Petr Klima

Given that it is April Fool's Day, it seems somehow fitting to feature Petr Klima as the lead profile today. Few players possessed so much potential, yet failed to deliver on all that promise.

Klima teased everyone with amazing talent. He was an elite skater, blessed with speed, balance and power, yet inspiring grace. His puck handling ability was so soft, yet his shot so hard. His vision and creativity were in the top 5% of the league.

Yet Petr Klima left everyone feeling frustrated and disappointed, somehow robbed. He shied away from any physical contact, and cheated on his defensive assignments regularly. This poor work ethic prevented him from becoming a true superstar.

Full Petr Klima Biography

All Hail The Kings

The newest channel here at the Legends of Hockey Network is Los Angeles Kings Legends. That gives me 23 channels, over 400 player profiles, and over 800 posts!

There is still lots of great Kings players to add to the collection, with Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Rogie Vachon being the most obvious. So far I have Jimmy Carson, Wayne Gretzky, Ted Irvine, Bob Nevin, Bernie Nicholls, Charlie Simmer, and, pictured above, Hockey Night in Canada's Kelly Hrudey.

Secord Still Flying High

He took over from Bobby Hull as the Blackhawks 50 goal scorer. At the same time he took over from Keith Magnuson as the Hawks enforcer and heart and soul. It sounds like almost the perfect combination for a hockey player.

For a couple of seasons in the 1980s, Al Secord was that player.

Full Al Secord Biography

Sportsnet.ca video footage about Secord's career as a pilot.

Dale Hunter

Some people called Dale Hunter the NHL's ultimate warrior. Others considered the loathsome character to be hockey's most hated villain since Bobby Clarke. Love him or hate him, you have to admit he was a vitally integral player.

Hunter retired as the first and only man in NHL history to collect 300 goals, 1,000 points and 3,000 penalty minutes. But while he was a superior defensive player, face-off specialist and offensive sparkplug, it was Hunter's mean-spirited, sometimes dirty play that summed up Hunter best. He was the ultimate team player and leader; a player who played with every last ounce of heart and soul he had; a player who would and did just about anything to win.

Full Dale Hunter Biography

Also new to Legends of Hockey: Chris Oddleifson and Bob Dailey.

Blackhawks Legends

With only 3 Stanley Cup championships since 1926, history shows the Chicago Blackhawks are one of the Wirtz, sorry, I mean worst franchises in professional sports.

Despite their continued bumbling, there have been no shortage of great players and characters who truly cared and tried, giving those hard-up Chicago fans feint hope.

Players like the late Keith Magnuson, who bled Blackhawk red.

Players like Bill Mosienko, whose Hall of Fame career was overshadowed by 21 seconds of immortality.

Players like Kenny Wharram, who put the scoot in the scooter line.

Up and down goalies with moments of brilliance such as Al Rollins, Alfie Moore and Murray Bannerman.

Old school players like Paul Thompson, Mike Karakas, and Johnny Gottselig and more recent legends such as Darryl Sutter, Steve Larmer and Doug Wilson.

And of course the true superstars: Max Bentley, Pierre Pilote, Bobby Hull, Glenn Hall, Tony Esposito, Denis Savard and, I promise, soon Stan Mikita.

It is for those fans that I've been busy adding content to my Chicago Blackhawks Legends section.

Dave Balon's Silent Fight

The National Post's Joe O'Connor has written an emotional masterpiece. The unfortunate thing about that is it is a true story, a story about former NHLer Dave Balon and his wife.

Balon is fighting a long and now mostly silent battle against Multiple Sclerosis. He was diagnosed with the incurable disease back in 1974, convincing him to retire prematurely. He was best known as a 30 goal scorer and all-star with the New York Rangers, although is remembered fondly also in Montreal.

In the past 3 decades he has slowly surrendered to a progressive strain of the disease that affects the central nervous system. "Everything below his neck is intact, but gone, really," writes O'Connor. "Squeeze his arm and Balon feels the pressure of your fingers, though his body is unable to respond. He takes Tylenol to ease a persistent low-grade ache and muscle relaxants to prevent his deadened limbs from twitching involuntarily."

In the past four years he has lost his ability to speak.

