Walt Poddubny

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.

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Mario Gosselin

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.

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J. C. Tremblay

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.

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Ron Tugnutt

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).

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Francois Lacombe

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.

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Dan Bouchard

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.

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Paul Gillis

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.

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Peter Forsberg

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.

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Normand Rochefort

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.

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Dale Hunter

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.

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Michel Goulet

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.

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Gaetan Duchesne

"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.

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Real Cloutier

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.

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Tony McKegney

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.

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Wilf Paiement

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

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