Watching the wires

Given that NHL teams need to reduce rosters to 23 players by Wednesday, it's a good idea to follow NHL transactions today to stay current with player movements, such as retirements, trades, waivers and outright releases.

During the season, I visit the American Hockey League transactions page to look for last-minute call-ups whenever a team visits Hockey Bay.

Stock the shelves

Now's a good time to restock your hounding bag, making sure you've got plenty of Sharpies, paint pens and whatever else you use over the course of a season. I need to get quite a few things -- a box of blue Sharpies, Liquid Silver DecoColors, photo corners and a spiral-bound 4x6 notecard book.

Before I know it, the New Jersey Devils will be here Oct. 8 for the Bolts' home opener. It falls on a day off from work and we have our tickets.

Down a couple notches

Maybe it's just me, but hounding the Phoenix Coyotes just got a little less exciting now that Wayne Gretzky has left the team. This isn't a knock against Shane Doan, Ed Jovanovski, Peter Mueller or Kyle Turris, but the Great One was the main reason to hound the Coyotes.

Hopefully, Gretzky will be back in the game soon, though all signs point to him working with Hockey Canada.

I'm thankful, then, that I was able to get Gretzky to sign a Team Canada puck during Phoenix's visit to Hockey Bay in February 2007.

Thanks, Olie

With word today that Olie the Goalie has retired from NHL play, it's safe to say that one of the league's classiest players will always be remembered fondly. From his early days with the Washington Capitals, Olaf Kolzig has been a great ambassador for the sport.

Kolzig was, by far, one of the most fan-friendly players in the game. I never saw him turn down a request for an autograph, often taking the time to chat with fans as he signed. That happens very rarely any more.

His life was more than hockey, too. His work against autism, including helping to create Athletes Against Autism, makes him a role model.

Not a bad legacy, if you ask me.

These took 652 days?

I should be more appreciative, seeing that all four of these cards were signed and returned, but waiting nearly two years on our 2007 TTM request to Nashville's Shea Weber seems a bit much. After all, it's not like he's Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux, who, I'm told, return TTM requests rather quickly by using autopens.

Then again, maybe Weber is swamped with these requests. He's a fairly solid defenseman on a pretty stout Predators squad. But 652 days? That's more than enough time, don't you think?

These cards, mailed out Nov. 28, 2007, landed in our mailbox on Sept. 11. I guess that's why I stopped TTM projects. I just don't have the patience.

Trophy item

While I'm happy with the results of my first game-day hounding session of the 2009-10 campaign, Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving Southeast correspondent, is downright ecstatic. He was able to get Atlanta's Evander Kane, picked fourth overall at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, to complete this mock-fight photo with Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman, taken second overall in June.

Don't deviate

If there's any one lesson I can pass along, it's to always trust your instincts. If you always stand at one spot outside a certain hotel during a regular-season hounding session, there's no reason why it wouldn't work during a preseason game.

In other words, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

For example, take this past Friday, when the Atlanta Thrashers met the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Bolt's only home preseason game here in Hockey Bay. After a decent run -- from informal skates to training camp -- I was looking forward to seeing some new faces.

Granted, few of the Thrashers big-name players traveled -- no Ilya Kovalchuk, Bryan Little, Tobias Enstrom, Slava Kozlov, Kari Lehtonen nor Nik Antropov. Our big names? Zach Bogosian, Angelo Esposito and Evander Kane, the team's top pick at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Well, the five Hockey Bay hounds all missed Esposito as the 2007 first-rounder, blending in with a group of prospects and team staff, reached the morning skate bus before we could cross the street. Had we been closer -- like we normally are -- perhaps he would've stopped to sign.

As for Bogosian, I ran out of items for him last season. Kane, thankfully, was happy to sign.

Still, after adding 27 autographs, including this puck from Anthony Stewart, I really shouldn't complain. It was the first game-day hounding session since April.

As Southeast Division foes, the Thrashers' big names, including Esposito, will be back -- twice within a month in December and January.

Hopefully, I'll scrounge up something for Bogosian by then.

