Pack Attack: Scottie Upshall

Beam me up Scottie!!!

Today we are putting the spotlight or maybe in this case a transporter beam on Scottie Upshall.

The Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada native has represented his homeland in five international competitions. In 2000 Upshall played in 5 games for the Pacific Regional Team for the U-17 World Hockey Challenge totaling 8 points and 16 penalty minutes on his road to bringing home the bronze medal. He went on to play in several other junior tournaments though 2003; however, Upshall didn’t suit up for Team Canada again until the 2009 IIHF World Championship where he had one assist and 27 penalty minutes in 6 games. Upshall was part of 3 silver medal Canadian teams (2002 World Junior Championship, 2003 World Junior Championship and 2009 World Championship).

For the 2001-02 season Upshall played for the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL. Playing in 61 regular season games with the Blazers he notched 83 points and 139 penalty minutes. That post season he put up 3 points and 21 penalty minutes in just 4 (yeah that is a four nor a fourteen just four) games. That summer he was drafted 6th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators.

Upshall started the 2002-03 season back in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers. In 42 games he accumulated 56 points and 113 penalty minutes. Played 2 games for the AHL Milwaukee Admirals AND 8 games with the Nashville Predators. Upshall would continue to bounce between the Nashville Predators and the Milwaukee Admirals until the end of the 2006-07 season (not counting the 2004-05 lockout when he spent the entire season with the Admirals) when he ended the season being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers as part of the Peter Forsberg trade. During his time with the Admirals Upshall won the Calder Cup (not to be confused with the NHL Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year) as the top team in the American Hockey League.

The 2007-08 season with the Philadelphia Flyers was the first season since being drafted that Upshall spent the entire season with one team. Lighting the lamp with 14 goals and 16 assist in 61 regular season games Upshall went also had an NHL regular season high 74 penalty minutes. That post season saw 7 points and 44 penalty minutes in 17 games played. Coming back the following season he saw the ice 55 times before being traded from the Flyers to the Phoenix Coyotes. The Flyers gave the Coyotes Upshall and pick for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in return for Daniel Carcillo. Between the two teams 74 games were played, 34 points were scored, and Upshall earned a total of 89 penalty minutes.

His first full season with the Coyotes in 2009-10 came to an abrupt end after just 49 games when he suffered from a knee injury on January 28, 2010. Even with the shortened season Upshall still tallied 32 points and 50 penalty minutes.

Upshall was re-signed by the Coyotes to a one-year deal for the 2010-11 season worth a reported $2,250,000.

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