Phil Bourque

Playing defense throughout his junior and early minor league career, Phil Bourque made an impact on the left wing of the Pittsburgh Penguins checking line during their championship season in the early 1990s.

Bourque played junior in the OHL for two seasons but was never drafted. He was signed by the Penguins in 1982 as a free agent. He played almost exclusively in the Pens minor league system for the next 6 years, gradually improving to the point that he was named as the IHL's most outstanding defenseman in 1988. It was after that great season in Muskegon that Phil was elevated to the NHL on a full time basis.

However he didn't find a regular spot on the Pens blueline, but rather patrolling left wing. Why? Two reasons - he was an aggressive player who loved to hit, but too often he put himself out of position to make the physical play. Secondly, he was a poor skater in terms of mobility and agility. He had great straight ahead speed and that could be better utilized on the wing.

With his speed and tenacity, Bourque proved to be a good forechecker and penalty killer. His upbringing as a defenseman made him a naturally defensive forward, but he added some surprising offense - twice scoring 20 goals.

Phil played an important role in both of the Pens Stanley Cup victories in 1991 and 1992. On a crash and bang defensive line with Troy Loney and Bob Errey, Bourque did a lot of the mucking and grinding for the more skilled players on the Pens team. He also would take an occasional shift on the blueline when the Pens were in a pinch.

The New York Rangers signed the hard working Bourque as a free agent for the 1992-93 season, but he struggled to put up the numbers he did in Pittsburgh. This led to his trading to the lowly Ottawa Senators early the following season. By this time however Bourque's best days were over, and he actually ended his North American pro career in the minors, unable to make the expansion Senators squad. He also spent some time in Europe after his NHL career was over. Perhaps he was happy to soldier on in the game he loved because he nearly died in a hiking accident in the summer of 1994.

All said, Phil Bourque transformed himself from a NHL long shot to a two time Stanley Cup champion who played in 477 NHL games with 88 goals, 111 assists and 199 points. He was a hard working and honest player. Pittsburgh fans always appreciated the zestful contributions of "the ol' two-niner."

By the way, Phil Bourque is of no relation to Hall of Fame defenseman Raymond Bourque. However, when people ask if his brother is Ray Bourque, fun-loving Phil often answers with a yes. Why? Because he does have a brother named Raymond - just not that Raymond Bourque!

Victor Ignatjev

Victor Ignatjev was a late bloomer who had to overcome being labeled from early on in his career.

Victor's chances of making the NHL were always long at best. He was drafted as a 22 year old in the last round, 243rd overall by the lowly San Jose Sharks, who were coming off of a 71 loss season. Victor immediately came to North America where it was hoped that since he was older and physically more mature than most players drafted that year that he would be able to contribute. However adjustment to North American life and the North American game did not come easy for the soft-spoken, down right shy big man from Riga. He struggled on the ice as he struggled to learn English and adjust to life far away from his homeland. Ignatjev toiled asproperty of the.Sharks until 1997 when he was picked up by the lowly Tampa Lightning.

Victor toiled in the IHL until joining Long Beach in 1996. He exploded for 16 goals and 69 points. He backed up those numbers in 1997-98 with 12 goals and 45 points. Victor loved "Hockey on the Beach" as he finally found a a team that new how to use him well. A huge man at 6'3" 212 lbs, Ignatjev was a veery soft player. One reporter went as far to say that "A Victor Ignatjev body check couldn't crack an egg shell." In truth Ignatjev wasn't quite that soft, but he certainly didn't use his size to his advantage like you'd want a defenseman of that size to. And while he wasn't the greatest defenseman in his own zone, he was a good offensive blueliner, possessing the ability to spring a breaking forward with a pinpoint pass and possessing a low, hard, accurate shot.

It was that hard shot that interested the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens had scouted Ignatjev throughout the 1997-98 season and were impressed enough to sign him as a free agent on August 11, 1998. The Pens were hoping that Ignatjev could become a cheaper version of Fredrik Olausson.

"I watched him in the playoffs, and he'd play 30 minutes or more," assistant GM Eddie Johnston said. "I was there to watch other guys, too, but he always stood out."

Ignatjev came into camp and impressed with his shot and offensive ability. He particularly dominated in a preseason game against Washington. Ignatjev looked dominating on the Pens power play point, even scoring one goal.

However Ignatjev knew that he had to play more physically in order to make the Pens.

""I have to be more physical," he said. "Kevin (Coach Constantine) told me what was expected. On one of the first days, he told me to be more physical in the corners."

So was Constantine, a very intense, demanding coach, impressed with Ignatjev's game?.

"(He) shot the puck better than anybody shot it for us last year. Ignatjev played with a little grit, too. He combined all the things we're asking him to do."

And Ignatjev was rewarded with a spot on the Penguins roster.

Life was good, but not for long. Ignatjev played in 11 games in the NHL, collecting just 1 assist, before he was rocked with a badly injured shoulder. He was so badly hurt that he required surgery that caused him to miss the finall 66 games of the regular season. He did come back for 1 playoff game, but his rookie year in the NHL was all but wiped out by the serious injury.

Ignatjev had only signed a one year deal with the Pens and became a free agent in the summer of 1999. While it is not known what kind of offers he may have received from NHL clubs, obviously none were to his liking as he decided to go back to Europe. He signed to play the year in Germany. He later played in Sweden, Russia, Austria, Italy and Holland.

When the Pens hoped Ignatjev could have been a cheaper version of Fredrik Olausson, they made a decent comparison, albeit a best case scenario. Like Freddy, Victor had good size but didn't use it effectively. Also like Freddy, Victor had a great shot and good offensive abilities.

Unlike Freddy, a career in the NHL just never worked out for Ignatjev.

Bob Dillabough

Bob Dillabough was a penalty killing specialist, thanks to his speed. He was anything but smooth, but he could scoot across the ice in a hurry, pressuring puck carriers and retrieving loose pucks.

Dillabough's problem was he could never do much with the puck once he got it. He couldn't control the puck at his high speed, and he didn't have the same offensive instincts that he utilized defensively.

Born in Belleville, Ontario he played for the Detroit Red Wings, California Golden Seals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Cleveland Crusaders, and Boston Bruins. He played 283 games in the National Hockey League and 72 games in the World Hockey Association.

One neat story about Bob Dillabough. While with Boston he lent his stick to a rookie who scored his first NHL goal. The rookie was none other than Bobby Orr.

Playing hockey in the 1970s hardly afforded comfortable retirements for utility players like Dillabough. After leaving the ice he worked for years in uranium mines. That may have contributed to his deteriorating health. On March 27th, 1997 Dillabough passed away. He was just 55 years old.

Pittsburgh Penguins Greatest Players

Syl Apps Jr.   Wayne Bianchin Les Binkley Tom Barrasso Pat Boutette Michel Briere Andy Brown   Dave Burrows Jay Caufield Paul Coffey   Michel Dion Tom Edur Val Fonteyne Ron Francis   Stan Gilbertson Denis Herron Bryan Hextall Jr.   Gary Inness Jaromir Jagr   Rick Kehoe Battleship Kelly

Mario Lemieux Gilles Meloche Greg Millen Joey Mullen Larry Murphy Petr Nedved Jim Paek Frank Pietrangelo   Greg Polis Dan Quinn Roberto Romano Duane Rupp Ron Schock Doug Shedden Kevin Stevens Peter Taglianetti Bryan Trottier Bugsy Watson

Dan Quinn

As Hockey Night In Canada color man Harry Neale would say, Dan Quinn had all the tools to be a NHL superstar, but he didn't have the toolbox.

Quinn owned an arsenal of talents - from quick hands to quicker feet, from a good shot to great vision. However he also had a habit of wearing out his welcome sooner rather than later.

Quinn was selected 13th overall in the 1983 Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. Scouts drooled over the possibilities of Quinn's talent but questioned his work ethic. He came off of a 59 goal, 147 point season with the OHL's Belleville Bulls. The potential reward was too tempting.

He was returned to junior in the 1983-84 season - but not for long. After 24 games in which Quinn scored 23 times and assisted on 36 others, the Flames recalled the slick center. He finished the season strongly with the Flames. In 54 games he scored 19 goals and 52 points.

Quinn enjoyed three seasons in Calgary, showing some solid statistical improvements in each season despite playing on a superpower Flames team that was stocked with veterans. By his third year in the league he scored 30 goals and 72 points.

The Flames moved Quinn to Pittsburgh in November of 1986 and got veteran sniper Mike Bullard in return. The move was done on Calgary's part in order to upgrade their immediate chances of winning a championship. Meanwhile in Pittsburgh Quinn was the number 2 center on a team which of course featured the great Mario Lemieux. Quinn put up some good numbers in his stay in the Steel City, even though he rarely played with Mario except on the power plays. In 1987-88 he scored 40 goals including 21 on the power play. In 1988-89 he scored a career high 94 points including 34 goals.

