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LBC’s All-Time Florida Panthers Roster Countdown: 38-37

Welcome to the Friday edition of your Florida Panthers All-Time Roster Countdown. For a quick and dirty explanation, click here.

Yesterday, we took the time to look into current Panther defenseman Brian Campbell (82 games, four goals, 49 assists), and former goaltender Trevor Kidd (28-50-13, .900, 3.00). Today, we’ll check out a recent center from Ontario and another center (not quite as recent) from Slovakia.

If you’re in it to win it, follow the jump.

38. Cory Stillman

Stillman was a 6′ center from Peterborough, Ontario with the OHL Windsor Spitfires (117 games, 60 goals, 131 assists) starting in 1990-91. He was selected in the first round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames with the sixth overall pick. He would play one more season in the OHL with the Peterborough Petes, scoring 25 goals and 55 assists in 61 contests.

Stillman joined the AHL’s Saint John Flames for the 1993-94 campaign (79 games, 35 goals, 48 assists). In 1994-95, he made his NHL debut with Calgary for 10 games in February and March (two assists). He spent the balance of the season with Saint John (63 games, 28 goals, 53 assists).

Stillman ended up playing parts of seven seasons in Calgary (393 games, 109 goals, 126 assists). He was traded to the St. Louis Blues on March 13, 2001 for Craig Conroy and a seventh round pick (David Moss). In parts of three seasons with the Blues, he scored 50 goals and 69 assists in 171 games, adding five goals and nine assists in 30 playoff contests.

After the 2002-03 season, Stillman was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a second round draft pick (David Backes). He scored 25 goals and 55 assists for a career high 80 points in 81 contests. In 21 playoff games, he added two goals and five assists as the Bolts secured the 2004 Stanley Cup. He took the year off when the 2004-05 season was cancelled.

Prior to the 2005-06 season, Stillman signed on as a free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes. He played parts of three seasons with them (170 games, 47 goals, 102 assists), adding nine goals and 17 assists in the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping the Hurricanes to their first ever Stanley Cup (going back to their time as the Hartford Whalers). It was the second season in a row that he got to raise the Cup.

On February 11, 2008, Carolina traded Stillman, along with Mike Commodore, to the Senators for Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves. He scored three goals and 16 assists in 24 games, closing the season with the club. He signed a three-year, $10,600,000 free agent contract with the Panthers after the season ended.

Stillman scored two goals and an assist in a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks, one of 13 times that season he racked up multiple points. He totalled 17 goals on 115 shots, along with a team second best 32 assists, a plus-1 rating, and 37 PIM in 2008-09. He played 63 Panthers games, averaging 16:35 TOI.

2009-10, Stillman had 10 games where he totalled more than one point, including two goals and an assist in a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 16. He finished fifth on the team with 15 goals on 126 shots, adding 22 assists, finishing with a minus-3 rating, and spending 22 minutes in the penalty box. He averaged 17:34 for Florida over 58 games.

2010-11 would see Stillman score seven goals on 81 shots in 44 Panthers games. He averaged 15:56 TOI, dished out 16 assists, racked up a plus-3 rating and 20 penalty minutes. He was traded back to the Hurricanes on February 24 for Ryan Carter and a fifth-round pick (Sean Kuraly). He scored five goals and 11 assists in 21 games with Carolina before retiring following the season.

Cory Stillman goal 10/16/10 (via NHLVideo)

All-Time Statline: Three seasons, 165 games, 39 goals, 70 assists, 109 points, plus-1 rating, 79 PIM, 10.6 APS.

37. Jozef Stumpel

Stumpel was a 6’3″ right winger from Nitra, Slovakia. He was initially chosen in the second round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins in the second round, with the 40th overall pick. He played in parts of six seasons with the Bruins in his first tour with the team, scoring 54 goals and 122 assists in 274 contests. He was traded to the Los Angeles Kings prior to the 1997-98 season with Sandy Moger and a fourth round draft pick (Pierre Dagenais) for Dmitri Kristich and Byron Dafoe.

Stumpel played with Los Angeles for four and a half seasons during his time with the club. He scored 68 goals and 162 assists in 270 games before getting traded back to the Bruins on October 24, 2001 with Glen Murray for Jason Allison and Mikko Eloranta.

Stumpel finished out the season and the next one with Boston, playing 150 games and scoring 21 goals with 84 assists. After the 2002-03 season, the Bruins sent him back to the Kings with a seventh round choice (Miroslav Hanuljak) for a fourth round choice (Patrick Valcak) and a second round choice (Martins Karsums).

Stumpel scored eight goals and 29 assists for the Kings in 2003-04. He spent the 2004-05 season with Slavia Praha HC in the Czech League, scoring 13 goals and 26 assists in 52 games. He signed with the Panthers as a free agent prior to the 2005-06 season.

At one point during the next season, Stumpel racked up 34 points in 26 contests (11 goals, 23 assists). He had 13 multipoint efforts on the season, including two goals and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on December 22. He scored 15 goals on 115 shots with a team third highest 37 assists, also ranking third on the team with 52 points. He spent 26 minutes in the box and finshed with a team fourth best plus-11 rating. He played 17:47 per game in 74 contests.

In 2006-07, Stumpel had 13 multi-point games, including two goals and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins on December 16. He made four assists in the very next game, a 7-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 19. He scored a career high 23 goals on 131 shots, with a team second best 34 assists. He averaged 19:07 through 73 contests, finishing with a plus-2 rating and 22 penalty minutes.

2007-08 would see Stumpel score seven goals on 64 shots, assisting on 13 others. He averaged 17:22 in 52 games, finishing with a minus-11 rating and 10 penalty minutes. He has spent the last four seasons with assorted KHL franchises (165 games, 37 goals, 87 assists).

All-Time Statline: Three seasons, 199 games, 45 goals, 84 assists, 129 points, plus-2 rating, 58 PIM, 10.6 APS.

That’s it for now. Thanks for joining us today, and make sure to check back tomorrow for two more Panthers, both left wingers. One an original Panther, the other a Swede who made his debut the following season.

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