A minor letdown

Two days after adding a significant milestone puck, I'm not surprised that Wednesday's effort for the Montreal Canadiens seems to lack luster. Yet, after adding 39 autographs, including 22 cards, to the collection, that's how it felt.

The biggest part, I imagine, was that not a single Canadiens player, or at least the ones I had pucks for, put silver paint on vulcanized rubber. Sure, the bar was raised -- top names (Andrei Markov) and new faces (Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez) filled the list -- but it was odd to walk away from hounding the Habs without adding a puck.

Oh, well, you don't always get what you want, do you? Besides, the Canadiens will be back soon enough and, perhaps, I'll have better luck next time.

Among those signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Matt D'Agostini, Josh Gorges and Jaroslav Halak;
Middle row: Sergei Kostitsyn, Maxim Lapierre and Kirk Muller; and
Bottom row: Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanic and Benoit Pouliot.

Unlike Moody, who has a knack for getting these double cards signed, Josh Gorges completed the first of the season, maybe even ever, when he signed this 2006-07 O-Pee-Chee card shared with then-San Jose teammate Matt Carle.

Carle, now with the Philadelphia Flyers, kicked off the card last week during the team's visit to Hockey Bay to play the Lightning, another of his former teams.

Other highlights of our morning with the Habs:

~ Seventeen members of the Canadiens organization signing Colin's team sheet; and
~ goalie Carey Price adding to the Threads project.

There must be a reason

In all honesty, and that's how I roll, there's no reason to complain when Colin racks up 17 members of the Montreal Canadiens organization on his latest team sheet, like he did Wednesday when the Habs were in Hockey Bay.

But when a player like Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov shoots down a kid's request, especially after he signed a handful for adults, I can't help but wonder what goes into his thought process:

~ Does Markov really believe these sheets end up on eBay? (They don't, as we have all 82--dating to 2005--tucked into a three-ring binder);
~ Does Markov find these unworthy of his signature? (Gee, I hope not, as Colin gets a number of compliments from other NHL players); or
~ Was Markov just in a hurry and didn't want to get caught up in a scrum of hounds after stopping to sign? (That's what I'm thinking)

Oh, well, we're happy with those who did take the time to sign, from left: Travis Moen, Max Pacioretty, Benoit Pouliot, Romas Hamrlik, Paul Mara, Kirk Muller, Jacques Martin, Sergei Kostitsyn, Glen Metropolit, Tomas Plekanic, Maxim Lapierre, Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak, Josh Gorges, Jaroslav Spacek, Matt D'Agostini and Ryan O'Byrne.

The others who Colin missed -- including Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez -- all opted to take the hotel van to the morning skate.

Threads: Carey Price

If you ever want to get an autograph from Montreal's Carey Price, you better be prepared to walk at a brisk pace. The goalie, who has drawn a crowd any time I've hounded him, doesn't stop to sign. He keep on walking. Not sure why, seeing that he'll sign for anyone who walks with him, but I've never seen him stand still.

It helps, too, if you point out obstacles such as moving vehicles, steps, curbs and ramps so everyone, not just Price, doesn't get hurt. I'd be interested in hearing if he does this elsewhere.

This card, part of the Ultra Uniformity subset within 2009-10 NHL Fleer Ultra, is the latest addition to the Threads project.

Nice pick

Canadians from Cranbrook to Cape Breton will debate the addition of Patrice Bergeron to the 2010 Canadian Olympic team, but there are at least three people down here in Hockey Bay who have one word for the Hockey Canada's selection: Magnifique!

Renewing acquaintances

After hitting the Tampa Bay Lightning hard in training camp, it's been a conscious decision to take a break from hounding the Bolts. With Colin on holiday vacation, however, we've found that it's a solid opportunity to revisit the hometown team.

We made our first trip of the break Wednesday, snagging a baker's dozen autographs in less than 30 minutes. Later today, we'll spend some more time hounding the Lightning with hopes of adding quality and quantity. Recent card releases have added to the Bolts' stockpile, so we hope to make as a big of a dent as we can.

