Absurd Goalie Monday: Gilles Villemure

This past weekend was the Kentucky Derby and this is a tie-in to that...sort of. While you could define this goalie as a work horse, he also was able to have a passion for the stables, as well as between the pipes. This week, the profile of Gilles Villemure.

Villemure started of with the Quebec Junior League's Trois-Rivieres Reds in the 1958-59 season, while also going to the International League's Troy Bruins for three games, registering a 2-1-0 record. In the 1959-60 season, Villemure moved to the Ontario Hockey Association with the Guelph Biltmores, playing in 35 games there, but no record given for that year.

Moving onto the pro ranks in the 1960-61 season, Villemure would go to the Eastern League and play for the New York Rovers. With the Rovers, Villemure played in 51 games and posted a 16-34-1 record. During the 1961-62 season in the EHL, Villemure played for the Long Island Ducks and put up a 25-39-1 record in 65 games, as well as being loaned out for one game for each the Charlotte Checkers (loss) and Johnstown Jets (win).

In the 1962-63 season, Villemure would land with the Western League's Vancouver Canucks, playing in 70 games and posting a 35-31-4 record, then 3-4 in the playoffs, a season where Villemure was WHL Rookie of the Year. Villemure would go to the AHL with the Baltimore Clippers in the 1963-64 season, playing in 66 games and finishing with a 31-33-2 record while being called up to the NHL for a five-game stint with the New York Rangers, going 0-2-3 in that span.

Back to the Canucks in the 1964-65 season, Villemure appeared in 60 games and recorded a 27-26-6 record, then 1-4 in the playoffs; while in the 1965-66 season, Villemure went 32-34-3 and 3-4 in the playoffs for the Canucks.

A move back to Baltimore and the AHL for Villemure in the 1966-67 season, playing in 70 games and posting up a 34-27-9 record and going 4-5 in the playoffs. During the 1967-68 season, Villemure stayed mostly in the AHL, but with the Buffalo Bisons; going 18-13-6 in 37 games. That season, Villemure played four games for the Rangers, going 1-2-0. Back with the Bisons in the 1968-69 season, Villemure had a remarkable 36-12-14, though a 2-4 playoff record didn't help-- but it would allow Villemure to win the Les Cunningham Trophy for AHL MVP and Hap Holmes Trophy for fewest goals against. Doing it again in the 1969-70 season, Villemure won the Cunningham and Holmes Trophy (no record given for his 65 games played), as well as going 11-4 in the playoffs to help the Bisons win the Calder Cup.

The Rangers finally gave Villemure a chance in the 1970-71 season, splitting his duty with Eddie Giacomin. Playing in 34 games that year, Villemure went 22-8-4-- helping himself and Giacomin win the Vezina Trophy that season. During the 1971-72 season, Villemure played in 37 games and posted a 24-7-4 record and then went 4-2 in the playoffs; while the 1972-73 season brought a 20-12-2 record in only 34 games for Villemure, but it would account for his third straight season playing in the All-Star Game. A drastic drop for Villemure in the 1973-74 season, playing in only 21 games and posted a 7-7-3 record, while his workload increased in the 1974-75 season, playing in 45 games and finishing with a 22-14-6 record.

Prior to the 1975-76 season, the Rangers shipped Villemure off to the Chicago Blackhawks for Doug Jarrett. With Tony Esposito dominating the net time, there was little games for Villemure to appear in. In only 15 games in the 1975-76 season, Villemure went 2-7-5; while during the 1976-77 season, Villemure finished with an 0-4-1 record in only six appearances. After that, Villemure hung up his pads.

An avid horse lover, Villemure turned to training harness horses after his career was done. During his career, Villemure raced harness horse in the off-season. When his career was over, he turned to it full-time.

Villemure admittedly lived his dream of playing in the NHL and was also able to partake in his other passions of horse racing. While he could have had a better fate by sticking around with the Rangers, the success he had on Broadway and in the minor leagues helped him become one of the more recognized "absurd" names.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Glenn Healy

We start the second year of the AGM (odd, isn't it??) with someone that is a jack of all trades....in his own mind, I'm sure. This week's AGM saw it from on the ice and off of it on the bench. That said, he can tout that he's the best bagpipe player the NHL has ever seen, to which I'm sure not many will challenge him. This week, we take a look at the career of Glenn Healy.