"(The words) started to come less and less about four years ago, when the multiple sclerosis that has gradually transformed Balon's once-athletic physique into a withered coffin of flesh and bone began its assault on his voice."

Balon spent much of the 1960s struggling for ice time with the New York Rangers then the Montreal Canadiens. Originally a Ranger, he was traded to the Habs as a big piece of the Jacques Plante trade. He would be a serviceable winger in Montreal, but never a star.

After the NHL's first expansion, Balon got his first chance at a starring role, re-joining the Rangers on the "Bulldog Line" with Walt Tkaczuk and Bill Fairbairn. From 1968 to 1971, Balon emerged as an NHL All-Star and led the Rangers in goals twice. In 1970-71 he was named as the Rangers most popular season.

The next season saw Balon moved to Vancouver, where he was lukewarmly accepted by fans when he failed to produce goals like he did in New York. He wound up his career in 1974 with the Quebec Nordiques, then still part of the World Hockey Association.

While his body today is all but useless, his mind is completely bright just like you or I. Much of the caring for Dave Balon these days fall on his daughter, Jodi. His wife of 47 years, Gwen, remains by his side, but sadly she is ravaged by disease as well. She is a victim of osteoporosis and stroke.

"The women who love him hope an earlier generation of hockey fans have not forgotten about the bow-legged Prairie boy who helped Montreal win a pair of Stanley Cups in 1965 and '66, played in four NHL All-Star Games, and fought for his teammates wherever he went."

There's no better online profile of Dave Balon than O'Connor's masterpiece at National Post.com. I highly encourage you to read it, though be warned it is a heart-wrencher. It is an excellent piece of journalism/story writing.

Hawerchuk To Be Honoured

In what has to be more than a little surreal for all involved, Winnipeg Jets legend Dale Hawerchuk will be honoured by the Phoenix Coyotes. Hawerchuk will be joining the Coyote's Ring Of Honour on April 5th, joining Bobby Hull and Thomas Steen as only the third player so honoured.

Strangely none of those players ever played for the Coyotes.

The Coyotes, of course, are the relocated Winnipeg Jets, for which Hull, Hawerchuk and Steen are the greatest players in team history. The Coyotes are not ignoring their pre-dessert past, although it has to be a little awkward for everyone, most of all for Hawerchuk who never played in the dessert, but also or for the fans who never heard of him.

Hawerchuk is certainly deserving of recognition of his service to the franchise. In nine seasons (1981-1990) with Winnipeg he ranks as the Jets/Coyotes all-time leader in goals (379) and points (929) and ranks 2nd in assists (550) and 4th in games played (713). He also ranks 1st in power play goals (122), 1st in hat tricks (12), T-3rd in shorthanded goals (12) and T-5th in game-winning goals (29). He was the Jets most prolific scorer in franchise history.

In 16 NHL seasons, he registered 518 goals and 891 assists for 1,409 points in 1,188 games. He also played 97 career playoff games, recording 30-69-99. Hawerchuk ranks 30th on the NHL's all-time goal-scoring leaders list, 19th on the NHL's all-time assist leaders list and 17th on the league's all-time point leaders list.

It's just too bad he couldn't be so honoured in Winnipeg.

Cliff Ronning

Cliff Ronning was all about numbers.

I'm not talking about his 18 seasons in the National Hockey League, for an impressive 1137 career games, just the 176th player in league history to play in 1000 games. I'm not referring to his scoring exploits which saw him score 89 goals and 197 points in his final season of junior. Nor am I talking his career 306 NHL goals, 563 assists or 869 points, all very solid numbers. I'm not even referring to his 126 career playoff games or his 89 career playoff points, 15 of which came in 1994 when he came within a whisker of winning the Stanley Cup.

No, the numbers that always defined Cliff Ronning were his height of 5'8" inches and size at 165 pounds.

His all life Ronning faced detractors and experts who said many years ago he would never make it in the NHL, because he was too small. No matter how impressive his offensive numbers were in junior, international or minor pro hockey, he was always told he was not big enough for the National Hockey League. Full Story

Wall Street Bully

There's been a lot of talk about fighting in hockey lately. Fans often think of hockey players as nothing more, and the goons are often labeled as the cement-heads of all jocks.