If not, though, we're more than happy to have added these from Wednesday's trip:

Signing cards were, from left, Kurtis Foster, Ryan Malone, Antero Niittymaki and Alex Tanguay.

The card was not the only item Tanguay, who's been on somewhat of a hot streak as of late, signed for us.

He also signed this puck, from his junior days when he was tearing it up in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, as well as adding to the Threads project, which features jersey swatch cards.

As a side note, this puck represents the first step in a long march to the next major milestone of the autographed puck collection. After Boston's Patrice Bergeron signed the 2,000th puck of the collection, it didn't take long to score No. 2,001.

If you're down here in the Hockey Bay area, make sure you stop by one of the local Champs sporting goods stores in most of the malls. For most of the season, the stores have been handing out -- simply for the asking -- these promotional cards of Lightning players.

Also on Wednesday, we had Matt Walker, one of the Lightning's offseason acquisitions, sign this one.

Threads: Alex Tanguay

He may not be having the best season of his career, but we didn't let that stop us from adding Tampa Bay's Alex Tanguay to Hound Central 5.0's work-in-progress Threads campaign during the 2009-10 hockey-hounding campaign.

Tanguay signed this card, part of the Authentic Fabrics subset within the 2005-06 SP Game-Used Edition, following Wednesday's morning skate.

CONGRATS! Ron and Colin on 2000!

Al and Moody, roving correspondents for Hound Central 5.0, would like to officially congratulate you on your milestone accomplishment of 2,000 pucks. Way to go! We can't wait to witness the next milestone.

Puck No. 2,000

Enough with the suspense, right? After a week of writing about it, and leaving faithful Hound Central 5.0 readers hanging for the past few hours, you're now looking at the 2,000th autographed puck of the collection.

Much to our amazement, the Hockey Gods aligned the planets, setting in place the opportunity for Colin to get the milestone puck from his best NHL buddy and favorite player: Boston's Patrice Bergeron.

Though I know I should've captured the actual moment, the memory of witnessing this interaction is indelibly ingrained in my mind:

Patrice comes walking toward us, a smile growing on his face as he recognizes his little buddy. I hand Colin, wearing his Bergeron jersey, the two pucks -- one for the 2010 Winter Classic and this Canada souvenir puck -- we had for Patrice.

"Hey, buddy," Patrice says, "How have you been?"

"Hi, Patrice," Colin says. "I'm good. Can you sign these pucks, please? If you do, we'll have 2,000 for the collection."

Of course, as he always has, Patrice signs whatever Colin asks of him. The Winter Classic puck, one of four we got signed by Bruins players, was No. 1,999. The Canada puck was next.

"Oh, my God," Patrice says. "That's a lot of pucks."

Then, as I'm chiding myself for not grabbing the camera to record the occasion, Patrice and Colin walk away, side by side, heading toward the rink. Patrice asks Colin about his hockey season. I stay a few steps back, letting them have their moment.

The torch, I'm proud to say, has officially been passed.

For the record, though, here's the annual picture of Colin and Patrice, taken after the Bruins' morning skate, moments after Colin gave him an autographed puck.

Big, (and getting) Bad Bruins

When the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2009-10 schedule came out this summer, the Dec. 28th game against the Boston Bruins was circled in red. Not only would it be one of the handful of games we'd attend this season, but it would be one of the more important hounding adventures of the campaign.

By now, we're all familiar with our ties to New England. Colin was born there. So was The Missus. And, of all the locales I've lived, it's where I feel most at home. As a result, there's an affinity within our household for certain New England based-teams. And for the youngest member of the household, the best team in New England is the Boston Bruins.

That's what made the trip out for the Bruins a special day. Thankfully, most of them, including one particular Bruin, played along.

And though the team is becoming a bit rough to hound (expect a lot of one-pers from players you wouldn't expect -- think Vladimir Sobotka, Shawn Thornton, Blake Wheeler and Dennis Wideman, and, for the first time in recent memory, the team bus pulling up under the hotel entrance), we didn't walk away disappointed. No, not in the least bit. Not only did we add 56 autographs during the day, but, yes, we reached a certain milestone within the autographed puck collection -- No. 2,000.

