Bob Gainey (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #115)
Adjusted Stats
1973-1974 Mtl 69 GP 3 goals 7 assists 10 points 0.15 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 82 GP 16 goals 18 assists 34 points 0.42 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 80 GP 14 goals 12 assists 26 points 0.32 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 82 GP 13 goals 18 assists 31 points 0.38 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 68 GP 14 goals 15 assists 30 points 0.44 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 81 GP 18 goals 16 assists 34 points 0.42 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 66 GP 13 goals 17 assists 30 points 0.45 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 80 GP 19 goals 20 assists 39 points 0.48 PPG
1981-1982 Mtl 81 GP 16 goals 19 assists 35 points 0.44 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 82 GP 10 goals 15 assists 24 points 0.30 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 79 GP 14 goals 18 assists 31 points 0.39 PPG
1984-1985 Mtl 81 GP 15 goals 11 assists 26 points 0.32 PPG
1985-1986 Mtl* 82 GP 16 goals 18 assists 34 points 0.42 PPG
1986-1987 Mtl 48 GP 7 goals 7 assists 14 points 0.29 PPG
1987-1988 Mtl 80 GP 9 goals 9 assists 19 points 0.23 PPG
1988-1989 Mtl 50 GP 8 goals 6 assists 14 points 0.29 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1973-1974 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1974-1975 Mtl 11 GP 2 goals 4 assists 5 points 0.50 PPG
1975-1976 Mtl* 13 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.30 PPG
1976-1977 Mtl* 14 GP 4 goals 1 assist 4 points 0.31 PPG
1977-1978 Mtl* 15 GP 2 goals 7 assists 9 points 0.58 PPG
1978-1979 Mtl* 16 GP 5 goals 9 assists 15 points 0.91 PPG
1979-1980 Mtl 10 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.17 PPG
1980-1981 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1981-1982 Mtl 5 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.16 PPG
1982-1983 Mtl 3 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1983-1984 Mtl 15 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.36 PPG
1984-1985 Mtl 12 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.25 PPG
1985-1986 Mtl* 20 GP 4 goals 4 assists 9 points 0.43 PPG
1986-1987 Mtl 17 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.21 PPG
1987-1988 Mtl 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.13 PPG
1988-1989 Mtl 16 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.27 PPG
Career - 1191 GP, 205 goals, 226 assists, 431 points, 0.36 PPG
Career-Highs - 19 goals (80-81); 20 assists (80-81); 39 points (80-81); 0.48 PPG (80-81)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 74 GP, 13 goals, 14 assists, 27 points, 0.36 PPG
Peak Avg. (74-82) - 78 GP, 15 goals, 17 assists, 32 points, 0.42 PPG, 4 Cups
Playoff Career - 182 GP, 23 goals, 43 assists, 66 points, 0.36 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 5 goals (78-79); 9 assists (78-79); 15 points (78-79); 0.91 PPG (78-79)
Accolades - 4 Selke Trophies, Conn Smythe
All-Star Teams - None
5-time Stanley Cup Champion
There really was no point in typing out Bob Gainey's statistics, because more than any other player on the Pyramid (even Scott Stevens and Tim Horton), the statistics with Gainey are meaningless. This is a left-winger who never scored more than 20 goals or cracked 40 points. By what possible means should he be considered one of the greats to play the game? Well, for the simple reason that if they invent a trophy for you (in this case, the Selke trophy as best defensive forward), it means you made an impact.
It's well known that Gainey was the preeminent shutdown forward of his generation, and the winner of the first four Selke trophies to be handed out. What's interesting is that, despite playing his entire career for the Montreal Canadiens, one of the winningest organizations in hockey, his career +/- is a solid but not mind-blowing +14 per 82 games played. One has to consider though that Gainey played on Montreal's third and fourth line and thus got less playing time...his role wasn't to score, it was to shutdown the opponents on those rare occasions where the Canadiens' lead was precarious. And few did it better.
Is Gainey something of a Robert Horry-esque beneficiary of playing for excellent teams throughout his career? Yes, but he also contributed immensely to those teams, both on the ice with his solid two-way play, and off, where he was a quiet leader admired and respected by all who played with him. He won five Stanley Cups, and although he was never one of the three or four best players on those teams, he was in his own way indispensable. Think of the 1985-1986 team which, much like the 92-93 Habs, didn't really have much firepower but instead relied on winning close games, shutting down opponents, and getting timely goaltending from Patrick Roy. Gainey was the identity of that team.
To be sure, the Habs of the late 1970s had one of the most stacked defensive groups ever: Robinson, Dryden, Lemaire, Savard, Lapointe. Of all of them, Gainey may have been the best at pure defence. It's no accident that he was named to two Canada Cup teams, in 1976 and in 1982...and the Russians claim that Gainey was the biggest thorn in their side of all the players they had to deal with. That's high praise when you consider how stacked those teams were.
Although Gainey's offensive numbers are laughably low, it should be noted that when he was required to, Gainey could step it up. He didn't score a lot because that wasn't his role on the Canadiens. But in one playoff, 1979, Gainey delivered offensively, scoring 15 points in 16 games and winning the Conn Smythe trophy as the Habs won their fourth Cup in a row (and final one of the late-1970s dynasty). Gainey, like Robert Horry in basketball, did what was necessary for his team to win. He got it. I suppose you could snipe and claim that Gainey wasn't noticeably superior to, say, Mike Peca or John Madden in the modern era (and Madden by the way also has three Stanley Cups to his name). Perhaps that's true. But Gainey earns a spot on the Pyramid because he was the first prototype of the defensively sound forward. Five Stanley Cups, four Selkes and a Conn Smythe is just too much to ignore...with Gainey, it's those accomplishments that matter more than mere numbers.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
#114 - Frank Brimsek
Frank Brimsek (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #114)
Adjusted Stats
1938-1939 Bos* 73 GP, 56-15-2, .781 win%, 4459 min, 141 GA, 1.90 GAA
1939-1940 Bos 82 GP, 53-21-9, .693 win%, 5040 min, 206 GA, 2.46 GAA
1940-1941 Bos* 82 GP, 46-14-22, .695 win%, 5193 min, 200 GA, 2.31 GAA
1941-1942 Bos 80 GP, 41-29-10, .575 win%, 5005 min, 194 GA, 2.32 GAA
1942-1943 Bos 82 GP, 39-28-15, .567 win%, 4920 min, 246 GA, 3.00 GAA
1945-1946 Bos 56 GP, 26-23-7, .527 win%, 3346 min, 167 GA, 3.00 GAA
1946-1947 Bos 82 GP, 36-31-15, .530 win%, 4920 min, 233 GA, 2.84 GAA
1947-1948 Bos 82 GP, 31-33-18, .488 win%, 4920 min, 241 GA, 2.94 GAA
1948-1949 Bos 74 GP, 36-27-11, .561 win%, 4428 min, 228 GA, 3.08 GAA
1949-1950 Chi 82 GP, 26-45-12, .386 win%, 4920 min, 321 GA, 3.92 GAA
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1938-1939 Bos* 12 GP, 8-4, .667 win%, 863 min, 25 GA, 1.74 GAA
1939-1940 Bos 6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 360 min, 20 GA, 3.34 GAA
1940-1941 Bos* 11 GP, 8-3, .727 win%, 678 min, 29 GA, 2.59 GAA
1941-1942 Bos 5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 307 min, 17 GA, 3.32 GAA
1942-1943 Bos 9 GP, 4-5, .444 win%, 560 min, 30 GA, 3.20 GAA
1945-1946 Bos 10 GP, 5-5, .500 win%, 651 min, 25 GA, 2.31 GAA
1946-1947 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 343 min, 17 GA, 3.00 GAA
1947-1948 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 317 min, 19 GA, 3.67 GAA
1948-1949 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 316 min, 18 GA, 3.50 GAA
Career - 775 GP, 390-266-121, .580 win%, 47151 min, 2177 GA, 2.77 GAA
Career-Highs - 82 GP (many times); 56 wins (38-39); .781 win% (38-39); 5193 min (40-41); 1.90 GAA (38-39)
Avg. (10 seasons) - 78 GP, 39-27-12, .580 win%, 4715 min, 218 GA, 2.77 GAA
Peak Avg. (38-48) - 77 GP, 41-24-12, .610 win%, 4725 min, 204 GA, 2.58 GAA, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 68 GP, 32-36, .471 win%, 4395 min, 200 GA, 2.73 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 8 wins (twice); .727 win% (40-41); 1.74 GAA (38-39)
Accolades - 2 Vezina Trophies, Calder
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 6-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
It is of course difficult to judge the goaltenders of the 1930s and 1940s, since so much of their success or failure appears at first glance to be dependant on what team they were playing for. With only six teams, some were excellent, others average, and usually one was dreadful during the course of a season. Which team you ended up starting for determined much of the way your career developed. So Frank Brimsek, playing for a talented and defensively-solid Bruins team early in his career, put together an excellent decade or so of goaltending, putting him in the conversation with Bill Durnan and Turk Broda for best goaltender of the 1940s.
As with Broda, Brimsek lost some of his prime playing years to service in the war. Without those lost years, it's safe to say he would have had at least eleven straight years of 30+ adjusted wins. While Boston was eventually outclassed by the Maple Leafs and Canadiens in the mid-to-late 1940s, they were the best team in the league at the turn of the decade. Brimsek's first three seasons rank with Durnan, Dryden and Sawchuk on the "Holy Shit, this guy could be re-writing the record books" scale. In his first three seasons, Brimsek averaged 52 wins, a 2.23 GAA, won two Stanley Cups and two Vezinas.
