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

[vecens24]

Lynn Patrick, LW/C

Voting Overall:

Member of HHOF, 1980
Hart: 3rd in 1942
All Star Voting (LW unless listed otherwise) :1 (this is for all intents and purposes unanimous, as Milt Schmidt had the other vote), 2, 4, 4, 7 (at center),
Lady Byng: 6
Ranked Number 27 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger greats

Scoring Finishes:
Goals: 1, 5, 14
Assists: 6, 7, 12, 14,
Points: 2, 2, 4, 14,

LOH

Lynn Patrick was the son of Hall of Famer Lester Patrick and grew up on Canada's West Coast while his father operated the Pacific Coast Hockey Association with Lynn's uncle, Frank Patrick. The Patricks would come to be known as "Hockey's Royal Family" but Lynn grew up in a mainly non-hockey environment and didn't play organized hockey until he moved to Montreal in his late teens.

He played with the Montreal Royals that season and was signed, rather reluctantly, by his father to a contract with the New York Rangers for the 1934-35 season. There were many charges of nepotism and Lynn had to endure more than his share of ridicule from the Rangers' fans and press. But, he persevered and was selected as the National Hockey League's First Team All-Star left wing in 1942 and was a Second Team selection in 1943. He was a member of the Rangers' 1940 Stanley Cup winning team and led the league with 32 goals two years later in 1941-42.

Joe Pelletier:

With the Colville brothers and Alex Shibicky supporting the line of Phil Watson, Lynn Patrick and Cecil Dillon, the fans were delighted and the slick passing style caught the fans imagination.

The following three seasons were Lynn's best. He tied with Bryan Hextall for the point scoring leader on the Rangers in 1940-41, scoring 20 goals for the first time in his career. The following year he hit his peak, as he scored a league leading 32 goals and made the 1st All-Star team. The Rangers finished first that year, the last time a Ranger team would do that in over a half century.

In 1942-43, the Rangers were devastated by World War II, losing many players to the armed forces. Lynn was still around this season and had a good year, scoring 22 goals and 61 points to finish fourth in NHL scoring and making the second all-star team. At least the Rangers had Lynn to smile about that year, as the Rangers were just terrible and finished last.

But it would be even more horrible for the Rangers in 1943-44. Lynn Patrick was headed for greatness, but World War II put an end to that dream as now Lynn joined the armed forces to end the Nazi threat. The Rangers scored little and gave up a whopping 6.20 goals per game in 1943-44. When Lynn came back to the Rangers, he could not regain his old form. After 1945-46 he was farmed out to New Haven where he became coach.

The New York Rangers: Broadway’s Longest Running Hit by John Kreisler and Lou Friedman

Lynn Patrick, who eventually went on to play on a high scoring line with Phil Watson and Bryan Hextall, joined the Rangers in 1934 – thought he admitted in Eric Whitehead’s book: The Patricks: Hockey’s Royal Family : “One man I did not impress (in training camp) was Lester. However, Bill and Bun Cook apparently saw something Lester didn’t and told him he’d be crazy not to sign me.” It took him a few games to show he was more than the coach’s son, but Lynn eventually became an All-Star.

Rangers Top 100 Book:

Lynn Patrick (#27)

Virtually all professional athletes, including some of the Rangers' biggest stars, get booed at one time or another. But it's safe to say that left wing Lynn Patrick probably had the thickest skin of them all.

Ar six-feet, 200 pounds, Patrick had a better-than-average hockey body [...] He was a finesse player, prefer to dazzle on his skates and with his stick, eschewing the more robust exploit of some of his teammates, particularly the his rolllicking, hard-checking brother Muzz.

Madison Square Garden crowds often teased him with nicLknames such as ''twinkletoes'' or ''Sonja'', the latter a reference to the world-famous figure skating star of the era, Sonja Henie. Patrick merely shrugged it off, much as he had criticism and doubt that came earlier from, of all places, within his own family.

As great as Lynn's athleticism was, his father, Lester, the boss of the New York Rangers at the time, simply didn't think Lynn could make it in the NHL. Veterans Bill and Bun Cook, plus Frank Boucher, through otherwise, and pestered Lester mightily enough that he finally signed his eldeest son to a contract in 1934.

Shooting
Lynn Patrick seemed to have a very accurate shot.
Montreal Gazette, April 1, 1935:

Lynn Patrick picked up the loose disc near the Maroons cage and, as Wentworth vainly tried to check him, flipped a quick shot to the corner that gave Connell no chance

Montreal Gazette, January 17, 1941

Hardly had they settled back in their seats when Lynn Patrick got his two goals, the first going off of Jack Crawford’s skate and the second aimed directly at the corner of the net.

Skating:
Lynn Patrick also seems to have been an exceptional skater as well.
The Windsor Daily Star: December 26, 1935

Lynn Patrick, speedy son of Rangers’ manager Lester Patrick, clinched the game with a brilliant solo rush.

Kings of Ice:

Lynn was a smooth skater and strong puck carrier and the more refined of the two (Muzz Patrick) [...] He was solid workmanlike player in his first five years in the league.

Playoffs

I’m not going to sugarcoat this one. Patrick was an awful playoff performer. 44 games, 16 points. His peak 1942 season: 6 games, 1 goal, 0 assists. Overall during his three peak seasons, ,Patrick played in 21 playoff games, and scored 6 points. Why is this? For one thing, Patrick was certainly not the toughest guy out there. He was nicknamed “Sonia” upon first coming up with the Rangers, in honor of Sonia Henie, the figure skating champion. This not only referred to his skating skill, but also his lack of willingness to take punishment.

Miscellaneous links if you’re interested:

Here’s an awesome picture in the Google archives of Earl Seibert unceremoniously dumping Patrick to the ground (Patrick is literally parallel to the ice): http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAIBAJ&pg=1899,2995953&dq=lynn+patrick&hl=en
Also in awesome news, he was married to a model: http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAIBAJ&pg=5116,3875212&dq=lynn+patrick&hl=en

Shoutout to EB for the help

 

[Dreakmur]

​

Dickie Moore !!!​

I wasn’t the biggest built kid, but I felt I had a big heart. I couldmatch anybody.

Awards and Achievements:
6x Stanley Cup Champion (1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)

2x Art Ross Trophy Winner (1958, 1959)
2x First Team All-Star (1958, 1959)
Second Team All-Star (1961)

Hartvoting – 5th(1959), 8th(1958)
All-Starvoting – 1st(1958), 1st(1959), 2nd(1961), 3rd(1957), 4th(1960)

Scoring Statistics:
Points– 1st(1958), 1st(1959), 8th(1957), 8th(1961), 11th(1960), 12th(1956), 19th(1963)
Goals– 1st(1958), 2nd(1959), 3rd(1961), 7th(1957), 12th(1963), 14th(1960), 18th(1955)
Assists– 1st(1959), 2nd(1958), 5th(1960), 6th(1956), 14th(1957), 15th(1961)


Play-off Points – 1st(1954), 1st(1959), 2nd(1968), 4th(1957), 4th(1960), 7th(1956), 7th(1958)
Play-off Goals – 1st(1960), 2nd(1954), 3rd(1968), 5th(1957), 5th(1959), 6th(1961), 8th(1958), 8th(1962), 9th(1956), 10th(1953)
Play-off Assists – 1st(1954), 1st(1959), 2nd(1957), 5th(1968), 6th(1956), 6th(1960), 7th(1958), 9th(1955)

Dickie Moore was one of hockey'smost productive and exciting forwards during the 1950s. The talented leftwinger scored at least 20 goals six times, played on six Stanley Cupchampionship teams and is remembered as part of a potent forward line withMaurice and Henri Richard. Moore wasamong the NHL's best shooters and puckhandlers and could also skate better thanmost - an aggressive player whose robust style of play earned him the nickname "Digging Dickie."

An energetic and tireless left-winger, Dickie Mooreheld the record for points I a season for seven years, earning him two art rosstrophies during that time.

Pride, skill and determination are all attributes that come to mind whenDickie Moore’s name is mentioned. An outstanding all-around player whoapproached the game with unmatched ferocity, he spent 12 years with the Canadiens, emerging from his time in thehockey world as one of the greatest wingers in Habs history.

….

Five consecutive Stanley Cups came Montreal’s way as the tough kid from a roughMontreal neighborhood continued to establish himself as a star. Moore had all the tools at his disposal andhe used every one of them effectively. He was a strong skater, smoothstickhandler, crisp passer and had a strong accurate shot.

An offensive threat as much as anyone on the roster, Moore’s greatest asset layin what he didn’t do. The 5-foot-10, 168-pounder refused to back down from anyoneand he refused to lose. Whether it was arace for a loose puck, a battle along the boards or a round of fisticuffs,Moore usually emerged victorious.

Moore’s scoring numbers climbed each year and he became a consistent 20-goalscorer, hitting the mark in six of his last seven years with the Canadiens.

Netting 29 goals in 1956-57, Moore tallied three more in the playoffs,including that year’s Cup-winning marker. In 1957-58, his 36 goals and 84points topped the league and earned him the Art Ross Trophy, a feat Mooreaccomplished despite playing the last three months of the campaign sporting acast on his broken wrist.

He repeated as scoring champ in 1958-59, leading the league with 55 helpers andestablishing a new league record with his 96 points. Having toppled GordieHowe’s previous mark, Moore would see his record stand until Bobby Hullsurpassed it in 1965-66.

Moore’s body paid the price for his spirited approach to the game but herefused to slow down, playing through injuries that sidelined lessercompetitors. After 12 years of rugged play, his body had had enough. Mooreretired after the 1962-63 season to concentrate his efforts on his growingbusiness interests, but he couldn’t stay away from the game he loved.

….

Moore’s on-ice success ranks among the Canadiens top scorers of all-time; his254 goals and 340 assists place him in 12th and 13th place, respectively. The man who routinely lifted the level ofhis game in the playoffs, appeared in nine consecutive Finals. He is 10th forall-time postseason points and assists, and ranks ninth for goals.

Dickie Moore was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974. On November 12,2005, his number “12†was retired and raised to the rafters of the Bell Centre.

On the ice, Dickie Moore was something else; a tiger in the corners of the rink where the timid fear to tread; a radar-like passer who also enjoyed superb accuracy when he took a shot on goal; and, more than anything, a man of leonine courage, as much as anyone who everplayed in the NHL

….

When he came into the NHL, the bullies tried to run him out. When he became a regular with the Canadiens, his many talents were often ignored because he was playing in the shadow of Maurice Richard, Bernie Geoffrion, Doug Harvey, and Jean Beliveau. But he finally made it, clawing his way to the top on less obvious skils than his stylish team-mates. Moore was the architect of Richard's goals. He did the body and back checking for Geoffrion. And he did the fighting for Beliveau. Somewhere in between he found the time to do plenty of scoring on his own.

....

Dickie’s talentwas all-inclusive. He shot hard andaccurately, stickhanded and passed well, played right or left wing, worked easily with all players, and, at 5’11â€, 170 pounds, played rugged and smart defense.

…

As it was, Moore doubled as aninspirational force and pretty much a one-man boxing team for the Canadiens. His pet sparring partners were the Red Wings,with the Rangers a close second and every other team close behind...

Occasionally Dickie went on a rampage and, accordingly, his teammates nicknamed him “Indianâ€. One night in New York, Moore tore over the Garden rink like Geronimo on the warpath. For a while it looked as if he were about totake on the entire Ranger team, but finally settled for Red Sullivan, NewYork’s tough captain.

…a six-time Stanley Cup winner and one of the greatest two-way left wingers in the history of the game… He was tough, rambunctious and drove the net like a demon. Had the Selke Trophy been in existence when he played, Moore likely would have won an armful of them.

Moore had passion, could hit, could fight, was a solid skater and a sure stick-handler, and had a beautifulway of making touch-passes on the fly.

Brash to a fault, Moore was at first considered uncontrollable. But the combination of tough coach Dick Irvin and veterans such as Maurice Richard and Doug Harvey settled Dickie into a calmer, more manageable player. The results were sensational.

An excellent stickhandlerand skater with a hard, accurate shot, Moore became one of the NHL’s topoffensive stars. He was also handy with his elbows and fists, and hisaggressive play

earned him thenickname Digger.

Moore had also suffered an unusual injurythat season. He got the worst of a scuffle with Detroit defenseman xxx during agame in early February and damaged his left wrist. He had it X-rayed. Doctorssaw no signs of a fracture, but the arm remained tender and the injury did notheal. A second X-ray at the end of February revealed that he had broken a smallbone between the wrist and the hand. His doctor recommended surgery, but Moorerefused. An operation would have cost him the scoring title.

Instead, the physician wrapped the injured limb in plaster from palm of thehand to the elbow. The cast severely impaired Moore's shooting ability, but hecould still score on deflections, rebounds, and tip-ins. He finished first inscoring with 84 points, four better than Henri Richard. He led the league in goals(36) and game-winners(8) and played superb defensive hockey, allowingwingers opposite him just three goals all season.

Moore'scourage was remarkable, and his ability and desire to overcome countlessphysical setbacks was an inspiration to his teammates.

They didn't come much tougher thanMontreal Canadiens' left winger Dickie Moore. Despite racking up 608points and 6 Stanley Cups in 14 seasons, Moore's outstanding play was often overshadowed on a team thatfeatured Rocket Richard, Bernie Geoffrion, Jean Beliveau, Jacques Plante, andDoug Harvey. Even as a left winger, Moore was often overlooked by the morevisible exploits of Ted Lindsay and later, Frank Mahovlich and Bobby Hull. In truth, Moore may have been the realinspiration behind the great Canadiens teams of the 1950s.

Moore was a swift skater and savvy stickhandler. With a vast array of skills,Moore would eventually become one ofthe premier talents in the Original Six era, a double-threat who combinedfinesse with toughness. It would hardly be an easy path togreatness, but the future Hall of Famer would not be denied his rightful placein the sport.

Dickie was a fighter, a realworker. I remember seeing him injunior hockey against Jean Beliveau’s team, the Quebec Citadelles. Just about the whole team went after Dickie behe wasn’t afraid in the least. He fought everybody on the ice and held hisown. It was the same way with him inthe NHL, except he had to fight injuries as well.

Moore deserved it (Art Ross). He’sthe most valuable player on the Canadiens.

When Maurice Richard and Doug Harvey faded, I expected Dickie to takeover as leader of the team, and he did.

Since time began, players have tried to play the game without sweating,and it doesn’t work that way, and he was totally prepared to sacrificeeverything. He sacrificed his body.

Dickie Moore was the mostunder-rated great player that I ever saw. He took more abuse and contributedmore than any player. He was on a team that had glowing characters, likeRocket Richard, the Pocket Rocket, Bernie “Boom Boom†Geoffrion, JacquesPlante, Doug Harvey, and all these guys were flamboyant in various ways. DickieMoore just went out there – he played very tough, like Ted Lindsay played tough,but he scored.

He was quite willing to play a back seat to Rocket and Beliveau andeven Boom Boom Geoffrion. He was just delighted to be part of an organizationthat won Stanley Cups year after year. The sheer love of the game was soobvious in Dickie Moore, and they adored him in Montreal. They adored what he could do on the ice – they loved his pluck and his grit and the fact that he just fitright in.

Dickie Moore going to St. Louis, in the expansion draft, even at 60% of his potential, broughtclass, skill, hard work, and certainly a winning spirit, and he’s not going tocost you any headaches. That’s what you want in a fellow – just go out anddo his job game in and game out, and always be plus.

When he came back from being nearly in the cemetery, he played for St.Louis and they got to the finals. Scotty Bowman raves about how well he playedwhen everyone thought he was done. He didn’t have the wheels he used to have, but he had the know-how, and he wasa fierce, competitive guy…. Ialways thought that Dickie Moore was the best Montreal Canadien player in mybooks. There was Richard, Beliveau, Harvey, and other guys too, but Mooreseemed to have something they didn’t. I’m not saying he was as talented,but he got the job done.

He was a great play-off performer. He scored real key goals for us.

He's a chippy operator who mixes with the toughest and still knows how tostickhandle and skate his way to the opposition net.

On March 22, 1959, the lastregular season game for the Canadiens was scheduled against the Rangers atMadison Square Garden, a date that coincided with Dickie Moore’sattempt to rewrite the record book.

Moore, who had captured the NHL scoring title the previous season despitefinishing the campaign with a cast on a broken wrist, once again stood on thetop rung of the league’s scoring ladder. In the 69 games he had played so far,“Digging Dickie†had amassed 40 goals and 54 assists. The gritty Moore neededonly one more point to tie the record set by Gordie Howe in 1952-53 and he hadone game left to get it.

The combative left winger kept his appointment with the NHL record book. TheHabs’ No. 12 put a goal past Gump Worsley to pull even with Howe, before addingan assist to raise the single season record to 96 points.

Most days you can find a six-time Stanley Cup winner and one of the greatest two-way left wingers inthe history of the game at his desk, where he’s president of DickieMoore Rentals. Moore could play the gameany way you wanted – in the back alley, along the boards or dangling in theoffensive zone – so it’s certainly no shock that he carved such a versatilepost-career niche for himself.

Dickie Moore's remarkable skill and superior determinationmade him a key component in the most extraordinary dynasty in the history ofthe National Hockey League. Between 1956 and 1960, the Montreal Canadienscollected an unprecedented five consecutive Stanley Cup championships, withMoore contributing by winning the league scoring championship in both 1958 and1959.

 

[Dreakmur]

Maurice “Rocket†Richard !!!​

I’m not fragile. I’m reckless. I’m not accident prone. I’m obsessed…

Maybe I like that team (1940s Canadiens) because we had more fun together; there was a kind of brotherhood that disappeared later. We always travelled by train and we only played 50 games then which gave us lot more time to socialize. This meant a whole different way of living – we were just one big happy family.

