Guys who never should have played a single game

[Filthy Dangles]

The answer is Joel Rechlicz. According to hockeydb, he has played in 407 junior/minor pro/NHL games and scored 5 goals and 7 assists over 13 seasons.

Joel Rechlicz hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com

Jeezus. This dude had 1 point in the Q as an overager in 55 games. You win this thread.

 

[Big Phil]

Oh god. I thought I successfully repressed this memory, but I guess not. Back in the dark ages of the Rangers (maybe 03?), we actually used McKenna on the powerplay in front of the net.

I can't imagine why the Rangers missed the playoffs so often back then..................

I mean, we've seen Chara used that way before, even Pronger. But neither of those players give the team on the powerplay a disadvantage either. McKenna had no talent or skill. Sure he could screen the goalie, but when you have a 5-on-4 then you sort of lose that if one guy doesn't know how to handle the puck.

 

[njdevils1982]

Cam Janssen. Had like 3 or 4 career goals and none of them were scored off the blade of his stick. All of them were off a body part. Worst hands I've seen at NHL level. I know he was there for fighting, but still.

i guess you must have missed this beauty off his stick ….

 

[mike14]

I can't imagine why the Rangers missed the playoffs so often back then..................

I mean, we've seen Chara used that way before, even Pronger. But neither of those players give the team on the powerplay a disadvantage either. McKenna had no talent or skill. Sure he could screen the goalie, but when you have a 5-on-4 then you sort of lose that if one guy doesn't know how to handle the puck.

I used to enjoy watching McKenna trip over his own feet every time he got in a scrap for us.

After he finished playing he came out to Aus to coach our national team (where he did a great job BTW). I remember asking a guy I knew in the squad about how training was going and his reply was "really great, Macca (we're not good at nicknames...) is working on our skating..." I've never laughed so hard in my life

 

[Kevs Security]

Tom Sestito
Tim Sestito
Brandon Manning
Zac Rinaldo

 

[Michael Farkas]

Brandon Manning, as much as he is a dumb, stinky ass player...he doesn't really apply here...he's a #7 across the board.

Plus, he's the only player to ever stop Connor McDavid...

 

[Bluesguru]

i guess you must have missed this beauty off his stick ….

No, I never saw that one. Okay, now there's a good goal. I'll give him that one, that was good. But the defenseman should of just psyched him out and gave him an open invitation to take it to the net. Cam surely would of flubbed it up. Hands of stone IMO. Good work in digging that one up - thanks!!

 

[njdevils1982]

No, I never saw that one. Okay, now there's a good goal. I'll give him that one, that was good. But the defenseman should of just psyched him out and gave him an open invitation to take it to the net. Cam surely would of flubbed it up. Hands of stone IMO. Good work in digging that one up - thanks!!

ya, that goal was cam's "blind squirrel finding a nut" moment

 

[blood gin]

Janssen absolutely deserved a place in the NHL. He was always very much loved by his teammates & fans and he fought. So there was a role for him in the league

 

[blood gin]

Digging further back, what about players like Sasha Lakovic and Brantt Myhres? Both were basically just goons.

They were enforcers. And they belonged and deserved to play games because they filled a role deemed necessary

 

[MeHateHe]

Donald S. Cherry.

 

[blood gin]

Donald S. Cherry.

It was just bad luck for him. He was a good player but the NHL was a tiny league at that time. Only 36 jobs for defenseman available.

 

[The Panther]

It was just bad luck for him. He was a good player but the NHL was a tiny league at that time. Only 36 jobs for defenseman available.

Don couldn't have been that bad, as the Bruins let him play a playoff game when he was 20 or 21. Wasn't the story that they liked him as a prospect, but then he injured himself in baseball or something that summer and the B's sort of passed on him after that?

 

[authentic]

Would Brent Gretzky have ever played an NHL game if his brother wasn't Wayne?

Peter Worrell skill wise was about the worst I've seen. I mean he could barely skate

I actually watched a clip of him for the first time today. His brother didn't look too great from what I saw.

