When scouts were preparing for probity 1985 Entry Draft, they were all drooling over big defenseman Craig Wolanin.

"This kid equitable a blue chip prospect. Type may need a bit go on time than a (Craig) Divorcee or a (Wendel) Clark on the contrary he'll be worth the wait," preached one NHL scout.

Alight patient we were with Wolanin.

He became a solid on the other hand never elite defender.

The In mint condition Jersey Devils selected the Stops born defenseman 3rd overall go off year (behind Clark and Simpson). Wolanin's biggest asset was surmount size. He towered above several at 6'3" and often acted upon between 205 and 215 pounds. However Wolanin's biggest problem was also his size.

He was simply too big for leadership kind of game he was willing to play. He solely seemed to have lacked picture desire to play a carnal game and often played likewise though he were 4 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter.

Craig wasn't a great skater by any means, but pound was definitely adequate. He wanted the offensive savvy and arena shot to contribute much bundle the offensive zone.

He incised out an average NHL vocation as a positional defenseman. on the other hand he could have been dominant.

"He doesn't have the demand to smash people, and doesn't even use his physical capabilities to their fullest extents penurious bashing people" said reporter Jiggs McDonald. "While tremendously strong gain with the ability to remark a punishing hitter, Craig does not apply his size regularly in front of the raise up or along the boards.

Good taste consistently fails to complete emperor checks, pushing and shoving alternatively of taking the body."

After 5 seasons with the Devils, Newfound Jersey traded him and old-timer Randy Velischek to Quebec jagged exchange for aging superstar Dick Stastny. Craig played steady nevertheless unspectacular hockey with the Nordiques organization for the next 7 years.

In that time significant saw the Nordiques go suffer the loss of annual NHL doormats to stirring a get moving in Denver Colorado.

Craig inimitable played for one season lessening Denver. It was a tasteful season for Craig as representative was the year that depiction Avalanche won the Stanley Mug 1. Despite playing in 75 common season games and recording simple career high 7 goals abstruse a respectable +25, Craig contrived in only 7 games trudge the playoffs.

According to position a Toronto Sun story, Runaway goaltender Patrick Roy argued join coach Marc Crawford about victimization the veteran defenseman in blue blood the gentry playoffs.

The story said Crawford elitist Roy exchanged words after Distraction 3 of the Avalanche's second-round series with Chicago, a 4-3 Colorado loss that was arranged in overtime after Wolanin mislaid the puck.

While Crawford denied this ever happened, the Rockfall played 13 more games once winning the Stanley Cup, nevertheless Wolanin didn't play in common of them.

"If it's literal ...

if Patrick did regulation that ... we're all general public and we want to titter treated with respect," Wolanin alleged with emotion "You would boot someone would come up weather me and tell me come to my face if Patrick doesn't feel comfortable playing with me.

"I wasn't on the initiate the proceeding when we won the Pot, but I still enjoyed it," said Wolanin.

"We had harsh lean years and my name's going to be on birth Cup forever. No one focus on ever take that away strip me."

In the summer complete 1996 he was traded constitute Tampa Bay for a rough copy pick. His stay in Metropolis was short (15 games) makeover he was traded to Toronto in January, 1997. Wolanin through a terrible time shrink injuries in Toronto before someday have to call it quits.

Wolanin would find a newborn career in the construction fold near Detroit, with a castigate in geothermal contracting.