ATD2011 Bio Thread

[Leafs Forever]

Credit to HHH for much of this:

Does size matter in professional hockey? Not to Martin St. Louis. The diminutive winger is listed at 5-9, but that’s probably with his skates on. Once he hops over the boards, however, Martin is a monster, as he employs a devastating combination of speed, smarts and spunk to terrorize bigger opponents.

No one, however, was more important to the fortunes of the Lightning that Martin. He sharpened his all-around game so completely that ******* felt comfortable using him in any situation. The winger was often at his best on the penalty kill. He was such an offensive threat that opponents sometimes forced themselves into mistakes. In a 4-2 win over Boston, Martin set a team record with two goals and an assist—all short-handed.

Early in the year, ******* gathered his players and asked for more offensive output. Martin stepped up and accepted the responsibility. His leadership was just what the Lightning needed. Tampa Bay played with spirit and confidence all year long, and actually got stronger as the season wore on.

In the playoffs, Martin ratcheted up his intensity and his production once again. Tampa Bay beat the Islanders on his blistering slapshot in overtime of Game Five, then dumped his beloved Canadiens as the Lightning advanced into previously uncharted post-season territory.

Martin’s greatest asset is his speed. A dedicated and fearless worker, he also isn’t afraid to bang around in the corners or take his lumps in front of the net. Not that Martin hangs around one place too long. His ability to dart into the slightest opening forces teams to be ever vigilant, and this in turn creates opportunities for his teammates.

Martin is one of the better conditioned athletes in the NHL.... Bigger opponents try to wear him down with physical play. Of course, they have to be able to catch him to do so—and that’s no easy trick. -jockbio.com

http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/StLouis/StLouis_bio.html

Built as sturdy as a jersey wall and with thighs the size of mountain stream boulders, St. Louis relies on durability and speed.

One of the NHL's shortest players, St. Louis is also one of the best, earning a spot on this year's All-Star team.

St. Louis never used size as an excuse and never wanted to prove anyone wrong. He just wanted to prove to himself he could play in the NHL.- USA Today, Apr 26, 2003

ASSETS: Has great speed and shiftiness. Is extremely durable and versatile. Likes to create plays from the wing position. Is a dangerous penalty-killer and possesses the heart of a lion.

FLAWS: Doesn't score as much as he sets linemates up, so he could stand to be more selfish. Also doesn't have ideal NHL size.

CAREER POTENTIAL: Elite scoring winger. -Hockey News Bio

http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockeynews/hockey/player.cgi?669

St. Louis is fast and skilled. He can create plays and finish them. He can change a game with one rush down the ice. For most of last season, he was portrayed unfairly as a human-interest story more than a hockey story by those who wouldn't take the Lightning seriously. St. Louis was never drafted and is listed generously at 5-9. Doubters said he couldn't consistently compete in the league, adding that it would be a a good story while it lasted.

Well, the story continues -- and it's getting better. St. Louis was the best player in the league most nights this season and the best on a team that won its first Stanley Cup. For that, he should win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the player most valuable to his team. On a team on which controversy crops up regularly, mainly because of goaltenders Nikolai Khabibulin and John Grahame and center XXXXX, St. Louis was the rock. When the team slumped in December, St. Louis asked coach John Tortorella to give him and the other top players more ice time. They would get it done then, St. Louis said.

Tortorella gave St. Louis what he wanted, and St. Louis met Tortorella's challenge to rise to the occasion. St. Louis averaged more ice time than any other forward on his team and was the league's leading scorer.

St. Louis had played went without a point in as many as four straight games only once. Other than that, he never went more than two.

He led the league in shorthanded goals, making Tampa Bay's penalty-killing unit dangerous offensively while keeping the opposition's power play handcuffed.-The Sporting news via NBC Sports, June 10, 2004

I've said it many times in the past and I continue to maintain that Martin St. Louis is the heart and soul of our hockey team- Jay Feaster, Tampa GM, from USA Today, Apr 24, 2005

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2005-08-24-stlouis-free-agent_x.htm?POE=SPOISVA

Marty means so much to this franchise, both on and off the ice. His hard work and dedication are unsurpassed and we are thrilled that he will finish his career in Tampa Bay.- Steve Yzerman, Tampa GM, from ESPN.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5346350

The Toronto St. Pats are happy to select, a fantastic, fast, two-way playmaking RW...



MARTIN ST. LOUIS!

Awards and Accomplishments
1 x Stanley Cup Champion(2004)
1 x First All-Star Team Right Wing (2004) *If he continues his pace, Martin St. Louis will likely add a FAST in 2011, as he wold have scored the most points amongst RW.
2 x Second All-Star Team Right Wing (2007, 2010)
5 x All-Star Game Participant(2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009)

1 x Hart Memorial Trophy (2004)
1 x Ted Lindsay Award (2004)
1 x Art Ross Trophy (2004)
1 x Lady Byng Trophy (2010)

Hart Voting: 1st, Top-3 Finish, 14th
Selke Voting: 4th, 18th

Scoring
Rankings
Goals: 4th(2004), 5th(2007), 20th(2003), 25th(2010), 33rd(2006), 37th(2009),
Assists: 1st(2004), 2nd(2011), 5th(2010), 7th(2008), 9th(2007), 17th(2009),
Points: 1st,(2004) 2nd(2011), 5th(2007), 6th(2010), 12th(2008), 16th(2009), 28th(2003)

Playoff Goals: 4th(2004), 4th(2003)
Playoff Assists: 1st(2004)
Playoff Points: 2nd(2004)

Percentages of 2nd place scorer (rounded to the nearest whole number)
Goals: 93(of a 3-way tie for 1st), 86, 69, 65, 57, 57
Assists: 100(tied for 1st), 100, 94, 88, 71, 70, 56 Total: 579
Points: 108, 100, 89, 86, 78, 73, 67 Total: 601

Long-Term Percentages
From 2003-2011, St. Louis is 8th in goals(86% of 2nd place Ovechkin and Iginla), 3rd in assists(89% of 2nd place H. Sedin) and 2nd in points(90% of 1st place Thornton). He is 20th in GPG, 13th in APG, and 10th in PPG all while playing the most games of anyone during the time.

From 2006-2011(lobbing off his best year), St. Louis is 14th in goals(72% of 2nd place Kovalchuk), 5th in assists(80% of 2nd place Sedin), and 5th in points(88% of 2nd place Crosby). 30th in GPG, 9th in APG, 15th in PPG while playing the 3rd most games.

 

[VanIslander]

Am I the only one who sees frogs in ice cubes?

 

[BillyShoe1721]

The Philadelphia Firebirds select a their 3rd line RW, completing what we believe will be a very solid two-way line that can check and also score a good amount, RW Johnny Peirson

2x NHL All Star Game Participant(both merit based)
5x Top 17 Goals(5, 7, 9, 16, 17)
4x Top 18 Assists(11, 15, 16, 18)
5x Top 18 Points(8, 10, 10, 17, 18)
3x Top 10 Goals in Playoffs(6, 6, 10)
1x Top 2 Assists in Playoffs(2)
2x Top 10 Points in Playoffs(3, 10)

During peak (1948-49 to 1953-54) among all players:
4th in goals(behind Howe, Richard, Lindsay)
15th in assists
7th in points(behind Howe, Lindsay, Richard, Ronty, Kennedy, and Lach)

During Peak (1948-49 to 1953-54 among RW):
3rd in goals(behind Howe, Richard)
3rd in assists(behind Howe, Richard)
3rd in points(behind Howe, Richard)

Peirson made the Bears team in 1947 and impressed immediately. He would end up splitting the first couple of seasons between the Bears and the Bruins.

By 1948 Peirson became a regular for the Bruins for the next decade.

"I would say I was above average because I was a better balanced player, a forward that knew how to back check. The only thing I wish I had done was to work more diligently on my upper body strength because I would've been a better player. I lost a lot of battles and wasn't able to do what I would like to have done from the point of view of strength. But I had some defensive skills as well as being able to find the net sometimes."

Peirson hit the 20 goal mark 4 times in his career, a very solid achievement in 1950s Original Six hockey. In 545 career games he scored 153 goals, 173 assists and 326 points.

He added another 10 goals and 26 points in 49 career post-season games, but the Bruins never would win a Stanley Cup with Peirson on the roster.

http://bruinslegends.blogspot.com/2010/11/johnny-peirson.html

Peirson quickly evolved into a useful player who could backcheck, strive for team-oriented goals and harvest his share of points. He cracked the 20-goal barrier four times during his eleven years as a Bruin.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13952

But Peirson's goal scoring talent ensured his varsity status. He often played alongside Paul Ronty and xxx, giving the Bruins one of the league's better offensive units. In 3 seasons, the black haired sharpshooter scored 68 goals.

From 1948-49 to 1953-54, Peirson was the go to guy, scoring 20 or more goals in four seasons in an epoch when a 20 goal scorer was roughly equivalent to a .300 hitter in baseball.

"The older I got, the better I played," said Peirson, who played a major part in the Bruins 1952-1953 playoff success. Johnny totaled 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points in 11 games. His 6 assists ranked him second best-teammate Fleming Mackell was first with seven-of all playoff performers.

At 5'11" 170 pounds, Peirson could never run over the opposition but played the game hard...He was strong enough to last a decade in the bigs.

The line I played on-with Johnny Peirson and Fleming Mackell-got hot and we defended very well against Howe and Lindsay.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Zx...wAA#v=onepage&q=johnny peirson bruins&f=false

High scoring players such as center Fleming Mackell and right wing Johnny Peirson kept the Bruins in the hunt for the Stanley Cup almost every year.

http://books.google.com/books?id=AW...wAg#v=onepage&q=johnny peirson bruins&f=false

Peirson had two careers with the Boston Bruins. He spent ten years as a solid right winger, four times scoring 20 or more goals, and had 27 goals in the 1949-50 season.

When it came to the discussion of the strategy and tactics involved in the game, Peirson was prominent...His knowledge of the game, and how individuals should play, was a given.

http://books.google.com/books?id=zG...wAw#v=onepage&q=johnny peirson bruins&f=false

The line of Fleming Mackell, Ed Sandford, and Johnny Peirson spearheaded the Beantown attack...

http://www.google.com/search?q=john...=Xc1_TY2kO8Hn0gGRyYSICQ&start=10&sa=N&cad=cbv

Among the younger guys was Johnny Peirson, who was from Montreal and had gone to McGill University for a year. John was the right wing on my line. He was an astute hockey player; a smart right handed shot and a good skater who played his position well. I'd call him a thinking man's hockey player-always watching what the other guy was doing to offset him. I liked playing with Peirson because I knew pretty well what he was going to do when we were on the ice.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Zx...wAg#v=onepage&q=johnny peirson hockey&f=false

First concrete news regarding the Boston Bruins for neat year is the signing of the "muscles line," Paul Ronty, Johnny Peirson and xxx

http://www.google.com/search?q=john...=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=ee5fbeb8c8e0692d

Little xxx and Paul Ronty passed the disk to their linemate, Johnny Peirson, who banged it home in front of the cage

http://www.google.com/search?q=john...=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=ee5fbeb8c8e0692d

The #1 forward line ranking has been taken over by the fleet and shifty Paul Ronty and his high-scoring wingers, Kenny Smith and Johnny Peirson.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAIBAJ&pg=1474,947188&dq=johnny+peirson&hl=en

18 months out of hockey did not slow up Johnny Peirson. The Boston Bruins can still depend on his scoring punch...Peirson, one of Boston's top scorers before his retirement...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=7028,3493658&dq=johnny+peirson&hl=en

Johnny Peirson, the sharpshooting Bruins right winger...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAIBAJ&pg=3451,967254&dq=johnny+peirson&hl=en

 

[Leafs Forever]

Credit to HHH for a number of the quotes:

Siebert was one of those few players who could do it all - excelling both as apower forward and an all star defenseman. You don't see that any longer! He was as strong as an ox, making him nearly impossible to stop. In addition he added very good skating abilities with good straight-ahead speed. He was very responsible defensively and though he never had the scoring exploits of his famous "S" Line teammates, he was an underrated shooter and a skillful playmaker.-Joe Pelletier

http://habslegends.blogspot.com/2007/03/babe-siebert.html

Stewart was the natural scorer on the line, and Smith was the passer, but Siebert was equally well known for his rushing, his sheer physical strength and his relentless backchecking to get the team possession of the puck.- Legends of Hockey

The Babe would become embroiled in fistic battles. Perhaps he would suffer penalties, earn the disfavor of the crowd by his bruising style of play. Perhaps the game would make him seem like a crude and uncouth person, rough and brutal.

From the dressing room, the Babe would stride along the promenade until he reached the chair where his fragile bit of an invalid wife sat. Bending down, he would kiss her, then he would gather her up into his great muscular arms, stride out of the rink, and deposit her carefully in a waiting car that would take her home to the kiddies that he adored so much."-Montreal Sportswriter Elmer Ferguson, via Joe Pelletier bio

http://habslegends.blogspot.com/2007/03/babe-siebert.html

Although Siebert was originally a rover, a hockey position held over from an era when the game employed seven players per side, he was later used as a defenceman. Considered exceptionally strong, making it difficult to stop him in his tracks, 'Babe' also had outstanding skating skills.

...Nels Stewart was the goal scorer, Hooley Smith was the playmaker but Siebert was the digger, using his physical strength to spring pucks from opponents in the corners, then backchecking relentlessly in order to lug the puck back into the opposing end. using his physical strength to spring pucks from opponents in the corners- Legends of Hockey Spotlight by Kevin O'Shea

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/spot_oneononep196403.htm

Having lost a step, Siebert moved back to defense where he not only held his own but actually improved his game, claiming the Hart Trophy as league MVP. Renowned for his offensive rushes and his outstanding defensive coverage, Siebert had eight goals and 20 assists in 44 regular season games.-ourhistory.canadiens.com

http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Albert-Siebert

Blessed with a powerful body and broad shoulders, Albert "Babe" Siebert played hockey with a great deal of heart and determination. He was certainly not afraid to use his body, and while he racked up penalty minute totals, Siebert was a complete player whose career as a Montreal Canadien included winning the Hart Trophy as the best player in the league.- Canadien Legends: Montreal's Hockey Heroes by Mike Leonetti

The Toronto St. Pats are happy to select a powerful, all-around, versatile player...


Albert "Babe" Siebert!

Awards and Achievements
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1926, 1933)
1 x Hart Trophy (1937)
3 x First Team All-Star Defensemen (1936, 1937, 1938)
1 x Retroactive James Norrs Memorial Trophy (1937)
Captain of Montreal Canadiens 1936-1939

Hart Voting: 1st, 3rd

Scoring
Rankings:
Overall:
Goals: 8th(1932)10th(1926), 18th(1931)
Assists: 6th(1927), 9th(1937) 10th(1928), 11th(1932), 12th(1930), 20th(1935)
Points: 8th(1932), 11th(1926), 18th(1930), 19th(1928) , 22nd(1931)

Known Scoring Amongst Defensemen (Siebert spent time as a defenseman before coming to Montreal: how much is uncertain, or if he spent ful/majority years as a defensemen, which would expalin some of his up and down scoring in his earlier days.)

These represent his scoring, compared to defensemen, during his AST (as a defensemen)/Montreal years(I assume he was a defenseman in his last season in Montreal, when he was not an AST).

Points: 1st(1937), 2nd(1936), 4th(1938), 6th(1939)

Percentages:
Goals: 62 (of a two-way tie for 1st), 57, 53
Assists: 66, 64, 61, 56, 54
Points: 78, 66, 58, 53

Known Points Amongst Defensemen: 112, 91, 86, 61

Long Term Playoffs
From 1936-1939(Siebert's certain time as a defenseman), Siebert ranks 5th in points amongst defensemen (behind Shore, Horner, Seibert, and Pratt), and 3rd in PPG amongst 5+ playoff game defensemen.

Siebert's seasons on Defense
Siebert, who rotated between LW/D, is a bit tricky to pintpoint time spent on defense. He was almost certainly mostly a defensemen in his 3 AST's and his last season in Montreal, when he wasn't an AST. But what of before?

1927-1928
Sturminator shows that Siebert did rotate on defense this year, not actually playing much on the famous "S"line, someone else playing with Stewart and Smith. The post to this can be found here:
http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=31530559&postcount=81

Will attempt to expand. He also seemed to have played at least half the 1928-29 season on defense.

 

[Dreakmur]

Considering that Hebenton did not shy away from body contact, his consecutive game record was amazing. He was not afraid to go into the corners and was thought of as a good backchecker.

Known as "Spud" because of his love for potatoes, Hebenton was a hard-working, clean player who averaged only nine penalty minutes per season. He won the Lady Byng trophy for gentlemanly play in 1957. He was also a five-time winner of the Fred J. Hume Cup as the most gentlemanly player of the WHL.

Andy Hebenton was the NHL's original "Iron Man." Hebenton played nine consecutive seasons (1955-64) with the NY Rangers and Boston Bruins never missing a single game…

….

Hebenton was a hard worker but a clean player. He won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1957 and also won 6 most gentlemanly player awards in the minors. Hebenton scored 189 career goals and 202 assists for 391 points. He also played in 22 playoff games, scoring 11 points.

So how is it that Andy Hebenton, one of the hardest skaters that ever scratched the ice, played nine straight years of National League hockey without missing a single game?

He says he's been lucky. He says he's managed to escape a lot of injuries other guys got. Well, hell, I know Andy and I know some of the guys he played with up there. They said there were nights he should have quit—just like everybody else—but that he went out and played anyway. They also say nobody's ever goin' to do what he's done again.

Andy Hebenton !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Lady Byng Winner (1957)
NHL All-Star (1960)

Lady Byng voting – 1st(1957), 2nd(1959), 2nd(1960), 3rd(1961), 5th(1956), 5th(1965)

Scoring:
Points – 8th(1959), 14th(1961), 16th(1957), 20th(1960)
Goals – 4th(1959), 8th(1956), 10th(1961), 12th(1957), 15th(1958), 21st(1960)

From 1956 to 1961, he was 6th in Goals and 12th in Points

Here’s a picture that’s hard to find: Andy Hebenton in the penalty box!

​

Hebenton also spend many years in the Western Hockey League, which was, as far as I can tell, a form of minor league. I don’t think this adds anything to his peak, but it does who he was a good player for longer than the 9 seasons he played in the NHL.

WHL Awards and Achievements:
6 x Fred J. Hume Cup Winner (1965, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974)
2 x WHL First Team All-Star (1971, 1973)
3 x WHL Second Team All-Star (1955, 1965, 1970)

WHC Scoring:
WHL Points – 7th(1955), 8th(1971), 9th(1965), 9th(1966), 10th(1969), 10th(1970)
WHL Goals – 2nd(1955), 6th(1965), 8th(1970), 10th(1966)
WHL Assists – 6th(1969), 7th(1971), 9th(1974)

Newspaper Clippings:

Andy Hebenton slammed home a pair of goals, the second one coming in the last seven seconds, to lead his New York Rangers to a come from behind 5-4 triumph over the Detroit Red Wings in a televised National Hockey League game yesterday.

The hard driving right winger crashed a rebound shot past Detroit’s goalie Glenn Hall for the goal that gave the New Yorkers their first victory of the season on Detroit ice.

Suddenly New York’s Red Sullivan came up with the puck. He passed it to Hebenton and the sophomore came in along the right boards with just Jacques Plante to beat. Handy Andy, cool as the ice beneath him, caged the disk from 15 feet out. Plante never had a chance as the puck landed into the left corner.

Hebenton provided some fire…

With a minute remaining, Cougars’ Andy Hebenton violently rebelled when a self-styled fan grabbed his hockey stick… Hebenton, Victoria’s best Tuesday, swung his stick… the fan was removed…

Patrick, who scouted Hebenton in the play-offs, described him as a “strong skater and good checkerâ€â€¦

… Andy, dubbed by coach Watson “the honest workerâ€.

… Finnlay’s slider from the draw went past Pelletier who was partially screened by Hebenton.

 

[MadArcand]

Herb Gardiner

Herb Gardiner, D

A stellar two-way defenseman, Herb Gardiner didn't make a name for himself until relatively late in his career. He was proficient at the amateur level in western Canada before traveling east to play in the NHL. Gardiner was a rock on the defense corps of every team he played on, and he was also respected for his consistent play through each season. During the late 1920s, he formed one of hockey's most successful defensive duos with Sylvio Mantha.

He and Dutton provided stellar work in their own end against the likes of superstars George Hay, Dick Irvin and Barney Stanley. Gardiner scored a key goal in the first match at Regina, which ended in a 2-2 deadlock. The Tigers clinched the total-goals series with a 2-0 win on home ice.

Despite the Tigers' setback, Gardiner made a strong impression on the Montreal management. The most notable feature of the contest from a Calgary perspective was that defensemen Dutton and Gardiner gave no ground to Sprague Cleghorn and Billy Coutu on the winning side.

Recalling his excellent play two years earlier, the Canadiens invited Gardiner to training camp in 1926. The experienced defender represented a vital addition to the Montreal defensive brigade when he joined the team that year. His play was so impressive with the rebuilding Montreal franchise that he was awarded the Hart Trophy as league MVP - no small achievement, as he beat out New York Rangers superstar Bill Cook to cop the award. During this time, he formed one the NHL's most proficient duos on defense with Sylvio Mantha.

As both a defenseman and coach, Gardiner always put his keen understanding of the game to excellent use. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.

Gardiner's selection as the winner of the Hart Trophy comes as no surprise. This veteran from the prairie, who came to Canadiens this season from Calgary, has been credited with much of the success that the team has attained. He not only has proved a star at left defence, but he has travelled practically 60 minutes in all games; has taken few penalties, but above all, has been the inspiration to the team from the first. He generals them on the ice and when they show signs of crumbling, he always cuts loose with speedy hockey which serves to rally his teammates. His generalship has been the big factor in Canadiens' triumphs and his example as a clean player has been a benefit to the club.

A surveyor by trade, Herb Gardiner was also one of hockey’s greats of his time. Born in Winnipeg in 1891, he was a dominant amateur defenseman for many years before turning pro with the Calgary Tigers of the West Coast Hockey League at the age of 29.

The transition was a successful one and Gardiner continued his stellar play, recognized as one of the top rearguards in the circuit. The Tigers travelled east in 1924 to challenge for the Stanley Cup but lost to the Canadiens, who invited Gardiner to their training camp in the fall of 1926 when the PCHL ceased operations.

He accepted and spent the next three years in the NHL, closing out his career as a member of the Canadiens. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound blue-liner was one of the bigger men in the game and among the strongest. Playing in an era that featured a far more brutal form of play than is accepted today, Gardiner was in his element when the going got rough.