Quinn and the Pens got off to a terrible 1989-90 season. Quinn, who was very popular among his teammates wherever he went, was a defensive liability and had a poor work ethic - something that the Pens were trying to eliminate from their game. They traded him halfway through the season along with Dave Capuano and Andrew McBain to Vancouver for Rod Buskas, Barry Pederson and Tony Tanti.

Quinn immediately inherited Pederson's role as the #1 center in Vancouver. There were high hopes on the west coast that Quinn could add some offensive punch to the anemic Canucks attack, but he didn't add too much in his stay. He scored 34 goals and 83 points in 101 games in parts of 2 seasons with the Canucks. However Quinn's happy-go-lucky attitude off the ice and his less-than-acceptable commitment on the ice concerned the Canucks brass as he and super rookie Trevor Linden were becoming close friends. Linden's game of course was the complete opposite - a hard working, body banging star - and the Canucks didn't want Quinn's attitude rubbing off on their future captain.

Quinn was traded in one of the greatest trades in Vancouver Canuck history. He, along with long time banging blueliner Garth Butcher were moved to St. Louis in exchange for Geoff Courtnall, Robert Dirk, Cliff Ronning, Sergio Momesso and a draft pick. The 4 players coming to Vancouver all went on to do some fine things in a Canuck uniform. The Blues were happy to get the aggressive Butcher, but rumour had it they reluctantly agreed to take Quinn to complete the deal to get Butcher.

Quinn finished the season and playoffs in St. Louis but was moved in 1991 in a trade that the Blues would live to regret. Quinn accompanied a young kid named Rod Brind'Amour to Philadelphia in exchange for Ron Sutter and Murray Baron.

Quinn racked up lots of travel miles over the next 6 years. He played one year in Philly before signing as a free agent with Minnesota. After one year there he went to Switzerland as no team showed interest him.

The reason every team suddenly dropped interest in him was due to an incicdent that tainted his reputation forever on November 10th, 1992. On that night he got together with some former Pittsburgh teammates, namely Mario Lemieux, Rick Tocchet and Bob Errey. They met four young women at a Hooters restaurant and went back to the Penguins hotel. It was in another player's hotel room that Quinn would be accused of raping a 19 year old girl. Charges of sexual assault were neer formally issued and eventually the case was dropped altogether as it was determined the activity was indeed consensual. But the short time in jail, the $30,000 bail, and the countless time his name was dragged through the mud in newspapers and tv news casts was enough to ruin Quinn. The North Stars dumped him, citing curfew violations, and it would be a while before he returned to the NHL scene.

Finally his hometown Ottawa Senators gave him a chance late in the year. He scored 7 goals in 13 games. Quinn was able to parlay his performance in the Canadian capital to another 1 year contract, this time with Los Angeles. He'd return to Ottawa in 1995-96 after starting the year in the IHL with the Detroit Vipers. He finished the season (take a deep breath!) in Philadelphia. He finished his career by playing 16 games with the Penguins in 1996-97.

Dan Quinn had some breath taking talents. He also moved around the league so much it takes a lot of deep breaths just to follow his travels!

Despite his reputation for questionable commitment as far as NHL coaches are concerned, Quinn's reputation as a talent earned him the chance to play in 805 NHL games. He scored 265 goals and 419 assists for 685 points. He added another 22 goals and 48 points in 65 playoff contests. He had some real nice skills and if he had the right coach to motivate him maybe he could have taken his game to the next level.

Dan is a scratch golfer and can often be seen in those celebrity golf championships. In fact he won the 1992 and 2001 Celebrity Golf Championships. He also has developed close relationships with PGA tour greats, serving as Enrie Els caddie at the 2010 Masters.

``I've loved golf since I was 12 years old,'' Quinn said. ``It's just a weird sport. It challenges every emotion you can experience throughout the day. You have to get breaks ... There are so many intangibles and that's what's addicting.''

Quinn, who lists both Bobby Orr and Jack Nicklaus as his equal sporting idols, has won over $600,000 on the Celebrity Players Tour. Other hockey celebrities on the tour have included Mike Eurzione, Pierre Larouche, Brett Hull, Mario Lemieux , Stan Mikita, Bernie Nicholls, Jeremy Roenick, Brendan Shanahan, Greg Stefan, Dale Tallon and Ed Westfall. Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Joe Thiesman, Dan Marino, Jerry Rice, Ivan Lendl, John Elway and former USA Vice President Dan Quayle have also appeared on the tour at various times.

Roberto Romano

Before he even really established himself as a NHL quality goalie, Roberto Romano almost quit.

Romano was a late bloomer that the Pittsburgh Penguins had high hopes for. He was never drafted, but was signed as a free agent out of the Quebec junior leagues by the Penguins. He really found his stride playing in the American Hockey League, and earned the call up to the NHL once Michel Dion's game fell apart.

He had spent parts of four seasons playing with the Penguins, but it was his 4th year that he - still classified as a rookie - found a home in the NHL.

The only problem was he was not sure if he wanted to be there.

Before the season was even over in 1984-85, Roberto Romano, at the age of 22, let it be known he was retiring at season's end.

"I did tell (the Penguins) I'm going to retire after the season," he confessed to the media. "I don't know, I just got tired of the whole lifestyle - a lot of traveling.

"Hockey, to me, is not my life. You've got to have the right type of attitude, and I don't. There are too many ups and downs."

Romano was simply frustrated. Playing with those terrible early-1980s Penguins teams could really mess with a goalie's head, as his 15-31-2 record hinted at.

But by training camp Romano was back, fighting for a job. It wasn't easy.

"Roberto put that criticism on himself," opined defenseman Moe Mantha, who was not happy with his departure late in the previous season. "When we needed him to be our No. 1 goalie . . . he let 19 guys on our team down.

"He knows it, and he knows he's going to have to get back the respect of the players. He's faced a couple of high shots in camp, but he's not saying anything.

"I think everybody wants to give Roberto a second chance, but they're not going to hand it to him."


Coach Bob Berry agreed, saying "he has to earn the respect of his fellow players now."

Let's give Romano lots of credit. He faced his critics, and he face his teammates. He won the starting job and had his best season ever. He posted a 21-20-3 record with 2 shutouts and a career best 3.55 GAA.

Now nobody was suddenly comparing Romano to Grant Fuhr or Billy Smith, but Romano earned a lot of respect right around the league that season. He carried it over into the following season, but he actually ended that campaign in another city. He was traded to Boston for Pat Riggin.

He only ever played one game with the Bruins, playing the better part of two seasons in the minor leagues. By 1989 he headed over to Europe to play. With his name he was a natural fit in Italy. After a season with HC Bolzano he found a home with HC Milano. In total he would play 5 full seasons in Italy and even played for the Italian national team at the 1992 World Championships.

Romano left Italy in 1993 and gave North American hockey one more shot. He signed on with the Pittsburgh Penguins again, fully knowing he would play with their AHL farm team in Cleveland. But to everyone's surprise he got called up when both Tom Barrasso and then Ken Wregget were felled by an injury. Romano got into parts of two games, earning the win in one, while posting a 1.44 GAA and .946 save percentage.

It was a great way to end a rocky National Hockey League career.

Michel Dion

When you mention the name Michel Dion, I instantly think of his unique mask.

Not too many goalies used this style of mask. Mike Liut had a similar one, although not identical. The "duck bill" was wider.

This game worn mask, painted by Jim Kwilos, was sold at auction for over $6500!

Dion played for five years in the World Hockey Association with the Indianapolis Racers and the Cincinnati Stingers. He also played with the Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets in the NHL, but he is best remembered by NHL fans for his four years with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

After playing in the low minor leagues, he was called up for the second half of the WHA season with Indianapolis in 1975-76. Despite playing in just 31 games he was named as the Bill Hatskin trophy winner as the league's top goalie.

Two years later he was stopping pucks in Cincinnati as a free agent signee, and two years after that the WHA and it's four remaining teams - Edmonton, Hartford, Quebec and Winnipeg - would join the National Hockey League.

Never drafted by a NHL team, it was the Nordiques who landed Dion in the special dispersal draft. He would play valiantly for about a season and a half, but perhaps his most memorable game in Quebec was his last. On Dec. 10, 1980, he skated off the ice after allowing four goals to the Boston Bruins in less than half the game. He threw his gloves, mask and stick over the boards, and quit. The Nordiques suspended him and, eight days later, put him on waivers.

He was sold off to Winnipeg for next to nothing, but he found his way to Pittsburgh in time for the 1981-82 season. He would play at-times spectacular goal for the almost always awful Penguins. In his first season he won 25 games and played in the NHL All Star Game. That spring he led the Penguins to a very memorable near-upset playoff series victory over the three time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders.

