The 2010 All-Time Free Agency Thread (The Undrafteds)

[seventieslord]

With the #91 pick in A2010, The Cathedral Bohemians are pleased to select:

Doug Halward, D

Halward makes a very good #7 here. He brings a little of everything. He has good size - 6'1", 200 lbs in the 1980s - and had good longevity, playing 14 NHL seasons, although he was only a full-timer for the last 10. He was pretty good offensively, scoring 33+ points four times, and 50+ twice. Early on he wasn't great defensively, but he was considered very strong in his own end near the end of his career. And he was a very solid bodychecker.

Halward averaged 21.48 minutes per game in his career, and played a ton on special teams - 37% on the PK and 44% on the PP, for a total of 81% - good for 4th among all available players. He was LA's #1 defenseman in 1980, and Vancouver's in 1983 and 1985.

one of the NHL's most-improved players in 1979-80... a first-rate offensive defenseman who skates well, handles the puck adroitly and has a good shot... must improve defensive play.

worked hard for a half-dozen years to become an overnight success... blossomed into solid NHL blueliner in Vancouver... sound defensively, strong offensively with 52 points... excellent power play point man...

was strong for the team in 1982 run to the finals... 82-83 was his best season when he scored 52 points and excelled defensively.

not flashy but gets the job done as defensive defenseman... nicknamed "Hawk"... plays the man well... an effective bodychecker.

Halward is a good skater, balanced and strong on his skates but not particularly fast... he is difficult to take off the puck because of his balance and that same trait allows him to handle the puck in traffic... can carry the puck from the zone but is more likely to move it quickly and effectively to the forwards... he has poise and cnfidence and doesn't often make a bad play... sees the ice well, both offensively and defensively and can get the puck to his teammates well... will force the play wide in the defensive zone... plays sound positionally and is not often beaten one-on-one... not a physical player per se, in that he doesn't bash everything he sees... he can hit but is most effective when playing smartly... effective along the boards in the pushing and shoving and can come up with the puck... steady in front of his own net and can tie up the forward stationed there,.. not a fighter but will have the odd scrap when he has to and won't back down from anyone... Halward is a pressure performer and has developed the ability to play best when it counts, making him one of the Canucks' most important and dependable defensemen... brings good experience to a young and unsettled defensive corps and has adapted well to his role as a more defensive-oriented backliner... a good defensive defenseman with an offensive touch.

 

[seventieslord]

With the #92 pick in A2010, The Wascana View Millionaires are pleased to select:

Valeri Nikitin, D/RW

from last year:

- Nikitin is among the leaders among (available) Russian defensemen in games played for the national team with 43. He played 16 games in important tournaments, scoring 10 points and bringing home a gold both times. Domestically, he played 510 games and scored 134 goals. He was a 3rd team All-Star in 1967. Based on his year by year goal totals, it appears that he switched from forward to defense and back on a few occasions in his career.

To add to this: Nikitin's 510 USSR league games from 1956 to 1975 are among the most played by any player in history. He played a modest amount on the national team and he was recognized as one of the best at his position once, so it's not guesswork, or selecting a multi-positional player for that sake alone - he was somewhat significant.

 

[seventieslord]

With the #93 pick in A2010, the Wascana View Millionaires are pleased to select:

Jim Lorentz, F

Lorentz was a very useful and productive player for some very good teams. He won the 1970 cup as a support player with Boston and then had a role in turning Buffalo from an expansion team to a perrennial contender. A decent defensive forward and only occasionally a penalty killer, he did nonetheless have the versatility to play center or either wing, and he topped 54 points 4 times, a rarity for players available at this point.

still considered one of the top prospects in the NHL... was CHL's rookie of the year in 1968 and scoring champion the next... can play LW as well as center.

there are few more versatile players in the NHL than Lorentz, who can play center, RW or LW... "I always knew I could score if I got a chance to play regularly,", he says... hard two-way worker who excels on power plays.

from handyman to regular... that's the Jim Lorentz story... originally a center, was behind Esposito, Sanderson and Standield with Boston... fits in better on wing for Sabres... "I don't care where I play, as long as I play".

one of hockey's handiest players... can play any forward position... filled in capably for the injured Gilbert Perreault...

scoring dropped off, but he's still valuable to sabres...

people keep wondering how he stays with team so packed with stars... then they check his record and find out... in four of past five years, scored more than 20 goals... type of player who just keeps going and going, almost quietly, about his business... foes recognize him as a stylist, a two-way player and a good checker... though often overlooked, he has reputation for getting goals in crucial situations.

Lorentz's playing rights belonged to the Boston Bruins. The Bruins of the later 1960s and early 1970s were a powerhouse in the NHL, led by Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. As a result Lorentz didn't get to play a whole lot. He was shuffled around from center ice and to the wing, but was always a minor player.

Jim never minded though, as he was in the NHL and on the league's best team. In fact in his rookie season Jim was able to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.

“It’s very special." said Jim. "I know players will say this but I don’t think you really realize what you’ve done until after you’ve retired. You don’t really realize the impact of it."

Because the Bruins couldn't find a full time position for the young scoring star Jim was dealt to St. Louis after the 69-70 season, in exchange for the Blues first pick in the 1970 Amateur Draft (the pick was used to select Ron Plumb).

