Thanks, Brad

You know, it would have been real nice if Dallas' Brad Richards had five assists in a game for the Lightning. I wonder whether there's any seller's regret going on at 400 Channelside Drive.

On everyone's radar

Now that the dust has settled from Tuesday's NHL trade deadline, one could easily argue that Marian Hossa's move to Pittsburgh from Atlanta was the biggest name trade of the day. Given his skill level and consistency, the abilities he brings to the Steel City only improves the stellar talent stocked within the Penguins roster.

Sure, there are some, especially here in Tampa Bay, who might claim that Brad Richards' trade to Dallas was fairly significant. While these folks are entitled to their opinion, I'm not convinced, based on what I've seen from "Dime on a Dollar" over the past two seasons, that a fresh start will mean anything more than a new set of unmet expectations.

In hindsight, I should've named Richards, rather than Marty St. Louis, as Tampa Bay's representative.

All analysis aside, an astounding majority, based upon the results of Hound Central 3.0's latest poll, believed that Hossa's days in Atlanta were numbered.

Question: Who's the most likely to be traded by 3 p.m. Feb. 26?

Atlanta's Marian Hossa: 15 out of 23 votes cast (65.2 percent)
Toronto's Mats Sundin: 6 out of 23 (26.1 percent)
Dallas' Marty Turco: 1 out of 23 (4.3 percent)
Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis: 1 out of 23 (4.3 percent)

Scratched from the lineup

Between a sore lower back, cool temperatures, stiff northerly breezes and a little bit of laziness, I decided against going out for the Minnesota Wild this morning. As a result, there will be no hounding reports.

Yes, I'm disappointed in myself, too. I bought more than a dozen pucks for the trip and now they'll sit, gathering dust, until the Wild comes back to Tampa Bay.

Sorry, folks.

TTM: Round 5

Here it is, a little after 10:30 on NHL trade deadline day, and there have been only a couple deals. Until something happens, I'll busy myself preparing this month's installment of Hound Central 3.0's through-the-mail project.

Following a recent suggestion, I'll mail three cards, rather than four, to see whether that increases the odds of returns.

If memory serves me correct, we have yet to receive any cards back this month.

Perhaps we'll hear from these five players:

~ Chicago's Brent Seabrook
~ Columbus' Pascal Leclaire
~ Los Angeles' Ladislav Nagy
~ Nashville's Marek Zidlicky
~ San Jose's Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Welcome back, Foppa

Count me among the pleasantly stunned upon learning Peter Forsberg signed with the Colorado Avalanche. It's not that I'm complaining, but I wish he had made his decision earlier, when the Avalanche were in town. I just hope the Avs get a healthy return.

It just wasn't the same

Chances are, this is going to sound like a world-class case of whining. For that, I offer my apologies in advance. But, in being honest, it means always telling the truth. Even if it hurts.

For years, we've truly enjoyed collecting autographs from the Boston Bruins. Between training camps, open practices and fundraisers, access to the Bruins was fairly open. As a result, a sizable chunk of the collection focuses on the Original Six club.

Beyond that, though, the biggest thrill came from hooking up with players we've watched grow up. It should come as no surprise, either, that Patrice Bergeron, one of Colin's best buddies, is one of those players.

Now, we all know that Patrice sustained a serious injury earlier this season. To many, ourselves included, it was a humbling reminder of just how dangerous hockey can be. We've been heartened lately to read that he'll start skating soon.

What was disappointing, though, was that we haven't been able to see Patrice this season. Colin, in particular, was a little bummed out. Please know, too, that we certainly don't blame him for staying in Boston. His health, in life more than hockey, is more important.

As we all hounded the Bruins on Saturday morning, adding another 36 autographs to the collection (including the 1,500th puck), I couldn't help but think that things didn't seem right. There wasn't the anticipation. There wasn't the recognition. There wasn't a little boy seeing his hockey hero again.

Going forward, we can only hope Patrice regains his health. And as much as we'd like to see him again someday, we also hope he makes a decision that's best for him

Cards, shown above, are:
Top row: Marc Savard and Tim Thomas
Bottom row: Aaron Ward and Dennis Wideman

A good fit

Every season, it seems like the Boston Bruins employ some blue-collar player who, through hustle and a willingness to drop his gloves, instantly becomes a fan favorite along Beantown's Causeway Street.