Healy started off playing in the Metro Toronto Junior Hockey League with the Pickering Panthers, playing 66 games and ending out with a 3.73 GAA over two seasons. After the Panthers, Healy moved onto the college ranks, playing for the Western Michigan University Broncos at the start of the 1981-82 season. In his freshman year, Healy played 27 games and went 7-19-1, though WMU didn't go far in the playoffs of the CCHA. Healy was able to get more games in his sophomore season, but it wasn't much of a different result. Healy went 8-19-2 in 30 games; with the Broncos falling short of any post-season success. By the 1983-84 season, Healy and the Broncos got better, as Healy played 38 games, going 19-16-3 and help the Broncos get to the CCHA Finals, but lost to the University of Michigan. By Healy's senior season, he had come into his own and went 21-14-2 in 37 games, as well as capturing CCHA Second Team All-Star honors and NCAA Second Team All-American honors to close out his college career.

In the summer of 1985, Healy signed with the Los Angeles Kings as a free-agent and would start out in the IHL with the Toledo Golddiggers for the start of the 1985-86 season before being called up by the Kings to get a start in November, one of which he replaced Darren Eliot and got a no-decision. After that, Healy was sent to the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL and would get a bulk of the games over the rotation of goalies there, playing 43 games and going 21-15-4. Healy would stay in New Haven for the 1986-87 season, playing 47 games and putting up a 21-15-0 record, while going 3-4 in his seven playoff games. In the 1987-88 season, Healy got the call-up to Los Angeles full-time to back-up Rollie Melanson and did respectable with a 12-18-1 record on a so-so Kings team. Healy would get a boost by being the starter for the Kings, while the Kings got a boost with getting Wayne Gretzky. Healy would play 48 games and improve tremendously with Gretzky and the likes being in front of him. Healy went 25-19-2, but Healy lost his gig before the end of the season to Kelly Hrudey; who was acquired mid-season.

With Hrudey taking the reigns, Healy was set free by the Kings and would sign on with the New York Islanders in the summer of 1989. Healy would split games with former AGM Mark Fitzpatrick in his first season on Long Island; getting 38 games in with a 12-19-6 record. Healy would become the starter before the 1990-91 season, as Fitzpatrick was sidelined with Eosinophilic Myalgia Syndrome of the blood. Healy was still on a subpar team and only had an 18-24-9 record in 53 games, but had a 3.32 GAA in the process. Healy dealt with injuries in the 1991-92 season, as he fractured his finger, thumb, and had his finger-tip severed during a practice. Even through all of that, Healy had a 14-16-4 record in 37 games. It was a more fortunate 1992-93 season, as he took the 1a spot over Fitzpatrick; playing 47 games and going 22-20-2, as well as take the Islanders on a solid playoff run, going 9-8 as the Isles lost in the Conference Finals to the Montreal Canadiens.

It was an eventful summer of 1993 for Healy, as he was left unprotected by the Islanders in the Expansion Draft. Healy was claimed by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the first phase. However, in the Phase II Expansion Draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning claimed Healy from Anaheim, which was the next day. That same day, Healy was traded from Tampa to the New York Rangers for the Rangers 3rd Round pick in 1993, which was actually Tampa's because Tampa traded it to the Rangers. Got it?? Great.

With Healy knowing that he's in the Big Apple for the 1993-94 season, he settled himself into the role of the back-up to Mike Richter. Healy saw 29 games of action and went 10-12-2, as well as two games of playoff relief action, as the Rangers went onto win their first Stanley Cup in 50 years. Healy only got 17 games of action in during the lockout shortened 1994-95 season, as he went 8-6-1 and actually got a couple votes in the Vezina race, which he finished 13th. With Richter dealing with a groin injury, Healy got more playing time for the 1995-96 season, getting 44 games in and going 17-14-11 with a 2.90 GAA during the start of the "dead-puck" era. Richter was healthy again and Healy was put back on the bench, but he didn't fare too well in his 23 games with a 5-12-4 record to show for that season.

Healy wasn't retained by the Rangers and it wasn't until August of 1997 for the Toronto Maple Leafs to sign him to back-up Felix Potvin. For that 1997-98 season, Healy deal with some pulled groin issues, which restricted him to 21 games and a dismal 4-10-2 record. With the Leafs signing Curtis Joseph and still having Felix Potvin; Healy was sent down to the IHL's Chicago Wolves, which was the first time since his career started that he was in the minors. Healy said about his experience, "One road trip, were stuck on the runway for two hours. The plane kept driving and driving until we arrived and I realized that we were on a bus!!" Healy would spend 10 games in Chicago going 6-3-1 before receiving his call-up back to Toronto after Potvin was traded. Healy started for nine games, going 6-3-0 in those games. Healy was back full-time in Toronto for the 1999-2000 season, backing up Joseph, which got him 20 games in, but with a 9-10-0 record. The 2000-01 season would see Healy get less time as the workhorse of Curtis Joseph showed, as Healy got 15 games in for a 4-7-3 record. It would be Healy's last season as he would hang up the pads after the season.

