30ranfordfan
Verified Trader,
All Time Oilers Collection Part 9: 2005-06 through 2009-10
If you have not seen my other threads, I'll mention what I collect: All Time Oilers. My collection features an Autograph of every player to have ever played for the team. It features a Rookie Card for any player who has one, and minor league or team issued cards for those that don't. If a player does have a card showing him as an Oiler, I've got one of those. I also collect a Game Used card for any player that has one. I sort them by the year they made their Oilers' debut.
I'm always looking to upgrade cards. I stick to pack-pulled autographs for those that have them available, and prefer hard-signed to stickers. I'll get TTM or In Person autographs from players that never signed for card companies. Like everyone, I prefer nice patches to plain swatches on my jersey cards. If you think you have something that would be an upgrade for one of the cards I have here, I'd love to hear about it.
Part 9. It starts off with a bang, all the new editions that helped the Oilers make a run to the finals, and lose a heart-breaking Game 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes. This team was so much fun to watch. I never liked how it was cited as an example of "just get in, and anything can happen" - as I don't believe this team, as it was constructed late in the season, was an 8th place team. Once the goaltending was solved (and a few other addtions) it was a legit contender. Sounds like something that could be applied to current Oilers team!
I have to mention a particular defenceman (he'll be named later, when you see his cards). Let me just say that I truely believe he is one of the greatest 10, or so, hockey players that ever lived. What he could do on the ice was nothing short of incredible. It's too bad he only stuck around for one season - but I'm not one of the Oiler fans whose a hater. Lots of rumors as to why he left, but there's a few things we know for sure. He was traded to Edmonton. He signed a long term extension. He was having a house built in Edmonton, but stopped construction on it (I believe) in late December. My take? Family reasons (whatever they were) made living in Edmonton untenable. He told managment that he wanted to be traded, but since a mid-season trade can be so hard to pull off - he was okay with playing out the season. Knowing he was going to be one and done with the Oilers, Kevin Lowe (then the GM) went out and stocked up, got the missing pieces, and tried to win it while he had him. A planned off season trade? He still played his guts out for them, and nearly won a Stanley Cup.
The positive for the Oilers ends after 2006 though. While there's still some great players who made their Oilers debut after that, the 2006-07 season kicks off what many Oilers fans refer to as "the decade of darkness". A carousel of General Mangers & Head Coaches, and chronically underachiving teams, last place finishes, and 4 #1 overall picks.
If you missed my other threads, and would like to see them, you can do so here:
Part 8 (00-01 through 03-04): http://hobbyinsider.net/forum/showthread.php?t=447469
Part 7 (96-97 through 99-00): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=441974
Part 6 (93-94 through 95-96): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=440343
Part 5 (90-91 through 92-93): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=438018
Part 4 (87-88 through 89-90): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=436263
Part 3 (83-84 through 86-87): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=429957
Part 2 (80-81 through 85-86): http://hobbyinsider.net/forum/showthread.php?t=429082
Part 1 (79-80): http://hobbyinsider.net/forum/showthread.php?t=427601
2005-06
Kyle Brodziak
Kyle Brodziak's draft-eligible year in 2002 saw him get passed over, after a season where he put up 8 goals and 20 points with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. His 3rd junior season saw him break out offensivly, scoring 32 goals and 30 assists. The Edmonton Oilers used a 7th round pick to select him as an overager in 2003.
Brodziak finsihed his junior career a WHL All-Star, with a 39 goal / 93 point season, and turned pro in 2004-05 with the Edmonton Roadrunners. The 2005-06 season saw him play 55 games with the Iowa Stars (the Oilers were sharing the AHL club with Dallas) and he made his NHL debut, playing in 10 games.
Kyle spent most of the 2006-07 season with the Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Oilers sharing AHL clubs again). He scored 24 goals in 62 games, and play 6 more NHL contests, notching his first NHL goal.
The 2007-08 season would see Brodziak as a full time NHLer. He never played another game in the minors. He played 80 games for the Oilers that year, scoring 14 times, to go along with 17 assists.
Brodziak proved to be a durable, defensivly sound centerman for the Oilers, but his production dipped in 2008-09. He was traded to the Minnesota Wild after the season ended, along with a 6th round pick, for 4th and 5th round picks. A bit of irony, the 5th round pick ended up being goalie Oliver Roy who is now playing in Germany, while the 6th round pick the dealt ended up being Darcy Kuemper.
He spent the next six seasons in Minnesota, and set career highs with 22 goals and 44 points in 2011-12. He was a very good third line centre for the Wild.
Free Agency hit in 2015, and Kyle would join the St Louis Blues. He played three seasons therem with his most productive being his last one, 2017-18.
A free agent again, Kyle would sign to have a second stint with the Oilers in 2018-19. He played 70 games for them, before an injured back kept him out of the lineup, and put onto LTIR. His contract was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, along with a pick, for Mike Green. He never played for Detrot, and instead ended up retiring.
Kyle played in 917 regular season NHL games.
Pictured are Brodziak's Ultimate Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his (non-auto) Future Watch.
Matt Greene
After a pair of seasons with the US National Development Program, Matt Greene joined the USHL's Green Bay Gamberls, where the defenseman was a 2nd team all star. The Oilers would use the 44th overall pick in 2002 to select him.
He played the next three seasons at the University of North Dakota, and turned pro in 2005-06. He split the season with the AHL's Iowa Stars (26 games) and the Oilers (27 games) recoding his first two NHL assists.
2006-07 saw Greene become a fulltime NHLer. He played in 78 games, scored his first NHL goal, and cemented his place as a defensive stalwart for the Oilers.
2007-08 saw Greene miss some time due to injury. He played in only 46 NHL games for the Oilers, and also a single AHL game for the Springfield Falcons, on a conditioning stint.
2008 marked the end of his time in Edmonton. Greene was traded, along with Jarrret Stoll, to the Los Angeles Kings for Lubomir Visnovsky.
Matt was an excellent defender for the Kings over the next 9 seasons. He would help LA win Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. Injuries limited his 12-13, 15-16, and 16-17 seasons (he played a total of 34 games between those three years). He retired following the 16-17 season, due to those injuries.
An alternate Captain with the Kings, Greene reprsented the USA at the 2003 World Junior Championships, and at the '07, '08, and '10 World Championships.
After retiring, he took a pro scouting job with the Kings.
Pictured are Greene's Ultimate Rookie Card, a signed copy of a UD base card, and Panini Fabric of the Game jersey card.
Todd Harvey
Todd Harvey was an underage Junior B star with the Cambridge Winter Hawks, joining the club at 14 years old. After two seasons he was drafted 1st overall in the OHL Draft by the Detroit Jr. Red Wings.
As an OHL sophmore, he posted totals of 50 goals and 50 assists, and was drafted 9th overall by the Dallas Stars in 1993.
He made his NHL debut in 1994-95, scoring 11 goals and 9 assists in 40 games. The future looked promising, but he never really lived up to his first round pick status.
The 11 goals would end up being a career high, that he'd match twice more. He set a career high of 31 points with Dallas in 1996-97.
Harvey was traded to the New York Rangers in the summer of 1998, when he was packaged with Bob Errey & a draft pick, for Brian Skrudland, Mike Keane, and a pick.
He matched his career high with 11 goals in 1998-99, in just 37 games, but after scoring 3 times in 31 in 1999-00, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks with a pick, for Radek Dvorak. He popped another 8 goals that season with San Jose, hitting 11 goals total once again.
Harvey played for the Sharks up until the 2004-05 lockout, though he did have a stint in the AHL during the 03-04 season. For the lockout year he played with the Cambridge Hornets (in the former "Major League Hockey", the Senior 'A' league in Southwestern Ontario).
After the lockout, Harvey joined the Edmonton Oilers as a free agent. He played in 63 games, and another 10 in the playoffs. The Oilers didn't bring him back for the 06-07 season, and his NHL career was done.
Harvey played two seasons of Senior 'A' hockey with the Dundas Real McCoys in 06-07 and 07-08, before retiring. He helped lead Dundas to a league Championship in 2008, though the club fell short in the Allan Cup tournament.
Since retiring, he joined the OHL's Guelph Storm as an assistant coach from 2012 to 2017. He then left to take a scouting job with the Vancouver Canucks. He was promoted to director of amateur scouting in 2020.
He represented Canada at the World Junior Championships twice, winning Gold in both 1994 and 1995.
Pictured are Harvey's Pinnacle Rookie Card, a BAP Autograph, and an MVP base card, showing him with the Oilers.
Jean-Francois Jacques
J-F Jacques' 6'3" frame had many scouts believing he'd develope into a strong NHL power forward. The Oilers selected him with the 68th overall pick in 2003, after a pair of seasons with the QMJHL's Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
He played two more seasons of Junior, and then made his pro debut with the Edmonton Road Runners at the end of the 04-05 season, playing in 6 games.
For the 2005-06 season, Jacques played 65 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs, but got a call up and played 7 games for the Oilers.
He split the next few seasons between the NHL and AHL, playing in 37 games (06-07), 9 games (07-08), and 7 games (08-09) with the Oilers. It wasn't until the 08-09 season when he scored his first NHL goal, which was also his first NHL point.
He was a full time NHLer in 2009-10, but not an every day one. He played 49 games and scored 4 times. He spent most of the season with Edmonton in 2010-11, scoring 4 more goals, and had a short stint with the AHL's Oklahoma City Barsons.
He joined the Anahime Ducks as a free agent in 2011, but played in just 6 NHL games for them. He spent most of the season in the AHL.
He signed with Florida next, but never played for them. They traded him to Tampa Bay during the season, for future considerations. He just played for their affiliate as well.
Jacques signed with the Oilers' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, for the 2013-14 season, and after that he took his game to Europe. He spent the next four seasons playing in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, before retiring in 2018.
Shown here are Jacques' SPX Rookie Card, and his H&P Autograph.
Krys Kolanos
Krys Kolanos scored the overtime winning goal, bringing Boston College a National Championhip. The Alberta native was then drafted 19th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000.
He turned pro in 2001, and played in 57 games for the Coyotes. He scored 11 times and added 11 helpers.
He only played a pair of games in 2002-03. He'd missed time the season before due to a concussion, and he was still having issues with it.
Kolanos split the 2003-04 season between Phoenix and Springfield of the AHL. He played in both Sweden and Germany during the lockout, and was back in North America for the 2005-06 season.
05-06 was certainly an interesting season for Kolanos. He started the season with Phonix, but was claimed buy the Edmonton Oilers on waivers, on November 11th. On December 19th he was claimed on waivers once again, and went back to the dessert. Phoenix would then trade him 11 days later, to the Carolina Hurricanes, for Pavel Brendl. Carolina dealt him, along with Niklas Nordgren and a 2nd round pick, to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 9th, for Mark Recchi.
In total, Kolanos played for five teams in 2005-06. 9 games with the Coyotes, 6 games with the Oilers, 3 with the San Antonio Rampage, 19 with the Lowell Lock Monsters, and 18 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
He split the 2006-07 season between the AHL and Switzerland, and played for the Quad City Flames in 2007-08. He joined the Wild for the 2008-09 season and spent most of the year in the minors, but played 21 NHL games.
His next NHL stint would be his three games with the Calgary Flames in 2011-12, they'd be the last NHL games for his career. He'd play a pair of seasons in the KHL, and split two between Germany and Switzerland, before retiring in 2018.
Kolanos won a Gold medal with Canada at the 2003 World Championships.
Pictured are Krys' Titanium Rookie Card /36, a BAP Autograph, and a Pacific Jersey card.
Michael Morrison
After a season at Phillips Exeter Academy Prep School, Michael Morrison was drafted in the 7th round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
He'd played four seasons at the University of Maine, and was a First Team All Star in 2001-02.
Michael turned pro in 2002, and spent the next few season playing in the ECHL (Columbus, Greenville) and the AHL (Toronto & Edmonton Road Runners).
2005-06 is when Morrison got his NHL shot. After starting the season in the ECHL, he was recalled and the Oilers ran with 3 goalies on the roster for while. He played in 21 games, posting a 10-4-2 record.
After the Oilers aquired Dwayne Roloson, Morrison was put on waivers and claimed by the Ottawa Senators. He played 4 games for the Sens, and had a 1-0-1 record.
He signed with the Phoenix Coyotes in the off season. He spent most of the year in the minors, but played 4 games for Phonix, going 0-3.
After a season in the Islanders system, he went to Europe and played in both Sweden and Austria in 2008-09.
Morrison's final season was 2009-10, split between the AHL (Albany) and the ECHL (Florida, Utah).
Shown here are Morrison's UD Rookie Update RC /999, and his H&P Autograph.
Michael Peca
Michael Peca was a first round selection of the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL, and then traded to the Ottawa 67s mid-way through his second year. He was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks with the 40th pick in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.
After the 93-94 OHL season ended, Peca made his NHL debut, playing in 4 games for Vancouver. He started the lockout season of 94-95 with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, before playing 33 games for Vancouver, scoring his first 6 NHL goals.
Peca was then dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in a blockbuster trade in the summer of 1995. He was sent along with Mike Wilson & a 1st round pick to Buffalo, for Alexander Mogilny and a 5th rounder.
For the next 5 seasons, Peca was a star with Buffalo, eventually becoming their Captain, and leading them to the 1999 Stanley Cup finals. He didn't play for the entire 2000-01 season, locked in a contract dispute with the Sabres.
Instead of paying him what the Selke Trophy winner was worth, the Sabres dealt him to the New York Islanders for a pair of their top prospects, Taylor Pyatt & Tim Connolly.
Peca played three seasons on Long Island, won another Selke, and set a career high with 60 points in 2001-02. After the 2004-05 lockout, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Mike York.
With the Oilers, Peca was a 3rd line centre, scored 9 times, and added 14 helpers in 71 games. He was part of the club that went to the 2006 Stanley Cup final. He scored 6 goals in the 2006 playoffs.
A free agent, Peca would join the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2006-07 season, but injuries limited him to just 35 games. A free agent again, he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets on a two year pact. He played the 07-08 and 08-09 season with Columbus, and then retired.
Peca represented Canada on three occasions. He was a member of the 2001 World Championhip team, and won Gold Medals at the 1994 World Junior Championships, and the 2002 Olympics.
The two-time Selke winner has since gone into coaching. After taking a player development role with the Washington Capitals, he was an assistant coach for Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, in 2021-22.
Pictured are Peca's Pinnacle Rookie Card, and a Cup Honrable Numbers Patch / Auto.
Marc-Antoine Pouliot
Marc-Antoine Pouliot was a junior star witht he Rimouski Oceanic. After scoring 32 goals & 73 points in 65 games in 2002-03, the Edmonton Oilers selected him 22nd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
After two more strong seasons with Rimouski, Pouliot turned pro in 2005-06. He spent most of the season in the minors, but made his NHL debut, scoring once, in eight games.
Marc never really hit his stride in the NHL. While he scored plenty in the minors, he was sent back & forth a lot. 63 games with the Oilers, 8 goals, and 12 assists, in 2008-09, would all end up being career highs.
He left the Oilers as a free agent, and signed with Tampa Bay in 2010. After a season where he only palyed 3 games with the Lightning, he was traded to Phoenix for a 7th round pick.
He split the 2011-12 season between the NHL and AHL, playing in his final 13 NHL games for the Coyotes.
Pouliot has had a long career in Switzerland since. He's played for Biel HC, Fribourg-Gotteron, and most recently Geneve Servette for the 2021-22 season.
He's represented Canada four times. Pouliot won gold at the 2003 under 18s, the 2012 & 2016 Spengler Cup, and also played for Canada at the 2013 Spengler Cup.
Shown here is Marc's Rookie-Auto-Patch from Upper Deck's 2006-07 The Cup.
Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger stared for two seasons with the Peterborough Petes, before he was draft eligible in 1993. The Hartford Whalers swung a blockbuster of a deal with the San Jose Sharks at the draft, trading picks 6, 45, 58, and Sergie Makarov to the Sharks in exchange for the #2 selection. They used that pick to select Chris Pronger.
Pronger's junior career effectivly ended that day, as he made the Whalers team in 1993. He turned 19 as the season began, and played in 81 games for Hartford, scoing 5 goals, 25 assists, and racked up 113 Penalty Minutes. His 6'6" frame was already an imposing force, even as a teenager. He was named to the NHL's All-Rookie team.
Pronger played only one more season with Hartford, before he was traded to the St. Louis Blues for another future Hall of Famer, Brendan Shanahan. Pronger's game only got better by the season with the Blues, and he quickly became one of the best handful of defenceman in the leauge.
1999-00 was Pronger's best year, statistically. He was named team Captain, and then set career highs with 14 goals & 62 points. He lead the league with a +52 rating. He won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman, and the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP. He led the Blues to 1st place overall in the regular season, but they fell short in the playoffs, getting upset by the Sharks in round 1.
With another couple of strong seasons, Pronger was limited to just 5 games in 2002-03, due to injury. He played his last season with the Blues in 2003-04.
At the end of the 04-05 lockout, Pronger was traded from St. Louis (who was looking to cut costs, with a pending sale of the team) to the Edmonton Oilers for Eric Brewer, Doug Lynch, and Jeff Woywitka.
After signing a 6 year contract, Pronger's impact in Edmonton was immediate. He put up 56 points in 80 games, and was an absolute force on the Oilers' blueline. It was a calibre of a player they hadn't had since they dynasty years. Chris lead the Oilers in the playoffs, and was amoung the most important players in their run to the finals, where they lost in Game 7. Following the end of the season, Pronger requested a trade.
There's still a lot of Oiler fans bitter about how Pronger left town after just one season. What all happened off the ice is a lot of rumors & hearsay. I'm not one to spend too much time on some of the rumors, but it seemed clear that for family reasons he wanted to go back to the USA. If his family was unhappy in Edmonton, you can't really blame him. I do believe he signed that 6 year deal with the best of intentions. A story came out in December of that season that the house he was having built had stopped construction. My "best guess" has always been that around the half way mark of the season, he told managment that he'd play out the season, but wanted to be traded after that. Knowing that Pronger would be gone for 2006-07 prompted Kevin Lowe to go out and add as many pieces as he did, and got the team so close to a championship. I'm not angry or bitter towards Pronger at all, he played as good as a season for the Oilers as anyone could have asked for.
He did ask for a trade, and he got his wish. Pronger was dealt to the Anahime Ducks for Joffrey Lupul, Ladislav Smid, a 1st round pick, a 2nd round pick, and a conditional 1st rounder (the condition was that the Ducks got to the Stanley Cup finals, they did, so the Oilers got a 2nd 1st rounder).
With Anahime Pronger continued to be a force in the league. He was now part of a blueline that featured himself & Scott Neidermayer. That Blueline provided the backbone of the team that would win the 2007 Stanley Cup.
Pronger played two more season with the Ducks, before they traded him with Ryan Dingle to the Philadephia Flyers for Joffrey Lupul (again!), Luca Sbisa, future considerations, and a pair of 1st round picks.
Chris did for Philadelphia was he'd done in his first seasons with both Anaheim and Edmonton. He dragged his team all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. The Flyers would end up losing in 6 games to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Injuries limited Pronger to just 50 games in 2010-11, and only 3 games (through two rounds) in the playoffs. Pronger was named team Captain for the 2011-12 season, but early in the year he got a Mikhail Grabovski stick in his eye (follow through on a shot) and the eye trouble & post-concussion symptoms limited him to just 13 games. The injury proved too much to overcome, and Pronger's career ended like that. His contract was traded to the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, along with Nik Grossmann, for Sam Gagner & a 4th round pick.
He was a 4 time Olympian, and represented Canada 6 times overall. He won Gold at the 1993 World Juniors, the 1997 World Championships, and both the 2002 and 2010 Olympics. In 2020 he was named to the IIHF's All-Time Canadian Team.
Pronger was a 6 time all star, lead the league in plus minus twice, won a Norris, a Hart, a Stanley Cup, and was a first or second team All Star four times. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.
For my money, Pronger is one of the best handful of defenceman of all time, and fits somewhere in the top 15 (or so) best players ever.
Shown here are Prongers UD Rookie Card, an Ultimate Signatures autograph, and an SP Authentic Jersey card.
Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson was a Hobey Baker nominee, and an All American, with University of Massachuesetts Lowell. He was never drafted, but signed with the Calgary Flames after graduation in 1994.
Roloson spent the next two seasons with the Saint John Flames, Calgary's AHL affiliate. He split the 1996-97 with Saint John, and Calgary, making his NHL debut, and playing in 31 games. The 1997-98 season saw him spend most of the season with Calgary, playing 39 times.
He joined the Buffalo Sabres after that, and was Dominik Hasek's main backup for the next two seasons. He was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 Expansion drafted, but opted for Free Agency and signed with the St. Louis Blues' farm team, the Worcester IceCats.
After one season with Worcester, Roli signed with the Minnesota Wild. With the Wild he became a regular starter, playing in 45, 50, and 48 games over the next three seasons.
The 2004-05 lockout saw Roloson play in Sweden, and he was back in Minnesota for 2005-06. He was sharing the net with Manny Fernandez, and would be traded in March to the Edmonton Oilers for future considerations and a 1st round pick.
With the Oilers, Dwyane's status as a #1 goalie took off. He was spectacular in net, and helped the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup final in 2006. He was injured in Game 1, missed the rest of the series. It was an injury that likely cost the Oilers a Championhip.
He would set a career high with 68 games played in 2006-07, but the Oilers were not nearly as strong of a club as they were the year before. He played two more seasons with a struggeling Oilers club, before hitting free agency, and signing with the New York Islanders.
Roli played well on Long Island, but like the Oilers, New York had a struggeling team. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lighning in January of 2011 for Ty Wishart.
He assumed the #1 goalie duties for the Lightning, and had a strong season. He helped the Bolts advance to the Eastern Confernce finals, where they lost to the eventual Cup winners, the Boston Bruins.
Roloson played one more season with Tampa, the 2011-12 season. Following the retirement of Mark Recchi, he was the oldest player in the league that season, and was the last active player born in the 1960s. After the 11-12 seaosn, Roli retired.
He was a 2004 NHL All Star, and represented Canada three times at the World Championships; Winning a Bronze (1995), Silver (2009), and Gold (2007)
Following his reirment, he took a job as a goalie consultant with the Anahime Ducks. He dressed as an emergency backup in 2014, after John Gibson got hurt during warmups. Currently, he works with the Victoria Royals of the WHL.
Shown here are Roloson's BAP Rookie Card, and his Cup Limited Logos Patch / Autograph.
Mathieu Roy
After four season with the Val d'Or Foreurs, Mathieu Roy was drafted in the 7th round of the 2003 NHL Entry draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
He turned pro in 2003-04, splitting the season between the AHL's Toronto Roadrunners & the ECHL's Columbus Cottonmouths. He moved with the AHL club to Edmonton in 2004-05, playing the whole season with the Roadrunners.
2005-06 saw Roy make his NHL debut, and played a single game with the Oilers. He spent the bulk of the season in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs. Each of the next two seasons saw Roy get called up (16 games in 06-07, 13 games in 07-08) but he spent the bulk of both season in the AHL. His two goals in 06-07 would be the only two of his career, and he notched his first NHL assist in 07-08.
After spending the entire 08-09 season without an NHL game, he left the Oilers as a Free Agent, and signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
2009-10 saw Mathieu play a career high 31 NHL games with the Jackets, and he recorded 10 assists. He was also traded to the Florida Panthers for Matt Rust.
He hit Free Agency again, and signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in five games for the Bolts over the next two seasons, and was done in North America after that.
He played four seasons in Germany, one in Austria, and three in France before retiring in 2020. He came out of retirment to play in the LNAH in 2021-22.
Shown here are Roy's Trilogy Rookie Card, and his Heroes & Prospects Autograph.
Sergi Samsonov
Sergi Samsonov was a teenage sensation, and was an early pick to go #1 in his draft year. After playing for CSKA Moscow as the ages of 14,15, and 16 - Samsonov came to North America and played for the IHL's Detroit Vipers as a 17 year old. He scored 29 goals, and has 64 points, in 73 games - in what was arguably the 2nd best league in the world at the time.
Despite his stellar play against men (often double his age), Samsonov wasn't picked quite as high as many though he would be, when he was 16. He ended up being selected 8th overall by the Boston Bruins, in a draft where they also took Joe Thornton with the #1 pick.
Sergie burst onto the NHL scene quickly, and proved that he was worth the high pick. He never spent a day in the minors, and scored 22 goals & 25 assists with the Bruins, wininig the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.
While the Bruins were never a particularly dominant team while Samsonov played there, he was an electrifying talent. He set career highs with 29 goals in 75 points in 2000-01.
After spending the 2004-05 lockout playing with Dynamo Moscow, he returned to the Bruins for 05-06. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers at the deadline, for Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny, and a 2nd round pick.
With the Oilers, Samsonov provided scoring depth. He scored 5 times, and added 11 helpers, in 19 regular season games, and scored 4 more (with another 11 helpers) in 24 playoff games - nearly winning a Stanley Cup.
He was a Free Agent after that, and signed with the Montreal Canadiens. He'd signed a two year deal, but the first season was dissapointing, and the Habs traded him to Chicago for Jassen Cullimore and Tony Salmelainen that summer.
Samsonov managed just 4 assists in 23 games for the Hawks, and was actually sent to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs for a couple of games. He was recalled, and claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes on waivers.
After dissapointment in Montreal & Chicago, Sergie found his touch again in Carolina. He put up 32 points in 38 games for the 'Canes that year, and resigned at the end of the seaosn.
2008-09 was another decent season for him, notching 48 points. He production dipped the following year (just 29 points) and he was traded from Carolina to Florida during the 2010-11 season for Bryan Allen.
Samsonov scored 3 goals & 14 points for the Panthers in 20 games, and reitred at the end of the season.
He won Bronze Medals at the '96 and '97 World Junior Championships, and the 2002 Olympic Games. He was also on the Russian team that placed 5th at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Shown here are Samsonov's UD SP Rookie Card, his BAP Autograph (that was a pull of mine back in the day, and was worth a lot at the time). There's also a great "mash-up" jersey card of him from Upper Deck. It's a piece of a Bruins jersey, shows him as an Oiler, and says "Montreal Canadiens".
Dan Smith
Dan Smith was a big, rugged, defenceman with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. The 6'3" blueliner was drafted in the 7th round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.
He turned pro at the end of the WHL season in 1996-97, and played 8 games (plus 15 more in the playoffs) for the Hershey Bears, Colorado's AHL affiliate. He would spend most of the next four seasons there.
Smith did make his NHL debut with the Avs, playing 12 games in 1998-99, and another 3 in 1999-00.
Dan split the 2001-02 season between Lukko Rauma in Finland, and the Colorado Gold Kings of the WCHL. He'd sign a minor league deal with the Edmonton Oilers after that.
The next three seasons saw Smith play for the Oilers' AHL club, which kept moving (Springfield Falcons, Toronto Roadrunners, Edmonton Roadrunners).
2005-06, he got another crack at the NHL. In addition to playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs, he also played 7 games for the Oilers.
A free agent again, he joined the Grand Rapids Griffins for a year, before playing the final two seasons of his career with the Syracuse Crunch. Smith retiried in 2009.
Shown here are two copies of his 99-00 BAP Rookie Card, one of them is signed.
Jaroslav Spacek
Jaroslav Spacek played in the Czech Republic's top mean's league as a teenager with Plzen HC, and spent a year playing for Farjestads in the SEL. The Florida Panthers drafted him as a 24 year old, in 1998, with their 5th round pick.
He moved to North America the following season. His 14 games with the AHL's New Haven Beast would be the only time he spent in the minors. He played in 63 games that season for Florida, scoring 3 times, and adding 12 assists.
He played in all 82 games for the Panthers in 99-00, scoring 10 times, and had 36 points. He started the season off well in 00-01, and was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Anders Eriksson.
He never matched that Florida-level production with the Hawks, but was a solid defender for the 110 games he played. At the 2002 NHL trade deadline, he was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets, with a 2nd round pick, for Lyle Odelein.
Spacek played two more seasons with Columbus, and then split the 2004-05 lockout season between Plzen and Slavia Praha in the Czech Republic. He returned to the NHL in 2005-06, inking a new deal with the Blackhawks.
Just past the season's halfway mark, Spacek was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Tony Salmelainen & a swap of conditional picks. With the Oilers he was mostly paired with Chris Pronger, and anchored the Oilers blueline on a run to the Stanley Cup Finals - losing in Game 7.
A free agent again, Spacek would sign with the Buffalo Sabres. He put up a career high 45 points in 2008-09.
After three seasons in Buffalo, he left via Free Agency. He signed with their division rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.
Jaroslav signed a three year deal with Montreal, and played well for them through two+ seasons, but was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in December of 2011 for Tomas Kaberle.
Spackey's 34 games with the 'Canes would be the last of his 880 Game NHL career. He retired in 2012 - breifly coming out of retirement to play for Plzen HC in the Czech playoffs in 2013.
He reprsented the Czech Republic 11 times, including a WJC, 3 Olympics, 6 World Championships, and 1 World Cup of Hockey. He won Gold at the Worlds three times ('99, '01, '05) and both Gold ('98) and Bronze ('06) at the Olympics.
In 2016, he was inducted into the Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
Pictured are Spacek's UD Rookie Card, and his BAP Autograph.
Yan Stastny
Yan Stastny, son of HOFer Peter, was born in Quebec City but became an American Citizen after immigrating to St. Louis with his family.
After playing in the NAHL and USHL, he enrolled at Notre Dame. After his first season at school, he was drafted in the 5th round by the Boston Bruins at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
He played one more season in the NCAA, then spent the next two season playing for the Nuermberg Ice Tigers, in Germany - having not signed with the Bruins.
Boston traded him to the Edmonton Oilers for a 4th round pick in the summer of 2005. He inked a deal with the Oilers, and came back to North America.
He played 51 games in the AHL for the Iowa Stars (who the Oilers were sharing with Dallas) and made his NHL debut, playing 3 games for Edmonton. At the trade deadline, he was sent back to Boston (with Marty Reasoner & a 2nd round pick) for Sergie Samsonov. He played 17 games for the Bruins down the stretch, and scored his first NHL goal.
2006-07 saw Yan play 21 games for the Bruins, and 11 games in the AHL for Providence. It also saw him get traded once again, this time to St. Louis - for a 5th round pick.
Stastny finsihed the season with the Peoria Riverment, and spent the next three seasons back & forth between Peoria & St. Louis. He'd play in 50 NHL games for the Blues before he was traded in 2010 to the Vancouver Canucks for Pierre-Cedric Labrie.
Yan never played for Vancouver, he finsihed the season with the Manitoba Moose. He went to Europe after that, and split the next eight seasons between Russia, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. He reitred in 2018.
Stastny played for the USA at three World Championships, in '05, '06, and '11.
Shown here is Stasny's Cup Rookie-Patch-Auto.
Danny Syvret
Danny Syvret played a pair of Junior B seasons with the Cambrdige Winterhawks, before joining the OHL's London Knights in 2002.
He played three seasons in London, eventually being named Team Captain, and lead a stacked Knight's squad to a historic 04-05 season. They had a record 31 game unbeaten streak, and would tally 120 points in the standings (another OHL record) and would win the Memorial Cup. Syvret also scored the winning goal for Canada at the World Junior Championships that season, and was named OHL defenceman of the year.
Already 20 at the 2005 draft, Edmotnon selected Syvret with the 81st overall pick.
He turned pro the following season, and spent most of the season with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs. He made his NHL debut, playing in 10 games with the Oilers.
The 2006-07 season was another he spent mostly in the minors, but he did play the final 16 games of the year with the Oilers, and recoded an assist for his first NHL point.
After splitting the 2007-08 season between Springfield and Hershey of the AHL, Syvret was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers (the same team who had traded the 81st pick to Edmonton, that they used on Danny) for Ryan Potulny.
He spent the new two seasons in the Flyers system, mostly in the minors, but logged another 23 NHL games. He scored a pair of goals in 2009-10, his first two in the NHL.
A free agent, Danny would sign with the Anaheim Ducks for the 2010-11 season. His stay in Anaheim was breif. He played 6 NHL games, and 8 in the AHL for the Syracuse Crunch, and then he was traded back to Philadelphia with Rob Bordson for David Laliberte and Patrick Maroon.
Syvret played four games for the Flyers that season, spending most of it in the AHL. He never got another look in Philly, and was traded to the New York Rangers for Kris Newbury, in the summer of 2013.
He played the next four seasons with a variey of AHL clubs (Hartford, Iowa, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Utica) and would head to Germany in 2015. He played two seasons in the DEL, before retiring in 2017.
Shown here are Syvret's UD Rookie Update RC, his Heroes & Prospects Autograph, and a Heroes & Prospects Emblem.
Dick Tarnstrom
After a pair of seasons with AIK in Sweden, Dick Tarnstrom was seleced in the 11th round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, by the New York Islanders.
He didn't come to North America quickly. He's play another 7 in Sweden, with the Isles holding his NHL rights, before he signed a deal to join New York in 2001.
Tarnstrom started the season in the minors with the Bridgeport Soundtigers, but quickly earned a promotion - and stuck in the NHL. He played 62 games for the Isles that year, scoring twice and adding 16 helpers.
After the season, Tarnstrom was a free agent. He left New York, and signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His numbers improved the next two seasons, and he set career highs with 80 games, 16 goals, and 52 points in 2003-04.
After he spent the 2004-05 lockout in Sweden, with Sodertalje SK, he was back with the Penguins in 2005-06. When the Oilers went looking for upgrades, they traded Corey Cross and Jani Rita to the Penguins for Tarnstrom, in January of 2006. He played 22 games for the Oilers that season, and another 12 in the Playoffs.
He played in Switzerland fo rthe 2006-07 season, but was back with the Oilers in 2007-08. Mid was through the year he was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets, for Curtis Glencross.
