The Single-A Draft (ROSTER post, picks, everything)

[ResilientBeast]

I absolutely love these picks. I don't think these guys have ever been drafted before and I have a soft sot for early European players. Hence. my Harry Mellups pick earlier.

Thank you, it's hard to find some solid info on them. But what I've found they should be good enough for this level.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Nikolay Epshtein Coach

Epshtein developed many of the great Soviet hockey players. Among them were A. Ragulin, E. Ivan, V. Nicotine, U. Morozov, and V. and A. Golikov. Igor Larinov, star center on the Soviet’s famed KLM line with Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov, wrote in his autobiography: “Nikolai Semenovich Epshtein did not copy his
technique from anyone. . . . I consider him a specialist on the scale of the legendary Anatoli Tarasov, or Chernyshev.â€

http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/NikolayEpshtein.htm

Vladimir Brezhnev D

17 Goals in 57 International Games
45 Goals in 350 Soviet League Games
Member of the Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame

 

[ResilientBeast]

I'm really digging into the Soviets in this draft.

 

[VanIslander]

When I initially made the reference to a "stat pick" it was about the drafting of Brad Boyes simply because he was next on some statistical list and for no other reason. Of course, a single statistic is part of the evaluation process, but there are other aspects that ALL TOGETHER determine the worth of a pick. When a GM admits he has picked a guy simply for being next on some stat list even though that player brings nothing else to the table (leadership, playoff experience, championships, praise and respect of attributes by his contemporaries, all-star games, forechecking, backchecking, special teams play, big game accomplishments, speed, hard work and other intangibles, etc) then it is a stat pick pure and simple, and is different than citing statistics as part of the overall worth of a player. Admittedly there may be a time and place where a stat is impressive compared to all other aspects that it begs pride of place as the sole determinant, but Boyes' offense ain't it.

 

[seventieslord]

When I initially made the reference to a "stat pick" it was about the drafting of Brad Boyes simply because he was next on some statistical list and for no other reason. Of course, a single statistic is part of the evaluation process, but there are other aspects that ALL TOGETHER determine the worth of a pick. When a GM admits he has picked a guy simply for being next on some stat list even though that player brings nothing else to the table (leadership, playoff experience, championships, praise and respect of attributes by his contemporaries, all-star games, forechecking, backchecking, special teams play, big game accomplishments, speed, hard work and other intangibles, etc) then it is a stat pick pure and simple, and is different than citing statistics as part of the overall worth of a player. Admittedly there may be a time and place where a stat is impressive compared to all other aspects that it begs pride of place as the sole determinant, but Boyes' offense ain't it.

ok, so if Boyes was by far the best producer left when I selected him, couldn't I have just as well said I was picking him for his ability to get open and for his accurate shot?

Only thing is, those aren't exactly quantifiable... except in the number of goals he scores...

 

[VanIslander]

ok, so if Boyes was by far the best producer left when I selected him, couldn't I have just as well said I was picking him for his ability to get open and for his accurate shot?

Only thing is, those aren't exactly quantifiable... except in the number of goals he scores...

Not everything needs to be reduced down to a number! Quantifying? Is he renowned for an aspect of his game, like getting in the open (Lucky Luc was constantly praised for that attribute and it's part of his all-time greatness) then profile that. It's a package deal. To make it reducible to a number, especially when that player brings nothing else to the table and that number isn't very significant compared to other options but simply is NEXT ON SOME STAT LIST, then that is the sort of pick meant derisively as a 'stat pick'. Anyways, we can agree to disagree. After all, there are many different ways to assess the worth of a player, and different ways to appreciate hockey history. That's the nature of the beast.

