All Time Oilers Part 6 (93-94 through 95-96)

[30ranfordfan]

All Time Oilers Part 6 (93-94 through 95-96)


If you have not seen my prior posts in this series, the scope of my collection is all time Oilers.


I collect a Rookie Card, Autograph, Game Used, and "Pictured as an Oiler" card from anyone to have ever played with the Oilers. Players are added to the collection for the season in which they made their Oilers debut.


I will swap in minor league cards, when no NHL RC is available. While I prefer pack-pulled Autographs, I chase IP / TTM type signatures for those players that never had one. Game Used is limited (of course) as not every player gets one. If the player had a card showing them as an Oiler I'll get one of those too, but that doesn't happen for many.


If you'd like to review the first five parts, you can do so here:


Part 5 (90-91 through 92-93): https://www.sportscardforum.com/thre...through-92-93)
Part 4 (87-88 through 89-90): https://www.sportscardforum.com/thre...90)?p=14874736
Part 3 (83-84 through 86-87): https://www.sportscardforum.com/thre...hrough-1986-87
Part 2 (80-81 through 85-86): https://www.sportscardforum.com/thre...hrough-1982-83
Part 1 (79-80): https://www.sportscardforum.com/thre...lection-Part-1




This was certainly not a great period in Oilers' team history. The 92-93 season, which was mentioned in my last thread, was the first in club history where the Oilers missed the playoffs.


The Oilers' track record had been great up until this point. Playoffs in their first 13 NHL seasons, which included 5 Stanley Cups, one loss in the finals, and two losses in the Conference finals. That's 8+ Playoff wins in 8 out of 13 seasons. In 13 years... they had only been eliminated in the 1st round of the playoffs three times.


They also made the WHA playoffs in each of the final four WHA seasons (including a trip to the finals in 1979). Fans in Edmonton were NOT used to bad teams. It had been nearly 20 years since they had a team out of the playoff picture.


Part 5 of my Oilers' S&Ts, showed the early 90s - And you can see the talent leaving, being downgraded. Superstars are replaced with Stars. Stars are replaced with Picks, Prospects, and Journeymen. Most of the picks & prospects don't pan out.


1992-93 (last thread) through 1995-96 (the three years in this thread) marked four years of bad Oilers teams. You can see that in some of the players that made their debuts, but you can also see some of the names that came along... and the teams' slow rebuild towards the really good teams it had by the late 90s.


The first player shown, actually represents a break through for the Oilers. A first round pick that wasn`t a bust. It had been a decade since that happened. The Oilers had an incredible draft run from 1979 through 1981. The Oilers 1st round picks from 1982 & onward are pretty dismal. Jeff Beukeboom in 1983 was the only other one from the 80s to even log 100 games with the Oilers. Francois Leroux in 1988 was the only other one from the 80s to log more than 21 NHL games.


The 90s didn't start out much better for drafting. The Oilers' 1990 draft class is among the worst by any team ever. The 11 players they drafted have combined to play as many NHL games as I have. They actually picked up a couple of decent NHLers in the 1991 first round (Tyler Wright, Martin Rucinsky) but they were decent NHLers after they left Edmonton. 1992's 1st rounder, Joe Hulbig, and his 55 NHL career games: He's actually the 5th most successful Oilers 1st round pick since Grant Fuhr.








1993-94





Jason Arnott


Jason Arnott was easily the Oilers best draft pick in ten years. They took him with the 7th overall selection in 1993. The `93 draft has always been considered to be a very deeep one. Arnott leads all players taken in 1993 with 1244 career games. His 938 career points are 2nd in the class, behind Paul Karyia.


Arnott made the Oilers right out of junior, which was a pretty rare thing at the time. He`d put up 68 points as a rookie with Edmonton, in 78 games. He was the runner-up in voting for Rookie of the Year, losing to New Jersey`s Martin Brodeur.


Arnott spent just 4 & a half seasons with Edmonton. He logged 286 games, and 239 points, before he was traded mid-way through the 97-98 season. He was sent to New Jersey, along with Bryan Muir, for Bill Guerin & Valeri Zelepukin.


Arnott`s time as a power-forward & centre continued in New Jersey. The 1999-00 saw Arnott centring the Devils top line, where he skated between Patrik Elias & Petr Sykora. He helped lead the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup finals, and scored the Cup-winning goal in double overtime, of Game 6, in the finals against Dallas.


Two years later, the team Arnott helped beat in the finals acquired him in trade: He was sent from New Jersey with Randy McKay, for Joe Nieuwendyke & Jamie Langenbrunner. He'd play three more seasons in Dallas, setting a career high in points (76) and assists (44) in 2005-06. It was also the first time he'd broke the 30 goal mark (with 32) since his career high as a rookie (33) in 1993-94.


Arnott would leave Dallas as a free agent, and joined the Nashville Predators on a five year deal. He was Captain of the Preds for three years, and matched his career high with 33 goals in 2008-09.


The Preds traded the final year of Arnott's deal to New Jersey. He was traded for Matt Halischuk & a draft pick. With the Devils he'd centre a line featuring Jamie Langenbrunner, whom he'd been traded for years earlier. He didn't finish the season in New Jersey, he'd be dealt to the Washington Capitals at the deadline.


Arnott would leave the Caps that summer, and joined the St Louis Blues for the 2011-12 season. That would be his final season.


Pictured are ARnott's Topps Stadium Club Rookie Card, and an SP Authentic Rookie Review. It's got a signature, and a piece of GU Predators' Jersey, to go along with the Oilers photo.






Bob Beers


Bob Beers was drafted in the 10th round of the 1985 NHL Entry draft, by the Boston Bruins. Rather than turning pro, he he played in the NCAA for four years.


Beers joined the Bruins in 1989-90, for three games, spending most of the season with their AHL affiliate; the Maine Mariners.


The 1990-91 & 1991-92 seasons would see Beers play 16 & 31 games with the Bruins, still spending more time in Maine.


Right before the start of the 92-93 season, Beers was traded to Tampa Bay for Stephane Richer. He played in 64 contests, scoring 12 times, for 36 points.


After 16 games with the Lightning in 1993-94, he was traded to Edmonton. The Oilers would give up defender Chris Joseph.


Beers played in 66 games for the Oilers, scoring 10 times for 37 points. His 43 total points in 93-94 would be a career high.


Beers left Edmonton after the season, and joined the New York Islanders. After two seasons in the Islanders' organization, he'd return to Boston. He retired after playing his final 27 NHL games in 1996-97.


Beers was talked out of retirement, playing the the 98-99 & 99-00 with the Bruins' AHL club in Providence.


Pictured are Beers' Score Rookie Card, a signed Bruins Alumni card, and an OPC Premier card showing him as an Oiler.





Adam Bennett


Defenceman Adam Bennett was drafted 6th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1989. He made his NHL debut in 1991-92, playing 5 games for Chicago.


He'd play 16 more games for the Blackhawks in 1992-93, recording his first NHL points, a pair of assists.


Prior to the start of the 93-94 season, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Kevin Todd. He skated in 48 contests for the Oilers that year, scoring three times and adding six helpers.


Bennett played just two more seasons of pro hockey, in the minors, after that season. He retired in 1996.


Shown here are Bennett's 93-94 Upper Deck Rookie card, and a signed copy of his 94-95 Parkhurst.





Fred Brathwaite


Born in Ottawa, Fred Brathwaite was a first generation Canadian. His parents emigrated from Barbados in 1964.


His major junior career was split between the Oshawa Generals, the London Knights, and the Detroit Junior Red Wings. He went undrafted, but was signed by the Edmonton Oilers.


Brathwaite spent three seasons in the Oilers organization. He was the primary backup to Bill Ranford in 1993-94, going 3-10-3. He resumed that role in 1994-95, with a 2-5-1 record. 1995-96 saw him spend more time in the minors than with the NHL club. He appeard in just 7 games for the Oilers, going 0-2-0.


He left the Oilers after the 95-96 season, and joined the IHL's Manitoba Moose. After a couple of winning seasons there, he split the 98-99 season between the Canadian National Team, and the Calgary Flames.


He'd set a career high with 61 NHL games played for the Flames in 1999-00, going 25-25-7. He was still the #1 netminder the following season, appearing in 49 contests.


He was then part of a big trade. Calgary sent him, Daniel Tkaczuk, Sergei Varlamov, and a 9th round pick to the St. Louis Blues, for Roman Turek & a 4th round pick.


Brathwaite played two seasons with the Blues, before joining the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent. He played 21 games, his final tour in the NHL.


He'd move across the Atlantic the following season, spending the 04-05 and 05-06 seasons with Kazan Ak-Bars in the KHL. The next two seasons he'd play with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, and went back across the Atlantic after that.


He played the 2008-09 with the Mannheim Eagles in Germany, putting up a 2.37 GAA & .925 SV%, while being named league MVP. He'd play three more seasons with Mannheim, and retired in 2012.


In additional to his time with the Canadian National team in 1998-99, Brathwaite was also a member of Team Canada at the World Championships in 2000, and 2001.


Pictured are Brathwaite's 1993-94 Score Rookie Card, his 2002 BAP Autograph, and Leaf "In The Game Used" patch (dare I say, the nicest Brathwaite GU card ever produced!)





Ilya Byakin


Ilya Byakin was an establish star in Russia, when the Edmonton Oilers drafted him in 1993.


He'd won gold at the World Junior Championships in 1983, an Olympic Gold in 1988, and World Championship Golds in 1989 & 1990, all for the Soviet Union. He was also part of their bronze medal effort at the 1991 World Championships.


He was part of the first ever Russian squad, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, at the 1992 World Championships, when they finished 5th. He helped Russia win gold in 1993.


His career in the USSR's top division was split between Spartak Moscow, Avtomobilist Sverdlosvk, and CSKA Moscow. He was inducted in the Russian and Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.


He was already 30 years old when the Oilers drafted him, and he made his NHL debut right away. He played 44 games for the Oilers in 93-94, scoring 8 times, while adding 20 assists.


He'd leave Edmonton after the season, and signed with the San Jose Sharks. He played in just 13 games for San Jose, and then headed back overseas. He played the rest of the season with Yekaterinburg Automobilist in Russia.


He'd play a couple of seasons in Sweden, before coming back to North America in 1997. He spent the season playing in the IHL, splitting the year with the San Antonio Dragons, and the Las Vegas Thunder.


He'd move back to Russia for good after that, playing 6 more seasons there before retiring at the age of 40, in 2003.


Pictured are Byakin's 1993-94 Donruss Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his 91-92 OPC Red Army card.




Jeff Chychrun


Jeff Chychrun was drafted 37th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers, in 1984. The Defenceman was a known fighter in the OHL, he'd racked up mover 100 PIMs in each of his three seasons with Kingston, and actually broke 200 PIMs in 1984-85.


He spent the 85-86 season in the minors, along with the bulk of the 86-87 season, but he did make his NHL debut with the Flyers that season, playing in a single game.


1987-88 saw Chychrun play in three contests for the Flyers, he still spent most his season with Hershey of the AHL.


1988-89 saw him become a full-time NHLer. He played in 80 games for the Flyers. He scored his first career NHL goal, and racked up a whooping 245 PIMs. The following season he doubled his goal count, scoring twice, and bested his PIM total as well, getting 248.


The 90-91 season saw his role diminish. He was a fulltime NHLer, but only a part time player. He skated in just 36 contests. He'd be traded in a blockbuster deal in May of 1991: He was packaged along with Jari Kurri, and sent to the Los Angles Kinds for Steve Duchesne, Steve Kasper, and a 4th Round pick.


