Wednesday, January 22, 2014

First Mail Post of 2014: Passing 3,600 Signatures

With 59 new NHL signatures added since the last post my collection now stands at 3,612 unique player autographs.  My goal for this year is to reach 4,000 before 2014 is over. 

Stay tuned for more A Year In Autographs posts as I scan and organize the collection.  I should also note that I'll update those posts after each mail post with all the new signatures. 


Glen Sather
This card has been at the near top of my wantlist for a long time.  It's Glen Sather's only certified autograph, from 2001/02 Topps Archives.  I found this one on Check Out My Cards and bought it with a best offer.  COMC has long overtaken ebay as my #1 spot to buy certified autographs.  You really can't beat the $3 flat shipping.  Sather spent a decade in the NHL as a player but is best remembered as an Edmonton Oilers coach and GM.  With the Oilers he has his name on the Stanley Cup five times.  He's been the General Manager of the New York Rangers since 2000.

Alexei Kasatonov
It seems that the demand for these USSR autographs have gone up significantly since they were released.  Russians like Alexei Kasatonov hold and important place in hockey history yet have very few signatures on the market.  With the USSR Kasatonov won an Olympic silver medal in 1980 and gold in 1984 and 1988.  Kasatonov was one of the first Russians to make the jump to the NHL.  A one time NHL All-Star, Kasatonov played for the Devils, Mighty Ducks, Blues and Bruins.

Darryl Sittler
Darryl Sittler is widely regarded as one of the greatest Maple Leafs in team history.  He retired having played over 1000 NHL games and having scored well over 1000 career points.  He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.  He may be most notable for his record setting 10 point night in 1976.  Even though they feature hard signed autographs these BeeHive Sigature Scrapbook autographs sell extremely low, which is great for me.  

Rod Seiling 
Defenseman Rod Seiling played over 1000 games in the NHL between 1962 and 1979.  An NHL All-Star, Seiling's most notable career accomplishment is being a member of the 1972 Summit Series.  He played in 3 games for Team Canada through the series.

Serge Savard
Serge Savard is a Hockey Hall of Famer, 4 time NHL All-Star and Conn Smythe Trophy winner.  A one time Candiens captain, he retired in 1983 with over 1000 NHL games played.  With the Montreal Canadiens he claimed the Stanley Cup 8 times a player and 2 more times as GM, a position he held from 1983-1995.

Peter Forsberg
The next three cards came via ebay for the extra reasonable price of $10 each.  They were listed with bad pictures and a rather high starting bid of 10 bucks that I'm sure scared away some bidders.  I'm a happy buyer on this one as they were some of the most prolific players of my childhood. Peter Forsberg's career achievements are vast.  He was on 2 Stanley Cup championships, 2 Olympic Gold medal winning teams with Sweden and won the 2003 Hart Trophy as NHL regular season MVP.

Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros was one of the most popular hockey players of the 1990s.  He was a an 8 time NHL All-Star, 1995 Hart Trophy winner and 2002 Olympic Gold medalist with Team Canada.

Paul Kariya
Paul Kariya retired in 2010 with 989 points in 989 regular season games.  In 1993 he became the first college freshman ever to win the Hobey Baker Award, he was then drafted 4th overall by the Ducks in 1994.  Paul Kariya won the Lester Pearson trophy twice and was on numerous NHL All-Star teams.  He helped Team Canada win Olympic Gold in 2002.

Jack O'Callahan
Jack O'Callahan will best be remembered for his part in team USA's 1980 miracle Gold medal victory. He later became a quality NHL player and dressed in well over 400 NHL regular season and playoff games.  He played for the Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils.

Mikhail Yakubov
Russian center Mikhail Yakubov was selected 10th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2000.  He only spent a couple seasons in the NHL, playing 53 games between the Hawks and Panthers. He has been playing in Russian since 2006.

Blair Betts
Some of these Bowman CHL autographs are tricky to find, I've had this card on my wantlist for a while.  It is Blair Betts' only certified autograph card.  Between 2001 and 2011 he played 500+ NHL games between the Flames, Rangers and Flyers.

