Update: Lots for the Lightning

Given all of the movements made by the Tampa Bay Lightning's new ownership last season, with the team drafting Steven Stamkos first overall and signing such free agents as Olaf Kolzig, Ryan Malone, Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts, the 2008-09 edition of the Tampa Bay Lightning provided the target-rich hockey-hounding environment.

Forget Vinny Lecavalier's abysmal season, a foggy Mike Smith, the revolving door on defense and, unfortunately, executive office in-fighting. The team, despite its foibles, still carried quality NHL players. Why that talent couldn't jell, that's not my job. That's a question better left to Lightning brass.

Still, hounding the Lightning provided a backbeat to the 2008-09 campaign. Trips were made in bunches, during training camp and clustered throughout the season. All in all, three Lightning-specific themes rounded out the collection: a team jersey, adding 32; a team helmet, a somewhat disappointing effort with only six signatures; and, of course, a bunch of pucks.

Going into last season, I figured to add 75 pucks from the Lightning alone. Didn't make it. Not even close:

Len Barrie (co-owner): Lightning and Kamloops Blazers

Brandon Bochenski: Lightning

Matt Carle: Lightning and San Jose Sharks (no longer with team)

Steve Downie: Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers

Steve Eminger: Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals new

Adam Hall: Lightning, Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins

Riku Helenius: Lightning

Andrew Hutchinson: Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes (no longer with team

Olaf Kolzig: Lightning, Lightning Prague Premiere game-dated, Washington Capitals new logo, Washington Capitals eagle, Washington Capitals original logo, 2000 NHL All Star Game, Washington Capitals 25th anniversary, 1998 NHL All Star Game, Rochester Americans, Portland Pirates and Tri-City Americans

(Editor's note: A special tip of Hound Central 4.0's battered Cooper SK600 to Olie the Goalie. For what it's worth, he's a class act.)

Oren Koules (co-owner): Lightning and Saw DVD cover

Lukas Krajicek: Lightning and Vancouver Canucks

Tom Kurvers (co-assistant GM): Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils (Never saw him)

Brian Lawton (director of hockey operations): Lightning and Minnesota North Stars

Vincent Lecavalier: Lightning three-stripe, Lightning Prague Premiere game-dated, 2009 NHL All Star Game, 2008 NHL All Star Game and Notre Dame Hounds (at left)

Claude Loiselle (co-assistant GM): Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Quebec Nordiques

Ryan Malone: Lightning

Barry Melrose: Lightning, NHL 2Nite, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Winnipeg Jets (No longer with team)

Andrej Meszaros: Lightning

Vinny Prospal: Philadelphia Flyers

Kari Ramo: Tampa Bay Lightning-Norfolk Admirals (at left), Norfolk Admirals and Springfield Falcons

Mark Recchi: Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens and Kamloops Blazers

Gary Roberts: Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins

Matt Smaby: Lightning, Tampa Bay Lightning-Norfolk Admirals first year affiliation, Norfolk Admirals and Springfield Falcons

Mike Smith: Lightning, Lightning Prague Premiere game-dated, Dallas Stars and Utah Grizzlies

Martin St. Louis: 2009 NHL All Star Game

Steven Stamkos: Lightning, Lightning three-stripe, 2009 NHL All Star Game, Lightning Prague Premiere game-dated, NHL practice puck, Team Canada and Sarnia Sting

Rick Tocchet (interim head coach): Lightning, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes and Phoenix Coyotes geodesic design

Mike Vernon (special assistant to Brian Lawton): Lightning, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks and Portland Winter Hawks (never saw him)

Radim Vrbata: Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes (no longer with team)

Wes Walz (assistant coach): Lightning, Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild inaugural season (at left)

Ty Wishart: Lightning, San Jose Sharks and Prince George Cougars (never saw him; hope to real soon)

I had no pucks for Jussi Jokinen (no longer with team), Jeff Halpern, Mike Lundin, Shane O'Brien (no longer with team) and Paul Ranger.

2008-09 Lots for the Lightning totals
Autographed pucks: 64
Autographed jersey: 32
Autographed helmet: 6
Autographed sticks: 2
Bottom line: 104 (or 10.3 percent of Hound Central 4.0's noncard autographs collected during the 2008-09 NHL hounding campaign)

Editor's note: This list originally appeared on Hound Central 3.0.