Chychrun started the season with LA, but was once again involved in a deal for HOF talent. The Kings sent him, Brian Benning, and a 1st round pick to Pittsburgh, for Paul Coffey. He played the rest of the season with the Pens, winning the 1992 Stanley Cup with them.


He started the next season in Pittsburgh as well, but part way through the 92-93 season they traded him back to LA, for Peter Ahola.


He didn't start 93-94 season with the Kings, and was dealt in November of 1993 to Edmonton for a conditional draft pick. He played in two games with the Oilers, and 41 more with their farm team in Cape Breton. He retired from hockey after the 93-94 season.


Jeff's son, Jakob, was a first round pick for the Arizona Coyotes in 2016.


The trio of cards pictured are Chychrun's 1990-91 Score Rookie Card, his ITG Enforcers autograph, and his ITG Enforcers Instigator Patch card.





Jozef Cierny


Jozef Cierny was drafted 35th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1992. He came to North America for the following season, played for Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. He first pro-season was a strong one: Putting up 27 goals, and 27 assists, in 54 games.


He'd be traded to the Edmonton Oilers on September 1st, of 1993, for Craig Simpson. The 93-94 season saw him star for the Cape Breton Oilers, hitting the 30 goal mark in the AHL, and he made his NHL debut with Edmonton, playing a single game.


The 94-95 season saw him score 28 more times with Cape Breton, but no more NHL games. He wasn't resigned after the season ended.


Cierny played two seasons for the Los Angles / Long Beach Ice Dogs in the IHL, and the moved back to Europe. He played three seasons with Nuermberg in the DEL, before moving home to Slovakia where he played seven seasons for Zvolen HKm.


The final four seasons of Cierny's career was split between Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, and Germany. He retired in 2010.


Pictured are Cierny's 94-95 Score Rookie Card, and his 1992 Classic autograph card.




Wayne Cowley


Netminder Wayne Cowley was undrafted, after three seasons with Colgate University. He'd sign with the Calgary Flames, and was one of their "black aces when they won the Stanley Cup in 1989, though he only ever played for Flames affiliates in the IHL & ECHL.


The 1991-92 season saw him with a brief stint playing in England, along with signing with the Edmonton Oilers. He was a Backup in with their AHL club in Capre Breton.


The 92-93 & 93-94 seasons saw Cowley as the primary goalie with Cape Breton. The 1993 AHL playoffs saw Cowley help lead the AHL Oilers to a Calder Cup victory. He was called up for a couple of weeks during the 93-94 season, and played in one NHL games. He lost 3-1 to the New Jersey Devils, on December 11th 1993.


The 1993-94 season also saw Cowley represent Canada, playing with the National Team.


Cowley spent a couple of more seasons in the minors, and then headed to Europe in 1995. He played across the atlantic for six seasons, with stops in England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Before retiring, he played a couple of seasons of Senior A hockey with the Dundas Real McCoys in 03-04 & 04-05.


Pictured are Cowley's first minor league card, from 89-90 Procards, and a cut signature card made for me by @DnJcards







Brent Grieve


Brent Grieve was a fourth round selection, 65th overall, of the New York Islanders in 1989. The Left Winger was a scoring sensation with the Oshawa Generals, popping 34 goals in his draft year, and following up his selection by the Islanders with a 46 goal campaign in 1989-90.


He'd turn pro in 1990-91, playing 5 games with the IHL's Kansas City Blades, and 61 with the Capital District Islanders, the AHL affiliate of New York.


The early part of the 1993-94 season saw Grieve play 22 games for the IHL's Salt Lake Golden Eagles, but he also made his NHL debut - playing 3 games for the Isles. He'd be traded in December of 1993 to the Edmonton Oilers, for Marc Laforge.


With the Oilers, Grieve scored 13 times in 24 games, but also spent a good chunk of the season in Cape Breton.


He'd leave as a free agent and sign with the Chicago Blackhawks. He split the next two seasons between the Hawks, and the IHL. He joined the Los Angles Kings for the 1996-97 season, but played more IHL games than NHL ones. He'd retire in 1997.


Pictured are Grieve's 94-95 Parkhurst Rookie Card, and his BAP Autograph.




Ian Herbers


Defenceman Ian Herbers had a four year junior career in the WHL, playing with Kelowna, Spokane, Lethbridge, and Swift Current. After junior, he played four seasons with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, earning a bachelor's degree, and helping win a national championship in 1992.


Herbers was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 10th round of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, but he never signed with them. After his University career was over, he'd sign with the Edmonton Oilers. He made his pro debut in 1992-93, playing 77 games with the Cape Breton Oilers, and helped them win the Calder Cup in 1993.


The 1993-94 season saw Herbers make his NHL debut. He logged 22 games with Edmonton, while playing 53 more in the AHL. The 1994-95 season saw him split the year between Cape Breton, and the IHL's Detroit Vipers.


He'd continue with the Vipers until the 1999-00 season, when he was called back up to the NHL by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He'd play 37 games for them, before being traded to the New York Islanders for a draft pick.


The 6 games Herbers played in 99-00 for the Isles, were his last in the NHL. He was claimed by the Minnesota Wild in the 2000 expansion draft, but never suited up for them. He'd play a season in Cleveland (IHL), two seasons in England, and then a season for the UHL's Flint Generals before retiring in 2004.


Since retiring from playing, Herbers has become a coach. He's had stops with San Antonio & Milwaukee in the AHL, Saginaw in the OHL, and Johnstown in the ECHL. In 2015-16 he was named an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers, a position he held for three years. He's now the head coach at his alma mater, the University of Alberta.


Pictured are two copies of Herbers 1993-94 Leaf Rookie Card, one of them has been signed.







Alexander Kerch


A native of Latvia, Alexander Kerch played with Dynamo Riga in the Soviet hockey league from 1984-85, through the 1990-91 season. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he played three more seasons in Latvia (still in Riga, but new leagues).


At the age of 26, he was drafted 60th overall by the Edmonton Oilers, in 1993. They used the 3rd round pick they got in their trade of Kevin Lowe to the New York Rangers.


He came to North America for the 1993-94 season. He'd play 57 games with Cape Breton in the AHL, and 5 games with Edmonton. He'd leave the Oilers organization after the season.


1994-95 saw him split his time between playing in Riga again, Switzerland, and his last North American game. He played a single game for the Providence Bruins.


1995-96 saw Kerch back in Europe permanently. He'd play professionally for another 10 seasons. As well as Latvia, he played in Germany, Finland, and Russia.


He was a member of the Soviet junior team in 1987, and played in the infamous "Punch-up in Piestany" game. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he represented Latvia at several World Championships, helping them win the B pool in 1996. He also played in 2002 Winter Olympics.


Pictured two copies of Kerch's 1990-91 OPC card, showing him as a member of Dynamo Riga.




Marc Laforge


Marc Laforge's career stats read similar to what you'd have expected from the Hanson Brothers, if Slapshot had shown their cumulative stats from the Federal & Iron Leagues.


He played three seasons with the OHL's Kingston Canadians from 84-85 through 86-87 (since renamed to Frontenacs). He's the club's all-time PIM leader, with 686, accumulated in 170 games.


He joined his home town Sudbury Wolves for the 87-88 season, but his time there only lasted 14 games. He was involved in a postgame brawl with the Guelph Platers, and Laforge fought eight different players, including their goalie. He was given a two year suspension for the incident, effectively ending his junior career since he was already 19 years old.


Laforge was drafted by the Hartford Whalers in 1986, 32nd overall. He became the enforcer for Binghamton (their AHL club) in 88-89. He was called up to the NHL in 89-90, playing 9 games for the Whalers, and racking up 43 PIMs.


He was traded in March of 1990 to the Edmonton Oilers, for Cam Brauer. He skated as an enforcer for the Cape Breton Oilers for the next three seasons, with PIM totals of 217, 341, and 208.


The 1993-94 season saw Laforge back in the NHL. The Oilers called him up, and he played five games for them, with another 21 minutes in penalties.


He was traded to the New York Islanders for Brent Grieve part way through the 93-94 season, but never got back to the NHL. His pro career continued until he retired after the 2000-01 season.


In total, Laforge accumulated 64 PIMs in 14 NHL games, 797 PIMs in 151 IHL games, and 1,453 PIMs in 322 AHL games. He racked up an additional 883 PIMs in his other 201 professional games, spent in the CHL & WCHL. He holds the Manitoba Moose team record for most PIMs in a single period, with 37.


Pictured are Laforge's first professional card, from 88-89 ProCards, and a signed copy of his 94-95 Classic. He was kind enough to sign TTM for me.






Kirk Maltby


Kirk Maltby was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round, 65th overall, of the 1992 draft, after a 50 goal season with the Owen Sound Players in the OHL.


He turned pro in 1992-93, playing with Cape Breton in the AHL. With the minor league Oilers, he won a Calder Cup Championship in 1993.


He made his NHL debut with the Oilers in 1993-94. As a rookie he scored 11 goals, and added 8 assists, to go along with 74 PIMS.


His career with the Oilers continued for the 94-95 & 95-96 seasons, but he was traded at the 1996 trade deadline to the Detroit Red Wings, for defenceman Dan McGillis.


Maltby would finish the season in Detroit, and go on to play another 13 years with the Red Wings.


With the Red Wings, Maltby was a member of the "Grind Line", with Kris Draper & Darren McCarty. He played his 1000th NHL game in February of 2009, and won four Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008).


Maltby also represented Canada on three occasions, winning Gold at both the 2004 World Cup of Hockey & the 2003 World Championships. He also won a silver at the 2005 World Championships.


Pictured are Maltby's 93-94 Topps Stadium Club RC, his 2002 BAP Ultimate Memorabilia Dynasty Jersey card, and a signed copy of his Upper Deck Rookie Card. Maltby is from the same city as me (Cambridge, ON) and actually lived only a few streets over from me for many years. He brought the Cup back to Cambridge on several occasions, and was always very accommodating with autograph requests.




Todd Marchant


Todd Marchant was drafted in the 7th round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, but the New York Rangers, after two seasons with Clarkson University. The speedy winger would sign with the Rangers and turn pro in 1993-94, playing for the Binghamton Rangers, and making his NHL debut with a single game for New York.


At the 1994 NHL trade deadline, Marchant was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Craig MacTavish. He'd play in three games for the Oilers, before the season ended.


1994-95 saw Marchant play 38 games with the Oilers minor league affiliate in Cape Breton, and 45 games for Edmonton. From there on out, he never played another game in the minors again.


Marchant went on to play nine seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. His 678 games as an Oiler currently ranks him 11th in team history.


He was primarily a penalty killer / role player type forward, but I believe is often overlooked when people talk about the best defensive forwards of that era. This is a guy who could shut down the likes of Joe Sakic & Mike Modano in the playoffs.


He also scored 136 goals with the Oilers. His overtime winner against the Dallas Stars, in Game 7 of the first round in 1997, is among my favourite goals of all time, and probably ranks #1.


He never scored fewer than 12 goals in any of his 9 seasons with the Oilers. In 2002-03, after Doug Weight had been traded, Marchant's ice time was elevated. He put up career highs with 20 goals, and 60 points.


He was an UFA after setting those career highs, and signed a 5 year deal worth 14.5 million, with the Columbus Blue Jackets.


Marchant only played two full seasons in Columbus. Coming out of the 04-05 lockout Columbus was looking to clear salary. Marchant ended up being waived and was claimed by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.


The Ducks are where Marchant would finish his career, playing 61 games in 05-06, and another five seasons after that. He helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2007.