As he had done in the past, the 35-year-old Gardiner quickly established himself as one of the NHL’s most skilled and consistent blue-liners. His smooth play and sound work in his own end was complemented by defense partner Sylvio Mantha’s playmaking and utterly fearless approach to the game, making the duo one of the top defensive pairings in the game.

He stressed science more than bruising brawn. In his heyday he was considered one of the cleverest and smoothest defencemen in the league.

As a good sport, a clever player and a clean athlete, Herb has no superior in the ice game, but it is very questionable if he would enjoy much success as a manager.

In the first place, Gardiner has always been a good fellow with his mates, and this is never a good feature when it comes to management.

Gardiner is one of those 60-minute players seldom found in the sporting ranks today, and and when a man keys himself up for this strenuous task he can ill afford to squander his energy in the consuming flame of worry.

And Gardiner is that sort of fellow who would show so much concern in the affairs of his team that he would wear down under the strain of worry. He is a top notch player, but in the role of manager, it is safe to predict that his efficiency would be materially reduced.
...
True, he has few equals as player, but he hasn't experimented as strategian.

There is some talk of Dutton and Benson teaming up together on the defence, and Herb Gardiner, the playing manager, taking up the centre ice position.

It is figured that Gardiner, with his bullet shot, would greatly strengthen the Tigers' attack. Playing forward will be nothing new to Gardiner, as he only shifted back to the defence two or three years ago. He is aggressive, a fast skater, and a good shot, and would be able to rush through for a lot of rebounds.

Gardiner, a suburban Upper Darby resident, gained an "Iron Man" reputation after playing every minute of 48-game season with the Montreal Canadiens in 1926.

No finer sporting spirit could have been evinced than that of Herb Gardiner, playing manager of the club, who left a sick bed to battle the way through to the leadership with his mates. It was a great risk, but the stalwart defence man took it, and the example of his pluck was no doubt reflected on the rest of the club.

...Mickey O'Leary, taking a smart pass from Herb Gardiner...

Herb Gardiner and Arbour made history for themselves, plugging through with great strength on the rushes and battering the Eskimos down on heavy attacks.

There is no question about the forward line of the Flying Frenchmen. Morenz, Joliat, Gagne and Lepine form a quartet of super-stars and on the other end the Canadiens are not lacking in high-class material. George Hainsworth in the nets is one of the best of net guardinas and if there is a better defenceman in hockey than Herb Gardiner, he is not visible to the naked eye.

Herb Gardiner was his old foxy self and broke up countless rushes.

Gardiner pulled off the most sensational rush of the night, and Connell kicked out his vicious drive.

“Herb Gardiner:
Stalwart Tiger defense man, who started his team on its way to victory by scoring the first goal.†– The Calgary Daily Herald – March 17, 1924

“… along with Herb Gardiner, the speedy captain of the Calgary Wanderers….†– Edmonton Journal – January 21, 1920

“Gardiner raced end to end after MacKay went down, and was clean through, but _______ tripped him….

Herb Gardiner dashed down alone on a nice effort and showed some classy stickhandling, but his shot was blocked by _______.†– The Calgary Daily Herald – March 13, 1924

“__________ and Herb Gardiner are the two foxiest defenders in the game.†– The Vancouver Sun – January 14, 1924

“The Tiger boss is certain of Harb Gardiner, the stalwart defence star who is regarded as the finest man at his position in hockey today.†– The Calgary Daily Herald – February 2, 1924

Awards:
1926-27 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy

7th in defenseman scoring in 1926-27​

 

[Velociraptor]

HÃ¥kan Loob, RW

Position: Right Wing
HT/WT: 5'10", 180 lbs
Shoots: Right
Nickname(s): "Loober", "Lucky Loob"

- Stanley Cup Champion (1989)
- 1 acknowledgment for the First NHL All-Star Team (1988)
- Swedish World All-Star Team (1983, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1992)
- Swedish Player of the Year (1983)
- NHL All-Rookie Team (1984)
- 193 goals, 429 regular season points in 450 games played.
- 26 goals, 54 playoff points in 73 games played.

In 1981, at the age of 21, Loob was playing for Farjestad when they won the Swedish Championship but he really made his mark in the 1982-83 season. Farjestad was then at its zenith having one of the best five-man lineup in all of Elitserien. The quintet became the asset of the season and the agile Hakan Loob was its driving force.

In the 1987-88 season, he became the first Swedish player to score 50 goals in the NHL regular season. Besides that, he had 56 assists to his credit, racking up a total of 106 points. An achievement that the present generation of Swedish players in the NHL can still be proud of.

For Loob and all Swedish hockey fans, 1987 was an especially memorable year. At the World Championship in Vienna, Tre Kronor won the gold after a hiatus of 25 years, largely thanks to the efforts of Hakan Loob.

The Swedish nationals, under the leadership of senior coach Tommy Sandlin, were a well-balanced and powerful team with an excellent lineup of players that year. Hakan Loob was a standout.

Returning to Farjestad in 1989, Loob continued to play the key role in the lineup of his native team, achieving one more gold medal at the 1991 World Championship as well as an Olympic gold medal at Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994. That gold medal became Loob's crowning achievement. He'd won practically every gold medal that a hockey player could dream of, including the championship of Sweden, the World Championship, the Winter Olympics and the Stanley Cup. Only two other Swedish hockey players have equaled such an achievement, defenseman XXXXX XXXXXXX and forward Mats Naslund.

During Loob's days in Calgary, the drawn-out chant of “Loooooooob! Loooooooob!’’ echoed throughout the Saddledome.

"He just had such a great amount of skill, He could do things none of the rest of us could. The luckiest thing that happened to me was getting put on Hakan Loob’s line my first full year in Calgary. He helped me so much, starting my career the right way. A big reason why I scored 50".

How good was Loober? How do you define ‘good?’

He was a good player on a team full of good players. He could produce. Great vision. Went into the tough areas. Smart. Could make plays. And, as I said, produce.

What else is there?’

Not much, when you think about it.

"At that time, a lot of people still had Swedes stereotyped as soft, Loober broke that mould. He was tough. He did go into the corners. He wouldn’t take any crap.’’

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Shane Doan, W

-6'1", 230 lbs
-Phoenix Coyotes' Captain from 2003-04 until present
-Played in the 2004 and 2009 All Star Games

-Top 30 points finishes: 20th, 22nd, 28th
-Scored 50 points 10 times, 60 points 5 times
-Team scoring finishes since 1999-2000: 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd*

*projected

Crude comparison of Doan's stats to traditional second liners:
http://hfboards.ca/showpost.php?p=31991753&postcount=673

International:

-Gold Medal at the 2004 World Cup
-Member of the 2006 Olympics Team
-2 Gold Medals and 2 Silvers at the World Championships
-Captain of the 2007 (gold) and 2008 (silver) WC teams

Feb 13, 2009 -HNC Analysts pick their Team Canada

Cassie Campbell - Shane Doan "A" — Great leadership and will fulfill third- or fourth-line duties.

Mark Crawford - Shane Doan — Plays both wings equally well.

Elliotte Friedman - Shane Doan "A"

Kelly Hrudey - Shane Doan — Grinder with hands.

Jim Hughson - Shane Doan "A" — Character and sandpaper.

Jeff Marek - Shane Doan "A" — Can never have enough character guys with skill.

Scott Morrison - Shane Doan — Grit and leadership.

Craig Simpson - Shane Doan "A" — Versatility, leadership and experience.

PJ Stock - Shane Doan — Should play with Richards and be on shutdown line. Great leader.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2009/02/09/olympics-canada-hockey-picks.html#ixzz1Gnrwx1cR

Shane Doan: Also able to play both wings, Doan's physicality and effective approach to defence see him on a checking line that will still be dangerous offensively. He is a fast and strong forward capable of digging in the corners and making smart decisions.

http://www.hockeypolls.com/content/team-canada-keiths-edition

(Ultimately Team Canada went with the younger Brendan Morrow instead of Doan)

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

FOLLOWING IS A COPY AND PASTE FROM THE DRAFT THREAD.

Boris Mayorov, W

The best line in the history of Moscow Spartak and in the world (?) in the late 1960s. Starshinov's line was famous for their aggressive style. Starshinov and, especially, Boris Mayorov loved to fight.

Starshinov lost count of the goals he scored on passes from Boris Mayorov. These passes, according to Starshinov, were extremely opportune and proved totally unexpected for the opposition. His opponents were familiar with Mayorov's style of play, but somehow he always managed to fool them and alert Starshinov through a shared sixth sense when a pass was coming.

Domestic:
- Member of Russian Hockey HOF
- Soviet League Champion (1962, 1967, 1969)
- Soviet League All-Star (1959, 1962, 1966*, 1967, 1968*, 1969*) *-2nd/3rd team. These nods are at both LW and RW.
- Top-5 in Soviet League Scoring 7 Times (2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 5th)
- 255 Goals in 400 Soviet League Games

International:
- Member of the IIHF Hall Of Fame
- Olympic/WC Gold (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968)
- Was Soviet National Team Captain (1963-1968)

- 1st in scoring at 1961 Worlds, 2nd in 1964
- Mayorov got into a fight in the 1961 worlds, while leading the tournament in scoring.
- World Championship Top Forward (1961)
- Original Choice for the Top Forward of the 1964 Olympics (see below)
- 30 goals, 32 assists, 62 points in 50 major international games (Starshinov had 48-20-68 in these games)

captain Mayorov was key to six world championships for the Soviet Union in the 1960s, leading the tournament in scoring in '61 when he was named the tournament's best forward. He won the gold at both the '64 and '68 Olympics and played on a line with ******* ******* and Vyacheslav Starshinov.

The Starshinov line was distinguished by its synchronous actions and total reciprocal awareness. Boris played LW and the center slot was filled by Starshinov... Boris was able to end his career with the national team with dignity. Before the 1969 Worlds, he was straightforward at a meeting with his teammates, telling them honestly that due to injuries he would be unable to play at his best in all the games... Boris Mayorov was a natural-born leader, and Starshinov cited him as a prime mover and innovator.

Robbed of the "Best Forward" award in the 1964 Olympics:

Following the Soviet Union’s 3-2 victory over Canada to lock-up the gold medal in the last match at Innsbruck, the International Ice Hockey Federation Directorate chose USSR right wing BORIS MAYOROV for their Best Forward award. The 25-year-old Soviet captain finished the seven-game final round-robin with seven goals and ten points. This left the Spartak Moscow skater tied with four others, including Soviet teammates VYACHESLAV STARSHINOV and VIKTOR YAKUSHEV, for the second-highest point total at Innsbruck.

Soviet hockey officials, meanwhile, took the award and handed it EDUARD IVANOV. This despite the fact that the 25-year-old CSKA Moscow man was, in fact, a defenseman. Ivanov did score four goals in seven round-robin games, which set a new record for Soviet rearguards at the Winter Olympic Games.

Incredible as it may seem today, the IIHF accepted this and, thus, into the record books went Ivanov’s name.

http://www.goironpigs.com/?cat=67

Quotes via seventieslord and VI

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Vyacheslav Starshinov, C

"The Phil Esposito of Russia"

He was ranked first on the list of the top scoring Soviet leader for decades till Boris Mikhailov broke his scoring record. As a part of the famous Spartak's line where he played with Boris Mayorov (and undrafted), Starshinov was famous for his goals scored in front of the net and on the rebounds. His trademarks were wicked shot on the net from any angle and a feisty character, his love to play physical and hard-hitting hockey.

Starshinov was a contemporary of Firsov's (he is less than a year older than Firsov) and scored more in the Soviet League than Firsov when they both played there. Firsov is ranked higher largely because he was a better international performer (though Starshinov wasn't bad).

-6 Top 3 and 9 Top 5 scoring finishes (Firsov had 3 and 5)

-1st Team All Star Center (Soviet League) every season from 1963-1969

-1st Team All Star Left Wing (Soviet League) in 1970, over Firsov and a 22 year old Kharamov (Kharlamov was a 1st Team AS for the first time in 1971)

As a player of Moscow Spartak, Starshinov was one of the most valuable players in its championships of the 1960's. On both national and club level, he was a team leader and enjoyed an enormous respect among his teammates.

It appears Soviet Hockey was quite a bit rougher in the late 1960s (either that or Starshinov was playing on the wrong continent for his style):

Starshinov's line was famous for their aggressive style. Starshinov and, especially, Boris Mayorov loved to fight.

I agree, Starshinov is criminally underrated.

From the Red Machine by Lawrence Martin:

Starshinov, the most outstanding of the three forwards, was a man of peasant stock whose bear-like strength allowed him to hold position in front of the enemy goal. His style approximated that of Bobby Clarke of the Philadelphia Flyers, but he had twice the heft of Clarke. He was probably the most effective Russian against Canada in the decade. In the Soviet league, where careers were usually shorter than in the NHL, especially for forwards, Starshinov was an exceptional iron man. He played from 1957 to 1975, scoring 404 goals in 510 league games.

I don't think he was similar to Clarke offensively (sounds more like Esposito) but I think they're referring to his feistiness and will to win.

In the book it also talks about how Starshinov he wanted nothing more than to play against NHL players in '72 because he loved the tough, physical brand of hockey they played but he just wasn't as effective any more.

Comparison of Starshinov to other Soviet stars here (including both stats and quotes):

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=712517

The link above contains snippets from a translated interview with Starshinov, where he talks about doing anything for his team, the enthusiasm his line had for the sport, and the need to rush back to aid the defense.

 

[seventieslord]

With the 134th pick in ATD2011, The Regina Pats are pleased to select:

Teemu Selanne, RW

- Stanley Cup (2007)
- NHL 1st All-Star Team (1993, 1997)
- NHL 2nd All-Star Team (1998, 1999)
- Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (2006)
- Three more times top-5 in RW All-Star Voting (3rd, 4th, 5th)
- Top-15 in Hart Voting 6 Times (3rd, 5th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 14th)
- Top-20 in Goals Times 9 Times (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 15th, 16th, 18th) - 21st at age 40 in 2011
- Top-20 in Assists 5 Times (4th, 7th, 9th, 9th, 10th)
- Top-20 in Points 10 Times (2nd, 2nd, 5th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 8th, 11th, 13th, 19th)
- Top-5 in PP Goals 5 Times (1st, 1st, 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 5th)
- Top-20 in Playoff Goals 4 Times (12th, 15th, 16th, 18th)
- 6th in Playoff Assists (2007)
- Top-20 in Playoff Points Twice (7th, 19th)

- 37 Points in 39 Best-On-Best International Games
- 59 Points in 51 Other Senior International Games
- Three Olympic Medals (Silver-2006, Bronze-1998, Bronze-2010)
- "Bronze" in 1991 Canada Cup
- Silver at 2004 World Cup
- Two World Championship Medals (Bronze-1999, Bronze-2008)
- Top-5 in scoring at 7 International Tournaments (1st-1991WC, 1st-2006OG, 2nd-1999WC, 3rd-1998WC, 4th-1992OG, 4th-2003WC, 5th-1996WC)

ONLINE SOURCES:

The Winnipeg Jets drafted him in the first round in 1988 and he joined the club four years later. He played for the Jets for three and a half seasons until they traded him to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Russian defender Oleg Tverdovsky. In 1992-93, "the Finnish Flash" had an incredible rookie season. He won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year hands down leading all other rookies in goals, in power-play goals, in game-winning goals and in total points. His record 76 goals set a new plateau in this category for rookies, eclipsing the old mark set by Mike Bossy by 23 goals.

The third season was decimated by the lockout and Selanne placed 19th in the scoring race. He again surpassed the 100 point mark in the next two years, but in the two after that he was for the second and third time the top goal scorer in the league. The last of these also saw a new trophy named after Maurice "Rocket" Richard established for the goal-scoring leader and Selanne became its first recipient. He has played in the All-Star Game nine times. He has 12 awards to date in the Finnish league. His first two full seasons in the SM-Liiga were bumper years as well, with a total of seven awards.

After parts of six seasons in Anaheim, Selanne joined the San Jose Sharks in the latter stages of the 2000-01 season and represented Finland at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. During the 2002-03 season, Selanne played in his 800th games and reached the 900-point milestone before signing with the Colorado Avalanche as a unrestricted free-agent in the summer of 2003. Upon his arrival with the Avs, Selanne struggled and finished with his lowest point total in his 12-year NHL career, finishing the season with 32 points (16-16-32).

Following the season, he would undergo reconstructive knee surgery and spend the entire 2004-05 lockout season rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee. After returning for a second stint with the Mighty Ducks, Selanne would once again find his touch, leading the club in goals (40) and points (90), his highest total since 1998-99. At the end of the season, Selanne was awarded the Bill Masterson Trophy for his perseverance and dedication to hockey.

In 2006-07, Selanne picked up where he left off tallying 48 goals (third best in the league). His success fuelled the Ducks offence that season as the club set new franchise records in wins (48) and points (110). In the ensuing playoffs, Selanne tallied 15 points in 21 games and helped the Ducks to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The following summer Selanne considered retirement, but returned to the league in January 2008.

On the international stage, Selanne has represented his homeland at the World Junior Championships (1989), the World Championships (1991, 1996, 1999 and 2003), the Winter Olympics (1992, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010), the Canada Cup (1992) and the World Cup (1996, 2002, 2004 and 2008).

At the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the fifth games for Selanne, he became the all-time leader for points scored in the Olympics, surpassing Hockey Hall of Famers Valeri Kharlamov and Harry Watson in the process. In addition to his personal success, Teemu also helped propel the Finnish club to capture the bronze medal.

PUBLISHED SOURCES:

… Teamed with Paul Kariya, the pair were the most explosive and exciting skaters in the world but with no supporting cast, They often had to go it alone... Internationally, Selanne is accomplished yet wanting. He has been named to every Finnish team for which he qualifies, but despite winning a number of bronze and silver medals. He has yet to hang gold around his neck. At home, he has long been hero and treasure, for both his hockey and his charitable work with children.

Teemu Selanne played five years in his native Finland before coming over to the NHL in 1992. Many NHL coaches are now wishing that he had just stayed there. When asked how to stop him, Edmonton Oilers assistant Bob McCammon ventured, "you hijack Anaheim's plane or just kidnap Teemu when he's supposed to play your team." Calgary Flames head coach Brent Sutter offered, you can never shut him down completely. He's just too good."

... Selanne didn't need an adjustment. The Finnish Flash exploded onto the hockey scene. He annihilated Mike bossy's rookie goalscoring record of 53 by 23 goals! During his sophomore season, Selanne suffered a career threatening injury to his Achilles tendon. Many wondered if he could ever completely recover his blazing speed. In 1994-95. He scored only 22 goals in 45 games, and the quality of his play was in question. In February 1996, he was traded to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks… Anaheim teamed Selanne with their boy wonder, Paul Kariya, which paid immediate dividends. The Finnish flash, far from being damaged goods, finished the 1995-96 season with 40 goals and 108 points.

The Selanne magic returned in full force in 1996-97. Teamed with Kariya for the full year, Selanne counted 51 goals and 58 assists for 109 points. For the second time in his career, he was a first-team All-Star and the ducks advanced to the second round of the playoffs. In 1997-98 due to a holdout and injuries, Kariya played only 22 games, so Selanne was forced to shoulder Anaheim's scoring load. His 52 goals talked all NHL scores, but it wasn't enough to lift the ducks into the postseason. In 1998-99, Selanne showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He scored 47 goals and 107 points, and became the first winner of the rocket Richart trophy for the most goals in the regular season.

Selanne is no one trick pony. His main weapon is his speed. "Selanne's speed is unbelievable. He is dangerous a player as there is in the NHL," remarked Philadelphia Flyers GM Bob Clarke. But Selanne is also strong visible and isn't afraid to throw every last one of his 200 pounds around. For a sniper, he passes the puck remarkably well. He should be a star in the NHL well into the next decade.

known as "the Finnish flash," Teemu Selanne was among the league's most exciting players of the 1990s and for good reason.… Selanne scoring touch and charismatic performances, along with speed and a deadly accurate shot, became instant trademarks.… Selanne and Kariya seemed to read each other's thoughts on the ice, connecting for one highlight reel goal after another, while propelling the Mighty Ducks to their only franchise playoff round victory against the Phoenix coyotes.

the runner-up in goals among rookies with 41 was Eric Lindros, aptly named "the next one," but he was completely overshadowed in what was supposed to be his year…

only three quarters of the way through his 1993 rookie season, Teemu Selanne set a record that most pundits agree will never be touched. As a Winnipeg Jets, Selanne shattered Mike bossy's 15-year-old rookie Marco 53 goals, becoming the first newcomer to lead the NHL in goals since Roy can't occur in 1939… The Anaheim Mighty Ducks provided Selanne with a gifted line maintained Paul Kariya, and the to complemented each other right from the start. Both speedsters, they each have a creative flair that forces defenders to focus on both wings simultaneously, a difficult if not impossible task.… "It's pretty frustrating right now," said Selanne, after taking over the team captaincy when Kariya was knocked out of the lineup by a crosscheck from Chicago's Gary Suter. "We have to stick together and stay positive. It's the only way." Although he drew the undivided attention of the league's premier checkers, Selanne still managed to tie Peter Bondra for the league lead, with 52 goals, breaking his own team record. Responsible for more than 25% of Anaheim's goals, Selanne was also nominated for the Hart trophy.

Yet he has remained one of the league's most down to earth players. In the midst of the contract, which pays in far below current market rates, Selanne has rejected the notion that he should try to renegotiate terms, a common practice. "If the only problem I have is that I'm underpaid," he said in reference to his $3.4 million annual salary, "things have to be pretty good."

"Every player in the NHL and minor hockey around the world should follow this guy for a week," says ESPN analyst Darren pang, "to see how he handles people and demands. Besides, how can you not be enamored with one of the great pure goal scorers, who skate so quickly and effortlessly and then takes off the equipment and drives cars the same way?"

Teemu Selanne surprised his NHL opponents in 1993 with his speed, desire and creativity. "Most of the season, the guys on the other team didn't know my style, "he explained to the hockey news. "I was way open all the time. I had at least two breakaways every game."

"I know when I play well, the numbers will be there," said Selanne, declaring team success more important.

THE HOCKEY NEWS YEARBOOKS

Here is what was said annually about Selanne in the THN Yearbooks, as well as his ranking among all NHL players heading into the season. (It's worth noting that Selanne would have ranked high in the 2008 yearbook, except he was considered retired at the time)

#6: Teemu Selanne: Mike Bossy was among the most consistent goal scorers in NHL history and the Finnish flash destroyed his rookie record for goals. Tell you anything? It is difficult to remember that some questioned the Winnipeg Jets right-wingers ability to handle NHL roughness.

