On one hand

Every so often, I remember one of Hound Central's ongoing projects -- the right-handed goalie glove. Maybe it's because there are so few in the NHL. It was put to good use Friday when Anaheim's Jonas Hiller (far left) became the latest goalie to sign it.

With any luck, I'll get the Islanders' Rick Dipietro to add to it this Thursday and Washington's Jose Theodore, if he isn't dealt before the trade deadline, when the Capitals come back in March.

Random sample

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Anaheim's George Parros, one of the NHL's premier tough guys, is a highly sought-after autograph. I suppose, then, that's why he was shooting down some requests before Friday's morning skate.

I must have been one of the lucky ones, though, using a bit of name-dropping when I asked if he'd sign this AHL Manchester Monarchs practice jersey, a team he played for when he was in the Los Angeles Kings organization.

"A Monarchs' jersey?" he asked. "Sure."

For the record, another former Monarchs player, Denis Grebeshkov, signed the jersey when Edmonton visited Hockey Bay in December.

A mighty effort

Colin may have had some trouble working a team sheet for the Anaheim ducks, but he absolutely nailed his old Anaheim Mighty Ducks jersey before Friday's game, getting 22 members of the organization to sign it. Not a single player or coach he asked, including Randy Carlyle, Ryan Getzlaf, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Saku Koivu and Corey Perry -- didn't take the time to honor his request.

The only big name he missed was Teemu Selanne, but I believe Colin didn't mind all that much.

Bit of bad luck

When it comes to paint pens, it's usually me, not Colin, who's had some issues this season. But his latest team season, worked Thursday for the Anaheim Ducks, shows the ink issues can happen to the best of us. Not quite sure what happened -- it was either a low ink supply or the lack of priming the pen.

You'll have to take our word for it that these nine players honored Colin's request: Troy Bodie, Ryan Carter, Kyle Chipchura, Brett Festerling, Ryan Getzlaf, Jonas Hiller, Petteri Nokelainen, George Parros and Dan Sexton.

Only Nokelainen's and Hiller's signatures are truly legible, despite my best efforts to enhance the image after it was scanned.

Three out of five

Though I carried five jersey memorabilia cards for members of the Anaheim Ducks, I only added these three to the Threads project: Scott Niedermayer, Nick Boynton and Saku Koivu.

Please, accept my apologies for missing out on Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. I suppose I'll have to wait until the Ducks come back to Hockey Bay to add them.

Still, though, three out of five isn't bad, is it? To borrow a phrase, that's batting .600 -- a figure that should get me into the hall of fame.

It's also funny, isn't it, that not a one shows the players with the Ducks. The cards I have for Getzlaf and Perry, however, do, but both are from the Ducks days in purple, teal and white.

They know Salty Pete

Because the AHL's Portland Pirates have been affiliated with three NHL organizations over the past few years -- the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres -- there's quite a few former players who can sign this practice jersey depicting the club's mascot, Salty Pete.

Last Friday, with the Anaheim Ducks in town, four former Pirates signed it, from left, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan (on the red glove), Steve Eminger and Corey Perry (the faint scribble).

Sunday morning homily XVIII

I know arguments can be made that this weekend's Hockey Weekend Across America is nothing more than a rip-off of Hockey Day in Canada. But, you know, so what if it is? The idea behind both events, even if one is purely a made-for-TV event, is that it celebrates the sport of hockey.

Too bad, then, that wasn't the case for our young hockey player. Though his second season of rec hockey with the Pinellas Police Athletic League Stars was supposed to begin last weekend, it's been pushed back to next weekend. Had the season started on schedule, as we believed it would when we made our payment, he could have been a part of the U.S. initiative by actually playing a game.

At the most, we celebrate Hockey Weekend Across America by having Colin work on his skating during a public session later today.

Now, this isn't a condemnation of the P.A.L. organization or its coaches. They work very hard teaching their young charges how to play the game and, more importantly, how to approach life. I'm sure, too, his P.A.L. Stars teammates all wish they were actively participating in Hockey Weekend Across America.

But, no, that isn't the case.

In what's becoming something of a sad realization, the hockey director at his home ice arena in Clearwater has had difficulties putting together a schedule. This isn't the first time, too. Last fall, we overloaded Colin's schedule, signing him up for fall baseball because we hadn't heard there would be a season. At the last moment, one was cobbled together. Earlier last year, a fee we paid for a season of pee-wee hockey that never materialized was used for more Hockey 101 and 201 classes.

I can't say with certainty why these delays keep happening, but I have a hypothesis. Because the travel teams don't seem to have this problem, it's my guess that the fact they pay considerably more -- upwards of $2,000 a season per player plus travel costs -- is a driving force behind their ease in scheduling. Sure, I wish we could afford such expenses, but I'd rather have Colin's skills and effort, not an ability to fork over huge sums of cash, earn him a spot on one of those "elite" squads.

A couple of weeks ago, as I ran Colin through some skating drills at a rink inside a shopping mall, I was approached by another father wanting to know how long Colin had been skating. Our conversation soon turned to learn-to-skate programs, intro-to-hockey sessions and rec hockey leagues for his 5-year-old son. I had the opportunity to steer the father toward Colin's home ice arena in Clearwater, but I didn't. Instead, I suggested he try another of the three rinks here in Hockey Bay, either in Oldsmar, Brandon or Ellenton.

After this season, I'm thinking it's time to follow my own advice.

Maybe he remembered

A few weeks ago, when the Montreal Canadiens were in town, Scott Gomez snubbed most every request to sign an autograph before the team's morning skate. Afterwards, as he was getting a ride back to the hotel from the Lightning's security staff (What's up with that?), he busied himself by reading a newspaper as, once again, he denied autograph requests made by others.

I couldn't help myself: "Hey, Gomer," I shouted. "That word you can't figure out? It's 'the.' "

Last week, with the Canadiens back in Hockey Bay, Gomez had an apparent change in heart over his signing habits. Except for me, that is. After asking if he had time to sign a Canadiens puck, he looked up me, said "No," and then signed for another couple of hounds.

