Absurd Goalie Monday: Bill McKenzie

Getting to the NHL was touch back in the day. It was even tougher to stay in the NHL during the first expansion era due to how bad the teams were when they get expanded. However-- this AGM did the most out of bad situations, coming off of a stellar college career and then rolling with the punches to see if he could make it stick. This week, the profile of Bill McKenzie.

McKenzie started off in the US College route, playing for the Ohio State University starting in the 1969-70 season and ending his tenure three years later in the 1971-72 season. No records were given for those years, but McKenzie played 71 games in that time span; winning the 1972 CCHA Tournament MVP and the 1972 All-Tournament Team as the Ohio State won the CCHA. McKenzie would graduate in 1972 from the Ohio State.

Before the start of the 1972-73 season, McKenzie signed with the Detroit Red Wings. That season, McKenzie would play for the Port Huron Wings of the IHL for 45 games with two shutouts, then going 3-2 in the five playoff appearances. The 1973-74 season, McKenzie would play 13 games with Detroit-- finishing there with a 4-4-4 record, while going 8-13-2 in 29 games with the Virginia Wings of the AHL; as well as playing two games over in Britain with the London Lions. The 1974-75 season, McKenzie would again play 13 games with Detroit, but would put together a 1-9-2 record, while in Virginia; he would compile a 8-6-0 record in 14 games.

During the summer of 1975, McKenzie and Gary Bergman would be traded to the Kansas City Scouts for Peter McDuffe and Glen Burdon. McKenzie would spend the entire 1975-76 season with the Scouts, but put a disappointing 1-16-1 record together in 22 appearances.

The Scouts would move to Colorado to become the Rockies before the 1976-77 season and McKenzie would play in five games for them-- finishing with a 0-2-1 record. Also the season, McKenzie would play in the AHL with the Providence Reds for two games (0-1-1), as well as in the Central League with the Oklahoma City Blazers for six games (2-3-1) and then finishing strong with the Kansas City Blues for 10 games (7-2-1), then going 8-2 in the 10 playoff games to help the Blues win the Adams Cup, taking home the Max McNab Trophy for Playoff MVP.

McKenzie bounced around again in the 1977-78 season, playing in Colorado for 12 games (3-6-2), then to the AHL for the Hampton Gulls for 12 games (7-4-0) and then the Philadelphia Firebirds for five games (1-4-0). The 1978-79 season would have McKenzie playing in the Central League for the Tulsa Oilers, posting a 6-25-1 record in 35 games.

The 1979-80 season would have McKenzie having one last hurrah in the NHL with the Rockies, playing in 26 games and putting together a 9-12-3 record, while also being in the Central League for the Fort Worth Texans for nine games and putting up a 2-5-1 record. After that season, McKenzie would retire, tied for the most career and single-season shutout record for the Rockies, as well as the lowest GAA for a season and career.

Post-playing career, McKenzie went back to his Alma Mater at the Ohio State to be a volunteer assistant coach for the the men's and women's team until the 2009-10 season.

With many bumps in the roads in dealing with a lot of expansion team issues, the drive was still there for McKenzie, which showed when he helped the KC Blues to win the title after struggling with the three other teams. He persevered and showed his true colors when it came to loving the game and succeed at some levels, even if it wasn't the top level.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Bill Oleschuk

This week's AGM could be one of the more well travelled players on this list. From all the travels in the minors to playing for the same organization in two different locations-- this week's AGM definitely was able to see North America. though his career wasn't what he could have hoped for, he did keep hacking at it when the chips seemed to be down-- including many teams folding during the season. This week, the profile of Bill Oleschuk. 

The Edmonton native started in the 1971-72 with the AJHL's Edmonton Maple Leafs, while playing one game in the WCJHL with the Winnipeg Jets. The 1972-73 season allowed Oleschuk to go back to Edmonton to play for the Mets, while in the 1973-74 season, he moved to Saskatchewan to play 10 games with the Prince Albert Raiders in the SJHL, then 11 games for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. The 1974-75 season allowed Oleschuk to play for the Lethbridge Broncos of the WCJHL for two games, then his rights sold over to the Saskatoon Blades-- playing 44 games, putting up a 24-12-5 record, then going 7-5 in the playoffs. Oleschuk got WCJHL top goaltender honors for his efforts. 

In the 1975 Draft, Oleschuk was drafted 110th overall by the Kansas City Scouts, where he would only play one game in the 1975-76 season for them, a loss. The rest of the 1975-76 season, Oleschuk played in the IHL with the Port Huron Flags for 44 games. The 1976-77 season saw Oleschuk play three games in the CHL for the Oklahoma City Blazers (0-3-0), but spent the majority of the year with the Southern League Baltimore Clippers, finishing with a 15-14-1 record for the season in 30 games, but the team folded before the season ended. 

