While with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL from 1984 to 1988, Mark Pederson looked like an extremely bright prospect who might go on to excel at the NHL level. In his final season with the club, he netted 111 points in only 62 games.
The Montreal Canadiens made him their first pick in the 1986 Entry Draft. Upon turning pro with the Sherbrooke Canadiens of the AHL, the lanky winger picked up just about where he left off in Medicine Hat. He had no trouble making the transition from junior to the minor pro level with a stick that spoke regularly to the scoring sheets.
But once Pederson got a decent shot at the NHL, it soon became apparent that the offensive touch he'd known in the minors wasn't going to translate effectively to the big leagues. After a season and a half with the Habs, he was traded to the Flyers where he put in a very solid campaign in 1991-92. He potted 40 points in 58 games and finished the campaign at a +14.
From there, however, Pederson's ice time and effectiveness fell into decline. He lasted only 14 more games in a Flyers' sweater before being sent to the San Jose Sharks where he completed the season. During the summer that followed, he signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings but was only able to hang in for two games before he was dispatched to the AHL
The move marked the beginning of a lengthy minor-league and international career where he represented such clubs as the Adirondack Red Wings, Kalamazoo Wings, VSV Villach in Austria, Zurich SC in Switzerland, the Krefeld Penguins, Manheim Eagles, and his current team, the Hanover Scorpions in Germany.
