Nicklas Lidstrom

Fan letter sent December 18, 2010.

3/3 autographed cards received November 18, 2011.

I haven't really had a chance to put these latest TTM autograph acquisitions up yet until now, but I'll have to check with my other Lidstrom autograph to see if these match.  It took exactly 11 months to get these back from Detroit.

Chad LaRose

Currently with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Acquired in-person October 26, 2011.

Not much of a fan of LaRose myself, but he does try hard on the ice...it's just that he doesn't have much of a brain for hockey and takes some pretty dumb penalties at times...to the amazement of only himself.  Don't you wish that every player had an autograph like "The Rocket"?

Tomas Kaberle

Currently with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Acquired in-person October 26, 2011.

Tomas Kaberle, brother of former Hurricane Frantisek Kaberle, has been mostly a disappointment for teams the last couple of years.  He has currently has no goals, two assists and has a minus-four rating so far, and Canes Country has already talked about him being a target among fans for demands to trade him.  However, only being nine games in and the Hurricanes not being completely out of the playoff race this early on, I don't see Jim Rutherford making any attempts right now to get rid of him (I'd personally rather JR gotten his head out of his ass and never re-signed Pitkanen, but that's just my opinion).

Zac Dalpe

Acquired in-person October 26, 2011.

Splitting time between the Charlotte Checkers and Carolina Hurricanes.

Another autograph acquired at the Season Ticket Holder autograph session that I was able to sneak into with a season ticket holder friend's passes.  I'll have to look, but I thought that The Hockey News had Dalpe on the list of top prospects in the Hurricanes organization, maybe even the list of top overall prospects in the NHL, but I'm not sure...all I know is that there were several from the Hurricanes, but I think that the Kings had the most top prospects, led by Brayden Schenn (now with the Philadelphia Flyers organization).

Another JM autograph...Jamie McBain that is.

Currently with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Acquired in-person October 26, 2011.

Some Hurricanes fans (specifically the guys from Canes Country), thought that McBain, who garnered 10 points in 14 games in his first taste of NHL service, would be a candidate for the Calder Trophy in his first full NHL season.  Although he did notch seven goals and 23 assists in 76 NHL games in 2010-11, his minus-eight rating didn't let him come close to being nominated.  Of course, then again, he would have had to put up Jeff Skinner numbers in points and be about a plus-five at worst in order to beat out his teammate (Okay, not 60 points...maybe 40).

Jiri Tlusty

Currently with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Acquired in-person October 26, 2011.

One would think that a former 13th overall pick from the 2006 NHL Entry Draft would be doing just fine now in the NHL...until you remember that it was Jiri Tlusty who was drafted 13th overall in 2006.  Maybe I should stop bashing some of these players...well...nah.  His signature borders on Cam Ward sloppiness.

Jeff Skinner

Acquired in-person October 26, 2011.

The top rookie from last season already has four goals and six assists in nine games so far this season and has made many already think that there will not be a sophomore slump for the 19-year old forward drafted seventh overall in 2010.  Let's hope that he never gets a Heatley smile.

Jay Harrison

Currently with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Acquired in-person October 26, 2011.

Jonathan Toews

Fan letter sent May 18, 2011.

3/3 Autographed cards received October 8, 2011.

Another great return from a Blackhawk (Marty Turco being the other)!!!  Despite notching zero goals and three assists in the 2010 Cup Final, Chicago's captain (the youngest to be named captain by a team in NHL history and the youngest to captain a Stanley Cup Champion) was still instrumental to ending the Blackhawks 49-year Cup drought, having led all players in points with 29 in the 2010 Playoffs.  He also notched a career-high 76 points and a plus-25 in 80 games played in the 2010-11 NHL Season.  The only problem I have is that I can only barely make out the "J" and "T" in his signature, although the "19" is legible...but I've seen worse.

Cam Ward Autographed Photo

Currently with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Acquired through the Carolina Hurricanes gift incentive program.

Kind of got lucky as I didn't know for several months who I got with my points from getting two 26-game plan season tickets with the Carolina Hurricanes. If you can't tell already I live fairly near Raleigh, NC, so a lot of my autographs will obviously be of Hurricanes players. I was really hoping for a Jeff Skinner autographed 8x10 photo, but Cam is my favorite player so I'm pretty pleased, although as Sal said, Ward's autograph really is sloppy.

Johnny Bower

Retired player.  Elected to Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.

Purchased September 18, 2011.

This one I have some questions about.  It just doesn't quite look like some of his other autographs that I looked at online.  Can anyone tell if this is his signature or not?  I think I spent like $18 for all three cards that I got today, so no big deal if it isn't real.

