ATD 2012 Bios Thread (as complete as possible: pic, quotes, stats, sources, etc)

[VanIslander]

ATD 2012 Bios​

Here is where to post the biographies of players and coaches selected in the 2012 All-Time Draft.

It becomes a valuable resource for future drafts, as well as reference during the draft and playoffs.

Here are some examples from last year:

ATD 2011 Bios Thread
MLD 2011 Bios
AAA 2011 Bios Thread

Click to read more...

 

[vecens24]

EB's Doug Harvey bio because I don't think anyone is capable of topping this:

With our first selection, the 4th overall in this year All-Time Draft, the Detroit Falcons are proud to select, Monsieur Douglas Norman Harvey

Nickname: Dallying Doug
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 187 lbs
Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Date of Birth: December 19, 1924
Place of Birth: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Date of Death: December 26, 1989 (Age: 65)

Stanley Cup Champion (1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)
Stanley Cup Finalist (1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1968)
Memorial Cup Participation (1944, 1945)
Allan Cup Champion (1947)
NHL First All-Star Team Defence (1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962)
NHL Second All-Star Team Defence (1959)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1969)
AHL Second All-Star Team Defence (1963)
James Norris Memorial Trophy (1953*, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962)
Team Captain (1960-1961)
Canada Sports Hall of Fame (1975)
Pantheon des Sports du Quebec (1995)
Hockey Hall of Fame (1973)
#2 Retired by the Montreal Canadiens (26th of October, 1985)

- #6 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (1998 edition)
- #9 on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2008 edition)
- #6 on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2009 edition)
- Voted #1 defensive defenceman of All-Time by Hockey's 100
- Voted best passer of the 1950's by Ultimate Hockey
- Voted finest athlete of the 1950's by Ultimate Hockey
- Voted best Defensive Defenseman of the 1950's by Ultimate Hockey
- Voted smartest Player of the 1950's by Ultimate Hockey
- Voted on the 1950's Decade All-Star Defence

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
20|1113|88|452|540|1216

Top-20 Scoring (11th, 13th, 17th)
Top-20 Assist (2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 12th, 12th, 13th, 13th, 17th)
Top-10 Penalty minutes (3rd, 3rd)
Top-10 Scoring Among Defence (1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th, 7th, 8th)
Top-10 Goalscoring Among Defence (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 8th, 9th, 9th, 9th, 10th)
Top-10 Assist Among Defence (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 7th, 8th)
Top-10 Penalty minutes Among Defence (2nd, 2nd, 6th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 10th)

Playoffs|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
15|137|8|64|72|152

Top-10 Playoff Scoring (5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 10th)
Top-10 Playoff Goalscoring (4th)
Top-10 Playoff Assist (2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 7th)
Top-10 Playoff Penalty minutes (4th, 8th, 8th, 10th)
Top-5 Playoff Scoring Among Defence (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 4th)
Top-5 Playoff Goalscoring Among Defence (1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd)
Top-5 Playoff Assist Among Defence (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 5th, 5th)
Top-5 Playoff Penalty minutes Among Defence (2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th)


Awards Nomination:

James Norris Memorial Trophy:
The James Norris Memorial Trophy didn't existed in Harvey's first five seasons in the NHL. He was a first All-Star Team member in 1951, 1952 and 1953, which mean he would of probably been a Top-2 Norris finalist in those 3 seasons.

1953-54: 2nd position (Red Kelly) (-64.8%)
1954-55: 1st position (+34.6%)
1955-56: 1st position (+62.2%)
1956-57: 1st position (+73.6%)
1957-58: 1st position (+22.2%)
1958-59: 4th position (Tom Johnson) (-47.8%)
1959-60: 1st position (+67.5%)
1960-61: 1st position (+67.9%)
1961-62: 1st position (+53.9%)

Hart Memorial Trophy:
1954-55: 5th position (Ted Kennedy) (-79.1%)
1955-56: 5th position (Jean Beliveau) (-88.3%)
1956-57: 5th position (Gordie Howe) (-84.7%)
1957-58: 3rd position (Gordie Howe) (-61.0%)
1958-59: 2nd position (Jacques Plante) (-36.2%)


Professional Career:

- In 1947-48, he started his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens
- In 1960-61, he joined the New York Rangers as player-coach
- In 1966-67, he played two games with the Detroit Red Wings, more than four years after his last game in the NHL with the New York Rangers
- Harvey began the 1967-68 schedule with the Kansas City Blues of the CPHL before rejoining the NHL with expansion St. Louis for the playoffs. He played another full season with Blues before retiring for good
- In 1969, Harvey remained in hockey as the assistant coach of the Los Angeles Kings, and later that year the head coach of the Laval Saints in the QJMHL.
- In 1973, he became an assistant coach and scout with the WHA's Houston Aeros
- In 1985, he was offered a scouting position with the Montreal Canadiens

Doug Harvey was unquestionably the top defenseman of his era. Along with Eddie Shore and Bobby Orr, he probably had the greatest impact of any player at that position. His dramatic rushes and superior defensive work allowed him to dominate the game. In a franchise deep in heroes, Harvey gained an immortal place in the storied history of the Montreal Canadiens. His role the Habs' record-setting five straight Cup wins from 1956 to 1960 was paramount.

His talent on the ice was matched by unqualified loyalty to the team.

Harvey proved to be an exceptionally talented and versatile player for the Habs. He quarterbacked the power play, set the tempo for the transitional game and the counterattack, defended tenaciously, blocked shots and intimidated the opposition by merely stepping on the ice. As much as any skater before or since, he was the complete player who meant everything to his team.

Dick Irvin very quickly discovered Harvey's greatest skill – the ability to control the temp of a game. Methodically, Doug carried the puck, at his own speed, surveying the ice landscape before he committed to any play. At first, it drove his coach and teammates to distraction, until they learned that there was method to Harvey's madness – the other team couldn't score if Doug controlled the puck.

In the 1953 Stanley Cup final, Montreal won Game Four by a 7-3 count, with Maurice Richard collecting a hattrick. The tandem of Butch Bouchard and Doug Harvey was particularly effective.

In the playoffs on 1968, St. Louis was playing Philadelphia in the seventh game of their quarter-final playoff series. Paired with veteran Al Arbour, Harvey and his partner played more than 40 minutes each in a 3-1 victory to clinch the series.

Against the Canadiens, the veteran kept the flying Habitants off balance with his knowledge of angles, clearing the puck unerringly and setting up St. Louis forays with his beautifully-timed passes.

Doug Harvey was the first defenseman in NHL history who ''quarterbacked'' his team. Playing from the blueline, Harvey would orchestrate the Canadiens’ style of ''fire wagon hockey'' with his ability to frame accurate passes. Not only was his passing a sight to behold but he could control game as he pleased.

Doug Harvey was the best defenseman in hockey during his heydays, and he ranks among the greatest of all time. He could check, block shots, rush the puck, stickhandle, and pass, but what made him truly unique was the way he could combine his skills to control the pace of the game.

Defenseman Douglas Harvey was so laconic in style, so calmly sure of himself, that he executed plays of extreme complexity with consummate ease.

He was a consummate craftsman, perhaps unmatched among defenseman for a union of style, wisdom, and strength.

Harvey was the Habs’ general, directing play, controlling pace, passing with uncanny accuracy, and busting the head of anyone who got in the way of him or his teammates.

Doug Harvey and Eddie Shore were cut from the same hockey cloth – tough, talented, unsentimental players who faced their opponents without pity.

Harvey could skate with anyone, had great puck-handling skills, and was rock solid inside his own blueline.

He wasn't the biggest or strongest or fastest, but he was likely second best in every category, making him the finest all-round defenceman by a country mile.

There is little doubt that Wayne Gretzky is the greatest playmaker ever. But have you ever considered who should be second?

How about Doug Harvey. He was the key to the Flying Frenchmen's fire wagon hockey that saw them win an unparalleled 5 consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1950s. In doing so Harvey revolutionized hockey with the introduction of transition offense.

While the Habs had a collection of Hall of Famers that were compiled to form arguably the greatest team in history, Doug was the key to their attack.

The first key to Doug's success was he was a flawless defender. Doug was so superb in one on one defensive battles that he would routinely steal the puck off the attacker as though he were picking cherries. He would rarely be beaten, and his teammates knew it.

Even more impressive was Doug's ability with the puck. He would rarely simply dump the puck out of the zone. He would be able to gain control of the puck and never give it up. At first he would drive fans and coaches crazy, as he wandered in front of the net with fore-checkers zooming in, but more often than not he would remain calm, and in an unhurried fashion spot a streaking forward with a pinpoint pass. Because of t his uncanny ability Montreal's superstar forwards could afford stay high and loosen up on their backchecking duties.

Harvey was also the quarterback of such a devastating power play that it was decided in 1956 to change the rules and allow a player to return to the ice if his team surrendered a power play goal.

Unlike a Bobby Orr or Paul Coffey, Doug wouldn't rush the puck out of his own zone. His thinking was the puck can move faster than any player on the ice, so why not utilize that as a tactic? He had this unique ability to draw in a forechecker which would then open up more ice for his teammates. [...] Harvey would plant a perfect pass to one of his forwards, creating an odd-man rush. In doing so, Harvey controlled the game perhaps better than any player in history. More often than not he would rag the puck to slow the game down, but he also knew exactly when to catch the other team by surprise with a perfectly placed pass into an open lane.

Doug Harvey is perhaps the greatest all-around defenseman of all time. He was not as offensively gifted as Bobby Orr but controlled in much the same degree if only a contrasting style. He was not as hard hitting as Eddie Shore, but he was known as one of the most physical yet clean defenders of his time.

Harvey controlled the game like Orr did, but where Orr controlled it by carrying the puck, by acting as a forward, Harvey would slow the pace down, then pick it up. He could control the game and was the epitome of the brilliant general on the blueline.

Harvey was the key to their attack. Most impressive was his ability with the puck. Doug’s flawless defensive style resulted in repeated turnovers, as he proved almost impossible to beat. Having picked the oncoming forward’s pocket for the puck, he would maintain control, ragging it, waiting patiently for a forward to break loose upon which he would hit him with a pinpoint pass creating another odd man rush. With his ultra-calm manner and surgeon like passing precision he single-handedly changed the game.

Not only is Doug Harvey arguably the greatest defenseman in Canadiens history, but he also changed the way the position is played for blue-liners who followed him. As the game’s first truly offensive rearguard, Harvey’s puck-control style helped pace the Habs’ offense during the 1950s, spawning a future generation of NHL power-play quarterbacks.

Big, strong and with a pronounced mean streak when the situation called for it, Harvey kept his side of the rink unwelcome territory for oncoming forwards, who quickly became reluctant to pay the price for trespassing.

A dedicated team player, Harvey passed up numerous scoring opportunities of his own, opting to pick up assists while helping teammates who had financial incentives tied to their goal production take home their bonus money.

His masterful stickhandling allowed him to control the puck for as long as he wished. It was often to the dismay of fans, coaches and opponents, who watched helplessly as the defenseman took chances that others dared not take, rarely being caught out of position or making a costly mistake.

Adept at speeding up the game with unerring passes that always seemed to find their target, Harvey could also slow things down if need be, taking the wind out of his opponents’ sails and allowing his teammates to catch their breath.

Among the greatest players to ever lace up skates, Harvey was invariably the smartest man on the ice.

Quotes:

- ''I'm not throwing any pucks away. I'm trying to do what's best for the team. That's why I take my time and make the play." - Doug Harvey, on his style of play

- ''I'm running them into the boards and banging them around one minute and because we win the Stanley Cup, that's going to change? I don't really like them anyway. Why should I shake their hands?'' - Doug Harvey, refusing to shake hand with the Boston Bruins after the 1953 Stanley Cup Final

- ''I think almost every team had a tough fella you had to be careful of. Not necessarily for fighting, but for bodychecking. Pierre Pilote. Fernie Flaman. Leo Boivin. Bobby Baun. Doug Harvey in Montreal. - Andy Bathgate on the toughest competitor in his time

- ''He was great, always willing to help.'' - Maurice Richard

- ''The greatest defenceman who ever played the game.'' - Jean Béliveau

- ''He was cool and deliberate.'' - Milt Schmidt

- ''If the game was 8-2, Doug Harvey might have a goal and an assist. If the score was 3-2, he'd have 2 or 3 points.'' - Hal Laycoe

- ''He was so good that he played mind games with the opposition. If he had Orr's legs, he would of been in that class - he was anyway, but he couldn't accelerate like Orr. Doug was more like a Mack Truck.'' - Howie Meeker

- ''And of course Harvey, we always thought that without Harvey on that team we could beat Montreal because he really was controlling the puck back on that blueline. He'd pick it up and take his time, get it out, move it out, get the guy in the open and throw it to him and away they'd go. To me, he was one of the greatest defenceman to ever play.'' - Martin Pavelich

- ''He was the best defenceman of our day. I never played with him, so I never knew him personally, but he was well respected.'' - George Armstrong

- ''One of the greatest player in the history of the game.'' - Pat Burns

- ''Harvey did what was expected of him. He was nobody’s fool. He was a smart player, someone tough who didn’t mind mixing it up. We all knew we had to bring our best to have a chance of beating him.'' - Dick Duff

- ''No player put my heart in my mouth like as often as Doug, but I learned to swallow in silence. His style was casual, but it worked. He made few mistakes, and, ninety-nine percent of the time correctly anticipated the play or the pass.'' - Toe Blake

- ''He could have played center, he could have played left wing, he could have played goal. There was no part of the game he couldn't do.'' - Tom Johnson

- ''All I know is that the son of a gun came out of nowhere to become the biggest thorn in the side of the Leafs in our glory days. He was an early Bobby Orr, except he did it at semi-slow motion. You always knew what was coming - you could see it happening - but you couldn't do anything about it.'' - Howie Meeker, remembering how his teammate came to fear Harvey's ability to control a game

- ''Doug played defence in a rocking chair.'' - Toe Blake

- ''He changed the whole game.'' - Bernard Geoffrion

-'' I would say Doug Harvey was tremendous. He was a great defensive and offensive player and he did everything with [ease]. He used to get the puck in front of the goaltender and Irvin would warn him that if he ever had the puck taken off his stick and it went in the net it will cost him $500. Dougie would irritate Irvin quite a bit [laughing] as he was standing there with the puck.'' - Elmer Lach, when asked which Hall of Famer he admired the most

- ''Doug Harvey was the greatest defenseman who ever played hockey, bar none. Usually, a defensemen specializes in one thing and builds a reputation around that, but Doug could do everything well. His style was casual, but it worked. He made few mistakes, and 99% of the time correctly anticipated the play or pass.'' - Dickie Moore

- ''It's like playing against (Wayne) Gretzky and (Bobby) Orr. It didn't matter what they did, they always beat you.'' - George Armstrong, comparing Doug Harvey to Gretzky and Orr

- ''No slight to Bobby Orr but Doug Harvey was the best defenseman ever to play the game.'' - Ted Lindsay

- ''As far as I'm concerned, Harvey's far and away the best defensemen ever." - Toe Blake


Biography & Personal Life:

Douglas Norman Harvey was born in Montreal's Notre Dame de Grace neighbourhood on December 19, 1924. A natural athlete from the time of his youth, Doug began playing organized hockey at the age of 13. First, as a goaltender: put there because of his diminutive size. He disliked being stuck in goal, so he was moved to centre. It was only later that he would be placed on defence, a position he would later revolutionize.

While Harvey excelled at hockey, many will argue that as great as he was on the ice, he was even better on the baseball diamond and the gridiron playing football. In 1942-43, as a member of the Montreal Navy, Harvey was recognize as the most valuable player in the Quebec Rugby Football Union. That squad won football's Grey Cup in 1944, although without their star halfback, Harvey, who was serving his country during the Second World War.

During World War II, Harvey was a gunner for a merchant ship in the north Atlantic. Upon his return from the war, Harvey served in the Navy. In the 1944-45 season, Harvey played hockey at the same time with the National Defence League's Donnaconas and also played football with the Montreal Hornets, the predecessor of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

In 1945-46, Doug graduated to the Royals' senior team, and helped the team win the Quebec Senior Hockey League championship. The next year, the Royals went all the way and collected the Allan Cup as Canada's premier senior hockey team. The same year, Doug also played semi-pro baseball with the Ottawa Nationals of the Class 'C' Border League. Harvey, a third baseman, missed much of the end of his baseball season as it took place at the same time as the Montreal Canadiens' training camp.

In his first training camp with the Canadiens, Harvey made quite an impression with his new club. The Montreal Gazette had this to say on the young defenseman: ''Doug Harvey can skate with the best of them, is big enough to horse around with any of those NHL hard guys, handles his stick expertly and has a head on his shoulders.''

Doug Harvey made the Montreal Canadiens, replacing Frank Eddolls, who had been traded to the New York Rangers. Doug was even given Eddolls' number 2 to wear with the Habs. Harvey joined a defence corps that included Butch Bouchard, Glen Harmon, Roger Leger and Ken Reardon. It took Doug a few seasons to assert himself as one of the league's premier defencemen, but by 1951-52, he was selected to the NHL's First All-Star Team for the first of ten times.

With Montreal, his skating ability and puck control skills combined with his shot blocking prowess and toughness were unequalled. Unlike modern defenceman of the like of Niklas Lidstrom and Bobby Orr, Harvey could dominate the game physically as well as with finesse serving up crunching body checks and open ice hits to the opposition when the situation dictated it.

At the offseason of 1956, Ted Lindsay and Doug Harvey formed the first player’s union to fight for player’s rights. The league at that time was infamous in its disrespect for even the stars of the time. Both were furious that the owners had not matched the 900.00$ per year pension contributions as promised. The contribution by the owners came from All-Star Game tickets and a surcharge on playoff tickets, and not from their own pockets. Harvey and Lindsay, who had fought bloodied battles on the ice, joined forces to organize the players: ''We figured we could do better by the pension plans if we had an association and our own legal advisors,'' explained Harvey. Surprisingly, every players but one kicked in the 100.00$ necessary and the union was started. In 1957, Jimmy Thomson, the veteran defenceman and representative of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was the first to get traded for his involvement in the players union. A couple of years later, both Ted Lindsay and Doug Harvey, all-star players of their respective teams, got traded: all three, for little return. By 1960, the owners succeeded to scuttle the first attempt to form an union.

While the Montreal Canadiens organization argued that Harvey's trade was motivated by his age and flagging skill-set, Doug was never convinced. "It had to do with union activities," he stated firmly. "I was a First Team All-Star and won the Norris that year. You don't give away a player like that!" It would take another decade before the players finally gain control of their association.

Harvey then played two season with the New York Rangers. In 1961-62, he was named player-coach and with a 26-32-12 records, was able to squeeze his team into a playoff spot. This was the first time since 1958 and the last time in the Original Six era that the New York Rangers were able to obtain a playoff spot. Moreover, for his effort on the ice, he received his seventh and last James Norris trophy. The 1962-63 season was far less memorable for Harvey and the Rangers. In the fall of 1962, Harvey worked out an arrangement with the management where he could go home between games and didn't even have to practice. The Rangers finished 21 points out of a playoff spot and Harvey was left unprotected by the team.

It was the beginning of a tumultuous time for Doug. In 1963, Harvey signed with the Quebec Aces of the American Hockey League, where he spent two seasons. In 1965-66, Doug signed as a free agent with the AHL's Baltimore Clippers. Just before Christmas of 1966, he was traded to Providence of the AHL, but exercised a clause in his contract that allowed him to become a free agent if he was traded by the Clippers. In doing so, Harvey joined the Pittsburgh Hornets, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. During that 1966-67 season, he found himself back in the NHL for 2 games with the Detroit Red Wings.

During the summer of 1967, the newly-formed St. Louis Blues hired Doug to coach their affiliate franchise in Kansas City. Harvey was once again a playing-coach, and the team made the playoffs. But once they were eliminated, the parent Blues called up several players for their playoff run, including Gary Veneruzzo, Don McKenney and Doug Harvey. He also played the entire 1968-69 season with the Blues, but then, at the age of 44, retired from professional hockey.

During his hockey career and after, Doug Harvey was a troubling personality. He drove his teammates and coaches crazy with his tardiness, stubbornness and often berating ways. Years later, it would be determined Harvey was suffering from bipolar disorder, a manic-depressive disease. Back then, not much was known about the illness. During his playing days with the Montreal Canadiens, Harvey was a dedicated team player, but as the years passed, it was becoming harder and harder to put up with his heavy drinking.

Decades after his retirement, hard-living had taken its toll on Doug. In the mid-80's, Ronald Corey, who was at the time the president of the Canadiens, was informed of Doug's personal situation and hired him as a part-time scout. Indeed, one of hockey's greatest heroes was living in a railway car, a mobile living unit once used by prime minister John Diefenbaker, at an Ottawa-area race track drinking his life away. ''I go to those games anyway, and I'm sure I can help,'' later said Harvey, on his new job.

Unfortunately he would spend much of his last few years battling alcohol and mental illness. In 1988, Harvey was diagnosed with liver disease. ''It was just such a strange thing for us to see our father needy,'' admitted Darlene Petsche, the oldest of Doug's daughters. ''All his life he'd been a big, strong, athletic guy who could do anything.'' During the last weeks of his life, when asked about his life, he didn't regret a thing: ''If I had to do it over again,'' he said, ''I wouldn't have changed a thing.''

On December 26, 1989, reduced to a shell of his former robust self, Doug Harvey died of cirrhosis of the liver in Montreal General Hospital. He had stopped drinking three years before he passed away, but at that point it was too late. He had just celebrated his 65th birthday. If only Harvey had receive some help, perhaps he could of lived much longer. But, as Jean Beliveau pointed out, there is little that could of been done since Harvey didn't admit to needing help. Maurice Richard, a teammate and also a good friend of Harvey, said after Harvey's death: ''Everyone tried to put him on the right path, but there was nothing to be done.''

Although his behaviour at time was eccentric and erratic, Harvey was a beloved character by both his family and his teammate. Fans will always remember Harvey not for his latter years, but rather as one of the greatest defencemen of all-time.


Fun & Interesting Facts:

- In 1946, Doug played with the Montreal Royals alongside his brother, Howard, who played goaltender. They won the league championship that year.
- In the fall of 1947, Harvey declined an offer to play for the Boston Braves of the MLB, because the date interfere with the one of the Canadiens training camp
- On October 16, 1947, Harvey started his career with the Canadiens in a 2-1 loss to the Rangers
- In 1954, Harvey scored a Cup-losing own-goal when he tipped the puck with his glove, after a deflected shot by Tony Leswick of the Detroit Red Wings, past goalie Gerry McNeil
- On November 29, 1956, Harvey almost killed New York Rangers Red Sullivan, when he ruptured his spleen with a vicious spear
- For the 1957-58 season, Harvey was unanimously voted on the First All-Star team defence, a feat only achieve once before him, and four time since then
- In late-1959, Andy Bathgate wrote a controversial article, mentioning Doug Harvey, Tom Johnson, Fern Flaman, Pierre Pilote, Ted Lindsay and teammate Lou Fontinato as spearing specialists: ''None of them seems to care that he'll be branded as a hockey killer.'' (Bathgate was fine by the NHL for writing the article)
- In the 1961-62 season, Harvey became the only player to win a major individual playing award (James Norris Trophy) while coaching
- In 1962, with the New York Rangers, Harvey was the highest paid player in the league, with a salary of 30 000$
- With the Detroit Red Wings, Harvey wore the #5, as Gary Bergman played with the #2. It's the only time in his NHL career that Harvey wore a different number than his beloved #2
- Harvey is the only player in the history of the league to win a major individual award in consecutive years with different teams
- On October 1970, Harvey was unsuccessful to be elected to the Montreal city council
- Harvey was unanimously elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973. When invited to his own Hockey Hall of Fame Induction, the free spirited Harvey decided instead to go fishing
- Harvey is said to have played a key role in luring the Howe family to play with the Houston Aeros
- In 1984, fans of the Montreal Canadiens selected an all-time All-Star Team. Jacques Plante was chosen as goaltender, the forwards were Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore and Maurice Richard while the blueliners selected were Larry Robinson and Doug Harvey
- The government of Canada honoured Doug Harvey in 2000 with his image placed on a Canadian postage stamp
- One of Harvey's favourite pastime was fishing. His fishing trip included the like of Maurice Richard, Toe Blake and Gerry McNeil to name a few

Miscellaneous:

- ''As a kid I played my hockey in Notre Dame de Grace Park, Doug’s home base. He was playing in the Forum by then but came out at least once a week, put on his skates, threw a puck on the ice and challenged all of us to get it off him. I will always remember how we scrambled around as he deked in and out of the ten or twelve of us laughing the whole time, as we never did get that damn puck away from him. - Kevin Hunter

- ''I remember visiting him in the hospital and he was usually in good spirits. One time I was in the corridor and I heard laughter coming from his room. Inside, Bobby Orr and Don Cherry were there cheering up my dad.'' - Doug Harvey Jr.