Dion would play on with the lowly Penguins until 1985 when he had enough. He briefly tried a comeback with the Edmonton Oilers, but his hockey days were done. He ended his career with 227 NHL games played with a record of 60-118-32 with 2 shutouts. In 149 WHA games he was 62-66-7 with 5 shutouts.

It turns out Dion was quite the all-around athlete. The Granby, Quebec native's first love was actually baseball, not hockey.At the age of 17 he turned professional within the Montreal Expos franchise, playing in the Florida State League and promising to quit playing hockey.

Dion quickly read the writing on the wall and returned to hockey. Though he loved playing baseball, the Expos had another young catcher in the system - Gary Carter.

"I was a line-drive hitter, but Gary had power,"  said Dion.

Dion also fell in love with the game of golf. After retiring from hockey he attempted to earn his tour card with the PGA, although he always fell just short of that dream. But he is still hard at work on the greens and fairways. He is now a certified golf instructor in Bluffton, South Carolina.

Tom Edur

This is Tom Edur. He was a promising defenseman just coming into his own when he, at age 23, walked away from the game.

Edur had oodles of promise. In 1973 as a 17 year old Edur, along side notable teammates Mike Palmateer, Bruce Boudreau and Mark and Marty Howe, helped the Toronto Marlies capture the Memorial Cup.

His fine performance at the Memorial Cup led the WHA Cleveland Crusaders to offer the underaged junior a 3 year, $250,000 contract, stealing him before the NHL had a chance to draft him a year later. The Boston Bruins did draft him in 1974, but he remained in Cleveland for the duration of his contract.

Edur was emerging nicely with the Crusaders. By the final year of his contract the 20 year old rearguard tallied 35 points and impressively compiled a +14 rating on a horrendous defensive team.

Despite increasingly feeling comfortable on the ice, he was uneasy off of it. He was said to be shocked and disillusioned with the pro-hockey lifestyle, particularly the drinking and promiscuity. He tried to accept it, and forced himself to indulge in it, once claiming to be drunk every day for a month.

In 1976-77 Edur jumped to the NHL. He joined the Colorado Rockies, being reunited with his former Cleveland coach Johnny Wilson. He was named as Colorado's best defenseman that first season in Denver, but early the next season he was traded to Pittsburgh, again following Wilson.

Edur was really coming into his own for the remainder of the season with the Penguins. He scored 10 goals and 55 points, the 11th most of all NHL defensemen. The 23 year old's career seemed ready for take off. But that is when Edur grounded his career, walking away from the game in the summer of 1978.

Prior to training camp Edur informed the Penguins he was going to retire. He had become a devoted Jehovah's Witness, and wanted to fully commit to his new found faith. The Penguins offered him a new contract complete with a big raise and the blessing to sit out Sunday games.

But Edur did not return. He explained his decision in an interview for a 1979 issue of MacLean's magazine.

"I quit hockey - but not because I don't love the game. I do. My dream had been to become a National Hockey League player. I can still remember when I was about ten years old and faithfully watching my favorite hockey team on TV. Sometimes, when their games were on radio, I'd fall asleep listening to them in bed."

"But serving Jehovah, the Most High God, is not just a one-day-a-week affair. It is a "way of life. Hockey is also a full-time career. You have to be dedicated to it, playing and practicing all the time. And now I was dedicated to Jehovah. (Matthew 16:24) To play as a professional and at the same time try to serve Jehovah would, I felt, be like having two masters-something or someone would be bound to suffer. So I let the team know I was quitting professional hockey."

You can read the entire MacLean's article here.

I'm not really sure what happened to Tom Edur after he left hockey. He appears to have initially become a Jehovah's Witness pioneer, spreading the word of God. I'm not sure if he became involved in any other career. Apparently he had been completing a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto while he was still playing.

The Penguins meanwhile joked in Sports Illustrated that they were receiving two miracles from God as compensation.

Gary Inness

Gary Inness took the unusual route to the National Hockey League. He played collegiate hockey at McMaster University and at the University of Toronto, both of the Ontario University Athletic Association. In total he spent 5 years in the two Ontario colleges. Very few Canadian university students ever make it to the NHL.

Following his graduation in 1973, he jumped at an opportunity to take his chances with the pros when the Pittsburgh Penguins offered him a a contract. Inness impressed immediately. It was widely expected he'd be a minor league net keeper but he spent equal time in the big leagues. By 1974-75 he was the Pens starting goalie, with a 24-18-10 record with a 3.09 GAA and 2 shutouts.

The 1975-76 season saw Inness traded away after playing in 23 games with Pittsburgh. He went up state to Philadelphia where the Flyers were looking to shore up their goaltending depth with an injured Bernie Parent questionable at best.

Parent would become healthy soon enough and Inness would be the odd man out. He only got into two games the rest of that season, and in 1976-77 he saw action in only 210 minutes spread over 6 games.

Wanting a chance to play regularly, Gary signed on with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association for the 1977-78 season. He spent a season and a half with the poor Racers team before signing with the NHL Washington Capitals. Only a few years earlier the Capitals had been the worst team in league history, but Inness helped to make them respectable, playing 37 games with a 14-14-8 record and a respectable 3.70 GAA.

Inness found himself as the odd man out in both 1979-80 and 1980-81, playing only 17 games in the league over that time span. He spent more time in the minors rather than the NHL.

Inness retired after the 1980-81 season. In total he appeared in 162 career NHL games with a record of 58-61-27 while posting two shutouts and a career goals-against average of 3.40. He also posted a record of 17-36-4 in 63 career WHA games with a 4.35 goals-against average

Inness later worked as a high school teacher at Barrie North Collegiate in Barrie, Ontario.

Stan Gilbertson

Stan Gilbertson was a fine junior and minor league player who benefitted from NHL expansion in the 1970s. With more NHL teams and more NHL jobs, Gilbertson finally caught on with the California Golden Seals in the first half of the decade

Stan had a very good rookie season for the weak Seals team. He had 16 goals and 16 assists in 78 games (71-72). He played the entire 1972-73 and 73-74 seasons there as well. In 73-74 he scored 18 goals and 30 points.

On November 11, 1974 he was traded to St.Louis where he only played 22 games before being traded again to Washington on February 10, 1975. Stan finished the season in Washington with 18 points in 25 games.

He had a fine start of the 1975-76 season when he had 27 points in 31 games for Washington before being shipped to Pittsburgh on December 16, 1975. His 26 goals in 75-76 was a career high.

He played one more season for Pittsburgh before his career suddenly was over. During the summer of 1977 he was driving his jeep near Pittsburgh in Rostraver, PA to pick up a pair of skates when it overturned in a dangerous curve and pinned his right leg. Stan recalled the moment:

"I was driving a teammates jeep. Coming around a sharp curve, I came on a car coming at me in my lane. Swerving to the right, I ran off the road, rolled over, and wound up upside down, half over a narrow railroad bridge, hanging half out of the car, head down. It was later measured at 13 feet to the ground and if the car had toppled down on top of me I would have been crushed. I freed myself and fell to the ground, but I knew I was badly hurt. My leg hurt bad and I was a bloody mess. But I don't think they knew knew how bad I was hurt. After they got to me,they took me to this little hospital. When I asked to be transferred to a bigger hospital in Pittsburgh,i t took 45 minutes to take me there before they even put me on an operating table. They found the nerves in the leg were ruined and they had to amputate. As an anesthetic they chilled my body. It's called hypothermia. But my body heated up to 104 degrees during surgery and I darn near died. They told me that two out of three in that situation do. At first they took off my leg below the knee, but the stump didn't heal right and they had to take off more at the knee. That was bad because an artificial leg works better with the use of the knee. But I was lucky to have any left leg at all."

At 32 his hockey career was over. Stan's strong mentality prevented him from feeling any pity about his situation. Although Stan lost a leg in the car accident he said that he felt lucky because he saw many people in the hospital where he was that were in a far worse condition than he was. He quickly moved on with his life and went on to get a degree ín the real estate business.

Stan was always an outspoken individual who wasn't afraid to speak up and he missed a lot of curfews as a player. He wasn't the greatest skater, hardest hitter or had the best shot but he had a great desire to become a professional hockey player. A goal that he achieved.

Greg Polis

Greg Polis was born in the community of Westlock, Alberta, on August 8, 1950. He grew up in tiny Dapp, Alberta where the population was just 75 people! As a youngster he used to skate on frozen ponds with his pet dog - a black Labrador retriever. Greg and his dog would be on the ice for hours, as Greg tried to keep the puck away from the dog. This really sharpened Greg's puck handling and skating abilities, and would make him a great junior player and a pretty good NHLer.

A high flying left winger was one of the best players to come out of the Estevan Bruins of the WCJHL, He played there for 4 seasons. Three times he was named as a league all star at left wing, and twice he finished second in the league scoring race - once to Bobby Clarke and once to Reggie Leach! Now that is pretty good company!

