MLD 2012 Bios (pic, quotes, stats, accomplishments, everything)

[Michael Farkas]

Dale Tallon

Position: D/C/RW/LW (in order of use over his career in my estimation)
Shoots: L
Height/Weight: 6'1", 195 lbs.
Played in the NHL: 1970-1980 (suffered a compound fracture of his leg in 1980 and never returned)

Award voting:
Calder: 5th
All-Star D: 16th, 19th, 20th, 22nd
(single votes included)

2x NHL All-Star

Points among defensemen: 3rd, 5th, 7th, 12th

Defenceman Dale Tallon possessed unquestionable skill with the puck and was a superior quarterback on the power play. He was also a rugged competitor whose solid career was overshadowed by Gilbert Perreault, the man picked just ahead of him in the Amateur Draft. He was a fine playmaker and power-play point man for three years and was picked as an alternate for Canada at the 1972 Summit Series versus the USSR. ...was a fine two-way performer for the club.

Dale began working on a line as the center for Chico Maki and Lynn Powis, they were primarily a checking line.

...used the second draft choice to grab Dale Tallon of Toronto Marlboros, a versatile centre and defenceman, for Vancouver Canucks.

The kid, Vancouver's Dale Tallon, scored a pair of power play goals for the Canucks and ranked as perhaps the single biggest reason why general manager Bud Poile and coach Hal Laycoe did not slash their wrists when the game was over. ||| But when Poile and Laycoe weren't thinking about how well Tallon had played, they were forced to consider some unfortunate gaffes by other Canucks.

Bastien noted Tallon also has played at center and has been used on power plays and to kill penalties.

The Black Hawks were trailing 5-3 entering the third period when Dale Tallon got them started by skating the length of the ice for an unassisted goal at the 3:19 mark, his second goal of the evening.

...short-handed goal by defenseman Dale Tallon, who fired a slapshot from his own blue line that trickled past Cleveland goalie Gilles Meloche.

 

[BillyShoe1721]

RW Blaine Stoughton

4x Top 15 Goals(1, 6, 14, 15)
26th in Assists, 79-80
2x Top 22 Points(8, 22)
1982 NHL All Star Game Participant
4th in WHA Goals, 76-77
9th in WHA Points, 76-77
4th in AS Voting among RW, 79-80

Blaine Stoughton was a fantastically skilled hockey player. Nicknamed "Stash," Blaine had a way of stashing pucks into the back of the net. His first four seasons as a member of the NHL Hartford Whalers he scored at least 43 goals. Two of those years he scored more than 50, including in 1979-80 when he and LA's Charlie Simmer led the league in goals with 56. Blaine also had a 52 goal season in the WHA.

http://mapleleafslegends.blogspot.com/2007/06/blaine-stoughton.html

"When people in this league talk about scorers, they go down the list and then they say, 'Oh yeah, and there's that guy in Hartford,' " says Whaler Coach Larry Kish. "Put Blaine on a winner, though, and people would notice him in a hurry."

In fact, going unnoticed is part of Stoughton's secret. Neither his shot nor his skating ability is exceptional, and his teammates kid him about his feeble back-checking, his passing and his work in the corners. But just when you think it's safe to ignore Stoughton, he pops up near the net with the puck. "The best thing about Blaine is that he knows what he can't do," says Hartford Forward Pierre Larouche. "A lot of guys fool themselves into believing they can skate, pass or shoot. Blaine only does what he knows he can do." Or, as Stoughton puts it, "I know what I get paid for: goals."

Once he's within range of the goal, he can get his shot off in a twinkling—only Bossy's release is quicker. "He plays on instinct," says one of Stoughton's former linemates, Pat Boutette, who's now with Pittsburgh. "He has a knack for going to the right places. It's not anything you can coach. You either have it or you don't. All great scorers have it."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1126220/2/index.htm

 

[BillyShoe1721]

C Pete Stemkowski

1x Stanley Cup Champion
1968 NHL All Star Game Participant
3x Top 13 Goals Playoffs (3, 5, 13)
2x Top 8 Assists Playoffs (3, 8)
3x Top 11 Points Playoffs (2, 11, 11)
16th in Assists, 73-74
26th in Points, 73-74

Quietly Pete Stemkowski had a solid NHL career that lasted 14 years. A useful and aggressive forward, "Stemmer" always took a back seat of attention wherever he played.

Pete Stemkowski played six strong seasons in New York. Despite 3 20+ goal seasons as a Ranger and some fine team play, Stemkowski never again sipped champagne from Lord Stanley's Cup. The Rangers came oh so close to the Stanley Cup three times, however it was not meant to be.

http://nyrangerslegends.blogspot.com/2007/02/pete-stemkowski.html

By this time, he was regarded as one of the better face-off men in the game, and was one of the up-and-coming players on a team that featured veteran legends like Howe and Delvecchio

http://polishsportshof.com/inductees/hockey/pete-stemkowski/

Pete Stemkowski, who played center, is also remembered as one of the top faceoff players of the NHL.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Stemkowski

Stemkowski was also adept at verbally skewering opposing centers, a distinct advantage when he lined up for a faceoff.

"Believe me, that stuff worked," Stemkowski recalled years later. "It's not that hard to throw a guy off guard, especially on faceoffs, by getting on his nerves."

http://books.google.com/books?id=1w...DsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=pete stemkowski&f=false

 

[seventieslord]

Gord Fraser, D

- 6'0", 180 lbs
- Stanley Cup (1926)
- Stanley Cup Finalist (1925)
- PCHA First Team All-Star (1924) (this represents about 5th-7th best in hockey)
- PCHA Second Team All-Star (1923) (this represents about 7th-12th best in hockey)
- WHL Second Team All-Star (1925) (this represents about 5th-8th best in hockey)
- Was starting defenseman for 14 of 16 playoff games in 1925 and 1926 as his team went to the finals twice, winning once
- Starting defenseman for the WCHL's best defensive team (1925)
- 2nd in defense scoring in PCHA (1924)
- 1st in playoff scoring among defensemen (1925)
- Played two seasons in the "Big-4" league (1920, 1921) which featured almost all the same players who would comprise the WCHL in 1922.
- Best defense points percentages: 85, 67*, 55, 50, 52, 42 (includes 1921 Big-4, 1923 & 1924 PCHA, 1925 WCHL, 1927 NHL*, 1930 NHL)
- In his 17-year pro career, finished 1st, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th in his league in PIM

*BREAKING FRASER UPDATE! Fraser was actually a defenseman for 27 games in the 1927 season, meaning his stats are still mostly valid for the season. With 8 goals as a defenseman and an estimated 4 assists, this is still good for 7th in defense points in just 2/3 of a season (and a 67% score). This has been a point of contention in recent years, with many (myself included) believing Fraser's scoring totals that year were "too good to be true" and while it's true he played about 38% of the season at forward, he didn't score any more there, than he did on defense.

See Iain Fyffe's research:

Alright, I went through and found 42 of 44 game summaries for Chicago that season. Fraser did start as a defenceman, and was mostly a wing/centre by the end. He started 26 games on defence and 13 as a forward, plus three as a sub, of which one was most like at defence. Looks like he started playing forward when MacKay was hurt. Based on the chronology, one of the missing game would have been as a defenceman and one as a forward.