Awards and Achievemets:
8 x Stanley Cup Champion (1944, 1946, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)

Hart Trophy Winner (1947)
2 x Retro Conn Smythe (1951, 1958)

8 x First Team All-Star (1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1956)
6 x Second Team All-Star (1944, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957)

Hart voting – 1st(1947), 2nd(1945), 2nd(1951), 3rd(1950), 3rd(1954), 3rd(1955), 8th(1956)
All-Star voting – 1st(1945), 1st(1946), 1st(1947), 1st(1948), 1st(1949), 1st(1950), 1st(1955), 1st(1956), 2nd(1944), 2nd(1951), 2nd(1952), 2nd(1953), 2nd(1954), 2nd(1957), 3rd(1958), 4th(1959)

Ranked 5th on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players
Ranked 6th on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2008 edition)
Ranked 9th on History of Hockey list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (2009 edition)

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Sniper†of the 1940s and 1950s
Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Instincts†of the 1940s

Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 2nd(1945), 2nd(1947), 2nd(1951), 2nd(1954), 2nd(1955), 3rd(1953), 3rd(1956), 4th(1950), 5th(1946), 6th(1957), 7th(1948), 15th(1944), 15th(1952), 16th(1949)
Goals – 1st(1945), 1st(1947), 1st(1950), 1st(1954), 1st(1955), 2nd(1951), 2nd(1956), 2nd(1957), 3rd(1948), 4th(1946), 4th(1953), 5th(1952), 6th(1944), 11th(1949)
Assists – 6th(1953), 7th(1955), 9th(1946), 10th(1956), 11th(1947), 11th(1954), 12th(1951), 13th(1948), 14th(1957), 15th(1945)

Play-off Points – 1st(1947), 1st(1951), 2nd(1944), 2nd(1956), 3rd(1945), 3rd(1946), 3rd(1957), 3rd(1958), 5th(1952), 6th(1953)
Play-off Goals – 1st(1944), 1st(1946), 1st(1947), 1st(1951), 1st(1958), 2nd(1945), 2nd(1952), 2nd(1953), 2nd(1957), 4th(1956), 7th(1954), 10th(1949)
Play-off Assists – 2nd(1956), 3rd(1947), 4th(1944), 4th(1946), 5th(1951), 10th(1952), 10th(1957)

His sobriquet, Rocket, arose from his speedy whirlwind rushes that electrified the crowds. He was a great stickhander and his deft movements attracted a lot of holding and tripping from his opponents in their efforts to restrain him. He had a very accurate shot and could score from seemingly impossible angles

Earl Seibert, a strapping 200-pound defenseman who was playing for Detroit that season, hurled himself at Richard as he swept solo into the Detroit zone. Richard occasionally will bend his head and neck very low when he is trying to outmaneuver a defenseman. He did on this play. The two collided with a thud, and as they straightened up, there was Richard, still on his feet, still controlling the puck, and sitting on top of his shoulders, the burly Seibert. Richard not only carried Seibert with him on the way to the net, a tour de force in itself, but with that tremendous extra effort of which he is capable, faked the goalie out of position and with his one free hand somehow managed to hoist the puck into the far corner of the cage.

Here was a man who was bred for stardom in French Canada – dark, strong, angry, the very personification of Gallic fire. He quickly captured the hearts and minds of a generation of French Quebecers.

… His famous nickname, ''The Rocket,'' was given on account of his mad, whirling-dervish rushes, his edge-of-your-seat charges into enemies territory. He was an excellent stickhandler and could often be seen carrying a player on his back on breakaways. His tricky dekes attracted a lot of holdings, tripping and slashing from checkers. He had an amazingly accurate shot and could score from just about any angles. From 10 feet inside the opposition blue-line, he was the most deadly assassin of all-time.

Everyone wanted to stop him; no one wanted to be remembered as the team that gave up the impossible record to Rocket Richard. So shadowed, badgered, tripped, hooked, and challenged, Richard went hungry and hunting for the magical goal.

….

Rocket Richard was as clean a hockey player as one could hope for – unless provoked – and provoked he often was. The man who believed he was put on Earth just to score goals suffered all kinds of indignities and injustices to stop him from doing so. When angered, Richard would become a solo wrecking unit, carrying opponents on his back, eyes blazing in fury as he steamed in on another spooked goalie to take revenge with a goal.

While Richard hardly – if ever – started a fight, he was involved in any; often at the provocation of his own coach.

Maurice “Rocket†Richard was like a bloodhound, always sniffing out goals. From a young age, he showed uncanny on-ice instincts similar to those of a Mario Lemieux or a Wayne Gretzky.

….

Maurice Richard takes the nod in this category in both the 1940s and 1950s, despite the emergence of Gordie Howe. While big Howe could beat you more ways, Richard was possibly the greatest player of all time from the enemy blue-line in.

The NHL has ever seen a playoff performer like Maurice “Rocket†Richard retired he retired from the Montreal Canadiens in 1960. A fierce competitor who saved his best for the post-season, Richard retired with 82 career playoff goals. Included in those goals were six overtime scores, 18 game winners and seven hat tricks. It took many years before his playoff goal total was passed.

….

A great stickhandler with shifty moves, Richard’s deadly shot allowed him to score from all angles.

The Rocket was at his best in leading the playoffs with eleven goals-the next best player on his team had six. He had the winner in four of Montreal's eight wins and sat up another winner. One of his winners was in overtime. He had four multi-goal games.

Although his team lost, Richard gave a performance of epic proportions. Not only did he lead the playoffs in goals and points (9-4), but he scored three overtime game winners along the way. He had goals in his last six playoff games and was in on seven of the ten goals Montreal scored against Toronto in the finals.

Maurice Richard was the essence of hockey in its golden age. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Richard had those eyes that seemed black as coal, that blinding speed, that devastating shot, that nasty streak, that passion to vanquish every opponent.

These were the ingredients that enabled him to become the first National Hockey League player to score 500 goals in a career. He also was first to score 50 goals in a season.

That being said, when the game was on the line, particularly in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Richard could raise his game to a higher level than Howe and every other player in history. His unbelievable will to win was unequaled.

Richard was often at his best in the most important games.

The stare was Rocket Richard's trademark. When he came at a goalie with his eyes lit up, the opposition was terrified.

….

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.

Richard's fierce temper and dedication were also hallmarks of his. He got into frequent scraps with players and officials. His suspension by NHL president Clarence Campbell in 1955 for attacking a Boston player with his stick and punching a linesman precipitated the now famous riot in the Montreal Forum.

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

An emblematic icon of the Montreal Canadiens, Maurice Richard’s influence and impact transcended the game.

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.

….

The most exciting new player to hit the NHL in a generation, Richard filled arenas with spectators with the same consistency that he filled nets with rubber in 1944-45. Playing with Toe Blake ad Elmer Lach on what would famously become known as the “Punch Lineâ€, he raised the bar for all scoring sensations to come, becoming the first NHLer to light the lamp 50 times in the same season.

Richard was consistently among the top scorers in the league. In an era when scoring 20 goals in a season turned a player into a star, Richard bettered the mark 14 consecutive years. He scored 30 or more nine times and broke the 40-goal plateau on five occasions. He was named to 14 straight All-Star teams and led the league in goals four times.

If Richard got one goal, odds were, others would follow. On 26 occasions, Richard potted three or more in the same game. In 1944, he set an NHL record that would stand for over 30 years when he scored eight points in a single game. The Rocket’s postseason play eclipsed his performances in the regular schedule; the bigger the stakes, the better he played.

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.

He can get the puck and do things to it quicker that any man I’ve ever seen – even if he has to lug two defensemen with hi, ad he frequently had to. And his shots! They go in with such velocity that the whole net buldges.

One night in Detroit he benched Richard for two periods at a time when the Rocket was Mister Big. Dick sent everybody else out on the ice and we all knew the Rocket was fuming. Finally, in the third period he put Richard on the ice; it was like letting a hungry lion out of his cage. That Rocket hit everybody but me.

….

The Rocket would hang around with Larry Moquin, the professional wrestler, when he trained. Larry taught Rocket all the hold and things, then Rocket would try the out on us and at times he’d almost break your arm. Not intentionally, of course, he was just so strong. He sure put those lessons to good use on the ice when anybody got tough with him.

….

One of the bum raps against him claimed that he’d just hang at the blue line ad that’s all. Actually, Rocket rarely scored a scrabby goal.

Geez, I hope Rocket keeps putting them in the net ‘cause I’ll be here til I’m fifty.

Richard was possibly the fiercest competitor I’ve ever seen in any sport. If you weren’t playing on the same team with Maurice Richard you were his enemy; and that applied if you were a referee giving him penalties.

He is a highly tuned, highly specialized hockey instrument, not a well-balanced, all-around hockey player.

Every star has his critics and Maurice was not immune. It was said that he was a lousy backchecker, that he had little interest in the defensive game and that this shortcoming drove his coaches to distraction. It was baloney of course.

Admittedly the kind of all-out attack that Maurice launched at an opponent's net usually ended with him sprawled in front of the crease or over in the corner. He wouldn't be able to rejoin the play right away, especially if the other team transitioned to offense. Even when he scored he'd always have two defenders on top of him.

He was the greatest scorer under pressure that I've ever seen.

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 overlooked by hockey historians. The left wingers who played against him, seldom scored goals.

Away from the net, Richard liked to double-back fairly deep into his own territory. He rarely, if ever, handled the puck in his own end and initiated bodychecks very infrequently. "I have found it usually shakes me up as much as the fellow I have checked," he wrote. Still, while a middling defensive player, Richard was far more diligent than the procession of superstars - Hull, Gretzky, Lemieux - who followed him and Irvin used him in defensive situations. On a turnover, he always headed back first to his own zone and once there he picked up his man. The Canadiens kept track in 1950-51; while Richard scored 43 goals, his check scored 11 times. Still, Richard rationed his strength for offense.

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.

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 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.

First, there was the way Maurice would turn on his rockets from the blueline to the net. Then, there was his eyes, as bright as the glare from any rocket.

When God created the perfect goal-scorer, it came in the form of The Rocket!

Rocket Richard, from the blueline in, is still the greatest hockey player who has ever played in the world. I don't care if they play hockey another 100 years, nobody will ever be better than the Rocket.

Any man who can carry me on his back from the blue line deserves to score.

Maurice Richard got loose and scored three goals… In the third period Richard scored two more goals bringing his total to five for the match.

….

Getliffe, Richard, and Blake were the stars.

….

Maurice Richard went on another scoring rampage, getting all three Canadien goals.

….

Chicago led 4-1 at the start of the third period and then the Richard-Lach-Blake line took charge. Rihchard’s second goal tied the game and Toe Blake won it in overtime.

Richard was proving himself a fighter and was quick to respond to provocation. Bob (Killer) Dill was too free with his elbows and Richard flattened him with a punch. The battle was resumed in the penalty box where the fighters got better traction and the crowd cheered then on. Dill was ready to holler ‘uncle’ after being cut below the eye.

….

Maurice Richard had scored nineteen goals in nineteen games and this goal-per-game average made him the most potent scorer in the league. In consequence, he was the target for the close checking, interference and holding. Manager Tommy Gorman was very indignant and insisted that players were being sent out to harry ad hold his star. He considered the Maple eafs the worst offenders in this regard.

.…

The reporters asked Smythe for his opinion on Maurice Richard who was attracting so much attention. It was obvious that Smythe considered the great right wing as someone extraordinary. However, he did not let his enthusiasm run away with him. He thought that Richard resembled Howie Morenz from the blue line in, but was critical of his back-checking.

Richard and Lach added goals in the second period. The Habitants turned on full power in the final twenty minutes and Richard got three more goals.

Lach, Blake and Richard were the stars for the winners.

…

In the first period Richard got a major penalty for attacking John Mariucci.

….

Murph Chamberlain tied the score late in the third period and Maurice Richard won the game in overtime.

….

Maurice Richard was the star for the Canadiens with two goals.

Durnan and Richard were the starts although O’Connor and Reay skated tirelessly

… Ted Lindsay went out with torn shoulder ligaments when Richard slammed him into the boards…

….

Richard stopped Ezinicki on several of his rushes with heavy bodychecks…

Vic Lynn and Maurice Richard collided with such force, that they broke a panel of glass at the end of the rink and, several spectators were cut by flying glass.

The third period was almost over and it looked as if overtime would be required but the great Richard again rose to the occasion with one of his famous rink length dashes.

 

[Dreakmur]

Joe Sakic !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1996, 2001)

Hart Trophy Winner (2001)
Lester B. Pearson Award (2001)
Lady Byng Winner (2001)
Conn Smythe Winner (1996)

3 x First Team All-Star (2001, 2002, 2004)

13 x NHL All-Star (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007)

Hart voting – 1st(2001), 6th(1996), 7th(1991), 7th(2002), 7th(2004), 8th(2007), 14th(1997), 14th(2000)
All-Star voting – 1st(2001), 1st(2002), 1st(2004), 3rd(1991), 3rd(2000), 4th(1995), 4th(1996), 4th(1999), 4th(2007)

Olympic Gold Medal (2002)
World Cup Gold Medal (2004)
World Championship Gold Medal (1994)
World Junior Championship Gold Medal (1988)
World Cup Silver Medal (1996)
World Championship Silver Medal (1991)

IIHF MVP (2002)
IIHF Best Forward (2002)


Scoring Achievements:
Points – 2nd(2001), 2nd(2004), 3rd(1996), 4th(1995), 5th(1999), 5th(2002), 6th(1991), 6th(2007), 8th(2000), 10th(1990), 14th(1992), 17th(1993), 17th(2006), 19th(1994)
Goals – 2nd(2001), 5th(1996), 6th(1991), 6th(1999), 10th(2004), 15th(1993), 16th(2007)
Assists – 3rd(1995), 3rd(2002), 4th(2000), 4th(2004), 5th(1999), 5th(2001), 6th(2007), 8th(1996), 9th(1992), 11th(1991), 11th(1994), 12th(1990), 16th(1997), 16th(2006)

Play-off Points – 1st(1996), 1st(2001), 2nd(1997), 3rd(2002), 4th(1999)
Play-off Goals – 1st(1996), 1st(2001), 2nd(2002), 8th(1997), 10th(2003), 10th(2004)
Play-off Assists – 1st(1997), 2nd(1996), 3rd(1999), 4th(2001), 8th(2002)

IIHF Points – 3rd(1991), 3rd(2002)
IIHF Goals – 3rd(1991), 3rd(2002), 6th(1994)

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.

I think I'll remember Joe's fast hands and overall shiftiness. It always seemed like he was really slippery, always a step ahead of everybody with the puck. . . . You really had to be ready for anything with him, because everything happened so fast.

He’s a supreme offensive player who’s really developed his defensive skills. One of the all around best players in league.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVBuLmblvHc

 

[Dreakmur]

Teemu Selanne !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (2007)

Olympic Silver Medalist (2006)
2 x Olympic Bronze Medalist (1998, 2010)
World Cup Silver Medalist (2004)
Canada Cup Bronze Medalist (1991)
2 x World Championship Bronze Medalist (1999, 2008)

2 x First Team All-Star (1993, 1997)
2 x Second Team All-Star (1998, 1999)

Hart voting – 3rd(1998), 5th(1997), 5th(1999), 6th(1993), 9th(2007), 13th(2006)
All-Star voting – 1st(1993), 1st(1997), 2nd(1998), 2nd(1999), 3rd(1996), 4th(2007), 4th(2011), 5th(2006), 7th(2000)

IIHF Best Forward (1999, 2006)
IIHF All-Star (1999, 2006)

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Sniper†of the 1990s

Scoring Achievements:
Points – 2nd(1997), 2nd(1999), 5th(1993), 5th(2000), 7th(1996), 8th(1998), 8th(2011), 11th(2007), 13th(2006)
Goals – 1st(1993), 1st(1998), 1st(1999), 2nd(1997), 3rd(2007), 10th(2006), 16th(2000), 17th(1996), 18th(1995)
Assits – 4th(1999), 7th(2000), 9th(1996), 9th(1997), 10th(2011)

IIHF Points – 3rd(1991), 3rd(1999), 4th(2003), 5th(1996)
IIHF Goal – 1st(2003), 2nd(1996), 3rd(1991)

Olympic Points – 1st(1998), 1st(2006), 4th(1992)
Olympic Goal – 1st(1992), 1st(2006), 4th(1998)


Play-off Points – 7th(2007)
Play-off Assists – 6th(2007)

Play-off Goals per Game – 1st(2011), 5th(1999), 6th(1997), 8th(1993), 9th(2002)

Selanne is no one-trick pony. His main weapon is his speed… But Selanne is also as strong as a bull and isn’t afraid to throw every last one of his 200 pounds around. For a sniper, he passes the puck remarkably well.

Known as "the Finnish flash," Teemu Selanne was among the league's most exciting players of the 1990s and for good reason.… Selanne scoring touch and charismatic performances, along with speed and a deadly accurate shot, became instant trademarks.… Selanne and Kariya seemed to read each other's thoughts on the ice, connecting for one highlight reel goal after another, while propelling the Mighty Ducks to their only franchise playoff round victory against the Phoenix coyotes.

Only three quarters of the way through his 1993 rookie season, Teemu Selanne set a record that most pundits agree will never be touched. As a Winnipeg Jets, Selanne shattered Mike bossy's 15-year-old rookie Marco 53 goals, becoming the first newcomer to lead the NHL in goals since Roy can't occur in 1939… The Anaheim Mighty Ducks provided Selanne with a gifted line maintained Paul Kariya, and the to complemented each other right from the start. Both speedsters, they each have a creative flair that forces defenders to focus on both wings simultaneously, a difficult if not impossible task.… "It's pretty frustrating right now," said Selanne, after taking over the team captaincy when Kariya was knocked out of the lineup by a crosscheck from Chicago's Gary Suter. "We have to stick together and stay positive. It's the only way." Although he drew the undivided attention of the league's premier checkers, Selanne still managed to tie Peter Bondra for the league lead, with 52 goals, breaking his own team record. Responsible for more than 25% of Anaheim's goals, Selanne was also nominated for the Hart trophy.

Yet he has remained one of the league's most down to earth players. In the midst of the contract, which pays in far below current market rates, Selanne has rejected the notion that he should try to renegotiate terms, a common practice. "If the only problem I have is that I'm underpaid," he said in reference to his $3.4 million annual salary, "things have to be pretty good."

"Every player in the NHL and minor hockey around the world should follow this guy for a week," says ESPN analyst Darren pang, "to see how he handles people and demands. Besides, how can you not be enamored with one of the great pure goal scorers, who skate so quickly and effortlessly and then takes off the equipment and drives cars the same way?"

Teemu Selanne surprised his NHL opponents in 1993 with his speed, desire and creativity. "Most of the season, the guys on the other team didn't know my style, "he explained to the hockey news. "I was way open all the time. I had at least two breakaways every game."

