ATD 2013 BIO Thread (quotes, stats, pics, sources, everything)

[BubbaBoot]

Ralph Backstrom
center

• Shoots: Left • Height: 5-10 • Weight: 165 lbs. •
• Born: September 18, 1937 • Kirkland Lake, Ontario •
• Played: 1956/57 - 1972/73 (NHL) \\\ 1973/74 - 1976/77 (WHA) •

• Championships •
1957 Hull-Ottawa Jr. Canadiens (OHA-Jr) Memorial Cup
1959 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
1960 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
1965 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
1966 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
1968 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
1969 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)

• Awards •
1958-59 Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL)
1973-74 Paul Deneau Trophy (WHA)
1976-77 Frank Keys Memorial Award (WHA - New England Whalers Team Unsung Hero)
1985-86 Spencer Penrose Award (NCAA - Coach of the Year)

• NHL All-Star Team Voting •
- 61-62 (5th)

• All-Star Games •
NHL - 1958 / 1959
NHL - 1960 / 1962 / 1965 / 1967
WHA - 1974 / 1976 / 1977

• Hart Trophy Voting •
- 64-65 (T12th)

• Lady Byng Trophy Voting •
- 65-66 (T12th)
- 72-73 (14th)

• Achievements •
• Games Played
- 1962-63 NHL 70 (1)
- 1963-64 NHL 70 (2)
- 1964-65 NHL 70 (1)
- 1972-73 NHL 79 (1)
- 1973-74 WHA 78 (1)
- Career NHL • 1032
- Career WHA • 304
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 116
- Career WHA PLAYOFFS • 38

• Goals
- 1961-62 NHL 27 (7)
- 1964-65 NHL 25 (8)
- Career NHL • 278
- Career WHA • 100 (67th)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 27
- Career WHA PLAYOFFS • 10

• Even Strength Goals
- 1964-65 NHL 18 (7)
- 1965-66 NHL 21 (8)
- Career WHA • 77

• Power Play Goals
- 1964-65 NHL 7 (10)

• Short-Handed Goals
- 1972-73 NHL 2 (7)

• Game-Winning Goals
- 1972-73 NHL 6 (9)

• Goals Per Game
- 1961-62 NHL 0.41 (7)
- Career NHL • 0.27
- Career WHA • 0.33
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 0.23
- Career WHA PLAYOFFS • 0.26

• Assists
- 1961-62 NHL 38 (8)
- 1973-74 WHA 50 (10)
- Career NHL • 361
- Career WHA • 153 (60th)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 32
- Career WHA PLAYOFFS • 18

• Assists Per Game
- 1961-62 NHL 0.58 (10)
- Career NHL • 0.35
- Career WHA • 0.50
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 0.28
- Career WHA PLAYOFFS • 0.47

• Points
- 1961-62 NHL 65 (7)
- 1964-65 NHL 55 (9)
- Career NHL • 639
- Career WHA • 253
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 59
- Career WHA PLAYOFFS • 28
- 1974 SUMMIT SERIES • 8 (T2)

• Points Per Game
- 1961-62 NHL 0.98 (8)
- Career NHL • 0.62
- Career WHA • 0.83
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 0.51
- Career WHA PLAYOFFS • 0.74

• career stats •

| gms| G | A | TP | PIMs|+/-| G/gm| A/gm| PP| SH
NHL | 1032 |278 |361 |639 |253|| .27 |.35 ||
NHL PLAYOFFS| 116 |27 |32 |59 |68 || .23| .28 | |
WHA| 304|100|153|253|98||.65|.73||
WHA PLAYOFFS| 38|10 |18 |28 |12|| .26| .47 | |
Jr| 83 |51 |49 |100 |74 || .62| .59 ||
EOHL| 51 |28 |35 |63 |17 || .55| .69 | |
SUMMIT-74| 8 |4 |4 |8 |10 || .50| .50 ||

• career team records •
Montreal Canadiens (NHL) - games (16th) / playoff games (10th) / goals (T21st) / playoff goals (T27th) / GPG (T43rd) / playoff GPG (T42nd) / assists (26th) / playoff assists (T37th) / APG (T50th) / playoff APG (T62nd) / points (21st) / playoff points (T33rd) / points/G (T44th) / playoff points/G (T57th)

• Accolades •

Ralph Backstrom was a swift skater with a deft scoring touch whose defensive and team-oriented play earned him accolades throughout his career. The most significant years of his pro tenure were spent with the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he won the Stanley Cup six times between 1959 and 1969.

Backstrom spent two seasons with the Montreal Junior Canadiens before graduating to the Ottawa-Hull Canadiens, the Habs' top minor affiliate in Eastern Canada. He captained the team to the Memorial Cup in 1958, when he was arguably the top junior skater in the country. The Canadiens planned to send Backstrom to the Rochester Americans of the AHL for a year of minor pro seasoning, but his performance at training camp was so impressive that the Habs brain trust decided to give him a shot at the big league right away. Backstrom rewarded Montreal by scoring 40 points and earning the Calder Trophy. His freshman season was so laudable that he received more than double the votes of runner up Carl Brewer of Toronto. The following year he impressed coach Toe Blake by approaching his sophomore training camp with increased dedication and enthusiasm. His production dropped to 28 points, but he solidified his place as a key defensive forward on the club.

Although he was overshadowed by Montreal's top two centers, Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard, Backstrom became an important two-way forward on six Stanley Cup-winning teams. He and teammate Claude Provost garnered reputations as two of the most dogged forwards in the game. Even though he often drew checking assignments, Backstrom produced five 20-goal seasons, including a personal high of 27 in 1961-62. Years later, Backstrom reflected on this period: "There were times in my career that I felt I could have played better statistically if I would have played on another team besides the Canadiens. But there was nothing like the team successes that the Canadiens had during the time I played with them."

Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard were in their prime, leaving Backstrom to pivot the third line in a defensive capacity against the opponent’s leading scorers. He rose to the challenge, covering opposing shooters and killing penalties, alongside fellow defensive forward Claude Provost.

One of the strongest skaters in the league, Backstrom was fast enough to play deep in the offensive zone, relentlessly forecheck an opposing defenseman, and still get back in time to catch a puck-carrying forward skating towards the Montreal net.

Making the most of his offensive chances, Backstrom regularly made it onto the score sheet. He scored 20 or more goals five times in 12 full seasons with the Habs and was a reliable playoff performer, often one of the most consistent point producers in the postseason.

Ralph Backstrom would have been a big star on any othjer team in the NHL, especially after his first seven or eight seasons. He had won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 1959. As it turned out, he became our third-string center, playing behind Henri and myself, and therefore did not see a lot of time on the power play. He had taken on a more defensive role, eve though he had been a high scoring jumior player.

Backstrom was a fine playmaker and a good back-checker, but he was never more than the number three center in Montreal, behind Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard.

On any other team Backstrom would have been the first center. He was faster than most players, had a good shot and excellent hockey sense and was good enough to play for more than a decade [with Montreal].

With his Canadiens background–classy skating and excellent stickhandling–Backstrom helped the WHA Cougars to an upset and a spot in the WHA playoff finals in 1974, the same year he also became an uncontested star of the WHA-Russia series.

A symbol of Backstrom's hard-earned success was a letter he received from one of hockey's living legends, Conn Smythe. "I have never believed in the statement that it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. However, with your example in the Russian series, I have to say that it has merit."

The '74 [Summit Series] squad also had useful, middle-of-the-roster players with Stanley Cup experience" XXXXXX XXXXX, Hull's shadow from the '71 final and Ralph Backstrom, who, game in and game out, turned out to be the best two-way forward.

He again approached September training camp in the same set-jaw fashion of last season when he had been ticketed for a year in Rochester for pro seasoning. With the Stanley Cup champions far from sort of sentres, Ralph had dug in so furiously that manager Frank Selke and coach Toe Blake looked at one another and agreed: "We can't let the kid down, he's born for the National Hockey League".

A bulldog type who makes you forget he's only 165 pounds (five feet 10), he kept the same hellbent style in the Big Time that had made him a favorite in junior hockey. This invites injuries but his excellent shape and bodily bounce seem to compensate for violent bangs that would put the average player on the shelf. It all adds up to a furious love of the game that's invigorating to encounter.

In his last year as a junior he was unanimously conceded to be the best in Canada. In addition to 45 goals and 53 assists, he averaged 50 minutes a game on the ice and played every position but goal as the Hull-Ottawa team won the Memorial Cup.

"I often wondered how well I would have done with another organization. I'm pretty sure my individual scoring stats would have been considerably higher, but I don't think I would have gotten to win six Stanley Cups. I'll take the Cups over the individual goals … I'm happy with my six Stanley Cups."

 

[BubbaBoot]

Tim Kerr
right wing / center

• Shoots: Right • Height: 6-3 • Weight: 230 lbs. •
• Born: January 5, 1960 • Windsor, Ontario •
• Played: 1980/81 - 1992/93 •

• Awards •
1988-89 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (NHL)

• Honors •
1986-87 NHL All-Star Team (2nd)

• All-Star Games •
NHL - 1984 / 1985 / 1986

• NHL All-Star Voting •
- 83-84 (4th) / 84-85 (3rd) / 85-86 (3rd) / 86-87 (2nd) / 88-89 (7th)

• Hart Trophy Voting •
- 83-84 (T12th) / 84-85 (T10th) / 85-86 (T9th)

• Achievements •
• VsX • Goals (vs span RWers) • 7 yr peak/span
39 / INJ / 104 / 93 / 95 / 107 / INJ / 98 / 44 = 580 (MEAN = 83)

• VsX • PP Goals (vs span RWers) • 7 yr peak/span
39 / INJ / 53 / 124 / 162 / 118 / INJ / 104 / 36 = 636 (MEAN = 91)
- 4 yr peak = 508 (MEAN = 127)
(vs. league-wide)
- 4 yr peak = 417 (MEAN = 104)

• Goals
- 1983-84 NHL 54 (3)
- 1984-85 NHL 54 (6)
- 1985-86 NHL 58 (3)
- 1986-87 NHL 58 (2)
- 1988-89 NHL 48 (9)
- Career NHL • 370
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 40

• Goals Per Game
- 1983-84 NHL 0.68 (6)
- 1984-85 NHL 0.73 (5)
- 1985-86 NHL 0.76 (2)
- 1986-87 NHL 0.77 (3)
- 1988-89 NHL 0.70 (5)
- 1989-90 NHL 0.60 (10)
- Career NHL • 0.56 (10th all-time / 4th for RWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 0.49

• Power Play Goals
- 1984-85 NHL 21 (1)
- 1985-86 NHL 34 (1)
- 1986-87 NHL 26 (1)
- 1988-89 NHL 25 (2)
- Career • 150 (43rd all-time / 11th for RWers)
- 1987 NHL PLAYOFFS 5 (1)
- 1989 NHL PLAYOFFS 8 (1)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 21

• Even Strength Goals
- 1983-84 NHL 45 (2)
- 1984-85 NHL 33 (7)
- 1986-87 NHL 32 (6)
- Career • 220
- Career PLAYOFFS • 19

• Game Winning Goals
- 1980-81 NHL 7 (6)
- 1984-85 NHL 9 (3)
- 1985-86 NHL 8 (4)
- 1986-87 NHL 10 (2)
- Career NHL •*48
- Career PLAYOFFS • 6

• Points
- 1986-87 NHL 95 (9)
- Career NHL • 674
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 71

• Points Per Game
- 1986-87 NHL 1.27 (9)
- Career NHL • 1.03 (33rd all-time / T3rd for RWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 0.88

• Plus/Minus
- 1986-87 NHL 38 (10)
- Career NHL • +74
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • +2

• Shooting Percentage
- 1980-81 NHL 23.2 (6)
- 1986-87 NHL 22.2 (8)
- Career NHL • 18.8 (20th all-time / T8th for RWers)

• career stats •

|gms | G |A |TP |PIMs|+/- |G/gm|A/gm|PP |SH
NHL | 655 |370 |304 |674 |596 |+74 |.56 |.46 |150 |0
NHL PLAYOFFS| 81 |40 |31 |71 |58 |+2 | .49 |.38 | 21 |0
OMJHL | 196 |73 |87 |160 |106 | |.37 |.44 | |

• career team records •
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) - games (18) / playoff games (22) / goals (3) / playoff goals (6) / assists (13) / playoff assists (T17) / points (6) / playoff points (7) / PIMs (24) / playoff PIMs (38) / EV goals (6) / playoff EV goals (T9) / PP goals (1) / playoff PP goals (2) / GPG (T1) / playoff GPG (2) / APG (T17) / playoff APG (14) / PPG (2) / playoff PPG (T5) / +/- (29) / playoff +/- (T25) / Flyers Hall of Fame (1995)

• Accolades •

"He's like a tree out there, but he's a tree with brains."

After a short stay with the Maine Mariners at the end of the 1979-80 season, Kerr joined the Philadelphia Flyers for their 1980-81 training camp. Flyers coach Pat Quinn was immediately impressed by Kerr's soft touch around the net. Quinn discovered that Kerr had a very quick release and an uncanny ability to come up with loose pucks. Apart from his defense, Kerr's non-shooting skills immediately proved to be better than advertised. Although he was by no means a speed demon, Kerr was not a plodder, either, especially once he got his powerful legs churning. He also was very difficult to separate from the puck once he got it in deep. There was a lot of goal scoring potential, at least if Kerr was provided with the right linemate to get him the puck. Kerr also benefited from his versatility. Able to play both center and wing, he offered the team some flexibility with their forward combinations. After a strong pre-season, Kerr made the Flyers opening day roster.

In 1983-84, Kerr finally had his breakthrough. He emerged as one of the NHL's best goal scorers, particularly on the powerplay. Given extensive time on the man advantage by coach Bob McCammon, Kerr responded with 54 goals and 93 points. He found his niche by camping out in the slot, deflecting pucks and using his quick release to pump rebounds and quick centering feeds past goalies. Kerr also had a very underrated slapshot and even a good backhand. Kerr could score goals from any angle and was especially good at scoring from his knees or stomach after being knocked to the ice. Although most of his goals came within two feet of the net, Kerr could also overpower a goalie from long range.

By the end of Kerr's 1983-84 season, opposing defensemen had come to dread the thought of task of trying to move the oak tree-like Kerr from the slot. Cross-checks, slashes, and bearhugs didn't seem to phase him. Taking him out of the play legally was almost out of the question. Once Kerr was cinched in with the puck down low, it was virtually impossible to stop him from doing whatever he wanted to do.

The 1984-85 season marked a major turning point in Kerr's career. It was the year, he finally shook off the label of being a soft player. He emerged as more of a complete player. New head coach, "Iron" Mike Keenan and assistant coach, E.J. McGuire, insisted that Kerr work on his all-around game, particularly his defensive play. They found him to be very receptive to their coaching. Said McGuire, "I knew that the goals would come for him but it was his ability to do the unglamorous things that had us pleased." Although Kerr would never be confused with a Selke Trophy winner, he became respectable in his own end of the ice, especially when the game was on the line. He also became more consistent in doing all the little things right; such as getting the puck in deep when it was time for a line change.

Without a doubt, Tim Kerr is one of the most inspirational people to ever wear a Flyers jersey. Nothing was ever handed to him in his career. He earned everything the hard way and paid the price without complaint or bitterness. Kerr defines the true meaning of "champion" in the sport of hockey- and the game of life.

Stopping Tim Kerr was like trying to stop a freight train. Weighing in at 230 pounds the enormous right winger was impossible to move. Kerr had the ability to park himself in the slot and not be budged even by the defense's best efforts.

Despite his injuries, Kerr was a terrific hockey player who had the ability to score. In his first three seasons, Tim Kerr only managed to score a total of 54 goals, an amount that he equaled in his fourth season. He then went on to have another 54 goal season and then two consecutive 58 goal seasons. Kerr also finished with an amazing 18.8% shooting percentage throughout his entire career.

