Team report: New York Islanders II

For no other reason other than Blogger is having some technical issues with its blogs, including this one, I'm going to keep this short and, hopefully, sweet. Besides, after nearly 600 posts, I've run out of different ways to describe nondescript hounding adventures.

All I can say is that another 20 autographs, including nine pucks, were added to the collection during the Islanders last visit to Hockey Bay. Nothing spectacular, I hate to say, to report. No funny stories, either. I hope you understand.

Signing pucks, shown above, were:

Top row: Michael Grabner and Al Montoya; and Bottom row: Matt Moulson and John Tavares.

Signing cards were, from left, Jack Hillen, Zenon Konopka, Frans Nielsen and Mark Streit.

Other highlights:

~ Doug Weight completing our NHL career collection of him;

~ Moody returning a favor on Michael Grabner cards;

~ using a pair of U.S.A. souvenir pucks in our push to top 2,300; and

~ taking a risk, in a sense, with a couple of Bridgeport Sound Tigers pucks.

Done with Doug

Unless Doug Weight, captain of the New York Islanders, ever plays for another NHL team, this Anaheim Ducks puck, which he signed last week, represents the completion of our NHL career collection for him. A gracious signer, he's one of the more personable players in the league.

Returning the favor

A few weeks ago, Moody asked Colin help him get Hall of Fame goalie Tony Esposito on more than one item, a sweet black-and-white 16x20 photo from his younger days. Seeing that we had only one item for Tony O, it was a pretty easy call.

Last week, Moody returned the favor, getting New York's Michael Grabner, as pleasant a surprise as there has been this season, to sign these four cards when the New York Islanders came calling to Hockey Bay.

Part of the push

As we make the late-season drive to top 2,300 autographed pucks for the collection, these nation-based souvenirs pucks are coming in pretty handy. Last week, with the New York Islanders in town, Al Montoya, left, and Kyle Okposo added this pair to the effort.

As of today, with three teams left to visit and one last visit for the Lightning, we stand only 13 away.

The Hockey Life: Week 23

It's doesn't take a rocket scientist or a ground-breaking psychologist to figure out the primary reason I go hounding. Above all else, it's the simple fact of adding to the hockey autograph collection that motivates me to drag my butt out of bed, make the drive across the Gandy Bridge and hang out near one of three hotels in downtown Tampa

To say that's the only reason, though, is far from the truth. There's much more to it than that.
Part of it is the camaraderie of hanging out with Hockey Bay's regular crowd. It's always nice seeing familiar faces, catching up and commiserating about long waits and players who say "no." That's what hounds do.

Another reason is simply getting out of the house. Beyond my real job at Florida's best newspaper, I keep myself pretty busy with freelance work. It pays for Colin's hockey and the other niceties within our lives. To avoid going bug nuts, though, I need to step outside the seemingly never-ending work routine. That's where hounding, as well as this blog, come in.

Last week, I was reminded of yet another reason why hounding is important.

Dave and Brad, a couple of hounds out of Michigan as well as faithful readers of our exploits over the past few years, made their annual spring trip to the Hockey Bay area. Part of their itinerary included hounding the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders.

I caught up with them last week. I was headed home, limited by work to only a morning skate of hounding. They were headed over to the Islanders hotel. There, I finally delivered a pair of signed Dave Andreychuk promotional cards I'd promised to send nearly a year ago. That, alone, made me feel good.

Over the past few years, I'd gotten used to seeing them show up about this time. We'd swap stories about teams and players. They'd tell me how cold it got up north, hanging out in heated cab of a truck waiting to snag an autograph on a brutal winter day. I'd tell them hounding in nearly 90 degrees, no matter how good it sounds, isn't a slice of heaven.

I know they've taken an interest in Colin's fledgling hockey career. I think we've spent enough time now to consider each other friends. Over the years, I've developed some pretty good friendships through my blogs.

And, that, is one of the better things about hounding.

For a good cause

I'm happy to report, too, that the charity hockey game between the St. Petersburg Police Department and Tampa Bay Lightning alumni proved to be pretty successful. The stands were packed and a lot of money was raised for the families of three slain St. Petersburg officers.

We did our part, too. Beyond donating a Tony Esposito-signed puck for the memorabilia raffle, Colin must have sold nearly $200 worth of raffle tickets.

