Quebec Nordiques Legends

Blake Wesley

2011-04-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

Blake Wesley is the older brother of longtime NHL defenseman Glen Wesley. While Blake did not last nearly as long as Glen in the National Hockey League, he did enjoy a 9 year professional hockey career that included 298 games in the NHL, plus another 19 Stanley Cup playoff games.

Blake was born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta, where he was a standout youth player until he left in 1976 to play WHL junior hockey with the Portland Winter Hawks. He would put in three seasons in Portland, becoming one of their top players ever. Upon his draft year in 1979, arguably the deepest NHL draft of all time, Wesley was ranked as the 11th best prospect by The Hockey News and was drafted 22nd overall (1st pick of the 2nd round) by the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers had acquired that pick from Colorado in an earlier trade involving Don Saleski.

Wesley was a red head who tried to play with more fire than his natural temperament desired. He was told he needed to be more aggressive and more physical if he wanted to make it in the NHL. He tried the best he could, but perhaps he could have found a little more success had settled down and concentrated on his overall game a bit more.

Wesley would play 2 seasons in the Flyers system, including 50 games in 1981-82, before being traded to Hartford in the big Rick MacLeish trade that shuffled around a lot draft picks and prospects.

Wesley had a chance to play in Hartford, but it was not the best place for a young defenseman to be breaking in. The Whalers were a pretty weak team at that time. Wesley was a combined -50 in 100 games over 2 seasons in Hartford.

A quarter of the way into the 1982-83 season Wesley was on the move north to Quebec City. He would find a home on the Nordiques blue line over the next three seasons, though by the third season he was demoted down to the minor leagues.

Wesley resurfaced for 27 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1985-86, but otherwise rounded out his career in the AHL.

Blake Wesley, a notably impressive chef, retired in 1988. In 298 NHL games he scored 18 goals, 46 assists for 64 points. He moved back to Portland after his playing days, where he had run a summer hockey school for many years. He was working for the local Pepsi bottler in the 1990s before becoming a junior hockey coach in the new century. Now he appears to be heading up elite hockey schools in British Columbia's Okanagan region.

Jon Klemm

2011-04-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

Klemn played his junior hockey with both Seattle and Spokane of the WHL as a forward. In his second season in Spokane and in his second season, he scored 65 points as a forward to lead his team to the WHL Championship and the Memorial Cup Championship.

Jon Klemm signed as a free agent with the Québec Nordiques on May 14, 1991 and spent most of the next four years in Quebec's farm system. When the franchise moved to Colorado, Klemn was moved from forward to defense in order to play every day in the NHL.

Klemm, who was often paired with the offensively adventurous Sandis Ozolinsh, was part of a very successful team in Colorado, as they won the Campbell Conference Bowl three times and the Stanley Cup twice. On October 17, 1998 Klemm set a club record when he scored two goals nine seconds apart.

After Colorado won the 2001 Stanley Cup, they signed Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic and Rob Blake to contracts totalling over 100 million dollars and decided not to resign Klemn. Klemn signed with the Blackhawks on the first day of free agency.

After 2 and 1/2 seasons in the Windy City Klemm was moved to Dallas where played close to 3 seasons with the Stars. He ended his NHL career with a brief appearance in Los Angeles in 2007-08.

In 773 NHL regular season games Jon Klemm scored 42 goals and 100 assists for 142 points.

Okay, sure, Wayne Gretzky had more points in a few different seasons than Klemm did in his lengthy career, but very quietly Klemm was a valuable member of the Colorado Avalanche teams that won two Stanley Cups. He was willing to do anything and everything the team asked of him. He didn't add much offensively, and didn't have the mean temperament to make the highlight reels with hard hits. He just quietly did his job, nicely filling minutes on the Colorado blue line or on the 4th forward line.

Alexei Gusarov

2011-04-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

Alexei Gusarov was 26 years old when he came to the National Hockey League. The long time member of t he Soviet Red Army and USSR national team found an immediate match on the Quebec Nordiques blue line - Adam Foote.

"I don't think there's another Goose out there," Foote said. "I think he was really undervalued. You go back to the one championship this team has, and he was a big part of it. I think even then, he didn't get enough credit.

"That's another part of Goose's character, though. He kept things quiet. He stayed out of everything and just showed up to play. I don't think Colorado fans saw him in his true prime, and I owe a lot to him."

The two seemingly could not have been more different. Foote was rough and tumble, a stalwart defender. Gusarov was an offensive dman in Russia, but in the NHL he almost instantly became a skilled shutdown rearguard. Using his strong skating skills, long reach and good instincts he became a regular penalty killer and shutdown man. This despite a non-existent physical game and a tendency to over-commit positionally.

Gusarov's game deteriorated by the end of 1990s, but he had found a soft spot in the hearts of Colorado (the Nordiques relocated to Denver mid-decade) hockey fans.

In 607 career games, Gusarov scored 39 goals, 128 assists for 167 points. He retired as one of the few members of the Triple Gold Club, having won the 1989 IIHF World Championship, the 1996 Stanley Cup, and the 1988 Olympic gold medal.

Adam Foote

2011-04-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

When Adam Foote announced his retirement in 2011, he became the answer to a great trivia question: Who is the last member of the Quebec Nordiques to play in the National Hockey League?

The 22nd overall pick in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Foote played four seasons in Quebec before the whole franchise relocated to Colorado. It was state side that Foote really emerged as one of the top defenders in the NHL. Best known as the Avalanche's tough as nails defensive throwback blueliner (he sort of reminded me of a poor man's Tim Horton), Foote won Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. He was also part of Canada's 2002 Olympic gold medal winning team.

While the Avalanche were about flash and dash, Adam Foote was more about hard work, blood and sweat. He was a foot soldier (pun fully intended), and in doing so became a great leader.

"He was a great leader off the ice and when he played the way he did, how hard he played every single game, in practice how hard he worked, it's easy to be a great leader in the dressing room and to be demanding because he was the perfect example for all the players. Everybody wanted to work as hard as him," said Joe Sakic.

"I bet you can go around and ask any player when (Foote) was young, even now, he was one of the toughest players you'd ever have to play against. We were so lucky to have him on our team. Who was the one guy you had to watch on the other team? 'Here you go, Adam,' and he made it so difficult on him. And with his leadership in the dressing room, you can't replace guys like that."

A warrior who had legendary battles with Detroit's Brendan Shanahan, Foote was a punishing defender. But he was an underrated overall player. He had surprisingly good foot speed in his prime, thanks to great first step quickness. He would often lug the puck out of his own zone, as he was not a great breakout passer. Though he was not much of a gambler, he would make timely pinches and could handle some power play time. But he was far better known as an excellent penalty killer and shut down defenseman.

Foote, who had a most notable hockey nose, has 66 goals, 242 assists, a plus-99 rating and 1,534 penalty minutes in 1,153 NHL games. He has seven goals, 35 assists and 298 penalty minutes in 170 playoff games. He spent 3 seasons cashing in a big free agent offer with Columbus in 2005 to become captain of the Blue Jackets before returning to captain the Avalanche for his final three seasons.

Jacques Richard

2011-04-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has produced some of the greatest hockey talent ever produced. Gilbert Perreault, Guy Lafleur, Mario Lemieux, Raymond Bourque and Pat Lafontaine are but a few.

One of the greatest QMJHL phenoms was Quebec Ramparts' Jacques Richard. Blessed with an overabundance of natural talent and incredible skating ability, Richard was a junior teammate of Lafleur. At the time some scouts insisted Richard was the better player. In his final three years of junior Richard totalled 186 goals and 399 points in 168 games. He added 80 goals and and 165 points in 75 playoff games and helped the Ramparts capture the 1971 Memorial Cup

Richard was selected 2nd overall by the Atlanta Flames in the 1972 Amateur Draft. He jumped directly to the NHL but couldn't live up the enormous pressure of being hyped as "hockey's next Richard," a marketing ploy comparing him to the immortal Rocket Richard and Henri Richard.

Richard faltered badly on the ice. He was used sparingly as he was a defensive liability, and 57 goals over three years was just not enough to justify keeping him. To make matters worse, Richard was a headache off the ice, as he was a heavy drinker and gambler, and would soon experiment with cocaine.

The Buffalo Sabres hoped to salvage something out of Richard's career, but were disappointed with him. He scored just 12 goals in the 1975-76 season, and after only 2 goals in 21 games in 1976-77, he was banished to the minor leagues for the next season and a half. He would unceremoniously return with the Sabres in 1978-79, but was released soon after.

Richard returned home in 1979, joining the Quebec Nordiques. He continued to struggle until 1980-81 when he was teamed with brothers Peter and Anton Stastny and exploded for 52 goals and 51 assists.

Richard's success was short-lived. His off-ice habits continued to mess with Richard the hockey player. He quickly fell into decline and by 1983 was out of hockey.

His demons continued to curse him after hockey. In 1989 he returned from a vacation to Colombia with $1.5 million worth of cocaine hidden in a golf bag. He was sentenced to seven years in jail.

On Oct. 8, 2002, when his car struck a culvert near Issoudun, Quebec, killing him instantly. He was just 50 years old.

Paul Stewart

2011-03-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

Paul Stewart is mostly known as the hard-nosed NHL referee who officiated over 1000 NHL games. But before Stewart began enforcing NHL rules and regulations, he used to break them on a very regular basis.

This Boston native was every bit as tough when he was a player. In his first pro season (1975-76) with the Binghampton Dusters (NAHL) Paul picked up 273 PIMs in only 46 games. In October 1976 he signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in the WHA, but he only played two games for Edmonton and spend most of the 1976-77 season playing for Binghampton where he collected 232 Pim's in 60 games.

Paul got his first real taste of WHA action when he was signed as a free agent by the Cincinnati Stingers (who also later signed a 17 year old Mark Messier) in December 1977. Cincinnati's coach Jacques Demers had a tough guy on his team named Willie Trognitz who had been banned from the IHL for life after he had tried to remove the head of Archie Henderson. Demers and the Stingers gambled that "Wild Willie's" reputation after that incident would be enough to keep the opposition out of the corners,well it wasn't and Trognitz was released and in came the 23-year old Paul Stewart.

Paul was an instant hit with the Cincinnati crowd and media. He would talk to anyone, anytime. Paul was quotable, patient and colorful. He knew the importance of publicity and admitted that he would do anything to help his club fill the seats. Paul racked up 241 PIMs in only 40 games for Cincinnati during the 1977-78 season. He could play both as a left wing and as a defenseman and although he wasn't a big scorer his presence was felt all the time.

Paul played with the Stingers in the WHA sporadically for the next two years, alternating his playing time between Cincinnati and Binghampton Dusters / Philadelphia Firebirds (AHL). At one time he almost ended up playing for the Minnesota North Stars in the NHL. He actually signed a contract with Minnesota but ripped it up before sending it back to the North Stars management. Paul simply got second thoughts and didn't want to leave Cincinnati because they gave him his first real shot among the "big boys". Paul concluded that "you've gotta dance with the one who brung you" - typically Paul Stewart.

On June 9,1979 Paul was claimed by the Quebec Nordiques in the WHA dispersal draft. He made his NHL debut on November 20,1979 against his hometown team, the Boston Bruins. And what a splashy debut it was! Paul didn't waste any time and fought Terry O'Reilly, Stan Jonathan and Al Secord in that game picking up 29 Pim's in his first ever NHL game. The guys that he fought were no slouches. Paul's NHL career was brief though and he only appeared in 21 games, scoring two goals and having 74 Pim's.

He played in the AHL and then briefly in the ACHL before hanging up his skates as a player in 1983. He didn't leave the NHL scene for long though and returned as an official in 1987. He was an instant hit among the players and gained league wide respect for his hard-nosed attitude the same way as in his playing days. Tough but fair.

Paul's perspective on life took a drastic change when he in January 1998 saw a program on TV that had a segment on colon cancer. He recognized some of the symptoms given in the program and decided to arrange an appointment with his doctor. It was revealed that he had stage III colon cancer, one step away from the worst on the scale. Paul had a three hour operation and in typical Paul Stewart manner refused to be transported to his room in a wheelchair despite having tubes in his nose, genitals and arms. He walked instead. He eventually had a couple of complications and had to be operated again. Luckily Paul survived his battle with death and got back to officiating in the NHL again at the start of the 1998-99 season to the delight of all the players who gave him a warm welcome.

Paul was a fighter as a player and as a fighter as a referee and as a person.

Steven Finn

2011-03-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

Steven Finn was a rugged, stay-at-home defenseman for the Quebec Nordiques most of his career. He finished his career with stints in Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, but will always be remembered as an unheralded mainstay blueliner for the Nords.

An aggressive and hardnosed defenseman, Finn was a quiet though effective leader for the Nords. Although he probably lost more fights than he won, he always showed up when the other team was taking too many liberties on one of his teammates. A relentless man in front of his own net, Finn eagerly played the body. However he never was known for crushing people, rather he effectively steered them away from trouble. He was also a good shot blocker.

Toiling with awful teams for most of his career, he was often overlooked and quickly labeled as a stay at home defenseman who would have trouble playing a regular role on the NHL's stronger teams. Not everyone felt that way though. When trade rumors swirled word had it that Oiler's GM Glen Sather always wanted Finn, possibly with a first round pick in an Andy Moog deal which obviously never materialized. Slats felt Finn could have been another Steve Smith perhaps, and that's a good comparison for Finner. Finn would have been best cast as a 4th d-man, not a 2nd like he was asked at times to play in Quebec.

Like Smith, Finn's finesse skills were overlooked because of his aggressiveness. But Finn developed into a strong positional player after constantly over committing in his earlier years. Finn was just an average skater at best, but was smart enough to realize what he could and could not do. He also possessed an accurate shot from the point which he always kept low. Most of his points came from placing the puck in the slot and letting a forward tip it or bang at the rebound. Unfortunately for Finn, his shot didn't have a lot of power.

Drafted 57th overall in 1984, Finn didn't stick with the team until the 1986-87 season when he finished the year strongly as a regular in the playoffs. However Finn brought his physical presence at the wrong time as the Nords were heading downhill into one of the league's worst teams. From 1989 through 1993, the Nords were the league's worst team. Finn however stuck through those lean days and kept battling. When the Nords improved and became a league contender again, Finn's role had been downgraded as he lost a step. The Nords traded Finner less than a year before they won the Stanley Cup as the Colorado Avalanche.

Peter Loob

2011-02-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

Peter's claim to hockey fame is that he is the older brother of Calgary Flames sniper Hakan Loob.

Hakan was this tiny but mega-talented right winger who is best known for being the first Swedish player to score 50 goals in the National Hockey League. Hakan played 6 strong seasons in Calgary before returning to Sweden to play several more years. In his last NHL campaign he helped the Flames capture their first Stanley Cup championship.

Peter Loob is nowhere near as celebrated. Three years older and 6 inches taller than Hakan, Peter was never considered to be a NHL prospect until his brother achieved success in his rookie NHL season of 1983-84. It was in the 1984 entry draft that the Quebec Nordiques took a chance on Peter, taking him 244th overall.

