Hound Central 4.0

Puckhound's new blog

2011-08-24T11:16:00.001-04:00

C'mon now, did you really think I'd stop blogging about hockey and hounding? well, I haven't. If that disappoints you, well, oh, well. If it doesn't, feel free to check out The Hockey Life.

It'll be a little different that the Hound Centrals. A little less on hounding, but a lot more about living the hockey lifestyle.

With Colin embarking on another season of travel hockey, making the Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning Squirt A squad for the 2011-12 campaign, I'll share what it means to be a hockey parent.

It's been a couple weeks

2009-09-10T13:33:00.005-04:00

Well, a so-called soft launch of Hound Central 5.0 is about two weeks old. Thankfully, we've had NHL players and prospects filling rinks here in Hockey Bay as well as South Florida and Toronto before NHL training camps open, giving me and others something to cheer and, when the mood strikes, write about.

Heck, there's even a hounding report on the Oshawa Generals.

I imagine, too, I'll come back with a closing post, more detailed in plans and goals for Hound Central 5.0. Until then, feel free to peruse any of the many stories from the 2008-09 hockey hounding campaign here at Hound Central 4.0.

And, if you haven't visited it yet, Hound Central 5.0 has its own YouTube channel, HockeyBay Hound.

And, as always, please know that I truly appreciate your support. It's something I can't say enough. Thanks, folks.

Check it out

2009-08-26T18:54:00.003-04:00

As promised, here's the big news: Hound Central 5.0 is up and running. A trip to Brandon earlier today marked the first hounding trip of the 2009-10 campaign.

Refresher courses

2009-08-25T16:58:00.004-04:00

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.

All about baseball

2009-08-24T08:15:00.001-04:00

Seeing that today is the last day of summer vacation, we're getting an early start on a full day of activities. We were pretty busy last week, too, taking in three baseball games within four days.

As a result, Baseball Mondays is loaded with new reports. Feel free to check them out.

Pleasant surprise

2009-08-21T12:58:00.003-04:00

Like most every other hockey hound I know, the upcoming NHL season can't arrive soon enough. Allan, Hound Central 4.0's correspondent in Toronto, got an early start. Here's his report:

Well I'm happy to say that hockey is up and running in the Great White North! Leafs players, I hear, started showing up at their practice rink last week.

Recently, a local sporting goods store held a grand opening with Columbus goalie Steve Mason, who was signing for free. Imagine that? Free autographs from the reigning rookie of the year.

Because there were limits of one per adult and two per kid, I took my two kids. All told, we snagged five autographs - two pucks and the three 8x10s shown below. Mason also brought the Calder trophy with him.

We were about 25th in line and it only took about 15 minutes to go through the line. My kids wanted to go through again, but I didn't want to. I guess we could have, but it didn't feel right.

Mason was a nice kid and posed for photos with the kids. I wished him a great and healthy season, but asked him to take it easy on my Leafs!

Long live the Aud

2009-08-21T12:37:00.005-04:00

Though Hound Central 4.0 does not condone acts of trespassing, I believe old-school Buffalo Sabres fans might enjoy one last look at the inside of the Memorial Auditorium.

Though it's been many years since attending a Sabres game there, I recognized many scenes taken during the clandestine trips of an urban explorer.

Special thanks, too, to Drew, one of Hound Central's faithful readers, for the head's up.

Different looks

2009-08-21T12:18:00.006-04:00

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.

Batting .917

2009-08-17T00:28:00.006-04:00

Over the course of the summer, Colin has put together a remarkable collection of Florida State League team-signed balls. Recently, with the Daytona Cubs in Dunedin to play the Blue Jays, he knocked out the 11th and final team ball of our Summer of Baseball.

The only team we missed? The Palm Beach Cardinals, the Advanced A farm club for MLB's St. Louis Cardinals. Maybe next summer, okay?

While you're waiting, then, stop by Baseball Mondays for these posts:

~ A pair of Tampa Bay Rays players adding to a work-in-progress team ball;
~ Larry Herndon, a big-leaguer for 14 years, on the MLB Alumni ball; and
~ Taking a big bite out of the Clearwater Threshers team set.

We're keeping these

2009-08-16T13:22:00.004-04:00

It doesn't seem all that long ago that Colin was trying on this pair of skates. Really, though, it's been more than two years, and they've served him well as he's progressed from his first shaky glides across a rink to making hay, so to speak, in recreational league games.

And now that he's getting a little bigger and the skates are getting tighter, it's time to retire this pair. His new pair -- Nike Bauer Vapor XXVs -- are broken in and game-ready. In fact, he logged his first-ever hat trick yesterday wearing them.

But rather than toss out his first pair of skates or try to get a few bucks from Play It Again Sports, we're keeping them as souvenirs. Not only are they symbolic of all the time, effort and money over the past few years, but they also represent the first steps of Colin's fledgling hockey career.

That's what makes them priceless.

NHL players reporting to rinks

2009-08-12T00:42:00.006-04:00

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.

Take a look, won't you?

2009-08-10T11:10:00.001-04:00

Just to prove that Baseball Mondays isn't just about collecting autographs during our Summer of Baseball, I've created a photo gallery that goes far beyond balls and strikes.

Flashbacks 08.10

2009-08-10T11:05:00.003-04:00

Here's another player's-only stroll down hockey-hounding memory lane:

March 9, 2009: St. Louis' T.J. Oshie
Jan. 31, 2009: Hall of Famer Joey Mullen
Dec. 28, 2007: Montreal's Carey Price
Nov. 26, 2006: Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson
Dec. 29, 2005: Toronto's Matt Stajan

Little Gray Box: Ryan Miller

2009-08-10T11:00:00.001-04:00

In all honesty, I can't remember if Buffalo's Ryan Miller signed this cheapskate card in 2002 or 2003. I am positive, though, we got it during our time in Beantown. Either way, it was one of the first autographs we received from the Sabres' talented goalie.

Yeah, me, too

2009-08-09T13:47:00.008-04:00

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?

Thank God for shade

2009-08-03T09:31:00.002-04:00

Want to know how hot it got last week during Florida State League game with a first-pitch time of noon? Let's just say triple-digits. You can read about that scorcher, as well as our cherry-picking efforts that day, at Baseball Mondays.

A long look back

2009-08-02T11:05:00.011-04:00

Really, it's not that I didn't want to put together this review of our efforts of the 2008-09 hockey-hounding season. No, that wasn't the reason for its delay. It was more all the things that have kept me busy since the season ended down here in early April.