Greg's great play at the junior level created superstar expectations at the NHL level, although he would never come close to achieving that lofty status. Polis was drafted 7th overall (just ahead of a fellow named Darryl Sittler) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1970, and made the team the following training camp.

Polis didn't set the league on fire in his rookie season (he did have 18 goals and 33 points in 61 games), yet still represented the Pens in the NHL all star game. By year two Polis had what ultimately proved to be his best year - 30 goals plus 19 assists. He failed to take it to the next level in year 3, as he scored a nearly identical 26 goals and 23 assists. Both years he again represented the Penguins at the All Star Game. That's a pretty impressive statement about a player if he plays in three NHL all star games in his first three seasons!

In his 4th season the extremely fast skater was traded to St. Louis where he failed to make an impact in just 37 games. The following summer he was traded to New York Rangers where it was hoped he would replace the over priced Vic Hadfield who was traded to Pittsburgh. Polis had trouble playing on the top line with Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert though. Those two played a slower, control game while Polis was always skating at full tilt. He did post 26 goals but had just 15 assists.

Ironically, Polis' blessed skating ability became a criticism. He was speedster on the ice, but perhaps never learned to utilize his speed effectively. He would have been better served to have used his speed in short spurts as opposed to always skating like gangbusters. Another criticism was that Polis didn't pass enough, or didn't see the ice well enough to make plays. He'd often race in on a beautiful rush into nowhere, and then was unable to get a great shot away or make a play.

Greg spent 2 and 1/2 more seasons in The Big Apple but he started to develop some knee injuries that would eventually end his career. He played briefly with the Washington Capitals starting half way through the 1978-79 season - and he looked good - scoring 12 goals and 18 points in 19 games, but then the knee gave out on him again. He tried to come back the following two seasons, but only got into 28 games, and scored just one goal.

Greg retired from the game after just two games in the minor leagues in 1980-81 as his knee would no longer allow him to play the game he loved. He finished with 174 goals, 169 assists for 343 points in 615 games in his NHL career.

Greg Polis is now a car salesman in Prince George, British Columbia.

Wayne Bianchin

Wayne was a man who beat all the odds and scored close to 30 goals in a season in the NHL despite the fact that he had broken his neck in a surfing accident earlier on.

While surfing off Hawaii in the summer of 1974 Wayne fell into the water and was helplessly throwed around under the water by a giant wave. He hit his head so badly that he suffered a broken neck that required a fusion.

His hockey career looked to be over. As he tried to make a comeback he suffered from severe headaches that were almost unbearable.

"I'd get a headache from the slightest bit of tension or fatigue," he recalled. He was on medication to alleviate the pain. Wayne was on the brink to quit hockey. " I was on my way to pack it up. I loved the game, but there was only so much that you could tolerate."

The headaches eventually disappeared and Wayne could concentrate fully on hockey again. The speedy winger played his junior hockey for Kamloops, Calgary, Victoria and Flin Flon. During his final junior season in 1972-73 he scored a fine 114 points (60 goals and 54 assists) in 68 games. That led the Pittsburgh Penguins to draft him in 1973 as the 23rd player overall.

Wayne had a pretty good rookie season as he scored 25 points, including 12 goals, for Pittsburgh in 1973-74. He then had his surfing accident and slowly had to play himself in shape. It wasn't until the 1976-77 season before he was 100% again. He scored 2 goals and 1 assist for Pittsburgh on opening night and went on to have his best season in the NHL. Wayne had six two goal games and scored a total of 28 goals.

He was named the winner of the Bill McCracken Unsung Hero Award and also finished high in the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for dedication and perserverance to hockey. When things were looking good again Wayne went down with back injuries that would hamper him for years. He managed to score 20 goals in 1977-78 despite missing over a month with a ruptured spinal disc.

Wayne's 1978-79 season wasn't too impressive and he was left unprotected by Pittsburgh in the 1979 expansion draft where he was picked up by the Edmonton Oilers.

Wayne himself was surprised that he was picked in the expansion draft. " missed 40 games. I didn't think anybody would take a chance on a guy who'd missed 40 games," he said.

Early on in the Oilers training camp he was struggling. He was very aware of that "I haven't got my strength and stamina yet and I may not have it for a month or so," he said back then.

The young and talented Oilers team made a deep impression on Wayne.

"For one thing, I wasn't expecting to see so much depth. We're going to have good players at every position."

Little did Wayne know that many of his Edmonton teammates would go on to build a dynasty team. Unfortunately Wayne never caught on and was scoreless in the 11 games that he played for Edmonton. He spent the rest of the 1979-80 season playing for the Oilers farm team Houston Apollos (CHL).

When Wayne got a phonecall from the Italian club HC Asiago he jumped on the opportunity to play in the country where he had his roots. Wayne scored more than two points per game (58 points in 28 games) for Asiago in 1980-81. Since his father was Italian he was eligible to play for the Italian national team right away. Dave Chambers (coach of Quebec 1990-92) coached the Italian national team at that time, invited Wayne to play for Italy in the 1981 B-Pool World Championships.Wayne scored 12 points in 7 games,including a tournament high 9 assists. He was named to the All-Star team and helped Italy advance to the A-Pool. After his Italian adventure he retired.

Wayne's own description of his playing style was summed up like this: " I like to play it physically. That's my game, I don't crunch people but I'm comfortable in the corners and I rely a lot on my speed."

Duane Rupp

Duane Rupp was a player who definitely benefited from the NHL's decision to double its size through expansion in 1967.

After completing his final season of junior with the SJHL's Flin Flon Bombers, Rupp spent almost an entire decade in the minor leagues. In that time he played for 8 different teams, but only saw 9 games of NHL action with the Maple Leafs, most of those as a brief injury replacement. With the likes of Tim Horton, Allan Stanley, Carl Brewer and Bobby Baun leading the Leafs to multiple Stanley Cup championships, Rupp had little chance of cracking the line up.

He was considered much too slow to play in the big leagues. He was also considered to be too passive. He appeared to be a giant player, even though the was only 6'1" and 190lbs. The fans and coaches wanted him to be a mean son of a gun hitter and intimidator on the back line, but he had a long fuse and was not wired that way. When he was sufficiently provoked he could handle himself nicely, like the night he roughed up Bobby Orr, which only left fans and coaches longing for more.

But during his time in the minors Rupp became a very solid rearguard. Three times he was an AHL all star and he was a key member of a strong Rochester Americans team that won championships in the late 1960s.

When expansion came in 1967, Rupp found a job at the NHL level for the first time. He did not disappoint. Though he scored just 1 goal and 9 points, the 29 year old rookie was a very steady contributor.

The Minnesota North Stars claimed Rupp in the inter league draft prior to the 1968-69 season but by January traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Leo Boivin.

In Pittsburgh Rupp enjoyed his best NHL playing days. A large reason for that was his coach. Leonard "Red" Kelly was one of the greatest defensemen the game has ever or will ever see, and he helped out Rupp with his game even more so. He even became the first defenseman in team history to score a hat trick.

Regardless of reliable play, he became a favorite of the Penguins boo-birds, due to his perceived lack of physicality. After the 1972-73 season Rupp was demoted to the minors, as the Pens looked to bring some youth in on their blueline. After one all star year with AHL Hershey Rupp returned to major pro hockey by signing with the Vancouver Blazers of the WHA. He would also spend a year in Calgary with the WHA.

In 1976-77 Rupp returned to the scene of his best days of pro hockey - Rochester New York. Rupp played in 41 games to round out his lengthy professional hockey career.

Rick Kehoe

When you think of the greatest players in Pittsburgh Penguins history the name Rick Kehoe has virtually vanished from memory. But there was a time when you could argue that Kehoe was the best Penguin of all time.

Kehoe played for the Pens from 1974 through 1984. The Pens teams of that time were noted as a high scoring team, with players like Pierre Larouche, Jean Pronovost and Syl Apps. The speedster Kehoe fit right in as he was a consistent 30 goal threat, topping out at 55 in 1980-81, setting team record since bettered by none other than Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.

In his career Kehoe scored 371 goals and 767 points in 906 games in 14 seasons, including his first three seasons in Toronto. The two time all star game representative was once the Penguins leading scorer in franchise history.

Kehoe was a shoot-first type of player, blessed with a laser of a shot. He was also an incredibly clean player, picking up only 120 career penalty minutes. In the season where he scored 55 goals he only had 6 minutes in penalties, making him the obvious choice as the Lady Byng trophy winner.

Unfortunately for Kehoe, his Pittsburgh Penguins teams enjoyed very little team success. When they qualified for the playoffs, they were normally dismissed in the first round, and they certainly were never feared as a Stanley Cup contender. The team was weak defensively. Many of the players including Kehoe were not exactly known for their defensive expertise. It is too bad that poor team success can make the career of a good player like Kehoe almost completely forgotten.

