Slave's TTM and IP Autographs

2012 NHL All Star Game in Ottawa, Ontario (part 2)

2012-01-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

Evgeni Malkin signed McFarlane. Geno was awesome and signed this with his usual signature. It has definitely gotten smaller over the years, but he seemed pleasant to me.

Daniel Alfredsson was definitely front and centre through the whole weekend. I have been waiting to get this McFarlane signed for years, so it was awesome to get it finally done. Alfie was awesome in the game and came as close as a goal post from having a hat-trick and stealing the All Star Game MVP from Marian Gaborik.

Colin Greening, Brian Campbell and John Tavares signed cards. I gave the only photo I had of Tavares, to a buddy to get signed, so I only had a card left.

P.J. Stock was doing an interview for CBC's broadcast, so I had him sign a puck when he was done.

Erik Karlsson was doing a free signing at the Scotiabank booth, so I got him on the free photo, and a puck.

Anson Carter was outside the hotel for a bit. So I got him to sign a puck.

John Tortorella came out and signed autographs, so I thought, what the heck, and got him on a puck.

Brendan Shanahan was around all weekend. I managed to spot him leaving the hotel and got him to sign a puck.

I spotted Luc Robitaille walking up the street. I got "Lucky Luc" to sign a puck.

Rangers' rookie Carl Hagelin was walking back to the hotel, so I got him to sign a puck.

2012 NHL All Star Game in Ottawa, Ontario (part 1)

2012-01-30T15:18:00.000-08:00

Ottawa is only about a 2 hour drive away from where I live. So, a few friends and myself drove up there to take in the festivities. My sister had been given some tickets to the game on Sunday night, and we ended up getting scalper tickets for the Skills Competition on Saturday night.

The Fan Fair at the Convention Centre, was lined up as far as the eye could see. There were some really good autograph guests in there too, but there was no way we wanted to stand in line for hours just to get in, and then stand in more lines to do anything inside. So, we ended up going to the Chateau Laurier, where the players were staying. There was a ton of asshole dealers there getting as many autographs as possible. I suggest you don't buy anything on EBAY from AUTHENTICSIGS. When I can find out who the others were, I will post their IDs too. The giant, fat russian that we have seen before was out there too. He would literally run people over to get to someone. It was really sad. This had a huge impact on the autographs that we were able to obtain for sure.
Now to the positives. This is who I did get.

Steven Stamkos signed 8x10 photo. I love this pic and the auto is awesome. I am going to have to make some room on my wall for this one.

Jarome Iginla signed puck. I was really lucky in getting this signed as he was really annoyed with the dirt bag dealers that were getting 5 photos signed each. I asked him to personalize it and told him that he didn't sign for me yet, so he signed it.

I was able to get Henrik Sedin to sign this photo of the twins, but I wasn't able to get Daniel. The only opportunity I did have, he was carrying his daughter and there was no way I was going to even bother him. I let the dealers piss him off in that case.

Henrik Lundqvist came out of a side door. I had to follow him down the street a bit and he got a red light. I asked him to sign the McFarlane base. He seemed a bit annoyed but signed it anyway. I have always liked his play and I have had this figure for about 5 years waiting to get it signed, so it was nice to cross this one off.

Joffrey Lupul and Shea Weber signed cards.

My buddy had a Carey Price jersey to get signed, we were all on the lookout for him as it was the only thing he wanted to get done. Once he got his autograph, I slid in to get another McFarlane signed. Carey is quiet but always signs for us when we have met him.

Lars Eller TTM Success

2012-01-25T18:01:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 10/19/2011
Received: 01/25/2012
Days: 98
c/o: Montreal Canadiens

Lars is really starting to come around. He now has 19 points in 45 games. He was brought over in the trade with the Blues for Jaroslav Halak. Its nice to the Denmark native, producing. I like his energy out there. He just needs someone to play with consistently.

Danny Taylor TTM Success

2012-01-24T18:10:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 01/04/2012
Received: 01/24/2012
Days: 20
c/o: Abbotsford Heat

I actually only sent him 2 cards, so he sent me back the Young Guns card signed on his own. I met Danny last summer at a local charity event. I have been using his old goalie pads for the last 5 years or so. I asked him in my letter, if there would be some way that I could buy a game used stick off of him so I can hang it on my wall. No letter was sent with this, so I will have to hope for the same local event next year. After signing as a free agent with the Springfield Falcons, he was released after only 10 games. In those 10 games, his stats were actually better than the other goalies the team had, however, they decided to sign Manny Legace which left Danny the odd man out. He signed on right away with the Abbotsford Heat due to an injury to Henrik Karlsson of the Calgary Flames, which in turn, forced the call up of Leland Irving from the Heat. Danny has been amazing for the heat so far. In 17 games, he has a 2.19 GAA, and .935 save PCT. Hopefully, we will see him in the NHL again.

Alex Auld TTM Success

2012-01-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 11/11/2011
Received: 01/19/2012
Days: 69
c/o: Ottawa Senators

Alex hasn't played a whole lot this year. Craig Anderson has been awesome for the Senators this year. Alex was the backup to Carey Price in Montreal last year, which meant he didn't play a whole lot there either. He has been a bit of a journeyman over his career to say the least. Though, he did have a 33 win season with Vancouver in 05-06.

Manny Malhotra TTM Success

2012-01-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 11/18/2011
Received: 01/13/2012
Days: 56
c/o: Vancouver Canucks

Manny has 13 points in 45 games so far this season with the Canucks. He suffered a gruesome eye injury last season near the end of the year and was not supposed to play for the rest of the season and playoffs. He made his return to the lineup in game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. I watched him play with Guelph in the OHL and always liked his speed and energy. He has been more of a role player throughout his NHL career.

Mark Giordano TTM Success

2012-01-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 11/23/2011
Received: 01/04/2012
Days: 42
c/o: Calgary Flames

The Flames continue to be the best TTM team in Canada. Mark didn't really take the direct route to the NHL. He played in the OHL for the Owen Sound Attack. After being undrafted, he signed a contract with the Flames. After 2 stints in Russia, he became a mainstay in Calgary. Last season, he had a career year with 43 points. This season, the Flames have struggled and Mark only had 8 points before going down with a hamstring injury. Hopefully he is back real soon.

Joe Colborne TTM Success

2011-12-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 10/24/2011
Received: 12/19/2011
Days: 56
c/o: Toronto Marlies

Joe has been up a couple of times this year with the Maple Leafs, getting 4 points in 9 games. He has 21 points in 18 games for the Marlies so far as well. I think the Leafs are trying to move some players after the xmas roster freeze to make room for Joe in the lineup full time.

Louis Domingue TTM Success

2011-12-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 11/23/2011
Received: 12/15/2011
Days: 22
c/o: Quebec Remparts

Louis has posted some impressive numbers for the Quebec Remparts over the last 2 seasons. Last year was his first season as a full time starter. He started 57 games, winning 37. So far this season, he is 15-4-2 with 2 shutouts. He was a Phoenix Coyotes draft pick in 2010 and will probably be up there at some point in the next couple of seasons.

Spencer Machacek TTM Success

2011-12-08T05:14:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 11/18/2011
Received: 12/07/2011
Days: 19
c/o: St. John's Ice Caps

Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2007 draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he is now with Winnipeg's farm team, the St. John's Ice Caps. He currently has 19 points in 24 games, which is pretty decent. I would imagine that he is the next one to get a call up to the Jets.