#18: Teemu Selanne: think about the 76 goals Selanne had in 1993, not the 25 he had an injury plagued 1994. He's still champagne in the sea of malts and ales.

Only 25 players were named in the 1996 Yearbook, and Selanne was not mentioned following an off year.

#18: Teemu Selanne: right after he was paired with Paul Kariya, Selanne might have been the best player in the league for one 10 game span last season. The ducks would be happy if he was consistently in the top 40.

Following the 1997 season, THN did not do a player ranking. Too bad, because Selanne had just led the NHL in goals.

#12: Teemu Selanne: aside from being one of the NHL's best people, the Anaheim winger is one of its most premier scorers. He did more with less than anyone last season.

#9: Teemu Selanne: at a time when goalscoring is hard to come by, the Finnish flash has emerged as the NHL's most consistent elite sniper.

#14: coming off an off year by his standards, the Finnish flash is still a weapon to be feared.

#36: Teemu Selanne: a second straight 33 goal season removed the sunshine from one of the game's great goal scorers. A return to form is a must.

ANNUAL REPORTS

Books like McKeen's Hockey Pool Yearbook and Sports Forecaster are valuable resources not because they attempt to predict points totals in the following year, but because they provide objective reports on the player's performance. Here's what was said in the years that I have available:

One of the NHL's most underrated playmakers. "He puts the puck through legs like Gretzky," Kariya says. Selanne has speed and strength. A great finisher. Has character and commitment game. It wasn't love at first sight as far as Ron Wilson was concerned. Wilson broke up the duo after the second game, only to bring them back together. A little later, and then they really clicked. "To be honest, they didn't come back that hard on defense," explained Wilson. "So I split them up." Both seemed to end up on left wing went on the same unit, a bit like Bure and Mogilny in Vancouver. Now they go together like Hansel & Gretel.

brought much-needed goal relief to a lame Duck attack and in the process helped to take some attention away from their lone threat - Paul Kariya. A powerful skater with quick hands and surprising toughness, he seems to have overcome past knee problems in addition to a serious achilles tear he suffered during the 1993-94 season.

sounds crazy, but he's just entering his prime. Selanne was second in league scoring and made the first All-Star team. Will become one of the high-scoring right-wingers in history. Great speed, balance, and strength. A natural goal scorer, he finished one goal shy of the league lead. Has decent size and will work along the boards. A quick, accurate shot. Has good vision and is an underrated playmaker. Had eight game-winning goals to finish in a tie for fifth in the NHL. Average defensively. Has had an undeserved reputation for selfishness in the past.

Finnish flash took little consolation in capturing the inaugural rocket Richard trophy with a league best 47 goals or as Art Ross trophy runner-up after being humbled by Detroit's stifling left-wing lock during their opening round blowout. An elite mix of speed, skill and power who has accounted for 22.6% of Anaheim's goal output over the last three seasons. A sluggish stretch drive and postseason raised questions about his conditioning which could serve as added motivation this year, in defending his goal crown and in carving a more convincing playoff legacy.

battled through nagging back injuries all season and failed to defend his league goal-scoring crown... at his best, he uses his tremendous speed, power and shooting abilities to wreak havoc on opposing defenses but last year, except for the odd outburst, he lacked his usual strength on the puck and was criticized at times for his "less than superstar" work ethic.

he would probably like to forget last season. While he still averaged a point a game, he was traded, had knee surgery and capped it all off with a subpar playoff performance. Still, the sharks know that they've acquired one of the premier talents in hockey. Lightning speed and a wicked shot makes Selanne one of the best goal scorers in recent times. As an added bonus, he's one of the classiest players around. His outstanding playmaking skills are often overlooked. Without a shadow of a doubt, Selanne will put up better numbers in San Jose this season. He's never played on such a good NHL team. In fact, he should once again challenge for the rocket Richard trophy as the NHL's top goal scorer.

took a while to get acclimatized in San Jose, and it wasn't until after leading his country in scoring at the Olympics that he finally settled in, notching 13 goals down the stretch, including four game winners, and delivering a brilliant performance in the second round of the playoffs against the avalanche… A quick, powerful skater with superb shooting skills, Selanne displayed a newfound enthusiasm for back checking in the postseason and showed much better tenacity away from the puck, although he must continue to ring a nastier edge if you want to create more room for himself… Time to show his true racing colors again.

while goals are his forte, it is Selanne's assist totals that really disappeared. When on top of his game, the Finnish flash possesses top-notch skating speed, silky hands and a goal scorers touch. Furthermore, he has the innate ability to know where to be on the ice at all times. Selanne might have sacrificed production in order to remain a shark.

one of the purest goal scorers in NHL history, Selanne has struggled in recent years as teams are now far more system dependent and defense oriented. He is a solid skater with great hands and anticipation. Nowadays, there are few signs of his old Finnish flash days, simply because he's had trouble fitting into defensive systems that rely heavily on each forward doing their part in the defensive zone. Selanne should thrive in the Rocky Mountains.

SCOUTING REPORTS

Annual scouting reports provide a glimpse into how Selanne was perceived throughout his career. Some publications repeat a lot from one year to the next, so I'll only post newly-written info.

Selanne's success stunned even the scouts who had seen his remarkable development in Finland. He came to the NHL polished, 22-year-old rookie and was a devastating force. His skating is exceptional. He has turbo speed, Porsche speed. He gets down low and then simply explodes past defensemen, even when he starts from a standstill. He gets tremendous thrust from his legs and has quick feet. Acceleration, balance, it's all there.

Everything you could ask for in a shot is there as well. Once teamed with another rookie, Alexi Zhamnov, Selanne worked all varieties of attacks. The duo works especially well weaving back and forth, with Zhamnov setting up Selanne with a one timer from the low right circle. Selanne is constantly in motion. If his first attempt is stopped, he'll pursue the puck behind the net, make a pass and circle again for shot. He is almost impossible to catch and is tough to knock down because of his balance. He will set up on the off wing on the power play and can score on the backend. His shot is not especially hard, but it is quick and accurate.

Selanne doesn't just try to overpower with his skating, he also outwits opponents. He is tremendous hockey instincts and vision, and is as good a playmaker as a finisher.

Selanne was tested physically early and often. Nobody scores 76 goals and gets ignored by other teams checkers, and Selanne took his share of abuse. He proved remarkably durable, fighting his way through slashes and hooks. When the referees are slow on the whistle, he takes matters into his own hands, usually with his stick. He is one of the toughest young players in the league, European or otherwise.

Unlike Alexander Mogilny, with whom he tied for the NHL goalie, Selanne did not sweat at all under the spotlight. He was calm and collected, and not only welcomed the attention but seems to regard it as his due. Repeating or even coming close to his success of last season is a long shot, but because of his attitude, the sophomore Selanne is a better bet than Mogilny. Selanne is going to be one of the dynamic stars of the 90s for the NHL.

the pure goal scorer, Selanne marked the start of a new era of offense of hijinks in Winnipeg when he notched his first hat trick just five games into his NHL career… Using blazing speed to create scoring chances, he was the team's torchbearer on offense all year. He had his first five game goalscoring streak by early November, and another one in early December… Believe it or not, this rifle toting sniper doesn't shoot enough. Despite leading the team in shots on goal, he was being encouraged by coach John Paddock to seize the opportunity whenever it arose, not hesitate. Players of Selanne's tremendous talent need not worry so much about setting up teammates. [Although Selanne's assists were nearly on par with his goals]… Not since Dale Hawerchuk was in his prime have the Jets had a player so clearly destined for greatness as they do in Selanne. He has the ability to take control of the game and turn the tide of his amazing offensive skill.

WILL – be a superstar.
CAN'T – be selfish enough.
EXPECT – 60 goals, 130 points
DON'T EXPECT – a timid persona

even before his serious injury that ended his season, Selanne was heading for a disappointing year. Perhaps it was natural to expect after his phenomenal Calder winning rookie year, but at one point in the season, Selanne was called "useless" by his coach and GM, John Patrick. Certainly, Selanne's intensity was lacking on nightly basis. He was further hampered by the NHL's slow down, clutching, grabbing game.

Selanne's skating is such a major part of his game that his recuperation from his freak injury will determine his future. Before the injury, his skating was exceptional.

a brilliant skater with an awesome array of shooting weapons… A streaky scorer who enjoys torrid stretches, Selanne was the chief reason for Winnipeg finishing as well as it did in 1993. By the same token, his devastating injury in 1994, a severed Achilles tendon, was a major contributor to the Jets woeful plummeting through the standings…

WILL – be a superstar
CAN'T – afford more injuries.
EXPECT – a huge comeback year.
DON'T EXPECT – a shrinking violet

although Selanne appeared to have recovered well from his Achilles tendon injury, he was hampered by patella tendinitis which limited his practice time. Selanne was in close to 100% most of the season. He lacked his old touch with the puck, but knowing that the Jets needed him, he had the knee frozen and kept playing through the pain.… He is able to lift little passes to teammates over defenders blades so the puck hits flat for the recipient… Not only do the Jets need him, but the NHL does too. Despite his painful ailment, Selanne played in what might have been the last game played in Winnipeg last season – a meaningless event, except to the fans. That kind of commitment is hard to find in a pro athlete these days.

the Finnish flash has such amazing scoring and skating ability, he can't be punished for lacking a belligerent quality… Selanne last year began to show that he can also throw his weight around a little bit. Fully recovered from his ankle injury, he retained his title as the teams faster skater.

WILL – score a lot
CAN'T – carry the Jets alone
EXPECT – a solid sniper
DON'T EXPECT – to intimidate him

Selanne has overcome knee problems and a career threatening Achilles tendon injury to regain the blinding speed that characterized his 76 goal rookie season.… He was reportedly not happy with trade to Anaheim, but playing with the brilliant Paul Kariya quickly changed his outlook. Selanne plays off Kariya's puck control and his exquisite lead passes. Selanne had a reputation for being selfish with the puck, but he is more generous with Kariya and feeds him for one timers.

Anaheim is pretty much a one line team, so Kariya and Selanne will have to deal with checking pressure every night. Team set out to bump and grind Selanne from the for shift, and he will have to fight his way through the junk… He is big and uses his strength along the wall. Before Selanne went to Anaheim, the team's power-play was operating at 11%. After his arrival, team had a 19.5% success rate.

Selanne has many things going for him: he's young, he's strong, he's fast, and he's a scorer. He shoots rockets from the wing and will work down deep as well. Firing one timers from the slot area is also in his bag of tricks. Selanne is tough. He will going to the corners to get the puck and work it along the boards, and he'll take a hit to make a play. Every once in a while, he'll throw a check, too. The ducks acquired Selanne essentially to give power to a powerless power-play. They also hoped that he could somehow get them to make a late charge into the playoffs, which they failed to do.… With some uncharted territory in the postseason. Still to be discovered and conquered, Selanne has not yet fulfilled all of his goals as an NHL or. But he is one of the most dynamic players in the game and will make the ducks the most exciting team in California. He has several years in which to rack up big points and helped the ducks move from endangered NHL species to birds of prey.

WILL – make ducks mighty
CAN'T – revive them pronto
EXPECT – superb talent
DON'T EXPECT – a banger

man, does Teemu look good in a ducks uniform! He had 108 points and made Kariya a better player just by his presence on the ice. It was far and away his best season since his rookie year. Watch him take off now.

Selanne is a better all-around player now than when he scored 76 goals in his rookie season in Winnipeg. Part of that is due to playing with the speedy, brainy Paul Kariya. But much credit is also due to the veteran Jari Kurri, who went from a sniper to one of the games most underrated defensive forwards, and who has tutored Selanne.… He plays off Kariya's puck control and exquisite passes. So often these two players will simply "alley oop" to the other with perfect timing, so that they receive the puck in full stride… Selanne's career looked in doubt because of a severed Achilles tendon two years ago, but he has overcome that to become one of the game's premier marksmen.

Selanne scored 52 goals last season without playing with a bona fide number one center and minus left wing Paul Kariya for all but 22 games. This is a player from another galaxy. Anaheim is pretty much a one line team, so Paul Kariya, Selanne and Steve Rucchin have to deal with checking pressure every night… He is big and uses his strength along the wall, but he takes a beating.… Selanne is one of the game's premier marksmen, and would be an even bigger threats if the ducks would part with some Disney dollars to get him a playmaking center.

coach Craig Hartsburg tried several times during the season to break up the Kariya, Selanne combo to get them away from checking pressure, but they are much better together than apart. Selanne can have 55 quiet minutes and kill you when you let up for the other two shifts.

Selanne had knee surgery shortly after his trade to the sharks, and did not recover his legs before the season ended… He had a disappointing playoffs, but suffered a broken thumb in the opening game

he employs all varieties of attacks and is equally comfortable on either wing. He can collect a pass at top speed while barely breaking stride…

Selanne is a big fan of fast sports cars. That's not surprising, because he plays like one… He has tremendous hockey instincts and vision…

as players age, they generally lose their effectiveness at even strength, but many top players remain deadly on the power play because they can use their smarts to compensate for their declining athleticism. Teemu Selanne is a perfect example of this trend, having scored more points on the power play that even strength for the fourth consecutive season. Over that stretch, the Finnish flashes scored a stunning 7.48 power-play points per 60 min., proving that despite recently turning 40, he remains one of the league's top power-play threats.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

...Sorry, Eric Lindros, but you're simply going to have to give the Calder Trophy back. The rookie of the year award, ceded to Lindros, the Philadelphia Flyers' prodigy, before this season even began, can't go to anyone but Selanne. With 65 goals and 43 assists for 108 points at week's end, Selanne had not only surpassed the rookie goal-scoring mark set by Mike Bossy, who had 53 for the New York Islanders in 1977-78, but also stood on the verge of breaking Peter Stastny's rookie scoring record of 109 points set in 1980-81.

... the 6-foot, 200-pound Selanne has quickly established himself as the team's franchise player. "He's going to put Winnipeg back on the hockey map," says Jet coach John Paddock.

Once he had them in his office, Wilson said, "Guys, I'm going to cut right to the chase: You've both been traded to Winnipeg for Teemu Selanne." And? "They thought I was pulling their leg," Wilson says of the highly regarded youngsters. "I said, 'Seriously, guys, this is serious.' " Wilson laughs at the retelling. "The problem was, the whole time...I've got a stupid smile on my face because, you know, it's Teemu. Teemu Selanne! And I can't help it. Inside, what I'm really thinking is, Hoo, god! My prayers have been answered!"

...It would be enough even if all Selanne did for Anaheim was score goals—which he has, 41 in his first 60 games with the Ducks. But he's more than a gunner; he's an antidote to the workaday blues, a comic foil who can temper Kariya's smoldering intensity or Wilson's tough-talking style with a well-timed joke, a gently needling remark. Selanne is one of those rare sweet souls who make people smile—even laugh out loud—at the mere mention of their names.

For a team that's seeking its first postseason berth and that suffers by comparison with the Florida Panthers, its expansion cousins, who went to the Stanley Cup finals last season, Selanne's sunny disposition has been crucial. "I think the epitaph on Teemu's tombstone is going to read, 'I had a million friends and not one enemy,' " Wilson says. "He's a guy you just love being around."

If Selanne's wit doesn't charm someone first, his unebbing enthusiasm, his slack-jawed smile or wide-eyed look of wonder probably will. His game has all the bells and whistles. At times he's pure magic. He has blazing speed and the power to shrug off defenders; he's a natural scorer and he can shrewdly read a game; his passes are creative, sly, even prescient. Off the ice Selanne's worldview is so unabashedly straightforward and buoyant—he says things like, "If you're good to people, it'll be good for you"—that he sometimes sounds almost corn pone.

Selanne will make $2.75 million this year—easily the highest salary on the Ducks. Yet there is no practiced aloofness, no feigned boredom or ugly glances when a swarm of fans approach. Shortly after he was traded to the Ducks, Selanne watched the notoriously reticent Kariya bolt past autograph hounds, then asked another new teammate, "Why does he run?"

Sweet-shooting Mighty Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne deserves to be among the three finalists for the Hart Trophy, which goes to the league's MVP. But whether he should beat out Penguins right wing Jaromir Jagr and Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek, two almost certain finalists for the award, comes down to this: Does Selanne's dominant season outweigh the fact that through Sunday, Anaheim was 25-41-12 and in last place in the Western Conference?

Even though he led the NHL with 52 goals and was tied for fourth in scoring with 86 points at week's end, the odds are against Selanne's winning the Hart. Jagr was the NHL's point leader, with 97 through Sunday, and Hasek was having one of the best seasons ever by a netminder, with 13 shutouts and a 2.09 goals-against average. As for Selanne, only four players whose teams failed to make the playoffs have been MVP (the last was Mario Lemieux of the 1987-88 Penguins). "He's had a phenomenal season," says Anaheim coach Pierre Page. "Through the down times, he hasn't let up."

With the absence of star left wing Paul Kariya, who missed the season's first 32 games in a contract dispute and who has been sidelined since Feb. 1 with postconcussion syndrome, Selanne has played with a hodgepodge of linemates and has been keyed on by opposing teams. "Trying to do damage without Paul has been a big challenge," says Selanne.

Here's how he has responded: Through Sunday, Selanne was plus-12 on a team that had surrendered 55 more goals than it had scored, and he had scored 10 game-winning goals and 26.9% of Anaheim's 193 goals. Only Brett Hull, who scored 27.7% of the Blues' goals in 1991-92, has had a higher percentage of his team's output in a season.

The 27-year-old Selanne, who is 6 feet and 200 pounds, is tougher in the corners than most snipers and possesses an uncommon blend of speed, explosiveness and touch. A classic Selanne moment, even though it didn't result in a goal, occurred on March 9 against the Kings. He was advancing on Rob Blake—one of the top three defensemen in the game—who was skating backward and was in good position. But when Blake broke stride for a split second, Selanne seized the moment. He accelerated past Blake and snapped a breakaway shot on goalie Stephane Fiset. "Most guys wouldn't have even noticed my hesitation," says Blake. "He saw it, and he was gone."

"I'm a bus driver, not a passenger." -- Teemu Selanne

If he did not delight more in vaunting his teammates' successes than his own--Selanne likened Joffrey Lupul's four goals in Game 3 against the Avalanche to all the ketchup escaping the bottle in a single splat--he might note that his own hands have been remarkably capable. He scored the Game 7 series-clincher against Calgary in the first round and did it again last Thursday in the sweep of Colorado with a slick, almost smart-aleck, goal that came straight out of Selanne's hockey DNA. Early in the second period of Game 4, with the Avalanche still feigning interest in extending the series, Selanne flew down the right flank to take a pass near the half boards, faked a slap shot that froze Jose Theodore, took another powerful stride toward the goal line and, from an acute angle, fired the puck at Theodore's pads, banking it off the goalie's right leg and into the net. That goal, his team-leading 10th point of this year's playoffs, had it all: creativity, audacity and speed. Mostly speed.

Selanne could not have burst into the offensive zone so swiftly if he had not submitted to reconstructive surgery on his deteriorating left knee in September 2004. He had undergone annual stopgap 'scopes for four years, and the surgery was the unhappy exclamation point on what was supposed to have been a fabulous once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Selanne and Kariya. In the final throes of the pre-salary-cap NHL, they Butch-and-Sundanced their way to Colorado, signing in tandem a $7 million, one-year package deal. Selanne might have needed two hands to count his money--he was making $5.8 million--but with only one functioning leg he scored a career-low 16 goals, none in the playoffs. Selanne looked long in the tooth, even before he lost them. During the Avalanche series last week when asked about that nightmarish season, Selanne replied, "That wasn't me. That was my twin."

In the stands Selanne points to his left thigh. "Before [the operation] it was more than three inches smaller than my right," he says. "No power. It was tough driving to the rink knowing that when you stepped on the ice, every stride would hurt. After the [September 2004] World Cup, I knew there was no way I could play this [low] level again. With all respect for third- and fourth-line players, that's not me. I'd rather play golf. There were a lot of people saying very loudly that this guy is done. It bothered me a little because they didn't know. After the surgery I was so pumped about coming back. After the rehab, when I realized this knee was going to be as good as the other, I wanted to prove myself."

Brian Burke, the new Anaheim general manager, cautiously repatriated the 35-year-old rightwinger, offering a one-year, $1 million deal. If Selanne could score 16 goals "in a messed-up situation" in Colorado, Burke reasoned, he could be slightly more productive for the Mighty Ducks, a moderate gamble as long as Selanne was willing to play diligently at both ends of the ice. Burke thought 20 goals was realistic, $50,000 a pop. Instead Selanne, the rare player in his 30s who actually benefitted from the lockout, scored a team-high 40 (and added 50 assists), the first time in five seasons he had reached that standard. (From 1996-97 through '99-2000 he averaged 46 goals a year; his 76 as a Winnipeg Jets rookie in '92-93 remains an NHL record.) Selanne became the seventh European in NHL history to reach 1,000 points. He also forechecked and backchecked and made every day in the dressing room feel like Christmas morning. "Teemu doesn't have bad days," Burke says. "When he comes to the rink, it's a good day. Doesn't matter if we won or lost the night before. Enthusiasm is an important attribute on any team, and he's brought that big time."

"I don't have to try to be positive," Selanne says, "because I am positive."

Nobody cared more, nobody tried more, nobody did more then Teemu Selanne.

 

[seventieslord]

With the 187th pick in ATD2011, The Regina Pats are pleased to select:

Hap Day, D

- 5'11", 175 lbs
- Member of the HHOF
- Stanley Cup (1932)
- Stanley Cup Finalist (1933, 1935, 1936)
- 6th in Hart Voting (1925)
- NHL 3rd All-Star Team (1933, 1937 - the only two seasons in his career that we have beyond top-4 in voting)
- 5th in assists (1925)
- Top-7 in Points by defensemen 8 times (1st, 4th, 4th, 4th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th)
- 5th in Playoff Points (1932)
- Top-2 in Playoff Points by defensemen twice (1st, 2nd)
- Toronto Maple Leafs Captain For 10 Seasons (1926-1936)

Clarence Day's perpetually cheery demeanor earned him the nickname "Happy," which was later shortened to "Hap." ... After his rookie year (actually, after his 3rd year), he shifted to defense, where he spent the rest of his career.

Day sustained numerous minor injuries during his career, but the most serious was a torn Achilles heel he suffered on February 2, 1928, when another player stepped on the back of his leg. He tried to return to action, but the injury triggered an onslaught of further maladies that cost him the rest of the season. Over time the heel recovered fully and he'd miss very few games over the next decade.