"I know when I play well, the numbers will be there," said Selanne, declaring team success more important.

Selanne’s speed is unbelievable. He’s a dangerous a player as the is in the NHL.

You can never shut him down completely. He’s just too good.

You hijack Anaheim’s plane or just kidnap Teemu when he’s scheduled to play your team.

#6: Teemu Selanne: Mike Bossy was among the most consistent goal scorers in NHL history and the Finnish flash destroyed his rookie record for goals. Tell you anything? It is difficult to remember that some questioned the Winnipeg Jets right-wingers ability to handle NHL roughness.

#18: Teemu Selanne: think about the 76 goals Selanne had in 1993, not the 25 he had an injury plagued 1994. He's still champagne in the sea of malts and ales.

#18: Teemu Selanne: right after he was paired with Paul Kariya, Selanne might have been the best player in the league for one 10 game span last season. The ducks would be happy if he was consistently in the top 40.

#12: Teemu Selanne: aside from being one of the NHL's best people, the Anaheim winger is one of its most premier scorers. He did more with less than anyone last season.

#9: Teemu Selanne: at a time when goalscoring is hard to come by, the Finnish flash has emerged as the NHL's most consistent elite sniper.

#14: coming off an off year by his standards, the Finnish flash is still a weapon to be feared.

#36: Teemu Selanne: a second straight 33 goal season removed the sunshine from one of the game's great goal scorers. A return to form is a must.

Hockey Scouting Report: 1993-94]Selanne's success stunned even the scouts who had seen his remarkable development in Finland. He came to the NHL polished, 22-year-old rookie and was a devastating force. His skating is exceptional. He has turbo speed, Porsche speed. He gets down low and then simply explodes past defensemen, even when he starts from a standstill. He gets tremendous thrust from his legs and has quick feet. Acceleration, balance, it's all there.

Everything you could ask for in a shot is there as well. Once teamed with another rookie, Alexi Zhamnov, Selanne worked all varieties of attacks. The duo works especially well weaving back and forth, with Zhamnov setting up Selanne with a one timer from the low right circle. Selanne is constantly in motion. If his first attempt is stopped, he'll pursue the puck behind the net, make a pass and circle again for shot. He is almost impossible to catch and is tough to knock down because of his balance. He will set up on the off wing on the power play and can score on the backend. His shot is not especially hard, but it is quick and accurate.

Selanne doesn't just try to overpower with his skating, he also outwits opponents. He is tremendous hockey instincts and vision, and is as good a playmaker as a finisher.

Selanne was tested physically early and often. Nobody scores 76 goals and gets ignored by other teams checkers, and Selanne took his share of abuse. He proved remarkably durable, fighting his way through slashes and hooks. When the referees are slow on the whistle, he takes matters into his own hands, usually with his stick. He is one of the toughest young players in the league, European or otherwise.

Unlike Alexander Mogilny, with whom he tied for the NHL goalie, Selanne did not sweat at all under the spotlight. He was calm and collected, and not only welcomed the attention but seems to regard it as his due. Repeating or even coming close to his success of last season is a long shot, but because of his attitude, the sophomore Selanne is a better bet than Mogilny. Selanne is going to be one of the dynamic stars of the 90s for the NHL.

The pure goal scorer, Selanne marked the start of a new era of offense of hijinks in Winnipeg when he notched his first hat trick just five games into his NHL career… Using blazing speed to create scoring chances, he was the team's torchbearer on offense all year. He had his first five game goalscoring streak by early November, and another one in early December… Believe it or not, this rifle toting sniper doesn't shoot enough. Despite leading the team in shots on goal, he was being encouraged by coach John Paddock to seize the opportunity whenever it arose, not hesitate. Players of Selanne's tremendous talent need not worry so much about setting up teammates. [Although Selanne's assists were nearly on par with his goals]… Not since Dale Hawerchuk was in his prime have the Jets had a player so clearly destined for greatness as they do in Selanne. He has the ability to take control of the game and turn the tide of his amazing offensive skill.

WILL – be a superstar.
CAN'T – be selfish enough.
EXPECT – 60 goals, 130 points
DON'T EXPECT – a timid persona

Even before his serious injury that ended his season, Selanne was heading for a disappointing year. Perhaps it was natural to expect after his phenomenal Calder winning rookie year, but at one point in the season, Selanne was called "useless" by his coach and GM, John Patrick. Certainly, Selanne's intensity was lacking on nightly basis. He was further hampered by the NHL's slow down, clutching, grabbing game.

Selanne's skating is such a major part of his game that his recuperation from his freak injury will determine his future. Before the injury, his skating was exceptional.

A brilliant skater with an awesome array of shooting weapons… A streaky scorer who enjoys torrid stretches, Selanne was the chief reason for Winnipeg finishing as well as it did in 1993. By the same token, his devastating injury in 1994, a severed Achilles tendon, was a major contributor to the Jets woeful plummeting through the standings…

WILL – be a superstar
CAN'T – afford more injuries.
EXPECT – a huge comeback year.
DON'T EXPECT – a shrinking violet

Although Selanne appeared to have recovered well from his Achilles tendon injury, he was hampered by patella tendinitis which limited his practice time. Selanne was in close to 100% most of the season. He lacked his old touch with the puck, but knowing that the Jets needed him, he had the knee frozen and kept playing through the pain.… He is able to lift little passes to teammates over defenders blades so the puck hits flat for the recipient… Not only do the Jets need him, but the NHL does too. Despite his painful ailment, Selanne played in what might have been the last game played in Winnipeg last season – a meaningless event, except to the fans. That kind of commitment is hard to find in a pro athlete these days.

The Finnish flash has such amazing scoring and skating ability, he can't be punished for lacking a belligerent quality… Selanne last year began to show that he can also throw his weight around a little bit. Fully recovered from his ankle injury, he retained his title as the teams faster skater.

WILL – score a lot
CAN'T – carry the Jets alone
EXPECT – a solid sniper
DON'T EXPECT – to intimidate him

Selanne has overcome knee problems and a career threatening Achilles tendon injury to regain the blinding speed that characterized his 76 goal rookie season.… He was reportedly not happy with trade to Anaheim, but playing with the brilliant Paul Kariya quickly changed his outlook. Selanne plays off Kariya's puck control and his exquisite lead passes. Selanne had a reputation for being selfish with the puck, but he is more generous with Kariya and feeds him for one timers.

Anaheim is pretty much a one line team, so Kariya and Selanne will have to deal with checking pressure every night. Team set out to bump and grind Selanne from the for shift, and he will have to fight his way through the junk… He is big and uses his strength along the wall. Before Selanne went to Anaheim, the team's power-play was operating at 11%. After his arrival, team had a 19.5% success rate.

Selanne has many things going for him: he's young, he's strong, he's fast, and he's a scorer. He shoots rockets from the wing and will work down deep as well. Firing one timers from the slot area is also in his bag of tricks. Selanne is tough. He will going to the corners to get the puck and work it along the boards, and he'll take a hit to make a play. Every once in a while, he'll throw a check, too. The ducks acquired Selanne essentially to give power to a powerless power-play. They also hoped that he could somehow get them to make a late charge into the playoffs, which they failed to do.… With some uncharted territory in the postseason. Still to be discovered and conquered, Selanne has not yet fulfilled all of his goals as an NHL or. But he is one of the most dynamic players in the game and will make the ducks the most exciting team in California. He has several years in which to rack up big points and helped the ducks move from endangered NHL species to birds of prey.

WILL – make ducks mighty
CAN'T – revive them pronto
EXPECT – superb talent
DON'T EXPECT – a banger

Man, does Teemu look good in a ducks uniform! He had 108 points and made Kariya a better player just by his presence on the ice. It was far and away his best season since his rookie year. Watch him take off now.

Selanne is a better all-around player now than when he scored 76 goals in his rookie season in Winnipeg. Part of that is due to playing with the speedy, brainy Paul Kariya. But much credit is also due to the veteran Jari Kurri, who went from a sniper to one of the games most underrated defensive forwards, and who has tutored Selanne.… He plays off Kariya's puck control and exquisite passes. So often these two players will simply "alley oop" to the other with perfect timing, so that they receive the puck in full stride… Selanne's career looked in doubt because of a severed Achilles tendon two years ago, but he has overcome that to become one of the game's premier marksmen.

Selanne scored 52 goals last season without playing with a bona fide number one center and minus left wing Paul Kariya for all but 22 games. This is a player from another galaxy. Anaheim is pretty much a one line team, so Paul Kariya, Selanne and Steve Rucchin have to deal with checking pressure every night… He is big and uses his strength along the wall, but he takes a beating.… Selanne is one of the game's premier marksmen, and would be an even bigger threats if the ducks would part with some Disney dollars to get him a playmaking center.

Coach Craig Hartsburg tried several times during the season to break up the Kariya, Selanne combo to get them away from checking pressure, but they are much better together than apart. Selanne can have 55 quiet minutes and kill you when you let up for the other two shifts.

Selanne had knee surgery shortly after his trade to the sharks, and did not recover his legs before the season ended… He had a disappointing playoffs, but suffered a broken thumb in the opening game.

He employs all varieties of attacks and is equally comfortable on either wing. He can collect a pass at top speed while barely breaking stride.

Selanne is a big fan of fast sports cars. That's not surprising, because he plays like one… He has tremendous hockey instincts and vision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKJtEu8rFtY

 

[Dreakmur]

Jack Walker !!!


Awards and Achievements:
3 x Stanley Cup Champion (1914, 1917, 1925)
7 x Stanley Cup Finalist (1911, 1914, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1925, 1926)
Retro Conn Smythe Winner (1925)

3 x P.C.H.A. First Team All-Star (1921, 1922, 1924)
3 x P.C.H.A. Second Team All-Star (1917, 1919, 1920)

2 x P.C.H.L. MVP (1930, 1931)


Scoring Achievements:
NHA Points – 4th(1914)
NHA Goals – 9th(1914)
NHA Assists – 1st(1914), 8th(1915)

Western Points – 4th(1924), 8th(1923), 9th(1916), 9th(1919), 10th(1917)
Western Goals – 4th(1924), 7th(1916), 9th(1923)
Western Assists – 3rd(1917), 4th(1919), 4th(1920), 7th(1923), 8th(1916), 8th(1922), 8th(1926), 9th(1925)


PCHL Assists – 1st(1930), 1st(1931)
(this PCHL was a minor league)

Play-off Points – 1st(1914), 1st(1925), 3rd(1920) 4th(1911), 5th(1917), 5th(1919)
Play-off Goals – 1st(1914), 1st(1925), 4th(1911), 5th(1920)


Consolidated Scoring Achievements:
Consolidated Points – 5th(1914), 14th(1919), 18th(1924), 19th(1916)
Consolidated Goals – 14th(1914), 15th(1924), 16th(1916)
Consolidated Assists – 2nd(1914), 6th(1919), 9th(1920), 10th(1915), 11th(1917), 17th(1926), 18th(1923)


Consolidated Scoring Percentages:
Points – 82(1914), 72(1924), 54(1916), 52(1915), 49(1923), 48(1919), 40(1920), 40(1926)

Best 6 Seasons: 357


Team Scoring:
Points – 1st(1914), 1st(1924), 2nd(1916), 2nd(1925), 2nd(1926), 3rd(1917), 4th(1915), 4th(1919), 4th(1920), 4th(1921), 4th(1922), 4th(1923)
Goals – 1st(1924), 2nd(1914), 2nd(1916), 2nd(1926), 3rd(1915), 4th(1917), 4th(1919), 4th(1920), 4th(1921), 4th(1922), 4th(1923), 4th(1925)
Assists – 1st(1914), 1st(1919), 1st(1920), 1st(1923), 1st(1926), 2nd(1916), 2nd(1917), 2nd(1924), 2nd(1925), 3rd(1915), 3rd(1922), 4th(1921)

Based on the scoring totals, Walker was only an offensive dud from 1919 to 1922. 1923, he was 4th, but just a few points behind the leader.

When an unknown hockey team from Port Arthur took a 13-4 drubbing from the Ottawa Senators in a 1911 challenge, people talked about the outstanding hook-checking of Port Arthur forward Jack Walker. The neat little guy eventually cracked the professional ranks, playing 16 seasons as a world-class hockeyist.

….

Walker joined the Victoria Cougars for 1924-25 and figured in yet another Stanley Cup, scoring four goals and two assists in four contests against Howie Morenz and his Montreal Canadiens. In that series, Walker shut down Morenz entirely.

When the WCHL folded in 1926, Walker’s rights were transferred to the Detroit Cougars. He would play a leadership role in Detroit…

….

During his playing days and later as a coach, Walker spent hours helping rookies, teaching them the art of the hook-check. Walker was as good at poke-checking as Frank Nighbor was.

Port Arthur took a bad drubbing from Ottawa when they challenged for the Stanley Cup in 1911 and little was reported about the Port Arthur team. However, mention was made of an outstanding hook check displayed by one of their forwards, Jack Walker. This fine player is best remembered for his uncanny skill as a hook check artist and in this respect he was a rival of Frank Nighbor.

… although never a great scorer he was the star backchecker…

… the famed line of Morenz, Joliat and Boucher found Walker and his hookcheck the stumbling block. The veteran broke up their attacks time after time and scored four goals in the series and the Cougars won the Cup…

This small clean-playing but aggressive played was on seven championship teams…

Nighbor, though a solid young forward throughout the previous season, had been lured away to British Columbia.

The loss of Nighbor was more than compensated for by the return of Jack Walker.

....

... the Blue Shirts were not wedded to old theories about complex patters of "combination" offense. They kept their passes short and sparse. They were fast, but they used their speed as much for checking as for attack. Their forwards bore directly in on the net, rarely circling in mid-ice. They harassed ad hit the opposition relentlessly, keying on its main men. And they were not afraid to take penalties as long as they were a consequence of tough, hard work.

The team also had magnificent balance - great stars and solid role players. Holmes kept maturing as a reliable, consistent goaltender. Cameron was the flashy, rushing defenseman. In Davidson there was a power forward and with Foyston a quiet, classy centre. Walker was simply sensational as both an offensive threat and a persistent forechecker. For reliable relief, the team could call on Wilson as a utility man.

Then there was McGiffen.

....

Toronto was finally on top. Its club not only was the best, but seemed as complete as a team could be. A local panel picked Jack Walker as the most valuable man over the season. Frank Foyston was judged the star of the final series.

Jack Walker was for many years the best defensive forward in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, perhaps in all of hockey.

….

Jack Walker shut down many top gun with his jabbing poke-checks and sweeping hooks. Lalonde, Pitre, Morenz, Joliat… the “Old Fox†had their number.

Jack Walker, at 36, proved himself as effective two-way force for Victoria. His second goal of the contest turned out to be the winner.

….

Again, Montreal came out as flat as week-old ginger ale. Walker set the tone with a highlight-reel goal…

….

On a power play, Walker sealed the deal for Victoria. Between his masterful poke-checking, Gordon Fraser’s solid defending, and Hap Holmes’ 27 saves, Montreal had no chance.

….

As in the three previous games, Walker’s two-way work was sparkling.

Montreal was shut down wholesale. The western boys short-circuited not only Joliat and Boucher, but also the fabulous Morenz. Though Morenz, also known as the “Mitchell Meteorâ€, notched four brilliant goals in the series, his play was weak at crucial points I the four-game set. This had much to do with the work of Walker and Frederickson. Walker had a poke-check equal to that of the Senators’ star Frank Nighbor…

Jack Walker was the best of the Ports, displaying an outstanding hook check.

Jack Walker was the star with three goals and his hook check working to perfection

…the hook check of Jack Walker time and again broke up the Vancouver attacks.

….

It was hard to judge who had the best hook check between Frank Nighbor and Jack Walker.

The star was the veteran Jack Walker both with his great backchecking and offensive play.

The Lakehead region of Ontario has produced many fine hockey players over the years, not the least of which is Jack Walker, the man credited with introducing the hook check to hockey.

….

In 1924-25, Seattle dropped out of the PCHA, leaving the league with franchises in Vancouver and Victoria. These two clubs joined the Western Canada Hockey League and Walker signed with the Victoria Cougars on November 10, 1924. He led the league in penalty minutes with the modest total of 14, in 28 games played that season. More importantly, however, the Cougars went on to win the Stanley Cup when they defeated the Montreal Canadiens three games to one in the spring of 1925. The Cougars were the last non-NHL team to win the Cup. Walker had now won the Stanley Cup three times with three different teams in three different leagues.
Walker finished out his major pro career in Detroit as a member of the NHL Cougars after the Victoria franchise moved to Detroit prior to the 1926-27 season. After two years in the NHL, he returned West to Seattle to play three years with the Seattle Eskimos of the PCHL and for his outstanding play he was awarded the Muldoon Trophy as most valuable player in the league. After retiring, he stayed on the West Coast, coaching and instructing youngsters and pros alike in the art of the hook check, settling finally in Seattle, where the city had claimed him as one of its own.

Led Victoria shooters with four goals and five points in the final. Had the game-winning goal in game one and two goals in game two. Had the first goal in each of the first two games and four unassisted tallies. He also had goals in each of the four league playoff games to reach the finals. Great sweep-check also limited the Canadiens scoring chances.

Players like Walker, Frank Patrick, Hooley Smith and Pit Lepine would coast around centre ice when the opposing team attacked, crouch to one knee, reach their stick as far as possible along the ice, and hook or poke the puck smoothly and efficiently off an opponent’s stick. Timing and judgement of distance played a great part, of course, in successful operation of the play.

Jack Walker, who made the hook check famous, was one of the greatest players who ever lived and not far short of the brainiest I ever knew, but somehow, no matter how brilliant he was, he didn’t bring the crowd to their feet. He lacked color.

7 x Retro Selke Winner (1914, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1924, 1925)

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Defensive Forward†of the 1910s.
Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Shadow†of the 1910s.

The hockey fans were treated to some real hockey last night at the Arena when the Ontarios and Torontos hooked up for the first time. The Blue Shirts were always best and smothered the Murphyites with their speed and back checking, having it 9 to 3 at the finish.

There was something doing every minute and the grand passing and fast skating by the Torontos was pretty to watch.

The Orange and Green outfit were never in the hunt after the first few minutes and seemed lost in the killing pace. Jack Walker stopped the Ontario frontline nine times out of ten with his peculiar check.

