Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane

Currently with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Fan letter sent: February 9, 2009.

Autograph received: July 23, 2009.

A few days after the Blackhawks Convention ended, I got one of my return envelopes postmarked from Buffalo, NY. That is where Patrick Kane is from, and apparently he takes his fan mail home over the summer. Kane signed both cards in thin blue Sharpie marker.

Nathan Guenin

Nathan Guenin

Currently with the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL).

Fan letter sent: February 17, 2009.

Autograph received: July 21, 2009.

Guenin spent last season with the Flyers' farm team, but he did play one game for the parent club. He signed this card in black Sharpie marker.

Bobby Hull

Bobby Hull

Retired player. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

Autograph purchased at the Chicago Blackhawks Convention on July 19, 2009.

While Bobby Hull was a guest at the Blackhawks Convention, the only way you could obtain his autograph was if you won a VIP signing session with him.

However, I did find this card for $10. The dealer I bought it from was very reputable. In fact, he was the longtime promoter of the twice-annual card show out in Rosemont, IL that I attend. I've purchased numerous autographs from this guy.

Anyway, this card of The Golden Jet is signed in golden Sharpie marker. I finally have something signed by Bobby Hull.

More about day three at the Blackhawks Convention can be read here at Puck Junk.

Glen Featherstone

Glen Featherstone

Retired player.

Autograph purchased at the Chicago Blackhawks Convention on on July 19, 2009.

I purchased this signed 8" by 10" of former NHL player Glen Featherstone for $2.

Featherstone played three seasons for the Chicago Wolves, back when the team was part of the "old" IHL.

More about day three at the Blackhawks Convention can be seen here at Puck Junk.

Phil Russell

Phil Russell

Retired player.

Autographs obtained in-person on July 19, 2009.

Phil Russell is a former tough guy for the Chicago Blackhawks. His line for autographs moved super slow, because he is very friendly and talkative with the fans. Very cool guy and nice looking signature.



Full story about the Blackhawks Convention can be seen here.

Eric Nesterenko

Eric Nesterenko

Retired player.

Autograph obtained in-person on July 19, 2009.

Eric Nesterenko played around 20 years in the NHL, most of them with the Blackhawks. He also played Blane Youngblood--the father of main character Dean Youngblood--in the hockey film "Youngblood".

The photo you see above is a screen capture from the "Youngblood" DVD, touched up in Photoshop and printed out on glossy photo paper.

Nesterenko was surprised to see this shot from the film--he recognized it instantly. However, he could not remember his character's name (I politely reminded him).

More about day three at the Blackhawks Convention--including some video of Nesterenko-- can be seen here at Puck Junk.

Murray Bannerman

Murray Bannerman

Retired player.

Autograph obtained in-person on July 19, 2009.

Shellie so kindly waited in line for two hours to get this photo signed for me.

More about day three at the Blackhawks Convention--including some video of Bannerman himself--can be seen here at Puck Junk.

Cliff Koroll

Cliff Koroll

Retired player.

Autograph obtained in-person on July 19, 2009.

Cliff Koroll was at the Blackhawks Convention last year too. Back then, he had a short conversation with Shellie. This year, I got his autograph while Shellie was waiting for Murray Bannerman.

More about day three at the Blackhawks Convention can be read here at Puck Junk.

Stan Mikita

Stan Mikita

Retired player. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

Autograph obtained in-person on July 19, 2009.

I was lucky enough to win one of the VIP signing sessions. I did not know who I'd be getting the autograph from until the session started. Hedging my bets, I picked up an 8" by 10" photo of every VIP.

As you can see, the VIP I got to get an autograph from was none other than Stan Mikita. I got his autograph last year, but I'm not complaining. This time around, I did not have to wait three hours for his signature, and I had this sweet photograph with me. Recognize the photo? It was used on a 1990-91 Pro Set card.

More about this can be read here on Puck Junk.

Jordan Hendry

Jordan Hendry

Currently splitting time between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Rockford Icehogs (AHL).

Autographs obtained in-person on July 18, 2009.

Shellie and I each got a card signed by 'Hawks prospect Jordan Hendry.

Full story about the Blackhawks Convention can be seen here.

Pat Foley

Pat Foley

Currently the TV play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Autographs obtained in-person on July 18, 2009.

After a panel discussion, Pat Foley stuck around and signed autographs for the fans.

As you can see, this card depicts Foley as a member of the Chicago Wolves. For two seasons (2006-07 and 2007-08), Foley was the play-by-play guy for the Wolves after the Blackhawks unceremoniously fired him at the end of the 2005-06 season.

After longtime owner Bill Wirtz passed away, the 'Hawks new owner (Rocky Wirtz) did what he could to bring Foley back to the Blackhawks, an he re-joined the team for the 2008-09 season. The Chicago Wolves were cool to hire Foley in the first place, and even cooler to let him out of his contract to go back to calling games for the Blackhawks.