As I relayed the exchange to Moody, Hound Central 5.0's senior correspondent, he said it would have been funny had Gomez responded with "That word I'm having trouble with is 'No.' "

If he had, and I wished he would have, I was ready with my retort: "Okay, Gomer," I told Moody, "but can you spell it?"

5 Big Sigs

Another two-team week awaits, so here's what we're hoping to add:

~ New York's Rick Dipietro on the right-handed goalie glove;
~ New York's Jeff Tambellini and Mike Dunham to the Threads project;
~ New York's Dwayne Roloson on his 2004-05 UD Hockey All-World Edition card;
~ Calgary's Jarome Iginla on Flames and Canada pucks; and
~ Calgary's Jay Bouwmeester on a Flames puck.

Top Shelf: Teemu Selanne

This puck earns Hound Central 5.0's coveted Top Shelf status not so much that Anaheim's Teemu Selanne signed it for Colin on Thursday, but the funny story behind it.

Last summer, when Colin was playing his first season ever of organized hockey, I told him he could mimic Selanne's iconic duck-hunting celebration after scoring the record-setting 54th goal of his 1992-93 rookie NHL season (he scored 76 that season), if and when he scored his first hat trick.

Lo and behold, about two weeks later, Colin scored three goals in game and, for one of the few times in his young life, remembered something I told him. Unfortunately, not everyone was as excited as Colin, who got a lecture about showboating after returning to the bench.

Now, fast forward to Thursday, when Colin met Selanne down here in Hockey Bay:

Colin to Teemu: "Did you know I got in trouble for celebrating my first hat trick like you did with your world record goal?"

Teemu to Colin: "You mean when I threw my glove up in the air?"

Colin: "Yeah, that's what I did. I got in trouble for that."

Teemu, grinning from ear-to-ear: "Yeah, I can imagine."

We need more like Teemu

Anaheim's Teemu Selanne is living proof that living NHL legends can be friendly toward fans and hounds. At a time when he's coming back from a broken jaw and trying to get ready to represent Finland at the upcoming Olympics, it would have been very easy to understand if he passed on requests to sign autographs Thursday afternoon.

Selanne, one of the nicest players in the NHL, had none of that, taking the time to sign for everyone, including this 2008-09 Victory jumbo card, as he walked back to the team's hotel following the Ducks' practice at the St. Pete Times Forum.

One for the collection

It's not all that often that I get a North American Hockey League puck signed by an NHL player. But that's what happened Thursday when Anaheim winger Dan Sexton signed these two pucks, including the one from the Wichita Falls (Texas) Wildcats.

Drew Pelto, an old hockey-hounding buddy from Beantown who now performs a multitude of media-related tasks for the Wildcats, sent me the Wildcats puck for Sexton to sign. In return, I'll send him the Ducks puck that Sexton signed.

A fair trade, I'd say.

Positive spin

There are times over the course of a hockey-hounding campaign when it's best to measure your success under different terms. On days when you add a bunch of pucks to a stack of cards, it's easy to tout quantity over quality. There are the times, too, when low numbers are the intentional result of pure, unadulterated cherry-picking.

And then you have days like Wednesday, when the Montreal Canadiens were in town to play the Tampa Bay Lightning. Though I added only 20 items from 12 players and an assistant coach, I didn't walk away disappointed. Even better, I finally got Habs goalie Carey Price to sign a McFarlane base for Al, Hound Central 5.0's man in Toronto.

Had I carried items for every player, the numbers would have been higher. But, I had no more items for such players as Tomas Plekanic, Maxim Lapierre, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Benoit Pouliot, Glen Metropolit, Ryan O'Byrne and Mathieu Darche.

In fact, the only two players I missed were Paul Mara, who I never saw before or after the morning skate, and Scott Gomez, who apparently has a good memory (I'll have more about that Sunday).

The numbers may not be that impressive, but to snag 13 players (present and past) out of the 15 who I had items for certainly made the trip well worth the time.

Signing pucks, shown above, were Brian Gionta (Montreal Canadiens and U.S.A. souvenir) and Andrei Markov (Quebec Citadelles and Russia souvenir).

Among those signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Josh Gorges, Jaroslav Halak, Roman Hamrlik and Sergei Kostitsyn; and
Bottom row: Ben Maxwell, Travis Moen, Kirk Muller and Jaroslav Spacek.

For the record, and to have the numbers add up, Hal Gill also signed a couple of cards.

Though I'm grateful that Montreal's Mike Cammalleri added to the autographed puck collection, I believe the young man could use a lesson in manners.

Why be so smug, Mike?

I'd like to think that being paid millions of dollars to play a game would do wonders for one's manners. Let's not forget, either, the first-class travel, five-star hotels and, for the most part, adoring fans in a hotbed of hockey.

Top-of-the-world stuff, don't you think?

Sadly, that point seems to be lost on Montreal's Mike Cammalleri.

It wasn't so much that he offered up this scribble Wednesday before the Canadiens' morning skate. No, instead, it was his witnessing his snotty attitude toward a handful of hounds on the walk back to the team's Harbour Island hotel.

Now, it's one thing for a player to politely say "no" to a request for another autograph. We've all heard it a thousand times. Chances are, we'll hear it again. But when the denial comes framed in a snotty "I took care of you guys this morning" shoot-down, with a smirk growing across his face, it left me shaking my head in wonder.

I don't believe his Momma would've been too proud of him.

Sunday morning homily XVII

In a sense, knowledgeable hockey fans are one, big fraternity. It doesn't matter what colors we wear, where we're from or where we sit, we all pledge our allegiance to understanding the sport of hockey. This point was never so clear last Thursday when Colin and I attended, on the spur of a moment, the Toronto Maple Leafs-Tampa Bay Lightning game down here in Hockey Bay.

