Tick, tock, tick, tock

Time's running out, kiddies, if you'd like to win this Chicago Blackhawks puck signed by Eddie Olczyk in Hound Central 4.0's Win this Auto contest for March.

There are five entries, so far. I'd like to think this puck, obtained when the Blackhawks visited Hockey Bay earlier this season, is worth a few more.

I mean, how many other hockey hounding sites offer its readers nice stuff like this? Any? If so, let me know.

All you need to do, in 100 words or less, is share your favorite story about the Chicago Blackhawks. Doesn't sound too hard, does it?

Interested? Start writing now. You're down to hours. The contest closes at 11:59:59 tonight.

Look at what we found

In Florida, you never know when you'll encounter some exotic form of wildlife. Roseate spoonbills. Armadillos. Iguanas falling out of palm trees on wicked cold days. Yesterday, during a scouting trip for bait fish, we stumbled upon a true Florida icon -- a family of manatees.

With Colin home for his spring break and the Lightning bound for Boston to play the Bruins, we checked out some spots along a nearby seawall where we might catch bait with a cast net.

Instead, we found these wonderful creatures. Cool, huh?

I just wanted to share a little slice of Florida. Hope you don't mind.

One of the manatees, the most inquisitive of the bunch, raises its snout for a breath of fresh air.

Here's three of them. Notice the gashes, most likely from a boat propeller, on the back of the big manatee on the left.

That's us, the shadows in the bottom left corner.

Look at the school (the little gray specks) of baby baities, as we like to call 'em, swimming over the manatees. At that size, they're way too small to be useful.

They delivered

Despite the best-laid plans, there are hounding adventures that simply don't work out. Yesterday's planned morning trip for the Ottawa Senators, in town to play the Lightning, was just one of the instances.

Between morning thunderstorms and an afternoon shift at the newspaper, I was unable to hound Ottawa. Instead, two highly capable replacements -- Colin and Momma -- were dispatched to the scene.

They came through in flying colors, adding a couple of sweet signatures, including Dany Heatley (top left) on the work-in-progress Team Canada jersey, to the collection.

In all, they scored 17, including 11 on Colin's team sheet.

Beyond Heatley, Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson was the other big name who stopped to sign. In doing my prep work, I was surprised that I've yet to get Alfredsson on any type of Senators puck.

This puck, commemorating the 2004 NHL All Star Game, is a welcome addition, nonetheless. It's relevant, too, as Alfredsson scored two goals, including the game-winner, in the midseason classic.

Given that Ottawa will travel twice to Hockey Bay next season, I'll have to remember, though, to try to get Alfredsson on some Senators pucks.

Colin also had pretty decent luck adding to his late-season project, a goalie-only mini stick.

Ottawa's Alex Auld, who's bounced around a bit over the past few seasons, became the fourth netminder to sign the stick.

Sorry, but you'll have to wait until next season for a Senators photo gallery. It's hard to take good pictures when you're sitting at a desk about 18 miles away from the action.

Standing out

It's always nice when one of the NHL's top stars does something to help his autograph stand out on one of Colin's team sheets. This time it's Ottawa's Dany Heatley providing the honors.

Heatley's signature, big and in blue, certainly stands out among the 11 players who took the time to sign the sheet, doesn't it?

Other notable signers were Mike Fisher, Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov.

To the defense

Once again, a visiting team, as in the Ottawa Senators, stayed Sunday at the same hotel housing some members of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That's how Colin was able to get Lightning defenseman Richard Petiot to sign this 8x10 of them taken last week before the Columbus-Tampa Bay game.

And, for good measure, Colin got Andrej Meszaros, one of the Lightning's injured blueliners, to sign a couple cards, including this one, during the first intermission of the Senators-Lightning contest last night.

Sunday morning homily XXVIII

Spring break is one of my favorite times of the year. Especially when it's Colin's. And though I didn't request the week off, letting another Newsroom Dad enjoy a week off, it's still going to be a fun-filled week. In a way, it'll be a working stay-cation.

