The rich get richer

Let's see. The Pittsburgh Penguins boast one of the NHL's youngest and talented lineups. Now, the team drafts Angelo Esposito in the first round. If this kid lives up to even half of his hype, the Penguins could entertain thoughts of a dynasty in the years to come.

Sid's no longer a Kid

Though I'd hoped that the Penguins would allow Sidney Crosby even more time to mature, Pittsburgh named him as team captain for the upcoming season, making him the youngest ever in NHL history to wear the "C." Seeing that he already bears the burden of a sport, nation and RBK Hockey upon his shoulders, assuming the leadership role on this relatively young squad should come naturally.

Addicted to Hockey? Playoffs edition

Now that we've gotten the quarterfinals out of the way, and another eight teams are done for the year, it's time for a checkup. Extra pressure comes with the playoffs and we need to see whether you're up to snuff to handle the head games.

Every pass, every open-ice check and every draw, won or lost, can prove to be the deciding moment not just in a series, but in a Stanley Cup-winning season as well. This goes far beyond the normal gut-check time. This is ice-water-in-the-veins time.

If you've got game, and you're not so sure that you're addicted to hockey, just ask yourself these questions:

~ Have you made travel arrangements (airfare, four-star hotels, tickets and a luxury rental car) to attend the 2007 NHL Draft on June 22-23 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio?

~ Do you understand the implications that shaving your playoff beard will have on your favorite team? Even if it is itchy, it must remain until you're team is eliminated. No round-to-round beards are allowed.

~ Did you call your local tattoo artist and set an appointment in late June to have the Stanley Cup inked on a conspicuous part of your body?

~ In a moment of passion brought out by a sudden-death overtime goal, did you ask your significant other to marry you? Uh-oh. Check the tape. Maybe there was a whistle.

~ Have you ever professed that the Tampa Bay Lightning handed goalie Marc Denis a raw deal? I'd be more worried about Johan Holmqvist leaving, if I were you.

~ Do you really believe that Ottawa has a chance to win the Cup?

~ Is your architect planning an addition to your house so you can show off the fruits of another season of hounding? Or does it mean another couple trips to your climate-controlled, top-floor storage unit?

~ Have you worn makeup, a blue frizzle-haired wig and an adult cow costume to a game? Nope, wait. I'm sorry. That's how one fan was dressed for this past Sunday's Cleveland Indians-Tampa Bay Devils Rays game. Still, though, have you?

~ Have you ever wondered why it's nearly next-to-impossible to find NHL team linen sets to fit a king-size bed? Queen sizes? There's no shortage. Full sets are available, too. No king sizes, though. Go figure.

~ Is your Great Dane named Marty? Got a chihuahua named Chara?

~ Do you believe that it's possible to get Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal to sign pucks in a single hounding trip? Training camp, maybe. On the road? Forget it.

~ Will you subscribe to cable's NHL Center Ice package next season? Given the lack of pregame and postgame shows as well as no repeats of the games, I'm crossing off my name from the subscriber list.

And, in tribute to the Bluebird Bakery, a aromatic memory of my childhood growing up in Buffalo's west side, here's a 13th question -- a baker's dozen, if you will -- to determine whether you're addicted to hockey:

~ Like me, do you believe that 1,275 autographed pucks provides a solid foundation for a truly impressive collection?

Just like that

I turn on the TV in the office, punch in 7-0 for Vs. on the remote and Dallas takes a 1-0 lead on a Mike Modano goal. Really. The Stars need to win. If not, Dallas is done.

Sidney's broken foot

It seems that Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby played the past month with a broken bone in his foot. Despite that, the Penguins showed they'll soon become a giant pain in the butt. Unless you live in Pittsburgh, that is.

It's their second season, too
Here's a quick shout-out to the Rochester Americans, looking to knot their AHL Calder Cup series against Hamilton tonight. I wonder whether any Sabres fans made the trip?

I don't feel sorry

I certainly didn't shed a tear as Ottawa closed out Pittsburgh, using a 3-0 whitewashing last night to take their Eastern quarterfinals series, 4-1. Given the youth and talent that permeates the Penguins' roster, I'm sure this was the first in a long run of playoff appearances for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury.

The Senators, on the other hand, advance to the semifinals. They could be dangerous, too. It seems like Ottawa's been on a roll since that brawl against Buffalo.

The Sabres, back in Buffalo tonight, could send the Islanders home for the summer. Nashville, also at home, looks to keep its hopes alive, If not, the Predators are done.

As for the Lightning, I recognize the opportunity that awaits. Should Buffalo prevail tonight, and Tampa Bay defeats New Jersey in their series, my 2006-07 hounding season should continue with the Sabres.

Stick to scoring, Evgeni

I nearly spit out a mouthful of pop earlier tonight watching Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin drop his mitts and put Ottawa's Chris Phillips in a bearhug. Let's just say Malkin's more adept at dipsy-doodles than he is putting up his dukes. I'd hate to think, too, what would have happened had the Senators player been Chris Neil.

As for the clean hit that Pittsburgh's Colby Armstrong laid on Ottawa's Patrick Eaves, that's a textbook example of why you always have your head up. Thankfully, Eaves wasn't seriously hurt.

Another sweet pull

Every so often, when you least expect it, along comes a card that reminds you why you started collecting in the first place.

Years ago, it was all about getting your favorite player. Rookies didn't carry the premium they do today. Game-used memorabilia wasn't even on the drawing board. You got a stick of pink bubble gum.

These days, though, it's different. It's not uncommon to drop a couple hundred dollars on a rookie card. Game-used memorabilia is so common that even the most affordable box promises a card.

When you pull a card like this one -- a 2006-07 Fleer Hot Prospects Prized Prospects autographed jersey patch card of Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, numbered 120/199 -- you know you've gotten something special.

Granted, the two-color patch comes from a jersey used in a photo shoot and the autograph is on a sticker, not the card itself. Something tells me, though, that I'll learn to live with that.

Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh blink

Some time today, maybe even within the next hour, official word will come out of the Steel City that, indeed, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be staying put for the next 30 years, thanks to a $290 million deal that promises a new arena in Uptown in time for the 2009-10 season.

At the risk of sounding too smug, I'd like to think that this posting, published a day before the hush-hush meeting in either Philadelphia or New Jersey that led to this deal, played a vital role in the negotiations. Just kidding. But, hey, you never know who reads Hound Central 2.0.

I was heartened to read in media reports out of Pittsburgh that the Penguins are chipping in on the arena construction and related costs. I've never been a big fan of taxpayer-financed stadiums of any sort, so it's my most-likely minority and illogical belief that teams must perform to a certain level or be forced to pay back public monies.

In this case, I'd make the Penguins, given the abundance of top-shelf young talent, guarantee a Stanley Cup within five years of the arena's opening. If the team fails, the organization is on the hook for the public portion of all costs.

That's not too much to ask, is it?

Penguins have a few choices

Now that Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has stepped into the Pittsburgh Penguins controversy, asking the NHL to keep the team from leaving the Steel City, we should surmise that this entire affair is going to end in one of two ways:

1.) The city and state will cave in and provide the team with a state-of-the art, luxury-box-laden, rent-free arena, complete with all parking revenues, that will include posh three-bedroom, two-bath condos with underground parking spaces for Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal, or

2.) The Penguins will pack their suitcases and move their little webbed feet to one of the following locations and adopt a new nickname:

~ The Las Vegas CSIs. Forget the casinos, the showgirls, the all-you-can-eat-for-$2.99 buffets, the neon, the martini-loving mayor and the, ahem, criminal element. If I'm Penguins management, the make-or-break aspect of any deal moving the team is guaranteed exposure in CBS' popular crime-technology series, including guest spots for the team's stars.

~ The Kansas City Moes. Sure, some want the team to keep the Penguins nickname, but after such a bitter divorce, it's highly unlikely the team will want any mementos from its past. Alas, the Kansas City Penguins concept, which really never would have made much sense, simply floats away like an ice floe.

~ The Oklahoma City Dustbugs. The Blazers, a much better name, is taken and I'm pretty certain the team will have depleted its legal account in securing the move to wrestle away the name from the Central Hockey League team.

~ The Houston Refineries. Can't use the Rockets, Astros or Aeros. Texans is out of the question, too. Using Enrons wouldn't be too smart. What else is Houston known for? To me, the Refineries is a much better name than the Smog.

~ The Quebec Igloos. Really, this would be nothing more than a swipe at Pittsburgh. But, hey, can you blame them? Besides, it means another team in Canada, raising the total to seven (Thanks again, Drew). The team might also be able to integrate some elements of the old Nordiques logo/jersey into the new look.

~ The Portland (Ore.) Timbers. Yes, I know there's a United Soccer League team operating under that name. C'mon, though, second-tier soccer vs. an NHL team? Granted, it would be close. I'm sure the promise of free season tickets for two years to Timbers ownership and any ticket-producing fan will grease these skids.

~ My vote goes to the Orlando Nation. Now that the Seminole Tribe of Florida has completed its deal for the Hard Rock chain of cafes, hotels and music memorabilia, adding an NHL team (an idea I floated late last year) to its portfolio makes financial sense. Fans can stay at the hotel, listen to great music while downing a cheeseburger and a couple beers, try their luck at the slots and then amble over to watch a game. I'm sure, too, that many northern North American teams wouldn't mind a three-game, seven-day road trip to Florida in January or February.

P.S.: That freshly squeezed glass of grapefruit juice was excellent, too.

Pretty busy day, eh?

Of all the days to take off from hockey, the NHL's trade deadline on Tuesday has to be one of the hardest. I love watching teams take chances for the Stanley Cup. I like watching teams that are building for the future. Most of all, though, is the frenetic energy that flows through the day.

Despite of all that, I found that I can take a day away from hockey, even if it is a busy one, to just chill out. I watched a movie. I played some darts. I made dinner for my son.

That doesn't mean, though, that I haven't heard the news. Sure, some teams went out and grabbed big-name players (San Jose got Bill Guerin, Gary Roberts agreed to go to Pittsburgh and Detroit took a chance with Todd Bertuzzi). A bunch of minor deals were made, too.

Now that I've had time to review the moves, here are my takes:

~ Even though it's had a terrible year, the Philadelphia Flyers should feel pretty damn proud of themselves. To me, they're a much better team, and one that's prepared for the future. Sure, they lost Peter Forsberg, but they picked up some fairly promising talent in Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent and Braydon Coburn. The addition of Martin Biron will only help, too. Adding these guys to Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne, Joni Pitkanen, Mike Richards and R.J. Umberger could soon cause some serious headaches in the Eastern Conference.

~ Kudos to New York Islanders' Garth Snow for nabbing Ryan Smyth from the Edmonton Oilers. Smyth's a heart-and-soul guy who, to me, will only make the Islanders much more dangerous as the season winds down. Islanders fans can only hope, too, that he'll light a fire under Miroslav Satan and Richard Zednik. If he does, I wouldn't want to meet them in the playoffs.

~ Though I respect the veteran leadership that Georges Laraque and Roberts bring to Pittsburgh, I'm not sure the Penguins addressed every issue (backup goaltending, to be exact). Talent's great, but you need depth to go deep in the playoffs. Florida, by the way, got an excellent return in Noah Welch. Smart kid, too. He graduated from Harvard.

~ I certainly hope it's not a case of too little, too late, but I believe the Bruins upgraded their defense a little with Aaron Ward and Dennis Wideman. Ward adds experience and Wideman is a younger Brad Stuart, if you ask me. I was sorry to see Brad Boyes go, but it was inevitable. Like the Blues, I have faith in his abilities. I can't help but chuckle, too, at those who thought not too long ago that he was worth a fourth-rounder.

~ I'm not quite sure what to think of the Sabres' dealings. On one hand, adding Dainius Zubrus to Buffalo's high-octane offense left me giggling with anticipation. Replacing Biron with Ty Conklin, though, leaves me worried. Though I'll root for Conklin because of his UNH ties, I won't have the confidence with him in net as I would have with Biron. Besides, Biron's one of the nicest players you'll meet -- great signer and loves to talk.

~ As for Tampa Bay, I applaud the moves they made. Not for the enhanced grit that Shane O'Brien, Karl Stewart and Jason Ward bring, but it gives me a reason to hound the Lightning one more time this season.