But that is not always the case. Take a look at Don "Big Bird" Saleski.

There was a time when Don Saleski represented all that was wrong in hockey. Along with other members of the Broad Street Bullies such as "Hound Dog" Kelly, "Hammer" Schultz, and "Moose" Dupont, Saleski was one of the noted goons on a team that knew no rule book. Nicknamed "Big Bird" because his wild hair reminded many of the Sesame Street character, Saleski would be sure to enter upon or create any fracas involving another Flyers player, whether it was necessary or not. Any fracas included with fans, which in 1976 got him charged in Toronto, though nothing ever came of the charges.

But Saleski was anything but the meat-head most people made him out to be and many fans still remember him as.

No, Don Saleski has put aside his hockey reputation and hockey in general, and has since become one of the most successful people in the world of big business. Full Story

More of the Best of Legends of Hockey

February was Black History Month, so I took the opportunity to celebrate the great black hockey players in hockey history.

There haven't been many, mainly for societal and cultural reasons, but blacks have been playing hockey as long as there have been pucks and ice.

I explored the reasons for the lack of black hockey players, as well as honouring the best and chronologically list all 52 have played in the league so far.

Full Story - From Herbie Carnegie to Willie O'Ree to Grant Fuhr to Jarome Iginla.

Also in February I celebrated the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs by profiling every member of the team

Being a big international hockey buff, I had special features on the 1979 Challenge Cup and Rendez Vous 87. Don't forget I don't just profile NHLers. I also profile International Hockey Legends.

And for fans of the less sophisticated brand of hockey, I have special sections on Hockey's Tough Guys, featuring many classic fights on embeded video, and also a special look at the men behind The Hanson Brothers.

10 Greatest Seasons

Every season the NHL witnesses a few amazing year-long individual performances that resonate hockey greatness. Last season we watched the emergence of Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Jonathan Cheechoo, Dion Phaneuf, and the re-emergence Jaromir Jagr. This season we can Vincent Lecavalier, Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo are having very notable seasons.

In a really magical season we are able to watch a player turn in a campaign that becomes legendary or, even better, transforming. The achievements of that season may garner iconic status because of historical significance, dramatic impact, defining nature, or statistical dominance.

Without taking into account the Stanley Cup playoffs, it has been a while since we’ve seen a player’s regular season efforts reach a status of truly important in NHL history. We might have to go back to Dominik Hasek’s days in Buffalo for that.

All of this got me thinking: Which individual season is truly the greatest? With over 90 seasons and countless great performances, I have narrowed my choices down to five key performances.

Full Story

Gretzky vs. Lemieux

With all the talk of the rise of hockey’s new era, with the soon to be epic battle of Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin already topping the card, it is pretty easy to day dream about the last great hockey duel – Wayne Gretzky vs. Mario Lemieux.

For much of my youth, that comparison always was there. It was impossible to avoid. For a decade there had been only two choices.

And you had to choose. Full Story

The Best Of Legends Of Hockey

I will be taking the next few days off on vacation. Unless there is major breaking news, I expect to run "best of" features for the rest of the week, but I will continue to post a new lead story every day. With over 800 posts this season, I think there is enough for everyone to wade through around here.

Perhaps it is even a necessary chance for my growing readership numbers to catch up on some profiles and features. Thank you everyone, you're pushing me to do better. Everyone's kind comments and emails and the steadily growing page-view counts are incredibly humbling.

Here's a quick look at some of the most popular profiles this season:

Wayne Gretzky - Once an Oiler, always an Oiler. The Great One lived up to his nickname, and may be the greatest athlete ever.

Patrick Roy - The greatest goaltender of all time? The Montreal Forum was St. Patrick's cathedral for many years before moving on to Colorado.

Pavel Bure - The Russian Rocket was the NHL's most exciting player in the 1990s. He was one of the few players in hockey history to get you out of your seat on a nightly basis.

Steve Yzerman - What more can be said about Stevie Wonder? He was one of hockey's greatest players and classiest people.

Bob Probert - Hockey's ultimate tough guy rarely lost a battle on the ice. Unfortunately he's lost more than a few off of it.

