Stop the Presses! Wade Belak Comes Alive.

Every four years, the calendar takes a leap. Every four years, the Olympic Summer Games are held. Every four years, we see something so unique that we’re able to sit back and appreciate it for what it really is. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get out the anti-eclipse eyewear because tonight, Wade Belak entered rarified air.

For the first time since December 20, 2003, Belak accomplished the unfathomable. The one-man punchline scored a goal.

Belak looked as surprised as anyone this evening after his shot at 2:48 of the third period found its way through Nashville Predators goaltender Chris Mason.

Nobody saw this coming. To say that the 31-year old was expected to join the offensive resurgence currently being enjoyed by Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov would be foolish. But interestingly, this qualifies as an offensive explosion for Belak, who now has just two goals fewer than $20 million free-agent signee Jason Blake. Belak will earn the monumental sum of $625,000 this season. Talk about getting bang for your buck.

The winger known for his penchant for the sin bin was grinning from ear to ear on the bench following his oh-so-improbable flash of offensive prowess, and for good reason. His career-high in the goal-scoring department came in 2004-05 with the Conventry Blaze in jolly old England, where he somehow managed to erupt for seven goals. Belak has never scored more than three goals in an NHL season. The next time he lights the lamp, we could be living in a very different world.

Of course, the Maple Leafs will still be searching for their first Stanley Cup since 1967. John Ferguson, Jr.? He’ll have joined the ranks of Leaf infamy that include such unsavoury figures as Harold Ballard, Mike Murphy and Rob Ramage.

But wait a minute. Belak is 31. His goals come about as often as an airborne swine. There’s a good chance we may never see this again. So savour the moment, people. Bask in the glow of a Leafs club that’s been temporarily spared from the guillotine. Because that may have been the eighth and final goal of Wade Belak’s career.

Remember where you were.

“Who’s NOT?” Round One.

For those of you who may not be aware, ESPN is currently running a little gimmick they have tabbed “Who’s NOW?”. For all intents and purposes, of course, it’s a glorified popularity contest designed to get fans excited about the hottest athletes in the news today. It’s basically their way of measuring hype, while quietly and simultaneously researching who their fan base craves more.

Thousands of fans have voted thus far, with typically disappointing results. If All-Star Game voting has taught us anything, it’s that fans, as a group, are unreliable. They knocked out a dominant Roger Federer in favour of a pedestrian Tony Parker-Longoria, after all. Don’t try to justify it…you can’t. It boggles the mind. So instead, we invite you to take part in our own version. We’re calling it “Who’s NOT?”, and it’s the exact opposite of ESPN’s contest. The goal of this game is to determine, once and for all, who is the most unpopular athlete, sports figure or organization of the moment. The format is a simple four-round bracket of sixteen. Here are your matchups:

(1) Michael Vick vs. (16) Rick Tocchet

Being involved in a scandal is almost a prerequisite for this tournament, and it just so happens that both of these men have been investigated by the F.B.I. Vick has been dogged (pun intended) by the feds on suspicion of organizing dog fights across state lines. The former poster-boy of the National Football League has a history of run-ins with the law, but his previous indiscretions were nothing like this. If convicted, and it’s all but a certainty given the reported evidence against him, he could serve serious jail time. Not only would it derail a franchise player’s once-promising career, but it has already brought a dark cloud over the entire league, regardless of the outcome. The second-highest paid player in the NFL and endorsement hound (pun intended) is watching it all slip away. His judgement day is Thursday.

Tocchet will appear in court on August 17 after his role in ‘Operation Slapshot’, an illegal gambling ring, was exposed last year. He has pleaded guilty and will look to have his sentence reduced as a result. Sure, the former assistant coach of the Phoenix Coyotes is unpopular now, but was he ever well-liked in the first place?

