Hounding report: New Jersey Devils

Considering that we didn't score autographs from Martin Brodeur or Jaromir Jagr, people might think our tag-team hounding adventure last Saturday for the New Jersey Devils wasn't a complete success. Well, to be honest, those people would be correct. It's disappointing when you don't add autographs from a pair of sure-fire Hall of Famers.

The day, however, was far from a total loss. No, paced by Colin's efforts with the card book, we added another 37 (good number, right?) autographs to the collection, including the trio of pucks, shown above, signed by Stephen Gionta (yes, the paint pen gushed), from left, Cory Schneider and Hall of Famer Scott Stevens.

As always, most of the autographs came on cards:

Top row: Steve Bernier, Ryan Carter, Ryane Clowe and Patrik Elias;

Bottom row: Gionta, Adam Henrique, Jacob Josefson and Tuomo Ruuttu; and

Michael Ryder, Schneider and Travis Zajac.

Three New Jersey players also signed four cards each:

Anton Volchenkov

Marek Zidlicky 

and Danius Zubrus.

Hounding report: Ottawa Senators

If you ever want proof of my "bell-curve approach" to hockey hounding, make a trip out for the Ottawa Senators. In my theory, I surmise that all NHL players go through stages in their willingness to sign. In today's example, we'll discuss Ottawa's Erik Karlsson.

While every one of his teammates took to time to stop and sign for us in early December, the talented Senators' defenseman held himself in such high regard that he repeatedly denied requests. In my theory, which suggests that players become increasingly difficult in signing as they gain in NHL stature, Karlsson must be at or near the apex of the bell curve.

In time, especially as his skills erode and his speed dissipates, Karlsson will likely soften his approach. And, in doing so, further prove my point. When, and not if, he does, I'll be there waiting, blue Sharpie in hand.

Thankfully, though, Karlsson proved to be the exception, rather than the norm. All told, I added another 33 autographs, including this Jason Spezza card for the ever-growing Threads collection, in a hockey-hounding adventure that bookcased Ottawa's game-day morning skate.

Signing pucks, shown above, were Cory Conacher, from left, Hall of Famer Denis Potvin and Mika Zibanejad.


A number of Senators signed cards that day:

Top row: Craig Anderson, Erik Condra, Joe Corvo and Jarde Cowen; and

Bottom row: Eric Gryba, Robin Lehner, Clarke MacArthur and Marc Methot;

Top row: Milan Michalek, Chris Phillips and Zack Smith; and

Bottom row: Spezza, Kyle Turris and Patrick Wiercioch.

Colin Greening also signed four cards:

No confusion here

If you mention the name Denis Potvin to most hockey fans, they'll remember him as an integral part of the New York Islanders' Cup-winning dynasty. Or, if they're New York Rangers fans, they just might break out in an infamous chant that involves his last name.

When it comes to hounding, though, he's a must-have Hall of Famer worthy of adding to as many different pucks as you can get. That's why I had him sign this Ottawa Senators puck during the team's recent visit to Hockey Bay. These days, Potvin provides color commentary for Senators telecasts.

Besides, after adding him to Islanders, Panthers and Team Canada pucks, this was the only team left.

Up next: Senators team report II

Two Hall of Famers

It's always a good day any time you can add a Hall of Famer to your autograph collection. What do you call it, though, when you add a pair to the collection? Great? Awesome? Spectacular? How about all three?

It doesn't matter what I call it. It happened recently when the New Jersey Devils traveled to Hockey Bay and we added Martin Brodeur, left, and Scott Stevens to the autographed pucks collection.

Yeah, I know. Brodeur isn't in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Yet. But, we all know that he will be in his first year of eligibility. And even if I got his road-trip "M-t. No. B. dot" autograph, it's still another Brodeur autograph.

For Stevens, however, it was a first. As in the first autographed puck, and likely first-ever autograph, from the rugged defenseman.

Up next: Devils team report

The Hockey Life: Pleasant surprise

I hadn't been at work for more than 10 minutes one day last week when a visitor arrived at my desk. It was Mr. Joe, one of the paper's photo editors that day. Usually, when a photo editor stops by, it means one of two things: they have a photo for me to use in the next day's edition or, and this doesn't happen all that often, they have a question about how I "played" a photo.

This visit, though, was different. Mr. Joe didn't have a photo for me. Nor did he want to talk about a photo. Instead, he had something for Colin. And, what it was absolutely floored me.

It seems Mr. Joe was going through some papers in his desk at home and came across an old, folded-up envelope with two signatures on it. One read Bobby Hull, The other read Gordon Howe, who is more likely better known as Gordie Howe.

