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.

On Patrice, Vinny and online shopping

Three hockey-related thoughts before I head off this afternoon to inform and enlighten readers of the St. Petersburg Times up north in Hernando County:

~ It's great reading that Boston's Patrice Bergeron, a favorite of Hound Central 3.0, joined the Bruins' youngsters last week at the team's development camp north of Boston.

Bergeron, who sustained a nasty concussion early last season after a questionable hit from Philly's Randy Jones, said he's looking forward to playing again.

"I want to make sure I'm ready," he told NHL.com correspondent John Bishop. “That’s why I came down here this week, to skate and work out and make sure I’m in the best shape I can be.”

Down here in Humidity Bay, we can't wait to see Bergie play again. Like most Bruins fans, we missed him last season.

~ Great, but expected, move by the Lightning's new ownership to lock up Vinny Lecavalier, signing the team's superstar to an 11-year, $85 million contract. Since he was drafted first overall by the Lightning in 1998, Vinny's been the face of the organization.

This deal, expected to be a hot topic Tuesday at a meet-and-greet autograph session (a future posting, perhaps?) for season-ticket holders, is expected to keep Lecavalier a member of the Lightning for life. I certainly hope so.

~ Why is it whenever I believe I've found a good online deal on a piece of hockey equipment for Colin, be it gloves, shin guards or pants, the supplier never has it in his correct size?

Sure, I understand the concept behind closeouts (supplies are limited and no exchanges are allowed), but offering only a handful of products in useless sizes rivals conduct that would earn a chippy player an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Low prices may lure people to Web sites, but if they can't find products at those advertised prices, a move that may steer some (but not me) to pay for more expensive gear, then they run the risk of alienating customers.

I, for one, took our business ($125, this order: helmet with faceshield, pants, gloves and shin guards) elsewhere.

And it wasn't any Florida-based pro shop; their prices ($44 for an off-brand pair of youth gloves, for instance, while I paid $25 for Mission Fuel 60s) are even higher.

Lots for the Lightning

Given all of the movements made by the Tampa Bay Lightning's new ownership, with the team drafting Steven Stamkos first overall and signing such free agents as Olaf Kolzig, Ryan Malone, Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts and Radim Vrbata, I could very well add another 75 pucks from the Lightning alone this season:

Len Barrie (co-owner): Lightning and Kamloops Blazers

Brandon Bochenski: Lightning *

Matt Carle: Lightning and San Jose Sharks

Adam Hall: Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators

Andrew Hutchinson: Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes *

Olaf Kolzig: Lightning, Washington Capitals new logo, Washington Capitals eagle, Washington Capitals original logo, 2000 NHL All Star Game, Washington Capitals 25th anniversary (above, right), 1998 NHL All Star Game (above, left), Rochester Americans, Portland Pirates and Tri-City Americans

Oren Koules (co-owner): Lightning and Saw DVD cover

Tom Kurvers (co-assistant GM): Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils

Brian Lawton (director of hockey operations): Lightning and Minnesota North Stars

Vincent Lecavalier: Lightning three-stripe (above) and 2008 NHL All Star Game

Claude Loiselle (co-assistant GM): Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Quebec Nordiques

Ryan Malone: Lightning

Barry Melrose: Lightning, NHL 2Nite, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Winnipeg Jets

Andrej Meszaros: Lightning

Vinny Prospal: Philadelphia Flyers

Kari Ramo: Tampa Bay Lightning-Norfolk Admirals (at left), Norfolk Admirals and Springfield Falcons *

Mark Recchi: Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens and Kamloops Blazers

Gary Roberts: Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins

Matt Smaby: Lightning, Tampa Bay Lightning-Norfolk Admirals first year affiliation, Norfolk Admirals and Springfield Falcons

Mike Smith: Lightning, Dallas Stars and Utah Grizzlies

Steven Stamkos: Lightning, Lightning three-stripe and Team Canada

Rick Tocchet (assistant coach): Lightning, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes and Phoenix Coyotes geodesic design

Mike Vernon (special assistant to Brian Lawton): Lightning, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks and Portland Winter Hawks #

Radim Vrbata: Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes

Wes Walz (assistant coach): Lightning, Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild inaugural season (at left)

Ty Wishart: Lightning, San Jose Sharks and Prince George Cougars *

I'll have no pucks for Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, Mike Lundin, Shane O'Brien, Paul Ranger and Martin St. Louis.