After the 07-08 season ended, he went back to Sweden - and played the five seasons with AIK, before retiring in 2013.
Tarnstrom played twice for the Swedes at the World Junior Championships, four times at the World Championships, and once at the World Cup of Hockey. In 2020 his son, Oliver, was drafted by the New York Rangers.
Shown here are Tarnstrom's Private Stock RC /99, and an SEL Autograph.
Brad Winchester
A product of the US National Team Development Program, Brad Winchester played for the University of Wisconsin. After his first season with the Badgers, he was drafted 35th overall by the Edmotnon Oilers.
He completed his four years of school, and turned pro in 2003. He spent the next two seasons with the AHL Roadrunners, before getting an NHL shot in 2005-06. The 05-06 season saw him play 19 games for the Oilers, and he registered his first NHL assist.
While not an every day player, Winchester spent the entire 06-07 with the Oilers. He scored 4 times, had 9 points, in 59 games.
The next two summers, he was a free agent. After spending a season in the Dallas organzation (where he played 41 NHL games) he joined the St. Louis Blues and set career highs with 13 goals and 21 points in 2008-09.
He played for ST. Louis until he was swapped for a 3rd round pick and went to the Anahime Ducks in 2011.
He next signed with the San Jose Sharks, and played a career high 67 games in 2011-12. His next contract was with the Chicago Blackhawks, but he'd only play in the AHL for them.
He was traded to Minnesota for Brian Connelly in 2014, but only played for the Iowa Wild.
Winchester played two more seasons in the AHL after that, with the Norfold Admirals and Oklahoma City Barson, before retiring in 2015.
He played for the USA at the 2000 World Juniors. Since 2018 Brad has been an assistant coach with his alma mater, the University of Winsconsin Badgers.
Show here is Winchester's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch.
2006-07
Sabastian Bisaillon
Sabastian Bisaillon started his QMJHL career with a single game in 2002-03, at the age of 16. He played four more seasons with the Val d'Or Foreurs after that, including the 2005-06 season when the defenceman scored 35 goals and had 71 points.
He was never drafted, but during the 2006-07 season, he was offered a contract by the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers blueline was ravaged by injuries at the time, so they signed & recalled Bisaillon on an emergency basis. He played in two games for them, before going back to Val d'Or.
Sabastian spent the next two seasons back & forth between the Oilers AHL (Springfield Falcons) & ECHL (Stockton Thunder) affiliates. After the 2008-09 season, he was a free agent.
He spent the 2009-10 season playing in Germany, and then inked a minor league deal and played in the Habs system (Hamilton Bulldogs, Wheeling Nailers) for the 2010-11 season.
After he spent the 2011-12 season playing in Austria, Bisaillon signed to play in France for the 2013-14 season. He'd play for Briancon, and then Angers in 2014-15. He signed with Grenoble for the 2015-16 season, where he's played seven straight seasons, having just finsihed the 2021-22 season.
Shown here are Bisaillon's SP Game Used Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his OPC Rookie Card that he was kind enough to sign for me through the mail.
Jeff Deslauriers
After a steller rookie season with the QMJHL's Chicoutimi Sagueneens, the Edmonton Oilers selected Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers with the 31st pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
He's played two more seasons of junior, before turing pro in 2004. Deslauriers split the next two sesons between the AHL and ECHL, before getting a full-time AHL spot in 2006-07. He also earned a brief call up, and backed up the Oilers during 2006-07.
When Edmotnon finally got it's own AHL club again in 2007-08, Jeff's workload increased, and he played 57 games for the Springfield Falcoms.
His on-ice NHL debut came in 2008-09. He had only a shot stint in the minors, and played in his first 10 NHL games - posting a record of 4-3-0.
He became Edmonton's primary netminder in 2009-10, posting a 16-28-4 record, with 3 Shutouts, in 48 games. The following season, he spent the entire year in the minors.
A free agent, Deslauriers signed with the Anaheim Ducks. He made just four appearances in the NHL, and was traded to Minnesota for Future Consideration. He never got into a game for the Wild, his split the rest of the season between the AHL & ECHL.
2013-14 saw him join the Wlkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins where he played 40 games. He went to Europe after that and played a season in Russia, followed by one in Germany, before retiring in 2016.
Shown here is JDD's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Tom Gilbert
After a pair of seasons with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, Tom Gilbert was drafed in the 5th round by the Colorado Avalanche. He then enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, and would played the next four seasons with the Badgers.
A prospect on the rise, Gilbert's rights were traded by Colorado to the Edmonton Oilers in 2004, for Tommy Salo & a 6th round pick. After finishing school, he signed with the Oilers and turned pro.
He spent the bulk of the 2006-07 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (whom Edmonton was sharing with Pittsburgh) but made his NHL debut, playing in 12 games for the Oilers, scored his first NHL goal, and his first 5 NHL assists.
2007-08 was the first of three straigt seasons when Gilbert would play in all 82 NHL games. He set a career high with 13 goals, and in 2008-09 he'd set a career high with 45 points.
He was a very durable defenceman for them. He played in 79 games in 2010-11, but was traed to the Minnesota Wild mid way though the 2011-12 season for Nick Schultz. He finsihed the season with the Wild, and played one more for them, before hitting free agency.
Gilbert signed a 1 year deal with the Florida Panthers for the 2013-14 season, and the following summer got a two year pact with the Montreal Canadiens.
2016-17 saw Gilbert join the Los Angeles Kings, but he played in just 18 games for them. He had a brief stint with the Ontario Reign of the AHL, before LA dealt him to the Washington Capitals for future considerations. He played the rest of the season with the AHL's Hershey Bears.
Gilbert to his game to Germany after that, and played for Nuermberg for four seasons, before retiring in 2021.
An All-American with Wisconsin, Gilbert represented the USA at the 2008 World Championships.
Shown here is Tom's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Jan Hejda
After six seasons with Slavia Praha HC in the Czech Republic, Jan Hejda drafted by the Buffalo Sabres as a 26 year old in the 4th round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He never played for Buffalo, and instead spent the next three seasons playing in Russia.
In the summer of 2006, Hejda's NHL rights were traded by Buffalo to Edmonton, for a 7th round pick. It turned out to be a smart trade by the Oilers, they just didn't have the patience to reap the benefits.
He came to North America in 2006-07. He played a handful of games for the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs, and spent the majority of the season in the 6/7 defenceman role for the Oilers. He played 39 NHL games, scored once, and added 8 helpers.
Instead of resigning Hejda, the Oilers let him walk in free agency. He joined the Columbus Blue Jackets, and spent the next four seasons there as a steady stay-at-home defenceman. He posted 81 and 82 games seasons, with plus 20 & 23 ratings in his first two seasons in Columbus. No Blue Jacket defenceman had ever had a season better than plus 13. He had a career high 21 points in 2008-09.
After missing only 26 games over four seasons, Jan hit free agency again and signed with the Colorado Avalanche. He continued his role as a stay-at-home dman, and played neary every game. He missed just 8 games in 4 seasons with the Avs. His 6 goals in 2013-14 were a personal best.
In 2015 he was without a contract, and played breifly for Columbus' AHL club, before retiring.
Jan represented the Czech Republic 9 times, once at the World Juniors, seven times at the World Championships, and once at the Olympics. He won Gold at the 2005 World Championships and Silver in 2006.
Shown here are Hejda's UD Young Guns RC, and a signed copy of his Hot Prospects RC.
Joffrey Lupul
Joffrey Lupul was a WHL star for the Medicine Hat Tigers, and after scoring 56 goals in his second season with the junior club, he was made the 7th overall pick i nthe 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Anahime Mighty Ducks.
After finihsing his junior career in 2003, Lupul turned pro. He scored 13 goals in 75 games for Anaheim as a rookie in 2003-04.
Joffrey played for the Cincinnati Might Ducks during the 04-05 lockout, and then established himself as legit scoring threat, popping 28 goals in 81 games during the 2005-06 season.
The following summer, Lupul would be involved in a blockbuster trade. The Ducks sent him to the Edmonton Oilers as part of the package they game up for Chris Pronger.
His only season in Edmonton with 2006-07. He played in 81 games, scoring 16 times, and had 28 points. He was traded with Jason Smith to the Philadelphia Flyers for Geoff Sanderson, Joni Pitkanen, and a 3rd round pick the following summer.
While his season in Edmonton had been underwhelming, Lupul's production rebounded in Philly. He scored 20, and 46 points, in just 56 games in 2007-08. He followed that up with a 25 goal / 50 point campaign in 2008-09.
The summer of 2009 came, and Lupul was traded for Chris Pronger again. This time Philly sent him back to Ducks along with Luca Sbisa and a pair of 1st round picks for Pronger and Ryan Dingle.
Lupul had injury issues in his second Ducks stint, and was traded mid way through the 2010-11 season. He was packaged with the rights to Jake Gardiner & a 4th round pick and sent to the Toronto Maple Lefs for Francoi Beauchemin.
Joffrey again showed his was an excellent offensive player with the Leafs. In 2011-12 he set a career high with 67 points, in only 66 games. His problem was that he couldn't stay off the injured list.
Injuries caught up to him, and Lupul eventually retired after he played just 46 games in 2015-16.
He holds the distinction of being the first Anaheim player to record a hat-trick in the playoffs, when he did it in Game 3 of the Western Finals against Colorado. Not done at three, he became the only player to score four goals in one playoff game, including an OT winner. He's also the only player to have scored all four of his teams goals in a playoff game.
Joffrey represented Canada once, at the 2003 World Junior Championships, winnings a Silver medal.
Another connection to the Oilers, his Grandfather (Tom Mayson) was a member of the Edmotnon Investors Group, that bought the team from Peter Pocklington, and later sold the club to Darryl Katz.
Shown here are Lupul's Premier Rookie-Auto-Patch, and a UD Game Jersey, showing him with the Oilers
Alexi Mikhnov
Alexi Mikhnov was considered a can't miss prospect, and future NHL power forward with his 6'5" / 220 lb frame. After a pair of seasons in Russia, he was drafted 17th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2000.
He played the next five seasons in Russia, before coming to an agree with the Oilers, and came to North America in 2006.
The shine had worn off on his prospect status by then, and he spent most of his time in the Oilers organization with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL (27 games). He made his NHL debut, playing in a pair of games for the Oilers. He didn't finsih the season in North America though, and left to go back to Russia mid way through the year.
He went back to the Russian Super League, which turned into the KHL the following season. He continued his career in Russian until 2018, when he signed split the season between Russia & Romania. He played the 2018-19 season in Belarus, before retiring.
Mikhnov reprsented Russia at the 2006 World Championships, where he scored 4 goals (6 points) in 7 games.
Pictured are Mikhnov's Young Guns RC, and a KHL Autograph.
Robert Nilsson
Robert Nilsson started with Leksands IF Junior squad in Sweden, and then moved up to the mens team in 2001-02, helping them earn a promotion to Sweden's top division for the 2002-03 season. After his first season in the SEL, he was drafted 15th overall by the New York Islander in 2003.
He split the 2003-04 season between Sweden & Switzerland, and was back in Sweden for the 2004-05 season. With the NHL lockout over he came to North America for the 2005-06 season, played 29 AHL games, and 53 for the Islanders. As an NHL rookie he had 6 goals and 14 assists.
Nilsson started the 06-07 season in the AHL with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but was dealt at the NHL trade deadline with Ryan O'Marra and a 1st round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Ryan Smyth. He continued in the AHL, but earned a promotion and played in four games for the Oilers that year, scoring once.
The 07-08 is when Nilsson set career highs with 71 NHL games, and 41 points. He looked like he was becoming the player that Edmonton hoped they were getting when they traded for him.
2008-09 saw his production dip. He played 64 games, and recorded 29 points. 2009-10 was more of the same. While he did set a personal best with 11 goals, his points dipped again to 27.
Nilsoon and the Oilers did not come to an agreement on a new deal, and he would head back to Europe. He spent the next four seasons in the KHL, before heading to Zurich in Switzerland. He played five seasons with Zurich SC before retiring in 2018.
Nilsoon played at 3 World Juniors ('03, '04, '05) and two World Championships ('08, '11) for Sweden, winning a Silver at the 2011 Worlds.
Picutred here are Nilsson's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and an OPC Season Highlights Foil Parallel, showing him as an Oiler.
Toby Petersen
Toby Petersen played four seasons with Colorado College in the NCAA, where he was named to the WCHA All Rookie Team in 1997. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 9th round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
He finsihed his college career, and went pro in 2000-01. He spent most of the season in the AHL, but made his NHL debut with the Penguins, scoring twice in twelve games. The 2001-02 season saw him earn a full time job with the Pen, playing in 79 and scoring 8 times.
He would spent the next two seasons back in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and left the Penguins as a free agent in 2004. He signed with the Edmonton Oilers. He spent the lockout playing in the AHL for the Edmonton Roadrunners, and the entire 2005-06 season with the Iowa Stars, whom the Oilers were sharing with Dallas.
He was called up as a "Black Ace" for the 2005-06 playoff run, and was inserted into the lineup for two games. He scored during Game 3 of the Western Confernce Finals, when he stole the puck from Ilya Bryzgalov, and wrapped it into an empty net.
After a brief stay back in Iowa in 2006-07, Peterson would end up logging 64 games for the Oilers that season. He was a decet depth forward. Mostly a penalty killer with speed, he chipped in 6 goals and 9 assists.
A free agent again, he signed with the Dallas Stars. He spent the bulk of 07-08 in Iowa, but played in 8 games for Dallas. He was made a fulltime NHLer after that, and was a fixture on the Dallas roster for the next three years.
Injuries limited him to just 39 games in 2011-12, and then the last two seasons of Petersen's career saw him play mostly with the relocated Texas Stars. His final NHL game was a single one played for Dallas in 2012-13. He was back with the AHL club the following season, and announced his retirment after he helped Texas win the Calder Cup.
Peterson has the distinction of playing in the NHL as a type-1 diabetic, a feat incredibly hard to do. His charitable work with various diabestes charities earned him a Man of the Year nomination in the AHL in 2004, and he won the award in 2013.
He was an AHL All Star in 2008, winning the faster skater contest, and scored 3 points in the All Star game, including the first ever AHL ASG Penalty Shot.
He represented the USA three times. The 1997 & 1998 World Juniors (winning Silver in '97) as well as the 2007 World Championships
Shown here are his Black Diamond Rookie Card, a BAP Autograph, and a Pacific Jersey card.
Robbie Schremp
Robbie Schremp dominated with the Syracuse Jr. Crunch in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, and was the fisrt pick overall in the 2002 OHL Priority Draft, by the Mississauga IceDogs. He was exactly what Mississauga expected, racking up 74 points in 64 games in his first season, and was named OHL Rookie of the Year.
He was dealt to the London Knights just a few games into the 03-04 season, for a package of multiple players & multiple draft picks. He thrived in London. His time there was highlighted by a Memorial Cup victor in 2005, and a 57 goal / 145 point (in 56 games) season in 2005-06 - and then capped it off with 10 goals & 37 assists in 19 playoffs games. He's also one of the first players I can recall doing the "Michigan" - picking up the puck with his stick, and making a lacross style shot to score.
2006-07 came, and Schremp turned pro. He had a decent rookie season in the AHL, scoing 17 goals & 53 points in 69 games. He also earned a 1 game call up by the Oilers.
He increased his AHL point totals the following year, scoring 23 goals & 76 points for the Springfield Falcons. He played in another pair of Oilers games, but was still without an NHL point.
He got the first three points of his NHL career with Edmotnon in 2008-09, all assists, during a 4 game call up, while his production in the AHL dipped.
Schremp wasn't given a qualifying offer, and left as a free agent, signing with the New York Islanders. He played 89 games for the Isles over the next two seasons, scoring a total of 17 goals and 47 points. Decent numbers, but not the kind of production that was once expected of him.
He was sent to Bridgeport mid way through the year, played a game there, and was then claimed on waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers. He played 18 games for them, scoring 3 times, and then found himself a free agent.
Robbie went to Europe next. He played in the SEL, KHL, Austria, Switzerland, and then back to Sweden. He signed with the Portand Pirates of the AHL for the 2015-16 season, and put up a year of 21 goals and 21 assists.
He split the 16-17 season between Switzerland and Germany, before a finals season in Austria. He retired at the end of the 2017-18 season.
A two time AHL All Star, and a dominate force in Junior, Schrempt represented the USA twice at that World Junior Champsionships - in 2005 & 2006.
Shown here is Schremp's UD The Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Ladislav Smid
Ladislav Smid was a strong defender with Liberec in the Czech Republic, and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks made him the 9th overall pick in 2004. After one more season with Liberec, he came to North America in 2005.
He started in the Ducks' system by playing a year in the AHL for the Portland Pirates. He never got into a game for the Ducks, before he was traded with Joffrey Lupul & a pair of first round picks for Chris Pronger.
Smid played in 77 games for the Oilers in 2006-07, his NHL rookie season, and scored his first 3 NHL goals. He had a brief stint with the AHL's Springfield Falcons (8 games) in 2007-08, but was a regular in the Oilers lineup for most of the year.
He was a great in his own end, primairily known as a "stay-at-home" defenceman for the Oilers over the next 6+ season. He set career highs with 5 goals, 15 points, and 78 games played in 2011-12.
The 2013-14 season saw Smid playing as well as he ever had, and then was shockingly traded. It wasn't shocking that a bad Oilers team would move out a vetern defenceman, but it was shocking where he went. He was dealt to the Calgary Flames with Olivier Roy for Roman Horak and Laurent Brossoit.
Smid played the next two seasons with Calgary, before heading back to the Czechk Republic and rejoining Liberec in 2017. Most recently, he finsihed his 5 straight season with them - still playing as of 2021-22.
Internationally, Smid has played at three World Juniors (winning a Bronze in 2005), two World Championships, and he was part of the Czech squad at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Shown here is Smid's UD The Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Zach Stortini
The 6'4" Zach Stortini was a wrecking ball in the OHL. After a 2002-03 season with the Sudbury Wolves, where he racked up 222 PIMs, the Edmonton Oilers made him the 94th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
He'd played another couple of seasons with Wolves, and had a 5 games stint with the AHL Roadrunners in 2003-04, before turning pro in 2005-06.
He spent the 2005-06 season in the minors, but was given a chance to split the 2006-07 season between the minors and the NHL. He played 29 games for the Oilers, scored his first NHL goals, and broke the 100 PIM mark, with 105.
He played just four AHL games in 2007-08, and was primarily an enfocer with the Oilers for 66 games that season. He set a career high with 201 PIMs.
Stortini's 2008-08 season would be the one with his highest goal total, six. He set a career high with 13 points in 2009-10.
Zach left Edmonton after the 2010-11 season, and signed with the Nashville Predators. He spent two seasons in the Preds' organization, but only played a single game for the big club in 2011-12.
That turned out to be Stortini's final NHL game. He got a series of minor league deals, joing the AHL clubs of Anaheim, Philadelphia, and Ottawa. After a couple of seasons with the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa traded him to San Jose with Buddy Robinson & a pick, for Tommy Wingels.
He finsihed the season with the San Jose Barracude, then signed to play two seasons with teh Charlotte Checkers. He retired folling the 2018-19 season.
Stortini is twice an AHL Champion, playing for Calder Cup winning teams in Hamilton (2007) and Charlotte (2019). After retirment, he got a job as an assistant coach with the Sudbury Wolves.
Pictured are Stortini's SP Game Used Rookie Card, and his Score Autograph.
Petr Sykora
Petr Sykora played a pair of seasons with Plzen HC in the Czech republic, before coming to North America as a teenager. He played for the IHL's Cleveland Lumberjacks as a 17 year old, and then joined the Detroit Vipers for the 1994-95 season, notching a point-per-game as a teenager, in arguablly the second best league in the world.
The New Jersey Devils made him the 18th overall pick in the 1995 Entry draft. As an NHL rookie, he scored 18 times and had 42 points, in 63 games.
The next couple of seasons saw Petr spend some time in the minors, but he established himself as a fulltime NHLer in 1998-99 - playing in 80 games, scoring 29 goals, and notching 43 assists.
He became part of a Devils' core that would continually challenge for the Stanley Cup. He set career highs with 35 goals and 81 points in 2000-01.
In the summer of 2002, he was involved in a massive 7 player trade. The Devils sent Sykora, JF Damphousse, Mike Commodore, and Igor Pohanka to Anaheim for Jeff Friesen, Oleg Tverdovsky, and Maxim Blamochykh.
He'd play a top-6 role on the Mighty DUcks for the next two seasons, before playing in Russia during the lockout. After 34 games with Anaheim in 2005-06 he was traded to the New York Rangers, along with a pick, for Maxim Kondratiev.
Sykora finished the season with New York, getting 31 points in 40 games. He hit free agency and signed with the Edmonton Oilers. He played well in Edmonton. He scored 20 times, and added 31 helpers.
His time in Edmonton didn't last long. He left as a free agent again, and signed to play the next two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored 28 & 25 goals, having seasons with 63 and 46 points.
He joined the Minnesota Wild for the 2009-10 season, but injuries limited him to just 14 games. It appeared his time in the NHL was over, and he split the 2010-11 season between Plzen & Minsk Dynamo in the KHL.
Perhaps unexpectantly to some, Petr then made a return to the NHL. He rejoined the club where he had most of his success, the New Jersey Devils. He scored 21 goals, added 23 assists, and played in all 82 of New Jersey's games.
Before retiring, Sykora played breifly for Bern SC in Switzerland.
He's a vetern of more than 1,000 NHL games (1,017) and a two time Stanley Cup winner (New Jersey in 2000, Pittsburgh in 2009). In addition, he played in three other Stanley Cup finals (one each with New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and Anahime).
He played for the Czech Republic at two World Juniors, three World Championships, Two World Cups, and an Olympic Games. Those Czech squads won Gold at the '99 and '05 World Champsionships, and Bronze in 1998.
Pictured are Sykora's Topps Finest RC, a BAP Autograph, an ITG Jersey card, and a Fleer Ultra Gold Medalion, showing him with the Oilers.
Patrik Thoresen
Patrik Thoresen played a pair of seasons in his home country, Norway, before joining the QMJHL's MOncton Wildcats in 2001-02. As a 'Q' rookie he scored 30 goals and added 43 assists in just 60 games. He was dealt to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for the 2002-03 season, and had 33 goals / 108 points for them.
He spent the next three seasons playing in Sweden, with Djurgardens IF Stockholm. He was never drafted, and signed with the Edmonton Oilers. He made his NHL debut in 2006-07, playing in 68 games. He scored four times, and added 12 assists.
Thoresen played just 5 games in the minors that season, but spent a longer stretch (29 games) there in 2007-08. He played in only 17 games for the Oilers, scoring twice. When the Oilers attempted to recall him, he had to go through waivers - and the Philadelphia Flyers claimed him.
Patrik played 21 games for Philly, registering 5 assists. He was without an NHL contract at the end of the season, and headed back to Europe.
He played a season in Switzerland, followed by six seasons in the KHL, mostly with St. Petersburg. He went back to Djurgadens in the SEL for the 2015-16 season, back to Switzerland for the 2016-17 season, and played with St. Petersburg in the KHL in 2017-18.
Since the 2018-19 season he's been back home in Norway, having played the last four seasons wiht the STorhamar Dragons - most recently scoring 20 goals & 32 assists in 37 games in the 2021-22 season.
Thoresen is one of just 9 Norwegians to have made it to the NHL, and his 24 career points is 3rd all time amoung his countrymen. He has played for Norway at 22 international tournaments, with a total of 109 games (to date). May of these were lower level tournaments or qualifiers.
His father was a 5-time Ice Hockey Olympian for Norway, and Patrik followed in his footsteps, having played at the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Olympics.
SHown here is Thoresen's UD The Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Daniel Tjarnqvist
After playing in the SEL as a teenager, Daniel Tjarnqvist was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the 4th round, 88th overall, at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.
He spent another season with Rogle BK Angelholm in the SEL before playing for Jokerit in Finland. He returned to the SEL to play four seasons with Djurgardens.
Mid way through his time with Djurgardens, Tjarnqvist was traded with Gord Murphy, Herbert Vasiljevs, and a draft pick to the Atlanta Thrashers for Trevor Kidd.
Daniel finally came to North America in 2001. He joined the Thrasher and played in 75 games, scoring twice, and adding 16 assists. His third season with Atlanta, 2003-04, would see him set career highs with 5 goals and 20 assists.
He once again joined Djurgardens for the 2004-05 lockout, and then signed with the Minnesota Wild for the 2005-06 season. He hit free agency again after that, and joined the Edmonton Oilers.
With the Oilers, Tjarnqvist was a part-time player. He logged 37 games, scored 3 times, and had 12 assists. He left for Russia in 2007.
After a season with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, Daniel came back to the NHL and jined the Colorado Avalanche. His role was similar to what it had been in Edmonton, he played 37 games for htem.
Tjarnqvist was done in the NHL after that. He played two more seasons with Yaroslavl in the KHL, before returning home to Sweden for the 2011-12 season with Djurgardens.
The final three seasons of his career were played in Germany, when he was a member of the Cologne Sharks.
Tjarnqvist played for Sweden 10 times, and medaled in 8 of them. He won Gold at the European Juniors (1994), Bronse & Silver at the World Juniors ('95, '96), a pair of Bronze ('01, '02) & a pair of Silver ('03, '04) at the World Championships, and Olympic Gold in 2006. He also played for the Swede's 5th place team at the 2004 World Cup, and 7th place squad at the 2000 World Championships.
Shown here are his SP Rookie Card, and his Signature Rookies Autograph.
Bryan Young
After a solid rookie season as a stay-at-home defender with the OHL's Peterborough Petes, Bryan Young was seleced in the 5th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. He'd play two more seasons with Peterborough, before turning pro in 2006.
Young's 2006-07 season saw him play for four clubs: The ECHL's Stockton Thunder, both the Milwaukee Admirals & Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, and with a rash of injuries he got an NHL promotion, playing in 15 games for the Edmonton Oilers.
The 2007-08 saw him back in the AHL for 74 games with the Springfield Falcons, and he was called up for a pair of contests with the Oilers.
The next two seasons saw Young split his time between the AHL & ECHL.
Without an NHL contract, he took his game overseas after that. I've written the phrase "over seas" a lot in these threads, and normally this means "across the Atlantic" or "to Europe". Young's destination was very different.
He went across the Pacific, and joined High 1 in South Korea, part of the Asian Hockey League. He spent 7 seasons with High 1, before joining the Daemyung Killer Whales for three seasons. He retired at the end of the 2019-20 season.
In 2014 he began to play for South Korea internationally. He played in three "Division 1" World Championship tournaments, including 2017 when South Korea finsihed 2nd, earning a promotion to the main pool the following year. Bryan played in the 2018 World Championships for South Korea, and was a member of their 2018 Winter Olympic team as well.
Here are Bryan Young's SP Game Used Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his Victory Rookie Card.
2007-08
Andrew Cogliano
Andrew Cogliano played for the St. Michael's Buzzer in the OPJHL, putting up 102 points in 49 games, before the Edmonton Oilers drafted him with the 25th overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
He played two seasons with the University of Michigan, where he was named to the CCHA All Rookie Team.
He turned pro in 2007. As an NHL rookie he scored 18 goals and a career high 45 points in 82 games.
While Cogliano never developed into an offensive star, his quick skating and hockey instincts made him a great penalty killer, and a valuable depth piece in the Oilers' forward corps. He hit double digit goals in each of his first four seasons with Edmonton (18, 18, 10, 11).
Cogliano was also incredibly durable. Through four seasons, he had never missed a game, playing in all 82 Oilers games each year. He was then traded to the Anaheim Ducks for a 2nd round pick at the 2013 draft.
Through five seasons in Anaheim, Andrew had been a key shut-down forward for them. He hit double digit goals in each season except 2015-16 (when he only scored 9). He scored a career best 21 in the 2013-14 season.
He also remained as durable as ever. Through 5 seasons with the Ducks, plus his 4 with Edmonton, he had yet to miss a game.
The 2017-18 season saw Cogliano's Iron Man streak come to an end. He was suspended for a questionable hit on Andrian Kempe, and missed two games. His streak was snapped at 830 straight games
At the time he was only the 4th player to have ever played in 800 straight games. His 4th place spot on the all time Iron Man list has since been passed by Patrick Marleau (910), Keith Yandle (989) and Phil Kessel (982, and counting).
After 46 games with the Ducks in 2018-19, he was traded to the Dallas Stars for Devin Shore. 17 games into his time with the Stars, he left the game early after a hit from Vegas' Ryan Reaves injured him. He missed the next couple of games (and another one later in the season). This was the first time he'd missed a game due to injury in his NHL career. If you gloss over the suspension, he played in 929 straight games from the start of his career, without getting injured.
Cogs finsihed his season with Dallas, and would play two more for the Stars before hitting free agency in 2021. He signed with the San Jose Sharks. With the Sharks out of contention, he was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline, for a 5th round pick.
While he's never won it, Cogliano has been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (for dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship) four times. He's a vertern of over 1100 NHL games.
He played for Canada at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships, winning Gold both times.
Pictured is Cogliano's UD The Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Sam Gagner
Sam Gagner, the son of former NHLer Dave Gagner, averaged over two points per game (118 in 53 games) in his single season with the OHL's London Knights. The Edmonton Oilers selected him with the 6th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
He made the Oilers roster that fall, and played in 79 games as a rookie. He scored 13 goals, and had 49 points.
He was a fixture in the Oilers lineup, and always put up decent offensive numbers, but he never took that next step to become an offensive star. He played 7 seasons in Edmonton, never scoring fewer than 10 goals & 37 points, but never scoring more than 18 goals & 47 points.
On February 2nd, 2012, Gagner tied a team record with an 8 point game against the Chicago Blackhawks (4 goals, 4 assists). Only Wayne Gretzky & Paul Coffey had previously done so for the Oilers. This made him the 13th player in NHL history to have a game with 8 (or more points), and he was the first to do it since Mario Lemieux had an 8 point night in 1989.
Two days later, Gagner scored two goals and an assist in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings. This gave him points on 11 straight Oilers' goals - breaking a team record of 10 that had been set by Gretzky.
Following the 2013-14 season, Gagner was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Teddy Purcell. His time in Tampa was quick. An hour later he & BJ Combeen were traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for a 6th round pick.
Gagner played just a single season with the Coyotes. He played in a career high 81 games, and had 41 points. They traded him the following summer along with a draft pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for Nicklas Grossmann, and the contract of Chris Pronger (who was never going to play again).
Gagner's role was reduced with Philly, and he actually spent a bit of time in the minors. He left as a free agent the next summer, and joined the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With Columbus, Gagner had a resurgence in his numbers. He matched his career highs of 81 games and 18 goals, and set a new personal best with 50 points.
His time in Columbus lasted only a season. Gagner's big season gave him a few options with where to sign, and he got a three year / $9.45 million pact with the Vancouver Canucks.
Gagner's first season in Vancouver was pretty good. He scored 10 times, and added 21 assists, in 74 games. It was was pretty good, but not the production Vancouver had been hoping for when they signed him.
He only played 7 games for them (scoring once, and had two helpers) in the 2018-19 season, before he was demoted to the AHL, and loaned to the Toronto Marles.
He played 43 games for the Marlies, and was then traded back to Edmonton for the struggeling Ryan Spooner. Gagner was brought in as a depth forward, and played well enough. He had 10 points in 25 games for the Oilers that season.
He came back with the Oilers for the 2019-20 season, but was in & out of the lineup. At the trade deadline he was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings, along with a pair of 2nd round picks, for Ryan Kuffner and Andreas Athanasiou.
After playing in just 6 games down the stretch with a rebuilding Detroit team, he came back as a part time player in 2020-21, logging 42 games. With his big money contract now over, Gagner opted to resign in Detroit and he played in 81 of the Wings' game in 2021-22. His 13 goals were the highest he'd scored since the 2016-17 season with Columbus.
Gagner has played for Canada twice, winning Gold at the 2007 World Juniors, and Silver a the 2008 World Championships.
Pictured are a pair of cards of Gagner (which goes against my usual "keep the minimum number of cards to have all of RC/Auto/Patch/Oilers"). I've got a copy of his Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch /99, but I also have an Autographed Authentic Moments card, highlighting his 8 point game vs Chicago.
Mathieu Garon
Mathieu Garon was a workhorse for the Victoriaville Tigres, playing 51 games for them in 1995-96. The Montreal Canadiens then selected him with the 44th overall pick at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
Garon followed up his first season of Junior with two more solid ones, playing in 53 & 47 games for the Tigres, before turning pro in 1998.
He spent his first two professional seasons in the AHL, playing with the Fredericton Canadiens & Quebec Citadelles. In 2000-01 he spent most of the season in the minors, but was called up and made his NHL debut. He played 11 games for the Habs, posted a 4-5-1 record - but had a sparkeling 2.44 GAA & he posted two Shut Outs.
Mathieu was never really able to establish himself in the Montreal net. Jose Theodore was the starter, and there had been other options at backup, like Jeff Hackett. He was the primary backup for the 2003-04 season, playing in 19 games.
The Habs would end up dealing Garon to the Los Angeles Kings in the summer of 2004 with a draft pick, for Radek Bonk & Cristobal Huet. LA planned to make him a starter, but those plans got put on hold due to the 2004-05 lockout. He spent the season with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs.
2005-06 came, and Garon was given a chance to be the Kings starter. He ran with it. He played in 63 games that season, and posted a career high 31 wins.
The Los Angles net became crowded in 2006-07. Garon led Kings goalie with 32 appearances, but he also lost many starts to Sean Burke & Dan Cloutier.
He hit free agency, and joined the Edmonton Oilers. He was brought in to be a backup for Dwayne Roloson, but Garon actually ended up playing in more games (47 vs 43). He put together a 26-18-1 record, a 2.66 GAA, and recorded 4 shutouts. Despite Garon's briliant season, the Oilers still missed the playoffs.
