Bobby Plager

Robert Bryant Plager (March 11, 1943 – March 24, 2021) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 14 seasons from 1964 until 1978, primarily for the St. Louis Blues. Plager spent over half a century with the Blues organization in various capacities.

Early career[edit]

Plager was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, on March 11, 1943.^[1] His father, Gus, worked as the chief official in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association.^[2] Plager played junior hockey with the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters and the Guelph Royals.^[3] Known for his aggressive, highly physical play, he broke what was then the Ontario Hockey Association record for penalty minutes in a season in 1961–62.^[2] He subsequently signed a professional contract with the New York Rangers in 1964, but only played 29 games with this club over the next three years, spending most of his time with the minor league Baltimore Clippers. The NHL’s expansion gave Plager his chance to become an NHL regular; he was traded to St. Louis with Gary Sabourin, Tim Ecclestone, and Gord Kannegiesser for Rod Seiling on June 6, 1967.^[4]

Blues playing career[edit]

Plager was reunited with his brothers Bill and Barclay as all three took the ice for St. Louis Blues as the team started its existence with a hard-hitting, defensive-oriented squad that appeared in three straight Stanley Cup Finals. Bob Plager earned a reputation as a bruising player with a devastating hip check. Off the ice, he was known as a prankster who was able to bond teammates through his lighthearted demeanor.^[5] Despite injuries, Plager was able to play 615 games over 11 years on the St. Louis blue line.^[6]

Post-playing career[edit]

Plager retired from on-ice action in 1978 and took a job with the Blues front office. He is credited with developing the process of advanced scouting. During the 1990–91 season, he took over as head coach of the Peoria Rivermen, a Blues affiliate club. In his one-season behind the bench, he led the team to a Turner Cup championship and won the Commissioners’ Trophy as coach of the year. During the 1992–93 season, he became the Blues’ head coach, but, unhappy with his new role, he resigned after 11 games to return to his job as vice president of player development.^[7]

His jersey was retired on February 2, 2017, the seventh for a Blues player.^[8] He was either a player, coach or executive for nearly all of the Blues’ existence until his death.^[9]

Personal life[edit]

Plager’s brothers, Bill and Barclay, also played in the NHL.^[1] All three of them played together with the St. Louis Blues from 1968 to 1972.^[1][10][11] Plager was a convert to Judaism.^[12][13]

Death[edit]

Plager died of a “cardiac event” suffered while driving eastbound near St. Louis’ Vandeventer neighborhood, on Interstate 64, on March 24, 2021, leading to a two-vehicle collision.^[14][15][16] During a commemoration ceremony at Enterprise Center, organist Jeremy Boyer played “When The Blues Go Marching In” while Blues alumni carried his coffin out of Enterprise Center to be transported.^[17]

Scott Edgar Mellanby (born June 11, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and executive. He primarily played right wing throughout his NHL career, on occasion shifting over to the left side. He is the son of former Hockey Night in Canada producer Ralph Mellanby.

After his second season in the WCHA was finished, he promptly played his first two NHL games. He made his NHL debut on March 22, 1986 against the New York Rangers.^[6] In 1989, Mellanby suffered a serious injury in a barroom brawl when he tried to help a friend and he wound up getting a severe cut from a broken beer bottle on his left arm. The cut sliced four tendons, a nerve and an artery in the arm.^[7]

Mellanby would play for Philadelphia until the summer of 1991, when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-player deal that included Jari Kurri going to Philadelphia (though Kurri was traded to the Los Angeles Kings the same day).^[8]

Mellanby was left unprotected by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft, allowing him to be claimed by the new Florida Panthers. This was the team where Mellanby would have his best years. In fact he became a fan favorite in Florida when he killed a rat with his hockey stick in the team dressing room, spawning the “rat trick” craze, where fans would litter the ice with thousands of plastic rats after each Panthers goal.^[9] He also scored the Panthers’ first ever goal in franchise history on October 9, 1993 and played in the 1996 All-Star game.^[10]

