Claudio Scremin

Playing career

Claudio Scremin started playing college hockey for the Maine Black Bears in 1986 after a stint with the Richmond Sockeyes in the BCJHL. His first year was fairly uneventful, but he picked things up during the 1987-88 season, putting up 24 points over 44 games. That year, the Black Bears came close to winning the Hockey East Tournament but fell to Northeastern. At the end of that season, the Washington Capitals picked Scremin in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, selecting him 204th overall. The following season, 1988-89, was another strong one. Scremin boosted his scoring to 29 points in 45 games, and Maine took home the Hockey East Tournament title by beating Boston College in the championship game. That win earned the team a spot in the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the Frozen Four before losing to Minnesota. They ended up finishing fourth after a loss to Michigan State in the consolation game. For his final season in New England, Scremin served as the team's captain and once again improved his offensive numbers, notching 30 points in 44 games. During that season, the Capitals traded his rights to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for goaltender Don Beaupre. The Black Bears made it back to the Hockey East Tournament final in 1989-90 but lost to Boston College. After the season ended, Scremin earned spots on both the Hockey East All-Tournament Team and the Hockey East All-Academic Team. He then graduated and moved on to professional hockey. Turning pro, Scremin spent the 1990-91 season with the Kansas City Blades of the IHL, where he had a solid rookie campaign with 21 points in 77 games. On September 3, 1991, he signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks and made his NHL debut in February 1992 against the Quebec Nordiques. During the 1991-92 season, he played 13 games for the Sharks and 70 for the Blades, who were San Jose's IHL affiliate. The Blades finished first in the Western Conference and swept the Muskegon Lumberjacks 4-0 to win the Turner Cup. The next season, Scremin again split time between the two teams. He appeared in four games for the Sharks, picking up his only NHL point—an assist—against the Tampa Bay Lightning in December 1992. With the Blades, he played 75 games, recorded 32 points, and helped the team reach the Turner Cup semifinals, where they lost to the San Diego Gulls.