Paul Brandt IP

2011-11-25T14:54:00.000-08:00

I have been a massive Paul Brandt fan since I heard his song, "That's the Truth", back in 1996. I have always wanted to see him in concert, but my wife hates country music and won't give it a chance. So, going solo isn't really that much fun. So, I took my mom, who I think is now a fan! The concert was great, lots of great music and joking with fans and such. After the concert, he came out to the lobby to pose for pictures and sign autographs. He really took his time with everyone, talking to them and asking where they were from and if they enjoyed the show. Follow Paul on twitter @paulbrandt
I bought a picture to get signed by him.

High Valley IP

2011-11-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

High Valley was the opening act for Paul Brandt last night in Brockville, ON. I have been a big fan of these guys since their songs hit the radio. They are from La Crete, Alberta. If you get a chance to see these guys, do it! They are awesome! Once they were done their set, they went out to the lobby to sign autographs for the fans. They seem really down to earth and enjoyed interacting with the fans. You can follow them on Twitter @highvalley
I bought a picture to get signed by the group.

Alex Tanguay TTM Success

2011-11-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 09/23/2011
Received: 11/02/2011
Days: 40
c/o: Calgary Flames

I always liked Tanguay when he was with the Avalanche. They were sort of my second favourite team simply because I am the biggest Patrick Roy fan. He had a short stint with the Canadiens, which only lasted 1 season. He seems to be the only one putting up points right now for the struggling Flames. They have some really talented players, so it is only a matter of time before they start winning games again.

Darryl Sittler IP

2011-10-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Darryl Sittler was doing a signing at my local Canadian Tire store. They renovated the store and had something going on there every day. I got Mr. Sittler last year at Feb Fest in Kingston, but, I found out about that event too late to get the 01-02 Fleer GOTG card signed. I thought for sure I had this card but I couldn't find it at the time. I bought one on www.ebay.com last weekend and prayed that it would arrive in time. It arrived on Friday so I could add to my set build. I took my daughter with me and he gave her a personalized photo as well. Darryl has the NHL record for points in 1 game. He scored 6 goals and added 4 assists for 10 points in a game against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, 1976. I doubt that this record will ever be broken.

Toronto Maple Leafs IP

2011-10-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Maple Leafs are at CFB Trenton for the next 3 days on a team building exercise and their practices are open to the public. Trenton, ON is obviously Leaf country as there were so many people out that they had to let people in to view the practice in 20 minute shifts. Autographs at the arena were really not happening. David Steckel was the only player to come out and sign for people. We thought the day was done, but we lucked out in our parking spot in that the bus went out right in front of us. We had to go in the same direction as the bus to go home anyway, so we just lagged behind it a bit. It pulled off into the mess hall on the base and it was open to the public there as well. We lucked out really and got most of the team to sign for us there.
Dion Phaneuf is a true class act. I mean, all of the Leaf players were super nice, but Dion really stood out for me. He even thanked the lunch ladies at the mess hall for lunch on his way out. He was the last person to board the bus after signing for everyone. Way to go Dion! That is the way a true captain should be.

Nazem Kadri signed this puck.

Carl Gunnarsson signed puck.

Jonas Gustavsson signed McFarlane. I was hoping he would add "The Monster" inscription but it was busy.

Colby Armstrong signed puck. @armdog on twitter

Joffrey Lupul signed puck. @jlupul on twitter

Jake Gardiner signed puck.

John-Michael Liles, David Steckel and Nikolai Kulemin.

James Reimer, Dion Phaneuf and Mike Komisarek. @mkomisarek on twitter

Tim Connolly, Phil Kessel and Mikhail Grabovski.

Phil Esposito TTM Success

2011-10-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 08/02/2011
Received: 10/03/2011
Days: 62
c/o: Boston Bruins Alumni

I mailed the 01-02 Fleer GOTG card to Phil c/o the Boston Bruins Alumni. So, 62 days through there is actually really good. It is awesome to add an autograph from one of the classiest guys to ever play the game.

Sylvania 300 Nascar, Loudon, New Hampshire

2011-09-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

My dad and I went to the Sylvania 300 in Loudon, New Hampshire over the weekend. We went last year which was my first Nascar race. We enjoyed it so much, that we went back this year. We also got the pre-race pit pass, which was a complete joke for $100. Anyway, some drivers were doing appearances at their souvenir haulers, which we didn't know about because we were in the pit area. By the time we made it up to the souvenir alley, the tickets(75) for Keselowski, Biffle and Logano were long gone. Brian Vickers had a signing as well, but they held 25 tickets back for anyone who bought a car for $50. I told my buddy that I would try to get the auto for him, so I figured he would be ok with getting the car signed. Robby Gordon was also doing a free unlimited signing at his hauler so I jumped in line for that too.

Here is the Brian Vickers car that I got signed for my buddy. Vickers had a great day racing near the front for most of the day and finishing a very good, 5th.

I was able to slip him a card to get signed for myself.

Robby Gordon signed this card for me. He was great with the fans. Laughing and joking around with everyone. Unfortunately, he had some brake problems early in the race and had to retire to the garage.

Mark Martin strolled out on pit row and was the only autograph I got for my $100 pit pass. He was great and signed for everyone who requested a signature. I think he may be retiring this year as I know Kahne is taking his spot next year with Hendrick's motorsports. Mark led for a good portion of the race early on but finished 24th, 1 lap down due to some unscheduled pits.

Ryan Parent TTM Success

2011-09-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 01/18/2011
Received: 09/13/2011
Days: 237
c/o: Manitoba Moose

Ryan hails from one of the most remote communities in Canada...Sioux Lookout. He won a pair of gold medals with Team Canada at the World Jr. Championships. He played most of last season with the Manitoba Moose, and it looks like he has signed on with a 2 way contract with the Vancouver Canucks again for this season.

Glenn Resch TTM Success

2011-09-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 08/02/2011
Received: 08/31/2011
Days: 29
c/o: Home

"Chico" Resch played goal for the Islanders, Rockies, Devils and Flyers. He won a Stanley Cup with the Islanders. He is now a broadcaster for the New Jersey Devils.

Bobby Clarke TTM Success

2011-08-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 08/02/2011
Received: 08/19/2011
Days: 16
c/o: Philadelphia Flyers

I mailed to Mr. Clarke at the Flyers because he is working for them as an executive. He won 2 Stanley Cups with the Flyers in 1974 and 1975. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987. He had an amazing career as a player in the NHL and internationally.

'Boston' Rob Mariano TTM Success

2011-08-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 05/24/2011
Received: 08/18/2011
Days: 86
c/o: Home

I am a huge Survivor fan. Boston Rob is my favorite Survivor competitor ever. Amber and Rob were the reason I started watching The Amazing Race, which I have been a huge fan of ever since then. As everyone knows, Rob finished 2nd to Amber at Survivor All-Stars, but shocked everyone when they became engaged and later married. Russell Hantz knew to vote Rob out early in Heroes vs Villains because he was such a strong player. Rob returned to face Russell in Survivor: Redemption Island. It was such a fun season to watch. Rob really masterminded the entire game and eventually won.
You can follow Boston Rob on Twitter @BostonRob or check out his website at www.bostonrobmariano.com

Considering he was filming his newest show coming out this fall, 80 Ways Around the World, 86 days for this return is pretty good. The next season of Survivor starts on September 15. I also look forward to seeing Rob's new show.

