Box Break - 1995-96 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey - Packs 7 & 8

Here's the next two packs from the hobby box. So far I've been able to show pretty good restraint and have only opened these as I'm ready to post them:

Pack 7:

#254 - Mike Milbury's Scouting Report - Ray Sheppard (Double)

Wayne Gretzky's Record Collection - Checklist

Crap. I don't know what the stated odds are, but I really hope the non-numbered checklist isn't the only Gretzky Collection card I pull from this box. Oh well...

#130 - Sean Burke

This is one of the few 95-96 Upper Deck cards I already owned prior to picking up the box.

#269 - Shane Doan Star Rookie

#54 - Joe Sakic

Nice work Joe, that's how you deal with a Canadien!

#101 - Shayne Corson

#173 - Nikolai Borschevsky

#201 - Tony Granato

#208 - Patrick Poulin (Electric Ice)

#131 - Shean Donovan

#2 - Donald Audette

#169 - Mark Messier

Best card in the pack:

#169 - Mark Messier

Had the Gretzky Collection card been anything but the checklist it would have won out hands down, but as it stands I'll go with Mark Messier. If the look on his face doesn't exemplify grit and determination then I don't know what does. Plus we get a bonus mullet in the background courtesy of the Rangers coaching staff.

Pack 8:

#233 - Brett Hull 5th Anniversary

#250 - Mike Milbury's Scouting Report - Ray Bourque

#143 - Trevor Kidd

Nice horizontal action shot of the Flames netminder.

#259 - Saku Koivu Star Rookie

This one has to be up there as one of the top Star Rookies in the Series 1 set.

#59 - Jason Allison (Electric Ice)

#196 - Rick Tabaracci

#109 - Paul Ysebaert

#135 - Scott Pearson

#95 - Bret Hedican

#208 - Patrick Poulin

#122 - Eric LaCroix

#48 - Felix Potvin

Best card in the pack:

#109 - Paul Ysebaert

You might think this is a strange card to pick, especially over the Saku Koivu rookie card, but allow me to explain. As you can see, Ysebaert has just scored a goal against my hometown Whalers. Back in 1995 (I believe), the home teams still wore white and the road teams wore darker colors (when did that change by the way?). So, I'm going to presume that this photograph was taken in Hartford. If so, the reason I like this card is because the fans in the background really give some good perspective on what it was like to be a Whalers fan in those final years before the franchise ultimately moved to Carolina. Here's a close-up of the fans to the right of Ysebaert in the photo:

Presumed Whaler fan #1, the bald guy in the green sweater, just looks flat out dejected, as does the Jerry Springer look-alike seated behind him. Then a couple of rows back we have what looks like two young girls who apparently have no interest in the game whatsoever. They're probably playing with a stack of pogs, those were all the rage in 1995.

It's the little details like this that make a card stand out to me. I would be psyched if my one-per-box Electric Ice Gold parallel was of this card!