Peter joined the Nordiques the following season as a 27 year old rookie. He was a tall but slim defenseman who was considered to be a project more than a prospect. He didn't adjust well to the North American game or culture in his short stay. He spent most of his time in the minor leagues, but did see 8 games of NHL action. He even scored 1 goal and 2 assists and was a respectable +5.

Homesick and content that he gave the NHL a good shot, Peter returned to his homeland where he continued to play hockey for two more years before hanging up the blades.

Jacques Mailhot

2011-02-16T21:01:00.000-08:00

Jacques Mailhot had to fight for a professional hockey career - literally.

Mailhot never played in a high junior league when he was a teenager. He turned to senior hockey when he was old enough and quickly became noticed for his extremely rough style of play. After two seasons and 426 PIM in Senior hockey (that's a whole lot for that level of hockey, folks!) Mailhot impressed enough people to earn a contract to play at the minor league level. He split 43 games in the AHL with the Fredericton Express and Baltimore Skipjacks where he showed not only a willingness to fight, but some promise as well with 4 goals and 10 points.

By 1988 Mailhot signed a one year contract with the Quebec Nordiques. The Nords were looking for a tough guy and offered the Rimouski tough guy a shot at NHL employment. Mailhot spent most of the year with the AHL Halifax Citadels but also gave Mailhot a 5 game NHL audition. He played sparingly and when he did play he fought, earning 33 minutes in penalties. Not surprisingly Mailhot was called up in time to play in the intense rivalry against the provincial rival Montreal Canadiens.

Mailhot would become a long time minor leaguer following his one NHL contract. He bounced around terribly for the next two years, playing with 6 teams in 3 leagues before quitting pro hockey. He moved to New Brunswick where he finished the year rediscovering his love for hockey playing at the senior level.

Mailhot, a 6'2" 208lb left winger born in Shawinigan Quebec, would sign on in Colonial Hockey League in 1991 where he was not only a sure-fire tough guy but also a decent player. He would also extend his professional career in Texas in the upstart Western Professional Hockey League.

Randy Moller

2011-02-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

Randy Moller was a steady defensive defenceman over his 14 NHL seasons with the Nordiques, Rangers, Sabres and Panthers. His job was to clear the puck while playing a physical role in the defensive end and keeping the puck away from the net. He got very little fanfare for excelling in his role, but hockey people knew Moller was a definite asset.

A native of Red Deer, Alberta, he was the Nordiques first pick, 11th overall, in the 1981 Entry Draft. Moller starred with the Lethbridge Broncos of the OHL and was named a second team All-Star in 1981-82, his final year of junior. That year he scored 20 goals and 75 points in 60 games. He also picked up 249 PIMs. He was part of Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, picking up 3 assists in 7 games.

Moller played his first seven NHL seasons with the Nordiques. Though he spoke no french when he arrived in Quebec City, Moller would quickly fall in love with the city, unlike some english speaking players who dreaded life in the predominantly french town.

Though he was an offensive power in junior hockey, Moller used his big 6'2" 210lb body to excel defensively at the NHL level. He lacked speed and a hard shot but Moller was one of the better d-men when it came to making the perfect breakout pass. Many times during his career he would spring lose a Peter Stastny or Mike Gartner with a perfect outlet pass from his own zone. His unfailing accuracy in this regard made him so valuable to his team's transition offense.
Moller enjoyed his finest offensive years while in a Nordiques uniform, registering more than 23 points on four occasions. During the 1985-86 campaign, he set career-highs with seven goals, 22 assists and 29 points and in 1988-89 he matched those totals.

Prior to the 1989-90 season, Moller was traded to the Rangers in exchange for Michel Petit. After two and a half seasons in New York City he was then dealt to the Buffalo Sabres midway through the 1991-92 campaign in exchange for Jay Wells. He played two and a half years with the Sabres before signing with the Florida Panthers as a free agent prior to the 1994-95 campaign.

But after Randy signed with the Panthers, injuries limited his play and ultimately forced his retirement. Back injuries limited him to only 17 games with the Panthers. He accepted the team buyout, but felt bad that he couldn't fulfill his contractual obligations.

Moller retired from the NHL with career totals of 45 goals, 180 assists and 225 points in 815 regular season games.

Like many hockey players before him, Moller turned to the world of broadcasting after hanging up his skates. However he took the unconventional route of becoming the Florida Panthers play by play man. Most players are analysts offering their opinion. Moller, who works alone and provides his own colour commentary, has a very unconventional style.

Peter Stastny

2011-01-09T19:46:00.001-08:00

Perhaps most Canadians weren't paying attention, but our first look at one of hockey's all time greats came in the 1976 Canada Cup. An extremely young Peter Stastny was the youngest skater in the tournament. Only Finnish goalie Markus Mattsson was younger.

Stastny was two weeks short of his 20th birthday when he squared off against the Soviets on September 3, 1976 in the hockey shrine known as the Montreal Forum. But he was not an awe-struck rookie. He was already a veteran of two world junior championships and one world championship.

Playing with brother Marian and left winger Jaroslav Pouzar, Stastny, a fiercely proud Slovak, scored a team high 4 assists in 7 games in that Canada Cup tournament. The awesome playmaking became a trademark over the years for this Hockey Hall of Famer.

Russia's legendary goalkeeper Vladislav Tretiak remembered Stastny from 1976:

"Peter Stastny was an extremely dangerous player, with or without the puck. But I learned a very small weakness that he had. His eyes would betray his intentions. I would always look straight into his eyes. If he would return the stare, it meant he was going to shoot. If he looked away it was usually a pass. Peter Stastny was only 19 years old when he played in the Canada Cup and he was one of the best," Tretiak said.

Stastny himself was in awe of the Canadian pros. He watched them closely during one of the exhibition games prior to the tournament. Stastny first focused on Bobby Orr and was impressed by the great defenseman. However it wasn't Orr that made the biggest impression on the young Stastny.

"The player who stunned me the most and who I previously had never heard about was Buffalo Sabres Gilbert Perreault. Never before in my life had I seen such a dynamic skater. When he took off I got the feeling that a locomotive was making its way down the ice. Perreault was so smooth that he had no trouble going coast to coast, around the defensemen like a knife through butter. He wasn't a typical Canadian player, although a big fellow, he was a fantastically technical player, far superior to any of his teammates."

Stastny tried his best to keep on top of Canadian hockey and the National Hockey League. Growing up in communist Czechoslovakia, Stastny dreamed of western life and playing hockey in the NHL. He would voraciously read smuggled old copies of The Hockey News. He would quickly learn of Stan Mikita, a Slovak born superstar in the NHL. Mikita would join older brother Marian and Vaclav Nedomansky as Peter's hockey idols.

The fact that the Stastny's grew up reading smuggled Western magazines shouldn't surprise us. The Stastny brothers grew up as very independent thinkers, and were opposed to their communist oppressors. Peter Stastny, who admired Slovak reformer Alexander Dubcek, literally hated the communists.

Stastny starred for his hometown Bratislava team in the Czech Elite League for 6 years. Stastny got his chance to play thanks to the defection of Slovak legend Vaclav Nedomansky. By 1979-80 Peter had become the best player in the country, as he was named the Czechoslovakian Player of the Year after recording 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points in just 41 games. With his hockey career in Czechoslovakia budding, he began to experience the perks of stardom that most Czechs and Slovaks could only dream of. Playing on the national team and quickly establishing himself as one of the best players allowed for higher salaries, vacations on the Baltic Sea, and travel around the world.

But for Peter it was not enough. Just days before NHL training camps opened in the late summer of 1980, Peter and brother Anton defected from their country.

"I stood up against what I felt was corruption and gross injustice," Peter recalls. "When they told me to shut up or lose my privilege of playing for the national team, I went ballistic."

The defection is a story all in itself. Peter, Anton and Peter's pregnant wife fled in the dark of the night, risking everything if they got caught, and not knowing what exactly was to be their reward. They left behind their parents and brother Marian. Marian would be punished on his brother's behalf, with many of his hockey privileges immediately revoked and authorities watching his every move.

The defection rocked the hockey world. It was huge news, knocking stories of the Major League Baseball's pennant drives and the Summer Olympics from the front page. It would have great ramifications. The Nordiques, who struggled mightily after one season removed from the WHA merger, became instantly respectable and then a eastern power, perhaps saving the franchise from its inevitable demise. And internationally the defection led to the Czechoslovakian authorities allowing veteran athletes to pursue sports for profit late in their careers without having to defect.

Stastny's first NHL season was 1980-81 when he just turned 24 and was just hitting his prime. He easily won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, setting NHL records for assist (70) and points (109) by a freshman (since surpassed). Stastny became first NHL rookie to score 100 points in a season, completely eliminating any doubts about the Slovak hockey great.

Proving his first season was no fluke, Peter would go on to score 7 more 100 point seasons, including six consecutive seasons to start his career. His best season was his sophomore year when he racked up 46 goals and 93 assists for 139 points. That was also the season his brother Marian defected to the west, along with his wife and three children. The three great Stastny brothers were all together again, and at times played on the same line, becoming the first all brothers trio since Max, Doug and Reg Bentley in the 1940s.

Though Marian had a storied international career before his defection and though he and Anton both proved to be very solid NHL players, it is Peter Stastny that goes down in history as the best. He was a very shifty skater, not necessarily blessed with great speed but more with a tremendous sense of balance. Combine that with his equally incredible vision and puck handling skills and Peter Stastny ranks as one of the great playmakers ever. He was the lead conductor of his on-ice orchestra. He shared an uncanny connection with his brothers, particularly with Anton on give and go plays. An old school hockeyist, Peter relied almost strictly on his accurate wrist shot. He was especially dangerous on the power play.

After rounding out his NHL career with stints in New Jersey and St. Louis, Stastny finished his Hall of Fame career in 1995 with a total of 1237 total points, which made him the highest scoring European trained player at the time of his retirement (since surpassed). He was so dominant that in the 1980s only Wayne Gretzky scored more points in the decade. In fact, in 1983 Montreal head coach Bob Berry, who saw the Stastnys up close and personal in the heated Battle of Quebec rivalry, suggested Stastny was a better player than Gretzky.

Stastny helped make the Nordiques a powerhouse in the NHL's Wales Conference. Many great regular season and playoff battles occurred with the provincial rival Montreal Canadiens in one of the greatest and unfortunately shortest rivalries the league has ever seen. Despite some great runs, Stastny and the Nords never did make an appearance in the Stanley Cup finals. Lack of depth and great goaltending was always the weakness of the Nords in their tough playoff battles in the old Adams Division and Wales Conference.

In addition to being a great hockey player, Peter Stastny was a very worldly person.

In the spring of 1984 Peter Stastny became a Canadian citizen, thus making him available for Team Canada in the 1984 tournament. Under normal circumstances Stastny would have been ruled ineligible to represent Canada since he already had played for another country internationally. All this according to the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) rules. But the tournament was organized by the NHL and NHLPA who had their own rules.

Stastny became the first ever European born and trained player to represent a Canadian national hockey team. He was extremely proud of his Canadian citizenship but admitted that he had a Slovakian heart in the Canadian jersey.

In 1984 Stastny didn't see much ice time as he mostly centered the third line. Wayne Gretzky, Brent Sutter and on occasions Mark Messier all saw more ice as centers. The only game where Stastny was double shifted was in the game against his old teammates from Czechoslovakia. In that game Stastny scored his only goal of the tournament. The game was televised live to Czechoslovakian homes but the announcers were forbidden from saying Stastny's name, only referring to him as number 26.

Prior to the game Stastny held a pre-game speech to boost his Canadian team mates who faced elimination in case of a loss. " I just told the guys to play very physical from the start, to break down the Czechoslovaks as soon as possible. Knowing the Czechoslovakian mentality myself, I knew this was the best way to play against them."

In July 1991, Peter Stastny. soon to be 35 years old, was approached by Jaroslav Walter, Ivan Hlinka's assistant coach on the Czechoslovakian team. The country had now been liberated from communist rule, and they were looking to make amends with past dissidents such as Stastny. Walter asked Stastny if he would like to play for Czechoslovakia in the 1991 Canada Cup tournament.

" When he approached me I said that if you want me then it would be a great honour for me to once again represent my country," Stastny said. Stastny however never played in the 1991 Canada Cup as he felt that there were not enough Slovak players on the team. Stastny who always took great pride in being a Slovak never passed on the opportunity to letting everyone know about it. His pride however deprived him of the opportunity to play in 1991.

Stastny eventually got to represent Slovakia when they became independent. He was the flag bearer for the entire Slovak athletic roster at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. As a 37-year old Stastny finished second in the Lillehammer scoring race, which he also did 14 years earlier in Lake Placid. In 1995 he helped Slovakia gain A-Pool status as he led all the scorers in the B-Pool World Championships.

Before the 1996 World Cup tournament Stastny was asked if he would like to become the head coach of the Slovak national team.

"I said ok, I'll accept the job for the World Cup. But the Slovakian hockey president didn't want such deal. He told me that I had to sign a two year contract until the Olympic games in Nagano 1998. I told him that I would have to think about it," Stastny said.

He never became the coach because of a feud between the hockey powers in Slovakia. One group wanted Stastny as a coach, and another faction didn't want him. Fed up with all this 'hooplah' Stastny finally withdrew his name from consideration.

Through the turn of the century Peter Stastny has stayed strong to his Slovakian roots. He serves as the country's elected representative in the European Parliament.

Marian Stastny

2011-01-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

Marian is the oldest of the three Stastny brothers who terrorized the NHL in the early 1980's when they formed one of the most feared lines. Middle brother Peter was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. Both Anton and Peter always insisted that Marian was the most talented of them all. A talent that he displayed briefly in the NHL.

Marian was born in Bratislava, Slovakia where he played for Slovan Bratislava between 1970-80 (and a half season for Dukla Jihlava). He scored 236 goals in 369 league games and represented Czechoslovakia 122 times, scoring 54 goals. He represented his country in the 1971 and 1972 World European Junior Championships and the World Championships between 1975-79. He also played in the 1980 Olympics and 1976 Canada Cup. During that time he was a two time World Champion (1976 & 77) as well as a league champion in 1979.

His brothers had defected to Canada in 1980 during a tournament in Austria. Marian helped arrange his brothers defections but had to remain behind when they left. Marian stayed because he had his family left in Czechoslovakia. Quite heroically, he assumed the inevitable iron-curtain indignities as punishment for his brothers escape. He was banned from all hockey, both on the national team as well as club hockey. He was also banned from working anywhere in the Soviet-bloc country. Marian attempted to lure government officials into believing that he wasn't interested in following suit and defecting to North America. He publicly denounced his brothers in ruse for their escapes and he continued to make structural improvements for his home. He later vacationed in other East Bloc countries with his wife, Eva, and three children until they finally managed to skip into Austria. From there, the family took a jet and officially defected to Canada.