Jim played the 1970-71 campaign with St. Louis before splitting the 1971-72 season between the Blues, the New York Rangers and the Sabres. It was in Buffalo that he found a permanent home.

Over his six-plus seasons in Buffalo, Jim racked up 134 goals, 197 assists and 331 points in 487 games. Jim also enjoyed his best seasons in a Sabre uniform, recording a career-high 27 goals in 1972-73 and a personal-best 70 points in 1974-75, the same year he helped Buffalo reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

Jim helped a young expansion franchise in Buffalo become a league powerhouse in a very short time period. Jim has many memories of his playing days with the Sabres. One of the most exciting was the first time the team made the playoffs..

“I think the first year that we made the playoffs was very exciting. We ended up playing the Montreal Canadiens in the first round. No one gave us a prayer to win that series but we took them to six games. And one of the great moments in my career was in that sixth game in the Auditorium when the fans starting chanting in unison, ‘Thank you Sabres.’ It was a great feeling."

But of course the greatest memory was the Stanley Cup finals appearance of 1975. Jim played an important role in the Sabres improbable run, scoring 6 goals and 10 points in 16 playoff games.

That I think was one of the … next to going to the Finals in ’75, would rank right up there with the memorable moments. And of course just playing with some of the players that I did. There were great players. Gilbert Perreault, Richard Martin and Rene Robert. Jim Schoenfeld, Roger Crozier. We had a bunch of real character guys that liked to have a lot of fun and who were great players.”

 

[hfboardsuser]

What does everybody think of Clare Drake as a possible coach at this point? For those who don't know the name, he was the bench boss of the University of Alberta Golden Bears for a total of 28 seasons, but also saw some time as the head coach of the Oilers during the WHA years.

Stats:

-697-296-37 record (0.695 SV%) with the Golden Bears
-Six Canadian University hockey titles
-One partial season as WHA head coach (1975-76, 18-28-2 record)
-Assistant Coach of Team Canada at 1980 Winter Olympics
-Two seasons as assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets (73-75-22)

Quotes/Anecdotes:

-"That Drake is really impressive with the club completely organized and no time wasted." (then-WIHL head coach Tom Hodges in 1975)

-Drake was fired from his WHA job after losing 11 games in a 14-game span. Owner and GM Bill Hunter took over at that point, but the club just wasn't that good and actually did worse after that (0.272 winning percentage versus 0.375).

-In 1968, Drake was head coach of both the U of A men's hockey and football teams, and led both to national championships. "It is a shame college sports in Canada don't have the vast spectator appeal they do in the U.S. Otherwise Drake and his University of Alberta teams would be well on the way to becoming a national legend such as Knute Rockne, Bear Bryant, and other U.S. college coaches established over the years," wrote an Edmonton Journal columnist at the time.

-"We won it on coaching, that's all. Everybody knows that." (former Golden Bears captain Gerry Braunberger on 1968 CIAU hockey title)

 

[VanIslander]

What does everybody think of Clare Drake as a possible coach at this point? For those who don't know the name, he was the bench boss of the University of Alberta Golden Bears for a total of 28 seasons,...

Canadian University hockey?... that's two steps down from NCAA in terms of hockey history, maybe three.

-One partial season as WHA head coach (1975-76, 18-28-2 record)
-Assistant Coach of Team Canada at 1980 Winter Olympics
-Two seasons as assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets (73-75-22)

Eh. Maybe a half-decent Single-A Draft assistant coach. Maybe not.

It does makes one wonder if we have drafted/profiled the best AHL coach, best WHA coach, best old WHL coach, best PCHA coach, not to mention best coach of each of the top-5 or top-6 international national teams.

 

[seventieslord]

With the #94 pick in A2010, The Cathedral Bohemians are pleased to select:

Jason Blake, LW

Blake has a lot going for him: He was 10th in the NHL in goals in 2007 (it was Yashin-fueled, but Yashin's not a great playmaker himself), he has blazing speed, he is fearless, he can kill penalties, and he's a very pesky agitating presence.

He's scored 20 goals four times in addition to his 40-goal season, and his four 54+ point seasons are matched by very few available guys. Although I don't particularly like the Masterton trophy being a "disease award", Blake won it in 2008 for coming back from preseason Cancer and not even missing a game.

Blake's career average of 0.54 adjusted ESPPG is among the highest among available players (8th) - despite this average being wrecked by three offensively inept seasons played on checking lines - and he's killed 21% of his team's penalties in his career. Among the handful of players with as many 50- point seasons as Blake, he has been by far the most prolific penalty killer.

Blake makes a good spare forward because he can be a complementary player on a scoring line at this level, keeping up with his speed, breaching the zone and finishing. He can also just be a 4th line pest, or a 3rd line defensive forward who kills penalties. In addition, he can play RW if he has to.

a hyperactive sparkplug who darts all over the ice thanks to his outstanding speed and skating ability... has good hands and excels at rushing the puck through the neutral zone and gaining the offensive blueline, though his repertoire f moves has grown predictable... ultimately effective playing an abrasive style, fearlessly driving his tiny body into high traffic areas...less effective in traffic and missing that mean passionate edge since being diagnosed in 2007 with leukemia... still proved a capable torpedo with the ducks as he creates turnovers and forecheck confusion that played a part in linemates' strong finish.

 

[EagleBelfour]

I really love the Portland pick. If he played with Eddie Shore all those years, he's definitely more valuable than Hal Gill.

