During the 1988-1989 NHL season, Daniel Marois scored 31 goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs. There was no sophomore curse for Marois as he scored another 39 goals the next season. Simply based on that solid rookie campaign, my friend Joe and I anointed him our savoir.
Perhaps it was the timing. Wendel Clark was in the middle of one of his injury riddled seasons and the Leafs were finishing last in the Norris. We desperately needed hope. I distinctly remember a thousand and one smart-ass remarks that winter because I refused to stop wearing my Leafs cap to school. Those 31 goals Marois scored were a sure sign of things to come. We had a Steve Yzerman on our hands. We had a Bernie Nicholls.
Our Marois admiration got so bad Joe went out and had a Leafs jersey made up with his #32 on it. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Marois never became the player we hoped he'd be and he finished his NHL career with only 117 goals. 70 of those were scored in those first two seasons with the Leafs. Here he is on the cover of a Leafs program I saved.
We sure can pick 'em!
