ATD 2014 - the Bios Thread

[Rob Scuderi]

Credit to seventieslord and Leafs Forever for the basis of this bio.

Eric Nesterenko, RW

Awards and Achievements
1 x Stanley Cup Champion (1961)
4 x Stanley Cup Finalist (1962, 1965, 1968, 1971)

Scoring
SH Goals: 1st(1965), 1st(1967), 3rd(1969), 5th(1968)*, 7th(1964)*, 8th(1970)*

*Achieved with particularly low totals

Most Shorthanded points 1952-53 to 1966-67 (via overpass):

Player | GP | SHG | SHA | SHP
Gordie Howe | 1030 | 19 | 15 | 34
Eric Nesterenko | 894 | 22 | 10 | 32
Jerry Toppazzini| 783 | 19 | 13 | 32
Don Marshall | 862 | 16 | 13 | 29
Bob Pulford | 727 | 23 | 5 | 28
Ron Stewart| 964 | 14 | 12 | 26
Alex Delvecchio | 1024 | 16 | 9 | 25
Red Kelly | 990 | 12 | 10 | 22
Fleming Mackell | 483 | 10 | 8 | 18
Allan Stanley | 901 | 2 | 14 | 16
George Armstrong | 942 | 7 | 9 | 16
Bobby Hull | 674 | 10 | 5 | 15
Norm Ullman | 817 | 6 | 9 | 15
Dave Keon | 472 | 9 | 5 | 14
Tim Horton | 978 | 3 | 11 | 14

Eric Nesterenko was a versatile right-winger who played 1,343 regular season and playoff games in an NHL career that lasted two decades. He could score, play a physical game, and play effectively on the power play and penalty killing units.

Nesterenko filled a checking role for the most and was considered an agitator who could throw the opposition off its game. He was considered lethal in the corners where he became known as "Elbows" around the league.

The big winger went on to play 16 years for the Hawks and hit double figures in goals 12 times...contributed to Chicago's first Stanley Cup win in 23 years.

He was a player who could do everything well. He scored, played physical, stickhandled nicely, and backchecked.-

Nesterenko was a fierce and relentless checker, and drew many penalties for his aggressive play. He gradually developed finesse and became the reliable RW of the much-improved Blackhawks...When he finally retired, he was one of the few who had played 20 years in the NHL.

...he dedicated himself to being a checker with the Blackhawks. He forged out a reputation as a shadow, hounding the better scorers in the league, like Gordie Howe, Johnny Bucyk and Frank Mahovlich. Nesterenko accepted the thankless job without complaint and became quite proficient in this line of work...His long reach helped him to check and his use of his elbows kept the opposition on alert.

Eric's longevity in the NHL was a result of his defensive abilities. He was a strong skater, and with his size, Coach Reay assigned him to cover the opponents' best wingers. Also, he teamed up with Bily Hay as one of the most effective penalty killing duo's in the league. In fact, he was the first Hawk to score two shorthanded goals in a game where he tallied twice against Montreal at the stadium, during a 7-0 win over the Canadiens. The effort has been matched a half-dozen times since then by the Hawks, but never surpassed.

Nesterenko has shadowed such stars in the 60's as Toronto's Frank Mahovlich, New York's Andy Bathgate, and Montreal's Bernie Geoffrion. Eric constantly frustrated those stars.

He lined up against Blackhawks right wing Eric Nesterenko, one of the toughest customers ever to play in the NHL

Because of his large size and good skating ability, Nesterenko was compared favorably to Jean Beliveau early in his career. However no one confuses the two now that all is said in done...

...In Chicago Eric was transformed into a valuable defensive forward. His skating ability and hockey sense made him into a superb penalty killer and shadow of the league's better players.

Hockey cards repeatedly call him one of the best defensive forwards in the game

Once rated a "second Beliveau," Eric found the going tough until he joined Hawks from Toronto.

Eric's a rangy right winger who came up to Toronto as a ballyhooed rookie. Leafs found him wanting, and he was sold to Chicago. In five years with Hawks, he's contributed good, aggressive hockey on right wing under patient handling of Chicago coach Rudy Pilous.

Lanky right winger is all elbows, a defensive leech.

Rated as one of closest checking forwards in game...

"Nester" is rated one of the best defensive forwards in NHL. Often used by Hawks, to shadow leading scorers...He is rough in the corners. Long stride makes him effective as penalty killer.

Tall right wing, all elbows, rates as one of the best defensive forwards in NHL...Kills penalties, comes up with key goals.

The appearance was almost gangly and the nickname "Elbows" appropriate as the lanky Nesterenko patrolled Chicago's right wing for his 10th season. Used extensively as a penalty killer for the Black Hawks...

Eric is rated by man coaches as the best defensive forward in the NHL - an expert penalty killer.

All NHL coaches agree that Eric is the best defensive forward in the NHL. An expert penalty killer, Eric excels at keeping opposing players off the score sheet. In a game where the goal scorers get all the "glory," Eric is a coaches "dream" because of his ability at keeping the opposition in check.

Shadowing Mahovlich

Rudy Pilous has appointed Eric Nesterenko, a colossus that does not shy to monitor Mahovlich, and Nesterenko succeeded so well that in each of these three parts, Mahovlich won only rare shots on the net and he could not count a sole goal.

Mahovlich has 45 goals. He needs six more in the remaining three weeks of the regular campaign to break the record set by Maurice (Rocket) Richard of the Montreal Canadiens 16 years ago.

"I know it's not going to be easy," Mahovlich said. "Most of the other clubs are putting a special man on me now and the checking is closer. Chicago has put Eric Nesterenko on me and he's giving me trouble.

"If Imalch could keep me out there, they would leave their checker, Eric Nesterenko, on the ice. He was all over you, but for us, it was far better having Nesterenko on there than Bobby Hull.

For most of the first two periods Tuesday, the Hawks operated mainly with two forward lines - Stan Mikita between Dennis Hull and Cliff Koroll and Maki pivoting Bobby Hull and Eric Nesterenko.

"It just worked out that way because the Canadiens didn't want Nesterenko checking Frank Mahovlich and I did," said Reay, who has last call on line changes because of home ice.

Shadowing Howe

"All we did was check and let them come back in wave after wave. Nester checked Howe good enough but we didn't have enough guys to back him up."

Headline: Howe's Shadow Nesterenko Termed Key to Chicago Win

The Chicago Black Hawks try for their second successive National Hockey League semifinal playoff triumph over the Detroit Red Wings tonight, hoping two surprise factors again will prevail.

...The other is that Eric Nesterenko can continue his effective checking of Detroit NHL's scoring champion Gordie Howe.

The last-minute shift of Eric Nesterenko from his normal right wing spot to left wing assigned him to Howe, who got away only two shots under Nesterenko's fine checking Tuesday night.

If Howe can't break away from the Hawks right-winger, Pious think the Hawks might advance to the final against the Toronto-Montreal winner in the minimum four games.

"If Nesterenko can keep Howe in check for the rest of the series, we could get the job done early." Pious says.

...Abel (Detroit coach) conceded Nesterenko did a "really good job" on Howe but pointed out, "Our Howe, Parker Mcdonald, and Alex Delveccio line didn't skate as well as usual, so Nesterenko and the other Hawks found it a little easier to check them.

For a guy who has difficulty popping the puck into the net, Eric Nesterenko is receiving all sorts of public attention these days.

His main forte-and Frank Mahovlich of Toronto Maple Leafs will confirm this-is that the Chicago Black Hawk right winger is known in the National Hockey League circles as a bothersome fellow, and a pretty good player to boot. His job against the Leafs, is to make sure that Mahovlich doesn't burst loose.

Now he has turned his attention on another great scorer, Gordie Howe of Detroit Red Wings. Probably the safest bet for tonight's second game of the Chicago-Detroit Stanley Cup semi-finals is that the tall, angular shadow of six-foot one-inch Nesterenko will follow Howe whenever he steps onto the Stadium ice.

Nesterenko bothered defensemen as well

Of all the forwards he faced during his 21 years in the National Hockey League, Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull among them, defenseman Allen Stanley says the man who gave him the biggest headache was Eric Nesterenko.

"He was the toughest" said Stanley, reminscing during his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame Tuesday night in Toronto. "I remember one night asking Tim Horton how I should check Nester.

"Tim told me to look straight in the eye when he came over the blueline and just get a piece of him and Tim would pick up the loose puck. It worked that night but Nester was tough. How was I supposed to know where he was going with the puck when he didn't know himself?"

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Adding a few quotes and team scoring table to EB's bio

With our 7th selection, the 237th overall in this year All-Time Draft, the Detroit are extremely please to select Winger Cecil Graham Dillon

Nickname: Ceece, Diny
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 173 lbs
Position: Right Wing / Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Date of Birth: April 26, 1908
Place of Birth: Toledo , Ohio, United States
Date of Death: November 13, 1969

Stanley Cup Champion (1933)
Stanley Cup Finalist (1932, 1937)
NHL First All-Star Team (1938)
NHL Second All-Star Team (1936, 1937)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1937)
Conn Smythe Trophy (1933**)

- Ranked #33 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats


[table="head;title"]Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
10|453|167|131|298|105[/table]

Top-10 Scoring (4th, 5th)
Top-10 Goalscoring (2nd, 4th, 6th, 6th, 6th, 6th)
Top-10 Assist (3rd)
Finished in the top twenty scorers seven years in a row

[table="head;title"]Playoffs|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
9|43|14|9|23|14[/table]

Top-10 Playoff Scoring (1st, 8th)
Top-10 Playoff Goalscoring (1st, 4th, 9th)
Top-10 Playoff Assist (5th, 6th)


Awards Nomination:

Lady Bing Trophy:
1934-35: 5th position (Frank Boucher) (-66.9%)
1935-36: 3rd position (Doc Romnes) (-32.3%)
1937-38: 3rd position (Gordie Drillon) (-44.2%)

Dillon played behind the Bread Line in New York, but scored a lot more than his linemates. The Next Rangers category excludes Boucher and the Cooks.

Season|NHL scoring|Rangers scoring|Points|Next Rangers
1931-32| 11th| 2nd| 38 | 26, 21
1932-33| 20th| 4th| 31 | 22, 11
1933-34| 4th |2nd| 39 | 27, 20
1934-35| 19th |3rd| 34| 29, 22
1935-36| 13th |1st| 32 | 25, 18
1936-37| 17th |1st|31| 28, 26
1937-38| 5th |1st| 39 | 37, 35

Dillon was a model of consistency, not missing a single game in eight years.

Playing in the shadows of the likes of Frank Boucher and Cook brothers, Bill and Bun, it is easy to understand how a player like Cecil Dillon was one of the most underrated players of his day.

A right winger with a left handed shot, Dillon made a name for himself early playing on a line with Butch Keeling and Murray Murdoch. The trio were instrumental in the Rangers' 1933 Stanley Cup championship, especially Dillon. In 8 games he scored 8 goals and 10 points in 8 games, leading all NHLers in scoring. Had there been a playoff MVP award back then, Cecil Dillon was sure to have won it that spring.

Winger from the checking line was the dominant player in the playoffs. He had goals in his first five playoff games including the winner in the opener of the finals against Toronto, then picked up the first goal in a 3-2 loss to the Leafs and was selected one of the games stars in a 1-0 overtime winner for his work in holding the Primeau-Conacher-Jackson line to no goals in the final.

As a right-winger with a scoring knack, "Ceece" lasted 10 seasons in the NHL with the Rangers New York Rangers (1930-39) and Red Wings Detroit Red Wings (1939-40). Five times he topped the 20-goal mark. He led the Rangers in goals 3 times and points 3 times. By the end of the 1930's he had become one of the top scorers in Rangers history.

The husky Rangers left wing player is recognized to have one of the deadliest shot in the National Hockey League.

In addition to these scoring feats, Dillon played a great defensive game and his clever checking helped the Blue Shirts on many occasion when penalties left them a man short.

Trailing 1-0 with less than six minutes remaining in the second period, Cecil Dillon, recruit winger from Springfield Indians, gave the Rangers the needed scoring punch when he terminated a four-man combination thrust with a hard shot, which clearly beat Gardiner.

Dillon's two goals against Toronto, bringing his total to seven in the play-off series, set a record which was the more unusual in that he is a member of a second-string forward line that was supposed to be weak. In the preliminary series against the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings, he had helped eclipse the Rangers famed first-string forwards (Frank Boucher and the Cook brothers. Bill & Bun)

Added to all this is the strong possibility play-off scoring records will be shattered by Cecil Dillon, black-thatched checking pest of Rangers.

It was little more than three years ago when Patrick decided Rangers needed the peppery, black haired youngster. [...] Dillon hasn't any apparent weaknesses on the ice.

Tall, black-haired young Cecil Dillon, again was the spear-head of the Ranger attack [...] Dillon scored two goals, his sixth and seventh of the play-offs, assisted Murdoch in another and fairly ran the Leafs ragged with his back-checking when penalties left his team shorthanded.

Dillon's individual skill brought the fourth goal and showed the Leafs how badly beaten they were. [...] Ching Johnson finally got the puck and drove it far down the ice where Dillon and Happy Day racing for it. Day got there first, but as he circled the net and circled down the ice again, Dillon caught up with him and hooked the puck nearly off his stick. The young Ranger feinted three times before the veteran Chabot finally plunged out of the goal mouth, then he swung neatly past the cage guardin and poked the disc home.

About two years ago this time the gray sage of hockey, Lester Patrick, beamed upon one of his energetic young Rangers and made a remark that for him was indeed unusual.

"There," he said, pointing to a slender, blushing, black-haired youngster named Cecil Dillon, "is the perfect hockey player."

Today that same Cecil Dillon, born in Toleda, O., 24 years ago, is the hero of the Rangers burst through two rounds of the annual playoffs for the Stanley Cup and the world professional hockey championship.

In Madison Square Garden last night, in the first of the final five game series with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dillon scored two goals in the Rangers' 5 to 1 victory and he ran his count for the playoffs to seven goals, equaling a record.

"So you see," said Lester Patrick with a chuckle, "he hasn't done anything to change my mind. He is a perfect hockey player. He's coming along like a house afire. His best years are still ahead of him."

Patrick, busily preparing to take the Rangers to Toronto tonight, where the series with the Leafs resumes Saturday, rarely gets excited over the work of his athletes.

Murdoch and Dillon, a pair of the best back-checkers in the league, will hook up with Butch Keeling on the third line in addition to emergency duty when the team is short-handed through penalties.

Dillon, who seldom the rise and fall of Ranger fortunes to affect his consistant scoring.

In only two cases the voting was close for the first team. Conacher beat out speedy Cecil Dillon of the New York Rangers for right wing by a narrow margin.

Our outstanding back-checking line, judging from their work here, probably will be the "kid line." But when we are playing short-handed, Murray Murdoch and Dillon will be used as back-checkers.

As usual, Murdoch and Dillon, both superb defensive players, will carry the burden when penalties leave the team short-handed.

Cecil Dillon, speedy Rangers wingman.

In the fourth minute, dangerous Cecil Dillon slapped home the tying goal.

