The Avs Hockey Podcast

Two Fan's Perspectives on Colorado Avalanche Hockey...and jerseys too.

AHP Goal Pucks: EJ Joins the Forecheck Rush in Winnipeg (2022)

by

My passion for game worn jerseys and telling their stories has been well documented here for many years. I have quietly collected Avalanche game used and goal scored pucks throughout the years as well. These pucks, just like jerseys, have stories to tell. As expected, I really enjoy doing the research and exploring the details and figured it was time to share some puck history here too. Hoping you appreciate these small pieces of Colorado Avalanche history as much as I do.

Quite simply, I really love me an EJ goal puck. Erik Johnson obviously doesn’t score goals very often, but when he does I’m definitely hoping to add that puck to my collection. In a related note, the Winnipeg Jets goal puck program has been stable and accessible for many years. During the last couple of seasons they have shifted the program to eBay. Things can still work out just fine for the most part. Case in point:

THE DATE: April 8, 2022

THE VENUE: Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

THE DETAILS: Erik Johnson scored this hockey puck at 9:11 of the second period which gave the Avs a 3-2 lead at the time. Colorado ended up winning the game 5-4 in overtime. EJ has been unusually healthy this season *knocks on the nearest piece of wood* and he has been one of the reasons the Avalanche have had the regular season they’ve had. EJ in the lineup helps many things and this has been the case for his entire tenure in Colorado. This was “The Condor’s” 7th goal this season and the 87th goal of his career. And in a personal side note, this is the seventh EJ goal puck I have been able to add to my collection.

THE ASSISTS: Alex Newhook and Nico Sturm

THE HIGHLIGHT: EJ is never shy when it comes to joining an offensive scoring chance. He’s no Cale Makar (no one else is Cale Makar), but he’s definitely known to bury a puck on the rush from time to time. This was a great read in support of an effective forecheck finished off with a beautiful wrister which beat Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to his blocker side.

If you’re able to zoom in a bit on the picture of the back of this puck you’ll see that it looks like there was tape placed on it at some point. I’m guessing this was placed there to help the penalty box attendant keep track of which goal puck was which before the edge on the puck could be more officially taped and labeled. While I appreciate the effort, this does impact the true game used condition of the puck. Perhaps some painter’s tape (rather than stick tape) would be less abrasive so the markings and lettering on the puck could be more effectively preserved. There’s always room for small adjustments and improvements when it comes to documenting little pieces of hockey history. In the end, it’s all good.

Special shout out to my buddy Jake Dubin who reached out to make sure that I saw this puck listed on eBay. Always good to have people in the game used/worn hobby who know you as a collector. Right on, Jake.

Until the next goal puck post, please take care and #GoAvsGo.

AHP Goal Pucks: Toews for the Late Tie in Ottawa (2021)

by

My passion for game worn jerseys and telling their stories has been well documented here for many years. I have quietly collected Avalanche game used and goal scored pucks throughout the years as well. These pucks, just like jerseys, have stories to tell. As expected, I really enjoy doing the research and exploring the details and figured it was time to share some puck history here too. Hoping you appreciate these small pieces of Colorado Avalanche history as much as I do.

Getting this puck in my hands took some significant time and effort. As we all know, working alongside the United States Postal Service can be a little complicated at times. Things worked out eventually though, and here, in all its glory, is the latest addition to the game used puck collection.

THE DATE: December 4, 2021

THE VENUE: Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

THE DETAILS: Devon Toews scored this hockey puck (with an extra Avs attacker on the ice) at 18:40 of the third period to tie the game at five. This was Toews’ fourth goal of the season and the 24th goal of his career. The Avalanche eventually lost this game in overtime, but the point they earned was a well earned one as they were down by three goals (5-2) about halfway through the contest. As sports fans know, any points gained away from home are always good points.

Even though this is one of the new tracking pucks the NHL has implemented this season, there were no statistical details included with the puck. I would love to know how hard this shot was because it was a missile (or a “Toewser Laser”, if you prefer) from the blue line.

THE ASSISTS: Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog

THE HIGHLIGHT: I included the first tying goal (scored by Gabriel Landeskog) which was called back after an Ottawa challenge. I suppose two game-tying goals are better than one.

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club has had a notable 2021-22 season thus far. One of the main reasons for this is emerging NHL superstar Cale Makar. Anyone who follows this team has quickly realized that one of the main reasons that Makar is playing so well is Makar being paired on the blue line with Devon Toews. Toews recently played in his 200th career NHL game. Anyone who watches him play would guess that he has played in way more games than that. I am biased, but I dare to say that Toews is the perfect partner for Makar. I’m also willing to put Toews in the top ten defenseman in Avs history right now and he’s just getting started here. He still has two more seasons left on his four-year contract here in Colorado. I’m thinking it’s going to be an entertaining next few years.

Until the next goal puck post, please take care and #GoAvsGo.