Signing cards, shown above, were Jason Krog, Drew MacIntyre, Anssi Salmela and Jim Slater. Also signing cards were Ondrej Pavelec and Boris Valabik.

No worries

I'll be honest with you. When the starless Atlanta Thrashers came to Hockey Bay on Friday to play the Tampa Bay Lightning, prospects Angelo Esposito and Evander Kane, taken fourth overall in the 2009 Draft, topped the puck wish list.

I had to settle, so to speak, for a couple from Kane, who, despite missing the team bus to an optional morning skate, stuck around and signed whatever was presented to him by a handful of Hockey Bay hounds.

We all missed on Esposito, taken 20th overall in 2007, after he ducked onto the bus before any of us could cross the street. That's too bad, too. I had three pucks for him. Well, maybe next time.

Threads: Ondrej Pavelec

If you don't mind, we'll use this jersey swatch card of Atlanta goalie prospect Ondrej Pavelec to introduce Threads, one of Hound Central 5.0's 2009-10 hockey-hounding projects.

Over the years, we've amassed a mountain of memorabilia cards. Along the way, we've had our share of luck. But, like most collectors, we've pulled nothing more than common single-swatch pieces. They're nice, but not that memorable.

Rather than keep them slabbed in a dark box, why not put some to good use? That, my friends, is the theory behind the project -- seeding jersey cards into the hounding stock. Pavelec, who traveled to Hockey Bay to play the Bolts on Friday night, was the first to sign one.

File this away

Most NHL teams use the first few preseason games to give journeymen players and prospects a chance to make a name for themselves before clubs whittle away at rosters.

This provides the perfect opportunity to snag autographs from players you might not see during the NHL's regular season.

I put that concept to work Friday, when Atlanta visited Hockey Bay for the Bolts' only home preseason game, with specialty cards from the 2008 AHL All Star set and Upper Deck's Rookie Class sets:

AHL All-Stars: Jason Krog and Drew MacIntyre
Rookie Class: Ondrej Pavelec and Boris Valabik

One and done

It's funny how much can change in a year. Last August, I could barely wait for the Lightning's hockey season to begin, even using vacation time to take in a couple full days of training camp. This season, it was different.

Rather than hounding three days worth of camp, we limited it to a single morning, traipsing between the twin rinks at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon. And, as usual, it was Colin who snagged a young lion's share of autographs, finding room for 29 players, including Victor Hedman and Ryan Malone, on his training camp team sheet.

Not satisfied with loading up a team sheet, Colin also got four pucks signed, including ones from former NHLer Adam Oates and St. Louis, as well as the 1,900th of the collection.

I'm thinking, too, that the numerous trips we made for the Bolts rookie camp and informal workouts facilitated the single hounding trip. No matter what Marty St. Louis says, we have all season long.

Other rewards for our efforts:

Tampa Bay's Blair Jones and Paul Szczechura knocked out a couple cards from the 2008-09 Norfolk Admirals team set. Coach Rick Tocchet signed the card for Colin.

Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot. I also added these cards from Tampa Bay's David Hale and Zenon Konopka, who also signed a Portland Pirates practice jersey, as they headed to Friday's morning skate.

Crossing a threshold

Technically, and only in the strictest sense of its meaning, getting Tampa Bay prospect Carter Ashton to sign this puck for the 1,900th of the collection should result in a disqualification of milestone status. Why? Well, Ashton, taken 29th overall the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, signed one just like this official NHL practice puck back in July.

However, seeing that Colin got it signed, satisfying the one-per-trip goal within his Colin's Pucks project, it's easy to look the other way. Besides, there's a technicality. This one, as his project requires, is signed in blue. The first one, obtained during the Bolts prospects camp, was signed in silver.

Does it matter? No, not really. It was Colin's turn to land a milestone. Can't argue with that, can you?

Early indications

Here we are, less than two weeks into the project, and it's readily apparent that Colin will have no trouble working his hockey-hounding project, Colin's Pucks. In it, the goal of each hounding trip is to score at least one puck signed in blue.