Day was a born leader, and when the Leafs captaincy became available, there was no doubt as to who would lead the team. He was team captain from 1926 until 1936. Starting in 1931, he was paired on defense with King Clancy; together they formed one of the best twosomes in the league.

In the spring of 1932, the Leafs christened their new home, Maple Leaf Gardens, with the team's first Stanley Cup championship under Conn Smythe's management and Day scored a key goal. In a two-game, total-goals semi-final against the Montreal Maroons, the teams tied the first leg 1-1. In the second game, Day made a spectacular rush - something defense players rarely did then - to tie the score and send the game into overtime. *** ****** got the winner for the Leafs and they moved on to the finals against the New York Rangers. Day scored three goals in the first two games and the Leafs won the famous "tennis series" by scores of 6-4, 6-2 and 6-4.

...Smythe had great deal of respect for Day, and the two became great friends and partners.

Day was a strong and fearless player... He was a marvellous team player who infused lots of humour into the team's dressing room. The jolly Leafs teams during Day's stay were affectionately known as "The Gashouse Gang" because of their love for humour.

Day was always in the shadow of Clancy and Boston's Eddie Shore, but there was no doubt he was a top defenseman of his era. Offensively he was a constant threat, although unlike Clancy and Shore was never flashy. Defensively he was a genius. He was a masterful stick checker and positional player, and, along with the New York Rangers Ching Johnson, was the league's top body checker. Day was very well respected around the league, even though he employed a clutch and grab style of hockey...

The first and most influential captain of the Maple Leafs, the model which 14 future leaders would follow.

Only the Rangers' Ching Johnson was considered a better defensive rearguard. Fellow players considered him the third-best offensive defenseman of the era, behind Clancy and Shore.

"I figure I was a pretty good defenseman, better than some players who received far more space in the papers", Day told a writer in 1945. "But it was never natural for me to do things spectacularly so I never tried."

"He was a very good defenseman, very solid, and he could hit", said Hall of Famer ***** *****. He wasn't a big bodychecker but he was a very intelligent player. There are a few rules that aren't given credit to anyone but Hap Day has one. For instance, you can't have a hockey glove without a palm anymore. Hap Day was the first guy who cut the palm out of his hand. That's why we used to call him Mr. Clutch. If you were going by, he just stuck his arm out and he had you by the sweater and you couldn't get by."

A rock of reliability...

He became known unflatteringly as Captain Clutch because of his ability to interfere and grab opponents' sticks without being penalized... He was a resilient player his entire career with one exception...

Day was strong and fearless. He could bodycheck with the best of them but he was not averse to using his arms to envelop the foe. "Some teams didn't like him being such a heavy lover on the ice", joked Smythe. "He'd have those arms around a guy and never let go. He was a 'what we have, we hold' man, all the way."

He was quick and alert and exerted a steadying influence on his teammates... His hockey know-how and his hard-won ability to check quickly and cleanly won the respect of fans and opposing players alike. Not a bashing, bruising type like Shore or Seibert, or a flashy player like Clancy, Day developed into a solid, hard-checking defenseman with a genius for "skating them off".

Day was a very good defenseman and also a leader... It is doubtful if any player stood higher in Smythe's estimation than Hap Day.

When the game was on, Day was dead serious... always a formidable opponent at the blueline... had a character and dignity similar to the great Ted Kennedy.

proved to be very alert and, although he was not heavy, he showed he could take a physical beating and never back down.

Hap Day: "when I was a defenseman on Toronto, I saw all kinds of players in front of me, and I learned right then that it's defense that wins hockey games."

more trading was necessary and more youth. In the meantime Clarence "Hap" Day was called upon to get the team together. He was to be so successful that Smythe eventually was to call upon him as coach and later manager of the Maple leafs during their second golden era. Like so many stars of the 20s and 30s, Day learned his hockey under extremely severe conditions, and a small Ontario village near Owen sound…

He proved his mettle one day on an outdoor rink, playing against bigger boys, two or three years older than he. The afternoon was bitter cold, heightened by searing wind cutting across the hockey rink. In order to protect himself day mistakenly donned a second sweater, which is considerably longer than the one he should have worn. Dripping down his body, the sweater gave day the look of a larger skater and encourage the enemy to take hefty charges at him from every angle. Day was constantly being smashed to the ice.

To the amazement of his foes Day clambered back to his feet over and over again until a blows late in the game left him lying in a state of semiconsciousness along the sideboards. By then even the enemy had grown to respect the young Day, and a group of players skated over to the fallen defenseman. One of the bigger players on the opposition remarked, "you know kid, you must be a lot lighter than you look." Day came to his senses. He quickly dusted the ice shavings off his jersey. "Oh, no, I'm really quite heavy. I must've slipped!"

at the other point, veteran Happy Day was a steady performer, but not an effective complement to the flashy forwards without an attacking defensemen at his side.

Day was big, able and controlled. He often came through with sudden, inspired play in crucial moments, but his strong point was his intelligence.

Hap Day was the most dependable man on earth. The only thing I didn't like about day was that he was an inveterate practical joker. Even though I knew that anyone who could keep the team laughing was worth having around, I never really understood what was funny about cutting a teammates tie in half with a pair of scissors, or bashing in his new hat, or whatever.

"Hap" Day was the unanimous choice of the players as their captain. His coach, Art Duncan, described: "happy Day is the ideal professional athlete. He is always first to bed and first to get up when on the road. He is a born leader and admired by all his mates. Happy is a gentleman off and on the ice and a great example to the younger players. Despite seven years in Pro hockey I have always found happy willing to accept advice and anxious to cooperate in anything that is necessary for the welfare of the club."

As for Clancy's opinion: "Hap Day is the best defensemen I have had for a partner." The feeling was mutual: "I have a partner in King Clancy who knows all about his side of the rink, and I have more time to improve my own game."

if I'm going to reminisce about my old teammates I can't overlook hap day, who was a serious on the ice as he was fun-loving off it. He was one of those players who studied every move and analyzed every play. And when you're out on the ice there isn't much time to do this. But he could do it, and would tell you where he was going to go and where he wanted you to go. Most of the time his guessing was dead on the mark. It was always a privilege to play with Hap.

rated one of the best defensemen of all time, Clancy will team up on the defense with another speed artist, Clarence "Happy" Day, who has been with the leafs since turning professional. The pair will form one of the fastest rear guards in the league.

day, the veteran Capt., is still a useful defensemen and a heady leader.

there was considerable sameness to the play throughout the game, although in the second. The leafs used their bodies considerably and put on a merry bumping bee with the Ottawa stalwarts. The visitors paid considerable attention to Capt. Happy Day and several times it looked as though an outbreak was imminent.

With Clancy and "Hap" Day, the leafs defense will be one of the fastest and most sensational in the NHL.

 

[BillyShoe1721]

The Philadelphia Firebirds select D George Owen

Captain of Boston Bruins, 1931-1932
US Hockey Hall of Fame Member
1x Stanley Cup Champion
5x Top 7 Goals Among Defensemen(1, 2, 5, 5, 7)
3x Top 3 Assists Among Defensemen(2, 3, 3)
4x Top 8 Points Among Defensemen(1, 2, 5, 8)
1x 1st in Goals Among Defensemen in Playoffs
2x Top 2 Assists Among Defensemen in Playoffs(1, 2)
2x Top 3 Points Among Defensemen in Playoff(1, 3)
1x 4th in Assists Among All Players in Playoffs
1x 8th in Points Among All Players in Playoffs

During career, among defensemen:

3rd in goals(behind Shore and Clancy)
8th in assists
3rd in points(behind Shore and Clancy)

Defenceman George Owen was a fine offensive player on the Boston Bruins between 1928-33. His 44 goals in 183 games was a fairly high ratio for the time and was invaluable to the Beantowners' transition game.

After two solid years with the senior Boston University squad, Owen's rights were traded to the Bruins by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The talented defender hit the 12-goal mark twice in five years for Boston and helped the club win the Stanley Cup in 1929 and dominate the NHL regular season in 1929-30 with a 38-5-1 record. Owen retired in 1933 to coach the Michigan Tech varsity team. Owen was elected to the US Hockey Hall of Fame and the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13907

Owen was a highly sought after NHL prospect back in the 1920s. His rights were held by Toronto but Owen didn't want to leave his home in Massachusetts. He remained in Boston playing senior hockey.

On January 10, 1929 Owen came closer to joining the world's best hockey players in a deal that sent Eric Pettinger to Toronto for George's NHL rights. George, a standout defensman who wore #4 years before Bobby Orr was even born, helped the Bruins capture the Stanley Cup in his first year.

Although that would be their only Cup championship in Owen's 5 year stay with the Bruins, the Bruins were a dominant team with George on the blue line. They finished first overall in the regular season in 4 of his 5 years there. The last 3 seasons George was named as the 2nd captain in Bruins history, replacing Lionel Hitchman.

http://bruinslegends.blogspot.com/2010/08/george-owen.html

A free-for-all developped after Hib Milks was heavily checked by the Boston defence player George Owen.

1931 playoffs:
[Against the Canadiens:] - March 28th: Boston came right back to tie the series at two games each when they defeated Canadiens 3-1 in the fourth game. Eddie Shore and George Owen starred of defence.

[In 1932]Art Ross, in desperation to get some life into his Bruins was trying a few experiments such as using big George Owen on a forward line with Art Chapman and Percy Galbraith. The big fellow performed quite well but was obviously better on defence.

-Trail of the Stanley Cup, Volume 2

George Owen went in for Hitchman and performed so well that the Bruins rangy leader was not missed. Owen was all over the ice and early in the third period he led the rush that ended when Bill Carson beat ''Flash''Walsh.

-Globe and Mail, March 30th, 1930

Like a flash, Owen passed out to ''Cooney'' Weiland who slapped it into the twine of Hainsworth's unprotected side.

Chapman rushed to the defence and passed across to George Owen on left wing. George was uncovered and found the corner on a rising shot.

-Globe and Mail, April 8th, 1931

George Owen of Harvard University and xxx of Darmouth University were easily the most efficient professionals who ever graduated from United States intercollegiate company.

-Globe and Mail, February 11th, 1937

''As Hib Milks came down the ice and met the defences of the Bruins, he was handed a handsome body check by George Owen. Harvard George is a peaceable fellow and very pleasant. Milks, however, wanted to get a shot at the goal and resented being blocked off. So he took a swipe at Owen with his hockey and George flattened him with a beautiful tackle.''

-Arthur Siegel, Boston Herald

It was a great season for George Owen, and also for the Bruins. That winter they won the title in the American Division and for the first time the Stanley Cup.

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=7bf5484dc1102707

Former Harvard 3-sport phenomenon George Owen signed with the Bruins for the highest bonus in NHL history to date in 1929 and played his first game with the team on January 8th, 1929, in a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Boston Garden. The game was noteworthy in that Toronto owner Conn Smythe traveled with his team to Boston under the impression that the highly touted Owen would sign a contract with the Maple Leafs.

George Owen proved to be the final component of the Bruins Stanley Cup master plan in 1929. Owen, a local hero and graduate of both Newton High School and Harvard, joined the Bruins as a 27 year old rookie and helped lead them to their first Stanley Cup victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

http://books.google.com/books?id=d0...&resnum=3&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

George Owen, the wonderful all-around Harvard athlete, joined the Bruins as a defense- man— and a very fine one.

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=7bf5484dc1102707

Shore's defense partners, Lionel Hitchman and George Owen, also were highly-skilled performers.

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=7bf5484dc1102707

Filling in for the injured Hitchman, Owen played his entire first game, matched with Eddie Shore, as Boston beat Toronto 5-2. "I enjoyed it more than any game I have ever played," Owen said. "Eddie Shore is a wonder." John Hallahan had followed the hockey beat for two decades. Owen's move fulfilled all his dreams. "The Bruins are glad and Bostonians are glad," he wrote, "that George made good." The NHL needed more Americans in their game. Owen's jump "is the biggest boost Greater Boston school hockey could receive."

The USAHA showed the most skilled talent. One of those was George Owen, who epitomized the Boston feeder system...A smooth skating defenseman, Owen also captained Harvard hockey for two years, and scored nine goals in only seven Yale games, including the game winner in his last.

At night, however, they could hop on a train or trolley and watch Hobey Baker, George Owen, or Eddie Shore offer proof that individual skill still mattered, still stirred emotions.

http://books.google.com/books?id=oS...0CEoQ6AEwCDgU#v=onepage&q=george owen&f=false

By 1928 Ross had enough support for Shore to make the Bruins contenders. He had a standout goalie in Tiny Thompson, solid defense from Lionel Hitchman and George Owen

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=7bf5484dc1102707

The best-known American in the game at present is George Owen, captain and defense man of the formidable Boston Bruins. He learned all his hockey in Boston and played it as well as football and baseball at Harvard

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=7bf5484dc1102707

George Owen captured the puck. He carefully aimed for the four by six foot opening and drilled the rubber the puck for what appeared to be a goal.

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=7bf5484dc1102707

George Owen, former Harvard star, who made it a habit to beat Yale at everything from backgammon to football while he was in school ... He plays with the Boston Bruins and has developed rapidly as a defense man.

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=7bf5484dc1102707

The early Boston Bruins teams were bolstered by the stout play of George Owen.

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=7bf5484dc1102707

Boston Bruins will be without the services of Lionel Hitchman and George Owen, both of them husky defensemen, next season...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=5199,3294827&dq=george+owen+bruins&hl=en

George Owen, one of Harvard's most noted athletic figures and probably the greatest American collegiate hockey player since the days of Hobey Baker...

For the past 5 years, Owen's services have been sought by almost every club owner in the NHL.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AJ&pg=4314,834970&dq=george+owen+bruins&hl=en

George Owen, husky Boston defense man, played a great part in his team s triumph .

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...m=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=9aaa1da5ed888593

George Owen supplied the spark for the game's only tally. He stopped a Chicago drive in the Boston defensive zone, carried down the middle, and passed...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=4608,4798662&dq=george+owen+bruins&hl=en

The Bruins well earned the verdict. They presented a better balanced and speedier attack, while the defensive work was outstanding. George Owen showed up well, and bagged the Bruins counters.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...BAJ&pg=6795,68121&dq=george+owen+bruins&hl=en

George Owen once more demonstrated his speed and tenacity.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=3834,2909799&dq=george+owen+bruins&hl=en

George Owen, another stalwart of the rearguard.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AJ&pg=2011,229016&dq=george+owen+bruins&hl=en

George Owen, star Bruins defenseman...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=2334,2322358&dq=george+owen+bruins&hl=en

The Bruins played a steady game, and a stonewall defense, featuring Eddie Shore and George Owen, halted the speeding Canadiens again and again.

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=9aaa1da5ed888593

The reliables include the great defensive trio, Lionel Hitchman, Eddie Shore, and George Owen, former Harvard hero and the only American collegian to star in professional hockey.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=3778,5147568&dq=george+owen+bruins&hl=en

George Owen, former all-around athlete at Harvard, to be making the grade with the Boston Bruins in professional ice hockey

George Owen, the former Harvard star, moved up among the Grade A defense ...

http://www.google.com/search?q=geor...=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=9aaa1da5ed888593

 

[Stoneberg]

Syd Howe, C/LW

HHOF member
Stanley Cup Champion 3 times (1935-36, 1936-37, 1942-43)
2nd team NHL all star in 1944-45
Top 16 in goals 9 times [6 top 10]: 3,5,6,8,9,10,12,15,16
Top 20 in assists 8 times [5 top 10]: 4,5,6,7,9,14,15,19

... a two-way, passing talented HHOF three-time Stanley Cup champion who retired ironically as the NHL's all-time leading career leader in points (surpassing Stewart) the season before another player with the same last name began his career in the same city, Detroit's #8

When Gordie Howe came to Detroit, no one really knew much about the big kid. The most common question he was asked was "Are you related to Syd Howe?"

The answer is no, they aren't related. But for Gordie at that time, it was quite an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as the great Syd Howe.

Former Wings owner credited Syd with creating interest in hockey in Detroit, years before it became known as "Hockeytown." Howe was also a major part of the 1936, 1937 and 1943 Stanley Cup championships. A versatile player who played in all positions except goal, Syd was used primarily at center and on left wing by the Wings. A remarkably consistent player...

Howe was an all-around player, shifting between left wing and centre as needed, killing penalties and dropping back to play defence in a pinch. Those who watched the team closely reported that Howe's ice time with Detroit would constitute an amazing total.

Syd Howe, veteran fore ward, was on the ice most of the game for Detroit and played a great i game although not figuring in the 'scoring.

The Wings repeated as Stanley Cup winners in 1937. "For the greatest all around performance, you can't overlook Syd Howe's play in the 1937 series," mentioned xxxx, referring to the semi-final against the Canadiens. "Howe played defense, left wing and centre in the final game of that series." Detroit beat Montreal 2-1 in the third overtime period of that contest.

I believe Howe playing all those positions hurt him in the all star team voting for the regular season.

Syd Howe streaked down the ice and fired a whistler from the left side that also got past [the] Goalie...

Most noteworthy, according to Manager Jack Adams, was the play of Syd Howe on defense.

Detroit went ahead again early in the second period by counting while shorthanded, Syd Howe taking a beautiful pass from Kilrea.

Syd Howe set the play in motion, by rapping a sizzling shot off stick. The New York goalie could not control the rebound...

Forty feet out, xxx shot while Team. mate Syd Howe rushed toward the Chicago nets to screen the shot. As Syd arrived there, the disc hit his stick ...

-Work in progress-

 

[BillyShoe1721]

The Philadelphia Firebirds will select a physical man that can play both forward and defense, F/D Goldie Prodgers

4x Top 12 Goals in NHL (8, 10, 11, 12)
2x Top 13 Assists in NHL (4, 13)
4x Top 13 Points in NHL (6, 13, 13, 13)
2x Stanley Cup Champion
3rd in Playoff Scoring in 1916
63 goals, 29 assists in 111 career NHL games

During Peak of 1920-1921 to 1922-1923(listed as F for first two seasons, and F/D for 22-23):

6th in goals
12th in assists
9th in points

When Waterloo of the OPHL lost its star forward line to Quebec, they were faced with a rebuilding job for the 1911 season. They managed to secure players from Haileybury and Cobalt who had dropped from the NHA, but also added a new player who turned out to be a better prize. This was a big redhead named Goldie Prodger. He was a fast skater and his willingness to pass out heavy checks made him a natural for defense. However, the McNamara brothers had the defense jobs so he played as a forward.

Hamilton entered the league the next year but the leftovers from Quebec were not enough to make a team and the other clubs had to help out. Toronto contributed Goldie and he played four years with Hamilton. The Tigers in their desperation to win, shuttled Goldie back and forth from defense to forward. He played defense with *****, Mummery, Randall, and **** and he was still fast enough (at 32) to keep up with Malone and Burch.

-Trail of the Stanley Cup, Volume 1

The teams battled on even terms after goals by Tommy Dunderdale and ****** and there was very little to choose between them. Finally Goldie Prodger, who had been moved to the forward line, beat ****** with a nice shot that proved to be the winner.

-Trail of the Stanley Cup, Volume 1: 1916 Finals, deciding game

A strong, fast skater with a special ability to use the body... two-way skills impressed Quebec management...

-Ultimate Hockey

Goldie Prodger was a game man, and his own worst enemy. He never spared himself anywhere, doing anything. He played the game very hard and clean, he gave and took his share of thumps with a smile that wasn't even a grin of delight at the damage he inflicted. He just loved the game.

-Former Referee Lou Marsh

A strapping redhead with a thirst for violent body contact...his obvious aptitude for blueline duty was forsaken by his swift skating... Usually Goldie's presence meant a successful season for his squad...

-Fischler's Hockey Encyclopedia

A great defenseman, a heavy hitter with a good shot... was the hero at the last dance in 1916, scoring the Cup winner on a superd end-to-end rush.

-Lord Stanley's Cup

strong defensively and a rushing threat... During our research, we found him continually turning up on the rosters of the most improved teams in history; Prodger, who switched teams 10 times in his pro career, seemed to cause every new team he joined to improve dramatically. Coincidence? How many coincidences add up to a fact? Prodger was part of six of the 25 biggest single-season rises in major league history, and every single team he joined displayed a substantial improvement in their defensive record the first season he was with them.

-The Hockey Compendium

(thanks to seventieslord for this part of the bio), New info:

Goldie Prodgers made his professional debut while skating for the Waterloo Professionals of the OPHL. Although a defenseman by trade, his swift skating skill landed him on a forward line where he scored nine goals in 16 games.

Prodgers quickly became a fan favourite wherever he performed. He loved to play a tough, hard-hitting but honest game. As a player, he was described as a firebrand hurtling down the ice or like a shell just fired from a big British gun. He was also noted for using his stick like a war club.

In his second pro season, he joined the Quebec Bulldogs of the NHA where he joined "Bad Joe" Hall on defense and helped lead his club to a Stanley Cup victory in 1912. Over the five seasons that followed, Prodgers suited up for five different clubs spread out across Canada's frozen ponds. The fifth squad was the Montreal Canadiens, a team he joined in 1915-16, just in time for another Stanley Cup victory.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=14049

“Then (with about five minutes left in Game 5), Goldie Prodger, who has gone through the series made a magnificent end-to-end run that won the victory.â€

Goldie “lobbed the puck into the nets†after Murray, the Portland goalie, “came out to meet him (and) Prodger skated around him.â€

http://blogs.canoe.ca/brandnewblog/...sehs-patty-howard-and-bill-farquharson-arena/

We were scheduled to play in Hamilton, and they had players on their roster like Goldie Prodgers and Ken Randall and the two Mummery boys. They were all big, powerful men.

http://books.google.com/books?id=eG...DkQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=goldie prodgers&f=false

And then we saw the player before Montreal, Goldie Prodgers, grab the puck in his zone, get rid of two opponents of the Rosebuds, feint and then around the last defender, drawing the goalkeeper out of his net around it, and deposited the puck into the net.

http://books.google.com/books?id=1a...Q6AEwBzgU#v=onepage&q=goldie prodgers&f=false

Prodgers, who is a rather husky individual, had been checking his lighter rival a bit more freely than he should have and when Cleghorn saw an opening he spilled in the big Quebec man in scientific fashion. Prodgers was up in an instant and went at his rival with his fists.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...TcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5617,2934394&dq=prodgers&hl=en

Goldie Prodgers, who was used as a substitute by the Canadiens thru the greater part of the NHA season and who has been the sensation of the world championship's series, shares with "Newsy" Lalonde the main credit for tonight's victory.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...CgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3338,5958117&dq=prodgers&hl=en

The initial goal was scored by Prodgers in 5:03 after a corking run of the full length of the ring unassisted

http://www.google.com/search?q=gold...=N&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=9aaa1da5ed888593

Prodgers proved to be the individual star in the early stages but Ross met him with a crash and took all the steam out of the London man.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...2wNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4742,1055898&dq=prodgers&hl=en

 

[Leafs Forever]

He burst onto the NHL scene with a 22-goal performance in 1977-78. The next year he exploded with 43 goals, and the following season he was teamed with Marcel Dionne and Charlie Simmer on the "Triple Crown Line". This unit was among the best in the league. In addition to being the line's defensive conscience, he was the grinder who fended off the toughest checkers on the opposing team.- Legends of Hockey

Through hard work and gritty effort, Taylor never needed to fall back on his education as he managed to make the Kings and became the ultimate compliment to the greatest King ever, Marcel Dionne. With Dionne's incredibly wizardry, Taylor's career blossomed from a regular player to a first line star. Combined with left winger Charlie Simmer, the trio was known as the Triple Crown line.