Beginning this afternoon (the morning trip was postponed due to thunderstorms) with a trip to Tampa with Momma to hound and watch the Ottawa Senators (I'll be at work), we'll spend the rest of the week knee-deep in other adventures down here in increasingly warm and muggy Florida.

Our only regret? The Lightning are on a road trip, rather than a homestand.

No worries, though. Also on the itinerary:

~ a road trip to look for trains, something we haven't done much since leaving New England;
~ go see Monsters vs. Aliens, our latest 3-D movie; and
~ look for Danica Patrick at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Chances are, too, we'll get in a little fishing and skating. Bottom line, though, it'll be about hanging out. Between work and school schedules, our time together is usually somewhat limited. That changes this week.

It's one of the perks of being a parent. And that, my friends, is my favorite job.

The other March Madness

It was a wonderful afternoon yesterday -- house all to myself -- kicking back for a few hours and watching some college hockey. Even better, the game was University of New Hampshire's overtime upset of University of North Dakota in the first round of the NCAA men's championships.

It's nothing against the Fighting Sioux; they're one of Hound Central 4.0's favorites. Our primary loyalties, however, are with UNH.

Having lived in nearby Portsmouth, N.H., we attended games in the early 1990s at the old Snively Arena. They were a fun and feisty team, players like Dominic Amodeo, Savo Mitrovic and Jeff Levy. Only Kevin Dean, a defenseman, made it to the NHL.

Here's hoping the Wildcats make it into the Frozen Four. If not, I'm saving a Flyers puck for left winger James vanRiemsdyk, Philadelphia's second overall pick in 2007 who's expected to turn pro soon.

5 Big Sigs

It'll be a one-and-done kind of trip this week, with only the Ottawa Senators coming to Hockey Bay. In fact, they're in town now. Here's what we're hoping to add:

~ Right winger Daniel Alfredsson on a 2004 NHL All Star Game puck;
~ Center Jason Spezza on the Team Canada jersey, a 2007 NHL All Star Game puck and a Senators mini pennant;
~ Left winger Dany Heatley on the Team Canada jersey, a Team Canada puck and a 2006-07 Bee Hive jumbo card;
~ Forward Ryan Shannon on the Portland Pirates practice jersey and a few cards; and
~ Tampa Bay defenseman Richard Petiot on an 8x10 of Colin and the blueliner.

Bonus items

Preparation paid off in spades earlier this week when the Columbus Blue Jackets traveled to Hockey Bay to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

No, I'm not talking about the four dozen autographs, compliments of Columbus players, that were added to the collection. Instead, I'm talking about the 10 we added Tuesday from members of the Lightning who have taken up residence at the hotel used by the Blue Jackets.

Mostly extended call-ups or players obtained in deadline-day trades, they are more than willing to stop, sign, pose for pictures and/or engage in a conversation.

Those signing cards:

Top row: Steve Downie, from left, and Karri Ramo
Bottom row: Matt Lashoff

Besides the cards, here's who signed what, including one obtained at the Blue Jackets-Lightning game:

Right winger Martins Karsums, obtained in the deal that sent Mark Recchi to Beantown, signed this Latvian team jersey.

Technically, defenseman Cory Murphy, didn't see this mini Lightning stick while we were hounding the Blue Jackets. Instead, he signed it during the first intermission of Tuesday's game.

Richard Petiot, among the 20 defenseman dispatched along the Lightning's blue line this season, signed a practice jersey from the Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings.

It wasn't easy

Of all the years that I've been pounding the pavement, braving the elements and dodging vehicles driven by inattentive drivers, this week's two-day adventure for the Columbus Blue Jackets was among the most challenging hockey-hounding opportunities I've encountered.

First off, my initial trip for Columbus, before a Monday afternoon practice, required dancing around raindrops. Lots of them. Big ones, too. My reward? Thirteen autographs, including a dozen pucks.