Quebec Nordiques' fans anxiously anticipated Marian's arrival. This to the background that Peter's and Anton's play during their rookie seasons was a tremendous success. Peter set a rookie record with 109 points, his 70 assists is a NHL rookie record. Anton had a very impressive 85 points, a rookie record for left wings. Marian didn't disappoint, scoring 89 points, at times reunited on a line with his brothers. Peter exploded for 139 points, and Anton had 72 points. All in all the trio combined for 300 points. The Stastny's continued their terrific pace in the playoffs making it to the semifinals before finally losing to the eventual champions NY Islanders.

Marian's sophomore season in 1982-83 began at a torrid pace. After 33 games he was second in the league in points only behind Wayne Gretzky. Marian had 58 points, 26 goals and 32 assists. He cooled off significantly, and then had his season end in Quebec's 60th game of the season. Skating at home against the defending champions NY Islanders Marian's two goals gave the Nordiques to a 4-1 3rd period lead. While carrying the puck into the Islanders zone, he was crunched to the boards by Greg Gilbert. He remained on the ice, in a lot of pain. Later on, in the dressing room, he learned that he had suffered a badly dislocated shoulder that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. His dream season was over with 36 goals, 43 assists and 79 points in only 60 games.

Marian never recovered fully from the shoulder injury and slowed down considerably in 1983-84, scoring 52 points. (20 goals and 32 assists) in 68 games. The Stastny line was broken up and Marian saw less and less ice time in 1984-85. He was gradually squeezed out of the lineup.

Stastny was placed on waivers by the Nordiques in the summer of 1985. Toronto, Montreal and Pittsburgh expressed interest in the 31-year old forward. The Canadiens wanted Marian badly but couldn't guarantee him a spot on the team, so he eventually decided to join the Leafs.

Marian was a good addition to the Leafs team with his savvy and ability to play on all three forward positions. Marian formed a line with countrymen Miroslav Frycer and Peter Ihnacak. The trio got a total of 173 points. with Marian picking up 53 of them, including 23 goals, in 70 games. Marian could have played at least one more season in the NHL but opted to finish his playing career in Switzerland and HC Sierre (1986-87). He was Sierre's trainer the following season.

Marian didn't make his debut in the NHL until he was almost 29-years old and on the downhill of his career, but despite that he managed to score almost a point per game. He had 294 points (121 goals and 173 assists) in 322 regular season games and 22 points in 32 playoff games.

Marian always loved Quebec City, and continues to live in the area. He is also a very entrepreneurial person, owning the bar Dix-Huit (French for 18, his jersey number) while he played, and now owning his own hotel and golf course in St. Nicholas on the southern shores of the capital city.

Anton Stastny

2011-01-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

Unlike brothers Peter and Marian, Anton Stastny was not the flashiest of players. This is likely due to his skating.

While both of his brothers were exceptional skaters, Anton was average. He did not have a lot of speed or even agility on his feet.

Anton compensated for his lack of foot skills through his excellent hockey sense. He had an uncanny ability to read the play developing, both offensively and defensively, and was able to use that to give himself a head start to get into the perfect position.

It helped that he often played with his brothers, particularly Peter. Since they had played together since childhood, they knew what each other was going to do instinctually. They had a number of plays together, particularly the ol' fake a shot and pass to the brother who just got himself clear from his check.

Anton had good hands and could carry the puck and make nice passes through traffic. He possessed a good wrist shot, but rarely used from far out. Instead he liked to operate down low near the crease. He had the hands to make plays in tight, and the size and sense to use his body to gain positioning in the scrums near the goalie.

This made him an important part of the Nordiques power play. Nearly 32% of his career goals came while with the man-advantage.

Bottom line was Anton Stastny was a good, heady hockey player who was better with his brothers than he would have been without them. He had a good offensive skill set, but little interest in the physical game.

Interestingly, Anton was the first Slovakian player ever drafted by the NHL, although it was not the Nordiques who originally claimed him. In 1978 the Philadelphia Flyers 198th overall in the 1978 Amateur Draft. He was ruled ineligible due to confusion over his age. The Quebec Nordiques took advantage and drafted him 83rd overall in 1979.

Of course back then it was incredibly unlikely that any player in Communist Europe would be released to play in North America, especially a player as young as Anton and Peter. The two had to boldly defect to pursue a career in the National Hockey League, with Marian defecting later on. Had they not, they likely would not have had careers in the NHL at all.

Like his brothers, he was proud to live in Canada. He secured his Canadian citizenship on April 2nd, 1984 and later that year tried out for Team Canada at the Canada Cup. While Peter made the team, Anton was one of last cuts.

Anton Stastny played in nine NHL seasons, generally pushing the 30 goal, 75 point mark. His best season was his third campaign when he scored 32 goals, 60 assists and 92 points.

All in all Anton scored 252 goals, 384 assists and 636 points in 650 NHL games. He added 20 goals and 52 points in 66 playoff contests.

The Nordiques bought out Anton's contract after the 1988-89 season. Anton returned to Europe, signing in Switzerland. He maintained close hockey ties with the Swiss and once again with Slovakia after the fall of communism.

Alain Caron

2011-01-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

Alain Caron was a small but high scoring minor leaguer for 17 years. He did finally get a chance to play in the NHL in parts of two less than successful seasons when the NHL expanded from 6 to 12 teams in 1967.

The 5'9" right winger bounced around with many teams and leagues before finally showing what he could do with the St. Louis Braves of the old CHL. He scored a record 77 goals in his first CHL season. One of the main reasons Alain had so many goals was, much like Montreal Canadiens' superstar Bernie Geoffrion, due to his very hard slap shot. Caron's slap shot also earned him Geoffrion's nickname, "Boom Boom". However Caron's production would slip to "only" 46 goals the next season.

For the next two seasons, Alain played in the AHL and the WHL before getting his big break in 1967. Originally Chicago Blackhawks property, Alain was drafted by the NHL's newest expansion team, the Oakland Seals. Apparently they caused quite the stir when at the draft they announced they were proud to select "Boom Boom . . . . Caron!"

During his time with the Oakland Seals, Alain played in 58 games recording 9 goals and 13 assists for 22 points. Caron found he just did not have the time in the NHL to release his incredible shot. Goalie Gary Smith summed it up to his poor skating by NHL standards.

Before the start of the 1968/69 season, Oakland traded Alain to Montreal. Alain's stay in Montreal was short as he appeared in only 2 games (no points) before again being banished to the minor leagues where he would play for 8 more years, including 4 in the WHA.

Described as a shy kid who kept to himself, the highlight of his WHA years must have been his time with the Quebec Nordiques. Finally the Frenchman could feel at home. It showed on the ice, too. Though he was a veteran player by this stage of his career, he managed to tally 36 and 31 goals in two full seasons.

In 1976 the 37 year old led all scorers in the NAHL (a WHA minor league) with 78 goals in 73 games, plus another 21 goals in 14 playoff games! But a massive heart attack later that summer forced him off the ice for good.

Caron took a job working for a Quebec brewery, but in 1986 another heart attack killed him. He was only 48 years old.

Alain Lemieux

2010-12-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

There have been a few Lemieux's to have played in the National Hockey League. Mario of course is the most famous, followed by Claude, who is not related to Mario. Claude's brother Jocelyn and the unrelated Real played a decent number of games in the league, while Richard, Jean, Jacques and Bob Lemieux had tastes of NHL action. Oh yeah, and Alain Lemieux. He's Mario's older brother!

Alain was not granted the gifts that Mario got. Alain was small at 6'0" and 185lbs (Mario was 6'4" and 210lbs). He did put up some good numbers in junior hockey and early on in his minor league career, but was inconsistent in his production. Scouting reports from the minors leagues varied from artistically dominant to completely invisible.

Alain was drafted 96h overall by the St. Louis Blues in 1980. Despite the decent numbers in the minors, Lemieux's lack of natural strength and conditioning doulbed by his poor defensive play prevented him from a true chance at NHL employment.

Things changed when Mario came along. The whole hockey world was excited about Super Mario, and as a result Alain got a little more attention too, if only because he was his older brother. But that helped Alain get one more chance to make the Blues in 1984-85, Mario's rookie season.

Alain was invited back to St. Louis training camp. Lemieux had to battle Dave Barr for the 4th line center position. Because of Barr's hard-nosed style of play, he had the inside edge. With Bernie Federko, Doug Gilmour and Doug Wickenheiser on the top 3 pivot positions, Alain would have to learn to play gritty and defensively.

But the Blues were hoping that Mario's arrival in the NHL would push Alain to the heights his talent level indicated he could achieve.

"His brother is in the league now and he wants to keep up with him or do even better," said assistant coach Bob Plager.

"I think if I had pride, which I hope he has, I'd want to show my brother I can play in the NHL, too." said head coach Jacques Demers.

Alain made the team as Barr was moved to the right side. However after 19 games the team moved him on to Quebec in exchange for Luc Dufour. The move was good for Lemieux, who would return to his home province and get a chance to play a more offensive role. He responded well with 11 goals and 22 points in 30 contests. He added 3 goals and 6 points in 14 playoff games.

While that paled in comparison to rookie Mario's stats in Pittsburgh, it appeared Alain had finally made it to the NHL. That came to a crashing halt in 1985-86 when he showed up for training camp overweight and perhaps taking his position on the team for granted.

Alain was banished to the minor leagues. He received a late season call up where he appeared in 7 regular season games, but never recorded a point. He made up for that with a strong appearance in his only post season game that year, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists.

The Nordiques cut him loose that off season, and low and behold guess who picked him up? The Pittsburgh Penguins. He played the entire year in the minor leagues, posting his best professional numbers with 97 points in 72 games. He was a AHL second all star team center.

But the highlight of the year, or so he thought, came when he got called up to Pittsburgh and played one game with his brother. Only problem was Alain Lemieux was being called up to replace his brother for the game, as Super Mario was sidelined with a viral illness.

That game proved to be Alain's last in the NHL. He bounced around with 4 minor league teams over the next season and a half before landing in Finland. He returned to the North American minor leagues in 1990-91, but retired at the conclusion of the season.

Mikhail Tatarinov

2010-12-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

Mikhail Tatarinov was just hitting his prime in Russia when he came over to the National Hockey League in 1991.

Tatarinov was in his 8th season in the Soviet Elite League, hi 5th season with Moscow Dynamo, when he was allowed to join the Washington Capitals, who actually drafted Tatarinov way back in 1984 with their 225th overall pick. Tatarinov had just come off of a 11 goal, 21 point campaign in 44 games in Soviet League play, a season in which he was named as a USSR First Team All Star.. More importantly he helped his team win the Soviet National title.

Also in 1990 Tatarinov represented his country at the World and European Championships. He scored 3 goals and 11 points in 10 games en route to being named the best defenseman at the Championships. He was also named to the tournament all star team.

International success was not foreign for Mikhail. He was a World Junior Championship all star in both 1985 and 1986, as well as being named the WJC's best d-man in 1986. In all he competed in 3 World Juniors and one World Championship. He also competed in Rendez Vous '87 and the 1991 Canada Cup.

Despite his solid play in International competition, Tatarinov was not well liked by the Soviet hockey authorities, especially Red Army head coach Viktor Tikhonov. Mikhail was a wild personality who marched to his own drummer. The Soviet hockey system punishes players who were deemed to be too individualistic and not fully team oriented.

Mikhail, who counted Philadelphia Flyers goon Dave "The Hammer" Schultz as his idol, also had a reputation as a bit of a dirty player in Europe.

"He is fearless. There are players eight and 10 years older who are afraid of him in the Elite League. They try to avoide him on the ice," wrote Soviet journalist Igor Kuprin.

The 5'10" 195lb blueliner from Angarsk signed with the Washington Capitals part way through the 1991 season. After playing in 12 games with Moscow Dynamo, "Tats" finished the year by playing in 65 games with the Caps. He scored 8 goals and 23 points.

Tatarinov was moved to the Quebec Nordiques for a draft choice in the summer of 1991. Mikhail had a good first year with Quebec. He appeared in 66 games and scored 11 goals and 38 points. However he would become the hard-luck kid in the 1992-93 season. He appeared in only 28 games, scoring 2 goals and 8 points before badly breaking his leg. Also, by this time Tatarinov had developed a bad back.

The Nords let the small but scrappy d-man go in the summer of 1993. The Boston Bruins took a chance on the injured defenseman. He would appear in only 2 games with the B's, as well as three with their farm team. In the end Tatarinov's back forced him to retire prematurely.

Tatarinov possessed a cannon-like shot with good offensive instincts. He had some trouble adjusting to the NHL game after years in Russia. It took him a while to adjust to the smaller ice surface which forced him to rush his on ice decisions. He was also a willing participant in physical battles, although wasn't big enough to dominate most NHL players. Despite his offensive upside and his feistiness, Tatarinov was an adventure in his own end. Often he was a spectator more than a participant when the puck was in his zone.

Quebec Nordiques Greatest Legends

2010-09-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

Joel Baillargeon
Serge Bernier
Dan Bouchard
Curt Brackenbury
Richard Brodeur (WHA)
Real Cloutier
Gaetan Duchesne
Bryan Fogarty
Peter Forsberg
Iain Fraser
Paul Gillis
Mario Gosselin
Michel Goulet
Dale Hunter

Francois Lacombe (WHA)
Curtis Leschyshyn
Tony McKegney
Ken McRae
Wilf Paiement
Walt Poddubny
Ken Quinney
Normand Rochefort
Joe Sakic
Anton Stastny
Marian Stastny
Peter Stastny
Marc Tardif (WHA)
J.C. Tremblay (WHA)
Ron Tugnutt
Craig Wolanin

Iain Fraser

2010-09-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

Iain Fraser played 94 games in the National Hockey League, including a full season with the Quebec Nordiques in 1993-94 when he scored 17 goals and 37 points in 60 games. He made brief appearances with the Islanders, Jets, Oilers and Sharks before disappearing to Europe.

But I will always Iain Fraser as captain of the Oshawa Generals.

Being from BC, it was not easy to watch OHL games. But that all changed late in the 1989-90 season, as suddenly the Generals were on national television. Why? Because they had just acquired the most heralded junior player in years - Eric Lindros.

While curious eyes all tuned into see Lindros, my eyes quickly took to following the overaged captain of the team, Fraser. He was the grizzled veteran of the team, at least by junior standards. While Lindros had the NHL waiting for him, in many ways this was Fraser's last chance.

For Fraser, in his last year of junior hockey, this was his last chance to win. Maybe that's why I took such a likiing to him. He was a sad story in some ways. He had only one chance left. And given his 233rd overall draft selection in 1989, the future was not exactly encourage expectations for Fraser's NHL dreams.

Lindros was brought in to help the Generals win the Memorial Cup, and win they did, in front of national television audiences. New heroes were born in front of us, including Fraser. With 32 points in 17 playoff games, including 10 in 4 Memorial Cup games, Fraser was named as the Memorial Cup's Most Valuable Player. It was a great way to end a junior hockey career.

As it turned out Fraser had a good pro career ahead of him, too. He went onto play 94 games in the NHL, including that full season with the same Nordiques team Lindros refused to play for. He even scored 23 goals and 46 points in his career. He was an all star at the AHL level before heading to Europe to star in Germany and Britain where he was treated as a hero.