It will be a pleasure to rank some of these players 70's. Reading your Top-100 was the most fun I had since the ATD.

 

[seventieslord]

With the #95 pick in A2010, The Broder's Annex Marauders are pleased to select:

Lucien DeBlois, F

DeBlois was a versatile forward who was a jack of all trades and master of none. He played 993 NHL games and scored 525 points, which appears to be 3rd among all undrafted players. Based on overpass' adjusted points, he would be 14th among all undrafteds. However, among the 13 who place ahead of him, none were on the ice for as high a percentage of PPGA as DeBlois (24%). And they all scored at least 38 more adjusted PP points than DeBlois. He is 6th in adjusted ESP among undrafteds.

And none of the players with comparable offensive longevity, were NHL captains. DeBlois was the Jets' captain for two seasons. For these reasons he is a valuable commodity - a guy who can fill in on the bottom two lines, provide an above average and consistent amount of bottom-6 offense, check the other team's best players, kill penalties and provide leadership. And he plays all three forward positions. What more can you ask for in the 158rd pick?

DeBlois wears his adjusted -115 like a badge of honour, as he was always the checking line center for pretty bad teams. He did still manage to get into 52 playoff games and win a cup with the 1986 Habs. He was 9th in TOI among forwards that year.

DeBlois enjoyed just one very good offensive season, scoring 79 points in 1983-84. He had 8 more seasons with between 30 and 54 points.

DeBlois was drafted overall by the Rangers in 1977, a shrewd move in the eyes of then-GM John Ferguson: "We took DeBlois over Bossy, because we felt that Bossy didn't check enough for the NHL." True enough, perhaps, but no amount of checking from DeBlois could replace the guaranteed 50 goals from Mike Bossy... his was a career marked with resilience rather than a burst of greatness...

sound offensive-styled RW who was wasted with Rangers... often was on 4th line when he was dressed at all... talent was never in question but Rangers were stocked at his position... had to be included in Barry Beck deal at Rockies' insistence... immediately installed on PP and did a fine job there... built like a square with wide shoulders and thick arms...

consistent two-way player... scored 25 goals and was strong defensively... good penalty killer... strong along the boards and in corners... one of the game's best practical jokers.

solid big league winger... good defensive player who often kills penalties...

front-line NHL winger... good skater and defensive player who does heavy penalty killing load...

a good skater, with good balance on his skates but not a whole lot of speed... he is more of a mucker up and down his wing than a rocket, and won't beat too many defensemen one on one... he controls the puck fairly well and is a good passer, but DeBlois is not exceedingly intelligent on the ice and doesn't have a great capacity for creativity... can score if he is left open... a tough hockey player, willing and able to hit in the corners and along the boards. He has good upper body strength, but has been prone to groin pulls and abdominal strains in the last few seasons... can hit hard and consistently... can hold his check out of the play if necessary, and he can check without drawing penalties, which means he plays hard, but clean...

 

[seventieslord]

With the #96 pick in A2010, The Rosemont Mintos are pleased to select:

Matt Cullen, C

Cullen's been a pretty solid player for a decade now. He's been a pretty strong even strength performer and decent penalty killer that has lasted over 900 NHL games. He's similar to DeBlois in offensive production (actually, he's done more per game in just a few less games) and has the all-time record for most 40-point seasons (7) without ever cracking 50. A 20% penalty killer, he stands alone among comparable offensive players. And what's more, he's proven he can contribute in the playoffs as well, and you can't find guys like that very often now. Cullen tied for 3rd in playoff scoring on the 2006 cup-winning Hurricanes with 18 in 25 games. He even has a decent 18 in 38 games outside of that year. He's averaged more PPG in the playoffs than in the playoffs. (0.57, 0.53)

Has first-line potential and above-average dedication, which means he can get even better... has good speed and a good slapshot... handles the puck well in traffic and is willing to take it there... a good playmaker... an intelligent player, Cullen has improved his defensive awareness but that is the one area where he needs to show more improvement... strong and fast, and has an aggressive streak to go with his work ethic. He plays hard every shift... is valued for his character as well as his skills.

willing to drive the puck into high-density areas of the ice. What he lacks is a soft pair of hands to finish off the plays... a better playmaker than goalscorer... has acceptable defensive awareness... it is tough to tell if Cullen will develop into a checking forward or a safety valve center... needs to judge situations better and not go full-tilt unless there is a chance of some reward, or else he can wear down physically... a character player.

speedy vet enhanced value with a standout debut in Ottawa... sparkled in the playoffs, tying for the team lead in points... flashy skater with good all-around skills... gets a terrific burst and top skating speed from a wide base... makes fast, tight turns and has made important upgrades in balance and strength... cycles well and can also create chances off the rush... not really a pure checker nor playmaker, so must maximize his assets - speed, energy, and courage

 

[seventieslord]

With the #97 pick in A2010, The Rosemont Mintos are pleased to select:

Benny Woit, D/RW

Woit was a decent multi-positional player who contributed to three Detroit Stanley Cups in the 1950s. He was mostly a tough defenseman but played some RW as well. His NHL career was short but he toiled for over a decade longer in the minor leagues as well - first in the AHL, where he had previously won the 1950 Calder cup, and then in the EHL, where he was a four-time all-star and won a Walker Cup in 1964.