As you can see, he snagged these three, as well as his first milestone puck, this past Sunday at the Lightning's training camp.

Lightning players and coaches who signed pucks were, from left, Adam Hall, Adam Oates and Marty St. Louis.

In case you hadn't heard, Oates helped the Lightning during training camp, focusing on power plays. There's word, too, he may join the Bolts' coaching staff. I'd certainly welcome his addition.

Won't do that again

Made the mistake of leaving the Houndmobile's back windows open the other day during one of Hockey Bay's frequent torrential downpours. Compounding the error, the hounding bag got soaked. Lost a few Lightning game programs and about 20 cards. Lesson learned.

Stories to tell

So, you like hounding stories? I'll see what I can do. Maybe as soon as this Friday. Atlanta will be in town for the Lightning's only home preseason game.

Until then, look for a recap from the Bolts training camp.

Sunday morning homilies? Look for them in a few weeks, once the regular season starts.

A tip of my old Cooper SK600, too, for the rock-solid response to the first poll of the season:

Favorite Hound Central feature?
Hounding stories: 20 votes out of 27 cast (74 percent)
Sunday morning homilies: 5 votes (18.6 percent)
Photo galleries: 1 vote (3.7 percent)
Hockey quizzes/contests: 1 vote (3.7 percent)

Thanks.

Back to hockey

Now that hockey season is in full swing here in Hockey Bay, with the Bolts in training camp and a bunch of autographs for our efforts, it's time to close the books on our Summer of Baseball.

Looking back, it was a great way to spend the summer.

Gee, Marty, it's nice to see you, too

When it comes to Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis, you never know what you're going to get.

Some days, he's one of the most personable players I've met. Other days, though, he can be a little testy. Take this past Tuesday, for instance.

Following an informal workout of mostly Lightning players, St. Louis was among those who stopped to sign. Though others were pleasant, he was in full midseason form:

"I'm not going to sign all those for you," he grumbled, as I approached with three pucks. "I sign for you all season long."

True, Marty, you do sign. It's definitely appreciated, too. But it's hardly all season long.

Man of his word

This doesn't happen too often, but when it does, it's certainly worthy of a post.

Tampa Bay's Stephane Veilleux, one of the Lightning's free-agent signings this summer, was in a hurry following an informal workout earlier this week in Brandon. Yes, he said, he'd sign autographs.

We'd have to wait, though, until he got back from his errand.

True to his word, Veilleux, who began his NHL career in Minnesota, returned to the Ice Sports Forum about 40 minutes later. And, yes, he signed, even apologizing for making us wait.

It was only after watching him leave again -- after signing for three people -- did I realizie that he came back to specifically keep a promise.

Like I said, that doesn't happen too often.

Informal response

Now that the Tampa Bay Lightning will kick off the 2009-10 training camp later today, it's time to close the books on what's proven to become a prime time for hounding -- the informal skating sessions.

Not only do the two weeks before camps open cure the dog days of summer, but it's an easy time to quickly add to your collection. Earlier this week, Lightning players -- past (Filip Kuba and Vinny Prospal) and present -- kept up the training regimen as prospects participated in rookie camp.

And, as any good hound would do, I put the opportunity to good use, snagging more than a dozen autographs:

Those signing cards were Todd Fedoruk, Andrej Meszaros, Antero Niittymaki, Mattias Ohlund, Kevin Quick and Matt Smaby.

Defenseman Kurtis Foster, one of the Lightning's offseason acquisitions, signed this pair of pucks.

Not the best news

Hockey hounds in South Florida know that incredibleICE in Coral Springs, the Florida Panthers practice facility, is the best place to score autographs. But, now that the facility has expanded -- adding a third rink and a gated parking lot for players -- it could increase the degree of difficulty in adding to your collection.