Mellanby was traded to the St. Louis Blues in February 2001, and the move revitalized his career. He scored 57 points during the 2002–03 season, his highest total since 1996. Mellanby then signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers in the summer of 2004 and he re-signed with Atlanta for the 2006–07 season. On November 23, 2006, he was suspended one game for a fight between the Thrashers and the Washington Capitals.^[11]

Rick Nash

Richard McLaren Nash (born June 16, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who serves as the director of player development for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). After being selected first overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by Columbus, he played 15 seasons in the NHL for the Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, and was selected to play in six National Hockey League All-Star Games.

Prior to turning professional, Nash was a highly regarded prospect with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he spent two seasons, earning the Emms Family Award in 2001 as the League’s Rookie of the Year. He began his NHL career with the Blue Jackets immediately following his draft, in 2002–03, and was nominated for the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. In his second NHL season, Nash scored 41 goals to tie with Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk as winners of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer. Nash is a five-time NHL All-Star and was also awarded the NHL Foundation Player Award in the 2008–09 season for his charitable work in the Columbus community. He is the all-time Blue Jackets franchise leader in goals, points, and games played. In 2022, Nash’s number 61 was retired by the Blue Jackets.^[1]

Internationally, Nash has represented Team Canada, with whom he has won one gold and two silver medals at the World Championships, and two gold medals at the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014. Additionally, he has represented Canada at the 2002 World Junior Championships, helping the team to a silver medal, and also competed for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

Background[edit]

Nash was raised in Brampton, Ontario, where he attended Brampton Centennial Secondary School.^[2] He played minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), where he caught the attention of OHL scouts in 1999.^{[citation needed]} He played in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Marlboros minor ice hockey team.^[3]

Playing career[edit]

As a member of the London Knights for two seasons in the OHL, Rick Nash began his major junior career with 66 points in his first year, receiving the Emms Family Award as the League’s top rookie. The following season, he amassed 72 points in 54 games and was subsequently selected first overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.^{[citation needed]}

Columbus Blue Jackets (2002–2012)[edit]

The first NHL contract for Nash was negotiated minutes before the signing deadline by Gord Kirke. It was the most lucrative contract for an NHL rookie at the time, valued at 1.2 million USD per season plus bonuses and incentives which ranged from 8 to US$12 million.^[4]

Joining the Blue Jackets in 2002–03, Nash debuted on October 10, 2002, and scored a goal in a 2–1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. He was the eighth number one overall pick to score a goal in his first game and the first to do so in his draft year since Mario Lemieux in 1984.^[5] That season, Nash was nominated for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie, but lost to defenseman Barret Jackman of the St. Louis Blues. He would, however, join Jackman on the NHL All-Rookie Team.^[6]

In Nash’s sophomore campaign, he improved his rookie goal total from 17 to 41, a career-high that tied Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for most goals in the League. At 19 years of age, Nash was the youngest player in history to lead the League in goals.^[5] Recording 16 assists, Nash finished the year with 57 points.^{[citation needed]}

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Nash played for HC Davos of the Swiss Nationalliga A (NLA). He scored 26 goals and 46 points in 44 games and added 11 more points (nine goals and two assists) in 15 games in the NLA playoffs. Joined by fellow NHL-er Joe Thornton, Davos went on to win the Swiss Championship, as well as the 2004 Spengler Cup.^[7]

With the NHL set to resume play in 2005–06, the Blue Jackets re-signed Nash to a five-year, $27 million contract. The deal saw his annual salary increase each year, with $3.5 million the first season and $7 million in the last season of the contract for a $5.4 million average salary.^[8] Knee and ankle injuries, however, sidelined Nash for much of the first half of the season. Missing 28 games total, Nash was still named to Team Canada for the 2006 Olympics, shortly after being activated from the injured reserve. Upon returning from a disappointing seventh-place finish in Turin, Nash completed the season at a point-per-game pace with 54 points in 54 games.^[9]

