After a strong season in 1999-00 with the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL, Justin Williams was drafted in the first round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. That fall, he was a full-time member of the NHL squad. Born in Cobourg, Ontario on October 4, 1981, Williams scored his first NHL goal in his very first NHL game. That season as a rookie, Williams finished with 25 points in spite of suffering a broken hand partway through the season. In 2001-02, Williams increased his point total, collecting 40, and won the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy as the most improved Flyer.



Injuries limited the talented young forward to a mere 41 games during the 2002-03 season. After tallying 26 points in his first 47 games in 2003-04, Williams was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes, after the Flyers had lost two defensemen to injury and needed to fill in the holes on the blue line, thus acquiring Danny Markov from Carolina. On the international stage, Williams represented Canada at the 2002 World Championships and helped capture gold at the 2004 Championships in Prague, Czech Republic.

Glen Wesley was drafted third overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. That year, he made his NHL debut on October 8 and registered an assist in a 4-3 win against the Washington Capitals. In 1983-84, Wesley began his ascent to the NHL in 1983-84 with Red Deer Rustlers of the AJHL. That year, he also played his first three major junior games with the WHL's Portland Winter Hawks. The following season, he joined the Winter Hawks full time and scored 16 goals and 68 points. In 1985-86, he improved to 75 assists and 91 points and was named a WHL West First Team All-Star. In 1986-87, he tallied 46 assists and 62 points and was again named a WHL West First Team All-Star. A member of Canada's 1987 World Junior team, Wesley played 79 games that rookie season and scored 39 points. He was named an All-Rookie Team defenceman. In the playoffs, he helped the Bruins win the Prince of Wales Trophy before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup finals. In 1988-89, Wesley scored 19 goals and 54 points from the blueline. He also played in his first mid-season All-Star Game.



In 1989-90, he scored 36 points as the Bruins won the Adams Division season title. In the playoffs, Wesley and the Bruins won the Prince of Wales Trophy before losing once again to the Oilers in the Stanley Cup finals. In 1990-91, the Red Deer native scored eleven goals and 43 points as the Bruins won the Adams Division season title. In the playoffs, the team reached the Wales Conference finals before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who would go on to win their first Stanley Cup. In what appeared to be a case of déjà vu in next year's playoffs, they again reached the Wales Conference finals before losing to the Penguins, who would go on to win their second successive Stanley Cup. On August 26, 1994, Wesley was traded to the Hartford Whalers for three first-round draft picks (1995, 1996, and 1997). In 1997-98, he moved with the franchise to Carolina (now the Hurricanes) and scored 25 points while playing all 82 games. In 2001-02, Wesley was a key component on the Hurricane blue line as the team reached the Stanley Cup final for the first time in team history. After knocking off the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina fell in five games to the Detroit Red Wings. After parts of seven seasons in Hartford/Carolina, Wesley was acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2003 March trading deadline before opting to return to Carolina as an unrestricted free-agent in the summer of 2003. Wesley won a silver medal for Canada at the 1996 World Championships. His older brother is former NHL defenceman Blake Wesley.

At 15, Joe Thornton was drafted into the OHL by the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds with the team's first pick, second overall. In his first season, 1995-96, Thornton was the talk of the hockey world. He won the OHL rookie-of-the-year award for his 76 points in 66 games. He was also named the Canadian Major Junior rookie-of-the-year. He was tall and wiry at 6' 4" and 180 pounds, and was known more for his quick shot and playmaking skills than his physical play. Many hockey scouts predicted that the draft class of 1997 would be one of the deepest on record and Thornton headed the list of a dozen young players from around the world that appeared to be on the track to bona fide stardom at the professional level. He began to get more and more attention, from the press, fans, and, of course, opposing players. In his second OHL season, Thornton exploded for 122 points in 59 games. He added 19 points in 11 playoff games and cemented his place at the top of his class, winning a gold medal with Canada at the 1997 World Junior Championships. He was the youngest player on the Canadian team. Boston made him the first pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, surprising no one, and added another budding star, Sergei Samsonov, with the eighth overall pick. Thornton's bid to improve the team was cut short when he was injured in an exhibition game in September. A broken forearm kept him out of the young Boston lineup for the first three games of the season. Later in the year he missed 10 games with cellulitis in his ankle and another six games with a viral infection. Each time that he seemed ready to establish himself on the team and in the league, an injury would slow his progress. Boston coach Pat Burns also insisted on bringing Thornton along slowly. The young center with the curly blond hair made plenty of fans but had little impact on the scoresheet, finishing the season with only seven points in 55 games.



