Another of Guy's jerseys hits the auction block

(image source:  GameWornAuctions.net)

GameWornAuctions.net's current auction has a Carbo game-worn jersey up for bids.  It is a road Dallas Stars gamer from the 1999-2000 season (the final season of Guy's career).  It is a 1st set jersey and has a lot of game wear.  It comes with a Dallas Stars team letter.

The current bid is $322.10 USD and the auction closes on December 6 at 10:00 PM EDT.  It will be interesting to see what this jersey goes for with Guy now in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

You can find the jersey here. 

Two Carbo gamers hit the auction block

Apologies for the late post, this has come on my radar just now.

GameWornAuctions.net's Spring 2019 auction features two jerseys worn by Guy.  

The first is a home jersey from the 1986-87 season, which is hammered with wear and team repairs.  The current bid for this jersey is $707.39 USD.

1986-87 Game-Worn Jersey

The second is an away jersey from the 1989-90 season, during which Carbo shared captaining duties for the Habs with Chris Chelios.  Therefore, this is one of Guy's first captain's jerseys.  The current bid for this jersey is $855.94 USD.

1989-90 Game-Worn Jersey

Both auctions close on Tuesday, May 21 at 10:00 EDT.

A nice little article about Carbo; plus, some new items hit the auction block

Last week, the Montreal Gazette published an article by Stu Cowan, about Guy being the last Canadiens captain -- and indeed, the last captain of a Canadian team -- to hoist the Stanley Cup.  Carbo had this to say about the pressure to win in Montreal versus that of later on in his career with Dallas:

Carbonneau doesn’t buy the pressure of playing in Montreal as an excuse for the Canadiens’ lack of success in recent years, saying there was also a lot of pressure to win in Dallas.

“Was it easier at the start? Yeah,” Carbonneau said about playing for the Stars. “But once we got going and (GM Bob Gainey) built a franchise that could win, the pressure to perform was there. Obviously, you could hide a little bit there, but you can do that here, too. I tell people: ‘You think that (Sharks stars) Brent Burns and Joe Thornton grow their beards not to be recognized in San Jose?’ I mean, come on.

“When things are good and you’re scoring lots and you’re getting points and the team is winning, everybody wants to be seen,” Carbonneau added about the players. “Everybody wants to go in the bars and be happy, go to the restaurants and everybody’s laughing. But all of a sudden when it’s not going well, now they want to hide? Or they’re bitching because they can’t hide? It doesn’t work.” 

 You can read the full article here.

* * *

Some interesting memorabilia items have appeared on the auction block recently.  Classic Auctions has Guy's goal puck plaque from his first NHL hat trick, here.  The current bid is $393.00 USD and the auction closes at 9:00 PM EDT on Tuesday, June 19.

Also, the goal puck plaque from Guy's first ever NHL goal has appeared on eBay, here.  At $2500 USD it's a bit too rich for my blood but it's a marvelous item.  Oh, if only I could win the lottery...  

The Only Carbonneau Museum in the Ottawa Valley

I realized recently that in six and a half years of doing this blog, I have never shown my own collection of Carbo memorabilia.  I guess this is because, as my friend Diane Lau once said, even though many people collect, it seems neurotic and I have visions of Guy visiting my house and fleeing in horror.  I have collected Carbo memorabilia for ten years now and have amassed a pretty extensive collection.  It's gotten to the point that there isn't much that I haven't seen or don't already own, and though the really unique pieces on sports memorabilia auction sites are often too rich for my blood, I have been lucky enough to acquire some rare items.

My Carbo collection is housed in my computer room.  I occupy the upstairs of my mother's house and have a bedroom and computer room.  My room has slanted ceilings, so wall space is limited.  I actually have Guy posters that are put away as I just don't have the wall space at the moment to hang them up.  I also have two cats, so you will be seeing litterboxes in these pictures.  (The litterboxes are clean, though!)  

So without further ado, here is The Only Carbonneau Museum in the Ottawa Valley.