Kerr played 655 games in which he amassed 370 goals. He also received the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1989, and played in the All Star game from 1984-1986. However, life wasn't always easy for Tim. Not only did he constantly battle injuries throughout his career, but in the 1991-92 season his wife died ten days after giving birth. A great player and goal scorer Tim Kerr was one of the most underrated players during his career in the NHL.

Kerr was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1980. Though initially a winger with hands that could bruise an opponent's face as well as beat an opposing goaltender, it took three seasons before he staked his reputation as a lethal sniper. Kerr missed the majority of the 1982-83 season with knee issues and a broken leg, but turned things around starting in 1983-84. That's when he began his team-record run of four consecutive 50-goal campaigns, in the process setting the NHL single-season record for power-play goals with 34 in the 1985–86 season.

Kerr was an almost unmovable presence in the slot during his prime. Hockey Hall of Fame center and New York Islanders star Bryan Trottier once joked that the only way to stop Kerr was to wrap chains around his arms and legs. But Trottier retracted that statement almost immediately by saying that that still probably would not stop him.

The tag "Sultan of Slot" became an apt description of his important role on the team. He recorded his first of four consecutive 50-goal seasons and became one of the most feared and closely checked forwards in the league. Regardless of how much physical abuse came his way, he stood his ground and used superior hand-eye coordination to pot goals almost at will. The NHL hadn't seen an individual dominate the slot since Phil Esposito was in his prime. More important, Kerr wasn't a streaky scorer. He never slumped and totaled over 50 goals for four years from 1983 to 1987.

Size and strength are often what gets you to the highest level in sports. Knowing how to use it is what gives you a special place in the hearts of fans. Tim Kerr did both with great skill. He was mean, he was nasty he could skate he could score and he was also one of the nicest guys you could ever meet off the ice. Through a tough personal life filled with tragedy and a prolific knack for catching the injury bug, Kerr still gave it his all every night, and will live on in the hearts of hockey fans for generations.

After an injury plagued 1982-83 season where he was limited to just 24 games, Tim Kerr found his breakout year in 1983-84 amassing an amazing 54 goals and 93 points. he was also able to play almost a full season missing only 1 game. Kerr would follow that up with yet another 54 goals campaign the next year and this time fall just short of 100 points by garnering 98. It was during this season that Tim Kerr also set a record, which still stands today. 34 of his 54 goals that season came on the power play. An amazing feat never duplicated in modern history.

Kerr also was named to play in the NHL All-Star game three years in a row (1984,85 and 86). Kerr’s scoring records speak for themselves. He was able to set club records which still stands today. He still has the record for most 50 goal seasons by a Flyer and once even scored four goals in a single period in a playoff game.

Tim Kerr was one of the strongest men who ever played the game. Both for his physical attributes and what he had to endure in his personal off ice life. He wracked up injuries like they were frequent flyer miles and he scored in bunches. None of it could really describe the man properly though, He gave 110% every shift of every game and never apologized for that. His career was marked by surgeries but he always seemed to find the will to try again. Such dedication is what makes Tim Kerr such a great story and what will also keep him always as a member of the Underrated Nation.

"Even though I missed a lot of time with injuries, I would not change a thing. I enjoyed the challenge every day to try and make a difference and play on teams that were successful teams."

 

[BillyShoe1721]

D Kevin Hatcher

6x Top 14 AS Voting(5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14)
4x Top 12 Norris voting(4, 6, 7, 12)
5x NHL All Star Game Participant
8x Top 18 Goals by Defensemen(1, 2, 2, 5, 6, 8, 11, 18)
5x Top 18 Assists by Defensemen(8, 8, 14, 16 18)
7x Top 18 Points by Defensemen(5, 6, 7, 11, 15, 15, 18)
54% career PP Usage
51% career PK Usage
TOI Ranks On Team(87-88 to 00-01), 14 years:

Overall: 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1
ES: 4, 4, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3
PK: 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 3, 5, 2, 2, 1, 3, 1

International Career

1996 World Cup of Hockey Gold Medalist
1987, 1991 Canada Cup Participant
1998 Olympics

Kevin on the other hand was a giant who, at times, liked to throw his weight around but was most notably an offensive defenseman.

Kevin Hatcher was a powerful straight ahead skater, which he displayed whenever he could by jumping into or leading the rush. With his giant stride he could catch even the speediest of transition attackers on the way back. Defensively he could look awkward when turning, but he compensated for that with his gigantic reach.

He had a devastating shot from the point, and would often come crashing in from the blue line looking for a surprise garbage goal. When he was on his many offensive rushes he was an excellent give and go player. Otherwise he was good passer, but not a greatly creative player.

Physically he could dominate. He was imposing at 6'4" and 225lbs, and he enjoyed banging bodies, sometimes with a mean streak. Other times, especially as his career advanced, he seemed quite disinterested in the physical game, which for someone of his size is extremely frustrating for coaches and fans alike. He lost a few fights early in his career and seemed to back down over time. Perhaps this was simply because his coaches wanted him on the ice, not by the ice box.

He was usually a safe defender when it came to clearing the puck, usually breaking a man with a good pass.

http://washingtoncapitalslegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/kevin-hatcher.html

Steady work apparently agreed with Hatcher, who missed only one game the following season and led his team in points with 74. He also made his second All-Star appearance. In 1991-92, he again represented Team USA in the Canada Cup. He also scored his 300th NHL point and appeared in his third consecutive All-Star game. In 1992-93, he scored a career-high 34 goals and became only the seventh defenseman in league history score thirty goals in a single season. He ended the season with a career high 79 points.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=10619

A 17-year National Hockey League veteran and frequent representative of the United States on the international stage, Kevin Hatcher became a symbol for consistency on the blue line throughout his career.

http://www.usahockey.com/ushhof/default.aspx?NAV=AF_01&id=289730

With Kevin and Derian Hatcher, Doug Zmolek and Richard Matvichuk, the Stars have four first-rate defensemen.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1007231/4/index.htm

"Grown men like Kevin Hatcher of Dallas and Marty McSorley of LA have welcomed me to the NHL by slamming me hard into the boards," Friesen says.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Jv...EwBg#v=onepage&q=kevin hatcher hockey&f=false

In a contract-fueled coup of sorts, the Rangers -- a team already stocked with quality defensemen -- landed one of the better ones in the league today, obtaining the 33-year-old Kevin Hatcher from the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 31-year-old defender Peter Popovic.

And now here comes the 6-foot-3-inch, 230-pound Hatcher who, Coach John Muckler said, will be given an immediate tryout skating as Leetch's defensive partner, and on one of the Rangers' power-play units.

''From our prospective, we like the fact that we get a high-level player that has burned us a lot over the years,'' Smith said of Hatcher, whose younger brother, Derian, is the captain of the Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars.

''I think Kevin is a guy who has a mean streak, but his is not a physical game,'' Smith said of the five-time National Hockey League All-Star selection, who roomed with Ranger defenseman Mathieu Schneider, when both represented the United States at the World Cup and the Olympics. ''When their parents gave birth, they gave Derian all the meanness and Kevin all of the ability.''

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/01/s...-hatcher-acquired-by-rangers-for-popovic.html

."I remember a coach telling me that a player's best shot at making the NHL as an American would be on defense," says Kevin...his coach at Pittsburgh, Kevin Constantine, believes that he has one of the best in Hatcher, who regularly logs close to 30 minutes of ice time every night..."Kevin's got the capabilities to do a little bit of everything," says Constantine. "He's played on the power play, he's scored on the power play, he got a lot of penalty-kill ice time. He has the ability to jump in and play offense. He's a big enough guy to do a good job defensively. I think Kevin can do it all"...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/events/1998/nagano/athletes/322.htm

The Penguins addressed the need to upgrade their defense with a one-for-one trade involving defensemen, sending Sergei Zubov to Dallas for Hatcher.

"We feel we're getting the same quality offense with bigger size and a little more physical presence with Hatcher." General Manager Craig Patrick said.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=1530,3820947&dq=kevin+hatcher+physical&hl=en

 

[Rob Scuderi]

C, Thomas Steen

Selke Trophy Voting: 8th (1989), tied 14th (1990 - two votes), tied 17th (1985 - three votes), single vote in 1984 and 1988

Member of Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
#25 jersey retired by Winnipeg Jets

3x Sweden All-Star Team (1981, 1985, 1986)
1x Viking Award, Best Swedish Player in NHL (1990)

2x World Championship Silver (1981, 1986)
1x Canada Cup runner-up (1984)

11 points in 17 Canada Cup GP - 1984: T7th in overall scoring, 3rd in team scoring, 1st in overall goal-scoring
1991: T30th in overall scoring, T4th in team scoring
1981: scoreless in 3 GP

21 points in 26 World Championship GP - 1981: 40th in overall scoring, T2nd in team scoring
1986: T8th in overall scoring, 2nd in team scoring, T1st in overall goal-scoring
1989: T31st in scoring, 4th in team scoring

Voted most underrated player in 1990 poll of 123 NHL players with 29 votes
news.google.com/newspapers?id=90MgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7ZYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5762,1654607

Thomas Steen was born on June 8, 1960, and he first played hockey with Grums IK. Later he joined one of Sweden's strongest clubs, Leksand, and then moved to Farjestad, where his partner in offense was Hakan Loob. Swedish coach Tommy Sandlin gave Steen high praise, calling him "a particularly intelligent and competent player."

Steen played with the NHL's Winnipeg Jets for 14 seasons and was also team captain. While in the NHL, Steen played in 950 games and scored 264 goals. When he ended his career with the Jets in 1994, his number 25 jersey was raised in Winnipeg's hockey arena. Only one other Jets player before him had been so honored the legendary Bobby Hull.

Scouting Reports

On his way to front-line status...Excellent skater and puckhandler who shows signs of becoming a good goal-scorer...Surprisingly strong defensive player in NHL after big-ice, wide-open experience in Europe

Has arrived as a competent NHL center who can play both ways...Has all the Europeans' offensive skills, speed, puckhandling and passing, but is very strong defensively, a surprise because he learned the game on big Swedish ice surfaces...

A gifted athlete with marvelous skills who plays rough...Not so talented he can turn two klutzes into scoring threats...Likes linemates who are quick, cute and intelligent...Signed in Florida while on expenses-paid vacation provided by a Swedish newspaper, honoring him as the country's Player of the Year in 1980-81...Led all scorers in the 1984 Canada Cup with seven goals in eight games for the silver medalist Swedes

A shoulder injury prevented him from playing his best hockey in the 1987 playoffs...Quietly, he has a main man on the team...Tough, by anyone's standards

The Finesse Game
Steen is an excellent skater, equipped with speed and good lateral movement. He also has good acceleration and his balance makes him a very agile forward with excellent quickness.

He combines his skating skill with good anticipation to be a better-than-average defensive forward. He can read the play very well, seeing the openings and cutting for them defensively to close them, or he can lead a teammate to them with good passes after the transition to offense.

Likewise, he's superlative as a penalty-killer because of his quickness and anticipation. He is able to aggressively pressure the opposition's pukhandlers at the point, and will often break up passes because of his one-step quickness.

The Physical Game
Steen excels in the physical part of the game, more through desire and determination than through sheer size or strength. He does have good strength and can wear down an opponent with his persistent hitting. Though breaking down one European stereotype through his willing physicality, Steen reinforces another by being very mean with his stick.

The Intangibles
Steen's emotionalism and on-ice work ethic, his determination to succeed, is a key to any success Winnipeg enjoys. Through playing a complete game at all times, and by playing hard at all times, Steen is a quiet leader for the Jets.

The Finesse Game
If Steen shot the puck more we'd know all about his great skating ability - the speed, the quickness and lateral ability he uses to force loose pucks, to pounce on said pucks, to drive defensemen off the blue line, to get into scoring position, to change speed and direction within a stride.

If Steen shot the puck more we'd know all about his outstanding hockey sense, vision and anticipation - his ability to read the ice both offensively and defensively, to find open teammates and even to create open space himself, to read and react to the play as it develops.

If Steen shot the puck more we'd know all about his fine puckhandling skills, his ability to make plays in traffic and to get the puck to his teammates in most any situation. If he shot the puck more we'd know all about his quick and accurate shot, and how he gets into position to use it.

Why would we know these things if Steen shot the puck more? Because goal scorers get ink - conscientious, dependable, reliable two-way players do not. Until now.

The Physical Game
Just as his finesse game is a complete one, so too is Steen's physical game. He doesn't have size or outstanding strength, but Steen's brains and balance allow him to gain good body position and in many one-on-one confrontations - and from there he is finesse skills take over. He is unafraid of any area of the ice or any member of the opposition, and will willing impose himself on opposing players.

The Intangibles
He is a leader through attitude and effort, and he is Winnipeg's best all-around player, bar none.

The Finesse Game
Steen's foot speed, hand skills and mental dexterity allow him to play the game at a high tempo...Steen loves to criss-cross with a wing, isolate a defenseman and create the two-on-one game he plays so well.

On offense and defense, he sees and reacts to things other players don't even imagine.

Though only average on faceoffs. Steen is sound defensively. He plays every inch of the ice, and does it without letting up because of extremely good stamina.

The Physical Game
Steen is a willingly physical player from the standpoint of accepting physical contact or eagerly entering into it, and plays off the hits as well as anybody. He commands a tremendous amount of respect for the punishment he takes in the course of a game and his refusal to be intimidated by it.

Steen will steer the puck into the heaviest traffic. He will grind and cycle along the boards and in the corners. He keeps his legs going and is an extremely difficult player to cover. Plus, if you pay too much checking attention to him, one of his linemates will spring into the open.

The Intangibles
This is Winnipeg's finest all-around player, one who improves the players around him. He is determined. He plays hurt. He is a tremendous competitor who despises losing. He takes tremendous pride in his performance. He is a major force whenever he's on the ice.

The Finesse Game
Steen is a solid two-way player who comes to play every night and who always finds a way to produce a point per game. You can put any wingers at all with him and have them become productive players, because, rather than score himself, Steen is more satisfied making a nice pass that leads to a goal.

On the power play, Steen sets up office in the right wing circle and goes to work from there - either playing catch with Phil Housley at the point or driving the puck deep for a give-and-go. Steen will then go to the net, prepared for the return pass, and is strong enough to muscle with any defender who picks him up.

The Physical Game
Steen is a physical player. He tries to take the man hard at all times. He really competes. He throws the shoulder into an opponent, picks up the puck and immediately looks to make a pass. He plays off the hits extremely well, probably because he's had so much experience absorbing them over more than a decade of punishment.

The Intangibles
Last season was the third straight in which Steen played fewer than 60 games. You didn't see the real Thomas Steen. But the real Thomas Steen will be 32 years old when you see him this season.

Despite the age, Steen leads by example. He is respected tremendously for his talent and his contributions over the years.

The Finesse Game
With less ice time, Steen was not as worn down or susceptible to injury. Yet when other team's checking attention was focused on the top line, Steen had the zip to make up for their missing production.

Steen is one of the league's top two-way centers. He works on the Jets' top penalty-killing unit, although he does not take draws (which were never his strong suit).

Steen has always kept himself in good physical condition and doesn't run out of steam at the end of a game.

The Physical Game
So much for Europeans playing soft. Steen is average-sized player who plays big. He is a willing hitter who will also take a hit to make the play. Part of what has distinguished Steen's passing is that he will hang on to the puck, draw a defender's check, then slide the puck to a teammate in the just-vacated ice. He draws penalties by driving to the net. Nothing attracts a referee's attention like a player churning along the boards or in front of the goal and being dragged down.

