The 2011 Single-A Draft (roster, picks, discussion, everything)

[BenchBrawl]

Montreal select Perry Turnbull C

6-2 200 lbs
Three 50 pts seasons
Five 40 pts seasons
Three consecutive 30 goals seasons
One 200 PIM season
Seven consecutive 100 PIM seasons
Top 10 in Even-Strenght goals in 81-82 ( 10th )

 

[chaosrevolver]

The Bursa Janissaries select:

C: Grover Sargent
RW: Lou Angotti
RW: Willie O'Ree

 

[BillyShoe1721]

LW Greg Polis

D Red Goupille

1 voting point in All-Star voting 39-40
2 voting points in All-Star voting 41-42

Generally part of the Canadiens top defense pair, Goupille was able to anticipate the play and position himself accordingly. The steady rearguard could also make good use of his size when the situation called for it and was regularly among team leaders for penalty time.

Playing alongside more recent arrivals Ken Reardon and Emile Bouchard as they learned the ropes, Goupille steadfastly backed up the newcomers as they developed into offensive threats. His peak offensive year came in 1939-40 when he contributed a pair of goals and a dozen points to the Habs’ cause.

http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Red-Goupille

 

[BillyShoe1721]

C Blair Betts

Year|Team|PK TOI/G Rank|Team PK Rank|Playoffs|How far?
03-04|Flames|3rd|13th|Yes|Finals
05-06|Rangers|2nd|10th|Yes|Conference QF
06-07|Rangers|1st|12th|Yes|Conference SF
07-08|Rangers|2nd|6th|Yes|Conference SF
08-09|Rangers|1st|1st|Yes|Conference SF
09-10|Flyers|1st|11th|Yes|Finals
10-11|Flyers|1st|15th|Yes|Conference SF

 

[seventieslord]

associate coach Ludek Bukac
LW Ladislav Nagy
LW Lou Trudel

 

[Hedberg]

[

Year|Team|PK TOI/G Rank|Team PK Rank|Playoffs|How far?
03-04|Flames|3rd|13th|Yes|Finals

Betts was actually dealt to the Rangers at the deadline that year.

 

[VanIslander]

The Minutemen select one of its GM's favorites in 6'1 200 lbs. Steve Staios, the 16-year veteran who had four times been top-3 in ice time among club blueliners over a 7-year period of his prime. It begins when he was named captain of the Atlanta Thrashers for the 2000-01 season, and he was 2nd in ice time for the Thrashers that season, with a decent 156 shots, 22 points and 137 PIMs, all highest among the club's defenders, an evident impact player night in and night out on an otherwise pretty woeful expansion team, the first time to impress this GM I recall. In the offseason he signed with Edmonton as a free agent and in his second season there was 3rd in ice time ahead of captain Jason Smith, Staios scoring three shorthanded goals, playing forward on the penalty kill. The next season was arguably his best year, scoring 28 points to lead all Oilers rearguards in points and shots, second to Brewer in ice time but with a far better plus-minus of +17 to Brewer's -6. It was the first of his only four complete seasons he ever played in the NHL as injuries limited him to 50-70 games usually, a tribute to his balls-to-the-wall style of all-out play. And it was the third consecutive time he represented Team Canada at the world championships, winning gold twice, scoring points in each tourney. The very next season, the first after the lockout, he was part of the top-4 core led by Pronger to patrol the blueline in a Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals run in which the alternate captain would get only 6 points but register 28 playoff PIMs, more than Pronger but less than a goon. The following season he was 2nd in ice time on a blueline decimated by departures and injuries, he himself only playing 58 games due to injury. He played a complete 2007-08 season on the team's second pairing, leading the club in blueline PIMs with 128, winning silver at the world championships as a 34 year old. That ended a decent 7-year stretch of his 964 NHL game career. He would go on to be plagued by concussion problems. He has demonstrated the skills to play the 4/5 role ideally, with respected checking ability, hard work and leadership.

Known as a hard-hitting player with a great deal of stamina

http://www.bringthenhltohamilton.com/steve_staios.html

Loves to play a gritty, banging style from behind the blueline. Is an excellent team leader. Owns plenty of versatility; he can also skate as a winger when the team is in a pinch. Has been through a lot of NHL wars.

http://forecaster.ca/hockeynews/hockey/player.cgi?683

 

[VanIslander]

The Minutemen select the two-time Stanley Cup champion blueline pairing of Frank Tansey and Frank Wall.

(There are lots of praise quotes of their ability, one for his rushes, the other for his checking, both for their defensive ability. A bio will be constructed for them eventually.)

 

[Hedberg]

Make up picks for the last two days:

LW Joey Johnston

Played in 1973, 1974, and 1975 All-Star Game

Legends of Hockey

Left winger Joey Johnston was a tireless worker with an above average touch around the net. He would likely have been more appreciated if his prime years were not spent with the dreadful California Golden Seals.

Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Johnston skated for the local Petes in the OHA for three seasons. He was highly regarded by the scouts and the New York Rangers made him the eighth player chosen in the 1966 Amateur Draft. Johnston scored 24 goals for the Blueshirts' CHL affiliate in Omaha but was traded in June 1968 as part of the package to acquire veteran Dave Balon from the Minnesota North Stars.

