Charlie Simmer Cleveland Barons Jersey

After a junior career with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey Association that saw him score 99 points in his only season of 1973–74, Simmer was selected in the third round of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft, 39th overall, by the California Golden Seals of the NHL. He split his first three professional seasons between the Seals and the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the CHL, meeting success in the minors but receiving limited playing time in the NHL. The Seals relocated to Cleveland in 1976, but Simmer received little more playing time.

He was traded in 1977 to the Los Angeles Kings, but spent the season with the Springfield Indians of the AHL, winning All-Star accolades. The next season Simmer was promoted halfway through the campaign to the Kings, and scored 21 goals in 39 games. While with the Kings, he played left wing on the "Triple Crown Line" with Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor, one of the most potent and famed forward lines of the era. Despite injuries costing him significant playing time, Simmer had back-to-back 56-goal seasons and was further named an NHL First Team All-Star in 1980 and 1981. In the latter season, Simmer almost accomplished one of hockey's most difficult feats: scoring 50 goals in 50 games, with 50 in 51 games. That same season, Mike Bossy became only the second player in NHL history to score 50 in 50. Simmer's scoring percentage of 32.75 in 1981 was, and remains, an NHL record.

Simmer was traded at the beginning of the 1985 season to the Boston Bruins, where despite the cumulative effects of several injuries throughout his career, he starred for three more seasons. In 1986, Simmer won the Bill Masterton Trophy for his perseverance and dedication to hockey. Simmer played his final NHL season for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988. He subsequently played the 1989 season for Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga, and after a season off, parts of two seasons as a player-coach for the minor league San Diego Gulls before retiring.

Charlie Simmer Cleveland Barons Jersey

Patrick Roy Montreal Canadiens Jersey

Roy was drafted in the 3rd round, 51st overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, which he disliked, being a fan of the rival Quebec Nordiques. His grandmother, Anna Peacock, who was a big Canadiens fan, died before seeing her grandson being drafted. Roy kept playing for the Granby Bisons, before being called up by the Canadiens. Despite the thoughts that he wasn't going to play, on February 23, 1985, he made his NHL debut when he replaced the Canadiens starting goaltender Doug Soetaert in the third period. Roy played for 20 minutes and earned his first NHL win without allowing a goal. After the game, he was sent to the Sherbrooke Canadiens of the American Hockey League. Despite starting as a backup, Roy replaced the starting goaltender after he had equipment troubles during a game. He got a win, became the starting goaltender for the playoffs and led the team to a Calder Cup championship with ten wins in 13 gam

In the following season, Roy started playing regularly for the Montreal Canadiens. He played 47 games during the regular season and won the starting job for the playoffs, where he emerged as a star, leading his team to an unexpected Stanley Cup title and winning a Conn Smythe Trophy for the Most Valuable Player in the playoffs. As a 20-year old, he became the youngest Conn Smythe winner ever and was chosen for the NHL All-Rookie Team.

Nicknamed St. Patrick after the victory, Roy continued playing for the Canadiens, who won the Adams Division in 1987–88 and in 1988–89, when they lost to the Calgary Flames in the Stanley Cup finals. Roy, together with Brian Hayward, won the William M. Jennings Trophy in 1987, 1988 and 1989. In both 1989 and 1990, he won the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender in the NHL and was voted for the NHL 1st All-Star Team. In 1991–92, the Canadiens won the Adams Division again, with Roy having a very successful individual year, winning the William M. Jennings Trophy, the Vezina Trophy and being selected for the NHL 1st All-Star Team. Despite the successful regular season, the Canadiens were swept in the second round by the Boston Bruins, who stopped their playoff run for the fourth time in five years.

After the Canadiens lost their first two games to their archrival Quebec Nordiques in the first round series of the 1993 playoffs, a newspaper in Roy's hometown district suggested that he be traded. Nordiques goaltending coach Dan Bouchard also proclaimed that his team had solved Roy. These comments seemed to fire up Roy, who responded by winning the next four games against the Nordiques, sweeping the Buffalo Sabres in the next round, and winning the first three against the New York Islanders to complete an eleven game post-season winning streak. Roy set a record during the post-season with 10 straight overtime wins, won the Stanley Cup, and was once again the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

Patrick Roy Montreal Canadiens

Dale Hawerchuk Winnipeg Jets Jersey

In honour of Winnipeg getting the Jets back I decided to post some Winnipeg jerseys this week. Up first is the mid 80's model that was used up until the 1990-91 season. And of course what other players best stands out for the Jets in the 80's than Dale Hawerchuk. The long time captain of the Jets who was drafted after the closing of the WHA and led the Jets to a Canadian favourite until the team moved to Phoenix in the mid 90's. I've got another great Jets jersey to post this week, but I thought that I would start with, in my humble opinion, the best Jets player there ever was.



