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Flames All-Time Countdown Chapter VIII: 495-491

Get on board for the eighth installment of 146 as we go from last to first. In today's every-Flames countdown, we profile five guys who totaled 28 games for the Flames.

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495. Fredrik Modin

Modin was a 6’3″, 218 lb. left winger from Sundsvall, Sweden. Born on October 8th, 1974, he was selected in the third round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft with the 64th overall pick. He played two seasons in the Swedish Elite League before joining the NHL, playing in 52 games with Brynas IF Gavle and scoring 13 goals with 17 assists and 53 PIM.

1996-97 would see Modin make his first NHL appearance. He would end up playing three seasons with the Maple Leafs (217 games, 38 goals, 38 assists, minus-5 rating, 91 penalty minutes). He later played with the Tampa Bay Lightning (445 games, 145 goals, 141 assists, plus-16 rating, 224 penalty minutes), the Columbus Blue Jackets (176 games, 39 goals, 46 assists, minus-6 rating, 110 penalty minutes), the Los Angeles Kings (20 games, three goals, two assists, minus-2 rating, 14 penalty minutes) and the Atlanta Thrashers (36 games, seven goals, three assists, minus-11 rating, 12 penalty minutes). On February 28th, 2011, the Thrashers traded him to the Flames for a seventh round draft choice.

While on the Lightning in 2001, Modin won the Hardest Shot Competition at the NHL All-Star Event, with a shot clocked at 102.1 MPH.

Modin had a long and storied career before joining Calgary. After joining the Flames, it turned out he only had four games left in the tank. He put up a minus-3 rating and two penalty minutes in his abbreviated time with the team, retiring after the season due to a lingering back issue.

All-Time Statline: Four games, zero goals, zero assists, minus-3 rating, two PIM, -0.20 point shares.

494. Morris Stefaniw

Stefaniw, a 5’11” center from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, was born on January 10th, 1948. Starting in 1964-65, he played three seasons with the Estevan Bruins of the SJHL/CMJHL, averaging nearly two points per game (169 games, 140 goals, 168 assists) as a teenager.

1967-68 would see Stefaniw split his season between the Oklahoma City Blazers of the CPHL (37 games, 11 goals, 15 assists) and the Phoenix Roadrunners (17 games, eight goals) in the WHL. He would spend the next two seasons with the Roadrunners, playing in 140 more contests and racking up 19 goals with 37 assists.

The following two seasons were spent with the Omaha Knights in the CHL (70 games, 19 goals, 41 assists) and the AHL’s Providence Reds (70 games, 11 goals, 20 assists). The Reds were affiliated with the New York Rangers. New York left Stefaniw unprotected in the 1972 expansion draft, where the Atlanta Flames picked him up.

The 1972-73 season would see Stefaniw enjoy a breakout campaign with the AHL Nova Scotia Voyageurs (64 games, 30 goals, 71 assists). He also got his first (and only) NHL action, appearing in 13 contests with the Flames. He totaled one goal on 16 shots with an assist and two penalty minutes. HIs goal would be the first marker in Flames history, scored on October 7th, 1972 in a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders. He would remain in the Flames organization the following season, between the Voyageurs (27 games, three goals, 12 assists) and the CHL’s Albequerque 6-Guns (41 games, seven goals, 22 helpers). He was traded to the Kansas City Scouts for cash considerations during the 1974 offseason.

Stefaniw would play two more seasons of minor league hockey before his retirement.

All-Time Statline: 13 games, one goal, one assist, minus-3 rating, two PIM, -0.20 point shares.

493. Lee Sorochan

Sorochan was a native of Edmonton, Alberta born on September 9th, 1975. He eventually grew into a 5’11”, 210 lb. defenseman. In two seasons with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, playing 136 games and scoring 10 goals with 41 assists and 313 penalty minutes. The New York Rangers selected him in the second round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft with the 34th overall pick.

Sorochan spent two more seasons with the Hurricanes after getting drafted, scoring an additional nine goals with 42 assists in 75 contests. He also spent another 216 minutes in quiet contemplation. He also played part of 1994-95 with the Saskatoon Blades, with five goals and 13 assists in 24 games.

In 1995-96, Sorochan played his first professional hockey with the AHL's Binghampton Rangers. He played 122 games with them over two seasons, with six goals, 35 assists, and 186 penalty minutes. 1997-98 was spent with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring seven goals and 11 assists in 73 games, with 197 penalty minutes.

Most of the 1998-99 campaign would see Sorochan split the year between the Wolf Pack (16 games, two assists, 33 PIM) and the IHL’s Fort Wayne Komets (45 games, 10 assists, 204 PIM). On March 23rd, the Rangers traded him to Calgary for Chris O’Sullivan. After years of toiling in the minors, he jumped straight to the Flames. He played in games on consecutive nights starting on March 27th, first in a 2-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes (8:47 TOI, one SOG, minus-1 rating), then in a 5-1 loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. In that game, Sorochan took four shots on goal and finished at minus-2, ranking second on the club with 22:38 TOI.

After his cup of coffee, Sorochan reported to the Saint John Flames, where he spent the balance of the next two seasons (63 games, five goals, 45 assists, 128 PIM). He made one last appearance with Calgary, on March 25th in a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators. Sorochan saw 3:40 of total ice time. Before the 2000-01 season, he signed a free agent contract with the London Knights in the British League. He split the next two seasons between Britain, Finland and Germany. After a season off, he played the 2003-04 season with the Long Beach Ice Dogs before hanging his skates up.

All-Time Statline: Three games, zero goals, zero assists, plus-3 rating, zero PIM, -0.19 point shares.

492. Gord Hampson

Hampson was a 6'3" left winger from Vancouver, British Columbia. Born on February 13th, 1959, he played four seasons with the University of Michigan Wolverines. In 142 games, he scored 37 goals with 51 assists and 107 penalty minutes before graduating with the Class of 1981. After graduating, he signed a free agent contract with the Calgary Flames.

Hampson spent 1981-82 with the CHL’s Oklahoma City Stars, scoring 11 goals and 23 assists in 71 games, with 48 minutes spent in the penalty box. The following year would see him join the Colorado Flames (51 games, 17 goals, 17 assists, 73 PIM). He also earned a call up to Calgary, appearing in four games for the parent club and taking four shots on goal, with a minus-2 rating and five penalty minutes.

After another campaign with Colorado (62 games, 19 goals, 25 assists, 89 PIM), Hampson called it quits.

All-Time Statline: Four games, zero goals, zero assists, minus-2 rating, five PIM, -0.19 point shares.

491. David Struch

Born on February 11th, 1971, Struch grew into a 5'10", 180 lb. center from Flin Flon, Manitoba. He played four seasons with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL starting in 1988-89, playing in 253 contests and racking up 134 goals, 151 assists, and 188 PIM. The Flames chose him in the ninth round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, with the 195th overall pick.

Struch played two seasons with the IHL's Salt Lake Golden Eagles, appearing in 90 games and scoring 24 goals with 23 assists and 81 PIM. In 1993-94, Struch played most of the season in the AHL with the Saint John Flames, appearing in 58 games and scoring 18 goals with 25 assists and 87 penalty minutes. He also earned his only career NHL call-up in January, appearing in four games with Calgary and finishing with a minus-2 rating, three shots on goal, and four PIM.

After two more seasons with the Saint John Flames (52 games, 10 goals, 16 assists), Struch played in Austria, Britain, and Italy through the 2001-02 season. He's been coaching with the Saskatoon Blades for eight seasons now, taking over the reins as head coach prior to last season.

All-Time Statline: Four games, zero goals, zero assists, minus-2 rating, four PIM, -0.19 point shares.

by Kevin Kraczkowski