In 2006–07, Nash matched his sophomore points total with 57, and was named to the Western Conference All-Star Team for the second time in his career. He was Columbus’ lone representative both times. Nash scored the game-winning goal in the West win.^[10]

The following season, on January 17, 2008, Nash scored what many commentators called the “goal of the year”^[11] in the final minute versus the Phoenix Coyotes. Breaking a tied score, Nash deked around two defenders and the goaltender to score the eventual game-winner. Later, at the end of the season, the goal was nominated for an ESPY Award in the category of Best Play.^[12] Selected to his third All-Star Game in 2008 that season, Nash scored the quickest goal in All-Star Game history, just 12 seconds in and ended the game with a hat-trick.^[13]

Completing the season with 38 goals and 69 points, Nash nearly matched his personal best goals total and set a career high for points and assists. Shortly before the end of the season, on March 12, 2008, Nash was also named the fifth captain in Blue Jackets history, replacing the recently traded Adam Foote.^[14]

In the off-season, in May 2008, Nash was named the cover athlete and spokesman for the NHL 2K9 video game.^[15]

Going into the 2008–09 campaign, the Blue Jackets had gone without a playoff appearance in franchise history. Led by the newly appointed captain Nash and bolstered by rookie goaltender Steve Mason, the Blue Jackets finished the season as the seventh seed in the Western Conference to earn a post-season berth against division-rival the Detroit Red Wings. The series was preceded by an 8–2 rout over the Red Wings on March 7, 2009, a game in which Nash scored three unassisted goals.^[16] According to the Columbus Dispatch, citing the Elias Sports Bureau, the last player to score three goals unassisted was Maurice Richard (who scored four) against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 14, 1948. Despite the convincing victory late in the season, the Blue Jackets were swept by the Red Wings in four games.^[17]

In addition to leading the Blue Jackets to the playoffs, Nash had a career season with 79 points, in addition to scoring 40 goals for the first time since 2003–04. In the off-season, on July 3, 2009, Nash signed an eight-year contract extension with the Blue Jackets worth $62.4 million set to take effect in 2010–11.^[18]

As the 2011–12 season began to unfold, Columbus recorded a dismal 2–12–1 record, the worst start to an NHL season by any team in 19 years.^[19] With the team struggling, rumors began circulating that the Blue Jackets were contemplating trading Nash as a solution to their on-ice woes. While Blue Jackets General Manager Scott Howson stated publicly that he had had no discussions regarding a Nash deal, other teams had indeed inquired about his availability.^[20] When asked about it, Nash stated that if the franchise felt it could improve itself by dealing him, he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause in order to get the deal done.^[21] Though Howson had previously maintained that he had no intention of trading Nash, two weeks before the trade deadline, he stated in the press that the team was open to all options and they were willing to listen to trade proposals for Nash, despite not actively shopping him. Speculation was that in return for Nash the Blue Jackets would ask for a top six forward, a top prospect and a first-round draft pick.^[22][23]

Trade speculation continued on into the summer with no deal imminent. While Howson claimed he merely wanted to receive “market value” in any deal for Nash, there was speculation that his asking price was too high for many rival NHL GMs to consider.^[24] Columbus eventually found a trade partner in the New York Rangers. Nash, along with Steven Delisle and a conditional third-round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, were traded to the Rangers for Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon and a 2013 first-round draft pick.^[25]

New York Rangers (2012–2018)[edit]

Nash signed a contract to play with HC Davos again during the 2012–13 NHL lockout.^[26] In late September 2012, while playing for Davos, Nash injured his shoulder and left the game.