Among those signing pucks, shown above, were:

Top row: Zdeno Chara (a strict one-per), Andrew Ference (on a puck he gave Colin two seasons ago during warm-ups) and Derek Morris; and
Bottom row: Mark Recchi and Michael Ryder.

Those signing cards, shown below, were:

Top row: Byron Bitz, David Krejci (another per) and Milan Lucic;
Middle row: Daniel Paille, Tuukka Rask (who, despite protestations, finally relented and signed) and Vladimir Sobotka; and
Bottom row: Marco Sturm, Blake Wheeler and Dennis Wideman.

The other highlights from a long, but wonderful, day of hounding the Bruins:

~ Having Patrice Bergeron sign the 2,000th puck of the collection;
~ Colin filling up a team sheet with 26 signatures;
~ Getting into the 2010 Winter Classic spirit;
~ Having Marc Savard add to the Threads project; and
~ Pulling a photo gallery out of the Bruins' pregame warm-ups.

Numbers game

One of the hardest things about these team sheets -- and really they are pretty darn easy -- is keeping track of all of the signatures that often fill them. In this case, 24 members of the Boston Bruins team and coaching staff, supplied 26 signatures.

Who signed twice? David Krejci and Blake Wheeler.

Who did Colin miss? Goalies Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask.

The most important signature? C'mon, now, that ought to be easy. It was Patrice Bergeron, tucked up in the upper right corner.

In the ballpark

Given that the 2010 Winter Classic, featuring the Philadelphia Flyers meeting the Boston Bruins, takes place Friday at venerable Fenway Park, it made perfect sense yesterday to add a few Bruins players to the mix:

Top row: Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci
Bottom row: Marc Savard and Tim Thomas

My only regret is that I didn't buy more of these pucks.

Threads: Marc Savard

Thank goodness we did so well earlier in the day with the Boston Bruins. Beyond a grumpy Johnny Bucyk signing Colin's team sheet, only Marc Savard signed for us before gametime, adding to the Threads project, finishing off this Ultra Uniformity card from 2009-10 NHL Fleer Ultra.

Gallery: Boston Bruins

It's part of the drill, really, heading down to the glass to watch warm-ups. It's extra special, though, when your favorite NHL team comes to town. Just ask Colin, who got his front-row perch long before warm-ups began. Here are a few sights, taken by The Missus, from last night's pregame action:

Patrice Bergeron, Colin's best NHL buddy, watches warm-ups.

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is an imposing presence, even before the game.

Goalie Tuukka Rask prepares to make a save while Patrice Bergeron waits for a rebound opportunity.

As Colin watches warm-ups, Mark Recchi hangs out near the boards. Recchi, who earlier in the day watched Colin wipe out in front of him, would later flip a puck over the glass to Colin.

Something in the crowd catches the attention of goalie Tim Thomas.

Along the blue line, Steve Begin, from left, Blake Wheeler and Johnny Boychuk await their turns during warm-ups.

A couple of chuckles

Beyond hitting a certain milestone, yesterday's hounding adventure with the Boston Bruins yielded two humorous memories:

~ Colin lost an edge while trying to stop in front of Boston's Mark Recchi. It seems, the Goofy Dude, in his quest to be the first one to get Recchi's autograph, sprinted across wet grass to reach his spot. Unfortunately, when he went to stop, his feet went out from underneath him. He came to a sliding stop -- right in front of Recchi. Unfazed and unhurt, Colin popped up (he's a hockey player after all) and asks "Will you sign my team sheet, please?"

~ Even funnier, from my standpoint, was when a couple of clueless dealers, getting Boston Bruins to sign baseball bats (you know, the Winter Classic is in Fenway Park on Friday), asked two members of the Tampa Bay Lightning -- Blair Jones and Mike Lundin -- to sign the bats. Much to the delight of Hockey Bay's hounds, Jones and Lundin obliged.

So, that's why ...

Hockey Bay hounds, myself included, learned a pretty good lesson in preparation Saturday when the Atlanta Thrashers came to town. Thinking that the team would fly in late on Christmas night, we were a bit surprised to learn, through a flight-tracking Web site, that the team flew in early Saturday and took a bus to the St. Pete Times Forum for its morning skate.

