May 31--Memorial Cup Recap

No birthday celebration today. So I end the month of May 24/31 days that I had autographs for a players birthday (77.4%). I say thats pretty good as it was never a project to obtain as least one autograph for every day of the year.(maybe I should start).

So I will do a

Memorial Cup Recap

Congratulations to the Saint John Sea Dogs on their 3-1 cup win over the host Mississauga St. Michaels Majors.

As I posted earler, I was a volunteer at the 2011 Mastercard Memorial Cup, along with about 700 other people. There was a mixture of old and young alike. There was one lady teacher from Columbia who wanted to interact and learn how to speak real "English". There were three shifts available (8-1, 1-6 and 6-11). I worked at least one shift in every time slot. There was Tim Hortons coffee, along with donuts, muffins, cookies and bagels in the morning. Subway was a major sponsor and there were trays of subs at lunch and dinner time. Potato chips and beef sticks along with bottled water and pop were in abundance. Right now, though, I don't think I'll be eating subs for a while.

Pocket schedule 

Event guide

Program

Some items I picked up during the tournament.

St. Michaels College magazine, Memorial Cup Edition. The HHOF exhibit had a stetson like the one in the picture signed by the 1961 cup winning St. Mikes team

Front and back of two more Don Cherry promo cards for his jacket exhibit.

Towels I was giving out on Sunday game night at the CHL VIP lounge.

The pass one required to gain access to the VIP lounge. I was talking to Dale Hawerchuk for a few minutes as he was waiting for someone. We talked a bit about the upcoming game and a bit on hockey in Winnipeg. I don't know if he knew that I knew who he was so it was just two guys talking.

The local Mississauga News had a daily Memorial Cup special with news reports on the previous days events.

Game day/performer access pass that I required besides my volunteer pass.

Media kit from the championship game. Had all the stats from the previous games.

First period summary from the game.

Roster sheet for the game.

Jeff Skinner was signing one per on game day from 4-6. I got in line before my shift to get this signed postcard. Talked to him a bit and he seemed like a pretty nice guy.

Nazem Kadri was there but I heard he was not signing autographs. You could get your picture taken with him. Saturday, I saw coach Dave Cameron looking at this ad on his way out. I jokingly said to him that he should try and sign him for one game. He gave a chuckle and left.

Also, I found out on Sunday that they had signings through the week. Lou Franceschetti, Andy Chiodoo, Dave Dryden, Peter Ing, Red Kelly, Steve Ludzik and Dennis Maruk.

I first read on another blog about this replica Memorial Cup made out of sixty pounds of chocolate. Since the game was at the Hershey Centre, Hershey's had it made and put it on display.

Shirt and jacket to wear to denote us as volunteers.

Thank you card and Memorial Cup pin.

Thank you certificate signed by David Branch, Hazel McCallion, Eugene Melnyk and

Duncan Stauth.

We got these at a volunteer appreciation party on Monday. There were door prizes (I got a t-shirt, hat, pin and bag)

Guess you can tell that I had a whale of a time. If you ever get a chance to do something like this, I say go for it. I've now done this and the NHL All-Star game. I wonder what's next.

May 30--Wes Jarvis

Wes Jarvis

Selected in 14th round by Washington Capitals, number 213 overall in the 1978 NHL Draft.

Centre Wes Jarvis was a solid playmaker and checker who was chiefly a part-time NHL player for nearly a decade. He was a prolific scorer in junior and the minor leagues but was reduced to the role player designation on the big leagues. Jarvis was a solid defensive player, a trait he shared with his better-known cousin, Doug Jarvis.(his autographs shown in previous post)

<><> CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1979-1988 WAS, MIN, LA, TOR 237 31 55 86 98

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1987 Toronto 2 0 0 0

Another one of my custom index cards from back in the day. A little glue, scissors, sports section from newspaper and index card. Voila.

Received these blue ink signed cards TTM.

