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.

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.

The Yzerman Project

When it comes to Hall of Famers like Steve Yzerman, I have little time for any other hockey-hounding platform, so to speak, than pucks. I don't want him to sign any cards, posters or 8x10s. Nope, all I want are pucks and, once I'm done with them, the Team Canada jersey.

With this dozen of pucks, I'll have my work cut out for me this season. It's hard enough to get 12 autographs out of most players, let alone a hockey hero like Yzerman. And, no, I don't expect him to sign all 12 at one time.

Still, though, I'm up for the challenge, making The Yzerman Project the centerpiece of my 2010-11 hockey-hounding efforts. I hope to make a sizable dent, with Colin's help, by knocking out the top row during the Lightning's upcoming rookie camp. After that, I'll be happy with two at a time during the course of the season.

The lineup:

Top row: Tampa Bay Lightning official game puck, 2010 Winter Olympics hockey champions, Detroit Red Wings and Team Canada;

Middle row: Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings big logo, Red Wings 2002 Stanley Cup champion and Red Wings 2002 Presidents' Trophy; and

Bottom row: Red Wings 1998 Stanley Cup champions, Red Wings 1997 Stanley Cup champions, Red Wings 2008 Stanley Cup champions and Canada souvenir.

Congrats, Dino and Cammi

Yesterday the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada, announced that Dino Ciccarelli and Cammi Granato, among others, will be inducted into the player category.

Dino has been waiting since 2002 for the call. He has 602 goals in his career. He's a former member of the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, so that sorta makes him a hometown hero wherever I have been.

Dino signed this Lightning third jersey for me in Michigan a week after signing with the Lightning. I was the only person in line at the Gibraltar Trade Center show that didn't have something for him from the Wings. During his first training camp with the Bolts, I made up for the lack of Wings respect and had him sign this puck.

Granato is one of two women (Canadian legend Angela James is the other Class of 2010 inductee) being inducted. This is the first time a woman (Or two for that matter) have been individually inducted. She has been with Team U.S.A. for 15 years and has a few Olympic medals to show for it. She was an analyst during these past Olympic games.

Cammi signed this postcard for my daughter about five years ago and has been in her "Girl Hockey" collection ever since. It is a pretty impressive collection that I may showcase for her one day.

Also named to the Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2010 were Detroit's Jimmy Devellano and former Calgary Flames owner, the late Daryl "Doc" Seaman.

Guess who?

What Hall of Famer and big-footed cheater did Moody get to sign three cards in 10 days?

That's not so Terrible ... Ted

Coming from Detroit, sports are in my blood. Growing up in the 1980s and into the '90s as a Detroit sports nut and idolizing the likes of the Red Wings' Steve Yzerman, the Tigers' Kirk Gibson, the Pistons' Isiah Thomas and the Lions' Barry Sanders, how could you go wrong?

Before my father passed, one of the things I remember most are the debates we would have over whose heroes were better. Sure, he chose some good names. The Tigers' Al Kaline, the Lions' Alex Karras and, of course, the Red Wings' Ted Lindsay.

Well, Dad, I think you got me on this one. None of my guys got a major award in their respective sport named after them.

The National Hockey League Players’ Association announced April 14th at the Hockey Hall of Fame that the Lester B. Pearson Award is being reintroduced as the Ted Lindsay Award.

My father took me to a card show in Detroit when I was a kid so I could meet "Terrible Ted." My Dad told me stories the whole ride over. I walked away that day with more than a signed piece of rubber.

Since that father-son trip, I've been able to watch old videos of Lindsay and have been able to see just what Dad was saying. I've also built my Ted Lindsay collection to include some of the following:

A chair from Detroit's old Olympia Stadium;

A single-signed jersey;

These four cards;

A jersey shared by fellow Hall of Famer Sid Abel; and

How 'bout this gem with Gordie Howe?

Anyways ... Congratulations, Ted, on this well deserved-honor.

Thanks, Phil!!! Finally ...

After two previous requests for Hall of Famer Phil Esposito to complete this mini project in progress, it is now done. My first request was shot down with a simple "No!" The second was much more colorful as he dropped an F-bomb in with the "No!"

This past Saturday, Esposito, after showing a slight hesitation, finally signed the card previously inked by fellow Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke.

Thanks, Phil, and sorry for inconveniencing you at your place of business.

Full accounting

In the interest of full disclosure, and in lieu of a Hallmark card thanking him, please allow me this opportunity to show some of the items that Al, Hound Central 5.0's man in Toronto, was kind enough to send to us down here in Hockey Bay.

Among the items, and there were many, was a puck (shown above) signed by Hall of Famer and Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur, obtained by one of Al's buddies at a New Year's Eve party.

Al's goodwill package also had Team Canada pucks signed by Calvin de Haan, left, taken 12th overall in 2009 by the New York Islanders, and Boone Jenner, both of the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals.