- Always modest about his ability, Harvey once said he couldn't rate himself as a player because: ''I've never seen myself play''.


Signing &Trades:

June 13, 1961: Traded to the New York Rangers by the Montreal Canadiens for Lou Fontinato (NHL)
November 26, 1963: Signed as a free agent by the Quebec Aces (AHL)
June 10, 1965: Signed as a free agent by Baltimore Clippers (AHL)
December 23, 1966: Traded to the Providence Bruins for cash (AHL). He activated a contract clause that allowed him to become a free agent if traded by the Baltimore Clippers (AHL)
January 6, 1967: Signed with the Detroit Red Wings, but except two games, played with the Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL)
June 1, 1967: Signed as a free agent with the St-Louis Blues and named playing coach of the Kansas City Blues (CPHL)

Coaching:

Season|Position/Team|League|G|W|L|T|Outcome
1961-62|Player - Head Coach|NHL|70|26|32|12|4th in standing
| New York Rangers | Playoffs |6|2|4|| Lost semi-final vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
1967-68|Player - Head Coach|CPHL|70|31|29|10|2nd North Division
| Kansas City Blues | Playoffs |7|4|3|| Lost semi-final vs. Fort Worth Wings
1969-70|Ass. Coach|NHL|||||
| Los Angeles Kings ||||||
1969-70|Head Coach|QJMHL|16|4|12||
| Laval Saints ||||||
1973-74|Ass. Coach|WHA|||||
| Houston Aeros ||||||
1974-75|Ass. Coach|WHA|||||
| Houston Aeros ||||||

Abbreviation:

AHL: American Hockey League
CPHL: Central Professional Hockey League
MLB: Major League Baseball
NHL: National Hockey League
QJHL: Quebec Junior Hockey League
QJMHL: Quebec Junior Major Hockey League
WHA: World Hockey Association

Youtube Videos:


Other Videos:
http://video.stars.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=21742

Internet Sites:
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/Lege...jsp?type=Player&mem=P197301&list=ByName#photo
http://www.sihrhockey.org/member_player_sheet.cfm?player_id=4925
http://www.sportshall.ca/accessible/hm_profile.php?i=249
http://habslegends.blogspot.com/2006/06/doug-harvey.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Harvey_(ice_hockey)#cite_note-0
http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Doug-Harvey
http://thehockeywriters.com/doug-harvey-greatest-of-them-all/
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/27/o...65-hockey-defenseman-in-the-hall-of-fame.html
http://denniskanemontrealcanadiens.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/remembering-doug-harvey/

*Retroactive Award attributed by Ultimate Hockey

 

[Leaf Lander]

Toronto Maple Leafs Bios

for my last pick

Max Bentley, C

One of the most exciting players of any era in National Hockey League was Max Bentley. He was nicknamed "The Dipsy Doodle Dandy" because of the way he zigged and zagged his way through an opposing team "like a scared jackrabbit." Several NHL old timers were quick to compare Wayne Gretzky upon his NHL debut to the electrifying Bentley. Others favor the modern day comparison of Denis Savard or Gilbert Perreault.

Although he was puny at just 5' 8" and 155 pounds, Bentley quickly learned to use his superior skating abilities to survive the rough and tough NHL. He was also brilliant with the puck. He could stickhandle through a maze of players at top speed - a true rarity in any era. He was a deft passer and had a laser like wrist shot.

Bentley credited his incredible wrist shot to his farm chores back home in Delisle, Saskatchewan. His father would tell him that milking cows would make his wrists strong, and in turn would provide him with an excellent shot.

Joe Pelletier

When he retired, he had scored 245 goals and was second among active players only to Maurice Richard.

LEGENDS
Seasons 12
Era Early 40's mid 50's
RS 645 245 299 544 179
PO 51 18 27 45 14
Cups -4
Hockey Hall of Fame 1966
Lady Byng Trophy 1943
Hart Trophy 1946
NHL Scoring Champion 1946, 1947



#1 Turk Broda, G

He was the best money goalies of his time. Coach Hap Day had to constantly ride him to keep his reflexes sharp and his weight down, making him face shooters without a stick for 15 minutes every practice, and trailing him while skating laps, shouting for him to “join the race.” But there wasn’t a more clutch goaltender in the history of hockey. In 12 full years, WWII cost him 2 full years and the most of a third, he won 5 Stanley Cups, and got Toronto to the Finals 8 times. His solid 2.53 goals against average became a stellar 1.98 in the playoffs. Jack Adams said, “Turk Broda didn’t have a nerve in his whole body. He could tend goal in a tornado and never blink an eye.” BM67. He retired after playing only one game in the 1951-52 season. Broda was accorded a special night at the Gardens by Conn Smythe, one of the rarest honors bestowed upon a Leaf. That night came on December 22, 1951, and players and executives from Toronto, the opposing Bruins and every other NHL team gathered to pay respects to one of the greatest goalies of all time.

-Era mid 30's early 50's
-World War II Vet
-14 NHL Seasons
-NHL All-Star First Team, 41,48.
-NHL All-Star Second Team, 1941-42.
-All-Star Game, 47,48,49,50
-Vezina Trophy ('48, '41)
Regular Season (302-224, 2.53)
-Playoffs (50-39, 1.98)
-Won five Stanley Cups as a starting goalie (1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951)
- Won the Conn Smythe (49') and was a 3-time all-star
- Ranks 3rd all-time in adjusted playoff wins
- GAA drops 25% in the playoffs (biggest improvement all-time); 4th largest improvement in win percentage
-His uniform #1 Hangs from the Rafters at the ACC
-Hockey Hall of Fame, 1967
-Ranked 9th- Top 100 All Time Leafs Book
-Ranked 60th-The Hockey News list 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
-Role:Franchise Puckstopper/Game Breaker/ Money Goalie


#9 Bobby Hull LW

Few of the game's superstars could match the physical talents of Bobby Hull. The Golden Jet combined speed, a feared slapshot and a powerful physique to rise to the elite of the NHL in the 1960s. Hull was hockey's faster skater (28.3 mph with puck, 29.7 without it) and had the hardest shot (once reportedly recorded at 118.3 mph, some 35 mph above the league average). He was hockey's ultimate hockey player, blending together the talents of his most famed predecessors - the speed of Howie Morenz, the goal scoring prowress of Maurice Richard, the strength and control of Gordie Howe - plus the looks and charisma of a movie star. Hull did more than any other player to popularize the game of hockey in the United States prior to Wayne Gretzky.

RS 1063 610 560 1170 640
PO 119 62 67 129 102
Seasons-17
Era mid 70's early 80's
30 Goal+ Seasons-13
40 Goal+ Seasons-8
50 Goal+ Seasons-5
-Top 10 Points-63-64(2nd)64-65(4th)66-67(2nd)
67-68(4th)68-69(2nd)-70-71(5th)71-72(7th)
-Most Points -59-60,61-62 Tie 65-66
-Most Goals 59-60 Tie-61-62 ,63-64 65-66,66-67 67-68,68-69
-Top 10 Goals-64-65(2nd)69-70(4th)70-71(3rd)
71-72 (3rd)
Art Ross Trophy (60,62,66)
1st All-Star Team LW (60,62,64,65,66,67,68,69, 70,72)
Hart Memorial Trophy (1965, 1966)
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (1965)
Lester Patrick Trophy (1969)
2nd All-Star Team Left Wing (1963, 1971)
Stanley Cups:1
HOF 1983
-Became 3rd hockey player to appear on the cover of Time magazine[1]
-WHA 1st All-Star Team (73,74, &75)
-WHA 2nd All-Star Team76 & 78)
-WHA Most Valuable Player (73 & 75)
-Avco Cup (WHA) Championships (76,78, &79)
-Retired -2nd leading goal scorer in NHL history
-Retired -ninth leading point scorer in NHL (currently 12th and 43rd respectively).
-2nd in WHA history in goals
-6th in assists WHA history
-3rd in points WHA history
-Ranked #8-The Hockey News Top 100 Greatest Hockey Players
-The highest-ranking left winger in THN Top 100
-He and Gordie Howe became the last active players that had played in the 1950s.
-#9 has been retired by Blackhawks
-#9 sweater has been retired by Jets/Coyotes
Role:Sniper/Generational Talent/Game Breaker/ Speed Demon/Leader

Cameron "Cam" Neely, RW

Position: Right Wing
HT/WT: 6'1", 215 lbs
Shoots: Right
Nickname(s): "Bam-Bam Cam"

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends
Cam Neely was the ultimate Boston Bruin. Character, perseverance, team work, physical play, play to death, win - all traits that can be easily used to describe both Neely and his B's.

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends
Cam would score 36, 40, and 38 goals in his first 3 seasons with Boston. Cam would go on to record two straight 50 goal seasons before he suffered a major blow to his knee. Cam returned for the 93-94 season scoring 50 goals for the third time. It took Cam only 44 games to reach the 50 goal plateau, only Wayne Gretzky has done it faster. (Mario Lemieux in the 88-89 season also scored 50 in 44 games.)

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends
As amazing of a goal scorer that he was, lighting the lamp did not define Cam Neely. He was the ultimate power forward of his time. His hands were as soft as a feather when he handled the puck, yet hard as a rock when handled an enemy. Defensemen feared going back into their corner to chase a loose puck knowing Neely was right behind them. As a forechecker he was relentless and imposing. He was an insane body checker and a dangerous fighter. Through his physical play he set the tone of games.

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends
The physical game took it's toll on Neely's body, yet he handled diversity with the utmost of class. He showed courage and perseverance, and a deep love of the game. Cam Neely gave everything he had to the game of hockey - his blood, sweat and tears, his hip, quad and knee, and most of all his heart.

Originally Posted by Wayne Cashman
"If you are going to write the description of a power forward, you just put down Cam Neely. You don't need to put anything else."

Originally Posted by Legends of Hockey
In spite of nagging injuries, in the ten seasons Neely played for the Bruins, he still led the team in scoring seven times, including three campaigns with fifty or more goals.

Originally Posted by Legends of Hockey
Cam Neely is considered the pre-eminent power forward of his era. It was talent and dogged determination that set the competitor above his peers and earned Neely a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

- Recipient of the 1994 Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy
- Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame (2005)
- 395 goals, 694 regular season points in 726 games played.
- 57 goals, 89 playoff points in 93 games played.
- 4 acknowledgements for the NHL Second All-Star Team. (1988, 1990, 1991, 1996)

 

[Rob Scuderi]

D Bobby Orr

915 points in 657 GP
92 points in 74 playoff games

• x2 Stanley Cup winner ('70,'72)
• x8 Norris Trophy Winner ('68-'75)
• x2 Art Ross Winner ('70,'75)
• x3 Hart Trophy Winner ('70-'72)
• x1 Lindsay Award Winner ('75)
• x2 Conn Smythe Winner ('70,'72)
• x8 1st All-Star Team ('68-'75)
• x1 2nd All-Star Team ('67)
• x7 All-Star Games ('68-'73,'75)

Norris Finishes: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3
Hart Finishes: 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 6
All-Star Team Voting Finishes: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 4

Point Finishes (Defensemen): 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3
Point Finishes (Overall): 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3

- '75 Canada Cup MVP, named to '72 Summit Series but did not play due to injury
- 1967 Calder Trophy winner
- Awarded Lester Patrick Award for contributions to U.S hockey in '79
- Waiting period waived for induction into HHOF in '79
- Led league in assists 5 times ('70-'72,'74,'75), second in assists one other time ('73)
- Placed second in points league-wide three times ('71,'72','74) behind only Espo each time, placed in third points once behind ('73) behind Espo and Bobby Clarke
- Led league in +/- six times
- Eclipsed 100 points six times, 46 goals career high and hit 30 goals four other times, career high of 102 assists
- Voted second greatest player by 1997 THN Top 100 Panel behind Gretzky

In his first National Hockey League game, against the Detroit Red Wings and Gordie Howe, 18-year-old Orr impressed the home crowd and the many reporters with his defensive abilities. He blocked shots, made checks and moved opposing players away from the net. He also recorded his first point - an assist.

Orr was better than good in his first season. He won the Calder Trophy as the best rookie and also made the NHL's Second All-Star Team.

Orr revolutionized the sport with his scoring ability and playmaking from the blue line. Other defenders, beginning as early as Lester Patrick in the nascent days of the game, had been offensive threats, but Orr dominated. He won two scoring titles, the only defender to accomplish that feat, and had career season highs of 46 goals and 102 assists. More than just statistics, Orr had the ability to control the game, to take over. He had the speed to float away from defenders and also to recover should he lose possession or get caught on a rush. Often, odd-man rushes in the other team's favour were reversed by his effortless strides. Some argued that he wasn't defensively sound, but hockey people rejected these claims.

For eight consecutive seasons Orr won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman and three times he was the league's most valuable player to collect the Hart Trophy. Orr's plus-minus rating when he was at his best was untouchable at plus-124 in 1970-71, when he scored 139 points.

Orr took advantage of a chance to play in a major international competition - the 1976 Canada Cup - when Chicago management gave him permission to play. Having missed all of the Summit Series, the Canada Cup proved to be Orr's only major appearance in a competition against the best the world had to offer. He was outstanding in the Canadian team's run to the championship. He was co-leader of the team in scoring, finishing the seven games tied with another great defender, the New York Islanders' Denis Potvin, with nine points. Orr was selected to the tournament All-Star team and capped the experience with the most valuable player award.

Orr's performance at the Canada Cup had the Chicago faithful energized for his first appearance in colours other than Bruins black and gold. But Orr's left knee would once again impede his career. He played 20 games of his first season in Chicago weakened by his sixth operation on the knee in April 1976. He spent the entire 1977-78 season recuperating, trying to revive his battered knee, which doctors described as nothing but bone rubbing bone after so many operations and injuries.

He made a valiant attempt to return, playing six games at the start of the 1978-79 season. Though Orr didn't feel incredible amounts of pain, he was limited in his movements and unable to practise much with the team. In one game against the Detroit Red Wings, he was on the ice for four Detroit goals and described his play as "terrible." At the age of 30, he decided he was only hindering his Chicago squad.

Orr's speed, acceleration and spectacular rushes made him hockey's greatest attraction. His great shot and sense of anticipation allowed him to score virtually at will. Due to injuries Orr's time in the NHL relatively short but his impact on the game was revolutionary.

At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, he was not a big, brawny young man. But he had strong legs, an uncanny touch, and reflexes and coordination which defied reality.

He could carry the puck on his stick and still skate faster than his foes. He could shift direction in an instant, then with a quick flick of his wrists lay a perfect pass on the stick of a speeding teammate or fire an accurate shot on goal and keep going in to get any rebounds. He was a gambler, roaming far from his assigned position. Yet when his opponents took the puck, Orr was often swift enough to beat them back up the ice.

He wasn't the surest of defensemen. Critics complained that he sometimes got trapped out of position. And he wasn't a heavy hitter. But he could play defense with his stick as well as others could play with their and sticks and their bodies. He gambled but he was fast and fearless enough to get away with it, even intercepting shots by throwing his body in front of them, risking worse punishment than the goaltenders with their heavy padding.

...And a skater as fast as Bobby could rush the length of the ice, outrunning slower defenders and scoring or setting up a score, Opposing teams soon learned that there was no foolproof defense against such talent.

 

[Velociraptor]

The Australia Mighty Roos are pleased to select...

defenseman, Denis Potvin

Position: Defenseman
HT/WT: 6'0", 205 lbs
Handedness: Left
Born: October 29, 1953 in Hull, QC

- inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.
- 4-time Stanley Cup Champion (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
- 3-time Norris Trophy recipient (1976, 1978, 1979)
- Played in the NHL All-Star Game 9 times (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1988)
- 5-time member of NHL First All-Star Team (1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981)
- 2-time member of NHL Second All-Star Team (1977, 1981)
- Won the Calder Memorial Trophy (1974)
- scored 310 goals and 742 assists for 1,052 points (at the time, the NHL career leader in all those categories for defensemen) in 1,060 games, adding 1,356 penalty minutes.
- scored 56 goals and 108 assists for 164 points in 185 games, adding 253 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Assists - 4x (5, 5, 6, 10)
Points - 2x (5, 7)
Plus/Minus - 3x (2, 5, 6)
Powerplay Goals - 1x (2)
Penalty Minutes - 1x (7)
Shorthanded Goals - 1x (5)
Game-Winning Goals - 1x (9)

Voting Records:

Norris Voting Record: (had some pretty tough contemporaries to beat out, including Bobby Orr)

1st (75-76), 1st (77-78), 1st (78-79), 2nd (74-75), 2nd (80-81), 3rd (76-77), 4th (83-84), 7th (73-74), 7th (79-80), 8th (81-82)

Hart Voting Record:

2nd (75-76), 4th (78-79), 7th (74-75), 7th (77-78), 9th (76-77), 9th (79-80)

Regular Season Scoring: (among defensemen)

1st (75-76), 1st (77-78), 1st (78-79), 2nd (76-77), 2nd (74-75), 2nd (80-81), 3rd (83-84), 5th (73-74), 7th (84-85), 11th (81-82)

Quotes

Potvin was the foundation of our Stanley Cup-winning teams,

There were a couple of key elements to my game. I worked on passing the puck. That was as important to me as developing my shot and probably became my most valuable asset. I had a good wrist shot, and I was taught that shooting and passing were the same. But the most fun I had was hitting. I enjoyed the contact, and hockey provided me with a lot of opportunities

I'm not Bobby Orr and I know it, you can't compare us anyway because out styles are different. I can't skate as well as Bobby, but I feel there are a couple of other things I do better - like hitting. That's a big part of my game, I just hope I can accomplish some of the things Bobby has done.

Legends of Hockey

The New York Islanders drafted Denis Potvin first overall in 1973 to serve as the foundation of their developing expansion team. He surpassed all expectations and became the first NHL defenseman to score 1,000 career points, all while functioning as the cornerstone of the franchise's four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1980 to 1983. Potvin's wealth of natural talent allowed him to jump into the offensive rush while serving as a tough physical presence in his own end of the rink. He was one of the most complete blueliners to ever step onto the ice. A less discussed facet of Potvin's game was his mean streak. Opposing forwards learned quickly that they were better served avoiding confrontations with one of the NHL's lesser-known tough guys.

As the highly touted first pick in the 1973 Amateur Draft, Potvin quickly made his presence felt in the NHL. He amassed 54 points in 1973-74 while displaying the confidence of a ten-year veteran. Potvin was the obvious choice in the Calder Trophy voting at the conclusion of the season. That year he also lived out a dream by playing with his brother XXXX, who remained with the club for nearly five years. Potvin emerged as one of the leaders of a rapidly improving Islanders squad that reached the Stanley Cup semifinals in only its third season.

Following the 1975-76 campaign, Potvin was awarded the Norris Trophy, an honour he also received in 1978 and 1979. He experienced his most productive offensive output in the last of those years with 101 points. Between 1980 and 1983, he captained New York when they became only the second team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup four times in succession (Montreal did it twice). His overtime goal in the 1980 finals against Philadelphia gave his team the momentum and confidence it needed to win its first title. Potvin's top post-season output occurred in 1980-81, when he recorded 25 points in 18 games.

The leadership qualities demonstrated by Potvin, along with his exceptional talent at both ends of the ice, placed him in a category reserved for only a handful of NHL defensemen. The Ottawa 67s hosted a special gala in his honour and raised his number to the rafters of the Ottawa Civic Center. Following a game on March 31, 1988, a cheering Nassau Coliseum audience paid homage to his career when his number 5 sweater was retired. Potvin was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991 and the ceremony was held in his hometown of Ottawa for the first time.

Greatest Hockey Legends

Denis Potvin was the anchor of the New York Islanders franchise and dynasty.

His unbelievable strength, his fearless hitting and offensive awareness won him the Calder trophy, three Norris trophies, seven all star nods, and four consecutive Stanley Cups. One of the last great hip-checkers, he was a hard-hitting defensive stalwart. His intelligence and patience quarterbacked the power play and the offense. He was a natural leader, captaining the Isles during their great dynasty.

He came across as extremely self confident, some would say arrogant which hurts him in talks of all time greats. In the 1976 Canada Cup he was outspoken about Bobby Orr getting all the attention when he felt he was playing just as well. And when he prematurely retired in 1988 he said he had "nothing left to prove" after 15 seasons.

When he was a junior hockey star, he was already being labeled as the game's next Bobby Orr. The comparisons were justifiable, as Potvin bettered many of Orr's OHL records. Potvin justified the comparisons though. He broke all of Bobby Orr's goal and point records, although has since been passed by the likes of Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque. He finished with 310 goals, 742 assists and 1052 points. He was the first defenseman to record 1,000 career points.

Potvin epitomized the NY Islanders. He, like his team, could play any way you wanted. Rough, physical defensive hockey; fast paced, finesse skills match; or a combination of both. This makes Denis Potvin one of the greatest and most complete players to ever grace a sheet of ice

Who's Who in Hockey

Along with Bobby Orr, Larry Robinson and Serge Savard, Denis Potvin ranked among the foremost defensemen of the modern era.

He could play offense with the best of them. His bodychecking was scary to opponents, and his knowledge of the game nonpareil. If not the fact for his coach, Al Arbour, demanded that Potvin concentrate as much on defense as he did on attack, Denis's point totals would have reached record-breaking levels.

As Orr's career came to a close, Potvin began compiling the impressive accomplishments for what he had hoped for. A perennial All-Star following his rookie season, Denis was voted the NHL's best defenseman in 1976, 1978, and 1979.

... Potvin's defensive abilities were overshadowed by his scoring feats.

... In the view of some critics, Potvin was the most complete defenseman of the post-expansion era, and a primary leader - as captain of Islanders teams that won four Stanley Cups from 1980 through 1983.

In 1987, Denis Potvin became the first NHL defenseman to score 1,000 points in a career. Potvin played on four Stanley Cup Championship teams with the New York Islanders. A great checker and an excellent passer, Potvin won three Norris Trophies.

 

[BenchBrawl]

LEONARD ''RED'' KELLY

INFOS

Position: D/C
Height: 5-11
Weight: 180 lbs
Shoot: Left
Inducted into Hockey Hall Of Fame as Player in 1969
Stanley Cups: 8 ( 4 with Detroit and 4 with Toronto , the only non-Montreal Canadiens to win 8 )
Hart Trophy Top 5: 2nd , 3rd , 3rd , 4th
Lady Byng Trophy: 4 ( 50-51 , 52-53 , 53-54 , 60-61 )
James Norris Trophy: 1 ( 53-54 )
All-Star games: 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 60 , 62 , 63
All-Star teams: 1st , 1st , 1st , 1st , 1st , 1st , 2nd , 2nd
Defensemen Pts Ranking Top 5: 1st , 1st , 1st , 1st , 1st , 2nd , 2nd , 3rd , 3rd , 4th , 5th
Finished 1st 8 times in goal scoring by defensemen.


REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS

TEAM | GP | G | A | PTS
Detroit|846|162|310|472
Toronto|470|119|232|351
NHL|1316|281|542|823

PLAYOFFS STATISTICS

TEAM | GP | G | A | PTS
Detroit|94|16|21|37
Toronto|70|17|38|55
NHL|164|33|59|92

ALL-STAR TEAMS VOTING 1950-1957

1950:

Name | PTS | MAX
Mortson|21|25
Reardon|20|25
Kelly | 17 |25
Reise|17|25

1951:

Name | PTS | MAX Kelly | 90 |90
Quackenbush|68|90
Thomson|62|90
Reise|50|90

( pre-norris era )

1952:

Name | PTS | MAX Kelly | 90 |90
Harvey|71|90
Buller|x|90
Thomson|x|90

( pre-norris era )

1953:

Name | PTS | MAX Kelly | 90 |90
Harvey|56|90
Quackenbush|44|90
Gadsby|30|90

( pre-norris era )

1954:

Name | PTS | MAX Kelly | 177 |180
Harvey|130|180
Gadsby|84|180
Horton|x|180

( Norris Trophy )

1955:

Name | PTS | MAX
Harvey|174|180
Kelly | 151 |180
Goldham|64|180
Flaman|47|180

1956:

Name | PTS | MAX
Harvey|117|180
Gadsby|116|180
Kelly | 114 |180
Johnson|81|180

( Kelly played forward for 1/4 of the year , Red Burnett thought it cost him the 1st team spot )

1957:

Name | PTS | MAX
Harvey|172|180
Kelly | 98 |180
Flaman|79|180
Gadsby|72|180

OLD NEWSPAPER

Kelly is the best all-around performer in our league.Sure , Howe and Richard are great , but Red is not only great on defense , he can score too.He's the big reason Detroit has won five straight championships.When Kelly rushes up ice , it's something to see.He sparks Howe and Ted Lindsay and the others.When we play the wings , we go out to stop him.We feel there's a better chance of winning that way.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...8,2863460&dq=red+kelly+the+best+detroit&hl=en

...57 seconds later Kelly tied the score on a powerplay , shooting from 35 feet out on McNail's right.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=7105,2442959&dq=red+kelly&hl=en

Red Kelly ,one of the most effective players on the ice , set up the score on a breakaway rush which caught the Rangers with only one man back.Kelly drew the defenseman out of position and shot a short pass to Pavelich who picked the open corner.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...wNAAAAIBAJ&pg=7305,2140274&dq=red+kelly&hl=en

Red Kelly's two goals in the third period - long shots 16 seconds apart - gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in a televised NHL game at the Chicago Stadium today.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...wAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2868,181155&dq=red+kelly&hl=en

Red Kelly received a face-off from Dutch Reibel in the Boston end and whipped in a 45-footer...

