Vyacheslav Kozlov, one of the last players to be manufactured from the U.S.S.R., played for the Soviet Union as a Junior and was a two-time Silver Medalist in the World Junior Hockey Championship.  Entering the NHL two months before his 20^th birthday, Kozlov would provide a solid scoring touch for the Detroit Red Wings, a team he was comfortable with, as they had four other Russians on the team.  With Detroit, he would have two 70 Point seasons, but more importantly, was a cog in the machine that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 & 1998.

After playing for the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, and Chicago Blackhawks, Bryan McCabe arrived in Toronto, where his game reached a much higher level.  Already a good defenceman, McCabe took on more offensive facets to his game, and he would have three seasons with the Buds where he scored 50 or more Points.  In the 2003-04 season, he finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting with a Second Team All-Star selection.  McCabe never won a Stanley Cup, but he was a World Hockey Champion with Canada in 1997 and was good enough to be chosen for the Canadian Olympic Team in 2006.

Charlie Huddy was a member of all five Stanley Cup wins for the Edmonton Oilers, and while many of those Oilers stars are inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Huddy has not been, it does not mean that his accomplishments for Edmonton should be discounted.

Jere Lehtinen was easily one of the unsung heroes of the Dallas Stars' run to the Stanley Cup, but considering he played all 14 of his seasons in Texas, the team clearly knew what they had.