Ryan Whitney

Ryan played his first games for the "big" club in the 2005-06 season, skating in place of injured Dick Tarnstrom (yes, THE Dick Tarnstrom).  He impressed the Pens brass so much so that they kept him for the remainder of the season.  There was something there that the team knew was going to be special.  That following year, he showed them what it was by becoming one of the top offensive-defensemen in the league, scoring 14 goals and 45 helpers for a total of 59 points.  Of course it doesnt' hurt when your teammates are named Crosby, Staal, and Malkin.

If you have read any of my Pens Auto reviews, you have to know that most of these guys don't have happy endings and Ryan's story is no different.  After signing a juicy, multi-year contract complete with a no-trade clause cherry on top ($24 million), his offensive production began to slip.  Then, the injuries started.  Once it was discovered that he had a chronic foot problem that had been plaguing him his entire career, surgery was necessary to correct it.  His fate was sealed at that point and after only a few games back, he was traded to the Ducks for two guys that were expected to be an immediate impact and a future powerhouse, Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi (so they were 50% correct).

Whitney moved on to play for the Ducks, Oilers, and most recently the Florida Panthers.  That didn't last long, however, as Ryan signed with the HC Sochi team in KHL after failing land a renewed NHL contract after the 2013-14 season.  I believe he is still on the roster in Sochi.

This card comes from the 2005-06 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Ultimate Signatures set.  It features a horizontal orientation and a hard signed auto in blue ink.  Obviously the big pull from this set is the Sidney Crosby.   

Double Shot: Ryan Whitney & Sergei Gonchar

I'm not 100% sure on this one but I think this may be my first Double Shot card featuring two autographs of Penguin players.  This card comes from the 2008-09 Be A Player Double Signatures set.  It features two former Penguin D-men, Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney.

Like many of the stories that are told about these former players, they don't always end well.  Whitney had a very promising career as a Penguin but a lingering foot problem requiring surgery took his career on a downward spiral and eventually relegated him to the minor league affiliate of the Florida Panthers.  This is the same guy that put up 59 points in 2006-07 as one of the league's top D-men.

Sergei Gonchar has a little better story.  I will be surprised if he isn't eventually elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame because of the dominant career he had.

He was a pivotal piece in the Pens winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1992 (even playing with a partially torn MCL).  He was one of the biggest reasons Evgeni Malkin was able to adjust to life in the US after leaving Russia.  Sergei took Malkin under his wing, even letting Geno live with him during the early days in Pittsburgh.

He scored 50 goals in nine of ten season span in the league.  He was also the first Russian defenceman to score 200 goals, doing so in 2010.  From 2000-01 through 2009-10, he scored 500 points, second only behind Nicklas Lidstrom, a sure HOFer.  However, he bested his contemporary Lidstrom in points per game during that time with .80 over Lidstroms' .76.

Unfortunately, like things tend to play out in the Free Agent Frenzy world of sports, Gonchar left for "greener" pastures in Ottawa, signing a three-year, $16 million contract.  After the lockout, he was again traded to Dallas where he currently (as of this posting) still plays.