Mostly, it's been because of willingly accepting an increase in obligations here at home -- eschewing summer camp so Colin and I could spend more time together, landing a bunch of freelance work, hanging out at the Tampa Bay Lightning's prospects camp and, to keep our hounding games in shape, embarking upon our Summer of Baseball.

To be honest, I'm surprised I didn't get to this final review of the season earlier. Given that we added another 1,738 autographs, including 330 pucks, to the collection, one might believe that I'd trumpet our successes as soon as I could.

Didn't happen, though, did it?

So, now, without further delay, here are the top 20 highlights of the 2008-09 hockey-hounding campaign:

~ Loving every minute of watching 316 NHL players fill up 22 of Colin's hand-drawn team sheets.

~ Colin snagging the top three picks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, including Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman, during their predraft trip to Humidity Bay.

~ Being in the right place at the right time for Washington's Alexander Semin. Thanks again, Moody.

~ Absolutely ruining Curtis Joseph's day when the Toronto Maple Loafs came to town.

~ Having Columbus' Rick Nash sign four pucks, including one of the OHL's London Knights.

~ Catching up with one of my favorite hockey players, former Buffalo Sabres captain Danny Gare.

~ Being surprised when Washington's Sergei Fedorov changed his mind about signing an autograph.

~ Getting Tampa Bay's Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos to sign 2009 NHL All Star Game pucks in a single day.

~ Compiling 25 autographs, including Cam Neely, Patrice Bergeron, Phil Kessel and Tim Thomas, on a new-look Boston Bruins third jersey.

~ Catching up with old buddies -- Boston Patrice Bergeron and Carolina's Cam Ward

~ Celebrating Martin Brodeur's return from injury when New Jersey visited Humidity Bay in February.

~ Having Triple Gold winner Brendan Shanahan sign the Team Canada jersey.

~ Reaching out to a fellow Buffalo kid, Chicago's Patrick Kane, and having him sign a pair of pucks.

~ Loading up a helmet with 26 signatures from members of the Montreal Canadiens.

~ Getting Dallas' Mike Modano to sign the Team USA jersey and a Stars puck.

~ Scoring 103 autographs in a single day, our best effort of the season, from the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

~ Having 26 members of the Florida Panthers, including Keith Ballard, Jay Bouwmeester, Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss, sign a team helmet.

~ Four pucks signed by San Jose's Jeremy Roenick, one of the game's fan-friendliest players.

~ The Tampa Bay Lightning's training camp and other over-the-summer activities presented the perfect opportunity to load up on autographs from Tampa Bay's Olaf Kolzig and Steven Stamkos.

~ Getting pretty sweet autographs from Hall of Famers Phil Esposito and Tony Esposito.

Summer break

2009-07-30T23:31:00.015-04:00

Even wearing black, as well as a little gold, taking part in a Mites hockey clinic is an easy way to escape highs in the mid-90s.

Then again, that's a fact of life every summer here in Humidity Bay.

That's not to say, though, that Colin didn't work up a little sweat. Going through a number of skating, puckhandling and shooting drills can have that effect on a person.

Here's an idea

2009-07-28T14:32:00.005-04:00

With the Tampa Bay Lightning in an all-out season-ticket marketing blitz -- including a multimedia tool that incorporates the fan and repeated telephone calls at home (four over the past week) -- I have a novel concept that certainly would ensure more fannies in the seats at the St. Pete Times Forum. It's called winning, something that the Bolts haven't done for the past two seasons.

A good excuse

2009-07-27T10:11:00.006-04:00

I know that I owe Hound Central 4.0's faithful readers a review of our 2009-09 hockey-hounding efforts. It's just that our Summer of Baseball, chronicled at Baseball Mondays, has been keeping me busy. Last week alone, we saw three games in four days.

The highlights of the 11 new posts:

~ getting a trio of single-signed balls from three Dunedin Blue Jays;
~ finishing up team balls for the Clearwater Threshers, Fort Myers Miracle and the Tampa Yankees; and
~ adding a team ball, the 10th of the season, from the Sarasota Reds.

As for the hockey-hounding year in review, all I can say is that it's still on the radar screen. Sooner or later, I'll find the time to take a trip down memory lane.

It's been such a long time

2009-07-24T10:05:00.009-04:00

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.

Rest in peace, Reg

2009-07-21T12:51:00.006-04:00

The recent passing of former NHL player Reg "The Ruffian" Fleming struck a chord with Moody, Hound Central 4.0's roving Southeast correspondent.

Here's Moody's recollection:

"I had the chance to meet him during an old timers charity game at a local rink back in Michigan. I had just graduated from high school, so I wasn’t very good at recognizing players. I had a few cards and one of them was a Tall Boy Reprint of Fleming.

"Armed with a Bic pen (Most of my early sigs were with ink pens), I snagged the players as they came off the ice. Mr. Fleming came off and, as I asked who he was in order to rifle through a stack of cards to find his, he patiently waited and happily signed the card for me.

"He may have played well before my time, but his signature is one of the first that has launched my interest in vintage autographs. As tattered as the card may be, it still sits on the top of my most memorable successes."

Flashbacks 07.21

2009-07-21T00:32:00.007-04:00

It's been a long time since we tried one of these, hasn't it? More than five weeks, if you're keeping track.

Long overdue, if you ask me. Enjoy.

June 4, 2008: Tampa Bay's Dave Andreychuk
Jan. 23, 2008: Edmonton's Dwayne Roloson
Feb. 23, 2007: Kevin Paul Dupont, of the Boston Globe
Dec. 6, 2006: Buffalo's Daniel Briere
April 12, 2006: Atlanta's Marian Hossa

Mondays mean baseball

2009-07-20T12:12:00.003-04:00

All it took was a proven method and a willingness to dodge a few raindrops to add these Florida State League-based items to our Summer of Baseball bounty:

~ A team ball signed by the Brevard County Manatees; and
~ a team ball signed by the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

The secret to success

2009-07-20T11:56:00.004-04:00

Now that we're in the dog days of summer -- the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency behind us -- we have plenty of time to play general manager of an NHL team. We can ask ourselves whether our team's top pick will be NHL-ready or will he need more seasoning? Another big question, I believe, is can a pressing need be filled with a free agent.

Either way, we can only fantasize -- from a hockey fan's viewpoint, that is -- that we can call the shots as we build our NHL team. To me, though, the most-pressing decision any GM can make is how the team is put together. Does one build through the draft or stock the lineup with free agents? Maybe a combination of both?