We all know Healy now as a commentator for CBC's and formerly of TSN. Healy also played a role with the NHLPA for a year during the two-year tenure of Paul Kelly, but quit when many of the NHLPA members question his credibility for the job. Healy was always known as a good man and good teammate, as well as an accomplished bagpipe player. In fact, in the summer of 2000, Healy injured his hand while changing bags on his bagpipe, but was healthy enough to be ready for the start of his eventual last season.

Healy was part of some not-so-great teams, but had some great moments and played in some historic hockey cities along the way. While he may have not gotten as much time in net as he would have hoped, he did what he could when he was out there, especially with some of the teams that he had in front of him in the start of his career.

Another Hart Jobbing

November 9th, 1997 is a date that many wrestling fans (and who wasn't) will remember as the Montreal Screwjob, where Bret Hart was run out of the WWE when Shawn Michaels put him in the Sharpshooter and Earl Hebner rang the bell early with Vince McMahon by ringside ordering him to. Hart lost the title, was screwed over, and "jobbed" when all was said and done.

Now, we can call April 29th, 2010 the Buffalo Screwjob, as Ryan Miller can kind of feel the same way.

The Hart Trophy nominees for the league most valuable player were announced today, with Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Henrik Sedin announced as the finalist. This is much to my own surprise, who didn't think Ovechkin should have been put in the category of this, even with his 50 goal and 100+ point season. Miller did more for the Sabres than Ovechkin did for the Caps-- especially since Nicklas Backstrom broke out for the Capitals with his own 100 point season. Miller had 41 wins (4th in the NHL), a 2.22 GAA (2nd), and .929 save percentage (2nd) with five shutouts (7th), 1,948 saves (3rd) on 2,098 shots against (4th). That's pretty damn valuable, if you ask me.

While you'll have many people complaining about how goalie shouldn't be able to get nominated for the Hart because they have their own Vezina Trophy for the best goalie, thus shouldn't be considered for the award. To that end, why don't you have more goalie awards that aren't based on stats, like the forwards have. The goalies awards are more stat based, like the William Jennings Trophy (fewest goals against) and Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award (highest save percentage). Why shouldn't goalies be considered for individual awards, especially since you really key in on goalies when you talk about what can make or break a team.

The exclusion of Miller (or to a lesser extent, Ilya Bryzgalov) is a shame for the voters of these awards. Goalies are as important as the forwards or defenseman and shouldn't be resigned to their only award that isn't stats based. The Hart Trophy itself is to be award to the player deemed to be most valuable to his team. If take away Miller or Bryzgalov from their respective teams, are the teams as good as they were with them on it. The answer is no, of course. Albeit-- you can say that the three finalist this year were pretty soild and two of the three make have made or broken their team for the season; you have to include the likes of Miller in that final group-- even if he doesn't win.

With all the stuff being thrown around, the fact remains that if you go by the criteria that the Hart Trophy is about; Ryan Miller got jobbed worse that Bret Hart. You take Miller off the Sabres this year, you're left with Patrick Lalime and Jhonas Enroth. The Sabres probably wouldn't have made the playoffs, much less win the Northeast Division. Miller was the most valuable to his team and this award really should be his-- and it's a travesty he won't even get a sniff at it.

Changing of the Guard

While it's unfathomable that the scoring leaders will change for the next five years, we are definitely seeing the transition of winners from angles of Norris and Vezina. I'd add the Adams Trophy in there, but with there only five multiple winners of the award (Pat Quinn twice, Scotty Bowman twice, Jacques Demers twice, Jacques Lemaire twice, and Pat Burns thrice), odds are you won't see multiple winners when it comes to the Coach of the Year.

Especially this year, it seems that the race for the Vezina and Norris could be wide-open. Maybe even with names you'd probably never expect to be uttered in terms of individual awards. But all it takes is one good year. Jim Carey can attest to that, for sure.

