hockeyfigs2


	Hockey Figures - Part 2

Just over 4 months ago, I posted a feature on the site about the forthcoming range of NHLPA licensed hockey figures from McFarlane Toys (see article here). Now, I have finally managed to get hold of the first two series of this figures and thought it was time to revisit the area, so here I am!!

First off, the hard facts. There are 6 figures in each series, 2 netminders and four players, making 12 different NHL players available at the moment with a 3rd series planned - more on this later. Each figure comes with ice section and hockey stick, the netminders come complete with ice section, net, stick, water bottle and puck. The ice sections fit together (you have to use the crease markings on them to work out how) but I found that if you put more than two together it tended to look a little cramped.

Before I move on to the figures themselves, the one real disappointment is that these are jointly licensed by the NHL and NHLPA - as the NHL are not licensees they cannot include the actual team logos on the jerseys, a real shame. Why the NHL did not want ot be involved I don’t know, especially as the NHL and NHLPA have had jointly licensed products in the past - for instance any computer game that features the NHL and its players. Anyway, onto the figures themselves.

Without doubt, the netminders are the strongest figures in both Series 1 (left) and Series 2 (right) - and this isn’t just down to my already documented fascination with the masked men of the game of hockey. You get more accessories with them - as mentioned earlier - and they just look so cool in front of their miniature goals. Of the 4 netminders included, Bryan Boucher (top right) seems an unusual inclusion with the 1999/2000 season being his rookie year in the NHL. The others, well they are 3 of the top netminders in the world, the all-time winningest keeper in the NHL, Patrick Roy, the gold medal winning Dominator, Dominik Hasek and CuJo, Curtis Joseph.

If I was being really picky, and you would have to find any real faults with these figures, I would say that the mask on CuJo seems a little wide when looking at it straight on and Hasek’s stance seems a little low - having said that I haven’t seen him play that often and this could be due to his style of play. The Brian Boucher one hasn’t been freed from his plastic prison as yet (being bought for me as a birthday present!!) but it is safe to say that of the 4 figures the Roy one is my personal favourite.

Moving away from the netminders, one figure stands out for me for purely personal reasons - Jaromir Jagr. Although based on his look of a couple of years ago, ie when he had his long hair flowing out the back of his helmet, it is still a great figure and he is a Penguins player - enough said!

Of the other players, 3 (Bourque, Amonte and Bure) are still with Boucher firmly attached to their cards but a few things to note about them. Although he is now a Colorado Avalanche player, the Ray Bourque figure is in Boston Bruins colours - whether this is because they couldn’t think of any other Bruins worthy of making into a figure or because it is likely he will always be remembered as a Bruin is not clear!! Similarly for Eric Lindros, created in Philadelphia Flyers colours (the only team represented twice with Boucher), he has stated he will never again play for the Flyers but as he is still a Flyer legally I suppose I can forgive McFarlane Toys here.

The others represent some of the top stars of the NHL, Tony Amonte winding up for a slapshot, Paul Kariya letting a hard shot go, Pavel Bure setting off on one of his speedy breaks and Mark Messier taking a face-off. A quick note on Messier is that he is in New York Rangers colours - with the Bourque situation I wonder whether this would have been the case even if he hadn’t resigned with them for this season... But, of all the non-Jagr figures, the most impressive (taking into account I haven’t opened 3 of them yet) is the Steve Yzerman one. It is perfect for display - he is one of the few not looking down at the ice or crouched over and the pose is spot on - it really looks like he is in the middle of a turn on the ice. I don’t think the image does this one justice!

Despite the facial likenesses not being spot on I don’t think there is a bad figure in the range and for any NHL fans they are perfect collectors pieces - particularly if one of your favourite players is represented - well worth £11.99 each.

As mentioned right at the start a 3rd Series is advertised on the cards for Series 2 and this will include John LeClair (another Flyer!!), Mike Modano (Dallas Stars), Mats Sundin (Toronto again!), Peter Forsberg (3rd Colorado player if you count Bourque), Jose Theodore (Montreal Canadiens) and Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils).

While it seems a shame that the Flyers, Maple Leafs and Avalanche will have at least two figures in their colours you can’t really argue with the choice of players as they are all top players. Also, the fact that Series 3 will include the Stanley Cup Champions, New Jersey with Martin Brodeur can only be welcomed as well. But, Jose Theodore as the 2nd netminder? Now I know he has recently scored a goal and posted a shutout in the same game but does that put him in the same group as the others...there again Boucher was in Series 2! What about Ollie the Goalie, Olaf Kolzig of the Washington Capitals or Ed Belfour at Dallas Stars as the 2nd goalie?

For me, an ideal Series 3 would be Martin Brodeur, Olaf Kolzig or Ed Belfour, Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins), Mike Modano (Dallas Stars), Chris Pronger (St Louis Blues) and Owen Nolan (San Jose Sharks) and as a special one off a Wayne Gretzky figure in whatever uniform you want to put him in, Rangers, Blues, Oilers, Team Canada, All Star - it doesn’t matter, any would sell!! What do you think?

PD - 10/1/2001

Images taken from the McFarlane Toys online catalogue at www.spawn.com.