Rob Pearson

As a junior player with the Belleville Bulls of the OHL, Rob Pearson showed strong bursts of offensive skill and an ability to play a solid, physical game. But he was also known, on occasion, to lapse into lazy spells and senseless outbursts that limited his own effectiveness and hurt his team.

But that all changed when he was traded to the Oshawa Generals in 1990. Pearson was placed on a line with Eric Lindros who, along with the team's coach, straightened him out. In one game, Pearson was about to drop the gloves when Lindros, his own teammate, threatened to beat him up if he didn't get back to concentrating on hockey. Pearson obeyed and became an OHL first team all-star.

The Leafs made him their 2nd choice in the 1989 Entry Draft. With the Blue and White, Pearson struggled to attain big-league consistency. He led the Leafs in penalty minutes in two of his three seasons with the club, but was just unable to realize the offensive potential he'd shown in junior.

After three seasons in Toronto, the Leafs gave up on their prospect, sending him to Washington for 32 games in 1994-95. Pearson then went to Portland of the AHL before resurfacing with the St. Louis Blues for 45 games in 1996. After assisting on Dale Hawerchuck's 500th career goal, he was dispatched to the minors where he closed out his career in the IHL with Cleveland, Orlando, and Long Beach.