Marchant also played for team USA on two occasions: The 1993 World Junior Championships, and the 1994 Olympics. His 1195 Career games ranks first among all players drafted in 1993.


Pictured are four cards of Marchant (which goes a little against my norm): His 92-93 Upper Deck Rookie Card, a 2001 BAP Signature Series autograph, and 02-03 Upper Deck "Specialists" Jersey Card, and finally a 97-98 Upper Deck Game Dated moments card (yes, it's the insane to find parallel!) showing his OT goal against Dallas in 1997.







Gord Mark


Gord Mark was drafted by the New Jersey Devils, in the 6th round, of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. He was a tough defenceman playing with Kamloops in the WHL. He racked up 135 PIMs in his Junior rookie season (82-83 but also popped 12 goals. He followed that up with 202 PIM (and 12 goals) campaign in 83-84. He scored 11 more times, with 68 PIMs, in his final season (84-85) with Kamloops, but only played half the season.


He'd turn pro the following season, and join the AHL's Maine Mariners. 9 goals & 134 PIMs made for a solid pro-Debut.


The 1986-87 season saw Mark split his time between Main, and the New Jersey Devils. He played the first 36 NHL games of his career, scoring 3 times (for 8 points) and racked up 86 PIMs. He played 19 more games for New Jersey in 87-88, spending most of the year with Utica in the AHL.


I can't confirm this, but it appears to me that Mark Retired after the 87-88 season. Maybe went to Europe, and the stats are unavailable? My bet is he walked away from hockey though.


Of course, he wasn't gone for good. He signed with his home-town Edmonton Oilers in 1992. He'd play 60 games for their AHL club in Cape Breton, helping the baby-Oilers win the Calder Cup.


In the 1993-94 season he'd play 12 games (1 assist, 43 PIMs) for the Oilers, and another 49 with Cape Breton. The 1994-95 season saw him skate in 18 games for the Oilers, his last in the NHL.


Gord Mark played two more seasons of pro hockey after that. He spent the 95-96 season with the Las Vegas Thunder in the IHL, and split the 96-97 season between the Utah Grizzlies (IHL) and Providence Bruins (AHL). He retired for good in 1997.


Pictured are a copy of Mark's 1994-95 Parkhurst Rookie Card, and a cut signature card made for my by @DnJcards







Darcy Martini


Darcy Martini's path to the NHL wasn't a typical one for his time. He played four seasons of Junior B in British Columbia (Castlegar Rebels, Vernon Lakers) before heading to the NCAA where he played four season with Michigan Tech.


While at Michigan, the Edmonton Oilers drafted Martini in the 8th round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He turned pro after graduating from Michigan in 1992.


Martini would only spend three seasons in the Oilers organization. From 92-93 through 94-95 he played 143 games for Cape Breton, and was part of their Calder Cup winning team.


The 1993-94 season saw him play two games for the Edmonton Oilers, those would be the only two NHL matches of his career.


He still had a long pro career afterwards. He had stops with the Portland Pirates (AHL), Minnesota Moose (IHL), Los Angles Ice Dogs (IHL), and San Francisco Spiders (IHL).


In 1996, he moved across the Atlantic. He'd played another six seasons in Europe, with stops in Austria, Germany, and Italy.


Pictured are two copies of 1994-95 Classic card, showing him with the Cape Breton Oilers. One is the standard card (his first minor league card) and the second copy his was kind enough to sign for me TTM.





Dean McAmmond


Dean McAmmond was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1991. He made his NHL debut in 91-92, playing five games with the Hawks, and registered his first two NHL assists.


He'd return to junior, where he spent most of the 91-92 with the Prince Albert Raiders. He spent two more seasons in the WHL before getting another crack at the big leagues.


While playing for the WHL's Swift Current Broncos in 1993, McAmmond was traded from the Blackhawks to the Oilers, along with Igor Kravchuk, for Joe Murphy.


McAmmond made his Oilers debut in 1993-94, appearing in 45 games for the big club, while also playing 28 games in Cape Breton. He also scored his first 6 NHL goals that year.


He was mostly injured for the 94-95 season, playing in just 6 games. He split the 95-96 season between Edmonton (53 games, with 15 goals) and Cape Breton (22 games).


1996-97 saw McAmmond finally make it as a full time NHLer, though he was limited to just 57 games. The 1997-98 season saw him set new career highs in games played (77), goals (19), and points (50).


He was a fast skater, and great penalty killer. One of the under-appreciated Oilers of that era. The 98-99 season was his last in Edmonton. On the March 20th deadline he was packaged up with Boris Mironov & Jonas Elofsson and sent back to the team that drafted him: The Chicago Blackhawks. The Oilers recieved Ethan Moreau, Christian Laflamme, Chad Kilger, an Dan Cleary in return.


McAmmond played the rest of the season in Chicago, along with the entire 99-00 campaign. He was traded to Philadelphia in March of 2001, where he'd play out the season & playoffs.


He signed as a free agent with Calgary, and the 01-02 season was the best of McAmmond's career. Dean scored 21 times, and had 51 points.


He bounced around for the next few years. Calgary traded him to Colorado, and they traded him back to Calgary. He joined the Albany River Rats (AHL) for the lockout season of 2004-05. He'd join the St. Louis Blues for a year, before inking a three year contract with the Ottawa Senators.


He played in Ottawa from 2006 through 2009. He was traded during the 08-09 season to the New York Islanders. He'd sign on for one last NHL season with New Jersey in 2009-10.


McAmmond retired in 2010, with 996 Regular Season games under his belt. He represented Canada three times, winning Gold at the 1993 World Junior Championships, Silver at the 1996 World Championships, and finishing 4th at the 2000 World Championships


Pictured are McAmmond's 1992-93 Score Rookie Card, and his BAP Autograph.





Boris Mironov


The Winnipeg Jets made CSKA Moscow's young star the 27th overall pick in 1992. He'd play out one more season in Russia, before joining the Jets for the 1993-94 season. He logged 64 games with Winnipeg, scoring 7 times, before he dealt at the NHL trade deadline.


The Jets sent Mironov, Mats Lindgren, a 1st round pick, and a 4th round pick to Edmonton for Dave Manson and a 6th round pick (all picks were in 1994).


Mironov played the rest of the season with Edmonton, skating in 14 games and registering 2 assists.


After the shortened season of 94-95, Mironov was a top blueliner with Edmonton for the next four years. Consistently breaking the 30 point mark, and going over 100 PIMs for the Oilers three times. 97-98 saw him set career highs in games played (81), goals (16), and assists (30).


He was traded to Chicago, along with Dean McAmmond, at the 1999 NHL trade deadline. He'd play parts of five seasons with the Blackhawks, and was traded to the New York Rangers in 2003 for a pick. He played one more season in New York, before retiring in 2004.


He made a breif comeback, playing for Chekhov Vityaz in Russia for the 2006-07 season, and then retired for good.


Boris Mironov is a two time Olympian, winning Silver in 1998 (Nagano), and Bronze in 2002 (Salt Lake City) with Russia. He was also part of the Soviet team that won Silver at the 1991 World Juniors, and the Unified team that won Gold at the 1992 World Juniors. He also played for Russia at the 1996 World Championships, finishing 4th.


Shown here are three cards of Mironov: His 1991-92 UD Rookie Card, his BAP Autograph, and a Leaf ITGU Patch card.




Roman Oksuita


Roman Oksuita helped the Soviet Union win Gold at the 1989 World Junior Championships, and silver in 1990. As a teenager, he played for Voskresensk Khimik, in the top Russian league.


He was drafted in the 10th round of the 1989 NHL Entry draft by the New York Rangers, but he never played on Broadway. Before coming to North America he was used as a trade chip, and packaged with a 1993 3rd round pick, in a trade for Kevin Lowe.


Oksuita came to North America for the 1992-93 season. He scored 26 goals (51 points) in 43 regular season games for the Cape BReton Oilers, and added 9 more goals (19 points) in 16 playoff games, helping the baby Oilers win the AHL Championship.


He'd make his NHL debut in 1993-94, playing 10 games and scoring once. He broke the 30 goal mark with Cape Breton that season, scoring 31 times in 47 games.


1994-95 saw him play 25 games with Cape Breton, but 26 with Edmonton. He scored 11 time for the NHL Oilers, but would be traded to Vancouver in April of 1995 for Jiri Slegr.


Oksuita scored 5 goals with the Canucks to finish the season, giving him 16 on the year. He'd match that total in just 56 games with the Canucks the following season, but was traded at the deadline again, this time to Anaheim for Mike Sillinger. He'd pop 7 more goals with Anaheim that season, giving him 23 on the year.


The 1996-97 season saw Oksuita's production drop. He scored just 6 times with Anaheim, in 28 games, and was then dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Richard Park. He'd only play 7 games with that Pens, and didn't find the back of the net once.


He's split the 1997-98 season with the IHL's Fort Wayne Koments, and Furuset IF Oslo, in Norway. After his stink in Fort Wayne, his career in North America was over.


Oksuita played a couple of seasons in Finland, before returning home to Russia where he joined the team he started with, Voskresensk Khimik. He was a scoring star with them for several seasons in the Russian Super League's 2nd division, and was still part of the club when it was promoted to the 1st division in 2003.


Oksuita retired following the 2005-06 season. In addition to the pair of WJCs, he also played for Russia at the 1996 World Championships, where they finished 4th.


Pictured are Oksuita's 1993-94 Pinnacle Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his 1991-92 OPC Russian card.






Frederik Olausson


Frederik Olausson was drafted 81st overall in 1985 by the Winnipeg Jets, while staring for Nybro SK in the Swedish 2nd division. He moved to the Swedish Elite League for the 1984-85 season, and played two solid seasons for Farjestad.


He'd make his way to North America in 1986, joining the Jets. Olausson would never spend a day in the AHL. He played 72 games for Winnipeg as a rookie, putting up 7 goals and 29 assists.


He'd go on to play 6 more full seasons with Winnipeg, but during 1993-94 - his 8th in the NHL - he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers (with a 7th round pick) for a 3rd round pick.


Olausson played 55 games for the Oilers that year, scoring 9 times and adding 19 assists. He spent the first half of the 1994-95 season playing in Austria while the NHL was locked out, and the joined the Oilers for 33 solid (but scoreless) games after the NHL season resumed.


The drop in Olausson's game continued into the 1995-96 season. After 20 games, the Oilers waived him - and he was claimed by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He'd have a solid, but unspectacular, end of the season. He'd start the 96-97 season with the Ducks, but he was traded to Pittsburgh part way through the year. He'd stay with the Pens through the end of the 97-98 season, and would then sign with the Ducks as a free agent.


His second stint in Anaheim produced his best offensive season since his 20 goal / 62 point campaign in 1991-92 as a Jet. He scored 16 times, and had 56 points. He was held to just 34 points the next season, but still scored 15 times.


After the 99-00 season, Olausson moved across the pond and spent a season playing with SC Bern in Switzerland. He had a good season with them, and returned to the NHL in 2001-02, this time with the Detroit Red Wings. He'd help the Red Wings win the 2002 Stanley Cup.


After winning the Cup, Olausson was a free agent again. He signed to play another season with Anaheim. His 44 games in 2002-03 would be his last in the NHL, he finished with 1022 career NHL games.


He would return home to Sweden, and played four seasons in the SEL before retiring in 2007. He represented Sweden at the WJC in '85 & '86, the WC in '86 & '89, and he was part of the Swedish team at the 2002 Olympic Games.


