With our eleventh selection, the 344th overall in this year All-Time Draft, les Nordiques Québec are thrilled to select, from Toronto, Ontario, Left Winger Sid Smith
''We are absolutely thrilled to get our hand on Sidney James Smith, the offensive dynamo who played his entire career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A gentleman on & off the ice, Smith was a master a deflecting shots from the point, either at 5-on-5 or on the powerplay. A very fast skater, Sid scored 20-or-more goals in six consecutive seasons, finishing top-10 in goalscoring five years in a row. A 1-time FAST, 2-time SAST & 2-time TAST, Sid was also known for his consistency, his leadership, his competent defensive game and his longevity, playing more than 400 consecutive games. We are very excited to start our two-way third line with such a well rounded player.''
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Originally Posted by overpass
The Ottawa Senators select Dave Taylor, RW
I believe Smith also has at least one 3rd place finish in AS voting, I was looking at him back a couple rounds ago. I had Taylor penciled into the 1st line RW spot with Taylor and Ovechkin. He would have been a better fit than Gare.
Edit: Smith was actually 3rd in AS voting for LWs twice, 1953-54 and 1949-50, giving him an impressive 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 peak in AS voting.
Last edited by BillyShoe1721: 02-19-2013 at 10:48 PM.
Let me start by saying, Barry Beck is a defensive defenseman. The fact that he was projected to score like he did as a rookie seems to throw people into thinking he was a high-risk player, which just wasn't the case. He never developed into the puckmover some hoped and settled as a force of nature who took care of his own end.
His voting record isn't the best left, but it's pretty solid.
AST: 6 (78), 5 (79), 6 (80), 9 (82), 17 (83), 8 (84)
Beck led his team's in estimated TOI every year of his career except in 1981 when he was less than a minute under the leader. Note this excludes 1990 when he tried to return to the NHL but couldn't play the entire year or playoffs.
Here's what some of the scouting reports had to say about his game over the years. (I'll have more of these writeups in his bio.)
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Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1980
Prized young defenseman who can do it all...Strong and mean when has to be...Raised eyebrows with spectacular effort in first game against Soviet team in Challenge Cup series...One the most sought-after players in the league after only two seasons...Rockies have reportedly turned down $1 million from various teams...
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Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1982
Perhaps the most dominant defenseman in the defensive end of the ice in the league because of his size, strength, and ability to neutralize rival forwards with jarring bodychecks...Capable of rushing with the puck and being a dynamic offensive threat but played more of a defensive role last season...Seldom makes a bad play...Feared so much as a fighter that few opposing players challenge him...Has developed into a forceful, respected team leader as Rangers' captain...
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Originally Posted by The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1985
"He's a dominant force every time he's on the ice," says Buffalo GM-coach Scotty Bowman...Best known for neutralizing opposing forwards with smashing body checks...Has powerful, accurate shot form blue line but usually concentrates on defense more than offense...
Last edited by Bring Back Scuderi: 02-19-2013 at 11:20 PM.
I believe Smith also has at least one 3rd place finish in AS voting, I was looking at him back a couple rounds ago. I had Taylor penciled into the 1st line RW spot with Taylor and Ovechkin. He would have been a better fit than Gare.
Edit: Smith was actually 3rd in AS voting for LWs twice, 1953-54 and 1949-50, giving him an impressive 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 peak in AS voting.
Yeah we were definitely looking at Taylor to pair with Bowie. Good pick.
The Fireworks are very pleased to select a guy who I was hard on last year. I was hard on him not because of his talent, I was hard on him because he was used on a 1st line. I feel he is a great 2nd line LW to pair with Savard and Conacher.
LW Harry Watson
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A near capacity crowd of 14,547 turned out at Montreal last night to watch Richard's attempt at the record. But the Rocket fizzled once again. Harry Watson was assigned the task of covering the Canadiens' star wing, and he turned in a workmanlike job....