It is surely an honor to Jack Walker to be chosen as the most popular of the champion hockey team and to get a free trip to Merlin Springs, Texas; where both the Giants and Toronto Internationals are in training. The choice was well made for Walker in not only one of the cleverest of the Blue Shirts, but also the most reliable.

Jack Walker of the Detroit Cougars, a thoughtful, brainy type of player, is generally credited with being the inventor of the poke check. He developed this system of purloining the puck from opposing forwards 20 years ago, while a member of the Port Arthur, Ont., amateur club, and out on the coast he taught it to Frank Nighbor, brilliant veteran forward of the Ottawa club. Nighbor, a player of precisely the same mental and physical type as Walker, developed and improved on Walker's basic idea of sweeping his stick along the ice to foremost exponent of a style of play that is now used by scores of forwards, though Nighbor is still one of the most skillful poke-checkers in sport.

Walker, slightly bald, but still gifted with great speed, skill in puck-juggling and a wicked shot, is a fine hockey player today after 20 years at least in senior amateur and professional ranks.

Jack Walker, now with Detroit, who is anxious to return to the coast, where for so many seasons he was a bright and shining figure on the steel blades.

Every sport has heroes…

Cyclone Taylor was that type of player in hockey and so is Jack Walker, the fox who played regularly in the N.H.L. all last season. Like his equally famous colleagues, Walker lives cleanly, doesn’t smoke or go in for elbow bending, and when he makes friends they stay that way.

Walker, born in Port Arthur, rated as one of hockey’s great passers and was hailed as the originator of the hook check.

Offensive Abilities

Jack Walker is showing his old time form with the Torontos. If he keeps up his present speed he will make all the forwards sit up and take notice in the N.H.A.

Against the Rose City seven the Mets tallied six goals and previous to this encounter they ran up a total of 12 goals on the Vancouver team. In both of these contests the work of Bernie Morris and Jack Walker was sensational.

At the opening of the second period play continued about even, with the puck first at one end then the other. Jack Walker’s wizardly stickhandling featured the start.

….

Jack Walker seemed to solve the outer defense of the Flying Frenchmen, for several times he dodged the entire field only to lose the puck at the goal.

The Mets have the passing game down to the highest degree and the team work of the forwards, especially Walker, Foyston and Morris was bewildering.

Jack Walker tricked Lehman for the first goal by finding an opening at the right of the net.

In the third period, Jack Walker, the vulpine veteran, hoisted a tar washer to the lattice from ten feet inside the blue line, beating Winkler as defensemen obstructed his view.

Then Walker riveted home a hot shot on a pass from Fredrickson three minutes before the close of the game.

Walker, slightly bald, but still gifted with great speed, skill in puck-juggling and a wicked shot, is a fine hockey player today after 20 years at least in senior amateur and professional ranks.

Jack Walker is the key man, the ‘feeder’ of the goal hunters.

Jack Walker was a big seal hunter for the Igloo dwellers. He started play after play and his forward passes were perfection itself.

Physical Game

“Bad Joe†Hall they call him back east, and the Seattle spectators will admit that he is well named. Two Seattle players are nursing injured ankles from Hall’s wicked stick; Jack Walker had three stitches taken above his eye as a result of Hall’s lunges…

….

Jack Walker went down and out with a bad cut to his head Wilson replaced him….Walker was back on the ice with a big patch over his right eye. He replaced Rowe.

….

Walker was ruled off for bodychecking…

Defensive Play

Walker played a wonderful game, and is certainly the best hockey player seen around here in a long time. He is superior to Nighbor, who was considered the best left wing player in the National Hockey Association last season. He scored three goals and assisted in several others.

Walker learned the popular winter game in Port Arthur, and is the originator of the poke check, which is a great feature in back-checking.

In purely defensive play, Jack Walker with his clever hook check was the Seattle star. Walker took the puck away from the best stickhandlers the Flying Frenchmen could produce as easily as taking off his hat and it was his work that spilled most of the offensive rushes of the Canadiens.

The local lads went after Pitre early in the game and after Jack Walker worked his little pet check on the “Bullet†for about five minutes, Pitre was through for the night.

Jack Walker drew applause for his nifty checking. He took the puck from Cleghorn after the latter had carried it the length of the ice.

Jack Walker and Cully Wilson led in Seattle peppery defense.

It has been understood that Seattle would use the great Jack Walker as centre against Frank Nighbor, but Muldoon intimated that Frank Foyston would hold down the mid-ice position tomorrow and that Walker would switch to right wing. This would bring Darragh and Walker together.

Jack Walker’s tantalizing hook check will fuss the opposing forwards as of yore…

…this is the man (Nighbor) who was the greatest of all defensive centers with sweep-checking Jack Walker his own rival in the art.

….

Pivoting those youthful wingers was Jack Walker, the original sweep-checker and the pride of old Port Arthur.

When Jack Walker, one of the hockey greats of a quarter century ago, died in Seattle last month, it was remembered that he was the originator of the now-vanished poke check. But few recall that he was the central figure in the most daring wholesale player raid ever executed in the history of the professional game.

….

The poke or hook check which Walker was the first to try would be of no use today, says Fergy, but it was a potent weapon in the no-forward-passing game of the time.

…the greatest poke-cheker of them all, Jack Walker….

Jack Walker a star?

Jack Walker of the Detroit Cougars, a thoughtful, brainy type of player, is generally credited with being the inventor of the poke check. He developed this system of purloining the puck from opposing forwards 20 years ago, while a member of the Port Arthur, Ont., amateur club, and out on the coast he taught it to Frank Nighbor, brilliant veteran forward of the Ottawa club. Nighbor, a player of precisely the same mental and physical type as Walker, developed and improved on Walker's basic idea of sweeping his stick along the ice to foremost exponent of a style of play that is now used by scores of forwards, though Nighbor is still one of the most skillful poke-checkers in sport.

Walker, slightly bald, but still gifted with great speed, skill in puck-juggling and a wicked shot, is a fine hockey player today after 20 years at least in senior amateur and professional ranks.

It is surely an honor to Jack Walker to be chosen as the most popular of the champion hockey team and to get a free trip to Merlin Springs, Texas; where both the Giants and Toronto Internationals are in training. The choice was well made for Walker is not only one of the cleverest of the Blue Shirts, but also the most reliable.

When Walker learned of the construction of the new Civic Arena in Seattle and the founding of a new league there in 1928, he obtained his release from Detroit and joined the Seattle Eskimos, managed by his old coach Pete Muldoon. Though he was now 40-years-old and arguably past his prime, Jack was an old fan favorite and a good drawing card in the early days of the new team. While he didn't score a lot of goals, he did lead the league in assists twice and continued to play good, competitive hockey.

Jack Walker, veteran center-ice player with Detroit Cougars during the past season, has been judged the most popular player on the Detroit team, which is not surprising.

Walker, like Frank Nighbor of the champion Senators, is a type of player that plays the puck and not the man. Like Nighbor, he is poke-check expert, and also like the famous Senator star, he is a clean-living athlete and a credit to the game in which he has been a prominent figure for fifteen years.

Hockey owes much to players like Jack Walker.

Foyston and Walker were the individual stars of the game and they drew many cheers for their flashy work.

When the Pacific Coast league came into being in Seattle a few days ago, the various club managers agreed…that no former players connected with the PCHA or with the WCL would be sought.

One exception was made, one only. That was Jack Walker, now with Detroit, who is anxious to return to the coast, where for so many seasons he was a bright and shining figure on the steel blades.

Every sport has its heroes and in most of the athletic avenues down the ages there have been figures that stood out for the best in sportsmanship like Walter Johnson of Washington, Willie Hoppe in billiards, or Tommy Gibbons among the Queensberry Quarrelers.

Cyclone Taylor was that type in hockey, and so is Jack Walker, the fox who played regularly in the NHL all last season.

​

 

[Dreakmur]

Mickey MacKay !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (1915, 1929)

PCHA First Team All-Star (1915, 1917, 1919, 1922, 1923, 1925)
PCHA Second Team All-Star (1916, 1918, 1921)

Retro Hart (1915, 1923)
Retro Selke (1921, 1922, 1923)

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Stickhandler†of the 1920s


Scoring Achievements:
PCHA Points – 2nd(1915), 2nd(1923), 2nd(1925), 3rd(1922), 3rd(1924), 6th(1917), 6th(1918), 6th(1919), 10th(1916), 10th(1921)
PCHA Goals – 1st(1915), 1st(1924), 1st(1925), 2nd(1923), 6th(1917), 9th(1918), 9th(1919), 9th(1921), 10th(1916)
PCHA Assists – 2nd(1915), 2nd(1919), 2nd(1923), 4th(1918), 8th(1916), 9th(1921), 10th(1925)

NHL Points – 13th(1927), 13th(1928)
NHL Goals – 12th(1928), 18th(1927)
NHL Assists – 8th(1927)


Play-off Points – 1st(1918), 2nd(1915)
Play-off Goals – 2nd(1915), 2nd(1923), 3rd(1918), 5th(1924)

He was the most polished stickhandler who ever played in the P.C.H.A. He led the goal scorers three times and is one of the select company who scored over two hundred goals in his career. He was a very unselfish player and set up many goals for others to score.

Mickey MacKay was a master at handling the wood and rubber. Some say that MacKay was the single largest hockey influence on Frank Nighbor. The “wee Scot†was also a fabulously frustrating poke-checker.

… superstar rover Mickey Mackay put in his usual fabulous effort, his hook-checks very much in evidence. Mackay was a marked man throughout the contest…

....

Seattle won the game 5-2, after Vancouver's top forward line combo -- minus MacKay, of course -- was "bungled miserably rush after rush."....The Wilson-MacKay incident had a profound impact on the course of the 1919 PCHA championships and Stanley Cup finals. The Mackay-less Vancouver squad was wiped out by the Metropolitans in a two-game, total-goals playoff series…

An offensive genius, MacKay was a clean and gentlemanly player and fine defensive forward, who was often asked to play rover so he could poke check to frustration.

A marvelous skater and goal scorer, he was blessed with instinct and timing on the ice that was matched by few contemporaries. A star rover and center in a number of leagues during his career, he was particularly successful in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, where his offensive heroics made him one of the Vancouver Millionaires' most popular stars.

He dazzled west coast audiences with his trademark blazing speed and unparalleled agility.

A marvelous skater and goal scorer, Duncan "Mickey" MacKay was blessed with instinct and timing on the ice that was matched by few contemporaries. A star rover and center in a number of leagues during his career, he was particularly successful in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, where his offensive heroics made him one of the Vancouver Millionaires' most popular stars.

Duncan "Mickey" MacKay dazzled west coast audiences with his trademark blazing speed and unparalleled agility. One of the greatest rovers/centers of his time, history hasn't immortalized "The Wee Scot" quite like it has the man he was most often compared to - Cyclone Taylor.

He was perhaps the greatest center we ever had on the coast; an equal favorite with Fred (Cyclone) Taylor in the mind of the masses. I always held to the theory that Taylor was the best all-rounder, but many differed.

MacKay was a great crowd pleaser. He was clean, splendidly courageous, a happy player with a stylish way of going. He was sensational in making quick breakaways. He was a sure shot alone with the goalie. He could handle his stick and was almost as good a hook-check as Frank Nighbor. MacKay was one of those who helped make pro hockey a great game. He was outstanding in every way.

Mickey MacKay: The speedy forward man of the Vancouver Millionaires, who was the pick of the coast aggregation in last night’s game against Toronto.

Vancouver had returned Didier Pitre to Canadiens but more than made up for his loss by the acquisition of Mickey MacKay from the Boundary league…

The first game of the season was the inaugural at Portland on December 8th, when MacKay was a sensation in scoring three goals for Vancouver and was the best man on the ice.

….

Mickey MacKay in his first year in year led the league in scoring with 34 goals in 17 games.

MacKay made an end-to-end rush through the entire Ottawa team to score…

Although the Mets had Taylor well covered, Mickey MacKay got loose for two goals that equalized those scored by Morris and Riley.

….

However, it wasn’t good enough to overcome the lead set up by the passing experts MacKay and Taylor

….

Toronto won the third game under eastern rules and although MacKay did not score for Vancouver he was easily the star. The eastern fans thought he was better than Taylor.

….

Taylor and MacKay were the stars but the crowd was particularly pleased with the polished stuckhandling and passing of MacKay.

….

They were all over Toronto in the first period and led on a goal by Taylor set up by MacKay. MacKay was again the outstanding star and his play was reported as sensational.

Mickey MacKay was the idol of the Vancouver fans and while he was on the ice the Millionaires.

In the second period Norman Fowler was sent off for fighting with Mickey MacKay…

Mickey MacKay played brilliant hockey all winter and vied with Foyston and Fredrickson for the scoring leadership.

Mickey MacKay was the scoring championship for the second year in succession.

Scoring Adjustments:
Consolidated Points – 3rd(1915), 5th(1923), 7th(1922), 10th(1919), 10th(1925), 12th(1918), 12th(1924), 13th(1927), 13th(1928), 16th(1917), 20th(1921)
Consolidated Goals – 3rd(1915), 4th(1924), 5th(1925), 7th(1923), 12th(1917), 12th(1928), 16th(1918), 18th(1919), 18th(1927)
Consolidated Assists – 4th(1919), 6th(1923), 8th(1927), 9th(1915), 9th(1918), 19th(1921)

 

[Dreakmur]

Marty Barry !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1936, 1937)
Retro Conn Smythe (1937)

Hart voting – 5th(1936)
All-Star voting – 1st(1936), 3rd(1935), 4th(1933), 4th(1938), 4th(1939), 5th(1934), 6th(1932)

Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 2nd(1936), 3rd(1937), 4th(1934), 4th(1939), 7th(1933), 8th(1935), 11th(1932), 13th(1931), 18th(1939)
Goals – 2nd(1934), 3rd(1933), 3rd(1936), 8th(1932), 8th(1935), 9th(1931), 10th(1937), 16th(1939)
Assists – 2nd(1937), 4th(1939), 7th(1936), 12th(1938), 14th(1932), 16th(1935)

Play-off Points – 1st(1930), 1st(1937), 5th(1936), 6th(1933)
Play-off Goals – 1st(1937), 2nd(1930), 4th(1939), 7th(1933), 10th(1936)
Play-off Assists – 1st(1937), 2nd(1930), 2nd(1936), 6th(1933)

Marty Barry was a big and strong centre who played eleven years in the N.H.L., during which time he was on three championship teams and two Stanley Cup Winners. A polished stickhandler, he also acted as a policeman and drew a fair number of penalties.

Despite his genial disposition, he was one of the league’s top “policemen.†As a big man, he was found to be remarkably handy with his dukes from early on, a reputation that followed him throughout his career.

A great skater and prolific playmaker, Barry played briefly with the New York Americans during the 1927-28 season but didn't stick in the NHL until he joined the Bruins in 1929. In Bostone became an solid second line center but by 1933 he developed into perhaps the Bruins top offensive threat. He led his Bruins in scoring for 3 consecutive seasons.

Marty Barry's reputation as a quiet strongman kept opponents at bay and his penalty minutes low.

All-Star center led the playoffs in points and assists (4-7-11) and his line with Herb Lewis and Hec Kilrea dominated almost every game. Barry had four assists in the opening 4-0 win over Canadiens, was a star scoring his teams only goal in game three, then came up with the winners in game three and five in the finals over NY Rangers. Starred in the final two games as Detroit were playing without Doug Young, Larry Aurie, Orville Roulston, Normie Smith and Ebbie Goodfellow missed game four against the Rangers.

Wherever he played, Marty Barry was a productive center whose work ethic was lauded by teammates and opponents alike. His stamina and dedication made him one of the most consistent and durable performers of his era. Between 1929 and 1939, he missed only two NHL regular season games.

There are numerous other remarkable players today. Marty Barry isn't far removed from the front rank. Indeed many competent critics rate the Detroit center smack up there.

Barry, big and strong and a hard worker, is as fine a playmaker as he is a defensive player. He has played left wing during the greater part of his career, but is the clever, snappy type of center who feeds his wings exceptionally well.

Like the great Black Knight of the Tiger infield, Marty Berry possesses that faculty of mechanical perfection. He sweeps the ice with such smooth, rhythmic strides his play seems effortless. He is called hockey's greatest passer.

Barry was not to be denied when he took the puck at his own blue-line midway in the third period after passes from Syd Howe and Johnny Sorrell. In a tremendous burst of speed, without faltering in his headlong rush, he split the defense between "Ott" Heller and Art Coulter. At the penalty circle he swerved to the left out of Coulter's reach and from an amazing sharp angle, rifled a swift drive into the far side of the net. Kerr never had a chance as the puck streaked past him to bite into the net just inside the post.

The goal prolonged the Stanley Cup finals to the fifth game to be played here Thursday night.

Barry's shot turned 13,515 customers who had settled back in anticipation of an overtime game, into a madly cheering throng tossing papers and programs to the ice.

Marty Barry, Bruin's Center, A Most Aggressive Player

The Boston Bruin's center, Marty Barry, is one of the most aggressive players in the National Hockey League. He has assisted his mates scores of times this season in penetrating opponents' defense zones and has scored several goals himself.

The stick wizardry of big Marty Barry, who scored two goals and an assist, and the phenomenal net-minding of Rookie Earl Robertson, who shut out the aggressive, dangerous New York Rangers for the second time, 3 to 0, stood out as the Detroit wound up a successful five game defense of the 44-year-old cup before 14,102 madly cheering spectators last night.

Marty Barry, Larry Aurie, and Herb Lewis give the Red Wings one of the best forward lines in the game. It is not only a high scoring array, but one of the finest defensive combinations.

Two newcomers to the Canadiens, Earl Robinson and Marty Barry, combined on the winning goal which came in the ninth minute of the final period. Breaking away from a Boston gang attack Barry shot a rink-wide pass to Robinson who banged in a hard shot at Frankie Brimsek and then drove home the rebound.

Giesebrecht took a beautiful double relay from Marty Barry and Carl Liscombe directly in front of the Toronto net and beat Goalie "Turk" Broda with a smash into the corner.

Marty Barry, subjected to more bumping than he had received in any game, showed he could take it.

The Bruins lost a goal in the second period when a shot by Marty Barry went through a hole in the net.

