Keefe, Lysak and Lajeunesse

34 names checked off the autograph want list after this post.  The Bowman autographs here are the highlight because I've been looking to pick them up for a while and still a need a couple from the set.  

Sheldon Keefe and Brett Lysak

Sheldon Keefe has gained some fame for being one of the players represented by David Frost.  He was an incredible junior player who helped the Barrie Colts win the 2000 memorial cup.  Between 2000 and 2003 he played 125 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning.  He was recently hired as head coach for the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. 

Brett Lysak played 2 NHL games for the 03/04 Carolina Hurricanes.  These rather rare Bowman autographs are each player’s only certified autograph.

Michal Neuvirth and Simon Lajeunesse

Michal Neuvirth has spent the last two seasons sharing the Washington Capitals goaltending duties with Varlamov and Holtby.  Drafted 34^th overall by the Capitals in 2006 he has already played over 100 NHL games.  He has won 2 Calder Cups with the AHL’s Hershey Bears and was named Calder Cup MVP in 2009. 

Simon Lajeunesse tended net for 24 minutes as an Ottawa Senator during the 2001/02 season.  It would be his only NHL game.  That year he was named the AHL’s best goalie.  This is my favorite card of the post because its Lajeunesse’s only autograph, its rare and I have a soft spot for goalies.

Rollie Melanson and Cedrick Desjardins

As backup goalie to Billy Smith Roland Melanson won 3 Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders.  He also shared the 1983 William Jennings Trophy with Smith.  This card is notable for being his first certified autograph. 

Even though Cedrick Desjardins has spent the majority of his pro career in the Habs organization his only 2 NHL games so far have both came with the 10/11 Tampa Bay Lightning.  He won both games, allowing only 1 goal in each contest. 

Ryan O’Reilly and Anthony Stewart

After being drafted 33^rd overall in 2009 Ryan O’Reilly made the immediate jump to the NHL as an 18 year old and played 81 games for the Avs as a rookie.  He has been an impact player in Colorado through his first 3 seasons with the team. 

A veteran of 250+ NHL games, Anthony Stewart broke into the league as a rookie with the 05/06 Florida Panthers.  He remained with the Panthers until 2009 and has since played for the Thrashers and Hurricanes. 

Tim Stapleton and Clark MacArthur

Tim Stapleton first played in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 08/09 but he had to wait a few years to get his first autograph.  After getting only a handful of games with the Leafs and later the Thrashers he has finally imerged as a full time NHLer with the 11/12 Winnipeg Jets. 

Clark MacArthur spent his first few years of NHL hockey with the Buffalo Sabres.  He was a great junior player who scored 4 goals in 6 games as he helped Canada win the 2005 world junior Gold medal.  His best NHL season was a 21 goal, 62 point year with the 10/11 Toronto Maple Leafs.

Chay Genoway and Kristopher Foucault

An undrafted University of North Dakota graduate, Chay Genoway played 1 game for the 11/12 Minnesota Wild.

Kristopher Foucault also played 1 game for the 11/12 Minnesota Wild.  Both player remain with the team and have the potential to play more NHL games.  These new Panini Certified cards are very nice in hand and noticeably nicer than any card i've gotten in recent history. 

Danny Irmen

Drafted by the Wild in 2003 Danny Irmen would dress in 2 games for the club during the 2009/10 NHL regular season. 

Jamie Fraser and Olivier Magnan

Undrafted defenseman Jamie Fraser earned a contract with the New York Islanders in 2006 after 4 years in the OHL.  He worked his way up through the ECHL and in 2009 he played 1 game for the Islanders.  It would be his only game in the NHL

Olivier Magnan-Grenier played 18 games for the New Jersey Devils in 2010/11. 

Jonathan Ferland and David Sloane

Jonathan Ferland dressed in 7 games for the Montreal Canadiens in 2005/06 and scored 1 NHL goal against Marc Andre Fleury and the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 3, 2006.

