The Hockey Life: Week 25

When you travel in hockey circles, you'll never know who you're going to run into. Twice within a week, assuming the role of a hockey dad, I crossed paths with a few members of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In our search for s specific pair of hockey socks, we took a ride recently over to the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon. It must have been a practice night for the Ice Bulls, as we saw Marty St. Louis, Mattias Ohlund and Brett Clark walking around the facility.

Last Sunday, at Colin's home rink in Clearwater, we saw St. Louis and Clark again, as their children played a Mites game against a Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning squad. One of the boys was easy to identify, as he wore the same number as his dad. The other? Well, a strong facial resemblance gave him away, though his jersey lacked a name and had a different number than his father.

While there was a bit of a buzz going through the facility, and The Missus loaned a black Sharpie to one of Colin's teammates so she could get some autographs, at no time did I entertain the thought of hitting them up for autographs. Lacking any items on hand, it was easy to do. But even if I had items for them, and I do have a couple of pucks earmarked for St. Louis, I still wouldn't have asked.

More than anything else, it was more out of respect for family time for these guys. They weren't NHL players when we saw them. No, they were hockey dads. Just like me, they were building a bond with a child over the game of hockey. No autograph is worth interfering with that.

Bragging Daddy alert

Granted, it may have been an intrasquad scrimmage, brought about by the inattentiveness (apparently) of his home rink's youth hockey director, but any time Colin logs six points (four goals and two assists) in a game, I can't help but tell the world.

One goal came on a breakaway, shooting while he was "flying" through the air after being tripped.

Even better, one of Colin's linemates had nine points (two goals and seven assists) in his team's 10-7 victory. Way to go, Sophia. You rock, kiddo.

Programming note

The next hounding adventure comes Wednesday, trying out luck for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Until then, I'll be taking a break from posts.

Beyond that, it all depends on how deep the Bolts go into the playoffs. As always, I appreciate your time.

The Hockey Life: Week 23

Later this week, Saturday to be specific, Colin takes the first step in the newest chapter of his youth hockey career -- playing in his first travel-team game for the Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning. Rather than playing in the confines of his home arena, we'll be hitting the road.

Being new to this aspect of the game, we're looking forward to playing in new rinks. Part of the allure will be making the rides -- some longer than others -- to play new teams at different rinks. If it means a two-hour ride south, so be it. Same, too, for two trips later this spring to the Orlando area.

That's why it's called a travel team, right?

When we received the spring schedule last week, part of a teamwide e-mail blast, it meant that any response to that message would be received as well. Unfortunately, one response caught me off-guard: "Why are we getting HOSED with all the travel?"

Though I can relate to the many miles of highway travel that await us, it seems a bit odd that a parent who willingly pays for their child to play on a travel team is lamenting the need to travel. To me, the parent, and not the child, was whining.

Given that two youth hockey organizations combined to form one team, meaning 42 kids were competing for only 20 to 22 skating positions, there were a number of kids who didn't the team. For every family that felt the excitement, there were nearly as many who were disappointed.

To Mr. Whiner, I'm sure there is at least one family who would be willing to trade places with you over the next few months. Besides, it's about the kids, not us hockey parents.

If you want to stay home, sir, do us all a favor, please: just let the organization know.

Thanks Pat

Anyone who lives in the Hockey Bay area knew that last Thursday brought some severe weather to the area. Nine tornadoes were reported. A truck flipped over on the Howard Frankland Bridge. Thousands, as of Saturday, were waiting for electricity to be restored.

Though we may have gotten a bit damp dodging raindrops while hounding the Pittsburgh Penguins that day, it was to be expected. Sure, the overhang outside the hotel afford some protection, but strong winds pushed the rain sideways at time.

Where we didn't expect to get wet, though, was inside the St. Pete Times Forum later that night as we watched the game. Unfortunately, that's what happened as a steady drip fell on our seats.

After a few minutes, The Missus got up and found an usher. A supervisor offered her a seat in another section. Seeing that we didn't want to split up for the rest of the game. We ended up each sliding over one seat to the right. It didn't help.

This time, I went down and spoke to the usher. I was told to wait for a few minutes and the supervisor would return. Well, five minutes became 10. Ten minutes became 20. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled.

Finally, Pat, the supervisor arrived. I explained the situation, as The Missus had about 35 minutes earlier, and told her that we were less than satisfied with not only the situation, but the poor customer service as well. Pat asked for another few minutes.

