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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I'll know better next time

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

On Feb. 12, we hounded the Carolina Hurricanes. We ended up 27 getting autographs, including 15 on my team sheet.

Unfortunately, I didn't get Eric Staal on my team sheet. The reason is because he had already walked into the St. Pete Times Forum before I could get him. If I didn't try to get my big picture of him out, I could have made it.

I should have gotten him to sign the team sheet when I could have. So, I learned a lesson, but I had fun.

Editor's note: Among those who did sign were Tim Gleason, Chad LaRose, Jamie McBain, Sergei Samsonov, Jeff Skinner and Brandon Sutter. he also got an 8x10 signed by goalie Cam Ward.

They're really nice guys

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

I couldn't believe how nice the St. Louis Blues were as a team. I expected them to be a little grumpy, because they're a team that hasn't had the best season. That's why I was surprised that I got so many of them to sign my team sheet.

My Dad tells me I did pretty good, getting 20 autographs. He knows the players better than I do, but he said I got guys like Patrik Berglund, Brad Boyes, Eric Brewer, Barret Jackman, Erik Johnson, T.J. Oshie and Alexander Steen (he's on our fantasy hockey team). My Dad said I even got Scott Mellanby on it.

I wanted to get David Backes to sign it, but he walked out the hotel's back door or something. That was a little disappointing. He's an American-born player like me and I wanted to ask him a question about taking faceoffs.

Drawing them in

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

I had wanted to do the Columbus Blue Jackets' third logo of a cannon for my team sheet, but I kept messing up. I guess it was out of my drawing capabilities, so I went and looked for more logos and saw the bug head one.

For some unknown reason, I started out with the eyes, basically because they had most of the inside navy blue lines attached to it. I think it actually turned out pretty good. The only thing I left out was the gray stripe because I wanted to keep it close to the same colors.

The players liked it, as I got three compliments, including one from R.J. Umberger when he signed it for me. All together, it worked out great as I got 21 autographs, including Rick Nash, Derik Brassard, Kristian Huselius, Fedor Tyutin and Jakub Voracek.