Jim Sandlak
Encyclopedia
James Sandlak, Jr. is a retired professional ice hockey
player who spent 11 seasons in the National Hockey League
and was known as "The House" due to his large stature.
with the 4th overall pick in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft
, Sandlak was a highly-touted prospect who at 6'4" and 220 lbs. was projected to be a star power forward
in the NHL. He cemented this status with a dominant performance at the 1986 World Junior Championships
, at which he was the captain of the Canadian team and was named the tournament's top forward. Convinced that Sandlak was a better prospect than the slow-developing Cam Neely
(who played the same position and style), Canuck management decided that the future Hall of Famer
Neely was expendable, and dealt him to the Boston Bruins
for Barry Pederson
in what would later be labelled by many commentators as one of the worst trades ever made.
Sandlak had a solid rookie year in 1986–87, scoring 15 goals and being selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team
. After a poor training camp in 1987, he was sent to the AHL
, but responded well upon his recall, scoring 16 goals in just 49 games. He scored 20 goals the following season, but continued to struggle with comparisons to the now-superstar Neely and frustrate fans and management alike with his inconsistency. By the 1990–91 season he was little more than a bit player on the Canucks, scoring just 6 goals.
However, Sandlak rebounded in 1991–92 to play the best hockey of his career on a rejuvenated Canuck team. Playing largely with Sergio Momesso
and Cliff Ronning
(a line dubbed the "Twin Towers" due to Ronning's small stature accentuating the size of his two larger linemates), Sandlak matched his career high of 40 points despite missing almost 20 games due to injury. In the 1992 playoffs, Sandlak finally put his game together and looked like the power forward he was always supposed to be, as he was arguably the best player in Vancouver's opening-round victory against Winnipeg, and contributed 10 points in that playoffs while playing a dominant physical game.
However, just as Sandlak's career appeared headed in the right direction, injuries began to take their toll. His 1992–93 season was plagued by back problems which caused him to miss 25 games as well as most of the playoffs, and limited him to just 10 goals. Following the season, he was dealt to the Hartford Whalers
as the future considerations in the Murray Craven
trade. His two seasons with the Whalers were an absolute nightmare, however, as wrist, foot, knee, and heel injuries limited him to just 40 games and 8 points over that span. Released by the Whalers in 1995, he returned to Vancouver for the 1995–96 season, but again struggled with injuries (this time a stress fracture to a vertebra in his back) and his level of play had dropped off considerably. Following a failed tryout with Buffalo the following season he retired from the NHL, although he returned after a year off for a season in Germany before leaving the game for good.
Sandlak finished his career with totals of 110 goals and 229 points in 549 career games, along with 821 penalty minutes. According to a 2006 issue of The Hockey News
, Sandlak retired to London, Ontario
where he owns and operates a landscaping company. He also coaches youth hockey in the London Knights
system. He has two sons named Carter and Patrick. Carter played for Guelph Storm and just finished his first season for the Belleville Bulls. Patrick is going off to University.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player who spent 11 seasons in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and was known as "The House" due to his large stature.
Playing career
Selected by the Vancouver CanucksVancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
with the 4th overall pick in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft
1985 NHL Entry Draft
The 1985 NHL Entry Draft was the first draft outside of Montreal. The event was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, and attended by 7,000 fans. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the...
, Sandlak was a highly-touted prospect who at 6'4" and 220 lbs. was projected to be a star power forward
Power forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, power forward is a loosely applied characterization of a forward who is big and strong, equally capable of playing physically or scoring goals and would most likely have high totals in both points and penalties...
in the NHL. He cemented this status with a dominant performance at the 1986 World Junior Championships
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
, at which he was the captain of the Canadian team and was named the tournament's top forward. Convinced that Sandlak was a better prospect than the slow-developing Cam Neely
Cam Neely
Cameron Michael Neely is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League from 1983 to 1996. He currently serves as the president of the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:Cam Neely was born in Comox,...
(who played the same position and style), Canuck management decided that the future Hall of Famer
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
Neely was expendable, and dealt him to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
for Barry Pederson
Barry Pederson
Barry Alan Pederson is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League between 1980 and 1992...
in what would later be labelled by many commentators as one of the worst trades ever made.
Sandlak had a solid rookie year in 1986–87, scoring 15 goals and being selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team
NHL All-Rookie Team
The NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...
