Since joining the NHL in 1991-92, Adam Foote has emerged as one of the top positional defencemen in the NHL. His ability to play the body and move the puck ahead to his forwards has made Foote a source of frustration and admiration for the opposition. The native of Toronto, Ontario was a stalwart on the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds' blueline during three OHL seasons. He was chosen 22nd overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft and was named to the OHL First All-Star Team in 1991. Foote was impressive in his first four seasons with the Nordiques but occasionally battled injuries. Foote remained with the franchise when it relocated to Denver in 1995. A few months later he was an integral part of the Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup triumph. His rugged and consistent defensive play was a key component of his team's success. Foote's skating ability and accurate shot also enabled him to play a more offensive role when required. A measure of Foote's importance was his plus/minus rating of +11 in the 1996 post-season, the second best mark in the league.



Prior to the start of the 1996-97 season, he suited up for Canada at the inaugural World Cup of hockey. He continued to help the Avalanche stay among the NHL's elite and played for Canada at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. In 2000-01 Foote was his usually steady self as the Avalanche won their second Stanley Cup in a hard-fought seven game final against the New Jersey Devils and most recently added a Gold Medal to his two Stanley Cups after Canada's 5-2 win over the U.S. at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. In 2002-03, Foote entered his 12th season with the Colorado/Quebec franchise and at the time was only one of three original Nordiques remaining with the franchise, along with forwards Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg. The hard-nosed blueliner continued to his gritty play for the Avs in 2003-04 and was instrumental in helping Canada capture the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In the summer of 2005, Foote became an un-restricted free-agent and became a member of the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets.

Adrian Aucoin's rise in the hockey world has been steady but ever progressive, beginning with his days in the Ontario junior A and a scholarship to Boston University for 1991-92. After that year, he was drafted by Vancouver, but rather than return to BU he opted to play for Canada's National team, with an eye to the 1994 Olympics. Aucoin first played for Canada at the 1993 World Juniors on a gold-medal team and fulfilled his dream a year later. He stayed with the National program, and then played at the Lillehammer Olympics, joining Vancouver's AHL affiliate to close out the season and focusing on a career in the NHL.



As a member of Vancouver, he scored a goal in his first NHL game on May 3, 1995 against San Jose. In the next two years he slowly moved up the team's depth chart, and by 1996-97 he was an important part of the team's defence. Two years later, he made greater strides to eminence by scoring 23 goals from the blueline after making a full recovery from the previous year when he missed half a season with a serious ankle and groin injuries. Some 18 of those 23 scores were on the power play, tying a league record for defencemen held by Denis Potvin. A member of Canada's World Championship team in 2000, Aucoin scoring dipped in 2000-01 and he was subsequently traded to Tampa Bay in the latter stages of the season. After only 26 games with Tampa, Aucoin was dealt to the New York Islanders prior to the 2001-02 season. Upon his arrival with the Islanders, the hard-shooting Aucoin was an offensive leader on the back end, establishing a career high 44 points (13-31-44) during the 2003-04 season. Following the 2004-05 NHL lock out, Aucoin found himself on the move yet again, this time landing in the Windy City as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.