Yeah, me, too

I know we're dab smack in the dog days of summer, when thoughts of baseball, beaches and back-to-school bargains fill our minds, but I still can't get my mind off of hockey.

Watching Colin play, I suppose, has a lot to do with it. But so do the autographed pucks and cards, snagged during the 2008-09 campaigns final days and over the summer, I still have to put away. And, from what I hear, NHL players will be skating soon, prepping for training camps.

Bottom line, though, is that I'm not alone.

An overwhelming majority of Hound Central 4.0 readers who took part in the last quiz -- which asked whether they were missing hockey -- were looking forward to the 2009-10 NHL season and the corresponding hockey-hounding campaign.

Question: Jonesin' for hockey?

Yes: 15 out of 18 votes cast (83.3 percent)
No: 3 out of 18 votes (16.7 percent)

The three dissenting votes? Must've been Loafs fans.

And, really, can you blame them?

Back in the day

I thought you might get a kick out of this: Hockey Sock Rock by Phil Esposito and the Ranger Rockers, released in 1979, and featured, besides Espo, John Davidson, Ron Duguay, Pat Hockey and Dave Maloney.

Even better, the flip side contains Please Forgive My Misconduct Last Night by Dionne and the Puck-Tones, featuring the Los Angeles Kings' Marcel Dionne, Charlie Simmer and Dave Taylor.

A tip of Hound Central 4.0's roughed-up Cooker SK600 to Moody, our roving Southeast correspondent, for passing along the photo.

The envelopes, please

After careful tabulations, double-blind accounting and pacts of secrecy authenticated by verification experts at the highest levels, the inaugural edition of the Hockey Bay Hounding Awards have finally arrived on the shores of Tampa Bay.

In the moments ahead, you'll find yourselves nodding in agreement, shrinking away in horror and, occasionally, shaking your head in disagreement. That's exactly what we're hoping for, at least.

Before we get to the winners, though, Hound Central 4.0 would like to thank everyone who has visited this chronicle of the 2008-09 hockey-hounding campaign. Using an incalculable payment of your free time, your presence and attention is the greatest reward we could ever receive. Again, thank you.

Now, let's see who's winning nothing more than a mention here at Hound Central 4.0:

Hound of the Year: Awarded to the hound who consistently racks up quality autographs on a diverse platform of memorabilia. Winner: Chris

Autograph of the Year: Awarded to the hound who scores an autograph from one of hockey's best players -- past or present -- during the course of a season. Winner: Ryan, for his team-signed picture, shown above, of Louie, the St. Louis Blues mascot.

Rookie of the Year: Awarded to a hound who excels in his/her first full Hockey Bay season. Winner: Ryan

Lifetime Achievement Award: Honors a veteran Hockey Bay hound for their dedication, knowledge and product of their efforts. Winner: Ron (Thanks, folks)

Best Supporting Hound: Awarded to the hound(s) who assists in the collection of autographs. Winner: Three-way tie -- Andy, Scott and Colin

Meatball of the Year: Awarded to a hound who displays a clear lack of thought and consideration toward his peers. Winner: Meatball

Best Original Score: Awarded to the hound obtaining an autograph(s) on a rare or peculiar piece of memorabilia. Winner: Jamie, for getting game-used sticks signed twice by each player. Don't ask me why, ask him.

NHL awards

Nicest NHL player: San Jose's Jeremy Roenick

Snottiest NHL player: Toronto's Curtis Joseph

Best-signing team: Dallas Stars

Worst-signing team: Washington Capitals

Best-dressed player: Atlanta's Garnet Exelby, for his fedora alone

Could've been Joey

With only one of 25 votes picking the Boston Bruins over the San Jose Sharks as the biggest choke in the 2008-09 NHL playoffs, one could surmise that it was a Sharks fan or player who felt the sting of the latest Hound Central 4.0.

One unproven theory could be that it was San Jose's Joey Thornton, a former member of the Bruins organization, who cast the sole vote against the Sharks, the Western Conference's top-ranked team, being the biggest disappointment of this season's playoffs. If it was (and, really, I doubt it), Jumbo Joe needs to get some counseling for his denial.

