
You may have never even heard about Colin Fraser but he has had a pretty crazy career for being drafted 69th overall in the 3rd round in 2005.
I frist took notice of Colin Fraser when I was walking on the BC Ferries last year. This was after the Stanley Cup playoffs, Los Angeles had won. There was this man who stood out in the crowd. He was carrying a child's car seat and was very fit. We looked at each other because I knew I recognized him. I was trying to place him, was he a customer I served at a serving job? Did we go to school together, take an acting class together? Then it hit me "he is totally Colin Fraser of the LA Kings!" I do a quick search to confirm and see Colin grew up in Surrey B.C and it makes sense. Colin was home for summer!
Why did I choose Colin Fraser for Fantasy Friday? You don't have to read to far into his bio to see he has won not one, but two Stanley Cups in the last 3 years. But before we talk Stanley let's learn about Colin Fraser.
Fraser was born in Sicamous B.C in 1985. The same town and year Shea Weber (captain of the Nashville Predators and one of my favourite players was born) There must have been something in the water that year to produce two fantastic NHL players.
Fraser stands 6'1 weights 193 pounds, plays centre and shoots left. Drafted by Philadelphia in 2005 Fraser never laced up skates for Philly. Fraser was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks where he spent a number of years playing for their AHL team.
Eventually getting a permanent spot on the Blackhawks roster in the 2008-09 season and winning the Stanley Cup with the team in 2010!
Then Fraser was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers after the Cup win where he played for a year and had the exact opposite success then in Chicago. Edmonton finished dead last in the NHL that year with only 62 points in 82 games with a 25-45-12 record.
After that season Fraser was dealt again but this time to sunny Los Angeles where he became a member of the Kings. The Kings had never won a Cup and to say the least had a rough start at the beginning of the season. With two months remaining the Kings had a slim chance of winning the Cup or even making playoffs for that matter. They would literally have to win every remaining game. What did the Kings decide to do? They decided to win almost every remaining game. The Kings got the 8th and final seed in the west and their first task was to knock out the Western Conference Champions, the Vancouver Canucks. The Kings completed the task in 5 games steam rolling the Canucks. Up next the St. Louis Blues. The Kings swept the Blues in four games. Steam rolling continued. Next was a surprise round 3 against the Phoenix Coyotes. Why stop a good thing? The Kings didn't and steam rolled the Coyotes in 5 games. Finally the Stanley Cup Finals. The Kings had made it there fair and square. The Kings set an NHL record for being the 8th seed and knocking out the 1st, 2nd and 3rd seeds. When Game 1 of the Finals started Coin Fraser scored 1st getting his team on the board. It took 6 games for the Kings to win the Cup but it was done and the Kings won for the 1st time in franchise history.
Possibly one of the best things I learned while doing research for Colin Fraser is not the fact he won Gold with Canada at the World Juniors in 2005 or the fact he has be awarded not one but two humanitarian awards. First the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy (WHL Humanitarian of the year) in 2005 or the CHL Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2005 which goes to show Fraser is a good guy but the best part is who Fraser played with growing up and how special it must have been to win a Stanley Cup in Chicago.
In 2010 when Chicago won the Cup, the team consisted of not only Colin Fraser but Troy Brouwer (now playing for the Washington Capitals), Andrew Ladd (now Captain of the Winnipeg Jets) and Brent Seabrook (still playing for Chicago) These four guys are all from BC, Brouwer from Vancouver, Ladd from Maple Ridge, Seabrook from Richmond and all played minor hockey together with the Vancouver Vipers! Nobody could have guessed these 4 would not only play in the NHL, but win a Stanley Cup and all do it while playing together on the same team! Wow. There must have been something in the water while these guys were playing minor hockey!
Colin Fraser:
Good Looks: Check
Hockey Skills: Check
Humanitarian: Check
Thank you Colin Fraser for being such a great hockey player and always finding a way to bring the Stanley Cup back to B.C! Happy Fantasy Friday! Below also check out Episode 2 of Hockey Talk with Courtney!