Whale of a time

By Commonkid
Hockey Hounds Universe correspondent

For those who don't know this, the Whale Bowl was a series of games lasting over a week, played outdoors at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. It started with college and high school games, but the two big games were both on Saturday, Feb. 19.

The first game featured the Boston Bruins Alumni vs. Hartford Whalers Alumni. Joining them were the Hanson Brothers from the hockey cult classic Slap Shot. The alumni game was followed by the Connecticut Whale meeting the Providence Bruins in an American Hockey League game.

The hounding started Friday afternoon at the hotel where many of the players were staying for the weekend. First one I saw was Derek Sanderson, who asked for directions to the parking garage. We ran down to the walk-in entrance, getting him to sign before he got on the elevator. This worked for Brad Park and Reggie Lemelin as well.

The hotel, however, wouldn't let us wait inside. It was good luck that the weather was not all that bad, about 40 degrees out during the day.

On Saturday, we got to the hotel around 9 a.m. and some players were there already. The weather turned nasty, however, and it didn't get over 15 degrees with wind gusts up to 40 knots. For three of the dealers, this was too much. They paid for a room so they could wait inside. This turned into waste of money as security relented and let us all in about 30 minutes later.

Even at the game, it was good luck to get autos, as you could go out between the games and get the alumni as they left. Only four people were out there.

For the two-day total, I scored 117 cards, 28 8x10s and 16 pucks. I'm hoping they do this next year as well.

Besides Hall of Famer Brian Leetch, shown above, others signers included:

Whalers legend Ray Neufeld; and

Bruins legend Derek Sanderson.

Useful items

By Puckhound
Hockey Hounds Universe editor

If you're a regular reader of my blog, Hound Central 5.0, you're familiar with my so-called cheap skate cards. They're my homemade cards I often use for NHL rookies or call-ups.

Over the years, they've come in quite handy. Just look at this one for Sergei Bobrovsky, a rookie goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers. After having him sign a puck during the Flyers' first visit to Hockey Bay, I didn't want to use any of his rookie cards when the Flyers visited last week.

They may not be pretty or employ any cutting-edge design principles or programs. In fact, I use an old Microsoft Word program for them. But they work. And, really, that's all I ask.

Adding depth

By Puckhound
Hockey Hounds Universe editor

Some of the first autographs we ever added to the collection came from the Carolina Hurricanes, back when the team moved from Hartford to North Carolina. At the time, we watched them play at the Greensboro Coliseum.

A few years later, when we were living in New England, we got to watch some of the Hurricanes top prospects, including goalie Cam Ward, play in Lowell, Mass., during the NHL lockout of 2004-05. As a result, we've added quite a few from him.

We don't let that stop us, though, from deepening the collection. During Carolina's recent visit to Hockey Bay, Colin scored the 8x10 wallpaper image, shown above, from one of his favorite NHL players.

I took it upon myself to add these pucks, the 10th and 11th (all but one are different) that Ward has signed for us. It'll take another All-Star Game or a trade to make it an even dozen.

Putting in the time

By Puckhound
Hockey Hounds Universe editor

Don't let long lines get in the way of adding to your hockey autograph collection. Scoring these two pucks from Tampa Bay's Steve Downie at a recent appearance at a Hockey Bay motorsports store was well worth the 45 minutes we stood in line.

We haven't mad much luck over the past few seasons getting to to stop after morning skates, so we took full advantage of this opportunity to add a few more pucks to the collection.

Only days earlier, we added some pucks from Lightning teammates Adam Hall and Nate Thompson at another public appearance.

That'll teach me

By Puckhound
Hockey Hounds Universe editor

One of the quickest ways for Hockey Hounds Universe's visitors and page views to fall off a precipice is to not post any new content for a week. For a variety of reasons, from work to freelance efforts to a little thing called the Detroit Red Wings, kept me from doing that.

Well, I've learned my lesson.

Hopefully, I'll make amends this week, as we try to catch up with all the hockey-hounding that's taken place down here in Hockey Bay. Beyond that, you can expect a couple of posts from north of the border as well as other correspondents checking in from their outposts.

Who knows, maybe even Moody, fresh off of celebrating the one-year anniversary of Moody's TTM Blog, will file one. It's been a long time, hasn't it?

Change in plans

By Puckhound
Hockey Hounds Universe editor

One desirable trait among hockey hounds is flexibility. Though it's always good to have a plan, you also need to be willing to stray from it anytime opportunity presents itself.

Take last Tuesday, for instance. I had every intention of offering Buffalo Sabres captain Craig Rivet this Montreal Canadiens puck with the hopes of getting it signed. That plan, though, changed.

When I recognized former NHL defenseman Brian Engblom walking down the sidewalk, I called an audible and had him sign it instead.

Engblom was in town with the Versus hockey broadcast crew, which would later televise the Buffalo Sabres-Tampa Bay Lightning game. In a first for the network, Engblom, serving as an analyst, worked the game at ice level, standing between the team's benches.

Whole new world

By J.R.
Hockey Hounds Universe correspondent

What a contrast between hounding outings. The “big top” was gone, I didn't see anybody on the trapeze and, most importantly, there were no clowns present (although I did see a woman wearing really bad makeup rushing to work). The last time I hounded an NHL club was when the Buffalo Sabres were in San Jose to play the Sharks and it was a circus.

Fast forward a few weeks and you have a totally different atmosphere. Apparently, the Phoenix Coyotes don't have anybody on their roster worth arriving at the hotel before the morning skate. I say this because for quite some time I was the only person there.

Generally speaking, if someone affiliated with the opposing team wants to take a cab to the arena, a hotel employee stationed outside the lobby doors will call for them. A taxi then appears within a moment or two. However, head coach Dave Tippett and two other staff members walked over to where the cabs park.