In the last minute, Aurie and Lewis got away clear, with Marty Barry. The big center gave Aurie a pass to the right of the net, and his cross-fire shot drove deeply into the twine.

Marty Barry continued to set the pace as the "bad boy" of the league, having spend 24 minutes in the penalty box.

Larry Aurie accounted for both Detroit scores, the first on a smart passing play with Marty Barry and the second with a long distance shot from almost the blueline that Roy Worters lost in a sea of legs.

Herbie Lewis and Marty Barry were responsible for the goal that gave Wings the decision. After four minutes of overtime they beat the Leaf defence, Lewis taking a smart pass from Barry for the goal.

Marty Barry is one of the hardest men on the blades to stop.

 

[Dreakmur]

Ernie Johnson!!!​

Awards and Acheivements:
4 x Stanley Cup Champion (1906, 1907, 1908, 1910)
PCHA Champion (1916)

2 x ECHA Second Team All-Star (1907, 1908)
8 x PCHA First Team All-Star (1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919)
PCHA Second Team All-Star (1921)

At the end of Trail of the Stanley Cup Vol. 1, Chalres Coleman selects his all-star team from 1893-1926. Ernie Johnson was one of the defenseman he selected.

2 x Retro Hart Trophies (1913, 1916)
5 x Retro Norris Trophies (1914, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1919)
2 x Retro Selke Trophy (1910, 1911)

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Defensive Defenseman†of 1910-19
Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Poke-Checker†of 1900-09 and 1910-19


Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 9th(1907), 10th(1906)
Goals – 9th(1907), 10th(1906)

Points among Defensemen – 2nd(1915), 2nd(1917), 3rd(1919), 4th(1912), 4th(1920), 5th(1913), 5th(1914)

Play-off Points - 1st(1908)

Play-off Points among Defensemen - 2nd(1916)

Johnson was a powerful skater and one of the fastest men of his day.

….

Regularly playing with broken jaws, fractured arms, separated shoulders, Johnson was a gamer in the truest sense.

Ernie Johnson was for many years a fixture on PCHA All-Star teams. Because of his uncanny poke- and sweep-checking skills, he was often moved to rover, where his two-way skills could be best utilized.

The most feared pokechecker on hockey's ponds...

A magnificent and extremely popular defenseman for over a decade... certainly not named Moose because of his delicate nature... big, fun-loving, good-natured...

His poke check made it virtually impossible for forwards to get around him with any success... He was a big man, and he played much longer than the average star player... Perhaps most amazing was that in 1900 he absorbed a 2300 volt shock and lost two fingers on his right hand.

And if you got past the forwards and were able to move into the Wanderers' end, Moose Johnson and his point partner **** ******* were right there, ready to play it however you wanted. Those two wouldn't back down from anyone!

….

The feature was the play of the two cover points, Taylor and Johnson, generally considered to be the two greatest men to have ever donned skates.

In his days with the Wanderers he was described as a six-footer with terrific speed, a shot like a bullet and indomitable courage. He played with a exceptionally long stick which with his long arms gave him a prodigious reach. Sport cartoonists of the day portrayed him as the payer with the India rubber arms. He developed a marvelous poke check and was a very difficult man to get around.

….

Although always recognized as an outstanding star of the P.C.H.A., at times he was unpopular for his rough play. At one time he was inclined to let his partying carry over into his play and had to be disciplined.

The Wanderers greatly strengthened their team by securing Lester Patrick, Ernie Johnson and Ernie Russell.

….

Wanderers opened their season by downing the Victorias 11-5. Ernie Johnson shone in this game on the forward line, in spite of scoring a goal against his own team.

….

Ernie Johnson has a broken nose…

Shortly after the faceoff, Ernie Johnson slipped through the Ottawa defence and fooled Lesueur…

Harry Smith was credited with cracking Ernie Johnson across the face with his stick, breaking Johnson’s nose.

….

The smooth skating Patrick and Johnson were all over the Senators.

The Kenora team roughed it up considerably and Johnson took a going over from Fred Whitcroft. However, Ernie was playing hockey and got a brace of goals in spite of the heavy going.

Ernie Johnson and Bruce Stuart were the pick of the winners.

Ernie Johnson was the star of the game, scoring two goals and giving a great display of his steady defence work.

….

Johnson was struck above the eye by a puck that inflicted a bad gash. The doctors were afraid the eye had been damaged and wanted Johnson to leave the game. However, Ernie insisted on returning to the game in which he scored two goals.

…another casualty was Ernie Johnson who required fourteen stitches in a gashed foot. However, he was only off the ice long enough to have the surgical repairs. Two weeks later Johnson received another bad ankle cut but didn’t miss a game.

This game featured a bulldozing stunt of Ernie Johnson. In a headlong rush he crashed into the boards and a whole section toppled over.

Ernie Johnson continued to ply a rough game and drew the ire of president Patrick for his work when the Rosebuds defeated the Mets in Seattle….

Lalonde’s flashy and aggressive pay particularly annoyed Ernie Johnson.

In the last period with the Canadiens leading 4-3, Johnson attacked Lalonde and a general battle ensued in which the police had to intervene.

Although Johnson was easily the outstanding star of the Portland team, he was making himself very unpopular by his continued rough play.

….

Portland had not left the cellar since the start of the season despite the brilliant play of their newcomer Dick Irvin and Ernie Johnson. The latter was captain of the team and recognized as the best defence man in the league. He was many times noted as the star of the game but just as often criticized for unnecessary rough play. In a game against Vancouver February 3rd, he specialized in knocking sticks out of the hands of players and it was alleged that he was probably drunk. A few days later he was reported as the star of the game, scoring two goals in sensational end-to-end rushes.

Ernie Johnson was again the standout star on defense in spite of a sprained shoulder. He was playing his rugged game tht drew many penalties. In a game against Seattle, Roberts charged him ad drew a penalty. Ernie automatically joined Roberts in the box and was more than surprised when referee Ion waved him back on the ice.

Although Victoria proved to be weak it was not due to the lack of effort on the part of Ernie (Moose) Johnson. He was playing better than ever and keeping out of the penalty box. He had developed a great poke check with an extra long stick and was used most of the season as rover.

In the opening game of the season at Vancouver, Ernie Johnson sustained a bad cut over the eye from an accidental high stick in the hands of Fred Harris. However, the veteran was back at his usual defence spot in the return mach at Victoria.

Ernie Johnson was still starring on defense using his great poke check to advantage. He was playing clean steady hockey in spite of being the target of many butt ends ad cross checks.

On March 4th at Victoria a special Moose Johnson night was held when the Aristocrats played Seattle. Various presentations were made to Johnson. Murray Patrick, son of Lester Patrick, presented a loving cup on behalf of the kids of Victoria. Referee Ion presented to Johnson, on behalf of the P.C.H.A., another cu inscribed:
“TO MOOSE JOHNSON AS A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION OF HIS BRILLIANT CAREER AS THE GREATEST DEFENCE PLAYER IN TE P.C.H.A. DURING THE PAST TEN YEARSâ€

This was the final year for Ernie Johnson who was now beginning to show signs of slowing up but his great spirit and checking power kept him in the lineup. The Loughlin brothers were playing defence for the Aristocrats and Johnson was the rover. In a game at Seattle January 4th, Johnson was badly cut over the eye ad had to be carried from the ice. Manager Patrick had to take away his skates to keep him from returning to the game. The great Moose scored his final goal against Seattle on January 13th. He played one more game on January 18th and then informed Patrick that he was through. He was not believed until he failed to turn up subsequent games.

Johnson was put out for some minutes with a crack on the arm, but aside from this, the two escaped injury. Both played excellent games for their respective teams, Johnson's work being particularly good. He went right into the thick of the fray and took all that was going.

Johnson worked like a trojan, and never let up in following back when Quebec had possession of the puck.

(a list of many pro players and who takes the cake in what categories)
Gordon Roberts has the honor of being the most matter of fact.
Fred Taylor is the most eccentric.
Ernie Johnson gets the diploma as the most sensational.
Arthur Ross is the most selfish player.
Newsy Lalonde is the wickedest of the lot.

Among the contracts which Patrick secured is one calling for the services of Ernie Johnson, the sensational cover-point player of the New Westminster champions...

Ernie Johnson, the Westminster cover-point is a great drawing card, and one of the Vancouver/Westminster games may be transferred to Victoria so that the fans there may have an opportunity to see "The Cyclone" and "The Bull Moose" up against one another.

Moose Johnson was a tower of strength for Portland on both the offense and the defense, and it was his work that broke up the concerted attacks of Les Canadiens not once, but almost every time that he dove after the puck.

In the second period Moose Johnson began to show signs of his famous speed, and with ****** as his chief assistant, he made many daring and spectacular raids on the Canadian cage. Although time after time, these two players passed the defensemen of Les Canadiens, their shots to the cage were blocked by Vezina.

Johnson was stopping most of the attacks of Les Canadiens before they got within hailing distance of the Portland goal...

Brilliant playing by ***** and Moose Johnson put them in the running... Their work was the best of the evening, each of them showing wonderfully clever stick work and passing.

 

[Dreakmur]

Paul Coffey !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
4 x Stanley Cup Champion (1984, 1985, 1987, 1991)

3 x Norris Trophy Winner (1985, 1986, 1995)

4 x First Team All-Star (1985, 1986, 1989, 1995)
4 x Second Team All-Star (1982, 1983, 1984, 1990)

Hart voting – 4th(1986), 4th(1995)
Norris voting – 1st(1985), 1st(1986), 1st(1995), 2nd(1984), 2nd(1989), 3rd(1982), 4th(1990), 5th(1983), 5th(1987), 5th(1991), 5th(1996), 7th(1988), 9th(1993)
All-Star voting – 1st(1985), 1st(1986), 1st(1995), 2nd(1989), 3rd(1982), 3rd(1984), 3rd(1990), 4th(1983), 5th(1991), 5th(1996), 7th(1987), 7th(1993), 7th(1994), 12th(1988), 14th(1992)

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Offensive Defenseman†of the 1980s
Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Skater†of the 1980s

Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 2nd(1984), 3rd(1986), 5th(1985), 6th(1989), 6th(1995), 9th(1990), 13th(1983), 13th(1991)
Goals – 7th(1986), 19th(1984)
Assists – 2nd(1984), 2nd(1985), 2nd(1995), 3rd(1986), 4th(1983), 4th(1989), 5th(1990), 8th(1991), 10th(1993), 13th(1994), 14th(1992), 15th(1982), 17th(1996)

Points among Defensemen – 1st(1982), 1st(1983), 1st(1984), 1st(1985), 1st(1986), 1st(1989), 1st(1990), 1st(1993), 1st(1995), 3rd(1991), 3rd(1996), 5th(1987), 5th(1988), 6th(1992), 6th(1994)

Play-off Points – 2nd(1985), 4th(1984), 5th(1995)
Play-off Goals – 3rd(1985), 6th(1984)
Play-off Assists – 2nd(1985), 3rd(1984), 5th(1989), 6th(1995)

Play-off Points among Defensemen – 1st(1984), 1st(1985), 1st(1995), 3rd(1989), 4th(1983), 4th(1996), 5th(1991), 5th(1993), 6th(1987), 7th(1986)

Certainly, Coffey could skate, pass, and shoot, but many saw him as little more than a center playing the blue-line. They thought of him as a defensive liability, a hockey player out for the goals and glory.

….

He proved himself defensively, playing a magnificent two-way game in the 1987 Canada Cup tournament.

Smooth-skating Paul Coffey embodied everything an offensive defenseman could be -- lightning fast, a skilled playmaker, a booming shot and savvy, yet still able to defend his team's zone employing blinding speed.

….

… the Oilers were developing into a highly skilled, offensively explosive club and Coffey's skill set meshed perfectly as the quarterback of the dynamic young team.

The first thing everyone thinks about when the name Paul Coffey is mentioned is his skating ability. Wearing skates several sizes too small, this guy was simply amazing. In a couple of strides he was able to glide through the neutral and offensive zones faster than those dogged checkers chasing him. He was every bit as silky smooth as he was lightning quick.

He moves like a marble on a hardwood floor.

Coffey was one of the most unique defensemen to ever play in the league. He was often referred to as a 'rover.' The biggest thing about Coffey was his tremendous speed. If he couldn't skate like he did, he would not have been able to move up and play like he did. He was like a fourth forward on most attacks.

Paul Coffey was a winner. Paul had some fire. He wasn’t physical, but he had fire, and he wanted to win. He was a real winner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtlgvegdYOo

 

[Dreakmur]

Brian Leetch !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (1994)
World Cup Gold Medalist (1996)
Olympic Silver Medalist (2002)

Conn Smythe Winner (1994)

2 x Norris Trophy Winner (1992, 1997)

2 x First Team All-Star (1992, 1997)
3 x Second Team All-Star (1991, 1994, 1996)

Olympic All-Star (2002)

Hart voting – 9th(1992)
Norris voting – 1st(1992), 1st(1997), 3rd(1996), 4th(1991), 5th(1994), 5th(1995), 5th(2001), 8th(1999), 9th(2002), 11th(1989), 11th(2004)
All-Star voting – 1st(1992), 1st(1997), 3rd(1996), 4th(1991), 4th(1994), 5th(2001), 7th(1989), 7th(2002), 8th(1995), 8th(1999), 11th(2004)

6 x New York Ranger Team MVP (1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003)

Ranked #71 on The Hockey News' 100 Greatest NHL Players
Ranked the Best New York Ranger of all time in 100 Ranger Greats

Ultimate Hockey's "Best Offensive Defenseman" of the 1990s

Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 9th(1992), 19th(1991)
Assists – 3rd(1992), 6th(1991), 7th(1996), 8th(2001), 9th(1997), 15th(1995), 15th(2002)

Points among Defensemen – 1st(1992), 1st(1996), 1st(1997), 1st(2001), 3rd(1995), 4th(1991), 4th(1994), 4th(2002), 5th(1989), 5th(1999), 7th(2004), 8th(1998), 12th(1990)

Play-off Points – 1st(1994)
Play-off Goals – 4th(1994)
Play-off Assists – 1st(1994), 7th(1992), 10th(2004)

Play-off Points among Defensemen – 1st(1994), 3rd(1992), 4th(1995), 4th(2004), 5th(1997)

Canada Cup Points - 3rd(1996)

Leetch could skate circles around most of his opponents, set up the brilliant play, and put the puck in the net.

The key to Leetch's game was always his mobility and vision. He was a terrific skater and stickhandler. Everyone marveled at how he could sidestep the league's best forecheckers and make a great breakout pass, often creating something out of nothing. He was a good rusher too, and manned a power play point as good as anyone. Defensively he overcame relatively small size with impeccable timing and positioning. He was never adverse to the physical game either. He truly was one of the all time great defensemen.

During 1,205 regular season NHL games, Leetch scored 247 goals, earned 781 assists and totaled 1,028 points. In 95 playoff contests, he added 28 goals and 69 assists for 97 points.
Leetch attained numerous achievements during his playing career. He was the Calder Trophy winner in 1989, was a two-time Norris Trophy winner, was selected as the Conn Smythe Trophy recipient in 1994, was named to the First All-Star Time twice (1992 and 1997) and to the Second All-Star Team on three occasions (1991, 1994 and 1996). To cap it all of, Brian won the Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1994.
Internationally, Leetch won a silver medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and was named to the Olympic Tournament A;ll-Star Team that year. As captain of Team USA, Leetch and his teammates were victorious at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

Brian Leetch was the New York Rangers’ best defenseman for well over a decade.

The two-time Norris Trophy winner was the linchpin of the Blueshirt lineup following his arrival after the 1988 Olympics.

Smooth, clean, and calm in both zones, Leetch metamorphosed into a perennial All-Star, frequently appearing at the top of the scoring races among defensemen along with contemporaries Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey, and Larry Murphy.

His skating is effortless, his shot deadly accurate, and his passes practically perfect.

In some ways, Brian is reminiscent of Doug Harvey. And there have been few better puck-handling defenseman in the 1950s than Doug.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Qd5B8MHfU&feature=topics

 

[Dreakmur]

Peter Stastny !!!​

In many sports, emotions can hurt you, but in hockey, emotions actually help you.

Awards and Achievemets:
Canada Cup Gold Medalist (1984)
2 x World Championship Gold Medalist (1976, 1977)

Hart voting – 4th(1982), 7th(1983), 7th(1985), 11th(1984)
All-Star voting – 3rd(1982), 3rd(1983), 3rd(1985), 4th(1984), 5th(1986), 6th(1981)

Golden Hockey Stick Winner (1980)
IIHF All-Star (1994)

Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 2nd(1983), 3rd(1982), 4th(1984), 4th(1988), 6th(1981), 6th(1986), 13th(1985)
Goals – 11th(1982), 11th(1983), 11th(1984), 13th(1988), 18th(1986), 20th(1981)
Assists – 2nd(1982), 3rd(1983), 4th(1984), 4th(1986), 6th(1981), 6th(1985), 9th(1988), 14th(1987)

IIHF Points – 2nd(1980), 2nd(1994), 7th(1978), 8th(1976)
IIHF Goals – 2nd(1980), 3rd(1994), 4th(1976)
IIHF Assists – 2nd(1980), 3rd(1976), 4th(1978), 6th(1994)

Czech League Scoring - 3rd(1979), 6th(1980), 7th(1978)


Play-off Points – 5th(1982), 7th(1985)
Play-off Goals – 10th(1982)
Play-off Assists – 4th(1985), 6th(1982)

Play-off Points per Game – 2nd(1981), 5th(1991), 6th(1982), 8th(1987), 9th(1984), 10th(1987)
Play-off Assists per Game – 1st(1981), 3rd(1991), 5th(1985), 9th(1984)

If Stastny could be compared in style to any other NHL superstar, it would be Bryan Trottier. Each has been creative with the puck, industrious to a fault, and able to score goals as well.

Few were surprised when the big, muscular Slovak ran over many of his North American counterparts.

….

He could expertly shoot, skate, check, and pass the puck.

….

He was approaching his mid-30s, but he did himself proud in New Jersey in a two-way role. What he had lost in speed and scoring touch he more than made up for in defensive ability.

After Wayne Gretzky, Peter Stastny was the most prolific scorer in the NHL in the 1980s…

Like his father, Peter, he owns tremendous playmaking acumen and two-way skills

He had such a presence on the ice. What he could do offensively, defensively, physical game, speed game – he could play any kind of game. So, there was no question that from then on we had a good team.