Brimsek would continue throughout the 1940s to be considered either the league's best or second-best goaltender (although this is somewhat less impressive when you remember that there were only six teams in the league). There's a case to be made that he deserves to be ranked higher on the Pyramid, closer to Broda and Durnan. What stops that is that, despite his two Stanley Cup rings, his playoff record was a middling 32-36. For his final three postseasons, Brimsek had a combined record of 3-12 and a GAA of over 3. Even his final six regular seasons aren't particularly impressive: in all six, his GAA is hovering in the 2.80-3.20 range, hardly elite.
Still, one can't argue with the fact that it was Brimsek making the second all-star team in a lot of those seasons, not Broda. But Broda made up for it by elevating his game come postseason time, leading mediocre Maple Leafs' squads to Stanley Cups they had no business winnings. Brimsek's Bruins teams in the late-1940s were equally mediocre, but he couldn't step up when the postseason rolled around. His final season with a flat-out bad team, the Blackhawks, was one of the worst closing seasons of any Pyramid goaltender: a .386 winning percentage and a 3.91 GAA. It's fortunate that Brimsek had the good sense to retire at that point before tarnishing his legacy. This only further clouds the issue of Brimsek's greatness. His career is decorated and his accomplishments noteworthy, to be sure, but given that I haven't ever seen tapes of him playing and the middling playoff numbers, Brimsek has to settle for a lower spot on the Pyramid than his two biggest rivals, Durnan and Broda.
Adjusted Stats
1938-1939 Bos* 73 GP, 56-15-2, .781 win%, 4459 min, 141 GA, 1.90 GAA
1939-1940 Bos 82 GP, 53-21-9, .693 win%, 5040 min, 206 GA, 2.46 GAA
1940-1941 Bos* 82 GP, 46-14-22, .695 win%, 5193 min, 200 GA, 2.31 GAA
1941-1942 Bos 80 GP, 41-29-10, .575 win%, 5005 min, 194 GA, 2.32 GAA
1942-1943 Bos 82 GP, 39-28-15, .567 win%, 4920 min, 246 GA, 3.00 GAA
1945-1946 Bos 56 GP, 26-23-7, .527 win%, 3346 min, 167 GA, 3.00 GAA
1946-1947 Bos 82 GP, 36-31-15, .530 win%, 4920 min, 233 GA, 2.84 GAA
1947-1948 Bos 82 GP, 31-33-18, .488 win%, 4920 min, 241 GA, 2.94 GAA
1948-1949 Bos 74 GP, 36-27-11, .561 win%, 4428 min, 228 GA, 3.08 GAA
1949-1950 Chi 82 GP, 26-45-12, .386 win%, 4920 min, 321 GA, 3.92 GAA
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1938-1939 Bos* 12 GP, 8-4, .667 win%, 863 min, 25 GA, 1.74 GAA
1939-1940 Bos 6 GP, 2-4, .333 win%, 360 min, 20 GA, 3.34 GAA
1940-1941 Bos* 11 GP, 8-3, .727 win%, 678 min, 29 GA, 2.59 GAA
1941-1942 Bos 5 GP, 2-3, .400 win%, 307 min, 17 GA, 3.32 GAA
1942-1943 Bos 9 GP, 4-5, .444 win%, 560 min, 30 GA, 3.20 GAA
1945-1946 Bos 10 GP, 5-5, .500 win%, 651 min, 25 GA, 2.31 GAA
1946-1947 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 343 min, 17 GA, 3.00 GAA
1947-1948 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 317 min, 19 GA, 3.67 GAA
1948-1949 Bos 5 GP, 1-4, .200 win%, 316 min, 18 GA, 3.50 GAA
Career - 775 GP, 390-266-121, .580 win%, 47151 min, 2177 GA, 2.77 GAA
Career-Highs - 82 GP (many times); 56 wins (38-39); .781 win% (38-39); 5193 min (40-41); 1.90 GAA (38-39)
Avg. (10 seasons) - 78 GP, 39-27-12, .580 win%, 4715 min, 218 GA, 2.77 GAA
Peak Avg. (38-48) - 77 GP, 41-24-12, .610 win%, 4725 min, 204 GA, 2.58 GAA, 2 Cups
Playoff Career - 68 GP, 32-36, .471 win%, 4395 min, 200 GA, 2.73 GAA
Playoff-Highs - 8 wins (twice); .727 win% (40-41); 1.74 GAA (38-39)
Accolades - 2 Vezina Trophies, Calder
All-Star Teams - 2-time 1st-team, 6-time 2nd-team
2-time Stanley Cup Champion
It is of course difficult to judge the goaltenders of the 1930s and 1940s, since so much of their success or failure appears at first glance to be dependant on what team they were playing for. With only six teams, some were excellent, others average, and usually one was dreadful during the course of a season. Which team you ended up starting for determined much of the way your career developed. So Frank Brimsek, playing for a talented and defensively-solid Bruins team early in his career, put together an excellent decade or so of goaltending, putting him in the conversation with Bill Durnan and Turk Broda for best goaltender of the 1940s.
As with Broda, Brimsek lost some of his prime playing years to service in the war. Without those lost years, it's safe to say he would have had at least eleven straight years of 30+ adjusted wins. While Boston was eventually outclassed by the Maple Leafs and Canadiens in the mid-to-late 1940s, they were the best team in the league at the turn of the decade. Brimsek's first three seasons rank with Durnan, Dryden and Sawchuk on the "Holy Shit, this guy could be re-writing the record books" scale. In his first three seasons, Brimsek averaged 52 wins, a 2.23 GAA, won two Stanley Cups and two Vezinas.
Brimsek would continue throughout the 1940s to be considered either the league's best or second-best goaltender (although this is somewhat less impressive when you remember that there were only six teams in the league). There's a case to be made that he deserves to be ranked higher on the Pyramid, closer to Broda and Durnan. What stops that is that, despite his two Stanley Cup rings, his playoff record was a middling 32-36. For his final three postseasons, Brimsek had a combined record of 3-12 and a GAA of over 3. Even his final six regular seasons aren't particularly impressive: in all six, his GAA is hovering in the 2.80-3.20 range, hardly elite.
Still, one can't argue with the fact that it was Brimsek making the second all-star team in a lot of those seasons, not Broda. But Broda made up for it by elevating his game come postseason time, leading mediocre Maple Leafs' squads to Stanley Cups they had no business winnings. Brimsek's Bruins teams in the late-1940s were equally mediocre, but he couldn't step up when the postseason rolled around. His final season with a flat-out bad team, the Blackhawks, was one of the worst closing seasons of any Pyramid goaltender: a .386 winning percentage and a 3.91 GAA. It's fortunate that Brimsek had the good sense to retire at that point before tarnishing his legacy. This only further clouds the issue of Brimsek's greatness. His career is decorated and his accomplishments noteworthy, to be sure, but given that I haven't ever seen tapes of him playing and the middling playoff numbers, Brimsek has to settle for a lower spot on the Pyramid than his two biggest rivals, Durnan and Broda.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
#123 - Dave Andreychuk
Dave Andreychuk (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #123)
Adjusted Stats
1982-1983 Buf 44 GP 11 goals 19 assists 30 points 0.68 PPG
1983-1984 Buf 80 GP 30 goals 34 assists 64 points 0.80 PPG
1984-1985 Buf 66 GP 25 goals 24 assists 49 points 0.75 PPG
1985-1986 Buf 82 GP 29 goals 40 assists 69 points 0.84 PPG
1986-1987 Buf 79 GP 21 goals 41 assists 63 points 0.79 PPG
1987-1988 Buf 82 GP 25 goals 41 assists 66 points 0.81 PPG
1988-1989 Buf 57 GP 24 goals 20 assists 44 points 0.76 PPG
1989-1990 Buf 75 GP 34 goals 36 assists 70 points 0.94 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 82 GP 33 goals 30 assists 63 points 0.77 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 82 GP 37 goals 45 assists 82 points 1.01 PPG
1992-1993 Buf/Tor 81 GP 45 goals 37 assists 82 points 1.01 PPG
1993-1994 Tor 81 GP 49 goals 43 assists 92 points 1.13 PPG
1994-1995 Tor 82 GP 39 goals 28 assists 67 points 0.82 PPG
1995-1996 Tor/NJ 76 GP 27 goals 28 assists 56 points 0.73 PPG
1996-1997 NJ 82 GP 28 goals 36 assists 64 points 0.78 PPG
1997-1998 NJ 75 GP 16 goals 40 assists 56 points 0.75 PPG
1998-1999 NJ 52 GP 18 goals 15 assists 33 points 0.63 PPG
1999-2000 Bos/Col 77 GP 22 goals 18 assists 40 points 0.52 PPG
2000-2001 Buf 74 GP 22 goals 15 assists 37 points 0.50 PPG
2001-2002 TB 82 GP 25 goals 20 assists 45 points 0.54 PPG
2002-2003 TB 72 GP 23 goals 16 assists 39 points 0.55 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 82 GP 25 goals 22 assists 47 points 0.57 PPG
2005-2006 TB 42 GP 6 goals 12 assists 18 points 0.44 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1982-1983 Buf 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.20 PPG
1983-1984 Buf 2 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.45 PPG
1984-1985 Buf 5 GP 3 goals 2 assists 5 points 0.90 PPG
1987-1988 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.75 PPG
1988-1989 Buf 5 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.52 PPG
1989-1990 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 0.99 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 2 assists 3 points 0.57 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 7 GP 1 goal 3 assists 3 points 0.50 PPG
1992-1993 Tor 21 GP 10 goals 6 assists 16 points 0.74 PPG
1993-1994 Tor 18 GP 5 goals 5 assists 10 points 0.55 PPG
1994-1995 Tor 7 GP 3 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.63 PPG
1996-1997 NJ 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1997-1998 NJ 6 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.19 PPG
1998-1999 NJ 4 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.55 PPG
1999-2000 Col 17 GP 4 goals 2 assists 6 points 0.35 PPG
2000-2001 Buf 13 GP 1 goal 2 assists 4 points 0.27 PPG
2002-2003 TB 11 GP 4 goals 4 assists 7 points 0.65 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 23 GP 1 goal 17 assists 18 points 0.78 PPG
Career - 1687 GP, 614 goals, 660 assists, 1276 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 49 goals (93-94); 45 assists (91-92); 92 points (93-94); 1.12 PPG (93-94)
Avg. (23 seasons) - 73 GP, 27 goals, 29 assists, 55 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (89-97) - 80 GP, 37 goals, 35 assists, 72 points, 0.90 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 162 GP, 42 goals, 56 assists, 95 points, 0.59 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (92-93); 17 assists (03-04); 18 points (03-04); 0.99 PPG (89-90)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - None
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
As with many of the players who round out the Pyramid, there's no possible way I could make a case that Dave Andreychuk was the 124th best player to ever play the game, and certainly not the 124th most talented. He was a lumbering skater with limited passing abilities, a good but not great shot, and average defensive instincts. But he was also a force on the power play, a big guy who was difficult to move from in front of the net, someone like Phil Esposito had a nose for garbage goals.
