Season milestone

Say what you will about Atlanta's Todd White, but all I'll ever say is that he signed the 250th puck of the 2007-08 season before Monday's game against the Lightning.

From my point of view, he's certainly puckworthy. Not only has he averaged better than a half-point a game in 10 NHL seasons, but the former Clarkson University star was a finalist for the 1998 Hobey Baker Award.

Two good reasons

One of the few things to look forward to during late-season games are the chances to score autographs from call-ups.

And, while some of the call-ups are getting their gratuitous cup of coffee, others give team management a preview of coming attractions.

Atlanta's Boris Valabik is one of these players. A 6-foot-7 defenseman, Valabik was the Thrashers' No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. That alone is deserving of a puck.

Having him sign the Slovakian team jersey, however, was a bonus.

What do you think?

When Tampa Bay's Mike Smith signed the 258th puck of the 2007-08 campaign (and the 1,533rd of the collection) during a red-carpet ceremony Monday before the Lightning's final home game of the season, it's safe to say that Hound Central 3.0 had a pretty decent season of hounding.

That total, however, doesn't include all of the cards, helmets, jerseys, sticks and team sheets we got signed this season.

Go Irish!

A quick shout-out to the Notre Dame men's hockey team making it to the 2008 Frozen Four from April 9-12 in Denver. Given the competition (Michigan, North Dakota and Boston College), it won't be easy, but it'll certainly be rewarding. It wasn't all that long ago that we got to meet the team.

Clutch players

When it comes to late-season hounding, one has to expect that the players are well past tired of signing. Still, like the games that await, they trudge on, dutifully following the hundreds before them, fulfilling their sense of obligations toward the game's fans.

And while I was hardly prepared for the team's late-season call-ups from Albany, N.Y., it was the team's big-name stars who came through for a handful of us Saturday afternoon as the team boarded its bus to the St. Pete Times Forum. Eric Staal, Cam Ward, Erik Cole and, to a lesser degree, newcomer Sergei Samsonov made sure we didn't go home emptyhanded.

In our fourth time of hounding the Hurricanes this season, it was just those four players who helped us add another 16 autographs, including five pucks, to the collection. Yes, I suppose, we were doing a little cherry-picking.

I had a couple of pucks for Tuomo Ruutu, but missed him while waiting for Staal to sign some items, including a puck commemorating his MVP performance at the 2008 NHL All Star Game. For good measure, too, he added to one of Colin's work-in-progress teams sheets.

Ward, one of our favorite players, certainly didn't disappoint, inking an 8x10 and three cards. And, not only did Cole sign four cards for Colin, but this Hurricanes Stanley Cup Champions puck as well.

Samsonov, who, like Ruutu, joined the Hurricanes from the Blackhawks, turned in a pleasantly surprising performance, breaking away from what was his norm during his days in Beantown.

Cards, shown above, are:
Top row: Erik Cole, Eric Staal and Cam Ward; and
Bottom row: Erik Cole, Eric Staal and Cam Ward

Change in habit

When Sergei Samsonov was a member of the Boston Bruins, it was common knowledge that he was always good for one squiggly autograph. Now, as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, he's willing to do three at a time. Still squiggly, though.

Loyal fan

Other than the Boston Bruins, the only time that Colin doesn't cheer for the Tampa Bay Lightning is whenever the Carolina Hurricanes and his buddy, goalie Cam Ward, are in town.

Since their introduction outside the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Mass., in late 2004, Cam has always been gracious. He signed this photo, taken just before Christmas last year, before Saturday's game.

Here's proof

Now, I wouldn't blame you for doubting that I'd actually hound the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Given my recent penchant for sleep, I was beginning to make a habit out of offering excuses, not autographs.

If that's the case, I hope this 2008 NHL All Star Game puck, autographed by Carolina's Eric Staal, the game's MVP, stand as proof-positive that I forsake a pregame nap yesterday afternoon.

Please know, too, that it isn't the last puck of the season. You'll have to wait, though, to see who else signed for me.

Sunday morning homily XXV

Just how quickly time flies by struck me hard yesterday as we hounded the Carolina Hurricanes. It seems like only a couple weeks ago that the Lightning were at training camp and a full season of hounding awaited.

