Leafs Trade For Andrew Raycroft A Great Deal

On June 24, the Boston Bruins dealt former Calder winning goalie Andrew Raycroft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rights to goalie prospect Tuukka Rask.

Rask was Toronto's first round pick last year, 21st overall. An incredibly acrobatic goaltender who more than proved his worth at this year's World Junior Tournament, the sole reason Finland won a bronze medal.

It was inevitable that Raycroft would be dealt. Raycroft had a tough season last year, first with an ill-advised holdout early in the season that saw him miss training camp and then suffering injuries as a result that ultimately cost him his starters job to Tim Thomas who stepped up last season and was outstanding. While Hannu Toivonen showed plenty of promise in his rookie season prior to suffering a season-ending injury.

The surprise is that the Bruins dealt him to an divisional rival like the Leafs,where if Raycroft recovers the form that made him the 2004 Rookie of the Year could see him come back to haunt the Bruins 8 times a season.

This spells buyout for Ed Belfour, whom the Maple Leafs declined to pick up the option, letting the 41-year-old goaltender become a free agent. Belfour was 22-22-4 with a 3.29 goals-against average last season with Toronto and was 93-61-15 with a 2.51 goals-against average in three seasons with the Maple Leafs.

This is the best thing to happen for the leafs, instead of wasting 4.5 million off the salary cap chasing Nabokov or a little less on a free agent goalie like Gerber, they get a proven number one goalie and calder winning goalie in "Razor". Who is much cheaper and frankly, much better at this point in his career than the oft-injured Belfour. "The Eagle" still has some gas in the tank and may be a good addition for a veteran-laden squad headed to toward the Cup.

The Leafs don't lose anything as they still have Pogge, the goalie of the same tournament as Rask, who signed to a 3-year contract just prior to the world junior's . Pogge will likely play for the Marlies in the AHL until he is ready to win the back-up role from either Jean-Sebastien Aubin or Mikael Tellqvist. Finally Ferguson Jr. does something right.

Later,
Kenaz

History of hockey in Hamilton(revised)

Hamilton Tigers


The return of the Quebec Bulldogs (formerly a Stanley Cup winning NHA team) to the city of Quebec for the 1919-20 season ended in failure. Despite having the league's scoring leader (39 goals) "The Phantom" Joe Malone in the line-up, the Bulldogs only managed a pathetic four wins in 24 games. And so the team was put up for sale.

As it happened, a group from Hamilton, Ontario were interested in bringing a pro team to the city to play in a new artificial-ice arena. They were the owners of the Abso-pure Ice Company, and shortly before the start of the 1920-21 season, they succeeded in making the deal with the Quebec owners, and purchased the franchise for $5,000.

The new professional team was heartily received by hockey fans, who on opening night came to the Barton Street Arena somewhere around 6,500 strong to watch their team (minus Joe Malone) trounce an unconditioned Montreal Canadiens team 5-0.

Although the line-up was bolstered by additions from each of the other three teams, the Tigers quickly began to falter. By the end of the first season, the team managed only six more wins, and finished last place.

The following three seasons saw the Tigers finish dead last each time, although by the 1923-24 season they had worked their way up to nine wins.

The 1924-25 season saw a complete transformation: unlike in other seasons when the team managed a few good early season wins and then fizzled, this year the Tigers could not stop winning and fought their way to the top of the standings. Hamiltonians were ecstatic: after four years of disappointment, suddenly the city had a Stanley Cup contender.

But as the season drew to a close, there was growing discord among the Tigers' players: not at one another, but at management. The players were not being compensated for the extra time they were playing (an earlier training camp, as well as six more games than before, and now at least two play-off games) and they wanted something done about it. Thus they justifiably went on strike, but this quickly failed and led to the team's suspension from post-season play.

Over time, all of the players involved went to the league on their hands and knees begging for forgiveness, and eventually all were re-instated. But none would return to the league as Hamilton Tigers, for in yet another act of injustice the league decided that the city of Hamilton no longer deserved an NHL franchise and the team was sold to some American bootlegger for $75,000.

