Welcome back to the first (annual? semi-annual? once every five years?) installment of the LBC All-Time Panther Roster Countdown. For the deets, click here.
Yesterday, we recapped former Panthers D Jamie Allison, RW Anthony Stewart, C Nick Tarnasky, LW Esa Tikkanen, and D Chris Allen. Today, we check out a left winger, a goaltender, two centers and a defenseman.
Unless there’s a fire to put out somewhere nearby, please follow the jump.
209. Stephane Matteau
Matteau was a 6’4″ left winger from Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. He was playing with the QMJHL Hull Olympiques when the Calgary Flames selected him in the second round of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft with the 25th overall pick. He would complete two more seasons with Hull, bringing his four season QMJHL totals to 94 goals and 141 assists in 245 career matches through 1988-89. Additionally, he also scored 16 goals and 27 assists in 39 playoff games.
Matteau joined the IHL Salt Lake Golden Eagles for the 1989-90 season, scoring 58 points in 81 games. He joined the Flames the following season, scoring 15 goals and 19 assists in 78 games. Just four games into the 1991-92 season, he injured his thigh, missing most of the season. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for Trent Yawney while still on the disabled list, ultimately appearing in 164 games over three seasons, scoring 35 goals and 42 assists.
Most of the way through the 1993-94 season, Matteau was traded along with Brian Noonan to the New York Rangers for Tony Amonte and Matt Oates. He played 85 regular season games over three seasons with the Rangers, helping them to their first Stanley Cup in 54 seasons with nine points in 23 playoff games.
New York parted company with Matteau in December of 1995, trading him away to the St. Louis Blues for Ian Laperriere. In 120 Blues contests he racked up 23 goals and 33 assists. For the first time in his career, a team decided to trade him during the offseason, as the Blues sent him off to the San Jose Sharks for Darren Turcotte prior to the 1997-98 season.
Matteau would spend five full seasons as a Shark, collecting 55 goals and 64 assists in 345 San Jose contests. He signed a free agent contract to play with Florida prior to the 2002-03 season. In 52 games, Matteau scored four goals and four assists with a minus-9 rating and 27 PIM. He announced his official retirement before the 2003-04 training camp.
All-Time Statline: One season, 52 games, four goals, four assists, eight points, minus-9 rating, 27 PIM, 0.1 APS.
208. Mark Cullen
Cullen (pictured above) was a 6′ center from Virginia, MN. He attended Colorado College, playing four seasons with the Tigers. He totalled 53 goals and 114 assists in 153 career WCHA games, graduating with the Class of 2002. Soon after, he joined the Houston Aeros, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. In three seasons as an Aero, Cullen scored 42 goals and 77 assists in 189 games.
In 2005-06, Cullen signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, splitting the season between the AHL Norfolk Admirals and the Blackhawks. In 29 NHL contests, he totalled seven goals and nine assists.
2006-07 would see Cullen sign on with the Philadelphia Flyers. He spent most of the season with the AHL Philadelphia Phantoms, scoring 52 points in 56 games. He also joined the Flyers for three games in November, he registered a minus-3 rating, took four shots on goal, and did not score.
Starting in 2007-08, Cullen appeared in four minor league systems over the next four seasons. First with the Detroit Red Wings (Grand Rapids Griffins, 59 games, 16 G, 31 A). Next, in 2008-09 with the Vancouver Canucks (Manitoba Moose, 56 games, 14 G, 25 A). In 2009-10 with the Chicago Blackhawks (Rockford IceHogs, 62 games, 21 G, 32 A), and finally with the Panthers (Rochester Americans, 28 games, five goals, nine assists).
In 2011-12, Cullen opened the season with the AHL San Antonio Rampage, scoring 10 goals and 36 assists in 58 games. He was called up for his first NHL action in five seasons in November, appearing in six Panther games and making an assist on a Bill Thomas goal in the second period of a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is currently an unrestricted free agent.
All-Time Statline: One season, six games, zero goals, one assist, one point, plus-2 rating, two PIM, 0.1 APS.
207. Colby Robak
Robak was a 6’3″ defenseman from Dauphin, Manitoba. He was playing with the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings when the Panthers selected him in the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft with the 46th overall pick. He would play two more seasons in Brandon, bringing his four year WHL totals to 37 goals and 106 assists in 246 contests.
In 2010-11, Robak spent his first professional season with the AHL Rochester Americans, playing 76 games and scoring seven goals and 17 assists. He would stay with the Panthers organization when the team changed AHL affiliates from Rochester to the San Antonio Rampage in 2011-12, and he scored nine goals and 30 assists in 73 games. He was called up for his first NHL action in February, playing three Panthers games, skating 52 shifts and taking one shot on goal.
Robak is signed through the 2012-13 season, and may see some playing time with the club this year when the dust settles on signing day. Keaton Ellerby may be moved, and Jason Garrison may sign elsewhere, hypothetically making Robak sixth on the Panthers depth chart.
History Will Be Made Calder Cup 2012 (Colby Robak #25 San Antonio Rampage) (via PoorBirdie)
206. Richard Shulmistra
Shulmistra was a 6’2″ goaltender from Sudbury, Ontario. He played collegiate hockey with the University of Miami (Ohio) Redskins. In four seasons, he posted a 40-35-9 record. The Quebec Nordiques selected him after his sophomore season in the 1992 NHL Supplimental Draft.
He made his professional debut with the 1994-95 AHL Cornwall Aces, over two seasons posting a 13-27-4 overall record and a save percentage of .873. He signed a free agent contract with the New Jersey Devils on the last day of 1997, playing 23 games with the AHL Albany River Rats (5-9-2, .916, 2.43 GAA). He made his NHL debut on January 1, 1998, losing a 2-1 overtime match with the Panthers, saving 28-of-30 shots on goal.
1998-99 would see Shulmistra split the season between the IHL Manitoba Moose (25-11-7) and the AHL River Rats (6-4-0). He signed a free agent contract with Florida after the season.
In 1999-00, Shulmistra played 27 games with the AHL Louisville Panthers (12-11-2). He made his second and final NHL appearance on December 27th, stopping 20-of-21 shots in a 6-1 Panthers victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Over the next season and a half, Shulmistra played with the IHL Orlando Solar Bears (5-1-3), the ECHL Florida Everblades (2-0-0), the IHL Kansas City Blades (1-3-0), the IHL Chicago Wolves (20-8-0), and the Louisville Panthers (0-1-0).
In 2001-02, Shulmistra signed on with the Berlin Polar Bears of the German League, playing two seasons with the team before playing one season with the Mannheim Eagles. He currently is a goalie coach in North Carolina.
All-Time Statline: One season, one game, 1-0-0 record, 21 shots faced, 20 saves, one goal allowed, .952 save percentage, 1.00 goals against average, 0.1 APS.
205. Ryan Carter
Carter was a 6’1″ center from White Bear Lake, Minnesota. He played with the USHL Green Bay Gamblers for two seasons starting in 2002-03, scoring 41 goals and 40 assists in 114 games. He then spent two seasons playing collegiate hockey with the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks, scoring 34 goals and 24 assists in 76 games.
Carter signed a contract with the Anaheim Ducks prior to the 2006-07 season, spending most of the year with the AHL Portland Pirates, scoring 16 goals and 20 assists in 76 games. He made his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, appearing in four games for the Ducks as Anaheim earned their first (and thus far only) Stanley Cup.
Carter spent the bulk of the next three seasons with the Ducks, ultimately playing in 138 games and scoring 12 goals and 17 assists. One month into the 2010-11 season he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Stefan Chaput and Matt Kennedy. After assisting on three goals over 32 games, the Hurricanes sent him along with a fifth round draft choice to the Panthers for Cory Stillman. In 12 games for the Panthers near the end of the season, Carter scored two goals and an assist with a plus-3 rating and 22 penalty minutes.
In 2011-12, Carter spent the first seven games of the seasons with Florida earning fourth line minutes. The New Jersey Devils claimed him off waivers in October, and he played 65 games with the team, scoring four goals and four assists. The Panthers would pay for their lack of faith in Carter, as he posted a goal and two assists, playing in each of the seven games of the Panthers/Devils Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. (as I’m writing this Carter just scored on Lundqvist with four minutes left in game five).
All-Time Statline: Two seasons, 19 games, two goals, one assist, three points, plus-2 rating, 28 PIM, 0.1 APS.
Thanks for reading. Please vote and comment below. Check back Monday as the countdown shifts to four player capsules. We’ll take a look at a current rostered defensive center, another former Panther/current Devil, a Swedish defenseman from long ago, and a Quebecois left winger from the Panthers inaugural season.
How many games do you expect Colby Robak to spend next season with the Panthers?
| Stuck in the AHL | 1 |
| Traded | 2 |
| Callup less than 10 games | 16 |
| longer injury replacement 11-30 games | 20 |
| Panthers give him an honest shot, 31-60 games | 10 |
| most of the season, 61+ games | 0 |