Conacher Plays Buffalo

And the Calder Memorial Trophy for the 2013 NHL season goes to…

Photo Credit: sportinglife.aol.co.uk

If you say anyone but Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cory Conacher, then you have sniffed way too many smelling salts at your last bar league game.

The undrafted and undersized 23 year old forward has been turning heads all over pro hockey for the past year and a half.

The 5’7 176 pound sniper is the most decorated player in Canisius College Hockey history. In four years with the program, Conacher racked up 62 goals and 85 assists for a total of 147 points in only 129 games for the Golden Griffins.

Likely due to his size and playing at a small D1 hockey program, Conacher was skipped over in many NHL Entry Drafts, boy what a mistake.

After his senior season, Conacher split time between the AHL and ECHL. In seven games with the Rochester Americans and Milwaukee Admirals, Conacher scored four goals and six points, almost a point per game. In three games with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL, he had no problem scoring seven points.

The Burlington, Ontario native found much greater success the year after. In the 2011-2012 season, Conacher signed a one-year, one-way contract with Tampa Bay’s farm team, the Norfolk Admirals. In 75 games, Conacher scored 35 goals and a total of 80 points, once again becoming a point per game player, this time, in the AHL.

In Conacher’s first season of pro hockey, he collected some major hardware. While with Norfolk, Conacher was named to the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic, the Les Cunningham Award as the league's MVP, the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as AHL Rookie of the Year and also led the Norfolk Admirals to win the Calder Cup, the AHL’s version of the Stanley Cup.

Conacher’s college and AHL success have translated to the NHL. After signing a two-year, two-way contract with the Lightning, in 18 games this year, Conacher has collected seven goals, 10 assists and 17 points, and again, remaining a point per game player.

Conacher gives a lot of credit to his line mates this year, playing alongside the likes of Steven Stamkos, Teddy Purcell, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier.

Tonight (Feb. 26) is the first time Conacher will be playing against his home away from home, Buffalo.

As Conacher tweeted earlier; “Seems like it was just yesterday I was watching the Sabres live at the HSBC and now it’s time to play them. #canisiusbackyard #gobolts”.

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