 

[BubbaBoot]

The Cape Cod Cubs select:

left wing Håkan Södergren

- World Championship Gold Medal 86/87
- World Championship Silver Medal 85/86
- Olympic Bronze Medal 83/84, 87/88
- U18 EJC Gold Medal 76/77
- U20 WJC Bronze Medal 78/79
- Elitserien Best Player "Guldpucken" 86/87
- Elitserien Champion 82/83, 88/89, 89/90, 90/91
- Elitserien Most Penalized Player 83/84
- Elitserien SM-silver Medal 78/79, 84/85

SEL 420 games / 131 goals / 194 assists / 325 points / 0.77 points per game / 537 PIMs
OLY 14 games / 7 goals / 6 assists / 13 points / 0.93 points per game / 12 PIMs
WC 49 games / 9 goals / 18 assists / 27 points / 0.55 points per game / 44 PIMs

 

[JFA87-66-99]

The Pittsburgh Bankers select

D- Richard Smehlik
F- Valentin Kuzin
F- Yuri Krylov
F- Ladislav Nagy
LW- Lorne Ferguson
C- Richard Farda
F- Karel Hromadka

Also you have me and chaos down as both drafted Tim Ecclestone but I'm pretty sure I picked him first.

 

[seventieslord]

I caught that, not sure if anyone else did.

 

[seventieslord]

Do you think it would be possible to list my players in the order I selected them?

I honestly would do it myself if I had the ability.

 

[VanIslander]

Do you think it would be possible to list my players in the order I selected them?

PM them to me in the order selected and I'll go back and do it. I had missed a guy whose name wasn't highlighted and simply put his name on when it was pointed out. It takes 10-15 minutes to reshuffle. When at this level, the order of the picks isn't paramount.

 

[ResilientBeast]

The Pittsburgh Bankers select

D- Richard Smehlik
F- Valentin Kuzin
F- Yuri Krylov
F- Ladislav Nagy
LW- Lorne Ferguson
C- Richard Farda
F- Karel Hromadka

Also you have me and chaos down as both drafted Tim Ecclestone but I'm pretty sure I picked him first.

Drat two of my picks tomorrow continuing my soviet trend

 

[seventieslord]

PM them to me in the order selected and I'll go back and do it. I had missed a guy whose name wasn't highlighted and simply put his name on when it was pointed out. It takes 10-15 minutes to reshuffle. When at this level, the order of the picks isn't paramount.

Sabourin should be day 6 with Sutter. Bieksa should be day 8 and McInnis day 9. gilchrist to day 10. That's all, thank you.

 

[VanIslander]

Rocky Mountain Rage selects left winger Jack Shill, who as a Marlie held the record for fastest hat trick in hockey at 32 seconds, until Mosienko shattered the record exactly two decades later, in 1952. He was a utility forward filling in on a line with Conacher and Primeau, with Apps and Drillon and with Gallinger and Guidolin. An injury knocked him out of the big league, though he played in the first AHL all-star game, and his NHL Leafs jersey did sell for $7000. Shill's great moment in the NHL came as a contributor in the Blackhawks 1938 Stanley Cup championship with some key contributions, leading all players in PIMs, setting up a series winning goal against the Americans and scoring an insurance goal against the Leafs in the Final.

... an excellent skater... Jack had an assist in the deciding game against the Americans but saved his best moment for the clincher in the Final. Chicago went up 1-0 when Cully Dahlstrom banged home a Shill rebound, but Drillon tied it for Toronto shortly after. Late in the second period, the Leaf defense got crossed up and Chicago got a second goal. A minute later, Jack Shill chipped the puck high into the air from near his own blue line. It came down behind the Leaf defense and took a funny hop on Broda, beating him five-hole. Chicago would add a fourth goal in the third and that was all she wrote. It was Chicago's last Cup until 1961. It was also Jack's only NHL playoff goal.

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2010/10/1/1724836/jack-shill-theres-always-a-story-to-be-told

 

[VanIslander]

Rocky Mouintain Rage selects 6'2 center Chris Oddleifson, the first-ever captain of the Canucks who led Vancouver to their first division title in 1975. He was the team's top scoring center for three consecutive seasons. He was 39th on the Canucks greatest players of all time list.