A fearsome body checker, Taylor became an almost as fearsome scorer, though highly underrated. Most people tend to pass off Taylor's offensive record as by-product of playing with Marcel Dionne, but in reality Taylor was a gift offensive player in his own right.

He was an excellent skater, agile for a big man and making up whatever he lacked in breakout speed with his incredible balance that made him almost impossible to knock down. He had great anticipation and opportunistic hands, able to work with Dionne as if the two were born to play with one another. In fact, Taylor was as much of an influence on Dionne's success as Dionne was on his.

The heart of his game was grinding up and down the right wall and in the corners. He would do the dirty work for his linemates, and often also act as their defensive conscience. He patrolled his wing with great strength and tenacity. Though big and strong, he was not much of a fighter. Though he dropped the gloves when he had to, he is probably best remembered for flattening Wayne Gretzky when he was still with the Oilers. - Joe Pelletier

http://lakingslegends.blogspot.com/2008/10/dave-taylor.html

Taylor only knows one way, and this is his top-speed, full out, every shift. Top speed never exceeded the legal limit, and now it's more persistence than consistence. He is the ideal "third man high" in the attack zone, uses his anticipation to maximize his still-sharp defensive instincts.

Twenty-three goals is a very acceptable output for a fellow who played with Charlie Simmer and Marcel Dionne. He remains strong in the slot, pucking up his goals in about a 15-foot radius of the net. Balace remains a strength; he can drive into defense traffic for loose pucks and can make plays in a crowd.

To compensate for his declining speed, Taylor has built an exceptional conditioning base. He may be fitter now than ever, and can still get the job from offensive and defensive standpoints.

Taylor's all time high penalty figure suggests more overt emotionalism than ever, in addition to the physical skills he always was willing to use. He hits as hard and as often as possible, still makes plays out of the corners, still goes to the trouble spots and sticks his nose in- even if there's a plastic shield in front of it now.- 1991/92 Hockey Scouting Report

A good passer, Dave's strengths are his hustle, his desire, puckhandling and goal scoring. He has the ability to take a hard check and bounce right backup. -Back of 1978-79 Rookie Card

Has been reconized as the Kings' most inspirational & aggressive player at conclusion of 1978-79- Back of 1980-81 Card.

A member of the Kings "Triple Crown Line", Dave has all-around ability and plays defense as well as offense. He bodychecks as well as forechecks and he won't back down from a challenge.- Back of 1981-82 card.

Today, Taylor makes his living as a two-way centre, usually on the Kings' checking line.- Back of 1994 Stanley Cup Members Only Card

The Toronto St. pats are happy to select...



DAVE TAYLOR!

Awards and Achievements
1 x Second Team AST RW(1981)

Scoring
Rankings
Goals: 6th(1979), 11th(1981), 20th(1985), 23rd(1982), 27th(1980), 41st(1986)

Assists: 9th(1981), 9th(1982), 15th(1980) 20th(1979), 31st(1985), 32nd(1984), 39th(1987)

Points: 5th(1981), 9th(1982), 9th(1979), 17th(1980), 22nd(1985)

Percentages of 2nd place(Rounded to nearest whole number)
Note: These are not removing Gretzky, any of his Oiler friends, or Lemieux, which would have made Taylor look better. His best years:

Goals: 81, 73, 66(of a 3-way tie for 1st), 61, 58, 54 Total: 393

Assists: 76, 72, 63, 62, 61, 61, 57 Total: 452

Points: 83, 72, 70, 68, 66(of a Gretzky-Dionne tie for 1st; 72% of 3rd, 85% of 4th), 57, Total:416

Long Term Percentages

From 1979-1988 (Prime), Taylor is 19th in GP and:

13th in Goals, 62.5% of 2nd place Bossy[/B](comparable GP), 30th in GPG(Playing hundreds of more games than numerous ehad)

11th in Assists, 77% of 2nd place Federko(Taylor 70 less GP), 16th in APG

11th in Points, 75% of 2nd place Dionne(Taylor 84 less GP) 15th in PPG.

From 1979-1982 (Peak), Taylor is 43rd in GP and:

6th in goals, 75% of 2nd place Dionne (Taylor 71 less GP), 7th in GPG

7th in assists, 78% of 2nd place Trottier (comparable GP), 9th in APG

6th in points, 84% of 2nd place Gretzky (Taylor 50 more GP), 8th in PPG

 

[Dreakmur]

Ken Randall !!!


Awards and Achievements:
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1918, 1922)
Stanley Cup Challenger (1913)

OPHL Second All-Star Team (1910)
EOPHL First All-Star Team (1911)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Points - 8th(1919), 13th(1924), 16th(1920), 17th(1917), 17th(1918), 17th(1925), 18th(1922), 19th(1916)
Goals - 10th(1919), 12th(1918), 15th(1922), 17th(1924), 19th(1917), 19th(1925), 20th(1920)
Assists - 3rd(1919), 3rd(1924), 9th(1916), 9th(1925), 11th(1920), 12th(1917), 14th(1921), 16th(1922), 17th(1923), 20th(1918)

OPHL Goals - 7th(1910)

MPHL Goals -

Points among Defensemen - 1st(1919), 3rd(1920), 3rd(1925), 4th(1924), 5th(1916), 5th(1918), 7th(1921)


Consolidated Offensive Accomplishments:
Consolidated Points - 18th(1919)
Consolidated Assists - 5th(1924), 8th(1919), 14th(1925), 16th(1916), 16th(1920)

Consolidated Points among Defensemen - 2nd(1919), 4th(1916), 4th(1925), 6th(1918), 6th(1920), 6th(1924)

Scoring Percentages:
Points among Defensemen - 99(1919), 88(1920), 86(1925), 72(1916), 64(1918), 61(1924), 47(1921)

Best 6 Seasons: 470

Among the more rugged and aggressive players who liked to combine a fair amount of jousting with their play with resultant penalties, Ken Randall stands forth as a good example.

Ken started as a centre with Brantford of the OPHL...

...he played defense more of the way...

...he also played right wing...

He was on a Cup winner again in 1922, playing defense with Harry Cameron and also right wing on a line with Noble and Babe Dye. He was an even more chunky player than Pitre and it was remarkable the way he could hustle as a forward.

....

A good slam bang player who gave his best at hockey and as a fighter, Ken was on four championship teams and two Cup winners.

Cleghorn led his team through a succession of victories before meeting up with Ken Randall. Randall's reputation as a "bad man" had come, according to reports from "episodes in which he figured in the defunct Maritime League." During a game against Montreal, Randal united with the rugged Wanderer leader at an angle. Catapulted into the boards by Randall's check, Cleghorn shattered his ankle.

Among the most rough and uncut characters to grace the page of hockey history was Ken Randall.

....

Randall was a chunky barrell-chester pug, prone to weight fluctuation. But for a big man, he could hustle. He handled the puck well and had a good shot.

Randall was a colorful slam-bang hockeyist, the kind of bulldog every coach wants in the dressing room. Although he was not enrishned in the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was nonetheless one of the top hockey players in the new NHL.

He was known in that era as being one of the toughest players on the ice, and in fact many writers took to calling him a "hooligan" or "thug" for what was often perceived as dirty play by fans and opposing players.

Ken Randall was one of the original tough guys. Coined a "Hooligan" and a "Thug", Ken was not afraid of throwing his weight around with opponents or the NHL brass.

Among the more rugged and aggressive players who liked to combine a fair amount of jousting with their play with resultant penalties, Ken Randall stands forth as a good example.

He was an even more chunky player than Pitre and it was remarkable the way he could hustle as a forward.

A good slam bang player who gave his best at hockey and as a fighter, Ken Randall was on four championship teams and two Cup winners.

Ultimate Hockey's Best Utility Player of the 1910s
Ultimate Hockey's Most Able Instigator of the 1910s





Newspaper Clippings:

Bad Man Joe Hall and Mixer Ken Randall should have a merry time when they clash. Randall clashes with them all despite weight or height.

Ken Randall played his usual strong defensive game and relieved nicely with effective rushing.

Ken Randall, utility man of the St Pats, once was equally sad though with a far different reason. Randall, when he checks, checks hard. A bump or two in the process is nothing to him and of course he thinks the other fellow ought to see it the same way.

Mummery and Randall gave a grand display, and their blocking and rushing was well nigh perfect. The latter had settled down to business in earnest, and if anybody stood out last night it was Randall. He completely bewildered the visitors by his sensational rushing and seemed to be able to outguess the defense with ridiculous ease.

Two players stood out for the wearers of green and white, these being Randall and Noble. The former checked well and was very effective on the attack. His rushes generally led to a shot on goal.

Randall made good with a vengeance at the rover position. He used his sturdy body to good effect in stopping McKay, Adams, and Skinner, and none of the visitors wasted any time in trying to intimidate him. As a puck carrier, Randall was as good as any other player on the ice and in the first thirty minutes he was the only local player who could make any headway.

On the defense, he and "Red" Stuart held the Ottawa Attackers at bay with unexpected skill, and on the attack, Randall bored right in on the net in telling fashion. Several times he beat the Gerard-Boucher-Clancy second line with ridiculous ease.

Randall was effective travelling both ways, and had hard luck in his shooting…

Ottawa did their checking on their own side of centre ice, and against the five-man defense only Randall could make any headway.

Lindsay had one of his best nights in goal, and Randall at point was probably one of the most effective men on the team.

"Ken" Randall played the best game he has ever shown on local ice and his rushes were of sensational variety.

Randall and Noble again bore the brunt of the work for the blueshirts. The former notched three goals after clever end-to-end dashes.

Positional Split:
1910 - Centre
1911 - Forward
1912 - Forward
1913 - Forward
1914 - Forward
1915 - Forward
1916 - Defense substitute
1917 - Defense with Toronto, and Right Wing with Montreal
1918 - Defense, but moved up to forward in Play-offs
1919 - Defense
1920 - Defense
1921 - Defense
1922 - Defense and Forward substitute
1923 - Defense and Forward substitute
1924 - Defense
1925 - Defense
1926 - Defense
1927 - Defense​

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their twelfth round pick (466) in the 2011 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: Steve Smith, D

Smith was an intimidating monster back on the blue line, not afraid to impose his 6'4" 220lb body on any incoming forward.

- Greatest Hockey Legends


Career Highlights:
Stanley Cup Champion 1987, 1988, 1990.
Member of Team Canada for the 1991 Canada Cup.
Played NHL All Star Game 1991.

Vitals:
Born: April 30, 1963.
Position: D
Height: 6-4
Weight: 215 lbs
Shoots: Left.



Regular Season:
3-time 50+ point defenseman.
His best regular season included 55 points, +40 and 286 penalty minutes.
Played NHL Allstar game (1991).




Playoffs:
Accidently scored a famous own goal as a rookie in the 1986 playoffs but recovered to win the Cup three times later in his career.
Stanley Cup Champion in 1987,1988,1990.
Second to Raymond Bourque in points by a defenseman in the 1990 playoffs while leading in +/-.



Quotations and Perspective:

Smith accidentally put the puck in his own net in the third period of a tied game seven, putting his team on the brink of elimination. The two time defending champion Edmonton Oilers never recovered, and are knocked out of the playoffs by their arch rivals, the Calgary Flames.

Smith was just a rookie then. Such a devastating occurrence could easily have wrecked many a young defensemen's career. While most people will remember Steve Smith for the mistake, people should remember him for his resolve and becoming one of the better defensemen of his era.

- Greatest Hockey Legends

They're winning with defense, playing the style demanded by their hardboiled coach and general manager, Mike Keenan. The series was a vindication of sorts for Keenan, who retooled the Blackhawks after they were upset by the Minnesota North Stars in the first round last year. In the search for players who would play the game his way, Keenan has made 17 trades since the end of last season. He figured Smith to be a perfect fit. He's rangy, strong (6'4", 215 pounds) and durable, and he was available because a contract dispute had kept him out of Edmonton's training camp. He was a little too offense-minded for Keenan's taste—he scored a career-high 13 goals last season—but that would change. Keenan sent defenseman Dave Manson to the Oilers, and Smith, ready or not, was in the lineup for the opening game. He played 36 minutes. "My face was as red as the seats in the Chicago Stadium," he says, laughing.

It didn't take long for Smith to adjust. Predictably his offensive production fell, but his defense, his stamina and his toughness drew raves. "Smitty has just been a tower of strength," says associate coach Darryl Sutter.

- SI Vault http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1003788/index.htm#ixzz1HKkbtvHB

We would be remiss to not mention his career 2139 penalty minutes, which is amazing given that he was not a noted fighter. Smith was an intimidating monster back on the blue line, not afraid to impose his 6'4" 220lb body on any incoming forward.

Blessed with balance and agility on his skates and ridiculously long reach, Smith was tough to beat one on one. He was also very good at reading the oncoming plays and was always in good position to defend.

Smith was much more than just one dimensional shut down defenseman. He had surprising mobility, able to cover more ice and maximize his physical impact. He could rush the puck out of the zone when needed, but more often than not relied on an effective first pass out of the zone to key the transition offense.

Smith had a solid offensive game, relying mostly on slapshot from the point. His shot was not particularly overwhelming, but he had a good knack to get the shot through traffic and on net.

-Greatest Hockey Legends

Says Chris Chelios, Smith's partner on defense, "He has a certain confidence that rubs off on me and on everyone else."
Perhaps it's the confidence born of a man who knows the worst day of his athletic career is behind him. Says Smith, "If you can face humiliation the way that I did, and deal with it, it makes you a stronger person."

- SIVault http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1003788/index.htm#ixzz1HKkqJgjI

So there was Lowe in Game 1, rocking Bruins forward Keith Crowder's world as Crowder crossed the blue line. There was Oiler defenseman Steve Smith, between titanic collisions with Boston right wing Cam Neely, driving center Craig Janney into the ice.

- SIVault http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067361/2/index.htm#ixzz1HKlFjPtH

​

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their thirteenth round pick (495) in the 2011 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: Reijo Ruotsalainen

With his alphabet soup name and his unbelievable skills package, Reijo Ruotsalainen is impossible to forget for anyone who ever watched him play.

- Greatest Hockey Legends

Career Highlights:
Stanley Cup Champion 1987, 1990.
Member of Team Finland for the 1981 & 1987 Canada Cup and the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Played NHL All Star Game 1986.

Vitals:
Born: April 1, 1960.
Position: D
Height: 5-8
Weight: 170 lbs
Shoots: Right.



Regular Season:
2-time 20 goal scorer.
5-time 50+ point defenseman, twice over 60 points.
Career high of 28 goals and 73 points during the 84-85 season (also played wing that season).
Played NHL Allstar game (1986).




Playoffs:
Stanley Cup Champion in 1987, 1990.
Won two Stanley Cups by playing in 43 playoff games for the Oilers while playing in only 26 regular season games during his two stints with the team.



Quotations and Perspective:

Paul Coffey was Ruotsalainen's most comparable peer. Like Coffey, Rexi's skating ability was simply phenomenal. He had an incredible set of wheels, blessed with great speed and the ability to get into gear within a step. And he skated backwards and laterally equally as well, perhaps even better than Coffey. In fact he could skate better in reverse than most forwards could skate forward! He effortlessly drifted across the ice as the opposition skaters strained to keep up. It was nothing short of beautiful, and perhaps only equaled by a Scott Niedermayer or a Katerina Witt!

Also like Coffey, Routsalainen loved to rush the puck, often bursting down the left wall, or sneaking off the point and into the slot. He was an excellent stickhandler, able to cradle the puck at any speed. His passes were soft and on target. And his shot was almost as good as his skating. He had an absolute rocket from the point. It took him a bit to learn to keep his shots on net, but once he did he may have been the best one-timer in the league.

Where Coffey and Ruotsalainen differed was in their size and physical ability. While Coffey was big and sported a physical nature, Ruoutsalainen was just too small to be effective. At just 5'8" and 170lbs, Ruotsalainen didn't shy away from the physical play, but he would stay away from the big battles and try to defend from the outside by using his smarts and skates.

- Greatest Hockey Legends

Sather has done some minor rebuilding in Edmonton with an eye toward reclaiming a certain piece of hardware. Ex-Ranger Reijo Ruotsalainen, who is in a league with the Oilers' Paul Coffey and Boston's Ray Bourque as an offensive defenseman

- Si Vault http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1126993/index.htm#ixzz1HKwUFHsT

Reijo Ruotsalainen makes their powerplay fearsome

- The Courier (Helene Elliot) April 6, 1987.


​

 

[DaveG]

Ray Whitney

Vitals:
Nickname: The Wizard
Position: Left Wing
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180lbs
Shoots: RH
Born: May 8th, 1972

Career Highlights:
2006 Stanley Cup Champion
2 time ASG participant
#2 in goals in the Carolina Hurricanes 2006 Stanley Cup Championship

Notable Statistics:
#80 in career assists, #10 among active players (8 behind Kovalev)
#90 in career points
#10 in goals in 1997-98
#10 in assists in 2002-03
#6 in even strength goals in 2006-07

Comments on Whitney:
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coy...0121phoenix-coyotes-ray-whitney-strength.html

At 38, in his 19th season and on his seventh NHL team, the Coyotes left wing still is delivering the goods. He is an important cog on the team's most productive line and is second on the team in points with 34. A week ago, he recorded two goals and an assist against Anaheim to surpass the 900-point plateau.

"He's a unique player, in that he has arguably been better in his 30s than he was in his 20s." (Maloney)

The post-lockout rules changes in 2005, including zero tolerance for obstruction, helped smaller players like Whitney extend their careers.

It was other things, too, like his success on the power play, one of the main reasons the Coyotes targeted him.

"His instinct and feel for the game with possession are second to none," (Maloney)

http://www.mercurynews.com/sharks/ci_16925277?nclick_check=1

"Whits was the easiest guy in the world to coach because all you had to do is tell him he couldn't do something, and he would. That was his motivating factor. His whole life he was told he was too short, too small, too light, too slow."

"He's a team guy and a leader, he's only 5-foot tall, but he's a big man, and I've got a lot of respect for him."

Wilson calls Whitney a competitive, intrinsically driven player.

"He had to have that in him even to get to the point of being drafted," Wilson said. "This is a guy, you look at his career, and it's remarkable. He's still playing at a high level. You love stories like that because right from Day 1 here he was never given anything."

http://thehockeywriters.com/overlooked-and-underrated-ray-whitney/

Jeff Rimer, Columbus’ present television commentator, was the voice of the Florida Panthers when Whitney was claimed off of waivers there from Edmonton. It was he who originally labeled him as the Wizard.

“What he was able to do with the puck, I had never seen anything like that,” said Rimer. “He had the wizardry.”

"Ray's leadership on and off the ice is important to our success." said Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford. "He has the dedication and desire to win that a team needs, and he makes the players around him better."

 

[Velociraptor]

Alexander Ragulin, D

Position: Defenseman
HT/WT: 6'1", 225 lbs
Shoots: Left
Nickname: "Sasha", "Rags"

- 11 acknowledgments for Soviet First All-Star Team Selections (1961-1964, 1966-1969, 1971-1973)
- 10 time World Champion, 3 time Olympic champion
- IIHF Best Defenseman (1965)
- 5 acknowledgements for IIHF All-Star Team (1963-1967)
- 60 goals, unknown number of points in 427 games played in USSR League.
- 29 goals, unknown number of points in 232 games played with Team USSR.
- Inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame (1997)

A 3-time Olympic champion, Alexander Ragulin established himself as one of the best defensemen that represented Soviets on the international level. Despite his size and strength, Ragulin's style was not based on playing a physical hockey. He was an established organizer of both defensive and offensive team efforts and had excellent tactical and puck handling skills. Due to his amazing sense of hockey, he was famous for a quick and accurate one-timer from the defense zone sending his teammates into a counter-attack. His powerful slapshot also led to numerous goals and assists on his scoring list.

Alexander Ragulin was the tower of strength on the Soviet squads in the 1960's and early 70's. There is no question he is one of the all time greats of Russian hockey. There is also no question that if he were allowed to, he could have stepped into the NHL and been a star, even in the old 6 team league before 1967.

"Sasha" was a very large man at 6'1" and a very solid 225Ibs. He used his size to full advantage, patrolling the blue line with selective physicality. Ragulin was the perfect defenseman for the NHL. He was big and very strong, as well as very good at moving out opposing forwards from the slot. When Ragulin put that "bear hug" around a player there wasn't much anybody could do about it.

His weakness was his skating, but that wouldn't have been as exposed in the old NHL days. He made up for that with excellent positional play, and great puck movement out of the zone. Offensively he had a heavy shot but, as a throw back even in Soviet hockey, it was primarily his defensive play that was his strength. Often seen as a fortress, he was someone who was "impossible to destroy." He was very seldom in the penalty box despite his physical play.

In 1962 Ragulin moved back to Moscow where he played for the Red Army team CSKA. He would play there until his retirement in 1973. "Rags" played a total of 427 league games and scored 60 goals. Regularly paired with Eduard Ivanov, Ragulin led his CSKA team to 9 league titles. (1963-66, 1968, 1970-73). The strikingly handsome Ragulin was a fan favorite, especially among women.

His credentials on the Soviet national team is very impressive. He was a 10 time World Champion between 1963-71 and 1973. In five of those tournaments he was an all star. He also was a three time Olympic Gold medalist (1964, 68 and 72). In 1966 he was selected as the best defenseman in the World Championships, supposedly attracting the lusty desires of a millionairess while doing it.

