289. Michael Peca

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Easily one of the best defensive forwards for years, Michael Peca would finish in the top five in Frank J. Selke Award voting every season from 1996-97 to 2003-04. The first year of that streak was when he

Shortly after signing with the Maple Leafs, he would suffer a serious injury in the 2005/06 season to Peca’s right knee, which would essentially end his career. He would play out the rest of his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets before retiring in 2009, though not before he solidified himself as one of the grittiest players ever to lace up the skates.

The Bullet Points

Country of Origin: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Eligible Since: Sunday, 01 January 2012
Position: Center
Games Played: 864
Notable Statistics:
176 Goals
289 Assists
465 Points
+66 Plus/Minus
798 PIM
113 Blocked Shots*
128 Hits*
57 Takeaways*
35 Giveaways*
42.2 Point Shares

97 Playoff Games
15 Goals
19 Assists
34 Points
0 Plus/Minus
80 PIM
3 Blocked Shots*
3 Hits*
1 Takeaways*
2 Giveaways*

*These became stats in the 2007-08 Season.
Played For: Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks
Non-NHL Teams: Team Canada (Olympics 2002 & World Hockey Championship 2001)
Ottawa 67s (OHL)
Major Accolades and Awards:
Stanley Cup Rings (None)
Frank J. Selke Trophy (2) (1997 & 2002)
Most Short-Handed Goals (1) (1997)
Olympic Gold Medal (1) (Canada, 2002)
Notable Top Ten Finishes: Top Ten Hart Trophy Finishes:
10th in 2002
Top Ten Frank J. Selke Trophy Finishes:
1st in 1997, 2nd in 1998, 3rd in 1999, 5th 2000, 1st in 2002, 5th in 2003 & 5th in 2004
3 Top Ten Short-Handed Goals Finishes
1 Top Ten Game Winning Goals Finish
Rankings: 40. Short-Handed Goals: 25

These rankings are as of the end of the 2024-25 Season.