Nash had a successful first regular season with the Rangers, scoring 21 goals and 21 assists for 42 points in 44 games played in the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season. However, in the playoffs, Nash underwhelmed with only one goal and four assists in 12 playoff games.^[27]

Nash opened the 2013–14 season well, with three assists in two games. But on October 8, 2013, in a game against the San Jose Sharks, Nash suffered a concussion from a hit by Brad Stuart, which forced him to miss 17 games.^[28] On November 21, Nash scored his first goal of the season in a 3–2 win against the Dallas Stars.^[29] He would finish the season with a solid goal total of 26 in 65 games, but with only 13 assists, his 39 points tied a career low. Nash struggled mightily in the playoffs for the second straight year, scoring only three goals in 25 playoff games. Despite his low offensive production, however, he was solid defensively throughout, and the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Finals, ultimately losing in five games to the Los Angeles Kings in a series in which all the games were close decisions.^[30]

Nash had a superstar season in 2014–15 scoring a career-high 42 goals (third in the NHL behind Steven Stamkos with 43 and Alexander Ovechkin with 53) and 27 assists. Nash’s production also improved during the 2015 playoffs, as he scored five goals and nine assists (14 points) in 19 games as the Rangers fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a hard-fought seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series.^[31]

Nash’s performance declined at the start of the 2015–16 season as he struggled to recapture his scoring pace from the previous season. This was further exacerbated by muscle spasms that caused Nash to miss 22 games. Despite being involved in trade rumors, few teams seemed to be interested in Rick Nash and his $7.9 million cap hit. Nash scored a career-low 15 goals, going with 21 assists for a career-low 36 points. He then recorded two goals and two assists in New York’s five-game opening round loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs.^[32]

On October 11, 2016 Nash was named an alternate captain for the New York Rangers, joining Daniel Girardi, Marc Staal, and Derek Stepan along with captain Ryan McDonagh.^[33] On November 8, 2016, Nash scored his 400th goal in a 5–3 loss against the Vancouver Canucks.^[34] Nash again missed several games during the 2016–17 season, this time with a nagging groin injury. He still managed to score 23 goals and 15 assists for 38 points, in 67 games. Nash’s production continued to improve during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs. He recorded two goals and one assist in the Rangers six-game opening-round victory over the Montreal Canadiens.^[35]

On October 26, 2017, Nash skated in his 1,000th NHL career game, which resulted in a 5–2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. He became the 312th player in NHL history to play at least 1,000 career games.^[36][37]

Boston Bruins (2018)[edit]

During the 2017–18 season, the Rangers struggled relative to their results from past seasons. On February 8, 2018, the team released a letter to fans that signaled intentions to begin a rebuild, to which rumors of a Nash trade began to swirl, as he was in the last year of his contract.^[38] On February 25, 2018, one day before the trade deadline, Nash was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, prospect Ryan Lindgren, a 2018 first-round pick (which became Jacob Bernard-Docker), and a 2019 seventh-round pick (which became Massimo Rizzo).^[39] Rick Nash’s first goal as a Bruin, and his 800th career point, came on February 27, 2018, in a 4–3 overtime Bruins home ice win over the Carolina Hurricanes.^[40] Nash would go on to play 23 games for the Bruins, and suffered a concussion in a game against the Tampa Bay Lighning, after a hit from Cedric Paquette.^[41]

On January 11, 2019, at age 34, due to unresolved symptoms from a concussion sustained in March 2018, Nash was forced to retire from professional hockey after playing 1,060 career games spanning over 15 seasons.^[42]

Richard David “Nifty” Middleton (born December 4, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League.

Playing career[edit] Rick Middleton

As a youth, Middleton played in the 1966 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Wexford, Toronto.^[1]

A right winger, Middleton was drafted in the first round, 14th overall, by the Rangers in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft after a glittering junior career with the Oshawa Generals in which he led his league in scoring his final year and was named to the league’s Second All-Star Team. He spent the 1973–74 season with the Rangers’ farm team, the AHL Providence Reds, earning rookie of the year honors and being named to the AHL’s First All-Star Team.

Middleton made the big club during the 1974–75 season, and despite suffering injuries that restricted him to 47 games, scored 22 goals in that limited time. The following season was not as spectacular, as he scored 24 goals in 77 games while showing defensive deficiencies.

