Players who had a good NHL career despite poor numbers in juniors

[Nick Hansen]

I was looking at Milan Lucic's numbers, and besides from the last season in WHL, it was hardly much to write home about.

Milan Lucic at eliteprospects.com

Despite that he has 481 pts in 811 games so far. Any other examples of this?

Click to read more...

 

[Filthy Dangles]

That's intertesting. Lucic couldn't even in score in Junior A let alone Major Junior. Pretty remarkable the contributor he was able to be at the NHL level with Boston given what he did in Junior hockey.

 

[VancouverFanInNYC]

An interesting example I have always been fascinated by is Alexandre Burrows, who fits this description to a T. Played roller hockey for a bit and had to claw his way into the NHL. Highest total was in the Q was 70 points and then eclipsed that by scoring 73 points one year in the ECHL (where he spent four years). Proceeded onto a two-three year AHL stint and never breaking 30 points in that league, before getting called up to the Vancouver Canucks for his energy. Over a 12 year career, his points totals steadily climbed. Despite only scoring 52 points in his first three NHL seasons combined, he eventually hit 35 goals and 67 point one year. Most people will point to the fact that he played with the Sedins, who were kingmakers in their prime. But 409 points over a 913 NHL game career is nothing to sneeze at and certainly a wild success for an underdrafted overager who was struggling to find a place in the Q.

As you get older, you learn to really appreciate a player like him, who surpassed all expectations and whatever predetermined destiny you would imagine from a junior career like his. Never took a shift off and never left you yearning for more (which unfortunately we can't always say of more talented players). Worked for every shift and scored one of the most climatic goals in franchise history.

Alexandre Burrows hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com

 

[Nick Hansen]

That's intertesting. Lucic couldn't even in score in Junior A let alone Major Junior. Pretty remarkable the contributor he was able to be at the NHL level with Boston given what he did in Junior hockey.

It surprised me a lot as I imagined he was earlier than most in his physical development and dominated that way. Apparently not.

Selected 50th overall in 2006 despite not having done anything of note in juniors. Must've been something else than points that impressed people.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

It surprised me a lot as I imagined he was earlier than most in his physical development and dominated that way. Apparently not.

Selected 50th overall in 2006 despite not having done anything of note in juniors. Must've been something else than points that impressed people.

last year with the Giants, he was the leader on the team and led them to a Memorial Cup winning the MVP

30-38-68 in 70 games regular season...plus 147 PIM
7-12-19 in 22 games in the WHL playoffs
2-5-7 in 5 games in the Memorial Cup

You cant teach 6'4 240, and he had shown the potential to develop into what he eventually became...it just happened quicker than expected, as in the very next WHL season

plus he had "the" shift

 

[KWPower]

Not exactly poor numbers but it's relatively save to say when Rakell was just slightly over a PPG his D+2 year I bet nobody expected him to be as good as he is today.

Rickard Rakell at eliteprospects.com

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

In Lucic's case, I think it was clear that he still had some room to improve once his hands caught up. He also had NHL bloodlines in the family - I believe an uncle who had played in the NHL. But really, if you find a fourth line forward who can fight and doesn't need to be a healthy scratch for a quarter of the season in the second round of the NHL draft, you're laughing. So I think the mindset back at the draft was that this player can already fight and if he just develops his skills a little bit more, then he can be a regular fourth line fighter. I don't think anyone ever expected Lucic to become a first line player, otherwise he would have gone in the first round.

Another example of a player with poor junior numbers but still carved out a decent NHL career is Joel Ward. He wasn't even good enough to play pro hockey after his overage junior season. Spent four years in the Canadian college ranks before breaking out there and getting an AHL contract at age 24. He's had a good NHL career since.

 

[Asheville]

Tim Kerr

 

[Voight]

Marchands career high in the Q (weakest major junior league) was only 80 points.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

Patrick Roy is a classic example. Roy posted GAA of 6.26, 4.44 and 5.55 in three seasons with Granby of the QMJHL. Who would have thought at the time that Roy would even become a Hall of Famer?

Patrick Roy (b.1965) hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com

Another goalie with bad junior stats was Ron Hextall. With Brandon of the WHL, his GAA over three seasons was 5.71, 5.77 and 4.27. Hextall would play 13 NHL seasons, winning the Vezina and a Conn Smythe in his rookie year.

Ron Hextall hockey statistics and profile at hockeydb.com

 

[BadgerBruce]

Gordie Howe did not play a single game of junior hockey. Not one goal, assist or fight.