Mathieu played in 15 games for the Oilers in 2008-09, before a January trade sent him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Dany Sabourin, Ryan Stone, and a 4th round pick. He was brought into Pittsburgh to backup Marc-Andre Fleury and did so. He was part of the Penguins club that would go on to win the 2009 Stanley Cup.
He would become a free agent after the Stanley Cup victory, and signed to play with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the next two seasons. He appeared in over 70 games for Columbus, before hitting free agency again in 2011.
This time, Garon would sign wiht the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in 48 games for them in 2011-12, going 23-16-4. He played a second season with the Bolts, but only made 18 appearances.
Garon would play a season with Omsk Avangard in the KHL before retiring in 2014.
Garon was a member of the 1998 Canadian World Junior squad, and the 2008 World Championship team as well.
On a personal note: During the 2007-08 season I went to watch the Oilers play in Columbus. I was sitting right behind the Oilers bench. Garon was the backup for the night. When a puck was flipped into the Oilers bench during the game, he was nice enough to hand it to the guy wearing an Oilers jersey sitting behind him! He'd been a pretty good goalie for the Oilers up until that point, but he's entrenched himself pretty high up on my all-time favorites list because of it.
Shown here are Garon's UD Rookie Card, a BAP AUtograph, a BTP Game Used Emblem, and a BAP Gold Parallel /99 showing him with the Oilers.
Curtis Glencross
Curtis Glencross was a scoring sensation with the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL. He then went to college at the University of Alaska, and played a pair of seasons in Anchorage - before turning pro. He was never drafted, and signed with the Anaheim Ducks as a free agent.
Glencross made his pro debut with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks in 2003-04, playing in 7 regular season games and 9 in the playoffs, after the NCAA season had ended. He was a fulltime AHLer in 04-05 and 05-06.
2006-07 saw Curtis spend a chunk of time in the AHL with the Portland Pirates (Anaheim had moved their farm team) and he made his NHL debut, playing a pair of games for the Ducks. In those two games, he scored his first NHL goal.
In January of that season, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets with Zenon Konopka and a 7th round draft pick, for Joe Motzko, Mark Hartigan, and a 4th round pick. He split the rest of the season between the AHL's Syracuse Crunch (19 goals in 29 games) and the Blue Jackets (7 more NHL games under his belt).
Glencross never played another game in the minors. He scored 6 goals in his first 36 games of the 2007-08 season, but then the Jackets traded him to the Edmonton Oilers for Dick Tarnstrom. With the Oilers he scored 9 goals in 26 games.
He hit the open market, and signed with the Calgary Flames. He scored 13 times with Calgary in 2008-09, 15 times in 09-10, 24 times in 10-11, and improved again with a career high 26 in 2011-12.
He played for Calgary for another two & most of a third season, but was dealt to the Washington Capitals in 2014-15 at the deadline, as a pending UFA. He played in 18 games for the Caps, putting up 7 points, and played in 10 playoff games for them - but they were eliminated in the 2nd round.
Glencross retired following the 2014-15 season.
Shown here are Curtis' SP Game Used RC, a Contenders Autograph, and a Panini Limited Jersey card.
Denis Grebeshkov
After playing for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, in Russia's top league, as a teenager, the Los Angeles Kings selected Denis Grebeshkov with the 18th overall pick in the 2002 NHL Entry draft.
The blueliner would spend another season in Russia, before signing wiht the Kings.
He'd sign with LA, and came to North America for the 2003-04 season. He got his first NHL assist that season, playing in his first four NHL games. He spent the 2004-05 season exclusivly with the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL, and put up 49 points in 75 games.
he spent the bulk of the 05-06 season in the minors, but played 8 games for the Kings (with two more helpers). He was traded in March to the New York Islanders, along with Jeff Tambellini, for Brent Sopel & Mark Parish. He finished the rest of the season on Long Island, playing 21 games for the Isles, and then played in 7 playoff games for the AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
He was unable to come to terms on a new contract with the Islanders, and returned to Russia, playing for Lokomotiv. Mid way through the season his rights were dealt to the Edmonton Oilers for Marc-Andre Bergeron, and a 3rd round pick.
The Oilers and Grebeshkov came to an agreement on a three year deal. He played in 71 games in 2007-08, his first season with the Oilers, scored 3 times, and added 15 assists.
His best NHL season would come in 2008-09. In 72 games he scored 7 times, and had 32 assists. He was a +12 on a bad Oilers squad.
He was having another decent season with the Oilers in 2009-10, when he was traded to Nashville. The Predators sent the Oilers a 2nd round pick in return. He ended up being a depth piece for Nashville, and played in only 4 regular season games after the trade, plus two more in the playoffs.
The following summer Denis was a free agent, and signed with St. Peterburg SKA in the KHL. He played there for most of the next three seasons, before getting traded to Khanty-Mansiysk Yugra.
A free agent again, Grebs would try to come back to the NHL, and took a one year deal with the Oilers. He made the team out of camp, but after 7 games was sent to the Oklahoma City Barons. He spent the rest of the season in the AHL, before heading back to Russia.
2014-15 was the final season in Grebeshkov's career, playing for Vitaz Podolsk in the KHL.
Denis Grebeshkov represented Russia 10 times. He won Gold at the Under 18s in 2001, and back-to-back Golds at the 2002 and 2003 World Juniors. He won Bronze at the 2007 World Championships, and then back-to-back Golds at the 2008 and 2009 World. He was part of the Russian team at the 2010 Olympics, and also won a Silver medal at the 2010 Worlds.
Shown here are Grebeshkov's Parkhurst Rookie Card (with a jersey), a Heroes & Prospects autograph, and an OPC Foil parallel, showing him with the Oilers.
Theo Peckham
The 6'3" Theo Peckham was a physical force on the Owen Sound Attack's blueline, racking up over 600 PIMs in his three OHL seasons. The Edmonton Oilers made him the 75th overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
After completing his Junior career, Peckham signed with the Oilers. He spent the bulk of the 2007-08 with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, scoring 6 times, adding 7 helpers, and earning 174 PIMs in 59 games. He also made his NHL debut with the Oilers, playing against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The next two seasons saw Peckham still mostly as an AHLer, but in both 08-09 and 09-10 he would played 15 games. In 2009-10 he registered his first NHL point, an assist.
'Teddy Pecs' made it as a fulltime NHLer in 2010-11, playing in 71 games for Edmonton. He'd score 3 goals, get 10 assists, and 198 PIMs. He was an Oiler for the entire season in 2011-12, but only played in 54 games.
He briefly played with the ECHL's San Francisco Bulls during the 2012-13 lockout, but was back with the Oilers for 4 games in 2012-13 after the season started. He also spent some time in the AHL.
Peckham would sign with the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent, and spent the 2013-14 season with their AHL club, the Rockford IceHogs.
The 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons saw Peckman play for Wichita in the CHL, Rodovre in Denmark, and Banska in Slovaki. He came home to Canada and played four seasons of Senior A - splitting that time between the Saugeen Shores Winterhawks, and the Hamilton Steelhawks.
Theo retired after the 2019-20 season.
Peckham's half-sister, Angela James, is a Hockey-Hall-of-Famer.
Shown here are Peckam's OPC Retro Rookie Card, his ITG Enforcers autograph, and an Enforcers fight strap card.
Dustin Penner
A 6'4" power forward, Dustin Peen played for the University of Maine, where he was named to the All-NCAA All-Tournament Team in 2004. He was never drafted, and signed with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim following that season.
His first year as a pro, 2004-05, was spent playing for Cincinnati in the AHL. 2005-06 saw the Ducks change their affiliate, and Penner mostly played with the AHL's Portland Pirates. He made his NHL debut, playing 19 games for Anaheim, scoring 4 goals and adding 3 assists.
2006-07 was Penner's first as a full time NHLer. He played in all 82 games, and scored 29 times. He also added 3 in the playoffs, helping the Ducks win the Stanley Cup.
He found himself a restricted free agent, and signed an offer sheet with the Edmonton Oilers - agreeing to a 5 year pact, worth $21.25 million. This resulted in a lot of bad blood between Oilers' GM Kevin Lowe & Ducks' GM Brian Burke. Reportidly, they were planning to fight each other in barn, until (league Commissioner) Gary Betman intervened.
Penner found immediate success with the Oilers. He played in all 82 games for them in 2007-08, and led the team in goals (23) and set a new career high with 47 points.
His production dipped in 2008-09, but he bounced back nicely in 2009-10, setting career highs with 32 goals and 63 points.
In the summer of 2009, he was included in a blockbuster deal that would have sent himself, ANdrew Cogliano, and Ladislav Smith to the Ottawa Senators, for Dany Heatley. Heatley, however, invoked his no-trade claus, and the deal with nixed.
Dustin came back with another strong season in 2010-11. He'd scored 21 goals through 62 games, and then the Oilers dealt him to the Los Angeles Kings for Colton Teubert, a 1st round pick, and a 3rd round pick. He scored a pair of goals down the stretch for LA.
His first full season with the Kings was a dissapointing one statistically, he managed just 7 goals and 10 assists in 65 games. He added 3 more goals and 8 helpers in 20 playoff games, helping the Kings win the 2012 Stanley Cup.
After an injury riddeled 2012-13 season with Los Angeles, he signed with the Anahime Ducks. He played 49 games for them - scoring 13 times for 32 points - before he was traded to the Washington Capitals for a 4th round pick. He played 18 games for the Caps, and scored just once.
Penner was the 21st player to have played for both sides of the "Freeway Face-Off" - the Kings & Ducks, and he's the only player to have won the Stanley Cup with both franchises. He retired after the 2013-14 season.
Shown here are Penner's SPA Future Watch RC, a UD Ice Glacial Graphs, and a Panini Certified Jersey card.
Joni Pitkanen
After playing a pair of seasons in SM-liiga as a teenager, Joni Pitkanen was drafted 4th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2002 - after sending Ruslan Fedotenko & a pair of 2nd round picks to Tampa Bay for the Lightning's 1st rounder.
The 6'3" played one more season on Karpat's blueline before joining the Flyers with 2003-04. He'd be named to the All-Rookie Team, with 8 goals & 27 points in 71 games for Philly.
The NHL lockout of 2004-05 saw Pitkanen play in the AHL, with the Philadelphia Phantoms. He'd be a key piece of their blueline, and helped the Flyer's affiliate win the Calder Cup.
Joni was back with Philly the following season. He was limited to just 58 games, but set career highs with 13 goals & 46 points. He logged 77 games in 2006-07, and put up 43 points.
While Pitkanen was a valued member of the Flyers defence corps, he was also an asset other teams coveted. He was traded along with Geoff Sanderson to the Edmonton Oilers for Joffrey Lupul & Oilers' Captain, Jason Smith.
His production dipped in Edmonton. Joni would only record 26 points in 63 games for the Oilers in 2007-08. While the skill set was clearly there, it was perceived that he wasn't a great fit with a struggeling Oilers team.
Pitkanen's season in Edmonton was a "one & done" scenario. He was traded the following summer to the Carolina Hurricanes for Erik Cole. His offensive numbers rebounded. He posted a respectible 33 points in 2008-09, and set a career high with 40 assists in 2009-10 while matching his career high point total (46).
After another strong season in 2010-11, injuries started to take their toll on Pitkanen. He was playing as well as ever, but was limited to just 30 games in 2011-12 & only 22 in 2012-13.
Joni missed the entire 13-14 & 14-15 seasons due to injuries. He made a brief attempt at coming back with Karpat in Finalnd in 2015-16, but playing only 3 games before announcing his retirement.
He represented Finalnd three times, winning Bronze Medals at the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships, and at the 2010 Olympic Games.
Pictured here are Pitkanen's SPA Future Watch Autographed Rookie Card, and an SP Game Used jersey card, that shows him with the Oilers.
Liam Reddox
After a season where he scored 31 goals & 64 points as a rookie for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, Liam Reddox was drafted in the 4th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He played two more seasons with the Petes, with points totals of 82 & 64.
His performance for Canada at the 2004 Under 18s was particularly noteworthy. He scored 6 goals (and 1 assist) in 7 games. It's tied for the second highest goal total at that tournament ever, behind only Connor McDavid.
Liam turned pro in 2006-07, spending the season with the Oilers' ECHL affiliate, the Stockton Thunder. He played 65 games for the AHL's Springfield Falcons in 2007-08, and his play earned him a 1 game NHL call-up, making his league debut with the Oilers.
2008-09 saw Reddox get into 46 NHL games with the Oilers. He scored 5 times, and had 12 points. He also spent time with the AHL Falcons.
2009-10 was another season Liam split between the AHL & NHL, though this time the bulk of it was spent in the minors. He played 9 games for the Oilers, and registered 2 assists.
2010-11 turned out to be Reddox's final season i nthe NHL. He played in 44 games (also spent time in the AHL), scored once, and had 10 points. A free agent in the offseason, he joined Vaxjo HC in Sweden.
He'd spent the next 8 seasons playing for Vaxjo, where he'd be named team Captain. The final season of his career was in 2019-20, with the Belfast Giants.
Pictured are Reddox's BAP Rookie Card /99, a Heroes & Prospects Autograph, and an Oh Canada Jersey card from ITG.
Alan Rourke
Alan Rourke stared with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. The blueliner was drafted in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, 154th overall. He was only half way through his junior career at the time, and capped off his time with Kitchener with a 31 goal / 74 point season in 1999-00, when he was named to the OHL second all-star team.
He turned pro, and would spend the next three seasons with the St. John's Maple Leafs in the AHL. He had yet to get a shot at the NHL, but his minor league numbers were solid. Without ever getting called up by the Leafs, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricans in May of 2003 for Harold Druken - but he finsihed the year with St. John's.
2003-04 saw him join his new organization formally, and he earned his first trip to the NHL - playing in 25 games for the 'Canes. He scored his first NHL goal, and added a pair of helpers.
He'd spent the majority of the 03-04 season with the Lowell Lock Monsters, and that's where he spent the entiretly of the 2004-05 campaign. Rourke hit free agency, and signed with the New York Islanders.
Alan spent two seasons in the Isles organization. He mostly played for the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but appeared in 6 & 17 games for the Isles during those two years.
The 2007-08 season saw him join the Oilers as a free agent. He played in 44 games for the Springfield Falcons, and 13 for the Oilers.
Rourke would head to Europe next, where he split the 2008-09 season between Germany & Austria, and then the 2009-10 soley in Germany. He retired after the 2009-10 season.
SHown here are two copies of Rourke's Topps Rookie card, one of them signed.
Geoff Sanderson
Geoff Sanderson was a junior star for the Swift Current Broncos in the WHL. He was a member of their Memorial Cup winning team in 1989, scored 32 goals & 94 points in 1989-90, and was selected by the Hartford Whalers 36th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.
He played one more season with Swift Current, and scored a whooping 62 goals in 70 games. After the Broncos' season ended he turned pro. He played in two Whalers regular season games, scoring his first NHL goal, and played in three more playoff contests. He also played a game for the Springfield Indians in the AHL playoffs, on their way to a Calder Cup Championship That would be the only AHL game of his career.
Sanderson had a solid rookie season with Hartford in 1991-92, scoring 13 goals and 18 assists. He exploded in his second season, scoring 46 goals and adding 43 assists. Those numbers would both end up being career highs, but it's not like Sanderson just fell off a cliff and had only one good season.
He scored 41 in 1993-94, and had 18 goals & 32 points in 46 games during the shortned 1994-95 season - also spending time in Finland during the lockout.
He had another pair of seasons breaking the 30 goal mark (34 & 36) and lead the Whalers in points in their final season in Hartford, with 67 in 1996-97.
He moved with the club to Carolina, but injuries slowed him down. He managed just 7 goals in 40 games before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks with Sean Burke and Enrico Ciccone, for Martin Gelinas and Kirk McLean.
His stay in Vancouver was short. He played just 9 games for the club, registering three assists, and was traded again only a month after getting to Vancouver. The Canucks sent him to Buffalo for Brad May & a 3rd round pick.
Sanderson never really regained his goal scoring tuch with Buffalo. He scored 4 in 26 games for the rest of the 97-98 season, 12 in 75 games in 98-99, and then 13 in 67 games in 99-00. He was left unprotected, and claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 Expansion Draft.
With the Jackets, Sanderson would have a career rebirth. He scored 30 goals in 2000-01, and led Columbus with 56 points - his best totals since playing in Hartford. Injuries limited his games played in 2001-02, but he scored 34 goals & 67 points in 2002-03.
He was having a decent season (13 goals in 67 games) during 2003-04, but the Jackets were going to miss the playoffs again, so they dealt the pending free agent to Vancouver for a 3rd round pick. He scored 3 goals in 13 games, and 1 more in the 7 playoff games for Vancouver.
He played in Switzerland for the 2004-05 lockout season, and then signed as a free agent with Columbus for 2005-06. After just two games hew was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes with Tim Jackman for Cale Hulse, Jason Chimera, and Mike Rupp.
Sanderson played well in the desert. He scored 25 times for the Coyotes, just 5 back of team-leaders Mike Comrie & Shane Doan. A free agent again, this time he signed a two year deal with Philadelphia.
He had 11 goals & 29 points in 58 games for the Flyers in 2006-07, but the second year of his contract would be deal to the Edmonton Oilers along with Joni Pitkanen for Joffrey Lupul and Jason Smith.
2007-08 was Geoff's first in Edmonton, but the last of his career. He played 41 games for the Oilers, scoring 3 times & adding 10 assists. He retired in 2008.
Sanderson was a two time NHL all star (1994, 1997) and played in three World Championships with Canada - winning Gold in 1994 and 1997.
Shown here are Sanderson's Parkhurt Rookie Card, his BAP Autograph, a Pacific Jersey Card, and a UD Exclusives, showing him with the Oilers.
Aaron Sorochan
Aaron Sorochan played for five seasons in the WHL. His first three were with the Prince Albert Raiders from 00-01 through 02-03. He was traded to the Vancouver Giants for 03-04, and then to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for 04-05, where his 35-19-8 record earned him an Eastern Conference First All-Star Team selection.
After his junior career was over, Sorochan enrolled at the University of Alberta, and was the Golden Bears netminder for the next four seasons. On December 21, 2007 - Aaron was signed to an amatuer try out by the Edmonton Oilers, and dressed as their backup against the New Jersey Devils when Dwayne Roloson came down with the flu.
Once Sorochan graduated, he signed a minor league deal with the Oilers and spent the 2009-10 season playing in their system. He played 10 games for the AHL Springfield Falcons, and 7 games for the ECHL Stockton Thunder.
His time as a professional was short, he retired following the 2009-10 season.
As is typical for "emergency backups" - Sorochan has no NHL cards. Pictured here are his 00-01 Prince Albert Raiders team issue (his first minor league card) and a signed custom card that he was kind enough to sign for me through the mail.
Sheldon Souray
A native of Elk POint Alberta, Sheldon Souray's 6'4" frame patrolled the blue line for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, before he was drafted by the New Jersey Devils with the 71st overall pick in 1994.
The 1994-95 season saw him traded from Tri-City to the Prince George Cougars. At the end of the WHL season he made his pro debut, playing in 7 games for the AHL's Albany River Rats.
1995-96 saw Sheldon back in junior with the Cougars, before a trade to the Kelown Rockets. Like the season before, he played 6 games (and 4 more in the playoffs) with Albany after the WHL season ended.
Souray became a fulltime pro in 1996-97, playing 70 games for the River Rats. His time in the minors was nearly over. He did play 6 games for Albany in 1997-98, but established himself as an NHLer and suited up for 60 games with the Devils - scoring three times, and adding 7 assists, as well as 85 PIMs.
He was a regular on the New Jersey blueline, until part way through the 1999-00 season, when he was traded with Josh DeWolf and a 2nd round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for Vladimir Malakhov.
Sheldon proved to be an important piece of the Montreal defence, but an injured wrist limited him to just 34 games in 2001-02, and forced hi mto miss the entire 2002-03 season.
He came back with the Habs in 2003-04, and established himself as a top-pairing defenceman. He set new career highs with 15 goals and 20 assists.
He played for Farhestads in Sweden during the 2004-05 NHL lockout, and was back in Montreal for 2005-06 - when he bested his prior career high, with 39 points.
2006-07 was the best of Souray's career. He played in a career high 81 games, scored 26 goals, added 38 assists, and racked up 135 PIMs. He was tough as nails, and driving the offense from the back end. Souray had elevated himself to one of the league's top defenceman, right in time for free agency.
He would ink a 5 year, $27 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers - who had hoped that they found a replacement for Chris Pronger, who had been traded away in 2006.
His first year did not go as planned. Injuries limited him to just 26 games. His second season, however, he came exactly as hoped for. He matched his career high with 81 games, and while he didn't quite meet the offensive pace he set for himself in his final year in Montreal, his 23 goals and 30 assists put him amoung the league leaders for defenceman.
2009-10 ended up being another injury shortned season. Three games in, a hit from Jarome Iginla would leave Souray concussed. He would get back on the ice a month later and was playing well. At the end of January, he broke his hand in a fight with Iginla. The facture, and an infection that followed, ended Souray's season after only 37 games.
He was unhappy with how the Oilers' medical staff handeled his injuries, and requested a trade. He & the club publically fought - in one of the more embaressing moments in Oilers' history.
After passing unclaimed through waivers, the Oilers loaded Souray to the AHL's Herhey Bears for the 2010-11 season. Once he was ready to play, Sheldon put up a pretty solid AHL campaign.
There was one year left on Souray's contract, and the Oilers opted to buy him out - after they were unable to find any takers. He was immedaitly signed by the Dallas Stars, where he played 64 games in the 2011-12 season.
Having reestablished himself as a strong defenceman, Souray signed a three year deal with the Anaheim Ducks. The shortened season of 2012-13 saw him play in 44 games, and record 17 points. His final point of the season gave him 300 for his career.
The injuries had taken their toll on Souray's body though. He never played the final two years of a his contract with Anahime, and would go on LTIR for the next two seasons. He announced his retirement in 2015.
Souray was a thre etime NHL all star ('04, '07, '09) and won the hardest shot contest at the 2004 all star game. He holds the NHL record for most power player goals in a season by a defenceman with 19 in 2006-07, an Oilers team record with the fastest two goals in a regular season game (7 seconds), and a Montreal team record with the most points by a defenceman in one game (with 6, on January 10th 2004 vs the Penguins).
He played for Canada once, winning a Silver Medal at the 2005 World Championships
Shown here are Souray's UD Rookie Card, a BAP Autograph, a Totally Certfied jersey card, and a Fleer Ulta Ice Medalion, showing him with the Oilers.
2008-09
Jesse Boulerice
After his rookie season with the OHL's Detroit Whalers, where he racked up 150 PIMs in 64 games, Jesse Boulerice was selected in the 5th round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.
His next campaign with Detroit in the OHL saw him score 10 goals, 14 assists, and 209 PIMs in just 33 games. The Jr. Whalers moved to Plymouth the following season, and Jesse doubled his goal totals (20) to go along with 23 assits and 170 PIMs.
He turned pro the following season, and would spend the next two seasons with the Flyers affiliates in the AHL & ECHL, honing his craft as an enfocer. He was called up to the Flyers in 2001-02, and played in his first three NHL games.
He was also traded that season, to the Carolina Hurricanes, for Greg Koehler. After the trade, he finsihed the season wtih the Lowell Lock Monsters.
2002-03 saw Jesse make it as a full time NHLer, though he wasn't always in the lineup. He played 48 games in 2002-03 and 76 in 2003-04 for Carolina, scoring 8 goals, adding a pair of assists, and earning 235 PIMs over that time.
He had a brief one game stint with Lowell again in 2005-06, but spent most of the season on 'Canes NHL roster, until January 30th when he was traded along with Mike Zigomanis, Magnus Kahnberg, a 1st round pick, and a pair of 4th round picks, to the St. Louis Blues for Doug Weight & Erkki Rajamaki.
Boulerice split the rest of the season between the Albany River Rats (16 games) and the Blues (12 games) before hitting free agency.
He resigned with the team that drafed him, and was back in the Flyers' organization. He spent the bulk of the year in the AHL, but played in 5 NHL contests for the Flyers.
He joined the Colorado Avalanche in 2008-09, and had been called up - but never got into game action for them. He was placed on waivers and claimed by the Edmotnon Oilers.
Jesse would play two games for the Oilers, before being reclaimed by the Avalanche. He finsihed the season with the Lake Erie Monsters.
Boulerice joined the Penguins organization next, and spent two seasons playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. His two games with the Oilers were the last of his NHL career.
Jesse represented the USA twice at the World Juniors, in 1997 & 1998, winning Silver in '97.
Pictured are Boulerice's Black Diamond Rookie Card, and a BAP autograph.
Gilbert Brule
An Edmonton native, and only 5'10" in stature, Gilbert Brule dominated the WHL in his first two full seasons with the Vancouver Giants, with 147 points in 137 games. He was selected 6th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
He broke camp with the Jackets in 2005-06, making the team as a rookie. He scored twice & added a pair of helpers in seven NHL games, before being returned to junior.
2006-07 saw Brlue make the Jackets as a fulltime player. He played in 78 games, but dissapointed with only 9 goals and 10 assists.
The next season was another dissapointing one. Brule playe din 61 games for Columbus, scoring just once, and adding 8 assists. He spent a bit of time with the Syracue Crunch, where he put up decent numbers (10 points in 16 games).
The summer of 2008 saw Brule traded from Columbus, to the Edmonton Oilers, for Raffi Torres. He spent a big chunk of the year in the minors, and scored twice for the Oilers in his 11 games.
2009-10 would end up being the best of Brule's career. He spent the entire season with the Oilers, playing in 65 games. He scored 17 goals, and added 20 assists.
His numbers dropped in 2010-11 (9 points in 41 games) and he was demoted to the AHL in 2011-12. After a brief call up where he didn't get into any game action for the Oilers, he was claimed on waivers by the Phoenix Coyotes.
Gilbert played 33 games for Phoenix that season, with 14 points. He spent the 2012-13 season in Switzerlan, before rejoing the Coyotes in 2013. He played just 3 NHL games that season, along with time in the AHL. That would be the end of Brule's career in North America.
He went to Russia after that, and spent the next 8 seasons playing in the KHL. His best season there came in 2017-18 when he scored 17 goals & 18 assists in 47 games for Kunlun Red Star.
He played the final season of his career in 2020-21, with TH Unia Oswiecim in Poland.
Brule has represented Canada three time. He won Silver at the Under 17s in 2004, and Gold at the Under 18s in the season season. In 2018 he won a Bronze medal with Canada at the Olympic Games.
Pictured are Brule's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and an OPC Black Rainbow Reto /100 card, showing him with the Oilers.
Taylor Chorney
After a couple of seasons with famed Shattuck-Saint Mary's Prep School, and time with the US National Team Development program, Taylor Chorney was an All-American at the University of North Dakota.
The son of Marc Chorney, a vetern of 210 NHL games, he was selected in the 2nd round - 36th overall - by the Edmonton Oilers in 2005.
He turned pro in 2008, and spent the bulk of the season playing for the AHL's Springfield Falcons. He also made his NHL debut, playing in two games for the Oilers.
Taylor looked to be progressing as a member of the Oilers organization. He played 42 games for the Oilers, recording his first 3 NHL assists, in 2009-10 - while also spending time again with Springfield.
2010-11 saw him spend the bulk of the season in the AHL, and he only played in 12 NHL games. He did score his first NHL goal, and recorded 3 more assists.
The following season saw Chorney spend most of the year in the AHL, playing 50 solid games for the Oklahoma City Barsons. He got a call up and played three games for the Oilers - but was claimed on waivers by St. Louis when Edmonton tried to send him back down.
With the Blues, he played just two games - but finsihed the season on their NHL roster.
After playing two straight seasons in the AHL, Taylor signed with one of the clubs his father played for - the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played in 7 games for the Pens in 2014-15, spending most of the season i nthe minors.
He was a free agent again, and this time signed with the Washington Capitals. Chorney ended up filling the 6th / 7th defenceman role for the Caps, and didn't play a single game in the minors over the next three seasons. He set a career high with 55 games in 2015-16.
He was waived in the 2017-18 season, and was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets, after playing in 24 games with the Caps. He played just a single game for the Jackets, the final one of his NHL career.
Chorney's caeer continued in Europe after that, playing two seasons in Switzerland for HC Lugano, and then the final season of his career with EC Red Bull Saltzburg (Austria) in 2020-21.
He represented the USA four times, at the 2005 Under 18s, the 2006 & 2007 World Juniors, and the 2010 World Championships. He won a Gold in '05 and a Bronze in '07.
Shown here is Chorney's OPC Premier Rookie-Auto-Patch. It's his only GU/Auto/RC (curious that he was an auto-only RC in The Cup). I've actually got a massive Taylor Chorney collection (near complete player collection). Back in 2009 I thought it would be fun to collect a random Oilers rookie, and see how many of his cards I could get.
Erik Cole
Erik Cole was an All =-American with Clarkson University, and was drafted 71st overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricans.
He turned pro following the end of the 1999-00 NCAA season, and played 9 games for the 'Canes farm club, the Cincinnati Cyclones of the IHL. He'd play another 7 in the playoffs.
2000-01 saw Cole as a fulltime IHLer. The 69 games he played in Cincinnati would be his last in the minor leagues.
He established himself as a gritty hard working forward, with a good touch around the net. He scored 16, 14, and 18 goals over the next three seasons with Carolina.
He joined the Berlin Polar Bears for the 2004-05 lockout season, and won the DEL Championship with them.
With Carolina in 2005-06 he had his best season yet. Cole scored 30 goals in 60 games, and hepled the Hurricans win the Stanley Cup.
He scored 29 goals in 2006-07, and 22 in 07-08. He'd become a staple in the Hurricane's lineup. Of course that's when a trade would happen.
Cole was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers for Joni Pitkanen. He joined them for the 2008-09 season, and scored 16 goals in 63 games - but was never really happy about the trade. At the deadline, he was involved in a three-way swap.
Patrick O'Sullivan & a 2nd went from the LA Kings to the Carolina Hurricanes for Justin Williams. O'Sullivan & a 2nd went to the Edmonton Oilers for Cole & a 5th. Eric was back with Carolina. He scored a pair of goals during the team's final 17 games.
He hit free agency and signed with the Montreal Canadiens. His first season with the Habs, 2011-12, was the best of Cole's career. In 82 games he scored 35 goals and had 61 points.
He got off to a slow start with Montreal in 2012-13, scoring just 3 goals in 19 games. They traded him to Dallas for Michael Ryder & a 3rd rounder. His 6 goals in 28 games wern't exactly the rebound he was looking for.
Cole played two more seasons in Dallas, getting back to be being a goal scorer. He popped 16 in 2013-14, and had 18 in 57 games in 2014-15 - before he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings with a 3rd rounder for Mattias Backman, Mattias Janmark, and a 2nd rounder.
Cole finsihed the season with Detroit, scoring 3 goals in 11 games, before reitring.
He played for the USA on three occasions. The 2005 & 2007 World Champsionships, and the 2006 Olympics Games.
Pictured are Cole's Private Stock RC, a BAP Autograph, a UD Game Jersey, and an OPC Retro Foil, showing him with the Oilers.
Ales Kotalik
After playing a season with Ceske Budejovice HC in the Czech Republic, Ales Kotalik was drafted in the 6th round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft as a 20 year old, by the Buffalo Sabres.
He spent three more seasons playing with Ceske, before coming across the pond in 2001. He spent most of his first season in North America with the Rochester AMericans in the AHL, but made his NHL debut - and played 13 games for the Sabres. He scored his first NHL goal, and his first 3 NHL assists.
2002-03 saw him play 8 more games in the AHL, but he earned his spot on the Sabres roster, and scored 21 goals in 68 games.
After sepdning the 2004-05 lockout season home in the Czech Republic, Kotalik had the best season of his career in 2005-06. He set career highs with games (82), goals (25), and assists (37).
After a down year in 06-07, he popped 23 gaols in 07-08. At the 2009 NHL trade deadline he was shiped off to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2nd round pick. He scored 7 goals in 19 Oilers games, giving him a total of 20 on the season.
Ales left Edmonton as a free agent, and signed with the New York Rangers. He only played part of the season on Broadway, he was packaged with Chris Higgins and sent to Calgary for Olli Jokien and Brandon Prust.
He finsihed the 09-10 season with Calgary, and stayed with them for the 2010-11 season, but was eventually sent to the minors. As a free agent in 2011, he went back home and signed (once again) with Ceske, where he played the final three seasons of his career.
Kotalik retired in 2014.
He represented the Czech Republic four times, at teh '98 World Juniors, the '06 Olympics, and the '08 & '09 World Championships.
Pictured are Kotalik's Premier RC, a Pacific Heads Up Jersey Card, and a signed copy of his ITG Action RC (there's a couple of certified autos in Czech Issued sets of him, and I'd like to eventually land one).
Steve MacIntyre
Steve MacIntyre was a fearend enforcer in the WHL for parts of 5 seasons. He was nicknamed "Big Mac" with the obvious tie in to his last name, but also his 6'5" 250 lbs frame.
He was never drafted, but carved out a career for himself in the minor leauges, playing in the Continental Elite Hockey League, the United Hockey League, the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League, WHA2, and about 30 AHL games for the Hartford Wolf Pack (all those stops between 2001 & 2007).
In 2007-08 he signed with the Providence Bruins, and played 62 AHL games (more than doulbe his career total, to date).
His skills as an enforcer caught the Florida Panthers' eye, and he signed with the club for the 2008-09 season. They attempted to send him down to the minors before the seasons started, and he was claimed by the Edmonton Oilers.
He played just 22 games for the Oilers, but he spent the entire season on the roster. Steve earned 40 PIMs, and scored two goals. Big Mac had made it as an NHLer.
