My 2010-11 NHL awards picks

Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP): Marty St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
Vezina Trophy (best goalie): Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
James Norris Memorial Trophy (best defenseman): Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
Calder Memorial Trophy (top rookie): Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (gentlemanly conduct): Marty St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
Frank J. Selke Trophy (top defensive forward): Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Jack Adams Award (top coach): Guy Boucher, Tampa Bay Lightning (yes, I know he's not a finalist)
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (dedication, perseverance and sportsmanship): Ray Emery, Anaheim Ducks (pretty weak field, too)
Ted Lindsay Award (players' MVP): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Keep this to yourself

I'll let you in on a little secret. Using specialty pucks is one of the quickest ways to get NHL players to stop and sign. After seeing the same old team pucks, city after city and season after season, players gravitate toward something new to sign.

Signing these three, during the Florida Panthers' visit to Hockey Bay last week, were, from left, Niclas Bergfors, Dmitry Kulikov and Stephen Weiss.

Beyond the norm

Who among us doesn't have boxes upon boxes of hockey cards that you're unlikely to ever get signed? I do. It comes with the territory, I reckon, of being a collector.

One type of card I'll make an extra effort to get signed comes from a specialty set. These can be rookie stars, American Hockey League team or prospect sets or even one from the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

This variety of specialty cards proved handy when the Pittsburgh Penguins came calling upon Hockey Bay last week. Signing them were, from left, Mike Comrie, James Neal and Maxime Talbot.

Two more, please

The Phoenix Coyotes' recent trip to Hockey Bay resulted in another two additions to the Threads collection, this time with Colin getting the honors.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan signed the double-swatch card. Apparently, the black Sharpie was left uncapped for too long, resulting in a pretty thin signature. Still, Doan was nice enough to sign it and, really, an autograph is an autograph.

Mikkel Boedker kicked off another quad-card project. We'll need Peter Mueller, now with the Colorado Avalanche, to complete this side. Los Angeles' Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar are featured on the other side.

The Hockey Life: Week 20

It's a bittersweet moment anytime Colin gets a new pair of hockey skates. It isn't about the money, either. As any hockey parent knows, deep pockets are a part of the game.

Any kid will tell you that it's exciting getting a new piece of equipment. Doesn't matter if it's a helmet, gloves, stick or some other gear. Getting new skates, like this pair of Bauer Supreme One 100s, is different.

Not only do they represent a fresh start, but they also show a continued, and deepening, commitment to a goal. Beyond that, it's keeping a promise to grow -- and not just in foot size.

The sad part, though, is retiring a pair of skates. Colin skated many miles in his Bauer Vapor XXVs, shown above, the second pair he owned. As you can see, they're plenty scuffed-up. Many Wednesday afternoons were spent in these skates, working on crossovers, stop-and-pops and building up speed and stamina.

To be honest, I was hoping we could've waited until fall for his latest pair. It wasn't that Colin's toes were getting cramped. No, after 18 months, we were running out of blade to get sharpened.

To me, his new skates represent the latest installment in the bonding of a father and son. In time, I'm sure he'll think the same thing. If I'm lucky, he'll continue this tradition, provided he's as blessed as we are, with his children.

It's something you just can't put a dollar value on.

Making the switch

After intermittent problems with metallic DecoColor paint pens over this past season, I've sent those silver and gold pens to the sideline for the rest of the 2010-11 hockey-hounding campaign. From here on in, I'll be using silver Sharpies for any remaining pucks I get signed.

Perhaps some of the gaffes were self-induced, brought about, from time to time, by hastened priming or trying to get one too many autographs out of a pen.

The last straw came Wednesday when a pen with less than 15 autographs out of it hiccuped for Phoenix's Oliver Ekman-Larsson, leaving me with this stellar piece.

It worked enough for a somewhat legible autograph, good enough not to erase until I have another opportunity for him to resign the Coyotes puck. It was just too thin, even after priming, to use it for any other player. Funny thing, too, was after shaking the pen in disgust, the paint pooled on the tip, enough so that it splattered across some nearby foliage.

I'd be interested in hearing of others have experienced these issues or have some sure-fire tips they're willing to share.

Quote of the week

"Bull(hockey)!"
New Jersey's Henrik Tallinder, in fake-cough response to a Hockey Bay hound's assertion to Tallinder's Devils teammate Mattias Tedenby that he had heard that Tedenby, a fellow Swede, was one of the best players to come out of the Swedish Elite League in recent years.

Exception to the rule

Rumor had it that the Detroit Red Wings were a tough team to hound. Given the potential Hall of Famers who fill the roster, such as Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and, possibly, Chris Osgood, it's easy to see why.

And while these guys may be hard to hound, there's one member of the Red Wings who was more than willing to sign multiples.

In the two times that goalie Jimmy Howard, a former University of Maine Black Bear, signed for me during Detroit's recent two-day visit to Hockey Bay, I came away with two pucks, shown above, and four cards, including this addition to the Threads collection.

In fact, I believe he signed multiples for anyone with more than a single item. Hopefully, I just haven't jinxed other hounds and Howard continues to be a prolific signer. If not, you can blame me.

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.

Making a case

So, this is what happens when my normally reliable supplier of puck cases remains out of stock for the second straight month. All 62 pucks we've gotten signed since November stack up on one of the display cases, collecting dust rather than being put away or on display.

Thankfully, the supplier, Anderson Enterprises KTP, has finally restocked its shelves. I was going to ask if any readers used another supplier that offered bulk quantity discounts. Seeing that I order at least a case (72 puck cases at 65 cents each) at a time, there's no need to pay inflated retail prices.

Don't have to do that now, do I?

However, should you know of a better deal out there, please let me know. Whatever we can do to make this hobby cheaper, by cutting out another layer of middlemen such as card stores and eBay sellers, the more affordable it becomes.

Team report: Washington Capitals

When you don't carry a lot of pucks for a visiting NHL team, it's no surprise when you walk away with only one. That was the case last Wednesday when the Washington Capitals came to town.

Though I had only five pucks with me, I was fortunate to score this Hershey Bears puck, signed by goalie Michal Neuvirth, before the team's morning skate at the St. Pete Times Forum.

For the most part, the Capitals came out in clumps, four to five at a time, forcing hockey hounds and dealers to pick and choose. All told, I added 19 autographs, one below my standard of a decent day of hounding.

And, no, none came from Alex Ovechkin. Though I carried a single card for him, I knew better than to think I'd get it signed. He is, by far, the toughest NHL player in terms of getting an autograph. Kids and blue-eyed blondes, my experience has shown, stand the best chance.

As Ovechkin left the team's hotel, declining every request made of him, a small crowd of about 12 to 15 hounds and unrealistic dealers sporting Washington Capitals jerseys followed him for blocks. Not a single one got an autograph at that time.

Among those signing the 16 cards were:

Top row: Karl Alzner, Jason Chimera, Eric Fehr and Boyd Gordon; and
Bottom row: Mike Green, Mike Knuble, Jeff Schultz and David Steckel.

Other highlights of the day, so to speak:

~ Learning a valuable lesson not to take things for granted; and
~ Once again, putting some cheap skates to good work.

The Hockey Life: Week 13

Over the past week, I've had two instances where telling folks that we had more than 2,200 autographed pucks brought raised eyebrows. Not so much in disbelief, I think, but in a sense of wonder. "Twenty-two hundred pucks," they ask. "What do you do with them?"

Even I've started to marvel at the magnitude of the collection. There's no way we can display them all, with only 100, at most, on display in two cases in our office/playroom. Most are packed away in boxes, duly noted in multiple records, waiting for the right time and place to be put on display and handed down to future generations.

There's been a concerted effort during this hockey-hounding campaign to slow the pace of the collection. For a variety of reasons, financial and dwindling storage space among them, I'm turning more to cards than pucks anytime a team makes its way to Hockey Bay. Though there are some teams that I'll carry at least a dozen pucks for, very few teams require more than six pucks.

In a sense, we need the league to reload. By focusing on pucks for more than 10 years now, and limiting our efforts to particularly puckworthy players, we've been adding depth to, rather than broadening the scope of, the collection.

So, when will enough be enough? That's hard telling. There's no round number, like 2,500 or even 5,000, that will lead us to pull the plug on pucks. It'll happen when it happens. Until then, we'll add to the collection -- one puck at a time.

Serves 'em right

Couldn't help but chuckle at some autograph dealers coming up empty with Washington's Alex Ovechkin last week. Not only did they bring a full crew (at least six adults and two children all wearing Capitals jerseys, with some of the guys wearing two jerseys), but they honestly expected that Ovechkin would sign each and every jersey.

Sorry, guys, but that was extremely wishful thinking. Ovechkin may not speak perfect English, but he has a pretty good handle on one word -- "No." From what I hear, Ovie signed for the two children, but that was it.

