Pencil these in

After a long day of watching hockey, ordering a Wendy's single with everything but onions and watching Colin collect three foul balls, I've finally had enough time over the past few minutes to scribble a list of top 10 teams we'll hound during the 2009-10 campaign:

No. 10. New Jersey Devils, Oct. 8: It's always nice to see Marty.

No. 9. Montreal Canadiens, Dec. 30: Respect the Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge.

No. 8. Vancouver Canucks, Feb. 9, 2010: A chance for redemption after missing them on their last trip to Hockey Bay.

No. 7. San Jose Sharks, Oct. 22: So many big names, so little time.

No. 6. Buffalo Sabres, March 18, 2010: Later, I'll attend the game with relatives from Western New York.

No. 5. Anaheim Ducks, Jan. 29, 2010: This team rewards effort.

No. 4. Phoenix Coyotes, March 16, 2010: But only if Wayne Gretzky is part of the organization. If not, the Coyotes trade places with the Canucks.

No. 3. Los Angeles Kings, Nov. 14: I'm burning a vacation day for this team. Lots of new faces certainly worthy of a bunch of pucks.

No. 2. Calgary Flames, Feb. 6, 2010: It's not just the Stanley Cup Finals history between the Flames and Lightning. It's an opportunity to snag a couple more pucks from Jarome Iginla and Jay Bouwmeester.

No. 1. Boston Bruins, Dec. 28: Three days after Christmas? Colin will be on vacation. I have the day off, too. Need I say anything more?

So, tell me. What are your top 10 hounding trips?

Update: 10 Big Sigs

Before the 2008-09 hockey hounding season down here in Hockey Bay, I predicted that these items would be added to the collection.

Let's see how I did:

No. 10: Montreal's Saku Koivu on the Canadiens' legends jersey - Did not obtain

No. 9: Dallas' Brad Richards on a Stars puck

No. 8: San Jose's Dan Boyle on a Sharks puck

No. 7: A team-signed Boston Bruins jersey

No. 6: New Jersey's Martin Brodeur on a replica jersey

No. 5: Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby on Colin's #87 Penguins jersey - Did not obtain.

No. 4: Columbus' Rick Nash on Blue Jackets and Team Canada pucks

No. 3: Pucks from Chicago's Patrick Kane (Blackhawks, London Knights and Team USA) and Jonathan Toews (Blackhawks, Team Canada and University of North Dakota)

No. 2: Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and Henrik Zetterberg on Red Wings pucks

No. 1: Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin (provided he stays), Columbus' Fredrik Modin (provided he stays healthy) and Toronto's Pavel Kubina on our Tampa Bay Lightning 2004 Stanley Cup Champions items. - Not a single item.

Looking back, it wasn't a great season, but it wasn't bad. Though Crosby signed during his visits to Hockey Bay, I missed getting him to sign. Perhaps, too, I overshot on the goals for the Red Wings. And Koivu signed a Canadiens team helmet instead.

The biggest disappointment, though, was not adding to the Tampa Bay Lightning 2004 Stanley Cup Champions items. One would think that the No. 1 item on the 10 Big Sigs campaign would take precedence, but a combination of players not traveling to Hockey Bay (Khabibulin and Modin) and simply forgetting (Kubina) worked against me.

Still, I'm happy to have added what we did. I'm sure, too, that this project will return for the 2009-10 hockey hounding campaign. This time, though, I'll have to keep my eyes on the prize, won't I?

Brodeur is better, but ...

More than anything else, recent history most likely played a role in Hound Central 4.0's latest poll -- asking who was a better goalie, New Jersey's Martin Brodeur or Hall of Famer Patrick Roy.

Given that Brodeur eclipsed Roy's career wins mark (551) just a few weeks ago, it's easy to understand by readers overwhelmingly gave the nod to Brodeur. Thirty-eight of the 63 votes cast indicated that Brodeur was, indeed, a better goalie than Roy.

Even though I'm a Roy fan, having cast my vote for the former Canadiens and Avalanche goalie, the objective fan in me has to agree with the majority. Beyond the career wins mark and an impending record for career shutouts, Brodeur is the better goalie of the duo.

Having said that, though, Roy has made a greater impact on the sport and the position. Any goalie using the butterfly style will attest to that.

Question: Who's better?

Martin Brodeur: 38 out of 63 votes cast (60.3 percent)
Patrick Roy: 25 out of 63 votes (39.7 percent)

Just asking

Anyone else see the irony in New Jersey's Martin Brodeur earning the goalie all-time wins crown (552 and counting), surpassing Hall of Famer Patrick Roy, on St. Patrick's Day?

Marty's back

New Jersey's Martin Brodeur may have missed a sizable chunk of the season with an elbow injury, but hounds across the NHL should take note that the future Hall of Famer is traveling with the team.

Don't believe me? How about the Devils' Brodeur #30 replica jersey (shown above) he signed for me yesterday before New Jersey's morning skate or the Team Canada jersey he signed at gametime.

Note the difference in autographs, too. My request for a personalization produced a better-looking signature than the one on the Team Canada jersey. He also continued his established practice of limiting most requests to a single signature, but will sign more than once in a day.

Gallery: New Jersey Devils

Any time a team carries a couple of future Hall of Famers, you can expect a big crowd of fans, hounds and dealers. The New Jersey Devils, in town to play the Lightning, showed Thursday why they are one of the better signing teams in the NHL.

Though he is still recuperating from his elbow injury, future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur traveled to Hockey Bay with the team and maintained his one-per policy for most everyone.

Another future Hall of Famer Brendan Shanahan, who reportedly was signing long, loopy autographs after dinner Wednesday night, connects with Devils fans.

Forward Zach Parise obliges a request for an autograph.

Forward Brian Gionta poses for a picture with an appreciative fan.