(2) Barry Bonds vs. (15) Daunte Culpepper

Bonds is just two home runs from tying Henry Aaron’s all-time record of 755, but you wouldn’t know it. Many are choosing to turn a blind eye to his tainted accomplishments. While he has never admitted it publicly, we all know he has been linked to steroid use and other performance-enhancing drugs. His former trainer is locked up for not talking about it, which should be seen as an obvious denial. Also, he’s probably more abrasive to the media than anyone in sports right now; coach, player or otherwise. As Toronto radio host Bob McCown said, “He’s a cheater and a jerk.” No argument here. Don’t forget, he tried to steal the spotlight from the consensus “greatest player of all-time”, Willie Mays, during the latter’s All-Star Game tribute earlier this month. There’s just nothing to like about Barry. He does little to help his own cause.

Daunte Culpepper’s career has resembled one of his passes of late. Both are spiralling downward. The former Minnesota Vikings starter has now fallen out of favour with not one, but two organizations as he has been released by the Miami Dolphins. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Not that Culpepper was ever “mighty”, but he was once considered to be among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Two years ago, he set the Vikings all-time record for touchdowns in a season with 39. But after the Dolphins signed veteran Trent Green in June, it was clear they had lost confidence in the oft-injured Culpepper. Numerous knee surgeries later, and after several attempts to trade him have failed, he is now an unrestricted free agent. Will anyone take a flyer on this enigma?

(3) Adam “Pacman” Jones vs. (14) Anna Kournikova

It’s game over for Pacman, after NFL commissioner Roger Godell handed Jones a one-year suspension back in May. Jones loses his entire 2007-08 paycheque as a result, and he must apply for reinstatement to the league, much like the Ricky Williams case. Jones was never a household name for his football prowess, but has instead become widely known as a repeat offender. He has reportedly been involved in ten (count ‘em, ten) incidents which have required police questioning. The most recent of these events took place during the NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas, when he was charged with both a felony and misdemeanor after a fight and shooting at a strip club that left a man paralyzed. If there was any doubt about his status as a 3-seed in this bracket, we hope it has now been removed.

Anna Kournikova. You’re thinking, “There’s a name from the past.” Well it really wasn’t too long ago. Anna was once the most downloaded athlete on the planet (although some might argue about the use of the term ‘athlete’) and many became tennis fans overnight just to watch her skid around Wimbledon or sweat it out at Roland Garros. Well, it turns out she was spending a little too much time milking her modeling and endorsement career, because whatever tennis ability she had faded, and with it, so did her spot in the public eye. We still remember those magazine spreads and cameos at NHL games (remember when she had a thing for flashy Russian hockey players?), but we’ll never think of her as an athlete. Perhaps that’s why she belongs on this shameful stage. Hey, at least she’s back in the conversation.

(4) Mike Tyson vs. (13) The Chilean under-20 national soccer team

“Iron” Mike Tyson was once the most feared boxer since Muhammad Ali. He was the youngest ever to win a world heavyweight title belt. Then, he went nuts. The Tyson we know today is a far cry from the young version. A rape conviction, a bloody ear, his 2005 retirement from the pros (which came about seven years too late) and his massive debt accumulation transformed him from a respected fighter into a truly tragic figure. The question is, are we sympathetic to his plight? Sure, he was manipulated by slimeball promoter Don King. But he made a series of poor choices along the way (including associating with King in the first place). It’s hard to feel sorry for Tyson.

Chile’s under-20 national soccer squad was riding high after earning a spot in the World Cup semi-final. After a 3-0 loss to Argentina, though, all hell broke loose. Reports indicated that several members of the team got into it with Argentinian fans and then Toronto police while boarding the bus leaving the stadium. Two photographers from the Canadian Press later confirmed they heard yelling near the bus. What followed might not seem so unusual for the majority of soccer fans (“A soccer riot? How unexpected!”), but Chile’s clash with rival fans and local law enforcement left a black mark on an otherwise successful FIFA tournament in Canada. We can only wonder what the Czech Republic and Argentina have in store for the finale.