The North Stars recalled Johnston for eleven games in 1968-69 but he spent most of his time in the franchise's farm system. In 1970-71 he scored 74 points for the Cleveland Barons of the AHL and was voted on to the league's first all-star team. A few days after the season a trade to the California Golden Seals changed his fortunes dramatically. The Seals were a woeful squad but their lack of depth enabled Johnston to blossom into a first rate NHL forward.

A few weeks after a trade sent him to the Chicago Black Hawks in 1975, but the lingering effects of the serious head injuries he suffered in a car crash, along with the emotional scars, were too great and he was forced to retire.

C Steve Vair

9th in NHA Scoring 1910

NHL Birthplace:

Along with many of the other well-known and strong hockey players of the day, Steve Vair caught the eye of the O'Brien's, who were looking to add talent to their hockey team.

Looking for any strong addition to the team that might help them win the Cup in the second season, Vair was signed to the Renfrew Millionaires for the 1911-12 season.

Vair had started his career in 1908 in Edmonton before joining the Montreal Wanderers a year later. When that team joined the NHA, Vair moved to the Cobalt team and played a year for them. It was during this time that he earned his reputation as a consistent hockey player.

He proved his worth in his season with the Renfrew Millionaires, scoring at least one goal in every game he played that year. When the Millionaire's franchise closed, Vair joined the Toronto Tecumsehs. He would remain with the team through new names and new ownerships until the end of his career. In 1913, the Tecumsehs were renamed the Ontario's, and then sold and renamed the Shamrocks in 1915, the year Vair would retire from hockey.

Lodi News Sentinel, Mar 9, 1938

The Millionaires had such stars as Cyclone Taylor, Steve Vair, and Lester Patrick

Mercury Advance, Feb 12, 1975

Bert Lindsay, Bobby Rowe, and Steve Vair had been brought in and it was rumoured that they were being paid and were therefore professionals

Montreal Gazette, Jan 29, 1909

Vair did fine work for Edmonton in the cup series and his scoring ability is thought to be the thing needed to give the Wanderers a team strong at every point.

The Toronto World, Feb 27, 1913

Steve Vair was easily the best man on the ice with his rushes right into the goal mouth and some good back-checking

 

[vecens24]

I've always thought Blair Betts was really underappreciated by the teams that he played for. Along with the PK ability he's been among the strongest faceoff men in the NHL for a while now too. Solid pick. There's a guy on the Pens who I find very similar to him with more Cups but is much worse on faceoffs making Betts the better selection here. However I wouldn't be shocked to see him picked here either.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

C Jarret Stoll

Two-way center can play on both specialty teams. He's great on faceoffs and can play the point on the PP as needed.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

LW Stewart Gavin

Not much of an offensive player, though he scored a respectable 34 points in 66 playoff games, Gavin will play on my 4th line and log PK minutes.

1 2nd place Selke vote in '86
1 3rd place Selke vote in '87
1 1st, 1 2nd place Selke votes in '89
1 3rd place Selke vote in '90

Stew Gavin came up through the amateur ranks with the Toronto Marlboros of the OHA from 1977 to 1980. While there, he established himself as a quick-skating plumber who could flesh out any respectable roster with his intensely determined style of play. In 1980, he was picked up by the Toronto Maple Leafs who, after a brief tryout, dispatched him to the New Brunswick Hawks of the AHL to refine his game.

Over the next two campaigns, Gavin picked up an increasing number of games with the Leafs. But it wasn't until 1983-84 that he became an NHL regular. At that time, he became the Blue and White's designated checker and penalty killer. But the team was stuck on a losing track year in and year out.

As a Whalers, Gavin attained his best overall results. He continued to excel at his defensive game while lifting his offensive numbers to a personal best 55 points in 76 contests during his first season with the club. But in 1988, he was claimed on waivers by the Minnesota North Stars. There he continued to perform as a defensive forward until he blew out his knee in 1993.

Stew Gavin was an aggressive checking utility forward who could play either wing. An unsung - and often unnoticed - hero, Stew was a valuable member of 3 NHL teams over his career. His biggest asset was his skating ability. His superior speed combined with good anticipation earned him a 13 years as a valuable checker, penalty killer and playoff warrior.

He spent three seasons in Hartford recording a second 20-goal campaign in 1986-87 while also being awarded Hartford's Unsung Hero Trophy in 1986.

In 1988, Gavin became a member of the Minnesota North Stars. He spent five years in Minnesota where he was named the North Stars 1988-89 Choice Player of the Year, voted by team management and media. He was also played a big role in helping the Stars reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1991.

Stew finished his career in 1993 with Minnesota with career totals of 130 goals, 155 assists and 285 points in 768 regular season games while adding 34 points in 66 playoff contests.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

RW Eddie Kullman

A solid right-winger who could score and check equally well, Eddie Kullman played 343 games with the New York Rangers from 1947 to 1954. He was solid role player in the NHL and prolific scorer in the minor leagues.

The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba played junior with the hometown Rangers between 1941 and 1946. He began his pro career in style by leading the PCHL with 56 goals in 1946-47 as a member of the Portland Eagles. In 1947-48 he turned in a solid 32-point effort in 51 games for New York. He spent most of the next two years in the minors but returned to take a regular shift for the Blueshirts in 1950-51.

Kullman was an important part of the Rangers' line-up for four straight seasons in the early 1950s.

Eddie Kullman, an aggressive right winger out of Winnipeg, was a defensive forward extraordinaire with the New York Rangers from 1947 through 1954...

Teammate Glen Somnor described Eddie as "the most diligent checking forard I've ever played with. Kullman never would think about scoring; just trail his check wherever the guy went."