Andreychuk's final career numbers make him a second or third-liner on the Props For Sticking Around All-Star Team. 614 goals and 1,276 career points are impressive until you realize that it took Andreychuk twenty-three seasons and nearly 1,700 games to get there. However, inflated as they are by playing for so long, Andreychuk's totals are still hard to ignore for a left-winger. He never once was considered the best or even second-best left-winger in the league, but for a stretch of about four or five years he morphed from a 30-goal, 55-point guy into a 40+ goal, 85-point player.
Part of this may have been due to the centers he was blessed to have in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Lafontaine and Hawerchuk were feeding him during his late Sabre days, and then Andreychuk joined a Maple Leafs team that was already on the brink of contending and took them to another level by providing a scoring winger for Doug Gilmour, another one of the league's best passers. Andreychuk was lucky to have a great center, but he also took advantage by becoming what in today's game would be called a "power forward": a big left-winger who could pot timely goals and also muck it up in the dirty areas to battle for loose pucks.
The teams Andreychuk was on were always decent but rarely great: the Sabres were constant first or second-round fodder; the Maple Leafs had their back-to-back years in the Conference finals but then began to taper off, and the Devils were in their run of first-round chokes when Andreychuk was with them. Part of this may have been due to the fact that Andreychuk, despite his reputation, was actually a terrible playoff performer: he never once averaged more than an adjusted PPG and scored only 42 goals and 95 points in 162 games.
All of that changed though when Andreychuk joined the Tampa Bay Lightning and became their captain, relieving a too-young Vincent Lecavalier of those duties. The Lightning began to gel, and in 2003-2004, a graying Andreychuk captained them to a Stanley Cup win, scoring an impressive 18 points in the playoffs after only 47 in the regular season.
It was a fitting end for someone that no one ever would have described as elite: Andreychuk reached hockey's pinnacle by virtue of sticking around. I give him credit for being a consistent mucker and one of the great "ugly-goal" scorers in NHL history. Ultra-talented? No, but a good career nonetheless.
Adjusted Stats
1982-1983 Buf 44 GP 11 goals 19 assists 30 points 0.68 PPG
1983-1984 Buf 80 GP 30 goals 34 assists 64 points 0.80 PPG
1984-1985 Buf 66 GP 25 goals 24 assists 49 points 0.75 PPG
1985-1986 Buf 82 GP 29 goals 40 assists 69 points 0.84 PPG
1986-1987 Buf 79 GP 21 goals 41 assists 63 points 0.79 PPG
1987-1988 Buf 82 GP 25 goals 41 assists 66 points 0.81 PPG
1988-1989 Buf 57 GP 24 goals 20 assists 44 points 0.76 PPG
1989-1990 Buf 75 GP 34 goals 36 assists 70 points 0.94 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 82 GP 33 goals 30 assists 63 points 0.77 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 82 GP 37 goals 45 assists 82 points 1.01 PPG
1992-1993 Buf/Tor 81 GP 45 goals 37 assists 82 points 1.01 PPG
1993-1994 Tor 81 GP 49 goals 43 assists 92 points 1.13 PPG
1994-1995 Tor 82 GP 39 goals 28 assists 67 points 0.82 PPG
1995-1996 Tor/NJ 76 GP 27 goals 28 assists 56 points 0.73 PPG
1996-1997 NJ 82 GP 28 goals 36 assists 64 points 0.78 PPG
1997-1998 NJ 75 GP 16 goals 40 assists 56 points 0.75 PPG
1998-1999 NJ 52 GP 18 goals 15 assists 33 points 0.63 PPG
1999-2000 Bos/Col 77 GP 22 goals 18 assists 40 points 0.52 PPG
2000-2001 Buf 74 GP 22 goals 15 assists 37 points 0.50 PPG
2001-2002 TB 82 GP 25 goals 20 assists 45 points 0.54 PPG
2002-2003 TB 72 GP 23 goals 16 assists 39 points 0.55 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 82 GP 25 goals 22 assists 47 points 0.57 PPG
2005-2006 TB 42 GP 6 goals 12 assists 18 points 0.44 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1982-1983 Buf 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.20 PPG
1983-1984 Buf 2 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.45 PPG
1984-1985 Buf 5 GP 3 goals 2 assists 5 points 0.90 PPG
1987-1988 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.75 PPG
1988-1989 Buf 5 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.52 PPG
1989-1990 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 0.99 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 6 GP 2 goals 2 assists 3 points 0.57 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 7 GP 1 goal 3 assists 3 points 0.50 PPG
1992-1993 Tor 21 GP 10 goals 6 assists 16 points 0.74 PPG
1993-1994 Tor 18 GP 5 goals 5 assists 10 points 0.55 PPG
1994-1995 Tor 7 GP 3 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.63 PPG
1996-1997 NJ 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1997-1998 NJ 6 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.19 PPG
1998-1999 NJ 4 GP 2 goals 0 assists 2 points 0.55 PPG
1999-2000 Col 17 GP 4 goals 2 assists 6 points 0.35 PPG
2000-2001 Buf 13 GP 1 goal 2 assists 4 points 0.27 PPG
2002-2003 TB 11 GP 4 goals 4 assists 7 points 0.65 PPG
2003-2004 TB* 23 GP 1 goal 17 assists 18 points 0.78 PPG
Career - 1687 GP, 614 goals, 660 assists, 1276 points, 0.76 PPG
Career-Highs - 49 goals (93-94); 45 assists (91-92); 92 points (93-94); 1.12 PPG (93-94)
Avg. (23 seasons) - 73 GP, 27 goals, 29 assists, 55 points, 0.76 PPG
Peak Avg. (89-97) - 80 GP, 37 goals, 35 assists, 72 points, 0.90 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 162 GP, 42 goals, 56 assists, 95 points, 0.59 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (92-93); 17 assists (03-04); 18 points (03-04); 0.99 PPG (89-90)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - None
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
As with many of the players who round out the Pyramid, there's no possible way I could make a case that Dave Andreychuk was the 124th best player to ever play the game, and certainly not the 124th most talented. He was a lumbering skater with limited passing abilities, a good but not great shot, and average defensive instincts. But he was also a force on the power play, a big guy who was difficult to move from in front of the net, someone like Phil Esposito had a nose for garbage goals.
Andreychuk's final career numbers make him a second or third-liner on the Props For Sticking Around All-Star Team. 614 goals and 1,276 career points are impressive until you realize that it took Andreychuk twenty-three seasons and nearly 1,700 games to get there. However, inflated as they are by playing for so long, Andreychuk's totals are still hard to ignore for a left-winger. He never once was considered the best or even second-best left-winger in the league, but for a stretch of about four or five years he morphed from a 30-goal, 55-point guy into a 40+ goal, 85-point player.
Part of this may have been due to the centers he was blessed to have in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Lafontaine and Hawerchuk were feeding him during his late Sabre days, and then Andreychuk joined a Maple Leafs team that was already on the brink of contending and took them to another level by providing a scoring winger for Doug Gilmour, another one of the league's best passers. Andreychuk was lucky to have a great center, but he also took advantage by becoming what in today's game would be called a "power forward": a big left-winger who could pot timely goals and also muck it up in the dirty areas to battle for loose pucks.
The teams Andreychuk was on were always decent but rarely great: the Sabres were constant first or second-round fodder; the Maple Leafs had their back-to-back years in the Conference finals but then began to taper off, and the Devils were in their run of first-round chokes when Andreychuk was with them. Part of this may have been due to the fact that Andreychuk, despite his reputation, was actually a terrible playoff performer: he never once averaged more than an adjusted PPG and scored only 42 goals and 95 points in 162 games.