(5) Tim Donaghy vs. (12) Sean Sherk

Donaghy has the advantage of being the most recent story of the entire bracket. Only days ago, the New York Post reported that the former National Basketball Association referee allegedly had ties to the Gambino crime family, was himself a gambler with a mountain of debt, and as a result, affected the outcomes of games he officiated. This is absolutely devastating news for the NBA, commissioner David Stern, league director of officiating Ronnie Nunn and fans alike. Officials have been accused of point shaving and manipulating contests for years, but there has never been any evidence. Until now. Sports writers across the continent who have been crying foul about the league’s horrendous officiating are now being vindicated. Donaghy is just one man, and he is suspected of fixing games over just the last two seasons, but this could be the first domino in a lengthy investigation and NBA officials will have to face the music and pay the price.

Ultimate fighting has been gaining popularity, but is still not accepted in the mainstream media as a legitimate sport (or even a legal one in some jurisdictions). Sean Sherk’s positive steroid test following UFC 73 isn’t going to help. Sherk was found to have traced of nandrolone metabolite, a banned substance, in his system following his bout with Hermes Franca on July 7. Sherk was crowned champion of the lightweight division after beating Franca, but now faces a suspension and fine. Worse, though, is the fact that his reputation as a clean fighter is now damaged forever. Franca also tested positive for a banned substance after the fight. However, Sherk was the champion who is now on the outside looking in.

(6) Gary Sheffield vs. (11) Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment

Sheffield is no stranger to controversy, and the always confrontational outfielder has stirred up trouble three times this season. First, there was the uproar over his remarks about Latin players. In the June issue of GQ magazine, he claimed that black players are less prevalent in baseball now because they are harder to control than Latinos and players of other ethnic backgrounds. Then, there was an on-field incident last month in which he threw a piece of a splintered bat at umpire Greg Gibson, revealing to the Detroit News afterwards that he told Gibson, “Last time I checked, I paid for the bat. I can throw it any way I want.” Finally, and most recently, Sheffield told ESPN’s Andrea Kremer that Joe Torre treated his white and black players differently. Is he just an angry man who craves attention? Or is there a shred of truth in either of his two shocking statements? His on-field actions make it hard to buy into his off-field beliefs.

Bring up Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment around a Canadian sports fan and you’ll be lucky to avoid injury. The consortium of local businessmen in charge of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and their facility (among other properties) have long been loathed by fans across the nation and even those within the Greater Toronto Area. Richard Peddie, Larry Tanenbaum and the gang have repeatedly made moves in the interest of maintaining successful businesses rather than committing to producing winning franchises. From foolishly ridiculous contracts to poor management hiring decisions, the Board has continually let down its fan base and the city of Toronto as a whole. Sure, they have added the expansion Toronto FC to the city’s already vibrant sports scene, and the club has been a remarkable success in its inaugural campaign, but that has nothing to do with ownership. MLSE cares most about the bottom line, and they always will.

(7) Terrell Owens vs. (10) Alex Rodriguez

T.O. would probably be seeded higher if not for a stunningly quiet off-season (by his standards, of course). Sure it’s only late July, and training camp is just getting rolling. But we have yet to hear him call out teammates or coaches in the media, or see him doing reps in his driveway amid a throng of salivating reporters. He always has a flair for the over-dramatic, though, so maybe he’s just planning something huge. You watch him because you never know what he’ll do next. When he’s not being a selfish, loud, cranky clipboard carrier, he’s entertaining. The thing about Owens is, he can be on this list or ESPN’s version and no one will question it.

By now, you probably know about Alex Rodriguez’s trip to Toronto a while back. It didn’t go so well. One “MINE!” and one mysterious unidentified blonde woman later, A-Rod was front page news in tabloids and respected publications across North America. But he was well on his way to being hated before his Yankees pulled into Pearson. His descent towards being abhorred by fans began the day Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks inked him to a $252 million contract. From that day forward, he had a billing he could not possibly live up to. Sure, he may some day break the all-time home run record and may be headed for Cooperstown, but that contract branded him with pressure that no baseball player in history save for Jackie Robinson could have handled. Now, he’s starting to crack. Off the field, of course. On it, he’s mashing the ball like he has something to prove.