All in all, a pretty good career for a hockey player for a player I originally felt a touch sorry for.

Curt Brackenbury

2010-09-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s were known for their explosive offense. But the members of the team that weren't great scorers and skaters, were often big, bruising players with little skill. Over the years the Oilers have had quite a collection of tough guys, guys like Semenko, McSorley, McClelland, Dykstra..... but one of the first NHL Edmonton Oiler tough guys was Curt Brackenbury.

Brackenbury had played several years in the WHA, most notably with Minnesota and Quebec. "Brack" played two years in Minnesota (1974-76) under coach Harry Neale, who jokingly referred to Brackenbury as "his idol."

"I love the way he plays. He only knows how to play hockey one way - and that's by getting his hands dirty. He's the ultimate poster boy for hard work."

When the Minny franchise folded in 1976, Brackenbury signed on with the Quebec Nordiques. He stayed with the Nords through to their inaugural season in the National Hockey League.

The aggressive right winger put up 6 goals and 14 points in his first NHL season, but was left exposed in the waiver draft. The Nords had acquired the services of veteran NHL plumber John Wensink, and deemed Brackenbury expendable. That's when the Oilers picked him up.

"He doesn't have a ton of ability but he what he does have he applies to the fullest," commented Oiler coach Glen Sather.

Brackenbury wasn't the toughest fighter in the league, although he was willing to drop the gloves no doubt. His play resembled that of a linebacker than a right winger. He would rumble down his wing looking for thunderous bodychecks. He brought an infectious enthusiasm to a young Oilers team that was a dynasty in the making.

Brack's young Oiler teammates loved having Brack on the team. He was the hardest worker in practice, and brought an infectious energy to the dressing room. Though Brackenbury spent the next season and a half in Edmonton before he finished the 1981-82 season in the minors and was then moved on, he did have a small impact on the success of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and the Edmonton Oilers dynasty..

In 1982-83 Brack signed with the St. Louis Blues but aside from 6 NHL games, he spent the year in the minors. It proved to be his last year of professional hockey.

Brackenbury was always the first to admit he was not the most talented player in the league. "I'm not going to make it in this game as a puck handler" he joked. Part of the reason for that is as a 15 year old his family moved from his native Kapuskasing, Ontario to Kamloops, British Columbia. He never played hockey for the next two years. Age 15-17 is a pretty important time in the development life of a hockey player.

Ken McRae

2010-08-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

Ken McRae's big body matured faster than many of his junior contemporaries, allowing him to dominated his 1985-86 rookie season in the WHL with the Sudbury Wolves. He not only parlayed that into an 18th overall draft selection by the Quebec Nordiques at the summer's NHL draft, but he also earned some lofty praise from his coach Wayne Maxner.

"When I was coaching Windsor, I saw Wayne Gretzky playing junior B hockey for the Seneca Nats. I predicted he'd be the first player in the NHL to score 200 points. Everyone, including a lot of NHL scouts, laughed and said I was crazy.

"Well, I'll predict right now that Ken McRae will go on to become a good National Hockey League player. There's no question in my mind. He's quality."

We'll have to take Mr. Maxner at his word about his Great One prophecies, but history tells us he was not nearly so accurate in the case of Ken McRae.

McRae did play in 137 NHL games in a professional career that spanned a decade. Most of his NHL games came during the 1988-90 and 1989-90 seasons when he played for the lowly Nordiques teams. He scrapped and clawed his way into the line-up, but he never could find much of a niche in the NHL. He was big early as a junior player but in the NHL he was average sized and he could impose no physical advantage. His slow acceleration did him no favors in retaining a NHL job.

Ken McRae scored 14 goals and 35 points while accumulating 364 penalty minutes in his career. He enjoyed notable minor league stops in Halifax, St. John's (AHL) and Phoenix (IHL).

Ken Quinney

2010-07-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

When I was younger the National Hockey League seemed so far away from my remote northern British Columbia home. Even the "local" Vancouver Canucks may as well have been from a different planet.

So needless to say I took an immediate interest in any hockey player in northern BC who had a shot at the NHL. Hence my interest in the career of Ken Quinney.

Quinney's interesting name and the fact that he played some midget hockey in Quesnel really "Q'd" my interest. Quesnel is a 7 or 8 hour drive from where I live, and I never saw him play in person, but I still considered him to be "one of us." He was an undersized but heady scorer, darting in and out of traffic.

Quinney, who was born in New Westminster BC, certainly travelled the world thanks to hockey. He escaped the mill town south of Prince George to go and play junior hockey in Calgary for four seasons. Despite some gaudy offensive numbers Quinney was drafted late in the 1984 draft (10th round) by the Quebec Nordiques. Although things look great early (he had an assist in his first game and three assists in his second), he would go on to play in a total of just 59 NHL games (7 goals, 13 assists) over the course of three seasons. He spent many more seasons in the Nords farm system. That gave him ample time to explore the beautiful Canadian maritimes as he was stationed in Fredericton, NB and Halifax, NS.

The Detroit Red Wings signed him as a free agent in 1991, though he would be restricted to their farm team in the Adirondacks. Two years later he would break free and be an independant player in the reasonably strong IHL. He would star for five seassons in - of all places - Las Vegas. You can't much more different than Quesnel than Las Vegas, I can assure you.

In 1998 Quinney extended his career by accepting a contract with Frankfurt of the German League. He would play there until 2001 when he hung up the blades for good.

Quinney returned to Vegas and at last mention he was coaching kids hockey in the desert for several years.

Joel Baillargeon

2010-02-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Quebec City's Joel Baillargeon is the son of legendary Canadian wrestler and strongman Paul Baillargeon, one of six Baillargeon brothers known for their strength. Paul's specialty act was lifting horses. Once source I found suggest he once climbed a telephone pole with a horse on his back!

I do not know that Papa Baillargeon ever help son Joel in his training for his own pro-sports career, but he could be proud of his son for making it to the National Hockey League for 20 games, the last five of which were with his hometown Nordiques.

The left winger was noted as a zealous bodycheck but not a goon. He was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets 113th overall in 1983, and would play 15 games with the team split between the 1986-87 season and the 1987-88 season. He picked up two assists.

He was later shipped to Quebec where he mostly played with their farm team in Halifax. As mentioned Joel did crack the Nordiques line up for five games during the 1988-89 season. The Nords were a very weak team at this point in their existence. I don't think the strength of the entire Baillergeon family could have lifted the Nordiques out of the NHL basement.

In addition to being a strongman and wrestler, Paul Baillargeon was a very successful hotelier in Quebe City, and president of the Quebec City Hotel and Restaurant Association. It is unclear if the family is still in the business today.

Marc Tardif

2009-12-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

This Granby, Que. native was in the Montreal Canadiens system already as a junior where he played for the Thetford Mines Canadiens (QJHL) and Montreal Jr. Canadiens (OHA). Marc collected 138 points (63 goals, 75 assists) in 105 regular season games for the junior Canadiens and 43 points (22 goals and 21 assists) in 25 playoff games. During his last junior season for the Jr. Canadiens (1968-69) he led them to a Memorial Cup title.

Marc was drafted 2nd overall by Montreal in the 1969 draft. He started the 1969-70 season playing for Montreal's farm team club Montreal Voyageurs (AHL) where he racked up 58 points (27 goals and 31 assists) in only 45 games before getting the call up to the big club in February 1970. He only played sparingly in the 18 games that he played with the Habs, scoring 3 goals and 5 points but the management was impressed by what they saw. He went on to play regular shifts with the Canadiens for the following three seasons, scoring 19, 25 and 31 goals. Considering the fact that he played on a checking line the season he scored 31 goals it was a good result. He also won the Stanley Cup on two occasions (1971 and 1973).

In February 1972 Marc was drafted by Los Angeles Sharks of the newly formed WHA. He was offered a substantial sum of money, reportedly more than twice what Montreal was offering, and decided to make the jump to the WHA. He never was happy in Los Angeles though. The climate was good but he had a real problem with the language. He didn't speak much English and was surrounded by English speaking players. He still drifted through the 1973-74 season scoring a respectable 70 points, including 40 goals.

In April 1974 LA moved its team to Michigan and was named the Michigan Stags. Their financial situation was really bad and before folding they sold Marc, who to that point had played 23 games, scoring 12 goals and 17 points.

Marc was traded to his native Quebec and was reborn as a hockey superstar. His 1975-76 season was superb as he led the Quebec Nordiques and the WHA in goals (71), assists (77) and points (148). Unfortunately his season got an abrupt end during the playoffs when he was horrifically jumped from behind by Rick Jodzio, a "policeman" with the Calgary Cowboys. The Nordiques players came to Marc's rescue as both benches emptied and a 45-minute brawl ensued. Marc was carried off on a stretcher, with blood oozing from his mouth while the players slugged it out toe-to-toe. Marc received a serious brain concussion that endangered his hockey career. Marc eventually recovered but suffered from severe headaches for over a year. This incident almost resulted in Quebec withdrawing from the playoffs and it resulted in Bud Poile, the director of on ice operations in the WHA to resign. It also forced certain anti-violence legislation. Rick Jodzio was suspended for the rest of the year and was eventually tried in Quebec for assault. The most disappointing fact was that Marc was invited to the 1976 Canada Cup training camp, but had to decline the invitation due to the effects that he was feeling after the injury.

Marc came back in 1976-77 and led Quebec to a WHA title. The next season Marc once again led the league in goals (65), assists (89) and points (154). He played another season in the WHA before Quebec merged with the NHL. A splendid skater who excelled at stickhandling in close traffic, the deadly scorer tallied a whopping 666 points (316 goals and 350 assists) in only 446 regular season WHA games. The two time WHA MVP and four time All Star forever ranks as the WHA's all time goal scoring king.

Marc made his NHL comeback in 1979, six years after having left for the WHA. Marc was on his way to a splendid season in 1979-80 until he got injured. He had 68 points (including 33 goals) in the 58 games that he played.

When the 1980-81 season started it was clear that Marc would play the second fiddle behind the Stastny brothers and Michel Goulet. Marc wasn't too happy about the situation but contributed well. He even scored 39 goals during the 1981-82 season for his best NHL performance. His 70 points was also a NHL career high. His fine play even earned him a trip to the 1982 All-Star game.

Marc played his last season in 1982-83, by this time he was a 3rd line left wing behind Michel Goulet and Anton Stastny.

Marc's timing in the NHL was a little bit off. He broke in with a powerful Montreal team and never got the chance to play on the top line, and in Quebec he got stuck behind a budding superstar in Goulet as well as the talented Anton Stastny. But he won two Stanley Cup titles, and he got to play a lot on the top line in the WHA. Marc finished his NHL career with a respectable 401 pts (194 goals and 207 points) in 517 regular season games and 28 points (13 goals and 15 assists) in 62 playoff games.

In retirement Tardif worked as a car salesman, eventually owning his own Toyota and Kia dealerships. He also raised three children, daughters Melanie and Catherine and son Marc-Andre who at one point was a nationally ranked tennis player in Canada.

Craig Wolanin

2009-11-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

When scouts were preparing for the 1985 Entry Draft, they were all drooling over Craig Wolanin.

"This kid is a blue chip prospect. He may need a bit more time than a (Craig) SImpson or a (Wendel) Clark but he'll be worth the wait." preached one NHL scout.

And patient we were with Wolanin yet he never did achieve the level that many expected of him.

The New Jersey Devils selected the Michigan born defenseman 3rd overall that year (behind Clark and Simpson). Wolanin's biggest asset was his size. He towered above many at 6'3" and often played between 205 and 215 pounds. However Wolanin's biggest problem was also his size. He was simply too big for the kind of game he was willing to play. He simply seemed to have lacked the desire to play a physical game and often played as though he were 4 inches shorter and 20lbs lighter.

Craig wasn't a great skater by any means, but it was definitely adequate. He lacked the offensive savvy and point shot to contribute much in the offensive zone. He carved out an average NHL career as a positional defenseman. but he could have been dominant.

"He doesn't have the desire to smash people, and doesn't even use his physical gifts to their fullest extents without bashing people" said reporter Jiggs McDonald. "While tremendously strong and with the ability to be a punishing hitter, Craig does not apply his size consistently in front of the net or along the boards. He consistently fails to complete his checks, pushing and shoving instead of taking the body."

After 5 seasons with the Devils, New Jersey traded him and veteran Randy Velischek to Quebec in exchange for aging superstar Peter Stastny. Craig played steady but unspectacular hockey with the Nordiques organization for the next 7 years. In that time he saw the Nordiques go from annual NHL doormats to relocation in Denver Colorado.

Craig only played for one season in Denver. It was a bittersweet season for Craig as it was the year that the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. Despite playing in 75 regular season games and recording a career high 7 goals and a respectable +25, Craig played in only 7 games in the playoffs.

According to the a Toronto Sun story, Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy argued with coach Marc Crawford about using the veteran defenseman in the playoffs. The story said Crawford and Roy exchanged words after Game 3 of the Avalanche's second-round series with Chicago, a 4-3 Colorado loss that was decided in overtime after Wolanin lost the puck.

While Crawford denied this ever happened, the Avalanche played 13 more games before winning the Stanley Cup, but Wolanin didn't play in any of them.

"If it's true ... if Patrick did say that ... we're all men and we want to be treated with respect," Wolanin said with emotion "You would hope someone would come up to me and tell me to my face if Patrick doesn't feel comfortable playing with me.

"I wasn't on the ice when we won the Cup, but I still enjoyed it," said Wolanin. "We had some lean years and my name's going to be on the Cup forever. No one can ever take that away from me."

In the summer of 1996 he was traded to Tampa Bay for a draft pick. His stay in Tampa was short (15 games) as he was traded to Toronto in January, 1997. Wolanin suffered through a terrible time with injuries in Toronto before eventually have to call it quits..

While Craig failed to live up to expectations and "only" had an average NHL career, that is still something to be very proud of. I mean he played in 700 games while I'm writing about him and you're reading about him!

Curtis Leschyshyn

2009-10-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

I watched Curtis Leschyshyn's career with a special curiosity.

The Quebec Nordiques drafted Leschysyhn third overall in 1988. That was a special draft for me, as I eagerly anticipated the first overall battle between Mike Modano and Trevor Linden. I had so immersed my young mind into the debate, hoping against hope that somehow my Vancouver Canucks would get Linden (which they did!), and completely disregarding any other top candidate that when Quebec stepped up to the podium with third pick and announced Curtis Leschyshyn's name with the third pick I anti-climatically asked, "Who?"

It turns out to have been a silly question. He would go on to a NHL career spanning well over 1000 games. Though he never achieved much of an offensive game that may have been expected of him, he was a very competent NHL defender.

Leschyshyn was a jack of all hockey trades, yet a master of none. Without that one specialty detractors increased their argument that he was a draft bust. True, third overall turned out to be a bit lofty, but how do you play in 1000 games and be considered a draft disappointment?