Renamed the New York Americans, the franchise continued to exist until the 1941-42 season, at the end of which it went defunct leaving the NHL with only six teams.

Hamilton Red Wings

The Hamilton Tiger Cubs were renamed in 1960 becoming the Hamilton Red Wings, and sponsored by the NHL Detroit Red Wings. The team played for 14 seasons before being renamed the Hamilton Fincups.

The Red Wings of 1962 were coached by Eddie Bush. The team finished second overall in the OHA standings, then lost only 1 game in the post-season run to the Memorial Cup. In the playoffs Hamilton defeated the St. Catharines Teepees, Niagara Falls Flyers, and the Metro Jr. A. champs Toronto St. Michael's Majors 4 games to 1, winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup. The Red Wings then swept the series against the Quebec Citadelles for the Eastern Canadian championship.

The Red Wings would play the Western Canadian champion Edmonton Oil Kings for the Memorial Cup. The first game of the 1962 Memorial Cup was played on home ice at the Barton Street Arena which Hamilton won 5-2. The next three games were played at the Guelph Memorial Gardens. Hamilton won game two 4-2. Edmonton won game three 5-3. Hamilton shutout Edmonton 3-0 in game four. The fifth and deciding game was played in the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. The Red Wings defeated the Oil Kings 7-4 to win the series and the Memorial Cup, 4 games to 1.

Five years later the Red Wings made it to the OHA finals again in 1967, but were swept 4 games to 0 by the Toronto Marlboros.

The Hamilton Red Wings played home games at the Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum .

Hamilton Fincups

The Fincups were a short-lived team in the Ontario Hockey Association that was very successful on the ice, but did poorly generating revenue. The club bounced around in three outdated arenas in four years. Unable to turn much of a profit, the Fincups moved out of town, becoming the Brantford Alexanders.

The name "Fincup" is a combination of the team's owners, the Finochio Brothers and Ron Cupido. They renamed the Hamilton Red Wings after the 1974 season, and hired Bert Templeton as the team's new coach. Templeton would was voted winner of the Matt Leyden Trophy as Coach of the Year in his first season. Templeton was let go partway through the Fincups 4th season and replaced by Dave Draper.

In the four short seasons that the Fincups played, the team won the Memorial Cup once, and the J. Ross Robertson Cup once. The Fincups also represented Canada at the World Junior Tournament and came away with a silver medal.

The Fincups won the Emms Division regular season title for two consecutive years in 1975-76 & 1976-77, and the Hamilton Spectator Trophy in 1976-77 as the first overall team in the OHA regular season.

The Fincups made the OHA finals all 3 years they played out of Hamilton, and came within one win of making it four consecutive appearances in the championship series in their only year in St. Catharines.

The Hamilton Fincups played home games at the Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum from 1974-1976. The St. Catharines Fincups played in the Garden City Arena in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario in 1976-1977. After moving back to Hamilton, the Fincups played out of the Mountain Arena from 1977-1978.

Hamilton Steelhawks


The Brantford Alexanders were relocated in 1984 becoming the Hamilton Steelhawks. The franchise which started in Hamilton in 1953, twice left Hamilton for lack of an adequate arena but returned for the opening of Copps Coliseum. However the team was not well-supported, and played for only four seasons in Hamilton before moving to Niagara Falls, Ontario to play as the Thunder.

The Steelhawks name was chosen to reflect the steel industry in Hamilton. The modernized name and logo was designed to catch on with a young fan base as well. The team enjoyed three successful playoff runs, although they never made a trip to the league finals.

Notable alumni are NHL stars Shayne Corson, Keith Primeau and NHL tough guy Bob Probert. Wayne Gretzky's younger brother Keith Gretzky also played for the Steelhawks, and was the co-winner 1986-87 William Hanley Trophy as the OHA's Most Sportsmanlike Player.

The team was owned by Jack Robillard, Bob Willson and Al Martin, who also owned the London Knights.