* Provided, of course, he makes the team;

# provided he visits Tampa

The only award show I watch

Five things about last night's NHL awards ceremony in Toronto:

~ Perhaps it was a bit too predictable, but the NHL's awarding of its first Lifetime Achievement Award to Gordie Howe was pretty darn touching. I can't help but wonder, though, if that award will someday be named after Mr. Hockey.

~ It was nice to see Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier honored across the league for his philanthropic efforts, winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. Then again, Hockey Bay has known about Vinny's off-the-ice contributions for some time.

~ I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised that Washington's Bruce Boudreau won the Jack Adams Award, for the NHL's best coach. Long before he took his spot behind the Capitals' bench, I watched quite a few games when he was coach of the AHL's Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs. Though he had a tough time getting the Monarchs deep into the playoffs, he led the Hershey Bears to the 2006 Calder Cup championship.

~ Someone from the Anchor Bar ought to send Chicago's Patrick Kane a couple heaping, steaming plates of chicken wings for his shout-out to Buffalo during his acceptance speech after winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. As a native western New Yorker, it's always sweet to see a Buffalo kid do good.

~ For as long as Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk has played in the NHL, don't you think that his English would be a bit better by now. I must admit, though, his acceptance speeches for winning the Frank Selke (defensive forward) and Lady Byng (gentlemanly player) trophies had to be among the shortest in award show history.

Sunday morning homily XXIV

In less than a week, I get to enjoy yet another spring break here in Florida. With Colin off from school and an early vacation request approved at work, we're looking forward to some fun in the sun.

We're planning on getting in a little hounding, watching some hockey, going camping (in the backyard, though), exploring Florida's wildlife, practicing our skating and, basically, hanging out. And, we might even check out the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.

More than anything else, our vacation together will provide yet another opportunity to strengthen a bond between father and son. As Colin grows older, I know these instances may prove more difficult to arrange. Schedules, from work to school to play, will likely see to that.

That's why hockey will play a big part of our time off together. Not just in the weeks ahead, but hopefully through our shared lifetimes. Now that Colin asks pretty good questions about the game, wanting to know about penalties, arenas and certain players on other teams, I know the seed has taken sprout.

Now, it's time to watch it grow.

What do you think?

Now that the hockey world, or at least our little speck of it, knows the Tampa Bay Lightning won't be making the NHL playoffs, I'm wondering why the team isn't shutting down stars Vincent Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis for the season.

With a season as frustrating as this, and nagging bumps and bruises starting to chip away at productivity, I believe it makes more sense to start their summers early, giving them a chance to heal -- physically, mentally and emotionally.

I doubt it will happen, though. No one wants to be accused of tanking a season, even if it means a No. 1 overall pick.

5 Big Sigs

In what will be the final full week of hockey hounding for the 2007-08 season in Tampa Bay, I can begin to close out the campaign by adding these cherry-picked items to the collection:

~ Florida's Tomas Vokoun on Panthers cards;
~ Washington's Olaf Kolzig on new and old school Capitals pucks;
~ Washington's Sergei Fedorov on anything;
~ Carolina's Eric Staal on a 2008 NHL All-Star Game puck; and
~ Carolina's Tuomo Ruutu and Sergei Samsonov on Hurricanes pucks.

Big Three 2.0

Now that Tampa Bay has dealt with the underachieving Brad Richards to Dallas, one could argue that the Lightning no longer has its Big Three. Excuse me, but I beg to differ.

Subtracting Richards from what had become known as the Fantastic Four leaves the club with its Big Three 2.0: Dan Boyle, Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis.