The Winnipeg Jets selected Hawerchuk first overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, ahead of fellow future Hall of Famers Ron Francis and Grant Fuhr. Hawerchuk immediately became Winnipeg's star attraction, leading the Jets to what was at the time the largest single season turn-around in NHL history, a 48-point improvement. He became the youngest NHL player in history to reach 100 points (a record since broken by Sidney Crosby in 2006), finishing with 103, and winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year. He also played in that season's All-Star Game. Hawerchuk recorded 91 points in his second season, then hit the 100-plus point plateau for the next five consecutive years, including a career-high 53 goals and 130 points in 1984–85.

Dale Hawerchuk
Center
Born Apr 4 1963  -- Toronto, ONT
Height 5.11 -- Weight 185 -- Shoots L


Selected by Winnipeg Jets round 1 #1 overall 1981 NHL Entry Draft

                                   --- Regular Season ---
Season   Team                        Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM
------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82  Winnipeg Jets               NHL    80   45   58  103   47
1982-83  Winnipeg Jets               NHL    79   40   51   91   31
1983-84  Winnipeg Jets               NHL    80   37   65  102   73
1984-85  Winnipeg Jets               NHL    80   53   77  130   74
1985-86  Winnipeg Jets               NHL    80   46   59  105   44
1986-87  Winnipeg Jets               NHL    80   47   53  100   52
1987-88  Winnipeg Jets               NHL    80   44   77  121   59
1988-89  Winnipeg Jets               NHL    75   41   55   96   28
1989-90  Winnipeg Jets               NHL    79   26   55   81   70
------------------------------------------------------------------
         NHL Totals                        713  379  550  929  478

Dale Hawerchuk Winnipeg Jets

John Vanbiesbrouck Florida Panthers Jersey

In the 1995–96 season, Vanbiesbrouck was named to the All-Star Game. In the game he played the second period and gave up three goals on seven shots. The Panthers were in playoff position for more than half of the season, but faltered late in the season and were close to falling out of the playoff race. Late in the season Vanbiesbrouck shutout the New Jersey Devils putting Florida into the playoffs. At the end of the regular season he played in 57 games posting a 21–25–11 with 2 shutouts. His games played ranked him tenth in the league while his GAA of 2.68 was ninth. In the first round Florida defeated the Boston Bruins in five games. Their second round match-up was against the heavily favored Philadelphia Flyers. Vanbiesbrouck posted a shutout in the first game of the series, the third post season shutout of his career and the first in Panthers playoff history. During the series Vanbiesbrouck held the Flyers scoreless for 116:46 straight minutes, as Florida upset Philadelphia winning four games to two. In the Conference Finals the Panthers were again huge underdogs to the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that featured the leagues two top scorers in Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. The Penguins took a 3–2 series lead, but the Panthers won game six 4–3 to force game seven. In game 7 Vanbiesbrouck made 39 saves in a 3–1 Panthers victory, winning the Eastern Conference and putting them in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Panthers fell behind the Colorado Avalanche 3–0 in the series. Game four was considered one of the classic games in finals' history. The game was a 0–0 tie entering the third overtime period. Early in the period, a long shot from Colorado's Uwe Krupp eluded Vanbiesbrouck giving the Avalanche a 1–0 win and the Stanley Cup. Vanbiesbrouck made 55 saves in the loss and finished third in voting for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

During the 1996–97 season he was elected by the fans to the All-Star Game as the starting goaltender. Vanbiesbrouck' 200,457 votes led the Eastern Conference. By season's end Vanbiesbrouck finished in the top ten in the NHL for save percentage (6), GAA (5) and tied for 11 in wins (27). The Panthers finished fourth in the Eastern conference and faced the Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vanbiesbrouck made 34 saves in game one, shutting out the Rangers 3–0. It was the only game the Panthers won as the Rangers defeated them 4–1 in the series. The following season Vanbiesbrouck reached a personal milestone. On December 27, 1997 the Panthers defeated the New York Islanders 6–2 at Nassau Coliseum. The win marked the 300th of his career, making him the 15th goaltender, and second American, in NHL history to reach the mark. Despite his personal milestone Vanbiesbrouck suffered through his worst statistical season with the Panthers. The team fared no better as they finished the season in 12th place in the Eastern conference and out of the playoffs.

John Vanbiesbrouck Florida Panthers Jersey