May 29--Alyn McCauley

Alyn McCauley

At the age of 16 McCauley earned a roster spot with the Ottawa 67s in the OHL. He enjoyed a highly successful four-year career with the club which culminated with his being named CHL Player-of-the-Year in 1997. He was also a First Team All-Star in 1996 and 1997 and represented Canada at the 1996 and 1997 World Junior Championships both of which resulted in gold medal performances and still rank as the most memorable events in his hockey career. Brian Kilrea, the long-time head coach of the 67s, a man who has sent countless stars move on to the NHL, once gave McCauley the ultimate compliment by calling him the best player he had ever coached.
Prior to his two outstanding seasons in Ottawa, McCauley was selected in the fourth round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, 79th overall by the New Jersey Devils. However, he never played with the Devils, having been traded on February 25, 1997 with Jason Smith and Steve Sullivan for Doug Gilmour, Dave Ellett and a draft pick, which turned out to be Andre Lakos.

STATS

	GP	G	A	PTS		PIM
Career	488	69	97	166		116

Obtained this signed card in blue sharpie from  the Leaf training camp in Hamilton.

May 28--Terry Crisp

Terry Crisp

Playing junior hockey, Crisp was a natural playmaker with a strong work ethic and close attention to defense, which made him a great all-round player.

Upon turning pro in the Boston Bruins' organization in 1963, Crisp was assigned to Minneapolis of the CPHL. He got his first taste of NHL action in the 1965-66 season, when he suited up for three games.
In 1967-68, the NHL expanded from six to 12 teams. The Bruins left Crisp unprotected and he was claimed by the St. Louis Blues. He played in 73 games with the Blues that season, scoring 29 points. Crisp remained with the Blues until 1972 when the New York Islanders selected him in the Expansion Draft. He played just 54 games with the fledgling team before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Jean Potvin, where the majority of his playing fame was achieved as a member of the famed "Broad Street Bullies." Crisp retired two games into the 1976-77 season at the age of 33 and turned his sights to coaching. In the 1980s, he coached in the junior ranks and led the 1985 Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds to an undefeated season at home, going 33-0. Thanks to his tremendous coaching success in junior, Crisp was named head coach of the Calgary Flames in 1987-88, following two years as the head coach of the team's AHL affiliate in Moncton. Despite a strong record and a Stanley Cup championship in 1989 over the Montreal Canadiens, Crisp and some of the team's players always seemed to be at odds with one another, and he was let go. Crisp then coached the Tampa Bay Lightning from their inception in 1992 until 1997.

Crisp has also served as a commentator for TSN in Canada, Fox Sports and as a color analyst for the Nashville Predators.
 

Received these TTM. For some reason , the 74/75 card is signed in red. Hello Don Saleski

May 27--Ray Sheppard

Ray Sheppard

Selected in third round by Buffalo Sabres, number 60 overall in the 1984 NHL Draft.

Sheppard began his NHL career in the 1987-88 season in Buffalo, where he played three seasons. His first season saw him collect 65 points and earn NHL all-rookie team honours. The Sabres traded him to the New York Rangers in 1990 where he played just one season before signing as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings. It was in "Hockey Town" where he enjoyed his most success. During the 1993-94 season, he had career highs in goals (52), assists (41), and points (93), in 82 games.
Sheppard was on the move once again in 1995 when the Red Wings traded him to the San Jose Sharks for Igor Larionov. During the same season, he was traded once again as the Sharks sent him to the Florida Panthers, a team looking to bolster its offence for their first playoff appearance in club history. With Sheppard's help, the Panthers make it to the Stanley Cup finals against the Colorado Avalanche, only to be swept in four straight games.
Sheppard stayed in Florida for the next few seasons before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 1998-99 season. He later headed back to the Panthers for the last two seasons and retired in 2001 with 657 career points.

Sheppard has been named the 2nd best golfer amongst athletes (of sports other than golf) by Golf Digest. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Panthers Alumni Association.

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1987-2000 Buffalo, NYR, Detroit, S.J., Florida, Carolina 817 357 300 657 212

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1988-1999 BUF, DET, FLO, CAR 81 30 20 50 21

Received these blue ink signed cards TTM.

May 26--Steven Rice

Steven Rice

 20th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.

