~AHL level players who had a career year in the NHL.

Hobnobs

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Nov 29, 2011
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Who are some of the sub par players that has had those 1 or 2 seasons of relative success at the NHL level despite the fact they're minor league level players?

The first one I though about was Jim Carey who was never anything special. Had 9 shutouts in '96 which apparently was so special they had to give him the Vezina. Out of the league the season after basically.

I guess Jesse Belanger is another one. Hot season with Florida, sank in the depth charts during their 96 season eventually traded and then bounced around the minor leuages and europe.
 

Nick Hansen

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Sep 28, 2017
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I think his problem was that he was a pushover. Guys like Kariya could run him over.

Yeah, I noticed they had this to say in the EP profile:

but is only an average skater, and not that strong physically

When they key in on something like that in a player's description it probably is a true weakness in their game.
 
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Canadiens1958

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Nov 30, 2007
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Lake Memphremagog, QC.
Michel Ouellet made the NHL after the lost 2004-05 season. Had an edge having played a full 2004-05 season combined with the tight application of the rules in the era post lost season. Then things regressed to the norm and younger/better talent came along.
 

Hobnobs

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Nov 29, 2011
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Chris Kontos comes to mind as well. Hot season with Lightning but was never anything special in the NHL. Couldnt even get an AHL or top-league contract but had to settle for Div.1 in Sweden and IHL.
 
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Michael Farkas

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Eric Boguniecki...more of an AHL size/strength deal than skill. Either way, not much of an NHLer. Scored 22 of his 34 career goals in 2002-03. Then he ended up on those expansion-level Penguins teams (probably some good candidates there...Andy Hilbert maybe...the first time we acquired a "winger for Sid") and washed out...Bogo had some vim and vinegar to his game though, he was tenacious little guy...

Eric Boguniecki Stats | Hockey-Reference.com
 

pappyline

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Jul 3, 2005
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This goes back a ways but 2 players with famous hockey names that played for the 1953-54 sad sack Blackhawks would fit here.

Larry Wilson scored a team leading 42 points. This doesn't sound like a lot but it was good enough for 15th in the league and was 32% of his teams goals. By 55-56 he was out of the league forever and went on to star in the AHL until 69-70.

Pete Conacher scored a team leading 19 goals which was good enough for 13th in the league and was 14% of his teams goals. By 1957-58, Pets was out of the NHL forever and went on to star in the AHL until 1965-66.
 
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brachyrynchos

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Apr 10, 2017
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Would Petr Prucha be applicable? Scored 30 goals 47pts for the 2005/06 Rangers. Career NHL, Czech, and KHL highs in goals and points.
 

Michael Farkas

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This does not exactly fit the criteria, regrettably, but always an interesting example...Bronco Horvath...7 years in the minors, 5 years in the NHL including leading the league in goals (!), then 7 more years in the mine-sies...

Someone looking to derail a thread might mention a certain Bruins goalie that the author is renowned for his fervent dislike of...but let's wait til the thread gets off the rails... ;)
 
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Bood12

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Oct 12, 2016
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Who are some of the sub par players that has had those 1 or 2 seasons of relative success at the NHL level despite the fact they're minor league level players?

The first one I though about was Jim Carey who was never anything special. Had 9 shutouts in '96 which apparently was so special they had to give him the Vezina. Out of the league the season after basically.

I guess Jesse Belanger is another one. Hot season with Florida, sank in the depth charts during their 96 season eventually traded and then bounced around the minor leuages and europe.

I don't think Jim Carey was a fluke, it sounds like he was a really good goalie who just lost his desire to play, his first year in pro hockey he is the AHL rookie of the year and goalie of the year as well as finishing 2nd in NHL rookie of the year behind Forsberg, and 3rd in the Vezina behind Hasek and Belfour, and in his 2nd year he is winning the Vezina, it is not like he is a scrub who had 1 good year in the NHL and is a career AHLer
 
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Hobnobs

Pinko
Nov 29, 2011
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I don't think Jim Carey was a fluke, it sounds like he was a really good goalie who just lost his desire to play, his first year in pro hockey he is the AHL rookie of the year and goalie of the year as well as finishing 2nd in NHL rookie of the year behind Forsberg, and 3rd in the Vezina behind Hasek and Belfour, and in his 2nd year he is winning the Vezina, it is not like he is a scrub who had 1 good year in the NHL and is a career AHLer

Behind one of NHL strongest defenses he wasnt exposed as much. He played good for a while which is the point of the thread but in the end his flaws were found out and he never adapted to it. The mark of a AHL level player.
 

Killion

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Feb 19, 2010
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Well, one guy who I always wondered about had he be given a "real chance" but who didnt have a "career year" in the NHL so slightly OT was Lonny Bohonos. He did have one good year with Vancouver however he didnt play the full season with the Canucks; then on call-ups, handful of games over a few seasons with the Leafs scored consistently & during one playoff run, 99 I think it was some important goals.
 
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Hobnobs

Pinko
Nov 29, 2011
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Well, one guy who I always wondered about had he be given a "real chance" but who didnt have a "career year" in the NHL so slightly OT was Lonny Bohonos. He did have one good year with Vancouver however he didnt play the full season with the Canucks; then on call-ups, handful of games over a few seasons with the Leafs scored consistently & during one playoff run, 99 I think it was some important goals.

How do you go from scoring 9 pts in 9 playoff games while averaging 19 mins a game to out of the league over a summer?
 

Killion

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Feb 19, 2010
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How do you go from scoring 9 pts in 9 playoff games while averaging 19 mins a game to out of the league over a summer?

Yeah, most peculiar which is why I brought him up even though somewhat OT as "no full excellent career year at the NHL level".... Interesting thread. Theres actually just a tonne of players that like Bohonos were solid to outstanding during brief call-up's but were back in the minors after a dozen or even fewer games and just for all kinds reasons, many making no sense whatsoever.
 
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iamjs

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Oct 1, 2008
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I don't think Jim Carey was a fluke, it sounds like he was a really good goalie who just lost his desire to play, his first year in pro hockey he is the AHL rookie of the year and goalie of the year as well as finishing 2nd in NHL rookie of the year behind Forsberg, and 3rd in the Vezina behind Hasek and Belfour, and in his 2nd year he is winning the Vezina, it is not like he is a scrub who had 1 good year in the NHL and is a career AHLer

This article makes it sound like he lost his confidence once he was traded to Boston.

Goalie Problems: Jim Carey: Competitive Spirit and Early Success Cost him a Career
 

vadim sharifijanov

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Oct 10, 2007
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stephane morin played 48 games and scored 40 points in the '91 season, when the nords were actively tanking for lindros. he was in and out of the lineup all year, but he got back into the lineup for good at the end of the season, putting up an incredible six goals, 12 assists, 18 points in the last ten games. for reference, he "only" had eight goals, 14 assists, 22 points in 17 AHL games that season.

over a ten year pro career in the AHL, IHL, and german league, morin only played 32 other NHL games, potting three goals and putting up 15 points. he was dynamite on our farm team, the hamilton canucks. a fine line between perennial bad team scorer and a career minor league superstar.
 
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