Marc-Andre Fleury
My only criteria for getting Marc-Andre Fleury's autograph was to have him pictured with that wonderfully yellow equipment.  Fleury has a long resume, most notably he was chosen first overall in 2003, won a Stanley Cup in 2009 and was a member of Team Canada's 2010 gold medal Olympic team.

Mike Smith 
Mike Smith made his NHL debut with the 2006/2007 Dallas Stars.  He later played with the Lightning but emerged as a star goalie with the Phoenix Coyotes.  He was recently named to the 2014 Team Canada Olympic squad.

Michael Garnett
Michael Garnett played in 24 games for the 2005/2006 Atlanta Thrashers. He's been in the KHL since 2008 and has been an All-Star in the league 3 times. 

Scott Thomas
A hard to find Classic autograph, Scott Thomas played 75 total NHL games between 1992 and 2001.  He played for the Sabres between 1992 and 1994 and then returned to the NHL in 2000 to play a year with Los Angeles.

Sylvain Cloutier
Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1992, Sylvain Cloutier is still playing pro hockey in England.  His only stint in the NHL came with the 1998/1999 Chicago Blackhawks, he played 7 games for the club.  I do not know how limited these Classic autographs are, its certified on the back, but I haven't seen many surface.

Frederic St. Denis
I avoid The Cup autographs when I can.  Not only can they be pricey but they are hard to store with the rest of my collection.  With St. Denis I had little choice because this is his only certified signature.  The undrafted Quebec born defenseman played 17 games for the 2011/2012 Montreal Canadiens. 

Ryan Suter
Drafted 7th overall by Nashville in 2003, Ryan Suter has turned into one of the league's best d-men since making his debut in 2005.  Suter was an alternate captain for the silver medal winning 2010 Team USA Olympic team.  He made headlines in 2012 when he signed a $98 million contract with the Minnesota Wild.

Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf is one of the NHL's most talented players.  An NHL All-Star, he won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007 and an Olympic Gold medal with Team Canada in 2010.

Matt Watkins
Originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2005, Matt Watkins played 1 game for the 2011/2012 Phoenix Coyotes.  I'm a fan of these Prizm cards, I think they look great in hand.

Brett Connolly
Drafted 6th overall in 2010, Brett Connolly is a good example of how much your stock can fall when you don't become a superstar right away and play in Florida.  He still has good potential but has only 6 goals in 84 games with the club so far.  His hobby value, however, has hit rock bottom, which is about the time when I swoop in and buy a signature.

Magnus Paajarvi
Drafted 10th overall by the Oilers in 2009, Paajarvi was once one of the league's top prospects.  He was commonly associated with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle as the team's saviors.  Paajarvi, now with St. Louis, was the bust of the 3 and is still trying to find his game at the NHL level.  His cards once demanded big money but I added this autograph for just a couple bucks. 

Alex Goligoski
Alex Goligoski is a talented defenseman who helped the Pittsburgh Penguins claim the Stanley Cup in 2009.  

Patrice Cormier
Patrice Cormier has played 40+ NHL games since making his debut with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010.  He won a Gold and Silver medal representing Team Canada at the World Junior Championships between 2009 and 2010.

Mike Connolly
Now playing in Europe, Mike Connolly suited up in 2 NHL games.  He briefly played for the 2011/2012 Colorado Avalanche.

Riley Sheahan
A first round pick by the Red Wings in 2010, Riley Sheahan has played a handful of games with the team so far.  He made headlines in 2012 for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested for drunk driving on the wrong side of the road.  He was way over the legal limit, was dressed in a Tellytubby costume and was carrying an illegal ID.

Fedor Tyutin
A two time Olympian with Team Russia, Fedor Tyutin has played nearly 700 NHL games since 2003. He has split his career between the Rangers and Blue Jackets.  He has very few autographs for someone who's played so long in the NHL.

Jeremy Welsh
An undrafted college player, Jeremy Welsh has played 25 NHL games between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vancouver Canucks since 2012. 