This season, it's rookie Milan Lucic, a physical winger, who's stepping into the role. Sure, he's broken his nose a couple of times in the past few weeks, but it hasn't kept the 19-year-old from quickly being a pest toward Bruins' opponents.

Though I have my doubts he'll make Bruins Nation forget about such legends as Cam Neely or Wayne Cashman, his pugilistic tendencies and workmanlike approach to the game will only help Lucic (pronounced LOO-cheech) endear himself to the Black and Gold.

Little Thrill

Knowing what Boston's Phil Kessel has endured at such a young age, I'm more than willing to cut him as much slack as he needs. Though I have to plead guilty to contributing to it, he had a pack of hounds, dealers and fans following him for at least four city blocks before Saturday's morning skate.

I suppose some players, like Kessel, believe that by signing while walking, and not stopping for a few minutes, might deter people. It didn't yesterday. Some even hot-footed it across a parking lot, playing a better angle, to catch up to him.

Thankfully, effort was rewarded. That scribble below the USA logo, top photo, is Kessel's, the beginning of another project piece. The wallpaper, below, is from the Bruins Web site.

Tall order

It's not like I'm bragging or anything, but I might be taller than Boston's Zdeno Chara, who, once you add an extra 3 inches of skates to his 6-foot-9 frame, plays at 7 feet tall.

I noticed that last night watching warm-ups from the corner boards. I stood at least 3 inches taller than the Bruins captain. Really.

Chara was on the ice, down at ground level, while I was in the second row. Granted, there was at least 1 foot of elevation. I suppose that helped, eh?

Before Saturday's morning skate, Chara was gracious enough to sign a wallpaper image (how easily can you find his signature, though?), above, and the Slovakian team jersey.

It wasn't Mickey

Of all the living creatures at last night's Bruins-Bolts game, the funniest I encountered was a mouse, scurrying for cover between seats in the second row of Section 320 at the St. Pete Times Forum. Given that popcorn and peanuts often tumble to the floor during a game, it's no wonder we all don't see more of the little rodents.

Still, though, it makes you wonder where else they've been.

Sorry.

Sunday morning homily XXII

Having taken the past month off from hounding, I've had plenty of time to think during missed hounding opportunities about what the future holds for this hobby of mine. It's been a long 12 straight years of pounding the pavement, dealing with the weather and, yes, occasionally exchanging pleasantries with NHL players.

After getting the 1,500th autographed puck to the collection yesterday, I'm beginning to wonder whether it's time to try something new next season. Though I'll continue adding to the pucks, I'm looking forward to taking a more project-based approach -- working team jerseys, helmets and the random stick or two.

For the most part, finances will play a major role in the effort. Like most everyone else, the economic downturn is becoming hard to ignore. A gallon of gas spiked 16 cents within eight hours earlier this week. One station, in Tampa, was asking $3.399 a gallon. we're hearing, too, that prices will peak around $3.75 this summer.

Knowing that what little disposable income we have left will likely head toward bills next year (provided I'm not a victim of the associated downturn within the journalism industry), I'm thankful I have a host of hockey memorabilia that's suitable for signing.

The biggest reason why I'll be taking a more team-based approach next season is I'll be spending more time serving as a consultant, so to speak, for my little hound-in-training, Colin. At nearly 7 years old, he's not shy about asking, but his approach, which often includes cutting in front of adults, could use a little work.

Either way, I plan to keep pursuing this hobby in the years ahead. Some habits, I believe, are too much fun to break.

Trade junkie

Hopefully, I'm not alone in my thinking, but I look forward to the NHL trade deadline every season. I love watching the moves that teams make in their bids to, first, make the playoffs and, secondly, play deep into June.

Here, in Tampa Bay, the buzz is around shipping Brad "Dime-on-a-dollar" Richards some place, as long as he's willing to ignore his no-trade clause. If he doesn't move, there's talk that Dan Boyle, coming back from a freak accident earlier this season that sliced three tendons in his left wrist (is he damaged goods?) might get traded.