Pictured are Olausson's 1978-88 OPC Rookie Card, his 1993-94 Score Gold Rush, and his 1998-99 BAP Autograph.







Scott Pearson


Scott Pearson was better than a point-per-game in the OHL with the Kingston Raiders and Niagara Falls Thunder. He was made the 6th pick overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, in 1988.


Pearson made his NHL debut in 88-89, playing 9 games with the Leafs and recoding his first NHL point, and assist. He was returned to junior for the balance of the season.


He's split the 89-90 season between Toronto, and their AHL Club, the Newmarket Saints. He scored 5 times, along with 10 helpers, in 41 games for the Buds.


The 1990-91 season saw Pearson start the season in Toronto, but was traded to the Quebec Nordiques after 12 games.


Pearson's time with Quebec was hampered by injuries, and he was up & down between the Nords, and the AHL's Halifax Citadels. He'd be traded to Edmonton at the 1993 NHL Entry draft, for Martin Gelinas & a 6th round pick.


The best season of Pearon's career came with the Oilers in 1993-94. He set career highs in Games Played (72), Goals (19), Assists (18), and PIMs (165).


Pearson's second season with Edmonton was the lockout shortened 1994-95 campaign. He played 28 games for the Oilers, scoring just once. He'd be dealt in April to the Buffalo Sabres for Ken Sutton.


He spent the next season in the Buffalo organization, splitting his time between the Sabres & the AHL's Rochester Americans. As a free agent in 1996, he opted to rejoin the team that drafted him: The Toronto Maple Leafs.


Pearson only played one more game for Toronto, abdominal surgery caused him to miss most of the season. That left him looking for a contract in 1997, so he signed on with the Chicago Wolves of the IHL. He had a couple of great seasons playing there, and that earned him an oppurtiney with the New York Islanders in 1999.


Pearson played a pair of games for the Isles during the 99-00 season, spending most of it, again, with the Chicago Wolves. He'd take his game to Germany for the 00-01 season, and then retired. He came out of retirement to play a single game for the ECHL's Gwinnett Gladiators in 2006-07.


Pictured are Pearson's 1990-91 OPC Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his 1993-94 Score.





Mike Stapleton


Mike Stapleton, the son of Canadian Summit-Series team member Pat Stapleton, was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1984. The same club his father was an NHL star for.


Stapleton was a successful goal scorer with the Cornwall Royals in the OHL, and following in his father's footsteps, took his game to the international stage in 1986. He helped Canada win a silver medal at the World Junior Championships, and played 21 games for the Senior National team as well.


The 1986-87 season also saw Mike make his professional debut, playing 39 games for the Blackhawks


With the Blackhawks, he never found the scoring success he had in junior. He spent fives seasons with Chicago, but played the majority of his games in the minors. In 106 games, he scored just 5 times for for the Hawks.


In 1992, Stapleton signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. While not a big goal scorer, he was a fixture in the Pens' lineup. He played 78 games in 1992-93, and another 58 in 1993-94.


It was during the 93-94 season he was put on waivers, and claimed by the Edmonton Oilers. He'd score 5 times, and added 9 helpers with Edmonton in 1993-94. Combined with his Pittsburgh numbers that was a total of 12 goals, and 25 points - both would end up being career highs.


In the shortened 94-95 season, Mike scored 6 goals (17 points) in 46 games for Edmonton. He'd leave and sign with Winnipeg the following summer.


Stapleton was a regular in the Jets lineup, and moved with the team to Phoenix. He'd play three seasons in the dessert, before being claimed by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999 Expansion Draft.


After a single season in Georgia, he signed with the Islanders as a free agent. He played only part of the season there before being traded to Vancouver. His 18 games with Vancouver in 2001 would be his last in the NHL.


Stapleton would play for four more seasons, in Finland and Sweden, before retiring in 2004.


After retirement, he spent nine seasons coaching, in the NAHL, OHL, and AHL. Since 2013 he's been working with the Anaheim Ducks as a scout.


Pictured are Stapleton's 1993-94 Score Rookie CArd, his BAP Autograph, and his Playoff-One-On-One.









Peter White


Peter White was drafted 92nd overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 1989, after a 20 goal campaign with Michigan State University, where he was named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team.


He'd play three more seasons in Michigan, before turning pro. He was part of the Calder Cup championship team in Cape Breton, where he made his pro debut in 1992-93.


White made his NHL debut in 1993-94, playing 26 games for the Oilers, and scoring 3 times; he spent most of that season in the minors.


The 1994-95 season saw White get another 9 games with Edmonton, but he played the bulk of the year with Cape Breton. He'd be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in December, and he played one game for the Leafs that year.


He left Toronto as a free agent, and joined the Philadelphia Flyers. He spent the next five seasons in the Flyers organization. Most of that time was in the minors, but he set career highes with 77 NHL games played in 2000-01, when he scored 9 goals & had 25 points. While with the Flyers, he also met & married the boss's daughter (GM Bobby Clarke's daughter Jodie).


The 2001-02 saw White take his act to the Windy City, when he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. No word if that had to do with issues he was having with his father-in-law.


White played a season+ in the Hawks' system (mostly in the NHL) before he was traded back to Philadelphia during the 02-03 season. His 3 games with the Flyers in 03-04 would be his last NHL games.


Peter would play the final season of his career (2005-06) in Helsinki, Finland.


Pictured are White's 1994-95 Donruss Rookie Card, and his 2002 BAP Autograph.





Brad Zavisha


Brad Zavisha was a scoring star in the WHL, putting up 40+ goals his last two season there. He was drafted 43rd overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1990.


Zavisha never got to play for Quebec. He was still a junior when he learned the business side of hockey. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers (with Ron Tugnutt) for Martin Ruchinsky in 1992.


The 1993-94 season saw Zavisha make his NHL debut, when he played two games for the Oilers. Those would be the only two NHL games of his career.


The Oilers would eventually trade Brad to the Philadelphia Flyers, but he never made it back to the NHL.


After a season split between the AHL and IHL, Zavisha signed to play in Germany for the 1995-96 & 1996-97 seasons. He come back to North America for one last season, with the Binghamton Bulls in 1997-98.


Pictured are Zavisha's first pro card (never had a real RC), his 1994 Classic... along side a signed copy of his 7th Inning Stretch card.





1994-95





Micah Aivazoff


Micah Aivazoff brought a mix of skill and grit to the Victoria Cougars in the WHL. His final junior season he broke both 100 points, and 100 PIMs. That type of game got him drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, in the 6th round, of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft.


He turned pro in 1989, joining the Kings' AHL affiliate, the New Haven Nighthawks. He played a couple of seasons there, but would join the Red Wings organization in 1991, and played the next two seasons in Adirondack.


The 92-93 season with Adirondack, Aivazoff put up 32 goals, 85 points, and 100 PIMs. This got him a long look from Detroit the following season. He'd make his NHL debut in 1993-94, playing 59 games for the Wings. He scored four goals, to go along with 4 assits, and 38 PIMs.


The 1994-95 season was an odd one for him. The Penguins claimed him off waivers from the Red Wings, but they waived him before he ever played for the team. He was claimed by the Edmonton Oilers, and he'd play 21 games for them that year, registering a single assist.


He joined the New York Islanders for the 1995-96 season, splitting the season with the Isles (12 games) and the Utah Grizzlies (59). Those were his final NHL games.


Aivazoff played another six seasons of pro hockey after that, with stops in the AHL, IHL, and Germany. He retired in 2002.


Pictured are Aivazoff's 1993-94 Donruss RC, and his 1994-95 BAP Autograph.




Jason Bonsignore


Jason Bonsignore was slick skating big man in Junior, drawing comparisons in his style of play to Mario Lemieux. He was picked by the Oilers 4th overall at the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.


He made his NHL debut with Edmonton in 1994-95, and scored a goal in his only game. The 1995-96 season he'd split between the OHL's Sudbury Wolves (18 GP), the Cape Breton Oilers (12 GP) and the Edmonton Oilers (20 GP).


1996-97 saw Bonsignore as a full-time Minor Leaguer, putting up 21 goals, and 54 points, with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 78 games.


He started the 1997-98 season with Hamilton, but after just 8 games he was traded with fellow former 1st round pick Steve Kelly, and Bryan Marchment, to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Roman Hamrlik & Paul Comrie.


Bonsignore set a new career high with 35 NHL games played that season with Tampa, and was their leading rookie scorer. He played another 23 games for the Bolts the following season, but then hit free agency.


Jason would sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and nearly made the club out of training camp in 1999, he was one of the last cuts. He got injured playing for the St. John's Maple Leafs, his season was over, and he was granted his release when he requestsed it.


He'd take a couple of years off from hockey, but came back in 2002-03, when he split the season between Springfield & Lowell in the AHL. He almost made the Thrashers team in 2003, but was a late cut.


From 2003-04 through 2005-06 Bonsignore played for several ECHL team (South Carolina, Las Vegas) as well as teams in Switzerland & Finland. He took the 06-07 season off, but split the 07-08 season between Fresno & Trenton of the ECHL. He retired in 2008.


Bonsignore came out of retirement in 2016, to join the Senior 'A' Hamilton Steelhawks. He also played at a pair of World Junior Championships for the USA in 1994 & 1995.


Pictured are three cards of Bonsignore: His 1993-94 Upper Deck RC, a 95-96 BAP Dicut Autograph, and a signed copy of his 1994-95 Score Card, which he signed TTM for me back in the 90s!







Dennis Bonvie


Dennis Bonvie had a two year career in the OHL. He split the the 1991-92 season with the Kitchener Rangers (7 games) and the North Bay Centennials (49 games) and racked up a combined 284 PIMs. He outdid himself the following season, with 316 PIMs in 64 games with North Bay.


He was undrafted, but signed with the Edmonton Oilers. He made his pro debut with the Cape Breton Oilers in 1993-94, playing in 63 contests, and picking up right where he left off in Junior: He racked up 278 PIMs.


He'd make his NHL debut in 1994-95, playing two games for the Oilers. He was called up to the NHL in 95-96 (8 games) and again in 97-98 (4 games). Prior to the start of the 99-00 season, he was claimed on waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks.


He was never able to stick as a full-time NHLer, but the next six seasons saw him skate as one of the most feared enforcers in the AHL, and getting call ups of various lengths in the NHL. He set a career high with 28 NHL games in 99-00 with the Pens. He was also traded a couple of times. He made NHL appearances for Chicago, Pittsburgh, Boston, Ottawa, and Colorado.


Bonvie's 522 PIMs (73 games) with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 1996-97 were his career high. He added another 91 in 22 playoff games that year, the Bulldogs lost the Calder Cup finals to the Hershey Bears.


His single game with the Avalanche in 2003-04 was his last in the NHL, but he'd play another four seasons in the AHL after that, most of which were with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.


His only NHL goal was scored when he was a member of the Boston Bruins. He took a slapshot from the top of the faceoff circle, and it beat Isles' goalie Chris Osgood fivehole. After scoring, he skated by Osgood and said (jokingly) "I think it's time you better retire."


The final regular season game of his career came on April 12, 2008, with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was a beloved player in town, by fans & teammates alike. He was given the Captain's "C" for that final game.


Bonvie retired with the most career PIMs in AHL history, with 4493. Combined with his NHL totals of 311 (in 92 games) he has 4,804 professional PIMs, which is the highest total of all time.


A tribute to his popularity in the minors, Bonive actually signed his first cards for a card company in 2013, for the ITG Enforcers set, 5 years after he retired.