Taylor Hall IP

2011-08-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

Taylor Hall was putting on a skills camp for kids with all proceeds going to Canadian Cancer Society. The kids had to get pledge sheets and raise money to be on the ice with Taylor and get photos and autographs after. They also had a silent auction table and Taylor came out and signed for everyone that was there. All they asked was for a $25 donation per autograph. That is a great deal and the money goes to a great cause. I have gotten him a few times and he is a super nice kid every time. I hope he has a great year in Edmonton this year!

John Erskine and Danny Taylor IP

2011-08-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

The local NHLers and prospects participated in a charity event to raise money for Kingston Minor Hockey. There is quite a few local guys playing in the NHL, OHL, AHL, and NCAA. I think some of the guys left from different areas of the rink, so I missed a lot of them. I know a lot of people were dissappointed that Taylor Hall was not there but he had another commitment in Niagara Falls.
Danny Taylor played for the Kingston Frontenacs and was drafted by the LA Kings. Although he was born in England, he has lived in Kingston, ON for most of his life. He has only played 1 period of play in the NHL and he has bounced around in the minors quite a bit before going over to Europe to play last season. He is currently a free agent, so hopefully he will get signed by a North American team. I actually purchased his used pads from the Kingston Frontenacs a few years ago, and I have been using them ever since. I have every NHL card of him that has ever been made. 08-09 UD Black had letter mark cards that spelled out the players' names. I was trying to collect them one by one, but the "Y" was short printed and hadn't come up yet. Some one listed a whole set, so I bought it. I waited a while and eventually another "Y" popped up on ebay, so I bought it too. I gave Danny my second set, and he thanked me. We chatted for a few minutes and he signed a puck for me. He is a great guy and a great goalie, so hopefully he makes his way back to the NHL.

John Erskine is a monster of a defenceman that plays for the Washington Capitals. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in 98.

Jannik Hansen TTM Success

2011-08-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 02/09/2011
Received: 07/26/2011
Days: 167
c/o: Vancouver Canucks

Jannik is one of the fastest skaters that I have ever seen. He really came into his own this year in the playoffs for the Canucks. He should have an expanded and full time role with the Canucks this season.

Kevin Bieksa TTM Success

2011-07-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 01/06/2011
Received: 07/18/2011
Days: 193
c/o: Vancouver Canucks

Kevin was an integral part of getting the Canucks to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He just signed on for 5 more season in Vancouver, and with the rest of their high end talent locked up, look for them to continue to contend for a Stanley Cup in the next few years.

Medigas Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament IP Part 2

2011-07-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Shawn Matthias is a former Belleville Bull and is now with the Florida Panthers.

Mike Murphy is another Kingston, Ontario product. He played for the Bulls and was CHL goalie of the year. He is now a Carolina Hurricanes prospect and is playing for their farm team, the Charlotte Checkers.
He also is big on twitter, so follow him @MichaelMurphy31

Peter Mahovlich(the Little M) was there this year as well. He is now a scout for the Florida Panthers.

Ric Seiling, Brad Richardson, Shawn Antoski.

Danny Gare, Tony McKegney, Rick Meagher.

Gilles Gilbert, Butch Goring, Mike Murphy.

Medigas Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament IP

2011-07-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

The Medigas Celebrity Golf Tournament was this past weekend in Belleville, Ontario. This is definitely the best celebrity golf tournament in the area. The list of stars and retired stars, is amazing. This tournament was started by Rick Meagher and has grown and raised a ton of money for charity.

P.K. Subban was a huge draw for autograph collectors...and dealers. P.K. and the tournament organizers were getting angry with the throngs of autograph requests and were turning people away. I had gotten P.K. at last year's event, but I told a buddy at work that I would try to get a picture signed for his son who is a huge Subban and Habs fan. Once I told P.K. that it was for a kid and asked him to personalize it, he was fine with that. I didn't bother asking for anything for myself at that point.

Stephane Richer was there last year as well, so this year I found a picture for him to sign.

Rick Vaive is always so nice to the fans. I had gotten him on hockey cards every other time I saw him, but this time I thought a picture would be a nice change.

This tournament always features lots of current and former Belleville Bulls' players. Eric Tangradi is an american born player that now plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I follow him on twitter @ETangradi. He is hilarious, so add him if you use twitter.

Billy Smith is always amazing to get at these events. He even brought a bunch of oversize picture cards to hand out to kids.

Johnny Bucyk TTM Success

2011-07-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 05/13/2011
Received: 07/07/2011
Days: 54
c/o: Boston Bruins Alumni Association

I am still working on this set. I read online that Johnny charges $5 for TTM requests. The Canada Post strike/lockout delayed this I am sure. He scored 1369 points, mostly with the Bruins. He started his career with 2 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.

Alex Delvecchio TTM Success

2011-07-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 05/13/2011
Received: 06/29/2011
Days: 47
c/o: Home

47 days with the Canada Post Lockout/Strike situation. This is another card from the 01-02 Fleer Greats of the Game set. Alex was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977 and had 1281 points in a great NHL career. I had read online that he will only respond to autograph requests by mail with $10 included. I sent a $10 CDN bill and that worked.

Gordie Howe In Person

2011-06-16T19:39:00.001-07:00

Gordie Howe...Mr. Hockey, was doing an appearance at a local hearing clinic. Technically, the event was supposed to be only for patients of the clinic. I actually have a hearing disability, so I figured that I would give it a shot. They were actually allowing some of the general public come in as long as it was not busy with clients. Gordie was super nice. He tried to figure out when the photo was taken as it was one that he had never seen before. He likes to crack jokes and interacts very well with everyone. Their only request was that anything signed, had to be personalized. I had no problem with this at all. He took his time signing the photo and it turned out awesome! Gordie is a class act. Its great to add an autographed photo of one of the best players to ever play the game, to my collection.

Dustin Boyd TTM Success

2011-06-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 01/19/2011
Received: 06/02/2011
Days: 134
c/o: Hamilton Bulldogs

Dustin has recently signed on to play next season in the KHL for Barys Astana. He has 1 goal in 10 games with the Habs in a very limited role. He had a great season in Hamilton though, registering 29 points in 47 games and following that up with 16 points in 20 playoff games as the Bulldogs almost made the Calder Cup final.

Cory Sarich TTM Success

2011-05-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 01/18/2011
Received: 05/30/2011
Days: 132
c/o: Calgary Flames

Cory is a great stay at home defenceman for the Flames. Another Saskatchewan born guy. He had 17 points this year as the Flames just missed the playoffs. Always good to add another Calgary Flames' to my collection.

Jeff Halpern TTM Success

2011-05-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 01/05/2011
Received: 05/12/2011
Days: 127
c/o: Montreal Canadiens

Jeff has been a nice addition to the Habs this year. He is great on faceoffs and works hard out there. It was unfortunate that he was the one that tipped the series winner past Price in game 7 though. I am not sure why he decided to half block a shot half way between the shooter and the goalie.