The door to my computer room is covered by this HUGE Carbo growth chart poster.  It was a mail-in promotion from Kraft Foods back in 1989.  I happen to love this poster because it includes two things I love, Carbo and teddy bears!

Moving to the right of the door, here is the pride of my life:  my 1995-96 game-worn Dallas jersey.  You can see that to the right of the jersey, there are two photos hanging on the wall.  These are the photomatches for the jersey.  (That is, photos of Guy actually wearing the jersey.)

The photomatches.  The jersey was actually pretty easy to match up to photos; there is a black thread in the T in "Stars" that you can see in these photos.

And these are the photos hanging to the left of the jersey.  The one on the bottom, a signed action shot of Guy from the 1999-2000 season (his last in the NHL) is actually the first piece of autographed Carbo memorabilia I ever got.

On the shelf above the jersey are photos from both times I met Guy, along with a few random pieces of memorabilia.

A closer look at the memorabilia items.  The little Carbo figurine was a promotion from Provigo (a supermarket chain in Quebec) during the 1988-89 season.  Both the Coke and the Dallas Stars slice of the ice (actual ice water from Guy's 3rd Cup) were gifts from readers of this blog.  And the signed business card is from Guy's stint as Habs head coach.

Moving around the room, here is my trifecta of Carbo sticks hanging on the wall.  (A tip:  if you're looking to hang hockey sticks, L-shaped cornice hooks from the hardware store are the best.  They're inexpensive and easy, you just screw them into the wall and you're all set.)

And this is the photomatch to the Sher-Wood stick (the third one on the wall).  The stick is from Guy's second-to-last game before he retired.

This is a signed candid photo of Guy from the 1993 Habs Cup parade.  You can barely see the signature; Guy's pen died.

This is a rare signed photo of Guy.  It is from when he played for what was the Habs' AHL affiliate at the time, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs.  (Guy played for them from 1980 to 1982.)  My Steiff turtle also wants to say hello.

Moving around the room again, here is the photo that Carbo signed for me and my fiance Erik for our anniversary in 2009.  Erik wrote to Guy requesting an autograph.  The photo directly below it is of another retired NHLer, goaltender Pascal Leclaire.

This is my Kraft Drawings print of Guy.  This was another promotion from Kraft Foods, this time in 1987.  Kraft issued a series of hockey cards with drawings of players and you could send in proofs of purchase and receive large posters of the artwork.  This was a hard one for me to acquire on eBay and I haven't seen another one up for auction since.

A graphic artist friend made this image for me back in 2008.  It is a composite of several of my favorite photos of Guy.  The quote is from Roch Carrier's "The Hockey Sweater."

And last but certainly not least are my Carbo rookie skates.  These are photomatched as well, to Guy's 1982-83 Steinberg rookie card.  Also Mickey Mouse ears.  The placement of things in my room tends to be random.  

So that's the tour!  Hope you enjoyed it!

A work of art

If you've been following this blog for any amount of time, you will know that I have long bemoaned the fact that McFarlane Toys never chose Guy as the subject of one of their hockey figurines.  However, there are customizers out there who take existing figurines and make them into whatever players they choose.

Hockeycustoms is one such customizer.  I discovered on Twitter recently that they made a figurine of Carbo!  With permission, I'm featuring the figurine here.  As stated on the Facebook page, "For this custom of former Canadiens captain Guy Carbonneau I used a McFarlane series 4 [Brendan] Shanahan figure as the base and did a straight repaint, only adding a visor." 

(image source:  Facebook/Hockeycustoms, used with permission)

What I can't get over with this figure is the detail.  Even Guy's signature CCM Tacks skates are perfect, as is the Victoriaville stick that he used during this era.  

Do check this customizer out, their Facebook page features many other amazing figurines and they do awesome work!

A gem for my collection

It's been a LONG time since I've posted anything collecting-related, but this warrants it.  I've more or less gotten to the point in Carbo collecting where there isn't much I haven't seen before, and all the stuff that's been coming up in sports memorabilia auctions of late has been too rich for my blood, alas.  Thus, it takes something really special to pique my interest.  

