Mid December 2012 Mail

A small mail post in comparison to my last few.  I was still able to acquire 13 more unique NHLers autographs and a couple other hockey autographs of non NHL players.  I'm still awaiting a big package of lower end autographs so next mail post should have a little more meat on it.  

Nolan Schaefer and Tony Hrkac

Younger brother of former NHLer Peter, Nolan Schaefer appeared in 7 games for the 05/06 San Jose Sharks.  He did very well in his short NHL career, posting 5 wins and a 1.87 GAA. 

Tony Hrkac won the 1987 Hobey Baker Award and then went on to play a dozen seasons in the NHL.  He won the Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Dallas Stars.

Ryan Bayda and Brett Festerling

Between 2002 and 2009 Ryan Bayda played nearly 200 NHL games for the Carolina Hurricanes.  In that span the only season he did not play any games was the Hurricane’s Cup winning 2005/06 campaign.

Brett Festerling has played 84 games for the Anaheim Ducks starting in 08/09.  He most recently played for the Winnipeg Jets. 

Jame Pollock and Jason Jaspers

Defenseman Jame Pollock suited up for 9 games with the 03/04 St. Louis Blues. 

Between 2002 and 2004 Jason Jaspers saw 9 games of NHL action with the Phoenix Coyotes. 

Gene Ubriaco and Jim Hay

Gene Ubriaco was one of numerous players whose NHL career was started by the 1967 NHL expansion.  He was an original Pittsburgh Penguin and also saw time with the Chicago Blackhawks and Okland Seals.  After retiring having played just under 200 games Ubriaco returned to the NHL as a head coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Between 1952 and 1955 Jim Hay played 74 games for the Detroit Red Wings.

Mike Moller and Tom Thurlby

Mike Moller scored the game winning goal for team Canada that gave them the 1982 World Juniors gold medal.  After that he played well over 100 NHL games between the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers.  He played 6 regular season games and scored 2 goals for the Stanley Cup winning 1987 Oilers team, not enough to get his name on the trophy.

Tom Thurlby played 1 NHL season, 20 games for the inaugural 1967/68 Oakland Seals.

Mike McHugh and Yves Heroux

Mike McHugh played a handful of games for the Minnesota North Stars before he played 8 games for the inaugural 1991/92 San Jose Sharks. 

Yves Heroux played 1 NHL game and it came with the 1986/87 Quebec Nordiques. 

Tony Joseph

A couple posts ago I mentioned how I had sent the wrong info to David Steckle, well this is the other part of the mixup.  Luckily for me both players actually sent me back an autograph.  Tony Joseph, who played 2 games for the 88/89 Winnipeg Jets, signed a blank index for me so I made up a custom index 

to match the others. 

To end this post a goalie and a coach who go in my "other" binder of hockey autographs,

Kevin Nastiuk

Kevin Nastiuk has a ridiculous amount of NHL rookie cards considering he never actually appeared in a game.  The closest he got to the NHL was serving as the Carolina Hurricanes backup goalie. 

Claude Ruel

Claude Ruel had two stints as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.  He was bench boss when they captured the 1969 Stanley Cup and has his name on the trophy a half dozen more times as Habs director of player development.  He started to sign his name on the bottom and then scratched it out for some reason and signed his full name above.