By my count he scored 8 goals in his 27 games as a defenceman, though, which would tie with Shore for the highest per-game rate.

“Defenceman Gord Fraser was a physical player who could also contribute on offence… Before the next season began, the rugged defender was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks who were also entering the league.
Fraser scored 14 goals for the Hawks in 1926-27 and was an intimidating presence on defence. He began the next season in Chicago before he was traded back to the Cougars for Duke Keats. His offensive totals decreased, but Fraser continued to play tough in his own end.â€

“The series remained deadlocked until Gord Fraser stole the puck and went straight down center ice, split the defenders and fired a bullet shot that ended the game after 8 minutes of overtime.â€

Quote from the IHL, the first season after his NHL career ended:

the reason for this confidence is the return... of Fraser to the Schooley lineup. And if you've followed your hockey closely, you know that this will mean a decided brace in the Jackets' play. There is no question but that, when Fraser is back guarding the net a different spirit seems to pervade the play of his fellow mates.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Risto Siltanen

Position: D
Shoots: R
Height/Weight: 5'8", 180 lbs.
Played: NHL (1979-1987), SM-Liiga (1976-1979, 1988-1992, 1994-1996) (also played a half season in the WHA in 1979, a year in Switzerland in 1988 and in Fin-2 for two years in the early-mid 90's)

Received marginal votes for the Norris and the AS Team at D in 1980-81.
Represented Finland many times internationally, including the 1981 Canada Cup.

SM-Liiga First All-Star Team and Rookie of the Year (1977)
World Juniors All-Star Team (1977 & 1978)
SM-Liiga First All-Star Team (1989 & 1990)

NHL points among defensemen (top 25): 10, 16, 17, 23
SM-Liiga points among defensemen (top 10): 3, 4, 6, 7

- Of the 28 eligible (300+ NHL games) defensemen with a higher points per game only 3 were not ATDers in 2012.

- In his prime (1980-1986), Siltanen was 15th in points among defensemen over that time. Seven players ahead of him are HHOFers, 13 of 14 were ATDers in 2012.

Risto Siltanen was a stand-up defenceman who was very strong and hard to move. As a result, he was often referred to by his teammates as "The Littlest Hulk."

"Siltanen, of course, is important," said Gordon. "Glen (coach Sather) intends to use him on the power play." ||| Siltanen, a 20-year-old Finn and an excellent rushing defenceman... ||| (a similar article reports that the Oilers offered the Blues $100,000 for him).

"Siltanen was the main one we wanted from Edmonton," said Pleau. "It's not an easy thing to trade a Mark Howe." ||| Siltanen, 23, is a highly-touted Finnish native..."We wanted a defenceman who could come down ice and keep the mobility we were losing," Pleau said.

Defenseman Risto Siltanen scored on a 45-foot slap shot at 2:25 overtime to give the Whalers the win.

Risto Siltanen, Hartford's hard-shooting defenseman...

Report card: Risto Siltanen - C - For a 5-foot-8, 180-pound , 21-year-old who can't speak good English, he's been great. Still a liability defensively. But already an asset offensively. He's learning. And he's improving.

At the other end of the rink you could see the great goaltending of Sohlman and the superlative defensive play of Finland's little Pat Stapleton-sized captain. Risto Siltanen, who took charge in his own end time and again. "...he's a great defenceman." As of today every team in the NHL is well aware of that fact.

And speaking on honoring players, how about the NHL's all-Scandinavian team? You could have Ruotsalainen and either Edmonton's Risto Siltanen or Toronto's Borje Salming as the No. 1 defensive pairing...

 

[Canadiens1958]

Guy Boucher

Guy Boucher went from playing Canadian University hockey at Mcgill to coaching - assistant at McGill, head coach in the QMJHL, assistant U18 and U20, head coach AHL, finally NHL within 15 years. He turned around a few junior team including a bad Drummondville organization. Guy Boucher is an excellent communicator with the ability to teach and get the most out of every player.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Boucher

Guy Boucher is one of the few NA coaches that uses the 1-3-1:

http://thecoachessite.com/guy-bouchers-1-3-1-trending-in-hockey-circles/

He is able to teach and install the 1-3-1 quickly.

Other attributes, excellent game management, ability to integrate various elements into a team, not afraid to innovate.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Sean Burke

Position: G
Catches: L
Height/Weight: 6'4", 211 lbs.
Played in NHL: 1987-2007

Award voting:
Hart: 4th, 8th*, 12th**
Vezina: 3rd, 6th, 8th
All-Star Team (G): 3rd, 4th, 5th

(single votes included)
* - 1 of 2 goalies to get any votes
** - 4th goalie

3x NHL All-Star
Plenty of international experience (Canada) over his career (World Championships goalie in 1987 and 2003, any greater span?), 1988 and 1992 Olympian (was considered for 2002 team also). 1991 Canada Cup member.
World Championships All-Star Team: 1991, 2003*

* - Best Goaltender (best GAA 1.28), Gold Medal

Top-10's:
Save pct.: 3, 6, 8, 9
GAA: 10
Shutouts: 5, 6, 10
Wins: 6, 8, 8 (21st all time)
Games played: 3, 3, 6, 6, 10 (12th all time)
Saves: 3, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10 (6th all time)

As a starter, GAA/Sv Pct./SO vs. his main backup:
1989 NJ: 3.84/.874/3 vs. Sauve 4.67/.832/0
1990 NJ: 3.60/.880/0 vs. Terreri 3.42/.890/0
1993 HFD: 4.16/.876/0 vs. Pietrangelo 4.85/.858/0
1994 HFD: 2.99/.906/2 vs. Reese 3.09/.893/1
1995 HFD: 2.68/.912/0 vs. Reese 3.27/.889/0
1996 HFD: 3.11/.907/4 vs. Muzzatti 2.90/.911/1
1997 HFD: 2.69/.914/4 vs. Muzzatti 3.43/.888/0
1999 FLA: 2.66/.907/3 vs. McLean 2.74/.900/2
2000 PHX: 2.55/.914/3 vs. Essensa 2.78/.898/1
2001 PHX: 2.27/.922/4 vs. Esche 3.02/.896/2
2002 PHX: 2.29/.920/5 vs. Esche 2.72/.902/1

Burke is often the difference maker on his own teams, sometimes significantly so ('89, '93, '95, '97, '00, '01, '02) and does it across eras.

After graduating from junior, the talented netminder opted to join the Canadian National Team. He backstopped Canada to 46 victories over two seasons then shared the goalkeeping responsibilities with Andy Moog at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Following Canada's fourth place finish, Burke joined the Devils and caught fire at the right time. He posted a 10-1 record down the stretch and helped New Jersey make the playoffs on the last night of the regular season. In the playoffs, he was superb as the young club made it all the way to the seventh game of the semi-finals. ||| He was brilliant at times for his new club but the franchise struggled with consistency.

Perhaps the last great stand up goalie, he was forced out of NJ with Martin Brodeur waiting in the wings.

Sean Burke, the rookie goaltender for the Devils, was the protagonist again tonight in a 7-2 triumph over the Penguins, who were shut out by Burke two nights earlier in New Jersey. Burke was marvelous again for the Devils... ||| ''It just lifted our team,'' Coach Jim Schoenfeld said about Burke's play. ''He's been getting better and better.'' ||| The Devils have now gone 339 minutes without allowing a goal at even strength.