The Intangibles
Steen's unexpected resurgence was a huge bonus for the Jets, who would like to keep the veteran centre around while their young players mature. Steen doesn't get much attention, but is one of the most respected players in the league for his class and competitiveness.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

RW, Jim Pappin

AST Voting: 3rd (1973)

5x NHL All-Star Game appearances ('64, '68, '73, '74, '75)
2x Stanley Cup winner ('65, '67)

1x Top 10 Goals (6th in '73)
1x Top 10 Points (10th in '73)
3x Top 10 Even Strength Goals (5th in '73, 7th in '69, 9th in '72)
4x Top 5 Shooting Percentage (2nd in '75, 3rd in '73, 5th in '70, 5th in '72)
2x Top 10 Shooting Percentage (6th in '71, 7th in '74)

Jim Pappin played two successful seasons of junior hockey with the Toronto Marlboros from 1958 to 1960, before leaping into the minor pros for three years of seasoning. As property of the Leafs, he arrived in time to have Punch Imlach as his boss. Pappin credits Imlach for pushing him to become a better two-way player. But otherwise, the two found little common ground, especially regarding matters of money.

As such, Pappin played well enough to make the club each year from 1963-68. But during those years, Imlach took advantage of any opportunity to demote his right winger to the minors. Pappin, however, refused to languish in the AHL. He was just too useful, especially during the playoffs of 1967. In the sixth and deciding game of the finals against Montreal, Pappin tossed a backhand pass to Pete Stemkowski. But the puck hit Canadiens' defenseman Terry Harper and slipped into the net. The goal stood as the Stanley Cup winner, the last the Leafs enjoyed.

Pappin toiled for one additional year with the Leafs before Imlach sent him to Chicago. There, "Pappy" settled in as a permanent NHLer. Skating right wing with Pit Martin and Dennis Hull, he scored 216 goals during their seven seasons together.

In 1975, Pappin was traded to the California Golden Seals where he played in 31 contests before the club relocated to Cleveland. He hung in for one final campaign with the Barons and then retired in 1977-78.

Don Cherry - who coached Jim in Rochester - recalled in his book that Jim had "the most cutting tongue of any person I have ever met, cruel and to the point."

Jim agreed that he got himself in trouble on many occasions thanks to his frankness.

"I always said what was on my mind, whether it was good or bad. That's the type of person I was then, and still am now. I figured that if I played hard, day in and day out, then everyone should as well," Jim said. "That's how I got into trouble several times over contracts. I believed in a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. I could never figure out why a guy who got paid more than me, produced less statistically than me That's why I felt I should be paid more. But guys like Punch Imlach didn't agree with me. That's why I couldn't get along with Punch at the time I played with the Leafs."

In those days players didn't hold out for money like today. If they tried a stunt like that they were black balled in the NHL. So it was 'sayonara' Toronto...Jim was shipped to Chicago on May 23 for Pierre Pilote and spent the next seven seasons in the Windy City.

Jim mostly played on a line together with Pit Martin and Dennis Hull. They were dubbed the "M.P.H. Line" Jim had a very productive career in Chicago (30, 28, 22, 27, 41, 32, 36 goals and 70, 53, 45, 48, 92, 73, 63 points), but never got the appreciation from the Chicago fans or press that he deserved. His relationship with reporters was never good due to his sharp tongue and bluntness. But the fans probably didn't appreciate his play as much as they should have. Maybe it was because he was never afraid to make an unorthodox move just to foil the opposition. When the play backfired he could look bad personally. But he was always willing to sacrifice his own glory for the team's benefit

Toronto Years

Right winger Jim Pappin, the big goal-getter during the last part of the season and the first three games of the playoffs, may be lost to Toronto Maple Leafs for the fourth game of the Stanley Cup semifinals. Pappin suffered an injured ankle after scoring his second goal of the best-of seven series against the Chicago Black Hawks.

Pappin, demoted to the Leafs' farm club at Rochester at the mid-way mark of the season, came back to score 13 goals in the final 26 games and became only the second Toronto player to score 20 goals or more. He finished with 21, one fewer than teammate Ron Ellis.

Jovial Jim Pappin wound up as the leading scorer and tempermental Terry Sawchuk snapped back from adversity to become the goaltending hero in Toronto's determined drive to the Stanley Cup.

However quiet man Dave Keon has been voted the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player to his team in the post-season play and neither Pappin, Sawchuk, nor the rest of the champion Maple Leafs should begrudge his selection.

It was 19 years ago that Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Black Hawks met in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Leafs, with Bob Pulford and Jim Pappin playing prominent roles, bounced the Hawks in six games, enroute to their most recent Cup triumph.

"I remember our line getting all the goals in that series," said Pulford as he reminisced about that series. "Well, Jim and Pete (Stemkowski) did the scoring not me-I didn't get any. We were put together to check Stan's (Mikita) line and ended up doing most of the scoring," added Pulford. Pappin led the playoffs in scoring that year with seven goals and eight assists with Stemkowski right behind him.

Jim Pappin came up to the club first in 1964. He was an ornery guy in some ways, but when he was at his best he helped us plenty.

For instace, a lot of the reason we'd won the Stanley Cup was Pete Stemkowski. He had been centre on our best line for the whole playoffs, with Bob Pulford and Jim Pappin on the wings. I remember Gordie Howe talking about that line the previous spring - nearly six hundred pounds of them, and 'they use every ounce when they're checking,' he said.

One more move I had made was to trade Jim Pappin to Chicago for Pierre Pilote. When Pappin had refused to go to Rochester the previous February, that had pretty well sealed it for him with Leafs as far as I was concerned. He did eventually report to Rochester and then was brought back to the Leafs because we needed him. He was a better hockey player than the way he was playing showed, I was convinced of that. But that was no good to me if he wasn't producing for me.

books.google.com/books?isbn=088780117X

Trade to Chicago and role on MPH line

Jim Pappin may never replace Bobby Hull, but it looks as if he will be a valuable addition to Chicago Black Hawks. Pappin, obtained by Chicago in an off-season trade with Toronto Maple Leafs, scored two goals Friday night as the Black Hawks opened their National Hockey League season with a 4-3 victory against St. Louis Blues.

The 29-year-old Pappin spent most of last season in hot water with manager-coach Punch Imlach of Toronto. The Sudbury, Ont., product was traded to the Black Hawks for veteran defenceman Pierre Pilote. It was expected that Pappin would play on a line with Hull and Pit Martin this season, but Hull's retirement[holdout] ended that possibility. Pappin proved Friday, however, that he can put the puck into the net without Hull's help, and it was good news for the Black Hawks.

As [Coach Red] Sullivan pointed out, "he (Hull) is not the only player on that club." He was referring to Stan Mikita, Ken Wharram and Jim Pappin.

Jim Pappin is out of the dog house and doing plenty of barking with the Chicago Black Hawks. Pappin, who was traded off by Coach Punch Imlach of the Toronto Maple Leafs because the two couldn't get along. Pappin scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season last night.

Jean Beliveau on the Blackhawks

"Up front, each line has a man who is very dangerous. That Jim Pappin, on the third line, always seems to get a big goal."

Jim Pappin, a workman-like performer of recent Black Hawks years...

Perhaps it is not a coincidence that the resurrection of right wing Jim Pappin occurred almost simultaneously. Pappin, 33, had one of the best seasons of his 10 year National Hockey League career in 1972-73. And through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Pappin was having his best cup series ever for the Blackhawks. But since the mighty Montreal Canadiens skated onto the scene for the final series, Pappin had played in near obscurity, taking his regular turns with Chicago's MPH line - Pit Martin, Pappin and Dennis Hull - and having very little to show for it.

That all changed Tuesday night in Montreal...Pappin scored two goals - his only other goal of the final series had been a shot into an empty net in the Blackhawks' 7-4 victory last Thursday night - and provided a great deal of the impetus toward Chicago's 8-7 upset of the Canadiens.

Pappin was clearly a key to the big Black Hawk reversal, and a call by referee Bruce Hood late in the first period seemed to start Pappin's own reversal. Hood, who had slapped five previous misconducts on Pappin this season, sent the veteran...off for 10 minutes Tuesday night when Pappin protested that no penalty was called after he was whacked from behind in a scramble around the Montreal net.

Pappin sat and stewed in the penalty box...Then, about five minutes after he had become eligible to play again, Pappin scored an unassisted goal to tie the score at 5-5...and in the last minute of the period, Pappin scored a crucial goal that sent the teams into the dressing room between the second and third periods with Chicago ahead, 7-5.

Pappin had a shot at a hat trick in the last minute, when Montreal had pulled Ken Dryden...Pappin and Hull got a loose puck and skated in two on one against Montreal defenseman Serge Savard. Pappin had the puck and a clear shot at the empty net, but instead slipped the puck to his left to Hull, who shot it directly into the sliding Savard.

Asked later why he hadn't gone for the hat trick, Pappin replied, "Dennis is getting close to a point record. He needed it worse than I did."

"Six hat tricks is nothing to get excited about because my goal is to get this team winning," Pappin said afterwards.

Traded to the Seals near the end of his career

"We needed strength on our right side, and there's no question about Pappin's goal-scoring ability," [GM Bill] McCreary said. "We're very, very happy to have him on the team."

Joe Bowe, one of my favourite announcers, is interviewing Jim Pappin, one of my favourite hockey players and a teammate of mine in Rochester before he went to the Leafs. These two are discussing Jimmy's goal, the one that was the winning goal for the Leafs in 1967, the last time they won the Stanley Cup.

Pappin's winner was sort of a fluky goal, I gotta admit. He threw a backhand in front of the net, and it hit a defenceman's skate and went in, so they never show that one.

Jimmy was a swell guy and a terrific hockey player, but he was very sulky. If he was in the open and the centreman had the puck, and Jimmy wanted the puck and the centreman didn't give it to him, I don't care if it was a three-on-one or a two-on-nothin', he'd go offside. Then he'd immediately go and sit on the bench and sulk. He'd go offside on purpose!

He was hard to manage, but what a hockey player. He'd fit perfectly in today's hockey. Imagine, he's six foot two, 200 pounds. He could skate, he was mean, he could score goals. He'd be worth about five million bucks a year now.

books.google.com/books?isbn=0385670044

 

[Velociraptor]

Dollard St-Laurent, D

Position: Defenseman
HT/WT: 5'11", 205 lbs
Handedness: Left
Born: May 12th, 1929, in Verdun, QC

- 5-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1961)
- 14th in 1956 D All-Star Voting (received 3 votes)
- Played in 5 NHL All-Star Games - (1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1961)
- scored 29 goals and 133 assists for 162 points in 652 games, adding 496 penalty minutes.
- scored 2 goals and 22 assists for 24 points in 92 playoff games, adding 87 penalty minutes.

Voting Record:

Norris Trophy:

8th (57-58), 9th (55-56)

Quotes

Dollie isn't finished yet by any means, he's a free-wheeling skater and can go along better than other fellows his age.

Look at him: he's dying on his feet; he's skin and bone but he played a great game.

Legends of Hockey

[St-Laurent] started out with the Jr. Canadiens of the QJHL where he skated for two seasons from 1947 to 1949. There he demonstrated an offensive touch and an ability to play a tough game of defense at the other end of the ice.

In 1949-50, St. Laurent started a three-year relationship with the Montreal Royals of the QSHL. He spent most of his time sharpening the finer points of his game while putting them to the occasional test by joining the Habs for a couple of stints.

Around 1952-53, however, the Canadiens began to introduce significant new blood in the form of Jacques Plante and Dickie Moore among others. One of the others included St. Laurent who settled onto the Habs' blueline corps as a stay-at-home regular. Over the six seasons that followed, he doled out tough bodychecks and adhered to defensive zone fundamentals in textbook fashion. His efforts contributed to three-straight Stanley Cup victories between 1956 and 1958.

After the third championship, St. Laurent was sold to the Chicago Blackhawks who were gradually assembling a lineup bent on bringing Lord Stanley to town after a lengthy absence. In 1960-61, the troops pulled together and finally ended the championship drought by ousting the Red Wings in the finals.

St. Laurent continued to clear creases for the Hawks until the end of the 1961-62 campaign. The following year, he was dispatched to the Quebec Aces of the AHL. But in spite of his demotion, he felt that he could still perform at the NHL level. His friend, defenseman Doug Harvey, lobbied to have him transferred to the Rangers, but a deal couldn't be worked out. In the meantime, St. Laurent took a hard fall to the ice in Quebec, breaking his leg and ending his aspirations to make it back to the top. At the end of the season, he announced his retirement.

ourhistory.canadiens.com

Dollard St. Laurent’s decade-long tenure within the Canadiens’ organization started while he was still playing junior hockey, suiting up for the Montreal Junior Canadiens before making the jump to the Quebec Senior Hockey League Montreal Royals. After paying his dues with the Habs’ affiliates, the rugged defenseman made his NHL debut with a three-game appearance in 1950-51.

...


For the next six seasons, the Verdun, QC native made his side of the ice as inhospitable as possible to enemy forwards, his punishing hip checks and obvious enthusiasm for his job making him a fan favorite. St. Laurent’s name was engraved on the Stanley Cup for the first time following the 1952-53 season, his first full campaign with the Habs.

An offensive threat in his amateur days, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound rearguard concentrated on taking care of the D zone once he graduated to the NHL, but he still managed to contribute at least a dozen points a season to the Canadiens cause. The hard-hitting blue-liner occasionally led the rush himself and was a more than able playmaker on those occasions that he did venture beyond center ice.

Hockey's Glory Days: The 1950's and '60s

An often underrated member of the Montreal defense during the dynasty years of the 1950's, Dollard St-Laurent was trained in the Canadiens system as a member of the Montreal Royals.

...

An excellent positional player, St-Laurent was content to clean up his own zone and leave the headlines to teammates Doug Harvey and Tom Johnson.

Jacques Plante (novel)

There was the speedy Dollard St-Laurent, a defenseman who was always quick to go to the offensive when the occasion arose.

Detroit Red Wings: Greatest Moments and Players

The Hawks oozed with offensive talent, including such aces as Pierre Pilote, Elmer “Moose†Vasko, Al Arbour, Jack Evans and Dollard St. Laurent.

The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory

On defence. he had two superb pairings: Doug Harvey and Dollard St-Laurent.

Hockey Is a Battle: Punch Imlach's Own Story

Two of their biggest checks in the first minute or so of the game - one by Pierre Pilote and one by Dollard St. Laurent - nailed Dave Keon.

Top 100 Habs, Ryan Coke

No one would ever convince St. Laurent as being an offensive player (he never scored more than four goals in a season), but he was one of the strongest defensive defenceman the team has ever seen. His defensive play allowed him to be selected to five all-star teams.

St-Laurent will be right at home, playing with his close friend Phil Goyette on the Smoke Eaters.

Dollard St. Laurent and Phil Goyette have been the best of friends since playing together on the Stanley Cup-winning Montreal Canadiens' teams of 1956-57 and 1957-58. Through nothing more than sheer serendipity, the pals enjoyed back-to-back days with the Stanley Cup while the trophy visited the Montreal area.

Canadiens Legends

By this point the Canadiens had a star-studded lineup as well as an excellent support cast with defenders like Jean-Guy Talbot, XXX XXXXXX, XX XXXXXXXX and Dollard St-Laurent.

Ottawa Citizen - Jun. 4, 1958

St-Laurent, a local boy has been with the club seven season. He has been rated a better-than-average defenceman in the NHL.

The Montreal Gazette - Apr. 11, 1955

Irvin was high in his praise of defenceman Dollard St-Laurent.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

G, Chuck "Bonnie Prince Charlie" Rayner

(this is a cut and paste of Dreakmur's bio with newspaper articles and HoH posts added)

Awards and Achievements:
Retro Conn Smythe (1950)
Hart Trophy (1950)

3x Second Team All-Star (1949, 1950, 1951)
AHL Second Team All-Star (1941)

Hart Trophy Voting – 1st(1950), 4th(1947), 7th(1949)

Hockey Hall of Fame (1973)
Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

3x New York Ranger MVP (1946, 1947, 1949)

There were times when he must have felt he was wearing a bullseye on his sweater instead of the diagonal ‘Rangers’ his teammates wore. He joined the Blueshirts at the start of the 1945-46 season, and was only fortunate enough to see post-season play twice while on Broadway (1948 and 1950). But he made his mark as one of the best Rangers netminders ever.