It took a little encouragement, but he soon found his voice and got a number of people to dig deep into their pockets. Rather than highlighting a Steven Stamkos-signed jersey, a Vinny Lecavalier-signed stick or a $100 gift certificate to a tattoo shop, he opted to promote a pump soap dispenser featuring Thunderbug, the Lightning's mascot. It worked, as more people wanted to win that than anything else.

Wouldn't you know it, too, that Colin ended up winning one for himself. Martin Raymond, one of the Lightning's assistant coaches, agreed to buy five tickets but only if Colin would keep the chances. It was hard telling, thanks to matching mile-wide smiles, who was more excited when Colin told Raymond after the game that one of those tickets proved to be a winner.

As always, the hockey gods were present that night.

Team report: Ottawa Senators

Not that I'm a big Ottawa fan, but I was glad to see the Senators visit Hockey Bay a week ago. Seeing that I'd had a fairly unremarkable run with the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks, it was time to work a team known for taking a friendlier stance toward hounds.

Again, my work schedule limited my hounding to before the morning skate, but I put it to good use, or at least the best I could, despite not having any pucks on hand. Unfortunately, for me, I missed on Jason Spezza, as did everyone else that morning, as he headed straight from the hotel to the team bus.

I did manage, however, to add 18 autographs, including 17 cards, for my efforts.

Signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Craig Anderson, Erik Karlsson and Filip Kuba; and
Bottom row: Chris Neil, Ryan Shannon and Jesse Winchester.

Other highlights:

~ Taking a career approach with Sergei Gonchar;
~ Colin scoring 16 autographs on another neat team sheet; and
~ Providing, yet again, another reason to use cheap skate cards.

Just me and Mama

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

Most times when we go hounding, it's me and my Dad. Sometimes, Mama helps. Once a season, maybe its just me and her. That's what happened when Ottawa played the Lightning.

My Dad had to work that night, but me and Mama had tickets to the game. So I figured I could do another team sheet. So we drove over to Tampa early and worked on this.

Some of the bigger names to sign were my buddies Jason Spezza and Nick Foligno. Ryan Shannon spoke to me and some other kids when he signed. That was pretty cool. I even got a Hall of Famer, Denis Potvin, to sign it. My Dad told me that Chris Phillips, Erik Karlsson, Chris Neil and Brian Lee also signed it.

In total, 16 Senators players signed my team sheet.

Ottawa comes back next week, during my spring break from school. So I may do another team sheet. Maybe I'll do something else for them. We'll see.

Pop quiz

Alright, let's see a show of hands. How many of you have either 1.) heard of Ottawa's Erik Condra before February; or 2.) had something, other than a blank puck or hijacked photo, for him to sign?

Be honest, now. Not too many of you, right?

Same here. That's why the night before the Senators came to Hockey Bay recently, I was up late creating this cheap skate card. In time, I imagine he'll have cards within Upper Deck or Panini brands. Until then, this works.

Team report: Chicago Blackhawks

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

Sometimes when you're a kid, it's just plain better, especially with the Chicago Blackhawks. When we went out hounding them a couple weeks ago, I got 11 autographs at game time, including signatures from Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Brent Seabrook. Lots of players didn't sign at all. Some of the guys I got on my team sheet signed just for kids like me.

How many did my Dad get all day long? Just these two, a puck from Marty Turco and this card signed by Fernando Pisani. I guess that makes me a better hound than my Dad. Funny, eh?

My Dad's been doing this for 16 years. I've been doing this for five years. No, really, it's funny.

Editor's note: Though Dad is confident in his abilities, Colin is absolutely right. He's become the better hound. I will say, though, that he's grounded until he's 18. Ah, just kidding.

Team report: Washington Capitals II

Every time the Washington Capitals visit Hockey Bay, I don't expect to get an autograph from Alex Ovechkin. There was a time when I'd carry a puck or two, but that was always nothing more than wishful thinking. I soon lowered my expectations, switching to cards so I could put those pucks to far better uses. Those, too, came up empty.

These days, I carry a single card of Ovechkin, part of a Russian set. It's no surprise, I suppose, that it didn't get signed during the Caps' visit earlier this month. This time, though, I can't say Ovechkin said no. The Great One did sign during the trip, after Washington's morning skate.