As work on the new rink nears completion, it's easy enough to see how hounding will pan out as the Panthers and visiting NHL teams practice there, reports Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving Southeast correspondent. See what he means:

Teams will practice on the third sheet of ice, next to team offices. Dressing rooms are at the end of the hall with a private entrance. As a result, fans will have no access to teams. The player’s parking lot is private, too, and has a pair of gated exits. Yes, sports fans, those would be obstacles.

Word, too, is that visiting team buses will pull into the lot. However, if team buses park in front of incredibleICE, that offers the best opportunity for autographs.

At best, hounding at incredibleICE will be tricky, becoming a cat-and-mouse game inside or outside at the parking lot gates. Over time, though, hounds will find a way to get their autographs. We always do.

Two more looks from inside the new rink:

Prospects within the Florida Panthers organization run through drills on the new sheet of ice.

Here's a nice touch -- Comfy front-row seats to watch the practices rather than cold bleachers on concrete slabs. They look too low to be useful, don't they?

Hardly any room

Any Hound Central reader who's made the leap each season knows what a big fan I am of Colin's team sheets. They're easy to make, either on a computer or drawn by hand, and use. And, as you can plainly see, the players and coaches have no trouble signing them. Except, of course, running out of space.

All told, Colin racked up 22 autographs during our visit earlier tonight to a practice and scrimmage during the Tampa Bay Lightning's rookie camp at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon.

Among the more recognizable names: Victor Hedman, the Bolts' top pick in July; Carter Ashton, another 2009 first-round pick; Vladimir Mihalik, a first-round pick in 2005, and goalie Dustin Tokarski.

The biggest name to sign it, though, was none other than former NHL star Adam Oates. His signature, one of two with #77, is in the top-right corner. Apparently, Oates is in Hockey Bay lending a hand to his buddy, Bolts coach Rick Tocchet.

First of many, I hope

One could argue, if there was even an interest, that a puck found and signed during the Tampa Bay Lightning's rookie camp would qualify as an official souvenir of the event.

If that's the case, and it is, this official NHL practice puck signed by center Juraj Simek, who played for AHL Norfolk last season, actually serves two purposes. Not only is it the official souvenir of rookie camp, but it also kicks off one of Hound Central 5.0's seasonlong projects -- Colin's Pucks.

Each hounding trip Colin takes this season, he will try to get a player to sign a puck. It's his call. He can try for a star or a favorite player. It's his decision. He'll use blue ink, too, to help them stand out.

Say cheese, please

Our special project for the Lightning's rookie camp this week required getting a handful of prospects to sign their pictures with Colin. After tonight's visit, that's crossed off the to-do list.

Swedish defensemen Victor Hedman, right, the Lightning's No. 1 pick in at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and Erik Gustaffson, sandwich Colin after the Young Guns camp ended. Gustaffson, who plays for the University of Northern Michigan, isn't attending rookie camp.

Even without his name and number on his practice jersey, defenseman Vladimir Mihalik, the Lightning's No. 1 pick in 2005, is easy to pick out among players. At 6 foot 7, he's the tallest one in camp.

Despite being born in Slovakia, center Juraj Simek, Vancouver's sixth-round pick in 2006, has twice represented Switzerland at the World Junior Championships.

Goalie Dustin Tokarski, a fifth-round pick in 2008, does nothing but win. After leading the Spokane Chiefs to the 2008 Memorial Cup championship, claiming MVP honors, Tokarski backed it up with a gold medal for Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championships.

Moving on up

Two of my favorite aspects to minor league team sets? That they often include cards for coaches and team staff. On Tuesday, the first of two trips to Tampa Bay Lightning's rookie camp, Darren Rumble, named head coach of the Bolt's AHL Norfolk Admirals in July, added to a couple of work-in-progress projects.

Earlier tonight, sorting through cards, I found one from his first bench gig, as an assistant with the Springfield Falcons.

No junk e-mail here

It was such a pleasant surprise, opening up an e-mail from Allan, Hound Central's correspondent in Toronto, and seeing the efforts of a quick hounding trip for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League.

Though he says he's not the biggest fan of hounding junior teams, Allan couldn't pass up an opportunity to snag a few autographs for a buddy, especially when the rink is only five minutes away.

