There's No Way You'll Remember These NHL Players' First Teams. But You Can Try!
- by Clayton Leir
- – on
- in Sports
This one's for all you hockey fans out there. How well do you know your NHL players? Would you know them well enough to be able to recall their very first NHL teams? Some of these guys are best known for their time with their third or fourth team, and a lot of people forget about where exactly they started out. Hell, some of the teams that these guys started out for don't even exist anymore.
Do you remember the days of the Atlanta Thrashers? The Quebec Nordiques? The Phoenix Coyotes? These teams don't exist anymore. At least not in the same way. They are now the Winnipeg Jets, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Arizona Coyotes. Are you going to be able to sort through all of that to choose the right teams?
And not all of the NHL stars on this list are still playing. A good number of them have retired. So, if you plan on passing this quiz, I hope you know a good deal of NHL history. Consider yourself warned, if you're just a bandwagoner, you're going to have a difficult time passing this quiz. Can you remember the very first teams these NHL players started out with?
What was Zdeno Chara's debut team?
Chara holds the distinction of not only owning the hardest shot in the game, but also being one of three men not-named-Lidstrom to win the Norris Trophy in the past decade (Niedermayer and Duncan Keith are the others). His 418 points in 830 games aren't huge, but his impact on every Bruins' game is. And when I say impact...I literally mean his impact. He's not one of the best players but he can crush most other players when need be.
What was Vinny Lecavalier's debut team?
Less than a week after being bought out by his debut team, Lecavalier signed with the Philadelphia Flyers who agreed to pay him $22.5 million over a five-year contract; which was in addition to the $2.33 million he would receive annually from his former team for the following 14 years. Lecavalier chose to wear number 40 with the Flyers as his usual number 4 had been retired by the Flyers in honour of Barry Ashbee. When he played his first game opposing his former team, the crowd still cheered for him.
What was Tim Thomas' debut team?
Thomas has the fewest games played among all the netminders in this quiz. He has only played 355 games. He also has the fewest victories in the quiz. He's only snagged 184 victories of those 355 games. But he has the highest save percentage (.922) and he has 30 shutouts that are more than Khabibulin, Fleury and Miller. He also has more Vezina Trophies than any of the other guys to make this quiz. That's pretty impressive for a goalie who has hardly won half of his games.
What was Alexander Ovechkin's debut team?
Ovechkin doesn't have a Cup to his credit, but he does have the distinction of being the only winner of multiple Hart Trophies in the last decade. Only two players have a higher point-per-game average than his 1.249 (Forsberg and Crosby). In 527 games, Ovechkin has scored 324 goals and added 334 assists. To put that into perspective, as of February 2012, he had played in one more game in the decade than Joe Sakic and had posted 47 more points than the Avalanche Hall of Famer.
What was Brett Hull's debut team?
This Canadian-American former ice hockey player and general manager, and current executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues, Brett Hull is a legend. He played for the St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes between 1986 and 2005. His career total of 741 goals is the fourth highest in NHL history, and he is one of five players to score 50 goals in 50 games.He also went with two different teams all the way to the Stanley Cup.
What was Carey Price's debut team?
Internationally, Price has represented Canada at various tournaments at junior levels, winning silver medals at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2004 and the IIHF World U18 Championship in 2005. He won a gold medal at the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden. In 2014, Price was named to the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team and won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Price's play also earned him the tournament's top goaltending award. Many consider Price one of, if not the best goalies in the NHL.
What was Daniel Alfredsson's debut team?
With the Senators, Alfredsson usually played on the first line, which was formerly nicknamed the 'CASH' or 'Pizza' line with centre Jason Spezza and left winger Dany Heatley. He had traditionally been the fourth forward on the ice in the role of pointman on Ottawa's powerplay. He was one of the league's top two-way players, and he holds the Senators' franchise records for goals (426), assists (682), and points (1108) with 1,178 games played. He had played for Sweden internationally fourteen times, including the 2006 gold medal and 2014 silver medal winning Olympic teams.
What is Daniel Sedin's debut team?
Daniel has over 100 goals more than Henrik (his twin brother), but their point totals are within 20 of each other. Go figure, the production from the twins is nearly identical. Vancouver fans can thank Brian Burke's creativity for getting them together on the Canucks roster where the Sedins currently play. Daniel had 273 goals and 433 assists in 841 games in the first decade of the new millennium. Considering that he now plays for a team that doesn't usually get very far, he's a kickass player.
What was Dany Heatley's debut team?
Originally drafted by his debut team second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie in 2002. However, after being responsible for a car crash in September 2003 that killed teammate and close friend Dan Snyder, he requested a trade and was subsequently dealt to his second of eventually six different teams. In his time he's played with the Sens, Sharks Thrashers, Wild, Ducks and Panthers. In other words...he's been around.
What was Dominik Hasek's debut team?
In his 16-season NHL career, he played for the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the league's finest goaltenders, earning him the nickname "The Dominator". His strong play has been credited with establishing European goaltenders in a league previously dominated by North Americans. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, both with the Red Wings. I mean, it was pretty clear that he was never going to win that Cup with the Sens...