Then Cecil Dillon, Rangers' dangerous left hand shooting right winger, broke up the game with what proved to be the game winning goal. He did it all alone, swinging down the right side with two mates accompanying him as decoys on left wing. Dillon, known as an unselfish player, crossed up the Maroons defence by not passing, and stepped around Stew Evans to walk right in on Beveridge and score.

Dillon, a left-handed right-winger who rushes sideways and is therefore thoroughly baffling, especially when he shoots backwards, started the Maroons on the way to defeat, and their desperate rallies were repulsed when it seemed as though the Rangers, the Ramblers and even the Rovers were all on hand to surround every puck carrier.

Cecil Dillon, speedy, sleek-haired wingman of the New York Rangers, who has been rated one of the National Hockey League's best back-checkers ever since his debut in 1930, is coming to the front as a contender for the scoring title.

Only one member of the squad, the fast-skating Cecil Dillon, was 30 years old. The others were between 29 and 22.

ONE reason why the Rangers are doing a little better than all right for themselves on ice this season is that the Two-Gun Terror from Thornbury, Ont., Cecil Dillon, has his eye on the target again. Gordon Drillon of the whirling Maple Leafs is topping the league in scoring points, but Sharpshooter Cecil is tied for second place

Manager Jack Adams of Detroit Red Wings announced his club have bought the veteran Cecil Dillon from Rangers, giving his wing one of the game's highest scorer.

This six-foot, 175-pounder is the iron man of hockey...Played 487 consecutive games with the New York Rangers before being sidelined because of a knee injury...Averaged 33 points per season during nine campaigns in the big show for the sixth best scoring average...Topped only by Sweeney Schriner, Marty Barry, Nels Stewart, Charley Conacher and Harvey (Busher) Jackson.

Has lost some of speed which made him a big league standout, but his shot is as deadly as ever...Rated among brainiest players in game...Consistent player, but very quiet...Although left-hand shot, performs best at right wing...Can play center and left wing capacity if needed.

Quotes:

- ''Beat that record Dil!'' - Rangers fans screaming at Dillon during the 1933 playoffs

- ''Dillon and Patrick are skating faster than ever before.'' - Bill Cook, before the opening of the 1936-37 season

- ''He always was a natural and all I could do his develop his knowledge of inside hockey. It's the same, you see, in this game as it is in baseball or any other sports. The difference between the minor league and the major league, often, his from the neck up. All Dillon needed was finish and he has been a perfect pupil. He knows now exactly what to do. Three time in this year's play-offs alone he's done the most spectacular of hockey's scoring plays - stealing a puck down deep in the enemy's defence, sweeping it on the goalie alone, feinting him out of position, then beating him clearly for the goal. Like a big league pitcher, he's learned to mix is stuff. He's going to be the greatest player in hockey.'' - Lester Patrick, raving on Cecil Dillon during the 1933 playoffs

- ''There is the perfect hockey player.'' - Lester Patrick, pointing at Cecil Dillon in his first appearance at the Madison Square Garden. (That glowing phrase has been reiterated by Patrick many time since (The Montreal Gazette (03/06/1933))


Biography & Personal Life:

Cecil ''Ceese'' Dillon was one of the very few American born players in the early days of the NHL. Dillon was born in Toledo, Ohio on April 26th, 1908. In 1914, at the age of six years old, Dillon moved to Thornbury, a small town in southwestern Ontario, where he took up hockey.

His ascension into the professional hockey world started in 1927, when he played senior hockey for the Owen Sound Greys of the Senior Ontario Hockey Association. The next season, the skinny teenager asked the Sprinfield Indians coach Frank Caroll, of the CAHL, a tryout with his club. A two time Allan Cup winner in the 1920's, Caroll accepted the request, gave him a pair of skates and a hockey stick, and Dillon impressed enough to play under Caroll's team for the next two and a half season. In his second and last complete season with the Indians, Dillon finished second in scoring, only behind Gene Carrigan, who would play part of three season in the NHL.

Midway through the 1930–31 season, coach Lester Patrick, a big supporter of Dillon's play since he first wore the blue-and-white jersey, inserted him in his lineup for the first time. For the next eight and a half season, the husky Dillon would play an intricate part his team success. That same year, it has been reported that Dillon played part time as a center, mainly alternating with Frank Boucher, one of Rangers most acclaim player.

For the first few season with the club, ''Ceese'' had to play mostly second violin to Bill Cook and the notorious ''Bread Line''. Indeed, Frank Boucher, flanked by the Cook brothers, Bun and Bill on both side, were the most electrifying trio of forward in the 1930's. Thus far, having played all his career on the left wing, the left shooting Dillon found his niche playing on the right side, playing second shift on most night with Murray Murdoch, another very resilient forward who played more than 500 consecutive games, all with the Rangers, and center Butch Keeling. It was Patrick idea to try Dillon on his off-wing, as they were too much left winger on his team, and the move paid out. Dillon is one of the first left handed shooter playing on the right side.

Dillon probably played his best hockey during the 1933 playoff, where he lead the league in goals and points. Playing a beautiful two-way game, it was reported in various newspaper of the time that Dillon outright outplayed the famous New York Rangers first line and was the most significant contributor of his team in both of his series, against the Montreal Canadiens in the semi final and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the final. If a trophy rewarding the most brilliant playoff performer existed at that time, there is no doubt that Cecil Dillon would of been the recipiency.

In his time with the Rangers, Dillon was known to love Frank Boucher's stories, most of them completely fabricated, about his days in the RCMP. He was also a superstitious player. Indeed, one time in 1939, Dillon was so superstitious that he refused a new pair of skating boots after he had been badly cut. Figuring that a new pair of skates in the middle of the year might jinx him, he ordered the old one to be patched up.

He also had a humorous side, as Clint ''Snuffy'' Smith recall: ''Cecil Dillon never read the sports page. Everytime he picked up a newspaper all he read was the funny pages. One of his favourite comic strips starred Barney Google and an ornery hillbilly named Snuffy Smith. As soon as I scored, Dillon went over to the announcer, and said: ''Tell ‘em Snuffy Smith scored that goal!'' Well, damn if he didn’t say it over the loudspeaker!''

As veteran Bill Cook was ageing, it should come as know surprise that Dillon took more place on the New York Rangers and soon enough, became the main trigger-man for the team. In 1935, after finishing second in goals scored, only behind the excellent Charlie Conacher, Dillon received a second all-star berth the next season, as he was narrowly beaten by Charlie Conacher in the voting 16-11 to 12-11.

After receiving his second all-star selection in 1937, Dillon receive his only first all-star selection of his career in 1938. In a feat that only happen once in the history of the National Hockey League, both Dillon and Gordie Drillon of the Toronto Maple Leafs received exactly the same number of first and second vote position, thus making them the only duo to receive a first all-star selection on the same year.

From 1936 to 1938, as Dillon took the reign as the offensive cataclyst of his team, he led the Rangers in scoring in those three consecutive years, joining an exclusive club formed by Frank Boucher, Bill Cook, Andy Bathgate, Phil Esposito and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to do so. Of those six players, only Dillon is not enriched in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The 1938-39 season was the last season in a Rangers uniform for Dillon. The ageing veteran was sold to the Detroit Red Wings by Lester Patrick, who decided that his team needed some young blood. it was the end of an incredible sequence for Cecil. Indeed, Dillon never missed a single regular season game in his nine season with the club. In 409 consecutive games, he scored 160 goals and 281 points with the club.

After an uneventful season with the Red Wings, Dillon played another two years of professional hockey before retiring. In 1940-41, he played 49 games with Indianapolis of the AHL and 51 games with the Pittsburgh Hornet in 1941-42, collecting 13 goals and 23 assists.

Dillon returned to Thornbury after his hockey career and worked for the local phone company. He was a fisherman born and he could sit for hours listening to cowboy songs with a great yearning. No one remember ever seeing him on a horse, though. He also admitted being an expert at making palatable home brew. He died in Meaford, Ontario on November 13, 1969, at the age of 61. He left behind him his wife, his two children and numerous Rangers supporter remembering him as one of the winger in New York Rangers' history.


Fun & Interesting Facts:

- Dillon scored at least 20 goals in five of his ten NHL seasons
- In 1938, both Cecil Dillon and Gordie Drillon received the same amount of first and second vote position for the all-star selection
- His 8 goals in the 1933 playoffs was at the time an NHL record. It took 10 years for Don Grosso to equal it and two more to be beaten by Maurice Richard, with 12 goals


Signing &Trades:

- On January 1, 1931, he was traded to the New York Rangers by the Springfield Indians for cash (NHL)
- On May 17, 1939 he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings by the New York Rangers for cash (NHL)
- On December 15, 1940, he was traded to the Providence Reds by the Detroit Red Wings with Eddie Bush for Harold Jackson (AHL)


Abbreviation:
CAHL: Canadian-American Hockey Lague
AHL: American Hockey League
NHL: National Hockey League
RCMP: Royal Canadian Mounted Police
SOHA: Senior Ontario Hockey Association


Internet Sites:
http://www.sihrhockey.org/member_player_sheet.cfm?player_id=6770&mode=0
http://nyrangerslegends.blogspot.com/2009/10/cecil-dillon.html
http://www.beehivehockey.com/profiles_03.htm
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,847306,00.html
http://tomhawthorn.blogspot.com/2009/05/clint-snuffy-smith-hockey-player-1913.html
http://www.hhof.com/html/newsconn.shtml
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A15F73A5A157A93CAA8178AD85F4C8385F9

** Retroactive award attributed by the Society of International Hockey Research

 

[Dreakmur]

Jean-Guy Talbot !!!


Awards and Achievements:
7 x Stanley Cup Champion (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966)

1st Team Al-Star (1962)

Norris – 3rd(1962), 7th(1963)
All-Star – 2nd(1962), 5th(1963), 11th(1964)


Scoring Accomplishments:
Points among Defensemen – 1st(1962), 7th(1961), 7th(1963), 9th(1965), 10th(1959), 13th(1958), 14th(1956), 16th(1957), 16th(1960), 18th(1964)

Play-off Points among Defensemen – 2nd(1970), 4th(1958), 5th(1960), 5th(1961), 6th(1956), 6th(1957), 6th(1962), 7th(1966), 8th(1964)


5-Year Peak: 1961 to 1965
3rd in Points, 99% of 2nd place Tim Horton
7th in Goals, 51% of 2nd place Pierre Pilote
2nd in Assists, 68% of 1st place Pierre Pilote

10-Year Peak: 1956 to 1965
6th in Points, 63% of 2nd place Bill Gadsby
12th in Goals, 51% of 2nd place Bill Gadsby
5th in Assists, 67% of 2nd place Pierre Pilote


Scoring Percentages:
Points among Defensemen - 112(1962), 89(1961), 83(1963), 63(1965), 58(1964), 54(1959)

Best 6 Seasons: 459​

 

[Dreakmur]

Reed Larson !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Norris voting – 11th(1980), 18th(1981)
All-Star voting – 10th(1978), 10th(1979), 12th(1980), 14th(1981)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Points among Defensemen – 3rd(1979), 3rd(1983), 4th(1980), 5th(1984), 7th(1978), 8th(1986), 11th(1985), 13th(1982), 14th(1981)
Goals among Defensemen – 1st(1981), 2nd(1980), 2nd(1983), 3rd(1984), 3rd(1986), 5th(1979), 5th(1982), 6th(1978), 8th(1985)


5-Year Peak: 1979 to 1983
2nd in Points among Defensemen, 94% of 1st place Denis Potvin
1st in Goals among Defensemen, 116 of 2nd place Denis Potvin
5th in Assist among Defensemen s, 86% of 2nd place Denis Potvin

10-Year Peak: 1978 to 1987
4th in Points among Defensemen, 91% of 2nd place Paul Coffey
2nd in Goals among Defensemen, 97% of 1st place Paul Coffey
6th in Assists among Defensemen, 89% of 2nd place Paul Coffey


Scoring Percentages:
Points among Defensemen – 99(1983), 92(1979), 88(1980), 82(1985), 82(1986), 76(1978), 76(1981), 73(1984), 71(1982)

Best 6 Seasons: 519​

 

[tony d]

Defenseman James Patrick

Biographical Information courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/patrija01.html

Position: D ▪ Shoots: Right
Height: 6-2 ▪ Weight: 202 lbs.
Born: June 14, 1963 (Age 50) in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Stats On Patrick courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/patrija01.html:

-639 points in 1280 career games
-1 Top 10 Finish in Plus Mine
-1280 Games rank him 93rd all time

Legends Of Hockey:

As property of the New York Rangers, who drafted him ninth overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Patrick then made his debut with the Blueshirts, a move that marked the beginning of more than nine seasons on Broadway. After much anticipation from Ranger fans and management, he settled in as a blueliner with good technical skills and an outstanding ability to make smooth transitions between offense and defense. Once again in 1987 Patrick represented his homeland on the international stage, as part of Canada's series victory of the Soviet Union at the 1987 Canada Cup.

Patrick's personal grounding, intelligence and strong positional play have allowed him to sustain 20+ years of NHL play. He left the Rangers early in 1993-94 for a brief stint in Hartford before heading West to join the Calgary Flames for four seasons. Since then, Patrick brought his veteran blueline ppresence to the Buffalo Sabres where remained through the 2003-04 season before calling it a career in the summer of 2005

Joe Pelletier:

Patrick, who suffered from the digestive disease colitis, was an exceptional talent. He was an excellent skater in every way - speed, agility and power. His skating was amplified by his superior puck handling ability, often rushing the puck. He had a great point shot, always kept low for tips and rebounds.

That is how Patrick picked up most of his points, because he was not an elite passer. He was never great at the perfect breakout pass from his own zone. His instinct was always to skate with the puck. Once he reached the neutral zone he would either dump the puck into the offensive zone, or just drive all the way to the net, whether the defenseman should be or not.

Final Thoughts:

Glad to have James Patrick, I think he is a good final addition to the top 6 on defense for the Racers.

 

[tony d]

Centre Rick Macleish

Biographical Information courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/macleri01.html

Position: C ▪ Shoots: Left
Height: 5-11 ▪ Weight: 185 lbs.
Born: January 3, 1950 (Age 64) in Lindsay, Ontario

Stats on Macleish courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/macleri01.html

-759 points in 846 career games
-107 points in 114 career playoff games
-3 Time All Star
-2 Time Top 10 Finisher for Goals and Points in a Season
-23 short handed goals ranks him 47th all time

Legends Of Hockey

The Flyers opted to start MacLeish in the AHL in 1971-72 before recalling him late in the year. The next season he broke through with 50 goals while playing the power play and taking a regular shift with undrafted and undrafted. Over the next two season he continued to produce on offense but was asked to take on penalty killing and defensive responsibility. MacLeish's excellence was a key component on the Flyers' consecutive Stanley Cup wins in 1974 and 1975. During the first title run he led all playoff goal scorers with 13 goals and 22 points. Overall, MacLeish was named to play in the 1976, 1977 and 1980 NHL all-star games.