It's well documented that I'm not the biggest fan of the Loafs. Growing up a Sabres fan in Western New York, (specifically, south of Buffalo, in tiny Machias), where the Loafs are as welcome as 12 feet of snow, saw to that. Nor am I able to, mainly because of my allegiance to the Sabres, completely wrap my arms around our current hometown Bolts.

It was the game, certainly not the teams, that prompted my decision to spring for a 10-ticket flex pack and, subsequently, use two to attend the Loafs-Bolts game. Simply, it was as close as we'll ever get to a game at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. I wanted us to experience the flavor of a Loafs game, no matter its location, seeing that the team's reach stretches far beyond Canada's border. There's something, I believe, to hearing "Go Leafs Go!" shouted by the faithful at least once in one's hockey life.

As fate would have it, we ended up sitting next to a family of Loafs fans. Nice people, too. Colin and the youngest son hit it off well, talking hockey and even sharing a $4 giant peanut-butter cookie. The parents were more than pleasant, sharing their experiences of attending games at the ACC (one ticket there was more expensive than the five they bought in Tampa, they said) and that, unlike here in Hockey Bay, home games are shown on a premium cable TV channel.

Even though the Bolts won an increasingly exciting game with less than 10 seconds in overtime, I found myself somewhat disappointed. It was one of the most enjoyable nights I've ever had at a hockey game down here in Hockey Bay, finally getting the chance to talk with knowledgeable fans who truly understand the game while taking in one of the NHL's most storied Original Six franchises. I didn't want it to end.

Really, it didn't matter who we were rooting for. All that mattered was that it was a hockey game with real hockey fans, those who don't need a bubblehead emcee, dance teams, mascots and scoreboard prompts to "Make Some Noise" to make it an entertaining night out.

And that, my friends, is what being a member of the hockey fraternity is all about. It's the game, not the nonsense, that drives us. Sadly, not everyone, nor every team, gets this point.

Final (grumpy) request

After two installments for Your Turn, contributions have dropped off. Really, I can't understand the reason behind this. For four-plus seasons, I've shared many, many hounding adventures with readers. All I'm asking, and it's a reasonable request, is for you to now return the favor.

If I don't get any, this will be yet another feature -- just like Name that Logo, Hockey Quiz and What's This? -- that has run its course because of limited submissions or the lack of participation.

Responses to these requests go a long way toward deciding to continue with this blog. Lord knows there are better uses of my time. As it stands, Hound Central 5.0 will be my last hockey-hounding blog. Simply put, the returns fall far short the efforts put in by myself and others.

5 Big Sigs

It'll be an interesting week down here in Hockey Bay, with the Montreal Canadiens making their second and final trip of the season and the Anaheim Ducks swinging through the Sunshine State. We didn't have the best of luck with the Habs less than a month ago and, from what I've heard, the Ducks can be a tad tough.

Still, here's what we're hoping to add:

~ Montreal's Mike Cammalleri on a Canadiens puck and the Manchester Monarchs practice jersey;
~ Montreal's Andrei Markov on Russia souvenir and Quebec Citadelles pucks;
~ Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Steve Eminger on the Portland Pirates practice jersey;
~ Anaheim's Saku Koivu on a Ducks puck; and
~ Anaheim's Dan Sexton on a Wichita Falls Wildcats (North American Hockey League) puck.

Gallery: Leafs photos

For the past few weeks or so, Moody, Hound Central 5.0's primary correspondent, has been telling me I need to start working photos. Given that I'm starting to run out of NHL players to put on pucks, he has a good point.

They're much lighter, easier to handle and aren't as expensive. So, yes, I see the benefits.

Still, though, I'll be sticking primarily with cards, pucks, and, yes, the occasional photo, for the rest of the 2009-10 hockey-hounding campaign. Moody, on the other hand, is a photo machine, racking up at least a half dozen 8x10s every time he hounds a team.

Here's a look at our combined efforts on Thursday, when the Toronto Maple Leafs traveled to Hockey Bay:

Defenseman Garnet Exelby, on a wallpaper image from his days down in Dixie;

Goalie Jonas Gustavsson, in a pretty neat image;

Winger Niklas Hagman, on the lone photo I got signed;

Defenseman Tomas Kaberle, which Colin got signed at the gametime bus;

Defenseman Jay Rosehill, shown with the AHL's Springfield Falcons during his time in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization;

Defenseman Luke Schenn, on a wallpaper image celebrating his draft status;

Winger Lee Stempniak, from his days in St. Louis;

Goalie Vesa Toskala; and

Coach Ron Wilson, left, shown with Toronto GM Brian Burke, in happier days.

Carrying cards

After so many years of carrying puck-filled hounding bags, it's rather odd when a day's hounding materials barely fill a fanny pack. That was the case yesterday morning, however, when the Toronto Maple Leafs were in townto play the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The most I could put together was a book of cards. No pucks. No jerseys. No helmets. On scene, Moody gave me a couple of 8x10s (we'll have a "photo" gallery up later).

Guess what? No complaints. Well, maybe just one.

Here's who signed:

Top row, from left: Jonas Gustavsson, Tomas Kaberle and Nikolai Kulemin;
Middle row: Alexei Ponikarovsky, Luke Schenn and Matt Stajan; and
Bottom row: Lee Stempniak, Vesa Toskala and Ian White.

Other highlights:

~ 14 Leafs players signing Colin's team sheet;
~ Jason Blake providing a touch of irony; and
~ Carl Gunnarsson and Jonas Gustavsson adding to the cheap skates collection.

In a pinch

Much to my chagrin, I discovered that we'd run out of card stock for Colin's team sheet for the Toronto Maple Leafs. With time running tight, meaning a trip to Walmart could be avoided, a sheet of matte photo paper filled in quite nicely, as 14 Toronto Maple Leafs players signed before boarding the gametime bus.

And, yes, we know that "Maple" is missing its "l." Part of its charm, though, I'd say.