…

The thing I saw first was how powerful he was with the puck. What he could do with it – the protection and the pass and all that but, it was really the soft hands, the big guy, he had everything. He could bring the one-on-one, and the kind of pass he could make was unbelievable.

Peter Stastny was the toughest guy I ever played against. He was big, he was strong, he was fearless, extraordinarily talented, and had a will to win that was as good as any player I ever played against.

Peter was another very intense hockey player. He always looked like he had a mission when he was on the ice, and it was to be the best, and to win, and you always respected Peter for the way he played. He was a tough player – he didn’t back down from anything, ad he was a great centerman too.

He took a lot of abuse. He took it all, and he took it like a man – he took it like a pro. He came in, never missed a beat. He came in, played great hockey. He was a dominating player.

The thing about Peter Stastny that I think needs to get more focus is the fact that he made bad team a real competitive team in a hurry in Quebec, and he did it against pretty difficult odds

…

Peter Stastny’s puck protection skills, in his era, were probably the best in the league in terms being able to go into the corner get the puck, drive to the net, not have the puck stripped off of his stick, create chances in tight because of his strength. He was very quick side to side. He was very tough to contain.

When European hockey first became part of the National Hockey League, there was always a question with people – how much competitive juices will these people have? How long will it be before they just wear down? How long before you’d be able to just step on them and continue on your way to accomplishing what you wanted? Stastny was the opposite. This guy had emotion on the ice that was raw.

He could do everything. He was strong, smart, he could shoot.

He was the big, big talent on that team. He was the guy who took the key face-offs. He was the guy who scored the big goals. He was the guy that you couldn’t leave loose for a minute because he was the heart and soul of that team.

Peter Stastny was an extremely dangerous player, with or without the puck.

Playing on a team that emphasizes team defense, Stastny has arguably been the most effective two-way forward for the Devils (10-6-0), who were third in the league on defense going into tonight's games.

What if Wayne and Mario never existed?
Hart voting – 3rd(1982), 5th(1985), 6th(1983), 10th(1984)
All-Star voting – 1st(1985), 2nd(1982), 2nd(1983), 3rd(1984), 3rd(1986), 5th(1981)

Points – 1st(1983), 2nd(1982), 2nd(1984), 2nd(1986), 3rd(1988), 5th(1981), 12th(1985)
Goals – 9th(1982), 9th(1983), 9th(1984), 12th(1988), 16th(1986), 19th(1981)
Assists – 1st(1982), 1st(1986), 2nd(1983), 3rd(1984), 5th(1981), 5th(1985), 6th(1988), 12th(1987)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIF1y9QeRHo

 

[Dreakmur]

Patrick Roy !!!​

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.

Awards and Achievements:
4 x Stanley Cup Champion (1986, 1993, 1996, 2001)

3 x Conn Smythe Winner (1986, 1993, 2001)
3 x Vezina Winner (1989, 1990, 1992)
5 x Jennings Winner (1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 2002)

4 x First Team All-Star (1989, 1990, 1992, 2002)
2 x Second Team All-Star (1988, 1991)

Hart voting – 2nd(1992), 3rd(2002), 4th(1989), 5th(1990), 5th(1994), 8th(1997), 12th(2003)
Vezina voting – 1st(1989), 1st(1990), 1st(1992), 2nd(1991), 2nd(2002), 3rd(1994), 3rd(1997), 4th(2003), 5th(1998), 5th(2001), 6th(2000), 8th(1988), 10th(1987)
All-Star voting – 1st(1989), 1st(1990), 1st(1992), 1st(2002), 2nd(1988), 2nd(1991), 3rd(1994), 3rd(1997), 4th(1987), 4th(2001), 6th(2003), 7th(1993), 8th(1999)

Ranked #22 on The Hockey News’ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players
Ranked #5 on The Hockey News’ Top 60 since 1967 – The Best Players of the Post Expansion Era

Statistical Accomplishments:
Save Percentage – 1st(1988), 1st(1989), 1st(1990), 1st(1992), 2nd(1991), 2nd(2002), 3rd(1993), 4th(1997), 5th(1987), 6th(2003), 7th(1998), 8th(1993), 8th(1999), 10th(1996), 10th(2000)

Play-off Save Percentage – 1st(1989), 1st(1997), 1st(2001), 2nd(1986), 2nd(1993), 2nd(1994), 3rd(1988), 4th(1990), 4th(2000), 6th(1991), 6th(1992), 6th(1996), 8th(1999), 9th(1998), 10th(2002), 10th(2003)

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.

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

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.

As long as the game of hockey exists, there will be discussions revolving around the greats of the game — who was the best player, who had the hardest shot, who was the greatest goaltender? And inevitably, for as long as the game is played, one name will come up again and again in discussions of the greatest netminders of all time. That name — Patrick Roy.

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.

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 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.

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.

The Sporting News: 1994-95 Hockey Yearbook]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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP2oDdyPQmI

 

[Dreakmur]

Doug Gilmour !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (1989)

Selke Winner (1993)

Hart voting – 2nd(1993), 4th(1987), 4th(1994)
Selke voting – 1st(1993), 2nd(1994), 5th(1992), 6th(1987), 6th(1989), 9th(1990), 12th(1985), 13th(1991), 14th(1997)
All-Star voting – 3rd(1993), 3rd(1994), 5th(1987)

Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 4th(1993), 5th(1987), 7th(1993), 17th(1997), 17th(2000), 19th(1992)
Goals – 10th(1987)
Assists – 2nd(1993), 2nd(1993), 5th(1987), 6th(1997), 8th(1990), 11th(1991), 12th(1989), 12th(1992), 13th(2000)

Play-off Points – 1st(1986), 2nd(1993), 4th(1994), 5th(1989)
Play-off Goals – 5th(1986), 5th(1989), 5th(1993)
Play-off Assists – 1st(1993), 2nd(1994), 5th(1986), 7th(1989), 8th(1988)

His game was all about heart and determination and he would not hesitate to carve his initials into an opponent. His use of the stick kept other players wary and he would go a little “crazy†every now and then when the team needed a spark. He was too small to be a fighter but he would always defend a teammate, taking on the much larger Brett Lindros one night after Lindros had crushed Todd Gill into the boards. Gilmour was a gifted play-maker with a deft passing touch and he scored just enough goals to be a threat. Give him some wingers to work with – as the Leafs did with Glenn Anderson, Wendel Clark, Nik Borschevsky, and Dave Andreychuk – and Gilmour could make anyone with a little talent look like a star. Unlike many attackers, he paid attention to defence, and he was the best two-way players on the team.

….

He was an incredible warrior and his face often showed the tremendous beating he was taking to get the Leafs past Detroit and St. Louis and almost Los Angeles.

Although Gilmour’s stay in Toronto – including one final game with the Leafs at Calgary in March 2003 when a knee injury ended his career – spanned 393 games in the regular season and 52 playoff matches, his fingerprints are all over the club’s record books. He scored 131 goals and 321 assists for 452 points to average 1.15 points-per-game during the regular season play and added 17 goals and 60 assists for the 77 points to average 1.48 points-per-game in the play-offs. Gilmour’s 127 points in 1992-93 and 11 points in 1993-94 are first and third, respectively, on the Leafs all-time list. His 95 assists in 1992-93 and 84 assists in 1993-94 are first and second in Leafs annals. Number 93’s playoff totals in assists and points both zoomed to number one on the club; his 25 assists in 1993 and 22 assists in ’94 are one-two by a Leaf in the postseason. His six assists during a 6-1 win over Minnesota on February 13, 1993, equaled the Leafs record that defenceman Babe Pratt had set on January 8, 1944.

….

Gilmour emerged as the central force in restoring pride in the organization. While he always credited the march of the Leafs to the final four in 1993 and ’94 as a total team achievement, there’s no question those developments would never have happened without Gilmour. At 5’9†and 177 pounds soaking wet, Gilmour repeatedly sparked the Leafs and proved that, despite the NHL’s swing to behemoths, the game still had room for relentless little guys.

Gilmour is a special player, a player who can rally his teammates. He’s not the smooth, speedy type of player, but he’s a relentless attacker, both offensively and defensively. If you need a goal, he sets one up. If you need an emotional lift, he delivers a big hit. Either way, you’re glad Killer is on your side.

Sparked by the dynamic Doug Gilmour, the Leafs were looking to pull off the upset of the year.

Dougie plays like he owes us.

Gilmour had a great game. He broke the game wide open for them. He’s so dedicated. That kind of player makes it so much easier for a coach. I wish our young players could watch him and understand better what it takes.

Roy is a cocky, arrogant athlete who somehow manages not to offend either his friends of his foes. He’s the Mohammad Ali of hockey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxuP8OS_IGE

 

[Dreakmur]

Jari Kurri !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
5 x Stanley Cup Champion (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990)

IIHF All-Star (1991)

#50 The Hochek News' top 100 Greatest Players of All Time


Selke voting – 2nd(1983), 3rd(1984), 4th(1985), 5th(1986), 10th(1987), 10th(1989)
All-Star voting – 1st(1985), 1st(1987), 2nd(1984), 2nd(1986), 2nd(1989), 5th(1983), 6th(1988), 8th(1990)

Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 2nd(1985), 2nd(1987), 4th(1986), 7th(1984), 8th(1989), 9th(1983), 13th(1988), 19th(1990)
Goals – 1st(1986), 2nd(1985), 3rd(1987), 5th(1984), 14th(1989), 15th(1983), 17th(1988)
Assists – 9th(1985), 9th(1986), 10th(1983), 13th(1984), 13th(1987), 15th(1989), 17th(1990)

Play-off Points – 2nd(1984), 3rd(1985), 3rd(1989), 4th(1990), 6th(1983), 6th(1987)
Play-off Goals – 1st(1984), 1st(1985), 1st(1987), 1st(1989), 7th(1990), 8th(1993), 9th(1983)
Play-off Assists – 3rd(1984), 4th(1987), 4th(1990), 5th(1983), 8th(1986), 10th(1985)

Kurri could do it all. He had excellent speed, enough natural instincts to ultimately earn a regular spot on Gretzky’s right flank, a generous pinch of defensive awareness, and a shot rivaling that of Mike Bossy.

Kurri had a few unique attributes that made the most of their collective talents. Gretzky was the greatest passer in NHL history, but Kurri was one of the best ever at shooting off the pass without stopping the puck (the one-timer).

Even his excellent defensive skills could be an offensive plus, since the Oilers employed Kurri and Gretzky on the penalty kill, and they set new records for shorthanded goals.

Kurri's defensive skills were often overshadowed by his marvelous offensive numbers.

One of the best defensive forwards of the era, the right-hand man was the perfect compliment to the Great One. Over an 8 year period, the two broke record upon record.

He would also turn out to be a winger who could actually make Gretzky even better. His name was Jari Kurri.

Jari Kurri was one of the primary offensive weapons of the great Edmonton Oilers teams of the 1980s. He scored 601 goals during his career and played on five Stanley Cup championship teams. A clutch performer, four times Kurri led all scorers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Playing the majority of his career both with Wayne Gretzky and in Gretzky's shadow as his so called, "Right-hand Man," Jari Pekka Kurri was considered by many to be perhaps the best defensive forward in the NHL. His two-way abilities were the perfect complement for his hard, accurate shooting and scoring proficiency.

An excellent skater blessed with speed and agility, Kurri always knew how to dart into openings for Gretzky's deft passes. He rarely had the puck long if he was in scoring position. His release was quick but deadly accurate.

….

Kurri was also a strong defensive presence which allowed Gretzky to concentrate on offense. He was never considered a physical player, but was unafraid of the corners and sacrificed his body to make a play

Jari had a great shot and he had a great ability to find holes and to find openings out on the ice. Playing with a guy like Gretzky for a good part of his career where Wayne could get him the puck and there weren't too many guys who were ever better at finding those holes on the ice than Jari was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYTyjKv7n5o

 

[Dreakmur]

Mike Grant !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Hockey Hall of Fame (1950)

5 x Stanley Cup Champion (1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899)
Team Captain from 1896 to 1900

2 x Retro Hart Winner (1896, 1898)
5 x Retro Norris Winner (1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899)

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Skater†of pre-1900
Ultimate Hockey’s “Most Consistent Player†of pre-1900

Mike Grant was one of hockey’s first celebrities. From what is known, he literally packed arenas across eastern Canada from the mid 1890s onward. He was the first player about whom newspapermen consistently wrote and, although, Jack Cameron was probably the first of the pre-modern rushers, Grant was quite certainly the finsest.

….

As a player, Grant did much to popularize the rush. His skating ability, both in terms of flat-out speed and overall power, was in a class of its own.

The Montreal team was composed – like others competing at the highest levels in Canada – of the sons of the upper classes, and Grant wasn’t one of them. The early game was the province of amateur athletic clubs and sporting associations, high above the lower-class rabble knocking each other around on frozen ponds. In the end, Mike Grant’s fine, clean defensive play at cover-point, and his teammates’ high regard, earned him the captaincy of the club.

….

Grant was also one of hockey’s pioneer rushing defensemen, defying the convention of the time, where defensive players would often lift the puck high in the air with a powerful flick of the wrists, then give chase. Grant would take the puck behind his net then gather speed as he shouldered his way down the ice, pulling adrenaline-pumped spectators to their feet along with him.

The Vics were captained by Mike Grant, a speed skating and lacrosse champion who was one of hockey’s first rushing defensemen. He was further distinguished by being the son of a blacksmith, defying the class barrier of organized hockey in the late-nineteenth century Montreal.

The eastern Vics would win again in 1897 and then in 1898, marking them as the first Stanley Cup dynasty. In cover-point Mike Grant, a former youth speed-skating star, the Vics were fortunate enough to have on their roster the Bobby Orr of his time. By all reports, Grant was a solid defender and mesmerized when carrying the puck, with an unparalleled combination of speed and savvy.

In 1894, Bob McDougall and Gordon Lewis were added to the roster, as was defender extraordinaire Mike Grant.

Although it was not easy to replace __________ on the blue-line, Mike Grant stood tall. An outstanding skater who at age 11 had won speed skating titles in three different age groups, he subbed for an injured __________ in a mid-January match against the MAAA. He made his first start on February 10 against the MAAA, an assignment in which he did anything but disappoint. One newspaper reporter spoke of a defender "impossible to get by." In his five starts in 1894, the Victorias went 4-1, allowing but eight goals. And four of these goals came in a February 24 loss to Quebec, a game in which Grant started at forward rather than at his usual cover-point position.

….

The Victorias' combination play, or run-and-gun, came together in 1894. Solid forward play combined with Grant's consistent brilliance to provide a two-way punch.

He took his skating prowess to the hockey rink and was to become known as one of the original rushing defencemen in the sport.

….

It was said of Grant that he "was a durable competitor and a wonderful all-around hockeyistâ€.

Mike Grant was the premier defensive specialist of 1890s ice hockey, playing the ancient position of cover-point primarily for the Montreal Victorias of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada and the Canadian Amateur Hockey League.

….

He was a tremendous leader of men, played a fine brand of defensive hockey, was most likely the quickest skater in the game, and he was the finest puck-rusher of early hockey by practically all accounts. In fact, it may have been Grant who influenced later puck-rushers like Art Ross and Lester Patrick to master this art. It is safe to assume that if a Norris Trophy was awarded back in Grant's era he would have earned perhaps four or five as he was the premier dominant defensive player of his time. Similarly, it could be easily argued that Grant would have won at least one Hart Trophy and maybe even a Conn Smythe Trophy had there been such awards.

….

In his third season with the Victorias, Grant captained his team to the first of four consecutive Stanley Cup championships.

Grant was perhaps the first defenseman that used his offensive prowess to help his team. The son of a Montreal blacksmith, he won three speed skating titles at the age of eleven. Utilizing this speed, Grant was known as one of hockey's first rushing defencemen.

In the early day of hockey, defence players usually remained in their own end and if they secured the puck, promptly hoisted it to the other end of the rink. The idea or rushing with the puck is usually credited to Lester Patrick or Art Ross. However, long before their entry into hockey, Mike Grant featured with end-to-end rushes as early as 1895.

The big man teamed with Harold Henderson, Hartland McDougall or Graham Drinkwater was the main stumbling block to the opposition when the Victorias won the Stanley Cup four years in succession.

Another great defence star of this era was Mike Grant. He made his bow with the Victorias on February 10th against Montreal. This gentleman, sporting a generous moustache, was very prominent with his frequent rushes ad boisterous play.

Capt. Mike Grant was a feature with his end-to-end rushes from defence, but found Merritt impossible to beat in the Winnipeg goal.

The game at Ottawa between the same teams was a hotly contested one with Mike Grant standing out with his end-to-end rushes, on one of which he scored.

Grant's time with the Victorias, out of 5 teams:

1893 (year before he joined): 20 GF (5th), 35 GA (4th)
1894: 36 GF (1st), 20 GA (3rd)
1895: 35 GF (1st), 20 GA (1st)
1896: 41 GF (1st), 24 GA (3rd)
1897: 48 GF (1st), 26 GA (T-2nd)
1898: 53 GF (1st), 33 GA (2nd)
1899: 44 GF (1st), 23 GA (2nd)
1900: 44 GF (2nd), 55 GA (5th) - Grant only played 2 games this season, and clearly the team was hurting for it defensively!
1901: 45 GF (1st), 32 GA (3rd) - Grant played for the Shamrocks this season (30 GF (3rd), 25 GA (2nd)), but as evidenced by the difference in GA numbers, he was still a factor defensively, even though he was slowing down
1902: 36 GF (2nd), 25 GA (3rd) - Victorias numbers, he played 7 games for them this season, but again, he was pretty much done as a player, and the Victorias seemed to feel it in the stats!

Since we have specific information on 1894, I'd like to touch on it in more detail. In total, the Victorias allowed 20 goals that season. Of the 4 Grant played cover-point, only 4 of those 20 goals were allowed. He played one more game that season as a forward, where Victoria allowed 4 goals. Looking at it another way, Grant played 50% of the Victorias' games that season at cover-point, and in those games, only 20% of the total goals were allowed. In the other 50% of the games, of which he played 1 as a forward, the other 80% of the goals were scored. Looking at it in yet another way, of the games Grant played in as cover-point, the team allowed 1 goal per game. In every other game, the team allowed 4 goals per game. Clearly he was a defensive stalwart!