Watching the bus drive by answered plenty of our questions, then, as to why we didn't see the team's training and equipment staff, as well as the coaches, head out earlier than the players. In fact, the lack of a bus at the team's hotel was another sign that something was up.

Even seeing Thrashers captain Ilya Kovalchuk walk out by himself, being the only player to sign before the morning skate, raised questions. Apparently, he flew in on his own.

But, as you can see, we didn't miss out. After we added only two signatures (Colin's team sheet and a puck) in the morning, Hockey Bay hounds stepped up to help (I was at work) the Missus and Colin.

All told, they added another 36 items, including another six pucks, later in the day as the players headed out for the gametime bus:

Signing pucks, shown above, were:

Top row: Nikolai Antropov (who also signed a New York Rangers puck), Tobias Enstrom and Evander Kane; and
Bottom row: Ilya Kovalchuk, Vyacheslav Kozlov and Pavel Kubina.

Signing cards, shown below, were:

Top row: Maxim Afinogenov, Ron Hainsey and Johan Hedberg; and
Bottom row: Ondrej Pavelec, Rich Peverley and Christoph Schubert.

The other highlights from the day:

~ Colin snagging 15 signatures on his team sheet;
~ Ilya Kovalchuk adding to the Threads project; and
~ Moody's report from a family outing with the Thrashers.

Outside the lines

Crayons, by and large, symbolize childhood. I mean, who didn't color as a kid? In fact, one of our first lessons in conformity, should we decide to follow it, is to color within the lines.

In the case of Colin's team sheets, though, it's always a blank sheet. He does his best drawing the logo -- he did an awesome job with this one for the Atlanta Thrashers -- and the players take care of the rest.

The 15 Thrashers players who signed, from left, were Vyacheslav Kozlov, Anssi Salmela, Tobias Enstrom, Ilya Kovalchuk, Eric Boulton, Maxim Afinogenov, Todd White, Bryan Little, Marty Reasoner, Christoph Schubert, Johan Hedberg, Pavel Kubina, Zach Bogosian, Nikolai Antropov and Ron Hainsey.

Threads: Ilya Kovalchuk

Of all the cards that have been added to the Threads project this hockey-hounding campaign, it's safe to say that this one from Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk is the nicest one -- so far. Sweet burgundy swatch and a pretty solid signature, too.

The card, which Colin specifically asked Kovie to sign before Atlanta's game against Tampa Bay, is from 2008-09 Upper Deck Hockey Series I.

Why it's called Hot-Lanta

I couldn't resist putting in my two cents in on the recent visit by the Atlanta Thrashers. Some of you know that I was a resident of the Greater Atlanta area (even if only for six months) and put out several reports on their signing habits.

Normally, I wouldn't post the same outings as the Puckhound, but I just did so darn well that I wanted to brag a bit.

In one of my reports, I let you all know how good the Thrashers were about handing out sticks after the practices in Duluth.

The littlest hound (3-year-old Natalie) couldn't wait to get her Eric Boulton stick signed by her favorite Thrasher. She made the two-hour journey with that one goal in mind.

As you can see, it paid off. Eric signed the stick and said hello to his little buddy from Duluth.

When Pavel Kubina came out, Miss Mikayla's eyes lit up. Prior to her current crush on the Tampa Bay Lightning's James Wright, the little one was eyeing Mr. Kubina. Pavel signed three photos for her. I added this Cleveland Lumberjacks jersey nameplate that I have been hanging on to for several years. He asked what team it was from. When I told him, he said "that has to be a one of a kind; I wasn't there but for two weeks."

All in all, the Moodys managed 44 sigs from the Thrashers, including 21 photos, two sticks, the nameplate and a few cards.

Among the photos:

Captain Ilya Kovalchuk;

Goalie Johan Hedberg;

Fellow goalie Ondrej Pavalec, from his days with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League; and

forward Bryan Little, from his days with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League.

Sunday morning homily XIII

Looking back on the 2009 calendar year, it's safe to say that, once again, hockey played a major role in our lives. From attending NHL games to ramping up another blog to watching Colin grow as a hockey player, hardly a week went by -- even during the summer -- when hockey wasn't a part of the picture.