Leschyshyn was a solid defenseman, confidently taking care of business in his own end. He was strong with the puck, making good passing decisions, especially out of the zone, while somehow failing to accumulate a lot of assists. He rarely jumped into the play, and did not take a lot of shots. He possessed very good physical strength, yet did not crash his weight around the rink in any noticeable fashion. He preferred to adequately do his job, keeping the action to the outside of slot. He had a quiet intensity, seemingly playing calm even under the most stormy of attacks. That was Curtis Leschyshyn. Good.

Good enough to win the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. It was a great reward for Leschyshyn, who had endured both some really weak teams in Quebec and the franchise's transfer to Colorado.

"We had a very young team and we had guys who had a lot of fun,” said Leschyshyn. “I think it was all a part of learning how to play in the NHL and what it took. We played teams some nights and we would get blasted 8-1 and other nights when we competed we were right in it right to the last minute of the game. As I look back at it now I would not change anything. It allowed us to become the team we were in Colorado .”

Born in Thompson, Manitoba, Leschyshyn grew up in the farming town of Langham, Saskatchewan where he was lucky enough to skate for free at the local arena.

"After school, my brother (Kevin) and I would go home, get our equipment and walk half a city block to the arena," remembers Leschyshyn in an interview with Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen in 2002.. "We could play whenever we wanted. It was always free ice. We would even referee games for money. When I was 12, I would referee the seven- and eight-year-old games. I pretty much lived at the rink.

The arena was aged and cold, but the boys loved it.

"It was an indoor rink, but it was natural ice inside a big wooden barn. Man, was it cold. There was no Zamboni, of course. Our Zamboni was having parents with shovels. They shovelled the snow into augers. We had a water tank on wheels. That's how we flooded the ice."

He grew into a top prospect in the hockey crazed province, interestingly as a scoring center. The WHL Saskatoon Blades placed the 17 year old on their protection list and he impressed in his first training camp.

Then an interesting thing happened - two veteran Blades defensemen broke their ankles. Leschyshyn was asked to try skating on defense. The rookie was not about to say no, and gave it his best try. He made the team, and two years later was the highest picked defenseman in the NHL draft

Leschyshyn kept his game simple. When asked, he described his own game as quiet.

“I have not put up huge numbers or created a stir with my play, that's for sure. But I would like to think that consistency has kept me around and I think every night you know what you will get from me. I try to work as hard as possible and lead in that regard. 'Quiet' might be a good description. "

When asked if he ever thought he would last so long in the NHL, Leschyshyn answered:

"I would be the first one to tell you I thought I would never play this many games, that is for sure. I do not think, when I first started, I put a ‘time' down for a goal. You just want to compete and obviously when you are young you want to be around for a long time but you never say 15, 20 years is what you are shooting for. You just want to play each and every game as hard as you can and be around for awhile. I think that was the attitude I had; play as hard as you can and just don't let anything slip through your fingers by being lazy or a lack of effort.”

Bryan Fogarty

2009-06-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

No one has ever been called "the next Bobby Orr." But Bryan Fogarty, who smashed Bobby Orr's junior scoring records, was definitely compared to Paul Coffey, Bobby Orr's closest offensive comparison.

Bryan's incredible junior career started with the Kingston Canadians. He was drafted 9th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1987, two years before his record setting season of 1988-89. For three seasons in Kingston Bryan showed he had all the tools to be a offensive defenseman in the NHL. But following a trade to the Niagara Falls Thunder in 1988, Bryan exploded into super-prospect status as he launched an all-out assault of Orr's legendary stats.

Bryan scored 47 goals, 108 assists for 155 points to become the first defenseman in major junior hockey history to win a scoring title. In the process, Bryan's 47 goals shattered the mark for goals in a season by a defenceman (38), set by Bobby Orr in 1965-66 and equaled by Al MacInnis in 1982-83. His 108 assists broke the record for assists in a season by a defenceman (96) set by Doug Crossman of the Ottawa 67's in 1979-80. His 155 points bettered Denis Potvins record of 123, set in 1972-73. Bryan also broke the Canadian Hockey League record for points by a defenceman (140), set by Cam Plante in 1983-84.

"I don't think you ever go in expecting a year like that," Bryan said. "I was just hoping to maybe get 20 goals and 70 assists and stay out of trouble."

That sounds simple enough, but that leads us to the other side of the Bryan Fogarty story. The story that eventually won out and ruined his career and more importantly his life.

Bryan's junior career was tainted years before his incredible season. Bryan has been battling alcohol dependency since the age of 14. Off ice suspensions and curfew violations were frequent for the 6'2" 200lb Brantford Ontario native. He was kicked off the Canadian National junior team in 1987 for heavy drinking (and never invited back). He was also convicted of impaired driving causing a vehicle accident.

Despite his off ice trouble, the Nords didn't want to pass up on perhaps the best hockey talent to come out in years. They selected Bryan ahead of names like Eric Desjardins, Joe Sakic, John Leclair and Stephane Quintal.

Bryan's off ice problems continued to haunt him in the professional ranks. He checked into a drug and alcohol rehab clinic in just his second year in the league, but that proved to be a temporary fix for Bryan. His alcoholism caused numerous headaches for every team he played for, and those teams would just shuffle the problem onto another team or minor league team. You'd hope that the team would just sit the guy down and give him the help he needs. Then again, no one can help someone who doesn't first want the help.

The Nords gave up on Bryan in 1992 after three years of showing next to nothing on the ice. The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired the defenseman in exchange for Scott Young late in the 1991-92 season but soon released him. The Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres signed him as a free agent in 1993, 1994 and 1995 respectively, but he spent most of his time bouncing around various minor league teams. Bryan jumped to Europe and lowly North American minor leagues after NHL opportunities ran out, but never really showed any signs at any professional level of being anywhere close to the player he was in junior.

Bryan scored 22 goals, 54 assists and 74 points in 156 NHL games.

In 1999 Bryan's troubles continued when he was arrested for breaking and entering into a Brantford Ontario college. He was allegedly found standing naked in a kitchen with cooking oil spilled all over the floor. He also possessed cocaine, police said.

Bryan Fogarty had it all. He likely wouldn't have been the next Bobby Orr or even Paul Coffey, but he could have been a good offensive defenseman in the NHL. He had the size, skating ability, hands and vision to be a legitimate power play quarterback. Alcoholism ruined his chances at succeeding, not just at hockey, but at life.

That life came to a tragic end on March 6th, 2002, at the age of just 32. He was found dead in a motel room in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where he was vacationing. The official cause of death was cardiac arrest thanks to an enlarged heart.

ESPN Magazine had an excellent feature of Fogarty's life and death called Wasted.

Serge Bernier

2009-06-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

It may be hard to believe, but there was a time that the Philadelphia Flyers were a team full of Smurfs. As an expansion team from 1967, the Flyers loaded up on skilled by tiny forwards such as Simon Nolet, Andre Lacroix, Jimmy Johnson, and Guy Gendron. They quickly realized that they needed size and strength in order to accomplish NHL success, and they quickly turned their focus to big, nasty men. Soon enough they became known as the Broad Street Bullies and pounded their way to two consecutive Stanley Cup championships by the mid 1970s. While the days of Bullies are gone, the Flyers have always been one of the biggest and most physical teams since then.

One of the first men they brought in to fill this size problem was Serge Bernier - a 6'1" 200lb center. It was hoped that he could come in and soak up some of the heavy checking against some of the large and rugged Eastern teams. In fact Serge was the first ever draft pick in Philadelphia Flyers history.

Serge was born in Padoue, Quebec and was happy to be placed in the AHL with the Flyers farm team in Quebec City. Bernier spent three years there before finally making the Flyers in 1970-71.

Given the desperate need to add size up the middle, Serge was given every chance to succeed that season, and he responded well with 23 goals and 51 points. However by mid season in 1971-72 it was decided that the Flyers needed to upgrade their physical play more so, and Bernier, along with Bill Lesuk and Jimmy Johnson, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Cowboy Bill Flett, Ross Lonsberry, Jean Potvin and Eddie Joyal. Serge finished the season with 23 goals and 45 points.

Serge played one more season with Los Angeles, and blossomed to the 22 goal, 46 assist, 68 point level. However Serge jumped at the chance to join the World Hockey Association at season's end. He was a free agent and his WHA rights were acquired by the Quebec Nordiques. Serge eagerly signed with his home province Nords.

Serge's best years as a professional came as a Nordique and in the WHA. He became a true scoring threat in his 6 seasons in the WHA. He was a constant 35 goal threat although once scored 43 and 54 goals. He was better known as a playmaker as his 336 assists in just 417 WHA games attests. And his 566 career WHA points ranks him tied for 4th overall in league scoring history.

Serge was the star of the Nordiques teams in the WHA, even if Jean Claude Tremblay got more attention. Of course Serge's best year came in 1976-77 when the Nordiques won the Avco Cup as WHA champions. Serge was named as the playoff MVP as he led all skaters with 14 goals, 22 assists and 36 points in 17 contests.

When the WHA folded in 1979, Serge joined the Nordiques as they merged with the NHL. However injuries took their toll on Serge, who only played two half seasons in his two year return to the NHL before retiring quietly in the summer of 1981.

Walt Poddubny

2009-04-02T14:02:00.001-07:00

I was at work all day and unable to pass this story along earlier. That's too bad, because this, as James Mirtle has already stated, really is must read material.

The Globe and Mail's Allan Maki tells us much of the story of Walt Poddubny. He never woke up on Saturday, dying at the young age of 49.

He was far from the most skilled player. He had adequate size and a good burst of speed to find open space. He had a nose for the net, too, as he exploded for 40, 38 and 38 goal seasons to close out the 1980s. Devastating knee injuries slowed him down and eventually forced him out of the game just before hockey's big money era.

It turns out Poddubny's story after the NHL is quite sad. He tried to stay in the game, partly for financial reasons but mostly because he could never deal with the game being taken away from him. But after mixed results coaching in the low minor leagues, he returned home to Thunder Bay and has been living in his sister's basement. He lost his marriage and found friendship in the form of the bottle.

His story is probably not completely uncommon, especially amongst the many players who are forgotten about not long after they have left the ice if not earlier.

Poddubny seemed to be reaching out for help, talking with the Globe and Mail columnist. The two agreed to meet in the off season and work out some sort of project. Poddubny wanted to tell his story, presumably so others would not have to go through it.

Unfortunately, Poddubny found a way to have his story heard loud and clear.

Mario Gosselin

2009-03-05T20:06:00.000-08:00

This is Mario Gosselin of Thetford Mines, Quebec.

When he broke into the NHL in 1984 it was quite the story. Back at the Sarajevo Olympic games in 1984 all of Canada's Olympic hopes rested the young goalie.

Back then Canada was forced to use true amateur hockey players against the virtual professionals from Russia and other European countries when came to major international tournaments, especially the Olympics. This was a definite sore spot with Canadians.

The acrobatic goalie ended up front and center in the amateur status debate just prior to the Olympics. Because he and teammates Mark Morrison, Don Dietrich and Dan Wood all had signed professional contracts, with Morrison and Dietrich having played some NHL games. The IIHF allowed them to play so long as they played fewer than 10 career games in the NHL.

The Finns and Americans argued against the decision, waiting until just before the Olympics to raise the controversy. The IOC reviewed the decisions and forced Canada to drop Morrison and Dietrech, as well as some Italian and Austrian players, from the Olympics.

The Americans wanted Gosselin, Canada's young goaltending star, ruled ineligible, too. He was a junior star with the Shawinigan Cataractes before committing to the old Canadian National team and the Olympic program. Because they had never played in the NHL the IOC allowed Gosselin and Wood to play in the games.

Distracted by the controversy, Canada would have a disappointing tournament, finishing out of the medals in 4th place.

Shortly after the Olympics Gosselin found himself in yet another controversy. He mouthed off about Canadian coach Dave King, Gosselin spoke out against Team Canada coach Dave King after the 1984 Olympics, saying that King had shown a bias against both goaltenders and Quebecers, going as far as to say he would advise future Quebecois hockey stars to avoid King's program.

All of this made the kid nicknamed Goose a household name in Canada, which made his NHL debut all the more fascinating. Drafted 55th overall by the Quebec Nordiques back in 1982, Gosselin joined Les Nords right after Ollympics. He looked good in his three game trial, winning two while losing none, and pitching a shutout in his very first game to boot.

The Nordiques were a strong team in the 1980s, but they could never get by their arch rivals, the Canadiens from Montreal. For all their fire power up front, the Nordiques never could find a goaltender who could lead them out of the Adams division come playoff time.

Perhaps unrealistic expectations were immediately placed upon Gosselin for his first full season. The Nordiques opted to bring him along slowly, splitting the puck stopping duties with veteran Dan Bouchard.

Over the course of the next five years Gosselin would battle for net time, never able to fully establish himself as the goalie many had hoped for. He was inconsistent, great some games but below average a week later. Take 1986 for example. He was good enough to be picked to participate in the mid-season all star game. In the same season he saw his first time in the minor leagues.

He was never able to put it together for any length of time. His play seemed to wilt with heavier work loads. It probably did not help that coach Michel Bergeron was impatient with his goaltenders and did not handle Gosselin well.

That being said, he was given the net for both the 1985 and 1987 playoffs. He led the Nordiques to 16 wins and three series victories.

One of the victories was a classic victory over Montreal. Gosselin promised victory in the series and he played well. Peter Stastny cemented the victory with an overtime goal in game 7. It would prove to be the Nordiques greatest moment in the NHL.

The team began falling on hard times by the 1980s, and players were leaving. Gosselin was one of the first to leave, signing with the Los Angeles Kings in the summer of 1989. It promised to be an exciting time in California, as Wayne Gretzky arrived the season earlier. Gosselin was probably more excited to sign with the Kings because their general manager, former goaltending great Rogie Vachon, was his boyhood idol.

Unfortunately Gosselin never found his game in LA. He won just 7 of his 26 appearances. He would soon be banished to the minor leagues.

He resurfaced with the Hartford Whalers a couple of years later, only to suffer what would prove to be a career ending back injury.

In ten NHL seasons, Goose Gosselin posted a career 91-107-14 record and a 3.74 GAA. In 32 post-season appearances Gosselin was 16-15 with a GAA of 3.27.

J. C. Tremblay

2008-05-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

Jean-Claude (J.C.) Tremblay is one of the most intelligent, two-way defenders of all time. Yet very few give him recognition as such. Tremblay's departure in 1972 to the World Hockey Association on one hand helped to establish the WHA as a true alternative to the National Hockey League, but on the other hand appears to have hurt his shot at eternal fame.

J.C. starred for years with the Montreal Canadiens. He became a regular in 1961 and played for 794 games until 1972. Tremblay was an excellent all around performer during this time, and saved his best performances for the playoffs.

He never was a true offensive force during his first 11 regular seasons. His highest offensive output was 39 points. He was tremendously responsible defensively and a great two way defenseman, often headmanning the puck to the speedy Montreal forwards, but never put up great numbers until 1970-71.