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30F10FA3F5A177B93CBAB1788D85F438585F9

The wings go into the series with several players below top physical condition.Red Kelly lost two teeth when struck by a puck in Detroit's wind-up of the cup semifinals series with Toronto...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7058,4119726&dq=red+kelly&hl=en

Red Kelly broke through the Leafs defense to make the shot

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6765,4562539&dq=red+kelly&hl=en

Standout defenseman Red Kelly scored the game-winning goal for Red Wings with four minutes remaining in the game.Kelly picked up a pass near the leafs blue line and fired a 55-foot shot that hit Toronto's defenseman Tim Horton in the ankle and bounced part goalie Harry Lumley.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...kNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1120,5622490&dq=red+kelly&hl=en

The third Detroit goal was credited to Red Kelly.He took from alex delvecchio and fired from the blue line...

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40714FA345E107A93C3A91789D85F478585F9

Red Kelly battled his way towards the Leaf net.

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0914FE345E107A93C6A81789D95F468585F9

Pavelich blasted one after Red Kelly laid a perfect pass on his stick

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00710FF3F5C117B93C6A81789D95F458585F9

QUOTES


Detroit Red Wings Greatest Moments and Players Book:

Leonard Patrick ''Red'' Kelly was the most deceptively versatile player ever to don the red-and-white Detroit Red Wings Jersey.

So Mild-mannered , neer uttering a curse word , Kelly nevertheless was one of the NHL's most feared fighters during those rare occasions when he engaged in fisticuffs.Likewise , he was a nonpareil defenseman , yet he could carry the puck on attack better than most of the formost forwards.

Like Shore , Kelly was equally proficient at defending and rushing the puck.It was Kelly who was the first of the modern backliners to carry the rubber deep into the enemy zone.Kelly was every bit as smooth a rusher as Bobby Orr and a much better defender.

''I want you to go against Béliveau'' , said Imlach.The tall , majestic Beliveau was merely the best center in the league.Kelly skated to center ice , lined up opposite Beliveau and waited for the referee to drop the puck for the opening faceoff.''I was nervous as a rookie'', said Kelly.''I won the draw and sent the puck straight into the Montreal zone.The Canadiens goalie , Jacques Plante , darted out to intercept the puck before I got there.I came right down like a shot and somehow got tangled up and went head over heels-into the net!''.

Hockey Legends:

Red Kelly was a unique player - versatile and talented enough to be one of the National Hockey League's best-ever defensemen early in his career and a high-scoring center at the end. The red-haired gentleman was cool and calculating on the ice and never swore, but there was no doubt about his ability to take care of himself. He had been a championship boxer at Toronto's St. Michael's College, skills the four-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy wouldn't often display during his 20-year NHL career.

A solid but mobile and skilled defenseman, he quickly found a home on the team playing with such superstars as Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel. Kelly was an effective checker, at home on the blue line or on the left wing, where he was sometimes used due either to injuries or to add a little muscle on the offense.

...And Kelly was an integral part of Detroit's winning formula. His puck-carrying ability allowed the Wings to move from their own zone quickly and provided them with a quick transition game.

In 1956 he was named team captain...

Frank Mahovlich played on the left wing in Kelly's first full season with the Leafs and set a team record with 48 goals, many of them due to the veteran's playmaking skills. In addition to his talent, Kelly brought his winning ways to the Leafs. In his eight years with the team, Toronto won the Stanley Cup four times

Joe Pelletier:

Yet as good as he was offensively, he was better defensively. He had an uncanny knack of reading plays and breaking them up, and he controlled the puck in his own zone adeptly. To make his defensive legend even more impressive, Kelly excelled without taking many penalties himself

Leonard "Red" Kelly very well might be the most underrated superstar in National Hockey League history

Without ever playing a game in the minor leagues Kelly stepped directly into the NHL in 1947-48. Before long he was establishing himself as the best defenseman in the league. He was the predecessor to Bobby Orr as the offensive defenseman in hockey as he easily outscored his fellow NHL defensemen. He led all rearguards in goals 8 times, points 5 times and assists three times during his glory years in the 1950s. He reached the double digits mark in goals scored with shocking regularity - 9 consecutive times - in an era when defensemen were still supposed to stop goals rather than score them

Under coach Joe Primeau's leadership, Kelly and the Majors became junior legends, capped off with a Memorial Cup championship in Kelly's last year, 1947.

...somehow when the general public discusses the games' greatest performers Kelly's name rarely mentioned. Such an oversight needs to be corrected.

Leonard ''Red'' Kelly Himself:

"The first number I was given when I went to the Red Wings was Number 20. I had that the first year; I was the fifth defenseman. The other defensemen had the low numbers - Black Jack Stewart, Bill Quackenbush, Leo Reise and Doug McCaig. The next year when I walked into the dressing room, they gave me a new sweater with Number 4. I said, 'Oh, I'm happy with 20. I don't know why I've been given this new one.' (Jack) Adams said, 'Twenty -- that's two numbers, that's too heavy. You only want one number.' That's how I ended up with a 4

When I had the contract talk with Imlach, we talked most of the day and then it went until midnight before we agreed. Nothing was ever said about where I was going to play or anything until after I agreed to come to Toronto. Toronto was playing Montreal the next night. They had to fly my skates in from Detroit for that game. After I signed, I told Punch, 'I've been off skates for ten days or so. I'd hate to make a mistake out there and cause a goal,' and Punch said, 'Red, how would you feel about playing centre?' I said, 'Great! No problem.' I didn't care where I played as long as I was playing hockey. He said, 'If we're going to win the Stanley Cup, we 're going to have to go through Montreal. I need somebody to check Beliveau.' He said, 'How would you feel if I started you against Beliveau?' I just said, 'Fine. Great. Love it!

"I had a temper. I had red hair," Kelly laughs. "I was the welterweight boxing champ at St. Mike's. I could take care of myself. Joe Primeau taught me you don't win games in the penalty box. You've got to stay on the ice. Players would try to get you off the ice sometimes but you're more valuable to a team when you're on the ice.

 

[Hobnobs]

Rögle BK are pleased to be able to select one of the elite defensemen in this draft. This guy is elite offensively and defensively, and he may just be the most intelligent player in NHL history. Please welcome……

Nicklas Lidstrom!!!

Awards and Achievements:
4 x Stanley Cup Champion (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008)
6 x Stanley Cup Finalist (1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2009)

Conn Smyth Trophy (2002)
7 x Norris Trophy (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011)

11 x First Team All-Star (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011)
Second Team All-Star (2009, 2010)

Hart Voting – 4th(2008), 6th(2007), 7th(2006), 8th(2003), 9th(2000), 10th(2001)
Norris Voting – 2nd(1998), 2nd(1999), 2nd(2000), 3rd(2009), 6th(1996), 6th(1997), 6th(2004), 7th(1994)

Scoring:
Assists – 4th(2000), 4th(2002), 5th(2008), 6th(2006), 9th(2001)

Points among Defensemen – 1st(1998), 1st(2000), 1st(2003), 1st(2006), 1st(2008), 2nd(1999), 2nd(2001), 2nd(2011), 3rd(1992), 3rd(1997), 3rd(2004), 3rd(2009) 5th(1996), 5th(2007) 8th(1994), 9th(2010)

Play-off Points – 3rd(1998), 4th(2007), 7th(2009), 8th(1995), 8th(2002)
Play-off Assists – 2nd(1998), 3rd(2007) 6th(1995), 6th(2002), 7th(2009), 10th(1999) 10th(2008)

Play-off Points among Defensemen – 1st(1998), 1st(2002), 1st(2007), 1st(2009), 2nd(1995) 4th(1996), 4th(2008), 7th(1999), 7th(2001), 7th(2004), 9th(1997)

International Achievements:
Olympic Gold Medal (2006)
World Championship (1991)
IIHF All-Star (2006)
2 x Top scoring defenseman at Olympics (2002, 2006)

Records:
NHL
First European-born and trained Norris Trophy winner (2000–01).
First European-born and trained Conn Smythe Trophy winner (2001–02).
Fourth defenseman (and first European-born and trained defenseman) in NHL to win James Norris Memorial Trophy three years running (2001–2003, 2006–2008), and third seven-time Norris Trophy winner.
First European-born and trained captain of a Stanley Cup-winning team (2008).
First European-born and trained defenseman to reach 1000 points.
First European-born player, any position, to play over 1500 games.
Sixth defenseman (and 28th player overall) to reach 855 career assists.
Most regular season games played by a player born in Europe, any position (1494).
Most regular season games played by a defenseman in a career spent with only one team (1494), also third all-time league-wide and with the Red Wings (any position).
Most regular season wins played in (900).
Active leader in games played, any position (1500).
Oldest player ever to record his first hat trick (40 years old)
Oldest defenseman ever to record a hat trick (40 years old)
Oldest Norris Trophy winner (41 years, 57 days) (2010–2011)

Detroit Red Wings
Points by a defenceman, season (2005–06, 80).
Postseason goals by a defenceman, career (54).
Postseason points by a defenceman, career (183).
Postseason assists, career (129).
Postseason games played, career (258).
Games played by a defenceman, career (1500).
Goals, assists, and points by a defenceman, career (253, 855, and 1108).
Points in a single postseason (1998, 19).
Goals in a single postseason by a defenceman (1998, 6).
Best postseason plus/minus, career (+61).
Best regular season plus/minus, career (+429).

In 2007 "The Hockey news" awarded him the best european all-time in the NHL.
In the end of 2009 Nicklas Lidstrom was awarded "the decade's best NHL player' of several prestigious magazines like" Sports Illustrated "," The Sporting News "and" The Hockey News ".
Lidström has a street named after him in Detroit.

The Hockey News: The Best of Everything Hockey AwardsBest Defenseman
Most Respected Player
Best Power Play Point Man
Highest Panic Threshold

Runner-up for Best Leader​

Yes, he’ll likely finish his career as one of the five highest scoring blueliners ever, but it’s the angles he plays on defense, the extra second he takes to explore passing outlets and the escapability he had defending the forecheck that separate him from the rest of the pack.

All of those skills are based on Lidstrom’s innate ability to calmly and rationally survey the situations and react in the best way possible: without panicking.

ASSETS: Uses his superior hockey intelligence and skill to dominate the game. An outstanding passer, he also has an incredibly accurate shot from the point. Plays calm and is very efficient in the defensive zone. Thrives with lots of ice time. Is a great lateral skater.

ASSETS: He uses his intelligence to dominate the game. Has an incredibly accurate shot from the point. He is very efficient in the defensive zone. He thrives with lots of ice time. He is a great lateral skater.

Detroit’s ageless wonder is the master of the safe, smart play.

....

Even after two decades at the helm, this Detroit defenseman is still the best in the league at running the PP.

....

They don’t come any calmer or cooler than Lidstrom. His in-game patience is as renown as his all-world skill.

He’s the best player in the league and he’s the backbone of our team. We got a lot of great players in here, but none as good as Nick.

[/QUOTE]

“He uses his intelligence to dominate the game. Has an incredibly accurate shot from the point. He is very efficient in the defensive zone. He thrives with lots of ice time. He is a great lateral skater.†– The Hockey News

“He was a reliable defenseman and a brilliant rusher, and his powerful shots from the blue line often took goalies by surprise.†– Legends of Hockey

"... he can skate, handle the puck, shoot and create turnovers like no other defenseman in hockey." -- Bob McCown

"He never makes a mistake." -- Ted Lindsay

“To appreciate the subtleties of how talented and consistent he is, you have to watch him every day. He's not about flashy. He's about substance." – Undrafted Coach

"He's always pretty much in a perfect position. He's probably one of the greatest defencemen ever to play the game." – Sergei Gonchar

"He's always been able to shut down the best player on a pretty regular basis. I'm pretty confident Nick will be able to do a good job. He's played against Lemieux and guys like Gretzky and Hull. I think he looks forward to it. He's not going to come out and say it. He's not a loud guy." – Undrafted Player

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

Maurice "The Rocket" Richard

|

|

-Eight time Stanley Cup Champion (1944, '46, '53, '56, '57, '58, '59 & '60) fourth most of any player.
-Four time Captain of the Stanley Cup Champions (1957, '58, '59 & '60) second most of any player.
-Eight time First Team All-Star (1945, '46, '47, '48, '49, '50, '55 & '56) second most for any right winger.
-Six time Second Team All-Star (1944, '51, '52, '53, '54 & '57) second most for any right winger.
-Five time NHL Goal Scoring Leader (1945, '47, '50, '54 & '55) third most of any player.
-Thirteen times Top 6 in NHL goal scoring (1st: 1945, '47, '50, '54 & '55; 2nd: 1951, '56 & '57; 3rd: 1948; 4th: 1946 & '53; 5th: 1952; 6th: 1944)
-Eleven times Top 7 in NHL points (2nd: 1945; '47, '51, '54 & '55; 3rd: 1953, '56; 4th: 1950; 5th: 1946; 6th: 1957; 7th: 1948)
-Hart Memorial Trophy winner in 1947
-Five time NHL Playoff Goal Scoring Leader (1944, '46, '47, '51 & '58)

About Maurice Richard​

Rocket Richard did everything by instinct and brute strength. He would run, not glide, down the ice and cut fearlessly to the slot. Some describe him as the greatest opportunist the game has ever known. He was probably the greatest goal scorer from the blue line in.

Winning at all costs best sums up Richard's approach to hockey.

In a playoff game, the Bruins Leo Labine knocked Richard unconscious and doctors said he was done for the series. Richard refused to be hospitalized and returned to the game as the teams battled. Rocket Richard scored the game winning goal.

Source

Maurice Richard always maintained that he was nothing more than a hockey player. Few others share that opinion of the man who represents the heart and soul of the Montreal Canadiens’ long and illustrious history. For 18 brilliant seasons, Richard proudly wore the colors of the only team that ever mattered to him, taking on all opponents and rewriting the NHL record book along the way.

Richard had one job to do and he did it better than any man alive; he scored goals. He was unstoppable from the blue line in and, with eyes blazing, he single-mindedly attacked nets around the league, filling them with rubber night after night.

Opponents assigned to shadow Richard found that they had a choice to make if they wanted to counter the game’s greatest offensive force. They could keep their efforts within the rules and get burned most of the time, or they could use prohibited tactics to try to slow down the superstar. Neither approach yielded the desired results on a regular basis.

Richard didn’t go out of his way to look for trouble and rarely took issue with men who played a tough but clean checking game. Those who chose more brutal tactics soon found out that Richard was willing to retaliate in kind, more than able to handle himself in the heavy going.

Source

The second, recurring image is that of a man, Richard, whom nothing could stop once he skated into the opposing team;s zone. Between the blue line and the adversary's goal, he was the most determined, the strongest, more powerful, no more stoppable than Niagara Falls, according to one of his most detested opponents, Ted Lindsay, in an interview for the Hockey News in 2000. In the language of the man on the street, it was expressed as follows: Maurice Richard could score sitting, standing, lying down or kneeling, with a player or two on his back.

Source

The most thrilling performer of his particular era and he could be described as the latter-day Morenz. No one ever matched his ferocious assaults on the opposition net or his ability to score goals while being hogtied by desperate defencemen. His defensive ability has been unjustly ignore by hockey historians. The left wingers who played against him seldom scored goals.

Source

Quotes​

What I remember most about the Rocket were his eyes. When he came flying toward you with the puck on his stick, his eyes were all lit up, flashing and gleaming like a pinball machine. It was terrifying.

He was a wartime hockey player. When the boys come back, they said, they'll look after Maurice. Nobody looked after Maurice. He looked after himself. When the boys come back, they said, they'll catch up with him. The only thing that caught up with Maurice is time.

He carried the flag for an entire population -- and that's pretty heavy. He felt he had to live up to that responsibility and he did it the way he knew how -- by scoring goals and responding to every challenge on the ice.

Source

Did you ever see Maurice Richard, crushed by two exceptionally husky defensemen, not only on his knees but face down on the ice, successfully, against all odds, in an effort that demands a supreme expenditure of human strength, lifting the puck and sending it past a stupefied goalie? Well, that's hockey.

The other team's goal always attracted me like a magnet, and I headed for it with everything I had. All I wanted to do was score, score, score.

Source

​

 

[EagleBelfour]

Dominik Hašek

Nickname: The Dominator
Height: 6'02''
Weight: 180 lbs
Position: Goaltender
Catch: Left
Date of Birth: January 29, 1965
Place of Birth: Pardubice, Czech Republica

Stanley Cup Champion (2002, 2008)
Stanley Cup Finalist (1992, 1999)
Olympics Gold Medalist (1998)
Olympics Bronze Medalist (2006)
IIHF WJC-A Silver Medalist (1982, 1983, 1985)
IIHF WEC-A Silver Medalist (1983)
IIHF WEC-A Bronze Medalist (1987, 1989, 1990)

WJC-A All-Star Team (1983)
WEC-A All-Star Team (1987, 1989, 1990)
Czechoslovakian First All-Star Team (1988, 1989, 1990)
IHL First All-Star Team (1991)
NHL All-Rookie Team (1992)
NHL First All-Star Team (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 )
---
Best Goaltender at WJC-A (1983)
Best Goaltender at WEC-A (1987, 1989)
Czechoslovakian Goaltender of the Year (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990)
Vezina Trophy (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001)
Best Goaltender at Olympic Games (1998)
William M. Jennings Trophy (1994, 2001, 2008)
---
Czech Sportsperson of the Year (1994, 1998)
Golden Hockey Stick (1987, 1989, 1990, 1997, 1998)
Lester B. Pearson Award (1997, 1998)
Hart Memorial Trophy (1997, 1998)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002)

- #95 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (1998 edition)
- #13 on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2008 edition)
- #12 on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2009 edition)

------------

Seasons|GP|W|L|T|SO|GAA|Sv%
16|735|389|223|82|81|2.20|.922

Top-5 Wins (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 5th)
Top-5 Goal Against Average (1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 4th, 4th, 4th)
Top-5 Save % (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 4th)
Top-5 Shutouts (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 4th)

Seasons|GP|W|L|SO|GAA|Sv%
3|119|65|49|14|2.02|.925

*Minimum 5 games

Top-5 Wins (1st, 3rd, 3rd, 5th)
Top-5 Goal Against Average (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th)
Top-5 Save % (1st, 1st, 2nd)
Top-5 Shutouts (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th)


Awards Nomination:

Hart Memorial Trophy:

1993-94: 2nd position (Sergei Fedorov) (-55.7%)
1994-95: 3rd position (Eric Lindros) (-63.5%)
1996-97: 1st position (+54.0%) (50 of 53 1st place vote)
1997-98: 1st position (+38.3%) (43 of 54 1st place vote)
1998-99: 3rd position (Jaromir Jagr) (-68.3%)
1999-00: 17th position (Chris Pronger) (0-0-0-0-1)
2000-01: 8th position (Joe Sakic) (0-3-2-3-2)
2006-07: 22nd position (Sidney Crosby) (0-0-0-0-1)

Vezina Memorial Trophy:

1993-94: 1st position (+35.4%)
1994-95: 1st position (+76.0%)
1995-96: 8th position (Jim Carey) (1-1-1)
1996-97: 1st position (+39.2%)
1997-98: 1st position (+55.8%)
1998-99: 1st position (+12.3%)
1999-00: 8th position (Olaf Kolzig) (0-1-1)
2000-01: 1st position (+23.5%)
2001-02: 6th position (Jose Theodore) (0-1-3)
2005-06: 7th position (Miikka Kiprusoff) (0-1-1)
2006-07: 5th position (Martin Brodeur) (0-0-5)


Professional Career:

Hasek, considered perhaps to be the greatest breakaway goalie in history.

I firmly believe no goalie in hockey history had as high a peak performance than "The Dominator." And he did it for years during Patrick Roy's reign.

If I had to rank the goalies based on their overall performance in high-leverage situations, the top choice is pretty obvious: Dominik Hasek. Hasek was great in OT, dominating when his team was trying to mount a comeback, and virtually unbeatable when they had the lead. Hasek's career was great, but his results in Buffalo were even better - as a Sabre, Hasek's "close and late" playoff save percentage in 1,167 high-leverage third period and OT minutes was an astonishing .949. [...] This whole exercise helps describe a bit more of the team context these guys were playing in. Most of all, however, it shows that Dominik Hasek was the best goalie of his generation, and that his advantage over his peers was even greater when the chips were down.

Overall, I think it is pretty clear that Dominik Hasek is the best goalie of the last 20 years (and I would argue the best goalie ever).

Quotes:

- '' If Buffalo dosn't win a Cup, Hasek will still be considered one of the greatest. He's probably the only guy that could get away with it.'' - Keith Tkachuk

- '' The greatest player in the game today.'' - Wayne Gretzky on Hasek during the 1998-99 season


Fun & Interesting Facts:

- Possibly the most impressive single-game performance by any player in NHL history came on April 27, 1994. Hašek made 70 saves in a 4OT shutout. The opposing goalie was Martin Brodeur, then a rookie, who made 49 saves before being beaten by Dave Hannan and the Sabres beat New Jersey 1–0. Hašek's 70 saves set a record, which still stands, for the most saves without allowing a goal
- He was nominated for the Lester B. Pearson in 1999, a year after winning his second straight trophy
- Hašek's personal best shutout streak is 181 minutes, 17 seconds.
- Hasek posted a shutout in the Olympics gold medal game, a 1-0 win over Sweden
- During the 2003-04 season, Hasek was forced to sit out much of the season due to a severe groin injury. To his credit, he refused much of his salary that season due to his inability to play.


Miscellaneous:


Signing &Trades:

Abbreviation:

WEC: World & European Championship
WJC: World Junior Championsjip

Youtube Videos:




Internet Sites:
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=18282
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominik_Hašek
http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1983/83199.html
http://sabreslegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/dominik-hasek.html
http://brodeurisafraud.blogspot.com/2009/03/brodeur-roy-and-hasek-debate-rages-on.html
http://brodeurisafraud.blogspot.com/2009/01/which-goalie-was-best-in-clutch.html

 

[chaosrevolver]

With the 21st pick, the Seattle Metropolitans select Patrick Roy.

#33 - PATRICK ROY

Regular Season: 1029 Games, 551-315-131, 2.54 GAA, .910 SV%, 66 SO
Playoffs: 247 Games, 151-94, 2.30 GAA, .918 SV%, 23 SO

AWARDS

Stanley Cup Champion (1986, 1993, 1996, 2001)
Vezina Trophy (1989, 1990, 1992)
Conn Smythe Trophy (1986, 1993, 2001)
William M. Jennings Trophy (1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 2002)
1st All-Star Team Selection (1989, 1990, 1992, 2002)
2nd All-Star Team Selection (1988, 1991)
All-Star Game Participant (1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003)
1st NHL All-Rookie Team Selection (1986)

Finishes

Top-5 in Wins (1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003)
Top-5 in GAA (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2002)
Top-5 in SV% (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2002)
Top-5 in Shutouts (1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2002)

* Bold refers to years that Roy led the category.