During the late 70s, MacLeish was a top two-way player for Philly. In 1979-80 he scored 31 goals while teaming with undrafted and undrafted. The trio helped the Flyers set an NHL record by going undefeated in 35 straight games and later reach the 1980 Stanley Cup final. In July 1981, the veteran pivot joined the youthful Hartford Whalers. During his last three NHL seasons MacLeish also played in Pittsburgh, did a second tour in Philly and dressed for the Detroit Red Wings before retiring in 1984.

Joe Pelletier:

Rick MacLeish scored 328 goals in a Philadelphia Flyers history, many of them in clutch situations. He added 54 more goals in the playoffs, including 10 game winners. But he will always be remembered for just one tally.

MacLeish may have scored the most important goal in Flyers history. His game-winning goal in Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins gave the Flyers a 1-0 win and their first championship.

Final thoughts:

Glad to get Macleish, reads as a solid 2 way guy, think he'll do good for the team.

 

[BraveCanadian]

With our 448th pick, the Guelph Platers select: LW, Dave Balon

Balon was assigned to check opposing stars such as Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull, and his savvy play garnered him one of the best plus-minus ratings in the league.

Career Highlights

Stanley Cup Champion 1965, 1966
NHL All Star Game 1965, 1967 (Montreal), 1968 (Minnesota), 1971 (NYR).



Vitals:

Position: LW
Shoots: Left
Height: 5-10
Weight: 180lbs.
Born: Aug 2, 1938 (Wakaw, Saskatchewan)



Regular Season

Top 10s
Goals: 8, 9, 10
ES Goals: 3, 9, 9, 10
Points: 10

Balon was a very effective scorer considering he was often assigned to check the other team's best players at the same time.

Unfortunately he began suffering from (at that time undiagnosed) MS which robbed him of his abilities only a few seasons after establishing himself as a Top 10 scoring threat.

GP|G|A|Pts|+/-|PIM
776|192|222|414|23|607

Playoffs

Balon was strong in the playoffs with his two-way play and led the playoffs in assists for the expansion Minnesota North Stars in their first season.

The highlight of his playoff career was assisting on Henri Richard's Game 6 OT goal to win the Stanley Cup in 1966.

GP|G|A|Pts|PIMS
78|14|21|35|109

Quotations & Perspectives:


An article about Dave Balon's long fight with MS, highlighting the dedication both he and his wife and family had with one another:
Dave Balon's Silent Fight

“He was one of the best defensive forwards in the league,” said Emile Francis, the Rangers’ longtime coach and general manager.

Source

...
What had so abruptly raised him among the star snipers?

He says:
"Give the credit to Toe [coach Toe Blake of the Canadiens]. Maybe it is because I'd been playing so much center with the Rangers that my thinking was geared to playmaking. Toe kept me at left wing and told me to shoot more -- that there's no substitute for a shot on goal. What's more, he told me I was 'drifting' the puck and he had me put every ounce of power behind my shots. Then the pucks started going in..."

What with his sudden scoring surge plus verve at penalty-killing, Canadiens delightly refer to Dave as the "surprise package" of last years seven player swap....

Source

...
"It's not what you make, it's what you leave," said the New York GM and Coach pointing out that while the Blueshirts haven't anyone among the top ten NHL scorers they boast the best defensive record in the Eastern divison.
...
Francis added that the Blues have been working from the defence out -- especially Jim Nielson -- since they dropped to last place in late January. They've been getting prime performances from the line of rookie center Walt Tkachuk, Dave Balon and Bob Nevin.
...

Source

​

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Kevin Hatcher, D

He's a RH shot who can play the second unit of both special teams. I'm planning on doing just that while giving him #6 minutes at even strength - I think it's the best way to get the most out of his talents, while keeping the stupidity to a minimum.

Hatcher is a big, strong, and fast defenseman with a great shot, who was sometimes prone to spectacular brain farts, but his on-paper resume is excellent for a guy drafted at this point.

Basic awards voting and stats:

• AS Voting: 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14
• Norris voting: 4, 6, 7, 12
• 5x NHL All Star Game Participant
• Goals rankings among defensemen: 1, 2, 2, 5, 6, 8, 11, 18
• Point rankings among defensemen: 5, 6, 7, 11, 15, 15, 18

Hatcher was an incredible special teams player:

• 51% career PK Usage - 32nd All-Time among post expansion defensemen - for teams 8% better than league average)
• Kevin Hatcher averaged this usage over 1157 games. The only defensemen with over 1000 games who had more PK usage than Kevin Hatcher were Ray Bourque, Serge Savard, Chris Chelios, Scott Stevens, Derian Hatcher, Borje Salming, Chris Pronger, Denis Potvin, Nicklas Lidstrom, Carol Vadnais, Adam Foote, and Craig Ludwig (Source)
• 54% career PP Usage
• Junk stat - if you multiple his PP and PK usage together, he's 20th all-time among post expansion defensemen

TOI Ranks On Team(87-88 to 00-01), 14 years:

• Overall: 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1
• ES: 4, 4, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3
• PK: 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 3, 5, 2, 2, 1, 3, 1

He was a top pairing defenseman on his team's PKs for 11 seasons in the NHL, and those PKs were generally well above average, despite not having spectacular goaltending. On the PK, he can keep things simple and act as a crease clearer. I see Hatcher as sort of a lesser version of Rob Blake in that regards - prone to bad decisions at even strength, but a strong PK guy because he can keep things simple.

International Career:

• 1996 World Cup of Hockey Gold Medalist (Kevin Hatcher was one of the USA's starting 6, starting every game, unlike Phil Housley who only played 1 game and was on the bench for most of the tournament)
• 1987, 1991 Canada Cup Participant
• 1998 Olympics

Seventieslord's study of "offensive defensemen":
Introduction
The Study
Glossary
Player notes

Kevin Hatcher was the guy who was impressing me as I did the preliminary checking of the numbers. This guy played huge minutes for pretty good teams, got a lot of recognition, and was a much more all-around player than we ever gave him credit for. I admit I've underrated him in the past.

Quotes (via BillyShoes):

Kevin on the other hand was a giant who, at times, liked to throw his weight around but was most notably an offensive defenseman.

Kevin Hatcher was a powerful straight ahead skater, which he displayed whenever he could by jumping into or leading the rush. With his giant stride he could catch even the speediest of transition attackers on the way back. Defensively he could look awkward when turning, but he compensated for that with his gigantic reach.

He had a devastating shot from the point, and would often come crashing in from the blue line looking for a surprise garbage goal. When he was on his many offensive rushes he was an excellent give and go player. Otherwise he was good passer, but not a greatly creative player.

Physically he could dominate. He was imposing at 6'4" and 225lbs, and he enjoyed banging bodies, sometimes with a mean streak. Other times, especially as his career advanced, he seemed quite disinterested in the physical game, which for someone of his size is extremely frustrating for coaches and fans alike. He lost a few fights early in his career and seemed to back down over time. Perhaps this was simply because his coaches wanted him on the ice, not by the ice box.

He was usually a safe defender when it came to clearing the puck, usually breaking a man with a good pass.

http://washingtoncapitalslegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/kevin-hatcher.html

Steady work apparently agreed with Hatcher, who missed only one game the following season and led his team in points with 74. He also made his second All-Star appearance. In 1991-92, he again represented Team USA in the Canada Cup. He also scored his 300th NHL point and appeared in his third consecutive All-Star game. In 1992-93, he scored a career-high 34 goals and became only the seventh defenseman in league history score thirty goals in a single season. He ended the season with a career high 79 points.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=10619

A 17-year National Hockey League veteran and frequent representative of the United States on the international stage, Kevin Hatcher became a symbol for consistency on the blue line throughout his career.

http://www.usahockey.com/ushhof/default.aspx?NAV=AF_01&id=289730

With Kevin and Derian Hatcher, Doug Zmolek and Richard Matvichuk, the Stars have four first-rate defensemen.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1007231/4/index.htm

"Grown men like Kevin Hatcher of Dallas and Marty McSorley of LA have welcomed me to the NHL by slamming me hard into the boards," Friesen says.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Jv...EwBg#v=onepage&q=kevin hatcher hockey&f=false

In a contract-fueled coup of sorts, the Rangers -- a team already stocked with quality defensemen -- landed one of the better ones in the league today, obtaining the 33-year-old Kevin Hatcher from the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 31-year-old defender Peter Popovic.

And now here comes the 6-foot-3-inch, 230-pound Hatcher who, Coach John Muckler said, will be given an immediate tryout skating as Leetch's defensive partner, and on one of the Rangers' power-play units.

''From our prospective, we like the fact that we get a high-level player that has burned us a lot over the years,'' Smith said of Hatcher, whose younger brother, Derian, is the captain of the Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars.

''I think Kevin is a guy who has a mean streak, but his is not a physical game,'' Smith said of the five-time National Hockey League All-Star selection, who roomed with Ranger defenseman Mathieu Schneider, when both represented the United States at the World Cup and the Olympics. ''When their parents gave birth, they gave Derian all the meanness and Kevin all of the ability.''

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/01/s...-hatcher-acquired-by-rangers-for-popovic.html

."I remember a coach telling me that a player's best shot at making the NHL as an American would be on defense," says Kevin...his coach at Pittsburgh, Kevin Constantine, believes that he has one of the best in Hatcher, who regularly logs close to 30 minutes of ice time every night..."Kevin's got the capabilities to do a little bit of everything," says Constantine. "He's played on the power play, he's scored on the power play, he got a lot of penalty-kill ice time. He has the ability to jump in and play offense. He's a big enough guy to do a good job defensively. I think Kevin can do it all"...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/events/1998/nagano/athletes/322.htm

The Penguins addressed the need to upgrade their defense with a one-for-one trade involving defensemen, sending Sergei Zubov to Dallas for Hatcher.

"We feel we're getting the same quality offense with bigger size and a little more physical presence with Hatcher." General Manager Craig Patrick said.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=1530,3820947&dq=kevin+hatcher+physical&hl=en

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Gordon "Doc" Roberts, LW

At the end of Vol. 1 of The Trail of the Stanley Cup the author, Charles L. Coleman, selected his all-star team for 1893-1926. He considered Cyclone Taylor and Newsy Lalonde to be rovers, not forwards. The nominees for forwards were: Russell Bowie, Harry Broadbent, Jack Darragh, Cy Denneny, Frank Foyston, Harry Hyland, Joe Malone, Frank Nighbor, Didier Pitre, Gordon Roberts, and Ernie Russell. He selected Russell Bowie, Joe Malone and Frank Nighbor.

A great player who managed to play pro hockey while acquiring an education in medicine... one of the best left wings of all-time... greatly admired by his teammates... could curve the puck with his powerful wrist action... proved a sensation with the Millionaires... established the all-time scoring record of the PCHA with 43 goals in 23 games... was again a star with Seattle... Returned to Vancouver in 1920 for his last year and was just as impressive as ever.

He was one of the first players to be able to curve his shots and an exceptional scorer but also possessed the physical toughness many of his contemporaries had

http://www.psacardfacts.com/CardDetail.aspx?item=3

A strong and tireless player with a terrific shot, Roberts was one of the few early players who were able to curve his shots.

Side-shot: A side-shot forward is a gifted scorer, typically a winger, who works from the corners and side of the net. He relies more on his shot to score goals than he does on positioning. Gord Roberts is a good example of a side-shot forward.

http://hockeyhistorysis.blogspot.com/search/label/Gord Roberts

Overall stats

- Top-10 in goals 7 times (1st*, 2nd*, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd*, 8th, 9th) *-PCHA
- Top-10 in assists 3 times (2nd, 4th, 10th)
- Top-10 in points 7 times (2nd*, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd*, 5th*, 6th, 10th) *-PCHA

Season by season stats
(to be added later)

Robert's shot was legendary (all quotes were in Nalyd Psycho's profile):

Gordie Roberts as he was known in the bygone days of hockey was probably the greatest left-hand shot the game ever knew. Some say Babe Dye or Harry Cameron were just as good as Roberts when with Toronto St. Pats. Others say Roberts stood alone.

All hockey addicts and who isn't, remeber Gordie Roberts who carried more smoke in his left hand than probably any hockey player that ever laced on a skate. Roberts was a great left wing, one of the greatest that ever shuffled down the left side and let fly without telegraphing at some hapless goal tend who crossed his path.

Clint Banadict once swore by the beard of his grandfather that Roberts could curve a puck and he always had that reputation.

He had a swaying style of skating and he hunched his shoulders as he loomed up before the defence and just let blaze a shoulder high shot that had a habit of streaking down below the waist.

Malcolm Brice, one of the brightest little men that ever tapped a typewriter in sport and a sport editor who stood at "tops" when he ran the old Free Press sheet here, always maintained Roberts had the hardest and most deceptive shot in hockey.

Roberts was big and strong. While he didn't have the temperament to get as violent as some of his contemporaries, he was not out of his element when things got rough:

Montreal boss George Kennedy told a story of a game against the Montreal Wanderers in which Pitre was being tripped and butt-ended by rugged winger Gordon Roberts.

Kennedy screamed at Pitre, "Are you afraid of Roberts?"

"No, sure not," was Pitre's surprised response.

"Well, why don't you hit him back?" Kennedy snapped.

"How can I hit back?" Pitre asked. "Roberts, he is very polite, very nice. Each time I fall, he helps me get up and apologizes and says it is an accident ... can I hit a man who is apologizing to me? No, never, it is not done."

(1911 NHA season) After the Wanderers' poor performance, their new owner Sam Lichtenhein was quoted as saying he would fire some of the players. Nobody was fired but Art Ross was signed and Gordon Roberts added some strength.

(1916 NHA season) Gordie Roberts continued his rough work and drew a match penalty and a $15 fine for cutting Frank Nighbor over the eye when the Senators defeated the Redbands on Feb 23rd. Roberts was greeted by a shower of bottles from Ottawa fans on his next visit to the Capital.

(1918 PCHA season) Ernie Johnson still played a rugged game that drew many penalties. In a game against Seattle, Roberts charged him and drew a penalty. Ernie automatically joined Roberts in the box and was more than surprised when referee Ion waved him back on the ice.

Horse-strong... one of the original power forwards... In a word: Fighter.

Roberts - A Power Forward?