I've been told that time does, indeed, pass in an instant with each year, as we're able to place it in context with the accumulation of years in our lives. If I didn't subscribe to that theory last September, any doubts were erased by March.

I know I've taken extended breaks from hounding this season, keeping a promise I made to myself before the season. I wanted to have fun this year, rather than repeat the frustrations that dotted the tail end of the 2006-07 season. I believe I kept that commitment.

I'll save an in-depth look at the 2007-08 season for another day, but I certainly can't complain about this season's efforts. Thanks to Boston's Tim Thomas, the puck collection hit 1,500. Future Hall of Famer Joey Sakic signed four pucks. Scoring 50 autographs in a single session was pretty cool, too.

That's not to say, though, that there wasn't some frustration. Health issues kept me away from two Western Conference teams, Vancouver and Minnesota, leaving me with a stockpile of those pucks. It's one thing to miss a divisional foe, but to pass on opportunities at such players as Marian Gaborik, Roberto Luongo and Markus Naslund was disappointing.

Looking at the big picture, however, I suppose it's easy to understand how the past seven months went by like seven weeks. Time flies when you're having fun.

On spring break

In my first tour of duty in Florida, back in 1979, one of my favorite times of the year was when northern colleges cut loose their students for two weeks of intoxicating fun in the sun of southern climates.

Living near Clearwater Beach back then, it was easy to get a front-row seat to the festivities. As I joined buddies parked along Mandalay Avenue, our cover (which seldom worked, by the way) was that we were students at either Florida or Syracuse. Our tans, however, gave us away.

Twenty-plus years later, I'm looking forward to this spring break. Colin has a week off from school and, through the good graces of my boss and a colleague, we're going to spend it together.

Now, I promise to steer clear of Clearwater Beach over the next week. Instead, we'll be skating, camping out and watching Horton Hears A Who! And, yes, we'll hound the Thrashers and Lightning tomorrow.

5 Big Sigs

In what will be this season's final installment of this weekly feature, we're hoping to add these to the collection:

~ Atlanta goalie Kari Lehtonen on the Thrashers team helmet;
~ Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier on a 2008 NHL All Star Game puck;
~ Tampa Bay's Junior Lessard, winner of the 2004 Hobey Baker Award, on a Lightning puck;
~ Tampa Bay rookie defenseman Matt Smaby on a University of North Dakota puck; and
~ New Lightning goalie Mike Smith on Tampa Bay and Dallas pucks.

Sleep wins

I guess my best intentions simply aren't good enough. Despite gentle awakenings from my better half and Colin, I stayed home and got some apparently much-needed rest this morning.

As for the Washington Capitals, as members of the NHL Southeast Division, they'll be back many, many times to play the Lightning.

On the fly

Unlike Tuesday, when the lure of an extra two hours of sleep proved too tempting, I have every intention, at this late hour, of hounding the Washington Capitals tomorrow morning.

With new faces and plenty of unsigned pucks, I'd be a fool (neither the first nor last time, I'm afraid) not to try to snag a few late-season autographs. Then again, I may sleep in. I'm trying to take better care of myself these days.

Hang in there. The Hurricanes and Thrashers are still coming to town. Thankfully, my schedule is clear.

As always, I appreciate your patience.

Smaller is better

On my way back from picking up the Sunday paper this morning, I realized that no one -- myself included -- had bothered to check the mail on Saturday. Among the bills, solicitations and an Easter card from Nana and Babop was a tell-tale envelope.

Within the mailing products industry, it's called a 6 3/4 envelope.Why? It's 6 3/4 inches long. Regular envelopes, if you're interested, are called #10s. Unlike most things in life, this is an instance, though, where size doesn't matter.

No, what these envelopes represent is much different. Each tells me that our autograph collection is about to grow. In yesterday's case, the autographs came from St. Louis' Brad Boyes.

Though we have plenty of Bruins items from Boyes, signed when we both lived in New England, these are the first showing him with the Blues. Let me tell you, his autograph hasn't changed much.

