Happy Halloween!

Say hello to the scariest goalie in Hockey Bay: Anton Kantstopapuck.

Humor, or humour?

Half the fun in being a Buffalo Sabres fan is the ability to rib buddies who, for reasons beyond by pea-sized brain's ability to comprehend, blindly pledge their allegiance to the Toronto Maple Loafs. In my case, it's Al, Hound Central 5.0's Toronto-based correspondent.

After the Loafs won their first game of the season Monday night, I couldn't help but "congratulate" him on the team's feat, sending an e-mail with a "Leafs win! Leafs win! Leafs win!" subject:

Puckhound: Just wondering whether there was rioting in the streets of Hogtown last night?

Being an affable fellow, he played right along, offering this gem:

Al: Stanley Cup tickets went on sale today!

God, I hope he's kidding. Given the Loafs' ability to pack the Air Canada Centre, despite decades of disappointment and the club's dismal start this season, maybe he wasn't. Loafs fans, I must admit, are a loyal lot.

Limited time only

Between my daytime work schedule and a couple of fill-in recreational hockey league games later in the day, the Missus and Colin had a small window of opportunity Saturday morning to collect autographs from the Buffalo Sabres. Namely, when the players headed over to the morning skate at the St. Pete Times Forum.

After their combined efforts, in which they snagged 46 autographs, it's safe to say they delivered.

Colin, in working his Colin's Pucks project, added another three pucks, giving him seven for the week. Signing were, from left, Ryan Miller, on the U.S.A. souvenir puck, and Tyler Myers, who signed the Sabres and Kelowna Rockets pucks.

Among those signing cards were:

Top row: Patrick Lalime, Toni Lydman and Clarke MacArthur; and
Bottom row: Jason Pominville, Craig Rivet and Henrik Tallinder.

Other highlights of the morning-skate-only session:

~ Colin snagging 21 of 23 Sabres players on his team sheet;
~ Taking advantage of a deep collection of specialty set cards;
~ Having Tyler Myers sign the 2008 NHL Draft program; and
~ Adding Mike Grier to the Threads collection.

He missed only two

I'm not sure what's more impressive on Colin's team sheet for the Buffalo Sabres. His representation of the team's shoulder logo or the fact that he got 21 of the team's 23 players, missing only Tim Connolly and Ryan Miller, who instead signed a U.S.A. souvenir puck.

All in all, a pretty solid effort, don't you think?

Array of autographs

Being a Buffalo kid, meaning that the Sabres are my favorite NHL team, the deepest collection of specialty card sets revolves around the club's American Hockey League farm teams. This assortment, among the 20 cards collected by the Missus on Saturday, are an accurate representation of my devotion to the Sabres.

Signing were, from left, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Andrej Sekera (on an Ontario Hockey League All Star Classic card) and Thomas Vanek.

He's good for four

If getting Buffalo's monstrous rookie Tyler Myers to sign a pair of pucks and Colin's team sheet Saturday morning wasn't enough, the 6-foot-8 defenseman, who scored the game-winner in the Sabres' 3-2 shootout thriller, also signed this 2008 NHL Draft program.

With the Los Angeles Kings coming to town in mid-November, we're hoping to add No. 2 pick Drew Doughty, at left, to the program. That would leave only St. Louis' Alex Pietrangelo, center, 2008's fourth-overall pick, to complete the piece.

Threads: Mike Grier

Though we'd hoped to get Buffalo's Tim Connolly and Henrik Tallinder to also add jersey cards to the Threads project, we're happy to walk away from Saturday's morning skate hounding sesson with this solid contribution from Buffalo's Mike Grier.

Sunday morning homily IV

All last week, we thought we'd be attending the Sabres-Lightning game last night, courtesy of Art Pier, a Lightning ticket rep who promised to make good on a horrible home opener experience. Instead, we watched at home as the Sabres won, 3-2, in an exciting shootout.

Earlier this month, on somewhat of a whim, I bought an upgraded package -- two club-level tickets, a parking pass, and two hot dogs and sodas -- for the Lightning's home opener against the New Jersey Devils. The cost for a boys' night out: $140.

When I picked up the package early on game day, it lacked a parking pass. The ticket clerk, unfortunately, had no idea about it, suggesting that we tell the parking attendant that our package included free parking, even though we lacked the pass. Yeah, right, that will work. The clerk also had no information about the food and drinks.

Combined, that was Strike 1.

