Welcome to the Tuesday edition of the All-Time Cats Roster Countdown. For a brief explanation on how the list was built, click here for details.
Yesterday, we took a look at D Ric Jackman (22 games, two goals, one assist, D Steve Eminger (nine games, one goal, zero assists), LW Todd Bertuzzi (seven games, one goal, six assists), and RW Joey Tetarenko (69 games, four goals, one assist). In today’s dispatch, we’ll check out a two undersized centers, a tough guy on the current roster, and Peter Ratchuk.
If you already know the score, but still have to watch the replay, follow the jump.
180. Igor Larionov
Larionov was a 5’9″ center from Voskresensk, Russia. He was a long time veteran of the Russian National team and CSKA Moscow when selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 11th round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft with the 214th overall pick. At the completion of the 1988-89 season, Larionov finished up his 12th season in the Russian League, totalling 204 goals and 230 assists in 457 contests.
In 1989-90, Larionov joined the Canucks for the first of three seasons. In 210 games with Vancouver, he scored 51 goals and 92 assists, adding four goals and seven assists in 19 playoff matchups. He joined the San Jose Sharks via Waiver Draft prior to the 1992-93 season.
Over parts of the next three seasons, Larionov played 97 regular season games with San Jose, scoring 23 goals and 59 assists. He added six goals and 21 assists in 25 Stanley Cup Playoff matches. The Sharks traded him to the Detroit Red Wings for Ray Sheppard on October 24, 1995.
Larionov would enjoy the best seasons of his NHL career with Detroit. His first tour of duty with the club would see him earn two Stanley Cups and his only All-Star appearance, in the 1998 match. In 356 games with the Wings, he scored 64 goals and 218 assists. In 77 playoff games, he added 14 goals and 29 assists. He signed a free agent contract with the Panthers during the 2000 offseason, making his Panthers debut two months shy of his 40th birthday.
In his short stint with the Panthers, Larionov scored five goals on only 15 shots, also collecting six assists on second-line minutes (16:33 ATOI). The Red Wings wanted him back and sent Yan Golubovsky to the Panthers on December 28th.
In his second spin with the Wings, Larionov helped the team to another Stanley Cup, spending the remainder of the next three seasons with Detroit. Combining his two tours with the club, he ranks 31st all-time, with 539 Detroit games played. He also scored 89 goals and a franchise 13th best 308 assists.
2003-04 would see Larinov play his final NHL season, scoring one goal and 10 assists in 49 games with the New Jersey Devils. He was chosen to join the Hockey Hall of Fame in June 2008, and is currently the director of hockey operations for Russian hockey club SKA St. Petersburg.
All-Time Statline: One season, 26 games, five goals, six assists, 11 points, minus-11 rating, 10 PIM, 0.5 APS.
179. Krys Barch
Barch was a 6’1″ right winger from Hamilton, Ontario. He was skating with the OHL London Knights when the Washington Capitals picked him up in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft with the 106th overall pick. In 187 games over three seasons, he racked up 50 goals and 73 assists.
In 2000-01, he made his professional debut with the AHL Portland Pirates, spending the total of the next six seasons in the minor leagues with the AHL Portland Pirates (141 games, 14 goals, 30 assists, 168 PIM), the ECHL Richmond Renegades, (25 games, six goals, four assists), the AHL Norfolk Admirals (nine games, one goal), the ECHL Greenville Grrrowl (69 games, 21 goals, 23 assists), and the AHL Iowa Stars (43 games, seven goals, six assists). He signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Stars prior to the 2006-07 season.
2006-07 would see Barch open the season in Iowa, making his NHL debut in January. He would remain with Dallas until midway through the 2011-12 season, scoring 10 goals and 16 assists in 263 games over five plus seasons. On December 7th he was acquired by the Panthers.
With Florida, Barch provided a little attitude from the fourth line, averaging 7:30 a game. Barch is tough, and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves at a moments notice with anybody. His offensive skills are deceptive, and he can be counted on for an occasional goal. He played 308 minutes over 41 games (18-14-9, .549) with Florida, scoring two goals on 22 shots with three assists, a plus-2 rating and a team high 81 penalty minutes.
Barch’s 1st Goal as a Panther vs Devils1/6/12 (via HEATPOSTERIZED)
All-Time Statline: One season, 41 games, two goals, three assists, five points, plus-2 rating, 81 PIM, 0.5 APS.
178. Christian Berglund
Berglund was a 5’11” center from Orebro, Sweden. He was playing with the Farjestads BK Karlstad Jr. of the Swedish Junior League when the New Jersey Devils chose him in the second round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft with the 37th overall pick. He would graduate to the Swedish Elite League, joining the Farjestads BK Karlstad major team in 1998-99, scoring 25 goals and 26 assists in 92 contests.
In 2001-02, Berglund made his North American debut with the Albany River Rats (60 games, 21 goals, 26 assists), making his first NHL appearance with New Jersey in January. He finished the season with two goals and seven assists in 15 games.
2002-03 would see Berglund spend 38 NHL games with the Devils, scoring four goals and five assists, splitting time with Albany (26 games, six goals 14 assists).
In 2003-04, Berglund began the season in New Jersey, scoring two goals and three assists through 23 games. The Devils sent him to the Panthers with Victor Uchevatov for Viktor Kozlov on March 1st. He would appear in 10 games for the Panthers, scoring three goals with an assist. He made two goals on April 4th in a 6-6 tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
For the 2004-05 season, Berglund rejoined Farjestades, scoring seven goals and 13 assists in 48 games. He played the next five seasons in the Swiss League with SC Rapperwil-Jona Lakers (136 games, 69 goals, 66 assists) and SC Bern (90 games, 30 goals, 57 assists).
In 2010-11, Berglund again joined Farjestades, and over the last two seasons has scored 33 goals and 26 assists in 104 games.
All-Time Statline: One season, 10 games, three goals, one assist, four points, minus-2 rating, 10 PIM, 0.5 APS.
177. Peter Ratchuk
Ratchuk was a 6’1″ defenseman from Buffalo, New York. The Colorado Avalanche selected him in the first round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft with the 25th overall pick. After spending the 1997-98 season with the QMJHL Hull Olympiques (60 games, 23 goals, 31 assists), he was signed as a free agent by the Panthers.
In 1998-99, Ratchuk opened the season with the AHL Beast of New Haven (53 games, seven goals, 20 assists), earning his first callup to the Panthers in December. He scored his only NHL goal on January 14th in a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. In 24 NHL games he finished with one goal and one assist and 10 PIM.
1999-00 would see Ratchuk spend the entire season with the AHL Louisville Panthers, in 76 games finishing with nine goals and 17 assists. The following year was spent mostly in Louisville (64 games, five goals, 13 assists), with two callups to the Panthers, totalling eight games. He averaged 13 minutes of time on ice, and did not figure into the scoring, taking 11 shots on goal.
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Ratchuk to a minor league deal after the season, but he did not appear in the NHL again. He has spent the intervening seasons with the AHL Wilkes-Barre Scranton Pens (97 games, 18 goals, 28 assists), the AHL Rochester Americans (70 games, 11 goals, 21 assists), the German Frankfurt Lions (103 games, 31 goals, 48 assists), the German Mannheim Eagles (52 games, 12 goals, 24 assists), the AHL Houston Aeros (50 games, five goals, 16 assists), the German DEG Metro Stars (101 games, 15 goals, 42 assists), the German Hamburg Freezers (56 games, nine goals, 23 assists), the Swiss Rapperswil-Jona (one game) and the Austrian Klagenfurt AC (39 games, six goals, 13 assists).
All-Time Statline: Two seasons, 32 games, one goal, one assist, two points, minus-2 rating, 10 PIM, 0.5 APS.
Thanks for stopping by this morning. Come back tomorrow for a goalie from Toronto, a Russian defenseman, a defenseman from Massachusetts, and a left winger from Winnipeg.