Back from a Hobby Break - Mail

   Not much to show for TTM returns because I've taken my longest break from the hobby in about a decade. Most of these come from a single COMC.com package as well as a couple cheap eBay buys. 

TTM returns have been brutal all year. I would have expected a few responses to trickle in, but nothing in a couple months. That's a little disappointing considering the hundreds of outstanding requests I have from the past few years. 

   A total of 18 new NHL autographs to share. The grand total is now 5,518 unique signatures for 74% of everyone to ever play in the NHL. 

Teuvo Teravainen

Finn Teuvo Teravainen was drafted 18th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012. He made his NHL debut with the 2013/14 Hawks as their top prospect. During the 2015 NHL playoffs, Teravainen scored 4 goals and 10 points in 19 games as he and the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. With salary cap restrictions looming, the Hawks traded Teravainen to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016.

Noah Hanifin

Defenseman Noah Hanifin was drafted 5th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015 after a year at Boston College. He immediately jumped to the NHL and is entering his third full season as a Carolina Hurricane. Internationally, Hanifin represented the United States at the 2015 World Juniors along with the 2016 and 2017 World Championships. 

Tobias Rieder

German Tobias Rieder was orginally drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2011. In 2013, he was traded to the Coyotes. Rieder caught on immediately with the Coyotes and is entering his fourth season in the NHL. He's score 43 goals in 234 games with Arizona so far. Internationally, he's represented Germany at the World Juniors and the World Championships. 

Robb Zepp

I LOVE this card. Its nothing short of amazing that 14 years after this card was released Zepp made his NHL debut. Rob Zepp played 10 NHL games as a 32 year old rookie with the 2014/15 Philadelphia Flyers. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999. To put that into context, the Thrashers drafted Zepp in the franchise's first NHL draft. By the time Zepp made his NHL debut, the team didn't exist anymore. Zepp was a well traveled goalie before making it to the NHL. His stops included a full 7 seasons in Germany with the Berlin Polar Bears. 

Andrei Vasilevskiy 

Russian goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was drafted 19th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012. He's recently emerged as Tampa's #1 goalie and is entering his fourth year as a member of the NHL club. He's represented Russian Internationally on numerous occasions. He has two bronze medals and a silver from three World Junior tournaments. He also has a Gold medal from the 2014 World Championships and a Bronze from the 2017 World Championships.

Juuse Saros

Finn Juuse Saros was drafted 99th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2013. He's emerged as a reliable NHL backup goalie and has appeared in 22 games with the Nashville Predators. Internationally, he won a Gold medal at the 2014 World Juniors and a Silver medal at the 2016 World Championships.

Derek Ryan

Derek Ryan ended his junior career in 2007 as an undrafted free agent. He spent 4 years at the University of Alberta and then another 3 playing in Europe. In 2015, he signed his first NHL contract and made his NHL debut with the 2015/16 Carolina Hurricanes. The 28 year old rookie forward broke all the odds and has played 73 NHL games with Carolina, scoring a respectable 13 goals and 31 points. 

Colton Parayko

The St. Louis Blues drafted defenseman Colton Parayko in 2012 and at the time he had been playing Junior A hockey in Alberta. He attended the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and made his NHL debut with the 2015/16 St. Louis Blues. He made an immediate impact, played the entire season and was named to the NHL All-Rookie team. In 2017, he represented Canada at the World Championships and brought home a Silver medal. He was also named to the tournament's All-Star team. 

Esa Lindell

Esa Lindell made his NHL debut with the 2015/16 Dallas Stars and has since played 77 NHL games with Dallas. Internationally, he's represented Finland at the World Juniors, World Championships and World Cup. He won Gold at the World Juniors in 2014 and Silver at the World Championships in 2016. 

Brandan Leipsic

Brandan Leipsic was drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2010. In 2015, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs and played 6 NHL games with the 2015/16 Leafs. He scored a goal and a couple assists. This past off-season he was claimed by the Las Vegas Knights in the expansion draft. His mother was actually an Olympic gymnast. 

Nikita Soshnikov

From 2015 to 2017 Russian forward Nikita Soshnikov scored 7 goals and 14 points in 67 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was signed by the Leafs in 2015 as an undrafted free agent.

Nikita Tryamkin

Defenseman Nikita Tryamkin was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 2014. From 2015 to 2017 he played 79 NHL games for the club. Internationally, he represented Russia at the 2014 World Juniors and brought home a bronze medal. 

Shayne Gostisbehere

Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was drafted by the Flyers in 2012 and in 2013 he won a Gold medal at the World Juniors with the United States. He was an NCAA All-Star but still wasn't considered a premier prospect until he reached the NHL. Gostisbehere took the NHL by storm in his rookie season. He emerged to be one of the NHL's top rookies, was named to the league's All-Rookie team and was 2nd in voting for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. In 2016, he participated in the World Cup of Hockey with Team North America.