When the Scouts move to Colorado to become the Rockies, Oleschuk's rights went there, too. He would only play two games with the Rockies that year, both loses. The rest of the 1977-78 season, Oleschuk bounced around the minors-- playing nine games with the CHL's Phoenix Roadrunners (2-6-1) before that team folded, 11 games with the Hampton Gulls of the AHL (1-9-1) before they folded, two games with the Philadelphia Firebirds of the AHL (0-1-0), and 13 games with the IHL's Flint Generals to end the year.

The 1978-79 season was a bit more grounded for Oleschuk-- playing with the Rockies for the entire season; getting in 40 games and putting up a 6-19-8 record. Oleschuk would play 12 games for the Rockies in the 1979-80 season (1-6-2), but would spend the rest of the season with the CHL Fort Worth Texans, going 24-14-3 in 43 games. Staying in Fort Worth for the 1980-81 season, Oleschuk went 10-22-1 in 36 games. 

It was a short-lived 1981-82 season, as Oleschuk played only seven games all year with the CHL's Dallas Black Hawks, going 2-4-0. The 1982-83 season, Oleschuk played 29 games for the IHL's Peoria Prancers, then one game with the Fort Wayne Komets in the 1983-84 season before he would hang-up this pads for good. 

With all the teams folding around him, you may think of him as a kiss of death for some organzations. That said, the well-travelled goalie was able to see North America and experience every kind of setting. He got lost in the shuffle of an expansion team and one that relocated in the NHL; but was able to try and do his best with not-so-good minor league teams, too. 

Absurd Goalie Monday: Phil Myre

The ultimate goal in life for a player is to get their name on the Stanley Cup. While this week's AGM did get a ring and was in the team picture, he didn't get on the Cup. Then two seasons later, he was off on a journeyman's career. This week, the profile of Phil Myre.

Myre started his career in the 1964 playoffs with the QMJHL's Victoriaville Bruins, going 1-1 in two of those games, then 0-1 in one Memorial Cup appearance. In his first full season in Victoriaville in the 1964-65 season, Myre played 21 games and finished up 14-7-0, then going 7-2 in nine playoff appearances, while going 0-3 in the Memorial Cup play-down games. Victoriaville moved to Shawinigan for the 1965-66 season, where Myre would go 38-6-0 in 44 games, then 8-4 in 12 playoff games and 11-4 in 15 Memorial Cup play-down games.

Myre was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1966 Draft, which was also a year that Myre went to the OHA's Niagara Falls Flyers starting in the 1966-67 season, leading them to a Memorial Cup championship following the 1967-68 season.

Turning pro in 1968-69, Myre played in the Central League for the Houston Apollos, going 24-19-10 in 53 games, then going 0-2 in the playoffs.

The 1969-70 season allowed Myre to play in 15 games for the AHL's Montreal Voyageurs before getting the call-up to the Canadiens, where he would play in 10 games with a 4-3-2 record. Myre stayed in Montreal for the 1970-71 season, playing in 30 games with a 13-11-4 record, but would be relegated to back-up when Ken Dryden made his mark in the league. While the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup that year and even though he qualified to be engraved on the Cup, the team left him off, even though he did receive a ring for his efforts. Myre only played nine games for the Canadiens in the 1971-72 season, going 4-5-0 in his efforts.

The Canadiens left Myre unprotected in the 1972 Expansion Draft, allowing the Atlanta Flames to pick him up. In that 1972-73 season, Myre tallied a 16-25-3 record in 46 games, while he went 11-16-6 in 36 games in the 1973-74 season-- in which he played in the team's first playoff series, going 0-3 in three games. Myre played 40 games in the 1974-75 season, finishing in with a 14-16-10 record; while in the 1975-76 and 1976-77 season, Myre went .500 in both seasons, with a 16-16-4 and 17-17-7 record respectively. Myre would only play nine games for the Flames in the 1977-78 season, going 2-7-0 before being put on the move.

Myre was traded to the St. Louis Blues in December of 1977 and would play 44 games for the Blues, going 11-25-8 in those last games. Myre return with the Blues in the 1978-79 season, going a dismal 9-22-8 in his 39 appearances.

Myre was traded to Philadelphia in June of 1979 and join a tandem with Pete Peeters for the 1979-80 season, with Myre going 18-7-15 that season, a season where he and Peeters had a 35-game unbeaten streak-- a NHL record. It wasn't a great for Myre in the 1980-81 season, as he would go 6-5-4 in 16 games before being on the move again.