The Red Wings sent him to their junior affiliate in Galt but OHA import restrictions prevented him from suiting up and he only practiced with the team in 1944-45.

The following season, 45-46, he played in the professional USHL with Omaha for a season (48 points in 51 games against men) before joining the Wings in 1946 as an 18 year old.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Sylvain Lefebvre failed to make an average Midget AAA team.

 

[JackSlater]

He may not fit the purpose of the thread as his numbers aren't exactly poor, but Ron Francis had 69 points in 64 games in his draft season. That was only sixth on his own team, and 97 points below his highest scoring teammate - the immortal John Goodwin. Despite this Francis went fourth overall and retired with 1798 regular season points in the NHL.

 

[MXD]

Whether he fits the bill for "good" is debateable, but...

Introducing the man... the legend... Travis Moen.
Travis Moen Stats | Hockey-Reference.com

NHL career that spanned nearly 750 RS games (and 83 PO games). 136 career RS points, and 19 career PO points.

136 career RS points isn't suuuuper impressive, and Moen was, at his absolute peak, a checking 3rd liner, and was otherwise a very defensively-responsible 4th liner who could also mix it up. Career-high of 11 goals (RS) in 06-07.

In the juniors? Well... Two full seasons (and an injury-riddled one). Never scored more than 10 goals. Ended up his junior career with 58 points.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Kris versteeg. Career high 52 pts in the Dub, 0.63 PPG. 358 pts in 643 NHL games.

Also, Brent Burns. One season in the OHL, 40 pts in 68 GP. I have no idea at which position.

 

[Staniowski]

Chris Chelios and Doug Gilmour

Chelios was cut from 2 junior teams in Ontario when he was 16 years old. They weren't even Major Junior teams; I think one was Tier II and the other was Junior B. The following year, when he was 17, he was cut from a lowly university team in California. Until this point, he had been playing forward. He then went up to Saskatchewan and tried out for the Tier II team in Moose Jaw (SJHL). He made the team and started playing defense for the first time. Played 2 years in Moose Jaw, really exploded during the 2nd year, and received an offer from the Wisconsin Badgers, and was also drafted by the Habs. It was tough sledding for awhile for Chelios. I think he went undrafted by the NHL during his first year of eligibility.

Dale Hawerchuk and Doug Gilmour were the same age and teammates in '80-'81 on the Cornwall Royals in the Q. They were both 17 and eligible for the NHL draft in 1981. Hawerchuk was the star of the team and the best junior player in Canada. He scored 183 points in 72 games. Gilmour scored only 35 points in 51 games. Hawerchuk was drafted 1st overall in the draft, and Gilmour went undrafted. After Hawerchuk went to the NHL, however, Gilmour put up big numbers the next 2 seasons. He was drafted in the 7th round in the 1982 draft. So, he did put up some big numbers, but not when he was 16 and 17.

 

[crobro]

Sasha Lakovic went from Juvenile B in Vancouver to playing in the AHL THE FOLLOWING SEASON AND THE NHL AFTER THAT.

Amazing

 

[Neonmile]

Shea Weber was hilariously unproductive in is junior days.

At 17 years old, he only had two (2!) goals an 16 assists en 70 games. He got better but still top out at 12 goals and 41 points in 55 games at 19. Then he went on to be a lock to score 15+ goals and 40+ points over full-season in the NHL for basically a decade.

 

[Killion]

Gordie Howe did not play a single game of junior hockey. Not one goal, assist or fight.

The Red Wings sent him to their junior affiliate in Galt but OHA import restrictions prevented him from suiting up and he only practiced with the team in 1944-45.

The following season, 45-46, he played in the professional USHL with Omaha for a season (48 points in 51 games against men) before joining the Wings in 1946 as an 18 year old.

Yeah, earning $2500... Jolly Jack forgetting to register him properly with the Leagues that left Howe wide open to being claimed by another team without compensating Detroit. Frank Selke Sr of Montreal spotted Adams omission & rather than playing Hardball & grabbing him, notified Jack who promptly filed the appropriate paperwork. Imagine what alternative history wouldve unfolded had Gordie Howe instead become a Montreal Canadien. Talk about a beyond stacked roster.... When he did sign with the Wings the following season, $7000 (and a team jacket, which Adams forget to give him, Gordie refusing to sign the next year until he got it) League Minimum (and we all know what followed thereafter on the business side, Howes contracts holding back everyone elses for years)... wearing #15... switching to #9 when it became available which guaranteed a lower birth on the Pullman Sleepers...