A Series: Looking into Avalanche and Nordiques Player Numbers: Number 50

Fitty!

Dan Lambert - Lambert is a defenseman drafted by the Nordiques in the 6th round of the 1989 draft - the Adam Foote / Mats Sundin / Pretty Much No One Else Draft. He played 29 games with the Nordiques in 1990-91 and 91-92 and actually had some decent numbers - 6 goals, 15 points. But after the '92 season, Quebec traded him to the Jets for enforcer Shawn Cronin; Lambert couldn't crack the Jets lineup and never saw NHL action again. He did have a long career, though, finishing with 10 years in Germany. Since retiring in 2009, he's been an assistant coach for the Kelowna Rockets - Tyson Barrie's WHL team.

Brian Willsie - Riding high after winning the Stanley Cup, the Avs drafted 13 players in the 96 draft...and laid an egg. Dan Hinote, drafted in the 7th round, topped the Avs' '96 draftees with 394 games in an Avalanche jersey. Brian Willsie (6th round) is 2nd with 69 games. Sami Pahlsson and Mark Parrish did have long NHL careers, but never played for the Avs). Other high picks like Peter Ratchuk and Yuri Babenko laid an egg. Willsie scored 15 points in those 59 games before being claimed on waivers by the Capitals before the 2002 season. Willsie returned to the Avalanche for two more seasons in 2008, but wore #18 this time around. He's still active, currently playing for the Finnish team that Kevin Shattenkirk played for during the lockout.

Derek Peltier - The 2004 draft was another poor draft for the Avalanche. Wojtek Wolski was their top pick and Brandon Yip was an 8th round selection. The next two players in terms of NHL games played were Victor Oreskovich (67 games, none for the Avalanche) and Derek Peltier (14 games, 11 of them wearing #50, 3 wearing #6). Peltier has gone overseas, currently playing in Germany.