New Ink - Selanne, Datsyuk and Lundqvist

38 new autographed cards to show, most received during December. The grand total now stands at 4,218 unique NHL player signatures. 

A lot of the 2012/2013 rookie crop autographs have been dropping into my price range lately and most I can get for little more that a dollar. The first three autographs of the post actually set me back more than the rest of the graphs put together. 

Teemu Selanne

Teemu Selanne is a future Hockey Hall of Famer who has a large trophy cabinet. He's a 10 time NHL All-Star, Calder Trophy winner, Rocket Richard Trophy winner, Bill Masterton Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion. He has a large fan base and his autographs always demand a premium.

Pavel Datsyuk

For a player of his caliber, Pavel Datsyuk doesn't have a ton of certified autographs on the market. I got this nice looking card for substatially below the going price for a normal Datsyuk signature. He's a two time Stanley Cup champion, 3 time Frank Selke Trophy winner and 4 time Lady Byng Trophy winner.

Henrik Lundqvist

Henrik Lundqvist has a solid fan following and I had to wait a long time to snag a signature at a price I was satisfied with. Lundqvist is a five time NHL All-Star, 2012 Vezina winner, 2006 Olympic gold medalist and 2014 Olympic silver medalist. 

Rod Langway

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002, Rod Langway has a long resume. He was captain of the Washington Capitals from 1982 to 1993. He won the Norris Trophy in 1983 and 1984, was a six time NHL All-Star and in 1979 won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

Rob Ramage

Defenceman Rob Ramage was drafted 1st overall in the 1979 NHL draft. He won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1989 (Flames) and 1993 (Habs).  Ramage was captain of the Colorado Rockies from 1981 to 1982 and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1989 to 1991. He also played in four NHL All-Star games.

Kelly Kisio

Kelly Kisio was a reliable scorer who scored 20+ goals in a season 8 times during his career. From 1987 to 1991 he was captain of the New York Rangers. In 1993 he represented the San Jose Sharks at the NHL All-Star game. 

Aaron Broten

In 2008 Aaron Broten was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. He was a long time New Jersey Devil who played 748 regular season games in the NHL between 1981 and 1992.

Charlie Huddy

Charlie Huddy is most notable for being a member of all 5 of the Edmonton Oilers' Stanley Cup winning teams. He played well over 1,000 NHL games between 1980 and 1997. He's spent the last 14 seasons as an NHL assistant coach and is currently with the Winnipeg Jets.

Nikolai Borschevsky

Nikolai Borshevsky was a long time Soviet player when he came to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1992. Earlier that year he won an Olympic gold medal with Russia. Between 1992 and 1996 he scored 49 goals and 123 points in 162 regular season NHL games. 

Niklas Kronwall

Long time Red Wing defenceman Niklas Kronwall is a member of the Triple Gold Club. He won a Stanley Cup in 2008, Olympic gold in 2006 and a World Championship in 2006. He also won an Olmpic silver medal in 2014 with Sweden.

Oskars Bartulis

Between 2009 and 2011 Oskars Bartulis played 66 games in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers. The defenceman represented Latvia at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Patrik Berglund

Patrik Berglund has been a full time member of the St. Louis Blues since 2008, playing almost 500 NHL games. He won an Olympic Silver medal in 2014 with Sweden.

Ryan Callahan

Ryan Callahan was captain of the New York Rangers from 2011 to 2014. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the trade that saw Martin St. Louis going the other way. Callahan is also notable for winning a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics with the USA. 

Tomas Plekanec

Czech native Tomas Plekanec has been a member of the Montreal Canadiens since 2003. He has scored nearly 200 goals for the club in just over 700 NHL games. 

Jaroslav Halak

Since 2006 Jaroslav Halak has played 300+ games in the NHL. He's spent time with the Canadiens, Blues, Capitals and Islanders. In 2011/2012 Halak shared the Williams M. Jennings Trophy with Brian Elliot. Its awarded to a goalie or tandem of goalies who allowed the fewest goals in the league. Halak also backstopped Slovakia in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. 