A source of discussion in recent drafts has been whether Gord Roberts was a pre-merger power forward. Here is the evidence supporting this:

(quotes provided above)

Players who we call "power forwards" are usually bigger players, and they tend to put up more PIMs than the average finesse player. Let's look at Roberts' size and PIMs compared to other pre-merger star forwards:

Drafted pre-merger star forwards who played against Gord Roberts:

Name | Height | Weight | GP | PIM | PIM/GP | Top-3 In Goals
Newsy Lalonde | 5'9" | 168 | 330 | 957 | 2.90 | 7
Harry Hyland | 5'6" | 156 | 163 | 435 | 2.67 | 3
Punch Broadbent | 5'7" | 183 | 401 | 850 | 2.12 | 2
Tommy Dunderdale | 5'8" | 160 | 289 | 567 | 1.96 | 4
Jack Adams | 5'9" | 175 | 271 | 517 | 1.91 | 1
Gord Roberts | 5'11" | 180 | 179 | 315 | 1.76 | 5
Rusty Crawford | 5'11" | 165 | 260 | 442 | 1.70 | 0
Tommy Smith | 5'6" | 150 | 154 | 252 | 1.64 | 2
Didier Pitre | 5'11" | 185 | 317 | 476 | 1.50 | 3
Odie Cleghorn | 5'9" | 195 | 327 | 456 | 1.39 | 2
Jack Darragh | 5'10" | 168 | 273 | 376 | 1.38 | 0
Dick Irvin | 5'9" | 162 | 261 | 245 | 0.94 | 1
Cy Denneny | 5'7" | 168 | 513 | 475 | 0.93 | 7
Cyclone Taylor | 5'8" | 165 | 219 | 196 | 0.89 | 5
Mickey MacKay | 5'9" | 162 | 444 | 364 | 0.82 | 4
Frank Nighbor | 5'9" | 160 | 479 | 363 | 0.76 | 4
Joe Malone | 5'10" | 150 | 288 | 212 | 0.74 | 5
Bernie Morris | 5'7" | 145 | 239 | 162 | 0.68 | 4
Frank Foyston | 5'9" | 158 | 407 | 233 | 0.57 | 4
Jack Walker | 5'8" | 153 | 504 | 127 | 0.25 | 0
AVERAGE | 5'8.5'' | 165 | 316 | 401 | 1.27 | 3.2

This was a sum of all PIMs earned in all regular season games in the ECAHA, ECHA, CHA, NHA, NHL, PCHA, WCHL, WHL, and playoff games for those leagues and Stanley Cup matches.

The "Top-3 in goals" column was added just as an indication of how many truly elite goal-scoring seasons each player had.

Conclusion: Roberts was 2 1/2 inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than the average star forward in his leagues. He also took 39% more PIMs than the average star forward. Only two star forwards matched his height (Pitre and Crawford) and only three (Cleghorn, Broadbent, Pitre) exceeded his weight. Known "power forwards" Lalonde, Dunderdale, Broadbent and Adams had more PIM/GP than Roberts as well as the surprisingly gritty Harry Hyland. Roberts still finished 6th/20 in this category. (the chart is sorted by PIM/GP)

Aside from Lalonde, whose toughness is legendary despite his average size, Roberts' combination of size, physicality and goal-scoring prowess are unequalled among pre-merger star forwards.

Roberts seems to have been at least a plus defensive player

Ottawa was the defending Stanley Cup champions and, during the season, were challenged for the trophy by the Alberta champion Edmonton Hockey Club in January 1910.[5] The Ottawa Citizen described Roberts as being the star of the first game. The paper praised his defensive checking in addition to his four goals scored in an 8–4 victory.[6] He added three goals in the second game as Ottawa retained control of the Stanley Cup by a 21–11 aggregate score.[7]

Here are the quotes from the paper:

Every time the Westerners broke away they found either Walsh and Ridpath or Roberts and Stuart skating between them to intercept the pass or take the puck away. Coupled with this wonderful following back of the Ottawa forwards...

Gordon Roberts, the former Emmett player, however, was the real sensation of the night. Roberts stacked up against the great "Hay" Millar, and what he didn't do to the curly haired broncho buster from the wild and wooly isn't worth mentioning. Suffice to say that Roberts checked Millar to a standstill, and in addition notched no less than four of the Ottawa goals-a phenominal performance for a youngster. Roberts' stickhandling, his shooting and following back were beautiful, he driving two of Ottawa's goals past Winchester in the last half from very difficult angles.

Now being an amazing backchecker during one Stanley Cup final series doesn't mean he was that way for his whole career (and I doubt he was; otherwise the information would be easier to find). But I think Roberts can be considered a plus defensive player..

With a cherrypicker like Gordie Drillon on RW, I wanted a LW who was at least willing to backcheck, and I think Gord Roberts will do that.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Jacques Lemaire Coach

NHL Stanley Cup Champion 94/95
Olympic Gold Medal 09/10
Jack Adams Trophy (1994, 2003)

Jack Adams Nomination:

Top-10:
1984-85: 4th position
1993-94: 1st position
1996-97: 4th position
1997-98: 6th position
2002-03: 1st position
2006-07: 7th position
2010-11: 5th position

Team|W|L|Pts|Leading Scorer|Goals For|Goals Against|
MTL|7|10|14|Only coached 17 games|N/A|N/A
MTL|41|27|94|Mats Maslund (79 PTS)|309 (10th)|262 (4th)
NJD|57|25|106|Scott Stevens (60 PTS)|306 (2nd)|220 (2nd)
NJD|22|18|52|Stephane Richer (39 PTS)|136 (13th)|121 (5th)
NJD|37|33|86|Steve Thomas (61 PTS)|215 (25th)|202 (2nd)
NJD|45|23|104|Bobby Holik (62 PTS)|231 (16th)|182(1st)
NJD|48|23|107|Bobby Holik (65 PTS)|225 (9th)|166 (1st)
MIN|25|39|68|Scott Pellerin (39 PTS)|168 (30th)|210 (12th)
MIN|26|35|73|Andrew Brunette (69 PTS)|195 (25th)|238 (24th)
MIN|42|29|95|Marian Gaborik (65 PTS)|198 (24th)|178 (4th)
MIN|30|29|83|Alexander Daigle (51 PTS)|188 (23rd)|183 (4th)
MIN|38|36|84|Brian Rolston (79 PTS)|231 (24th)|215 (4th)
MIN|48|26|104|Brian Roltson (64 PTS)|235 (18th)|191 (1st)
MIN|44|28|98|Marion Gaborik (83 PTS)|233 (17th)|218 (9th)
MIN|30|33|89|Mikko Koivu (67 PTS)|219 (22nd)|200 (2nd)
NJD|48|27|103|Zack Parise (82 PTS)|222 (19th)|191 (1st)
NJD|29|17|61|Only coached part of the season|N/A|N/A

Let me be the first to state that while the results speak for themselves, Lemaire's season as head coach wasn't all that bad. The Devils did win the Atlantic Division, they did finish second in the Eastern Conference, and did so in defying many people's explanations. The Devils didn't win games in 09-10 by sitting back in a 1-2-2 and relying on a counterattack for their offense. Lemaire was more than willing to play offensive lines moreso than Brent Sutter did, allow defensemen to pinch in on offense when necessary, and putting 4 and sometimes 5 forwards on a power play. The coaching style by Jacques Lemaire of 2009-10 was clearly not coaching like Lemaire did in 1994-95.

http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2010/4/26/1445327/jacques-lemaire-retires-what-he

When the Minnesota Wild and coach Jacques Lemaire parted ways after the 2008-09 season there was a sense the shutdown and trap style he’s so famous for would go by the wayside. New coach Todd Richards was to bring in a new brand of exciting hockey that would put butts in the seats and generate a buzz defensive hockey doesn’t create.

The only thing that’s happened, however, is that the Wild have gotten worse.

Lemaire knew what buttons to push and how to get the most out of his lineups. When he stepped aside from the Wild it was recognized as the right move for everybody because the Wild needed a new voice in the room.

From 2005-06 through Lemaire’s exit in 2009 the Wild were in the NHL’s top 10 in both the penalty kill and power play three times – the most in the league. To give you context of what types of teams achieve that feat, know that last season San Jose and Detroit were the only ones to do it and currently the Canucks, Lightning, Red Wings and Capitals hold the distinction. The Wild have remained a top-10 power play team, but their penalty kill has dropped 12 spots since Lemaire’s last squad.

Under Lemaire, the Wild didn’t score a heck of a lot of goals. The highest ranking they achieved was a tie for 17th in 2007-08 with 2.68 goals per game. But they were dominant defensively, ranking no worse than eighth in goals-against per game in the post-lockout world.

Lemaire coached one more playoff-bound season in New Jersey before calling it a career. The Wild missed the post-season by two points in Lemaire’s last season, but fell short by 11 in 2009-10 and currently aren’t doing anything to inspire their fan base as they putt along in the West’s worst division.

It’s hard to admit to missing Lemaire’s style of hockey, but Wild fans must be pining for the days when they knew their team would overachieve.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/36904-THNcom-Blog-Minnesota-Wild-missing-Jacques-Lemaire.html

Lemaire left the Habs to become head coach of the New Jersey Devils in 1993. Lemaire quickly built the lowly Devils into a Cup contender. In 1994 he was named Coach of the Year. The following year he guided the Devils to the Stanley Cup. For Lemaire, it was his ninth Stanley Cup championship, his first as a coach.

By this time Lemaire was heralded as a top defensive coach in all of hockey, perfecting the stifling neutral zone trap that defined New Jersey and later the Minnesota Wild where he coached for many years, too.

http://habslegends.blogspot.ca/2008/07/jacques-lemaire.html

Risebrough blows a gasket when asked such questions. "I've never had anybody tell me ever they don't want to play for Jacques Lemaire," Risebrough said. "In fact, players tell me all the time, 'Jacques Lemaire made me the player I am today, Jacques Lemaire resurrected my career.'"
Risebrough said Lemaire's defensive reputation is unfair when one considers most NHL teams play the same way.
"I mean, look at the results," Risebrough said. "Our best player [Marian Gaborik] is in the top of the league as best players in the league. Our youngest players are getting through the system faster than most players are in their systems and coming out as accomplished players. Players that are coming in from organizations are having their best years here. Brian Rolston had his best years in the NHL here.

This team can't attract top flight offensive players on the open market, and has had to work its collective ass off to convince Marian Gaborik not to leave; dazzling him with pie charts and bar graphs that show Lemaire hasn't sucked all the creativity out of him.
Here are the facts: The Minnesota Wild have made the postseason three times since joining the NHL with Lemaire as coach in 2000-01. They have one conference finals appearance, and two first-round losses.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/The-smothering-defense-of-Minnesota-coach-Jacque?urn=nhl,109137'

Even so, die coach is cognizant of what he has in Gaborik. When prodded, Lemaire concedes that he has never coached a better forward in his seven-plus years around the NHL. As the Montreal Canadiens coach from 1983-84 through '84-85, he guided a washed-up Guy Lafleur and die effective but hardly dominant wing Mats Naslund. With the New Jersey Devils from '93-94 through '97-98, he coached developing star forwards Bobby Holik and Bill Guerin. Gaborik is Lemaire's first prodigy, having progressed from 18 goals as a rookie in 2000-01 to 30 goals last season to this year, in which he's on pace to score 44. Lemaire, the most technically advanced coach in the NHL, lives in a world of X's and O's, and in Gaborik he finally has an audacious player who can do anydiing he diagrams.

"You know how you can tell what Jacques really thinks about him," general manager Doug Risebrough said last week. "The coaches and G.M. often suit up for optional practices. The standing joke is if Gaborik is wearing a black jersey, Jacques will be playing on that team, too.

"We know that Marian could be a great player, but we don't want him to be. We want him to be a winning player. Other sports, you look at one guy and say that he can change the game. That doesn't happen in hockey."

"I was all offense when I got drafted," said Gaborik, a native of Slovakia who was the third overall pick in 2000. "I could choose two ways—I could do my own stuff, or I could listen and learn. If I did my own stuff, I would have been in the minors, at least at the beginning. I look at Ilya Kovalchuk [the poster boy for the regeneration] and think if he played here, it would be a different story for him. I don't think it's right that anybody can do what he wants. We're doing this as a team."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1143020/index.htm

The most important aspect that is that it requires all five defending players to know how to defend, skate, and work together in position. This is what made the Devils' utilization of the neutral zone trap different and arguably more effective than other teams in a little bit after 1995. The neutral zone trap requires the defending team to be patient and cause the attacking team to go where they want. If the high forward - likely a center given that he's in the center of the ice - isn't holding his position, then the trap can be busted from the start. If the wings aren't quick enough to get into position, aware enough of where they need to be, or are just poor defenders; then the puckcarrier may not actually be trapped on the side. Lastly, if the defensemen aren't adjusting as necessary behind the forwards in support, then can give the attacking team an out in the neutral zone. Everyone has to be mobile enough to get into position, intelligent enough to know what that position is and to make the right reads on defense, and for those engaging with the attacking player, they need to know how to defend against them. The neutral zone trap truly is a team defensive system.

This brings me to the New Jersey Devils under Jacques Lemaire. If you look at those 1993-94 and 1995 lineups, you'll see plenty of forwards who weren't known for their offense. What those guys could do was defend. In a system like the trap, should it force a turnover, even the most defensive forwards got offensive opportunities to score. It could explain why the likes of Tom Chorske, Bobby Carpenter, Corey Millen, and Bobby Holik each earned 20 or more goals, now that I think about it. In any case, the Devils absolutely frustrated teams because they rolled four lines who could set up in this 1-2-2 formation and force the opposition to make a mistake or give up on the attack early. It surely disrupted the game's flow. But that's fine for New Jersey Devils fans as it helped them keep games within reach or win games outright. They're in the "winning games" business not the "freewheeling hockey" business.

The fact that the Devils could roll four lines and three pairings who could trap is the biggest difference between their usage and other teams. Everyone bought into it, which made them so difficult to play against as a whole. You would see a fourth line come out and the opposition would still struggle instead of beating up on them. I'm not sure why the team collectively jumped into the trapping system to begin with. Maybe it's because they were successful in 1993-94, which did it's job convincing players to get used to playing in a trap. Maybe it's because Lemaire carried that much respect with his pedigree (read: 8 Stanley Cup rings) as a player and the Devils players figured they should listen to to a guy with that much success. Maybe Lou or owner Dr. John McMullen said, "You will all do this or else." I don't know what caused it to happen. Either way, when the wins piled up, it surely became an easy sell for those players who didn't do so immediately.

Since the roster was full of skaters who could defend well enough, weren't glacier-like in speed (well, for the most part at least), and the players collectively followed Lemaire's tactics on the neutral zone trap, the Devils also remained very disciplined when utilizing the trap even after 1995. One of the big criticisms of the trap is that it led to a lot of clutching and grabbing by defending players. T

http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2011/9/6/2408894/the-neutral-zone-trap-the-new-jersey-devils

To hear players on the Wild tell it, one of the hottest teams in hockey is misunderstood. Minnesota's reputation as a bear-hugging, holding, bore-you-to-death trapping bunch is exaggerated. "People see that we trap, and they think we clutch and grab," says winger Andrew Brunette. "We're the furthest thing from that. We play a tight defensive game, we're positionally smart and our speed surprises teams."

If the Wild's speed surprises, its record shocks. Minnesota, which was 26-35-12-9 last season, had the best record in the Western Conference (8-2-2-0) through Sunday. The team's speed has made coach Jacques Lemaire's neutral-zone trap highly effective. By stocking its forward lines with shifty, fast (albeit smaller) skaters, the Wild is playing cagey defense, generating scoring chances off turnovers and capitalizing on its power play (18.7%, ninth in the league) to increase the team's scoring by almost a goal per game (to 3-3) from last year.