I have two of Guy's sticks from early in his career, during his time with the Canadiens, and I've always wanted a stick from later on in his career.  For some reason I was surfing eBay recently and I found a gem of a stick -- used in his second-to-last NHL game, which would have been Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals series against the New Jersey Devils on June 8, 2000.  The seller obtained the stick directly from Guy after the game in New Jersey.  After pondering it for a bit, I sent a "best offer" in to the seller, who accepted!

Here are some photos of my new acquisition:

(Source for images:  eBay/kruze69, used with permission)

Upon closer view of the stick in the photo of Guy, you can see that the very tip of the blade has a chip in the paint:

Overall, I am extremely happy!  I want to thank Jerry, the seller, for being so easy to work with.  The stick has a good home and I cherish it.

I hope all of you are having a fantastic summer!

More of Guy's things hit the auction block: recap

First of all, I owe a HUGE apology to you, my readers.  This auction flew completely under my radar and I didn't know about it until bidding was closed.  Had I known about it, of course I would have posted about it here.  However, I would be remiss if I didn't make a post about it even if it is a recap.

Guy recently sold some memorabilia at gamewornauctions.net, the most notable item being his Dallas Stars 1999 Stanley Cup Finals jersey, the one worn in Buffalo when Dallas captured the Cup.  

(image source:  gamewornauctions.net)

Here are the Carbonneau items in the auction:

1998-99 Dallas Stars Stanley Cup Finals game-worn jersey

1999-2000 Dallas Stars game-worn jersey

1994-95 St. Louis Blues game-worn jersey

1000th NHL game and 400th NHL assist pucks

First victory as an NHL assistant coach award with game puck

1984-85 Molson award

Montreal Canadiens hat trick award with game puck

Dallas Stars CCM game-worn skates (from Guy's final NHL game)

Congratulations to the winning bidders!  (I sure am jealous of whoever got those skates.)

Guy's '93 Finals jersey hits the auction block

Classic Auctions is doing another auction and this time, Guy's red Canadiens jersey from the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals is up for bids.  This jersey was worn during games 3 and 4 of the series in Los Angeles.  Typical of Guy's game-worn jerseys, there is wear on the sleeves.  The current bid on the jersey is $1,302.  The auction ends on June 14 at 9:00 PM EDT.  To view and bid on the jersey, click here. 

Carbo on the Habs' recent woes; and his Stanley Cup skates hit the auction block

The wheels have fallen off the Montreal Canadiens' season, and Guy has some things to say about it, having been fired in 2009 when the Habs' fortunes went downward.  From the Montreal Gazette, when asked if he has any advice for head coach Michel Therrien:

“It doesn’t matter what kind of advice somebody would give him. You’re in this by yourself. You’re surrounded by people that you trust. His assistant coaches and his GM and the owners, the players — and that’s pretty much the bubble that he lives in right now. He’s got people around him, a girlfriend and the kids that love him and always support him.”

And Guy's thoughts on coaching:

“It’s like raising a family,” Carbonneau said. “Before, coaches were paid to coach. Now, they’re paid to babysit, to be a father, a mother, a coach, a psychiatrist, a psychologist. They have to deal with the media, they have to deal with the fans … it’s not an easy thing.”

The full interview can be read here.

Finally, switching gears:  Classic Auctions' Winter 2016 auction is now online, with a fantastic pair of Guy's skates -- the ones he wore when he hoisted the Stanley Cup with Montreal on June 9, 1993.  These skates have tons of wear and have been photomatched.  The current bid is $220, and you can view them (and bid) here.

Memorabilia from Guy's own collection hits the auction block

The online auction house Classic Auctions is currently holding its Winter 2015 auction, and some of Guy's things are up for bids.  Some amazing stuff here.  I've linked the auctions below.