Defensively Tremblay was efficient and heady, relying on his intelligent stick to break up plays rather than bones. He never really had an obvious physical game, something that his critics pointed out regularly. But he was so smart, it did not really matter.

Tremblay established his reputation as a great in the playoffs, where he was a tremendous performer, seemingly able to turn up his game like flicking a switch. He scored 14 goals, 51 assists and 65 points in 108 games, helping the Montreal Canadiens to 5 Stanley Cup championships.

Thanks partially to injuries to Serge Savard and Jacques Laperriere, Tremblay exploded to posted career highs with 11 goals, 52 assists, and 63 points in 1970-71. The following year he scored 6 goals and 51 assists for 57 points. Tremblay had arrived as one of the best players in the league. In the eyes of the unitiated, he went from a good player to a great player.

Then in 1972-73, Tremblay, at the top of his game, jumped to the World Hockey Association. He captained the Quebec Nordiques as he led the league in assists with 75. He also added 14 goals for 89 points. Tremblay went on to be perhaps the best defenseman in the WHA's existence, as he had a career 66 goals and 358 assists for 424 points in 455 games.

Tremblay's jump to the World Hockey Association on one hand helped to establish the WHA as a true alternative to the National Hockey League and Tremblay as one of the highest skilled defenders around, but on the other hand appears to have hurt his shot at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

For years J.C. played in the NHL and didn't put up great numbers until his 11th season. Then, when he reached his prime, he left the NHL to join a league which was mostly regarded to be of lower quality than the NHL. If he had stayed in the NHL he, as it turned out, would have won 4 more Stanley Cups and be part of what many believe is the greatest team of all time (the 1976-79 Canadiens). Who knows how good the Habs defense would have been if Tremblay was added to the big three of Serge Savard, Larry Robinson, and Guy Lapointe?

So while it can be said J.C. Tremblay's jump to the WHA has hurt his chances of joining the Hockey Hall of Fame, Tremblay truly is a legend of hockey.

Ron Tugnutt

2008-03-23T13:33:00.001-07:00

March 21st, 1991. Quebec's Ron Tugnutt stopped 70 Bruins shots, including 12 in overtime, to give the Nordiques a 3-3 tie at Boston.

The Bruins' 73 shots were 10 short of the NHL record set by Boston in a 1941 game against Chicago. Ray Bourque set a NHL single game record with 19 shots himself!

Tugnutt's performance was so impressive even some of the Bruins' players skated over to congratulate him.

Here's some video highlights:

That Nordiques team was really bad. But Tugnutt was the guy you really pulled for, even if you were a fan of the opposition that night. He was a small but exciting reflex goalie, and a hard and enthusiastic worker.

Early in his career, especially in Quebec, he was a hot and cold goalie, often flopping around the net, looking either spectacular or foolish. Obviously Boston caught him on a spectacular night.

He was never really a number one goalie though. He filled that role with terrible teams in Quebec and in Columbus. With the guidance of goaltending coach Phil Myre he had some good years in Ottawa, even setting a modern single season record with a 1.79 GAA one year. But ultimately he split duties with Damian Rhodes and Patrick Lalime. Otherwise he was labeled a back up goalie when with strong teams like Edmonton (Bill Ranford), Montreal (Patrick Roy) and Dallas (Marty Turco).

Francois Lacombe

2008-03-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Francois Lacombe played in 78 NHL contests, including one full season in 1968-69, but he is best remembered for his days in the World Hockey Association.

A defensive blueliner if there ever was one, Lacombe started out as a prospect in the Montreal Canadiens system but quickly found himself traded to the Oakland Seals as a result of NHL expansion. It was a good move for Lacombe, who played the entire 1968-69 season in the NHL. As a 20 year old he stepped straight out of junior and played well, earning 2 goals and 18 points and adding one more goal in the playoffs.

Despite an okay rookie season, it was obvious that the young defenseman needed more fine tuning in the minor leagues. Perhaps the Seals rushed him along a bit too fast and he found himself in the minors the following year, with the exception of two games.

On June 10th, Lacombe was traded back to the Habs organization. He, some cash and Oakland's first round draft pick went to Montreal in exchange for Ernie Hickie and Montreal's first round pick.The key to the deal was Oakland's first round pick, as Montreal used the pick to select one of the greatest Habs ever in Guy Lafleur.

Lacombe didn't last long in his second stint in the Habs family either. On the same day as the trade, the Buffalo Sabres selected the defenseman in the Expansion draft.

Sabres' boss Punch Imlach was excited to get the young Lacombe.

"He's just a baby. He's got a long time yet. And we found out a year ago that he had ability. If he played in this league once, he can do it again," Imlach said at the time.

However Lacombe would only play four more games in the National Hockey League. He was sent back to the minor leagues for more apprenticing for the 1970-71 season and had an impressive 11 goal, 50 point season. The expansion Sabres gave Lacombe a look-see in one game. Lacombe even picked up an assist in that contest.

Despite his great season in the minors, Francois' luck changed for the worse the following year. He found himself bouncing around three different minor league teams and never got settled enough to recapture his form of the previous season.

In 1972-73, Lacombe made a homecoming of sorts. The French-speaking Montrealer signed with the World Hockey Association's Quebec Nordiques. Lacombe played 6 seasons with the WHA Nords, plus one with the WHA's Calgary Cowboys. He was never a star in the WHA, but he did play in 440 games, scoring 38 goals and 177 points. His first WHA goal was also the first goal in Quebec Nordiques history.

When the Nordiques joined the NHL in 1979-80, he returned to the NHL by appearing in 3 games. Otherwise he played what proved to be his final season with the Nords new farm team in Syracuse of the American Hockey League.

Dan Bouchard

2008-02-28T14:44:00.001-08:00

Patrick Roy's brilliance in nets, especially while with the Montreal Canadiens, established himself as the hero of a generation Quebecois goaltenders.

But did you ever wonder who served as Patrick Roy's idol?

The answer would be Dan Bouchard, a fiery goaltender out of Val d'Or, Quebec best remembered for playing with the Atlanta Flames and later the Quebec Nordiques. Interestingly Roy's first ever NHL shutout came with Bouchard playing at the other end of the ice.

From an early age Dan Bouchard wanted to be a professional hockey player, just like his father. George Bouchard played defense in the American Hockey League, most notably with the Cleveland Barons and Eddie Shore's Springfield Indians. He quit in 1960 and returned to Quebec to raise his family. George would take a job laboring at a brewery for the next 25 years.

The elder Bouchard always kept hockey close to him. In fact he died while playing a recreational game. He passed on his love of hockey to his family. Dan and brother Guy would both make it to the pros as goaltenders, although only Dan would enjoy a NHL career.

Dan first caught NHL attention as a junior. In 1968-69 he captured the Jacques Plante trophy for lowest GAA while leading the QMJHL's Sorel Black Hawks to a Memorial Cup experience. He would switch to London of the Ontario League the following year before being drafted by the Boston Bruins drafted him 27th overall in 1970.

The next two years Bouchard spent apprenticing in the minor leagues. The Bruins were deep in nets with the likes of Gerry Cheevers and Eddie Johnstone, so they allowed Bouchard proper time to hone his craft. But Bouchard was in a hurry, and set the league on its head while leading the league in wins and shutouts and leading the Boston Braves to a regular season title in 1971-72.

Bouchard would never get a chance to play in Boston. The NHL expanded and in the summer of 1972 the Atlanta Flames were quick to select the hot goalie prospect in the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft. He would go on to become synonymous with Atlanta hockey, and one of their key players.

Bouchard very well may have been the most important player in the short history of the Atlanta Flames. With his effective butterfly stance he was able to post very respectable numbers during the regular season, including a league best 32 wins in 1978-79, but the team was never able to garner any post season success. That fact probably will forever separate Dan Bouchard from the other elite goalies of his era. He holds practically every significant goaltender record in Atlanta Flames history.

Though he was and still remains a fan favorite in Atlanta, he was not always a favorite of his teammates and coaches. He was very fiery, very argumentative and admittedly too cocky. He quickly gained a reputation as a troublemaker and a poor leader. He never warmed himself to the media either, often ducking interviews. In many ways Bouchard was his own worst enemy.

Through it all, even the franchise's relocation to Calgary, Dan Bouchard remained the Flames goalie. That changed soon after the team's arrival in Alberta. He was playing less frequently and he was frustrated with what he called communication problems with the team. As the team left on a two week road trip, Bouchard was left behind and told to wait for a trade.

That wait may have been the best thing that ever happened to Dan Bouchard. Even though he was spiraling into a deep depression, he quickly found his salvation in the bible. He had always attended church as a kid, in the same way many of us did - reluctantly. But now he was actually reading the scriptures and suddenly finding inner piece.

This turn around was all rather quick in happening. Before the Flames' returned from their road trip Bouchard began practicing with a Calgary area junior team. Soon enough he found he was traded to the Quebec Nordiques.

From 1981 through 1985 Dan Bouchard was the Nords top goaltender. Again, playoff success was not to be found, and his numbers ballooned like most goalies in the high scoring 1980s. But armed with a new found inner peace, Bouchard enjoyed his time in Quebec.

The Nordiques brought in young Mario Gosselin in 1985, pushing Bouchard back to the sidelines. He would play another year in the NHL with Winnipeg before a short stint in Switzerland in 1986-87. He would retire and relocate back to Georgia.

Nowadays Dan Bouchard, along with former Bruins star Cam Neely, has invested into a credit card processing business. He also remains very active in hockey, teaching hockey to kids in Atlanta.

Paul Gillis

2008-01-19T23:07:00.000-08:00

When the Quebec Nordiques traded Dale Hunter in 1987, it was said that they traded away the heart of the franchise. The Nords were never the same without Hunter, but at the time they felt they had a capable replacement for Hunter in Paul Gillis.

Gillis was a replica of Hunter in many ways. Paul was an excellent team man, demonstrating intense work ethic and desire and natural leadership skills. Although somewhat small (5'11" and 195lbs), Gillis played a ferocious physical game. He hit everyone at every opportunity and was a good corner and boards player. A strong skater, Gillis also showed great anticipation to become a great forechecker and defensive forward. He, like Hunter, was also strong on face-offs.

Gillis had three strong seasons prior to the Hunter trade. His rookie season was 1983-84 when he chipped in 8 goals and 9 assists but the followed that up with 42, 43 and 39 point seasons playing behind the likes of Hunter and number one center Peter Stastny. The thinking was that Gillis was ready to move up into Hunter's role, and that the Nords would trade Hunter for some badly needed depth on the wings and a first round draft pick. (Hunter and goalie Clint Malarchuk were traded to Washington for wingers Gaetan Duchesne and Alan Haworth. The first round pick was used to select Joe Sakic).

However Gillis was not a true offensive player. His great anticipatory skills weren't translated into a strong offensive game and he lacked puck skills. He worked hard to get loose pucks, but once he got that loose puck, he wasn't able to create much with it. He was an opportunistic scorer, unlike Hunter who was truly gifted with the puck.

Gillis struggled to a bad season. He played in all 80 games but his scoring totals dipped to just 7 goals and 17 points. He returned to his previous form in 1988-89 when he scored 15 goals and 40 points, but to expect anything more from Gillis was unrealistic.

Paul never produced much after that season. He had 8 goals and 22 assists in 1989-90, which in itself was a small miracle. Gillis missed training camp and the beginning of the season after contracting a scary virus in the off-season. This virus was no cold or flu, but rather triggered a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. After a stint in hospital, doctors determined the case was relatively mild, although he did suffer from nerve inflammation leaving no feeling in his legs or fingers.

1990-91 proved to be Gillis' final season in the beautiful city of Quebec, as he scored just 3 goals and 13 assists. That 1990-91 season saw Gillis end the year with the Chicago Blackhawks as he was traded with Dan Vincelette for Ryan McGill and Mike McNeil.

Gillis spent most of the 1991-92 season in the minor leagues. It wasn't until a late season trade to Hartford that Gillis returned to the NHL, playing his typical spirited play as the Whalers went into the playoffs. However Gillis would play in only 21 games in 1992-93 before retiring due to injuries.

Perhaps the Nordiques expected too much of Paul Gillis when they traded away Dale Hunter. But while Gillis failed to fill Hunter's shoes offensively, in many ways he was almost a clone of the feisty leader. Gillis' true value could not be measured by simple scoring stats.

Peter Forsberg

2007-12-30T13:38:00.000-08:00

It is pretty safe to say Peter Forsberg left his stamp on the game of hockey.
Before "Foppa" came to North America and dominated the National Hockey League, he was the dominant player in his native Sweden. He was already well known to NHL fans, as he was a high draft choice, a standout at the World Junior Championships and the enticing centerpiece of the big Eric Lindros trade.

But Forsberg did not come to North America right away, preferring to play for Modo and the Swedish national team for 3 years. He was particularly interested in playing in the 1994 Winter Olympic games in Lillehammer, Norway, as at that time the NHL did not release their players to participate in the Olympics. Forsberg did not want to miss what at the time looked like his only chance at Olympic competition.

And what an Olympic competition it was. Sweden defeated Canada in a classic gold medal game that ended in a thrilling sudden death shootout. Peter Forsberg scored one of the most magnificent goals in the history of the sport for a thrilling ending, giving Sweden its first ever Olympic gold medal in hockey.

Posten AB, the Swedish postal service, decided to use the overhead image of Forsberg's goal to create a stamp to help launch the 1995 IIHF World Championships being held in Sweden. The stamp, pictured above, remains popular amongst hockey collectors all around the world.

With Olympic gold, World Championship gold and silver, and two Golden Puck awards (top player in Sweden's Elite League), the man regarded as the best player outside of the NHL decided it was time to begin his career in North America. The Quebec Nordiques, who patiently waited on their star prize, welcomed him with open arms.

Forsberg did not disappoint, recording 15 goals and 50 points in 47 games in the lockout shortened season. Forsberg cemented Nordiques' rising status as a Stanley Cup contender, but unfortunately for Quebec fans the franchise would relocate to Colorado in the 1995-96 season.

Making things even worse for those long suffering Nords' supporters was the fact that the newly minted Avalanche would win the Stanley Cup just one year after leaving Quebec City. Forsberg led the way with 116 points in the regular season and another 21 in the playoffs.

That would be Forsberg's greatest statistical season. When mostly healthy he became a regular 90+ point guy, but health was not a friend to Mr. Forsberg. Few players paid the physical price that Forsberg has. His thick doctor's file includes a ruptured spleen, serious groin and abdomen pulls, a bad shoulder, and nagging ankle surgeries that over time made it basically impossible for him to skate.

Despite playing in pain for most of a decade Forsberg never backed down as hockey's ultimate warrior. Though his body took a nightly beating, Forsberg played a fearless, power game in the relentless era of clutching and grabbing. As Andrew Podnieks wrote in The Hockey News book "The Top 60 Since 1967," "Forsberg is a man of the highest skills and standards, a player whose body could be bruised, but never his heart."