Although the hot starts of explosive 20-year-old winger Marian Gaborik (seven goals) and resurgent goalie Manny Fernandez (1.84 goals-against average) are the most obvious factors in Minnesota's rise, the happy marriage of skaters and system is the secret of its success. The Wild applies pressure with a 1-2-2 forecheck, which requires the forwards to skate smoothly and change directions rapidly to pressure the puck carrier and steer him to the perimeter of the neutral zone. But contrary to popular perception, Minnesota doesn't obstruct through the neutral zone. Instead, the Wild uses speed and positioning to disrupt the offensive rhythm.

Here is SI's second-team All-Smarts squad, plus the five coaches and general managers who have the best hockey brains.
........
Coaches
2. Jacques Lemaire
Runs structured practices, helping players understand fundamentals; uses simple game plans

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1023858/2/index.htm

Whatever success the Wild attains will come courtesy of the defense-first philosophy of coach Jacques Lemaire, who, along with general manager and former Canadiens teammate Doug Risebrough, brings credibility to die franchise; between them they have won 16 Stanley Cups as players or coaches. To overcome the team's lack of offense Lemaire spent the bulk of camp implementing his infamous neutral-zone trap. Expect heavy doses of the somniferous strategy that, though criticized during Lemaire's Cup-winning days as coach of the Devils, will keep the Wild in most games. "He knows what it takes," wing Scott Pellerin says of Lemaire. "Hopefully, he'll show us how to win."

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Lars-Erik Sjoberg

1x Elitserien Best Player "Guldpucken" (1969)
1x World Championship Best Defenseman (1974)
1x World Champiobship All-Star Team (1974)

1x WHA Best Defenseman (1978)
1x WHA All-Star Team (1978)
3x WHA All-Star Game participant (1975, 1976, 1978)
3x Avco Trophy winner
Member of WHA Hall of Fame

Sjoberg was a two-way defenseman noted for his puckmoving abilities, hipcheck, and leadership. He captained the Jets after his first year in the WHA. He was also an intelligent player, Coach Billy Harris had him help prepare Team Canada '74 for defending against the Soviets.

Named to Sporting News Poll for 1976 WHA All-Star Team

Left wing Marc Tardif of Quebec has been chosen Player of the Year...in a World Hockey Association poll conducted by the Sporting News.

Tardif...was accompanied on a WHA all-star team named by the weekly publication by teammate J.C. Tremblay and Ulf Nilsson, Anders Hedberg, Lars-Erik Sjoberg of Winnipeg and Winnipeg goalie Joe Daley.

Among the Swedish defensemen, a short, robust man displayed his abilities. He refused to surrender to the big, powerful players from Canada and he frequently used his favorite maneuver, the hipcheck. In one instance, the mighty Swede bodychecked Vic Hadfield of the New York Rangers, sending the latter flying into the air. The upset Hadfield hit the defenseman in the face and broke his nose.

At under 5'8", the compact player managed to become the Swedish national team's leading defenseman in the late 1960s and early 1970s because of his excellent skating skills and persistent training. His talent for choosing the right position, combined with effective bodychecking, made him a virtually impenetrable force to opposing forwards. At the same time, he managed to avoid foul play and behaved with the dignity befitting a true athlete.
...
In Winnipeg, they referred to him affectionately as "Professor" or "Little General." He was the captain of the Swedish team in the 1976 Canada Cup...

The recipe [Europeans influx in Winnipeg] gets better when you add Lars-Erik Sjoberg: a former captain of the Swedish National team, a veteran of seven World Championship tournaments, member of the all-star team in his rookie year in the WHA, and a player that Jets interim president Bob Graham refers to as "one of the four best defencemen in the world."

If someone were to rank the top 15 defencemen in professional hockey, the Montreal Canadiens would have three of them.

By the time training camp rolls around, they'll probably have four. Lars-Erik Sjoberg, the rugged, reliable captain of the Winnipeg Jets, is as good as signed by the Canadiens sources say. Sjoberg is a proud man who wants to play for the best before he retires. He's 32 and his contract with Winnipeg has just expired. He'll probably never have a chance like this again.

The Winnipeg Jets minus Hedberg, and Nilsson still have Kent Nilsson, Bobby Hull and Lars-Erik Sjoberg. These three can hurtle the Jets toward the top.

In 1973, the Toronto Maple Leafs offered national team star defenseman Borje Salming a lucrative contract, and the formal exodus began the WHA Winnipeg Jets decided to swoop down and pluck creme de la creme of Swedish hockey by signing Anders Hedberg, Ulf Nilsson and Lars-Erik Sjoberg.
...
Lars-Erik Sjoberg defense-currently out with an injury, but when he's healthy he's one of the best.

His return from a severed Achilles tendon during the 1979 season helped propel the Jets to the Avco Trophy

This was the Jets third WHA championship. It was the first for former NHL coach Tom McVie came to the team during its late-February slump. His arrival, along with that of goaltender Gary Smith and the return of captain Lars-Erik Sjoberg resulted in one of the most exciting turn-arounds in WHA history.

"I got real lucky," [coach Tom] McVie said. "When I came in, we weren't as bad as our record might have led you to believe. We had some guys who were really only starting to break through...What really hurt that team, though, was losing Sjoberg. He came back late in the season from a severed Achilles tendon. I don't know how he did it-it was one of the bravest things that I ever saw. We were one team without him but as good as anyone with him, just a fantastic player. By the time of the merger-after that injury-I don't think the NHL saw what he could have done."

The Jets will not have 36-year-old Lars-Erik Sjoberg, one of the better defencemen, back with them next year. He has told the Jets he plans to join the New York Rangers in some capacity.

Scouting Reports

He's the "mind" of the defense...Ranks with Mark Howe for mobility on defense...His tight circles, sudden bursts and dancing dekes drive forecheckers crazy...A good rusher...Works hard to improve his shot...A former world all-star and captain of the Swedish Nationals...Tore knee ligaments in November, 1976 and required surgery...While recovering he wondered if the hip check should be banned from hockey, noting that he had sent many players to the surgical wards of hospitals with a well-timed flick of his hips...

Perennial captain of the Jets and undisputed leader of the defense...Extremely mobile with quick, tight moves that confound forecheckers...A hockey scientist...Chosen by WHA players as league's top defenseman...Shared the league lead with teammate Anders Hedberg for the highest plus-minus rating (+60) last season.

And today the Jets believe they have a bona fide NHL defense, featuring their Swedish captain Lars-Erik Sjoberg...Sjoberg, now 35, missed 71 games last season following a ruptured Achille's tendon. [But he came back and starred in the playoffs, moving the puck quickly and intelligently and skating with his usual dexterity.

This former world all-star is one of the game's quickest and smartest defensemen...Very intelligent, he holds a doctorate in physical education...Good hip-checker...

Hockey Cards

He is a world class all-star defenseman whose style of play is very similar to Pat Stapleton's.

Lars-Erik is a hard checker.

Lars-Eric was a vital cog in the Jets attack as the club brought the WHA championship to Winnipeg last season.

Considered by WHA players to be one of the most outstanding defensemen in the league, Lars-Erik is very clever, quick and strong despite his compact stature. A hockey strategist honed by years in the Swedish national program, he can turn on a dime.

Defenseman Lars-Erik Sjoberg also came from Sweden. He was a perfect complement to the line, playing in the seventies like Paul Coffey plays today. He lacked Coffey's speed, but he operated like a fourth forward.

And their fellow Swede, defenseman Lars-Erik Sjoberg, dished out more than he took and moved the puck brilliantly.

"Sjoberg was in Winnipeg for only a year, and then he was voted captain," Kromm says. "That tells you something about Sjoberg the man."

MVP of Sweden during Canada Cup game against Canada

Gainey has been proclaimed MVP of the evening for Canada while Lars-Erik Sjoberg, another member of Jets, has deserved the same honor for Sweden

Helped Coach Billy Harris prepare Team Canada for the 1974 Summit Series

Conditions at the training camp of Team Canada '74 remained relaxed as a picture-taking session dominated the scheduled early 90-minute workout.
...
The only camp member not included in the picture was Lars-Erik Sjoberg, former Swedish National who has joined Winnipeg Jets. Sjoberg has been working with [coach Billy] Harris to develop defensive techniques valuable against Russia, but will not play in the series, which begins Sept. 17 in Quebec City.

Despite repeated statements by Harris that it is impossible to wear down the Russians by using rough play, Sjoberg insists it is necessary to body-check. "Their heads come up a little," he said. "Their patterns are off a little. They do not handle the puck quite as easily."

Coached the Jets for a game while hurt

Bobby Kromm decided not to coach Winnipeg in its World Hockey Association game against the Houston Aeros Sunday, and the unique move paid off for the Jets.

With injured defenseman Lars-Erik Sjoberg handling the team in Kromm's self-imposed absence, the Jets beat the Aeros 5-2, snapping a four game losing streak.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Steve Kasper, C

Nobody plays better defense on me than Kasper. When I got married I half expected to see Kasper standing at the altar in a tux.

Selke Trophy Voting: 1, 2, 4, 4; three votes twice, two votes twice, one vote twice

Killed 49% of teams' penalties for units 8% above average

Boston Seventh Player Award (Unsung Hero): 1980-81
Los Angeles Best Defensive Player: 1989-90, 1990-91

Earned nickname of "The Shadow" as a rookie last season...Young center often matched against opposing team's best center...His shadow checking limited superstar Wayne Gretzky to one goal in four games, no shots in five of six periods...Also neutralized Calgary's Kent Nilsson and Los Angeles' Marcel Dionne with tight, persistent checking..."He did as fine a job on me as anybody in the league and he didn't do it with any dirty tactics," The Great Gretzky said of the Bruins' rookie..."Steve really dominated Gretzky with his checking," said Bruins' captain Wayne Cashman...A gifted passer...Plays high-energy game similar to Flyers' Bobby Clarke.

Kasper the ghost...You don't see him, but he's there...Mr. Defense...Last year's winnre of Frank Selke Trophy awarded to outstanding defensive forward...How can you stop Wayne Grezky? Only The Shadow knows...Highlight of his brief career has been playing great defense on Gretzky...Not only held Gretzky without a point in one game last season, but even scored a goal himself...Talented passer who has a high level of enthusiasm...Consistently plays excellent defense against outstanding centers in league...

One of the best defensive centers and penalty-killers in the game...Played a full schedule for the first time in his injury-plagued career, ironic because he was the only Bruin to do so...An excellent passer...One of the more enthusiastic Bruins

One of the few players to hold Wayne Gretzky scoreless in a game last season, he ranks as one of the top two or three defensive forwards in hockey...

Kasper is a great skater and that's an asset he uses quite well as a checking forward...His ice vision and anticipation is excellent, as he checks by keeping himself directly between his man and the puck...Because he has such good anticipation, Kasper makes an excellent penalty killer and last year he led the Bruins with three short-handed goals.

Kasper is a checker, clean but hard. He doesn't play a very physical game because of his size, but has good strength that he puts to use when he takes his man out the play by holding him for an extra second necessary to disrupt the offense's rhythm...He has the stamina and conditioning to double-shift if need be. Trying to run him ragged is a tactic that won't work.

He is one of the top two or three defensive forwards in the game and can open up his offensive game if management wishes.

Kasper is also a very strong faceoff man and he's one of the guys the opposition is most likely to see on the ice for those crucial draws in the Bruins' zone late in the game.

Even after a 70-point season, Kasper's great value to the Bruins is the scoring he prevents. He truly enjoys playing defensively and checking the opposition's stars and he takes great pride in doing so. Kasper continued to do his superb job at checking the opposition's offensive threats, while putting up the best numbers of his career.

And don't be fooled by that minus-1. For the job Kasper does against the Gretzkys, Savards and Lemieuxs of the NHL, to be only minus-1 is to really be at least plus-20.

Shadowing Gretzky

Kasper, who, along with Bourque, missed the Pittsburgh and Buffalo games with injuries, has emerged as one of the best checkers in the league. No one has had more success thwarting Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's top scorer. In four games last year against the Bruins, Gretzky got a total of one goal and three assists. Last Thursday, Kasper held the Great One to a single shot on goal.

The only team to have shadowed Gretzky successfully so far is Boston, which uses a young center named Steve Kasper for the job. Kasper was voted the best defensive forward in the NHL last season largely because he held Gretzky to a total of one goal and four assists in three games. In the two games the Bruins and the Oilers have played against each other so far this year, Gretzky has gotten only three assists.

"He doesn't try to be a one-man show," says Kasper, "and he doesn't have to carry the puck to be effective. It only takes him an instant to do what he wants with it. The main thing I try to do is keep him on the outside of the ice and nudge him early to get him off his stride, like a bump and run in football. It's no good trying to line him up for a hard check; he's too mobile. If you start lunging at him, he'll make you look ridiculous. One thing I'll never call him is a floater. He wants the puck and he'll check to get it. Gretzky's a complete player."

The reason the Bruins dominate the Oilers is an unimposing center named Steve Kasper. The 5'8", 170-pound Kasper doesn't score much, and he will probably never play in the NHL All-Star Game. But he hustles all the time, and when Boston plays Edmonton, he draws Gretzky. He picks him up in the neutral zone and shadows and pesters him. Since Kasper started hounding Gretzky eight years ago. the Great One's line has never scored more than two goals in a game against the Bruins. "Steve plays me hard, and he plays me fair," says Gretzky. "He shuts me down, and he deserves credit."

Other articles

The Bruins were effective in containing center Mario Lemieux, who was held without a point for the second consecutive game. Most of the credit goes to centers Steve Kasper and Dwight Foster, although [coach] O'Reilly deserves recognition for his creative approach to defensing Lemieux on the power play.

O'Reilly assigned one forward to shadow Lemieux - "If he would have gone and stood at center ice, I'm sure Kasper was going to go and stand with him," Berry said - while the other three penalty-killers played a defensive triangle.

The Kings wound up with Kurri and defenseman Jeff Chychrun, giving up center Steve Kasper and defenseman Steve Duchesne.

Kasper was many things to the Kings. He was the key man in their checking line. He was an important part of the penalty-killing unit. And he was the main man in faceoffs.

Without Kasper and Duchesne, the Kings have suffered.

 

[Velociraptor]

Art Coulter, D

Position: Defenseman
HT/WT: 5'11", 185 lbs
Handedness: Right
Born: May 31, 1909 in Winnipeg, Manitoba

- inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.
- 2-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1934, 1940)
- 4 acknowledgements for Second NHL All-Star Team - (1935, 1938, 1939, 1940)
- scored 30 goals, 82 assists for 112 points in 465 regular season games played, adding 543 penalty minutes.
- scored 4 goals, 5 assists for 9 points in 49 playoff games played, adding 61 penalty minutes.

Quotes

Art Coulter was our best player. He was a leader.. he could really carry the puck. But he had to head-man the puck. That's the way we played.

An athlete of exceptional strength and endurance, he was fiercely devoted to the concept of teamwork.

The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba began making a name for himself in his hometown with the senior Pilgrims. He gained two and a half years of professional experience with the Philadelphia Arrows of the Can-Am League. He excelled at both ends of the ice and demonstrated a willingness to mix it up with the opposition by leading the league in penalty minutes in 1930-31.