More than anything else, though, deadline-day trades create future hounding opportunities -- either for your hometown team as well as conference rivals that dominate the last quarter of the season.

5 Big Sigs

~ goalie Niklas Backstrom on a couple different Wild pucks;
~ Pavol Demitra, Marian Gaborik and Branko Radivojevic on the Slovakian team jersey;
~ coach Jacques Lemaire on the Montreal Canadiens legends jersey;
~ winger Brian Rolston on Wild, Bruins and Devils pucks; and
~ captain of the month Nick Schultz on a couple different Wild pucks.

The kid's alright

This morning's No. 1 star went to Colin, who got 22 Bruins players and coaches to sign this wallpaper image. Sure, he missed a couple, and we all missed seeing his pal, Patrice Bergeron, but it's a pretty stellar effort.

Puck No. 1,500

For the past month, The Vault has sat at 1,499 autographed pucks. That changed this morning when Boston goalie Tim Thomas signed the 1,500th puck of the collection.

I marked the occasion by using a specialty puck, one from this year's NHL All Star Game in Atlanta, where Thomas, making his first appearance, was the East's winning goalie.

The puck, the 225th of the season, meets a goal I set last fall. With some luck, I'll add another 50 before April.

AO vs. Sid

Perhaps the results would have been closer had not an injury been involved, but regular visitors to Hound Central 3.0 said Washington's Alexander Ovechkin is a better player than Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby by more than a 2-to-1 margin in the most recent poll.

In a sense, it's easy to see why. Ovechkin, barring he doesn't get hurt, will be the first player to reach 50 goals this season and, in all likelihood, will lead the league in scoring. Crosby, meanwhile, has spent the past month or so recuperating from a high ankle sprain.

To me, Ovechkin brings excitement and passion to the game. He loves to play. He loves to shoot. And he's willing to dish out, and absorb, some punishment. Crosby, however, is the type of player you build championships around, surrounding him with talented players who only complement his skills. Unlike Ovechkin, he's not the only star on the squad.

Though the intent of the poll was to compare apples to apples, it became more of comparing a Granny Smith apple with a stalk of organic rhubarb. Simply put, there is no comparison today. Down the road, though, we'll have to see what happens.

My concern is that Ovechkin's style of play will ultimately limit the time he's in the league. Should Crosby fully recover from what is often a nagging injury, I believe time will show that the short-term view of Ovechkin, though completely warranted, will give way to Crosby's longevity.

Here are the results:

Question: Who's better?

Alexander Ovechkin: 28 out of 40 votes cast (70 percent)
Sidney Crosby: 12 out of 40 (30 percent)

Sunday morning homily XXI

When it comes right down to it, it's no surprise that 30-plus years of playing and watching hockey has taken a bit of the thrill out of attending games. It's possible, I suppose, that I'm used to the ebb and flow, the body-crunching hits and music that's way too loud for my liking.

For someone attending their first NHL game, though, it's a new experience. The sights, the sounds and, yes, even the taste of a pretzel filled with sweet cream cheese are fresh. To the newbie, and I say that in a positive manner, it's a brave and brash new world.

Last night, I witnessed a new fan's first few steps toward hockey. Gus, a buddy from the newspaper, joined us, as well as his fiancee, Jackie, who was attending just her second NHL game, to watch the Lightning play, and lose, to the Washington Capitals.

I'd spent the past two days talking about Washington's Alexander Ovechkin. Given that he was parked at 48 goals, I was hoping that he'd hit 50 against the Bolts, giving all of us something to remember. Unfortunately, the Lightning held Ovie in check.

You know what? It didn't matter.

What drew Gus into the game was its speed and the action. Like most fans, he got into the physicality, to the point of giggling and groaning when players collided heavily along the boards. He asked good questions, ranging from rules to delayed penalties to even about the thickness of a goalie's chest protector. He says, too, that he wants to catch a puck.

His most telling question, though, was about rivalries. He wanted to know what teams didn't like each other and would play a physical game. I suggested the Lightning vs. Flyers, Sabres vs. Leafs, Bruins vs. Canadiens, Red Wings vs. Avalanche. On Tuesday, when we get back to the copy desk, I'll add Rangers vs. Islanders.

How do I know he'll be interested? That's simple.