The Hamilton Steelhawks played home games at Mountain Arena for 1984-85 and then moved to Copps Coliseum from 1985 to 1988. The annual OHL / QMJHL All-Star game was played here in 1988. The Coliseum's upper bowl curtain was closed for home games.

Hamilton Dukes


The Toronto Marlboro were moved to Hamilton, Ontario for the 1989-1990 season becoming the Dukes of Hamilton. The name "Dukes"" orinigated as a nickname for the Toronto team coming from its namesake, the Duke of Marlborough.

The Dukes were chosen to host the Memorial Cup their first season in Hamilton. However when the team finished last over all in the standings, the OHL sent the league champion Oshawa Generals and finalist Kitchener Rangers instead.

The second season for the Dukes was only marginally better even after switching from the Leyden division to the Emms division. The Dukes qualified for the last playoff spot, but lost in four games straight. Following the 1990-1991 season, the team was relocated to Guelph, Ontario where it became the Guelph Storm.

The Dukes played their home games at Copps Coliseum, which hosted the Memorial Cup in 1990.

Hamilton Bulldogs

When th Edmonton Oilers announced plans to suspend operations of the previous Hamilton Bulldogs franchise, local interests secured ownership of the Quebec Citadelles and relocated them to Hamilton. Fans voted to keep the Bulldogs name which won over the Hamilton Canadiens and Hamilton Habs. The team's primary affiliate has been the Montreal Canadiens, but had a partial agreement with the Edmonton Oilers in 2002-03 and again in 2005-06.

AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs and is also a concert and convention centre.

Dave Andreychuk Arena formerly the Chedoke Twin Pad Arena



Home of the OPJHL Hamilton Red Wings.

Another arena in Hamilton with great history is the Parkdale Arena now called the Pat Quinn Parkdale Arena. The Toronto Maple Leafs coach returned to his hometown last year for a ceremony at the east end hockey rink. Quinn says he began playing the sport as a kid at an outdoor rink where the current arena stands. He credits the city's many hockey volunteers and teammates for helping him achieve his goals.

I played house league hockey in this arena from 1980-1986 and to describe the experience in a soundbite, I would have to say "Old School". 1980 was the first season in the newly renovated arena after playing the 1979 season in any "barn" that the league could rent ice time in.

I recall stories of many who played at that arena in the 50s and 60s before there was a roof over the place. Definition of oldschool...they would have to arrive an hour before game time with shovels to clear the snow.

Fast forward a few decades and little was improved, the wind would wip through the cracks in the corrigated sheet metal that encased the lovable blue barn, mixing with what ever heat the antiquated space heaters that hung over the players benches. The result was a crap shoot of conditions. I can remember playing in a few Parkdale versions of the "Fog Bowl"

Anyway, as you can see Hamilton has had a much storied history of hockey at all levels. The great fans of Hamilton will probably never be treated to having their own NHL franchise, but the Hammer will always be gracious hosts to many NHL, junior, international and alumni tournament tilts. Who can forget the Canada 6-5 win over the Soviet Union at the 1987 Canada Cup Tournament. I was there that September 15 to witness one of the most memorable plays in hockey history. Gretzky, Lemieux and Larry Murphy rush down the ice, with Gretzky skating on left wing, the pass to Lemieux setting up the point blank game-winner in the slot with 1:26 left in the game.

Lemieux and Gretzky celebrate after Lemieux's game-winner, while Larry Murphy regains his balance. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Other great source of hockey in Hamilton at all levels is Larry Robertson, a regular contributor of Ontario Hockey Now Magazine

Later,
Kenaz

Famous Hamiltonian's:Ron Joyce

Tim Hortons

Location: first store opened at 64 Ottawa Street North, Hamilton, Ontario

The first Tim Hortons store was opened in 1964 on 64 Ottawa Street North, near Dunsmure Rd., in Hamilton, Ontario. It has since grown into Canada's largest national chain of coffee and doughnut shops, with over 1,500 stores across Canada. Tim Donut Ltd., the corporate headquarters of the chain, is located in Oakville, Ontario and in 1997, Tim Hortons was employing 25,000 people across the country.