He never played in front of a big, rugged group of defensemen, but his goals against average slowly dropped. His best season came in 1949-50, when he posted a 2.62 average and six shutouts, which helped the Rangers make the playoffs and in very close reach of the Stanley Cup. For that performance, he was awarded the Hart Trophy as the MVP of the League, only the second goalie to receive the honor (Roy Worters of the Americans was the first). His five shutouts in 1946-47 led the league in that category.

Despite his relatively short 10-season NHL career (1945-1953), he quickly became one the most popular players in Rangers’ history. He was voted the team’s most valuable player three times, and won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP in 1950, only the second goalie in League history to win the award at the time. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.

It was the 1950 team that was his most memorable. Despite finishing fourth in the regular season standings, the Rangers surprised the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and played the Detroit Red Wings in the finals. Madison Square Garden was booked with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, so the Rangers got only two “home†games at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The balance of the series was played at the Olympia in Detroit.

A classic example of a superb goaltender yoked to a mediocre hockey club... almost singlehandedly guided the Rangers to the final round of the 1950 Playoffs, only to see them fall to the mighty Wings in the final game...The Ranger coach during that cinderaella season, remembered his inspiring heroics with the defenseless blueshirts. "He never had great protection. Yet he always came up with a better than average record and very often with a sensational performance."...A courageous netminder who constantly played with a painful assortment of injuries that would have kept lesser men on the sidelines.

He was a tower of strength for the Rangers for which he was eventually rewarded with the Hart trophy.

Deserves the purple heart for leading a band of journeymen to the seventh game of the finals. Saved 92% of the shots that he faced, even though it was often a barrage. Held Montreal to only seven goals in five games. Stopped 39 shots in final game loss to Detroit. Circus in New York cut back on the Rangers home games in the final.

A superb skater, it was not unusual to see him carrying the puck down the ice… It wasn't until Jacques Plante starred with Montreal a decade later that other goalkeepers exhibited strong puckhandling and playmaking skills.

During the late 1940s, the New York Rangers used him on the point during powerplays late in a handful of games. "That was Frank (Boucher's) idea all the way. I used to do a lot of skating and shooting in practice, so he decided to try it in a game. I'd only come out half way up the blueline. It only happened four of five times," he laughed.â€

“When you threw it in the corner, he would just go out and get the puck. He really forced us to change the way we came into the zone. No one other than Jacques Plante later on was doing that.â€

He liked to yap during games, directing his team like a sergeant directing a military offense. He was a roving goaltender with the skating and stickhandling abilities of a forward...

“During the 1940s, the 5’11" Rayner was considered tall and was aggressive in (and out of) the crease. One of his trademark moves was a pokecheck.â€

“To appreciate the greatness of him, you must remember that he played on some very weak New York teams...You would be going in on him and that stick would come out like a serpent’s tongue, you’d be on your fanny in no time.â€

“He was the best pokechecking goaltender I had ever seen. If he missed you with his stick, he was so big, he would knock you ass-over-teakettle with his body.â€

“He is to the Blueshirts what Joe DiMaggio is to the Yanks.â€

Newspaper Articles

New York's reeling Rangers defeated four times in six days, made known today that one of their most valuable players, goaltender Claude (Chuck) Rayner, will be out of action probably for three weeks with a broken cheekbone.

The rejuvenated New York Rangers, backed up with super-duper goaltening by Chuck Rayner, held the leading Detroit Red Wings scoreless for almost 95 minutes in two weekend games, and came out victors both times.

Rayner allowed the Red Wings the big total of one goal. After winning a 1-0 shutout Saturday - it was the first time the Red Wings had been held scoreless in the National Hockey League this season - Rayner helped his teammates to a 2-1 victory which snapped Detroit's unbeaten road string at 10 games.

The improved showing of the Rangers in the last 10 days has heartened Lynn Patrick to the point where he is recalling that before the season started he prophesied that they wouldn't finish any worse than third. Chuck Rayner, Edgar Laprade and Dunc Fisher are carrying the mail for Lynn...

One writer lobbying for Chuck and mention of reliance on GAA for award voting

Highlight of the Red Wing-Ranger game--apart from the "master-minding"--was another of those remarkable displays of goaltending by Chuck Rayner.

For a period and a half, the Gotham puck-defending magician did not have much to do. But once the aroused Red Wings started to roll, following two fast Ranger tallies, he was kept busier than a one-armed paper-hanger with the hives. The league-leaders rained shots at him from all angles. There were occasions where he was forced to boot out as many as three and four blistering drives in a matter of seconds. In the third period alone, following the complete collapse of his defence, he made a total of 19 saves, not counting the 2 shots that got by him.

For the past several years this corner has contended that Rayner is the best goalie in the league. We continue to say so. Front him a defence the equal of that which stands guard in front of Montreal's Bill Durnan, and we are sure he would prove it even to those die-hards who cling to the out-moded notion that the goals-against record provides a true picture of the ability of the goaltender.

It was goalie Chuck Rayner's, sixth shutout of the season in the game at Gotham. A pair of second-period goals by Tony Leswick and another from rookie Nick Mickoski in the final frame cemented the Rangers' seventh victory of the season over the Black Hawks in 11 meetings.

Rayner bobbed up with 22 saves to earn the goose-egg, successfully holding out Doug Bentley, Chicago's great centre, looking for his 200th goal. Bentley has yet to score against the Rangers this year.

Rayner's work in the 1950 playoffs

Goalie Chuck Rayner was treated with praise aplenty today as the New York Rangers celebrated their triumph over the Montreal Canadiens in the semi-finals of the National Hockey League. The surprising Rangers moved into the Stanley Cup finals last night when they dumped the Canadiens, 3-0, thus wrapping up the best-of-seven series, four games to one.

And according to Coaches Lynn Patrick of New York and Dick Irvin on Montreal, Rayner's superb netminding was the big difference. Patrick admitted that "Chuck really stood them on their heads." And that's the way it was during the entire five games, as the Canadiens broke through Rayner for only seven goals while the Rangers totaled 15. The usually reticent Irvin was lavish in his praise of Rayner, pointing out that "if they get the same sensational goaltending they got in this series, the Rangers surely will win the Stanley Cup."

Chuck Rayner and Harry Lumley are two of the greatest goalers in the game today and there may be little to choose between them. But what little there is may rest with Rayner. Charlie never cracks wide-open and Lumley sometimes does.

Edgar Laprade and Chuck Rayner, who played major roles in New York Rangers' 3-1 victory over Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Thursday night to square the Stanley Cup final series at 1-1. Laprade sniped two all-important counters to break a 1-1 deadlock, while Rayner rose to great heights to stop numerous scoring sorties by the Detroit squad.

Rayner won the 1950 Hockey News poll of best player, and got mentions in Sport Magainze's poll

The Hockey News has selected Chuck Rayner as the leading player of the past season, Jim Hendy as top executive and Mud Bruneteau as the best coach. There is no denying that all three did splendid jobs.

Maurice Richard, who was selected as hockey's top performer in 1950 by Sport Magazine's board of experts, will be presented with the award at a gathering...The Rocket was an easy winner, only Chuck Rayner and Sid Abel getting mentions...

Coach Neil Colville figures the chances of his New York Rangers making the Stanley Cup playoffs are "better than good." Manager Frank Boucher admits "we're in a pretty fair spot."

But they're not going too far out on a limb. They face one big "if". And that's the condition of goalie Chuck Rayner - the Mr. Big of the Rangers - who will be out of action possibly a week with bursitis in both shoulders. Rayner is the key in the Ranger playoff plans and with only three weeks of the regular season remaining, he could not miss too many games if they are to stay in the running.

Chuck Rayner, one of the top goalies in the National Hockey League for years, will make his debut with Saskatoon Quakers tonight at the Arena at 8:30 o'clock in an exhibition game against New York Rangers.

Posts about Rayner from HoH Goaltender Project

Let's look at what Rayner did in his early career:

In 1939-40 Rayner was playing for the Kenora Thistles. Red Dutton called him the best goalie prospect in Canada, and he got Kenora to the Memorial Cup Final, where they lost 3 games to 1 to the repeat champs from Oshawa.

1940-41 he was a 2nd team all-star in the AHL, and got a 12 game call up with the Americans.

In 1941-42 Rayner took the starting job from Robertson, a 2 time 2nd team all-star, and finished 3rd in all-star voting.

Rayner spent 42-43, 43-44 and 44-45 in military service.

In 1945-46, Rayner returned to the NHL with the Rangers, and platooned with Henry for the first 26 games of the season, before Henry was sent to the minors, and he took over full starter duties.

In 46-47, Rayner remained the Rangers starter and finished 4th in all-star voting and tied for 4th in Hart voting with Broda. All-star voting was done by the 6 NHL coaches and the Hart by the writers.

In 47-48, Rayner was injured in the 10th game of the season. He played 15 games in the AHL while Henry took over in NY, but returned to play the last 2 games of the season, and played well in the Rangers' playoff loss to Detroit. Neither Henry or Rayner get any awards voting.

One thing that impresses me a lot about Chuck Rayner is that he consistently got recognition from somewhere:

• 1942: The only goalie other than Frank Brimsek and Turk Broda to get All Star votes (at the age of 22)
• Lost 1943, 1944, and 1945 (ages 23-25) to World War 2.
• 1946: No leaguewide recognition but voted NY Rangers MVP
• 1947: 4th in All Star voting behind Durnan, Brimsek, and Broda. 4th in Hart voting; voted NY Rangers MVP
• 1948: injured
• 1949: 7th in Hart voting; 2nd Team All Star (behind Durnan over Broda), voted NY Rangers co-MVP
• 1950: Won the Hart Trophy; 2nd Team All Star (behind Durnan over Broda)
• 1951: 2nd Team All Star (behind Sawchuk over Rollins)

In every healthy year he played from 1942-1951, Rayner finished top 3 in league All Star voting or was named the MVP of his (weak) team. Rayner also played in the NHL All Star Game on merit 4 straight years from 1949-1952. He won the Hart Trophy in 1950 (but was 2nd Team All Star that season).

This is how Rayner's career ended due to injury at the age of 32:

During the 1951-52 season, ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie,’ as he had been tagged by the press while a rookie, suffered a serious knee injury, and was never quite the same afterwards. He played just 20 games the next season, but watched while Gump Worsley emerged as the Rangers goaltender. Worsley eventually won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. Those 20 games were the final contests in Rayner’s fine NHL career. "I would have loved to be on a Stanley Cup team, but I have no complaints. I feel the Rangers treated me right and I don’t have anything to complain about," smiled Rayner.

http://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep197302.shtml

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Coach, Cecil Hart

394 NHL games coached, 196-125-73 record
Two-time winner of Stanley Cup (1930 and 1931)
Team Finishes: 1st place five times (1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1937), 2nd place twice (1927, 1930), 3rd place once (1938), 6th place once (1939)

Hart finished first or second every year for the first 7 years he coached. In 1938 he slipped to third and he resigned in 1939 when the Canadiens finished 6th.

He was definitely what we'd considered a "player's coach" today and built his teams on speed, employing the five-man attack.

Cecil Hart first helped the Habs win the Stanley Cup as the team’s coach in 1930, and again in 1931. He was fired in 1932, following an argument with Canadiens owner Leo Dandurand. In 1936, new team owner Ernest Savard rehired Hart as the team’s coach and general manager, though Hart made reacquiring Howie Morenz from the New York Rangers a condition of his hiring. The trade was made, though misfortune struck suddenly when Morenz broke his leg in a game against Chicago and died as a result of complications caused by blood clots in his injured leg on March 8, 1937. Despite Morenz’s death, Hart led the Canadiens to first place in the NHL’s Canadian Division with 54 points in 48 games. The Canadiens, however, were eliminated three games to one in their semifinal against the regular season champion, Detroit Red Wings. Montreal struggled afterwards to regain its stride as a number of key players such as Aurele Joliat, Pit Lepine and Albert "Babe" Siebert subsequently retired. During the 1938-39 season, Hart resigned as both the team’s coach and general manager.

http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/gm/Cecil-Hart

Hart assumed the coaching duties of the Canadiens in 1926-27, the season the team began playing at the Forum. In his first three seasons, Hart led the Canadiens to a first or second place regular season finish; the team won 18 straight games during the 1927-28 season! In 1929-30, Hart coached Montreal to the Stanley Cup title and then repeated his success in 1930-31, It was the first time in franchise history that the Canadiens won back-to-back titles, but it would be their last Cup until 1944. Hart was an innovative coach who believed that team speed and relentless pressure were the keys to the game. He retired after the 1931-32 season, leaving the Canadiens as the dominant team in the NHL. By the middle of the decade, however, the team's performance was steadily going south and sportswriters waged a newspaper campaign to bring Hart back as head coach. In 1936-37, Cece returned to lead the Canadiens to a first-place divisional finish. Hart coached until the middle of the 1939 season, when illness forced him to retire. The Montreal club qualified for the playoffs in each of the 8 seasons that Hart coached the team.

When Hart died in 1940, he was honored by his former players and opponents alike. Lester Patrick of the New York Rangers said: "Cecil Hart was always a hard manager to beat, but a better sportsman I could not have found to lose to." Bill Steward of the Chicago Blackhawks remembered: "Loyalty to his team, fairness to an opponent, and willingness to abide by the letter of the rules, are characteristics I will always remember of Cecil Hart." As one of the NHL's greatest coaches up to that time, Hart's record was unmatched and his back-to-back titles were a great accomplishment. Under his direction, the Canadiens became one of sport's most dominant franchises.

http://www.jewsinsports.org/profile.asp?sport=hockey&ID=3

Hart was given command of the Habitants in 1926-27. They had finished last the season before, but he pulled them into second spot. For the next six years, they were in the playoffs each season, winning the Stanley Cup twice.

Hart left Canadiens in 1932, and the Habitants floudered. In 1935 they were sold to J. Ernest Savard who appointed Sylvio Mantha as coach but again they finished in the sectional cellar, and Hart came back the following season. He brought back Howie Morenz, reunited several former Canadiens stars, and guided the team into first place despite the death of Morenz in mid-season. They ended third the following season, then plummeted to the cellar in 1938-39 and Hart was relieved of his managership.

Dick Irvin: "He was one of the greatest sportsmen, and was well like by all players who worked under him. He did something which very few other fellows have ever done - won a Stanley Cup twice in a row. He will be missed greatly by hockey players and coaches alike."

Leroy Goldsworthy, formerly of the Montreal Canadiens, when told of the death of Cecil Hart here Tuesday night paid tribute to Hart's ability as a manager in pulling the Canadiens out of a slump and making them a winning team.

"He was well-liked and well-thought of by every player in the league," he said.

...Cecil Hart, the successful pilot of the Canadien team, generally conceded to be the greatest pilot of the classiest combination ever put together.

One of the few NHL coaches who did not overdo pugnacity.

Meanwhile Canadiens, under the resumed regime of Cecil Hart, were gradually winning back their old-time popularity. Two years ago, they led the Canadian section. Last season, they finished tied for second place with New York Americans, the latter getting the call for the runner-up spot on the strength of one more victory. As in the previous season, Canadiens again carried their first playoff opponents to overtime in the limit game of the series before bowing to elimination. The Habitants' appearance in the playoffs kept intact Manager Hart's record of never having missed the post-schedule series. In charge of the Canadiens for eight seasons, he made the playoffs with them every time.

The retirement of Cecil Hart brought expressions of regret from every strata of hockey society. A keen student of hockey, an enthusiast such as the game seldom has had, and a natural leader of men, Hart had all the requisites that go to make up a successful manager.

He was an expert at maintaining a fighting spirit in his club and his outspoken manner earned for him the respect of every player under him. In piloting the Flying Frenchmen to Stanley Cup victories in 1930 and 1931, he employed the strategy of a five-forward attack and did much to popularize such spectacular tactics.

