Triple cheap

What's better, in my own self-centered opinion, than getting one of my cheap skate cards signed? Well, how about getting three of them signed.

With the Los Angeles Kings making their one and only trip to Hockey Bay his season, and the first trip in a hockey-hounding campaigns, I wanted to have at least one item for every member of the squad.

As you can see, I put these cheap skate cards to good use with, from from top, defenseman Davis Drewiske, forward Peter Harrold and goaltender Jonathan Quick.

A pleasant surprise, indeed

When Al, Hound Central 5.0's correspondent in Toronto, said he had a "surprise" for Colin and me, I figured it had something to do with Toronto Maple Leafs legend and Hall of Fame goalie Johnny Bower. After all, Al had seen the living legend earlier that day at a signing show.

What I didn't know was that it would be this sweet McFarlane's SportsPick figurine, from the NHL Legends Series 6, and the goalie's letter-perfect autograph and inscription.

All Colin and I can say, Al, is thank you. Someday, too, we hope to return the favor. In the meantime, sir, please know that it has a place of honor in one of our display cases.

Two schools of thought

Really, when it comes to getting autographs, is there ever a bad time? Only one, if you ask the Hound Central 5.0 readers who took part in the most recent poll, which asked when was the best time to hound. The other four primary opportunities seem to work just fine.

When it comes to the absolute best time, though, HC5.0 readers are divided -- equal amounts say after the game and the day before the game offer the best opportunities. I guess it depends on your schedule.

Back when I was hounding American Hockey League teams in New England, especially during the 2005-05 NHL lockout, I scored most of my autographs after games. These days, though, my work schedule means I have to hound earlier, rather than later, in the day.

As a result, I find the day before, provided a team arrives that early, and the hour to 90 minutes before a visiting team's morning skate work best.

Again, it all comes down to the time that works best for you.

Question: Best time to hound?

After the game: 11 votes out of 40 cast (27.5 percent)
Day before the game: 11 votes (27.5 percent)
Before the morning skate: 8 votes (20 percent)
Before the game time bus: 7 votes (17.5 percent)
After the morning skate: 3 votes (7.5 percent)

Cardboard's lighter

In what's becoming something of a trend this season, my hounding bag for the Minnesota Wild wasn't as heavy as normal. It's not that I didn't have items for the Wild. No, that wasn't the case. It's just that I didn't have a whole lot of pucks for them.

In fact, the only two I had were for goalie Niklas Backstrom, who signed the Finland souvenir puck, and right winger and 2008-09 NHL hits leader Cal Clutterbuck, who signed the Minnesota Wild puck.

After last season's trip, when we added 20 pucks in a day from the Wild, I really didn't need to load up again. That's why, more than anything else, 50 autographed cards thoroughly dominated the 58-signature haul through two days of hounding:

Top row: Derek Boogaard, Andrew Brunette, Cal Clutterbuck and the increasingly tough and equally unpleasant Mikko Koivu; and
Bottom row: Antti Miettinen, Benoit Pouliot, Nick Schultz and Marek Zidlicky.

Also signing cards were, from left, assistant coach Dave Barr, Kyle Brodziak, Martin Havlat and Greg Zanon.

Other highlights from the Wild's visit:

~ At least four cards each from five players: Niklas Backstrom, Andrew Brunette, Brent Burns, Josh Harding and Kim Johnsson;
~ A pretty neat assortment of 8x10s from Cal Clutterbuck, Josh Harding, Martin Havlat and Owen Nolan;
~ Specialty set cards from Cal Clutterbuck, Benoit Pouliot, James Sheppard and Marek Zidlicky; and
~ a cheap-skate card from shot-blocking specialist (a nicer way of saying "defensive defenseman," don't you think?) Greg Zanon.

Twenty out of 50

It's always nice when an NHL player signs more than one autograph. Last week, with the Minnesota Wild in Hockey Bay, we encountered quite a few players willing to sign more than one items, be they pucks, photos or, in this particular instance, cards.

All told, we accumulated 50 cards for the collection, with these players significantly adding to the inch-high stack:

Goalie Niklas Backstrom, top, who fears no nineboards, and Andrew Brunette, owner of one of the NHL's most distinctive autographs, had no trouble signing four cards;

Defenseman Brent Burns, top, and goalie Josh Harding, each inked four cards; and

a quartet from defenseman Kim Johnsson.

