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Where Are They Now? Episode Six

This has grown out of a throwaway post that I wanted to use to get comfortable with some of the site's new toys. Little did I know what I was starting. Earlier episodes can be found here (one two three four five). This is the sixth overall and the fourth that only looks at players that JFJ brought in or kept that are no longer in the NHL. Think about that for a second...

Jeff_o_neill_medium 
Jeff O'Neill

How did he get to Toronto?

Traded to Toronto by Carolina for Toronto's 4th round choice (later traded to St. Louis - St. Louis selected Reto Berra) in 2006 Entry Draft, July 30, 2005.

Sometimes, trading a fourth rounder for a veteran player can be a good idea when that player brings discipline, toughness, and a strong work ethic. Look at that picture. Does it look like Biscuits brought any of that to the team?

GP G A P +/-

148

39

41

80

-18

I know that O'Neill had some issues related to his shoulder and of course the death of his brother before he arrived in Toronto but could he have been any more disinterested in playing hockey? Sure, those stats don't look too bad but think back to his time with the Leafs and try to remember when he ever had an actual impact on the team? You can't because his points were all fluff.

It probably didn't help that Paul Maurice was the coach. If JFJ had done a little research he might have learned that those two hated each other.

Where Are They Now?

I have no idea but I would guess that it involves a pickup truck, a basket of biscuits and a bowl of country gravy.

Jason_allison_loleaf_medium 
Jason Allison

How did he get to Toronto?

Signed as a free agent by Toronto, August 5, 2005

GP G A P +/-

66

17

43

60

-18

For the past two years The Fraud has had repeated updates that Jason Allison was trying to get back into the NHL. This year it has stopped because Allison has probably realized what everyone else knows: the game has passed him by. You can't be too surprised that he is a little slow on the uptake. At least not if you ever saw him try to take a penalty shot. Cars get moved through carwashes quicker than he would skate in on the goalie.

I remember seeing the 1995 World Juniors game on ESPN Classic two years ago and being stunned at a. how he had that thick beard back then and b. how he and McCabe had already perfected his incredulous look for referees.

How did he get 60 points? The powerplay. Look at that horrible, horrible plus/minus. It's not a perfect stat but combine that with O'Neill's -19 in that same season and you have an idea of why the Leafs missed the playoffs.

Where Are They Now?

Jason Allison recently remarried and owns and operates a horse farm north of Toronto.

Star-divide

Suglobov_loleaf_medium 
Alecksander Suglobov

How did he get to Toronto?

Traded to Toronto by New Jersey for Ken Klee, March 8, 2006

GP G A P +/-

16

0

0

0

-7

Guess who is still in the NHL? Ken Klee. I wanted Suglobov to be the next Sergei Berezin. Then again, anytime the Leafs have a fast-ish, undersized forward I want them to be the next Berezin. I think my dreams have finally come through with Grabovski although he is more like a new and improved version. Anyway, Alecksander took his funny spelling and went back to Russia after realizing that he wasn't good enough for the NHL. JFJ kept his job for one more year.

Where Are They Now?

Being not good enough in the Kontinental Hockey League with CSKA Moscow.

Jay Harrison

How did he get to Toronto?

Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 3rd round (82nd overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

GP G A P +/-

13

0

1

1

0

I remember going to my friend's (best friend of Jay growing up) parents 25th wedding anniversary and seeing the huge Escalade that he had bought with his signing bonus. For a local boy, things looked great. Then JFJ decided to continually bring in terrible defencemen that prevented most of the kids from getting ice-time. Of course, both times that he looked like he was going to get a shot he broke his hand.

The irony of his running away to Europe, which an NHLer that returned whose name I can't remember referred to as telling the league that you have quit, is that he chose to do so in a year when he could have had a great shot at making the team or at least playing his way into the team's plans. He was a homegrown Jeff Finger-type but decided that he'd rather take more guaranteed money in Switzerland.

Where Are They Now?

Jay Harrison currently has given up on his dream of playing in the NHL and has decided to play for Zug in the Swiss League.

Johansson_medium 
Calle Johansson

How did he get to Toronto?

Signed as a free agent by Toronto, March 9, 2004.

GP G A P +/-

8

0

6

6

0

Wow. He didn't do half as bad as we have been led to believe. Sure, he was out of the league after the playoffs but at least this guy didn't cost the team anything. Not that this move didn't come flying out of whatever is past left field (deep left field?).

Where Are They Now?

He's moved in the broadcast booth for Canal+.

Johnson_loleaf_medium 
Craig Johnson

How did he get to Toronto?

Claimed on waivers by Toronto from Anaheim, January 10, 2004

GP G A P +/-

10

1

1

2

0

Can anyone remember anything about Craig Johnson? Seriously, I can't think of a single thing that he did while with the Leafs.

Where Are They Now?

Plays in Austria for Red Bull Salzburg after three seasons in Germany.

