Autograph #3000 and Thanking Prime Minister Chretien

With 48 new NHL autographs acquired since my last post the grand total of unique signatures now stands at 3,043.

Johan Harju and Ted Nolan

Johan Harju came to North America for the 2010/11 season.   He scored 52 points in the AHL but was unable to replicate that success in his 10 NHL games.  This SHL autograph is his only certified autograph.  

Ted Nolan will be remembered as a Jack Adams award winning coach because his NHL career was rather unremarkable.  He played 78 games between the Red Wings and Penguins.  His son Jordan recently won a Stanley Cup with the LA Kins.  This Motown Madness autograph is his first certified autograph card.  

Scott Barney and Ryan Bonni

These are my two personal favourite cards of the post.  Bowman CHL autographs are rather difficult to locate.  For both players their only certified autographs were in this set.  Scott Barney played 27 games between the LA Kings and Atlanta Thrashers.  He scored 5 goals and 11 points for the Kings in 03/04.  

Ryan Bonni played 3 games for the 1999/2000 Vancouver Canucks. 

Jeremy Yablonski and Ivan Baranka

You can't call Jeremy Yablonski anything but a goon.  The right winger hasn't scored a goal in years and was recently suspended for an entire season by the KHL.  He played 1 game in the NHL, for the 2003/04 St. Louis Blues.  He got his name on the scoresheet from a fight with Todd Fedoruk.  

Ivan Baranka is a point per game player in the NHL, that is he recorded an assist in his only game.  It came with the 2007/08 New York Rangers. 

Mattias Ekholm and Joel Lundqvist

Since 2011/12 Mattias Ekholm has played 3 games for the Nashville Predators.  After waiting long enough to conclude that Ekholm is unlikely to get an NHL issued autograph, I decided to pick up this SHL Elitset autograph.  

Brother of King Henrik, Joel Lundqvist played a total of 150+ NHL games for the Dallas Stars between 2006 and 2009.  He has won a couple World Championship gold medals with Team Sweden. Like Ekholm, he was never included in an NHL issued autograph set.  

Rickard Wallin

Swedish centerman Rickard Wallin played 19 games for the Minnesota Wild between 2002 and 2004.  He fled to Europe then to returned in 2009 to play 60 games for the 09/10 Toronto Maple Leafs.  He has 8 career NHL goals.  He never received an NHL issued autograph.  

Brian Hayward and Corrado Micalef

Between 1986 and 1989 Brian Hayward shared 3 consecutive William Jennings trophy wins with his Habs partner Patrick Roy.  He also played with the Jets, North Stars and Sharks.  He was one of San Jose's original goalies, playing for their inaugural 91/92 squad.  His time in San Jose is notable because he wore one of the best masks in NHL history.  

Through the 1980s Corrado Micalef played over 100 games for the Detroit Red Wings. He was just recently awarded his first certified autograph by ITG, who can really dig up some obscure players.  

Gilles Gilbert and Manny Legace

Gilles Gilbert dressed in well over 400 NHL games.  He's best remembered as the Bruins #1 netminder for most of the 1970s.  He also played for the North Stars and Red Wings. 

Many Legace spent a decade in the NHL, playing just under 400 games.  He's best remembered as Detroit's backup goalie, winning the Stanley Cup in 2002.  He was an NHL All-Star in 2008 as the St. Louis Blue's starting goalie. 

Johan Holmqvist and Matin Gerber

This Johan Holmqvist Between the Pipes autograph is notable for being his only certified autograph.  Holmqvist played a couple games for the Rangers in the early 2000s and then returned to the league in 2006 as a starting goalie for the Lightning.  He's played 100+ NHL games between the Rangers, Lightning and Stars.

Swiss goalie Martin Gerber has played for the Mighty Ducks, Hurricanes, Senators, Maple Leafs and Oilers.  He won the 2006 Stanley Cup as a Hurricane. He was their primary goalie through the regular season but lost his job in the playoffs to Cam Ward.

Roman Wick and Anders Nilsson

12/13 Fleer Retro was little more than a giant sticker dump for Panini, good for me but I feel sorry for anyone who busted it.  Roman Wick has been in Switzerland for the past couple seasons.  He played 7 games for the 2010/11 Ottawa Senators, recording no points.  

So far Swedish goalie Anders Nilsson has played 4 games for the New York Islanders.  

Dalton Prout and Alex Plante

Since 2011 defenseman Dalton Prout has played 33 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets.  

Chosen 15th overall by the Oilers in 2007, defenseman Alex Plante played 10 games with the Oilers between 2009 and 2012.  His father Cam and brother Tyler have also played in the NHL.

Michel Ouellet and Jeff Schultz

Michel Ouellet played just under 200 career NHL games.  He split most of his career between the Penguins and Lightning but also dressed for the Canucks.  He scored over 50 NHL goals and 100+ points in his brief career. 

Since 2006 Jeff Schultz has been a staple on the Capitals blueline, playing 400+ NHL games.

Mark Giordano and Loui Eriksson

Mark Giordano slowly developed into Calgary's premier defenseman.  He's played nearly 400 games for the team, scoring 150 points.

Swedish sniper Loui Eriksson has scored 20+ goals in 4 different NHL seasons.  A 2011 NHL All-Star, his best output in a year was a 36 goal outburst for the 2008/09 Dallas Stars. 

Jakub Klepis and Matt Henricks

Between 2005 and 2007 Czech native Jakub Klepis played 66 games for the Washington Capitals.  The center scored 4 goals and recorded 14 points.  He was originally a first round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2002.  