Thornton dedicated himself in the off season to preparing himself physically for the long grind of his second NHL season. He hit the gym and put on weight, going from just under 200 pounds to 215. The London, Ontario native went to score 41 points in 1998-99 and 60 points the following year. Over the next two years Thornton continued to put up impressive numbers, however it wasn't until the 2002-03 season that the burly centreman established himself as one of the premier players in the league. In his breakthrough season Thornton was only one of three players to notch over 100 points during the regular season, finishing the year with 36 goals and 65 assists for 101 points and was voted to the NHL's 2nd All-Star Team. In 2003-04, Thorton saw his point totals drop off (23-50-73) and the Bruins who had finished first in the Northeast, were eliminated in the first round of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. Upon being eliminated from the post season, Thornton was added to Canada's entry for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and went on to become a key contributor for the club throughout the tournament and in their victory over Finland in the final. After suiting for HC Davos in the Swiss Elite League in 2004-05, Thornton made his second appearance at the World Championship (first was in 2001), helping Canada capture a silver medal in 2005. Following a season in Switzerland due to the NHL lockout, Thornton returned to Boston in the fall of 2005 and remained the team's captain and on-ice leader. However, with the team struggling Thornton, who had signed three year contract earlier that summer was shipped to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Wayne Primeau, Marcu Sturm and Brad Stuart.

An explosive scorer in junior, Jeff O'Neill started slowly in the NHL but eventually came into his own with the Carolina Hurricanes. His strong skating and playmaking ability were accompanied by a nasty streak that would not allow opposing checkers to take liberties with him. A native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, O'Neill scored 190 points in 78 games in Midget then starred for Thornhill in the MTHL. As he progressed his offensive prowess continued with 120 goals in three seasons with the Guelph Storm of the OHL. O'Neill was selected fifth overall by the Hartford Whalers at the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He returned for one last year of junior and helped his team reach the Memorial Cup tournament. He also helped Canada win its third consecutive gold medal at the 1995 World Junior Championships.



O'Neill debuted with the Hartford Whalers in 1995-96 and remained with the franchise when it relocated to Carolina in 1997. During his first three seasons his goal total increased slowly from eight to 14 to 19. O'Neill rebounded from a 31-point season in 1998-99 with 25 goals and 63 points in 1999-00 then burst forth as one of the NHL's elite snipers with a 41-goal effort in 2000-01. After leading Carolina to their first Stanley Cup final in franchise history in 2002, O'Neill notched his third consecutive 30 plus goal season and fourth straight 20 plus in 2002-03. Injuries limited O'Neill offensive ouput in 2003-04, as the former OHL star had his lowest point total since the 1998-99 season. Follwoing a lock out year in 2004-05, O'Neill was acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer of 2005. O'Neill was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 30, 2005 for a conditional 2006 draft pick. The 30-year-old had expressed a desire to play for the Maple Leafs before the signing of the new CBA. It was a fortunate move for O'Neill in part for the traditional reasons of teams improving themselves, but also because his brother, Donny O'Neill, 33, had died nine days before in a road accident in Vaughan, Ontario. The move allowed O'Neill to be closer to his family. Because of the passing of his brother Donny, the 2005-06 season was a hard on O'Neill. When questioned by the media following a Toronto Maple Leaf game, Head Coach Pat Quinn hinted that the 2005-06 season could be O'Neill's last.

Marc Chouinard was born in Charlesbourg, Quebec on May 6, 1977. During a strong junior career that included stops in Beauport and Halifax of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Chouinard was the Winnipeg Jets' second selection in the 1995 Entry Draft. In February 1996, while finishing his junior career, Chouinard became the answer to a trivia question when he was traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim with Teemu Selanne and a draft pick, while Chad Kilger, Oleg Tverdovsky and a draft choice went to Winnipeg. Chouinard toiled in Cincinnati until 2000-2001 when he made his NHL debut with the Mighty Ducks on December 15, 2000 in a game against the the New York Rangers. Chouinard split the remainder of the season between Cincinnati and Anaheim.



