Team report: Boston Bruins II

For most Eastern Conference teams, we're happy with only hounding adventure. When the Boston Bruins come to Hockey Bay, though, it's a different story. They could make four trips in a year and, yes, we'd have to make four trips out to see them.

It's not so much that they're a great signing team, because they're not. In fact, the Bruins have become increasingly rougher over the past few seasons as Hockey Bay gains a well-deserved reputation of large crowds of hounds.

Nope, we'd have to make as many trips because of Colin's allegiance to the Black and Gold. You know what, I don't have a problem with that. They're his team and, as a father, I'll do what I can so he can enjoy seeing his favorite team. It's even better, too, when he's able to get autographs from most of the players.

All told, we scored 29 autographs earlier this week from the Bruins, with Colin again outhounding his old man by a more than 5-to-1 margin. Among the two dozen cards he got signed (shown above):

Top row: Johnny Boychuk, Zdeno Chara and David Krejci;
Middle row: Milan Lucic, Adam McQuade and Michael Ryder; and
Bottom row: Marc Savard, Tim Thomas and Blake Wheeler.

Signing four cards each for Colin were Andrew Ference, top row, and Brad Marchand.

Regular readers of The Hockey Life column might recall a dust-up that Boston's Tyler Seguin had with some Hockey Bay Hounds, yours truly included, over his refusal to sign an item for a Wisconsin youth hockey team's fundraiser.

This trip, however, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 Draft, was a bit nicer, taking the time to sign this card for Colin and even tossing in a "Here you go, buddy."

It certainly was a step in the right direction to winning back one of the Bruins' biggest fans here in Hockey Bay.

Please know, too, that Seguin continued a reported habit of personalizing 8x10 photographs. For collectors like us, that isn't a concern. Maybe next season, or later this one should the teams make and meet in the playoffs, he'll sign one for Colin.

Other noteworthy events during our Bruins adventure:

~ Patrice Bergeron signing a personal picture for Colin;
~ the pesky problem of balky DecoColor paint pens posing a problem;
~ David Krjeci completing a road trip souvenir; and
~ Tuukka Rask and Shawn Thornton reportedly developing a case of the potty-mouths during their visit.

Paint pen issues

I don't know what it is, but I'm being plagued again by balky DecoColor paint pens. Over the years, these have been a reliable resource in building our 2,100-plus autographed puck collection. But these three pucks, snagged earlier this week when the Boston Bruins came to town, are the latest examples that have me looking for something new.

I swear, I take the time to prime each pen -- shaking it and depressing the tip to get the paint flowing -- before getting a puck signed. Still, though, the results are less than impressive. Though it's been chilly down here lately in Hockey Bay (by Florida standards, that is), I'm not convinced that the culprit.

While two of the pucks -- the 2010 Olympic champions puck from Patrice Bergeron and big Bruins logo from Milan Lucic -- are passable, the Providence Bruins puck "signed" by Tuukka Rask is a candidate for a do-over.

Thirty-four days later

Last month, just before Thanksgiving, Colin and I took a quick road trip to Florida's east coast for a Boston-Florida game. A boys night out, if you will.

While at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, we picked up a free game program. Tucked inside was this card. Not exactly top-shelf stuff, but certainly something worth getting signed as a souvenir.

It didn't take long for Florida's Stephen Weiss, another of Colin's NHL "buddies," to sign his side (left) of the picture.

Boston's David Krejci, in town to play the Tampa Bay Lightning, completed the road trip souvenir earlier this week.

Top of his list

Really, is anyone who knows us or follows Hound Central 5.0 surprised that Colin got Boston's Patrice Bergeron, his best NHL buddy, to sign this photo taken of them in November? I'm not. Of all the items we had for the Bruins on Tuesday, this was, hands down, the most important.

Yes, we may have a ton of autographs from "Petey" over the years, but this is only the latest installment of what is Colin's favorite part of our collection. Even though he may have other "buddies" throughout the league, our little #37 is extremely loyal to the Bruins' #37.

The Hockey Life: Week 10

I often preach about the existence of Hockey Gods, how it seems like they smile upon us from time to time. Over the years, from all of the hounding we've done to Colin's fledgling hockey career, there are simply times when something positive has happened that, to me, was the result of divine intervention.

I know I'm not alone in these beliefs, too. This month's poll, for example, asks Hound Central 5.0 readers whether they believe in Hockey Gods. With only a few days remaining, it's comforting to see that an overwhelming number of you do, indeed, share in my belief.

For those doubters, and I do respect your opinion, I offer an example of why I believe.

Yesterday, just like the rest of you, we celebrated Christmas. We opened presents as, thankfully, Santa was once again very kind to us. Once all of the wrapping paper was picked up, we set about to have a relaxing day.

Part of the plan was to visit a beach down here in Hockey Bay. Though playing in the snow or gathering around a roaring fireplace appeals to childhood memories, we made the best of Christmas in Florida. Rather than snow, we had white sand. The sound of waves replaced the crackling of logs. An elaborate sand castle, built my someone else, brought back memories of snow forts.

After a 25-minute ride, crossing the Tom Stuart Causeway over the intracoastal waterway, we ended up at the beach in Treasure Island. We spent about an hour there, looking at high-flying kites and combing the water's edge for shells as the sun began its slow descent to the horizon. On our way back to the parking lot, we passed other families who also made the beach part of their Christmas festivities.

Just as sand turned to concrete sidewalk, I saw another family, much like ours, getting ready to hit the beach -- a father, mother and a child. As we got closer, I thought I recognized the father. A few more steps only confirmed that feeling.

It was Pavel Kubina, a defenseman for the Tampa Bay Lightning, with his wife and child. They were getting bundled up against the cool northeast wind, likely getting ready to take in a Christmas Day sunset.

