Paul Broten

Sent: 1/6/12
Received: 5/19/12
Time: 134 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990-91 Score Traded, 1992-93 Ultra, 1993-94 Upper Deck, 1994-95 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1990-91 Score Traded, 1992-93 Ultra, 1993-94 Upper Deck, 1994-95 Upper Deck.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
The youngest of the three Broten brothers, Paul followed in the footsteps of Neal and Aaron from Roseau High School to the University of Minnesota to the NHL.  He didn't put up the gaudy scoring totals of his older brothers, and his pro career didn't last quite as long, but he did find a niche as a high-energy battler for the early '90s New York Rangers teams.  Paul was also the only Broten who didn't get a chance to lace up the skates for the Minnesota North Stars.  He was a year too late as he joined Neal on the newly relocated Dallas Stars in the fall of 1993.

Quincy Lewis

Sent: 3/15/12
Received: 5/9/12
Time: 55 Days
Address: c/o FOX Sports North
Item Sent: 1999-00 Press Pass, 1999-00 SP, 2000-01 Topps Heritage
Item Received: 1999-00 Press Pass, 1999-00 SP, 2000-01 Topps Heritage.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Quincy Lewis was the last great Gopher of the Clem Haskins era.  As a sophomore, he was a stud sixth man on the 1997 Gophers Final Four team.  Two years later, as a senior, he led the Big Ten in scoring.  He was a first round draft pick of the Utah Jazz but had trouble cracking their veteran lineup.  After three seasons in Utah, he came back to Minnesota to sign with the Timberwolves.  He suited up 14 times for the Wolves in 2003 before moving on to play profesionally in Europe and Asia for the rest of the decade.  "Q" returned to the Minnesota basketball scene last year as a studio analyst for FOX Sports North.

Steve Janaszak

Sent: 4/2/12
Received: 4/9/12
Time: 7 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: Minnesota North Stars logo puck
Item Received: Minnesota North Stars logo puck, signed in silver Sharpie.

Notes:
My first attempt at sending a hockey puck through the mail is a resounding success!  At the first ever Minnesota North Stars Alumni Reunion in March, I started a brand new collection.  I had individual North Stars logo pucks signed by everybody in attendance.  My puck collection went from zero to 29 in one day. 

Steve Janaszak was one of the first ex-North Stars I wanted to try through the mail.  He is a reliable TTM signer, but I had never tried him before as he doesn't have any cards (or, to my knowledge, any photos) appearing in a Stars sweater.  After all, he only played one game in net for the North Stars.

Still, he's a Minnesota hockey legend.  He helped lead the Gophers to the 1979 NCAA Championship.  Following that, he earned a spot on the 1980 US Olympic Team.  As Jim Craig's backup, he was the only member of the Miracle On Ice team who didn't see ice time during the Olympics.  His entire NHL career consisted of three games: the one with the North Stars in 1980 and two with the Colorado Rockies in 1981-82.

He signed the puck in the silver Sharpie I provided, and was kind enough to return the Sharpie with the puck.  Hopefully most future TTM puck signers follow suit!

Reggie Berg

Sent: 2/21/12
Received: 2/28/12
Time: 7 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1995-96 Minnesota Gophers Hockey Team Issue
Item Received: 1995-96 Minnesota Gophers Hockey Team Issue, signed in thin black Sharpie.

Notes:
It's been a while since I've been able to add to my 1995-96 Gophers hockey team seat.  It was one of my big initial TTM projects in 2010, but I've had trouble tracking down the last few guys.  I finally found an address for Reggie Berg.  The hard-nosed forward never made the NHL, but enjoyed a very long career for the ECHL's Florida Everblades, where he ranks top-five in franchise history in every statistical category and is the club's all-time leader in goals and points.

Clem Haskins

Sent: 2/16/12
Received: 2/28/12
Time: 12 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1971-72 Topps, 1974-75 Topps, 1996 Skybox Team USA
Item Received: 1971-72 Topps, 1974-75 Topps, 1996 Skybox Team USA.  All signed in thin blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Should I be pissed at Clem Haskins?  I don't know.  I suppose I should be upset that the academic violations that occurred under his nose, stripping the Gophers' 1997 Final Four appearance and leaving the basketball program in shambles.  But, doggone it, I still can't help but love ol' Clem the Gem.  His teams were fun!  I have never had more fun watching college (or any kind of) basketball than the back-to-back Sweet 16 and Elite 8 teams of 1989 and 1990.  Except, perhaps, for the aforementioned Bobby Jackson-led run to the Final Four.  The Dan Monson and Tubby Smith regimes have been bad on the court.  Even worse, though, they've been boring.  Clem's teams were never dull, and neither was he. 