Kehoe would be Mario Lemieux's first right winger upon 66's arrival in Pittsburgh in 1984-85, but the tandem was short lived. Late in the previous season Kehoe suffered a pinched nerve in his neck that caused chronic numbness in his right side. He would never fully recover, ultimately retiring in November of 1984, after trying to keep playing in just 6 games.

For much of the rest of that season Kehoe assisted the Penguins coaching staff. It surprised few that Kehoe got into coaching, as he really enjoyed running his instructional hockey schools during the off-seasons as a player. He would serve the Pens as a scout before becoming an official assistant coach in 1987. He held the job for 14 years, including the Penguins back to back Stanley Cup victories in 1991 and 1992. By 2001 Kehoe finally graduated to head coach of the Penguins, guiding the team through two lacklustre seasons.

Denis Herron

Did you know that Denis Herron was the first goaltender in NHL history to make team's roster out of training camp right after he was drafted? I know I certainly did not know that. That's pretty amazing for any goalie in any era, the list of goalies who have done that must be pretty small.

The Pittsburgh Penguins made the Chambly, Quebec born Herron a 3rd round pick, 40th overall, back in the summer of 1972. Only Bunny Laraque (6th) was drafted higher, with Mike Veisor, Gilles Gratton and Richard Brodeur also as goalies of note from that draft.

By October of '72 Herron was the starting goalie for the Penguins. Veteran Jim Rutherford temporarily had to make room for the hotshot who had an amazing training camp. Herron won his first two road starts of the season with shutouts against the New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks.

Herron played in 18 games that season, posting a 6-7-2 record with 2 shutouts and a 3.41 GAA. Rutherford wrestled away the starting job, and the Pens sent Herron down to the farm team to finish the year. The maskless Andy Brown came in later in the season.

Despite the great start, Herron looked as though he would never fulfill his promise in Pittsburgh. He spent the next two seasons in the minor leagues, appearing in the NHL for only 8 games. By January of 1975 he was traded to the Kansas City Scouts for another goalie, Michel Plasse.

Herron headed to KC and got the ice time he needed to develop, albeit behind one of the worst NHL teams of all time. Herron played in 86 games over the next season and a half, sporting an unenviable record of 15-52-15 with a GAA near 4.00. Despite the less than flattering statistics, Herron won over some praise for his valiant efforts. Yet his reputation for a wandering level of concentration was beginning to spread.

Watching closely was his old team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Realizing they may have been too impatient in dealing the young goalie away, the Pens reacquired Herron by signing him as a free agent in August 1976.

Despite a broken arm interrupting his season, Herron had a terrific 1976-77 season. He went 15-11-5 record with a 2.94 GAA, leading the Penguins into the NHL post-season.

Herron played two more full seasons in Pittsburgh, recording back to back 20 win seasons, returning the Pens to the playoffs each season.

For his at-times spectacular play, Herron was never blessed with the opportunity to play for a team that was not labelled as mediocre at best. That changed in 1979-80 when he had the amazing chance to go to Montreal in a trade for utility forward Pat Hughes.

Montreal was looking to shore up it's goaltending situation with the early retirement of superstar goalie Ken Dryden. Everyone knows that playing goal in Montreal is one of the most pressure filled situations in all of hockey. Try doing it as a) a Quebecois goalie and b) as Ken Dryden's replacement.

That was the situation facing Herron and Richard Sevigny, the two goalies brought in to do the job. By Montreal standards they put up adequate efforts, sharing the Vezina trophy in 1980-81 (also with Bunny Laraque), back when the trophy still went to the goaltender(s) of the team that allowed the fewest goals. The trophy was rechristened the next year for the goalie determined to be the best in the league, with the William Jennings trophy created for the fewest goals. Herron and Rick Wamsley topped that list in 1981-82.

Despite the strong defensive record, fans, media and management in Montreal expected more. None of the above four mentioned goalies could emerge as the Habs top goalie, with neither bringing any playoff success to their resumes.

Still playing in Montreal was a nice reprieve for Herron. His first year he went 25-3-3, and over three years he was 43-18-17. And he did not have to face Guy Lafleur. In three of Lafleur's 6 seasons where he scored 50 goals he notched the magical 50 goal mark against Herron.

Herron's legacy be the failed 1980 playoff series against Minnesota. The North Stars upset Montreal in seven games that year, ending Montreal's four consecutive years reign as Stanley Cup champions.


Prior to the start of the 1982-83 season Montreal traded Herron to, surprise, surprise, the Pittsburgh Penguins, gaining a 3rd round draft pick in 1985 in return. Herron would play three more seasons in the NHL, sharing the Penguins nets with the likes of Michel Dion and Roberto Romano.

Herron retired after the disastrous 1985-86 season. That year he was set back by a hand injury and played almost exclusively in the minor leagues trying to get his game back though it was clear his best days were behind him.

In 462 NHL games Denis Herron faced a lot of rubber. He posted a career record 146-203-76 with 10 shutouts and a high GAA of 3.70. He only got into 15 NHL playoff games, going 5-10 with a more respectable 3.33 GAA.

But do not judge Denis Herron by his statistics. They made be bad, but the teams he played on were usually worse.

After retiring Herron became involved in hotel management in Florida and the Caribbean.

Pat Boutette

Pat Boutette enjoyed a fine 10-year NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hartford Whalers and Pittsburgh Penguins. Although he stood at just 5'8" and 175lbs, "Booter" was a feisty right winger who was as good a play maker as he was a goal scorer.

He enjoyed a solid collegiate career with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers which prompted the Toronto Maple Leafs to select the Windsor, Ontario native in the ninth round of the 1972 Draft. Being drafted by the Leafs was a dream come true for Boutette.

Boutette did not debut in Toronto until 1975-76. He still had 2 years of University left and then apprenticed in the minor leagues for two seasons with the Oklahoma City Blazers.

Pat was part of what would have been a spectacular youth movement by the Leafs, except they ended up trading away most of their young stars. Boutette team with names like Sittler, McDonald and Williams but soon enough all would be shipped out of town. Boutette was a checker and penalty killer for the Leafs, often teaming up with the extremely physical line of Jerry Butler and Jim Jones.

In his first 4 season with the Leafs, Pat was a consistent 15 (or so) goal scorer and 35 point getter. However in his 5th campaign with the Leafs, which would prove to be his last, he slumped terribly picking up only 4 assists in 32 games. The bad start prompted the Leafs to trade him to Hartford where he finished the season strongly with 44 points in 47 games.

“When I went to Hartford, I hated to leave the Leafs and I think my heart is still with the Leafs,” he said. “But at least I got a chance to play a little more hockey and I think it extended my career by going on somewhere else.”

In fact, Boutette ended up enjoying his finest season in the NHL with the Whalers as he potted 28 goals, 52 assists and 80 points in his second year with Hartford. His stay in the Insurance City was short though. When the Whalers signed restricted Penguins free agent Greg Malone, the NHL announced both Pat and Kevin McClelland would go to Pittsburgh as compensation.

Pat would return to Hartford after 3 solid seasons in Pittsburgh, including a 74 point season. However when Boutette returned he was obviously near the end of his career, and in fact finished the season and his career in the minor leagues.

Boutette left the NHL with career totals of 171 goals, 282 assists and 453 points in 756 regular season games. In 46 career playoff contests, he had 24 points.

While he fulfilled his childhood dream to play for his beloved Leafs, his short tenure in Hartford proved to be one of his finest memories. He became more of an offensive player and had more ice time, plus he go to play with Dave Keon, Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe, all childhood idols of his.

Dave Burrows

Most people will agree that Bobby Orr is the best defenseman ever. But how about the best pure defensive defenseman? While there are a lot of candidates, one of them would have to be the heavily underrated and under appreciated Dave Burrows.

While Orr lit up the scoreboard during the 1970s, Burrows was busy preventing goals with the Pittsburgh Penguins and later the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Burrows wasn't a physically dominating, crease clearing blueliner. Instead he relied on a greater understanding of the game to be in perfect position no matter what scenario he was faced with. He was an expert shot blocker and above all else, was known as one of the best skaters of his time. He amazed many observers with his incredible speed and agility. Some felt he could skate faster backward than most could go forward.

"I took a lot of pride in being able to move laterally and backwards with great ease. It took a lot of practice, but it was something I enjoyed doing," he said.

"In fact, I used to get a big kick out of skating backwards on two-on-one breaks or one-on-one breaks against me when I was back on defense. It was a challenge trying to break up situations like that. I enjoyed that part of the game the most."

Growing up in Toronto, Burrows idolized the legendary defensive backliner Tim Horton.

"I can remember watching Tim play on TV when I was a kid, but I never patterned my style of play after him. I just admired the way he played defense."

Needless to say, it was greatly exciting for Burrows to join the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1971-72, a team that also featured Horton.

"The biggest thrill of my career was playing defense with Tim when we were together in Pittsburgh. I was in awe of the man. In fact, the first time I was introduced to him I didn't know what to say!

