July 31--Tony Featherstone

Tony Featherstone

Selected by Oakland Seals round 1 #7 overall 1969 NHL Amateur Draft

Right winger Tony Featherstone played two years of junior hockey with the Peterborough Petes then turned pro with the Providence Reds of the American Hockey League in 1969-70. He found himself in the National Hockey League during his rookie pro campaign.

Featherstone played nine games for the Oakland Seals that year registering one assist. The next year he cracked the NHL roster permanently, playing 67 contests with the re-named California Golden Seals scoring eight goals and eight assists.

On October 6th, 1971, California traded Featherstone to the Montreal Canadiens for Ray Matyniuk. Featherstone was unable to crack the talented Canadiens roster and spent the next two seasons with Montreal's farm club in Nova Scotia.

In May 1973, the Canadiens dealt Featherstone to the Minnesota North Stars, and that proved to his ticket back to the NHL. In 1973-74, he played 54 games for the North Stars and posted career high numbers with 9 goals and 21 points. Despite his putting up his best numbers, it proved to be the last year in the NHL.  He signed with the Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association for the last two seasons of his hockey career.

 

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1969-1974 Oakland/Calif., Minnesota 130 17 21 38 65

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1970 Oakland 2 0 0 0 0

Career

WHA

108

29

45

74

29

2

31

Received this blue ink signed card TTM

 

This months total is 25/31. This is fairly consistent with the previous months. Maybe I should try to get autographed cards for that days where I don't have any for that birthday.

August, here we come.

July 30--Reed Larson

Reed Larson




Selected by Minnesota Fighting Saints round 14 #220 overall 1974 WHA Amateur Draft
Selected by Detroit Red Wings round 2 #22 overall 1976 NHL Amateur Draft


Larson broke into the NHL via the Detroit Red Wings where he was a runner-up for the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie.  He was the first American-born player and the sixth defenseman to score 200 career goals.
After ten seasons as a fixture on the Red Wings blueline, he  joined the Bruins for two and a half seasons before rounding out his NHL days with the Oilers, Islanders, North Stars and Sabres.
Larson then headed overseas to play and coach in Italy for four years. Afterwards, he returned to Minnesota to play nine games for the Moose of the IHL before hanging up his skates for good. The finishing touch to his career came with his election to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1977-1990 Detroit, Boston, Edmonton, NYI, Minnesota, Buffalo 904 222 463 685 1,391

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1978-1989 Detroit, Boston, Minnesota 32 4 7 11 63

Received these blue ink signed cards TTM.



July 29--Pete Conacher

Pete Conacher

In possession of one of the most famous surnames in hockey, left winger Pete Conacher, who was born in 1932 in Toronto, played professionally for the Chicago Black Hawks, the New York Rangers and his hometown Leafs. His NHL career spanned the years 1951 to 1958. His father, Charlie, began as a goalie in minor hockey before setting out on an NHL Hall of Fame career as a right winger. Young Pete played junior hockey for the Galt (Ontario) Black Hawks and at 19 was signed by the big league Chicago team of the same name in 1951. In fact, on the very day that Pete was called up by Chicago, November 16 his uncle Roy, who was the league scoring champion back in 1948-49, decided to hang up his skates. In a further family connection, Pete's uncle Lionel Conacher was a Hall of Fame defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Americans, Montreal Maroons and Chicago Black Hawks of the old NHL in the 1920s and 1930s.  When he retired, he played for the NHL oldtimers' team for 15 years and then took a job as a floor trader on the Toronto Stock Exchange, a job that he had first held during his summers off from pro hockey.

 

Career

NHL

229

47

39

86

37

57

Received these blue ink signed cards TTM.

Envelope they came in addressed in green marker.

Hand written letter thanking me.

Picture he sent that is mentioned in above letter signed in green marker.

