Checking in

Seeing that I haven't been too busy here at Hound Central 3.0 lately, I felt I owed regular readers an explanation for my absence over the past few days.

It seems that the holidays, and all the goodies that come with them, have caught up to me, knocking my diabetes all out of whack. I should've known better, really, but it's hard to resist all the cookies, snacks and, my weakness, far too many 20-ounce bottles of Pepsi.

As a result, I've spent the better part of two weeks trying to get my blood-sugar levels back under control. Hanging out at the house, instead of at Tampa hotels hounding NHL teams, has been part of the process. It's likely, too, to remain that way for a couple of weeks.

Going forward, I'll be cutting back on my writing as well. Expect no more than two or three posts a week. Hopefully, puck No. 1,500 will be one of those items.

In the grand scheme of things, taking care of myself is far more important than any hounding adventure. I'm hoping you'll agree.

Sunday morning homily XVIII

Once the NHL drops the curtain on tonight's All Star Game in Atlanta, we'll be at the unofficial halfway mark of the season. It also marks when hockey starts to get fun.

Beginning Tuesday, teams start ramping up for the playoffs. Some will make it. Some won't. Every point, from here on out, is precious.

Here in Tampa, though, it won't be as intense. Sure, the Lightning will make every effort to make a run for their only shot at the playoffs -- winning the Southeast Conference. No. What I'm talking about is holding myself to a promise I made last year.

Rather than hound every team that comes to Tampa, it's time to add a few breaks into the schedule, especially with those we see fairly often. In a sense, it's pure cherrypicking. Teams like Vancouver and Minnesota deserve undivided attention. Others, such as the Leafs and Hurricanes, can wait until next year.

Heading into this season, I pledged to have more fun hounding this year. To a degree, that's been attained. Colorado was fantastic. So was Calgary. Edmonton, too.

Going forward, where less will be more, I'll remember that.

Goalies are nuts

This is just an observation, but any human being willing to stand in front of a slapshot by Boston's Zdeno Chara needs to have their head examined. At 103-plus miles per hour, there's no amount of equipment (I'll talk, though, about money) that could keep me in the net while he was winding up.

There is a difference between brave and foolish.

5 Big Sigs

With as many as three opportunities this week, I'd probably run myself back into the ground. That's why I'll probably pass on the Sabres (Tuesday) and Panthers (Saturday), and focus on the Canucks. I see those other teams all the time. The Canucks? They're a different story.

I'll keep it pretty simple, too:

~ Roberto Luongo on a new Canucks puck;
~ The Sedin twins on new Canucks pucks;
~ Markus Naslund on new Canucks and Penguins pucks;
~ Ryan Kesler on a 2005 AHL All-Stars card; and
~ Alex Edler and Nathan McIver on their Rookie Class cards.

What's This? 2.8

Sorry for such a small image here, but don't let that stop you. But, when it comes right down to it, this moment is part of hockey history.

Congratulations to Drew and Kenjidm to knowing that last week's item was the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks. I'll be a little more obscure next time.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Three in a week

Seeing that I'm on doctor's orders for bed rest (nothing serious, just tired), checking the mail is about the only chore I'm allowed to do these days. Maybe for that reason alone, we've had three responses within our through-the-mail project:

~ Phoenix's Zbynek Michalek (TTM Round 3, 12/31/07) signed four of four cards;

~ St. Louis' Lee Stempniak (TTM Round 3, 12/31/07) signed four of four cards; and

~ acting on a tip from Drew Pelto, hockey hound and announcer extraordinaire, Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar, (TTM Round 2, 11/28/2007) signed four of four cards.

With Round 4 of the TTM project scheduled for next week, don't be surprised if Minnesota's Mikko Koivu is included. It would be nice to complete that 2006-07 O-Pee-Chee Rookie/Sophomore Showdown card.

Sorry, folks

I've been feeling a bit under the weather for the past few days, so I felt it was better to stay home this morning and get some rest rather than hound the Senators. I hope you understand.

Caught by surprise

First of all, I must admit that my motivation level for the Edmonton Oilers was only a fraction of what it was for the Colorado Avalanche. I made only one hounding trip, rather than three. We didn't have tickets. And I, worn down by a nagging cold, simply wasn't that motivated.

That's why it amazes me that I quickly and quietly added another 33 autographs to the collection Tuesday as the team made its way to the morning skate. And despite the fact that I never saw the Oilers coaching staff (apparently, they rode the team bus), I won't even dare utter a complaint about the players' efforts.

