Sergio Momesso
Encyclopedia
Sergio F. Momesso is a retired professional ice hockey
player who spent 13 seasons in the National Hockey League
between 1983 and 1997.
of the QMJHL
, and was drafted 27th overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft
by his hometown Montreal Canadiens
. He made his NHL debut the following season at the age of just 18, playing a single game for the Canadiens, but remained in junior for most of the following two seasons, during which time he began to dominate the QMJHL and establish himself as a blue-chip NHL prospect. In 1984–85, he recorded 56 goals and 146 points in just 64 games, along with 216 penalty minutes, and was named QMJHL Player of the Year.
For the 1985–86 NHL season, Momesso made the Habs' roster out of training camp and meshed well on a line with Brian Skrudland
and Mike McPhee
, recording an impressive 8 goals and 15 points in his first 24 games to start his career. However, he suffered a knee injury in December 1985 against the Boston Bruins
that shelved him for the rest of the season; it also cost him an opportunity to engrave his name on the Stanley Cup
as Montreal went on to win that season. Montreal still include Momesso on the 1986 Montreal Canadiens team winning picture, and gave him a Stanley Cup ring.
Momesso would spend two more seasons in Montreal but never recaptured the form of his rookie year, battling injuries and frustrating the team with his inconsistency. At the conclusion of the 1987–88 season, he was dealt to the St. Louis Blues in a multi-player trade.
After a mediocre first season in St. Louis during which he recorded 26 points in 53 games, Momesso's career took an upward turn in 1989–90 when he was placed on a line with superstar sniper Brett Hull
and playmaking centre Adam Oates
. Spending much of the season on the Blues' top line, Momesso turned in the most productive year of his career, finishing with 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points, along with 199 penalty minutes. However, he would lose his spot on the top line in 1990–91, and recorded just 10 goals through his first 59 appearances.
, Cliff Ronning
, and Robert Dirk
for Garth Butcher
and Dan Quinn
. The deal would prove to be a heist in favour of Vancouver, as all four players they acquired would be significant contributors for several seasons, and is still regarded as perhaps the best trade in Canuck franchise history. Momesso got his Canuck career off to a fine start, recording 6 goals in 11 games to help the team on a successful late-season push to qualify for the playoffs.
Momesso's stay in Vancouver, although up-and-down at times, would be the longest stop of his career. He continued to show glimpses of his ability to be an above-average power forward, but would frustrate with stretches of ineffective, uninspired play and was prone to undisciplined penalties. Through his first two seasons in Vancouver, he played largely on a line with Jim Sandlak
and his former St. Louis teammmate Cliff Ronning
, with the two large wingers used to create space for the diminutive Ronning. (As a result, the line would be known as 'the Twin Towers'). In 1991–92, he played some of the best hockey of his career to finish with 20 goals and 43 points despite missing 26 games due to injury. In 1992–93, he had another solid year to finish with 18 goals and 38 points, as well as a career-high 200 penalty minutes.
1993–94 would be a struggle for Momesso, as he struggled and finished with just 27 points, his lowest total since 1989, and was a target for substantial criticism from Vancouver fans and media. However, he redeemed himself in the 1994 playoffs, as his strong physical play on a line with Martin Gelinas
and Nathan LaFayette
was one of the catalysts for Vancouver's run to the Stanley Cup Finals
. Along the way, he scored what was probably the biggest goal of his career, an overtime winner against the Dallas Stars
.
for Mike Ridley
. However, his career would go on a downward spiral after leaving Vancouver. He never found his legs in Toronto and was dealt after only 54 games to the New York Rangers
, finishing the season with just 11 goals and 23 points in 73 games. In 1996–97, his production dried up completely; dealt mid-season back to the St. Louis Blues, he finished the year with just 1 goal and 4 points in 40 games.
Unable to get another NHL contract, Momesso signed in Germany
and enjoyed four successful seasons there before retiring in 2001. He finished his NHL career with totals of 152 goals and 193 assists for 345 points in 710 games, along with 1557 penalty minutes. He never missed the NHL playoffs in his career, and recorded 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points in 119 postseason games.
He returned to North America to act as an assistant coach at Concordia University
and for Shawinigan. Momesso's family owns a very popular restaurant in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
district and Sergio has opened his own restaurant, Caffe Momesso.
On September 16, 2010, it was announced that Momesso would join the broadcast team with CJAD radio as colour commentator and game analyst for Montreal Canadiens broadcasts.
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 13 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...
between 1983 and 1997.
Playing career
Blessed with size and a mean streak to go with a soft touch around the net, Momesso played his junior hockey for the Shawinigan CataractesShawinigan Cataractes
The Shawinigan Cataractes are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Shawinigan, Quebec. The Cataractes have been previously known as the Shawinigan Bruins until 1973, and were called the Shawinigan Dynamos from 1973–78.The Cataractes play their...
of the QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
, and was drafted 27th overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft
1983 NHL Entry Draft
The 1983 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1983. The NHL Entry Draft is the primary means by which players arrive in the National Hockey League. The St. Louis Blues did not participate in this draft, shortly after the league blocked the franchise's...
by his hometown Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. He made his NHL debut the following season at the age of just 18, playing a single game for the Canadiens, but remained in junior for most of the following two seasons, during which time he began to dominate the QMJHL and establish himself as a blue-chip NHL prospect. In 1984–85, he recorded 56 goals and 146 points in just 64 games, along with 216 penalty minutes, and was named QMJHL Player of the Year.