Deepening the stack

Sure, we added quite a few cards last week -- 50, to be exact -- from members of the Minnesota Wild. Helping out, as usual, were cards from specialty sets.

In this case, we added cards from Cal Clutterbuck, Benoit Pouliot, James Sheppard (a one-per, if you can believe that) and Marek Zidlicky.

The Zidlicky cards, given to me last season by a fellow Hockey Bay Hound, came from a couple of Finnish sets.

Another example

Just because you have a card for a certain player, such as Minnesota's shot-blocking specialist Greg Zanon, it doesn't mean you can't create and use a cheap skate card to add another signature to your collection.

Pictures, perfect

There are many reasons for hockey hounds to use 8x10 photos as signing platforms. They're easy to find, can be quite affordable if bought in bulk and, when it comes to storage, don't take up as much space as pucks, cards and memorabilia.

Last week, when the Minnesota Wild traveled to Hockey Bay, I had four different reasons for getting four 8x10s signed. I'm not asking you to agree, I'm just asking you to appreciate:

Simply put, our collection, I believe, would be incomplete without a photo from the best name in hockey, Cal Clutterbuck.

Here's an instance when I thought this photo of Josh Harding was just too neat to pass up. In my book, not every photo needs to come from a big-name player.

The best part about this photo of Martin Havlat? There are very few dark areas where he could, if he so chose, hide his autograph as some players often do.

Owen Nolan, a grizzled NHL veteran if there ever was one, studied this photo for a few seconds before signing it. It's my guess he was trying to recall when he suffered this cut. I think it reinforces the notion that Nolan is really a tough old coot.

Sunday morning homily VII

I would like to start off this version of the Sunday morning homily by thanking the Puckhound for giving me the opportunity to step in and fill his shoes this week. I truly do appreciate that he trusts me enough to allow me to take on this responsibility.

Every time I check into this blog the first words I read (and I read them every time) are the following. "Not-so-random thoughts and chiseled commentary about life, hockey and collecting autographs for the pure fun of it, certainly not for profit, during the 2009-10 season."

Yesterday, while the Puckhound family and the Moody herd were running up and down Old Water Street snagging signatures from the L.A. Kings, I think I finally understood what it meant.

Life, hockey and the fun of collecting. I have been looking at the hounding scene here in the Tampa Bay area a lot more over the past two years and I have noticed there is an evolution taking place. An evolution of all three -- life, hockey and the fun of collecting.

Life: The forming of friendships of a group of guys who would have probably never crossed paths in their extremely different lives that they lead, but all drawn together by the hobby they love.

Hockey: The sport is still growing here in Tampa and the crowds are becoming more diverse with every game I go to. It's hard to have a home ice advantage when Florida is full of visitors. I am seeing each year that more fans are cheering for the "home" team rather than their "hometown" team.

Fun of Collecting: I am seeing that the local hounds are starting to have a lot more fun while chasing down players. Whether we are giving the Goofy Dude a hard time or razzing the Little Miss Moodlet about her new crush on a certain Lightning rookie. There is more camaraderie starting to show with every outing. I am not seeing the competition like there used to be. No more shoving to the front or trying to outdo the next guy. This year, I am seeing it as a hobby again and I am relishing the fact that I can spend a good time with my kids and a few pals doing something we all enjoy and share in common.

Reality strike

The fact that this season is still young and all the Hockey Bay Hounds have been more successful than ever before in snagging signatures may be the reason behind the evolution here. If that is the case, than I can only hope that our success continues and good times grow with each outing.

5 Big Sigs

In keeping with Big Ron's ritual of posting his 5 Big Sigs each week, I will make my attempt. With no team visiting this week, I will toss mine out for Thanksgiving week.

~ Toronto's Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson on a Swedish photo;
~ Toronto GM Brian Burke on a Stanley Cup photo;
~ New York's Henrik Lundqvist on a Swedish photo;
~ New York's Sean Avery on a Stanley Cup photo; and
~ Any player I have never got on a trading card.

Programming note

Between a full day of hounding Saturday, the Kings-Lightning game later and two of Colin's rec league games this morning, I couldn't shoehorn any time in for a Sunday morning homily.

In my place, Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving correspondent, will provide today's homily. Look for it in just a few minutes.

Thanks.

Wild things

They're not the best videos that HockeyBayHound has ever shot, but you'll get the idea of these three taken earlier today at the Minnesota Wild's practice at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon:

~ Minnesota goalie Josh Harding making a nice blocker save;
~ Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom taking part in a drill; and
~ A quick clip of the Wild gathering near the bench during a break.