Among the highlights:

~ Ales Hemsky signing an Oilers puck and wallpaper;
~ Snagging a trio of pucks from Mathieu Garon;
~ Dustin Penner, a former UMaine Black Bear, on an Oilers puck;
~ Fernando Pisani and Jarret Stoll adding to Colin's collection; and
~ Sheldon Souray, basking in Florida's glow, signing two pucks.

I marvel, too, at the diversity of the day's efforts: 16 pucks, taking the collection to 1,499; four wallpaper images; eight cards; four cheap skates cards; and a game-used Denis Grebeshkov stick.

I'm thinking that had I stayed until after the Oilers morning skate, the numbers would have been significantly higher, even approaching the magical 50. Who knows, maybe someone from the Oilers coaching staff would've signed puck No. 1,500.

Oh well, I'm happy with what I got.

Pucks, shown above, from left:
Top row: Shawn Horcoff, Ethan Moreau and Fernando Pisani;
Bottom row: Joni Pitkanen, Ladislav Smid and Jarret Stoll.

Cards, shown below, from left:
Matt Greene, Steve Staios and Patrick Thoresen.

My bad

No trip to hound the Edmonton Oilers would be complete without adding at least one autograph from the team's biggest name: Ales Hemsky.

As you can see, he signed a pair, getting him a wallpaper from the team's Web site as well as this puck.

For some reason, I thought it might be difficult getting him to sign these items. In fact, he was the opposite.

It's one of the times when I don't mind being wrong.

I earned this one

Add Edmonton goalie Dwayne Roloson to the list of NHL players who apparently doesn't like to stop and sign autographs.

Oh, sure, he'll sign. This University of Massachusetts-Lowell puck is a testament to that. Thankfully, I'm able to walk backwards.

Just expect him to sign while walking (he's a brisk walker, too) and be prepared for only one item.

Another three

As promised, here's another hat trick of pucks from an NHL player. This time, Edmonton goalie Mathieu Garon signed the trio.

And, yes, the Quebec Citadelles puck caught his eye.

He's familiar with Florida

You can always tell the NHL players who have made frequent trips to Florida by the clothes they're wearing.

While most every other Edmonton Oiler wore a suit (sans a tie) as they walked over to Tuesday's morning skate, defenseman Sheldon Souray, an Eastern Conference regular before joining the Oilers, showed his veteran status.

Souray dressed down and took a more relaxed approach -- sporting a T-shirt and jeans as well as a sport jacket.

For Colin's collection

Though Colin couldn't come hounding with me Tuesday morning, that didn't keep him from adding a few Oilers to his collection.

Instead of team sheets, though, I opted for wallpaper images. Edmonton's Fernando Pisani (top image) and Jarret Stoll were kind enough to oblige.

Denis Grebeshkov also signed a game-used stick (pictures and post coming soon) to Colin.

My first option

One of the tricky toe-drags about NHL rookies is finding items for them to sign whenever their teams come to Tampa.

I try to hold off from using rookie cards in a player's first NHL season, because you never know if their first few cards are better left unsigned.

Team items, from jersyes to sticks to team logo wallpapers, work well, too.

But, as long as I'm hounding, I'll stick with my so-called cheap skates cards. These two examples -- base cards for Edmonton's Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner -- worked just fine.

Another Black Bear sighting

Can you name the former University of Maine Black Bear who signed this Oilers puck earlier today before Edmonton's morning skate, among the 16 added to the collection?

Need a hint? Look in the Vault.

For those keeping score (like me), that takes the collection up to 1,499 autographed pucks. It looks like an Ottawa player, not someone from Vancouver as I predicted, will sign the 1,500th.

Name this logo XXII

Now that I think about it, there are simply some hockey logos that stick with people. It doesn't matter if they made their debuts this season or are from a defunct team.

Last week's logo, correctly identified by Brett as the Ottawa Nationals of the World Hockey Association, fits that description.

This week's logo? I'm not so sure. What do you think?

Leave your answer, please, in a comment.

Sunday morning homily XVII

For those of you who have followed my hounding adventures this season, it's safe to say that recent weeks have proved rather productive. Fifty autographs in one day from the Montreal Canadiens. Four pucks signed by Colorado's Joe Sakic. Three pucks from Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff. Heck, even the Maple Leafs, a team I associated with grumpiness, proved to be willing signers.

Not too long before that, though, I was experiencing the flip side of hounding, running into virtual brick walls and repeatedly testing my mantra that one autograph is better than none.

From time to time, readers comment about the luck I seem to have when it comes to hounding. With all due respect, though, luck has very little to do with it. Preparation and perseverance are my keys.

I won't apologize for my preparation efforts. Because my work schedule provides idle hours early in the day, I put that time to good use by compiling exhaustive puck lists and stacks of team sets that number more than 75 cards. I memorize players faces, making little flash cards of those I don't initially recognize.