Brett Connolly TTM Success

2011-05-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 02/09/2011
Received: 05/03/2011
Days: 83
c/o: Prince George Cougars

Unfortunately, the Cougars went out in 4 straight games at the hands of the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL playoffs. Brett had a great regular season though, with 73 points in 59 games. He was a 1st round pick, 6th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2010 NHL Draft. He also played for Team Canada at the WJHC in Buffalo, registering 3 assists in 7 games.

Roberto Luongo TTM Success

2011-04-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 02/17/2009
Received: 04/27/2011
Days: 799
c/o: Vancouver Canucks

That is right! 799 days. I mailed this way back in 2009. I actually mailed a jumbo card and a regular card. He sent me back a form letter...signed and a team issued post card signed. The post card is really cool with a great auto. I actually like getting the letter. It feels personal, even if someone just inserted it into an envelope. Roberto was awesome last night in the Game 7 OT win over the Blackhawks. Now, the Canucks are playing the Predators in round 2 starting tomorrow night.

Rick Smith IP

2011-04-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

Rick Smith was doing an appearance at the retirement home that is attached to the building I work at. His mom was a resident there before she passed away a few years ago and Rick has been volunteering his time and donating money to the home for years. This was more of a discussion based appearance and just something for the residents to come out and chat with a former NHL player from Kingston.
Rick played for the Boston Bruins, California Golden Seals, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings in the NHL. He also played for the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the WHA. He won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 1970. He amassed 219 points in 687 NHL games as a rugged stay at home defenceman.

Colby Armstrong TTM Success

2011-04-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 10/06/2011
Received: 04/21/2011
Days: 197
c/o: Toronto Maple Leafs

I liked Colby when he was with the Penguins. He plays with alot of energy and is out there working hard every shift. I pulled the winter classic jumbo card out of a UD blaster box and thought it would be a neat item to get autographed. He was injured for a bit of this season, so you can't really gauge the year he could have had. Given a more prominent role on the Leafs, should help his numbers next year.

Tom Gilbert TTM Success

2011-04-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 09/29/2010
Received: 04/21/2011
Days: 204
c/o: Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers usually send out returns after the season is over. So, I suspect I will see a few more from them in the next few weeks. Tom Gilbert was born in Minnesota, one of hockey's greatest hotbeds. He has had 4 really good seasons for the rebuilding Oilers. They have so much young talent there right now and I can see them competing for a playoff spot next year.

Montreal Canadiens IP

2011-04-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

We went to game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs series between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens. We went down to Montreal early to try to catch the Habs after morning skate. We were hoping to maybe catch the Bruins at some point, but they were well hidden I think. The Habs were not stopping to sign autographs. I attribute that to the giant Russian dealer that had a suit case full of stuff to get signed. We have seen this guy before and he sells all of his crap on Ebay. It is guys like him that give guys like me, a bad name. I just love hounding for my own collection. This guy is doing it for a living. Anyway, Travis Moen and Max Pacioretty stopped for us. That was it for players, but Kirk Muller also stopped. I am from a small town just outside of Kingston, Ontario, so I told him we were up for the game. He made some small talk and was really pleasant. The best part, he told the giant Russian, that he wouldn't sign for him. I wish all of the players would have done that.
I got Travis Moen on this 10-11 OPC Retro parallel card, which the giant Russian thought was a "rare version" and I was crazy for getting it signed. They are inserted at a rate of 1 in 2 packs, so I think I am safe. Even if it was the Rainbow Black parallel, which is numbered out of 100, not out of 10 like the giant Russian said, it would still only be worth $1 on ebay.

Max Pacioretty is skating and participating in hockey drills, but the word is that he still isn't close to returning to action. I made small talk and asked him if he was back soon, and he said he hopes so. He has a bright future for sure! Follow him on twitter @MaxPacioretty67.

Kirk Muller signed puck. All I had were some plain pucks for guys that I didn't have cards with me. The auto showed up amazing with the new gold paint pen I just bought. "Captain" Kirk was part of the 1993 Stanley Cup Championship team.

Yvon Lambert came out of the Bell Centre and none of the 30 people waiting for autographs knew who he was. I spotted him immediately and got him to sign a puck for me. He was part of 4 Stanley Cup wins in a row with the Habs from 1976-1979.

Gaston Gingras was on his way to the Bell Centre, so I got him to sign a puck. Again, nobody else recognized him. I loved watching him in the 80s. He had one of the hardest shots I have ever seen and he was blazing fast on the skates. He won a cup with Montreal in 1986.

Brent Sopel TTM Success

2011-04-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 03/11/2011
Received: 04/19/2011
Days: 36
c/o: Montreal Canadiens

This is the only response back from the Canadiens this season. Brent has been an awesome addition for the Habs. He works hard blocking shots and making the smart plays that don't always show up on the score sheet. I love that he signed his 10-11 Panini Score Season Highlight card, right on the Stanley Cup! I couldn't have asked him to sign it in a better spot! I have always loved the cards featuring the players holding the cup. They always look awesome and iconic.

Fabian Brunnstrom TTM Success

2011-04-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 03/09/2011
Received: 04/14/2011
Days: 36
c/o: Toronto Marlies

Fabian was a highly sought after free agent 3 years ago. He hasn't really found his niche in the NHL yet, but the Maple Leafs made a trade for him and sent him to the AHL. He had 14 points in 35 games down there, so he may be able to work his way back to the NHL.

Peter Regin TTM Success

2011-04-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 01/05/2011
Received: 04/12/2011
Days: 97
c/o: Ottawa Senators

Peter was hurt for a bit of this season so his numbers are a bit lower than last. He had 17 points in 55 games for a Senators team that was terrible during the first half of the season but seemed to come on strong at the end. I had never gotten Regin in person, so this one is nice to add to the collection.

James Reimer IP

2011-04-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

James Reimer did a public autograph signing at the Pickering Flea Market on Saturday. The deal was, you got a free autograph of whatever you wanted, but if you wanted a 2nd item, you had to buy it from the promoter (mostly 8x10s and pucks for $8-$10) and pay $10 for the autograph. What a great deal of one of the best young goalies in the NHL. James just confirmed that he is going to play for Team Canada at the up coming World Championships. He seems like a nice guy and was joking and chatting with most people that came through. It was a very busy signing to say the least. I brought a team Canada puck and purchased an 8x10 from the promoter.

Joey Hishon TTM Success

2011-04-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 03/22/2011
Received: 04/08/2011
Days: 17
c/o: Owen Sound Attack

Joey Hishon was picked 17th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2010 entry draft. He had 87 points in 50 games this season with the Attack and is currently playing against the Plymouth Whalers in round 2 of the OHL playoffs. The Avalanche just signed him to a 3 year entry level contract as well, so I would bet you will see him in Denver next season.

Dan Cleary Experience

2011-04-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/showthread.php?t=285800&page=1

Now, I can't verify any of this information in the forum post as I have no link whatsoever to any of it. I just wanted to post this, so that people can see what some NHLers are like. I remember Dan when he was with the Belleville Bulls. He was a douche bag back then too. He is a garbage hockey player, if you can call him that. I don't believe that playing hockey is parking your ass in front of the net hoping that the puck tips off of you somewhere and lands in the net. I hate the entire Red Wings organization for the style of hockey that they play. Holmstrom, Cleary and Franzen all do the same crap. At least Franzen has some skill though. Holmstrom and Cleary have none.