The only problem, however, was I was at work. Because I like the life we have, and need the cash to afford it, I won't complain. Besides, I did walk away with a baker's dozen, including 10 cards, from Ovie's teammates that morning.

Signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Jason Arnott, Jason Chimera and Eric Fehr; and
Bottom row: Mike Knuble, Tom Poti and Dennis Wideman.

Signing pucks were, from left, John Carlson and Braden Holtby.

Though I can't call it a highlight, Arnott also added to a quad jersey card project.

Too bad this happened

Something tells me that I should be happy that I'm halfway home with this 2008-09 NHL MVP 2 on 2 quad jersey card, now that Jason Arnott, in town with the Washington Capitals recently, signed it. But I'm not. And it has something to do with Arnott signing on the swatch.

To me, there's plenty of room to the right of his face to offer up a similarly sized signature. To me, it looks sloppy where he signed it, starting within the fabric. Funny thing, too, is that Arnott enjoys a solid reputation as a signer. I'd hate to think that he did it on purpose.

It's also a bit troubling because I consider these quad thread cards as centerpieces of the Threads collection. As a result, I'd like for them to really pop.

What I've learned from this is to ask the player to sign a specific area. If he does, that's great. The card only looks that much better with each signature. If he doesn't, well, then I know it's a conscious effort on his part to be a jerk about it.

Nashville's David Legwand kicked off the card earlier this season. Now, all we need are the Predators' Shea Weber and Steve Sullivan to complete the card.

The Hockey Life: Week 22

If you're not doing anything this Wednesday evening, and even if you are, you can bid on this puck, signed by Hall of Fame goalie Tony Esposito, during a charity hockey game between Tampa Bay Lightning alumni and members of the St. Petersburg Police Department at the Tampa Bay Skating Academy in Oldsmar, Fla.

The game, where a $5 donation gets you in the door for the 8:30 p.m. start, benefits the families of slain St. Petersburg police Sgt. Thomas Baitinger, Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz and Officer David S. Crawford. The three brave officers were shot and killed in two separate incidents within a month recently.

Scheduled to suit up for Lightning alumni are Dave Andreychuk, captain of Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup-winning squad, and Chris Dingman, who has his name etched twice into Lord Stanley's cup as a member of the Colorado Avalanche and the Lightning.

I asked Mr. Esposito to sign the puck, which we're donating for a memorabilia raffle/auction during the fundraiser, before a recent Tampa Bay Lightning game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He willingly obliged.

We hope to see you out there.

Chip off the old block

If you've been keeping score at home, it's little surprise that Colin has become quite the hockey hound this season. Thanks to his team sheets, he routinely scores more autographs than his old man. You'll soon see, in the days ahead, just how well he's done. An upcoming report for the Chicago Blackhawks, in particular, should prove my point.

You know what? I'm glad he has. It shows that the love of a game, from playing to amassing a nice little collection of pucks, cards, photos and sticks, has been passed from father to son. I get more enjoyment watching him rack up the autographs than any I'll ever get. Just like his hockey games, he's first on the puck, so to speak. He's even remembering to say thank you.

As we approach the end of the 2010-11 hockey-hounding campaign, we'll have two more regular-season adventures to share, including when the Pittsburgh Penguins come to Hockey Bay later this month. Seeing that he'll be on his spring break that week, we'll be able to put in a full day. Let's hope Sidney Crosby is healthy enough to make the trip. We have a McFarlane 2010 Olympic gold medalists base that has his name on it.

Quote of the week

"Colin will be playing for me this spring."
Coach Dave, letting me know that Colin made the Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning's Squirts "A" team.

Team report: Montreal Canadiens II

There was a time, and it wasn't all that long ago, when we could put in nearly a full day of hounding for a team like the Montreal Canadiens. Thanks to a different work schedule, though, we don't get to do that too much any more.

Most of our hounding adventures these days, unless they fall on one of my days off from the paper, are limited to before a team's morning skate. So, when we get a time to hang out, we do the best we can.

After scoring 32 autographs, including 18 on Colin's team sheet, from the Canadiens, I'd say we had a pretty good morning. And given the horror show at game time, when rabid Canadiens fans rushed the bus (or so I was told), I'm glad we were nowhere near that mob scene.

