With many classic NHL games now being broadcast, including the Montreal Canadiens 1993 run, let’s take a look at four of the depth players from that 1993 team.
The 1992-93 season was quite an interesting time, both for the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL in general. Widely regarded as the best season in the league’s history, it was right on the brink between the end of the live puck era and the transition into the dead puck era, meaning there was a perfect mix of offense and defense. Even nowadays, when I sat down to watch a few games from the 1993 playoffs, the hockey was still solid, especially when compared to that of the early 80s.
Despite multiple record-breaking performances, with both Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selanne recording 76 goal seasons, Mario Lemieux winning the scoring title with 160 points, and Adam Oates posting 97 assists, it was the Canadiens who came out on top, defeating an equal underdog, Wayne Gretzky led Los Angeles Kings team in five games.
Couple that with stellar goaltending from Patrick Roy and a solid offense, the Habs also benefited from the performance of their depth players, who became key parts of their playoff run and 11 straight OT wins. With that being said, here’s a look at what happened to four of these depth players from that 1993 championship.
Jesse Belanger
After honing his game as a talented, if undersized offensive forward with the Granby Bisonsof, the QMJHL, Jesse Belanger was signed by the Canadiens as an undrafted free agent and became one of the star players for the AHL’s Fredericton Canadiens. After recording 98 points in his rookie season, Belanger was giving an extended look with the team during the 1992-93 season, recording 6 points over 19 regular-season games, as well as getting into 9 playoff games. After this, however, Belanger was claimed by the Florida Panthers in the 1994 expansion draft and quickly became one of the team’s most reliable scorers, recording 50 points over 70 games in his first season.
A benefactor of the expansion era, Belanger was traded from Florida to the Vancouver Canucks towards the 1996 trade deadline for a third-round pick. Rejoining some of the NHL’s stronger teams, Belanger struggled to find ice time, spending the next three seasons split between the AHL, IHL, and Swiss-A league. After rejoining the NHL briefly with the Canadiens and Islanders, Belanger spent the rest of his career split across the DEL, Swiss B league, and the LNAH, retiring after the 2012-13 season.
Gary Leeman
Best known as a one time 50 goal scorer and star forward with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the mid-1980s, Gary Leeman was a clear benefactor of the live puck era, making up for a lack of skating ability with a blistering, accurate shot. After being included in an NHL record 10 player trade with the Calgary Flames, where it was, in essence, Leeman for Flames forward Doug Gilmour, Leeman struggled with Calgary, and the trade became known as one of the more lopsided in NHL history.
After two partial seasons with the team, Leeman was traded to the Canadiens in January of 1993 for fan-favourite Brian Skrudland. After a red-hot start with the Habs, recording 18 points over 20 games, Leeman played a quieter role in the playoffs, recording three points over 11 games. Following this, Leeman would play 12 more NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues, retiring after spending the 1998-99 season in Germany.
Paul DiPietro
Perhaps one of the most unlikely performers in the 1993 Cup run, Paul Dipietro was a fifth-round pick of the Canadiens in the 1990 entry draft. A 50-goal scorer in his final season with the Sudbury Wolves, Dipietro spent his first two years in Montreal split between the Fredericton Canadiens and the Habs. Joining the team late in the 1992-93 season, Dipietro record 13 points in 17 playoff games, playing a key offensive role for the team. As a result, he spent all of the 1993-94 season with the team, recording 33 points over 73 games.
In the middle of the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, however, Dipietro was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline. Continuing to demonstrate his offensive skills in the AHL, Dipietro got into 38 more NHL games with the Leafs and LA Kings before eventually heading overseas. He would become a star with Zug EV of the Swiss-A league, eventually gaining dual citizenship to represent Switzerland in the 2006 winter Olympics, one where the Swiss upset a powerful Canadian team. Dipietro retired after spending the 2013-14 season in the Swiss-B League.
Gilbert Dionne
The younger brother of former 700 goal scorer Marcel Dionne, Gilbert Dionne, was a 4th round pick of the Canadiens in the 1990 entry draft. Displaying decent offensive abilities in the OHL, Dionne spent 1 year with the Fredericton Canadiens before catching on fire with the Habs midway through the 1991-92 season. Recording 34 points over 39 games, Dionne would continue this offensive consistency, with two straight 40-point seasons. In the 1993 playoffs, Dionne played a depth offensive role, recording 12 points in 20 games.
In February of 1995, Dionne was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers as a throw into the trade that brought Mark Recchi to Montreal. After spending the 1994-95 split between the Flyers and Canadiens, Dionne would get into just 7 more NHL games, becoming a star player with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the IHL before eventually heading overseas. After spending 2 years in the DEL, Dionne finished his career in the OHASr league, retiring after the 2005-06 season.