Ottawa Senators IP

2011-04-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

We took in the Sens vs Leafs game on Saturday and hounded the Senators after the morning skate and after the game.
Craig Anderson has been awesome for the Sens since coming over from Colorado in the the trade for Brian Elliott. He was great again this night, but a late 5 minute penalty to Zack Smith took the wind out of their sails. He is not a very talkative guy...quite shy really. He probably isn't used to the high profile players have in Canada. I am sure he will come out of his shell a bit over the next 4 years.

Chris Phillips is a true class act. He pretty much always stops for the fans. I decided to get a photo signed by him this time.

Erik Karlsson is one of the best up and coming young defencemen in the game. He was selected to the 2011 all star team as well.

Jesse Winchester signed this puck for me. He is another one that seems to love interacting with the fans. He is a really nice guy and a hard worker on the ice.

Ryan Shannon stops quite often as well. He was the one that told us we were insane a few weeks ago when we were out there in -30 weather to get autographs.

Milan Michalek, Chris Neil, Jesse Winchester, Nick Foligno. The Foligno bled badly because I didn't realize I handed him the Glossy version of the Score card.

Zack Smith is a great young player. He works hard out there and seems to be getting some big minutes. Matt Carkner, Filip Kuba.

Sergei Gonchar, Curtis McElhinney, Marek Svatos.

Brian Lee always personalizes everything. He wrote "God Bless" on this one. It bled a bit at the top, but that is fine. He is a really nice guy too and stops quite often for the fans. David Hale, Bobby Butler.

Ottawa Senators Mini Helmet. I had about 5 signatures on this helmet prior to this outing. I think it is maxed out now. Here is what is on it now: Brian Elliott, Zack Smith, Filip Kuba, Bryan Murray, Cory Clouston, Patrick Wiercioch, Nick Foligno, Chris Neil, Francis Lessard, Luke Richardson, Ryan Shannon, Brian Lee, Erik Kondra, Jesse Winchester.

I know he isn't an Ottawa Senator, or ever was, but Glenn Healy walked out of the player's parking lot, so I took the opportunity to get him to sign a puck for me.

Toronto Maple Leafs IP

2011-04-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

6 of us made the trip up to Ottawa for the Senators vs Leafs game on Saturday. The Leafs won 4-2...BOOOO. Anyway, we hounded the Leafs at the Brookstreet Hotel in Ottawa and got the following autographs.

Dion Phaneuf is a really classy guy. Came right over to us and signed for everyone. He seems to genuinely love interacting with the fans. I got him to sign an 8x10.

Joffrey Lupul is a nice guy too. A class act. I follow him on twitter @JLupul. He tweets fairly regularly. Mike Komisarek told us he would sign after he put his stuff on the bus. We all thought that meant he wouldn't be back, but sure enough, he came right off the bus and over to us to sign. James Reimer was out too, and unfortunately, all I had was a hockey card for him to sign. I really wish I had an 8x10 or something. This kid is for real.

We would have gotten more, but the staff at the Brookstreet Hotel are completely out of touch with reality. They actually went so far as to setup a decoy gated off area in the lobby for people to stand behind to "get autographs". Of course, no players went out through the front door, so most people got nothing. We went to another area and had success there.

Mike Zigomanis TTM Success

2011-03-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 01/19/2011
Received: 03/21/2011
Days: 61
c/o: Toronto Marlies

Zigomanis is one of my all time favorite Kingston Frontenacs players. He is one of only a few players to be drafted 2 times. He was drafted in the 2nd round(64th overall) by the Buffalo Sabres in 1999. Since he did not sign a pro contract with them within the 2 year maximum, he re-entered the draft. So, in 2001, Carolina drafted him in the 2nd round (46th overall).

Brendan Morrison TTM Success

2011-03-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 03/02/2011
Received: 03/21/2011
Days: 19
c/o:Calgary Flames

The former Hobey Baker award winner is having somewhat of a rejuvenated season with the Flames. He has 43 points with 9 games remaining in the season.

Christian Ehrhoff TTM Success

2011-03-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 09/30/2010
Received: 03/21/2011
Days: 172
c/o: Vancouver Canucks

Christian is one of only a few German born players in the NHL. He has 47 points so far this year in Vancouver. He has taken on alot of extra minutes due to the plethora of injuries that has plagued the Canucks.

Brandon Gormley TTM Success

2011-03-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 02/18/2011
Received: 03/17/2011
Days: 27
c/o: Moncton Wildcats

A knee injury kept Brandon out of appearing for Team Canada at the World Jrs. this year. He was a Phoenix Coyotes 1st round pick in the 2010 draft. He also has 47 points in 45 games thus far this year for Moncton. There is no doubt that this kid should be a good NHLer someday.

Craig Anderson TTM Success

2011-03-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 02/24/2011
Received: 03/04/2011
Days: 8
c/o: Ottawa Senators

8 days returned from the new Senators' goalie! Craig has been playing amazing since coming over. Hopefully, he will be able to sign a new deal in the off season as he is a UFA as of July 1st.

Ottawa Senators IP

2011-03-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough to be invited by a friend and his wife to join them in her company's private box for the game between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators. The box is in the 200 level and right at centre ice. The Sens played a great game considering the mass exodus out of Ottawa prior to the trade deadline. There were alot of young guys in the lineup trying to prove themselves for next year. Craig Anderson has looked very good since coming up here as well. We waited after the game for some autographs and got a few. It was extremely cold and the Senators were preparing to fly out to Atlanta the next day, so not too many of them stopped.
We got Jason Spezza a couple of weeks ago for the first time ever. He was a passenger in Zack Smith's vehicle so we were able to get both of them there. I got Zack Smith on this puck.

I got Jason Spezza on this card. He signed it with the gold paint pen which didn't really work. Nick Foligno signed this card and it bled badly.

Chris Phillips stopped by and signed this puck. Chris just re-signed to stay in Ottawa. He is a great ambassador for the Sens and is very nice to the fans.

Oldtimer's Hockey Challenge In Person

2011-03-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

The Oldtimer's Hockey Challenge came through Kingston, Ontario on Monday February 28th. I try to take in this event every year. Their lineup is usually really good and usually includes a few Hall of Famers. This year, Theoren Fleury made the trip! I went hoping I could get him on an 8x10. After the game, we waited outside and got some of the players as they boarded their bus. Theo was great and signed for everyone. He was definitely the main draw.

I also got Bryan Trottier on an 8x10. He is a super nice guy. He even came back off the bus because he realized that the puck he signed for my buddy, did not work right. The gold paint pen I gave him was almost dead I think. The second auto looked better on the puck I think.

Battle of the Blades star, Ron Duguay was there. I loved watching this guy in the 80s. It looks like he could still be out there. We got word of him being there last minute, so all I had was a card. I also got Dave Ellett on a card and purchased the Gaston Gingras autographed card at the souvenir table for $2!

I got Rick Middleton and Steve Shutt on hockey cards as well.