On game day, an ongoing paver project that just happened to be taking place right where Hockey Bay hounds congregate at the Blue Jackets' hotel presented another obstacle.

Still, though, after having the Blue Jackets add another 48 autographs, including 24 pucks, to the collection, all I can say is that overcoming adversity only makes the effort that much more enjoyable.

Signing pucks, shown above, were:

Top row: Kristian Huselius, from left, Manny Malhotra and Mike Peca; and
Bottom row: R.J. Umberger, from left, Antoine Vermette and Jakub Voracek.

Signing cards were:

Top row: Mike Commodore, from left, Wade Dubielewicz and Kristian Huselius; and
Bottom row: Manny Malhotra, from left, Mike Peca and Jakub Voracek.

The fun, thankfully, didn't end there:

~ Granting Top Shelf status to Rick Nash after he signed four pucks over two days;
~ Joining the crowd that gathered around rookie goalie Steve Mason any time he stopped to sign;
~ Snagging three pucks each from Danny Gare, Rostislav Klesla and Raffi Torres;
~ Having Michael Peca sign the 300th puck of the 2008-09 hockey hounding campaign;
~ Ending a lengthy wait to complete a hockey card;
~ Beginning another work-in-progress project; and
~ Preaching the virtues of fun with Colin's team and goalie sheets.

Even though it lacks images of Columbus' Nash and Mason, it's still worth the time to check out the Blue Jackets gallery.

Top Shelf: Rick Nash

Excuse me for my pomposity, but any time you add four pucks from Columbus' Rick Nash, one of the NHL's brightest stars, it certainly qualifies for Top Shelf status. Granted, it may taken me two days to get all four, but it just goes to show the rewards of making an effort.

Bring more than one

It should come as no surprise, I suppose, that Columbus goalie Steve Mason, the leading contender for top rookie honors, would draw a crowd during the Blue Jackets' visit to Hockey Bay earlier this week.

Thankfully, he hasn't let his successful season go to his head, showing a willingness to sign multiple items. In fact, a handful of lucky hounds walked away from Columbus' visit with eight items signed by Mason.

Though we didn't snag as many, Mason added two pucks and the right-handed goalie glove to our collection, signing right before Tuesday's game against the Lightning.

Given his age and apparent skill level, I'm sure we'll have plenty of time in the years ahead to add a few more items. Or, at least, I hope so.

A couple of hat tricks

It's always a good feeling when you can get an NHL player to sign three pucks for you. It's even better, however, when two players -- such as Columbus' Rostislav Klesla (top row) and Raffi Torres -- each sign a trio.

These six pucks were among the dozen scored in Monday's rain-filled hounding adventure.

It never hurts to ask

This week's 5 Big Sigs, a feature within each Sunday morning homily where I name the top autographs I hope to get within the next seven days, included a trio of pucks from Columbus' Mike Peca.

A Hound Central 4.0 reader cautioned me, though, that I might have difficulties getting the veteran center to sign even puck for me. Still, I had to ask when the opportunity arose.

I mean, it's not like I've haven't heard "no" before.

Well, not only did Peca sign two of the three pucks listed, but this Maple Leafs puck is the 300th of the 2008-09 campaign.

Catching up, so to speak

Having grown up in Western New York, the Buffalo Sabres are my favorite NHL team. And, of all the players to toil for the Sabres, Danny Gare is my all-time favorite.

Though I loved his pugnacious style and goal-scoring abilities during his days with the Sabres, he became my favorite player after befriending my cousin Suzanne, who, at the time, was fighting an ultimately losing battle with leukemia.

Up until Wednesday, our paths crossed just once -- in Boston, of all places, when he worked Sabres' TV broadcasts -- where we had a nice conversation about Suzanne, the Sabres and our fondness for Buffalo. At the time, I had nothing for him to sign.

As you can see, I didn't make the same mistake twice. Gare, a TV analyst covering the Columbus Blue Jackets for FSN Ohio, signed this trio of pucks after Tuesday's morning skate.