Perseverance comes easily, too. If I'm going to make the effort to be prepared for teams, then putting myself in the right position at the right time is the easy part. In my book, anything less than that is a waste of time and effort.

Over the past 10-plus years of hounding -- from the early days of asking "Who's that?" in Greensboro, N.C., to too many freezing February mornings in downtown Boston -- I've had my fair share of more good days than bad. And, for that, I'm thankful.

Luck, I'm afraid, had nothing to do with it. We all make our own opportunities. Effort is usually rewarded. Laziness, I'm afraid, is not.

Something to think about

Down here in Florida, we've started to notice that players who not only sign for us, but also interact in a positive fashion, seem to enjoy a bit of good luck in their games against the Lightning.

The most recent example was Colorado defenseman Jeff Finger. Though he's not exactly a household name, one of my hounding buddies, Gary the Swedish Big Dog, made a point of sharing their mutual connections to Michigan's Upper Peninsula before last Tuesday's game. Finger's recognition that someone knew his hometown brought a giant smile to his face.

Later, during warm-ups, Finger noticed a sign of encouragement (Yooper Power!) that Gary had made for him. We weren't surprised then, when Finger scored Colorado's first goal against the Lightning. It was just his third of the season.

Now, I'm not suggesting that autograph hounds serve as conduits of good fortune for NHL players. Still, though, I guess it shows that good things happen to nice people.

5 Big Sigs

With Western Conference teams continuing to make stops in Tampa, one might think that I'd focus my efforts entirely on the Edmonton Oilers this week. While I will devote a considerable amount of attention to the Oilers, I can't forget that Ottawa is coming to town, too.

With a little hustle and good timing, here's what I hope we add to the collection this week:

~ Edmonton general manager Kevin Lowe on Oilers (old school) and Rangers pucks;
~ Winger Ales Hemsky on an Oilers official game puck and a wallpaper image;
~ Defenseman Denis Grebeshkov on one of his game-used sticks from his days with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs;
~ Goalie Dwayne Roloson on Oilers, Sabres and University of Massachusetts-Lowell pucks; and
~ Ottawa's Jason Spezza on the Young Guns stick.

Really, I mean this

I'd like to take this time to express my appreciation to those folks kind enough to take part in Hound Central 3.0's latest poll: Who's the worst team in the NHL?

My undying gratitude, however, goes to anyone who picks the Leafs.

Hockey Word Association 2.5

Okay, I have just a few minutes before heading out for Colin's skating lessons. The coffee's made. The toaster oven's bell just rang. And, if my nose wasn't so stuffed, I'd swear I smell bacon.

Geez, what am I worrying about? If this will take me only a minute or two to write, you can complete this exercise in seconds.

1.) Rick Nash's goal =
2.) Hockey dads =
3.) Joe Sakic =
4.) Ice time =
5.) Renfrew tape =

Again, to prime the pump, here are mine:

1.) Rick Nash's goal = Sick
2.) Hockey dads = Happy to be one
3.) Joe Sakic = classy
4.) Ice time = expensive
5.) Renfrew tape = lots of rolls

If you will, please, leave your answers in a comment.

What's This? 2.7

See? I told you last week's item would be easy. This week's entry, however, may require a little more effort. What I'm looking for this week is the name of facility and the team that calls it home.

Simply submitting "arena" or "rink" will get you a two-minute penalty for delay of the game. As always, specificity rules the day here.

Hat's off, too, to Brett and Moody for knowing that the image was, indeed, the bottom of an ice hockey skate.

If you're going to play this week, leave your answer in a comment. Thanks.

Winging it

When it comes right down to it, it was hardly a surprise. Given its talented lineup, rabid fan base and place in hockey history, it's no wonder that Hound Central 3.0 readers picked the Detroit Red Wings as the NHL's best team this season.

By receiving more than 45 percent of the 33 votes cast (a Hound Central 3.0 poll record), the Wings easily outdistanced Ottawa. The Senators made a bit of a run, getting within one vote of tying Detroit, but their support dropped quickly upon news of injuries to Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza.

For the record, here are the results:

Question: Who's the best team in the NHL?

Detroit Red Wings: 15 out of 33 votes cast (45.4 percent)
Ottawa Senators: 10 out of 33 (30.3 percent)
Montreal Canadiens: 3 out of 33 (9 percent)
Vancouver Canucks: 3 out of 33 (9 percent)
Dallas Stars: 1 out of 33 (3 percent)
San Jose Sharks: 1 out of 33 (3 percent)

Rocky Mountain High

I could sit here all day and wax poetic about the past two days of hounding the Colorado Avalanche. Instead, I'll sum up the experience in one word: Fantastic.