Players signing, from left, were Niklas Hagman, Garnet Exelby, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jonas Gustavsson, Jay Rosehill, Lee Stempniak, Colton Orr (Pen issues surfaced, but the "28" is visible) Matt Stajan, Francois Beauchemin, Tomas Kaberle, Phil Kessel, Jamal Mayers (yes, it's upside down), Vesa Toskala and Tyler Bozak.

Best choice?

When it comes to calling someone an ambassador of the game, I can only wonder what Upper Deck uses as its standard. One would think, I suppose, that graciousness is a hallmark. Benevolence, too.

Even more so, a willingness to sell the sport to all walks of life in different settings would exemplify the true calling of an ambassador.

Though Toronto's Jason Blake signed this card, he did it begrudgingly, rolling his eyes, like a petulant 6-year-old told to clean up his room, at my request. I hear, too, that he's like that in Toronto, too.

I specifically chose this card for Blake, adding it at the top of my 5 Big Sigs for the week, simply because of the irony.

Make the effort, please

For the most part, I'm happy any time an NHL player honors my request for an autograph. But when one, like Toronto's Francois Beauchemin, offers up a signature like this, it's nothing more than a waste of time.

If this scribble -- and I'm not even sure that fulfills Webster's definition -- is the best Beauchemin can provide, I'd rather have him deny my request.

Really, now, how long does it take to sign an autograph? Five seconds? In Beauchemin's case, it might take seven seconds. I mean, I can't even begin to see how these squiggly lines even remotely resemble "Francois Beauchemin." Can you?

I may not expect letter-perfect signatures, but it's a bit disappointing when you get a "signature" as weak as this.

If at first ...

. . . you don't succeed, try, try again. At least that was my motto yesterday. After not getting these cheap skates cards signed during Toronto's visit visit to Hockey Bay this season, they came in quite handy yesterday for the Loafs' Carl Gunnarsson and Jonas Gustavsson.

You know you'll hear "no"

It's no secret among Hound Central 5.0 readers that the two NHL teams with the game's brightest young stars are the roughest to hound in most every place but their home cities.

The Pittsburgh Penguins -- featuring Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury -- and the Washington Capitals -- with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green -- drew significant votes (a combined 87.3 percent) in the most recent Hound Central 5.0 poll.

Really, though, are we surprised? Teams like these draw dealers, hounds and fans out of the woodwork. It's one thing to sign for, say, a dozen or so people. How about facing a crowd of 30-plus people? In a way, I don't blame them. Do you?

Question: Roughest NHL team to hound?

Pittsburgh Penguins: 28 votes out of 55 cast (50.9 percent)
Washington Capitals: 20 votes (36.4 percent)
Boston Bruins: 4 votes (7.3 percent)
Detroit Red Wings: 2 votes (3.6 percent)
Anaheim Ducks: 1 vote (1.8 percent)

Lightening the Lightning load

At the beginning of the 2009-10 hockey-hounding campaign, I set up a hounding bag specifically for the Tampa Bay Lightning. It made sense, I believed, as I'd likely hound the hometown Bolts quite a few times over the course of a season.

Here we are, a touch past mid-January, and I'm finding that there's little need for it now. Other than snagging a certain Lightning player (that would be you, Marty) on a puck for Al, Hound Central 5.0's man in Toronto, I'm down to a rapidly thinning card book.

Granted, that may change if the Lightning make any moves before the trade deadline, but I'm thinking that last Thursday's trip, which included pucks from Tampa Bay's Kurtis Foster, left, and assistant coach Adam Oates, might be one of the last trips I'll make this season.

Then again, I wouldn't mind adding Oates on a few more pucks.

Signing cards were, from left, Brandon Bochenski, Antero Niittymaki, Matt Smaby and Alex Tanguay.

Other signings:

~ Lightning rookie James Wright on an 8x10 photo; and
~ Winger Alex Tanguay adding a second card to the Threads project.

Serving a purpose

Every so often, as I'm taking photos during warm-ups at Tampa Bay Lightning games, I produce an image that works well for getting an autograph.

In my humble opinion, I believe this photo of Tampa Bay rookie James Wright, which he personalized to Colin last Thursday, is a good example.

Threads: Alex Tanguay II

Yes, I'm fully aware that this is the second Alex Tanguay item within the 2009-10 Threads project. I can't help it, though, that he signed it. I'm sure, too, that he's unaware of this fact.

Take a closer look at the card, pulled from a box of 2008-09 Upper Deck Series I. Though it identifies him as a member of the Montreal Canadiens, which he was at the time, the swatch comes from his days, as he's depicted, playing for the Calgary Flames.

Now, add the fact that he added his distinctive signature to it while playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning and you have a "perfect storm," of sorts, of an autograph.

Anyone else?

It's been some time since I've extolled the virtues of using homemade cards to add to your autograph collection, mainly because I've either had plenty of items for visiting players or little time to make any. Either way, though, as these cheap skates samples show, they are pretty useful.

I like to take a simplistic approach, reusing a template from seasons past. In less than 10 minutes, I'm able to update logos, photos and colors. Could I add more detail, even creating my own cards? Certainly. But if something isn't broke, why would you fix it? Until then, I'll be happy to use these.

What am I interested in, though, are examples of other's handiwork making cards. Drop me a line if you'd like to share your creations.

Sunday morning homily XVI

As Colin nears the start of his second full hockey season, I've been thinking about players to point out for him to emulate. Someone who plays a solid all-around game. Someone who knows the best offense is a great defense. Someone who knows hard work is tantamount to success.

Granted, Boston's Patrice Bergeron is Colin's best NHL buddy. But he sees Petey only twice a year. Closer to home, Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis would work, too, given how much he brings to the rink each night. But what I was looking for was a center who made a couple trips a season to Hockey Bay. It wouldn't hurt, too, if the player was personable.

Enter Florida's Stephen Weiss. From watching him play over the past few seasons, it's easy to see how much he cares about each shift of every game, despite playing for a team that's missed the playoffs for quite some time.

He doesn't cut corners. He doesn't float around the ice. He's not afraid to get his nose dirty. To me, and this is written with the utmost respect, the kid's a gamer.