AHP Goal Pucks: Mikko Rantanen’s 8th Career Goal (2017)

by

My passion for game worn jerseys and telling their stories has been well documented here for many years. I have quietly collected Avalanche game used and goal scored pucks throughout the years as well. These pucks, just like jerseys, have stories to tell. As expected, I really enjoy doing the research and exploring the details and figured it was time to share some puck history here too. Hoping you appreciate these small pieces of Colorado Avalanche history as much as I do.

Back in late January of 2017 us Avs fans were pretty excited about a new young talent that had recently joined the club after spending some very productive time in San Antonio with the Rampage. He had size, unreal hands, and could most definitely score goals. By this time in his career, Mikko Rantanen had a well deserved, permanent spot on the Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club roster. It was pretty cool to add Rantanen’s eighth career goal puck to the collection when it showed up on eBay later that season. First, the pics.

THE DATE: January 31, 2017

THE VENUE: Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

THE DETAILS: Mikko Rantanen at 5:13 of the second period. This goal got the Avs within one goal of the Ducks at the time. That was as close as the Avs would be the remainder of the game and was the only goal the Avs scored that game as well. This was Mikko Rantanen’s eighth goal of the season as well as the eighth goal of his career.

If you look closely at the picture of the back of the puck, there is a notch out of the top of the first zero on the NHL’s 100th anniversary logo. I tried really, really hard to photo match the puck to this photo on Getty Images, but I couldn’t quite get that done so I ended up, as I customarily do, trusting the team who taped, documented, and made the goal puck available to the public. Collectors have no choice but to trust our primary sources in the puck collecting hobby.

About a year after the puck beat Ducks goaltender John Gibson a local autograph collectibles business announced they were going to have a semi-private signing with Rantanen. I most definitely had to take advantage of that opportunity.

As usual with pro athlete signings, the 8th career goal and date inscription involved just a little extra money, but on a documented goal puck it’s always worth it and looks really cool too. It’s a nice touch for sure.

THE ASSIST: Mikhail Grigorenko

THE HIGHLIGHT:

Mikko Rantanen, as I publish this, is currently sitting on 143 career goals. It’s most definitely safe to say that virtually no Avalanche (or hockey fan, for that matter) is surprised by how many goals Rantanen has scored since he scored the puck above almost four years ago. It’s always a pleasure watching a young prospect grow into a top tier NHL winger, especially when that player plays for your favorite National Hockey League team.

Here’s to many, many more Rantanen (and Avalanche) goals, see you next goal puck post, and, as always, #GoAvsGo.

AHP Goal Pucks: Sammy G in the Nick of Time in Toronto (2021)

by

My passion for game worn jerseys and telling their stories has been well documented here for many years. I have quietly collected Avalanche game used and goal scored pucks throughout the years as well. These pucks, just like jerseys, have stories to tell. As expected, I really enjoy doing the research and exploring the details and figured it was time to share some puck history here too. Hoping you appreciate these small pieces of Colorado Avalanche history as much as I do.

There have been many changes in the goal collecting world the last few seasons. In turn, trying to keep up with what each hockey club is doing with the goal pucks from their home games takes some time and homework. Now that teams are playing every other team in the league again it was time for me to jump back into the goal puck game. Luckily, just before the last Toronto Maple Leafs game used auction ended, I came across a link that led me to all the goal pucks from the Avalanche/Maple Leafs game from earlier this month. The Avs scored three goals that night, two of which were scored by former Leaf Nazem Kadri. Here is the other Avalanche goal from that game.

THE DATE: December 1, 2021

THE VENUE: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

THE DETAILS: Samuel Girard at 19:58 of the first period. This was Girard’s second goal of the season and the 19th goal of his career. This goal gave the Avalanche some hope at the time, leaving them down 3-1 going into the first intermission. Discussion regarding the rest of the game is not needed. Let’s just say the Maple Leafs played well that night.

The new tracking pucks the NHL is using this season, along with the trackers the players wear behind their right shoulders in their jerseys, provide some pretty cool details/analytics for us collectors. (You can tell this is a new tracking puck because of the little circles around the Maple Leaf logo on the front of the puck and the NHL logo on the back of the puck.) As seen on the certificate the Maple Leafs provide with each goal puck, Girard was ten seconds into his shift at the time he scored. As for the other details, I believe the speed of the shot is accurate. The other two details, however, are incorrect on the card. He scored on a one-time snap shot (rather than the wrist shot listed on the card) and beat Maple Leaf goaltender Jack Campbell low glove side (rather than the “low middle” detail that is listed on the card.) Even with the incorrect details, it’s a really good looking certification that comes with the goal pucks. Well done, Toronto.

THE ASSISTS: Nathan MacKinnon and Logan O’Connor

THE HIGHLIGHT: Please fast forward to Sam Girard’s jersey number 49 seconds of the video to check out the highlight.

The hockey world, as well as the world in general, has been through a lot the last two years. It’s good to see the schedule, as well as goal puck collecting, starting to get back to somewhere near normal. While the recent shutdown is discouraging there’s nothing like a new goal puck for the collection to help things feel like they did a while back.

Thanks for checking out the post, friends. I will post another one soon.

Until the next goal puck, please take care and #GoAvsGo.