July 28--Jim Korn

Jim Korn




Selected by Detroit Red Wings round 5 #73 overall 1977 NHL Amateur Draft
Selected by New England Whalers round 6 #52 overall 1977 WHA Amateur Draft
Jim was a very physical player and earned his  paycheck by being just that. He was willing to drop the gloves. Some nights he could play a very effective role by punishing teams physically in terms of body checks and clearing out the front of the net, but more often than not such play would result in skirmishes. Tangible skills were not readily evident with Jim. He had decent speed for a big man on the ice, but no agility. He couldn't do much with the puck other than dump it out of the zone, and any goal he scored would be by banging in front of the net, or the occasional shot from the point that the goalie couldn't see due to traffic in front of him.
He showed flashes of talent but his attitude was always a concern and constantly alienated him from his teammates.

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1979-1990 DET, TOR, BUF, NJ, CGY 597 66 122 188 1,801

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1983-1990 Toronto, New Jersey, Calgary 16 1 2 3 109

Received these blue ink signed cards IP.

July 27--Is this an autograph???

The hobby of collecting autographs is known as philography.

An autograph refers to a person's artistic signature.

A signature is a handwritten (and sometimes stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. So armed with this information, I asked myself what is an autograph? So if it has to be handwritten, does that mean if it is printed, it is not an autograph.

That would mean any return addresses with a PRINTED name is not an autograph. I guess I buy that. (now what if that person's first language is not English and they learned to print English---or if the celebrity was a child who hadn't learned how to write yet). Henry Boucha autograph--Yes or No

Now if they just sign their last name, is that an autograph. Lefley (Chuck), autograph Yes or No.

Now thanks to Fuji at http://sanjosefuji.blogspot.com/ who turned me on to his music. Since I also play, my interest was piqued.

Yuto Miyazawa, 11 year old guitarist extraordinaire. Check him out.
http://www.yutoguitar.com/

His name in Japanese  宮澤佑門. Would this be an autograph. First name signed in English. Yes or No.

Now this short note signed by Bryan Campbell. Signed Soupy, which I think is the nickname of everyone named Campbell. Yes or No.

I think it's easier just posting cards for the days birthday. All this thinking is hurting my head.

And I still don't have any clear cut answers. Let me know what you think. Thanks

July 26--Rick Martin

Rick Martin

Selected in first round, number 5 overall, by Buffalo Sabres in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft.

Legendary GM Punch Imlach once called Richard Martin "the greatest natural goal scorer I've seen". Martin's slapshot was terrifying and struck fear in goalies everywhere.
Martin became etched in Sabre lore as the high-scoring winger on the "French Connection," skating alongside Gilbert Perreault and Rene Robert .

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1971-1981 Buffalo, Los Angeles 685 384 317 701 477

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1973-1981 Buffalo, Los Angeles 63 24 29 53 74 Received black sharpie signed IP at one of the NHL Slo Pitch Classics in Niagara falls. (this scan previously seen April 15)

July 25--Tim Watters

Tim (Muddy) Watters



Selected in sixth round, 124th overall  by Winnipeg Jets in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft.

There were only 6 rounds back then and 126 picks. It just goes to show you that late round picks can make it.

Though he played in 2 Olympics and well over 700 NHL games, Watters quietly had a nice career by playing a solid though unspectacular role from 1981 through 1995 with the Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings - two teams that didn't enjoy much success or fanfare.

Just 5'11 and 185 lbs, Watters learned to play an intelligent game in the National Hockey League. He learned to be in perfect position and angled shooters out of harm's way, as there was little chance he could out muscle many of the incoming attackers. He read the oncoming rushes very well, and thanklessly cut off passing lanes and blocked shots.

Physically he learned to tie up players sticks and was one of the few modern players to master the hip check. Watter's contributions to his team were usually of the unnoticeable and thankless variety.

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1981-1995 Winnipeg, Los Angeles 741 26 151 177 1,289

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1982-1993 Winnipeg, Los Angeles 82 1 5 6 115

Received these black sharpie signed cards TTM.
 

