GabbyGuy
Upstanding Member,
I haven't done a personal Show & Tell for any card pickups in a while, so thought I'd share this card with a special patch. It will be a long read, but very well worth it.
A lot of you know that I like Jumbo patch cards, and this one is "Wild" in more ways than one. First of all, it is a piece of a Minnesota Wild game used jersey patch. And second of all, it is a wild piece of a "special" game jersey.
Picked this card up last week. Had to get it when I saw it. Here's why...
Flashback: The 2016 NHL outdoor Stadium Series consisted of a game pitting the Minnesota Wild against the Chicago Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium (home of the Minnesota Gophers football team) in Minneapolis on February 21, 2016. It was special because my son Connor was battling brain cancer at the time and was a guest of Wild defenseman Marco Scandella. Connor got to skate with Marco on that very game rink at the Wild Family skate the Friday before the game (February 19). Marco also gave us tickets to the Alumni Game and the Stadium Series game. Connor and I got to sit with Marco's mom and Wild defenseman Matt Dumba's parents at the game. Great people!
The Wild won the game 6-1 and it was a special and great experience.
Back to the card...this is a subset favorite of mine...the SPGU Supreme Patches card. This one is of Wild winger Nino Niederreiter. Nino scored a goal in the 2nd period of that game. Upper Deck also used Nino's 2016 NHL Stadium Series game used jersey for cards in the 2016-17 SPGU product based on that outdoor game. I have this card from that Stadium Series subset:
Knowing that Upper Deck used his jersey from that game, when I saw this card pop up a few weeks ago, I knew right away that this card I'm going to show you was from that game as well. I had to have it...for sentimental reasons...and because the patch is awesome!
Here is the card, also from 2016-17 SPGU:
It has a jumbo part of his 2016 NHL Stadium Series game used jersey "State of Hockey" shoulder patch.
I also have a photo showing Nino in action during that game with that shoulder patch highlighted and circled. Pretty cool to be able to photo match the actual patch on the card to that game.
Here are a couple photos of Connor and Marco at the Wild players family skate two days before the Stadium Series game.
Marco and Connor in the locker room:
Marco and Connor on the Stadium Series game rink ice. Connor was a couple months out from brain surgery, so his balance was still a bit off, and Marco had to assist him. Soon after this photo, Marco got him one of his game used sticks from the locker room for Connor to use for balance so that he didn't have to assist him all of the time.
Here is a photo of Connor with Marco and the Wild mascot Nordy from the Wild Family skate:
As you can see on Connor's jersey, Marco made sure to introduce him to all the other Wild players there with their families and have them autograph the jersey the Wild gave him to wear.
Here is that jersey after being fully autographed by the team, along with the wristband Connor wore at the skate:
Here is a photo of the game-used stick Marco gave to Connor to use for balance at the skate. He also personalized and autographed it and let him keep it.
"To my buddy Connor, Beastmode!"
Beastmode: That was Connor's motto for the next year battling his brain cancer!
Connor today...he is now 9 years cancer free...he graduated college with a Bachelor of Science degree and finished Radiography school in December 2025.
He started his new job as an MRI Technician at the Mayo Clinic in February. Since he's had 59 MRIs himself while going through his cancer battle, he wanted to give back and be in the medical field. So, he's now come full circle. He will be great in this position as he can give so much inside experience support to his patients. I am super happy that he's healthy and doing well. And also, super proud of how he has handled adversity these past 10 years of his life. He is my hero.
This 2016-17 SPGU Supreme Patches Niederreiter card pickup reminded me of that special weekend at the Stadium Series outdoor game.
And by the way, Connor and Marco still text and talk on the phone to this day. Marco is a super human being!
Thanks for listening!
--Curt
A lot of you know that I like Jumbo patch cards, and this one is "Wild" in more ways than one. First of all, it is a piece of a Minnesota Wild game used jersey patch. And second of all, it is a wild piece of a "special" game jersey.
Picked this card up last week. Had to get it when I saw it. Here's why...
Flashback: The 2016 NHL outdoor Stadium Series consisted of a game pitting the Minnesota Wild against the Chicago Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium (home of the Minnesota Gophers football team) in Minneapolis on February 21, 2016. It was special because my son Connor was battling brain cancer at the time and was a guest of Wild defenseman Marco Scandella. Connor got to skate with Marco on that very game rink at the Wild Family skate the Friday before the game (February 19). Marco also gave us tickets to the Alumni Game and the Stadium Series game. Connor and I got to sit with Marco's mom and Wild defenseman Matt Dumba's parents at the game. Great people!
The Wild won the game 6-1 and it was a special and great experience.Back to the card...this is a subset favorite of mine...the SPGU Supreme Patches card. This one is of Wild winger Nino Niederreiter. Nino scored a goal in the 2nd period of that game. Upper Deck also used Nino's 2016 NHL Stadium Series game used jersey for cards in the 2016-17 SPGU product based on that outdoor game. I have this card from that Stadium Series subset:
Knowing that Upper Deck used his jersey from that game, when I saw this card pop up a few weeks ago, I knew right away that this card I'm going to show you was from that game as well. I had to have it...for sentimental reasons...and because the patch is awesome!
Here is the card, also from 2016-17 SPGU:
It has a jumbo part of his 2016 NHL Stadium Series game used jersey "State of Hockey" shoulder patch.
I also have a photo showing Nino in action during that game with that shoulder patch highlighted and circled. Pretty cool to be able to photo match the actual patch on the card to that game.
Here are a couple photos of Connor and Marco at the Wild players family skate two days before the Stadium Series game.
Marco and Connor in the locker room:
Marco and Connor on the Stadium Series game rink ice. Connor was a couple months out from brain surgery, so his balance was still a bit off, and Marco had to assist him. Soon after this photo, Marco got him one of his game used sticks from the locker room for Connor to use for balance so that he didn't have to assist him all of the time.
Here is a photo of Connor with Marco and the Wild mascot Nordy from the Wild Family skate:
As you can see on Connor's jersey, Marco made sure to introduce him to all the other Wild players there with their families and have them autograph the jersey the Wild gave him to wear.
Here is that jersey after being fully autographed by the team, along with the wristband Connor wore at the skate:
Here is a photo of the game-used stick Marco gave to Connor to use for balance at the skate. He also personalized and autographed it and let him keep it.
"To my buddy Connor, Beastmode!"
Beastmode: That was Connor's motto for the next year battling his brain cancer!
Connor today...he is now 9 years cancer free...he graduated college with a Bachelor of Science degree and finished Radiography school in December 2025.
He started his new job as an MRI Technician at the Mayo Clinic in February. Since he's had 59 MRIs himself while going through his cancer battle, he wanted to give back and be in the medical field. So, he's now come full circle. He will be great in this position as he can give so much inside experience support to his patients. I am super happy that he's healthy and doing well. And also, super proud of how he has handled adversity these past 10 years of his life. He is my hero.
This 2016-17 SPGU Supreme Patches Niederreiter card pickup reminded me of that special weekend at the Stadium Series outdoor game.
And by the way, Connor and Marco still text and talk on the phone to this day. Marco is a super human being!
Thanks for listening!
--Curt