2009-10 saw Steve play just 4 games for the Oilers, before they attempted to send him down to the minors. He was claimed by the Florida Panthers on waivers, and played 18 games for them, before being sent to the Rochester Americans.
He was a free agent after that, and re-signed with the club that made him an NHLer. He played 34 games for the Oilers that year, racking up 93 PIMs.
He'd join the Pittsburgh Penguins on a two year deal after that, but played just 13 games for them over the next two seasons - he spent most of his time in the AHL.
From 2013-14 on, MacIntyre never got back to the NHL - but he played another 6 seasons in the minors (AHL, ECHL, FHL, FPHL) retiring as a member of the Carolina Thunderbirds in 2020.
Pictured are two copies of MacIntyre's Victory Rookie Card. One of them has been signed
Patrick O'Sullivan
Patrick O'Sullivan looked to be a Superstar in the making when the Mississauga IceDogs selected him 1st in the OHL draft in 2001. His first season in the OHL didn't dissapoint. He scored 34 goals, and 58 assists. His assists (and 92 points) are still IceDogs team records. He was also named both the OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year.
He would contiune to dominate the OHL for another three seasons, and was selected 56th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
He turned pro in 2005-06, and played for the Wild's AHL club, the Houston Aeros. As an AHL rookie he scored 47 goals, and 46 assists. He was named AHL rookie of the year, and holds several Aeroes franchise records.
He never ended up playing for Minnesota. Before making his NHL debut he was traded to the Los Angles Kings along with a first round draft pick, for Pavol Demitra.
He split the 2006-07 season between the Manchester Monarchs (Kings' AHL club) and made his NHL debut with Los Angeles. His scoring didn't live up to the hype at the NHL level though, he managed just 5 goals in 44 games.
O'Sullivan had a much stronger 2007-08 season. He popped 22 and had 53 points, in his first full NHL season (he played in all 82 games). Unfortunatly, those would all end up being career highs.
He regressed in 2008-09, scoring 14 goals & 37 points in 62 games - and was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in a 3-way swap that saw Justin Williams go to LA from Carolina, and Erike Cole leaving Edmonton to be reunited with the Hurricanes. He played in 19 games with the Oilers, to finish the season, scoring just twice with four assists.
2009-10 was O'Sullivan's one full year in Edmonton. He played 73 games for them, scoring 11 times and adding 23 helpers. The Oilers would trade him the following summer to the Phoenix Coyotes for Jim Vandermeer. The Coyotes then bought out his contract.
He signed a free agent deal with the Carolina Huricanes, and became the first North Carolina native to play for the 'Canes. His stay was short. He was regularly a healthy scrath, and with just 1 goal in 10 games - he was placed on waivers, and claimed by the team that orgionally drafted him - the Minnesota Wild.
7 years after being drafted by the club, O'Sullivan made his Wild debut. He played 21 games for them - scored once, and setup six others. He spent more time with Houston in the AHL - putting up 48 points in 36 games.
A free agent again, O'Sullivan signed with the team that bought him out a summer earlier, the Coyotes. He would play only 23 games for them (with 4 points) - while playing better than a point-per-game pace with the AHL's Portland Pirates (30 points, 26 games). He was loaned to the Peoria Rivermen to finish the AHL season.
He signed to play in Finland for the 2012-13 season, but after scoring just one goal in eight games, O'Sullivan was cut by HIFK Helsinki. He retired after the 2012-13 season.
Patrick played for the USA on 7 different occasions, winning Gold at the 2002 Under 18s, and the 2004 World Juniors. He also played at the '03 & '05 World Juniors, as well as the '06, '08, and '09 World Championships.
Pictured are O'Sullivan's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and a UD Ice Jersey card, showing him with the Oilers (though clearly a Kings swatch)
Ryan Potulny
Ryan Potulny was drafted 87th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2003, after a pair of seasons with the USHL's Lincoln Stars. He headed to college after that, and played three seasons for the Minnesota Golden Gophers - with 118 points in 100 games. He was a Hobey Baker finalist, and All-American in 2005-06, when he led the country in scoring with 38 goals and 63 points.
After his college season ended, Potulny turned pro. He made his NHL debut with the Flyers in 2005-06, playing in two games, and recording his first NHL point (an assist).
He spent the next two seasons splitting his time with the Flyers, and the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms - playing 25 & 7 NHL games, and recording a total of 7 goals and 6 assists.
In the summer of 2008, Ryan was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Danny Syvret. In 2008-09 he led the Springfield Falcons in scoring, with 38 goals & 62 points. He also made his Oilers debut, playing 8 games and tallying 3 assists.
2009-10 saw Potulny play just 14 games in the minors, and he logged 64 with the Oilers. He scored 15 goals and added 17 assists - looking like the depth scoring type player that all teams covet.
He hit free agency, and joined the Chicago Blackhawks. He'd spend most of the seaosn putting up solid number with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, playing just three (scorless) games for Chicago. They'd end up trading him along with a 2nd round pick to the Ottawa Senators for Chris Campoli. He split the remainder of the season between Ottawa and Binghampton.
Ryan played four more seasons in the AHL after that, three with the Hershey Bears and one with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He spent the final three seasons of his career in Europe, playing in Finland, Czech Republic, Austria, and Scotland.
He retired in 2017, and has been an assistant coach with his alma mater, University of Minnesota, since.
Potulny reprsented the USA once, scoring a pair of goals at the 2010 World Championships.
Pictured is his Cup Rook-Patch-Auto.
Tim Sestito
Winger Tim Sestito had a 4 year junior career with the Plymouth Whalers, before joinging the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers for 9 games in 2004-05. He was never drafted, but after the brief minor league deal, he signed a two way contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
His first full pro season was with the ECHL's Greenville Grrowl, saw him score 21 goals, 23 assists, and 127 PIMs. All numbers better than anything he put up in junior.
His ECHL success earned him a 4 game AHL stint in 2006-07 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (whom the Oilers were sharing with Pittsburgh) and a fulltime AHL gig in 2007-08, where he racked up 175 PIMs.
In 2008-09, Sestito made his NHL debut - playing in a single game for the Oilers. That summer he was traded to the New Jersey Devils for a draft pick.
Tim spent the next 6 seasons with the Devils organization. He played mostly in the minors, but played 100 NHL games for New Jersey, recoding 8 assists and 55 PIMs.
2015 saw him head overseas and join Riga Dynamo in the KHL, where he played the final two seasons of his career, reitiring in 2017.
Since retiring, he became a firefighter in his hometown of Rome, NY and coaches the Utica Jr Comets.
Picutred are Sestito's UD Ice Rookie Card, a KHL Autograph, and a WB Penguins team issued Jersey Card.
Jason Strudwick
After his rookie WHL season, rugged defenceman Jason Strudwick was selected by the New York Islanders with the 63rd pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He played one more seasons for the Kamloops Blazers, before turning pro in 1995.
He spent the bulk of his first season in the Isles organization with the Worcester IceCats in the AHL, but made his NHL debut - playing a single game for the Islanders, and raked up 7 PIMs, including a fight against the Whalers' Kelly Chase
After spending the entire 1996-98 season in the minors, he was recalled and played 17 games for the Islanders, when he'd record his first NHL assist. He was then traded to the Vancouver Canucks at the deadline, for enforcer Gino Odjick.
Strudwick played 11 games for the Canucks down the stretch, and laced them up for three playoff games with the AHL's Syracue Crunch. Those would be the final three AHL games of his career.
Jason became a mainstay on the Vancouver blueline. He scored his first NHL goal in the 1999-00 season, and spent a total of 5 seasons with the Canucks.
The next few years saw him bounce around the league, easily getting a new contract to fit the depth defenceman role for a club, but never for a long time. He played a pair of seasons in Chicago, and then three with the New York Rangers.
In the summer of 2008, Strudwick signed with his hometown team, the Edmotnon Oilers. He instantly became a fan favorite, and was a steadying presence on their blueine for the next three seasons.
Perhaps slowing down a bit, Strudwick was unable to get an NHL job for the 2011-12 season, so he extended his career by playing a season with Sodertalje SK in Sweden, before retiring in 2012.
After retiring, he began to host his on radio show on TSN's Edmonton Affiliate, and moved to TV in 2015, where he's still currently working, mostly covering the Oilers.
Pictured are Strudwick's MVP Rookei Card, a BAP Autograph, and an OPC card showing him with the Oilers.
Lubomir Visnovsky
Lubomir Visnovsky got his first taste of professional hockey playing for his hometown club, HC Slovan Bratislava, in the Slovak hockey league as a teenager in 1994-95. He played six seasons there, before being drafted by the Los Angles Kings in the 4th round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, as a 20 year old.
He signed with the Kings, and never spent a day in the minors. He played in 81 games in his 2000-01 rookie season, with seven goals and thiry-nine points. That was tops amoung rookie defenceman, and he was named to the NHL's All-Rookie team.
He continued to shine on the Kings blueline for the next three seasons, before the 2004-05 lockout sent him home to Slovakia, where he played for Bratislava once again.
Back in the NHL for the 2005-06 season, Visnovsky had one of the best seasons of his career, popping 17 goals and 50 assists. He set new career highs in both categories.
While he didn't equal the assist total the following season, in 2006-07 Lubomir set a new career with 18 goals, and continued to be an important part of the Kings defence through the 2007-08 season.
In the summer of 2008, the Kings would trade Visnovsky to the Edmonton Oilers for Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene. The move ultimatly helped LA win the Stanley Cup, as Drew Doughty was now providing plenty of offense from the Kings' blueline.
Visnovsky has two solid seasons with Edmonton. He was the #1 player on their backend, and had 10 goals and 22 assists in 57 games in the 2009-10 season, before he was traded to the Anahime Ducks for Ryan Whitney.
He continued to play great for Anahime, and matched his career highs with 18 goals and 50 assists (setting a new high mark for points) in the 2010-11 season. His numbers dipped in 2011-12, but he was still very effective for them.
He started the 2012-13 season back in Bratislava, with another NHL lockout happening. Once the league started up again he joined the New York Islanders, who had traded a 2nd round pick to get him.
The final three seasons of his NHL career were all spent on Long Island, and he left North America with nearly 900 NHL games played.
Visnovsky returned home to Slovakia for the 2015-16 season, playing one last season in Bratislava before retiring.
He represented Slovakia 19 times, which includes 102 games played for the National Team. That included three World Juniors, two World Cups, ten World Championships, and four Olympic Games. His Slovak teams medaled three times at the World Champsionships ('00 Silver, '02 Gold, '03 Bronze). He also helped Slovakia win silver at the 2008 Inline Hockey World Championships.
Pictured are Visnovsky's Titanium Rookie Card /99, a BAP Autograph, a KHL Jersey Card, and a Victory card, showing him with the Oilers.
2009-10
Dean Arsene
Dean Arsene is a great example that through hard work, and sticking with it, we can achieve our goals.
Dean played five seasons in the WHL, with the Regina Pats, Edmotnon Ice, and then Kootenay Ice (after they relocated from Edmonton). He was never drafted, and signed an ECHL deal with the Charlotte Checkers.
After turning pro in 2001 with Carlotte, Arsene signed with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. He spent the 2002-03 season there, and then signed with the Hershey Bears for the 03-04 season.
Hes split 03-04 between Hershey & the ECHL's Reading Royals. From 2004-05 through 2008-09 he became a mainstay on the Bears' blueline. He earned the nickname "Mayor of Chocolateown", after helping lead the Bears to Calder Cup Championships in 2006 and 2009.
A career minor leager at this point, Arsene was a free agent and signed a two-way deal with the Edmonton Oilers. He played 56 AHL games for the Springfield Falcons in 2009-10, but finally made it to the NHL - playing 13 games for the Oilers.
He hit free agency again, and continued to sign one-year / two-way deals - but never got back to the NHL. The final four seasons of his career took him to AHL stops with the Peoria Riverman, Portland Pirates, St. John's IceCaps, and Abbotsford Heat.
Arsene retired after the 2013-14 season, after 13 years as a pro.
Pictured are Arsene's Artifacts Rookie Card, and an SPGU Autograph.
Devan Dubnyk
Devan Dubnyk starred for the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, and was made the 14th overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. He'd play two more seasons with Kamloops, before turning pro in the 2006-07 season.
The Oilers were without their own farm team in 2006-07, Dubnyk's first out of junior. He spent the bulk of the season with the ECHL's Stockton Thunder - but did play a few games for the Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Edmonton signed a deal with the Springfield Falcons for 2007-08 - so Dubnyk was done in the ECHL. He logged 33 AHL games that year, playing behind Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers. 2008-09 saw Deslauriers promoted to the NHL, and Dubynk was the main goalie for Springfield, backstopping them in 62 games.
2009-10 is when Devan got his first call up. He split the season between the NHL and AHL, and played in 19 games for the Oilers.
Over the next four seasons, Dubnyk showed signs of becoming a top tier netminder, but he was never able to put it all together with Edmonton. After struggling through the 2013-14 season, he was traded to Nashville for Matt Hendricks. Dubnyk would only play a pair of games for the Predators, before being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations. He never actually played for the Habs, and just went home for the rest of the year.
He was a free agent, and signed to play with the Arizona Coyotes. A funny thing happened. Through 19 starts, Dubnyk was playing great. He had a 2.72 GAA & a 916 SV%. He'd put together a 9-5-2 record, on an Arizona team that was near the bottom of the league.
With two likely Superstars (Connor McDavid & Jack Eichel) availble in the 2015 draft, Arizona couldn't take the risk that Dubnyk would win too many games - so he was traded to the Minnesota Wild for a 3rd round pick.
With Minnesota that season, his numbers got even better. He played 39 games, went 27-9-2. Had a GAA of 1.78, and a SV% of .936.
Devan never played quite to those numbers again, but for the next four seasons he would start in 60+ games for Minnesota, playing very high calibre. He was the #1 goalie that Edmonton invisioned when they drafted him.
His play tailed off in 2019-20, and he only played in 30 games. Alex Stalock had taken over in net by the end of the season. The Wild traded Dubnyk to the San Jose Sharks (with a 7th round pick) for a 5th round pick.
Devan played 17 games with the Sharks before they eventually traded him to Colorado for a 5th rounder & Greg Pateryn. He played 5 games for the Avs down the strech, and then hit free agency.
He played breifly with the Charlotte CHeckers of the AHL in 2021-22 (four games) but as it stands, it looks like Dubnyk has retired from professional hockey.
He was a member of the 2006 Gold Medal winning Canadian team at the World Juniors, and also won Gold with Canada at the 2012 Spengler Cup. He also played on the 2011, 2012, and 2013 World Championship teams.
Pictured are Dubnyk Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and his Ice Rookie. Normally I wouldn't pick up the second rookie card, but I love the picture on this one (specifically, the Ranford-style mask)
Aaron Johnson
Aaron Johnson played four seasons in the QMJHL. He started out with the Rimouski Oceanic, and split his final season with the Oceanic and QUebec Remparts, after a mid-season trade. The Columbus Blue Jackets made him the 85th overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
After Johnson's junior career ended, he turned pro, signing with the Blue Jackets. He split the 2003-04 season between the Jackets and their farm team, the Syracue Crunch. He played 49 AHL games, and 29 in the NHL - scoring twice with six assists.
The defenceman played the entire 2004-05 with Syracuse, as the NHL season was lost due to a labour war. He split the 2005-06 season between the NHL and AHL again, putting up the same two goals and six assists with the Jackets, in 26 games.
2006-07 marked the first season Johnson played soley in the NHL, logging 61 games for Columbus. His contract was up at the end of the season, and he left as a free agent, signing with the New York Islanders.
He was one & done on Long Island, and inked a two year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2008. After playing 38 games for the Hawks in 08-09 (and a pair in the minors) he was traded to Calgary prior to the start of the 2009-10 season for Kyle Greentree.
Aaron played 22 games for the Flames, before being part of a rare inter-province trade, when Calgary traded Johnson along with a 3rd round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Steve Staios.
The 2010-11 season saw Johnson join the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, where he had a great season in the minors.
He would rejoin the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2011-12 season, scored 3 goals and had 13 assists in 56 games - setting career highs in goals & assists.
2012-13 saw him join the Boston Bruins as a depth defenceman, but he played in just 10 NHL games (plus two in the AHL). He'd sign short term deals with the Rangers, Senators, and Flames over the next three seasons - but each time he only played for their AHL affiliates.
Aaron played for two seasons in Germany with the Mannheim Eagles, and then two in the UK with the Sheffield Steelers, before retiring in 2020. He's taken on a public relations role with the Jackets since retiring.
Pictured are Johnson's SP Authentic RC /900, and his Rimouski team-issued Autograph card /100.
Ryan Jones
A Junior B star with the Chatham Maroons, Ryan Jones was drafted in the 4th round by the Minnesota Wild in 2004. He'd play the next four seasons with the University of Miami (Ohio), and was named an All-American in 2007-08, after putting up 49 points (31 goals) in 42 games.
He got a taste of pro hockey at the end of the 2007-08, playing four games in both the regular season and playoffs for the AHL's Houston Aeros. Those would be the only 8 games he played in the Wild's organization. He was dealt that summer with a 2nd round pick, for Marek Zidlicky.
Ryan's NHL debut came the following season, when he scored 7 goals and had 10 assists in 46 games for the Preds, splitting the year between the NHL and AHL.
Jones played another 41 games for Nashville in 2009-10 (7 goals, 4 assists) and 15 for their AHL club, but when the Preds tried to send him back to Milwaukee, the Edmonton Oilers claimed him on waivers.
Ryan played 8 games for the Oilers before the end of the season, scoring just once.
His breakthrough NHL year was in 2010-11. He played in 81 games for the Oilers, scored 18 times. He played 79 the folowing season, with 17 goals - but he also set a career high with 33 points.
Jones fell down the depth chart with the Oilers the following year, and managed just a pair of goals in 52 games, while also spending a brief stint in the AHL.
A free agent, he signed briefly with the AHL's Utica Comets, but after 5 games went overseas and joined the Cologne Sharks in Germany. He'd play 5 seasons in the DEL before retiring in 2019.
Pictured are Jones' Rookie-Auto-Patch from The Cup, and an OPC foil card, showing him with the Oilers.
Torrie Jung
Torrie Jung was a good goalie for the Kelowna Rockets. Good enough that the Tampa Bay lightning made him a 7th round pick in 2007. He never signed with the Bolts, and reentered the draft in 2009 (now a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings) but he went unselected.
The Edmonton Oilers invited Jung to thier rookie camp in 2009, but he wasn't offered any contract. He returned for a final season of junior with the Oil Kings.
On November 21st 2009, Oilers' starter Nikolai Khabibulin suffered a back injury, and the Oilers were left with only a health Jeff Deslauriers to dree that night. They signed Jung to an emergency one-day contract, and he dressed as Deslauriers' backup, in a 5-2 loss to Chicago that night.
That was the end of the Jung's time in the NHL. He spent the next few seasons playing for the Laredo Bucks & Wichita Thunder in the CHL - but retired from hockey in 2014.
His name might not be in the official record book, but for one night Torrie Jung was an NHLer.
Shown are Jung's Between The Pipes base card, and his autograph.
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Khabibulin, The Bulin Wall, was a star Russian goalie in the NHL for nearly two decades.
He was a junior star in the former Soviet Union, and played for the 'Commonwealth of Independant States' in 1992 (ex-USSR) at both the World Junior Championships, and the Albertville Olympics - winning Gold in both tournaments. The Winnipeg Jets drafted him in the 9th round after that performance, a reflection of the fact that NHL clubs were still leary of selection Russians.
After a couple of more seasons in Russia, Khabibulin joined the Jets in 1994-95. He played 26 games, going 8-9-4. He also spent some time in the minors.
1995-96 was Nikolai's first full season in the NHL. He played in 53 games for the Jets, and posted a winning record of 26-20-3.
The club moved to Phoenix, and he became a Coyotes. His win totals rose from 26 to 30, held at 30, and then rose again to 32. Meanwhile, his GAA dropped every year in Phoenix. After a 3.13 in Winnipeg, he was down to 2.13 after his 3rd season in the dessert.
He and the club fought over his next contract. The dispute ended up costing him the entire 1999-00 NHL season, and he played with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL instead, where he was named league MVP.
After nearly missing another entire NHL season, and Phoenix still unwilling to pay him, they sent Khabibulin and Stanislav Neckar to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Mike Johnson, Paul Mara, Ruslan Zaynullin, and a 2nd round pick.
He made his debut with the Bolts in March of 2001, playing a pair of games before the end of the season.
Nikolai was back in All-Star form the following season. He played in 70 games for Tampa, had 7 shutouts, and a sparkling 2.36 GAA. He was named to the All-Star game, and would have won MVP of the match had they waited until the game ended to vote. Intead, votes were cast while North America still had a lead - and Khabibulin's 20-save shutout in the 3rd period didn't get its due.
2003-04 would see Khabibulin reach the highlight of his career. He backstopped the Lightning to a Stanley Cup victory, earning 6 shutouts in 23 post-season starts, holding down a GAA of just 1.71.
He played in Russia for the 2004-05 season, during the NHL lockout, but came back to the NHL for 2005-06.
With a salary cap now in place, Khabibulin wasn't resigned by Tampa. Instead, he took his game to a rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. He put up solid, but not spectacular, numbers for the Hawks, and helped them get back to the playoffs in 2008-09, where the Hawks reached the Western Confernce finals.
A free agent again, Khabibulin would next sign with the Edmonton Oilers. Another rebuilding club, he'd spend the next four seasons there - winning a total of 33 games.
Nikolai played one final season in the NHL, when he rejoined the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013-14. He only played in 4 games before he got injured, and that ended up being the end of his career.
In addition to his Gold Medals in 1992, Khabibulin won Bronze at the 2002 Olympics with Russia, and was named the top goalie of the tournament. He was also a member of the Russian squad at the 1996 World Cup.
A4 time all star, Khabibulin retired with 333 NHL wins.
Shown here are Nikolai's 91-92 Upper Deck RC, a UD Premier Autograph, and a Panini Limited Crease Cleaners jersey card, showing him with Edmonton.
Charles Linglet
Winger Charles Linglet played four seasons of junior for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the QMJHL. Dispite impressive junior stats, including a 52 goal / 71 assists season in 2001-02, Linglet was never drafted.
In 2003 he agred out of junior, and turned pro - inking a minor league contract with the Utah Grizzlies. He played 7 AHL games, and 62 ECHL games. He scored 20 goals & had 35 assists in his first pro season.
Linglet continued to bounce around the minor leagues. He played for the Peoria Rivermen for most of the 2005-06 season, through 2008-09 (also had a brief stint with the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers). He had a 31 goal / 60 point season in 2006-07, and 24 goals /66 points in 2007-08.
After a slow start to the 2008-09 season, Linglet ended up leaving Peoria and joined the Springfield Falcons, he his offensive rebounded to career norms. In 2009-10 has scored 19 goals and had 74 points in 75 AHL games for Springfield. He was named an AHL Second Team All-Star.
2009-10 was also the season when Linglet made his NHL debut. He was called up, and played 5 games for the Oilers.
2010-11 saw Charles head overseas to continue his hockey career. He joined Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo of the KHL. The folling season he'd join Minsk Dynamo. He played a pair of seasons win Minsk (with a quick stop in Lugano in Switzerland) and would spend the 2013-14 season in Croatia, playing for Zagreb Medvescak in the KHL.
He played 4 of the next 5 seasons with Minsk, but also had stops with the Berlin Polar Bears (DEL) and Tappara Tampere (SM-Liiga). In 2018 he signed on with the Cardiff Devils in the EIHL, where he played two seasons before retiring.
Linglet spent so many seasons playing in Minsk, that he became a Belarusian citizen, and played for their national team at the '16, '17, and '18 World Champsionships, and for the Olympic Qualifiers in 2016.
Shown here are Linglet's Artifcats Rookie Card, is team-issued Baie-Comeau Autograph, and a KHL Jersey card.
Colin MacDonald
After a pair of seasons with the New England Jr. Coyotes, where he was named league MVP, Colin MacDonald was selected with the 51st overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2003. He'd then attend Providence College for the next four seasons, where he was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team in 2004, and the All-Tournament team in 2005.
He signed with the Oilers, and joined the AHL's Springfield Falcons in 2007. He spent the bulk of the next three seasons with Springfield, but was called up for a pair of games with the Oilers in 2009-10, when he scored his first career NHL goal.
His 2010-11 AHL season, with team Oklahoma City Barons, saw MacDonald score 42 goals to lead the league, and he played in the AHL All-Star game.
He hit free agency, and joined the Pittsburgh Penguins. He put up a good season with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and played in 5 NHL games for the Pens.
Next for Colin would be a three year deal with the New York Islanders. He split the first season between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (35 games) and the Isles (45 games). In 2013-14 he'd set career highs with 70 NHL games played, 8 goals, and matched the 10 helpers he had the year before.
2013-14 ended up being the only season in which he was a full-time NHLer. He only got into 18 games for New York the following season, spending half the season in the AHL.
2015 saw Colin sign with the Philadelphia Flyers. He played in just 8 games for them over the next three seasons, spending most of his time with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
In 2019-20 he inked a minor league deal to return to Bridgeport, and he retired following the season.
Colin represented the USA at the 2014 World Champsionships.
Pictured is MacDonald's Rookie-Auto-Patch from The Cup.
Chris Minard
Chris Minard had a 5 year junior career that saw him play for his hometown Owen Sound Platers, the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, and the Oshawa Generals. He was never drafted, and signed to join the ECHL's Pensacola Ice Pilots for the 2002-03 season.
He spent the next 5 seasons on a series of minor league deals, playing in the ECHL (Pensaola, Alsaka Aces), the CHL (San Angelo Saints), and the AHL (Milwaukee Admirals, Albany River Rats, Lowell Devils).
In 2007-08 Chirs would sign with the Pittsburgh Pengins. He played in 56 AHL games, but also 15 NHL games for the Pens, where he scored his first career NHL goal. 2008-09 saw him with a similar split, but got into 20 NHL games that year.
Minard signed with the Edmonton Oilers for the 2009-10 season - the same team his older brother Mike played for 10 years earlier. He spent a good chunk of the season in the AHL, and got into 5 games for the Oilers - getting just a single assist.
He was one & done in Edmonton, and joined that Grand Rapids Griffins for the 2010-11 season. After a pair of seasons there, he played in Germany for five seasons before retiring in 2017.
Shown here is Minard's SP Game Used Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his Victory Rookie Card.
Johan Motin
Johan Motin played in Sweden's top league as a teenager for two seasons, before being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the 4th round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He spent one more season in Sweden, before coming to North America in 2009.
A strong defender, Motin plays 55 games for the Springfield Falcons in 2009-10, and made his NHL debut playing a single game for the Oilers.
2010-11 saw Johan split the season between the AHL & ECHL. After starting the 2011-12 in the AHL, he and the Oilers agreed to terminate his deal - and he went home to Sweden, where he joined Timra IK in the SEL.
He played for five seasons with Orebo HK, and then left Sweden for the Finnish league, joining Lukko Rauma for the 2017-18 season. He signed with HIFK Helsinki in 2018, and has played the last four seasons there.
Motin was a member of the Swede's 2007 Bronze medal winning club at the Under 18s, and also won Silver at the 2008 World Juniors.
Pictured is Motin's Cup Rookie-Auto.
Ryan O'Marra
Ryan O'Marra was a star center with the Erie Otters in the OHL, and was drafted 15th overall by the New York Islanders in 2005 - after winning Gold at the 2004 Under 18s & Silver at the 2005 World Juniors with Team Canada.
Ryan made his pro debut in 2005-06, when he joined the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers for 8 regular season games, and 3 playoff games, following the end of the Erie's OHL season.
He split the 2006-07 OHL season between Erie & the Saginaw Spirt. He also won Gold Medals at both the 2006 and 2007 World Juniors, improving his resume as a top prospect.
He would never end up playing for the Islanders. At the 2007 NHL trade deadline, O'Marra was packaged with Robert Nillson and a 1st round pick, and traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Ryan Smyth.
With his junior career now over, Ryan joined the Oilers organization and spent most of the next three seasons in the AHL. In 2009-10 he made his NHL debut, playing in 3 games for the Oilers, and recorded his first NHL assist.
2010-11 saw Ryan suit up for 21 games for the Oilers. He scored a goal and had four helpers in that stretch.
The 2011-12 season was mostly another year in the AHL. O'Marra played 40 games for Oklahoma City, 7 games for the Oilers, and was then traded to the Anahime Ducks for Bryan Rodney. He'd play 18 games for the Ducks' affiliate in Syracue, and a pair of NHL games for Anaheim as well.
He hit free agency, but ended up signing overseason. O'Marra played the next four seasons in Europe, with stops in Finland, Italy, and the UK. He retired at the end of the 2014-15 season.
A Canadian citizen, with Canadian parents, O'Mara is one of the few NHL players to have been born in Japan.
Shown here is O'Marra's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Bryan Pitton
Bryan Pitton played three seasons with the OHL's Brampton Battalion, and was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
He got his first taste of pro hockey in 2008, when he made a single start for the AHL's Springfield Falcons after the OHL season ended.
While playing for the ECHL's Stockton Thunder, Pitton was recalled by the Oilers to backup Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers on January 2nd, 2010.
That would be Pitton's only taste of NHL action. He played another couple of seasons in the Oilers system, before playing in the UK, the CHL, and with the ECHL's Brampton Beast from 2015 to 2017. Pitton retired after the 2016-17 season.
Shown here is Pitton's 2010-11 Panini Certified Autograph Rookie Card.
Alex Plante
Hockey is a huge part of the Plante's family story. Alex was the 15th overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2007. He father Cam played a pair of games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1984-85. His brother Tyler was a 2nd round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2005.
After three seasons with the Calgary Hitmen, Alex Plante was taken in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, with the pick they got as park of the package in the Ryan Smyth deal. He played two more seasons in Calgary, before turning pro in 2009.
2009-10 saw the 6'3" defenceman spent most of the season in the AHL, but he played his first four NHL games, and recorded his first NHL assist.
Plante never lived up to the expecations that came with being a 1st round pick, but he did wind up with a long career in hockey.
He played just 10 more NHL games over the next two seasons for Edmonton, spending most of his time in the minors. He & the club parted ways in 2013, and he signed to play in Europe.
After playing in Germany & Norway, Alex took his game to Asia in 2015. He joined the South Korean club Anyang Halla in 2015, and played five seasons there.
In 2017 Plante gained South Korean citizenship. He represented his adopted country at the '17, '18, and '19 World Championships, and at the 2018 Olympic Games - when South Korea was the host.
Plant retired after the 2019-20 season.
Pictured is Plante's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Ryan Stone
Ryan Stone was a junior star witht he WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins made him the 32nd overall pick at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
After another two seasons in Brandon, he turned pro in 2005. After a pair of seasons in the AHL, he made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007-08. He played in 6 NHL games, and recorded an assist. He also helped the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins reach the Calder Cup finals in 2008.
2008-09 saw Ryan spend most of the season in the AHL, but he played two more NHL games with the Pens. He was traded in January with Dany Sabourin and a 4th round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Mathieu Garon.
After spending the rest of the 2008-09 season with Springfield, Stone made the Oilers club out of training came in 2009-10. He stuck with the club for the entire season, in the "13th forward" role - getting into 27 NHL games, and picking up 6 assists.
Stone spent the 2010-11 season with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat, and then went to Europe. He spit the 2011-12 season between Finalnd and Germany, before retiring in 2012.
Shown here are Stone's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and an OPC Foil card, showing him with the Oilers.
Ryan Whitney
After his rookie season at Boston University, Ryan Whitney was drafted 5th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2002. He played two more seasons in the NCAA - before turning pro and playing in 20 playoff games for the Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2004, helping the AHL team reach the Calder Cup Finals.
Ryan spent the 2004-05 lockout season in the AHL, and played 9 more games for the farm club in 2005-06, but 05-06 also saw him become a fulltime NHLer pretty quickly. He played 68 games for the Pens, getting his first six NHL goals and thirty two NHL assists.
Whitney set career highs in 2006-07. He played in 81 games, scored 14 goals, 59 points, and had 77 PIMs. He didn't quite match those totals in 2007-08, but he helped the Penguins reach the Stanley Cup finals in 2008, where they lost to the Detroit Red Wings.
2008-09 saw Whitney start the season injured, after off-season foot surgery. He played a conditing game in the AHL, and was then back with the Pens. Looking to change their lineup and push harder for a Stanley Cup - Whitney ended up being the piece that was moved to the Anaheim Ducks for Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi.
The rest of 2008-09 saw Whitney play 20 games for the Ducks, help the club reach the 2nd round of the playoffs, and then he watched his former club win the Stanley Cup.
Ryan played 62 games with the Ducks in 2009-10, before he was traded again. He was sent to the Edmonton Oilers, for Lubomir Visnovsky. He played in 19 games, getting 11 points, for the rest of the season with Edmonton.
Whitney was mostly a very good defender for Edmonton, moved the puck very well, and put up solid offensive numbers during the four season he was there. Problem was he couldn't stay healthy. He was limited to 35 games in 10-11, 51 in 11-12, and 34 in 12-13.
His ankle injury in 2012-13 took a toll on Whitney's foot speed. He signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers in 2013, but played just 7 games for them before being waived. After nobody claimed him, he went to the AHL where he finished the season with the San Antonio Rampage.
Whitney spent the next two seasons playig overseas in Russia and Sweden, before retiring after the 2015-16 season.
Ryan played for the USA five times. At the '00 Under 17s, the '01 Under 18s, both the '02 and '03 World Juniors, and he won a Silver Medal with the USA at the 2010 Olympic Games.
Shown here is Whitney's Rookie-Auto-Patch from The Cup, and a Panini Titanium Game Gear card, showing him as an Oiler.