Two are better than none

Chances are, you've noticed that this posting has replaced one that detailed a very disappointing trip to hound the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now that I've had time to think about, none of what happened truly surprises me, my own conduct included.

And, as the cards shown above indicate, we didn't go home empty-handed.

What I have decided to do, though, is to take a break from hounding, beginning tomorrow with the Dallas Stars. Sure, we'll go to the game. After that, the Lightning will be on a road trip. I need to refresh my batteries, so to speak, and remember just how much fun this hobby (and that's all it is) can be.

Besides, I need time to catalogue all the pucks we've added to our collection this season.

By March 16, when my hometown Buffalo Sabres come back to Florida, I'll be ready to continue toward the goal of 1,250 pucks in the collection.

The Kansas City Penguins?

Just in case it happens, these could be RBK Hockey's chief poster boy Sidney Crosby's new RBK Edge duds.

Pretty sharp, eh?

Finding the silver linings

For no other reason than what's described below, yesterday's hounding of the Pittsburgh Penguins continued a streak of disappointing outings. But rather than dwelling upon it, I'll share some of the highlights of, when all things are considered, a pretty fun day.

~ Taking Colin to lunch at Andreychuk's Grill and watching him recognize jerseys from all the teams that Captain Dave played for during his career. His favorite? The Bruins jersey. Daddy's favorite: The Prince of Wales jersey from the 1990 All Star Game in Pittsburgh.

~ Meeting one of Hound Central 2.0's readers, Angelina, after Colin cleaned up on yet another team sheet (shown above) during the morning session. (Angelina, feel free to participate in the contests. In both cases, including this week's Hockey Arcade, you would have had the correct answer.)

~ In proof that the Hockey Gods smile upon him, Colin was selected to ride the SweetBay Zamboni during the first intermission of the Tampa Bay Lightning's 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. I don't know who was more excited: him or me. (I promise I'll post a picture once it arrives). Even better, though, was that his Nana and Babop, visiting from New Hampshire, were able to witness his Jumbotron Moment, so to speak, at the St. Pete Times Forum.

~ Finally, learning that Penguins fans don't take too kindly to such chants as "Kansas City" and "Overrated" to the floating nonfactor known as Evgeni Malkin.

A taste of their own medicine

I came to a realization while hounding the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday afternoon that the hobby is becoming more of a job.

I don't mind putting together a book of cards. Nor am I bothered by the amount of work that goes into avoiding duplication of the 1,145 pucks we have in our collection. I've even come to appreciate the lulls with a day of hounding, creating time to catch up with friends and even make new ones.

Nope, none of that bothers me. What bothers me is the need of a handful of people, mostly dealers, who feel the need to turn a opportunity to collect autographs into nothing more than an ugly rugby scum.

I don't recall ever having that problem in North Carolina. And it sure didn't happen in AHL cities. I first encountered this behavior in Boston, which, when you think of it, should come as no surprise. And, maybe I was naive, but I was disappointed to see it in Tampa.

Much to my own chagrin, I react badly to these instances of, for the lack of a better word, bullying. Yesterday afternoon, a crush to get Sidney Crosby's autograph, despite the best efforts of another daddy, terrified my son to tears. As a result, I've had it.

And rather than walk away, like I know I should do, I remember a lesson I learned as a child. If you run away from a bully, it only makes him stronger and invites him to bother you again. But if you confront bullies, and let them know you're not backing down, they have a tendency to go away.

My wife and son will be taking some time off from adding autographs to our collection. Thankfully, the next few trips will come on work and school days, so it's not like they'll be missing much.

For the next few weeks, beginning Thursday morning with the Washington Capitals, I'll be flying solo. Actually, I'll be doing much more than that. It's time, in a non-physical way, to confront the bullies.

Doesn't hurt to ask

One of the best moments of the morning came when Pittsburgh's Dominic Moore, who played his college hockey at Harvard, stopped to sign for us.

As Moore was making his way down the line, I gave Colin a question to ask the Crimson alum.

"Dominic, can you help get me into Harvard," Colin asked.

Moore immediately started laughing.

"I don't know, buddy," he said. "I had a hard enough time getting myself into Harvard."

