Tricks of the Trade: Etc.

When I started this feature, Tricks of the Trade, my goal was to share the ease of getting autographs from professional hockey players. With a little bit of time, a decent amount of effort and a budget of your own determination, anyone can build a nice collection of autographed items.

Sure, some folks have other uses for hounding. They make good money at it, too. I'm jealous, I suppose. Still, though, it's a hobby.

As the 2007-08 NHL season winds down (Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final is tomorrow (Detroit leads Pittsburgh, 2 games to 1), here are my final bits of free advice.

Put them to good use, won't you?

~ Don't expect much in late-season hounding: After a long season, and especially for clubs out of the playoff race, the players, by and large, view signing as a chore. They'll still stop, but expect even longer stares. If anything, it's a good time to finish off team items or snag a player you let pass earlier in the season.

~ Staying put: Given the economics of travel today, visiting teams seldom travel home between playoff games. Even on off-days, they'll still practice, head out for walks and grab cabs to a restaurant. Best times are late morning to early afternoon and around supper time.

~ Be charitable: As teams are eliminated from the playoffs, pay special attention to players taking part in hometown and home-team fundraisers, such as golf tournaments, softball games and community events. Sure, it may cost money to get into the event. That's the point. The money goes to a good cause. Adding to your collection makes it a win-win situation.

Tricks of the Trade: Etiquette

One would think, especially in this day and age, that I wouldn't have to supply insight on the proper manners needed when it comes to collecting autographs. Unfortunately, I often see instances of poor manners.

Not only do these episodes of boorish behavior ruin that person's chance for getting an autograph, but the cumulative effect often prompts an athlete to stop signing at all.

When asking hockey players for autographs, please try to keep these three suggestions in mind:

~ Learn how to correctly pronounce each player's name. You'd be surprised at how quickly a player will respond once he hears his name pronounced correctly. Checking player profiles at any NHL team's Web site will provide a straight-from-the-source guide to pronouncing names.

~ Respect their privacy. If a player is talking on his phone (yes, I know it's a trick that some players use), eating dinner or spending time with family or friends, just be patient. Let the player complete the task at hand and then, and only then, politely ask for his autograph.

~ Be courteous. As simple as it sounds, saying "please" and "thank you" go a long, long way to scoring an autograph. I'm surprised at just how many people (mostly dealers, in my experience) don't show their appreciation.

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.

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.

Tricks of the Trade: Using the Web

When it comes to preparing to hound an NHL team, there is no greater resource than the Web. It goes beyond research, too. With a little effort, you can find all kinds of information and items you can get signed.

Here are three suggestions that should improve your hockey hounding:

~ Before every hounding trip, I make sure I check out the American Hockey League's transactions page. A quick trip here will show last-minute call-ups or demotions. It's very helpful, too, that you can search by teams.

~ Team sites offer a wealth of information. Digging around a team's news page can yield such useful information as game notes, practice times and road trip details. Most teams or newspapers offer "insider" information as well. In some cases, though, you'll have to sign up to receive this information electronically. News like this can only help you know more about a team.

~ And while you'll find information on a team's Web site, make sure you also check out the multimedia sections. There you'll find downloadable images, primarily wallpapers for your computer, that work real well for signing. Granted, you'll have to print them yourself, but the image is free.

Tricks of the Trade: Recognizing players

Now that you know how to find NHL teams in your city, it's time to learn how to identify the players. While some dealers and hounds, quite often the laziest individuals I've ever met, don't feel this is necessary, I believe it's an obligation to know who you're hounding.

For the most part, if you're willing to make an effort, that effort will be rewarded. Rather than stumbling around, asking "Who's that?" to anyone who'll listen, knowing their identities can help you get more autographs.

Besides, the research is easy:

~ Simply put, watch games on television, be it on Versus, NHL Centre Ice or whatever, that feature the teams coming to town. Forget the jerseys and numbers, though. Concentrate on the players' faces.

~ If you have access to a computer, visit a team's Web site and check out the roster. Most link to a player's bio where you'll find a crisp, clean photograph to download and study.

~ If you're handy with design programs (Believe it or not, I use Microsoft Word for mine), you can create individual player cards, or cheaps skates, like the ones we'll use this weekend for the Bruins, that also double as identification tools.

~ You'll also see that I used the same sheet to create a cheat-sheet strip of headshots for the players I might not immediately recognize. These serve as a handy field guide.

~ If you're simply too lazy to put forth this type of effort (and, if you are, you really should stay home), you can always work a team item.

Many of Tampa's know-nothing dealers, as well as a handful of collectors, use jerseys, sticks, helmets, arena photos or painted canvases for their goods.

Often, when Colin is hounding with me, I'll create a team sheet, like the one shown above for Saturday's visit to the Bruins, for him.

Don't go emptyhanded

One of the last things I do before heading out to hound a team is to check the American Hockey League transactions. It's a good way to find out whether some prospect has been sent down or called up.

And rather than pass on an opportunity to get an autograph on something other than an index card, I take the time to create cards like this one, for New York's Ivan Baranka, for the players to sign. Even better, the card, made using Microsoft's Word program (yes, that's right, Word) serves as a visual cheat-sheet for players I might not readily recognize.

Bottom line, kids, is that preparation and perspiration go a long way when it comes to hounding. It's all part of making an effort.

Tricks of the Trade: Finding teams

When it comes to hounding a visiting hockey team, the first rule of order is finding them. If you don't know where they are staying, you'll never get an autograph.

With that in mind, follow these tips:

~ When considering what hotels that a team might stay at, look for those that are within walking distance or a 15-minute ride of the home team's arena. There will be exceptions, but this should narrow down the field.

~ When calling a hotel, don't ask for the team's superstars. Instead, ask for third or fourth-liners, or the sixth or seventh defenseman. I've even found teams by asking for a team's equipment manager or trainer. Also, call around shift-change times -- 7 a.m., 3 p.m. or 11 p.m. Calling at these times of transition often catch a normally vigilant front-desk clerk or hotel operator off-guard.

~ If all else fails, park near the player's entrance at the home arena and wait for the visiting team's bus to leave. After that, simply follow the bus back to the hotel.