July 24--21 Players

Nothing for any of the 21 players celebrating birthdays today.

Time for show and tell.

 

Received this patch of HC Fribourg-Gotteron from Anton Stastny when he played there in 89/90.



On the back of the 63/64 Parkhurst cards, there was an opportunity to

mail away for an autographed puck (for 30 cents plus 5 Parkhurst wrappers) You had your choice of Gordie Howe, Dave Keon or Jean Beliveau. I wonder if this is the item. I kind of remember a Dave Keon skate sharpener we had and I think it came with a puck. Anyhow, got this item at a garage sale .

 

Different garage sale, same result. Facsimile autographed puck, this time Phil Esposito with NHLPA logo. Can't recall or find any information on this.

 

 

As I've said before, brings back memories.

 

He shoots, he scores.(Lance et Compte)

July 23--No birthdays today

Winnipeg Jets unveil new logo inspired by RCAF. It's a a traditional-looking primary insignia of a silver fighter jet viewed from the sky-to-ground angle over top a red maple leaf. Modern and clean looking. Could have been worse. Still love the old logo though. The team's website now proclaims the Jets as "Fuelled by Passion"

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Boogaard brother charged in NHL player's OD death

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2011/07/22/boogaard_brother_charged/

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Steven Stamkos ($37.5 million)



TSN (The Sports Network) was showing the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championships on Friday Jan 4/08. Canada beat the U.S.A. 4-1 to advance to the final. To promote the game, they had a these ticket looking giveaways produced. Don't know if they had the whole team as I only got Stamkos, Doughty, Turris and Alzner.  Something different from the collection.
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Some more autographed wire photos. This time featuring a star player.  Lafleur as a Nordique and as a Ranger. These may truly be 1/1.

That's all for today. 20 players with today as their birthdate.  I have nothing for them so a hodge podge today.



July 22--Gerry Desjardins

Gerry Desjardins

Gerry Desjardins was originally a prospect in the Montreal Canadiens system. After tearing up the American Hockey League in 1967-68, the Habs traded the hot prospect to Los Angeles in exchange for two draft picks. One was Dick Redmond (actually selected by Minnesota as Montreal flipped the pick in another trade) and the other was Steve Shutt.

Desjardins had a successful seven-year NHL career, which most would agree could have been much longer had a serious eye injury not prematurely ended his career. Gerry played in just 3 games in the 1977-78 season before he hung up his blocker and catching glove. He was struck in the eye with a puck in a game against the Boston Bruins.

Regular Season

Playoffs

Fight Card

GP

G

A

P

+/-

PIMs

GP

G

A

P

+/-

PIMs

NHL Totals				331	0	3	3		39	20	0	1	1		8	1
WHA Totals				41	0	1	1		13							1

Received these blue ink signed cards TTM.

July 21--Phil Russell

Phil Russell


Selected in first round, number 13 overall,  by Chicago Black Hawks in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft.
When the Chicago Blackhawks drafted Phil Russell in 1972, there was no mystery about the kind of player they were about to usher into their organization. The big rearguard had just completed a two-year stint with the Edmonton Oil Kings where he led the WCJHL in penalty minutes while showcasing an abundance of hockey skill.
He arrived in the big leagues as a soft-spoken but hard-nosed type who could skate well for his size, play with muscle, handle the puck with confidence, and contribute to the power play.

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1972-1986 CHI, ATL/CGY, NJ, BUF 1,016 99 325 424 2,038

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1973-1983 Chicago, Atlanta/Calgary 73 4 22 26 202

Received these black marker signed cards TTM

Return envelope from Rusty's Tavern postmarked 198.

July 20--Larry Johnston

Larry Johnston

 

Johnston played junior with the Waterloo Warriors and was originally the property of the Toronto Maple Leafs

 

 

Larry Johnston was a tough stay-at-home defenceman whose NHL career lasted over 300 games because he was competitive and played within his means. He suited up for three different big league franchises, providing grit and leadership for each one.

