SB Nation - Radek Dvorak

LBC's All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown: 12. Viktor Kozlov

Kevin Kraczkowski — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 12:00:22 -0000

Welcome to another week of our LBC exclusive all-time Panther countdown. Today we dig into the dirty dozen - and if you'd like to know how we got here, find out more at this link.

Last week, we covered center Rob Niedermayer (518 games, 101 goals, 165 assists), defenseman Paul Laus (530 games, 14 goals, 58 assists), defenseman Ed Jovanovski (319 games, 32 goals, 64 assists), right winger Radek Dvorak (613 games, 113 goals, 155 assists), and left winger Ray Whitney (273 games, 97 goals, 130 assists). This week, we're going to track an ironman defenseman from Alberta, a three-time 50 point man from Welland, Ontario, a Hall-of-Fame right winger from Moscow, an old-school and original Panther defenseman from Willowdale, Ontario, and today's honoree, a Russian center who is set to play the 2012-13 season with the new Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL.

If you still want more, follow along after the jump.

12. Viktor Kozlov

Kozlov, a 6'4" right-handed center from Togliatti, Russia, scored six goals and five assists in 30 games for Moscow Dynamo in 1992-93. The San Jose Sharks were paying attention, and selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Kozlov spent one more full season (plus three games) with Moscow (45 games, 17 goals, 10 assists).

After three games in Moscow in 1994-95, Kozlov made the jump to the North American game, splitting his rookie season between the Sharks (16 games, two goals, zero assists), and the IHL Kansas City Blades (four games, one goal, one assist). 1995-96 would see him spend much more time with the Sharks (62 games, six goals, 13 assists) than the Blades (15 games, four goals, seven assists).

Kozlov spent another season and a quarter with San Jose (96 games, 21 goals, 27 assists). The Sharks traded him to Florida on November 13th with fifth round pick (became Jaroslav Spacek), for Dave Lowry and a first round choice (eventually became Vincent LeCavalier). He played 46 games with the Panthers in 1997-98, ranking tied for fifth on the squad with 12 goals on 112 shots. He also tabbed 11 assists, a minus-1 rating, and 14 penalty minutes. On March 29th, he scored a season high three points (two goals, one assist) in a 4-0 blanking of the Chicago Blackhawks.

In 1998-99, Kozlov put up multiple points in 12 out of 65 games. He had four three-point games, and had a season high four points (two goals, two assists) in a season opening 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He averaged 19:03 per game, scoring 16 goals on 209 shots and a Panthers second best 35 assists. He also had 24 penalty minutes and had a team second best plus-13 rating.

1999-00 would see Kozlov enjoy 17 multi-point games. On January 5th, Kozlov had a season high four points and his first career hat trick in a 5-1 victory over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (see video). He averaged 19:27 over 80 Panthers games, leading the team with 53 assists and adding 17 goals on 223 shots. He only drew 16 minutes in penalties, finishing second on the club with a plus-24 rating (linemate Pavel Bure had a plus-25). Florida's top line of Bure, Kozlov, and countdown #13 Panther Ray Whitney combined for 235 points (104 goals, 131 assists) and a remarkable combined plus-65 rating. Kozlov added one assist in four playoff games as the Panthers were swept by the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. He was recognized for his first half with his first (and only) all-star selection.

Hat trick by Victor Kozlov! Panthers vs. Anaheim 05.01.2000 (via JDBM1986)

Kozlov was limited in 2000-01 to only 51 games due to an injury. He enjoyed his best game of the season in a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres, totalling three assists on January 31st. Despite his limited schedule, he finished second on the team with 14 goals (Bure had 59) on 139 shots. His 23 assists were good for third on the squad. He finished with a minus-3 rating and spent only 10 minutes in the penalty box, averaging 18:23 TOI.

In 2001-02, Kozlov averaged 19:54 through 50 games (his season ended early due to an abdominal strain suffered in early February). He scored nine goals on 143 shots, pitching in 18 assists and finishing with a minus-16 rating and 20 penalty minutes. On November 16th, he scored both goals in a 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

2002-03 would see Kozlov lead Panthers forwards with a 22:35 ATOI through 74 games. He also led the team with 34 assists, lighting the lamp a team second best 22 times on 232 shots. He had a minus-8 rating and 18 penalty minutes. He had 12 multipoint games, including two three-point games. In the second game of the season, he logged a goal and two assists in a 5-4 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers.

Kozlov spent the first part of the 2003-04 season with the Panthers, averaging 19:30 TOI through 48 contests. He scored 11 times on 116 shots with 16 assists, a minus-4 rating and 16 penalty minutes. On February 10th, he scored both Panther goals in a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Just a few weeks later, on March 1st, the Panthers traded him to the New Jersey Devils for Christian Berglund and Victor Uchevatov (advantage, NJD).

After playing in 11 games for New Jersey (two goals, four assists) to finish out the season, Kozlov joined the Russian league with Tolyatti Lada for the 2004-05 campaign (52 games, 15 goals, 22 assists). He rejoined the Devils for one season after play resumed (69 games, 12 goals, 13 assists). He later played one season with the New York Islanders (81 games, 25 goals, 26 assists) and two with the Washington Capitals (148 games, 29 goals, 66 assists). He joined the KHL with Ufa Salavat Yulayev for three seasons starting in 2009-10 (132 games, 37 goals, 49 assists). Currently, he is a member of the new Yaroslavl Lokomotiv franchise, slated to begin play with the start of the 2012-13 season.

All-Time Statline: Seven seasons (seventh all-time), 414 games, 101 goals (eighth all-time), 190 assists (fifth all-time), 291 points, (fifth all-time), plus-4 rating, 118 penalty minutes, 28.2 APS.

LBC's All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown: 13. Ray Whitney

Kevin Kraczkowski — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:02:51 -0000

Welcome back to another episode of "Name that Panther!" If you would like to know how the list was puzzled together, click here for all the relevant details.

In yesterday's article, we looked at two-time fan favorite and career Panther leader with 16 shorthanded goals, Radek Dvorak (613 games, 113 goals, 155 assists). Today, we take a gander at a 20 year NHL veteran who spent three and a half very productive seasons in South Florida.

To read more, follow the jump.

