Collectors Corner #11: The Goaltending Museum

Bruce C. Goaltending Museum

The Goaltending Museum.

Remember that name. I say remember it because I'm sure it will be coming to a city or Expo near you at some point, if it hasn't already. Bruce's Goaltending Museum is something that I've had the pleasure to watch expand for a good number of years now. From his monthly pickups to his show set ups, Bruce's outspoken passion for his Goaltending Museum knows no limits.

If you're a fan of goaltending, game-used memorabilia, hockey history, or a combination of all 3, then hold onto your hats and enjoy the ride in the newest instalment of Collectors Corner: 

Bruce's Introduction

​I am Bruce C. from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I got into collecting at first, by sheer chance. As a young child in the early 1990s, my first hockey cards were two cards that my dad found in a vent in my family's first apartment back in Burnaby, BC and those were a Dixon Ward Young Guns cards and an Alexander Karpovtsev Russian Stars Upper Deck rookie. Truly a bizarre start
to where I am now.

​As I was growing up, I used to bug my parents and got a few packs off and on from McDonald's, or random 1995 Fleer packs from Toys R Us. In 2001, while on martial arts business in Ontario, I went to a hobby store in a very questionable neighbourhood in the Oakville area, and that is where I got my first what I would truly call "PC" cards into my collection.
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Though adding stuff here and there, I never really got crazy into collecting until 2007-08 and lets just say that now we haven't looked back since. Easily my favorite part of the hobby is the people you meet along the way and the friendships that you make. Getting to meet, talk with, and become friends with several ex-NHL players also makes for a rewarding experience.

Who/What do you collect?

I used to be a Beckett published Super Collector for Arturs Irbe cards back in 2012, however, that collection was ultimately the railway that led me to pursuing my "BRC Goaltending Museum" project. What I currently collect with singular focus is game worn memorabilia of NHL goalies, with the ultimate goal of getting at least one game worn piece of every single goalie to have ever played in the NHL. Jerseys, gloves, blockers, masks, sticks, pads, you name it...I want it. One day, when I have enough big pieces, I plan to have a travelling museum that visits all of the hockey hubs of the world and educates about all things related to NHL goaltending!

Why did you start collecting what you collect?

This is a long story indeed. I started collecting Arturs Irbe cards back in the mid 2000s and made quite a name for myself as the "Irbe Guy" wherever I went and I actually made it as a Super Collector of him on both Beckett and Sports Card Forum. Goaltending was always my favorite position both watching and "playing" hockey growing up. I use "playing" loosely as I think an empty net was better than me as a netminder and my skating ability was non-existent. Arturs Irbe was my favorite goalie growing up because unlike other goalies of the time with their designer pads and mask designs, he had this decrepit old "white" Koho set, and an antiquated Jofa bucket for a mask. He gave 110% every night, he had a humble beginning in the old Soviet Union, and whenever he spoke, he came across as a wise, upbeat, and intelligent man, which are all traits that I most admire in life. His Stanley Cup run with the Canes in 2002 (despite Detroit winning) was something for the ages, especially seeing as his save percentage and goals against average was actually better than Dominik Hasek's in that post-season! Wow!

One Christmas (I want to say circa 2009), already deep into the Irbe collection, I received a gift that at that time I didn't realize would begin my life on the path we are on today. I received a 2002-03 season Arturs Irbe Carolina Hurricanes game used stick. I loved cards, but there it was in my hands, the actual thing used by my all time favorite athlete in the history of sports. I was in awe...Wow! 

Then I started thinking, "Carolina is my favorite team, what if I added a game worn thing from them and I should be good then." I didn't even know I wanted to collect goalies in the game worn hobby yet, I just knew it was cool. I then got a Mark Fitzpatrick Hurricanes jersey in 2011. That did it. I wanted to collect all things goaltending and no human could ever change my mind on that. I wanted one item of every single goalie to make the NHL! I wanted the world to know not just about the superstars like Patrick Roy, but I wanted them to also talk about those guys who chased a dream and reached it, even if for a game...and everyone in between. Share in my passion for a position that I am absolutely dreadful in playing, but love nonetheless. Sure I'd own the pieces and have the bragging rights to go along with having so many cool stuff, but at the same time, the main goal is education and appreciation for these people's hard work in chasing a dream that I was only able to get as far with in martial arts (Team Canada 2007). 

Thus begun the journey of collecting pieces for the goalie museum, AS WELL AS concurrently collecting Arturs Irbe cards. Going down that bifurcated route was ultimately far too costly and unsustainable as I was also a University student during the beginning of the dual collection, which meant money was not often in my pocket. The fact that Irbe has a loyal and rabid fan base that made the cards go crazy expensive at the time did not help. As we left University and deep in a career, though still tough to tackle both projects, I had to make the big decision...either the Irbe collection has got to stop, or the museum project has to stop. Tough choice.

