Players you remember absolutely nothing about (or, who was Steve Poapst)

[MarkusNaslund19]

Was the NHL's 3rd oldest player the next season and therefore aged out rather quickly.

Wow, I didn't realize he had played for Hartford and New Jersey (and two games for Montreal too).

I thought he just played a handful of seasons for St Louis and was a small blip on the radar. The more you know, I guess.

 

[MS]

Wow, I didn't realize he had played for Hartford and New Jersey (and two games for Montreal too).

I thought he just played a handful of seasons for St Louis and was a small blip on the radar. The more you know, I guess.

Meagher was a long-time 'pretty good' defensive forward on bad/unremarkable teams and then while he was old and declining was suddenly noticed on a Sutter-coached team. I was pretty young then but I still remember thinking it was weird to my 10 year old eyes, especially when he was quickly out of the league the next season.

That Meagher won that award over Tikkanen/Carbonneau is one of the bigger award crimes in NHL history. This should have been the year that Tikkanen was recognized properly, but there was still a ton of anti-Euro bias and he was left off over half the ballots.

___________

Back to the thread, Derek Armstrong is a guy who played almost 500 NHL games very recently and I couldn't really tell you much of anything about him or any strengths/weaknesses. I know so little about him I actually thought he played for Atlanta for a few seasons (and no, not confusing him with Colby Armstrong) ... but nope. Played mostly in a totally dead period in LA Kings history, never played a playoff game.

I'm normally pretty good with 1970s players even though they're before my time but a year or two ago I came across a guy named Alain Daigle who I'd simply never processed as even existing before but who was a regular with the Blackhawks for 6 years.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

Meagher was a long-time 'pretty good' defensive forward on bad/unremarkable teams and then while he was old and declining was suddenly noticed on a Sutter-coached team. I was pretty young then but I still remember thinking it was weird to my 10 year old eyes, especially when he was quickly out of the league the next season.

That Meagher won that award over Tikkanen/Carbonneau is one of the bigger award crimes in NHL history. This should have been the year that Tikkanen was recognized properly, but there was still a ton of anti-Euro bias and he was left off over half the ballots.

___________

Back to the thread, Derek Armstrong is a guy who played almost 500 NHL games very recently and I couldn't really tell you much of anything about him or any strengths/weaknesses. I know so little about him I actually thought he played for Atlanta for a few seasons (and no, not confusing him with Colby Armstrong) ... but nope. Played mostly in a totally dead period in LA Kings history, never played a playoff game.

I'm normally pretty good with 1970s players even though they're before my time but a year or two ago I came across a guy named Alain Daigle who I'd simply never processed as even existing before but who was a regular with the Blackhawks for 6 years.

Thanks for the fill-in around Meagher.

I actually remember Armstrong fairly well. Right handed center with some hands, not a great skater but decent utility guy. Sort of like a bigger Derek Ryan in terms of levels of effectiveness throughout his career (meaning Ryan has had some good years, but never too good, and some where he's just a guy you plug in and play). Sort of a 2nd PP guy who could fill in on the top pp in a pinch but it's not a great sign if he's playing there much. As the Kings lack of playoff games with him attests to.

 

[DitchMarner]

Back to the thread, Derek Armstrong is a guy who played almost 500 NHL games very recently and I couldn't really tell you much of anything about him or any strengths/weaknesses. I know so little about him I actually thought he played for Atlanta for a few seasons (and no, not confusing him with Colby Armstrong) ... but nope. Played mostly in a totally dead period in LA Kings history, never played a playoff game.

I'm normally pretty good with 1970s players even though they're before my time but a year or two ago I came across a guy named Alain Daigle who I'd simply never processed as even existing before but who was a regular with the Blackhawks for 6 years.

Maybe you're confusing him with Eric Belanger, who also played for the Kings during that mid to late 2010s period? Belanger played for them for years and then played for a few teams toward the end of his career, including the Thrashers. I tend to group the two together.

 

[carjackmalone]

Gerry Minor
Per Olov Braser
Bob Dailey
Rocky Saginuk
John Paul Kelly
Fred Boimstruck
Dale McCourt
Walt Poddubny

 

[Stephen]

Paul and Gino Cavallini. Remember them vaguely from NHL 94, but who they were, what they did. I have no idea.