Little tough guy

A trio of videos, taken over the past few weeks, where Colin lets his fiesty side come out on the ice:

~ One instance when he's not afraid to get his nose dirty;
~ Another instance when Colin questions an opponent's actions; and
~ One last instance when he sticks up for his goalie and a teammate sticks up for him.

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.

Sunday morning homily VI

Astute visitors to Hound Central 5.0 have recognized by now that we aren't attending as many Lightning games this season as we have in the past. Last season, we went to nearly 20 games. This season, we'll be lucky if we get to more than a half-dozen.

Pure and simple, it's an economic decision.

The journalism industry has been hard-hit in this recession. As a result, my salary, just like the rest of my colleagues, has been cut. Sure, it's a bitter pill to swallow, but it's better than being without a job. And though I bust my butt at work, sometimes pulling five different shifts and associated tasks within my workweek, there's no guarantee that the coming year won't bring a layoff.

That alone is reason enough to scale back, right?

Still, that doesn't mean we're walking away from the sport. Colin's midway through his first rec league season. Conditions exist, as long as my bleary eyes hold up and the Hockey Gods smile upon us, for him to continue playing. I'd hate to have him stop after as much ground, or shall I say ice, as he's covered in the past year.

In a way, his season has become our season ticket. The games -- win or lose -- are much more enjoyable. Plus, as a hockey parent, the access is unrivaled. There's nothing like tying up Colin's skates, snugging up his shoulder pads and getting him ready for a game.

What's the reward? There's watching him get better with every practice and game. There are the shared smiles of both knowing that he made a good play. There are the shooting drills out back on the patio, even if I do take the occasional errant wrister off a bare leg.

Bottom line, it's the strengthening bond between child and parent. That alone is reason enough to keep at it, isn't it?

Give or take a few inches

Did you happen to catch San Jose's Dan Boyle during an interview played Friday night on the NHL Network's On the Fly program? It's a good thing he plays hockey.

In one question, he was asked about a new 100-inch TV in his new home theater room. Boyle quickly corrected the size of the TV:

"Actually, it's 120 inches," He said. "That's bigger than 10 feet."

Actually, Dan, at 12 inches per foot, it's exactly 10 feet.

5 Big Sigs

It's always a good week whenever a couple of Western Conference teams come to Hockey Bay. Here's what we're hoping to add this week:

~ A Finland souvenir puck from Minnesota Wild goalie Nicklas Backstrom;
~ A Wild puck from Cal Clutterbuck (the best name in hockey);
~ Los Angeles' Drew Doughty on Kings puck and the 2008 NHL Draft program;
~ Los Angeles' Dustin Brown on a U.S.A. souvenir puck; and
~ Los Angeles' Ryan Smyth on the Team Canada jersey.

A legendary Leaf

Hockey is so ingrained in the culture of Toronto, as it is in the other Original Six cities, that I'm envious of hockey fans lucky enough to live there. Not only do they have a team steeped in history, but hockey's hallowed hall, which inducts a fantastic class this weekend, also calls the city home.

And while the Loafs may not have enjoyed much success this season, it certainly hasn't kept the team's fans, some of the NHL's most rabid (and I use that in a positive vein), from honoring heroes from hockey's past.

Al, Hound Central 5.0's Toronto-based correspondent, did just that recently, taking in a signing show with Maple Leafs legend Johnny Bower, who led Toronto to three straight Stanley Cups from 1962-64 and winning the Vezina Trophy in 1961 and 1965 while wearing the Maple Leaf.

Here's Al's report:

"Just as I expected, Johnny was in fine form. Smiling from ear to ear the whole time I saw him, thanking people for coming out and taking his time to talk to everyone.

"He signed this mini mask, explaining that it was a very good replica of the original. He also said that he only wore it for about 16 games.

"Then, he told me that the night before, the Toronto Marlies (the Leafs AHL farm club) honored him and gave out bobbleheads in his image. He said he spent the night signing those for people during the game. He also said the bobblehead's bases were so small that he went blind."

Now, I don't know about you, but I'd dare say his eyesight was restored. That's one of the nicest autographs, inscriptions and all, that I've seen in a long, long time. Then again, from what Al reports, it sounds like Mr. Bower is a pretty classy guy.

