Guillaume Latendresse Autograph Card

Of course, I have a certain fondness for Guillaume Latendresse. He's a nice enough guy, although that perma-smile can get under the skin of a few people, as does his love of he limelight: he dates singers, accompanies them to red carpet events and, awaiting his official retirement, has become a hockey analyst for RDS, whose parent company (Bell) owns 15 % of the Montréal Canadiens, and half the Toronto Maple Leafs. He loves cameras, and good for him.

I don't think he's good enough for the Habs anymore (they're way too balanced and quick), but he could certainly play on the Leafs' second line tomorrow morning. He was never the fastest guy on the ice, but a shot like his doesn't just go away, despite the concussions and the half-season in Switzerland last year. With Phil Kessel facing the best players the opposition has to offer (and scoring 35-40 goals in the process), Latendresse could easily net 25-35 facing lesser defensive-minded forwards, and with second-unit powerplay time.

As it stands, however, he will be coaching a Midget AAA team next winter in-between commentating gigs; at least he's keeping his skates on the ice.

Here's a card I have been holding on to for a few years, from Panini's 2010-11 Crown Royale set, card #35 of the Scratching The Surface sub-set (numbered #24/100), showing him wearing the Minnesota Wild's white (away) uniform:

What a beautiful sub-set! Possibly the finest hockey autograph sub-set I've seen, and just a notch below the signed-helmet cards from the Sweet Spot football series (which I am just now realizing I have never featured here, despite having a good half-dozen of them).

I love the rink-shaped signing area, the blue-sharpied signature, the team's logo, the fact that they still managed to put a clear picture of his face and a bit of the team's crest... the whole thing!

Oh, and here's something weird: this page has him listed with the Arizona Coyotes...