He was drafted twice, traded three times and signed as a free agent many more times, a run of activity that spanned a decade and included 14 teams. For all of this, Steve Bancroft played in one NHL game for the Chicago Blackhawks.
He had been drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1989, 21st overall, and what the Toronto scouts liked his size and strength made him an effective player with Belleville in the OHL. But the Leafs traded him to Boston and Boston to Chicago before he ever got into an NHL game. But after a single contest he was back in the minors where he has played ever since.
Although the Hawks remain his only game experience, his rights continued to be traded. The Hawks sent him to Winnipeg, and Florida claimed him in the Expansion Draft. Pittsburgh signed him as a free agent and again by Carolina, though he never played a minute for any of those teams.