The Flyers traded Myre to the Colorado Rockies for cash, in which Myre would play 10 games to end out the year and compile a 3-6-1 record. After the '80-'81 season, Myre played for Team Canada in the World Championships, but would go 2-5-0 in seven games. Myre returned to the Rockies for the 1981-82 season, playing in 24 games, finishing with a 2-17-2 record. Myre would also spend time that year with the Central League's Fort Worth Texans, playing in 10 games with a 4-5-1 record.

Myre signed with the Buffalo Sabres before the 1982-83 season, spending a majority of the season with the AHL's Rochester Americans, going 28-8-5 in 43 games, while playing in five games with Buffalo, going 3-2-0. Myre returned to Rochester for the 1983-84 season, going 19-9-1 in 33 games before hanging up his pads for good.

Post-playing career, Myre went into coaching, being an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings and then as a goalie coach for the Red Wings and also later as goalie coach with the Florida Panthers. Myre also got into some blogging (before it got hacked) and public speaking. Currently, Myre is working with the Montreal Canadiens in a scouting capacity.

While he had his hand in two big team trophies, he was only recognized for one, then started to bounce around from menial team to menial team-- which could have hurt his mentality in the long-run. He kept to it though and made himself a good life after his playing career was finished.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Hardy Astrom

While you have heard a lot of about how much Don Cherry loathed this guy, this week's AGM always got the short end of the stick when it came to his playing days. While he started and then ended in Sweden, many will remember him just for that bile that his former coach spewed about him. This is the profile of Hardy Astrom.

(Note: There's no record for the European times, which will show as we go along.)

Relatively unknown due to playing in Sweden, Astrom first got work with Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Elite League, playing in 101 games in three seasons from the 1974-75 season until the 1976-77 season. Astrom also was able to get time on the Swedish National Team for the 1976 Canada Cup, where he would play in four games and finish up with a 1-2-1 record. Though, Astrom really got noticed during the 1977 World Championships, where while he went only 1-2-0 in four games, the New York Rangers seemed to take a shine to his resiliency.

In the summer of 1977, Rangers GM John Ferguson signed Astrom to a deal with the Rangers. However, the 1977-78 season saw Astrom only play four games for the Rangers (2-2-0), putting him in the AHL with the New Haven Nighthawks for 27 games with a 17-5-3 record to show for it. Astrom also played four games in the World Championships for Sweden.

Yet, Astrom didn't like the treatment he got from the Rangers, especially when he came over with the idea of playing full-time in the NHL; so he went back to Skelleftea AIK for the 1978-79 season, where he would play in 26 games over there for the season.

Astrom was eventually traded by the Rangers to the lowly Colorado Rockies in July 1979 for Bill Lochead. The 1979-80 season was not a kind one for Astrom, as he would have a dismal 9-27-6 record in 49 games; which would see coach Don Cherry verbal abuse Astrom, especially when it came to a drill where Cherry would dump the puck in on net from center ice....and the puck went into the net. However, the 1980-81 season saw Cherry gone in Colorado, but Astrom staying; but he would go 6-15-6 in 30 games. Astrom would be demoted to the Central League's Fort Worth Texans for seven games, with a 1-5-1 record at the end of the year. In the 1981-82 season, Astrom played with the Central League's Oklahoma City Stars for 35 games with a 12-18-1 record, which would be the last time Astrom played in North America.

With the 1982-83 season, Astrom went back to Sweden, but this time with MoDo Ornskoldsvik, though he wouldn't play that season. However, Astrom played in 36 games with MoDo in the 1983-84 season, finishing with a 2.16 GAA to show. Astrom would move along to Sodertalje SK for the 1984-85 season, playing in 27 games with three shutouts to his name; then going 5-3 in eight playoff games, helping Sodertalje win the Swedish Elite League playoff title. The 1985-86 season had Astrom play in 28 games, then going 4-3 in seven playoff games. After that season, he would hang up the pads.

The man who was dubbed the "Swedish Sieve" seemed like he came onto the scene with high hopes, but after some possible mismanagement and then some struggles with getting great footing in North America, though it did help him out when he went back to Sweden. Even so, you wonder how much he could have shined if he wasn't mismanaged OR if he had patience to stay in the minors to develop to the North American game more.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Michel Plasse

There are few times were the AGM can be listed amongst the "firsts" of something, but this week's AGM did something in the minors before the any NHL goalie had a sniff of it. Plus, this AGM has been on three teams that now no longer exist, which could be a record in this category. In any case, this week, we look at the career of Michel Plasse.

Plasse started out his venture to the NHL with the Junior A Drummondville Rangers. He would play in Drummondville from 1965 until 1968, getting the Rangers to a Memorial Cup play-down in the 1967-68 season, though they would lose in the Quebec Finals to Verdun.