 

WHA Totals  49   0   9   9    93

NHL Totals    318 9 64 73 580

 Received these blue ink signed cards TTM

He also included this McCarthy postcard.

Envelope with return address postmarked 1987.

July 19--No Birthdays

For the third time this month, no autographs of any of the 16 players with birthdays today. So I'll share some more stuff from my collection.

Some pinback buttons from the Wayne Gretzky Tennis Classic here in Brantford. Don't remember picking one up from the 2nd annual one.

Button from NHL SloPitch Classic in Niagara Falls.

These were two of the best events for getting autographs in the 80's.

Patches of teams from the 1976 CanadaCup.

Some WHA patches

Some miscellaneous patches.

Pretty much anything connected to hockey I collect because

Chris Osgood:HOF???

The Hall of Fame debate centering on Osgood is one that will rage for at least three years, when he officially goes on the Selection Committee's ballot. Some will say his numbers put him on solid footing for induction, while others will argue Osgood was the beneficiary of playing on great teams and his numbers are a result of who played in front of him. I say no. Don't think of him as being worthy now or in the past.

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Todays signings

Tampa Bay signs Steven Stamkos to a 5 year deal $37.5 million dollar deal. Meanwhile my Toronto Maple Leafs signed Joey Crabb to a 1 year two-way contract with an NHL salary of $750,000 and 105,000 at the AHL level.  HMMM

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Stay tuned for more goodness.



July 18--Don Awrey

Don Awrey

 Awrey played for the Niagara Falls Flyers of the OHA  before being signed by the Bruins. He made his NHL debut in 1963-64 after graduating from the Flyers in the OHL, though it was still three years before he made the Bruins full-time. ( his first of 17 seasons in the league.) Don's proudest moment of his career came in 1972 when he was chosen to play for Team Canada in the Summit Series against the Russians.
Aside from his stints in Boston and Montreal he also played for St.Louis, Pittsburgh, NY Rangers and finally for Colorado Rockies in 1978-79. This great shot blocking defenseman wasn't flashy but he was very tough to get around and he did his job admirably. He played in 979 career games.

Received these black sharpie signatures IP. The\is was at one of the Original Six Old Timers tournaments. He also signed the 69/70 OPC #203 featuring Skip Krakes picture. Too bad I didn't get the Krake #141 signed. I have the Larmer/Ludzik and Otto/Lemay switched photos signed.

July 17--Bryan Trottier

Bryan Trottier

Selected by New York Islanders,  round 2 #22 overall in the 1974 nHL Amateur Draft.

Selected by Cincinnati Stingers, round 2 #18 overall in the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft.

Bryan Trottier was a modern-day player with old-fashioned attributes. At a time when specialists were beginning to take over from the all-round player, Trottier was a throwback. He was a defensively sound centerman with the vision and instincts of a pure scorer.

In 1974 the NHL was reacting to the threat of the World Hockey Association. The elder league held a semi-secret draft with an emphasis on underaged players - teenagers who were 17 and 18 years old. Trottier was chosen 22nd overall in the second round, and he was the ninth underaged player taken that year.

His number 19 was raised to the rafters on October 20, 2001.

Bryan Trottier was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.

CAREER NHL STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1975-1994 N.Y. Islanders, Pittsburgh 1,279 524 901 1,425 912

CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS Years Teams GP G A TP PIM 1976-1994 N.Y. Islanders, Pittsburgh 221 71 113 184 277

Received these blue ink signed cards IP. This was during the late 80's before they had card shows every weekend. This was a semi-annual or quarterly show, don't remember which. It was a big thing yo actaully have a show to go to so you could interact with dealers and colletors. You could BUY,TRADE or SELL. And the best part was the autographs were FREE. (with paid admission of I think $2.00).