True to her word, Pat soon returned. We gathered ourselves and belongings and followed her. At first, we thought we'd be moving to another section. Instead, we headed for an elevator. A quick ride down two floors and the doors opened to the club level. From there, Pat led us to an all-inclusive suite, complete with all-you-can-eat-and-drink service and leather seats. After out initial surprise, we repeatedly thanked her.

From where I sat, Pat made one heckuva save. It's nice to know that the Tampa Bay Lightning, under new ownership, cares about its fans.

Quote of the week

"Let me guess, Sidney signed?"

Puckhound, to Moody, upon getting a call less than 25 minutes after leaving the team's hotel and heading over the the Glazer Children's Museum with Colin. And, yes, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby signed for a few people before dealers bumrushed him not once, but twice. Moody, by the way, got a pair of autographs out of Crosby.

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.

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.

Just me and Mama

By Colin
Hound Central 5.0 junior correspondent

Text goes here.

The Hockey Life: Week 17

For Colin, one of the best parts of going to a Lightning game is hanging out down by the boards, before and during warmups. He'll go off by himself, survey his surroundings and escape into his own little world. If there's a new issue for the game program, like there was last Sunday, he'll bury his nose in it until the lights come up, the music starts to blare and the players hit the ice.

The real reason he heads down there, though, is to snag pucks. Rather than crowd into the Lightning's side, where fans stack up three to four deep, he prefers the visitors side. Not so much that he'll root for them, but there's often less competition for a player's gracious gesture. Some times it works, some times it doesn't.

There have been a few times, like last Sunday, when he shares the wealth. Though St. Louis' Vladimir Sobotka clearly intended to flip him a puck, his aim was a bit off and another little boy scooped it up. Though I thought he'd be disappointed, my little man surprised me.

After the little boy's mom walked over and tried to give him the puck, Colin told her that it was OK. Her son could keep it. He told her he'd gotten pucks before, and it was good to see another kid get his first puck during warmups.

Yeah, he's my kid, but I'm not sure too many others would've done the same thing. He may not always be the best behaved, and his hearing is a bit selective (ask The Missus, not me), but he's got a heart of gold.

Going solo

Of all the times I've waited outside the St. Pete Times Forum after a Lightning morning skate, I can't recall ever getting an autograph from Steve Downie. Mostly, it's because he's usually with Steven Stamkos, who seldom, if at all, stops at those times.

That changed Thursday, when Downie appeared at a St. Petersburg motorsports dealer for a 90-minute, meet-and-greet signing session. After walking away with seven autographs, including the four cards shown above, it'll be a long time before we'll need to have anything else signed.

I'd heard through the Hockey Bay hounding grapevine that he'd sign multiple autographs during these appearances. After getting ours and watching some folks make multiple trips through the line, there's no doubt in my mind.

Even better, as gritty as he plays on the ice, he was pretty friendly with fans. When Colin told him about how he got yelled at for skating too fast at a mall rink, Downie looked incredulous.

"What's up with that? You got yelled at for skating fast?" he asked Colin. "Dude, that's just wrong."

With just a few words, I'm thinking Downie gained two new fans.

Quote of the week

"It's easier on the body, but I don't get the same buzz."
Bill Clement, a former NHL player and announcer, on the difference between his two occupations.

The Hockey Life: Week 9

It's not just that Christmas is less than a week away, but these next two weeks are my favorite time of the year. Sure, it's fun watching Colin open presents (no hockey equipment this year, but another rec league season) early Christmas morning. What's more important, though, is that we get to spend more time together.

With no school until Jan. 3, we'll have more time to hang out, work on his hockey and, more importantly, get in a little hounding. Well, after he scored 47 autographs to my five from the Atlanta Thrashers last Wednesday, it's more accurate to say a lot of hounding.

Beginning tomorrow, we'll try our luck with the Carolina Hurricanes, carrying mostly cards as well as a handful of Albany River Rats pucks and a 2010 Olympic gold medalist McFarlane base for Eric Staal. After a little break, the Boston Bruins, Colin's favorite team, and the Montreal Canadiens head into Hockey Bay.

That's not to say it's all about hounding. The Missus and Colin will get to take in a couple games, too, watching the Bolts play the Hurricanes and the Bruins. We considered getting tickets for the Canadiens game, but I picked up a little OT that day at the paper.

Bottom line, we get to spend quality time together. And in this holiday season, that's the best present a Dad can ask for.

Better act fast

If you're a hockey fan, and you wouldn't be if you're stopping by here, chances are you're involved in a fantasy hockey league or some sort of poll. Every so often, though, you stumble across a contest that's simply fun to enter.