He did not play past 1902. As we can see from these stats, he was clearly a factor for his teams during his prime. He took them from 5th and 4th to 1st and 3rd in GF and GA immediately, and from then on, they never placed lower than 1st for scoring for the next 5 seasons, and never worse than 3rd (only twice) in GA during that same stretch. The numbers certainly support the anecdotes in this case.

To put it in a more broad perspective, of the 6 seasons we can say the team, and likely Grant starred in (1894-1899), the Victorias scored 257 goals. The next best team, Montreal, scored 177 goals. That is 80 goals fewer over that 6 year stretch! On the defensive side of the puck, during that stretch, the Victorias allowed 146 goals, tying Montreal for the fewest goals allowed. Ottawa allowed 161 for 3rd place. That is 15 goals fewer than the next most stingiest team. Grant clearly had a significant impact on both goals for AND against during his tenure on the Victorias!

 

[Dreakmur]

Bill White !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Summit Series Winner

3 x First Team All-Star (1972, 1973, 1974)

Hart voting – 10th(1968)
Norris voting – 3rd(1972), 3rd(1973), 3rd(1974), 7th(1968), 7th(1971), 9th(1969)
All-Star voting – 3rd(1972), 3rd(1974), 4th(1973), 6th(1971), 7th(1969), 7th(1975), 9th(1968)

NHL Coaches’ Poll:
Best Defensive Defenseman – 1st in 1974
Best Defensive Defenseman – 2nd in 1976

NHL Correspondents Poll:
Best Defensive Defenseman – 1st in 1975

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Defensive Defenseman†of the 1970s


Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 4th(1968), 5th(1973), 10th(1969), 12th(1974)

Play-off Points – 4th(1973), 5th(1968), 5th(1969), 6th(1968), 6th(1971)

An editorial in The Hockey News said, "He isn't a heavy hitter, but he locks up attackers in his long arms, reaches out and lifts the puck from them and clears it by skating out with strong, sure strokes or by laying a perfect pass on a teammate's stick"... After the Summit Series, one of the Soviet coaches praised the effort of "that bald fellow" on defense. White's strong play didn't go undetected, as he won honours as Canada's co-player of the game for Canada following the seventh game... After Stapleton left, he often teamed effectively with Dick Redmond, who said playing with White was "like going to school for defensemen".

A superlative defenseman...not flashy but consistently efficient. He fit the Blackhawks' scheme like a glove, and his steadying influence was the perfect match for the team's exuberant spirit... Often described as the league's best defenseman during his career.

Bill White was often described as the league's best defensive defenseman during his career, possessing defensive skills that were nearly flawless. While on the ice, he emphasized keeping things in order in the Hawks end and feeding accurate passes to the forwards... The fact that he wasn't a great goal-scoring defenseman wasn't because he didn't have the ability to be one. Rather, it was because of the strict defensive system that the coach emphasized.

Living with Shore would either teach a player one hell of a lot about hockey, or turn him into a basket case. In White's case, he became a damn good defenseman. He's long and tall and does his job without fanfare. He can lug the puck out with great speed and elan, but his forte is behind the blue line.

Our own Billy White, for example, masters the corners by stealing the puck right off an opponent's stick.... an easygoing, gentle sort of guy who psyches himself up for games just like a rookie. Bill can suddenly turn not so gentle if he's pushed.

He notched a career-high 11 goals as a rookie and always moved the puck well to his forwards, but White's primary contribution was on defense.

On the ice he looked much taller than he actually was...

In action, White was a mixed bag of contradictions. His compact skating style was a cross between stride and glide that was fluid but never appeared to move his large frame quickly enough, although he was always there, in the road, blocking the way. He used his skates well, smothering loose pucks in the corner, and had unusually large, beefy hands at the end of a reach bordering on illegal. He was inordinately strong and was workmanlike in the corners and in front of the net, where he could wrestle with the biggest centres or drape himself all over the small ones like a construction scaffold. He was a deft passer and had no problem jumping into the rush. At his best weight, 200 pounds, he was spread sparsely over a lean frame, but he packed a punishing check when the opportunity merited, and with his reach, size, and skating style, he seemed to be in several places at once. Understandably he was a coach's dream, and in the realm of defensemen he was simply an outstanding example of how to play the game most efficiently and effectively.

Bill White was the same way, no big advance notices, just a solid, stand up defenseman who played as well at his position as anyone we had.

Inserted into the lineup for game 2, Stapleton and White were so effective that they played the rest of the series... Both Savard and White are tall and have long arms; reach will make a difference in checking the Soviet forwards, who often move too fast, or pass too elusively, to bodycheck... (in the closing seconds of game 7) Bill White and Pat Stapleton threw their bodies all over the ice to block Soviet shots in the closing seconds.

Bill White, tall, lean, and cobra-bent, was already in 1972 a veteran... Eschewing the power game, he played with great finesse, using his long arms and stick to break up plays, sending his teammates into open ice with clever, penetrating passes.

...as opposed to a ******* or White, who could protect their goalies by poking the puck away from opponents, and knew how to maneuver them into the boards...

A relatively late bloomer, Bill White developed into one of the game's steadiest defensemen. Although he didn't play in the NHL until he was 28 years old, he enjoyed an exemplary 11-year career. While playing with the Chicago Black Hawks, he formed one of the top blue line tandems in the league with Pat Stapleton. He was an effective positional rearguard who didn't have to play rough to achieve his goals.

….

It was in the Windy City with defense partner Pat Stapleton, that White found his niche as a pro. Playing superb defense and making smart offensive plays when called upon, White helped the Black Hawks reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1971 and 1973 and was placed on the NHL Second All-Star Team for three straight years from 1972 to 1974.

A high point in his career came when he played seven of the eight games for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series versus the USSR. White's only goal of the series was a crucial one that tied the score 3-3 in the second period of the eighth and deciding match. It was his textbook defense and ability to thwart opposition attacks without ending up in the penalty box that made White such an important member of the blue line corps.

White remained a pillar on the Chicago defense after his long-time partner Stapleton joined the WHA in 1973…

Bill White's road to stardom was long, although it wasn't until after the famous Summit Series in 1972 against the Russians that he got the recognition among the fans that he deserved as arguably the league's best defensive defenseman.

White was selected by Canada's coach to bolster the defense and Bill proved to be the calm and collected defenseman needed in such a series. Bill White was an outstanding defenseman with Team Canada 1972, contributing 1 goal and 1 assist in seven games played. Not exactly a flashy player, White's inclusion on the team may have surprised casual hockey fans, but certainly not his teammates.

….

Who was put out on the ice to help kill off the final seconds? Bill White. In fact it was White who relieved the pressure the Soviets were applying late in the game when he flipped the puck high down the ice. White's clearing attempt was perfect, as it was not far enough for icing. That effectively killed off the rest of the game.

The Russians constantly praised White for his steady and classy play.

….

White made his NHL debut for Los Angeles as a 28-year old. He played a steady, cautious game with few errors, relying on his lengthy reach and surprisingly mobile skating ability. He was the kind of defensemen most fans and media won't notice during a game, but his coach and teammates appreciate.

Was always rated one of the best defensemen in the minor leagues... one of the tallest defensemen in the league and one of the best puckhandlers too...

White's defensive mistakes over a season can be counted on the fingers of Goal-tender Tony Esposito's left hand.

He's not spectacular, but he does a solid, workman-like job. He doesn't make too many mistakes. He's not going to dazzle anyone, but he's just the steady, dependable sort of defenseman we need.

….

He's darn hard to get around because of his height and reach. He is a good, sound player who takes his man into the boards but doesn't get you into trouble with stupid penalties.

We tried to get him out of Springfield several times.

Most times top-10 in All-Star voting, defensemen, 1968-1975:

Bobby Orr | 8
Bill White | 7
Brad Park | 6
J.C. Tremblay | 4
Jim Neilson | 4
Pat Stapleton | 3
Guy Lapointe | 3
Jacques Laperriere | 3
(undrafted) | 3
(undrafted) | 3
Ted Green | 2
Serge Savard | 2
Tim Horton | 2
Ted Harris | 2
Denis Potvin | 2
Borje Salming | 2
(5 undrafted) | 2

Highest career adjusted +/- per game, defensemen, 1968-2009

ORR, BOBBY | 0.88
HOWE, MARK | 0.40
BOURQUE, RAY | 0.35
SALMING, BORJE | 0.31
ROBINSON, LARRY | 0.26
MacINNIS, AL | 0.24
(undrafted) | 0.23
(undrafted) | 0.23
POTVIN, DENIS | 0.23
RAFALSKI, BRIAN | 0.23
(undrafted) | 0.21
(undrafted) | 0.21
WHITE, BILL | 0.20
PARK, BRAD | 0.20
PRONGER, CHRIS | 0.20
LIDSTROM, NICKLAS | 0.20
McCRIMMON, BRAD | 0.19
GONCHAR, SERGEI | 0.18
(undrafted) | 0.18
(undrafted) | 0.18

Highest Percentage of Team's PPGA on-ice for, career, post-expansion, defensemen:

WHITE, BILL | 604 | 65%
ORR, BOBBY | 596 | 63%
CHELIOS, CHRIS | 1616 | 58%
BOURQUE, RAY | 1612 | 58%
SAVARD, SERGE | 1038 | 58%
HAJT, BILL | 854 | 57%
BECK, BARRY | 615 | 57%
STEVENS, SCOTT | 1635 | 56%
HATCHER, DERIAN | 1045 | 56%
SCHOENFELD, JIM | 719 | 56%

NHL Penalty Killing Stats, 1971-1976 (White's Time With Chicago)

Team | PPGA | PPOA | PK%
Philadelphia | 377 | 2357 | 84.01
Chicago | 274 | 1612 | 83.00
Boston | 310 | 1820 | 82.97
Montreal | 276 | 1620 | 82.96
Buffalo | 296 | 1691 | 82.50
NY Rangers | 291 | 1596 | 81.77
Los Angeles | 285 | 1537 | 81.46
Atlanta | 193 | 1036 | 81.37
NY Islanders | 236 | 1240 | 80.97
Detroit | 355 | 1805 | 80.33
Pittsburgh | 330 | 1647 | 79.96
St. Louis | 396 | 1855 | 78.65
Toronto | 359 | 1679 | 78.62
California | 334 | 1505 | 77.81
Minnesota | 377 | 1676 | 77.51
Vancouver | 412 | 1734 | 76.24
Kansas City | 133 | 528 | 74.81
Washington | 158 | 580 | 72.76

Chicago Blackhawks Top-12 Penalty Killers, 1971-1976

Name | GP | PPGA | PPGA/GP
Bill White | 394 | 151 | 0.38
(undrafted) | 207 | 58 | 0.28
Pat Stapleton | 229 | 59 | 0.26
(undrafted) | 380 | 94 | 0.25
(undrafted) | 324 | 71 | 0.22
(undrafted) | 305 | 61 | 0.20
(undrafted) | 261 | 50 | 0.19
(undrafted) | 446 | 81 | 0.18
Stan Mikita | 408 | 64 | 0.16
(undrafted) | 302 | 44 | 0.15
(undrafted) | 347 | 47 | 0.14
(undrafted) | 463 | 40 | 0.09

 

[Dreakmur]

Toe Blake !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
8 x Stanley Cup Champion (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968)

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Coach” of the 1950s and 1960s.

Blake would then turn his efforts to coaching. He took over the reigns of the Montreal Canadiens in 1955 and remained behind the bench until 1968. In that time he coached 914 games, winning 500, losing 255 and tying 159 for an astounding winning percentage of .634. More importantly he guided the Habs to 8 Stanley Cups, including 5 in a row in the late 1950's, an unheard of feat.

One of the main reasons he was hired was to help control the explosive temper of his former linemate, Maurice Richard.

Blake's performance behind the Montreal bench between 1955 and 1968 was unparalleled. He won an incredible eight Stanley Cup titles in just 13 seasons, including five in a row in his first five years of coaching. In all, his playoff record was 82-37, a wins-to-losses ratio rarely matched in the NHL. His Habs teams never had a losing record and they never failed to make the playoffs.

After coaching the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL, Toe coached Valleyfield of the Quebec Senior Hockey League in 1949-50 and remained there until 1955. That summer, Dick Irvin, the coach of the Canadiens, left to coach the Chicago Black Hawks. General Manager Frank Selke invited Blake to step behind Montreal's bench as head coach. Selke had a not-so-hidden agenda. He needed a coach who could handle the mercurial Maurice Richard. Blake fit the bill perfectly — coaching experience, playing experience, including being a friend and teammate of Richard's, bilingual. It was a perfect match.

In his first five seasons as Montreal's coach, the Canadiens captured the Stanley Cup. This unprecedented feat alone would earn Toe a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame. But in thirteen seasons as coach of the Canadiens, his teams finished first nine times and won the Stanley Cup on eight occasions! So strong were his teams, in fact, that the NHL adopted a new rule following the 1955-56 season. Montreal's powerplay was comprised of Jean Beliveau at centre flanked by Maurice Richard and Bert Olmstead. Doug Harvey was joined by 'Boom Boom' Geoffrion on the points, and the inimitable Jacques Plante was in goal. The five skaters racked up goals so frequently on the powerplay that the old rule of penalized players serving their entire two-minute minor was commuted to allow the penalized player to return to the ice should a goal be scored by the opposition during his time in the penalty box.

The mastermind behind the on-ice exploits of the likes of “The Rocket”, Jean Beliveau, Doug Harvey, Bernard Geoffrion and Jacques Plante, Blake always knew which buttons to push. Wearing his trademark fedora wherever he went, he had a knack for keeping his talented group of superstars and future Hall of Famers focused and hungry year in, year out. While they could easily have become complacent, Blake’s Canadiens were instead the most driven and determined team in the NHL.

Toe Blake was the greatest hockey coach ever. That’s not the same as being the most successful hockey coach. There are two other coaches who rank higher in success points than Blake but no other coach was more successful in getting his players to achieve—and maintain—optimum performance on the ice than Toe Blake.

….

Toe Blake was no tactician. During the past five years when I interviewed many former Habs players who played for Toe Blake, when asked what Blake’s offensive tactics were, they all recited the same sentence: advance the puck, hit the open man, and converge on the net. Simply put: a mere continuation of the tactics honed by Blake’s predecessor, Dick Irvin Sr.

Blake’s magic came from his leadership style which over the course of time took on a mystical, spiritual patina that would culminate in his apotheosis in the hearts and minds of Montreal Canadiens fans.

Toe led his players with an intricately balanced mixture of strength, subtlety, intensity, silence, anger, passion, and occasional humor. In return his players give him their collective hearts, minds, souls, bodies, blood, toil, tears, and sweat.

….

No other hockey coach during Original Six era was as beloved by his players as Toe Blake was. That is not hyperbole. When interviewing his former players, I was struck by the reverence they accorded Toe Blake. Never did I hear a complaint or a harsh word about him. Other coaches were spoken about in terms of fear and respect. Toe Blake was spoken of in the same way a son describes his father.

In 2007 when I asked Habs immortal Henri Richard who was the unsung hero of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty from 1956 to 1960? He said laconically: it was Toe Blake and gave me a stern look to let me know he wasn’t kidding.

When I asked the late Tom Johnson in 2006 how Blake kept his players hungry during their dynastic run he told me that Blake would pose a simple question to his players in training camp: is this the year you’re going to let them take it away from you? No fire and brimstone speeches. No threats or ultimatums; just a quietly expressed question.

No player ever put Toe Blake to the test when it came to discipline.

The Old Lamplighter had studied coaching well in the Quebec Senior League. He was partially French Canadian, and he was admired by all the players, particularly Maurice Richard. Kenny Reardon, who had moved up to a key front-office position with the Canadiens, was a strong advocate of Blake, and ultimately the opinions of manager Frank Selke and Reardon prevailed. On June 8, 1955, the signing of Blake was officially announced before a standing-room crowd at the Forum, and Les Canadiens were ready to become the greatest team in hockey history.

Toe Blake weilded a dictator’s baton over Led Canadiens, but at first ruled them like a benevolent despot. This was easy because the players, to a man, respected Blake, and vice versa. The pivotal personality on the team was the Rocket. He went out of his way to assure the Canadiens’ hierarchy that he backed Blake to the hilt, and he meant every word of it.

Now it was up to the Old Lamplighter to produce. All the ingredients were there; a competent young goaltender, a strong, intelligent defense, and the most explosive collection of scorers in history.

….

Blake was so successful with his “happy family” that he helped to engineer the arrival of eight Stanley Cups in his 13-year tenure.

Believers in reincarnation would probably not want to come back as Toe Blake’s bathroom mirror, particularly the morning after a loss. The look that the Canadiens coach would give that mirror could provide a horror show with an image to rival anything imagined by Stephen King or Bram Stoker. Blake hated to lose and didn’t care who knew it. He told reporters it wasn’t in his nature to swallow a loss affably, and that when he learned to do so, he’d quit.

….

Too often these days, fans watch players fire clearing passes cross-ice in their own zone, frequently a recipe for disaster. Toe Blake, a firm believer in keeping it simple, would never abide that. He stressed relentlessly that the puck travelled in two directions: one way was from your net, the other toward the other team’s net. His insistence on keeping it simple might put him at odds with forwards of today who value creativity, but consensus of hockey historians is that Blake would find a way to handle them, too.

”Toe” Blake, the former digger of the great “Punch Line”, stepped into the breach behind the bench. Rocket Richard had played with Blake and young Beliveau had idolized him, but the “Old Lamplighter” soon put sentimentality in its place, running practices so tough that Red Storey would later describe a punishing Mike Keenan or Pat Burns practice as a day at the beach compared to Blake’s.

The new coach’s philosophy was simple: hockey is a two-way game in which players skate from their zone in a V formation, then invert to coverage on the opponent. The quick, fluid “transition game” was the essence of Blake’s vision and his players had to keep moving, heads up, sticks on the ice. Jean Beliveau used to laugh when hockey experts bowed down before Russian and European teams of the 1980s, for these so-called great innovators were playing the type of game the Canadiens used to play in the 1950s.

The next question was who would be his (Dick Irvin) replacement.

