It's not all that often that you see a hockey player on the front of The Globe and Mail, let alone one that few people have ever heard of.

But, there he was on Wednesday, the Capitals' newest callup, Tyler Sloan, gracing the cover of Canada's national newspaper as part of a nice feature by Calgary-based sportswriter Allan Maki.

Sloan's definitely a great longshot-makes-good story, especially given where he's come from. Now 27, he made his debut in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers at age 19 and was a No. 3 or 4 defenceman on pretty mediocre teams over his two junior seasons.

Sloan was never drafted, not into junior or the NHL, and has put in 105 games in the ECHL and more than 250 in the AHL since going pro in 2001-02. His NHL debut was just nine minutes long — and it'll likely end as soon as the Capitals' injury situation on the back end does.

Back when he played in Kamloops, I would have been still putting together scouting profiles on draft-eligible WHL players for McKeen's Hockey, something I did through university as a way to write about hockey in my hometown.

Sloan's profile, back then, would have said "marginal prospect" or "unlikely to make impact as pro" at the top in red ink.

He's since been upgraded. And good for him.