Sorry, but the Sharks were, indeed, the poster boys for playoff upsets. Though Boston's loss disappointed Bruins Nation, it wasn't nearly as gut-wrenching as San Jose's first-round collapse.

Question: Biggest choke

San Jose Sharks: 24 out of 25 votes cast (96 percent)
Boston Bruins: 1 out of 25 votes (4 percent)

Joining the 21st century

I finally got around to joining Facebook. Now, I'm pondering whether Twitter is nothing more than a passing fad for narcissistic egoists.

Boys will be boys

So, Tampa Bay's Ryan Malone is a guest on today's NHL Live!, the cameras and audio rolling, when his cell phone rings, interrupting the live interview.

Go ahead, say co-hosts Rob Simpson and Sam Rosen, take the call.

Who is it? It's Lightning teammate Steven Stamkos, calling from Tampa, telling Malone that he's watching the show.

More humorous than riveting, I'll grant you that, but it's further proof that Stamkos' confidence is growing.

Big save

Just in case USA Hockey magazine doesn't publish this drawing in a future installment of Slap's Gallery, this fine effort by Colin, showing a critical moment in Team USA's future 37-36 victory over Japan, certainly deserves to be part of Hound Central 4.0's Hockey Art gallery.

And, yes, that's Colin making the save.

Poor thing

So, Washington's Alex Ovechkin played with a sore wrist -- dinged in the regular season -- during the playoffs. Well, he certainly didn't hurt it signing autographs here in Hockey Bay.

Honoring efforts

Over the course of the past season, I took time to reflect upon the dedication required to pursue this hockey-hounding hobby of mine. The time. The money. The toll on your body.

Thankfully, though, I'm not alone.

Down here in Hockey Bay, there's a sizable group of hounds -- collectors, dealers and the usual clutch of fans -- that show up for most every NHL visiting team. Nearly all put in the time. Many do their homework. A helping hand is never far away. As a result, mutual respect grows as the season wears on.

Seeing that Hound Central 4.0 chronicles hockey-hounding activities here in Hockey Bay, it's my duty to honor those members of our fraternity. With that in mind, allow me to introduce to the Hockey Bay community this inaugural edition of the Hockey Bay Hounding Awards.

To make this work, though, I need your help. Please, feel free to submit, via comments at this post, your thought-out and well-reasoned votes (though none for yourself, please) for the following categories:

Hound of the Year: Awarded to the hound who consistently racks up quality autographs on a diverse platform of memorabilia. Please, don't vote for yourself.

Autograph of the Year: Awarded to the hound who scores an autograph from one of hockey's best players -- past or present -- during the course of a season.

Rookie of the Year: Awarded to a hound who excels in his/her first full Hockey Bay season.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Honors a veteran Hockey Bay hound for their dedication, knowledge and product of their efforts.

Best Supporting Hound: Awarded to the hound(s) who assists in the collection of autographs.

Meatball of the Year: Awarded to a hound who displays a clear lack of thought and consideration toward his peers.

Best Original Score: Awarded to the hound obtaining an autograph(s) on a rare or peculiar piece of memorabilia.

But, wait, there's more

Hound Central 4.0 readers and hounds outside Hockey Bay can also participate in this annual gesture of appreciation:

Nicest NHL player: Not only signs multiples, but is pleasant, too.

Snottiest NHL player: Is not just a toughie, but is downright rude.

Best-signing team: The team that bleeds Sharpies dry.

Worst-signing team: This is great intel, too.

Best-dressed player: Each team has one. Really, they do.

Nominations close June 1. Winners, who will receive nothing more than a mention here at Hound Central 4.0, will be announced in late June.

If no nominations are received from the Hockey Bay hounding community, Hound Central 4.0 will select an honoree in each Hockey Bay category.

Boulton Believers

When it comes to the Moody household, it's not Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk, Slava Kozlov or Kari Lehtonen who get top billing. No, it's Thrashers' tough guy Eric Boulton.