Even better, from a hound's point of view, is how gracious he is toward us. I've never seen him turn down a request and he'll sign as many items, within reason, as anyone offers.

Last Thursday, with the Panthers in Hockey Bay, I asked Weiss for a favor. Could he spend a few moments with Colin, my hockey pest-in-training, sharing with him how important it is to play hard and, as a center, playing defense? "Sure," he said. "No problem."

Weiss delivered, in spades, before walking over to the St. Pete Times Forum. After introductions were made, he told Colin in very simple terms about playing defense: "It's the most important part of the game." As for playing hard? "There's really no other way to play." Sound advice, from an NHL player, if you ask me.

Colin, I believe, has another role model.

Go ahead, you call him a fairy

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who made a name for himself in so-called "professional wrestling," must have lost a bet. That's the only reason I can think of that he would portray a rough-and-tumble hockey goon who sprouts wings in the upcoming, and appropriately named, Tooth Fairy.

Though I know this movie is geared toward children, adoring fans and those who believe wrestling isn't a scripted farce designed to separate fools and their money, it's such a ridiculous concept that I can't believe anyone, including Johnson and fellow stars Julie Andrews, Billy Crystal and hockey fan Ashley Judd, would even think, for a moment, that this is a viable entity. Still, it's a hockey movie. A classic? I don't think so.

5 Big Sigs

Early weather forecasts -- and we all know how accurate those can be -- call for rain on the only day this week I have a hounding opportunity. That being said, if it doesn't rain, here's what I'm hoping to add from a cards-only adventure for the Toronto Maple Loafs:

~ Winger Jason Blake on an Ambassadors of the Game card from 2009-10 UD Series I;
~ Goalie Jonas Gustavsson on an 2009-10 Ovation rookie card;
~ Defenseman Tomas Kaberle on a Draft Day Gems card from 2009-10 UD Series I and a 2002-03 Topps Total card showing him wearing a Toronto St. Pats jersey;
~ Defenseman Mike Komisarek, who is making the trip to Florida, on at least two cards from his days with the Montreal Canadiens (we never saw him); and
~ Defenseman Luke Schenn on a (highly unlikely, I believe) Hart Candidates card from 2009-10 MVP.

One of the best

Time after time, season after season, the Florida Panthers never fail to disappoint. I've said this before and I'll say it again -- the Panthers are one of the best-signing teams in the NHL.

This point was reinforced once again Thursday when we added 59 autographs, including 29 cards, from the team. Among those signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Keith Ballard, Gregory Campbell, Michael Frolik and Shawn Matthias; and
Bottom row: Bryan McCabe, Rostislav Olesz, Tomas Vokoun and Stephen Weiss.

In something of a rarity, too, we didn't get any pucks signed. Didn't bring any, either. Let's just say that we're caught up -- for the time being -- on pucks with the Panthers.

We did, however, add this 8x10 from Dominic Moore, showing the Harvard alum with the Buffalo Sabres. Something tells me, though, that Moore isn't a big fan of signing.

Other additions:

~ 25 signatures on Colin's team sheet;
~ a healthy start on a quad memorabilia card; and
~ Steven Reinprecht adding to the Threads project

Two reasons

When Colin makes his team sheets, he usually draws a logo. This one, for the Florida Panthers, is different. He went with only the team name spelled out in team colors.

For one, the Panthers' leaping cat logo is a bit complex for an 8-year-old, as well as his daddy, to draw. Secondly, I forgot to bring the necessary colors for the club's secondary logo -- the crossed hockey stick and palm tree over a blazing sun.

Thankfully, that didn't keep 25 members of the Florida Panthers from signing it. Among them were Keith Ballard, Michael Frolik, Nathan Horton, Bryan McCabe and Tomas Vokoun. We could've added Florida's Stephen Weiss, too, but he signed something else for Colin.

Halfway home

It's not all that often that you pull a memorabilia card out of a retail blaster box of hockey cards. But that's what we did recently, getting this Two on Two quad memorabilia card out of a box of 2009-10 MVP Hockey. Pretty neat concept, too. Two swatches from two players from two teams on two sides.

To me, it's just this type of card that lends itself to an impromptu hockey-hounding project. Well, thanks to Florida's Cory Stillman and Nathan Horton, the centerpiece, so to speak, of the 2009-10 Threads project is one team away from completion.

Hopefully, Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour and Jussi Jokinen will complete the card when the Hurricanes head to Hockey Bay in March and April.

Threads: Steven Reinprecht

I don't know what it is, but the Florida Panthers are a Threads magnet. Earlier this season, three Panthers players -- Jordan Leopold, Tomas Vokoun and Stephen Weiss -- helped to kick off the Threads project.

On Thursday, when Florida visited Hockey Bay to start a home-and-home series against the Lightning, I added two cards to the seasonlong project. In this case, it's Steven Reinprecht, signing memorabilia card from 2002-03 Upper Deck Classic Portraits.

The other, for a very good reason, remains a work in progress.

Andre who?

There was a time, and it wasn't all that long ago, when Tampa Bay's Andre Roy stole the hearts of the Lightning faithful. He was the Bolts' tough guy, sticking up for his less-manly teammates.

These days, Tampa Bay's falling for another tough guy. This time, it's Zenon Konopka. He, too, sticks up for his timid teammates.

He's from the old school, too, eschewing such showboat tactics employed by Ottawa's wannabe thug, Chris Neil. He's all business, going about his job and, when he's done, heading to the box or off the ice.

That's why Colin had Konopka sign this Lightning puck during the team's Unplugged event tonight over in Brandon. Konopka may not light the lamp all that often, but he sure knows how to light up opponents.

Just ask Washington's David Steckel, who took an old-fashioned face-pounding Tuesday night in Tampa.

Odd response

As Hockey Bay hounds have come to expect, the Washington Capitals are one of the NHL's roughest teams to hound. Superstar Alex Ovechkin? Don't even waste your breath. Crafty center Nicklas Backstrom? He's hit or miss. Wicked winger Alexander Semin? Him, too.