He represented his country 228 times, scoring 26 goals. But one of his biggest thrills during his career was undoubtedly the 1972 Super Series against Canada. The 31 year old Ragulin's prime assignment was to stop sniper Phil Esposito. Esposito was deadly around the net and Ragulin was the only one who measured up to Esposito physically.

Ragulin remembered his titanic battles with Esposito.

The coaches gave me the unenviable task of covering Phil Esposito. He was a different kind of centre for me - very big, very strong, always in the slot. Ours was a battle of two huge bears.

Ragulin held his own against the Canadian pros and proved that he could play in the NHL. In 1973 he retired only 32 years old and went on to coach the juniors in CSKA Moscow. It was a natural step for "The Bear" who always loved working with young kids.

He was one of the great defensemen of European hockey in his era. Ragulin was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997.

Alexander Ragulin personified the Russian bear. He was the kind of player that no forward really wanted to confront in the corner or in front of the Soviet net. Ragulin was probably the most dominating international defenseman in the '60s.

Alexander Ragulin was teamed with Alexander Gusev along the blueline. The two teamed up to score the game tying goal in game 5, on the way to a 5-4 Soviet victory.

Alexander Ragulin always felt uncomfortable when writers asked him if he could play aginst the NHL professionals. Now we know without any doubt Ragulin could play in the NHL. He proved it in the whole series.

Edward Ivanov started at the bottom and worked his way to the top. He started as a spare defenseman, but soon he was paired with one of the greatest Russian defensemen of all time - Alexander Ragulin. Ivanov's play quickly improved with the guidance of Ragulin.
Always one to tinker with the game, XXXXXXX was particularly pleased with Ivanov's versatility and complete understanding of the game. This allowed XXXXXXX to experiment with what was known as "the System." Instead of two conventional defenders backing up three forwards, XXXXXXX created a five man unit with only one true defender, the great Alexander Ragulin.

 

[Velociraptor]

Duane Sutter, RW

Position: Right Wing
HT/WT: 6'1", 190 lbs
Shoots: Right
Nickname: "Pup"

- 4-time Stanley Cup Champion (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
- 139 goals, 342 regular season points in 731 games played.
- 26 goals, 58 playoff points in 161 games played.

Easily the most out-going of the clan, Duane Sutter was a first-round draft pick of the NY Islanders in 1979 (17th overall). It was great timing for Duane as he joined the Islanders just in time to play on four consecutive Stanley Cup winners at the start of the ‘80s.

Duane applied the typical Sutter style of play immediately. He banged. He crashed. He fought. He blocked shots. He sacrificed for his teammates. He was a leader. He won.

But he added a little extra spice his brothers were not really noted for. He yapped.
Claiming to be heavily influenced by his favorite movie, "Slap Shot," no one was safe from his verbal assaults. He would often be in the middle of an after-the-whistle scrum, chirping away at opposition goaltenders, or defensemen, or coaches or referees.

Affectionately known strictly as grinder, and unlike brothers Brian, Darryl, Brent and to a lesser degree Ron, never showed a lot of offensive upside. This was despite his NHL debuted where he scored 2 goals and 3 points against the Edmonton Oilers.
However he scored 20 goals only once, but that was fine with his teammates. Often playing on a line with brother Brent, Duane brought so much to the table that could never be measured by statistics.

Like all the Sutters, he earned twice his paycheck just because of his heart and determination.

 

[jkrx]

Winnipeg Falcons are proud to present the bio for their 16th pick (608th total) Anders Eldebrink.

Position: Defenseman
HT/WT: 5'11", 190 lb
Shoots: Left
Born: 1960-12-11

Swedish, Swizz and World Champion.
Canada cup silver and bronze.
Olympic bronze.

390 SEL games, 105 goals, 166 assists, 271 points.

55 NHL games and 14 points.

Inducted into the Swedish hall of fame and voted as the best passer, skater and player of the 80s.

Stints in the NHL, however, was not very long, but there is nothing that grieves Eldebrink.
- I got more offers to stay in the NHL but I declined. I do not think hockey which suited me very well. I'm more of a player who is calm with the puck and looking to create games, and there is more fighting and hurry-scurry and slafs (word for when there is no control in the game, puck goes back and fourth with no technique involved.). It did not feel that it suited me so great.
- I enjoyed working in Sweden and Switzerland and it was good enough good for me.

In the early 1990's led Eldebrink later a four-year spell in Switzerland, where he ended up in the Kloten Flyers.
- Kloten had not won in 27 years but after my first year where we won three years in a row. We had Conny Evensson as coaches, inter alia, says Anders who has been called "God" in the Swiss club.

"I went over to North America way too early. I wasn't mature enough and I guess I had too much respect. I also never got much icetime from neither Harry Neale or Roger Neilson," he said of the Canucks coaches.

At a dinner party after the Swedes had won the Gold he got a fine acknowledgement from two Russian giants, Vyacheslav Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov.

"It was really nice to hear both Fetisov and Kasatonov say that they thought I was the best defenseman in the tournament. To hear it from two such great players made me proud," Anders said.

- It was fantastic. It was a bit tough to get there because I was supposed to replace Anders Eldebrink as a foreigner on the team - he and Mikael Johansson played there that - and the team had won three straight championships. Anders was almost like a god down there, so it was not easy, says "Challe".

- There were many good leader types in the team like Bengt-Ake Gustafsson, Hakan Loob and Anders Eldebrink

Eldebrink was a defenseman with brilliant shooting technique combined with an instant readiness to back his forward on offense and to make an accurate and timely pass. He stands 123rd on the list of Swedish "Great Men" and remains loyal to his local team, Sodertalje.

 

[Dreakmur]

There aren't too many you'd rather have in goal with the Cup on the line.

The Rangers' most obvious strength is in goal, where they have reliable Richter, who has turned into superman at crucial times in his career - the 1994 playoffs, the World Cup, the 1997 playoffs.

Richter has a knack for playing well in big games (just ask Team Canada). He did that again this year in the playoffs against Florida and New Jersey, but the Rangers needed a 4'x6' sheet of plywood in front of the net against Philly.

Mike Richter!!!​

NHL Awards and Achievements:
USA Hockey Hall of Fame

Stanley Cup Champion (1994)
3 x NHL All-Star (1992, 1994, 2000)
NHL All-Star Game MVP (1994)

Lester Patrick Award (2009)

Named second-best goaltender, The Sporting News 1994-95 Hockey Yearbook.
Rated #4 in Hockey Stars Presents "The Top 50 Netminders in Pro Hockey", November 1994.
Rated #6 in Hockey Stars Presents "The Top 50 Netminders in Pro Hockey", November 1995.

Vezina voting – 3rd(1991), 5th(1997), 6th(1994), 7th(1990), 8th(1992)
Save Percentage – 3rd(1991), 6th(1992), 6th(1996), 7th(1994), 7th(1997)

International Awards and Achievements:
Olympic Silver Medalist (2002)
World Cup Gold Medalist (1996)
IIHF Tournement MVP (1996)
IIHF Best Goaltender (1996)

Played in 3 Olympics (1988, 1998, 2002)
Played in Canada Cup (1991)
Played in 3 World Championships (1986, 1987, 1993)

New York Ranger Awards and Achievements:
#35 Jersey Retired (2004)
-at the time, only Rod Gilbert and Ed Giacomin were so honoured

2 x Team MVP (2000, 2002)
2 x Player’s Player Award (1991, 2002)
4 x Frank Boucher Trophy (1991, 1999, 2000, 2002)

Ranked the 3rd best New York Ranger of all time in 100 Ranger Greats



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSF3s1idqyc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6li-eYYWBM

 

[seventieslord]

With the 214th pick in ATD2011, The Regina Pats are pleased to select:

Tony Esposito, G

- 5'11, 185 lbs
- Member of the HHOF
- Summit Series Champion (1972)
- Stanley Cup Finalist (1971, 1973)
- NHL 1st All-Star Team (1970, 1972, 1980)
- NHL 2nd All-Star Team (1973, 1974)
- Top-7 in All-Star Voting 7 more times (3rd-1971, 3rd-1978, 5th-1979, 6th-1975, 6th-1976, 7th-1977, 7th-1981)
- Top-11 in Hart Voting 8 Times (2nd-1970, 3rd-1980, 5th-1974, 6th-1972, 8th-1971, 9th-1973, 9th-1978, 11th-1979)
- Top-10 in Sv% 12 Times - among goalies with 1500+ minutes - every full season but two (1st-1970, 1st-1972, 2nd-1973, 2nd-1974, 2nd-1978, 2nd-1980, 4th-1971, 4th-1979, 6th/26-1976, 7th/25-1975, 8th/30-1983, 9th/31-1977)
- A workhorse: top-3 in minutes played 11 times (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd)
- Team Stats: 8 times top-3 in wins, 8 times top-3 in shutouts
- Four significant playoff sv% rankings - among goalies with 300+ minutes (1st/5-1971, 2nd/13-1982, 3rd/5-1974, 3rd/13-1980)
- At time of retirement, was five years older than any other player in the NHL!

ONLINE SOURCES

As one half of perhaps the most colorful brother act in NHL history, Tony "0" revolutionized goaltending in the NHL with his legs-open "butterfly" style and his spectacular flop-on-the-ice saves during the 16 years he spent in the league, all except one with the Chicago Black Hawks... His first partial year with Montreal was unspectacular - the Canadiens had Gump Worsley and Rogie Vachon ahead of him - but after being traded to Chicago, he was impressive in his first full season, recording a Calder and Vezina Trophy-winning year in 1969-70 with a 2.17 goals-against average and a modern-era record of 15 shutouts.

Fans of the game were quick to point out that the Hawks under coach Billy Reay were a defensive-minded squad and that at 5'11" and 190 pounds, Esposito was a stocky, very mature 26-year-old rookie. But more important, he was fast gaining a reputation as having the quickest glove hand in the game and an unorthodox style that was confounding but nevertheless extremely effective. The Vezina win in his first year made him the first rookie to win the trophy since Frank Brimsek in 1939.

As a pro, he quickly gained a reputation as an emotional, vocal goalie who would yell regularly at his defensemen and stay well back in his crease except when he came out to poke-check skaters. He added to his rookie Vezina win by sharing the trophy with Gary Smith in 1972 and tying Bernie Parent in 1974. In his career, he totaled 76 regular-season shutouts.

Incredibly, the Black Hawks never failed to make the playoffs while Esposito was on the team. Internationally, he was a standout as well. In 1972 he shared the goaltending role with Ken Dryden on Team Canada in the Summit Series. And in 1981 he tended goal during the Canada Cup, but this time for Team USA, his country of residence.

Later in his career, Esposito began to gain a reputation as one of the grand old men of the NHL. But it wasn't always easy. By the early 1980s, he'd become dissatisfied with the way his teammates were performing in Chicago. But by 1982, with Tony's help, the Hawks turned their game around again. As the oldest player in the league, Tony started to play like he was a decade younger in the 1982 playoffs, with a goals-against average under 2.00.

By 1983-84, Tony was the oldest player in the league and the only one over 40 years of age. Observers started to notice that while he was once the type of player who insisted on playing every minute of every game, he wisely realized that, at his age, he had to pick his spots and he happily shared the goalie's duties with backup Murray Bannerman.

Tony O played part of the 1968-69 season with the Montreal Canadiens and earned his only Stanley Cup ring there while serving as the backup goalie. His first NHL game came against brother Phil's Boston Bruins and resulted in a 2-2 tie. In total that season Esposito would only get into 13 contests, with a 5-4-4 record. He did post 2 shutouts, including a 0-0 tie against Phil and the Bruins.

The following year he was acquired by Chicago. The Canadiens had to choose between the young Esposito and the veteran legend Gump Worsley. While the Habs did have Ken Dryden a couple of years away, the move could have proved to be disastrous if Dryden hadn't emerged. Tony inherited Glenn Hall's position in Chicago and played phenomenally for the next fifteen years.

His first full season saw him win the Calder and Vezina Trophies as he posted a 2.17 GAA and 15 shutouts in 63 games. The 15 shutouts is a modern day record for most in one season. He would go on to win or share 3 Vezinas, and five All Star berths. He thrived on a heavy work load. In fact, over 8 year stretch he averaged 68 games a season.

Despite Esposito's incredible play, the Hawks were never able to achieve elite status, which probably holds Tony Esposito back when it comes to discussions about the game's greatest goalies. He was clearly an elite goalie though, and was chosen to play in the 1972 Summit Series with Team Canada. He played in 4 games and by most accounts outplayed number one goalie Ken Dryden.

Tony O also played in the 1981 Canada Cup, but not for Canada. He had acquired his US Citizenship just in time for the tournament, and agreed to play of Team USA since he wasn't invited to Canada's training camp. Tony O instantly gave Team USA some credibility, but ultimately wasn't able to give them enough wins to make a splash in the tournament.

Tony would play past the age of 40, retiring as a Hawk in 1984. He would later go on to NHL management positions with Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay.

He was a bit of an unorthodox goalie. He would play the butterfly style to stop shots, which back then was not as common as it is today. He often would cheat to one side when facing a shooter, displaying extra room and forcing the shooter to shoot, but then would quickly take it away with his quick glove hand. A noted poke-checker, the only thing more active than Esposito's stick was his mouth. He was a loud and talkative goalie, always yelling directions to his defensemen.

One thing is for sure - Tony was an exciting goalie to watch!

PUBLISHED SOURCES

throughout his career he proved to be a durable goalie, routinely playing more than 60 games a year. Much of his success came from his pioneering, and unorthodox, style. For starters, he caught with his right hand, which threw off many shooters. And he used a butterfly style of goaltending. That is, his knees touched but his feet were apart as he crouched in the ready position. The result was that his feet covered more of the lower part of the net, and the open space was so new that players didn't dare shoot at what was, normally, dead center of the goalie's pads. Espo augmented this stance by falling to his knees quickly.

for the Blackhawks, the return to defensive hockey paid huge dividends, as the team went from sixth to first place in the East division. The teams GM Tommy Ivan summed up Tony's contribution: "you might say that we solved all of our goaltending problems in one season."... CBS broadcaster Dan Kelly once shared this sentiment: "how he ever stops the puck with that style is more than most hockey men can understand – but he does the job."

One of the NHLers who was puzzled by Tony's style was the Maple leafs Mike Walton. "I don't see how he is as good as he is," complained Walt. "He allows rebounds to come out in front, and he doesn't clear the puck into the corner like he should, but somehow he beats you!" For his part though, Esposito said that there was considerable method to the seeming madness of his style. "I probably watched Glenn Hall, the former hockey goalie, more than any other netminder. He is just sort of an expedient type of goalie and I think that's my style. I just try to stop the puck."

Although he was one of the coolest and most relaxed goalies when he was in the net, Esposito had a terrible time with the pregame jitters. "I get very nervous before a game. I have trouble with my emotions and my nerves. I keep my food down okay because I eat about seven hours before gametime. But I always worry about making a mistake. If I make a bad play, the puck is in, and everybody sees it. That feeling is what makes me sick."

Esposito usually shunned the spotlight, preferring to give most his credit to his defenders. "In case you aren't familiar with the Esposito personality," wrote hockey reporter Bob Verdi, "he isn't one to praise himself. If the Blackhawks win with him in goal, the guys played great in front of him. If the Hawks lose when he is playing, then it was his fault. Every, but every, goal is his fault. Folks who cover the team are waiting for someone to score an empty net goal on the Hawks to see if Tony will take the blame for that one, too."

By the early 1980s, he had become dissatisfied with the way his teammates were performing in Chicago. "We had absolutely no desire to win. The only desire was to survive, to get your paycheck. There were people who didn't care about anything else. The attitude was terrible, and I made up my mind that if it didn't change I would be back. I couldn't be associated with it anymore. "

"I have always had a pretty heavy workload and I liked it that way. But a two-goalie system is how the team wants it, and so far it has worked out well. I do find it a bit tough when I play a game on, say, a Sunday and then don't play again until the next Saturday. But I am satisfied with my play." So was coach Orval Tessier. "No coach could ask for anything more than Tony has been for this team. From the first day of camp, he worked his butt off and has been nothing but a very positive influence on this team."

Johnny Bower's commentary on Esposito: "Tony Esposito was much quieter than his brother Phil, but you can't mistake that for lack of intensity. He hated losing, which I guess must've come from playing all of that hockey with his brother on the outdoor rinks. Tony mashed the traditional standup style with that of the modern butterfly. He was incredibly tough to beat when forwards were in tight on him because of his quickness. He could drop down into the splits and then be back up in the crouch before a second shot could be fired upstairs."

Second opinion: ABC Analyst John Davidson on Esposito: "when Tony played, he would smell like old horse liniment because he would get the rubdown all over his arms and legs from the training staff. At a time when goaltending wasn't a great deal of fun because shots were getting harder and higher and the equipment was better, Tony was always messing around with equipment. He had stuff to cover the toes of his skates. He had little bars to cover his eyes on the outside of his fiberglass mask. He always had little additions to his equipment. When you watched him play, he looked like a big guy in the net, spread out with big pads and arms. The when you met him, he really wasn't a big guy"

In the days before goaltending equipment was inflated to epic proportions, Esposito developed his advantage over the shooters. "He has a plastic pad he'd wear on his arm at the end of his blocker, which he used as a route to send pucks flying out of play, "Hall of Fame NHL linesman Matt Pavelich says. "He used to sew fishnet between his legs and under his arms. We checked his pants all the time, because we were sure he was using illegal Pats, but they always measured out to be correct. We couldn't figure it out, then one day, we discovered his secret. He had zippers in the side of his pants and he would just fill them with stuffing after we measured them.

His methods and his style were certainly unconventional, but it would be sheer madness to suggest that Esposito doesn't deserve recognition as one of hockey's greatest goalies. "I respect him so much because he came up in an era when the hockey mindset jumps to the conclusion that you couldn't play if you are on your knees, "ESPN analyst and former NHL forwards Bill Clement says. "Tony went against the grain. He swam upstream like a salmon, but fortunately for him, he didn't die when he got to the top. He beat all the odds to be successful.

New York Rangers coach Emile Francis regarded Esposito as a flash in the pan. "He couldn't even carry Giacomin's stick," snorted Francis. Tony's reply was brief. "Let Giacomin carry his own stick. I'll use the one I've got."

Francis' pique was understandable. Giacomin for several years has been the hardest working and one of the most highly regarded goalies in the game. His style is more orthodox than Esposito's, which has been called no style at all. Actually it is a combination of several styles, with strong – of freelancing throw it. Tony explained: "as a kid I watched Glenn Hall a lot on TV, and also Johnny Bower of Toronto. I tried to pick up something for each one. Paul is a reflex goalie, and they call me the "unorthodox goalie" maybe because, like Hall, I depend a lot on reflexes. From Bower I picked up the way he uses his stick. I try to poke check with it and I guess I use it more than most guys. I like to use the stick a lot and I'm not too proud to accept a little help from the goalposts, although they bounce off it against you about as much as they bounce for you."

Tony doesn't hug the goalposts, however as do most goalies. He'll move off to the side a little, figuring he'll be better balanced slide across the crease if the direction of attacks suddenly changes. In short, he prefers to roam, and that includes coming out of the net much more daringly than most goalies. He comes out freely, often wandering, as Reay complains, to cut down the angle is even more sharply and to gamble on sweeping the puck away from an onrushing opposition forward.

Reay shudders at Esposito's forays. "I've asked Tony to stay in his net, but occasionally he seems to think he's a forward and comes out almost to the blueline." And Tony's answer: "I guess Billy's right, but it works for me. I know it makes more sense to stay in the crease, but once in a while you have to take your chances when the puck is loose in front and an opposing player is the nearest man to it. You've got to gamble a little. I never go for the puck unless I think of got a better than equal chance of beating the other guy to it. I've been lucky most of the time."

Despite occasional tremors of apprehension when Tony takes a flyer, Reay is rather pleased with his goalies freewheeling and confident reliance on his superior reflexes. "He reminds me a lot of Glenn Hall. When he's behind that facemask and yelling you'd swear it was Glenn. And he has a lot of Hall's moves, the same quick reflexes. Also, he's like a third defenseman out there. He's in on every play. I've never seen a more alert goalkeeper. He'll never be beaten because he's asleep."

Esposito carries his stick in his left hand and catches the puck with his right hand. When he's crouching, his hands are touching, but his lower legs are bent outward so he can move in either direction for you. His position also keeps the puck from going through his pads, although occasionally he separates them to give the shooter target, then snaps shot, a feat requiring great timing. He has a way of dropping to his knees and spreading the paths out to either side on certain kinds of shots, mostly from the point. Sometimes he gets with his right leg when making a stop, but seldom touches the ice with his left knee unless he flops – which he does quite a bit.

One observer compares Esposito style of playing goal with that shortstop in baseball. It's an apt comparison. Esposito has great range and his skating skill, even on the awkward goalie skates, is an asset that can't be discounted. His steadiness under fire is remarkable. He gives the appearance of a man totally without nerves. It isn't quite accurate. Before the start of the game he betrays his nervousness by rocking slightly while the national anthem is played. He admitted: "I get nervous like anyone else, but during a game I haven't got time to think about it. You get keyed up, and if you're concentrating on what's going on, you're not aware of it. I try to stay calm as the game approaches, but in a way I'm glad I'm not. Have to be a little tense to function at your peak."

After a game, Esposito seems totally drained, but – unlike some goalies – is never on edge. And, true to the resolution he made years ago, he never blames anyone else for goal scored against him. After a disappointing game in 1970, in which Tony allowed a cheap goal, of Toronto sportswriter remarked: "that goalkeeper gives it to you straight every time – he doesn't alibi, does he? He's as calm as if he had a shutout."

Brother Phil noted that Tony always has had an even disposition. "Even as a kid, he never did get too nervous. He'd get excited once in a while, but mostly he was a pretty cool customer. Now, it's pretty hard to shake him up."

… "A shutout is really a team award. All the guys worked so hard for me. They have all year. I appreciate it so. That's why I have 13 shutouts – their work. The other guys played so well that I kept thinking, don't ease up, you don't want to let them down." He never did let them down.… A Stop on Detroit's Frank Mahovlich in the first period left Reay stunned. Esposito was out of the cage, to his right, when Mahovlich came in on a virtually undefended net. As Mahovlich got off a shot, Esposito appeared out of nowhere to turn it aside. "I've never seen a shot in my life that I figured was as sure a goal and then have it saved us. Esposito made on Mahovlich," said Reay. "I've never seen a better save in my life." That save was just one of 35 Esposito made as the Hawks went on to win… Two days later he held the Maple leafs 21:011 tie at Toronto. The next day, in Chicago, she shut them out 4-0 two round out a new modern NHL record for shutouts in a season at 15. More important, the victory moved the Hawks into a first-place tie with Boston, setting up the drive toward the Prince of Wales trophy in the final week.