"And Tim wasn't afraid to give out advice or help. He helped me out with a lot of little things in my game. He's a man I'll never forget, I owe him a lot."

Unfortunately for Burrows and defensive minded rearguards like him during the 1970s, he received virtually no recognition. Bobby Orr revolutionized the way defensemen played the game. No longer were they on the ice to stop goals, but instead to create offense.

"I guess you would have to say it was tough getting any recognition with a guy like Bobby around" said Burrows. "But that really didn't bother me because I really didn't like getting a lot of attention. I just enjoyed my game."

Burrows greatly admired Orr too.

"Sitting back and watching a guy like Orr, you knew that he deserved to get all the awards he got. He could skate so well. And he was a good defensive defenseman. With the speed he had he could come back and cover up on some of the mistakes he made. To say the least, he was adept on defense. I wouldn't mind having him on my team. He was the best I ever saw.

Burrows retired from the National Hockey League in 1981. He scored just 29 goals in 724 games, but was one of the best in the league at his role.

In retirement Burrows went on to own a industrial maintenance business in Brampton Ontario where he did everything from lawn care to painting fences.

"I don't miss the game" he said years later. "I miss the guys and the fun we had. I really don't even follow the game that much today."

Jay Caufield

At 6'4" 240lbs, Jay Caufield looked like a linebacker on skates. That's because he was! A linebacker in college, Jay also liked to play hockey, though he never played it too seriously until 1985-86 when he signed as a project of the New York Rangers. Just out of college with no prospects to continue his NHL career, Caufield played in the minors for the next two years.

Caufield did play in 13 games for the Rangers in 1986-87 with the Rangers, but was traded early in 1987-88 to Minnesota where he played just one game, spending the rest of the year in the minor leagues. It was with the Stars farm team in Kalamazoo that Caufield accepted the role of tough guy/policeman, earning 273 PIM in 65 games.

Caufield was picked up via the waiver draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins just prior to the 1988-89 season. The Pens were looking for a "designated sitter" to protect the likes of superstars Mario Lemieux. He played in a career high 58 NHL games and compiled 285 PIM in his first of 5 full years with the Pens.

Caufield was a good fighter, though never a truly feared heavyweight. He was incredibly strong and in excellent muscular condition (he was the heaviest player in the league, all of it muscle), he wasn't even that feared by other NHL tough guys. He willingly took on all comers but because of a lack of balance on skates he couldn't get all his strength into his punches, thus making him more of a clutch and grabbing wrestler than a true heavyweight fighter like Dave Brown or Bob Probert.

If Caufield was an average fighter, he was below average as a player. He had little agility or speed on his skates at all, which prohibited him from bodychecking effectively. He had little hockey sense and couldn't handle the puck while skating. His only goals, 5 in total, came from a loose puck in front of the enemy net.

A likeable person off the ice, Caufield was a good guy to have in the dressing room, always keeping the guys loose. That and his willingness to fight kept him in the NHL. Few players worked as hard in practice to improve himself as a player

When it comes right down to it, Caufield played in 208 NHL games, scored 5 goals and 13 points and twice has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. That's better than what many accomplished!

Caufield gained a lot more respect in retirement when it became known he was serving as Mario Lemieux's personal physical trainer and emotional confidante when #66 was making his comeback to the National Hockey League.

Doug Shedden

Doug Shedden will always be best remembered as Mario Lemieux's first right winger of note in the National Hockey League.

Shedden had played in three NHL seasons prior to Mario's arrival in 1984-85, scoring 10, 24 and 22 goals respectively. However with the teenage phenom Lemieux centering him, Shedden exploded to post 35 and 32 goals the following two seasons. He was particularly sharp on the power play, scoring 31 goals in the two seasons with Mario, including 19 in 1985-86.

Doug was an offensive minded player, with a good shot featuring a quick release. However Shedden was a very poor defensive player. Despite scoring 67 points including a career high 35 goals in 1984-85, the most telling statistic from that season was his horrific -51 rating. He was a -38 the previous season, and -20 the year before that. He was a career -110. Granted Shedden played with some pretty weak teams, but he didn't help out enough defensively.

His defensive liabilities was a big part of the reason why the Pens traded Shedden late in 1985-86. Shedden was traded to Detroit in exchange for playboy Ron Duguay.

Shedden's stay in Detroit was short - just 44 games over parts of 2 seasons. He scored just 8 times and was dumped to Quebec. He performed even worse as a Nord, going goalless in 16 games, and eventually being demoted to the minors.

Shedden signed on with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in 1988, but with the exception of 24 games in the bigs, Doug played exclusively in the minor leagues until his retirement in 1993. A major reason for his lack of ice time with the Leafs was because he was slowed by a serious knee injury in his first game with the Leafs. Despite that, Doug points out that game as one of his career highlites.

"I guess I think first of all is growing up in Barrie, the first time I ever walked out as a Maple Leaf, walking out of that dressing room. It’s something I had watched my whole life. It was a big thrill to put on the Maple Leaf jersey for the first time," said Doug.

Doug also is quick to point out some of the players he played with - Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Peter Stastny - as well as his friends within the game, such as Mike Gartner and Wayne Gretzky.

Doug was once asked to describe himself as a player.

"I think people always said I was a goal scorer and I would agree to that a little bit. But I think I saw the ice fairly well, too. I thought I was a real good passer and playmaker and obviously as an offensive type player. So I guess if I look back as to what I did well, I had a pretty hard shot, I saw the ice well and was a good playmaker. I guess when I look back, I just want people to say, ‘You know what? He was a good guy, he was a good teammate and I had a lot of fun with him and he worked hard.’ I think that’s the biggest thing is if you’re well liked by your peers, especially within the game. That’s the biggest thing I would hope that people say is, ‘He’s a real good guy.’”

He retired with 139 goals, 186 assists and 325 points in 416 regular season NHL games.

An unusual note about Doug is that in a 12 year professional career he never once played in the Post season. He had an outstanding playoff in his last season junior hockey in 1981 with Sault Ste. Marie, but didn't see championship action again until 1992 when he was able to participate in second division playoff in the weak Swiss hockey league.

Shedden entered the coaching ranks after hanging up the skates, coach in the low minor leagues in such cities as Muskegon, Wichita, Louisiana, Flint and Memphis. It appears he will be bouncing around hockey as much as a coach as he did as a player.

Jim Paek

In 1990-91, Jim Paek became the first player from South Korea to play in the National Hockey League. Though he was born in Seoul, Paek grew up in Canada where he fell in love with the game of hockey.

Jim played his junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals from 1984 through 1987, and was drafted as an 18 year old by the Pittsburgh Penguins 170th overall in 1985. He was a steady defensive force and team captain but didn't put up great offensive numbers in his OHL career. His final season was his best season as he earned Ontario Hockey League All-Star honors.

Jim played the next three seasons with the Muskegon Lumberjacks and exploded into an puck-moving offensive defenseman. His first year he had 7 goals and 52 assists. The following year he had 3 goals and 54 assists and in the third year he had 9 goals and 41 assists. He also averaged 117 PIM and was one of the most intelligent defensemen in the league.

Despite his fine play he still wasn't being given a shot at NHL employment. Yet he continued to work hard and improved on his defensive game, never losing his focus on his dream of playing in the NHL. In order to improve his chances of playing in the NHL, Jim joined the Canadian National Team for the 1990-91 season and learned some valuable defensive positioning techniques.

When the National Team's season came to a close all of Paek's hard work was rewarded. He joined the Penguins to become the first Korean born NHLer.

Jim played in 3 games before the playoffs and was expected to sit in the pressbox for most of the playoffs as they wanted the rookie around as an insurance policy in case they ran into injury problems. And that's exactly what happened. Paek got into 8 playoff games and even scored his first NHL goal. His steady play under such high pressure helped the Penguins win their first Stanley Cup championship.

Paek played full time with the Pens the next season, though only appeared in 49 games, scoring just 1 goal and 7 assists. But he was a regular on the blueline come playoff time. Paek played a big role in the Pen's successful defence of the Stanley Cup. He even assisted on what proved to be the Cup winning goal in game 4 against Chicago.

Paek's best NHL season in terms of production came in 1992-93. He played in a career high 77 games and registered career highs in all major offensive categories - 3 goals, 15 assists, 18 points and +13.

Paek started his 3rd full season in Pittsburgh in 1993-94 but he was never a favorite of coach Scotty Bowman. He was traded to Los Angeles on February 16, 1994. He went with former King Marty McSorley in exchange for Tomas Sandstrom and Shawn McEachern. Jim played in 18 games for the Kings but the team missed the playoffs.

Jim was then traded to the Ottawa Senators in the summer of 1994 in exchange for a late round draft pick. Jim and the terrible Sens team had a forgetable season in 1994-95. First the season was cut down to just 48 games due to the NHL lockout, and the Sens had just 9 wins in those 48 games. Paek himself appeared in 29 games but picked up only 2 assists.

