Completed Insert Set: 1996-97 Score Sudden Death

It took over five years in the making but a few months back I finally picked up the last couple of cards to complete one of my all-time favorite insert sets, 1996-97 Score Sudden Death.

Randomly inserted in hobby packs at a rate of 1:35, this 15-card holofoil set featured two action photos simulating matchups of some of the deadliest snipers against the league's top netminders.

The mid-late '90s is my beloved childhood hockey era so any inert set featuring the greats of the game during the time is totally up my alley. Pulling one of these cards seemed just as difficult as winning the lottery back in 7th grade; who knew that twenty years later you could buy the majority of 'em for a couple bucks.

I'm pretty sure I bought the final card (picture above) from eBay. Surprisingly, finding the final two cards deemed more difficult than I had imagined given that they're a set from the 90s.

I thought the player selection was pretty good. I would have personally switched out Pierre Turgeon for Peter Forsberg or Eric Lindros and replaced Corey Hirsch for Patrick Roy but that's just my opinion.

The most valuable card from the set book wise would probably be the Wayne Gretzky/Felix Potvin matchup, quite frankly because it's a Gretzky card.

Here are scans of the complete 1996-97 Score "Sudden Death" insert set for your viewing pleasures.

#1 Pierre Turgeon, Montreal Canadiens/Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils

#2 Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings/Jim Carey, Washington Capitals

#3 Brendan Shanahan, Hartford Whalers/Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres

#4 Ed Belfour, Chicago Blackhawks/Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues

#5 Jeremy Roenick, Chicago Blackhawks/Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings

#6 Pavel Bure, Vancouver Canucks/Curtis Joseph, Edmonton Oilers

#7 Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins/John Vanbiesbrouck, Florida Panthers

#8 Alexander Mogilny, Vancouver Canucks/Jocelyn Thibault, Montreal Canadiens

#9 Jaomir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins/Mike Richter, New York Rangers

#10 Mark Messier, New York Rangers/Tom Barrasso, Pittsburgh Penguins

#11 Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche, Daren Puppa, Tampa Bay Lightning

#12 Wayne Gretzky, St. Louis Blues/Felix Potvin, Toronto Maple Leafs

#13 Paul Kariya, Anaheim Mighty Ducks/Corey Hirsch, Vancouver Canucks

#14 Sergei Fedorov, Detroit Red Wings/Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers

#15 Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Mighty Ducks/Nikolai Khabibulan, Winnipeg Jets