A change in opinion

Now that incredibleIce, the Florida Panthers practice facility in Coral Springs, has opened its newest practice rink for business, it was time to revisit its hockey-hounding capabilities. Moody, Hound Central 5.0's roving Southeast correspondent, shares that it's still worth a trip, though different methods need to be employed.

Early indications still ring true that conditions once affording easy hounding opportunities inside the facility no longer exist. Limitations that restrict access to the players do, indeed, remain:

This barrier maintains a 30-feet buffer from the players' locker room entrance. Yes, it could be possible to call over players, but it seems like a stretch to expect them to make the trip. And, please, don't be a fool and cross the barrier. Why ruin it for everyone?


The facility, however, offers this viewing room where hounds and fans can take in practices in a climate-controlled environment. Remember, this being South Florida, that's a big factor. It can get warm outside during the season.

Moody also reports that the viewing room is used by local sports media to conduct interviews for television broadcasts. This affords the only in-person opportunity for autographs inside the facility.

Thankfully, at least for South Florida hounds, it doesn't mean that it's impossible to get autographs. All it takes is a willingness to catch the players outside the facility. For visiting teams, and Moody's hoping to conduct a field trip soon for verification, the front entrance might be the best place to score autographs from players.

Unless a team's bus parks in the gated lot, and conditions do allow for this, players may likely follow last season's drill and walk along this sidewalk -- near the front entrance to the facility -- before and after practices. If this is the case, it represents the best opportunity to score some autographs.

As for the Panthers, Moody reports most of the players use the facility's rear entrance. In this visit last month, he got autographs from David Booth (shown stopping to sign in the top photo), Scott Clemmensen, Michael Frolik, Nathan Horton, Ville Koistenen, Jordan Leopold, Bryan McCabe, Steve Reinprecht and Tomas Vokoun.

Those who used the front entrance were Bryan Allen, Dominic Moore, Rostislav Olesz, Cory Stillman (who parked in the public lot by the front door) and members of the coaching staff.

Keep in mind, though, that the rear entrance, which no longer utilizes a security guard, provides no protection from the sun and heat. Remember to wear sunscreen (don't forget a towel to wipe off your mitts, too) and bring plenty of fluids to maintain some level of comfort.

Day (before) trip

Between Colin's hockey game and my inability to be in two places at one time, I knew full well that hounding the New Jersey Devils before Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning was out of the question. As a result, I went into full mop-up duty the day before the game, adding another 21 autographs last Friday between trips to the team's hotel and the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, where the Devils held an afternoon practice.

The day-long effort, overshadowed by concerns (eventually unfounded, thank God) of a costly repair for the aging Houndmobile, was important, I believe, for two reasons:

1.) It was New Jersey's second, and final, trip of the regular season to Hockey Bay, meaning I could miss, for the first season in recent memory, autographs from living legend Martin Brodeur. I whiffed on Brodeur the first trip in, so adding at least another was a top priority.

2.) I wanted to knock out most of the cards I'd prepared this season for the Devils. After so many seasons of hounding the Devils, from the cold streets of Beantown to the humid air of Hockey Bay, I really don't have much, in terms of pucks, for the team. That's why my attention turned to cards. The fewer I have to put away for future usage, the better.

Among those who signed the 18 cards collected were:

Top row: Andy Greene, Matt Halischuk and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond; and
Bottom row: Colin White, Travis Zajac and Dainius Zubrus.

Also signing cards were, from left, Nicklas Bergfors, Yann Danis, Rob Niedermayer and Andrew Peters.

Other highlights from the day:

~ A couple of pucks from future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur;
~ Scoring a U.S.A. souvenir puck from Zach Parise; and
~ Having Andy Greene chip away at a couple specialty card sets.

Top Shelf: Martin Brodeur

Sure, his autograph has deteriorated into a nearly undecipherable scribble, but any time you can add two autographed pucks from New Jersey's Martin Brodeur in a single afternoon, it's easy to assign Top Shelf status to the efforts.

Brodeur signed the Canada puck before heading out to the Devils' practice last Friday at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon. He signed the Devils puck, picked up at the rink's pro shop, following the hour-long session.

Safe bet

USA Hockey announced yesterday that it would release the men's hockey roster for the 2010 Olympics during the Winter Classic matchup between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park.

When the roster is announced, I'm fairly certain that New Jersey's Zach Parise, who signed this U.S.A. souvenir puck last Friday, will be included. Really, can you think of anyone less deserving of an opportunity to represent the red, white and blue?