Poll: Vinny's staying put

In an e-mail over the weekend, I learned that the Tampa Bay Lightning will host “Beyond the Blue Line” open houses this summer for fans. These open houses, held in the Lightning locker room, offers face time with the team’s owners, hockey brass and coaches.

Another thing I noticed was that none of the sessions were scheduled for late June or early July. While some may believe this time is set aside for NHL draft preparations, I can't help but wonder if an impending decision on Vinny Lecavalier's future with the Lightning will fill those days as well.

Seeing that his new contract and its no-trade clause kicks in July 1, the team must decide whether it wants to tie up a sizable chunk of the salary cap in a single player.

If it helps the Lightning brass with its decision, a majority of Hound Central 4.0 readers have already made the call: Vinny Lecavalier, the face of the franchise, will not be traded.

Question: Will the Lightning trade Vinny Lecavalier?

No: 20 out of 33 votes cast (60.6 percent)
Yes: 13 out of 33 votes (39.4 percent)

Top Shelf: Lightning's Big Three

How do I know the Hockey Gods approve of hounding? When Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier, from left, Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos sign 2009 NHL All Star Game pucks within 30 minutes.

All I can say is thanks.

A cure for cabin fever

After spending nearly 12 hours Wednesday glued to my computer and TV for the NHL trade deadline day coverage, I needed to get out of the house today, heading over to Brandon, where the Lightning were practicing.

Fresh air, bright sunshine and nearly a dozen autographs combined to make the trip well worth the time.

Besides adding these pucks from assistant coach Wes Walz, left, and newly acquired defenseman Noah Welch, I focused my attention on a few work-in-progress team jersey projects:

Center Vinny Lecavalier and winger Evgeny Artyukhin on the Lightning team jersey;

Winger Vinny Prospal on the Lightning team jersey;

Interim head coach Rick Tocchet on the Lightning team jersey;

Assistant coach Mike Sullivan on the Lightning team jersey;

Goalie Mike McKenna, who's living out his dream, on the Lightning team jersey;

Right winger Marty St. Louis on the Team Canada jersey;

Rookie forward Steven Stamkos on the Team Canada jersey; and

Center Jeff Halpern on the Team USA jersey.

Paint, rain don't mix

Want to know what happens when you get caught in the rain while you're hounding? A puck signed Thursday by Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier comes out with a less-than-perfect signature.

Despite the best efforts of the small group huddled under two small umbrellas, I couldn't block all of the raindrops.

Chances are, I'll use Goo-Gone to wipe away Lecavalier's signature (Oh, the horror!) and try again under sunnier conditions.

They traded Boyle, didn't they?

He might not have enjoyed his brief stay here in Hockey Bay, but it doesn't mean that Philadelphia's Matt Carle isn't interested in the Vinny Lecavalier trade rumors.

"So, are they going to trade Vinny?" Carle asked me as he signed these three pucks earlier tonight.

With these rumors running so rampant, most Bolts fans here in Hockey Bay wish they had that answer. I wouldn't mind, either.

In my opinion, it would be a huge mistake for the Lightning to trade Lecavalier, one on par with Boston's trading away of Joe Thornton.

Release the Hounds

A few weeks ago, Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier was nice enough to sign a replica Notre Dame Hounds jersey for one of his younger fans down here in Horrible Hockey Bay.

Last Thursday, before a 2-1 shootout loss to Colorado, Lecavalier signed this puck from his prep school hockey days.

In case you're interested, you can buy either item, as well as others suitable for signing, at the Wilcox, Sask., school's online store.

Sunday morning homily XIV

From the on-paper talent, a quick-witted coach to the promise of the No. 1 overall pick, this season down here in Hockey Bay had all the makings of something special.

Lightning fans could look forward to Mike Smith, a sure-fire, puck-handling goalie who would eliminate the nightmares of Marc Denis. The signings of a couple future Hall of Famers -- Olaf Kolzig and Mark Recchi -- meant stability and leadership. Free agents like Ryan Malone and Radim Vrbata were going to fill the net with pucks. And the Dan Boyle trade brought a couple of peachfuzz faces to an already youthful, but beleaguered, blue line.

Yes, the Lightning had the script down pat. But, like most every fantasy, the bubble of hockey nirvana has popped. We quickly learned that talent on paper doesn't equate to wins on the ice. Sadly, too, it's created something of a horror show that not even Oren Koules, one of the brains behind the grisly Saw movies, could have envisioned.