What was Eric Staal's debut team?
is a Canadian professional ice hockey player playing for the Minnesota Wild in the NHL. Eric is the oldest of the Staal brothers, which include former teammates Marc Staal, Jordan Staal, and Jared Staal. He is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, and both the 2007 World Championships and the 2010 Winter Olympics with Team Canada. There are not too many people who can put that triple gold to their name.
What was Evgeni Malkin's debut team?
After his debut season, Malkin was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. In his second season he helped lead his team to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals and was a runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is given to the league's most valuable player. The following season saw Malkin win the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the top-scorer in the NHL and again place second for the Hart Trophy. Now with the Penguins, he won the Stanley Cup championship this time around; Malkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the playoffs. In 2012, Malkin was finally awarded the Hart Trophy.
What was Wayne Gretzky's debut team?
Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, Gretzky honed his skills at a backyard rink and regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers. Despite his unimpressive stature, strength and speed, Gretzky's intelligence and reading of the game were unrivalled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing players, and consistently anticipated where the puck was going to be and executed the right move at the right time. Gretzky became known for setting up behind his opponent's net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office".
What was Ilya Kovalchuk's debut team?
After eight seasons with his debut team, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2010, and later signed a 15-year, $100 million contract during the off-season after a 17-year, $102 million was rejected by the league as being an attempt to circumvent salary cap restrictions. Three years later, he retired from the NHL having played 11 seasons, in order to return to Russia, joining SKA. Kovalchuk is fifth all-time in the NHL for overtime goals scored, and 18th all time in goals per game average. He is the seventh highest scoring Russian in NHL history.
What was Jarome Iginla's debut team?
Jarome Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is a free agent. He most recently played for the Los Angeles Kings, and also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Colorado Avalanche. As a junior, Iginla was a member of two Memorial Cup winning teams with the Kamloops Blazers and was named the Western Hockey League Player of the Year in 1996. He was selected 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, but was traded to another team prior to making his NHL debut.
What was Jaromir Jagr's debut team?
Jágr is the leading point scorer among active NHL players and has the second-most points in NHL history. He is the most productive European player who has ever played in the NHL and is considered one of the greatest professional hockey players of all time. In 1990, at age 18, he was the youngest player in the NHL. Until his transfer, at age 45, he was the oldest player in the NHL, and is the oldest player to record a hat-trick. In 2017 Jágr was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.
What was Jason Spezza's debut team?
Playing in the American Hockey League in 2004–05 due to the NHL lock-out, he won the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP with his team. In 2005–06, Spezza set a Sens franchise record with 71 assists, while hitting the 90-point mark for the first of two times in his NHL career. Internationally, Spezza has represented Team Canada at three World Junior Championships and two World Championships. When he made his World Junior debut in 2000, he became just the third 16-year-old in history to make the team, behind Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros.
What was Jean-Sebastian Giguere's debut team?
Giguere was drafted 13th overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He played in the Calgary Flames organization for three seasons before joining his debut team in 2000. Giguère won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003 before winning the Stanley Cup with his team in 2007. His later career included stints in Toronto and Colorado. At the time of his retirement, Giguère was the last active NHL player who had played for the Hartford Whalers.The end of an era.
What was Joe Sakic's debut team?
Over the course of his career, Sakic was one of the most productive forwards in the game, having twice scored 50 goals and earning at least 100 points in six different seasons. At the conclusion of the 2008–09 NHL season, he was the eighth all-time points leader in the NHL, as well as 14th in all-time goals and 11th in all-time assists. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, Sakic helped lead Team Canada to its first ice hockey gold medal in 50 years, and was voted as the tournament's most valuable player.
What was Joe Thornton's debut team?
A Canadian professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the San Jose Sharks, Thornton was selected first overall by his debut team in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play seven seasons with the club, three as its captain. During the 2005–06 season, he was traded to the Sharks. Splitting the season between the two teams, he received the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophies as the league's leading point-scorer and most valuable player, respectively.
What was Jonathan Toews' debut team?
Toews was selected by his debut team with the third overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the team in 2007–08 and was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. The following season he was named team captain, becoming the second-youngest captain in NHL history at the time. Toews won the Stanley Cup in 2010, along with the Conn Smythe Trophy for the playoff MVP. After winning the Cup, Toews passed Peter Forsberg as the youngest player to join the Triple Gold Club. He won the Stanley Cup again in 2013 and 2015.
What was Marc-Andre Fleury's debut team?
Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League first overall by his debut team in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Fleury played major junior for four seasons with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, earning both the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league's top prospect and the Telus Cup as the top defensive player in 2003. He officially joined his debut team in 2003–04 and during his 13 seasons with the team won Stanley Cup championships in 2009, 2016, and 2017.
What was Marian Hossa's debut team?