It's hard to believe that any Washington Capitals team jersey, ultimately bound for eBay or some other sports memorabilia outlet, would be worth the effort, or any reasonable amount of money, lacking one of the NHL's toughest autographs.

I wonder, too, if the children got to keep their jerseys. I hope so, but something tells me they didn't.

Quote(s) of the Week

"You looked good out there."
Puckhound, to New Jersey Devils assistant coach and Hall of Famer Larry Robinson, at the end of the team's practice in Brandon on Thursday.

"I don't know about that."
Larry Robinson, in response, to the compliment.

"C'mon, two weeks of hard skating and you could play for most any NHL team."
Puckhound

"Ah, I tried that before."
Larry Robinson

The Hockey Life: Week 12

Even though we spent last night at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey "Fully Charged" circus at the St. Pete Times Forum, the true circus, as far as hockey-hounding is concerned, arrives Wednesday, when the Washington Capitals and You-Know-Who come to town.

Rather than carry high expectations, I've learned over the past few seasons to aim low. That way, I won't be disappointed. And it's not just Ovie, too. Aside from a handful of players, most notably Mike Knuble, most of the Capitals are as tough as a reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner on a reigning Stanley Cup champion.

Sorry, guys, but let me be the bearer of some sobering news: you haven't won Lord Stanley's cup.

Really, it's easy to see why Ovechkin routinely and repeatedly shoots down requests by anyone who isn't a child or a young, blue-eyed blonde. The guy must get hounded, just like Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, every place he goes. And while it would be nice (hint, hint) if he'd just have us all line up and sign one item, I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon.

Instead, I'll set my sights on other players, such as the Capitals' young goalies Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth. I'd also like the opportunity to thank John Carlson for his goal at last year's World Junior Championships. Like most of you, I wouldn't pass up on autographs from Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Alexander Semin.

And, just in case, I'll have a Russian hockey card for Ovie. Wish me luck.

Sneak preview

Colin had a couple of games with his Pinellas P.A.L. Stars team Friday to close out his winter season. Rather than meeting one of the two Ellenton teams, he got to play against the Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning, one of the four travel teams here in the Hockey Bay area.

Given that the Stars haven't played or practiced in some time, I was surprised to hear that the Stars beat the Jr. Lightning, 9-3 and 2-1, with Colin scoring the game-winner off a rebound with only five seconds left in the second game. In a sense, we viewed it as an informal tryout for the Jr. Lightning squad.

More than anything else, it gave him a taste of what it'll be like when he makes the jump, hopefully, to travel team play this spring. I'm sure there's at least one team down here in Hockey Bay that can use a pest-in-training.

Paint pen issues

I don't know what it is, but I'm being plagued again by balky DecoColor paint pens. Over the years, these have been a reliable resource in building our 2,100-plus autographed puck collection. But these three pucks, snagged earlier this week when the Boston Bruins came to town, are the latest examples that have me looking for something new.

I swear, I take the time to prime each pen -- shaking it and depressing the tip to get the paint flowing -- before getting a puck signed. Still, though, the results are less than impressive. Though it's been chilly down here lately in Hockey Bay (by Florida standards, that is), I'm not convinced that the culprit.

While two of the pucks -- the 2010 Olympic champions puck from Patrice Bergeron and big Bruins logo from Milan Lucic -- are passable, the Providence Bruins puck "signed" by Tuukka Rask is a candidate for a do-over.

He's good for four

Though he's not the first NHL player to sign four cards at one time for us, and we're hoping he's not the last, there are at least two Hockey Bay hounds who certainly appreciate Carolina's Joni Pitkanen. These were among the 23 cards that Colin got signed earlier this week when the 'Canes played the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Team report: Atlanta Thrashers

A long time ago, getting anything less than 25 autographs myself was considered a poor hockey-hounding effort. These days, I'm happy with just a handful of autographs. When I bring along Colin, though, it's an entirely different story.

It's no surprise, then, that he outhounded his old man last week -- by nearly a 10-to-1 margin -- when the Atlanta Thrashers, one of the best-signing teams in the NHL, came to Hockey Bay. All told, we scored 52 autographs -- our best single-team effort of the 2010-11 hockey-hounding campaign, so far -- with Colin racking up 47 to my five.

It's safe to say, at the risk of bragging, that the kid is a chip off the old block. Now, with three hounding adventures planned over his holiday break, we'll see if he can keep it up.

Until then, though, here's a look at some of the items we added to the collection:

Signing cards, shown above, were:

Top row: Zach Bogosian, Alexander Burmistrov and Dustin Byfuglien;
Middle row: Andrew Ladd, Freddy Meyer and Johnny Oduya; and
Bottom row: Ondrej Pavelec, Rich Peverley and Chris Thorburn


Increasing the international flavor of our autographed puck collection, which now numbers 2,185 and likely counting, were, from left, Zach Bogosian (USA souvenir), Evander Kane (Team Canada) and Ondrej Pavelec (Czech Republic souvenir).

The remaining highlights on the trip:

~ Having plenty on hand for Alexander Burmistrov, taken eighth overall at the 2010 NHL Draft;
~ having five players sign four cards each;
~ Andrew Ladd adding to the Threads collection; and
~ helping out a fellow Hockey Bay Hound.

Interesting insight

Remember Phil Myre? He's a retired NHL goalie who played for, among other teams, the Atlanta Flames, Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Rockies.

He's also created a blog that offers an insider's view on the NHL, hockey and life. It's definitely worth a look.

Thanks, eBay!

Earlier this year, when I actually had some spare cash on hand, I snagged a couple of jersey swatch lots off of eBay. While a few of the cards were viewed as collectibles, most were simply adding to the stock of items we'll use in our future hockey hounding adventures.

This card of Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun, who's one of the best signing players in the NHL, was part of one of those hauls.

On Saturday, the card, which features a nice, bright yellow swatch with some stitch marks as well as Vokoun's distinctive signature, became the latest addition to our Threads collection.

Helping out

Not too long ago, a friend of the family asked a favor. Her brother, a youth hockey coach in Wisconsin, needed items for a fundraiser. She wanted to know if we could get this Boston Bruins logo banner signed for it.

I'll be clear here. I deny, for a multitude of reasons, about 97 percent of the multiple requests I get from people asking us to get autographs for them. If we honored every request, we'd never get autographs for our own collection.

Besides, I subscribe to the theory that anything worth having is worth going out and getting it yourself. Always have. Always will. In fact, I get uncomfortable asking others to get something signed for us. When they do, we reciprocate.

There are exceptions, though, to shooting down requests for getting items signed for others. Helping out a fellow youth hockey team, especially one coached by a good friend's brother, is among them. We know how much it costs to play hockey, and if we can help hockey parents save a couple bucks, it's our pleasure.

That's why we devoted the better portion of the Bruins' first trip to Hockey Bay this season loading up this banner with signatures from Bruins players. In all, Colin, not me, scored 27 autographs on it. Those who signed, among others, included Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Mark Recchi, Marc Savard and Tim Thomas.

The only two players we missed? Boston's Tyler Seguin, the No. 2 overall pick at the 2010 NHL Draft, and Brad Marchand. It wasn't for the lack of asking, though. We asked. They denied. Seguin, in particular, was pretty rude about it.

Imagine that? An overhyped rookie, presently providing a great disservice to the No. 19 once worn by Joey Thornton, and his buddy rejecting a request from a kid to help fill out an item for a youth hockey fundraiser. And, yes, both were told what the banner would be used for.

Well, that's another story for another day. Sunday, to be exact.

Signing curves

When it comes to getting autographs from NHL players, it's important to keep in mind the stage of the player's career. Doing so, I believe, is a critical factor.

For the most part, the average NHL player will take the time to stop and sign for most reasonable requests. Pucks, cards, jerseys and photos are no problem. Blank sheets of photo paper? Well, that's up to each player. Most, but not all, know the difference between collectors, fans and dealers.

The trickiest dribble within hockey hounding comes when dealing with two classes of players -- superstars and top draft picks. Both sit atop any hound's wish list. I mean, who doesn't want an autograph from Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby or Edmonton's Taylor Hall? These type of players truly understand what it means to be hounded, facing crowds wherever they go.

My advice? It never hurts to ask, but be prepared to have them say no. That way, if they do agree to sign, it's a bonus. Of the two classes, I've had better luck over the years with the top draft picks rather than the game's biggest names.

Think of it this way. As players are starting out, signing autographs may be somewhat of a novelty. It's fun to be recognized. After some time, though, and this can be measured in weeks or months, that novelty begins to wear off. Any time players step out in public, from heading out to morning skates or grabbing dinner the night before a game, chances are hockey hounds will be waiting with Sharpies and paint pens in hand.