Strike 2 came as we tried to enter the St. Pete Times Forum later that day. Our tickets, we were told, were reprints, meaning we were, at the moment, being denied admission. The turnstile attendant directed us to the box office, suggesting we get in line so we could explain our plight. One look at the snaking line, and we immediately went to the Will Call table. In about 10 minutes, we got tickets that granted admission.

Once inside, we went about trying to find a concession stand that honored the coupons for the hot dogs and sodas. Only until we asked a third person did we find the proper concession stand. That, I'm afraid, was Strike 3. Once there, though, a worker, unfamiliar with the package, said we didn't have the stub for the food. A supervisor, recognizing that we did indeed have the stub, quickly resolved matters.

The next morning, I called Pier, the ticket rep, to share our less-than-pleasant experience from the night before. It was his suggestion that he would make it up to us by offering free tickets to an upcoming game. I quickly agreed, saying it would salvage a sinking business relationship and picked the Sabres-Lightning game. No problem, he said.

Last Monday, upon Pier's suggestion, I called back, leaving a message to remind him that we'd picked the Sabres-Lightning game. He called back, leaving a message saying, again, that it wouldn't be a problem for the tickets, including an extra one for the Missus.

I called back Tuesday, telling Pier, in another message, that I'd be in Tampa on Wednesday and Thursday, making it convenient for me to pick up the tickets either day. Pier never returned the call.

On Wednesday, I again called Pier -- following the principle that a squeaky wheel usually gets grease -- leaving yet another message reminding him of our opening night inconveniences, his promise and the convenience of getting the tickets either that day or Thursday. I also asked whether this was the way he and the Lightning operated. That call, much to my surprise, was never returned.

Thankfully, we have other contacts within the Lightning's ticket operations, namely Amanda Graul, the director of client services. I left a message -- actually it was more of a subdued rant -- explaining what had happened. More than anything else, I wanted the name of Pier's supervisor so I could share my experience of dealing with him.

Within 30 minutes, Amanda called back, genuinely apologizing for what had happened, though she had no role in this fiasco.

She, too, promised to make good. Having had nothing but positive experiences with her, I have no doubts that Amanda will deliver. More than that, she's someone I can trust. And trust is what solid business relationships are built upon.

Granted, with economic conditions and cost-cutting measures, including 5 percent pay cuts and layoffs, at my employer prompting us to cut back on discretionary purchases, we're not the Lightning's biggest customers. After attending 20-plus games each season for the past two years, we'll scale back to, perhaps, a half-dozen games.

Still, though, successful businesses treat each customer as if he is the most important customer -- no matter how small or big the deal. Some people -- like Amanda Graul -- get it. Some don't. Going forward, we all know who I'll be dealing with.

Trouble brewing?

From what I hear, frictions may be growing between the Westin Harbour Island hotel and a handful autograph dealers. Hotel personnel routinely place barriers -- in interests of safety and limiting our access -- to keep dealers and hounds from gathering near the hotel's front doors.

It seems, though, those lines may have been crossed Thursday with the San Jose Sharks in town. Because I wasn't there at the time, I have to rely upon those who were there to witness some dealers, despite hotel staff's admonishments, jumping the rope to get autographs. Needless to say, the hotel staff wasn't too pleased.

Though nothing happened -- as in the dealers being asked then to leave the property or the calling of authorities -- those who followed the rules at game time weren't given any warnings.

What's going to happen? That's hard to tell. We'll get an answer, though, the next time a team stays there, attracting the attention of this group of dealers. Hopefully, it won't escalate to where we're all kept away from the hotel.

5 Big Sigs

Technically speaking, there are two teams headed to Hockey Bay this week -- the Ottawa Senators and the New Jersey Devils. I'm thinking, though, that I'll hound only the Senators, as Colin has a hockey game a few hours before the Devils game on Halloween.

With that in mind, and it could be subject to change, here's what I'm hoping to add:

~ Jonathan Cheechoo on a Senators puck (got him on a card instead, as my puck order arrived a day too late);
~ Milan Michalek on a Senators puck (got him on some cards instead);
~ Pacal Leclaire on Blue Jackets and Senators pucks (also got him on a card instead);
~ Jason Spezza on a McFarlane base (got him on a Brampton Battalion puck instead); and
~ Nick Foligno on a couple of cards from specialty sets.

Busy two days

Living in an NHL outpost of Florida, it's easy to get excited, as well as take extraordinary measures, whenever a Western Conference team makes its way to Hockey Bay. That, alone, was the biggest reason for four trips over two days for the San Jose Sharks.