The Tim Hortons stores are named after their founder, Miles Gilbert "Tim" Horton, a hockey player who was born on January 12, 1930 in Cochrane. Horton began his hockey career in Quebec. He eventually played for the Toronto Maple Leafs (beginning in 1952), the New York Rangers (1970), the Pittsburgh Penguins (1971) and then for the Buffalo Sabres (1972).

Initially, Tim Horton was involved in a string of hamburger restaurants with his partner Jim Charade, while he was still playing hockey. These restaurants were not very successful ventures, so Mr. Horton explored the idea of a doughnut and coffee store. He opened his first Tim Hortons store in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario. The Tim Hortons store served coffee and doughnuts exclusively. Eventually, Tim Horton's own personal creations, such as the apple fritter and the dutchie, were featured at the store. These became the chain's most popular doughnut choices in the 1960's and have remained popular ever since.

Ron Joyce, a former Hamilton police constable, saw that Tim Horton was looking for help in running his store through an ad in the newspaper. Joyce proceeded to take out a $10,000 loan from the credit union which he then invested in the store. At that time, the store was known as "Tim Horton." Later the name was changed to "Tim Horton's" and then later still to "Tim Hortons," with no apostrophe.

In 1965, Ron Joyce took over the original Tim Hortons store with future aspirations of expanding the store to include ten outlets. At this time, a quarter could buy a cup of coffee and a doughnut. A dozen doughnuts cost 89 cents. Slowly, more Tim Hortons stores started springing up and business was fairly successful.

Tim Horton was killed in an untimely car crash on February 21, 1974 while traveling back to Buffalo after playing a Sabres game in Toronto. He was driving home in his expensive Pantera sports car, maintaining speeds of 160 km/h (100 mph) on the QEW near St. Catharines, when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed.

Not long after Horton's death, Joyce offered Lori Horton (Tim's widow) $1 million for her shares in the chain, which included forty stores by that time. Once she accepted his offer, Joyce became the sole owner. Years later, Mrs. Horton decided that the deal between her and Joyce was not fair and took the matter to court. Mrs. Horton lost the lawsuit in 1993, and was declined for appeal in 1995.

Nevertheless, the business continued to grow and become more innovative. In 1976, Tim Hortons introduced the Timbit, which has since enjoyed much success. Despite what many people believe, a Timbit is not a doughnut hole.

In 1977, a $100,000 Tim Hortons building at Main and Wentworth Streets in Hamilton was built and dubbed the "Doughnut University," because it was used as a teaching facility. Trainees would be taught how to bake around the clock and provide continual freshness to customers. By this time, the company was approaching $20-million in sales. In 1978, Tim Donut Ltd. opened it's 100th store in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

With his business on the rise, Ron Joyce developed an interesting way to pick out new sites for Tim Hortons stores. Mr. Joyce would pilot the company's twin-engined aircraft around the country in search of just the right spot for a store. Any sites which he thought looked interesting would be further investigated, and if it was feasible, then a Tim Hortons would be built there.

Over the years, Tim Hortons has tried a number of new products, in an attempt to diversify the business. These have included such foods as clam chowder, chili, muffins, pies, croissants, cookies, cinnamon buns, bagels, soups, sandwiches and even macaroons.

At one time, plans were being considered to open Tim Hortons ice cream stores. This idea was abandoned when it became apparent that the ice cream business was seasonal and might not not be a successful venture. One similar plan which did go through was Tim Horton's Break Away, which was a soup and sandwich chain. Break Away was a failure, and although nine of those stores were opened, the experiment was eventually abandoned.

However, Tim Hortons did come up with a number of exciting promotions. One of these promotions is the "Roll Up The Rim" cups that have come out annually since the mid-eighties. These cups have special rims that, when rolled up, have messages printed on the inside which indicate if someone is a winner or not. Prizes include food products, bicycles, coffee makers and cars.