So, what did Allan get signed?

Among the 19 players signing the team card, shown above, were goalies Kevin Bailie and Michael Zador (now at the Tampa Bay Lightning's rookie camp), left winger Nick Esposito, right winger John Padulo, centers Kory Nagy, Jeff Brown and Boone Jenner, and defenseman Calvin de Haan.

Jenner, the Generals' No. 1 pick and fourth overall in the 2009 Ontario Hockey League draft, also signed this official NHL practice puck.

De Hann, picked 12th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, also signed this 8x10.

Really, do we need two?

Last season, it was Toronto's Jason Blake appearing twice in Upper Deck's 2008-09 NHL MVP 300-card base set. This season, it looks like Philadelphia's Daniel Carcillo has gained favored status.

The release of the 2009-10 NHL Fleer Ultra has not one, but two cards of the latest in a long line of Broad Street Bullies. Even better, each card shows Carcillo in a different jersey -- at home and on the road.

While this isn't a knock against Carcillo, but I'd like to think there are other NHL players, with skills equal to or greater than his, who are more deserving of a card.

Once again, it looks like someone was asleep at the wheel at Upper Deck, which produces the Fleer Ultra line. Given UD's history, it's not that much of a surprise where quantity, rather than quality, often drives the dollars.

Having said that, though, I must applaud the card makers for the 2009-10 release. The photography shown within the 200-base-card set is top-notch, showing nice action pictures. The graphics treatment, especially the last name in large letters, score points, too.

Bottom line: Nice preseason release that features players moved at the 2008-09 trade deadline wearing the uniforms of their new teams. That alone warrants a buy rating.

Looking ahead: 2009-10 NHL O Pee Chee, with a Sept. 29 release date.

Lightning rookie camp videos

Before snagging a handful of autographs from current and future members of the Tampa Bay Lightning, I trained my camera on the goalies taking part in the first day of the Lightning's rookie camp at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon.

You can check out these videos at the HockeyBayHound channel at YouTube:

~ Players taking shots against goalies Jaroslav Janus, Dustin Tokarski and Michael Zador; and
~ a coach telling players about a drill during an on-ice chalk talk session.

Rounding third ...

As our Summer of Baseball winds down at Baseball Mondays, we're left with this solitary thought: Thank goodness for the Detroit Tigers' Rick Knapp and Casey Fien.

Whale of a guy

It's safe to say that Florida's Stephen Weiss and Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving Southeast correspondent, share a commonality -- the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League.

Weiss played for Plymouth before being drafted by the Panthers. Moody, a Michigan kid, is a big fan of the team. His collection includes pucks, cards and even a game-used visor.

This week, Moody added this pair of game-used socks and a puck, all signed by Weiss, as well as five cards, when he stopped by an informal workout for Panthers players at incredibleICE in Coral Springs.

"He recognizes me as the 'Whalers Guy' now," Moody writes. "I have been called worse, so I will accept it."

Perfect conditions

If you're a hockey hound living in South Florida, it's well worth your time to take a trip now over to incredibleICE in Coral Springs, the Florida Panthers practice facility, says Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving Southeast correspondent.

How good is it? Moody added 52 autographed cards in a single visit to the facility earlier this week. Among those taking part in the informal workouts and signing were Nathan Horton, Kamil Kreps, Steven Reinprecht, Cory Stillman (who signed five cards), Jeff Taffe, Stephen Weiss, Bryan Allen, Jordan Leopold, Tomas Vokoun, Evgeny Dadonov and Anthony Stewart.

Beyond an awe-inspiring number of autographs, Moody reports the construction work on a new rink, and the resulting precautions, means that players taking part in precamp workouts don't have an exclusive parking lot -- just yet -- and have to walk through the arena to get to the new sheet of ice.

When the facility is complete, the players will have their own gated parking area that has two separate entrances/exits. The bad news, though, is the new locker rooms are set up so the fans don't have access to players as they come off the ice. At best, hounds should expect to only get autographs outside.