According to Hound Central 4.0 readers, it takes a combination of both -- shrewd draft picks and sensible free agent signings -- to build an NHL club. Pretty sound advice, don't you think?

Question: What's the best way to build an NHL team?

Bit of both: 16 out 27 votes cast (59.3 percent)
Through the draft: 10 out 27 votes (37 percent)
Free-agent signings: 1 out 27 votes (3.7 percent)

Gallery: Lightning Young Guns camp

2009-07-16T20:50:00.010-04:00

Just like the sign says: Welcome to the 2009 Tampa Bay Lightning Young Guns prospect camp held over the past week at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

Defenseman Victor Hedman, taken second overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, gets ready for a shift during Saturday's scrimmage.

Goalie prospect Riku Helenius prepares to make a save during a skills competition following Saturday's scrimmage.

Lightning defenseman Vladimir Mihalik, who stands 6-foot-7, was more than happy to level the playing field for this picture with Colin.

Goalie prospect Dustin Tokarski, one of the nicest kids in hockey, thanked Colin for taking this picture with him.

This is what you look like after fitting a week of hockey-hounding into an already busy life with a nasty summer head cold as the cherry on top. Colin took this photo Wednesday after the camp's final scrimmage.

Sticking with it

2009-07-16T20:45:00.001-04:00

Besides getting three autographed pucks from Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay's top 2009 pick, the biggest project for the Lightning's Young Guns camp was Colin's mini goalie stick. From a Beyond the Blueline event to a prospect scrimmage to hanging out at the team's hotel, the stick was a constant companion.

By camp's end Wednesday, Colin scored 22 autographs. They're weren't all prospects, either. How about Dave Andreychuk and Steven Stamkos? They're on it. Even Lightning GM Brian Lawton, a former No. overall pick, signed it. So are Hedman and Carter Ashton, the Bolts' other first-round pick last month.

Items like this are perfect for this type of hounding. Photos and cards may be hard to find. I prefer, too, to be selective with pucks at these type of events, only taking chances, so to speak, with No. 1 picks.

Still, no complaints. We added 94 autographs, including nine pucks, within a week. Not bad, considering it's the middle of July.

Doubling up

2009-07-16T20:17:00.009-04:00

Want to know what happens when all get into the same autograph line for Tampa Bay's prospects? Actually, that's an easy question. Not only can you get seven particular players, fresh from participating in Saturday's night scrimmage at the Lightning's Young Guns camp, to sign a team postcard, but you can also snag all on a puck.

Prospect card, from left: Luke Witkowski, Carter Ashton, Juraj Simek, Jordan Mayer, Matt Read, Dustin Tokarski and Kyle DeCoste.

Prospect puck, from left: Juraj Simek, Carter Ashton, Dustin Tokarski, Kyle DeCoste, Jordan Mayer, Matt Read and Luke Witkowski.

Pencil these in

2009-07-15T23:25:00.008-04:00

After a long day of watching hockey, ordering a Wendy's single with everything but onions and watching Colin collect three foul balls, I've finally had enough time over the past few minutes to scribble a list of top 10 teams we'll hound during the 2009-10 campaign:

No. 10. New Jersey Devils, Oct. 8: It's always nice to see Marty.

No. 9. Montreal Canadiens, Dec. 30: Respect the Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge.

No. 8. Vancouver Canucks, Feb. 9, 2010: A chance for redemption after missing them on their last trip to Hockey Bay.

No. 7. San Jose Sharks, Oct. 22: So many big names, so little time.

No. 6. Buffalo Sabres, March 18, 2010: Later, I'll attend the game with relatives from Western New York.

No. 5. Anaheim Ducks, Jan. 29, 2010: This team rewards effort.

No. 4. Phoenix Coyotes, March 16, 2010: But only if Wayne Gretzky is part of the organization. If not, the Coyotes trade places with the Canucks.

No. 3. Los Angeles Kings, Nov. 14: I'm burning a vacation day for this team. Lots of new faces certainly worthy of a bunch of pucks.

No. 2. Calgary Flames, Feb. 6, 2010: It's not just the Stanley Cup Finals history between the Flames and Lightning. It's an opportunity to snag a couple more pucks from Jarome Iginla and Jay Bouwmeester.

No. 1. Boston Bruins, Dec. 28: Three days after Christmas? Colin will be on vacation. I have the day off, too. Need I say anything more?

So, tell me. What are your top 10 hounding trips?

Big leagues, too

2009-07-13T09:23:00.005-04:00

Just to prove that Baseball Mondays isn't all about minor league baseball, you might want to check out these postings:

~ Four members of the Tampa Bay Rays starting a 2009 team ball;
~ Four Toronto Blue Jays pitchers flocking to Colin's team sheet; and
~ A signed baseball from top 10 MLB prospect Josh Vitters.

Sorry to make you wait

2009-07-12T22:37:00.008-04:00

In hindsight, I would've been better off not having Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay's top pick at the 2009 NHL Draft, sign these three pucks. Nope, I should've been home tending to a cold that blossomed a day after the Swedish defenseman completed the hat trick. It's taken me three days to even remotely recover.

See Stamkos?

2009-07-12T21:46:00.007-04:00

It was easy to see just how much Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos has matured in the past year. A year ago, he was the hugely hyped No. 1 overall pick, all smiles and full of confidence.

Then came Barry Melrose. What a mistake that was. To his credit, Stamkos showed that he did, in fact, belong in the NHL.

Now, with that sorry episode behind us, Stamkos appeared much more at ease Saturday night with his still-growing role with the Bolts. He knows it, too. Like free agent signee Mattias Ohlund, he'll help mentor 2009 top pick Victor Hedman as well.

The leap to the NHL from the OHL has been made. And Stamkos, I believe, stuck the landing.

Oh, yeah, he signed a new-look Canada puck for us.

I don't know about this

2009-07-12T21:25:00.001-04:00

It's not that I'm complaining or anything, but I'm having a hard time getting a Carter Ashton out of these autographs. I mean, yeah, he is a first-round pick, going 29th after Tampa Bay took Victor Hedman at second overall. But, still, that auto -- stylish and all -- looks like he's been at it for 15 years.

He's having fun

2009-07-12T21:09:00.008-04:00

If there's one person who's thoroughly enjoying himself at the Tampa Bay Lightning's Young Guns camp these days it has to be goalie Dustin Tokarski.

Every time I've seen him, from the team's hotel to the rink to a post-scrimmage autograph session, the kid, a 2008 fifth-rounder, has had a milewide grin.

My guess? He's just soaking up the experience, even if winning WJC gold for Team Canada in 2009 wasn't enough, and looking forward to training camp. If it's anything else, it's only because he's a goalie.