Mark Messier - The brightest star on Broadway, Mark Messier truly became Manhattan's immortal "Messiah" in 1994

Jean Beliveau - One of the top ten players of all time, few were more graceful on or off the ice than hockey's original gentle giant.

	Gordie Howe - Forget about Gretzky or Lemieux. Old time hockey fans will insist Gordie Howe is the greatest of all time, with great merit. Mr. Hockey could do it all
	Bobby Hull - The Golden Jet might be better known now as Brett's dad, but this Chicago and Winnipeg legend is one of the most important players in hockey history

Vladislav Tretiak - Vladislav Tretiak is one of the greatest hockey heroes, not just in Russia but also in Canada and all around the world.

Eddie Shore - Despite finishing his NHL career back in the 1930s, he's the one old-timer who consistently ranks in all of top 10 greatest players lists.

Legends of Hockey from The Original Six

Legends of Hockey from The 1970s

Legends of Hockey from The 1980s

Legends of Hockey from The 1990s

Legends of Hockey from The Pre-1950s

Legends of Hockey from International Hockey

Forwards On The Blue Line

I've always been both enamoured and frustrated with Sergei Fedorov. I've always been wowed by the intelligence and beauty of his game, though he remains more enigmatic than ever. I can't decide if he's so subtly brilliant that he's actually terribly under-rated, or, as Brett Hull suggests, if he's so unaware of how good he could be that he doesn't give that extra effort and therefore underachieves and is terribly over-rated.

With Sergei Fedorov's recent switch to the blueline, I've had a close interest in his game. I've often felt if there was one star of this era who could make the move to defense, Feds would be the guy. He's got good size, good skating, excellent puck skills and the intelligence to make an impact. I also believe he'd be more challenged at this position, perhaps motivating him beyond the enigma title. And by most accounts he has fared quite well so far.

Now swing players are nothing new. However often it is poor skating physical defenseman moved up on the wing to give a 4th line physical presence and/or a 7th defenseman in case of injuries. Wade Belak, Christoph Schubert, and John Erskine are current examples. The best transition has to be that of Red Kelly in the 1960s, with acknowledgement to Lindy Ruff in Buffalo the 1980s and Jimmy Roberts in Montreal in the 1970s. But the norm is unimaginative, aggressive players.

It is pretty rare to see forwards dropped back on defense though, except to quarterback a power play. Learning NHL defense is a life long process, so to make the sudden switch back requires a tremendous understanding of the game. When you're a defenseman you're outlook is different. More often than not the game is coming right at you, which is rare as a forward. It is more reactionary than creative.

Fedorov is the most recent, though he's done it in the past with Detroit. Philadelphia used Sami Kapanen on D at times, and he did quite well as well despite his size. But both have been temporary. Eric Dandenault and Marty McSorley are two recent and permanent successes.

The best modern day example would have to be Mark Howe. He was a superstar forward, mostly in the World Hockey Association. In fact, an argument could be made he was the best player period in the WHA. He also played on the blue line at times, and made the permanent switch in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers. With a style very much like Fedorov at his best, Howe was unfortunate not to win a Norris Trophy.

The game was quite different pre-WWII, but the transition is no less impressive. There were three notable players to make the switch:

Detroit's Ebbie Goodfellow and Montreal's Babe Siebert both won Hart Trophies and Stanley Cups after anchoring the back end. And Boston's Dit Clapper is the only player in National Hockey League history to be named as an All Star both at forward and on defense.

Glen Harmon Passes Away At Age 87

Some sad news to bring your way this morning. Glen Harmon, a mainstay on defense for Montreal in the 1940s, passed away on Friday, March 9th, 2007. He was 87. The two time Stanley Cup champion was in a Mississauga nursing home suffering from both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Three Petes

I've been busy adding a lot of Montreal Canadiens Legends lately. Here's three more from hockey's most storied franchise:

Petr Svoboda - The Montreal Canadiens shocked the world when Petr Svoboda appeared from nowhere to be drafted 5th overall in the 1984 NHL draft.

Pete Mahovlich - Though he was 5" taller than his brother, he was dubbed "The Little M." He teamed nicely with Steve Shutt and Guy Lafleur.