1992-93 Canadiens Stanley Cup pendant, belonging to Guy's wife Line

1983-84 Canadiens Molson Cup trophy

Canadiens 1st win as head coach trophy

Dallas Stars game-worn helmet and two golf bags

1992-93 Canadiens Birks key chains

Canadiens equipment bag

Late 1980's Canadiens vs. Russians MVP watch

Additionally, a game-issued jersey with game-used stick are up for bids.  Bidding closes on February 24 at 10:00 PM EST.  

To end this post, here is a recent photo of Guy high-fiveing a children's choir from the recent "Habs vs. Hab-Nots" game in Owen Sound, Ontario.

(source)

Bullet points

• Delissio is once again running its Legendary Express contest, in which you can win a chance to take a train trip from Montreal to Ottawa to see a Habs game with Habs legends (including Guy). The contest is open in Quebec only and ends on May 26.  The website is here.
• Carbo has appeared in a Quebec television show focusing on athletes' lives after retiring from the game. The video is available online and if you can understand French, you can watch it here.
• One of Guy's 1995-96 Dallas Stars road jerseys is up for auction. The jersey exhibits nice game wear and is up for bids until June 17. You can view the auction here.
• And finally, an autographed stick used by Carbo is also up for bids. The auction closes on May 20 and can be viewed here.

That is all.  Enjoy!

Guy and the Basic Game Worn Jersey 101

* Edited October 12, 2013 to add photo of jersey and remove dead eBay link

This is a post I wrote on the gameworn.net forum last week involving a Carbonneau game worn jersey.  I chose not to publicize the jersey here based on the things I wrote, I was pretty sure it was a good jersey and it is, but not 100% and when you're bidding on expensive things like game worn collectibles, it's probably good to be 100% sure.  

So essentially, in case I was wrong, I didn't want to be responsible for someone's expensive mistake.  But my information here is good, which I've been told by other game worn people, and the jersey itself closed on eBay for $1950.07 which is pretty much the average/standard price for one of Guy's Montreal sweaters.

(photo source:  eBay)

 This is the sweater (eBay link is now dead) and congratulations to the person who got it, because it's terrific!  And my offer of help with photomatching still stands, I'm always happy to help out someone who likes Guy. 

This is a basic example of the things to look for, and research, when buying game worn collectibles.  It's more casual in my writing than the things I write in this blog because well, it's a forum.

Okay. I hardly ever post here but this came up. I certainly don't know as much about gameworn in general as you guys but I do know about Carbonneau, having been a hardcore collector of his stuff for over half a decade. It's not that concentrated in GW stuff -- I have a few pieces -- but I have pretty much all the random non-GW stuff that came out during the Habs era. With Dallas there was not a whole lot. Anyway.

I'm just going on what I know and what I can take a good guess at based on what I've seen and related information, but the wear on this jersey looks about right based on other Carbos I've seen. Lots of repairs on the elbows and sleeves (yep that's Guy all right) ratty crest, stick marks, etc. The 86/04 tag -- I do not know much about Habs tagging, or Maska tagging, but there was a 1986-87 home on Classic a number of years ago with the same 86/04 tag, so I'm guessing that season? The listing does not give the year, which bugs me. Also bugging me is the "obtained from a member of Leafs staff" provenance. If you're doing provenance and you're putting it on an auction page you better come up with something better than that. How did the Leafs person get it? From the Leafs? (WTF were they doing with a Habs jersey? If they had a Habs jersey, they probably would've burned it. LOL) From Carbo himself? From a collector? Was the Leafs person a collector? If so, what do they know? Questions. If I had the answers I'd put them right on the auction page instead of having people ask in because with something of that price, they're gonna ask. I know LOAs don't come even remotely close to photomatching, but yeah. The auction page does not even mention an LOA. If you're a memorabilia dealer which this seller seems to be but you're not offering one? Suspect. 7 day return policy on the auction.