And with that, Thank God, I think that we have come to the end of all of JFJ's signings that are no longer in the NHL. If I missed any in the four segments focused on him please bring them up.

0 recs  |  Comment 24 comments

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Comments

Display:

brutal...

i’ve tried to make cases for JFJ in the past. I still recall the hype surrounding him when he signed on as GM. The Leafs were not hiring someone else’s cast off for GM, they were going in a different direction, bringing in someone with a history in drafting and player development…

what a snow-job

"We’re looking forward to building the type of team the Rangers are able to buy."
The Left Coast Lock

by blurr1974 on Jan 19, 2009 4:08 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

I recall

Hearing Calle Johansson’s name once, then he just literally disappeared into the ether.

"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

by Winkle on Jan 19, 2009 4:26 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

shocking

If the procedure from "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" really existed – where you can wipe out parts of your memory – the JFJ years would be the first ones to go. What a nightmare.

In a previous episode you mentioned Clarke Wilm. For some reason, I have very clear memories of him playing for the Leafs. I think it was based largely on his ugliness.

And re: Chad Kilger – the Simmons article said he might be in Cornwall, but this verifies it. Apparently he’s not talking to the local media, and they’re not happy about it. No word on whether he’s really 250 lbs.

http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1379830

by daoust on Jan 19, 2009 4:27 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Whoever wrote that article is a douche

And a hypocrite, they start the article off saying Kilger doesn’t owe anything to anybody and has no obligation to talk to anyone or explain himself, and then trashes him for not willing to talk to them?

Whatevers.

Screw the media the self-righteous bastards who thinks that it’s every single person’s duty and obligation to talk to them.

"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

by Winkle on Jan 19, 2009 4:35 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Also folks, let’s learn an important lesson from Kilger. Drafted 4th overall, here are his stats from playing in the OHL:
131GP 59G 88A 147Pts

Here are his NHL totals:
714GP 107G 111A 218Pts

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Jan 19, 2009 4:45 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

He went from 1.12PPG to 0.3PPG going from the OHL to the NHL.

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Jan 19, 2009 4:46 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Should we

Consider this when we draft Tavares?

"God's in His heaven. All's right with the world." - Robert Browning (1812-1889)

by Winkle on Jan 19, 2009 4:53 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Tavares won’t produce in the NHL.

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Jan 19, 2009 4:59 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Stamkos — 197 points in 124 OHL games.

17 points in 43 NHL games. Same pattern.

by general borschevsky on Jan 19, 2009 6:54 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

And another thing...

For a while, Toronto really was the hot spot for 1st round picks that never really panned out… aki berg (3rd overall), Kilger (4th overall), O’Neill (6th overall I think), Belak (12th overall)…

by daoust on Jan 19, 2009 6:38 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Clarke Wilm

Yeah, I remember him clearly. And I remember hating him but Craig Johnson is seriously a blank spot.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 20, 2009 10:33 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Allison

I was a big fan before he signed on with the Leafs, then my opinion dropped quickly.. What a defensive liability with his slow-as-molasses styling.

Glad he took the hint and called it quits before embarrassing himself further with a “comeback”.. Of course it is probably more due to every team passing up on him than a retirement on his part.

by LeafFanInVan on Jan 19, 2009 4:51 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Calle Johansson....

the only man capable of getting more assists than points. This just goes to prove his legendability.

by lordosis on Jan 19, 2009 5:29 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

just a typo in the above post. PPP has really packed it in, now that he’s hiring new drones.

by lordosis on Jan 19, 2009 6:02 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

ohhhh

I see. I wasn’t that observant.

by tugboats and arson on Jan 19, 2009 6:06 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Exactly.

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Jan 19, 2009 6:34 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Dammit!

I am about three drones away from writing like Damien Cox.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 20, 2009 10:29 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

didn’t Jeff O’Neill go back to Carolina at the beginning of the year to try again?
or am I imagining things again?

by Karina on Jan 19, 2009 7:03 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

I heard that he went to the store recently to buy some chips, went home and ate said chips.

all the while, not that into it.

by Ando Rich on Jan 19, 2009 7:16 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Yes

He went back and then quit.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 20, 2009 10:30 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Allison

I remember being really excited when JFJ brought in this guy. I guess I was sucked in by the box scores. Because he played in LA all we saw was him racking up points on SportsDesk. Never were we privy to watching him try to backcheck. He also bought a beauty new cottage up north and had a running track built in. In hindsight I never saw the track being used so it should’ve been no surprise that he proved to be slow and out of shape all season long.

by The Faceblog on Jan 20, 2009 8:56 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

Same

Remember all of those sick goals for Boston? Or the 95 points? Some former King even said, and I couldn’t believe that he said it with a straight face, that during the team’s skills competition that Allison was the fastest player on the team. Seriously.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jan 20, 2009 10:34 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

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