#252 - Dave Lumley

Wha hey, I start this up and get another card for the set in the mail:



Dave Lumley was on the downside of a relatively short career by the time this card came out. His point totals in the early '80s are the definition of up-and-down -- 58-16-74-37-21-32. He was buried in the Canadiens' system for a couple years, at a time when that lineup was about the hardest possible to crack, got picked up by Edmonton in the expansion draft, and played an agitator role on the first Oilers' Stanley Cup team. The Whalers picked him up off waivers, hence the "now with" note on this card; but he was back with the Oilers (on waivers, again) by the end of 1985, in time to pick up a second Cup. He had some knee problems, which I'm guessing (but don't know for sure) played a part in ending his career prematurely -- he retired in 1986, at age 32.

He now lives in Arkansas, which for some reason I find intriguing. That seems like one of the least predictable places for an ex-hockey player to end up. He did work for the CHL's Border City Bandits, based out of Texarkana, but they only lasted for part of a season and I don't know if he was already in the area.

One of life's little mysteries, I guess.

Dave Lumley's stats at Hockey DB
Dave Lumley's profile at Hockey Draft Central
Dave Lumley's profile at Legends of Hockey
Lowetide post with a bit more on Lumley

#289 - Richard Sevigny

Seems appropriate to start this off with a player from one of the two teams I collect (Nordiques and Blues).

Richard Sevigny's always been most interesting to me for an on-ice incident that had nothing to do with his talents as a goaltender. In 1984, the Quebec Nordiques and Montreal Canadiens engaged in one of the most notorious brawls ever -- the Good Friday Massacre. Sevigny was on the Canadiens at the time, and ended up fighting Clint Malarchuk, and racked up more than 30 penalty minutes for his trouble.

The most interesting thing? After that playoff series (won by the Habs), Sevigny was with the Nordiques the next year. Now, the Canadiens and Nordiques had a pretty nasty rivalry in the 1980s. And players going directly between two fierce rivals is pretty rare (I can't think of any players that went directly between the Oilers and Flames; in the 1990s, Uwe Krupp went straight from the Avalanche to the Red Wings... I think there were a few that went between the Islanders and Rangers over the years). To go straight from one team to the other directly after one of the bloodiest fights in hockey history? That must've made for a few awkward moments.

I can only think of one other player off the top of my head who went directly between the Nords and Habs -- Jean Hamel, who the Canadiens picked up before the 1983-84 season... and who also played a major part in the Good Friday Massacre. But we'll get to him later in the set.

Sevigny, for his part, played 35 games for the Nordiques over parts of three seasons, down the depth chart behind Dan Bouchard, Mario Gosselin, and Clint Malarchuk -- the last of those the guy Sevigny fought back in 1984.

He's now reachable through Canadiens alumni.

For those who like their hockey fights, here's the fight in question.



Richard Sevigny's stats at HockeyDB
Richard Sevigny's profile at Hockey Draft Central
Richard Sevigny's profile at Legends of Hockey