Middleton was traded to the Boston Bruins for Ken Hodge on May 26, 1976. Rangers head coach and general manager John Ferguson Sr. was confident that his team had enough young talent to justify making Middleton expendable. What the Bruins got was a player who was ten years younger and a swifter skater than Hodge.^[2] The transaction became even more one-sided in favor of the Bruins when head coach Don Cherry developed Middleton’s defensive skills to make him a solid two-way player.^[3] Hodge played only a single season more before his career ended, while Middleton became a star in Boston, scoring a hat trick in his first game as a Bruin (October 7, 1976 versus Minnesota) and nearly nine hundred points in a Bruins uniform over the next twelve years. Generally paired with centre Barry Pederson, Middleton had five straight seasons of at least forty goals and ninety points and led the Bruins to perennial glittering records. His leadership was apparent in being named co-captain (with Ray Bourque) to succeed Terry O’Reilly in 1985, a position he held until he retired, wearing the “C” during home games. Middleton was regarded as one of the best one-on-one players of all time^{[citation needed]} and currently ranks second all time in career shooting percentage (19.7) among players with 400+ goals.

His best season was the 1981–82 season, during which Middleton scored a career high 51 goals, won the Lady Byng Trophy for excellence and sportsmanship, and was named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team. The following season, Middleton led the Bruins to the league’s best regular season record, and set unbroken records that year for the most points scored in the playoffs by a player not advancing to the finals (33) and for a single playoff series (19, in the quarterfinals against Buffalo). His 105 points in the 1983–84 season tied Ken Hodge’s team record for most points scored in a season by a right winger, and remains unbroken.

Middleton scored 25 shorthanded goals for Boston—a Bruins’ team record that was surpassed by Brad Marchand in 2018–19. Middleton had held the club record for more than 30 years since overtaking Derek Sanderson‘s record of 24.

Middleton also starred in international play, being named to play for Team Canada in the Canada Cup in 1981 and 1984. Teamed on the top line with Wayne Gretzky and Michel Goulet in the 1984 series, he scored four goals and four assists in seven games. Further, Middleton played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1981, 1982 and 1984.

At the time of his retirement following the 1987-88 season, Middleton ranked third on the Boston Bruins’ all-time regular-season scoring list (trailing only Johnny Bucyk and Phil Esposito) with 402 goals and 496 assists for 898 points–10 more than Bobby Orr accumulated. As of the end of the 2020-21 season, Middleton was in fifth spot, having been overtaken on the list by both Raymond Bourque and Patrice Bergeron.

Middleton’s 100 playoff points for Boston puts him in a sixth-place tie with Bucyk on the club’s all-time list.

On November 29, 2018 the Boston Bruins retired Middleton’s #16 before a game against the New York Islanders at TD Garden.^[4]

Justin Williams

Justin Craig Williams (born October 4, 1981) is a Canadian–American former professional ice hockey right winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, and Washington Capitals.

Williams won the Stanley Cup three times: in 2006 with the Hurricanes and in 2012 and 2014 with the Kings. Nicknamed “Mr. Game 7“,^[1] Williams played nine game seven playoff games in his NHL career, with his team sporting a 8–1 record in these games. He currently is tied for most goals in these games with Glenn Anderson at seven, and has the outright record for most game seven points, with 15. Williams won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the playoffs in 2014 with the Kings.

Playing career[edit]

Junior[edit]

Williams grew up in Cobourg, Ontario, and played minor hockey in nearby Port Hope in the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHMA) before gaining a reputation as a skilled goon with the Cobourg Cougars of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League in 1997–98. His favourite players growing up were Sergei Fedorov and Wayne Gretzky.^[2]

Williams was drafted in the sixth round, 125th overall, by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)’s Plymouth Whalers in the 1998 OHL Priority Selection. He was signed as a 16-year-old by the Whalers and split time between the OHL club and their affiliate, the Compuware Jr. A. club of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), during the 1998–99 season. He finished his junior career with two seasons played for Plymouth.