Christmas came early . . .

At 5:02 a.m., to be exact. Ninety minutes later, after all the presents had been opened, there had been a few hockey-related presents under the tree:

~ five club-level tickets for the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning game on Jan. 9, 2007, for Colin, Nana, Babop, Mama and Daddy;

~ a Sidney Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins jersey for Colin;

~ a Marty St. Louis photo plaque for Colin, too;

~ a Hockey Bay hoodie for Mama;

~ a Tampa Bay Lightning T-shirt for Mama, too;

~ an ESPN SportsCentury video of Wayne Gretzky for Daddy; and

~ a framed Vinny Lecavalier photo plaque.

It was a very Merry Christmas indeed.

From our house to yours, we wish you happy holidays.

Christmas Eve homily

As you can see, I found another set of cards available in a collectible tin, this one featuring Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. I just wonder, though, how long it’ll be before I can get it signed.

Now, if a proposal floated by the NHL gains support from teams, my wait might not be that long.

With Columbus and Atlanta trading conferences, divisions would be streamlined. The biggest benefit, from a hound’s standpoint, is the new schedule would bring a team to every NHL city at least once every two years.

Being in Tampa, I’d hope the northern teams, such as Calgary and Edmonton, would jump at the chance for an extended road trip through warmer climates every other January or February.

Aside from that, though, there’s really no other benefit to hounds. Tampa’s new division would contain teams that already frequent the St. Pete Times Forum – the Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Flyers, Capitals, Hurricanes and Panthers.

In fact, losing Atlanta means we’d get to hound Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa and Kari Lehtonen far fewer than the four times a season we do now. I suppose, though, that having teams like Vancouver, Minnesota and Detroit would more than make up for that.

An odds-on favorite?

Now that even Mario Lemieux says that relocation of the Pittsburgh Penguins is on the table, I’ll raise again the opportunity that exists (first item) for the Seminole Tribe of Florida to make a play for the team. Wishful thinking on my part, I know, but can you blame me?

Given the Tribe’s sovereign (meaning tax-free) status and its established gambling licenses, snapping up the Penguins would give them another entertainment option and source of revenue. Putting the team near one of its hotel/casinos, even at the expense of building a state-of-the-art rink, would create a wintertime destination for northern snowbirds.

Besides, what hound wouldn’t want a regular opportunity to score autographs from Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury. I know I would.

Want Scotty Bowman’s autograph?

If you do (and, really, what hound wouldn’t?), I hope I’ll see you next Saturday night as the Montreal Canadiens play the Tampa Bay Lightning at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Another milestone

This is the 200th posting of the season. For those who stop by regularly, I appreciate your support and look forward to sharing more insight, commentary and, as always, hounding adventures.

Tasty, yes, but a little bitter

Some random thoughts while I polish off a plate of honeybaked ham and potatoes au gratin that my wife (who dropped off our under-the-weather son at his after-school program so she could attend her company's holiday party) brought home tonight:

~ Now that Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of Research in Motion (the maker of Blackberry wireless devices), has apparently dropped his $175 million deal to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins, I'm proposing that the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which just paid $965 million for the Hard Rock chain of casinos, hotels and restaurants, buys the team and moves it to one of its tax-free properties in Florida.

My motivation for this deal is purely selfish. I'd have a field day making monthly trips to wherever the team would relocate to hound Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury.

~ You know, I thought hockey players were tough. I read that Carolina's Andrew Ladd will miss the next two to four weeks after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on Thursday.

Now, I know that a recuperative period follows every surgery, but the managing editor of Florida's best newspaper, the St. Petersburg Times, missed only one week of work after having the same surgery.

Granted, journalism isn't even in the same league as ice hockey, not even close, but one would think that Ladd's time off would be shorter, rather than longer.

~ Finally, I wouldn't be surprised if the Tampa Bay Lightning pull off a deal before Christmas. General manager Jay Feaster told the St. Petersburg Times that he's ready to pull the trigger on a trade that would shake the team out of its funk of mediocity: "The knob is turned up high and the water is boiling right over the side."

An addendum (12.20.06): The holiday trade freeze is in place, and the Lightning didn't make a deal.