(8) Kobe Bryant vs. (9) Bud Selig

Casual sports fans and neophytes alike know the tale of Kobe Bryant. The way he forced Shaquille O’Neal out of Los Angeles, the way he coaxed Phil Jackson out of retirement and subsequently tainted his legacy, the way he spent his free time in Colorado in between games (isn’t he lucky she dropped the case?) and finally, the way he pouted to a few random fans with a camera about how terrible the current Lakers are. Yes, L.A.’s management has made some bonehead moves, but perhaps the biggest was believing Bryant would carry the franchise on his own. He has become a giant headache, and all of the above actions plus his YouTube-style trade demands make him one of sports most despised athletes.

Bud Selig. Where do we begin? This could be a column in itself, but we’ll try to keep it concise. It’s obvious now that Selig knew about the steroid problem in his game and looked the other way as the dollars were rolling in. We know this for a fact. He is clearly only “fighting” steroid use in baseball to avoid a public relations disaster. He has to appear to be trying to save the game, but the current policy is weak by international standards. He created this monster, didn’t slay it when he had the chance, and now it’s out of control. Selig now has to deal with Bonds, the epitome of his years of ignorance toward banned substances, approaching the most cherished record in baseball. Selig’s boyhood hero growing up in Milwaukee? Hank Aaron. Talk about karma. Selig is getting what he deserves, but it will be at the expense of the game’s history.

This championship will be hotly contested. I’m sure you can already spot a few upsets in the making. Also, there’s no doubt a few notable figures didn’t qualify for the tournament (Floyd Landis lost the play-in game to Tocchet). For a full view of our bracket, click here. Make sure to comment below and have your voice heard. The battle for the most loathsome figure in sports has begun. Who will it be? Come back soon to find out.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

It’s July 1. But for the National Hockey League, it might as well be November 1, because the shopping frenzy has begun.

It’s 1:22 p.m. in Toronto. As of about an hour ago (12:00:00 EDT), teams were officially allowed to sign free agents. The NBA’s free agency period has also kicked off today, but actual signings can’t take place until July 11. So that lets us focus solely on hockey. The dollars have already started to fly, and we’ve still got a long way to go.

TSN has opted to cover the first day of NHL free agency (because really, aren’t we a little tired of mid-day poker coverage?). Call it excessive, over-the-top and maybe unneccesary, but admit it. You’re watching. This is part of being Canadian, and on Canada Day? How appropriate. By the way, happy 140th birthday, old gal.

Back to the “Free Agent Frenzy”. Or so TSN is calling it in their on-screen graphics. Hey, here’s an idea. Let’s evaluate their coverage of this momentus occasion. What, you have somewhere to be?

• It should be noted that they are the only network covering this “event”. The Score and Rogers Sportsnet have decided not to capitalize on (exploit?) Canada’s thirst for everything hockey-related, instead going with horse racing and pool, respectively.
• Best moment of the day so far? Allow me to set the scene. They cut to the Gord Miller-Bob Mackenzie-Darren Dreger desk. Miller is flanked by the other two. Mackenzie, to his left, is “typing” on his laptop (on camera!) and ignoring Miller’s insight, but he’s using only his pointer fingers to type. Look, we all know someone who does this. But who knew a veteran reporter (with a print background) never learned to type? Meanwhile, Dreger works the Blackberry (also on camera). Dreger 1, Mackenzie 0.
• Here come “The Reporters”. Dave Hodge is always entertaining, if not for his knowledge, then for his ad-libbing ability and terrificly wry sense of humour. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun equates the free agent landscape to a game of Clue, to which Sports Illustrated’s Michael Farber responds, “Or in your case, no clue.” Thank you, Michael.
• James Duthie, our host for the afternoon (so wait, they’re shuffling us between three tables of talking heads? Who IS hosting this?) chimes in. “We have one.” And, cue the canned SportsCentre theme. Todd White to Atlanta. Earth-shattering news, gentlemen.
• Miller tells us that “everyone but the Kansas City Scouts and California Golden Seals have put in an offer for Ryan Smyth.” I like the Seals to win the Cup next year.
• It’s 1:55 p.m. According to Duthie, the coverage is ‘ending’ in five minutes, in favour of NASCAR. He promises they’ll cut into the racing coverage and return if something does come up. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at that production meeting:

Executive #1: Should we stay with it all afternoon or cut to a sport no one watches?

