He is 2 games shy of his 100th career National Hockey League contest. 
For both the St. Louis Blues and, more recently, the Boston Bruins, he accounted himself quite nicely in roles on various third and fourth lines.
This year, Jeff Hoggan hasn't gotten so much as a sniff of The Show, but it's not stopping him from coming to the rink every day with the right attitude. Saturday night in Portland, Hoggan scored a shorthanded goal in the third period to help force overtime before scoring the clinching goal in a shootout to lead Providence to a 4-3 win over the host Pirates.
There's not a lot that makes sense about Hoggan's career, and Providence head coach Scott Gordon is the first to admit as much.
"He's a guy that you look at his career and you probably wouldn't expect him to be in a shootout, but he's got a knack for scoring goals on a breakaway," Gordon said.
In 212 career AHL games, Hoggan has just 48 goals -- and he's got only a pair in 98 NHL contests. Even in a 4-year collegiate career at Nebraska-Omaha, the 29-year old right wing wasn't able to hit 100 points for his career. Hoggan did, however, log 252 minutes in penalties in college, and he's got 215 in the AHL, testament to his role at virtually every stop along the way as a checker.
"He's the type of guy that he just wins battles and he competes hard," Gordon said. "(But) he's got speed ... and he doesn't complicate things."
Hoggan said he's naturally been disappointed at not seeing the NHL this season after playing 46 games under then-Boston coach Dave Lewis in 2006-07, but he's not dwelling on what might be.
Through 30 games, Hoggan has 13-11--24 totals -- just 12 point shy of his career best set with Houston in 2003-04.
"I always remain with a positive attitude," said Hoggan, a native of -- fittingly -- Hope, British Columbia. "I definitely want to be up, but I keep telling myself to just keep working hard and things will work out."
The team's runaway start to the season (an AHL-best 56 points through 34 games) has helped Hoggan stay positioned in the present.
"Winning makes it a lot easier, and you never get down," he said. You just keep pushing."
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