In an instant

2009-07-11T11:14:00.005-04:00

Though I carried cards and pucks during his brief appearances on Tampa Bay's blueline last season, I somehow managed to miss getting a single autograph from defenseman Ty Wishart.

That all changed Thursday, at the end of a long, cold-worsening day of baseball, hockey and hounding, when Wishart not only signed the two pucks, shown above, but these cards as well.

Wishart, part of the trade that sent Dan Boyle to San Jose, is taking part in the Lightning's Young Guns camp this week.

Handy to have

2009-07-11T11:08:00.003-04:00

With the Tampa Bay Lightning holding its Young Guns camp this week, it was a good time to put some 2008-09 Norfolk Admirals team set cards to work. Among those to sign, and we still have a few cards to go, were Riku Helenius, Scott Jackson, Vladimir Mihalik and Juraj Simek.

If only for a moment

2009-07-08T09:53:00.005-04:00

Over the next few days, we're hoping to get in a little hockey-hounding as the Tampa Bay Lightning holds its Young Guns camp at the St. Pete Times Forum. Of course, the top draw will be Victor Hedman, the Bolts' top pick at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal.

Beyond Hedman, though, there are a few more players who we'd like to add to the autographed puck collection -- namely, goalie Dustin Tokarski and defenseman Ty Wishart. After that, it's mostly cards for the rest of the players in camp.

Oh, yeah, we'll have a new Canada puck for Steven Stamkos, just in case he shows up over the next few days.

It may be summer, yes, but it's always hockey season here at Hound Central 4.0.

Not too much to ask, is it?

2009-07-06T12:43:00.002-04:00

Had a busy morning over at Baseball Mondays. Now, if only you'd spend a few minutes reading about:

~ A team ball from the St. Lucie Mets;
~ A mini bat from the Dunedin Blue Jays;
~ A fellow St. Petersburg Junior College alum;
~ Catching up with Colin's favorite FSL team; and
~ Snagging an assortment of autographs from the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Update: 2009-10 Western Conference visitors

2009-07-02T10:08:00.004-04:00

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.

Update: Lots for the Lightning

2009-07-01T21:27:00.014-04:00

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.

Oh, really?

2009-06-29T12:26:00.002-04:00

Earlier this year, we heard from a Clearwater Threshers players that collecting an assortment of autographed Florida State League team balls might be a difficult task. Well, guess what? It hasn't been hard at all, as Colin recently secured his sixth team ball of our Summer of Baseball.

You'll find that story, as well as others, at Baseball Mondays. Take a break from hockey, won't you, and check out our summer hobby.

Less than convincing

2009-06-26T14:13:00.005-04:00

Now that we find ourselves mere hours away from the first overall pick being made in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, Hound Central 4.0 readers are far from certain that the New York Islanders will, indeed, select John Tavares.

Of the 14 votes cast (a low number, curiously), only eight felt that the Isles will pick Tavares to lead them to the promised land. Sure, it's a majority, but it's hardly a ringing endorsement.

So, what going to happen? Hard telling. We'll have to watch the draft at 7 tonight on Versus to find out.

Question: Will the New York Islanders take John Tavares first overall?

Yes: 8 out of 14 votes cast (57.1 percent)
No: 6 out of 14 votes (42.9 percent)

Now, while you still have on your general manager/player personnel hat, feel free to take part in the latest Hound Central 4.0 poll, which asks what is the best way to build an NHL team.

Back in the day

2009-06-24T10:15:00.007-04:00

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.

Little Gray Box: Mike Green

2009-06-24T10:03:00.006-04:00

Little did I know, during the 2005-06 season, that Washington's Mike Green would become a Norris Trophy finalist, a NHL First Team All Star and set an NHL record for defenseman with his eight-game goal-scoring streak.

Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to have him sign one of my homemade cheap skates cards.

You're on the clock

2009-06-23T12:33:00.008-04:00

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

Three-Sharpie day?

2009-06-22T11:03:00.001-04:00

When it comes to my own hounding productivity, it's a great day any time I score at least 50 autographs. One hundred autographs? Only once.

How do you describe it, then, when you snag 206 autographs in a day? Awesome? Impressive? Frightening? I'm at a loss for the perfect word.

You'll just have to ask Brett, a Hockey Bay hound who also hits the diamonds every season, including the Florida State League's All-Star Game festivities in Fort Myers. He filed his report with Baseball Mondays.

No surprise here

2009-06-22T10:27:00.003-04:00

Eyebrows didn't even flinch this time. Going in, I knew, without even a hint of doubt, that Hound Central 4.0's readers would show off their hockey IQ. Know what? I wasn't disappointed.

An overwhelming majority, picking with their heads more than their hearts, said John Tavares would be picked first overall at next Friday's NHL Entry Draft in Montreal. Hands down, too.

The margin of victory? Not even close. Huge, even. Then again, that was a given. Not even Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene combined could top the Next One of 2009.

The $10 million endorsement deal question now -- across the hockey spectrum, including here at Hound Central 4.0 -- is whether or not Tavares lands on Long Island or, perhaps, elsewhere. I know there's a few Loafs fans who think he'd look real good in blue and white.

It won't be long now.

Question: No. 1 overall pick

John Tavares: 20 out of 36 votes cast (55.5 percent)
Victor Hedman: 10 out of 36 votes (27.8 percent)
Matt Duchene: 6 out of 36 votes (16.7 percent)

The envelopes, please

2009-06-20T20:54:00.007-04:00

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

Like looking at pictures?

2009-06-16T10:17:00.003-04:00

Good. Check out these five galleries from the 2008-09 hockey-hounding season down here in Hockey Bay:

April 8, 2009: Pittsburgh Penguins
March 18, 2009: Toronto Maple Leafs (my favorite)
March 7, 2009: St. Louis Blues
Feb. 23, 2009: Boston Bruins
Feb. 18, 2009: Chicago Blackhawks

Teeming with sharks

2009-06-15T11:53:00.003-04:00

After adding 40 autographs last week from the Florida State League's Jupiter Hammerheads and Clearwater Threshers during Shark Week, it's safe to surmise that Baseball Monday's Summer of Baseball mini-project didn't bite. Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun.

Little Gray Box: Jeff Carter

2009-06-10T12:33:00.003-04:00

These days, Philadelphia's Jeff Carter is best known as a goal-scoring sniper. He signed this cheapskate card during the 2004-05 season, when today's young NHL stars were forced by the NHL lockout to play in the American Hockey League.

