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By-Tor · 01-15-2025, 10:30 PM

The, Best Players in the History of the SHL

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There have been many, many players that have played games in the SHL - over 2,800 since its inception. As we know, many of these players have funny names or are named after famous people/characters/etc. In this article, we will be examining all of the players in the history of the SHL to have the word "The" in their name. The "the" list is pretty short. Of the 2,800+ players who have played at least one game in the SHL, there have been only 11 with "the" in their name. Without further ado, let's dive into the list:

Honorable Mention:
Face of the Franchise
Forward
Tampa Bay Barracuda
Season 54

With 11 "The" players, someone had to be left out of the top 10. That honor goes to Face of the Franchise. Franchise ended up playing a whopping 7 games in the SHL. The records show that he played those 7 games for the infamous 0-50-0 Tampa Bay team in Season 54, but I can't verify that with a secondary source. Franchise was selected 40th overall by the Lethbridge Lions in Season 49 and went undrafted in the Season 50 draft. Despite his name, Face of the Franchise was barely even included with any franchise and "poof"ed from SHL existence before he even got going. Used as a filler for those 7 games, Franchise registered zero points and a minus 11 rating. His forgetful career landed him squarely in last place for the "The"s.

10.
Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolonged Jr III
Forward
Manhattan Rage
Seasons 14 - 17

Wowbagger The Infinitely Prolongled Jr III played 200 games in the SHL, but did not have much of an impact. Records indicate that he only bagged 16 points in four seasons in the SHL (although I believe these stats are incomplete and incorrect). Really just a plug for those Manhattan teams, The Infinitely Prolonged Jr III never won an award or a cup. He had an overall unremarkable career in the early days of the SHL and faded into obscurity. Probably won't even get his own trading card smh.

9.
The Carl Mountain
Defenseman
Texas Renegades, Seattle Riot, West Kendall Platoon
Seasons 24 - 35

Drafted 28th overall by Calgary in the S23 SHL draft, The Carl Mountain played 487 games in the SHL for three different clubs. Like some of these earlier players, I'm not convinced that their numbers are correct because Mountain only amasses 39 points in those 487 games. Either way, he is ranked low because he was never very good. Also, it is sometimes jarring scrolling back into the roots of the SHL and reading through some of these old posts lol.

8.
Patches The III
Defense
Edmonton Blizzard, Buffalo Stampede
Seasons 68 - 75

Patches The III was a defensive defenseman that never hit 1300 TPE and was generally a product of a good team lifting him up. Despite being a defensive D, they didn't block many shots outside of their final three seasons. They did spend a lot of time on the penalty kill. Patches The III's major claim to fame is the fact they hold the #2 (+78) and #5 spot (+74) in the single-season plus minus records. As a caveat, though, 3 of the other top 9 performances came from concurrent teammates and/or defensive partners. I don't want to knock them that much - they had a serviceable career as a middle defenseman. Their low ranking is more of a testament to the skill above them on the list.

7.
The Black Knight
Forward
Edmonton Comets
Season 9

This entry is a bit of a trick because The Black Knight is the persona for another well known SHL player. When Edmonton needed him most in Season 9, he appeared out of thin air. Mysteriously, the prolific tough guy Laraque Obama disappeared that same season. The Black Knight did put up 34 points in 50 games, which is pretty good. Adding in the 135 hits, the physical presence that Knight brought was notable. The Black Knight was 5th in points on a low scoring Edmonton crew, T-2 in goals, so his positive impact brought him up the list. His one season in the limelight is a limiting factor for his impact on the list of "The"s.

6.
Mark "The Tater Tot" Jagerson
Forward
Philadelphia Forge
Seasons 79 - Present

Our youngest player on this list, the aptly named "The Tater Tot" is our first active player on this list. Only appearing in two seasons so far, Jagerson has made his mark known. In 132 games, Jagerson has put up 92 points, 172 hits, and 213 shots in only 15:47 of average ice time. It's impressive for a young player. Granted, the team is very good, but he is still contributing in a meaningful way, more than others below him on the list. I expect for him to have a great career, and he will no doubt climb up this list, closer to the level of his Tater father.