Signing all four pucks we had, shown above, were:

Top row: Brian Gionta and Max Pacorietty; and
Bottom row: Carey Price and P.K. Subban.

Other items we added that morning:

Cards signed by Hal Gill, Roman Hamrlik, Tomas Plekanic and Tom Pyatt; and

more cards, signed by David Desharnais, Brent Sopel and James Wisniewski.

I have a good reason

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

When I hounded the Montreal Canadiens a couple weeks ago, I used a printed-out wallpaper image for a second time this season. Why? They're an Original Six team and the logo they use this season hasn't really changed.

So, I kinda have to choose to do a printout instead of a hand-drawn one for my team sheets. Either way, it works. With 18 autographs, I think I did pretty good. I think it looks cool as well.

I know I got Brian Gionta, Carey Price, P.K. Subban and Roman Hamrlik to sign it. My Dad says some of the other signers were Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanic, James Wisniewski, Brent Sopel and coach Jacques Martin on it, too.

Team report: New Jersey Devils II

All along, I figured it would be only one trip for the New Jersey's Devils' second visit to Hockey Bay during the regular season. Thanks to a quirk within travel schedules, we ended up making two trips for New Jersey.

Colin and I were hounding the Phoenix Coyotes when we heard, on scene at the Westin Harbour Island hotel, that the Devils would be arriving there that same day. Not knowing that (my bad, I'll say), we were caught lacking any specific items for New Jersey's lineup.

Funny thing, we did better, numbers-wise, on the first adventure (14) than on the second, better-prepared trip (10). Beyond the two pucks, shown above, signed by Henrik Tallinder, these were among the autographs we got over the course of the two trips:

Dainius Zubrus and Brian Rolston signed a handful (four) of cards; and

rookie Mark Fayne, a kid from our old stomping grounds of New Hampshire, signed this cheap skate card.

Among the other highlights:

~ Getting Martin Brodeur on a Team Canada puck;
~ Scoring a hat trick from Johan Hedberg; and
~ some quick thinking by Colin.

The old switcheroo

Colin was right, I had no idea that the New Jersey Devils would be at the same hotel as the Phoenix Coyotes during their visits to Hockey Bay. I didn't let that keep me, though, from having future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur add to our autographed puck collection.

Thankfully, I had an abundance of pucks available for the Coyotes that day. One of them was this Team Canada puck, set aside for Phoenix's Ed Jovanovski, just in case he traveled with the team. Well, he didn't. I'll have to thank him the next time I see him.

Now, if I could just get Brodeur to offer up a better signature every so often, without having to ask for a personalization, this keeper from a keeper would look that much sweeter.

He's still learning

Proving a point that you don't have to let NHL rookies pass by, here's an instance where I wasn't caught shorthanded for New Jersey's Nick Palmieri. Not only did I have a card from the 2010-11 Score hockey set, but yet another cheap skate card.

I had to ask Palmieri to sign the cheap skate card after signing the Score card during a second trip for the Devils during their recent visit to Hockey Bay.

Most times, NHL rookies, aside from the handful with inflated egos, willingly sign anything you put in front of them. Now, I'm not saying Palmieri is one of those rookies, but, still, it caught me by surprise.

Here we go

Just got the call a little bit ago. Colin made the Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning "A" squad. I guess that hat trick in his first-ever tryout scrimmage helped. He still has a long way to go, but this is a nice step in the journey.

Quick thinking

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

While we were hounding the Phoenix Coyotes a couple weeks ago, the New Jersey Devils came into the same hotel. My Dad didn't know they'd be there, so we didn't have much for them to get signed.

So, I whipped up a team sheet for them to sign, including Martin Brodeur and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Even better, I got a compliment from Kovie:

"Did you draw that?" Kovie asked me.

"Yep," I said.

"Good job, little buddy," Kovie said.

In total, I got 12 autographs. My Dad tells me that others signers included Johan Hedberg, Henrik Tallinder, Travis Zajac, Jacob Josefson and Mattias Tedenby.

The Hockey Life: Week 21

As much as we try to live a well-rounded life, we also spend a considerable amount of time, energy and money devoted to hockey. I'm not complaining, mind you, it's our choice. And, to be honest, I wouldn't change much. There are stretches, though, where we go a bit overboard.

