Moment of recognition

How can a hockey hound tell when he's become a recognizable face? When Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier, the signer of thousands of autographs, remembers you as he inks a 2008 NHL All Star Game puck.

Normally, this recognition could easily become the death knell for any collector, as the thinking goes that once this happens, the player has decided that he's done signing for you.

But when our brief meeting, held yesterday during a meet-and-greet with Lightning season-ticket holders, ended with a firm handshake and his telling me that he'll see me at training camp, I got the sense that I'll have little to worry about.

If I'm wrong, I'll take solace in knowing it was the 10th puck that Lecavalier has signed for us. And, to be perfectly honest with you, I'm running out of pucks for him to sign.

Then again, maybe he was in a good mood after officially signing a contract (11 years, $85 million) that will make him a Lightning for life. Right now, though, I'll take Vinny at his word.