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.