Derek MacKenzie

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011


Since I already got a card signed by Dmacback in July, I got this wonder 8x10 close up signed. Dmac looked good in camp and in the preseason so I hope he heals quickly from his knee injury. He signed my photo in silver sharpie.

Maksim Mayorov

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011


What I like about the CBJ the most these days are the pleasant surprises that are our prospects (Calvert, Clitsome, Kubalik). Maksim Mayorov fits nicely under this category due to his performance in training camp. I really hope he makes the team. Mr. Mayorov signed my 8x10 in blue sharpie.

Kris Russell

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011


Kris Russell has now played over 4 seasons in the NHL. He has had ups and downs career-wise, but he does shows flashes of brilliance and was named CHL Defenseman of the year in 2007. He signed my card in blue sharpie.

Jared Boll

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011


I have always enjoyed Jared Boll on the Jackets. He's a good bruiser and a fan favorite. Mr. Boll signed my card in black sharpie.

Derick Brassard

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011


Derick Brassard is one of the few CBJ 1st round picks that either hasn't been an utter failure (Zherdev, Picard, Brule) or hasn't been traded (Vorachek). Brass has been improving with every season and I can see him being an excellent 50-55 point 2nd line center for most of his career. I sent some cards to him last season but I never got them back so this was a nice autograph to get.

Mark Dekanich

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011


I did not know much about Dekanich until this offseason when Columbus acquired him from Milwaukee. He's put up good numbers in the AHL so I hope he makes a good backup for Columbus. Dekanich signed my card in blue sharpie. 

Ray Whitney

Card Sent: 8/4/11

Received: 8/20/11 (2/2)

Geez I got these back WWAYY quicker than I thought I would! I've been a fan of Whitney's ever since he came to Columbus back in the inaugural  season. He's a great playmaker and played 151 games in Columbus and scored 140 points. Whitney might not put up huge numbers but he has been one of the most consistent players for over a decade. I hope he can hit 1000 career points before he retires (close at 926!). Mr. Whitney signed both of my cards in blue sharpie and his signature is pretty sweet. I love this return.

Marc Methot

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011


I really like Marc Methot. He is a traditional stay at home D-man with a hardworking attitude. Also, he was awesome with the fans at Fanfest this year. You could tell he was having a good time and showed a lot of personality. Mr. Methot signed my 8x10 with a nice personalization, which I like a lot. 

Fedor Tyutin

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011


I had been meaning to get Tyutin for a while for I never got around to it. While I was waiting in line for his autograph, his signing time was up so I got him as he was walking off ice after an activity for the kids there. Nice guy.

Vinny Prospal

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011


Out of all the trades and free agents Columbus got this summer, Prospal was the proverbial icing on the cake. If he stays healthy, I can see him putting up respectable numbers and being a good veteran presence on the team. Mr. Prospal was nice enough to sign a card of him during his tenure with Tampa.

Jeff Carter

Autograph received in person at the Blue Jackets Fanfest on September 9, 2011

Boy oh boy oh Boy! I am so glad I got an opportunity to get Jeff Carter before the season started. From what I've heard, he is sort of hard to get autograph-wise so this was a great success. The best part was that he seemed pretty happy at the signing and I think he will come to like playing in Columbus. A GREAT success.

Evander Kane

Card Sent: 2/4/11
Received: 6/1/11 (1/1)


Kane is one of those players I have enjoyed since their first game in the NHL. He will no doubt be a franchise player for Winnipeg and I can only see his production going up at this point. Kane was nice enough to sign my card in black sharpie.

Derek MacKenzie

Autograph received in person on June 24th 2011 at the Blue Jackets Draft Party.


Yet another custom card I made for the draft party. DMac had a great year with Columbus last year with 23 points. He is a solid 4 line player and I'm glad he has a more permanent place in the lineup.

Antoine Vermette

Sent: 2/16/11
Received: 4/27/11 (1/1)


I was glad to get this one back in April. Vermette is a reliable 50 point player and is very useful in faceoffs. He's no star but he is a versatile and likable player. The letter was sent to the Blue Jackets.

Grant Clitsome

Card sent: 1/29/11
Received: 3/12/11


Clitsome was drafted by Columbus in 2004 and has spent most of his time in the minors. However, during the 2010-11 season, he was called up by Columbus to play 31 games (and scoring 19 points) and is now in the starting lineup. Like Matt Calvert, Clitsome was a nice surprise during a very disappointing season. I was actually able to witness Clitsome's first NHL goal in 2010 gainst the Islanders. Mr. Clitsome signed my card in black sharpie ink and wrote me a letter thanking me for the fan letter.

Rod Brind'Amour

Cards Sent: 7/24/11
Received: 8/10/11 (3/2)


The beauty (and sometimes, the curse) of TTM is that you never know what to expect. I thought this letter would take much longer to get back but not only did it only take a little over two weeks, Mr. Brin'Amour enclosed a letter with a St. Louis card saying "Here's an extra if you don't already have it". Thanks Rod!