The defensive system of the Frenchmen was centered around their ability to skate, and in the second period, especially, they skated the lines that Coach Irvin was sending out at two-minute intervals, into the ground. Manager Cecil Hart had few subs to use, but the men stuck to their guns like heroes.

HART PLAYS BOLD HAND

In directing his team to victory, Manager Cecil Hart played a bold hand and deserves considerable credit for the triumph. From the time the Hawks were shorthanded early in the second period until Canadiens had gained the lead late in the third, Hart kept four forwards an one defenceman on his line-up. It was a daring and heady piece of work and it worked out to perfection. It was the speed of the forwards, always boring in hard that ran the Chicago resistance ragged in the third period and paved the way for the winning goals.

If movement to get Cecil to return to Canadien is successful, it will be a step in the right direction to rehabilitate the Flying Frenchmen in the National Hockey League. Not only has the fiery mentor a host of friends, but he is considered one of the smartest men in hockey today and his return to the bleu, blanc, rouge, should do much to mend their fortunes.

Aurele Joliat: "I couldn't help giving everything for a coach like Cecil Hart."

"I guess I got as big a kick out of my first full year as out of anything. That was 1923-24 and Canadiens went all the way to the Stanley Cup - the hard way...Just a minute - that's not right either," he paused. "I'll tell you the biggest thrill I got out of hockey. It was when Canadiens brought Cecil Hart back as coach last year and brought Howie Morenz back from New York. That put us right back in the league and I felt like a kid again. Say, if Howie hadn't died we'd have won the Stanley Cup last year...

[Howie Morenz's] best friend was Cecil Hart, coach of the team, and while he loved to play hockey, he loved to play for Hart.

Then he started to slip a little and the owners, suffering at the box office with a losing team and the effects of the depression, sold him to the Chicago Black Hawks. Later, the club let Cecil Hart go and the team was pretty well broken up.

Then, in the summer of 1936, the Canadiens were bought by a new group, who immediately installed Cecil Hart as manager. The latter's first move was to bring Morenz back and put at centre between Aurele Joliat and Johnny Gagnon, his old linemates. Howie revitalized and the ice burned beneath his feet. Again the line became one of the most feared in the league.

He was linked to other clubs after leaving the Canadiens in 1932

Out of hockey for a season after he resigned as pilot of the Canadiens, Cecil Hart will probably be the master mind on the bench for Boston Bruins in the 1933-34 National Hockey League campaign with Art Ross, present manager, replacing Charles F. Adams on the league board of governors, it was learned here today.

Cecil Hart, former manager of Montreal Canadiens, and George Boucher, last year director of the Boston Bruin Cubs, are being mentioned as coaches for the Senators.

The late Cecil Hart, then coach of the rival Canadien, reversed the usual superstition with his belief that black cats were lucky.

Bill [O'Brien, hockey trainer] recalls the time that Eddie Durfour, who was the Canadiens' trainer, called him into the Canadiens' dressing room to show him some sw anky new sweaters which had just arrived. Bill noticed a couple cans of milk and salmon in the room and he asked Eddie what they were for.

"They're for the cat," said Eddie, and he showed Bill the huge black cat that Cecil had purchased.

"That cat only lasted one night," said Bill. "It got into the new sweaters and ripped and clawed them to pieces. Besides, it wasn't house-broken and it made a fine mess of the room."

 

[Dreakmur]

Yuri Liapkin !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Olympic Gold Medalist (1976)
World Championship Gold Medalist (1971, 1973, 1974, 1975)

Soviet League Champion (1976)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Goals among Defensemen – 1st(1968), 1st(1969), 1st(1970), 1st(1971), 1st(1972), 1st(1973), 1st(1974), 1st(1975), 1st(1976), 1st(1977), 2nd(1967), 2nd(1978), 3rd(1966), 5th(1965)

Summit Series Scoring among Defensemen - 1st(1972)

Olympic Scoring among Defensemen - 2nd(1976)

World Championship Scoring among Defensemen - 2nd(1973), 2nd(1976), 3rd(1975)

Yuri Liapkin was the Soviet's highest scoring blueliner, and arguably the best Soviet defender ever. He also was a major influence on the strong Soviet powerplay.

Yuri Liapkin had a reputation of one of the strongest and most reliable Soviet blueliners in the 1970's. A crafty stick handler and puck carrier, Liapkin had a relatively soft puck-moving style and, unlike many of his defense teammates, wasn't very impressive speed wise. His strongest parts were his amazing tactical sense of the game and mastery of hockey improvisation. Liapkin was a high scoring defenseman known for his accurate shooting and contribution into his team attacks. Arguably, one of the best moments in his career was when Shadrin, Tsygankov and Liapkin managed to kill a 2-man advantage in a key game against the Chechoslovakian squad and became the heroes of the 1976 Olympics.

....

Despite his puck mishandling that led to the Henderson's goal, Yuri Liapkin was the highest scoring defense player among the blueliners of both teams. Overall, he was one of the best defensemen on the Team USSR 1972 roster.

​

 

[BubbaBoot]

Dave Poulin
center / left wing

• Shoots: Left • Height: 5-11 • Weight: 190 lbs. •
• Born: December 17, 1958 • Timmins, Ontario •
• Played: 1982/83 - 1994/95 \\\ 1982/83 Sweden •

• Awards •
1978-79 Notre Dame Rookie of the Year (WCHA)
1981-82 Notre Dame MVP (CCHA)
1981-82 Hobey Baker Finalist (NCAA)
1986-87 Frank J. Selke Trophy (NHL)
1992-93 King Clancy Memorial Trophy (NHL)

• Honors •
1978-79 WCHA All-Star Team (HM)
1979-80 WCHA All-Star Team (HM)
1980-81 WCHA All-Star Team (HM)
1981-82 CCHA All-Star Team (2nd)
1981-82 CCHA All-Tournament Team (1st)
Notre Dame (All-Joyce) All-Time Team (1st)
2004 Flyers Hall of Fame

• All-Star Games •
NHL - 1986 / 1988
NHL - 1987 [Rendez-vous '87]

• NHL All-Star Voting •
- 83-84 (4th) / 84-85 (3rd) / 85-86 (3rd) / 86-87 (2nd) / 88-89 (7th)

• Calder Trophy Voting •
- 1983-84 (4th)

• Hart Trophy Voting •
- 1984-85 (T10th)

• Selke Trophy Voting •
- 84-85 (7th) / 85-86 (8th) / 86-87 (1st) / 87-88 (7th) / 89-90 (T25th) / 92-93 (2nd)

• Achievements •
• Goals
- 1981-82 CCHA 29 (T5)
- Career NHL • 205
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 31

• Points
- 1981-82 CCHA 59 (6)
- Career NHL • 530
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 73

• Shorthanded Goals
- 1984-85 NHL 4 (7)
- 1985-86 NHL 6 (3)
- 1987-88 NHL 5 (7)
- 1988-89 NHL 5 (6)
- 1992-93 NHL 5 (5)
- Career • 39 (T6th all-time)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 6 (T7th all-time)

• Plus/Minus
- 1986-87 NHL 47 (3)
- Career NHL • +212 (51st all-time)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • +1

• Shooting Percentage
- 1988-89 NHL 22.2 (10)
- Career NHL • 15.9

• career stats •

|gms | G |A |TP |PIMs|+/- |G/gm|A/gm|PP |SH
NHL | 724 |205 |325 |530 |482 |+212 |.28 |.45 |12 |39
NHL PLAYOFFS| 129 |31 |42 |73 |58 |+1 | .24 |.33 | 6 |6
NCAA | 135 |89 |107 |196 |175 | |.66 |.79 | |
Sweden-2 | 32 |35 |27 |63 |64 | |1.09 |.84 | |
ON-Jr.A | 34 |28 |31 |59 |59 | |.82 |.91 | |

• career team records •
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) - games (33 ) / playoff games (T35) / goals (16) / playoff goals (T19) / assists (17) / playoff assists (T25) / points (19) / playoff points (T25) / EV goals (T16) / playoff EV goals (T29) / SH goals (3) / playoff SH goals (T1) / GPG (17) / playoff GPG (T22) / APG (T14) / playoff APG (T31) / points/G (T13) / playoff points/G (22) / +/- (14) / Most points by a rookie / Flyers Hall of Fame (2004)
Notre Dame (WCHA / CCHA / NCAA) - goals (T4) / assists (9) / points (4) / PP goals (2) / SH goals (10) / GW goals (2) / hat tricks (1) / most points by a freshman / All-Joyce Center Team (1st team) /

• Accolades •

Dave Poulin was one of the best hockey players of the 1980s. Problem was not many people knew it then, and few remember that now.

Poulin was a great hockey player. He didn't score many goals and when he did they weren't pretty. He was an unheralded defensive center who was always shadowing the opposition's top gun. He was always on the ice when the game was on the line, taking key faceoffs and blocking point shots. He was the ultimate team player who was never fully appreciated by the fans or media when he played, and will likely be forgotten about over time.

Poulin signed with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent for the final two games of the regular season in 1983. Dave scored 2 goals in those two games and added 4 points in 3 playoff games! Needless to say, Poulin's career was just starting to bloom.

Poulin then went on to play six full seasons with the Flyers. In his first full year in Philadelphia, he recorded career-highs with 31 goals, 45 assists and 76 points. Dave duplicated his fine season in 1984-85 when he recorded 30 goals and 74 points. More importantly he played an integral role in helping lead the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals.

It was probably during the 1985 playoffs that the Flyers realized that as good as Poulin was offensively, his true value was as a defensive specialist. The Ontario native's hockey sense and smarts allowed him to anticipate plays excellently, both in the offensive and defensive zones. His speed and good hands helped mold him into one of the league's finest penalty killers. Though not an overly imposing figure, Poulin played a physical game, initiating contact intelligently. He was also strong in the faceoff circle and a willing shot blocker. In short, there was nothing that this one time captain would do to win. Though he was quiet in execution, his intensity and heart made him a leader both on and off the ice.

Although his offensive production slipped slightly because of his role as the third line center, Poulin actually gained more acclaim. He was named to the NHL all star games in both 1986 and 1988 and played for the NHL all stars against the Soviets in Rendez'vous 87. He also won the Frank J Selke trophy in 1987 as a reward for his defensive excellence.

"People call ’87 one of the greatest Cup Finals of all time. We lost to a team that may have had nine Hall of Famers. We were missing our top scorer in Tim Kerr, we were missing top players all along the way and we kept battling. A 3-1 game … Glenn Anderson scores in the last minute to make it 3-1." Poulin recollects painfully. "We were as close to a Stanley Cup as you can get without winning one."

Midway through the 1989-90 campaign, Poulin was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Kenny LInseman.. Again his solid two-way play helped his team reach the Cup Finals but the Bruins eventually fell short to the Edmonton Oilers. It was Dave's third trip to the Finals, and the third time he came up short. He never would win the Cup.

The following season, Poulin was put on a line with superstar Brian Propp and Tim Kerr. The line became a dangerous offensive line in the league for the bulk of the next three seasons, and in his first full NHL campaign, helped him set a club record (now since passed) for most points by a Flyers rookie with 76. Poulin quickly established himself as a strong leader and a player that could play at both ends of the ice, owing to the fact that he was 25 years old before taking a regular shift in the pros. Those attributes aided in his being named team captain on the eve of the 1984-85

"During the 1980's our club had great success and Dave Poulin was one of our leaders. He was the captain and a courageous clutch performer".

We're hoping Dave will fill in as a good two-way player. I know he kills penalties. I know he playes tough. I know he plays with character".

In addition, because the Soviets dictate that a great portion of the game be played without the puck, the league formed a checking line of Dave Poulin, XXXXX XXXXXX and Dale Hawerchuk to stop the Soviets' big guns: Sergei Makarov, Vladimir Krutov and Igor Larionov, a unit that has been among the best in the world since 1981. Team NHL was fervently hoping to escape the first period of Wednesday night's game in a scoreless tie so that the players could get their feet under them.

From the theatrical opening ceremonies—the Red Army Choir, the Harvard Glee Club and a choir from Quebec City engaged in dueling anthems (the Red Army Choir won)—to Poulin's game-winning goal with 1:15 left, this game was a classic, everything that hockey can be.

Then, there is Dave Poulin. Widely regarded as the only Flyers captain who could rival Clarke as both a locker room leader and on-ice tone setter, Poulin had a galvanizing presence on the club.

"Dave made sure everyone felt like a member of the team. No one got special treatment, and everyone was there to do their job to reach the same goal, which was winning hockey games," says Flyers Assistant Coach Craig Berube, who played with Poulin both in Philadelphia (1986-87 to 1989-90) and Washington (1993-94 to 1994-95).

One of most cerebral players in the National Hockey League, the University of Notre Dame graduate possessed a winning combination of hockey sense and book smarts. As much as his physical ability, Poulin's mental discipline enabled him to succeed.

"You couldn't ask for a better leader than Dave Poulin. He set an example, on and off the ice, for everyone to follow. It was an honor to be his teammate and to know him as a person."

"It's important as an athlete to know your limits and play within yourself. However, it's best to play at the upper limits. Everyone has limitations – it's how far you push the top end of them that makes you distinctly different and successful."

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Jacques Plante
6’0â€
175lbs
Catches Left


Stanley Cup: 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960

Hockey Hall of Fame: 1978


Awards
Hart: 1961-62
Retro Conn Smythe: 1960
Jennings/Old Vezina: 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1961-62, 1968-69


Post Season All Star Record (Top 3’s)
1954-55: 3rd (finished behind Lumley and Sawchuk, no points available)
1955-56: 1st (119pts, Glenn Hall runner-up with 84pts)
1956-57: 2nd (85pts, finished behind Glen Hall with 121pts)
1957-58: 2nd (104pts, finished behind Glenn Hall with108pts)
1958-59: 1st (145pts, Terry Sawchuk runner-up with 98pts)
1959-60: 2nd (105pts, finished behind Glenn Hall with 106pts)
1960-61: Nothing – only 40GP due to knee injury
1961-62: 1st (157pts, Glenn Hall runner-up with 86pts)
1962-63: 3rd (71pts, finished behind Glenn Hall with 142pts and Terry Sawchuk with 76pts)
1968-69: 3rd (61pts, finished behind Glenn Hall and 115pts and Ed Giacomin with 102pts)
1969-70: 3rd (28pts, finished behind Tony Esposito with 180pts and Ed Giacomin with 81pts)
1970-71: 2nd (111pts, finished behind Ed Giacomin wtih 157pts)

Post Season All Star Summary and Notes
- Finishes: 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3 *two 3rd place finishes from 6 team league
- Span of 14 years from earliest top 3 finish to latest, 13 years for top 2
- 3x Plante was within 5 points or less of the guy that finished ahead of him: 1957-58, 1959-60, and 1962-63
- Finishes with near ties changed to 1b, 2b: 1, 1, 1, 1b, 1b, 2, 2, 2b, 3, 3, 3


Hart Record
1958-59: 10th (behind Beliveau and Moore from own team)
1961-62: 1st (94pts – Doug Harvey runner-up with 60pts)
1962-63: 9th (1pt behind Henri Richard from own team)
1963-64: 12th (1st on team, but only received one vote)
1968-69: 12th (only 3 votes)
1970-71: 5th (4pts behind Dave Keon from own team)


Save % Ranks (From Reconstructed SV% Stats, 30GP to Qualify for Rankings)
1954-55: 3rd (.004 behind 1st)
1955-56: 1st (.008 ahead of 2nd)
1956-57: 3rd (.007 behind 1st)
1957-58: 2nd (.006 behind 1st)
1958-59: 1st (.112 ahead of 2nd)
1959-60: 3rd (.003 behind 1st)
1960-61: 5th (.018 behind 1st) - Injured
1961-62: 1st (.006 ahead of 2nd)
1962-63: 3rd (.004 behind 1st)
1963-64: 6th (.023 behind 1st)
1964-65: 7th (.023 behind 1st)
1968-69: 1st (.012 ahead of 2nd)
1969-70: 3rd (.011 behind 1st)
1970-71: 1st (.022 ahead of 2nd)
1971-72: 6th (.017 behind 1st)
1972-73: 5th (.015 behind 1st)

Save% Summary
Finishes: 1, 1, 1, 1*, 1*, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3*, 5, 5*, 6, 6*, 7
*Post Expansion Years


GAA Top 3
1st – 8x
3rd – 3x


Shutouts Top 3
1st – 4x
3rd – 6x


Regular Season
837GP – 437W – 246L – 145T
2.38 GAA
82 SO


Playoffs
112GP – 71W – 36L
2.14 GAA
14 SO


Joe Pelletier

A seven time All Star, Plante won the Hart Trophy in 1962 as the league's most valuable player. He'd win a record seven Vezina Trophies and also 6 Stanley Cups in his illustrious 18 year career. His lifetime GAA of 2.37 is almost as amazing as his 82 shutouts.

