Thanks to everyone who came by the store this season and enjoyed our hockey cards, hockey action figures, and the various promotions and sales we ran this year. Here is our winner of our Toys on Fire Stanley Cup Playoffs Hockey Card Contest!

We will of course still have all of our figures and cards still in stock for the summer for those of you who get the hockey itch year-round!

Also kudos to the Boston Bruins for winning Lord Stanley this year. You definately ‘Bruined’ Vancouver’s chance

As you can see in the snapshot from www.nhl.com the match-ups for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs have been decided. Here at Toys on Fire we are celebrating this by doing two promotions, a fun Hockey Card Contest for all the young collectors out there and also a Sale on our famous collection of McFarlane NHL Action Figures.

NHL Action Figure Sale
The way it works is this, for each round of the playoffs, which ever teams just got knocked out will be on sale until the next round. So, for round one, which starts today, all figures of players in jerseys of teams that didn’t make the playoffs(that means you Ottawa Senators) are now 10% OFF until round 2. Once round 2 starts, all the figures of teams that got knocked out in round 1 will be on sale. When round 3 starts, all teams that got knocked out of round 2 will be on sale, and so on, until the cup is claimed by the only team not to go on sale!

Hockey Card Contest
We will be running this for the entire duration of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.  To participate, simply come into the store and purchase any pack of hockey cards and open it in the store. If you get a player in your pack who is currently in the playoffs, you win a prize. If you can manage to pull out of your packs 2 players who are currently facing off against each other, you get an entry into our raffle for the All-Mighty Grand Bucket-o-Prizes. As the playoffs go on and teams get eliminated each round, it will become harder and harder to get players in your packs that are in the playoffs. So, as each new round of the playoffs begins, the prizes will get better!

Check out our good Ottawa store customer and good friend Tim’s McFarlane NHL collection. Holy Moses!

Gordie Howe, the hockey legend from the Prairies, was honoured by the University of Saskatchewan Thursday with a doctorate degree.

The 82-year-old’s professional hockey career spanned 32 seasons, and along the way he collected four Stanley Cups, amassed more than 1,800 points and was a six-time winner of the National Hockey’s League’s most valuable player award.

Because he was a statesman for the game, Howe was nicknamed Mr. Hockey, a name he eventually trademarked.

“Beyond his hockey accomplishments, he has demonstrated quiet dignity and a selfless manner,” Peter MacKinnon, the president of the University of Saskatchewan, said at the ceremony. “Reminding us that greatness goes beyond our careers and accomplishments.”

A native of Floral, Howe rose from humble beginnings in Depression-era Saskatchewan to international hockey stardom.

He always had a modest demeanor off the ice and on Thursday Howe declined to speak at the presentation where he was given a doctorate in law.

Grandson Travis Howe said his grandfather was moved by the honour.

“He had tears in his eyes,” he said. “Tears of happiness. I know just being back in Saskatoon meant a whole lot to him.”

Hockey fan Bryan Bilokreli was one of the people who suggested the university honour Howe.

“Watching him throughout my childhood and adult life and seeing what he’s accomplished in that sport really made me feel that the university and the province had an opportunity to honour him for that,” Bilokreli said.

During the presentation, Howe was recognized for his athletic accomplishments and his charity work to help underprivileged children play hockey.

Another new NHL series so soon, Mr. McFarlane?  You shouldn’t have!

Well, it’s a new series, but the players are anything but, check it out:

We have the Theo Fleury variant, and apparently there’s a Lemieux chase out there.  Keep your eyes peeled!

One of our best McFarlane Hockey Collectors, Jean, sent us some pictures of how he likes to display his collection.  It looks great!

If you have a massive collection of your own and you want us to feature it, just send us an email to toysonfireott at yahoo dot com.

Most of our customers, both new and old, are amazed by our selection of NHL McFarlane figures, we have an entire wall of them, and then some! As some of you may have noticed, we were getting kind of low (I didn’t know that was possible!), so, we restocked! Everyone’s favorites are now back in stock, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Roy, and the hometown Ottawa Senators, Alfredsson, Heatley, and Spezza! These are the perfect gift for the NHL fan in your family!

To give our internet viewers an idea, of what I am talking about, here are some pictures:

I know there are people out there in internet-land who are just as excited about this news as I am, UPPERDECK SERIES 1 is in stock now!

Upperdeck’s flagship brand and the “Home of the Rookie Card” has been released. Each box contains 6 rookie cards, the first rookie cards of Steven Stamkos, Luke Schenn, Kyle Turris, and many more! Along with the 6 random rookies, you will also receive 2 game used jersey cards, and many great looking inserts.

Here’s a sneak peak at what you could get:

—$3.95 for a 8 card pack, or $79.95 for a 24 pack box. Get them now, the rookie’s are going to be HOT!

-Dave