Refresher courses

With more players taking to local rinks in preparation of NHL training camps, it's a good idea to brush up on your hockey-hounding skills:
~ Learn how easy it is to find teams;
~ The best way to get your cards ready for signing;
~ Make the effort to recognize players;
~ What's the best color Sharpie to use; and
~ Practice hockey-hounding etiquette.

Different looks

Beyond signaling that the 2009-10 NHL season is right around the corner, the recent release of 2009-10 Victory also carries cards of players in their team's third jerseys. This sampling came from a couple 36-card packs we found at Target.

Tthis 200-card set boasts second-year cards for last season's rookies, creating autograph stock for such players as Columbus Steve Mason, the Calder Cup winner. You'll also find cards for Boston's Blake Wheeler, Chicago's Kris Versteeg and Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos.

Its low price point is easy on the wallet, too.

These three points earn 2009-10 Victory a buy rating.

NHL players reporting to rinks

From what I hear, NHL players are taking to rinks getting ready for the upcoming training camps.

I read on Facebook yesterday that Buffalo's Tim Connolly was skating at the Skanteateles (N.Y.) Community Center. I've heard, too, that incredibleICE, down in South Florida, might have a few familiar faces twirling around the rink.

Looks like we'll have to take a ride over to the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, to see if anyone's shaking off some summer rust.

It's been such a long time

It's always a good day when our postal carrier drops off some autographs in our mailbox. In this case, they came from Edmonton's Patrick O'Sullivan, who, much to his credit, signed the four cards we sent.

The remarkable aspect of this arrival, however, is the time between request and return. These cards were mailed to O'Sullivan, in care of the Los Angeles Kings, on Dec. 31, 2007. If my math is correct, and that's open for debate, it took an astonishing 560 days for the cards to return.

And while one might grouse about the lengthy delay, we're just happy the cards, part of Hound Central 3.0's TTM project, finally made their way back home.

Thank goodness, too, that we used one of those Forever stamps.

Update: 2009-10 Western Conference visitors

Back on April 3, I predicted that the following teams would be visiting Hockey Bay for the 2009-10 season: Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and the Vancouver Canucks.

Well, even though the Lightning's 2009-10 schedule has yet to be released, a little bird told me that these would be the teams: San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and the Phoenix Coyotes.

The only difference? The Sharks.

It won't be long before we get official word.

You're on the clock

With only a handful of days before the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, it's time we all put on our general manager/player personnel hats and figure out the top 30 NHL draft prospects.

Though the top two picks are easy, either John Tavares or Victor Hedman, it gets a little tricky after that. Will teams pick the best available player or try to fill an institutional need?

Barring any last-minutes trades (think Toronto trading for the Islanders' No. 1 overall pick), here's a lineup of the draft order for the first round. If you'd like to participate, feel free to share your insights in a comment.

In the meantime, here are my picks:

No. 1: John Tavares, C, New York Islanders
No. 2: Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
No. 3: Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, LW, Colorado Avalanche
No. 4: Matt Duchene, C, Atlanta Thrashers
No. 5: Evander Kane, C, Los Angeles Kings
No. 6: Jared Cowen, D, Phoenix Coyotes
No. 7: Brayden Schenn, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
No. 8: Dmitry Kulikov, D, Dallas Stars
No. 9: Nazem Kadri, C, Ottawa Senators
No. 10: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Edmonton Oilers
No. 11: Zack Kassian, RW, Nashville Predators
No. 12: Jordan Schroeder, RW, Minnesota Wild
No. 13: John Moore, D, Buffalo Sabres
No. 14: David Rundblad, D, Florida Panthers
No. 15: Simon Despres, D, Anaheim Ducks
No. 16: Dylan Olsen, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
No. 17: Scott Glennie, C, St. Louis Blues
No. 18: Louis Leblanc, C, Montreal Canadiens
No. 19: Carter Ashton, LW, New York Rangers
No. 20: Jacon Josefson, C, Calgary Flames
No. 21: Robin Lehner, G, Philadelphia Flyers
No. 22: Ryan Ellis, D, Vancouver Canucks
No. 23: Chris Kreider, C, New Jersey Devils
No. 24: Ryan O'Reilly, C, Washington Capitals
No. 25: Stefan Elliott, D, Boston Bruins
No. 26: Calvin deHaan, D. New York Islanders
No. 27: Carl Klingberg, LW, Carolina Hurricanes
No. 28: Landon Ferraro, LW, Chicago Blackhawks
No. 29: Kyle Palmieri, C, Detroit Red Wings
No. 30: Tim Erixon, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

Top Shelf: 2009 NHL draft prospects

Want to know who was the first Hockey Bay hound to get an autograph earlier today from John Tavares, the likely No. 1 overall pick at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft?