Pictured here are Bonvie's 1995-96 Upper Deck RC, and a 2013 Fall Expo Enforcers II Redemption card from ITG, featuring a piece of his WBS Penguins jersey, and an autograph.






Len Esau


After starring for the Humbolt Broncos of the SJHL, defenceman Len Esau was drafted 86th overall in 1986 by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He spent a couple of years at St. Cloud State in the NCAA, but signed with the Maple Leafs and turned pro for the 1990-91 season.


Esau played for the Newmarket Saints as a rookie, and then the St. John's Maple Leafs the following year when Toronto moved their AHL farm club. He made his NHL debut in 91-92, playing two games for the Buds.


In the summer of 1992, the Leafs would trade him to the Quebec Nordiques for Ken McRae. He played four games for the Nords, registering his first NHL point (an assist), but spent most of the year with the Halifax Citadels of the AHL.


He left Quebec and joined the Calgary Flames for the 1993-94 season. He spent most of the season in the AHL again, but played in 6 NHL contests, notched 3 assists.


1994-95 saw Esau play 54 more AHL for the Saint John Flames, and a single game with Calgary. The Edmonton Oilers would claim him off waivers, and he played in 14 contests for them. He racked up 6 helpers while playing for Edmonton.


1995-96 saw Esau sign with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the IHL. He'd play five seasons in that league, having stops in Milwaukee, Detroit, and Indianapolis.


In 1998-99, Esau headed overseas and played a season with Seibu in Japan. He'd then come back to the IHL and played two more seasons with Cincinnati. Esau retired after the 2000-01 season.


In addition to league play, he won a bronze medal at the 1995 World Championships with Canada.




Pictured are Esau's 1990-91 Pro Cards, and a signed copy of his Newmarket Saints team issue.







Iain Fraser


Centre Iain Fraser was a star Centre with the Oshawa Generals. After a 33 goal / 90 point campaign in 1988-89, the New Islanders drafted him 233th overall that spring. He came back the following season and scored 40 goals / 105 assists with Oshawa.


He turned pro in 1990-91, playing for the Islanders AHL affiliate. While it took him a few years to get going as a pro, he put up 41 goals & 110 points in 74 games with the Capital District Islanders in 1992-93. 92-93 also saw Fraser make his NHL debut, scoring twice in 7 games with New York.


Fraser left the Islanders as a free agent, and joined the Quebec Nordiques. He played 60 games with them in 1993-94, scoring 17 times & adding 20 assists.


Quebec would then trade him to the Dallas stars, for a draft pick. He played only four games for Dallas in 94-95, before the Edmonton Oilers claimed him on waivers.


He played 9 games for the Oilers, scoring 3 times, and then left as a free agent.


Fraser played another 14 NHL games over the next two season with Winnipeg (95-96) and San Jose (96-97). He continued to be a star in the minors, but but it wasn't translating into an NHL opportunity.


1997-98 saw Fraser play for Kansas City in the IHL. He'd head to Germany for four seasons after that. 2002-03 saw him sake with the Fresno Falcons in the WCHL, and the Sheffield Steelers in England.


From 03-04 through 05-06 Fraser played in Italy, and his last pro games were with the Newcastle Vipers in 2006-07.


Pictured are Fraser's 93-94 Donruss RC, and a signed copy of his 89-90 7th Inning Stretch.





Ralph Intranuovo


Ralph Intranuovo personifies the "small, skilled forward" that wasn't able to make it in the NHL, in the 1990s.


At just 5'8", he was coming off a 50 goals season with the Soo Greyhounds, when he was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the 4th round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.


He'd play one more season in junior, before going pro in 1993-94. As a rookie with Cape Breton, he put up 21 goals & 52 points.


1994-95 saw Intranuovo tear up the AHL, scoring 46 times in 70 games, while making his NHL debut - he had one helper in a single game for the Oilers.


He came back the following season playing strong in the AHL again, and got another NHL call up. This time he scored once & added two assists in 13 games for the Oilers.


The 1996-97 season saw Intranuovo back in the minors, playing 68 games for the Hamilton Bulldogs, with 36 gaols & 76 points. The Oilers called him up for a 5 game stint, where he scored once. He was waived and claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He had one assist with the Leafs in three games.


Ralph would join the IHL's Manitoba Moose the following season, and e scored 55 goals over two seasons there. He'd head to Europe next.


Already a 6 year pro, Intranuovo played 15 seasons in Europe, with stops in Germany, Austria, and Italy. He retired after the 2012-13 season with Valpellice in Italy.


Intranuovo represented Canada twice. At the 1993 World Junior Championships, and again at the 1995 World Championships. In 1995 he helped Canada win Bronze.


Pictured are his 1993-94 Upper Deck Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his 1994 Classic.









Dean Kennedy


Dean Kennedy was drafted 39th overall by the Los Angles Kings in 1982. He made his NHL debut with the LA Kings in 1982-83, playing 55 games as a teenager.


The rugged defenceman was not known as an offensive threat (just 26 goals & 110 points in 717 career games) but he was a steady presence on the blueline for any team he played with.


He'd be traded to the New York Rangers in 1988, where he spent less than a season. The Rangers traded him back to the Kings in February of 1989.


LA dealt him once again, sending him to Buffalo for the 89-90 season. He'd play two seasons there before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets - where he'd eventually be named Captain.


The Edmonton Oilers claimed Kennedy off waivers in 1994-95. He played 40 games with Edmonton, scoring twice, and retired at the end of the season.


Pictured are Kennedy's 1990-91 Pro Set Rookie Card, and a signed copy of this 1991-92 Score.






Bryan Marchment


Bryan Marchment was a star with the Belleville Bulls in the OHL. The defenceman put up three straight seasons of over 200 PIMs, while increasing his point total each year to a high of 58 in 1987-88.


The Winnipeg Jets drafted him 16th overall in 1987, but he barley ever played for them. He spent most of his first couple of pro seasons in the minors - playing only 37 games in the 'Peg over three years.


Marchment was traded to Chicago in 1991, and never spent another day in the minors.


He spent two & a part seasons in Chicago, before being traded to Hartford. He finished the season with the Whalers, but then was awarded to the Edmonton Oilers by an arbitrator for the Whalers' signing of Steven Rice.


Marchment patrolled the Oilers blueline for the next three seasons, but part way through the 1997-98 season he was traded to Tampa Bay (along with 1st round busts Jason Bonsignore & Steve Kelly) for Roman Hamrlik & Paul Comrie.


He did not finish the season with the Lightning. He was traded with David Shaw to the San Jose Sharks, for Andrei Nazarov & a conditional flip of first round picks. Tampa would ultimately make the flip, as it allowed them to go from #2 to #1, and draft Vinny Lecavailler.


Marchment put up he best offensive season in the league while with the Sharks. In 2001-02 he scored twice, while adding 22 assists. His career high in goals (7) came the season before.


He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline in 2002-03. He`d leave the Avs after the season, and sign a free agent deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He came back after the NHL lockout, and joined the Calgary Flames. He retired after the 2005-06 season.


With 12 suspensions, Marchment was known as a dirty player. His 2307 PIMs rank 31st all time.


Marchment`s son, Mason, was undrafted by signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He made his NHL debut with the Leafs in 2019-20, before being traded to the Florida Panthers.


Pictured are three cards of Marchment: His 1991-92 OPC Rookie Card, a 1994-95 BAP Autograph, and a signed copy of his 1996-97 Score, which I got TTM from him back in the 90s.





Ryan McGill


Ryan McGill was the 29th overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987. The Alberta native turned pro in 1988, spending most of the next four seasons in the minors.


He was traded to the Nordiques in March of 1991, but then traded back to the Hawks the following September. The 1991-92 did see McGill get an NHL call up, when he played in 9 games for the Blackhawks.


He`d be dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers before the end of the 91-92 season. He didn`t get into a game for Philly that year, but he skated in 72 games for the Flyers the following season.


McGill continued his NHL career with Philadelphia, until he was traded at the March deadline in 1995 to the Edmonton Oilers. He played 8 games for the Oilers down the stretch, recoding 8 PIMs.


McGill retried after the 94-95 season, but almost immediately got into coaching. He started as an assistant coach with the WHL`s Edmonton Ice in 1996-97, and was eventually named Head Coach.


He spent 7 years in the AHL as a head coach, from 2002 through 2009, with Hartford, Omaha, and Quad City. He got his first NHL job in 2009-10 when he was named an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames.


2012 saw McGill take the head coaching job in Kootenay (WHL) and then he was named head coach in Owen Sound (OHL) in 2015.


In 2017 he made the leap to the NHL again, joining the Vegas Golden Knights as an assistant coach, where he remains today.


Pictured are two copies of McGill`s 1992-93 Upper Deck RC, one of them autographed.









David Oliver


David Oliver was drafted in the 7th round of the 1991 NHL entry draft, by the Edmonton Oilers, after finishing his rookie season at the University of Michigan.


Three seasons later, Oliver's NCAA career ended after being named player of the year in his conference. He'd sign with the Oilers, and turned pro in 1994.


Oliver split the 94-95 season between the Cape Breton Oilers, and the big club in Edmonton. He scored 16 goals (30 points) in 44 games with Edmonton.


Oliver came back the next season, and scored 20 times in 80 for the Oilers. The 1996-97 did not start off well. He scored just once in 17 games for the Oilers, and was put on waivers so he could be reassigned. The New York Rangers claimed him. He'd play 14 for the Blue Shirts, scoring twice more.


After a year with Houston of the IHL, where he scored 38, Oliver signed with the Ottawa Senators. He split the season with Ottawa & Houston of the IHL again. The next two seasons saw him back & forth between the IHL & NHL - first with Phoenix, and then another tour with Ottawa.


After playing in Germany for the 2001-02 season, Oliver signed with the Dallas Stars. He spent the next few seasons mostly in the AHL, but was called up in all three of his seasons with Dallas. He final NHL games came with the stars in 2004-05.


On top of his season in Germany, Oliver also spent two other seasons in Europe: 04-05 he played in England, and his final pro season was in 2006-07 with Rogle BK Angelholm in Sweden.


After retiring in 2007, Oliver joined the Colorado Avalanche's organization. He worked as director of player development, general manager, and assistant coach for their AHL club over a span of five years. He then took on the job of Director of Player Development for the Avs for six seasons.


In 2018, Oliver left the Avalanche to become an assistant coach with the New York Rangers, where he's still coaching today.


Pictured are Oliver's 1994-95 Upper Deck RC, and his 94-95 Be A Player autograph.




Jiri Slegr


Jiri Slegr was drafted 23rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. The Czech Republic native would play two more seasons at home with Litvinov, but would come to North America for the 1992-93 season.


He played 21 games with the Hamilton Canucks, and another 41 with Vancouver. As an NHL rookie he notched 4 goals, 22 assists, and 109 PIMs.


Part way through the 1994-95 season, Slegr was traded from Vancouver to Edmonton for Roman Oksiuta. He played 12 games for the Oilers that year, scoring once.


The 1995-96 season saw Slegr put up good numbers from the Oilers blueline. In 57 games he had 4 goals, 17 points, and 74 PIMs. He also had a brief stint in Cape Breton.


Slegr left the NHL after the 95-96 season, and joined Sodertalhi in the SEL instead (also skated for a game with Litvinov, back in the Czech Republic). He'd return to the NHL for the 1997-98 campaign, but the Oilers had traded him to Pittsburgh for a draft pick.


Slegr played the next three and a half seasons in Pittsburgh, and notched a career high in goals (11) in 99-00. Part way through the 2000-01 season, he was dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers for the same price the Penguins paid to get him: A 3rd round pick.