Jim opted to sign with the IHL's Houston Aeros the following season as no NHL team gave him a good contract offer. Paek would remain in the IHL for many seasons, which is where his career began back in 1987. By the turn of the millenium Paek extended his career with stops in Britain and Alaska.

Frank Pietrangelo

Frank Pietrangelo came out of nowhere to pleasantly surprise the Pittsburgh Penguins brass when he first appeared in the NHL in 1987-88.

Frank was the 64th overall draft pick in 1983 and played 4 years with the University of Minnesota and one year with the IHL Muskegon Lumberjacks. Yet he was never considered to be a top NHL prospect.

However the Pittsburgh Penguins were desperately seeking help between the pipes. Despite having offense to spare with Mario Lemieux and company, it was defense and goaltending that were holding the franchise back. That was when the Pens gave an opportunity to Frank Pietrangelo - "the goalie with three first names."

Pietrangelo stepped in and played passionate, inspiring hockey. Despite posting a losing record - 9 wins, 11 losses - and a high 3.98 GAA, Pietrangelo was quickly becoming a crowd favorite. His numbers were inflated because he played with the defensively atrocious Penguins

Pietrangelo's play not only made the Penguins reconsider the future of their goaltending, but revise it. Rumors all year long had the Penguins being the top team in the Andy Moog trade derby. Some insisted that the Pens actually held a right to obtain Moog for a first round pick as part of the earlier Paul Coffey deal. However Pietrangelo's exciting play cooled any sense of urgency to acquire Moog or any other goalie.

Moog eventually was traded to Boston, and Pietrangelo never proved to be the answer in Pittsburgh. He played sparingly in Pittsburgh for the next 3 1/2 years, behind Tom Barrasso, who the Pens acquired from Buffalo to become their number one goalie.

A highlight in Pietrangelo's career must have been the Penguins first Stanley Cup victory in 1991. Frank even contributed nicely when Barrasso missed a few games due to injury. Frank posted a 4-1 record and picked up a shutout. Oh, and "The Save."

"Well, "The Save", as it’s know in Pittsburgh, is now part of the Stanley Cup history," remembers Pietrangelo. "The Devils had just beaten Pittsburgh in game five to take a 3-2 lead home in New Jersey for game six. To make matters worse, Paul Coffey sustained an eye injury and would be out for at least the next game, and Tom Barrasso had a shoulder injury keeping him out for the remainder of the series at least. As back-up goaltender, I was thrust into the limelight. Late in the first period of game six, with us [the Penguins] holding a 2-1 lead, New Jersey was on a power play, there was a point shot taken which I made the original save on. The rebound went directly into the front of the crease, and there, all alone, was Peter Stastny with nothing but net in front of him. He fired the puck towards the open net, but somehow I just reached back and the puck went into my catching glove. It was just a natural reaction for me, but it ended up being one of the great memories in Penguins history, and fortunately enough for me, I was involved."

Late in the 1991-92 season Frank was moved to Hartford, where he spent much of the next two years backing up Sean Burke. He actually finished the 1993-94 season in the minor leagues.

Frank signed with the New York Islanders for the lockout shortened 1995 season, but never appeared for the Islanders, bothered by serious knee injuries. He never played in the NHL again, finishing his career with 5 seasons in Europe.

"When I first started my pro career, never would I have imagined that it would last 15 years! There were many ups and downs throughout my 10-year pro career here in North America, spending time in the IHL and AHL before solidifying my position as an NHL goaltender. However, I wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world. The final five years of my hockey career were spent in Europe, and once again they were very memorable."

The Stanley Cup championship was the highest point of his career, but Pietrangelo is also quick to point out the relationships he made.

"I can’t help but be thankful for the opportunity to play and become friends with some of the greatest hockey players and people in the game. Being teammates with the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Paul Coffey, Bryan Trottier, Joe Mullen and Mark Recchi to name a few. This will definitely give me some great memories to share with my grandchildren some day."

After retiring from hockey Frank Pietrangelo became a player agent with clients on both sides of the Atlantic. Pietrangelo had a degree in business management from the University of Minnesota.

Larry Murphy

Larry Murphy very quietly amassed a career which landed him in Hockey's Hall of Fame.

Murphy was drafted 4th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1980 NHL entry draft, He was drafted out of the famed Peterborough Petes junior organization, where he was part of the 1979 Memorial Cup championship. He was the OHL's outstanding defenseman in 1979-80, earning him a higher NHL draft selection than Paul Coffey.

In his first NHL season "Murph" set NHL rookie records for defensemen when he recorded 60 assists and 76 points. Despite the impressive debut, Peter Stastny would win the rookie of the year award with an incredible season. This became somewhat typical of Murphy's career. His quiet excellence was always overshadowed by someone else. The humble Murphy never minded.

Murphy would enjoy three seasons in Los Angeles before being traded to the Washington Capitals where he finally started getting some of the recognition he deserved. His best season as a Cap was in 1986-87 when he set a team record for points by a defenseman wtih 81 (23 goals, 58 assists).

Perhaps Murphy will be best remembered as the most famous decoy in hockey history. Murphy was part of the 1987 Canada Cup team and was the third attacker on the famous 3-on-1 attack that won the game and the series. Murphy darted to the front of the net and was wide open for a potential tap-in, but Wayne Gretzky elected to drop the pass back to the trailing Mario Lemieux, who of course put the puck top shelf on the Russian goalie.

A consistent power play and even strength scoring threat, Murphy suffered through a bad final season in Washington in 1989, only recording 36 points in 65 games. He was moved to Minnesota where he rediscovered his scoring touch scoring 68 points in 77 games.

But Murphy's stay in Minny was short lived as well, as he was traded to Pittsburgh where he was an important addition to a powerful offensive team already boasting Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. Murphy's slick playmaking and good slap shot helped Pittsburgh win their first Stanley Cup. Murphy played a huge role in that initial Cup victory, scoring 23 points in 23 games.

Murphy and the Pens successfully defended their Cup win the following year.

Ironically, Murphy's most successful personal season came after the Pens reign as champs. He recorded a career high 85 points and 13 more in 12 playoff games, but the Pens were upset by David Volek and the New York Islanders in the playoffs.

After a short and tumultuous stint in Toronto, Detroit picked up the veteran defenseman late in the 1996-97 season hoping he'd be the final piece of their Stanley Cup puzzle. They were right. After losing Paul Coffey, the Wings lacked that offensive punch from the point, especially on the powerplay. Enter Larry Murphy. He surprised everyone with his youthful play despite his age. His offense and experience brought the Stanley Cup back to Detroit.

Murphy played 1,615 regular season games in the NHL, recording 287 goals, 929 assists and 1216 points, which, at the time of his retirement, placed him as the third highest scoring defenseman in NHL history. His 1615 regular season games placed him, again at the time of retirement, second on the NHL's all time games played list, behind Gordie Howe.

Murphy was a tremendous playoff performer as well, playing 215 NHL playoff games, contributing 37 goals and 115 assists for 152 points, winning the aforementioned 4 Stanley Cups.

All of this adds up to an obvious induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, which happened in 2004. It was nice to see Murphy get recognized, because too often he quietly flew under a lot of people's radar. He had a unique game where he didn't really stand out a lot, but by the end of the year he was always amongst the top scorers among defensemen in the league.

I do not think most people truly appreciated Larry Murphy. Casual fans and observers from afar did not get to watch him enough to truly appreciate the intricacies of his game. Even fans who did watch him regularly didn't always value him, as fans in both Washington and Toronto booed him out of each city.

Murphy was more of a passer than a rusher, preferring to pinch into the offensive zone while expertly manning the point. He was one of the best I have ever seen at holding the blue line, almost always blocking mad clearing attempts by desperate defensive teams. He was a great skater in his younger days, and possessed an excellent collection of shots.

Though he had good size, he never really played a physical game. He would bump his check off the puck rather than make strong takeouts. He relied on an heady stick checking defensive game that he excelled at due to his great hockey sense, ability to read the oncoming attack, and his flawless positioning.

Petr Nedved

My fascination with the National Hockey League Entry Draft more or less began in 1990 with Petr Nedved.

As a young fan of the lowly Vancouver Canucks, the draft represented hope. With Trevor Linden in place as the heart and soul, the team desperately needed a scoring superstar. With the draft in Vancouver and with the Canucks holding three of the first twenty-three picks, including #2 overall pick, these were exciting times.

The draft was said to be, and would prove to be, one of the deepest in history. Mike Ricci entered the previous season as the consensus top pick, but Owen Nolan and Keith Primeau caught up quickly. Jaromir Jagr would have undoubtedly been the top choice but there was still risk because his availability was still in doubt as political reform was still in progress.

But the man I wanted was another Czech player - Petr Nedved.

