From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013
looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their
Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 2 looks at veteran forward Jamal Mayers' long quest for Lord Stanley's Cup.
Jamal Mayers was born on October 24th, 1974, in Toronto, Ontario. His playing career began at age 16 with the Ontario Junior B league team in Markham, the Thunderbirds, where in 1990-1991 he put up twelve goals and twenty-four assists in forty-four games, as well as seventy-eight penalty minutes. The next season saw him at the Ontario Junior A league with the Thornhill Thunderbirds, where in fifty-six games he registered thirty-eight goals and sixty-seven assists as a star offensive forward. He left the Junior hockey system in 1992, electing to play college hockey at Western Michigan University from 1992 to 1996. During this time, he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round of the 1993 entry draft. At the end of his college career, Mayers joined the American Hockey League affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, the Worcester IceCats for the 1996-1997 season, and he recorded twelve goals and fourteen assists as well as 104 penalty minutes in sixty-two games. This season helped to establish his role as a gritty, third-line style player with occasional point production as well. He earned a call-up to the NHL at the end of the season, playing in six games while earning an assist. Mayers spent all of the 1997-1998 season at Worcester, and improved to nineteen goals and twenty-four assists in sixty-one games, while also sitting for 117 penalty minutes. The next year, Mayers produced sixteen points in twenty games with the IceCats, and then joined the Blues, recording four goals and five assists in thirty-four games, as well as forty penalty minutes. From 1999-2008, Mayers stayed with the Blues full-time, with the exception of the cancelled 2004-2005 season due to the lockout. During that time, he was generally good for around 8-10 goals, 10-12 assists, and 90-100 penalty minutes, except in 2002-2003, where he only played in fifteen games. Over these nine years, Mayers also represented Canada at the World Championships three times, with seven goals and four assists over twenty-five games in those tournaments. During the lockout in 2004, Mayers went to Sweden, playing in the second-tier league with Hammarby IF Stockholm and recording twenty-two points in nineteen games. He then returned to North America to finish the season with the Missouri River Otters in the UHL, posting seven points and sixty-eight penalty minutes in thirteen games. Also over the span of his time with the Blues, he appeared in Stanley Cup playoffs, playing in forty-eight games while accumulating thirteen points, but never reaching the Finals. Prior to the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Mayers was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a third round selection, which was used on James Livingston. For the 2008-2009 season, Mayers played with the Maple Leafs in seventy-one games, with seven goals and nine assists to go with eighty-two penalty minutes. Mayers began 2009-2010 with the Maple Leafs as well, earning eight points in forty-four games, while racking up seventy-eight penalty minutes, before being included in the blockbuster trade that saw the Maple Leafs send Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Ian White, and Mayers to the Calgary Flames for star defenseman Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom, and Keith Aulie on January 31st, 2010. This trade has been considered one of the most lopsided trades in the last decade. Finishing out the season with the Flames, Mayers had one goal and five assists to go with fifty-three penalty minutes in twenty-seven games. On August 4th, 2010, Mayers signed with the San Jose Sharks for the upcoming season, and played in seventy-eight games during the season, scoring three goals and assisting on eleven others while posting 124 penalty minutes, his most since 2005-2006 with the Blues. In the postseason, Mayers appeared in twelve games and had only twelve penalty minutes to show for it. Mayers was not resigned by the Sharks in the offseason, and he later signed a one year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 2011-2012, Mayers potted six goals and nine assists in a career-high eighty-one games, while trimming his penalty minutes to ninety-one, as well as three more playoff games with no points or penalty minutes. The Blackhawks resigned Mayers for the lockout-shortened 2013 season, but he only appeared in nineteen games, managing just two assists and sixteen penalty minutes. Mayers made no postseason appearances in his fifteenth NHL season, watching from the press box as his teammates with the Blackhawks hoisted the Stanley Cup. Since he did not meet the requirements for automatic inclusion on the Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks will have to petition the league for approval to put his name on it. Regardless, Mayers was finally a part of a championship team for the first time in his long career. Mayers is also notable as one of the few black hockey players in the 1990s and 2000s, helping to promote hockey for all races.