That took a while

When I got Mike York to sign this Upper Deck MVP Excellence card in the 2001-02 season, when he played for the New York Rangers, I never thought it would take until Tuesday for Columbus' Manny Malhotra to complete the card. But it did and now it's done. Finally.

Ironically, both of the Rangers' draft picks are now with Columbus, though York has spent most of the season (he's played one game for Columbus this season) tearing it up for the Syracuse Crunch, the Blue Jackets' AHL farm club.

Here we go

Sure, it may be late in the 2008-08 NHL season, but I'm not going to let that keep me from starting another work-in-progress jersey: a Portland (Maine) Pirates practice jersey.

Columbus defenseman Aaron Rome, who played for the American Hockey League club when he was a member of the Anaheim Ducks organization, kicked off the project Tuesday, signing before the Blue Jackets' game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

I should have little trouble finding former Pirates players to help fill it up, too. Besides the Ducks, the Pirates have served as the top farm team for the Washington Capitals and, currently, the Buffalo Sabres.

He's happy with a few

You know, it would be easy to say that Colin had a bad day yesterday working his team sheet, getting only seven signatures on it, as well as one from goalie Wade Dubielewicz, on this goalie equipment sheet.

To him, though, it's more about having fun and interacting with players than it is loading up on his team sheets.

In fact, Colin passed on getting Rick Nash's autograph so the Blue Jackets' captain could put a little "goal-scoring magic" in a Nash-model TPS stick that he'll soon be using in his practices and games.

So, who did sign the team sheet? These guys did: Kristian Huselius (from left), Derek Dorsett, Raffi Torres, Manny Malhotra, Antoine Vermette, Jakub Voracek and Steve Mason.

Gallery: Columbus Blue Jackets

Please accept my apologies for not including photos of Columbus' Rick Nash and likely Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason in this gallery. I was too busy getting them to sign pucks that I forgot to take their pictures.

Sorry.

Instead, these will have to do:

Veteran center Mike Peca, who reportedly can be a rough signer, offered up multiple signatures whenever asked Monday and Tuesday.

Scrappy left winger Raffi Torres signs before boarding the bus at gametime;

Defenseman Mike Commodore, left, and right winger Jakub Voracek sign on the way back from Tuesday's morning skate;

Center Antoine Vermette, who joined the Blue Jackets from Ottawa at the trade deadline, signs Colin's team sheet; and

Colin also had right winger Derek Dorsett sign his team sheet.

Mondays are my Thursdays

Back in my first tour of duty down here in Hockey Bay, a blurred moment of being in my 20s during the 1980s, I had a sour taste for Mondays.

It wasn't that I was hung over (Drinking in excess is stupid, like asking Columbus' Jared Boll if he wants to fight). It had nothing to do with too many people, all in a hurry at all the same time. Can't tell you what it was. Sorry. I just didn't like Mondays.

It's funny how one's perception evolves over time.

These days, Mondays are one of my favorite days. In my work schedule, Mondays -- the day the rest of the world begins its workweek -- are my Thursdays. One more day to go until my "bonus" weekend, beyond the traditional Saturday-Sunday combination.

Except this week. I'm taking off tomorrow to hound the Blue Jackets.

So, that turns today, my usual workweek Thursday, into, technically, a Friday, the start of a three-day weekend. And, yes, we're going to the Blue Jackets-Lightning game.

Sunday morning homily XXVII

It doesn't happen too often, but when it does, it validates the time and effort that goes into producing these annual hockey-hounding blogs. As Colin and I arrived at the Thrashers team hotel yesterday afternoon, two fellow hounds greeted Colin by one of my nicknames for him.

"Hey, Goofy Dude," one said.

I wasn't too sure I believed what I had heard, but once Colin came over and told me about it, I figured it was someone who knew us. In a way, I was correct.

Dave and Brad, two hounds visiting the Hockey Bay area from Michigan, are regular readers of Hound Central 4.0, they told me. The fact they recognized Colin, even asking about his hockey career, confirmed their statement. Any suspicions I may have had quickly evaporated.