Take Drop The Gloves, a blog that focuses mostly on hockey cards. In honor of its one-year anniversary and its 100th post, it's running a contest that's based on fact after relying on randomness.

Confusing? Not really. Stop by and enter. You'll see what I mean. I did, choosing #23 for no other reason than I once wore the number in my illustrious (and penalty-filled) street hockey career and it was available.

If you'd like to enter, though, you better hurry. Entries end in just a few hours, at 5 p.m. EST today.

Quote of the week

"That's a Dennis the Menace thing to do."
Coach Mike, after Colin tried to extinguish flames on a marshmallow by wildly shaking his marshmallow roasting stick by the bonfire at last night's holiday party.

Every player's dream

It doesn't matter how it happens, where it happens or what kind of shot went in, there's nothing like scoring a goal for any hockey player, from the NHL to rec league or during a drill at a Lightning Made hockey clinic at the St. Pete Times Forum here in Hockey Bay.

This picture, taken by The Missus, captures Colin's latest moment.

Hounding help

I was unable to make the trip to Clearwater as I had hoped in order to solidify my acquisition of Norm Beaudin, a member of the original World Hockey Association Winnipeg Jets.

I asked Puckhound if he would mind, since young Colin skates at the arena where Norm owns a hockey store. In turn, Ron employed the help of Mrs. Puckhound, and, as you can see from the results . . .

Norm, who scored 103 points as a rookie linemate of Bobby Hull in 1972-73, was more than happy to apply his penmanship to these two photos.

Many thanks to the Puckhound family for helping me out with this small project.

Hockey moms rock

Even though Colin might be between hockey seasons, he's still working on his game with some 3-on-3 sessions as well as weekly practices with his P.A.L. Stars teammates. All this means that The Missus continues in her role as a hockey mom.

Last night, the boys, all decked out in their hockey gear, interrupted their 3-on-3 session to present their moms with red carnations, a touching gesture that brought tears to at least one hockey mom.

To all of the other hockey moms out there, here's a tip of Hound Central's old Cooper SK600 for all that you do for your hockey players. Without you, the game certainly wouldn't be the same.

Gallery: P.A.L. Stars practice

Brian Bradley, a former Tampa Bay Lightning player, ran the Pinellas Police Athletic League Stars squads through a practice earlier this week at the Clearwater Ice Arena. The players, from PAL's bantams and pee wee/squirts squads, worked on stickhandling, passing and skating.

Players from both squads teams gather before the practice.

Colin waits his turn to take part in a drill as Bradley provides on-ice instructions.

Players from both squads wait to run through a drill.

Colin tries to get one last shot past his goalie after a short-ice, double-net drill.

Did I mention there's always lots of skating at these practices? Well, there is.

Sunday morning homily XXIII

It's not all that often the Stanley Cup shows up at your local rink. As part of Hockey Day in Florida, though, that's exactly what happened yesterday here in our little corner of Hockey Bay.

During an afternoon of festivities, which included an on-ice clinic, it was the Cup that drew the biggest crowd, including, as you can see, Colin, and The Missus. There's just something about it, I suppose, that draws hockey fans -- its history, the players who've held it aloft and, more importantly, what it represents.

I, on the other hand, was at work. Not that I'm complaining, but it's been a long time (mid-1970s at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto during a Canadian National Exhibition) since I last saw the Stanley Cup.

Before heading out, I told Colin not to touch the Stanley Cup. He could look at it all he wanted. He could get his picture taken with it. He could even draw pictures of it. Just don't touch it, I told him.

Why? You know, just in case. There's a superstition that hockey players shouldn't touch the Stanley Cup until they've won it. Though that dream and day may be a long way off, I didn't want to jinx him. And, if it does happen, and Colin gets his day with Lord Stanley's Cup, I'll think back to this time.

Trust me, the wait will be worth it.

It gets even better

So, I'm sitting at work yesterday, punching buttons to keep as much of Tampa Bay as I can informed of the latest news, when I get a text message from a hockey-hounding colleague. It said that Hall of Famers Mario Lemieux and Al MacInnis were at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon for a youth hockey tournament.

Given that I like money and need to keep working to earn it, there was little I could do. Sure, I have some Pittsburgh Penguins pucks just waiting to be signed. I'm sure, too, I could come up with something for MacInnis. The big question, though, was would either sign.

I thought about driving over this morning, but decided against it. It's a bit of a trek and with a late-night shift later today, I wanted to kick back, chill out and spend some time with the family, even if it is running errands.

