2008 Celebrity Players
Todd Harvey
Todd Harvey, born and raised in Hamilton Ontario got his big break in 1993 when he went to the Dallas Stars in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. After playing with the Detroit Jr. Red Wings and with Team Canada in two World Junior Championship tournaments, he was ready to wear an NHL jersey. Harvey played four seasons with the Stars before he was traded to the New York Rangers in the 1997-98 season. Playing only 68 games with the Rangers he was on the move again, this time to the San Jose Sharks. Harvey put in six seasons there before he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers where he finished up his career.
Brian Savage
Born in Sudbury, this winger started his successful career playing hockey for the University of Miami-Ohio. In his four years with the university, he won many awards and was the leading scorer in the CCHA with 37 goals in his final year. Brian also played with the Canadian National team for two years and represented Canada at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer where he helped the team earn a silver medal. Savage made his NHL debut in 1994 with the Montreal Canadiens. The 1996-97 season saw Savage collect a career-high 37 assists and 60 points. A tough hit in a game against the LA Kings in 1999 left Savage with a cracked vertebra and questioning if he would ever play hockey again. Many thought he would never make it back to the game, but four short months later he was back playing the sport he loved. After ten seasons with the Canadiens, Savage was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes where he would stay for three seasons. Savage also spent time with the St. Louis Blues. He wrapped up his career with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2005-06 season.
Bob Probert
A tough left winger, Bob Probert had only just begun with the Brantford Alexanders when he was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1983. Probert played two more seasons at the junior level before officially joining the Red Wings in 1985. During his first two years in Detroit, Probert bounced between the NHL and the minors, but in 1987 he established himself as one of the best enforcers in the league and key player for the Wings. This performance drew comparisons to Mark Messier for power and skill. Probert signed on as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks and played six seasons with them before retiring at the end of the 2001-02 season. Probert finished his career with a total of 935 NHL games and is fourth on the all-time penalty minute leaders' list with 3,300 penalty minutes.
Mark Napier
Born in Toronto, Mark Napier began his hockey career as a top scorer for the Toronto Marlies in 1974 . Shortly after he was named to the OHA’s first All-Star team. He joined the Montreal Canadiens as a rookie and contributed greatly to the team’s Stanley Cup wins in the late ‘70’s. In 1983, he helped Team Canada win bronze at the World Championships by scoring three goals. After a brief stint with the Minnesota North Stars, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers where he posted ten playoff points helping Edmonton to repeat as Stanley Cup winners. Napier played two seasons with the Milano Devils before retiring in 1993.
Gary Leeman
Leeman, a Toronto native, attended Notre Dame College and was a standout defenceman for two seasons with the WHL's Regina Pats. He was chosen 24th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1982 Entry Draft. In the 1982-83 season, he returned to Junior where he scored 86 points in 63 games and represented Canada at the World Junior Championships. A speedy right-winger with soft hands, Leeman played nearly 700 NHL games for five different clubs. He was best known as a gritty scoring machine on the Toronto Maple Leafs with a recorded 50-goal season to his credit. In 1988-89, he was selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game. During the 1991-92 season, Leeman was the key player sent to Calgary in the blockbuster trade that brought Doug Gilmour to Toronto. Leeman played in Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver, and St. Louis in the ensuing years. He spent the 1997-98 season with the Hannover Scorpions of the German League then spent time in Germany and Switzerland before retiring in 1999.
Claude Lemieux
Born in Quebec, Lemieux began his professional hockey career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1983. In 1985, he helped Les Canadiens win the Stanley Cup with 10 playoff goals, 4 of which were game-winning. In 1987 he was rewarded for his clutch play by being named to the Canada Cup team. Lemieux came alive offensively after being traded to the New Jersey Devils in 1990 with a career-high 81 points in the 1991-92 season. Always a goal scorer in the playoffs, his three game-winning goals not only helped the Devils to a Stanley Cup win but also won him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs MVP. He became the fourth player to win the Stanley Cup with three different teams after being traded to the Colorado Avalanche. His 19 game-winning goals in the playoffs put him in second place on the NHL’s all-time list behind Wayne Gretzky. Lemieux ended his playing career with the Dallas Stars in 2003.