Executive #2: Free agency is going to last all summer, and all we’ve seen so far is Joe Thornton re-upping in San Jose.

Executive #3: And Todd White to Atlanta.

Executive #2: Right, Todd White to Atlanta.

Executive #1: Okay, let’s have the hockey guys sit around in the studio all day and we’ll just turn on the cameras when something happens.

Executive #2: Sounds good. We just need someone to poke Hodge every twenty minutes. Oh, and make sure McGuire’s getting decaf.

Executive #3: Why don’t we have Darren give Bob typing lessons?

Executive #2: Great idea. Now, what’s next on the agenda? Oh, right. Maggie the Macaque’s contract negotiations.

Executive #1: Alright, you know the drill. We need all the bananas and cigars you can find, and don’t forget to cover the furniture. Remember, whatever you do, keep her away from Onrait. We don’t want a repeat of last year. This meeting is adjourned.

Great Moments in Televised Radio, Vol. III

Every week, we’ll take a look at the funniest and most poignant moments from Rogers Sportsnet’s simulcast of the FAN 590’s daily dinner time show, Prime Time Sports. When entertaining host Bob McCown and his esteemed co-hosts talk to athletes, coaches, officials and media, you just know it’s going to be memorable. Watching a radio show live on television has never been this fun.

It’s been a while since the last edition of GMTR and there are plenty of gems to get to. Since we don’t have a lot of time or space, let’s get right to it.

A couple weeks ago, word came down that McCown and his producers had found this very space and were routinely checking in. Naturally, I took this as a compliment, and when the host himself took a jab at the blogosphere (and perhaps yours truly), it was only icing on the cake.

Monday, April 16: “There’s nothing stupider than people who blog on the internet,” declared McCown. “I don’t think you want to meet the people who respond to your blogs,” he added. “They haven’t seen the sun in years.”

Now I certainly don’t know McCown personally, but while many might be insulted by these kinds of remarks, I knew they were simply his way of reaching out. Look at the slings and arrows hurled by the host at recurrent guests such as Nick Kypreos (“I’ve got 150,000 turning off right now.”), David Shoalts, Bob Elliott and Al Morganti (we’ll get to that in a second). This writer couldn’t help but feel honoured to join the exclusive company of people chastised by the Bobcat. It’s good to be here.

Wednesday, April 18: After dealing with the issue of head injuries in the NFL and controversial doctor Elliot Pellman, co-host Jim Kelley gives us a parting shot, turning to concussions in the NHL. “Where are the player agents? Where is the PA on this issue? It’s a health and safety issue, not just the league. It has got to come from the outside in. It’s not happening in hockey and at least it appears to be happening now in football.” Bob? “Well, it took the better part of three hours, but you finally said something I agree with.”

Thursday, April 19: Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has been handed a $100,000 fine for wearing the hat of a non-NFL sponsored sports drink company and drinking the product on Media Day at the most recent Super Bowl. After a lengthy discussion with Sports Illustrated football writer Don Banks, ESPN play-by-play announcer and former FAN 590 employee Dan Shulman drops by and throws McCown a beach ball. “You guys better be careful what you wear now that you’re simulcast,” he jokes. “Don’t wear any competing sponsors on your hats there, Bob.”

Mr. McCown? “Ah, screw it. I’ll wear whatever the hell I want.” Vintage Bobcat.