Reilly Smith
Originally a Dallas Star, Reilly Smith was traded to the Boston Bruins in the Tyler Seguin trade.  He has been a major surprise and big contributor for the Bruins this season.  His brother, Brendan, plays for the Detroit Red Wings.

Mikhail Grabovski
Russian forward Mikhail Grabovski has played 400+ NHL games between the Canadiens, Maple Leafs and Capitals.

Jeff Penner
Jeff Penner played 2 games for the 2009/2010 Boston Bruins.

Bryan Little
Drafted 12th overall in 2006, Bryan Little has played 450+ games for the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets since 2007.  He scored 31 goals for the Thrashers in 2008/09. 

Michael Del Zotto
Chosen 20th overall by the Rangers in the 2008 NHL draft, Del Zotto had developed into a quality defenseman who has already played 300+ games for New York.

Kurt Sauer
Between 2002 and 2010 Kurt Sauer played a grand total of 400 NHL games between the Mighty Ducks, Avalanche and Coyotes. His brother Michael also played in the NHL and his other brother Craig played in the NFL.

Nick Petrecki
A 2007 first round draft pick by the Sharks, Nick Petrecki played 1 game for the team in 2012/2013.


Andrew Gordon
Since 2008 Andrew Gordon has played 55 games in the NHL, scoring 3 goals and 7 points.  He has played for the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks and Vancouver Canucks. 

Martin Strbak
Slovakian defenseman Martin Strbak spent one year in North America.  He played 49 NHL games between the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins in 2003/2004.

Dan Hinote
Dan Hinote was the first player ever to be drafted into the NHL while playing at the West Point US Military Academy.  He changed his career path and played over 500 NHL games between the Avalanche and St. Louis Blues.  He won a Stanley Cup with the 2001 Colorado Avalanche.  He's currently an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Kyle Brodziak
There are very few modern day NHL players who appear in over 500 games and don't get a certified autograph.  Kyle Brodziak is one of those few.  Even though he hasn't seen the AHL since 2007, holding a full time NHL spot since then, he has never been issued a cert.  

Matt Underhill
A Cornell alumni, Matt Underhill played 1 game for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2003/2004 season.

Darren Eliot
A Cornell grad, Darren Eliot played 90 NHL games between 1984 and 1989. He guarded net for the Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres.  You may recognize his name as he's now a television analyst/broadcaster. 

Steve Bancroft
Steve Bancroft played 6 career NHL games.  His first game came with the 1992/1993 Chicago Blackhawks. The next five came nearly a decade later, with the 2001/2002 San Jose Sharks. 

Ed Cristofoli
Ed Cristofoli recorded 1 assist in 9 career games with the 1989/1990 Montreal Canadiens.

Andy Rymsha
A Western Michigan University grad, Andy Rymsha played 6 games for the 1991/1992 Quebec Nordiques.  

Kevin Dahl
Between 1992 and 2001 Kevin Dahl dressed in 200+ regular season and playoff games.  He played for the Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Mike Vellucci
Blueliner Mike Vellucci played 2 games for the 1987/1988 Hartford Whalers.  He's currently the head coach and GM of the OHL's Plymouth Whalers.

Rod Schutt
Between 1977 and 1986 Rod Schutt played 300+ regular season and playoff games in the NHL.  He spent the majority of his career in Pittsburgh but also spent time with the Canadiens and Maple Leafs.

Ron Friest
Between 1980 and 1983 Ron Friest played 70 games for the Minnesota North Stars.

Darwin McCutcheon
Darwin McCutcheon played a single game for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1981/82 season.  After retiring from hockey he studied at the same University as I currently do, hence the inscription.  The picture is actually of him with UPEI as I couldn't find any better photos.

Jerry Dupont
Between 1981 and 1987 Jerry Dupont played well over 200 NHL games between the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs.

Dean Hopkins
Between 1979 and 1989 Dean Hopkins played over 200 games of action at the NHL level.  He spent time with the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers and Quebec Nordiques.

Angelo 'Angie' Moretto
Angelo Moretto played 5 games for the 1976/77 Cleveland Barons.  He ended his career in the WHA, playing 18 games for the 1978/79 Indianapolis Racers.