Barry Melrose, that new coach who was fired after 16 games, hopes the Lightning never wins again this season. Despite a couple good games, Steven Stamkos, the 2008 draft's top pick, is still finding his way. Malone, unfortunately, has been nagged by injuries. Smith, I'd bet, sees pucks in his dreams.

Had enough? There's more. Vrbata simply quit, packing up and heading home to the Czech Republic. And we're still waiting, Andrej Meszaros, for your first goal with the Lightning.

Thankfully, Recchi and Kolzig have met or exceeded expectations. And Steve Eminger, exchanged for Boyle-wannabe Matt Carle, has been the Lightning's most solid player since coming over from Philly.

Where do we go from here? That's up to the Lightning. If they keep playing the way they have so far, it'll mean smaller crowds likely dominated by the opposition's fans. How's that for a home-rink advantage?

It could also mean another shot at next June's top draft pick. Are plans under way for a Seen Tavares campaign? Or does Stamkos, whom I still have great faith in, leave the team gun-shy about forwards?

Sadly, neither choice comes with a ton of respect.

It's going to take more than Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis rediscovering their scoring touch. It's going to take more than Zenon Konopka punching someone in the kisser. Beyond Konopka, this team, to a man, needs to get tougher. Mostly, it's going to take everyone on the Lightning to show up every night, make the opponent more miserable with each shift and leave the early season nonsense behind.

Easier said than done? Oh, yeah. Until this happens, though, it'll be more Dolts than Bolts.

Expanding my reach

Granted, it will likely start with a small article in the next Beckett Sports Card Monthly, revisiting the day when Colin snagged 51 autographs from the New York Rangers and Lightning, but I could become a regular contributor to Beckett Hockey in the months ahead.

Though I've written for the publication before, this is an opportunity to share insights and successes with another hobby-specific audience. All the more better, too, if it brings more readers to Hound Central 4.0.

I'll let you know more as it happens.

5 Big Sigs

Thankfully, we have an NHL team, as in the Colorado Avalanche, coming to town this week. With that in mind, and with a little help from the youngest hound, here's what we're hoping to add to the collection:

~ Ryan Smyth and Adam Foote on Avalanche and Team Canada pucks;
~ Paul Stastny on a Denver University puck;
~ Milan Hejduk, Wojtek Wolski, Marek Svatos, Foote, Smyth and Stastny on an Avalanche mini helmet;
~ Peter Budaj and Svatos on the Slovakian team jersey; and
~ Tyler Arnason, T.J. Hensick, Jordan Leopold and John-Michael Liles on the USA team jersey.

Change in habits

Any hound here in Humidity Bay knows that getting the Lightning players to sign after morning skates or practices is, at best, hot-or-miss. Sometimes, most every player -- including stars Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis -- will stop to sign. Other times, though, they'll drive right on by.

But from what Hound Central 4.0 correspondent Moody tells me, he gets the sense that the Bolts are a much better signing team on the road rather than at home.

Moody caught up with the Bolts yesterday down in South Florida, where they were practicing before tonight's tilt against the Sunshine State rival, the Florida Panthers. He reports that every player signed for the five or six hounds (a sizable crowd, he says) that were there.

Moody was quick to point out how nice St. Louis was yesterday. Not only did he take the time to interact with Moody's toddler, but he also signed a scored-goal puck from his MVP season and a 8x10 of himself and Moody's oldest child.

Lecavalier, on the other hand, signed, but didn't seem too thrilled about, Moody said.

Beyond Lightning rookie Steven Stamkos, who signed the two homemade cards shown above, others signing yesterday were Ryan Craig, Chris Gratton (a surprising four cards, given his inconsistentcy in Tampa), Jussi Jokinen, Olaf Kolzig (six cards), Lukas Krajicek, Andrej Meszaros, Matt Pettinger (four cards), Vinny Prospal and the slightly grumpy Rick Tocchet.

All told, Moody added another 29 autographs. Not bad, I'd say.

Best in show

As much as I'd like to think that I had a pretty good training camp and preseason of hounding, adding 120-plus autographs over the course of a month, I certainly can't lay claim to the two best items signed during the past month.