And, if you can believe this, expect to get shot down by defensemen Shaonne Morrisonn and Tom Poti. Wow! Can you imagine that? Morrisonn and Poti?

That's not to say, though, that yesterday's trip to downtown Tampa was a total waste. To the contrary, never before have I been so satisfied after getting so few autographs. I may have added only nine autographs, but I'm pleased as punch with who signed.

Above all, it's always a good day when you add an autograph from one of your favorite players. In this case, it was Mike Knuble. From his time with the Boston Bruins, Knuble has always been one of the game's most approachable players. That's why I had him sign the Capitals puck (shown above, at left). As we begin closing the loop on the puck collection, it's important to dot the i's and cross the t's with certain players.

The same, too, goes for Brendan Morrison. I'd read in Your Turn II that he, too, was fairly approachable, taking an old-school approach to treating fans/hounds with respect. After having him sign two pucks (Washington and Vancouver Canucks, shown above), the first two of the collection, I'd dare say that's an accurate representation.

Oh, yeah. Washington's most recent acquisition, Jason Chimera, signed these two cards as well. It wasn't so much that Chimera was on my radar screen, I just happened to be close by as he was signing.

Other signings that made the day memorable:

~ Catching up with former NHL goalie Arturs Irbe; and
~ having goalie Jose Theodore add to the Threads collection.

Top Shelf: Arturs Irbe

Younger hockey hounds may not remember former NHL goalie Arturs Irbe. I do, though, as he was among the first two dozen NHL players to provide the foundation of our 2000-plus autographed puck collection.

Back in 1996-97, after the Hartford Whalers headed south to North Carolina, Irbe was a consistent and friendly signer among the Hurricanes. As a result of that and his inspired play, the diminutive Latvian became one of my favorite NHL players. And now, some 14 years later, little has changed.

Not only did Irbe, the Washington Capitals' goaltending coach, sign these three pucks yesterday, but "Archie" was also gracious enough to reminisce a bit about those days when the Hurricanes played their home games at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Threads or Jumbo?

When it comes right down to it, I wasn't sure how to classify this 2003-04 Bee Hive double memorabilia card signed yesterday by Washington's Jose Theodore. Did it belong in the Threads category? Or does size truly matter, making it a jumbo card?

After careful deliberation (meaning I spent, maybe, 30 seconds thinking about it), the card, which features jersey swatches from a Canadiens jersey, left, and Theodore's 2002 NHL All-Star Game jersey, became part of this season's Threads project.

Moody's midseason hounding report

Because we are around the halfway point of the 2009-10 NHL season, I thought I would give my report of how the season has gone for me.

I assume that for most Hockey Bay hounds, the numbers and item counts are different, but the overall success for each team is relative.

This has been one of my most successful seasons to date, knocking out more than 1,000 signatures from nearly 350 players.

This is a team-by-team breakdown of how the season has played out so far.

As expected, I've done pretty well with the Lightning and Panthers. Can't complain, either, about the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Atlanta Thrashers, Colorado Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks.

I am debating on tapering off my efforts the rest of the season or continuing on just to see how well I do.

(Puckhound's note: Why stop now? You could hit 2,000 autographs or 500 players by season's end.)

There are still a few West Coast teams on the calendar, so I'm sure I will make the trip out for them.

Sunday morning homily XV

I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get awfully darn tired of these unseasonably low temperatures down here in Hockey Bay. About 30 miles north of Hound Central, a few locales reported snow -- yes, snow -- early Saturday morning. We're even supposed to get down as low as 25 degrees early Monday.

It's not so much how cold it is. Growing up near Buffalo, N.Y., and spending a considerable amount of time loving, and living in, New England, I'm well aware that winter can mean thigh-high snowfall, biting winds and bone-chilling temperatures.

In Florida, though? Give me a break.

What's frustrating me, as well as apparently affecting my health, has been how our home's heating unit has malfunctioned the past two Saturday nights -- on two of the coldest nights of the past 365 days. I spent the past night worrying between two hours' worth of cat-naps -- making hourly trips to the circuit breaker to flip back the switch -- about how to keep it at least 62 degrees inside the house.

Thankfully, the landlord (we're renting a house as we were smart enough not to buy at the height of Florida's housing frenzy -- and most likely ending up under water on a mortgage -- and I work in an uncertain journalism industry) had someone make a repair call this morning -- the second in less than a week. I'm certain, too, it's fixed this time.

That's the biggest reason for the delay in today's homily. That and the splitting headache, jittery feeling and near-blackouts from standing up too fast. If it keeps up, yes, I'll call my doctor. As of now, though, I'm taking my first sick day of the year.

Why even bother?

I was going to take the time to write a card review for 2009-10 Upper Deck Hockey Series I, but after opening a couple of boxes of 2009-10 MVP Hockey, it would have been a waste of time -- yours and mine.

Want to know why? I hate sounding like a broken record. If Upper Deck can't take the time to show NHL players with their new teams, even in late 2009 releases, why should I spend more than the six minutes it will take for me to write these paragraphs?

Each year, I say it's going to be the last time I'll buy more than a couple products, namely the Victory, O-Pee-Chee and re-released Collector's Choice offerings. Ultimately, though, I break down and buy some Fleer Ultra, Series I and MVP products. No more, though.

If Upper Deck is willing to produce 2009-10 cards of the Isles' John Tavares, Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman and Colorado's Matt Duchene in game action for the Series I Young Guns and other rookie cards, then I want to see Edmonton's Nikolai Khabibulin in an Oilers uniform, Los Angeles' Ryan Smyth in a Kings uniform and Marian Gaborik as a Ranger, not a member of the Wild.

I've said it before, and I'll say it for the last time, the majority of Upper Deck's early to midseason hockey products are, by and large, a waste of money. I'll stick with the low-end or deep-checklist products, but I'm done buying anything else.

