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.