"I knew you and Colin like to collect hockey autographs, so I figured you'd give it a better home," he told me. "Will you give this to Colin for me?"

"Certainly," I told him. "But, really, Joe, these are two pretty big guys. They're Hall of Famers."

"Oh, I know. I know who they are," Mr. Joe said. "But, really, this doesn't mean that much to me."

Mr. Joe went on to tell me how he, as a teenager in Detroit in the mid to late 1960s, got these autographs. First, he recognized Howe after a game-day practice and had him sign the envelope.

"It was the only piece of paper I had with me," Mr. Joe explained.

Later that night, acting on a hunch, he found Hull at the Detroit airport.

"He was wearing a full-length mink coat. When I handed him the envelope, he looked at it and then at me," Mr. Joe recalled. "He told me 'I'm not going to sign below his name.' "

After Mr. Joe told me that story, I was even more stunned. Two Hall of Famers, still in their prime, in a single day and on a folded-up envelope. And, now, so many years later, he was passing along this piece of hockey history, so to speak, as well as one helluva story, to a member of a young generation of hockey fans.

All we can say, Mr. Joe, is thank you. We certainly appreciate it and will take care of it. I think finding a card of each player from around that time and getting all three pieces matted and framed will make for a nice father-and-son project in the days ahead.

An update

We had some good news Friday at the pediatric orthopedist. Thankfully, Colin won't need surgery to repair his broken collarbone, the result of a nasty hit from behind by his much bigger and taller team captain during a Brandon Jr. Bulls practice last Wednesday. Over the next month, he'll have to wear a figure-8 brace or a sling to keep his arm and shoulder immobilized as the broken bone heals.

He'll likely start doing some light skating in three weeks, but won't return to playing until being cleared by the doctor for contact. Honestly, after he season he had, it's likely good that he takes some time away. It wasn't how he, or we, wanted this season to end.

To his credit, Colin was in pretty good spirits as he attended the three games his Jr. Bulls teammates played this weekend, hanging out before and after games with them, at the State Amateur Hockey of Florida championship tournament down in Ellenton. The team finished 1-2, however, out of the medal round. We learned, later, that the team they beat eventually won the state title.

On Monday, the team will have a season-ending get-together at the Brandon rink. Colin and The Missus will attend, so he can say goodbye to some of his friends on the team. At the least, he'll be able to end his time with this organization on a positive note.

Team report: Philadelphia Flyers

Game times other than 7 or 7:30 p.m. are a little tricky. When a game starts at 2 p.m., you know there won't be a morning skate. But when a game starts at 6 p.m., like it did recently when the Philadelphia Flyers came to Hockey Bay, you're not quite sure if there will be a morning skate.

We found out the hard way, then, putting in a long day. Thankfully, our patience was rewarded. In our first shared hockey-hounding adventure of the 2013 season, Colin and I racked up another 39 autographs, including 35 cards, for the collection.

The biggest score of the day came from Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke, who signed a Team Canada puck and two cards for us. Also signing pucks, shown above, were Bill Clement, a two-time Stanley Cup winner and former No. 1 draft pick of the Flyers, and Sean Couturier, selected eighth overall by the Flyers in 2011.

The biggest haul, as I said before, came through cards. Of them, Joe Mullen, a Hall of Famer and assistant coach of the Flyers, added to our ongoing Threads project:

We were fortunate enough to have three Philadelphia players Michael Leighton, from top to bottom, Luke Schenn and Wayne Simmonds each sign for cards for us, too:

A dozen other Flyers players signed at least one card for us:

Top row: Ilya Bryzgalov, Braydon Coburn and Ruslan Fedotenko; and

Bottom row: Kurtis Foster, Bruno Gervais and Claude Giroux.

Top row: Andrei Meszaros, Matt Read and Jody Shelley; and

Bottom row: Maxime Talbot, Kimmo Timonen and Jakub Voracek. 

Next up: Captain Dave

Bob, not Bobby

Any time we've gotten Philadelphia Flyers legend Bobby Clarke to sign for us, he's always signed as Bob Clarke, not Bobby Clarke. Certainly, he's a much more refined gentleman these days, far removed from his terrorizing of opponents during the Broad Street Bullies' heydays.

But to any hockey fan, he's Bobby Clarke. Always has been. Always will be.

I'll what you what, though. I'm not going to argue with him. If the Hall of Famer wants to sign as Bob Clarke, like he did on this puck and two cards during the Flyers recent visit to Hockey Bay, who am I to argue?

In fact, all we said was thank you. Thank you very much -- Bobby.

Next up: Flyers team report.