Great Moments in Dallas Stars History

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The team was founded during the 1967 NHL’s six-team expansion as the Minnesota North Stars and were based in Bloomington, Minnesota.  Due to financial struggles before the 1978-1979 season, the team merged with the Cleveland Barons, who were also having financial problems.  The franchise relocated to Dallas for the 1993-1994 NHL season.

 

In their final seasons in Minnesota, the team adopted a new logo which omitted the “North” from North Stars.

The Stars played their first game in Dallas on October 5, 1993 which they won.  The Stars set franchise bests in wins (42) and points (97) in their first season in Texas qualifying for the 1994 playoffs.  They swept the St. Louis Blues in the first round, but lost to the Vancouver Canucks in the second round.

 

The Stars made the playoffs again in the 1994-1995 season losing to the Red Wings in the first round.

 

In 1996, the Stars posted 48 wins and reached the 100-point mark for the first time in franchise history.  The Stars won the Central Division, their first division title since 1983-1984 and were seeded second in the playoffs.  They were beat in the first round by the Edmonton Oilers.

In the 1997-1998 season, the Stars set franchise records again in wins (49) and points (109).  The Stars won the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s best regular season team, as well as the Central Division title or the second season in a row.  In the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, they defeated the San Jose Sharks in the first round.  In the second round, they defeated the Edmonton Oilers.  In the Western Conference Finals, they lost to the Detroit Red Wings.

 

After the 1998 NHL division re-alignment, the Stars were in the Pacific Division.

In the 1998-1999 season, the Stars won 51 games, surpassing the 50-win mark for the first time in franchise history.  They also recorded 114 points, which still stands as a franchise record.  They won the Pacific Division, their third consecutive division title; a second consecutive Presidents’ Trophy; the Jennings Trophy as the league’s top defensive team; and were awarded the top seed in the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

This was the Stars’ first Stanley Cup Finals appearance as the Dallas Stars although they did make the finals twice as the Minnesota North Stars.  They played the Buffalo Sabres.  The first four games were split, the Stars holding the Sabres to only one goal in the next two games, winning Game 5 and Game 6 on an overtime goal by Brett Hull.  Hull’s goal at 14:51 of the third overtime was remembered as one of the most controversial goals ever scored due to the “crease rule”.  Hull’s goal marked the 13^th time a Stanley Cup-winning goal was scored in overtime, and only the 4^th to be scored in multiple overtimes.

On March 13, 2007, Mike Modano scored his 500^th career NHL goal, making him the 39^th player and 2^nd American to ever reach that milestone.  On March 17, Modano scored his 502^nd and 503^rd NHL goals, breaking the record for an American-born player.  On November 8, 2007, he became the top American-born point scorer of all-time.

I’m sure you can think of a few other moments to add.  We have a good selection of Dallas Stars memorabilia in our shop. Come check it out and see if we have your favorite Stars player!

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The A – Z of Hockey Memorabilia

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Here is a fun list of the A-Z of Hockey Memorabilia.  Let us know your thoughts. Are we missing anything?

Here we go!

A –  Authenticity, Athlete, Autograph, Assist

B –   Boards, Breakaway, Blueline, Blackhawks, Blues, Bruins, Blue Jackets, Bobby Hull, Bobby Orr, Borje Salming

C –   Cards, Crease, Collection, Centre, Checking, Canadiens, Capitals, Coyotes

D –  Display, Defenseman, Devils, Ducks, Dave Keon, Doug Gilmour, Darryl Sittler

E –   Event, Expos, Enforcer

F –   Fan, Forward, Faceoff, Forechecking, Flyers, Flames, Frank Mahovlich

G –  Goaltender, Goal crease, Goal line, Gordie Howe, Grant Fuhr

H –  Hobby, Hockey, Hall of Fame, Hat-trick, High sticking, Holding, Hooking, Hurricanes

I –    Ice, Investment, Injury, Interference, Islanders

J –    Jerseys, Jets, Johnny Bauer, Jean Beliveau

K –   Kings, Ken Dryden, King Clancy

L –   League, Left wing, Linesman, Lightning, Lanny McDonald

M – Misconduct, Memorabilia, Maple Leafs, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Mats Sundin

