Growing Monarchy

We've had a bit of a run on the AHL Manchester Monarchs practice jersey. Less than a week after getting Anaheim's George Parros to sign it, New York Islanders players Jeff Tambellini (far left) and Matt Moulson (bottom right) added to the work-in-progress project Thursday.

Parros' signature is above one from Los Angeles' Dustin Brown.

For the rest of the season, we can hope to add the Rangers' Brian Boyle, Carolina's Joe Corvo and Tim Gleason, Phoenix's Jason Labarbera and Buffalo's Adam Mair.

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.

Nothing minor about these

Having lived in New England, a hotbed for American Hockey League teams, it was easy to get my hands on Monarchs memorabilia. Because we lived in New Hampshire, the Verizon Wireless Arena, home to the Los Angeles Kings' AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs, was a regular stop.

It was during one of these stops that I scored, for a mere $25, a team-issued and practice-used goalie jersey. As a result, it entered the hounding inventory. Last week, with the Kings in town to play the Tampa Bay Lightning, it went back into circulation.

Joining Mathieu Garon (far left, off the logo) and Richard Petiot (middle of silver part of logo), who both signed it last season, were right winger Dustin Brown (on the black of the left side of the logo), goalie Erik Ersberg (top on silver part of logo) and goalie Jonathan Quick (below Petiot's signature).

Signing this Monarchs mini stick last week were, from left, Jonathan Quick, Dustin Brown and Erik Ersberg.