Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter
I've got several from the same list - all Eastern guys as well (in order, top to bottom):
Martin St. Louis
Paul Kariya
Joey Mullen
Chris Drury
Jason Krog
Hard for me to include Eichel instead of Drury, and ditto Gionta instead of Mullen
Except for Kariya, it's pretty hard for me to anoint a guy as one of the best if he played only one year in college. You could see Eichel was going to be a very good NHL player. He's one of the few college players I ever saw who was in full speed mode on his first step. And he was wicked talented and, if he stayed in school, he projected to be totally dominant by, say, his junior year. But he didn't (for very good reasons) so I have to disqualify him. I notice in your post Chuck, as well as others, that there are no defensemen. The best college defenseman I ever saw was Brian Leetch. He had it all. Great skater, great shot, great defender. But he only played one year of college, so he's disqualified as well.
Very tough to choose between Drury and Gionta because there are so many similarities between them. They both had great offensive instincts but were also bulldogs defensively, were great leaders on the ice, always in the thick of things when it counted and they both won championships. I'd take Gionta over Drury simply because he won the last game of his career in the FF in Albany in 2001 while Drury lost his on Mowers OT goal at the same rink (I always throw that in the face of BU fans). Of course, Drury won the Hobey and Gionta did not so there is that. Like I said, a very tough choice. St. Louis has to be there, he was the most electric performer this side of Kariya I ever saw in college. You know, the last couple of weeks I have been watching the Bruins run to the 2011 Cup and the Tampa series was unbelievable hockey played by both teams. And St. Louis, even at an advanced age, was the Lightning's best offensive player. He was something. As for Krog, Mr. Consistency for his last three years. It always surprised me that he did not have better success in the NHL because he had all the offensive tools. Maybe a tad to slow? I don't know.
So enough of that. This thread got me to thinking of the great UNH players I have seen since I started watching the team in 1970. I know I go back a long way, although not as far as Snively, so here goes. I'm going to do a top five per decade with conviction up through 2010, but the teens? I'll have a list but, frankly, the overall talent drop off was so stark, it would be an injustice to lump them in with the greats who came before them. Just my opinion. Fire away.
1970s. All offense, no defense. I am omitting probably the most recognizable UNH name, Rod Langway, from this list because, frankly, he was just okay at UNH. He was incredibly athletic but I don't think his attributes translated to the college game as much as it did with others. Much like Norm Lacombe who came along in the '80s. Anyway, in no particular order:
Gordie Clark, Jamie Hislop, Bob Miller, Ralph Cox, Bob Gould. Tough to leave out - Cliff Cox, Dave Lumley, Tim Burke, Cap Raeder
1980s. A very fallow period for UNH. Pretty good for the first few years, absolutely miserable in the middle period, the rejuvenation at the end. Slim pickings overall:
Andy Brickley, Danny Potter, Steve Leach, James Richmond, Chris Winnes. Tough to leave out - Peter Douris, Greg Rota, Bruce Gillies
1990s. Started with the rebuild, ended with . . . well you know. Great time for any UNH fan.
I have to have one guy from that 1992 team on this list so I'll pick Savo Mitrovic over Joe Flanagan and Dominic Amodeo. Mitrovic was a bulldog. Certainly not as skilled as some but the prototypical Umile player. Beyond him, the obvious - Mark Mowers, Jason Krog, Derek Bekar, Tom Nolan. Tough to leave out - Flanagan, Amodeo, Rob Donovan, Eric Nickulas, Tim Murray, Jamie Filipowicz and maybe two or three more I just forgot about.
The aughts. Two more Frozen Fours and a pretty impressive streak of NCAA appearances. Frankly, they should have accomplished more, especially towards the end of decade but whatever.
Darren Haydar, Ty Conklin, Sean Collins, Colin Hemingway, James vanReimsdyk. Tough to leave off - Steve Saviano (very tough), Brett Hemingway, Josh Prudden, Michael Ayers, Brian Foster, Bobby Butler, Paul Thompson, Blake Kessel. This is off the top of my head and, like the 90s, I know there are more so I have no problem with you helping me.
The teens? Steve Moses, Trevor vanRiemsdyk, Brett Pesce, Kevin Goumas, Tyler Kelleher. Tough to leave off - you tell me.
I enjoy this stuff during these days of trying to fill up the days beyond breakfast, paper, walk, lunch, book, dinner, TV. We have been Zooming with family and friends and that is good, but virtual conversations are just not the same, are they? All stay well and I'll check in later in this week or next. Here's praying that UNH forgets about the rink, and permanently.