On March 3, 1983, Tim Hortons took a somewhat controversial move and opened Canada's first non-smoking Tim Hortons store. This store was located at the intersection of Main and Wellington in Hamilton. Not long after this, the second non-smoking store opened in Kitchener. The idea behind having non-smoking Tim Hortons stores was that people who did not smoke would still be able to enjoy Tim Hortons' coffee and food without being surrounded by tobacco smoke. The ideology was that smokers would not have much reason to complain, as another Tim Hortons where smoking was allowed was probably not more than a few blocks away. When the first non-smoking store did open, people refused to obey their policy and police had to be called in a few times to evict smokers.

Business for Ron Joyce and his company continued to do quite well right into the 1980s. The 200th store was opened in 1984 in Clappison's Corners and on November 25, 1985, the first Tim Hortons drive-thru was opened on Upper Gage and Fennell in Hamilton. By 1985, Tim Hortons was spending close to $100,000 on research and development and about $2.8 million on advertising. In 1987, store number 300 was opened in Calgary, followed closely by number 400 in 1989, in Halifax. By 1991, the 500th store was opened in Aylmer, Quebec.

One day, Ron Joyce met Dave Thomas on a golf course. Thomas, the American founder of the Wendy's hamburger chain, owned a house next to Joyce's, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the pair immediately hit it off as good friends. In 1992, the two men began co-operating on the business front. They established a number of combination Wendy's/Tim Hortons stores in Canada, a total of 13 by 1995.

After serious consideration by both men and their company boards, a merger was announced between Wendy's and Tim Hortons in 1995. This was a $425-million U.S. deal that left Ron Joyce the biggest shareholder of the third-largest hamburger chain in the United States. It also made Tim Hortons a division of the U.S.-based Wendy's chain. The merger left Tim Hortons a wholly owned subsidiary of Wendy's, although the two do retain separate management. As part of the deal, Tim Donut Ltd. was given 13.5% of Wendy's stock, worth about $300 million U.S., and Wendy's assumed $125 million U.S. of Tim Hortons' debt. In the end, the total deal was worth about $580 million Canadian.

Although Tim Hortons had operated in nearby Buffalo since the 1970's, Joyce, considered the Wendy's/Tim Hortons merger a great way to expand into the U.S. market, under the merger, forty stores were opened in Detroit and another forty in the Columbus, Ohio area. He also began expanding the store by introducing some non-traditional storefronts, such as carts, drive-through-only locations, and small outlets in universities, sports arenas, the CN Tower, and duty-free stores at the U.S.-Canadian border.

Although Tim Hortons has had a dramatic expansion, and has grown considerably as a business since the early days of the 1960s, Ron Joyce and his company have done their best to see to it that some of the early traditions are adhered to and the old store standards are kept high. A plaque hangs on the wall of the first Tim Hortons store, reading: "Built on hard work and dreams, the Tim Horton chain takes pride in its history..."

Training for Tim Hortons employees is intensive in order to maintain a high level of customer service. This is especially true for someone who wishes to open a new store. They must attend training sessions at the company headquarters in Oakville for fifteen days straight where they are taught how to make doughnuts and how to manage a Tim Hortons store successfully.

In 1995, the company decided that each store should have a poster of Tim Horton by Ken Danby. However, Tim Horton's widow demanded the removal of the posters. A letter from Mrs. Horton's lawyer in 1995 eventually led to the posters being taken down, despite the fact that the company had no real legal obligations to do so.

Several years ago, Ron Joyce established the Tim Hortons Children's Foundation. This is a non-profit, charitable organization, that allows thousands of children from less-well-off homes to attend a first-class summer camp for a few weeks of the year. Local Tim Hortons store owners keep in touch with community churches, schools, clubs and local agencies such as Big Brothers and Sisters, to select children aged seven to eleven, who might not otherwise have a chance to experience the fun of a summer camp outside of their immediate province or region. The Foundation covers all of the costs for each child, including food, lodging, transportation and the facilities at the camps.