Flashbacks 06.10

2009-06-10T12:19:00.004-04:00

It's been nearly three weeks since the last installment of this summer space filler. How about a mixture of team and player reports from Hound Central 3.0, 2.0 and 1.0?

April 2, 2008: Atlanta Thrashers
Oct. 27, 2007: Buffalo Sabres
Feb. 20, 2007: Florida's Eddie Belfour
Oct. 29, 2006: San Jose Sharks
Feb. 17, 2006: Hall of Famer Stan Mikita

Know the Bible?

2009-06-08T10:44:00.003-04:00

Did you know that Doug Waechter, a St. Petersburg, Fla., native and pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, incorporates a Bible verse in his autograph? Well, he does, and that's just fine with us.

So, which one does he use? You'll have to check out Baseball Mondays, our offseason blog on our baseball-hounding adventures, to find out.

He could relate

2009-06-08T09:23:00.010-04:00

Seeing that May's Win this Auto contest featured an NHL official practice puck signed by Colin, it was only right, Hound Central 4.0 decided, that he picked the winner.

It didn't take him long. After reading each of the four entries, Colin decided it was Petey who would win the autographed puck.

Here's Petey's entry about his favorite youth hockey moment:

"My favorite youth hockey moment came when I was about Colin's age. We had this big goalie who came out to help us. It was always a big thrill to score on him, even in practice. I think I got five goals one time, but never 10. That must have been great."

Now, if Petey will send me an e-mail, available at my profile, we'll get this puck, signed by Colin following his 10-goal performance in a recent practice, ready for delivery.

Remember, too, that this is the final contest of the 2008-09 hockey-hounding campaign. I hope you enjoyed it.

Top Shelf: 2009 NHL draft prospects

2009-06-03T17:02:00.015-04:00

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

2009-06-03T16:37:00.008-04:00

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.

Not a Crab among them

2009-06-01T13:39:00.000-04:00

Can you guess what Florida State League team nearly filled up a team ball for Colin during two games last week? Here's a hint: It's one of the Tampa Bay Rays' farm teams. Need another? Check out Baseball Mondays.

Little Gray Box: Ryan Getzlaf

2009-06-01T11:47:00.004-04:00

There was a time when I had little other than pucks for Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf to sign. Namely, a quick demotion to the Portland Pirates, the Duck's AHL affiliate, during his rookie NHL season. That's when this cheapskate card came in quite handy.

Could've been Joey

2009-06-01T11:07:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-31T13:19:00.005-04:00

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

Update: 10 Big Sigs

2009-05-31T12:37:00.008-04:00

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?

Fan Pack attack II

2009-05-26T11:10:00.010-04:00

Though I didn't enjoy much success in my fan pack efforts, it's nice to know that Moody, Hound Central 4.0's roving Southeast correspondent, had a great season getting professional hockey teams to send him a ton of free goodies.

Next season, I'm taking a different approach. Rather than sending our requests in bulk e-mails (appearing, I hate to admit, as a spammer), I'll send out a couple a day to select teams. Cherry-picking, I suppose, but that's my prerogative.

In the meantime, these items, received by Moody over the past few months, cap the fan pack reports for the 2008-09 hockey hounding:

Team: Dallas Stars
League: National Hockey League
Items: Player cards for Mike Modano and Marty Turco, oversized player cards for Trevor Daley, Brenden Morrow, Steve Ott and Tobias Stephen, a sticker set and a Stars mini pennant.

Team: Frolunda HC
League: Elitserien, or the Swedish Elite League
Items: Autographed player sheet of goalie Johan Holmqvist, a former member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Team: SC Bern
League: Swiss National League A
Items: Autographed player sheet of Martin Gelinas, a former NHL player.

Among the other teams to send items not previously profiled:

~ the New York Islanders sent out a team poster; and
~ the Rockford Ice Hogs of the American Hockey League sent a program and player photos of Evan Brophey, Mike Brennan and Bryan Bickell.

Three things to do

2009-05-25T10:27:00.005-04:00

Now, I know I'm not the only person who has to work on Memorial Day. So, if you're lucky enough to have the day off and family cookout is hours away, here is a hat trick of activities to keep you busy:

~ weigh in on the Hockey Bay Houndings Awards;
~ see who's made a play for a puck autographed by Colin; and
~ test your hockey knowledge on our latest hockey quiz.

You can thank me later.

A trophy and Tommy John

2009-05-25T10:22:00.004-04:00

So, what do those two things have in common? Check out Baseball Mondays, the offseason pursuit of Hound Central 4.0's top two hounds, to find out.

While you're there, you might also want to see how Colin did with his first team sheet for a Major League Baseball club.

Outside the norm

2009-05-21T11:42:00.004-04:00

Though we added only six signatures to the Slovakian team jersey over the 2008-09 hockey hounding campaign, it's hard to complain when Detroit's Marian Hossa is one of them. It's too bad, though, that Big Poppa Pump's distinctive signature, one of 11 collected on the jersey over the past two NHL seasons, is a bit sloppy.

While Canadian and USA jersey projects are popular, as well as those for Czech Republic, Finnish Russian and Swedish players, this particular effort represents another solid expansion of a project that's just outside the mainstream of hockey collecting.

Here's who signed over the past season during visits to Hockey Bay:

~ Colorado's Peter Budaj and Marek Svatos;
~ Detroit's Hossa and Tomas Kopecky;
~ Montreal's Jaroslav Halak; and
~ Tampa Bay's Andrej Meszaros.

Next season, we'll be looking to add, at the least, Buffalo's Andrej Sekera and Washington's Milan Jurcina. The list will grow, I presume, once the Lightning's 2009-10 schedule is released and I can run through rosters.

Likely candidates, based on my best guesses, would include Edmonton's Lubomir Visnovsky, Los Angeles' Michal Handzus, Minnesota's Marian Gaborik and Branko Radivojevic, and Vancouver's Pavol Demitra. Tampa Bay's Vladimir Mihalik seems like a lock, too.

Just one more

2009-05-21T11:32:00.006-04:00

In compiling the season-ending update for Hound Central 4.0's Slovakian team jersey, I discovered that an autograph went uncounted. Updated totals for the 2008-09 hounding campaign reflect the change.

Little Gray Box: Rick Nash

2009-05-20T14:11:00.005-04:00

Want to know how much I like this new Hound Central 4.0 feature? So much so that I'd post two within three days. I hope you don't mind.

This is our first autograph from Columbus' Rick Nash, snagged when the Blue Jackets visited Beantown during the 2002-03 season.

