Brian Propp

Sent: 5/23/12
Received: 6/1/12
Time: 9 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: Minnesota North Stars logo puck, 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee, 1987-88 Topps, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1992-93 Pinnacle, 1992-93 Topps
Item Received: Minnesota North Stars logo puck, Philadelphia Flyers logo puck, 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee, 1987-88 Topps, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1992-93 Pinnacle, 1992-93 Topps, Philadelphia Flyers photo, Hartford Whalers photo.  North Stars puck signed in silver Deco paint pen.  Cards and Flyers puck signed in blue Sharpie.  Photos signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Collectors have varied opinions on how many items is too many to send in an autograph request, so I'll preface this incredible return from Brian Propp by stating that after interviewing him for my Minnesota North Stars blog I asked for permission to send a puck and a few cards.  He gave me the thumbs up to send anything.  In addition to signing all of my stuff, he added his own Philadelphia Flyers logo puck and two photos.  Very cool return.  (Be sure to read the interview!)

Shjon Podein

Sent: 1/6/12
Received: 3/23/12
Time: 77 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1993-94 Stadium Club, 1994-95 Ultra, 2002-03 Upper Deck Vintage
Item Received: 1991-92 Upper Deck Czech, 2000-01 Upper Deck Vintage, 2001-02 Upper Deck Vintage.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Rochester, Minnesota native Shjon Podein played in the NHL for eleven seasons, winning a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001.  He was an excellent defensive forward, regularly ranked amongst the top penalty killers in the league.  He's now back in Minnesota, coaching the St. Louis Park High School hockey team.

Mike Knuble

Sent: 11/3/11
Received: 2/13/12
Time: 102 Days
Address: c/o Washington Capitals
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2010-11 Upper Deck 20th Anniversary
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2010-11 Upper Deck 20th Anniversary.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Mike Knuble broke into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings late in the 1996-97 season.  He would win Stanley Cups with the Wings in each of his first two years (although his name was only engraved on the cup after the 1997-98 title).  Since then he has made the rounds among some of the league's highest profile teams: the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and now the Washington Capitals.  He has transformed from a bruising young fourth-liner, to a top scorer (peaking with 65 points for the Flyers in 2005-06), to an elder statesman.  Now 39 and battling through an injury-filled season in Washington, he is still trying to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since his first two seasons in Hockeytown.

Darroll Powe

Sent: 11/18/11
Received: 1/3/12
Time: 46 Days
Address: c/o Minnesota Wild
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
It wasn't nearly as high-profile as the pair of trades with the San Jose Sharks that brought Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi, and Charlie Coyle to the Wild, but Chuck Fletcher's acquisition of Darroll Powe from the Flyers has already paid huge dividends.  Powe has emerged as the best penalty killer on the Wild and has quickly gelled with Kyle Brodziak and Nick Johnson to form a high-energy, high-intensity third line.

Tom Gorence

Sent: 11/29/11
Received: 12/6/11
Time: 7 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1979-80 Topps, 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee, 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee, 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee
Item Received: 1979-80 Topps, 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee, 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee, 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Golden Gophers great Tom Gorence spent five years with the Philadelphia Flyers and was a key member of the 1979-80 team that set a league record with a 35-game unbeaten streak en route to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Craig Berube

Sent: 11/19/11
Received: 12/2/11
Time: 13 Days
Address: c/o Flyers SkateZone
Item Sent: 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee, 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Score Rookies & Traded
Item Received: 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee, 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Score Rookies & Traded.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Craig Berube played in 1,054 NHL games and scored 159 points.  Clearly he must have possessed some special gift to last in the league for 17 seasons with those paltry statistics.  Oh, here it is... 3,149 career penalty minutes.  Yes, Berube was an enforcer of the highest order.  He was best known from his two stints with the Flyers, where he did his best to carry on the "Broad Street Bullies" legacy.  He is now an assistant coach for the Flyers.

Ron Hextall

Sent: 9/15/11
Received: 11/10/11
Time: 56 Days
Address: c/o Los Angeles Kings
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro

Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
I double-dipped on Ron Hextall with decent results.  He thankfully signed the 1991-92 Score card that I needed for my set.  Unforutnaely, he kept the 2008-09 OPC 1979 Retro card that I sent.  He's the second person to keep one of these cards, following Wild defenseman Nick Schultz (who at least replaced it with a different card).  Perhaps he hadn't seen the card before and figured it was too cool to send back?  I'm happy, though.  The set card was most important to me.