Bobby Robins

Bobby Robbins is one of my favourite hockey stories of 2014/15. He has to wait until he was 32 years old to make his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. He spent four years in college, many years in the AHL, time in Northern Ireland and a year in Austria before getting his big break. 

Matt Anderson

Matt Anderson played 2 NHL games with the 2012/2013 New Jersey Devils as a 29 year old rookie. He has spent the last two season in the KHL. 

Alex Chiasson

A Boston University alumni, Alex Chiasson made his NHL debut with the 2012/2013 Dallas Stars. In 2013/14 he established himself as a full time NHLer with 35 points in 79 games with the Stars. That summer he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in a deal that saw Jason Spezza going the other way.

Carl Soderberg

Carl Soderberg was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2004 but stayed in Sweden until he was lured away by the Boston Bruins in 2013. He's in his second season as a full time Bruin. In 2013/14 he scored 16 goals and 48 points in 73 games as a 27 year old rookie. 

Jonas Brodin

A defenceman from Sweden, Jonas Brodin has quickly become one of the Wild's premier minute crunchers. He was selected 10th overall by the team in 2011 and has already played 150+ NHL games. In 2012 he won a gold medal with Sweden at the World Junior Championships. 

Drew LeBlanc

Drew LeBlanc played 2 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks at the end of the 2012/2013 season. He was a free agent signing who had just completed his college career at St. Cloud State.

Chad Ruhwedel

Since 2013 defenceman Chad Ruhwedel has played 28 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres. He was an undrafted free agent signing from the University of Mass-Lowell. 

Jon Merrill

The Devils drafted defenceman Jon Merrill 38th overall in 2010. He made his NHL debut in 2013 and is playing his second season as a New Jersey Devil.

Derek Grant

From 2012 to 2014 Derek Grant played 25 NHL games with the Ottawa Senators.

Vincent Trocheck

Vincent Trocheck won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Championships. Since then he has played almost 50 NHL games with the Florida Panthers. 

Ryan Murray

The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted Ryan Murray with the 2nd overall pick of the 2012 NHL draft. He's entering his second season as a full time NHL defeceman. Its not usual for me to be able to pick up an autograph of a 2nd overall pick for as cheap as I got this, just over a dollar. 

Tyler Ennis

A first round draft pick in 2008, Tyler Ennis has played well over 300 career NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres. He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championships.

Alexei Emelin

Russian defenceman Alexei Emelin has been a full time Hab since making his NHL debut in 2011. He has already played 200+ NHL games. 

Jarred Tinordi

Since 2012 defenceman Jarred Tinordi has played 44 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He was the Habs first round pick in 2010. His father, Mark, was a long time NHLer.

Michael Latta

Michael Latta was drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2009 but was traded to the Capitals in a deal that saw Filip Forsberg to the Preds. Latta has played almost 50 games with the Capitals since making his NHL debut in 2013/14. 

Matt Dumba

Defenceman Matt Dumba was drafted 7th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2012. So far he has played 33 NHL games with the Wild. 

Scott Laughton

The Philadelphia Flyers selected Scott Laughton with the 20th overall pick of the 2012 NHL draft. He played 5 games with the Flyers as an 18 year old rookie before being returned to the Oshawa Generals. He has spent most of this season with the Flyers. 

Cal Heeter

The Flyers acquired Cal Heeter as an undrafted free agent from Ohio State University. He played 1 NHL game for the Flyers during the 2013/2014 season. 

Brian Rafalski

I'm not sure why it took me so long to get a common Brian Rafalski autograph. The recently retired defenceman had a great NHL career. He won the Stanley Cup in 2000, 2003 and 2008. He has two winter Olympic silver medals with Team USA, 2002 and 2010. In 2010 he was named the tournament's best defenceman. 

Owen Fussey

The next three come from a Prince Albert Raiders autographed set. It represents a grey area in my collecting certified autographs. I'm sure they are from a legitimate team released singed set but they contain no certification information on the reverse to differentiate them from a base set. Owen Fussey played 4 NHL games with the 2003/2004 Washington Capitals.