Bobby Hull

Retired player.  Elected to Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

Purchased September 18, 2011.

Having played 24 seasons in the NHL and WHA, Bobby Hull's numbers are staggering.  610 goals and 560 assists in the NHL; 303 goals and 335 assists in the WHA.  One Stanley Cup.  You just never know when or if you will ever win a Stanley Cup (or another one having won his only Cup in his fourth NHL season).  Anyway, I was looking through the collection of autographed cards and this was one that stood out to me; another fairly cheap addition to my autograph collection.

Ed Belfour

Retired player.

Purchased at a Carolina Hurricanes preseason practice, September 18, 2011.

After winning the Vezina, Calder and Jennings Trophies in the same year (1990-91), Belfour went on to win 484 regular season and 88 postseason NHL games, winning the 1999 Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars.  Autographed card serial numbered 0546/1500.

Jaromir Jagr Second Attempt Success

Currently with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Fan letter sent May 17, 2011.

2/2 Autographed cards received September 17, 2011.

I had written to Jagr a few months prior to sending out this letter and got it returned to me unopened from some sports agent in California.  Well, I scoured through the Internet fan success posts on a few forums and found his team in the Czech Republic (this being before he signed with the Flyers).  So lo and behold less than a month before the season starts I receive a letter today with my name on it, albeit not in my handwriting and not my envelope that I had sent with the letter, a turnaround time of about four months from the Czech Republic, my first success overseas (woohoo!!!).  Both cards signed by Jagr.  Another 500+ goal scorer to add to my growing list of autographs!!!

Matt Duchene

Fan letter sent December 18, 2010.
1/1 autographed card received September 8, 2011.

Approx. nine-month turnaround for the Third Overall selection in 2009.  Duchene has already proven that he belongs in the NHL, improving 12 points from his rookie season in his sophomore campaign.  You hate to see a team like the Av's stumble the very next year after clinching a playoff spot and making everyone in the NHL think that the former stud of a franchise was on the rebound, but it happens to the best of them I guess.  Didn't really keep up with the Av's last year.  Letter and card sent to the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO.

Keith Tkachuk

Retired 500-Goal Scorer.

Fan letter sent May 18, 2011.

3/3 autographed cards received August 9, 2011.

Tkachuk retired after the 2009-10 NHL season with 538 goals and 1,065 points in 1,201 games played.  He started out with the Jets/Coyotes organization before being traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2001 and although he played for the Atlanta Thrashers for 18 regular season and four post-season games in 2007, he went back to the Blues the very next season and ended his career in St. Louis.  Letter and cards were sent to his home address.  I only have autographs of five of the 41 500-goal scorers now (Gretzky, Messier, Richard, Sakic, and now Tkachuk) but I'm hoping to add to that collection in the near future (I have letters out to Jaromir Jagr, Mats Sundin, and Mark Recchi so far with no response as of yet; Jagr I believe is my second try, this time to a different address than the first).

Johan Franzen

 

 

Fan letter sent February 23, 2011.
4/3 autographed cards received June 10, 2011.

Somehow one of Franzen's cards came back as doubles, so if anyone wants a player who has had a four-goal and a five-goal game, tell who you're willing to trade for him, autographed that is.  Kind of interesting since I only sent three cards.  Anyway...Don't worry, I won't ask for too much.

Henrik Zetterberg UD Game Jersey

Currently with the Detroit Red Wings.

Insert acquired May 31, 2011.

The 30-year old Swedish born Zetterberg has averaged almost a point-per-game in his 586 career NHL regular season games.  Yet another late-round pick-up that the Wings brought to the NHL.

Tomas Vokoun UD Game Jersey

Currently with the Florida Panthers.
Insert acquired May 31, 2011.

Czech Republic native Tomas Vokoun was a ninth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, but has spent most of his career with the Nashville Predators, even though he has played for the Florida Panthers the last four seasons.

Ray Emery UD Game Jersey

Currently with the Anaheim Ducks.

Insert acquired in the same 2010-11 Upper Deck Series 1 box.

Of course after I typed the comment about my first Game Jersey card in the previous post, I saw he did okay in the 10 regular season games he played after Jonas Hiller got injured.

Emery still sucks in my mind.

Francis Bouillon UD Game Jersey

Insert acquired in box of 2010-11 Upper Deck Series 1 cards on May 26, 2011.

Currently with the Nashville Predators.