As a junior player with the Kitchener Rangers, Steven Rice had NHL potential sitting squarely on his shoulders. The challenge would be to confirm if he could stand up to the weight of such expectations, especially once the New York Rangers secured his rights in the 1989 Entry Draft.

 But at the close of the 91 season, the Rangers leapt at the chance to bring Mark Messier to Broadway. Part of the price was to send Rice to Edmonton. With the Oilers, Rice stepped into what is sometimes referred to as the young player's curse, the unenviable situation of replacing an incumbent superstar. In addition to this psychological baggage, he was also assailed with a series of injuries, including two concussions, a separated shoulder, and a broken hand.

He played 329 career NHL games, scoring 64 goals and 61 assists for 125 points.

Received these blue sharpie autographs IP. He was at the training camp for the Leafs in Hamilton in the late 90's.

May 25--Ric Nattress

Ric Nattress

Selected in second round by Montreal Canadiens number 27 overall in the 1980 NHI draft.
Ric Nattress was a solid positional defenceman in his own end who could move the puck up ice to his forwards with a minimum of difficulty.

"Stash" made his pro debut by playing five Calder Cup playoff games for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs in 1982. He played 40 games for the rebuilding Habs in 1982-83 but his role was reduced over the next two seasons. In addition, he served a 30-game suspension after being charged with possession of marijuana and hashish.

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1982-1993 MTL, STL, CGY, TOR, PHI 536 29 135 164 377

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1983-1991 Montreal, St. Louis, Calgary 67 5 10 15 60

Nattress is now General Manager and Head Coach of the Stoney Creek Warriors in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. He has led the Warriors to back to back Golden Horseshoe Championships.

Received these blue ink signed cards

and black sharpie signed photo

sort of IP. A fellow I used to work with used to buy art prints from this little gallery and framing shop in Burlington. It was run by Ric Nattress's sister. I went in and bought some hockey prints and also had her get my cards signed. Photo was a bonus. 

May 24--Pat Verbeek

Pat Verbeek

Selected in third round by New Jersey, number 43 overall in the 1982 NHL Draft.(Drafted by former Colorado Rockies team that had already committed to moving to New Jersey for 1982-83 season. The team, however, had no official name at the time Verbeek was drafted)

His nickname, "The Little Ball of Hate", was given to him in 1995 by Glenn Healy after fellow New York Rangers teammate Ray Ferraro was tagged as the "Big Ball of Hate".

A bizarre farming accident nearly cost Verbeek half of his left thumb during the 1985 off-season. On May 15, 1985, while working on a corn-planting machine (auger) on his 200-acre farm near Forest, Ontario, Verbeek had his thumb cut off between the knuckles. In addition, three fingers on his left hand were severely lacerated. The accident happened while Verbeek was reaching into a fertilizer bin to prevent a stray piece of paper from finding its way into the system and damaging equipment. In doing this, he slipped into the machinery. His left hand went directly into the moving auger, which sliced off his thumb and cut into his fingers. The injury was a clear threat to his hockey career, but swift reaction by Verbeek's brother Brian saved the day. Brian immediately loaded Pat into his truck and rushed him 20 miles to St. Joseph's Hospital in Sarnia, Ontario. Unfortunately, they did not bring the severed portion of Verbeek's thumb with them. Once they reached the hospital, Brian Verbeek phoned home and told his father, Gerry Verbeek, to go out to Pat's farm and look for the thumb in one of four fertilizer bins where it would have landed. Gerry Verbeek promptly found the thumb and transported it to the hospital, where doctors managed to surgically re-attach it. The microsurgery operation took six hours, and literally saved Verbeek's career. After the operation, Verbeek went to University Hospital in London, Ontario, where he underwent physical therapy to regain the use of his hand. By August, he was able to lift weights, and he later made it through New Jersey's 1985 training camp with no problems

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1983-2002 New Jersey, Hartford, NYR, Dallas, Detroit 1,424 522 541 1,063 2,905

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1988-2001 New Jersey, Hartford, NYR, Dallas, Detroit 117 26 36 62 225

Verbeek is currently employed as a pro scout with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He previously served as pro scout with the Detroit Red Wings.