Slegr's time in Atlanta lasted just longer than a calendar year. He was traded at the 2002 deadline to the Detroit Red Wings (for a 3rd round pick, and a prospect). Slegr would have his name etched on the Stanley Cup at the end of the season.


After splitting a season with Litvinov, and Omsk in Russia, Selgr signed with his first NHL team: The Vancouver Canucks. He was traded part way through the season to the Boston Bruins.


The 04-05 lockout season saw him go back to Litvinov again, and he played his final NHL season in 2005-06 with Boston.


Slegr played 4 seasons after that, with Litvinov. He then retired from hockey and entered the world of politics, getting elected as a member of the Czech Social Democratic Party in 2010. A leadership change in the party lead to him sitting as an independent, and finally resigning from his seat in 2013.


After quitting politics, Slegr went back to the ice! He played two more seasons with Litvinov, and retired from hockey a second time in 2015.


In addition to professional hockey, Slegr was a member of 8 medal-winning teams internationally: He won World Championship Gold (2005), and Bronze (1997, 1998). He won bronze medals at the 1990 & 1991 World Junior Championships, and a bronze at the 2004 World Cup. He also won bronze at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics, and Gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.


Pictured are Slegr's 1991-92 Upper Deck RC, a BAP Autograph, a Czech Jersey Card, and a '94 UD Electric Ice, showing him with the Oilers.






Ryan Smyth


With two picks in the top 6, of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, the Oilers were supposed to be able to pick up two cornerstones type pieces to rebuild their franchise. While Jason Bonsignore at #4 was a bust, Ryan Smyth at #6 was everything they'd hoped for, and then some. He'd wind up learning all 1994 draft picks with 1270 career games played, with the majority of them in Edmonton.


He was a stand out winger with the Moose Jaw warriors. He broke the 100 point mark in the 93-94 season, earning him his high-pick status in the NHL draft. He made his NHL debut as a teenager in 1994-95, playing three games with Edmonton, before returning to Moose Jaw.


The 1995-96 season saw Smyth skate in 9 games for the AHL's Cape Breton Oilers, and 48 with Edmotnon. He's record his first two NHL goals, and first 11 NHL points. He'd never play another game in the minor leagues again.


1996-97 was Smyth's breakout season. He played in all 82 games, and scored 39 goals. He was instrumental in the Oilers' return to the playoffs, for the first time since 1992.


Smyth was never regarded as a superstar, but his hard work & determination made him a fan favourite in Edmonton. He never matched the 39 goals he scored in 96-97, but he broke the 30 goal mark on three more occasions.


The 2005-06 season saw the Oilers get all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. Smyth was a big part of that playoff run, scoring 7 goals & 16 points, en route to a heart-breaking Game 7 loss to Carolina. The Oilers came back the following season with several key pieces having left the team, and they were looking as though they'd miss the playoffs. GM Kevin Lowe did the unthinkable: After failing to come to terms on a contract extension with Smyth, he was traded to the New York Islanders.


The Oilers received a couple of former first round picks in Ryan O'Marra & Robert Nilsson. They also got a 1st round pick in 2007, that they would eventually use to draft Alex Plante. Smyth would only play 18 games for the Isles (plus 5 in the playoffs) before learning via free agency, to sign with the Colorado Avalanche.


Ryan played two seasons with the Avs, before they'd deal him to the Los Angles Kings. He was an ageing forward, but scored 26 in his last season with Colorado - and continued to break the 20 goal mark with LA.


Following the 2010-11 season, Smyth requested a trade from Los Angles, back to Edmonton. The Kings reluctantly agreed, and traded him for Colin Fraser & a 7th round pick. Los Angles would go on to win the 2012 Stanley Cup, and Smyth would go back to Edmonton for the final three seasons of his career.


Ryan Smyth retired with the 2nd most career games played as an Oiler (971), 5th in goals (296), 7th in assists (335), and 6th in points (631). His 43 game winners are the 4th most in franchise history, and he shares the Oilers all time Power Play Goal mark with Glenn Anderson - they scored 126 each.


Internationally, Smyth became known as "Captain Canada", wearing the 'C' for Canada at six World Championships. He helped Canada win Gold at the 1995 World Junior Championships, and was the Captain for the 2003 & 2004 Gold Medal teams at the Worlds, as well as winning a Silver in 2005. He won Gold Medals with Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics & the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He also played on the disappointing 2006 Canadian Olympic team. The 2002 Olympic games were particulary impressive for Smyth. He broke his ankle in November, leading most to expect he wouldn't be able to play for Canada.


The NHL lockout of 2012 also gave Smyth the opportunity to Capatin the Canadian team at the 2012 Spengler Cup, where Canada won gold. His International resume got him inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2018, the same year he was made a member of the Order of Hockey in Canada.


The three cards of Smyth pictured are his 1994-95 Upper Deck Rookie Card, a 95-96 Skybox that he signed TTM for me back in 1996, and an ITGU Oh Canada Jersey card.





Ken Sutton


Ken Sutton's only season in major junior was a good one. The defenceman played for the Saskatoon Blades, and racked up 22 goals & 53 points. He helped the Blades win the 1989 Memorial Cup, and was drafted in the 5th round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.


After a season in the AHL, Sutton split the 1990-91 between the Rochester Americans (AHL) and his first action in the NHL with Buffalo. As a rookie he notched 3 goals & 6 helpers in 15 games.


Sutton was a full-time NHLer after that, and played in Buffalo until part way through the 1994-95 season. Buffalo traded him to the Edmonton Oilers for Scott Pearson.


Sutton played 12 games (with 3 goals & an assist) for the Oilers that season. He started out the 95-96 season with the Oilers, and was held goaless through 32 games. He was then traded to the St. Louis Blues, along with Igor Kravchuck, for Donald Dufresne & Jeff Norton.


Sutton split the rest of the season between the Blues & the AHL's Worcester Ice Cats. He started the 96-97 season with the IHL's Manitoba Moose, and then the Blues traded Sutton to the New Jersey Devils. He'd play the rest of the season with Albany.


The 97-98 season saw Sutton back in the NHL with New Jersey, but it also saw him traded again. He was sent to San Jose. The Sharks would trade him back to New Jersey the following season, where he played three seasons. His last NHL games came in 2001-02 with the New York Islanders. Sutton rejoined the Devil's farm team for a year after that, and would then head to Germany where he played for Ingolstadt for three seasons before retiring.


Ken was the winner of the Eddie Shore Award for the 1998-99 season (given to the AHL's top defenceman). He was a member of the Devils' team that won the Stanley Cup in 2000.


Pictured are Sutton's 1991-92 Pinnacle Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his 92-93 Fleer Ultra.




Marko Tuomainen


Marko Tuomainen played a few season with the KalPa junior club in Finland, along with some games with the senior team, despite being a teenager. He came to North America in 1991, to play for Clarkson University in the NCAA.


After a season with Clarckson, Tuomainen was drafted in the 9th round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. He'd play three more seasons with Clarkson before turning pro.


After the 1994-95 college season ended, Tuomainen joined the Oilers and made his NHL debut. He was held pointless in four games.


He'd spend the next two seasons in the minors, putting up 25 & 31 goal campaigns with the Oilers' farm team. He'd return to Finland for a couple of seasons with Helsinki, but game back to the NHL in 1999.


He joined the LA Kings as a free agent, and scored 9 times for them in 63 games. After going scoreless in 11 games during the 00-01 season he was sent to the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL. He'd sign with the New York Islanders the following season, but spent the bulk of it with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. His single game with the Isles in 01-02 would be his last in the NHL.


Tuomainen played another 11 seasons in Europe after that, with stops in Finland, Switzerland, and Italy. He retired in 2012.


Marko represented his country four times. He was on a 4th place squad at the 1992 World Junior Championships, he won a pair of Silver Medals at the '98 and '99 World Championships, and a bronze in 2000. He was an allstar in each of his four seasons at Clarkson, and in the AHL in both 1997 and 2001.


Pictured are three cards of Tuomainen. His 1991-92 Upper Deck Rookie Card, a signed copy of his Rookie, and a 94-95 UD Collector's Choice Platinum Player's Club - showing him with the Oilers.



1995-96






Marius Czerkawski


Marius Czerkawski was drafted in the 5th round mof the 1991 NHL Entry draft by the Boston Bruins. He made his NHL debut in 1993-94, scoring twice in four games. When he stepped onto the ice for the Bruins, he became the first plater to have been born & trained in Poland to make it to the NHL.


He was a rising star in the Bruins organization, until he was traded in 1996. He was part of the package sent to the Oilers for goalie Bill Ranford.


Czerkawski scored 12 goals in 37 games for the Oilers in 95-96, and came back the following year with 26 in his first full NHL season. Those games would be his last with Edmonton, he was then dealt to the New York Islanders for Dan LaCouture (a move that still leaves me scratching my head).


Marius' production dipped the following season, he scored just 12 times for the Isles. He then went on a run of four strait seasons with 21+ goals, including a career high 35 (and 70 points) in 1999-00 - when he also played in the NHL All Star Game.


He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens at the 2002 draft, for Arron Asham & a 5th round pick. Czerkawski put up the lowest goal total of his career in Montreal, scoring just 5 times in 43 games. He also had a stint in the minors, playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs.


As a free agent, he left and returned to Long Island. He also picked up right where he left off. He bounced back with a 25 goal season for New York.


Like many player, Czerkawski played overseas (in Sweden) during the 2004-05 lockout. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2005-06 season, but scored just 4 times in 19 games. He was put on waivers and claimed by the Boston Bruins. He popped 4 more goals in 16 games.


He was out of the NHL after that, but played two seasons in Switzerland before retiring.


While many of these occasions were qualifiers or division 2 tournaments, Czerkawski represented Poland 12 times on the international stage. He played at the 1990 World Junior Championships, but Poland was relegated. He played again the following season for Poland's entry in the B pool: Czerkawski scored 12 goals in just 7 games. He was also a member of the Polish team that played in the 1992 Winter Olympics.


Pictured are four cards of Czerkawski: His Leaf Limited RC, a signed SP insert I got from him TTM back in the 90s, a Pacific jersey card, and a '97 Score showing him with the Oilers.




Greg deVries


Greg deVries played at Bowling Green State University on a scholarship, before leaving school and joining the Niagra Falls Thunder of the OHL. He played two seasons in Niagra, and went undrafted. He signed with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993, and made his pro debut with Cape Breton that year, after the OHL season ended.


deVries played in the minors for the 94-95 season, but got his first taste of NHL action in 95-96 when he skated in 13 games for the Oilers. He split the following year between the NHL & AHL again, but would be a fulltime NHLer in 1997-98. He never went back to the minors again.


Greg scored 7 times for the Oilers in 97-98, while logging a career high 80 PIMs. He was traded to the Nashville Predators as the 98-99 season was about to start. Along with Drake Berehowsky & Eric Fichaud, he was swapped for Jim Dowd and Mikhail Shtalenkov.


He only lasted a couple of weeks in Nashville, before he was traded again. He was sent to the Colorado Avalanche for a 3rd round pick.


With Colorado, deVries became a mainstay on their blueline. Tough in his own end, he played the next five seasons with the Avs, winning the Stanley Cup in 2001. He set a career highs with 8 goals in 01-02, and 32 points in 02-03. Following the 02-03 season, he'd sign a free agent deal with the New York Rangers.