A missed opportunity? I'm not sure. It all depends on how you look at it.

Busy guy, that Moody

Fresh from his Olympics Gold project, in which he showed off his collection of autographs from 2010 Olympics hockey players, Moody, Hound Central 5.0's senior correspondent, has ramped up another hockey-hounding project. And, no, I'm not talking about his TTM blog.

Having jumped on the networking train, Moody has started reaching out to NHL players -- past and present -- for a question-and-answer feature about hockey autographs. It's called 10 Questions.

Last Monday, former NHL defenseman Ian Moran kicked off the feature. Did you know that actor Tim Robbins, of Bull Durham and Shawshank Redemption fame, once asked Moran for an autograph? Well, he did.

Tomorrow, it'll be another former NHL player, Kevin Miller. Stop back by and check it out. Thanks.

Momma helped

Any way you look at it, the Calgary Flames flaming horse logo isn't the easiest to draw, especially if you're an 8-year-old. That's why The Missus helped Colin draw the outline of the logo. He applied the colors and the stylized name on this team sheet.

Even though only eight members of the Flames organization took the time to sign, it's one of my favorites of the 2009-10 hockey-hounding campaign.

After getting shot down by Calgary's Robyn Regehr, the following players and coaches honored Colin's request, from left, Jarome Iginla, Brent Sutter, Darryl Sutter, Ian White, Cory Sarich, Jay Bouwmeester (I got that for him), Adam Pardy and Eric Nystrom.

Gallery: Boston Bruins

It's part of the drill, really, heading down to the glass to watch warm-ups. It's extra special, though, when your favorite NHL team comes to town. Just ask Colin, who got his front-row perch long before warm-ups began. Here are a few sights, taken by The Missus, from last night's pregame action:

Patrice Bergeron, Colin's best NHL buddy, watches warm-ups.

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is an imposing presence, even before the game.

Goalie Tuukka Rask prepares to make a save while Patrice Bergeron waits for a rebound opportunity.

As Colin watches warm-ups, Mark Recchi hangs out near the boards. Recchi, who earlier in the day watched Colin wipe out in front of him, would later flip a puck over the glass to Colin.

Something in the crowd catches the attention of goalie Tim Thomas.

Along the blue line, Steve Begin, from left, Blake Wheeler and Johnny Boychuk await their turns during warm-ups.

So, that's why ...

Hockey Bay hounds, myself included, learned a pretty good lesson in preparation Saturday when the Atlanta Thrashers came to town. Thinking that the team would fly in late on Christmas night, we were a bit surprised to learn, through a flight-tracking Web site, that the team flew in early Saturday and took a bus to the St. Pete Times Forum for its morning skate.

Watching the bus drive by answered plenty of our questions, then, as to why we didn't see the team's training and equipment staff, as well as the coaches, head out earlier than the players. In fact, the lack of a bus at the team's hotel was another sign that something was up.

Even seeing Thrashers captain Ilya Kovalchuk walk out by himself, being the only player to sign before the morning skate, raised questions. Apparently, he flew in on his own.

But, as you can see, we didn't miss out. After we added only two signatures (Colin's team sheet and a puck) in the morning, Hockey Bay hounds stepped up to help (I was at work) the Missus and Colin.

All told, they added another 36 items, including another six pucks, later in the day as the players headed out for the gametime bus:

Signing pucks, shown above, were:

Top row: Nikolai Antropov (who also signed a New York Rangers puck), Tobias Enstrom and Evander Kane; and
Bottom row: Ilya Kovalchuk, Vyacheslav Kozlov and Pavel Kubina.

Signing cards, shown below, were:

Top row: Maxim Afinogenov, Ron Hainsey and Johan Hedberg; and
Bottom row: Ondrej Pavelec, Rich Peverley and Christoph Schubert.

The other highlights from the day:

~ Colin snagging 15 signatures on his team sheet;
~ Ilya Kovalchuk adding to the Threads project; and
~ Moody's report from a family outing with the Thrashers.

Down to 20

In the push to reach 2,000 pucks, and to do it when the Boston Bruins come to Hockey Bay next Monday, we couldn't help but capitalize on an easy opportunity to add this trio of pucks. All told, the collection stands at 1,980 pucks.

Dave Andreychuk, captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup champions, and Brian Bradley, another former Bolts star, appeared at a store for a promotional gig at our local mall.

Because I had to work, I drafted The Missus and Colin into helping chip away at the goal, snagging this trio of pucks from the pair. While it was an easy call to have Captain Dave sign the different Lightning pucks, it took 15 seconds of research to learn that Bradley started and began his NHL career with the Calgary Flames.