13. Ray Whitney

Whitney, a 5'10" left winger from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, was a star player for the WHL Spokane Chiefs. He increased his offensive statistics in each of his three seasons with the club: 71 games, 17 goals, 33 assists in 1988-89, 71 games, 57 goals, 56 assists in 1989-90, and 72 games, 67 goals, 118 assists in 1990-91. After the season, the San Jose Sharks selected him in the second round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, 23rd overall.

1991-92 would be a very busy year for Whitney. He spent the bulk of the season with the IHL San Diego Gulls (63 games, 36 goals, 54 assists), making token appearances with the Sharks (two games, zero goals, three assists), the Canadian National Team (five games, one goal, zero assists), and Cologne EC in Great Britain (10 games, three goals, six assists). 1992-93 would see him split the season between the Sharks (26 games, four goals, six assists) and the IHL Kansas City Blades (46 games, 20 goals, 33 assists).

Starting in 1993-94, Whitney would enjoy three uninterrupted seasons in the bigs with San Jose (160 games, 44 goals, 62 assists). After starting out slow with the Sharks in 1996-97, (12 games, zero goals, two assists), he would end up spending most of the season with the IHL Utah Grizzlies (43 games, 13 goals, 35 assist), also making a brief appearance with the AHL Kentucky Thoroughblades (nine games, one goal, seven assists). The writing was on the wall, and Whitney's services were not retained by San Jose.

Before the 1997-98 season, Whitney signed a free agent contract to play for the Edmonton Oilers. After totalling one goal and three assists in his first nine games, Edmonton placed him on waivers. Florida was more than happy to pick him up in what was probably the best waiver wire grab in team history. He got onto the scoresheet in each of his first seven games and in nine of his first ten with the Panthers, culminating in a two goal, two assist effort on November 26th in a 10-5 dismantling of the Boston Bruins. He then started out December with a five game point streak (one goal, six assists). He had 15 multi-point games that season, including five two-goal efforts. He would lead the team with 32 goals on 156 shots, a better than 20 percent success rate. He also pitched in with a team second best 29 assists, leading the team with 61 points. He led the team with a plus-10 rating and 12 power play goals, getting caught for only 28 penalty minutes. He was the unquestioned offensive leader of the club, even though he only appeared in 68 games.

1998-99 would see Whitney put up 14 multipoint games, including a four point night (one goal, three assists) on November 28th in a 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. He averaged 18:20 through 81 games for the Cats, again leading the club with 26 goals (on 193 shots), 38 assists, 64 points, seven power play goals, and six game winners. He collected a minus-3 rating and only 18 penalty minutes.

In 1999-00, Whitney slightly increased his offensive output, scoring a team second best 29 goals on 198 shots (second to future Hall-of-Famer Pavel Bure's 58). He also ranked second on the team with 42 assists and 71 points. He averaged 18:41 in 81 Panthers games, ranking fourth on the team at plus-16, also spending 35 minutes in the box. He figured onto the scoresheet frequently to start out the season, with 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in his first 15 games. He enjoyed 16 games where he had more than one point, including a season opening effort (two goals, one assist) in a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals. He added one goal in four playoff games as the Panthers were swept from the opening round by the New Jersey Devils.

In 2000-01, Whitney played in 43 games for the Panthers. On October 30th, he dished out four assists in a 6-5 losing effort to the Devils. In 17:41 per game, he scored 10 goals on 117 shots with 21 assists, 28 penalty minutes, and a minus-16 rating. The Panthers traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets with "future considerations" on March 13th for Kevyn Adams and a fourth round pick (Michael Woodford). Yeah, we lost that one.

Whitney played in parts of three seasons with Columbus (151 games, 45 goals, 95 assists). He would later play with the Detroit Red Wings (67 games, 14 goals 29 assists), the Carolina Hurricanes (372 games, 119 goals, 215 assists) and the Phoenix Coyotes (157 games, 41 goals, 93 assists). He was recently signed by the Dallas Stars to a two-year, $9,000,000 contract.

#13 Ray Whitney (via MaksN77)

All-Time Statline: Four seasons, 273 games, 97 goals (ninth all-time), 130 assists (10th all-time), 227 points (10th all-time), plus-7 rating, 109 PIM, 25.5 APS.

Thanks for checking us out today. Make sure to come back next week as we look into three forwards and two defensemen in the rankings from 12 through eight.

LBC's All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown: 14. Radek Dvorak

Kevin Kraczkowski — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 12:00:42 -0000

Good morning, and welcome back to the Florida Panthers all-time roster countdown. If you haven't had enough yet, you can click here to find out more.

Yesterday, we checked out former and current Panther defenseman Ed Jovanovski (319 games, 32 goals, 64 assists). Today, we'll pay homage to a highly touted Czech right winger, and the youngest member of Florida's Eastern Conference Champion squad.

Follow the link to read on.

14. Radek Dvorak

Dvorak was a 6'2 right winger from Tabor, Czechoslovakia. After being used sparingly in parts of two seasons with Ceske Budejovice HC (27 games, eight goals, six assists), the Panthers took a shot at him with the 10th overall pick of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.

Dvorak made his NHL debut just four months later as an 18-year old rookie on the 1995-96 club. After being held without a goal through his first 11 contests (three assists), he would rack up six in a four game span (all victories) from November 2-7. The streak included consecutive two goal efforts, a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning and a 4-2 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers. He ranked seventh on the team with 13 goals (including four game winners) on 126 shots, also pitching in with 14 helpers. His plus-5 rating tied for fourth on the team, and he only collected 20 minutes in the sin bin. He later pitched in a goal with three assists in 16 playoff matches.

In 1996-97, Dvorak scored 18 goals on 139 shots, good for third on the team. He also dished out 21 assists to rank fourth on the Panthers with 39 total points. He collected a minus-2 rating and 30 penalty minutes in 78 regular season contests. He started out the season slow, making one assist through his first nine games before putting together an eight game point streak (four goals, four assists) in mid-November. In a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on January 23rd, Dvorak made two goals and an assist. On March 13th, he made a season high three assists in a 5-4 Panthers victory over the Vancouver Canucks. After the season, he appeared in three playoff matches, failing to score a point.

1997-98 would see Dvorak appear in 64 contests, ultimately ranking fifth on the Panthers with 36 overall points. He scored 12 goals on 112 shots with a team fourth-most 24 assists, a minus-1 rating, and 33 penalty minutes. He led the Panthers with three short-handed goals. He had eight multi-point contests during the season, including a season high three (two goals, one assist) in a 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders on December 27th.