Given that the Avs are my favorite Western Conference club, I carried high expectations going into the hounding adventure. And after adding another 75 autographs, including 25 pucks, I wasn't disappointed.

From the biggest names right down to rookies, the Avalanche, nearly to a person (Though he signed for a few people, Jose Theodore was a tad rough), were more than accommodating.

Want some proof? How about these exhibits:

~ Captain Joey Sakic, less than a month after hernia surgery, signed six items, including four pucks, over two days for us;
~ Top-shelf stars Milan Hejduk and Paul Stastny were each good for a puck and a wallpaper photo;
~ Defenseman Jordan Leopold did a hat trick of pucks;
~ Twenty-three players and coaches made a little boy's day; and
~ Four players, including three rookies, were happy to sign cheap skates cards.

Highlights among the rest of the haul:

Top row, from left, of pucks: Tyler Arnason, Andrew Brunette and Peter Budaj;
Bottom row: Scott Hannan, Ian Laperriere and John-Michael Liles.

From left: Karlis Skrastins, Marek Svatos and Wojtek Wolski.

Top row, from left, of cards: Tyler Arnason, Andrew Brunette, Peter Budaj:
Bottom row: Brett Clark, Jeff Finger and John-Michael Liles.

Thanks, Joey

In a way, I feel awfully damn greedy about getting five autographed items from Colorado's Joe Sakic. One would think that I'd be happy to get a single signed item.

But when the player is Sakic, and he repeatedly tells me it's no problem signing more than one item or asking more than once, any guilt quickly evaporates.

Needless to say, I was pretty stoked that Sakic, who underwent hernia surgery less than a month ago, traveled with the Avalanche.

On Monday, Sakic signed the Avalanche, Nordiques and Swift Current pucks. On Tuesday, he signed the 2004 NHL All Star Game puck in the morning and my Avalanche jersey in the afternoon.

Let me tell you, folks, Sakic is a class act. Very pleasant, personable and patient, it's no wonder he's a role model for players and fans.

Being resourceful

With most veteran NHL players, it's easy to put together a couple of pucks. In the case of Colorado's Milan Hejduk, I didn't have that luxury.

With only one Quebec Nordiques puck in the bag (reserved for captain Joe Sakic), I turned to the Avalanche's Web site.

I think the wallpaper picture worked just fine.

Like father, like son

Though this observation is based on hearsay evidence, Colorado's Paul Stastny is following in his father Peter's footsteps in more than one way. Not only is the kid talented offensively, but he apparently has adopted his dad's signing habits, too.

The younger Stastny will sign, as evidenced by this wallpaper and Avalanche puck, but he'll sign only one item at a time. Stastny signed the puck on Monday, before the team headed over to Brandon for an afternoon practice. He signed the wallpaper photo Tuesday before boarding the game time bus.

While some hounds expressed wonder about this, I had no complaints. Even if it took two days, it was certainly worth the effort to add these to the collection.

It's hard to say "no"

I'm sorry if I sound like an overly proud daddy, but I get the biggest kick out of watching Colin get his team sheets signed.

He's certainly not afraid to ask and really doesn't care if the player is a superstar or a kid having his first cup of NHL coffee. Because of that, as well as his youthful status, he has a fairly high success rate in getting players fill out his sheets.

In about an hour Tuesday, before Colorado shut out Tampa Bay, Colin was able to get 23 players and coaches to sign.

Big-name players honoring Colin's requests included Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk, Paul Stastny, Marek Svatos and Wojtek Wolski. In quality and quantity, that's not a bad haul.

Three's a nice number

Any time I can get a player to sign three pucks for me at one time, regardless of their "star" status, I'll make a point of sharing my successes with you.

In this case, it's Colorado defenseman Jordan Leopold.

Something to sign

Here's even more proof just how useful my so-called cheap skate cards are when teams come calling to Tampa. It doesn't matter whether the players are rookies or mid-season call-ups, these cards work well when you don't have other items, such as cards, photos or pucks, for them to sign.

Even better, I've yet (knock on wood) to have a player refuse to sign one of these cards.

Name this logo XXI

See what happens when I try to be a wise guy?

Thinking that I could slip a Russian Super League logo past Hound Central 3.0's eagle-eyed readers, three fast responses told me I should have known better.

Justin, Anonymous (his real name is Mike, really) and Brett took little time to identify last week's logo as Avangard Omsk.

Having been humbled, let's see how everyone does this week.

Please leave answers in a comment. Thanks.

Sunday morning homily XVI

Well, I did it. I finally broke down and bought a pair of skates. Bauer Vapor XXII's, too. Just like Colin's. Only bigger. A lot bigger.