If you have not seen my other threads, I'll mention what I collect: All Time Oilers. My collection features an Autograph of every player to have ever played for the team. It features a Rookie Card for any player who has one, and minor league or team issued cards for those that don't. If a player does have a card showing him as an Oiler, I've got one of those. I also collect a Game Used card for any player that has one. I sort them by the year they made their Oilers' debut.
I'm always looking to upgrade cards. I stick to pack-pulled autographs for those that have them available, and prefer hard-signed to stickers. I'll get TTM or In Person autographs from players that never signed for card companies. Like everyone, I prefer nice patches to plain swatches on my jersey cards. If you think you have something that would be an upgrade for one of the cards I have here, I'd love to hear about it.
Part 9. It starts off with a bang, all the new editions that helped the Oilers make a run to the finals, and lose a heart-breaking Game 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes. This team was so much fun to watch. I never liked how it was cited as an example of "just get in, and anything can happen" - as I don't believe this team, as it was constructed late in the season, was an 8th place team. Once the goaltending was solved (and a few other addtions) it was a legit contender. Sounds like something that could be applied to current Oilers team!
I have to mention a particular defenceman (he'll be named later, when you see his cards). Let me just say that I truely believe he is one of the greatest 10, or so, hockey players that ever lived. What he could do on the ice was nothing short of incredible. It's too bad he only stuck around for one season - but I'm not one of the Oiler fans whose a hater. Lots of rumors as to why he left, but there's a few things we know for sure. He was traded to Edmonton. He signed a long term extension. He was having a house built in Edmonton, but stopped construction on it (I believe) in late December. My take? Family reasons (whatever they were) made living in Edmonton untenable. He told managment that he wanted to be traded, but since a mid-season trade can be so hard to pull off - he was okay with playing out the season. Knowing he was going to be one and done with the Oilers, Kevin Lowe (then the GM) went out and stocked up, got the missing pieces, and tried to win it while he had him. A planned off season trade? He still played his guts out for them, and nearly won a Stanley Cup.
The positive for the Oilers ends after 2006 though. While there's still some great players who made their Oilers debut after that, the 2006-07 season kicks off what many Oilers fans refer to as "the decade of darkness". A carousel of General Mangers & Head Coaches, and chronically underachiving teams, last place finishes, and 4 #1 overall picks.
If you missed my other threads, and would like to see them, you can do so here:
Part 8 (00-01 through 03-04): http://hobbyinsider.net/forum/showthread.php?t=447469
Part 7 (96-97 through 99-00): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=441974
Part 6 (93-94 through 95-96): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=440343
Part 5 (90-91 through 92-93): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=438018
Part 4 (87-88 through 89-90): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=436263
Part 3 (83-84 through 86-87): http://www.hobbyinsider.net/forum/sh...d.php?t=429957
Part 2 (80-81 through 85-86): http://hobbyinsider.net/forum/showthread.php?t=429082
Part 1 (79-80): http://hobbyinsider.net/forum/showthread.php?t=427601
2005-06
Kyle Brodziak
Kyle Brodziak's draft-eligible year in 2002 saw him get passed over, after a season where he put up 8 goals and 20 points with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL. His 3rd junior season saw him break out offensivly, scoring 32 goals and 30 assists. The Edmonton Oilers used a 7th round pick to select him as an overager in 2003.
Brodziak finsihed his junior career a WHL All-Star, with a 39 goal / 93 point season, and turned pro in 2004-05 with the Edmonton Roadrunners. The 2005-06 season saw him play 55 games with the Iowa Stars (the Oilers were sharing the AHL club with Dallas) and he made his NHL debut, playing in 10 games.
Kyle spent most of the 2006-07 season with the Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Oilers sharing AHL clubs again). He scored 24 goals in 62 games, and play 6 more NHL contests, notching his first NHL goal.
The 2007-08 season would see Brodziak as a full time NHLer. He never played another game in the minors. He played 80 games for the Oilers that year, scoring 14 times, to go along with 17 assists.
Brodziak proved to be a durable, defensivly sound centerman for the Oilers, but his production dipped in 2008-09. He was traded to the Minnesota Wild after the season ended, along with a 6th round pick, for 4th and 5th round picks. A bit of irony, the 5th round pick ended up being goalie Oliver Roy who is now playing in Germany, while the 6th round pick the dealt ended up being Darcy Kuemper.
He spent the next six seasons in Minnesota, and set career highs with 22 goals and 44 points in 2011-12. He was a very good third line centre for the Wild.
Free Agency hit in 2015, and Kyle would join the St Louis Blues. He played three seasons therem with his most productive being his last one, 2017-18.
A free agent again, Kyle would sign to have a second stint with the Oilers in 2018-19. He played 70 games for them, before an injured back kept him out of the lineup, and put onto LTIR. His contract was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, along with a pick, for Mike Green. He never played for Detrot, and instead ended up retiring.
Kyle played in 917 regular season NHL games.
Pictured are Brodziak's Ultimate Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his (non-auto) Future Watch.
Matt Greene
After a pair of seasons with the US National Development Program, Matt Greene joined the USHL's Green Bay Gamberls, where the defenseman was a 2nd team all star. The Oilers would use the 44th overall pick in 2002 to select him.
He played the next three seasons at the University of North Dakota, and turned pro in 2005-06. He split the season with the AHL's Iowa Stars (26 games) and the Oilers (27 games) recoding his first two NHL assists.
2006-07 saw Greene become a fulltime NHLer. He played in 78 games, scored his first NHL goal, and cemented his place as a defensive stalwart for the Oilers.
2007-08 saw Greene miss some time due to injury. He played in only 46 NHL games for the Oilers, and also a single AHL game for the Springfield Falcons, on a conditioning stint.
2008 marked the end of his time in Edmonton. Greene was traded, along with Jarrret Stoll, to the Los Angeles Kings for Lubomir Visnovsky.
Matt was an excellent defender for the Kings over the next 9 seasons. He would help LA win Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. Injuries limited his 12-13, 15-16, and 16-17 seasons (he played a total of 34 games between those three years). He retired following the 16-17 season, due to those injuries.
An alternate Captain with the Kings, Greene reprsented the USA at the 2003 World Junior Championships, and at the '07, '08, and '10 World Championships.
After retiring, he took a pro scouting job with the Kings.
Pictured are Greene's Ultimate Rookie Card, a signed copy of a UD base card, and Panini Fabric of the Game jersey card.
Todd Harvey
Todd Harvey was an underage Junior B star with the Cambridge Winter Hawks, joining the club at 14 years old. After two seasons he was drafted 1st overall in the OHL Draft by the Detroit Jr. Red Wings.
As an OHL sophmore, he posted totals of 50 goals and 50 assists, and was drafted 9th overall by the Dallas Stars in 1993.
He made his NHL debut in 1994-95, scoring 11 goals and 9 assists in 40 games. The future looked promising, but he never really lived up to his first round pick status.
The 11 goals would end up being a career high, that he'd match twice more. He set a career high of 31 points with Dallas in 1996-97.
Harvey was traded to the New York Rangers in the summer of 1998, when he was packaged with Bob Errey & a draft pick, for Brian Skrudland, Mike Keane, and a pick.
He matched his career high with 11 goals in 1998-99, in just 37 games, but after scoring 3 times in 31 in 1999-00, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks with a pick, for Radek Dvorak. He popped another 8 goals that season with San Jose, hitting 11 goals total once again.
Harvey played for the Sharks up until the 2004-05 lockout, though he did have a stint in the AHL during the 03-04 season. For the lockout year he played with the Cambridge Hornets (in the former "Major League Hockey", the Senior 'A' league in Southwestern Ontario).
After the lockout, Harvey joined the Edmonton Oilers as a free agent. He played in 63 games, and another 10 in the playoffs. The Oilers didn't bring him back for the 06-07 season, and his NHL career was done.
Harvey played two seasons of Senior 'A' hockey with the Dundas Real McCoys in 06-07 and 07-08, before retiring. He helped lead Dundas to a league Championship in 2008, though the club fell short in the Allan Cup tournament.
Since retiring, he joined the OHL's Guelph Storm as an assistant coach from 2012 to 2017. He then left to take a scouting job with the Vancouver Canucks. He was promoted to director of amateur scouting in 2020.
He represented Canada at the World Junior Championships twice, winning Gold in both 1994 and 1995.
Pictured are Harvey's Pinnacle Rookie Card, a BAP Autograph, and an MVP base card, showing him with the Oilers.
Jean-Francois Jacques
J-F Jacques' 6'3" frame had many scouts believing he'd develope into a strong NHL power forward. The Oilers selected him with the 68th overall pick in 2003, after a pair of seasons with the QMJHL's Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
He played two more seasons of Junior, and then made his pro debut with the Edmonton Road Runners at the end of the 04-05 season, playing in 6 games.
For the 2005-06 season, Jacques played 65 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs, but got a call up and played 7 games for the Oilers.
He split the next few seasons between the NHL and AHL, playing in 37 games (06-07), 9 games (07-08), and 7 games (08-09) with the Oilers. It wasn't until the 08-09 season when he scored his first NHL goal, which was also his first NHL point.
He was a full time NHLer in 2009-10, but not an every day one. He played 49 games and scored 4 times. He spent most of the season with Edmonton in 2010-11, scoring 4 more goals, and had a short stint with the AHL's Oklahoma City Barsons.
He joined the Anahime Ducks as a free agent in 2011, but played in just 6 NHL games for them. He spent most of the season in the AHL.
He signed with Florida next, but never played for them. They traded him to Tampa Bay during the season, for future considerations. He just played for their affiliate as well.
Jacques signed with the Oilers' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, for the 2013-14 season, and after that he took his game to Europe. He spent the next four seasons playing in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, before retiring in 2018.
Shown here are Jacques' SPX Rookie Card, and his H&P Autograph.
Krys Kolanos
Krys Kolanos scored the overtime winning goal, bringing Boston College a National Championhip. The Alberta native was then drafted 19th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000.
He turned pro in 2001, and played in 57 games for the Coyotes. He scored 11 times and added 11 helpers.
He only played a pair of games in 2002-03. He'd missed time the season before due to a concussion, and he was still having issues with it.
Kolanos split the 2003-04 season between Phoenix and Springfield of the AHL. He played in both Sweden and Germany during the lockout, and was back in North America for the 2005-06 season.
05-06 was certainly an interesting season for Kolanos. He started the season with Phonix, but was claimed buy the Edmonton Oilers on waivers, on November 11th. On December 19th he was claimed on waivers once again, and went back to the dessert. Phoenix would then trade him 11 days later, to the Carolina Hurricanes, for Pavel Brendl. Carolina dealt him, along with Niklas Nordgren and a 2nd round pick, to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 9th, for Mark Recchi.
In total, Kolanos played for five teams in 2005-06. 9 games with the Coyotes, 6 games with the Oilers, 3 with the San Antonio Rampage, 19 with the Lowell Lock Monsters, and 18 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
He split the 2006-07 season between the AHL and Switzerland, and played for the Quad City Flames in 2007-08. He joined the Wild for the 2008-09 season and spent most of the year in the minors, but played 21 NHL games.
His next NHL stint would be his three games with the Calgary Flames in 2011-12, they'd be the last NHL games for his career. He'd play a pair of seasons in the KHL, and split two between Germany and Switzerland, before retiring in 2018.
Kolanos won a Gold medal with Canada at the 2003 World Championships.
Pictured are Krys' Titanium Rookie Card /36, a BAP Autograph, and a Pacific Jersey card.
Michael Morrison
After a season at Phillips Exeter Academy Prep School, Michael Morrison was drafted in the 7th round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
He'd played four seasons at the University of Maine, and was a First Team All Star in 2001-02.
Michael turned pro in 2002, and spent the next few season playing in the ECHL (Columbus, Greenville) and the AHL (Toronto & Edmonton Road Runners).
2005-06 is when Morrison got his NHL shot. After starting the season in the ECHL, he was recalled and the Oilers ran with 3 goalies on the roster for while. He played in 21 games, posting a 10-4-2 record.
After the Oilers aquired Dwayne Roloson, Morrison was put on waivers and claimed by the Ottawa Senators. He played 4 games for the Sens, and had a 1-0-1 record.
He signed with the Phoenix Coyotes in the off season. He spent most of the year in the minors, but played 4 games for Phonix, going 0-3.
After a season in the Islanders system, he went to Europe and played in both Sweden and Austria in 2008-09.
Morrison's final season was 2009-10, split between the AHL (Albany) and the ECHL (Florida, Utah).
Shown here are Morrison's UD Rookie Update RC /999, and his H&P Autograph.
Michael Peca
Michael Peca was a first round selection of the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL, and then traded to the Ottawa 67s mid-way through his second year. He was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks with the 40th pick in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.
After the 93-94 OHL season ended, Peca made his NHL debut, playing in 4 games for Vancouver. He started the lockout season of 94-95 with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, before playing 33 games for Vancouver, scoring his first 6 NHL goals.
Peca was then dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in a blockbuster trade in the summer of 1995. He was sent along with Mike Wilson & a 1st round pick to Buffalo, for Alexander Mogilny and a 5th rounder.
For the next 5 seasons, Peca was a star with Buffalo, eventually becoming their Captain, and leading them to the 1999 Stanley Cup finals. He didn't play for the entire 2000-01 season, locked in a contract dispute with the Sabres.
Instead of paying him what the Selke Trophy winner was worth, the Sabres dealt him to the New York Islanders for a pair of their top prospects, Taylor Pyatt & Tim Connolly.
Peca played three seasons on Long Island, won another Selke, and set a career high with 60 points in 2001-02. After the 2004-05 lockout, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Mike York.
With the Oilers, Peca was a 3rd line centre, scored 9 times, and added 14 helpers in 71 games. He was part of the club that went to the 2006 Stanley Cup final. He scored 6 goals in the 2006 playoffs.
A free agent, Peca would join the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2006-07 season, but injuries limited him to just 35 games. A free agent again, he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets on a two year pact. He played the 07-08 and 08-09 season with Columbus, and then retired.
Peca represented Canada on three occasions. He was a member of the 2001 World Championhip team, and won Gold Medals at the 1994 World Junior Championships, and the 2002 Olympics.
The two-time Selke winner has since gone into coaching. After taking a player development role with the Washington Capitals, he was an assistant coach for Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, in 2021-22.
Pictured are Peca's Pinnacle Rookie Card, and a Cup Honrable Numbers Patch / Auto.
Marc-Antoine Pouliot
Marc-Antoine Pouliot was a junior star witht he Rimouski Oceanic. After scoring 32 goals & 73 points in 65 games in 2002-03, the Edmonton Oilers selected him 22nd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
After two more strong seasons with Rimouski, Pouliot turned pro in 2005-06. He spent most of the season in the minors, but made his NHL debut, scoring once, in eight games.
Marc never really hit his stride in the NHL. While he scored plenty in the minors, he was sent back & forth a lot. 63 games with the Oilers, 8 goals, and 12 assists, in 2008-09, would all end up being career highs.
He left the Oilers as a free agent, and signed with Tampa Bay in 2010. After a season where he only palyed 3 games with the Lightning, he was traded to Phoenix for a 7th round pick.
He split the 2011-12 season between the NHL and AHL, playing in his final 13 NHL games for the Coyotes.
Pouliot has had a long career in Switzerland since. He's played for Biel HC, Fribourg-Gotteron, and most recently Geneve Servette for the 2021-22 season.
He's represented Canada four times. Pouliot won gold at the 2003 under 18s, the 2012 & 2016 Spengler Cup, and also played for Canada at the 2013 Spengler Cup.
Shown here is Marc's Rookie-Auto-Patch from Upper Deck's 2006-07 The Cup.
Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger stared for two seasons with the Peterborough Petes, before he was draft eligible in 1993. The Hartford Whalers swung a blockbuster of a deal with the San Jose Sharks at the draft, trading picks 6, 45, 58, and Sergie Makarov to the Sharks in exchange for the #2 selection. They used that pick to select Chris Pronger.
Pronger's junior career effectivly ended that day, as he made the Whalers team in 1993. He turned 19 as the season began, and played in 81 games for Hartford, scoing 5 goals, 25 assists, and racked up 113 Penalty Minutes. His 6'6" frame was already an imposing force, even as a teenager. He was named to the NHL's All-Rookie team.
Pronger played only one more season with Hartford, before he was traded to the St. Louis Blues for another future Hall of Famer, Brendan Shanahan. Pronger's game only got better by the season with the Blues, and he quickly became one of the best handful of defenceman in the leauge.
1999-00 was Pronger's best year, statistically. He was named team Captain, and then set career highs with 14 goals & 62 points. He lead the league with a +52 rating. He won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman, and the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP. He led the Blues to 1st place overall in the regular season, but they fell short in the playoffs, getting upset by the Sharks in round 1.
With another couple of strong seasons, Pronger was limited to just 5 games in 2002-03, due to injury. He played his last season with the Blues in 2003-04.
At the end of the 04-05 lockout, Pronger was traded from St. Louis (who was looking to cut costs, with a pending sale of the team) to the Edmonton Oilers for Eric Brewer, Doug Lynch, and Jeff Woywitka.
After signing a 6 year contract, Pronger's impact in Edmonton was immediate. He put up 56 points in 80 games, and was an absolute force on the Oilers' blueline. It was a calibre of a player they hadn't had since they dynasty years. Chris lead the Oilers in the playoffs, and was amoung the most important players in their run to the finals, where they lost in Game 7. Following the end of the season, Pronger requested a trade.
There's still a lot of Oiler fans bitter about how Pronger left town after just one season. What all happened off the ice is a lot of rumors & hearsay. I'm not one to spend too much time on some of the rumors, but it seemed clear that for family reasons he wanted to go back to the USA. If his family was unhappy in Edmonton, you can't really blame him. I do believe he signed that 6 year deal with the best of intentions. A story came out in December of that season that the house he was having built had stopped construction. My "best guess" has always been that around the half way mark of the season, he told managment that he'd play out the season, but wanted to be traded after that. Knowing that Pronger would be gone for 2006-07 prompted Kevin Lowe to go out and add as many pieces as he did, and got the team so close to a championship. I'm not angry or bitter towards Pronger at all, he played as good as a season for the Oilers as anyone could have asked for.
He did ask for a trade, and he got his wish. Pronger was dealt to the Anahime Ducks for Joffrey Lupul, Ladislav Smid, a 1st round pick, a 2nd round pick, and a conditional 1st rounder (the condition was that the Ducks got to the Stanley Cup finals, they did, so the Oilers got a 2nd 1st rounder).
With Anahime Pronger continued to be a force in the league. He was now part of a blueline that featured himself & Scott Neidermayer. That Blueline provided the backbone of the team that would win the 2007 Stanley Cup.
Pronger played two more season with the Ducks, before they traded him with Ryan Dingle to the Philadephia Flyers for Joffrey Lupul (again!), Luca Sbisa, future considerations, and a pair of 1st round picks.
Chris did for Philadelphia was he'd done in his first seasons with both Anaheim and Edmonton. He dragged his team all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. The Flyers would end up losing in 6 games to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Injuries limited Pronger to just 50 games in 2010-11, and only 3 games (through two rounds) in the playoffs. Pronger was named team Captain for the 2011-12 season, but early in the year he got a Mikhail Grabovski stick in his eye (follow through on a shot) and the eye trouble & post-concussion symptoms limited him to just 13 games. The injury proved too much to overcome, and Pronger's career ended like that. His contract was traded to the Arizona Coyotes in 2015, along with Nik Grossmann, for Sam Gagner & a 4th round pick.
He was a 4 time Olympian, and represented Canada 6 times overall. He won Gold at the 1993 World Juniors, the 1997 World Championships, and both the 2002 and 2010 Olympics. In 2020 he was named to the IIHF's All-Time Canadian Team.
Pronger was a 6 time all star, lead the league in plus minus twice, won a Norris, a Hart, a Stanley Cup, and was a first or second team All Star four times. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.
For my money, Pronger is one of the best handful of defenceman of all time, and fits somewhere in the top 15 (or so) best players ever.
Shown here are Prongers UD Rookie Card, an Ultimate Signatures autograph, and an SP Authentic Jersey card.
Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson was a Hobey Baker nominee, and an All American, with University of Massachuesetts Lowell. He was never drafted, but signed with the Calgary Flames after graduation in 1994.
Roloson spent the next two seasons with the Saint John Flames, Calgary's AHL affiliate. He split the 1996-97 with Saint John, and Calgary, making his NHL debut, and playing in 31 games. The 1997-98 season saw him spend most of the season with Calgary, playing 39 times.
He joined the Buffalo Sabres after that, and was Dominik Hasek's main backup for the next two seasons. He was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 Expansion drafted, but opted for Free Agency and signed with the St. Louis Blues' farm team, the Worcester IceCats.
After one season with Worcester, Roli signed with the Minnesota Wild. With the Wild he became a regular starter, playing in 45, 50, and 48 games over the next three seasons.
The 2004-05 lockout saw Roloson play in Sweden, and he was back in Minnesota for 2005-06. He was sharing the net with Manny Fernandez, and would be traded in March to the Edmonton Oilers for future considerations and a 1st round pick.
With the Oilers, Dwyane's status as a #1 goalie took off. He was spectacular in net, and helped the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup final in 2006. He was injured in Game 1, missed the rest of the series. It was an injury that likely cost the Oilers a Championhip.
He would set a career high with 68 games played in 2006-07, but the Oilers were not nearly as strong of a club as they were the year before. He played two more seasons with a struggeling Oilers club, before hitting free agency, and signing with the New York Islanders.
Roli played well on Long Island, but like the Oilers, New York had a struggeling team. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lighning in January of 2011 for Ty Wishart.
He assumed the #1 goalie duties for the Lightning, and had a strong season. He helped the Bolts advance to the Eastern Confernce finals, where they lost to the eventual Cup winners, the Boston Bruins.
Roloson played one more season with Tampa, the 2011-12 season. Following the retirement of Mark Recchi, he was the oldest player in the league that season, and was the last active player born in the 1960s. After the 11-12 seaosn, Roli retired.
He was a 2004 NHL All Star, and represented Canada three times at the World Championships; Winning a Bronze (1995), Silver (2009), and Gold (2007)
Following his reirment, he took a job as a goalie consultant with the Anahime Ducks. He dressed as an emergency backup in 2014, after John Gibson got hurt during warmups. Currently, he works with the Victoria Royals of the WHL.
Shown here are Roloson's BAP Rookie Card, and his Cup Limited Logos Patch / Autograph.
Mathieu Roy
After four season with the Val d'Or Foreurs, Mathieu Roy was drafted in the 7th round of the 2003 NHL Entry draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
He turned pro in 2003-04, splitting the season between the AHL's Toronto Roadrunners & the ECHL's Columbus Cottonmouths. He moved with the AHL club to Edmonton in 2004-05, playing the whole season with the Roadrunners.
2005-06 saw Roy make his NHL debut, and played a single game with the Oilers. He spent the bulk of the season in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs. Each of the next two seasons saw Roy get called up (16 games in 06-07, 13 games in 07-08) but he spent the bulk of both season in the AHL. His two goals in 06-07 would be the only two of his career, and he notched his first NHL assist in 07-08.
After spending the entire 08-09 season without an NHL game, he left the Oilers as a Free Agent, and signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
2009-10 saw Mathieu play a career high 31 NHL games with the Jackets, and he recorded 10 assists. He was also traded to the Florida Panthers for Matt Rust.
He hit Free Agency again, and signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in five games for the Bolts over the next two seasons, and was done in North America after that.
He played four seasons in Germany, one in Austria, and three in France before retiring in 2020. He came out of retirment to play in the LNAH in 2021-22.
Shown here are Roy's Trilogy Rookie Card, and his Heroes & Prospects Autograph.
Sergi Samsonov
Sergi Samsonov was a teenage sensation, and was an early pick to go #1 in his draft year. After playing for CSKA Moscow as the ages of 14,15, and 16 - Samsonov came to North America and played for the IHL's Detroit Vipers as a 17 year old. He scored 29 goals, and has 64 points, in 73 games - in what was arguably the 2nd best league in the world at the time.
Despite his stellar play against men (often double his age), Samsonov wasn't picked quite as high as many though he would be, when he was 16. He ended up being selected 8th overall by the Boston Bruins, in a draft where they also took Joe Thornton with the #1 pick.
Sergie burst onto the NHL scene quickly, and proved that he was worth the high pick. He never spent a day in the minors, and scored 22 goals & 25 assists with the Bruins, wininig the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.
While the Bruins were never a particularly dominant team while Samsonov played there, he was an electrifying talent. He set career highs with 29 goals in 75 points in 2000-01.
After spending the 2004-05 lockout playing with Dynamo Moscow, he returned to the Bruins for 05-06. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers at the deadline, for Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny, and a 2nd round pick.
With the Oilers, Samsonov provided scoring depth. He scored 5 times, and added 11 helpers, in 19 regular season games, and scored 4 more (with another 11 helpers) in 24 playoff games - nearly winning a Stanley Cup.
He was a Free Agent after that, and signed with the Montreal Canadiens. He'd signed a two year deal, but the first season was dissapointing, and the Habs traded him to Chicago for Jassen Cullimore and Tony Salmelainen that summer.
Samsonov managed just 4 assists in 23 games for the Hawks, and was actually sent to the AHL's Rockford IceHogs for a couple of games. He was recalled, and claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes on waivers.
After dissapointment in Montreal & Chicago, Sergie found his touch again in Carolina. He put up 32 points in 38 games for the 'Canes that year, and resigned at the end of the seaosn.
2008-09 was another decent season for him, notching 48 points. He production dipped the following year (just 29 points) and he was traded from Carolina to Florida during the 2010-11 season for Bryan Allen.
Samsonov scored 3 goals & 14 points for the Panthers in 20 games, and reitred at the end of the season.
He won Bronze Medals at the '96 and '97 World Junior Championships, and the 2002 Olympic Games. He was also on the Russian team that placed 5th at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Shown here are Samsonov's UD SP Rookie Card, his BAP Autograph (that was a pull of mine back in the day, and was worth a lot at the time). There's also a great "mash-up" jersey card of him from Upper Deck. It's a piece of a Bruins jersey, shows him as an Oiler, and says "Montreal Canadiens".
Dan Smith
Dan Smith was a big, rugged, defenceman with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. The 6'3" blueliner was drafted in the 7th round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.
He turned pro at the end of the WHL season in 1996-97, and played 8 games (plus 15 more in the playoffs) for the Hershey Bears, Colorado's AHL affiliate. He would spend most of the next four seasons there.
Smith did make his NHL debut with the Avs, playing 12 games in 1998-99, and another 3 in 1999-00.
Dan split the 2001-02 season between Lukko Rauma in Finland, and the Colorado Gold Kings of the WCHL. He'd sign a minor league deal with the Edmonton Oilers after that.
The next three seasons saw Smith play for the Oilers' AHL club, which kept moving (Springfield Falcons, Toronto Roadrunners, Edmonton Roadrunners).
2005-06, he got another crack at the NHL. In addition to playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs, he also played 7 games for the Oilers.
A free agent again, he joined the Grand Rapids Griffins for a year, before playing the final two seasons of his career with the Syracuse Crunch. Smith retiried in 2009.
Shown here are two copies of his 99-00 BAP Rookie Card, one of them is signed.
Jaroslav Spacek
Jaroslav Spacek played in the Czech Republic's top mean's league as a teenager with Plzen HC, and spent a year playing for Farjestads in the SEL. The Florida Panthers drafted him as a 24 year old, in 1998, with their 5th round pick.
He moved to North America the following season. His 14 games with the AHL's New Haven Beast would be the only time he spent in the minors. He played in 63 games that season for Florida, scoring 3 times, and adding 12 assists.
He played in all 82 games for the Panthers in 99-00, scoring 10 times, and had 36 points. He started the season off well in 00-01, and was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Anders Eriksson.
He never matched that Florida-level production with the Hawks, but was a solid defender for the 110 games he played. At the 2002 NHL trade deadline, he was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets, with a 2nd round pick, for Lyle Odelein.
Spacek played two more seasons with Columbus, and then split the 2004-05 lockout season between Plzen and Slavia Praha in the Czech Republic. He returned to the NHL in 2005-06, inking a new deal with the Blackhawks.
Just past the season's halfway mark, Spacek was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Tony Salmelainen & a swap of conditional picks. With the Oilers he was mostly paired with Chris Pronger, and anchored the Oilers blueline on a run to the Stanley Cup Finals - losing in Game 7.
A free agent again, Spacek would sign with the Buffalo Sabres. He put up a career high 45 points in 2008-09.
After three seasons in Buffalo, he left via Free Agency. He signed with their division rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.
Jaroslav signed a three year deal with Montreal, and played well for them through two+ seasons, but was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in December of 2011 for Tomas Kaberle.
Spackey's 34 games with the 'Canes would be the last of his 880 Game NHL career. He retired in 2012 - breifly coming out of retirement to play for Plzen HC in the Czech playoffs in 2013.
He reprsented the Czech Republic 11 times, including a WJC, 3 Olympics, 6 World Championships, and 1 World Cup of Hockey. He won Gold at the Worlds three times ('99, '01, '05) and both Gold ('98) and Bronze ('06) at the Olympics.
In 2016, he was inducted into the Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
Pictured are Spacek's UD Rookie Card, and his BAP Autograph.
Yan Stastny
Yan Stastny, son of HOFer Peter, was born in Quebec City but became an American Citizen after immigrating to St. Louis with his family.
After playing in the NAHL and USHL, he enrolled at Notre Dame. After his first season at school, he was drafted in the 5th round by the Boston Bruins at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
He played one more season in the NCAA, then spent the next two season playing for the Nuermberg Ice Tigers, in Germany - having not signed with the Bruins.
Boston traded him to the Edmonton Oilers for a 4th round pick in the summer of 2005. He inked a deal with the Oilers, and came back to North America.
He played 51 games in the AHL for the Iowa Stars (who the Oilers were sharing with Dallas) and made his NHL debut, playing 3 games for Edmonton. At the trade deadline, he was sent back to Boston (with Marty Reasoner & a 2nd round pick) for Sergie Samsonov. He played 17 games for the Bruins down the stretch, and scored his first NHL goal.
2006-07 saw Yan play 21 games for the Bruins, and 11 games in the AHL for Providence. It also saw him get traded once again, this time to St. Louis - for a 5th round pick.
Stastny finsihed the season with the Peoria Riverment, and spent the next three seasons back & forth between Peoria & St. Louis. He'd play in 50 NHL games for the Blues before he was traded in 2010 to the Vancouver Canucks for Pierre-Cedric Labrie.
Yan never played for Vancouver, he finsihed the season with the Manitoba Moose. He went to Europe after that, and split the next eight seasons between Russia, Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. He reitred in 2018.
Stastny played for the USA at three World Championships, in '05, '06, and '11.
Shown here is Stasny's Cup Rookie-Patch-Auto.
Danny Syvret
Danny Syvret played a pair of Junior B seasons with the Cambrdige Winterhawks, before joining the OHL's London Knights in 2002.
He played three seasons in London, eventually being named Team Captain, and lead a stacked Knight's squad to a historic 04-05 season. They had a record 31 game unbeaten streak, and would tally 120 points in the standings (another OHL record) and would win the Memorial Cup. Syvret also scored the winning goal for Canada at the World Junior Championships that season, and was named OHL defenceman of the year.
Already 20 at the 2005 draft, Edmotnon selected Syvret with the 81st overall pick.
He turned pro the following season, and spent most of the season with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs. He made his NHL debut, playing in 10 games with the Oilers.
The 2006-07 season was another he spent mostly in the minors, but he did play the final 16 games of the year with the Oilers, and recoded an assist for his first NHL point.
After splitting the 2007-08 season between Springfield and Hershey of the AHL, Syvret was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers (the same team who had traded the 81st pick to Edmonton, that they used on Danny) for Ryan Potulny.
He spent the new two seasons in the Flyers system, mostly in the minors, but logged another 23 NHL games. He scored a pair of goals in 2009-10, his first two in the NHL.
A free agent, Danny would sign with the Anaheim Ducks for the 2010-11 season. His stay in Anaheim was breif. He played 6 NHL games, and 8 in the AHL for the Syracuse Crunch, and then he was traded back to Philadelphia with Rob Bordson for David Laliberte and Patrick Maroon.
Syvret played four games for the Flyers that season, spending most of it in the AHL. He never got another look in Philly, and was traded to the New York Rangers for Kris Newbury, in the summer of 2013.
He played the next four seasons with a variey of AHL clubs (Hartford, Iowa, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Utica) and would head to Germany in 2015. He played two seasons in the DEL, before retiring in 2017.
Shown here are Syvret's UD Rookie Update RC, his Heroes & Prospects Autograph, and a Heroes & Prospects Emblem.
Dick Tarnstrom
After a pair of seasons with AIK in Sweden, Dick Tarnstrom was seleced in the 11th round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, by the New York Islanders.
He didn't come to North America quickly. He's play another 7 in Sweden, with the Isles holding his NHL rights, before he signed a deal to join New York in 2001.
Tarnstrom started the season in the minors with the Bridgeport Soundtigers, but quickly earned a promotion - and stuck in the NHL. He played 62 games for the Isles that year, scoring twice and adding 16 helpers.
After the season, Tarnstrom was a free agent. He left New York, and signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His numbers improved the next two seasons, and he set career highs with 80 games, 16 goals, and 52 points in 2003-04.
After he spent the 2004-05 lockout in Sweden, with Sodertalje SK, he was back with the Penguins in 2005-06. When the Oilers went looking for upgrades, they traded Corey Cross and Jani Rita to the Penguins for Tarnstrom, in January of 2006. He played 22 games for the Oilers that season, and another 12 in the Playoffs.
He played in Switzerland fo rthe 2006-07 season, but was back with the Oilers in 2007-08. Mid was through the year he was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets, for Curtis Glencross.
After the 07-08 season ended, he went back to Sweden - and played the five seasons with AIK, before retiring in 2013.