How about Colin? Yeah, Colin. My Colin.

After nearly four hours of waiting out convention crowds, false alarms and near 90 degree temperatures, Tavares and his two fellow top NHL Draft prospects -- forward Matt Duchene and Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman -- signed autographs for all three of us before their dog-and-pony show for the Tampa Bay Lightning braintrust.

As they left the Marriott Waterside, walking toward a waiting Escalade, we decided to each pick one prospect to stop. I stopped Hedman, Chris took Duchene and Colin, using his "cute kid" status to its full advantage, singled out Tavares.

Guess what? It worked. He got all three to sign this Nike stick blade.

Colin's effort, too, made up for his old man's miss on Tavares. Not bad for an 8-year-old, huh?

No shame in these

With the John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene -- the top 2009 NHL Entry Draft prospects -- in Tampa earlier today for a meet-and-greet with the Tampa Bay Lightning brass, a handful of Hockey Bay hounds took it upon themselves to welcome the trio of soon-to-be millionaires to Tampa.

As you can see, Duchene, a forward who signed the Brampton Battalion puck, and Hedman, a Swedish defenseman who signed a NHL practice puck, allowed me to add to our collection, When it came to Tavares, who often personalizes items, I flat-out missed with two pucks.

I suppose I could've asked as he sat in the back seat of a waiting Escalade outside the Marriott Waterside, after I got the pucks from Hedman and Duchene. Thankfully, Tavares did sign something for Colin.

Who knows, maybe I'll head back over tomorrow morning and try my luck again. If not, he'll be around during the 2009-10 campaign.

Still, snagging two of the top three likely picks at the NHL Draft later this month isn't anything to sneeze at.

Update: 85 Young Guns

After stopping by our local card shop -- the House of Cards in Pinellas Park -- I learned those 85 Young Guns I pulled from a hobby box of 2008-09 Upper Deck Hockey Series 2 were likely part of a nuclear-hot case.

It seems that other hockey card collectors who bought boxes at The House of Cards also reported insane amounts of Young Guns as they ripped open packs. In one case, Young Guns filled entire packs.

Honestly, I can't imagine Upper Deck making a conscious decision to do that. To me, it sounds more like someone putting stacks of Young Guns, rather than base cards, into the collator.

Still, though, no complaints.

Dodging raindrops

Sometimes, you just have to grin and bear it. Take Moody, for instance, during a late-season hounding trip to Duluth, Ga., to catch the visiting Ottawa Senators.

Unfortunately for Moody, Hound Central 4.0's roving Southeast correspondent, it started raining. Though most players stopped to sign, their autographs were subpar, ruined by the falling rain. After seeing that, Moody showed his years of experience and stayed dry.

After the team's bus left the arena, Moody went inside where he bumped into Ottawa's Nick Foligno. After signing two cards for Moody, Foligno asked how he did with other players. Moody told him the truth -- he was the only one.

To Moody's surprise, Foligno told him to hang out a moment. Foligno rounded up some teammates, all waiting for a cab ride to a nearby Bass Pro Shop, and brought them back to Moody.

So, who did Foligno round up? How about Shean Donovan, Chris Kelly, Brian Lee, Chris Phillips, Jason Spezza and Jesse Winchester? Even better, Spezza signed five cards.

Not bad for a rainy day, huh? The autographs came out pretty nice, too.

Friends in cold places

Here's a nice little bonus, courtesy of Al, Hound Central 4.0's Toronto-based correspondent. These 8x10s, signed by Calgary's Olli Jokinen, above, and Jarome Iginla, came from a buddy in Alberta.

It's nice when players sign on a photo's legible areas. Nothing's worse than an autograph on the darkest parts of the image.

Though I'm not surprised that Iginla offered up a sweet signature, it looks like Jokinen went out of his way to sign where it could be seen.

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.

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.

Did you know this?

If I have a calling card when it comes to hounding, it's my penchant for pulling out obscure pucks for players and coaches to sign. Not only does it often lead to getting more than one puck signed at a time, but it also adds depth and an element of scarcity to the collection.

Following this philosophy, Washington coach Bruce Boudreau added one of the few East Coast Hockey League pucks to The Vault during Thursday's morning skate. Boudreau, who won the 2008 Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach, led the Mississippi Sea Wolves to the 1999 Turner Cup championship.

While I know he guided the Hershey Bears to the 2006 Calder Cup title in the American Hockey League, I was somewhat surprised to learn that he's ranked 14th all-time in AHL scoring, including a 116-point season with the 1987-88 Springfield (Mass.) Indians.