With Sean Burke playing brilliantly in goal, the Devils handed the Edmonton Oilers a 1-0 defeat today at Byrne Meadowlands Arena.
Burke stopped the Oilers five times in the early part of the third period during a penalty to Randy Velischek that started at 2 minutes 58 seconds. His heroics had the crowd chanting ''Sean Burke! Sean Burke!'' Standing Ovation for Burke
The rookie goaltender was given a standing ovation by the sellout crowd of 19,040 when he stopped a shot by Charlie Huddy 7:30 into the last period, and when he was introduced as the game's top star. ||| ''We play well when Sean is on his game,'' Joe Cirella said. ''We're the type of team that needs strong goaltending.''

Sean Burke is the cornerstone of the Devils.

Sean Burke, the towering goaltender for the Devils, found himself sprawling from side to side in his attempts to push aside the shots and rebounds that were coming from all sides during the first period tonight.

In that period, Burke faced 20 of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 36 shots for the game, amid another listless performance by his teammates...

Sean Burke has been the No. 2 star for each of the first two games of the season, during which he's seen more rubber than moves through a tire factory...

With Hart Trophy candidates Brendan Shanahan and Sean Burke leading the way, they may even take a run at the Northeast Division title...

"I think we took it to them from beginning to end," said Kasper, "and Sean Burke stood on his head."

Sean Burke, the former Hurricanes goaltender, was the main story, improving to 6-1-2 in his last nine games in net for the Coyotes, stopping 30 of 32 shots.

''He was awesome,'' Carolina's Gary Roberts said. ''Sean Burke has come up with some big games in his career and any time you have a former goaltender playing against you, he wants to have a big game and he did.''

Just minutes into the game, Burke make a fabulous glove save from point-blank range on Sami Kapanen, then kept his team's two-goal lead despite a late flurry by Carolina.

Sean Burke is enjoying the good run the Phoenix Coyotes are on. He just isn't impressed with how they are playing. ||| "He hasn't had a poor performance yet. As far as weak goals, I can only remember two all year," coach Bob Francis said. "He's been consistent from the first day of training camp. We've become used to seeing him play this way."

"Sean Burke single-handedly won us some games last year," general manager Michael Barnett said Friday. "It would be erroneous to say you don't miss a player with that capability..."

 

[Hedberg]

C Lorne Campbell

Ottawa, Ontario

1903, 1904 WPHL 1st Team All-Star
1906 IPHL 2nd Team All-Star
1907 IPHL 1st Team All-Star

63 Pts in 42 WPHL GP

Hockey: A People's History

Another player who left the IHL for Canada is one upon whom the finicky eye of histoy has not lingered. Lorne Campbell was so talented that historian Daniel Mason considers him "the most dominant player in the I.H.L's brief existence," a man worthy of consideration for the HOckey Hall of Fame - if only more were known about him than mentions in Michigan newspaper stories of the time. Campbell, a centre, finished as one of the top three goal scorers in the IHL for each of his three seasons, playing for Portage Lake, Calumet, and Pittsburgh from 1905 to 1907. Former Little Man of Iron Dickie Boon was so impressed by him that he tried to woo Campbell to Montreal to play for the team he now managed, but Campbell turned him down, preferring to remain paid and in the IHL, where he won the goal-scoring championship in 1907.

The Pittsburgh Press, Nov. 30, 1907

Lorne Campbell, one of the best known hockey players that ever donned skates, left yesterday for Winnipeg. Campbell played for several years on teams of the old Western Pennsylvania Hockey League and last year was center and captain of the Pittsburgh team in the International League. He is a fine skater and has no peer at handling the puck.

Wikipedia:

Campbell first played senior hockey for the Montreal Hockey Club. He played for the organization's second team before joining the main squad for 1900–01. He then turned professional in the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League (WPHL) with the Pittsburgh Bankers in the 1901–02 season. He played three seasons with the Bankers before joining the Pittsburgh Pros team in the IPHL, which was a merged team of the best WPHL players. He played three seasons in the IPHL. For the 1907–08 season, he returned to Canada to play for the Winnipeg Maple Leafs of the Manitoba Pro league. That season he played for Winnipeg in its unsuccessful Stanley Cup challenge. He played one season with Winnipeg Strathcona of the Manitoba before finishing his career with one season in the NHA with Cobalt. In 1915-16, Campbell played on the Pittsburgh Winter Garden hockey team, an amateur team based in Pittsburgh

The Gazette Times, Mar 29, 1911

Robinson is said to have other victims [financial fraud] in this city. Lorne Campbell, a former captain and star player of the Pittsburgh Hockey team said yesterday he was a victim of Robinson. Campbell stated that nearly every hockey player in Canada was cheated by Robinson.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Marty Turco, G

Vezina Voting: 2 (2003), 4 (2004), T5 (2006)
All-Star Voting: 2 (2003), 3 (2004), 4 (2006) 8 (2007)
Hart Voting: 8 (2004), 11 (2003), 1 vote in 2006

x3 Top 5 Save % (1st in '01, 1st in '03, 4th in '02)
x7 Top 10 GAA (1st in '01, 1st in '03, 3rd in '02, 3rd in '04, 4th in '07, 8th in '06, 9th in '08)
x3 NHL All-Star Game appearances

Turco's SV % and league average
I'm using the numbers only from goalies who played at least 25 games and included Turco's own numbers in this average.

Year|GP|Turco's SV%|League Average %
2001|26 GP| .925|.906
2002|31 GP|.921|.909
2003|55 GP|.932|.910
2004|73 GP|.913|.913
2006|68 GP|.898|.903
2007|67 GP|.910|.908
2008|62 GP|.909|.910
2009|74 GP|.898|.910
2010|53GP|.913|.912
2011|29 GP|.897|.914

Description of Turco heading into the 2003 playoffs

Mental Toughness
Turco proved this season that he was ready to take over as an NHL starter. His grooming as a backup certainly paid off. He felt all along that he was ready this year -- part of the progression -- as he wasn't thrust into a role he did not understand.

Glove Hand
Turco is a good, dependable catcher of the puck. Earlier in his career, he said he was always looking to make the flashy save. Now, it is just the opposite as he focuses on making the solid play.

Stick
Turco is fabulous with his stick in all situations, and is second only to Martin Brodeur in puck-handling prowess.

Pads
He is fundamentally sound, so his feet are situated and his setup is done early. Turco has worked hard on early positioning and it has paid off. Add his quick feet to the equation and you have a textbook example of how to get maximum use of the goal pads to make saves and control rebounds.

Style
Turco has the best footwork in the game right now. His early setup, patience and athletic ability combine in making him adept at both first saves and stops in rebound and recovery situations.

Intangible
He knows how to win and is consistent. Eclipsing Tony Esposito's all-time goals-against average mark of 1.77 with his own 1.72 GAA this season can't hurt his confidence, either.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/2003/playoffs/goalie_analysis/turco.html

Except today’s young goalies don’t just look up to Turco and hope to be like him in the general sense. When it comes to puck handling, they are copying him exactly, taught from a young age to turn over their glove hand as they grip the lower part of the stick, a change in philosophy that started with Turco tinkering in college and led to him revolutionizing the way goaltenders everywhere play the puck.
There’s a reason it’s called the Turco Grip.

