Adam Burish

Adam Burish

Currently with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Fan letter sent: January 12, 2009.

Autographs received: February 28, 2009.

A fan-favorite, Adam Burish is a heart-and-soul player, and one of the team's unsung heroes.

Burish very nicely signed both cards in black Sharpie marker.

Overall, February was a very good month for TTM autographs. In the span of 28 days, I had 35 successes for a total of 112 signed cards.

Phil Bourque

Phil Bourque

Retired player. Currently the Radio Color Commentator for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fan letter sent: February 17, 2009

Autographs received: February 28, 2009.

Phil Bourque played the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, although I do remember him playing for my hometown Chicago Wolves during the 1996-97 season. He currently is the radio color commentator for the Pens.

Bourque nicely signed all seven cards that I sent in thick black marker, and added his uniform number 29 under each signature.

Dave Capuano

Dave Capuano

Retired player.

Fan letter sent: February 2, 2009

Autographs received: February 27, 2009.

Dave Capuano signed three of my four cards in thick black marker. He kept the fourth card that I sent--a 1991-92 Pro Set card. I guess he needed that one for his collection :)

Kevin Doell

Kevin Doell

Currently with the Leksand Stars of the Swedish Ice Hockey League.

Fan letter sent: December 27, 2008.

Autograph received: February 27, 2009.

I wrote to Doell c/o the Leksand Stars of the Swedish Ice Hockey League. But my card came back postmarked from Canada. Doell must have been visiting home when he answered my letter. He also sent back the two dollars I enclosed to cover postage costs (from Sweden to the U.S.), which was very nice of him.

Anyway, Doell used a black Sharpie marker to sign my 2006-07 Chicago Wolves card of him.

Paul Stanton

Paul Stanton

Retired player.

Fan letter sent: February 17, 2009

Autographs received: February 25, 2009.

Paul Stanton signed all six of the cards that I sent him, using a blue Sharpie marker. And it only took eight days to get these cards back. What a great guy!

John Anderson

John Anderson

Retired player. Currently the Head Coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Fan letter sent: February 2, 2009.

Autographs received: February 26, 2009.

After coaching the Chicago Wolves for ten seasons--racking up two Turner Cup Championships and two Calder Cup Championships--John Anderson has finally gotten his shot at coaching in the NHL.

True to form, Anderson signed both cards in thin black marker. Anderson always seems to sign in thin marker; he did so when I wrote to him in November 2007.

The Topps card (left) was the last card issued during his playing days, while the card on the right was part of the 2006-07 Chicago Wolves Team Set. Here, the card pictures him as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It was raining hard today, and all my mail got soaked. Despite these cards getting rather wet, once dried they looked fine.

Jason Herter

Jason Herter

Retired player. Currently an Assistant Coach with the Fargo Force (USHL).

Fan letter sent: February 17, 2009.

Autograph received: February 26, 2009.

Jason Herter only played one NHL game, and that was for the New York Islanders. Here, he is pictured as a Vancouver Canucks' draft pick. He is now an Assistant Coach for the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League.

Herter graciously signed the card I sent in black Sharpie marker. Unfortunately, it rained really hard today, so my mail got absolutely drenched. Either this autograph washed off a bit, or Herter used a slightly fading marker. The card also got a bit warped from water damage, but still looks OK.

Bill Barber

Bill Barber

Retired player. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Fan letter sent: November 21, 2008.

Autographs received: February 25, 2009.

Bill Barber now works for the Philadelphia Flyers, though I forget what his exact job title is. No matter. He signed these four cards in blue Sharpie marker.

Mr. Barber is one of the best and most consistent TTM signers. About two years back, I had a similar success when he signed the three cards I sent, again using a blue Sharpie.

It is awesome that Hall of Fame players like Barber willingly sign autographs.

Kevin Stevens

Kevin Stevens

Retired player.

Fan letter sent: February 17, 2009.

Autographs received: February 24, 2009.