Gallery: Washington Capitals

After hearing of the hassles during one of the Capitals earlier trips to Hockey Bay, I didn't hold out much hope for a decent season-closing hounding adventure. Boy, was I ever wrong.

Most every Capitals players, including Alex Ovechkin, stopped to sign. Granted, Ovie signed for two kids (sorry, but Colin wasn't one of them), even allowing himself to be called off of the team bus at game time by a well-meaning mom.

Most Hockey Bay hounds, myself included, were stunned by the Capitals' willingness to sign. These players were among those who stopped Thursday afternoon before heading off to the St. Pete Times Forum to play the Tampa Bay Lightning:

Center Sergei Fedorov, a notable toughie, must be trying to rehabilitate his hounding image. He signed quite a few autographs.

Defenseman Mike Green doesn't look too happy, does he? I'm not sure, either, if that's a bad case of "bedhead" or that's simply how Green has his hair cut.

Center Nicklas Backstrom was quick to grab a pen and sign for anyone who asked. It was the most I've ever seen him sign.

Left winger Alexander Semin, known for his deft moves on the ice, was equally adept with Sharpies.

Goalie Jose Theodore, who told a Hockey Bay hound (not me, though) he wouldn't sign a Colorado Avalanche jersey because it was "the wrong team." Guess what? He signed it as well as other items.

Right winger Viktor Kozlov didn't mind being part of a hockey-hounding lesson. When one hound, but not the one shown, kept asking who he was, I replied "Wayne Gretzky." Kozlov just smiled.

How many people can recall that center Brooks Laich was obtained by the Capitals for Petr Bondra? I can.

In a way, we've watched defenseman Milan Jurcina grow up into a solid NHL player. It wasn't all that long ago we watched him participate in a Bruins rookie camp during our time in New England.

Nice tandem

The Choice Rookies subset within the 2008-09 Collectors Choice set is a perfect complement to the 2008-09 Rookie Class so-called box set. Or, at least it worked here for Tampa Bay defenseman Vladimir Mihalik.

Given Collector's Choice low-end nature, I'm not too concerned about burning a rookie card. Should you be worried? That's your call.

The black ink? I had him sign the work-in-progress 2008-09 Lightning team jersey first and didn't bother asking him to switch to a blue Sharpie.

Eagle-eyed readers will notice, too, that my prep work got a little sloppy on one of the cards.

Remember: Top to bottom, side to side. Top to bottom, side to side.

Firsthand knowledge

Looking back over the past 13 months, I've got to give Bill Guerin, a trade-day acquisition by the Pittsburgh Penguins, a long round of applause.

This Penguins puck, signed before Tuesday's morning skate, was the sixth he's added to The Vault, Hound Central's puck repository, in little over a year:

03.11.08: New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues
10.16.08: New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks
02.07.09: Edmonton Oilers

Years ago, I'd heard that Guerin was a decent signer. It's the truth.

Big difference

Chances are, Pittsburgh defenseman Philippe Boucher isn't at the top of too many hounds' wish lists. In a sense, that's a shame. The guy has had a decent career.

What makes him noteworthy, though, is his demeanor with hounds. Though he's not the most talkative of players, he seems to realize the appreciation of a good signature. He's also willing to sign multiples.

Unlike most players, who usually sign on the darkest part of the image, Boucher, a former No. 1 pick (13th overall in 1991) of the Buffalo Sabres, signed this card, one of three before Tuesday's morning skate, in a spot where his autograph is visible.

It may not seem like much, really. It's just that it doesn't happen all that often. That's what makes this noteworthy.

Gallery: Pittsburgh Penguins II

Want to see pictures of Pittsburgh's Big Three -- Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury? Me, too.

For the second time this season, not only did I not get an autograph from these guys, but I missed on opportunity to take photos of them signing. Oh, well, there's always next season. And the season after that. And the season after that.

For Crosby and Fleury, it's my own darn fault. Had both of them within the eyesight, but was more interested in trying to get their autographs. Next time, I promise, I'll try harder. I never saw Malkin.

I hope these will suffice. If not, here's the first Penguins gallery.

Center Jordan Staal, developing a reputation for a tough autograph, surprised us when he came over to sign for the crowd assembled before the Penguins morning skate.

Right winger Petr Sykora has always been a decent signer.

When goalie Mathieu Garon appeared from a different entrance, a few hounds wondered whether it was a diversionary tactic, allowing other players to leave unnoticed.

Defenseman Philippe Boucher will sign more than one item.

Player-turned-announcer Phil Bourque always draws a crowd.

Looking ahead to the West

Though the 2008-09 hounding season hasn't ended down here in Hockey Bay, I'm already thinking ahead to next season and the Western Conference teams that will visit.

Here are my predictions for the Western Conference foes during the 2009-10 season: Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks.