Shayne Corson
1156 Career Games
693 Career Points
3x All-Star Game
Okay, so we might be stretching it with the star aspect on this one, but Corson did play in three All-Star games, was a member of Team Canada for the 1991 Canada Cup and was part of Team Canada in the 1998 Olympics.
Selected 8th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1984 draft, Corson carved out a solid career for himself. He played 1156 career games during 19 seasons in the NHL. He brought a lot of grit to the table. At age 15, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which brought on panic attacks. Corson also had a lengthy rap sheet off the ice, from arrests to rumoured adultery.
Corson spent six season withe Canadiens, including his best offensive season by far in 1989-90, when he scored 31 goals and 75 points. Unfortunately, Corson was adept at finding trouble off the ice as he was on the ice. He was arrested in Winnipeg in 1990 for a bar fight and was involved in another bar fight in 1992 in Montreal. The second incident led the to infamous Pat Burns quote, "Shayne Corson can go eat shit." Corson was traded the following offseason to Edmonton for Vincent Damphousse.
Corson was a disappointment in Edmonton, as the once great Dynasty continued its nose dive. The Oilers missed the play-offs all three seasons he played there including his time as captain. Corson was selected as the Oilers captain to start off the lockout shortened 1995 season. Corson was later stripped of his captaincy when he scuffled with Jason Arnott over an assist Corson felt he should have been credited with. The following offseason, Corson was on the move.
The St. Louis Blues signed Shayne Corson as a free agent. The Blues coach Mike Keenan had coached Corson during the 1991 Canada Cup and was a big fan of grit and sandpaper type of players. Early into the 1995-96 season, Keenan stripped Brett Hull of the team's captaincy and awarded it to Corson, who subsequently handed it over to Wayne Gretzky.
As the Blues failed to live up to expectations, and with Gretzky leaving via free agency in the offseason, Corson was traded early in the 1996-97 season to the Montreal Canadiens for playmaking centre, Pierre Turgeon. The following season, Corson would find his offense, scoring 55 points in 62 games, including 22 points in the first 16 games. The strong start helped Corson secure a spot on Team Canada for the 1998 Olympics.
Corson's point totals would drop to 32 and then 28, the following two seasons. In the 2000 offseason, Corson signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Corson's time in Toronto was marred by several events. The Maple Leafs dressing room rumoured to divide into factions, with Corson, and his cousin, Darcy Tucker, labeled as troublemakers. There were widespread rumours of an affair between Corson and Alexander Mogilny's wife. Corson's panic attacks returned during his final season of the Leafs and while he credits Tucker for helping him get through the attacks, Corson's health was the official reason for walking out, and retiring, on the team. after being a healthy scratch, during the 2003 play-offs.
Corson would play again in the NHL. He came out of retirement late in the 2003-04 season to sign with the Dallas Stars. He would score 10 points in 17 regular season games but the Stars would lose in the first round of the play-offs.
Corson was a divisive player. Many rumours point to him being a cancer in the dressing room and generally a terrible teammate, but at the same time he has been lauded for his leadership and sacrifices on the ice. Corson went into the resturant business after re-retiring.
Corson's point totals would drop to 32 and then 28, the following two seasons. In the 2000 offseason, Corson signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Corson's time in Toronto was marred by several events. The Maple Leafs dressing room rumoured to divide into factions, with Corson, and his cousin, Darcy Tucker, labeled as troublemakers. There were widespread rumours of an affair between Corson and Alexander Mogilny's wife. Corson's panic attacks returned during his final season of the Leafs and while he credits Tucker for helping him get through the attacks, Corson's health was the official reason for walking out, and retiring, on the team. after being a healthy scratch, during the 2003 play-offs.
Corson would play again in the NHL. He came out of retirement late in the 2003-04 season to sign with the Dallas Stars. He would score 10 points in 17 regular season games but the Stars would lose in the first round of the play-offs.
Corson was a divisive player. Many rumours point to him being a cancer in the dressing room and generally a terrible teammate, but at the same time he has been lauded for his leadership and sacrifices on the ice. Corson went into the resturant business after re-retiring.
Yeah, he ''led by example'' on the ice by (mostly) playing his heart out (except for those last 2 years in Montréal), and was the type to pick up the tab at the bar or invite teammates to his house to party. Whether that's the type of leadership that warrants captaincy, I don't know...
ReplyDeleteHe also had more sex than barroom scandals in his time with the Habs, some of which were transposed to fiction in Lance Et Compte ('He Shoots, He Scores'), a TV soap centered around hockey.
Restaurant business? He's from Barrie, ONT, and a number of his jerseys are displayed at Mom's Restaurant (owned by his mom, of course…) Great place for breakfast if you're on the way to "Cottage Country"
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