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?

Sunday morning homily XXVIII

Spring break is one of my favorite times of the year. Especially when it's Colin's. And though I didn't request the week off, letting another Newsroom Dad enjoy a week off, it's still going to be a fun-filled week. In a way, it'll be a working stay-cation.

Beginning this afternoon (the morning trip was postponed due to thunderstorms) with a trip to Tampa with Momma to hound and watch the Ottawa Senators (I'll be at work), we'll spend the rest of the week knee-deep in other adventures down here in increasingly warm and muggy Florida.

Our only regret? The Lightning are on a road trip, rather than a homestand.

No worries, though. Also on the itinerary:

~ a road trip to look for trains, something we haven't done much since leaving New England;
~ go see Monsters vs. Aliens, our latest 3-D movie; and
~ look for Danica Patrick at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Chances are, too, we'll get in a little fishing and skating. Bottom line, though, it'll be about hanging out. Between work and school schedules, our time together is usually somewhat limited. That changes this week.

It's one of the perks of being a parent. And that, my friends, is my favorite job.

The other March Madness

It was a wonderful afternoon yesterday -- house all to myself -- kicking back for a few hours and watching some college hockey. Even better, the game was University of New Hampshire's overtime upset of University of North Dakota in the first round of the NCAA men's championships.

It's nothing against the Fighting Sioux; they're one of Hound Central 4.0's favorites. Our primary loyalties, however, are with UNH.

Having lived in nearby Portsmouth, N.H., we attended games in the early 1990s at the old Snively Arena. They were a fun and feisty team, players like Dominic Amodeo, Savo Mitrovic and Jeff Levy. Only Kevin Dean, a defenseman, made it to the NHL.

Here's hoping the Wildcats make it into the Frozen Four. If not, I'm saving a Flyers puck for left winger James vanRiemsdyk, Philadelphia's second overall pick in 2007 who's expected to turn pro soon.

5 Big Sigs

It'll be a one-and-done kind of trip this week, with only the Ottawa Senators coming to Hockey Bay. In fact, they're in town now. Here's what we're hoping to add:

~ Right winger Daniel Alfredsson on a 2004 NHL All Star Game puck;
~ Center Jason Spezza on the Team Canada jersey, a 2007 NHL All Star Game puck and a Senators mini pennant;
~ Left winger Dany Heatley on the Team Canada jersey, a Team Canada puck and a 2006-07 Bee Hive jumbo card;
~ Forward Ryan Shannon on the Portland Pirates practice jersey and a few cards; and
~ Tampa Bay defenseman Richard Petiot on an 8x10 of Colin and the blueliner.

Top Shelf: North Dakota alums

As I was putting away pucks yesterday, these five from the University of North Dakota, all signed by former Fighting Sioux players, caught my eye.

Top row: Toronto's Jason Blake, St. Louis' T.J. Oshie and New Jersey's Zach Parise; and
Bottom row: Buffalo's Drew Stafford and Chicago's Jonathan Toews.

Again, you'll have to trust me. The scan doesn't do justice for the quality of the signatures. It must have something to do with the bright green backgrounds.

He's a man of his word

Blues center T.J. Oshie was running a tad late to Friday's morning skate when he promised he would sign on the return trip.

I believe his signatures on the Team USA jersey, shown above, and this University of North Dakota puck show that Oshie, a former Fighting Sioux, more than kept his word.

Oshie's distinctive, but legible, signature scores high marks, too.

Glad I bought these

We've had a bit of a run with University of North Dakota hockey alums visiting Hockey Bay over the past few weeks.

New Jersey's Zach Parise was the most recent, signing this Fighting Sioux puck yesterday before the Devils' morning skate.

Also siging UND pucks lately have been Buffalo's Drew Stafford, Toronto's Jason Blake, and Chicago's Jonathan Toews. Hopefully, St. Louis' T.J. Oshie will sign one when the Blues come to town next month.

Optical disillusion

You have to trust me on this one, but the silver paint pen does look good on these University of North Dakota pucks. Really, it does.

Especially when the signature comes from Chicago captain Jonathan Toews, a former Fighting Sioux.

For some reason, though, Hound Central 4.0's normally reliable scanner doesn't like the combination of silver on green as much as I do. It's a shame, too.

Again, trust me. It looks nice.

He's true to his school

It's no secret that Toronto's Jason Blake doesn't enjoy signing autographs. Oh, sure, he'll stop when asked, but he usually has a pained expression upon his face.

It's funny, though, when you drop a name that means something to him. No, I'm not talking about a favorite cousin or an old friend.

What I am talking about is his alma mater, the University of North Dakota.

Making his way back from the Leafs' morning skate earlier today, Blake tried pulling away from a handful of hounds until I asked if he would sign this North Dakota puck.

As you can see, it worked.

Convergence

Here's another instance when knowing a player's pedigree, dumb luck and quick thinking added a pair of pucks from Buffalo's Drew Stafford to the collection.

Stafford, the Sabres No. 1 pick in 2004, played college hockey at the University of North Dakota. Hence, the official game puck, one of five UPS delivered only hours before.

The Sabres puck, from Hound Central 4.0's specialty bin, was intended for Buffalo's Toni Lydman. Once I saw the parallel horizontal stripes -- thick and thin -- on each puck, I called an audible.

Turned out pretty nice, didn't it?