There's even talk, too, of him being named captain of the American squad. We'll see. Like others, I believe the "C" will go to Los Angeles' Dustin Brown.

Determination pays off

For whatever reason, I had the hardest time getting New Jersey's Andy Greene to stop and sign these cards. Sometimes, it was simply because I was busy getting another Devils player to sign pucks or cards. There were times, too, when he didn't make the trip.

My waiting came to end, though, last Friday. Hours after he ignored a request as he boarded a bus to the Devils' practice at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, I caught up with him after practice.

It's not so much that I'm a big fan, but these cards chip away at a couple of specialty sets. And, if there's one thing I've learned over the years, opportunities to add cards like these can be fleeting. All it takes is being at the right place at the right time.

Could be better

Each hockey-hounding season, I eagerly anticipate the release of Upper Deck's O-Pee-Chee set for three primary reasons:

1.) The deep checklist provides cards for some third- and fourth-liners, second and third defensive pairings and backup goalies;
2.) Because they lack that pesky glossy surface, there's no preparation work needed; and
3.) They were, in my humble estimation, a nice-looking card.

This season's release, however, is a different story. Sure, the deep checklist and pack-to-card-book ease returned. The design? Well, that's open to interpretation -- to me and an overwhelming majority of Hound Central 5.0 readers. Apparently, a slam-dunk product didn't score high with card hounds.

Question: 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Hockey?

Tolerable: 25 votes out of 36 cast (69.4 percent)
Beautiful: 7 votes (19.4 percent)
Butt-ugly: 4 votes (11.1 percent)

(Yes, I know the percentages add to 99.9 percent, but that's the total, even after rounding up. Go figure.)

To me, the cards -- both the base and insert versions -- come off a tad too busy and a little flat. I imagine, too, I've grown accustomed to the simple approach of previous releases, where the player, not dull attempts at retro-style design, dominated the card.

Still, I appreciated the checklist and cards' ease factor enough to buy some -- a hobby box, a couple of blasters and a few Fat Packs. As for anyone else, that's your call. That's why I rate Upper Deck's 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Hockey just that -- Your Call.

Old reliables

These days, my hockey-hounding efforts are more focused on quality than quantity, trying to add jewels, so to speak, to the collection. That doesn't mean, though, that I'll limit my opportunities whenever they present themselves.

Take last Thursday, for instance, when the Ottawa Senators traveled to Hockey Bay to play the Bolts. After an order for pucks didn't arrive in time, limiting my efforts to those I had in stock, I knew that cards, more than pucks, could rule the day. As you can see, I wasn't that far off-base in my assessment.

Among those signing the 37 cards that morning:

Top row: Daniel Alfredsson, Brian Elliott, Mike Fisher and Milan Michalek; and
Bottom row: Chris Neil, Chris Phillips, Peter Regin and Jarkko Ruutu.

The other highlights, including four sweet pucks, from a hot and humid half-day of hockey hounding:

~ Snagging Alex Kovalev on a pair of top-shelf pucks;
~ Having Daniel Alfredsson sign a Sweden puck;
~ Getting Jason Spezza to sign a puck from one of his junior teams;
~ Nick Foligno, Filip Kuba, Alexandre Picard and Ryan Shannon each signing four cards;
~ Putting specialty sets to good use, including a card for Jonathan Cheechoo; and
~ Adding the second cheap skate card of the season from Matt Carkner.

Top Shelf: Alex Kovalev

There are points during a hockey-hounding campaign when the Hockey Gods align and present a perfect opportunity to score some quality autographs. The first of the 2009-10 season came last Thursday, when Ottawa's Alex Kovalev signed this pair of pucks.

With a little luck, perhaps I'll match last season's Top Shelf signings, which represent the best autographs collected during a campaign.

Feeling blue

Yes, I know that a puck signed in blue paint this season is supposed to represent one that Colin added to his Colin's Pucks project. But I'm finding that, in some cases, the color really stands out on a puck.

This Sweden souvenir puck, signed last week by Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson, proves my point. Pretty sweet, don't you think?

Two to go

While hounding the Senators last week, a couple of Hockey Bay Hounds asked who I wanted to get on the Brampton Battalion puck.

Ottawa's Jason Spezza, I told them.

I also told them that, if the Battalion puck was signed, it would leave only Mississauga Ice Dogs and Canada souvenir pucks to round out our Spezza collection.

Grand Rapids Griffins, they asked? Got it. Binghamton Senators? Got that one, too, before I started blogging. Spezza even signed a Belleville Bulls puck for the 500th of the collection.

