Going postal

It's all Kimmo Timonen's fault. Really, it is. If he hadn't been the first player to autograph cards and send them back to me, I probably never would have started on a three-season-long, 1,000-request through-the-mail project.

Once that envelope arrived on Oct. 3, 1999 (it was sent Sept. 21, 1999), though, bearing these two cards from his days with the Nashville Predators, it was just a beginning. The project, basically the result of daytime boredom brought about by a nighttime work schedule, ran through the 2001-02 season.

Of the 1,000 mailed requests, which included some cards sent to a handful of the same players (Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik come to mind) every season, I received 653 successes, for an acceptable 65.3 percent success rate. Only 24 players sent cards back unsigned.

I'm raising this memory because I'm starting another through-the-mail project, though it won't be as significant or as cumbersome as my introduction to this method of collecting autographs. Later today, the first five requests for this campaign, which will take place on a monthly basis, will head out in the mail. The letters will be addressed to:

~ Jonathan Bernier, Los Angeles Kings No. 1 pick in the 2007 NHL draft, at his junior team, the QMJHL's Lewiston Maineiacs;
~ St. Louis' Brad Boyes, seeking Blues cards to go along with the Bruins cards;
~ Dallas' Loui Eriksson, including a 2006-07 O-Pee-Chee Rookie/Sophomore Showdown card with Jussi Jokinen;
~ Danny Gare, my all-time favorite Buffalo Sabres player turned Columbus Blue Jackets color analyst for FSN Ohio; and
~ Chicago's Tuomo Ruutu, simply because I've yet to get his autograph.

All requests will be made through each current/former player's team. I'm hoping, too, that I enjoy an even better success rate.

For a very good tutorial on through-the-mail autographs, check out Drew Pelto's spot-on advice.

Here are some highlights of my 1,000-request project:

1999-00
416 requests, 253 responses, 60.8 percent success rate, 22 unsigned
Notable signers:
~ Buffalo's Mike Peca, (2/2) 12/21/99-7/13/00;
~ Carolina's Ron Francis (2/2) 11/28/99-1/7/00;
~ Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom (2/2) 10/9/99-11/22/99;
~ Phoenix's Daniel Briere (2/2) 10/7/99-11/23/99; and
~ Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier (2/2) 9/21/99-11/12/99.

2000-01
470 requests, 328 responses, 69.8 percent success rate, 1 unsigned
Notable signers:
~ Buffalo's Doug Gilmour (2/2) 9/19/00-11/8/00;
~ Dallas' Marty Turco, (2/2) 2/7/01-3/12/01;
~ Minnesota's Marian Gaborik (2/2) 2/7/01-8/28/01;
~ Philadelphia's Bobby Clarke (2/2) 2/20/01-3/1/01; and
~ Tampa Bay's Brad Richards (2/2) 3/7/01-3/29/01.

2001-02
114 requests 72 responses, 63.2 percent success rate, 1 unsigned
Notable signers:
~ Anaheim J-S Giguere (2/2) 10/12/01-11/26/01;
~ Atlanta's Dany Heatley (2/2) 9/24/01-10/26/01;
~ Boston's Mike Knuble (2/2) 11/7/01-12/29/01;
~ Ottawa's Marian Hossa (2/2) 10/16/01-12/4/01; and
~ Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis (2/2) 9/24/01-11/24/01

I am still waiting, though, for then-New Jersey prospect Mike Jefferson (now known as Mike Danton) to send back the two cards I sent to him on Oct. 11, 2001. With all the free time he has on his hands these days, I can't imagine what could be keeping them.