Professional[edit]

Philadelphia Flyers (2000–2004)[edit]

Williams was drafted in the first round, 28th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. In four seasons played with the Flyers, Williams struggled to live up to expectations, as he tried to adapt to the varying systems of three separate coaches – Craig Ramsay (2000), Bill Barber (2000–2002) and Ken Hitchcock (2002–2006). Williams was also frequently injured, which simultaneously hampered his development. He broke his left hand in his rookie season (hit by David Tanabe of the Carolina Hurricanes) and had various sprains and strains in his sophomore year. Williams also suffered a left knee injury on January 18, 2003, when he was hit low by the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s Brad Lukowich. The hit tore Williams’ anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL), and, on January 23, 2003, he had surgery to repair the ligaments. Originally projected to miss four to eight months recovering from the injury, Williams made it back into Philadelphia’s line-up in just three months.

Carolina Hurricanes (2004–2009)[edit]

On January 20, 2004, Williams was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenceman Danny Markov. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he went overseas to play for Luleå HF of the Swedish Elitserien, where he recorded 14 goals and 18 assists in 49 games.

Williams signed a one-year contract with the Hurricanes for the 2005–06 season, when he set career-highs in games played (82), goals (31), assists (45), points (76) and penalty minutes (60). In the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Williams injured Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu in the eye without being penalized in Game 3, despite Montreal receiving a double minor penalty for high sticking in overtime. Saku Koivu missed the remainder of the playoffs due to the injury. ^[3]

Williams scored the final goal of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, an empty net goal at 18:59 of the third period of Game 7.^[4] With the score 2–1, a loose puck along the boards ended up on the stick of Bret Hedican, who passed it to Eric Staal. Seeing Williams open, Staal threw the puck down the ice to him. Williams skated down the ice and tapped the puck into the open net, sealing the Hurricanes’ first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Hurricanes won the series 4–3.

On July 1, 2006, Williams signed a new five-year contract with the Hurricanes worth $3.5 million per season.

In 2006–07, Williams recorded career-highs in goals (33), penalty minutes (73), power play goals (12) and game-winning goals (8). It was Williams’ second consecutive season of 82 games played. Williams made his first appearance in an NHL All-Star game at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas, recording a goal and an assist. Williams also played for Canada in the 2007 IIHF World Championship, in which he won his second gold medal.

Williams was off to a good start for his 2007–08 season, with 30 points in 36 games (9 goals, 21 assists), before his season ended: on December 20, 2007, during the first period of a game with the Florida Panthers, Williams suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee after a hit by Rostislav Olesz. Williams underwent successful surgery for the torn ligaments on December 26, 2007, and returned on April 1, 2008, only to leave the game with an unrelated back injury.

On September 17, 2008, Williams was thought to be sidelined for four-to-six months when he tore his right Achilles tendon in an off-ice, pre-season workout.^[5] Williams underwent surgery for the injury the following day, on September 18. Williams again surprised fans and analysts when he returned from his injury on December 4, 2008, more than one month earlier than his earliest projected return date. He was greeted by a round of applause on his first shift by the crowd, and played his first full NHL game in nearly 11 months. He played 32 games before he was again injured, this time by a teammate’s slap shot, which broke his left hand.

Los Angeles Kings (2009–2015)[edit]

On March 5, 2009, Williams was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Patrick O’Sullivan and the Calgary Flames‘ second-round draft pick.^[6]

On February 28, 2011, Williams signed a new four-year, $14.6 million contract with Los Angeles.^[7] He scored 15 points in the 2012 playoffs, helping the Kings win their first Stanley Cup.

During the 2012–13 season, Williams scored 11 goals with 22 assists, as the Kings would ultimately lose to the eventual Stanley Cup champions Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals of the 2013 playoffs.

Williams won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 2014 playoffs, where he won his third Stanley Cup and second with the Kings. He scored 9 goals and 15 assists during the playoffs, including the game-winning goal in Game 1 the Finals against the New York Rangers, and the Kings’ first in the 3–2 comeback in Game 5 to win the Cup. Williams also had points in all three Game 7 matches the Kings had en route to the Finals.^[8]

Washington Capitals (2015–2017)[edit]

On July 1, 2015, Williams signed a two-year, $6.25 million contract with the Washington Capitals.^[9] He would play his 1,000th NHL game on April 10, 2016. Despite the team winning back-to-back Presidents’ Trophies,^[10][11] the Capitals could not advance past the second round in either season.^[12][13]

Return to Carolina and retirement (2017–2020)[edit]

On July 1, 2017, Williams returned to the Hurricanes, signing a two-year, $9 million contract.^[14]

On September 13, 2018, Williams was named the captain of the Hurricanes, replacing the co-captaincy of Jordan Staal and Justin Faulk.^[15] The Hurricanes qualified for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.^[16] The team reached the Eastern Conference Final, losing in four straight to the Boston Bruins.^[17] Williams finished with seven points in 15 games.

As a free agent during the 2019 off-season, Williams was undecided on whether he would return to professional hockey.^[18] If he chose to return, it would only be with the Hurricanes.^[19] On September 2, Williams announced he had “decided to step away from the game.”^[20]

On January 7, 2020, Williams returned to the Hurricanes, signing a one-year, $700,000 contract.^[21] In his return to the lineup on January 19, he scored the game-deciding shootout goal to defeat the New York Islanders 2–1.^[22]

On October 8, 2020, Williams announced his retirement from professional hockey after a 19-season NHL career.^[23]

After retiring, Williams was hired as a “special advisor” to Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell.^[24]

Garry Unger

Garry Douglas Unger (born December 7, 1947) is a former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1983.

Playing career[edit]

Unger set an NHL record by playing 914 consecutive games in the regular season between February 24, 1968, and December 21, 1979, doing so with four teams: the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Flames.^[1] Unger passed Andy Hebenton, who had the record of 630 consecutive games played that had stood since the 1963-64 NHL season. Unger’s streak came to an end after Flames’ coach Al MacNeil benched him on December 21, 1979 (the only game he would miss that season). His record has since been surpassed by Phil Kessel who has played over 1000 consecutive games as of 2022

He was part of a six-player blockbuster transaction in which he was traded along with Frank Mahovlich and Pete Stemkowski from the Maple Leafs to the Red Wings for Norm Ullman, Paul Henderson and Floyd Smith on March 4, 1968. The Maple Leafs and Red Wings were in fifth and sixth place respectively at the bottom of the East Division standings at the time of the deal.^[2]

Unger finished his career with 1105 career NHL games, scoring 413 goals and 391 assists for 804 points, and he also registered 1075 career penalty minutes.^[1] Unger was the MVP of the 1974 NHL All-Star Game played in Chicago. He had an assist and scored a shorthanded goal in the West Division’s 6–4 victory over the East Division.

After retiring from the NHL he went to play for three seasons in the British professional league. During a season for the Peterborough Pirates he racked up 95 goals and well over 200 points while playing in only 30 games.

Personal[edit]

Garry was the oldest of four children of Jakob and Olive (Wheeler) Unger. Unger’s younger sister used a wheelchair; she proved to be an inspiration to Unger during his playing career. After being traded to Atlanta in 1979, Unger encountered a group of Christian players, including Paul Henderson, whom Unger credits with helping him discover spirituality and giving meaning to his life.^[3]

He and his wife Beverly have three children. Garry presently works with the Banff Hockey Academy in Banff, Alberta, Canada.^{[citation needed]}

Career statistics[edit]

Regular season and playoffs[edit]

Vincent Damphousse

Vincent François Damphousse (born December 17, 1967) is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for eighteen seasons. He played centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and San Jose Sharks, winning a Stanley Cup championship with Montreal in 1993. He was signed as an unrestricted free-agent by the Colorado Avalanche in 2004 during the off-season, but he never played with the team due to the lockout that canceled the 2004–05 season.

