I present you the newest third line of the Detroit Falcons:
''THE FANTASTIC THREE''
Joe Klukay - Ralph Backstrom - Blair Russel
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Joe "The Thing" Klukay:
6'0 feets, 185 pounds. Shoot: Left
Stanley Cup Champion (1947, 1948, 1949, 1951)
Stanley Cup Finalist (1953)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1947, 1948, 1949)
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Offensive:
566G, 109G, 127A, 236PTS, 189 PIM
In 10 complete NHL Season
- 6 time 10 goals season
- 3 time 15 goals season
- 1 time 20 goals season
Team League Leader:
Goals (2nd, 5th, 5th)
Assist (4th)
Points (5th, 5th)
HHOF said:
He was a consistent goal scorer and hard worker who contributed to four Stanley Cup wins with the Leafs.
Klukay was sold to the weaker Boston Bruins but enjoyed being able to rush with the puck in a less restrictive system. In 1953-54 he scored 20 goals for the first time in his career.
Joe Pelletier said:
A strong skater with an above average understanding of the game
Klukay was a very effective forechecker, using his speed to jump in on defensemen and his dogged determination and strength to thump the blueliner and create turnovers. He was a very important cog of the Leafs Stanley Cup championships of that era, 4 all together.
Klukay actually started out as a scoring prospect with the Leafs farm team, but soon found his niche as a checker. But he did chip in offensively, being a regular 10-15 goal contributor in an era when 25-30 goals was really good.
Ultimate Hockey said:
In the mid-1940's, Klukay was one of Leaf boss Conn Smythe's prized scoring prospect down on th farm. But Klukay soon found that the Leafs already had enough offense (so) he adjusted.
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Defensive:
Selke Trophy (1948*, 1950*, 1951*, 1952*)
Best Penalty-killer of the 1950's*
*Given by Ultimate Hockey
HHOF said:
He and linemate Nick Metz became the league's most effective penalty killing tandem on a team that won through discipline and defence.
Joe Pelletier said:
Joe Klukay is one of the greatest defensive forwards to ever play the game of hockey.
(Klukay and Metz) formed a very effective penalty killing unit, often using an uncommon tactic back in those days - heavy forechecking while short handed.
But in true defensive forward fashion of any era, Joe Klukay's accomplishments were probably unnoticed by many then, and almost entirely forgotten about now.
His most memorable moment as a member of the Black and Gold came in the semi-finals of the 1953 playoffs. Klukay was assigned to shadow the immortal Gordie Howe. Klukay held Howe to only 2 goals in 6 games, a remarkable achievement.
If you ever had the chance to coach an all time team, choosing players from any era, you couldn't go wrong with picking Joe Klukay as one of your penalty killing forwards.
Legend of Hockey said:
(Klukay) become one of the top penalty-killers-defensive forwards ever to step on the ice.
He never appeared to be out of place, playing an amazingly sound, technical brand of hockey.
Were you protecting a one-goallead with two minutes remaining? Klukay was your man!
BeeHive Hockey said:
Known as "The Duke of Paducah", he was one of the greatest defensive forwards to ever play the game of hockey. As an effective fore-checker and penalty killer
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Other:
Allan Cup Winner (1963)
Battled in World War II (1943-1945)
- Nick Metz and him concocted a revolutionary penalty-killing strategy in thel ate 1940's: "We just concocted a system for us," explained the man they dubbed the Duke of Paducah. "It had to be the easiest, the most effective way to go about killing a penalty. You had one guy going in and we'd try to contain them in their own end. It worked for ten years so we couldn't knock it."
- Foster Hewitt considered Joe Klukay as one of the best stickhandler in the NHL
Joe Klukay was one of the best forechecker and most intimidating crasher of his ERA. His huge hits earn him the nickname ''The Thing''.
http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13210
http://mapleleafslegends.blogspot.com/2007/10/joe-klukay.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060211.OBBRIEFS11-1/TPStory/Obituaries
http://beehivehockey.com/profiles_04.htm#31-joeklukay
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Ralph ''Mr. Fantastic'' Backstrom
5'10 feets, 165 pounds, Shoot: Left
Stanley Cup Champion (1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969)
Stanley Cup Finalist (1967)
Calder Memorial Trophy (1959)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1958, 1959, 1960,
1962, 1965,
1967)
Avco World Trophy Finalist (1974)
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Offensive:
1032G, 278G, 361A, 639PTS, 386PTS
In 15 complete NHL Season
- 10 time 15 goals season
- 7 time 20 goals season
- 3 time 25 goals season
League Leader:
Goals (7th, 8th)
Assist (8th)
Points (7th, 9th)
Team League Leader:
Goals (2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th, 5th)
Assist (1st, 1st, 3rd, 3rd )
Points (1st, 2nd, 2nd, 4th )
WHA Team League Leader:
Goals (1st, 1st, 4th)
Assist (1st, 1st, 5th, 5th)
Points (1st, 1st, 4th)
Montreal Canadiens All-Time Leader:
- 7th in career goals
- 10th in career assists
- 8th in career points
HHOF said:
Ralph Backstrom was a swift skater with a deft scoring touch
Joe Pelletier said:
We'll never know how much Ralph Backstrom could have accomplished at the NHL level. The fine playmaker and two way center spent his first 13 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens helping the Habs win 6 Stanley Cups. But Backstrom was never better than a number 3 center in Montreal, always playing behind the legendary Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard.
