(via capslove)
In 2002, the Washington Capitals drafted defenseman Steve Eminger 12th overall. He spent parts of five seasons with the Caps, including the 2007-08 season, when the Caps made the playoffs under Bruce Boudreau.
Now with the Lake Erie Monsters, the 32-year-old is looking to earn his first AHL championship against his former team’s current affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Previously, he won the Memorial Cup in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers in 1999.
For the Caps, Eminger played 212 games, registered 43 points and 221 PIMs. Since then, he’s bounced around the NHL, AHL, and even played overseas.
During the 2008 draft, that Capitals traded him and the 84th overall pick, Jacob De Serres, to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 27th overall pick. The Capitals used that pick to draft John Carlson.
After signing a one year deal with the Flyers, he was traded that November to the Tampa Bay Lightning. As the NHL trade deadline approached, Eminger was traded across the state to the Florida Panthers. That was his third time being traded in the previous 10 months.
In the summer of 2009, Eminger signed a two year contract with the Anaheim Ducks. The following summer he was traded to the New York Rangers. After spending three years with the Rangers, his NHL career was over. He finished his NHL career with 488 games played, registered 99 points, and had 359 PIMs.
Eminger then went to Russia, when he signed with CSKA Moscow of the KHL in October 2013. After registering just two points in 25 games, he was released in January of 2014.
Eminger has played in the AHL ever since. Upon returning from Russia, he joined the Norfolk Admirals. He then spent a year with the Providence Bruins.
On January 21, Eminger signed a professional tryout agreement with the Monsters and has been with them ever since. To close out the regular season, he had 14 points in 19 games. So far in the playoffs, he has 5 points in 9 games.
Eminger has bounced around the leagues, paid his dues, and is surely looking win some late-career championships.
