SN Staff
With Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Simon Despres
notching the first-ever NHL goal and point by a former Saint John Sea Dog
player, it begs the question: Who is the most successful Sea Dog?
First let’s set some ground rules.
The player can’t currently be on the team and only the
accolades while not in a Dogs uniform will be considered.
Not an easy question to answer and one that everyone will
have a different opinion on.
Despres, Yann Sauve, Mike Hoffman and Mathieu Corbeil have
all suited up for an NHL game. That puts them high on the list, given the goal
of many young Canadians is to someday play in the NHL.
However, current players can’t be considered, so that
takes care of Corbeil leaving the two former Port City blueliners and Hoffman.
By virtue of his NHL goal and point, Despres is ranked
ahead of the other two.
Past graduates have gone on to play in the minors such as
the AHL and ECHL. While others have elected to play in the CIS.
Of those players I would argue that goaltender Travis
Fullerton is the most successful, having won two national titles in his first
three seasons at the University of New Brunswick.
Fullerton will get a chance for a third title this season
as the UNB Varsity Reds host the men’s hockey championship again in 2012.
The two championships, in my mind, outweigh the brief
stint in the show Despres is currently experiencing.
This is not to say Despres won’t surpass Fullerton on
this unofficial list. Playing the rest of the year in the NHL and skating in his
first playoff game are all goals that could vault him by the netminder, but he
simply hasn’t been in the NHL long enough for that to happen just yet.
If Fullerton and the V-Reds can capture a third title in
four years, it will only make Despres and others task harder, but becoming a
regular NHLer should do it.
Chris DiDomenico and his gold medal win with Team Canada place
him fourth on my list. DiDomenico is the only former Sea Dog with a World
Junior title.
Mike Hoffman's Calder Cup last year with the Binghamton
Senators - along with his time in the NHL this season - vaults him to third on
my list.
Let me know what you think, send me your list or thoughts
on why I’ve got it all wrong to @AMcGilligan on Twitter.
Here’s my unofficial top five
1. Travis Fullerton
2. Simon Despres
3. Mike Hoffman
4. Chris DiDomenico
5. Yann Sauve
1. Simon Despres
ReplyDelete2. Chris DiDomenico
3. Mike Hoffman
4. Travis Fullerton
5. Yann Sauve
The biggest goal of every player is to win the Stanley Cup... That's what every kid wants to do (at least in my neighborhood). The only time someone wanted to win a gold medal for Canada is during World Juniors or the Olympics (after that, it reverts to lord Stanley). Since Depres is closer to the NHL and lead in a Championship with the Dogs, he gets my #1 nod.
Hoffman is my #3 as an AHL champ is closer than a CIS (even tho Travis won 2 for my UNB Reds) and he also was a leader on the team.
Sauve beats out my honorable mentions because he played a NHL game or 5 but this might change if the Flyers need yet another scraper...
Honorable mentions
6. Mike Thomas
7. Troy Passingham (Yeah, I put him there - Memorial Cup and an almost call-up to the Red Wings... Gota count for something)
8. Alex Grant
Twitter: @AwesomeScottsom
I would think Hoffman would be above Despres. The AHL is pro hockey, and Hoffman has played more of it then Despres, AND won the Calder Cup, which is no easy task, as NHL players are in that league.
ReplyDeleteChris DiDomenico was also a Sea Dog when he won that title, was he not? I believe it was the day or of after that his trade was announced.
My list would have to be slightly different.
ReplyDelete1.) Yann Sauve (I know there's the argument that Despres has accomplished more on the blue line but realistically in that stint of time Sauve was in Vancouver he was a hard D to beat and in fact set up some goals for his team because of it. (Never got credited with an assist but if not for him the plays wouldn't have happened.)
2.) Simon Despres (He is doing as well as anyone could expect of him from the NHL so you have to give him that.)
3.) Felix Schutz (He was solid for Germany in the Olympics no matter how lack-luster that team was, and he's put on his fair share of numbers in the AHL unfortunately now he went off to the DEL league but that could ultimately help his game.)
4.) Mike Hoffman (I agree he hasn't been a bad AHLer. Little better than Dedo but not by any means the best former seadog.)
5.) Chris Dedomenico (I liked him as a sea dog but he hasn't done all that much in either the AHL or the ECHL.)
Though what ever happened to Sparling?
ReplyDeleteMy top 5 are as follows
ReplyDelete1 scorer Hoffman
2 all around player Peterson
3 Defence Despres
4 goalie Fullerton
5 magicion Howes
1. Hoffman - AHL Title is no easy feat when your team can change at the drop of a hat
ReplyDelete2. Fullerton - 2 CIS Titles are nothing to sneeze at, he is the clear #1 with a proven AHL backing him up @ UNB as they go for another National Title
3. Despres - "The Big Horse" lived up to his name during the Presidents Cup Playoffs & Mem Cup. Add his time in the NHL this season puts him 3rd.
4. DiDomenico - WJHC Gold, No other Current or Former Sea Dog can say that.
5. Sauve - NHL Time, and didn't look out of place stepping into a high profile, high skill team
HM: Karel St. Laurent - After being cut from the dogs in favor of DeSerres, he kept his head up, and pushed on, playing in the ECHL, with some brief stints in the AHL as well.