Proper recognition

This isn't a knock against him - no, sir, not in the least little bit -- but getting an autograph from Hall of Famer Joe Mullen, an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers, just doesn't carry the same oomph, I believe, as getting one from, say, Bobby Clarke.

I wonder why that is?

Mullen had a solid career, becoming the first U.S.-born player to score 500 goals and 1,000 points, and turning a humble beginning in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood in Manhattan, N.Y., into a full ride into hockey's hallowed hall.

Still, adding a Hall of Famer is adding a Hall of Famer. In fact, I wouldn't mind adding him to a few more pucks, namely the Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and USA Hockey.

Trading places

Just because you may think your hockey hounding might have geographical limitations, there's always one trick to try -- reach out to a like-minded individual in a different time zone.

Say you're hounding the Ontario Hockey League, just like Mike, who's shared some of his hounding hauls in eastern Canada. Using online hobby chat boards, he's found a trading partner from a Western Hockey League hound.

These show some of the items Mike's received through those exchanges, including some sweet pucks scored during the 2010 World Junior Championships in Regina:

Top row: Moncton Wildcats' Kirill Kabanov, an expected 2010 first-rounder; Moncton Wildcats' Brandon Gormley; and Moncton Wildcats' Nicola Riopel, a Philadelphia Flyers goaltending prospect; and;
Bottom row: Spokane Chiefs' Jared Cowen, a Ottawa's top pick in 2009; Kewlona Rockets' Brandon McMillan, an Anaheim Ducks prospect; and Moose Jaw Warriors Travis Harmonic, a New York Islanders prospect.

Top row: Lethbridge Hurricanes' Carter Ashton, one of Tampa Bay's two No. 1 picks in 2009; Regina Pats' Colton Teubert, Los Angeles' No. 1 pick in 2008; and Brandon Wheat Kings' Brayden Schenn, Los Angeles' No. 1 pick in 2009; and
Bottom row: a pair of pucks from Regina Pats' Jordan Weal.

Top row: World Juniors teammates Luke Adam, Gabriel Bourque and Marco Scandella; and
Bottom row: Montreal Canadiens legend Henri Richard; Jordan Eberle, who captained Canada's WJC championship squad, and another Canadiens legend Yvan Cournoyer.

Custom work

Editor's note: Please allow Hound Central 5.0 to introduce Brett, one of the blog's most faithful readers and commenters, a very talented custom card maker (they look better than those produced by major companies, don't you think?) and owner of My Hockey Card Obsession blog.

Here, Brett, who hails from Alberta, shares his passion for the hobby as well as his talent for designing cards:

Brett's custom cards

I absolutely love custom cards. I enjoy making them and I enjoy seeing what other people come up with.

For me, custom card making started probably five years ago. I was a regular on the "Beckett boards" and noticed one guy constantly posting custom cards. My mind just started racing from there. One day, this guy decided to hold a custom card making contest for fun. People would make a card and we would go head-to-head with another designer (kind of like the playoffs). The other board members would vote for a winner and a few rounds later -- we had a champion.

At first, my skills were pretty slim, but with each card I made, I saw improvement. Eventually, I won a couple rounds. One time, I even won the whole contest.

I delved into the "retro" cards. Taking an old OPC design and putting a current player into it. I've seen many people try it, but only a few were at a level that I thought "this looks bang on ... you can't tell that it's a custom." I'm happy with the ones I have made, but the retros never really quenched my thirst for customs.

One of the other advantages to customs is you can make your own sets. The ideas and concepts were (and still are) aplenty. I started with the "Ultimate Masks" set as I am a huge fan of the goalie mask (especially the old fibreglass ones). Eventually, I'd like to send some off through the mail as I think they would make a great-looking card.

I've also developed a "Flashback Autographs" set or "FA Authentic" as I like to call them. I want it to span not just hockey or sports, but pop culture in the 1980s. Along with this Curly Neal card, I've made a Mr. T card and a Marc Singer (star of the 80s miniseries V). I'm excited to send those off as well.

At the start of this season, I tried making a set featuring a card for every day of the regular season. A hectic work schedule and the holidays have put me too far back and I'm going to have to abandon the set. I'm hoping to do something along the same lines during the playoffs.

Most recently, I have been working on a set that I have wanted to do for over a year now. I was lucky enough to be at the game where Trevor Linden's jersey was retired. I thought it would be cool to create a set of cards commemorating his career. There will be 16 cards in the set (his jersey number). I'm about half done with the fronts, but am hoping to upgrade on some of the photos.

Recently, I have had a couple people ask if I could do some cards for them. One person even sent me some autographs he got when he was a kid. The big one was Maurice "The Rocket" Richard (shown at top). I've finished a couple, including this one of Jean-Guy Talbot , and have got them printed and cut.

I'm really happy with the way they turned out and am excited to continue on with them. This guy also had a ticket stub from one of The Beatles' final concerts ever. As you can see, I created a card that enshrines the ticket stub.

As you can see, I love making custom cards. For me, for others. ... I've even got my 11-year old niece into it. We've designed a template for some Twilight cards (her favorite movie). We're hoping to get some cards out in the mail this year and hopefully we can snag some autos.

Bruins bonus

Thanks to Chris, one of Hockey Bay's ablest hounds, we added a couple of autographs from Hall of Famer Gerry Cheevers moments before going into Thursday's game between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Cheevers, the former Bruins goalie known for his stitch-marked mask, was in town for an in-game signing session and was making his way to the St. Pete Times Forum. After being tipped off to Cheevers' presence and proximity, as well as being loaned a Sharpie (I'd put away my hounding bag for the night), we caught up with him along a walkway.

Sitting on a bench by himself, as groups of hockey fans walked past in wonder who was this man signing autographs, Cheevers signed Colin's 2010 Winter Classic Tim Thomas replica jersey, above, as well as on the spoked-B logo of my Bruins Vintage Hockey series jersey.

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.

If you can't hound 'em ...

Not all hounds live in a hockey-rich environment where the teams have a history, alumni or a few Hall of Famers. Here in Florida, we are rather restricted to the players from visiting teams and the old-timers who may work with a team.

Granted, the old-timers who still work with the teams are usually worthwhile pursuits. Yes, the Tampa Bay Lightning do have some great old-timers hanging around -- such as Dave Andreychuk and Brian Bradley -- but ... "When you work at McDonald's, you eventually get tired of Chicken McNuggets."

I am a big fan for the vintage players from the 1960s and '70s, but in recent years have had to do my hounding through the mail for these guys. When I was living in Detroit, there was always a charity game, a card show or player appearances. Heck, I was even within driving distance of Toronto and the Hall of Fame.

These days, though, all it takes is a couple stamps and some patience:

Ed Staniowski, a former St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets player, not only signed my two cards, but also sent an alumni photo and a note of appreciation.

Mike Gartner was kind enough to ink these three cards for me. The Hockey Hall of Fame card was part of a fan pack (Note that my love for freebies paid off again) that I got last year all for the cost of an e-mail.

Former Boston Bruins player Rick Smith also was part of my success this week. He signed these two cards nicely, even taking the time to avoid the darker areas of the card with his black Sharpie.

Not every player has to be retired. I took advantage of the Internet to find out that a few players that I need to finish off these two Ohio State dual-player cards. Ian Keserich completed a card, left, previously signed by Johann Kroll. Kyle Hood lent his signature to a card, right, shared with Tom Fritsche.

If you can't hound 'em, write 'em

Top Shelf: Tony Esposito

How does a Hockey Bay hound cap off the best day, so far, of the 2008-09 campaign? By getting Hall of Fame goalie Tony Esposito to sign a Chicago Blackhawks puck. That's how.

And, please, don't even entertain the thought of asking me where, when, how or if I'd get one for you. Sorry, folks, but there are some secrets that a hockey hound needs to keep to himself.

A legendary Leaf

Hockey is so ingrained in the culture of Toronto, as it is in the other Original Six cities, that I'm envious of hockey fans lucky enough to live there. Not only do they have a team steeped in history, but hockey's hallowed hall, which inducts a fantastic class this weekend, also calls the city home.

And while the Loafs may not have enjoyed much success this season, it certainly hasn't kept the team's fans, some of the NHL's most rabid (and I use that in a positive vein), from honoring heroes from hockey's past.

Al, Hound Central 5.0's Toronto-based correspondent, did just that recently, taking in a signing show with Maple Leafs legend Johnny Bower, who led Toronto to three straight Stanley Cups from 1962-64 and winning the Vezina Trophy in 1961 and 1965 while wearing the Maple Leaf.

Here's Al's report:

"Just as I expected, Johnny was in fine form. Smiling from ear to ear the whole time I saw him, thanking people for coming out and taking his time to talk to everyone.

"He signed this mini mask, explaining that it was a very good replica of the original. He also said that he only wore it for about 16 games.

"Then, he told me that the night before, the Toronto Marlies (the Leafs AHL farm club) honored him and gave out bobbleheads in his image. He said he spent the night signing those for people during the game. He also said the bobblehead's bases were so small that he went blind."

Now, I don't know about you, but I'd dare say his eyesight was restored. That's one of the nicest autographs, inscriptions and all, that I've seen in a long, long time. Then again, from what Al reports, it sounds like Mr. Bower is a pretty classy guy.

Use what works, folks

Going into this hockey-hounding campaign, I was willing to deviate from my paint pen of choice to give Sharpie's oil-based paint pens a chance. But after getting this watery, though legible, autograph from New Jersey coach Jacques Lemaire, I quickly switched to my trusty DecoColor Liquid Silver paint pen.

Though I properly primed the Sharpie pen -- shaking it upside down and using scribble to get the ink flowing -- I was less than happy with the outcome. Though the ink works fine on paper, I won't be using them for pucks.

It's a shame, too, as the Sharpie paint pens were a little cheaper than the DecoColor paint pens. It's like the old saying goes -- you get what you pay for.