We'll take these 10

It's always a good day when you score 21 pucks, including the 1,800th of the collection, in a single outing from an NHL team. What helps, though, is when players sign two pucks each, like these five members of the St. Louis Blues:

From left: Dan Hinote (Blues and Avalanche), Barret Jackman (Blues and Regina Pats) and Chris Mason (Blues and Predators)

Top: Jay McKee. Bottom: Alexander Steen

Plan B, as in Bernie

Sitting atop my wish list for the St. Louis Blues last week was none other than Hall of Famer Al MacInnis. Never saw him. So, I had to settle, so to speak, for another Hall of Famer: Bernie Federko. Not bad, huh?

Simple task

If I had known that getting top-shelf players to sign the Team Canada jersey would be so easy, I would have started years ago on the project. This past Friday, two members of the St. Louis Blues became the most recent NHL players to sign the work in progress:

~ Center Brad Boyes, born in Mississaugua, Ont., has represented Canada three times in his international career; and

~ Defenseman Barret Jackman, a native of Trail, B.C., won gold with Team Canada at the 2007 IIHF World Championships.

Unfortunately, defenseman Eric Brewer, born in Vernon, B.C., is hurt and didn't make the trip to Tampa Bay. It's too bad -- Brewer has won World Championships, World Cup of Hockey and Olympic gold for Canada.

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.

Rookie signings

Besides these two pucks, center Patrick Berglund, left, and goalie Ben Bishop, two of the St. Louis Blues' top rookies, stepped up to the plate Friday, adding to Hound Central 4.0's collection:

~ Berglund, third among NHL rookie scorers, signed this mini pennant; and

~ Bishop, a native Des Peres, Mo., signed the American-born goalie stick. That Blues puck is the 1,800th of the collection.

Kid's play

As is often the case, Colin's team sheet for the St. Louis Blues proved quite popular with the 17 players and/or coaches who signed it before Friday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

I'm no longer amazed at how players seemingly flock to his hand-drawn creations and serve up compliments as quickly as they would one-timers. They are, without a doubt, the hit of Hound Central 4.0's 2008-09 hounding campaign.

Among those signing were Hall of Famer Bernie Federko, players Dan Hinote, Barret Jackman, Cam Janssen, Chris Mason and Alexander Steen, and rookies Patrik Berglund and Ben Bishop.

Sunday morning homily XXV

I don't know what's happened over the past few years, but there seems to be a growing sense of entitlement among today's younger hounds. They want to know where visiting NHL teams stay. They want to know the best times to hound. They want you to identify the players.

The only problem, though, is that they want to make the least possible effort to get the most number of autographs.

In a word, I'm afraid, they're lazy. Harsh? Yes. Honest? That, too.

Sorry, newbies, but life doesn't work that way. Bosses demand we show up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and know what we're doing. Mortgage and credit card companies want to be paid -- on-time. If your spouse or child wants something special, you work extra to make sure they get it.

Most of the Hockey Bay hounds I know work fulltime jobs or operate their own businesses. Some are husbands. Some, like me, are fathers. We all find the time to do the homework of our hobby, even if it means long strings of 18-hour days. It's called reality and, sometimes, it's brutally honest.

Twice over the past few days, I've answered requests for team information, namely where a team was staying, by asking two young hounds, who have received more than fair share of information from me, to find out for themselves and report back to me. My philosphy is simple: Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.

Well, one thought I was kidding, until I reinforced my original response with the message that stated otherwise. Want to know something? I've yet to hear back from him. The other, who showed up for the Blues without a Sharpie (a cardinal sin if there ever was one), at least made an attempt to find out, or so he told me. Funny thing, though. I found the team by asking for the same player he did.

Now, this is not an indictment of an entire generation. And, perhaps, these are isolated incidents. But, in my old-school world of collecting, the exchange of information or assistance needs to be a two-way street. I don't mind helping people who help me. Sounds fair, doesn't it?

Bottom line, kids, it's all about the effort.

The end is in sight

With the Tampa Bay Lightning's season headed down the tubes, the realization that the 2008-09 hounding campaign will end in about a month is becoming crystal clear. It's hard to imagine that the time has passed so quickly. It seems like only yesterday that I was sweating my tail off at pretraining camp hounding in Brandon.

Since then, it's been a blur -- loading up on such Western Conference luminaries as San Jose's Joey Thornton and pals, Colorado's Paul Stastny, Dallas' Mike Modano and Chicago's Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, as well as such Eastern Conference counterparts as Boston's Patrice Bergeron and Cam Neely, New Jersey's Martin Brodeur and Brendan Shanahan, and Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos.