Ron Joyce was named to the Order of Canada in 1992 for his work with the Children's Foundation. In 1996, he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Canadian Franchise Association for his pioneering spirit and inspirational leadership.

Ron Joyce is not stopping the corporation's expansion. By the year 2000, he hopes to have 2,000 Tim Hortons outlets across Canada. As of April, 1997, there were already 1,500, and since the company was able to accomplish its earlier goal of having 1,000 stores by 1995 (the 1,000th store was opened in Ancaster, Ontario), there is a very good chance that they will succeed once again.

Baking twice every 24 hours, the 1,500 stores go through an average of 200 pounds of dough everyday. Their sales totaled $646-million in 1996. In 1997, there were 70 stores in Hamilton-Wentworth area alone. This works out to one store for every 7,081 people, which confirms the statements that Hamilton truly is the capital of coffee and doughnut stores.

Later,
Kenaz

Hamilton, Raise Your Hammer High For Davie A.

Hamilton's native son, NHLer Dave Andreychuk, has been put on waivers by the Lightning.

Professional hockey's new look has claimed another famous victim. Three months after Brett Hull retired from the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes, the Tampa Bay Lightning put Hamilton native Dave Andreychuk on waivers yesterday. The move will likely end Andreychuk's impressive 23-year NHL career.

If Andreychuk clears waivers as expected, the Lightning will assign him to their American Hockey League team in Springfield, Mass. That allows them to remove what remains of Andreychuk's $800,000 salary from this year's salary cap calculations.

But Tampa Bay general manager Jay Feaster said in a lengthy statement on the club's website that the Lightning would not ask Andreychuk to report to the minor leagues, where he has never played, and would still pay him for the rest of the season.

Andreychuk has another year on his contract but the club did not say whether he would be paid that amount, should he retire. Hull, the third-leading goal scorer of all time, cited that sea change as the reason for his retirement. And although Andreychuk has the second-highest goals, assists and points totals of any left winger in NHL history, his portfolio of superb skills has never included "fleet of foot."

The Lightning's captain, who hoisted his first Stanley Cup in the spring of 2004, didn't comment directly but many spoke on the stars behalf. "I think, obviously, an athlete wants to continue playing," Andreychuk's father, Julian ,told The Spectator yesterday. "I believe he understands the game and that it was passing him by.

"No one knew how the game would change. At the beginning of this season, there was the understanding that they would see how it goes. They gave him a good shot -- 42 games."

Andreychuk told The Spectator last week he was frustrated with his diminishing playing time and conceded that a full year without playing during the bitter lockout had affected his timing. But he also felt that after two months of adjustment, he had rediscovered his touch. He had six goals, five on the power play, adding to his NHL record for goals scored at a man advantage.

"When we entered into the contract with David this summer, both sides did so in good faith, recognizing that no one would work harder in the summer preparing for the new season than David," Feaster said on the club website.

"Both sides understood that it would take some time to work through the impact of missing an entire season. What neither side could foresee was the type of game the 'new NHL' would be upon its return: a game in which speed and quickness carry the day.

"After giving ourselves half a season to evaluate and analyse, it became clear to us that David's game was not suited to the 'new NHL.'"

This move was foreshadowed in Montreal in November, when Andreychuk was a healthy scratch from a game for the first time in four years. Last week, Sportsnet reported that Feaster was shopping Andreychuk to the other 29 clubs.

Feaster remains an Andreychuk booster and praised what he'd done for the club since GM Rick Dudley brought the big winger to west Florida in 2001.

"There were times early in his time here that he carried the entire club on his back," Feaster said. Andreychuk's cool professionalism helped settle Vincent Lecavalier, who was having enormous trouble handling the double pressure of pending super stardom and wearing the captain's C. Andreychuk took over the captain's job and helped Lecavalier and Brad Richards, another star centre, make a smoother adjustment to the NHL.

As his playing time decreased, Andreychuk was aware that his teammates were watching to see how he handled the situation. So he accepted his reduced role stoically.

"But it was hard to captain from the caboose," his father quipped.