As for you, that's your call. I just can't reward lackluster efforts.

5 Big Sigs

Despite the cold weather forecast for early this week, I'll make a trip out for the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, not so much to get rejected by Alexander Ovechkin, but to hopefully snag a couple of autographs from a couple of my favorite all-time players.

And though I'm down to just cards for the Florida Panthers, in town on Thursday, I'll hope to add to the ever-growing stacks of cards; Here's what I'm hoping to add:

~ Capitals goalie coach Arturs Irbe on Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks pucks;
~ Washington's Mike Knuble on a Capitals puck;
~ Washington's Brendan Morrison on Capitals and Canucks pucks;
~ Florida's Nathan Horton and Cory Stillman on a 2009-10 MVP Two on Two quad memorabilia card (Carolina's Rod Brind'Amour and Jussi Jokinen are on the other side) ; and
~ Florida's Stephen Weiss, a role model if there ever was one, on an 8x10 personalized to Colin.

Your Turn II

Given that the Tampa Bay Lightning isn't always at home, there are gaps within the schedule where fresh content, culled from our own hockey-hounding adventures, is, in a word, impossible. But that's where you come in.

After years of sharing these stories with you, I've asked my fellow hounds to pass along their tales of hounding -- good or bad. So, here we are again, turning over the platform afforded by Hound Central 5.0 to hockey hounds to share stories of their autograph adventures.

If you'd like to take part in future installments, and I humbly repeat my request to lend your voice to this effort, please send your stories to Hound Central 5.0.

In this second offering, Hound Central 5.0 offers stories from a trio of hockey hounds:

Cory D.

Cory, out of Kansas, shares his appreciation for minor league players:

"I live in Topeka, Kansas, which isn't exactly a hockey hotbed, but we've been lucky to have four different teams in the past 10 years, so I've gotten to see a lot of players at two different levels go through this town.

"I remember when we first got a team in 1998, the CHL Topeka Scarecrows, this team was pretty darn good and one of my favorite things to do was get to the games early with my family (I was 10 years old at the time) and look for pucks. I found quite a few and started building a collection of autographs. It was always so awesome to see the guys take the time to sign autographs. I especially remember when they came to my elementary school and signed for everybody and played scooter hockey for the kids.

"Another one of my favorite stories comes from the 2000-2001, my family had went to a Scarecrows practice over Christmas break and when one of the goalies (Scott Hay, current goaltending coach for the Bakersfield Condors) was coming off the ice, he handed me his stick and told me to keep it. It just made my day because he was one of my favorite players."

J.R.

J.R., who filed this report from San Jose, shares his recent successes of attending a Sharks practice. Sounds like it was well worth the time:

"After reading the reports on this site since the beginning of the season, I finally decided to attend my first Sharks practice. I just moved to San Jose from New York about three months ago and have been considering going to a practice since I’ve been here. Despite having the best intentions, I truly believe this site kicked my enthusiasm into high gear.

"Since I’m new to the area, I carefully mapped my route to the practice facility and made it there unscathed. Of course, however, I did manage to go to the wrong rink once I got inside. Once I realized my error, I did find the correct rink thanks to a member of the Sharks Ice staff.

"Practice was already under way when I made it to the south rink and I must say I was rather disappointed to find only eight Sharks on the ice (Devon Setoguchi, <strong>Torrey Mitchell, Brad Staubitz, Jody Shelley, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Jay Leach, Kent Huskins and Thomas Greiss). Perhaps because of the small on-ice turnout, practice only lasted approximately 30 minutes.

"Shelley was the first Shark to leave the ice and after he signed for a couple of fans, he was kind enough to sign a puck for me. I mentioned that I enjoyed the fight he had last night with Cam Janssen of the St. Louis Blues, not so much for the action, but the duration, and he chuckled.

"Setoguchi was the next player to depart and he went immediately into the locker room, despite being asked for autographs from two or three fans. I brought one of his hockey cards with me in case signed, but wasn’t disappointed that he kept walking.

"I managed to snag autographs from Staubitz and Huskins as they left the ice surface. Both players signed for anyone who asked (and there weren’t many autograph hounds in the small crowd) and appeared to be quite fan-friendly.

"I promised myself that if I received one or two autographs in my first venture to practice, I would be thrilled. Well, I exceeded my hopes, acquiring three signed pucks for my collection.

"However, much to my surprise, the collecting was not over. As it turned out, the Shark Olympians, and there are eight of them, were at the facility to conduct interviews with the local NBC affiliate. I was fortunate to also get autographs from Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau and Evgeni Nabokov when each concluded their interviews, well after the practice had concluded. Marleau also took the time to pose for photographs with a couple of young female fans.

"Douglas Murray also signed for two fans after he spoke with the reporter, but since I only brought six pucks with me, I was not able to get his autograph. Oh well, maybe next time.

"All told, I walked away with six autographed pucks. A very successful day, in both quantity and quality, in my book. I am very much looking forward to attending my next practice.

"Good luck to all the hounds out there."

Scott B.

Scott, who hounds in South Florida, has provided numerous reports from his NHL hounding adventures at less-than-friendly hotels. Here are a few more:

New York Rangers: "The Rangers usually stay at a certain beach hotel, but this time they stayed elsewhere on the beach. They are usually not a good signing team, but this year they were better. If we don't have a card for a player, we use the 2005-06 Parkhurst team logo cards. We were able to get Artem Anisimov (1 Parkhurst card), Donald Brashear (1 of 1), Chris Drury (2 jersey cards), Marian Gaborik (2 of 4), Chris Higgins (6 of 6), Michal Rozsival (1 of 3), Henrik Lundqvist (1 of 3) and John Tortorella (1 Parkhurst card)."