In 1998-99, Dvorak was one of three Panthers to appear in all 82 contests. He ranked third on the squad with 19 goals on 182 shots, pitching in 24 assists. He was third on the team with a plus-7 rating, collected only 33 penalty minutes, and led the team (by a wide margin) with four short-handed goals. He averaged 16:13 TOI per game on Florida's second line. He again had eight multiple point contests during the season, including two goals on March 26th as the Panthers shut down the Nashville Predators, 4-1.

In 1999-00, Dvorak played the first 35 games of his season with the Panthers. He had seven goals and 10 assists in 15:25 per game, only spending six minutes in the penalty box. He also had a plus-5 rating. On November 13th, he scored two goals with an assist in a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The very next game, on November 17th, he scored a goal and an assist as the Panthers defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 2-1. The Panthers traded him to the San Jose Sharks for Mike Vernon and a third round draft pick (Sean O'Connor) on December 30th. Before suiting up for the Sharks, the team traded him again later that day to the New York Rangers for Todd Harvey and a fourth round pick (Dimitri Patzold). That's one Panther traded for four guys on the same day, for those of you counting.

Dvorak played with the Rangers for parts of four seasons (256 games, 65 goals, 99 assists), the Edmonton Oilers (154 games, 27 goals, 59 assists) for parts of three, and the St. Louis Blues (82 games, 10 goals, 27 assists) in 2006-07. On July 1st, 2007, Dvorak returned to the Panthers as a free agent.

2007-08 would see Dvorak average 15:07 through 67 Panthers contests, scoring eight goals (on 146 shots) with nine assists. He had a minus-1 rating and only 16 penalty minutes. On April 4th, he collected a season high two points with a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

2008-09, Dvorak regained some of his scoring touch with 15 goals (tied for sixth on the Panthers) on 136 shots, his most goals since 2003-04 with Edmonton. He also dished out 21 assists and finished with 42 penalty minutes and a neutral plus/minus rating. He led Florida with four shorthanded goals. He again had eight multiple point games on the season, including a goal and two assists, with a plus-4 rating, in an 8-4 drubbing of the Atlanta Thrashers on January 10th. Dvorak averaged 16:26 per game while appearing in a Panthers third most 81 games on the season.

2008-09: Dvorak Highlights (via FloridaPanthersVideo)

In 2009-10, Dvorak scored 14 goals on 140 shots with 18 assists in 76 Panthers games. He played an average of 17:26 TOI per game, collecting a minus-7 rating and only spending 20 minutes in the penalty box. As always, he led the Panthers in shorthanded goals, with three. On January 3rd, Dvorak enjoyed his first Panthers hat trick (and third overall) in a 6-2 home victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Dvorak hat-trick vs. Penguins - NHL Fox Sports Florida Feed (via NYYfan46)

Dvorak spent the first 53 games of the 2010-11 season as a member of the Panthers. He scored seven goals and 14 assists before getting traded to the Atlanta Thrashers with a fifth round pick (Sean Kuraly) for Niclas Bergfors and Patrick Rissmiller on February 28th.

Dvorak finished the 2010-11 season with the Thrashers (13 games, one assist), playing 2011-12 with the Dallas Stars (73 games, four goals, 17 assists). He is currently an unrestricted free agent. In seven full (and two partial) seasons with the Panthers, Dvorak represented the Panthers as a solid role player. Never blessed with true first line talent, he nevertheless always left his best on the ice as a second (and sometimes third) line winger.

All-Time Statline: Nine seasons (second all-time), 613 games (second all-time), 113 goals (sixth all-time), 155 assists (seventh all-time), 268 points (seventh all-time), plus-8 rating, 216 PIM, 24.2 APS.

Thanks for reading today's article. Make sure to check back tomorrow, same bat-time, same bat-channel, for the number 13 Panther. He's a left winger from Fort Saskatchewan who will be entering his 21st NHL season, soon, maybe.

LBC's All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown: 15. Jovocop

Kevin Kraczkowski — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 12:00:32 -0000

Welcome back to the next installment of another day, another Panther. If you'd like to check out the details on how this list was assembled, click here.

In yesterday's article, we enjoyed looking back at defenseman (and Supreme Commander of Florida Panthers enforcers) Paul Laus (530 games, 14 goals, 58 assists). Today, we check out his one-time partner in crime fighting - defenseman Ed Jovanovski

To read more about the other half of the dynamic duo, follow the link below.

15. Ed Jovanovski

Jovanovski, a native of Windsor, Ontario, was a 6'3" left handed defenseman with the OHL Windsor Spitfires in 1993-94, where he scored 15 goals and 35 assists in 62 contests. The Panthers, proud owners of the first overall pick, selected Jovanovski to start out the proceedings in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He would stay on for another year of seasoning with the Spitfires, amassing over a point per game, totalling 23 goals and 42 assists in only 50 contests.

Ed Jovanovski - 1994 NHL Entry Draft (via GoingFiveHole)

The 19-year old Jovanovski joined the 1995-96 Panthers NHL roster in November. Surprisingly, he was not the youngest member of the team, as that honor fell to 18-year old Radek Dvorak. Ed led the Panthers blue-liners with 10 goals on 116 shots. He also pitched in 11 assists, finished with a minus-3 rating, and placed third on the team with 137 penalty minutes. On January 27th, he tied his season high with two points, a goal and an assist, in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. He would add a goal and eight assists (tied for second on the team) through 22 Stanley Cup Playoff matches.

Rick Tocchet vs. Ed Jovanovski (4-25-96) (via ouzer)

In 1996-97, Jovanovski was limited to 61 games by injuries. He scored seven goals on 80 shots along with 16 assists, a minus-1 rating, and a team second most 172 penalty minutes (Laus led the team with a mind-boggling 313). He scored a career high two goals on February 22nd as Florida fell to the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-3. In five playoff contests, he racked up a collective minus-4 rating, otherwise failing to affect the scoresheet.

1997-98 would see Jovanovski play in a Panthers second best 81 games through the season. On November 22nd, he scored both of Florida's goals in a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. His nine goals on 142 shots tied for the Panthers lead amongst defensemen (with Robert Svehla), and his 14 assists were second in the corps. He had a minus-12 rating on the year, and racked up 158 penalty minutes in his familiar spot (ranked second on the team) behind linemate Paul Laus (293 PIM).

