A Top Five postscript...
IF it is the Flyers who the Hurricanes end up playing in the first round, here's your startling stat for the day.
After all the trades between these two teams — 12 between 1994-2006, the period when Jim Rutherford and Bobby Clarke overlapped as general managers of their respective clubs, involving 33 players and draft picks — only four players on either roster have played for both teams.
Who, you ask?
All four play for Carolina (which may say something about who the Canes sent north, although the retirements of Keith Primeau and Sami Kapanen must be noted): Rod Brind'Amour, Michael Leighton, Joni Pitkanen and Dennis Seidenberg.
Only Brind'Amour came directly from Philadelphia, in the famous 2000 trade that sent Primeau to the Flyers for Brind'Amour and goalie-of-the-future Jean-Marc Pelletier.
I may have understated the numbers — there's at least one draft-pick swap that isn't listed in the Carolina media guide (the 2002 deal to get back the second-round pick the Canes used on the famous Jesse Lane), the only one I noticed missing — but I'm pretty sure that I haven't missed any of the current players on both teams.
Luke DeCock
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at 829-8947 or luke.decock@newsobserver.com.
Comments
Pelletier was a bust, but
Thu, 04/09/2009 - 14:17 — ctillPelletier was a bust, but even so I'm happy with the Brind'amour-Primeau trade looking back at it. Primeau definitely burned a bridge with Canes fans. Pelletier played a total of 7 NHL games and bounced around the AHL before going to Europe. St Jacques played in 1 NHL game after leaving the Canes, and he now plays in Europe too. Brendl played in 2 NHL games after leaving the Canes, and he now plays in Russia.
Interesting
Wed, 04/08/2009 - 23:31 — irbefanNice journalism Luke!
That's an interesting bit of information that only 4 players have Philly/Cane history. A true testament to our GM (or their GM). Cup check for the 2000 trade. Closest Primeau-donna ever got to a Cup was the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals if I'm not mistaken. Brind'amour has helped us to two Prince of Wales trophies and a Cup (not to mention having a Conn Smythe within his grasp in 06).
When I look back on all the terrible players though, I recall names like Pavel Brendl, Bruno St. Jacques, Pelletier, and so many others that the Flyers gave us.