Glenn Anderson may be the biggest asshole that ever played in the NHL. There wasn't that many people out there seeking autographs, yet when I politely asked him to sign my photo, he completely ignored me and board the bus. He also brushed right past 3 kids that were waiting for him too. He puts on quite an act when he is in the arena in front of everyone, but when he is out back, he is a dick. Beware of him and Jimmy Mann. Jimmy is lucky to even be included in an NHL legends tour. The guy only got 30 points in his entire NHL career which consisted of a meager 293 games.

Ryan Stone TTM Success

2011-02-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 01/19/2011
Received: 02/22/2011
Days: 34
c/o: Abbotsford Heat

Ryan has been with the Abbotsford Heat for most of the season. He has 16 points in 30 games for the Calgary Flames' minor league affiliate. He scored 90 points in 70 games in his last season of junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Nikolai Kulemin TTM Success

2011-02-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 01/06/2011
Received: 02/18/2011
Days: 43
c/o: Toronto Maple Leafs

Nikolai has been getting better with every season that he has played in Toronto. He has 21 goals and 41 points so far this year which are career highs for him. The Leafs have 24 games left, so he should add to those totals very nicely.

Erik Karlsson TTM Success

2011-02-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 01/28/2011
Received: 02/17/2011
Days: 20
c/o:Ottawa Senators

We were in Ottawa on Tuesday to get some autographs and Erik was one of the few who did not sign for us. So, its nice to get one back from him in the mail. 20 days to receive an autograph back of an all-star is amazing. This kid has a great future ahead of him. He did only sign 1 of the 2 cards I sent though.

Ottawa Senators IP

2011-02-16T19:40:00.000-08:00

I won 2 tickets to the February 15th game vs the New York Islanders in the Senators Extra All-Canadian Hockey Pool by the Ottawa Citizen.
You can join the pool anytime. Weekly winners get 2 tickets to a game. Season winner, gets a private box for the April 7th game against the Canadiens. Here is a link to the site.

Senators Extra All-Canadian Hockey Pool

4 of us went up to go to the game and get some autographs. We arrived at the Scotiabank Place prior to the end of morning skate for the Sens. It was bitter cold, -26 or so with the windchill. I think some of the players felt sorry for us and stopped to sign a few items. I have been hounding the Senators for about 12 years now, and in the time that Jason Spezza has been there, I have never gotten him in person. I have gotten Alfredsson, Heatley, Yashin and Hasek many times.

"Steve", this one is for you.
A guy named Steve was the only other guy that was out there besides us. He was out there earlier than us, so he was probably fed up with the cold. About 10 minutes after he left, Jason Spezza stopped and signed for us. One of my buddies got 3 jerseys signed(2 personalized and one not), and another got the game used stick he bought last year signed. I got my McFarlane base signed and a puck. Jason was very cool and posed for some pictures with my buddies before leaving.

I purchased a mini helmet at Hockey Life last season and had a few autos on it already. It had Zack Smith, Jesse Winchester and Brian Elliott on it already. I was able to add Ryan Shannon and Cory Clouston to it.

Robin Lehner came out as a passenger in a car driven by Bobby Butler. They both signed willingly for fans. Not too many people recognized Lehner. I got him on a puck.

Bobby Butler, Jesse Winchester, Chris Neil and Brian Elliott. I had never gotten Chris Neil in person before either.

Milan Michalek, Chris Phillips and Brian Lee.

I know this is not autographed, but I had to get it. They had 2 left handed gloves that were game used by Mike Fisher at the Sensations store at the Scotiabank Place. The manager said I could buy one for $25. I just could not pass this deal up. Its just a cool item to add to my collection.

Glenn Hall TTM Success

2011-02-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 09/21/2009
Received: 02/14/2011
Days: 511
c/o: Home

I had completely written this one off. Glenn is one of the greatest goalies of his era! He entered the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings before playing with the Chicago Blackhawks for 10 seasons and then finishing his career with the St. Louis Blues. Of course, he is the goalie in the famous Bobby Orr flying goal picture. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.

Darryl Sittler In Person

2011-02-05T18:16:00.000-08:00

Darryl Sittler was the special guest for the annual Feb Fest in Kingston, Ontario. He was signing autographs for free today. Darryl still holds the NHL record for 10 points in one game against the Boston Bruins back in 1976. I am not sure that this record will ever fall. He signed an 8x10 and a card for me. I had my daughters with me so he signed a promo handout for each of them as well. He personalized the 8x10 as well. I am not a Leaf fan, but I can definitely respect an NHL legend. It is a great autograph to add to my collection.

Dollard St-Laurent and Pierre Bouchard autos purchased

2011-02-05T18:11:00.000-08:00

I went to one of the local hockey card dealers today, and they had a stack of Molson Export cards signed. I went through the stack and found 2 guys that I didn't have in my collection. Dollard St- Laurent and Pierre Bouchard. A couple of great retired Habs' players. These 2 cards cost me $3 each! What a steal!

Gillian Apps TTM Success

2011-01-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 10/25/2010
Received: 01/11/2011
Days: 78
c/o: Hockey Canada

A great autograph from the Gold Medal winner for Team Canada at the 2010 Olympic Games. She is the grand daughter of NHL legend Syl Apps, so the hockey talent definitely runs in the family.

Carey Price, Josh Gorges and Maxim Lapierre In Person!

2010-12-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

There was a free autograph signing for this trio of Montreal Canadiens' in Montreal yesterday. Everyone received a free autographed lithograph, and you could pay an extra $31 for a ticket which got you one autograph from each player. This was an amazing deal and we were planning going to this when we heard about it in September. All 3 players were very courteous and signed great autographs for everyone. They had to be signing for over 3 hours.
This was the free lithograph signed by all 3.

Josh Gorges signed this 8x10 and hockey card. He said he hated those visors and didn't know why he stopped wearing one, and no wears one again.

Maxim Lapierre signed this 8x10 and hockey card.

I bought a Canadiens' official game puck and had Lapierre and Gorges sign it in gold paint pen.

Now for the star of the show...as far as I am concerned. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a huge fan of Carey Price. I always have been. I said all summer long that he is an amazing goalie. The Habs didn't play that great in front of him last year. If they traded him instead of Halak, it probably would have ranked up there with the Roy trade as being the worst in the history of the Canadiens. Anyways, I got him to sign 2 jerseys and a McFarlane base for me. I am so happy to add this stuff to my collection! I must have looked like a dealer up there, but this stuff is all going up on the wall.

Kim St. Pierre TTM Success

2010-12-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 09/29/2010
Received: 11/29/2010
Days: 61
c/o: Hockey Canada

I mailed these cards to Kim c/o Hockey Canada in Calgary. I have had a couple of successes so far with that team and I hope for more. She even included a note thanking me for writing her. This is such an awesome response! The signatures are amazing as well. Team Canada beat Team USA 3-2 in the final of the 4 Nations Cup in Newfoundland this year. They will now be preparing for the 2011 World Championships in April.

Tyler Weiman TTM Success

2010-11-23T18:13:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 11/01/2010
Received: 11/22/2010
Days: 21
c/o:Manitoba Moose

21 days returned is awesome! Tyler has bounced around the minors for a while. He has only played 16 minutes of NHL time with the Avalanche way back in 07-08. He is pretty much splitting the time with Eddie Lack for the Moose. He has pretty good numbers so far, so who knows, maybe he will get a call up in case of injury.