I raced over to him and he signed three cards for me. After I thanked him, I noticed assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson about 15 paces behind Tippett. I bolted back to my bag to grab a puck, raced back to the taxi area and caught Samuelsson just in the nick of time. He signed it, but I unfortunately missed Sean Burke, who was behind him, and I didn't have another puck on my person.

Many minutes passed before another collector finally arrived at the hotel. We made small talk while waiting and he was disappointed to learn that the coaches had already left.

Soon after, Shane Doan came out of the hotel with six of his teammates. This is where having additional collectors on site could have helped, as we couldn't stop everybody. I had to make a quick judgment call and approached Doan, allowing his teammates to stroll to the bus parked on the street.

This was my first time meeting him and I can honestly say that he is the nicest player I have encountered thus far. He willingly signed a puck for me, a team photo for the other collector, then two cards for me. And he did it with a smile. Therefore, I tip my cap to you, Mr. Doan, for being such a fan-friendly player.

Other players to sign for me were Michal Rozsival, Kyle Turris and Jason LaBarbera.

As LaBarbara finished signing two cards for me, I noticed that television analyst Tyson Nash had already climbed the first two steps of the bus. I called him and he immediately turned around and signed a pair of cards. I also apologized for asking him to sign after technically being on the bus. He said it was not a problem and was glad to do it.

I am also glad I packed an extra Rangers puck just in case general manager Don Maloney made the trip to San Jose. He did and kindly signed the puck.

On the other hand, I must admit I did not recognize Keith Yandle (absolutely no excuse) and Ilya Bryzgalov (tiny excuse, he had a beard). Lee Stempniak also walked right past me while I was searching for something in my bag. Oh well.

All in all, it was a fun and relatively successful outing. Although I am sorry I did not see any elephants or "The Human Cannonball."

Signing pucks, shown at top, were:

Top row: Michal Rozsival and Shane Doan; and
Bottom row: Ulf Samuelsson and Don Maloney

Signing these cards were:

Top row: Dave Tippett; and
Bottom row: Kyle Turris and Shane Doan.

Also signing cards were Jason LaBarbera, top row, and Tyson Nash.

Born in the U.S.A.

By Puckhound
Hockey Hounds Universe editor

Though NHL lineups are dominated by Canadian-born players, there's a growing presence of American-born players. Down here in Hockey Bay, the Lightning have quite a few, including Adam Hall and Nate Thompson.

Hall, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Thompson, out of Anchorage, Alaska, signed these two U.S.A. souvenir pucks last Wednesday following a live radio show at a McDonald's in Tampa.

Getting our Phil

By Scott II
Hockey Hounds Universe correspondent

Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito was the guest speaker at the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner in southwestern Ontario on Jan. 29. There were about 350 people in attendance. At 6 p.m., Phil did a 30-minute, sit-down autograph session before dinner. I was right near the front of the line.

I asked him to sign these two hockey cards for me. He stated that he was glad that I brought my own black Sharpie. The dinner organizers gave him only one brown Sharpie to sign autographs and Phil said "Who wants brown autographs?"

I offered him my black Sharpie to keep, he thanked me and kept it. I pulled my blue Sharpie out of my pocket and gave it to him, too.

Around 7:30 p.m., Phil was done eating supper and was still sitting up at the head table. I've had his autobiography Thunder and Lightning since 2003 and wanted to get it signed. I took the book up to the head table and asked him to sign it. He said "Hey, you have my book".

He then proceeded to show the pictures in the book to other people at the head table for a good 10 minutes. He was explaining pics of his wife, kids etc. He apologized for making me wait, but said that he likes looking at the old pictures in the book. The wait gave me time to grab my camera and snap a pic of him signing the book.

He gave the book back to me with a huge, beautiful sig, asked me if I liked the book and thanked me for bringing it. By now, a line had formed up at the head table and he was busy signing again.

I had to leave early so I did not hear his speech later on in the evening.

For the few hours I was there, he was a willing signer and signed multiples for anyone who asked. Some people were getting five items at a time signed. Everything was being signed (i.e. programs, sticks, jerseys, pucks, cards etc). His sig was perfect, letter for letter almost every time.

Dinner banquets like this are great for getting autographs. The guest speakers normally get nice appearance fees and signing autographs is usually part of the appearance contract.

Editor's note: For another take on Phil Esposito, check out Moody's report from Hound Central 5.0.

Three-for-three

By Puckhound
Hockey Hound Universe editor

Every NHL team has what hockey hounds would consider, at the minimum, its Big Three. Not only are they a team's best players, but they all reside atop any hound's wish list.

In the case of the Philadelphia Flyers, in town to play the Tampa Bay Lightning, it would be Jeff Carter, Chris Pronger and Mike Richards. I was lucky enough to have them sign this trio of Canada-related pucks.

Sweet dessert

By Mike
Hockey Hounds Universe Toronto correspondent

After having a bite to eat recently at a Don Cherry's Sports Grill, I had Don Cherry, Hockey Night in Canada's opinionated commentator, sign this photo. Nice jacket, eh?

Brag Book: Anaheim Ducks

Hound: Al, Hockey Hounds Universe's senior Toronto correspondent
Hounding opportunity: Anaheim Ducks practice
Where: MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence, Toronto
When: January 2011

Let the bragging begin:

A Hockey Hounds Universe hat trick from right winger Teemu Selanne, a future Hall of Famer;

another Hockey Hounds Universe hat trick from center Saku Koivu, including a sweet player puck;

goalie Jonas Hiller;

defenseman Cam Fowler;

right winger Bobby Ryan; and

winger Jason Blake.