“He has evolved the game into something it couldn’t have been without his idea,†said Lightning goalie Mike Smith, who credits his time with Turco in Dallas for his current status as one of the league’s better puck-moving goaltenders (so too does Tampa Bay’s Dan Ellis, also an ex-Stars prospect). “It’s funny because you see all the kids doing it now.â€

“The reason I started doing it is I was getting choked about not stopping hard rims on my backhand when I had my hand underneath and you just don’t have much power on your backhand. Coming in on you forehand side you are leaning into it, but on the backhand side it would just push the stick away. I didn’t have the leverage, so this was more just turning my hand over, jamming my stick square into the end boards and then stop it, and at first I’d even then turn my hand back over and under to play it. Then all of a sudden you are playing around with it and you need to do it quick so you shovel it along the ice that way and figure out, ‘hey I can actually saucer it pretty good this way’ and then all of a sudden it’s ‘while, hey I got a way better backhand then I do the other way so now I have two options.’â€
And that, in a nutshell, changed how goalies handle the puck.

“We used to always say ‘the goalies going to put it on his forehand side, forehand side: He can only shoot it one-way’ and that happened for years,†said Turco. “But now you don’t hear that as often because guys will flip their hand over and have the ability to push it with conviction to their backside or their weak side. That was a real breakthrough for me to have that option and to even get it off the ice on that side. It was one thing just to push it along the boards, but if you got a guy on the forecheck sealing the wall you’ve got to get it up and over the blade and the sticks and even put it on the glass. It took a long time to have some fire on it, to saucer it and have it land flat so you could actually make passes and not just have grenades blowing up in front of your wingers or having them get pounded by D-men. So that’s how it all started. And I knew it was a pretty good idea when I saw Patrick (Roy) try it later on.â€

http://ingoalmag.com/features/how-marty-turco-changed-the-game-for-goaltenders/

 

[seventieslord]

Turco's SV % and league average
I'm using the numbers only from goalies who played at least 25 games and included Turco's own numbers in this average.

Just curious, why not just use the actual league average? total saves over total shots.

For the record, Turco's weighted career average is 2.4 sv% points above league average, in case those yearly figures make it hard for people to determine where it all shakes out.

 

[seventieslord]

Murph Chamberlain, LW/C

- 5'11", 165 lbs
- Stanley Cup (1944, 1946)
- Stanley Cup Finalist (1938, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1947)
- Best Points Percentages (by the seventies system that discounts WW2 years): 59, 57, 51, 50, 47, 46
- Top-10 in playoff scoring 3 times: 6th(1939), 8th(1944), 9th(1946)
- Top-4 in PIM six times (3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4), retired 13th in PIMs all-time
- Retired 19th in NHL playoff points (31), 12th in games (66), and 5th in PIM (96)
- Allan Cup Champion (1937)

They didn’t come much tougher than Murph Chamberlain. He played 12 NHL seasons with four different clubs and was one of the hardest hitters in the league, no matter what team he suited up for.

Chamberlain did not disappoint. Stretching 165 pounds over a 5-foot-11 frame, his ferocious competitive drive made him a feared adversary in bush league rinks from Sudbury to South Porcupine. Skilled offensively, the young forward could skate, shoot and carry the puck. He could also handle the heavy going, be it legally or outside the rules.

Chamberlain’s best years were spent with the Habs. So were his most enjoyable. Always popular the brash and outspoken “Hardrock†was usually at the thick of things. On the ice he maintained his reputation as one of the NHL’s best brawlers. Off the ice he was one of the hubs of the Habs social life. From time to time he took a raw recruit under his wing, initiating him to delights of Montreal’s nightlife.

Playing a solid second-line role, Chamberlain had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for a second time in 1946, another year that saw him play a clutch postseason role.

In 510 NHL regular season games Chamberlain scored 100 goals and assisted on 175 others. He was also a successful playoff performer with 14 goal and 17 helpers in 66 postseason games. Perhaps the best measure of the Chamberlain’s contributions to team successes is that only once in his 12 NHL years did his team’s season end with the conclusion of regular season play.

When Dick Irvin took over the reins of the Canadiens in 1940-41, he felt that his Habs were not tough enough to make it to the top of the NHL pile. Irvin found his man in Erwin Graves Chamberlain, who had previously played under his orders for three seasons in Toronto. It proved to be $7500 well spent as the 5-foot-11 forward, known to everyone but his parents as “Murphâ€, policed the ice at the Forum for most of the next decade.

An outgoing dressing room favorite, Chamberlain spent the better part of two seasons as a rugged two-way forward in Montreal before being traded for Brooklyn American Red Heron. Each player’s rights, however, remained with their original team through the end of the 1941-42 schedule.

The next season, Chamberlain was rented to the Boston Bruins where he enjoyed his most productive season to date before being repatriated by the Canadiens prior to the 1943-44 campaign. The gritty forward played alongside Ray Getliffe and Phil Watson on a trio that soon picked up a moniker of its own.

“The Gabby Lineâ€, as valuable as it was voluble, provided solid secondary scoring as Chamberlain, who was perennially among the NHL’s 10 most penalized players, reinforced the team’s toughness. He was also good for morale. Quick with a quip and always ready for a good time, life in dressing rooms, hotel lobbies and railroad cars was never boring when Chamberlain was with the team.

â€Murph†is one of the best defensive forwards to break into the NHL in several years… Right now he’s as good as any rookie in the league, and, with the exception of Apps, I think Chamberlain is as good at this stage as any to come up during the last few seasons… Chamberlain’s defensive ability more than makes up for any lack of offensive strength.

Chamberlain and _______ are not for sale. We need them for those gruelling games on the road.

His crude checking, which brought numerous penalties in the season’s first games, has been smoothed.

It’s not often Chamberlain’s name is seen in the scoring summaries. So far he’s only assisted on six goals and scored none himself. But primarily he is a checking center, flanked by Nick Metz and _______ on a line usually sent out to duel with the opposition’s first stringers.

Manager Jack Adams of the Red Wings must have done considerable growling last night as he watched Drillon and Chamberlain dancing around his defensemen… Young Chamberlain was a member of the Allan Cup champions last winter, and was spotted as a future Red Wing by scout Carson Cooper. Somewhere along the fast-moving hockey trail, Chamberlain got away and landed with the Leafs.

Murph Chamberlain, battling centre ice player…

Irvin… showed enthusiasm when he said that “Toe Blake and Murph Chamberlain were the first on and the last off the ice (at practice).†Blake has been practically a one-man gang for the lowly Habitants during the past couple of seasons, while Chamberlain, noted for his scrappy play, was picked up at the end of last season.

The Boston hockey writers did a great job of rabble rousing with their accounts of the first two games in this series in Montreal. They painted Murph Chamberlain as a cross between John Dillinger and Al Capone, blaming him solely for the dents, abrasions, sprains and gashes worn by the noble Bruins… the moment Canadiens appeared, everybody was looking for Chamberlain, and the fans were yelling for their heroes to take old Murph apart. Murph played a hard and effective game and stayed on the ice except for one incident where he and Milt Schmidy were fenced for fighting, and Milt was the aggressor in this case.

Murph Chamberlain, scrappy Canadien veteran...

