Absurd Goalie Monday: Corrado Micalef

With the fantastic announcement that Amway will be sponsoring the Detroit Red Wings this year, we go to the Motor City. Many have said that these Wings teams were so horrific, it wouldn't have mattered who was in net. Luckily, this netminder is going to be worthy enough to be put into the AGM archives after today. This week-- the profile of Corrado Micalef

Micalef started his career with the QMJHL's Sherbrooke Castors beginning in the 1978-79 season, where he would play in 42 games, posting an 18-11-3. The starting role beckoned Micalef after that and he saw 64 games in the 1979-80 season, finishing with a 38-15-7 record; then 10-5 in 15 playoff games, placing him on the Second-Team All-Star team at the end of the season. The 1980-81 season was monumental for Micalef, as he would play in 64 games with Sherbrooke and go 35-26-3, while going 7-7 in 14 playoff games. Plus, Micalef was able to get a spot on Canada's World Juniors team, but went 1-2-1 in five games. However, the big coup came for Micalef when Sherbrooke loaned him to the Cornwall Royals for the 1981 Memorial Cup, as the Royals' goalie was injured. Micalef went 3-0 in his three games, helping the Royals win the Memorial Cup. Micalef took home the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy for top goaltender of the tournament, as well as the Memorial Cup All-Star Team, plus the QMJHL First-Team All-Star squad.

That performance allowed Micalef to get drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1981 Draft at pick #44. Micalef was thrown into the Wings cage immediately, playing in 18 games for the 1981-82 season-- however, he'd only go 4-10-1. Micalef was sent down to the AHL's Adirondack Red Wings, playing only one games in relief before being sent to the IHL's Kalamazoo Wings, playing in 20 games there. The 1982-83 season brought some more opportunities, as Micalef would play in Detroit for 34 games and have a better go by finishing with a 11-13-5 record in Detroit, while going 6-5-0 in Adirondack.

For the 1983-84 season, Micalef only saw 14 games in Detroit (5-8-1), but would get more time and a bit better performance in Adirondack, finishing with a 14-10-5 record in his 29 games down there. With that, Micalef only played on games in Adirondack in the 1984-85 season (a win) and spent most of the year with Detroit. Yet, in his 36 games that season, Micalef only went 5-19-7. The 1985-86 season wasn't much better for Micalef, as he would go 1-9-1 for Detroit in two stints-- as he would make a seven game stop in Kalamazoo and then a 25 games stop in Adirondack (12-9-0). It would be a quick 1986-87 season for Micalef in North America, as he would only play in one game for Adirondack (a loss), before leaving town.

Micalef went over to Europe and signed on for the rest of the 1986-87 season with HC Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss League, playing in 13 games there. While Micalef sat out the 1987-88 season; he went to the French League, playing for HC Villard-de-Lans for two seasons, then moving to HC Briancon for two seasons starting in the 1990-91 season. The 1992-93 season has Micalef go to his family's homeland of Italy to play for Vasace Hockey, but he would move on from there to HC Courmaosta for two seasons starting in the 1993-94 season.

The IHL came calling for Micalef in the 1995-96 season, as he signed with the San Francisco Spiders, playing in 18 games and posting up a 4-8-2 record. It wasn't enough to keep Micalef in North America.

The 1996-97 season has Micalef going to Germany to play in the second divison with EHC Trier for two seasons, then move to Braunlager EHC Harz for the 1998-99 season. Micalef dropped to the third division in 1999-2000 season with ESC Erfurt for two seasons, then moved to ESV Bayreuth for the 2001-02 season before hanging up the pads.

Also of note, during his European vacation; Micalef came back to North America in the summer to play for Roller Hockey International from 1994 to 1997, playing with the Montreal Roadrunners, Orlando Rollergators, and San Jose Rhinos.

Currently, Micalef stays busy with the PEI Rocket of the QMJHL as an assistant coach for them.

While his NHL was not very memorable, Micalef was able to keep plugging along over in Europe and made his way through the lower, unknown leagues and kept his passion alive. While he will be a blip on the radar of the Red Wings history, he was a part of the very lean years in Detroit-- which is a time no Wings fans want to to remember what-so-ever.