First-ever Shark pick went to Stanley Cup with Philadelphia
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Farm Life Suits Falloon Just Fine - Steve Noble - Sep. 6, 2005 - Vol. 59, Issue. 02
In Foxwarren, Man., there is farming and there is hockey. Pat Falloon was born and raised there, and with his playing career finished, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 1991 is back where he started. But there were some interesting stops in between.
Playing junior in a hockey-mad city helped Falloon prepare for the NHL spotlight. Falloon was a living legend in Spokane, leading the Western League’s Chiefs to a Memorial Cup title in his final season and being crowned MVP.
When his draft day came, it was like a dream.
“Just having the opportunity to be at the draft and to hear your name called like that – it was real exciting,” said Falloon, who couldn’t imagine being picky about where he went. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget. That’s for sure.”
The best words of advice he ever got were passed on by his veteran roommate, Doug Wilson (now San Jose’s GM), when Falloon was a rookie: “Work hard and enjoy it while you’re there. Soak it up because it can pass quickly. Treat people with respect and you’ll get it back.”
Falloon said that is what he would recommend to Sidney Crosby. Not that he has any doubt about the young Penguin. “He’s going to be a star,” Falloon said.
Enter San Jose. “If you want to talk about how I knew I wasn’t in Canada anymore,” Falloon said, “the biggest thing was the weather in the middle of January.
The balmy climate was an indication of San Jose’s non-hockey background. “They hadn’t had hockey in that area for a lot of years, not since the Seals were there, so there wasn’t much of a fan base,” Falloon said, adding that crowds were supportive and enthusiastic nonetheless.
“We had a great atmosphere in the Cow Palace. They could only fit 10,000 in there, but the fans were cheering at offsides and everything else.”
In 1995, Falloon was traded to Philadelphia. His favorite NHL memory – playing in the Stanley Cup final – did not to come from the team that drafted him; it came from the Flyers. “1997 was very exciting; at the time it went by so fast,” Falloon said. “We had a great bunch of guys, but we just came up short. Detroit was running on all cylinders and we couldn’t get the timely goals.”
That Flyers team was led by a young Eric Lindros, the only player selected ahead of Falloon in 1991.
Falloon said at the level Lindros was playing then, No. 88 was the best player he ever played with. “He and Johnny LeClair were dominating at that time,” Falloon said. “When they got going they were fun to watch.”
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Some guys miss the roar of the crowd, some guys miss scoring – what Falloon misses most is the camaraderie. “The atmosphere, when you get to being with a bunch of guys day-in and day-out and you make friendships, being in that dressing room, messing with all the guys.”
Falloon is as proud of the friendships he made over his career as he is of any on-ice accomplishment. He keeps in touch with Shjon Podein and Jeff Odgers, who lives only a half-hour away from Falloon.
When asked why his NHL career didn’t last longer, Falloon, who retired at 28, said: “A combination of things, but mostly the game was changing to more of a trapping style and if you played a style where you’re a goalscorer and you don’t score 30 or 40 goals a year, then you can be replaced by a guy who specializes in checking.”
Falloon still has the midnight-black 1992 Dodge Stealth he bought after he signed his first NHL contract, stored in a shed behind his house. There isn’t much need for a sports car on the Falloon grain farm.
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The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.