Playoff Accomplishments

Stanley Cup Winner (1986, 1993, 1996, 2001)
Conn Smythe Winner (1986, 1993, 2001)
Led in Wins (1986, 1993, 1996, 2001)
Led in GAA (1989, 1993, 2001)
Led in SV% (2001)
Led in Shutouts (1986, 1996, 1997, 2001)

Records

Holds National Hockey League record for most regular-season wins by a goaltender (484).
Holds National Hockey Leauge record for most most 30-or-more-win seasons by a goaltender (11).
Holds National Hockey League career postseason record for most games played by a goaltender (219).
Holds National Hockey League career postseason record for most wins (137).
Holds National Hockey League career postseason record for most minutes (13545).
Holds National Hockey League career postseason record for most shutouts (19).
Shares National Hockey League single-season record for most postseason shutouts (4), 2000.
Shares National Hockey League single-season postseason record for most wins (16), 1993.
Shares National Hockey League single-season postseason record for most wins (16), 1996.
Shares National Hockey League single-season postseason record for most wins (16), 2001.
Shares National Hockey League record for most consecutive postseason wins (11), 1993.
Became National Hockey League's all-time playoff win leader with his 89th win vs. 7-0 victory over Chicago, April 24, 1997.
Became youngest goaltender to record 400 victories (33 years), February 5, 1999.
Recorded 15th career National Hockey League postseason shutout (2-0 victory over Dallas), tying Hall-of-Famer Clint Benedict.
On November 14, 2001, Roy and the Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild 1-0 at the Pepsi Center for his 200th victory with the Colorado franchise. In the process, Roy became the first goaltender to win 200 games with two separate franchises (including 289 wins with Montreal).
On June 7, 2001, Patrick blanked the New Jersey Devils (4-0 win, 24 saves) in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals, becoming the thirteenth goaltender in National Hockey League history to record four shutouts in one postseason.
Holds Colorado Avalanche franchise all-time record for most games played by a goaltender (352).
Holds Colorado Avalanche franchise all-time record for most wins by a goaltender (195).
Holds Colorado Avalanche franchise all-time record for most shutouts (23).
Holds Colorado Avalanche franchise all-time record for lowest goals-against average (2.39).
Youngest player (20 years) to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, 1986.
Tied Colorado Avalanche franchise postseason record with 31 penalty minutes at Detroit, April 1, 1998.

Voting Records

Vezina:
1986: 9th (0.01)
1987: 10th (0.02)
1988: 8th (0.08)
1989: 1st (0.83)
1990: 1st (0.87)
1991: 2nd (0.42) - Winner was Ed Belfour
1992: 1st (0.86)
1993: 6th (0.03)
1994: 3rd (0.26) - Winner was Dominik Hasek
1996: 9th (0.04)
1997: 3rd (0.19) - Winner was Dominik Hasek
1998: 5th (0.04)
1999: 8th (0.01)
2000: 7th (0.04)
2001: 5th (0.13)
2002: 2nd (0.70) - Winner was Jose Theodore
2003: 4th (0.11)

Hart:
1992: 2nd - Winner was Mark Messier
1997: 8th
2002: 2nd - Winner was Jose Theodore

All-Star Team:

1987: 4th (0.11)
1988: 2nd (0.20) - Behind Grant Fuhr
1989: 1st (0.92)
1990: 1st (0.97)
1991: 2nd (0.41) - Behind Ed Belfour
1992: 1st (0.93)
1993: 7th (0.01)
1994: 3rd (0.32) - Behind Dominik Hasek and John Vanbiesbrouck
1996: 8th (0.00)
1997: 3rd (0.18) - Behind Dominik Hasek and Martin Brodeur
1998: 6th (0.00)
1999: 7th (0.01)
2001: 4th (0.15)
2002: 1st (0.75)
2003: 6th (0.04)

Honours

Inducted into HHOF (2006)
Has number retired by the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and Team Canada.
Was ranked #5 in The Hockey News’ The Top 60 Since 1967 – The Best Players of the Post Expansion Era


MISCELLANEOUS

Rated #2 in Hockey Stars Presents "The Top 50 Netminders in Pro Hockey", November 1993.
Named best goaltender, The Sporting News 1994-95 Hockey Yearbook.
Named best reflexes among goaltenders, The Sporting News 1994-95 Hockey Yearbook.
Named second-best glove hand, The Sporting News 1994-95 Hockey Yearbook.
Named third-best player to build a team around, The Sporting News 1994-95 Hockey Yearbook.
Rated #1 in Hockey Stars Presents "The Top 50 Netminders in Pro Hockey", November 1994.
Rated #3 in Hockey Stars Presents "The Top 50 Netminders in Pro Hockey", November 1995.
Voted Denver's Top Athlete in a Denver Post reader poll, 1997.
In The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, was the only goaltender named "a franchise player".
Longest Win Streak: 11 games (January 12 to February 7, 1999).
Longest Unbeaten Streak: 17 games (January 28 to April 1, 1989 (14w3t), and January 30 to March 24, 1994 (13w4t)).
Longest Shutout Streak (regular season): 168 minutes, 47 seconds (February 1 to February 7, 1990).
Most Saves, Game: 51 (2-2 tie at Toronto), December 10, 1997.
Currently holds an eight-game Stanley Cup Finals winning streak.
Roy will not skate over the blue/red lines on the ice, writes the names of his children on his stick before every game, keeps the pucks from his current season's shutouts in his locker, and tapes the knob of his stick with exactly sixty revolutions (one for each minute in a regulation game).
In 1986, Patrick became the youngest starting goaltender to win the Stanley Cup.
In the first round of the 1994 playoffs, Roy came down with appendicitis and missed the third game of the series vs. Boston. Roy convinced doctors to let him return for Game Four and led the Canadiens to a 5-2 victory, stopping 39 shots.
On May 25, 2002, Patrick passed Mark Messier as the all-time leader in National Hockey League postseason with his 237th game. In the same game, Patrick tied the NBA's Kareem-Abdul Jabaar for the greatest number of postseason games played in a "major" North American professional sport.

What do the Experts Say?

Patrick Roy was the first wave of the new breed of goaltenders to emerge from Quebec, helping establish that province as the dominant training ground for that position. Confident and quirky, Patrick developed a style that saw him become the winningest goaltender in the history of the National Hockey League......In his rookie season of 1985-86, he played 47 games and took over the starter's role when the playoffs arrived. By that point in the season, Roy could not be beaten. Montreal won an improbable Stanley Cup in 1986 and Patrick Roy was named recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy for his outstanding playoff play. Roy's heroics in the 1986 playoffs were celebrated all over Montreal. He was dubbed 'Saint Patrick' for his play, but now was expected to consistently keep up the level of play to those high standards, even though the team around him was struggling. In ensuing years, Patrick won 30 games, but it was not until 1993 that he was able to win another Stanley Cup for Montreal. Again, Roy won the Conn Smythe for his remarkable play in 1993.......

He imposed his style on the game, and legions of hockey fans and goalies everywhere were grateful. It is not just that his method was effective, that the revolutionary quick drop-n-slide of a pad could stone the wickedest snap shot. Roy's way was also fun, dramatic, cocky, marvelous, at times even beautiful. Far beyond the statistics, Patrick Roy entertained us and thrilled us while he emerged so dazzlingly as the best.

Many of hockey's historical experts will tell you that Patrick Roy is the greatest goaltender of all time. With all due respect to the likes of Terry Sawchuk, Jacques Plante, Glenn Hall and Dominik Hasek, the stats are convincing.

Roy retired in 2003 as the goaltending leader in regular season games played (1,029), minutes played (60,235), career wins (551), and most career 30-win seasons (13). He won three Vezina trophies, five Jennings trophies, and six All Star nominations. He had a career .910 save percentage and 2.54 GAA, not to mention 66 career shutouts. He is the only goalie in NHL history to win over 200 regular season games with two different teams.

But forget about all the numbers. Unlike many goalies, Patrick Roy's greatness was not about numbers. His greatness lies in moments, in memories.

Most of those memories came in playoff competition. The only numbers Roy cares about are his four Stanley Cup rings, two with Montreal and two with Colorado.

While he was very good in the regular season, it was in the playoffs that St. Patrick worked his miracles.

Again the statistics are all on his side. He owns records for most career playoff games played by a goaltender (247), minutes played (15,209), most career playoff wins (151), and most career playoff shutouts (23).

To say he was instrumental in each championship is an understatement. He was the first three-time winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff's most valuable player.

The Canadiens were ecstatic to once again have a French Canadian superstar. Despite not having the same caliber of previous Montreal teams, Roy took the proverbial torch from the likes of Rocket Richard, Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur and carried Montreal's Stanley Cup hopes on his solitary back.

Roy set a record during the postseason with 10 straight overtime wins to capture Montreal's most unexpected Stanley Cup championship in modern times. Needless to say, Roy was once again name the Conn Smythe Trophy winner. His performance that post season may have been the best individual playoffs in hockey history.

In 2001 Roy was at his best once again, leading the Avalanche to their second Stanley Cup championship and Roy's fourth. He was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for a remarkable third time, and therefore cementing his reputation as the greatest clutch goalie in hockey history.

Although he smirkingly tries to avoid the topic, Roy was one of the few players who really changed the face of hockey.

Firstly, there was his trademark equipment adjustments. Many will credit, or blame, Roy for the NHL's need to crackdown on goaltending equipment by the turn of the century. Roy was known not only to experiment with big padding, but he also liked to wear a grossly oversized jersey. The idea was that while crouching down, his untucked-in-the-back jersey would catch anything that would go through his legs. Others claimed Roy tried to use webbing in his underarms to catch pucks. Roy also experimented with large catching gloves, and cleverly was the first goalie to specifically paint his goalie pads so that the padding nearest to his 5-hole was white. Roy knew that shooters often only have a split second to get off a shot, and this would create an illusion of an opening that did not really exist.

Secondly, Roy perfected the butterfly style of goaltending. Glenn Hall introduced it in the 1950s and 1960s, and Tony Esposito used it with great fanfare in the 1970s, but it was not until Roy's influence that it became the predominant if not only school of goalie thought even until this day.

On November 22, 2008, it may have been 13 years since Patrick Roy last brought Canadiens fans to their feet, but once St. Patrick made his grand entrance at the Bell Centre, it felt like only yesterday.

All is forgiven. The king has returned to his throne.

As if there wasn’t enough drama leading in to the retirement of his trademark No. 33, Roy left no doubt that he was home for good.

After having left Montreal by the backdoor back in 1995, Roy made certain his return would see him walk in the front door, literally. Roy’s royal entrance saw him file into the Bell Centre from outside on De La Gauchetiere Street, surrounded by astonished fans going through the turnstiles themselves.

Following his dramatic walk through the concourse, Roy weaved his way down through the stands before reaching the red carpet that awaited him on the ice. What followed was a lengthy standing ovation that seemed to even catch a visibly emotional Roy by surprise.

After being showered with praise by his former Habs coaches Jean Perron, Pat Burns and Jacques Demers, as well as longtime friend and former agent Pierre Lacroix, Roy then carefully made his way to the podium.

“I may have left without probably saying goodbye the way I would have like to, but I’ve always cherished my great memories from my time in Montreal,” admitted Roy. “I remember those nights when we made the walls of the Forum tremble as we lit up Montreal. Tonight, I’ve come home.”

Accompanied by his three children, Jonathan, Frederick and Jana, his parents Michel and Barbara and his siblings Stephane and Alexandra, the proud warrior let his guard down, in a way he rarely did over the course of his Hall of Fame career.

“I have to thank my family who let me fulfill my destiny of becoming an NHL goalie,” said Roy. “I got the chance to wear the most noble of armors, the Montreal Canadiens jersey. I was filled with an insatiable hunger to win for all of you, my fans.”

A true goaltending pioneer armed with his famous butterfly style he helped popularize with trusty goalie coach Francois Allaire, and role model for an entire generation of Quebec goalies, Roy will never forget where it all began for him.

“Thanks for being so demanding and for expecting us to play each game as if it was our last,” continued Roy as he addressed his longtime fans. “Thank you for understanding how each victory was a piece of history. Tonight, we’re retiring an important piece of my armor, but I will always remember the pride with which I wore the bleu-blanc-rouge.”

Despite having made a living at always coming through in high pressure situations, Roy nevertheless had butterflies in his stomach before his ceremony got underway.

“I sure could have used my mask tonight,” admitted a nervous Roy just before making his grand entrance. “It would have been even easier for me to be in nets tonight. Give me a game over this any day!”

True to form, Patrick pulled through and gave the people what they wanted—one last chance to chant his name.

Patrick Roy is often regarded as the greatest goalie ever to play the game of hockey.

He was a skinny kid, and he was moving like crazy, Patrick did miracle saves on Al MacInnis, Joey Mullen, Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Suter, Joel Otto, Lanny McDonald and Hakan Loob. He was just unbelievable. I thought that was his best game.

There is timing in life. There was timing when Patrick replaced that No. 1 goalie in Sherbrooke, there was timing when Penny was hurt in the last game of pre-season and there was timing when Larry Robinson came to me. And you know, he was awesome for us in 1985-86, but I thought he was even better in 1993. This guy was a franchise player.

He's one of the greatest goalies in the game's history. When the big games are there, Patrick brings his game to another level.

When he's on, he is about as good as it gets.

Coach, you have the right to put that kid in nets, because he is so good that even in practice I can't score on the guy.

If Patrick Roy isn't the best goaltender in the world, he's right there - and he's been right there for more than a decade. Patrick is a proud man, and when Montreal traded him in December, he took it personally. I've never seen him so at ease and confident. And when Patrick Roy plays with that kind of confidence, he's almost unbeatable.

Getting out of Montreal was the best thing in the world for him, he doesn't have to be God anymore. All he has to do is be the best goalie he can be, and that means the best in the game today.

Patrick's among the best at waiting you out, then reacting. That patience, plus his size, makes for a pretty formidable challenge. A lot of goalies over-commit. Not him. He's so technical. If you've got a chance against Patrick, you'd better make up your mind and stay hard with whatever decision you come to. If you doubt, you play right into his hands and you are dead.

I think his mental skills make him a great goalie. He obviously has good physical skills, but I think it is what he has upstairs that makes him different.

I want to go back to something Dick Irvin said when the playoffs started. He said that the one big problem area with Montreal, the big weakness, was goaltending. We said that, he said that, and everybody who watched the Canadiens in the second half of the season said that, and I don't know if there has ever been a more dramatic reversal by one individual player in this sport than by Patrick Roy.

No player was more keenly watched, however, than the masked man between the red pipes, goaltender Patrick Roy.

Patrick Roy was an amazing goalie, maybe the best of all time.....he was a total competitor. He just hated to lose. He was the king of the Avs.

Dominik Hasek of the Sabres and John Vanbiesbrouck of the Panthers outplayed him in the regular season. Mike Richter of the Rangers was outstanding in the playoffs. But put all the general managers together and ask them to pick the best goalie in the conference, and they'll choose Roy.

The Canadiens were 35-17-11 with Roy in the nets last year and 6-12-3 without him. But what makes that statistic all the more remarkable is that the other four goalies used by the Habs played only against weak teams. Roy, facing much higher-caliber opponents, still won twice as many games than he lost and posted an impressive 2.50 goals-against average.

Roy is the Canadiens' only superstar, and his grit was seldom more evident than during the playoffs, when he played in six of the seven games against the Bruins despite having an appendix problem that required surgery after the Canadiens were eliminated. The appendix was removed, and now he's fine."

Raise the stakes and nobody's better. Witness his three appearances on the Cup.

It's difficult to compare players in different eras, but Roy is certainly a major contender to be called the top post-season goaltender of all time.

Patrick Roy had the best statistical season of his career, but without the Cup, he couldn't care less. Entering his 13th full season, Roy hasn't lost much. His 38 wins led the league and he posted a goals-against average of 2.32 and 92.3 save percentage. As always, Roy played well in the playoffs, but was let down by his team's play in front of him. Roy, who will turn 32 Oct. 5, likes to play a lot, but the Avs may want to give him a few more games off this year to stay fresh.

The ultimate pressure goaltender can carry the whole team on his shoulders if key players take a night off.

Roy's talent is matched only in size by his ego. He's simply one of the best goaltenders to ever have strapped on the pads. His intestinal fortitude and cavern-size confidence serve him well in pressure situations. He's still the standard by which all butterfly goalies are measured. Roy will continue on his path to the Hall of Fame. Whether he's the best goaltender ever is a moot point...because he thinks he is.

The biggest of the big-game goaltenders, Roy rebounded from a mediocre start to the 2000-01 playoffs to stymie the New Jersey Devils in the cup finals and capture the Conn Smythe Trophy for the third time. He's the original butterfly goaltender, with a legion of young Quebec products now trying to duplicate his style. Roy has good size, covers a great deal of net and has confidence that shines through when it matters most. His most glaring weakness is a tendency to handle the puck too much - and poorly. With the most goaltending wins in NHL history and four Stanley Cups, Roy has already reached the pinnacle of his career. Roy will continue to rewrite the record books while serving as a tutor for David Aebischer.

Now in his late 30s, Roy continues to rack up huge goaltending numbers. The 2001-02 NHL First All-Star Team goaltender led the league in both goals-against average and shutouts, and finished second to Vezina winner Jose Theodore in save percentage. However, his season ended ugly, giving Detroit a gift goal in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals. That blunder led to a 7-0 whitewash in Game 7. Roy has plenty of motivation entering 2002-03. The memory of his last two postseason games, losing to Theodore in both Vezina and Hart voting and the retirement of Dominik Hasek of Detroit. Everything points to another huge year for Roy.

What did he Say?

I have the love to win. I hate to lose. Maybe it's more the hate to lose than the love to win.

Playoffs is not a matter of money. It's a matter of pride. I'm a person with a lot of pride. I love to do well. We play for money during the season but during the playoffs, we don't make a quarter of what me make during the season. Winning the Stanley Cup is something you never forget in your life. It is something you go to the Hall of Fame one day with your little boy and say 'Hey, look, this is what happened in my career.' It's more a matter of pride than being a money guy.

We won the first two games of the finals in Denver, and then we went on to Florida [where the fans took to throwing plastic rats onto the ice after the Panthers scored]. Before the third game, I said to myself, If they score, I won't hide in my net to protect myself. If I give up a goal, I'll face the rats. I was lucky; I only got a couple hundred rats on me. As a player, it gave you a challenge: Let's make sure there aren't any rats.

I can't hear what Jeremy says, because I've got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears.

It was 4-4 after two periods and (Canadiens' coach) Jacques Lemaire came into the dressing room and said, 'Roy, get in the net for the third period.' I asked guy (Guy) Carbonneau if I had really heard correctly and he said, 'Yeah, you're going in for third.' I didn't get a chance to be nervous. I didn't get too many shots. I think the guys were nervous (playing in front of me) and I think I only had two shots. The defencemen blocked most of them. They gave me a lot of protection, I can tell you that!

When I started, I didn't know ten words (of English)," he laughs. "But I wanted to communicate; I wanted people to know what I was thinking. All during the year, I'd go to Carbo (Guy Carbonneau) and ask him, 'What does this mean?

There were a lot of good moments but having the chance to be part of the Hockey Hall of Fame is something that I never thought would be possible. It means a lot to me.

I feel very lucky to have played in the National Hockey League and on teams such as the Canadiens and the Avalanche. I remember the sacrifices, the discipline and the effort, but I also remember the friendships and the awesome feeling of being part of a team.

Every time I think about my career, I think about the four Stanley Cups. There's no doubt about it. As a kid, you play on the street, pretending you're playing for the Stanley Cup. You grab a piece of wood and lift it over your head like the Stanley Cup.

VIDEOS




SOURCES
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/toronto/story.html?id=404fd683-0b82-49f9-a63a-5eda37ade366&p=2
http://www.hockeygoalies.org/bio/roy.html
http://habslegends.blogspot.com/2006/07/patrick-roy.html
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=18376
http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Patrick-Roy
http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/r/roypa01.html

 

[EagleBelfour]

Monsieur Terrance Gordon Sawchuk

Nickname: Ukey, The Uke
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 180 lbs
Position: Goaltender
Catch: Left
Date of Birth: December 28, 1929
Place of Birth: Winnipeg, Canada
Date of Death: May 31, 1970 (Age: 40)

Stanley Cup Champion (1952, 1954, 1955, 1967)
Stanley Cup Finalist (1957, 1961, 1963, 1964)
First All-Star Team Goalie (1951, 1952, 1953)
Second All-Star Team Goalie (1954, 1955, 1959, 1963)
Calder Memorial Trophy (1951)
Conn Smythe Trophy (1952**, 1954**)
Vezina Trophy (1952, 1953, 1955, 1965)
Lester Patrick Trophy (1971)
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (1982)
Canada Sports Hall of Fame (1975)
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1971)
#1 Retired by the Detroit Red Wings (1994)

Top-5 Wins (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 4th, 5th, 5th, 5th, 5th)
Top-5 Shutouts (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th )
Top-5 Goals Against Average (1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th)
Top-5 Hart Nomination (3rd, 4th, 4th, 4th)

- #9 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players
- #19 on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2008 edition)
- #24 on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2009 edition)
- 5th All-Time in Wins (447)
- 1st All-Time in Shutouts (103)
- Selected as Manitoba's Hockey Player of the Century
- Sawchuk was the first player ever to be named rookie of the year in three different leagues: with Omaha in the USHL, with Indianapolis in the American Hockey League and in his first full year with Detroit in the NHL.
- Terry Sawchuk began wearing his famous "Sawchuk-styled" mask in 1962, a mask made by Red Wings assistant trainer Lefty Wilson.
- Sawchuk was suspended on June 15th 1957 by the Boston Bruins for leaving the team due to a nervous disorder
- Sawchuk registered his 100th shutouts on March 3rd 1967
- Elected into the World Wide Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975

Sawchuk was a big man with exceptionnal reflexes. He chose to wrok from a bizarre ''gorilla-crouch'' style, with his head hung low and his arms sweeping the ice. This style allowed him to defend his goal against goal-mouth scrambles and screened shots. He was a fierce competitor.

Peak Years 1952-56
Comparable Recent Player Dominik Hasek
In a Word SEETHING

Terry Sawchuk, one of the greatest goalkeepers the game has known. Sawchuk was a fairly big man, who had very sharp reflexes and his arms and legs moved like lightning in defence of his goal. He was a crouching type of goalkeeper and he thought this technique gave him a better chance against screened shots.

In a playoff year where the checkers reigned supreme, Sawchuk came up with a performance of legendary quality. He shutout Toronto twice and gave them three goals in four games, then allowed the second place Canadiens only two goals while shutting them out in the final two contests. His goals against average was 0.63 and he had an incredible saves percentage of .977.

His eye-popping regular season statistics suggested the second-year phenom was going to have a post-season to remember. Sawchuk, the proud son of Winnipeg, Manitoba, had the entire hockey world talking as the push for the Cup began. His sterling playoff display, however, would leave them speechless.

Sawchuk not only won all eight games en route to capturing Lord Stanley's fabled mug, he allowed a measly five goals in 480 minutes of play, for a ridiculously low 0.63 goals against average. Each stat was more impressive than the previous one, with the exception of the number underneath the category that read shutouts.

It was more than just sheer talent that set Sawchuk apart from his goaltending fraternity. Certainly, he had the agility and tenacity that made him difficult to beat from any spot on the ice, but it was style that truly confounded the opposition.

He would strike an imposing figure in front of the net, standing bent over in a deep crouch position, frequently dropping to his knees to block shots. It was an unorthodox style at the time, but it would eventually become a staple of the goaltending world, an approach commonly known as "the butterfly."

Although he revolutionized the game by employing that particular style, Sawchuk was far from a novelty act. In an era when backstoppers didn't wear masks, Sawchuk, who played a majority of his career without face shield, was the only one bold enough to play low to the ground, putting himself in an unenviable position night after night. He was, by all accounts, a legitimate superstar.

Goalie Terry Sawchuk of the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings is generally considered to be the finest net-minder extant. In Detroit's drive for an unprecedented seventh straight league championship, Sawchuk is an indispensable factor.

[...]The other is Terry Sawchuk, who quit the Boston Bruins three years ago because his nerves, he said, were shattered. He rested for half a season, and now he is the goalie for the Wings and probably the finest goalie playing hockey today.

Sawchuk is a marvelous goaltender to behold.

Considering the serious injuries that Terry sustained during his career it's simply amazing how he could put up such impressive numbers. As a child he fractured his right arm that later required three surgeries and still grew back two inches shorter than the left one, the bone chips in Terry’s elbow numbered almost 60. Some of his other injuries included:

- The eye injury in Omaha
- A punctured lung in a car accident
- Torn tendons in his hand
- An emergency appendectomy
- Ruptured spinal discs
- Mononucleosis
- A nervous breakdown
- More than 600 stitches
- Neuritis in the nerves of his legs
- A swayed back brought on by his style of playing goal
- Insomnia
- Migraine headaches

Hockey's most talented netminder was also the game's most tortured soul. No one stopped the puck better than Terry Sawchuk. And perhaps no hockey player endured as much tragedy.