He was a playmaker who showed a lot of grit and leadership.

http://www.canuckz.com/2010/09/12/the-40-greatest-canucks-of-all-time-31-40/

Oddleifson was the Seal's first round pick (10th overall) in the 1970 amateur draft. He never played for the Seals as he was quickly traded off to the Boston Bruins. He had been basically unnoticable in Boston but on this night he exploded. Oddleifson scored 4 goals in leading the Bruins to an 8-1 thumping of the Oakland based team.

"You know what really bugged me though?" remembers Oddleifson years later. "In the paper the next morning the headline read 'Esposito Held Off Scoresheet!'" Talk about injustice! Chris Oddleifson's best game and it was nothing more than a footnote and largely overlooked.

"Those were the years of course that Esposito was winning scoring titles. So when he failed to tally in an 8-1 game, that was big news" explained Chris.

The Vancouver Canucks noticed however, and they traded for Chris on February 7, 1974, sending Bobby Schmautz the other way. Oddleifson only played 55 games in Boston, and scored only 6 other times in addition to his 4 goal game. He finished the year quietly in Vancouver, scoring 3 goals and 8 points in 21 games.

"Oddy" enjoyed a fine career once he arrived on Canada's west coast. He played 6 solid years in Vancouver, his finest being in 1974-75 and 1975-76. He scored a career high 16 goals in each year, and had 51 points and 62 points respectively. The lanky center was a good playmaker and skater with a touch of a mean streak.

That 1974-75 season was especially special for Oddy and Canuck fans as they captured their first division championship.

"That championship year, everything just went so smoothly. Smitty (Goalie Gary Smith) had six shutouts and we ended up with 86 points."

As the decade progressed, Oddleifson's point production steadily declined but his popularity in Vancouver remained high.

http://canuckslegends.blogspot.com/2007/03/chris-oddleifson.html

Oddleifson was the first pick of the California Golden Seals in the 1970 amateur draft. But the team that was famous for making its players wear white skates chose not to keep the Winnipeg native, but instead traded him to the Boston Bruins. Now, it must be pointed out that the Bruins were defending Stanley Cup champs with the likes of 76-goal scorer Phil Esposito, the great Bobby Orr and a long list of other star players such as Ken Hodge, Johnny McKenzie and Wayne Cashman. So for "Oddy" to crack the Boston lineup was going to be a tall order.

But that winter night in Oakland, the stars and moon must have been lined up just perfectly. Prior to this, Oddleifson had been a utility right winger for the Bruins, but on this occasion, Derek Sanderson's colitis was acting up and Gregg Sheppard was too ill to play. Oddleifson, a raw rookie, was called upon to centre a line with Terry O'Reilly at right wing and Don Marcotte on the left side. In the first period, he scored a goal. Then he scored another in the second frame. Now, remember, even though he'd never played for the Seals, Oddleifson had attended their training camp and knew a lot of their players. So now, some of them are chirping at Oddy from their bench, yelling betcha a beer ya don't get your hat trick'. Well, as luck would have it, he scored two more in the third period and ended up with a four-goal night as the Bruins hammered the Seals 8-1!

The ultimate indignity, though, was yet to come. For the next morning, the headline in the sports section of the Oakland Tribune read: SEALS LOSE 8-1...ESPOSITO HELD OFF SCORE SHEET, and the sub-head read: rookie scores four.

It truly was Oddy's finest hour, but it wasn't enough to preserve his Bruin status, as they traded him to Vancouver just 40 days later.

http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=452065

 

[VanIslander]

Rocky Mountain Rage selects Irek Gimayev, the physical Soviet rearguard who debuted internationally in the 1979 Challenge Cup 6-0 win over Canada and all world championship games that year including the 6-1 win over Czechoslovakia for the gold. He played in the 1981 Canada Cup wins over Czechoslovakia and Finland but also both loses to Canada. He won gold in the 1982 and 1983 world championships though the Soviets tied the Czechoslovakians in the games they played in each of those tourneys. He was on the ice in the 1984 Canada Cup wins over Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Canada but was part of the loss in the medal round and had to just watch Sweden and Canada in the final. In the 1985 world championships, number 18 again was part of a dominant team that beat Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Canada in the preliminary round, but then fell to Czechoslovakia and Canada in the end. He last game internationally was the 3-3 tie against Czechoslovakia in September of 1985. He played in 93 games for the national team over seven years, many of them the biggest games in the world on one of the greatest teams, scoring 11 goals as a defenseman with some time as a Bottom-6 forward.