All kidding aside, they represent more than a return to skating. They'll represent, for as long as my back and hips are willing, another bond between Colin and myself. As he progresses in his skating lessons, and he's getting ready to graduate to his hockey skates, we'll soon be able to take to the ice.

Though I played organized street hockey for years, I didn't start skating until I was 15, learning to stride and glide on a frozen swamp. It wasn't until I moved to Florida for the first time, back in the late 1970s, that I improved my skating skills. As a father, I'm making sure Colin, at age 6, gets a much earlier start.

Where will it take him? I couldn't tell you. Sure, I'd love for him to someday play in the NHL. What hockey dad wouldn't, right? I'd settle, too, for some scholarship opportunities, even at a Division II school, when that time comes. Still, though, his lessons, and the exercise I'll get from making the ice cry, tender a greater reward.

In the years ahead, I know that Colin will find it less "cool" to hang out with his old man. I'm OK with that. It's all part of growing up (For both of us, probably). As I've said before, I'm hoping, though, that hockey is a common bond that'll keep us close.

Skating together is another step in that direction.

Just the right time

One would think that after attending six straight Saturday night Lightning games, I'd be suffering withdrawal symptoms over the past three weeks. Thankfully, that hasn't been the case.

The break, interrupted only by a couple of hounding trips (Montreal and Pittsburgh), has been nice. It allowed for some R&R, back-office work (basically, a puck order and card collating) and a recharging of the hockey batteries.

It'll be nice, too, that some Western Conference teams (Colorado, Edmonton and Vancouver) are coming our way. So are Buffalo and Ottawa, two hound-friendly teams.

5 Big Sigs

I've been looking forward to this week, when the Avalanche, my Western Conference favorite, visits Tampa. I'm a bit disappointed, though, that Joe Sakic, who had hernia surgery less than a month ago, is unlikely to be with the team.

Still, these could erase the sting:

~ winger Milan Hejduk on an Avalanche puck and a wallpaper;
~ center Paul Stastny, the team's top scorer, on an Avalanche puck and a wallpaper;
~ goalie Jose Theodore on a Quebec Citadelles puck and, if I'm lucky, the Team Canada goalie mask;
~ winger Wojtek Wolski on Avalanche and Brampton Battalion pucks; and
~ TV color guy Peter McNab, a former player, on a Sabres puck.

Now, should Joey, by the grace of God and his hockey-based counterparts, travel with the team (I'm not holding my breath, though), I'll have this assortment of pucks of which I'd be ecstatic, but forever humbled, if he'd sign any two of these:

~ Colorado Avalanche;
~ Quebec Nordiques;
~ 2004 NHL All Star Game (he was the MVP);
~ Swift Current Broncos; and
~ 2004 World Cup of Hockey-Team Canada

Hockey Word Association 2.4

Excuse me, Mr. Sherwood, but you missed a week. Attendance will factor into your year-end grade.

As for everyone else, a little more participation would be appreciated. Humor me, will you?

1.) Trap =
2.) Matinees =
3.) Ryan Getzlaf =
4.) Dump-and-chase =
5.) Mike Richards =

To get things rolling, here are mine:

1.) Trap = New Jersey Devils
2.) Matinees = Sundays, please
3.) Ryan Getzlaf = Worth every penny
4.) Dump-and-chase = Sloppy
5.) Mike Richards = Bobby Clarke

What do you think?

Even though Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal logged two goals and an assist in the Penguins' 4-1 victory over the Lightning last night, I still say he's this season's poster boy for sophomore slumps.

Any other contenders?

Telling the truth

Any hound who tells you that they don't want an autograph from Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby is one of two things: crazy or lying. That's why I took the calculated risk Wednesday by heading over to Tampa to hound the Penguins.

First, I knew the game-day crowd would be huge, unruly and likely leave me in a grumpy mood. Second, I figured being part of a small group could increase my chances of nailing that elusive autograph. Experience tells me the first hypothesis will pan out. The second, however, proved to be false.

Though our group of five collectors saw Crosby, we all went home empty-handed. Thanks to hotel courtesy vans and his innate ability to dodge autograph seekers, Slick Sid lived up to my low expectations.

Still, though, I can't complain. Pittsburgh's other megastar, Evgeni Malkin, made a point a signing. So did plenty of other Penguins, allowing me to I add another 28 autographs to the collection. Among the highlights:

~ eight pucks, including those shown above, from left, Kris Letang, Jordan Staal and Petr Sykora;
~ 17 cards, including those shown below, from left, Erik Christensen, Ryan Malone (signed four cards), Jarkko Ruutu (one-per) and Ryan Whitney (one-per);
~ two cheapskate cards from rookie call-ups Ryan Lannon and Ryan Stone; and
~ Winter Classic winning goalie Ty Conklin on the American-born goalie stick and a University of New Hampshire puck.