Sawchuk's time in Toronto will be best remembered for his performance in the '67 postseason.[..]After the (April 15th 1967 playoff game against Chicago) game, the Chicago players were using words like ''brilliant'', ''fantastic'' and ''great'' to describe Sawchuk's performance

- '' Sawchuk was an angles goalie who wanted you to shoot. But, if you preferred to put a move on him, he was happy to oblige.'' - Jean Béliveau
- "You could throw a handful of corn at him and he'd catch every kernel" - Ted Lindsay
- "One of the fine things about Terry, is he's a stand-up goalie. He doesn't fall all over the ice. He stands there and waits and usually takes the shot with his glove or brushes it away with his stick. You'll notice that not many people get rebounds off Sawchuk on long shots. When the puck comes in he stops it and clears it quickly away from the cage." - Sid Abel
- ''Terry acted like he was triplets. He swooped from side to side, jumped up and down as if on a pogo stick and fielded shots like a Phil Rizzuto (New York Yankees all-star infielder).'' - A Detroit Sportwritter, resuming Sawchuk performance in the 1952 playoffs
- "Sawchuk was the greatest goalie I’ve ever seen, no doubt about it. He was the quickest I’ve ever seen." - Bob Pulford
- "The Uke (Sawchuk) was the best goalie I ever saw. Everything that a goalie should be!" - Gordie Howe
- "I saw a lot of the greats, but to my mind, I haven't seen anyone better than Sawchuk. Reflexes, angles - he had it all and he also had a lot of guts. He was fearless in the net and extremely confident." - Jimmy Skinner, former Detroit Red Wing coach
- ''(Sawchuk) is the best that ever played'' - Dave Keon
- ''He played so well. I can still see him standing on his head I can still see him challenging Hull shots after shot after night, I think Hull had 14 shots on him and it was such a courageous event he put on that night, just the way he came out, cut the angles. He knew he was going to get hit by that puck, but he just went out and did it anyway. He was black and blue all over his body after that night - Ron Ellis, talking about one of Sawchuk performance in the 1967 playoffs
- ''All I could remember, and I'll never forget, is looking at Terry Sawchuk and say to myself: ''this is the greatest goaltender I have ever seen''. - Émile Francis, looking at Sawchuk's death body at the morgue
- "A lot of people think he was the greatest goalkeeper who ever played the game. I include myself in that group." - Glenn Hall

Sites:
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/spot_oneononep197103.htm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/va...y_Sawchuk/1900-01-01/2100-12-31/mdd/index.htm
http://www.hockeygoalies.org/bio/sawchuk.html
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=P197103#photo
http://redwings.nhl.com/club/page.htm?bcid=his_wol_wol-terrysawchuk
http://www.nhlalumni.com/slam/hockey/nhlalumni/news/020621.html
http://www.cshof.ca/hm_profile.php?i=231
http://www.hhof.com/LegendsOfHockey/html/spot_treasurep197103.htm
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUAySWJ5Hso
http://stars.nhl.tv/team/console?type=fvod&id=24999
http://www.onf.ca/film/Un_jeu_si_simple/

 

[Ben Grimm]

Phil Esposito, C

Position: Center
HT/WT: 6'1", 205 lbs
Shoots: Left
Nickname(s): "Espo", "The Happy Worrier"

- 2-time Stanley Cup Winner
- Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame (1984)
- 5-time Art Ross Trophy Winner
- 2-time Hart Memorial Trophy Winner
- Lou Marsh Trophy, as Canadian Athlete of the Year in 1972
- Lester Patrick Trophy (personifies contribution to hockey in the United States of America) in 1978.
- 6 acknowledgements for the NHL First All-Star Team, 2 acknowledgements for the NHL Second All-Star Team
- 717 goals, 1590 regular season points in 1282 games played.
- 61 goals, 137 playoff points in 130 games played.

From the HOH board, intangibles resource gathered from surveys answered by NHL coaches.

PHIL ESPOSITO

Best on faceoffs | 3rd | 1974
Best on faceoffs | 3rd | 1981
Best shot | 3rd | 1971
Best shot | T-1st | 1974
Best stickhandler | 1st | 1971
Most dangerous near goal | 1st | 1971
Most dangerous near goal | 1st | 1974
Most dangerous near goal | 2nd | 1976
Smartest player | 2nd | 1971
Smartest player | 4th | 1974

Summit Series Statistics

GP | G |A| Pts | PIM | SOG | SAG | +/-
8 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 15 | 52 | 89 | 2

 

[hfboardsuser]

D Viacheslav Fetisov

Ht/Wt: 6'1, 215 lbs
Shoots: Left

Career Statistics

USSR: 367 GP, 141-198-339, 314 PIM
NHL: 546 GP, 36-192-228, 656 PIM
​

(bio courtesy Dreakmur)

Soviet League Accomplishments:

11 x Soviet League Champion (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)
11 x European Cup (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)

2 x MVP (1982, 1986)
9 x All-Star (1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988)

MVP Voting – 1st(1982), 1st(1986), 2nd(1985), 2nd(1988), 3rd(1978), 3rd(1984), 3rd(1989), 4th(1983), 5th(1987)

Soviet League Scoring:

Points – 4th(1984), 7th(1987), 8th(1986)

Points among Defensemen – 1st(1978), 1st(1979), 1st(1980), 1st(1981), 1st(1982), 1st(1984), 1st(1986), 1st(1987), 1st(1988), 2nd(1983), 2nd(1985), 5th(1989)
Goals among Defensemen – 1st(1979), 1st(1984), 1st(1986), 1st(1987), 1st(1988), 2nd(1978), 2nd(1981), 2nd(1985), 3rd(1980), 3rd(1982), 3rd(1983), 4th(1989)


International Accomplishments:

2 x Olympic Gold Medalist (1984, 1988)
Olympic Bronze Medalist (1980)
7 x World Championship Gold Medalist (1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990)
World Championship Silver Medalist (1987)
2 x World Championship Bronze Medalist (1985, 1991)
Canada Cup (1981)

Hockey Hall of Fame (2001)
IIHF Hall of Fame (2005)

IIHF Centennial All-Star
5 x IIHF Best Defenseman (1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989)
9 x IIHF All-Star (1978, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991)
Canada Cup All-Star (1987)
2 x Isvesta Cup Best Defenseman (1984, 1988)

Golden Hockey Stick voting - 1st(1984), 1st(1988), 1st(1989), 3rd(1985), 4th(1986), 5th(1987), 10th(1983)


International Scoring:
Olympics
Points – 2nd(1988), 4th(1984)
Points among Defensemen – 1st(1980) 1st(1984), 1st(1988)

World Championships
Points – 2nd(1985), 4th(1986), 5th(1987), 5th(1990), 6th(1983)
Points among Defensemen – 1st(1985), 1st(1986), 1st(1987), 2nd(1983), 2nd(1990)

Canada Cup
Points – 7th(1987), 8th(1981)
Points among Defensemen – 2nd(1987), 2nd(1981)

Euro Cup
Points – 2nd(1986), 2nd(1987), 5th(1981), 6th(1985)
Points among Defensemen – 1st(1981), 1st(1985), 1st(1986), 1st(1987)


NHL Accomplishments:
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1997, 1998)
2 x NHL All-Star (1997, 1998)

He possessed exceptional mobility and instinctively knew when to pinch in from the blueline to create a scoring chance in the offensive zone. As a defenceman in the 1980s he had few rivals, not just at home but worldwide.

His talent, size, and hockey intelligence was undeniable.

He was well respected by his teammates for his strength of character both as a player and as a person, and he served as captain of both the National Team and of the Central Army squad.

He possessed exceptional mobility and instincts, both offensively and defensively. He was always in perfect position defensively, though never shied from taking offensive chances. He was also a hard hitting and mean spirited defender, setting him apart from most international players of his day. The 6'1", 215 pound blue liner was among the biggest and best-conditioned hockey players in the world. He loved physical contact, setting him apart from others and earned the grudging admiration of even the bitterest rivals.

When it was announced that he would not be allowed to play with the National Team during the upcoming World Championships, his teammates rose in solidarity to have him reinstated by stating that if Fetisov would not be allowed to play then they would not play either. He was soon reinstated and the players wasted no time in electing him as their captain.

He was always a tough competitor because he had great size, he had great vision of the ice and he always made solid plays. Very, very seldom did you ever see him make a bad play and he was a guy that was a lot like Denis Potvin in that he could kind of do it all.

He's a phenomenal player. He reads and anticipates so well. He's big and strong like Rod Langway, but he moves into the play like a Ray Bourque.

He’ll help an awflul lot. Not only with his ability, but with his leadership. He can make an entire team a notch better.

… Viacheslav Fetisov, the Soviet Union’s premier defenseman and generally regarded by hockey people everywhere as the world’s best defenseman.

They lost their dynamo and policeman. He was a player with lots of muscle, a guy who could play 35 minutes a game.

The Soviets without Tretiak and Fetisov are like New York Islanders playing without Billy Smith and Denis Potvin.

You look at that (Viachislav Fetisov), and if you weren’t behind 5-1, you would want to stand up a cheer. Or maybe cry in envy.

Yesterday, a tremendous young Russian defenseman named Vyachesav Fetisov waited patiently for Gretzky to finish his bluff, then blithely skated off with the puck. Fetisov was a tower of strength all day, a fact that stunned us Canadians who had been contemptuous until now of Russian defensemen (“Can never learn to get it out of their own endâ€).

Viacheslav Fetisov, 24, is the star of the Soviet defense and the team captain for the tour. He stands 6-1 and 198, and is sometimes called “the Bobby Orr of Europeâ€. Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky says Fetisov is the best defensemen he has ever played against.

As usual, they were like a red machine, with every perpetually moving part working in unison. But a couple of those gears stood out in particular Thursday: defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov and goaltender Vladislav Tretiak.

If you can look past the red of his uniform, Fetisov may be the closest thing you’ll ever see to Bobby Orr. In one particular sequence, he was skating so fast with the puck – backwards – that none of the Flyers could catch him.

He (Wayne Gretzky) said that Fetisov was excellent both offensively and defensively.

Defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov – considered by many the best defenseman in the world – broke his leg…

Although both teams are coming off shutouts, the Soviets hold a strong defensive edge with the pairing of Viacheslav Fetisov and Alexsei Kasatonov, not so arguably the best defensive pairing ever to play the game. And, despite what you read about Wayne Gretzky, many people outside Alberta consider Fetisov to be the hands-down best all-around player in the world. Some even compare him to Bobby Orr.

Vyacheslav Fetisov, the giant Soviet defenseman who is regarded as the best in the world at that position, isn’t in the latest Canada Cup lineup. He’s suffering from an ankle injury…

Even the Soviet defensemen are rabbit-quick. Viacheslav Fetisov and Alexai Kasatonov complete what is generally regarded as the first team I the Soviet lineup.

The 27-year-old defenseman was generally regarded as the best hockey player in the world last year… normally a hard-hitting but clean player…

The Soviet Union All-Stars, led by the smooth passing of Vyacheslav Fetisov and the cool goaltending of Vladislav Tretiak, defeated the Philadelphia Flyers…

The Soviets, mixing pinpoint passing and solid defense led by Vyachelav Feitsov…

Defenseman Vyacheslav Fetisov, a 24-year-old Communist Bobby Orr…

For every clean, hard check, like the one Fetisov threw to send Mario Lemieux head-first into the boards…

 

[Ben Grimm]

Pierre Pilote!

Awards and Achievements
1 x Stanley Cup Champion (1961)
1 x Retro Conn Smythe (1961)
3 x Norris Trophy winner (1963, 1964, 1965)
5 x First Team All-Star Defenseman (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967)
3 x Second Team All-Star Defenseman (1960, 1961, 1962)

Norris Voting - 4th(1960), 4th(1961), 2nd(1962), 2nd(1966), 2nd(1967)

Scoring
Points amongst Defensemen - 10th(1957), 5th(1958), 3rd(1959), 1st(1960), 2nd(1961), 3rd(1962), 5th(1963), 1st(1964), 1st(1965), 1st(1966), 1st(1967), 6th(1968)

Play-off Points - 1st(1961), 7th(1963)
Play-off Pointsamongst defenseman - 1st(1961), 2nd(1962), 1st(1963), 1st(1964), 2nd(1965), 2nd(1967)

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their first round pick (32) in the 2012 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: Joe Sakic, C

Career Highlights:
Triple Gold Club Member
2 time Stanley Cup Champion 1996, 2001
2002 Olympic Gold Medal Winner & Olympic Games Ice Hockey All Star
2004 World Cup Winner
1994 World Championship Winner
1988 World Junior Championship Winner
Captain of the Nordiques/Avalanche 1992 - 2009 (Co-Captain 1991)
Captain of Team Canada - 2006 Olympics
Conn Smythe Trophy Winner 1995-96
Hart Trophy Winner 2001
Lady Byng Trophy Winner 2001
Lester B Pearson Winner 2001
3 Time NHL Post Season 1st All Star



Vitals:
Born: July 7, 1969
Position: C
Height: 5-11
Weight: 195 lbs


Regular Season:

Sakic was a consistent and deadly scorer during the NHL regular season. His longevity as a top scorer is outstanding - he was a 100 point scorer at the age of 20 for the first time and a 100 point scorer for the last time at age 37. (6 times in total)

5 - Top 10 Finishes in Goals: 2, 5, 6, 6, 10
9 - Top 10 Finishes in Assists: 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 9
10 - Top 10 Finishes in Points: 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 8, 10


In addition to his offensive prowess, Sakic was noted for his responsible two-way play.

Three times in his career he was top 10 in scoring and top 10 in Selke voting during the same season (Thanks to HO):

Player | Season | Scoring | Selke
Joe Sakic | 2000 | 8 | 10
Joe Sakic | 2001 | 2 | 2
Joe Sakic | 2002 | 5 | 9

In 2001 he was the runner up for both the Art Ross trophy and the Selke trophy while winning the Lady Byng trophy as the most gentlemanly player. Sakic could play 200ft extremely effectively while staying out of the box.



Playoffs:

Sakic lead the NHL playoffs in goals and points twice in his career - both time the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup.

In 1996 he scored 18 goals in 22 games - a record 6 of them game winners - and he was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP.

Noted for his clutch play, Sakic is the record holder with 8 OT goals in the NHL playoffs and second all time in game winning goals with 19.

Over his career, Sakic is 7th in playoff goals and 7th in playoff points.




Quotations and Perspective:

The Finesse Game
In Sakic's first seven seasons in the NHL, he was rightly known as one of the game's best playmakers. It's not a secret that, in the past two seasons, he has become one of the game's best shooters. Now how do you defend against him? Sakic has one of the most explosive first steps in the league. He finds and hits the holes in a hurry, even with the puck, to create his chances. He uses a stick shaft with a little more "whip" in it, and that makes his shots more dangerous. He has one of the best wrist shots and snap shots in the NHL. He has one of the quickest releases in the game. Sakic's most impressive gift is his great patience with the puck. He will hold it until the last minute, when he has drawn the defenders to him and opened up ice, creating--as coaches love to express it--time and space for his linemates. This makes him a gem on the power play, where last season he worked mostly down low and just off the half-boards on the right wing. Sakic can also play the point. Sakic is a scoring threat every time he is on the ice because he can craft a dangerous scoring chance out of a situation that looks innocent. He is lethal trailing the rush. He takes a pass in full stride without slowing, then dekes and shoots before the goalie can even flinch. Sakic is a good face-off man, and if he's tied up he uses his skates to kick the puck free.

The Physical Game
Sakic is not a physical player. He's stronger than he looks, and, like Wayne Gretzky, will spin off his checks when opponents take runs at him. He uses his body to protect the puck when he is carrying deep; you have to go through him to get it away. He will try to keep going through traffic or along the boards with the puck, and often squirts free with it because he is able to maintain control and his balance. He creates turnovers with his quickness and hands, but not by initiating contact. He's remarkably durable. His injury last year (the result of a skate cut) marked the first time since 1991-92 that he missed a significant number of games.

The Intangibles
Sakic is a quiet leader, a soft-spoken guy who doesn't draw much attention to himself. His game does that. He may be one of the most respected players league-wide for his talent, competive nature and class.

(Patrick) Roy says that someday, when he retires, "I'll be able to say Peter and Joe were the best forwards I ever played with." In 10 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, during which time he played on two Stanley Cup-winning teams, Roy didn't have a teammate who could shape a game the way Sakic and Forsberg can. Sakic, the captain, has dazzling acceleration and a laser that masquerades as a wrist shot.

Joe Sakic: At 38 he still has the blinding speed, superb vision, deft passing touch and lethal wrist shot that he displayed as a 19-year-old rookie. Last season he became the second oldest player to have a 100-point season.

"I was very fortunate to play with and against Joe throughout his amazing career. His humility and the class with which he always conducted himself I greatly admired. He was a great leader and competitor who always played his best hockey at the most important times. Joe possessed one of the quickest and most accurate wrist shots I have witnessed. I believe he retires as one of the greatest clutch players in the history on the NHL."

"I always admired Joe's talent and determination as a player, and I was honored to be his teammate when we won a gold medal for Canada in the 2002 Olympics. In addition to his tremendous accomplishments on the ice, Joe also was a first-class person and leader. I want to congratulate him on an exceptional career."

“I had a blast playing in Colorado with Joe Sakic as our captain. I don’t think I have played with anybody who has had a better season then he did the year we won the Stanley Cup. He was a true professional and an exceptional athlete, but what I will remember most about him is that he represents one of the classiest people I have been around in all my career."

​

 

[BillyShoe1721]

The Flyers select a player that personifies the style that we plan to build our team around, RW Gordie Howe

23x NHL All Star Game Participant
6x Art Ross Trophy Winner
6x Hart Trophy Winner
1x Gordie Howe Trophy Winner(WHA MVP)
12x NHL 1st Team All Star
9x NHL 2nd Team All Star
2x WHA 1st Team All Star
4x Stanley Cup Champion
2x WHA Champion
19x Top 8 Goals NHL(1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8)
22x Top 9 Assists NHL(1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9)
21x Top 10 Points NHL(1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 9)
11x Top 9 Goals NHL Playoffs(1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, 7, 9)
13x Top 8 Assists NHL Playoffs(1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 5, 7, 7, 8)
13x Top 9 Points NHL Playoffs(1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 4, 4, 5, 6, 8, 8, 9)
4x Top 7 WHA Assists(2, 6, 7, 7)
4x Top 9 WHA Points(3, 8, 9, 9)
Total Hart Trophy Voting Record: (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7)
Total All Star Voting Record: (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 5)

Why Gordie Howe - And Not Wayne Gretzky - Is The Greatest Player Of All Time By Stan Fischler

Who was the greatest hockey player of all time?

Contemporary experts would have you believe that Wayne Gretzky holds that distinction. However, those experts would be wrong.

Gordie Howe, who launched his NHL career in 1946-47 and concluded it in 1979-80, is the greatest player of all time for a very simple reason: he could do more things better in a hockey game than anyone who ever laced on a pair of skates.

He shot better. He hit harder. He checked better and he could pass with Gretzky on the best playmaking day Wayne ever had.

Not to mention the intimidation factor. Take Mark Messier in his prime, multiply him by ten, and you begin to understand why Howe was so feared.

...former New York Rangers right winger Aldo Guidolin once summed up the prevailing opinion on Gordie's stickhandling: "Howe plays the 'funny kind of game' - he doesn't let anyone touch the puck." One reason for that was Gordie's ambidextrous shooting ability. By switching hands, he could fire equally as well from either side. No other superstar could make that statement.

"If Gordie had played in the (watered-down) NHL the way it is today," said Storey, "he'd have 1000 goals, instead of 801, and Gretzky never would have caught him. Howe was a marvel playing after he was 50. He and (Canadiens defenseman) Doug Harvey were the best natural athletes I've known."

The Howe vs. Gretzky debate really isn't one because Gordie was the quintessential multi-dimensional player. Why, Gordie could even be a defenseman.

..."Everything you can think of in hockey, Howe is"...

Behind Howe's cache of talent was muscle on top of muscle. In the frontier-era in which he played - also known as old time hockey - superstars were expected to fight their own battles and, remarkably, they did.

During that century of stickhandling, there never has been a superstar who could fight as well as Howe.

Hollett: "Gordie is the greatest player I ever saw and that includes all the greats including xxx, xxx and xxx. Howe was the only man who could switch hands when he was right in on goal. And if they had put him back on defense, he could have been an All Star."

http://books.google.com/books?id=68...AEwAA#v=onepage&q=gordie howe two-way&f=false

He isn't called Mister Hockey for nothing. Gordie Howe has been called a lot of other things as well. Like the greatest all-around hockey player who ever lived.

Howe was a right wing possessed of extraordinary strength in a body measuring six feet one inch, and 200 pounds, at a time when that was considered huge by league standards. Howe's armament was the most formidable the game had known. "His shot was uncanny," said goalie xxx, a Hall of Famer, "because it would come at the net in so many different ways."

...would deliver a remarkably accurate shot with so fluid a motion that goalies frequently fail to see the puck leave Gordie's stick.

in 1960, Richard was the first to allow that Howe was the best of them all. "Gordie," said Richard, "could do everything."

No matter where Gordie skated, his trademark - effortless excellence - made an impression on critics. "Gordie had the ability and the knack for making the difficult plays look easy, routine,"...

He was an incredibly gifted forward, an accomplished defensive player, reserved as a team man and the only player to have dominated three eras- the postwar NHL, the Golden Era of the 1960s and the expansion era.

http://books.google.com/books?id=68...d=0CFMQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=gordie howe&f=false

"He was not only the greatest hockey player I've ever seen," said former teammate Bill Gadsby, "but also the greatest athlete."

The goals began to come in bunches, and Howe mesmerized both enemy and teammate alike. His stickhandling was so uncanny, Captain Sid Abel felt moved to reprimand young Gordie. "I don't mind this great stickhandling of yours," said Abel, "but why stickhandle around the same player three times?"

http://books.google.com/books?id=wp...d=0CFgQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=gordie howe&f=false

A tough, physical player, Howe distinguished himself with his deft scoring touch, his powerful fists, and his unprecedented longevity.

http://books.google.com/books?id=9K...0CDgQ6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=gordie howe&f=false

. He quickly established himself as a great goal scorer and a gifted playmaker with a willingness to fight. In fact, Howe fought so often in his rookie season that coach Jack Adams told him, "I know you can fight. Now can you show me you can play hockey?"

During this time Howe and his linemates, Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay, were known collectively as "The Production Line", both for their scoring and as an allusion to Detroit auto factories. The trio dominated the league in such a fashion that in 1949–50, they finished one-two-three in league scoring. Howe had been in his prime during a defensive era, the 1940s and 1950s, when scoring was difficult and checking was tight.

As Howe emerged as one of the game's superstars, he was frequently compared to the Montreal Canadiens' Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Both were right wingers who wore the same sweater number (9), were frequently contenders for the league scoring title, and could also play rough if needed. During their first encounter in the Montreal Forum, when Howe was a rookie, he knocked Richard out cold with a punch after being shoved

Of the list, Orr was quoted as regarding Howe as the greatest player.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordie_Howe#Playing_career

Gordie Howe is referred to as simply "Mr. Hockey". World War II had just ended when he first entered the National Hockey League, and when he played his final NHL season 33 years later, Wayne Gretzky was playing his first. Over those five decades, Howe didn't just survive, he was dominant - on the scoring lists, in battles in the corners, on game-winning goals and when the year-end awards were handed out. He was a big man, though by modern standards no behemoth, but what set him apart was his incredible strength.

Though other superstars could be deemed somewhat better scorers, tougher fighters or faster skaters, no player has approached Gordie Howe's sustained level of excellence. Incredibly, Gordie finished in the top 5 in NHL scoring for 20 straight seasons. To endure and excel, Howe needed a unique set of qualities, both physical and mental, and the foundations for his astonishing career were laid in him from an early age.

Howe was put on a line with Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay and over the next three years the troika and the Detroit team became the league's best. Howe more than doubled his scoring in his third year and played in his first All-Star Game in 1948. True to his nature in his early years, he spent five minutes of the All-Star showcase in the penalty box for fighting. The Howe-Lindsay-Abel line was named "the Production Line" for its scoring proficiency in 1948-49 when Lindsay and Abel placed third and fourth in league scoring. Lindsay was the truculent and tough left winger who also had the skills to make and finish plays. Abel, the center, was a smooth skater and an accurate passer, and at seven years their senior the veteran of the line. Howe could do it all, and his scoring improved as he spent less time in the penalty box.

Apart from his forbidding temperament, Howe's athletic and savvy playing style also contributed to his longevity. He never wasted energy if he didn't need to, especially after he cut down on the number of fights he'd take part in early in his career. He was economical with his movements, anticipating when and where the play would intersect with his effortless progress around the ice. He often played 45 minutes of a game when the average total was 25. Observers noticed that when his exhausted line returned to the bench, Howe was the first to recover and raise his head, ready for another shift.

In all, Howe was selected to 21 NHL All-Star squads, 12 times to the First Team. Six times he led the NHL in scoring to capture the Art Ross Trophy and six times he won the Hart as the league's most valuable player. His Detroit teams won the Stanley Cup four times.

Howe had been in his prime during a defensive era, the 1940s and 1950s, when scoring was difficult and checking was tight. When he was 40, in 1967, the league expanded from six to 12 teams and the number of offensive opportunities grew with it. Howe played the 1968-69 season on a line with Alex Delvecchio and Frank Mahovlich, the mercurial but talented star who had moved to Detroit from Toronto. Mahovlich was big, fast and skilled and Delvecchio was a gifted playmaker. The three were dubbed "the Production Line 3" and Howe's scoring returned to the levels of his youth and then beyond. He topped 100 points for the first time, scoring 44 goals and adding a career-high 59 assists.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/Lege...er.jsp?mem=p197204&type=Player&page=bio&list=

The right winger was a giant in his time at 6'1" and 205 lbs. He had the build of a heavyweight boxing champion. And he knew how to fight.

