Finding the motivation

At season's end, the motivation for hounding the hometown team often isn't at the same level as it was way back during training camp. The faces are familiar to both sides. Fresh items have dried up. Mostly, it's a time to clear out card books and log the last few autographs of the campaign.

And, that, my friends, is what we have here. Two cards from Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman and Antero Niittymaki. In each case, there was some urgency to get these cards signed. For Hedman, it was snagging a card from his rookie season. For Niittymaki, it was to get a card of him playing for the Bolts.

These two other cards for former Lightning players Dave Andreychuk and Chris Dingman came from a promotional radio show visit to a credit union in Tampa. All season long, these two players, who each have their name inscribed on the Stanley Cup, were among the easiest autographs to obtain --provided you caught their radio show.

Attending these radio shows is more than simply getting an autograph. To me, it's like attending a comedy show. Even without prompts from the crowd, Andreychuk and Dingman take gentle jabs at each other.

Andreychuk, known more for his goal-scoring prowess, wasn't the fleetest of foot. and let's be honest, as these two guys are, neither was Dingman. Dingman, well, is just Dingman. He played in the NHL.

Last-minute tasks

Going into the Tampa Bay Lightning's final home game, we really only had a handful of items that we wanted to get signed as we hounded the Bolts' following a morning skate.

Two of those items concerned rookie Victor Hedman.

As you can see, Colin was able to deliver, getting Hedman, the team's top pick in 2009, to complete the 8x10 of him and Atlanta's Evander Kane in a posed, "playful" moment before last year's draft.

The other item, a ticket stub featuring the Swedish defenseman. I'd found it a few days earlier tucked under a seating section sign inside the St. Pete Times Forum. Rather than throw it away, I figured it was better off recycling the item.

Backstage pass

When it comes to hounding, the golden rule is being at the right place at the right time. It also helps, too, when you can snag unfettered access to the players. Just ask Brett, one of Hockey Bay's up-and-coming hounds, who loaded up on autographs following the Oct. 22 game between the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Brett, who joins the ranks of Hound Central 5.0 correspondents, filed this report:

After the Sharks and Lightning game, I was lucky to get a guest pass and wait where the players exit the St. Pete Times Forum.

The first obstacle was talking the Lightning employees at guest services into letting me run to the car and get my hounding bag, stuffed with photos, cards and pucks. After getting back into the Forum, I headed down to the area.

While waiting, I wasn't sure how it would be at first. I debated whether it would be better just waiting at the Sharks hotel for them to return. Thankfully, I made the right choice by staying inside. I asked one of the guards how it is for autographs, and they said as long as you call them over, they should sign for you.

The first player out was former Lightning defenseman and current Sharks player Dan Boyle. He quickly came over and signed for anyone who wanted him before joining up with about 30 people who were waiting for him, leaving three people asking for autographs.

Next out was Lightning defenseman Matt Smaby, who is always good for signing whenever and whatever items you want.

Then a group of Sharks came out, including Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Rob Blake. They all walked over and gladly signed what was presented to them. One of the last players out was Dany Heatley, who signed three cards before heading to the bus. The only Sharks player who refused to sign was Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who said, "Not now."

Other Sharks players who signed were Ryan Vesce, Ryane Clowe and Doug Murray.

The Lightning players were equally impressive, too. Among those signing were Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis, Victor Hedman, Ryan Malone, Andrej Meszaros, Drew Miller, Stephane Veilleux and Alex Tanguay.

This was a great time, and the players are a lot more down to earth and seem happy to stop, talk, and sign autographs.

Malone, I would have to say, left the biggest impression on me. Not only did he sign everything I had, but he stayed a few minutes after signing and just talked with me.

All in all, this was one of my most memorable moments and showed me what class acts hockey players truly are.

43 seconds

Here are a few short videos, on Hound Central 5.0's HockeyBayHound channel at You Tube, of a few Tampa Bay Lightning players during Thursday night's pregame warmups: Victor Hedman, Marty St.Louis and James Wright.

Trophy item

While I'm happy with the results of my first game-day hounding session of the 2009-10 campaign, Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving Southeast correspondent, is downright ecstatic. He was able to get Atlanta's Evander Kane, picked fourth overall at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, to complete this mock-fight photo with Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman, taken second overall in June.