Gritty fourth liner Matt Hendricks has managed to play nearly 300 NHL games between the Avalanche and Capitals since 2008.  He is a college grad who was originally drafted by the Predators in 2000.  

Justin Williams

Justin Williams played a key role in both of his Stanley Cup wins.  He won the league's top prize with the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes and 2012 Los Angeles Kings.  

Randy Robitaille and Glen Metropolit

Journeyman Randy Robitaille saw 500+ games of NHL action between the Bruins, Predators, Kings, Penguins, Islanders, Thrashers, Wild, Flyers and Senators.  

Glen Metropolit played 400+ NHL games while dressing for the Capitals, Lightning, Thrashers, Bruins, Blues, Flyers and Canadiens.  

Dody Wood and Yves Sarault

Throughout the 1990s Dody Wood saw 100+ games of NHL action with the San Jose Sharks.  He was a tough customer who racked up nearly 500 NHL penalty minutes over that span.  

Between 1994 and 2002 left winger Yves Sarault played 100+ NHL games.  He dressed for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, Atlanta Thrashers and Nashville Predators.  

Tomas Kaberle Andre Roy

Tomas Kaberle was one of the Leafs best defensemen for a dozen seasons.  He was traded to the Bruins in 2011 and the result was getting his name on the Stanley Cup.  After leaving Boston he has played for the Hurricanes and Canadiens but his effectiveness has dwindled. 

Between 1995 and 2009 gritty left winger Andre Roy saw 500+ games in the NHL.  He won a Stanley Cup with the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning.  

Clarke Wilm and Sami Kapanen

Between 1998 and 2006 Clarke Wilm played 460 NHL games.  He played for the Flames, Predators and Maple Leafs.  

Finn Sami Kapanen played 900+ NHL games.  As a Carolina Hurricane he scored 20+ goals in a season 5 separate times.  He later played a number of years for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Danny Lorenz and Louis Levasseur

Danny Lorenz guarded the New York Islander's net 8 times during the early 1990s.  

Goalie Louis Levasseur appeared in 1 NHL game, for the 1979/80 Minnesota North Stars.  He's more notable for spending a few seasons in the WHA.  

Germain Gagnon and Dennis Olson

Left winger Germain Gagnon finished third in scoring for the inaugural 1972/73 New York Islanders.  He dressed for the Isles, Habs, Hawks and Scouts throughout his 250+ NHL game career. 

Dennis Olson dressed in 4 NHL games for the 1957/58 Detroit Red Wings. 

J.P. Bordeleau and Tom Roulston

Through the 1970s J.P. Bordeleau played 500+ NHL games, all for the Chicago Blackhawks.

In the 1980s Tom Roulston played 200+ NHL games between the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins.  

Ed Hospodar and Pierre Rioux

Ed "Boxcar" Hospodar was a tough customer who retired from the NHL in 1988 with nearly 1500 penalty minutes in just under 500 games.  He played for the Rangers, Whalers, Flyers, North Stars and Sabres. 

Pierre Rioux played 14 games with the 1982/83 Calgary Flames.  He scored a goal and 2 assists.  

Mike Pelyk and Marty Dallman

Making his NHL debut in 1967, Mike Pelyk played 400+ games for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  He was lured to the WHA with a hefty contract offer by the Vancouver Blazers in 1974.

Marty Dallman saw 6 games of NHL action with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the late 1980s.  

Rob Cowie and Mario Thyer

Between 1994 and 1996 Rob Cowie dressed in 78 games for the Los Angeles Kings.  He's currently a scout for the Maple Leafs.

Center Mario Thyer played 5 games for the 1989/90 Minnesota North Stars. 

Ryan Mulhern and Ed Lee

The index card I had sent to Ryan Mulhern was made with a picture I had taken from Getty Images.  Turns out it was wrongly tagged and was actually Jan Benda.  He explained this is in his response but signed the card anyway.  I found a picture of the one and only Mulhern and then doctored it into a new card, one with a correct image.  He played 3 games for the 1997/98 Washington Capitals.

Ed Lee quickly responded to my autograph request with a nice letter and this autograph but for some unexplained reason he didn't sign my custom index card.  I later checked the image and it was surely him.  I may doctor this autograph into a matching index later but will keep it as is for now.  He played 2 games for the 1984/85 Quebec Nordiques.

  

As usual I have a few other hockey autographs to end the post.  These go in a number of sub collections I have and don't count towards the grand total.  

Paul Maurice

Paul Maurice holds the distinction of being the youngest NHL coach to reach 1000 games behind the bench.  He coached the NHL's Whalers, Hurricanes and Maple Leafs.  He has a beautiful looking signature.  This KHL release featured a number of coaches, something I wish we saw more often with NHL releases.  I find there to be a solid market for coach autographs.   

Jonathan Davis

These "Fans of the Game" cards occupy a very low priority on my large wantlist.   After watching this card slowly drop in value I decided it was time to grad one for a few bucks.  Jonathan Davis is best known as the leading singer for the band Korn.  Apparently he's a fan of the Anaheim Ducks.  

Stephanie Boyd and Melinda Dillon

Female hockey player Stephanie Boyd was a member of Team USA's national team from 1993-1995. 

Melinda Dillon's autograph marks the 18th autograph I have obtained from a member of the SlapShot cast with a 19th on the way.  Its my favourite hockey related movie.  

Jean Chretien

This was by far the biggest surprise from my recent mail.  I had sent this out 3-4 years ago and marked it failed.  He's the 20th Prime Minister of Canada, leading the country between 1993 and 2003.