Tim Kerr

Sent: 9/16/11
Received: 9/26/11
Time: 10 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1984-85 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded
Item Received: 1984-85 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
I can't help but to root for Tim Kerr.  He had to overcome so much during his tremendous NHL career and still stands as one of the great goal scorers in Philadelphia Flyers history.  Among the obstacles he faced: torn knee ligaments, aseptic meningitis, five shoulder surgeries, and the death of his wife (ten days after giving birth).  Your heart aches just reading that, doesn't it?  Still, Kerr was able to put together four consecutive 50-goal seasons in the mid '80s and finished his career with 370 goals in only 655 games.

Chris Pronger

Sent: 1/21/11
Received: 6/2/11
Time: 132 Days
Address: c/o Flyers SkateZone
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed and personalized in black Sharpie.

Notes:
It didn't come as too much of a surprise to receive a successful response from future Hall of Famer Chris Pronger.  I just wasn't expecting his card to be inside this particular envelope.  When I checked the mail, I had one of my familiar SASEs mixed in amongst the credit card solicitations and bills.  It was postmarked from Bemidji, Minnesota.  I tried to cycle through all the northern Minnesota athletes to whom I had pending requests.  A couple of hockey players popped into my mind, but certainly not Chris Pronger.  I'm still not sure of his connection to Minnesota.  I guess a lot of players have taken to making their summer homes in that area (including Pronger's Flyers teammate Scott Hartnell).  I had just not heard that Chris was now one of us!

Keith Acton

Sent: 10/25/10
Received: 5/16/11
Time: 203 Days
Address: c/o Toronto Maple Leafs
Item Sent: 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee, 1985-86 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee, 1985-86 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Keith Acton had the misfortune of coming to Minnesota in the Bobby Smith trade.  As beloved as Bobby was to North Stars fans, the trade was hard to swallow.  Eventually Acton was able to win over the Met Center faithful with his hard-nosed, pesky ways.  A tenacious defender, he was the man called on to get under the opponent's skin.  He was traded to Edmonton midway through the 1987-88 season and won the Stanley Cup with the Oilers that season.  He is now an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Andrej Meszaros

Sent: 3/24/11
Received: 5/14/11
Time: 51 Days
Address: c/o Flyers SkateZone
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Update Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Update Retro.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
A big, skilled defensemen, Andrej Meszaros has not yet been able to equal the career highs of 10 goals and 29 assists he set as a rookie for the 2005-06 Ottawa Senators.  After two forgettable seasons in Tampa Bay, though, he did get back on track during his first year with the Flyers in 2010-11.  His eight goals were tops among Flyers blueliners.  He is still just 25 years old and should be a fixture in the Philly lineup for years to come.

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.

Dave Poulin

Sent: 3/2/11
Received: 3/21/11
Time: 19 Days
Address: c/o Toronto Maple Leafs
Item Sent: 1984-85 Topps, 1989-90 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1984-85 Topps, 1989-90 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Dave Poulin looked like he was going to become a Flyers legend when he broke in to the NHL.  Over his first four seasons, the fine two-way center averaged over 72 points per season, ascended to captain, and took home the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward in 1987.  His scoring totals started to plummet from there, though, and a couple of years later he was traded to Philly's arch-rival Boston Bruins.  He remained a fine checking forward for a few more years with Boston and Washington, but never again regained the scoring touch he displayed at the beginning of his career.  He is now the Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Paul Holmgren

Sent: 3/8/11
Received: 3/17/11
Time: 9 Days
Address: c/o Philadelphia Flyers
Item Sent: 1979-80 Topps, 1984-85 Topps
Item Received: 1979-80 Topps, 1984-85 Topps.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
St. Paul bred Paul Holmgren was a huge power forward who collected penalty minutes and goals for the Philadelphia Flyers "Broad Street Bullies" teams of the '70s.  (He actually joined the team the year after their last Stanley Cup win, so I'm not sure if he technically qualifies as a bully, but his 1,684 career penalty minutes make a compelling case for inclusion.)  Holmgren returned to Minnesota in 1984 to suit up for the North Stars.  He played 27 games for the Stars over parts of his final two seasons, bookending his pro career in his home state (he began with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA in 1975).  Two years later, he was head coach of the Flyers.  He has remained on NHL benches or in front offices since, mostly with the Flyers.  He has been the GM in Philly since 2006.