And though we didn't score scads of autographs, as some other Hockey Bay hounds did, there are no regrets over the time and tolls spent adding 47 autographs, including 21 cards and 11 pucks, to the collection.

The best part, though, beyond a boys' night out Wednesday with Colin and Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving Southeast correspondent, was turning the Goofy Dude (Colin, not Moody) loose with pucks on Thursday.

How did he do? Not bad, I'd say, after snagging these four for his Colin's Pucks project in a little more than an hour Thursday:

Top row: Thomas Greiss and Dany Heatley
Bottom row: Kent Huskins and Manny Malhotra

Signing cards were, from left, Dan Boyle, Ryane Clowe, Thomas Greiss and Devin Setoguchi; and

Kent Huskins, from left, Manny Malhotra, Doug Murray and Jody Shelley.

Highlights, and one lowlight, from hounding the Sharks:

~ Having Dany Heatley add to the Threads project;
~ Getting Rob Blake, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton to sign the first three signatures of the 2009-10 campaign on the work-in-progress Team Canada jersey;
~ Redeeming a paint pen blunder with Evgeni Nabokov;
~ Learning the importance of properly priming paint pens;
~ Putting cards from specialty sets to good use;
~ Tag-teaming the Sharks for Colin's team sheet; and
~ Posting some short videos from the Sharks' practice in Brandon, Fla.

Threads: Dany Heatley

It was getting down to the nitty-gritty Thursday afternoon in Tampa. In little more than an hour, Colin had a Little League game in St. Petersburg and I didn't want us to get caught in rush-hour traffic and be late for his game.

I'd just finished packing the hounding bag when San Jose's Dany Heatley left the hotel and headed over to sign autographs. Thankfully, the card book, containing this jersey card, was right on top. So was the Atlanta Thrashers puck that Colin had him sign.

Two minutes later, we were headed to the Houndmobile. We missed the majority of traffic, took the Gandy across Tampa Bay and made it to the diamond in plenty of time for Colin's game.

For the record, his Reds won, 2-0, and he was awarded the game ball for some gutsy play behind the plate.

Back in rotation

San Jose's Joe Thornton became the first NHL player this season to sign the work-in-progress Team Canada jersey, adding the 24th signature Wednesday to one of Hound Central's favorite items.

Jerseys like this provide another platform to snag autographs from the game's top players one you've gotten your fill of cards, photos and pucks. Many of Hockey Bay's hounds work similar national items, primarily Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland and Russia jerseys.

Besides this Team Canada jersey, I'll be working USA Hockey and Slovakian jerseys this season.

Completing the Team Canada hat trick, so to speak, on Thursday were:

defenseman Rob Blake; and

forward Patrick Marleau.

Much better

After learning a lesson Wednesday about priming paint pens, and making a move to a different brand, I wasted no time in getting San Jose goalie Evgeni Nabokov to sign this Russia souvenir puck.

A well-working paint pen looks so much better, doesn't it?

A day later, Nabokov signed the 2004-05 UD Hockey All-World Edition card. Produced during the NHL lockout of that season, the cards are another example of a specialty set that proves pretty useful for card-hounding efforts.

Dang it!

Want to know what happens when you mistakenly believe your DecoColor Liquid Silver paint pen is primed for signing? You get very thin autographs like I did from San Jose's Rob Blake (top row) and Jody Shelley.

Both signed with 30 seconds of another, starting with Shelley. After Shelley signed, I reshook the pen and pressed the tip against the puck case to help, or so I thought, to get the paint reflowing. As you can see, it wasn't enough.

Another lesson, I'm afraid, has been learned.

Follow this lead

Until I run out of these cards, and I don't plan on that happening any time soon, I'm going to extol the virtues of specialty cards. They are, by far, the easiest way to build depth and diversity within your autographed hockey card collection.

Over the past two days, we had members of the San Jose Sharks add these four, from left, from different sets within the card-hounding stock:

~ Thomas Greiss: 2007-08 NHL Rookie Class
~ Thomas Greiss: 2006-07 AHL Top Prospects
~ Ryan Vesce: 2006 AHL All-Stars; and
~ Marc-Edouard Vlasic: 2007 NHL Rookie Class

Tag-team effort

It may have taken us two days and the two of us to work it, but all the effort we put into Colin's team sheet for the San Jose Sharks caught the eye of at least one player.

"That's pretty cool, buddy," San Jose's Scott Nichol told Colin Thursday afternoon. "That's what it's all about."