Received these black ink signed cards TTM.

May 23--Gary Roberts

Gary Roberts

Selected in first round by Calgary Flames ,number 12 overall in the 1984 NHL Draft.

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1986-2005 CGY, CAR, TOR, FLO 1,048 401 414 815 2,359

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1987-2004 Calgary, Car., Toronto 114 28 57 85 298

Scored goal in his first NHL game (November 11, 1986 Vancouver at Calgary).
His goal beat goaltender Wendell Young at 7:20 of the third period, closing out the scoring in Calgary's 5-3 win over Vancouver. Roberts ended up in the net with the puck.

Roberts played the first ten seasons of his NHL career with the Flames, winning the Stanley Cup in 1989. A serious neck injury forced Roberts to miss most of the 1994–95 season as well as the first half of the 1995–96 season. He returned to the Flames late that year, and after scoring 42 points in 35 games, won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey. His neck did not get better, and he was forced to miss the entire 1996–97 season. One year later, Roberts made a comeback with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he played three seasons before finishing his career with stints playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Since his retirement, Roberts has been training players from juniors and the NHL from his home in Ontario during the offseason. The Stars officially named Roberts as their Player Development Consultant on October 15, 2010

Signed in black marker TTM.

Also included this 4 x 6 auto photo.

May 22--Memorial Cup

No birthday post today so another day at the Memorial Cup.

In the Fanfest area, I picked up some things.  At the CCM booth, they had these AO stickers they were giving away. There were draws at different booths. (Mississauga Police, Mississauga FD, Canadian Armed Forces). The requisite pens, stickers and lanyards were aplenty.

Front and back of advertising postcard to view jackets from the Don Cherry collection.

Free samples, like this sinus rinse.  Thunder sticks and a cowbell from Rogers. Also potato chips for the tummy Lots to see and do. Admission to this is free.
Exhibits from the HHOF. Sticks, jerseys and memorabilia from players who have previously played in the Memorial Cup. ( Orr stick, signed Stetson from the 60/61 Memorial Cup winning St. Michaels College, Tavares jersey etc). May get some pictures later.

Finally, AllState Insurance had a picture taking booth.

There I am, sitting in my stall, between Giguere and Duchene. Also found out there was an autograph signing that I missed. Some guy named Jeff Skinner. Oh well, maybe another time.

May 21--Five hole



Shutout for the fifth time this month to bring you a todays birthday. So I am going to update you on my volunteer job at the 2011 Mastercard Memorial Cup. After two days, Saint John and Owen Sound are each 1 and 0 with Missisauga and Kootenay 0 and 1.

So I have worked the last two days there, tomorrow and next Saturday and Sunday at the championship game.

Button from the tournament.

My pass to get in and around but does not grant unlimited access.

My volunteer handbook which does state:

No asking for autographs or taking photographs of participants, VIP's, media or patrons.

I guess I should play by the rules so I don't get booted out. What would you do? I heard there were a lot of NHL scouts there for last nights game. They also had some members of the last St. Mikes team to win the Memorial Cup ( 50 years ago)

So the last two days, I was door host/security at the back of the arena. This is where the teams come in to get dressed for practice. My job is just making sure no one that is unauthorized gets access to this area. Every player walks by, wish I could get team autographed photo for all four teams. Talk to the coaches, Dave Cameron and James Boyd (St. Mikes), Mark Reeds (Owen Sound), Jerry Bancks and Todd Johnson (Kootenay) and Saint John (Yvon Vautour). Talk to the bus drivers, Owen Sounds driver is Mike Fisher but not Mr. Carrie Underwood).

Owen Sound Attack center Roman Berdnikov.

The Owen Sound people were getting the accreditation for his father and they left him waiting by the door. I talked to the father Sergei for a bit. Pretty interesting. (Roman scored two goals tonight in his teams 5-0 victory).

Lots more stuff to tell and some scans of other things in a blog to be posted later. Makes for a long day as it is about a 2 1/2 hr round trip  for me and work a 5 hour shift.

But as "Badger" Bob Johnson says: Its a great day for hockey" Thems good words.