Up next? The Panthers rookie camp from Sept. 7-10. The NHL club opens its camp Sept. 12, but immediately heads to Nova Scotia.

Gallery: Lightning informal skate

Among the Tampa Bay Lightning players who've gathered this week in Brandon for informal workouts include, from left, Ryan Craig, Marty St. Louis, Jeff Halpern, Steven Stamkos, Adam Hall and Andrej Meszaros.

Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier, right, talks to new teammates Kurtis Foster, left, and Todd Fedoruk.

Victor Hedman, the Bolts' 2009 No. 1 draft pick, didn't look out of place in Wednesday's session.

No, Tampa Bay's Jeff Halpern isn't reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. He's explaining a drill during Wednesday's skate.

Goalie Antero Niittymaki, a free-agent signee, follows the puck during Wednesday's session.

Victor Hedman, left, talks to teammate Adam Hall during Wednesday's session.

I'm humbled

I must admit, I was a little surprised myself. There was no way, I thought, that Tampa Bay captain Vinny Lecavalier would sign these three pucks. Well, as you can plainly see, he proved me wrong, inking a hat trick following an informal workout this morning in Brandon.

We all need the practice

Just as I'd thought, we've seen familiar and new faces as more Tampa Bay Lightning players -- from captain Vinny Lecavalier to 2009 No. 1 draft pick Victor Hedman to goalie Mike Smith, above, gather at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon most weekday mornings for informal workouts.

As a fan, these sessions are a sure sign that hockey is just around the corner. Down here, the Bolts hold a rookie camp Sept. 8-11. The NHL camp opens Sept. 12. Beyond that, it's on to April, at the least.

As a hound, these informal workouts are an opportunity to work on your game or, in my case, kick off another hockey-hounding blog. By and large, the players are in great moods. Most stop when asked and are willing to sign multiples.

To me, it's the best time of the season to get the home team players.

Though I've missed getting Marty St. Louis on Wednesday (too busy taking videos and pictures), I can't complain about these additions to the collection:

Signing pucks were, from left, Jeff Halpern, 2009 No. 1 pick Victor Hedman and Ryan Malone.

Signing cards were, from left, Todd Fedoruk, Kurtis Foster, Lukas Krajicek and Mike Smith.

Bad daddy

The moment Colin saw this 2008-09 Upper Deck Hockey card for Tampa Bay's Mike Smith, it became his favorite. In fact, he asked that I make sure this card was the first one signed this season.

Sorry, buddy, it wasn't the first card signed of the season. It was the sixth. First-card honors went to Steven Stamkos.

We're on YouTube

One of Hound Central 5.0's goals this hockey-hounding campaign is to increase the multimedia aspect of the blog. Consider the HockeyBayHound channel at YouTube as the first step.

Among the initial five videos:

~ the 11 Tampa Bay Lightning players who attended an informal practice this morning at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon;
~ a pretty nifty save by goalie Antero Niittymaki; and
~ a slick stickhandling drill by Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos.

Going forward, expect more videos as Hound Central 5.0 chronicles the upcoming campaign. In the next few weeks alone, the Lightning will hold its rookie camp (Sept. 8-11 at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon) before the Bolts' training camp opens Sept. 12

Gallery: Leafs informal skate

One of the surest ways to know that hockey is just around the corner comes when NHL players take to the ice to prepare for upcoming trainings camps. In Toronto, that's exactly what's taking place.

Special thanks to Allan, Hound Central 5.0's correspondent in Toronto, for sharing these photos:

A sight that should appeal to most hockey fans, especially those in Toronto: Leafs players at the Lakeshore Lions Arena.

Jason Allison, attempting a comeback with the Leafs, signs a fan's jersey.

Defenseman Luke Schenn signs an autograph for a fan.

Defensemen Jeff Finger, left, and Luke Schenn watch drills during the practice.

Alexei Ponikarovsky was the only Leafs player to wait on the bench as the ice was being resurfaced.

Goalie Jonas Gustavsson takes a knee during a break in practice. His nickname is "The Monster."