Doug Gilmour
Ever since he first laced up his skates in Kingston’s Church Athletic League, Gilmour has been told he’s too small to play the game... but size did not stop him from following in the footsteps of his hero, Kenny Linseman. "I idolized him," he says. "He proved that guys who are smaller in stature can still play the game." He played junior hockey in Cornwall, and despite putting up big numbers and winning two Memorial Cups, he was overlooked in the draft until the St. Louis Blues took a chance on him in the seventh round. After five years in St. Louis, Gilmour was traded to the Calgary Flames, where he followed in Linseman’s footsteps by scoring the 1989 Stanley Cup winning goal. Another highlight came in the spring of 1993, when he led the Toronto Maple Leafs to within one game of the Cup finals. It seemed like all of Kingston was dreaming of a final between Gilmour’s Leafs and fellow Kingstonian Kirk Muller’s Montreal Canadiens. "It would have been a great series," Gilmour says. "But if we couldn’t win it, I’m glad that Kirk did." After stops in New Jersey, Chicago, Buffalo and Montreal, Gilmour returned to Toronto, the scene of his most publicized triumphs, to wrap up a 20-year career in 2003. Gilmour’s passionate style of play made him a Toronto fan favourite. He has recently returned to the Maple Leafs as a talent evaluator.
Rick Smith
Smith was selected 6th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1966 Amateur Draft. He joined the Bruins in 1968-69, making a solid contribution to the team's efforts to secure Lord Stanley in 1970. By then, Smith had established himself as a solid, steady rearguard. Early in 1972, he was traded to the California Golden Seals where he played two seasons before joining the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHL. He returned to the NHL midway through the 1975-76 campaign with St. Louis. After a short stay with the Blues, the Bruins reacquired Smith in 1976 where he remained a key member of the Bruins club that consistently finished at the top of the standings. In 1980, he was claimed on waivers by Detroit, splitting his final season of pro hockey between the Wings and the Washington Capitals.
Kirk Muller
Muller was drafted second overall by New Jersey in 1984. In his rookie season he appeared in all 80 games. Kirk was described as a model of consistency, not only did he steadily improve his offensive statistics each year he also proved to be an extremely resilient player missing just four games in seven seasons with the Devils. His best season came in 87-88 where he finished with 94 points; Kirk would later tie this personal best in the 92-93 season. In 1991, Muller was part of a trade that landed him in Montreal with the Canadiens. He quickly established himself as a leader both on and off the ice and was named Team Captain. During his second year with the Canadiens, Kirk helped to guide the Habs to an unexpected Stanley Cup Championship. Following his days with the Canadiens, Kirk found himself playing with the New York Islanders, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and wrapped up his career in 2003 with the Dallas Stars. Muller returned to Kingston for his retirement. It was here where Kirk began his coaching career with the Queen’s University Golden Gaels of the OUA in their 2005/06 season. On June 20, 2006, after one season as the head coach of the Gaels, Muller resigned to become the assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens under head coach and former teammate Guy Carbonneau. Although Muller’s schedule has been filled recently with his duties as assistant coach, he has remained the driving force behind Feb Fest’s Limestone Classic hockey tournament.
Chris Nilan
Chris started his professional hockey career in 1978 when he was drafted to the Montreal Canadiens. While playing with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the AHL, he managed 15 goals and recorded 304 minutes in penalties in 49 games in the 79-80 season. This was enough to prove to the Habs that he was ready to join their roster. Nilan played for Montreal for seven and a half years starting in 1980. He scored a career high 21 goals in 1984-85 season and was part of the Stanley Cup winning team in 1985 -86. Nilan also played with the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins. In 1992 he was lucky enough to end his career where it had started; playing with the Montreal Canadiens. Nilan retired with over 200 points and 3000 minutes in penalties.