"Definitely," he offered, without a prompt, "I could do this again."

Get your motor running

Down here in Florida, today's big sporting event is the granddaddy of all stock car races, the 50th running of the Daytona 500. As much as I'd like to be there to witness it, I'll have to settle for chilling out and watching from my well-worn recliner.

What does racing have to do with hockey? Well, if you've been watching the recent exploits between top-tier drivers Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch, a couple of gearheads with an intense dislike of one another, there's a solid chance that a hockey scrum might break out should these two tangle during the race.

Hopefully, the two teams will be far apart on pit road. If not, any dust-up could spark a pit-clearing brawl that, in my opinion, might restore some energy into the increasingly moribund sport that's NASCAR.

For the record, we'll be rooting for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

5 Big Sigs

Sooner or later, I'm going to get back out there hounding. Between health issues and weather, I've missed more hounding opportunities in the past month than I've actually participated in. With the Boston Bruins, and hopefully Patrice Bergeron, coming to Tampa later this week, it will be a good time to get back into the groove.

With that in mind, we're hoping to add these to the collection:

~ goalie Alex Auld on Bruins, Canucks and Panthers pucks;
~ an updated picture of Colin and his pal, Patrice;
~ defenseman Andrew Ference on a practice puck he gave to Colin after pregame warm-ups last season;
~ forward Phil Kessel on a Team USA puck; and
~ goalie Tim Thomas on a 2008 NHL All Star Game puck.

Sharpies: Blue vs. Black

When it comes down to the tools of the trade, the Sharpie Fine Point permanent marker is the top choice of most autograph hounds for cards and photographs. They work on most surfaces. They're affordable. And they're easy to find.

The only debate, I believe, is what's the best color to use:

Blue: By far, this is the color favored by most hounds and dealers. Its deep color stands out better against a neutral background and, if you can believe this, holds its own when used on objects with darker backgrounds.

The one drawback is that a blue Sharpie is incorrectly associated with dealers. I can live with that misconception.

Black: This color, often used by athletes signing through the mail, is best reserved for project pieces -- a team jersey, helmet or photograph. Not only is black more of a traditional color, but using a black Sharpie may also serve as a subtle hint to a player that you're a collector, not a dealer.

One word of caution, though. If given an opportunity to sign with a black Sharpie, players often sign on the darkest part of the image. Unlike a blue Sharpie, the black ink can blend in, rendering the autograph illegible.

Bottom line: Given my propensity for getting pucks autographed, my favorite pen applies silver paint. Most anything else, though, I'll use a blue Sharpie. It's crisp, clear and looks pretty sharp.

Sunday morning homily XX

Like most hockey fans, I certainly enjoyed yesterday's Hockey Day in Canada presentation. To have a day celebrating hockey's heritage from British Columbia to the Maritimes, from snow-covered driveways to big-city arenas, is just one example of why the game is so important to its fans.

Here in the states, though, the day passed with little fanfare. And, to me, that's a shame.

While loud and convincing arguments can be made that baseball, football, basketball and, ahem, even soccer, hold greater importance in the United States, I can only wonder what the response would be if the American hockey landscape were to stage its own day of dedication.

From youth leagues right on up to Original Six matchups (Detroit vs. Chicago and Boston vs. New York), as well as strong regional rivalries across the nation's professional leagues, I believe it would be a wonderful, and hopefully well-received, idea to have such a day.

With all due respect to the game's Canadian roots, hockey in America has grown far beyond the Miracle on Ice. With such living legends as Dallas' Mike Modano, Detroit's Chris Chelios and San Jose's Jeremy Roenick still playing, as well as a growing pipeline of young prospects (Chicago's Patrick Kane and Flyers pick James vanRiemsdyk come to mind), the profile of U.S.-born players raises with each generation.

The time has come, I believe, for a Hockey Day in America.

This doesn't bode well

With a purported sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning to Hollywood goremeister Oren Koules sidetracked by financing problems, I'm beginning to wonder whether this deal will happen at all.

It seems that Societe Generale, the scandalized French bank that apparently was to provide financing for the deal shuttering its sports-lending unit, I can't imagine too many other banks, especially given the credit crunch within our economy, willing to step up with a silver platter of cash for the stagnant franchise.

