Back in 1982-83, a feisty 20-year-old center named Mitch Lamoureux tore through the AHL like a comet. Skating for the Baltimore Skipjacks, the Penguins’ top farm team, Lamoureux piled up 57 goals and 107 points.
Labelled a “special player” by one of the team’s execs, he appeared to be tailor-made for a black-and-gold team in the throes of a pre-Mario Lemieux teardown. However, after earning a spot out of training camp in ’83-84, the former eighth-round pick fizzled and was quickly dispatched to the minors.
Although Mitch returned in ’84-85 to enjoy a modestly successful season (10 goals in 62 games), save for a cup of coffee with the Flyers down the road that was pretty much it for his NHL career.