While the flashier players on the roster scored goals and excited fans, he held the fort with his rugged stay-at-home play. Some credit the almost anonymous rearguard with providing the foundational defensive play that allowed the Wings to corner the Stanley Cup over the years that followed.

Benny Woit had a long professional hockey career - 18 seasons altogether - but just 5 full seasons in the NHL. In those 5 NHL seasons Woit was fortunate enough to win 3 Stanley Cups - more than most players get in long time career.

"I was fortunate" remembers Woit. "I just happened to be with the right guys I guess. Guys like Lindsay, Howe and Sawchuck...you couldn't go wrong with that bunch."

Woit's statement is typically understated, always downplaying his role. In reality Woit was a valuable if not noticeable member of the 3 championships. While he was a quiet, unassuming man off the ice, Woit was a bit of a hunter on the ice. He was a very defensive minded blueliner (he also briefly saw some action on RW during his career) who loved to take the body.

The one guy who appreciated Woit more than most was Red Kelly, the Red Wings superstar defenseman who often wandered into the offensive zone. He could do so secure in the fact that Woit, his defense partner, had the back end covered.

"I loved to play with Benny Woit," said Kelly. "He wasn't necessarily the fastest of the best skater in the world, but he could skate and he could hit. And when Benny would hit them, they knew they were hit. He delivered solid checks. I would be carrying the puck, and Benny would be hitting, and we'd work well together. Benny always had a great attitude, but Jack Adams liked to ride him all the time."

He was the proverbial hard rock on the Detroit blueline during their greatest years.

Woit wasn't just a bit player in at least one of Detroit's Cup wins:

In the playoffs, Red Kelly got hurt; broke his hand. And Leo Reise got hurt; he had a bad knee or something. So that left just the three of us. Our coach, Tommy Ivan, didn't put anybody else out there. They dressed Red Kelly, broken hand and all, for three of the four games, but Goldham and Pronovost and I played pretty much the whole final against Montreal.

...we were playing in the third period; we're leading Montreal, 2-1. I come off. I'm ready to take my turn off because there's only three of us who are changing. And no! Tommy Ivan said, "Get back out there! And if they score, you're going to get it!"... and they didn't. We beat them, yeah. Oh boy, that was really something. They were never near our end! That damn Rocket there, he was just a-flyin' all the time. And the Rocket could let 'er go... the rocket was flying around, and all and we were eating that puck! Only three of us defensemen, and we beat them anyway!

 

[seventieslord]

That completes the Rosemont Roster:

Rosemont Mintos

Coach: Bruce Boudreau
Assistant Coach: John Tortorella

Walt Poddubny - Brendan Morrison - Joe Benoit
Archie Briden - Juha Widing - Jason Pominville
Dave Hannan (A) - Ron Wilson - Niklas Sundstrom
Scott Hartnell - Yanic Perreault - Scott Walker

Mark Hardy - Richard Smehlik
Dan Hamhuis - Todd Gill (C)
Jean Potvin - John Mariucci (A)

Frank McCool
Gilles Villemure

Spares:
Matt Cullen, C
John MacKinnon, D
Benny Woit, D/RW​

 

[seventieslord]

With the #98 pick in A2010, The Broder's Annex Marauders are pleased to select:

Bob Wall, D/LW

Wall was significant for a few reasons: He won a Memorial Cup in 1962, he got to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1966 with Detroit, he was a significant minor league offensive defenseman between 1964 and 1967, he played big minutes for the LA Kings in 1968 & 1970, he captained them for two seasons, he had an 861-game pro career, and he could play LW in addition to defense. There may be better defensemen out there, but his pedigree as an NHL captain and as a multi-positional player make him a solid choice as a spare here.

In 1973, Wall was the 13th-highest scoring blueliner in the WHA, a point behind Ted Green and just 6 behind Mike McMahon, who had led the NHL in defense points five years prior. In 1974, he was 18th with 37 points.

In the 1964 AHL, Wall was 9th in scoring among defensemen, in a league loaded with future NHLers. In 1965, he was 4th with 46. Mike McMahon led with 61. In the 1966 AHL, despite missing 9 games, Wall was 2nd to only Jim Morrison, who had enjoyed a decent NHL career that expansion was about to lengthen. In 1967, he played just over half the season in the AHL but scored at a rate that would have made him the league's leading scoring blueliner.

In the two seasons that Wall played as a defenseman with LA, he averaged 22.62 minutes per game.

While playing junior hockey, Wall was part of the Memorial Cup winning Hamilton Red Wings of 1962. A team that boasted the likes of future NHL players such as Paul Henderson, Ron Harris, Lowell MacDonald, Bryan Campbell and Pit Martin and is considered to have been one of the greatest junior teams ever assembled.

The big opportunity for Wall came about in 1972-73 at the age of 30 when the newly formed World Hockey Association came into existence. Desperate to fill their rosters, the teams knew they needed some veteran players to help mold their squads. The Alberta Oilers took a chance on Wall, and he repaid them by having a career year offensively, potting 16 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in the 78-game regular season. Even Wall himself was shocked at the high calibre of his play. He was quoted that season as saying "there's no doubt, this is the best season I've ever had."

a la Red Kelly, Wall moved from defense to forward during the thick of his career, and he later switched back when he got to the NHL. Like many players of his vintage, he was a part timer in the 1960s until expansion, after which his career took off.

all brains and definitely underrated... can also play LW... doesn't take many penalties but is quite effective in front of the net... not much of a gambler.

has tremendous capacity to bounce back in a hurry... has been carried off the ice looking like he's dying, and he's back the next shift... largely underrated... a pro's pro...