Plante played for six teams during his career, most notably the Montreal Canadiens as well as the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and finishing up his career with the Edmonton Oilers of the WHA at the age of 45.

Plante started many trends which we now simply take for granted. He was the first goalie to signal with one of his arms to his teammates when icing was going to be called. His strong skating ability - something goalies of older eras were not noted for like they are today - enabled him to come out of his net and challenge shooters, thus cutting down the angles. Yet another taken-for-granted play started by Plante was stopping the puck behind the net. Prior to Plante, no goalie would regularly roam around the ice and stop the puck and give it to his defenceman. That was unheard of!

Of course Plante's greatest contribution and most recognizable innovation was the goalie mask. He wasn't the first goalie ever to use one, but he was the first to permanently adopt a practical face mask.

"I rate him and Terry Sawchuk as the best goalies I've ever seen," wrote Jean Beliveau in his autobiography. "With Ken Dryden, Glenn Hall, Bernie Parent and Patrick Roy on the next rung down."

Plante, who only became the Canadiens regular goalie in 1954-55, won the Vezina Trophy each of the 5 years that the Habs had won the Cup. Despite all the great scorers on what many think is the greatest team of all time, you simply don't win a Stanley Cup - let alone 5 in a row - without great goaltending.

Plante, described by Boom Boom Geoffrion as "one of the cockiest, most confident goaltenders I've met," was the game's best during this time.

According to most statistical sources, Plante was inactive from competitive hockey in his three year retirement, but Jean Beliveau stated otherwise in his autobiography My Life In Hockey. He claims Plante played for the Quebec Aces during that time, which obviously would have kept his skills sharp.

When it comes to the eternal debate about the greatest goalie of all time, Plante's status remains near the top despite time's natural erosion. Perhaps Ken Dryden, a great goaltender in his own right, puts it best: "There are a lot of very good goalies, there are even a fair number of great goalies. But there aren't many important goalies. And Jacques Plante was an important goalie"

Legends of Hockey – Pinnacle

…when Plante was asked to cite his career highlight, he chose an exhibition game. On December 15, 1975, at the age of forty-seven and out of hockey for a year, Jacques Plante was chosen to play for the Montreal Juniors of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in an exhibition contest against the Soviet Union.

The Montreal Juniors had evolved from a team known as the Montreal Red, White and Blue the previous season and ended up having a decent campaign in 1975-76, winning 36, losing 29 and tying 7 for a third-place finish in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's West Division. Sparked by sniper Normand Dupont, who would score 69 goals that season, the team's most celebrated alumnus was Robert Picard, who went on to become a journeyman defenseman in the National Hockey League.

"I was never so nervous before a game in all my life," stated Plante, recalling that contest. "I've never had a feeling like I did before that game. There was a different atmosphere throughout the whole Forum. Everyone was edgy."

No junior team had ever beaten the Soviets. "I was shivering and shaking in the dressing room and didn't think I would make it to the goal," laughed Plante some years later. "I kept telling myself that I had no business being there; that I was out of hockey for a year and I had nothing to gain and everything to lose."

The well-played contest appeared as though it was going to end in a draw. "The game was tied 1-1 and we scored with twenty-nine seconds remaining," Plante remembered. "The Forum went wild and fans threw everything on the ice. After they cleared it all up, the Soviets fired three more good shots at me in the last twenty-nine seconds." Playing with the skill and confidence that earned him six Stanley Cup championships, seven Vezina Trophies and seven All-Star selections through his seventeen National Hockey League seasons, Jacques shut the door on the Soviets and earned his exuberant junior team a 2-1 win against a clearly frustrated Soviet squad.

To Jacques Plante, this single game was the highlight of his career — telling for a man who refreshingly marched to the beat of his own drummer

Todd Denault – Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey

able to act as a second set of eyes for his defenders, alerting them to their situation or how the play was unfolding. It didn’t take long for fans to notice Plante’s voice during the play, always in constant communication.

Harvey knew that Plante didn’t need any heroics by his defensemen, writes Brown. Harvey would block the shots that came at him, but would rarely throw himself at the puck.

Harvey was adept at slowing down the game. Plante took it upon himself to do the same. The difference is that Harvey did it by having the puck; Plante slowed the game down because of his own ingenuity. He was so successful that the league had to pass another rule specifically designed to thwart the Canadiens.

Jacques would come out of the net and freeze the puck, especially in key situations, remembered future coach Scotty Bowman years later. If the Canadiens had a lot of pressure on them, and he wanted to get a face-off, Jacques was the first goalie to stop play.

The rest of the league was unable to thwart some of Jacques’ other ploys to slow the game. Quite often when facing an opposition power play he would claim to have an equipment malfunction. Skating to the bench to get a “loose†strap fixed, Plante was actually buying time for his penalty killers to catch their breath

Another facet of his game that drove his opponents to distraction was how he would put himself in between an opposing player and the puck. Running interference, he regularly drew the other team into taking unnecessary penalties.

Red Fisher – The Man In The Mask

Know something? While Blake at times hated Plante, he always insisted he was the best goaltender he'd ever seen.

"Especially those five years we won the Cup, eh?" Blake said. "I played with (Bill) Durnan, and he was the best I'd ever seen up to that time. Plante was better during those five years."

Blake knew it and so did Plante. His teammates knew it, even though he stretched their patience from time to time. It's true he played behind many of hockey's best players, starting with Doug Harvey on defence, Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore, Maurice and Henri Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion and others. The result was that on some nights, Plante's work was minimal because his colleagues controlled the puck most of the game, but he always made the big stops when the Canadiens needed them. No goaltender I have ever known was more confident in his ability to win.

Ottawa Citizen – January 13, 1961

He paid no attention to the profession’s age-old adage that a goalie must not leave his crease at any time while the play is on, and never hesitated to wander as far out as the blueline to help his defensemen.

He often incurred the wrath of Montreal fans – by dashing into the fray to intercept a pass or break up a play.

Gordie Howe

“When you threw it in the corner, he [Rayner] would just go out and get the puck. He really forced us to change the way we came into the zone. No one other than Jacques Plante later on was doing that.â€

- Bob Plager, Hockey Digest 1981

"If Jacques was in the nets today, I'd still be playing. That's how good he was."

Anatoli Tarasov

"Jacques Plante is the best goaltender I've ever seen."

Red Fisher

"He did it his own way, and he was so damn good, he could do it his way."

BM67 – On How Plante Was Affected By Teammates

Plante was short changed on all-star selections because he played on a stacked team. Plante led Montreal to 5 straight Vezinas and Stanley Cups but was only voted 1st all-star twice during that run. When he won the Vezina after Harvey was traded, he won the Hart. No one thought he'd win it without Harvey, but before that he was expected to win the Vezina because of Harvey.

Plante's top 5 Hart record has to be looked at in the same light as his all-star teams. Beliveau is the only Canadiens to win the Hart during their 5 straight Cup run. In fact Beliveau and Harvey are the only Canadiens to finish in the top 5.

He was a 7 time all-star, and won the Hart Trophy in 1962. His 6 Stanley Cup wins, 10 Finals appearances, and 7 Vezina Trophies are all records for goaltenders. A Retro Conn Smythe win in 1960 also makes him the one of only two goalies with both a Hart and a Conn Smythe. Chuck Rayner is the other.

According to the unofficial SV% numbers, Plante had a SV% over .900 every year, regular season and playoff, until the playoffs of 72. He led the NHL in SV% 5 times in the regular season, and 4 times in the playoffs, including a record .942 (possibly .944) in 70-71. He had a high peak, consistency, and longevity like no other. (Plante's quality of competition played a big part in his post expansion SV%, but he still put up very good playoff numbers, and his RS numbers truly are incredible.)

As good as Roy was in the playoffs, his W% dropped from .618 to .616 in the playoffs, while Plante's climbed from .614 (.628 in playoff seasons) to .664.

BM67 – On Plante vs. Hall

Glenn Hall is the only goaltender to ever be voted the NHL's best 7 times. He won a Smythe and was further voted #2 goaltender in the league 4 times.

At first glance it looks like Hall should be ahead of Plante, but you have to look beyond the awards, and playoffs also factor in, and Hall doesn't shine there career wise.

Two of Hall's 1st team nods came over Plante by a combined voting margin of 5 points, 108 to 104 in 57-58 and 106 to 105 in 59-60. 7 to 3 doesn't tell the whole story. Plante was hurt because of the team he played on. He was not getting enough credit for helping his great team, until Harvey left, then he got the Hart. From 56 to 60 he won 5 Vezinas, 5 Stanley Cups, and gave the best goaltending that Toe Blake every saw, but was only a 1st team all-star twice.

BM67 – On Plante With the Rangers

It's been pointed out that Plante didn't do much with the Rangers. Let's take a look.

Compare Worsley and Plante before and after the trade.

Worlsey 62-63 67 GP 22 W 34 L 10 T 3980 Min 217 GA 2 SO 3.27 GAA 2317 Saves .914 SV%
Plante 63-64 65 GP 22 W 36 L 7 T 3900 Min 220 GA 3 SO 3.38 GAA 2222 Saves .910 SV%

Hmm... Doesn't look good for Plante, but what else changed?

Doug Harvey 62-63 68 GP 4 G 35 A 39 Pts 92 PIM
Doug Harvey 63-64 14 GP 0 G 2 A 2 Pts 10 PIM

I wonder how many GA 54 games of Harvey are worth?

Of course the next year there was no Harvey, and Plante had a knee injury that required surgery and he went into his three year retirement.

 

[Dreakmur]

Rod Seiling !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Olympic All-Star Team (1964)
NHL All-Star (1972)

Norris voting – *7th(1972), 7th(1973), 10th(1971)
All-Star voting – 7th(1973), 8th(1972), 10th(1971)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Points among Defensemen – 7th(1965), 7th(1973), 9th(1972), 15th(1970), 19th(1971)

Olympic Scoring among Defensemen – 1st(1964)


5-Year Peak: 1970-1974
7th in Points among Defensemen, 81% of 3rd place Carol Vadnais

10-year Peak: 1965-1974
10th in Points among Defensemen, 75% of 2nd place Pat Stapleton

Seiling was a finesse defenseman at heart, which was not always a good thing in New York. The Rangers fans notoriously favored rough and tumble hockey players, especially on the back end. They hounded Hockey Hall of Famers Allan Stanley and Harry Howell with choruses of boos because they were rambunctious enough back there.

Seiling made the most of us his first impressions with the Rangers faithful. He was of good size, though he never had the inclination to be a true bruiser. But he would hit to make a play, like he famously did on his first shift in his first game. He slammed Chicago great Pierre Pilote with a thunderous and clean hit, earning many cheers from those in attendance at Madison Square Gardens that night. Such hits may have been rare by Seiling, but the boos never did come for #16.

Best known for his defensive game rather than his offense, similar to a contemporary player like Teppo Numminen. Seiling scored 50 goals and 248 points in 644 games with the Rangers. He later moved on to play Washington, Toronto, St. Louis and Atlanta, upping his NHL career totals to 979 games played with 62 goals and 331 points.

As a Rangers defenceman, Seiling was known as a stay-at-home blueliner who made few mistakes.

Rod Seiling was a wonderful defenseman who never got the recognition he deserved because of his classic stay at home style of hockey. Yet he was recognized in 1972 when he was included on Team Canada.

….

A steady, classic-style defender, Seiling was a standout NHL player in parts of 17 NHL seasons.

The prize of all our defensemen is Rod Seiling and he's only 20. He can be great. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if he becomes another Doug Harvey.

There isn't a better defensive defenseman.

....

He gives our defense the steadiness it needs.

Ranked #41 in “100 Ranger Greatsâ€




Scouting Reports:

Consistency is this veteran defenseman's main assets... One of NHL's top defensemen at playing the man and clearing the puck...

Ranger fans never appreciated his defensive style...

Often unappreciated by fans, but knowledgeable hockey people know this veteran's value... Plays the man well, doesn't rattle...

Veteran Rod Seiling is the Blues' defense leader, a smart, agile craftsman in his own zone, gifted at playing the man, making breakout passes to his forwards and an outstanding penalty killed.

....

Steady but unspectacular defensive-defenseman who plays power play point, kills penalties and knows how to clear the puck from defensive zone...

Used to kill penalties... Intelligent, poised player... Experience shows...

 

[BubbaBoot]

Smokey Harris
left wing

• Shoots: Left • Height: 5-11 • Weight: 165 lbs. •
• Born: October 11, 1890 • Port Arthur, Ontario •
• Played: 1924/25 (NHL) \\\ 1910/11 (MHL) \\\ 1911/12 - 1923/24 (PCHA) 1924/25 (WCHL) \\\ 1926/27 (PrHL) \\\ 1927/28 - 1931/32 (CalHL) •

• Championships •
1916 (PCHA)
1921 (PCHA)
1922 (PCHA)
1923 (PCHA)

• Honors •
1913 PCHA All-Star Team (1st)
1916 PCHA All-Star Team (1st)
1920 PCHA All-Star Team (1st)
1922 PCHA All-Star Team (2nd)

• Achievements •
• Games
- Career PCHA • 253 (3rd all-time)

• Goals
- 1912-13 PCHA 14 (2)
- 1913-14 PCHA 14 (6)
- 1914-15 PCHA 14 (8)
- 1916-17 PCHA 38 (9)
- 1918-19 PCHA 25 (3)
- 1919-20 PCHA 14 (5)
- 1920-21 PCHA 15 (6)
- 1921-22 PCHA 10 (8)
- 1926-29 Cal-Pro 10 (T5)
- 1928-29 Cal-Pro 12 (T5)
- Career PCHA • 156 (T5th all-time)
- 1916 PCHA PLAYOFFS 4 (1)
- 1921 PCHA PLAYOFFS 2 (1)
- Career PCHA PLAYOFFS • 8

• Assists
- 1912-13 PCHA 6 (4)
- 1916-17 PCHA 13 (5)
- 1917-18 PCHA 5 (6)
- 1918-19 PCHA 6 (6)
- 1919-20 PCHA 11 (2)
- 1920-21 PCHA 17 (1)
- 1921-22 PCHA 4 (8)
- 1922-23 PCHA 6 (10)
- 1923-24 PCHA 10 (1)
- 1928-29 Cal-Pro 13 (2)
- Career PCHA • 90 (2nd all-time)
- Career PCHA PLAYOFFS • 3

• Points
- 1912-13 PCHA 20 (2)
- 1913-14 PCHA 17 (9)
- 1914-15 PCHA 17 (9)
- 1916-17 PCHA 31 (7)
- 1917-18 PCHA 11 (12)
- 1918-19 PCHA 25 (3)
- 1919-20 PCHA 25 (3)
- 1920-21 PCHA 32 (1)
- 1921-22 PCHA 14 (9)
- 1923-24 PCHA 18 (8)
- 1926-27 PrHL 12 (T7)
- 1927-28 Cal-Pro 15 (T4)
- 1928-29 Cal-Pro 26 (2)
- 1929-30 Cal-Pro 12 (T3)
- Career PCHA • 246 (3rd all-time)
- 1916 PCHA PLAYOFFS 4 (1)
- 1921 PCHA PLAYOFFS 3 (1)
- Career PCHA PLAYOFFS • 11

• PIMs
- 1911-12 PCHA 55 (2)
- 1912-13 PCHA 53 (2)
- 1913-14 PCHA 36 (3)
- 1914-15 PCHA 37 (4)
- 1915-16 PCHA 72 (1)
- 1916-17 PCHA 60 (3)
- 1917-18 PCHA 12 (T10)
- 1920-21 PCHA 21 (11)
- 1922-23 PCHA 26 (8)
- 1923-24 PCHA 32 (4)
- 1926-27 PrHL 68 (2)
- 1928-29 Cal-Pro 43 (T4)
- Career PCHA • 406
- 1916 PCHA PLAYOFFS 23 (1)
- Career PCHA PLAYOFFS • 44

• career stats •

|gms | G |A |TP |PIMs|+/- |G/gm|A/gm|PP |SH
PCHA | 252 |156 |90 |246 |416 | |.62 |.36 | |
PCHA PLAYOFFS| 10 |8 |3 |11 |7 | | .80 |.30 | |
Stanley Cup | 14 |7 |1 |8 |35 | |.50 |.07 | |
CalHL | 160 |41 |48 |89 |98 | |.26 |.30 | |
PrHL | 32 |12 |12 |24 |68 | |.38 |.38 | |

• career team records •
Scored first ever Boston Bruins goal.

