Hockey Insert Cards have been known to make me laugh! Of course hobby stalwarts such as Young Guns, and Future Watch continue to thrive in the hobby. While I have previously lampooned the 2006-2007 Be A Player Up Close Insert at least they opted to do a focus on the player as opposed slapping a face on a subset and giving no consideration to the implications of how ridiculous it looks to the common fan. A most recent example of this could be the fact that then Carolina Hurricanes Goalie Scott Darling was featured in the 2018-2019 "Stonewalled Series"





Unless we are referring to the proverbial "stonewall" Scott Darling's professional career hit upon arriving in Raleigh then this card too also leaves me with questions.





However, this is not the card I want to highlight this week! The Card of the week comes from the Fleer Ultra 2012-2013 Intimidation Nation subset, and highlights Jeff Skinner. Jeff Skinner? Jeff Skinner Intimidation Nation? Intimidation Nation featuring Jeff Skinner? No matter how I say it, the title does not seem to fit the player. Jeff Skinner is no more intimidating a hockey player than John Scott is a skilled one. So why was he featured? The then 20 year old kid from Kitchener Ontario had taken the league by storm two years prior winning the Calder Trophy, and becoming the youngest all star in the history of all North American sports, but that does not make him intimidating. To make this choice even more quizzical is the fact that it is part of a 20 card subset. Is Fleer implying that at the time Jeff Skinner was one of the top 20 most intimidating players in the NHL? Now this is not to mock or ridicule the former figure skater who became a pro hockey player in a reverse "The Cutting Edge"(great movie by the way) way. This is just me wondering what they were thinking in putting a baby faced teenage winger on a card titled "Intimidation Nation"? If anybody has any answers please let me know as this card brings to light so many questions.





On the hockey front it looks to be an interesting Stanley Cup Final with Boston vs the upstart St. Louis Blues. Here is hoping it is an exciting 7 game series but I have my doubts. Then the draft day hype starts so even if your team is sitting at home there is a lot of things for fans to be excited for in the coming days. Thanks for reading and Redvolution!





The Caniac Collector