Igor Larionov was one of Hockey's best players in the 1980s, but he was not a member of the NHL.  This was because he was from the Soviet Union, and they were not permitted to play in North America.  Larionov finally went across the world in 1989, playing for Vancouver, the Swiss League, and San Jose before he was traded to Detroit before the 1995-96 season.

Paul Coffey was one of the greatest offensive Defensemen in the history of Hockey, but it is fascinating how many teams he played for at an elite level.

An unheralded player who played most of his career with the Detroit Red Wings, Gary Bergman finally cracked the NHL at age 26 in the 1964-65 Season.

When you are taken in the 10^th Round in the NHL Draft, making the parent club for a cup of coffee is usually considered a success.  Tomas Holmstrom, who was selected 257^th Overall in 1994, would give the Detroit Red Wings 1,026 Games.