"Merry Christmas, Pavel," I said.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," he replied, smiling at Lisa, wearing her Hockey Bay hoodie and Marty St. Louis hat, and Colin.

There we were, two hockey families, meeting by chance at a beach in Florida on Christmas Day. One family, the Kubinas, is enjoying life in the NHL. Another family -- ours -- hopes to realize that in the years ahead.

On Christmas, a day of dreams, I didn't take the crossing of paths as sheer coincidence or random luck. No, my friends, I took it as a yet another sign on our journey with Colin. And that's why I believe.

Thank you, Hockey Gods.

From our rink to yours

Once again, The Hound Central 5.0 family passes along Christmas greetings to our readers from all over the world.

We hope that Hockey Santa brought you everything you asked for, provided you went through the year without any game misconducts.

If he didn't, maybe he left an old, scuffed-up puck in lieu of a lump of coal.

Either way, our best holiday wishes for you:

~ 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.

Team report: Carolina Hurricanes

For as long as I can remember, going back to our days of watching the Carolina Hurricanes play at the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum, we've always had pretty decent luck with them during our hounding adventures. After this week's visit, there's no reason to change that perception.

Granted, coaches Ron Francis (after 4 p.m. only) and Tom Barrasso (expect a flat-out refusal) continue to be difficult, but the Hurricanes, save for rookie Jeff Skinner (a former figure skating champion), don't shy away from Sharpies and paint pens.

Some players may sign only one, but one's better than none. All told, Colin, enjoying his first day of his Christmas vacation, and I added another 29 autographs to the collection.

Among those signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Zach Boychuk, Erik Cole, Tim Gleason (one-per) and Jussi Jokinen; and
Bottom row: Chad Larose, Tuomo Ruutu (one-per), Sergei Samsonov (one-per) and Cam Ward.

Before moving to Charlotte, N.C., this season, the Albany River Rats had been the Hurricanes' American Hockey League affiliate for the past few seasons. Former River Rats players, from left, Zach Boychuk, Justin Peters and Brandon Sutter paid homage to their days in the Empire State's capitol.

Given the thin signatures, I'm thinking of having Boychuk and Sutter resign these during Carolina's next trip to Hockey Bay.

Even Patrick Dwyer got in on the action, signing this cheap skate card. No, that isn't a big zit or a scab on his chin, it's a splotch from the printing process. Sorry, Patrick.

Rounding out a day of Hockey Bay hounding:

~ Eric Staal kicking off another hounding project;
~ Joni Pitkanen becoming the latest NHL player to sign four cards for us;
~ Erik Cole and Ian White adding to the Threads project; and
~ Colin catching up with some of his Tampa Bay Lightning buddies.

In honor of Olympic gold

Thanks to Al, Hound Central 5.0's senior correspondent in Toronto, we have a new hockey-hounding project to keep us busy over the next few seasons. And thanks to Carolina's Eric Staal, the captain of the Hurricanes, we were able to break the ice, so to speak, with the project.

Not too long ago, Al asked if we were interested in this set of nine members of Canada's 2010 Olympic gold-medal winning squad. Of course, we were, I told him.

Though we live down here in Hockey Bay, where palm trees ( not maple leafs) are part of the hockey landscape, I certainly can appreciate what that special moment in Vancouver meant in the cradle of hockey.

Besides Staal, who else is in the set? Here's who: New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, San Jose's Dany Heatley, Calgary's Jarome Iginla, Vancouver's Roberto Luongo, Columbus' Rick Nash, San Jose's Joe Thornton and Chicago's Jonathan Toews.

Conditions exist for us to have Brodeur, Crosby, Nash and Toews sign their bases, like Staal did, this season. The others, however, will have to wait until at least the 2011-12 hockey-hounding campaign.

Either way, it'll be no easy feat. Still, though, once we complete the set, the effort will certainly be worth it.

He's good for four

Though he's not the first NHL player to sign four cards at one time for us, and we're hoping he's not the last, there are at least two Hockey Bay hounds who certainly appreciate Carolina's Joni Pitkanen. These were among the 23 cards that Colin got signed earlier this week when the 'Canes played the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Two cards, three autos

Most times, we're just happy to add a single card to the work-in-progress Threads project. But when the Carolina Hurricanes came to town earlier this week, we were fortunate enough to add a couple to the collection.

Not only did Erik Cole sign his card, but recently acquired defenseman Ian White completed this double-swatch card previously signed by former Toronto Maple Leafs teammate, Bryan McCabe, now the captain of the Florida Panthers.

Have a couple minutes?

In case you're interested, Colin filed his fourth-ever blog post over at Hockey Hounds Universe. Of course, I'm a little biased, but I certainly think it's worth a look. He hopes you do, too.

Team report: Atlanta Thrashers

A long time ago, getting anything less than 25 autographs myself was considered a poor hockey-hounding effort. These days, I'm happy with just a handful of autographs. When I bring along Colin, though, it's an entirely different story.

It's no surprise, then, that he outhounded his old man last week -- by nearly a 10-to-1 margin -- when the Atlanta Thrashers, one of the best-signing teams in the NHL, came to Hockey Bay. All told, we scored 52 autographs -- our best single-team effort of the 2010-11 hockey-hounding campaign, so far -- with Colin racking up 47 to my five.

It's safe to say, at the risk of bragging, that the kid is a chip off the old block. Now, with three hounding adventures planned over his holiday break, we'll see if he can keep it up.

Until then, though, here's a look at some of the items we added to the collection:

Signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Zach Bogosian, Alexander Burmistrov and Dustin Byfuglien;
Middle row: Andrew Ladd, Freddy Meyer and Johnny Oduya; and
Bottom row: Ondrej Pavelec, Rich Peverley and Chris Thorburn


Increasing the international flavor of our autographed puck collection, which now numbers 2,185 and likely counting, were, from left, Zach Bogosian (USA souvenir), Evander Kane (Team Canada) and Ondrej Pavelec (Czech Republic souvenir).