Two of Kullman's primary targets were larger than life legends Maurice Richard and Gordie Howe. Kullman would inferiorate his opponents with his aggressive shadowing. Somehow he would eventually master the art of grabbing his target hard enough to stop him while hiding out of the sight of the referee!

Of course frustrating the league's top players can be a dangerous job, especially when you are ticking off two of the shortest-tempered players of all time in Richard and Howe. Once Richard turned around and clubbed Kullman over his bare head with his stick, poleaxe style. The resilient Kullman was taken off the ice but returned, wearing a helmet!

Howe once sucker punched Eddie behind the play. Howe kayoed Kullman with all his might!

Not surprisingly, Kullman's professional hockey career was relatively short.

 

[seventieslord]

D Red Goupille

1 voting point in All-Star voting 39-40
2 voting points in All-Star voting 41-42

http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Red-Goupille

Nice one. I thought we had actually selected every player except those with "one vote, one time". I mean, this isn't much, but it is at least an indication, something few A draft players have.

C Blair Betts

Year|Team|PK TOI/G Rank|Team PK Rank|Playoffs|How far?
03-04|Flames|3rd|13th|Yes|Finals
05-06|Rangers|2nd|10th|Yes|Conference QF
06-07|Rangers|1st|12th|Yes|Conference SF
07-08|Rangers|2nd|6th|Yes|Conference SF
08-09|Rangers|1st|1st|Yes|Conference SF
09-10|Flyers|1st|11th|Yes|Finals
10-11|Flyers|1st|15th|Yes|Conference SF

wow. he's not a guy I've ever paid much attention to. I'm surprised at his overall PK resume: 41% usage for teams 16% better than average.

Kinda reminds me of the Scott Pellerin pick (or Lew Morrison) - great if you want a PKer, not so great if you want anything else.

When I saw those numbers I thought "damn, did Billy just get another Chris Kelly?" Based on PKing, more or less. (Kelly's 42% usage, 17% above average). Kelly produces more than double the ice time at even strength, gets 25% more ice time, and had more playoff points in 6 games than Betts has in his whole career.

I'm looking forward to doing a Lew Morrison bio to show how skilled he was at just one thing, but in the meantime, take a look at what a truly skilled specialist can do:

Blair Betts' teams have been 7% better than average at even strength, 4% better than average on the PP... but 16% better than average on the PK with him running the show.

Lew Morrison, a RW, had an even more profound effect, believe it or not! But I'll get into that when I have more time.

The Minutemen select one of its GM's favorites in 6'1 200 lbs. Steve Staios, the 16-year veteran who had four times been top-3 in ice time among club blueliners over a 7-year period of his prime. It begins when he was named captain of the Atlanta Thrashers for the 2000-01 season, and he was 2nd in ice time for the Thrashers that season, with a decent 156 shots, 22 points and 137 PIMs, all highest among the club's defenders, an evident impact player night in and night out on an otherwise pretty woeful expansion team, the first time to impress this GM I recall. In the offseason he signed with Edmonton as a free agent and in his second season there was 3rd in ice time ahead of captain Jason Smith, Staios scoring three shorthanded goals, playing forward on the penalty kill. The next season was arguably his best year, scoring 28 points to lead all Oilers rearguards in points and shots, second to Brewer in ice time but with a far better plus-minus of +17 to Brewer's -6. It was the first of his only four complete seasons he ever played in the NHL as injuries limited him to 50-70 games usually, a tribute to his balls-to-the-wall style of all-out play. And it was the third consecutive time he represented Team Canada at the world championships, winning gold twice, scoring points in each tourney. The very next season, the first after the lockout, he was part of the top-4 core led by Pronger to patrol the blueline in a Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals run in which the alternate captain would get only 6 points but register 28 playoff PIMs, more than Pronger but less than a goon. The following season he was 2nd in ice time on a blueline decimated by departures and injuries, he himself only playing 58 games due to injury. He played a complete 2007-08 season on the team's second pairing, leading the club in blueline PIMs with 128, winning silver at the world championships as a 34 year old. That ended a decent 7-year stretch of his 964 NHL game career. He would go on to be plagued by concussion problems. He has demonstrated the skills to play the 4/5 role ideally, with respected checking ability, hard work and leadership.

He's definitely a hard worker with leadership. But I wish you wouldn't use PIM as a positive (use them for an older player with little info available as evidence they were scrappy if you like).

Staios has been an OK #4-5 defenseman. (2001 as a #2 is meaningless since the team was awful, this is why they had Steve Staois as a #2!). The 2003 and 2004 seasons are fairly impressive, considering where he ranked on his team and how the team performed with him in that role.

But, if that is the best that he ever did, he's not looking too good here. There are still guys out there who have been top pairing players multiple seasons, or at least above average players. A #4-5 defenseman on a bad team (which is what Staios almost always was) is a below average NHL player! Kudos to him for making it to almost 1000 games though.

Staios played some RW back in 1998-2000. There's still time to put an above average player in your lineup as a starter. Staios makes a passable multi-positional spare whose leadership and attitude can benefit the team from the press box and in the dressing room.

Make up picks for the last two days:

LW Joey Johnston

Played in 1973, 1974, and 1975 All-Star Game

Hard to argue with this one. He has a 4th-liner's mentality, offense that should prove to be at least par for a 4th line winger in this draft, and the three all-star games suggest he was viewed somewhat as a star, or at least a consistent fan favourite.