For the record, because those things might be important some day, Andreychuk signed the 100th puck (the striped puck on the left) of the 2009-10 hockey-hounding campaign. All three, too, are part of the Colin's Pucks project.

And, just for good measure, Andreychuk and Bradley signed these promotional cards.

Sunday morning homily XII

Of all the weeks of the 2009-10 NHL season, the next two carry the biggest expectations. Sure, seeing that Christmas comes Friday plays a major role in my anticipation. More so, though, is that Colin, well into his hockey-hounding apprenticeship, has the next two weeks off as a holiday break.

Thanks to the NHL schedule makers, too, this vacation will afford ample opportunity for him to hone the craft. Four teams -- the Flyers, Thrashers, Bruins and Canadiens -- all travel to Hockey Bay before month's end. And, thankfully, I have most of those days off from work.

Even better, and I alluded to this last week, is we're nearing our next milestone in the collection -- 2,000 autographed pucks. With a little hard work and even more hustle -- two attributes that can make or break a hounding season -- we should top that mark sometime next week.

More than anything else, though, the next two weeks mean we'll get to spend more time together. Most weeks, our school and work schedules mean we only get to see each other for 10 or 15 minutes a day -- he's getting ready for school and I'm waking up from a another long night at the paper.

The time off will go far beyond Christmas morning and hockey-hounding. We'll have time to sit down and talk -- reinforcing his growing responsibilities at home, school and his hockey team -- as well as chill out. There will be games to play, slices of Fortunato's pizza to eat and, most importantly, strengthening the bonds between father and son.

Among the presents we'll open Christmas morning, the best I'll receive, beyond the one that Colin made for The Missus and me, will be the time spent together. It always has been and always will be.

It's my prayer, too, that all of you enjoy that as well.

Peace.

First batch

Hound Central 5.0 will publish this week its first installment of Your Turn, what we hope will become a regular feature of the blog where readers and fellow hounds share their stories of hockey hounding.

So far, four hockey hounds -- Jordan, BEV, Scott and Keith -- have taken the time to send in their stories. A tip of Hound Central 5.0's old, roughed up Cooper SK600 to them for their efforts. Now, if only a few more hounds, among the 40-plus who visit daily, would step up and follow suit.

As you can see, Hound Central 5.0 more than welcomes stories from other hounds. This season alone, Moody and Al, a pair of seasoned hockey-hounding veterans who swerve as Hound Central 5.0 correspondents, have filed many reports, each offering a different perspective.

In the remaining months of the 2009-10 campaign, I'd like to give as many hounds as I can a platform to share their stories.

If you have one, let me know.

5 Big Sigs

Like I said earlier, we'll ramp up this week, as well as get the entire family involved, when the Philadelphia Flyers and Atlanta Thrashers visit Hockey Bay during the first week of the holiday break.

Here's what we're hoping to add as we push toward 2,000 pucks:

~ Philly's James van Riemsdyk on a Flyers puck, as well as the University of New Hampshire hockey jersey;
~ Philly's Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne and Mike Richards on 2010 Winter Classic pucks;
~ Philly's Chris Pronger on St. Louis Blues and Hartford Whalers pucks;
~ Atlanta's Nikolai Antropov on Thrashers and N.Y. Rangers pucks; and
~ Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk on a Thrashers souvenir puck.

Gallery: Black Friday

While everyone and their mother, brother, cousin twice-removed and next-door neighbor was out hunting down holiday bargains last Friday, we headed over to the St. Pete Times Forum to take in open morning skates for the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers.

Though a free donut and cup of coffee occupied most of my free time, the Missus kept herself busy taking these pictures of the guys who were actually working that day:

Tampa Bay's Antero Niittymaki, left, and Stephane Veilleux share a moment during the Lightning's morning skate.

No, I don't believe Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis was asleep on his feet. Sure looks that way, though, doesn't it? Then again, maybe he had too much turkey the day before.

Here's another one of Antero Niittymaki, apparently taking a break during the morning skate, that was simply too good to pass up.

Gee, I wonder why the Missus took so many pictures of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist? This one, among the half-dozen or so, was the best.

Jim Schoenfeld, center, the Rangers' assistant general manager and interim assistant coach, leads players, from left, Marc Staal, Bobby Sanguinetti (I believe), Ales Kotalik and Michal Rozsival through a drill.

Steve Valiquette, the Rangers' backup goalie, towers over the net, doesn't he?