Jacob Markstrom

Sent: 11/5/11
Received: 1/14/12
Time: 70 Days
Address: c/o Florida Panthers
Item Sent: 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee Update, 2011-12 O-Pee-Chee
Item Received: 2010-11 O-Pee-Chee Update, 2011-12 O-Pee-Chee.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Giant (6'6") Swede Jacob Markstrom is the Florida Panthers' goaltender of the future.  He has spent a fair amount of time on the Panthers roster this year, thanks to injuries to veterans Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen.  Unfortuantely, Markstrom is himself hurt at the moment.  Still, I would be shocked if the 21 year old is not the main man in South Florida by next season.

Lance Pitlick

Sent: 9/27/11
Received: 10/20/11
Time: 23 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1997-98 Be A Player, 2000-01 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1997-98 Be A Player, 2000-01 Upper Deck.  Both signed in red Sharpie.

Notes:
I've picked up a few signatures so far from athletes who attended my high school, Robbinsdale Armstrong, but I think Lance Pitlick may be the first from our arch-rival, Robbinsdale Cooper.  After his high school career, he spent four years playing for the Minnesota Gophers and was team captain during his senior season.  Following a few years in the Philadelphia Flyers organization, Pitlick finally caught his NHL break with the upstart Ottawa Senators in 1994-95.  He ended up playing eight seasons in the NHL for the Senators and Florida Panthers.  As for the autographs, I'm not usually a fan of red Sharpie signatures, but I think these look really great given the red in the uniforms of both the Senators and Panthers.  Very cool success!

Scott Mellanby

Sent: 1/6/11
Received: 4/16/11
Time: 100 Days
Address: c/o St. Louis Blues
Item Sent: 1990-91 Score, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded, 1999-00 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1990-91 Score, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded, 1999-00 Upper Deck.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Scott Mellanby had nice runs with the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues.  He had productive, shorter stints with the Edmonton Oilers and Atlanta Thrashers.  The high point of his fine career, though, was his eight season tenure with the expansion Florida Panthers.  He scored the first goal in team history.  He was instrumental in leading the Panthers on a Cinderella run to the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals.  He served as team captain.  And he killed a rat with his hockey stick, triggering the fad of Panthers fans littering the rink with (plastic) rats after each home team goal.

Jordan Leopold

Sent: 12/17/10
Received: 2/26/11
Time: 71 Days
Address: c/o Buffalo Sabres
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2009-10 Upper Deck.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
I was two years ahead of Jordan Leopold at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Minnesota.  I knew who he was, but I didn't know him personally.  He graduated with my brother, was a teammate of one of my best friends (Thomas Johnson), and played for Thomas' dad Bruce.  He was the best high school player I ever saw first hand.  Without a doubt.  And it was not the least bit surprising when he won the Hobey Baker en route to leading the Minnesota Golden Gophers to their first of two consecutive NCAA Championships in 2002.  He got off to a very promising NHL start in Calgary before Dion Phaneuf came along and overshadowed him.  Since then he's become a bit of a journeyman, but it's nice to see him putting together his best season in quite some time this year with the Sabres.

David Booth

Sent: 10/27/10
Received: 1/12/11
Time: 77 Days
Address: c/o Florida Panthers
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
I hope this is real!  Booth is one of the more talented young American forwards in the NHL.  His 2009-10 season was lost to concussions, but he has come back strong this year.  I hate to say it, but I am a little skeptical of this autograph.  I noticed it was postmarked from Michigan (he is a Detroit native) on January 5.  Booth's Panthers were at home in Miami on January 5.  Prior to that, they were at Carolina.  Furthering suspicions, I peeked at other Booth signatures on the internet.  It's not ridicilously far off in style, but I didn't see any other examples where the last name was essentially a "B" with a long tail.  The Panthers did have four consecutive days off over Christmas, so I suppose it's possible that he went home for the holidays, signed his mail, and his parents just now got around to dropping it in the mailbox.  But it's also possible that a relative or friend is signing for him.  I hope I'm wrong!