The same holds true for the NHL's superstars. Only the team bus or hotel room offers sanctuary from hockey hounds. No place, it seems, is off-limits. To me, however, that comes with the territory. It's part of being the best in the game. I suppose that's what makes it easy for them to say no. They're good and they know it.

When talking about players' signing curves, I like to reference a bell curve. For those unfamiliar with the term, think of a camel's hump. The animal's back starts off straight, quickly heads north in a rounded fashion and then slopes down to another straight line.

To me, that best represents an NHL player's signing habits:

~ In the beginning (representing a flat line), most players will sign just about anything. Attention is heaped upon them, as crowds clamor for their scribble on all forms of sports memorabilia. It must be quite a rush.

~ As these players get better (representing the upward slope of the bell curve), and their egos kick in, they become more difficult. It's easy to identify a player in this stage as he'll either limit the number of items he signs or the frequency of his refusals increases.

~ Once these players' skills begin to erode (representing the downward slope), they understand they won't be in the NHL forever. A humbling realization, most players return to early signing habits, even taking the time to chat with fans. In doing this, players become the proverbial fan favorites.

~ The curve is completed (representing another flat line) upon retirement. Most players, except those stars who make the Hockey Hall of Fame, fall out of the hounding public's eye, becoming nearly forgotten, save for the occasional trivia question. To me, this is the best time to approach these players, especially those who take front office, coaching or scouting positions, as it's natural for them to want to be remembered in a positive way.

Now, this observation is based on nearly 15 straight years of hockey hounding, not any scientific data. And it certainly can't be applied to each and every NHL player. Hopefully, though, it might explain why players sign or don't sign.

Feel free to discuss and share your observations.

The Hockey Life: Week 4

It's not too often that you get to see an NHL team step outside of a rink during practice. It's even more odd when you see hockey players tossing around a football on a paved parking lot outside the St. Pete Times Forum.

But that's what happened last Tuesday as Tampa Bay Lightning players headed outside to play something that looked like rugby. Squaring off into two teams -- shirts vs. skins -- the Bolts spent about 20 minutes yukking it up at something that was far beyond their element.

All the time, the Bolts drew "What the heck is going on?" stares from Toronto Maple Leafs players, on their way to the morning skate, and Hockey Bay hounds. The nontraditional practice must have worked, though, as the Bolts blanked the Leafs later that night.

My observation from the spectacle: The Bolts, to a man, threw the football like hockey players. Perhaps Josh Freeman, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback, can stop by next time and offer some pointers.

Just making sure

It was real easy to tell that Moody, Hound Central 5.0's senior correspondent, just got back from a vacation. Just ask Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson, who twice told him Tuesday that neither the cards nor the 8x10 photo Moody asked him to sign weren't of him, even though they were of a Ron Wilson.

I can't say that I hadn't nearly made the same mistake myself. What makes this funny, though, is that after being told that the cards weren't his, Wilson also passed on the 8x10 that Moody offered up as Plan B. Wilson, to his credit, still signed something for Moody -- the binder he used as a platform.

Thankfully, Moody took it all in fun. And I think we all learned that there are two Ron Wilsons who played in the NHL.

Line of the Week

"I don't sign team items. Do you have anything that's just of me?"
Toronto's Phil Kessel to a Hockey Bay Hound, who asked the Leafs' forward why he wouldn't sign his 16x20 team photo. Kessel also wouldn't sign a McFarlane base.

Looking for bargains

Over the years, one of the most common questions I get from readers is where do I buy my pucks and how much do they cost. My answer? It's always the same. I buy them wherever I can.

Most are bought online, through a sports memorabilia distributor. Others, however, are bought at arenas, card stores, flea markets and the ilk. Though I often pay no more than $2.75 a puck, I've spent as much as $5 a puck.

It all depends on the situation. If I see a puck I can't find elsewhere, or if I'm caught empty-handed, then I'll begrudgingly pay a higher price. But if I can save a few bucks, well, then, I'd be an idiot if I didn't.

Overall, 65 percent of Hound Central 5.0 readers pay less than $5 for each of their pucks. To me, that's a decent deal. One reader, though, gets pucks for free. Knowing Moody, Hound Central 5.0's thrifty senior correspondent, I think he's the one.

Question: How much do you pay for each of your pucks?

$3 to $4.99: 8 votes out of 20 cast (40 percent)
More than $5: 6 votes (30 percent)
0.01 to $2.99: 5 votes (25 percent)
Free: 1 vote (5 percent)

On a side note, if you buy any pucks from the distributor, please tell them that Hound Central 5.0 sent you. Thanks.