Tarnstrom played twice for the Swedes at the World Junior Championships, four times at the World Championships, and once at the World Cup of Hockey. In 2020 his son, Oliver, was drafted by the New York Rangers.
Shown here are Tarnstrom's Private Stock RC /99, and an SEL Autograph.
Brad Winchester
A product of the US National Team Development Program, Brad Winchester played for the University of Wisconsin. After his first season with the Badgers, he was drafted 35th overall by the Edmotnon Oilers.
He completed his four years of school, and turned pro in 2003. He spent the next two seasons with the AHL Roadrunners, before getting an NHL shot in 2005-06. The 05-06 season saw him play 19 games for the Oilers, and he registered his first NHL assist.
While not an every day player, Winchester spent the entire 06-07 with the Oilers. He scored 4 times, had 9 points, in 59 games.
The next two summers, he was a free agent. After spending a season in the Dallas organzation (where he played 41 NHL games) he joined the St. Louis Blues and set career highs with 13 goals and 21 points in 2008-09.
He played for ST. Louis until he was swapped for a 3rd round pick and went to the Anahime Ducks in 2011.
He next signed with the San Jose Sharks, and played a career high 67 games in 2011-12. His next contract was with the Chicago Blackhawks, but he'd only play in the AHL for them.
He was traded to Minnesota for Brian Connelly in 2014, but only played for the Iowa Wild.
Winchester played two more seasons in the AHL after that, with the Norfold Admirals and Oklahoma City Barson, before retiring in 2015.
He played for the USA at the 2000 World Juniors. Since 2018 Brad has been an assistant coach with his alma mater, the University of Winsconsin Badgers.
Show here is Winchester's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch.
2006-07
Sabastian Bisaillon
Sabastian Bisaillon started his QMJHL career with a single game in 2002-03, at the age of 16. He played four more seasons with the Val d'Or Foreurs after that, including the 2005-06 season when the defenceman scored 35 goals and had 71 points.
He was never drafted, but during the 2006-07 season, he was offered a contract by the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers blueline was ravaged by injuries at the time, so they signed & recalled Bisaillon on an emergency basis. He played in two games for them, before going back to Val d'Or.
Sabastian spent the next two seasons back & forth between the Oilers AHL (Springfield Falcons) & ECHL (Stockton Thunder) affiliates. After the 2008-09 season, he was a free agent.
He spent the 2009-10 season playing in Germany, and then inked a minor league deal and played in the Habs system (Hamilton Bulldogs, Wheeling Nailers) for the 2010-11 season.
After he spent the 2011-12 season playing in Austria, Bisaillon signed to play in France for the 2013-14 season. He'd play for Briancon, and then Angers in 2014-15. He signed with Grenoble for the 2015-16 season, where he's played seven straight seasons, having just finsihed the 2021-22 season.
Shown here are Bisaillon's SP Game Used Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his OPC Rookie Card that he was kind enough to sign for me through the mail.
Jeff Deslauriers
After a steller rookie season with the QMJHL's Chicoutimi Sagueneens, the Edmonton Oilers selected Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers with the 31st pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
He's played two more seasons of junior, before turing pro in 2004. Deslauriers split the next two sesons between the AHL and ECHL, before getting a full-time AHL spot in 2006-07. He also earned a brief call up, and backed up the Oilers during 2006-07.
When Edmotnon finally got it's own AHL club again in 2007-08, Jeff's workload increased, and he played 57 games for the Springfield Falcoms.
His on-ice NHL debut came in 2008-09. He had only a shot stint in the minors, and played in his first 10 NHL games - posting a record of 4-3-0.
He became Edmonton's primary netminder in 2009-10, posting a 16-28-4 record, with 3 Shutouts, in 48 games. The following season, he spent the entire year in the minors.
A free agent, Deslauriers signed with the Anaheim Ducks. He made just four appearances in the NHL, and was traded to Minnesota for Future Consideration. He never got into a game for the Wild, his split the rest of the season between the AHL & ECHL.
2013-14 saw him join the Wlkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins where he played 40 games. He went to Europe after that and played a season in Russia, followed by one in Germany, before retiring in 2016.
Shown here is JDD's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Tom Gilbert
After a pair of seasons with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, Tom Gilbert was drafed in the 5th round by the Colorado Avalanche. He then enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, and would played the next four seasons with the Badgers.
A prospect on the rise, Gilbert's rights were traded by Colorado to the Edmonton Oilers in 2004, for Tommy Salo & a 6th round pick. After finishing school, he signed with the Oilers and turned pro.
He spent the bulk of the 2006-07 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (whom Edmonton was sharing with Pittsburgh) but made his NHL debut, playing in 12 games for the Oilers, scored his first NHL goal, and his first 5 NHL assists.
2007-08 was the first of three straigt seasons when Gilbert would play in all 82 NHL games. He set a career high with 13 goals, and in 2008-09 he'd set a career high with 45 points.
He was a very durable defenceman for them. He played in 79 games in 2010-11, but was traed to the Minnesota Wild mid way though the 2011-12 season for Nick Schultz. He finsihed the season with the Wild, and played one more for them, before hitting free agency.
Gilbert signed a 1 year deal with the Florida Panthers for the 2013-14 season, and the following summer got a two year pact with the Montreal Canadiens.
2016-17 saw Gilbert join the Los Angeles Kings, but he played in just 18 games for them. He had a brief stint with the Ontario Reign of the AHL, before LA dealt him to the Washington Capitals for future considerations. He played the rest of the season with the AHL's Hershey Bears.
Gilbert to his game to Germany after that, and played for Nuermberg for four seasons, before retiring in 2021.
An All-American with Wisconsin, Gilbert represented the USA at the 2008 World Championships.
Shown here is Tom's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Jan Hejda
After six seasons with Slavia Praha HC in the Czech Republic, Jan Hejda drafted by the Buffalo Sabres as a 26 year old in the 4th round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He never played for Buffalo, and instead spent the next three seasons playing in Russia.
In the summer of 2006, Hejda's NHL rights were traded by Buffalo to Edmonton, for a 7th round pick. It turned out to be a smart trade by the Oilers, they just didn't have the patience to reap the benefits.
He came to North America in 2006-07. He played a handful of games for the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs, and spent the majority of the season in the 6/7 defenceman role for the Oilers. He played 39 NHL games, scored once, and added 8 helpers.
Instead of resigning Hejda, the Oilers let him walk in free agency. He joined the Columbus Blue Jackets, and spent the next four seasons there as a steady stay-at-home defenceman. He posted 81 and 82 games seasons, with plus 20 & 23 ratings in his first two seasons in Columbus. No Blue Jacket defenceman had ever had a season better than plus 13. He had a career high 21 points in 2008-09.
After missing only 26 games over four seasons, Jan hit free agency again and signed with the Colorado Avalanche. He continued his role as a stay-at-home dman, and played neary every game. He missed just 8 games in 4 seasons with the Avs. His 6 goals in 2013-14 were a personal best.
In 2015 he was without a contract, and played breifly for Columbus' AHL club, before retiring.
Jan represented the Czech Republic 9 times, once at the World Juniors, seven times at the World Championships, and once at the Olympics. He won Gold at the 2005 World Championships and Silver in 2006.
Shown here are Hejda's UD Young Guns RC, and a signed copy of his Hot Prospects RC.
Joffrey Lupul
Joffrey Lupul was a WHL star for the Medicine Hat Tigers, and after scoring 56 goals in his second season with the junior club, he was made the 7th overall pick i nthe 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Anahime Mighty Ducks.
After finihsing his junior career in 2003, Lupul turned pro. He scored 13 goals in 75 games for Anaheim as a rookie in 2003-04.
Joffrey played for the Cincinnati Might Ducks during the 04-05 lockout, and then established himself as legit scoring threat, popping 28 goals in 81 games during the 2005-06 season.
The following summer, Lupul would be involved in a blockbuster trade. The Ducks sent him to the Edmonton Oilers as part of the package they game up for Chris Pronger.
His only season in Edmonton with 2006-07. He played in 81 games, scoring 16 times, and had 28 points. He was traded with Jason Smith to the Philadelphia Flyers for Geoff Sanderson, Joni Pitkanen, and a 3rd round pick the following summer.
While his season in Edmonton had been underwhelming, Lupul's production rebounded in Philly. He scored 20, and 46 points, in just 56 games in 2007-08. He followed that up with a 25 goal / 50 point campaign in 2008-09.
The summer of 2009 came, and Lupul was traded for Chris Pronger again. This time Philly sent him back to Ducks along with Luca Sbisa and a pair of 1st round picks for Pronger and Ryan Dingle.
Lupul had injury issues in his second Ducks stint, and was traded mid way through the 2010-11 season. He was packaged with the rights to Jake Gardiner & a 4th round pick and sent to the Toronto Maple Lefs for Francoi Beauchemin.
Joffrey again showed his was an excellent offensive player with the Leafs. In 2011-12 he set a career high with 67 points, in only 66 games. His problem was that he couldn't stay off the injured list.
Injuries caught up to him, and Lupul eventually retired after he played just 46 games in 2015-16.
He holds the distinction of being the first Anaheim player to record a hat-trick in the playoffs, when he did it in Game 3 of the Western Finals against Colorado. Not done at three, he became the only player to score four goals in one playoff game, including an OT winner. He's also the only player to have scored all four of his teams goals in a playoff game.
Joffrey represented Canada once, at the 2003 World Junior Championships, winnings a Silver medal.
Another connection to the Oilers, his Grandfather (Tom Mayson) was a member of the Edmotnon Investors Group, that bought the team from Peter Pocklington, and later sold the club to Darryl Katz.
Shown here are Lupul's Premier Rookie-Auto-Patch, and a UD Game Jersey, showing him with the Oilers
Alexi Mikhnov
Alexi Mikhnov was considered a can't miss prospect, and future NHL power forward with his 6'5" / 220 lb frame. After a pair of seasons in Russia, he was drafted 17th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2000.
He played the next five seasons in Russia, before coming to an agree with the Oilers, and came to North America in 2006.
The shine had worn off on his prospect status by then, and he spent most of his time in the Oilers organization with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL (27 games). He made his NHL debut, playing in a pair of games for the Oilers. He didn't finsih the season in North America though, and left to go back to Russia mid way through the year.
He went back to the Russian Super League, which turned into the KHL the following season. He continued his career in Russian until 2018, when he signed split the season between Russia & Romania. He played the 2018-19 season in Belarus, before retiring.
Mikhnov reprsented Russia at the 2006 World Championships, where he scored 4 goals (6 points) in 7 games.
Pictured are Mikhnov's Young Guns RC, and a KHL Autograph.
Robert Nilsson
Robert Nilsson started with Leksands IF Junior squad in Sweden, and then moved up to the mens team in 2001-02, helping them earn a promotion to Sweden's top division for the 2002-03 season. After his first season in the SEL, he was drafted 15th overall by the New York Islander in 2003.
He split the 2003-04 season between Sweden & Switzerland, and was back in Sweden for the 2004-05 season. With the NHL lockout over he came to North America for the 2005-06 season, played 29 AHL games, and 53 for the Islanders. As an NHL rookie he had 6 goals and 14 assists.
Nilsson started the 06-07 season in the AHL with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but was dealt at the NHL trade deadline with Ryan O'Marra and a 1st round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Ryan Smyth. He continued in the AHL, but earned a promotion and played in four games for the Oilers that year, scoring once.
The 07-08 is when Nilsson set career highs with 71 NHL games, and 41 points. He looked like he was becoming the player that Edmonton hoped they were getting when they traded for him.
2008-09 saw his production dip. He played 64 games, and recorded 29 points. 2009-10 was more of the same. While he did set a personal best with 11 goals, his points dipped again to 27.
Nilsoon and the Oilers did not come to an agreement on a new deal, and he would head back to Europe. He spent the next four seasons in the KHL, before heading to Zurich in Switzerland. He played five seasons with Zurich SC before retiring in 2018.
Nilsoon played at 3 World Juniors ('03, '04, '05) and two World Championships ('08, '11) for Sweden, winning a Silver at the 2011 Worlds.
Picutred here are Nilsson's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and an OPC Season Highlights Foil Parallel, showing him as an Oiler.
Toby Petersen
Toby Petersen played four seasons with Colorado College in the NCAA, where he was named to the WCHA All Rookie Team in 1997. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 9th round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
He finsihed his college career, and went pro in 2000-01. He spent most of the season in the AHL, but made his NHL debut with the Penguins, scoring twice in twelve games. The 2001-02 season saw him earn a full time job with the Pen, playing in 79 and scoring 8 times.
He would spent the next two seasons back in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and left the Penguins as a free agent in 2004. He signed with the Edmonton Oilers. He spent the lockout playing in the AHL for the Edmonton Roadrunners, and the entire 2005-06 season with the Iowa Stars, whom the Oilers were sharing with Dallas.
He was called up as a "Black Ace" for the 2005-06 playoff run, and was inserted into the lineup for two games. He scored during Game 3 of the Western Confernce Finals, when he stole the puck from Ilya Bryzgalov, and wrapped it into an empty net.
After a brief stay back in Iowa in 2006-07, Peterson would end up logging 64 games for the Oilers that season. He was a decet depth forward. Mostly a penalty killer with speed, he chipped in 6 goals and 9 assists.
A free agent again, he signed with the Dallas Stars. He spent the bulk of 07-08 in Iowa, but played in 8 games for Dallas. He was made a fulltime NHLer after that, and was a fixture on the Dallas roster for the next three years.
Injuries limited him to just 39 games in 2011-12, and then the last two seasons of Petersen's career saw him play mostly with the relocated Texas Stars. His final NHL game was a single one played for Dallas in 2012-13. He was back with the AHL club the following season, and announced his retirment after he helped Texas win the Calder Cup.
Peterson has the distinction of playing in the NHL as a type-1 diabetic, a feat incredibly hard to do. His charitable work with various diabestes charities earned him a Man of the Year nomination in the AHL in 2004, and he won the award in 2013.
He was an AHL All Star in 2008, winning the faster skater contest, and scored 3 points in the All Star game, including the first ever AHL ASG Penalty Shot.
He represented the USA three times. The 1997 & 1998 World Juniors (winning Silver in '97) as well as the 2007 World Championships
Shown here are his Black Diamond Rookie Card, a BAP Autograph, and a Pacific Jersey card.
Robbie Schremp
Robbie Schremp dominated with the Syracuse Jr. Crunch in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, and was the fisrt pick overall in the 2002 OHL Priority Draft, by the Mississauga IceDogs. He was exactly what Mississauga expected, racking up 74 points in 64 games in his first season, and was named OHL Rookie of the Year.
He was dealt to the London Knights just a few games into the 03-04 season, for a package of multiple players & multiple draft picks. He thrived in London. His time there was highlighted by a Memorial Cup victor in 2005, and a 57 goal / 145 point (in 56 games) season in 2005-06 - and then capped it off with 10 goals & 37 assists in 19 playoffs games. He's also one of the first players I can recall doing the "Michigan" - picking up the puck with his stick, and making a lacross style shot to score.
2006-07 came, and Schremp turned pro. He had a decent rookie season in the AHL, scoing 17 goals & 53 points in 69 games. He also earned a 1 game call up by the Oilers.
He increased his AHL point totals the following year, scoring 23 goals & 76 points for the Springfield Falcons. He played in another pair of Oilers games, but was still without an NHL point.
He got the first three points of his NHL career with Edmotnon in 2008-09, all assists, during a 4 game call up, while his production in the AHL dipped.
Schremp wasn't given a qualifying offer, and left as a free agent, signing with the New York Islanders. He played 89 games for the Isles over the next two seasons, scoring a total of 17 goals and 47 points. Decent numbers, but not the kind of production that was once expected of him.
He was sent to Bridgeport mid way through the year, played a game there, and was then claimed on waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers. He played 18 games for them, scoring 3 times, and then found himself a free agent.
Robbie went to Europe next. He played in the SEL, KHL, Austria, Switzerland, and then back to Sweden. He signed with the Portand Pirates of the AHL for the 2015-16 season, and put up a year of 21 goals and 21 assists.
He split the 16-17 season between Switzerland and Germany, before a finals season in Austria. He retired at the end of the 2017-18 season.
A two time AHL All Star, and a dominate force in Junior, Schrempt represented the USA twice at that World Junior Champsionships - in 2005 & 2006.
Shown here is Schremp's UD The Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Ladislav Smid
Ladislav Smid was a strong defender with Liberec in the Czech Republic, and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks made him the 9th overall pick in 2004. After one more season with Liberec, he came to North America in 2005.
He started in the Ducks' system by playing a year in the AHL for the Portland Pirates. He never got into a game for the Ducks, before he was traded with Joffrey Lupul & a pair of first round picks for Chris Pronger.
Smid played in 77 games for the Oilers in 2006-07, his NHL rookie season, and scored his first 3 NHL goals. He had a brief stint with the AHL's Springfield Falcons (8 games) in 2007-08, but was a regular in the Oilers lineup for most of the year.
He was a great in his own end, primairily known as a "stay-at-home" defenceman for the Oilers over the next 6+ season. He set career highs with 5 goals, 15 points, and 78 games played in 2011-12.
The 2013-14 season saw Smid playing as well as he ever had, and then was shockingly traded. It wasn't shocking that a bad Oilers team would move out a vetern defenceman, but it was shocking where he went. He was dealt to the Calgary Flames with Olivier Roy for Roman Horak and Laurent Brossoit.
Smid played the next two seasons with Calgary, before heading back to the Czechk Republic and rejoining Liberec in 2017. Most recently, he finsihed his 5 straight season with them - still playing as of 2021-22.
Internationally, Smid has played at three World Juniors (winning a Bronze in 2005), two World Championships, and he was part of the Czech squad at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Shown here is Smid's UD The Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Zach Stortini
The 6'4" Zach Stortini was a wrecking ball in the OHL. After a 2002-03 season with the Sudbury Wolves, where he racked up 222 PIMs, the Edmonton Oilers made him the 94th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
He'd played another couple of seasons with Wolves, and had a 5 games stint with the AHL Roadrunners in 2003-04, before turning pro in 2005-06.
He spent the 2005-06 season in the minors, but was given a chance to split the 2006-07 season between the minors and the NHL. He played 29 games for the Oilers, scored his first NHL goals, and broke the 100 PIM mark, with 105.
He played just four AHL games in 2007-08, and was primarily an enfocer with the Oilers for 66 games that season. He set a career high with 201 PIMs.
Stortini's 2008-08 season would be the one with his highest goal total, six. He set a career high with 13 points in 2009-10.
Zach left Edmonton after the 2010-11 season, and signed with the Nashville Predators. He spent two seasons in the Preds' organization, but only played a single game for the big club in 2011-12.
That turned out to be Stortini's final NHL game. He got a series of minor league deals, joing the AHL clubs of Anaheim, Philadelphia, and Ottawa. After a couple of seasons with the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa traded him to San Jose with Buddy Robinson & a pick, for Tommy Wingels.
He finsihed the season with the San Jose Barracude, then signed to play two seasons with teh Charlotte Checkers. He retired folling the 2018-19 season.
Stortini is twice an AHL Champion, playing for Calder Cup winning teams in Hamilton (2007) and Charlotte (2019). After retirment, he got a job as an assistant coach with the Sudbury Wolves.
Pictured are Stortini's SP Game Used Rookie Card, and his Score Autograph.
Petr Sykora
Petr Sykora played a pair of seasons with Plzen HC in the Czech republic, before coming to North America as a teenager. He played for the IHL's Cleveland Lumberjacks as a 17 year old, and then joined the Detroit Vipers for the 1994-95 season, notching a point-per-game as a teenager, in arguablly the second best league in the world.
The New Jersey Devils made him the 18th overall pick in the 1995 Entry draft. As an NHL rookie, he scored 18 times and had 42 points, in 63 games.
The next couple of seasons saw Petr spend some time in the minors, but he established himself as a fulltime NHLer in 1998-99 - playing in 80 games, scoring 29 goals, and notching 43 assists.
He became part of a Devils' core that would continually challenge for the Stanley Cup. He set career highs with 35 goals and 81 points in 2000-01.
In the summer of 2002, he was involved in a massive 7 player trade. The Devils sent Sykora, JF Damphousse, Mike Commodore, and Igor Pohanka to Anaheim for Jeff Friesen, Oleg Tverdovsky, and Maxim Blamochykh.
He'd play a top-6 role on the Mighty DUcks for the next two seasons, before playing in Russia during the lockout. After 34 games with Anaheim in 2005-06 he was traded to the New York Rangers, along with a pick, for Maxim Kondratiev.
Sykora finished the season with New York, getting 31 points in 40 games. He hit free agency and signed with the Edmonton Oilers. He played well in Edmonton. He scored 20 times, and added 31 helpers.
His time in Edmonton didn't last long. He left as a free agent again, and signed to play the next two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored 28 & 25 goals, having seasons with 63 and 46 points.
He joined the Minnesota Wild for the 2009-10 season, but injuries limited him to just 14 games. It appeared his time in the NHL was over, and he split the 2010-11 season between Plzen & Minsk Dynamo in the KHL.
Perhaps unexpectantly to some, Petr then made a return to the NHL. He rejoined the club where he had most of his success, the New Jersey Devils. He scored 21 goals, added 23 assists, and played in all 82 of New Jersey's games.
Before retiring, Sykora played breifly for Bern SC in Switzerland.
He's a vetern of more than 1,000 NHL games (1,017) and a two time Stanley Cup winner (New Jersey in 2000, Pittsburgh in 2009). In addition, he played in three other Stanley Cup finals (one each with New Jersey, Pittsburgh, and Anahime).
He played for the Czech Republic at two World Juniors, three World Championships, Two World Cups, and an Olympic Games. Those Czech squads won Gold at the '99 and '05 World Champsionships, and Bronze in 1998.
Pictured are Sykora's Topps Finest RC, a BAP Autograph, an ITG Jersey card, and a Fleer Ultra Gold Medalion, showing him with the Oilers.
Patrik Thoresen
Patrik Thoresen played a pair of seasons in his home country, Norway, before joining the QMJHL's MOncton Wildcats in 2001-02. As a 'Q' rookie he scored 30 goals and added 43 assists in just 60 games. He was dealt to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for the 2002-03 season, and had 33 goals / 108 points for them.
He spent the next three seasons playing in Sweden, with Djurgardens IF Stockholm. He was never drafted, and signed with the Edmonton Oilers. He made his NHL debut in 2006-07, playing in 68 games. He scored four times, and added 12 assists.
Thoresen played just 5 games in the minors that season, but spent a longer stretch (29 games) there in 2007-08. He played in only 17 games for the Oilers, scoring twice. When the Oilers attempted to recall him, he had to go through waivers - and the Philadelphia Flyers claimed him.
Patrik played 21 games for Philly, registering 5 assists. He was without an NHL contract at the end of the season, and headed back to Europe.
He played a season in Switzerland, followed by six seasons in the KHL, mostly with St. Petersburg. He went back to Djurgadens in the SEL for the 2015-16 season, back to Switzerland for the 2016-17 season, and played with St. Petersburg in the KHL in 2017-18.
Since the 2018-19 season he's been back home in Norway, having played the last four seasons wiht the STorhamar Dragons - most recently scoring 20 goals & 32 assists in 37 games in the 2021-22 season.
Thoresen is one of just 9 Norwegians to have made it to the NHL, and his 24 career points is 3rd all time amoung his countrymen. He has played for Norway at 22 international tournaments, with a total of 109 games (to date). May of these were lower level tournaments or qualifiers.
His father was a 5-time Ice Hockey Olympian for Norway, and Patrik followed in his footsteps, having played at the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Olympics.
SHown here is Thoresen's UD The Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Daniel Tjarnqvist
After playing in the SEL as a teenager, Daniel Tjarnqvist was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the 4th round, 88th overall, at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.
He spent another season with Rogle BK Angelholm in the SEL before playing for Jokerit in Finland. He returned to the SEL to play four seasons with Djurgardens.
Mid way through his time with Djurgardens, Tjarnqvist was traded with Gord Murphy, Herbert Vasiljevs, and a draft pick to the Atlanta Thrashers for Trevor Kidd.
Daniel finally came to North America in 2001. He joined the Thrasher and played in 75 games, scoring twice, and adding 16 assists. His third season with Atlanta, 2003-04, would see him set career highs with 5 goals and 20 assists.
He once again joined Djurgardens for the 2004-05 lockout, and then signed with the Minnesota Wild for the 2005-06 season. He hit free agency again after that, and joined the Edmonton Oilers.
With the Oilers, Tjarnqvist was a part-time player. He logged 37 games, scored 3 times, and had 12 assists. He left for Russia in 2007.
After a season with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, Daniel came back to the NHL and jined the Colorado Avalanche. His role was similar to what it had been in Edmonton, he played 37 games for htem.
Tjarnqvist was done in the NHL after that. He played two more seasons with Yaroslavl in the KHL, before returning home to Sweden for the 2011-12 season with Djurgardens.
The final three seasons of his career were played in Germany, when he was a member of the Cologne Sharks.
Tjarnqvist played for Sweden 10 times, and medaled in 8 of them. He won Gold at the European Juniors (1994), Bronse & Silver at the World Juniors ('95, '96), a pair of Bronze ('01, '02) & a pair of Silver ('03, '04) at the World Championships, and Olympic Gold in 2006. He also played for the Swede's 5th place team at the 2004 World Cup, and 7th place squad at the 2000 World Championships.
Shown here are his SP Rookie Card, and his Signature Rookies Autograph.
Bryan Young
After a solid rookie season as a stay-at-home defender with the OHL's Peterborough Petes, Bryan Young was seleced in the 5th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. He'd play two more seasons with Peterborough, before turning pro in 2006.
Young's 2006-07 season saw him play for four clubs: The ECHL's Stockton Thunder, both the Milwaukee Admirals & Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, and with a rash of injuries he got an NHL promotion, playing in 15 games for the Edmonton Oilers.
The 2007-08 saw him back in the AHL for 74 games with the Springfield Falcons, and he was called up for a pair of contests with the Oilers.
The next two seasons saw Young split his time between the AHL & ECHL.
Without an NHL contract, he took his game overseas after that. I've written the phrase "over seas" a lot in these threads, and normally this means "across the Atlantic" or "to Europe". Young's destination was very different.
He went across the Pacific, and joined High 1 in South Korea, part of the Asian Hockey League. He spent 7 seasons with High 1, before joining the Daemyung Killer Whales for three seasons. He retired at the end of the 2019-20 season.
In 2014 he began to play for South Korea internationally. He played in three "Division 1" World Championship tournaments, including 2017 when South Korea finsihed 2nd, earning a promotion to the main pool the following year. Bryan played in the 2018 World Championships for South Korea, and was a member of their 2018 Winter Olympic team as well.
Here are Bryan Young's SP Game Used Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his Victory Rookie Card.
2007-08
Andrew Cogliano
Andrew Cogliano played for the St. Michael's Buzzer in the OPJHL, putting up 102 points in 49 games, before the Edmonton Oilers drafted him with the 25th overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
He played two seasons with the University of Michigan, where he was named to the CCHA All Rookie Team.
He turned pro in 2007. As an NHL rookie he scored 18 goals and a career high 45 points in 82 games.
While Cogliano never developed into an offensive star, his quick skating and hockey instincts made him a great penalty killer, and a valuable depth piece in the Oilers' forward corps. He hit double digit goals in each of his first four seasons with Edmonton (18, 18, 10, 11).
Cogliano was also incredibly durable. Through four seasons, he had never missed a game, playing in all 82 Oilers games each year. He was then traded to the Anaheim Ducks for a 2nd round pick at the 2013 draft.
Through five seasons in Anaheim, Andrew had been a key shut-down forward for them. He hit double digit goals in each season except 2015-16 (when he only scored 9). He scored a career best 21 in the 2013-14 season.
He also remained as durable as ever. Through 5 seasons with the Ducks, plus his 4 with Edmonton, he had yet to miss a game.
The 2017-18 season saw Cogliano's Iron Man streak come to an end. He was suspended for a questionable hit on Andrian Kempe, and missed two games. His streak was snapped at 830 straight games
At the time he was only the 4th player to have ever played in 800 straight games. His 4th place spot on the all time Iron Man list has since been passed by Patrick Marleau (910), Keith Yandle (989) and Phil Kessel (982, and counting).
After 46 games with the Ducks in 2018-19, he was traded to the Dallas Stars for Devin Shore. 17 games into his time with the Stars, he left the game early after a hit from Vegas' Ryan Reaves injured him. He missed the next couple of games (and another one later in the season). This was the first time he'd missed a game due to injury in his NHL career. If you gloss over the suspension, he played in 929 straight games from the start of his career, without getting injured.
Cogs finsihed his season with Dallas, and would play two more for the Stars before hitting free agency in 2021. He signed with the San Jose Sharks. With the Sharks out of contention, he was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline, for a 5th round pick.
While he's never won it, Cogliano has been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (for dedication, perseverance, and sportsmanship) four times. He's a vertern of over 1100 NHL games.
He played for Canada at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships, winning Gold both times.
Pictured is Cogliano's UD The Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Sam Gagner
Sam Gagner, the son of former NHLer Dave Gagner, averaged over two points per game (118 in 53 games) in his single season with the OHL's London Knights. The Edmonton Oilers selected him with the 6th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
He made the Oilers roster that fall, and played in 79 games as a rookie. He scored 13 goals, and had 49 points.
He was a fixture in the Oilers lineup, and always put up decent offensive numbers, but he never took that next step to become an offensive star. He played 7 seasons in Edmonton, never scoring fewer than 10 goals & 37 points, but never scoring more than 18 goals & 47 points.
On February 2nd, 2012, Gagner tied a team record with an 8 point game against the Chicago Blackhawks (4 goals, 4 assists). Only Wayne Gretzky & Paul Coffey had previously done so for the Oilers. This made him the 13th player in NHL history to have a game with 8 (or more points), and he was the first to do it since Mario Lemieux had an 8 point night in 1989.
Two days later, Gagner scored two goals and an assist in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings. This gave him points on 11 straight Oilers' goals - breaking a team record of 10 that had been set by Gretzky.
Following the 2013-14 season, Gagner was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Teddy Purcell. His time in Tampa was quick. An hour later he & BJ Combeen were traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for a 6th round pick.
Gagner played just a single season with the Coyotes. He played in a career high 81 games, and had 41 points. They traded him the following summer along with a draft pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for Nicklas Grossmann, and the contract of Chris Pronger (who was never going to play again).
Gagner's role was reduced with Philly, and he actually spent a bit of time in the minors. He left as a free agent the next summer, and joined the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With Columbus, Gagner had a resurgence in his numbers. He matched his career highs of 81 games and 18 goals, and set a new personal best with 50 points.
His time in Columbus lasted only a season. Gagner's big season gave him a few options with where to sign, and he got a three year / $9.45 million pact with the Vancouver Canucks.
Gagner's first season in Vancouver was pretty good. He scored 10 times, and added 21 assists, in 74 games. It was was pretty good, but not the production Vancouver had been hoping for when they signed him.
He only played 7 games for them (scoring once, and had two helpers) in the 2018-19 season, before he was demoted to the AHL, and loaned to the Toronto Marles.
He played 43 games for the Marlies, and was then traded back to Edmonton for the struggeling Ryan Spooner. Gagner was brought in as a depth forward, and played well enough. He had 10 points in 25 games for the Oilers that season.
He came back with the Oilers for the 2019-20 season, but was in & out of the lineup. At the trade deadline he was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings, along with a pair of 2nd round picks, for Ryan Kuffner and Andreas Athanasiou.
After playing in just 6 games down the stretch with a rebuilding Detroit team, he came back as a part time player in 2020-21, logging 42 games. With his big money contract now over, Gagner opted to resign in Detroit and he played in 81 of the Wings' game in 2021-22. His 13 goals were the highest he'd scored since the 2016-17 season with Columbus.
Gagner has played for Canada twice, winning Gold at the 2007 World Juniors, and Silver a the 2008 World Championships.
Pictured are a pair of cards of Gagner (which goes against my usual "keep the minimum number of cards to have all of RC/Auto/Patch/Oilers"). I've got a copy of his Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch /99, but I also have an Autographed Authentic Moments card, highlighting his 8 point game vs Chicago.
Mathieu Garon
Mathieu Garon was a workhorse for the Victoriaville Tigres, playing 51 games for them in 1995-96. The Montreal Canadiens then selected him with the 44th overall pick at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
Garon followed up his first season of Junior with two more solid ones, playing in 53 & 47 games for the Tigres, before turning pro in 1998.
He spent his first two professional seasons in the AHL, playing with the Fredericton Canadiens & Quebec Citadelles. In 2000-01 he spent most of the season in the minors, but was called up and made his NHL debut. He played 11 games for the Habs, posted a 4-5-1 record - but had a sparkeling 2.44 GAA & he posted two Shut Outs.
Mathieu was never really able to establish himself in the Montreal net. Jose Theodore was the starter, and there had been other options at backup, like Jeff Hackett. He was the primary backup for the 2003-04 season, playing in 19 games.
The Habs would end up dealing Garon to the Los Angeles Kings in the summer of 2004 with a draft pick, for Radek Bonk & Cristobal Huet. LA planned to make him a starter, but those plans got put on hold due to the 2004-05 lockout. He spent the season with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs.
2005-06 came, and Garon was given a chance to be the Kings starter. He ran with it. He played in 63 games that season, and posted a career high 31 wins.
The Los Angles net became crowded in 2006-07. Garon led Kings goalie with 32 appearances, but he also lost many starts to Sean Burke & Dan Cloutier.
He hit free agency, and joined the Edmonton Oilers. He was brought in to be a backup for Dwayne Roloson, but Garon actually ended up playing in more games (47 vs 43). He put together a 26-18-1 record, a 2.66 GAA, and recorded 4 shutouts. Despite Garon's briliant season, the Oilers still missed the playoffs.