Though I approach this blog as a hobby -- it keeps me out of bars and all kinds of trouble -- it's rewarding to hear from someone who takes the time to read your writing. Meeting two readers, especially those from as far away as Michigan, makes it even nicer.

And it's rewards like that, my friends, that provide the motivation to put in the hours it takes to chronicle a season of hounding.

Thanks, guys. Have a safe trip home.

Time's flying by

It seems like only last week that I was sitting in the parking lot of the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, Fla., waiting for players leaving pre-training camp skating sessions.

But here we are, near the end of March, with only four home games left before the curtain falls on the 2008-09 hockey hounding season down here in Hockey Bay.

I suppose that fast pace means that it's been an enjoyable season, full of great hounding stories from seven-plus months of hounding adventures. I'm thankful, too, that my health allowed me to catch every team I wanted to hound.

But more than anything else, it's been a hoot sharing these adventures with you. As always, folks, thanks for reading.

5 Big Sigs

With just the Columbus Blue Jackets coming to town this week, the pressure will be on to fulfill this wish list:

~ Left winger Rick Nash on Blue Jackets, Team Canada and London Knights pucks;
~ Rookie goalie Steve Mason on Blue Jackets and London Knights pucks;
~ Center Michael Peca on a Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs and Islanders pucks (this, I've been told, may be impossible);
~ Tough guy Jared Boll on a Blue Jackets puck; and
~ TV analyst Danny Gare on Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings pucks.

Lighter load

Even without looking at a calendar or team schedule, it's easy to know when the NHL season is winding down. It's the time when you start to run out of items other than cards to get signed.

Today's adventure with the Atlanta Thrashers, limited by work to only a gametime session, is a good example. Other than cherry-picking one signature for the Thrashers team stick, I carried only a nearly full book of cards for Atlanta.

And, yes, it came in handy, as the Thrashers added another two dozen autographed cards to the collection. Among those signing:

Top row: Colby Armstrong, Tobias Enstrom and Eric Boulton;
Middle row: Ron Hainsey, Johan Hedberg and Slava Kozlov; and
Bottom row: Bryan Little, Eric Perrin and Todd White.

All told, we added another 43 autographs to the collection.

The other highlights of the day:

~ Captain Ilya Kovalchuk providing the prize for April's season-closing Win this Autograph contest;
~ Rookie defenseman Zach Bogosian signing two cards and the work-in-progress Thrashers team stick;
~ Nathan Oystrick, another rookie defenseman, signing off on a card trade to complete the Upper Deck Hockey Series 2 Young Guns set;
~ Colin starting a mini goalies-only stick; and
~ Sixteen players signing a Dali-esque team sheet.

If you have the time, and hopefully you do, feel free to check out the Thrashers gallery.

Want a sneak peek?

Want to know the top prize for Hound Central 4.0's Win this Autograph contest for April? How about this 2008-09 NHL Victory Hockey jumbo card signed by Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk?

Hopefully, I won't have to beg for entries, like I've had to do for March's contest prize -- a Blackhawks puck signed by Eddie Olczyk.

A good start

Count me among those thankful that Atlanta's rookie defenseman Zach Bogosian didn't let his top-three 2009 draft pick status go to his head. No, like other less-heralded rookies, he's above that.

Most every hound I've spoken with this season has related just how personable they've found Bogosian. He's not overly chatty, mind you, but these three autographs, including one on the work-in-progress Thrashers team stick, should show he's willing to sign more than one autograph.

Will he stay that way? I think so. If not, I'll be happy with the items he's signed for us this season: Four pucks, including one from his prep school days, three cards, a 2008 NHL Draft handout program and a team stick.

It's all set

About a month ago, a box of Upper Deck Hockey Series 2 yielded 85 Young Guns cards, the gold standard for NHL rookie cards. Within that 85, there were 49 of the 50-card subset.

The missing card? A Young Guns card for Atlanta's Nathan Oystrick.