Perhaps Koules, the producer of the bloody Saw movie franchise, will rush out Saw V this year to help pay for the transaction. Until then, the Lightning will only, in a best-case scenario, tread water.

5 Big Sigs

Amended Feb. 12: Even though two teams will be visiting Tampa Bay this weekend, I thought I'd likely limit my hounding to just the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Too bad, though, that forecasts for thunderstorms scrubbed the trip. The Capitals, in town on Saturday, will come back later in the season.

What do you think?

To Philadelphia: Brad Richards, Dan Boyle and Marc Denis
To Tampa Bay: Jeff Carter, Kimmo Timonen and Antero Niittymaki

Tricks of the Trade: Timing

Of all the requests for information that Hound Central 3.0 receives, the most popular inquiry centers around the best times of the day to find the visiting team's players.

Based on my years of hounding, I've found these to be the best:

~ Game-day morning skate: Most teams will have a short workout scheduled about eight hours before game time. So, if a game is at 7:30 p.m., as most are down here in Tampa, the players will take to the ice about 11:30 a.m. Plan on arriving at the team's hotel at least an hour to 90 minutes before this time.

~ Game-time bus ride: Teams like to be at the rink at least two hours before game time. Again, arrive at the team's hotel about an hour or 90 minutes earlier. Often, this opportunity draws the most fans and hounds. Expect crowds.

~ The night before: Hockey players are human beings and, as a result, need to eat. Though your wait may be long and the rewards far fewer, visiting the team hotel around the dinner hour can provide one-on-one opportunities. If you have the time, it often pays to stick around a few hours.

Road act

On a day when I didn't think I would bother hounding the Florida Panthers, I was again reminded why the team is considered one of the better road-signing squads. Other than Nathan Horton, most every player took the time to sign at the team's hotel before Saturday's game.

What was surprising, however, was learning from a couple of South Florida hockey fans that always isn't the case on the Panthers' home turf. I had two fans tell me that they scored more autographs in a single afternoon in Tampa than they had all season down in Sunrise.

If that's the case, then, I'm glad the Panthers travel to Tampa four times a year.

I must pass along, too, that I whiffed on an attempt to score puck No. 1,500. Carrying only two pucks (Florida and Team Canada) on Saturday, the team's TV color guy, Hall of Famer Denis Potvin, did not honor my repeated requests. Oh, well, it would have been nice.

Either way, though, we added another 18 autographs to the collection, including a nice wallpaper image from Jay Bouwmeester and a couple of players on Hound Central 3.0's latest project, a Slovakian team jersey.

Cards, from left, shown above: Bryan Allen, Gregory Campbell, Olli Jokinen and Stephen Weiss.

Top-shelf player

There are two things that I always try to do whenever we watch, or hound, the Florida Panthers.

The first objective is to remind Colin to watch defenseman Jay Bouwmeester during every shift on the ice. He's a smart player.

The second? Well, look above. He doesn't disappoint there, either.

Get him while you can

From what I've heard and seen about Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun, the guy is more than a pretty decent goalie -- he's a regular signing machine, too.

In just the few times that I've had the opportunity to get his autograph, I've watched in amazement as he willingly signed multiples for anyone who asks.

This card was one of four he signed for Colin before Florida's 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Saturday.

One of my hounding buddies, whose job takes him throughout the Southeast, tells me that Vokoun recently asked if he had anything else for him to sign once completing a nine-board of cards.

We all need projects

When Florida's Richard Zednik and Branislav Mezei signed his Slovakian team jersey before Saturday's game against Tampa Bay, it launched yet another Hound Central autograph project.

My decision to buy this jersey (for $40, mind you) for the project was rather simple. Given the fact that I can add such players as Atlanta's Marian Hossa, Boston's Zdeno Chara, Minnesota's Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra and Branko Radivojevic, Montreal's Jan Halak, the Isles' Miroslav Satan and the Rangers' Marcel Hossa just this season alone, made it a no-brainer.

Looking ahead to next season, I'll likely switch my scaled-back hounding efforts away from pucks. Instead, I'll focus more on project pieces. This jersey, which looks pretty cool, will be one of those.