N –  NHL, Neutral zone, Netminder

O –  Offensive zone, Overtime, Open net, Olympic hockey, O-Pee-Chee, Oilers

P –   Puck, Photograph, Player, Playoff, Penalty, Power play, Penguins, Panthers, Predators,

Paul Coffey, Phil Esposito, Paul Henderson, Patrick Roy

Q –  Quick whistle

R –   Rookie, Right wing, Rebound, Referee, Rink, Rangers, Red Wings, Red Kelly, Rocket Richard

S –   Sticks, Save, Score, Shot, Shootout, Shortside, Slapshot, Stickhandling, Stanley Cup, Sabres, Sharks, Senators, Stars, Stanley Mikita, Sidney Crosby

T –   Team, Trade, Topps, Tripping, Tim Horton, Terry Sawchuk

U –  Uniform, Upper Deck

V –  Value, Vintage

W – Wild winger, Wrap around, Wayne Gretzky

X –  

Y –   Yzerman, Steve

Z –   Zone, Zamboni

We have a large selection of autographed hockey memorabilia in our shop. Come check it out and see if we have your favorite player.

The post The A – Z of Hockey Memorabilia appeared first on Slapshot Signatures.

Dallas Stars Forward Tyler Seguin – Slap Shot Signatures Player Profile

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Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin was born January 31, 1992 in Brampton, Ontario and grew up in Whitby, Ontario.  He is currently a centre for the National Hockey League (NHL) team Dallas Stars.  Seguin was selected second overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins and went on to win the 2011 Stanley Cup in his rookie season.  He finished 2011 – 2012 season as the Bruins’ leading scorer.

During the 2012 – 2013 NHL lockout, Seguin played for EHC Biel of the Swiss National League A (NLA) scoring 25 goals and 15 assists in 29 games.  Seguin also played for Team Canada at the 2012 Spengler Cup in December 2012, where he won a gold medal with the team.  When the lockout ended, the NHL played a shortened 48-game season in 2013 in which Seguin finished the regular season with 32 points (16 goals and 16 assists).

On July 4 2013, Tyler Seguin was traded to the Dallas Stars.

Since the jersey #19 has been retired by the Stars, Seguin changed his number to 91 when he joined Dallas.  He ended the 2013 – 2014 season ranked fourth in total points scored, setting a new career-high in goals (37) and points (84) from 80 games.

During the 2014 – 2015 NHL season, Seguin scored 37 goals to go with 40 assists, reaching the 30-goal mark for the second consecutive season.

Here is an interesting fact, As the result of one of his best friends suffering a severe spinal cord injury in December 2012, Seguin founded Seguin’s Stars upon arriving in Dallas. At every Stars home game during the season, Seguin donated a luxury suite, along with food and beverage, for individuals with spinal cord injuries. At the conclusion of every game, Seguin met his guests outside of the Stars’ locker room for autographs and pictures

Have a look in our shop for a nice collection of Tyler Seguin memorabilia.

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6 Tips For Displaying Your Hockey Memorabilia

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The problem often has to deal with finding creative and attractive ways to display memorabilia into a space that perhaps wasn’t designed to hold so much.

1. Sort the items by frame style, black and white versus colour, sport/subject, etc.
2. Determine whether any items need special display (jerseys, pucks, etc.). You can purchase pre-made shadow boxes for jerseys or have them custom framed.  Specialty cases such as glass display cases for items like hockey sticks may be needed.  Pucks can be displayed in cases or cubes.  Some cubes are designed for mounting and others for desk or shelf display.
3. Make sure you have the correct hanging hardware especially for heavier pieces. You can purchase these from your local hardware store.
4. Lay things out on a table or other large surface. Start with the largest piece first and build your display around that.  It is helpful to take a photo of the arrangement you have laid out.
5. The recommended height for hanging artwork is approximately 5 ft at the center.
6. Be aware of the damage that can be caused by light. Take extra time and effort to make sure that you have proper lighting in your display areas, and that nothing in your collection is being subjected to direct sunlight or UV rays.

It is important to buy a case that is designed specifically for the item(s) you are storing.  A display case made of glass is considered to be the best way to protect sports memorabilia and offers it the most protection.  Glass provides very strong protection against outside dangers and harmful ultraviolet rays, which might cause signed collectibles to fade or discolour.