For the record, Boyes was a member of the first round of Hound Central 3.0's TTM project this season. Sent Oct. 31, 2007, they took four-plus months to return.

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.

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.

Busy day on Sunday

Between a baseball clinic, hockey practice (Colin needs more skating lessons) and a celebrity fundraising baseball game, the fact that I forgot to write a Sunday morning homily yesterday was the result of my own absentmindedness.

I will say, though, that we did get in a little hounding at the baseball game, snagging baseball Hall of Famers Bob Feller and Ferguson Jenkins on an official MLB baseball. Also, Colin scored a foul ball during the game.

With the Lightning on a road trip, there will be little hockey hounding activity in Tampa this week. After that, there will be four teams (Florida, Washington, Carolina and Atlanta) visiting within seven days. And with the Lightning out of the playoffs, that will bring the 2007-08 hockey hounding season to a close.

P.S. Don't forget to wear your green today. Everyone, including Washington's Alexander O'Ovechkin, is Irish today.

Unintentional, I swear

It's not that I didn't want to drive over to Tampa a couple of hours ago so I could hound the New York Rangers. That's where I was headed. Unfortunately, I was involved in a very, very minor, low-speed, less-than-$200-in-damage fender bender on my way.

So, rather than likely getting shot down by the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Henrik Lundqvist and Brendan Shanahan, I had to wait until a police report was finished because, yes, I bumped the other car.

The hockey gods weren't looking out for me today. As a result, there won't be any Rangers hounding reports.

Go with what you know

There's something to be said for routines. And after an abbreviated hounding session Tuesday, I'll try to stick to mine from now on.

Usually, I try to catch NHL teams before morning skates. The crowds are thinner. Players tend to be a little less-focused than at game time. Most of all, though, the time fits into my schedule.

I had to deviate from the norm, however, when a colleague asked for a ride to work. With his car at the shop and my owing him a favor or two, I couldn't say no. Rather than hound the Islanders before the morning skate, I went after the session.

Let's just say that I really have no reason to complain. Though I picked up only eight autographs, including a pair of pucks (above) from Islanders captain Bill Guerin, it wasn't my best effort.

Unfortunately, in my haste to rustle up a few Lightning items for recently acquired players (who are staying at the same hotel as the Islanders), I left my Islanders card book sitting on the breakfast bar at home. I didn't discover my error until I was in Tampa.

I could only say hello as I watched Islander and Islander walk past. If I had it, I'd like to think I would've added another dozen cards to the collection. All I can do, though, is chalk it up to experience -- routines are made to stay intact.

Making amends

When he was with Tampa Bay, the Islanders' Ruslan Fedotenko was my favorite player. He had skills, was amicable toward fans and, most importantly, has his place secured in Lightning history.

By scoring the eventual game-winner against Calgary in Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup finals, the Lightning were able to secure hockey's Holy Grail.

Because professional hockey is a business, Fedotenko moved on last summer, ending up on Long Island, becoming one of the Islanders free-agent signings.

Before he left, though, he signed a Stanley Cup Game 7 puck for me. To me, the silver ink was hard to read on the puck's multi-colored, but light, background. As a result, and with a considerable amount of trepidation, I removed the signature, with the hopes of getting it resigned in a different color.

Earlier this week, with the Islanders in town to play the Lightning, I was able to accomplish that objective. If you ask me, it looks considerably better now. The Islanders puck? I has him sign that, just for good measure.

Making his mark

If you're keeping score at home, please add the Islanders' Miroslav Satan to the Slovakian team jersey. Yes, I know it looks like a scribble by a 2-year-old, but I swear that's how he signs. At least his number, 81, is somewhat easy to read.

Showing his concern

Who says that today's professional athlete isn't concerned about the welfare of fans, even if they are autograph hounds? The Islanders' Richard Park did his bit coming back from Tuesday's morning skate:

Puckhound: Richard, do you have time to sign a puck?

Park: You know, there's a virus going around our team. It's best that I don't sign for you.

Puckhound: Excuse me?

Park: We have a few guys on the team who have a virus. You know, they're sick. They missed the skate this morning.

Puckhound: Really? I haven't heard that one before. That's pretty original.