He didn't finish the season in New York, he was traded at the deadline to Ottawa. The Senators wanted to improve their blueline for a playoff push. After the 2004 lockout, the Sens dealt deVries to Atlanta. He palyed two seasons there before returning to Nashville. He retired following the 2008-09 season.


The three cards pictured of deVries include his 94-95 UD Rookie Card, a 97-98 BAP Autograph, and a Pacific Aurora Jersey card.





Donald Dufresne


A star defenceman with the Troit-Rivieres Draveaurs in the QMJHL, Donald Dufresne was the 117th in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, by the Montreal Canadiens.


Dufresne would make his NHL debut with the Habs, playing 13 games in 1988-89, and also registered his first NHL assist. He'd spend the next several years up & down between the Habs & the AHL.


The 1992-93 season saw Dufresne stick in the NHL full time, though he was still not an every day player. He logged 32 games for the Habs that year, and scored his first NHL goal. The season ended in a Championship, Dufresne helped Montreal win the Stanley Cup.


He was traded to Tampa Bay after that. He'd log 51 games for the Bolts, before he was dealt at the deadline to Los Angles. He played in 9 games for the Kings.


He was a waiver claim by the Blues, during the 94-95 season. He was a part time player with St. Louis, and continued in that role into the next season.


The Blues would deal Dufresne to the Edmonton Oilers in a four player swap during the 1995-96 season. Dufresne played 42 games with the Oilers that year, and 22 more in 1996-97.


The Oilers would be his last NHL games. He went back home and played for the Quebec Rafales in the IHL for the 1997-98 season, and then retired.


Pictured are Dufresne's 1990-91 Upper Deck Rookie Card, and his 94-95 BAP Autograph.





Joaquin Gage


Joaquin Gage played for the Portland Winter Hawks in the WHL, and after winning 27 games in 1991-92 he was made the 109th overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 1992.


He'd finish his junior career with the Prince Albert Raiders in 1993-94, and turned pro the following season. He played in 54 games for the Cape Breton Oilers, but made his NHL debut with Edmonton as well, playing twice.


The next season saw Gage back in the minors, but he had an extended call up - when he played 16 NHL games, and earned his first NHL victory.


That would be it for Gage & the NHL for a while. He played another season in the Oilers organization, and then found himself moving between organizations and playing in both the AHL & ECHL.


Joaquin rejoined the Oilers franchise in 1999-00 for a game with the Hamilton Bulldogs. He also made 25 starts for the Canadian National Team that year.


2000-01 saw him back primarily with the Bulldogs, but he did get another NHL call up & played in 5 more games for the Oilers, earning his last two NHL victories.


Gage went to Europe after that, and played another 7 seasons in Scotland, Sweden, Germany, and Italy. He'd retire after the 2007-08 season. During the 2001-02 season, he was named MVP of the British Superleague while playing for the Ayr Scottish Eagles.


Pictured are Gage's 1995-96 Leaf Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his 95-96 Parkhurst International.






Brett Hauer


After being drafted 71st overall in 1989 by the Vancouver Canucks, Brett Hauer would spend four years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.


He turned pro after finishing school, and played for Las Vegas in the IHL, and AIK in Sweden. The Canucks would trade him to the Edmotnon Oilers in the summer of 1995 for a draft pick.


Hauer made his NHL debut the next season, and played in 29 games for the Oilers. The defenceman scored 4 times, and added 2 helpers.


He`d spend the next three seasons in the IHL, where he was an all star from `99 through `01. He was named best defenceman in the league for both 2000 and 2001. 1999-00 also saw him get a brief call up with the Oilers again, for 5 games.


He`d sign with the Los Angles Kings after that, but never played for them. He`d be dealt to the Nashville Predators in December of 2001. He`d play in three contests for the Preds, and spent most of the rest of the year in the AHL.


Hauer went overseas after that. He`d spend the next four seasons in Switzerland, one in Russia, and then his final season was played in Switzerland in 2007-08.


Hauer represented the USA on five separate occasions. He was a member of the American squad at the 1994 Winter Olympics, and their entry at the World Championships in 1995, 2003, 2004, and 2005.


Pictured are Hauer`s 1993-94 Fleer Ultra Rookie Card, and his 1994-95 Classic Autograph.





Curtis Joseph


Curtis Joseph (or `Cujo`) was never drafted, despite starring for the Wisconsin Badgers where he was voted to the WCHA All Conference Team. The St. Louis Blues offered him a contract, and he took it - leaving the NCAA after only one season.


Joseph made his NHL debut in 1989-90, playing in 15 games for the Blues. He went 9-5-1. He doubled his workload the next season, playing in 30 games for St. Louis.


He was nearly made a member of the New Jersey Devils in 1991. The Blues had signed Brendan Shanahan as a restricted free agent. The Devils wanted Scott Stevens as compensation (whom St. Louis had just given up four 1st round picks for the year before), but the Blues countered with Joseph, Rod Brind'Amour and a pair of draft picks. An arbitrator ruled that Stevens would be sent to New Jersey as compensation.


He would be a full-fledged #1 goalie for St. Louis in 1991-92, playing in 60 games. He set a career high with 36 wins in 1993-94, en route to a Vezina nomination.


After a first round loss in 1995, the Blues signed free agent Grant Fuhr, ending Cujo's tenure as the Blues #1. He was without contract, and his rights (along with Mike Grier) were dealt to the Edmonton Oilers in lieu of the '96 & '97 1st round picks that St. Louis owed Edmonton as compensation for signing Shayne Corson.


Joseph started the 1995-96 without an NHL contract, so he was playing for the Las Vegas Thunder in the IHL. The Oilers already had an established goalie in Bill Ranford so there was no urgency to sign Cujo or trade either of them. The Oilers would ultimately get Curtis under contract, and dealt Ranford to the Boston Bruins.


He played in 34 games for Edmonton in 95-96, putting up a record of 15-16-2, but the Oilers failed to make the playoffs.


1996-97 saw Cujo play in a career high 72 games for the Oilers, going 32-29-9, and getting the Oilers back in the playoffs for the first time since 1992. The 7th seeded Oilers pulled off a shocking 1st round upset of the Dallas Stars, largley thanks to Cujo's efforts.


The 97-98 season saw the Oilers as a bubble team once again, and back in the 7th seed. This time they were playing the team that knocked them out the year before: The Colorado Avalanche. Once again, Cujo was able to to lift Edmonton to a 1st round upset. They'd be knocked out in the 2nd round again, this time by Dallas.


Joseph would leave the Oilers as a free agent after the 97-98 season, and sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He put up great numbers in his four seasons with Toronto, and the highlight was the deep playoff run they went on in 2002. The Maple Leafs lost in the Eastern Conference finals to the Carolina Hurricanes, 4 games to 2.


Joseph's rights were dealt to the Calgary Flames at the draft in 2002, but he was headed to Free Agency and did not sign with the Flames. He took a three year deal with the defending Stanley Cup Champs: The Detroit Red Wings, who needed to replace the retired Dominik Hasek.


With the Wings in 02-03 Joseph played in 61 games and won 34 of them. Detroit finished 2nd in the West, but they were upset in the first round by the Anaheim Might Ducks (who would go on to lose a 7 game finals to New Jersey).


2003 came around, and Hasek wanted to come back. This put the Red Wings in an awkward position, but they opted to go with both Joseph & Hasek for the 03-04 season (along with Manny Legace).


Hasek injured his groin, and wound up only playing in 14 games. While it was actually Manny Legace who (ironically) lead the team in games played (41) it did give Cujo another shot to lead the Red Wings to playoff glory. It wouldn't come to be though. Depite being the top-seed in the West, they were beaten in the 2nd round by the Calgary Flames.


With the 04-05 season lost to a lockout, Cujo found himself a free agent once again. He joined the Phoenix Coyotes. It was with Phoenix where he recorded his 400th career win, and where he became the first goalie to have 30 or more regular season wins with 5 different teams.


After taking the early part of the NHL season off, Cujo would take a 1 year deal in Calgary mid-way through the 07-08 season. While with the Flames he moved past Terry Sawchuk and into 4th place on the all time wins list. When he replaced Miikka Kipursoff four minutes into Game #3 of the first round, and the Flames came from behind to win, Joseph became the first goalie to record playoff wins with 5 difference teams.


He'd play one final season with the Leafs in 2008-09. He recorded his 450th career win, and set a record with 352 career losses (which was since broken by Martin Brodeur).


He retired with 454 career regular season wins and currently sits 7th on the all time win list. His 63 playoff wins are the most by any goalie to never win a Stanley Cup. He won the King Clancy trophy in 2000 and was a three time All Star ('94, '99, '00)


International, Cujo played for Canada four times: Winning Silver medals at the 1996 World Championships & 1996 World Cup. He won Gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics & the 2007 Spengler Cup.


Pictured are three cards of Cujo: His 1990-91 OPC Premier Rookie Card, an Ultimate Memorabilia Autograph & Pad, and his 1997-98 Upper Deck base card. This card shows an image of what I consider the best save I ever watched. I'd love to get the Game-Dated moments parallel of it, and/or one of the signed buybacks.



MandervilleKent


Kent Manderville


Kent Manderville was drafted 24th overall in 1989 by the Calgar Flames, after an exceptional season (39 goals, 75 points, in 58 games) with the Notre Dame Hounds in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Instead of going pro right away, he then went to play two seasons at Cornell University.


Manderville helped Canada win back-to-back Golds at the World Junior Championships in 1990 and 1991, en route to becoming one of the top prospects in hockey.


The 1991-92 season saw Manderville play for the Canadian National team, and he represented Canada at the 1992 Winter Olympics. His rights were also traded from Calgary to Toronto in a 1992 blockbuster deal that saw 10 players changes teams: Manderville, Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress and Rick Wamsley were sent to Toronto in exchange for Craig Berube, Alexander Godynyuk, Gary Leeman, Michel Petit, and Jeff Reese.


Following the Olympics, Kent would turn pro and made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs. He played in 15 games and recorded 4 assists.


92-93 saw him score his first NHL goal, but he spent the majority of the season in the AHL. He was a fulltime NHLer with the Leafs for the 93-94 & 94-95 seasons, but found himself back with the baby Leafs in St. John's to start the 95-96 campaign.


In December of 1995, the Edmonton Oilers would deal Peter White & a draft pick to the Leafs for Manderville. He played 37 games for Edmonton that season, scoring three times and adding five helpers.


He'd leave Edmonton as a free agent, and sign with the Hartford Whalers. He split that season between Hartford & the AHL - but he made the move with the team to Carolina, and never played in the AHL again.


1998-99 saw Manderville set career highs with 81 games played, 5 goals, 11 assists, and 16 points. He'd remain with the Hurricanes until he was traded in March of 2000 to the Philadelphia Flyers.


After playing in all 82 Flyers games in 2000-01, he was traded to Pittsburgh during the 01-02 season. He was only a part time player with the Pens, until 2002-03 when he (once again) played in all 82 games.


02-03 would be Manderville's last season in the NHL. He'd play three seasons in Sweden, and another in Finland, before retiring in 2007.


Pictured are his 1990-91 Upper Deck Rookie Card, and his BAP Millennium Series autograph.





Bryan Muir


Bryan Muir went undrafted after three seasons with the University of New Hampshire. He played 42 games with the Canadian National Team in 1995-96, before signing a contract with the Edmonton Oilers. He'd make his NHL debut with them that year, playing in 5 games.


Muir didn't play in any NHL contests during the 96-97 season, but skated in 7 more with the Oilers in 97-98. He was then made part of a huge trade for the Oilers: He was sent to New Jersey along with Jason Arnott, for Bill Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin.