The remaining highlights on the trip:

~ Having plenty on hand for Alexander Burmistrov, taken eighth overall at the 2010 NHL Draft;
~ having five players sign four cards each;
~ Andrew Ladd adding to the Threads collection; and
~ helping out a fellow Hockey Bay Hound.

Adding up

Though hockey hounds often use nineboards when getting cards signed, we're happy, for a number of reasons, with offering only four cards at a time. It has nothing to do with not wanting to be greedy because, yes, we like getting as many autographs as we can.

Instead, I like using a compact card book, one that fits easily into a pocket. Even moreso, I don't want to take the time involved in not just putting together nineboards, but actually working that many cards for players.

Another reason, especially this season, is the cardbook is easier for Colin to handle. After last week's visit by the Atlanta Thrashers, he has a significant number of reasons why he's finding cardbooks useful.

All told, he scored 47 autographs from Thrashers players, including these five who signed all four cards he offered:

Forwards Nik Antropov and Evander Kane;

forward Bryan Little and goalie Chris Mason; and

defenseman Brent Sopel.

Editor's note: This is the 500th post of Hound Central 5.0. Special thanks to those who've helped out and to our faithful readers.

The stack grows

Another team, another addition to the Threads collection. This time it's Andrew Ladd, captain of the Atlanta Thrashers, who added to our work-in-progress project.

So far, we're up to 56 cards completed.

Later, during warmups, Ladd tossed Colin a puck. With any luck, we'll get that signed when the Thrashers return to Hockey Bay on Jan. 23.

In return of a favor

Though we don't focus much on getting 8x10s signed, I seldom look a gift horse (or in this case, an 8x10) in the mouth. So when asked to help out a fellow Hockey Bay Hound with Atlanta's Dustin Byfuglien, I didn't hesitate.

In return for getting a signed picture of Byfuglien holding the Stanley Cup, I added this one to the collection. I must say, too, that it's nice that Byfuglien signed on a clear portion of the photo. Too many times, I've seen players sign on the darkest part of a photo or card.

The Hockey Life: Week 9

It's not just that Christmas is less than a week away, but these next two weeks are my favorite time of the year. Sure, it's fun watching Colin open presents (no hockey equipment this year, but another rec league season) early Christmas morning. What's more important, though, is that we get to spend more time together.

With no school until Jan. 3, we'll have more time to hang out, work on his hockey and, more importantly, get in a little hounding. Well, after he scored 47 autographs to my five from the Atlanta Thrashers last Wednesday, it's more accurate to say a lot of hounding.

Beginning tomorrow, we'll try our luck with the Carolina Hurricanes, carrying mostly cards as well as a handful of Albany River Rats pucks and a 2010 Olympic gold medalist McFarlane base for Eric Staal. After a little break, the Boston Bruins, Colin's favorite team, and the Montreal Canadiens head into Hockey Bay.

That's not to say it's all about hounding. The Missus and Colin will get to take in a couple games, too, watching the Bolts play the Hurricanes and the Bruins. We considered getting tickets for the Canadiens game, but I picked up a little OT that day at the paper.

Bottom line, we get to spend quality time together. And in this holiday season, that's the best present a Dad can ask for.

Better act fast

If you're a hockey fan, and you wouldn't be if you're stopping by here, chances are you're involved in a fantasy hockey league or some sort of poll. Every so often, though, you stumble across a contest that's simply fun to enter.

Take Drop The Gloves, a blog that focuses mostly on hockey cards. In honor of its one-year anniversary and its 100th post, it's running a contest that's based on fact after relying on randomness.

Confusing? Not really. Stop by and enter. You'll see what I mean. I did, choosing #23 for no other reason than I once wore the number in my illustrious (and penalty-filled) street hockey career and it was available.

If you'd like to enter, though, you better hurry. Entries end in just a few hours, at 5 p.m. EST today.

Quote of the week

"That's a Dennis the Menace thing to do."
Coach Mike, after Colin tried to extinguish flames on a marshmallow by wildly shaking his marshmallow roasting stick by the bonfire at last night's holiday party.

Interesting insight

Remember Phil Myre? He's a retired NHL goalie who played for, among other teams, the Atlanta Flames, Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Rockies.

He's also created a blog that offers an insider's view on the NHL, hockey and life. It's definitely worth a look.

The Hockey Life: Week 8

There are quite a few people upset with Edmonton Oilers rookie Linus Omark after his spin-o-rama move during his game-winning shootout goal against Tampa Bay on Friday night. He crossed a line of professionalism, some say. He didn't respect his opponent, others insist.

To all of them, I'm a big fan of relish on a hot dog.

Sure, the Lightning were on the losing end. No team wants to lose that way. And, I'll admit, it was probably pretty embarrassing to Bolts goalie Dan Ellis that some rookie, playing in his first NHL game, absolutely schooled him on what, ultimately, appeared to be a near-miss of a shot.

What I'm finding hard to believe is that a league in constant search of attention outside traditional hockey markets, as well as a handful of existing NHL locales, wouldn't embrace and promote a breath of fresh air within the game. And, to me, that's exactly what Omark provided.

Let's face it, it was a clever move. He did it far enough away from the net, too, that it really shouldn't have rattled any goalie's cage, especially one within the NHL. I even chuckled when he had to restart his attempt, making a second big loop before picking up the puck at center ice, because the play hadn't officially started.

I think back, too, to Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis and some of his shootout goals that included a spin-o-rama move, though not nearly as pronounced as Omark's, but pulled off much closer to the net. No one howled then, did they? I didn't. I thought they were great.

