Solid incentive

It's hard saying no to any opportunity to get an autograph from a hockey legend, such as Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur. But when you can do something good in the process, well, that makes it just a little nicer.

Mike, one of two Hockey Hound Universe Toronto-area correspondents, visited a battery recycling event in downtown Toronto last Saturday. Lafleur, who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Quebec Nordiques and New York Rangers in his 17-year career, was the main draw for hockey hounds.

Here's the best part. The more batteries, measured by weight, you donated, the greater your reward.

Mike, who donated 4.2 kilos (a little more than 9 pounds) of batteries, scored two 8x10s, this puck and a signed postcard. For 10 kilos (about 22 pounds), you got a signed stick. Fifty kilos (about 110 pounds) meant a signed jersey.

Any one, or all together, that sounds like a good deal.

Keep them in mind

There are very few people whose lives haven't been touched by cancer. My grandfather, Roy, who sacrificed his retirement to raise a grandson, died of lung cancer. I'm sure you know someone, too.

That's why I'm asking you to do what you can for Goalies Against Cancer 2010. It's a certainly worthy venture. At the least, take a look at the cool masks that Leblanc Designs made for the Maestas brothers. Words of encouragement would be nice, too. Thanks.

Brag Book: Toronto Maple Leafs

Hound: Al, Hockey Hounds Universe's senior Toronto correspondent
Hounding opportunity: Informal skates before training camp
Where: MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, Toronto
When: Early September

Let the bragging begin:

Dion Phaneuf on a McFarlane base and a mini helmet;

Jonas Gustavsson on a McFarlane base;

Gustavsson on a jersey swatch card;

Luke Schenn on a stick blade and card;

Phaneuf, left, and Carl Gunnarsson on an 8x10;

Francois Beauchemin on an 8x10;

Tomas Kaberle on an 8x10;

Phil Kessel on an 8x10;

Mike Komisarek on an 8x10; and

Nikolai Kulemin on an 8x10

Target-rich environment

When Upper Deck gathered likely members of the 2010-11 NHL Rookie Class at the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence in Toronto earlier this month, it made perfect sense for Al and Mike, two of Hockey Hounds Universe's Toronto-based correspondents, to attend and get in a little preseason hounding.

Really, is there any reason, other than living in Florida, that any hockey hound wouldn't attend an event like this? When you have top prospects like Edmonton's Taylor Hall, shown above, taken first overall in June's NHL draft, in your vicinity, it could be viewed as a crime not to make a play.

Also attending the event were Boston's Tyler Seguin, taken No. 2 overall in June; Edmonton's Jordan Eberle; and Los Angeles' Brayden Schenn.

Al, our senior Toronto correspondent, got Hall to sign this Oilers puck and an 8x10.

Mike, our other Toronto-based hound and resident Ontario Hockey League expert, added these pucks to his collection.

Top row: Edmonton's Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi, Columbus' Ryan Johansen and Carolina's Jeff Skinner; and
Bottom row: Vancouver's Jordan Schroeder, Dallas' Scott Glennie and Seguin.

Off to camp

By Colin
Hockey Hounds Universe correspondent

On Sunday, we went out to Brandon for the Tampa Bay Lightning training camp. We got there about 8:15 a.m., but we had to wait 45 minutes before it started.

After getting 95 points on a score-on-a-goalie game, my Dad and I went to get some autographs. First, we watched the Black and White teams practice before their scrimmage. I got about 20 autographs then on my first team sheet.

Then, we got something to eat. My Dad had two hot dogs. Well, I had some popcorn. Then we went to watch the Black Team again. I only got about six autographs then because I already had some of the players.

Then we went outside. Besides filling up the one team sheet and starting another, I got 14 cards. Daddy got a picture and a puck signed. In total, we got 58 autographs (including 42 on the team sheets).

We had a heck of a day.

Editor's note: This is Colin's first-ever blog post.

Top: Far too many to identify in any orderly fashion. Please take our word that Steven Stamkos, Marty St. Louis, Victor Hedman, Steve Downie and Ryan Malone were among the signers.
Smaller image: Carter Ashton, from left, Dave Andreychuk, Mattias Ohlund, Steve Downie, James Wright, Dominic Moore (it's upside down) and Brett Connolly.