1998-99 started out with Jovocop playing in 41 games for the Cats. He totalled three goals on 68 shots with 13 assists, a minus-4 rating, and 82 penalty minutes. On January 17th, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks with Dave Gagner, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes, and a first round pick (Nathan Smith) for Pavel Bure, Bret Hedican, Brad Ference, and a third round pick (Robert Fried). Considering what Bure brought to the mix, I'd say we can safely look back and say that we won this trade.

After parts of seven seasons in Vancouver (434 games, 57 goals, 177 assists, three all-star games), Jovanovski signed on as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes (332 games, 47 goals, 117 assists, two all-star games). On July 1st, 2011, Jovocop signed on for a second tour of duty with the Panthers.

Jovanovski started the 2011-12 season as part of Florida's third pairing with 19-year old phenom Erik Gudbranson. On October 17th, he racked up two assists in a 7-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He duplicated the feat on December 18th in a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. On January 17th, Jovanovski took on Boston Bruins left winger Daniel Paille in the first period of an eventual 3-2 shootout loss. As it turned out, he broke his hand during the altercation, and soon after required surgery, ultimately missing 15 games. Over the course of the season, he averaged 16:42 TOI through 66 games, scoring three goals on 58 shots. He also pitched in 10 assists, spent 31 minutes in the box, and totalled a minus-11 rating.

Ed Jovanovski ties game late 11/03/11 (via NHLVideo)

In Jovanovski's first tour with the Panthers, he was a solid two-way threat and constant enforcer. Now 36 years old, he looks to enter his 17th NHL season as one of Florida's resident greybeards. Along with fellow former and current over-35 Panther defenseman Filip Kuba, Florida can boast a wealth of experience on the blue line.

All-Time Statline: Five seasons, 319 games, 32 goals, 64 assists, 96 points, minus-31 rating, 580 PIM (seventh all-time), 22.2 APS.

Thanks for reading another day's featured Panther. Make sure to come back tomorrow to check out a Czech right winger at number 14. Take some time out from the Giants and Cowboys tonight to give a listen to the fourth episode of LitterBoxChats, live at 9pm.

LBC's All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown: 17. Rob Niedermayer

Kevin Kraczkowski — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 12:00:11 -0000

Welcome back to another edition of the all-time Panthers roster countdown, where we keep our feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. If you don't know the details on how the list was compiled, click here for more information.

Last week, we reviewed center Stu Barnes (191 games, 49 goals, 72 assists), right winger Ray Sheppard (190 games, 61 goals, 60 assists), defenseman Terry Carkner (279 games, six goals, 40 assists), defenseman Jason Garrison (190 games, 23 goals, 36 assists), left winger David Booth (309 games, 87 goals, 80 assists), defenseman Mike Van Ryn (257 games, 25 goals, 80 assists), and defenseman Bryan McCabe (199 games, 28 goals, 76 assists). In today's article, we're getting a look at Florida's first ever draft choice, a center from Cassier, BC.

Move along, nothing to see here....

17. Rob Niedermayer

Niedermayer was a right handed 6'1" center from Cassier, British Columbia. He earned his hockey chops in juniors starting in 1990-91 with the WHL Medicine Hat Tigers. In 194 games over three seasons with Medicine Hat, Rob scored 99 goals and 106 assists. The NHL took notice of his skillset, and in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft the Florida Panthers selected him with the fifth overall pick, Florida's first ever entry draft selection (their first ever draft selection was John Vanbiesbrouck, two days earlier in the expansion draft).

1993-94 would open with Niedermayer front and center as part of Florida's long term plans. He notched an assist in Florida's first ever NHL regular season contest, a 4-4 tie with the Chicago Blackhawks on October 6th. He had four multi-point games that season, including two goals in a 4-1 Panthers win over the Ottawa Senators on Groundhog Day, 1994. The 19-year old rookie scored nine goals on 65 shots, adding 17 assists. He posted a minus-11 rating with 51 penalty minutes.

Niedermayer appeared in each of Florida's 48 games in 1994-95 as the season was shortened by the players strike. After starting the season out with seven points in his first 12 games, he went cold, totalling three points through the rest of the season. He scored four goals total on 58 shots, pitching in six assists, a minus-13 rating, and 36 penalty minutes. It was almost certainly the worst season of his career with the Panthers.

1995-96, however, was Niedermayer's most productive NHL season. He put up 15 multi-point performances, including two three-point games. On December 16th, he scored a goal and two assists in a 7-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He would reprise the feat in the regular season finale, in a 5-1 win over the New York Rangers on April 14. In 22 playoff matches, he scored five times with three helpers as the Panthers won the Eastern Conference title before getting swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals. Most of his offensive numbers on the campaign represented personal career highs which he never again approached, including goals (26), assists (35), points, (61), shots on goal (155), shooting percentage (16.8), goals created (23), penalty minutes (107), power play goals (11) and game winning goals (6). His goals and points total ranked second on the team behind teammate Scott Mellanby.

1996 Panthers vs. Bruins Game 1 (via Disengage)

In 1996-97, Niedermayer scored multiple points in eight out of 60 contests, including a season high three (one goal, two assists) in a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings on January 4th. He scored 14 goals on 136 shots, dishing out 24 assists. He registered a plus-4 rating and collected 54 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, he tied for the Panthers lead with two goals in five games, also collecting an assist as the Panthers were evicted from Lord Stanley's tournament in five by the Rangers.

1997-98 would see Niedermayer play in only 33 Panthers games due to various ailments, including a concussion. He scored two points on three occasions, including two goals in a New Years Day, 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. He totalled eight goals on 64 shots with seven assists, a minus-9 rating, and 41 penalty minutes.

Niedermayer would rebound to play in each of Florida's 82 games in 1998-99, including 10 multi-point efforts. He had a season high three points with two goals and an assist on October 30th in a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. His 51 total points on the season ranked him in a tie for second on the Panthers. Out of 142 shots, he potted 18, adding 33 assists. His 21:17 of ice time ranked first amongst Panthers forwards with more than 11 games played. He was one of three Panthers to appear in every game (along with Kirk Muller and Radek Dvorak).