Mathieu played in 15 games for the Oilers in 2008-09, before a January trade sent him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Dany Sabourin, Ryan Stone, and a 4th round pick. He was brought into Pittsburgh to backup Marc-Andre Fleury and did so. He was part of the Penguins club that would go on to win the 2009 Stanley Cup.
He would become a free agent after the Stanley Cup victory, and signed to play with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the next two seasons. He appeared in over 70 games for Columbus, before hitting free agency again in 2011.
This time, Garon would sign wiht the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in 48 games for them in 2011-12, going 23-16-4. He played a second season with the Bolts, but only made 18 appearances.
Garon would play a season with Omsk Avangard in the KHL before retiring in 2014.
Garon was a member of the 1998 Canadian World Junior squad, and the 2008 World Championship team as well.
On a personal note: During the 2007-08 season I went to watch the Oilers play in Columbus. I was sitting right behind the Oilers bench. Garon was the backup for the night. When a puck was flipped into the Oilers bench during the game, he was nice enough to hand it to the guy wearing an Oilers jersey sitting behind him! He'd been a pretty good goalie for the Oilers up until that point, but he's entrenched himself pretty high up on my all-time favorites list because of it.
Shown here are Garon's UD Rookie Card, a BAP AUtograph, a BTP Game Used Emblem, and a BAP Gold Parallel /99 showing him with the Oilers.
Curtis Glencross
Curtis Glencross was a scoring sensation with the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL. He then went to college at the University of Alaska, and played a pair of seasons in Anchorage - before turning pro. He was never drafted, and signed with the Anaheim Ducks as a free agent.
Glencross made his pro debut with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks in 2003-04, playing in 7 regular season games and 9 in the playoffs, after the NCAA season had ended. He was a fulltime AHLer in 04-05 and 05-06.
2006-07 saw Curtis spend a chunk of time in the AHL with the Portland Pirates (Anaheim had moved their farm team) and he made his NHL debut, playing a pair of games for the Ducks. In those two games, he scored his first NHL goal.
In January of that season, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets with Zenon Konopka and a 7th round draft pick, for Joe Motzko, Mark Hartigan, and a 4th round pick. He split the rest of the season between the AHL's Syracuse Crunch (19 goals in 29 games) and the Blue Jackets (7 more NHL games under his belt).
Glencross never played another game in the minors. He scored 6 goals in his first 36 games of the 2007-08 season, but then the Jackets traded him to the Edmonton Oilers for Dick Tarnstrom. With the Oilers he scored 9 goals in 26 games.
He hit the open market, and signed with the Calgary Flames. He scored 13 times with Calgary in 2008-09, 15 times in 09-10, 24 times in 10-11, and improved again with a career high 26 in 2011-12.
He played for Calgary for another two & most of a third season, but was dealt to the Washington Capitals in 2014-15 at the deadline, as a pending UFA. He played in 18 games for the Caps, putting up 7 points, and played in 10 playoff games for them - but they were eliminated in the 2nd round.
Glencross retired following the 2014-15 season.
Shown here are Curtis' SP Game Used RC, a Contenders Autograph, and a Panini Limited Jersey card.
Denis Grebeshkov
After playing for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, in Russia's top league, as a teenager, the Los Angeles Kings selected Denis Grebeshkov with the 18th overall pick in the 2002 NHL Entry draft.
The blueliner would spend another season in Russia, before signing wiht the Kings.
He'd sign with LA, and came to North America for the 2003-04 season. He got his first NHL assist that season, playing in his first four NHL games. He spent the 2004-05 season exclusivly with the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL, and put up 49 points in 75 games.
he spent the bulk of the 05-06 season in the minors, but played 8 games for the Kings (with two more helpers). He was traded in March to the New York Islanders, along with Jeff Tambellini, for Brent Sopel & Mark Parish. He finished the rest of the season on Long Island, playing 21 games for the Isles, and then played in 7 playoff games for the AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
He was unable to come to terms on a new contract with the Islanders, and returned to Russia, playing for Lokomotiv. Mid way through the season his rights were dealt to the Edmonton Oilers for Marc-Andre Bergeron, and a 3rd round pick.
The Oilers and Grebeshkov came to an agreement on a three year deal. He played in 71 games in 2007-08, his first season with the Oilers, scored 3 times, and added 15 assists.
His best NHL season would come in 2008-09. In 72 games he scored 7 times, and had 32 assists. He was a +12 on a bad Oilers squad.
He was having another decent season with the Oilers in 2009-10, when he was traded to Nashville. The Predators sent the Oilers a 2nd round pick in return. He ended up being a depth piece for Nashville, and played in only 4 regular season games after the trade, plus two more in the playoffs.
The following summer Denis was a free agent, and signed with St. Peterburg SKA in the KHL. He played there for most of the next three seasons, before getting traded to Khanty-Mansiysk Yugra.
A free agent again, Grebs would try to come back to the NHL, and took a one year deal with the Oilers. He made the team out of camp, but after 7 games was sent to the Oklahoma City Barons. He spent the rest of the season in the AHL, before heading back to Russia.
2014-15 was the final season in Grebeshkov's career, playing for Vitaz Podolsk in the KHL.
Denis Grebeshkov represented Russia 10 times. He won Gold at the Under 18s in 2001, and back-to-back Golds at the 2002 and 2003 World Juniors. He won Bronze at the 2007 World Championships, and then back-to-back Golds at the 2008 and 2009 World. He was part of the Russian team at the 2010 Olympics, and also won a Silver medal at the 2010 Worlds.
Shown here are Grebeshkov's Parkhurst Rookie Card (with a jersey), a Heroes & Prospects autograph, and an OPC Foil parallel, showing him with the Oilers.
Theo Peckham
The 6'3" Theo Peckham was a physical force on the Owen Sound Attack's blueline, racking up over 600 PIMs in his three OHL seasons. The Edmonton Oilers made him the 75th overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
After completing his Junior career, Peckham signed with the Oilers. He spent the bulk of the 2007-08 with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, scoring 6 times, adding 7 helpers, and earning 174 PIMs in 59 games. He also made his NHL debut with the Oilers, playing against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The next two seasons saw Peckham still mostly as an AHLer, but in both 08-09 and 09-10 he would played 15 games. In 2009-10 he registered his first NHL point, an assist.
'Teddy Pecs' made it as a fulltime NHLer in 2010-11, playing in 71 games for Edmonton. He'd score 3 goals, get 10 assists, and 198 PIMs. He was an Oiler for the entire season in 2011-12, but only played in 54 games.
He briefly played with the ECHL's San Francisco Bulls during the 2012-13 lockout, but was back with the Oilers for 4 games in 2012-13 after the season started. He also spent some time in the AHL.
Peckham would sign with the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent, and spent the 2013-14 season with their AHL club, the Rockford IceHogs.
The 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons saw Peckman play for Wichita in the CHL, Rodovre in Denmark, and Banska in Slovaki. He came home to Canada and played four seasons of Senior A - splitting that time between the Saugeen Shores Winterhawks, and the Hamilton Steelhawks.
Theo retired after the 2019-20 season.
Peckham's half-sister, Angela James, is a Hockey-Hall-of-Famer.
Shown here are Peckam's OPC Retro Rookie Card, his ITG Enforcers autograph, and an Enforcers fight strap card.
Dustin Penner
A 6'4" power forward, Dustin Peen played for the University of Maine, where he was named to the All-NCAA All-Tournament Team in 2004. He was never drafted, and signed with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim following that season.
His first year as a pro, 2004-05, was spent playing for Cincinnati in the AHL. 2005-06 saw the Ducks change their affiliate, and Penner mostly played with the AHL's Portland Pirates. He made his NHL debut, playing 19 games for Anaheim, scoring 4 goals and adding 3 assists.
2006-07 was Penner's first as a full time NHLer. He played in all 82 games, and scored 29 times. He also added 3 in the playoffs, helping the Ducks win the Stanley Cup.
He found himself a restricted free agent, and signed an offer sheet with the Edmonton Oilers - agreeing to a 5 year pact, worth $21.25 million. This resulted in a lot of bad blood between Oilers' GM Kevin Lowe & Ducks' GM Brian Burke. Reportidly, they were planning to fight each other in barn, until (league Commissioner) Gary Betman intervened.
Penner found immediate success with the Oilers. He played in all 82 games for them in 2007-08, and led the team in goals (23) and set a new career high with 47 points.
His production dipped in 2008-09, but he bounced back nicely in 2009-10, setting career highs with 32 goals and 63 points.
In the summer of 2009, he was included in a blockbuster deal that would have sent himself, ANdrew Cogliano, and Ladislav Smith to the Ottawa Senators, for Dany Heatley. Heatley, however, invoked his no-trade claus, and the deal with nixed.
Dustin came back with another strong season in 2010-11. He'd scored 21 goals through 62 games, and then the Oilers dealt him to the Los Angeles Kings for Colton Teubert, a 1st round pick, and a 3rd round pick. He scored a pair of goals down the stretch for LA.
His first full season with the Kings was a dissapointing one statistically, he managed just 7 goals and 10 assists in 65 games. He added 3 more goals and 8 helpers in 20 playoff games, helping the Kings win the 2012 Stanley Cup.
After an injury riddeled 2012-13 season with Los Angeles, he signed with the Anahime Ducks. He played 49 games for them - scoring 13 times for 32 points - before he was traded to the Washington Capitals for a 4th round pick. He played 18 games for the Caps, and scored just once.
Penner was the 21st player to have played for both sides of the "Freeway Face-Off" - the Kings & Ducks, and he's the only player to have won the Stanley Cup with both franchises. He retired after the 2013-14 season.
Shown here are Penner's SPA Future Watch RC, a UD Ice Glacial Graphs, and a Panini Certified Jersey card.
Joni Pitkanen
After playing a pair of seasons in SM-liiga as a teenager, Joni Pitkanen was drafted 4th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2002 - after sending Ruslan Fedotenko & a pair of 2nd round picks to Tampa Bay for the Lightning's 1st rounder.
The 6'3" played one more season on Karpat's blueline before joining the Flyers with 2003-04. He'd be named to the All-Rookie Team, with 8 goals & 27 points in 71 games for Philly.
The NHL lockout of 2004-05 saw Pitkanen play in the AHL, with the Philadelphia Phantoms. He'd be a key piece of their blueline, and helped the Flyer's affiliate win the Calder Cup.
Joni was back with Philly the following season. He was limited to just 58 games, but set career highs with 13 goals & 46 points. He logged 77 games in 2006-07, and put up 43 points.
While Pitkanen was a valued member of the Flyers defence corps, he was also an asset other teams coveted. He was traded along with Geoff Sanderson to the Edmonton Oilers for Joffrey Lupul & Oilers' Captain, Jason Smith.
His production dipped in Edmonton. Joni would only record 26 points in 63 games for the Oilers in 2007-08. While the skill set was clearly there, it was perceived that he wasn't a great fit with a struggeling Oilers team.
Pitkanen's season in Edmonton was a "one & done" scenario. He was traded the following summer to the Carolina Hurricanes for Erik Cole. His offensive numbers rebounded. He posted a respectible 33 points in 2008-09, and set a career high with 40 assists in 2009-10 while matching his career high point total (46).
After another strong season in 2010-11, injuries started to take their toll on Pitkanen. He was playing as well as ever, but was limited to just 30 games in 2011-12 & only 22 in 2012-13.
Joni missed the entire 13-14 & 14-15 seasons due to injuries. He made a brief attempt at coming back with Karpat in Finalnd in 2015-16, but playing only 3 games before announcing his retirement.
He represented Finalnd three times, winning Bronze Medals at the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships, and at the 2010 Olympic Games.
Pictured here are Pitkanen's SPA Future Watch Autographed Rookie Card, and an SP Game Used jersey card, that shows him with the Oilers.
Liam Reddox
After a season where he scored 31 goals & 64 points as a rookie for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, Liam Reddox was drafted in the 4th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He played two more seasons with the Petes, with points totals of 82 & 64.
His performance for Canada at the 2004 Under 18s was particularly noteworthy. He scored 6 goals (and 1 assist) in 7 games. It's tied for the second highest goal total at that tournament ever, behind only Connor McDavid.
Liam turned pro in 2006-07, spending the season with the Oilers' ECHL affiliate, the Stockton Thunder. He played 65 games for the AHL's Springfield Falcons in 2007-08, and his play earned him a 1 game NHL call-up, making his league debut with the Oilers.
2008-09 saw Reddox get into 46 NHL games with the Oilers. He scored 5 times, and had 12 points. He also spent time with the AHL Falcons.
2009-10 was another season Liam split between the AHL & NHL, though this time the bulk of it was spent in the minors. He played 9 games for the Oilers, and registered 2 assists.
2010-11 turned out to be Reddox's final season i nthe NHL. He played in 44 games (also spent time in the AHL), scored once, and had 10 points. A free agent in the offseason, he joined Vaxjo HC in Sweden.
He'd spent the next 8 seasons playing for Vaxjo, where he'd be named team Captain. The final season of his career was in 2019-20, with the Belfast Giants.
Pictured are Reddox's BAP Rookie Card /99, a Heroes & Prospects Autograph, and an Oh Canada Jersey card from ITG.
Alan Rourke
Alan Rourke stared with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers. The blueliner was drafted in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, 154th overall. He was only half way through his junior career at the time, and capped off his time with Kitchener with a 31 goal / 74 point season in 1999-00, when he was named to the OHL second all-star team.
He turned pro, and would spend the next three seasons with the St. John's Maple Leafs in the AHL. He had yet to get a shot at the NHL, but his minor league numbers were solid. Without ever getting called up by the Leafs, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricans in May of 2003 for Harold Druken - but he finsihed the year with St. John's.
2003-04 saw him join his new organization formally, and he earned his first trip to the NHL - playing in 25 games for the 'Canes. He scored his first NHL goal, and added a pair of helpers.
He'd spent the majority of the 03-04 season with the Lowell Lock Monsters, and that's where he spent the entiretly of the 2004-05 campaign. Rourke hit free agency, and signed with the New York Islanders.
Alan spent two seasons in the Isles organization. He mostly played for the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but appeared in 6 & 17 games for the Isles during those two years.
The 2007-08 season saw him join the Oilers as a free agent. He played in 44 games for the Springfield Falcons, and 13 for the Oilers.
Rourke would head to Europe next, where he split the 2008-09 season between Germany & Austria, and then the 2009-10 soley in Germany. He retired after the 2009-10 season.
SHown here are two copies of Rourke's Topps Rookie card, one of them signed.
Geoff Sanderson
Geoff Sanderson was a junior star for the Swift Current Broncos in the WHL. He was a member of their Memorial Cup winning team in 1989, scored 32 goals & 94 points in 1989-90, and was selected by the Hartford Whalers 36th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.
He played one more season with Swift Current, and scored a whooping 62 goals in 70 games. After the Broncos' season ended he turned pro. He played in two Whalers regular season games, scoring his first NHL goal, and played in three more playoff contests. He also played a game for the Springfield Indians in the AHL playoffs, on their way to a Calder Cup Championship That would be the only AHL game of his career.
Sanderson had a solid rookie season with Hartford in 1991-92, scoring 13 goals and 18 assists. He exploded in his second season, scoring 46 goals and adding 43 assists. Those numbers would both end up being career highs, but it's not like Sanderson just fell off a cliff and had only one good season.
He scored 41 in 1993-94, and had 18 goals & 32 points in 46 games during the shortned 1994-95 season - also spending time in Finland during the lockout.
He had another pair of seasons breaking the 30 goal mark (34 & 36) and lead the Whalers in points in their final season in Hartford, with 67 in 1996-97.
He moved with the club to Carolina, but injuries slowed him down. He managed just 7 goals in 40 games before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks with Sean Burke and Enrico Ciccone, for Martin Gelinas and Kirk McLean.
His stay in Vancouver was short. He played just 9 games for the club, registering three assists, and was traded again only a month after getting to Vancouver. The Canucks sent him to Buffalo for Brad May & a 3rd round pick.
Sanderson never really regained his goal scoring tuch with Buffalo. He scored 4 in 26 games for the rest of the 97-98 season, 12 in 75 games in 98-99, and then 13 in 67 games in 99-00. He was left unprotected, and claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 Expansion Draft.
With the Jackets, Sanderson would have a career rebirth. He scored 30 goals in 2000-01, and led Columbus with 56 points - his best totals since playing in Hartford. Injuries limited his games played in 2001-02, but he scored 34 goals & 67 points in 2002-03.
He was having a decent season (13 goals in 67 games) during 2003-04, but the Jackets were going to miss the playoffs again, so they dealt the pending free agent to Vancouver for a 3rd round pick. He scored 3 goals in 13 games, and 1 more in the 7 playoff games for Vancouver.
He played in Switzerland for the 2004-05 lockout season, and then signed as a free agent with Columbus for 2005-06. After just two games hew was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes with Tim Jackman for Cale Hulse, Jason Chimera, and Mike Rupp.
Sanderson played well in the desert. He scored 25 times for the Coyotes, just 5 back of team-leaders Mike Comrie & Shane Doan. A free agent again, this time he signed a two year deal with Philadelphia.
He had 11 goals & 29 points in 58 games for the Flyers in 2006-07, but the second year of his contract would be deal to the Edmonton Oilers along with Joni Pitkanen for Joffrey Lupul and Jason Smith.
2007-08 was Geoff's first in Edmonton, but the last of his career. He played 41 games for the Oilers, scoring 3 times & adding 10 assists. He retired in 2008.
Sanderson was a two time NHL all star (1994, 1997) and played in three World Championships with Canada - winning Gold in 1994 and 1997.
Shown here are Sanderson's Parkhurt Rookie Card, his BAP Autograph, a Pacific Jersey Card, and a UD Exclusives, showing him with the Oilers.
Aaron Sorochan
Aaron Sorochan played for five seasons in the WHL. His first three were with the Prince Albert Raiders from 00-01 through 02-03. He was traded to the Vancouver Giants for 03-04, and then to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for 04-05, where his 35-19-8 record earned him an Eastern Conference First All-Star Team selection.
After his junior career was over, Sorochan enrolled at the University of Alberta, and was the Golden Bears netminder for the next four seasons. On December 21, 2007 - Aaron was signed to an amatuer try out by the Edmonton Oilers, and dressed as their backup against the New Jersey Devils when Dwayne Roloson came down with the flu.
Once Sorochan graduated, he signed a minor league deal with the Oilers and spent the 2009-10 season playing in their system. He played 10 games for the AHL Springfield Falcons, and 7 games for the ECHL Stockton Thunder.
His time as a professional was short, he retired following the 2009-10 season.
As is typical for "emergency backups" - Sorochan has no NHL cards. Pictured here are his 00-01 Prince Albert Raiders team issue (his first minor league card) and a signed custom card that he was kind enough to sign for me through the mail.
Sheldon Souray
A native of Elk POint Alberta, Sheldon Souray's 6'4" frame patrolled the blue line for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, before he was drafted by the New Jersey Devils with the 71st overall pick in 1994.
The 1994-95 season saw him traded from Tri-City to the Prince George Cougars. At the end of the WHL season he made his pro debut, playing in 7 games for the AHL's Albany River Rats.
1995-96 saw Sheldon back in junior with the Cougars, before a trade to the Kelown Rockets. Like the season before, he played 6 games (and 4 more in the playoffs) with Albany after the WHL season ended.
Souray became a fulltime pro in 1996-97, playing 70 games for the River Rats. His time in the minors was nearly over. He did play 6 games for Albany in 1997-98, but established himself as an NHLer and suited up for 60 games with the Devils - scoring three times, and adding 7 assists, as well as 85 PIMs.
He was a regular on the New Jersey blueline, until part way through the 1999-00 season, when he was traded with Josh DeWolf and a 2nd round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for Vladimir Malakhov.
Sheldon proved to be an important piece of the Montreal defence, but an injured wrist limited him to just 34 games in 2001-02, and forced hi mto miss the entire 2002-03 season.
He came back with the Habs in 2003-04, and established himself as a top-pairing defenceman. He set new career highs with 15 goals and 20 assists.
He played for Farhestads in Sweden during the 2004-05 NHL lockout, and was back in Montreal for 2005-06 - when he bested his prior career high, with 39 points.
2006-07 was the best of Souray's career. He played in a career high 81 games, scored 26 goals, added 38 assists, and racked up 135 PIMs. He was tough as nails, and driving the offense from the back end. Souray had elevated himself to one of the league's top defenceman, right in time for free agency.
He would ink a 5 year, $27 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers - who had hoped that they found a replacement for Chris Pronger, who had been traded away in 2006.
His first year did not go as planned. Injuries limited him to just 26 games. His second season, however, he came exactly as hoped for. He matched his career high with 81 games, and while he didn't quite meet the offensive pace he set for himself in his final year in Montreal, his 23 goals and 30 assists put him amoung the league leaders for defenceman.
2009-10 ended up being another injury shortned season. Three games in, a hit from Jarome Iginla would leave Souray concussed. He would get back on the ice a month later and was playing well. At the end of January, he broke his hand in a fight with Iginla. The facture, and an infection that followed, ended Souray's season after only 37 games.
He was unhappy with how the Oilers' medical staff handeled his injuries, and requested a trade. He & the club publically fought - in one of the more embaressing moments in Oilers' history.
After passing unclaimed through waivers, the Oilers loaded Souray to the AHL's Herhey Bears for the 2010-11 season. Once he was ready to play, Sheldon put up a pretty solid AHL campaign.
There was one year left on Souray's contract, and the Oilers opted to buy him out - after they were unable to find any takers. He was immedaitly signed by the Dallas Stars, where he played 64 games in the 2011-12 season.
Having reestablished himself as a strong defenceman, Souray signed a three year deal with the Anaheim Ducks. The shortened season of 2012-13 saw him play in 44 games, and record 17 points. His final point of the season gave him 300 for his career.
The injuries had taken their toll on Souray's body though. He never played the final two years of a his contract with Anahime, and would go on LTIR for the next two seasons. He announced his retirement in 2015.
Souray was a thre etime NHL all star ('04, '07, '09) and won the hardest shot contest at the 2004 all star game. He holds the NHL record for most power player goals in a season by a defenceman with 19 in 2006-07, an Oilers team record with the fastest two goals in a regular season game (7 seconds), and a Montreal team record with the most points by a defenceman in one game (with 6, on January 10th 2004 vs the Penguins).
He played for Canada once, winning a Silver Medal at the 2005 World Championships
Shown here are Souray's UD Rookie Card, a BAP Autograph, a Totally Certfied jersey card, and a Fleer Ulta Ice Medalion, showing him with the Oilers.
2008-09
Jesse Boulerice
After his rookie season with the OHL's Detroit Whalers, where he racked up 150 PIMs in 64 games, Jesse Boulerice was selected in the 5th round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.
His next campaign with Detroit in the OHL saw him score 10 goals, 14 assists, and 209 PIMs in just 33 games. The Jr. Whalers moved to Plymouth the following season, and Jesse doubled his goal totals (20) to go along with 23 assits and 170 PIMs.
He turned pro the following season, and would spend the next two seasons with the Flyers affiliates in the AHL & ECHL, honing his craft as an enfocer. He was called up to the Flyers in 2001-02, and played in his first three NHL games.
He was also traded that season, to the Carolina Hurricanes, for Greg Koehler. After the trade, he finsihed the season wtih the Lowell Lock Monsters.
2002-03 saw Jesse make it as a full time NHLer, though he wasn't always in the lineup. He played 48 games in 2002-03 and 76 in 2003-04 for Carolina, scoring 8 goals, adding a pair of assists, and earning 235 PIMs over that time.
He had a brief one game stint with Lowell again in 2005-06, but spent most of the season on 'Canes NHL roster, until January 30th when he was traded along with Mike Zigomanis, Magnus Kahnberg, a 1st round pick, and a pair of 4th round picks, to the St. Louis Blues for Doug Weight & Erkki Rajamaki.
Boulerice split the rest of the season between the Albany River Rats (16 games) and the Blues (12 games) before hitting free agency.
He resigned with the team that drafed him, and was back in the Flyers' organization. He spent the bulk of the year in the AHL, but played in 5 NHL contests for the Flyers.
He joined the Colorado Avalanche in 2008-09, and had been called up - but never got into game action for them. He was placed on waivers and claimed by the Edmotnon Oilers.
Jesse would play two games for the Oilers, before being reclaimed by the Avalanche. He finsihed the season with the Lake Erie Monsters.
Boulerice joined the Penguins organization next, and spent two seasons playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. His two games with the Oilers were the last of his NHL career.
Jesse represented the USA twice at the World Juniors, in 1997 & 1998, winning Silver in '97.
Pictured are Boulerice's Black Diamond Rookie Card, and a BAP autograph.
Gilbert Brule
An Edmonton native, and only 5'10" in stature, Gilbert Brule dominated the WHL in his first two full seasons with the Vancouver Giants, with 147 points in 137 games. He was selected 6th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
He broke camp with the Jackets in 2005-06, making the team as a rookie. He scored twice & added a pair of helpers in seven NHL games, before being returned to junior.
2006-07 saw Brlue make the Jackets as a fulltime player. He played in 78 games, but dissapointed with only 9 goals and 10 assists.
The next season was another dissapointing one. Brule playe din 61 games for Columbus, scoring just once, and adding 8 assists. He spent a bit of time with the Syracue Crunch, where he put up decent numbers (10 points in 16 games).
The summer of 2008 saw Brule traded from Columbus, to the Edmonton Oilers, for Raffi Torres. He spent a big chunk of the year in the minors, and scored twice for the Oilers in his 11 games.
2009-10 would end up being the best of Brule's career. He spent the entire season with the Oilers, playing in 65 games. He scored 17 goals, and added 20 assists.
His numbers dropped in 2010-11 (9 points in 41 games) and he was demoted to the AHL in 2011-12. After a brief call up where he didn't get into any game action for the Oilers, he was claimed on waivers by the Phoenix Coyotes.
Gilbert played 33 games for Phoenix that season, with 14 points. He spent the 2012-13 season in Switzerlan, before rejoing the Coyotes in 2013. He played just 3 NHL games that season, along with time in the AHL. That would be the end of Brule's career in North America.
He went to Russia after that, and spent the next 8 seasons playing in the KHL. His best season there came in 2017-18 when he scored 17 goals & 18 assists in 47 games for Kunlun Red Star.
He played the final season of his career in 2020-21, with TH Unia Oswiecim in Poland.
Brule has represented Canada three time. He won Silver at the Under 17s in 2004, and Gold at the Under 18s in the season season. In 2018 he won a Bronze medal with Canada at the Olympic Games.
Pictured are Brule's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and an OPC Black Rainbow Reto /100 card, showing him with the Oilers.
Taylor Chorney
After a couple of seasons with famed Shattuck-Saint Mary's Prep School, and time with the US National Team Development program, Taylor Chorney was an All-American at the University of North Dakota.
The son of Marc Chorney, a vetern of 210 NHL games, he was selected in the 2nd round - 36th overall - by the Edmonton Oilers in 2005.
He turned pro in 2008, and spent the bulk of the season playing for the AHL's Springfield Falcons. He also made his NHL debut, playing in two games for the Oilers.
Taylor looked to be progressing as a member of the Oilers organization. He played 42 games for the Oilers, recording his first 3 NHL assists, in 2009-10 - while also spending time again with Springfield.
2010-11 saw him spend the bulk of the season in the AHL, and he only played in 12 NHL games. He did score his first NHL goal, and recorded 3 more assists.
The following season saw Chorney spend most of the year in the AHL, playing 50 solid games for the Oklahoma City Barsons. He got a call up and played three games for the Oilers - but was claimed on waivers by St. Louis when Edmonton tried to send him back down.
With the Blues, he played just two games - but finsihed the season on their NHL roster.
After playing two straight seasons in the AHL, Taylor signed with one of the clubs his father played for - the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played in 7 games for the Pens in 2014-15, spending most of the season i nthe minors.
He was a free agent again, and this time signed with the Washington Capitals. Chorney ended up filling the 6th / 7th defenceman role for the Caps, and didn't play a single game in the minors over the next three seasons. He set a career high with 55 games in 2015-16.
He was waived in the 2017-18 season, and was claimed by the Columbus Blue Jackets, after playing in 24 games with the Caps. He played just a single game for the Jackets, the final one of his NHL career.
Chorney's caeer continued in Europe after that, playing two seasons in Switzerland for HC Lugano, and then the final season of his career with EC Red Bull Saltzburg (Austria) in 2020-21.
He represented the USA four times, at the 2005 Under 18s, the 2006 & 2007 World Juniors, and the 2010 World Championships. He won a Gold in '05 and a Bronze in '07.
Shown here is Chorney's OPC Premier Rookie-Auto-Patch. It's his only GU/Auto/RC (curious that he was an auto-only RC in The Cup). I've actually got a massive Taylor Chorney collection (near complete player collection). Back in 2009 I thought it would be fun to collect a random Oilers rookie, and see how many of his cards I could get.
Erik Cole
Erik Cole was an All =-American with Clarkson University, and was drafted 71st overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricans.
He turned pro following the end of the 1999-00 NCAA season, and played 9 games for the 'Canes farm club, the Cincinnati Cyclones of the IHL. He'd play another 7 in the playoffs.
2000-01 saw Cole as a fulltime IHLer. The 69 games he played in Cincinnati would be his last in the minor leagues.
He established himself as a gritty hard working forward, with a good touch around the net. He scored 16, 14, and 18 goals over the next three seasons with Carolina.
He joined the Berlin Polar Bears for the 2004-05 lockout season, and won the DEL Championship with them.
With Carolina in 2005-06 he had his best season yet. Cole scored 30 goals in 60 games, and hepled the Hurricans win the Stanley Cup.
He scored 29 goals in 2006-07, and 22 in 07-08. He'd become a staple in the Hurricane's lineup. Of course that's when a trade would happen.
Cole was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers for Joni Pitkanen. He joined them for the 2008-09 season, and scored 16 goals in 63 games - but was never really happy about the trade. At the deadline, he was involved in a three-way swap.
Patrick O'Sullivan & a 2nd went from the LA Kings to the Carolina Hurricanes for Justin Williams. O'Sullivan & a 2nd went to the Edmonton Oilers for Cole & a 5th. Eric was back with Carolina. He scored a pair of goals during the team's final 17 games.
He hit free agency and signed with the Montreal Canadiens. His first season with the Habs, 2011-12, was the best of Cole's career. In 82 games he scored 35 goals and had 61 points.
He got off to a slow start with Montreal in 2012-13, scoring just 3 goals in 19 games. They traded him to Dallas for Michael Ryder & a 3rd rounder. His 6 goals in 28 games wern't exactly the rebound he was looking for.
Cole played two more seasons in Dallas, getting back to be being a goal scorer. He popped 16 in 2013-14, and had 18 in 57 games in 2014-15 - before he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings with a 3rd rounder for Mattias Backman, Mattias Janmark, and a 2nd rounder.
Cole finsihed the season with Detroit, scoring 3 goals in 11 games, before reitring.
He played for the USA on three occasions. The 2005 & 2007 World Champsionships, and the 2006 Olympics Games.
Pictured are Cole's Private Stock RC, a BAP Autograph, a UD Game Jersey, and an OPC Retro Foil, showing him with the Oilers.
Ales Kotalik
After playing a season with Ceske Budejovice HC in the Czech Republic, Ales Kotalik was drafted in the 6th round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft as a 20 year old, by the Buffalo Sabres.
He spent three more seasons playing with Ceske, before coming across the pond in 2001. He spent most of his first season in North America with the Rochester AMericans in the AHL, but made his NHL debut - and played 13 games for the Sabres. He scored his first NHL goal, and his first 3 NHL assists.
2002-03 saw him play 8 more games in the AHL, but he earned his spot on the Sabres roster, and scored 21 goals in 68 games.
After sepdning the 2004-05 lockout season home in the Czech Republic, Kotalik had the best season of his career in 2005-06. He set career highs with games (82), goals (25), and assists (37).
After a down year in 06-07, he popped 23 gaols in 07-08. At the 2009 NHL trade deadline he was shiped off to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2nd round pick. He scored 7 goals in 19 Oilers games, giving him a total of 20 on the season.
Ales left Edmonton as a free agent, and signed with the New York Rangers. He only played part of the season on Broadway, he was packaged with Chris Higgins and sent to Calgary for Olli Jokien and Brandon Prust.
He finsihed the 09-10 season with Calgary, and stayed with them for the 2010-11 season, but was eventually sent to the minors. As a free agent in 2011, he went back home and signed (once again) with Ceske, where he played the final three seasons of his career.
Kotalik retired in 2014.
He represented the Czech Republic four times, at teh '98 World Juniors, the '06 Olympics, and the '08 & '09 World Championships.
Pictured are Kotalik's Premier RC, a Pacific Heads Up Jersey Card, and a signed copy of his ITG Action RC (there's a couple of certified autos in Czech Issued sets of him, and I'd like to eventually land one).
Steve MacIntyre
Steve MacIntyre was a fearend enforcer in the WHL for parts of 5 seasons. He was nicknamed "Big Mac" with the obvious tie in to his last name, but also his 6'5" 250 lbs frame.
He was never drafted, but carved out a career for himself in the minor leauges, playing in the Continental Elite Hockey League, the United Hockey League, the Quebec Semi-Pro Hockey League, WHA2, and about 30 AHL games for the Hartford Wolf Pack (all those stops between 2001 & 2007).
In 2007-08 he signed with the Providence Bruins, and played 62 AHL games (more than doulbe his career total, to date).
His skills as an enforcer caught the Florida Panthers' eye, and he signed with the club for the 2008-09 season. They attempted to send him down to the minors before the seasons started, and he was claimed by the Edmonton Oilers.
He played just 22 games for the Oilers, but he spent the entire season on the roster. Steve earned 40 PIMs, and scored two goals. Big Mac had made it as an NHLer.
2009-10 saw Steve play just 4 games for the Oilers, before they attempted to send him down to the minors. He was claimed by the Florida Panthers on waivers, and played 18 games for them, before being sent to the Rochester Americans.