Kevin Lynch

Sent: 2/9/12
Received: 2/14/12
Time: 5 Days
Address: c/o FOX Sports North
Item Sent: 1991-92 Classic Draft Picks, 1992-93 Ultra
Item Received: 1991-92 Classic Draft Picks, 1992-93 Ultra .  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Kevin Lynch could be as responsible as anyone for making me a basketball fan as a kid.  Before we had the Timberwolves, my hoops education came from Clem Haskins' back-to-back Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight teams in the late '80s.  Willie Burton was the superstar of those teams.  Richard Coffey was the bruising inside force.  Melvin Newbern was the floor general.  Walter Bond was the sixth man.  And I loved them all.  But Kevin Lynch was one of us.  He was the local boy who became the sharpshooting off guard on those squads.  In 1991 he was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the first pick in the second round of the NBA Draft.  While his NBA career only lasted two seasons, he played for a decade in the CBA and Europe.  Upon retiring and returning home he began serving as a broadcaster for the Gophers and Timberwolves.

Scott Bjugstad

Sent: 1/14/12
Received: 1/26/12
Time: 12 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1985-86 7-11 Minnesota North Stars, 1986-87 O-Pee-Chee
Item Received: 1985-86 7-11 Minnesota North Stars, 1986-87 O-Pee-Chee.  Both signed in black ballpoint.

Notes:
Scott Bjugstad was an incredible high school and college hockey player.  For one year, he looked like an incredible NHL player, too.  In his four years with the Gophers, he was a Hobey Baker runner-up, a WCHA scoring champion, and played on two Final Four teams.  Bjugstad stayed in Minnesota and made his debut for the North Stars late in the 1983-84 season.  During his 1984-85 rookie season he played in 72 games but scored just 15 points.  His 43 goal, 33 assist sophomore NHL season in 1985-86 was unexpected, to say the least.  It should be noted that he spent the majority of that year playing on a line with Neal Broten and Dino Ciccarelli.  That's not to diminish what Bjugstad accomplished that year, but it is a great example of being in the right place at the right time.  Unfortunately, injuries hampered Bjugstad for the rest of his career and he never came close to repeating his magical '86.  He is back in the Minnesota hockey limelight now by association.  His nephew Nick Bjugstad is a superstar for the University of Minnesota and is a surefire NHL prospect, a 2010 first-round pick of the Florida Panthers.

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.")

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!

Tim Bergland

Sent: 11/16/11
Received: 12/21/11
Time: 35 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee, 1991-92 Stadium Club, 1992-93 Topps
Item Received: 1990-91 Pro Set, 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee, 1991-92 Stadium Club, 1992-93 Topps.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Tim Bergland was a great leader and outstanding two-way forward for the Minnesota Gophers in the mid 1980s.  Though he showed a knack for finding the net in college and in the minors, his ticket to the NHL was as a penalty killing, faceoff-winning defender.  He spent six years in the NHL with the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning.  He is now back home in northwestern Minnesota, where he is the head coach for the Thief River Falls High School team.

Chris McAlpine

Sent: 11/17/11
Received: 12/10/11
Time: 23 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1994-95 Classic Draft Picks, 1997-98 Upper Deck, 2001-02 Topps
Item Received: 1994-95 Classic Draft Picks, 1997-98 Upper Deck, 2001-02 Topps.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Chris McAlpine was one of the great Minnesota Golden Gophers of the early '90s, and one of my personal favorites.  One year after graduating from the U of M as an All-WCHA defender, he was hoisting the Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils.  He ended up as an NHL journeyman, playing in 289 games for six different teams over eight seasons, and he remains one of my favorite Gophers.

Reed Larson

Sent: 12/1/11
Received: 12/7/11
Time: 6 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1979-80 Topps, 1984-85 Topps, 1990-91 Pro Set Minnesota North Stars logo
Item Received: 1979-80 Topps, 1984-85 Topps, 1990-91 Pro Set Minnesota North Stars logo.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member Reed Larson is not only one of the all-time great Minnesota-born NHL players.  He's one of the all-time great American NHLers.  The longtime Red Wing was a three-time All-Star and was, at one point, the all-time leading U.S. born player in NHL history.  Larson came home and played 11 games in a North Stars uniform at the end of his career, picking up nine assists.

Tom Gorence

Sent: 11/29/11
Received: 12/6/11
Time: 7 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1979-80 Topps, 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee, 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee, 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee
Item Received: 1979-80 Topps, 1980-81 O-Pee-Chee, 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee, 1982-83 O-Pee-Chee.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Golden Gophers great Tom Gorence spent five years with the Philadelphia Flyers and was a key member of the 1979-80 team that set a league record with a 35-game unbeaten streak en route to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Mike Sadek

Sent: 11/19/11
Received: 11/28/11
Time: 9 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1974 Topps, 1976 Topps, 1977 Topps, 1981 Topps
Item Received: 1974 Topps, 1976 Topps, 1977 Topps, 1981 Topps.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Richfield native and former Gopher Mike Sadek was drafted by his hometown Twins in 1967.  After three years in their organization, he was drafted out of it by the San Francisco Giants.  He made it to the majors in 1973 and spent eight seasons in a Giants uniform.  He was never much with the stick, but was an outstanding receiver and had a fine career as a backup catcher, playing with legends like Willie McCovey and Juan Marichal.