He has played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and his current team, the Chicago Blackhawks. Over the course of his career, he has made five NHL All-Star Game appearances and played in three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals with three different teams, finally winning the Stanley Cup in 2009–10 with the third team. He won two additional Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks during the 2012–13 and 2014–15 seasons. Hossa became the 44th player in NHL history to score 500.
What was Mario Lemieux's debut team?
Lemieux's career was plagued by health problems that limited him to 915 of a possible 1,428 regular season games, between the opening of the 1984-85 campaign and the final game of 2005–2006. Lemieux's NHL debut was on October 11, 1984, and his final game took place on December 16, 2005. His numerous ailments included spinal disc herniation, Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic tendinitis of a hip-flexor muscle, and chronic back pain so severe that other people had to tie his skates. He retired on two separate occasions due to these health issues.
What was Martin Brodeur's debut team?
Brodeur holds numerous NHL and franchise records, including all-time regular season wins (691), losses (397), shutouts (125), and games played (1,266). He won at least 30 games in twelve straight seasons between 1995–96 and 2007–08 and is the only goalie in NHL history with eight 40-win seasons. He is a four-time Vezina Trophy winner, a five-time Jennings Trophy winner, a ten-time NHL All-Star, a Calder Memorial Trophy winner, and one of only two NHL goaltenders to score a goal in both the regular season and the playoffs.
What was Martin St. Louis' debut team?
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. An undrafted player, St. Louis played over 1,000 games and scored 1,000 points in an NHL career that began with his debut team in 1998 and ended with the New York Rangers in 2015. St. Louis is best remembered for having played with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2000 until being traded to the Rangers in 2014. He also briefly played with HC Lausanne of the Swiss National League A. He was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup championship team in 2004.
What was Miikka Kiprusoff's debut team?
Kiprusoff represented Finland several times on the international stage, earning silver medals at the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1999 and 2001, as well as leading the Finns to a surprise second-place finish at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He also helped the Finnish national hockey team win the bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He's not played for many teams in the NHL, but he's definitely made his presence known when it counts.
What was Mike Modano's debut team?
Modano is a retired American hockey player, who is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader amongst American-born players in the NHL, as well as the last active player in the NHL who played for the North Stars when the team was in Minnesota. Modano was drafted first overall by his debut team in 1988. Modano played his final NHL season with his hometown team, the Detroit Red Wings. Modano is considered one of the most influential figures in popularizing hockey in Texas and the southern United States.
What was Pavel Datsyuk's debut team?
Datsyuk was known as The Magic Man. He is a Russian hockey player and captain for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League. From 2001 to 2016, he played for his debut team but as of right now, his NHL rights are being held by the Arizona Coyotes - though he's not currently playing with them. In 2017, Datsyuk was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history and was the only active player outside of the NHL at the time of the announcement.
What was Rick Nash's debut team?
Nash played with the London Knights for two seasons, earning the Emms Family Award in 2001 as the League's Rookie of the Year. He began his NHL career with his debut team the season immediately following his draft, in 2002–03, and was nominated for the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. In his second NHL season, Nash scored 41 goals to tie with Jarome Iginla and Ilya Kovalchuk for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL goal-scoring champion.
What was Roberto Luongo's debut team?
Luongo is a Canadian goaltender for the Florida Panthers of the. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending and has previously played in the NHL for both the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Islanders. Luongo is a two-time NHL Second All-Star (2004 and 2007) and a winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy for backstopping his team to the lowest goals-against average in the league. He's also been nominated for and won several other awards.
What was Ryan Getzlaf's debut team?
As a junior, Getzlaf played four seasons with the Calgary Hitmen and was twice named to a Western Hockey League all-star team. Internationally, he has represented Canada on numerous occasions. Getzlaf was a member of the 2005 World Junior Championship squad considered the greatest in Canadian history and won a silver medal at the 2008 IIHF World Championship. A two-time Olympian, Getzlaf played with Canadian teams that won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games. Not too shabby at all.
What was Ryan Miller's debut team?
currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks, Miller was drafted 138th overall by his debut team in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. In 2010, he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender. He was selected to play for the United States in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver as the team's starting goaltender. He won a silver medal with the team and was named most valuable player of the tournament. Four years later, he was selected for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Miller is one of 30 goaltenders in NHL history to win 300 games in his career.
What was Scott Niedermayer's debut team?
Niedermayer is a Canadian former defenceman and current Special Assignment Coach of the Anaheim Ducks. He played 18 seasons and over 1,000 games in the NHL between two different teams. Niedermayer is a four-time Stanley Cup champion and played in five NHL All-Star Games. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2003–04 as the NHL's top defenceman and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2007 as the most valuable player of the playoffs. In 2017 Niedermayer was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
What was Shea Weber's debut team?
Weber is a Canadian defenceman who is currently an alternate captain for the Montreal Canadiens. He is an NHL All-Star and a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Drafted in the second round, 49th overall by his debut team in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Weber had spent his entire NHL career with this team, until being traded to Montreal. He had previously played for the Sicamous Eagles of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League and the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League.