Shayne Corson

At 58 years old, Shayne Corson has this physical status:

Shayne Paul Corson (born August 13, 1966) is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Dallas Stars.

During his NHL career, Corson battled both ulcerative colitis and, as detailed in the October 22, 2001, issue of Sports Illustrated, panic attacks.

He last played in the 2003–04 season.

Despite some speculation to the contrary, Corson did not return to the NHL after the 2004–05 lockout and is now retired.

Personal life

Corson suffers from ulcerative colitis, a chronic digestive disorder that can cause severe pain and significant weight loss. During the later stages of his career, Corson began to suffer from panic attacks, a condition he has not attributed to any single event, but which may have been precipitated by his battles with colitis and the premature death of his father, Paul Corson, from throat cancer in 1993.

Corson's sister Shannon is married to his former Toronto Maple Leaf teammate Darcy Tucker. In retirement, Corson (often with Tucker) has been a prominent proponent of building a cancer care facility, the Simcoe-Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre, as part of Barrie's Royal Victoria Hospital.

Corson opened his first restaurant in 2007 with partner Armando Russo in the Distillery District of Toronto, called Tappo Wine Bar & Restaurant. They opened a second restaurant in Barrie, Ontario, named Corson's, which began as a family restaurant but was converted to a sports bar and grill which displays his jerseys and other hockey memorabilia but has since closed. (Mom's Pantry, an older restaurant in Barrie, was opened by Shayne Corson's father but is no longer run by the Corson family.)

Corson's daughter, Willow Corson, currently plays hockey at Boston College, in the NCAA.

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Background and early career

Corson was born in Midland, Ontario. He competed in the 1979 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a Barrie minor ice hockey team. He played for the Brantford Alexanders (1983–1984) and Hamilton Steelhawks (1984–1986) in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In the first round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, the Montreal Canadiens selected him eighth overall. In the 1985–86 season, he spent a short time with the Canadiens before joining the team full time the following year.

NHL playing career

Corson was a regular contributor for the Canadiens from 1986 to 1992, when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Vincent Damphousse. Before joining the St. Louis Blues, he was with Edmonton for three seasons. Some controversy marred his time in Edmonton, as head coach George Burnett selected him as the team's captain during the 1994–95 season (Jan.-Mar.1995). Corson would be stripped of the captaincy later by Burnett. Curtis Joseph was signed by the Blues as a free agent in 1995, and the Oilers obtained the right to him as compensation. The Blues traded him back to Montreal, where he played until 2000. He was signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent, and he spent three seasons in Toronto before "resigning" in the middle of the season partially due to his ulcerative colitis.

Corson was involved in a thrilling 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs match against the New York Islanders, with Cairns being the clear victor of the contest. Corson threatened to kick Cairns and Corson after the official's attempt to separate the two Cairns and Corson after the confrontation. Corson was suspended by the NHL for the deciding seventh game of the season. During the 2003-2004 season, the Dallas Stars signed him in order to provide more grit and leadership for their playoff campaign, but the team was dissatisfied (losing in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche). Corson followed him afterwards.

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Awards and honours

• All-Star selection, forward, 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
• 3× NHL All-Star Game: 1990, 1994 and 1998