Evgeni Malkin starts my hockey player collection

I think I've finally decided on attempting to build the 11/12 UD Series One Hockey set.  But in the meantime, I like to have a player collection to start on at the same time.  And I've decided upon Evgeni Malkin to start a little collection.

And here's why:

1) First off, he's not a rookie.  Collecting a Batum rookie card collection is an exercise in terror.  Every time a new card, or a rarer card, is listed, I cringe to think about how much it might cost.  Collecting an established superstar is accessible and can be found at any price point.

2) Evgeni isn't THE superstar of Pittsburgh.  Just by playing alongside Sidney, his cards won't be the the most expensive on the market.

3) He's locked-up for the next couple of years with Pittsburgh.  So it's a safe bet that I can build a good collection before contract talks start up again.

4) And most obviously, I like watching the guy play.  I wish he wasn't hurt already....but he's a gamer.

So what did I get?  I ended up spending my eBay Bucks to go towards this card from 10/11 Panini Dominion. I thought to start my collection off with a decent jersey card, and I'm a sucker for thick card stock.  Plus, the card features the blue that I like from the alternate jerseys.  And as a bonus, the card is numbered to /99.