Many names were mentioned but we knew that it had to be Toe Blake. There just was no other guy for the job because we all liked him as a person and respected him as a player. Toe got the job and we had a lot of great years together. We came up with a terrific power-play with Doug Harvey and Boomer on the point and me, Bert Olmstead, and Jean Beliveau up front.

Toe was the ultimate coach. He had a memory like an elephant and he treated the players like men. He had a great feeling for the game and could mastermind behind the bench in a way nobody has ever been able to. Maybe (Scotty) Bowman can nowadays, but Toe, Toe was just too smart.

Toe Blake hated to lose so much that he made us the same way.

 

[Dreakmur]

Grant Fuhr !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
4 x Stanley Cup Champion (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988)
2 x Canada Cup Gold Medalist (1984, 1987)

Vezina Trophy Winner (1988)
Jennings Trophy Winner (1994)

First Team All-Star (1988)
Second Team All-Star (1982)

Hart voting – 2nd(1988), 6th(1996)
Vezina voting – 1st(1988), 2nd(1982), 3rd(1986), 3rd(1987), 5th(1989), 6th(1984), 6th(1985), 6th(1996)

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Goaltender†of the 1980s


Statistical Accomplishments:
Save Percentage – 6th(1986), 9th(1993), 10th(1985)

Play-off Save Percentage – 3rd(1984), 5th(1988), 6th(1985), 6th(1986), 6th(1987), 6th(1997), 8th(1989), 9th(1991), 9th(1998)

Grant Fuhr was the best goalie in the world in the second half of the 1980's.

….

For the first few years, there was a bit of goaltending power struggle in Edmonton. Fuhr and Andy Moog would split the work, but Fuhr became the go-to guy once the playoffs rolled along.

The playoffs was when Fuhr was at his best.

….

Fuhr's best season came in 1987-88 when he led the league in minutes played (4304), wins (40), shutouts (3.43) and then won 16 more games in the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup. He also was named to the NHL's First All Star Team and won his only Vezina Trophy. He finished second to teammate Gretzky in voting for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.

The season started with the 1987 Canada Cup. Many believe that that was the strongest Soviet national team ever assembled. Many agree that it was the greatest hockey Wayne Gretzky ever played. It also marked the emergence of Mario Lemieux as a superstar like no one before him. It was a new generation's 1972 Summit Series. It might have been the greatest hockey ever played.

And Grant Fuhr stood on his head! The Russians swarmed and swarmed but Fuhr continued to turn away shot after shot after shot. Remember right before Mario Lemieux's famous goal on a drop pass from Wayne Gretzky? There was mad scramble in front of the Canadian net, Fuhr kept the puck out. The results of the 1987 Canada Cup could very easily have been reversed had it not been for Grant Fuhr.

While Fuhr received little respect for his regular season play, he became recognized as the world's greatest goaltender because of his international play and the Stanley Cup playoffs. Spectacular sprawling saves were the norm in Edmonton during their Cup years. While most people give Gretzky and Messier the credit, it is highly unlikely the Oiler's would have been as successful as they were without the caliber of play Grant Fuhr supplied them.

Over a 10-year period, Grant Fuhr led the Oilers to five Stanley Cup championships between 1984 and 1990. Without a doubt, his best year was in 1987. Fuhr was a workhorse, accumulating a league-leading 4,304 minutes played and 40 wins. He earned his sole Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender and was runner-up to teammate Wayne Gretzky for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. During the 1983-1984 season, Fuhr collected 14 points, which still stands as the single-season record for most points by a goaltender.

Grant Fuhr is one of the best clutch goaltenders in the history of the game. However, any modern fan who looks at Fuhr's career numbers may wonder about his ability: a career 3.38 goal against average and 25 career shutouts over 19 seasons do not seem like such great goaltending numbers.

Fuhr’s glory years came at the height of what some pundits called the "Air Hockey Years" of the 1980s. The Oilers’ run-and-gun style, which saw them score over 400 goals a season, created an offensive revolution in the game. In 1983-84, the Oilers’ first championship season, 13 of the NHL’s 21 teams scored more than 300 goals in the regular season. In the 21st century, none of the NHL’s 30 teams even got close to the 300-goal mark.

Because of the rise of end-to-end hockey, goalies were constantly under duress. Shutouts were rare, and a goalie could be outstanding and still allow four goals in a night. The real measure of Fuhr’s importance to the Oilers comes by simply looking at his career win totals, which include 403 regular-season triumphs and an amazing 92 career playoff wins. Most of the career victories came by playing for the team he cheered for as a boy growing up in Spruce Grove, Alberta. His recognition as a great goaltender also includes five Stanley Cup rings, three-time representative of Canada Cup tournaments, and goaltender for the NHL in the famous ’87 Rendezvous tournament, which pitted the League’s all-stars against the Soviets.

Grant Fuhr has been called hockey's premier goalie - and he had better be if Edmonton is to win another Cup.

Grant Fuhr is the best goaltender who ever played the game, there's no question of that. Don't forget, the shots are harder and faster now, and Grant makes saves on reflexes that no other goaltender could make.

We've always said that Grant Fuhr is the best goaltender in the NHL and he proved it again last night. He always seems to come up with the key saves that seems to get the team up. The other night he made three big saves, outstanding saves. In the big games, the low-scoring games, 1-0, 2-1, that's when he's at his best.

Goaltending was the difference. The man again was Fuhr. He stopped two breakaways, made the key saves in the first period to keep them in it.

Grant reads the game as well as any goalie that has ever played. His goals-against average will never be the best. He'll give up the occasional soft goal. But in the big moment, for the big save, he's 95 percent unbeatable. Under pressure, there is none finer. He proved in the Canada Cup that he is the finest goaltender in the world.

Bar none, Grant Fuhr is the best goalie in the league. He has the fastest reflexes. Sometimes his concentration might drift during inconsequential games. But in the big-money games Fuhr is the best. He's the Cup goalie. It's sure not by luck.

Edmonton's victory was built around a surprisingly staunch defense and the sensational goal-tending of Fuhr, who outperformed his more celebrated counterpart in the Islanders' net, Billy Smith. Fuhr - who did not play against the Islanders in New York's sweep of last year's finals - orchestrated the victory with catlike quickness.

Grant Fuhr, generally recognized as the game's best goaltender, was injured in a second-period collision and was carried off the ice on a stretcher.

...this is the time of year when Grant Fuhr flourishes. He loves the pressure. That's why he's the best playoff goaltender in the league.

The best goaltender in pro hockey for a decade, [Grant Fuhr] spent the past winter toiling with little glory as the Leafs completed another NHL season without seeing the playoffs. But when Fuhr was the backbone of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty he was also busy honing his skills in the favorite pastime of idle hockey players - golf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vXA6eMBVpA

 

[Dreakmur]

Igor Larionov !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
3 x Stanley Cup Champion (1997, 1998, 2002)

2 x Olympic Gold Medalist (1984, 1988)
Canada Cup Gold Medalist (1981)
4 x World Championship Gold Medalist (1982, 1983, 1986, 1989)

Soviet League MVP (1988)
4 x Soviet League All-Star (1983, 1986, 1987, 1988)
IIHF All-Star (1980, 1983, 1986)

Golden Stick voting – 4th(1987), 4th(1988), 5th(1986), 6th(1983)


Scoring Accomplishments:
Soviet Points – 2nd(1986), 2nd(1988), 3rd(1987), 5th(1982), 5th(1985), 8th(1981), 10th(1984)
Soviet Goals – 4th(1982), 4th(1987), 4th(1988), 6th(1986)
Soviet Assists – 2nd(1986), 2nd(1988), 3rd(1984), 3rd(1985), 3rd(1987), 9th(1981)

IIHF Points – 2nd(1988), 3rd(1987), 4th(1983), 5th(1982)

Epshtein searched the surrounding villages for any player with potential. His priorities, Larionov said, were technique, finesse, mobility – the three words that define the style of Larionov himself.

….

When he came along at the end of the decade, Igor larionov, who wanted his game built on technique instead of machine-manufactured muscle, was viewed by Central Army teammates as an oddity – he wouldn’t pump iron every day. The Larionov response was that Valery Kharlaov didn’t need size or barbells to be the best.

….

Larionov was both the mechanical and psychological oil that kept all gears functioning. The line meshed athletically and personally, and this was principally Larionov’s doing. As a player, he was the unselfish dispatcher of the puck, the non-ego that every line needs. As a personality, Larionov was clear-headed, calm as a northern lake, a defuser of tension. Because of his size, he was initially viewed with doubt by the other four, but his skill and joy in passing and on-ice creativity won them over. Tikhonov found that Larionov played a physically stronger game than could be imagined by looking at him.

While his look and demeanour earned the nickname 'The Professor,' in fact, Igor Larionov was a sensational hockey player, and assisted in eliminating the barrier that had previously prevented Russian hockey players from competing in the National Hockey League.

….


Igor Larionov's remarkable career straddled both the Soviet Hockey League and National Hockey League, excelling at both. His terrific skills, specifically in playmaking and stickhandling, were ably matched for his sheer on-ice intelligence, which allowed him to be extremely creative during the heat of battle. Yet, Larionov's contributions to hockey are far greater than what he did at the arena, either in North America or in Russia. His role in breaking down the barrier that prevented talented Soviet players from plying their craft in the National Hockey League has led to the extraordinary influx of outstanding Russian players that populate the North American game today .

Igor Larionov was, very subtly, one of the most highly skilled hockey players we have ever seen. In some ways his best days were left behind in the old Soviet Union, but he still has excelled at the NHL level more so than any other of the veteran former Red Army teammates.

….

With a great sense of purpose, it was Larionov as much as anyone who led Detroit's emotional Stanley Cup defense to a successful championship in 1998.

Igor was a very important part of our hockey club, a very important part of our winning the Stanley Cup last year. He's a very creative, playmaking center-ice man. Not only is he important on the ice, but as well (for) what he brings off the ice, in the dressing room.

The first thing you notice is the effortless way he skates. His skate blade isn’t even in the ice.

I’m impressed with the way he sees the whole ice. You can see that he’s played hockey at a very high-paced tempo. He’s a world-class player. The only guy I’ve seen better at using the whole ice is Gretzky.

He brings the total package. We saw the effect he can have in games. He single-handedly won games for that team. He’s a complete player.

Igor has such tremendous vision. He sees everything on the ice.

Just skate around and get open. Igor will find you. The way he plays, Igor could play until he’s 50. He makes it so easy.

He’s probably one of the smartest players in the National Hockey League. He lets the puck and his mind do a lot of work. Some guys have to skate six times s far to do one-quarter of the work he does. He thinks the game so well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khl_tKLucug

 

[Dreakmur]

Neil Colville !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (1940)

Hart voting – 5th(1938)

All-Star voting – 2nd(1939), 2nd(1940), 3rd(1938), 3rd(1941)
All-Star voting – 4th(1948), 6th(1947)


Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 7th(1940), 7th(1941), 10th(1938), 10th(1939)
Goals – 6th(1940), 7th(1939), 10th(1938), 16th(1941)
Assists – 2nd(1941), 10th(1940), 11th(1942), 13th(1937), 14th(1938), 18th(1939)

Points among Defensemen – 5th(1947), 13th(1948)

Play-off Points – 1st(1940), 4th(1937)
Play-off Goals – 3rd(1937)
Play-off Assists – 1st(1940), 5th(1937), 7th(1942)

Neil Colville was the centre of the line that soon became masters of the pattern-passing style that Patirck had developed with their predecessors.

….

Neil was moved back to defence in 1946 where he played with Ott Heller, Bill Judza and Bill Moe. His defensive ability and leadership helped steady a team that was in a rebuilding stage.

Known as the Bread Line, the three were groomed by Lester Patrick, who orchestrated the Ranger clubs that won Stanley Cups in the late 20's and early 30's, to follow in the footsteps of the Cook brothers and Frank Boucher.

Neil Colville was the best of the three, hence his inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He cracked the the top ten in scoring five times in a row. He also earned spots on 3 NHL All Star Teams.

Following his military service as a navigator with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Neil returned to New York but the time away had eroded the Bread Line's chemistry. Neil reinvented himself as a defenseman and team captain for four season.

Colville moved up to the Rangers in 1936 and later centered the "Bread Line" consisting of brother Mac and Alex Shibicky. Neil was both a prominent NHL playmaker and scorer until joining the war in 1942.

Schmidt, Syl Apps of the Maple Leafs, and Neil Colville of the Rangers were the three best puck-carriers I’ve ever seen.

 

[Dreakmur]

Jimmy Thomson !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
4 x Stanley Cup Champion (1947, 1948, 1949, 1951)

2 x Second Team All-Star (1951, 1952)

Norris voting – 6th(1954)
All-Star voting – 3rd(1951), 4th(1952), 5th(1948), 6th(1949), 6th(1950), 6th(1954)


Scoring Accomplishments:
Points among Defensemen – 1st(1948), 2nd(1951), 3rd(1949), 4th(1952), 5th(1954), 6th(1953), 12th(1947)

The Maple Leafs defence of the mid ‘40s and early ‘50s was one of the most formidable in the history of the game. Bill Barilko, Garth Boesch, Fern Flaman, Bill Judza, Gus Mortson, and Wally Stanowski were all top drawer, but the man who held is all together was Winnipeg native Jim Thomson. The other blueliners could play their game safe in the knowledge that the ever-reliable Thomson would be back to make sure the Leafs zone was cleared. All Leafs players of that era would agree that without him the team would never have won four Stanley Cups between 1947 and 1951.

…

The Leafs quickly saw that he could go up against the best players in the league and was a perfect partner for the attacking Mortson. Thomson would not score much – he had six seasons with the Leafs without a single goal – but his defensive play was among the best in the NHL.

Thomson had good size at en even six foot tall and 190 pounds and played it tough without going overboard. He was exceptional at implementing coach Hap Day’s clutch-and-grab style, which became the Leafs’ trademark.

One of the larger players in the NHL at the time at six feet and 190 pounds, Thomson was tough to lay against and often faced the opposition’s best player. Thomson was the type of defenseman who looked after his own end first while defensive partner Gus Mortson lugged the puck up ice. Thomson could pass the puck effectively, s his 29-assist total in 1947-48 indicates. He could handle the point on the power-play, although he was not a noted goal scorer by any means. But he was a very valuable member of the team and the best defender in the club year after year.

Jimmy Thomson, although not as well known a name as some of the other great Leaf defensive greats, was a mutt, a “check first, ask questions later†player.

Thomson became a regular with the Leafs in 1946-47. He and Gus Mortson, who were business partners off the ice, formed a rollicking defensive duo on the ice for six seasons. Thomson matured into the picture of the quintessential stay-at-home defenseman. Although he wasn’t the fleetest man afoot, he was exceedingly expert at the “grip and grab†technique, a tactic that earned him his share of penalties. Despite his focus on the defensive side of the game, he was a skied play-maker.

Need a text book example of a classic stay at home defenseman? Look no further than Jimmy Thomson.

A product of the St. Mikes Majors, Jimmy joined the Leafs on a full time basis in 1946-47. He was soon paired with Gus Mortson on defense, a move that proved very fruitful for the Leafs. The two rock solid blueliners helped to solidify the Leaf's supremacy for years.

Known as the "Gold Dust Twins," Mortson and Thomson starred for the Leafs. They played a rock hard style that often left cuts and bruises on any enemy who dared to enter their zone. Thomson especially was positionally perfect and a thinking man's defensive rearguard. Mortson was more of a rusher of the two, while Thomson quietly went about his work. The pairing proved to be as valuable as it was impenetrable.

Despite not scoring a goal in 6 of his 11 seasons, and only scored 19 career goals in almost 800 games, Jimmy was honored with two Second Team All Star berths - 1950 and 1951. He was a good passer as his 215 assists suggest.

In the late 1940s it was very rare for the defensemen to get very involved in the offensive attack. So while Thomson wasn't deprived of good skills, he thrived by protecting his own zone. Thomson was physical though clean. He never had over 100 minutes in penalties in one season. He did lead the league in playoff penalty minutes in 1951 with 34 minutes in 11 games.

Thomson was a big part of 4 Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup Championship. In fact those 4 championship seasons came in his first 5 NHL seasons, including three straight in 1947, 1948 and 1949.

Jimmy Thomson was a rugged defenseman and team leader who spent nearly 800 games in the NHL during the 40s and 50s. In addition to his feisty nature he was a fine passer who often helped his club's transition game by carrying the puck up ice efficiently.

The Winnipeg native was a junior standout in Toronto with the St. Michael's Majors for two years. He spent most of his first pro season in 1945-46 with the AHL's Pittsburgh Hornets before joining the Maple Leafs on a full time basis the next year.

In all, "Jeems" supplied toughness and leadership on the Toronto defense for eleven seasons. He was regarded as one of the league's toughest foes and placed on the NHL Second All-Star team in 1951 and 1952. He also participated in seven All-Star Games and was an integral part of Stanley Cup wins in 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1951. During the 1956-57 season he spent time as the Leaf's captain.

 

[Dreakmur]

Barry Trotz !!!​

Award and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (2018)
Calder Cup (1994)
Calder Cup Finals (1996)

World Championship Gold Medal (2003)
World Championship Silver Medal (2009)

2 x Jack Adams Winner (2016, 2019)
Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award Winner (1994)

Jack Adams - 1st(2016), 1st(2019), 2nd(2010), 3rd(2011), 4th(2006), 4th(2007), 4th(2008), 5th(2012), 5th(2015), 6th(2004), 7th(1999), 10th(2009)

2014 Player Poll:
1st Best Coach


Nashville Team Statistics:
Goals For – 4th(2007), 8th(2003), 9th(2012), 10th(2006), 12th(2004), 15th(2008), 15th(2010)

Goals Against – 2nd(2011), 7th(2001), 7th(2006), 8th(2007), 9th(2003), 9th(2012), 11th(2009), 14th(2010)

Penalty Kill – 3rd(2007), 3rd(2008), 5th(2006), 5th(2011), 8th(2001), 9th(2002), 10th(2009), 12th(2000), 15th(2012), 17th(2003), 24th(2004), 27th(1999), 28th(2010)

Power Play – 2nd(2012), 10th(2006), 11th(2004), 17th(2007), 23rd(2001), 23rd(2002), 24th(2010), 25th(1999), 25th(2000), 25th(2009), 26th(2003), 26th(2011), 27th(2008)