Also, a friend of mine has a 1984-85 Carbonneau home (from Marc Juteau/Classic, sleeves on that one are a disaster too) and she was told by a Habs/Carbo fan that they only issued one home jersey to him that year, which is the one she has. He didn't say about the road jerseys but I'm guessing just one too. That was two years before this jersey, if the date is right. So that also explains the wear -- less jerseys. But people can also fake wear pretty well so I don't know. Also the policy on how many jerseys issued might've changed in the two years -- Habs experts?

Also. I first saw this listing this morning. It was at $1700 then. No bids, that was just the starter. The auction has obviously been pulled -- it wasn't to end for another few days -- and relisted at $1400. When it was at 17 it had 6 watchers. I can't find information on the seller other than it's apparently Glory Days Sports in Toronto. 28 Ripley. They have a Facebook page but it's basically empty. No updates. The page has been on Facebook since 2011. [This was the one thing I was wrong about, the Facebook page I was referring to was a different one, the one linked here is active.]  eBay feedback is basically good -- no negs this year -- but that's neither here nor there re: the authenticity of the jersey.

So there you go. If anyone else can shed more light, please do so. If it is legit, I'm surprised that someone hasn't already jumped on it because it's a Montreal jersey and Guy's stuff from Montreal is most desirable. Glory days. But then again, I'm also surprised that his 2nd to last jersey on gamewornauctions a few months ago went so low. It was the last of his from his NHL career to ever hit the market (the home from his final game was retained by the Stars, per Barry, and likely given to him when he retired). And it's an SCF, even if the Stars lost that series. Based on some of the prices of other Carbos from auctions past. But that always can change.

And, if it is legit, it's pretty well photomatchable and I have a very, very good shot at matching it because I have all the Les Canadiens magazines from when Guy played with them except I think the one from 1985-86 where Gainey is doing the Superman thing on the cover. And those have tons, TONS, of Guy action photos. So if someone here or someone reading this picks it up, e-mail me.

My verdict: I'm not going to give one one way or the other, I'll leave that to the rest of you, I'm just giving what I know personally.

Oh yeah. And the pasted in Wikipedia thing on Guy's career. I edited that previously so it WAS right, but I see someone has effed with it again because his draft date is listed as 1980. NOT RIGHT. It was 1979. 3rd round. 44th overall. This is why you shouldn't rely on Wikipedia for anything. 

Cheers.

A few news updates

Firstly, the jersey auction closed last week, and Carbo's last gamer (at least, the last one to be made available on the market) sold for $1378.50 before hammer fee and shipping.  Congrats to the winner -- you picked up a real gem!

Also last week, Patrick Roy was appointed head coach and vice-president of  hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche.  Guy shared his thoughts on Roy with the Montreal Gazette:

Did he see Roy as a future coach when they were teammates? “Not as much as anybody thought that I would be a coach. It’s not something you really think about when you start your career and you’re playing hockey. But we travelled a lot together and we talked a lot about how the game is played and how to get around things and I think that’s something that we always enjoyed together.”

On Roy’s coaching career: “I think he did it a lot differently than most of us did. He went back in junior in Quebec City … not only was he a coach, but he was a GM, an owner … all those things together. He gained a lot of experience doing all of those little things.”

His advice for Roy: ”My advice to him … I think he’s already there. He’s well-prepared, he’s proved that in the past. I think expectation has to be fair. I think everybody wants to win quickly … I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but it happens once in a while. But to understand what kind of team you have and what they can do. Too often a coach has a style and doesn’t have the players to play that style or has the players to play one kind of style and the coach doesn’t want to play that style. I think you really have to understand what kind of team you have and try to mould part of the system around it.”

On the adjustment from being a player to a coach: ”I always said that playing was the easiest thing ever. You get told when to show up to the rink, what time you need to get dressed, what time you get to go on the ice, what kind of drills you need to do, where you go for the drills, when to get off the ice. All those things are done for you, so you don’t really have to think about anything else than just get yourself prepared and show up for the game and play.