John Boychuk

Johnny Boychuk has a couple rare Upper Deck certified autograph cards that I will likely pick up in the distant future. This autograph will do fine for now. Boychuk won the Stanley Cup in 2011 as a member of the Boston Bruins. Currently with the Islanders, he has played well over 400 regular season+playoff games in the NHL since 2007.

Jordan Krestanovich

Between 2001 and 2004 Jordan Krestanovich played 22 NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche.

Tomas Kundratek

I acquired this autograph from someone who hounds the Cap's AHL team. Tomas Kundratek has played 30 NHL games with the Washington Capitals since 2011. He has no certified autograph.

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All three of the last autographs fall into the same category in my other hockey signatures. They all appeared in the NHL but only as backup netminders.

John Muse

John Muse dressed as a backup goalie for 3 NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes late March 2013.

Joe Cannata

Joe Cannata dressed as backup goalie with the Vancouver Canucks during 4 NHL games in 2013. 

Jordan Binnington
Jordan Binnington recently dressed as a backup goalie with the St. Louis Blues.

TTM Mail - 44 New Graphs

The amount of letters I send out has stalled a little due mostly to the ridiculous cost of postage these days. Since I started writing to players a little over 10 years ago, I was sending at half the cost, HALF the cost. Service at Canada Post is a topic I could rant about all day. I actually get surprised when I deal with a worker who knows even a little bit about the postal system. It leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth that takes some fun out of the hobby. With that said, there is little more I enjoy than opening my self addressed stamped envelops knowing it could be any one of the thousands of requests I have out.

Every now and then I'll get a letter back that I sent out years ago. 

The 44 new autographs in this post pushes my grand total of unique signatures to 4,180. I'm setting my goal this year at 4,500 by 2016. 

When I find the time I'll be publishing another mail post with my newly acquired certified autographs.  

Riley Armstrong
An undrafted forward, Riley Armstrong played 2 NHL games with the 2008/2009 San Jose Sharks.

Jonas Junland
Between 2008 and 2010 Swedish defenceman Jonas Junland played 4 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, scoring 2 points. He was an AHL all-star during both his seasons in North America but couldn't translate that into the next level.

Tim Wallace
Between 2008 and 2013 Tim Wallace played 101 games in the NHL. He spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes. 

Jamie Hunt
Jamie Hunt was signed a free agent by the Capitals after 3 seasons at Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania. He is a 'one game wonder' who played a single match with the 2006/2007 Washington Capitals. He retired from pro hockey in 2011. 

Jonas Nordqvist
Originally drafted by the Blackhawks in the second round of the 2000 NHL draft, Jonas Nordqvist played 3 NHL games with the club during the 2006/2007 season. The Swede had 2 assists in his short NHL stint.

Kent McDonell
If you collected hockey card in 2003, you likely pulled a couple Kent McDonell RC cards. He had way more cards than he should have had, but no autograph. McDonell played 32 NHL games for the Blue Jackets from 2003 to 2004. He's been playing pro hockey in Sweden since 2007.

Christian Berglund
Between 2001 and 2004 Christian Berglund played 89 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He was a member of the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers.

Nils Ekman
Between 1999 and 2007 Nils Ekman played nearly 300 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He dressed with the Lightning, Sharks and Penguins. 

P.C. Drouin
P.C. Drouin was signed by the Bruins as an undrafted Cornell alumni. He played 3 games for Boston during the 1996/97 season. 

Philippe DeRouville
My want list of modern day NHL goalies is very small so I'm extra happy to add this Philippe DeRouville. Between 1994 and 1997 he appeared in 3 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Craig Mills
Craig Mills played 4 games in the NHL with the 1995/96 Winnipeg Jets. He later played another 27 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1997 to 1999. Thanks for the neat comment Craig.