Besides Nichol, whose signature is tucked in the bottom right corner, other San Jose players to sign were, from left, Ryan Clowe, Jody Shelley, Patrick Marleau, Evgeni Nabokov, Dan Boyle, Doug Murray (shown signing the sheet for me), Jason Demers, Devin Setoguchi, assistant coach Matt Shaw and Brad Staubitz.

Catching a practice

Not only did we get some autographs from San Jose Sharks players Wednesday, but we also watched them practice at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon.

Here are a handful of clips at the HockeyBayHound channel at You Tube:

~ Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau taking part in the practice;
~ Joe Thornton running through a drill;
~ Evgeni Nabokov getting warmed up as practice began; and
~ Thomas Greiss making a few saves during warm-ups.

Update: Here's some footage from the Lightning's practice Wednesday showing Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman, Marty St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier and Antero Niittymaki.

We want it all

When it comes to hockey hounding, it's apparent that Hound Central 5.0 readers, as well as its chief puckhound, are a greedy lot. Not only do we want to snag a bunch of autographs during our hockey-hounding adventures, but we want them from the NHL's best players.

In my case, it's not like anything less than 75 autographs in a single session is a waste of time. Those days are few and far between. But given the choice between a top-six forward and a seventh defenseman, I'm happier when multiples come from a team's star rather than a scrub.

For the most part, I subscribe to principle that one autograph is better than none. That's the beauty of being a collector. I don't have to get autographs. I just like getting any autographs.

Do you see anything wrong with that? I don't.

Question: What's your goal in hounding?

Both (quality and quantity): 25 votes out of 40 cast (62.5 percent)
Quality: 12 votes (30 percent)
Quantity: 3 votes (7.5 percent)

One proud daddy

As most of you know, Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving Southeast correspondent, likes to collect players from the past through the mail or in-person. Every now and then, he tells me, a surprise comes in the mailbox and you get a signed card.

Over the summer, one envelope contained a signed card and then some. I'll let Moody pick up the story from here:

"Phil Sykes, a former Jet, was kind enough to sign a card and then doted over the fact that his son was just ranked #3 in the nation as a wake boarder. He even included a signed personal photo of his son along with a very cheerful letter.

"The joy of being a parent and wanting to shout it from the rooftops. We all find ourselves doing it. Whether through a blog, general conversation or even fan mail, it is truly an amazing act of family pride that not enough kids get."

Well said, Moody.

Lot to learn

Sorry, Caps fans, but it was rather silly that so many of you lost your hats thinking Ovie's shootout goal meant a hat trick. Way to embarrass yourselves across hockey land.

Sunday morning homily III

As a hockey dad, in games and through hounding, it's a rite of passage, I believe, to help your child bust open his first-ever box of hockey cards. Not only does it represent quality time together, but it's further cementing a bond that incorporates hockey.

In Colin's case, the passing of the torch came Thursday night with a 36-pack hobby box of 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Hockey.

As we all know, his favorite NHL player is Boston's Patrice Bergeron. That's why he likes the Bruins. And that's why he wears No. 37.

So, I knew that it would be pretty darn important that Colin find a Bergeron card in the box. Pack after pack, he carefully opened each one, looking for that special card. After the 35th pack, his voice still had a twinge of hope.

"Patrice will be in this pack," he told me.

I'll be honest. I had my doubts as well as visions of having to buy another box of what I perceive as a disappointing product. But, sure enough, right on top of the box's 36th pack, was Colin's best NHL buddy.

His smile lit up the living room.

"I told you," Colin said. "Didn't I?

All I could do was shake my head and chuckle. The hockey gods, or at least the ones I pray to, delivered. Really, I shouldn't have been surprised. Those two have always had a connection.

They'll be back

In case you're wondering what happened to the first two installments of Signing shows, the video feature showing NHL players signing autographs here in Hockey Bay, let's just say I'm erring on the side of caution.

Even though I'm afforded protection by shooting videos at and from a public place, meaning I didn't need anyone's permission to publish them, I still want to respect everyone's privacy.

I've reached out to some Hockey Bay Hounds who say they'll be more than happy to allow their images to be shown. As for the NHL players, well, it'll show them in a positive light. If they have an issue with that, we'll cross that bridge when it happens.

5 Big Sigs

With the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres headed to Hockey Bay, I'm having a hard time picking just five. The Sharks are loaded with talent. The Sabres are my favorite team. I guess that's why I get paid the big bucks, making decisions like these:

~ San Jose's Dany Heatley on Sharks and Thrashers pucks;
~ San Jose's Rob Blake on Sharks and Kings pucks;
~ San Jose's Jody Shelley on Sharks and Blue Jackets pucks;
~ Buffalo's Tim Connolly and Mike Grier for the Threads project; and
~ Buffalo's Tyler Myers on Sabres and Kelowna Rockets pucks.

