Boston Bruins Autographs from years ago

 My Boston Bruins autograph collection has grown to a very large and about 75% completion to having all the Bruins from the first team in 1924 to the current team. I will add some new posts and show the autos of the obscure autos of one game wonders or players that played one to a few seasons and discuss each player and the older cards from yesteryear. The first autograph is the Ed Kryzanowski auto and what makes it special is the note he wrote on the reverse.

Ed Kryzanowski played four seasons with the Bruins his first year 1948-49 and his last season with the Bruins was 1951-52 season. Ed played 232 games with Boston scoring 15 goals and 22 assists as a stay-at-home defenseman. Ed played his final NHL season with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1952-53 season appearing in just five games. 

The back of this auto is a handwritten note that Ed wrote some 18 years ago. It Reads: Act responsibly within all relationships- to Family, to fans, to competitors, to referees, to coaches, to parents, to self. '12/03

 This is one of my favorite autographs because of the note. It tells you that Ed was a caring man who cared for everyone that he associated with as the note tells us that as it is best to respect the ones around you.

Ed Kryzanowski passed away April 29th, 2007, at the age of 81. 

The next auto is from a familiar name to the older Bruins fans as his brother was nicknamed "Topper". Jerry Toppazzini is the better known of the two as his brother Zellio had a brief nhl career. Many Boston Bruins fans probably never heard of Zellio Toppazzini as he was with the Bruins for three seasons 1948-49, 1949-50 and 1950-51 and appearing in 45 games with the Bruins.

This card is from the Beehive hockey cards. This card of Zellio is from the 1944-64 Group 2. As you can see, he has a nice legible auto that is good and dark and easy flowing auto.

Zellio passed away April 1, 2001, at the age of 71.

The final card in this post is another Bruins players that played one season during the 1949-50 season. Sam Bettio appeared in 44 games for the Boston Bruins scoring 9 goals and 12 assists for 21 points. It is hard to understand why Bettio never played more for the Bruins as 21 points in 44 games is not a bad stats production. Bettio played several seasons in the AHL for the Hershey Bears and Buffalo Bisons. It is hard to understand why he never got called back up or traded to another NHL team.

His autograph on this blank index card is another very clean and legible autograph and I like that he wrote the team's name and years played. His autograph shows a nice quick flowing autograph in blue ink, ball point pen.

Bettio passed away June 14, 2006, at the age of 77.

How difficult are they???

How many times do we keep seeing card is limited or rare? I picked up an autograph that I needed of Meghan Duggan as I am now collecting female hockey player autographs. The card is from the 2013-14 Panini Crown Royale Hockey Fans of the Game. What also attracted me to the card was the Bruins spoked "B" in the background as I collect Boston Bruins autographs, and this gave me the push to buy this card. I was told by a few collectors that those cards are tough, but my question is this; are they tough because when pulled no one thinks they are worth much or that not much of the product was opened?

I will say that I have searched this card for a while now and I have only seen this one and so I grabbed it by making an offer. I am happy with what I paid for the card, but I wish we could someday find out just how many of these cards have been produced. I will be looking to add others but there are times when some of these cards are overpriced and that takes me at times longer to complete my set. 

I GOT THE SHERIFF

When I started getting interested in collecting autographs, I had an idea that still to this day is a crazy thought. That idea/thought was to try and get all Boston Bruins players autograph on a trading card or a cut auto. As crazy as it sounded back in the day, I changed that thought to make it seem more realistic.

As I was crossing the autographs off my want list there were some players on my want list that I said I would never find. Players like Dit Clapper, Eddie Shore, Bobby Bauer, George Owens and the list goes on. I was quite lucky to actually find all of those players I listed and lots more but the odd thing about collecting is that there are players that are still alive that I can't locate, or the player just won't sign.

So, one day going through my want list I saw some players on there that I had wrote to requesting their auto, but I got several back as a RTS (Return to Sender). That is the one thing that an autograph collector never wants to see but it does happen and when you do get a successful return back you can't tell who the autograph is from because the return letter is the one that you the collector added to the addressed letter to that player, so it is a surprise and much more fun when you get a bunch back in a day.

The day I got back one from Shane Hnidy I was ecstatic as I never dreamed, I would have got his auto back but what a huge surprise and even bigger surprise when I saw he added the inscription "The Sheriff" on the card as I had asked in my letter to him.

I was so glad that on that day, I GOT THE SHERIFF.

Women of Hockey

 Collecting autographs is like any other kind of hobby, there are times when collecting can become somewhat challenging which can lead to being bored. Since my main autograph collection is collecting Boston Bruins players, I now am nearing the end of the collection.

As of today, I have over 700 different Boston Bruins player autographs and now I am after the final 300 in my want list. So, I decided to collect other types of autos and I chose collecting the Women Hockey players autos. When I first started it was not as much fun but now that I have started to find more it puts the fun back in and makes the hunt for more auto's feel the same as my other autograph collections.

 

2013-14 Panini Crown Royale Fans of the Game Julie Chu

Julie was a member of Team USA and in the Olympics Chu won a Silver Medal in 2002, 2010 and 2014 and a Bronze in 2006.

2009-10 Upper Deck The Champions Natalie Darwitz

Natalie won two Silver Medals during the 2002 and 2010 Olympics and a Bronze Medal in the 2006 Olympics.

2006-07 In The Game Gold Going for Gold Delaney Collins

Collins has won three gold medals and two silver medals. She is a retired coach and is the only Women to play floor ball and Ice Hockey while suiting up for Team Canada.

1999-00 Upper Deck Prospects Signatures of Tradition Charline Labonte

Labonte won three Gold Medals in the three Olympics she competed in. She won gold in 2006 Turin, 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi and she won 2 Gold Medals and six Silver Medals in the World Championships.

2006-07 In The Game O' Canada Colleen Sostorics

Colleen appeared in Three Olympic games and won three Gold Medals 2002 Salt Lake City, 2006 Turin and 2010 Vancouver. She won six medals three Gold Medals and three Silver Medals in th Womens World Championships. In the Four Nations Cup Tournament she won five Gold Medals and one Silver Medal.

2020-21 Upper Deck Team Canada Juinors Melodie Daoust

Melodie has appeared in two Olympic games winning two medals. She won Gold 2014 Sochi and Silver 2018 Pyeongchang. She appeared in the Elite Women's 3 on 3 hockey game during the 2020 NHL All Star Game in the Skills Competition.

2019-20 Upper Deck Team Canada Juinors Micah Zandee-Hart

Micah won two Medals in the World Championships Bronze 2019 Finland and during the World under 18 Championships she won Silver 2015 United States.

2019-20 Upper Deck Team Canada Juinors Brigette Lacquette

Lacquette appeared in the 2018 Olympics Pyeongchang and won Silver Medal. She also won three Medals in the World Championships. 2015 Sweden Silver, 2016 Canada Silver and 2019 Finland Bronze.

2018-19 Upper Deck Team Canada Juinors Meaghan Mikkelson

Meaghan appeared in three Olympics and won three medals. 2010 Vancouver Gold Medal, 2014 Sochi Gold Medal and 2018 Pyeongchang Silver Medal. She also appeared in the World Championships 2012 United States Gold Medal, 2008 China Silver Medal, 2009 Finland Silver Medal, 2011 Switzerland Silver Medal, 2013 Canada Silver Medal, 2016 Canada Silver medal and 2017 United States Silver Medal.

2021-22 Upper Deck Team Canada Juinors Sarah Nurse

2018-19 Upper Deck Team Canada Juinors Amy Potomak

2018-19 Upper Deck Team Canada Juinors Lauriane Rougeau