At the end of the 1979-80 season, an alumnus of the Flin Flon Bombers, a member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, won the NHL's goal scoring race. At the awards podium, the Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy — bestowed upon the scorer of the most goals — belonged to Hartford Whaler Blaine Stoughton, who lit the lamp 56 times that year. Stoughton skated in Connecticut for four full seasons. He went on to play 14 games with the New York Rangers in 1983-84 before returning to Hartford and appearing in 54 more decisions.
Stoughton's career was journey ridden: throughout his 14 years in professional hockey, nine spent in the NHL, he played in Toronto, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, New York, Hartford, New Haven, Indianapolis, Hershey, and Asiago, Italy in leagues from the AHL to the WHA and then some. Stoughton dressed for 80 games the year he was the NHL goal leader, adding 44 assists and leveling off at a career-high points total of 100. Although he barely missed that plateau two years later, scoring 52 goals in another 80 contests and reaching 91 points with the Whale, Stoughton's production never fully sustained the consistency of a repetitive Rocket winner. A chart of his stats would shape a mountain, climbing in altitude to the apex and then descending, retracing familiar heights before bottoming at sea level. Stoughton retired in 1988.
Stoughton coaches club hockey at the University of Cincinnati now. And no doubt, comparisons can be made between his pro days and some of today's players. But has anyone charted a similar trajectory, obtaining offensive glory only to gradually concede effectiveness and drift into relative obscurity? A glaring association seems to be developing. After scouring Stoughton's career statistics, a single revealing figure is the number of goals he notched to win the Richard trophy: 56.
Fresh from the NHL lockout and ready to lead the Boston Bruins to the success they've only recently enjoyed, Joe Thornton was traded to the San Jose Sharks just 23 games into the 2005-2006 season. He dominated, topping the Rangers' Jaromir Jagr for most points with 125 and winning the league MVP. Of Thornton's 96 assists, 38 came from pucks deposited by Jonathan Cheechoo. Cheechoo tallied 56 goals that year — double his previous career best. He won the Maurice Richard Award.
There's the Stoughton connection.
Since that stellar year, the Cheechoo train has derailed. His offensive proclivities have waned along with his durability. Cheechoo's presence was felt in all 82 games in '05-'06 and he finished with 93 points. His games played have fallen consecutively — 76 during 2006-2007, 69 last year, and only 34 of 46 thus far in 2009 — and with them his offensive prowess. He currently has a mere 18 points (7g, 11a).
Numbers will naturally suffer when a player isn't actually playing. Yet, Cheechoo's digits, even when he is on the ice, haven't kept pace with the rate he was scoring in his Rocket winning season. His point-per-game-plus average immediately following the lockout has lost its significance given that, in the 179 games he's played since, he's only posted 124 points. "Jonathan Cheechoo still carries a 'big name'," wrote Tim Kavanagh in an ESPN.com midseason NHL fantasy hockey assessment. "But he also has an underwhelming point total." What better adjective to employ than underwhelming?
Sharks coach Todd McLellan has shifted lines to help Cheechoo and left-wing Milan Michalek abandon their scoreless ways. Says Toronto Globe and Mail hockey columnist Eric Duhatschek, "playing them with Thornton — the three time assists leader in the NHL — is designed to shake them out of their scoring funks." Cheechoo was on a tear at the end of December and into the new year. Unfortunately, he's cooled in recent weeks, inking the score sheet in only three of the last 10 games. Reuniting Cheechoo with Thornton is a smart move if he can capitalize on Thornton's most Wayne Gretzky-like quality: making the players around him better. It's happened before.
Cheechoo's teammate and San Jose captain, Patrick Marleau, also endured a struggle last year, but has 52 points already this year, eclipsing last season's total by four. Cheechoo's been forced to deal with occasional injury problems, however; Marleau hasn't, which has helped him reclaim his status as a top NHL forward. Cheechoo has escaped open scrutiny because he's been hurt, but mostly because the Sharks are winning. They have been for several years; he won't if they flounder. Again, San Jose is playing the best hockey in the NHL in '08-'09, along with Boston. For their success to endure throughout the playoffs, where the Sharks squander demonstrable promise yearly, Cheechoo will be a crucial component, especially on the power play.
Blaine Stoughton jumped from team to team and rolled through various professional leagues, but for a few seasons, produced with balmy regularity. Jonathan Cheechoo has proven he has NHL skill. If he hopes to avoid a similar tour of duty, he must hone his NHL talent, and sharpen the dullest aspect of his game: consistency.