Carolina Hurricanes: Ghosts of Goaltenders Past

27 Nov 2001: Goaltender Tom Barrasso #35 of the Carolina Huricanes guards the net during the NHL game against the Toronto Malple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. The Hurricanes defeated the Maple Leafs 5-2. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2001 NHLI Mandatory Credit: Dave Sandford/Getty Images/NHLI
27 Nov 2001: Goaltender Tom Barrasso #35 of the Carolina Huricanes guards the net during the NHL game against the Toronto Malple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. The Hurricanes defeated the Maple Leafs 5-2. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2001 NHLI Mandatory Credit: Dave Sandford/Getty Images/NHLI
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04/19/98 – MCI Center – Caps’ Peter Bondra shoots the puck high into the net as he scores a short-handed goal past Carolina goalie Pat Jablonski during 2nd period action. Bondra’s goal was his 2nd of the game and the 52nd of the season as the Caps went onto to win 2-1. – Photo By Rich Lipski TWP (Photo by Rich Lipski/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
04/19/98 – MCI Center – Caps’ Peter Bondra shoots the puck high into the net as he scores a short-handed goal past Carolina goalie Pat Jablonski during 2nd period action. Bondra’s goal was his 2nd of the game and the 52nd of the season as the Caps went onto to win 2-1. – Photo By Rich Lipski TWP (Photo by Rich Lipski/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

Pat Jablonski

Another journeyman goalie who ended his career with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pat Jablonski entered the 1997-98 goaltending carousel in Greensboro.  Signed as a  free agent, Jablonski appeared in five games for the Hurricanes after spending time with St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Montreal, and Phoenix.

How did he fare?

Not great, though to be fair, any Hurricanes goalie not named Trevor Kidd didn’t have much to write home about that year.  Once his time with the Hurricanes was up, Jablonski spent a couple of years in the IHL before heading over to Sweden.

Reflections: The biggest memory that I have of Pat Jablonski is seeing a pair of his practice pads for sale in Cool Sports in Raleigh many, many moons ago.  I was too young and too poor to buy them.

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