How much? Well, here's a glimpse at our most recent run of ice time. Over the past 10 days:

~ A two-hour skating session on March 2;
~ a Pinellas P.A.L. practice on March 4;
~ two P.A.L. games (the Stars won 5-0, but then lost 3-2) on March 5;
~ another two hours of public skating last Sunday;
~ Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning tryouts on Tuesday;
~ watched the Tampa Bay Lightning beat them, 4-3, in a shootout on Wednesday;
~ another P.A.L. practice on Thursday, and;
~ watched the Ottawa Senators beat the Lightning, 2-1, on Friday.

And that doesn't including hounding trips for the Washington Capitals (Monday morning), Blackhawks (all day Wednesday) and Senators (Friday morning) or the time spent working on Hound Central 5.0 and Hockey Hounds Universe.

Again, I'm not complaining. I am looking forward, though, to the end of the NHL season, even if it extends, by some stroke of luck here in Hockey Bay, all the way to June.

Until then, though, it's time to suck it up and enjoy our favorite sport.

In extremely poor taste

I was a bit surprised by a recent commercial on NHL Network featuring Boston's Zdeno Chara, who's caught some well-deserved flak for his nasty hit on Montreal's Max Pacioretty last week.

The spot shows the Bruins' freak of nature standing still, looking ominously into the camera. In the background, a speaker says "That was a head-crunching hit."

Given the seriousness of Pacioretty's injuries, as well as the freshness of the gruesome image, one would think that the NHL Network, operated by the league itself, would show better judgment.

Quote of the week

"There goes his profit margin for the week."
One Hockey Bay hound, who shall remain nameless, about another Hockey Bay hound/dealer, who also shall remain nameless, after Chicago's Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews wouldn't sign his 16x20 team photo.

Spending our hockey dollars

In the team's bid to drum up season-ticket sales for 2011-12, the Tampa Bay Lightning sent out a promotional package asking fans to join the "All In" effort. Part of the package was this patch, which will appear on the shoulders of the Lightning's new jerseys next season. It's a nice touch, if you ask me.

I'm not sure, however, if we'll renew our Lightning packages next year.

Given that Colin scored a hat trick in a 3-1 scrimmage victory during his first-ever travel team tryout earlier this week, I'm thinking our season ticket dollars might be for his games, rather than Lightning games. We'll hear this weekend, we've been told, if he makes the cut for the Tampa Bay Jr. Lighting's AA or A squirts squads.

If he does, don't worry, this proud hockey daddy will let you know. If he doesn't, I'm still proud of him, as he stepped up in the biggest game, so to speak, of his fledgling career.

Added honor

Colin took a big step up in responsibility this season for his Pinellas Police Athletic League Stars rec league team, being named an alternate captain. Last Saturday, he sported the "A" on his jersey in two games against Ellenton teams.

For those keeping score at home, Colin has a goal and three assists in three games. The Stars, so far, are 2-1 on the season.

Team report: Phoenix Coyotes

Surprise! No, I didn't make a mistake. This is, in fact, a team report for the Phoenix Coyotes' recent visit to Hockey Bay. Don't be fooled by these three New York Rangers pucks, though. They were all signed by members of the Coyotes organization: Don Maloney, Michal Rozsival and Ulf Samuelsson.

I must admit, however, that I was getting a bit concerned. You see, these were the first three pucks I got signed, out of seven for the day, and I started wondering whether I'd have any that showed the Coyotes logo. Well, I did get at least one Phoenix puck signed:

From left, Mikkel Boedker, Shane Doan and Tyson Nash.

Thankfully, there were no shortage of Coyotes cards, as well as a few other teams, that got signed:

Top row: Eric Belanger, Paul Bissonette, Ilya Bryzgalov and Oliver Ekman-Larsson; and
Bottom row: Martin Hanzal, Lauri Korpikoski, Jason LaBarbera and Derek Morris.

All told, we scored 68 autographs, including 33 cards, in one day from Phoenix. The trip also marked the 25th hounding adventure of the 2010-11 campaign.

It gets better, too. The New Jersey Devils were staying at the same hotel on the same day. Though we were unprepared, we managed to snag a few. Expect those reports next week.

Other highlights, and one downer, from the Coyotes:

~ talking Colin out of drawing a lizard for his team sheet;
~ bragging about getting 20 autographs from five players;
~ making the call to move to silver Sharpies;
~ adding a couple of cards to the Threads project; and
~ using a cheap skate card for David Schlemko.