Pete Morin - This one season wonder teamed with Buddy O'Connor and Gerry Heffernan on the Razzle Dazzle Line.

Check these bios out and more at Montreal Canadiens Legends

Mats Sundin chases Darryl Sittler

This weekend Mats Sundin will likely make history and become the all time leading goal scorer of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sundin is within one goal of Darryl Sittler's record of 389 goals with the storied team.

For younger fans, I wanted to take this time share the story of the classic Maple Leaf player. Darryl Sittler is the classic example of the Canadian hero. A poor kid in small town Ontario who became one of the greatest hockey players of all time through hard work and perseverance.

Sittler, perhaps the most popular Leaf in modern times, was drafted by Toronto 8th overall in the 1970 Entry Draft.

By the beginning of the 1975-76 season, the hard working center was given the great honor of being named captain, replacing the incomparable Dave Keon who jumped to the World Hockey Association. The honor was one that Sittler greatly cherished, and he responded to the challenge. He took his game to the next level, notching 41 goals and 59 assists to become the first Maple Leafs player in history to crack the 100 point mark in one season!

No one game better symbolizes his great 1975-76 season than the night of February 7, 1976. That was the night that he scored 6 goals and set up 4 others to set the unthinkable record of 10 points in a single game. None of the games greats - including Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr, Howe - came close to touching this record!

Read the full Darryl Sittler biography at Maple Leafs Legends.


Of course no biography of Sittler is complete without looking at poor Dave Reece, the Bruins goalie who surrendered Sittler's 10 point night. Who can forget the great joke that has helped immortalize him in hockey lore:

"(Reece) was so distraught after that game he tried to commit suicide by stepping in front of the train. Fortunately it went through his legs."

Read Reece's bio and other former Bruins at Boston Bruins Legends.

Old Time Hockey

A nice YouTube tribute to Old Time Hockey, featuring none other than Stompin' Tom Connors.

Ron Duguay 90210

My friend Paul Kukla has an interesting story to tell about Ron Duguay.

It seems Paul mentioned the 1980s New York Rangers hockey player/model/teenage heart throb on a podcast, but apparently no one knew anything about him. Feeling old, Paul seemed to be particularly taken aback when someone suggested Duguay was some guest star on Beverly Hills 90210.

Well Paul, actually Ron Duguay was a guest star on Beverly Hills 90210! In the episode 194 titled "Face Off," Brandon, of course played by Canadian Jason Priestlay, took to the ice with Duguay and Cam Neely! Duguay also made a guest appearance on the TV show "Hope and Gloria."

Here's some other non-hockey related things about Ron Duguay that may surprise Mr. Kukla:

- Married to Kim Alexis. Isn't she pretty?!
- Is a born again Christian
- He is the son of an electrician
- Was a judge at the 1980 Miss Universe Pageant
- He is a good friend of John McEnroe

Read my full Ron Duguay Profile at New York Rangers Legends.

High Five

A 600 goal scorer, a Stanley Cup MVP, an 1100 game veteran, a dynastic coach and an Olympic gold medalist are the five newest profiles at Joe Pelletier's Legends of Hockey Network.

Dino Ciccarelli - Dino the Dinosaur scored 608 goals - two shy of Bobby Hull. Will he make it to the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Reggie Leach - "The Riverton Rifle" was one of hockey's most feared shooters, especially in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Bob Nevin - A consistent, two way star first found success with his hometown Maple Leafs, but became a star in Manhattan. He finished his career strongly in LA.

Al Arbour - The pilot of the New York Islanders dynasty may very well be the greatest coach of all time. Al Arbour also had an interesting and lengthy playing career.

Steve Janaszak - Jim Craig's backup for the "Miracle on Ice" gold medal USA team, Janaszak was the only competitor in any sport not participate in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Baby Faced Assassins

What could 1970's NY Rangers/LA Kings star Ted Irvine and WWE grappler Chris Jericho possibly have in common?

Irvine, a spirited, hard working role player who endeared himself to fans, is Y2J's father. Oh, and they also shared a showman's flare. Ted with "The Irvine Shuffle" and Chris with "The Walls of Jericho," amongst many others.