C Jarret Stoll

Two-way center can play on both specialty teams. He's great on faceoffs and can play the point on the PP as needed.

Good pick. Would you believe, that at 56% he is THE most-used PP forward left?

RW Eddie Kullman

nice, seems like a forgotten checker who did his job with little fanfare. Val Fonteyne with 1/3 the career length?

getting a guy who lasted even 300 games prior to 1967 is pretty hard at this point. (it kinda highlights the importance of starting to look at the best longtime AHLers, we probably should have started this ages ago)

Actually - now that I look at it, it looks like Kullman's 343 GP as of expansion are the most of all guys available right now! Who'da thunk it?

 

[seventieslord]

Since basically every defenseman who had anything to do with the Isles dynasty is selected, I thought I would provide a little synopsis of their usage in those four seasons - obviously as a way to highlight Bob Lorimer.

Year | Name | TOI | ES TOI | PP TOI | SH TOI | GP | PO GP | notes
1980 | POTVIN, DENIS | 27.40 | 20.52 | 4.00 | 2.89 | 31 | 21 | clear #1
1980 | LORIMER, BOB | 23.63 | 20.22 | 0.25 | 3.17 | 74 | 21 | clear #2
1980 | POTVIN, JEAN | 22.84 | 18.99 | 1.77 | 2.08 | 32 | 0 | DNP in playoffs, not sure why
1980 | LEWIS, DAVE | 22.24 | 18.40 | 0.19 | 3.65 | 62 | 0 | was #3-4 until trade for Goring
1980 | MORROW, KEN | 19.82 | 17.91 | 0.00 | 1.91 | 18 | 20 | last 20 games of RS; role likely increased slightly in PO
1980 | LANGEVIN, DAVE | 19.30 | 17.93 | 0.08 | 1.29 | 76 | 21 | clear #4
1980 | LANE, GORD | 18.59 | 17.04 | 0.08 | 1.47 | 55 | 21 | #5
1980 | PERSSON, STEFAN | 17.93 | 13.24 | 3.89 | 0.80 | 73 | 21 | #6/PP specialist
1981 | POTVIN, DENIS | 27.47 | 18.87 | 4.76 | 3.83 | 74 | 18 | clear #1
1981 | PERSSON, STEFAN | 20.55 | 14.16 | 4.66 | 1.73 | 80 | 7 | #2 in overall TOI, but heavy PP use, very little at ES
1981 | LORIMER, BOB | 20.47 | 17.54 | 0.06 | 2.87 | 73 | 18 | clear #2/3
1981 | MORROW, KEN | 20.18 | 17.48 | 0.06 | 2.64 | 80 | 18 | clear #4
1981 | LANGEVIN, DAVE | 18.43 | 16.13 | 0.18 | 2.13 | 75 | 18 | clear #5
1981 | McEWEN, MIKE | 15.59 | 14.52 | 0.61 | 0.47 | 13 | 17 | clear #6, offensive specialist
1981 | LANE, GORD | 15.58 | 14.32 | 0.07 | 1.18 | 60 | 12 | clear #7, stepped in as #6 when Persson got hurt in PO
1981 | POTVIN, JEAN | 14.82 | 13.43 | 0.68 | 0.71 | 18 | 0 | clear #8, just hanging on by this point
1982 | POTVIN, DENIS | 25.79 | 18.66 | 4.22 | 2.91 | 60 | 19 | clear #1
1982 | MORROW, KEN | 23.02 | 19.86 | 0.06 | 3.10 | 75 | 19 | clear #2
1982 | PERSSON, STEFAN | 20.77 | 13.93 | 3.76 | 3.08 | 70 | 13 | again #3 in overall TOI, heavy on PP, little ES
1982 | LANGEVIN, DAVE | 20.20 | 17.11 | 0.13 | 2.96 | 73 | 19 | clear #3/4
1982 | McEWEN, MIKE | 18.43 | 15.40 | 1.45 | 1.59 | 73 | 15 | clear #5/PP specialist
1982 | JONSSON, TOMAS | 16.68 | 15.10 | 1.37 | 0.22 | 70 | 10 | clear #6/PP specialist
1982 | LANE, GORD | 16.19 | 15.45 | 0.00 | 0.73 | 51 | 19 | RS #7, but played the 19 PO GP the 3 specialists didn't
1983 | POTVIN, DENIS | 27.47 | 19.53 | 4.23 | 3.70 | 69 | 20 | clear #1
1983 | JONSSON, TOMAS | 22.53 | 19.33 | 2.02 | 1.18 | 72 | 20 | clear #2, now trusted at ES
1983 | MORROW, KEN | 20.83 | 16.96 | 0.07 | 3.80 | 79 | 19 | clear #3
1983 | LANGEVIN, DAVE | 19.00 | 16.80 | 0.00 | 2.20 | 73 | 8 | clear #4, injured in PO
1983 | PERSSON, STEFAN | 18.09 | 14.14 | 2.61 | 1.34 | 70 | 18 | clear #5, PP specialist as usual
1983 | McEWEN, MIKE | 17.05 | 13.95 | 1.60 | 1.50 | 42 | 12 | clear #6, reduced playoff role
1983 | LANE, GORD | 13.42 | 11.99 | 0.00 | 1.43 | 44 | 18 | RS #7, stepped in as #6 for Lang's injury & McEwen's ineff. In PO

 

[VanIslander]

I may not always agree with the judgement of seventieslord, but I always appreciate the stats!

