Thursday, June 16, 2011

Every young hockey player's dream?

What is every young hockey player's dream? To play in the NHL? To be drafted first overall in their draft year? To win the scoring title or league MVP? No, it is to hoist the Stanley Cup.

Last year at this time, there was some debate about who would be the first overall selection in the NHL entry draft. Tyler Seguin or Taylor Hall? The winner was Taylor Hall who was selected by the Edmonton Oilers first overall and had a very solid rookie season before any injury ended his campaign prematurely. He will not win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, yet his season was very good. Most believe the Calder trophy will go to either Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks or Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes.

One could argue, however, that Tyler Seguin was the real winner of last year's NHL entry draft. Last night, he and his Boston Bruin teammates claimed the ultimate hockey prize, the Stanley Cup. Seguin had a decent rookie year, scoring 11 goals and 11 assists, playing in 74 regular season games. He was a healthy scratch for the first two rounds of the playoffs, yet was inserted into the lineup in round 3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to an injury. He was a sparkplug for the team, notching 3 goals and 3 assists in the first two games of the conference championship against the Lightning and thus he played the next 12 games of the playoffs. He played no less than six and no more than 12 minutes in each game of the Stanley Cup Finals against Vancouver, and yet last night, he was living every young hockey player's dream: hoisting the Stanley Cup!

So who do you say "won"? Taylor or Tyler

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