Everyone's welcome

Even if you aren't family or a friend, there are five new videos, including Colin getting ice time during a 5-on-3 penalty kill and a nearly three-minute shift, available at the cms37videos channel at YouTube.

It's hard to say no

Every season, without fail, I have to make at least one hounding trip for the Florida Panthers. It's not because they're a divisional opponent of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nor is it that Florida's roster is stocked with future Hall of Famers or Stanley Cup winners.

Nope, my reason, is this: The Panthers are one of the best-signing teams in the NHL. Every player, including its stars, seldom turns down a request. Some, like Nathan Horton, may sign after, rather than before, the team's morning skate, but they take care of hounds.

All in all, though, this team flat-out signs. Even Bryan Allen and Bryan McCabe, former notorious one-per signers, have jumped aboard the blue ink bandwagon. Trust me, it doesn't happen too often.

That's why, even if it comes across as selfish, I'll get while the getting is good. Scoring 29 autographs, including 26 cards, by myself in humid 90-plus degrees conditions is a good day.

Signing cards, shown above, before Monday's morning skate at the St. Pete Times Forum were:

Top row: Bryan Allen, Keith Ballard and Scott Clemmensen;
Middke row: Michael Frolik, Jordan Leopld and Bryan McCabe; and
Bottom row: Rostislav Olesz, Cory Stillman and Stephen Weiss.

Signing pucks were, from left, Tomas Vokoun and Dmitry Kulikov.

Other reports from the Panthers:

~ A hat trick for the Threads project;
~ the signing machine that is goalie Tomas Vokoun;
~ a couple of 2008-09 Rookie Class cards from Panthers prospects; and
~ the first "cheap skates" card of the 2009-10 campaign.

Threads: Panthers hat trick

One of my many goals this season was to get at least one jersey swatch card signed during every hounding adventure. In the case of the Florida Panthers, in town Monday to play the Tampa Bay Lightning, I knew my chances for success were pretty good.

Instead of having just one card in the book, there were four opportunities to add to the Threads project. It's easy to see, starting with the one signed by Florida's Stephen Weiss, that I met my most basic expectation.

But it was Jordan Leopold, left, and Tomas Vokoun who helped me complete the hat trick.

So, who did I miss? How about Steven Reinprecht? I'm not too worried, though. The Panthers will be back and, as it stands, I have little else left for the team. Focusing on that card should be a cinch.

God's gift to hockey hounds

Any hound who finds himself mired in a one-per slump should thank the hockey-hounding gods for an NHL player like Florida's Tomas Vokoun.

Why, you ask? The guy is a signing machine. Though I seldom present more than four items to any player at a time, I've seen Vokoun do nine boards and a stack of 8x10s without batting an eyelash. And he does this every year.

Besides this cool plastic die-cut card, an EX insert from a box of 2009-10 Fleer Ultra Hockey, Vokoun also signed a Czech Republic puck as well as a jersey card, part of the Threads project, before the Panthers' morning skate Monday here in Hockey Bay.

These work as well

While my "cheap skates" cards work for NHL prospects early in a season, it doesn't mean that I have to use them for every young player. Thanks to Upper Deck's late-season prospect set Rookie Class, card hounds can have at least one for the game's youngest stars.

On Monday, with the Florida Panthers in Hockey Bay, I put a pair from the 2008-09 edition to good use, having centers Michael Frolik and Shawn Matthias sign their cards. That's a pretty sweet signature from Matthias, too.

Cheap skates: Dmitry Kulikov

There's nothing worse, when it comes to hounding, than not having any cards for an NHL prospect to sign when an opportunity presents itself. Sure, you can have them sign a puck or a photo, but those can quickly add up to some serious cash.

For the purists, -- those who stick primarily to cards-- finding a card for these prospects can be tricky. They haven't been in the league long enough, especially at this stage of the season, to have any cards. And, then, there's the question of even getting a rookie card signed.

That's why I created this card for Florida's Dmitry Kulikov, the 14th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft.

Sure, I had him sign a puck Monday, seeing that he was a first-rounder. I like to think, though, that this so-called "cheap skates" card, updated from a Microsoft Word template I made a few years ago, is perfect for the occasion.

Simply put, they get the job done.