Four four-bangers

The most cards I'll offer to a player is four, simply because my card book limits it to that number and I don't feel like erasing any more cards than I have to. Sometimes, players sign all four. Usually, they sign two. In some cases, though, a player will sign only one.

Last week, with Ottawa in town, four Senators players signed all four cards I presented. That doesn't happen too often, I'll tell you, but when it does, it quickly builds a stack. Ottawa's Nick Foligno, top, and Filip Kuba signed the cards shown above.

Look at all of the specialty cards, from Rookie Class to AHL All Stars to AHL Top Prospects, within these four-bangers from Alexandre Picard, top, and Ryan Shannon.

While everyone else signed all four at one time, it took me twice to get Shannon to complete his four-banger.

More than prospects

Most times, I turn to specialty sets to drum up cards for a visiting team's prospects. For Ottawa, though, they came in handy for a couple of veteran players: Jonathan Cheechoo, from left, Brian Elliott and Pascal Leclaire.

I had other cards for Cheechoo, but because he's a strict one-per signer, I only offered a card from the 2004-05 UD Hockey All-World Edition set.

Cheap skates: Matt Carkner

Here's another instance where a homemade card -- in my case, I call them cheap skates -- gives me something for a player to sign. Routinely, I use these cards for rookies, fourth-liners and sixth or seventh defensemen, like Ottawa's Matt Carkner.

Sunday morning homily V

Measuring the success of any hounding adventure depends upon each individual. For some hounds, the day isn't complete until they've run out of items to get signed. Others, however, weigh the day's efforts based on the quality, rather than sheer quantity, of the items they were fortunate enough to get signed.

In both cases, though, it all comes down to personal preference.

For someone like myself, who's been doing this for some time, I don't need to add a ton of autographs every trip to feel like I've had a good day. Sure, I question my time and effort if I get, say, five or six autographs during an entire day of hounding (like most times when the Pittsburgh Penguins come to town).

But, like I've said countless times before, one autograph, even if it is from a scrub like, say, Kris Letang, is better than none.

Lately, though, I've become more of a cherry-picker, especially when it comes to pucks. You'll see it this week in posts about hounding Ottawa and New Jersey. I got only seven pucks signed, but they're seven good ones. As I near the end of my hockey-hounding run, I'm trying to add nothing but exclamation points, so to speak, rather than amass staggering numbers.

At the opposite end of the hockey-hounding spectrum, however, are those relatively new to the game. For them, it's more about adding big numbers -- be it in cards, photos or pucks -- than anything else. From where I sit, and I'm not asking you to embrace my opinion, there's nothing wrong with that. I don't think they're being greedy, they're trying to get up to speed.

If a player is willing to sign eight or nine cards, that's up to them. Though most don't, some do. And more power to the hound -- newbie to veteran -- who benefits from the player's generosity.

My only concern, albeit a minor one, is that these hounds sometimes forget that others also want to get autographs. Not too many players, I've noticed, are thrilled to continue signing, even if it's only a couple of items, after pounding out a nine board or four pucks for a person.

Bottom line: Who am I, or who are you, to dictate how many autographs another person gets in a day. It's our hobby. We should have fun doing it. That's why we go out there, right?

He's a real Einstein

I couldn't help but laugh to myself last week when, with the Devils in town, one of a dealer's young minions prided himself on recognizing goalie Martin Brodeur. Now, recognizing teammates Matt Halischuk or Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond? That, my friend, would've been impressive.

"I knew that was Brodeur," he told his mates, a proud smile widening across his face.

Wow! Nice job, young man. Recognizing a sure-fire Hall of Famer like Brodeur. It's not like he hasn't been in the news over, say, the past couple of seasons. Making a spot-on call like that shows you definitely have a future in the business.

Here's some advice, too. I'd start asking the boss for more than $10 for a team-signed 16x20 photo. Your knowledge and effort is certainly worth $25-$30 a pop, don't you think?

5 Big Sigs

With the Lightning hitting the road for four games this week, the next hounding adventures take place Nov. 12 for Minnesota and Nov. 14 for the Los Angeles Kings.

That doesn't mean, though, there won't be some autograph reports. Thanks to Hound Central 5.0's correspondents Moody and Al, you can expect to read about these signings:

~ Catching up with reports from the Senators and Devils;
~ Updated hounding report from incredibleIce in South Florida;
~ Hall of Fame goalie Johnny Bower;
~ Post-game inside the St. Pete Times Forum; and
~ Top Ontario Hockey League prospects.

