Former Maple Leafs GM reveals why team passed on drafting Joe Sakic
While it was well known that the Leafs passed on Joe Sakic in 1987 — as did 12 other clubs before Sakic went to the Quebec Nordiques — Stellick detailed how close the future Hall of Famer came to wearing Blue and White in a guest appearance on the Leafs Morning Take podcast.
Holding the seventh overall pick that year, the Leafs had an ad hoc committee with Stellick, who was then the NHL's youngest GM at 30 years old, coach John Brophy and senior scouts, but all living with the whims of unpredictable owner Harold Ballard.
Big Peterborough Petes defenceman Luke Richardson was on their radar, but as it got close to Toronto's turn, scouting director Floyd Smith made a convincing argument to consider Sakic.
With 60 goals and 73 assists for the Swift Current Broncos, Sakic was certainly attractive, but lacked bulk.
'The table (at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit) is up in arms, like 'holy crap,'' Stellick recalled for the show's hosts. 'Brophy (who preferred scrappy players) was going nuts because he doesn't like small centremen.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
3 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Oilers grab promising USA d-man, but Edmonton's record keeping such players is iffy
Article content Article content The Edmonton Oilers have drafted and traded for a number of good American defenceman over the years, but they're done a crappy job keeping them in the fold. Article content The list of strong U.S. d-men who have played their best NHL hockey with the Oilers is alarmingly short, one name really, Lee Fogolin, who was born in Chicago and played his best hockey for the Oilers Stanley Cup teams of the mid-1980s. Article content Article content After that, it gets pretty thin. Jeff Petry, Tom Poti and Matt Greene all had lengthy NHL careers, and all were Oilers draft picks, but the Oilers moved on from each one of them in their playing prime. The Oilers drafted John Marino and Michael Kesselring, but moved on from both players just as they were ready to become useful NHLers, Marino refusing to sign here, but Kesselring moved out in a deadline day trade. Article content Article content Of Oilers draft picks from 1979 to 2025, four of the top 15 in terms of NHL games played were Americans (Petry, Poti, Greene and Marino), but not one of them played most of those games for Edmonton. Article content Just Fogolin and Gilbert are on Edmonton's Top 15 list for most games played for the Oilers. Ten of the 15 are Canadian d-men, starting with Kevin Lowe, followed by Darnell Nurse and Charlie Huddy. Article content Article content Article content Despite this iffy record in retaining top U.S. d-men, the Oilers made sure to grab a promising American d-man in the shotgun deal that saw St. Louis steal away Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway for dimes on the dollar last summer. Article content Bowman pressured St. Louis to include an extra third round pick and Chicago-area d-man Paul Fischer, a fifth round pick. Article content Fischer wasn't a top pick, but he's got plenty of backers when it comes to his ability, starting with Bowman himself, who saw plenty of Fischer when Bowman was Chicago's GM. Article content Said Bowman last August in regards to the player: 'I've known him a long time, he's grown up here in Chicago, I've seen him since he was a kid playing hundreds of games over the years. He went to the US National Team and he was trending really well; he got injured his draft year so probably didn't get drafted where his talent level was… He's a good sized kid, he's got a combination of everything. He's young, he's got areas to improve. I know him well, he's a character kid who will do everything he can to improve.'
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Sam Reinhart brings Stanley Cup to West Vancouver
Vancouver Watch Two-time NHL champion Sam Reinhart got his day with the Stanley Cup and brought it to his hometown of West Vancouver.
CTV News
9 hours ago
- CTV News
Milan Lucic, 37, who last played in 2023, gets a tryout with the Blues
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Blues are bringing in 37-year-old forward Milan Lucic, who last played in 2023, for a tryout. Lucic was a member of the Boston Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup championship team who also played for the Kings, Oilers and Flames before returning to the Bruins in 2023. He had two assists in four games that year before he took a puck off his ankle and went on long-term injured reserve. Three weeks later, police were called to Lucic's home by his wife, who told them he pulled her hair and tried to choke her. He was arrested on suspicion of assault and battery on a family member, but the charges were dropped when his wife declined to testify in court. Lucic entered the league's Player Assistance Program. The Blues say he has completed the program and has been reinstated by the NHL. Lucic has 233 goals, 353 assists and 1,301 penalty minutes in 17 NHL seasons. He had a career-high 32 goals with 30 assists in 2010-11 and assisted on the overtime winner in Game 7 of the first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens to help the Bruins win their most recent Stanley Cup title. The Associated Press