In 1999-00, Niedermayer totalled multiple points in seven of 81 contests, including three (one goal, two assists) in a 6-3 win over the Calgary Flames on November 6th. He averaged 19:04 of TOI, scoring 10 goals on 135 shots and dishing out 23 assists (both good for seventh on the team). He had a minus-5 rating and 46 penalty minutes. The Panthers last postseason appearance for 11 seasons would feature the team getting swept in four games by the New Jersey Devils. Niedermayer managed to score one goal in the series.

2000-01 would see Niedermayer play in 67 games. He notched a career high three assists in a 7-3 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on February 10th. In total, he collected 12 goals on 115 shots while averaging 20:30 per game. He also made 20 assists, spent 50 minutes in the penalty box, and finished with a minus-12 rating. After the season, the Panthers sent him to the Calgary Flames with a second round pick (Andrei Medvedev) for Valeri Bure and Jason Wiemer.

After playing in parts of two seasons with the Flames (111 games, 14 goals, 24 assists), Niedermayer also saw action with the Anaheim Ducks (382 games, 56 goals, 68 assists), the New Jersey Devils (71 games, 10 goals, 12 assists), and the Buffalo Sabres (71 games, five goals, 14 assists). He played 14 games with Lugano in the Swiss-A League in 2011-12 (two goals, four assists).

Niedermayer ranks in Florida's top 10 in most offensive categories. When he left the club after the 2000-01 season, he was one of only two original Panthers still on the club (with defenseman Paul Laus). For eight seasons, when health allowed, he provided the Panthers with a solid, sometimes spectacular option on the top line at center. Still only 37 years old as of this writing, he may yet have something to offer an NHL franchise.

All-Time Statline: Eight seasons (fourth all-time), 518 games (seventh all-time), 101 goals (seventh all-time), 165 assists (sixth all-time), 266 points (eighth all-time), minus-58 rating (last all-time), 435 PIM (eighth all-time), 20.6 APS.

Thanks for spending a small part of your day here with us at LBC. Make sure to check back tomorrow as we take a look at another original Panther, a defenseman who tops Florida's all-time leaderboard with over 1,700 penalty minutes.

LBC's All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown: 78-76

Kevin Kraczkowski — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:00:05 -0000

Welcome to another edition of the Florida Panthers roster countdown. If you like details, click here for all of them.

When last we spoke, we recapped the Panther careers of Russian right winger Ivan Novoseltsev (217 games, 29 games, 44 assists), Finnish left winger Niklas Hagman (263 games, 30 goals, 50 assists), and Swedish right winger Mikael Samuelsson (85 games, 16 goals, 21 assists). Today, We'll take a look at two players from Calgary, a goalie and a defenseman, as well as a center from Ontario.

Continue reading after the jump...

78. Dave Gagner

Gagner was a 5'10" center with the OHL Brantford Alexanders when drafted in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. The native of Chatham, Ontario was selected in the first round with the 12th overall pick by the New York Rangers. He totalled 92 goals and 125 assists in 150 OHL contests.

1984-85 would see Gagner make his professional debut, evenly splitting the season between the Rangers (six goals, six assists) and their AHL affiliate, the New Haven Nighthawks (13 goals, 20 assists), with 38 games for each club. He would become familiar with the routine, spending a total of three seasons going back and forth between the two. He totalled 45 goals and 72 assists in 110 AHL contests and 11 goals with 16 assists in 80 Rangers games. Just prior to the 1987-88 season, the Rangers traded him to the Minnesota North Stars with Jay Caufield for Jari Gronstrand and Paul Boutilier.

In parts of nine seasons with the Minnesota/Dallas Stars franchise, Gagner was a six time 30-goal scorer, and broke the 40-goal barrier on two occasions. He represented the North Stars at the 1991 NHL All-Star game. Overall, he scored 247 goals and 287 assists in 609 games. He ranks sixth in franchise history in goals scored and seventh with 534 total points. The Stars shipped him off to the Toronto Maple Leafs with a sixth round choice (Dmitri Yakushin) for Benoit Hogue and Randy Wood on January 29, 1996.

After closing the season with the Leafs (28 games, seven goals, 15 assists), Gagner was again moved. Toronto traded him to the Calgary Flames for a third round pick (Mike Lankshear). He would light the lamp 27 times with 33 helpers for the Flames, playing in all 82 games of the 1996-97 season.

Gagner signed on with the Panthers as a free agent on July 12, 1997. In just his second game with the team, he scored a hat trick, scoring on each of his three shots on goal. It was just one of 11 occasions that season where he collected more than one point in a game. In 78 games, he totalled a team second best 20 goals on 158 shots, along with a team third best 28 assists. He finished the season with a team worst minus-21 rating.

In 1998-99, Gagner spent the first 36 games of the season with the Panthers. He made three assists in a 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on October 30 on his way to a four goal, 10 assist swan song with the Cats. On January 17, Florida traded him to the Vancouver Canucks with Ed Jovanovski, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes, and a first round pick (Nathan Smith) for Pavel Bure, Bret Hedican, Brad Ference, and a third round pick (Robert Fried). After scoring two goals and 12 assists through 33 games, he would announce his retirement preceding the following season.

All-Time Statline: Two seasons, 114 games, 24 goals, 38 assists, 62 points, minus-28 rating, 94 PIM, 5.2 APS.

77. Mike Vernon

Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Vernon had just posted a 33-17-1 record with the WHL Calgary Wranglers when chosen in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. The 5'9" goaltender was picked up by the Calgary Flames in the third round, 56th overall. In three seasons with the Wranglers, he totalled a 84-49-5 record.

Vernon made his debut with the Flames with two games in the 1982-83 season. In 11 seasons with the Flames, Vernon totalled a then-franchise record 248 wins with 152 losses and 51 ties, including an incredible 37-6-5 record in 1988-89. He then went 16-5 with a 2.26 GAA through the playoffs, helping the Flames to their first ever Stanley Cup. He also appeared in the All-Star game five times as a member of the Flames. The Flames traded him to the Detroit Red Wings just after the 1993-94 season for Steve Chiasson.

Vernon played with the Wings for three seasons, posting a 53-24-14 record and a 2.40 GAA. He would duplicate his Stanley Cups success with the Red Wings in 1997, going 16-4 with a 1.76 GAA and a .927 save percentage. During the following offseason, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks with a fifth round pick for two second round picks, both traded away in subsequent transactions.

In parts of three seasons with San Jose, Vernon collected a franchise fifth most 52 wins, with 49 losses and 19 ties/overtime losses, with a .904 save percentage and a 2.39 GAA. The Sharks traded him to the Panthers December 30, 1999 with a third round pick (Sean O'Connor) for Radek Dvorak.

