There are many times where a guy falls into good fortunes and sometimes where guys make their own good fortunes. It seems that this week's AGM had a little bit of both during his playing career. While he made a name for himself on the junior stage; he fell into greatness on the NHL stage to start off with, then had some troubles getting any ice time from there. This week, the profile of Kevin Hodson.
Hodson got started off with his hometown Winnipeg Blues of the Manitoba Junior "A" league before he moved on with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds starting in the 1990-91 season, where Hodson would play 30 games and finished off with a 18-11-0 record; then went 9-1 in ten playoff games on way to helping the Greyhounds to the OHL Championship. However, Hodson would go 0-1 in two Memorial Cup games. The 1991-92 season saw Hodson get more game time in with the Greyhounds, going 28-12-4 in 50 games; then going 12-6 in 18 playoff games to help the Greyhounds to a second straight OHL Championship. In the 1992 Memorial Cup, Hodson went 3-1, with the only loss coming in the Championship game.
In August of 1992, the Chicago Blackhawks signed Hodson to a contract, but stuck him in the IHL with the Indianapolis Ice. With the Ice, Hodson went 5-9-0 in 14 games before the Blackhawks sent him back to the OHL and the Greyhounds. Back with the Hounds, Hodson went 18-5-2 in 26 games, then going 11-2 in the playoffs, though the Hounds would lose to Peterborough in the OHL Championship series. Yet, with Sault Ste. Marie hosting the Memorial Cup, they would get into the tournament and Hodson would go 3-0-1 and allowed the Greyhounds to win the Memorial Cup in their third try. Hodson took home the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy for Outstanding Goaltender in the Memorial Cup, the Memorial Cup All-Star Team, then the OHL All-Star team as well.
Hodson would sign with the Detroit Red Wings before the 1993-94 season, but would be placed in the AHL with the Adirondack Red Wings. Hodson would get in 37 games and post a 20-10-5 record in the regular season, before going 0-2 in three playoff games. The 1994-95 season saw Hodson able to get into 51 games and finish 19-22-8 record, but only go 0-4 in four playoff games. Back in Adirondack in the 1995-96 season, Hodson would 13-13-2 in 32 games, then 0-2 in three playoff games. Hodson would also get into four games with Detroit, going 2-0-0 in his time there.
Detroit kept Hodson up on the team in the 1996-97 season as a third goalie, which limited him to only six games all season for Detroit, finishing with a 2-2-1 record. However, thanks to him staying up on the roster all year, the Red Wings petitioned and got Hodson's name on the Stanley Cup when they won it that summer. Hodson did get two games in the IHL that season with the Quebec Rafales and end with a 1-1-0 record. In the 1997-98 season, Hodson was the back-up for the season and get into 21 games, finishing with a 9-3-3 record and saw 16 seconds of ice time in the playoffs, as the Red Wings would win the Stanley Cup yet again. The 1998-99 season had Hodson seeing limited time in Detroit, playing on four games with only a 0-2-0 record; then being sent down to Adirondack-- playing in six games finishing with a 1-3-2 record before getting on the move.
At the trade deadline in 1999, Hodson and a draft pick was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Wendel Clark, Bill Ranford, and a draft pick. In five games at the end of the season, Hodson went 2-1-1. Hodson would be back in Tampa for the 1999-2000 season, but would appear in most of his 24 games in relief, finishing with a 2-7-4 record. He would get sent down to the IHL's Detroit Vipers for nine games, finishing 2-6-0 record there.
Hodson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in June of 2000, but would not play with the Canadiens or their affiliates, pretty much being inactive for a coupe years.
Hodson would return to the NHL when he re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the 2002-03 season, but only appear in seven games with a 0-3-1 record before deciding to hang-up the pads in January of 2003 when the Bolts brought in John Grahame from Boston.
The retirement didn't last too long, as Hodson signed with the Texas Wildcatters of the ECHL in August of 2003, but did not make the squad out of camp. In November of 2003, Hodson went to Finland, signing for Jokerit. Hodson would appear in only three games, finishing with a 1-1-1 record before hanging up the pads for good.
After his career, Hodson went back to school and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie and is now working as a financial adviser with Edward Jones Investments.
While he didn't have the greatest NHL career, it was mostly because he wasn't able to get enough games in; but was valuable enough to be kept on a good team as insurance. It got him some good hardware in the end and some valuable experiences. Even so, he had enough sense to go back to school and make the most of his life after hockey; even if he's not directly related to the game anymore.
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