Jason Herter

Herter played midget high school hockey at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan aka: Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Hockey Association (SHA). During the 1986–87 season, he played on the Hounds midget team that placed second at the 1987 Air Canada Cup in Gloucester, Ontario. His 86-87 high school hockey teammates included future NHLers Scott Pellerin (1992 Hobey Baker Winner as the best player in NCAA college hockey), Rod Brind'amour, Jeff Batters and Joby Messier[3][4] Herter remained with the Hounds for the next season when the team moved from minor hockey to Junior A, joining the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL).[5] In the team's first season, Herter scored 38 points in 54 games as the Hounds won the Credential Cup as SJHL champions.[5] After winning the Anavet Cup and Abbott Cup, the Hounds advanced to the 1988 Centennial Cup in Pembroke, Ontario.[5] There, Herter scored two points in five tournament games—including one goal in a 9–7 victory over the Thunder Bay Flyers—as the Hounds defeated the Halifax Lions 3–2 in the final game to win the national Junior A championship.[5][6]

Following his Centennial Cup-winning season with Notre Dame, Herter moved to the University of North Dakota to play college hockey with the North Dakota Fighting Sioux of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Midway through his freshman season, Herter was ranked as the top player available at the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.[7] Herter finished his freshman season with eight goals and 24 assists in 41 games. His 24 assists and 32 points set single-season freshmen assist and point records at North Dakota, although his point record has since been broken.[8] Following the season, Herter entered the 1989 NHL Entry Draft ranked second overall among North American skaters, dropping one position in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's final draft ranking.[9] On June 17, 1989, he was drafted 8th overall by the Vancouver Canucks.[10]

Despite being drafted, Herter returned to North Dakota for his sophomore season.[11] He also had the option of joining the Saskatoon Blades, the team that held Western Hockey League rights, but chose North Dakota because the Canucks had five other prospects playing there.[12] Throughout the season, Herter suffered from chronic groin injuries and a knee sprain which limited him to only 38 games.[13] However, despite his injury-plagued season, Herter scored eleven goals and 39 assists. Nine of his eleven goals were scored on the powerplay, a North Dakota single-season record for a defenceman.[8] Further, his 39 assists and fifty points are both fourth all-time for a defenceman in a single season with the Fighting Sioux.[8] For his performance, Herter was named to the WCHA Second All-Star Team as well as the All-Tournament Team at the 1990 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.[8]

At the completion of his sophomore season, Herter chose once again not to sign a professional contract and returned to North Dakota for his junior year.[14]

Following his junior season with North Dakota, Herter signed a three-year, $500,000 contract with the Vancouver Canucks that included a $100,000 signing bonus, despite Fighting Sioux coach Gino Gasparini suggesting he play his senior season.[15][16][17] Herter then joined the Canucks for his first professional training camp and played in five pre-season games before being assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals, Vancouver's International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate.[18][19] Herter's chronic groin injuries continued throughout his rookie professional season and he played in only 56 of Milwaukee's 82 regular season games and one of five playoff games.[20]

In December 1995, Herter was recalled by the New York Islanders after multiple injuries to Islanders defencemen.[21] On December 7, Herter made his NHL debut in a 7–4 loss to the Hartford Whalers.[22] Herter was one of the bright spots in the Islanders' loss, as he was on the ice for three of New York's four goals and none of Hartford's seven goals.[22] He also assisted on Zigmund Palffy's second goal of the game and was partnered on defence with NHL All-Star Mathieu Schneider.[1][22]