Besides, the easiest way to deter future flashes of creativity from any rookie -- not just Omark -- would have been Ellis simply making the save, rather than letting a soft shot in through the 5-hole.

Missing something?

Can someone please tell Darren McCarty he really needs to put in his false teeth anytime he's providing analysis during Versus telecasts. It's one thing to drop your dentures in a glass during a game, but it's another to appear on live TV, working as a professional announcer, with a 2-inch gap in your grill.

I'm sorry, but the guy looked like a slob Thursday night during the Panthers-Capitals game.

Sure, I know it's a badge of honor, but if he's taking the time to get all gussied up and put on a suit, there's no reason he can't complete the picture with a full set of teeth.

Quote of the week

"I celebrated a little, but got right back on defense."
Colin, relating his scoring four goals, including three tip-ins, during a Pinellas P.A.L. Stars end-of-practice scrimmage Friday night.

No spin-o-ramas, I'm told, were involved.

Every player's dream

It doesn't matter how it happens, where it happens or what kind of shot went in, there's nothing like scoring a goal for any hockey player, from the NHL to rec league or during a drill at a Lightning Made hockey clinic at the St. Pete Times Forum here in Hockey Bay.

This picture, taken by The Missus, captures Colin's latest moment.

Team report: Colorado Avalanche

For those of you who don't believe timing is everything, please consider our latest hockey-hounding adventure for the Colorado Avalanche.

With my work schedule limiting me to just game-time hounding, defined as the time when players leave the hotel and head to the rink, I knew our opportunities would be limited to, at most, an hour. Still, I didn't let that keep Colin and me from heading over to Tampa.

Though we missed on some players, most notably Craig Anderson, John-Michael Liles and Paul Stastny, we were more than happy to add another 20 cards to the collection. Even better, Colin scored some autographs from the Avs' top players.

Those signing cards were:

Top row: Peter Budaj, Matt Duchene and Adam Foote; and
Bottom row: Milan Hejduk, David Jones and Ryan Wilson

Other highlights from the abbreviated session:

~ Evidence that a change in scenery changes a player's signing habits; and
~ knowing that every addition to the Threads collection doesn't have to come from a big-name NHL player.

Not that picky

Not every addition to our Threads collection has to be a big-name NHL player. The only standard we apply is that the card must have a jersey swatch. This double-swatch card of Colorado's Kevin Porter, shown from his days with the Phoenix Coyotes, is a good example.

The Hockey Life: Week 7

It's no secret to my fellow hockey parents within the Pinellas Police Athletic League Stars family that I don't hold a certain Tampa Bay youth hockey program leadership in very high esteem. Chances are, too, that feeling is mutual. Bottom line, I don't like how they run things down there.

Over the past two recreation league seasons, I've watched their players, some as young as 7 years old, take serious runs and lay out Stars players, including Colin, in what's supposed to be a nonchecking league. While I understand that hockey is a contact sport and gaining body position is a part of the game, it's the common denominator of this aversion to the rules that's troubling.

In every case, these hits (which, to me, reflect dirty play) come only when one of the program's Squirt/PeeWee teams is losing to the Stars. It seems that rather than buckle down and play harder, their approach is to turn to the rough stuff.

Just a few games ago, I watched one of people closely associated with the program (I refer to them as the puppet masters) call a player over to the boards between periods and say something to him. Before the next period ended, this player, the biggest on the team, served a boarding penalty for running a Stars player. His intent was clear, and it wasn't about gaining body position to get the puck.

Were the two incidents connected? I can't prove that. Trust me, I wish I could. To me, it was a criminal act. Not by the child, mind you, as he may have been doing only what he was told to do. No, the criminal act, if in fact the dots could be connected, was committed by an adult.

As a parent, I couldn't and wouldn't allow my child to play within a program, no matter where it's based, that would condone such behavior and actions.

Part of playing hockey, especially at this age group, is learning life lessons. You practice to get better. Solid effort is rewarded with ice time. Clean, hard hockey leads to wins. And, if you're behind, you suck it up and do your best to get back in the game. Along the way, you learn sportsmanship.

Sadly, that's a lesson those youngsters are missing out on.

Another one's off the list

You'd think living down here in Hockey Bay we'd have a a dearth of ice surfaces to skate upon. Thankfully, that isn't the case. In all, we have five rinks to choose from, all within a 45-minute ride, and Colin's been on every one.

Last night, after hounding the Colorado Avalanche, Colin added another rink to the list, this one in downtown Tampa. No, it wasn't the St. Pete Times Forum, though he's skated there. This one is an outdoor, temporary rink, but made of ice and covered by a tent, in place at Curtis Hixon Park.

Granted, it may be small and the surface gets awfully snowy, but it's still ice in a pretty neat setting. A word of caution, though, it does get a bit crowded. But, still, skating in an outdoor rink in downtown Tampa? I never thought I'd see the day.

Quote of the week

"Is he Canadian?"
Bill, a visitor from Ontario, watching Colin as he skated last week

"Nope, born in Massachusetts."
Puckhound, answering Bill's question

"Well, he skates like he's from Canada."
Bill

A birthday present

When Colin asked me last week what I wanted for my birthday, I told him that a new Porsche sports car would be nice.

It would fit in nicely with all of the other hoity-toity "look at me, I'm so pretty" cars (which, oddly, never have working turn signals) that we see on a fairly regular basis down here in image-conscious Hockey Bay.

Even better, it would give us a cool ride to Westfield Countryside mall for our Wednesday afternoon skating sessions.

Well, Colin took my request to heart. Tucked among the bag of birthday goodies, packed to the gills with basic Dad gifts (socks, underwear, handkerchiefs and a gray T-shirt -- everything else I asked for) was this Hot Wheels car.

And, yes, it's a Porsche. A Porsche 911 GT2, to be exact.

