Regardless of what team wins the Stanley Cup this year,
there will be a strong local connection to it.
The Anaheim Mighty Ducks hold the purest connection with
head coach, Randy Carlyle, who was born and raised in the
Nickel City.
Carlyle also played three seasons with the Sudbury Wolves. In 139 games with the Wolves, Carlyle racked up 151 points. Toronto drafted him in the second round (30th overall) of the1976 Entry Draft. During his 17-year NHL career, the defenceman recorded 647 points in 1,055 games.
Carlyle spent six seasons as head coach of the Manitoba Moose
in the AHL and never had a losing season. He joined the Ducks
this season after a stint as an assistant coach with
Washington.
Carlyle's wits and skills as a coach are clearly evident as
he helped guide the Ducks past Calgary and Colorado in the
playoffs. Anaheim is now in the Western Conference Championship
against Edmonton, with the winner going to the Stanley Cup
finals.
The Ducks also feature former Wolves defender Sean
O'Donnell, who played three seasons for Sudbury from 1988-89 to
1990-91. O'Donnell has played 771 NHL games. He picked up three
points and was a sound presence on the Ducks' blueline through
the first two rounds.
Next up are the Buffalo Sabres, who really seem to love the
Wolves as they have or had numerous former Sudbury players in
their lineup over the years.
This season they have defencemen Jay McKee and Rory
Fitzpatrick along with winger Taylor Pyatt. All three played
numerous games for the Wolves in the 90s and all three have
contributed to Buffalo's surprising successes over Ottawa and
Philadelphia. The Sabres are in the Eastern Conference
Championship against Carolina.
Next, are the Edmonton Oilers who also feature former Wolves
stars Steve Staios and Mike Peca. Although they weren't in
Sudbury uniforms long, both players made lasting impressions
and have helped Edmonton become a force.
Finally, there's Carolina. One only has to look at their superstar, Eric Staal, to find a connection to Sudbury. Eric, 21, is the oldest brother of the four Staal brothers. His younger brother, Marc, was one of the best defenders ever to put on a Wolves uniform. The youngest brother, Jared, was the Wolves 2006 first-round draft pick. The fourth brother, Jordan, played for Peterborough this past season and is one of the top rated 2006 NHL Draft prospects.
