Mikko Koivu & Mikael Granlund Autograph Signing

I'm not able to make most of the autograph signings taking place in the Minneapolis area, but I do like to make a few. I usually am able to make a couple of year, but there had to be a good enough guest for me to justify to my wife that it is worth making the three-and-a-half-hour trip from Moorhead. Either that, or we are coincidentally in the area for another reason, and I am able to convince her that the mall hosting the signing is the one we need to be shopping at.

The most recent signing took place last week with Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. The plan was for my wife & I to travel together, and our three daughters to stay at my parents' house. Unfortunately, our youngest got an ear infection and was sick all weekend, and when my dad watched her Friday night, he ended up getting sick, too. I had already bought the tickets, so I was going, which meant that I'd be traveling alone, and my wife would stay home with our three girls.

Still, I don't mind a nice, solo long-distance drive, so off I went!

Mikko Koivu is the longest-tenured player on the Minnesota Wild, and has been with the organization since being drafted sixth overall in 2001. He also became the team's first permanent captain in 2009, and has held the distinction ever since. While this is the first time I have met him in person, this is the second signing I have participated in, as I got a puck and an 8x10 through mail order at a signing he did with FanHQ last year.

Originally, I was planning on getting a jersey signed, but the funds just weren't there for me, so the plan was to get a mini helmet signed. However, when I got to the store to pick up my autograph tickets, a photo caught my eye, and I just couldn't walk away from it. It's a bird's-eye view of him taking a shot, and it works perfectly. There's action, you get a clear view of his name & number, and there's plenty of clear ice surface on the bottom for him to sign. It's a 16x20 print, and the blue ink really pops off of the ice surface.

Koivu's fellow Finnish countyman, Mikael Granlund, was also there. Like Koivu, he was an early draft pick (9th overall in 2010), and has spent his entire NHL career with the Wild organization. This season is by far his best, as her has already scored 25 goals and 41 assists, and has already demolished his previous best points total (44 last season).

With no autographs of his already, apart from a few cards that were released during his rookie sesaon. So, step 1 was getting his signature on an official game puck. For me, autographed pucks don't look any better than silver ink on an official game puck. I also got a couple of cards signed by him, for my 2013-14 Score and 2014-15 Ultra sets.

This was a fun signing, and definitely worth the trip. I even splurged on the VIP package, which not only got me a signature and a photograph from each players, but also got me in the first group through the line. Considering I had a three-and-a-half-hour drive back home. being able to head home at 7:15 from a signing that was scheduled to start at 7:00 was well worth a few extra bucks.