Back for Buffalo

After missing out on the Buffalo Sabres' first trip to Hockey Bay because of my work schedule, I was eagerly looking forward to hounding my hometown team last week. To me, a hockey-hounding campaign just isn't fun when it doesn't include your favorites.

As expected, I wasn't disappointed, adding 32 autographs, including 21 cards, to the collection.

Signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Chris Butler, Tim Connolly and Paul Gaustad; and
Bottom row: Jochen Hecht, Patrick Lalime and Adam Mair.

A handful of specialty cards dominate this group:

Top row: Tyler Myers, Jason Pominville and Derek Roy; and
Bottom row: Drew Stafford, Henrik Tallinder and Thomas Vanek.

At first, I wasn't sure how many pucks I'd be able to get signed on last Thursday's trip to Tampa.

But after remembering the NHL trade deadline deal for Raffi Torres and researching his career, I was able to put this Brampton Battalion puck, from his junior days in the Ontario Hockey League, to good use.

Also signing cards were, from left, Mike Grier, Toni Lydman and Steve Montador.

Chris Butler, left, and Tim Kennedy signed the Portland Pirates practice jersey.

Other highlights from hounding the Sabres:

~ Ryan Miller salvaging his Team USA portrait;
~ Legendary Sabres' head equipment manager Rip Simonick signing a pair of pucks;
~ Winning a stick signed by Drew Stafford through a Tom Hanks movie trivia contest;
~ Having Tim Connolly and Henrik Tallinder add to the Threads project; and
~ Snagging rookies Tim Kennedy and Tyler Myers on cheap skate cards.

Well, that was different

Thanks to Vancouver's Darcy Hordichuk and Mason Raymond, a handful of Hockey Bay hounds witnessed one of the funniest attempts to discourage us Wednesday. As you can see, however, it didn't work.

Hordichuk and Raymond were headed to practice, walking along the Riverwalk in Tampa, when they noticed us mobilizing our forces, so to speak, before asking for their autographs. Rather than simply keep walking, the pair sat down on a bench, side by side, and Hordichuk threw his arm across Raymond's shoulders.

After a few moments, they got up and started walking again. We didn't fall for the ruse. We knew who they were. Much to our bewilderment, though, they did it again, stopping at the next bench and sitting down. Hordichuk again threw an arm across Raymond's shoulders.

They soon realized that we weren't going away. "We thought you wouldn't think we were hockey players." Hordichuk told us, drawing a laugh and a few comments from the crowd.

Sorry, guys, but it didn't work, as I added 40 signatures over two hounding adventures from the Canucks. But it did make for a good story, didn't it?

Among those signing pucks, shown above, were:

Top row: Steve Bernier, Alex Burrows (a strict one-per, if you can imagine that) and Alexander Edler; and
Bottom row: Shane O'Brien, Mason Raymond and Henrik Sedin.

Those signing Canucks cards were:

Top row: Steve Bernier, Alexander Edler and Jannik Hansen; and
Bottom row: Mason Raymond, Sami Salo and Kyle Wellwood.

Also signing cards were:

Top row: Christian Ehrhoff, Ryan Johnson and Shane O'Brien; and
Bottom row: Andrew Raycroft, Rick Rypien and Mikael Samuelsson.

Shane O'Brien, our favorite Portland Pirates player, signed the work-in-progress Pirates practice jersey, too.

The other highlights of the two hounding adventures:

~ Goalie Roberto Luongo on a Canucks big logo puck;
~ Twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin on Sweden souvenir pucks; and
~ Forward Ryan Kesler on a U.S.A. souvenir puck.

They know Salty Pete

Because the AHL's Portland Pirates have been affiliated with three NHL organizations over the past few years -- the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres -- there's quite a few former players who can sign this practice jersey depicting the club's mascot, Salty Pete.

Last Friday, with the Anaheim Ducks in town, four former Pirates signed it, from left, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan (on the red glove), Steve Eminger and Corey Perry (the faint scribble).

Pirates bounty

Given the sometime revolving door of affiliation of American Hockey League teams, one would think this Portland Pirates practice jersey would be loaded with signatures by now. Since 2004-05, when I began following the team during the NHL lockout, the Washington Capitals Anaheim Ducks and, these days, the Buffalo Sabres have sent their top prospects to Maine for seasoning.

Unfortunately, it's remained something of an afterthought, though it's been getting a bit more attention this season. Through early December it's gained another five signatures to it, matching the entire output of the 2008-09 campaign.

To date, the former Portland Pirates to sign, from left, are: Edmonton's Ladislav Smid (during the 2009-10 campaign), Tampa Bay's Zenon Konopka (2009-10), Colorado's Brian Willsie (2009-10), Edmonton's Dustin Penner (2009-10), Tampa Bay's Jeff Halpern (2008-09), Washington's Alex Semin (2008-09), then-Tampa Bay's Matt Pettinger (2008-09), Washington's Tomas Fleischmann (2008-09), then-Columbus' Aaron Rome (2008-09) and San Jose's Kent Huskins (2009-10).

Here's the wish list for the rest of the 2009-10 campaign: Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan, Buffalo's Nathan Gerbe, Calgary's Curtis Glencross, Montreal's (not Philadelphia's) Glen Metropolit, the Islanders Brendan Witt, the Rangers' PA Parenteau, Ottawa's Ryan Shannon, Vancouver's Shane O'Brien (our favorite Pirates player) and Washington's Brooks Laich.