 

[seventieslord]

This completes the Broder's Annex roster:

Broder's Annex Marauders

Coach: Darryl Sutter
Assistant Coach: Mike Buckna

Adam Brown - Yevgeny Groshev - Earl Robinson
Sibby Nichol - Derek Roy - Simon Nolet (A)
Keith McCreary (C) - Mike Sillinger - Bill Collins
Ethan Moreau - Raimo Helminen (A) - Bill Hicke

Rockett Power - Tom Reid
Ron Harris - Danny Markov
Jason Woolley - Tracy Pratt

Herbert Collins
Dennis Herron

Spares:
Marty Howe, D/RW
Lucien DeBlois, F
Bob Wall, D/LW​

 

[EagleBelfour]

Rosemont Mintos​

Would be great if you put a link to the players bios on these team rosters, like you and I do in the ATD. It would be easier to go back and read the bios on them. Would be especially useful if you want some of us to rank those picks

 

[seventieslord]

With the #99 pick in A2010, The Cathedral Bohemians are pleased to select:

Bert McCaffrey, D/RW

It is impossible to get this far and overlook Bert McCaffrey, who is perhaps the truest multi-positional player here, with the possible exception of Nikitin. He actually should have been selected as a spare, as early as the MLD. I should not have waited so long to profile him here. Embarrassing.

McCaffrey had a very long and very storied career. From 1916-1923, he was a Senior hockey star in Toronto, scoring 80 points in 61 games and 25 more in 23 playoff and Allan Cup games. He won two Allan Cups in 1922 and 1923, and then went to the Olympics with the Granites in 1924, of course winning gold, outscoring everyone in the tournament except Harry Watson, most notably Hooley Smith. He was a two-time 1st team all-star in the SOHA and once a 2nd team all-star defenseman, so he was even multi-positional in those days. Clearly during this time, based on comparables done in the past, McCaffrey was capable of being a very good NHL player.

He then joined the NHL in 1924 with the Leafs as a RW (at 31, already among the league's oldest players), and was actually the league's 19th-leading scorer. (not the greatest achievement, as this was a pre-merger league, but decently notable). In 1925, he was 13th. He switched to D after the merger and was a decent 11th and 13th in points by a blueliner. Normally I wouldn't say this was decent, but he had 53 and 65% of the leading d-man scorer those years. In 1930 he won the Stanley Cup with the Habs. He played until the end of the 1931 season, at which point he was 37 and only Art Duncan was older - but Duncan played just two games.

Even if McCaffrey had never played a single NHL game, his place in Canadian hockey history would be secure because of his amateur career.

Winger/defenseman Bert "Mac" McCaffery played his seven NHL seasons during the 1920s and 1930s for the Toronto St. Pats, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Montreal Canadiens. Born in Chesley, Ontario, he entered the NHL in 1924-25 after four years with the Ontario Hockey Association's Toronto Granites. In his rookie campaign with the St. Pats he scored 9 goals and 7 assists. The next season was his best from an individual standpoint, 14 goals and 7 assists for 21 points in 36 games.

St. Pats management traded him to Pittsburgh during the early part of the 1927-28 season as part of a three-team deal that brought Ed Rodden to Toronto from Chicago, and sent Ty Arbour to the Windy City. McCaffery was traded again in 1929, this time to Montreal for Gord Fraser. After just over a year with the Canadiens, Mac went to the Providence Reds of the old Can-Am league, and then to the Philadelphia Arrows of the same league, where he rounded out his playing career in 1933.

Perhaps the greatest highlight of McCaffery's career came during his final year as an amateur with the OHA's Granites, when he competed in the 1924 Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, France. In those days, Canada would send its top amateur club to wear the national colors, and with McCaffery at right wing, the Granites ? a team founded by ex-servicemen after World War I, were dominant, winning the Allan Cup in 1922 and 1923.

McCaffery, along with teammates Harry Watson on left wing and Hooley Smith at center, formed an effective scoring trio for coach Frank Rankin. The Granites opened the seven-game tournament with a 30-0 pasting of Czechoslovakia, followed by a 22-0 crushing of Sweden and a 33-0 drubbing of Switzerland. McCaffery hat-tricks in the first two games, then exploded for an incredible eight goals, including three in a row in the contest against Switzerland.

In the finals, Canada took on the United States on the outdoor ice of Chamonix for the gold medal. Watson, who had been hired by the Toronto Telegram to write a first-person, behind-the-scenes account of the team's trip to France, boasted that Canada would beat the Americans 10 or 12 to nothing ? a prediction that did not seem all that unlikely, considering some of the scores during qualifying. His forecast earned Watson a stick in the face from an unappreciative American during the early minutes of the game. But as things settled down, Canada took control and won the gold medal by a score of 6-1. McCaffery scored once in the final, and finished the tournament with 20 goals in 5 games, second to Watson's 36 (assists were not recorded).

The hockey trade just completed where the Duquesne Gardens outfit obtained the services of Bert McCaffrey, of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a good one, from a Pittsburgh standpoint. McCaffrey is rated as one of the best skaters in the NHL and appears to be just the kind of a man the locals need.