And now it’s Murph Chamberlain, the grizzled hardrock of Montreal Canadiens, bowing out of hockey… “I guess I’m about washed up from hockey as a competitor. After 12 years in the big league I’ll be ready to call it a career.†Never a brilliant star such as Lach or Blake, Chamberlain nevertheless is a hard-working, give-all type of player who could inspire any hockey team. When the going became rough, the grinning Irishman would take it all in stride – and come back for more… He acquired the “hardrock†appellation when playing senior amateur hockey with Frood Mines… Murph played in only part of the current playoff series with Detroit because of an injured hand. “That ice can get awfully hard. Three years ago playing against Detroit I tumbled on my head, hard. I came back and played. I played in the next game too. But I didn’t know much of anything for four days.â€

Murph's role on the best checking line in hockey:

Peters usually skated on the Habs' defensive line with Murph Chamberlain and Ken Mosdell....

The famed pony line was sent against Billy Reay, Jimmy Peters and Murph Chamberlain of the Candiens who checked them closely all night and it was seldom indeed when they could get a shot away

They also have the best checking line in hockey in Kenny Mosdell, Murph Chamberlain and Jimmy Peters. It has been pointed out that none of this line has scored many goals, but the fellows who have played against them have scored even less. And they have been assigned to most of the high-scoring lines in the league.

For the post-season series cagey Dick Irvin, Canadiens coach, lined up Billy Reay, Murph Chamberlain, and Jimmy Peters against the Bentleys-Mosienko trio and his strategy paid dividends.

 

[Hedberg]

Coach Pete Muldoon

1917 Stanley Cup Champion

Wikipedia

Muldoon was accomplished at other sports, including lacrosse. He played professionally for a Vancouver club in 1911. He was also an ice dancer who was able to skate, as well as play hockey, while on stilts. In 1914, he took over as the coach and manager of the Portland Rosebuds. He led them to the PCHA championship, making Portland the first team from the United States to compete for the Stanley Cup. For the 1915 season, he changed teams, and went to Seattle to manage a new team in the PCHA, the Metropolitans. He spent eight seasons coaching in Seattle, and amassed a record of 115 wins, 105 losses, and four ties. The Metropolitans competed for the Stanley Cup. The Mets played for the Stanley Cup three times under his leadership, and winning it once in 1917 during their first trip. Muldoon was the first and, at age 30, youngest coach of a Stanley Cup Championship team based in the United States. In 1919, the Metropolitans made for the second time, but the series against the Montreal Canadiens was cancelled after 4 games due to a flu epidemic. Seattle lost in the Stanley Cup finals in the next year.

The Seattle Metropolitans ceased operations in the spring of 1924. Muldoon returned to Portland, and moved on to the Chicago Black Hawks of the NHL in 1926. In Chicago, he was appointed the first head coach of the new team. He accepted the position because his wife Dorothy was a Chicago native and pregnant with the family's second child. After the Black Hawks ended the 1926–27 season with a playoff berth after finishing in third place in the American Division with a 19–22–3 record, he resigned because of constant meddling from team owner Major McLaughlin.[

Inside Hockey

Pete Muldoon is remembered mostly for a non-existent curse he placed upon the Chicago Blackhawks after he was fired as their head coach in 1927. Muldoon allegedly claimed that the Hawks would never finish first in the NHL—and for 40 years after Muldoon’s firing they didn’t finish first until 1967 when they won the league championship and put the alleged curse to bed forever.

In truth Pete Muldoon never placed a curse upon the Blackhawks. It was an invention by Toronto named sports writer Jim Coleman who invented the “curse†in 1943 because he was starved for inspiration.

In many ways associating Muldoon’s name with this fictitious curse is a signal dishonor to his memory because Pete Muldoon was one of the finest coaches in hockey from 1917-26. Only Pete Green of the original Ottawa Senators compiled a better record than Muldoon.

Muldoon was also the third best hockey coach of the 1920s, surpassed only by Green and Lester Patrick. Furthermore he and Frank Patrick were the two most successful coaches in the 14-year history of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association—and were the only PCHA coaches ever to win the Stanley Cup.

Muldoon’s teams were unlike those of Frank and Lester Patrick. Frank Patrick won primarily with offense; Lester, with defense and goal-tending. Muldoon’s teams were the most consistently well-balanced in the PCHA.

During the last seven seasons of the league’s existence Seattle finished second in offense to Frank Patrick’s Vancouver teams seven times.

Not only were his teams well-balanced but they were as pugnacious as he was (Muldoon was a professional boxer before he took up coaching).

When the WHL folded in 1926 Muldoon and his players moved to Chicago where they became the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL.

Despite having the best offense in the NHL, the Hawks finished in third and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. This led to Muldoon’s ouster as coach.

Sportspress Northwest

The Patricks had trouble keeping their franchises in the black. When they could not make a go of the New Westminster Royals, afflicted by poor attendance and a shabby arena, they shifted the club to Portland and sought out Muldoon to run the Rosebuds on their behalf.

A year later (1915), the Patricks created a new PCHA team, the Metropolitans (see Wayback Machine: Frank Foyston and the Metropolitans), and asked Muldoon to leave Portland for Seattle, which had just finished construction of a new ice arena on Fifth Avenue between Seneca and University streets. Muldoon agreed, setting up one of the seminal careers in the history of professional hockey in the Queen City.

“Pete Muldoon will be manager of Seattle’s hockey team,†announced The Times. “Pete handled the Portland team last year and made a splendid showing. While rumors were printed that Pete would be transferred to Seattle, it was not until today (Oct. 15, 1915) that he got his release from President Savage of the Portland club.

“He will at once begin hustling for players, for both he and the Patrick boys know that Seattle must have a strong team in order to make hockey go here in its first season. Muldoon is well known and popular in Seattle, and his selection is a good one. He is a splendid skater himself, but seldom plays hockey any more, though he can give a good account of himself in a pinch.â€

Two years later, the PCHA folded, the Mets disbanded, and the Western Canada Hockey League, featuring edition No. 2 of the Portland Rosebuds (the former Regina Capitals), came into existence. Muldoon, who posted a record of 115 wins, 105 losses and four ties in Seattle, became the coach.

But the WCHL didn’t last, either, and Frank Patrick negotiated the sale of Muldoon and most of the Rosebuds players to a Chicago investor who was forming an expansion franchise (then called the Black Hawks, now the Blackhawks) in the National Hockey League, which had evolved out of the National Hockey Association following the 1917 season.

Two weeks before the end of the 1926-27 season, Muldoon resigned, giving 14 days’ notice. He could not stand McLaughlin’s meddling.

“Our worthy president wanted to run the club, the players, the referees, etc.,†Muldoon said a few weeks after his departure. “He learned the game very quickly. In fact, after seeing his first game, he wrote me a letter telling me what players should and should not do.â€

The Vancouver Sun Nov. 15, 1922

The wonderful early season condition into which Pete Muldoon has groomed the Mets entitles the Seattle fans to look with some degree on the probable outcome of this evenings engagement.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Just curious, why not just use the actual league average? total saves over total shots.

For the record, Turco's weighted career average is 2.4 sv% points above league average, in case those yearly figures make it hard for people to determine where it all shakes out.

My thoughts were he's not really competing, with the backup goalies who are starting 20ish games a year or the scrubs who get into a handful, for what we care about. Maybe that wasn't the way to go, last time I did this with Worsley and I used all numbers excluding his own but I didn't think this would sway it much.