Part of the legend of Gordie Howe is his unmatchable toughness. He had "windshield wiper elbows" and like to give "close shaves" to anyone who dared to challenge. Ask any hockey experts who they'd choose as the toughest NHLer ever, and most would put their money on Gordie Howe against anyone else.

Those who knew Gordie away from the rink would never believe his on ice instincts.

"Despite an even temperament and a real distaste for combat, there is a part of Howe that is calculatingly and primitively savage," Mark Kram wrote in Sports Illustrated in 1964. "He is a punishing artist with a hockey stick, slashing, spearing, tripping and high-sticking his way to a comparative degree of solitude on the ice."

While few in the game were tougher than "Mr. Hockey," even fewer were more talented. In his prime in the 1950s and 1960s he was routinely described by coaches as the smartest player, the finest passer, the best playmaker and the most unstoppable puck carrier in the game. Aldo Guidolin, an opponent of Howe back in the early days, understatedly remarked "Gordie plays a funny kind of game; he doesn't let anyone else touch the puck!"

Gordie Howe not only outperformed everybody, but outlasted everybody. Gordie played from 1946 until 1980. In his last season he was a 51 year old grandfather playing with and against players the were old enough to be his son! Howe played 33 seasons in the pros. One with Omaha of the USHL, 26 in the NHL (25 with Detroit) and 6 with the WHA.

While Wayne Gretzky has since dwarfed all of his statistical achievements, Howe dominated the game over many different eras.

His credentials speak for him. He won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960, and 1963. He led the NHL in scoring in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957 and 1963. He finished in the top 5 of NHL scoring in 20 consecutive seasons. He was a 21 time All Star.

Howe did not set the league on fire right away. Howe spent more time establishing his physical reputation in that time, scoring a total of only 35 goals but dropping the gloves with any and all comers. The Red Wings were able to convince him that he would be better served to stay out of the penalty box, the ambidextrous shooter scored 35 goals in 1949-50, second in the NHL to Rocket Richard's 43.

His 1951-52 MVP season was even sweeter. After leading the NHL in scoring (86 points) and goals (47), he led Detroit to an 8-0 record in the playoffs in its sweep to the Stanley Cup.

In 1952-53, Howe became the first player to score at least 90 points, notching 95, with a career-high 49 goals. The Red Wings, who were upset by Boston in the first round of the playoffs that season, rebounded by winning the Cup in 1954 and 1955, giving them four championships in six years. The Wings enjoyed one of hockey's greatest dynasties, but it proved to be Howe's last Stanley Cup.

Over a period of 32 years (combining NHL and WHA totals) Gordie Howe scored 1071 goals 1518 assists and 2589 points. Only Wayne Gretzky's career totals are better. Howe was a gifted power forward, an accomplished defensive player, a feared giant and the only player to have dominated three different eras - postwar NHL, the Golden Era of the 1960s and the Expansion Era.

http://redwingslegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/mr-hockey-gordie-howe.html

An in-depth statistical analysis of Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr, and Howe(credit to FissionFire):

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=12647663&postcount=48

"Howe is the best player in hockey, great on defense and scores goals when we need them the most," added Abel, a former star skater for Detroit. Abel played on the same line with Howe for several seasons.

The Wings coach made his comments in rebuttal to Richard's charges that Howe lacks enthusiasm, should hustle more and is used as a defensive penalty killer (when Detroit is shorthanded).

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=2421,2192647&dq=gordie+howe+all+around&hl=en

"Gordie is so much better than most of the players that he could slow down 50 percent and still be one of the best in the National Hockey League..."

"He's a great competitor and always was easy to handle...I remember early in his career that he had five fights in a row and won all of them. They respected him after that."

"But as an all around player, no one in the history of the game compares to Howe."

-Jack Adams

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=7175,1728473&dq=gordie+howe+all+around&hl=en

"He's the strongest player I've ever seen," said Kings general manager Larry Regan. "He once carried me and the puck half the length of the ice and scored the goal. There are hundreds of stories like that in hockey. You don't take a shot at Howe and not expect retaliation. It won't be anything crude, either, just something subtle-and effective."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=7332,4083872&dq=gordie+howe+all+around&hl=en

 

[chaosrevolver]

With the 44th pick, the Seattle Metropolitans select Syl Apps.

#10 - SYL APPS

Regular Season: 423 Games, 201 Goals, 231 Assists, 432 Points
Playoffs: 69 Games, 25 Goals, 29 Assists, 54 Points

AWARDS

Stanley Cup Champion (1942, 1947, 1948)
1st All-Star Team Selection (1939, 1942)
2nd All-Star Team Selection (1938, 1941, 1943)
All-Star Game Participant (1939, 1947)
Conn Smythe Award (1942)**
Lady Byng Trophy (1942)
Calder Memorial Trophy (1937)


Finishes

Top-10 Goals (1938, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1948)
Top-10 in Assists (1937, 1938, 1939, 1941)
Top-10 in Points (1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1948)
Points Per Game (1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948

* Bold refers to years that Apps was top-5 in the category.
* Bold+Underline refers to years that Apps led the category.

Playoff Accomplishments

Stanley Cup Championships (1942, 1947, 1948)
Top-10 Playoff Scoring (1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 8th, 10th)
Top-10 Playoff Goalscoring (1st, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 5th)
Top-10 Playoff Assist (1st, 2nd, 2nd, 6th)

Voting Records

Top-10 Hart Nomination (2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd)
Top-10 Lady Byng Ngomination (1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th)

Honours

Inducted into HHOF (1961)
His #10 is Honoured by the Toronto Maple Leafs organization
#34 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players
#38 on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2008 edition)
#38 on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2009 edition)
Named the best skater of the 1940's by Ultimate Hockey
Named the finest athlete of the 1940's by Ultimate Hockey
Named the most admired player of the 1940's by Ultimate Hockey
He was inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame (1975)



MISCELLANEOUS

He's the father of Syl Apps Jr.
Apps never drank smoked or swore
In 1934, he won gold medal in pole vault for Canada at 1934 British Empire Games with a jump of twelve and a half feet
In the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Apps competed for Canada as a Pole Vaulter and finished 6th
Apps captained the McGill University football team to an inter-collegiate title in 1936
First Calder winner of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization
He missed 21 games with a broken collarbone in January 1940. He also missed one month of the 1940-41 season with torn cartilage in his left knee, occurred against the New York Americans on February 25th, 1941
His performance in the 1940-41 season is considered the best by a center by Ultimate Hockey
In the 1941-42 season, Apps receive no infraction for a complete season. He was honored with the Lady Bing trophy at the end of that year
Apps didn't played for the majority of 1942-43 season, recovering from leg injury suffered in game against Boston on January 30th, 1943. That year, Apps offered 1000$ of his 6000$ he was payed a year to owner Conn Smythe, because he thought he was getting payed more than he deserved. Smythe refused the money
In his final regular season game he scored a hat trick to give him a career total of 201 goals. He was the first 200 goalscorer of the Toronto Maple Leafs
In his career, Apps only received three fighting penalties
Apps served 12 years as an elected Ontario Provincial Parliament deputee. He also served as a Minister of Correctional Services
He is the only member of all three Hockey Halls of Fame, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Amateur Athletics Hall of Fame
Syl Apps passed away on Christmas Day, 1998 after a long battle with a neurological disorder that doctors were never able to properly diagnose

What do the Experts Say?

Perhaps never has a finer man played in the NHL than Syl Apps. A remarkably skilled hockey player, he was big and strong and possessed one of the best shots in the league. He never drank or smoked, never swore and was as loyal to his boss, Conn Smythe, as to his team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In his first NHL season with the Leafs, he won the Calder Trophy, the first Leaf so honored, and his career continued to flourish. During that first year, many players thought he was too nice and not tough at all. Flash Hollett discovered this belief was mistaken one night when he high-sticked Apps, knocking out two teeth. Apps dropped his gloves and pummeled Hollett, but he got into only two other skirmishes in his whole career. In 1941-42, he went the whole season without getting a single penalty and was awarded the Lady Byng Trophy for his gentlemanly play. At the end of that season, he led the Leafs to the most improbable Stanley Cup win in NHL history, a series against Detroit that he calls his career highlight. The Leafs lost the first three games of the finals to the Red Wings but somehow won the next four in a row to win the Cup, the only time this has happened.

Apps played on a line with Gord Drillon and Bob Davidson, and this unit quickly became the team's best line. He teamed with Harry Watson and Bill Ezinicki after the war, once again forming a powerful offensive unit. Watson and Ezinicki were ideal linemates for Apps because they could score goals and take advantage of Apps' ability to draw players to him before passing the puck.

Apps once crashed into the goal post during the 1942-43 season, breaking his leg. He missed almost half the season, and one day during his time off for his injury he went into owner Conn Smythe's office with a check for $1,000. "He was getting $6,000 for the season," Smythe recollected, "and he came to me and said, 'Conn, I'm making more than I deserve. I want to give you this check.' Well, I almost died of heart failure. Of course, I refused his check. I felt that anyone who thought in such terms was bound to square off what he thought was a debt the following season." At the end of that season, while in the prime of his career, he left the team to join the Canadian Army. There he stayed for two years until the war was over. When he resumed his career, he put the captain's "C" back on his sweater and promptly picked up where he left off.

In 1947 he was appointed the athletic commissioner for sport in Ontario. Later he became a Conservative member of the Legislature, representing Kingston. Apps was chairman of the select committee on youth until appointed Correctional Services minister in 1971. He is the only member of all three Hockey Halls of Fame, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Amateur Athletics Hall of Fame, and in 1993 his number was honoured at Maple Leaf Gardens, one of only six so designated in franchise history.

Following the Olympics, Apps signed to play hockey with Toronto, joining the Maple Leafs for the 1936-37. Some questioned whether the non-drinking, non-smoking, non-swearing Apps was simply too nice to play in the National Hockey League. While the smooth-skating centre played the game with gentlemanly finesse, he was not to be crossed. When Boston's Flash Hollett highsticked the placid Leaf, knocking out two teeth, he quickly learned that Apps could more than take care of himself. Syl pummelled Hollett before being restrained and escorted to the penalty box. It was the first of but three fights in which Syl would be engaged through his NHL career.

But because he was gentlemanly didn't mean Apps was soft or ineffective. The rookie stepped in to replace another clean player, 'Gentleman' Joe Primeau on what had been the Maple Leafs' strongest trio, the Kid Line, centring Charlie Conacher and Harvey Jackson. Although Conacher injured his wrist early that season, he was replaced by another sniper, Gordie Drillon, who would team with Apps through the early part of his career. In his first NHL season, Apps scored 16 goals, an NHL-best 29 assists and collected a team-best 45 points, second-best in the entire league. He was named the league's rookie of the year for 1936-37.

By his sophomore season, Syl Apps was already being recognized as one of the finest players in the league, securing a spot on the NHL's Second All-Star Team in 1938-39 after finishing second in the NHL scoring race with 50 points. By 1938-39, Apps finished sixth in league scoring and was selected for the NHL's First All-Star Team.

On his retirement, Syl Apps had scored 201 goals, assisted on 231 others and accumulated 432 points in 423 regular season NHL games. During that time, he had but 56 penalty minutes. In post-season play, Apps played 67 games, scoring 25, assisting on 29 and collecting 54 points, and served just 8 minutes in penalties. Apps was well-rewarded for his exemplary play. In 1998, the three-time Stanley Cup champion was ranked thirty-third on The Hockey News' list of 100 Greatest NHL Players. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961. In 1975, he was elected to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and he is also a member of the Canadian Amateur Athletics Hall of Fame and McMaster University's Sports Hall of Fame. Apps was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1977.

While there were several astonishing moments that spring, there was no surprise in the leadership of Syl Apps. He led the playoffs with 9 assists and tied with Don Grosso of the Red Wings with 14 playoff points. In the final alone, Apps scored 3 goals, assisted on 4 others and collected 7 points.

While the Conn Smythe Trophy was still more than two decades away from being introduced, a group of hockey historians with the Society of International Hockey Research (SIHR) judged that had there been such a trophy in 1941-42, it would have been presented to Syl Apps. He was named one of the Three Stars in four of the six semi-final games against the New York Rangers and helped turn the Stanley Cup final around with a goal and an assist in the pivotal fourth game and then scored two goals and added three assists in Toronto's 9-3 laugher over Detroit in Game Five.

Syl Apps enjoyed many pinnacles, but no finer moment than accepting the Stanley Cup on behalf of his Toronto Maple Leafs in the most dramatic comeback series ever to be played in the National Hockey League.

Syl Apps ranks as one of the greatest captains in Toronto Maple Leaf history. A team captain from 1940 through 1943 and again from 1945 until his retirement in 1948, Apps was the star of the 1940s dynasty that captured 3 Stanley Cups with him at the helm.

Apps was an artistic a player as have ever played in the National Hockey League. They called him the “Nijinsky of the Ice,” comparing his graceful skating abilities to the happy feet of the great Russian ballet dancer Naslav Nijinsky. Equally as impressive were his puck skills – he had one of the most accurate shots and loved to set up his teammates – particularly Harvey “Busher” Jackson and Gordie Drillon. He could do tricks with the puck as he stickhandled down ice unlike almost any player of any era. Comparisons to modern day superstar Joe Sakic are not without merit. Several of the few old timers who are still with us insist Syl was the greatest player they had ever seen.

Born in Paris, Ontario where his father ran a drug store, Apps was the typical “All Canadian” boy. Not only was he a hockey hero, but an exceptional athlete all around. Apps captained the McMaster University football team to an inter-collegiate title in 1936. A two-time Canadian pole vault champion, Apps was the British Empire champion in 1934 and placed sixth at the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

It was hockey that Apps loved most, although it was his performance in a football game that earned him an invite to the National Hockey League. Conn Smythe had heard from a hockey partner about Syl's exploits with the McMaster University hockey team. Smythe was in attendance when the McMaster football team travelled to play the University of Toronto. Smythe was so impressed with the athleticism of Apps that reportedly by half time he had contacted National Hockey League offices to claim Apps on the Leafs protected list.

Apps burst on to the NHL scene when he joined the Leafs in 1936-37. He captured the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie as he led the Leafs in scoring, finished second overall in the entire league, just 1 point behind Sweeney Schriner. Apps’ 29 assists led the entire league.

There was no such thing as a sophomore jinx for the lanky star, as he took his game to an even higher level in year two. He again led the league in assists, most of which were on linemate Gordie Drillon’s goals. Drillon led the whole league in scoring, while Apps finished just 2 points behind. Apps was rewarded for his fine play with a Second Team All Star selection.

By 1939-40 defensive specialist Bob Davidson replaced Busher Jackson on the Leafs' top line with Apps and Drillon. Over the next several seasons the "DAD Line" as they were known were the toast of the entire league.

1941-42 was a special season for Apps and for the Leafs. Apps tied Drillon for the team scoring lead with 41 points, but if he had not missed 10 games due to injury he likely could have challenged the New York Rangers Bryan Hextall for the NHL scoring championship. Apps did earn the Lady Byng trophy as he turned in one of the rarest of all hockey feats - a penalty free season.

But that season was memorable for the post season dramatics. The Leafs had advanced to the Stanley Cup finals against the Detroit Red Wings. For the first three games the Leafs looked overmatched as the Wings took a commanding 3 games to none lead in the series. Apps, who was held pointless in those first three contests, engineered the greatest comeback in Stanley Cup history. Apps scored 7 points, including 3 goals, as the Leafs eliminated the 3-0 deficit and amazingly captured Lord Stanley's Cup in game 7!

He played seven seasons with the Leafs before enlisting in the Canadian Army in 1942. He also played three years after his return from World War II, retiring after the 1947-48 season. He went out in style. In his final regular season game he scored a hat trick to give him a career total of 201 goals in an era when 200 goals was looked upon as highly as 500 goals is in today's game. He posted career highs in both goals and points and was a finalist for both the Hart and Byng Trophies. In the playoffs he orchestrated he led the defending Stanley Cup champions to a rare repeat victory.

Known as a modest, quiet individual who lived his life as cleanly as could possibly be, never smoking, drinking or cursing, Apps was captain of the Leafs for most of his career, which he finished with 201 goals and 432 points in 423 games. He also had 25 goals and 54 points in 59 career playoff games. He only had 56 penalty minutes in his entire 10 year career!

In addition to the Calder Trophy, Apps won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1942 for gentlemanly play. He was twice a first-team all star and three times a second-team all-star center and played on three Stanley Cup champion teams. Apps received the highest honor in all of hockey when he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961.

When you get into the stories of most players, they basically come off as human. They have their strengths and their faults, some tending more to one side than the other, as we all do. Syl Apps, though, reads as though he was something dreamed up by a comic-book writer. Tall, athletic, a beautiful skater with fantastic hands, he captained one of the most famous hockey teams on the planet to multiple championships. At the same time, he's the sort of ramrod-straight character who never so much as utters a curse word. He's Clark Kent as well as Superman. Jack Batten described him as "the Stainless Hero."

Though a big man for his time, Apps moved with speed and grace and possessed one of the most accurate shot around.

Peak Years 1939-43
Comparable Recent Player Joe Sakic
In a Word CANADIAN

The six-foot, 185-pounds centre had a determination to go to the net. Apps was a clean player and would rarely display any temper, but woe to anyone who dared to challange him too strongly. His leadership skills were never more evident than when he led the Leafs back from a three-game-to-none deficit against Detroit.

Jack Adams, the Detroit manager, was particulary impressed with Apps whom he rated as even greater than Howie Morenz.

He was a bigger player than most of those he faced but he never took advantage of his size to intimidate an opponent. However, his great stickhandling and finesse attracted holding, tripping and boarding.

To begin with, his virtues were beyond reproach. He played the game with infinite finesse, yet with a courage and vigor that inspired every hockey-loving father to tell his son that that was the way he wanted his kid to do it.

Syl Apps was the Bobby Orr of the pre-WWII era (except of course, that Bobby was a defenseman), and for some time beyond...long and lean, Syl developed a graceful skating style...thanks to Syl's crisp passes, Drillon led the NHL in scoring...

When one mentions the “prototypical” captain of a NHL team, the first name that often comes to mind for long-time hockey fans is Syl Apps…similarly, although Bobby Orr, Guy Lafleur and Dave Keon are contenders for the title of the best skater in league history, once again, the choice of most experts is Syl Apps…Apps was a hard working but clean player, seldom putting his team at a disadvantage by taking penalties…in contrast, with that one do-or-die win under their belts, and Syl Apps’ highly focused leadership, the Maple Leafs were on fire…Apps’ skating abilities were legendary around the league. He was not only a graceful skater, he was also very fast…to raise funds to help him out, the Leafs held a contest at Maple Leaf Gardens to see who was the fastest skater in the league. Each NHL team sent their fastest skater to compete. Apps easily defeated great skaters like William “Flash” Hollett and Doug Bentley, to claim the crown as the NHL’s fastest man.

He's a better player than Howie Morenz was at the same age.

He represents what pro athletes should be. He was the Jean Beliveau of English Canada.

Everyone who ever wanted to play for the Leafs looked to Syl as their inspiration. He was a great, great man.

His dazzling bursts of speed and great sweeping strides made him an exciting player to watch, and he soon discovered that he was gaining quite a reputation among sports fans in his hometown.

Apps made the best impression of the newcomers. It was thoight he might display nervousness, but instead he acted like an old-timer. Some of his passes were beauties and he played his position to the king's taste.

VIDEOS

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SOURCES
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=P196101
http://mapleleafslegends.blogspot.com/2007/03/syl-apps.html
http://books.google.ca/books?id=wpb...&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Syl Apps&f=false
http://books.google.ca/books?id=geu...&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Syl Apps&f=false

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their second round pick (33) in the 2012 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: Paul Coffey, D

Coffey, the league's best rushing defenseman, is like a nuclear weapon. -- Jeff Gordon, St. Louis Post-Dispatch


Career Highlights:
Hockey Hall of Fame Member (2004)
4 Time Stanley Cup Champion - 1984, 1985, 1987, 1991
7 Time Stanley Cup Finalist - With 4 Different Teams
Canada Cup Winner & Canada Cup All Star
3 Time Norris Trophy Winner - 1985, 1986, 1995
8 Time NHL Post Season All Star



Vitals:
Born: June 1, 1961
Position: D
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
Shoots: Left


Regular Season:

Coffey is quite simply one of the most talented defensemen to ever lace on skates.

During his prime, he was regularly compared to Bobby Orr due to his unsurpassed skating, puck handling, rushing abilities and fluid play.

Coffey was an outstanding powerplay quarterback, had a good hard shot and was quite possibly the greatest breakout/long passer the game has seen.

While certainly not as good as Orr (or even his top contemporaries) in his own zone, Coffey had great talents to move the puck out of his zone quickly and he won the Norris trophy as the NHL's best overall defenseman 3 times over a total span of a decade - twice with the Oilers (85, 86) and once with the Red Wings (1995). He was runner up twice more: To Rod Langway in '84 and Chris Chelios in '89. In total Coffey garnered Norris votes in 13 seasons (with a criteria of at least one first or two top-3 votes):


Paul Coffey Norris Record

Season|Finish
81-82|3rd
82-83|5th
83-84|2nd
84-85|1st
85-86|1st
86-87|5th
87-88|7th
88-89|2nd
89-90|4th
90-91|5th
92-93|9th
94-95|1st
95-96|5th

(thanks to Stuminator and TDMM for the Norris tabulation)

The reason? He was far and away the best offensive defenseman in the NHL, and the more important the game the better he (and the Oilers in his heyday) played defensively and physically. More regarding this below in the playoffs and research.


Coffey's league scoring finishes would be solid for a star forward.

Top 10s among all players:

1 x Goals: 7
9 x Assists: 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 8, 10
6 x Points: 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 9

Career Regular Season Stats:

GP|G|A|Pts|+/-|PIM|EV|PP|SH|GW
1409|396|1135|1531|294|1802|241|135|20|44

Playoffs:

The only two players to surpass Paul Coffey's record setting 1985 playoff performance are Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky.

Coffey is the single season record holder among defensemen with 12 playoff goals, 25 playoff assists and 37 playoff points. Coffey also scored the Stanley Cup winning goal that season while being a +26(!) in 18 games those playoffs.

Coffey is also the career leader among defensemen in playoff goals (59) and playoff points (196). He is second (137) to Raymond Bourque (139) in assists despite playing 20 less games. Coffey is also second in GWG by defensemen with 8 in his career.


Career Playoff Stats:

GP|G|A|Pts|+/-|PIM|EV|PP|SH|GW
194|59|137|196|42|264|32|21|6|8

Quotations and Perspective:

skating is unquestionably the best of Coffey skills just as Coffey is unquestionably among the NHL's top skaters. He could be no worse than second or third in terms of pure skating. His offensive ability is based on his skating, and upon his ability to handle the puck while a top speed, which is a skill almost as impressive as his skating., Taking chances and challenging where no other player could succeed… Coffey is a leader for the pens because of his Stanley cups and international experience… He knows how to win in the playoffs, and ups his game appropriately.

whenever Scouts start describing the young offensive defenseman, the prospect is usually painted as some shade of the next Paul Coffey. That alone should indicate in what high regard coffey'soffensive skills are held throughout the hockey world.… He can tie opposing skaters into pretzels when they try to pursue him. He is just plain fast. His hand skills and his brain operate at the same high tempo as his skates. He can do an amazing variety of things at a quick pace. Coffey sees the ice very well and seldom are as outlet passes picked off. He has a featherlight touch with pass. Coffey can score from anywhere on the ice and with any kind of shot. He has the confidence and skills to penetrate deep and commands such respect that he has a lot of room to operate.

Coffey takes a lot of heat for not being an involved player, but you don't get a Stanley Cup ring for each finger by being a perimeter player. Sure Coffey is a finesse player during the regular season and may take some nights off, but when the money is on the line, Coffey is throwing his body and blocking shots. He played through most of the playoffs with an eye injury and a broken jaw. His courage is unquestioned.

he doctors his skates so there is minimal hollow in the blades, and he just glides over the ice.… Few players are better at the long homerun pass.. world-class point man on the power play, taking slaps and sending passes low, feeding the puck over to his point partner for a one timer, or drilling a shot himself. He has enough speed and skill to split the defense or beat a defender one-on-one. He is almost impossible to hit because he is shifty and strong on his skates. He creates a lot of open ice for his teammates because he is intimidating as a skater.