Of course, Colin wanted me to open the blister pack, probably so he could play with the car. Instead, I'll hold on to it. It's not too often a son buys his father a Porsche.

It's "Hammer Time"

I giggle every time I watch this of Colin cutting loose during a timeout at last Friday's scrimmage between his Pinellas P.A.L. Stars and the Tampa Bay Titans at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

Team report: Florida Panthers

When you hound a team like the Florida Panthers, one of the Tampa Bay Lightning's division rivals, it's easy to run out of different items to get signed. That when cards, a hockey-hounding staple, come in handy.

When that happens, like this past Saturday when the Panthers traveled to Hockey Bay, it's not unusual to have some players sign all four cards we offered. It also adds up to a successful adventure, when we snagged more than 40 autographs in less than a hour.

Panthers players signing four cards each were:

Wingers Steve Bernier (top row) and Michael Frolik;

winger Rostislav Olesz (top row) and center Steven Reinprecht; and

winger Michael Repik.

Of course, not every player, for a variety of reasons, signed four cards:

Top row: David Booth, Scott Clemmensen and Keaton Ellerby; and
Bottom row: Shawn Matthias, Tomas Vokoun and Stephen Weiss.

Other highlights from Saturday's quick trip:

~ Vokoun adding to the Threads collection; and
~ Booth and Weiss signing a couple of road trip souvenirs.

Thanks, eBay!

Earlier this year, when I actually had some spare cash on hand, I snagged a couple of jersey swatch lots off of eBay. While a few of the cards were viewed as collectibles, most were simply adding to the stock of items we'll use in our future hockey hounding adventures.

This card of Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun, who's one of the best signing players in the NHL, was part of one of those hauls.

On Saturday, the card, which features a nice, bright yellow swatch with some stitch marks as well as Vokoun's distinctive signature, became the latest addition to our Threads collection.

The Hockey Life: Week 6

In a sense, Boston's Tyler Seguin was correct. I was sending Colin over to get autographs. Where the Boston rookie was wrong, though, was who the autographs were for. They weren't for me, they were for someone else -- a youth hockey team up in Wisconsin that's holding a fundraiser to help offset player registration costs.

Still, that didn't keep Seguin from upsetting Colin, not by declining his request to add to the Bruins logo banner, but in how he did it, insulting his father (that's me, you know) by saying that he was the "kid whose father sends him over to get autographs for him."

In a sense, he accused me of "pimping out" Colin just to get signatures. Sorry, rookie, but that's hardly the case. I help Colin get his own autographs, telling him who players are and finding their cards within the card book. I'm a big boy, and I get my own autographs when I'm out hounding by myself. If Colin's with me, it's his hounding adventure, not mine.

From my point of view, there's little wrong with a father bringing out his son(s) for autographs. For the most part, it's a bonding moment. Every other NHL team or player we've hounded hasn't had a problem with our approach. If they have, they've kept their yaps shut or simply said "no."

Needless to say, Seguin set off a bit of a firestorm, as Hockey Bay hounds jumped all over him, pointing out his less-than-stellar start of the season left little room for his attitude. Incensed, I questioned the young man's intelligence, suggesting that if he could read (I believe he can), he might want to check out this blog.

I'll even admit to asking the Hockey Gods to teach the young man a few lessons, too, in the form of an extended slump and, adding in a dose of much-needed humility, a couple of long, haul-your-own-gear-bag bus rides down in Providence.

Seguin's young and, apparently, has plenty to learn about being a professional. Let's hope he puts this unfortunate incident to good use. We'll find out in December, when the Bruins come back to Hockey Bay. Depending on Seguin's attitude, maybe I'll have another chat with the Hockey Gods.

Boys' night out

Last week, as a reward for all of his hard work at school, Colin and I headed south, even heading across the famous Alligator Alley, to watch his beloved Bruins play the Florida Panthers.

It wasn't all about the Bruins, even though we stayed at the team's hotel, wishing the players well after checking out. It wasn't about the hounding, either, as we completed our goal days before in Hockey Bay.

No, it was about hanging out and watching hockey. Visiting someplace new with a sense of adventure. Bottom line, it was another instance of father-son bonding.

Of course, we had a great time. Colin had a rinkside view of warmups. He got lots of compliments and smiles on his game-night get-up. He even got to meet the diminutive Mini, one of the two Panther's mascots. Even better, in Colin's eyes, the Bruins won, earning a 1-1 split in their two-game road trip to the Sunshine State.

I think we'll do it again.

On the big ice

Though Colin has skated a couple of times on the ice at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, he'd never played a game on the Tampa Bay Lightning's home rink. That changed Friday when his Pinellas P.A.L. Stars took on the Tampa Bay Titans.

Colin, who was named as an alternate captain of his squirts-peewee squad, even had the honor of taking the opening faceoff for the Stars. And, yes, some of the kids he played against were bantams and midgets.

From what I hear, he did his best at being a pest, getting under the skin of a couple of bantam players for his dogged defense. He even drew a penalty. Even though the Stars lost, he said he had a blast.

Quote of the week

"Is that Mini?"
Colin, his tongue planted firmly-in-cheek, as he pointed out Florida's Bryan Allen, who stands 6-foot-4, yesterday morning outside the Panthers' team hotel.

Yeah, I know . . .

Again I took on the challenge of adding a few officials to the old collection. I can't say enough good things about these guys. I would ask one thing of them however . . .

Come up with a new line. "We are not players" is getting a bit old.

Every time I hear that, and I let them know that I understand they aren't players, I get a chuckle about the fact that someone recognizes them for who they really are.

When I presented these photos to Dan O'Halloran and Francois St. Laurent, they both set down their bags and came right over. They genuinely appreciated that someone wanted their autographs.