Want to save money?

I know I do. I found some paint pens -- DecoColors and Elmer's Painters -- for $1.99 at Michael's Arts & Crafts. Not sure how long the sale lasts, but it's certainly worth a trip to stock up for the rest of the season.

Let's hope not

Hey, Tampa Bay sports fans, I have a question. Given his slow start, is it an apt comparison to say that Alex Tanguay is to the Tampa Bay Lightning what Pat Burrell was to the Tampa Bay Rays?

I'm thinking that if Steve Downie gets dropped to the fourth line for not producing, Lightning coach Rick Tocchet risks losing credibility with his role players if he keeps Tangauy on the Bolts' so-called top line.

Now, if you want to read something positive about the Lightning, check out Joe Smith's feature on James Wright at tampabay.com. I'm pulling for the kid, too.

Family day in Hockey Bay

Even though I had to work and wouldn't be in a position to help out, it was pretty easy to talk the Missus and Colin into hounding the Carolina Hurricanes this past Saturday morning. It didn't hurt, too, that they'd join some friends for the day.

After a little hiccup making their way through Tampa, as downtown streets were cut off, they met up with Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving Southeast correspondent, and his delightful family to hang out, share some laughs and snag a few autographs.

As you can see, the Missus and Colin had a good time, scoring a nifty 30 autographs, including pucks signed by Cam Ward, left, and Sergei Samsonov, before and after the team's morning skate. Both, too, are part of his Colin's Pucks project.

The fun, though, went far beyond that, from what I hear.

The biggest laugh of the day came when Colin, stripped to the waist after soaking through a Hurricanes T-shirt running around a playground with Moody's daughters in 90-plus degree temperatures, ran down Ward and had him sign the puck, a couple of cards and, of course, his team sheet. The look on Ward's face, the Missus' said, was worth any hassles encountered that morning.

Among others signing cards were, from left, Eric Staal, Ward and the Missus' favorite Hurricanes player, Ray Whitney. Rod Brind'Amour, the 'Canes captain, added to the Threads project.

The Moody's haul


While Mikayla, Moody's oldest, went about getting 30 cards signed herself, including cards from notorious toughie Tom Barrasso (the Canes' goalie coach), Stall and Ward, her dad put some of his fan pack freebies to good use.

Not only did goalie Michael Leighton sign a mini poster from his Chicago days, but Tim Gleason, Tom Kostopolous, Niclas Wallin, Ward and Whitney also signed team-issued player cards.

Moody added Chad LaRose to his work-in-progress Plymouth Whalers helmet visor. Others signers include Whalers alums Peter DeBoer, Stephen Weiss and Greg Campbell, all members of the Florida Panthers organization.

Looking ahead, there will be a few more family outings with the Moodys. Thankfully, I'll have those days off. It looks like I missed a productive and pretty fun day.

This is more like it

A couple of day ago, after Colin worked a computer-generated team sheet for the New Jersey Devils, I wondered whether it would be better if he went back to creating his own team sheets. And, after snagging 19 autographs, including ones from Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour, Tuomo Ruutu, Eric Staal and Cam Ward, we have our answer.

There's just something, I believe, about a kid's drawing that draws one's attention. To me, the ones I made for him came off a tad cold. From the logos to the lettering, they truly are unique "works of art."

After Saturday's trip for the Hurricanes, I'm thinking Colin will continue his arts-and-crafts approach to his hockey-hounding staple. He likes Them. I like them. It's safe to say, given the number of compliments he's received using them, the players like them, too.

Threads: Rod Brind'Amour

When the Missus had Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour sign this jersey card Saturday, she worried about his signature running into the swatch. Sure, it's always nice when they keep the ink on the cardboard. In the grand scheme of things, though, it's not a big deal.

Back in black

When I first saw these cards of Carolina's Eric Staal and Cam Ward in the Hurricanes' third jerseys, they nearly didn't make it into the hounding rotation. Dark uniforms usually lead to hard-to-see autographs.

But after Colin got his two buddies, who he first met during the 2004-05 lockout as they played for the AHL's Lowell (Mass.) Lock Monsters, to sign them, perhaps I should change my way of thinking.

Even with a black Sharpie, the signatures stand out. It helps, too, that the black parts of the uniform have been toned down, allowing for ink to be seen over the image.

Sunday morning homily II

The New Jersey Devils team bus had left the Westin Harbour Island hotel Thursday. A couple of us were still hanging out, waiting on the Devils' healthy scratches to head over to the game.