No complaints, though. We've still got another month, or so, left in the season and seven teams, including Rick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets, headed our way. It's time to finish strong.

Effort, I like to believe, won't be an issue. Not for me, at least.

5 Big Sigs

I didn't have the best week of fulfilling these weekly goals, so I'm going to bench myself for a good week or so. Really, the Lightning are away on a road trip.

But, if I had the opportunity to travel, this is what I'd hope to add:

~ Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson on the Senators team helmet;
~ Ottawa's Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley on the Team Canada jersey;
~ Ottawa's Pascal Leclaire on Senators and Blue Jackets pucks;
~ Toronto's Tomas Kaberle on a Toronto St. Pat's card;
~ Florida's Steve Eminger on a Panthers puck and the team helmet.

Gallery: St. Louis Blues

If you want an autograph from, or a picture of, St. Louis' Keith Tkachuk you better arrive early and be prepared to take a walk. Though I was lucky enough to have Tkachuk sign a puck Friday, I lacked the multi-tasking skills to take a photo as he did it.

Sorry. I hope these will do:

Patrik Berglund, one of St. Louis' rookies, drew considerable interest;

Forward Dan Hinote didn't mind signing blank pieces of photo paper;

Tough guy Cam Janssen, a St. Louis native, got a kick out of seeing and signing some of his fight photos. And, yes, he had some funky footwear;

Forward Brad Winchester, left, and goalie Chris Mason draw a crowd;

Defenseman Jay McKee had hounds standing shoulder-to-shoulder as they waited for autographs;

Forward T.J. Oshie, who was running a bit late for the morning skate, kept his promise to sign after the practice; and

Defenseman Jeff Woywitka also signed after the Blues' morning skate.

Out of the ordinary

Every so often within a hounding campaign, there are moments that bring a much-needed dose of levity. Meet Louie, the St. Louis Blues' mascot. Actually, meet Louie as a team photo sheet, including autographs from Keith Tkachuk, Brad Boyes, Patrik Berglund and Hall of Famer Bernie Federko.

Not your typical fare, some might say.

Ryan, one of Hockey Bay's funnier hounds, has a warped sense of humor. Admittedly, a player's reaction was more important than his signature. Trust me, he got a bunch -- autographs and comments.

"That's (expletive deleted) hideous," said one, a Lightning defenseman who got a look at it.

Perhaps, but I believe it's hilarious. Looking at it makes me laugh.

Guess who?

Check out these shoes. Who's wearing them? I'll give you two hints. He plays for the St. Louis Blues and I wouldn't give him an ounce of grief about them. He'd whip your butt. Mine, too.

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.

Hockey Quiz No. 8

I know how much people like these hockey quizzes. It's one of the more popular search terms that steers readers to Hound Central 4.0. That's why I have so much fun putting them together.

Know what else is fun? Announcing that Steve G was the only one of three people to successfully navigate the monthly maze of hockey head-scratchers. Good job, Steve.

As promised, the logo was the tricky question. It showed the Oakland Seals, not the California Seals. The full blue circle was the clue.

Let's see how everyone does with this one. Good luck.

Name this logo

Kinda creepy isn't it? Kinda easy, too?

Still, you'll have to know your current hockey events, so to speak, to know this one. But, that eye, it is pretty creepy.

Hockey Word Association

Trade day winner =
Olli Jokinen =
April tee times =
Trade day loser =
Manny Legace =

Hockey, Scrambled

Leky Rancelm =
Stanrim Smasruk =
Yand Zowikswine =
Hewtmat Domibarl =
Asjem Skiwinewsi=

Hockey math

The Metropolis MoneyBags had to dump salary at the trade deadline by trading these three players -- Jimmy Stonehands, earning $2.175 million; Billy Fivehole, earning $3.75 million; and Frankie Fumblepuck, earning $1.375 million. In return, the MoneyBags got one player -- Peaux Tential, earning $875,000, and two draft picks.

How much money did the MoneyBags save with their trades?

A.) $6.423 million
B.) $6.424 million
C.) $6.426 million
D.) $6.425 million

Answers to Hockey Quiz No. 7:

Name this logo: Oakland Seals
Hockey, Scrambled: Tobias Enstrom, Tomas Fleischmann, Brendan Shanahan, Adam Burish and Blake Wheeler
Hockey math: B. Rusty Slowstride will earn $1,314,634.23 over his abbreviated 49-game season. Math: $2,200,000 divided by 82 games = $26,829.27 times 49 games.