All of that changed though when Andreychuk joined the Tampa Bay Lightning and became their captain, relieving a too-young Vincent Lecavalier of those duties. The Lightning began to gel, and in 2003-2004, a graying Andreychuk captained them to a Stanley Cup win, scoring an impressive 18 points in the playoffs after only 47 in the regular season.
It was a fitting end for someone that no one ever would have described as elite: Andreychuk reached hockey's pinnacle by virtue of sticking around. I give him credit for being a consistent mucker and one of the great "ugly-goal" scorers in NHL history. Ultra-talented? No, but a good career nonetheless.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
#126 - Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #126)
Adjusted Stats
1989-1990 Buf 67 GP 13 goals 24 assists 37 points 0.55 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 64 GP 27 goals 31 assists 58 points 0.92 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 69 GP 35 goals 41 assists 76 points 1.11 PPG
1992-1993 Buf 75 GP 63 goals 42 assists 105 points 1.40 PPG
1993-1994 Buf 64 GP 30 goals 44 assists 73 points 1.14 PPG
1994-1995 Buf 75 GP 33 goals 49 assists 83 points 1.10 PPG
1995-1996 Van 79 GP 54 goals 51 assists 105 points 1.32 PPG
1996-1997 Van 76 GP 33 goals 44 assists 77 points 1.01 PPG
1997-1998 Van 51 GP 21 goals 31 assists 52 points 1.03 PPG
1998-1999 Van 59 GP 16 goals 36 assists 53 points 0.89 PPG
1999-2000 Van/NJ* 59 GP 27 goals 22 assists 49 points 0.84 PPG
2000-2001 NJ 75 GP 48 goals 45 assists 93 points 1.24 PPG
2001-2002 Tor 66 GP 28 goals 39 assists 67 points 1.01 PPG
2002-2003 Tor 73 GP 38 goals 53 assists 91 points 1.25 PPG
2003-2004 Tor 37 GP 10 goals 26 assists 36 points 0.97 PPG
2005-2006 NJ 34 GP 12 goals 13 assists 25 points 0.75 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1989-1990 Buf 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.21 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 6 GP 0 goals 5 assists 5 points 0.85 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 2 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.87 PPG
1992-1993 Buf 7 GP 6 goals 2 assists 8 points 1.17 PPG
1993-1994 Buf 7 GP 4 goals 2 assists 6 points 0.84 PPG
1994-1995 Buf 5 GP 3 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.88 PPG
1995-1996 Van 6 GP 1 goal 8 assists 9 points 1.43 PPG
1999-2000 NJ* 23 GP 5 goals 4 assists 8 points 0.37 PPG
2000-2001 NJ 25 GP 6 goals 13 assists 19 points 0.75 PPG
2001-2002 Tor 20 GP 10 goals 4 assists 13 points 0.65 PPG
2002-2003 Tor 6 GP 6 goals 2 assists 8 points 1.39 PPG
2003-2004 Tor 13 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 0.59 PPG
Career - 1023 GP, 488 goals, 591 assists, 1080 points, 1.06 PPG
Career-Highs - 63 goals (92-93); 53 assists (02-03); 105 points (92-93); 1.40 PPG (92-93)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 64 GP, 31 goals, 37 assists, 68 points, 1.06 PPG
Peak Avg. (90-98) - 69 GP, 37 goals, 42 assists, 79 points, 1.14 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 124 GP, 44 goals, 50 assists, 91 points, 0.73 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (01-02); 13 assists (00-01); 19 points (00-01); 1.43 PPG (95-96)
Accolades - Lady Byng
All-Star Teams - 2-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
Much like Pavel Bure, Alex Mogilny had a good career, but left one feeling as if he could have accomplished more. There's a reason the "Russians don't try as hard as they should" stereotype exists...because of players like Mogilny. He had seasons in which he seemed like the second-coming of Mike Bossy, and others in which he missed good chunks of time or seemed disinterested.
Mogilny wasn't a loafer on par with Alexei Kovalev...in fact, he averaged over a point-a-game for seven straight seasons. It's just that he was constantly beset by nagging injuries here and there, so even in his prime stretch he only averaged 69 games a season. It's one of the annoying "what-ifs" of late 90s hockey that Bure and Mogilny never seemed to be healthy together at the same time for Vancouver. In 1995-1996, Mogilny stepped up while Bure was absent, scoring 54 goals and 105 points while earning second-team all-star honours. But when Bure returned to health in 1997-1998, Mogilny was a no-show.
He'll be remembered for his stints with the Sabres and Canucks (it was with the Sabres that Mogilny scored 76 goals, 63 in adjusted terms). But Mogilny might have enjoyed the most team success later in his career. He was traded to the Devils in 2000 to give them scoring depth, and although the team won the Cup that spring, Mogilny disappeared in the playoffs, scoring a mere 8 adjusted points in 23 playoff games. In fact, one of the reasons he's a bubble guy for the Pyramid is that his career playoff numbers are quite disappointing. The next season, though, Mogilny provided the Devils with the scoring they had hoped for, scoring 48 goals and helping the team return to the Cup final.
A stint with the Maple Leafs didn't result in a Cup final appearance (how could it? It wasn't before 1967), but the team was in contention during Mogilny's stay there, no doubt because Mogilny was the only legitimate winger that Mats Sundin had had in a long time. Mogilny returned to the Devils after the lockout but was a shadow of his former self...Lou Lamoriello sooned realized his error and buried Mogilny in the minors.
Without 500 career goals, it'll be a struggle for Mogilny to get into the hall-of-fame. He only makes my Pyramid because of the Ciccarelli Rule...I'd rather have Mogilny's career with its flashes of brilliance and Stanley Cup ring than twenty years of above-average production. Like Bure, we'll always wonder how much could have been achieved with the combination of better luck (i.e. less injuries) and more motivation. What he accomplished was impressive, what was left on the table may have been much more so.
Adjusted Stats
1989-1990 Buf 67 GP 13 goals 24 assists 37 points 0.55 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 64 GP 27 goals 31 assists 58 points 0.92 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 69 GP 35 goals 41 assists 76 points 1.11 PPG
1992-1993 Buf 75 GP 63 goals 42 assists 105 points 1.40 PPG
1993-1994 Buf 64 GP 30 goals 44 assists 73 points 1.14 PPG
1994-1995 Buf 75 GP 33 goals 49 assists 83 points 1.10 PPG
1995-1996 Van 79 GP 54 goals 51 assists 105 points 1.32 PPG
1996-1997 Van 76 GP 33 goals 44 assists 77 points 1.01 PPG
1997-1998 Van 51 GP 21 goals 31 assists 52 points 1.03 PPG
1998-1999 Van 59 GP 16 goals 36 assists 53 points 0.89 PPG
1999-2000 Van/NJ* 59 GP 27 goals 22 assists 49 points 0.84 PPG
2000-2001 NJ 75 GP 48 goals 45 assists 93 points 1.24 PPG
2001-2002 Tor 66 GP 28 goals 39 assists 67 points 1.01 PPG
2002-2003 Tor 73 GP 38 goals 53 assists 91 points 1.25 PPG
2003-2004 Tor 37 GP 10 goals 26 assists 36 points 0.97 PPG
2005-2006 NJ 34 GP 12 goals 13 assists 25 points 0.75 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1989-1990 Buf 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.21 PPG
1990-1991 Buf 6 GP 0 goals 5 assists 5 points 0.85 PPG
1991-1992 Buf 2 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.87 PPG
1992-1993 Buf 7 GP 6 goals 2 assists 8 points 1.17 PPG
1993-1994 Buf 7 GP 4 goals 2 assists 6 points 0.84 PPG
1994-1995 Buf 5 GP 3 goals 2 assists 4 points 0.88 PPG
1995-1996 Van 6 GP 1 goal 8 assists 9 points 1.43 PPG
1999-2000 NJ* 23 GP 5 goals 4 assists 8 points 0.37 PPG
2000-2001 NJ 25 GP 6 goals 13 assists 19 points 0.75 PPG
2001-2002 Tor 20 GP 10 goals 4 assists 13 points 0.65 PPG
2002-2003 Tor 6 GP 6 goals 2 assists 8 points 1.39 PPG
2003-2004 Tor 13 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 0.59 PPG
Career - 1023 GP, 488 goals, 591 assists, 1080 points, 1.06 PPG
Career-Highs - 63 goals (92-93); 53 assists (02-03); 105 points (92-93); 1.40 PPG (92-93)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 64 GP, 31 goals, 37 assists, 68 points, 1.06 PPG
Peak Avg. (90-98) - 69 GP, 37 goals, 42 assists, 79 points, 1.14 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 124 GP, 44 goals, 50 assists, 91 points, 0.73 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (01-02); 13 assists (00-01); 19 points (00-01); 1.43 PPG (95-96)
Accolades - Lady Byng
All-Star Teams - 2-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
Much like Pavel Bure, Alex Mogilny had a good career, but left one feeling as if he could have accomplished more. There's a reason the "Russians don't try as hard as they should" stereotype exists...because of players like Mogilny. He had seasons in which he seemed like the second-coming of Mike Bossy, and others in which he missed good chunks of time or seemed disinterested.