Other notable Slovakians, including some members of the 2002 IIHF World Championship winning squad, are Colorado's Peter Budaj and Marek Svatos, Florida's Jozef Stumpel, Los Angeles' Michal Handzus, Ladislav Nagy and Lubomir Visnovsky, Ottawa's Andrej Meszaros and Washington's Milan Jurcina.

Of course, too, I'd leap at any opportunity to add Stan Mikita, Peter Bondra, Ziggy Palffy and any, or all, of the Stastny brothers, Peter, Anton and Marian. Wouldn't you?

Sunday morning homily XIX

Not that I'm a cowboy or anything, but I've heard that it's best, once you've been bucked off the horse, to jump right back into the saddle. I suppose, then, that's why I allowed myself to get talked into hounding the Florida Panthers yesterday.

After putting in a longer-than-normal day at the paper, I was fully content to just attend the game. Thanks to my wife, though, who brought along my pre-packed hounding bag, and her observation that we had the time and the access, it was nice to ease back into the routine.

But rather than run around like a madman, trying to score another 30-40 autographs in an hour, I adopted more of a consultant's role, helping Colin score a pretty sweet autograph from one of his favorite players. I did, however, embark on a new project.

I suppose, too, that seeing some of my hounding buddies helped, even despite some gentle ribbing over my absences last week for the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks. Half the fun of hounding, I believe, is the camaraderie -- busted chops and all.

As I've said before, I'm going to take a more measured approach to hounding through the end of this season. Rather than hounding for the sake of hounding, any trip I'll take will have a defined purpose. In most cases, it'll be to add players to the collection or to work on a project piece.

After all, quality is better than quantity.

Helping grow the game

Though I've watched the Washington Capitals play numerous times, I'm really looking forward to the team's game against the Lightning on Feb. 16.

Sure, there's the chance that scoring machine Alex Ovechkin could light his 50th lamp of the season. My anticipation, however, goes beyond that. My big thrill of the day will be taking a buddy to his first-ever NHL game.

In a way, I believe every hockey fan has an obligation to spread the word of our sport. This is my little contribution.

My Super Bowl XLII prediction

As much as I love to see underdogs pull off upsets, common sense tells me that the New York Giants won't be able to spoil the New England Patriots' season of perfection.

Here's my best guess: Patriots 37, Giants 17.

Addendum: At least I had the Giants' points correct.

Loathing the Leafs

Having grown up in western New York, nothing warms my hockey heart more than learning I'm not alone in my longstanding distaste for the bumbling Buds in Toronto.

Sure, my hometown Buffalo Sabres have developed bitter rivalries with other NHL clubs. But when it comes to Leafs, those feelings of ill will are pretty quick to ramp up.

Though I know that the geographical proximity plays a major role, I believe it's more of the perception that the organization believes the Leafs, no matter how poorly they're playing, are Canada's team. This is just a hunch, but I'm sure there are another five cities that feel qualified to make that claim.

Because of that, I was hardly surprised that the Toronto Maple Leafs were overwhelmingly picked by Hound Central 3.0's readers as the worst team in the NHL.

Here are the results:

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

Toronto Maple Leafs: 27 out of 48 votes cast (56.3 percent)
Los Angeles Kings: 15 out of 48 (31.3 percent)
Tampa Bay Lightning: 6 out of 48 (12.5 percent)

TTM: Round 4

Just when I start thinking that it's time to end this little project, an increasing number of responses found their way to our mailbox over the past few weeks.

Who signed? How about these:

~ Four cards from Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar;
~ Four cards from Phoenix's Zbynek Michalek; and
~ Four cards from St. Louis' Lee Stempniak.

Earlier this week, Chicago's Duncan Keith, part of the second batch of requests sent on Halloween, became the latest player to return cards. Though I'm certain that four cards were sent to the Blackhawks defenseman, only three were sent back signed. Oh, well, what can I say?

Encouraged by these recent returns, Round 4 of Hound Central 3.0's TTM project features these five players:

~ Boston's Phil Kessel;
~ Buffalo's Drew Stafford;
~ Carolina's Cam Ward;
~ Minnesota's Mikko Koivu; and
~ San Jose's Matt Carle.