Quite Likely My Favorite Hockey Card of 2011-12

In case you couldn't tell based on recent posts, I've been focusing on vintage hockey these past few months. I can't even remember the last time I purchased a pack of anything, so I've seen almost nothing in terms of 2011-12 product. I have to say that I really haven't missed the new stuff much, but there have been a handful of cards that have caught my attention. There is one in particular that as a Bruins fan I just had to have, and for .99 cents it has now been added to the collection:

This is Patrice Bergeron's 2011-12 Upper Deck Canvas insert. These are seeded, I'm not sure at what odds, into the 2011-12 UD flagship set. As the name implies they have sort of a canvas texture on the front. There are 120 of them in total, and in this biased Bruins fan's opinion Patrice Bergeron has the best looking card in the set.

I think any hockey fan, whether you like the Bruins or not, can appreciate just how great this photo of the under-rated Bruins leader sipping from Lord Stanley's Cup is. This was clearly taken in the locker room immediately following Boston's game 7 victory in Vancouver last summer. This card exudes emotion and you can really get an idea of just how much joy and satisfaction the players get from coming out on top after weeks of grueling NHL playoffs.

The backs of these feature a photo that differs from the front, and while not an exact match they remind me very much of the backs from the inaugural '90-91 Upper Deck set. I won't be building the Upper Deck flagship set this year, but I could certainly see myself picking up a few more of these canvas inserts on the cheap...