Friday, December 1, 2017

Milestone Mail: All-Time NHL Player Collection at 75%


   I've managed to add 25 new NHL player autographs added since the last mail post. They come via TTM requests, trades and a couple small purchases. Shout out to fellow autograph collector Jerry for trading me some great autographed cards.
   The grand total of unique NHL player autographs now stands at 5,578 unique player signatures for 75% of everyone to ever play in the NHL. Its pretty neat to be able to say that I have an autograph of 3/4 people who have ever played in the league. When people chat with me about the collection, they generally start by asking if I have an autograph of their favorite player or players. My usual response is that unless they've been dead for decades, I most likely do have their signature. My wantlist now consists largely of deceased players and very obscure players.


This month, the blog's format has been deliberately changed for readability.

                          Derek Bekar
  From 1999 to 2004, Derek Bekar played 11 games in the NHL. He played for the '99/00 St. Louis Blues, '02/03 Los Angeles Kings and '03/04 New York Islanders. The University of New Hampshire alumni was held off the scoresheet but did record 6 penalty minutes in his short NHL career. 

                         Paul Thompson
   Paul Thompson played 3 NHL games with the 2015/16 New Jersey and another 21 NHL games with the 2016/17 Florida Panthers. Thompson is an undrafted University of New Hampshire alumni. He's currently under contract with the Vegas Golden Knights but has yet to play for the parent club. 

                           John Ramage
   Defenseman John Ramage played 1 NHL game with the 2014/15 Calgary Flames and 1 NHL game with the 2015/16 Columbus Blue Jackets. His father was long-time NHL player Rob Ramage. 
   Because I buy certified autographs of all the new players who get one, I follow the hockey card hobby very closely. John Ramage is an interesting case because he's one of just a few players since 2005/06 who have been overlooked for an NHL rookie card. He's the only NHL player from the past few years who hasn't gotten an official hockey card. There's no indication why he was overlooked. I did ask in my letter if he had any opinion on the situation, but no reply there. 

                              Tommy Cross
    Defenseman Tommy Cross was drafted 35th overall by the Boston Bruins in 2007. He spent four seasons at Boston College and a few more in the AHL before making his NHL debut with the 2015/16 Bruins. Cross has played 3 regular season and 1 playoff game in the NHL with the Bruins. 

                             Mike Matteuci
   Defenseman Mike Matteuci was signed by the Minnesota Wild as an undrafted Lake Superior State University alumni. He gained attention of NHL scouts as a feared enforcer in the IHL. Matteuci played 6 career NHL games with the Wild from 2000 to 2002. 

                              Doug Friedman
   Doug Friedman played 16 games in the NHL with the 1997/98 Edmonton Oilers and 2 games with the 1998/99 Nashville Predators. He recorded 1 assist and 34 penalty minutes in 18 career NHL games. The Boston University alumni was originally drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in 1991. 

                            Garret Stroshein
   Tough guy Garret Stroshein recorded 18 penalty minutes in 3 career NHL games with the 2003/04 Washington Capitals. He was an undrafted enforcer who fought his way up to the big leagues. He would have been an intimidating presence at 6.07' and 250 lbs. 

                              Matt DelGuidice
    In the early 1990s, Matt DelGuidice appeared in 11 NHL games with the Boston Bruins. In 1991, he trained with the US National pre-Olympic team as one of four goalies invited but didn't make the final cut. 

                              Bill Root
   From 1982 to 1988 Bill Root played 247 career regular season games in the NHL. He suited up with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers. 

                              Bob Sullivan
   Bob Sullivan spent one season in the NHL. He scored 18 goals and 37 points in 62 career NHL games with the 1982/83 Hartford Whalers. He was the 1981/82 AHL rookie of the year when he scored a record setting 47 goals in 74 games. 

                     Don Head
   Don Head played one season in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, appearing in 38 games between the pipes with the 1961/62 team. He famously made the January, 1962 cover of Sports Illustrated. Head is also notable for helping Canada claim Silver at the 1960 Olympics in California. 

                 Ed Kryzanowski
   From 1948 to 1953 defenseman Ed Kryzanowski played 237 regular season games in the NHL. He was a member of the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. Kryzanowski passed away in 2007. 

                  Curtis Murphy
   Curtis Murphy played 1 game in the NHL with the 2002/03 Minnesota Wild. He was signed by the Wild as an undrafted University of North Dakota alumni. He's notable for winning the AHL's Calder Cup in 2003 and 2004. Both of those seasons Murphy also took home the AHL's Eddie Shore Award as the league's best defenseman.

               George Pesut
   From 1974 to 1976 George Pesut played 92 games in the NHL with the California Seals. The defenseman also played 17 games in the WHA with the 1976/77 Calgary Cowboys. He spent the latter part of his career in Germany, playing professionally in the country until 1993. 

                      Tom Laidlaw
   From 1980 to 1990 defenseman Tom Laidlaw played 705 games in the NHL. He split his career between the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings. 

                  Dick Redmond
   Dick Redmond was drafted 5th overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1969. He made his NHL debut that year and went on to play a dozen seasons in the NHL, dressing in 771 regular season games. 