Many consider Forsberg's 2002-03 season as his best. He led the league in scoring with 106 points, capturing the Art Ross trophy. More impressively, he was named as the League's MVP, capturing the game's biggest individual regular season honour, the Hart Trophy.

I actually consider the previous season as Forsberg's most impressive, not that he played in any games in 2001-02. He sat out the entire year recovering from the ankle problems, and returned just in time for the playoffs. Though the Avalanche would bow out in the Western Conference Finals to their arch rivals the Detroit Red Wings, Peter Forsberg led the entire NHL in playoff scoring that year, despite missing the entire regular season!

Peter Forsberg was an amazing player. Despite constant pain in every stride, he was an explosive skater with excellent vision. He was a playmaker more than a goal scorer, and he relished the physical battles. There was definitely some of Gordie Howe's magic in this Super Swede. He is proud and fierce, sometimes a little bit cocky, with a mean streak necessary to survive the NHL battles. He was also a great playoff warrior.

Had injuries not taken their toll on his body, Forsberg would probably have been considered as the undeniable top player in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Even with the injuries, many people believe he was. Those people would not be wrong.

The NHL's salary cap era pretty much forced Forsberg and the Avalanche to part ways in 2005. Forsberg moved to Philadelphia, but the injuries decimated any chance of success for him there. He would also briefly play for the Nashville Predators.

Forsberg did have one last moment of greatness left in him in 2006. He helped Team Sweden capture the gold medal at the 2006 Olympic games in Torino, Italy. It was a fitting final moment for one of hockey's greatest champions.

Although not officially retired yet as he hopes to get his ankle problems sorted out, it appears that Forsberg's NHL career is over.

He finishes playing in just 697 games, scoring 248 goals, 623 assists and 871 points. In 144 playoff contests, Forsberg dominated with 63 goals, 103 assists for 166 points.

Normand Rochefort

2007-10-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Hockey fans love statistics. But do statistics tell the story of just how good a player was?

If you knew nothing of Normand Rochefort and looked at his career statistics, you'd assume he was a defensive #5 or #6 d-man. You'd see very few points and not a whole lot of penalty minutes. You'd notice he missed a lot of games and finished his career in the minor leagues.

The stats don't give Normand Rochefort his due.

Rochefort was one of the top defensemen in the National Hockey League for a time during the mid 1980s. Don't believe it? Well he played in the 1987 Rendez Vous tournament against the Soviet Union, and later that year was a nice part of Team Canada in the 1987 Canada Cup.

Rochefort was a bone crunching bodychecker. Though he took few penalties, he was one of the most feared physical players of his time. He loved to rattle a player along the boards and at times would go out of his way for an open ice hit. He was also a menace in front of his own net, punishing any opposition forward who dared to enter the slot. He was also a premier shot blocker.

Playing such a physical style can be tough on a guy's body - no one knows that more than Rochefort. However Rochefort just absolutely loves to play, which is why he came back from repeated severe injuries and why he continued to play in the minors for years after his NHL days were done. Rochefort, who wasn't the fleetest skater to start with, had several major surgeries on his knees, including reconstructive surgery in 1988-89.

Though his skating wasn't impressive, his puck skills were. He rarely jumped up into an offensive attack, but he had this knack of always clearing his zone with a perfect pass to a breaking forward.

Normand, a nephew of former NHLer Leon Rochefort, was the 24th overall choice by Quebec in the 1980 Entry Draft. For the French speaking Rochefort it was quite a thrill to be picked by the Nords. Rochefort would go on to play 8 seasons with the Nordiques as a standout defenseman.

As mentioned earlier, Rochefort began getting acclaim for his fine play by 1987 when he played in the Rendez Vous and the Canada Cup tournaments. Playing in Quebec was like playing in Hawaii - no one really knew about the players. Even greats like Michel Goulet and Peter Stastny were under-appreciated. Rochefort's inclusion in the two prestigious tournaments was a surprise to many who knew little of him until that time. Rochefort played in 1 of the two Rendez Vous games and played in 9 Canada Cup games, even scoring 1 goal and 2 assists in addition to his stellar player. He didn't look out of place playing amongst the world's best.

However by the 1987-88 season his knee troubles were causing serious problems for him. He was able to play in just 46 games after becoming a well known commodity after the Canada Cup tournament. At the same time he was having differences with the Nordiques management, and asked to be traded. The Nordiques granted Normand his wish when he and Jason Lafreniere were traded to the New York Rangers for Bruce Bell, Jari Gronstrand, Walt Poddubny and a draft pick.

Rochefort's knee allowed him to play in 11 games at the beginning of the 1988-89 before he had to undergo complete reconstructive knee surgery on his right knee. The operation kept him out of action for the rest of that season and the first 50 or so games of the next. He ended up coming back to play in 31 games in 1989-90. Rochefort's injury woes would continue to plague him. He only played in 44 games in 1990-91 and 26 games in 1991-92. It was obviously a very frustrating time for both Normand and the Rangers.

The Rangers didn't offer the injury plagued blueliner a contract at the end of the 1992 season. In fact no team did, and he ended up playing that year in Germany. The Tampa Bay Lightning gave Rochefort his invitation back to the NHL but it was short lived. He only played in 6 games with the Bolts, and spent most of an injury free season in the minors.

Normand Rochefort loved to play the game. And he only knew how to play one way - full out. However his fragile body wouldn't allow him to thrive at the style. However Rochefort came back from several rehab stints because he loved the game so much.

After his NHL days were done he continued to play in the IHL. Rochefort enjoyed some relatively injury free seasons while in the minors. Well many scoff at long time ex-NHLers who extend their career by playing in the minors, Rochefort could care less. He just loved to play hockey, no matter what the level.

Dale Hunter

2007-10-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

Some people called Dale Hunter the NHL's ultimate warrior. Others considered the loathsome character to be hockey's most hated villain since Bobby Clarke. Love him or hate him, you have to admit he was a vitally integral player.

Hunter retired as the first and only man in NHL history to collect 300 goals, 1,000 points and 3,000 penalty minutes. But while he was a superior defensive player, face-off specialist and offensive sparkplug, it was Hunter's mean-spirited, sometimes dirty play that summed up Hunter best. He was the ultimate team player and leader; a player who played with every last ounce of heart and soul he had; a player who would and did just about anything to win.

The NHL's Lord of Darkness wreaked havoc at any given opportunity.

"I assumed he picked his spots to play the way he does because nobody can play that way all the time," goalie Bill Ranford, both an opponent and teammate, said. "Then I found out he plays that way every game, every rink, against everybody."

In a career of wrong-doings, one incident sticks out more than any other. A frustrated Hunter blindsided NY Islanders captain Pierre Turgeon several moments after Turgeon scored a decisive goal that all but eliminated Hunter's Capitals from the playoffs. The attack came a good 5-7 seconds after the goal as Turgeon was celebrating the goal. Hunter was suspended for the first 21 games, exactly 1/4 of the schedule, in the following season. With fines and lost salary, Hunter lost $150,000.

"Some wondered whether the new NHL commissioner Gary Bettman singled me out to send everyone a message, but to me, that's just part of hockey," said Hunter almost unapologetically.

Dale was the middle brother of 3 brothers who all played in the NHL. Older brother Dave was a third line grinder with the great Edmonton Oilers teams, while younger brother Mark was a solid player for a long time span as well.

"Having older brothers who play Junior A (oldest brother Ron played Jr A but not pro) and professional hockey before I did made my progression easier. Dave let Mark and me know what to expect. His most helpful advice was 'Be noticed.' To make a team, you have to do something to draw attention to yourself," remembers Dale.

Dale took that advice to heart, and it helped to mold his career.

"I'm a smaller guy, so I've always needed to play the same energetic and aggressive style to show that I can compete against the bigger players. Unless he's super talented, a small man doesn't play in the NHL. I remembered Dave's advice and I guess I racked up a few penalty minutes as a result. I almost went out of my way to knock heads with the toughest guys on the other teams just to prove that I wasn't afraid to play in the league. I got beat up quite a few times, too many to count!"

Dale was selected 41st overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1979. A year later he was knocking heads in the NHL. In his rookie season he gained instant respect for his all out play that earned him 226 PIM. But he also added 19 goals and 44 assists for 63 very respectable points.

That first year Dale met another NHL classic villain in Moose Dupont, who was finishing his NHL career with the Nords. Moose left a lasting impression on Hunter.

"Moose Dupont was captain of the Nordiques when I first broke in. He helped me a lot. He had been one of the main guys from the Cup winning Philadelphia Flyers and brought his love of the game to the rink every day. He laughed, had fun, and played hard. He didn't let it get to him if things didn't go the way he wanted. I loved his attitude."

With the emergence of Hunter, high scoring Frenchmen Michel Goulet and the three Stastny brother, the Nordiques became one of the league's more exciting teams. Goulet was a terrific goal scorer, scoring 50 goals several times. Many think that Goulet was Stastny's left winger, but more often than not it was Hunter to who centered the Hall of Fame left winger. (Stastny and Goulet were a dynamic power play combination however). That in itself speaks volumes of Hunter's finesse game. A fine passer with superior vision of the ice and a great understanding of the game, Hunter's only finesse-game weakness was his skating. A choppy stride gave him only acceptable speed in his prime and hindered somewhat in his latter years, but he always found a way of getting the job done.

The Nords were unfortunate not to have better playoff luck. For much of the early 1980s they were a high scoring team that seemed to lack an elite goalie and dominant defenseman to get them over the hump. While Stastny and Goulet got much of the credit due to their incredible scoring exploits, it was Hunter who was considered to be the team's heart and soul. When the retooling Nords traded Hunter in 1987, it was said that the franchise was never the same. They missed the playoffs for the next 5 years and eventually Quebec City even lost the team to Denver, Colorado.

Hunter was traded to the Washington Capitals on June 13, 1987. With Clint Malarchuk also going to the US capital, the Nords got Gaetan Duchesne and Alan Haworth in return. The traded wasn't all bad from a Nords standpoint though as they also got Washington's first round pick which was used to select Joe Sakic.

Hunter quickly became the heart and soul of the Capitals, and later was officially named as the team's captain. He helped the team to become a strong team during his tenure. However playoff success, much like in Quebec, was hard to come by as the Caps ran into the might Pittsburgh Penguins in the early 1990s. Late in the decade, 1998 to be exact, the Caps made a surprise Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup finals. It marked the first time in 18 years that Hunter had made it to the finals, but the clock struck 12 on the Caps as the Detroit Red Wings won their 2nd straight Cup.

Much speculation in the media suggested Hunter would retire that summer, but he came back for one more chance at the Cup. However the Caps had a injury plagued season and were destined to miss the playoffs by the time of the trading deadline. It was at that point that the classy Caps organization traded Hunter to the Colorado Avalanche in an attempt to give him one last shot at the Cup.

It was ironic that Hunter was traded to Avs of all teams. For so many years he poured so much sweat and heart into that franchise. The Avs of course were previously known as the Quebec Nordiques.

Despite a Colorado upset over defending champs Detroit, Colorado was unable to get past the eventual champion Dallas Stars. Hunter had to decide if he wanted to come back again to try to get that elusive Cup, but he opted not to.

"It's a tough thing to retire, but the body's not as good as it used to be," Hunter said during his retirement speech

Hunter finished with 323 goals and 1,020 points in 1,407 games in his career. He ranked second all-time with 3,565 regular-season penalty minutes, trailing only Dave "Tiger" Williams. Hunter tops the all-time list for post-season penalty minutes with 729 in 186 games.

Michel Goulet

2007-10-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Michel Goulet was probably the most consistently high scoring left winger in the National Hockey League throughout the entire 1980s. The native of Peribonka, Quebec did this under the intense pressure of the hometown Quebecois fans, as most of his career was spent with the Quebec Nordiques.

Goulet became a household name in Quebec's capital city before he even became a member of the Nordiques. He was a high scoring junior player with the Quebec Remparts. In just his second year in junior, his first full season, he led his team with 73 goals and 135 points in 72 games.

Despite his incredible junior success in such a short time, Michel elected to skip his final two seasons of junior eligibility and join the World Hockey Association's Birmingham Bulls despite not being able to speak any English. Goulet scored 28 goals in his only season with the "Baby Bulls." Goulet credits Birmingham coach John Brophy for teaching him the defensive aspects of hockey, something he, like many others, rarely paid attention to in the Quebec Junior League. Goulet would develop into a reliable two way performer at hockey's highest level.

The 1979 NHL Entry draft is considered to be the strongest draft class in NHL history. Michel was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in the first round, 19th overall. Others in that draft class include Mike Gartner, Ray Bourque, Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson.

In hindsight, Goulet's selection of 19th overall seems a little low, but Goulet took measures to make sure only Quebec could draft him. Agent Guy Bertrand went to court after the 1978-79 season and won an order that said he could not be forced to enter the NHL from the WHA unless his contract was first offered to Quebec Nordiqus, as stated in Goulet's contract. All other teams shied away from drafting Goulet due to this court order.

Though known as a goal scorer, Michel started out slowly in the NHL. He concentrated on improving his defense and doing small things to help his team win. He would quickly blossom into one of the league's brightest shooters.

In 1982-83 he scored what proved to be a career high 57 goals while adding 48 assists. The following season he scored 56 goals and a career high 121 points. He would continue his string of consistency for the rest of the decade, scoring 55, 53, 49 and 48 goals in the following seasons.

Many automatically credit Quebec's other superstar Peter Stastny with helping Goulet achieve such lofty totals, but Michel is quick to point out that his regular center for 7 season was Dale Hunter. Stastny and Goulet did team up on specialty teams play, of course.

One would have to wonder how good Michel Goulet would have been playing a full season on Wayne Gretzky's left wing. Gretzky never had a regular left winger until the arrival of Esa Tikkanen, but in Canada Cup tournaments Goulet was often Wayne's left side partner. He played on a line in the 1984 Canada Cup with Gretzky and Rick Middleton. In 1987 Goulet is often the forgotten man on Team Canada's top line of Goulet-Gretzky-Mario Lemieux. Goulet provided offense but was more or less the defensive safety valve as well.

The Quebec Nordiques fell on tough times by the early 1990s. That combined with off season knee surgery saw the Nords trade away their French-Canadian hero to Chicago where Goulet teamed up with Jeremy Roenick and Steve Larmer to guide the Hawks to the 1992 Stanley Cup finals, only to come up short against Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Goulet proved to be a consistent 25-30 goal scorer and team leader with the Hawks. But on March 16th, 1994 he suffered one of hockey's most horrific injuries. Goulet slid into the end boards head first after losing his footing while at a fast pace. He needed to be carried off the ice fully stabilized in a stretcher as he had suffered a severe concussion and head trauma. He would never play again.

Michel Goulet continues to be active in the NHL. He works with his old organization, only now in a new city. He is the director of player personnel for the former Quebec Nordiques, now the Colorado Avalanche.

Michel officially announced his retirement on January 26, 1995, after scoring 548 goals and 1,152 points. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998 along with another Quebec Nordique great - Peter Stastny.

Gaetan Duchesne

2007-10-24T22:04:00.001-07:00

"Outstanding."