Baby steps

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, it seems, is getting brave. In what appears to be his favorite trick to avoid autograph hounds, the face of the today's NHL routinely limits his public exposure by limiting those instances to mere seconds, not moments.

Rather than have the hotel courtesy van park within 4 feet of the front door, as he did last year in a visit to Tampa, the Next One graciously allowed the driver to park 8 feet away yesterday. Four feet might not seem that great a distance, but it represented a giant leap in the young ambassador's maturation process.

The extra distance gave five hounds -- all collectors, too -- a glimpse of Crosby. We asked him if he would sign, but all he did was look over. No wave. No smile. Not even an "I'll sign for you later."

Oh, well, what can I say? I tried. My low expectations for Crosby were fulfilled.

Thanks again, Sidney. You're a real friend of the fans.

Consolation prize

While I can boo-hoo all I want about not getting Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby to sign an autograph yesterday, you won't hear a sniffle after getting the Penguins' Evgeni Malkin to sign this puck.

From what I hear, Malkin's a pretty capable signer.

That's a pretty sweet signature, too, don't you think?

Fond memories

NHL players, no matter their ages or experience, seem to get a kick out of signing pucks from their days in the juniors. Pittsburgh's Kris Letang, on a Val-d'Or Foreurs puck, and Jordan Staal, on a Peterborough Petes 50th anniversary puck, were the latest to sign.

Time heals all wounds

A couple years ago, most people remembered goalie Ty Conklin, then with the Edmonton Oilers, for one thing -- mishandling a puck that led to a pivotal Carolina Hurricanes goal in the Stanley Cup finals.

It's funny, however, how things change.

Earlier this month, on the first day of the new year, he stymied the Buffalo Sabres on an international stage, stopping pucks and dodging snowflakes to pick up the win in this year's Winter Classic.

That's why I was happy to add him on this University of New Hampshire puck. Given he was born in Anchorage, Alaska, I had him sign the American-born goalie stick, too.

What's This? 2.6

I'm really trying to be humble here, but it seems that Hound Central 3.0 is on a bit of a winning streak with its interactivities.

Case in point? Last week's installment featured a Slovakian hockey fan, not a Czech.

Maybe this week's contest will prove to be easier. If it isn't, I'm getting a little worried.

As always, answers should be left in a comment.

Forget Sidney

One circus, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey show, just left town. Later tonight, following a game near Miami, another circus, the Pittsburgh Penguins, comes to town.

As a hound, I know I should be excited about this. It's a team full of stars -- young and old: Sid the Kid, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Gary Roberts, Sergei Gonchar and Petr Sykora. There's also players like Colby Armstrong, Georges Laraque and Ryan Whitney. It's what I call a target-rich environment.

But, for that reason alone, I can't wait for it to be over. Teams like Pittsburgh, and players like Crosby and Malkin, are gigantic draws. Every collector, myself included, and, unfortunately, every dealer will be out in full force on Thursday, hoping to add, respectively, to their collections or, in the cases of dealers, their wallets.

That's where it gets difficult.

As a collector, I merely want to add autographed items from big-name players. If I don't, well, there's always the next trip. And the trip after that. And the trip after that. Sooner or later, it'll happen. I just can't way when or where, but we'll get them for our collection.

The know-little dealers, though, have to get these items. If not, they don't make money. That's why some scrounge up local drop-outs, hand them a 16x20 team/arena picture and put them to work. Then again, who am I to question how someone else makes a living?

Still, the Penguins will likely draw 40-plus people Thursday morning. At least 25 will be dealers. I'll let them go first.

Last season, we tried twice to get Crosby to sign Colin's Penguins #87 jersey. Both times, Crosby came close, but someone else in the scrum got the autograph. One time, it was a man, in his 50s, who was staying at the team's hotel. Just as it looked like Crosby would sign Colin's jersey, the man slipped his jersey in front of Colin.

Needless to say, this man soon had a 350-pound-plus bee buzzing in his ear as he hurriedly walked back to the hotel. Somehow, his trembling tale that the jersey was for his grandson fell on deaf ears. Trust me, it wasn't my finest moment.

Crosby, too, has some complicity in these scenes. Though his on-ice skills compare favorably with Wayne Gretzky, the kid, as well as his young mates, could learn one trick from the Great One: Have everyone line up, with one item each, and just sign his/their way down the line. Sounds simple, doesn't it?