True appreciation

Sometimes, the best card a collector ever gets doesn't come out of a pack. Behold the magic of how a single piece of cardboard not only made someone's day, but created a lasting hockey memory:

"It was December 17th 2008 and the only thing on my mind was the number retirement of Trevor Linden. Though I'm a huge Penguin fan, Trevor Linden is one of my all time favorites. I walked into school as usual. My head was elsewhere though.

"As I ran up the stairs I noticed one of my teachers standing outside their room eyeing me down making a motion for me to come over. So ... I went. He dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a Trevor Linden rookie card in a case in perfect condition.

"Now maybe a Trevor Linden rookie card isn't worth much to your average Joe, but obviously myself being a huge Linden fan I was impressed to even see it. The next thing I know he hands the card to me.

"My Trevor Linden rookie card in a nice case is currently put up with some of my autographed cards. Anytime I see it it puts a smile on my face."

I hope it goes without explaining why Katrina17's story won February's Win this Autograph contest for the dozen signed cards shown above. While other entrants are rightfully proud of some sweet cards, it's hard to assign any monetary value to a card that means so much to a person.

Now, all I need is for Katrina17 to provide an address, using the e-mail address on my profile, and we'll get these cards ready for the mail.

Don't forget to check out March's Win this Auto contest: former NHL player and coach Eddie Olczyk.

Programming note

Want to see what Sidney Crosby's road-trip autograph looks like? Check out the updated gallery for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Photographs of items signed by Crosby and Jordan Staal have been added.

And, if you folks don't mind, I'm going to call it a day. Nearly 12 hours of blogging is enough for me. There's plenty to read.

Trade analysis

A few thoughts on the 22 NHL deadline-day deals that went down today:

Most interesting

Toronto gets G Olaf Kolzig, and D Jamie Heward and D Andy Rogers -- three players dealing with injuries -- and a fourth-round pick in 2009 from Tampa Bay for minor-leaguer D Richard Petoit.

My take: This deals smells like a favor, so Tampa Bay can dump some salary. Doesn't it? I won't be surprised when the other shoe drops with Toronto. How about Leafs D Tomas Kaberle for RW Marty St. Louis?

Thumbs up

~ Buffalo gets C Dominic Moore from Toronto for a 2009 second-round pick. He'll add some more grit to the Sabres lineup.

~ Boston gets RW Mark Recchi and a 2010 second-round draft pick from Tampa Bay for F Martins Karsums and D Matt Lashoff. A third Stanley Cup ring should punch Old Man Recchi's ticket to hockey's
hallowed hall.

~ Phoenix gets F Nigel Dawes, D Dmitri Kalinin and F Petr Prucha for D Derek Morris. I'd make this three-for-one trade, especially because it includes Dawes, day after day after day.

Thumbs down

~ Florida gets D Steve Eminger from Tampa Bay for D Noah Welch and a 2009 third-round pick. The Panthers will be Eminger's third team this season. At least he had a chance to make the playoffs. With all due respect to Welch, I'd rather Eminger stuck around Hockey Bay.

~ C Patrick O'Sullivan, acquired earlier from Los Angeles for Carolina's LW Justin Williams, moved again, with a 2009 second-round pick, to Edmonton for LW Erik Cole. It would've been cool had O'Sullivan, who grew up in Winston-Salem, N.C, and played youth hockey in Raleigh, suited up with the Hurricanes.

Update

I guess the high-ranking source had no clue what he was talking about. I thought it sounded kinda shaky. I hope the surgery went well.

Making moves

Now that the NHL trade deadline has passed, and such players as Nikolai Antropov, Bill Guerin, Olli Jokinen, Ales Kotalik and Pascal Leclaire were moved, here's my updated look at each club's hounding lineup, with a particular emphasis on puckworthiness.

Better days ahead

One of these days, I'm going to learn to lower my expectations for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rather than a dozen-plus pucks and a full book of cards, I need to become more realistic. Or, ask for the day off from work so I have more time.

Sadly, it goes beyond the Penguins' Big Four: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and, to an extent, Jordan Staal. Of that group, only Fleury, who's quite the animated character, is the most approachable. The others? Forget it, I'm afraid, when there's a crowd of hounds.

Yesterday's trip for the Penguins, limited to the team's morning skate, severely tested my philosophy that one autograph is better than none. Though another dozen autographs were added to the collection, including the trio of pucks shown above from defenseman Phillippe Boucher, it was disappointing to once again whiff on Crosby.

Oh, well, they'll be back in April. Maybe I'll have better luck then.

I have myself to blame, somewhat, for the omission. Rather than join a pack of hounds who ran to an underground parking garage to intercept the Crosby Express, I held my ground. As a result, I missed out. And because of an overzealous valet, so did those who ran.