After watching Kevin Stevens play for so many years, it is great to finally have his autograph. Unfortunately, it looks like he used a marker that was running out of ink. Stevens also kept two cards--a 1991-92 Pro Set card of him from the 1991 NHL All-Star Game, and a 2001-02 Upper Deck Vintage card. I'll have to write to him again--maybe in six months or so--and try a to get that All-Star card signed.

Paul Gillis

Paul Gillis

Retired player. Currently the Head Coach of the Odessa Jackalopes of the CHL.

Fan letter sent: January 27, 2009.

Autographs received: February 23, 2009.

Gillis played ten seasons in the NHL, mostly with the Quebec Nordiques. He also played some games for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Hartford Whalers. Currently, he is the head coach of the Odessa Jackalopes of the Central Hockey League--a minor hockey league that is based in Texas.

Gillis signed the four cards that I sent in black Sharpie marker. The card where he is with the Blackhawks is from the 1991-92 Score Canadian set. I now have 72 out of 660 cards from that signed, or about 11%.

Milan Michalek

Milan Michalek

Currently with the San Jose Sharks.

Fan letter sent: January 8, 2009.

Autographs received: February 23, 2009.

About six weeks is all it took to get these four cards back from San Jose Sharks winger Milan Michalek. He used a black Sharpie marker to autograph these cards. The Victory card got smudged a little bit--you can hardly notice--but the other three 'graphs look great.

Paul Gardner

Paul Gardner

Retired player. Currently the Head Coach of the Hamburg Freezers of the German Hockey League.

Fan letter sent: January 9, 2009.

Autographs received: February 20, 2009.

Retired NHL player Paul Gardner is now the coach of the Hamburg Freezers of the German Hockey League. I sent Mr. Gardner my three cards, along with two dollars to cover postage costs from Germany to the U.S.

Apparently, he took his fan mail home, as the letter came back to me, postmarked from Nashville, TN. Garnder had used one of the dollars to purchase two stamps, and sent back the other dollar with my cards, which were signed in black Sharpie marker.

Jonas Hiller

Jonas Hiller

Currently with the Anaheim Ducks.

Fan letter sent: December 29, 2008.

Autographs received: February 19, 2009.

The Ducks' backup goalie, Hiller signed both cards using black Sharpie marker.

Niko Dimitrakos

Niko Dimitrakos

Currently with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Elite League.

Fan letter sent: December 27, 2009.

Autograph received: February 19, 2010.

I think this is my first "overseas" success of the season. Dimitrakos played 17 games for the Chicago Wolves in the 2006-07 season, and was included in their 2006-07 team set. I sent this card to him, along with two dollars to cover postage costs from Sweden to the U.S. Not only did Dimitrakos sign my card in black Sharpie marker, he also autographed the piece of cardboard I put in my return envelope to keep the card from getting bent.

Don McKenney

Don McKenney

Retired player.

Fan letter sent: February 2, 2009.

Autographs received: February 18, 2009.

Don McKenney played 12 seasons in the NHL during the "Original Six" Era, and one final season with the St. Louis Blues during the first year of expansion. In addition to Boson and Toronto, he also played for the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers. McKenney won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the most gentlemanly player in the 1959-60 season, and after he retired from playing he spent nine seasons coaching in the NCAA.

Anyway, Mr. McKenney signed both cards in black ballpoint pen, which is typical of players from that era. I will say that his signature, though in pen, is very nice--an actual signature, and not a scrawled, hard-to-read autograph like today's players. McKenney also put #17 above his autograph.

By the way, this marks the 50th 1964-65 Tall Boys card I have signed, and the 20th signed 1956-57 "Missing Link" card.

Marty McSorley

Mary McSorley

Retired player.

Fan letter sent: January 12, 2009

Autographs received: February 17, 2009.

Hell yes! Marty McSorley signed all five cards that I sent to him in thin blue Sharpie marker. He even personalized the red-bordered Score card Sal All the Best. They say that the toughest guys on the ice are among the nicest off the ice. Looking at the nice job Mr. McSorley did in signing my cards, I'm inclined to believe it.