Jamal Mayers was born on October 24th, 1974, in Toronto, Ontario. His playing career began at age 16 with the Ontario Junior B league team in Markham, the Thunderbirds, where in 1990-1991 he put up twelve goals and twenty-four assists in forty-four games, as well as seventy-eight penalty minutes. The next season saw him at the Ontario Junior A league with the Thornhill Thunderbirds, where in fifty-six games he registered thirty-eight goals and sixty-seven assists as a star offensive forward. He left the Junior hockey system in 1992, electing to play college hockey at Western Michigan University from 1992 to 1996. During this time, he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round of the 1993 entry draft. At the end of his college career, Mayers joined the American Hockey League affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, the Worcester IceCats for the 1996-1997 season, and he recorded twelve goals and fourteen assists as well as 104 penalty minutes in sixty-two games. This season helped to establish his role as a gritty, third-line style player with occasional point production as well. He earned a call-up to the NHL at the end of the season, playing in six games while earning an assist. Mayers spent all of the 1997-1998 season at Worcester, and improved to nineteen goals and twenty-four assists in sixty-one games, while also sitting for 117 penalty minutes. The next year, Mayers produced sixteen points in twenty games with the IceCats, and then joined the Blues, recording four goals and five assists in thirty-four games, as well as forty penalty minutes. From 1999-2008, Mayers stayed with the Blues full-time, with the exception of the cancelled 2004-2005 season due to the lockout. During that time, he was generally good for around 8-10 goals, 10-12 assists, and 90-100 penalty minutes, except in 2002-2003, where he only played in fifteen games. Over these nine years, Mayers also represented Canada at the World Championships three times, with seven goals and four assists over twenty-five games in those tournaments. During the lockout in 2004, Mayers went to Sweden, playing in the second-tier league with Hammarby IF Stockholm and recording twenty-two points in nineteen games. He then returned to North America to finish the season with the Missouri River Otters in the UHL, posting seven points and sixty-eight penalty minutes in thirteen games. Also over the span of his time with the Blues, he appeared in Stanley Cup playoffs, playing in forty-eight games while accumulating thirteen points, but never reaching the Finals. Prior to the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Mayers was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a third round selection, which was used on James Livingston. For the 2008-2009 season, Mayers played with the Maple Leafs in seventy-one games, with seven goals and nine assists to go with eighty-two penalty minutes. Mayers began 2009-2010 with the Maple Leafs as well, earning eight points in forty-four games, while racking up seventy-eight penalty minutes, before being included in the blockbuster trade that saw the Maple Leafs send Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Ian White, and Mayers to the Calgary Flames for star defenseman Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom, and Keith Aulie on January 31st, 2010. This trade has been considered one of the most lopsided trades in the last decade. Finishing out the season with the Flames, Mayers had one goal and five assists to go with fifty-three penalty minutes in twenty-seven games. On August 4th, 2010, Mayers signed with the San Jose Sharks for the upcoming season, and played in seventy-eight games during the season, scoring three goals and assisting on eleven others while posting 124 penalty minutes, his most since 2005-2006 with the Blues. In the postseason, Mayers appeared in twelve games and had only twelve penalty minutes to show for it. Mayers was not resigned by the Sharks in the offseason, and he later signed a one year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 2011-2012, Mayers potted six goals and nine assists in a career-high eighty-one games, while trimming his penalty minutes to ninety-one, as well as three more playoff games with no points or penalty minutes. The Blackhawks resigned Mayers for the lockout-shortened 2013 season, but he only appeared in nineteen games, managing just two assists and sixteen penalty minutes. Mayers made no postseason appearances in his fifteenth NHL season, watching from the press box as his teammates with the Blackhawks hoisted the Stanley Cup. Since he did not meet the requirements for automatic inclusion on the Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks will have to petition the league for approval to put his name on it. Regardless, Mayers was finally a part of a championship team for the first time in his long career. Mayers is also notable as one of the few black hockey players in the 1990s and 2000s, helping to promote hockey for all races.
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