Well, after conducting a trade earlier today, in which I gave up one of the four cards of the Islanders' Josh Bailey pulled from that box, the Series 2 set of Young Guns is now complete.

Getting Oystrick to sign the 2007 Heroes & Prospect card was just icing on the cake. He's OK with the trade, too.

New venture

Not content with just his team sheets, Colin embarked on a new autograph project earlier today, snagging Atlanta's Steve Weeks, from left, Johan Hedberg and Kari Lehtonen on his mini goalies-only stick.

Adding Weeks, the Thrashers' goalie coach, is a nice touch, I believe.

A work of art

Yeah, Colin's hand-drawn logo for this Atlanta Thrashers team sheet may have been inspired by surrealist Salvador Dali (our regular booth at Fortunato's in downtown St. Petersburg, where we had lunch today, has "Apparition," a Dali print, on a wall), but it certainly didn't deter 16 members of the team from signing his latest handiwork.

Notable signers include Ilya Kovalchuk (top of sheet), Kari Lehtonen (under the logo), Slava Kozlov (second from left at bottom) and Zach Bogosian (far right, about two-thirds of the way down).

To date, Colin has collected 276 autographs on 19 team sheets this season. Conditions exist, too, for him to top 300 before season's end.

Gallery: Atlanta Thrashers II

In all honesty, I wasn't going to create a gallery of today's hounding adventure for the Atlanta Thrashers. Thanks to players signing for the sizable gametime crowd, though, I had plenty of photo opportunities.

It also helps when you snap pictures of the Thrashers' top players:

One would think, given his talent and demand for his autograph, that left winger Ilya Kovalchuk would be a tough autograph. Thankfully, that's not the case.

Goalie Kari Lehtonen, a prolific signer, reinforces his reputation.

Right winger Colby Armstrong, a fan favorite wherever he has played, is one of the more personable players in the NHL.

Rumor has it that defenseman Tobias Enstrom, known as a one-per signer, will sign an extra item as long as you ask him to do it.

It doesn't matter whether you have two cards or a nine-board, goalie Johan Hedberg is always good for more than one autograph.

Center Bryan Little, one of the Thrashers' younger stars, showed no hesitancy signing multiple autographs.

Even with his hands full, center Marty Reasoner takes the time to sign for fans.

Working alone

After a meatball stunt got hounds booted off a downtown Tampa hotel's property the last time the Washington Capitals were in town, I figured it was time to try an experiment that I'd been kicking around for a couple of weeks.

Rather than join the likely know-little crowd, if it was allowed, at the team's hotel before Thursday's morning skate, I set up closer to the St. Pete Times Forum to catch any player walking to practice.

Well, I'm happy to report that my experiment worked. I got autographs from the player who walked. Everyone else, I'm afraid, rode the bus.

Enter Plan B: Catching the team this morning as it headed out for a pre-flight practice at the Forum. That decision, far from any experiment, yielded much better results -- another 18 autographs, including 15 cards, in less than 30 minutes joining the four from Thursday.

It helped, too, that I was the only hound there.

For the record, I asked Alex Ovechkin, who notched his 50th of the season against the Lightning last night, if he had the time to sign a puck. His response? "Sorry, guys, not today." Also shooting down my requests were Nicklas Backstrom, an ailing Mike Green and Alexander Semin.

Among the signers:

Washington's Eric Fehr and Jeff Schultz, who both signed some speciality set cards, signed four each; and

Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn, top, and John Erskine, the sole player I saw Thursday, also signed four cards each.

Thankfully, these guys weren't the only ones who stopped to sign. Tomas Fleischmann, who I watched play as an American Hockey League rookie up in Portland, Maine, signed this Capitals puck.

Tough guy Donald Brashear and defenseman Milan Jurcina signed the cards shown at top.

To be honest, there's only one other highlight:

~ Getting toughies Sergei Fedorov and Jose Theodore on Capitals pucks

Sorry, folks, but there isn't any photo gallery for the Capitals this time. Maybe next trip.