Plasse was picked first overall in the 1968 NHL Amateur Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, but would start out his pro career with the IHL's Cleveland Barons for the 1968-69 season going 2-4-0 in his seven games of action. For the 1969-70 season, Plasse would go south to the Jacksonville Rockets of the Eastern Hockey League, where he would play 61 games with a 4.87 GAA to show for it in the regular season, while getting swept in four games and sporting an 8.75 GAA in those four games. The Canadiens loaned out Plasse to the Kansas City Blues of the Central Hockey League for the 1970-71 season, where he would actually get a dubious distinction during his 16-game tenure there.

On February 21, 1971, Plasse would cement himself in the history books. While playing against Oklahoma City, Plasse would intercept a pass across the crease, batting the puck down the ice, where it could go into an open-net. Plasse became the first goalie in modern era history to be credited with a goal. Billy Smith of the New York Islanders would be the first NHLer to be credited with a goal in the NHL while Ron Hextall would be the first to shoot and score in the NHL.

Someone saw something in Plasse, as he was trade from Montreal to the St. Louis Blues for a cash prize. While he would see mostly back-up duty to Ernie Wakely, he would play one game during the 1970-71 season and get a win during it.

Plasse would be traded by St. Louis back to Montreal for cash...again. However, Plasse would be headed to the AHL and the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. Plasse would finally come into his own during the 1971-72 season. Plasse would play 36 games behind Wayne Thomas and would go 17-13-4, but would get the call for most of the Calder Cup Playoffs, going 12-3-0 in those playoffs, though the Voyageurs would lose in the Calder Cup finals in five games.

Plasse would get the call up to the Montreal Canadiens for the 1972-73 season, seeing 17 games in his first season behind Ken Dryden and would go 11-2-3 and get a Stanley Cup ring despite not seeing any game time. Plasse would play second fiddle again to Dryden, playing 15 games in the 1973-74 season, going 7-4-2.

Plasse was left unprotected by the Canadiens for the 1974 Expansion Draft, which lead him to be claimed by the Kansas City Scouts. The 1974-75 season was a mixed bag for Plasse, who would get 24 games of action in and would go 4-16-3 for his troubles with the expansion team before getting a bit of a reprieve.

Plasse would be on the move again, as the Scouts would trade Plasse to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Denis Herron and Jean-Guy Lagace in January of 1975. Plasse would play 20 games behind former AGM Gary Inness and improve to a 9-5-4 record. Plasse would stay in Pittsburgh for the 1975-76 season playing 55 games in a starting role for the Penguins, going 24-19-10 and getting the Penguins to the playoffs-- where they would be outed in three games with Plasse going 1-2. Plasse would also play with the Hershey Bears for five games in the 1975-76 season, losing four of the five games there.

In some bizarre turn of events, there was a condition to the trade to Pittsburgh for Plasse, as he was return to the Kansas City Scouts as Herron re-signed with Pittsburgh in the summer of 1976. The Scouts, however, would move and become the Colorado Rockies for the 1976-77 season. Plasse would be the starter for the Rockies, playing 55 games for the still terrible team going 12-29-10 with the Rockies for the season. Plasse would only player 20 games (3-12-8) for the Rockies in the 1977-78 season, as Doug Favell would step up. Plasse would also be sent to the AHL and the Hampton Gulls for two games, going 0-1-1. Plasse would get more time in the 1978-79 season with the Rockies, playing 41 games, but the record was more of the same for the horrid Rockies, with Plasse ending with a 9-29-2 record. Also, Plasse would spend time with the Philadelphia Firebirds AHL team, playing seven games, going 0-6-1. Plasse would start the 1979-80 season with the Rockies, but after six games (0-3-2), he would be sent to the Fort Worth Texans of the Central League. Plasse went 9-13-3 in 32 games with the Texans, but would have a decent post-season, going 8-5 in the 14 games he played in.

Plasse would sign on with the Quebec Nordiques for the 1980-81 season, seeing 33 games as a starter before getting replaced by Dan Bouchard. Plasse would go 10-14-9 in his 33 games. At the start of the 1981-82 season, Plasse would start with the Nordiques, but would only play eight games (2-3-1) before being traded.

Plasse was traded to the Hartford Whalers for John Garrett in January of 1982 and would be sent down to the AHL's Binghamton Whalers. He would play eight games for Binghamton, going 3-3-1 before deciding to retire from the game.

Plasse didn't seem to be a part of the game much after retiring. Sadly, Plasse would pass away due to a heart attack on December 30, 2006. He was only 58.

While he had his moments in the sun, Plasse was only as good as the team in front of him, which didn't seem to be the case in most of his travels. However, he didn't seem to give up, even when the going was tough. He played to the utmost of his ability and when he was on, he was on. Plus, he was the first goalie to score a goal in the modern era, which no one can take away from his legacy.