Friday, April 20: It’s round table time on a spectacularly sunny day in Toronto. This can only mean one thing. The host of the highest-rated sports radio show in the country is taking a day off. There is a silver lining, though, as Mike Toth is called in to pinch hit. Toth has long been my favourite Canadian sports broadcaster because of his refreshing sense of humour and encyclopedic knowledge of sports history. James Deacon, Michael Grange and Jim Kelley are seated around the table.

In the wake of the Sean Hill suspension, Deacon reveals that while working on a story about fighting in hockey several years ago, an NHL enforcer told him he believed that “just about every tough guy that he knew was taking some kind of performance-enhancing drug including steroids.” Unfortunately, as Deacon says, there’s no way to confirm it. It makes you wonder though.

Toth: “I’m not even going to talk about the Vancouver series with Dallas because I don’t want to fall asleep, so forget about it.”

More Toth: “Ottawa did really well against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but, uh, Toronto would have beat Ottawa.”

Deacon: “Aren’t you from out west?”

Toth: “I just had to get that in.”

Wednesday, April 25: More hockey, with regular guest/expert/comedian Al Morganti (for more on the Morganti/McCown comedy team, see the previous edition of this column). Former executive Neil Smith subs for Eric Duhatschek and does a nice job. The panel finishes up the segment by again looking at predictions. “I had the Penguins winning the cup,” admits Morganti. “Yeah, how’s that going?” asks co-host Stephen Brunt. “We might as well get your next choice, so that we know who’s going to get knocked out this round.”

Morganti: “I had Vancouver in the finals, so I’m still alive.”

Brunt: (Sarcastically) “Oh yeah, they’re a lock.”

McCown: “Apparently they don’t have drug testing at your radio station, huh? You were on hallucinogens at that point.”

About five minutes of hockey chatter follows. Then, Morganti laments his choices once more. “I have to pick against the team I picked the win the Cup to go on to the next round,” he says with a laugh. McCown can’t hold back. “That’s weak, man,” he says. The panel chuckles away. “They don’t keep plus-minus on the media,” Morganti quips.

T.G.I. $#&@day?

Those of you flipping between baseball and hockey on Friday night got a rare treat: the elusive triple F-bomb.

Sure, we’ve seen cursing in sports in the past (just ask Bobby Knight, Ozzie Guillen, Shea Hillenbrand and Jim Mora) and even recently (see Josh Smith and James Toney). But three times by three different people in one night? This was like the solar eclipse of sound bytes. The best part about this remarkable feat was that you had to really be in the right place at the right time to see it. Let’s review:

The first: Toronto Blue Jays’ starter A.J. Burnett gets Baltimore’s Brian Roberts to fly out to center field to end the seventh inning, wrapping up his night on the mound. The score is flashed as we’re about to head to commercial. Then, there’s a shot of Burnett heading toward the dugout. He’s looking up, as in, high up in the stands. Now, I’m no expert lip reader, but I do know the words “F#&@ you” when I see them. After seeing it, readjusting my jaw and going over it in my head to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, one thing was clear. He wasn’t saying “F#&@ yeah!”. There was no fist pump. No glove slap. If he’s letting hecklers get to him in April, we should make sure there are no sharp objects in the clubhouse when September rolls around.

The second and third: One area where CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada has improved is in post-game coverage. This, of course, includes head coaches’ live press conferences. Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss John Tortorella is known for his, shall we say, honesty with the media. CBC’s own Don Cherry was handed a seven-second delay in 2004, and they might have given Tortorella a similar leash if they had known what was coming.

Watch it here and see for yourself. There were really three things that made this moment superb.

1. The “I think I just crapped my pants” look on the face of the male reporter standing in the shot.

2. The fact that, since it was live, there was no time for bleeping or editing.

3. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks standing up to Tortorella and dropping an F-bomb of his own. Now that’s journalism.