 

[DitchMarner]

Paul and Gino Cavallini. Remember them vaguely from NHL 94, but who they were, what they did. I have no idea.

Reminds me of the Shannons (I think Darron and Darryl or something), whom I remember from NHL '95 only.

 

[MS]

Maybe you're confusing him with Eric Belanger, who also played for the Kings during that mid to late 2010s period? Belanger played for them for years and then played for a few teams toward the end of his career, including the Thrashers. I tend to group the two together.

Nope, I remember Belanger pretty well especially for his time in Minnesota and then for Steve Tambellini's hilarious quotes when Edmonton signed him.

I went back through every Thrashers roster and I don't actually think there was anyone I was confusing Armstrong with - I think I just in my head thought he played for Atlanta for some reason.

However, in the process of going through old Thrashers rosters, holy f*** are there some anonymous players in there. If you would have told me that someone named JP Vigier was an NHL regular for 3 years I would have said you were lying. Same if you told me that someone named Brad Tapper had a 10-goal NHL season.

Edit : Actually, I think I figured it out. I was confusing Derek Armstrong with Derek McKenzie who played for CBJ in the time period I was thinking. So I was actually confusing both two journeyman named Derek with late-career NHL starts AND the hapless 2000s Thrashers with the hapless 2000s CBJs. Ha.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Reminds me of the Shannons (I think Darron and Darryl or something), whom I remember from NHL '95 only.

That's a good one - I had Darryl Shannon on a Strat-o-Matic roster and ended up watching him as much as possible in that time period (so, not much although the Sabres were on nationally at least some because of #39).

Did we cover Jason York in this thread yet? He was decently productive.

 

[Johnny Engine]

Actually, I think I figured it out. I was confusing Derek Armstrong with Derek McKenzie who played for CBJ in the time period I was thinking. So I was actually confusing both two journeyman named Derek with late-career NHL starts AND the hapless 2000s Thrashers with the hapless 2000s CBJs. Ha.

Speaking of similar-feeling names and the name McKenzie, I was going to say that the existence of a goon named Steve MacIntyre is probably making my memory of Jim McKenzie a little muddier. Like, I think I'd remember which one was which if you quizzed me, but there'd be a second where my brain was going "mac something...punches people... Penguin at some point..."

And I'm aware that Jim was good soldier while Steve was one of those late stage goons that had to be wheeled out like a medieval catapult. But there's still that slight blurring in my mind.

 

[MS]

Speaking of similar-feeling names and the name McKenzie, I was going to say that the existence of a goon named Steve MacIntyre is probably making my memory of Jim McKenzie a little muddier. Like, I think I'd remember which one was which if you quizzed me, but there'd be a second where my brain was going "mac something...punches people... Penguin at some point..."

And I'm aware that Jim was good soldier while Steve was one of those late stage goons that had to be wheeled out like a medieval catapult. But there's still that slight blurring in my mind.

Ha, funny timing as I had literally just made a post on the Canucks board about the time that the Oilers tried to bring the 30 y/o 6'5 250 lb. Steve MacIntyre to the 'YoungStars' tourney to beat up kids, before the other teams involved had to force them not to.

I've mentioned it here before but my most confusing two players are Bryan Smolinski and Shawn McEachern who were both NCAA guys with overlapping DPE careers spent mostly with Ottawa/Pittsburgh/Boston/LA putting up pretty statistically identical seasons. Trying to remember which was where at any given time is impossible to me.

 

[Johnny Engine]

Ha, funny timing as I had literally just made a post on the Canucks board about the time that the Oilers tried to bring the 30 y/o 6'5 250 lb. Steve MacIntyre to the 'YoungStars' tourney to beat up kids, before the other teams involved had to force them not to.

 

[The Panther]

For those on here who can remember c.1974-75 and 1975-76, would not the hapless Washington Capitals of those two seasons be laden with forgettable players?

I remember we did some breakdown of the Caps' 1974-75 lineup on here a few years ago, and we figured out that maybe one 1974-75 Capital was still active in the NHL by 1981 or 1982. They were a team of glorified AHL-ers (if that), from top to bottom of roster.

Greg Joly was a high draft pick... Ron Lowe surfaced in Edmonton / Jersey years later... and of course Bill Mikkleson is famous for his worst plus-minus of all time. But the rest of that team must be a bunch of forgettable dudes, no...?

