Jeff Ware
Drafted in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1995 NHL Draft, number 15 overall.
Following the 1994-95 season the Toronto Maple Leafs had already lost Sylvain Lefevbre and Bob Rouse the previous season and then veteran Garth Butcher retired and Grant Jennings was released leaving their blue line corps thin and the prospect cupboard bare. Then-General Manager Cliff Fletcher took a step toward rectifying this by using the Leafs 1995 first round draft pick to select defenseman Jeff Ware of the Oshawa Generals.
Though the Leafs had high hopes for the big defenseman, he only played 15 games for them during his time in the organization. When it became clear that Ware wasn't part of Toronto's future the Leafs traded him to the Florida Panthers in exchange for winger David Nemirovsky on February 17, 1999.
In South Florida things didn't go much better as Ware was limited to just six games with the Panthers, though he did register his first NHL point when he notched an assist.
When the Panthers elected not to resign Ware his became a free agent and hoped to catch on with the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets but failed to impress during their in augural training camp. However, after playing well with their farm team that season he earned a contract with them the next year, though he was still playing in the minors.
Open for debate. Jeff Ware was the biggest bust first round pick in Toronto Maple Leaf History.
In South Florida things didn't go much better as Ware was limited to just six games with the Panthers, though he did register his first NHL point when he notched an assist.
When the Panthers elected not to resign Ware his became a free agent and hoped to catch on with the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets but failed to impress during their in augural training camp. However, after playing well with their farm team that season he earned a contract with them the next year, though he was still playing in the minors.
Open for debate. Jeff Ware was the biggest bust first round pick in Toronto Maple Leaf History.
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | ||||||
| Years | Teams | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1996-1998 | TOR, FLA | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
Received this blue sharpie auto IP. Since I obtained it at Leaf training camp in Hamilton, it was around 1996 or 1997.
There's always Ernie Moser. :)
ReplyDeleteI found it kind of fun that the Jays also had a Jeff ware at about the same time. He wasn't any better.
When normal people comment here without being bloggers, they do not even use their names it would seem like to me.
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