... I wish you wouldn't use PIM as a positive (use them for an older player with little info available as evidence they were scrappy if you like).

I have often wished you wouldn't refer to PIMs as a negative. We differ on its value. It supports not proves a style of play. In Staios' case, he checks a lot and gets rough in a defensive role, not a lazy hooking call or hothead retaliatory penalty. When a player is a leader in penalties in a Stanley Cup finals run you know he was an impact player, in on the action, and unless the coach was stupid, the repeated penalties helped more than hurt! All the years of hockey I've watched, I've found those who take penalties a lot on successful playoff teams are doing more good than bad. You see it as essentially a liability to a team which wants to win games. I understand that even strength is better than killing a penalty, all else being equal, but all else isn't equal during a hockey game, and taking a penalty is often a wise decision given the circumstances.

 

[seventieslord]

4th line pest/fighter/dynasty role player/surprisingly productive LW Garry Howatt.

Howatt was 5'9", 175 lbs, but he fought anyone and everyone. With 236 career fights, he is 18th all-time.

Interesting stats:

- Howatt was, by far, the smallest player in history to engage in this many fights. Among the top-30 most prolific fighters, just one is within one inch of his height, and just three are even within 14 pounds of his weight. (5, 10, 10). THAT'S WHAT I CALL GUTS!

- Howatt's average dance partner was 3 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier.

- Howatt's record in fights that have a decision on dropyourgloves.com is an impressive 53-25-28.

- CONTROLLED AGGRESSION, NOT PENALTIES FOR THE SAKE OF PENALTIES: Howatt did not take a lot of PIMs for a guy with so many fights. Here are the drafted players with fight totals similar to his (208-273 fights), and their career PIMs (regular season and playoffs combined):

D.Hunter - 4292
McSorley - 3755
T.Hunter - 3572
Tocchet - 3443
Kocur - 2750
Barnaby - 2732
Secord - 2475
O'Reilly - 2430
Buchberger - 2426
K.King - 2172
Howatt - 2125
Laperriere - 2058
McKay - 1854

Garry Howatt was a long time tough guy for the New York Islanders. From 1973 through to their second of 4 consecutive Stanley Cup championships Howatt patrolled the left wing, usually on the third or fourth line.

Like Bobby Nystrom, Howatt became a crowd favorite in New York before the likes of Bossy, Trottier and Potvin showed up. He was just 5'9" and 175 lbs but in that tiny frame was a bundle of pugnacious energy that jump started his teammates and excited his fans.

"Pound for pound, Garry Howatt is the toughest fighter in the NHL," once said Dave "The Hammer" Schultz - who was often considered to be the NHL's heavyweight champion during the goon era known as the 1970s.

"I'm not a goal scorer," admitted Garry. "I knew if I was going to make the NHL, I'd have to be giving 100 per cent all the time. I'm not big and they say hockey is a big man's game. All I can do is keep hustling. Besides, there are ways of cutting people down to your size. Hard work is one."

Garry was a fighter, in more ways than one. In his early teenage years it was discovered that he was suffering from epilepsy, but he was able to keep the ailment under control through medication.

This didn't stop Garry from chasing his dream. The Glendon, Alberta native headed off to junior hockey in 1971-72, where he played with three different teams but was best known as a Flin Flon Bomber.

He was drafted in the summer of 1972 and was looked upon as a sure long shot. The Islanders took him 144th overall. However Garry walked into training camp and showed the Islanders the zest and determination which would one day earn him an NHL paycheck. The Islanders were impressed, and signed Garry to a contract, although he spent most of the year apprenticing in the minor leagues, aside from an 8 game stint with the Isles.

By 1973-74 Garry was in the NHL to stay. He broke into the league and had 204 PIM, including a league leading 29 fighting majors. The man they dubbed Toy Tiger had arrived.

However Howatt managed to transform himself into more than just a goon. Maybe that was because he played with an expansion team in its early existence, which allowed Garry some more playing time than he would have gotten with a more established team. In 1974-75 Garry had 18 goals and 48 points and the following year he had 21 goals and 34 points, all while continuing his feisty play.

Garry's ice time and offensive contributions did decrease as the Islanders developed into a league power. But Garry stuck with the team in a role position, as well as as a leader. Whenever the Islanders needed a physical wake up call, Garry would hop over the boards and create 30 seconds of havoc before returning to the bench, often for long periods of time.

Garry was part of the Islanders first two Stanley Cup championships, but by the second championship in 1981 he had been reduced to a strictly 4th line player who was rarely used in the playoffs. Garry asked to be traded to a team that could give him more responsibility on the ice, and the Isles complied by sending Garry to Hartford in the summer of 1981.

Garry seemed rejuvenated in Connecticut as he got more ice time and more responsibility. He responded with 18 goals and a career 50 points, not to mention a career high 242 PIM! However Garry was traded from Hartford to the lowly New Jersey Devils prior to the 1982-83 season. The trade was a surprise as there was much speculation that Garry was being offered a new contract and was possibly going to be named captain of the team.

Garry never got untracked in New Jersey, and admittedly had problems with the organization . In two years he played in only 44 games and spent more time in the minor leagues than with the Devils.

