Tony Hand in 1987

[robbza]

Hey as a British hockey fan i decided to play the Oilers of 87 to try and keep Tony Hand in NA but i cant seem to find him, is there a way i can play a historical game with him?

[Duranium]

Originally Posted by robbza

Hey as a British hockey fan i decided to play the Oilers of 87 to try and keep Tony Hand in NA but i cant seem to find him, is there a way i can play a historical game with him?

ok...ehhmmm...who the hell is Tony Hand ???

[Bruins86]

If im not mistaken historical mode only has players with at least one game played at the NHL level and Hand only played three games in the WHL before he went back to England.

[Lukas Berger]

Originally Posted by Duranium

ok...ehhmmm...who the hell is Tony Hand ???

Probably one of the best hockey players to never play in the NHL. Surprised you haven't heard of him.

[JeffR]

Yeah, no non-NHLers in the historical database yet (aside from a few from the early 60's drafts I added experimentally; I'll be expanding on that as I have time.)

But there's actually a good stand-in for Hand: edit Ken Priestlay's biographical to Hand's. They were born a few days apart, played the same position, were pretty much the same size, and even played together near the beginning and end of their careers (Victoria in the WHL in 1986, Sheffield in the mid-90's), with similar stats both times. They're about as similar as players get, so turning Priestlay into Hand will give you a pretty good idea of how Hand would have done (his career will end about a decade earlier, but Hand wouldn't have been NHL-caliber for most of that period anyhow; and you may also want to bump Hand's pass/shoot into the teens, since Priestlay was more of a goalscorer.)

[archibalduk]

Originally Posted by lukasberger

Probably one of the best hockey players to never play in the NHL. Surprised you haven't heard of him.

I've always wondered what if he had stuck it out a little longer over in the NA. Maybe he'd have been a success. I really love this quote (I suggested it go in FHM's hints and quotes file, but I'm not sure it ever made it):

"At the training camp I could see that he had a great ability to read the ice and he was the smartest player there other than Wayne Gretzky. He skated well; his intelligence on the ice stood out. He was a real prospect." (Glen Sather on Tony Hand)

[robbza]

Originally Posted by Duranium

ok...ehhmmm...who the hell is Tony Hand ???

He is the best British hockey player to live, still playing at 46.

[robbza]

Originally Posted by JeffR

Yeah, no non-NHLers in the historical database yet (aside from a few from the early 60's drafts I added experimentally; I'll be expanding on that as I have time.)

But there's actually a good stand-in for Hand: edit Ken Priestlay's biographical to Hand's. They were born a few days apart, played the same position, were pretty much the same size, and even played together near the beginning and end of their careers (Victoria in the WHL in 1986, Sheffield in the mid-90's), with similar stats both times. They're about as similar as players get, so turning Priestlay into Hand will give you a pretty good idea of how Hand would have done (his career will end about a decade earlier, but Hand wouldn't have been NHL-caliber for most of that period anyhow; and you may also want to bump Hand's pass/shoot into the teens, since Priestlay was more of a goalscorer.)

Oh cool thanks just like the idea of seeing British flag on a NHL team

[batdad]

Originally Posted by robbza

He is the best British hockey player to live, still playing at 46.

Oy vay. Tony freaking Hand. I love it. I was shocked to see archi had not started this thread. His man crush was all he talked about at TBL back in the day.

Tony Hand would have been a heck of a good 2-3 line guy with the Oilers if he had wanted to be one. But he was too much in love with bangers mash and bad teeth and went back home where he was a hero to all the little kids like archi who loved him and hockey. All 10 of them.

[PromisedPain]

I consider myself kinda hardcore hockey fan and I've never heard of this Tony Hand guy either.

[batdad]

If you have not heard of Tony Hand...you are either.

1. Not hardcore enough.
2. not a friend of archi.


I believe Grant Fuhr was his goalie back in the day with the Victoria Cougars and that is how Glen Sather saw him. Although he was well known to most Western CAnada NHL Scouts.

Originally Posted by PromisedPain

I consider myself kinda hardcore hockey fan and I've never heard of this Tony Hand guy either.

Yet I bet you know of the Japanese guy Buffalo drafted

There's a recent documentary about it that was done by TSN I think, Archi might be able to link it, going by what Batdad says of him!

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by batdad

I believe Grant Fuhr was his goalie back in the day with the Victoria Cougars and that is how Glen Sather saw him. Although he was well known to most Western CAnada NHL Scouts.

No, Fuhr was in Victoria a few years earlier than that. Sather actually drafted Hand before his WHL experience. My best guess would be that he heard about him from Garry Unger, who'd gone over to Scotland to play after his Oilers career ended.

[archibalduk]

Originally Posted by Garethw87

There's a recent documentary about it that was done by TSN I think, Archi might be able to link it, going by what Batdad says of him!

Of course I do! It's my browser's home page (kidding)!

NHL Draft: Hand Picked - TSN Video (it seems to be a bit temperamental on Google Chrome, but should work on IE).

He said this season that he'd be reducing his ice time and concentrating more on coaching. However, on the occasions I've seen him play this season, he still seems to be pushing 20 mins ATOI - and he's currently 8th in pts leaders this season. Pretty impressive for someone who is 46.