So for all you "Jericholics" and "Irvine-maniacs," say your prayers, eat your vitamins and read this biography of father and son. Irvine's career is covered, as are his thoughts on his son's career. Jericho ways in on his dad, as well.

By the way, hockey and wrestling have long had a crossover history. From Montreal Canadiens Jean Pusie to Mean Gene Okerlund's son playing for the NY Islanders, I would like to get into this more in a future piece.

Smithers is Hockeyville

Being from a small town in remote northwestern British Columbia myself, I feel I must throw my Hockeyville support to the community of Smithers. From the Watson family to current stars Dan Hamhuis and Sarah Campbell, hockey has a rich tradition in this cozy Bulkley Valley town.

It is amazing to see how such an event has brought this great community together. You can feel the beaming pride all the way down the road here in Terrace. So to everyone in Smithers, especially Sean Zanberg from Waiting For Stanley and the folks at Smithers is Hockeyville, best of luck. You're already winners.

Vote For Smithers is Hockeyville at CBC.ca

Three More Habs Greats

Thanks to Dave Stubbs and the great readers at HabsInsideOut.com, I experienced a record day in terms of visiting traffic. Stubbs linked up my Guy Carbonneau profile on HabsInsideOut.com.

As a show of appreciation for all the great Montreal fans, I've supplied three more Montreal Canadiens Legends:

Craig Ludwig - A shot blocking expert, Craig Ludwig was an unheralded defenseman with Montreal in the 1980s.

	Mike McPhee - Mike McPhee was one of the most unheralded Habs of the 1980s.
	Ryan Walter - One of the hockey's nicest guys is also one of hockey's most interesting people. This born leader has had an interesting life both on and off the ice.

In case you missed it, last week I also profiled Joe Juneau and his efforts to help the people of Nunavik. You can always check out the more than 30 profiles at Montreal Canadiens Legends

P.S. - I hope to have a piece on Petr Svoboda done soon as well.

Terry O'Reilly: The Bionic Bruin

Via the Vancouver Sun and courtesy of Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette, there is a fascinating story on Terry O'Reilly this week.

Terry O'Reilly is one of the most popular sports stars in Boston. His physical style was as legendary as his Irish temper. But as Stubbs reports, the physical style has caused O'Reilly great difficulty later in life.

O'Reilly spent two weeks in Birmingham, England, undergoing surgery and initial rehabilitation. He returned home in a wheelchair, moved into a walker, then leaned on two canes, and finally one. From there he was on a stationary bike, on skates and, last summer, 18 months after his surgery, he took part in a two-day, 309-km charity bike ride.

The 55 year old O'Reilly is now pain free, and about to return to the ice to participate in a charity alumni game to raise money for the Montreal Canadiens' Children's Fund.

Stubbs goes on to give a good recap of O'Reilly's career, and how Bruins fans loved him while fans of every other teams hated him while secretly admiring him.

"It was a passionate hate, at first," O'Reilly said. "But as years went by, I'd show up for an exhibition game in the fall, get a penalty, head for the box and the season-ticket holders behind it would be smiling, yelling: 'Hey Terry, have a good summer?' "

More Hockey Doctors

Last week I posted a well received article about NHL players who either were or later became doctors.

I had 1o players identified: Randy Gregg, Fred Arthur, Al Simmons, Bobby Copp, Phil Samis, Jerry Wilson, Rod Smylie, Duke McCurry, Bill Carson and Doc Stewart. Pre-NHL era player Gordon Roberts and 1928 Olympians Lou Hudson and Joe Sullivan rounded out the list.

Several colleagues have come through with more hockey playing doctors. Dave Soutter and Seth Lerman reminded me of another modern era player who became a doctor. Bill Baker, a 1980 "Miracle on Ice" veteran who played 143 games in the NHL, returned to the University of Minnesota and completed his dentistry residency in 1993. He now works oral surgeon and maxillofacial specialist in Brainerd, Minnesota, with satellite offices in Bemidji and Little Falls.

"CGory2" informed me about Pat Graham, a player I admitedly never heard of. He played 103 games with Pittsburgh and Toronto in the early 1980s, but he never fulfilled his potential due to chronic back pain. His many hours in the chiropractor's office sparked an interest in the field. He opened his own practice in Toronto, and became a consulting chiropractor for the Toronto Blue Jays.