Joe Cirella

Joe Cirella was drafted 5th overall by the Colorado Rockies in 1981. From then until 1996 he played well over 800 games in the NHL. He was a 1983/84 NHL All-Star, representing the New Jersey Devils.

Andy Brickley
Between 1982 and 1994 Andy Brickley played over 400 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He spent time a Philadelphia Flyer,  Pittsburgh Penguin, New Jersey Devil, Boston Bruin and Winnipeg Jet. After retiring as a player Brickley was hired as a colour commentator by the Bruins, a position he still holds.

Sean Toomey
Sean Toomey played 1 game in the NHL with the 1986/87 Minnesota North Stars. 

Chris Pryor
Chris Pryor played 82 games in the NHL between 1984 and 1990. He split his time in the league between the Minnesota North Stars and New York Islanders. He currently serves as the director of scouting for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Daryl Stanley
Daryl Stanley played over 200 regular season+playoff games in the NHL between 1983 and 1990. He helped the Philadelphia Flyers reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1987, ultimately loosing to the Oilers. He became a hunting lodge operator after retiring from the game.

John Smrke
Between 1977 and 1980 John Smrke played 103 games in the NHL, scoring 11 goals and 28 points. He played for the Quebec Nordiques and St. Louis Blues. His father, Stan, also played in the NHL.

Mike Lalor
Mike Lalor is most notable for something he did as a rookie, helping the Montreal Canadiens win the 1986 Stanley Cup. He remained in the NHL until 1997, playing nearly 800 games. 

Rocky Trottier
Best known as Bryan's younger brother, Rocky Trottier played 38 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils between 1983 and 1985. He's also notable for being the first player ever drafted by the New Jersey Devils, 8th overall in 1982. 

Dave Capuano
Between 1989 and 1994 Dave Capuano played over 100 games in the NHL. The University of Maine alumni dressed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Tampa Bay Lightning and San Jose Sharks. His brother, Jack, is head coach of the New York Islanders. 

Ken Sabourin
Between 1988 and 1992 Ken Sabourin played 86 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He was a member of the Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals. Since 2002 he has been a colour commentator with the Capitals. 

Hubie McDonough
Between 1988 and 1993 Hubie McDonough played 200 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He played for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks. 

Greg Gilbert
Between 1982 and 1996 Greg Gilbert played well over 900 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He returned to the league as head coach of the Calgary Flames in 2000.  He's most notable for winning the Stanley Cup 3 times. He was a member of the 1981/82 and 1982/83 New York Islanders and in 1994 he helped the New York Rangers capture the championship.

Andre Peloffy
Andre Peloffy dressed in 9 NHL games for the 1974/75 Washington Capitals. He later appeared in 10 WHA games with the 1977/78 New England Whalers.

Rolf Edberg
Rolf Edberg debuted for the Capitals in 1979 as a 27 year old rookie from Sweden. The forward spent three seasons in the NHL with Washington. Between 1979 and 1981 he scored 45 goals and 103 points in 184 NHL games. 

Bob Gould
Between 1979 and 1990 Bob Gould played nearly 800 regular season+playoff games in the NHL, most with the Washington Capitals. He once broke Mario Lemieux's jaw in a fight. 

Scott Pearson
From 1988 to 2000 Scott Pearson played over 300 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. Pearson was drafted 6th overall by the Leafs in 1988 but never fulfilled his potential. He dressed for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders. 

Moe Mantha
Moe Mantha played 656 regular season NHL games between 1980 and 1992. He played for the Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota North Stars and Philadelphia Flyers. In 1992 he was a member of USA's Olympic hockey team. 

Ray Allison
Between 1979 and 1987 Ray Allison played well over 200 games in the NHL. He was selected 18th overall by the Hartford Whalers in the great 1979 draft. Allison spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Paul Fenton
An undrafted Boston University alumni, Paul Fenton played over 400 NHL games between 1984 and 1992. The well traveled Fenton played with the Hartford Whalers, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks. He currently serves as assistant general manager of the Nashville Predators. 