“As a coach, you have 22, 23 sometimes more players and you have to take care of a lot of things … travelling sometimes, practices … and players are human beings. They have their own problems … family problems, all those things … sickness, injuries. But it’s something that for him he saw every day, but at a different level. So it’s not going to be anything new to him, but he’s going to have to be patient and learn from the mistakes he makes. He was a great player, he was a good coach in junior, but he’s going to make mistakes … everybody does. It’s how you react to those mistakes.”

On whether he might get a call from Roy offering an assistant coach job: “I have no idea. I haven’t talked to him …. It’s up to him. He’s got control of who he wants to have around him (as vice-president of hockey operations). He’s going to have his reasons like I had when I was a coach here. I knew what I wanted around me and that’s what I got. I don’t know what he wants.”

On Roy’s infamous temper: ”They said the same thing about me, they said the same thing about Michel Bergeon, they said the same thing about Pat Burns … everybody has a temper. You have to have a temper … if you don’t have a temper, get out of there. If you don’t have temper that means you accept to fail … at one point you have to put your foot down and shake some things. He was like that when he was a player and he was successful. He was like that when he was a coach in junior and was successful. He might have to adjust a little bit, but I don’t think he has to change anything. Whatever worked in the past should work in the future … that’s why they hired him.”

On Roy adjusting to his new job: “He’s going to have a chance to meet with the players during the summer and talk to them, whether it’s on the phone or face to face, and learn a little bit more about them and they’re going to learn a little bit more about him. But I think once everybody is together for Day 1 of training camp and that first speech and that first practice he’s going to be well prepared.”

His favourite Roy story: “I have a lot of them. … We won two Cups together and we travelled every day together to the rink because we lived really close to each other. We had to change roads pretty often when we were losing … we’re both pretty superstitious. I just have great memories of him. He was always a good friend and a great competitor. He hated to lose. Hopefully he’ll keep that for his career in coaching.” (link )

Also, Guy's Selke nomination streak (1986-1990) was surpassed recently by the Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk, who was nominated for the trophy for a sixth consecutive season.  (link)

A GEM of a Carbo gamer hits the market

In the current GAMEWORNAUCTIONS.net auction, Guy's 1999-2000 Stanley Cup Finals road jersey is up for bids.  This jersey was worn in the series against the New Jersey Devils and as such, is the 2nd to last jersey Guy ever wore in the NHL (the white home jersey worn in his final game was retained by the Stars and likely given to him upon his retirement).  

From the auction description:

Sewn to the right breast of this gamer is the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals patch. Sewn just above is the year 2000 NHL patch. The game wear on this 3rd set size 56 sweater is solid and consists of stick and slash marks, board burns, board paint transfer, un-repaired burn holes, inner pilling and a handful of team-sewn repairs. Shown above is a beautiful photo match of Carbonneau wearing this exact jersey during the Western Conference Finals against Colorado. Also shown above are video match highlights of Carbonneau wearing this exact jersey during the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals. Sewn to the inside hem is the official Dallas Stars game worn jersey and set tagging. A terrific well-worn photo and video matched example complete with the Stanley Cup Finals patch and donned by Carbonneau during the final road games of his award winning career, choice! This jersey will be accompanied by a Stars team letter.

The auction is here and ends on May 21 at 10:00 PM.  Happy bidding!

The $650 Carbonneau gamer that broke my heart

Allow me to share the story of a jersey that crushed my soul.

(image source:  Classic Auctions)

Before I finally did obtain my grail last winter, there was this jersey.  It came up in the spring 2009 Classic Auction.  Bidding on this jersey was slow, and I surmise that was because of the huge personalized autograph on the front, something that collectors tend to avoid.  Alas, I was without a job at the time, and had I had the money, this jersey would've been within my reach.  Some friends (God bless 'em), attempted to pool together some cash for me to buy it, but in the end we came up short.  Heartbreaking.

The jersey sold (before hammer fee and shipping) at just below $650.  If you know anything about Carbonneau game-worn jerseys, you'll know that this is absolute highway robbery for one of his gamers.