Because that's unlikely to happen, I'm taking a different approach with the Penguins. Low expectations will rule the day. There are plenty of other players filling the Penguins roster. For every Crosby, there a Erik Christensen. For every Malkin, there's a Brooks Orpik. For every Staal, there's another three Staals.

However, if a small group or one-on-one situation presents itself, I'll be prepared for it. Colin's Crosby jersey, the one he wanted to get signed last season, is packed.

C'mon, Sidney, it'll take only 15 seconds.

Name this logo XX

Ah, it appears that Hound Central 3.0 just might be on to something here. After week after week of affording readers easy guesses in this contest, adding international logos might have thrown a curve to some of the veteran winners.

Hat's off to Justin for knowing that last week's logo belonged to Brynas IF of the Elitserien, or Swedish Elite League.

Gary the Swedish Big Dog, a hounding buddy from Sarasota, sent me an e-mail with the correct answer, too. Maybe next time, he'll follow the rules.

To be considered, answers must be submitted in comments.

Sunday morning homily XV

Here at Hound Central 3.0's headquarters, we've been operating at a level just slightly below DefCon 4 over the past 24 hours. With the holidays over, we begin our busiest season of the year. Nope, it's not baseball. Spring training's about six weeks away.

Our double-timing, 18-plus-hour days are focused on one objective: family visits. While we welcome the chance to spend time with loved ones from back home, it always seems to catch us by surprise how quickly it happens after the holidays. That, and the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling cleaning that comes with it.

The late start to this morning's homily, still being written past the lunchtime hour, was brought about by an old lesson: do your chores before you play. That's why I spent the past three hours taking down and putting away most of our Christmas decorations, sweeping porches and tightening up rocking chairs.

It was only after completing those chores could I find the time for my weekly obligation. It just wouldn't seem right.

Our company starts arriving this afternoon. Colin's Nana and Babop fly down Wednesday. I'll soon have back-to-back four-day weekends. I wouldn't have it any other way. Now that the chores are done, it's time to kick back and play.

Boys will be boys

It seems that the University of Maine mens hockey team has a wicked-good sense of humor. The Black Bears, in Florida for a holiday tournament down in Estero, stopped by the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon on New Year's Eve day to practice before heading home.

According to the story, and I can only verify its ending, a freshman won a "raffle" at the end of a team meal/meeting and was "awarded" the opportunity to skate with the Tampa Bay Lightning later that morning. While everyone else wore their warm-ups, he was told to get into his gear.

When we walked into the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, recognizing we were surrounded by Black Bears, I thought it was strange that only one player was dressed. Soon enough, he realized, much to his red-faced dismay as his teammates roared with laughter, that it was a prank.

A good one, too, if you ask me.

To his credit, he took a couple laps around the rink -- by himself. It's the price he paid to be part of a team.

5 Big Sigs

Though Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and this season's poster boy for sophomore slumps, Jordan Staal, sit atop my Penguins' wish list, I'll be happy to add these to the collection:

~ Winter Classic game-winning goalie Ty Conklin, a former Sabre, on the American-born goalie stick and a University of New Hampshire puck;
~ defenseman Sergei Gonchar on a Penguins mini pennant;
~ defenseman Kris Letang on Penguins and Val-d'Or pucks.
~ winger Petr Sykora on Penguins and Devils pucks; and
~ defenseman Ryan Whitney on a 2002 NHL Draft Class photo.

Hardly Amped

I much as I hate to admit it, one of the lasting images of the snowy Winter Classic comes from the Amp commercial featuring Buffalo's Ryan Miller and Los Angeles' J-Sebastien Aubin gently insulting each other's mother.

While it's easy to understand using Miller, seeing that he played in the game, but to cast Aubin in the role? Aside from Kings fans, I'm sure there are plenty of hockey fans who still don't know who he was.

Given all the money devoted to brand recognition these days, it's hard to believe that there weren't other goalies waiting in the wings. Why not use Pittsburgh's Ty Conklin?

My favorite line? Miller's lamp-lighter: "You're momma's so ugly she makes onions cry."

Hockey Word Association 2.3

With the kids heading back to school next week (or, at least they are down here in Florida), there's one less excuse for not taking part in this mental exercise.

It's so simple, even a Leafs fan can do it. Well, maybe.

1.) Winter Classic =
2.) Winded =
3.) Dustin Brown =
4.) Dump and chase =
5.) Practice pucks =

A time to shine

Other than winning the 2004 Stanley Cup, the Tampa Bay Lightning's only other claim to hockey fame is playing host to the 1999 NHL All Star Game.

All of the NHL's big names -- from Wayne Gretzky to Peter Forsberg to Martin Brodeur -- were in town. So were some of these forgettable contributors -- Theo Fleury, Dimitri Khristich and Sergei Krivokrasov. For a few days, Tampa was Hockey Central.