Best buy

If you're going to spend any money on an Upper Deck hockey card product, the annual 50-card 2007-08 Rookie Class is well worth the $20. For hounds, it's a nice multi-season project to complete as a set. They should be easy to find, too; I got mine at a Target.

Big names include Chicago's Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews (above), Edmonton's Sam Gagner, Montreal's Carey Price, Phoenix's Peter Mueller, St. Louis' David Perron and Washington's Nicklas Backstrom (right).

Lord knows, I'm not Upper Deck's biggest fan. Still, though, I'm man enough to admit when it absolutely nails a product. Rookie Class seldom disappoints.

Review: 2007-08 UD Hockey Series II

The only thing I'll say about Upper Deck's 2007-08 Hockey Series II is that, six months after the puck first dropped in London, England, the cards, unlike Series I, finally show all teams and, for the most part, major free-agent signings in new RBK Edge uniforms.

Product snapshot: Upper Deck Hockey Series II
Something nice: A 1 of 1 magenta (yes, I know the back has cyan ink) printing plate card (above) of the Young Guns card for Dallas' Chris Conner as well as 2007-08 Victory Rookie Updates (below) of Chicago's Patrick Kane and Montreal's Carey Price.
Something not so nice: This product still fails to appreciate third-liners and fifth defensemen. Don't we already have enough cards of Anaheim's Scott Neidermayer or Vancouver's Markus Naslund?
Puckhound's grade: 1 out of 5 pucks

Nice mixes

McFarlane hockey collectors should start looking forward to the Series 19 release. Why? It features a blend of NHL stars, past and present.

Included in the lineup, due for release in August, are Tony Esposito, above, shown during his Montreal days, and the legendary Don Cherry, left, running a Bruins practice.

Others are Grant Fuhr, in Calgary and Toronto, Alex Kovalev, Bernie Parent and Ryan Smyth (sitting in the press box during yet another stint on the injured reserve list, perhaps?).

Series 18 also offers a similar breakdown, including Mats Sundin, left, a No. 1 pick of the Quebec Nordiques (too bad, though, it looks more like Ottawa punk Chris Neil than a much younger Sundin):

~ Colorado's classy Joe Sakic;
~ Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur, as a member of the Nordiques;
~ Ottawa's controversial Ray Emery;
~ Edmonton's Sheldon Souray, another frequent-IR club regular; and
~ Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal, who, as I've stated many times, gets my vote for this season's NHL poster boy for sophomore slumps.

It's LOO-cheech, SAINT-loo-EE

If you want to learn how to pronounce any NHL player's name, from Boston's Milan Lucic to Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis, check out the player profiles at team Web sites. Logos on NHL.com link to teams.

Some cards provide a pronunciation guide on the back.

Sunday morning homily XXIII

Technically, this is a few minutes late. It's Sunday afternoon already, not morning. It's like time, an hour in this case, has slipped away. In a sense, today typifies this season here in the Tampa Bay area.

Last September, during training camp, ambition and hopes ran high. Preparations had been made. Lofty goals were set. Confidence, as it usually is during that time of the season, was secure.

As the season wore on, though, so did the incumbent trials. There were peaks. There were valleys. Highlights and low-water marks. Rays of sunshine blocked by clouds. Like a slow-moving stream, this season has meandered, creating hockey's version of an oxbow lake.

And, now, as we enter the homestretch, there is the realization that yet another campaign is nearing an end. Setbacks, I'm afraid, maintain a slight edge over any steps forward. The aches and pains are getting a little too hard to ignore. Sadly, too, the motivation level seems to have taken a precipitous dip.

Before you start forming an opinion that I'm talking about the Tampa Bay Lightning's frustrating 2007-08 season, I'll have to let you in on a little secret. Though it would be easy to draw a parallel from the previous passages (something that truly was my intent), I was relating what this season of hounding has been like.

There were great days, like having the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators all to myself. Loading up on autographs from the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Getting 50 autographs from a single session with the Montreal Canadiens.

There have been down days as well. Realizing that a serious concussion would keep Patrice Bergeron in Boston all season. My own health issues sending me to the sidelines for the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild. And I still haven't gotten Sidney Crosby to sign Colin's Penguins jersey.

Three weeks and a day from today, the Lightning will play Atlanta in their final home game of the 2007-08 campaign. Between now and then, with another five teams coming to town, there's an opportunity to end the season on a strong note, setting the stage for the 2008-09 campaign.

Disappointments, I hope, will be few.

5 Big Sigs

Trust me, I can appreciate your doubts that any of these will be fulfilled. Given the past few attempts at this feature, I haven't had the best track record over the past few weeks. But with the New York Islanders and Rangers headed south (in a geographical sense), I'm hoping to add these to the collection:

~ The Isles' Bill Guerin on Blues and Devils pucks;
~ Former Lightning winger Ruslan Fedotenko on an Islanders puck;
~ The Isles' Miroslav Satan on the Slovakian team jersey;
~ The Rangers' Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka on the 1999 NHL All Star Game helmet; and
~ Goalie Henrik Lundqvist on a Rangers puck and a McFarlane base.

That was fun

Not wanting to dip in the babysitting well too often, Colin had to join me at work today. Not only did he help me design a page for the newspaper, picking the photos for the feature on a state park, but he was remarkably well behaved over the course of the shift.

As a reward, we took a ride to a mall, where we tried out our new skates at the rink. He's still working on his sea legs, so to speak. I'm just starting to shake off nearly 15 years of rust. At the least, we broke in our skates a little.

I swear, too, that my car steered itself into the Toys R Us parking lot. Once there, I figured what the heck. Might as well look around. As usual, Daddy didn't get a thing. Besides, a birthday's coming.

Still, though, after a day like today, when two of the world's goofiest dudes got to hang out, I can't help but say just how much fun it is to be a father. Now, I know that there will be days 180 degrees from today. That's life. Until then, I'm going to savor today.

Remember, too, to set your clocks ahead an hour before hitting the hay tonight. I really don't like giving up that hour of sleep. Do you?

Capital moves

By adding Sergei Fedorov, Cristobal Huet and, to a lesser extent, pesky Matt Cooke, the Washington Capitals improved their lot the most on the NHL's trade deadline day, according to Hound Central 3.0 readers.

Of the 26 votes cast, the Capitals, who have surged into competitiveness since putting Bruce Boudreau behind the bench, garnered 16 out of the 26 votes cast by readers.

Given the additions to a lineup that already boasts Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Olaf Kolzig, it's apparent the Capitals were serious about winning the Southeast, perhaps the only way they could make a run during the playoffs.

Pittsburgh's acquisition of Marian Hossa, perhaps the biggest name player dealt (Dallas' Brad Richards, in my opinion, is a close second), Pascal Dupuis and Hall Gill captured some attention, but not nearly enough to make it interesting. It's too bad, though, Hossa hurt a knee in his Penguins debut.

Something tells me, however, that Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Whitney and Marc-Andre Fleury can somehow keep the team afloat until everyone is healthy again. Just look back at how well Pittsburgh did in extended absences by Crosby and Fleury.

Question: Who improved the most on trade deadline day?

Washington Capitals: 16 out of 26 votes cast (61.5 percent)
Pittsburgh Penguins: 8 out of 26 (30.7 percent)
Atlanta Thrashers: 1 out of 26 (3.8 percent)
Tampa Bay Lightning: 1 out of 26 (3.8 percent)

Double-dipping

When opportunity presents itself, and conditions allow, it's usually best to take advantage of the situation. Last Friday, with Toronto in town to meet the Lightning, was just one of those instances.

It's not that I really wanted to hound the Maple Leafs. Sure, they have a few decent players -- Mats Sundin and Tomas Kaberle come to mind. No, what I was interested in doing was hounding the hometown Bolts.

After making a deadline day splash by shipping Brad Richards off to Dallas, the Lightning had a few new names on the roster. These new faces created an opportunity to add to the collection. Hence, the trip over to Tampa. The Leafs, I suppose, were a bonus.

Not only did I add another 20 autographs to the collection, giving me a total of 38 for the trip, but some of the Lightning's recent additions -- Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen (left, above) and Karri Ramo (right, above) -- put pen to pucks for me. Unfortunately, the only newcomer I missed was goalie Mike Smith.