As for the others, I was simply too slow for the short time, measured in seconds, and few autographs that Malkin and Fleury did sign.

While it's understandable that Pittsburgh's top-shelf stars would employ such extreme measures and attitudes, I couldn't get how this trickles down to teammates. Mark Eaton and Kris Letang, the only Penguins I got to to sign cards, picked the darkest part of the images.

C'mon, guys, there's no need to be schlubs.

Thankfully, the day wasn't a total loss, as these items joined the collection:

~ a Team Russia puck from Sergei Gonchar;
~ Hockey Bay hero Ruslan Fedotenko on a Penguins puck and a Tampa Bay Lightning photo collage;
~ A third autograph on the work-in-progress right-handed goalie glove project and a Penguins puck from Mathieu Garon; and
~ Getting a "kick" out of legendary announcer Mike Lange.

Don't forget, either, to check out the Penguins gallery. In light of the day, I tried something a little different.

Settling for Sergei

Though my disappointment at not getting autographs from Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin was somewhat expected, having Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar sign this Team Russia puck helped to ease the sting.

Gonchar, who is a willing signer for a player of his stature, joined Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk as the two Russians to sign these pucks.

Hockey Bay hero

Down here in Hockey Bay, one of the Lightning's all-time unsung heroes is Ruslan Fedotenko. Why? He scored the Lighting's 2004 Stanley Cup-winning goal in Game 7 against Calgary.

Five years removed, the Penguins winger is a part of Lightning lore, drawing a crowd before yesterday's morning skate.

Beyond this Pittsburgh puck, Fedotenko became the eighth Lightning player from the Cup-winning team to sign the photo collage.

It all adds up

It's funny how deep a player's collection can extend. Take Pittsburgh goalie Mathieu Garon, for instance.

From his days with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs to yesterday before the team's morning skate when he signed this Penguins puck, we've accumulated eight from him: Edmonton Oilers, L.A. Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Hamilton Bulldogs, Manchester Monarchs, Quebec Citadelles and the 2005 AHL All Star Game.

Sounds like a lot, doesn't it, for a guy who's bounced around a bit? Then again, goalies are a major part of our collection.

Garon also signed the right-handed goalie glove, shown above, joining Minnesota's Josh Harding and Florida's Tomas Vokoun.

No, thank you, Mr. Lange

No autographed puck collection is complete until Penguins legendary announcer Mike Lange adds to it. Not only does the colorful commentator add one of his trademark calls, but he thanks you for asking for his autograph. Trust me, that doesn't happen too often.

Gallery: Pittsburgh Penguins

Want to know one way to round out a lackluster day in hounding photos? Show a few items that other Hockey Bay hounds secured from members of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

A tip of my old, roughed-up Cooper SK600 to Andy and Chris F., two of Hockey Bay's top hounds for their assistance:

See what happens when you hustle. You get not one, but two autographs from center Sidney Crosby, just like Chris F. did over the course of two days.

Center Evgeni Malkin, or "Gino" to his friends and hounds, signed this McFarlane SportsPick base for Andy.

Center Jordan Staal, who tries to avoid hounds as much as he can, didn't get past Chris F., who had him sign his McFarlane SportsPick base.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury signed this wallpaper image, from his days with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, for Andy, who was on his game, so to speak.

Not sure why, but defenseman Sergei Gonchar signs a Sidney Crosby replica jersey. Then again, knowing how difficult it is to snag Crosby's signature, I suppose any on a Crosby jersey works.

Winger Ruslan Fedotenko, who scored the Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2004, renews acquaintances with fans.

The show must go on

Listen. Can you hear it? The murmur of a crowd. The calliope novelty of a three-ring circus. Anticipation peaked, reality awaits. The Pittsburgh Penguins -- and all they represent -- are in Hockey Bay. Buckle up.

Win this Auto: Eddie Olczyk

You've watched him play in the NHL. You've seen him star in commercials for the NHL Network. He's a frequent face and voice on hockey television and radio shows.

He's none other than Eddie Olczyk, and this is your opportunity to add to your autograph collection.

In Hound Central 4.0's Win this Autograph contest for March, all you need to do is tell me, in 100 words or less, your favorite Chicago Blackhawks memory.

Need some ideas? It can be a win or a loss. A shutout by Tony O or Darren Pang. A hat trick by Bobby Hull or Stan Mikita. Babysitting Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews.

Keith Magnuson -- God bless his soul -- scores bonus points.

Okay, folks, how about some entries? Submit them in the form of a comment. The contest closes at 11:59:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31.