That honor, I'm proud to say, needs to be bestowed upon Chris F., another hockey collector down here in Humidity Bay.

Not only does he get Hall of Famer Phil Esposito to sign a retro Team Canada jersey, shown above, but he's also able to get Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis to sign a Bauer Vapor XXX Team Canada St. Louis model stick.

The other stick? Oh, that's a Vinny Lecavalier-signed Lightning stick that Chris won in a drawing at one of the team's open training camp scrimmages.

Individually, and as a sum, these are the best autographs to come out of the Lightning's camp.

From good to great

It's a good hounding day any time I can get Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier to sign an item for us. But, when he becomes the second player (Dallas' Brad Richards was the first) to sign the Team Canada jersey, an item that presents cherry-picking opportunities, it becomes a great hounding day.

Hopefully, I'll get Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos to also sign this jersey over the next week. That would be a solid start, don't you think?

Sunday morning homily I

Looking back, I suppose I could have waited. There's plenty of work to be done around the house. There was research for future postings that needed doing. Heck, I even could've taken a few naps.

But once tips started rolling into Hound Central 4.0 that some Tampa Bay Lightning players were taking part in informal practices at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, it was hard to resist the urge.

The cardbooks were ready, with two to four cards for most players arranged in alphabetical order. More than six dozen pucks were lined up, too. And, for good measure, the Houndmobile, my reliable 1998 Ford Taurus with nearly 230,000 miles on it, had a topped-off tank.

In all, I made three trips over to Brandon. In terms of hounding, some trips were better than others. But, more than anything, the trips went a long way in getting over my hockey withdrawal.

Even though I'd taken Colin to hockey skating lessons over the summer, and watched kids try out for the Junior Lightning, it just wasn't the same. As much fun as Colin and I have playing street hockey on the back patio, that wasn't enough, either.

No, it took the 60-plus-mile (round-trip) ride, as well as $6 in tolls each trip, to quell my hockey jones. It wasn't just about getting autographs. It was about the game, even if it was practice. It was hockey -- NHL hockey -- up close.

These scenes, culled from each trip, help with the recovery:

~ Watching former linemates Vinny Lecavalier and Brad Richards, breaking in on goalie Mike Smith during a scrimmage Friday, and then work a sweet give-and-go as Vinny buried the puck;

~ Listening as Richards told of his summer trip to Stockholm, Sweden, where he met up with ex-Bolt Fredrik Modin;

~ Getting a kick out of Brian Bradley, (he's the red blur, above), a member of the original Lightning squad, hold his own against the younger guys;

~ Seeing Mark Recchi, apparently running these precamp practices, start a scrimmage by letting a puck, once balanced atop his head, fall to the ice;

~ Smiling as Jason Ward celebrated a "goal" taken from a nearly impossible angle; and

~ Being amazed that goalie Olaf Kolzig, behind the wheel of a Maserati, would stop and wait for one hound (yes, me) to amble over with items for signing.

Going forward, or for at least this week, I'll spend a little more time on research and writing. But, I do have plans to take at least one ride over to Brandon.

With a little more than two weeks remaining before the start of the Lightning's training camp, held at the St. Pete Times Forum this year, I'm hoping more players, especially some of the new guys like Steven Stamkos, Gary Roberts, Matt Carle and Radim Vrbata, will take part in these sessions.

5 Big Sigs

Each week, throughout the season, I pick five items I'd like to get signed during the next seven days. This season will be no different, only in that I'll start with these precamp practices.

Here's what I'm hoping to add to the collection this week:

~ Vinny Lecavalier (Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos, too, if they arrive) on the Team Canada jersey;
~ Chris Gratton, Olaf Kolzig, Paul Ranger, Mark Recchi and Mike Smith (as well as any new arrivals) on the Lightning team jersey;
~ Jason Ward, Gratton, Kolzig, Lecavalier, Ranger, Recchi and Smith (as well as any new arrivals) on the Lightning team helmet;
~ Though unlikely, recent addition Andrej Meszaros on the Lightning puck I had set aside for new Ottawa Senator Alexandre Picard; and
~ Nolan Pratt on a Buffalo Sabres puck (It's for my wife; she's a big fan since his days with the Carolina Hurricanes).

Points of entry

There's always a point of realization in one's pursuit that branching out only enhances the value of your efforts. While I see no problem maintaining my particular focus -- autographed hockey pucks -- the benefit to building the depth of the collection is crystal clear.

That's why, as we sit on the cusp of an NHL season, a journal's pages more empty than full, Hound Central 4.0 will embark upon another three projects:

Team Canada jersey: Given the many players who've worn the tri-color leaf, this would be easy to fill. I'm thinking, though, that this will be used for cherry-picking. I'm hoping Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos are the first three to sign it.

Colorado's Joey Sakic, Columbus' Rick Nash, San Jose's Joey Thornton and New Jersey's Martin Brodeur would be a darn good start, too.

Team helmets 2008-09: To me, the Lightning is a must-have. Between all the new faces and last season's retooled logo, working this through the season is something I'm good at: a no-brainer.

The main reason I picked Ottawa and Florida is that I won't have too many pucks, don't need too many more cards and, for the most part, they're good-signing teams. So, why not?

Lots for the Lightning: I've been writing about this for some time now. It's funny, too. Without all of the new ownership group's changes, I was looking at a pretty lean year with the Lightning. That's changed now.

The trio joins these existing projects:

~ American-born goalie stick
~ USA Hockey team jersey
~ Slovakian team jersey
~ Team Canada goalie mask
~ 1999 NHL All Star Game helmet

Lots for the Lightning

Given all of the movements made by the Tampa Bay Lightning's new ownership, with the team drafting Steven Stamkos first overall and signing such free agents as Olaf Kolzig, Ryan Malone, Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts, I could very well add another 75 pucks from the Lightning alone this season:

Len Barrie (co-owner): Lightning and Kamloops Blazers

Brandon Bochenski: Lightning

Matt Carle: Lightning and San Jose Sharks (now plays for Philadelphia)

Steve Downie: Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers

Steve Eminger: Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals new

Adam Hall: Lightning, Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins

Riku Helenius: Lightning

Andrew Hutchinson: Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes (no longer with team)

Olaf Kolzig: Lightning, Lightning Prague Premiere game-dated, Washington Capitals new logo, Washington Capitals eagle, Washington Capitals original logo, 2000 NHL All Star Game, Washington Capitals 25th anniversary, 1998 NHL All Star Game, Rochester Americans, Portland Pirates and Tri-City Americans

Oren Koules (co-owner): Lightning and Saw DVD cover

Lukas Krajicek: Lightning and Vancouver Canucks

Tom Kurvers (co-assistant GM): Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils

Brian Lawton (director of hockey operations): Lightning and Minnesota North Stars

Vincent Lecavalier: Lightning three-stripe (above), Lightning Prague Premiere game-dated, 2008 NHL All Star Game and Notre Dame Hounds

Claude Loiselle (co-assistant GM): Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils and Quebec Nordiques

Ryan Malone: Lightning

Barry Melrose: Lightning, NHL 2Nite, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Winnipeg Jets (No longer with team)

Andrej Meszaros: Lightning

Vinny Prospal: Philadelphia Flyers

Kari Ramo: Tampa Bay Lightning-Norfolk Admirals (at left), Norfolk Admirals and Springfield Falcons

Mark Recchi: Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens and Kamloops Blazers

Gary Roberts: Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins

Matt Smaby: Lightning, Tampa Bay Lightning-Norfolk Admirals first year affiliation, Norfolk Admirals and Springfield Falcons

Mike Smith: Lightning, Lightning Prague Premiere game-dated, Dallas Stars and Utah Grizzlies

Steven Stamkos: Lightning, Lightning three-stripe, Lightning Prague Premiere game-dated, NHL practice puck, Team Canada and Sarnia Sting

Rick Tocchet (interim head coach): Lightning, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes and Phoenix Coyotes geodesic design

Mike Vernon (special assistant to Brian Lawton): Lightning, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks and Portland Winter Hawks #

Radim Vrbata: Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes (no longer with team)

Wes Walz (assistant coach): Lightning, Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild inaugural season (at left)

Ty Wishart: Lightning, San Jose Sharks and Prince George Cougars

I'll have no pucks for Jussi Jokinen (no longer with team), Jeff Halpern, Mike Lundin, Shane O'Brien (no longer with team), Paul Ranger and Martin St. Louis.

# provided he visits Tampa

Total pucks collected (through 02.26.08): 60

Editor's note: This post originally appeared on Hound Central 3.0.