Though Moody's intent for the late-season trip to the team's practice facility in Duluth, Ga., was for the daughters of Hound Central 4.0's roving Southeast correspondent to score some autographs, the day took a more pleasant and humorous turn for the better.

Natalie started getting a little heavy for dad to keep holding so we put the cards away and settled for giving the players “High Fives” as they came off the ice. The players all stopped and slapped hands with her.

After defenseman Nathan Oystrick gained a young fan in Little Natty after giving her not only a good high-five after walking off the ice, he gave her his hockey stick. Boulton, standing next to Oystrick, did not want to get outdone. He asked Natty who was her favorite player. She pointed at Oystrick.

Well, Boulton said he wanted to be her favorite, offering his stick in exchange for him being her new fave. The deal was done. Boulton sealed the deal when he asked Mikayla if she wanted a stick, too. The only catch, he said, was that he had to be her fave.

Needless to say, the girls are now true Boulton Believers.

By the way, Mikayla started a team-signed Thrashers mini helmet, adding coach John Anderson, Ron Hainsey, Johan Hedberg, Kovalchuk, Lehtonen, Bryan Little, Oystrick, Eric Perrin and Boris Valabik. Little Natty had cards signed by Hainsey, Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Lehtonen and Valabik.

Denial of responses

Even if it is a tad presumptuous of myself to entertain the thought that Hound Central 4.0 readers -- even for a fleeting moment -- would be interested, these responses to a friend's e-mail is what I do when I'm on vacation and don't want to rake oak leaves:

Threes About Me

Three names I have been called:
1. Ronnie
2. You *@#$%* *@#$%@#$%*!!!
3. Sardo

Three jobs I have had in my life:
1. Father
2. Husband
3. Journalist

Three places I have lived:
1. St. Petersburg, Fla.
2. Bangor, Maine
3. Machias, N.Y.

Three TV shows that I watch:
1. NHL Network's On the Fly
2. BayNews 9
3. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Three places I have been:
1. The Dark Side of the Moon
2. The middle of a two-Pulitzer-Prize-winning newsroom
3. Wiggly Bridge, Barrells Mill Pond, York Harbor, Maine

People who e-mail me regularly:
1. Kathy
2. My way-older-then-me cousin Debbie
3. Moody

Three of my favorite foods:
1. Anything made by my wife
2. A slice of Buffalo chicken pizza from Fortunato's in downtown St. Pete
3. A Cuban sandwich from D&D Delights or Brocato's in Tampa

Three people I believe will respond:
1. My way-older-than-me cousin Debbie (see response #2 to top question)
2. Moody
3. Kris

Three things I am looking forward to:
1. Watching Colin grow up
2. Self-employment
3. Catching a grouper

Now, if you so choose, feel free to share in the fun by leaving your responses in a comment.

Mark your calendar

If you're not doing anything this Thursday night, why don't you stop by the old Hound shack, where I'll be taking questions, offering opinions and, if asked, will share my seven-word "fish poop" argument.

Yes, there's a story behind that. You'll have to wait, though.

Either way, the festivities (I'll crack open a cold one -- I'm on vacation until May 11) begin about 10 p.m. EST.

Unlike the my past two attempts at live blogging, when I thought to myself "Gee, this would be a great time for a little impromptu live blogging," this advance notice/warning gives you remarkably intelligent humanitarians a couple days' notice.

That should be plenty of time, I hope, for a question or two to bubble to the surface. Remember, Thursday, April 30 @ 10 p.m. EST

Liveblog 04.24

As much as I'd like to give people more advance notice, these live chat sessions are the result of realizing that -- at the moment for the next 90 minutes or so -- I have some time on my hands.

And, yes, I know the Ducks-Sharks game is on Versus. I'm watching it.

If you have any hockey-hounding questions, leave them in a comment or send me an e-mail (link on my profile). Comments don't require signing up, either; leave them as anonymous, but feel free to add your name.

Also, have any questions for Moody and Al, Hound Central 4.0's far-flung correspondents? We may not get answers tonight, but I'll pass any along and pester them until they answer.