Francois Beauchemin TTM Success

2010-11-12T15:56:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 03/22/2010
Received: 11/12/2010
Days: 235
c/o: Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs are having a tough time right now, but the season is early. Maybe Kadri and Aulie can inject some offence into that lineup. Francois is a great stay at home defenceman who has had a great career. He was originally drafted by the Canadiens, but only played one game for them.

J.T. Wyman TTM Success

2010-11-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

Mailed: 10/07/2010
Received: 11/04/2010
Days: 28
c/o: Hamilton Bulldogs

J.T. Wyman is currently with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. He has 5 points in 11 games so far. He is another of a bunch of guys that they have gotten out of the Dartmouth College route.

Paul Ysebaert TTM Success

2010-11-01T16:47:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 08/19/2009
Received: 11/01/2010
Days: 439
c/o: Home

This is the longest I have waited for a success thus far. Paul Ysebaert was one of the fastest skaters in the NHL of his time. He had some great seasons with the Devils and Lightning.

Jean Beliveau TTM Success

2010-10-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 09/22/2010
Received: 10/21/2010
Days: 29
c/o: Montreal Canadiens

Jean Beliveau is one of the classiest people you will ever meet. I have had the pleasure of getting his autograph in person in which he "Thanked me for coming.". Seriously! One of the greatest players to ever play the game just thanked me for getting his autograph. I am still working on getting the 01-02 Fleer Greats of the Game set signed, so I wrote him explaining that and mentioned that I had gotten his autograph in person at a past card show. He returned both cards I send in 29 days. I am glad to see he is doing well after his minor stroke earlier this year.

Bill Barber TTM Success

2010-10-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 09/22/2010
Received: 10/13/2010
Days: 21
c/o: Philadelphia Flyers

This is all part of my side project to get the 01-02 Fleer Greats of the Game set signed. 21 days returned from the Philadelphia Flyers where he is a scout. He signed them in blue sharpie as well.

Max Pacioretty TTM Success

2010-09-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 12/02/2009
Received: 09/29/2010
Days: 301
c/o: Montreal Canadiens

This one took a while. I mailed it to the Habs last year while he was up. I know that he bounced between the Habs and the Bulldogs a bit, so maybe this one got lost in translation at some point. He is still with the Habs at this point during their training camp, so hopefully he stays with the big club. I watched him play in Hamilton in February, and he skates very well. I am always glad to add another Habs autograph.

Tomas Plekanec TTM Success

2010-09-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 05/03/2010
Received: 09/24/2010
Days: 144
c/o: Montreal Canadiens

I mailed these cards to Tomas last year during the Habs great playoff run. Tomas had a great season last year, scoring 70 points, but the playoffs were not so great for him as he only had 11 points in 19 playoff games. I hope he can get up in that area for points again this year, as the Habs have a pretty strong team and could finish in the top 6 in the conference.

Mike Modano TTM Success

2010-09-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 06/01/2010
Received: 09/21/2010
Days: 112
c/o: Home

I mailed these 2 jumbo cards to Mike Modano in June. He just signed with the Detroit Red Wings for at least one more season. The hall of fame awaits him when he retires. He is one of the greatest American born hockey players to play the game. I wrote to him probably 10 years ago in Dallas and received a success with that one too.

Red Kelly TTM Success

2010-09-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 08/26/2010
Received: 09/08/2010
Days: 13
c/o: Home

I wrote to Red Kelly last year successfully as well. I have started a side collection to try to get the 01-02 Fleer Greats of the Game set signed. So, this was another addition. It is a great response from a hall of famer.

Henri Richard TTM Success

2010-09-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 08/26/2010
Received: 09/07/2010
Days: 12
c/o: Home

I wrote to "The Pocket Rocket", last summer as well. Both times he included the jumbo Molson card. The reason I wrote him this time, is that I have started a project to get as many of the 01-02 Fleer Greats of the Game cards signed. This gets me to 21 total so far out of the 100 card set. There are some in that set that will be impossible for me to get so I know it will never be complete. I like the set due to the large white spaces which are very autograph friendly. Mr. Richard continues to be amazing for TTM fans. I hope to have a chance to meet him in person someday.

Andrew Cogliano TTM Success

2010-08-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 09/16/2009
Received: 08/23/2010
Days: 341
c/o: Edmonton Oilers

I had totally written this one off. 341 days! The autos are nice at least. These 2 cards were all I had at the time so I sent them both. I am glad to add this one, even though it took a while. I think this is the longest I have waited for a success.

Bob Sauve TTM Success

2010-08-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 07/02/2010
Received: 08/05/2010
Days: 34
c/o: Home

Bob Sauve was a great goalie who played for the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and the New Jersey Devils. I always liked him when he was with the Sabres. He won a Jennings Trophy while there too. Great addition to my collection.

Marcel Pronovost TTM Success

2010-07-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 07/05/2010
Received: 07/23/2010
Days: 18
c/o: Home

Marcel won 4 Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings back in the 1950s. He then finished his career with the Maple Leafs through the 69-70 season. He was a solid defenceman who put up some decent numbers as well. I sent these 3 cards and again got the 01-02 Fleer Greats of the Game card sign. I am going to have to do a tally and see how many of these cards out of this set I have autographed now. It has to be getting up there.

Johnny Bower TTM Success

2010-07-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 07/02/2010
Received: 07/014/2010
Days: 12
c/o: Home

Johnny Bower remains one of the best TTMers there is. 12 days for this hall of famer. I wrote him last summer and he returned my 8x10 signed perfectly. I picked up a McFarlane Figure last fall in the hopes that I could get it signed at some point. I wasn't able to make it to a public signing he was doing, so I thought I would mail it. This guy is a true class act and a lot of other players could really learn from him.

Medigas Celebrity Classic IP

2010-07-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

Matt Duchene. The superstar for the Colorado Avalanche was in town! He wouldn't sign numbers. He did sign jerseys though. I had this 8x10 and a puck, and he signed both! This kid is going to have a great career.

Rene Robert signed puck. Somehow, I didn't have a single card of his. I have over 80,000 cards. How the heck can this be possible? Anyway, I took along some plain pucks in case there was anyone there that I didn't have anything for.

Gilbert Perreault. I had heard that he hasn't been so kind to TTMers. He wasn't overjoyed, but he signed for everyone. I got him on this McFarlane base to add to my collection.

Medigas Celebrity Classic IP

2010-07-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

P.K. Subban. As a Habs fan, this was awesome to get!!! He wouldn't sign unless it was personalized. I told him I was completely fine with that as this one is going on my wall. There were a couple of "dealers" there who were clearly trying to make money off of these guys.

Brad Richardson.

Billy Smith. He is always great at this event. Chatting with the fans and truly in a great mood. After the oldtimers' games, he isn't so much.

Medigas Celebrity Classic IP

2010-07-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Matt Beleskey.

Mike Murphy. Mike is in the Carolina Hurricanes' system.

Shawn Matthias.

Shane O'Brien.

Eric Tangradi.

Medigas Celebrity Classic IP

2010-07-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

Stephane Richer, Rick Martin and Andre Savard.

Shawn Matthias and Matt Beleskey.

Medigas Celebrity Classic IP

2010-07-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Mike Murphy, Eric Tangradi, Matt Cookie, Shane O'Brien.