Coach Reay made another point: "I never thought I'd see the day that record would be broken. Not with the kind of hockey that's played today and with the slapshot being used. There's no doubt in my mind players – on the average – shoot harder than they did 15 or 20 years ago. We had a few men who could drive the puck, sure, but not as many as today with the slapshot. And goalkeeper has to play a little more protectively than he had to years ago. That puck's winging at him. Strain is much greater than it used to be, and he takes more of a beating. What Esposito has done is incredible."

... The Hawks owed him more and the debt increased a little. He went through the Stanley Cup quarterfinals with his skills undiminished, holding Detroit two goals in each of the four games and giving the Hawks an unusual sweep with identical scores of 4-2. It was only after the seven-day layoff between the Detroit series and the semifinals against Boston that he lost his edge. Even at that, who can say that the injury he suffered in the first minute of play in the opening game with the Bruins on April 19 at the Stadium didn't have something to do with that?

Boston's Ken Hodge took a slap shot from the corner at Tony's left and the puck hit the goalie directly over the left eye, stunning him and knocking him to the ice... When the game was over, Tony manfully faced the reporters and refused to blame Hodge's stunning shot for his ineffectiveness that night. Even as he spoke, the imprint of the puck was visible over his left eye, although the shot had struck him on the mask. "Hodge blasted it. I'm not blaming him – he was probably just hoping it would bounce off somebody into the net. It stunned me at the time, but it didn't affect my play at all. If I had just come up with a couple of good saves we would have won that game. I just played badly. There aren't any excuses."

There never were, not even after the final 5-4 defeat at Boston a week later, when the Bruins reigned 54 shots on goal and Tony kept the Hawks in the game with some incredible saves. Time and again, the hockey fans left him naked to his enemies, yet he refused to complain. In the final summing up, neither would Reay blame Tony. "How could I blame him, after what he has done for us this year how could I ever blame him? He brought us to the top. Main difference this year is the goalkeeping, the big save Tony has given us. Last year it was the bad goal that was beating us – they were getting by DeJordy. This year we've had Esposito making the big saves game after game, the saved it gives you a lift. So many times you get that big save, and bang! You go right up to their end and put the puck in the net." To the and Reay defended Esposito's style against critics, even though he himself at first had been worried by the flopping, diving way his curlyhaired magician tends goal. "He has got a great glove hand and he's hard to beat down low. It takes a shot into a high corner to beat him, and not too many guys can do that if the defense keeps them off balance. Some goalkeepers are a split second behind the play: Tony's a split second ahead of it. He may be awkward, but he's rarely out of position. You know, I get kind of tired of people mocking his style. He keeps the puck out, doesn't he?" Only 20 himself, through sheer ineptitude, can ruin his career now. It is unlikely that will happen. Nobody ever would expect him to match his rookie season. He could play less ably and still be sensational. "If Tony players anywhere near as well next season as he did this year, no one in the league is going to be even close to him as a goalie. Certainly, he can't have the same kind of sensational year, but if you just has a really great year, he'll still be in a class by himself."… According to Reay, most goaltenders mature later than other players. Tony is a well conditioned athlete, and there is no touch of the flake in his personality. He's much more serious than his fun-loving brother Phil, who remarked: "Tony's the type of guy for whom hockey is hockey and business is business. I respect him for it."

#23 greatest NHL season – Tony Esposito 1969 – 70: the Blackhawks rookie goalie racked up the second most shutouts in history and becomes known as "Tony O."... "He hates to have anyone score on him, even in practice. Many goalies today take practices to o lightly, but not Tony." – Chicago coach Billy Reay

"you always knew when it was game day, because Tony was miserable," quipped Stan Mikita. "He didn't say anything to him, and he didn't say anything to you. But he was our miserable, and he did a hell of a job." On game days, Esposito was in the zone of his own as he built his concentration toward the task that evening. Few athletes compared themselves as thoroughly as Esposito, who possessed an unconventional style and uncommon devotion to duty. He did his job, often in spite of injury, migraine, or illness. He was a warrior in every sense.

"goaltending is a job," Tony Esposito once said. "It's a tough, dangerous job. There is pressure every time you're in there. It was torture for me when I was a kid and still torture for me whenever the puck goes in. Not doing your job scares you. The older you get, the more afraid you get. To be playing well as a goalkeeper you have to be afraid. Not petrified, exactly, but you have to be afraid. Not afraid that you'll get hurt, but afraid they're going to score on you. Every time they come down the ice with that puck, I'm afraid the puck is going to go in. If it goes in, you get blamed. If it goes into often, your team get beat and you get blamed. In practice, I'm physically afraid I'm going to get hurt. I back up. I try to get out of the way. In practice, you don't have the adrenaline going for you like you do in a game. Who the hell likes to have pucks shot at them at 100 miles an hour from 15 or 20 feet? I tell them in practice, take it easy, don't blast away. But they do, they crank up from 10 or 15 feet out. If that puck goes into the masc at 120 miles an hour, it will ring your bell, all right. A concussion maybe. Mask keeps it from splitting your face open. But there are still places exposed on your head you can get cut. And having the mask banged against your face but puck can break your bones. But in games, I'm only afraid of being scored on. I don't back up. I forget the fear of getting hurt. I push it out of my mind. It's The giving up goals, the getting beat that bothers me. It's a job and it pays good, so I do it. But I don't like it. No, I don't like it. I do it because I can make a good living at it."

For brother Tony Esposito, hockey really was a job, and it wasn't fun. Tony was different from his brother both in appearance and personality. He was shorter, stockier, rounder of face. He was a warrior, who brooded about his job and found life difficult. Both brothers were tough, but Tony was the one who faced fear in every game and would not give in to it.

There are purists in hockey and feel style is essential, and Tony was not a stylish goalie. He was a "fall down" goalie who flopped all over the ice, diving this way and that to make savings. He often seems to be out of position. But his great reflexes and extremely fast hands and feet allowed him to make the saves anyway… "You do it anyway you can do it," Tony said in defense of his play. "It doesn't matter how you do it, just so you do." Chicago coach Billy Reay said, "totally fooled us. We got him because we thought he might become good. It turned out he already was great. He may not look like much, but he's a lot of goaltender. I don't care if he plays on his year, he keeps the puck out, which is what counts." Bobby Orr agreed. "He looks like hell. He does everything wrong. He gives the shooters all sorts of openings. He doesn't play the angles properly. He doesn't even keep his legs together. He gives you holes half the net wide. When you shoot for them, he closes them up. You think you've got him, and he's got the puck. He's amazingly quick. He has to work harder than smooth goalies. But he gets the job done."

The 1973 season, Tony went 2.51 with four shutouts. "The team was weaker so my record was worse. Of goalie is at the mercy of his teammates to some extent. I don't blame my teammates for the goals I give up. We all share in it. We are a team. We all have our jobs to do." Nevertheless, goalies still get blamed for defeats much more than do other players, and Tony was blamed for the Blackhawks failure to take the Stanley Cup. In 1970, he was riddled by 27 goals in eight games, an average of more than three again. In 1971 he bounced back with a splendid 2.19 Mark in 18 games. The Hawks went to the seventh game of the finals against Montréal, and Tony was shutting out the Canadiens 2-0 late in the second period when Jacques Lemaire lofted a high, easy shot from mid-ice. Somehow it escaped Esposito and bounced into the net. The Canadiens gained heart and attacked relentlessly in the last period. Henri Richard put two shots past Esposito to win the game and the cup for Montréal. "It was a long time before I recovered from that one. But I played a good game. Everyone had to see that. We should have one. But I let one bad one get by. So I was blamed." Then in 1973 Tony helped carry the Hawks to the seventh game of the finals against Montréal. The Hawks lost again, as Tony gave up six goals. It was a badly played series, the defenseless series, in which both goaltenders were riddled almost to the point of shell shock. Montréal's Ken Dryden said, "play was loose and we both suffered and struggled all the way. It wasn't a goaltenders series."

"People wonder why I don't laugh more, like Phil. Well, Phil's not a goaltender. I don't find anything funny in playing goal. But I don't know anything I could do besides playing goal that would make me anywhere near the kind of money I'm making. So I play goal. I'm hard on my family all season and I try to make it up to the in between seasons. It's not an easy life. I've learned I'm going to be blamed for every goal I give up. I don't like it. But I've learned to live with it."

Off in a corner, coach Billy Reay was talking about a goal the Hawks had given up in Vancouver. Someone pointed out to him that it was the only goal Tony had given up three games. Smiling, Billy said, "yeah, but it was a bad goal. It never should've been scored. Of course, I don't blame Tony, mind you." Of course. Tony wasn't laughing.

at age 16, Tony Esposito was close to sure he was going to play professional hockey. He grew up in the shadow of his supremely talented older brother, and the fact that he had to wear glasses when he played, with a cage protector, hampered his game. His parents invested money in contact lenses, a considerable investment back then, and that probably saved his career… His mechanics scandalized the experts. He hung too far back in his net, they groused, making stops right on the goal crease. Conversely, others were ready to argue that he played too far out of the net. And he gave up big rebounds and didn't seem to know what to do with loose puck set his feet. None of that mattered much to the Blackhawks. He got in the way of the puck. They won games.

Two thirds of the way through the opening game of the Soviet leg of the Summit series, it appeared that it would be left Esposito to provide the Canadian net minding her Rolex. He had already logged a win and a tie, allowing only six goals, back in Canada. Esposito was anchoring an impressive 5-1 lead for the Canadiens in the third period. When the Soviets came back and scored five unanswered goals to put their record at three wins, one loss and one tie. "We should have won it 7-0" series co-organizer Alan Eagleson told author Scott Young. "But Tony had a bad third period In goal… He just shook his head and said, I blew it. There was no way they should've got five goals and one period. I'm the one to blame. God dammit, we can beat them, we would have tonight if I hadn't let you down." Such unadorned humility was typical of Esposito. He was always, first and foremost, a team player. He did not point fingers when he had an off game. Esposito's apology provided a catharsis for the rest of the team. He gave them permission to break one of the games taboos, to blame the goaltender. The team had played more than well enough to win. Esposito helped make them recognize that the series was winnable. Eagleson came to see the Esposito apology as an important rallying point.… And Esposito was not finished. He was in the net for the win in game seven, and finished the tournament with the best goals-against average and win loss record of all three goaltenders.

though some have, in brief stretches, played more spectacularly than Tony, no one has been as consistent.

Within a year, three of the Masters – Ken Dryden, Gerry Cheevers and Bernie parent – were gone. In searching for the heir apparent we need not scan the future, but the backward instead. He is found where he always was. In goal at the Chicago Stadium.

Tony Esposito notes the irony but understands the circumstances. "A great deal has to do with who you play for, "he said. "I've done a lot of things I've wanted to do in hockey. I have three Vezinas, but the Stanley Cup is the one thing I don't have. I haven't given up, I think were on the move now. Dryden was very capable, but I'll tell you this. He was blessed to be on the right team, in a position where he didn't have all those rebounds. He was a good first shot goalie, but not a good rebound goalie. I'm not saying he wasn't good, but he came with the right team at the right time. I used to come into some of those ranks when we had our bad years and the shots would be 42 to 18 and 15 of ours would be from the blueline. Hell, that would be a cakewalk. You could blow one goal and it would mean nothing, because your team is going to get you three or four. I've had good teams I've had that teams. When you have a good one, you say, thank God. But I can remember feeling sorry for the other goalie, too.

Then the WHA took Bobby Hull from the Blackhawks and by the next year Pat Stapleton was gone too. Age and complacency set in and soon Tony became that guy to be pitied. And once the decline was underway, Esposito never had the chance to disprove all the "buts" that came up, when the Hawks were powerful and his name was bandied among the best. There was his style, stoop shouldered, pads forming a V, which made the standups stuffed shirts shake their heads. There was, in the early days, has solid defense as has ever been put together, which some argued masked Tony's weaknesses. There were two trips to the finals and out haunting goal Jacques Lemaire scored from outside the blueline. "It aggravated me, there was no way he should beat me from there. We had them, 2-0. Bobby Hull hit the crossbar and the puck came right back out, and soon after Lemaire scored that goal. Yeah, it would have meant one cup I don't have, but I don't think history has been bad to me. I know I'm still playing. And I think I've been more consistent than many other goalies in the game today. There have been others who have been great for a few years, but they lost their nerve or lost the edge at a lot younger age than it has happened to me. I think that's how you judge performance. By the guy who can endure. I'm not saying I was better than anybody, but I know I've been around 12 years in the league. And I will continue to be. When I'm done playing, and I have no projection – I think it could be as many as 8 to 10 more years without any problems – then people will judge." But maybe it would still be those years when the Blackhawks declined that should count the most. "It was getting depressing, we were going nowhere. I never quit but it was embarrassing to me to associate with a team not even in contention. The key is the mental concentration. You lose some of that excitement from the first few years, and then you have to start working at it. I had to give more. You see so many guys who can't do it after a few years."

12 years have changed only the people around him. It's still the same Tony, staring through his best friends and teammates on the afternoon of the game. He needs only a mask for protection, his face at game time is almost as inanimate as plastic. He'll Barkin grumble at the same reporters immediately after a game that he'll greet warmly the next day. "After state time comes, from then on it's all business," he said. "I worry only about myself because I know what I have to do to get ready. I do have a problem afterward. I don't try to be rude, I just need that time, especially after a loss, to be by myself. If you lost this kind of an edge, you're satisfied. And that's when you level off. "

"I feel great. I think I moved as well as I did when I came up with Montréal in 1967. You don't lose your agility, or your strength or reflexes, maybe a little speed, but then I don't have to do sprints."

Now he's 36, and it would be as glorious as it would be ironic for him to move into his prime time with the Hawks recharged. But the truth is there's been nothing wrong with him all along. In no year since 1972 has Esposito played in any less than 63 games. And in too few of these HTC less than 30 shots. It has been hard to keep standing for all those rebounds. "I don't think I'm really unorthodox. You can play more standup playing for Montréal. Ken Dryden never worried about rebounds. If I didn't, I could stand there like a board, too. They see 20 game and two rebounds, it's fine. You get two on ones and rebounds like I have, you have to hang back. I may play a different style, but I play by the rules, if you know what I mean. I know when it's time to go down. I don't make a move until the puck is played. I don't go out there and play guessing games. Billy Reay told me I could read the plays and be in position better than anyone he's ever seen. I told him I never really thought about it, I just did it."

game three: ironically, Ken Dryden has been using from the sidelines that Esposito has been successful against the Soviets because of his goaltending style – staying back in the net, instead of coming out to challenge.

20 Esposito certainly deserves credit for his strong goaltending, especially a key save on Maltsev with 13 seconds to play…

Game six: on top of that, try the suspects his teammates have lost confidence in him; probably they'd prefer to have Tony Esposito in goal again.

Although it's Henderson who administers the coup de grace, others clinch the victory in the final 2 min. and 6 seconds. Tony Esposito makes four more saves, including another on unlucky Maltsev, for a total of 28.

when asked about his butterfly goaltending style, Esposito laughed: "my job is stopping the puck and I don't really care how." He had remarkable reflexes and a real knack for clearing rebounds. Foot speed and hand eye coordination were this goaltending legend's stock in trade

Esposito appreciated coach Reay's confidence in him. Like many goaltenders, Tony detested the team workouts where he had to defend against heavy shooting from his own teammates. "I don't put much stock in practice. Playing goal is a strange business, and every goal he has his own approach to it. Billy leaves me alone and permits me to practice when I feel I need it. I don't see anything very brave about playing well and work out. In Fact, if one of our players with a hard shot, like Dennis Hall, shoots a slapper from 30 feet away, I won't even try to stop it. I just get out of the net, and it can go in." At training camp for the series against the Russians, Esposito had no opportunity to study his opponents play. When asked if the lack of a book on the Russian shooters was a handicap to him, he replied: "I don't even keep a book on the NHL shooters. The smart shooters, the guys I really have to worry about, never do the same thing twice in a row, so what good is a book on them? A shot is a shot!"

Tony was a standout in the grinding eight-game series. Team Canada one-act, four games to three with one game tied. It was a hard-fought battle – the deciding eight-game goal came just 34 seconds before the games and. In the four games in which Esposito played Canada had two wins, a tie and a loss.

at practice he was foreboding and fierce, snarling at errant high shots and sloppy defensemen. Like a lot of first string goalies, he would work casually or reluctantly. Game day skates are the goalie's top priority. However, nothing changed when the game rolled around. During a game, he could be heard berating his teammates, foulmouthed and demanding, the tone never far from insulting.

Ultimately the pressure of the second matchup of the Summit series would fall on Tony, and to say he came up big would be an understatement. Standing through the interminable Russian anthem made me appreciate the gravity of our own, but it didn't take away from the electric buzz of apprehension in the crowd that evening. I couldn't help wonder about Canadian players, and especially about Tony. It wouldn't be the first time over anticipation and tension had turned a fine tuned athletes into a lead legged uncoordinated lump, and I wondered if the pressure had gotten to Esposito and left in my dream running sand. At about the midway point of the opening. All of Canada received the answer. In retrospect, after all these years, I still firmly believe it was the play that eventually won the series for Canada.

A Brad Park penalty left the Canadians shorthanded. Kharlamov is rocketed past the defense and made a move to the short side, Tony, moving to his right, snaked a foot to the goalpost and trapped the puck for the save. Kharlamov was so sure about the goal that he raised his arms overhead in celebration as he circled behind the Canadian net. I can still see Esposito getting back onto his feet, housecleaning the crease, looking up at the clock, nonchalant and relaxed, as if to say to Kharlamov and his mates, "a routine save. I do it all the time, ***hole." To me, scrunched into my corner seat in the golds, it was the omen, the lift Canada needed to go the extra step.

…A lone loner. It was all part of the mystique, or part of the intolerance. From opponents I heard a number of blistering four letter descriptions of Tony, while others weren't much more charitable in their name-calling. Inevitably the cursing was followed by "ask anyone who played with." So I did. One former Hawk, asked for a one-word description, thought for a moment, then said, "sour." Over the years it would be safe to say that Tony wasn't held in high regard socially, as a teammate or opponents, by those who went through Chicago's dressing room doors on either side of the hall. Most considered him opinionated, and Kent, self-indulgent and, worst of all, "not a team player. The last remark was a bit hard to believe, since the very challenge of goaltending is to keep the other team from scoring, the job most other players do in tandem with their defense partners or linemates, and in the best scenario, all together as a unit. Yet, as the saying goes, goalies stand alone; there the last stop before the red light. The goaltenders position, given the pressure of the job, is bound to have a major share of flakes, weirdos, and people who march to a different drummer. Most GMs consider the moods, on athletic builds, and behavior of goalies the cost of doing business in the NHL.

the Blackhawks goalie is Tony Esposito, whose style I don't think I'll ever figure out. He looks like he's so easy to beat that aunt Emma could score against him. Yet game after game, season after season, he turns in top-notch netminding for the Blackhawks. When I first saw Esposito, I have to admit I didn't think he'd last a month in the NHL. He looks awkward and leaves all kinds of openings for shooters. But it's a case of now you see it, now you don't. Espo will show you a big piece of the net and when you shoot for it, all of a sudden, he's got the area covered. I don't know how the man does it. He's an unorthodox goalie but he seems to get himself in the way of an awful lot of shots. You keep waiting for him to make a mistake and for that cockeyed style of his to betray him. But it never happens. It keeps getting better and better. I have a lot of respect for him and I have to admit that I misjudged his ability. I still don't understand how he does it.

Esposito has no alibi for missing the shot. "I just lost it, that's all. I saw the shot leave his stick and after that I don't know what happened but these things happen all the time to every goalie. It has nothing to do with my vision. I've been nearsighted since I was a kid. I could see the blackboard from the back of the room till I got glasses. Now I wear contact lenses when I play and they correct my vision... Billy Reay has a quick answer for Esposito's critics. "In Tony's first season we went from last place to first. In his second season we went to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals before losing. I have to say that his goaltending has been the difference."

One of Tony's greatest admirers is Bobby Hull who has scored more goals than any active NHL player. "Tony is a terrifically brave man. He is really aggressive. He comes out of those shooters. He isn't afraid of anyone in hockey."

Tony Esposito, like most goalies, doesn't consider himself a particularly brave man. In fact he feels fear is necessary if a man is to play goal well... When he speaks of the job, Tony Esposito has little relation in his voice. "It's a job, and I have to do it. But it's tough and I don't particularly like it."

LEGENDS OF HOCKEY VIDEO

For "Tony O", there was no such thing as a "good goal".

"a lot of guys would get the 3-4 goal lead, and they'd say, 'we got a nice lead, we're gonna win.' Not me. i want the shutout. I don't wanna win 5-3, i wanna win 5-0. If you compete at that level... you wanna win."

"he had this flopping style that most of the traditional hockey people of the 60s didn't like. The coaches were mostly old school guys who didn't like goalies who didn't stand up and face the puck and cut down the angles. he was maybe the first of the real butterfly goalies who threw his legs out, and went down to cover the lower part of the ice, and it was successful for him, although a lot of coaches tried to talk him out of it."

"and at first, he was criticized for that style - that won't last, it's not a long-term style, that won't last the test of time, there are so many great players - and Tony, he did did his business, and all of a sudden the 'V' style was a popular style, and people started playing that butterfly style. And talk about teasing the shooter. Here, I'm going to give you six feet between my legs. And you're going to shoot it there, and I'm just going to shut it down before you even come close to getting it there."

"Tony was excellent in close. You'd think the way he went down, he'd be vulnerable to shots up top. But he was always in the right position, it seemed. Very difficult guy to beat, even though you thought, 'hmm, he's going down, maybe I'll throw it here.' it didn't happen.

"He tried every trick in the book all the time. He was the very first guy to take the snow and pile it beside the posts all the time, after a while it got so obvious that they had to kick it away. He's the guy who got the big glove, he's the guy who got the wire on the mask for the eyes, he tried all the different things, the bigger sweater to catch the puck. He had every angle figured the whole way, and that's the way he played - play every angle to win."

"Tony started out with little webbings off here, nets between his legs... really incredible... most of us didn't realize it for a while, all we knew was he was stopping the puck, 'how'd he get that one?' Eventually, nobody could beat the guy very often, so we had to start getting some rules in there with some teeth. But Tony was clearly a great player, but also a very inventive one.