There was no worries about Nedved's immediate availability. As a 17 year old junior player with Litvinov, he made a daring decision that most of us can not even comprehend. While playing in Calgary at the Mac's Major Midget tournament, Nedved slipped into the night carrying nothing but his hockey bag. He had defected, with dreams of playing in the National Hockey League.

"The defection, that night, is something I'll remember the rest of my life. It was the biggest decision I ever had to make. I thought about staying even before I left for the tournament but I wasn't sure and I didn't know really what to expect. There were a lot of questions I was asking myself.
Am I able to go back home? Will my parents be okay with my brother? I was almost more scared for my family than me. But I knew I wanted to play in the National Hockey League and, other than that, I didn't know much ... there were a lot of unknowns. Looking back now I'm surprised I was able to make that decision," Nedved told the Calgary Herald years later.

The center of an international dispute, Nedved hid out in Calgary for 5 months while he waited for his landed immigrant status.

All eyes were on the spindly Czech kid who did nothing to hide his fascination with Wayne Gretzky. He emulated him in every way. He tucked in his shirt the same, wore the same Jofa helmet, and copied his hunched over skating style. He'd fly down the win, curl at the blue line looking for an amazing pass, although he really should have been more greedy and use his laser of a shot more often.

Nedved tore up the Western Hockey League with 65 goals and 145 points in 71 games. His offense was undeniable. He had the creativity and vision of #99. He was a game breaker through and through. He had already showed more courage than any other player possibly could.

I, like probably most west coast fans, desperately wanted Vancouver to take Nedved. Keith Primeau, with his hulking size, was my other choice, although Philadelphia was supposedly offering Ron Sutter and Scott Mellanby if Vancouver flipped picks and slipped down to #4. They wanted Nedved too.

The Canucks did take Nedved, but did not really not what to do with him. He made the NHL team immediately, but he was too slight to make an impact. But sending him back to junior was not an option either, as he was too good for that league, and he had no other place to play. So the Canucks coddled him on the 4th line. To this day I believe Nedved's development was stagnated by this decision. He probably should have been returned to junior, even if the WHL offered no competition.

Nedved, despite glimpses of brilliance, never really found his way in the NHL until his third season, when he scored 38 goals and 71 points, despite getting next to no prime power play time. You see, by now the Canucks had secured Pavel Bure. With his 60 goals and explosive skating, the Russian Rocket became the offensive dynamo Vancouver was looking for. Nedved was second fiddle. The Canucks were trying to change his game to more of a two way game, as his Gretzky-mirroring did not mesh well with the puck-hogging Bure.

The Canucks were knocked out of the 1993 playoffs by Gretzky's L.A. Kings. At the conclusion of the final game Nedved sheepishly asked The Great One for his stick. That would prove to be Nedved's final act in Vancouver.

Showing the same resolve that he used to defect to Canada as a teenager, the principled Nedved held out in a contract dispute. The two sides were far apart in terms of money, but rumors had Nedved unhappy in Vancouver and demanding to be traded.

Interestingly, Nedved would stay in the news that season. He had gained his Canadian citizenship, and since he never play for the Czech national team, he was allowed to play with the Canadian national team that season. Wearing number 93 for the year he gained citizenship, he and Paul Kariya would lead Canada to a silver medal in the Olympics in the days before full NHL participation.

Following the Olympics his NHL future was finally solved. The St. Louis Blues signed him, which led to a compensation trade that saw Jeff Brown, Bret Hedican and Nathan Lafayette come to Vancouver. The move worked well for Vancouver, as the defensive depth and mobility allowed them to challenge the New York Rangers for the Stanley Cup that spring.

Despite the contract dispute and despite the less-than-great three years in Vancouver, I remained a Petr Nedved fan. He seemed really likeable, and being a Gretzky fan myself, I really wanted Nedved's mimicking game style to work on the west coast.

I didn't get to follow Nedved's career as closely after he left Vancouver. His tenure in St. Louis lasted only a few months as he was moved to the New York Rangers. Because Mark Messier did not take a liking to him, Nedved was then moved on to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Playing with Ron Francis and countryman Jaromir Jagr (not to mention the great Mario Lemieux in power play situations), Nedved posted his best season in 1995-96. Still, his 45 goals and 99 points were a far cry from the promise of Gretzky.

Another principled contract dispute saw Nedved return to New York, this time getting the chance to play with Gretzky. He called it his career highlight, but somehow I always felt Nedved lost his drive to be the next Gretzky. Perhaps all the money and the playboy lifestyle of a NHL star made him complacent to be Petr Nedved instead of being "the next one," which was fully his intention when he defected as a 17 year old.

Nedved would toil with Edmonton, Phoenix and Philadelphia before his NHL career quietly came to an end in 2007. Upon his return to the Czech Republic, he had scored 310 goals, 407 assists and 717 points in 982 games.

Bryan Hextall Jr.

Most young hockey players grow up dreaming of one day skating on the ice of Madison Square Gardens. Bryan Hextall Jr. grew up learning the game in the world's most famous arena.

That is because his father, Bryan Hextall Sr., is one of the greatest New York Rangers players of all time. Like many NHL dads, Hextall brought his son down to rink where he would play pick up games with other sons once the NHLers were done on the ice.

For the most part Bryan Hextall Jr. learned the game back in Manitoba where the family returned following dad's NHL career. Jr. became a junior hockey sensation with the Brandon Wheat Kings, blending his dad's two trademarks of scoring and toughness.

The New York Rangers were naturally intrigued by bringing the second generation star into the fold, but the storybook tale did not materialize right away. After appearing in 21 scoreless games with the Rangers in 1962-63, he spent the better part of the decade toiling in the minor leagues.

It was not until 1969 when Hextall would return to the NHL. The Pittsburgh Penguins employed him for five seasons. He established himself as a banger, an agitator and a fighter who could slip in a few goals every season. He gradually improved from 12 goals to 16 before registering back-to-back 20 goal campaigns in 1972 and 1973.

In 1974 he began his vagabond days of clinging to NHL paychecks, toiling with Atlanta, Detroit and Minnesota, before retiring in 1976. He cherished his games in Minnesota as he had the rare opportunity to play NHL hockey with his brother, Dennis.

Bryan's career would not quite follow the legend of his father's. But his life did take a similar path. Upon retirement he, too, returned to Manitoba where he helped his son make the National Hockey League. Son Ron became one of the top goaltenders in all of hockey in the late 1980s and the 1990s.

Bryan "Bugsy" Watson

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. Ken Schinkel, a former teammate and coach of Bryan once said " Bryan is very verbal, and will take whatever steps are necessary to do his thing. That thing means to get into fights, give elbows, and make people boo when he comes to the ice."

Schinkel also recalled when he played against Bryan.

"I felt it when Bryan came to say hello in the corners. You always knew you got hit when Bugsy got to you. "

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. Bryan had 2212 Pim's in only 878 games.

Intimidation was the name of the game for Bryan. He was a pretty bad skater and shooter but he had more guts than most players and that is what kept him in the NHL for such a long time. He only scored 17 goals in the 878 games and had 152 points.

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.

But among his opponents he was the kind of player that you loved to hate in the same fashion as an Eddie Shack, Theoren Fleury, or Sean Avery. In other words, you loved to have him on your team but you hated to play against him, because he could be really mean.

This Bancroft, Ontario native played his junior career for the Peterborough Petes in the OHA. He then toiled a short while in the minors before being called up to the Montreal Canadiens where he played 39 regular season games during the 1963-64 season as well as 6 playoff games, but he didn't make much of a name for himself. It was apparent that Bryan's bruising style was not going to fit the fleet style of play that the Canadiens were noted for, so they traded him to Chicago on June 8, 1965. One day later he was claimed by Detroit in the intra-league draft.

Watson spent two years in Detroit, drawing some praise for his job checking Bobby Hull in the 1966 playoffs. Yet he would be claimed by Minnesota in the expansion draft in 1967. The North Stars traded him back to Montreal the same day. Once again he had a short stint with the Canadiens and spend most of his time in the AHL and CHL. Needless to say, Watson's luggage was starting to get worn out after all this movement.

It was during the 1967-68 season that Bryan drew some fame. He managed to lead the CHL in penalty minutes (293) in only 50 games, but he also was named the best defenseman in the CHL as well as being the MVP of the league and a first team All-Star.

He was traded to Oakland in 1968 and then to Pittsburgh in 1969. He managed to stay over 5 seasons in the Steel City, and led the NHL with 212 PIMs in 1971-72.

But Bryan continued to be a well traveled player. He played in St. Louis and Detroit once again before finishing his career with three seasons in Washington. In 878 NHL games he scored just 17 times while setting up 135 others. He retired with 2212 PIMs, then a NHL all time record.

After a short coaching tenure with the early 1980s Edmonton Oilers, Watson would stay in the Washington area in retirement, opening up Bugsy’s Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar in nearby Alexandria, Virginia.