Then, Irek Gimaev and Tim Thomas punched each other out, Gimaev ripping the US flag off Thomas' sweater.

Late in the game, all heck broke loose after Slava Fetisov pounded Jim Johnson and then decked another American with one punch; Tim Thomas and Irek Gimaev slugged each other to a standstill.

Tikhonov also inserted the kid line of Makrov, Irek Gimayev, and Viktor Tyumanev for the last game, and all three sparkled.

Irek Gimaev was given minor and misconduct penalties for spearing Kirk Muller.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=30366187&postcount=117

 

[VanIslander]

Rocky Mountain Rage selects Carl Voss, the American-born center who was the NHL's first ever Calder trophy winner (1933), was 9th in NHL assists the following season and scored the Stanley Cup winning goal (1938). He had been the first ever player signed to contract by Conn Smythe after being the IHL top scorer, all-star and league champion in 1932. The NHL rookie tied the team lead in assists on the Red Wings in 1933 and moved up to centre top line in the playoffs, between Herbie Lewis and Larry Aurie. The next season he tied for 2nd in assists on the Senators and in his third year he was the top point getter on the NHL's lowly St. Louis Eagles. He scored 3 goals, 5 points in the 1938 playoffs and his Blawkhawks cup winning goal was his last ever, due to a career-ending knee injury.

... Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Voss moved to Canada as a teenager. Equally gifted on the ice and the gridiron, he helped the Kingston Frontenacs reach the Memorial Cup final in 1926 and played halfback at Queen's University in Kingston. In 1927, he turned professional by becoming the first player signed by Conn Smythe, the owner of the newly-christened Toronto Maple Leafs.

Although he saw limited action with the blue and white, Voss was a leading performer on the club's affiliated minor pro squads during the next five years. He suited up for the Toronto Falcons and London Panthers of the CanPro League and the Buffalo Bisons of the International Hockey League. When Voss led the Bisons to the league championship in 1932 he was the top scorer in the IHL and a first-team all-star.

Voss eventually earned a full time NHL roster spot with the New York Rangers in 1932-33. Early in the season he was sold to Detroit where he excelled and was the inaugural recipient of the Calder trophy as rookie-of-the-year. Before retiring he played with five more teams and finished with 104 points in 261 career games. Voss went out on a high note in 1938 when he was credited with the Stanley Cup clinching goal when Chicago won its second Stanley Cup. A serious knee injury in that year lingered and was too much to overcome when Voss tried to play at training camp in the fall of 1938.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080...er.jsp?mem=b197404&page=bio&list=ByName#photo
http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/ilitch_celebrates_yzerman_desecrates_aurie/

 

[VanIslander]

Rocky Mountain Rage selects 6'3, 215 lbs Frantisek Musil, the Czechoslovakian world juniors all-star who defected in the mid-80s after playing as a 20 year old in the 1984 Canada Cup and scoring a goal and an assist in winning gold in the 1985 world championships. The rearguard went on to have a 797 NHL career with solid plus-minus numbers, Minnesota's top +/- in 1987-88 and 4th in the NHL in 1993-94 and a career +93. He was an all-situations second and third pairing guy. After the end of Soviet occupation, he played in another Canada Cup as team captain, and the following year he scored three goals and earned a medal as a tourney 1st team all-star in the 1992 world championships. The durable defensive defenseman earned ten medals in all internationally and would have had more if he hadn't missed half a decade due to his defection. A string of injuries limited his career, Edmonton nominating him for the Masterton because of it. He had a neck gash from a skate that required 22 stitches, had a spinal cord injury in a practice which cost him a full season, another neck injury involving nerve damage happened early in 2001 to end his increasingly freak-injury-plagued career.

