Long live the Aud

Though Hound Central 4.0 does not condone acts of trespassing, I believe old-school Buffalo Sabres fans might enjoy one last look at the inside of the Memorial Auditorium.

Though it's been many years since attending a Sabres game there, I recognized many scenes taken during the clandestine trips of an urban explorer.

Special thanks, too, to Drew, one of Hound Central's faithful readers, for the head's up.

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.

Thanks for the memory

When it comes to a player like Toronto's Brad May, there's no problem calling him a pest. He's the kind of player who fans either applaud or loathe.

For Sabres fans, he's the "May Day! May Day! May Day!" call by announcer Rick Jeanneret after May sent the Boston Bruins packing in the 1993 Adams semis.

On a side note, this puck, which May signed on his way to Tuesday's morning skate, was the 1,500th of the 2008-09 hounding campaign.

Loafs aren't that bad

Being a Buffalo Sabres fan, it is my Hockey Gods-given duty to heap as much grief upon the Toronto Maple Loafs organization as I can. However, seeing that I'm a hockey fan as well, I feel the need to honor the Original Six franchise.

With that in mind, allow me to introduce to you the hockey-hounding efforts of my Canadian friend, Al, a long-suffering Loafs fan since childhood and, much to his credit, someone taking the time to do the hobby right. He's Hound Central 4.0's latest correspondent.

Here's a look at some of Al's recent and ongoing efforts:

Toronto Maple Leafs all-time jersey

Take a look at some of the top-shelf signers on this sweet Dave Keon replica jersey, a project spanning 15-plus years.



Toronto Maple Leafs team stick

Al had 19 players sign this stick recently at Lakeshore Lions Arena, the Leafs' practice facility, missing only Curtis Joseph, who blew right on by, and Luke "L.S." Schenn, who said he was running late and would sign after the practice.

From left: Nikolai Kulemin, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Tomas Kaberle, Jonas Frogren, Justin Pogge, Vesa Toskala and Dominic Moore (since traded to the Buffalo Sabres);

From left: Nik Antropov (since traded to N.Y. Rangers), Boyd Devereaux and Mike Van Ryn;

From left: Jason Blake (partially obscured), Jeff Finger, Jaime Sifers and John Mitchell;

From left: Pavel Kubina, Ian White and Lee Stempniak; and

From left: Lee Stempniak (again), Niklas Hagman and Mikhail Grabovski.

Top Shelf: Patrick Kane

All day long Tuesday, I heard that Chicago's Patrick Kane was, for the most part, a strict one-per signer, even taking the time to study a person's face before signing their item. Given the crowd he attracted, I would have been content with just one autographed puck.

I suppose sharing the fact that we both hail from Buffalo (I lived at Albany and Barton on the city's west side during the late 1960s) -- naming my old public and high schools went a long way toward my getting the Blackhawks and London Knights pucks signed.

God bless

Our deepest condolences and prayers to the families and friends of the 50 loved ones killed when doomed Continental Connections Flight 3407 crashed Thursday night in Clarence Center, a hamlet northeast of Buffalo.

Not only as a journalist, but as a native of Western New York (Buffalo's Public School #18 and Pioneer Central, Class of 1979), this tragedy hits home. We, too, live within a flight path down here in Hockey Bay.

Please, say a prayer tonight.

Nice touch

One of the nicer premiums in a hobby box of the 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee release is a card commemorating the 2008 Winter Classic featuring the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Though the Sabres were on the losing end of the contest, this card, even if it depicts Buffalo's Ryan Miller and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby in the game's closing play, is a nice snowy day memento from my old stomping grounds of Western New York.