Frozen Fire

I recently took a huge leap in my collecting habits, spending the most money I have ever spent on a single card. I consider myself to be a mid-range collector with occasional high-end taste, so after taking some time to shake off the jitters of spending so much I pulled the trigger on this unique redemption:

2008/09 In The Game Between The Pipes Dual Player "Made to Order"

For those of you who may not be familiar with these cards, you basically have the unique chance to have a custom memorabilia card created for you by the folks at ITG. You can view a list of available players on the company website and choose who and what you want included in the card, based on availability of course. There are different combinations available to be pulled from the product, from single player cards to triple player cards and complete jerseys, and each variation is limited to only ten copies so this is a chance not many collectors get to experience.

After a week of gathering advice from fellow collectors and some deep consideration I have decided to request the following players:

Georges Vezina (Goalie Pads)
Jacques Plante (Goalie Pads)

Both players played an important role in hockey history, and to have two of the greatest goaltenders from a storied franchise like the Montreal Canadiens featured on my own custom-made memorabilia card will add a one-of-a-kind piece to my collection.

While it was tough to decide on Jacques Plante as my second selection, given the depth of vintage memorabilia available on the list, I had no trouble choosing Georges Vezina as there is a unique history behind the goalie pads I requested.

Back in 2000 there was quite a stir made in the hobby world when ITG decided to purchase and cut up the only known pair of game-used Georges Vezina goalie pads for inclusion in the 2000/01 Be A Player Memorabilia product. Many collectors, including myself, were excited about the chance to pull a swatch of such historic importance. Others however, felt the nearly century-old pads belonged in the Hockey Hall of Fame instead of wedged between two pieces of cardboard. In reality the pads were available to anybody who chose to purchase them, since they remained on the market without the Hall of Fame or other organization acquiring them the folks at ITG decided to make the move and it sent waves throughout the hobby as well as the sports world.

Fast forward to 2009, and after being used in products for almost ten years the last remnants of the Georges Vezina pads are starting to run out. I was informed that there are only 1/2"x1/2" swatches remaining, and I am very excited to get this chance to have them included in a custom card before they are gone into collections forever. Add a swatch of the legendary Jacques Plante's goalie pads and I will have a new cornerstone in my collection that will most likely never be topped.

A great collector and fellow Nova Scotian named Cyril pulled this card at the Spring Expo in Toronto and liked my offer enough to sell it to me. These cards are very hard to come by and copies that appear on eBay tend to spur fierce competition from ITG faithful, so having the chance to obtain one locally through a collector I know and trust was an opportunity I couldn't let slip by.

It will most likely be late summer or fall before the card is completed and mailed to me, but when it does arrive expect an exciting mail post here on SCF!