10:48 p.m.: San Jose 1, Anaheim 0, end of the first. Joey Thornton finally scored.

10:53 p.m.: Sean Avery and John Tortorella? Related?

11:05 p.m.: Anaheim wins draw to start the second period.

11:36 p.m: Nice toe-drag by Devin Setoguchi. Sharks 2, Ducks 0. Thornton picks up an assist, his second point in the game. Now he needs to get into a fight. Gordie, God bless him, would be proud.

11:50 p.m.: Ten more minutes. Then it's nighty-night.

12:01 a.m.: Ryan Carter scores for Anaheim. Sharks 2, Ducks 1, early in the third.

12:02 a.m.: Okay, folks, good night. I can barely keep my eyes open. I was hoping for at least one question from the nine people who stopped by over the past 90-plus minutes.

Well, that's what I get for no advance warning/notice, right? Especially on a night during the playoffs. Or, simply, no one was interested.

Next time, though, I'll let you know sooner.

Rotten tomatoes not included

The Tampa Bay Lightning brass -- owner Oren Koules, general manager Brian Lawton and coach Rick Tocchet, will make themselves available for questions early next month. The team says it has a "plan in place" to make the Lightning winners again. I wonder how Vinny Lecavalier fits into those plans.

Surreal, man, surreal

If you look hard enough, it's easy to find art within the sport of speed, steel and vulcanized rubber. Even if you're sitting in a recliner taking pictures off your TV screen during an NHL playoffs game:

I swear that no special effects were used in the taking of this otherworldly photo of Anaheim's Todd Marchant. Turned out pretty cool, if you ask me.

A grizzled old vet, such as San Jose's Claude Lemieux, is always a welcome addition during the playoffs.

Even this promotional spot produced an interesting image.

What do you think?

Mr. Efficiency

In the interest of saving time next season, I've reprogrammed my new cell phone's Quick Text responses to the messages I inevitably receive:

1. Thanks.
2. On my way.
3. Tell him it's Gretzky
4. They're @ Embassy Suites.
5. They're @ the Westin.
6. They're @ the Marriott Waterside.
7. Where are you? (first of two originals)
8. Reporting for duty.
9. Food?
10. Call me (second of two originals)
11. Talk to you later.
12. Can't. Have to work.
13. Just left the house.
14. Hounding the Bolts?
15. Drive safely.
16. Call the hotels.

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.

Gallery: Toronto Maple Leafs

The biggest difference between this photo gallery of Toronto Maple Leafs players signing autographs and one submitted by Al, Hound Central 4.0's Toronto correspondent? There's no snow in this one.

Left winger Jason Blake may not be the biggest fan of signing, but he does stop. Here, he signs two team posters.

Defenseman Tomas Kaberle signs before the team's morning skate.

Right winger Lee Stempniak, another Buffalo kid in the NHL, is no stranger to blue Sharpies. He's always good for multiple autographs.

True to form, noted hound-hater Curtis Joseph, in his second stint with the Loafs, brays at Hockey Bay hounds.

(Our most sincere apologies to the donkey.)

Anyone? Anyone?

As it stands, southweststalker will win this Chicago Blackhawks puck signed by former NHLer turned TV guy Eddie Olczyk at month's end. He's been the only one, so far, to enter Hound Central 4.0's Win this Autograph giveaway for March.

Don't you think there needs to be a little competition?

You know, I don't mind running these giveaways, even to the point of now trying to snag a big-name autograph for that purpose. But, here I am again, halfway through a month, begging for entries.

What's up with that? How many other hounding blogs are giving away an autographed puck?

What we're looking for here is a short story, meaning no more than 100 words, about your best Blackhawks memory.

Really, folks, it's that simple.

As always, and you know I mean this, thanks for reading.

Just like scoring a goal

Instead of driving down to Sunrise, Fla., tonight to watch the Lightning beat the Panthers, we went fishing instead along the Pass-A-Grille seawall in St. Pete Beach.

As you can see, Colin had the better luck, this the first of his two grunts. A hermit crab kept me from getting skunked.