No lizards here

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

When I wanted to do the lizard logo for Phoenix Coyotes team sheet, my Dad said, "No. You have to do a more recent logo."

So, my Dad forced me to do the regular logo or the paw. I chose the paw logo.

I kinda improvised the logo because I can't write "Phoenix Coyotes" with a crayon that small, except if I drew the logo really big. So I drew the paw with the background, even though it took me 15 minutes to find a burgundy color crayon. Then I put the "Phoenix Coyotes" on the side.

Oh, yeah, I got 25 autographs on it.

Editor's note: Yes, I am that "mean." Darn nice paw, eh? I never understood what a lizard had to do with coyotes.

Among those signing were Shane Doan, Ilya Bryzgalov, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Derek Morris, GM Don Maloney, head coach Dave Tippett, assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson, goalie coach Sean Burke, former NHLer-turned-analyst Tyson Nash, Vernon Fiddler, Mikkel Boedker, Martin Hanzal, Paul Bissonette and Kyle Turris.

Two more, please

The Phoenix Coyotes' recent trip to Hockey Bay resulted in another two additions to the Threads collection, this time with Colin getting the honors.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan signed the double-swatch card. Apparently, the black Sharpie was left uncapped for too long, resulting in a pretty thin signature. Still, Doan was nice enough to sign it and, really, an autograph is an autograph.

Mikkel Boedker kicked off another quad-card project. We'll need Peter Mueller, now with the Colorado Avalanche, to complete this side. Los Angeles' Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar are featured on the other side.

Old reliables

Here we are, yet again, espousing the virtues of using homemade cheap skate cards to add true 1-of-1 autographs to your collection. Granted, they'll seldom top any collector's wish list, but they do provide an affordable platform for NHL rookies and role players like Phoenix's David Schlemko.

The Hockey Life: Week 20

It's a bittersweet moment anytime Colin gets a new pair of hockey skates. It isn't about the money, either. As any hockey parent knows, deep pockets are a part of the game.

Any kid will tell you that it's exciting getting a new piece of equipment. Doesn't matter if it's a helmet, gloves, stick or some other gear. Getting new skates, like this pair of Bauer Supreme One 100s, is different.

Not only do they represent a fresh start, but they also show a continued, and deepening, commitment to a goal. Beyond that, it's keeping a promise to grow -- and not just in foot size.

The sad part, though, is retiring a pair of skates. Colin skated many miles in his Bauer Vapor XXVs, shown above, the second pair he owned. As you can see, they're plenty scuffed-up. Many Wednesday afternoons were spent in these skates, working on crossovers, stop-and-pops and building up speed and stamina.

To be honest, I was hoping we could've waited until fall for his latest pair. It wasn't that Colin's toes were getting cramped. No, after 18 months, we were running out of blade to get sharpened.

To me, his new skates represent the latest installment in the bonding of a father and son. In time, I'm sure he'll think the same thing. If I'm lucky, he'll continue this tradition, provided he's as blessed as we are, with his children.

It's something you just can't put a dollar value on.

Making the switch

After intermittent problems with metallic DecoColor paint pens over this past season, I've sent those silver and gold pens to the sideline for the rest of the 2010-11 hockey-hounding campaign. From here on in, I'll be using silver Sharpies for any remaining pucks I get signed.

Perhaps some of the gaffes were self-induced, brought about, from time to time, by hastened priming or trying to get one too many autographs out of a pen.

The last straw came Wednesday when a pen with less than 15 autographs out of it hiccuped for Phoenix's Oliver Ekman-Larsson, leaving me with this stellar piece.

It worked enough for a somewhat legible autograph, good enough not to erase until I have another opportunity for him to resign the Coyotes puck. It was just too thin, even after priming, to use it for any other player. Funny thing, too, was after shaking the pen in disgust, the paint pooled on the tip, enough so that it splattered across some nearby foliage.

I'd be interested in hearing of others have experienced these issues or have some sure-fire tips they're willing to share.

Quote of the week

"Bull(hockey)!"
New Jersey's Henrik Tallinder, in fake-cough response to a Hockey Bay hound's assertion to Tallinder's Devils teammate Mattias Tedenby that he had heard that Tedenby, a fellow Swede, was one of the best players to come out of the Swedish Elite League in recent years.