 

[GarbageGoal]

I can't believe Mitch Fritz managed to get 20 games with the Islanders. I saw him play a game once in the AHL for Bridgeport against Providence where little kids were aware of and laughing at him for his inability to skate.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Surely there are a handful of guys on, say, the 1974-75 Capitals who would merit consideration...

Yep, & during the height of NHL-WHA expansion madness in the mid-70s, you could probably say that at least 30% of the guys at the bottom of the NHL had no business being there. The year the Caps joined the NHL, there were 32 major league teams (18 NHL + 14 WHA.) This was the season we were treated to such stars as 29-goal Dave Hrechkosy of the Seals.

 

[ChuckLefley]

I actually watched a clip of him for the first time today. His brother didn't look too great from what I saw.

Brent obviously didn’t do anything in the NHL, but he deserved a shot. 82 and 121 points in his last two seasons in the OHL. 20 goals and 54 points in his first season in the AHL. 40 points in 54 games in his second pro season after ten games in the NHL to start the season.

 

[authentic]

Brent obviously didn’t do anything in the NHL, but he deserved a shot. 82 and 121 points in his last two seasons in the OHL. 20 goals and 54 points in his first season in the AHL. 40 points in 54 games in his second pro season after ten games in the NHL to start the season.

I don't doubt he was very talented. The pressure he had on him from being Gretzky's brother probably made him grip his stick a little tigher, even if it was known he was not close to that caliber of player.

 

[IslesFan2017]

Brad Mills, who briefly played for the Devils in 2010-11 and 2011-12, and the Blackhawks in 2013-14 would fit. I only remembered him because I saw a clip of an OT goal scored by the Devils and I saw him celebrating in the pile, thinking "who is this guy"? I really didn't remember him playing that much for the Devils in the other regular season games or their 2012 playoff run.

 

[Captain Bowie]

From my corner of the league, I submit:

Nathan McIver - Defenceman who was an offensive black hole, in the AHL. But he had a bit of a mean streak...

Mark Mancari - Couldn't skate, but was big. Put up some OK numbers in juniors and minors, but never in the bigs. Being big and strong doesn't help if you can't skate into a position to use it.

Alexandre Grenier - See Mark Mancari.

 

[Hoser]

Yep, & during the height of NHL-WHA expansion madness in the mid-70s, you could probably say that at least 30% of the guys at the bottom of the NHL had no business being there. The year the Caps joined the NHL, there were 32 major league teams (18 NHL + 14 WHA.) This was the season we were treated to such stars as 29-goal Dave Hrechkosy of the Seals.

Hey, don't sell The Wrecker short!

 

[Rebels57]

Tyrell Goulbourne would be the most recent Flyer to make his debut that did not belong. Played 7 games and im not sure he touched the puck once.

 

[Hoser]

Brent obviously didn’t do anything in the NHL, but he deserved a shot. 82 and 121 points in his last two seasons in the OHL. 20 goals and 54 points in his first season in the AHL. 40 points in 54 games in his second pro season after ten games in the NHL to start the season.

I don't doubt he was very talented. The pressure he had on him from being Gretzky's brother probably made him grip his stick a little tigher, even if it was known he was not close to that caliber of player.

One can only imagine the pressure you'd be under if your older brother was the best, most-famous hockey player in the world since you were eight years old.

 

[The Panther]

One can only imagine the pressure you'd be under if your older brother was the best, most-famous hockey player in the world since you were eight years old.

That's right... Good grief, it's like The Beatles' kids starting music careers. What's the point? No matter what you do, it'll never ever be appreciated on its own terms unless you're at superstar level.

Have to give Brett Hull some props, though, for not only daring to compete in his father's shadow but emerging from a promising but not spectacular youthful period into a superstar-type pro-career.

 

[blood gin]

Don couldn't have been that bad, as the Bruins let him play a playoff game when he was 20 or 21. Wasn't the story that they liked him as a prospect, but then he injured himself in baseball or something that summer and the B's sort of passed on him after that?

I don't know the full story but the whole injuring himself in baseball is familiar to me as well...may be something to it

Supposedly he actually played very well in that game too. Wasn't like he just showed up on the scene and the bright lights were too much for him