. After a poor training camp in 1987, he was sent to the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, but responded well upon his recall, scoring 16 goals in just 49 games. He scored 20 goals the following season, but continued to struggle with comparisons to the now-superstar Neely and frustrate fans and management alike with his inconsistency. By the 1990–91 season he was little more than a bit player on the Canucks, scoring just 6 goals.
However, Sandlak rebounded in 1991–92 to play the best hockey of his career on a rejuvenated Canuck team. Playing largely with Sergio Momesso
Sergio Momesso
Sergio F. Momesso is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent 13 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1983 and 1997.-Playing career:...
and Cliff Ronning
Cliff Ronning
Clifford John Ronning is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 7th round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, 134th overall...
(a line dubbed the "Twin Towers" due to Ronning's small stature accentuating the size of his two larger linemates), Sandlak matched his career high of 40 points despite missing almost 20 games due to injury. In the 1992 playoffs, Sandlak finally put his game together and looked like the power forward he was always supposed to be, as he was arguably the best player in Vancouver's opening-round victory against Winnipeg, and contributed 10 points in that playoffs while playing a dominant physical game.
However, just as Sandlak's career appeared headed in the right direction, injuries began to take their toll. His 1992–93 season was plagued by back problems which caused him to miss 25 games as well as most of the playoffs, and limited him to just 10 goals. Following the season, he was dealt to the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
as the future considerations in the Murray Craven
Murray Craven
Murray Dean Craven is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1982–83 and 1999–2000.-Playing career:...
trade. His two seasons with the Whalers were an absolute nightmare, however, as wrist, foot, knee, and heel injuries limited him to just 40 games and 8 points over that span. Released by the Whalers in 1995, he returned to Vancouver for the 1995–96 season, but again struggled with injuries (this time a stress fracture to a vertebra in his back) and his level of play had dropped off considerably. Following a failed tryout with Buffalo the following season he retired from the NHL, although he returned after a year off for a season in Germany before leaving the game for good.
Sandlak finished his career with totals of 110 goals and 229 points in 549 career games, along with 821 penalty minutes. According to a 2006 issue of The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
, Sandlak retired to London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
where he owns and operates a landscaping company. He also coaches youth hockey in the London Knights
London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...
system. He has two sons named Carter and Patrick. Carter played for Guelph Storm and just finished his first season for the Belleville Bulls. Patrick is going off to University.
Awards and achievements
- Named top forward at the 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships1986 World Junior Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 10th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held from December 26, 1985, until January 4, 1986. It was held mainly in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Soviet Union won the gold medal, its seventh championship, Canada...
- Won silver medal at 1986 World Junior Championships
- Named to 1986–87 NHL All-Rookie TeamNHL All-Rookie TeamThe NHL All-Rookie Team is chosen by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from the best rookies in the National Hockey League at each position for the season just concluded based on their performance in that year...
Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982-83 Kitchener Rangers OHL 1 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1983-84 London Knights OHL 68 23 18 41 143 8 1 11 12 13
1984-85 London Knights OHL 58 40 24 64 128 8 3 2 5 14
1985-86 Vancouver Canucks NHL 23 1 3 4 10 3 0 1 1 0
1985-86 London Knights OHL 16 7 13 20 36 5 2 3 5 24
1986-87 Vancouver Canucks NHL 78 15 21 36 66 -- -- -- -- --
1987-88 Vancouver Canucks NHL 49 16 15 31 81 -- -- -- -- --
1987-88 Fredericton Express AHL 24 10 15 25 47 -- -- -- -- --
1988-89 Vancouver Canucks NHL 72 20 20 40 99 6 1 1 2 2
1989-90 Vancouver Canucks NHL 70 15 8 23 104 -- -- -- -- --
1990-91 Vancouver Canucks NHL 59 7 6 13 125 -- -- -- -- --
1991-92 Vancouver Canucks NHL 66 16 24 40 176 13 4 6 10 22
1992-93 Vancouver Canucks NHL 59 10 18 28 122 6 2 2 4 4
1993-94 Hartford Whalers NHL 27 6 2 8 32 -- -- -- -- --
1994-95 Hartford Whalers NHL 13 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1995-96 Vancouver Canucks NHL 33 4 2 6 6 5 0 0 0 2
1995-96 Syracuse Crunch AHL 12 6 1 7 16 -- -- -- -- --
1997-98 Ingolstadt ERC Ger.1 21 6 9 15 85 -- -- -- -- --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Totals 549 110 119 229 821 33 7 10 17 30
Coaching statistics
Season Team Lge Type
2007-08 Sarnia Sting OHL Assistant Coach