Disappointed with the way his career was coming to an end, Garry decided to hang up the skates following the 1983-84 season. By this time he had accumulated 1836 minutes in the NHL penalty boxes, but also added 112 goals , 156 assists and 268 points in 720 hard fought NHL games. In the playoffs he earned 12 goals and 26 points in 87 games, as well as 289 PIM and 2 Stanley Cup rings.

BEST FIGHTER
1. Dan Maloney, 25 pts
2. Dave Schultz, 21 pts
2. Garry Howatt, 21 pts
4. Bob Kelly, 10 pts

"Toy Tiger" is a rugged little winger who fights anyone, anytime... has road wins over Dave Schultz and Bob Kelly in Philadelphia, Steve Durbano in Pittsburgh... now wants to concentrate on polishing his hockey skills...

typifies Islanders' hustle and willingness to work... odds of him playing were overwhelming, but he was a regular by his 2nd pro season... probably the toughest player in the league for his size... has continuing feud with Dave Schultz...

scappy LW always full of fight and fire... doesn't hesitate to tangle with bigger rivals... small in size but tough and rugged... "the goals and points he scores doesn't begin to show his real worth to the Islanders", says Rangers GM John Ferguson, an admirer of Howatt's hustling, hitting style... last player drafted in 1972 but a true prize... buzz--saw style of team motivator who can take over the ice and arouse sluggish team with fiery, digging style of play...

reckless, feisty LW who never quits... literally puts punch into an offense... a good fighter but real asset is a voice in the dressing room... an obscure 10th round draft pick who clawed his way onto expansion Islanders and stayed 10 years... set rookie records for most PIM without a misconduct and most major penalties.

To compare Howatt to some other drafted goons like I did for Simon:

Name | Career high goals | 10-goal seasons | avg TOI, career | Fights | win%|NFPIM/10minTOI|PO GP|PO Pts|PO PPG
Simon | 29 | 7 | 12.11 | 129 | .746|1.32|75|17|.23
Barnaby | 19 | 5 | 11.97 | 250 | .361|1.38|62|22|.35
Nilan|21|4|10.37|310|.615|2.41|111|17|.15
McClelland | 12 | 4 | 9.34 | 195 | .551|1.53|98|29|.30
Buchberger | 20 | 3 | 13.17 | 255 | .366|0.68|97|25|.26
Domi| 15 | 3 | 9.74 | 333 | .661|1.92|98|19|.19
King | 11 | 2 | 9.7 | 229 | .506|1.13|67|13|.19
Brashear| 11 | 1 | 10.55 | 278 | .71|1.19|60|9|.15
T.Hunter | 11 | 1 | 8.79 | 240 | 2.58|2.84|132|12|.09
Kocur|16|1|9.01|262|.784|1.70|118|22|.19
Howatt|21|5|12.91|236|.632|.90|87|26|.30
Schultz|20|4|11.43|191|.703|2.52|73|20|.27
McCarty|19|6|13.24|174|.636|.68|174|49|.28
Kelly|26|9|12.28|117|N/A|1.10|101|23|.23

so to recap, Howatt's 21-goal peak is exceeded only by Simon, his five 10-goal seasons are exceeded only by Simon, his ice time is exceeded only by Buchberger, his fight win% is 5th of these 11, and his 1.17 non-fighting PIMs per game are bettered only by Buchberger and King.

In the all time top five of little tough guys... the toy tiger is without question, pound for pound, one of hockeys greatest fighters ever. takes on all comers and by sheer gifted ability to throw em has dropped some, most, of the games biggest "bad boys".technique, power, speed, and, most of all, heart should land this man in hockeys all-time greatest fighters to watch, enjoy, and learn from. the islanders would have never landed the cup without the key ingredient of gary howatt to stir that sauce! underrated in every way, but a second liner by todays standards. total pro on the ice or in thebox!... Toughest and most fearless player on the Islanders of the Glory Years. Was never a threat to hurt anyone in a fight, like Gillies, but fought all of the players who shied away from Gillies and Nystrom, and vice versa... The "Toy Tiger" was the most fearless player I've ever seen. Never backed down from anyone. Not a big puncher, but a clever fighter who outboxed many bigger opponents. Great pound for pound fighter and underrated part of the Islanders team....

Hair pulling midget... Determining the winner of a hockey fight is often subjective, one mans asskicking is another mans ass kicked. During Howatts rookie season I would listen to the Islander announcers talk about Howatt winning all of his fights but every time I saw him fight I rarely saw a clear victory. I know mythmaking is part of the medias job but please don't insult our intellegence but asserting that a five foot six one hundred and seventy pound man was beating up the biggest and strongest men in the NHL... Guy had a ton of heart but his back-biting tactics lose him respect points.

 

[seventieslord]

Murray Bannerman, G

- 3rd in all-star voting among goalies in 1983 and 8th in 1984.
- played in two all-star games
- placed 4th, 7th and 9th in sv%, including 1984, when he was 4th in minutes, and 1985, when he was 9th.
- Throughout his career he averaged 6 sv% points above the average.
- with 40 games and 20 wins, Bannerman is likely the best NHL playoff goalie available as well.

stand up style, good technically, fine catching hand

paid lengthy dues to become front line goalie... excellent technique...