Out of respect for Andreychuk's enormous contributions to the growth of the franchise, Feaster and head coach John Tortorella met with Andreychuk on Monday, trying to work out a way that they could remove his salary from cap consideration, not have him play in the minors, and still pay him. It is believed that a high-ranking official from the players' association was also involved.

"They don't make hockey players like Dave Andreychuk any more," Feaster said yesterday. "From the moment he came to Tampa, he led by example and he helped our young players understand how to be professionals."

Andreychuk's strong-willed dedication to win a Stanley Cup after 22 seasons, 1,597 regular season games and 162 playoff games helped inspire the Lightning's championship run in the spring of 2004.

Some people, including his father, tried to talk Andreychuk into retiring then, so his greatest hockey moment would also be his last one.

A look at Dave Andreychuk's carrer

Dave Andreychuk entered the NHL as an 18-year old for Buffalo, close to his home in Hamilton that he could still pretty much live at home. He scored a goal in his first game, and in his first full season he scored 38 goals, establishing himself as a natural scorer.

During his first ten years with the Sabres, the team won only one of nine playoff series. Midway through the 1992-93 season he was involved in a major trade that sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs with Daren Puppa and a draft choice for Grant Fuhr and a draft choice. The move rejuvenated his career, as he finished the season with 54 goals, one of the few times a player has hit the 50-mark during a year he was traded.

Andreychuk scored 53 the next year to break Frank Mahovlich's team record for a left-winger, but again in Toronto he didn't win a Cup and GM Cliff Fletcher sent him to New Jersey for two draft choices. He signed with Boston as a free agent but was traded to Colorado in the same deal that involved Ray Bourque, but still the Avs made it no farther than the semi-finals in the spring of 2000.

After a return stint with Buffalo in 2000-01, Andreychuk signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is one of only four players to score 30 or more power-play goals in a season and is the second-highest scoring right-winger in league history, surpassing the 600 goal-mark in 2002-03 and the 1,300 point mark the following year while captaining the Tampa Bay Lightning to their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history and Andreychuk's first of his illustrious 22-year career.

Internationally, he has won a bronze medal with Canada at the 1983 World Juniors and three years later won another bronze at the World Championships.

stats and gallery of action photos

Tidbits

Played in two NHL All-Star Game (1990, 1994).Traded to Toronto by Buffalo with Daren Puppa and Buffalo's 1st round choice (Kenny Jonsson) in 1993 Entry Draft for Grant Fuhr and Toronto's 5th round choice (Kevin Popp) in 1995 Entry Draft, February 2, 1993. Traded to New Jersey by Toronto for New Jersey's 2nd round choice (Marek Posmyk) in 1996 Entry Draft and New Jersey's 3rd round choice (later traded back to New Jersey - New Jersey selected Andre Lakos) in 1999 Entry Draft, March 13, 1996. Signed as a free agent by Boston, July 29, 1999. Traded to Colorado by Boston with Raymond Bourque for Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Samuel Pahlsson and New Jersey's 1st round choice (previously acquired, Boston selected Martin Samuelsson) in 2000 Entry Draft, March 6, 2000. Signed as a free agent by Buffalo, July 13, 2000. Signed as a free agent by Tampa Bay, July 13, 2001.

Andreychuk's first stop was to visit new friends at the Children's Hospitals

When Dave Andreychuk won the Stanley Cup he showed his class by immediately giving back his love to his fans of Hamilton. He showed up to McMaster Children's Hospital bringing the beautifully-polished trophy up and down the halls, visiting the children who are patients there and leaving the delighted kids with autographed photographs and specially-printed t-shirts. Dave then lugged the Stanley Cup up the hamilton escarpment to the backyard of his parents' home to the great delight of family, friends and neighbours who plastered their homes and garages with his pictures and then it was off to the newly renamed Dave Andreychuk Areana for a condragulatory speak.

more of the events

The cry of "Davie A!" will always be sunonomous with one of Hamilton's home grown children and forever the hammer will be held high in gratitude for everything this ledgend has accomplished.

Later,
Kenaz