Check back in a few days, too, for the winner of February's contest for a dozen autographed cards.

Hands down, it's Ovie

To be honest, I thought the most recent Hound Central 4.0 poll -- which asked whether Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby or Washington's Alex Ovechkin is the tougher autograph -- would be closer. I was wrong.

Of the 51 votes cast, Ovechkin pulled away from The Next One as being the more difficult to have sign an item -- any item, really. It's no surprise, either, that both would draw this honor. Great players always draw a crowd above the usual hounding suspects.

Thankfully, I've been fortunate to have had Ovechkin and Crosby sign pucks in the past. Recent trips, though, haven't proved as fruitful. I'll get another chance for Crosby tomorrow.

What was surprising, however, was the number of responses. This poll had, by far, the greatest participation.

Thanks. And, please, give yourself a Standing O.

Question: Tougher autograph?

Alex Ovechkin: 29 out of the 51 votes cast (56.9 percent)
Sidney Crosby: 22 out of 51 votes (43.1 percent)

Hot trade rumor

Just in case Ottawa Sun hockey columnist Bruce Garrioch, a master of trade rumors, Googles his name between now and Wednesday:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

According to a well-placed source deep inside a secretive intelligence organization scattered across the four corners of hockey's cosmic universe, there's a major trade brewing between two Eastern Conference foes.

The source, who professes allegiance to neither team involved in the pending pre-NHL deadline day blockbuster, dutifully reports, without hesitation and little other confirmation, the deal to end all deals in the history of professional sports:

To Tampa Bay: Goaltender Carey Price and defensemen Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek

To Montreal: Goaltender Olaf Kolzig and defensemen Andrej Meszaros and Paul Ranger

"Oh, yeah, this is a done deal. It's a win-win situation for both teams. Still, the Lightning might even get Chris Higgins as a sweetener," according to the official, who spoke in hushed tones on these extreme conditions of anonymity: untraceable satellite signals, 37-second tape delay and voice-scrambling technologies while wearing camouflage fatigues in a darkened room at an undisclosed location before face-changing cosmetic surgery.

Sunday morning homily XXIV

Maybe I'm getting more conservative with each passing year, but I can certainly do without the highly suggestive Go Daddy commercials shown on the NHL Network. While watching the Loafs-Senators game last night, I had to tell Colin to quickly cover his ears as one aired.

Perhaps you've seen it. It's the one where one co-worker buys his buddy Dougie's domain name. Then Dougie's wife's. Then Dougie's dog's. Mercifully, Dougie, the offended party, so to speak, secures his mother's domain name. In celebration, Dougie tells his buddy that he already "did" his mother. See what I mean?

The commercial ends with a fetching young woman, who overheard Dougie's comment, disgustingly calling him a pervert. Unfortunately, Colin heard that part.

"Daddy, what's a pervert?"

Yeah, that's exactly what I wanted to do on a Saturday night.

My point goes beyond Colin's question, too. Look at the names and euphemisms being used. The poor guy's name last name is Humpas, hence the co-worker's registration of Mother Humpas. His dog's name is Mr. Winky. See what I mean? Again?

Trust me, I'm not being a prude. As I write this, the 15-year-old in me smiles at the sophomoric genius of the double entendre. I just wish the NHL Network would realize that kids watch these games. I'd rather have Colin watch a commercial for Bakugan or McDonald's than that nonsense.

It's one thing to run these commercials after 9 p.m., when most good little boys and girls are tucked in their beds. Running these spots before then, and putting parents across North America in one as well, shows a lack of awareness of the entire viewing market.

Can't wait. Can you?

If I didn't already have the day off, I'd use a vacation day or personal time this Wednesday to follow along with the wheelings and dealings of the NHL trade deadline. To hockey fans, it's like a national holiday, no matter where they live.

So, who will be the biggest name on the move? Ilya Kovalchuk? Marian Gaborik? Mark Recchi? Chris Pronger? Jay Bouwmeester? Tomas Kaberle?

Tell you what. Any NHL team needs a veteran defenseman, drop me a line. The pro-rated minimum works just fine.

5 Big Sigs

It's going to be a busy week here in Hockey Bay, as the Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes all pull into town:

~ Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby on Colin's Crosby replica jersey;
~ Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin on Penguins and WJC-Russia pucks;
~ St. Louis' Keith Tkachuk on Blues, Winnipeg Jets and Boston University pucks
~ St. Louis' Patrik Berglund on a Blues puck and a 2008-09 Victory update rookie card; and
~ Carolina's Eric Staal on a 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee jumbo card.