Backstrom entered the league in 1958-59 and scored 40 points in limited ice time in 64 games with the Habs.
Backstrom was a solid offensive contributor [...]A magnificent skater, his best offensive season came in 1961-62 when in 66 games he scored career highs with 27 goals, 38 assists, and 65 points.
One has to wonder what heights Backstrom could have achieved had he had more of an opportunity to play on one of the top two lines, especially with the powerful Montreal Canadiens of the 1960s. But Backstrom never complained. Instead he accepted his role and excelled at it.
Ultimate Hockey said:
(Backstrom) was a fluid skater with blinding speed, polished play-making skills, hair-trigger reflexes on faceoffs and an impressive work ethic.
The young trio (Backstrom, Provost, Marshall/Goyette) although bursting with offensive talent, was used as a checking line.
Backstrom would become a mainstay in Montreal; he was Selke's and later Sam Pollock's, idea of a perfect player. Although he had the tools to be a first-line star and elite scorer, the selfless pivot put the team first and accepted his checking role.
chidlovski said:
Ralph Backstrom was a unique player. He was a dazzling skater, with a deft scoring touch who could also play hard-nosed, tough hockey without resorting to fighting or drawing penalties. He was always considered to be among the classiest players in any league he played.
For most of the (1974 Russia-Canada) series, he centered Team Canada's 2nd line along with Mark and Gordie Howe. He killed penalties, worked the power play, and was dangerous offensively almost every time he was on the ice.
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Defensive:
HHOF said:
Ralph Backstrom was a swift skater with a deft scoring touch whose defensive and team-oriented play earned him accolades throughout his career.
His production (sophomore season) dropped to 28 points, but he solidified his place as a key defensive forward on the club.
Backstrom became an important two-way forward on six Stanley Cup-winning teams. He and teammate Claude Provost garnered reputations as two of the most dogged forwards in the game.
Backstrom was a solid offensive contributor but was best used as a checking center by the team he grew up dreaming about. He was a very solid two way player.
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Others:
George Richardson Memorial Trophy Winner* (1957)
Memorial Cup Winner (1958)
Paul Deneau Trophy** (1974)
*Jr.A playoff winners
** WHA best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct
- He was the team captain of both the Ottawa Junior Canadiens (Jr.A) and the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens (OHASr) when they won as league best hockey teams.
- He won the Calder trophy as league most outstanding rookie in 1959, doubling the votes of second place Carl Brewer.
- ''There were times in my career that I felt I could have played better statistically if I would have played on another team besides the Canadiens. But there was nothing like the team successes that the Canadiens had during the time I played with them.'' -
Ralph Backstrom
Ralph Backstrom was one of the quickest player of his generation. His strong leadership earn him the nickname of ''Mr.Fantastic''.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Backstrom
http://www.chidlovski.net/1974/74_playersca.asp?playerid=ca14
http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=11896
http://habslegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/ralph-backstrom.html
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6521292
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Blair ''Human Torch'' Russel
5'9 feet, 170 pounds
Stanley Cup Champion ()
Stanley Cup Finalist ()
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67Games, 110Goals
Selke Trophy (1903*, 1904*)
Best Shadow of the 1900's. Blair Russel was a fine back-checker and an accomplished ''marker'' of opposing players.*
*Given by Ultimate Hockey
HHOF said:
Blair Russel was an excellent two-way player throughout his career as an amateur with the Montreal Victorias
This pair made as potent a scoring threat as there was in hockey at that time, amateur or professional.
Russel was a very clean player who was equally adept at scoring or checking.
-
Honored Members, say in his book that by the time he retired in 1908,
Blair Russel was considered the best player hockey had even seen at his position and that he was
renowned for his speed and his gentlemanly play.
- In a vote conducted at the time by daily newspapers in Toronto and Montreal, Russel was named to an All-Star team along with such greats as Harvey Pulford, Frank McGee, Alf Smith, and Billy Gilmour. -
Hockey Hall of Fame
- In 1904, Russel scored a six-goal game and a five-goal game, but his most unbelievable scoring featuring is when is score seven goals against the Montreal Shamrocks.
Blair Russel was arguably the best two-way player of his ERA. His speed and quickness to backcheck and shadow his opponent earn him the nickname ''The Human Torch''.
http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080...jsp?type=Player&mem=P196509&list=ByName#photo
http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Hockey-Hall-of-Famers_21913.html
Roberto Luongo is having a marvelous streak right now, but I'll name you a dozen goaltender more suited in a backup role in a All-Time Draft than Luongo.
gimme the puck i'm open but don't touch me