"I'm sure he did a lot of... "maximizing" on things. And back in those days, that was almost considered, "we took the equipment as it came from the factory, we put it on, yes there were rules, but we didn't really measure it, and that was just the way it was"

"We were always suspicious of Tony Esposito. And he would be the master. He's probably changed the game for goalies over the years. And probably one of the main reasons today that they're having such a hard time on goalkeepers, because of what he's done in the past."

"I used to have extra wide pads, but who didn't? But I'd stuff 'em myself, I did everything. They'd check 'em, I'd take the stuffing out. They'd leave, I'd stuff it back in. I repaired my own pads myself. I sewed 'em all, I did everything. I made 'em wider, sure, I had 'em like about 14 inches at times. But, why not, if you get away with it. And then I had a web between my legs one time. Year in s ago there was no rule about it in the 60s. Then I made this piece where no puck could go through the five hole. Then after, they made a rule, and I stopped that. They did all these things to me. Tried to ruin me, to throw me off my game (laugh)"

"You don't think the goalies cheat nowadays? Whoa. Look at the size of their gloves. And their pads are like three inches wider than my brother wore."

"He was miserable before a game because he believed that's the way he had to be, to play his best. That's what he believed, ok? If that's the way a guy gets up for a game, then that's fine!"

"When the puck drops, I'm like this: Tighter than a drum. Nervous. Everyone thinks you're calm? You're not calm, at least I wasn't. I'm sure that most goalies aren't. You're a nervous wreck."

"I'm not the kind of guy who'd have a bad game and then say, 'meh, it's just a game.' I never was. I wanted to play every game because I liked that competitive edge that you get only from playing. And I wanted to be successful, and I wanted to endure, and I wanted to set records. I wanted all those things. The way you have to do it is sacrifice. And I sacrificed a lot of my personal life to do it. But I'd do it all again."

"most players, once they retire, they never really have as much fun... the high point of your life is over, being a professional athlete and very successful. How do you top that? I'll never find that level of success in anything I do again. Not that level. I could feel successful in anything I do, and I think I am. But not like that.

When that national anthem comes on, even today, I think about when I'm getting ready for a hockey game, isn't that amazing? After all those years of hearing that anthem. It just makes me sweat, even today at an event. Even when I'm not participating. I get nervous... brainwashed, that's the word! (laugh)"

The rest of the Hawks' attack is less imposing, but a vastly unheralded defense, anchored by Goaltender Tony Esposito, makes amends. Esposito, certainly the most durable and probably the top goalie in the NHL, has starred for a decade despite migraine headaches, jangled nerves and broken bones. He has a crack in his left hand right now, but leads the NHL in wins (29).and shutouts (6) and has a fine 2.90 goals-against average.

"Tony's better than good," says Defenseman Bob Murray. "He's unbelievable."

SCOUTING REPORTS

has one of the most unorthodox goaltending styles in the NHL but he keeps the puck out of the nest and that's what counts with the Hawks… Stands with legs spread in an inverted V, giving shooters an inviting target that seems to disappear quite quickly when they fire…

one of the two best goaltenders in the league, whether he looks it or not… Worrier who admits goaltending makes his handshake before and after games. "Sometimes the pressure gets almost too much to take," he says. Not the most graceful shot stopper but and All-Star who beat the Rangers in last season's playoffs with remarkable goaltending… Shooters claim he has an uncanny ability to anticipate shots.

practically single-handedly won a share of the Vezina Trophy for the club… Did have some bad games last season and didn't look great in the playoffs. Won't win any awards for his style, but he still considered one of the NHL's top three goalies. Says Bobby Orr: "Tony doesn't have an Orthodox style, but you can't get the puck past him."… "He's like a third defenseman out there," says Chicago coach Billy Reay. "He's in every play."

his goals-against average was his worst since his rookie season with Vancouver of the Western league… But remember that he was in goal for 70 one of the Hawks 80 games and the defense in front of him wasn't as good as it has been in the past because of a rash of Black Hawk injuries… There's no question that he's one of the best goaltenders around.… From the fall and sprawl school of goalies, but he gets the job done.… Says brother Phil, "Tony plays the angles as well as anyone in the game. He's also got exceptionally quick hands."

keeps on going as one of the league's top goaltenders and one of the most durable. He didn't get as much help last season as he used to, though… Another efficient season… Led league's goalies in games played with 68…

the Blackhawks week team defense allowed 298 goals last season, the most by a Chicago team since 1951. It wasn't all the fault of goaltender Tony Esposito. He was overworked and often unprotected by his forwards and defensemen… Iron man who played more games than minutes than any goalie in NHL last two years... Was brilliant in defeat in playoffs by Islanders last season.

the Hawks had the fourth best goals-against record in the NHL, behind only Montréal, the Islanders and Philadelphia. One of the biggest reasons for that was the continued fine play of Tony Esposito, a top rate goalie… If there is a weakness, it is the Hawks need for a capable backup goalie for Esposito, who is bushed by the time the playoffs roll around.… One of the few lefty goalies in the pros...

still one of the best… Overworked and maybe underpaid… Can carry a team when he's hot

there's not too much more that can be said about Tony Esposito. He knows every trick there is and some that don't exist. He's as good as they come… One of the outstanding NHL goalies in history… Again workhorse of the league last season with 69 games… Club's resident grouch…

toiled valiantly in 66 games – the most of any NHL goalie – and needs to play that often this season if a Hawks are to move up… Heart and soul of team… Still hungry to play after all those years… He claims he wants a bonus if he doesn't play 65 games…

last season was by far the worst of his distinguished career. There were a few nights when he looked like a goalie who had lost it, although he did redeem himself in the playoffs helping team to conference final… Master of the much duplicated butterfly style of goaltending...

rebounded to play some superb goal… Had the lightest workload of his 14 season career. He

PLAYERS, COACHES & MEDIA POLLS

Throughout his career, Esposito was universally named as one of the league's two best goalies when players and coaches were asked. The exception was the 1979 poll.

Best Goalie - Jacques Plante (Tony Esposito, Bernie Parent, Ed Giacomin, Glenn Hall)

Best Goalie - Tony Esposito, Bernie Parent tie (Dan Bouchard, Rogie Vachon)

Best Goalie: 1) Bernie Parent, 52 pts 2) Ken Dryden, 29 pts 3) Tony Esposito, 17 pts 4) Ed Giacomin, 5 pts

Best Goalie - Ken Dryden (Tony Esposito, Bernie Parent, Rogie Vachon, Dan Bouchard)

Best Goaltender 1 Tony Esposito 2 Don Edwards 3 Mike Palmateer

WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED IN THIS DRAFT - some content edited

Tony Esposito vs. Martin Brodeur

| Brodeur | Esposito
Top-2 in Minutes | 9 | 9
Top-2 in Wins | 12 | 7
Top-2 in GAA | 3 | 3
Top-2 in shutouts | 8 | 8
All-Star Teams | 7 | 5
Hart Finalist Seasons | 2 | 2

Based on the above, it looks like Esposito was a poor man's Martin Brodeur in the regular season. Of course, rows 2, 3, and 4 are team stats and row 1 can be heavily team-influenced. Yet, it is exactly these types of numbers that have earned Martin Brodeur such a lofty reputation. Why not Esposito?

Before I answer and address why, let's not close the door on the regular season accomplishments just yet. The single most important statistic is save%. Brodeur is usually above average in save percentage, yet rarely dominant in that regard. What are the ten best save% seasons posted by each goalie, in terms of ranking among the league's other goalies?

| Brodeur | Esposito
Best sv% placements | 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 16 | 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 6, 7

The other thing about Brodeur, though, is that even if he wasn't in the top-20, he was generally at least average. Maybe Esposito's worst seasons were worse, and thus he didn't sustain as great a day-to-day performance level as Brodeur? A good way to determine that would be to look at Hockey Outsider's adjusted sv% thread:

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=718221&highlight=adjusted

Note that Brodeur does very well despite the lack of dominant statistical seasons - far behind Hasek and Roy, rightfully so, and ahead of the "pack" despite playing way more minutes. It really underscores the value of longevity and consistency. HO's thread doesn't go back before 1983, but the stats do exist, and I ran them myself. Esposito's career "adjusted save percentage" based on HO's model, would be .920, the same as Patrick Roy's. His five-year "peak" would have an adjusted sv% of .927, 3rd behind only Hasek and Roy..

So if Esposito had similar team success stats, and was more individually dominant in the regular season, is it even fair to say he was like a "poor Man's Martin Brodeur" in the regular season? Maybe he was better....

Regular season aside, why does Esposito lack Brodeur's great reputation? Well, he's not a "winner". He never won a cup. He got to two finals, and in one of them he flubbed a long Jacques Lemaire shot to lose the cup.

Single plays aside, is it fair to say Esposito didn't perform as well in the playoff opportunities he was given? Let's take a look:

(updated table, I had the wrong figures before)

| Brodeur | Esposito
weighted avg sv% pts+/- LgA, playoffs | +5.1 | +3.9

Esposito was not BAD in the playoffs, contrary to what some would tell you. It's often forgotten that in that in that 1971 playoff (that featured the Lemaire shot), Esposito's sv% was .928, versus a league average of .905, which makes it overall one of the most dominant individual playoff performances by any goalie, ever.

Overall, in Esposito's playoff career, he faced more shots than the league average:

| Brodeur | Esposito
weighted SA/60M +/- LgA, playoffs | -2.8 | +1.5

And a goalie like Brodeur was on a team that had the ability to shut it down in the playoffs even more than usual in the regular season. Esposito did not have this benefit:

| Brodeur | Esposito
career SOG/60M, playoff minus reg | -0.97 | +0.64

Lastly, although he performed about as well on a per-minute basis, he did not amass nearly as great a win% (.459 vs. .547). Why not? Well, wins are a function of goals against (which goalies have a lot of control over) and goals for (which they have zero control over). Esposito's Hawks came up with some brutal offensive performances:

To quote myself from another thread:

"In the playoffs from '75 to '79, [Tony Esposito] had at one point a 16 game losing streak... he had basically no support from his offense. In the losses his team scored:

0 goals - 3
1 goal - 7
2 goals - 4
3 goals - 2
4+ goals - 0

Esposito had no chance of winning unless he posted shutouts in 10 of 16 games. So, looking at the numbers, it looks like Esposito was doomed for four years, regardless of how well or poorly he played."

I'm certainly not saying that Esposito was as good a playoff performer as Fuhr or Smith. But I wonder how Espo would have done had his teammates scored 4-5 goals in each playoff game he started.

With or Without You

Another way to assess a goalie's dominance is to compare their statistics to the sum of other goalies to play for their team during that same time. Backup goalies are generally of similar quality and generally play weaker teams. I decided to run some quick comparisons on some already-drafted goalies. Keep in mind that they need to have had a decent sample of other goalies playing for that team during their career, so a guy like Glenn Hall is not included, for obvious reasons, and neither is Terry Sawchuk, who missed just 13 games in his 5 dominant seasons. Also, this is not favourable to someone like Bower, who formed a HHOF tandem with Sawchuk. I will only do comparisons with the one franchise the goalie is best associated with. I could analyze sv% for all goalies, but for the pre-1983 goalies this would take a lot of work so I will use GAA for them as this can be done easily with hockey-reference.com. (shots against should be fairly steady on the same team, so GAA would work as a reciprocal of sv%) - Here is a list of some drafted goalies and the percentage by which they outperformed the rest of their team's goalies. (for GAA analysis it is goalie's GAA/teammates GAA, for sv% goalies it is goalie's error rate/teammates error rate.)

(study removed as overpass did a better job - see below)

Esposito, thanks to the O6 era and being owned by the dynasty Montreal Canadiens, never got the chance to be an NHL regular until he was 26. He displayed great longevity like Brodeur at the end of his career, but at the beginning doesn't get all those extra games, playoff games, and likely the "winner" reputation that would go along with it. Assume he started in the NHL at age 21, and assume those seasons went even 80% as well as his first 5 with the Hawks, and it's Esposito's 554 wins and 109 shutouts that Brodeur is chasing - Not Sawchuk, not Roy.

It's often been said that Belfour's Legacy gets hurt by being born at the same time as Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy. Likewise with Esposito and Dryden/Parent, all born within four years. (Esposito was the oldest but played five seasons beyond either of them)

I wouldn't dream of selecting Durnan, Smith, Hainsworth, Gardiner, Fuhr, or Worsley over Tony Esposito. (Brimsek & Holecek are debatable as well)

Yes, it is possible that it was just them (GBC & Pappyline) convincing everyone else. Although I don't actually recall any Espo smearing going on. It may have been before my time. Both those guys were veterans when I started here.

Somewhere along the line there began a stigma against selecting Esposito, as though your team would be sunk in the playoffs if you took him. To whover started that - it's nonsense. I think Hedberg did a great job proving otherwise last draft.

No doubt his regular season resume is a lot stronger than in the playoffs. According to Puck Prospectus, he's 4th all-time in career GVT, behind (of course) the consensus top-3.

http://www.hockeyprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=786&mode=print

He won't be an elite postseason ATD goalie, but I can count 24 post-1953 goalies with at least 2500 playoff minutes, who have been, will be, or are very likely to be drafted as starters. Based on outperforming the league's average save% throughout their careers, Esposito is 10th among those 24, and 14th in experience (playoff minutes) (no doubt, due to wins and losses, and/or significantly more minutes, some will be called better playoff goalies than Espo). Just Roy, Belfour, Smith, Hasek, Dryden and Plante did better per-minute while playing more minutes.

Averaging out his regular season resume with his playoffs, he should be about 14th-16th among goalies.

I like the WOWY method, but you have to be careful to weight by season. The method you used can really throw things off when a large percentage of the backups games come in a season with a different scoring level. For example, much of Tony Esposito's backups' games played came in the high scoring 1980s. So it's not an apples to apples comparison.

I have a file with the average goals for of the teams that each goalie faced in a season, which easily corrects for this problem, as well as correcting for whether the goalie got easier or more difficult starts (home/road and strength of opponent).

XWOWY: The expected With or Without You numbers for the goalies you listed, just based on the average opposing GF/G over those time periods

Adjusted WOWY: The WOWY numbers you presented, adjusted for the expected WOWY (this fixes weighting issues and strength of opposition issues)

Goalie | WOWY | XWOWY | Adjusted WOWY
Hasek | 0.71 | 0.974 | 0.73
Parent | 0.81 | 0.977 | 0.83
Roy | 0.85 | 0.989 | 0.86
Dryden | 0.86 | 1.038 | 0.83
Esposito | 0.86 | 0.930 | 0.92
Brodeur | 0.88 | 0.984 | 0.89
Plante | 0.92 | 1.064 | 0.86
Belfour | 0.97 | 1.008 | 0.96
Smith | 1.01 | 1.002 | 1.01
Fuhr | 1.04 | 1.029 | 1.01
Esposito (70-81) | 0.83 | 0.969 | 0.86

You can see Esposito and Plante's numbers are really skewed by failing to weight properly.

But you've also done Esposito a disservice in including his numbers from 1982-84, when he was terrible. If we remove those as not representative of his career, his numbers still look pretty good, as you can see by the Esposito (70-81) numbers.

So I don't disagree with you on Esposito, just doing my part to make the overall numbers a little more accurate.

Hey 70's, to return on the Tony Esposito debate, I would really love you to take the time to read this:

http://brodeurisafraud.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-tony-esposito-lost-in-playoffs.html

and give me your opinion on the article + the back-and-forth debate afterwards. I've read it from top to bottom and taught they nailed pretty good Esposito overall performances in the playoffs. It definitely dosn't paint the picture you want to sell on Tony-O though. I'm not trying to bash Tony-O some more, I just want to get a clear picture on him, because as of now I really don't believe he was even average in the playoffs.

TCG's article basically says exactly what my viewpoint is.

The first guy Bruce makes an incorrect assumption that Espo played in an expansion division - he did not. The schedule was completely balanced when Chicago moved over to that division. The alignment was just window dressing and for playoff seeding, as everyone played everyone else the same number of times. This has been established before.

Next, Bruce makes the assertion that the Hawks' GAA went up, on average, 54% in series that they lost, Before you get carried away with this number, you must remember three things. 1) As TCG pointed out, just once did he lose against a team with fewer regular season points. So it's only natural you will allow more goals against better teams - that's why they're better! 2) These better teams obviously took more shots. Espo didn't just start allowing 54% more goals per block of shots. Did they take 54% more shots than the Hawks were used to in the regular season? Not likely that much. But it would certainly have been something higher. Bruce's quick study does not account for that at all. I have the results for this in a book but I'm not sure it's worth digging up. 3) Better teams aside, this is an analysis of just a dozen losing series. Of course you're not as good in your losses, as you are in your wins. For Espo's career GAA to be what it is in the playoffs, he'd have to have been about 2.24 in the series that he won. This is not surprising. But of course who wants to credit him for the series he won? I'm sure similar stats can be drawn up for a lot of goalies and there would be some interesting results in there.

Bruce's next chart about playoff scoring dropping is correct in principle; however, the goaltenders being used for the chart played the majority of their careers on strong teams; they generally didn't face a team that should beat them until at least round 3. In the four round playoff system, a higher percentage of their games came against weaker teams and not powerhouses, whom Esposito played half his playoff games against.

Shot totals were available at this time; I'm not sure why one of these two didn't pick up a copy of THC; the discussion would have gone a lot differently. I see now that TCG discussed the regular season shots, which were sparse at the time, and known for only three seasons. The playoffs are in that book, in their entirety.Esposito's career playoff shots against per game average is actually the 3rd-highest among all goalies who have been, or will be drafted as starters here:

1. Bower 32.74 (+1.1)
2. Hall 31.90 (+1.1)
3. Esposito 31.71 (+1.7)
4. Worsley 31.38 (+0.6)
5. Barrasso 30.80 (+1.8)
6. Sawchuk 29.98 (-0.8)
7. Joseph 29.07 (+1.4)
8. Smith 28.87 (-0.8)
9. Fuhr 28.59 (-0.5)

the number in brackets is the weighted career average above or below the league average. Tony Esposito faced an average 0f 1.7 shots per game more than the league average, exceeded only by Barrasso.

In the end, TCG is correct to point out that the Hawks, all things being equal, still did allow more goals than they should have in those losing series. Everyone deserves a portion of that blame, including Esposito. But narrowing his playoff record down to that, ignores the series that he won, as well as the ones that he lost in which he was actually good.

Show me a goalie who, in the playoffs, faced more shots, from tougher teams than he faced in the regular season, and allowed fewer goals, yet still lost. That's not going to happen on a regular basis. Espo's Hawks bombed in general. Don't forget, when you count ALL his playoff games (as you should in any comparison), Esposito's sv% edge in the playoffs versus his contemporaries is 10th out of 24 post-1953 goalies likely to be ATD starters.

Efforts are made when voting on the regular season rankings, to completely isolate the players' regular season records and vote on them separately. (my last first round opponent disagreed with that, but I don't). The reason this is ok in the regular season, is that the regular season comprises generally 75-90% of a player's career games: They are very representative of what the player's performance is going to be in the ATD. Over a number of games that high, there is usually not a major issue with competition level, in terms of always facing a disproportionately strong or weak caliber of team.

For those exact reasons, it should not be OK to "just" look at playoff resumes as the determining factor in playoff performance in the ATD. For example, does anyone *really* think that Darryl Sittler will be a better playoff performer than Marcel Dionne in this? Playoff records are important to consider, but at some point common sense regarding the skills of the players has to come into play. A less obvious example is Turk Broda vs. Terry Sawchuk. Overall, Broda was definitely better in the playoffs. Does his GM get to claim a goaltending edge? I don't think so. Over a very large sample of games, Sawchuk clearly showed he was the better goalie, even if his "clutch" factor isn't as great.

So basically the point is, Esposito is not a "liability" as a playoff goalie in the ATD.

OTHER STATISTICAL STUFF

powerplays

Powerplays against can have a great deal of impact on a goalie's sv%. A PP shot is a higher-quality shot, so if you face more PPs than the other goalies, you will have a harder time posting a high sv%. Here is Chicago's PPOA each season, expressed as a percentage of the league average:

1970| 87%*
1971|103%
1972| 89%*
1973| 98%
1974| 81%*
1975|98%
1976|95%
1977|106%
1978| 116%^
1979|110%^
1980| 105%
1981|107%
1982|120%^
1983|98%
1984|102%

This is an average of 101% per season. So basically, Esposito's career sv% stats are not overstated or understated by PPOA. They are what they are. The bolded are the six years in which he was 1st or 2nd in sv%. In three of those years, his team made it easier on him, in one, they made it harder.

It is actually pretty amazing how well the recognition accorded Esposito throughout his career matched his sv% exploits, when these numbers were not compiled until decades later:

Year | sv% rk | AS | Hart
1970 | 1 | 1 | 2
1971 | 4 | 3 | 8
1972 | 1 | 1 | 6
1973 | 2 | 2 | 9
1974 | 2 | 2 | 5
1975 | 7 | 6 |
1976 | 6 | 6 |
1977 | 9 | 7 |
1978 | 2 | 3 | 9
1979 | 4 | 5 | 11
1980 | 2 | 1 | 3
1981 | 12 | |
1982 | 26 | |
1983 | 8 | |

adjusted career playoff sv%

My own creation. Based on the same methodology as Hockey Outsider's regular season equivalent. It is obviously weighted more by playoff seasons in which the goalies played more minutes. This study is based solely on post-expansion seasons (as being compared to the average of 4 goalies is much different than the average of 8-16 goalies) and I only did this for ATD goalies with 3000+ playoff minutes (which is a total of 19 goalies). Results are normalized to .905. Here are the results:

Name | Mins | AdjPOSv%
Smith | 7640 | 0.921
Dryden | 6846 | 0.921
Roy | 15209 | 0.918
Parent | 4302 | 0.917
Belfour | 9945 | 0.916
Vanbiesbrouck | 3969 | 0.916
Hasek | 7318 | 0.915
Brodeur | 10949 | 0.910
Joseph | 8106 | 0.910
Esposito | 6007 | 0.909
Richter | 4514 | 0.909
Fuhr | 8834 | 0.908
Barrasso | 6953 | 0.906
Hextall | 5456 | 0.904
Liut | 3814 | 0.904
Cheevers | 5396 | 0.903
Vernon | 8214 | 0.901
Peeters | 4200 | 0.899
Giacomin | 3834 | 0.891

It's funny, Esposito was just as good at stopping pucks in the playoffs as a lot of all-time greats and reputed "money goalies", but the way some talk about him, you'd think he was always the reason his team lost, and a guarantee for a playoff fizzle in the ATD. This is just not true.