Happy Halloween!

Say hello to the scariest goalie in Hockey Bay: Anton Kantstopapuck.

Humor, or humour?

Half the fun in being a Buffalo Sabres fan is the ability to rib buddies who, for reasons beyond by pea-sized brain's ability to comprehend, blindly pledge their allegiance to the Toronto Maple Loafs. In my case, it's Al, Hound Central 5.0's Toronto-based correspondent.

After the Loafs won their first game of the season Monday night, I couldn't help but "congratulate" him on the team's feat, sending an e-mail with a "Leafs win! Leafs win! Leafs win!" subject:

Puckhound: Just wondering whether there was rioting in the streets of Hogtown last night?

Being an affable fellow, he played right along, offering this gem:

Al: Stanley Cup tickets went on sale today!

God, I hope he's kidding. Given the Loafs' ability to pack the Air Canada Centre, despite decades of disappointment and the club's dismal start this season, maybe he wasn't. Loafs fans, I must admit, are a loyal lot.

Limited time only

Between my daytime work schedule and a couple of fill-in recreational hockey league games later in the day, the Missus and Colin had a small window of opportunity Saturday morning to collect autographs from the Buffalo Sabres. Namely, when the players headed over to the morning skate at the St. Pete Times Forum.

After their combined efforts, in which they snagged 46 autographs, it's safe to say they delivered.

Colin, in working his Colin's Pucks project, added another three pucks, giving him seven for the week. Signing were, from left, Ryan Miller, on the U.S.A. souvenir puck, and Tyler Myers, who signed the Sabres and Kelowna Rockets pucks.

Among those signing cards were:

Top row: Patrick Lalime, Toni Lydman and Clarke MacArthur; and
Bottom row: Jason Pominville, Craig Rivet and Henrik Tallinder.

Other highlights of the morning-skate-only session:

~ Colin snagging 21 of 23 Sabres players on his team sheet;
~ Taking advantage of a deep collection of specialty set cards;
~ Having Tyler Myers sign the 2008 NHL Draft program; and
~ Adding Mike Grier to the Threads collection.

He missed only two

I'm not sure what's more impressive on Colin's team sheet for the Buffalo Sabres. His representation of the team's shoulder logo or the fact that he got 21 of the team's 23 players, missing only Tim Connolly and Ryan Miller, who instead signed a U.S.A. souvenir puck.

All in all, a pretty solid effort, don't you think?

Array of autographs

Being a Buffalo kid, meaning that the Sabres are my favorite NHL team, the deepest collection of specialty card sets revolves around the club's American Hockey League farm teams. This assortment, among the 20 cards collected by the Missus on Saturday, are an accurate representation of my devotion to the Sabres.

Signing were, from left, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Andrej Sekera (on an Ontario Hockey League All Star Classic card) and Thomas Vanek.

He's good for four

If getting Buffalo's monstrous rookie Tyler Myers to sign a pair of pucks and Colin's team sheet Saturday morning wasn't enough, the 6-foot-8 defenseman, who scored the game-winner in the Sabres' 3-2 shootout thriller, also signed this 2008 NHL Draft program.

With the Los Angeles Kings coming to town in mid-November, we're hoping to add No. 2 pick Drew Doughty, at left, to the program. That would leave only St. Louis' Alex Pietrangelo, center, 2008's fourth-overall pick, to complete the piece.

Threads: Mike Grier

Though we'd hoped to get Buffalo's Tim Connolly and Henrik Tallinder to also add jersey cards to the Threads project, we're happy to walk away from Saturday's morning skate hounding sesson with this solid contribution from Buffalo's Mike Grier.

Sunday morning homily IV

All last week, we thought we'd be attending the Sabres-Lightning game last night, courtesy of Art Pier, a Lightning ticket rep who promised to make good on a horrible home opener experience. Instead, we watched at home as the Sabres won, 3-2, in an exciting shootout.

Earlier this month, on somewhat of a whim, I bought an upgraded package -- two club-level tickets, a parking pass, and two hot dogs and sodas -- for the Lightning's home opener against the New Jersey Devils. The cost for a boys' night out: $140.

When I picked up the package early on game day, it lacked a parking pass. The ticket clerk, unfortunately, had no idea about it, suggesting that we tell the parking attendant that our package included free parking, even though we lacked the pass. Yeah, right, that will work. The clerk also had no information about the food and drinks.