Vernon spent half a season as the Panthers number one goaltender. He started 34 matches and accrued an 18-13-2 record. On February 16, Vernon shutout the New York Rangers, 3-0 on 25 shots. He was Florida's only netminder to face action in the Stanley Cup Playoffs that season, going 0-4 while allowing 12 goals on 136 shots. After the season, he was left unprotected in the 2000 NHL Expanision Draft, getting selected by the Minnesota Wild. He was immediately traded back to the Flames for an eighth round pick and the right to negotiate with Dan Cavanaugh.

In his final two NHL seasons, Vernon struggled to a 14-32-6 record. He stands at number two on Calgary's all-time leaderboard with 262 wins and third with 13 shutouts. He officially retired just prior to the 2002-03 season.

All-Time Statline: One season, 34 games, 2,019 minutes, 18-13-2 record, one shutout, 1,020 shots faced, 937 saves, 83 goals allowed, .919 save percentage, 2.47 GAA, 5.2 APS.

76. Brad Ference

Ference stood 6'3" when chosen by the Vancouver Canucks with the 10th overall pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. The defenseman from Calgary, Alberta was playing for the WHL Spokane Chiefs at the time, and through four total seasons scored 24 goals with 89 assists and 796 penalty minutes through 177 WHL games, (the last 20 with the Tri-City Americans).

In 1999-00, Ference made his professional debut, spending 58 games with the Louisville Panthers in the AHL (two goals, seven assists, 231 PIM). He also played in 13 NHL games with the Panthers, going scoreless on 10 shots, making two assists, and spending 46 minutes in the box in 13:40 ATOI.

Brad Ference vs Aaron Gavey (via sabrz)

2000-01 would see Ference again spend most of his season in Louisville (52 games, three goals, 21 assists, minus-22 rating, 200 PIM), joining the NHL version of the Panthers for 14 games, averaging 13:03 per game over several callups to Florida. He went scoreless on five shots, made one assist and racked up a minus-10 rating.

Ference joined Florida on a more permanent basis for the 2001-02 season, playing in 80 NHL contests for the Panthers. He scored two goals on 65 shots and made a career high 15 assists while averaging 19:44 TOI. He scored his first career goal on December 19 in a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals. He also posted a minus-13 rating and 254 minutes in the penalty box.

Ference spent 60 games with the Panthers to start the 2002-03 season, scoring twice on 41 shots and making six assists. He posted a plus-2 rating and 118 PIM. The Panthers traded him to the Phoenix Coyotes on March 8 for Darcy Hordichuk and a second round pick (later traded to Tampa Bay).

Ference played 78 games with Phoenix, collecting six assists and a minus-24 rating with 131 penalty minutes. He played five games with the Calgary Flames in 2006-07, bringing his NHL career to a close.

All-Time Statline: Four seasons, 167 games, four goals, 24 assists, 28 points, minus-19 rating, 432 PIM, 5.3 APS.

That does it for today's entry. Make sure to check back on Monday as we take a look at a center from Mississauga, a Czech right winger, and a defenseman from Ottawa.

LBC's All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown: 188-185

Kevin Kraczkowski — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:00:14 -0000

Welcome back to the LBC All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown. For an easy to understand explanation, check here.

Last time out, we went over the Florida tenure of Eric Cairns, Jeff Norton, Janis Sprukts, and Matt Bradley. Today we'll hit up a goaltender from Toronto, a Swedish right winger, a forward from Ontario, and a Slovakian center.

Follow the jump to read more, vote, and comment.

188. Kevin Weekes

Weekes was a 6'2" Goalie from Toronto.He was selected by the Panthers in the second round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft with the 41st overall pick.

Weekes made his professional debut with the AHL Carolina Monarchs in 1995-96. He would spend the next two seasons exclusively with the Monarchs as the teams number one goaltender, posting a 41-53-12 record.

In 1997-98, Weekes started the season as Florida's number two goaltender, eventually getting sent down to the IHL Fort Wayne Komets. He would spend the season going back and forth between the two teams. For the Panthers, he posted an 0-5-1 record on the season, with a .870 save percentage and a 3.96 GAA.

While with the IHL Detroit Vipers in 1998-99, Weekes was traded to the Vancouver Canucks along with Ed Jovanovski, Dave Gagner, Mike Brown and a first round draft choice for Pavel Bure, Bret Hedican, Brad Ference and a third round pick.

Weekes played for six teams after parting ways with the Panthers. Along with the Canucks (6-15-5), he also appeared with the New York Islanders, (10-20-4), the Tampa Bay Lightning (23-42-3), the Carolina Hurricanes (39-54-20), the New York Rangers (18-20-5), and the New Jersey Devils (9-7-1).

Weekes officially retired prior to the 2009-10 season. He is currently an analyst with the NHL Network, broadcasting games and hosting Hockey Night in Canada.

All-Time Statline: 11 games, 0-5-1 record, 485 minutes played, 247 shots faced, 215 saves, .870 save percentage, 3.96 goals against average, 0.4 APS.

187. Niclas Bergfors

Bergfors was a 5'11" right winger from Sodertalje, Sweden. He was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft with the 23rd overall pick. He made his professional debut later that year, with the 2005-06 Albany River Rats, scoring 17 goals and 23 assists in 65 AHL games.

In 2006-07, the Devils new AHL affiliate was the Lowell Devils. Bergfors spent 60 games with the club, scoring 13 goals with 19 assists. He spent most of the following two seasons with Lowell, playing a total of nine NHL games with the Devils, and scoring one goal with a minus-2 rating.

In 2009-10, Bergrors was promoted to the NHL full time. After scoring 13 goals and 14 assists with the Devils through 54 games, he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers along with Johnny Oduya, Patrice Cormier, and a first and second round draft pick for Ilya Kovalchuk, Anssi Salmela and a second round pick. In parts of two seasons with the Thrashers, he played in 79 games, scoring 19 goals and 27 assists.

The Thrashers sent him to the Panthers on February 28th, 2011 along with Pat Rissmiller for Radek Dvorak and a fifth round draft choice. In 20 Florida games, he scored one goal on 53 shots with six assists. His only goal was in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. After the season, he signed on with the Nashville Predators. After 11 games in Nashville, Bergfors elected to join the KHL as a member of the Kazan Ak-Bars, later joining the Cherepovets Severstal.