Starting with the Norris, last year's finalist Mike Green is making a strong case to win it this year. Odds are with his 17 goals, 70 points, and +30 rating, he'll be the front runner. You can never discount the ability of Nicklas Lidstrom, who has had an off-year in Lidstrom terms with only 45 points and a +20 rating, and is really in the twilight of his storied career in the NHL. The resurgence of the Hawks and the stellar play of Duncan Keith in Chicago could have him with Green as the new line of every-year competitors for the Norris. Keith has taken over the role as top dog on the blue line, as well as his ability to control the play in the offensive zone (64 pts. and +20).

While you can throw the Chris Pronger into that group as well, you also could throw a dark horse like Vancouver's Christian Ehrhoff into the mix. Ehrhoff already has a career-high in goals and is on pace for a career-high in points. His game has seem to become more consistent while in his first year with Vancouver and his +26 is telling of that, for sure. It's a definitely long-shot, especially with him being in the West Coast; but it's definitely a chance.

As far the Vezina race, the likely suspects of Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, as well as Ryan Miller could be in the hunt, but as far as this year-- the unlikely suspects have been coming out in droves this campaign. Starting in Phoenix, where the waiver case Ilya Bryzgalov has flourished into a top-notch goalie. With 39 wins and at the top of the charts in GAA, save percentage, and shutouts-- Bryzgalov could be the shocking upset special, even though he could be considered a front-runner, too. In the same division, Jonathan Quick has been spectacular for the breakout Kings this year. Quick also has 39 wins, tops in minutes played, and has given up the least goals against so far this season.

While there's a case to be made for Craig Anderson in Colorado, his rapid pace from the beginning of the season has slowed down a bit. Odds are with the stories of Quick and Bryzgalov could overtake him for feel-good story candidate.

When it comes to the Adams Award, if there's anyone who can overtake the story of Dave Tippett in Phoenix, they'll be hard-press to even take the award then. The Coyotes have flourished with Tippett at the helm, recording their first 40 win season since the 2001-02 season and their highest win total (46 as of March 23rd) since the franchise was called the Jets and played in the WHA. The inclusion of maybe Joel Quenneville in Chicago and Cory Clouston in Ottawa are just merely formalities when it comes to going against Tippett.

The Norris and Vezina candidates we all came to know and love are fading away, while the new crop is staking their claim right now. We'll always have a wild one-hit wonder in the field every so often, the likelihood of not having the regular candidates every year is a far-fetched idea. We're looking at the new era of the NHL finally coming to completion. Out with the old, in with the new.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Jim Carey

While he came out of nowhere to the top in a flash, his career ended just as quick. There's a time where he didn't want to play anymore and just be done with it all, but like many AGM's you have to wonder where it went wrong. He'll forever be immortal to Caps fans, as well as the NHL world; plus he can get confused with someone more successful, in the process. He's also on the FOHS Wall of Fame.....or at least his Starting Line-up is. This week-- we look at Jim Carey.

Coming out of Dorchester, Massachusetts; Carey really got the eyes on him playing in high school for Catholic Memorial, as he went 48-2-0 in his his three years there from 1989-90 until 1991-92, with 12 shutouts to his name. It was good enough for Carey to get Drafted in the 1992 Draft by the Washington Capitals in the second round, 32nd overall.

Even though he was drafted, Carey had decided to go to the school route by heading to the University of Wisconsin to get some time in there. Starting in the 1992-93 season, Carey got plenty of time with the Badgers in net-- as he played 25 games in his freshman year and going 15-8-1, enough to prove his guile. His first-year play got him some solid merits-- like being the WCHA's Rookie of the Year, named to the WCHA All-Rookie team, and the WCHA 2nd All-Star team. Carey parlayed that into more time in his sophomore year, getting 39 games in and going 24-13-1 for the year. With all his work done, the 1994-95 season saw Carey make the leap from the amateur ranks to the pro ranks.

With the lockout, that meant that Carey had to start his career with the Portland Pirates, the Caps farm team at the time. With the Pirates, Carey showed his stuff and shocked a lot of people in the AHL, playing 55 games and going 30-14-11 with six shutouts and a 2.76 GAA. The Caps were so impressed that they called up Carey in March of 1995 and went 18-6-3 for the season, displaying the classic case of the unknown goalie stumping the league. However, his rookie year in the AHL, Carey was able to get the Red Garrett Award for AHL top-rookie and Baz Bastien Award for top-goalie in the league.