Thirty-four days

It was well-publicized, at least down here in Hockey Bay, that the Tampa Bay Lightning had a 12-game homestand, beginning Jan. 23 with the Atlanta Thrashers and ending Feb. 25 against the New Jersey Devils. That also meant it was a busy time for Hockey Bay hounds.

All told, we had 16 hounding adventures, including three trips for the Lightning and two teams at the same hotel on the same day, over that time span. Though I know there were others who posted far larger numbers, we're more than satisfied in having added another 302 autographs, including 44 pucks, to the collection.

Understand, too, we didn't go out every day and we skipped a few teams. Remember, we do this as a collection, not as a business. That's why we have the luxury of picking, choosing and letting players pass.

And, yes, we owe you a few team reports and highlights, beginning Monday with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Ouch!!!

I was bitten recently by the rare, but hardly dangerous blue Sharpie snake. That was one of my favorite T-shirts, too.

Team report: Detroit Red Wings

I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut when it comes to complaining. In a recent e-mail exchange with a fellow hound, I complained that we got "only" 35 autographs from two days of hounding the Detroit Red Wings.

His response, and understandably so, was incredulous: "Oh, you poor thing," or something to that effect. "Complaining that you only got 33 autographs."

You know, I had it coming. Even despite the Red Wings' reputation for being a tough team to hound, there's a certain sense of entitlement whenever a Western Conference team visits Hockey Bay. Most teams come off as willing signers, meaning we routinely come home with more than 60 to 70 autographs.

Given the star power of the lineup, I should've been ecstatic that we scored that many from the Red Wings, including some from the team's bigger names.

So, the lesson has been learned. I'll take what I can get and keep my pie hole shut.

Signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Patrick Eaves, Valtteri Filppula and Jimmy Howard;
Bottom row: Jiri Hudler, Jakub Kindl and Drew Miller.

Signing pucks were, from left, Kris Draper, Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski.

Other highlights from two days of hounding:

~ Adding the fifth puck to The Yzerman Project;
~ Colin catching up with Joey MacDonald;
~ Having Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom deepen the international flavor of our autographed pucks collection; and
~ being thankful for Jimmy Howard.

Just me and Mama

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

Text goes here.

No easy feat

Even before the 2010-11 NHL season began, we scored the four biggest autographs of the current hockey-hounding campaign when Steve Yzerman, the Tampa Bay Lightning's geenral manager, headed out for coffee one afternoon during the club's rookie camp.

Not only did we snag some top-shelf pieces from the Hall of Famer, but all of the stumbling and scrambling we endured also provided a good story. Those four pucks, in turn, made a quick dent in a project that, as the season has progressed, has proven more difficult that I'd imagined.

After thinking that The Yzerman Project, as it was named, would be easy to complete, we've had few opportunities to add to it. Since that day, I've carried at least one puck for the 12-puck project anytime I went hounding in Tampa.

When the Detroit Red Wings came to town recently, though, I knew an opportunity just might exist. My instincts paid off when, on the night before the game, Yzerman met Red Wings GM Ken Holland for dinner in downtown St. Petersburg.

Thankfully, a tip put me in the right place at the right time. This puck, which commemorates the Red Wings' 2002 Presidents' Trophy, leaves us with seven more to go.

Catching up with Joey Mac

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

When I first met Joey MacDonald, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs. We were at their morning skate in Tampa. I had asked him for a goalie stick and he gave me one. Then I asked him to sign it, so he did.

After he got traded from the Leafs, I thought I'd never see him again. But I did, when we hounded the Detroit Red Wings a couple weeks ago. I found out he was with the team when my Dad told me.

When he came out, I said "Do you remember me?" Then he said, "Hey, little buddy." I said "Did you get that picture I drew for you?" He said, "Yep." I said" Did you like it?" He said, "Yep."

I was glad to see him again.

I was glad that he signed my team sheet, so I could add it to my collection.

Editor's note: Besides Joey Mac, others the signing the team sheet included Mike Babcock, Dan Cleary, Pavel Datsyuk, Kris Draper, Valtteri Filppula, Johan Franzen, Jimmy Howard, Jiri Hudler and Brian Rafalski.