O'Halloran signed this photo of him and King Henrik. Lundqvist completed it this week.

St. Laurent signed this group photo after letting me know that he recognized me from last year. He said that was the last time someone waited until after a game for his signature and told me to say hello to the two little kids who were with me.

Helping out

Not too long ago, a friend of the family asked a favor. Her brother, a youth hockey coach in Wisconsin, needed items for a fundraiser. She wanted to know if we could get this Boston Bruins logo banner signed for it.

I'll be clear here. I deny, for a multitude of reasons, about 97 percent of the multiple requests I get from people asking us to get autographs for them. If we honored every request, we'd never get autographs for our own collection.

Besides, I subscribe to the theory that anything worth having is worth going out and getting it yourself. Always have. Always will. In fact, I get uncomfortable asking others to get something signed for us. When they do, we reciprocate.

There are exceptions, though, to shooting down requests for getting items signed for others. Helping out a fellow youth hockey team, especially one coached by a good friend's brother, is among them. We know how much it costs to play hockey, and if we can help hockey parents save a couple bucks, it's our pleasure.

That's why we devoted the better portion of the Bruins' first trip to Hockey Bay this season loading up this banner with signatures from Bruins players. In all, Colin, not me, scored 27 autographs on it. Those who signed, among others, included Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Mark Recchi, Marc Savard and Tim Thomas.

The only two players we missed? Boston's Tyler Seguin, the No. 2 overall pick at the 2010 NHL Draft, and Brad Marchand. It wasn't for the lack of asking, though. We asked. They denied. Seguin, in particular, was pretty rude about it.

Imagine that? An overhyped rookie, presently providing a great disservice to the No. 19 once worn by Joey Thornton, and his buddy rejecting a request from a kid to help fill out an item for a youth hockey fundraiser. And, yes, both were told what the banner would be used for.

Well, that's another story for another day. Sunday, to be exact.

Our annual tradition

Ever since Boston's Patrice Bergeron became Colin's best NHL buddy, we've made a point of getting a picture of the two. We got the 2010-11 edition out of the way Monday before the Bruins morning skate.

As always, "Petey" was a class act.

Where's Colin?

This photo may be from last season, but it shows that Colin's always up against the glass during warm-ups anytime the Boston Bruins, his favorite NHL team, visit Hockey Bay.

Thankfully, Mark Recchi, one of the nicest guys in the NHL, took the time to sign it for Colin.

Good example

For every overhyped rookie in the NHL, there's a hard-working player who's worthy of respect and being viewed as a role model. In this case, it's Tampa Bay's Adam Hall, another of Colin's NHL buddies.

He became the latest player to add to our Threads collection, when he signed it for Colin after Monday's morning skate.

Funny thing, too, we got this card out of a box of 2010-11 UD NHL Series 1 we busted last Thursday. Talk about making quick work out of something, right?

The Hockey Life: Week 5

Going into the school year, I made a deal with Colin. If he was on his best behavior and got good grades through the Thanksgiving break, we'd sign him up for the Tampa Bay Lightning's holiday hockey camp. A couple of weeks ago, knowing that he'd kept his end of the bargain, I offered an alternative reward.

Rather than the hockey camp, I asked if would he'd be interested in joining me in a quick road trip down to Sunrise, Fla., to watch the Boston Bruins, his favorite team, play the Florida Panthers. Well, let's just say that Plan B was a big hit.

So, after reconnecting with his best NHL buddy Patrice Bergeron later today and taking in the Bruins-Lightning game tomorrow night in Tampa, we'll hit the road Wednesday morning for a four-hour ride across the Sunshine State. Our lower-bowl tickets await us at the arena. We're even staying at the same hotel as the Bruins, too.

Think of it, if you will, as a boys' night out.

I left it up to Colin if he's going to tell Patrice about the trip. If not, I can't wait to see the looks on their faces.

Hockey happens

We had plans to hound the Minnesota Wild last Sunday. Really, we did. Had nearly a dozen pucks and a full book of cards for them.

It was all for naught, though, when another hockey coach from Colin's home arena asked him to suit up for his team. Of course, we obliged, as the coach could become Colin's coach next spring should we make the leap to travel-team hockey.

Though the team lost, Colin scored the game's first goal. Please know, too, that it was Colin's third game of the day and fourth within 19 hours.

As you can imagine, he slept like a rock later that night.

Quote(s) of the week

"What's he doing wearing that sissy jersey?"
A skater -- a man in his 40s -- at TBSA Countryside ice rink to me, kiddingly, as Colin walked past him wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.

"He's a damn good skater, that kid. He can wear any jersey he wants."
That same skater, about 15 minutes later, as he stood near me, catching his breath after trying to keep up with Colin.

Signing curves

When it comes to getting autographs from NHL players, it's important to keep in mind the stage of the player's career. Doing so, I believe, is a critical factor.

For the most part, the average NHL player will take the time to stop and sign for most reasonable requests. Pucks, cards, jerseys and photos are no problem. Blank sheets of photo paper? Well, that's up to each player. Most, but not all, know the difference between collectors, fans and dealers.

The trickiest dribble within hockey hounding comes when dealing with two classes of players -- superstars and top draft picks. Both sit atop any hound's wish list. I mean, who doesn't want an autograph from Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby or Edmonton's Taylor Hall? These type of players truly understand what it means to be hounded, facing crowds wherever they go.

My advice? It never hurts to ask, but be prepared to have them say no. That way, if they do agree to sign, it's a bonus. Of the two classes, I've had better luck over the years with the top draft picks rather than the game's biggest names.

Think of it this way. As players are starting out, signing autographs may be somewhat of a novelty. It's fun to be recognized. After some time, though, and this can be measured in weeks or months, that novelty begins to wear off. Any time players step out in public, from heading out to morning skates or grabbing dinner the night before a game, chances are hockey hounds will be waiting with Sharpies and paint pens in hand.

