High Fives Labor Day Special: Top 5 Hardest Working NHL Journeymen - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

"High Fives" is a recurring feature at NHL FanHouse in which we'll count down the Top 5 of anything hockey-related -- and you'll let us know where we're wrong.

Some may view the word "journeyman" as a sports slur, identifying a well-traveled player whose limited skills prevent any chance of attaining tenure with a given team. That's partially true; the fact is that the older and richer these players get, the more their teams will seek younger and cheaper options. Back on the market, they're sought after by other teams searching for veteran depth, a specific piece of a postseason puzzle or, in the Blackhawks' case, a first-line center.

Not every journeyman is Martin Rucinsky a tease of offensive potential marinated in defensive liability, or Mike York a player with gaudy numbers who's softer than microwaved margarine. Some are solid citizens that fans welcome to their teams with open arms...and one hand ready to waive good-bye when their contract ends at the end of the season. In honor of Labor Day 2007, here are the Top Five Hardest Working NHL Journeymen:

5. Rory Fitzpatrick, Defenseman: (9 seasons, 5 teams) There are other, better well-traveled defensemen -- the spectacularly under-appreciated Sean O'Donnell and the roid-o-riffic Sean Hill, for example -- but none capture the journeyman spirit better than Fitzpatrick. We all know that last year's captivating "Vote for Rory" campaign started as a goof; but the reason it endured was that, upon examination, fans saw something more than a pity party for Fitzpatrick. They saw a veteran player whose hard work and consistent grit might have actually warranted some kind of all-star honor.
4. Bryan Smolinski, Center: (14 seasons, 8 teams) A crackerjack offensive player who's also good on the penalty kill. He's a "last piece of the puzzle" kind of journeyman; perhaps that's why he's been traded more than AOL stock. (Do I get a bonus check for that line?) "Smoke" signed a one-year deal with Montreal this off-season; ridiculously enough, it included a no-movement clause.

3. Mike Sillinger, Center: (15 seasons, 12 teams) Quick quiz: Which debuted first -- Mike Sillinger in the NHL or "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" in the theaters? Since I'm obviously asking that question to provide context for the absurdly long career of "Suitcase" Sillinger, you know the answer. All he did last season with team No. 12 (the Islanders) was post career highs in games played (82) and goals scored (26).

2. Michael Nylander, Center: (13 seasons, 7 teams) To some, Nylander may be closer to an enigma than a journeyman. Here's a player that's scored 609 points in 808 career games but has bounced around the league like a super happy fun ball. While his intensity can sometimes be questioned, his offensive output cannot. What other journeyman could leave Kevin Lowe crying like my mother watching "The Notebook" after that player decided to sign with another suitor? Michael Nylander, that's who.

1. Dean McAmmond, Winger: (14 seasons, 7 teams) The player so nice the Blackhawks and Flames acquired him twice. McAmmond is the prototypical journeyman forward for a team on the cusp of a championship -- witness the Gordie Howe hat trick he posted in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Pittsburgh. As FanHouse's Eric McErlain explained here, McAmmond is an unsung hero, an under-the-radar asset and, perhaps, the journeyman of the year.

Honorable Mention: Keith Carney, Jim Dowd, Chad Kilger, Jamie Rivers, Yanic Perreault, Wayne Primeau, Geoff Sanderson.