The Hockey Life: In the running?

When I heard last week that the Buffalo Sabres fired longtime coach Lindy Ruff, I sensed an opportunity to break into the NHL. Even though the team named Ron Rolston as the interim head coach, I didn't hesitate to make my play for the gig.

Here's my application letter, submitted to the team through its website:

Should this interim coach thing not work out for the Sabres this season, please accept this as a request to become the next permanent full-time head coach of the Buffalo Sabres.

My qualifications? I've suffered with the Sabres since Day 1, as a child growing up on the city's West Side and in Machias, N.Y. I played town-team hockey for the Machias Norsemen in the Arcade Hockey League in the mid to late 1970s, being among the league leaders in PIMs. I'm also the father of a youth hockey player (Peewee A level) down here in the Tampa Bay area.

I stress the fundamentals of skating, playing every shift like it's your last and working together as a team. I have zero tolerance for  any foolishness (such as bullying and locker boxing) and all displays of a lack of respect for the game would be met with harsh discipline.

My salary demands won't break the bank: $350,000-a-year salary, $50,000 in housing expenses, $15,000 in moving expenses, a $1,000-a-month car allowance, my own room on road trips, first-class flying accommodations and a luxury box, with all food and beverages supplied by the team, for all home games during the regular season and playoffs.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from the organization.

Respectfully,

Ron Saar

P.S. I'll be attending next Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. We can meet then to finalize the deal.

As of late Saturday, I've yet to hear back from the organization. That could mean one of two things: Given the Sabres' lackluster play under Mr. Rolston, my offer is receiving serious consideration from the highest levels within the organization; or they haven't stopped laughing yet.

To maintain my candidacy, I've created a new Twitter account: @NewSabresCoach. If you support my effort, I'd appreciate you becoming a follower.

Historic moment

Due to a major test in French for Colin and my busy work schedule, we never made it out to hound the Boston Bruins this week. It was the first time in years, possibly stretching back to the late 1990s, that we'll go a season without getting autographs from the team.

Now, should the Bruins and Lightning meet in the NHL playoffs this season, we might have a chance to extend our streak.

Colin and The Missus, however, did attend the Bruins-Lightning game that evening, where Patrice Bergeron, Colin's best NHL buddy, acknowledged him twice -- with a nod of his head and an "air" fist bump -- during warmups. So, at least, one streak says alive.

After last week's Sunday column, when I wrote that we'd hound the B's and my hometown Buffalo Sabres, it was important to provide this update. Conditions exist, thankfully, for me to hound the Sabres on Tuesday afternoon.

Captain Dave

When our schedules allow, we try to take in the Lightning Radio Show when it hits the road at several McDonald's locations every season. No, we don't always go for the Big Macs and Happy Meals. We go to get autographs.

Most times, the show features one or two Tampa Bay Lightning players as the radio show guests. After taking part in the show, the players will stick around and sign autographs. Really, if you don't mind a sometimes long line, it's a pretty easy way for us to add to our collection.

Dave Andreychuk, captain of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup-winning squad, is a fixture at these shows. Every so often, we'll pack some cards or a puck or two just for him. Colin added these four a couple of weeks ago after the first road radio show of the season.

Next up: A couple of Swedes

The Hockey Life: Back to my roots

When the abbreviated 2013 NHL season schedule came out, and I was penciling in a hounding schedule, the next 10 days drew my immediate interest. It's a span when two NHL teams near and dear to our hockey household will pay a visit to Hockey Bay.

For Colin, this Thursday will be the big day. The Boston Bruins, his favorite team, and Patrice Bergeron, his favorite NHL player, will be in town. Once again, he might miss a day of school so he can spend the morning, at the least, trying to rack up more autographs for the collection. We'll see. If not, I might drag myself out for them. Since winning the Cup, though, the team hasn't been the friendliest

Having said that, he and The Missus do have tickets to the game. At the least, hopefully Colin can get down to the glass during warmups and see his old buddy Patrice. I'll have to pass, as it'll be my first day back after nine days off.

Next Tuesday, it'll be my turn, when the Buffalo Sabres, the team I grew up rooting for, pay a visit to Hockey Bay. It's a time to put some pucks I bought on our road trip back home last summer to good use. It's funny, here I am, more than 50 years old, and I still get pumped up to see the Sabres.

Of course, I wish the Sabres I'd see were the ones from my youth. Danny Gare. Gil Perreault. Rene Robert. Rick Martin. Jim Schoenfeld. Jerry Korab. Brian "Spinner" Spencer. Don Luce. Donny Edwards. Larry Playfair. Still, today's edition, even if they're not having the best of the seasons, brings back fond memories.