... a big, physical defender, combining strong skating and balance with a desire to play physically and unafraid. He even had a bit of a mean streak.

Musil was mostly a defensive-minded defenseman, more often than not making the correct safe play to get the puck out of the zone.

He made few contributions in the offensive zone. He had all the tools, just not the toolbox. He was a good skater with speed and mobility. He could handle the puck well under pressure. He had no great shot to brag about, but he he occassionally would slip down low for a back door goal.

Despite a promising array of talents, Musil seemed content to play ultra-safe on every play. He would always force a puck carrier wide rather than step up and take control. He would unfailingly fall back off the blue line rather than contain the point. He would carry the puck only a few strides, just enough to get to center ice and dump it in.

As one reporter put it, he was a reactive player rather than an active player.

http://flameslegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/frank-musil.html

Musil's journey to freedom began on July 15, 1986, while he was on vacation with his girlfriend at a resort in Yugoslavia. On that day, he left his girlfriend behind at the hotel to join Minnesota general manager Lou Nanne and Edmonton-based player agent Rich Winter, who had played the key role in coordinating Musil's defection. Musil got into a car with Nanne and Winter, and the trio began to look for way out of Yugoslavia. It took them two days, but they were able to get Musil through the border by using a temporary American work visa, thereby duping guards who did not know Musil's true identity as a hockey star. On July 17, 1986, the three men flew to London and then to New York on the Concorde. Shortly before midnight on July 17, carrying only a small bag with some of his possessions, Musil made it to Minnesota. He had managed to get out of Czechoslovakia without telling his family or girlfriend of his plans to defect. He had secretly studied English to prepare for the defection and had even refused to sign a five-year contract with the Czechoslovakian national team in the spring of 1986, because the contract would have required that he promise not to defect. Despite having done this, the Czechs were still willing to give him the holiday visa to go to Yugoslavia. Musil was never officially considered a defector by the U.S. government because he had come to the United States on a work permit rather than as an individual seeking political asylum. In fact, the North Stars had spent three years arranging for Musil's legal entry into the United States. In addition, Musil completed the last of his military obligations in June 1986 so that he could never be considered an army deserter and so that he would be eligible for legal holiday visas. Nevertheless, the Czechs still viewed him as a defector, and Musil knew he could not return to the Communist country until he had gained U.S. citizenship. This became a moot point seven years later when the Communist regime collapsed, however he had already returned by then, making a trip back in 1991.

http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1983/83038.html

 

[Hedberg]

Oberhausen selects:

G Sergei Mylnikov - An NHL failure (largely due to culture shock), but he was the Soviet's starter for five seasons, starting 67 games (5th all-time). He was only a one-time Soviet all-star.

D Bert-Ola Nordlander - the 66-67 Guldpucken winner and a six time Swedish League all-star, Nordlander was noted by AIK.se as a strong skater and dubbeltallen.se as a defensive monster. He had 16 pts in 52 World Championship games

C Alyn McCauley - I believe he's the last Selke finalist available. Bordering on being a one year wonder in 03/04 (although his 02/03 and 05/06 seasons were decent) with a Selke nomination and 47 pt season. Injuries ruined his career just when he was emerging as a top-end checker.

 

[VanIslander]

Oberhausen selects:

C Jiri Dopita - A bomb in the NHL when he finally gave it a try at age 33, he was a four time Czech Extraliga MVP, four time Extraliga MVP, a three time World Championship Gold Medal winner, Olympic Gold Medal winner, and even Czech Player of the Year in 2001. He had 31 pts in 59 World Championship games. Despite having all the tools to be successful in the NHL, he turned down offers for years until finally accepting an offer form the Flyers. For various reasons, he didn't work out and after two injury plagued seasons went back to the Czech league.

Awesome pick! I made it days ago.

 

[Hedberg]

Awesome pick! I made it days ago.