Combined, that was Strike 1.

Strike 2 came as we tried to enter the St. Pete Times Forum later that day. Our tickets, we were told, were reprints, meaning we were, at the moment, being denied admission. The turnstile attendant directed us to the box office, suggesting we get in line so we could explain our plight. One look at the snaking line, and we immediately went to the Will Call table. In about 10 minutes, we got tickets that granted admission.

Once inside, we went about trying to find a concession stand that honored the coupons for the hot dogs and sodas. Only until we asked a third person did we find the proper concession stand. That, I'm afraid, was Strike 3. Once there, though, a worker, unfamiliar with the package, said we didn't have the stub for the food. A supervisor, recognizing that we did indeed have the stub, quickly resolved matters.

The next morning, I called Pier, the ticket rep, to share our less-than-pleasant experience from the night before. It was his suggestion that he would make it up to us by offering free tickets to an upcoming game. I quickly agreed, saying it would salvage a sinking business relationship and picked the Sabres-Lightning game. No problem, he said.

Last Monday, upon Pier's suggestion, I called back, leaving a message to remind him that we'd picked the Sabres-Lightning game. He called back, leaving a message saying, again, that it wouldn't be a problem for the tickets, including an extra one for the Missus.

I called back Tuesday, telling Pier, in another message, that I'd be in Tampa on Wednesday and Thursday, making it convenient for me to pick up the tickets either day. Pier never returned the call.

On Wednesday, I again called Pier -- following the principle that a squeaky wheel usually gets grease -- leaving yet another message reminding him of our opening night inconveniences, his promise and the convenience of getting the tickets either that day or Thursday. I also asked whether this was the way he and the Lightning operated. That call, much to my surprise, was never returned.

Thankfully, we have other contacts within the Lightning's ticket operations, namely Amanda Graul, the director of client services. I left a message -- actually it was more of a subdued rant -- explaining what had happened. More than anything else, I wanted the name of Pier's supervisor so I could share my experience of dealing with him.

Within 30 minutes, Amanda called back, genuinely apologizing for what had happened, though she had no role in this fiasco.

She, too, promised to make good. Having had nothing but positive experiences with her, I have no doubts that Amanda will deliver. More than that, she's someone I can trust. And trust is what solid business relationships are built upon.

Granted, with economic conditions and cost-cutting measures, including 5 percent pay cuts and layoffs, at my employer prompting us to cut back on discretionary purchases, we're not the Lightning's biggest customers. After attending 20-plus games each season for the past two years, we'll scale back to, perhaps, a half-dozen games.

Still, though, successful businesses treat each customer as if he is the most important customer -- no matter how small or big the deal. Some people -- like Amanda Graul -- get it. Some don't. Going forward, we all know who I'll be dealing with.

Trouble brewing?

From what I hear, frictions may be growing between the Westin Harbour Island hotel and a handful autograph dealers. Hotel personnel routinely place barriers -- in interests of safety and limiting our access -- to keep dealers and hounds from gathering near the hotel's front doors.

It seems, though, those lines may have been crossed Thursday with the San Jose Sharks in town. Because I wasn't there at the time, I have to rely upon those who were there to witness some dealers, despite hotel staff's admonishments, jumping the rope to get autographs. Needless to say, the hotel staff wasn't too pleased.

Though nothing happened -- as in the dealers being asked then to leave the property or the calling of authorities -- those who followed the rules at game time weren't given any warnings.

What's going to happen? That's hard to tell. We'll get an answer, though, the next time a team stays there, attracting the attention of this group of dealers. Hopefully, it won't escalate to where we're all kept away from the hotel.

5 Big Sigs

Technically speaking, there are two teams headed to Hockey Bay this week -- the Ottawa Senators and the New Jersey Devils. I'm thinking, though, that I'll hound only the Senators, as Colin has a hockey game a few hours before the Devils game on Halloween.

With that in mind, and it could be subject to change, here's what I'm hoping to add:

~ Jonathan Cheechoo on a Senators puck (got him on a card instead, as my puck order arrived a day too late);
~ Milan Michalek on a Senators puck (got him on some cards instead);
~ Pacal Leclaire on Blue Jackets and Senators pucks (also got him on a card instead);
~ Jason Spezza on a McFarlane base (got him on a Brampton Battalion puck instead); and
~ Nick Foligno on a couple of cards from specialty sets.