Just months before he was the third-overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection, and following a season in which he averaged a point a game, Alex Pietrangelo helped the Toronto Jr. Canadiens to their first-ever appearance at the National Midget Championship, scoring once and adding two assists – as well as scoring a goal during the bronze medal game shootout, the only shootout in TELUS Cup history – as the Jr. Canadiens finished fourth in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
The fourth-overall selection, by St. Louis, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Pietrangelo returned to the OHL after starting the season with the Blues in both 2008 and 2009, twice helping Canada reach the gold medal game at the IIHF World Junior Championship, winning gold at the 2009 world juniors in Ottawa. Joining St. Louis full time for the 2010-11 season, Pietrangelo has blossomed into one of the NHL’s top young blue-liners, finishing fifth in scoring among defencemen in 2011-12 while earning a spot on the NHL Second All-Star Team.
TELUS Cup Experience – 2006, Toronto Jr. Canadiens (4th place)
NHL Teams – St. Louis Blues (2008-present)
NHL Accomplishments – Second All-Star Team (2011-12)
NHL Entry Draft – St. Louis Blues, 2008 (1st round, 4th overall)
Team Canada Experience – National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team (2007); National Junior Team (2009, 2010); National Men’s Team (2011)
Team Canada Accomplishments – Top Defenceman (2010 WJC, 2011 WC)
NHL Career Statistics –207GP 29G 86A 115P 69PIM (as of March 25, 2013)
SELECTION COMMITTEE RANKINGS
Craig Button – 38th
Paul Coffey – 35th
Bob Nicholson – 34th
Gord Sherven – 38th
Fans – 24th
After an 11-year absence, Ryane Clowe helped St. John’s return to the Air Canada Cup in 2000 for the first time since the city hosted the National Midget Championship in 1989. Unfortunately for Clowe, the Maple Leafs finished without a win in Montreal, missing out on the semifinals and becoming the eighth consecutive Atlantic Region representative to fail to qualify for the final four.
Clowe moved on to the QMJHL, playing three seasons with Rimouski and Montreal, and was a sixth-round pick, 175th overall, of the San Jose Sharks in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. After spending two full seasons with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate in Cleveland, where he was named the Barons’ MVP in 2004-05, Clowe debuted for San Jose in 2005-06 and earned a spot as a full-time NHLer the following year, helping the Sharks reach a pair of Western Conference finals, in 2010 and 2011.
TELUS Cup Experience – 2000, St. John’s Maple Leafs (6th place)
NHL Teams – San Jose Sharks (2005-present)
NHL Entry Draft – San Jose Sharks, 2001 (6th round, 175th overall)
NHL Career Statistics –420GP 101G 168A 269P 560PIM (as of March 24, 2013)
SELECTION COMMITTEE RANKINGS
Craig Button – 30th
Paul Coffey – 38th
Bob Nicholson – 36th
Gord Sherven – 36th
Fans – 37th
The leading scorer in the AMHL as a 16-year-old in 1999-2000, with 73 points in 34 games, Joffrey Lupul led the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers to league and regional championships and the city’s only appearance ever at the National Midget Championship, at the 2000 tournament in Montreal. The Rangers were one of three teams to finish the preliminary round at 4-1, but came out on the wrong end of a 4-1 decision to host Montréal-Bourassa in the semifinals before falling 6-5 to Saskatoon in the bronze medal game.
Lupul was selected by Anaheim with the seventh pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the Mighty Ducks for the 2003-04 season, eventually spending two seasons in Southern California, bookending the 2004-05 lockout, highlighted by a four-goal playoff performance in 2006. Lupul has twice been traded as part of a package for Chris Pronger, going from Anaheim to Edmonton in 2006 and from Philadelphia to Anaheim in 2009. He is currently in his third season with Toronto, having been selected to his first NHL All-Star Game in 2012.
TELUS Cup Experience – 2000, Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (4th place)
NHL Teams – Anaheim Ducks (2003-06, 2009-11); Edmonton Oilers (2006-07); Philadelphia Flyers (2007-09); Toronto Maple Leafs (2011-present)
NHL Accomplishments – NHL All-Star Game (2012)
NHL Entry Draft – Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 2002 (1st round, 7th overall)
Team Canada Experience – IIHF World Junior Championship (2003)
NHL Career Statistics – 520GP 154G 173A 327P 321PIM (as of March 24, 2013)
SELECTION COMMITTEE RANKINGS
Craig Button – 39th
Paul Coffey – 35th
Bob Nicholson – 37th
Gord Sherven – 39th
Fans – 31st
A 16-year-old Manny Fernandez shared the goaltending duties with Patrick Laferriere during the 1990-91 season as the Lions du Lac St-Louis rolled to a league-leading 30-10-2 regular season record in the LHMAAAQ and won seven of eight playoff contests to reach the Air Canada Cup. After posting a perfect 5-0 preliminary round record in Calgary, the Lions were upset by Sherwood Park in the semifinals before rebounding to take home the bronze medal.
The 52nd overall pick by Quebec in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, Fernandez was traded to Dallas two years later, making his NHL debut during the 1994-95 season. He spent parts of five seasons with the Stars before moving on to Minnesota, where he played five years and helped the Wild reach the Western Conference Final in 2003. A two-time winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy, presented to the team with the fewest goals allowed, Fernandez finished his career with two seasons in Boston, retiring after the 2008-09 campaign.
TELUS Cup Experience – 1991, Lions du Lac St-Louis (bronze medal)
NHL Teams – Dallas Stars (1994-2000); Minnesota Wild (2000-07); Boston Bruins (2007-09)
NHL Accomplishments – William M. Jennings Trophy (2006-07, 2008-09)
NHL Entry Draft – Quebec Nordiques, 1992 (3rd round, 52nd overall)
Team Canada Experience – IIHF World Junior Championship (1994)
NHL Career Statistics – 325GP 143-123-45 2.50GAA .912SV% 15SO
SELECTION COMMITTEE RANKINGS
Craig Button – 34th
Paul Coffey – 39th
Bob Nicholson – 40th
Gord Sherven – 35th
Fans – 39th
Chris Mason was one of the stars of the Red Deer Chiefs at the 1994 Air Canada Cup in Brandon, Man., leading Red Deer to a 4-1 preliminary round record (the only loss was to fellow future NHLer Daniel Briere and Gatineau), earning Top Goaltender honours and eventually a berth in the gold medal game, although the dream of a national title ended with a double-overtime loss to Regina.
A fifth-round pick of New Jersey in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, Mason spent three years with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars before bouncing around the minors for six seasons, with a few games of NHL experience in Nashville in 1998-99 and 2000-01. He stuck in the NHL for good with the Predators in 2003-04, and after winning a Norwegian championship with Vålerenga during the 2004-05 lockout, made additional stops in St. Louis, Atlanta and Winnipeg before returning to Nashville for the 2012-13 season.
TELUS Cup Experience – 1994, Red Deer Chiefs (silver medal)
TELUS Cup Accomplishments – Top Goaltender
NHL Teams – Nashville Predators (1998-2008, 2012-present); St. Louis Blues (2008-10); Atlanta Thrashers (2010-11); Winnipeg Jets (2011-12)
NHL Entry Draft – New Jersey Devils, 1995 (5th round, 122nd overall)
Team Canada Experience – IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010)
NHL Career Statistics – 313GP 137-109-35 2.64GAA .910SV% 23SO (as of March 21, 2013)
SELECTION COMMITTEE RANKINGS
Craig Button – 33rd
Paul Coffey – 40th
Bob Nicholson – 39th
Gord Sherven – 40th
Fans – 38th