John Slaney - Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL Hockey) On MLN Sports Zone

Philadelphia Phantoms

Steady Slaney
Veteran AHL all-star John Slaney continues to excel in the minors and hopes for one more shot in the NHL.

By Dan Hickling
MinorLeagueNews.com

02.07.03 -- Portland, Maine -- For almost a dozen seasons, John Slaney has been a very good minor league hockey player, perhaps too good.

So good in fact, that he runs the risk of being tagged with the dreaded "Career Minor Leaguer" label.

Instead, a more apt description of the Philadelphia Phantoms heady 31 year-old veteran defenseman would be, "consummate professional."

All he does is excel with class.

Slaney is one of the most decorated players in recent American Hockey League annals.

Three times a first team AHL All-Star, twice a winner of the league's Eddie Shore Award as it's top defenseman, and now first in AHL All-Star scoring, (he picked up his eighth point here, in Monday night's contest.)

Though, with each passing stellar campaign, he slips a little further towards the edge of the big league radar screen.

"Everybody gets afraid of being pegged as being a lifetime minor leaguer," he said. "But you got to remember that we're doing the job that we love to do in playing hockey. When you lace your skates up, you should be excited everyday to be doing this job. There are a lot of people who would enjoy having this (chance). No matter what you do, you want to get to the top and that's the National Hockey League. But at the same time, you want to do the job you're told to do and hopefully (I'm) doing that."

Over the years, Slaney has done that and then some.

So Close...Yet So Far

Slaney is not without an NHL resume.

Chosen first (ninth overall) by Washington in the 1990 Entry Draft, Slaney has logged 264 NHL games (22g, 67a) spread over a string of nine campaigns.

In that time, he's been a Cap, a King, a Coyote, a Predator, a Penguin, and (for one game) a Flyer. Unfortunately, he's never been able to establish himself as an NHL'er.

Slaney has been sent to the minors at least once in every season.

There's always been some other blueliner who is a little faster, a little bigger, and increasingly, a little less long in the tooth.

He still harbors those big league dreams and while he still performs as though his dreams will come true, when he talks about them, a tinge of realism shades his words.

"You always have to be shooting for the National Hockey League. I'm not getting any younger; I'm going to be 31. You just have to take it day-by-day, and game- by-game. You just have to go out, play hard and show that you want to go back to the National Hockey League. Hopefully when I get the opportunity, I can still go back, do great things and hopefully I can just stay there."

Welcome Back

Nevertheless, there's always a home for him in the AHL.

In fact, he has never worn out his welcome. Just ask the good people of Portland, Maine, hosts of the 2003 AHL All-Star Classic.

Slaney once helped lead their beloved Pirates to a successful Calder Cup run, but that was nine seasons ago, and for Slaney, six minor league stops in the past.

Nonetheless, prior to Sunday's All-Star skills exhibition, the sellout crowd of 6,495 cheered lustily for the personable Newfoundlander.

Portlanders didn't forget him, neither did fans in Wilkes-Barre, site of the 2001 All-Star Classic.

Slaney, who had been the captain of the WBS Penguins, was traded to arch-rival Philadelphia (for the now-retired Kevin Stevens), in a bizarre personnel move, the day before the All Star game.

Talk about mixed emotions.

"The memory (of) Wilkes-Barre is unbelievable," he said. "It was kind of weird because at first, I didn't know which jersey I was going to wear. Then when they said it would be Wilkes-Barre, a couple of guys were saying that it would be the last time I would be wearing that jersey. That was kind of emotional. I think the hardest part was leaving the Wilkes-Barre area, because the fans were unbelievable. It was just so hard to leave."

It was just as hard for Penguins faithful to say goodbye. The ovation Slaney received in the pre-game introduction was both thunderous and tearful.

Fittingly, Slaney gave them his best, and was named the game's No. 1 star (a no-brainer if ever there was one).

A New Home

Not that Slaney has sulked since moving south to Philadelphia.

All he's done as a Phantom is rack up two more All-Star appearances, including last year's contest in his hometown of St. John's, Newfoundland.

Slaney's hard play and dedication to the fans has made the one-time rival, a Philly favorite.

"You've got to realize what brings the excitement, and that's the fans," Slaney acknowledged. "You've got to go out and talk to them and they have to get to know you. In the American Hockey League, what's sells the game is the fans and we have to get them in the building every night."

He's also made his typical Slaney-like impact in the Philadelphia community with his involvement in local charities.

"With the charity work we do, we try to support the people. The March of Dimes is a big thing in Philadelphia, and it's a good cause."

In Monday's all-star game he made his typical Slaney-like impact on the ice as well.

He sparked the Canadian comeback by setting up a power-play goal that narrowed the gap to 7-6 with 2:10 to go in the second period.

Slaney then made it 7-7 with a goal at 8:53 of the third period before Team Canada tallied three more scores to win, 10-7 over Team PlanetUSA.