Don't believe me? Those three signed pucks, shown above, after last Friday's morning skate.

Hockey Word Association 2.2

Among the shiny foil hats, penny-a-piece noisemakers and the overpriced bubbly, I'm sure you can find the time in the year's waning days to play along with this week's player-centric installment.

All you have to do is jot down the first word(s)/phrase that pops into your mind for the following players:

1.) Sidney Crosby =
2.) Thomas Vanek =
3.) Vinny Lecavalier =
4.) Carey Price =
5.) Jason Spezza =

Many happy returns

It's hard to believe that the NHL has been in the Tampa Bay area for 15 years.

Not that I've been here since 1992, mind you, but I remember, from my first tour of duty, when the Bucs and spring training were the only sports shows in town.

I marked the occasion Tuesday afternoon by getting Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier to sign this puck.

The blue ink pops, doesn't it?

My All Star picks

In case you've been stuck behind a puck for the past few days, fan balloting has begun for the 2007-08 NHL All Star Game.

Here are my Southeast Division-heavy picks:

Eastern Conference
Forward: Vinny Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
Forward: Danny Briere, Philadelphia Flyers
Forward: Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
Defense: Jay Bouwmeester, Florida Panthers
Defense: Paul Ranger, Tampa Bay Lightning (write-in)
Goalie: Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes

Western Conference
Forward: Joey Thornton, San Jose Sharks
Forward: Brad Boyes, St. Louis Blues (write-in)
Forward: Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks
Defense: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
Defense: Robyn Regehr, Calgary Flames
Goalie: Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks

P.S. No voting, please, for Rory Fitzpatrick this season.

Deep pockets, big heart

A tip of the Hound Central 3.0 hockey helmet goes out to Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier for his $3 million pledge to All Children's Hospital here in St. Petersburg. Lecavalier's gift will go toward the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

It'll be a Wild year

With Pittsburgh's overabundance of talent, it's no surprise that the Penguins have become a popular pick to carry Lord Stanley's Cup late next spring. And then, this morning, as I slowly woke up watching ESPN's SportsCenter, hockey god/analyst Barry Melrose says he's keeping an eye on the New York Rangers.

Funny thing, though, I've heard/read very little about Anaheim successfully defending its championship run. Detroit, as always, is getting some buzz, but beyond that, hockey's mainstream media is making what appears to be safe and easy picks.

So now, less than 24 hours before the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings drop the puck on the 2007-08 season across the pond in London, I offer these predictions. No picking with my heart nor head, but just a gut feeling.

And, as you'll see, I'm a little beyond the mainstream:

Eastern Conference
No. 1: Pittsburgh Penguins (Presidents' Trophy - 112 points)
No. 2: Ottawa Senators
No. 3: Atlanta Thrashers
No. 4: Buffalo Sabres
No. 5: Carolina Hurricanes
No. 6: Philadelphia Flyers
No. 7: New Jersey Devils
No. 8: Tampa Bay Lightning
Just missing: New York Rangers (Sorry, Chuck V.)

Quarterfinals:
Pittsburgh beats Tampa Bay, 4-1
Ottawa beats New Jersey, 4-2
Philadelphia beats Atlanta, 4-1
Buffalo beats Carolina, 4-3

Semifinals:
Philadelphia beats Pittsburgh, 4-3
Buffalo beats Ottawa, 4-3

Conference finals:
Philadelphia beats Buffalo, 4-2

Western Conference
No. 1: Minnesota Wild
No. 2: Detroit Red Wings
No. 3: Anaheim Ducks
No. 4: San Jose Sharks
No. 5: Dallas Stars
No. 6: Vancouver Canucks
No. 7: Colorado Avalanche
No. 8: Calgary Flames
Just missing: Nashville Predators

Quarterfinals:
Minnesota beats Calgary, 4-3
Colorado beats Detroit, 4-2
Vancouver beats Anaheim, 4-1
San Jose beats Dallas, 4-3

Semifinals:
Minnesota beats Colorado, 4-2
Vancouver beats San Jose, 4-3

Conference finals:
Minnesota beats Vancouver, 4-2

Stanley Cup finals:
Minnesota beats Philadelphia, 4-1

Individual honors
Art Ross Trophy (top point scorer):
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, 114 points
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (perseverance and sportsmanship):
Brad Boyes, St. Louis Blues
Calder Memorial Trophy (top rookie):
Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals
Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP):
Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild
Frank J. Selke Trophy (defensive forward):
Jason Ward, Tampa Bay Lightning
Hart Memorial Trophy (league MVP):
Sidney Crosby
Jack Adams Award (top coach):
Jacques Lemaire, Minnesota Wild
James Norris Memorial Trophy (top defenseman):
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
(leadership and humanitarian efforts):
Daniel Briere, Philadelphia Flyers
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (gentlemanly conduct):
Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning
Lester B. Pearson Award (players' MVP):
Sidney Crosby
Maurice Richard Trophy (most regular-season goals):
Vinny Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning, 55 goals
Vezina Trophy (top goalie):
Niklas Backstrom
William M. Jennings Trophy (fewest goals scored against):
Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding, Minnesota Wild

Wanna make a kid smile?

I don't know who had a bigger smile when this jersey was getting signed: Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier or my son, Colin. To be honest, I was grinning from ear-to-ear, too.

Vinny knows, too

Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier was making his way down the autograph line following Sunday's practice when a fellow hound reassured the Lightning star that the item he was signing, a McFarlane base, as well as these two pucks, would not end up on eBay later tonight.

"That's good," Lecavalier said. "You know, the dealers ruin it for everyone."

Another silver lining

One of the better things to come out of the 2004-05 lockout, at least as this hockey hound is concerned, was the release of the UD Hockey All-World Edition.

If memory serves me correct, I groused a bit about the set being nothing more than a cash grab by Upper Deck. With no NHL season, it's production options were limited.

Now, though, I find these cards, such as this one of Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier, are pretty cool to get signed. Not only are they different, but they also represent a snapshot in hockey history.

The Big Three

It’s not all that often when Tampa Bay’s Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis all stop to sign autographs on the same day. I’ll tell you what, though, it’s pretty neat when it happens.

It took a little hustle, but it was worth it to score these items Friday after the team's informal skate:

Lecavalier was pretty darn jovial when he signed the 8x10, out of a Lightning team plaque, for Colin. He even chuckled at my suggestion of 55-60 goals this season.

St. Louis, who gave Colin an autograph not too long ago, signed this Team Canada puck. If anyone has a Saint John Flames puck they’re willing to part with, drop me a line.

Richards, the easiest of the three as he stopped on the way to his vehicle, added to this working Lightning mini helmet.

Autographs from Captain Dave, Dan Boyle, GM Jay Feaster and, eventually, Nikolai Khabibulin will complete it.

The hockey bug bites

Among my many faults, a lack of patience is among the worst. It comes, I’m sure, from my deadline-oriented life. It’s at its worst, though, about this time of year. I know hockey is coming. It's just not soon enough.

I had full intentions of waiting for the Lightning’s training camp to open next week. Once I read that most of the team was skating at the team’s practice facility, I couldn’t resist the temptation. So, on Friday, I drove to Brandon.

After adding 26 autographs to the collection, including 11 pucks, my only complaint was I waited as long as I did to make the trip. Besides snagging one each from The Big Three, I concentrated on catching up with the Lightning’s new players – Chris Gratton, Jan Hlavac, Brad Lukowich, Michel Ouellet – and last season’s acquisition, Shane O’Brien.

Pucks, shown above, are:
Top row: Portland Pirates game-used, Kingston Frontenacs and Toronto St. Michael's Majors: Shane O'Brien
Bottom row: Florida Panthers: Filip Kuba; Tampa Bay Lightning: Brad Lukowich; and Quebec Citadelles: Jason Ward

Cards, shown below, are: Chris Gratton, from left, Jan Hlavac and Michel Ouellet.