Alyn McCauley # 10 HEIGHT: 6'0" WEIGHT: 195 AGE: 28 BORN: Brockville, Ontario SHOOTS: ACQUIRED FROM: Acquired from Toronto along with Brad Boyes for Owen Nolan on March 5, 2003 | There was a period of time not that long ago that it seemed as if Alyn McCauley's promising career in hockey may have been ended following several head injuries, including one concussion which sidelined him for a good portion of the 1998-99 season. Although it took a long time to fully recover, McCauley has done so, and is now a key contributor with the San Jose Sharks. McCauley's ascent to the NHL began back in 1991-92 when he played Junior B with the Kingston Voyageurs of the OCJHL at the age of 14. He returned for a second season and showed his offensive talents, scoring 60 points in just 38 games. At the age of 16 McCauley earned a roster spot with the Ottawa 67s in the OHL. He enjoyed a highly successful four-year career with the club which culminated with his being named CHL Player-of-the-Year in 1997. He was also a First Team All-Star in 1996 and 1997 and represented Canada at the 1996 and 1997 World Junior Championships both of which resulted in gold medal performances and still rank as the most memorable events in his hockey career. Brian Kilrea, the long-time head coach of the 67s, a man who has sent countless stars move on to the NHL, once gave McCauley the ultimate compliment by calling him the best player he had ever coached.



Prior to his two outstanding seasons in Ottawa, McCauley was selected in the fourth round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, 79th overall by the New Jersey Devils. However, he never played with the Devils, having been traded on February 25, 1997 with Jason Smith and Steve Sullivan for Doug Gilmour, Dave Ellett and a draft pick, which turned out to be Andre Lakos. In his rookie year with the Maple Leafs, McCauley dressed for 60 games and was used primarily for defensive purposes. He was limited to just six goals and 16 points. As he seemed to be gaining confidence in the league, he suffered several head injuries and a knee strain, but the biggest one came during that game against New Jersey when he suffered a terrible concussion. He dressed for 45 games the following year but rarely seemed to play like his old self before the injury had occurred. That in turn led to a domino effect where he lost out on playing time, which resulted in a drop in confidence. During the offseason McCauley went through an intense summer rehabilitation. He felt he was ready physically. "Mostly it's positive mental reinforcement," he said. "I'm a good player. I was before. There's no reason I can't be again." 2000-01 was somewhat frustrating for McCauley, who felt he was back playing at 100 per cent capacity, but found himself spending the bulk of the season with the Leafs' AHL affiliate in St. John's. He was called up for the playoffs where he appeared in ten games.



By the start of 2001-02 the old Alyn McCauley was definitely back. He earned a roster spot and was a key contributor for the Maple Leafs all season, managing to stay injury free, while contributing 15 points in 20 playoff games as the Leafs reached the Eastern Conference Final. Although it is safe to say his offensive numbers are not as strong as many had predicted, he has become a solid two-way performer who does an excellent job of clearing his own zone against some of the other team's top scoring lines. After scoring 15 points in 20 playoff games, McCauley was looking to build on his playoff success in 2002-03. With the team looking to add some grit for the post season, they traded for power forward Owen Nolan of the San Jose Sharks who in return received a first round draft pick, prospect Brad Boyes and McCauley. Upon his arrival in San Jose, McCauley found the magic he had during the 2002 post season, scoring ten points in 16 games and in his first full season with the club in 2003-04, established a career high in goals with 20 and points with 47.