Over walks a man, with a recognizable Canadian accent, asking us how we did with the Devils. Did we get autographs from Martin Brodeur, he asked? No, I told him, we hadn't. Unbeknownst to the future Hall of Famer, I'm sure, Brodeur only signed for dealers earlier in the day.

Eventually, our conversation turned to the Lightning. We talked about Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos. Victor Hedman and Carter Ashton, the Bolt's two 2009 first-round picks, came up. How much of a mistake it was last season for the Lightning to hire Barry Melrose as a coach did, too.

It wasn't long, though, before I brought up James Wright's name. When it did, a smile grew across the man's face.

"That's my son, you know," he said. "James Wright."

Thankfully, I had made positive comments about the kid, talking about how he was a pleasant surprise, making the team out of training camp by playing more like a veteran than the 117th overall pick in 2008. Dad's smile only grew.

After that, we talked about being a hockey parent and the differences between youth hockey in Canada and the United States. As a rookie hockey dad, I enjoyed picking the brain of someone who's traveled the path I hope and pray we follow down the road.

As gametime approached and relatives gathered, Dad had one last question for me.

"So, did he sign an autograph for you," Dad asked? "He better have."

Yes, Mr. Wright, your son signed autographs. A fellow Hockey Bay Hound gave the one shown above to my young hockey player. But, let's hope, too, that your's sticks around a little longer. If you don't mind, I have a few more questions.

Addendum (10/14/09): St. Petersburg Times writer Joe Smith had a nice story about James Wright at tampabay.com.

Better than a goal

Sticking with the hockey dad theme, I'm learning to look for instances during Colin's games where his coaches see the potential of a kid playing in his first full recreational league season by handing him a heaping helping of responsibility. He had one of those moments Saturday night, when he pulled a shift as the only forward on a 5-on-3 penalty kill.

For an 8-year-old, playing against 9- to 12-year-olds, to be given that kind of responsibility, even if it came during a rec-league game, was pretty darn cool. Just like Mr. Wright, I was one proud daddy.

5 Big Sigs

Last Sunday, I said the only team we'd hound last week was the New Jersey Devils. Well, as you'll read over the next few days, we also squeezed in a visit Saturday for the Carolina Hurricanes.

This week, though, you have my word. There is only one team coming to Hockey Bay. It won't have to travel too far, either, as it'll be the Florida Panthers. After that, it'll be more than 10 days before another NHL club provides a hounding adventure.

With that in mind, here's what I hope to add:

~ A Czech Republic souvenir puck from Tomas Vokoun;
~ a U.S.A. souvenir puck from David Booth (missed him);
~ a Panthers puck from Dmitry Kulikov, taken 14th overall in 2009;
~ jersey memorabilia cards signed Jordan Leopold (yes), Steven Reinprecht (no) and Tomas Vokoun (yes); and
~ more than one card (he signed three) signed by Bryan Allen.

A young boy's dreams

I can only guess as to what Colin was thinking about while watching the Tampa Bay Lightning's pregame warmups last night at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa. Maybe how through hard work, dedication and a little luck that he could, someday, be out there for an NHL home opener. That's what I was thinking about.

43 seconds

Here are a few short videos, on Hound Central 5.0's HockeyBayHound channel at You Tube, of a few Tampa Bay Lightning players during Thursday night's pregame warmups: Victor Hedman, Marty St.Louis and James Wright.

Let the games begin

It's always nice going out for first hounding adventure of the season. Sure, we made a few trips for the Lightning, during rookie and training camps. But we all know the real hockey-hounding season really begins when the first visiting team comes to town.

Not only is it a chance to snag autographs from players other than the hometown's team, but it's a time to renew acquaintances with friends you haven't seen in some time. To me, that's the best part of hounding -- building friendships with like-minded individuals committed to the hobby.

Well, that and getting 33 autographs:

Signing pucks were, from left, Rob Niedermayer (strict one-per, for some reason), Bruce Salvador (who also signed a St. Louis Blues puck) and Dainius Zubrus.

Those signing cards were, from left, Tommy Albelin, David Clarkson (who, despite a "tough guy" reputation, really should think twice before tangling with Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman), Paul Martin and Travis Zajac.

Other reports from the Devils:

~ A change in plans regarding Colin's team sheets;
~ a learning experience, thanks to coach Jacques Lemaire;
~ U.S.A. souvenir pucks signed by Lou Lamoriello and Jamie Langenbrunner;
~ a couple of pucks from Brian Rolston; and
~ neat cards from Yann Danis and Travis Zajac.