 

[Vector]

Nope, I remember Belanger pretty well especially for his time in Minnesota and then for Steve Tambellini's hilarious quotes when Edmonton signed him.

I went back through every Thrashers roster and I don't actually think there was anyone I was confusing Armstrong with - I think I just in my head thought he played for Atlanta for some reason.

However, in the process of going through old Thrashers rosters, holy f*** are there some anonymous players in there. If you would have told me that someone named JP Vigier was an NHL regular for 3 years I would have said you were lying. Same if you told me that someone named Brad Tapper had a 10-goal NHL season.

Edit : Actually, I think I figured it out. I was confusing Derek Armstrong with Derek McKenzie who played for CBJ in the time period I was thinking. So I was actually confusing both two journeyman named Derek with late-career NHL starts AND the hapless 2000s Thrashers with the hapless 2000s CBJs. Ha.

Here's the thing...I also confused these exact same players in the exact same thing you did.

 

[Bench Clearer]

Pavel Brendl. I remember he was part of the Lindros trade, and that's about it.

There was once a radio show in NYC called Mike and the Mad Dog, and after that trade, apparently Chris "Mad Dog" Russo went on a tirade about it, screaming "YOU DON'T TRADE A PAVEL BRENDL!" He followed that up with "and they traded Kim Johnsson, a good Russian defenseman."

 

[Albatros]

 

[Michael Farkas]

Lorentz is a decent 4th liner, good on the forecheck, plays pretty heavy. I expect he'll get a contract somewhere during camp.

Brendl was a slow, one-dimensional shooter. He didn't take the game very seriously and was very out of shape. He was only gonna be a shooter anyhow, so there were no other outs - which is dangerous in its own right. But given his dedication, it never had a chance...

 

[MS]

Here's the thing...I also confused these exact same players in the exact same thing you did.

MacKenzie and Armstrong both even played junior for the Sudbury Wolves. Then spent nearly a decade as AHL/callup types, then had ~500 game NHL careers that started at age 29.

Armstrong was just older and his career ended right when MacKenzie got a regular NHL job ... and I think they just morphed into a continuation of the same player for me, like a Derek Armkenzie that had a 10 year career instead of the 5-year careers as regulars that both had.

 

[Vector]

MacKenzie and Armstrong both even played junior for the Sudbury Wolves. Then spent nearly a decade as AHL/callup types, then had ~500 game NHL careers that started at age 29.

Armstrong was just older and his career ended right when MacKenzie got a regular NHL job ... and I think they just morphed into a continuation of the same player for me, like a Derek Armkenzie that had a 10 year career instead of the 5-year careers as regulars that both had.

I just looked at their faces and I even swapped those. I'm fully convinced one just assumed the other identity.

 

[carjackmalone]

Greg Joly the first first overall total bust

 

[The Panther]

Greg Joly the first first overall total bust

Killer fact about Greg Joly:

In his first 82 NHL games, he went minus 107.
(Over the same time period, Bobby Clarke was +114.)

 

[Soundgarden]

Lorentz is a decent 4th liner, good on the forecheck, plays pretty heavy. I expect he'll get a contract somewhere during camp.

Brendl was a slow, one-dimensional shooter. He didn't take the game very seriously and was very out of shape. He was only gonna be a shooter anyhow, so there were no other outs - which is dangerous in its own right. But given his dedication, it never had a chance...

I seem to recall stories of Brendl's love for hot dogs, definitely didn't treat nutrition as prospects would now a days.

 

[DitchMarner]

Poapst came up clutch for me today as I put up my best Puckdoku game performance ever...

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Not that I had forgotten about him, but I recently had my jaw dropped to see that Dave Lowry, of all people, had played over 1000 games.

As for Canucks, I have no memory of Harry York's stint with the team. But I do remember he existed, and maybe played for the Rangers?

And Oscar Fantenberg? Did he really play 30+ games for the team as recently as 2020?

 

[Davenport]

How about Montreal's other Tremblay? Gilles played

nine seasons in the NHL - all with the Canadiens. Hoisted the Cup twice. Hit the 20-goal mark five times. When I recall the Habs of the 1960s, he rarely comes to mind.