Mogilny wasn't a loafer on par with Alexei Kovalev...in fact, he averaged over a point-a-game for seven straight seasons. It's just that he was constantly beset by nagging injuries here and there, so even in his prime stretch he only averaged 69 games a season. It's one of the annoying "what-ifs" of late 90s hockey that Bure and Mogilny never seemed to be healthy together at the same time for Vancouver. In 1995-1996, Mogilny stepped up while Bure was absent, scoring 54 goals and 105 points while earning second-team all-star honours. But when Bure returned to health in 1997-1998, Mogilny was a no-show.
He'll be remembered for his stints with the Sabres and Canucks (it was with the Sabres that Mogilny scored 76 goals, 63 in adjusted terms). But Mogilny might have enjoyed the most team success later in his career. He was traded to the Devils in 2000 to give them scoring depth, and although the team won the Cup that spring, Mogilny disappeared in the playoffs, scoring a mere 8 adjusted points in 23 playoff games. In fact, one of the reasons he's a bubble guy for the Pyramid is that his career playoff numbers are quite disappointing. The next season, though, Mogilny provided the Devils with the scoring they had hoped for, scoring 48 goals and helping the team return to the Cup final.
A stint with the Maple Leafs didn't result in a Cup final appearance (how could it? It wasn't before 1967), but the team was in contention during Mogilny's stay there, no doubt because Mogilny was the only legitimate winger that Mats Sundin had had in a long time. Mogilny returned to the Devils after the lockout but was a shadow of his former self...Lou Lamoriello sooned realized his error and buried Mogilny in the minors.
Without 500 career goals, it'll be a struggle for Mogilny to get into the hall-of-fame. He only makes my Pyramid because of the Ciccarelli Rule...I'd rather have Mogilny's career with its flashes of brilliance and Stanley Cup ring than twenty years of above-average production. Like Bure, we'll always wonder how much could have been achieved with the combination of better luck (i.e. less injuries) and more motivation. What he accomplished was impressive, what was left on the table may have been much more so.
#119 - Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #119)
Adjusted Stats
1988-1989 Cgy* 37 GP 12 goals 17 assists 29 points 0.78 PPG
1989-1990 Cgy 82 GP 27 goals 30 assists 56 points 0.69 PPG
1990-1991 Cgy 81 GP 47 goals 48 assists 95 points 1.17 PPG
1991-1992 Cgy 82 GP 30 goals 36 assists 66 points 0.81 PPG
1992-1993 Cgy 81 GP 28 goals 55 assists 83 points 1.02 PPG
1993-1994 Cgy 81 GP 37 goals 42 assists 79 points 0.97 PPG
1994-1995 Cgy 80 GP 51 goals 51 assists 102 points 1.27 PPG
1995-1996 Cgy 80 GP 45 goals 49 assists 94 points 1.17 PPG
1996-1997 Cgy 81 GP 31 goals 40 assists 71 points 0.87 PPG
1997-1998 Cgy 82 GP 31 goals 59 assists 91 points 1.11 PPG
1998-1999 Cgy/Col 75 GP 47 goals 62 assists 109 points 1.45 PPG
1999-2000 NYR 80 GP 17 goals 55 assists 72 points 0.90 PPG
2000-2001 NYR 62 GP 33 goals 49 assists 83 points 1.33 PPG
2001-2002 NYR 82 GP 28 goals 46 assists 74 points 0.90 PPG
2002-2003 Chi 54 GP 14 goals 24 assists 38 points 0.71 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1988-1989 Cgy* 22 GP 4 goals 5 assists 9 points 0.43 PPG
1989-1990 Cgy 6 GP 2 goals 3 assists 4 points 0.70 PPG
1990-1991 Cgy 7 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 0.85 PPG
1992-1993 Cgy 6 GP 4 goals 6 assists 10 points 1.64 PPG
1993-1994 Cgy 7 GP 6 goals 4 assists 10 points 1.40 PPG
1994-1995 Cgy 7 GP 6 goals 6 assists 12 points 1.77 PPG
1995-1996 Cgy 4 GP 2 goals 1 assist 3 points 0.72 PPG
1998-1999 Col 18 GP 5 goals 13 assists 19 points 1.04 PPG
Career - 1120 GP, 478 goals, 663 assists, 1142 points, 1.02 PPG
Career-Highs - 51 goals (94-95); 62 assists (98-99); 109 points (98-99); 1.45 PPG (98-99)
Avg. (15 seasons) - 75 GP, 32 goals, 44 assists, 76 points, 1.02 PPG
Peak Avg. (93-01) - 78 GP, 37 goals, 51 assists, 88 points, 1.13 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 77 GP, 31 goals, 42 assists, 73 points, 0.95 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 6 goals (94-95); 13 assists (98-99); 19 points (98-99); 1.77 PPG (94-95)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
Because of his size, Theoren Fleury had to work doubly hard just to make it to the NHL. He had to overcome the adversity of being stereotyped and bullied. That's what makes it more tragic that in the end, after all that hard work, the biggest factor that prevented Fleury from achieving even more success was himself. He is known now as a cautionary tale for substance abuse...we shouldn't forget how successful a player he was.
Since Fleury has been in the spotlight for such a long time for all the wrong reasons (the Graham James scandal resurfacing, his tell-all book coming out), I had forgotten how young he was when he retired. Fleury was only 34 when he retired, still relatively productive and with 475+ goals and 1100+ points in his career at right-wing. If he had stuck around for a few more years, he'd have surefire Hall-of-Fame numbers. Of course, that could never be...Fleury retired at the height of his substance abuse problems.
I have huge sympathy for anyone who suffered under that abusive sleaze Graham James. It clearly scarred Fleury for life, leading to his alcohol and drug problems. However, part of what made Fleury so dynamic was his unpredictable edge: for such a short player, he endeared himself to fans and teammates by playing a physical, combative style despite the fact that he was usually at least six inches shorter than the people he was battling.
Fleury was a rookie on the 1988-1989 Flames, one of the most stacked teams assembled in the post-Oilers era. He wasn't counted on to be "the man", but still chipped in with 9 points in 22 playoff games. It was in 1991, when some of the other Flames like Joe Mullen had moved on, that Fleury started taking over the team. He scored 47 goals and 95 points in 1990-1991 and began to emerge as one of the most reliable, consistently durable (remarkable given his size) right-wingers in the league.
Why isn't he ranked in the Pavel Bure area? Well, in his peak years, from 1993 to 2001, the Flames never made it past the first round (and often missed the playoffs). It was only when he was acquired as a rent-a-player for the Avalanche that he made it to the Conference finals. Contrary to what many believe, Fleury's tenure with the Rangers was successful from an individual point-of-view but not from a team one. Like so many, he was part of the underachieving Rangers' squads of the early 2000s. However, in 2000-2001, he was fourth in league scoring when he abruptly left the team with twenty games left to check into the league's substance abuse program.
That's the story of Fleury's career: he overcame so much, accomplished a hell of a lot, but in the end could have been even greater if he hadn't been wrestling with his own personal demons. Should he be in the hall-of-fame? I say yes...the accomplishments are still impressive, and like Martin St. Louis, Fleury was one of those players who became a fan favourite because he gave hope to everyone who was under six feet tall. He has the iconic moment in which he scored an OT winner against the Oilers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSRFLUBgvzc), and even though he may not have been integral to it, Fleury does have a Cup championship. Most importantly though, it seems as if Fleury has overcome his addictions and rejuvenated his life. A hall-of-fame induction would be the perfect capper to his redemption.
Adjusted Stats
1988-1989 Cgy* 37 GP 12 goals 17 assists 29 points 0.78 PPG
1989-1990 Cgy 82 GP 27 goals 30 assists 56 points 0.69 PPG
1990-1991 Cgy 81 GP 47 goals 48 assists 95 points 1.17 PPG
1991-1992 Cgy 82 GP 30 goals 36 assists 66 points 0.81 PPG
1992-1993 Cgy 81 GP 28 goals 55 assists 83 points 1.02 PPG
1993-1994 Cgy 81 GP 37 goals 42 assists 79 points 0.97 PPG
1994-1995 Cgy 80 GP 51 goals 51 assists 102 points 1.27 PPG
1995-1996 Cgy 80 GP 45 goals 49 assists 94 points 1.17 PPG
1996-1997 Cgy 81 GP 31 goals 40 assists 71 points 0.87 PPG
1997-1998 Cgy 82 GP 31 goals 59 assists 91 points 1.11 PPG
1998-1999 Cgy/Col 75 GP 47 goals 62 assists 109 points 1.45 PPG
1999-2000 NYR 80 GP 17 goals 55 assists 72 points 0.90 PPG
2000-2001 NYR 62 GP 33 goals 49 assists 83 points 1.33 PPG
2001-2002 NYR 82 GP 28 goals 46 assists 74 points 0.90 PPG
2002-2003 Chi 54 GP 14 goals 24 assists 38 points 0.71 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1988-1989 Cgy* 22 GP 4 goals 5 assists 9 points 0.43 PPG
1989-1990 Cgy 6 GP 2 goals 3 assists 4 points 0.70 PPG
1990-1991 Cgy 7 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 0.85 PPG
1992-1993 Cgy 6 GP 4 goals 6 assists 10 points 1.64 PPG
1993-1994 Cgy 7 GP 6 goals 4 assists 10 points 1.40 PPG
1994-1995 Cgy 7 GP 6 goals 6 assists 12 points 1.77 PPG
1995-1996 Cgy 4 GP 2 goals 1 assist 3 points 0.72 PPG
1998-1999 Col 18 GP 5 goals 13 assists 19 points 1.04 PPG
Career - 1120 GP, 478 goals, 663 assists, 1142 points, 1.02 PPG
Career-Highs - 51 goals (94-95); 62 assists (98-99); 109 points (98-99); 1.45 PPG (98-99)
Avg. (15 seasons) - 75 GP, 32 goals, 44 assists, 76 points, 1.02 PPG
Peak Avg. (93-01) - 78 GP, 37 goals, 51 assists, 88 points, 1.13 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 77 GP, 31 goals, 42 assists, 73 points, 0.95 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 6 goals (94-95); 13 assists (98-99); 19 points (98-99); 1.77 PPG (94-95)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 1-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion
Because of his size, Theoren Fleury had to work doubly hard just to make it to the NHL. He had to overcome the adversity of being stereotyped and bullied. That's what makes it more tragic that in the end, after all that hard work, the biggest factor that prevented Fleury from achieving even more success was himself. He is known now as a cautionary tale for substance abuse...we shouldn't forget how successful a player he was.
