Jamie McLennan: 4 Autographed Cards (Part 1)

It's too bad Jamie McLennan chose to sign these with dry-erase markers coaches love so much, because he has such a distinctive and interesting signature, but unfortunately all 4 cards show various levels of smudging. I had sent the cards care of the Calgary Flames - with whom he is an assistant coach - on November 18th, and received them on December 23rd, right on time for Christmas.

But his remains a story that need be told, and to some extent, it begins in the WHL, with the Lethbridge Hurricanes:

This card is from The Score Board's 1991-92 Classic Draft Picks set (card #40), and shows the Hurricanes when they used to sport the Washington Capitals' colours. At this point, McLennan was runner-up to Félix Potvin as the CHL's best goalie, leading his team to the WHL Finals - a performance that would make him the 48th overall pick of the 1991 NHL Draft, chosen by the New York Islanders.

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Jamie McLennan: 4 Autographed Cards (Part 2)

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Which brings us to these two terrific cards, showing him in unusual poses:

On the left, perhaps the card with his best signature on it, is from Leaf's 1993-94 Donruss set (card #458), where he seems to be looking up at the scoreboard. On the right, mid-movement after a save - possibly the most smudged card of the four - is from Topps' 1994-95 Premier set (card #143), the first Premier set not to feature the O-Pee-Chee brand.

During the mid-90s, McLennan was proving too good for the minor leagues, but the Isles' net belonged to Ron Hextall. He split the 1995-96 season between the Isles (3-9-1 record), the IHL's Utah Grizzlies (9-2-2, 2.39 GAA and .911%) and the AHL's Worcester Ice Cats (14-7-1, 2.81 GAA and .905%) before contracting bacterial meningitis. As is often the case, the Islanders took the wrong decision and opted nt to renew McLennan's contract at season's end, prompting him to sign with the St. Louis Blues, who sent him to the AHL upon his recovery to regain his game shape. By 1997-98, he was back in the NHL, playing in 30 games (16.8-2, 2.17 GAA and .903%) on his way to earning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

In the 2000 Expansion Draft, he was claimed by the Minnesota Wild.

He looked good in the Wild's uniform, but expansion teams are rarely where one goes to improve on his statistics, so despite a 2.64 GAA and .905% playing in Jacques Lemaire's defensive system, he still went only 5-23-9 in 38 games, which led to his demotion to the AHL the following season. This card, #206 from Topps' 2000-01 Stadium Club set - a great-looking set on ultra-thick cardboard stock - is the only one I have of him as a Wild.

From then on, it was all back-up roles for McLennan, be it for the Calgary Flames (twice), New York Rangers or Florida Panthers - and a stint in Russia, followed by another one in Japan.

Upon retiring in 2008, he went back to Calgary, this time as director of goaltending development and scout; a year later he was named assistant coach to Brent Sutter - which is where we stand currently. In other words, he's now coaching Miikka Kiprusoff, who he has backed up twice.