Anyone who gets Coffey for his offense if gifts has to be willing to put up with his defensive shortcomings. Coffey will block shots when it counts, like in the playoffs, but most of his defenses based on his anticipation in picking off passes.… Coffey can make good players better and very good players great. But even though he's an ideal fit with the talented forwards in Detroit… Coffey is still afraid of losing and wants to be on a winner.

Decisive Game 7 vs. The New Jersey Devils en route to the Penguins first ever Stanley Cup:

...Paul Coffey, who was expected to watch most of the playoffs - however much he could see of them - but returned in time to leave an indelible imprint on Game 7.

Coffey, sidelined since Devils defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov high-sticked him in the left eye in Game 4, was supposed to be out indefinitely. Penguins Coach Bob Johnson had penciled rooke Jim Paek into Coffey's spot for Game 7.

But after Coffey got medical clearance to play yesterday afternoon, sweater No. 77 was placed in his locker-room stall and paek was farmed out to the press box.

"As of two days ago, I couldn't play because if I got hit in the head, hemorrhaging might have started," Coffey said. "Today they said any injury that occurred would be a brand-new one. I wasn't going to miss this game unless there was a danger of losing my sight."

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Coffey was about as good as any defenseman can be. He threw the first of several hard checks on his first shift, rushed the puck with his usual vigor and scored the fourth goal.

"I can honestly say that's one of the best games I've ever seen him play," left winger Troy Loney said. "He played great," Bourque said. "He was taking the body, playing great defensively. He was playing both ends of the ice, probably one of the best game's I've seen him play. And he's only got 1 1/2 eyes."

After trade to Pittsburgh:

Coffey, the league's best rushing defenseman, is like a nuclear weapon.

Upon winning his first Norris trophy:

Glen Sather, coach, general manager and president of the champion Edmonton Oilers, saw the election of Coffey as best defenseman as "a precedent setter," because Coffey is hockey's ultimate offensive defenseman. "He could win this a lot of years in a row," said Sather. "He's the only player I know of who has been spoken of in the same breath as Bobby Orr."

After Coffey was traded to Pittsburgh:

Former St. Louis, Montreal and Buffalo coach Scotty Bowman, now a TV color commentator for Hockey Night in Canada, thinks Johnston got the better of Edmonton general manager-coach Glen Sather, comparing Coffey-Lemieux to the Bobby Orr-Phil Esposito tandem that led the Boston Bruins to two Stanley Cups in the early '70s. Calgary general manager Cliff Fletcher, obviously delighted to see Coffey out of his division, says, "There are three impact players in this league, and now Pittsburgh has two of them." Washington G.M. David Poile, obviously not delighted to see Coffey in his division, watched the Penguins beat and tie his Caps in the week following the trade. "Every time they had a power play," Poile said, "the puck seemed to be with either Coffey or Lemieux. They're two of the most exciting players in the league. It'll solidify the franchise in Pittsburgh."

''It takes a lot of pressure off me,'' Lemieux said of Coffey's presence. ''A player like him can do so much.''

Mike Bossy scored on a deflection at 12:29 of overtime Thursday night to lift Team Canada to a 3-2 triumph over the defending champion Soviet Union and vaulting the Canadians into the final of the Canada Cup tournament.

Defenseman Paul Coffey, who moments earlier broke up a Soviet 2-on-1 with a sterling defensive play, blasted a shot from the blueline which Bossy redirected...

"What he's been, most of all, is a confidence builder," says Johnston, whose team can vault into second place in the Patrick with a victory over New Jersey tonight at the Civic Arena. "Everybody's kind of picked up their game a notch. That's what a player like Paul does for you: He makes your other players better. You don't want all your defensemen rushing up the ice or anything, but he gives them ideas. Creative ideas."

Despite sitting out the first two months of the season in his pre-trade contract dispute, Coffey has scored one goal and 15 assists for 16 points in nine games - giving him the highest points per game average (1.8) among NHL defensemen. More significantly, he has spruced up the Penguins' sloppy powerplay. Before Coffey began patrolling the left point, they ranked 20th in the NHL with a 14.7 percent onversion rate on the powey play; in his nine games they have clicked on 18 of 51 chances (35.3).

"A guy like Coff opens up so much ice for the other guys; I found that out in the Canada Cup," Lemieux says, "What you try to do is find the open ice, get the pass from him, give it back to him - a lot of give and gos. It's pretty easy playing with a guy like that. And on the power play he makes a big difference. You don't have to go back, get the puck, bring it up and make the play. You can divide what you have to do."

He had no goals, no assists. In fact, he had only one shot on goal. Yet the steady influence of Paul Coffey was a key factor in Detroit's overtime victory over Chicago.

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But Thursday night they found themselves locked in a tight-checking battle with a very good Chicago team, which won three overtime games in a four-game sweep of Vancouver in the second round. Early in the extra period, there was a faceoff in the Chicago zone. Coffey made sure Detroit center Keith Primeau and his linemates, Nicklas Lidstrom and Shawn Burr, were steady and ready.

"Paul told me to bear down, so I was really motiviated to win the face-off," Primeau said.

Primeau won the draw from Jeremy Roenick and fed the puck to Lidstrom. He fired a shot from just inside the blue line that Chicago goalie Ed Belfour apparently didn't see right away. Burr was parked in front of him. When he finally did see it, the puck was in the net. The game was over with just 1:01 gone in the overtime.

"I got back to Nick, and then I had a perfect angle to watch it go in," Primeau said. "Afterward, everyone was joking that it was about time that I won my first faceoff of the night."

Coffey, who was celebrating his 34th birthday, had been in situations like that before. He played on four Edmonton teams that won the stanley Cup championship before being traded to Pittsburgh, where he played on another title team.

"Usually, there is either a goal in the first couple minutes, or it settles down and goes to double overtime," Coffey said. "I told Keith to bear down and win the draw, because that's how those goals are scored. He did a great job to do that. Nick's got one of the best shots in the league, and Shawn did a great job of screening Belfour."

Notice that Coffey didn't leave anyone out. Handing out praise for everyone is also the mark of a veteran leader. It is another way of building confidence.

That's the way Coffey is, both on and off the ice.

During the 1985 playoffs:

Strong already has characterized the Oilers' play. Especially that of defenseman Paul Coffey, who almost singlehandedly won Game 2 with two goals and three assists in Edmonton's 5-2 victory over the Jets. Coffey's five points tied a one-game playoff scoring record for defensemen.

"He's an awesome skater, the best defenseman in the National Hockey League," said Winnipeg's Paul Maclean. "He was the difference in the two games (at Edmonton)."

"I guess, offensively and defensively, it probably was the strongest game I've played," Coffey said.

"It was kind of nice to watch him," Winnipeg Coach Barry Long said facetiously. "He can tell you where he's going and then do it; and there's nothing you can do to stop him. The only guy like him was (Bobby) Orr."

During Coffey's contract holdout with Sather/Pocklington:

If the Flyers can put together the right package of players and draft choices to satisfy Edmonton general manager-coach Glen Sather, the money Paul Coffey wants will not be a problem. "You're ******* right we'd sign Paul Coffey," Flyers president Jay Snider told the Daily News. "Paul Coffey is in the top echelon of players in the league. We'd love to have him. "Money would be no object at all...

NHL players poll:

Bourque, who might be the best all-round defenseman, finished second to Coffey, the Penguins' All-Star defenseman, as the best offensive defenseman. The best defensive defenseman is Buffalo's Mike Ramsey.
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His skating style is as fluid as Dorothy Hamill's, as electric as Brian Boitano's. Not since Bobby Orr has a hockey player exhitbited such speed, such fluidity. Paul Coffey might never win any awards for defense, but his skating and offensive abilities are unmatched in the NHL. All those players who have watched Coffey go flying by agree: He is the best skater in the league.

Coffey gathered 53 votes to easily beat Messier (25) and Savard (8) who might be the trickiest skater in the league.

And, for best offensive defenseman, only Bourque (21) could manage to get within shouting distance of Coffey, who had 68 votes. Even Buffalo's Phil Housley, who has also been used as a forward, managed just 9 votes.

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Dynamic duo: There are your formidable defensive pairings and then there is the starting tandem for the Wales Conference in tomorrow's game: Ray Bourque of the Bruins and Paul Coffey of the hometown Penguins.

"I think they made adjustments to their own situations," said Boston coach Mike Milbury. "Ray is a powerful, strong skater. He takes the body and finishes hard. I don't think that Paul plays anywhere near the defence that Ray does, but Coffey can probably open up the game better."

The Oilers trying to get back to the finals after the Calgary loss in '86:

"People say the Oilers can play the shootout type of games... but when it comes to tight checking, we'll be lost," defenseman Paul Coffey, one of the prime reasons for that thinking, said Tuesday. "But we proved when we won two Stanley Cups we can play that way and we've proved it this year in the playoffs as well."

The Oilers have certainly proved it through four difficult games against the Detroit Red Wings. Despite the tightest checking the've faced since their playoff loss last spring to Calgary, the Oilers have won three straight for a 3-1 lead over Detroit in the best-of-seven Campbell Conference final.

Another victory tonight would move the Oilers back into the Stanley Cup final, a spot they had reached three straight years before last spring.

Coffey, the leading offensive defenseman in the league, has played well defensively in the last two rounds of the playoffs and says he actually finds it easier.

"It's a lot harder to play the offensive style because you're always up and back, skating the whole game," he said in the empty Edmonton dressing room. "Playing defensively, you just wait... the hardest thing to do is to have patience."

Paul Coffey has been referred to as the Bobby Orr of this generation.

The Edmonton Oilers' defenceman has one record to prove it. He is now within striking distance of another record to further substantiate it.
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"A record's a record," says Garnet (Ace) Bailey, a teammate of Orr's with the Boston Bruins in 1970-71 who is no on the Oilers' coaching staff. "It's phenomenal what Coffey has done. Even to be compared to Bobby Orr. In modern-day hockey, he's our Bobby Orr. I had no idea Orr's records would be broken. I figured they would be the last records to be broken. But you watch Paul Coffey play and you can believe it."

"The records Orr established were unique," says Flames' assistant coach Bob Murdoch, who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the season Orr set the points standard. "I thought no one would ever approach them."
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While the Oilers have many potentially dangerous offensive weapons, Coffey is obviously one of the major ones Calgary has to control both tonight and, if both teams advance to that stage, the second round of the playoffs. "We're obviously trying to figure it out", says Murdoch. "In one of the games we played this year, we emphasized playing him tight. He had four goals against us that night. What it takes is good goaltending and a good team effort."

That's exactly how the Canadiens neutralized Orr in the 1971 playoffs when Montreal defeated Boston in a series mostly remembered for the superlative play of goaltender Ken Dryden. Montreal had no plan to stop Orr that year. Not many plans to stop him every worked.

"About the only plan that supposedly worked was one year Philadelphia decided to give Orr the puck as much as possible with the intent of wearing him out. The Flyers went on to win the Stanley Cup that year," says Murdoch. "I don't know if we could do that with Coffey. He likes to handle the puck. That's when he's dangerous."

There are many similarities between the two great defencemen.

Their skating and puck-handling skills quickly come to mind. The major differences are that Orr was a better defensive player and a more aggressive player. But the similarities are striking.

When Murdoch or Bailey discuss the abilities of the two superstars, the names are interchangeable. They could be talking about either one.

"I remember playing against Orr," says Murdoch. "He was the guy that impressed me the most. When he wanted to turn it on, he could beat anyone with raw speed. Coffey is very similar when he challenges."

Norris Trophy (top defenseman) - Finalists: Ray Bourque, Boston; Chris Chelios, Chicago; Paul Coffey, Detroit. Expected winner: Coffey, and deservedly so. He controlled the game when he was on the ice and improved his defense.

.
.
.
But it was the play in the defensive end that keyed the victory.

"We've got the take care of both ends," Coffey said. "It isn't just (the defensemen) who play defense. Your defense is only as good as your forwards."

Getting a good performance from your goaltender helps.

Paul Coffey. The old goat was the team's leading scorer going into the San Jose series. That's the problem with Coffey. Never plays defense. So what if the Red Wings have scored 13 more goals or something like that than they've given up with him on the ice in the playoffs? Gotta play defense in the playoffs. Scotty Bowman told me that once.

"Coff is playing pretty well right now," Bowman said.

Every now and then Scotty gets carried away and thinks scoring goals is a big deal.

"You have to remember [Paul Coffey]'s coming off a major injury," coach-GM Glen Sather said. "In the last six weeks, he's been progressing. He's playing more like Paul Coffey. Paul's another guy you can't worry about. He's given up a lot of offense to play team defense."

THIS IS HOW PAUL COFFEY WAS REGARDED IN HIS PRIME

From The Hockey Scouting Report, Berger


From Breakaway 86 by Stan Fischler






​

 

[BenchBrawl]

Frank Nighbor C/LW ( thx to nik jr for the bio )

BIO THERE -----> http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=23959895&postcount=22

To add to the enormous bio above , a post by seventieslord with interesting infos:

I've read a couple of other great quotes that specifically describe his defensive ability beyond "he was the best defensively". I can't remember where the one was, but the other was in Frank Selke's book, and he talked about how Nighbor angled the opposition over to the boards where they were rendered harmless.

I've looked forward to the chance to draft Nighbor again so I could do a bio similar to yours, that combines what I found earlier, with some new stuff.

Based on your bio, it appears that you're not sure where Nighbor placed in assists in his NHA/PCHA years. It can be hard to get this stuff without an SIHR membership. Let me fill it in for you:

1913: sub-10th
1914: 9th, but missed 5 games and was on pace for 5th
1915: 6th
1916: 9th
1917: sub-10th

yeah, more fluff to a resume than anything else, but still is good to know.

Just to compare his offensive record to a few players who played around the same time (pre-merger, with possibly some post-merger) who are already drafted, using my simple consistency studies (that don't assume much more than a 5th in one league is just a "top-10" overall, and so on), I've stretched the definition of what constitutes "around the same time" so that there are more players to compare.

Goalscoring, top-2, 5, 10, 15, 20 - Playmaking, top-2, 5, 10, 15, 20

Nighbor 1-4-6-7-8, 2-5-7-8-11
Taylor 1-5-5-5-5, 6-7-7-8-8
Lalonde 3-9-10-11-11, 2-3-3-6-8
Malone 4-6-8-9-9, 1-2-4-5-6
Morenz 2-7-8-8-10, 1-5-7-8-8
Cook 6-7-11-11-11, 0-3-7-7-8
Boucher 0-1-2-3-6, 7-9-10-12-13

Nighbor's no better than these guys, but I wouldn't say he is any worse either, when both playmaking and goalscoring are concerned. None of the other six are as accomplished at both goalscoring and playmaking, but each one tops him in one or the other. (all I'd conclusively confirm is that Boucher is the worst scorer of the bunch, and Malone the worst playmaker) - Taylor might have been the best of the bunch per-game at both, but his seasons in the east as a defensemen cramped his chances of posting more "longevity" numbers, and he was the oldest of these players, being 27 by the time he was in the PCHA and playing rover, where he could put up dominant totals.

Long story short, Nighbor is in this league offensively, and when you consider his unquestioned defensive excellence and his winning history it should not be difficult to argue that he is a top-40 player.

Also, interesting that we finally have some description of the "hook check" - I think it's used in bios of a couple other defensive stars of the day, and everyone always assumed it meant hooking, and then people would start to question if so-and-so could thrive in the ATD where they would get called for hooking. Apparently a hook check does not mean hooking at all.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

"Terrible Ted" Lindsay aka "Scarface"

He was only 5'8" and 160 pounds but could hold his own in fights and in the corners with much larger opponents. But Lindsay was also a gifted offensive player, a natural goal scorer who set records for a left wing and made up one third of Detroit's famous Production Line in the 1940s and 1950s. Nine times he was an All-Star, eight of those selections to the First Team. Such a combination, in such a small, powerful package, hadn't been seen in the National Hockey League before the arrival of Terrible Ted Lindsay, and it hasn't been seen since.

I had the idea that I should beat up every player I tangled with and nothing ever convinced me it wasn't a good idea.

Points finishes: 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 7th, 9th
Goals finishes: 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 6th, 6th, 6th, 9th
Assist finishes: 1st, 1st, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 9th

All Star LW for 9 straight seasons:
1st Team All Star in 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957
2nd Team All Star in 1949

I hated that SOB. Right from the very first game.

He was the leader of the Red Wings every night he went on the ice. Nobody else, he was the motivator, he was the leader, and he was not a big man. He might have been the best left winger of all time, complete. I mean, when you talk about greatness, you have to talk about people who absolutely hate to lose.

On any list of the greatest left wings to play, Ted Lindsay had to be right at the very top. With his leadership, his determination, his scoring stats, his toughness, his defensive ability, his ability to get under the skin of opponents... He was lucky he didn't have to face a lynch mob of the other players in the league!

Ted Lindsay was one of those guys who was a fiesty, fiesty player on the ice. He gave it 100% all the time, and likely one of the greatest, if not the best left winger of them all.

The reason why we had success - everybody could shoot and score, everybody could carry the puck, and everybody's full intent was, "if I had to hit somebody, I would do so." I didn't find it was fun to hide behind somebody, and all three of us had those particular ingredients, so nobody could concentrate on Ted Lindsay, or Gordie Howe, or Sid Abel, we all did it.

Lindsay was the first player to lift the Cup and skate around the rink with it, starting a great tradition.

"Prior to the third game of (a series) against Toronto, the local paper reported that several fans had issued death threats toward both Lindsay and Howe for an alleged injury to the Leaf's Tod Sloan. The game went on as planned despite the threat of a shooting. After Lindsay scored the game winning goal in overtime, he held his stick like a rifle and pointed it at the crowd taunting the Maple Leaf faithful."
-RedWingsAlumni.com

At the age of 31, Ted Lindsay finished 2nd in NHL scoring and led the league in assists. He was then traded to Chicago for his role in starting the NHLPA. Lindsay tried to play hard, but his heart was still in Detroit. After 3 seasons in Chicago, he retired. 4 years later, he made a one-year comeback with the Wings,and the team finished first in the NHL in the regular season for the first time since before Lindsay left. Lindsay retired for good and the Hall of Fame waived the waiting period.

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

Aubrey Victor "Dit" Clapper

-Three time Stanley Cup Champion (1929, '29 & '41)
-Two time Captain of the Stanley Cup Champions (1939 & '41)
-Three time First Team All-Star (1939, '40 & '41 as a D)
-Three time Second Team All-Star (1931 & '35 as a RW, 1944 as a D)
-Four times Top 10 in NHL goal scoring (2nd: 1930, 5th: 1935, 8th: 1931 & 10th: 1937
-Two times Top 10 in NHL assist scoring (7th: 1932, 10th, 1930)
-Two times Top 10 in NHL scoring (3rd: 1930, 8th: 1932)
-Four times Top 5 in NHL scoring by a Defenceman (1st: 1941, 2nd: 1939 & '40, 5th: 1943)
-Captain of the Boston Bruins for 13 seasons, 4th longest for any player, held the record for approximately 50 years.

The most versatile performer in the history of the NHL and the first to play 20 seasons in the league. For nine seasons he was one of the highest-scoring right wingers in the NHL and, thereafter, he was the mainstay of the Boston defence for 11 more seasons.

Source

While demonstrating a high level of skill both as a defenseman and as a forward, Aubrey "Dit" Clapper became one of the league's most versatile performers. In a career that lasted two decades, he forged a reputation as a tenacious yet honest competitor. He rarely looked for trouble on the ice, but if the game turned rough, he was one of the league's more accomplished pugilists. Throughout his pro tenure, Clapper was a respected leader on the ice and in the dressing room.

Source

Clapper diagnosed the plays like a great infielder in baseball.He put himself where the puck had to come.

Clapper had a simple creed - he fought his heart out, bounced players around and took the same kind of punishment he dished out. Once the game was over, however, he forgot it all and never held a grudge. That's what made him so popular with other players and fans throughout the entire NHL circuit.

Normally a bit of a pacifist in terms of fisticuffs, Clapper lost his temper once when Dave Trottier of the Montreal Maroons butt ended Clapper's face with his stick. Referee Clarence Campbell never called a penalty, so Clapper too the law into his own hands and jumped Trottier. Disgusted at Clapper's actions, Campbell began to verbally assault Clapper as he escorted him to the penalty box, calling him a "dirty son of a *****." After asking the ref what he had said, Clapper had enough punch Campbell right off of his feet. That sort of treatment of an official should have landed Clapper in a lot of hot water, but he only got a $100 fine. Campbell took much of the blame, claiming "I was talking loud when I should have been throwing them into the penalty box."

Source

 

[Dreakmur]

He brought tremendous stability to the Devils. He played a standup style, challenged shooters, and had fantastic mobility from side to side and high crease-to-goal line. With positioning, he was so strong that he did not need to flop. he relied on being in the right place at the right time. Because of his early years as a forward, he was also among the very best skaters and stickhandlers in the league.

MARTIN BRODEUR !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
3 x Stanley Cup Champion (1995, 2000, 2003)
2 x Olympic Gold Medalist (2002, 2010)
World Cup Championship (2004)

4 x Vezina Winner (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008)
3 x First Team All-Star (2003, 2004 2007)
4 x Second Team All-Star (1997, 1998, 2006, 2008)

9 x NHL All-Star (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007)

World Cup All-Star (2004)


Hart voting – 3rd(2003), 3rd(2004), 3rd(2007), 4th(1997), 4th(1998), 5th(2001), 5th(2008), 8th(2010), 12th(1996), 12th(2000), 12th(2006)

Vezina voting – 1st(2003), 1st(2004), 1st(2007), 1st(2008), 2nd(1997), 2nd(1998), 2nd(2006), 3rd(2001), 3rd(2010), 4th(1996), 4th(1999), 5th(2000), 5th(2002), 7th(1994), 8th(1995)

All-Star voting – 1st(2003), 1st(2004), 1st(2007), 2nd(1997), 2nd(1998), 2nd(2006), 2nd(2008), 3rd(1996), 3rd(2000), 3rd(2001), 3rd(2010), 5th(2002), 6th(1994), 6th(1999), 8th(2009)

Statistics:
Save Percentage – 3rd(1997), 3rd(2007), 4th(1994), 5th(1998), 7th(1996), 8th(2008)

Play-off Save Percentage – 1st(1995), 2nd(2003), 3rd(1994), 3rd(2002), 3rd(2009), 4th(1997), 4th(1998), 4th(2006), 5th(2000)

Save Percantage vs. League Avergae

Season | Average | Brodeur | Difference
1994|0.895|0.915|+0.020
1995|0.901|0.902|+0.001
1996|0.898|0.911|+0.013
1997|0.905|0.927|+0.022
1998|0.906|0.917|+0.011
1999|0.908|0.906|-0.002
2000|0.904|0.910|+0.006
2001|0.903|0.906|+0.003
2002|0.908|0.906|-0.002
2003|0.909|0.914|+0.005
2004|0.911|0.917|+0.006
2006|0.901|0.911|+0.010
2007|0.905|0.922|+0.017
2008|0.909|0.920|+0.011
2009|0.908|0.916|+0.008
2010|0.911|0.916|+0.005
Average ||| +0.0085

Martin Brodeur - NHL All Time Records Held ​

Minutes Played in a Single Season - 4,697 - 2006-07
Most Wins in a Single Season- 48 - 2006-07
Most Consecutive 30 Win Seasons - 12 - 1995-96 through 2007-08
Most consecutive 35-win seasons (11)
Most 40 Win Seasons - 8 - 1997-98, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08,2009-2010
Most Consecutive 40 Win Seasons - 3 - 2005-06 through 2007-08
Most All-Time OT Wins - 52
Most All-Time Shootout Wins - 26
Most Shootout Shots Against in a Single Seasons - 60 - 2006-07
Most All-Time Shootout Shots Against - 141
Most Consecutive Post-Season Starts - 158
Best Post-Season Goals-Against Average All-Time - 1.96
Most Shutouts in a Post-Season Series - 3 (tie), 2003 Stanley Cup Finals vs. Anaheim
Most shutouts in a Post Season (7, in 2002-03)
Most Combined Shutouts (Regular & Post-Season) - 112, 22
Only NHL goaltender to score a game-winning goal
One of only two NHL goalies to score a goal in both the regular season and the playoffs
First goaltender in history to have 3 shutouts in 2 different playoff series. (1995 against Boston Bruins, 2003 against Anaheim Ducks )

Most consecutive opening night starts with one team (17)

Most Wins All Time - 637
Most Regular Season Shutouts - 116
Most Games Played All Time by a Goaltender -1,146+
Most 30 Win Seasons - 13
Most Minutes All Time - 67.386+

Most Post-Season Shutouts - 23, current ; P. Roy, 23

​

Voting Record without Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy:
6 x Vezina Winner (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008)
5 x First Team All-Star (1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007)
3 x Second Team All-Star (2001, 2006, 2008)

Vezina – 1st(1997), 1st(1998), 1st(2003), 1st(2004), 1st(2007), 1st(2008), 2nd(2001), 2nd(2006), 3rd(1999), 3rd(2010), 4th(1996), 4th(2002), 5th(1994), 5th(2000), 7th(1995)

All-Star – 1st(1997), 1st(1998), 1st(2003), 1st(2004), 1st(2007), 2nd(2001), 2nd(2006), 2nd(2008), 3rd(2010), 3rd(1996), 3rd(2000), 3rd(2002), 4th(1994), 5th(1999), 8th(2009)

 

[Leafs Forever]

Credit to Dreakmur for putting this together. Will be adding to it.