Unfortunately, I was nowhere near Tampa. We were in the Carolinas, two of the handful of folks who understood the game when the Hurricanes played at the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum. And, yes, we hounded the 'Canes.

Because I work in NHL cities, it's easy to concentrate on the "hometown" team. That's why, during the Lightning's 2006 preseason IceFest event, I reached deep into my wallet, fishing out two crisp $1 bills, and bought two sets of the game's helmet stickers.

Once I applied them to a helmet, a game-issued model plucked earlier from a bargain bin (it cost $20)at the AHL's Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs team store, a future showcase item of the collection was born.

The signing project began, in earnest, this season. And while the progress has been, at best, methodical, I know that it'll take a few years to fill it out. To date, I've gotten signatures from Atlanta's Alexei Zhitnik, who represented the Sabres; Boston's Marco Sturm, who represented the Sharks; Buffalo's Lindy Ruff, head coach of the World squad; New York's Jim Schoenfeld, assistant coach of the North America squad; and Toronto's Mats Sundin.

And while there are some players who I'm unlikely to get -- Eddie Belfour, winning goaltender Ron Tugnutt and Alexei Yashin come to mind -- I should be able to add a few more players this season -- Atlanta's Bobby Holik and Mark Recchi, Buffalo's Teppo Numminen, Minnesota's Pavol Demitra, Montreal's Roman Hamrlik, the Rangers' Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka, and Pittsburgh's Darryl Sydor.

Until then, though, these will have to suffice:


Jim Schoenfeld, left, Lindy Ruff and Marco Sturm

Mats Sundin, left, and Marco Sturm

Alexei Zhitnik

This spot is reserved for Wayne Gretzky, who was the MVP of the 49th NHL All Star Game. Pretty fitting, don't you think?

Born in the U.S.A.

For the past few years, I've been assembling an autographed piece that has become one of the centerpieces of our collection -- a Team Canada goalie mask. Not wanting to leave their American-born counterparts on the bench, so to speak, I started a goalie stick featuring goalies born here in the states.

And while the Team Canada mask, which features autographs from Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur, has no shortage of candidates, the goalie stick will draw from a very shallow pool. Simply, there's not too many NHL goalies who hail from the United States.

So far, we've added these goalies: Boston's Tim Thomas (Flint, Mich.), Buffalo's Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.), Carolina's John Grahame (Denver, Co.), Florida's Craig Anderson (Park Ridge, Ill.), the Isles' Rick DiPietro (Winthrop, Mass.), Mike Dunham (Johnson City, N.Y.) and Garth Snow (Wrentham, Mass.), and Washington's Brent Johnson (Farmington, Mich.).

Waiting in the wings are Carolina's goalie coach Tom Barrasso (Boston, Mass.), a noted toughie toward hounds; Pittsburgh's Ty Conklin (Anchorage, Alaska), whom I hope to add next Thursday when the Penguins come to Tampa; and Toronto's Scott Clemmensen (Des Moines, Iowa).

There are others, too, like Colorado prospect Jason Bacashihua (Garden City, Mich.), who will, in time, likely be added. I'd also like to add, say, Philadelphia's Brian Boucher (Woonsocket, R.I.) or Robert Esche (Whitesboro, N.Y.), now playing for Ak Bars Kazan in the Russian Super League, but I'll have to wait until they are back in the NHL.

Who else am I saving room for? How about former Rangers great Mike Richter (Abington, Pa.) and Hall of Famer John Vanbiesbrouck (Detroit, Mich.)? That would be sweet, wouldn't it? Given they're retired, though, it'll take some time.

Anyways, enough of the name-dropping drivel. Rather than show one picture of the stick, likely making it difficult to read the signatures, here are a series of photos (please accept my apologies for a couple redundancies) showing the players' signatures up close:

Carolina's John Grahame, left, and the Isles' Rick DiPietro

The Isles' Rick DiPietro, left, and Garth Snow

Washington's Brent Johnson, left, and Florida's Craig Anderson

Florida's Craig Anderson, left, the Isles' Mike Dunham and Buffalo's Ryan Miller

Buffalo's Ryan Miller and Boston's Tim Thomas

Name this logo XIX

A new year brings about a new twist to Hound Central 3.0's Name this logo contest.

Aside from old-school and minor league logos, you can look forward to finding a few logos, such as this one, from other professional hockey leagues.

Think of it as expanding your horizons.

Though Christmas has passed, a still-wrapped candy cane goes out to Drew, for knowing that the previous installment was not a logo, but a caricature of the jolly old elf, St. Nicholas.