MEET JON: “I’m a 35-year-old teacher’s as-
sistant and disabled Navy veteran living in
Havelock, North Carolina. I’m also a rabid
fan of the Carolina Hurricanes, making the
300-mile round trip to Raleigh 15-20 times a
year to watch the team practice or play.”
GETTING STARTED: “In 2016, I was going un-
der the knife for hip surgery with a lengthy
recovery period, and needed something to
do during my down time. I purchased a tin
of 2015-16 Upper Deck Series One and was
instantly hooked on the hobby.”
THE COLLECTION: “I collect American-born
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin
Faulk, along with through-the-mail auto-
graphs of past and present Hurricanes play-
ers, scouts and executives. I own 181 different
Justin Faulk cards, including many printing
plates, patch cards as well as autographs. I
also have more than 120 autographed cards
and pucks of current and past ‘Canes, includ-
ing Hall of Famer Ron Francis.”
WHY THE CANES/FAULK? “Having grown
up in Florida, hockey wasn’t exactly on my
radar. But after enlisting in the Navy in 2008
I was stationed in Virginia and began at-
tending Norfolk Admirals games. It wasn’t
until I accepted orders to North Carolina in
2013 that I began following the Hurricanes.
I became a fan of Faulk due to his extensive
work with the military as he hosts the ‘True
Defenders’ program at home games. My unit
was a guest of his in 2016 and upon meeting
him he instantly became my favorite player.
When I found out I was being medically
retired by the Navy, my wife contacted the
team to see if I would qualify for their Mili-
tary Moment where I could be acknowledged
20 BECK E T T.COM
STORM SURGE
NAVY VET JON ORR FOUND HOBBY SHELTER IN THE HURRICANES.
SUPER
COLLECTOR
on the ice. They accepted her application and I was honored before
the game on Military Appreciation Day 2018. I was presented a flag
by Faulk, and it remains the highlight of my collection to this day. I’ll
never forget when he shook my hand, thanked me for my service, and
said ‘Take in all this noise ... it’s all for you.’”
FAVORITE CARDS: “Two come to mind. First, the 2015-16 UD Black
Booklet with patches of Faulk, Kris Versteeg, Eric Staal, Cam Ward,
and Jordan Staal. Also, Faulk’s 2015-16 The Cup Auto #/8.”
CHALLENGES OF COLLECTING THE ‘CANES: “The biggest challenge
of collecting in a non-traditional hockey market is that most of my
buying and trading is done online. The nearest hobby shop is 150
miles away and the selection of hockey is limited. However, one of the
things I loved about the military was the camaraderie within units,
and that same spirit exists in the hobby online. If you are an honest
and reputable trader, people will refer cards and dealers to you for
your personal collection, and making deals becomes easier.”