Memory Lane: The Halifax Citadels (1988-93)

The now-defunct Halifax Citadels didn’t need much time to cement their place in minor hockey lore. In just five years, the former American Hockey League club and Quebec Nordiques affiliate provided many reasons to be remembered. It’s hard to believe, but the 20^th anniversary of their first face-off is coming up next year. In honour of this momentous occasion, let’s travel back to the days of Wang Chung and Tiananmen Square for a glimpse at a franchise we hardly knew.

In the spring of 1988, the Fredericton Express finished the best season in their history by advancing to the AHL’s championship final, the Calder Cup. Despite their success on the ice, the same could not be said for their bottom line. It was time for a change, and that summer, they were moved to the growing port city of Halifax. Making their home in the Metro Centre at the base of Citadel Hill (the site of a landmark military base), the team was appropriately renamed the Citadels.

The real irony of the franchise was that they actually drew on the history of the city far more than any other Haligonian hockey club, but could never truly forge a bond with the community’s hockey fans. The name, logo and trademark chant were emblematic of the town’s proud military history and the crowd’s cry of “No one takes the fort…HEY!” was an admirable attempt at town pride, but ultimately didn’t help as the team struggled year after year. Surprisingly, the club’s first two seasons were their most successful campaigns, but would end in consecutive first-round exists and just two playoff victories.

It’s not easy to assemble an All-Time Citadels Team (the original idea for this post) with just five seasons to work with, but there are some interesting names on the list. Remember, these are the players who performed best for the franchise, not the best players to wear the uniform. The challenge in putting this together with a minor league team is that the most talented players were usually called up to play with the big club. Check the bottom of this post for some notable alumni. Anyway, here’s our list:

GOALTENDERS: Ron Tugnutt, Stephane Fiset. Okay, I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Halifax’s crease had more turnover than a McDonald’s during its short tenure, with 14 (that’s right, 14) netminders suiting up for the Citadels in their brief existence. While Tugnutt, Fiset and John Tanner went on to carve out serviceable careers in the NHL in the years to come, the remaining 11 are hardly worthy of Billy Ocean’s consideration. Some highlights (read: lowlights) include Scott Gordon allowing ten goals in just two games in ’88-’89 for a goals against average of 5.17, Francois Gravel doing exactly the same thing the following year and Patrick Labrecque’s astounding 4.99 over a span of 20 games in ’92-’93.

DEFENSEMEN: Claude Julien, Kevin Kaminski, Greg Smyth, Jean-Marc Richard. Recognize the first name? They certainly do in the Meadowlands, where he was recently fired from his position as bench boss of the New Jersey Devils. Julien played two seasons in Halifax, amassing 60 points in the inaugural year (a Citadels season record for defensemen). Kaminski and Smyth provided the grit to compliment Julien’s offensive prowess. Smyth totaled 920 penalty minutes in parts of four seasons, while Kaminski spent 846 minutes in the sin bin during his four-season tenure. Richard makes the squad because he was consistently among the points leaders despite being on the blueline. The St. Raymond, Quebec native tallied 106 points in 167 games over three years and actually played until 2004-05 with clubs in Germany, Italy and his native province.

FORWARDS: Ladislav Tresl, Mark Vermette, Ken McRae, Denis Chasse, Miroslav Ihnacak, Ken Quinney. A truly inspiring group, I know. But, what they lacked in name recognition, they made up for in, well, games played. Vermette is the club’s all-time scoring leader with almost a point per game (231 in 256 contests) and also holds the team’s single-season goals record with the 42 siren-starters he netted in ‘92-‘93. Ihnacak (unfortunate English pronunciation aside) had a nice career as a Citadel, which of course meant he was never quite good enough to crack the Nordiques. The Czech-born winger recorded a team record 95 points in ’90-’91.

NOTABLE ALUMNI: Adam Foote, Owen Nolan, Martin Rucinsky, Anton Stastny, Chris Simon, Bill Lindsay, Curtis Leschyshyn.

So there you have it. They may not have been talented, but they were at the very least memorable. The franchise may have moved on, but here’s hoping the memories never die.