 

[seventieslord]

This completes the Cathedral roster.

Cathedral Bohemians

Coach: Sid Abel
Assistant Coach: Alf Smith

Jim Conacher - Matti Hagman - Petri Skriko
Ken Smith (A) - Bill Derlago - Alexander Martynyuk
Jochen Hecht - John Chabot - Floyd Smith
Vic Lynn - Gerry Meehan (A) - Mel Hill

Larry Cahan (C) - Pekka Marjamaki
Rick Lapointe - Vladimir Brezhnev
Tom Poti - Jack Portland

Jake Forbes
Urpo Ylonen

Spares:
Doug Halward, D
Jason Blake, LW/RW
Bert McCaffrey, D/RW​

 

[seventieslord]

Would be great if you put a link to the players bios on these team rosters, like you and I do in the ATD. It would be easier to go back and read the bios on them. Would be especially useful if you want some of us to rank those picks

that's a good idea. I will go back and do that.

 

[EagleBelfour]

that's a good idea. I will go back and do that.

Great. If you do that and make your last pick, I will rank them tonight (It's 8:00PM in here).

 

[seventieslord]

Great. If you do that and make your last pick, I will rank them tonight (It's 8:00PM in here).

It's gonna be a defenseman. And I am stuck choosing between a couple pre-expansion guys, a couple Russians, and about 10 post-expansion players.

With the modern guys, there is so much information available on them, and I'm not looking to fill any particular role, just the best overall player. I'm big on TOI, but there is context to it. Guys always on bad teams will see their ice time go higher than it otherwise would be, and the opposite for guys always on good teams. If you play forever, you will inevitably be a depth player later on and cause your career average to plummet.

And then there is the playoffs. Getting in a ton of playoff games is a great thing. I'm considering a guy who has over 100 playoff games, and had a career average of 19 minutes a game, which is decent for over 900 regular season games. But when you look at who he advanced with, he was a 15-19 minute player with these better teams, and a 20-23 minute player only with crap teams. So suddenly he's not as attractive. the guy with the most career minutes per game played 5 playoff games. The guy with the most games was an 18-minute player, but 19.6 over his best dozen seasons. And so on. there's no "perfect" guy but I want the best mix.

It's my last chance to make a good pick and put all the rest of my "maybe"s on the "no" pile, so I wanna get it right. I have tomorrow off work so it will be done early, but I'm heading to bed now. So don't wait up for me!

With the thought that's going into this one, he'll likely be better than a number of guys I've already taken.

 

[EagleBelfour]

Fair enough. I'm working right now, but I'll try to complete a list in the next half-day.

A little advice for your last selection: when in doubt, NEVER select the modern guy. Not that he isn't the BPA, but I widely prefer learning about that guy who played in the 1890's, 1930's or far away in a country who's name finish by ''stan'', than the guy who I see play regularly. Take it for what it's worth.

EDIT: It is WAY more job than anticipated, it will take me a couple of days to complete (Top-20 done).

 

[seventieslord]

Fair enough. I'm working right now, but I'll try to complete a list in the next half-day.

A little advice for your last selection: when in doubt, NEVER select the modern guy. Not that he isn't the BPA, but I widely prefer learning about that guy who played in the 1890's, 1930's or far away in a country who's name finish by ''stan'', than the guy who I see play regularly. Take it for what it's worth.

EDIT: It is WAY more job than anticipated, it will take me a couple of days to complete (Top-20 done).

It's tough though. We've really tapped Russia (although there are two guys I wish I took over Brezhnev, I don't think two wrongs make a right), and I haven't found any other Europeans from 1960-1990 who pique my interest. and if you look for who had the most GP at defense as of the 1967 expansion, it's a meagre selection from here. The O6 era is truly tapped. I took all the forward with multiple 30-point seasons (well, almost) and the best defensemen left are 200-300 game guys with a few AHL all-star teams in long careers, and I am not sure that makes them better than 800-1000-game modern guys. (I mean, maybe it does, but I'm not sure, and it would probably take a population and talent pool-based analysis to say for sure that being the 20th-30th-best defenseman of the 60s is better or worse than being the 40th-50th-best of the 90s)

anyway, pick coming asap.

 

[seventieslord]

For the record, I did a quick analysis to determine if I was on the right track. there was an AHL defenseman who had 5 all-star teams in six years from 1956-1961, making him essentially the AHL's best defenseman. We've picked about 24 prominent defensemen from that time, and I think it's fair to say that he was about 25th overall in that era. I think it's fair to say that a guy being selected an AHL all-star every year is likely better than the guy playing the #5-6 role on a below average NHL team, but just isn't getting the opportunity.

Anyway, the question is, how do we put that into a modern context? We all agree by now that 25th then does not equal 25th now. the population of canada has almost perfectly doubled from 1959 (the midpoint of this period) to 2007 (the midpoint of the modern period I checked), so it would be fair to say, assuming hockey participation remained about constant (and I don't know if it has or not), that being 25th from 1956-1961 is about as good as being 50th from 2003-2010.

However, that's assuming that the top-level talent is being drawn strictly from Canada. It was in 1959, it certainly wasn't in 2007. I think the NHL is about 55% canadian now, in this truly globabl league, and this is an "honest" figure because no one cares about nationality, all coaches and GMs just want to assemble the best possible team. So if you're about 50th among Canadians, you're about 91st in the world, roughly speaking.