In 2001-02, Chouinard became a full-time Mighty Duck, and went on to play one more season in Anaheim, helping the team capture its first Western Conference Championship and reach its first Stanley Cup Final only to fall in seven games to the New Jersey Devils. After six seasons in the Anaheim organization, Chouinard was acquired by the Minnesota Wild in the summer of 2003. Upon his arrival with the Wild, Chouinard went on to register 21 points (11-10-21) in 45 games.

Cassels was coveted by the Montreal Canadiens while playing junior in Ottawa, particularly after 1987-88 when he had a league-leading 103 assists and 151 points. The Habs had drafted him the previous summer, 17th overall, and another year later he played for Canada at the 1989 World Juniors. The OHL's MVP in 1988, Cassels started his first NHL games the following year with the Habs but spent the majority of the year in the minors. The next year, he was back for good, but the Habs gave up on him after he managed just six goals. He was traded to Hartford and blossomed into a decent scorer, three times hitting the 20-goal mark. After six seasons in Hartford, Cassels was sent to Calgary in 1997-98 and then moved to Vancouver in 1999-00, all the while contributing offensively.



A silver medalist with Canada's World Championship team in 1996,Cassels signed as a free agent with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2002-03, after three seasons in Vancouver. Upon his arrival with Columbus, Cassels became one the team's leaders both on and off the ice and in 2003-04 surpassed the 700-point plateau for his career. Following the lock out season of 2004-05, Cassels was acquired by the Washington Capitals in the summer of 2005. Cassels became the fifth player to play in his 1,000th NHL contest while sporting a Capitals’ sweater. He follows Dale Hunter, Phil Housley, Kelly Miller and Adam Oates in achieving that milestone.

Lanny McDonald's hero while growing up was his father who had taught him the value of hard work and honesty on the family farm in Craigmyle, Alberta, about 22 miles from Hanna. His mother was a teacher in the three-room school that McDonald attended through grade eight. In school he had to refer to his mother as Mrs. McDonald, but outside of the classroom he was raised with a deep sense of family and community. McDonald would carry those qualities with him throughout his life.
He was the youngest of four children and learned to develop his shot by shooting pucks against the basement wall with his older brother. The only "live" hockey he witnessed in his childhood was when he would tag along with his sisters to watch their boyfriends play hockey in nearby towns. McDonald had learned to skate at the age of five and after years of minor hockey he left home at age 16 to try out for the Lethbridge Sugar Kings, a Tier II team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He made the team but was unspectacular in his first season, registering only two goals in 34 games. The following season his production increased to 37 goals and 82 points in 45 games and he was high on the list of many an NHL scout from that point until draft day. McDonald was an AJHL Second team All-Star in 1971 and was named to the Western Canadian Junior Hockey League First All-Star team in 1973 as a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers. He was rated as the Western League's most complete player in 1972-73 and led the Tigers with 18 playoff goals in 17 games, playing alongside Boyd Anderson and Tom Lysiak. Scouts always mentioned three qualities when they described McDonald; a great shot, a good skater, and tough as nails.



McDonald was Toronto's first choice, 4th overall, in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft and got off to slow starts in both his rookie and sophomore seasons. Everything seemed to come together by his third season and he more than doubled his point production from the previous year. His fine showing earned him an invitation to the Team Canada training camp in preparation for the 1976 Canada Cup tournament. He appeared in five games for the host country and assisted on Darryl Sittler's series-winning overtime goal against Czechoslovakia. The highlight of his Leafs career came in the 1978 playoffs when he scored in overtime of game seven to eliminate the New York Islanders and send his Leafs into the Stanley Cup semi-finals. McDonald was known for his blistering shot off the right wing and when he took the body hard in the corners players felt the contact and remembered it. He was a tough, clean player and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star team in 1977. McDonald also played in the 1978 All-Star Game and was a member of the NHL squad that played the Soviet National Team in the Challenge Cup series in 1979 to replace that year's All-Star Game. When he was traded to Colorado by Toronto on December 29, 1979, the Leafs' faithful showed their displeasure by picketing outside Maple Leaf Gardens. McDonald continued his superlative play in Denver and although team success eluded the Rockies he was chosen to play for Canada in the 1981 World Hockey Championships. McDonald happily returned home to Alberta when he was traded to the Calgary Flames by Colorado on November 25, 1981. He provided the Flames with the best hockey of his career and recorded a career-high 66 regular season goals and 98 points in the 1982-83 season. He was selected for the second time in his career to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1983 and was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his "perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."