This is why we're ATD co-gms

 

[Hedberg]

Oberhausen select C Jaroslav Drobny - a great tennis player (won Wimbledon once, the French Open twice and is a member of the tennis Hall of Fame), he was also a very good hockey player, being a member of the IIIHF Hall of Fame. He was hoped to be Malecek's replacement as the Czech's great hockey star and allegedly sought out by the Boston Bruins. He fled Czechoslovakia in 1949 and eventually ended up representing Egypt in tennis. Due to this, he only appeared in two World Championships and one Olympics, but was very good, putting up similar numbers to Konopasek.

 

[VanIslander]

Rocky Mountain Rage selects 6'1 Mike Hough, the hustling winger who captained the Nordiques 1991-92 on the top line as a checker and corners guy for Sakic and Nolan before handing over the 'C' to Joe the following season. After five solid years in Quebec in which he suffered from numerous injuries that accompany his physical style of play, the Memorial Cup champion went to Florida for four seasons and the Panthers alternate captain scored 4 NHL playoff goals on a line with Skrudland and Dvorak in the Panthers Stanley Cup Finals run. He had an assist in the first game in Florida Panthers history and three weeks later assisted on the first shorthanded goal in franchise history and that season was awarded Florida's first ever penalty shot in which Kolzig stopped.

...a good checker who always works hard on the ice... A good corners and boards player

http://www.tradingcarddb.com/Gallery.cfm/sid/4890/1991-92-Score-American?PageIndex=12

... a good cornerman... tenacity and strength along the boards...

In his draft year with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, he played in 58 games and had 14 goals and 48 points while collecting a fiery 172 minutes in penalties. Hough and his Rangers teammates went on to win the OHL championship and then took the Memorial Cup later that spring. At 19, Hough was one of the team leaders in Kitchener with the loss of Brian Bellows, Al MacInnis, and Scott Stevens to the NHL. Although the team failed in its bid to repeat as champions, they still posted a strong season, with Hough scoring 44 points.

Hough turned pro in 1983-84, playing 69 games with the Fredericton Express of the AHL. He counted eleven goals and 27 points. After another year of seasoning in the minors, Hough appeared in two playoff games for the Nordiques in 1984-85. It was not until 1986-87 that he got the opportunity to play for them again, suiting up for 56 games. Hough remained with the Nordiques through the 1992-93 season, and in each of those last three years managed to eclipse the 30-point barrier.

In 1993-94, Hough became a member of the Florida Panthers, playing in 78 games. The highlight of his NHL career came during the 1996 playoffs when the Panthers advanced to the Stanley Cup finals, before falling to the Colorado Avalanche. Hough returned to the New York Islanders in 1998 and 1999 before retiring from pro hockey.

Hough played 707 NHL games, scoring 100 goals and 156 assists for 256 points.

 

[JFA87-66-99]

With my last pick I need to make up The Pittsburgh Bankers will select

G Unto Wiitala

...One of Finland's first great Goaltenders

-Finnish Player Of The Year, 3 Times (1949, 1954, 1956)
-Finnish Hockey Hall Of Fame Member
-IIHF Hockey Hall Of Fame Member

 

[seventieslord]

Not everything needs to be reduced down to a number! Quantifying? Is he renowned for an aspect of his game, like getting in the open (Lucky Luc was constantly praised for that attribute and it's part of his all-time greatness) then profile that. It's a package deal. To make it reducible to a number, especially when that player brings nothing else to the table and that number isn't very significant compared to other options but simply is NEXT ON SOME STAT LIST, then that is the sort of pick meant derisively as a 'stat pick'. Anyways, we can agree to disagree. After all, there are many different ways to assess the worth of a player, and different ways to appreciate hockey history. That's the nature of the beast.

I could bloody well tell you what he was renowned for, if we were selecting players at a pace appropriate for bio creation as opposed to just drafting as many players as possible as fast as possible for the sake of it.

bright, stealth-like forward with quick, soft hands... crafty one-touch passer and potent shooter... surprises goalies with a fast, well-disguised release... wise, economical skater who has worked dilligently to upgrade his strength, involvement and first-step quickness.... often too soft on the puck last season and not creating space away from the puck urgently enough... versatile and popular team player...