Drafted Into Obscurity < Wayne Groulx >

Promising careers, bright futures and undeniable talent. Are they guarantees for success? You certainly can't have one without the other if you want longevity playing at the highest level of hockey leagues on the planet. There is no room for compromise, but there is uncontrollable circumstance. No matter what kind of player you are, you have to bring it every night and keep proving it over and over. Many of the players written about in these series of blogs are victims of the aftermentioned circumstance.

One of the greatest major junior hockey players ever to don a jersey is another skater with great expectations who eventually succumbed to being Drafted Into Obscurity - Wayne Groulx.  


Groulx with the
OHL's Greyhounds

Although his physical stature might have been questioned, only standing 5'9" 175 lbs., no one could ever wonder about his ability to score goals. Groulx was a scoring machine. Over his four wildly successful years in the Ontario Hockey League, Groulx was able to accumulated 187 goals, including three straight seasons scoring over 130 points plus. Considered by many as the second-best Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound player ever in the 49-year history of the franchise, (the first being none other than the Great Gretzky) Groulx currently sits third overall in OHL career points with 477.

Being a superstar in major junior doesn't always punch your card to be a regular in the National Hockey League. In Groulx case, the Quebec Nordiques were such a deep and talented team in the mid-1980's that the franchise waited until midway through the ninth round, #172, of the 1983 NHL draft to select him.

1985-86 Muskegon Lumberjacks

Two years later in 1985, after Groulx was named the OHL MVP while leading his squad to the Memorial Cup semi's in fine fashion, he made his debut in the NHL. Most critics say Groulx got caught in a numbers game in Quebec. There were too many established players on that Stanley Cup contending team and it was virtually impossible for him to crack such a veteran laden lineup. Whatever the reason, Groulx would never been seen again playing at the highest level hockey again. Groulx continued to play in the Quebec farm system for the next three years, splitting time between the IHL and AHL while spending brief time on the Canadian National squad. From top junior performer to out of North American hockey in less than three years, Groulx was on a fast track to hockey obscurity.

By 1988, Groulx went to Europe to continue with his pro hockey career with a quick stop with a team in Division II in Finland. He eventually found a home in the Austrian league and played out his career over the next six years.

1994 World Championships - Austria

One interesting side note to his career, Groulx represented Austria at the 1992 B Pool World Championships. Groulx' 14 points in seven games led the Austrians to the tournament title and promotion to A Pool for the next year. In 1992-93, he helped Austria finish ninth out of twelve teams at the World tourney. He retired in 1994 after playing one last year in Austria.