Flashbacks 05.20

2009-05-20T13:22:00.007-04:00

Let's try something new with this edition of Flashbacks, shall we? How about team reports from Hound Centrals 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0?

Hopefully, you'll find something of interest here:

Jan. 23, 2008: Edmonton Oilers
Oct. 25, 2007: Philadelphia Flyers
April 3, 2007: Carolina Hurricanes
Feb. 13, 2007: Phoenix Coyotes
Sept. 10, 2005: Boston Bruins rookie camp

Boys will be boys

2009-05-19T12:56:00.005-04:00

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.

Reasons to believe

2009-05-19T10:49:00.010-04:00

Every so often, in my hockey-hounding travels, I stumble upon a piece of hockey memorabilia that appears to have seen some game action in the National Hockey League. In this case, it's a right-handed goalie catching glove from Daren Puppa, who played for the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Though it didn't come with any certificate of authenticity (which, really, is worth only the paper it's printed upon, no matter the dealer), the personalization on the cuff certainly adds a touch of credibility.

Further evidence, I believe, is that a quick image search at google.com yielded photographs of him wearing a glove like this.

The only way to be certain, I suppose, is to ask Puppa if it is, indeed, one of his game-used gloves. Someday, our paths will cross. Hopefully, he'll sign it. I'll ask him then.

My two favorite things about the glove: The eyes atop The Hook and the fact that it cost less than $25.

Update: 85 Young Guns

2009-05-19T10:24:00.007-04:00

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.

Little Gray Box: Tim Thomas

2009-05-18T14:15:00.005-04:00

I was putting away some items when I came across our Little Gray Box, where we store our autographed homemade player cards. The box, itself, isn't really that special. It's made of plastic and has a hinged cover (with a USA Hockey sticker on it) that still snaps tight.

It's what's inside, though, that makes it special. It's filled with cards like this one, signed by Boston goalie Tim Thomas during the 2002-03 season, often representing a player's earliest NHL days.

Sometimes, when I'd lack cards for a player, I'd make these instead, rather than using a blank index card.

In going through the box, I came across quite a few from today's stars. In the weeks ahead, this new project will share some of these cards.

Tuning in Versus

2009-05-18T12:24:00.007-04:00

A few years ago, news that games wouldn't be broadcast on ESPN brought about dread for the hockey-watching public. Instead of a well-known national sports network, the league inked a deal with the Outdoor Life Network.

Very few people had heard of the network. Even worse, not everyone had the channel in their cable package. The NHL, we were afraid, was relegated to second-tier status.

Guess what? It's turned out okay. OLN, as it was known back then, has now become Versus. And, if you ask Hound Central 4.0 readers, the network is doing a pretty good job with its playoff coverage. Nearly 60 percent of those taking part in Hound Central 4.0's latest poll looked favorably upon Versus.

My only beef with Versus' playoff coverage -- and it's likely not their fault -- was the scheduling of Eastern Conference games within an hour on the same night. Though it's easy to understand that the network wanted complete Pittsburgh-Washington games, I'd much rather have watched the Boston-Carolina series.

Question: NHL: on Versus?

Good: 17 out of 29 votes cast (58.6 percent)
Bad: 12 out of 29 votes (41.4 percent)

Ice isn't necessary

2009-05-18T12:18:00.005-04:00

The Florida State League may be miles away from the National Hockey League, but that doesn't mean a hound can't score autographs from baseball's top prospects and the occasional Hall of Famer. Check out who Brett, Baseball Monday's FSL correspondent, was able to track down at Baseball Mondays.

Big save

2009-05-17T10:41:00.007-04:00

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

2009-05-16T23:41:00.005-04:00

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

2009-05-13T11:48:00.016-04:00

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.

Hockey Quiz No. 10

2009-05-13T10:16:00.008-04:00

If it weren't for a handful of regular readers -- such as Brett, Drew and Moody -- I'd wonder whether these monthly installments are a productive use of my time. Geez, I don't believe they're that dofficult, given the amount of hockey intelligence that visits Hound Central 4.0.

So, to reward loyal readers, here are the latest mind-bending hockey exercises:

Name this logo

One might have to step back in time to recall this logo. Then again, maybe you won't. We'll see, won't we? Team and league, please.

Hockey Word Association

San Jose Sharks =
Vinny Lecavalier =
NHL playoffs =
Knee-to-knee hits =
Ruslan Fedotenko =

Hockey, scrambled

Masto Shrommolt =
Akiloni Bakbihunil =
Royce Rypre =
Noehas Norsimorn =
Nisden Geedsibren =

Hockey math

Puckhound, a Florida-based hockey hound, collected 330 pucks during the 2008-09 campaign. Sadly, he had only 278 cases at season's end. How much will Puckhound spend, at 55 cents a case plus $27.69 in shipping and taxes, to have a case for each autographed puck? As always, show the math.

A.) $56.59
B.) $55.89
C.) $56.29
D.) $56.09

Answers to Hockey Quiz No. 9:

Name this logo: Greenville Grrrowl of the East Coast Hockey League
Hockey, scrambled: Kent Huskins, Tony Esposito, Kristian Huselius, Stan Mikita and Daniel Carcillo
Hockey math: B. There would be 23,597 seconds of overtime. Math: 21,600 seconds (18 20-minute periods) + 1,980 seconds (33 minutes) + 17 seconds = 23,597.

Higher priority

2009-05-12T11:29:00.008-04:00

For some reason, I thought that this Hockey USA team jersey would be nothing more than an afterthought throughout the 2008-09 NHL hounding campaign. You know, something that would be remembered occasionally, rather than regularly. A plugger, if you will, for American-born stars from visiting teams.

One day, while doing some hounding homework, I realized that each team, especially the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche, had quite of few Team USA alums. Big names, too. Mike Modano. Bill Guerin. Ryan Miller. Doug Weight. They join Phil Kessel, whose tiny scribble started it all during the 2007-08 campaign.

All told, we added 20 signatures this past season. It looks like we have room for a few more, too, during the 2009-10 campaign.

Win this Auto: Colin 37

2009-05-11T12:38:00.007-04:00

Given that Colin scored 10 goals in one-on-one drills during his Mini Mites practice yesterday, it's a reasonable expectation that this official NHL practice puck, signed by the youngest of Hockey Bay's Goofiest Dudes, will will one day become the Holy Hockey Grail for collectors.

Then again, it just might end up becoming a paperweight, a dust magnet or lost under some shelving in your garage after a pickup game.

Either way, it caps Hound Central 4.0's Win this Auto contest.

