Alain Côté

Sent: 2/10/12
Received: 3/17/12
Time: 36 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee, 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee
Item Received: 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee, 1984-85 O-Pee-Chee.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Côté was a wonderfully consistent and extremely underrated player who spent his entire 12 year career with the Quebec Nordiques.  He was good for about 35-40 points per year, but his calling was as an elite defensive forward.  He was so adept at defending, in fact, that he would often seamlessly transition to the blue line when called upon.  With these cards, Alain becomes the second player who shares my surname to join my autograph collection!

Tony Hrkac

Sent: 10/11/11
Received: 10/17/11
Time: 6 Days
Address: c/o Concordia University-Wisconsin Athletic Department
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
This is my second return from former Hobey Baker Award winner Tony Hrkac.  The first one, from June 2010, was sent just before I officially decided to start collecting the 1991-92 Score set.  Hrkac has two cards in the Canadian base set and a third in the American "Traded" set.  And, of course, none of them were among the three cards I originally sent him.  Thankfully, Mr. Hrkac is a gracious signer and three more cards from my '91 Score set are knocked out.

Doug Smail

Sent: 2/12/11
Received: 3/4/11
Time: 20 Days
Address: c/o Rocky Mountain Roughriders U-15 AAA team
Item Sent: 1991-92 O-Pee-Chee, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2
Item Received: 1991-92 O-Pee-Chee, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 1, 1991-92 Score Canadian Series 2.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
A former All-Star and a longtime two-way stud for the Winnipeg Jets, Doug Smail was traded to the North Stars early in the 1990-91 season.  He appeared in 57 games for the Stars, scoring 20 points, and did not appear in the playoffs during the team's run to the Stanley Cup Finals.  He hung on for two more years (one each with Quebec and Ottawa) before finishing his career overseas.  It's kind of a shame -- he was a terrific player, but North Stars fans only got to see a shadow of what he once was.

Tony Twist

Sent: 1/5/11
Received: 1/28/11
Time: 23 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian, signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
One of the fiercest enforcers of the nineties, Tony Twist rose to prominence as Brett Hull's on-ice bodyguard in St. Louis.  In addition to signing this card, he signed my request letter "Thanks Dan, Your Friend, Tony Twist."  Awesome.  Good to know he's got my back!

Valeri Kamensky

Sent: 1/8/11
Received: 1/18/11
Time: 10 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1991-92 O-Pee-Chee, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded, 1991-92 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1991-92 O-Pee-Chee, 1991-92 Score Rookie & Traded, 1991-92 Upper Deck.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Valeri Kamensky was one of the great players in the world in the '80s and '90s.  He debuted with the Soviet League in 1983 at the age of 17, and was the captain of the Soviet Union's legendary Central Red Army team in 1991 when he came to the NHL.  He played four seasons in Quebec City with the Nordiques before moving with the team to Colorado in 1995.  He scored a career high 85 points for the 1996 Stanley Cup winning Avalanche team.

Paul Gillis

Sent: 1/5/11
Received: 1/18/11
Time: 13 Days
Address: c/o Odessa Jackalopes
Item Sent: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1991-92 Score Canadian.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Paul Gillis was a gritty defensive forward for 11 NHL season, mostly with the Quebec Nordiques.  He has been the head coach of the CHL's Odessa Jackalopes for the last four seasons.  Sadly, the USPS decided to throw a couple of creases into Mr. Gillis' cards.

Ron Tugnutt

Sent: 10/15/10
Received: 10/28/10
Time: 13 Days
Address: c/o Peterborough Petes
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Upper Deck.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Of the kids my age, there was not a hockey fan around who could hold back a slight giggle at the mention of Ron Tugnutt's name.  Flipping those cards over couldn't save the poor guy, either.  They would only reveal his horrendous stats as the primary netminder for some truly awful Quebec Nordiques teams.  5-24-3 with a 4.61 goals against average in 1989-90.  12-29-10, 4.05 in 1990-91.  As it turns out, he was actually a pretty good goalie once he escaped Quebec City.  He had some downright great years for Ottawa in the late nineties, including back-to-back GAAs of 2.25 and 1.79.  He's now an assistant for the OHL's Peterborough Petes, which is where this request was sent.  Thanks, Mr. Tugnutt!

Guy LaFleur

Sent: 8/27/10
Received: 9/24/10
Time: 28 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1984-85 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian Tribute (1-3)
Item Received: 1984-85 Topps, 1991-92 Score Canadian Tribute (1-3).  All signed in blue Sharpie

Notes:
One of the greatest players in NHL history.  As the offensive star on the Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the '70s, Lafleur won five Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, and three scoring titles.  He retired in 1984, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1988, and came back to the NHL that same year.  He retired for good in 1991, and Score honored him with this three card tribute set in its 1991-92 hockey set.  Since I'm working on two signed hockey sets (1984 Topps and 1991 Score Canadian), I needed three of Guy's cards for my sets.  Mission accomplished!

Craig Wolanin

Sent: 7/14/10
Received: 7/22/10
Time: 8 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Upper Deck.  Both signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
My Herculean task of trying to complete a signed 1991-92 Score Canadian hockey is officially underway.  Today's return brings Craig Wolanin.  Mr. Wolanin never quite lived up to his draft status (he was selected third overall by New Jersey in 1985), but he did put together a 15 year career as a solid stay-at-home defenseman, highlighted by winning the 1996 Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. 

Tony Hrkac

Sent: 6/14/10
Received: 6/19/10
Time: 5 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1991-92 Pro Set Platinum, 1991-92 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1991-92 Pro Set Platinum, 1991-92 Upper Deck.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
My introduction to Tony Hrkac was his 1991-92 Upper Deck card.  With his Busey-esque face and almost-white hair, I had a hard time accepting that he was just 25 years old.  In reading the back of the card, I learned that he had won the Hobey Baker Award while in college at North Dakota, so I decided to keep my eye on him.  He was maddeningly inconsistent as a pro, but was a nice role player on the 1999 Stanley Cup winning Dallas Stars team.  Still, I had not thought about him in years until just a few months ago.  After a Minnesota Wild game on FSN, a tape-delayed Houston Aeros (the Wild's AHL affiliate) game was aired.  I kept hearing the name "Hrkac."  Curious as to if Tony had a son in the Wild system, I looked up the Aeros roster.  Unbelievably, it was a 43 year old Tony Hrkac, attempting a comeback seven years after his last NHL game.

Michel Goulet

Sent: 4/26/10
Received: 5/3/10
Time: 7 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1984-85 Topps
Item Received: 1984-85 Topps signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
I'm having great success with hockey Hall of Famers!  On the heels of very quick returns from Phil Housley, Bobby Clarke, and Brett Hull comes this one-week return from Quebec Nordiques great Michel Goulet!