Completed Set: 1988-89 Topps Hockey

Back in 1988, the grade school version of me was busy playing Little League baseball, collecting baseball cards, and loving it. However, I'd also made a new friend at school who played hockey. (As did all of his brothers. I think there were six of them.) Soon I'd start learning more about this new sport, playing it, and by association, opening packs of hockey cards for the first time. 

Because of all this, the 1988-89 Topps hockey set brings back a lot of fun memories for me. I'd open those first packs and immediately get hit by the players, the uniforms and logos, and the kid-friendly design. 

 
Just look at the cards. Everything is fun, colorful, and fitting for the decade. The slanted color bar with the pushpin holding it in place will remind any '80s kid of bulletin boards. The dotted pattern underneath is reminiscent of halftone comic book printing. Even the colors themselves are fun, with greens, magentas, yellows, and blues that I wouldn't hesitate to describe as neon. (Or is it Day-Glo?)

Beyond the design, though, this set of cards also helped teach me about the game. Here's how.

I'd already learned that playing hockey took a lot of physical effort. But the 1988-89 set showed me what to do if I got tired: Wait for the whistle to stop play, lean your stick across your shin pads, and catch your breath before the next face-off. 

After a few seconds went by, the referee would skate into that face-off circle and prepare to drop the puck. Then I learned how important it was to get into your solid, stable, ready for action face-off stance.  

Why?  

Because once that puck dropped, you had to move like these next six guys. 

Watch John MacLean hustle to avoid a hook from an Edmonton player. Dan Quinn is swooping in, looking for a potential rebound. And Dave Archibald might have just dished off a backhand pass while weaving through some Boston defenders. (Good job keeping your head up, Dave!)

Ron Sutter carries the puck across the red line with speed, alert and looking to make a play. Mats Naslund scoots down the wing, ready to receive a pass. And Wayne Presley sets up at the side of the net, preparing to deflect a shot or jam home a rebound.

Truth be told, though, this set of cards contains too many images of players leaning their sticks across their shin pads or lining up for a face-off. The six action cards you've just seen are few and far between. 

Even the goalies did their share of standing around, look.

Regardless, it was all good information for a kid who'd just become enamored with the sport. And besides, along with giving me those hockey tips, the set also introduced me to some talented rookies like the three guys above (and the first guy below).

It also showed me just how momentous of an occasion it was when Wayne Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles. (And just how pink a checklist card could be.)

Here's an example of a card back.

Note that every card features the game-winning goals box underneath the player stats. (Stephane Richer had the most, with 11). Goalies also had a box on their cards, which listed their shots against totals instead. Grant Fuhr had the most, with 2,066 shots against in a whopping 75 games played. 

And finally, just as exciting as the cards were the stickers. They came one per pack, and featured a player who was named to either the first or second all-star team or, even more awesome, a team sticker that included block numbers and sometimes three little hockey puck decals.

Here's the reverse:

Back then, if you actually followed the instructions on the card and put one of those hockey puck stickers on your helmet each time you scored a goal or an assist, you'd probably get beat up and have your helmet thrown over the fence.  

Ah, the memories.

Thanks for flipping through some 1988-89 Topps hockey cards with me. The set really is a fun one, and despite the shortage of action shots you'll still find some nice-looking cards and a huge number of Hall of Famers. At a manageable 198 total cards, it's not a daunting task to complete it—even less daunting if you've already got some of the key players like Gretzky, Hull, Shanahan, and Turgeon.

Now who wants to play Blades of Steel on the NES?