The same holds true for the NHL's superstars. Only the team bus or hotel room offers sanctuary from hockey hounds. No place, it seems, is off-limits. To me, however, that comes with the territory. It's part of being the best in the game. I suppose that's what makes it easy for them to say no. They're good and they know it.

When talking about players' signing curves, I like to reference a bell curve. For those unfamiliar with the term, think of a camel's hump. The animal's back starts off straight, quickly heads north in a rounded fashion and then slopes down to another straight line.

To me, that best represents an NHL player's signing habits:

~ In the beginning (representing a flat line), most players will sign just about anything. Attention is heaped upon them, as crowds clamor for their scribble on all forms of sports memorabilia. It must be quite a rush.

~ As these players get better (representing the upward slope of the bell curve), and their egos kick in, they become more difficult. It's easy to identify a player in this stage as he'll either limit the number of items he signs or the frequency of his refusals increases.

~ Once these players' skills begin to erode (representing the downward slope), they understand they won't be in the NHL forever. A humbling realization, most players return to early signing habits, even taking the time to chat with fans. In doing this, players become the proverbial fan favorites.

~ The curve is completed (representing another flat line) upon retirement. Most players, except those stars who make the Hockey Hall of Fame, fall out of the hounding public's eye, becoming nearly forgotten, save for the occasional trivia question. To me, this is the best time to approach these players, especially those who take front office, coaching or scouting positions, as it's natural for them to want to be remembered in a positive way.

Now, this observation is based on nearly 15 straight years of hockey hounding, not any scientific data. And it certainly can't be applied to each and every NHL player. Hopefully, though, it might explain why players sign or don't sign.

Feel free to discuss and share your observations.

The Hockey Life: Week 4

It's not too often that you get to see an NHL team step outside of a rink during practice. It's even more odd when you see hockey players tossing around a football on a paved parking lot outside the St. Pete Times Forum.

But that's what happened last Tuesday as Tampa Bay Lightning players headed outside to play something that looked like rugby. Squaring off into two teams -- shirts vs. skins -- the Bolts spent about 20 minutes yukking it up at something that was far beyond their element.

All the time, the Bolts drew "What the heck is going on?" stares from Toronto Maple Leafs players, on their way to the morning skate, and Hockey Bay hounds. The nontraditional practice must have worked, though, as the Bolts blanked the Leafs later that night.

My observation from the spectacle: The Bolts, to a man, threw the football like hockey players. Perhaps Josh Freeman, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback, can stop by next time and offer some pointers.

Just making sure

It was real easy to tell that Moody, Hound Central 5.0's senior correspondent, just got back from a vacation. Just ask Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson, who twice told him Tuesday that neither the cards nor the 8x10 photo Moody asked him to sign weren't of him, even though they were of a Ron Wilson.

I can't say that I hadn't nearly made the same mistake myself. What makes this funny, though, is that after being told that the cards weren't his, Wilson also passed on the 8x10 that Moody offered up as Plan B. Wilson, to his credit, still signed something for Moody -- the binder he used as a platform.

Thankfully, Moody took it all in fun. And I think we all learned that there are two Ron Wilsons who played in the NHL.

Line of the Week

"I don't sign team items. Do you have anything that's just of me?"
Toronto's Phil Kessel to a Hockey Bay Hound, who asked the Leafs' forward why he wouldn't sign his 16x20 team photo. Kessel also wouldn't sign a McFarlane base.

Team report: Toronto Maple Leafs

Part of my goals for the 2010-11 hockey-hounding campaign was to scale back my efforts. Between work and family obligations, I needed to cut back on other endeavors. Limiting my time spent hounding was one way to do that.

I'm finding, however, that it's easier said than done. Rather than pack up and leave after Toronto's Kris Versteeg was the last player to head out Tuesday for the Maple Leafs' morning skate, I stuck around near the St. Pete Times Forum instead.

My reason for staying wasn't just adding more autographs. Seldom does the reward match the effort, I've learned. No, it was more about hanging out with friends, busting each other's chops and talking hockey. To me, that's the best part of the hobby. Adding another 28 autographs doesn't hurt, either.

Signing some of the 11 pucks, shown above, were:

Top row: Tyler Bozak, Luca Caputi and Mike Komisarek; and
Bottom row: Clarke MacArthur, John Mitchell and Colton Orr.

Among those signing cards were, from left, Francois Beauchemin, Jonas Gustavsson and Tomas Kaberle.

Other highlights from a morning of hounding:

~ Pucks signed by Toronto's Big Four; and
~ a shout-out to Mikhail Grabovski and Fredrik Sjostrom.

These will do

Every NHL team, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, has what you'd call the Big Four. This Tuesday, it consisted of Toronto's Jean-Sebastien Giguere, (clockwise, from top left) Phil Kessel, Luke Schenn and Kris Versteeg.

Had Leafs' captain Dion Phaneuf made the trip, as well as signed one of the two pucks I had for him, it would've been a hard decision picking who to leave out. My guess? Versteeg. I don't think he's yet to meet the mighty expectations of Leafs Nation.

A thank-you note

I have this rule when it comes to hockey-hounding. If an NHL player is nice enough to sign all four cards that I offer, he gets a shout-out here at Hound Central 5.0. Think of it as a token of my appreciation.

In this case, it's Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski (top row) and Fredrik Sjostrom, who signed eight of the 15 cards I got Tuesday morning before and after the Maple Leafs' morning skate.

Thanks, guys.

Looking for bargains

Over the years, one of the most common questions I get from readers is where do I buy my pucks and how much do they cost. My answer? It's always the same. I buy them wherever I can.