He was a free agent after that, and re-signed with the club that made him an NHLer. He played 34 games for the Oilers that year, racking up 93 PIMs.
He'd join the Pittsburgh Penguins on a two year deal after that, but played just 13 games for them over the next two seasons - he spent most of his time in the AHL.
From 2013-14 on, MacIntyre never got back to the NHL - but he played another 6 seasons in the minors (AHL, ECHL, FHL, FPHL) retiring as a member of the Carolina Thunderbirds in 2020.
Pictured are two copies of MacIntyre's Victory Rookie Card. One of them has been signed
Patrick O'Sullivan
Patrick O'Sullivan looked to be a Superstar in the making when the Mississauga IceDogs selected him 1st in the OHL draft in 2001. His first season in the OHL didn't dissapoint. He scored 34 goals, and 58 assists. His assists (and 92 points) are still IceDogs team records. He was also named both the OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year.
He would contiune to dominate the OHL for another three seasons, and was selected 56th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
He turned pro in 2005-06, and played for the Wild's AHL club, the Houston Aeros. As an AHL rookie he scored 47 goals, and 46 assists. He was named AHL rookie of the year, and holds several Aeroes franchise records.
He never ended up playing for Minnesota. Before making his NHL debut he was traded to the Los Angles Kings along with a first round draft pick, for Pavol Demitra.
He split the 2006-07 season between the Manchester Monarchs (Kings' AHL club) and made his NHL debut with Los Angeles. His scoring didn't live up to the hype at the NHL level though, he managed just 5 goals in 44 games.
O'Sullivan had a much stronger 2007-08 season. He popped 22 and had 53 points, in his first full NHL season (he played in all 82 games). Unfortunatly, those would all end up being career highs.
He regressed in 2008-09, scoring 14 goals & 37 points in 62 games - and was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in a 3-way swap that saw Justin Williams go to LA from Carolina, and Erike Cole leaving Edmonton to be reunited with the Hurricanes. He played in 19 games with the Oilers, to finish the season, scoring just twice with four assists.
2009-10 was O'Sullivan's one full year in Edmonton. He played 73 games for them, scoring 11 times and adding 23 helpers. The Oilers would trade him the following summer to the Phoenix Coyotes for Jim Vandermeer. The Coyotes then bought out his contract.
He signed a free agent deal with the Carolina Huricanes, and became the first North Carolina native to play for the 'Canes. His stay was short. He was regularly a healthy scrath, and with just 1 goal in 10 games - he was placed on waivers, and claimed by the team that orgionally drafted him - the Minnesota Wild.
7 years after being drafted by the club, O'Sullivan made his Wild debut. He played 21 games for them - scored once, and setup six others. He spent more time with Houston in the AHL - putting up 48 points in 36 games.
A free agent again, O'Sullivan signed with the team that bought him out a summer earlier, the Coyotes. He would play only 23 games for them (with 4 points) - while playing better than a point-per-game pace with the AHL's Portland Pirates (30 points, 26 games). He was loaned to the Peoria Rivermen to finish the AHL season.
He signed to play in Finland for the 2012-13 season, but after scoring just one goal in eight games, O'Sullivan was cut by HIFK Helsinki. He retired after the 2012-13 season.
Patrick played for the USA on 7 different occasions, winning Gold at the 2002 Under 18s, and the 2004 World Juniors. He also played at the '03 & '05 World Juniors, as well as the '06, '08, and '09 World Championships.
Pictured are O'Sullivan's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and a UD Ice Jersey card, showing him with the Oilers (though clearly a Kings swatch)
Ryan Potulny
Ryan Potulny was drafted 87th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2003, after a pair of seasons with the USHL's Lincoln Stars. He headed to college after that, and played three seasons for the Minnesota Golden Gophers - with 118 points in 100 games. He was a Hobey Baker finalist, and All-American in 2005-06, when he led the country in scoring with 38 goals and 63 points.
After his college season ended, Potulny turned pro. He made his NHL debut with the Flyers in 2005-06, playing in two games, and recording his first NHL point (an assist).
He spent the next two seasons splitting his time with the Flyers, and the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms - playing 25 & 7 NHL games, and recording a total of 7 goals and 6 assists.
In the summer of 2008, Ryan was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Danny Syvret. In 2008-09 he led the Springfield Falcons in scoring, with 38 goals & 62 points. He also made his Oilers debut, playing 8 games and tallying 3 assists.
2009-10 saw Potulny play just 14 games in the minors, and he logged 64 with the Oilers. He scored 15 goals and added 17 assists - looking like the depth scoring type player that all teams covet.
He hit free agency, and joined the Chicago Blackhawks. He'd spend most of the seaosn putting up solid number with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs, playing just three (scorless) games for Chicago. They'd end up trading him along with a 2nd round pick to the Ottawa Senators for Chris Campoli. He split the remainder of the season between Ottawa and Binghampton.
Ryan played four more seasons in the AHL after that, three with the Hershey Bears and one with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He spent the final three seasons of his career in Europe, playing in Finland, Czech Republic, Austria, and Scotland.
He retired in 2017, and has been an assistant coach with his alma mater, University of Minnesota, since.
Potulny reprsented the USA once, scoring a pair of goals at the 2010 World Championships.
Pictured is his Cup Rook-Patch-Auto.
Tim Sestito
Winger Tim Sestito had a 4 year junior career with the Plymouth Whalers, before joinging the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers for 9 games in 2004-05. He was never drafted, but after the brief minor league deal, he signed a two way contract with the Edmonton Oilers.
His first full pro season was with the ECHL's Greenville Grrowl, saw him score 21 goals, 23 assists, and 127 PIMs. All numbers better than anything he put up in junior.
His ECHL success earned him a 4 game AHL stint in 2006-07 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (whom the Oilers were sharing with Pittsburgh) and a fulltime AHL gig in 2007-08, where he racked up 175 PIMs.
In 2008-09, Sestito made his NHL debut - playing in a single game for the Oilers. That summer he was traded to the New Jersey Devils for a draft pick.
Tim spent the next 6 seasons with the Devils organization. He played mostly in the minors, but played 100 NHL games for New Jersey, recoding 8 assists and 55 PIMs.
2015 saw him head overseas and join Riga Dynamo in the KHL, where he played the final two seasons of his career, reitiring in 2017.
Since retiring, he became a firefighter in his hometown of Rome, NY and coaches the Utica Jr Comets.
Picutred are Sestito's UD Ice Rookie Card, a KHL Autograph, and a WB Penguins team issued Jersey Card.
Jason Strudwick
After his rookie WHL season, rugged defenceman Jason Strudwick was selected by the New York Islanders with the 63rd pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He played one more seasons for the Kamloops Blazers, before turning pro in 1995.
He spent the bulk of his first season in the Isles organization with the Worcester IceCats in the AHL, but made his NHL debut - playing a single game for the Islanders, and raked up 7 PIMs, including a fight against the Whalers' Kelly Chase
After spending the entire 1996-98 season in the minors, he was recalled and played 17 games for the Islanders, when he'd record his first NHL assist. He was then traded to the Vancouver Canucks at the deadline, for enforcer Gino Odjick.
Strudwick played 11 games for the Canucks down the stretch, and laced them up for three playoff games with the AHL's Syracue Crunch. Those would be the final three AHL games of his career.
Jason became a mainstay on the Vancouver blueline. He scored his first NHL goal in the 1999-00 season, and spent a total of 5 seasons with the Canucks.
The next few years saw him bounce around the league, easily getting a new contract to fit the depth defenceman role for a club, but never for a long time. He played a pair of seasons in Chicago, and then three with the New York Rangers.
In the summer of 2008, Strudwick signed with his hometown team, the Edmotnon Oilers. He instantly became a fan favorite, and was a steadying presence on their blueine for the next three seasons.
Perhaps slowing down a bit, Strudwick was unable to get an NHL job for the 2011-12 season, so he extended his career by playing a season with Sodertalje SK in Sweden, before retiring in 2012.
After retiring, he began to host his on radio show on TSN's Edmonton Affiliate, and moved to TV in 2015, where he's still currently working, mostly covering the Oilers.
Pictured are Strudwick's MVP Rookei Card, a BAP Autograph, and an OPC card showing him with the Oilers.
Lubomir Visnovsky
Lubomir Visnovsky got his first taste of professional hockey playing for his hometown club, HC Slovan Bratislava, in the Slovak hockey league as a teenager in 1994-95. He played six seasons there, before being drafted by the Los Angles Kings in the 4th round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, as a 20 year old.
He signed with the Kings, and never spent a day in the minors. He played in 81 games in his 2000-01 rookie season, with seven goals and thiry-nine points. That was tops amoung rookie defenceman, and he was named to the NHL's All-Rookie team.
He continued to shine on the Kings blueline for the next three seasons, before the 2004-05 lockout sent him home to Slovakia, where he played for Bratislava once again.
Back in the NHL for the 2005-06 season, Visnovsky had one of the best seasons of his career, popping 17 goals and 50 assists. He set new career highs in both categories.
While he didn't equal the assist total the following season, in 2006-07 Lubomir set a new career with 18 goals, and continued to be an important part of the Kings defence through the 2007-08 season.
In the summer of 2008, the Kings would trade Visnovsky to the Edmonton Oilers for Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene. The move ultimatly helped LA win the Stanley Cup, as Drew Doughty was now providing plenty of offense from the Kings' blueline.
Visnovsky has two solid seasons with Edmonton. He was the #1 player on their backend, and had 10 goals and 22 assists in 57 games in the 2009-10 season, before he was traded to the Anahime Ducks for Ryan Whitney.
He continued to play great for Anahime, and matched his career highs with 18 goals and 50 assists (setting a new high mark for points) in the 2010-11 season. His numbers dipped in 2011-12, but he was still very effective for them.
He started the 2012-13 season back in Bratislava, with another NHL lockout happening. Once the league started up again he joined the New York Islanders, who had traded a 2nd round pick to get him.
The final three seasons of his NHL career were all spent on Long Island, and he left North America with nearly 900 NHL games played.
Visnovsky returned home to Slovakia for the 2015-16 season, playing one last season in Bratislava before retiring.
He represented Slovakia 19 times, which includes 102 games played for the National Team. That included three World Juniors, two World Cups, ten World Championships, and four Olympic Games. His Slovak teams medaled three times at the World Champsionships ('00 Silver, '02 Gold, '03 Bronze). He also helped Slovakia win silver at the 2008 Inline Hockey World Championships.
Pictured are Visnovsky's Titanium Rookie Card /99, a BAP Autograph, a KHL Jersey Card, and a Victory card, showing him with the Oilers.
2009-10
Dean Arsene
Dean Arsene is a great example that through hard work, and sticking with it, we can achieve our goals.
Dean played five seasons in the WHL, with the Regina Pats, Edmotnon Ice, and then Kootenay Ice (after they relocated from Edmonton). He was never drafted, and signed an ECHL deal with the Charlotte Checkers.
After turning pro in 2001 with Carlotte, Arsene signed with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. He spent the 2002-03 season there, and then signed with the Hershey Bears for the 03-04 season.
Hes split 03-04 between Hershey & the ECHL's Reading Royals. From 2004-05 through 2008-09 he became a mainstay on the Bears' blueline. He earned the nickname "Mayor of Chocolateown", after helping lead the Bears to Calder Cup Championships in 2006 and 2009.
A career minor leager at this point, Arsene was a free agent and signed a two-way deal with the Edmonton Oilers. He played 56 AHL games for the Springfield Falcons in 2009-10, but finally made it to the NHL - playing 13 games for the Oilers.
He hit free agency again, and continued to sign one-year / two-way deals - but never got back to the NHL. The final four seasons of his career took him to AHL stops with the Peoria Riverman, Portland Pirates, St. John's IceCaps, and Abbotsford Heat.
Arsene retired after the 2013-14 season, after 13 years as a pro.
Pictured are Arsene's Artifacts Rookie Card, and an SPGU Autograph.
Devan Dubnyk
Devan Dubnyk starred for the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, and was made the 14th overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. He'd play two more seasons with Kamloops, before turning pro in the 2006-07 season.
The Oilers were without their own farm team in 2006-07, Dubnyk's first out of junior. He spent the bulk of the season with the ECHL's Stockton Thunder - but did play a few games for the Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Edmonton signed a deal with the Springfield Falcons for 2007-08 - so Dubnyk was done in the ECHL. He logged 33 AHL games that year, playing behind Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers. 2008-09 saw Deslauriers promoted to the NHL, and Dubynk was the main goalie for Springfield, backstopping them in 62 games.
2009-10 is when Devan got his first call up. He split the season between the NHL and AHL, and played in 19 games for the Oilers.
Over the next four seasons, Dubnyk showed signs of becoming a top tier netminder, but he was never able to put it all together with Edmonton. After struggling through the 2013-14 season, he was traded to Nashville for Matt Hendricks. Dubnyk would only play a pair of games for the Predators, before being dealt to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations. He never actually played for the Habs, and just went home for the rest of the year.
He was a free agent, and signed to play with the Arizona Coyotes. A funny thing happened. Through 19 starts, Dubnyk was playing great. He had a 2.72 GAA & a 916 SV%. He'd put together a 9-5-2 record, on an Arizona team that was near the bottom of the league.
With two likely Superstars (Connor McDavid & Jack Eichel) availble in the 2015 draft, Arizona couldn't take the risk that Dubnyk would win too many games - so he was traded to the Minnesota Wild for a 3rd round pick.
With Minnesota that season, his numbers got even better. He played 39 games, went 27-9-2. Had a GAA of 1.78, and a SV% of .936.
Devan never played quite to those numbers again, but for the next four seasons he would start in 60+ games for Minnesota, playing very high calibre. He was the #1 goalie that Edmonton invisioned when they drafted him.
His play tailed off in 2019-20, and he only played in 30 games. Alex Stalock had taken over in net by the end of the season. The Wild traded Dubnyk to the San Jose Sharks (with a 7th round pick) for a 5th round pick.
Devan played 17 games with the Sharks before they eventually traded him to Colorado for a 5th rounder & Greg Pateryn. He played 5 games for the Avs down the strech, and then hit free agency.
He played breifly with the Charlotte CHeckers of the AHL in 2021-22 (four games) but as it stands, it looks like Dubnyk has retired from professional hockey.
He was a member of the 2006 Gold Medal winning Canadian team at the World Juniors, and also won Gold with Canada at the 2012 Spengler Cup. He also played on the 2011, 2012, and 2013 World Championship teams.
Pictured are Dubnyk Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and his Ice Rookie. Normally I wouldn't pick up the second rookie card, but I love the picture on this one (specifically, the Ranford-style mask)
Aaron Johnson
Aaron Johnson played four seasons in the QMJHL. He started out with the Rimouski Oceanic, and split his final season with the Oceanic and QUebec Remparts, after a mid-season trade. The Columbus Blue Jackets made him the 85th overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
After Johnson's junior career ended, he turned pro, signing with the Blue Jackets. He split the 2003-04 season between the Jackets and their farm team, the Syracue Crunch. He played 49 AHL games, and 29 in the NHL - scoring twice with six assists.
The defenceman played the entire 2004-05 with Syracuse, as the NHL season was lost due to a labour war. He split the 2005-06 season between the NHL and AHL again, putting up the same two goals and six assists with the Jackets, in 26 games.
2006-07 marked the first season Johnson played soley in the NHL, logging 61 games for Columbus. His contract was up at the end of the season, and he left as a free agent, signing with the New York Islanders.
He was one & done on Long Island, and inked a two year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2008. After playing 38 games for the Hawks in 08-09 (and a pair in the minors) he was traded to Calgary prior to the start of the 2009-10 season for Kyle Greentree.
Aaron played 22 games for the Flames, before being part of a rare inter-province trade, when Calgary traded Johnson along with a 3rd round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Steve Staios.
The 2010-11 season saw Johnson join the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, where he had a great season in the minors.
He would rejoin the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2011-12 season, scored 3 goals and had 13 assists in 56 games - setting career highs in goals & assists.
2012-13 saw him join the Boston Bruins as a depth defenceman, but he played in just 10 NHL games (plus two in the AHL). He'd sign short term deals with the Rangers, Senators, and Flames over the next three seasons - but each time he only played for their AHL affiliates.
Aaron played for two seasons in Germany with the Mannheim Eagles, and then two in the UK with the Sheffield Steelers, before retiring in 2020. He's taken on a public relations role with the Jackets since retiring.
Pictured are Johnson's SP Authentic RC /900, and his Rimouski team-issued Autograph card /100.
Ryan Jones
A Junior B star with the Chatham Maroons, Ryan Jones was drafted in the 4th round by the Minnesota Wild in 2004. He'd play the next four seasons with the University of Miami (Ohio), and was named an All-American in 2007-08, after putting up 49 points (31 goals) in 42 games.
He got a taste of pro hockey at the end of the 2007-08, playing four games in both the regular season and playoffs for the AHL's Houston Aeros. Those would be the only 8 games he played in the Wild's organization. He was dealt that summer with a 2nd round pick, for Marek Zidlicky.
Ryan's NHL debut came the following season, when he scored 7 goals and had 10 assists in 46 games for the Preds, splitting the year between the NHL and AHL.
Jones played another 41 games for Nashville in 2009-10 (7 goals, 4 assists) and 15 for their AHL club, but when the Preds tried to send him back to Milwaukee, the Edmonton Oilers claimed him on waivers.
Ryan played 8 games for the Oilers before the end of the season, scoring just once.
His breakthrough NHL year was in 2010-11. He played in 81 games for the Oilers, scored 18 times. He played 79 the folowing season, with 17 goals - but he also set a career high with 33 points.
Jones fell down the depth chart with the Oilers the following year, and managed just a pair of goals in 52 games, while also spending a brief stint in the AHL.
A free agent, he signed briefly with the AHL's Utica Comets, but after 5 games went overseas and joined the Cologne Sharks in Germany. He'd play 5 seasons in the DEL before retiring in 2019.
Pictured are Jones' Rookie-Auto-Patch from The Cup, and an OPC foil card, showing him with the Oilers.
Torrie Jung
Torrie Jung was a good goalie for the Kelowna Rockets. Good enough that the Tampa Bay lightning made him a 7th round pick in 2007. He never signed with the Bolts, and reentered the draft in 2009 (now a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings) but he went unselected.
The Edmonton Oilers invited Jung to thier rookie camp in 2009, but he wasn't offered any contract. He returned for a final season of junior with the Oil Kings.
On November 21st 2009, Oilers' starter Nikolai Khabibulin suffered a back injury, and the Oilers were left with only a health Jeff Deslauriers to dree that night. They signed Jung to an emergency one-day contract, and he dressed as Deslauriers' backup, in a 5-2 loss to Chicago that night.
That was the end of the Jung's time in the NHL. He spent the next few seasons playing for the Laredo Bucks & Wichita Thunder in the CHL - but retired from hockey in 2014.
His name might not be in the official record book, but for one night Torrie Jung was an NHLer.
Shown are Jung's Between The Pipes base card, and his autograph.
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Khabibulin, The Bulin Wall, was a star Russian goalie in the NHL for nearly two decades.
He was a junior star in the former Soviet Union, and played for the 'Commonwealth of Independant States' in 1992 (ex-USSR) at both the World Junior Championships, and the Albertville Olympics - winning Gold in both tournaments. The Winnipeg Jets drafted him in the 9th round after that performance, a reflection of the fact that NHL clubs were still leary of selection Russians.
After a couple of more seasons in Russia, Khabibulin joined the Jets in 1994-95. He played 26 games, going 8-9-4. He also spent some time in the minors.
1995-96 was Nikolai's first full season in the NHL. He played in 53 games for the Jets, and posted a winning record of 26-20-3.
The club moved to Phoenix, and he became a Coyotes. His win totals rose from 26 to 30, held at 30, and then rose again to 32. Meanwhile, his GAA dropped every year in Phoenix. After a 3.13 in Winnipeg, he was down to 2.13 after his 3rd season in the dessert.
He and the club fought over his next contract. The dispute ended up costing him the entire 1999-00 NHL season, and he played with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL instead, where he was named league MVP.
After nearly missing another entire NHL season, and Phoenix still unwilling to pay him, they sent Khabibulin and Stanislav Neckar to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Mike Johnson, Paul Mara, Ruslan Zaynullin, and a 2nd round pick.
He made his debut with the Bolts in March of 2001, playing a pair of games before the end of the season.
Nikolai was back in All-Star form the following season. He played in 70 games for Tampa, had 7 shutouts, and a sparkling 2.36 GAA. He was named to the All-Star game, and would have won MVP of the match had they waited until the game ended to vote. Intead, votes were cast while North America still had a lead - and Khabibulin's 20-save shutout in the 3rd period didn't get its due.
2003-04 would see Khabibulin reach the highlight of his career. He backstopped the Lightning to a Stanley Cup victory, earning 6 shutouts in 23 post-season starts, holding down a GAA of just 1.71.
He played in Russia for the 2004-05 season, during the NHL lockout, but came back to the NHL for 2005-06.
With a salary cap now in place, Khabibulin wasn't resigned by Tampa. Instead, he took his game to a rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. He put up solid, but not spectacular, numbers for the Hawks, and helped them get back to the playoffs in 2008-09, where the Hawks reached the Western Confernce finals.
A free agent again, Khabibulin would next sign with the Edmonton Oilers. Another rebuilding club, he'd spend the next four seasons there - winning a total of 33 games.
Nikolai played one final season in the NHL, when he rejoined the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013-14. He only played in 4 games before he got injured, and that ended up being the end of his career.
In addition to his Gold Medals in 1992, Khabibulin won Bronze at the 2002 Olympics with Russia, and was named the top goalie of the tournament. He was also a member of the Russian squad at the 1996 World Cup.
A4 time all star, Khabibulin retired with 333 NHL wins.
Shown here are Nikolai's 91-92 Upper Deck RC, a UD Premier Autograph, and a Panini Limited Crease Cleaners jersey card, showing him with Edmonton.
Charles Linglet
Winger Charles Linglet played four seasons of junior for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the QMJHL. Dispite impressive junior stats, including a 52 goal / 71 assists season in 2001-02, Linglet was never drafted.
In 2003 he agred out of junior, and turned pro - inking a minor league contract with the Utah Grizzlies. He played 7 AHL games, and 62 ECHL games. He scored 20 goals & had 35 assists in his first pro season.
Linglet continued to bounce around the minor leagues. He played for the Peoria Rivermen for most of the 2005-06 season, through 2008-09 (also had a brief stint with the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers). He had a 31 goal / 60 point season in 2006-07, and 24 goals /66 points in 2007-08.
After a slow start to the 2008-09 season, Linglet ended up leaving Peoria and joined the Springfield Falcons, he his offensive rebounded to career norms. In 2009-10 has scored 19 goals and had 74 points in 75 AHL games for Springfield. He was named an AHL Second Team All-Star.
2009-10 was also the season when Linglet made his NHL debut. He was called up, and played 5 games for the Oilers.
2010-11 saw Charles head overseas to continue his hockey career. He joined Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo of the KHL. The folling season he'd join Minsk Dynamo. He played a pair of seasons win Minsk (with a quick stop in Lugano in Switzerland) and would spend the 2013-14 season in Croatia, playing for Zagreb Medvescak in the KHL.
He played 4 of the next 5 seasons with Minsk, but also had stops with the Berlin Polar Bears (DEL) and Tappara Tampere (SM-Liiga). In 2018 he signed on with the Cardiff Devils in the EIHL, where he played two seasons before retiring.
Linglet spent so many seasons playing in Minsk, that he became a Belarusian citizen, and played for their national team at the '16, '17, and '18 World Champsionships, and for the Olympic Qualifiers in 2016.
Shown here are Linglet's Artifcats Rookie Card, is team-issued Baie-Comeau Autograph, and a KHL Jersey card.
Colin MacDonald
After a pair of seasons with the New England Jr. Coyotes, where he was named league MVP, Colin MacDonald was selected with the 51st overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2003. He'd then attend Providence College for the next four seasons, where he was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team in 2004, and the All-Tournament team in 2005.
He signed with the Oilers, and joined the AHL's Springfield Falcons in 2007. He spent the bulk of the next three seasons with Springfield, but was called up for a pair of games with the Oilers in 2009-10, when he scored his first career NHL goal.
His 2010-11 AHL season, with team Oklahoma City Barons, saw MacDonald score 42 goals to lead the league, and he played in the AHL All-Star game.
He hit free agency, and joined the Pittsburgh Penguins. He put up a good season with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and played in 5 NHL games for the Pens.
Next for Colin would be a three year deal with the New York Islanders. He split the first season between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (35 games) and the Isles (45 games). In 2013-14 he'd set career highs with 70 NHL games played, 8 goals, and matched the 10 helpers he had the year before.
2013-14 ended up being the only season in which he was a full-time NHLer. He only got into 18 games for New York the following season, spending half the season in the AHL.
2015 saw Colin sign with the Philadelphia Flyers. He played in just 8 games for them over the next three seasons, spending most of his time with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
In 2019-20 he inked a minor league deal to return to Bridgeport, and he retired following the season.
Colin represented the USA at the 2014 World Champsionships.
Pictured is MacDonald's Rookie-Auto-Patch from The Cup.
Chris Minard
Chris Minard had a 5 year junior career that saw him play for his hometown Owen Sound Platers, the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, and the Oshawa Generals. He was never drafted, and signed to join the ECHL's Pensacola Ice Pilots for the 2002-03 season.
He spent the next 5 seasons on a series of minor league deals, playing in the ECHL (Pensaola, Alsaka Aces), the CHL (San Angelo Saints), and the AHL (Milwaukee Admirals, Albany River Rats, Lowell Devils).
In 2007-08 Chirs would sign with the Pittsburgh Pengins. He played in 56 AHL games, but also 15 NHL games for the Pens, where he scored his first career NHL goal. 2008-09 saw him with a similar split, but got into 20 NHL games that year.
Minard signed with the Edmonton Oilers for the 2009-10 season - the same team his older brother Mike played for 10 years earlier. He spent a good chunk of the season in the AHL, and got into 5 games for the Oilers - getting just a single assist.
He was one & done in Edmonton, and joined that Grand Rapids Griffins for the 2010-11 season. After a pair of seasons there, he played in Germany for five seasons before retiring in 2017.
Shown here is Minard's SP Game Used Rookie Card, and a signed copy of his Victory Rookie Card.
Johan Motin
Johan Motin played in Sweden's top league as a teenager for two seasons, before being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the 4th round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He spent one more season in Sweden, before coming to North America in 2009.
A strong defender, Motin plays 55 games for the Springfield Falcons in 2009-10, and made his NHL debut playing a single game for the Oilers.
2010-11 saw Johan split the season between the AHL & ECHL. After starting the 2011-12 in the AHL, he and the Oilers agreed to terminate his deal - and he went home to Sweden, where he joined Timra IK in the SEL.
He played for five seasons with Orebo HK, and then left Sweden for the Finnish league, joining Lukko Rauma for the 2017-18 season. He signed with HIFK Helsinki in 2018, and has played the last four seasons there.
Motin was a member of the Swede's 2007 Bronze medal winning club at the Under 18s, and also won Silver at the 2008 World Juniors.
Pictured is Motin's Cup Rookie-Auto.
Ryan O'Marra
Ryan O'Marra was a star center with the Erie Otters in the OHL, and was drafted 15th overall by the New York Islanders in 2005 - after winning Gold at the 2004 Under 18s & Silver at the 2005 World Juniors with Team Canada.
Ryan made his pro debut in 2005-06, when he joined the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers for 8 regular season games, and 3 playoff games, following the end of the Erie's OHL season.
He split the 2006-07 OHL season between Erie & the Saginaw Spirt. He also won Gold Medals at both the 2006 and 2007 World Juniors, improving his resume as a top prospect.
He would never end up playing for the Islanders. At the 2007 NHL trade deadline, O'Marra was packaged with Robert Nillson and a 1st round pick, and traded to the Edmonton Oilers for Ryan Smyth.
With his junior career now over, Ryan joined the Oilers organization and spent most of the next three seasons in the AHL. In 2009-10 he made his NHL debut, playing in 3 games for the Oilers, and recorded his first NHL assist.
2010-11 saw Ryan suit up for 21 games for the Oilers. He scored a goal and had four helpers in that stretch.
The 2011-12 season was mostly another year in the AHL. O'Marra played 40 games for Oklahoma City, 7 games for the Oilers, and was then traded to the Anahime Ducks for Bryan Rodney. He'd play 18 games for the Ducks' affiliate in Syracue, and a pair of NHL games for Anaheim as well.
He hit free agency, but ended up signing overseason. O'Marra played the next four seasons in Europe, with stops in Finland, Italy, and the UK. He retired at the end of the 2014-15 season.
A Canadian citizen, with Canadian parents, O'Mara is one of the few NHL players to have been born in Japan.
Shown here is O'Marra's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Bryan Pitton
Bryan Pitton played three seasons with the OHL's Brampton Battalion, and was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
He got his first taste of pro hockey in 2008, when he made a single start for the AHL's Springfield Falcons after the OHL season ended.
While playing for the ECHL's Stockton Thunder, Pitton was recalled by the Oilers to backup Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers on January 2nd, 2010.
That would be Pitton's only taste of NHL action. He played another couple of seasons in the Oilers system, before playing in the UK, the CHL, and with the ECHL's Brampton Beast from 2015 to 2017. Pitton retired after the 2016-17 season.
Shown here is Pitton's 2010-11 Panini Certified Autograph Rookie Card.
Alex Plante
Hockey is a huge part of the Plante's family story. Alex was the 15th overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2007. He father Cam played a pair of games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1984-85. His brother Tyler was a 2nd round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2005.
After three seasons with the Calgary Hitmen, Alex Plante was taken in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, with the pick they got as park of the package in the Ryan Smyth deal. He played two more seasons in Calgary, before turning pro in 2009.
2009-10 saw the 6'3" defenceman spent most of the season in the AHL, but he played his first four NHL games, and recorded his first NHL assist.
Plante never lived up to the expecations that came with being a 1st round pick, but he did wind up with a long career in hockey.
He played just 10 more NHL games over the next two seasons for Edmonton, spending most of his time in the minors. He & the club parted ways in 2013, and he signed to play in Europe.
After playing in Germany & Norway, Alex took his game to Asia in 2015. He joined the South Korean club Anyang Halla in 2015, and played five seasons there.
In 2017 Plante gained South Korean citizenship. He represented his adopted country at the '17, '18, and '19 World Championships, and at the 2018 Olympic Games - when South Korea was the host.
Plant retired after the 2019-20 season.
Pictured is Plante's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch
Ryan Stone
Ryan Stone was a junior star witht he WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins made him the 32nd overall pick at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
After another two seasons in Brandon, he turned pro in 2005. After a pair of seasons in the AHL, he made his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007-08. He played in 6 NHL games, and recorded an assist. He also helped the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins reach the Calder Cup finals in 2008.
2008-09 saw Ryan spend most of the season in the AHL, but he played two more NHL games with the Pens. He was traded in January with Dany Sabourin and a 4th round pick to the Edmonton Oilers for Mathieu Garon.
After spending the rest of the 2008-09 season with Springfield, Stone made the Oilers club out of training came in 2009-10. He stuck with the club for the entire season, in the "13th forward" role - getting into 27 NHL games, and picking up 6 assists.
Stone spent the 2010-11 season with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat, and then went to Europe. He spit the 2011-12 season between Finalnd and Germany, before retiring in 2012.
Shown here are Stone's Cup Rookie-Auto-Patch, and an OPC Foil card, showing him with the Oilers.
Ryan Whitney
After his rookie season at Boston University, Ryan Whitney was drafted 5th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2002. He played two more seasons in the NCAA - before turning pro and playing in 20 playoff games for the Wiles-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2004, helping the AHL team reach the Calder Cup Finals.
Ryan spent the 2004-05 lockout season in the AHL, and played 9 more games for the farm club in 2005-06, but 05-06 also saw him become a fulltime NHLer pretty quickly. He played 68 games for the Pens, getting his first six NHL goals and thirty two NHL assists.
Whitney set career highs in 2006-07. He played in 81 games, scored 14 goals, 59 points, and had 77 PIMs. He didn't quite match those totals in 2007-08, but he helped the Penguins reach the Stanley Cup finals in 2008, where they lost to the Detroit Red Wings.
2008-09 saw Whitney start the season injured, after off-season foot surgery. He played a conditing game in the AHL, and was then back with the Pens. Looking to change their lineup and push harder for a Stanley Cup - Whitney ended up being the piece that was moved to the Anaheim Ducks for Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi.
The rest of 2008-09 saw Whitney play 20 games for the Ducks, help the club reach the 2nd round of the playoffs, and then he watched his former club win the Stanley Cup.
Ryan played 62 games with the Ducks in 2009-10, before he was traded again. He was sent to the Edmonton Oilers, for Lubomir Visnovsky. He played in 19 games, getting 11 points, for the rest of the season with Edmonton.
Whitney was mostly a very good defender for Edmonton, moved the puck very well, and put up solid offensive numbers during the four season he was there. Problem was he couldn't stay healthy. He was limited to 35 games in 10-11, 51 in 11-12, and 34 in 12-13.
His ankle injury in 2012-13 took a toll on Whitney's foot speed. He signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers in 2013, but played just 7 games for them before being waived. After nobody claimed him, he went to the AHL where he finished the season with the San Antonio Rampage.
Whitney spent the next two seasons playig overseas in Russia and Sweden, before retiring after the 2015-16 season.
Ryan played for the USA five times. At the '00 Under 17s, the '01 Under 18s, both the '02 and '03 World Juniors, and he won a Silver Medal with the USA at the 2010 Olympic Games.
Shown here is Whitney's Rookie-Auto-Patch from The Cup, and a Panini Titanium Game Gear card, showing him as an Oiler.
