Moshier: Guerin got start in Utica

If you remember the Utica Devils, who used to call the Utica Memorial Auditorium home when they were the old American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, you must remember Bill Guerin.

 

Way back when, Guerin was a fifth-round draft pick who got his start in Utica, a skillful forward with just the right amount of grit and grind. In two AHL seasons (1991-92 and 1992-93) in Utica, he played in only 40 games and had 23 goals and 17 assists. More than that, though, his style of play left a lasting impression. He made a name for himself here, and he’s made a name for himself in the National Hockey League.

 

Last Friday night, Guerin scored twice to help the New York Islanders end a 10-game winless streak with a 4-1 victory over Toronto. Those two scores gave the 38-year-old right winger exactly 400 goals in his NHL career. He became the 79th NHL player, and just the eighth U.S.-born player, to score 400 goals.

 

A 6-foot-2, 220-pound native of Wilbraham, Mass., Guerin has played for the Islanders, Devils, Oilers, Bruins, Stars, Blues and Sharks. He’s a four-time NHL all-star – he was the MVP of the 2001 all-star game – he won a Stanley Cup with the Devils in 1995, he won a World Cup in 1996, and he helped Team USA win a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

 

And as brief as his AHL stay here was, it must have been time well spent. Thanks for the memories, Bill Guerin.