Coach Dick Irvin admitted: "I sure would have liked to have seen the Rocket score that goal against Toronto, but those Leafs checked him like their salaries depended on it" (Meiden Daily Journal, Nov 7 1952)
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"One guy who has been playing hockey for me in this series has been Harry Watson," said Smythe. "He has been checking Howe most of the time and Howe hasn't done anything with the teams at even strength." (Globe and Mail, March 30 1954)
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Watson was a physical LW who played the game aggressively but within the rules. He was a deceptively fast skater who was used to check the opposition's top scorers, but had a good scoring touch of his own. (Total Hockey)
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Harry Watson kept a close check on Richard - (New York Times, Nov 7 1952)
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Watson, the only leaf with more than 10 goals other than the Kennedy line, trails numerous other lefties in the points department, but we guarantee, without checking, that there are not many, if any, with a better defensive record. (Globe and Mail, Dec 29, 1951)
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Harry Watson was a remarkable hockey player... Watson is remembered as a hard-working leader. Fast and strong, the bulky left winger possessed great offensive and defensive ability (Wings of Fire)
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Mosdell almost broke loose, but Harry Watson raced madly down the ice to grab the puck and save the situation. (Backcheck: A Hockey Retrospective)
Arrebez provided these fine quotes last year (I know you're reading this)
As you can see he was a fine defensive player and his speed is a great plus to gel with Savard.
What is the reasoning for taking Ivan over Patrick? Seems to me that Patrick brings all the things Ivan does, but can also coach other styles.
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Originally Posted by Bring Back Scuderi
Pittsburgh will select D, Barry Beck
mini-bio coming
Nice pick, I gave him a long look when trying to decide my last pick, but went with Duncan because I thought Beck - Crawford wouldn't have enough offense as a pairing, and I didn't think Brewer, Johnson, Crawford or Beck should be on a 1st PP unit.
Philadelphia is happy to select D Vitaly Davydov, probably the second best Russian defenseman pre-1970 behind Ragulin.
6x Soviet 1st Team All Star(1962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970)
Soviet 2nd Team All Star(1971)
3x Olympic Gold Medalist(1964, 1968, 1972)
9x World Championships Gold Medalist
Named Best Defenseman 1967 World Championships(scored zero points)
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Vitaly Davydov, Dynamo, Moscow, age 27, height 5-7, weight 157 pounds, though having an unimpressive build for defense work, is pluckier than everyone else and skillfully applies body-checking technique, feeds neat passes...
A rock-solid defencemen; though smaller than average, played on three golden Olympic squads, highlighting an international career that also included nine consecutive World Championships from '63 to '71.
"For all his skill and meticulous execution, Davydov went unnoticed in comparison to power-looking defencemen like Nikolai Sologubov. But the future three-time Olympic champion was always quick to defend himself physically, and through a courageous struggle eventually took his rightful place on the USSR team."
"It was (undrafted coach) who re-made Davydov from a winger into a defender, a star of world hockey. He saw that the young player would not mind playing tough, often engaging opponents, and most importantly - was a fast skater, which is very important for a defender."
"Vitaly Davydov was the living embodiment of Dynamo Moscow. Fast, maneuverable, willing to sacrifice himself for his team, extraordinary will and dedication, with an inspiration not only to play but also to train, Davydov always served as an example for his teammates. He was a giant in spirit - nothing and nobody could stop Vitali."
Finally, there's an incredible story as dictated by an undrafted coach about Davydov's toughness:
"It was in the U.S., in Colorado, where we met with the Canadian team. In the second period, forward Roger Bourbonnais, seeing that he could not honestly win the duel with Davydov, struck him with his stick across his jaw as if it were ax. Davydov fell, but he saw that a Canadian had picked up the puck and was now skating towards the USSR goal. Davydov jumped up and, clutching his left arm to the blood-stained face, rushed after him.
Vitaly overtook the Canadian player, knocked the puck off him, and took a penalty.
But Vitaly had had enough. When he returned to the bench, Davydov lost consciousness.
The hospital diagnosed that Davydov's lower jaw was broken by in eight locations. "What kind of will would it take, despite the excruciating pain, not to rush to doctors and to help his goalkeeper..." wondered (undrafted coach)".
Vitaly Davydov's absence from the 1972 Summit Series is a bit of a mystery.
Davydov was one of the best players in Soviet hockey history in the years prior to 1972. However a controversial coaching change seems to have prevented Davydov's participation in the series.
Nice pick, I gave him a long look when trying to decide my last pick, but went with Duncan because I thought Beck - Crawford wouldn't have enough offense as a pairing, and I didn't think Brewer, Johnson, Crawford or Beck should be on a 1st PP unit.
I think that makes a lot of sense and that's sort of the opposite of the problem I was having with my blueline. I have Leetch, Stapleton, and Patrick already and throw in Bathgate and I'm out of room on the powerplay.