Philadelphia Flyers: "The Flyers had almost a week here in South Florida before their game, so they stayed at a hotel on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. They have always been a good-signing team and this time was no exception. We got Aaron Asham (2 Parkhurst cards), Danny Briere (2 of 3), Dan Carcillo (1 of 1), Riley Cote (2 of 2), Simon Gagne (2 of 3), Claude Giroux (1 of 1), Scott Hartnell (1 of 3), Ian Laperriere (3 of 3), Darroll Powe (2 of 2), Mike Richards (1 of 1), James van Riemsdyk (2 Parkhurst cards), Braydon Coburn (1 of 1), Kimmo Timonen (1 of 1) and Brian Boucher (3 of 3). We also got a Chris Pronger "Waving the Flag" card signed that I have been trying to get him to sign for a few years."

Washington Capitals: "By far, the worst signing team in the NHL. Since Alexander Ovechkin's rookie year when he signed, he and most of the Caps completely ignore the fans. The hotel where the Caps stay is a lot tougher on us, making us stand across the street from the team bus. One of the managers there actually was telling players not to come and sign for us. Luckily, Brendan Morrison was there this year. He is from the old school of treating the fans with class. He signed all four of his cards. And he told Eric Fehr (1 of 1) and Alexander Semin (2 of 3) to walk over and sign for us."

How cold was it?

Not that I'm complaining or anything, but it was a bit odd to find frost on the Houndmobile's windshield after leaving the paper late last night. Remember, too, this is Florida. Thank goodness the defroster still works.

Quality time

Given how our schedules can limit our time together, I truly look forward to Colin's vacations during the school year. It gives us time to hang out, goof off and, most importantly, spend time together.

This past holiday break, which lasted two weeks, was no different. We bought Momma her birthday presents. He had cinnamon buns and lingonberry juice from Ikea. We went looking for trains. He went skating. We played street hockey. I got a fat lip.

Being the hockey hounds that we are, though, we also spent a quite a few days pounding the pavement supplementing the autograph collection. All told, we added 180 autographs, including one special puck, in four trips for five teams within eight days.

Here are some of the highlights:

~ Montreal's Carey Price, Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk and Tampa Bay's Alex Tanguay adding to the Threads collection;
~ Loading up on 2010 Winter Classic pucks from the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers;
~ Snagging signed sticks from Philadelphia's Jeff Carter and James van Riemsdyk; and
~ Colin getting 70 autographs on team sheets for Montreal, Boston, Atlanta and Philadelphia.

It appears, too, that we weren't alone in hounding over the holidays. An overwhelming majority (as in nearly 3 to 1) told us, through Hound Central 5.0's latest poll, that hounding would, indeed, be a part of their holiday break:

Question: Will you hound over the holiday break?

Yes: 29 votes out of 39 cast (74.4 percent)
No: 10 votes (25.6 percent)

Sunday morning homily XIV

Well, I did it. I came out of retirement last week, for what I'd thought would be one game only, and played a little street hockey with Colin's teammates. Don't believe me? Well, I got a fat lip to prove it.

Early on in the "game" at the Police Athletic League's recreation facility in St. Petersburg, pulling a shift as a defenseman, I took a street hockey ball right in the kisser. I saw it coming, but didn't have time to flinch.

Thankfully, I had my mouth shut, so there was no damage to the chiclets. Just a little cut inside a swollen lower lip. Like a real hockey player, though, I spit once to check for blood (didn't notice any) and kept on playing. Didn't embarrass myself, either. Well, maybe just a little.

The fat lip, as well as some minor aches and pains the following day, won't deter me from joining Colin more often in playing hockey. Mostly, though, I have to drop another 50 pounds or so before I dare get back on the ice. Until then, street hockey will have to suffice.

Maybe, next time, I'll wear a helmet and cage.

Just curious?

So, how did everyone do hounding the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday down here in Hockey Bay? Did I nail the situation on the head, validating the decision to avoid the circus, or did the reigning Stanley Cup champions make a fool of out me, and sign each and every item placed in front of them?

I'm particularly interested in hearing if anyone got autographs from Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury. Of the three, I'd expect Fleury would be the one to sign.

If anyone had a good day with the Penguins, send me an-email and I'll include it in the upcoming Your Turn II.

Dang, it's cold out

Thank goodness the Tampa Bay Lightning hit the road this week. If not, Hockey Bay hounds would have to bundle up before venturing outside. All this week, we'll be lucky if daytime highs reach 60 degrees. Overnight lows in the 30s are expected, too.

No, I'm not whining, as it wasn't all that long ago that I dealt with true bone-chilling cold of wicked New England winters. And, yes, I know it gets much colder up North and in Canada. It's just that we're used to much warmer temperatures -- such as the 70s -- in early January down here in Florida.

I blame it on the snowbirds flocking to Florida. They arrive in such great numbers. I believe, that they create a vacuum and bring the cold temperatures with them.

Finding Mr. Wright

As some of you may know, Miss Mikayla is a huge fan of Tampa Bay Lightning rookie James Wright. She has been scouring the Internet for new photos so she has something for him to sign every time she sees him.

She recently got the photo above signed by James on one of our recent trips. It was during that trip, too, that she gave Mr. Wright a batch of cookies that she personally slaved over her "Easy Bake Oven" for several hours just for him.

James, ever the gentleman, thanked Miss Mikayla twice -- once for the cookies and for finding the only photo of him getting in a shot during the fight against New Jersey's Matthew Corrente. James, much to his credit, mentioned that he didn't fare well in the tussle.

He also was more than happy to sign the following items:

He personalized, at Mikayla's request, this practice puck he flipped over the glass to her at one of our recent morning skate adventures; and

signed this photo of the two buddies, taken earlier this season after a morning skate.

Much respect

I was surprised to see this one so quickly in the mail today when I made my daily trip to the "bill box." I was more than happy to see my two set cards signed boldly in blue.

As I emptied the envelope, I realized there were a couple of additional photos. Tracy Pratt, tough guy of the 1960s and '70s, added a photo of himself in a Sabres uniform as well as a photo of his Hall of Fame father, Babe Pratt.

As I have said before, the old timers have a completely different respect for their fans than today's players.

On a side note, of the 200 requests I have sent to former players this season, I've received 115 back.