Gene Carr
Between 1971 and 1979 Gene Carr played nearly 500 games in the NHL.  He dressed for the Blues, Rangers, Kings, Penguins and Atlanta Flames.  His father, Al, also played in the NHL.

Craig Sarner
Craig Sarner played 7 games for the 1974/1975 Boston Bruins.  He also had a brief stint in the WHA, playing 1 game for the 1975/76 Minnesota Fighting Saints.  He won an Olympic silver medal with Team USA's 1972 squad.

Robert Guindon
Bob Guindon played 6 games for the 1979/1980 Winnipeg Jets.  Prior to making his NHL debut he had a lengthy career in the WHA.  Including the playoffs he played well over 500 games in the rebel league.  As a member of the Jets he won the Avco Cup 3 times. 

Jim Wiste
Jim Wiste played 50+ NHL games between the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks.  He later joined the WHA and played well over 200 games between the Cleveland Crusaders and Indianapolis Racers.

Fred Hucul
Between 1950 and 1954 Fred Hucul played 100+ games for the Chicago Blackhawks.  For over a decade he toiled in the minor pro system, mostly seeing time in the WHL.  Expansion gave Hucul a second chance to play in the NHL.  He was a member of the inaugural 1967/68 St. Louis Blues.

Bob McCord
Between 1963 and 1973 Bob McCord played 300+ games in the NHL.  He dressed for the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars and St. Louis Blues.

Ralph Keller
A long time pro hockey player in the WHL and AHL, Ralph Keller played 3 games for the 1962/63 New York Ranges.





As usual I'll end the post with my new hockey signatures of individuals who have never played in the NHL but hold a special place in our game's history.


Scotty Bowman
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 1991, Scotty Bowman is one of the greatest coaches in NHL history.  Incredibly he has his name on the Stanley Cup 13 times; 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1991, 1992, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2010 and 2013.

Jim Devellano
Jim Devellano was never much of a hockey player but has made some very notable accomplishments on the management side of the game.  He has won the Stanley Cup 7 times; 3 with the New York Islanders and 4 with the Detroit Red Wings.  He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010 as a builder.

David King
A recipient of the Order of Canada, David King was a long time coach of Team Canada.  He lead them to a silver medal in 1992. He served as head coach of the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets and also served as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens and Phoenix Coyotes.

Perry Pearn
Although Perry Pearn never played pro hockey he has had a long career as an NHL coach. He's been in the league since 1995 and has coached the Jets, Senators, Rangers and Canadiens.  It seems that I sent this request just in time as Pearn was recently relieved of his duties by the Jets.

Rick Strack
Rick Strack played in 5 NHL games as a backup goalie with the New York Rangers.  He answered my letter and I've added that information to my backup goalie blog.  Strack's profile can be seen here.

Roydon Gunn
Roydon Gunn also appeared in the NHL as a backup goalie.  He dressed with the Islanders in 1986 and 1987.  He also answered some questions for me, which I've added to his profile.


Scott Buhler
Scott Buhler dressed in 3 games as the Buffalo Sabres backup goalie in 1997.  You can read about him in my other blog here.  

Curt Larsson
Swedish goalie Curt Larsson spent 3 seasons in North America playing for the Winnipeg Jets.  


Ed Walsh
Goalie Ed Walsh played 3 games for the 1978/1979 Edmonton Oilers.

Ross Perkins
Ross Perkins played well over 200 WHA games for the Alberta/Edmonton Oilers between 1972 and 1975.

Jan Popiel
Born in Denmark but raised Canadian, Jan Popiel played well over 300 regular season and playoff games in the WHA.  He spent most of that time playing for the Chicago Cougars, Houston Aeros and Phoenix Roadrunners.  His brother, Poul, played in the WHA and NHL.

Bill Cleary
Bill Cleary was a member of Team USA that captured the Gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.  He later coach NCAA hockey at Harvard for over 2 decades.

Dick Rodenhiser
As a member of Team USA Dick Rodenhiser won Silver at the 1956 Olympics and Gold at the 1960 Olympics.

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