Many star players like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon exist in the NHL. But there have also been many one-hit wonders, some of which you may not have heard of. These guys are what’s called NHL busts, and some of them have had excellent post-career endeavors.
Now, let’s look at a 10 NHL bust you had no idea found a better career path post-hockey.
How did these ten NHL Busts find a great career path after their playing days were over?
Rick DiPietro
Dipietro was drafted by the Islanders 1st overall in the 2000 NHL Draft. He only played with the team on and off until the 2012-13 season.
His contract was bought out in the 2013 off-season, and DiPietro was placed on waivers before agreeing to be paid $1.5 million over the next 16 years, a tally he is still being paid.
While Dipietro is still making $1.5 million every year and will do so until 2029, his career unfortunately ended in 2014, and he has taken his NHL intelligence to broadcasting and has been successful in doing so.
Alexandre Daigle
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Daigle was the first overall pick in the 1993 NHL Draft, and he was quite the prospect after putting up 137 points in 53 games in his draft year.
The highly touted forward went on to score a career-best of just 51 points, doing so three times before retiring at just 25 years old.
Daigle returned for a brief stint two years later. He has since been a TV producer, finding success in his home country of Canada.
Daniel Tkaczuk
19 games from a 1st round pick would be a disappointment to any NHL fanbase. Calgary Flames fans can attest to this as their 1997 sixth-overall pick, Daniel Tkaczuk, did just that.
Tkaczuk played just 19 games after being selected, in which he scored just 11 points. That’s not bad for an NHL rookie, but the number of games played were bust-like nonetheless. However, that would be the last NHL action the 21-year-old would see before jumping around leagues and eventually retiring in 2012.
After his hockey career, Tkaczuk eventually found success behind the bench, becoming an assistant coach for four different teams, two in the OHL and two in the AHL, before becoming the president of an online hockey school called iHockeyTrainer. He also writes for The Hockey News.
Scott Scissons
Scissons was drafted sixth overall by the New York Islanders and played just six NHL games, four of which were in the regular season.
The Saskatoon, Canada native scored 87 points in 61 games with his hometown Blades in the 1990 season before being drafted. However, his NHL totals would not be close to the 87 points he put up in his draft year. He wouldn’t score a single point in the NHL.
After his short stint as an NHLer, Scissons would find success elsewhere as he became a company owner in his hometown at Western Homes, a company founded by his grandfather in 1953.
Also Read: All 32 NHL Teams Best Active Player That Won’t Make The Definitely Hall Of Fame
Brian Lawton
Lawton was taken first overall by the now-defunct Minnesota North Stars in the 1983 NHL Draft and would go on to play just ten seasons in the league for multiple teams.
Considering most franchise stars who have been taken with a first-round pick have played at least 1,000 games with one franchise or split it between two, many believe the former NHL forward’s 483-game career is a bust. Remember to mention that his career was divided between six NHL franchises.
While Lawton may be an analyst on the NHL Network, he saw post-career success as a player agent, managing players such as Mike Modano and Sergei Federov.
Brian Finley
Finley was drafted 6th overall in the first round of the NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators in 1999.
In his NHL career, the goaltender didn’t see much action. He played just four NHL games before retiring in 2007. He only finished two games, losing both contests. Finley would spend the majority of his career in the AHL, seeing some decent numbers.
Since retiring, Finley has put his athletic skills to the test and has become a police officer with the York Regional Police, where he has been since 2009—a successful career post-hockey.
Dave Chyzowski
The Islanders have a rough draft history, as this player is another first-round pick, and he went second overall.
Chyzowksi scored only 31 points in 126 NHL games; however, he bounced around other professional leagues before retiring in 2007.
After his career, the winger was able to jump into marketing. He took over the position of director of marketing for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and is currently the director of marketing with the Merrit Centennials.
Also Read: Every NHL Franchise Relocation Ranked From WORST to FIRST
Brett Lindros
Lindros is the younger brother of hockey Hall of Famer Eric Lindros. The Islanders drafted him 9th overall in the 1994 NHL Draft. He played just 51 games before being forced to retire due to post-concussion syndrome.
Although it may not have been his fault that he was forced into retirement, he is still considered a bust even though he scored 147 points in his NHL tenure.
After playing in the show, Lindros would have a successful career and continue working with hedge fund HGC Investment Management.
Lars Jonsson
Jonsson was drafted 7th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. However, the defenseman never played for the team.
He played only eight NHL games for the Philadelphia Flyers, where he had two assists before retiring in 2013.
The former NHLer eventually started a career in software development where he currently holds a title as a senior consultant at the CGI in Stockholm.
Nikita Filatov
Filatov was drafted 6th overall in the NHL Draft by the Columbus with whom he would only play 31 games tallying just 11 points after which he would be traded to Ottawa
His numbers wouldn’t get much better in the Canadian Capital as he would only put up 1 assist through 9 games with the team and after bouncing around professional leagues, he would call it a career in 2019.
Since his time on the show, the recently retired player has found a career as a player agent like his counterpart, Brian Lawton.
Also Read: 5 NHL Rookies From 2023-24 That Already Look Like Busts…And 5 That Look Like Superstars