Ice hogs

It's not that Mike, a Toronto-based hound, is complaining after getting 21 Maple Leafs players to sign this gigantic McFarlane's base. No, he's thinking that he could scored more autographs had Toronto's Dion Phaneuf and Luke Schenn not engaged in a "my-signature-is-bigger" contest along the bottom of the base.

"Could of got more but it will look cramped," Mike wrote.

Still, it turned out to be a pretty nice piece.

Besides Phaneuf and Schenn, the others who signed are Mike Komisarek, Colton Orr, Tomas Kaberle, Fredrik Sjostrom, Tyler Bozak, Luca Caputi, Francois Beauchemin, John Mitchell, Colby Armstrong, Wayne Primeau, Kris Versteeg, Carl Gunnarsson, J.S. Giguere, Christian Hanson, Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski, Brett Lebda, Clarke MacArthur and Jonas Gustavsson.

Avs players pitch in

As part of Goalies Against Cancer 2010's fundraising efforts, brothers Joey and Brandon Maestas got a bunch of pucks signed by members of the Colorado Avalanche. Among those helping out were Matt Duchene, Adam Deadmarsh and Ryan O'Reilly.

The pucks will be a part of a Pink for the Cure Day and Silent Auction at Jerry's Sportscards in Westminster, Colo. If you can't make it out to the store, there are other ways to help.

Perfectly good reason

When presented an opportunity to add depth to our autographed puck collection, I'll dip into our small inventory of minor league, junior, college or international pucks.

Take Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman, for example. After having the Bolts' top 2009 pick sign Lightning and Swedish souvenir pucks last season, I figured it would be years before adding more from the defenseman. Instead, we try to snag a few cards and perhaps an 8x10.

That all changed, though, when Moody, Hound Central 5.0's senior correspondent, recently showed me a picture of Hedman playing for the Norfolk Admirals, the Lightning's American Hockey League affiliate. After that, I wasted little time, getting Hedman to add this puck to the collection before the Lightning's training camp opened.

It seems that Hedman, as well as a few more Lightning players, swapped teams during a 2009-10 preseason exhibition between the Bolts and the Admirals. Even if the game didn't count, it was plenty enough of a reason.

Civic duty

Anyone who follows the Tampa Bay Lightning knows just how much the organization has changed over the past season. First, the team came under new, responsible ownership. Then, hockey god Steve Yzerman taking over as general manager. Shortly thereafter, Guy Boucher was named the coach.

The changes, however, didn't end there. The Lightning, in its process of retooling the team, added a number of new faces. On Thursday, during an informal skate and scrimmage at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, I made it a point to introduce myself, as any good hockey hound should so, by asking them to sign these pucks.

Top row: Sean Bergenheim and Brett Clark
Bottom row: Dan Ellis and Simon Gagne

Help, if you can

It's always nice to get fan mail or, in Hound Central 5.0's case, comments. Here's one I'd like to share with everyone:

"Hello, I've been an avid reader of your blog for a while and I thought you might like to check out a fundraiser me and my brother are doing involving hockey against breast cancer.

"I would email you, but I'm not exactly sure how I go about doing that on here (it's probably something really obvious...lol).

"Anyway, just thought you might want to give it a look and perhaps stick it at the end of one of your posts sometime? Either way, thanks and I hope you do 6.0 next season!"

Well, guys, I hope this is a little better than that.

At first, I was a bit skeptical. Now, after waiting a few weeks, I realize I'd made a mistake. This effort, called Goalies Against Cancer 2010, is the real deal. USA Hockey is involved. So is Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, through his Steadfast Foundation. So, too, is the Susan G. Komen Passionately Pink for the Cure organization.

Two hockey-playing, Colorado-based brothers, Joey and Brandon Maestas, are the goalies behind the scenes, working hard to help bring hope to the fight against breast cancer. If you can, help them out with one of their fundraisers. I've elected to donate $25. Thanks.

Editor's note: This post originally appeared on Hound Central 5.0

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