 

[BillyShoe1721]

G Don Beaupre

2x NHL All Star Game Participant
5x Top 9 All Star Voting(4, 4, 6, 7, 9)
2x Top 6 Vezina Voting(5, 6)
4x Top 10 GAA(4, 6, 10, 10)
2x Top 8 SV%(5, 8)
5x Top 10 Shutouts(1, 6, 6, 9, 10)

Netminder Don Beaupre enjoyed a solid NHL career that spanned parts of 17 NHL seasons. He was known for cutting down the angles well and utilizing a cat-like glove hand.

Beaupre won 18 games in the regular season, participated in the All-Star Game, and played 14 post-season matches when the Stars reached the Stanley Cup finals.

In 1983-84 he backstopped Minnesota to an appearance in the semi-finals and played 25 games two years later. By 1988-89, the team declined and Jon Casey played most of the games. Beaupre was traded to the Washington Capitals early that season and played a handful of games for them before being sent down to the AHL. His career was rejuvenated in 1989-90 when he won 23 games in 48 appearances and helped the Caps reach the semi-finals for the first time in franchise history.

Beaupre continued to play well and benefit from Washington's solid defence in the early 1990s. He led the NHL with five shutouts in 1990-91 then won a career-high 29 games the next year. By the mid-'90s, the Capitals were looking to Olaf Kolzig to lead them in goal. Beaupre was shipped to the weak Ottawa Senators where he saw plenty of rubber in 71 games over two seasons.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=18213

Don's rookie season in the NHL was sensational and he played like a seasoned veteran. As mentioned previously, he made the All-Star team, helped the North Stars win the Norris Division and also helped them reach the Stanley Cup finals.

But soon Don got another chance and seized it. He not only made his way back to the NHL, but went on to make his mark in the Capitals' record book. Don held the franchise record in career wins (128) until Olaf Kolzig broke that mark.

The Capitals had a strong team defensively with a defense-first mentality, anchored by blueline stalwart Rod Langway.

"No doubt, those were some of the most fun times in my career," Don said. "I was playing all the time, we were winning in a tough division, it was real satisfying for me.

"I had five shutouts in one year [league leading in 1990-91], and I struggled to get one in every other year I think. It was fun to play with guys like Rod Langway and Mike Gartner, real good players and respected players. It was a good experience, and I really enjoyed living in Washington D.C., too."

http://northstarslegends.blogspot.com/2009/09/don-beaupre.html

 

[BillyShoe1721]

G Bill Ranford

7th All Star Voting, 1990
2x Stanley Cup Winner
1990 Conn Smythe Winner
1x NHL All Star Game Participant
3x Top 10 Shutouts(2, 9, 10)
6th SV%, 1986
9th GAA, 1990
1991 Canada Cup MVP & Gold Medalist
1994 World Championships MVP & Gold Medalist

The result was that come playoff time he had earned the starting job. He played in every game, led the team to the Stanley Cup and was named winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy. Younger than Fuhr by a few years, his play also meant that general manager Glen Sather could comfortably trade Fuhr and keep Ranford as the number one man.

At the start of the 1991-92 season, Ranford was perhaps the finest goalie in the world. He was named Canada's starter for the 1991 Canada Cup, and not only did he lead the team to victory, he was named the outstanding player of the tournament. His standup style was different from most young goalies, but for him it was effective

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=18360

Ranford proved himself to equally as acrobatic and entertaining. It seemed as if Ranford's ability to raise his level of play so high infused the Oilers, giving them tremendous confidence. The Oilers went on to win the Stanley Cup in 1990, due largely to Ranford's brilliance. His 2.53 GAA in 22 post season games made him the unanimous choice for the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoffs most valuable player. And to make Ranford's second Cup championship even sweeter was the fact that it came against the man he was traded for and his old team - Andy Moog and the Boston Bruins.

Ranford was among the elite goalies in the league for the next few years after that. In 1990-91 he had the lion's share of the workload only to have Fuhr return from injuries late in the season. Coach John Muckler opted to go with Fuhr in the playoffs over the red hot Ranford. The move did not result as well as Muckler had hoped, as the Oilers were bounced from the playoffs.

1991-92 was another great season for Ranford. He regained his status as the Oilers number one goalie and almost got them back to the Cup finals, falling just short in the conference finals. And the season started off incredibly as Ranford was arguably Canada's best player in the 1991 Canada Cup. He was named MVP as Canada went undefeated en route to their 4th Canada Cup victory in 5 tries.

Ranford remained a constant until 1996 though. His numbers would be greatly inflated over that time period, but he was spectacular and easily the best player on a weak Oilers team.

http://oilerslegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/bill-ranford.html

 

[BillyShoe1721]

C/RW David Backes

2x Top 7 Selke Voting(2, 7)
2010 Olympic Silver Medalist
2011 NHL All Star Game Participant
8th in ESG, 2011

A hard-working forward with a nose for the net, serving as team captain Backes capped off his three year stint at Minnesota State-Mankato by racking up a career high 42 points. At the conclusion of his college season, Backes signed with the St. Louis Blues and appeared in 12 games with their AHL affiliate in Peoria. He began his first full professional season in Peoria and struggled with consistency at times, however would go on to spend the second half of his season with the St. Louis Blues. His play improved as the season progressed and he proved to be one of the Blues' top forwards.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=20986

 

[BillyShoe1721]

RW Dave Christian

Top Vs2 Scores: 53, 52, 64, 51, 59
1991 NHL All Star Game Participant
1980 Olympic Gold Medalist

Although he worked as a center in college, Christian was used exclusively on the blue line by coach Herb Brooks.

He recorded his finest year in 1985-86 with 41 goals and 83 points and was often paired with fellow speedsters Mike Gartner and Bengt Gustafsson on an effective and entertaining forward line.

Later in the year, the Boston Bruins acquired Christian for his offense and experience.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=10255

He was a blessed skater, armed with good puck skills and a mind for the game. He effortlessly played both defense and forward.

coach Herb Brooks utilized Christian on the blue line for the Olympics, and never missed a beat. He was able to control the game by himself, a trait of only the most special players.

http://washingtoncapitalslegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/dave-christian.html

 

[BillyShoe1721]

C Alexei Zhamnov

2nd Team All Star, 1995
2002 NHL All Star Game Participant
Top Vs2 Seasons: 59, 100, 57, 57, 64, 74, 56
Olympic Gold Medalist, 1992
2x Olympic Silver Medalist, 1998 & 2002

Despite the fact that Chicago was terrible from 96-97 to 02-03, their PK was right around or better than the league average in all those years except 98-99 and 01-02. Here's how he stood among teammates in PK time:

96-97: 3rd
97-98: 3rd(12 seconds behind 1st)
98-99: 2nd(2 seconds behind 1st)
99-00: 1st
00-01: 2nd(2 seconds behind 1st)
01-02: 3rd(16 second behind 1st)
02-03: 4th

My list of the most talented hockey players I have ever seen in the National Hockey League has to include Alexei Zhamnov.

When he was on top of his game, he was an absolute joy to watch. He was a magnificent skater, blessed with one-step acceleration but more important incredible agility. He was a masterful stickhandler with an underrated (and often under-used) shot. A classic center from the Russian school of hockey, he was a great playmaker first and foremost, and a dependable defensive forward. Although he may never have thrown a body check in his life, he had solid size and was strong on his skates, making him hard to knock off the puck. His physical game was definitely understated.

