AN ENERGETIC AND HARD-HITTING POWER FORWARD, SHAYNE CORSON’S BONE-RATTLING BODY CHECKS MADE HIM A FAN FAVORITE IN MONTREAL.

The 1984 NHL Entry Draft yielded a particularly good crop of prospects for the Montreal Canadiens. Their top four picks each enjoyed NHL careers that extended beyond the 1,000-game mark. With their second choice that year, the Habs chose Barrie, ON native Shayne Corson. A gritty, talented winger, he soon developed into one of the game’s top power forwards.

After appearing in three games in 1985-86, the 6-foot-1, 202-pounder stuck with the team for good the following season. Big, strong and fearless, Corson patrolled his wing relentlessly, dishing out punishing hits and coming to blows with opponents when things got rambunctious for the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

Seeing more ice time as he matured, Corson scored a dozen times in each of his first two seasons before breaking through with 26 goals in 1988-89. It was the first of three consecutive campaigns that he would surpass the 20-goal mark. Unflagging energy combined with his hard-hitting style made Corson a fan favorite as he thrilled Forum crowds with his bone-rattling checks and earned cheers for his spectacular rushes toward the enemy net.

Playing without regard for personal safety comes with certain costs and the young power forward paid the price. Only once in his 10 seasons with the Canadiens was he able to answer the call for every game on the schedule. Corson suffered an array of injuries that would make less determined men seek other employment. A broken jaw cost him a significant part of his rookie year. Knee, hip and groin injuries kept him out of the lineup for parts of the next campaign. As the years went by, Corson suffered separated shoulders, a broken toe, and numerous strains and sprains to other limbs, but it never deterred him from returning.

After seven years with Montreal, Corson was traded to Edmonton after the 1991-92 season, once again missing out by a single year when the Canadiens claimed the Stanley Cup in the spring of 1993.

After three years with the Oilers, Corson was on the move again. This time his destination was St. Louis, where he wore the Blues colors for a year and a half before returning to Montreal early in the 1996-97 season.

Corson’s second stint in Montreal showed he still had the drive and desire to be successful. The 1997-98 season brought with it the fifth 20-goal season of his career and a third All-Star Game appearance. His renaissance also earned him a invite to join Team Canada at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano.

Unfortunately, his style of play still resulted in lost time. Hip, groin, abdomen, rib, knee and eye injuries all plagued Corson after his return to Montreal, as did flare-ups of an intestinal disorder that had first been diagnosed when he was a teenager.

In 2000, Corson elected to sign with Toronto and left Montreal a second time. He took with him a record of 168 goals and 255 assists in 662 regular season games, and another 63 playoff points in his 90 postseason appearances with the Habs.

After three years with the Maple Leafs, Corson played his 17th and final NHL season with the Dallas Stars and retired following the 2003-04 season.