10 Hockey Hall of Famers Who You May Forget Played for Other Teams

Bobby Orr made hockey history with the Boston Bruins, but don’t forget he finished his time in the NHL with Chicago. Here’s a look at some Hall of Fame players and the “other” teams they suited up for.

One of the best things about being a hockey fan is being nostalgic and reminiscing about former players.

The Hockey Hall of Fame induction celebration finishes Monday evening, an event that will have hockey fans reminiscing, whether it was how dominant Tom Barrasso was at 18 years old or the flashy offensive prowess of a young Pierre Turgeon. These players gave fans a lot of memorable moments, but you may not remember their pit stops along the way to the Hall, like Barrasso’s abbreviated stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs or Turgeon’s short tenure with the Avs.

Here are some other Hall of Famers you may have forgotten played for other teams:

2023 Hall of Fame inductee Mike Vernon was one of the best goalies in Flames and Red Wings history, winning a Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1989 and with Detroit in 1997. Later in his career, he was traded to the Florida Panthers in 1999-2000 and played 34 games following a shoulder injury to then-Panthers starter Trevor Kidd. Vernon returned to Calgary the following year and played two more seasons before retiring as a Flame in 2002.

A super-team formed in the summer of 2003 when the Avalanche signed Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne to one-year deals. However, their Stanley Cup dream was rudely awakened when the San Jose Sharks eliminated them in the second round. Kariya then left for Nashville, and Selanne returned to the Ducks.

The Russian Rocket was one of the best goal-scorers of his generation and was a fan favorite. Many may forget, however, that he ended his career with the New York Rangers. He joined them via trade in March 2002 but barely played due to injuries and was forced to retire after 51 games (and 31 goals) over the 2001-02 and ’02-03 seasons.

One of the greatest plays in the sport's history is Orr’s game-winning goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup final to win the Bruins their first Cup in nearly 30 years. He will always be remembered as one of the best players of all-time, but people sometimes forget that he ended his career in Chicago, where he signed as a free agent. Orr only played 26 games across three seasons due to knee injuries that ended his career at age 30.

One of the most recognizable legends in the sport, Guy Lafleur, is famed for his exploits with the mighty Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s. Following a rocky relationship with Habs management, Lafleur retired in 1985 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 before coming out of retirement and playing three seasons between the Rangers and Nordiques.

The Penguins were dominant in the early 1990s and looked to continue their winning ways when they traded for the Rangers' offensive defenseman, Sergei Zubov, in 1995-96. He played one season for Pittsburgh and recorded a whopping 66 points in 64 games as the team was one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup final but lost in seven games to the Florida Panthers. Zubov then left for Dallas, where he went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

The Blues were badly hurt in net as they lost starting goalie Brian Elliott. Brodeur, who was 42, was an unsigned free agent, so he joined the Blues for seven appearances before retiring after Elliott returned. He took up the role of special assistant to Blues GM Doug Armstrong and later became the assistant GM the following season.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion was one of the Habs’ best players throughout the 1980s and one of the best defensive forwards that the game has ever seen. He won two Cups and three Selke Trophies with Montreal and amassed 547 points in 912 games with the team. He was dealt in 1994 to the St. Louis Blues for now-Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery. Carbonneau left the following season for Dallas, where he spent five seasons and won his third Cup in 2000 before retiring.

Adam Oates was a Washington Capital for a sizable part of his career but was also well known for his time with the Bruins and Blues. When the Caps were out of playoff contention in the 2001-02 season, he was dealt to a contending Flyers team, where he played only 14 games and was eliminated in the first round by a red-hot Patrick Lalime and the Ottawa Senators. He retired two seasons later in 2004.

Tim Horton is the founder of the most well-known coffee-and-donut shop in Canada, and many know him as a Toronto Maple Leaf. People forget, however, that he played for the Penguins briefly after being claimed in the Original Six-era intra-league draft. At 41, he signed a one-year contract for an estimated $100,000, the largest contract in Penguins history at the time.

Correction: Sergei Zubov spent the 1995-96 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. We apologize for the original error.