 

[seventieslord]

Rob Brown, RW

Yes, we all know Brown had an attitude problem and was a poor defensive player, and a lot of his offensive success can be attributed to Mario Lemieux - that's why he's not drafted yet! But now for the good - and there is some good:

- Brown was not the first player to cash in on a superstar or generational talent linemate. He won't be the last. His 115-point season in 1989 is easily the best total put up by any undrafted player. That was done in just 69 games, for a PPG average of 1.67, by a country mile the best PPG average posted by any player available and most most players in NHL history. Only Gretzky, Lemieux, Malone, Denneny, Lalonde, Noble, Cowley, Esposito, Yzerman, Nicholls, Broadbent, Oates, Kurri, Bossy, Jagr, Nighbor, Orr, Trottier, LaFontaine, Coffey, Stastny, Ratelle, Cain, Lafleur, and Maruk have ever played more than half a season and averaged higher. that's 25 players.
- For every Rob Brown who owes his big year to a superstar player, there are five Blair MacDonald/Jan Hrdina/German Titov/Warren Young/Ryan Malone types who clearly benefitted from a star linemate but didn't take advantage to the degree Brown did.
- If you look solely at ESP in 1989 and look at it as an average per 60 minutes of ES time, Brown's 4.47 mark is not far off from Lemieux's 4.92. Lemieux picked up 102 points on an estimated 120 ESG that were scored when he was on the ice (85%). Brown was in on 68 of 87 (78%). As expected, not many goals were going in without Lemieux's stick having something to do with it; the same thing can be said for Rob Brown in this season, to almost the same degree.
- Brown still had decent seasons other than this one: 44 points in 51 games in 1988, 80 in 80 in 1990, 58 in 69 in 1991 (had a higher PPG average in HFD than in PIT!) and 47 in 67 in 1992.
- Brown still finished his career with 438 points in 543 games even though over half of it was spent without Lemieux and some was deep into the dead puck era.
- Although he had a five-year sabattical from the NHL, Brown was a very productive IHL player during this time. He was probably the best player outside of the NHL over this period (which certainly doesn't mean as much as it would in the O6, when jobs were very limited). This speaks to his offensive abilities but also to his deficiencies as a player. the IHL was likely the world's 2nd-best league at the time, and he was its best player. This means that on merit he probably should have had at least a 2nd line spot with a weak NHL team somewhere. It's interesting that he didn't.
- Brown was a chippy, yappy, whiny agitating presence so it's possible to see him playing a short-term role on any line in the AAA.

Lucky for Brown, he doesn't have to make the NHL on skating ability - if he did, he wouldn't make the AHL... what makes Brown an NHLer is his ability to get into scoring position... his scorer's sense always puts him where the openings and the puck are...exceptionally accurate when he fires... passes the puck well... his hands and hockey sense are the keys... his skating is the weakest of his skills... works at his defense, but this is an area where his skating deficiencies show... willingly plays a physical game. Hits when he can and will certainly take hits to make plays... Brown's reputation precedes him... the opposition can't stand him because he's cocky, arrogant and a loudmouth on the ice. His agitation serves to get the opposition off their game, and there's nothinghe likes more than to score after someone's taken a shot at him... work ethic is far from good...

Brown will play on our 4th line as a physical, agititing pest, and any offense he provides will be a bonus. I believe he will provide some offense, considering he is the 2nd-highest scoring player of all-time remaining. (on a per-game basis it's not even close)

Brown will also play on our 1st PP unit as a specialist, where his poor skating won't hurt him so much. Brown has 184 career PPP, which is 52 more than any other remaining player. His career average of 24 adjusted PPP per season is only even approached by two other forwards with 20.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

D Randy Moller

815GP
Killed 36% of team's penalties, 0.94 team PK rating
TOI ranks: 1,2,2,2,3,3,3,4,4,6

It was just enough to sample the high-pitched rivalry that existed, especially between his team and the Montreal Canadiens. When he returned for full-time duty the following year, he assumed a role as an enforcer whose job was to move the puck and to use his size to good advantage in clearing his defensive zone.

Moller remained an effective member of the Nordiques' blueline for seven seasons. He skated through most of the "Battles of Quebec" with the Stastny brothers, Michel Goulet and Dale Hunter before being dispatched to the Rangers in 1989.

In New York, Moller continued to play his usual physical game until a shoulder injury eliminated any thoughts of being an enforcer. From then on, he reduced his role to that of a defensive defenseman.

Randy Moller was a steady defensive defenceman over his 14 NHL seasons with the Nordiques, Rangers, Sabres and Panthers. His job was to clear the puck while playing a physical role in the defensive end and keeping the puck away from the net. He got very little fanfare for excelling in his role, but hockey people knew Moller was a definite asset.

Moller played his first seven NHL seasons with the Nordiques. Though he spoke no french when he arrived in Quebec City, Moller would quickly fall in love with the city, unlike some english speaking players who dreaded life in the predominantly french town.

Though he was an offensive power in junior hockey, Moller used his big 6'2" 210lb body to excel defensively at the NHL level. He lacked speed and a hard shot but Moller was one of the better d-men when it came to making the perfect breakout pass. Many times during his career he would spring lose a Peter Stastny or Mike Gartner with a perfect outlet pass from his own zone. His unfailing accuracy in this regard made him so valuable to his team's transition offense. Moller enjoyed his finest offensive years while in a Nordiques uniform, registering more than 23 points on four occasions. During the 1985-86 campaign, he set career-highs with seven goals, 22 assists and 29 points and in 1988-89 he matched those totals.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

RW Jerry Butler

During his prime in the 1970s, right-winger Jerry Butler was one of the NHL's best defensive shadows. He was a fine skater who could jump in offensively and did not shy away from battling the league's biggest foes.