After playing the last 13 games of the regular season and two playoff matches for Chicago in 1931-32, Coulter became a regular the next year. His physical play and ability to handle the puck made Coulter a perfect defence partner for burly Taffy Abel. The solid duo played a key role on the Hawks' inaugural Stanley Cup win in 1934.

Coulter was placed on the NHL second all-star team in 1935 but found himself traded to the Rangers for Earl Seibert midway through the next season. His solid defensive play and competitive zeal pleased the New York management and fans. Prior to the 1937-38 season, Coulter succeeded Bill Cook as captain and was selected to the second all-star team three straight years beginning in 1938. In 1939 he took part in the Babe Siebert Memorial Game and the next year he helped the Blueshirts win their third Stanley Cup. Coulter set a career high with 19 points the following season and was one of the most popular players on Manhattan.

Art was recognized in the hockey world as a "team player". He believed in teamwork and knew early on that teamwork was the crucial ingredient to winning games and having fun...and ultimately earning the team the right to hold the Stanley Cup.

Art's physical strength and endurance was the key to his defense. He was a punishing hitter, and was not afraid to drop the gloves.

Coulter teamed with Muzz Patrick to give the Rangers a fearless, bruising defense. He also was the linchpin of the Rangers' offensive penalty-killing team, an innovation the New Yorkers introduced in 1939. Coulter was the anchor man working with forwards Alex Shibicky, Neil and Mac Colville. Over the season, the Rangers outscored their opponents almost two to one when they were shorthanded.

More quotes in BC's excellent bio.

 

[Velociraptor]

Eric Lindros, C

Position: Centre
HT/WT: 6'4", 240 lbs
Handedness: Right
Nickname(s): "Big E"
Born: February 28, 1973 in London, Ontario

- won an Olympic Gold medal with Canada in 2002.
- 1-time recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy - (1995)
- 1-time recipient of the Lester B. Pearson Award - (1995)
- 6-time Top-10 in All-Star C Voting - (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9)
- 1 acknowledgment for NHL First All-Star Team - (1995)
- 1 acknowledgment for NHL Second All-Star Team - (1996)
- led the 1996-97 post-season in scoring with 26 points.
- scored 372 goals, 493 assists for 865 points in 760 regular season games played, adding 1398 penalty minutes.
- scored 24 goals, 33 assists for 57 points in 53 playoff games played, adding 122 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Goals - 4x - (6, 7, 9, 9)
Assists - 3x - (4, 6, 9)
Points - 3x - (1, 6, 7)

Voting Record

Hart Trophy:

1st (94-95), 3rd (95-96), 6th (98-99), 9th (92-93), 9th (96-97)

Selke Trophy:

14th (98-99), 15th (96-97), 22nd (95-96)

Quotes

Best Bodychecker: Eric Lindros (9), Bryan Marchment (3), Scott Stevens (3), Wendel Clark (1), Keith Tkachuk (1), Darius Kasparaitis (1), Adam Graves (1), Mark Tinordi (1)
Best Stickhandler: Jaromir Jagr (5), Sergei Fedorov (4), Alexander Mogilny (4), Wayne Gretzky (3), Eric Lindros (1), Alexei Zhamnov (1), Pierre Turgeon (1), Sergei Nemchinov (1)
Toughest Player: Cam Neely (5), Eric Lindros (3), Wendel Clark (2), Doug Gilmour (2), Bob Probert (1), Scott Stevens (1), Chris Chelios (1), Marty McSorley (1), Mark Tinordi (1), Adam Graves (1), Rick Tocchet (1), Brendan Shanahan (1)
Best Shot: Brett Hull (6), Al MacInnis (4), Mike Modano (2), Eric Lindros (1), Mike Gartner (1), Ray Bourque (1), Jimmy Carson (1), Alexander Mogilny (1), Joey Mullen (1), Cam Neely (1), Sergei Fedorov (1)

No one can play with his size, which he combines with great skill, it separates him from anybody who played this game.

I believe he should be in (HHoF). He was the first big, powerful, dominant forward with the skill, not (Wayne) Gretzky or (Mario) Lemieux, but close. He won MVP, he was an All-Star, he went to the Stanley Cup final. If you eliminate the crap that circled him, he is easily a Hall of Fame hockey player. The last few years were really tough but prior to that Eric was just a player playing hockey. Had his parents left him alone I don't know what this kid could have done because he could really play.

Big E was a player that dominated every time he stepped on the ice. He set his personal standards high for himself and his teammates pushed themselves because of that. Players fed off his commitment to get better every practice and his desire to win. He was a captain that made everyone on the team better.

Although Lindros modeled his style after Messier's, he is 12 years younger. At 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds, Lindros is 3 inches taller and 31 pounds heavier than Messier. And more than any player, Lindros hits opponents with the force and aggression of a football player while moving the puck with the delicacy of a golf pro.

Having Eric Lindros is like owning the biggest bomb in the arsenal. It does not have to be detonated to be effective. The threat is enough.

 

[Velociraptor]

Fred "Bun" Cook, LW

Position: Left Wing
HT/WT: 5'11", 180 lbs
Handedness: Left
Nickname(s): "Bun"
Born: September 18, 1903 in Kingston, Ontario

- inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.
- 4-time Top-10 in All-Star LW Voting - (2, 3, 3, 5)
- 2-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1928, 1933)
- 1 acknowledgment for Second NHL All-Star Team - (1931)
- scored 158 goals, 144 assists for 302 points in 473 regular season games played, adding 444 penalty minutes.
- scored 15 goals, 3 assists for 18 points in 46 playoff games played, adding 50 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Goals - 4x - (4, 10, 10, 10)
Assists - 4x - (2, 6, 7, 9)
Points - 3x - (7, 7, 10)

When Bun Cook is hot, he is one of the most amazing players in hockey, at such moments, he attempts plays that stagger the imagination. At his peak, there is no player so enjoyable to watch.

While Bill was known as the goal scorer and Boucher the playmaker, Bun was known as a bit of both. Many claim it was Bun who innovated the drop pass in the offensive zone. Some even suggest it was Cook who invented the slap shot.

A solid offensive contributor, Bun was a fan favorite in the old Madison Square Garden because of his hustling speed and reckless physical play. He was a bit of a celebrity, drawing praise from the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ed Sullivan.

Bun was less dangerous around the net than Bill, but he was no less determined, and his work ethic and ability to carve out a niche of his own despite being the brother of a hockey legend earned him respect throughout the league.

The Cook brothers made their NHL debuts with the Rangers in 1926-27, the inaugural season for the team. It was while with New York that Fred picked up his nickname. A journalist wrote that he was 'quick as a bunny.' Bunny Cook was soon shortened to 'Bun.'

The Bread Line is remembered for being one of the best lines of the era. Frank Boucher was the gentlemanly, swift-skating centre. Bill Cook is regarded as one of the finest rightwingers of all time. And Bun Cook was a defensive specialist who could skate shoot and score..

As creative as he was stoic and silent, original Ranger Frederick Joseph (Bun) Cook was the perfect left wing complement to his line mates on the Rangers’ very first power line: will-o-the-wisp center Frank Boucher and strong-as-nails Bill Cook (Bun’s brother) on right wing.

Frank Selke, in a letter petitioning for Cook's posthumous nomination to the Hockey Hall of Fame, described the least spectacular member of the famous trio as a "safety-valve trailer and defensive specialist," although "men who would know credit Bunny Cook with the introduction of the passing attack." More often, Cook is credited with the invention of the drop pass.

1926-1927, 6th in NHL assists + NHL 2nd team all-star selection
1927-1928, 2nd in NHL assists + The Stanley Cup
1928-1929, 10th in NHL goals
1929-1930, 10th in NHL goals
1930-1931, 7th in NHL assists + NHL 2nd team all-star selection
1931-1932, 9th in NHL assists + Cup Finals leading 6 goals
1932-1933, 4th in NHL goals + The Stanley Cup
1933-1934, 10th in NHL goals

Note: his best season for goals and for assists were cup-winning seasons.

 

[Velociraptor]

Ken Hodge, RW

Position: Right Wing
HT/WT: 6'2", 214 lbs
Handedness: Right
Born: June 25th, 1944 in Birmingham, United Kingdom

- 2-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1970, 1972)
- 2 acknowledgments for First NHL All-Star Team - (1971, 1974)
- 6-time Top-10 in All-Star RW Voting (1, 1, 3, 6, 7, 7)
- scored 328 goals, 472 assists for 800 points in 881 regular season games played, adding 779 penalty minutes.
- scored 34 goals, 47 assists for 81 points in 97 playoff games played, adding 120 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Goals - 3x - (4, 4, 4)
Assists - 2x - (4, 8)
Points - 3x (3, 4, 5)
Powerplay Goals - 4x - (3, 3, 4, 10)

Voting Record:

Hart Trophy Voting:

11th (73-74)

Quotes

Some critics claim Esposito merely reaped the rewards of playing with such able cornermen as Ken Hodge

Hodge played on the Bruins' number one line with Esposito and Wayne Cashman and his confidence exploded. He started to use his strength to hold onto the puck and create scoring chances instead of fighting, and he became one of the best scorers in the league because of his excellent shot. In 1968-69, he scored 45 times, one of the best seasons in league history.

Hodge helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972 and he was with the team for nine seasons. His scoring began in earnest when coach Harry Sinden stepped down after the 1970 Cup win and Tom Johnson took over, giving Hodge more power-play and ice time.

This is Ken Hodge, a great member of the Boston Bruins who could never seem to win over the Boston Gardens faithful, or his Boston coaches.

The British born superstar played in 881 games, scoring 328 goals, 472 assists and 800 points. He formed a special connection with the great Phil Esposito, serving as his RW during the team's great seasons in the 1970s. Hodge is often overlooked in comparison to Espo, Bobby Orr, xxx and Wayne Cashman on that team, but the two time all star was a key component of that offensive juggernaut to be sure.

The problem with the fans was that they always expected more out of Hodge. When he arrived in Boston via Chicago he was one of the biggest men in hockey at 6'2" and 215lbs. They wanted him to use every ounce of muscle to bang away the opposition, but that was never really in Hodge's make up. He tried to fill that role, but he was much more successful as an offensive forward on Boston's top line.

As more success came, so did more criticism. He worked tirelessly to improve his skating so he could skate on that top line with Espo and Cash, and it paid off with seasons of 45, 43 and 50 goals, not to mention Stanley Cup championships in 1970 and 1972.

More quotes in this extensive bio courtesy of BillyShoe1721

 

[tony d]

Right Winger Jim Pappin

Biographical Information courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/pappiji01.html

Position: RW ▪ Shoots: Right
Height: 6-0 ▪ Weight: 190 lbs.
Born: September 10, 1939 in Sudbury, Ontario

Stats on Pappin courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/pappiji01.html:

-Multi Time All Star
-278 G 295 A for 573 Pts in 767 Games
-Led 1967 playoffs in points
-1 Top 10 finish in Goals and Points for a season
-Led league in game winning goals in 1966-1967

Legends Of Hockey:

As such, Pappin played well enough to make the club each year from 1963-68. But during those years, Imlach took advantage of any opportunity to demote his right winger to the minors. Pappin, however, refused to languish in the AHL. He was just too useful, especially during the playoffs of 1967. In the sixth and deciding game of the finals against Montreal, Pappin tossed a backhand pass to undrafted. But the puck hit Canadiens' defenseman Terry Harper and slipped into the net. The goal stood as the Stanley Cup winner?the last the Leafs enjoyed.

Pappin toiled for one additional year with the Leafs before Imlach sent him to Chicago. There, "Pappy" settled in as a permanent NHLer. Skating right wing with undrafted and undrafted, he scored 216 goals during their seven seasons together.

Joe Pelletier:

During his 14-year NHL career Jim developed into a fine two-way hockey player who was very sharp in front of the net. He was hard to move from the slot and he scored a lot of goals on rebounds and tip-ins.

Final thoughts:

Glad to get Pappin, guy reads as a very solid hockey player

 

[ImporterExporter]

Tom Barrasso G

Vezina Record: 1, 2, 2, 2, 3

Stanley Cup: 1991 and 1992

Save Percentage Top 10's: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10

NHL 1st Team All Star: 1984
NHL 2nd Team All Star: 1985 and 1993

Team USA: 1984 and 1987 Canada Cup, 1986 WC's, 2002 Winter Olympics

Barrasso holds the all time record for assists by a netminder with 48
http://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/records/nhl-goalies-all-time-assists-leaders.html

Ranks 5th on The Hockey News list of All Time puck handling goaltenders.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/37637-Best-puckhandling-goalies.html

Joe Pelletier

Quote:
In his rookie NHL season, Barrasso won the Vezina Trophy as the leagues best netminder and the Calder Trophy as the top rookie thanks to a 26-12-3 record and a 2.84 GAA. He was named to the first all star team.

After his spectacular season, Barrasso was being hailed as the best goalie in the world by many. He confirmed his elite status by representing Team USA at the 1984 Canada Cup, and then by improving his second season NHL totals to 25-28-10 and a 2.66 GAA. He shared the Jennings trophy and was named to the second team all stars.

Barrasso and Bob Sauve had battled for the starters job much of the previous two seasons, but the Sabres ended the goaltending controversy by trading Sauve and declaring Barrasso as their number one man. Barrasso's playing time increased but his numbers fell.

Early in the 1988-89 season, Barrasso was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh's powerful offense, led by Mario Lemieux and Paul Coffey, needed some defensive help. Barrasso proved to be that help, as he was an important part of back to back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992.

LOH
Quote:
Just after the start of the 1988-89 season, Barrasso was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh's powerful offense needed some defensive help and having Barrasso in the crease was a major piece of the championship puzzle for the Penguins. In 1991 and 1992 Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup, due in large part to Barrasso's outstanding play in the net.

During the 1996 playoffs there were flashes of the old brilliance and in particular in the Penguins' series against the Florida Panthers. Barrasso later became the first American born goalie to win 300 career NHL games.

Playoffs
Quote:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - May 27, 1991 (after the first Cup victory)
Barrasso played Game 6 against the Minnesota North Stars Saturday night as if it were his last game. He took one for the team - a shot of pain-killer to the groin - then stood up to the North Stars' Neal Broten, who ran him in the opening seconds, stood up to 39 shots, stood up to his critics who long tormented him by saying he can't win the big games.

For a guy who was a questionable starter - the missed the final two periods of Game 5 Thursday night with a pulled groin muscle - Barrasso was at the top of the Penguins' long list of heroes in their 8-0 Cup-clinching victory.

"There was no question in my mind I wasn't going to miss this game," Barrasso said. "I was here to play. I had Dr. [Chip] Burke give me a shot to numb up my groin. I felt nothing the entire game. I've got the whole summer to recuperate."
...
Barrasso had an answer for everything the North Stars tried.
...
"The shutout is really irrelevant," Barrasso said. "The Cup is all that matters."
...
The shutout, the first in the finals since 1986, was fairly indicative of Barrasso's play in the postseason. He finishes with a 12-7 record and had the best goals-against average (2.60) and save percentage (.919) of the playoff goaltenders. He easily could have won the Conn Smythe MVP award if Mario Lemieux had not played so spectacularly in the final three games against Minnesota.
...
Barrasso certainly has Samuelsson's endorsement. "With this team, you start with Mario Lemieux. He's half of the team. Then, you add Tom Barrasso. After that, anybody could go out there and win."