Since Fleury has been in the spotlight for such a long time for all the wrong reasons (the Graham James scandal resurfacing, his tell-all book coming out), I had forgotten how young he was when he retired. Fleury was only 34 when he retired, still relatively productive and with 475+ goals and 1100+ points in his career at right-wing. If he had stuck around for a few more years, he'd have surefire Hall-of-Fame numbers. Of course, that could never be...Fleury retired at the height of his substance abuse problems.
I have huge sympathy for anyone who suffered under that abusive sleaze Graham James. It clearly scarred Fleury for life, leading to his alcohol and drug problems. However, part of what made Fleury so dynamic was his unpredictable edge: for such a short player, he endeared himself to fans and teammates by playing a physical, combative style despite the fact that he was usually at least six inches shorter than the people he was battling.
Fleury was a rookie on the 1988-1989 Flames, one of the most stacked teams assembled in the post-Oilers era. He wasn't counted on to be "the man", but still chipped in with 9 points in 22 playoff games. It was in 1991, when some of the other Flames like Joe Mullen had moved on, that Fleury started taking over the team. He scored 47 goals and 95 points in 1990-1991 and began to emerge as one of the most reliable, consistently durable (remarkable given his size) right-wingers in the league.
Why isn't he ranked in the Pavel Bure area? Well, in his peak years, from 1993 to 2001, the Flames never made it past the first round (and often missed the playoffs). It was only when he was acquired as a rent-a-player for the Avalanche that he made it to the Conference finals. Contrary to what many believe, Fleury's tenure with the Rangers was successful from an individual point-of-view but not from a team one. Like so many, he was part of the underachieving Rangers' squads of the early 2000s. However, in 2000-2001, he was fourth in league scoring when he abruptly left the team with twenty games left to check into the league's substance abuse program.
That's the story of Fleury's career: he overcame so much, accomplished a hell of a lot, but in the end could have been even greater if he hadn't been wrestling with his own personal demons. Should he be in the hall-of-fame? I say yes...the accomplishments are still impressive, and like Martin St. Louis, Fleury was one of those players who became a fan favourite because he gave hope to everyone who was under six feet tall. He has the iconic moment in which he scored an OT winner against the Oilers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSRFLUBgvzc), and even though he may not have been integral to it, Fleury does have a Cup championship. Most importantly though, it seems as if Fleury has overcome his addictions and rejuvenated his life. A hall-of-fame induction would be the perfect capper to his redemption.
#131 - Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy Roenick (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #131)
Adjusted Stats
1988-1989 Chi 21 GP 8 goals 8 assists 15 points 0.74 PPG
1989-1990 Chi 80 GP 22 goals 34 assists 56 points 0.71 PPG
1990-1991 Chi 81 GP 37 goals 48 assists 86 points 1.06 PPG
1991-1992 Chi 82 GP 48 goals 45 assists 93 points 1.14 PPG
1992-1993 Chi 82 GP 41 goals 47 assists 89 points 1.08 PPG
1993-1994 Chi 82 GP 43 goals 57 assists 99 points 1.21 PPG
1994-1995 Chi 56 GP 18 goals 42 assists 60 points 1.06 PPG
1995-1996 Chi 66 GP 31 goals 34 assists 66 points 0.99 PPG
1996-1997 Phx 72 GP 31 goals 42 assists 73 points 1.01 PPG
1997-1998 Phx 79 GP 28 goals 37 assists 65 points 0.83 PPG
1998-1999 Phx 78 GP 28 goals 56 assists 84 points 1.08 PPG
1999-2000 Phx 75 GP 38 goals 49 assists 87 points 1.17 PPG
2000-2001 Phx 80 GP 33 goals 51 assists 85 points 1.06 PPG
2001-2002 Phi 75 GP 25 goals 54 assists 79 points 1.05 PPG
2002-2003 Phi 79 GP 31 goals 37 assists 68 points 0.86 PPG
2003-2004 Phi 62 GP 23 goals 34 assists 56 points 0.91 PPG
2005-2006 LA 58 GP 9 goals 13 assists 22 points 0.39 PPG
2006-2007 Phx 70 GP 12 goals 18 assists 30 points 0.43 PPG
2007-2008 SJ 69 GP 16 goals 21 assists 37 points 0.54 PPG
2008-2009 SJ 42 GP 4 goals 21 assists 25 points 0.59 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1988-1989 Chi 10 GP 1 goal 3 assists 3 points 0.34 PPG
1989-1990 Chi 20 GP 9 goals 6 assists 15 points 0.76 PPG
1990-1991 Chi 6 GP 3 goals 4 assists 7 points 1.14 PPG
1991-1992 Chi 18 GP 10 goals 9 assists 19 points 1.07 PPG
1992-1993 Chi 4 GP 1 goal 2 assists 2 points 0.62 PPG
1993-1994 Chi 6 GP 1 goal 6 assists 7 points 1.15 PPG
1994-1995 Chi 8 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.33 PPG
1995-1996 Chi 10 GP 5 goals 7 assists 11 points 1.15 PPG
1996-1997 Phx 6 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 1.05 PPG
1997-1998 Phx 6 GP 6 goals 3 assists 9 points 1.48 PPG
1998-1999 Phx 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1999-2000 Phx 5 GP 2 goals 2 assists 5 points 0.96 PPG
2001-2002 Phi 5 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
2002-2003 Phi 13 GP 4 goals 6 assists 10 points 0.73 PPG
2003-2004 Phi 18 GP 5 goals 11 assists 17 points 0.92 PPG
2007-2008 SJ 12 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.44 PPG
2008-2009 SJ 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.17 PPG
Career - 1389 GP, 526 goals, 748 assists, 1275 points, 0.92 PPG
Career-Highs - 48 goals (91-92); 57 assists (93-94); 99 points (93-94); 1.21 PPG (93-94)
Avg. (19 seasons) - 72 GP, 27 goals, 39 assists, 66 points, 0.92 PPG
Peak Avg. (90-98) - 75 GP, 35 goals, 44 assists, 79 points, 1.05 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 154 GP, 52 goals, 69 assists, 120 points, 0.78 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (91-92); 11 assists (03-04); 19 points (91-92); 1.48 PPG (97-98)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - None
Never Won Stanley Cup
JR languished on the bubble of my Pyramid for a while, but eventually I had to throw him in right at the cutoff point, based solely on the Dino Ciccarelli Rule (if you had a more impactful career than Dino Ciccarelli, you're in). He's like the center equivalent of Ciccarelli: good-but-not-great production for nineteen seasons, a gritty, sandpaper style to his game, and a total lack of accolades, all-star recognition or Stanley Cup wins.
Still, with Roenick there are a few intangibles. I remember growing up in the early-1990s that Jeremy Roenick was one of the most electrifying young players in the league. After a few modest seasons as a youngster, Roenick burst onto the scene as a twenty year-old by scoring 15 adjusted points in 20 playoff games as the Blackhawks made it to the Conference finals. For the next four seasons, he owned Chicago (well, aside from, you know, Michael Jordan).
Roenick's run from 1990 to 1994 is still impressive. He averaged 42 goals and 91 points, and the Blackhawks consistently seemed like a threat for the Stanley Cup even if they never actually pushed through. In 1992, when the Blackhawks made it to the Cup final, Roenick had 19 adj. points and was +11 in 18 games. It looked like Roenick was going to be the first genuine Blackhawk superstar in a long time.
It didn't pan out that way. Roenick went to Phoenix, then to Philadelphia, and while he enjoyed productive campaigns, he was never able to recapture the glory of the Blackhawk days. With Phoenix, he never made it past the first round, and while the Flyers' teams were always in contention, they only made it to the Conference finals once (when JR scored the goal that broke the hearts of Leaf fans everywhere).
So why is he on the Pyramid at all? The Phoenix years may not have been stellar but they were still productive, and Roenick was such a galvanizing personality he was able to sell hockey to a non-traditional market (of course, since he's left, it's all been downhill). He helped spark what little interest there is in hockey in the United States with his frequent talk-show appearances (even if they hurt Roenick's legacy by revealing him as a ham). And he was known as a great trash-talker, although in his most famous trash talking incident, he was thoroughly burned by Patrick Roy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW1aSTmwrOE).
The career totals of 526 goals and 1,275 points aren't anything to be ignored, even if they may be a Ciccarelliesque product of being around for so long. The point is, while Roenick didn't ever actually win anything of consequence throughout his career, the purpose of this blog was to remind myself in future years of the players who made an impact. Roenick did, so he earns a spot. Barely.