Anyway, the full story about the Blackhawks Convention can be seen here.

Ed Olczyk

Ed Olczyk

Retired player. Currently the TV color commentator for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Autographs obtained in-person on July 18, 2009.

After a panel discussion, Ed Olczyk stuck around and signed autographs for everyone. Very cool of him to do that.

Full story about the Blackhawks Convention can be seen here.

Joel Quenneville

Joel Quenneville

Retired player. Currently the Head Coach of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Autographs obtained in-person on July 18, 2009.

Joel Quenneville was happy to see some Whalers cards. Shellie got one of the cards signed, and then I came up to get the other one 'graphed. Quenneville, seeing two Whalers cards in a row said "All right, another Whalers card! The Whale lives on!"



Full story about the Blackhawks Convention can be seen here.

Tony Amonte

Tony Amonte

Retired player.

Autographs obtained in-person on July 18, 2009.

Another autograph I got at the Blackhawks Convention was of former team captain Tony Amonte. He was recently inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, and scored the game winning goal for Team USA in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

Full story about the Blackhawks Convention can be seen here.

Doug Jarrett

Doug Jarrett

Retired player.

Autographs obtained in-person on July 18, 2009.

After getting Dave Bolland's autograph on day 2 of the Hawks Con, we each got a card signed by Doug Jarrett.

Full story about the Blackhawks Convention can be seen here.

Dave Bolland

Dave Bolland

Currently with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Autographs obtained in-person on July 18, 2009.

Dave Bolland was another guest at the 2009 Chicago Blackhawks Convention. I really wanted to get his 2006-07 Young Guns rookie card signed in blue Sharpie marker, which I did during the second day of the show

I also got a 2008-09 OPC card signed, even though I already have a signed copy of that card from an earlier TTM success.

Bob Probert

Bob Probert

Retired player.

Autographs obtained in-person on July 17, 2009.

One of the toughest men to ever play in the NHL, Bob Probert was one of the guests at this year's Chicago Blackhawks Convention. My girlfriend Shellie and I waited in line for almost two hours, but it was worth it.

I also had a short but funny conversation with Probert, which can be read at my other hockey site Puck Junk.

Carol Vadnais

Carol Vadnais

Retried player.

Fan letter sent: June 16, 2009.

Autographs received: July 9 2009.

Carol Vadnais signed all five cards sent in black Sharpie marker. Though I can't pronounce his name to save my life, I still wanted his autograph--the former defenseman played 16 seasons in the NHL with Montreal, Oakland/California, Boston, New York and New Jersey.

Rob Schremp

Rob Schremp

Currently with the Springfield Falcons (AHL), but might play next season with the Edmonton Oilers.

Autograph received in a trade.

Fellow blogger Kolin also sent me this autographed paper thingy of Oilers player Rob Schremp. I guess he and some Oilers were at some charity signing event in Saskatchewan recently.

Wow, so this guy has played a whopping total of 7 games in the NHL over three years--and yet, he has one of those illegible autographs that you might expect from someone who has, you know, at least played a season in the bigs.

No matter. Still very cool, and very much appreciated.

Dimitri Kvartalnov

Dmitri Kvartalnov

Retired player.

Autograph received in a trade.

Another card that Kolin sent my way, this one is of former Boston Bruins player Dimitri Kvartalnov.

I absolutely love this card. It is an autographed card that was randomly inserted into packs of 1992-93 Classic Hockey cards, and is hand-numbered 2548/4000. Kvartalnov only played 112 games in the NHL, but he has two big claims to fame. First, he scored at least one point in the first 14 games of his career--a record that stood from 1992 until 2006, when Evgeni Malkin scored in the first 15 games of his rookie year.

Perhaps Kvartalnov's career-beginning point-scoring streak was the reason for his second claim to fame. We all remember the magnificent video game NHL '94. Most of us played NHL '94 on Super Nintendo or the Sega Genesis, but Kvartalnov appeared on the cover of the not-often-seen PC version of the game.



Like I said, awesome! Thanks, Kolin!

Brad Meier

Brad Meier

Currently a National Hockey League referee.

Autograph received in a trade.

So, apparently the NHL Officials have their own set of trading cards. Who knew? Haven't seen a ref on a card since the 1990-91 Pro Set release. Anyway, this was another card sent to me by Kolin. Very cool.

Joe Cirella

Joe Cirella

Retired player.

Autograph received in a trade.

Fellow autograph collector and blogger Kolin Walters sent me this card of retired player Joe Cirella.

Dave Lewis

Dave Lewis

Retired player.

Autograph received in a trade.

Fellow autograph collector and blogger Kolin Walters sent me a few autographed cards recently. One was of former NHLer Dave Lewis, who most recently was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings (2008-09).