One and done

It's funny how much can change in a year. Last August, I could barely wait for the Lightning's hockey season to begin, even using vacation time to take in a couple full days of training camp. This season, it was different.

Rather than hounding three days worth of camp, we limited it to a single morning, traipsing between the twin rinks at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon. And, as usual, it was Colin who snagged a young lion's share of autographs, finding room for 29 players, including Victor Hedman and Ryan Malone, on his training camp team sheet.

Not satisfied with loading up a team sheet, Colin also got four pucks signed, including ones from former NHLer Adam Oates and St. Louis, as well as the 1,900th of the collection.

I'm thinking, too, that the numerous trips we made for the Bolts rookie camp and informal workouts facilitated the single hounding trip. No matter what Marty St. Louis says, we have all season long.

Other rewards for our efforts:

Tampa Bay's Blair Jones and Paul Szczechura knocked out a couple cards from the 2008-09 Norfolk Admirals team set. Coach Rick Tocchet signed the card for Colin.

Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot. I also added these cards from Tampa Bay's David Hale and Zenon Konopka, who also signed a Portland Pirates practice jersey, as they headed to Friday's morning skate.

Say cheese, please

Our special project for the Lightning's rookie camp this week required getting a handful of prospects to sign their pictures with Colin. After tonight's visit, that's crossed off the to-do list.

Swedish defensemen Victor Hedman, right, the Lightning's No. 1 pick in at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and Erik Gustaffson, sandwich Colin after the Young Guns camp ended. Gustaffson, who plays for the University of Northern Michigan, isn't attending rookie camp.

Even without his name and number on his practice jersey, defenseman Vladimir Mihalik, the Lightning's No. 1 pick in 2005, is easy to pick out among players. At 6 foot 7, he's the tallest one in camp.

Despite being born in Slovakia, center Juraj Simek, Vancouver's sixth-round pick in 2006, has twice represented Switzerland at the World Junior Championships.

Goalie Dustin Tokarski, a fifth-round pick in 2008, does nothing but win. After leading the Spokane Chiefs to the 2008 Memorial Cup championship, claiming MVP honors, Tokarski backed it up with a gold medal for Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championships.

Gallery: Lightning informal skate

Among the Tampa Bay Lightning players who've gathered this week in Brandon for informal workouts include, from left, Ryan Craig, Marty St. Louis, Jeff Halpern, Steven Stamkos, Adam Hall and Andrej Meszaros.

Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier, right, talks to new teammates Kurtis Foster, left, and Todd Fedoruk.

Victor Hedman, the Bolts' 2009 No. 1 draft pick, didn't look out of place in Wednesday's session.

No, Tampa Bay's Jeff Halpern isn't reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. He's explaining a drill during Wednesday's skate.

Goalie Antero Niittymaki, a free-agent signee, follows the puck during Wednesday's session.

Victor Hedman, left, talks to teammate Adam Hall during Wednesday's session.

We all need the practice

Just as I'd thought, we've seen familiar and new faces as more Tampa Bay Lightning players -- from captain Vinny Lecavalier to 2009 No. 1 draft pick Victor Hedman to goalie Mike Smith, above, gather at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon most weekday mornings for informal workouts.

As a fan, these sessions are a sure sign that hockey is just around the corner. Down here, the Bolts hold a rookie camp Sept. 8-11. The NHL camp opens Sept. 12. Beyond that, it's on to April, at the least.

As a hound, these informal workouts are an opportunity to work on your game or, in my case, kick off another hockey-hounding blog. By and large, the players are in great moods. Most stop when asked and are willing to sign multiples.

To me, it's the best time of the season to get the home team players.

Though I've missed getting Marty St. Louis on Wednesday (too busy taking videos and pictures), I can't complain about these additions to the collection:

Signing pucks were, from left, Jeff Halpern, 2009 No. 1 pick Victor Hedman and Ryan Malone.

Signing cards were, from left, Todd Fedoruk, Kurtis Foster, Lukas Krajicek and Mike Smith.