For the 1985–86 NHL season, Momesso made the Habs' roster out of training camp and meshed well on a line with Brian Skrudland
Brian Skrudland
Brian Skrudland is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers and Dallas Stars.- Junior and minor pro :...
and Mike McPhee
Mike McPhee
Michael Joseph McPhee is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward....
, recording an impressive 8 goals and 15 points in his first 24 games to start his career. However, he suffered a knee injury in December 1985 against 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...
that shelved him for the rest of the season; it also cost him an opportunity to engrave his name on the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
as Montreal went on to win that season. Montreal still include Momesso on the 1986 Montreal Canadiens team winning picture, and gave him a Stanley Cup ring.
Momesso would spend two more seasons in Montreal but never recaptured the form of his rookie year, battling injuries and frustrating the team with his inconsistency. At the conclusion of the 1987–88 season, he was dealt to the St. Louis Blues in a multi-player trade.
After a mediocre first season in St. Louis during which he recorded 26 points in 53 games, Momesso's career took an upward turn in 1989–90 when he was placed on a line with superstar sniper Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
and playmaking centre Adam Oates
Adam Oates
Adam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
. Spending much of the season on the Blues' top line, Momesso turned in the most productive year of his career, finishing with 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points, along with 199 penalty minutes. However, he would lose his spot on the top line in 1990–91, and recorded just 10 goals through his first 59 appearances.
Vancouver Canucks
At the trade deadline in 1991, Momesso was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in a monster six-player deal along with Geoff CourtnallGeoff Courtnall
Geoffrey Lawton Courtnall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1983 to 2000. He was the head coach of the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL as well as the University of Victoria Vikes of the BCIHL.Courtnall was born in Victoria, British Columbia,...
, 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...
, and Robert Dirk
Robert Dirk
Robert Dirk is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League between 1987 and 1996.-Playing career:...
for Garth Butcher
Garth Butcher
Garth Butcher is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Butcher was a top prospect as a junior player and was a member of the first Canadian team to win gold at the world junior championship...
and Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn
Daniel Peter Quinn is a Canadian professional golfer and former professional ice hockey player. Quinn played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. The deal would prove to be a heist in favour of Vancouver, as all four players they acquired would be significant contributors for several seasons, and is still regarded as perhaps the best trade in Canuck franchise history. Momesso got his Canuck career off to a fine start, recording 6 goals in 11 games to help the team on a successful late-season push to qualify for the playoffs.
Momesso's stay in Vancouver, although up-and-down at times, would be the longest stop of his career. He continued to show glimpses of his ability to be an above-average power forward, but would frustrate with stretches of ineffective, uninspired play and was prone to undisciplined penalties. Through his first two seasons in Vancouver, he played largely on a line with Jim Sandlak
Jim Sandlak
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.-Playing career:...
and his former St. Louis teammmate 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...
, with the two large wingers used to create space for the diminutive Ronning. (As a result, the line would be known as 'the Twin Towers'). In 1991–92, he played some of the best hockey of his career to finish with 20 goals and 43 points despite missing 26 games due to injury. In 1992–93, he had another solid year to finish with 18 goals and 38 points, as well as a career-high 200 penalty minutes.
1993–94 would be a struggle for Momesso, as he struggled and finished with just 27 points, his lowest total since 1989, and was a target for substantial criticism from Vancouver fans and media. However, he redeemed himself in the 1994 playoffs, as his strong physical play on a line with Martin Gelinas
Martin Gelinas
Martin Gélinas is a former professional ice hockey forward and the current director of player development with the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:Gelinas made a splash in 1987–88 with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with a 63-goal, 131-point campaign...
and Nathan LaFayette
Nathan LaFayette
Nathan LaFayette is a former ice hockey player in the NHL. He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 3rd round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings...
was one of the catalysts for Vancouver's run to the Stanley Cup Finals
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
. Along the way, he scored what was probably the biggest goal of his career, an overtime winner against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
.
After Vancouver
After a solid performance during the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season with 25 points in 48 games, Momesso was dealt to the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for Mike Ridley
Mike Ridley
Michael Owen Guy Ridley is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played in the NHL for 12 seasons from 1985 until 1997....
. However, his career would go on a downward spiral after leaving Vancouver. He never found his legs in Toronto and was dealt after only 54 games to the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, finishing the season with just 11 goals and 23 points in 73 games. In 1996–97, his production dried up completely; dealt mid-season back to the St. Louis Blues, he finished the year with just 1 goal and 4 points in 40 games.
Unable to get another NHL contract, Momesso signed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and enjoyed four successful seasons there before retiring in 2001. He finished his NHL career with totals of 152 goals and 193 assists for 345 points in 710 games, along with 1557 penalty minutes. He never missed the NHL playoffs in his career, and recorded 18 goals and 26 assists for 44 points in 119 postseason games.
He returned to North America to act as an assistant coach at Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
and for Shawinigan. Momesso's family owns a very popular restaurant in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce , also nicknamed NDG, is a residential neighbourhood of Montreal located in the city's west-end. It is one of five districts of the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce...
district and Sergio has opened his own restaurant, Caffe Momesso.
On September 16, 2010, it was announced that Momesso would join the broadcast team with CJAD radio as colour commentator and game analyst for Montreal Canadiens broadcasts.