Andrew Cassels Andrew Cassels ( born July 23 , 1969 , in Brampton , Ontario , Canada ) is a retired professional centre who played sixteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens , Hartford Whalers , Calgary Flames , Vancouver Canucks , Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals . Playing career . Andrew Cassels was selected 17th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft . He played three stellar seasons with the Ottawa 67 ' s of the OHL , his best season coming 1987 – 88 , when he led the OHL in assists and points in both the regular season and playoffs en route to winning the league MVP award . In his NHL debut with Montreal on 19 November , 1989 , Cassels scored his first career goal on his first shift and first shot against the Calgary Flames . However , Cassels would find his playing time limited on a deep Montreal team , and only played 60 games for the Canadiens before being traded to the Hartford Whalers in 1991 for a second round draft pick that the Canadiens used to pick Valeri Bure . It was in Hartford that Cassels had his greatest success . He recorded 41 points in 1991 – 92 campaign and had a strong playoffs , finally showing the offensive potential that had seen him taken in the first round of the draft . He would explode in 1992 – 93 , as he recorded 22 goals and 63 assists for 85 points , and formed a deadly partnership with sniper Geoff Sanderson establishing himself as one of the best young playmaking centres in the game . While he wouldn ' t come close to matching those totals again as Hartford struggled to non - playoff finishes , he continued to mature as an all - around player in following years and he and Sanderson remained a consistent and effective offensive partnership . Cassels led the Whalers in assists for 5 consecutive seasons from 1992 – 1997 , and led the team in overall scoring in the lockout - shortened 1994 – 95 season . Cassels was a member of the final Whalers team in 1996 – 97 , but didn ' t make the move with the franchise to Carolina as he was dealt to the Calgary Flames that summer . He would play two seasons for the Flames , but struggled to produce in the defensive system of coach Brian Sutter , slumping to totals of just 44 and 37 points . In 1999 Cassels became an unrestricted free agent and signed a 3 - year contract with the Vancouver Canucks . In Vancouver , he would be rejuvenated offensively , bouncing back to record 45 assists and 62 points in 1999 – 00 . In his first two seasons in Vancouver , he would lead the team in assists and finish second in scoring . However , team success continued to elude him , as his string of playoff misses was extended to nine . In 2001 – 02 , he would play some of the best hockey of his career , recording 50 points in 53 games in helping the Canucks reach the playoffs - their second appearance since 1996 and his first since 1992 . With the expiration of his contract in 2002 and the development of younger centremen Brendan Morrison and Henrik Sedin , Cassels left Vancouver in 2002 to sign a free agent contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets , where he was re - united with his friend and former linemate Geoff Sanderson . None of their chemistry had disappeared in their five years apart , as both players had their biggest years since their time in Hartford . Cassels ' 48 assists and 68 points were his highest totals since his career year in 1993 . However , injuries would take their toll the in 2003 – 04 as he slumped to just 6 goals and 26 points , his lowest totals since his rookie year in Montreal . Following the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , Cassels signed with the Washington Capitals on 12 August , 2005 . However , the year - long layoff , along with age and injuries , had greatly reduced his effectiveness . After playing just 31 games and scoring only 12 points , Cassels was released by the Capitals on 28 January , 2006 . In 16 NHL seasons , Cassels appeared in 1015 games , recording 204 goals and 528 assists for 732 points along with 410 penalty minutes . He led his team in assists in 7 of those seasons . He is currently the head coach for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets ' 1995 team . International Play . Played for Canada in : External links .