Jim Zorn

Sent: 8/24/11
Received: 1/9/12
Time: 138 Days
Address: c/o Kansas City Chiefs
Item Sent: 1982 Topps, 1983 Topps, 1986 Fleer Team Action Green Bay Packers
Item Received: 1982 Topps, 1983 Topps.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Jim Zorn teamed with Steve Largent to put the Seattle Seahawks on the map in the late 1970s.  He was a freewheeling, left-handed quarterback, unlike anything my young eyes had seen when I first became a football fan.  I had been meaning to send him an autograph request for a while.  I finally did so after flipping through a pile of 1980s Fleer Team Action football cards, trying to identify the players.  The 1986 Green Bay Packers offense card pictured a quarterback wearing #18.  Zorn played one season for the Packers in 1985 and started three games.  This was his only card in a Packers uniform, so I thought it would be cool to package it with a couple of his Seahawks cards.  I'm very happy to received the signed cards I did from Mr. Zorn -- he has a great signature and I've wanted to get him for a long time.  I am a bit disappointed, though, that he decided to keep the Packers card.  That would have been a unique addition.  Perhaps I'll try him again someday.

Ken Hammond

Sent: 11/1/11
Received: 1/9/12
Time: 69 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1991-92 Score Canadian, 1991-92 Score Rookies & Traded
Item Received: 1991-92 Score Rookies & Traded, signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Ken Hammond was an All-American and National Champion defenseman at R.P.I. before going pro.  He was up and down with the Los Angeles Kings for a few years before brief stints with the Maple Leafs (14 games), Oilers (5 games), Rangers (3 games) and Bruins (one game).  He finally got some regular NHL playing time with the expansion Sharks in 1991-92 and scored 15 points in 46 games.  At the end of the year, he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks.  He did not play a regular season game for Vancouver but did make two appearances for them in the playoffs.

Russ Anderson

Sent: 12/30/11
Received: 1/7/12
Time: 8 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1978-79 Topps, 1979-80 Topps
Item Received: 1978-79 Topps, 1979-80 Topps.  Both signed in black ballpoint.

Notes:
Russ Anderson was a big, physical defenseman who teamed with the more offensively inclined Reed Larson to form one of the great defense pairings in Gopher hockey history.  He took his rough and tumble game to the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins and was a staple on the blue line (and the penalty box) there for the first 5 1/2 of his nine NHL seasons.  Russ added a post-it note with this return thanking me for being "a real fan" and informing me that the 1978-79 card actually pictures his partner Tom Edur. ("Notice right hand shot.")

Earl Anderson

Sent: 12/30/11
Received: 1/7/12
Time: 8 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1977-78 Topps
Item Received: 1977-78 Topps, signed in black ballpoint.

Notes:
Several years before the Brotens, Earl Anderson was the pride of Roseau High School hockey.  He starred for the University of North Dakota for four years, played in the U.S. National Team in 1973, and within two years was in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings.  He had his best NHL season in 1976-77 with Don Cherry's Boston Bruins, scoring 21 points in 40 games.

Dennis Swilley

Sent: 12/8/11
Received: 1/6/12
Time: 29 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1980 Topps, 1983 Minnesota Vikings Police
Item Received: 1980 Topps, 1983 Minnesota Vikings Police.  Both signed in black ballpoint.

Notes:
Dennis Swilley spent ten years with the Vikings, and was the successor to the legendary Mick Tingelhoff at center.  He was an important second cog in what has turned out to be a truly remarkable run at the position for the Vikes.  Tingelhoff held the job from 1962 (the second season in team history) until 1978.  Swilley took over after that, and when his decade was up he passed the torch to Kirk Lowdermilk.  Lowdermilk gave way to a couple of All-Pros in Jeff Christy and Matt Birk.  And now, in 2011, John Sullivan finally stayed relatively healthy and was the lone bright spot on a porous offensive line.  Sullivan was so good, in fact, that he earned himself a five-year contract extension near the end of the season.


Back to Swilley, though... he was very good for a long time.  Since football he has taken a path not often associated with pro football players.  Dennis Swilley is a renaissance man.  He's an architect.  He's a painter and sculptor.  He's a designer.  And he's a musician who recently released his debut album, Contrasts (available at DennisSwilley.com).  (I haven't had a chance to listen yet myself, but may give it a shot somewhere down the line.)

Gerard Gallant

Sent: 12/8/11
Received: 1/6/12
Time: 29 Days
Address: c/o St. John Sea Dogs
Item Sent: 1987-88 Topps, 1990-91 Pro Set, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian
Item Received: 1987-88 Topps, 1990-91 Pro Set, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1991-92 Score Canadian.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Was there anything better in '80s hockey than a little guy who could fill a stat sheet with both points and penalty minutes?  Gerard Gallant was Detroit's version of Dino Ciccarelli before Dino donned a Red Wings sweater.  At the end of the decade, he rolled out four consecutive seasons of over 30 goals and over 200 penalty minutes, peaking in 1988-89 when he buried 39 goals and dished out 54 assists for a career high 93 points, all while spending 230 minutes in the sin bin.  Since his playing career ended, he has been coaching.  He spent a couple of years behind the Columbus Blue Jackets, and is currently experiencing great success with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL.

Robb Stauber

Sent: 12/30/11
Received: 1/5/12
Time: 6 Days
Address: c/o Stauber's Goalcrease
Item Sent: 1990-91 ProCards New Haven Nighthawks, 1990-91 Topps, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1992-93 Ultra, 1993-94 Ultra
Item Received: 1990-91 ProCards New Haven Nighthawks, 1990-91 Topps, 1990-91 Upper Deck, 1992-93 Ultra, 1993-94 Ultra. All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Robb Stauber is the most decorated goalie in Minnesota Golden Gophers history, and one of the best goaltenders the State of Hockey has produced. He won the Hobey Baker Award as top collegiate hockey player during his junior season in 1987-88. He was the first goalie ever to win the most prestigious award in college hockey. Two years later, he was in the NHL on Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings. Stauber didn't have a particularly notable pro career, but he did have a fine season as Kelly Hrudey's backup for the Kings in 1992-93. He went 15-8-4 that season, helping the Kings advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. As a collector of Minnesota athlete autographs, these cards are essential additions to my collection!

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.