Going into this abbreviated season, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about hounding. It had been a long time, since last April, that I'd been out. And, I'm ashamed to say, I still have items to put away. But after a few trips so far this season, it hasn't been all that hard getting back into the groove.

In the days ahead, you'll see some more of the rewards of our early season efforts. I'll get around posting the results of trips out for Winnipeg and the Rangers. I'm sure, too, we'll head out for a few more teams,

In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying the return of my hounding posts. When I started this blog, the theme was going to be more than hounding. And while I believe I've held up that end of the bargain, I don't want to give up what originally gave me my voice.

The Hockey Life: Not feeling it

Two stacks of autographed cards sit on my desk. Out on the dining room table, more than a dozen signed pucks await cataloging, doing nothing more than collecting dust. A scattered pile of photos, some autographed, some not, cover the top of one display case. I see them every day, knowing they need to be put away.

For some reason, though, they've sat untouched for months. Over the summer, when Colin was home, I could understand it. We'd always have something better to do. And that 16-day road trip, well, that was also far more important. And, now, even as I've gained some free time, I give them nothing more than a passing glance.

It wasn't all that long ago, really, when hounding and adding to our collection was a major part of our hockey life. We wouldn't go to NHL or AHL games just to watch. No, it was all about getting items, from jerseys to pucks to cards, signed. There were even Saturday mornings when I'd made a 166-mile round trip to downtown Boston just to get in 45 minutes of hounding.

That doesn't happen anymore.

Part of the reason, I believe, has to do with Colin's hockey. Trust me, too, that's not a complaint. Funding his dream (hell, who am I kidding, our dream) takes up a good chunk of our spare change. That's why, up until a month ago, I was working 60 to 65 hours a week between the paper and my freelance gigs. Even though that has dried up -- temporarily, I hope -- we're finding a way to continue the journey.

Another reason, and this is likely more prevalent than Colin's hockey, was the investment of time it took to hound. Beyond the actual on-site time, often hours hanging out at some hotel, I tried to be prepared, as in having items ready and being able to identify the players. Because we're building a collection, I spent a considerable amount of time researching a player's team history and Vaults 1 and 2 to avoid duplicating autographed items.

Finally, and I said this last season, we still need the NHL to reload. After nearly 15 years of hounding, there are very few players who haven't signed at least one item for us. Sure, we don't mind getting a few extra here and there, but we don't need 15 autographs each from 98 percent of the players in the league. That's why we were choosy in a far fewer trips last season.

Provided there's a season, and we'll know within a week, I'm not real sure how active we'll be. The possibility of a lockout, too, has contributed to my apathy. During the 2004-05 lockout, our location in New England afforded opportunities to get autographs. This time, though, those conditions don't exist.

Should, however, a season take place, we'll try to get in a few sessions. Saturday mornings, when Colin's hockey schedule allows, will be our primary time. I imagine we'll go out for certain teams, too, namely the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets and most, if not all, of the visiting Western Conference teams.

To that end, I've started buying some cards, picking up O-Pee-Chee fat packs so far. We'll be on the lookout, too, for Score's early offerings. Low-end cards fit the budget. Photos, I'm afraid, aren't even on our radar. As for pucks, I'm hoping to clear out our existing supply before placing an order.

Really, we need more puck cases than anything else. You know, just in case I ever want to put those pucks away.

Never too early

This Hallmark Christmas ornament of Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, which we stumbled upon last week at Westfield Countryside mall in Clearwater, may be the only one sold here in Hockey Bay.

Two certainties, though, are the ornament will adorn our Christmas tree this December and we'll do our best to have Miller autograph the box.

Change in tastes

The first Buffalo Sabres Blue & Gold development camp scrimmage of the hot dog season. Watched the Sabres top prospects at the First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo.

And, yes, I like relish.

Hounding haul: Buffalo Sabres

We may not go out often during the 2011-12 hockey-hounding campaign, but when we do, we'll do so with a purpose. With my hometown Buffalo Sabres visiting Hockey Bay and a free Saturday morning, Colin and I kicked off the season with a strong effort. In less than two hours, we managed to snag 32 autographs.

Some of the highlights:

Top row: Brad Boyes and Jhonas Enroth; and
Bottom row: Jordan Leopold and Rob Ray

A hat trick of pucks from Marc-Andre Gragnani

A pair of pucks from Nathan Gerbe

Christian Erhroff and Jhonas Enroth signed international pucks. 

Sabres goalies Ryan Miller and Jhonas Enroth added to our ongoing Threads collection.

Top row: Brad Boyes, Jhonas Enroth and Jochen Hect; and
Bottom row: Tyler Myers, Thomas Vanek and Mike Weber

Tyler Ennis signed these four cards.