Joe Dziedzic

Sent: 11/17/11
Received: 11/25/11
Time: 8 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1994-95 Classic Draft Picks, 1994-95 Signature Rookies, 1995-96 Ultra
Item Received: 1994-95 Classic Draft Picks, 1995-96 Ultra.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Northeast Minneapolis through and through, Joe Dziedzic was Minnesota's "Mr. Hockey" in 1990 for Minneapolis Edison High School before embarking on a brilliant collegiate career with the Gophers.  He was as close to a prototype power forward as I can recall seeing in college hockey during that era, and a few years later he was skating alongside Mario Lemieux.  He is now the head coach for St. Paul Academy.

J.T. Bruett

Sent: 11/19/11
Received: 11/25/11
Time: 6 Days
Address: c/o University of Minnesota Athletic Department
Item Sent: 1989 Star Kenosha Twins, 1991 ProCards Portland Beavers, 1992 Donruss Rookies, 1993 Topps
Item Received: 1989 Star Kenosha Twins, 1991 ProCards Portland Beavers, 1992 Donruss Rookies, 1993 Topps.  All signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Former Gophers center fielder J.T. Bruett didn't have any power at the plate and never really profiled as anything more than a pinch-runner/fifth-outfielder type big leaguer.  And that's exactly what he was.  He could fly, no doubt about it.  In 1988 and 1989, he put up seasons of 61 and 52 stolen bases.  Three years later, he made his major league debut.  He appeared in 73 games over two seasons with the Twins, and finished his pro career with the St. Paul Saints in 1996.  He is now the Director of NCAA Compliance for the Gophers' Athletic Department.

Mike Crowley

Sent: 11/18/11
Received: 11/23/11
Time: 5 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1995-96 Minnesota Gophers Hockey Team Issue, 1997-98 Pacific, 1997-98 Upper Deck MVP
Item Received: 1995-96 Minnesota Gophers Hockey Team Issue, 1997-98 Pacific, 1997-98 Upper Deck MVP.  All signed in black ballpoint.

Notes:
It's been a long time since I added to my 1995-96 Gophers Hockey team set, but this is a big one.  Mike Crowley was, quite simply, one of the greatest college hockey players I have ever seen.  He was a good defenseman, but a ridiculously talented skater and puckhandler for a blueliner.  He led the WCHA in scoring, was an All-American and a Hobey Baker finalist.  Most telling, all offensively-skilled Gopher defensemen to this day are still compared to Mike Crowley.  His game surprisingly did not translate to NHL success and he retired after parts of three seasons with the Ducks (and a training camp with the Wild).  He's still one of my all-time favorite players.  This is a rad return!

Jeff Frazee

Sent: 10/28/11
Received: 11/5/11
Time: 8 Days
Address: c/o Albany Devils
Item Sent: 2010-11 ITG Between the Pipes, 2010-11 Panini All Goalies, 2010-11 Score Rookies & Traded
Item Received: 2010-11 ITG Between the Pipes, 2010-11 Panini All Goalies, 2010-11 Score Rookies & Traded.  All signed in blue Sharpie.

Notes:
Jeff Frazee signed with the New Jersey Devils after three stellar years in the net at Mariucci Arena.  He appeared in the AHL All-Star Game in 2009 and was mentioned as a possible successor the future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur.  Two years later, Brodeur is still manning the Devils net and Frazee is still in the AHL.  He's still young enough to put together a solid NHL career, but he appears to have been overtaken by Keith Kincaid (and still behind Brodeur and Johan Hedberg) on the Devils depth chart.

Lance Pitlick

Sent: 9/27/11
Received: 10/20/11
Time: 23 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1997-98 Be A Player, 2000-01 Upper Deck
Item Received: 1997-98 Be A Player, 2000-01 Upper Deck.  Both signed in red Sharpie.

Notes:
I've picked up a few signatures so far from athletes who attended my high school, Robbinsdale Armstrong, but I think Lance Pitlick may be the first from our arch-rival, Robbinsdale Cooper.  After his high school career, he spent four years playing for the Minnesota Gophers and was team captain during his senior season.  Following a few years in the Philadelphia Flyers organization, Pitlick finally caught his NHL break with the upstart Ottawa Senators in 1994-95.  He ended up playing eight seasons in the NHL for the Senators and Florida Panthers.  As for the autographs, I'm not usually a fan of red Sharpie signatures, but I think these look really great given the red in the uniforms of both the Senators and Panthers.  Very cool success!

Bryan Hickerson

Sent: 5/25/11
Received: 7/22/11
Time: 58 Days
Address: Home
Item Sent: 1992 Score, 1992 Topps
Item Received: 1992 Score, 1992 Topps.  Both signed in black Sharpie.

Notes:
Bemidji, Minnesota native and former Golden Gophers star Bryan Hickerson was drafted by his hometown Twins in the seventh round of the 1986 draft.  After one season at class A Visalia, he was dealt to the San Francisco Giants in the deal that brought Dan Gladden to Minnesota.  Four years later, he made it to the majors with the Giants.  He spent parts of four years there before splitting his fifth and final big league season between the Cubs and Rockies.