William Darren "Jock" Callander (born April 23, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, and current front office executive, part-time assistant coach, and TV analyst for the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League.
Career Callander, the younger brother of NHL player Drew, replaced a small NHL career with a historic one in the IHL. Never drafted, he had brief stops with the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Tampa Bay Lightning, but with the Muskegon/Cleveland Lumberjacks he was sensational, registering 1,242 career points, only 10 points behind Len Thornson's IHL record.
Callander started slowly in junior with the Regina Pats, but in his last two seasons he produced staggering totals of 146 goals and 343 points, leading the league in 1981–82. Nonetheless, he was never drafted by an NHL team, signing with St. Louis as a free agent, though never playing for the Blues. Instead, he had to settle for a start in the CHL and IHL, where he spent the first five pro years of his career. He signed with Pittsburgh, and over the next three years split his time between the Penguins and the IHL.
The highlight of his NHL time came in 1991–92. After playing the whole year with Muskegon, he came up to the Penguins for the playoffs, appearing in a dozen games en route to the Stanley Cup. At the 1992 victory celebration for the Pittsburgh Penguins at Three Rivers Stadium, Callander lost his watch to a fan who had inadvertently grabbed it while slapping hands. Over the summer, though, he became a free agent and Pittsburgh did not sign him; instead, he went to Tampa Bay. Callander played eight games with the Lightning and most of the next eight years back in the IHL with Cleveland.
Personal life
Callander retired from hockey following the 1999–2000 season and became an assistant coach for Cleveland in 2000–01 before joining the Houston Aeros the following year.
In 2007, Callander returned to Cleveland to work with the city's then-new American Hockey League franchise, the Lake Erie Monsters. He is a color analyst for the team's TV broadcasts,Lake Erie Monsters serves as an assistant coach for games not televised, and works in the team's front office as Vice President of Hockey Affairs and Team Services.Monsters' hockey staff - Cleveland Monsters.com
Muskegon retired his number 15 jersey before a Muskegon Lumberjacks (1992–2010) game at the L. C. Walker Arena on October 23, 2009.
On December 16, 2011, before a Monsters game at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Callander had his number 15 retired in honor of his career as a member of the Lumberjacks, as well as his involvement in hockey initiatives in the Cleveland area.
Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM1978–79Regina BluesSJHL4244428624 — — — — —1978–79Regina PatsWHL193250 — — — — — 1979–80 Providence College ECAC 3 0 1 1 0 — — — — —1979–80Regina PatsWHL39911202518861401979–80Regina PatsMC — — — — — 4 1 2 3 01980–81Regina PatsWHL72678615337116713141981–82Regina PatsWHL71791111905920132639371982–83Salt Lake Golden EaglesCHL6820274726601191983–84Montana MagicCHL7227325969 — — — — —1983–84Toledo GoaldiggersIHL20000 — — — — —1984–85Muskegon LumberjacksIHL823968107861781321331985–86Muskegon LumberjacksIHL82397211112114121123121986–87Muskegon LumberjacksIHL8254821361101513720231987–88Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL4111162745 — — — — —1987–88Muskegon LumberjacksIHL31203656496235251988–89Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL3065112010257101988–89Muskegon LumberjacksIHL482539644075510301989–90Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL30471149 — — — — —1989–90Muskegon LumberjacksIHL462949781181561420541990–91Muskegon LumberjacksIHL30142034102 — — — — —1991–92Muskegon LumberjacksIHL8142701121601041014131991–92Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL — — — — —1213421992–93Tampa Bay LightningNHL81122 — — — — —1992–93Atlanta KnightsIHL6934508417297512251993–94Cleveland LumberjacksIHL813170101126 — — — — —1994–95Cleveland LumberjacksIHL6124366090422461995–96Cleveland LumberjacksIHL81425395150310181996–97Cleveland LumberjacksIHL6120345456147613101997–98Cleveland LumberjacksIHL7220335310510561161998–99Cleveland LumberjacksIHL81282654121 — — — — —1999–2000Cleveland LumberjacksIHL641627438391566 IHL totals 1054 477 765 1242 1689 133 73 87 160 251 NHL totals10922295111622381112
Awards and honors Bob Brownridge Memorial Trophy (WHL leading scorer) - 1982 Two-time IHL All-Star Team Selection - 1987, 1992 Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy (Leading Scorer - IHL) (1987) (tied with Jeff Pyle) James Gatschene Memorial Trophy (MVP - IHL) (1987) (co-winner - Jeff Pyle) 1992 Stanley Cup Championship (as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins) Two-time Turner Cup Champion (as a member of the Muskegon Lumberjacks) - 1986, 1989Callander bio - Lake Erie Monsters.com 2016 Calder Cup Champion (as an assistant coach/front office executive/announcer for the Lake Erie Monsters) Number 15 retired by: the Cleveland Monsters the Muskegon/Cleveland Lumberjacks the Regina Pats
References
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