Unique hockey card collection to be showcased in Vancouver this week
Canadian hockey card collector Dean Barnes still remembers the joy of getting new packs when he was a young child.
“I began collecting cards when I was 7 years old with spare change that my Dad gave me,” said Barnes in an interview with Daily Hive. “I rode my bike to purchase cards at the Jug Milk variety store in Burlington, Ontario, which was about a four-minute ride from my house.”
Barnes’s childhood hobby has turned into a lifelong passion, and it’s now led him and his Black Hockey card collection to be part of a new NHL touring experience spotlighting contributions from underrepresented and multicultural demographics to the sport.
The NHL United by Hockey mobile museum is stopping in Vancouver on Tuesday, March 21, prior to the game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The museum is free to check out and will be parked outside Rogers Arena on Pat Quinn Way from 3 pm to 7:30 pm.
Dean Barnes/Submitted
Canucks for Kids Fund Telethon will also be held at Rogers Arena on March 21.
“During the pandemic, the world became more attuned to social injustices faced by Black people and people of colour following the George Floyd death,” Barnes said. “I reflected on the importance of representation and greater inclusion and acceptance of Black people and other people of colour in the NHL.
“I did some research to identify close to 100 current and former NHL Black and bi-racial players and purchased all the cards from eBay.ca. I did have to purchase around 10 custom cards for players who did not have a Rookie card when they were in the league.”
Dean Barnes/Submitted
Barnes’s Black Hockey card collection is just one of the featured exhibits of United By Hockey. The museum will highlight how the sport is inclusive for everyone, and features trailblazers, change makers, business leaders and collectors
Visitors will discover exclusive artifacts from players from a variety of backgrounds, an interactive broadcast booth, and one-of-a-kind hockey card collections from collectors across North America.
United By Hockey mobile museum/nhl.com
“I met Naim Cardinal, a collector of Indigenous cards, and Chris Woo, an Asian card collector, through social media,” shared Barnes, who played hockey for the University of Waterloo Men’s team and started the first girl’s high school hockey team as PE head at Emery Collegiate in Toronto.
“As an educator, I have a great amount of respect for the commitment both gentlemen have made for promoting diversity and inclusion in ice hockey and sharing stories of players from underrepresented groups which may be unknown to many.”
Dean Barnes/Submitted
Fans visiting United By Hockey will see the rookie cards of 10 Black and biracial players, including P.K. Subban (the first Black defenseman to win the Norris Trophy), Tony McKegney (the first Black player to score 40 goals in a single season), and Grant Fuhr (the first Black player to win the Stanley Cup).
Randip Janda, of Hockey Night Punjabi and Canucks broadcasts on Sportsnet 650, will also be in attendance in Vancouver to meet fans from 6 pm to 6:30 pm.
P.K. Subban visits the NHL s United by Hockey mobile museum (© George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports)
“Canada has always been a hockey-crazy nation,” added Barnes, who hosts the educational podcast, My Hockey Hero supported by eBay Canada. “I am filling in forgotten modern hockey history, highlighting the diversity which has been part of the NHL since 1958 although it’s limited.
“I am broadening awareness by using visual representation to change the perception of who has played and continues to play in hockey and the NHL. Amplifying Black players’ stories and sharing their cards can help normalize the presence of Black people in the game.
View this post on Instagram
NHL United by Hockey mobile museum
When: March 21, 2023
Time: 3 pm to 7:30 pm
Where: Rogers Arena North Plaza – 800 Griffiths Way, Vancouver
Cost: Free
With files from Rob Williams
Follow Channels and Categories