St. Louis Post-Dispatch - June 3, 1992
Quote:
CHICAGO - Pittsburgh star Mario Lemieux gazed at the Conn Smythe Trophy sitting on a table beside him Monday night at Chicago Stadium and wondered whether he deserved it.

He already had one ''Connie Smythe,'' as he called it, in his trophy case at home. He felt that Penguins goalie Tom Barrasso might have been a better choice this year for the award given to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs. ''I thought it was Tommy all the way,'' Lemieux said. ''He was superb the last three games of the Washington series, when we came back from a 3-1 deficit. ''He played unbelievable when we swept Boston. This should have gone to him, that's for sure.''

Instead, the big guy, Super Mario, collected his second successive Conn Smythe to go with the Penguins' second successive Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh wrapped up their Cup defense Monday night with a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks to complete a four-game sweep. Barrasso, 27, finished a distant second in the MVP voting, but he said he didn't feel the least bit slighted. To him, it was a team accomplishment.

http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/63/feature6.asp

Quote:
There was a time a couple of years ago when I claimed Scotty Bowman's time as the premiere coach in hockey was at an end because of the way he single-handedly crushed the Penguins' hopes at three-peating as Stanley Cup Champs. Amongst the rationales I had for this somewhat unorthodox claim was the way he ran goaltender Tom Barrasso into the ground by having him start the last third of the season in quest of a relatively meaningless unbeaten streak record. Sure enough, Barrasso went cold in the second round as the Penguins lost to the lowly Islanders, and Bowman had allowed Ken Wregget to practically atrophy by not playing him.

http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/LCS02.txt

Quote:
1994 - PENGUINS DISAPPOINT TWO YEARS IN A ROW

[long list of Penguins who played poorly in the Washington series]...

As shown above, a lot of changes have to be made if the Penguins want to get back to the playoffs and be effective. General Manager Craig Patrick has a big task ahead of him. He has to find a way to replace an aging defensive corp to help out Tom Barrasso (who had an excellent playoff series) in net and create a balanced offense that can be more efficient in the playoffs. Good luck, Mr. Patrick. You're going to need it.

Barrasso and Injury

http://takingonefortheteam.blogspot....s-history.html - Major Penguins Injuries

Quote:
Tom Barrasso' chicken pox ('92-'93 season) - Once again, not really an injury, but it cost Tommy 10 games that year. Considering how good the Penguins were that year, it's not out of the question to think that Tommy starts 9 of those games and wins at least 7 of them, making him the first and only 50 game winner in NHL history.

will update shortly.........

 

[tony d]

Goalie Harry Lumley

Biographical information courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/lumleha01.html

Position: G ▪ Catches: Left
Height: 6-0 ▪ Weight: 195 lbs.
Born: November 11, 1926 in Owen Sound, Ontario

Awards on Lumley courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/lumleha01.html

-330 Career Wins
-2 Time 1st Team Post Season All Star
-2 Time league leader in wins
-3 Time league leader in shutouts
-1954 Vezina Trophy Winner

Legends Of Hockey

Lumley was sent back to Indianapolis for half of the next season before earning a starting job with the Wings. He was especially effective in the playoffs, backstopping Detroit to within one game of the 1945 Stanley Cup. Detroit met the Toronto Maple Leafs in the finals. The Leafs' goalie, undrafted, was also a rookie and got off to a fast start, winning the first three games of the series by shutouts to set an NHL record. Lumley rebounded in games five and six to post two shutouts of his own to force a seventh and deciding game, a 2-1 thriller won by Toronto.

Over the next five years, Lumley and the Red Wings established themselves among the league's best in a very competitive era. Twice he led the league in wins and games played and had the most shutouts during the regular season in 1947-48. In the 1950 Stanley Cup playoffs, Detroit overcame the loss of Gordie Howe to a serious injury in the semifinal series against Toronto. The Leafs were the three-time defending champions and the team that had swept the Wings in the two previous finals. The Wings defeated the New York Rangers after playing two games of the final series in hated Toronto because of the circus using the arena in New York, and Lumley won his first and only Stanley Cup. He had three shutouts in the playoffs and a minuscule 1.85 goals-against average.

Joe Pelletier

When people talk about the greatest goalie of all time, names like Terry Sawchuk, Glenn Hall, Patrick Roy or Dominik Hasek are mentioned without fail. But almost no one mentions Hockey Hall of Famer - and one of the all time greatest Toronto Maple Leaf goalies - Harry Lumley.

Harry Lumley was a standout big league goalie for 16 years in the National Hockey League, many of which were with weaker teams. His achievements are numerous: winning the Vezina Trophy in 1953-54, being elected to the NHL's first All-Star team in 1953-54 and 1954-55, and backstopping a Stanley Cup champion in 1950. His career goals-against-average 2.76 in regular season action and 2.51 in playoffs ranks with the best of any era. His amazing 71 shutouts places him solidly in the top 10 all time shutout leaders, as do his 330 career victories. Although he may be just as well remembered for his days with the Detroit Red Wings when he foiled the Leafs, Lumley enjoyed his best seasons in his Hall of Fame career in a Maple Leafs jersey.

Glad to get Lumley, I think he'll help spell Smith in net in the regular season and be a quality fill in in any situation.

 

[Velociraptor]

Derian Hatcher, D

Position: Defenseman
HT/WT: 6'5", 235 lbs
Handedness: Left
Born: June 4th, 1972 in Sterling Heights, Michigan

- 1-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1999)
- 2-time Top-13 in All-Star D Voting - (4, 11, 11, 13)
- captained the Dallas Stars for eight seasons - (1995-2003)
- scored 80 goals, 251 assists for 331 points in 1045 regular season games played, adding 1581 penalty minutes.
- scored 7 goals, 26 assists for 33 points in 133 playoff games played, adding 248 penalty minutes.

Voting Record:

Norris Trophy Voting:

3rd (02-03), 7th (98-99), 13th (00-01), 16th (99-00), 17th (96-97)

Quotes

The post-NHL lockout world was not made for Derian Hatcher, and it showed. In fact, he was the poster boy of old warriors who could not play in the "new NHL." But in the years of the ultra-physical, tight checking NHL leading up to that time, Hatcher was one of the biggest, baddest and most feared men in hockey.

And one of the most effective. He was a tower of power with Dallas when he captained the Stars to the 1999 Stanley Cup. He was also a starring figure for the Americans at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. For a good portion of the 1990s he was a top 10 defenseman in the NHL.

He was huge at 6'5" and 235lbs, he hit like a Mack truck. He kept the slot clean of defenders back in the pre-lockout era when you could do so by any means necessary. Hatcher invented many of those means.

He was fearless in his intimidating physical game, demanding respect and room. He also had a real mean streak - just ask Jeremy Roenick. I could not imagine how scary it would be for a forward coming down Hatcher's wing, fully knowing he was going to jar every bone of your body and enjoy it. Hatcher intimidated me at home sitting on my couch.

Hatcher was intelligent about it though. He knew when to stay out of the penalty box, despite what his career 1581 penalty minutes might suggest. He picked his spots, knowing he was too valuable to his team. He was a real work horse, eating up big minutes in all key situations.

Hatcher was a real old school defenseman. He ***would have fit in wonderfully in long ago eras*** of Tim Horton or Fern Flaman or Terry Harper. He was almost that good. In a game which demands toughness, Derian Hatcher was the toughest.

Defense was Hatcher's specialty. He had a good head for the offensive game, just not the legs. His skating was laboured, so he learned early not get himself into spots where he could not hurry back. Instead he smartly positioned himself so that the play came to him.

He had good hands for such a big man. He had a good first pass and could handle the puck in traffic. He was a regular on the power play thanks to a smart wrist shot that he more often than not got on net. Occassionally he would move off the line and crash the net with his big body.

He was also a great leader. It was Hatcher that captained the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup in 1999. He was also a key contributer to USA's World Cup of Hockey victory in 1996.

...

Derian Hatcher was a very good defenseman in the NHL, the type of defenseman every team in the league wishes they had. He could play on my team any day of the week.

*** - suggests Hatcher is built for the All-Time Draft, a solid defenseman in any era.

A tough, physical defenseman, Hatcher racked up a career-high 211 penalty minutes during the 1993-94 season and was named the Stars top defenseman. From 1995-96 through 1997-98, Hatcher was playing 60-70 games a season for the Stars, logging plenty of ice time and missing games only due to recurring knee problems.

... Hatcher missed 24 games with a calf injury, however upon his return, he only missed a total a four games and continued to be a tower of strength on the Dallas blueline.

Little study I spent three hours on...

- Determine the top-5 teams defensively each season from 1968-1979, the top-6 each season from 1980-2000, and the top-7 each season from 2001-2012. these are defined as elite defensive teams.
- create a new column in the TOI spreadsheet (1967-2006)that sums up only the total of ES and PK ice time, eliminating PP from the equation. Use NHL.com for 2007-2012
- count the number of times a player is either the leader in non-PP TOI on an elite defensive team, or 2nd place and within one minute.

What I'm left with is a list representing which players since expansion have tended to be the bulwark of a very strong defensive team.

177 players showed up at least once. These are the 85 that showed up at least twice.

Bourque | 15
Stevens | 14.5
Chelios | 11
Potvin | 9
Robinson | 8
Mitchell | 8
Lidstrom | 7
Hatcher | 6

 

[ImporterExporter]

The Hornets will take the man who owned Russian Hockey in the 1950's and was considered by some as the "Russian Bobby Orr". A bit of a reach i think last year at pick 365, i feel like this is extremely good value at 530. He'll pair nicely with the defensive minded Ken Morrow. Rounding out our defense:

Nikolai Sologubov D

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/ice-hockey-1/query/central


-7 Time Russian All Star between 1951 and 1959
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=593025


Aside from Viacheslav Fetisov, Nikolai Sologubov is often considered the best defenseman in Soviet hockey history. Because of the many changes in the eras the two defenders played in, who is better becomes sort of a generational debate much like Bobby Orr and Eddie Shore in the NHL.

A former bandy star, Sologubov nearly never played as he was severely injured in combat in WWII. He betrayed doctor's orders and worked his way back to become one of the all time greats.

Bobby Bauer, coach of the Canadian Olympic team in 1956, said he was good enough to play on any NHL team at that time.

Seve Bobrov, who, as the top Soviet scorer of the era, often duelled with Sologubov, said Sologubov gave him more trouble than any player including the Canadians. Said Bobrov "I could be happy if I scored just a single goal in a game" against him in an era when Bobrov often scored several.

Sologubov's resume includes the 1956 Olympic gold, the 1963 world championship gold and nine USSR championships. Three times he was named as the top defenseman at the Olympics and/or world championships.

Sologubov, a long time captain of both the Red Army and Team USSR, scored 132 goals in 350 games (only bettered by Fetisov in a more offensive era for defensemen).
http://www.1972summitseries.com/othersologubov.html

Nikolai Mikhaylovich SOLOGUBOV It were borne on 8 March, 1924. Master of sport (since 1956). It began to play into the hockey with the ball in Moscow at the meat-packing plant. In 1942 - 1945. - in the Soviet Army, a participant in the World War II. In 1946 - 1949. - in the officers' house (Khabarovsk). In 1949 it were switched to the hockey with the washer.
In 1949 - into TSDKA-TSDSA-TSSK MO - CSKA.
In the championships OF THE USSR - about 350 matches, 128 Goals.
9 champion OF THE USSR. Fourfold Possessor Of the goblet OF THE USSR. In the composition of the team OF THE USSR on the championships of Wourld, Europe and Olympic Games - 51 matches, 15 Goals.
Olympic champion -1956.
Wourld Champion 1956, 1963.
Europe Champion 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963.
Best defender of the championships of Wourld - 1956, 1957, 1960.
He was the captain OF THE CSKA and team OF THE USSR.
At the end of play career he worked as trainer. It is rewarded with the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1957) and with medal "for the working valor" (1960). It died in 1988.
In Nikolai Sologubov's honor, first of the domestic defenders of that thrown 100 Goals in the championships of the country, is founded the club of its name, into which enter the Soviet and Russian players of defense line, who reached the same mark in the official matches.

Gold WinnerOlympic Games 56' - 6 games, 1 Goal - Best defenders of the tournament
Bronze WinnerOlympic Games 60' - 5 games, 1 Goal 8 Assist 9 Pts. 2 PIM - Best defenders of the tournament

http://jaysonhron.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/1959-missiles-pucks-and-orange-juice/

http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/12/nikolai-sologubov.html

"But they are best on defense, and their key man is Goalie Nikolai Puchkov, a master judge of angles and distance. Helping Puchkov keep the puck clear of the net are two quick and aggressive defensemen, Genrikh Sidorenkov and Nikolai Sologubov."

-Sports Illustrated, 1960
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1146562/index.htm

"If VYACHESLAV FETISOV was the Soviet answer to BOBBY ORR, then NIKOLAI SOLOGUBOV, if not quite as rough, was certainly the USSR’s version of EDDIE SHORE."

"The original offensive threat from the Soviet blueline, Sologubov (5 ga, 1 go 8 as, 9 pts) earned his third career selection for Best Defenseman by the International Ice Hockey Federation Directorate at the 1960 Winter Olympic Games at Squaw Valley for the bronze medalist from the Soviet Union."

-IronPigs, 2010
http://www.goironpigs.com/?p=5273

"Nicolas Sologubov, a defenceman with a rifle shot broke a 1-1 tie with a goal from 20 feet out in the second period and then scored twice in the third as the Russians crumpled the Yanks defences with five goal splurge in the last 20 minutes."

-The Leader Post, 1959
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAIBAJ&dq=russian hockey team&pg=6082,523166

"Sologubov and Tregubov were so good that even the NHL took notice. Boston GM Lynn Patrick said, "there are five players on their team who can move up to the Bruins, and there's a commission of $2,500 for anyone who can get either Sologubov or Tregubov into Boston."

-Greatest Hockey Legends, 2014
http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2014/01/international-hockey-legends-of-day_13.html

"The rugged defenseman made his international debut at the 1963 world championship in Stockholm.

"I was a young lad and coaches paired me with Sologubov so I could learn from him," recalled Kuzkin, who was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation's Hall of Fame last year.

"He was 39 then and it was his last major championship but believe me he could still teach us a few tricks."

-Moscow Times, 2006
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/sports/article/big-red-machine-marks-50-years/207092.html

"While the Russians were short handed on a penalty, Nikolai Sologubov got behind the Czech defense alone and beat goalie Karel Straka from close in at 11:04."