With those accolades, the Caps spent no time to promote Carey to the starter's role. In the 1995-96 season, he did not disappoint. Carey played in 71 games for the Caps, went 35-24-9 with a 2.26 GAA and .906 save percentage. Those numbers were good enough for Carey to capture the Vezina Trophy, becoming one of the most unlikely winners of the award. Things were riding high for Carey, as he was a cult hit in the DC area. With the rise of comedian Jim Carrey in the entertainment industry-- the nicknames were readily available. The fans started to call him the Net Detective, as well as Ace, an homage to the Jim Carrey movie; "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective." He was on cloud nine, but like most AGMs-- it all came crashing down in an instant.

The 1996-97 had a lot of buzz for Carey, but he got off to a slow start for the Caps. While his GAA was 2.75, his record in Washington didn't compliment that, as he was 17-18-3. The Caps needed to do something, so the Caps decided to deal him on trade deadline day. They found a buyer in the Boston Bruins. The Bruins were interested because of Carey's credentials and the fact he grew up in the Boston area. Sadly, with the trade-- the Bruins forgot to get his confidence with it. From the trade until the rest of the season, Carey played in 19 games for Boston and went a disappointing 5-13-0.

When Pat Burns got the head coaching gig for the Bruins, Carey was usurped by another former Caps goalie-- Byron Dafore. Carey was sent down to Providence in the AHL to help him get his game back for the 1997-98 season, but it didn't seem to help much. In the AHL, Carey went 2-7-1 in his ten games; though the ten games in Boston yielded a 3-2-1 record. That showed that there is a possibility for a return to greatness, but it wasn't to be in Boston, it would seem.

The 1998-99 season saw Carey start with Providence again, but he looked real good again. In his 30 games in the AHL that year-- Carey put up a 17-8-3 record. It was good, but not good enough for the Bruins, who released him on March 1st. However, it was a matter of hours before he was picked up again, as the St. Louis Blues took a chance on him. Yet, Carey only played four games for the Blues (1-2-0) before being sent down to the IHL's Cincinnati Cyclones. That's where it all ended, as Carey only played two games, going 1-0-1 before falling to a serious inner-ear concussion. Carey didn't finished the season and faded away from hockey.

In a July 2000 article in the Washington Times, many had wondered what happened with Carey. He wasn't interview personally, but former agent Brian Lawton did talk and told about how Carey wasn't like most of young, rich athletes:

"Jim made $800,000 or $900,000 the year he won the Vezina and then he signed a four-year, $11 million contract. And Jim has done so well with his investments that he doesn't have to work. He's working on his business degree at the University of Tampa and looking to get involved in the financial world. It's disappointing that Jim didn't persevere because he still had a lot to give to the sport. Despite everything that had happened, 24 was too young to leave hockey."

Carey was said to be able to get in shape in no time, but he never wanted to. Right now, Carey is the CEO and President of OptiMED Billing Solutions, which is a medical billing company in Sarasota, Florida.

While it seemed that Carey could transition, it seemed that he could only do that on his own terms and with his qualifications. When he would get traded or released or demoted, Carey never reacted well; thinking he was in the wrong and never could get his confidence back. When he was about to get it fully back-- Carey would be on the move again and he'd have to start all over. While he seems to have found his calling now, it's fitting he's the CEO. He can call his own shots and do what he needed to in order to succeed, without anyone telling him otherwise.

Tommy Likey, Tommy Want Awardy

One of the more highly anticipated awards at the NHL Awards is the Vezina for the best goalie in the league, for which the nominees were announced today. They are Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom, Columbus' Steve Mason, and Boston's Tim Thomas.

People know about Mason and his year, and while his numbers as a rookie are beyond remarkable-- this year won't be his year; but he should be back again in this list for years to come. Nik Backstrom was a silent candidate, but his numbers put him in the top-5 in save percentage and goals-against average. However, both of those guys will only be seen on screen for these awards, because this one is going to go to Timmy Thomas.

Thomas was more than stellar this season, topping the charts for goals against average and save percentage. While his wins weren't in the top five, his team was the tops in the Eastern Conference and he was a vital part of their success. Plus, the story of a guy who was stuck in the minor leagues, then trekking through Europe, finally landing a job in the NHL is one that will make people talk for years to come.

If Thomas doesn't win this Vezina, I'll quit using dial-up; I swear to you, I'll go back to telegraphing this thing or I'll bring back the pony express to deliver my writings to all 10 of you.