Most are bought online, through a sports memorabilia distributor. Others, however, are bought at arenas, card stores, flea markets and the ilk. Though I often pay no more than $2.75 a puck, I've spent as much as $5 a puck.

It all depends on the situation. If I see a puck I can't find elsewhere, or if I'm caught empty-handed, then I'll begrudgingly pay a higher price. But if I can save a few bucks, well, then, I'd be an idiot if I didn't.

Overall, 65 percent of Hound Central 5.0 readers pay less than $5 for each of their pucks. To me, that's a decent deal. One reader, though, gets pucks for free. Knowing Moody, Hound Central 5.0's thrifty senior correspondent, I think he's the one.

Question: How much do you pay for each of your pucks?

$3 to $4.99: 8 votes out of 20 cast (40 percent)
More than $5: 6 votes (30 percent)
0.01 to $2.99: 5 votes (25 percent)
Free: 1 vote (5 percent)

On a side note, if you buy any pucks from the distributor, please tell them that Hound Central 5.0 sent you. Thanks.

The Hockey Life: Week 3

Given that the Tampa Bay Lightning have been on a West Coast road trip over the past week, hockey-hounding has been in a holding pattern. That doesn't mean, though, we didn't lead our hockey lives.

Rather than collecting autographs, we focused more on Colin's hockey, in anticipation of intrasquad scrimmages (that's him, #37, shown above) finally turning to games against teams from other rinks here in the Hockey Bay area.

In what's becoming something of a weekly tradition, Colin and I worked on his shooting and passing skills Wednesday. We take advantage of a street hockey rink in Largo, where Colin practices his in-close one-timers and rebound shots as well as getting a better handle on passing.

From there, we headed farther north to a small ice skating rink inside a shopping mall in the Countryside area, where Colin got put through the paces, as he has for the past year, working on his skating, building up his endurance and thanking people for compliments on his skating.

Oh, yeah, we even broke down and bought some hockey cards, including Panini's 2010-11 Score offering. A low-end product, it does offer a deep checklist. I even ordered and received three dozens pucks for our hounding adventures this month.

Even without hounding, we had a pretty busy hockey week, I'd say.

Scary dudes

So, how was your Halloween? As usual, we had a fun time, as I had the night off from work. Colin was a Clone Trooper and I reprised my role as Anton Kantstopapuck, an old, fat Russian goalie.

Too bad, though, that Halloween came on a Sunday. We didn't have as many trick-or-treaters as normal, meaning we had plenty of leftover candy. Adding to it, Colin brought home a bulging bag of treats.

If you'd like some, we have plenty. No Reese's peanut butter cups, though. They're mine and, sorry, I'm not sharing.

Farewell, Houndmobile

For the past seven years, there had been one constant companion in all of my hockey-hounding adventures -- a 1998 light blue metallic Ford Taurus.

When in New England, it made the rounds from Portland, Maine, to Providence, R.I., to Manchester, N.H., and Boston. After arriving down here in Hockey Bay, it made so many trips over to the St. Pete Times Forum that I was convinced the Houndmobile knew the way on its own.

Along the way, it drove through snow and ice, driving rain and strong winds, over bridges and through tunnels. It wasn't the prettiest of cars, but that isn't the point.

Bottom line, the Houndmobile did its job, getting me from Point A to Point B and back about 99 percent of the time. I'm thankful for that.

Sadly, though, all good things must come to an end. It lacked a working air conditioner. It needed some catalytic converter work. And the odometer stopped working two summers ago, stuck on 235, 454 miles. Lord knows the car had many more miles on it.

Because of that, I took it off the road in May. It sat at the top of our driveway, waiting for me to decide what to do with it. A couple of weeks ago, a decision was made. After buying it for $3,200 back in 2003, I sold it for $200, nothing more than a parts car. I like to think I got my money's worth.

About a year ago, I bought a car from some cousins in South Carolina. I'll tell you what, I won't do that again. What was supposed to be a solution was nothing more than another set of problems. But, it runs. Since May, it's made a number of hounding trips, for our Summer of Baseball as well as the current hockey-hounding campaign.

With some luck, it'll last long enough until we can buy something better. Until then, the spirit of the Houndmobile remains alive.

Team report: Pittsburgh Penguins

Last season, I refused to take part in the circus that was known as the Pittsburgh Penguins. It wasn't just because of the team's big names. No, it had to do more with them being the then-reigning Stanley Cup champions and the big crowds that flock to the team.

This season, though, we'll make two trips out for the Penguins. The first came in October when the Penguins arrived a few days early for a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While that may not seem out of the ordinary, strange circumstances turned the day into a bit of a circus.

You see, it wasn't just the Penguins who were staying at the Westin Harbour Island hotel. The Nashville Predators, also in town to play the Lightning, were staying at the same hotel. Thanks to some shared intel, we had items for both teams that Sunday.

All told, we added 75 autographs, including 32 from Pittsburgh, in our best day, so far, of the 2010-11 hockey-hounding campaign. For the record, I added another two before the Penguins' game-day morning skate. By then, the team had been pounded and hounded for three days and ignored most requests.

Signing pucks, shown above, were:

Top row: Mike Comrie, Alex Goligoski and Chris Kunitz; and
Bottom row: Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek and Eric Tangradi.

Players signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Comrie, Eric Godard, Goligoski and Brent Johnson; and
Bottom row: Tyler Kennedy, Kunitz, Kristopher Letang and Evgeni Malkin

Also adding to the stack of cards were, from left, Michalek, Brooks Orpik, Jordan Staal and Maxime Talbot.

We also put a cheap skate card to good use for Tangradi.

Other highlights from hounding the Penguins:

~ Colin scoring autographs from Sidney Crosby and Malkin;
~ Getting a scribble from Malkin; and
~ Doubling up, so to speak, on Gilles Meloche and Tony Granato.