-The Miami News, 1957
http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...Z5MzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c-oFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6177,886126

“I saw players who could have played in the NHL already
at that time”, says “Red”. “For some reason I
remember the Swedes the best. They had a great centre
in Nisse Nilsson and two steady defensemen,
(Lasse) Bjorn and (Roland) Stoltz. I also remember the
great Soviet defenseman (Nikolai) Sologubov. He was
the Russian Doug Harvey"

-Red Berenson, IIHF.com, 2004
http://www.iihf.com/fileadmin/user_upload/PDF/The_IIHF/IIHF_Vol8No2.pdf

 

[Velociraptor]

Jim Neilson, D

Position: Defenseman
HT/WT: 6'2", 205 lbs
Handedness: Left
Nickname(s): "Chief"
Born: November 28th, 1940 in Big River, Saskatchewan

Bobby Orr (l), the league's scoring and assist leader, is dropped by New York Rangers defender Jim Neilson during first period play of Game 2 of the NHL Eastern Division Playoffs at the Boston Garden.

- 4-time Top-10 in All-Star D Voting - (4, 5, 6, 9)
- 1 acknowledgment for NHL Second All Star Team - (1968)
- Top-12 in league Defense Scoring 6 Times (4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th)
- averaged an estimated 24.73 minutes per game post-expansion (age 27-37)
- Ranked 1st, 1st, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 4th, 5th in icetime on strong post-expansion NYR blueline
- scored 69 goals, 299 assists for 368 points in 1023 regular season games played, adding 904 penalty minutes.
- scored 1 goal, 17 assists for 18 points in 65 playoff games played, adding 61 penalty minutes.

Voting Record:

Hart Trophy Voting:

14th (67-68)

Norris Trophy Voting:

4th (67-68), 5th (69-70), 8th (70-71)

Quotes

Defenceman Jim Neilson played the body well and moved the puck up ice to his forwards with consistency. He played over 1,000 games and was an underrated member of the fine New York Rangers teams of the early 1970s.

Born in Big River, Saskatchewan, Neilson was a mix of Danish and Cree and grew up in an orphanage where he was educated and played hockey. He excelled for three years with the Prince Albert Mintos of the SJHL where he registered consecutive 20-goal seasons in 1960 and 1961. The New York Rangers prospect enjoyed a solid first pro season in the EPHL with the Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers in 1961-62.

Neilson looked solid as a rookie paired with Doug Harvey in 1962-63 and became a fixture on the New York defence for a dozen seasons. In 1967-68 he played superior defence and scored 35 points, which earned him selection to the NHL second all-star team. "Chief" scored a career-high ten goals and 44 points the next year then helped the Blueshirts become one of the league's elite clubs. In 1968-69, he was paired with rookie Brad Park and was credited with making a huge difference in the youngster's game.

Jim Neilson was a crunching body checker who played hard but fair. Though his physical presence was feared, he was considered a true gentleman of the ice.

Despite his tough play he never recorded more than 95 PIMs in one season and rarely engaged in fights. A very good positional defenseman he patrolled the blue line in the NHL for over 1000 NHL games. During his 17-year pro career he never was sent down to the minors which further underlines his steady play.

An extremely strong skater, Neilson was a big guy on skates, standing 6-2 and weighing 205 pounds. He was very agile, however, and had a great poke-check. He also had a solid understanding of the offensive game and created considerable offensive opportunities in the pre-Bobby Orr era of rushing defenseman. In fact, Neilson's size, skating and offensive knack occasionally landed him on left wing. In fact, his first NHL goal was scored as a forward.

However it was his solid though not flashy defensive ability that he will forever be remembered for. He would play 12 very solid seasons for the Rangers that included one trip to the Stanley Cup finals and two All-Star games. He broke into the league under the watchful guidance of Doug Harvey and later teamed with Brad Park, two of the NHL's all time great defenders. He was mostly remembered as one half of a long standing New York tandem with Rod Seiling.

Great quotes about Neilson's play in this bio by seventies.

 

[tony d]

Left Winger Kelly Miller

Biographical Information courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/milleke01.html

Position: LW ▪ Shoots: Left
Height: 5-11 ▪ Weight: 195 lbs.
Born: March 3, 1963 in Lansing, Michigan

Stats on Miller courtesy of http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/milleke01.html

-463 points in 1057 career games
-2 Time League Leader in Games played
-Selke finalist in 1991-1992
-4 Top 10 Finishes in Selke Voting
-54 Points in 119 Career playoff Games

Legends Of Hockey

Left-winger Kelly Miller was a fine playmaker and checker who played nearly 1,000 NHL games in the 1980s and '90s. His quick hands made him a dangerous passer and a tough opponent on faceoffs.

Miller was one of the Caps' best workers for many years. His creativity on offense and his willingness to stay with his man and backcheck helped the club reach the Stanley semi-finals in 1990 and the final in 1998. He was also the club's NHLPA representative and served as interim team captain twice.

Joe Pelletier

Miller was a very unpredictable skater, and that was his best asset. He was lightning quick, but knew how to throw off the opposition by using his speed in multiple gears. His hand and stick skills never caught up to him at the NHL level, but as his career progressed he became a decent passer while on the break. He was strong at reading plays and great at anticipating moves, allowing him to become a top checker and penalty killer. He was a tiny little guy, but he did put what he had into an engaging physical game. He knew his limitations.

Not surprisingly, Miller was a crowd favorite in Washington. Those fans were happy for Miller as much as anyone when the Capitals made an unexpected journey to the Stanley Cup finals in 1998. Despite losing the finals to Detroit, the experience was one of Miller's career highlights. He had been through good times and bad in Washington, and it must have been justifying to be a part of that team.

Glad to have gotten Miller, the guy should be a great add for my PK as well as my bottom 2 lines.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Bill Cook, RW

Cook was a power forward, captain of 2 Cup winners, and should probably be credited with the equivalent of 3-4 Art Rosses.

Nobody fooled around with Bill because he was tough - real tough...Bill was the best (right winger) we ever played against

When I was a player, I believed in being uncivil

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...NcjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9SMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5359,5108544

WCHL career (ages 26-29)

1923 (age 26): 8th in WCHL scoring when probably about 1/4 of the talent was in the WCHL. Good, not great. This was Bill Cook's first professional season.

1924 (age 27): led the WCHL in goals, assists, and points. The WCHL had surpassed the PCHA by this point - they played an interlocking schedule and Cook led the combined leagues in scoring. The NHL still had about half the talent, however (maybe slightly less). Cook led his league in scoring 40-34 (by 18%), the widest margin of any of the leaders. A decent chance of being the Art Ross winner in a consolidated league.

1925 (age 28): Missed 3 games and finished 1 point behind the two players who tied for the scoring championship. 3rd in points and goals, 5th in assists.

1926 (age 29): led the WCHL (now called WHL) in points and goals by very large margins (6th in assists). Almost certainly the Art Ross winner in a consolidated league.

After 1926, the WHL folded and the best players joined the NHL. Led by Bill Cook former WHL players were all over the NHL scoring boards. 3 of the top 4, 6 of the top 10, and 11 of the top 20 NHL scorers in 1927 had spent the previous year in the WHL.

Overall Points: 8th (1923), 1st (1924), 3rd (1925), 1st (1926)
Overall Goals: 1st (1924), 3rd (1925), 1st (1926)
Overall Assists: 1st (1924), 5th (1925), 6th (1926)

NHL career(aged 30-40):

Points: 1st (1927), 10th (1928), 7th (1929), 4th (1930), 4th (1931), 4th (1932), 1st (1933)

Goals: 1st (1927), 10th (1928), 6th (1929), 6th (1930), 2nd (1931), 1st (1932), 1st (1933), 5th (1935)

Assists: 8th (1929), 3rd (1930), 6th (1933)

General quotes on skill set

A burly right winger with the desire of Rocket Richard and the physical prowess of Gordie Howe…played a very similar style to that of Gordie Howe - a hard and physically dominating style, overpowering his opponents, going through them instead of around them. But like Gordie he had some great skills as well, especially his nose for the net.

He had it all - he was an intelligent hockeyist, charismatic, and a physical force. If he were around for us to see play today we would be in awe of his uncanny stickhandling skills, his "hard and fast" skating, and his fantastic shooting ability. And if you were an opponent of him you surely wouldn't want to get on his bad side for his temper and mean streak were among the most volatile of his era.

“He was a remarkable blend of brains, beauty and brawn. He was an outstanding stick-handler, a hard and fast skater, and had an incredible shot. He was a huge physical presence with a mean streak.â€

“He was a remarkably gifted and rugged competitor who served as the catalyst on the New York Rangers' famous Bread Lineâ€

Right wing on the team would be filled by the far-famed Bill Cook, who knows all that’s needed about the game, can adapt himself to a clean or rough game as occasion may call for and is an exponent of combination play at all times.

Cook was known for having an amazing backhand shot (in addition to his forehand shot)

“He's my choice for the best right winger hockey ever knew. He was better than The Rocket and, in my estimation, better than Gordie Howe as well……he had a very hard wrist shot from close in and could score equally well backhand or forehand"

One of his pet tricks was to fake a shot on one side of the net, but hold the puck and go right across the mouth of the goal and then let fly with that backhand into the other corner. I used to pretend that I had fallen for that fake and then crowd the near side of the net. But before the puck had left Bill's stick on his favorite backhand shot, I'd have swung over to the other side and was ready for it.

Toughness

Newsy Lalonde selected Bill Cook as one of two RWs on his "All-Time Meanest-Toughest Team:"

Bill Cook, Ranger ex-great and Hall of Famer, has the right wing spot on Newsy's second-stringers "because of what I saw him dish out during the three years I played with him in Saskatoon."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...zwyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MOUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5290,1877673

In 1958, the six NHL general managers "the six NHL general managers were asked to name the toughest player they ever saw and the toughest men playing at that time..." One of them named Bill Cook as the toughest he ever saw. Source = Blood on Ice by Ira Gitler

Lester Patrick on Bill Cook's leadership:

It's very simple. I look for the leaders. Then I let them lead. I give my last instructions in the dressing room right before the game, the I sit and let them think about whatever they like. I see some of the players just sitting there placidly, thinking about nothing much and worrying about less. Then I look to the bench and see Bill Cook. A great player. An outstanding player. He's already made his mark and has nothing to worry about.

But is he at ease? Not on your life. He sits there rubbing his thighs and rocking back and forth on the bench, a bundle of nerves just aching to get at it and break the tension.

The placid player can be depended on for a safe, steady game, but for the kind of inspired hockey needed to win championships, I need the Bill Cooks. The other players, when it comes right down to the crunch, will follow the Bill Cooks. Then I just tag along and I enjoy it.

The Patrick's, Hockey's Royal Family, pg 180-181

All-Time Teams

He (Joliat) picked an all star team (at the request of W.A. Howard, a writer for Canadian National Magazine) confined to players who played against him during his 16 years as a professional. He puts Benedict or Gardiner in goal; Shore and Noble on defense; Nighbor at centre; with Cook and Jackson on the wings. It's a well balanced unit.

]Boucher tapped for his all-time, all-star team goalie Chuck Gardiner of the Chicago Black Hawks, defensemen Eddie Shore of the Boston Bruins and Ching Johnson of the Rangers, center Frank Nighbor of Ottawa, left winger Aurel Joliat of the Montreal Canadiens and right winger Bill Cook.

Cook's (likely biased) teammates considered him in the running for the greatest player of all-time

Via Sports Illustrated's 1956 article on whether Maurice Richard was the greatest player of All-Time

Muzz Patrick, general manager, New York Rangers - "When you think of Bill Cook, formerly of the Rangers, Gordon Howe of the Red Wings and Jean Beliveau, it's hard to say one is the greatest. But the Rocket is awfully close to it. No one will argue with me when I say he is the most entertaining, exciting and explosive player of all time."

Frank Boucher, general manager, Brandon Regals - "He ranks with the greatest in hockey. As a scorer, from the blue line to the net, he is in a class by himself: As a popular player he's also on a par with the late Howie Morenz. However, I nominate Bill Cook, my old teammate, as the greatest all-round player of all time."

Description of the late 20s Rangers

Finnigan will be at his old post despite his injury. Kilrea will play the left boards and he will have none other than Bill Cook, the "rubber legged" sharpshooter, to hold in check. Cook was the leading scorer in the league last year. He is chain lightning on skates, a beautiful player, graceful and finished. With Frank Boucher and his brother Bun, he forms a wonderful combination.

Spectacular Trio

To see this trio charging along is to see how many new rules can be taken advantage of by masters. They are all accomplished in the code. Frank Boucher, who has been a sensation and is the leading scorer in the American section, will pit his skill and poke check against Frank Nighbor. What a duel that should be. These two great rivals, who are puck purveyors par excellence, ply nimble sticks at center ice, and are smart players excelling with headwork.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dDc0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=cvUIAAAAIBAJ&pg=6638,938102&hl=en

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Mike Foligno, RW

18th in goals, 5th in ES goals in 1986
Selke Trophy voting: 13th (1984)

Captain of Sabres 1989-90 season

Finished second to Boston's Ray Bourque in voting for Rookie of the Year award...Has complete skills: strong skating, good puckhandling and the touch around the net...Has potential to be all-star if he improves his defensive play.

His skill-bag is full-strong, swift skater with big shot, playmaking ability and combative attitude (210 penalty minutes in 1980-81)...Wings turned down several attractive trade offers for him...

One of the leading young right wings around...Tremendous natural talent...Helps himself even more with tireless work along boards, in the corners and around the net...Was one of Detroit's most hailed draft choices in generations...Did nothing to disappoint team...Was reluctantly part of blockbuster deal....Strong skater who has powerful shot...Extremely tough...Was coveted by every team in the league...

Regarded among league's toughest left wings...At his best playing a physical game...Has excellent shot from face-off circles and carries puck up his side of ice with speed and power...Not easy for defensemen to move him out around the net...

Can play it anyway you want...Tough and willing to fight...Rock-hard worker along boards or in corners...Capable of scoring frequent goals...Willing to check as well as attack...

Detroit made a mistake by trading him to Sabres in 1981...Husky right wing plays aggressively and with great enthusiasm...Always battles hard for puck in corners and along the boards...Uses size and strength well to ward off checks by opposing defensemen when Sabres are on the attack...Plays a good game as defensive forward and always checks closely...Not afraid to fight when he feels it's necessary...

Heart of the Sabres...One of the most enthusiastic and dedicated players in the NHL...Leadership type who seems destined to inherit team captaincy...His +25 was by far the team's best plus/minus mark, attesting to his skill as a defensive forward...Great in corners and along boards, using his size and strength...Named Sabre MVP by teammates and most popular player by fans for 1985-86...

He is an excellent checker, determined and successful, as his plus/minus indicates and he is aided in that by his skating, of course, and his vision on the ice. Foligno sees the play well defensively (his height does help) and understands it as well because of his anticipation.

Foligno is a very physical forward and will hit at both ends of the ice. He is extremely effective against the boards, using his bigger frame to hit hard and to jar the puck loose.

Foligno is an excellent checker, determined and successful (so forget that plus/minus), and he is aided in that by his skating and anticipation; Foligno sees the play well defensively.

The physical game is very much Foligno's game...Foligno, Andreychuk and Barrasso were the three players who turned the club around last year, and Foligno did it because of his work ethic...His attitude and work habits make him a team leader.