The 1988-89 season was a banner year for McDonald; he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the "Bud" Man of the Year Award, scored his 1,000th point on March 7, 1989, against Winnipeg Jets, scored his 500th goal on March 21, 1989, against the New York Islanders, and won the Stanley Cup with the Flames. McDonald scored his first NHL goal at the Montreal Forum in 1973 and scored the last goal of his career again at the Forum, in game six of the 1989 Stanley Cup finals. It was with his usual class and dignity that McDonald chose to retire from the game after the 1989 playoffs. Former Calgary teammate Jim Peplinski once said, "If you want to be good inside and outside the rink, Mac's a good guy to pattern yourself after. He's first-class all the way." McDonald was always available to assist charities such as Big Brothers and Ronald McDonald House, but the Special Olympic remain his special interest. "Seeing those faces is as nice as scoring 66 goals; its a saw off," he once said about his work with the Special Olympics. He was a Vice-President with the Flames organization for many years following his retirement and was named general manager of Canada's entry in the 2001 World Championships.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Sandy McCarthy played Junior C with Midland and Tier II Junior A in Hawkesbury before joining the QMJHL's Laval Titan in 1989-90. The Calgary Flames took him 52nd overall in 1991 NHL Entry Draft after hitting the 20-goal mark for Laval. McCarthy was returned for one more year of junior where he was a dominant power forward with 39 goals and 326 penalty minutes. During the 1992-93 season, the young forward apprenticed with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the IHL. The next year he began nearly five years as Calgary's chief enforcer. In addition to dropping his gloves, McCarthy was an effective forechecker and a solid defensive player.



Prior to the March trade deadline in 1998, the rugged forward was sent to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Late the next year, he joined the Philadelphia Flyers to add muscle as they prepared for the post-season. McCarthy later toiled briefly for the Carolina Hurricanes then joined the New York Rangers in August 2000. During the Rangers' disappointing season, the veteran winger was a bright spot with a career high eleven goals and solid work on defence. Coming off a career high in goals in 2000-01, McCarthy established a career high in points during the 2001-02 season with 23 and played his 600th NHL game in 2002-03. After three seasons with the Rangers, McCarthy signed as a free agent with the Boston Bruins in the summer of 2003 and went on to play a mere 37 games with the club before being reclaimed by the Rangers at the trade deadline.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Jamal Mayers played Junior B hockey with the Thornhill Rattlers then was chosen 89th overall by the Blues in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft after his freshman year at Western Michigan University. He returned for three more years of college and reached double figures in goals each time. In 1996-97 he played six games for St. Louis but spent the bulk of his time developing with the AHL's Worcester Ice Cats. Mayers began the 1998-99 in the minors but was recalled at mid-season and never looked back. A solid defensive player in the last 34 games of the season, he then looked confident in 11 post-season matches. In 1999-00 Mayers scored seven goals and played on the fourth line while helping the Blues finish at the top of the NHL's regular season standings.


The next year he registered 21 points and was used in a variety of situations. Mayers was particularly solid in the playoffs when St. Louis advanced to the Western Conference final. He began the 2001-02 season as a valuable foot soldier on one of the league's elite franchises and was one of the team's more durable players, having only missed 13 games in his last three season. However, a serious knee injury would cut Mayers season short as the Blues had another strong season, the feisty forward was limited to only 15 regular season games. On the international stage, Mayers represented Canada at the 2000 World Championships. Nickname is “Jammer”... Developed Jam and Sal’s Community Stars, with teammate Bryce Salvador … This initiative recognizes area students in grades first through eight who perform an uncommon act of kindness or good deed within their school or community … Is a program designer and instructor along with teammates Barret Jackman and Bryce Salvador for the Hockey Academy of St. Louis, which offers instruction designed to develop every aspect of a hockey player’s game … Spends the off-season in Toronto … Charities include Ice Hockey in Harlem and Inner City Charities … is married—his wife’s name is Natalie.