• Accolades •

To illustrate this, I will turn to seventies Consistency in Goalscoring and playmaking studies. The reason being is that these studies DO account for the split-league era Harris played in. If you place 4th in PCHA assists, for example, it will likely show up as a top-10 under the playmaking category in seventies studies, and not a top-5. It allows for a rather level playing field when comparing players like Harris to more modern players.

Now, Harris's numbers in these studies:

Top 2's-Top 5's-Top 10's- Top 15's- Top 20's

Playmaking- 2-3-4-6-7

Goal Scoring-0-0-1-3-7

Total: 2-3-5-9-14
http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=2...3&postcount=76

Wilfred "Smokey" Harris played six games for the Boston Bruins in 1924-25. He spent the bulk of his long pro career in the PCHA and the California Pro circuit.

The native of Port Arthur, Ontario spent his first 13 pro seasons in the PCHA, mostly with the Vancouver Millionaires. He was a member of four PCHA champions, three in Vancouver and one in Portland. In 1916 he was the top scorer in the post-season when he helped the Portland Rosebuds capture the PCHA crown and repeated this performance five years later for the champion Vancouver Millionaires.

Harris split the 1924-25 season between the Bruins and the WCHL's Vancouver Maroons. He played his first California League season with Richfield Oil in 1925-26 then spent a year in the Prairie League with the Edmonton Eskimos. He then returned to the California loop for five years before retiring in 1932.

Known as a fast skater, smooth stickhandler and master "hook-checker," Harris was a strong, physical player in the PCHA, starring with the Vancouver Millionaires and Portland Rosebuds. A four time PCHA champion (3 in Vancouver, 1 in Portland), he participated in as many Stanley Cup championship series, too. But he never got his name inscribed on the Stanley Cup.

Fred "Smokey" Harris and xxx led the Millionaires, who "showed wonderful stamina and skated at a terrific pace.

The Adams brothers probably would have been starters on any other team in the west coast league or the NHL, but the Millionaires boasted a lineup that made rival coaches drool in envy. Skinner, Smokey Harris, the master hook-checker...

Fred Harris, the roughest and toughest boy in the league...

Frank Boucher, Mickey MacKay, and Smokey Harris, three tricky performers, rank high in the esteem of the coast admirers...

Boucher is turning in a big year with the Patricks and Harris as usual has been driving ahead with his regular speed and usual fighting form.

Hollywood at present is in second place in the California Hockey League, ... including those two high scorers, xxx and "Smokey" Harris

Local hockey fans are expecting "Smoky" Harris and Austin Cresawell to resume their bitter feud and to- morrow night their every move will be watched

Harris went on for Frank Boucher, his heavy body checking was immediately felt by Ottawa forwards.

Harris, MacKay, and Parkes held the puck in centre area for a considerable time and worked through at intervals for 3 hard drives on Benedict.

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their eighth round pick (240) in the 2013 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: Rod Brind'amour, C/LW

Career Highlights:

Played the 1992 All Star Game
World Championship Gold 1994
Member of Team Canada for the 1998 Olympics
During his time with the Flyers, Brind'amour compiled an ironman streak of 484 games.
2005-2006 Frank J. Selke Trophy Recipient
2006-2007 Frank J. Selke Trophy Recipient
Captain of the Hurricanes from 2005-2010
Captain of the 2005-2006 Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes



Vitals:
Born: Aug 9, 1970
Position: C/LW
Height: 6-1
Weight: 205 lbs


Regular Season:

With great durability and longevity, Brind'amour quietly produced season after season.

Rod had 12 seasons of 20+ goals and 5 times hit 30+. Over his career he notched 452g, 732a, 1184pts.

In comparison with another long time two-way centerman in the ATD using the vs2 percentage method:

I have been wondering recently if Brindy will ever get a shot at his natural position (and not as some grinding winger) on an ATD second line. I think he is deserving. His scoring compares quite well to one other established two-way 2nd line center:

Jacques Lemaire Vs2:
91, 79, 74, 72, 71, 64, 61, 59

Rod Brind'Amour Vs2:
81, 81, 73, 72, 69, 63, 60, 58

And that's without taking the Lafleur effect into account. To be honest, I think Rod was the better overall player.

In addition to his offense, Brind'amour was known as a very hard worker, and was outstanding defensively and on faceoffs:

Season|Selke
93-94|16
97-97|13
98-99|9
00-01|17
03-04|Token
05-06| 1
06-07| 1
07-08|24
08-09|16

Since faceoffs began being tracked in 97-98, Rod Brind'amour has shown himself to be one of the greatest of all time at winning the draw.

Comparing him here to Yanic Perreault and Joe Nieuwendyk, two notable faceoff artists who took many less faceoffs over their recorded careers:

Player|FO|W|L|WPct
Y. Perreault|7803|4752|3051|60.9
R. Brind'Amour|12314|7289|5025|59.2
J. Nieuwendyk|7791|4596|3195|59.0

Playoffs:

Over his career Brind'amour scored 111 points in 159 playoff games.

In addition to captaining the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup in 2005-06 with 12 goals and 18 points in 25 games, Brind'amour had a notable run to the finals with the Flyers in 96-97 where he led all playoff scorers with 13 goals.

Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette said he doesn't like to single out individual players. He doesn't like to do it because it means he'll be leaving out others that played so well.

But when asked whether he thought it was fitting that his captain, Rod Brind'Amour, was the guy to get the game-winning, Cup-berth-clinching goal, Laviolette didn't hesitate.

"It's got to be, right?" Laviolette said. "He's the heart and soul of our team."

Brind'Amour, who called a team meeting Wednesday to remind his teammates of the special opportunity that awaited them in Thursday's Game 7, did his loudest talking during a critical third-period power play. At the 11:22 mark of the period, with Sabres defenseman Brian Campbell in the box for delay of game (for shooting the puck over the glass), the 35-year-old center pounced on a loose puck in the slot and chipped it over the right shoulder of Sabres goalie Ryan Miller. The goal gave the Hurricanes a lead they wouldn't relinquish en route to a 4-2 win over the Sabres to earn a trip to the Stanley Cup finals against the Edmonton Oilers.

"I probably should have gotten to that puck sooner," Brind'Amour explained. "These guys, Willie [Justin Williams] and Still [Cory Stillman], were fighting in front, and the puck just kind of laid there. At first, I thought their defenseman [Rory Fitzpatrick] was going to get it. But he lost sight of the puck. When I got to it, I just let it rip and it went in."

It was his ninth goal of the playoffs. And six of those goals have come in the critical third period, otherwise known as crunch time.

Brind'Amour's leadership on and off the ice isn't anything new to his teammates. Young goalie Cam Ward, who bounced back with a solid third period after surrendering an emotionally draining fluke goal with 3.3 seconds left in the second that put his team behind, summed up his captain's total impact.

"It's one thing to talk in the dressing room," said Ward, an Alberta native who'll face his former favorite team in the Cup finals. "But to go out there and execute is another."

Oddly enough, despite finishing with a goal and an assist, Brind'Amour didn't think he played that well in Game 7.

...

And, finally, there's Brind'Amour, a gritty two-way pivot who can affect the game in so many important ways. His game is so worthy of a championship.

He needs just four more wins to become a champion.

Carolina will face a battle-hardened opponent in Edmonton. But, having survived this fantastic seven-game duel with the Sabres, the Hurricanes just might have gained extra strength for the final push. With an entire nation behind the Oilers, Brind'Amour and his team probably will need it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2006/columns/story?id=2467365


Quotations and Perspective:

...
"I don't think there'll ever be another Rod Brind'Amour," former teammate Matt Cullen told ESPN.com on Wednesday. "I never learned so much from watching one guy in my entire career."

Cullen recalled enduring long practices under coach Peter Laviolette early in the 2005-06 season and then doing 10 miles on the stationary bike after on-ice sessions.

"Then Rod would catch his breath for maybe half a minute, and then he'd disappear into the weight room and put on a weight vest and start doing pull-ups," Cullen said. "It was unbelievable."

Laviolette, now the coach for the Philadelphia Flyers, also praised Brind'Amour's character.

"He doesn't put on an act. It's not for show. There's just something really simple and honest about it. You work hard and you speak the truth," Laviolette told ESPN.com of Brind'Amour. "It's a reflection of who he is."

It's funny how things work out.
...
Beyond the points -- his 1,184 regular-season points are more than many Hall of Famers, including Mike Bossy, Frank Mahovlich, Glenn Anderson and Bobby Hull -- Brind'Amour was one of the best faceoff men in the business for years, killed penalties and choked the life out of opposing teams' best lines. And, in the end, he delivered the ultimate prize to a team whose very existence had been in question.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=5344568

Edmonton Oilers forward Shawn Horcoff isn't impressed by the faceoff technique of Carolina captain Rod Brind'Amour.

In fact, he doesn't even think it's legal.

Brind'Amour has won 310 of his 514 faceoffs (60.31 percent) in the playoffs -- including 28 of 34 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. He was third in the NHL during the regular season at 59.1 percent and has finished in the top five in three of four seasons.

Horcoff who dropped 18 of 27 in the Oilers' 5-1 loss in the opener has already complained about Brind'Amour's methods and the things he is allowed to get away with.

"It's just a problem that I tried to talk to the linesman a little about," Horcoff said Wednesday before Game 2. "It's not really anything that I really need to comment on, it's just the fact that I thought he was cheating a little bit and hopefully we'll change that."

Horcoff had enjoyed success on faceoffs before the finals, taking 55 percent against Detroit, San Jose and Anaheim.

Brind'Amour didn't buy into the claim that he gets special treatment from the officials.

"I can't even comment on that. I've never heard of that," Brind'Amour said. "I'd be surprised if there was special treatment, but I'd sign up for it."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nhl&id=2474744

Of everything Rod Brind'Amour has ever done for the Carolina Hurricanes, his willingness to turn the captaincy over to Eric Staal may be the most honorable.

That changing of the guard may have been inevitable, but no one would have held it against Brind'Amour if he wanted to finish out the season and make the transition, quietly, over the summer. Instead, Brind'Amour acknowledged that his generation - the old guard of 2006 - is on its way out in Carolina, and better now than later.

...

At three specific moments - after falling behind 2-0 to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round and before each of the final two Game 7's - Brind'Amour chose to speak and set the team on the right course.

Time passes, of course, and it's always a difficult situation when a captain's skills no longer legitimize his leadership. By the time the Hurricanes made the decision last month to make him a healthy scratch, it was clear that Brind'Amour's time as captain had come to an end. It as only a matter of when.

That turned out to be Wednesday, when the Hurricanes decided to make Staal captain, and Brind'Amour, to his credit, decided not to stand in the way.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/01/21/295230/showing-a-captains-class.html




​

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their 12th round pick (368) in the 2013 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: Rick Nash,W

Career Highlights:

2002 World Junior Championships Silver
2002-2003 NHL All Rookie Team (1st)
2003-2004 Maurice Richard Trophy Recipient
2005, 2008 World Championships Silver
2007 World Championships Gold
2007 World Championships MVP & 2007, 2008 All-Star Team
2010 Olympic Gold Medal Winner with Team Canada
NHL All Star Game 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011



Vitals:
Born: June 16, 1984
Position: LW
Height: 6-4
Weight: 219 lbs


Regular Season:

A 7-time 30+ goal scorer, Nash currently has Top 20 goalscoring placements of 1, 5, 11, 13, 14.

Rick Nash is always a threat to score: 4 Top 10 placements in even strength goals (5, 8, 9, 10), led in PP Goals in 2003-04 and has posted a 2nd & 5th in shorthanded goals.


Playoffs:

Until the current season with the Rangers, Nash played his entire career with Columbus - a franchise that has made the playoffs only once in its history.

In that one series in franchise history, Columbus was playing the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings who promptly swept the Blue Jackets.

Columbus scored a total of 7 goals in the series and Nash had 3 points on those 7 total team goals for.



Quotations and Perspective:

...
Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets: Big left-winger is among hockey's best goal-scorers.
...

Rick Nash

Scouting Report
Assets: Has outstanding goal-scoring instincts and a huge frame, which he uses to keep puck control. Also skates amazingly well for his size. Can dominate a game with his athletic ability. Can also play either wing position.

Flaws: Can go into scoring droughts, quite often when he tries to do too much on his own--instead of trusting his teammates. Is still a little lacking in his play without the puck and he isn't a natural playmaker.

Career Potential: Elite scoring winger.

http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockeynews/hockey/player.cgi?2288

...
Nash is one of the best one-on-one players in the league. With the puck on his stick, he can look almost unstoppable, as evidenced by a pair of breakaways he essentially created for himself Thursday, not to mention the ungodly 12 shots he had on goal. He mixes game-breaking talent with formidable effort, a combination that needs to seep through the rest of the Rangers' lineup if this team is to succeed as expected.
...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nhl/news/20130301/new-york-rangers-boosted-by-return-of-rick-nash/

...
"I don't have to tell you guys that Rick Nash probably took over this tournament for us a lot of times," Mike Cammalleri said nonetheless. "He stepped up and he was huge and I saw the best hockey I've ever seen him play. He was that good."

At six-foot-four, 215 pounds, Nash seems otherworldly in this element. He loves the big ice, the patriotic atmosphere, the international game. He was at times unstoppable out of the corner, making that power move to the net for a stuff or a low, screaming snap shot like he used to score the first goal of the game Sunday.