Before the final decision was to be made, however, I had my first ever museum exhibit for my goalie stuff at the Summit Sports and Collectibles Show in Sherwood Park, Alberta on April 20, 2014. A fellow collector named Sean Broderick with his insane Vezina winning goalies game worn exhibit from the year prior, I believe, was what inspired me to try my own exhibit. I set up a small handful of items that I had at that time and got a great reception out of it, people were excited to the see the pieces and I knew I was onto something that I was both passionate about and people were excited to see and learn about themselves.   

Ultimately, I made the decision to stop the Irbe collection in 2014-15 as that card collection was making me more stressed than happy. There was getting to be too much hostility between collectors (I was equally guilty there) and the "need" to own everything was becoming more of an obsession and making that collection lose its fun. I stepped away from the Irbe cards and sold a lot of them...though you'd never be able to tell the number of Irbe cards in my collection went down at all based on what I still have in the Irbe collection (and I laugh that I still end up pack-pulling Irbe cards quite regularly nowadays, kind of like it's reminding me of the old collection). 

Without the hunt for every single Irbe card ever made, I was able to focus purely on the goalie museum, adding Irbe game used items along the way as not collecting his cards did not mean that Irbe was no longer my favorite player. To this day, I always make special exceptions to add his pieces whenever financially feasible...and assuming they pop up, his items are extremely scarce in the game worn world. Thus far, I have managed to gather five game used sticks of his, a pair of coaching worn gloves from his time as the Capitals' goalie coach, as well as a game-issued/possibly worn Arturs Irbe mask which is my current Irbe grail. 

In the time since I focused my collection, I have added a total of 202 game worn items from as far back as 1951 representing 166 NHL goalies, just over 21% who have ever played in NHL history. I have had six public exhibits with my museum so far, as well, it got me to travel to the Meigray Expo in New Jersey in 2019, to see the game worn community's biggest players. I have developed great contacts and had great communications with former pro athletes, and other collectors, and I have amassed a decent sized following. Sure, it is an ambitious, perhaps even a laughably impossible undertaking, but the fun and satisfaction I get out of it cannot be beat and makes for a great way to get away from work life.

Of course, while the museum collection continues to grow, I do still collect cards, but am more of a utilitarian collector nowadays. Certain things get locked away into my collection, but ultimately most cards I acquire or pull nowadays I use to turn into the pieces for my museum and I have had a great time bridging my two collections in that way.

​What’s Your Favourite Card or Item(s)?

My favorite hockey card, is by far my 1999-00 BAP Millennium Goalie Memorabilia card of Arturs Irbe. As for my favorite pieces in the museum collection. That is such a tough choice. I love them all for their own unique stories. I'd say if I were to pick a top five (and I cannot stress how difficult that is), this would be it: 

1) 2008-09 Chris Osgood Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup Final/Playoffs game worn jersey

2) 1989-90 Bill Ranford Edmonton Oilers game worn jersey 

3) 1984-85 Kelly Hrudey New York Islanders game worn road jersey worn in his playoff debut among many other games.

4) 2013-14 Josh Harding Minnesota Wild game worn jersey used in his final NHL win, among other games.
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5) 2000-01 Levente Szuper Saint John Flames AHL game worn jersey from his first pro-season.  

The passion for cards still runs deep for Bruce. One of his favourite Arturs Irbe cards still in his collection (check out that pad piece!).

Bill Ranford - Oilers 1989-90 Jersey

Chris Osgood - Red Wings Stanley Cup Finals Jersey

​What's On Your Current Wantlist? Are there any ‘White Whales’ you’d like to add one day?

Every NHL goalie in history who I do not have is on my list of course, but my number one "White Whale" is one of the two 2001-02 Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup Final game worn jerseys worn by Arturs Irbe during that year's run.

​They are iconic pieces of my favorite player...and they exhibit some of the craziest wear of any 2000s era Cup Final gamers as those jerseys were used throughout the entire playoffs as well. I suppose more money could also be huge on the wantlist as it would make acquiring my most sought-after pieces much easier. ​

How can other collectors reach out to you?

I am extremely easy to find and contact. These are the many different ways that I can be reached in the hobby:

Through my website: www.bcgoaltendingmuseum.com
Facebook: BRC Goaltending Museum
Twitter: @BrCGoalieMuseum
Instagram: @BRCGoalieMuseum
Youtube:  Bruce C. Goaltending Museum

And privately on Beckett, Hobby Insider, and Sports Card Forum under the username: IrbeFan4Life

The Goaltending Museum

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If you want to get in contact with me about getting ​YOUR COLLECTION featured on my blog, feel free to leave a comment on this post below, fill out a contact form on my Contact Page, or send me an email at creasecollector@gmail.com and we will be in touch very soon. :)

​Happy Collecting,

​- Aaron​