Vicky Sunohara
Once considered the best female ice hockey player in the world, Sunohara won an Olympic silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and was idolized by Japanese seeking a hero in ice hockey. She continued with an Olympic gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah and another gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Vicky has been the captain or alternate captain of the Canadian National team since 2001. She has also won several gold medals for Canada in various international ice hockey competitions, the first one coming in 1990 at the World Championships. Vicky attended Northeastern University in Boston on a full ice hockey scholarship. She also attended the University of Toronto. Vicky is the captain of the Brampton Thunder of the National Women’s Hockey League.
Kathleen Kauth
Kauth’s NWHL career has been through many ups and downs, between victories and injuries, she has been graced with many highlights. Her participation on Team USA at the 2006 Olympics earned her a Bronze medal. As a member of the US Olympic Team she was part of the Pre-Olympic tour in 2001, was a Silver medalist in the 2003 Four Nations Tournament and won Silver in 2004 and a Gold in 2005 at the World Championships. She brings an offensive threat because of her exceptional speed but is renowned for her strong positional play and special team prowess.
Paul Langlois
Langlois is the rhythm guitarist and background vocalist for the popular Canadian rock group The Tragically Hip. A high school friend of lead singer Gord Downie, he was asked to join the group in August of 1986. Paul was inducted as a member of The Tragically Hip to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2005 at the Juno Awards. As a member of The Tragically Hip, he has appeared on Saturday Night Live and in the 2002 film Men with Brooms.
Lori Dupuis
Dupuis has made a major contribution to women's hockey throughout her career. She has proven herself as aWorld Class athlete by, among other numerous achievements, winning Gold and Silver medals at the Olympics, as well as three World Championships. A member of the NWHL’s Brampton Thunder, Dupuis was named to the 1998–99 NWHL Western Division 2nd All-Star Team. She is a four-time Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Association Gold Medallist and played with the University of Toronto Blues from 1991-97 (serving as Captain for three years). Dupuis was nominated as the University of Toronto’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1996 and 1997.
Jayna Hefford
Hometown hero Jayna Hefford has already accomplished what many players only dream of in sports. She is multi-talented in a number of sports but hockey is her passion. She has already won five World Championships, an Olympic Silver medal in 1998, a Gold medal in 2002 (scoring the winning goal in Salt Lake City, Utah), and a Gold medal at the 2006 Olympics. Hefford is a member of the NWHL’s Brampton Thunder and was inducted into the Brampton Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. She played all of her minor hockey in Kingston and in 1998 was named Kingston’s Amateur Athlete of the Year. She is a National Spokesperson, along with NHL star Paul Kariya, for the Canadian Hockey Association’s Initiation Program. Hefford runs the Jayna Hefford/Lori Dupuis Hockey School with teammate Lori Dupuis.
Todd Hlushko
Todd Hlushko began his professional hockey career when he was drafted to Washington in 1990 but he continued playing in 1990-91 and 1991-92 for the Baltimore Skipjacks AHL team. The following season the left-winger devoted his time exclusively to the Canadian National Team. In 1993-94, Hlushko also made his way to the Canadian Olympic team, helping them to score a silver metal in Lillehammer. He was signed as a free agent in March 1994 by Philadelphia and made his NHL debut as a Flyer just a short time later. He then bounced to different NHL and IHL teams, including the Calgary Flames. In 1999 Hlushko took his talents to Europe, where he played for six years.
Kraig Nienhuis
Sarnia, Ontario native and left-winger Kraig Nienhuis played parts of three seasons with the Boston Bruins in the 80s. There he proved himself to be a rugged grinder with a decent scoring touch (16 goals as a rookie). Nienhuis enjoyed the majority of his success in Europe, scoring 93 goals in two seasons for Slovenia’s Olimpjia Llubljana and playing for Austria at the 1996 World Championships. Most recently, Nienhuis has become known for his guitar and vocal talents in the band 9 House, which has opened for many great bands including Kingston’s own Tragically Hip.