Medigas Celebrity Classic IP

2010-07-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Medigas Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament is in Belleville, Ontario every year. It has to be one of the premier golf tournaments in Ontario. The list of celebrities, is awesome every year. Here are the cards I got signed.

Brad Park, Rick Middleton, Terry O'Reilly and Butch Goring. This set is my favorite set of cards ever produced. Anytime I have an opportunity to get some of them signed I do. They are from the 01-02 Fleer Greats of the Game set. I hope that UD will bring this set back in this configuration. The mostly white background, makes them amazing for getting autos.

Cody Hodgson TTM Success

2010-07-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 04/07/2010
Received: 07/07/2010
Days: 91
c/o: Brampton Battalion

Cody has been battling back injuries over the last 2 seasons. Hopefully, he can get that fixed because he has immense talent. If his back problems are clear this season, the Canucks will have him up for sure.

Nigel Dawes TTM Success

2010-06-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 04/07/2010
Received: 06/28/2010
Days: 82
c/o: Calgary Flames

The Flames have been 100% returns for the past 2 seasons. This one took a bit longer than most though, but I did mail it out the week before the season closed. So, it may never have gotten to him before he left for home.

Marc-Antoine Pouliot TTM Success

2010-06-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 03/24/2010
Received: 06/28/2010
Days: 96
c/o: Edmonton Oilers

It looks like the Oilers' players are getting around to checking their mail. I have heard that the Oilers did not put a qualifying offer on the table for Pouliot, so it looks like he will hit the UFA market on July 1 and will be playing in a new city next year. Another nice autograph to add nonetheless.

Sheldon Souray TTM Success

2010-06-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 10/15/2009
Received: 06/28/2010
Days: 256
c/o:Edmonton Oilers

I got these post cards in a set at the Habs Store at the Bell Centre quite a few years back. I have been sort of trying to get them all signed at some point, so I guess it is a side project. I had sort of wrote this one off, so I was very happy to see it in the mail yesterday. I am not sure if Sheldon is going to stay in Edmonton for next year or not. I hope he does though. They have an amazing young team that could really turn things around in the city of Champions.

Dick Duff TTM Success

2010-06-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 06/16/2010
Received: 06/23/2010
Days: 7
c/o: Home

7 days turnaround for a NHL great. Its been a slow spot for me this month. It seems like I am probably not going to get many of my early season items returned. Dick played 18 season in the NHL with Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo, LA, and the New York Rangers. Its great that he included an extra photo, but he folded it to fit in the envelope.

Brian Gionta TTM Success

2010-06-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 03/22/2010
Received: 06/01/2010
Days: 71
c/o: The Montreal Canadiens

This is only the 2nd response I have had out of the Habs since Feb. 2009. I am very happy with this one though. Gionta was great for the Habs during their playoff run this year. He was injured for alot of the season, but he came through when it counted. I didn't have an autographed card of his prior to this, so its great to add these ones.

Landon Ferraro TTM Success

2010-05-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 03/24/2010
Received: 05/20/2010
Days: 57
c/o: The Red Deer Rebels

I mailed this one out just before the WHL season ended. The son of Ray Ferraro signed both cards in black sharpie. He is a Detroit Red Wings 2nd round pick in 2009 so he may be back in the WHL next year. Detroit has a knack for drafting really well and almost always have a rookie step up every year. So, who knows.

Alex Burrows TTM Success

2010-05-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 05/06/2010
Received: 05/20/2010
Days: 14
c/o: The Vancouver Canucks

What an amazing return!!! I mailed this to the Canucks when they were still in the playoffs against the Blackhawks. Burrows is one of those players that you either love or hate. I personally, think he is awesome! I wish he was on the Canadiens! Anyway, 14 days returned is pretty sweet.

Sami Salo TTM Success

2010-05-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 01/11/2010
Received: 05/19/2010
Days: 128
c/o: The Vancouver Canucks

I like Salo when he was with the Senators but I had never gotten his auto when he was there. Sami suffered a really gruesome injury in the playoffs this year. He was hit with a tipped slap shot right in the nether region. He must be feeling better. This is a great addition to my collection.

Chris Neil TTM Success

2010-05-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 03/10/2010
Received: 05/17/2010
Days: 68
c/o: The Ottawa Senators

I have never been able to get Chris Neil in person after Senators games. Along with Spezza, they are about the only guys I have never gotten. So, I mailed him these to cards. The Senators are still one of the best TTM teams in Canada. I am only waiting on Alex Kovalev from them this season. I don't expect to get that one back though.

Kelsey Tessier TTM Success

2010-05-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 04/27/2010
Received: 05/17/2010
Days: 20
c/o: The Moncton Wildcats

20 days for a future star with the Colorado Avalanche. The Wildcats won the QMJHL title this year and are currently playing in the Memorial Cup in Brandon, Manitoba. He personalized both cards too.

Toronto Sport Card Expo Spring 2010

2010-05-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

I try my best to take in the world's biggest hockey card showcase twice a year. I failed to make the fall expo which is usually the better of the 2. I didn't really find any huge deals up there this year. I took an 05-06 UD Bee Hive Auto of Sidney Crosby with me. I intended on trading it for something cool or some cash. I ended up trading it to a dealer for a Sidney Crosby autographed 8x10 and he gave me an extra $60. I thought that was a pretty sweet deal. I picked up some minor Carey Price cards while I was there as well.

Mason Raymond TTM Success

2010-05-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 03/10/2010
Received: 05/03/2010
Days: 54
c/o: TheVancouver Canucks

Great return from a great player. The Canucks are in the middle of an awesome playoff run. Hopefully they can keep it going against the high flying Chicago Blackhawks. Bobby Lu and the boys have been looking pretty good so far. Game 2 is tonight.

Ottawa Senators IP

2010-04-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

A friend's wife was offered 200 level private box tickets for Game 6 between the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins. She took them but had family in town for the weekend, so she gave me her ticket!!! Anyway, the suite was awesome. Right at centre ice in the 200 level. We thought we would try to hound the Penguins again. This turned up totally fruitless...again. The Penguins are absolutely ridiculous it seems. Their team security is insane and won't let anyone near them. So, we went to the Scotiabank Place and figured we would hound the Senators on their way out of the morning skate. Slowly, but surely the players came along. Alfredsson and Spezza did not stop though. Most of the rest of the team did though. We also waited after the game to see if Alfie and Spezza would stop. There had to be 50 people out there this time. I knew there was no way either of those guys would be stopping. I was right. Only a small handful of players stopped after the game. Here is what I got:

Pascal Leclaire signed 8x10.

Jesse Winchester, Brian Elliott and Zack Smith signed mini-helmet.

Matt Carkner, Jonathan Cheechoo, Zack Smith and Ryan Shannon.

Jared Cowan, Chris Campoli, Brian Elliott and Brian Lee.

Nick Foligno, Shean Donovan, Chris Phillips and Jesse Winchester.

Chris Campoli TTM Success

2010-04-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

Mailed: 01/29/2010
Received: 04/26/2010
Days: 87
c/o: The Ottawa Senators

I mailed 2 cards to Chris and just got them back. He signed them with a black sharpie that looks like it was running out of ink. Its funny that I got these today. I got him in person on the weekend as I was up for the Pens/Sens playoff game. More on that in the next post.