1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Errors & Variations: Ongoing Checklist

Key:

(SP) Extremely scarce, very low print run.

(R) Rare, very early or very late print.

(U) Uncommon, tougher version to locate.

(RPD) Recurring print defect, usually quite scarce.

1a Brett Hull (Promo – light color/design changes, blue line at top right)

1aa Brett Hull (Promo – light color/design changes, no blue line at top right)(SP)

1b Ray Bourque (spelled ‘Borque’)

1c Ray Bourque (spelled ‘Bourque’)

1d Ray Bourque (spelled ‘Borqu’ due to excess black ink in name wedge)(RPD)

7a Gary Galley (spelled ‘Garry’)

7b Gary Galley (corrected)(U)

10a Andy Moog (black diagonal line from G on front)(U)

10b Andy Moog (corrected, line airbrushed away)

17a Dave Andreychuck (Arniel photo on back)

17b Dave Andreychuck (corrected)

18a Scott Arniel (Andreychuck photo on back)

18b Scott Arniel (Andreychuck photo on back, 6 in trade stripe partially obscured)(U)

18c Scott Arniel (corrected)

21a Phil Housley (No trade stripe) UNCONFIRMED

21b Phil Housley (Trade stripe)

36a Brian MacLellan (full green blotching over face)(R)

36b Brian MacLellan (partial green blotching over face)(R)

36c Brian MacLellan (face correctly printed)

39a Brad McCrimmon (#39 on front, Trade stripe)

39a Brad McCrimmon (#4 on front, Trade stripe)(U)

39c Brad McCrimmon (#39 on front, No trade stripe) UNCONFIRMED

Quick Look: 1990-91 Pro Set Paul Gillis “Bloody Nose” Variation

Thanks to one of JunkWaxGems’ contributors, we finally get to shine a spotlight on one of the most elusive Pro Set error cards not mentioning drug abuse or depicting adult content.

The 1990-91 Pro Set NHL release is full of errors, many more than the outstanding amount listed in the price guides. One card has been floating around on want-lists for the last eight or so years, yet still remains uncataloged in the big guides is card number 246 depicting then Quebec Nordiques center Paul Gillis.

Sharp-eyed collectors will notice that the error version lists Gillis’ jersey number as 37, as he clearly wears 23. But another, more interesting change shows Gillis’ nose bleeding on the error version while the stream of blood has been airbrushed away on the correction.

This card is truly under-the-radar for most variation and Pro Set collectors but once it gets the proper exposure and eventual recognition in the guides, I can see this extremely scarce “bloody nose” variety reach levels similar to the Fred Marion “Belt” error and potentially to the Manley “Substance Abuse” error. Until proven otherwise, this is a truly rare Pro Set issue and most-certainly the rarest of it’s hockey issues.

Quick Look: New 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey Variations

Here is a peek at a few recent discoveries in the error-laden 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey issue. Those of you that have been following the recent discoveries in 1990 Pro Set football, will notice the similarities in variation type for these two: jagged stat lines and “clipped” stat headings are two major parts of the Pro Set football lexicon as of the last few years.

#271 Gordie Roberts can be found with “clipped” and corrected stat headings on back:

#290 Gilles Thibaudeau can be found with incomplete, jagged stat line(s) on back:

Cards you’ve never seen: 1990-91 Pro Set Edmonton Oilers Team Statistics

1990-91 Pro Set Hockey is a messy set. Many variations. Many uncorrected errors. Numerous printing flaws. My kind of set! Back in early 1991, Pro Set ran ads in a ton of magazines, showing a card that seems to have never seen production, Check out this ad, where Pro Set greets us in French, with a card no Oilers fan will ever own:

Why Pro Set chose this as the face of their new series is anyone’s guess. It was already approaching a year after the Oilers won the cup and much had happened since. A similar card was issued as part of the “team facts/logos” subset, but it went through a number of minor design changes before pack-out.

With Pro Set’s die-hard fan-base, and the amount of stuff that “escaped” into the market after their bankruptcy, I’m truly surprised that not a single copy of this card has ever surfaced for sale.

Quick Look: 1990-91 Pro Set Mike Krushelnyski #121A NPO NNO Error

One of the tougher, documented 1990-91 Pro Set Hockey variations, Mike Krushelnyski was originally printed without his position and number on front. The box I opened that produced the lone copy I’ve ever seen, also produced the corrected version – go figure! Either way, here’s a look at a cool error card that’s hardly ever offered for sale: