Gilles Meloche

After playing junior for the Verdun Maple Leafs and loaned for the Quebec Remparts at the Memorial Cup, Meloche was the 70th player chosen in the 1970 amateur draft by the Chicago Black Hawks. His first professional season was spent mostly with Flint in the International League with a two-game stint with Chicago. Chicago was strong in goal with Tony Esposito, so Meloche was dealt to the California Golden Seals, one of the weakest teams in the league. In his first season with the Seals in 1971–72, he recorded a strong goals-against average of 3.33 and four shutouts, including one against the Boston Bruins, then a league powerhouse. The Seals\' fortunes continued to worsen but Meloche continued to play well as the club\'s number one goaltender. He faced a barrage of rubber for another four seasons up to the Seals\' relocation to Cleveland. For the next two seasons, Meloche solidly backstopped the Barons, as they were now called, with only a slight improvement in the team.\n', " Following the Barons' merger with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978, Meloche was Minnesota's primary goalie and experienced his greatest success there. He spent eight seasons with the North Stars and appeared in the NHL All-Star game in 1980 and 1982. Minnesota experienced success in the playoffs as well, with an appearance in the finals in 1981 and the semi-finals in 1980 and 1984.\n", ' Despite leading the North Stars with 32 starts in the 1984-85 season, the 34-year old Meloche was getting a significant push from fellow netminders Don Beaupre and Rollie Melanson, who was acquired from the New York Islanders during the season. With his contract up and two much younger netminders under contract, Meloche\'s rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers. With Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog firmly entrenched in the Oilers\' net, the trade was an odd fit and not surprisingly, Meloche was on the move again without ever playing a game for Edmonton. Prior to the 1985-86 season the Oilers sent Meloche to Pittsburgh in the deal that landed Marty McSorley in Edmonton.\n', '