Although I always though that Russian centermen - and especially Zhamnov - were somewhat misunderstood in the North American game. Perhaps he was so talented and so understanding of the game of hockey and it's positioning that he gave the impression he was floating.

http://winnipegjetslegends.blogspot.com/2011/02/alexei-zhamnov.html

 

[BillyShoe1721]

D Joe Cooper

6x Top 7 PIM(4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 7)
8th Goals among defensemen, 1942
2x Top 7 Assists among defensemen(6, 7)
2x Top 9 Points among defensemen(8, 9)

At 6'1" and 200 pounds, Cooper was one of the biggest and strongest players of his day, and he used his physical superiority whenever possible.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=12326

 

[BillyShoe1721]

D Jim McKenny

1974 All Star Game Participant
4x Top 7 Goals among defensemen(5, 6, 7, 7)
4x Top 13 Assists among defensemen(3, 4, 9, 13)
5x Top 14 Points among defensemen(2, 4, 7, 13, 14)
TOI during 7 year peak:

Overall: 1, 3, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3
ES: 2, 4, 2, 1, 3, 2, 3

But for those old enough to remember the NHL in the late 1960's and 1970's McKenny was mainstay on the Toronto Maple Leafs defense for many years. In the mid the 1960's McKenny was rated by many NHL insiders as the second best Canadian junior prospect patrolling the blue line behind only Bobby Orr. The comparisons were primarily based on McKenny's similar strong puckhandling and skating skills, but even his most staunch supporters agreed he was never a match for Orr when it came to point production and toughness.

McKenny played another seven years with Toronto and was consistently one of the team's top defenders

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13658

 

[BillyShoe1721]

D Robert Picard

2nd in Goals among defensemen, 1979
7th in Assists among defensemen, 1979
5th in Points among defensemen, 1979
10th in Assists among defensemen, 1980
11th in Points among defensemen, 1980
2x NHL All Star Game Participant

 

[Michael Farkas]

Bryan "Bugsy" Watson

Position: D/RW
Shoots: R
Height/Weight: 5'9", 175 lbs.
Played in NHL: 1963-64, 1965-1979

- CPHL "Outstanding Defenseman" Award (1968)
- Was the all-time NHL penalty minutes leader before Dave Schultz took the title from him

Career agitator, defensive defenseman that was a prominent member of many penalty kill units. A high energy player that played at 100 mph (about 160 km/h) even in practices. A practical jokester that was very friendly off the ice and as prickly as a cactus on it.

Bryan Watson, a rambunctious defenseman, who would quickly earn the nickname “Bugsyâ€, was drafted from Chicago and became a hard-checking force along the blueline...

One of the unsung heroes for Detroit was Bryan Watson, who covered Bobby Hull like a blanket. Hull, the NHL’s most gifted scorer, was limited to a pair of goals in the series, both scored when Watson wasn’t on the ice

Watson had the face of a light heavyweight boxer with plenty of scars and a warm smile to soften his tough-guy looks. He was small in stature but backed away from no one. He was an average skater at best who had little scoring touch around the net. But his value came in his refined art of clutching, grabbing and clinging tactics that he used to effectively blanket and antagonize opponents.

In 1966, during a semi-finals game against the Blackhawks, Watson, as a Red Wing, bothered Bobby Hull like an irritating rash, holding the power winger to only one goal in the series. Hull named his persistent antagonist "Super Pest."
In spite of his defensive skills, Watson spent most of the sixties bouncing between the minors and the majors. At the NHL level, he put in two short stints with the Canadiens, a two-year outing with the Wings, and a short visit with the Seals.

It wasn't until the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired his services in 1969 that he finally settled into his spiritual home. With the Pens, Watson took his game of antagonism to its height. Over his five-plus seasons with the club, he played with combative consistency. Although he only led the NHL in single-season penalty minutes once, he managed to eventually become the league's all-time penalty-minute king until Dave Schultz and Tiger Williams shattered his mark sometime later.

Nicknamed "Bugsy" by Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio, Bryan Watson was known to be an agitator extraordinaire. He bothered people, doing whatever it took to make them lose their concentration.

In spite of Bryan's small size (5'9" and 175 Ibs), most people were distinctly aware of his presence…

Watson himself used to say that the contact felt good and got his circulation moving. Pete Stemkowski of the Rangers called him a "Madman". Denis Potvin once described how during a fight Bryan drove his head right into his cheek. Anything counted in Bryan's book. His style of play could easily be seen on his PIM totals.

A loyal and absolutely fearless player who never hesitated to stop pucks with his head if the situation called for it, Bryan was a great teammate. In the dressing room he was always on the lookout for a good practical joke. He knew when to lighten the bench, and when to set a fire under someone's ass. He was definitely one of those players who every team liked to have on their side.

...cause havoc and chaos to the opposition. "Bryan is an agitator," said his coach Ken Schinkel. "He is very verbal and will take whatever steps necessary to do his thing. That thing means to get into fights, give elbows, and make people boo when he comes on the ice." ||| Bryan has tangled with the Rangers' Vic Hadfield five times. He has had innumberable confrontations with Wayne Cashman and a few slugfests with Dave Schultz... Just recently, he gave the Islanders' prized rookie Denis Potvin an initiation to the fighting game. ||| [Butt-ends] have become a Bugsy specialty. So have slashes on ankles, knees in stomachs and sticks at necks... ||| "I felt it when Bryan came to say hello in the corners," [said Schinkel]. ||| Every day he's on the ice and playing like there won't be another chance or another tomorrow. ||| "I've gotten mine back and I just say 'so what?' and start over. In fact, I know I have to get hit," [said Watson].

 

[BillyShoe1721]

D Janne Niinimaa

2001 NHL All Star Game Participant
96-97 NHL 1st Team All Rookie
1x 11th Goals among defensemen
4x Top 17 Assists among defensemen(5, 6, 7, 17)
4x Top 18 Points among defensemen(11, 15, 17, 18)

Niinamaa made an impressive NHL debut in 1996-97 by scoring 44 points in the regular season followed by 13 points in 19 post-season games as the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup finals. His offensive flash and poise led to him being voted on to the league's All-Rookie Team. The next year he continued to play well and competed for Finland at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Shortly after returning from Japan, Niinimaa was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Dan McGillis.

The fast-skating approach of Edmonton and the wide-open style of the Western Conference suited the young Finn. Niinimaa became the quarterback of the team's power-play and logged the most ice time of any defenceman on the team. He scored 33 points in 1999-00 then improved to 46 points the next year which placed him third in team scoring.

Niinimaa continued his strong play in 2001-02 notching 44 points and was a member of Finland's 2002 Winter Olympic Team before he was dealt to the New York Islanders at the March trading deadline in 2003. Upon his arrival with the Islanders, Niinimaa continued to be an offensive force from the blueline

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=14895

 

[Michael Farkas]

Claude Julien

Position: Coach

Coaching career: NHL: 2002-03-present; AHL: 2000-2002-03; QMJHL: 1996-1997

Jack Adams voting: 1, 5, 7, 10, 11
- Won Jack Adams in 2009
- Won Louis A.R. Pieri award (AHL Coach of the Year) in 2003

- Won Stanley Cup (2011)
- Won Memorial Cup Championship (1997)
- Won QMJHL Championship (1997)

- Most playoff coaching wins in Bruins history.
2x NHL All-Star Game coach

NHL: One full season in Montreal, made playoffs, won a round. (Other two seasons, he was brought in from the AHL, then fired with a winning record in 2006). Only season with New Jersey, made playoffs, but was fired just prior to them. 5 of 5 playoff appearances in Boston. Won 6 playoff series, Stanley Cup.