                      Don Kozak
   From 1972 to 1979 Don Kozak scored 96 goals and 182 points in 437 regular season NHL games. He spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Kings but ended his career with the Vancouver Canucks. Kozak went to the Memorial Cup two year in a row as a junior with the Edmonton Oil Kings. 

                 George Gardner
   From 1965 to 1972 George Gardner appeared in 66 NHL games. He played for the Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks. From 1972 to 1974 he spent two seasons in the WHA, playing 79 games between the Los Angeles Sharks and Vancouver Blazers. Gardner passed away in 2006. 

                      Darryl Sly
   From 1965 to 1971 defenseman Darryl Sly played 79 games in the NHL. He played for the Maple Leafs, North Stars and Canucks. He's best known for helping Canada bring home a silver medal at the 1960 Olympics. Sly passed away in 2007. 

                     Behn Wilson
   From 1978 to 1988 Behn Wilson played 601 games in the NHL. The defenseman was drafted 6th overall by the Flyers in 1978. Wilson was an above average player, accumulating 359 points and nearly 1500 penalty minutes from the blueline. He was an NHL All-Star in 1981. 

                    Dave Farrish
   From 1976 to 1984 Dave Farrish played 430 regular season games in the NHL. He suited up for the Rangers, Nordiques and Maple Leafs. In 1981/82, he was named the AHL's best defenseman. Farrish  returned to the NHL as an assistant coach with the Devils, Ducks, Maple Leafs and most recently the Avalanche. 

                     Barry Long
   From 1972 to 1974, defenseman Barry Long was a full time member of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. In 1974, he jumped to the WHA and played nearly 400 games in the rival league with the Edmonton Oilers and later the Winnipeg Jets. When the WHA folded in 1979, Long went back to the NHL, joining the Detroit Red Wings. He returned to Winnipeg to finish off his NHL career with the Jets in 1981. 

                        Alan May
   From 1987 to 1995 tough guy Alan May accumulated over 1300 penalty minutes in 393 career NHL games. May played for the Bruins, Oilers, Capitals, Stars and Flames. He's currently a well known hockey analyst with NBC.

                              Pierre Hamel
   From 1974 to 1981 Pierre Hamel appeared in 69 NHL games. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. 

                           Joakim Lindstrom
   Between 2005 and 2015 Swedish forward Joakim Lindstrom played in 150 NHL games. He went back and forth from North America to Europe a couple times but could never stick with an NHL team. He had stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs. Internationally, he's represented Sweden at the World Championships in 2014 and 2015, bringing home a bronze medal in 2014. 
   I made the custom index with Lindstrom as a member of the Crunch because he was playing for the team when he signed the index, as noted on the back of it and because he only wore #37 with the Crunch. 


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Ending the post, as usual, with some more hockey autographs that fall outside of the total NHL player collection.

                                Scott Meyer
   Goalie Scott Meyer appeared in the NHL in 1 official game as a backup goalie with the 2001/02 New York Rangers. He dressed as Dan Blackburn's backup. Meyer was an undrafted St. Cloud State alumni when he was signed by the Rangers. 

                               Andy Murray
   Andy Murray is best remember as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings from 1999 to 2006 and head coach of the St. Louis Blues from 2006 to 2010. He's currently an NCAA head coach at Western Michigan. 

                               Kris Knoblauch
   Kris Knoblauch was drafted by the New York Islanders in 1997 but never made it to the NHL as a player. In 2017, he was hired as an NHL assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers. He had spent time as head coach of the WHL's Kootenay Ice and OHL's Erie Otters. 

                              Greg Carvel
   Greg Carvel first made it to the NHL as an assistant coach with the 2003/04 Anaheim Mighty Ducks. From 2005 to 2011, he was an assistant coach with the Ottawa Senators. He's currently NCAA head coach of the UMass Minutemen. 

                              Mike Kelly
   From 2014 to 2017 Mike Kelly was an NHL assistant coach with the Florida Panthers. He was hired, along with his old coaching partner Gerard Gallant, to be an assistant coach with the inaugural Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. 

                              Jeff Jackson
   Jeff Jackson is best known as a coach in the NCAA with Lake Superior State and more recently, Notre Dame. He did spend 1 year in the NHL as an assistant coach with the 2003/04 New York Islanders. 

                            Keith Allain
   From 1993 to 1997 Keith Allain was an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals. A former Yale University goalie, he also spent time in the NHL as a goalie coach with the St. Louis Blues. Since 2006 he's had a very successful run as head coach of Yale's NCAA hockey team. Allain is also notable for being on the coaching staff of USA's 1992 and 2006 Olympic hockey teams. 

                        Mark Kaufman
   Mark Kaufman has spent his entire career coaching minor league and college hockey. He spent one season in the NHL as an assistant coach with the 1995/95 San Jose Sharks. He's been an assistant coach at Ferris State University since 2007. 

                      Dennis "Red" Gendron
   From 1994 to 1996, Dennis "Red" Gendron was an assistant coach in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils. His name was engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1995 as a coach and in 2000 while he was a scout with the Devils. Gendron is currently head coach of the the University of Maine's mens hockey team. 

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