Rick Nash custom card

A couple of months ago, Upperdeck held a contest for its facebook fans to design a custom hockey card and display it on their facebook page. Here was my entry with none other than Rick Nash. I did not win (winner was drawn at random) but it was still a fun little exercise. All of the work was done in Photoshop and Illustrator.

Ryan Johansen

Autograph received in person on June 24th 2011 at the Blue Jackets Draft Party.


Here is another custom card I made for the draft party. Johansen had a stellar year in the WHL last season with Portland and is looking to be one of the best Columbus prospects since Rick Nash. Hopefully, he can make an impact in the NHL this season.

Joe Pavelski

Card Sent: 1/26/11
Received: 4/19/11

Joe Pavelski is often overlooked by a lot of NHL fans. He is a solid center who is clutch in faceoffs and has excellent leadership skills. I would not be surprised if he was captain of the Sharks someday. Mr. Pavelski really came through and signed my card with a fine black sharpie. The signature looks great on the card. A very nice return.

Ryan Miller

Cards Sent: 10/24/11
Received: 3/13/11 (2/2)

This was a nice return from star Sabres goalie and Olympic MVP Ryan Miller. He is easily my favorite goalie in the league today . Miller became a household name after his brilliant performance for team USA at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. He was nice enough to sign both my cards in black ink.

Matt Calvert

Autograph received in person on June 24th 2011 at the blue Jackets Draft Party.

I made this custom card for Blue Jackets Matt Calvert. Calvert was called up during the season and was a pleasant surprise for Columbus fans. Since his rookie card was not released at the time I made a custom card showing his great breakaway goal on Chicago's Corey Crawford.

Here is a video of the goal.

Patrick Kane

Sent: 2/7/11

Received: 7/30/11 (1/1)

I had a little fun with this one and tried something risky. Apparently Kane has an address at Chicago's Trump Tower so decided to take a risk and see if the addy work. Looks like it did. The card was a little bit damaged but the signature itself was unharmed. A success in my book.

Rick Nash

Sent: 11/24/10

Received: 7/19/11 (1/1)

Slick Rick! Nash is the heart and soul of my Blue Jackets so it was nice to finally get this one back. I will be looking forward to seeing him on the same line as Jeff Carter this season.

RJ Umberger

Sent: 7/17/11

Recieved 8/2/11

My first ever post was of a card signed by Umberger but I had forgotten to remove the gloss from the card. However, i tried Umberger TTM this time and got a nice quick turnaround and a graph that was not smeared.

Ken Morrow

Sent: 1/11/11

Recieved: 7/14/11 (1/1)

Ken Morrow for all intents and purposes had one hell of a hockey career. Not only was he a member of the gold medal winning "Miracle on Ice" team but he also won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders from 1980 to 1983. he would go on to play 6 more seasons with the Islanders. While the wait was longer than I anticipated, Mr. Morrow was nice enough to sign my card in black sharpie with a personalization.

Chris Pronger

Cards Sent: February 16th, 2011

Cards received: June 2, 2011

Ah I was stoked to get these back. Pronger gets a lot of flack from fans for his questionable plays but he is easily one of my favorite NHL players right now. I sent these via the Flyers Skate Zone and he was nice enough to sign all thre and personalize themas well. A great return from a future hall of famer

Vladislav Tretiak

Sent: January 2011
Recieved 1/1 August 16, 2011 (7 months)

Wow! I thought for whatever reason I would never see this one get back to me. From what I've read though, Tretiak does take a while to answer his fan mail but the wait was worth it. For those living under a rock, Tretiak is considered by most to be the greatest goalie to have never played in the NHL and one of the best of all time. He also the first European player to be inducted into the hall of fame. Mr. Tretiak singed in black sharpie. Awesome.

I'm Back

Sorry for the months of not posting. i have a bunch a successes that I'm going to post next week.

Phil Housley

Card sent: February 2011

Card received 1/1: February 26th, 2011

I was really glad to get this card in the mail today. Phil Housley has always been a favorite of mine and he has the second highest amount of points for an American born player. He was a hard nosed Dman and in my opinion one of the most underrated Defensemen I can think of. Its strange how much of a journeyman he was during his career. Mr. Housley signed my card in black sharpie. I love this return.

Magnus Paajarvi

Purchased from a card shop on February 18th, 2011

While I don't follow the Oilers that closely, I do know they have a new emerging talent pool and Paajarvi's name comes up quite a bit. I pulled this from a box of Upper Deck SPX and while I wish I could have gotten Cam Fowler or Jeff Skinner, this card makes a nice edition. The overall design of the rookie auto cards are better than last year's but the base set design is way too busy.

Bobby Clarke

Card sent: January 20th, 2011

Card received: 1/1 February 14th, 2011

Wow, getting this and Weber in the same day! Happy Valentines day indeed. Bobby Clarke will always be known as one of the top scorers for the Flyers. He helped them win the Stanley Cup twice and was known to do just about anything to win (look at the Flyers all time roster a see how many Russians have played for them versus any of the other teams). Gritty as hell as well as controversial. Mr. Clarke signed my card in black sharpie and it was mailed from Florida although I sent it to the Flyers. I really enjoyed getting this one!