Record: 347-218-10-73 (.600)

AHL: Went to Conference Finals in his second season. Was 33-6-3-3 in last AHL season before being "called up" to Montreal (team went to Calder Cup Finals).

Record: 98-77-19-11 (.551)

QMJHL: One season, won championship. Won Memorial Cup.

Record: 48-19-3 (.707)

Canada: Head Coach World Juniors (bronze), Assistant on 2006 World Championships Team (fourth).

Defensive-minded coach that works very well with two-way centermen. Loves defensive players that can move the puck effectively and does fine with transition even with limited puck-movers on the backline. Will hide offensive defensemen that may be liabilities deeper in the lineup. Runs defensive systems that actually encourage shots against, but very low quality ones from the low-percentage areas, then has players collapse back to the goaltender to retrieve or clear rebounds. Has had remarkable success with even journeymen goaltenders.

QMJHL: His starter had the best save pct. in the league (0.908). 3rd in GAA (2.74). (Christian Bronsard - career journeyman, spent most time in French league and second-tier German league). Before Julien got there, the team had Jose Theodore post a 3.38 GAA and .889 save pct. The year after Julien left, two scrub goalies posted 3.53 & 3.90 GAAs and .875 & .881 save percentages.

AHL: In his final season (the one in which he's called up late to Montreal), he oversaw Mathieu Garon post the league's best save pct. (.937), Eric Fichaud was 4th (including Garon) at .925. Both of their career best AHL seasons. [Min. 20 games] ...Garon also led the league in GAA (1.77), Fichaud was 7th (2.28).

NHL: Goaltenders Under Julien

Jeff Hackett (2003) .926 save pct. (18 GP). 3 years prior: .914 (56 GP), .887 (19 GP), .904 (15 GP). 3 years after: .894* (18 GP), .905 (27 GP), retired
* - split season between Montreal and Boston

Jose Theodore (2004) .919 save pct. (67 GP). 3 years prior: .909 (59 GP), .931 (67 GP), .908 (57 GP). 3 years after: .881 (38 GP), .891 (33 GP), .910 (53 GP)

Mathieu Garon (2004) .921 save pct. (19 GP). Career prior: .909 (24 GP). 3 years after: .894 (63 GP), .907 (32 GP), .913 (47 GP)

Martin Brodeur (2007) .922 save pct. (78 GP)*. 3 years prior: .914 (73 GP), .917 (75GP), .911 (73 GP). 3 years after: .920 (77 GP), .916 (31 GP), .916 (77 GP)
* - 2nd highest save pct. of his career (1997), also career-high shutouts in 2007.

Alex Auld (2008) .919 save pct. (23 GP)*. 3 years prior: .902 (67 GP), .888 (27 GP), .880 (9 GP - same season, waived by Phoenix - a team with no goaltending at the time). 3 years after: .911 (43 GP), .895 (24 GP), .914 (16 GP)
* - career high save pct. (min. 9 GP)

Tim Thomas (2008) .921 save pct. (57 GP)*. 3 years prior: N/A, .917 (38 GP), .905 (66 GP). 3 years after: all under Julien
* - couldn't crack the league in any significant fashion before Julien and was very lowly regarded in 2007, even by his own fan base.

Tim Thomas (2009) .933 save pct. (54 GP)* - led NHL in GAA and save pct.

Tuukka Rask (2010) .931 save pct. (45 GP)* - led NHL in GAA and save pct. as a rookie

Tim Thomas (2011) .938 save pct. (57 GP)* - led NHL in GAA and save pct.
Tuukka Rask (2011) .918 save pct. (29 GP) - t-14 save pct. (min. 25 games)

Tim Thomas (2012) .920 save pct. (59 GP) - t-11th save pct. (min. 23 games)
Tuukka Rask (2012) .929 save pct. (23 GP) - t-5th save pct.

Last 5 years in Boston (from present -> past):
GF: 2nd, 8th, 29th, 2nd, 25th
GA: 5th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 12th

 

[Dreakmur]

Al Hamilton !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Jersey Retired by Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers Captain (1972-1976)

WHA First Team All-Star (1978)
WHA Second Team All-Star (1974)

Statistical Accomplishments:
Points among Defensemen – 16th(1971), 16th(1972)
Point Percentages – 48, 47

Hamilton put up some decent offensive numbers in his day, scoring 53 goals and 311 points in 455 WHA games. He was solid in his own zone too, blessed with fluid skating and good size, and the knowledge of how to best use both to his advantage. He managed to overcome a serious eye injury to help the Edmonton Oilers reach the 1978 Avco Cup championship finals.

Hamilton was the Oilers undisputed leader back in the WHA, and a true team player. His contributions off the ice were equally valuable as his contributions on the ice. His infectious love of the game made everyone around him better.

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Hamilton put in two good years in Buffalo before he, like so many others, bolted to the World Hockey Association. In 1970-71 Al proved he belonged in the league. Even though the Sabres were weak, especially on the blue line, Al acquitted himself with a 2 goal, 30 point season. Although his +/- rating of -23 is not impressive, it needs to be taken in context. Al was often used against the other team's top players, which is an especially trying task with an expansion team. The fact that his coaches felt he was reliable enough for such situations speaks louder than his poor +/- ranking. Al stepped his play up nicely in 1971-72. His 4 goals and 34 points led all Sabres rearguards, and placed him 4th overall among Sabres scorers. his +/- improved to -12, and, in a usual show of confidence among young defensemen, he played a more physical game, picking up 105 penalty minutes.

Not many players have appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cup tournaments, but defenseman Al Hamilton is one. As a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings, Hamilton played in the 1964, 1965 and 1966 tournaments, with the club winning the national title in that final year. Among some of Hamilton's more notable teammates on that championship team included; Ron Anderson, Jim Harrison, Ross Lonsberry, Don McLeod and the late Garnet Bailey.

Hamilton played his first NHL game with the New York Rangers in the 1965-66 season. He continued to be inserted into the Rangers' lineup on occasion, mostly to fill in for injured players but did not get his first prolonged look until 1969-70 when he dressed for 59 games. The expansion Buffalo Sabres liked what they saw in Hamilton, and picked him in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft and was a member of the franchise during their first two years of existence.

The advent of the WHA meant more jobs, and often better money for players such as Hamilton. He jumped to the rival league for the 1972-73 season, joining the Alberta Oilers, who would become the Edmonton Oilers by the second year. Perhaps the pinnacle of Hamilton's pro career came in 1974 when he appeared in three games for Canada in the 1974 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. He played eight years in Edmonton, finishing his career in Edmonton back in the NHL in 1979-80.

I always remembered Al Hamilton as one of those people who enjoyed hockey more than others because it all seemed so natural. He enjoyed the games, the practices and most of all the heckling and banter, the inside jokes that are a facet of the game that outsiders usually underestimate.