Brandon DeFazio

An undrafted forward, Brandon DeFazio attended Clarkson University from 2007 to 2011. He spent the next few seasons in the AHL before making his NHL debut with the 2015/16 Vancouver Canucks. DeFazio played 2 career NHL games with the Canucks. He later was property of the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins but couldn't make it back to the NHL with either club. 

Joseph Blandisi

Joseph Blandisi was originally drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2012. The club never signed him and in 2015 he signed with the New Jersey Devils as a free agent. He scored 52 goals in his last year of junior in the OHL and finished 2nd only to Connor McDavid as league MVP. Blandisi has gone on to play 68 NHL games with the Devils, scoring 8 goals and 26 points. 

Bo Horvat

The Vancouver Canucks drafted Bo Horvath 9th overall in 2013. Horvat had been a junior star with the London Knigs. He made his NHL debut with the 2014/15 Canucks and is entering his fourth season as an NHL regular. Last season he scored 20 goals and 52 points for the Canucks, making him the team's leading scorer in both points and goals.

Oliver Kylington

Swedish defenseman Oliver Kylington was drafted 60th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2015. He played 1 game in the NHL for the Flames in 2015/16 as an 18 year old rookie. Internationally, he represented Sweden at the World Junior Championships in 2017.

Shaun Sabol
Defenseman Shawn Sabot dressed in 2 NHL games with the 1989/90 Philadelphia Flyers. He's also notable for winning the 1988 Calder Cup in the AHL with the Hershey Bears.
I picked up this autograph and the following Larocque signature from an old AHL program.

Denis Larocque
In 1986, defenseman Denis Larocque won the Memorial Cup with the OHL's Guelph Platters. That summer he was drafted 44th overall by the Los Angeles King. Larocque recorded 1 assist and 18 penalty minutes in 8 career NHL games with the 1987/88 Los Angeles kings. He did get record a fight with one of the NHL's most famous tough guys, Bob Propert. He was later traded to the New York Rangers but only played for their minor league team.

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And to finish off the mail post, a few hockey autographs that fall outside of the NHL collection...

Craig Hillier

The Penguins drafted Craig Hillier 23rd overall in the 1996 NHL draft. He was a top goalie prospect who never lived up to his potential. Craig Hillier appeared in 3 NHL games with the 1998/99 Pittsburgh Penguins as a backup.

Zachary Fucale

Zach Fucale had a sensational junior career playing with the Halifax Mooseheads and with Team Canada. In 2013, he won a Memorial Cup and in 2015 he won a Gold medal at the World Juniors. The Montreal Canadiens drafted Fucale 36th overall in 2013. He's appeared in 4 NHL games as a backup with the Habs but has yet to see any official time between the pipes. 

Marie-Philip Poulin

Marie-Philip Poulin won Olympic Gold with Canada in 2010 and 2014. In 2010 she scored both goals as Canada beat US 2-0 to claim Olympic victory. In 2014 she one again scored the game winning Olympic goal, this time in overtime to give Canada another Gold. Since 2015 she's been captain of Canada's National team.

Catherine Ward

Defenseman Catherine Ward won Olympic Gold in 2010 and 2014 with Canada. Ward is a member of the women's Triple Gold Club, having won Olympic Gold, a Women's World Championship Gold and the Clarkson Cup.

Dan O'Toole

I have the Jay Onrait from this set and it just looked so lonely withtout the O'Toole. Years ago this pair was the best thing about getting out of bed in the morning. It was a ritual to watch their show at breakfast. In 2013 they left TSN for jobs at Fox Sports in America. That gig didn't last and now Jay and Dan are back on Canadian TV. He and Jay started at TSN in 2003.

Jason Priestley

I keep a wantlist of all the NHL related 'fans of the game' autographs but I don't normally go out of my way to pick them up. I only do so when the price makes sense. I'm not nearly as well versed in pop-culture as I am in the sports world so I didn't even know to Jason Priestley was before this card. He's a Canadian actor who's best known for his role in Beverly Hills 90210.

My beef with these particular cards is Upper Deck's usual laziness. They don't have any explanation of why Priestley is a Canucks fan. When Panini produced Fans of Game subsets, at least they included an explanation of why that particular fan is worthy of a hockey card. I had to do my own research to confirm that Priestley is indeed a big Canucks fan

Lindsay Crouse

This seems like a very unsual autograph autograph to feature in a hockey signature post eh? Well, there is a very good explanation for this oddball signature. I've been attempting to get an autograph of  all the main cast members of the great 1977 hockey movie Slap Shot. Lindsay Crouse played Lily Braden, wife of Chiefs star player Ned Braden.