All-Time Statline: One season, 20 games, one goal, six assists, seven points, plus-2 rating, two PIM, 0.4 APS.

186. Mike Foligno

Foligno was a 6'2" forward from Sudbury, Ontario. He was playing with the OMJHL Sudbury Wolves when the Detroit Red Wings picked him up in the first round of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft with the third pick overall. In his four total seasons with the Wolves, he totalled 165 goals and 182 assists in 258 contests.

After getting drafted, Foligno joined Detroit, never appearing in a minor league match. He would spent two and a half seasons with the Wings, scoring 97 goals, 114 assists, and 347 penalty minutes in 186 games, never missing a start. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres with Dale McCourt and Brent Peterson for Danny Gare, Jim Schoenfeld and Derek Smith on December 2nd, 1981.

Foligno would spend most of the next 10 seasons with the Sabres. He is tied for 10th on the all-time list with 664 games played with the club. He ranks sixth with 247 goals, 10th with 264 assists, eighth with 511 points, and second with 1,450 penalty minutes. He made 39 playoff appearances with Buffalo, scoring 13 goals and 11 assists. On December 21, 1991, the Sabres traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs with an eighth round draft pick for Brian Curran and Lou Franceschetti.

A five-time 30 goal scorer with the Sabres, Foligno would not approach the same level of production with the Leafs, missing half of the 1991-92 season with a broken leg. When all was said and done, he had played in parts of four mostly fruitless seasons with Toronto, appearing in 129 games and scoring 27 goals with 20 assists and 203 PIM. On November 5th, 1993, the Maple Leafs traded him to Florida for cash.

Foligno finished his 15 season NHL career with the 1993-94 Panthers, scoring four goals on only 32 shots over 39 games. He also collected five assists and a plus-7 rating. He managed to earn 49 penalty minutes at the ripe old age of 35.

After retiring, Foligno joined the coaching ranks, serving as an assistant and a head coach for the St. John's Maple Leafs, and an assistant with Toronto and with the Colorado Avalanche. He would sign on as head coach of the Hershey Bears in 1998-99, leaving after five seasons with a 186-154-60 record. He would then coach the Sudbury Wolves for six years starting in 2003-04, posting a 163-194-51 record. In 2010-11, he joined the Anaheim Ducks as an assistant, serving in the position until fired on November 30, 2011.

All-Time Statline: 39 games, four goals, five assists, nine points, plus-7 rating, 49 PIM, 0.4 APS.

185. Vaclav Nedorost

Nedorost was a 6' center from Treninton, Slovakia. He was with Ceske Budejovice HC when chosen by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft with the 14th overall pick.

Nedorost opened the 2001-02 season on the Colorado roster, and scored a goal and an assist in his first ever match, a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He totalled two goals and two assists in 25 games, spending 49 games that year with the AHL Hershey Bears, scoring 12 goals and 22 assists.

In 2002-03, Nedorost spent over half the season in Colorado, in 42 games collecting four goals and five assists. During the offseason, he was traded to the Panthers with Eric Messier for Peter Worrell and a second round draft pick.

Nedorost began the 2003-04 season with the San Antonio Rampage, first joining the Panthers in November. He was eventually called up to the NHL three times that season, eventually finishing with 32 Florida games played, scoring four goals and three assists. He averaged almost 12 minutes a night during his short stay with the Panthers.

Like a lot of other players, Nedorost joined an overseas league when the 2004-05 NHL season was cancelled, with HC Bili Tygri Liberec in the Czech league. He played in the Czech League for the next five seasons, and is currently with Poprad Lev of the KHL.

All-Time Statline: 32 games, four goals, three assists, seven points, minus-6 rating, 12 PIM, 0.4 APS.

Thank you for stopping by and spending a few minutes checking out some Panthers you may not have heard too much about. Please, leave comments below (am I alone in here?), and vote. Check back right here on Monday to hear about four guys from Canada, two defensemen, a left winger and a right winger.

LBC's All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown: 239-235

Kevin Kraczkowski — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:08 -0000

Welcome back to today's edition of LBC's All-Time Florida Panthers Countdown. If you need to know how this whole thing works, click here for the details.

If you didn't tune in yesterday, we just recapped the Panthers careers of left wingers Alex Hicks and Tim Kennedy, right winger Ty Jones, defenseman Rocky Thompson, and goaltender Pokey Reddick. Today's entry features two centers, a right winger, a left winger, and a defenseman.

If you're interested, follow the jump for more.

239. Petr Tatíček

Taticek was a 6'3" center from Rakovnik, Czechoslovakia. He was playing with the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds when drafted by Florida in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, with the ninth overall pick. He would play one more season with the Greyhounds, totalling 33 goals and 87 assists in 114 games.

2003-04 and 2004-05 would see Taticek spend a total of 130 games with Florida's AHL team, the San Antonio Rampage, scoring 11 goals and 30 assists.

Taticek started the 2005-06 season with the AHL Houston Aeros, scoring 30 points in 44 games before his first NHL callup in January. In three games with the Panthers, Taticek managed three shots on goal in 18 minutes of ice time, failing to impact the scoresheet in any other fashion. After being sent back to Houston, he was soon after traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Ric Jackman. Pittsburgh kept him with their Wilkes-Barre AHL franchise for 17 games.

The Washington Capitals signed Taticek to a free agent contract for the 2006-07 season. Taticek played one game with the Hershey Bears before heading back to Czechoslovakia, with HC Rabat Kladno. He has spent the last six seasons with HC Davos of the Swiss National League.

All-Time Statline: One season, three games, zero goals, zero assists, zero points, even rating, zero PIM, 0.0 APS.

238. Paul Brousseau

Brousseau was a 6'2" right winger from Pierrefonds, Quebec. He was skating with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL when drafted in the second round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques, with the 28th overall pick. In four QMJHL seasons, Brousseau scored 109 goals and 199 assists in 240 games.

Brousseau joined the AHL Cornwall Aces for the 1993-94 season spending most of the next three seasons with the club. He totalled 58 goals and 65 assists in 189 games. He enjoyed his first NHL callup in January, 1996 to the Colorado Avalanche, scoring one goal (against Florida) and one assist in eight games.