A ‘One game wonder’ David Sloane’s only NHL contest was in April 2006.  He was signed to an emergency contract by the Philadelphia Flyers and played his only game against the New York Rangers. 

Benoit Gratton and Danny Bois

Between 1997 and 2004 Benoit Gratton appeared in 58 NHL games, scoring 6 goals and 16 points.  Over that span he span he sported team colors of the Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens. 

Danny Bois played his only NHL game on December 6, 2006 as the Ottawa Senators faced off against the Washington Capitals.   Bois did not contribute any points but dropped the gloves with Donald Brashear. 

Zdenek Blatny and Mark Cornforth

Between the Atlanta Thrashers and the Boston Bruins Zdenek Blatny saw 25 games in the NHL and scored 3 goals. 

Mark Cornforth played 6 games for the 1995/96 Boston Bruins. 

Rob Valicevic and Mike Peluso (b. 1974)

Rob Valicevic was a Nashville Predator from 1998-2001, an LA King in 01/02, Anaheim Mighty Duck in 02/03 and finally a Dallas Star in 03/04.  He scored 28 goals and 48 points in just under 200 games.

Mike Peluso played 37 games for the 01/02 Chicago Blackhawks and 1 game for the 03/04 Philadelphia Flyers.  He is a cousin of the other Mike Peluso to play in the NHL.  

Shawn Heaphy and Mike MacWilliam

Shawn Heaphy played a single NHL game for the 1992/93 Calgary Flames.  

Tough guy Mike MacWilliam fought twice in 6 career NHL games with the 95/96 NY Islanders.

Dan Mandich and Bill Collins

Between 1982 and 1986 Dan Mandich played over 100 games for the Minnesota North Stars. 

In 1967 Bill Collins started an NHL career that spaned over a decade and saw him play nearly 800 games.  He saw time with the North Stars, Canadiens, Red Wings, Blues, Rangers, Flyers and Capitals.

 Tim Harrer and Eric Calder

Right winger Tim Harrer played 3 games for the Calgary Flames during the 1982/83 season. Read a great article about Harrer here.  He had himself portrayed in the movie Miracle because he very nearly became part of the team.  

Eric Calder played 2 games for the Washington Capitals in the early 1980s.  He continued playing the game until his retirement from pro hockey in 1997. 

Gilles Dube and Dale Hoganson

Gilles Dube played 12 games for the Montreal Canadiens in 1949/50.  He scored a goal and 3 points.  His only other NHL experience came in the 1954 playoffs.  He played 2 games for the Detroit Red Wings. His team would go onto win the Stanley Cup and the 2 playoff games were enough to have his named engraved on the trophy.

Dale Hoganson played over 20 years of pro hockey between the NHL and WHA.  He spent most of his time in Quebec as a Nordique or Hab but also played for the LA Kings and Birmingham Bulls.  He was awared a Stanley Cup ring in 1973 as a Canadien but his name was left off the Cup because he hadn’t played enough games.

Gord Haworth and Bryan Campbell

Gord Haworth played 2 games for the 1952/53 New York Rangers.  His son, Alan, would play over 500 NHL games.

Bryan Campbell played for the LA Kings from 1967-70, the Chicago Blackhawks from 1970-72 and then from 1972 moved to the WHA were he played for the Piladelphia/Vancouver Blazers, Cincinatti Stingers, Indianapolis Racers and Edmonton Oilers. 

Marcel Pelletier

Marcel Pelletier played 6 games for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1950/51 and 2 games for the New York Rangers in 1962/63. 

Now for some “NHL graphs but not NHL players” 

Ari Ahonen and Keith Kinkaid

Ari Ahonen appeared as a backup goalie for the New Jersey Devils in 2002. 

Keith Kinkaid recently dressed as the New Jersey Devils backup netminder but has the potential to see some real action and move out of my ‘backups only’ binder. 

Dave MacQueen

As noted in the index card Dave MacQueen spent some time as an assistant coach in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning.