I only get into the lab here once or twice a week, so I am just now
responding to the earlier "Montgomery/Kariya" thread.
 
Personally, I would choose Scott Pellerin over them both, just because
of the type of person he is - he made my role as an equipment
manager bearable, even though I was only a freshman.  :->
 
To choose between Kariya and Monty is tough.  For Montgomery, you can
look at his records, his leadership in the championship-drive, and
the third period natural hat trick in the Final. As Mike pointed
out, Jimmy wouldn't let his team lose.  Another illustration of
this would be the Blue-White game played in the fall of 1993.  Although
it wasn't on the scale of the Championship Game, it was a sign of
things to come...the game was tied 3-3 with about 3 minutes to go,
and Jimmy banged his stick on the boards and shouted to his team,
"Come on, we're going to win this ***** game guys!", and on his next
shift he proceeded to take a pass at center ice, skate past two
defensemen and walk in alone and beat the goalie top-shelf.
6 months later on a sheet of ice in Milwaukee he again defied his
team to lose, and again he won the game, and the rest is history.
Jimmy's leadership, both on and off the ice, and his scoring touch
led Maine to its first title.
 
For Paul Kariya's part, it can be said that Maine didn't win a thing
until PK showed up on campus.  He was dazzling with the puck, and his
moves made other players stare in awe at times, and anytime that
happens the puck is going to wind up in the net.  He had an uncanny
knack to put the puck right where it had to be, even while he was
in the corner getting whacked by two guys twice his size.
 
If I had to choose, I'd take Jimmy.  His leadership is what got us to
the Championship, and it was his three goals that won it.
Had PK stuck around for a few years, I might think differently, but
he decided to go for the NHL...not that I think what he did was wrong,
but its hard to compare his one year to Jimmy's four.
 
John Forsyth
UMO: 42-1-2  1993 NCAA Div I Champions