.  He's the fifth highest scoring defence man in the history of the NHL.  and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.

Card 119 - Kelly Hrudey.  In 1990 Hrudey's nickname was apparently "Mattress" so I guess it was sometime thereafter he was dubbed "Hollywood."   Now he's a commentator for Hockey Night in Canada.

Card 236 - Mario Lemieux.  Anyone buying this pack in 1990 would have been stoked to get Gretzky and Lemieux.  This card also has an error as it lists Mario as missing 11 games when it was in fact 21.

Card 345 - Steve Larmer.  He was a good luck charm for the teams he was on - any time he played a full season his team went to the play offs. 

Card 211 - Mike Bullard.  He played professional hockey from 1980 through 2003 including 11 years in the NHL.  He was the first round draft pick of the Penguins the year before Rich Sutter was the Penguins first round draft pick.

Card 21 - Phil Housley.  Housley is one ahead of Larry Murphy in all-time blue-liner scoring and was the top U.S. born scorer until Mike Modano came along and broke that record.  

Every pack of Pro Set also came with this 10 cent off coupon.  I'd love to know why Kansas, Washington and Wyoming didn't qualify for the offer though.

All in all, a pretty good pack from a pretty dreary set.  Nobody in the pack was completely terrible, and most had distinguished careers.  Plus a few of the all-time greats.