I kinda sorta really wish I had gotten someone else; then again, I guess I should be thankful for what I got when I saw the next Game Jersey card that I got in the same box (then again, maybe not).

Jamie Langenbrunner

Currently with the Dallas Stars.

Fan letter sent February 28, 2011.

3/3 autographed cards received May 25, 2011.

I sent these cards after Langenbrunner had been traded back to the team that he started his career with before the trade deadline in 2011, the Dallas Stars.  He actually spent parts of eight seasons with Dallas before being traded to New Jersey in the 2001-02 Season, which I hadn't read up on before I sent the letter to him (I didn't mention anything about spending his whole career with New Jersey, thank God).  Anyway, the autographs seemed to stick okay to the cards despite not rubbing them with a white eraser.

FAILURE-Jaromir Jagr

I tried sending former NHLer Jaromir Jagr a fan letter and some cards but got my letter returned to me three weeks later.  Any help with a current address that would help track him down would be appreciated.  Please, no stalkers.

Marty Turco

Currently with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Fan letter sent December 1, 2010.

3/3 autographed cards received May 13, 2011.

Turco was signed by the Blackhawks as a replacement for Antti Niemi, whom they let go after he was awarded a salary in arbitration that would have put them over the salary cap.  Interestingly enough, it was Corey Crawford who stepped in for the Blackhawks as more of a go-to-guy and won 33 of 57 appearances, helping the 'Hawks clinch the eighth seed in the Western Conference.  5 1/2 months turn-around time for a guy who will most likely play only one season for the 'Hawks.

Curtis Joseph

Fan letter sent March 7, 2011.

2/2 autographed cards received May 13, 2011.

Although he never spent more than six seasons with one team, Joseph was able to make his mark in the NHL with 454 career victories, putting him fourth all-time currently behind Ed Belfour, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur, and should be one of the top candidates to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame beginning with the 2012 Hockey Hall of Fame inductions, if I have calculated it correctly.  I really hate that I only had Coyotes hockey cards and none of his cards from his days with the Blues, Oilers or Maple Leafs.  Maybe I'll purchase some cheap hockey cards from before the lockout next and hope that I can get some of his older cards the next time I shop on eBay.

Dustin Tokarski Rookie Materials Card

Currently withe the Norfolk Admirals (AHL).

Insert acquired March 22, 2011.

Yet another Rookie Materials card that I got from a pack in a different 2010-11 Upper Deck Series 2 box.  Tokarski was drafted in the Fifth Round, 122nd overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.  In 38 games with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals this year, Dustin is 19-15-4 with a .910 Save Percentage and a 2.41 Goals Against.  He has played in two NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning where he allowed 3 goals on 16 shots in 44 minutes of playing time, all in the 2009-10 NHL Season.

Daniel Briere TTM Success

Fan letter sent February 23, 2011.

3/3 Autographed cards received March 9, 2011.

Currently with the Philadelphia Flyers.

It took a mere two weeks to get these cards back from Philly, and all my cards seem to come back on bad days, so it's something to brighten the day up.  Even though I hate Philadelphia deep down, how can one not cheer for the veteran Briere and the rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (I know, there are a lot of reasons to not cheer for them)?  I really should use a fine art eraser on a lot of these cards, but I think that I'm just too lazy to do it (other than the fact that I don't have one).  Anyway, I have another Briere autograph here.

Mark Messier

Acquired through NHL Auctions.

I believe that this is the last autograph that I got through my excessive spending spree on NHL Auctions and it shows Mark Messier hoisting the Stanley Cup above his head in Edmonton during his Oilers' retirement ceremony.  I left it out of a frame for a while and therefore the photo is a little bent, but a pretty cool autographed photo, nonetheless.

Tyler Seguin Rookie Materials card

Insert card acquired March 3, 2011.

I got this pretty cool jersey card of Second Overall pick in 2010 Tyler Seguin from a box of hockey cards that I bought at Wal-Mart of all places (I mean, I live in NC and I only know a few people in my small town of about 7,000 who like hockey).  The stated odds were like 1:480 packs or something, so a pretty cool find to say the least (it might have been 1:240, but anyway).  The piece of jersey is from a rookie photo shoot (sorry Leafs fans).

Update on autograph collecting.

Just to let the people who are following the blog know, I have only been doing this a couple of months now.  I haven't really had a lot of time recently to write letters and haven't sent one out in a month and a half.  I'll update this blog once I get some more ideas for articles and/or some autographed cards back.  Now, that I think of it, I do have some junk that I won from puckjunk.com, which by the way is another website that I follow besides salshockeyautographs.com, both run by Sal.