Now, for something I do own, which I don't believe I've ever shown on this blog:

I've had these for a few years.  They're shinguards that Guy wore in the 1996-97 season with the Dallas Stars.  (My cat Henry really wanted to get into the picture, apparently he loves Carbo too.)  I bought these from someone who had acquired them at a Stars equipment sale.  To me they're cool because Guy was known for blocking shots, and how can you block shots without shin protection?

The shinguards are also marked with his number 21.  

Show and tell

Typically I don't buy Carbo autographed stuff anymore -- I have so many of his autographs it's not even funny, including some that he signed for me personally.  The exception to this is when something really interesting comes up.  So when this came up on the 'Bay recently, I went for it.

It's an original snapshot from 1993 of Guy in the Canadiens' Stanley Cup parade, which the seller had signed by Guy later.  His pen apparently died though, but that's okay by me.

And man, the shirt Guy wore in that parade sure was atrocious.

Slice of the Ice update

Nearly two months ago, I posted about an item I'd added to my collecting wishlist -- the "Slice of the Ice" from the Stars' 1999 Stanley Cup win.  These things are harder to find than I'd anticipated -- scarce on eBay and everyone on Craigslist only wanted to sell locally.

Enter Mike, from Texas, who e-mailed me after seeing my blog post to tell me that he had one of these pieces and after reading my blog and seeing that it would have great meaning to me, offered to send it to me as a gift!

Wow.  I was rendered speechless!  

It arrived today so here it is displayed on my shelf:

It is a really cool piece -- it's heavy plexiglass and the melted ice from the Marine Midland Arena is encased inside the puck in the center.  (Also, that Leafs frame is all you'll see of the Leafs in my room -- it holds a signed photo of another of my favorites, Doug Gilmour.)

People amaze me sometimes, in a very good way.  Thanks so much, Mike!

Coke bottle!

You may remember my post about the 1999 Dallas Stars commemorative Coke bottle.  Loyal blog reader James, from California, sent along this piece of Carbo/Stars history:

And no, I won't drink it, even though my cola-addicted self sometimes gets desperate when there's none of the stuff in the house.  ;)  Thanks so much, James!

Another photomatch for the Carbo gamer

Happened upon this photo tonight on eBay:

(photo source:  eBay/The Sporting News)

Yep, that's Guy wearing my jersey.  Not only is there a match to the green thread sewn into the "T" in "Stars," I took the jersey out of its case to match the black mark on the bottom.  The auction states that the photo was taken in 1996, so if that holds true, Guy wore the jersey during the latter half of the season.  Awesome stuff for me.  I gave the jersey a big hug upon discovering this, before returning it to its case.

An item added to my wishlist & a lockout quote

This piece of Dallas Stars Stanley Cup memorabilia was brought to my attention recently:

(photo source:  Dallas Craigslist)

It's a "slice of the ice" from the Stars' 1999 Stanley Cup win -- taken from the ice of the Marine Midland Arena (now the First Niagara Center) in Buffalo, New York after the Stars' victory.  This is entirely too fabulous to me -- the ice (okay, water) from Guy's final Stanley Cup win.  So I pretty much decided that I have to have one of these and am now on the hunt.  I'll keep everyone posted.  :)

EDIT:  This post is becoming a hodgepodge but I had to add this, because it pertains to the era when Guy was playing.  I'm sure some of you will remember NHL on Fox and the dreaded FoxTrax.  Yes, those hockey pucks with LED sensors that were designed to streak across your TV screen with comet trails and other such ridiculousness.  Long a thing of the past, and apparently now the pucks are prized collector's items.  Go figure.

And with talks between the NHL and its players' association again at a standstill, I saw a quote published on Twitter on Thursday (when the talks broke down) in regards to another retired player that resonated with me, so I'll paraphrase the adapted version here:  Today is a day when I'm glad that Guy Carbonneau is long retired, so I don't have to worry about the lockout ending his career.  So true, so true.  Like just about every other NHL fan, I'm beyond frustrated with this lockout.  I wish the two sides would stop pointing fingers at each other and just get it done already.  The fans deserve that much.