Adjusted Stats
1988-1989 Chi 21 GP 8 goals 8 assists 15 points 0.74 PPG
1989-1990 Chi 80 GP 22 goals 34 assists 56 points 0.71 PPG
1990-1991 Chi 81 GP 37 goals 48 assists 86 points 1.06 PPG
1991-1992 Chi 82 GP 48 goals 45 assists 93 points 1.14 PPG
1992-1993 Chi 82 GP 41 goals 47 assists 89 points 1.08 PPG
1993-1994 Chi 82 GP 43 goals 57 assists 99 points 1.21 PPG
1994-1995 Chi 56 GP 18 goals 42 assists 60 points 1.06 PPG
1995-1996 Chi 66 GP 31 goals 34 assists 66 points 0.99 PPG
1996-1997 Phx 72 GP 31 goals 42 assists 73 points 1.01 PPG
1997-1998 Phx 79 GP 28 goals 37 assists 65 points 0.83 PPG
1998-1999 Phx 78 GP 28 goals 56 assists 84 points 1.08 PPG
1999-2000 Phx 75 GP 38 goals 49 assists 87 points 1.17 PPG
2000-2001 Phx 80 GP 33 goals 51 assists 85 points 1.06 PPG
2001-2002 Phi 75 GP 25 goals 54 assists 79 points 1.05 PPG
2002-2003 Phi 79 GP 31 goals 37 assists 68 points 0.86 PPG
2003-2004 Phi 62 GP 23 goals 34 assists 56 points 0.91 PPG
2005-2006 LA 58 GP 9 goals 13 assists 22 points 0.39 PPG
2006-2007 Phx 70 GP 12 goals 18 assists 30 points 0.43 PPG
2007-2008 SJ 69 GP 16 goals 21 assists 37 points 0.54 PPG
2008-2009 SJ 42 GP 4 goals 21 assists 25 points 0.59 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1988-1989 Chi 10 GP 1 goal 3 assists 3 points 0.34 PPG
1989-1990 Chi 20 GP 9 goals 6 assists 15 points 0.76 PPG
1990-1991 Chi 6 GP 3 goals 4 assists 7 points 1.14 PPG
1991-1992 Chi 18 GP 10 goals 9 assists 19 points 1.07 PPG
1992-1993 Chi 4 GP 1 goal 2 assists 2 points 0.62 PPG
1993-1994 Chi 6 GP 1 goal 6 assists 7 points 1.15 PPG
1994-1995 Chi 8 GP 1 goal 2 assists 3 points 0.33 PPG
1995-1996 Chi 10 GP 5 goals 7 assists 11 points 1.15 PPG
1996-1997 Phx 6 GP 2 goals 4 assists 6 points 1.05 PPG
1997-1998 Phx 6 GP 6 goals 3 assists 9 points 1.48 PPG
1998-1999 Phx 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1999-2000 Phx 5 GP 2 goals 2 assists 5 points 0.96 PPG
2001-2002 Phi 5 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
2002-2003 Phi 13 GP 4 goals 6 assists 10 points 0.73 PPG
2003-2004 Phi 18 GP 5 goals 11 assists 17 points 0.92 PPG
2007-2008 SJ 12 GP 2 goals 3 assists 5 points 0.44 PPG
2008-2009 SJ 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.17 PPG
Career - 1389 GP, 526 goals, 748 assists, 1275 points, 0.92 PPG
Career-Highs - 48 goals (91-92); 57 assists (93-94); 99 points (93-94); 1.21 PPG (93-94)
Avg. (19 seasons) - 72 GP, 27 goals, 39 assists, 66 points, 0.92 PPG
Peak Avg. (90-98) - 75 GP, 35 goals, 44 assists, 79 points, 1.05 PPG, 0 Cups
Playoff Career - 154 GP, 52 goals, 69 assists, 120 points, 0.78 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 10 goals (91-92); 11 assists (03-04); 19 points (91-92); 1.48 PPG (97-98)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - None
Never Won Stanley Cup
JR languished on the bubble of my Pyramid for a while, but eventually I had to throw him in right at the cutoff point, based solely on the Dino Ciccarelli Rule (if you had a more impactful career than Dino Ciccarelli, you're in). He's like the center equivalent of Ciccarelli: good-but-not-great production for nineteen seasons, a gritty, sandpaper style to his game, and a total lack of accolades, all-star recognition or Stanley Cup wins.
Still, with Roenick there are a few intangibles. I remember growing up in the early-1990s that Jeremy Roenick was one of the most electrifying young players in the league. After a few modest seasons as a youngster, Roenick burst onto the scene as a twenty year-old by scoring 15 adjusted points in 20 playoff games as the Blackhawks made it to the Conference finals. For the next four seasons, he owned Chicago (well, aside from, you know, Michael Jordan).
Roenick's run from 1990 to 1994 is still impressive. He averaged 42 goals and 91 points, and the Blackhawks consistently seemed like a threat for the Stanley Cup even if they never actually pushed through. In 1992, when the Blackhawks made it to the Cup final, Roenick had 19 adj. points and was +11 in 18 games. It looked like Roenick was going to be the first genuine Blackhawk superstar in a long time.
It didn't pan out that way. Roenick went to Phoenix, then to Philadelphia, and while he enjoyed productive campaigns, he was never able to recapture the glory of the Blackhawk days. With Phoenix, he never made it past the first round, and while the Flyers' teams were always in contention, they only made it to the Conference finals once (when JR scored the goal that broke the hearts of Leaf fans everywhere).
So why is he on the Pyramid at all? The Phoenix years may not have been stellar but they were still productive, and Roenick was such a galvanizing personality he was able to sell hockey to a non-traditional market (of course, since he's left, it's all been downhill). He helped spark what little interest there is in hockey in the United States with his frequent talk-show appearances (even if they hurt Roenick's legacy by revealing him as a ham). And he was known as a great trash-talker, although in his most famous trash talking incident, he was thoroughly burned by Patrick Roy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW1aSTmwrOE).
The career totals of 526 goals and 1,275 points aren't anything to be ignored, even if they may be a Ciccarelliesque product of being around for so long. The point is, while Roenick didn't ever actually win anything of consequence throughout his career, the purpose of this blog was to remind myself in future years of the players who made an impact. Roenick did, so he earns a spot. Barely.
#101 - Tim Horton
Tim Horton (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #101)
Adjusted Stats
1949-1950 Tor 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1951-1952 Tor 5 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1952-1953 Tor 82 GP 3 goals 21 assists 24 points 0.29 PPG
1953-1954 Tor 82 GP 11 goals 36 assists 47 points 0.57 PPG
1954-1955 Tor 78 GP 7 goals 13 assists 20 points 0.25 PPG
1955-1956 Tor 41 GP 0 goals 7 assists 7 points 0.17 PPG
1956-1957 Tor 77 GP 8 goals 25 assists 33 points 0.43 PPG
1957-1958 Tor 62 GP 8 goals 26 assists 33 points 0.54 PPG
1958-1959 Tor 82 GP 6 goals 26 assists 32 points 0.39 PPG
1959-1960 Tor 82 GP 4 goals 35 assists 39 points 0.48 PPG
1960-1961 Tor 67 GP 7 goals 18 assists 25 points 0.38 PPG
1961-1962 Tor* 82 GP 12 goals 34 assists 45 points 0.55 PPG
1962-1963 Tor* 82 GP 7 goals 23 assists 30 points 0.37 PPG
1963-1964 Tor* 82 GP 12 goals 26 assists 38 points 0.46 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 82 GP 15 goals 20 assists 35 points 0.43 PPG
1965-1966 Tor 82 GP 7 goals 26 assists 33 points 0.40 PPG
1966-1967 Tor* 82 GP 10 goals 21 assists 30 points 0.37 PPG
1967-1968 Tor 76 GP 5 goals 28 assists 33 points 0.43 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 80 GP 12 goals 32 assists 45 points 0.56 PPG
1969-1970 Tor/NYR 80 GP 5 goals 27 assists 32 points 0.40 PPG
1970-1971 NYR 82 GP 2 goals 19 assists 21 points 0.25 PPG
1971-1972 Pit 46 GP 2 goals 9 assists 12 points 0.25 PPG
1972-1973 Buf 73 GP 1 goal 16 assists 17 points 0.23 PPG
1973-1974 Buf 58 GP 0 goals 6 assists 6 points 0.10 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1949-1950 Tor 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1953-1954 Tor 5 GP 1 goal 1 assist 3 points 0.52 PPG
1955-1956 Tor 2 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1958-1959 Tor 12 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.23 PPG
1959-1960 Tor 10 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.10 PPG
1960-1961 Tor 5 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1961-1962 Tor* 12 GP 3 goals 13 assists 16 points 1.32 PPG
1962-1963 Tor* 10 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.40 PPG
1963-1964 Tor* 14 GP 0 goals 4 assists 4 points 0.30 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.36 PPG
1965-1966 Tor 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.26 PPG
1966-1967 Tor* 12 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 0.69 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 4 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1969-1970 NYR 6 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.31 PPG
1970-1971 NYR 13 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.35 PPG
1971-1972 Pit 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.23 PPG
1972-1973 Buf 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.15 PPG
Career - 1646 GP, 144 goals, 494 assists, 637 points, 0.39 PPG
Career-Highs - 15 goals (64-65); 36 assists (53-54); 47 points (53-54); 0.57 PPG (53-54)
Avg. (22 seasons) - 75 GP, 7 goals, 22 assists, 29 points, 0.39 PPG
Peak Avg. (61-69) - 81 GP, 10 goals, 26 assists, 36 points, 0.45 PPG, 4 Cups
Playoff Career - 126 GP, 11 goals, 39 assists, 51 points, 0.40 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 3 goals (61-62); 13 assists (61-62); 16 points (61-62); 1.32 PPG (61-62)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 3-time 2nd-team
4-time Stanley Cup Champion
He's known to today's generation primarily for his coffee-and-doughnut franchise, which is a Canadian institution, and less for being one of the premium defensive-defenseman of his era. I may need a Tim Hortons' coffee after typing out these statistics: it's easily the most boring career of anyone on the Pyramid. There are no highs and very little lows, just steadiness, durability and occasionally a Stanley Cup. But while Horton's statistics may be dull, the totality of his career is very interesting.