Shea Weber

Card sent: November 4th, 2010

Card Received: 1/1 February 14th, 2011

This was one of the first cards I sent out when I started doing TTM and considering my circumstances, I'm damn lucky I even got it back in the first place. When I got this in the mail, my SASE was not even closed. Usually this could spell disaster but once I looked inside, the card was there with not a ding on it. All praise to the hockey gods! Anyhow, Mr. Weber was nice enough to sign my card in black sharpie. Its great getting an auto from the gold medal winning captain of the most underrated team in the NHL.

Al MacInnis

Retired player: Currently working with the St. Louis Blues

Cards sent: February 3rd 2011.

Cards received 2/2, February 11th 2011

Holy cow, this was a quick return from a hall of famer! I always remember MacInnis as being such a beast at the blue line. I can't think of any other D guy would had as hard of a shot as his (hard enough to break a goalie's mask!). He played at the All-Star game 7 times, has a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe, a Norris, a gold medal, and 1274 career points. This was indeed a great return in BLUE sharpie.

Pat LaFontaine

Card Sent: 1/1 January 17th, 2011

Card Received: 1/1 February 4th, 2011

Yes yes yes!!!! This so far has to be my favorite return! Pat Lafontaine is easily in my top 5 of favorite players. The guy was such an amazing athlete and leader. But while Mr. Lafontaine's efforts on the ice were nothing short of amazing, I have to say that his charitable work is just as great. For many years now, Lafontaine has been involved with Children's Hospital with his charity Companions in Courage. This is quite a personal subject for me since I practically owe my life to the wonderful doctors at Children's. It is absolutely wonderful to see a such a high profile player give so much to his community out of the goodness of his heart. I sent a donation with my card and Mr. Lafontaine returned and signed it in black sharpie. I plan to donate more in the future and I encourage others to do so as well. My favorite return so far!

Here is a link to his charity's website

Ted Lindsay

Card Sent: 1/1 January 20th, 2011

Received: 3/1 February 4th, 2011

Needless to say, "Terrible" Ted Lindsay is pretty much a living legend. This is the guy that led the Red Wings during their dynasty years. He's won 4 Stanley Cups, an Art Ross, was a part of the legendary "Production line" with Howe and Abel and he spearheaded the formation of the NHLPA. His footprint on the game is immeasurable and I'm so glad he signed my card. In addition, he sent me two more autographed items and a note thanking me for writing. First of all, Mr. Lindsay's signature is incredible and old school, and secondly, its really great for such a monumental player such as Mr. Lindsay to be so nice to the fans. What a great return and what a great guy.

Tony Twist

Retired Player

Card sent: January 5, 2011

Card recieved: January 28, 2011

Tony Twist is hands down one of the most fearsome enforcers in history of hockey. I can easily put him within the ranks of guys like Probert, Schultz, and O'Reilly. I remember his fights vividly and how brutal they truly were. Unfortunately, his career was cut short by a motorcycle accident that gave him a career ending injury. Mr. Twist signed my card in black sharpie and included a thank you letter for the fan mail. An excellent return from one of my all time favorite enforcers.

Scott Arniel

Retired Player. Currently the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Card sent: January 20th, 2011

Recieved: January 30th, 2011

This is a pretty cool return from a current NHL coach. Arniel has been shaking up the Jackets and doing things no other coach has done for the team. Hopefully, this will yield some results. During his own NHL career, Arniel accumulated 338 points in 11 seasons while playing 730 games. He went on to score 460 points in the IHL and became the head coach for the Manitoba Moose. Coach Arniel was nice enough to sign my card in black sharpie. Excellent return.

Nicklas Lidstrom

Purchased at a card shop on December 28, 2010

I usually don't like to buy autographed cards but I take exception with Lidstrom. The results I've seen from him TTM are usually autopen so I'm just going to opt out of trying him TTM. Anyhow, the card is very nice looking besides the signature being a little faded and I'm glad that I now have an autograph of the future hall of famer.

Rostislav Klesla

Card Sent: November 14, 2010

Card received: December 23, 2010

Rostislav "Rusty" Klesla is the not only the first player ever drafted by the Blue Jackets but is also the only original player from the inaugural season roster. This was a fairly quick return from an active player. The card is signed in blue sharpie and is personalized to me. A very nice return.

Jeremy Roenick

Cards sent: November 15, 2010

Received: December 13, 2010 3/3

Ah, good old JR. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Roenick is pretty stellar to his fans and is a very good signer TTM. I've always liked Roenick since I started following hockey as a kid and I can't get enough of his quirky personality. Most hockey players seem robotic and practiced toward the press but JR has always given the hockey world off ice entertainment in addition to his stellar career in the NHL. Mr. Roenick was nice enough to sign all three of my cards in blue sharpie. The signatures are sometimes hard to see in some areas but they turned out pretty sweet anyways.