In the 1996 offseason, Brousseau signed a free agent contract for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He spent most of the next two seasons with the Adirondack Red Wings, but also totalled 17 NHL games during that time with Tampa Bay, logging 27 PIM along with two assists. He was left unprotected in the 1998 expansion draft, and was picked up by the Nashville Predators.

After one season with the Predators AHL team, the Hershey Bears, Brousseau signed a free agent contract with the Panthers prior to the 1999-00 season. Limited by a knee injury, he played 36 games with the AHL Louisville Panthers, scoring 43 points.

In 2000-01, Brousseau again started the season with Louisville, scoring 68 points in 73 games. He earned a callup to Florida in March to face the Columbus Blue Jackets, played for one minute and 39 seconds of ice time, then was sent back to Louisville. Florida lost the game, 7-6 in overtime.

After the season, Brousseau played the next three seasons in Finnish, Swedish, Swiss and German Leagues, retiring after the 2003-04 season.

All-Time Statline: One season, one game, zero goals, zero assists, zero points, even rating, zero PIM, 0.0 APS.

237. Patrick Rissmiller

Rissmiller was a 6'4" left winger from Belmont, MA. He played four seasons of college hockey with College of the Holy Cross, scoring 53 goals and 90 assists in 131 games. After graduating in 2002, he signed a free agent contract with the AHL Cleveland Barons, scoring 14 goals and 26 assists in 72 games.

The San Jose Sharks showed interest during the 2003 offseason, signing him as a free agent. During 2003-04, he scored 45 points in 75 games with the Barons, making his NHL debut with the Sharks for four games in November.

With the 2004-05 NHL season cancelled, Rissmiller played the entire season with Cleveland, scoring 44 points in 69 games. He also played most of the 2005-06 season with the Barons, earning an extended look in San Jose in March. In 18 games he scored three goals on 26 shots with three assists. In the Sharks postseason run, he scored two goals with an assist.

Rissmiller spent the next two seasons as a Shark, scoring 15 goals and 24 assists over 158 NHL games, with a minus-7 and 52 penalty minutes. The New York Rangers signed him to a free agent contract during the 2008 offseason. After two games with the Rangers, he was reassigned to the AHL Hartford Wolfpack, scoring 54 points in 64 games.

After another minor league season, the Rangers packed him along with Donald Brashear to the Atlanta Thrashers for Todd White just prior to the 2010-11 season. He skated with the Thrashers for one game before Atlanta sent him back to the AHL. Florida sent Radek Dvorak to Atlanta for Rissmiller and Niclas Bergfors in February. Rissmiller played nine games with the Panthers, assisting one goal and posting an even rating. He spent the 2011-12 season with the Avalanche AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters.

All-Time Statline: One season, nine games, zero goals, one assist, one point, even rating, zero PIM, 0.0 APS.

236. Nolan Yonkman

Yonkman was a 6'6" defenseman from Punnichy, Saskatchewan. He was with the WHL Kelowna Rockets when selected by the Washington Capitals in the second round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, with the 37th overall pick. In four plus seasons with the Rockets, plus most of 2000-01 with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Yonkman totalled 12 goals and 26 assists with 431 PIM in 259 WHL games.

In 2001-02, Yonkman spent most of the season with the AHL Portland Pirates. He joined the Capitals for two games in January, later playing the last nine games of the season with the team. He scored his only career NHL goal on April 6th in a 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders, finishing the season with a plus-3 rating and four PIM.

Yonkman spent most of the next three seasons dealing with an assortment of injuries, totalling 60 games with the Pirates, and scoring one goal with seven assists and 119 PIM. He played one NHL game during that time, skating for five minutes in a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on October 18, 2003.

Yonkman got most of his NHL experience with the Caps in 2005-06, playing 38 games, making seven assists with a plus-1 rating and 86 PIM. He signed on with the Nashville Predators during the 2006 offseason.

Yonkman never appeared with the Predators, playing 283 games over the next four seasons with the AHL Milwaukee Admirals. He put up eight goals and 31 assists with 466 PIM. He signed a free agent contract with the Phoenix Coyotes prior to the 2010-11 season.

The San Antonio Rampage were at the time the Coyotes AHL affiliate, and Yonkman spent the whole season there. He signed another free agent contract after the season, this time with the Panthers. Yonkman played 66 games with the Rampage through the season, scoring two goals with 11 assists and 102 penalty minutes. He made his Panthers debut on February 19th, skating nine shifts in a 2-0 Ducks victory. Yonkman is currently in the midst of the AHL playoffs, and has two assists through the first nine games.

All-Time Statline: One season, one game, zero goals, zero assists, zero points, even rating, zero PIM, 0.0 APS.

March 2, 2012- Catching Up With Strachan & Yonkman (via sarampage)

235. Mike Green

Green was a 5'11" center from Calgary with the WHL Kootenay Ice when signed as a free agent by Florida in 2000. In four WHL seasons (the first two with the Edmonton Ice), he totalled 93 goals and 122 assists in 218 games.

Green opened the 2000-01 season with the AHL Louisville Panthers, also skating with the US team and the UHL teams Port Huron Border Cats and the Knoxville Speed. 2001-02 was spent between the ECHL Macon Whoopee and the AHL Cincinnati Mighty Ducks.

2002-03 would see Green spend 80 games with the AHL San Antonio Rampage, scoring 26 goals and 34 assists. He opened the 2003-04 season with the Rampage, earning his first NHL action with the Panthers in February. In 11 games he posted one assist with an even rating and two PIM. Florida waived him in March, where he was claimed by the New York Rangers. He would finish the season in New York, scoring his only career NHL goal in his last NHL game, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals.

Green has since appeared in the German League with the Nurnberg Ice Tigers (2004-05), the Hannover Scorpions (2005-06, 2007-08) and the Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams (2008-09). He made one last appearance in the AHL, in 2006-07 between the Iowa Stars and the Hershey Bears.

All-Time Statline: One season, 11 games, zero goals, one assist, one point, even rating, two PIM, 0.0 APS.

Thanks for reading today's entry. Check back tomorrow for four guys who combined for eight total Panther games and one who skated in 21. Please, leave comments, and vote!

Poll

Of these players, which failed to approach expectations as a Panther?

Petr Taticek

30 votes

Nolan Yonkman

5 votes

Patrick Rissmiller

3 votes

Paul Brousseau

0 votes

Michael Green

2 votes

40 votes | Poll has closed