So based on that extremely elementary analysis, being 25th in 1959 is like being 91st in 2007. But, then I think there has to be some sort of subjective "credit" given to the 1959 guy for being closer to the top than the 2007 guy even if, relatively speaking, they are about equal. It's much easier for me to identify, for example, that this guy is the next-best (25th-best) defenseman of his era, than it is for me to determine who is the next-best (59th, approximately, based on who is selected from this era) defenseman of the most recent modern era. Does that credit overwhelm the hypothesis that there are approximately 30 defensemen relatively better from modern times yet to be selected? My thinking is no, but it's closer than that. I would not take 30 more defensemen from modern times before this guy, but I think it would be fair to both eras to take at least 5 more modern guys before him.

So the next pick will likely be modern. I hope I've shown that I at least thought this through. It's just a matter of identifying who was the most important to the best teams for the longest time.

(P.S - we have barely scratched the surface on top AHL forwards of the O6 era, right or wrong, so delving into those defensemen would also likely be disporportionate era appreciation)

I'd like to hear the thoughts of guys like overpass, TDMM, and HO on stuff like this. The talent pool-based assessments like the above are really just in their infancy, and I added an arbitrary subjectivity at the end of it to "artificially" narrow the gap I created, but maybe there is an objective and substantiated way to do that, that I'm not thinking of.

 

[seventieslord]

ok, last pick ready. for the record, this guy beat out MOD EDIT: DO NOT JUST LIST NAMES. Either profile a player giving a reason why they ought to be drafted or else don't mention him at all.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

For the record, I did a quick analysis to determine if I was on the right track. there was an AHL defenseman who had 5 all-star teams in six years from 1956-1961, making him essentially the AHL's best defenseman. We've picked about 24 prominent defensemen from that time, and I think it's fair to say that he was about 25th overall in that era. I think it's fair to say that a guy being selected an AHL all-star every year is likely better than the guy playing the #5-6 role on a below average NHL team, but just isn't getting the opportunity.

Anyway, the question is, how do we put that into a modern context? We all agree by now that 25th then does not equal 25th now. the population of canada has almost perfectly doubled from 1959 (the midpoint of this period) to 2007 (the midpoint of the modern period I checked), so it would be fair to say, assuming hockey participation remained about constant (and I don't know if it has or not), that being 25th from 1956-1961 is about as good as being 50th from 2003-2010.

However, that's assuming that the top-level talent is being drawn strictly from Canada. It was in 1959, it certainly wasn't in 2007. I think the NHL is about 55% canadian now, in this truly globabl league, and this is an "honest" figure because no one cares about nationality, all coaches and GMs just want to assemble the best possible team. So if you're about 50th among Canadians, you're about 91st in the world, roughly speaking.

So based on that extremely elementary analysis, being 25th in 1959 is like being 91st in 2007. But, then I think there has to be some sort of subjective "credit" given to the 1959 guy for being closer to the top than the 2007 guy even if, relatively speaking, they are about equal. It's much easier for me to identify, for example, that this guy is the next-best (25th-best) defenseman of his era, than it is for me to determine who is the next-best (59th, approximately, based on who is selected from this era) defenseman of the most recent modern era. Does that credit overwhelm the hypothesis that there are approximately 30 defensemen relatively better from modern times yet to be selected? My thinking is no, but it's closer than that. I would not take 30 more defensemen from modern times before this guy, but I think it would be fair to both eras to take at least 5 more modern guys before him.

So the next pick will likely be modern. I hope I've shown that I at least thought this through. It's just a matter of identifying who was the most important to the best teams for the longest time.

(P.S - we have barely scratched the surface on top AHL forwards of the O6 era, right or wrong, so delving into those defensemen would also likely be disporportionate era appreciation)

I'd like to hear the thoughts of guys like overpass, TDMM, and HO on stuff like this. The talent pool-based assessments like the above are really just in their infancy, and I added an arbitrary subjectivity at the end of it to "artificially" narrow the gap I created, but maybe there is an objective and substantiated way to do that, that I'm not thinking of.

I used to think the "potential talent pool" from Canada scaled or less linearly with the Canadian population since hockey became Canada's national sport sometime before the Original 6 period. Now I'm pretty sure it doesn't for two reasons:

1) The population of Canada (like every other industrialized nation) is aging. Top level hockey isn't drawing from the entire population - for most of its history, it was drawing from something like 18-35 year old males (now it might be 18-40 year olds, but I think 18-35 is still close enough).

2) Much of the Canadian increase in population comes from immigrants and children of immigrants - people who usually did not grow up in a hockey culture.

I'm sure it's possible to account for these variables, but it would be pretty complicated, which is why I gave up on the project I was going to work on that was to estimate the relative talent pool size over time.

If you look at it this way, it's possible that the potential talent pool from Canada hasn't really increased at all. (Though you still need to look at the fact that the Europeans have almost doubled the talent pool).

And of course, that is just the the potential talent pool. Some people on the HOH board think you need to account for the number of people actually registered for hockey in Canada, which has skyrocketed. I'm not sure if that's important, however.