What is the reasoning for taking Ivan over Patrick? Seems to me that Patrick brings all the things Ivan does, but can also coach other styles.
i think lester patrick must be considered a better coach than ivan, and i think a good argument could be made that patrick was the best coach in history, but i think he was also a lot more strict and demanding than ivan.
i don't want to say lafleur was uncoachable, but fairly close to it. bowman let lafleur improvise and play his own free flowing game. early in lafleur's career (lafleur started as C), he tried to adapt his game to his linemates, but that was not very successful. under a more rigid, defensive minded coach, lafleur was unhappy and struggled. lafleur was very hard working and dedicated to hockey, but he was also not the most disciplined player off the ice.
if lafleur is not at his best, neither will his team be.
i can't say patrick would be too restrictive for lafleur, but i did not want to take the risk.
some of this also applies to harry cameron, who was famously undisciplined off the ice.
i think lester patrick must be considered a better coach than ivan, and i think a good argument could be made that patrick was the best coach in history, but i think he was also a lot more strict and demanding than ivan.
i don't want to say lafleur was uncoachable, but fairly close to it. bowman let lafleur improvise and play his own free flowing game. early in lafleur's career (lafleur started as C), he tried to adapt his game to his linemates, but that was not very successful. under a more rigid, defensive minded coach, lafleur was unhappy and struggled. lafleur was very hard working and dedicated to hockey, but he was also not the most disciplined player off the ice.
if lafleur is not at his best, neither will his team be.
i can't say patrick would be too restrictive for lafleur, but i did not want to take the risk.
some of this also applies to harry cameron, who was famously undisciplined off the ice.
After reading TDMM's bio on Lester Patrick from last year, he's not as big of a player's coach as I had thought. Given your team circumstances I think your choice is understandable, with the bolded as a good explanation.
Nice to see Beck rise this year. There are still a few defensemen taken ahead of him who I think weren't as good, but this is getting into the right area for Barry. Good pick.
Will be interested to see what you and vecens dig up on Hay. I had him last year and didn't find much support of his defensive game or physical game, but you always seem to find new info on the guys you take.
Based on what I could dig up, George Hay does not have a physical game. He's a hard worker and a willing digger, but he did not hit or fight at all. Maybe something like Martin St. Louis would be a fair comparison?
Hay's defensive game on the other hand, seems to have been very well established. There is quite a bit of evidence to support his checking abilities.
I found a full game report that really shows how much defensive work Hay did:
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Originally Posted by The Morning Leader – March 2nd, 1922
The Frenchman passed to Simpson, and Hay stopped the play by nice checking.
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XXXXXXX cleared and Simpson rushed, only to be checked by Hay.
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XXXXXX took it from the faceoff and was checked by Hay.
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Hay stopped XXXXX’s rush as center ice and shot on goal.
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Simpson started a rush, but got no further than George Hay.
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George Hay broke up the rush and passed to Irvin.
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Simpson was again stopped by Hay in center ice.
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Joe’s effort was stopped by George Hay in center ice.
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XXXXX's rush was stopped by Hay.
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Simpson rushed, but Hay was there in the back-checking.
I'm not going to lie, I was planning on taking Beck with my upcoming pick after selecting Watson. Check out this sweet montage of Beck eating some souls...
Hershey drafts HHOF center Cooney Weiland, the 1935 2nd team NHL all-star his second year centering the top line with Lewis and Aurie in Detroit, finishing 6th and 7th in NHL assists in his first and second year with the same duo, leading them to the Stanley Cup Finals his first year there, contributing four points in the playoffs, his linemate Aurie leading with 7 assists and 10 points in the cup run. Before arriving in Motown, Weiland was a star player in Boston. He scored a couple of crucial goals for the Bruins in their 1929 Stanley Cup championship then the next year led all skaters in the NHL in goals and points (and third in assists), following that up by leading the Bruins in assists with 5 in the postseason and tied for the team lead in points as they went to the Stanley Cup Finals. The next year he again led the Bruins in scoring, finishing 4th in NHL goals and easily led the Bruins in the playoffs with 6 goals and 9 points in 5 games, the next nearest Bruin scoring a mere 2 goals. After a couple of years in Detroit he returned to Boston as a 31 year old where he tied the team lead in regular season goals, 2nd in team points, on a by-then struggling Boston club. He was top-10 in NHL points over a 9-year stretch. He retired after 11 NHL seasons, finishing off his career in a limited role on the 1939 championship Bruins squad. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971.