Want to know something? I wouldn't change a thing. Well, on second thought, maybe a few instances:

~ I wish the Tampa Bay Lightning were much more competitive. It's difficult wrapping one's arms around a team that is so maddeningly inconsistent. Too many times, after yelling myself hoarse with encouragements to play more aggressively and stop playing a perimeter offense (Sound familiar, Rick Tocchet?), I've left the St. Pete Times Forum well beyond frustrated.

~ Despite my intentions, working this blog continues to be more of a job than a hobby. And, really, after five years, I'm running out of things to pass along. Thankfully, though, Moody and Al, Hound Central 5.0's top-shelf correspondents, have stepped up, offering different voices and perspectives. Without them, and the faithful readers who stop by, I would've pulled the plug after Hound Central 4.0. For that, I'll continually offer my gratitude.

~ More than anything else, though, it's my inability, based solely on my work schedule, to take a bigger role in Colin's hockey career. It goes far beyond missing too many practices and games, too. Like most other hockey dads, I've love to become a youth hockey coach, learning through USA Hockey training how to instill not just my knowledge, but my passion for the game.

Calculated move

It's a fairly significant week, as far as we're concerned, because we'll reach, barring an unforeseen calamity, another milestone -- 2,000 autographed pucks. With only eight pucks remaining, we'll cross the latest threshold with either the Boston Bruins or Montreal Canadiens.

But, really, our hope is that it happens Monday and it's Boston's Patrice Bergeron, who, all of you should know by now, is Colin's favorite NHL player, signs the milestone puck. We'll pass on other opportunities -- be they cards, photos or other pucks -- just to make it happen.

That's what I call extreme cherry-picking. And, no, I won't lose a wink of sleep over it.

5 Big Sigs

Beyond the obvious (see above), here's what we'll also try to add this week from a pair of Original Six teams:

~ Bruins goalie Tim Thomas on a 2010 Winter Classic and USA pucks as well as a pair of 8x10s;
~ Bruins captain Zdeno Chara on a 2010 Winter Classic and Slovakia pucks;
~ Bruins center Marc Savard on a 2010 Winter Classic puck;
~ Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov on a Quebec Citadelles puck; and
~ Montreal winger Mike Cammalleri on a Montreal Canadiens puck.

Unwrapped

Not only did Colin get a Boston Bruins 2010 Winter Classic jersey this Christmas, but he also picked up:

~ a new hockey gear bag from his Nana and Babop;
~ some pretty neat skull-and-crossbones skate laces and stick tape (shown above);
~ three fat packs of Upper Deck Hockey Series I cards; and
~ a certificate good for the upcoming winter-spring season (games start Jan. 23) playing for the Pinellas County P.A.L. Stars.

Not a bad hockey haul, if you ask me.

So, what kind of hockey presents did Santa leave under your tree?

As long as it's a Bruins jersey

Though it wasn't the exact model that he wanted for Christmas, Colin was still pretty pumped that he got a Boston Bruins 2010 Winter Classic jersey, as well as a trio of Winter Classic pucks, among the many presents he opened this morning.

Though Daddy tried several times to order a Patrice Bergeron jersey, Colin says the Tim Thomas jersey will work just fine.

We'll see how it works Tuesday afternoon, when Colin takes part in a skate-and-shoot session at his home rink.

Merry Christmas, folks

In what's becoming something of a tradition here, we'd like to pass along Christmas greetings to readers from all over the world.

From the Hound Central 5.0 family to yours:

~ Merry Christmas!

~ Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok (Czech)

~ Hauskaa joulua (Finnish)

~ Joyeux Noel (French)

~ Froehliche Weihnachten (German)

~ Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu! (Latvian)

~ Gledelig Jul (Norwegian)

~ Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom (Russian)

~ Sretan Bozic (Slovakian)

~ Feliz Navidad (Spanish)

~ (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År (Swedish)

~ Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia (Polish)

Source: World of Christmas

Editor's note: The original list first appeared Dec. 25, 2008, at Hound Central 4.0.