Sadly, we missed out on Martin Brodeur and Zach Parise, the Devils' top two players. Brodeur signed only a handful of autographs, mostly for dealers. Parise, we heard, signed at and after the morning skate. Oh, well, they'll be back.

What do you think?

Last season, Colin took matters into his own hands, drawing his team sheets, rather than having me create them on a computer, to rack up more than 300 autographs on 22 sheets.

This season, though, he started using computer-generated versions, including this one Thursday to snag a dozen autographs from the New Jersey Devils. To me, they just don't have the same feel. There's something about a hand-drawn sheet, especially by a child, that is much more memorable -- for all parties involved.

Going forward, he'll return to making his team sheets.

As for the Devils, here's who signed, from left: David Clarkson, Tommy Albelin, Colin White, Travis Zajac, Chris Terreri, Bryce Salvador, Rob Niedermayer, Rod Pelley, Mike Mottau, Jamie Langenbrunner, Mario Tremblay and Dainius Zubrus.

That empty spot in the middle? There is a watermarked Devils logo that we can see, but apparently escaped our scanner's optics. Yet another reason, I'd say, to go back to hand-drawn sheets.

Use what works, folks

Going into this hockey-hounding campaign, I was willing to deviate from my paint pen of choice to give Sharpie's oil-based paint pens a chance. But after getting this watery, though legible, autograph from New Jersey coach Jacques Lemaire, I quickly switched to my trusty DecoColor Liquid Silver paint pen.

Though I properly primed the Sharpie pen -- shaking it upside down and using scribble to get the ink flowing -- I was less than happy with the outcome. Though the ink works fine on paper, I won't be using them for pucks.

It's a shame, too, as the Sharpie paint pens were a little cheaper than the DecoColor paint pens. It's like the old saying goes -- you get what you pay for.

Long may they wave

Hound Central 5.0 readers better get used to seeing these nation souvenir pucks, like these U.S.A. offerings signed Thursday by New Jersey's general manager Lou Lamoriello, left, and captain Jamie Langenbrunner. Our puck supplier, Anderson Enterprises KPT, began offering them this season, opening an avenue to increase the international component of our collection.

We had another U.S.A. puck for Zach Parise, who we couldn't get to sign before Thursday's game. We also had a Canada souvenir puck for Martin Brodeur, but we missed out on him, too, at morning skate as well as the gametime bus.

On a side note, these pucks, despite being signed in blue, aren't part of the Colin's Pucks project. The blue paint looks better than the silver.

Follow their careers

One approach to take when building an autographed puck collection is to a player sign pucks showing every NHL team he's played for during his career. After New Jersey's Brian Rolston signed these two pucks before Thursday's morning skate, we can cross him off our list.

Singing their praises

As long as specialty cards like these are on the market, they'll have a fan in me. The American Hockey League produces two sets annually -- AHL Top Prospects and AHL All-Stars. Upper Deck's Rookie Class is a seasonal must-have item for any hound. New Jersey's Yann Danis achieved my objective, signing them before the Devils game against Tampa Bay.

Subtle detail

Every so often, I stumble across a card that I find perfect for hounding. Take this one of New Jersey's Travis Zajac, for example. Beyond showing Zajac uncorking a slapshot, the spray from his skate provides a much better signing background than dark pants.

Old-timers rule

It's no secret, especially among Hound Central 5.0 readers, that retired NHL players are the best signers. NHL forwards came close, but it was the old timers, so to speak, who earned the reputation.

Need proof? Check out these autographed magazine covers, from HC5.0 correspondent Moody's collection. All are from retired NHL players and, as you can see, came from some pretty big names -- Boston's Phil Esposito, Montreal's Maurice Richard, the Isles' Mike Bossy, Detroit's Alex Delvecchio and Montreal's Guy Lafleur.

Just look at them. Those guys are Hall of Famers. And the signatures? Nearly letter-perfect. How many of those do we get out in the field? That's what I thought.

From what Moody tells me, too, that nearly every one of the autographs, from the magazines to these cards (also from his collection) were done in-person. Only recently has he sent requests through the mail, using a giant database of home addresses. Pretty solid effort, if you ask me.

The next question, then, is what makes retired players the best signers. I'll offer this guess: They simply have more time on their hands these days now that they're playing careers are over.

Question: Best signers?

Retired players: 11 votes out of 25 cast (44 percent)
Forwards: 8 votes (32 percent)
Goalies: 5 votes (20 percent)
Defensemen: 1 vote (4 percent)