Three successes to report: Mark Tinordi (1/1), Jim Johnson (3/3), & David Zancanaro (2/2)
Mark Tinordi was signed by the New York Rangers on January 4, 1987. He was traded in early 1988 to the Minnesota North Stars in a multi-player deal. Three seasons later in 1991, his hard-nosed style helped guide the North Stars to their improbable playoff run to the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals, where they eventually lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The captain of the team, Tinordi remained in that role when the team became the Dallas Stars prior to the 1993–94 NHL season. He played 663 career NHL games, scoring 52 goals and 148 assists for 200 points and 1,514 penalty minutes.
Jim Johnson was signed as a free agent in 1985 by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played for the Penguins until he was traded early in the 1990–91 NHL season to the Minnesota North Stars. He followed the North Stars franchise when it moved to Dallas in 1993, and played with them until the trade deadline of the 1993–94 NHL season, when he was dealt to the Washington Capitals. Johnson played for two full seasons with the Capitals before signing with the Phoenix Coyotes as a free agent in 1996, and retired two years later.
David Zancanaro was was a highly-touted pitcher from UCLA, selected in the first round of the 1990 draft by the Oakland Athletics. Along with top pitching prospects, Todd Van Poppel, Don Peters, and Kirk Dressendorfer, Zancanaro was projected to be a successful starting pitcher in Oakland for years to come. Unfortunately, he never reached the big leagues, retiring in 2001 with a minor league record of 57-73 with a 4.42 ERA over 239 games over 10 seasons.
*Mailing addresses and relevant signing fees are posted on www.sportscollectors.net
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