Jeff Reese

Sent: 3/4/11
Received: 3/12/11
Time: 8 Days
Address: c/o Philadelphia Flyers SkateZone
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Jeff Reese was a well-traveled backup goalie throughout the nineties.  He played for six different NHL teams over his 11 years, never appearing in more than 30 games in any one season.  His best year came with Calgary in 1992-93 when he went 14-4-1 as Mike Vernon's backup.  He has found great success as a goaltending coach, though.  He won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and is now in his second year with the Philadelphia Flyers.  Last year he was able to help Michael Leighton temporarily transform from AHL journeyman to Stanley Cup Playoffs world-beater.  (If that's not evidence of great coaching... )  This year, his tandem of rookie Sergei Bobrovsky and fossil Brian Boucher has been good enough to keep the Flyers in the hunt for the top seed in the East.

Steve Duchesne

Sent: 2/9/11
Received: 2/19/11
Time: 10 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded
Item Received: 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
A high-scoring All-Star defenseman on the Gretzky-led Kings teams of the late '80s and early '90s, Duchesne became a valuable journeyman for the bulk of his career.  He capped his 16-year NHL career by finally winning the Stanley Cup with the 2002 Detroit Red Wings.

Dave Brown

Sent: 2/1/11
Received: 2/12/11
Time: 11 Days
Address: c/o Philadelphia Flyers
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Dave Brown did his part to carry the Flyers' "Broad Street Bullies" image into the '80s.  The huge (6'5") enforcer earned over 1,700 penalty minutes in his NHL career.  He is currently the Flyers' Director of Player Personnel - a title he has held since 2006.

R.J. Umberger

Sent: 1/12/11
Received: 2/5/11
Time: 24 Days
Address: c/o Columbus Blue Jackets
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Update Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Update Retro.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
R.J. Umberger is one of the more underrated forwards in the NHL.  His three-year stint in Philadelphia culminated with a fantastic playoff run in 2008.  He scored 10 goals and added five assists over 17 games during the Flyers' surprise run to the Eastern Conference finals.  His reward was a trade to lowly Columbus.  For the last couple of seasons, though, he has been one of the blue Jackets most dependable players.  He even had a stint on my fantasy hockey team last year, which inspired me to temporarily rename my team the Umberger Helpers.

Riley Cote

Sent: 1/7/11
Received: 1/15/11
Time: 8 Days
Address: c/o Adirondack Phantoms
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Riley Cote became a fan favorite as a brutal enforcer for the Flyers in 2007.  After two full seasons (of 202 and 174 penalty minutes, respectively, and one total goal), he dressed for only 15 games in 2009-10.  He abruptly retired this past off-season at the age of 28, and accepted an assistant coaching position with the Adirondack Phantoms (the Flyers' AHL affiliate).  He's my first success from a player who shares my surname!

Scott Hartnell

Sent: 12/4/10
Received: 1/14/11
Time: 41 Days
Address: c/o Flyers SkateZone
Item Sent: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro
Item Received: 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Retro, signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
I don't know that you can call yourself a true hockey fan if you don't love a player like Scott Hartnell.  He is one of the most genuine characters in the last pro sports league of genuine characters, and I have to think that plays well in the City of Brotherly Love.  A throwback to the Broad Street Bullies, Hartnell averages about 25 goals and 150 penalty minutes per year.  He has sported a ridiculous bushy red 'fro.  He is clutch, coming up huge last year during the Flyers' improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals.  But my favorite Scott Hartnell moment is this (courtesy of Wikipedia):  

A previous Penguins related incident showcased Hartnell's good nature in an interaction with a Penguins fan taunting him with an orange wig and Flyers #19 jersey bearing the name "Fartsmell" in a game played in Pittsburgh on March 22, 2009. Hartnell autographed that jersey (signing it "To my biggest fan!! Your bud Scott Fartsmell 19") as well as giving his game-used stick to that fan.

Gotta love a player with that kind of sense of humor.