5.
Pasta The Turtle
Defenseman
Edmonton Blizzard, Chicago Syndicate, Los Angeles Panthers, Calgary Dragons
Seasons 62 - 72

Pasta the Turtle was a true defensive defenseman. They won no awards during their career and won no cups, but boy could they block shots. Playing in 726 games over 11 seasons, Turtle had only 246 points but logged 1762 blocked shots and 1006 hits. Peaking only at 1500 TPE, Pasta the Turtle was used in a middle 6 defensive role, most efficiently in their peak seasons where they blocked a career high 266 shots in one season and 264 in the one before that (2nd in the league in both S68 and S67). While they accumulated a lot of good stats, they very much played a role on their team and never was able to break through for a Cup.

4.
Nibbles the Squirrel
Forward
Philadelphia Forge, Hamilton Steelhawks
Seasons 69 - 76

Registering 513 points in 528 games, Nibbles the Squirrel was the perfect depth scorer for the Forge. Always averaging around 17 minutes of ice time per game, Nibbles the Squirrel was a high shot volume, hard hitting goal producer. They never had much powerplay time, never had much opportunity with how much skill was around them, but made the most of it. They won the Jesster trophy their rookie year and was named to the Rookie All-Star team. They are our first on this list to win a Challenge Cup, in Season 69 with the Forge. One might have hoped that they earned more TPE in their career to see what could have happened, as they peaked around 1600 TPE. Squirrel might have blossomed into their top line player if so. They still had a decent career and got their cup, something most on this list cannot say.

3.
The Murray
Forward
Tampa Bay Barracuda
Seasons 76 - Present

Our only other active player on the list, The Murray is blossoming into a dominant player. Already third in points on a very good Tampa team by his third year in the league, he has eclipsed 75 points in a season 4 times in his 6 seasons. In 396 games, The Murray has 424 points, 601 hits, and 351 PIM. The Murray is a physical player who puts up the points and is leading his team towards a cup. The Murray won the Jesster as best Rookie and was named to the All-Star team that year. In the minors, they won a Four-Star cup with Detroit and look to repeat that trend with Tampa Bay.

2.
Makrus "The Tater" Jager
Forward
Edmonton Blizzard, New England Wolfpack
Seasons 62 - 75

Our player on this list with the most points, games played, shots, PIMs, hits and goals, Makrus "The Tater" Jager is one of the best "The" players to lace up the skates. It was really close between him and the #1 on this list. Jager's accolades are as follows: 2 Challenge Cups, 1 Ron Mexico, 3 All-Star noms, a Khan nom, a Richan nom, and a Dar nom. One of the most complete players to play in the FHM era, Makrus "The Tater" Jager was a powerful force on the Wolfpack and really put up the points despite only 4 of his 14 seasons on the main power play. You may just see his points and see how great he was, but what is hidden behind that is how great a two-way forward he was with a prowess for blocking shots.

1.
The Dude
Defenseman
Texas Renegades, Buffalo Stampede, Chicago Syndicate
Seasons 40 - 52

Out top "The" player, The Dude is our only Hall of Famer on this list. Inducted to the Hall of Fame in Season 62, The Dude had a prolific career as a two-way defenseman. Getting two Scott Stevens nominations total and winning one, The Dude was never able to capture a cup, but helped revolutionize the defense position in a time where defensemen did not score as much. With 1000 blocked shots and 900 hits, he was all over the ice making his presence felt. It is my opinion that he is the best "The" player of all time.

Coming Soon...
There are currently two active "The" players in the SMJHL: The Puck and Gandalf the Grey. Will either of these players make an impact when they hit the SHL level? How high might they climb? Time will tell!

I hope you enjoyed my ranking, and I'd love to hear how you would rank them instead! Cheers!