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.

Handle with care

Even after adding eight signatures yesterday to the Atlanta Thrashers team stick -- a lucky $25 find (it was already signed by Ilya Kovalchuk) at a Lightning Foundation fundraiser -- I'm still uncomfortable getting items like this signed.

It has nothing to do with actually asking the players to sign it. I could probably do that in my sleep. My issue comes with just how unwieldy these items really are. No matter how much caution I exercise, my biggest fear is conking someone -- a player, fellow hound or innocent passerby -- in the melon.

So far, thankfully, it hasn't been a problem.

Having said that, though, I hope others exercise the same amount of caution. I certainly wouldn't want to get whacked by a stick like this:

From left: Slava Kozlov (existing), Niclas Havelid (existing), Colby Armstrong (existing), Garnet Exelby and Ilya Kovalchuk (original)

From left: John Anderson, Bryan Little and Slava Kozlov (existing)

From left: Ron Hainsey, Chris Thorburn and Todd White

From left: Johan Hedberg (existing), Eric Boulton and Eric Perrin.

Put to good use

I picked up this Atlanta Thrashers fifth anniversary stick, already signed by Ilya Kovalchuk, during the Lightning's IceFest a couple weeks ago. Seeing that there was plenty of room left on it, I figured it might as well become another in-season hounding project. Why not, right?

As you can see, six players helped to make a dent in it Tuesday before the Thrashers game against Tampa Bay. Though Kovaluchuk's signature dominates the blade, Atlanta's Slava Kozlov (from left), Niclas Havelid and Colby Armstrong all found enough space to sign.

Others who signed the stick Tuesday were:


defenseman Tobias Enstrom


goalie Johan Hedberg


goalie Kari Lehtonen




Thankfully, the Thrashers will be back twice, later in the season, offering opportunities to complete it. I like to think, though, I've got most of the team's bigger names.

Sweet charity

Imagine my surprise, when digging through a bucket of sticks Sunday at the Lightning Foundation's fundraising table during the team's IceFest, that I found some that had been signed.

At first, I pulled out a New York Rangers stick signed by Petr Prucha. Then I saw a Buffalo Sabres stick, signed by Thomas Vanek. As tempting as it was, given my allegiances, I put it back.

Why? Take another look at the picture.

I stumbled upon this Atlanta Thrashers stick signed by Ilya Kovalchuk. And, for a $30 tax-deductible donation, the Thrashers stick represented a far better value than any other in the bucket.

Even better, there's plenty of room for a few other players -- Zach Bogosian, Tobias Enstrom and Kari Lehtonen among them -- when the Thrashers travel to Humidity Bay on Oct. 21.