That's how coach Bryan Murray described Gaetan Duchesne in just his second season in the National Hockey League. However that label could have been applied to anyone of Duchesne's 14 NHL seasons.

His first season was 1981-82. It was a difficult one for the French speaking kid just out of junior hockey. Not only did he have to adapt to the massive differences between juniors and the NHL, but he had to learn a new language while in another country. Duchesne handled it like a professional though, and got better and better as the season went on.

By year two he was one of the top players in the league in his role - defensive forward. He often teamed Duchesne with fellow defensive stalwarts Doug Jarvis and Bobby Gould to form one of the most effective checking units in hockey.

"I like to play Gaetan against the opposition's best right winger" continued coach Murray. There sure were a lot of good right wingers in the early 1980s too - Bossy, Lafleur, Kurri, Mullen.....

"I can see an almost game-to-game improvement in his play. Experience will only help him. He has certainly yet to reach his peak." Murray continued of the Rejean Houle-clone.

Murray seemed not too concerned about "Gator's" lack of offensive contributions.

"He'll always be an adequate scorer, but never a big scorer. He is a hard working responsible defensive player. I realize there is a tendency for him not to get much credit because he doesn't score. Over the years though, as he gets more experience, he'll get the recognition he deserves."

Murray proved to be right. Duchesne ended up playing in over 1000 NHL games and was highly regarded throughout hockey circles. He was always popular with his teammates, who definitely appreciated his contributions if no one else did.

Duchesne was a long shot to make the NHL, as he wasn't selected until 152nd overall in the 1981 entry draft. However he surprised many by making the immediate jump to the NHL. He ended up playing 6 seasons in the American capital before he was a key ingredient heading to Quebec in the famous Dale Hunter trade.

Despite being highly regarded in his native Quebec because of his tireless work, his stay in Quebec was disappointingly short. After just two seasons he was moved to Minnesota for a low draft pick prior to the 1989 season. It was one of the worst trades in Nords history. Coming off of his worst offensive season since his rookie year, the Nords felt Duke was near the end of his career, and peddled him away. It was a steal for Minnesota, as Duke was a big part of the Stars magical Stanley Cup charge in 1991.

Duchesne stayed with the Stars until expansion took him to San Jose. He spent two years there before re-uniting briefly with Bryan Murray in Florida to finish his career.

After retiring Duchesne returned to Quebec City. First he tried his hand at coaching, with both the Quebec Rafales of the IHL and the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. More recently he and his brother began an architectural supply business in the provincial capital.

Real Cloutier

2007-10-24T22:03:00.001-07:00

On June 8, 1983, Buffalo Sabres fans were ecstatic to learn of a blockbuster trade that landed one of the most electrifying and successful goal scorers in a Sabres uniform.

Scotty Bowman engineered one of his biggest trades as manager of the Sabres when he sent Tony McKegney, Andre Savard, Jean Sauve and a third round draft pick to the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for Real "Buddy" Cloutier and a 1st round draft pick in 1983 which was used to select big Adam Creighton.

Cloutier was the key to the deal. Real was one of the greatest players in Quebec Nordiques history (dating back to the days of the World Hockey Association. He had scored 405 goals in nine years of major league hockey - all with the Nordiques. His goal scoring output averaged 45 goals a year by the time he joined Buffalo, and his resume included 56, 60, 66 and 75 goal seasons!

Much was expected of Buddy when he joined the Sabres who of course already boasted the great Gilbert Perreault.

A new "French Connection" was never successful in Buffalo however. Cloutier only played 1 full season in Buffalo. He scored a respectable 24 goals and 60 points in 77 games in 1983-84, but only played in 4 contests in 1984-85. The rest of the year he was riding the busses in the minor leagues. Age and nagging injury problems slowed down the native of St. Emile, Quebec, as did his habit of hard partying and drinking, which was a major reason for his departure from Quebec in the first place.

It was a quiet end to an otherwise incredible career which started with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Real succeeded the legendary Guy Lafleur and, while challenging his scoring records, led the Remparts to two consecutive Memorial Cup appearances.

Cloutier and Lafleur would be compared throughout their brilliant careers. Lafleur of course went on to become the National Hockey League's most explosive player in the mid to late 1970s. Real also starred in Quebec, but in the rebel league, and put up equally mind-boggling goal scoring totals. Many argued that Cloutier was every bit as explosive and good as The Flower. Looking at Cloutier's statistics makes it hard to argue that. Lafleur - a three time NHL scoring king with 6 consecutive 50 goal seasons including a career high 60 in 1977-78 - never quite had as fine a statistical season as Cloutier, although many dismiss Cloutier's stats since they were in the loosey-goosey, less-defensive WHA.

Lafleur and Cloutier finally had a chance to go head to head when the WHA folded in 1979 and its remaining teams including the Quebec Nordiques merged with the NHL. Lafleur had a monstrous year scoring 50 goals and 125 points while Buddy put up a very respectable 42 goals and 89 points on a weak squad.

Real struggled through a broken ankle that shortened his 1980-81, playing in just 34 games. However he came back in 1981-82 and scored 37 goals and 97 points in just 67 games. He followed that up with an inconsistent 67 point season in 1982-83. However the Nords grew tired of his drinking problem and off-ice partying, and sent him packing to Buffalo.

Tony McKegney

2007-10-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tony McKegney

In the summer of 1978, one of hockey's finest young prospects was Tony McKegney. Yet he was being overlooked at the NHL draft table that summer because it was assumed that he signed with the World Hockey Association's Birmingham Bulls.

At the last minute, the deal between Birmingham and McKegney fell through for political reasons. You see McKegney was black and that wouldn't go over very well in Alabama according to some. The Bull's hockey management team wanted McKegney's size and a laser-like shot, as did team owner John Bassett. However some of Bassett's supporters convinced the owner that having a black hockey player in Birmingham was a bad idea. A disappointed Bassett reluctantly agreed and shied away from McKegney

Word about McKegney's availability was slow to reach NHL circles. It wasn't until McKegney's agent Alan Eagleson started spreading the word in the second round of the NHL entry draft. The Buffalo Sabres eagerly snapped up the left winger. Tony was considered to be a definite first round pick, perhaps even a top 10 selection, if he wasn't tied up by the WHA. Needless to say the Sabres were more than happy to grab him with the 32nd selection.

McKegney was obviously disappointed by the circumstances involved in the Birmingham experience. He was later quoted as saying "All I want to do is be a good player in the NHL, and show those Birmingham people how wrong they were."

If that was McKegney's driving ambition as a hockey player, then he sure accomplished his goal. He went on to enjoy 13 years in the National Hockey League, scoring 320 goals and over 600 points in 912 career games.

In the process he became the first black hockey star. Willie O'Ree broke hockey's color barrier and was a star in the minor leagues for years, but not at the NHL level. It wasn't until McKegney's arrival that the NHL saw its first black scoring star. At approximately the same time, black goalie Grant Fuhr was performing heroics by establishing himself as the best puckstopper in the world.

After a spectacular junior career with the Kingston Canadiens, McKegney enjoyed 5 years in Buffalo. After an 8 goal rookie season he stepped up his production to 23 goals and then 37. He slipped in 1981-82 when he fell back to 23, but rebounded to 36 goals in 1982-83, his final year in Buffalo.

The off season saw McKegney be a part of a major trade with the Quebec Nordiques. Quebec traded troubled Real "Buddy" Cloutier and a first round draft pick (Adam Creighton) for McKegney, French center Andre Savard, Jean Sauve and a third round draft pick (Iiro Jarvi).

McKegney only lasted 1 and 1/2 seasons in Quebec, as he struggled for ice time behind prolific left wing scorers Michel Goulet and Anton Stastny. Despite being a third stringer, he did put up respectable numbers, including 36 goals in a total of 105 games.

Tony was sent to Minnesota in December of 1984 and he finished the year strongly in Minnesota, picking up nearly a point a game in 27 contests. He followed that up with a terrific playoff, scoring 8 goals and 14 points in 9 games. However he followed that up with perhaps his most disappointing NHL season in 1985-86. He tallied only 15 goals and 40 points.

Tony started the 1986-87 season with the North Stars, but 11 games into the season he was traded to the New York Rangers. He recaptured his consistent 30 goal form, notching 29 as a Ranger for 31 total.

Tony's stay on Broadway was short, as he was sent to St. Louis in 1987-88 and had his best NHL season. He scored a career high 40 goals, 38 assists and 78 points. An aging McKegney slipped to 25 goals and 42 points in 1988-89.

Tony slowed down after that season, never reaching the 20 goal level again. He had very brief stops in Detroit (14 games) and Chicago (9 games) as well as parts of two seasons in a second tour of duty with the Nordiques.

Tony left the NHL at the completion of 1991. He spent one year in Italy before returning to North America to play for the San Diego Gulls of the IHL in 1992-93.

Tony was a big left winger, who was effective at the physical game though not an overly physical player by nature. His strong legs gave him good up and down skating ability with good acceleration, but lacked great agility to outclass some of the better NHL defensemen. He was very effective in front of the net where his good balance made him nearly immovable. Many of his goals came from tipping in point shots or banging at loose pucks in the crease. Tony's best physical asset was his excellent shot which he was always able to get away with uncanny quickness.

So why did Tony travel so much? He was a consistent 25-30 goals scorer who every once in a while would break out to the next level, like he did in 1980-81, 1982-83, the latter half of 1984-85 and most especially in 1987-88. But his problem was he had a reputation of having two good years but then having a stinker. As this reputation spread and, rightly or wrongly, was accepted, he became a rent a player who was acquired to hit a home run, but if he didn't hit it quickly, he would be traded away.

An interesting side note about Tony McKegney: His brother Ian also played in the National Hockey League, appearing in three games with the Chicago Blackhawks back in 1976-77. The defenseman however was not black, but white. Tony was adopted by the McKegney family as an infant.

Wilf Paiement

2007-10-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

Wilf Paiement was a big, aggressive, at times cocky right winger. He had a good level of skill to go with that grit, although more often than not was playing on weak teams.

Born in Earlton, Ontario, Wilf was the youngest of 16 children! He followed his brother Rosaire's footsteps and pursued hockey. Most will agree that Wilf was better than Rosie in NHL comparisons.

Wilf had a standout final year of junior with the St. Catherines Blackhawks of the OHA in 1973-74 when he scored 50 goals and 73 assists for 123 points in 70 games. The big right winger with good skating ability also racked up 134 PIM. His combination of scoring prowess and physical play had NHL scouts drooling.

The Kansas City Scouts selected Paiement 2nd overall in the 1974 Entry Draft. It was the first draft for two new teams in the NHL that year, as the Washington Capitals selected Regina defenseman Greg Joly first overall. As Paiement was the original draft choice of the scouts, he is often considered to be the original Kansas City Scout.

The Scouts were of course dreadful in their first two years in the NHL, but Paiement stepped in and was one of the few bright spots. In his rookie season he scored 26 goals and 39 points along with 101 PIM in 78 games. In year two Paiement took his game up a notch despite an injury shortened season. In just 57 games Paiement scored 21 goals and 43 points.

The Scouts franchised relocated to Denver in 1976-77 and became known as the Colorado Rockies. The franchise didn't experience much more success in the Mile High City. But Paiement must have liked the thinner air in Denver as in his first year there notched a career high 41 goals, including 9 on the powerplay. He added 40 assists to lead the Rockies in scoring.

Although the Rockies didn't make the playoffs that first year, Paiement did have a post season to remember. He elected to play with Team Canada in the World Championships for the first time of three years in a row. He had great personal success in all three tournaments but was especially strong in 1977 when he scored 5 goals and 10 points in 10 games and was named the co-winner of the Best Forward award with a budding Soviet superstar named Sergei Makarov.

Paiement dipped to 31 goals in 1977-78 but increased his overall scoring to 87 points with 56 assists. More importantly, for the first time in franchise history, the team made the playoffs. Unfortunately they were quickly disposed of in just 2 games in round 1.

1978-79 proved to be an extremely controversial season for Paiement. In 65 contests he mustered 24 goals and 36 points. But the interesting part of his season was the reason why he missed 15 games. Hewas suspended for 15 games after a sickening attack on Detroit Red Wing Dennis Polonich. In a game on October 25, 1978, Paiement lost his temper and swung his stick across Polonich's face, breaking his nose and causing a bloody cut which took too many painful stitches to count. While the incident and suspension were brutal enough, the story took a different twist when Polonich sued Paiement in civil court. The judge ruled in favor of Polonich and ordered Paiement to pay $850,000 in damages! Fortunately for Wilf and his family, the award was covered by standard insurance in his NHL contract.

His production continued to slip into the 1979-80 season as he had just 10 goals and 26 points at the halfway point of the season. He was traded at the midway point with versatile Pat Hickey to Toronto in exchange for popular Lanny McDonald and a young Joel Quenneville. Wearing number 99 (Rick Dudley also switched to 99 upon Wayne Gretzky's arrival and subsequent popularizing of that number), Paiement finished the year strongly. He had 20 goals and 48 points in the final 41 games of the season to give him 30 goals and 74 points between the two teams. However it was 1980-81 that Paiement enjoyed his finest NHL season. He played in 77 games and scored 40 goals and career high 57 assists and 97 points.

Paiement had a disappointing follow up season in 1981-82. In 68 games with the Leafs he had 40 assists but just 18 goals and was playing weak defensively. He was traded to the Quebec Nordiques at the trading deadline in exchange for Mirko Frycer. Paiement had a strong finish playing with Peter Stastny, most likely the best center he ever had. Wilf finished the final 8 games in a Nords uniform with 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points. He carried that fine play into the playoffs for his first taste of playoff success - scoring 6 goals and 12 points in 14 games.

Wilf enjoyed almost a full 4 years in Quebec, his longest stay in any one city. He however was never really able to live up to his promise shown in his late season stint in 1982, or his previous form from the year earlier. He had respectable totals of 26 goals and 64 points in 1982-83 followed by a good 1983-84 season - 39 goals and 76 points. He followed that up with declining numbers the next two years - 23 goals and 51 points in 1984-85 and just 7 goals and 19 points in 44 games in 1985-86 before the Nords traded him to the New York Rangers.

In usual form, Paiement enjoyed a good spurt of success in his early days in the new city. With the Rangers he finished the 1985-86 season with 1 goal and 7 points in 8 games before adding 5 goals and 10 points in 16 post season games.

The Rangers exposed Wilf on the waiver wire prior to the 1986-87 season and he was snatched up by the Buffalo Sabres. He had a decent season in Buffalo that year, scoring 20 goals and 37 points in just 56 games.

However he was not offered a contract at the end of the year and signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Wilf had a bad stint in Pittsburgh, scoring just twice in 23 games. He finished his career playing in the minors with the Pens farm team and then retired in 1988.

Paiement, who scored the 100,000th goal in NHL history in the early 1980s, enjoyed a very good career. He fell just shy of 1000 games and posted 356 career goals along with 458 assists for 814 points. He was no softy either, earning 1757 penalty minutes.

Special thanks to Patrick Houda