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Originally Posted by Eddie Shore and That Old-Time Hockey, Michael C. Hiam
Weiland was a giant in action, if not in size, using his extra-long hockey stick to poke or hook the puck away from other players. "Little" Cooney Weiland was not only a defensive wonder, but shifty on the attack
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Originally Posted by Daily Boston Globe - Mar 9, 1937
Cooney Weiland has regained his old Dynamite-Line form and is the best defensive center in the league...
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Originally Posted by NHL Stars Card Series A No.27
...an aggressive player. Knows his hockey and packs a wicked shot
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Originally Posted by Hartford Courant - Feb 3, 1929
Cooney has proved to be one of the best defensive players in the league. He is so good on defense that they have made him a spare, available to scoot out on the ice and up the Bruin's defense when the team is short one or more. Weiland's poke checking has held off many an opposition scoring threat
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Originally Posted by Daily Boston Globe - Mar 19, 1929
Cooney Weiland the other center player is proficient in breaking up plays as well as dangerous on the attack
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Originally Posted by The Calgary Daily Herald - Oct 26, 1937
Cooney Weiland foiled many Maroon leads with his tricky footwork and poke check, besides heading many attacks on his own account.
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Originally Posted by Legendary NHL Coaches: Stars of Hockey's Golden Age by Glenn Wilkins
Weiland made his name as a penalty killing specialist who could also find the back of the net.
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Originally Posted by The Calgary Daily Herald - Oct 26, 1937
Weiland, the master of the poke and hook check, has been elected captain of the Boston Bruins
Hershey drafts right winger Larry Aurie, who had his number retired by Detroit after more than a decade on a line with Herbie Lewis. He led all NHLers in goals scored in his tenth NHL season and was the 1st team all-star selection to end a four-year stretch in which he finished top-10 in NHL assists three times and in NHL goals twice. He had led the playoffs in assists with 7 as the Red Wings went to the 1934 Stanley Cup Finals, then won the cup two postseasons later, contributing a goal and a couple of assists and noted defensive play. "Little Dempsey" fought when needed and he was also known as "The Little Rag Man" for his skill in holding onto the puck.
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Originally Posted by The Calgary Daily Herald - Mar 24, 1934
Busher Jackson... names Larry Aurie of the Red Wings the hardest-checking right-winger in the league
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Originally Posted by The Leader-Post - Mar 18, 1938
One of the greatest two-way forwards in the National League, the mighty mite, 139 pound right winger veteran of the ice lanes is the last member of the club that introduced major league hockey to Detroit in 1927. A fighter throughout every game, Aurie always was ready to trade punches with the biggest players in the circuit when aroused.
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Originally Posted by The Windsor Daily Star - Oct 10, 1942
Lewis... and Larry Aurie, the two way terrors who sparked the Red Wings to their first Stanley Cup.
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Originally Posted by Detroit: City of Champions
He was XXXXXX' favourite player and he gained the respect of his opponents with his aggressiveness, intelligence and scoring touch.
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Originally Posted by If They Played Hockey in Heaven:The Jack Adams Story
Little Larry Aurie caught Jack's attention early in the pre-season training sessions and before the 1927-28 campaign was halfway completed, Adams was proudly calling the gutty forward, "Hockey's best two-way player."
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Originally Posted by Legends of Hockey
Although one of the smallest men ever to play, he was one of the toughest of the era as well.
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Aurie captained the team in the 1932–33 season, led the league in playoff scoring in 1934 with 10 points in nine games and led the league in goal scoring in 1937 with 23 while earning a first-team selection on the post-season NHL All-Star Team.
His selfless play and hustle made him a favorite of owner James Norris.
Aurie scored his NHL leading 23rd goal on March 11, 1937 in a 4–2 win over the New York Rangers, but later in the game fractured his leg in a collision with Rangers' defenceman Art Coulter, ending his season. Aurie's season leading scoring performance earned him a berth on the NHL First All-Star Team. Unfortunately, this was Aurie’s last strong season. The lingering effects of his fractured leg began to affect his play and in 1937–38, he dropped to 10 goals and 19 points and was forced to retire after the season at age 33. After the season, team owner James Norris decided to honor Aurie by retiring his jersey No. 6 - the first Detroit player to have this honor bestowed upon him.
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