I won't complain, either, that the Lightning's latest version of the Big Three all stopped to sign.

So did a few others, such as Nick Tarnasky and Michel Ouellet, who signed the cards above, as well as Paul Ranger, Andre Roy and Doug Janik.

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.

Silver (pen) lining

Part of the allure of the NHL trade deadline, at least from a hound's perspective, are the new faces that come to a team involved in any deal. Sending Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist to Dallas might have ruffled some feathers here in Tampa Bay, but I truly wasn't disappointed with the return. It allowed me to snag these three pucks from the newly acquired Jeff Halpern.

Kid gloves

One of the many ways that the Tampa Bay Lightning get people to part with their hard-earned cash is to offer for sale an assortment of game-used sticks, equipment and practice jerseys.

From time to time, especially when finances support it, I try to stop by and check out the latest offerings. A couple months ago, I stumbled across a pair of gloves worn by Tampa Bay's Paul Ranger during his rookie season with the club.

To his credit, Ranger recognized his old equipment, even wanting to know where I picked up the gloves. After telling him where (the jersey-lettering area near the pro shop inside the St. Pete Times Forum), he signed each on the thumb plate.

Pretty funny

Should Tampa Bay's Andre Roy ever grow tired of playing hockey, he'd certainly enjoy success as a stand-up comedian. The affable winger, better known for his fisticuffs than his finesse, had hounds in stitches with these two gems following last Friday's morning skate:

On Toronto's Bryan McCabe: "I've been chasing him for years. He won't fight me."

On staying in Tampa Bay: "I love it here. I can wear my Speedos to the beach."

All the right reasons

You know, when it comes right down to it, there's nothing better than getting an autograph or two (or 1,500 for that matter) for your child. Players like them. Colin loves them.

By the way, this picture shows Tampa Bay's Doug Janik.

They'll be back

Once again, a threat of rain, the need for sleep and a nagging backache, re-aggravated in Friday's hounding trip, kept me from hounding the Pittsburgh Penguins this morning in Tampa.

Sure, it's hard passing on one of the NHL's most talented teams, especially after getting prepared for the trip, but there are more important things in life, like taking care of yourself.

Now, that's more like it

The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs were in town, I was taken by surprise at just how cordial the team seemed toward hounds. Last Friday, though, before the Leafs lost in overtime to the Lightning, a few key members were back in true form.

Though they signed for some people, Toronto's Bryan McCabe and Jason Blake couldn't help but be snotty toward those wanting autographs.

For instance:

McCabe, as he walked toward a gaggle of hounds: "Don't you people have anything better to do than bother us?"

Blake, less than 10 seconds after putting his cell phone up to an ear: "Can't you see I'm on the phone."

Granted, these folks must get hounded in every city they visit. It comes with playing for one of the NHL's storied franchises. But, to be snotty toward people? Well, that's bush league.

If they don't want to sign, then they should just say no. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Thankfully, most of their teammates, including such respected players as Mats Sundin and Tomas Kaberle, understand the obligation (I added another 18 autographs to the collection) or the value of being civil. It's too bad, I suppose, that some of their teammates don't understand these simple concepts.

Cards, shown above, are:
Top row: Kris Newbury, Andrew Raycroft and Alexander Steen;
Bottom row: Anton Stralman, Kyle Wellwood and Jeremy Williams.

The pucks, shown below, were signed by Jiri Tlusty.

Put to good use

For the past few years or so, this Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, a gift from a misguided hockey fan who knows little about hometown allegiances, has collected dust in the darkest recesses of a closet.

Last Friday, with the Leafs in town to play the Lightning, I finally put this to good use, getting several of Toronto's bigger-named players to sign the team's emblem.

From left to right, those who signed were Nik Antropov, Tomas Kaberle, Darcy Tucker and Mats Sundin.

Running late

Just got back from a back yard camping trip and have a bunch of errands to run before working some OT at the paper. Yeah, it's an excuse, but it's mine and I'm sticking with it.

Patience, I've come to learn, is often rewarded.

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.