Eaves-Y Does It

Three-time Smashfest champion Patrick Eaves appreciates his table tennis card

- Stephen Laroche

Heading into Smash fest, the annual table tennis tournament featuring members of the NHLPA battling head-to head for charity, there was a lot of buzz about Anaheim Ducks winger Patrick Eaves being the odds-on favorite to prevail as the league’s top man with a paddle.

A two-time winner, Eaves and his bushy beard was set to intimidate opponents and hang on to his crown. The event, which benefits concussion and rare cancer research, draws a big crowd and card collectors may even be familiar with the fact that Upper Deck has made a small card set exclusive to the event for two straight years.

Eaves, who has not had a physical pack-inserted card since the 2013-14 season, was part of the 2016-17 Upper Deck Compendium release that was exclusive to the company’s ePack website. He also received several digital cards in the Topps NHL Skate app. Thanks to his second straight Smash fest championship, he was also part of the second series of Smash fest cards and let his fans know about it via Twitter after Beckett Hockey broke the story about the cards in July.