Collectors with young children or pets may want to opt for an acrylic case.  Just like the glass display cases, one made of acrylic typically provides the same protection and repels UV rays without the risk of shattering.

Display cases should be protective but also offer an attractive way to allow you to share and admire your collection.  Since you don’t want your collection to shift or move around, a good display case should supply a built-in cradle or stand for secured placement.  The shelf should also position the collectible in a way in which it can be seen from all angles.

To enhance the visibility of a sports collectible, many display cases can have either a clear back or a mirrored back to allow for a view of the complete piece(s).  Some deluxe display cases have a mirrored bottom so that the entire item can be viewed.

Be creative, keep collecting and enjoy your display.

We have a large selection of autographed hockey memorabilia in our shop. Come check it out and see if we have your favorite player.

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Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry – Slap Shot Signatures Player Profile

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Toronto Raptors All Stat Kyle Lowry was born March 25, 1986 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006, Lowry signed a two year rookie deal and joined the 2006 summer league Roster.

Lowry, was looking forward to a long career in Memphis, however in 2009 he was traded to the Houston Rockets in a three team deal that also included the Orlando Magic. Lowry remained with the Rockets for three and a half seasons with the Rockets going to the post season in 2009. On July 11, 2012, Kyle Lowry was traded to the Toronto Raptors and has become the face of the franchise along with DeMar DeRozan.
Lowry’s tenacious playing style has often earned him comparisons to a pit bull or bulldog, with many citing his toughness, leadership and instinct for winning plays on the court. Lowry is considered a strong rebounder for his position, as well as a determined defender. He holds the Toronto Raptors’ franchise record for triple-doubles, as well as the most made three-point field goals in a season, for the 2013–14 season.

In Kyle Lowry’s young career he is a two time NBA All-Star (2015, 2016), NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month (December 2014 and January 2016), NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week (January 27–February 2, 2014; December 1–7, 2014; February 22–28, 2016 and March 14–20, 2016) and NBA Western Conference Player of the Week (March 14-20, 2011) and George Gross Sportsman of the Year Award.

Not only that, Kyle Lowry has been part of the Toronto Raptors past 3 Atlantic Division titles in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Not bad for a player who is in the prime of his career.  Let’s hope that he can help lead the Raptors to their first NBA championship in the not too distant future.

Check out all of our Kyle Lowry autographs and other great Raptors gear

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5 Hockey Collectibles so rare you will never lay your hands upon them

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Most Hockey collections start off the same way. A young tyke is given a hockey card or catches a wayward puck while seeing a game with their dad. Perhaps their first set of tickets kept in an envelope or even framed on their wall.

Small and simple is how a great collection starts. Only through time and dedication can you build an amazing collection, and with a keen eye, you might even strike hockey gold!

Every collection needs a holy grail. That one piece that really gets peoples attention when they walk in the room. In an effort to inspire you to get your hands on your very own hockey grail, we have researched the 5 most valuable hockey collectibles that are known or rumored to exist.

You will most likely never get the chance to share the same space as some of these objects in your lifetime, but the list may inspire you to track down the next big thing.

So without further adieu, we present to you (in no specific order) 5 Super Rare Hockey Collectibles.

Paul Henderson’s jersey from the epic Canada-USSR series

In 2012, the hockey jersey worn by Paul as he scored the winning goal in the ’72 Summit Series against the Soviets sold for 1.275 Million dollars at auction. Never before has a jersey sold for more money, and it will likely be many years before another defining hockey moment as significant as that Summit Series goal takes place.

Guinness listed the jerseys sale under a specific hockey category, but it is believed to be the most expensive jersey ever auctioned off for any sport.

The ’72 Summit Series jerseys is therefore solidified as one of the most elite hockey collectibles, certainly by price, but more so through it’s ties to Canadian hockey history.

1912-13 Imperial Tobacco C57 PSA-Graded Complete 50-Card Hockey Set

When it comes to collectibles, cards have always held a special place in the hearts of many sports fans. While modern cards are printed in massive quantities, older collections can be much harder to assemble. Finding the right cards from the right year and in a good enough quality to be proud of displaying can be incredibly difficult.