Nothing good comes easy

On a day when Christmas came early to a couple of kids and two fairly big-name players each signed a pair of pucks, it's hard not to be ecstatic over Wednesday's hounding trip for the Philadelphia Flyers. So much so, that rather than get some much-needed shut-eye before the unwrapping of presents begins, I couldn't wait to share the news.

Honestly, the hounding was, at best, a little rough. Thankfully, though, we used our inside access -- for likely the last time ever, though -- to significantly add to the quality and, to a lesser degree, the quantity of the collection.

Despite a large crowd of hounds, dealers and fans (nearly 40 people), an unfortunate incident and a team not happy with its performance, we were fortunate to add another 32 autographs, including eight pucks, to the collection:

Among those signing pucks were, from left, Daniel Carcillo, Scott Hartnell and James van Riemsdyk; and

Matt Carle, from left, Braydon Coburn and Ryan Parent, added these three of the 10 cards we got signed.

The highlights from a holiday vacation day of hounding:

~ Colin getting signed sticks from Jeff Carter and James van Riemsdyk;
~ Top Shelf items from Simon Gagne and Chris Pronger;
~ A dozen Flyers honoring Colin's requests to sign his team sheet; and
~ a photo gallery from the youngest hound in the stable.

Christmas came early

Through the hounding grapevine, we'd heard that the Philadelphia Flyers were a team willing to give up sticks for the asking. It helped, of course, if the request came from a child. So, with that mind, we put that intel to the test.

As you can see, it was pretty accurate, as Colin scored not one, but two sticks from members of the Flyers organization. And, to be honest, they were pretty sweet snags:


Jeff Carter, one of the first players off the ice, was the first one to hand over a stick to Colin.


James van Riemsdyk, a former University of New Hampshire Wildcats player, also made a little kid's day.

It gets even better, too, as Mikayla, one of Hound Central 5.0 correspondent Moody's daughters, also took home of pair of sticks. Hers came from Aaron Asham (a Christmas present from Colin, as Asham handed him the stick) and Simon Gagne.

All four players signed, too, even personalizing at the kids' requests, as they walked back to the team's hotel following the morning skate.

Tough crowd

You know a team is tough on hounds when Colin gets repeatedly shot down when asking players to sign a team sheet. Take the Philadelphia Flyers, for instance. Though a dozen players did take the time to sign, more than a few requests fell upon deaf ears Wednesday.

Oh, well, when you're having a season like the Flyers, I guess there are more important things to think about.

Thankfully, a couple of Flyers made it up to him later. Captain Mike Richards, however, wasn't one of them. "What," he said. "so it can end up on eBay."

So, who did sign? How about Flyers players and staff, from left, Matt Carle, Craig Berube, Ian Laperriere, Aaron Asham, Ryan Parent, Chris Therien, Daniel Carcillo (I believe), Simon Gagne, Mika Pyorala, Darroll Powe, Braydon Coburn and Riley Cote.

Top Shelf: Simon Gagne

It's not too often that I score a pair of Top Shelfs from a single team, but I believe that getting Philadelphia Flyers left winger Simon Gagne to sign this pair of pucks, along with getting Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger to sign a pair, certainly fills the bill.

Top Shelf: Chris Pronger

I've always heard that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger could be a tough autograph. Now that he signed these two pucks following the team's morning skate. I'm not so sure. It's nice when you're in the right place at the right time, I suppose.

Gallery: Philadelphia Flyers

For the most part, it's either myself or The Missus who takes pictures for Hound Central 5.0 galleries. This time, though, it's a little different. This gallery, taken during the Philadelphia Flyers' morning skate earlier this week, features photographs taken by Colin.

Not bad for a 8 year-old, huh?

Teammates Jeff Carter, left, and Daniel Carcillo chat at the bench before the start of the morning skate.

Goalie Michael Leighton, plucked from the Carolina Hurricanes off waivers recently, waits for a shot. That not a new mask for Leighton, either. It's strips of white athletic tape covering the design he wore with the 'Canes.

New coach Peter Laviolette, right, skates past as the team gathers at the center ice circle at the St. Pete Times Forum to stretch before running through drills.