If there's a more modern-day equivalent to Horton, it would be Scott Stevens. Not that Horton was as fearsome a hitter as Stevens, but he was relied upon to be a shutdown defenceman, and also something of an enforcer. Horton took a lot of penalties early in his career and seemed destined to be the heir apparent to Eddie Shore as the defenceman who everyone else in the league was scared shitless of. But something about Horton's personality was too gentle, and in the late 1950s and early 60s, he evolved into more of a cerebral shutdown defenceman.
Considering the physical game he played, Horton's durability is remarkable. He played until his career was cut short at 44 (more on that later) and in total amassed 1,646 adjusted career games. While Horton's offensive numbers are nothing to write home about, like Scott Stevens, one needs to look at his multiple appearances on year-end all-star teams to see how highly Horton was thought of at the time. Throughout the 1960s, its arguable he was the best or second-best overall defenceman (Pierre Pilote and a fading Doug Harvey would be his biggest rivals).
1962 may have been Horton's peak year. After being named a first-team all-star, he put up a remarkable 16 points in 12 playoff games (far beyond his normal rate of production) in the postseason and led the Leafs to the first of three consecutive Stanley Cups. If the NHL ever goes back and doles out retroactive Conn Smythe awards, Horton may win for this year.
Of course, Horton's business ventures off the ice are also legendary. In the mid-1960s, while still playing, he founded Tim Horton's Doughnut Shop. No need to go into how much of a success that turned into, but it's interesting to note that Horton would have made millions within the first few years of the chain's existence, and yet still continued to play hockey for love of the game. At 44, he was fading but still going strong for the Buffalo Sabres, something of a latter-day Chris Chelios. Tragically though, Horton was killed in a car accident on the QEW (there is a suspicion that he'd consumed a lot of vodka). While he may have been close to retirement anyway, it was a tragic end to Horton's fine career.
Still, his legend lives on, both as a player and as a part of Canadiana. Now I'll have a double-double to go, please.
Adjusted Stats
1949-1950 Tor 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1951-1952 Tor 5 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1952-1953 Tor 82 GP 3 goals 21 assists 24 points 0.29 PPG
1953-1954 Tor 82 GP 11 goals 36 assists 47 points 0.57 PPG
1954-1955 Tor 78 GP 7 goals 13 assists 20 points 0.25 PPG
1955-1956 Tor 41 GP 0 goals 7 assists 7 points 0.17 PPG
1956-1957 Tor 77 GP 8 goals 25 assists 33 points 0.43 PPG
1957-1958 Tor 62 GP 8 goals 26 assists 33 points 0.54 PPG
1958-1959 Tor 82 GP 6 goals 26 assists 32 points 0.39 PPG
1959-1960 Tor 82 GP 4 goals 35 assists 39 points 0.48 PPG
1960-1961 Tor 67 GP 7 goals 18 assists 25 points 0.38 PPG
1961-1962 Tor* 82 GP 12 goals 34 assists 45 points 0.55 PPG
1962-1963 Tor* 82 GP 7 goals 23 assists 30 points 0.37 PPG
1963-1964 Tor* 82 GP 12 goals 26 assists 38 points 0.46 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 82 GP 15 goals 20 assists 35 points 0.43 PPG
1965-1966 Tor 82 GP 7 goals 26 assists 33 points 0.40 PPG
1966-1967 Tor* 82 GP 10 goals 21 assists 30 points 0.37 PPG
1967-1968 Tor 76 GP 5 goals 28 assists 33 points 0.43 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 80 GP 12 goals 32 assists 45 points 0.56 PPG
1969-1970 Tor/NYR 80 GP 5 goals 27 assists 32 points 0.40 PPG
1970-1971 NYR 82 GP 2 goals 19 assists 21 points 0.25 PPG
1971-1972 Pit 46 GP 2 goals 9 assists 12 points 0.25 PPG
1972-1973 Buf 73 GP 1 goal 16 assists 17 points 0.23 PPG
1973-1974 Buf 58 GP 0 goals 6 assists 6 points 0.10 PPG
Adjusted Playoff Stats
1949-1950 Tor 1 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1953-1954 Tor 5 GP 1 goal 1 assist 3 points 0.52 PPG
1955-1956 Tor 2 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1958-1959 Tor 12 GP 0 goals 3 assists 3 points 0.23 PPG
1959-1960 Tor 10 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.10 PPG
1960-1961 Tor 5 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1961-1962 Tor* 12 GP 3 goals 13 assists 16 points 1.32 PPG
1962-1963 Tor* 10 GP 1 goal 3 assists 4 points 0.40 PPG
1963-1964 Tor* 14 GP 0 goals 4 assists 4 points 0.30 PPG
1964-1965 Tor 6 GP 0 goals 2 assists 2 points 0.36 PPG
1965-1966 Tor 4 GP 1 goal 0 assists 1 point 0.26 PPG
1966-1967 Tor* 12 GP 3 goals 5 assists 8 points 0.69 PPG
1968-1969 Tor 4 GP 0 goals 0 assists 0 points 0.00 PPG
1969-1970 NYR 6 GP 1 goal 1 assist 2 points 0.31 PPG
1970-1971 NYR 13 GP 1 goal 4 assists 5 points 0.35 PPG
1971-1972 Pit 4 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.23 PPG
1972-1973 Buf 6 GP 0 goals 1 assist 1 point 0.15 PPG
Career - 1646 GP, 144 goals, 494 assists, 637 points, 0.39 PPG
Career-Highs - 15 goals (64-65); 36 assists (53-54); 47 points (53-54); 0.57 PPG (53-54)
Avg. (22 seasons) - 75 GP, 7 goals, 22 assists, 29 points, 0.39 PPG
Peak Avg. (61-69) - 81 GP, 10 goals, 26 assists, 36 points, 0.45 PPG, 4 Cups
Playoff Career - 126 GP, 11 goals, 39 assists, 51 points, 0.40 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 3 goals (61-62); 13 assists (61-62); 16 points (61-62); 1.32 PPG (61-62)
Accolades - None
All-Star Teams - 3-time 1st-team, 3-time 2nd-team
4-time Stanley Cup Champion
He's known to today's generation primarily for his coffee-and-doughnut franchise, which is a Canadian institution, and less for being one of the premium defensive-defenseman of his era. I may need a Tim Hortons' coffee after typing out these statistics: it's easily the most boring career of anyone on the Pyramid. There are no highs and very little lows, just steadiness, durability and occasionally a Stanley Cup. But while Horton's statistics may be dull, the totality of his career is very interesting.
If there's a more modern-day equivalent to Horton, it would be Scott Stevens. Not that Horton was as fearsome a hitter as Stevens, but he was relied upon to be a shutdown defenceman, and also something of an enforcer. Horton took a lot of penalties early in his career and seemed destined to be the heir apparent to Eddie Shore as the defenceman who everyone else in the league was scared shitless of. But something about Horton's personality was too gentle, and in the late 1950s and early 60s, he evolved into more of a cerebral shutdown defenceman.
Considering the physical game he played, Horton's durability is remarkable. He played until his career was cut short at 44 (more on that later) and in total amassed 1,646 adjusted career games. While Horton's offensive numbers are nothing to write home about, like Scott Stevens, one needs to look at his multiple appearances on year-end all-star teams to see how highly Horton was thought of at the time. Throughout the 1960s, its arguable he was the best or second-best overall defenceman (Pierre Pilote and a fading Doug Harvey would be his biggest rivals).
1962 may have been Horton's peak year. After being named a first-team all-star, he put up a remarkable 16 points in 12 playoff games (far beyond his normal rate of production) in the postseason and led the Leafs to the first of three consecutive Stanley Cups. If the NHL ever goes back and doles out retroactive Conn Smythe awards, Horton may win for this year.
Of course, Horton's business ventures off the ice are also legendary. In the mid-1960s, while still playing, he founded Tim Horton's Doughnut Shop. No need to go into how much of a success that turned into, but it's interesting to note that Horton would have made millions within the first few years of the chain's existence, and yet still continued to play hockey for love of the game. At 44, he was fading but still going strong for the Buffalo Sabres, something of a latter-day Chris Chelios. Tragically though, Horton was killed in a car accident on the QEW (there is a suspicion that he'd consumed a lot of vodka). While he may have been close to retirement anyway, it was a tragic end to Horton's fine career.
Still, his legend lives on, both as a player and as a part of Canadiana. Now I'll have a double-double to go, please.
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