For that reason alone, we include 1912-13 Imperial Tobacco collection, printed over 100 years ago, collected individually to complete a full set. With attention to detail, the collector has aquired a hall of fame lineup of early hockey heroes, including: Spraque Cleghorn, Percey LeSueur, Art Ross, and most coveted of all, Georges Vezina as the sets first numbered card.

Will anything that you own still be around in 100 years? It is amazing that these cards have been cherished and preserved for so long. The rarity of this complete collection is incredible and it’s quality is rivaled by only a precious few items.

The Oldest Hockey Stick Ever (‘Moffatt stick’)

Found in a barber shop in Nova Scotia, purchased for $1000 and sold for $300,000 it didn’t even really look like a hockey stick. As it turns out, the stick was handcrafted from a single piece of sugar maple by a member of the Moffatt family somewhere between 1835 and 1838 in Cape Breton.

This amazing hockey collectible now belongs to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau becasue it trancends being simply a hockey heirloom. It is a piece of Canadiana and it is indeed being celebrated.

Old is often good when it comes to hockey collectibles. The rarity of such an item is directly tied to it’s perceived value.

The other Oldest Hockey Stick Ever ( ‘Rutherford stick’ )

Before the Moffatt stick was discovered, the Rutherford stick was the oldest known piece of hockey history. Believed to have been carved between 1852 and 1856, this stick was put up for auction way back in 2001 for $2.2 million dollars. At one point it had a rumored value of over $4 million.

The final price tag, or exactly when this treasure exchanged hands is not known. The current owner remains anonymous and because of this, there are whispers of doubt floating about it’s authenticity. The Hockey Hall of Fame however, has put the stick on display which should be viewed as a good sign.

Real or fake, having the Rutherford stick in your collection takes things to a whole new level.

Wayne Gretzky, 1979 O-Pee-Chee BVG 9.5

He is the Great One – he is Wayne Gretzky. Regarded as probably the greatest player ever to grace the ice, Gretzky set records that players continue to chase to this day.

Being such a highly respected player, it is no mystery why he has the most highly coveted hockey card. Graded at a 9.5, this specific card is valued at close to $100k. It is very rare, with only a handful of other cards in existence that can compare in quality.

There you go, 5 ultra rare hockey collectibles that you will never lay your hands upon. So what new treasures will you discover? Do not get dicouraged, build your collection with items from your favorite teams, players and moments in hockey history. One day you may stumble on something that is just for you, something very few others can possess… your hockey grail!

For some great hockey autographs to add to your collection, check out our store.

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Great Moments in St Louis Blues Team History

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Last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs were an interesting one for sure.  Outside of Pittsburgh no one really thought the remaining 3 teams (San Jose, St Louis and Tampa Bay Lightning) would still be around at that time.  In this blog we will focus on the top 4 moments of the St Louis Blues.  Again, this is our list and you may have your own top 4 moments, which we would love to hear.  Here we go:

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1) October 11, 1967 – The franchise’s first game and home game. The St Louis Blues and Minnesota North Stars played to a 2-2 tie at the St. Louis Arena. The Blues boasted a lineup of veteran players including Al Arbour, Red Berenson, Terry Crisp and Dickie Moore to name a few.  This team reached the Stanley Cup Finals that season against the Montreal Canadiens.

2) May 12, 1986 –The Monday Night Miracle – Winger Greg Paslawski scored two late third period goals to send Game 6 of the Conference Finals into overtime against the Calgary Flames. St Louis Blues Centre Doug Wickenheiser was the overtime the hero, scoring the game winner in to complete arguably the most remarkable comeback in Blues history.

3) 1999-2000 Season – The St Louis Blues claim the first President’s Trophy in team history when they finish the year with a 51-20-11-1 record, good for 114 points.  This is a franchise first for the team.

4) November 29, 2000 – The St Louis Blues came back from a 5-0 deficit in the third period to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 in overtime. It was only the second time a team has come back such a large deficit in the third period to win a game. The Blues scored their six goals in 15 minutes and 27 seconds, making it the fastest time a team has come back from a five-goal deficit in NHL history. This line-up bolstered players such as Pierre Turgeon, Al MacInnis, Chris Pronger and the late Pavol Dimitra to name a few.

We have some great deals on St. Louis Blues merchandise in our shop. If this is your team, check it out.

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