McGrattan & Ketterer

Linus Omark and Jyrki Lumme

I pulled this Omark myself from a cheap update set.  You are more likely to recognize Omark’s name for his youtube highlight reel goals he has scored in the minors.  He had a promising first year but has showed little progression since and if he does see more NHL action it will likely be outside of Edmonton.  Lumme played over 1000 NHL games, most with the Canucks in the 90s.  He was named the team’s top defenceman 4 times and was instrumental in the 94 Cup run to the finals. 

Steve Dubinsky and Rudy Poeschek

Dubinsky spent 10 years bouncing around the NHL and the minors with the Blackhawks, Flames, Predators and Blues.  Poeschek was a tough customer who fought his way into the NHL, amassing 23 fights in his first season alone with the 88/89 Rangers. 

Jay Miller and Brian McGrattan

This Jay Miller comes from Panini as it was a redemption.  At the time I redeemed it this was Miller’s only autograph but ITG has since released another hard signed autograph. See this site for just a glimse of some of his many NHL fights http://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2009/2/19/764285/the-big-bad-bruins-jay-mil.  McGrattan’s only certified autograph comes from this 5^th anniversary B’Sens set.  It has randomly inserted autographs with this being the rare red version, I would have preferred a regular version but even those are rarely seen.  If I had to pick a favourite from this mail post it would be the McGrattan.  He's played for the Sens, Bruins, Coyotes and most recently the Predators.  

Marshall Johnston and John Miszuk

The next bunch of autographs comes from the local card shop.  They bought a great collection of autographs from a hound during the early to mid 90s when there was an AHL team in town.  Because they all come from this collection I’m sure of their authenticity but when I buy signed cards I try and make sure the autograph is clearly visable.  Johnston, who served GM of the Ottawa Senators after retiring, played over 250 NHL games with the North Stars, Barons and Golden Seals.  John Miszuk’s rookie season was a 42 games year with the 63/64 Red Wings.  His next stint in the league was not until 65/66 and it was only a 2 game stint.  The expansion of 1967 allowed for Miszuk to finally find a full time roster spot and spent two years with the original Philadelphia Flyers.  He played one more season in the NHL with the North Stars and played 3 WHA seasons from 74- 77.

Vesa Viitakoski and Milan Tichy

Viitakoski played 23 games for the Flames through 3 season from 1993-96.  He was a great AHL player but not liked by Calgary head coach Dave King so returned to Europe.  Tichy split his own 23 game NHL career with the Blackhawks and Islanders.

Anders Myrvold and Vyacheslav Butsayev

Myrvold played 33 NHL games.  The first 4 came with the Cup winning 95/96 Avalanche team.  The next year he played a few games with the Bruins.  He saw a few more games with the Islanders and his last taste of the NHL was in 03/04 with the Red Wings.  Butsayev played 132 NHL games between the Flyers, Sharks, Mighty Ducks, Panther, Senators and Lightning. 

Milos Holan and Kevin Brown

Holan played 49 NHL games but it likely would have been a lot more had he not been diagnosed with leukemia 2 months into the 95/96 season while he was a full time Anaheim Mighty Duck.  Kevin Brown played about half of his 64 career NHL games with the LA kings and the other half between Hartford, Carolina and Edmonton. 

Jordan Krestanovich and Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre

From 2001-2004 Krestanovich played 22 games with the Colorado Avalanche.  Defenseman Grand-Pierre played most of three seasons with Columbus as well as a handful of games with Buffalo, Atlanta and Washington. 

Markus Ketterer

My scanner has a tendency to cut off the top of cards so this is a actually a full card.  Ketterer is an interesting case, during the 93/94 season he sat on the Buffalo Sabres bench for 27 games as Hasek’s backup.  During that span he didn’t see a single minute of NHL action and then never got another chance, so doesn’t go down in the record books as an NHL player even though he was part of the Buffalo team from November 27^th 1993 to February 2nd 1994.  This goes into my “backup only” binder. 

Gerry “Red” Ouellette and Tim Hrynewich

On to my own mail successes.  Gerry Ouellette played 34 games for the 1960/61 Boston Bruins.  Hrynewich dressed in 55 Penguins games through 2 seasons in the early 80s. 

Jim Morrison and Ray Hannigan

Morrison played over 700 NHL games through 20 years of pro hockey and then served as a Bruins scout for 18 years.  Hannigan played 3 games for the 48/49 Maple Leafs. 

Steve Maltais and Dan LaCouture

Maltais got his NHL debut with the 89/90 Washington Captials and would play 121 NHL games with the Caps, North Stars, Lightning, Red Wings and his last 26 with the 00/01 Blue Jackets.  He’s a more accomplished minor leaguer and was captain while the Chicago Wolves won 3 championships, they later retired his jersey and it hangs from their rafters.  LaCouture saw a couple season of full time NHL duty with both the Penguins and Rangers and then rounded out his 343 game career with the Oilers, Bruins, Devils and Hurricanes.

Ron Andruff and Bill Lesuk

Andruff played over 150 NHL games, mostly with the Rockies but a few with the Habs towards the end of his career.  He went on to be a very successful and distinguished businessman in New York.  Lesuk played a few games for the Stanley Cup winning 1970s Bruins but later went on to be a full time forward in the NHL and WHA for 10 years.  He played 49 games for the original Winnipeg Jets 79/80 NHL team.

Jean Lemieux and Claude Laforge

Lemieux split his 200+ NHL games with the Atlanta Flames and Washington Capitals.  Laforge played nearly 200 NHL games.  His first league action came in the Original 6 days with the Habs and Detroit.  His best season was in 67/68 while playing 63 games, netting 25 points, for the original Philadephial Flyers team. 