My old buddy Patrick Houda came through with three more, including Bill Carse, who practiced in Honolulu, and Stan Brown.

Unless they are patients of theirs, most fans nowadays have never heard of any of these guys other than Gregg and maybe Baker. But Houda notes a goaltender many of us are familiar with also became a doctor, though not exactly what you're expecting.

Clint Malarchuck, best remembered as the Buffalo Sabres goalie who had his neck sliced by a skate, got his papers as a horse dentist and chiropractor from the Acadamey of Equine Dentistry in Idaho. A life long rodeo and horse enthusiast, the Alberta born Malarchuk practices horse care when his schedule as Columbus Blue Jackets goaltending consultant allows.

Outside of the medical field altogether is Morris Mott and Les Kozak. Michel Vigneault reminded me about Mott, the former 1960s Canadian national and Olympic team star who later played for the California Golden Seals. He got a doctorate in history and is now a professor at Brandon University in Manitoba. I'm still hoping to learn more about Dr. Kozak.

The Other Guy In Montreal

He was captured Montreal Forum audiences in a way only matched by Rocket Richard. The fans chanted his name repeatedly...."Guy! Guy! Guy!" as "Le Blond Demon" raced down the ice. He represented Montreal Canadiens hockey as much as any player. His name was Guy Lafleur.

Now imagine stepping into Lafleur's spotlight with the same first name, and with a high scoring resume from Chicoutimi. In a market always hungry for the next great scoring star, much pressure fell on the next Guy.

Guy Carbonneau would gain the respect of the Habs faithful, and would come to represent Montreal Canadiens hockey in the post-Lafleur era. As good as Lafleur was offensively, this Guy was equally as good defensively. He was also very successful, bringing two more Stanley Cups to St. Catherines street.

Read Guy Carbonneau Biography

I'm now in my 7th month of blogging, and I've already exceeded 750 posts amongst the Network. In addition to Carbonneau recent additions included lesser knowns Joe Juneau, Bert Marshall, Nikolai Drozdetsky and Dennis Kearns. Tough guys Nick Fotiu and Steve Durbano have been added as well.

And don't forget to check out my newest channel http://www.hockeybooks.blogspot.com/

Drozdetsky Latest International Legend Added

You'll notice the title of this website is Legends of Hockey, not Legends of the National Hockey League. I'm very much interested in learning, researching and remembering players from outside of the NHL, namely international players.

The latest addition is Nikolai Drozdetsky, bringing my humble collection to just 20 profiles. Drozdetsky is one of 7 Soviet superstars featured. The others include:

	Vsevolod Bobrov - The original Russian Rocket was the first Soviet hockey superstar. He was often compared to Canada's Maurice "Rocket" Richard.
	Nikolai Drozdetsky - Nikolai Drozdetsky was the next great Soviet star. He was named player of the year 1984, and was instrumental in the 1984 Olympics. But coach Viktor Tikhonov buried him.
	Viacheslav Fetisov - Viacheslav Fetisov will always be remembered as a warrior - on the ice and off of it.
	Edward Ivanov - Alexander Ragulin's versatile defensive partner in the 1960s, Ivanov was the only defenseman to be named the top forward in Olympic hockey history.

	Boris Mikhailov - Centering Valeri Kharlamov and Vladimir Petrov, this Soviet national team captain was the heart and soul of arguably the greatest team ever assembled.
	Nikolai Sologubov - With the possible exception of Viacheslav Fetisov, Russia's first great defensemen, Nikolai Sologubov, ranks as the greatest in the minds of many.
	Vladislav Tretiak - Vladislav Tretiak is one of the greatest hockey heroes, not just in Russia but also in Canada and all around the world.

I am painfully aware that I'm missing many Soviets greats still, including Sergei Makarov who I think is perhaps the quietest over sight in Hockey Hall of Fame balloting this decade. Until I do get a profile done on Makarov that I consider to be satisfactory as a bare minimum, I want to direct you to Georg Samoilov's Sergei Makarov Fan Page. This site is one of the best kept secrets in terms of hockey websites.