Muir only played in one game for the Devils, in 98-99, before he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. He'd spend a season & a half there and was then traded to Tampa Bay.


The Lightning played Muir in 40 games over two seasons, but would end up trading him to Colorado in 2001. With the Avalanche he would win a Stanley Cup in 2002, before leaving as a free agent after the 02-03 season.


Muir signed with the Los Angles Kings, played mostly in the minors, and then went to Europe for the 04-05 lockout season. 2005-06 saw him have his best NHL regular season: He played in 72 games (8 goals, 26 points, 72 PIMs) for the Washington Capitals.


He'd played another season in Washington, before joining the Leafs organization in 2007 - though he only played for the AHL Marlies. He'd play a season in the KHL and another in Germany before retiring in 2009.


Pictured are Muir's 97-98 Upper Deck Rookie Card, and his 07-08 BAP Autograph.







Jeff Norton


Jeff Norton was drafted 62nd overall by the New York Islanders in 1984. The big defenceman would head to college after being drafted, and played three seasons at the University of Michigan.


After a stint with the US National Team in 87-88, when he represented the USA at the 1988 Winter Olympics, Norton joined the Islanders and made his NHL debut. He'd play 15 games that season, an scored his first NHL goal.


Norton never spent a day in the minors. He was a fulltime part of the Isle's blue line in 1988, highlighted by a career high 53 points in 89-90 & 12 goals in 92-93.


He was traded at the 1993 NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks for a draft pick, and then flipped to the St. Louis Blues (with a pick) for Craig Janney at the 1995 NHL trade deadline.


Norton would spend just the last part of the 94-95 season, and first few months of the 95-96 season with St. Louis. He'd be dealt to the Edmonton Oilers with Donald Dufresne for Igor Kravchuk and Ken Sutton.


His stay in Edmonton wasn't much longer. He played 92 games, with 6 goals and 27 assists, before being traded to Tampa Bay, for Drew Bannister and a pick, at the 1997 trade deadline.


Jeff spent the rest of the 96-97 season in Florida, all of the 97-98 season, and the first three games of 98-99. The entire time was not spent with the Lightning though, he was traded to the Florida Panthers.


The Panthers would flip him back to San Jose - where he spent two more seasons, and getting back above the 20 point mark for the first time since 1995-96.


Norton left San Jose to sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000-01, but would be traded back to the Sharks before the end of the season. He'd sign on for a 2nd stint with the Panthers in 2001-02, but was traded to the Bruins before the end of the season.


Jeff Norton retired following the 01-02 season.


It's fitting that he did play a few games (32) with the Penguins, as there's a 4,700-pound bronze statue of him in front of their arena. He & Rich Pilon are the defenceman that Mario Lemieux is skating between.


Shown here are four cards of Norton. His 89-90 OPC Rookie Card, a BAP Autograph. The Sharks Parkhurst card is one he signed TTM for me back in the mid-90s, and there's also an Ultra Gold Medallion insert.





David Roberts


Hockey runs through Robert`s family. His father Doug played 419 NHL games, and 140 in the WHA. His uncle Gordie played 311 in the WHA and 1097 in the NHL.


David would be drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1989, while his uncle was playing for the team. He played four all-star seasons at the University of Michigan. He`d join the US National Team, and played at the 1994 Winter Olympics before signing with the Blues.


Roberts made his NHL debut in 1993-94 playing a single game for the Blues. He followed that up the next season with 19 games, when he scored his first 6 NHL goals.


After a slow start to the 1995-96 season, Roberts was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for future considerations. He played just 6 games for the Oilers, scoring twice.


He`d sign with the Vancouver Canucks after that, and had his best NHL season. In 58 games he scored 10 goals, and added 17 assits.


1997-98 saw him play another 13 games for the Canucks, spending a big chunk of the season in the AHL. He signed with the Michigan K-Wings of the IHL for 98-99, and then went overseas to Switzerland.


Roberts came back to North America for the 2000-01 season, when he played for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the IHL. He`d play three more seasons in Germany after that, and retired in 2004.


Roberts now runs a hockey academy in Ann Arbor, and is an active member of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni charity team.


Pictured are a pair of his hockey cards: His 1993-94 Fleer Ultra RC, and his 1995 Signature Rookie auto`d calling card.





Miroslav Satan


Miroslav Satan seemed like a junior prodigy playing for his local junior club, HC Topolcany, in 1991-92. He scored 30 goals & 22 assists, in just 31 games. He`d continue to dominate the Slovak league for two more seasons, as a teenager.


Satan was drafted in the 5th round of the 1993 NHL Entry draft by the Edmonton Oilers. He`d then represent Slovakia three times internationally in 1994, and was spectacular: 6 goals & 13 points in 4 games at the World Junior Championships. 9 goals in 8 games as the 1994 Winter Olympics. 7 goals & an assist at the World Championships.


He came to North America in 1994, and spent a bit of time in the IHL before signing with the OIlers. In 25 AHL games with Cape Breton he scored 24 times, for 40 points.


Satan made his NHL debut with Edmonton in 1995-96. He played in 62 contests and scored 18 times, for 35 points. He`d come back the following season and scored 17 goals & 28 points in 64 games - and then the Oilers traded him to Buffalo.


The Sabres gave up Barrie Moore & Craig Miller (whose combined career totals are 153 NHL games, and 10 goals) in a move that puzzled me then, looked terrible immediately, and probably goes down as one of the worst trades in franchise history.


Miroslav would score 8 goals for the Sabres during the final dozen games of the 96-97 season. He would set a career highs with 40 goals in 1998-99, and 75 points 2002-03. He lead the Sabres in scoring 6 times during his 7 full seasons in Buffalo, and ranks 10th all time in franchise scoring.


After the 04-05 lockout, he was not offered a contract by the Sabres, and signed with the New York Islanders. He scored 35 goals his first season in Long Island, the 4th 30+ goal season of his career. He`d pop 27 the following season, breaking the 25 goal mark for the 8th time.


Satan would join the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008-09 to add depth scoring to an already talented group. He scored 17 regular season goals, and added another one in the playoffs, helping Pittsburgh capture the 2009 Stanley Cup.


He`d play one last NHL season with the Boston Bruins, in 2009-10, before heading back to Slovakia. He retired at the end of the 2013-14 season, after playing for HC Slovan Bratislava in the KHL.


Satan was a two time NHL all star (2000, 2003) and played for Slovakia on more than 20 occasions, including the World Junior Championships, 14 World Championships, 2 World Cups, and 4 Olympic Games. In total he played 180 games for the national team, scoring 86 goals. He Captained the Slovakian teams to Bronze (`03)`, Silver (`00), and Gold (`02) medals at the World Championships.


Pictured are Satan`s Zenith Rookie Card, his BAP Autograph, and a Pacific jersey card.



StajduharNick


Nick Stajduhar


Nick Stajduhar was the final piece in the Wayne Gretzky trade. He was selected in the first round of the 1993 NHL Entry draft, 16th overall, but the Edmonton Oilers. The 3rd 1st round pick the Oilers got in return for The Great One.


Stajduhar was both a physical & offensive defenceman playing for the OHL`s London Knights. In his final junior season (93-94) he scored 34 goals and 52 assists, and was part of Canada`s gold medal entry at the 1994 World Junior Championships. He`d turn pro the next season, and scored 12 times (along with 26 helpers) in 54 AHL games.


During the 1995-96 season, Nick spent 46 games with the Canadian National team, played 8 games in the AHL, and he made his NHL debut playing a pair of games for Edmonton.


Despite the call-up to the NHL, it was apparent that Stajduhar`s play had regressed. An off-season incident (he was sucker punched, outside a nightclub) had left him concussed, and he was never really the same after that.


Stajduhar split the next season between the AHL & ECHL. He`d continue to play pro hockey until 2001, but never really came close to getting back to the NHL.


Pictured are three cards of Nick. His 93-94 Upper Deck RC, a signed copy of his 93-94 Pinnacle RC (I met him, while he was playing for the National Team in 95-96), and a Cape Breton Oilers card (closet thing to an "Oilers card" that actually exists)

[creasecollector]

What. A. Show.

Love your dedication to this collection and your team. Must be super fun adding older names into your collection as the years go by.

[30ranfordfan]

What. A. Show.

Love your dedication to this collection and your team. Must be super fun adding older names into your collection as the years go by.

It's a ton of fun. I'm spending a fair bit of time on these writeups, as I wanted to give this alltime project the effort I think it deserves. I might use my own writeups again later, and build a website to showcase this stuff (maybe next years?)

Most of these cards I've owned for years. Just getting around to showing them off now.... butone thing that is a ton of fun, is continuing to scouer new checklists for cards I'd like to add.

Kevin Lowe only recently started to get Game Used cards (that wernt ITG 1/1s). Gary Edwards was just featured in Lumber Kings from Leaf. I love finding out that cards are now available that Didnt exist when I first put together my master list.

I think when my next thread is done (90s are finished) I'm going to do an update thread, showing pieces I've added since the player was first posted.

[creasecollector]

It's a ton of fun. I'm spending a fair bit of time on these writeups, as I wanted to give this alltime project the effort I think it deserves. I might use my own writeups again later, and build a website to showcase this stuff (maybe next years?)

Most of these cards I've owned for years. Just getting around to showing them off now.... butone thing that is a ton of fun, is continuing to scouer new checklists for cards I'd like to add.

Kevin Lowe only recently started to get Game Used cards (that wernt ITG 1/1s). Gary Edwards was just featured in Lumber Kings from Leaf. I love finding out that cards are now available that Didnt exist when I first put together my master list.

I think when my next thread is done (90s are finished) I'm going to do an update thread, showing pieces I've added since the player was first posted.

Yeah, an All-Time Oilers website would be something else. Best of luck with that project! Since you already have the text and pictures from these threads, it shouldn't take you long at all. :)

[oilfan10]

Love the history behind everything Sean! A lot of these guys are before my time, but one of the coolest ones IMO is Joaquin Gage. He does local radio here in Edmonton and is absolutely hilarious.

[30ranfordfan]

Yeah, an All-Time Oilers website would be something else. Best of luck with that project! Since you already have the text and pictures from these threads, it shouldn't take you long at all. :)

One day? What you're saying is bang on.... I've been putting the effort into these posts, and they'll all be reusable after the fact. Some of my scans suck though, so I'll probably end up redoing a lot of them - if I ever go that far.

Love the history behind everything Sean! A lot of these guys are before my time, but one of the coolest ones IMO is Joaquin Gage. He does local radio here in Edmonton and is absolutely hilarious.

I didn't know that (radio show). Glad to hear it though (that he's doing it, and that it's good). There's obviously a lot of obscure guys that I knew little about - that's been a lot of the fun for me. I knew nothing about Darcy Martini, for example. There isn't a lot to know (hockey career wise) but there is some neat stuff to learn about some of these players, if you take the time to look it up.

I'm well into the time frame where I'm now writing about the players I remember cheering for as a teenager. First Oilers jersey I ever bought - it was a toss up between Weight & Arnott (I went with Weight). I loved the 90s playoff series vs Dallas & Colorado. Some of the role players (Marchant & Greir in particular) I remember very well, not just the stars. Failed prospects? Yup... I remember the hype around guys like Bonsignore, that never panned out.

The 80s was a little tougher for me.... obviously that's where the bulk of the Edmonton all-time greats come from - but even names that all Oilers fans would know (Foglin & Hunter come to mind really quickly) I really don't have any reference to their playing days in my head. I'm not old enough to remember them playing, and they weren't big enough names that their careers would have stuck with me.