 

[seventieslord]

With the #100 pick in A2010, The Wascana View Millionaires are pleased to select:

Steve Konroyd, D

Konroyd was a no-frills defensive defenseman who was pretty important to pretty good teams for a career that spanned 895 NHL games and 97 more in the playoffs. He averaged 20.35 minutes a game and my system says he averaged 20.65 in the playoffs (there were guys who appeared to average more but it became clear that when they were the man on their team, their team went nowhere, and when they did go somewhere, they played a #5-6 role)

He killed 44% of his team's penalties and had very little PP time in his career. He finished with 236 points and 25 more in the playoffs. His most significant playoff runs were with the 1987 Isles (he was their #2), the 1989 Hawks (#4) and the 1990 Hawks (#5).

He just steadily got the job done for many years - without being noticeable for his offense or dominating toughness. And unless you were watching for strong defensive play, you'd miss him too. And most people did. He was a poor man's Bill Hajt.

Steve Konroyd was a sound positional defenceman who could also make crisp outlet passes to his forwards. He played nearly 900 regular season games with six different clubs.

...Beginning in 1981-82, Konroyd played nearly five years as a regular on the Flames' blueline. His steady play made him an asset for Canada when they won the silver medal at the 1985 World Championships. The Flames were competitive during this period but were overshadowed by the success of the Edmonton Oilers. Prior to the trading deadline in 1986, Konroyd and Richard Kromm were sent to the New York Islanders for Stanley Cup veteran John Tonelli.

Konroyd solidified the Islanders' defence for nearly two and a half years until he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks in November 1988. Now that he was no longer as mobile as in his younger days, the close checking style of the Hawks suited his game. Konroyd was a solid defender on Chicago when they led the NHL in regular season points in 1990-91. Following the Hawks first round upset at the hands of the Minnesota North Stars, Konroyd joined team Canada at the 1991 World Championships and won another silver medal.

For 15 years Konroyd played in the NHL, the consummate unsung hero, the man no one noticed or paid attention to except when he was checking the opposing team's top players.

Steve Konroyd was the key man in the Tonelli deal. Torrey said he needed a guy who'd hit and clear the crease. Konroyd does both with regularity, which is something this mediocre group couldn't do last year.

Konroyd is an excellent skater, both forward and backward and he is also good on his pivots. He reads the defensive rush quite well and plays his position, steering opponents wide by playing his defensive angles so well... he is very good at moving the puck out of his own end, able to find the open man and get him the puck quickly and easily. Konroyd will skate the puck out if he has to, but looks to pass first... he handles the puck well though he does not make himself part of the attack; he won't rush the offensive zone. Konroyd will sit back at the point and fire away with an average slapshot. He can find the open man in the offensive zone too, and Konroyd would rather get the puck to him.

Konroyd is a strong defenseman and he can take players off the puck with his size and strength. He is aggressive in front of his net and in the corners, but is not a fighter. He uses his size well at the point, able to contain the puck because of good reach... Konroyd will stabilize the Isles' defensive corps... he is a smart, confident player with excellent sense and will become a backliner the Isles can count on.

plays a quiet, dependable game, and will almost always turn in a 100% effort... a good team man.

quietly effective are the words that best describe Konroyd's finesse skills... he has a fair degree of agility he can put to use in sliding around a forechecker and some acceleration skill for use when going back for the puck... excellently and consistently forces the play wide of the net by angling off the incoming forward... knows how to play physically without taking penalties that hurt his team...

what may be Konroyd's best skill is one that has no tangible signs, no easy-to-point-to highlghts. You have to be an intelligent hockey observer to understand Konroyd's best skill, and that is his ability to see the play defensively and understand its implications - to read and react, in the vernacular... Konroyd is a super-intelligent defensive player, and he uses his intelligence to recognize what is going on in front of him. His skating is a big key here and Konroyd uses his outstanding overall mobility to control the gap and step up on the puck carrier in excellent fashion. And he does this not only at his own blueline but in neutral ice as well, thus aiding the Hawks' overall checking and transition games. This is a big reason he'll kill penalties... also uses his skating skill to elude forecheckers when he has the puck, but Konroyd won't have the puck for long because he knows it belongs to a breaking forward... he moves the play from his own end with crisp passes, using the same vision to find the open man...

more efficient as a hitter than he is spectacular, but make no mistake - he's big and strong and he can thump people. Konroyd is an intelligently aggressive player, using his size and strength against anyone without drawing penalties... probably Chicago's steadiest defensive defenseman, the kind of player who can free up an offensively gifted partner to play that way, can clean up his partner's mistakes or back up a youngster. Konroyd is a good team man who puts out solid effort night in and night out.

underrated for his passing, his physical strength, and probably, his effectiveness. He is steady and skilled and smart and consistent, and he makes his partners better... Konroyd has nice balance and a good stride. He can take the puck of the corner boards well with a nice, tight, turn-and-stride. Konroyd especially uses his range when killing penalties; he will challenge all the way to the top of the circles at times, but will be smart about picking the right time to go... Konroyd is savvy, he can read an offensive chance and move into the play. He will pass the puck up ice rather than carry it, and will keep his thought processes compact. He selects a course of action, finds an open forward with a pass and makes the play before he gets to the attacking blueline.

Blocks shots very well and uses his strength in an effective, but understated manner. He is a willing hitter, but not a fighter... the rest of the league ma not appreciate Konroyd as much as the Blackhawks do. He does not play a flashy game, but the whole is made up of many parts, executed successfully by a player who keeps the game simple. Every team, especially a contending team, needs a steadying influence of this type.