Damphousse currently serves as a hockey analyst with the French-language television network RDS in his native Quebec.^[1]

Playing career[edit]

Damphousse was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs 6th overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft after a standout junior hockey career with the Laval Voisins/Titan. In 1991 he was named MVP of the NHL All Star Game, being one of only four players (at that time) to ever score 4 goals in a single All-Star matchup.^[2] Damphousse spent five seasons in Toronto before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 1991 in a deal which sent future Hall of Famers Grant Fuhr and Glenn Anderson to Toronto, while Edmonton received Damphousse, Peter Ing, Luke Richardson, Scott Thornton, cash, and future considerations in return. Oilers’ general manager Glen Sather said of Damphousse at that time that among French-Canadian players, only Mario Lemieux was more skilled offensively.

On August 27, 1992, Damphousse was dealt to his hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens (with a 4th round pick in the 1993 NHL entry draft), in exchange for Shayne Corson, Brent Gilchrist and Vladimir Vujtek. His success with Montreal was immediate, as he recorded 97 points during the regular season and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1993. He spent six more seasons in Montreal before being traded on March 23, 1999 to the San Jose Sharks for a first, a second and a fifth round picks.^[3] He signed with the Colorado Avalanche on August 19, 2004, but he never played for them, as the 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout.

Damphousse was a member of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) executive committee, serving as vice president under Trevor Linden.

Retirement[edit]

Damphousse announced his retirement on September 7, 2005. He currently lives in Montreal and serves as a hockey analyst with the French-language television network RDS.^[1]

Personal[edit]

On April 14, 2011, Damphousse was charged by Montreal police with six counts of assaulting his spouse after allegations made by his wife.^[4] The incidents were alleged to have occurred between January 2008 and early 2011. Damphousse categorically denied the allegations brought against him and also filed a complaint against his wife for assault.^[5] On June 19, 2013, the Crown dropped all charges against the ex-hockey player, though the Crown announced intentions to pursue its case against Allana Henderson, now Damphousse’s ex-wife, for armed assault and theft under $5,000. Henderson was accused of committing assault with her vehicle and stealing a briefcase from her ex-husband. On January 14, 2015, the Crown dropped all charges against Henderson.^[6]

Awards[edit]

• QMJHL Second All-Star Team – 1986
• QMJHL Playoffs Most Assists (28) – 1986
• Selected to four NHL All-Star Games – 1991, 1992, 2001, 2002
• NHL All-Star Game MVP – 1991
• Stanley Cup champion – 1993 (Montreal)

Career statistics[edit]

Regular season and playoffs[edit]

Alexander Nikolayevich Maltsev (Russian: Александр Николаевич Мальцев; born 20 April 1949) is a Russian former professional ice hockey forward and politician.

Maltsev began his sports career at the Olimpiya Kirovo-Chepetsk of his hometown of Kirovo-Chepetsk (1966-1967, first coach N. I. Poles). He then played for Dynamo Moscow in the Soviet League for 530 games from 1967 to 1984. He was one of the few Soviet stars not to play for CSKA Moscow. A six-time Soviet all-star, he led the league in scoring in 1970–71 and tied with Valeri Kharlamov for MVP in 1971–72.^{[citation needed]}

Maltsev was on the USSR team during the 1972 Winter Olympics, 1976 Winter Olympics, and 1980 Winter Olympics, winning gold in 1972 and 1976 and silver in 1980. He was named the best forward at the IIHF World Championships three times, leading the tournament in goals once and total scoring twice.^[2] He made the world championship all-star team on five occasions. Maltsev’s 213 career goals in international play were the most by any Soviet player.^[3] He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1999.^[4]

Maltsev was awarded two Medals “For Labour Valour” in 1969 and 1972,^[1] the Order of the Badge of Honour in 1976 and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1978.^[5]

Career statistics[edit]

Regular season[edit]