Exception to the rule

Rumor had it that the Detroit Red Wings were a tough team to hound. Given the potential Hall of Famers who fill the roster, such as Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and, possibly, Chris Osgood, it's easy to see why.

And while these guys may be hard to hound, there's one member of the Red Wings who was more than willing to sign multiples.

In the two times that goalie Jimmy Howard, a former University of Maine Black Bear, signed for me during Detroit's recent two-day visit to Hockey Bay, I came away with two pucks, shown above, and four cards, including this addition to the Threads collection.

In fact, I believe he signed multiples for anyone with more than a single item. Hopefully, I just haven't jinxed other hounds and Howard continues to be a prolific signer. If not, you can blame me.