Dave Parro and Cliff Pennington

Parro spent a couple seasons in net for the less than stellar early 80s Capitals.  Pennington played three NHL seasons in the early 60s.  He played 4 games for the 60/61 Canadiens and then the rest of his 101 game career with the Bruins over the next two years.  

Herb Carnegie

Herb Carnegie and Angela James

While neither player appeared in an NHL game I am very happy to add them as they are both big names in terms of the history of our game.  Carnegie was considered good enough to play in the NHL but is said to have missed his chance due to the colour barrier of the period.  He just recently passed away and this is currently his only autograph card.  There is a actually a great story behind this very card that you can read here.  Angela James is a pioneer of women's hockey and was recently inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame.  Two great additions to my "oddball" autograph binder.  

Andy Chiodo and Jim Craig

Chiodo, once considered a top goaltending prospect, only mustered 8 NHL games, all in 03/04 with Pittsburgh.  This is his only signature card.  Even though Jim Craig only has 30 NHL games to his credit he is a household name for US hockey fans thanks to the job he did for the 1980 US "Miracle" Gold Medal Winning olympic team.  

Tod Sloan and Vic Hadfield

Sloan played well over 700 NHL games in the Original 6 era.  He won two Cups with Toronto and finished his career as a member of the Cup winning 1961 Blackhawks.  His autographs are rather hard to come by. Hadfield is a legendary New York Ranger who played in over 1000 games through 16 NHL seasons, his last three being with the Penguins.  

Marcel Bonin and Paul Holmgren

Bonin won 4 Stanley Cups in a career that lasted only 8 seasons.  Sports Flash autographs, from the early 90s, were inserted one per sealed set.  His only other autograph is in the Habs Centennial set.  Holmgren appeared in the 1981 NHL All-Star game and an additional 500+ NHL games but is best known as the gutsy Flyers General Manager.  His only other autograph is from the 04/05 Franchise series.  

Per Ledin and Matt Bartkowski

Ledin appeared in 3 games for the Colorado Avalanche at the very end of the 08/09 season.  His only autographs come from these hard to find Elitset autograph sets.  Bartkowski has played 9 games for the Bruins, 3 this year and 6 during their Cup winning season.  While he did not appear in their Stanley Cup run he was kept as an extra in case of injury and therefore got to raise the Cup and take part in the celebration.  

Paul Byron and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond

 As a rookie Byron appeared in 8 games for Buffalo in 2011.  He has since moved on to Calgary and has played in 22 games for the Flames.  Letourneau-Leblond is a tough customer who fought his way from the UHL all the way to the NHL, appearing in 37 contests for the Devils.  PL3 holds the distinction of having the longest NHL name ever.  

Cam Talbot, Wade Dubielewicz and Philippe Sauve

Cam Talbot currently sits in my backup only binder, yet to see time in net for the Rangers he served some time as backup in 2011.  Dubielewicz has seen time between the pipes for the Islanders, Blue Jackets and Wild but mostly occupied the backup job.  Son of NHL goalie Bob Sauve, Philippe played a little for Colorado, Calgary, Pheonix, and Boston.  

Adam Dennis and Tyler Plante

Both of these goalies fall into the backup only category.  Dennis first appeared on the bench in an NHL game for the 2006 Buffalo Sabres.  Tyler Plante has been called up to the Florida Panthers on a few occasions, never seeing any playing time but opening lots of doors.  

Steve Downie, Jeff Tambellini and Doug O'Brien

Downie recently joined his third NHL team, the Colorado Avalanche.  He is a rare player to can rack up penalty minutes and points.  Since his rookie year in 05/06 Tambellini has played well over 200 NHL games but never a full season in the big league, always bouncing back and forth with the AHL.  He has since left for Europe.  Defensemen Doug O'Brien played 5 games for the 05/06 Tampa Bay Lightning.  

Tim Brent and Jeff Woywitka

Brent is the answer to an interesting fact, he was drafted twice by the same team, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in both 2002 and 2004.  He played only 15 games for Anaheim, all in 06/07.  It wasn't until a breakout 2010/11 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs that Brent established himself as a full time NHLer.  Jeff Woywitka has seen almost 300 NHL games.  He is currently a member of the New York Rangers but has been a health scratch throughout their playoff run.

Yann Sauve, Stephane Da Costa and Patrick Wiercioch

Defenseman Yann Sauve dressed for 5 games with the 10/11 Canucks.  Born in France, Da Costa became only the sixth player from the country to play in the NHL.  Patrick Wiercioch scored 2 points in his 8 game NHL stint with the 2010/11 Ottawa Senators.  

Phil Russell, Ben Eager and Tony Tanti

Russell, who played over 1000 NHL games through the 1970s and 80s, gets his first autographs in ITG's Enforcers.  He put up over 400 points and 2000 penalty minutes in his career.  Tony Tanti split his last three NHL seasons between Buffalo and Pittsburgh but is best remembered as Vancouver Canucks.  He was one of the teams best players through the 80s, putting up 3 40+ goal seasons and two with 39.  Since breaking into the league in 05/06 Ben Eager has established himself as solid NHL player, suiting up for the Flyers, Blackhawks, Thrashers, Sharks and Oilers. He was a member of the 2010 Blackhawks Stanley Cup winning team.  

Peter Maher

I'll end this mail post the same way I started it, with "oddball" autograph.  Maher, who never played any pro hockey, has been calling Flames hockey since 1980.