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends

Though he too ranks as one of the greatest offensive defensemen ever, it was Bourque's defensive genius that set him aside from his peers. While his offensive game grabbed more headlines, Bourque's tremendous defensive instincts that rivaled anyone in the game's history. In a split second he could dissect the oncoming play and more often than not positioned himself perfectly to defend. Though not big, his incredible balance made him tough to play against. Therefore Bourque was not afraid to play the physical game when he had to.

Skating was the key to Bourque's game. Overshadowed by the puck rushing exploits of Orr and Paul Coffey, Bourque too could skate like the wind. More importantly, perhaps he was better than Orr, Coffey, or just about any other defenseman in terms of lateral movement, balance and agility. He would often jump into the offense as a 4th forward, or breakout of his own zone to lead the attack.

More often than not he would use incredible passing skills to kick start the offense. Though he was often zeroed in on by opposing team forecheckers, Bourque was rarely rattled, and always made a great first pass out of the zone to headman the transition offense. He had that rare touch and vision of a creative center on the back end. He had the uncanny ability to control the play, both with and without the puck. He was extremely methodical in his approach as a hockeyist.

He had an arsenal of lethal shots to unleash on goalies. He could shoot as hard as practically anyone, but more often than not he changed his shot up in order to get the puck to the goal crease. No matter how closely he was checked from his point position or how crowded the shooting lanes were, Bourque seemingly always landed the puck on net. He would often stray from the point position and jump into the slot for dangerous scoring chances. He was so deadly accurate with the puck that he won or shared the all star game's shooting accuracy competition 8 times between the competition's inception in 1990 and 2001. And he shot often. Only Wayne Gretzky regularly finished ahead of Bourque as the season's shots on goal leader.

Perhaps the most complete defenseman this side of Doug Harvey, Bourque retired as the career leader in practically every offensive category for a defenseman.

Originally Posted by Legends of Hockey
Raymond Bourque, a model of proficiency and consistency at an elite level throughout his career…consistently provided leadership from his spot on the Boston blueline.

Originally Posted by Kings of the Ice
He had all the offensive tools that propelled Denis Potvin, _______, and Bobby Orr, whose presence close by in Boston was always felt. Bourque had the ability to dominate consistently in his own end of the ice. He showed durability and longevity, leadership and character.

Originally Posted by The Hockey News: Top 100
… the long-time Bruins stalwart was as adept at shutting down goal-scorers as he was producing offense.

Originally Posted by Joe Peletier
Bourque was a bit more flashy offensively, but he played in an era that demanded it, but otherwise both are near perfect defenders.

Originally Posted by The History of the Boston Bruins
Bourque possessed uncommon offensive skill while sacrificing nothing on defense. His speed, strength, and uncommonly hard shot complimented his deep understanding of the game.

Originally Posted by Canada’s Top 100: The Greatest Athletes of All Time Bourque rules the ice with his offensive prowess and defensive excellence.

Originally Posted by Harry Sinden
I'll take Orr if I'm down by a goal, but I'd take Bourque if I'm defending a one goal lead.

Originally Posted by Scotty Bowman
He was a two-way player and he was so durable. He seldom got injured even though he played more than half the game. He played on some good teams in Boston because he made them good. I always felt Bourque was very similar to Denis Potvin. Both were great passers, had a terrific feel for the game and they were strong. Nobody ever would push them around.

Originally Posted by Bob Errey
He had those tree-trunk legs. So consistent – he could do everything. He could give you nine or 10 shots on the power play, but if you were up 3-2, you could put him on the ice. He really knew how to play the situation.

Originally Posted by Brad Park
No one can shoot the puck any better than he is right now. He is moving the puck well, and creating confusion in their end.

Originally Posted by Mark Messier
I know his talents and the team player and team leader that Ray is. I know the Boston Bruins rotate around Ray. He’s just a great player.

Originally Posted by Steve Smith
When you watch Ray Bourque play, you see that he’s not only such a pure talent, but he seems to work harder than everybody else, too. He’s probably the best defenseman in the game right now. He’s a pleasure to watch most night. I’m not going to have much pleasure watching him this series.

Originally Posted by Andy Moog
He’s aggressive out there. He wants the puck. Goaltenders have to react off what their teammates do and what the opponents do. And if Ray’s reaction time is a little bit quicker than everyone else’s, that means the goaltender has a little more time to react.

...You never catch Ray out of position. He anticipates everything so well, it’s like he knows what you are going to do before you do.

Originally Posted by Ted Donato
Whenever he steps on the ice, Ray brings a certain aura that gets us juiced up, too.

Originally Posted by Bob Hartley
What a great performance! He was the general on the blue line and did an outstanding job. Ray was very dominant.

]

Ray Bourque !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Hockey Hall of Fame (2004)

Stanley Cup Champion (2001)
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1988, 2001)

5 x Norris Trophy Winner (1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994)
13 x First Team All-Star (1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2001)
6 x Second Team All-Star (1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1999)

Voting Results:
Norris Trophy – 1st(1987), 1st(1988), 1st(1990), 1st(1991), 1st(1994), 2nd(1982), 2nd(1985), 2nd(1992), 2nd(1993), 2nd(1996), 2nd(2001), 3rd(1983), 3rd(1984), 3rd(1995), 3rd(1999), 4th(1980), 4th(1981), 4th(1986), 4th(1989), 7th(1997), 7th(1998), 7th(2000)

Hart Trophy – 2nd(1987), 2nd(1990), 4th(1991), 5th(1984), 5th(1985), 6th(1996), 8th(1988), 10th(1986), 11th(1996), 13th(1992), 14th(1981), 15th(1982)

Hart Trophy among Defensemen – 1st(1987), 1st(1988), 1st(1990), 1st(1991), 1st(1994), 2nd(1984), 2nd(1985), 2nd(1986), 2nd(1995), 3rd(1982), 3rd(1992), 4th(1981)

Regular Season Scoring:
Points – 9th(1987), 11th(1991), 14th(1984), 20th(1994)
Assists – 2nd(1987), 4th(1991), 5th(1994), 8th(1985), 9th(1984), 10th(1988), 10th(1990), 11th(2001), 13th(1992), 14th(1996), 17th(1995), 17th(1999), 18th(1993)

Points among Defensemen –1st(1987), 1st(1994), 2nd(1984), 2nd(1985), 2nd(1988), 2nd(1991), 2nd(1992), 2nd(1995), 2nd(1996), 2nd(1999), 3rd(1990), 3rd(1993), 3rd(2001), 4th(1986), 5th(1980), 5th(1983), 6th(2000), 7th(1997), 8th(1982)
Goals among Defensemen – 1st(1981), 1st(1987), 1st(1996), 2nd(1983), 2nd(1984), 2nd(1992), 2nd(2000), 3rd(1995), 3rd(1997), 4th(1991), 4th(1994), 5th(1980), 6th(1985), 6th(1990) 7th(1988), 7th(1989), 7th(1993), 8th(1982), 8th(1986)
Assists among Defensemen – 1st(1987), 1st(1999), 2nd(1984), 2nd(1985), 2nd(1988), 2nd(1990), 2nd(1991), 2nd(1992), 2nd(1992), 2nd(1994), 2nd(1996), 3rd(1986), 3rd(2001), 4th(1995), 6th(1980), 6th(1982), 7th(1983), 10th(1998), 10th(2000)

Peak 5 Years (1984 to 1988)
15th in Points among all players
2nd in Points and Points per Game among defensemen
2nd in Goals and Goals per Game among defensemen
2nd in Assists and Assists per Game among defensemen

Peak 10 Years (1985 to 1994)
11th in Points among all players
2nd in Points and Points per Game among defensemen
3rd in Goals and Goals per Game among defensemen
2nd in Assists and Assists per Game among defensemen

Peak 15 Years (1981 to 1995)
9th in Points among all players
2nd in Points and Points per Game among defensemen
2nd in Goals and Goals per Game among defensemen
2nd in Assists and Assists per Game among defensemen

Peak 20 Years (1982 to 2001)
7th in Points among all players
2nd in Points and Points per Game among defensemen
2nd in Goals and Goals per Game among defensemen
2nd in Assists and Assists per Game among defensemen

Play-off Scoring:
Play-off Points – 6th(1983), 6th(1991), 7th(1988)
Play-off Goals – 9th(1983)
Play-off Assists – 3rd(1988), 4th(1991), 5th(1983), 8th(1990), 10th(1999)

Play-off Points among Defensemen – 1st(1983), 1st(1988), 1st(1990), 1st(1991), 2nd(2001), 4th(2000), 5th(1980)
Play-off Goals among Defensemen – 1st(1983), 1st(1990), 1st(1991), 3rd(2001)
Play-off Assists among Defensemen – 1st(1983), 1st(1988), 1st(1990), 1st(1991), 2nd(2000), 4th(1980), 4th(1999)


Peak 5 Years (1988 to 1992)
7th in Points among all players
1st in Points and 4th in Points per Game among Defensemen
1st in Goals and 5th in Goals per game among Defensemen
1st in Assists and 4th in Assists per Game among Defensemen

Peak 10 Years (1983 to 1992)
10th in Points among all players
2nd in Points and 4th in Points per Game among defensemen
2nd in Goals and 9th in Goals per Game among defensemen
2nd in Assists and 3rd in Assists per Game among defensemen

Peak 15 Years (1982 to 1996)
8th in Points among all players
2nd in Points and 5th in Points per Game among defensemen
2nd in Goals and 11th in Goals per Game among defensemen
2nd in Assists and 5th in Assists per Game among defensemen

Peak 20 Years (1982 to 2001)
8th in Points among all players
2nd in Points and 5th in Points per Game among defensemen
2nd in Goals and 11th in Goals per Game among defensemen
2nd in Assists and 4th in Assists per Game among defensemen

International Accomplishments:
2 x Canada Cup Champion (1984, 1987)
Canada Cup Finalist (1981)

Canada Cup All-Star (1987)
Leading scorer among Defensemen (1987)

1993 Coach’s Poll:
Tied for 2nd Best Player
2nd Best Defensive Defenseman
2nd Best Offensive Defenseman
Tied for 2nd Smartest Player
Tied for 5th Hardest Worker
Tied for 4th Hardest Shot

1994 Coach’s Poll:
Tied for 3rd Best Player
1st Best Defensive Defenseman
2nd Best Offensive Defenseman
Tied for 4th Best Shot

Number Games:
Based on a study conducted here:
http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=30601164&postcount=285

Of modern defensemen, Bourque is among the very best at even thrength, on the powerplay, and on the penalty kill.

Newspaper Clippings:

Originally Posted by The Windsor Star – April 15, 1980
Seldom in the Stanley Cup play-offs, where the pressure tends to bring out the best in the veterans, does a rookie lift a team from the brink of elimination to victory.
But Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins, at the tender age of 19, is dismissing those ideas. In the past two games, during which the Bruin rallied from a 1-2 deficit to win their series with the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games, Bourque proved to be the undeniable spark-plug.

Originally Posted by The Boston Globe – April 10, 1987
The Montreal Canadiens are checking Ray Bourque pretty hard in this series, but if they think that's going to change his game, they're wrong.

Originally Posted by The Providence Journal – April 23, 1988
From the first few minutes of Boston's 3-1 victory over Montreal, he took control of the game as only he can - blocking shots, manning the power play and dishing out punishing checks in his own end.

 

[Velociraptor]

Charlie Conacher, RW

Position: Right Wing
HT/WT: 6'1", 200 lbs, (14" dong)
Handedness: Right
Nickname(s): "The Big Bomber"
Born: December 20, 1909 in Toronto, ON

- inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961.
- 1-time Stanley Cup Champion (1932)
- 1-time Retroactive Conne Smyth Trophy recipient (1932)
- Played in the NHL All-Star Game 2 times (1934, 1937)
- 3-time member of NHL First All-Star Team (1934, 1935, 1936)
- 2-time member of NHL Second All-Star Team (1932, 1933)
- 2-time NHL Scoring Leader (1934, 1935)
- scored 225 goals and 173 assists for 398 points in 459 games, adding 523 penalty minutes.
- scored 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points in 49 games, adding 49 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Goals - 5x (1, 1, 1, 1, 1)
Assists - 1x (5)
Points - 5x (1, 1, 3, 4, 4)
Penalty Minutes - 2x (4, 9)

Voting Record:

Hart Voting Record:

2nd (34-35), 4th (35-36)

Quotes

But Charlie Conacher was the guy who could score the big goal for you, and he could score in a lot of different ways.

It felt like somebody had turned a blow torch on me. I couldn't sit down for a week.

I never had a finer friend in Toronto than Charlie, he was my protection as a Maple Leaf. I wasn't too big and not too good with my mitts, although I tried to win many a battle. If you got a punch in the chin, you either went down or stood up, shook your head and took it. but Conacher was Toronto's policeman for many years and a great one. He didn't go looking for trouble, but if it came along he would clear it up.

Frank Selke, The Montreal Gazette, Nov. 10, 1962

Who was the greatest of them all? I have no hesitation in saying Charlie Conacher, the flashing right winger of the Maple Leafs' famous "Kid Line" of the 30's. He ranks as the greatest all-around athlete I have managed in my 50 years with sport.

I have never known any player and that includes Maurice Richard, Nels Stewart and Gordie Howe - who has reduced the scoring of goals to an exact science as Charlie Conacher.

Those who remember will tell you that Charlie always made the right moves going in on a goal; if he failed to score it was only because other teams also had great defensive players and goaltenders.

Conacher was a truly potent scorer but, bevause he tried to make every play a picture-move, he failed to match the goal-scoring skill of Maurice Richard.

Legends of Hockey

Charlie Conacher inspired a generation of Leaf players with his hard work and determination.

In his time, Charlie "The Big Bomber" Conacher had the hardest shot in hockey, a notorious blast that eluded goaltenders and dented rink boards. As a member of one of the most dangerous lines in hockey history, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Kid Line of the 1930s, right wing Conacher and left wing XXXXXX XXXXXXX were the beneficiaries of center XXX XXXXXXX's slick passes as the threesome found itself near the top of the scoring lists for the better part of a decade.

With his linemates' help, Conacher became the best right wing in the game over the next half-decade. He was a daring and explosive scorer who used his size 6'1" and 200 pounds in his heyday - to his advantage. He could beat goalies equally well with his booming shot or with a deft move from close range. Once he got moving, he was famous for bowling over anyone between him and the net - and then often the net itself as he crossed the goal line just a few seconds after the puck.

Five times between 1930 and 1936, Conacher either led or tied for the league lead in goal-scoring. He was a Second Team All-Star in his second and third years in the league and a First Team selection for three consecutive seasons beginning in 1933-34. He also helped the Leafs win the Stanley Cup in 1932.

Conacher's style of play - which featured all-out attacks - didn't lend itself to a long career and injuries began to wear the big man down. After nine years with Toronto, he was sold to the Detroit Red Wings, where he played for one year before moving to the New York Americans for two seasons.

Dubbed 'The Big Bomber' for his booming shot, Charlie terrorized opposing netminders and, in the process, scored a league-best 31 goals in 1930-31, yet another season hampered by injury.

Greatest Hockey Legends

Charlie Conacher was the Bobby Hull of hockey before Bobby Hull ever came along.

Conacher was big and strong, with a shot that was feared by goaltenders everywhere in the NHL.

A member of a famous athletic family, he played 12 seasons in the league. While brother XXXXXX gets to most acclaim as the best athlete, it was Charlie who gets the nod as the best hockey player. The five time All Star and two time Art Ross winner is considered one of the greatest right wingers of any era.

Conacher's hands were useful for more than just fighting. The sharpshooter who fired bullets from his stick scored 225 goals, and led the league in goals scored five times in a span of 6 years. Conacher played nine seasons with Toronto.

Who's Who in Hockey

There are those who insist even today that Charlie Conacher was the most exciting player they have ever seen and that his shot was the hardest of its day, when slap shots were unheard of and a player beat a goaltender with a quick snap of his wrist.

... Charlie went on to become one of the most dynamic NHL forwards.

Total NHL

The Kid Line of Charlie Conacher, XXX XXXXXXX and XXXXXX XXXXXXX lifted the Maple Leafs to great heights in the 1930's.

XXX XXXXXXX, XXXXXX XXXXXXX and Charlie Conacher emerged as full-fledged superstars.

Hockeycentral

Bill Cook was rivaled only by Charlie Conacher as the NHL's most dangerous scorer.

YorkRegion Article

...who graced the ice with the likes of franchise legends Charlie Conacher and Joe Primeau.

The Toronto Star

Conacher made a splendid impression in his pro debut and was one of the best men on the ice.

he was just like a tank. Chuck was big and strong – not many guys would mess with him.

The Montreal Gazette, Jan. 3, 1968

He's gone now, but his memory will live as long as the National Hockey League keeps records because he holds a number of them.

Globe and Mail, Friday, Mar. 22, 1935

Bill Cook is asked to personally select his all-time team. He chooses XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX, Eddie Shore, XXXXX XXXXXXX, XXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXX XXXXXXX and Charlie Conacher. A writer criticizes the team for being too biased in favour of modern players.

Globe and Mail, Wednesday, Apr. 17, 1935

Shore narrowly beats Charlie Conacher and XXX XXXXXXX for the Hart.

Ed Fitkin, The Greenhouse Gang of Hockey

What amazed the veterans was the fact that 20-year-iold Conacher not only could take it but he could dish it out, as well. They began to treat him with a respect seldom before afforded a newcomer

 

[Leafs Forever]

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends
Often considered to be the Wayne Gretzky of his day because of his superior playmaking skills and understanding of the game, Frank Boucher had the gentility, class and manners rarely matched at such an elite level...

Barely standing 5'9" and weighing a mere 135lbs, he was strong and sleek on his skates. He was a genius of a puck handler, with this uncanny ability of drawing defenders to him while the his linemates Bill and Bun Cook raced to open holes. Selflessly, and almost without fail, he would thread the puck through defenders, right on to the stick! He was truly the balance wheel on arguably hockey's best line. He also was credited for perfecting the drop pass so common in today's game.

Originally Posted by The Trail Vol. 2
Frank Boucher was one of the greatest playmaking centers of all time...

Not only was he among the elite who have scored over 200 goals but he also compiled almost 300 assists in an era when the official scorers did not pass them out with a lavish hand.

His smooth and polished play was the envy of all coaches.

Frank was also a great defensive player and used a devastating poke-check modelled on that of Frank Nighbor...

He was the outstanding star of the playoffs in 1928 when he scored seven goals as the Rangers won the cup...

Originally Posted by Edmonton Oilers Heritage Website
A dominating centre with quick feet and great hands (in fact, Boucher got the nickname "Raffles" because of his ability to steal the puck)

Originally Posted by Foster Hewitt
"There aren't many people around to remember" Hewitt said, even 30 years ago. "but the way the Russians play reminds me of the old Rangers, especially the line of Boucher and the Cooks. They were even better than the Russians. When they were on the ice, it always seemed to me they had the puck on the string."

FRANK BOUCHER!​

Awards and Achievemets
3 x First Team All-Star Centre (1933, 1934, 1935)
1 x Second Team All-Star Centre (1931)
1 x Retroactive Conn Smythe Winner (1928)
7 x Lady Byng Trophy Winner (1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935)


Scoring
Goals- 4th(1928), 9th(1930), 19th(1934)
Goals as % of 2nd- 82, 63, 59, 52, 52,

Assists- 1st(1929), 1st(1930), 1st(1933), 2nd(1927), 2nd(1931), 2nd(1934), 2nd(1935), 4th(1928), 6th(1932), 12th(1936)
Assits as % of 2nd- 116, 106, 104, 100, 100, 100, 100, 86, 70, 69,

Points- 2nd(1930), 3rd(1938), 3rd(1934), 4th(1935), 6th(1927), 6th(1929), 7th(1931), 10th(1933), 15th(1932), 17th(1936)
Points as % of 2nd- 100, 98, 96, 90, 90, 81, 79, 78, 72, 70,

Playoff Points- 1st(1928), 1st(1932), 6th(1933), 6th(1937)
Points as % of 2nd- 200, 112, 71, 57

Scoring Career Ranges

From 1927-1937 (Notable scoring career), Boucher was:
1st in Points (102 % of 2nd place Morenz)- Morenz playing 35 less GP.
1st in Assists (136% of 2nd place Morenz)
12th in Goals (64% of 2nd place Bill Cook)

From 1928-1933 (5-Year Peak), Boucher was:
3rd in points (94% of 2nd place Bill Cook)
1st in Assists (127% of 2nd place Primeau)
11th in Goals (58% of 2nd place Bill Cook; 82% of 4th place Weiland).

From 1927-1937, Boucher Was:
1st in playoff points (124% of 2nd)
1st in playoff Assists (111% of 2nd)
1st in playoff goals (100% of 2nd)
4th in playoff PPG of those with 20+ games, playing more games than anyone.

From 1928-1933, Boucher Was:
1st in playoff points (140% of 2nd place Bill Cook)
1st in playoff assists (155% of 2nd place Cook/Murodch)
1st in playoff goals (108% of 2nd place Bun Cook)
2nd in PPG amongst those with 10+ Games



Newspaper Clippings (Will try to add more)(Credit to Sturminator for much of these)
I'll try to limit quotes here from Sturminator's work to the most eye-popping. For specifics/more details (that display Boucher's great playoff and defensive prowess) I'll link to Sturminator's posts.

Frank Boucher 1922

Boucher's Playoffs 1924

Boucher's Playoffs 1928 Sturminator concludes: "I consider Frank Boucher's playoff performance in 1928 quite possibly the single greatest performance of all time by any player".

Boucher playoffs 1927/1928

Originally Posted by Calgary Daily Herald- March 11, 1924



BOUCHER, BATTLING WONDER

Frank Boucher, the battling boy wonder, found on the wilds of the prairies in the neighborhood of Lethbridge by the Patricks a few years back, made more trouble for the Tigers than a thousand motorists for an armless traffic cop. He was stick-handling like a circus wizard and hook checking so closely that the Tiger pucks flew to his club like to a magnet. He was a demon checker all through. It was a mystery how any of them got by out there in centre ice. In the third period he was summoned back to play guard along with Cook and Duncan, because the Maroons had snared a couple of marks to Calgary's one, and they wanted to protect it. Boucher was set up at the nose of the barricade where he sucked in the force of many Tiger drives, and invariably the puck evaporated when it struck his twisted pole.

Originally Posted by Pittsburgh Post Gazette- April 5, 1928
Out of the welter of preliminary rounds in the National Hockey League battle for the historic Stanley Cup, the world series of the ice world, Frank Boucher, diminutive center ice star of the New York Rangers, has come to stamp himself as one of the greatest players in the game.

Boucher will lead the Rangers on the ice of the Montreal Maroons in the Canadian metropolis tomorrow night for the first of the final five-game series for the professional hockey title...

The brilliance of Boucher stands out above all others in a composite score of the preliminary efforts of the two teams fighting tomorrow night in the championship. Boucher tallied three goals, assisted in the scoring of three others, and spent no time in the penalty box...

Boucher, recipient of the Lady Byng trophy for combining effectiveness with sportsmanship, played through the four games without once incurring the displeasure of the referees. In addition to leading all scorers, Boucher was a tower of strength on the defense, his sweeping poke-check smashed dozens of attacks of Pittsburgh and Boston forwards.

Originally Posted by Vancouver Sun- March 24, 1933Greatest?

Many glamorous athletic figures will step into the playoffs that lead to the league championship and the Stanley Cup finals when play starts Saturday night. But no finer record for efficiency and sportsmanlike play in these classics will be on view than that of Frank Boucher, playmaking centre-ice ace of the New York Rangers.

Picked this season as centre player for the mythical all-star team that is selected by vote of 32 hockey experts in the cities of the National League circuit, Boucher brings into the playoffs this season an amazing record of consistent play in these finals. One of the originals of the Rangers since that team entered competition in 1926-27 he has never missed a playoff since, and leads the great Cook-Boucher-Cook forward line into the playoff action for the seventh straight time. Boucher's own playoff record is remarkable.

The spectacular part of this record is the almost complete lack of penalties. Five straight playoff series, with all the strain that these entail, without a penalty at all, two penalties in another, testify to the value of this player, always on the ice, always available.