You'll Always Remember Your First Piece (The Origin of the Justin Faulk PC)

 

Upper Deck 2015-2016  #36


    Every Collector has a story! A moment in which their fandom began! A time in their life when they decided to take on an project, task or hobby for the sole purpose of fun. This is my story! I have always been aware of the NHL. Having grown up 30 minutes from "The Ice Palace" in the days in which the Tampa Bay Lightning were just a mere expansion team I attended my fair share of hockey games as the likes of Dino Ciccarelli, Darren Puppa and Roman Hamrlik were Lightning staples. I remember being there to boo former top pick ( #3 over in 1993) Chris Gratton when he returned after signing  with the Flyers after the 1996 playoff run. I was there for former number one overall pick (1992) Roman Hamrlik return with Edmonton in 1998 as well.  However, I was never what you would have called a serious hockey fan. Hockey never occupied a huge place in my life, and why would it this was the Dungy/ Gruden Era of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and I did not have time for the cellar dwelling Lightning.

    Fast Forward to 2008 and a stationing in Norfolk Virginia with the United States Navy and the 2009 NHL playoffs where a fiery Canes team sparked by Hot shot scorer Eric Staal, and Grizzled Vet Rod Brind'amour caught my eye as they made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals only to lose out to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins in a sweep. 

    Family and deployments followed until a chance stationing in North Carolina provided me with an opportunity to see the Hurricanes in person as a guest of the True Defenders Program. A program sponsored by Justin Faulk, Jean Michael-Liles and James Wisniewski. The Canes lost 2-1 to Vancouver in overtime and after the came we had the privilege of meeting Faulk, Liles, and Wisniewski. They were all so gracious but I remembered Faulk specifically he had his mouth stitched up and a black eye due to a rough game but he could not have been a better host. I left that night a full blown hockey fan.

The next day on a whim I bought a blaster of Upper Deck 2015-2016 and pulled a Justin Faulk (actual card pictured above) card from it. Having collected cards as a kid and facing a long physical layup due to an upcoming hip surgery I figured why not start collecting again? Then came the question that would change everything how hard would it be to run down a copy every Justin Faulk Card ever made?

Six years have passed since I asked that question, and my collection sits at 265 of 623 ( having taken a brief hiatus to deal with personal issues as well as the pandemic). Faulk is now on the St. Louis Blues yet the hunt continues. All started by a pack of cards, a surgery, and a question. Thanks for reading and Redvolution!


The Caniac Collector

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