So, what are we looking for this time? How about, in 100 words or less (I mean it this time), share your favorite youth hockey moment.

Please, leave your answers in a comment. Thanks.

One word: Certainly

2009-05-11T12:15:00.009-04:00

Technically, I could hold the only two entrants to a serious violation of the "no more than 100 words" rule April's Win this Auto contest for a 2008-09 NHL Victory oversized card signed by Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk. Because I'm a nice guy (most of the time, that is), though, I'll cast that rule aside.

When it comes to deciding the question of whether Kovie deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, I'm not sure 1,000 words would be enough to adequately present a cogent argument.

But it was Bill, with his voluminous response, who wins the card, not so much for the depth and breadth of his entry, but for the extended analysis.

Rather than repeat Bill's winning response, you can read it here.

Now, if Bill will send me an e-mail, available at my profile, we'll get this card, signed during Atlanta's final visit to Hockey Bay during the 2008-09 NHL season, ready for delivery.

Don't forget, too, to enter May's contest.

It's Monday. That means baseball.

2009-05-11T11:24:00.005-04:00

What former New York Yankees infielder, now managing in the Florida State League, was one of 14 Tampa Yankees to sign a team ball last week? You'll have to visit Baseball Mondays, which chronicles our hockey offseason hobby, to find out.

After practice

2009-05-11T10:27:00.004-04:00

There's nothing more rewarding at the end of back patio hockey workout here in Hockey Bay than hockey balls clustered in the net.

Just got home

2009-05-10T21:32:00.004-04:00

Sorry, folks, but we just got home from Mother's Day activities and hockey practice (Someone scored 10 goals). You'll have to wait until Monday for April's Win this Auto contest winner. Sorry.

Explained absences

2009-05-08T09:07:00.012-04:00

With family in town, we've been doing what most Florida visitors do -- playing the role of tourists. Watching the Rays lose to the Red Sox. Having a Cuban sandwich at Tampa's La Teresita and a gelatto at Mazzaro's. Checking out white tiger cubs at Lowry Park Zoo.

That's why I haven't been around the past few days.

Once I finish raking leaves and start laundry, as well as check out National Train Day in Tampa, man the grill during a family-and-friends cookout and think of something to do for Mother's Day, I should be able to provide a couple of posts over the weekend, including the winner of April's Win this Auto contest for Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk.

Please know, too, that May's Win this Auto contest, for a puck autographed by the youngest of Hockey Bay's Goofiest Dudes, will be the last of the season.

A very good deed, indeed

2009-05-05T10:45:00.005-04:00

There are times in the course of a hounding career where success is not measured in how many autographs you get in a single outing. Sometimes, it's what you do with them.

Moody, Hound Central 4.0's roving Southeast correspondent, shares a story from his last hounding trip for the Thrashers, to the team's practice facility in Duluth:

"I got Ilya Kovalchuk (to sign a card) inside, but decided to give it up after he drove past a nice little lady who was outside waiting for him to sign. She was telling me how she was there for her husband who was terminally ill and, obviously, lost his job. She was just trying to make her husband happy by gathering his favorite team's signatures on a piece of loose leaf paper.

"I decided to donate the cards I had left and help her get them signed to make the outing more meaningful for her and her family. Since Kovie didn’t stop, I felt it was only right to help.

"I must say that this outing was -- by far -- the best outing of the year because I felt like I walked away with something more than a signed piece of rubber or cardboard.

"It truly humbles a person when you stop and listen to another person’s life and how something as little as a signed card from an athlete could make their time on earth more enjoyable.

"How hounds like myself take for granted how these encounters with athletes become routine and just another part of the day. That we do not think twice about dropping a couple of bucks for a Sharpie or pack of cards and not have to worry about whether or not we will miss a meal. "

Well said, Moody, well said.

Beyond the good deed and great story, Moody also went home with cards signed by Zach Bogosian, Eric Boulton, Tobias Enstrom, Johan Hedberg, Slava Kozlov, Rich Peverley and Boris Valabik.

Dodging raindrops

2009-05-05T10:11:00.007-04:00

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.

Boulton Believers

2009-05-05T09:36:00.007-04:00

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.

Friends in cold places

2009-05-04T13:36:00.008-04:00

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.

Step up to the plate

2009-05-04T13:03:00.007-04:00

Jonesin' for some John Hancocks? Achin' for some autographs? Shiverin' for some signatures? Me, too.

Maybe these posts at Baseball Mondays, a chronicle of hockey offseason hounding adventures, will help:

~ A mighty nice haul from the Toronto Blue Jays at a team-sponsored event, courtesy of Al, Hound Central 4.0's north-of-the-border correspondent; and
~ Starting team balls for the Clearwater Threshers and Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League.

Poll: Vinny's staying put

2009-05-04T12:50:00.004-04:00

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)

Liveblog 04.30

2009-04-30T22:00:00.026-04:00

In the past two times I've attempted live blogging, it's been a spur-of-the-moment thing. Chores were done. Colin was asleep. And I had time on my hands.

This session, though, is a little different. It's been planned. It's been promoted. Depending upon the response -- namely, yours -- we'll keep the lines of communications -- comments to this post (preferred) or e-mails (my address is available at my profile) open for an hour to 90 minutes.

Joining us tonight is Moody, Hound Central 4.0's roving Southeast correspondent. A hound from way back, meaning Michigan, he's collected hockey autographs from Alaska to South Florida. Lately, he's been hounding in the Atlanta area.

Within reason and good taste, we're open to answering your questions about hockey hounding.

Okay, folks, let the live blogging begin:

To get the puck rolling, so to speak, I asked Moody, Hound Central 4.0's roving Southeast correspondent, the first question of the evening.

Puckhound: Miss hockey hounding yet?

Moody: Why yes I am missing Hockey. Hockey is my beer / wine to help wind down after a long day of work. Several months of detox doesn’t excite me. Can’t wait to get drunk again in September.

Puckhound: That's a different way of looking at it. I'm not missing it yet. I'm catching up on sleep. And yardwork. Besides, I still have cards and pucks to put away.

Moody: When you do through the mail, is there a method to choosing who you do or do not send to? I like to send to former players for the most part. Trying to complete my 1979 O Pee Chee set as well
As many fan favorites from the 80’s. I find better success from the former players of the 70’s and 80’s than players from the 90’s and 00’s.

Puckhound: We've scaled back quite a bit from TTM hounding. In fact, I don't believe we sent a request this season. (Tsk, tsk, tsk.) When I did send out TTM requests, most were made for one of two reasons: 1.) Favorite players or teams. 2.) Whatever visiting team cards I didn't get signed in person.