Christer Kellgren
An early European NHLer, Christer Kellgren game to North America from Sweden for 1 season of pro hockey. That year he appeared in 5 NHL games with the 1981/1982 Colorado Rockies. 

Mitch Molloy
Mitchell Molloy played 2 NHL games with the 1989/1990 Buffalo Sabres. He was held pointless but accumulated 10 penalty minutes, dropping the gloves in each game he played. 

Ville Siren
Between 1985 and 1990 the defenceman from Finland played nearly 300 NHL games, starting his career in Pittsburgh and ending it with the Minnesota North Stars. Siren is currently director of amateur scouting with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Anders Carlsson
Between 1986 and 1989 Anders Carlsson played just over 100 games with the New Jersey Devils. He returned to Sweden and continued to play pro until 2001. Since 2006 he has been a European scout with the Colorado Avalanche. 

Warren Holmes
Between 1981 and 1984 forward Warren Holmes played 45 games with the Los Angeles Kings. He contributed 8 goals and 26 points. 

Rob Whistle
Defenceman Rob Whistle had two stints in the NHL. He played 32 games with the 1985/86 New York Rangers and 19 games with the 1987/88 St. Louis Blues. I think the inscription is pretty great, don't worry Mr. Whitsle, there aren't too many people visiting my niche blog.

Blair Mackasey
Blair Mackasey played 1 game in the NHL for the 1976/77 Toronto Maple Leafs. He has worked for the Minnesota Wild since 2006, currently serving as director of player personnel. 

George Ferguson
From 1972 to 1984 George Ferguson was a full time NHLer. He played nearly 800 regular season+playoff games in the league, dressing with the Maple Leafs, Penguins and North Stars. He scored 20+ goals 4 times in Pittsburgh. 

Dave Hynes
Between 1973 and 1975 Dave Hynes played 22 NHL games with the Boston Bruins. He later spent a season in the WHA, playing 22 games with the 1976/77 New England Whalers.

Kevin Schamehorn
Between 1976 and 1981 Kevin Schamehorn played 10 games in the NHL. He played with the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings. He was a prolific scorer in the IHL as a pro hockey player. 

Ted Irvine
From 1963 to 1977 Ted Irvine played over 800 regular season+playoff games in the NHL. He played for the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. His son is famous WWE wrestler Chris Jericho.

Joe Hardy
Between 1969 and 1971 Joe Hardy played 67 regular season+playoff games in the NHL, dressing for the Oakland/California Seals. He later played well over 200 games in the WHA, playing for the Cleveland Crusaders, Chicago Cougars, Indianapolis Racers and San Diego Mariners. He's notable for being the first pro hockey player to break the 200 points mark in a season. He scored 208 points in 72 games with the NAHL's Beauce Jaros in 1975/76.

Bob Wall
Bob Wall is best remembered as the first captain of the Los Angeles Kings, a title he held from 1967 to 1969. Between 1964 and 1972 he played well over 300 NHL games, dressing for the Red Wings, Kings and Blues. He later spent 3 years in the WHA, playing for the Edmonton Oilers and San Diego Mariners. 

Wayne Muloin
There aren't all that many guys left from the Original 6 era for me to write to so its always a treat to add a 'new' old player. Between 1963 and 1971 Wayne Muloin played 150+ NHL games, dressing for the Red Wings, Seals and North Stars. He also spent 4 seasons in the WHA, playing for the Cleveland Crusaders and Edmonton Oilers. 

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Autographs #45, 46 and 47 of this mail post fall outside of my NHL collection. All 3 players only spent time in the WHA.

Howie Colborne
Howie Colborne played 2 WHA games with the 1973/1974 Edmonton Oilers.

Al Rycroft
Al Rycroft played 7 WHA games with the 1972/1973 Cleveland Crusaders. He scored 2 points. 

Brian Coates
From 1973 to 1978 Brian Coates played over 200 games in the WHA. He spent time with the Chicago Cougars, Indianapolis Racers and Cincinnati Stingers.