Mark Hardy

Mark Hardy

Retried player. Currently an Assistant Coach with the Los Angeles Kings.

Fan letter sent: January 12, 2009.

Autographs received: August 27, 2009.

Mark Hardy played 13 full seasons in the NHL, and has been an assistant coach with various teams for just as long. He was an assistant with the Blackhawks from 2006 to 2008, and re-joined the Kings coaching staff last year.

Hardy signed both cards in blue Sharpie marker.

Howie Meeker

Howie Meeker

Retried player. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Fan letter sent: June 11, 2009.

Autographs received: August 15, 2009.

Howie Meeker won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year in 1947. He played in the NHL from 1947 to 1954, coached a few seasons and then became a broadcaster. In 1998, he won the Foster Hewitt Award and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Anyway, Meeker signed my card in black Sharpie marker, writing Hi Sal Have Fun and adding his Hall of Fame induction year. Meeker also included a nifty little photo of him from his playing days--the card shows him as a coach. The photo is interesting because it appears to be a black and white pic that was hand-colored.

Yvan Cournoyer

Yvan Cournoyer

Retried player. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Fan letter sent: June 11, 2009.

Autographs received: August 15, 2009.

Cournoyer signed all four cards in blue Sharpie marker. I wrote to him--unsuccessfully--a few years back, and got my cards back unsigned with a form letter telling me to check some website on how to acquire Cournoyer's autograph. I guess some guy was selling postcards autographed by Cornoyer and several other "old time hockey" players.

That is no longer the case, as Cornoyer is signing cards through the mail these days. Awesome, because I've wanted that Hall of Fame card (the painting) signed for three years now.

Guy Lapointe

Guy Lapointe

Retired player. Currently a scout with the Minnesota Wild. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Fan letter sent: June 11, 2009.

Autograph received: August 13, 2009.

Lapointe played 14 years in the NHL and is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He currently is the Coordinator of Amateur Scouting for the Minnesota Wild

Lapointe signed three of the four cards I sent in blue Sharpie marker. He did not sign a 2002 Fleer Greats of the Game card. From what I've been told, he never signs that card. I'm really not sure why. Nonetheless, it is cool to get these three other cards signed by him.

Mike Walton

Mike Walton

Retired player.

Fan letter sent: June 16, 2009.

Autograph received: August 7, 2009.

Walton played in the NHL and WHA from 1965 to 1979. Besides the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks, he also played for the Boston Bruins, the St. Louis Blues, the Vancouver Canucks and the Minnesota Fighting Saints.

He signed all three cards sent in black Sharpie marker.