Puckhound: We have our first visitor. It's Hound Central 4.0 regular Brett (Thanks, man). He's left a comment about the Canucks-Hawks series. Join the conversation, won't you?

10:16 p.m.: Henrik Sedin scores. Vancouver 2, Blackhawks 0

Puckhound: So, Moody, what's the lowest temperature you've ever hounded in? I imagine it got pretty chilly in Anchorage.

10:36 p.m.: Ryan Kesler scores. Canucks 3, Blackhawks 0. I don't believe Luongo will give yup three goals this game.

Moody: Aces vs. Steelheads in the ECHL in Anchorage. It was negative-45 degrees and I only hung around long enough to get one photo signed of Vlad Novak. The next day I was going to hound North Dakota when they played Alaska-Fairbanks but thought twice. I learned the hotel the teams stayed at later and decided to work the lobby a little.

Puckhound: Dang, that's cold. It never got that cold -- wind chill included -- along Avery Street in Boston. Two tall buildings, including the new Ritz-Carlton, create a canyon of steel that funnels the winter winds. At worst, it was maybe 10-15 below zero.

Hey, Brett, it must get pretty cold up there during the winter.

Moody: When do we get the fish pooh story? That has caught my interest since you first mentioned it.

Puckhound: Ah, the fish poop story. It's one of my favorites.

One spring day in New England, we were riding along the New Hampshire coast at low tide. Predictably, an odor -- none too pleasant, mind you -- was present.

My sister-in-law asked why low tide stunk so bad.

My response was pure reason:

Fish poop.
Poop smells.
Fish poop smells.

I know there's a phrase for short written arguments like this, but it escapes me (Pretty sad for journalist, don't you think?). Anyone know what it is?

Moody: I have had several of the -10 / 15 days in Detroit as well. Mostly due to the wind. Luckily, I used to be able to hound the Detroit Vipers (IHL) inside the arena. The Plymouth Whalers (OHL) had to be hounded outside for opposing teams and that got cold and windy. The Wings are right off the water so that always added to the chill.

Puckhound: Hounding in Florida during the winter has its advantages, doesn't it?

Puckhound: You know, folks, I expected a few more of you to ask some questions. We'll keep lines open until 11:30 p.m. EST, so, if you have any, ask them now.

10:35 p.m.: Patrick Kane scores. Canucks, 3, Blackhawks 1.

Moody: Wind burn or Sunburn. Both prices we pay for the hobby we enjoy.

11:20 p.m.: Kane scores again. Canucks 3, Blackhawks 2.

Moody: Hounding question for the crowd. What cities do each of you hound in? CHL, NHL, AHL, ECHL?

Moody: Hey, Puckhound, when can we see the Hockey Bay Hounding awards and can we get a sneak peek of the nominees?

11:28 p.m.: Dave Bolland scores. Canucks 3, Blackhawks 3.

Puckhound: Yes, the Hockey Bay Hounding Awards. I'd expect something more about those in the weeks ahead. Nominees? I'm not so sure. Details are still being finalized.

11:36 p.m.: Sami Salo scores. Canucks 4, Blackhawks 3.

11:40 p.m.: Canucks get an empty-netter. Game over. Vancouver 5, Blackhawks 3.

Puckhound: Thanks, all, for checking this out. Special thanks to Moody and Brett for their contributions. We had fun. Good night.

Be first in line

2009-04-29T21:05:00.013-04:00

With only hours to go before Hound Central 4.0's latest and most organized attempt at live blogging, why not get your questions or comments in early? They can be submitted via a comment (preferred) or an e-mail, available at my profile. It'll help us out, if you do, as we'd like to hit the ground running at 10 p.m. EST.

I've heard from Moody, so he's on board, offering insight on hounding from Alaska to Michigan to Georgia and many points in between. Given the hoops of communication that will have to be jumped through, it would be better if questions for Hound Central 4.0's roving Southeast correspondent arrive earlier, rather than later.

I'm still waiting to hear, too, from Al, our Toronto-based correspondent. Even if he can't take part, we can look forward to his Toronto Blue Jays hounding report next week at Baseball Mondays. Baseball in hockey-mad Toronto? Hard to believe, isn't it, the Jays have playing since 1977.

And, yes, I'll be bummed if I can't share my "fish poop" argument.

Remember, the live blogging starts at 10 p.m. EST tomorrow. We'll start answering your questions then. Send some good ones, okay?

Revisiting my picks

2009-04-29T20:06:00.006-04:00

Having suffered through a 0-for-Western-Conference sweep in my first -- and rather poor -- upset-heavy attempt at this NHL playoff's picks, I feel obligated to take a realistic approach to the conference semifinals.

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (4)
Bruins in six games

Washington Capitals (2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (3)
Penguins in seven games

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (1) vs. Anaheim Ducks (4)
Ducks in seven games

Vancouver Canucks (2) vs Chicago Blackhawks (3)
Blackhawks in six games

Hockey card

2009-04-29T12:07:00.003-04:00

To those who know, it should come as no surprise that Colin made out like a bandit yesterday, celebrating his eighth birthday. Among his presents were a Nintendo DS lite, a bunch of games, Pixos and a baseball book Stumptown Kid.

The biggest surprise? This birthday card signed by Tampa Bay's Evgeny Artyukhin. Gee, I wonder how Arty found out about that?

Flashbacks 04.29

2009-04-29T11:38:00.006-04:00

You know, I rather enjoy compiling this weekly offseason feature. Each posting is a stroll down memory lane. Hopefully, you'll enjoy them as well:

Feb. 23, 2008: Boston Bruins team sheet
Dec. 14, 2007: Calgary's Jarome Iginla
Feb. 13, 2007: Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky
Nov. 26, 2006: Ottawa's Jason Spezza
Nov. 2, 2005: Then-Florida's Roberto Luongo

Baseball bonus: Tampa Bay's Akinori Iwamura

Feel free to check out Hound Central's 3.0, 2.0 and 1.0.

Denial of responses

2009-04-29T11:24:00.005-04:00

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

2009-04-28T00:24:00.008-04:00

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

Take a break from hockey ...

2009-04-27T12:05:00.003-04:00

... and visit the resurrected Baseball Mondays blog, which chronicles Hockey Bay's Goofiest Dudes' offseason hobby of watching and hounding professional baseball games, from the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays right down to the three Florida State League teams within easy driving distance.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Liveblog 04.24

2009-04-25T22:31:00.024-04:00

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.