Prior to the 1975-76 season, the industrious winger was part of the package sent to the St. Louis Blues for star goaltender John Davidson. In 1975-76, he scored a personal high 41 points playing with Garry Unger and Bob MacMillan. In the first round of the playoffs, he was a solid worker when St. Louis nearly upset the Buffalo Sabres in the first round.

Early in the 1977-78 season the steady checker was sought by Toronto Maple Leafs coach Roger Neilson. Butler provided grit and defensive excellence on the club as it reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1967. The hard-working winger formed one of the league's top penalty-killing tandems with Jimmy Jones. This sunny period began to end the next year and, by 1979-80, Toronto was in sharp decline. In February 1980 Butler was sent to the Vancouver Canucks with Tiger Williams for youngsters Bill Derlago and Rick Vaive. He played parts of three seasons on the West Coast then retired in 1983 after playing 42 games for the Winnipeg Jets.

This Jerry Butler made his name on the ice, as a terrific shadow and agitator. Just ask Wayne Gretzky. When 99 was breaking every record imaginable in the early 1980s, Butler earned a measure of fame by shutting him down for a stretch. It was a short stretch. Gretz scored more goals against the Canucks than anyone else.

That first year he played on an effective line with Garry Unger and Bob MacMillan. Butler's own offensive totals stayed relatively the same (17 goals and 41 points), but he brought life and sandpaper to the Blues top line. The Blues even almost upset the heavily favored Buffalo Sabres in the playoffs.

Early in the 1977-78 season Butler found himself on the way home to Southern Ontario when the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired him in exchanged for the tarnished Inge Hammarstrom. Coach Roger Nielson was a big fan of Butler's mixture of speed and defensive play, and quickly Butler would become a big fan of his new coach.

 

[Hobnobs]

4th line pest/fighter/dynasty role player/surprisingly productive LW Garry Howatt.

Howatt was 5'9", 175 lbs, but he fought anyone and everyone. With 236 career fights, he is 18th all-time.

Interesting stats:

- Howatt was, by far, the smallest player in history to engage in this many fights. Among the top-30 most prolific fighters, just one is within one inch of his height, and just three are even within 14 pounds of his weight. (5, 10, 10)

- Howatt's average dance partner was 3 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier.

- Howatt's record in fights that have a decision on dropyourgloves.com is an impressive 53-25-28.

- Howatt did not take a lot of PIMs for a guy with so many fights. Here are the drafted players with fight totals similar to his (208-273 fights), and their career PIMs (regular season and playoffs combined):

D.Hunter - 4292
McSorley - 3755
T.Hunter - 3572
Tocchet - 3443
Kocur - 2750
Barnaby - 2732
Secord - 2475
O'Reilly - 2430
Buchberger - 2426
K.King - 2172
Howatt - 2125
Laperriere - 2058
McKay - 1854



To compare Howatt to some other drafted goons like I did for Simon:

Name | Career high goals | 10-goal seasons | avg TOI, career | Fights | win%|NFPIM/10minTOI
Simon | 29 | 7 | 12.11 | 129 | .746|1.25
Barnaby | 19 | 5 | 11.97 | 250 | .361|1.31
Nilan|21|4|10.37|310|.615|2.09
McClelland | 12 | 4 | 9.34 | 195 | .551|1.27
Buchberger | 20 | 3 | 13.17 | 255 | .366|0.65
**** | 15 | 3 | 9.74 | 333 | .661|1.85
King | 11 | 2 | 9.7 | 229 | .506|1.07
******* | 11 | 1 | 10.55 | 278 | .714|1.15
T.Hunter | 11 | 1 | 8.79 | 240 | .582|2.72
Kocur|16|1|9.01|262|.784|1.54
Howatt|21|5|12.91|236|.632|1.17

so to recap, Howatt's 21-goal peak is exceeded only by Simon, his five 10-goal seasons are exceeded only by Simon, his ice time is exceeded only by Buchberger, his fight win% is 5th of these 11, and his 1.17 non-fighting PIMs per game are bettered only by Buchberger and King.

How is his playoff resume compared to other enforcers? Becuase that is the intresting part. Enforcers usually get easy shifts in blowouts and can pad their stats but their production usually drops in the playoffs.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Montreal select:

J.J. Daigneault D

Jordan Leopold D

Greg De Vries D

Antoine Vermette C/W

and a personal favorite with Michel Therrien Coach

 

[BenchBrawl]

Damn I have 5 picks and I miss and I find a guy who is probably more interesting than all of them couples of seconds later.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Good pick. Would you believe, that at 56% he is THE most-used PP forward left?



nice, seems like a forgotten checker who did his job with little fanfare. Val Fonteyne with 1/3 the career length?

getting a guy who lasted even 300 games prior to 1967 is pretty hard at this point. (it kinda highlights the importance of starting to look at the best longtime AHLers, we probably should have started this ages ago)

Actually - now that I look at it, it looks like Kullman's 343 GP as of expansion are the most of all guys available right now! Who'da thunk it?

I saw Stoll had a ton of PP points relative to everyone else I was considering so that makes more sense now. I guess I have to find a spot for him there if he's used that heavily.

And wow I would never have guessed that about Kullman. I remembered Somnor's quote about him and gave him a look yesterday hoping he made it around 200 games. I figured 300+ looked pretty solid but leading all pre-expansion guys is definitely unexpected.