He grabbed games by the throat when Canada needed him most and with the Finns threatening to tie so late in the third period, he scored a goal that even most pure snipers in the NHL and Europe will watch open-mouthed on TSN

replays for weeks to come. Goalies will simply have to avert their eyes.
...

http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/story.html?id=34b60e20-e7f3-4ad3-9f87-ba5e19202097

​

 

[BubbaBoot]

Albert "Battleship" Leduc
defense

• Shoots: Right • Height: 5-9 • Weight: 180 lbs. •
• Born: November 22, 1902 • Valleyfield, Quebec •
• Played: 1925/26 - 1934/35 •

• Championships •
1930 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
1931 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)

• Achievements •
• Games
- 1929-30 NHL 44 (1)
- 1930-31 NHL 44 (1)
- 1932-33 NHL 48 (4)
- Career NHL • 383 (7th among defensemen of his playing span)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 28

• Goals (Defensemen)
- 1925-26 NHL 10 (2)
- 1927-28 NHL 8 (6)
- 1928-29 NHL 9 (3)
- 1930-31 NHL 8 (3)
- 1931-32 NHL 5 (9)
- 1932-33 NHL 5 (9)
- Career NHL • 57 (5th among defensemen of his playing span)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 5

• Goals Per Game (Defensemen)
- Career NHL • 0.15 (T8th among defensemen of his playing span)

• Assists (Defensemen)
- 1925-26 NHL 3 (9)
- 1927-28 NHL 5 (9)
- 1929-30 NHL 8 (10)
- 1930-31 NHL 6 (10)
- Career NHL • 35 (13th among defensemen of his playing span)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 6

• Points (Defensemen)
- 1925-26 NHL 13 (2)
- 1927-28 NHL 13 (9)
- 1928-29 NHL 11 (5)
- 1929-30 NHL 14 (9)
- 1930-31 NHL 14 (4)
- Career NHL • 92 (5th among defensemen of his playing span)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 11

• PIMs
- 1928-29 NHL 79 (10)
- 1929-30 NHL 90 (9)
- 1930-31 NHL 82 (7)
- Career • 614 (9th among defensemen of his playing span)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 32

• career stats •

|gms | G |A |TP |PIMs|+/- |G/gm|A/gm|PP |SH
NHL | 383 |57 |35 |92 |614 | |.15 |.09 | |
NHL PLAYOFFS| 28 |5 |6 |11 |32 | | .18 |.21 | |
Can-Am / IAHL| 117 |19 |37 |56 |183 | |.16 |.32 | |

• career team records - for defensemen (Pre-1967 Expansion) •
Montreal Canadiens (NHL) - games (9) / playoff games (T15) / goals (3) / playoff goals (T5) / assists (T18) / playoff assists (T9) / points (12) / playoff points (8) / PIMs (7) / playoff PIMs (T17)

• Accolades •
(Compiled from web sites and newspaper accounts as well as previous bios by TheDevilMadeMe, Velociraptor and Leafs Forever)

When 23-year-old Albert Leduc took his first strides on Forum ice, he did so with big skates to fill. Replacing Sprague Cleghorn on the Habs’ blue-line was no easy task, but the Valleyfield, QC native quickly cemented his role as a pillar of the team’s defense corps.

As physically punishing and imposing as his predecessor, the hard-hitting Leduc was equally renowned for his ability to lead the rush, propelling him to a career high 10 goals in his rookie campaign in 1925-26.

Always moving at top speed, Leduc’s devastating body checks made him a fan favorite at the Forum. Cracking the NHL’s top 10 most penalized players list on three occasions, the robust rearguard fittingly earned himself the nickname “Battleshipâ€.

As adept with the puck as he was at retrieving it, Leduc scored at least five goals in every full season he played in Montreal, adding double-digit assist totals in most of those campaigns.

The Ironman blue-liner missed only 15 games over his first eight seasons with the Canadiens. In 1929-30 and 1930-31 Leduc was in the lineup every night, helping the Habs capture consecutive Stanley Cups. The durable defenseman picked up four points in the 1930 championship run, leading the team with three assists.

He was a clever goal scorer who often played rough when protecting his own end.

Born in Valleyfield, Quebec, Leduc spent the 1923-24 season with the senior Montreal Hochelega club. After spending a year in the Eastern Canada League with the Montreal Nationals, the solid defender joined the Canadiens in 1925-26. "Battleship" spent eight years with Montreal delivering solid hits and making life difficult for opposing forwards. He helped the Canadiens win consecutive Stanley Cups in 1930 and 1931 and was a popular figure with the Forum crowd.

Speedy, strong and tough, Leduc was known as the Battleship in nine seasons with Montreal, scoring 56 goals. He then became a minor league player-coach, counting a young Hector (Toe) Blake among his charges.

-Paired with Sylvio Mantha as the 2 defensemen of the “All Pre-War Canadiens†Team, selected by Sports Illustrated for the 100th Anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens

1925/26 - Leduc's rookie season

Defensemen such as Albert "Battleship" Leduc infused the Canadiens with the kind of pizzazz that earned them the label of hockey's most colorful pre-World War II team.

... Leduc was frequently overshadowed by his defense partners, Sylvio Mantha and Herb Gardiner. But Leduc, according to former Canadiens managing director Frank Selke Sr., was "a typical Habitant." As Selke described Leduc, "Battleship had a highly excitable temperament. On the ice he made all of his moves at top speed. He could score on his long end-to-end rushes but, more than all else, he handed out a body check which, in his day, was the most important attribute of any defenseman."

Albert "Battleship" Leduc, so named from the powerful nature of his skating, a partner of Mantha on the Canadiens defense, ranks a close second to his teammate. Leduc ploughed through for 51 shots on opposing goalers, which produced 5 goals for an average of .98.

Albert Battleship Leduc and Sylvio Mantha, always dangerous opponents of the now tottering champions [Boston Bruins], were the big guns in the attack of the red shirted French. In the dying moments of the third with four Bruins up the ice, Leduc broke away from the defense on the rush that bought the third goal. His pass to Pete Lepine beat a lone Boston defenseman and Pete's whipping low drive to the far side completed the total of the the Canadiens.

Robust hard-hitting Albert Leduc, wearing his Senator uniform with great gusto, was the central figure in last night's struggle. Making his first local appearance in anything but a Canadien sweater. Albert set out to prove that he works earnstly for Ottawa as he did for the Canadiens, and his bumping duels with everyone in sight. The fever caught all the other players with the result that the three periods produced plenty of close, hard-checking hockey, a minimum of open play and a great display of spirit.

Battleship Leduc played no favorites in forcing his attentions on his former teammates. He made strenuous efforts to get any man in sight. That's the way with Albert. he always was an earnest chap in anything he tackled. Albert received a sizeable[sic] ovation on his first appearance.

- The Flying Frenchmen came right back with two tallies in a row to wrest the lead. Both were solo efforts. The spectacular Albert "Battleship" Leduc steamed down centre, and crashed through the Ranger defence for the first.....

Joseph Albert Leduc, otherwise known as "Battleship" Leduc is one of the most colorful figures in all hockey. Besides being a sturdy and effective defenceman, "Albair" is a scoring threat of considerable ability, and his steaming rush down the ice is sometimes the "piece de resistance" of an otherwise dull game. His legs working like pistions, Albert dashes down and swerves at no defence. The other guard combination that Albert has backed up before has not yet been evolved and he dives headlong into the opposition when he reaches it. Most of the time he barges through and when he does he is deft with a shot or a pass.

He is a jocular nature, one of the most feared, and yet the most liked defenceman in the game. On trips with the team he is invariably the life of the party.

As stated before, Albert "Battleship" Leduc was outstanding. The ex-Canadien played a grand game and his stout defensive work, in which he bounced all incoming Habitants with zest and precision, made him a star.

Albert Leduc, opposing his former teammates, played his usual boisterous game, smacking into Canadiens with every ounce of his weight and, whenever the Flying Frenchmen would show signs of resentment at his robust work, Albert's big grin sprang into being, he slapped his opponents on the back and left them undecided whether to grin back or hit back. The Battleship is probably the most cheerful fellow in the NHL.

Albert Leduc, recalled from Quebec again, played his third game with the Canadiens. The Battleship raced in on his old teammate George Hainsworth late in the game looking for a rebound , but George caught the puck high on the chest and held on tto it. Leduc forthwith pushed puck, Hainsworth and all backward into the net. It was the kind of movement that might cause trouble, but not between these two. The both laughed uproariously over the incident.

.....two stout pairs from the Canadiens' bygone days were Bouchard and Reardon (1940s) and Mantha and Leduc (1930s).

A small feature and cartoon in the Calgary Daily Herald (12/19/30) explains how King Clancy got the scar on his chin. On a rush Clancy came forward, Leduc set himself to upset the attack and clipped/high sticked him under the chin. ("King wouldn't back up from a baby cyclone" is the cartton blurb)....alas, Ottawa scored on the ensuing PP but it ain't the first time that's ever happened.

In the last period, "Hooley" Smith of the Maroons lost his temper, and took a swing with his stick at the silvering hari of "Pit" Lepine. He missed, and Leduc, husky Canadiens defenceman, sailed into "Hooley". A major penalty was awarded to Smith, and Leduc drew a minor. After the game was over, both jumped out of the penalty box and staged a hectic one-round fist fight at centre ice while 11,000 fans looked on and cheered.

The setting of Howie's [Morenz] priize story is Pittsburgh. It was during the season of 1929-30, Pittsburgh, last in the NHL. The Canadiens were there for a game. The Montrealers were quartered at Webster Hall, a famous stopping place for both hockey and baseball teams. The players had been down for a swim at the hotel's large pool. Coming out of the dressing room after the water frolic, Albert "Battleship" Lediuc decided to put on a circus act for his mates.

There was a series of rings suspended by long ropes from the ceiling and extending the length of the pool. The idea is swing away from one end of the pool on one ring and swing along the line of ropes and rings to the other end. Nothing to it if you judge your distances and your swings.

Unfortunately "Battleship" ran into difficulties when he negotiated the first few rings and reached the center of the pool. He wiggled and twisted and squirmed, but couldn't reach the next ring, nor the one on his left. He finally shouted for assistance. His mates, however, had suddenly gone deaf. At last "Battleship" gave up the struggle, let go and dropped into the pool, clothes and all.

[side note, in a Boston Bruins history tome come this: "Former NHL defenseman Albert 'Battlesip' Leduc was coaching Proividence at the time is credited with uniting Dumart with Schmidt and Bauer named them the 'Sauerkraut' Line.]

 

[Dreakmur]

Pavol Demitra !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Olympic All-Star (2010)
IIHF All-Star (2004)

Hart voting – 12th(1999)

All-Star voting – 3rd(1999), 4th(2002), 5th(1999), 6th(2000), 5th(2003)

Selke voting – 6th(2000)

Lady Byng voting – 1st(2000), 4th(1999), 6th(2003)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Points – 6th(2003), 7th(2002), 10th(1999), 14th(2000)
Goals – 12th(2003), 13th(1999), 14th(2002)
Assists – 4th(2003), 10th(1999), 15th(2000)

IIHF Points – 5th(2004), 11th(2005)

Olympic Points – 1st(2010), 11th(2006)


5-Year Peak: 1999-2003
8th in Points, 88% of 2nd place Joe Sakic
19th in Goals, 81% of 2nd place Markus Naslund
8th in Assists, 84% of 2nd place Adam Oates

10-Year Peak:1998-2008
11th in Points, 83% of 2nd place Joe Sakic
20th in Goals, 75% of 2nd place Jarome Iginla
13th in Assists, 78% of 2nd place Joe Thornton


Scoring Percentages:
Points – 89(2003), 87(2002), 83(1999), 80(2000), 67(2004), 58(2006), 57(1998), 56(2007), 51(2008), 48(2009), 47(2001)

Best 6 Seasons: 464

Pavol is a strong two-way hockey player with excellent quickness and finish.

​

 

[nik jr]

John Murray Murdoch

born: May 19, 1904 in Lucknow, Ontario, Canada
height: 5'10
weight: 180
position: LW/C
shot: left
jersey number: 9
NHL career: 1926-27 to 1936-37
died: May 17, 2001 in Georgetown, South Carolina, USA

From the time Murray Murdoch entered the NHL in 1926-27 until he finished playing in the NHL after the 1936-37 season, he played in 508 consecutive games. But Murdoch was not just an Iron Man on the ice, he was in real life, too. When Murdoch died at the age of 96 years, 11 months and 28 days, he was recognized as the oldest NHL player ever.

Murdoch was born in Lucknow Ontario, but his family moved to Edgerton, Alberta while Murray was still a child. Extremely athletic, he attended St. John's College School in Winnipeg, where he played football, baseball, and tennis. While playing junior hockey, Murdoch scored nine of his team's 14 goals as the University of Manitoba won the Memorial Cup in 1922-23.

When Conn Smythe was assembling the first ever New York Ranger team to begin with the 1926-27 season, he signed Murray Murdoch as one of his original New York Rangers. During his eleven NHL seasons in New York, Murdoch was a solid checking forward, contributing to two Stanley Cup championships, 1927-28 and 1932-33. When he retired from the Rangers after the 1936-37 season, he joined the Philadelphia Ramblers as an assistant coach and captain for one season..

Murdoch retired from coaching in 1966, but was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1974 for his contributions to hockey in the United States.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13804

Murdoch, 32, has hung up an iron-man record which may stand for all time. The Winnipegger was thought too light to withstand the rigors of big-time hockey when he first joined the Blueshirts, but surprised his critics by thriving on the rough play and has never missed a game. His consecutive game record is 581.

Through his NHL career ('26-'37), Murdoch ranked 35th in scoring in the regular season among all players, with 192p in 508 games, and 10th in scoring in the playoffs, with 21p in 55 games.

Murdoch was one of the relatively few players who scored at the same rate in the playoffs as in the regular season, with .38 points per game in both.


Speed

Murray Murdoch, fleet wingman who hasn't missed a game in nine seasons of major league competition...

Murray Murdoch, speedy Ranger spare, accounted for the first goal when he sent a diagonal thrust past Roy Worters after receiving a quick pass from Butch Keeling.

...most of the attention was received by Murray Murdoch, the speed spare forward.

Defensive Play

Murdoch and Dillon, a pair of the best back-checkers in the league, will hook up with Butch Keeling on the third line in addition to emergency duty when the team is short-handed through penalties.

As usual, Murdoch and Dillon, both superb defensive players, will carry the burden when penalties leave the team short-handed.

The other play is one to be used when the team is a point behind and there are only a few minutes left to go. His final attack will remove the goaltender and see five forwards on the ice; the principle, and it is sound, being that a team may as well be beaten by a dozen goals as one. In Murray Murdoch, he has one of the cleverest puck-stoppers not wearing the big pads regularly.

When we hung up, Clint Smith, a Hall of Fame player, a good coach, turned to me and said Murray Murdoch was the best defensive player he'd ever seen.

Murray Murdoch, the retired Yale hockey coach, was famed during his Ranger career for his durability (the Lou Gehrig of the NHL) and his talent as a leech-like defensive wing.

Conacher thought that when he went into the locker room between periods that I was going to go with him. [Along with linemates Paul Thompson and Butch Keeling] We shadowed them pretty good. When that line came on the ice, we had to go on against them.

"We had one line that did the scoring, the Cooks, Bill and Bun, with Frank Boucher at center," Murdoch said. "I was on the line to see that the other team's best line didn't score."

Murdoch played both C and LW, and occasionally RW and D.

Patrick, of course, will start his first string line of Frankie Boucher at centre, Bill Cook on the right wing and Bun Cook on the left flank, with Murray Murdoch at centre, "Butch" Keeling on left wing and Paul Thompson on the other flank for the second line.

Murray Murdoch, second string centre, led the New York attack, scoring two of the three goals. He opened things up scoring an unassisted tally when one of his mates was in the penalty box in the last minute of the first period, and added the final goal on Butch Keeling's pass in the middle of the second frame.

Murray Murdoch, playing left wing on a new second line that had Lynn Patrick at centre and Cecil Dillon at right wing...

For a few seconds Leafs fought desperately against the handicap (penalty), Joe Primeau and Murray Murdoch got tangled up in another faceoff and suddenly Keeling spurted up to the scramble, poked the puck clear and started away.

Our outstanding back-checking line, judging from their work here, probably will be the "kid line." But when we are playing short-handed, Murray Murdoch and Dillon will be used as back-checkers. Murdoch is the team's utility man. He always has been strong as a back-checker and is capable of filling in on the defence should the occasion arise.
....
When our passing plays are perfected, Watson will move back to centre and Murdoch will take over the right wing job.

 

[BubbaBoot]

Stefan Persson
defense

• Shoots: Left • Height: 6-1 • Weight: 189 lbs. •
• Born: December 22, 1954 • Umea, Sweden •
• Draft: NY Islanders • 14th round (214th overall) • 1974 NHL Amateur • from: Brynas IF Gavle (Swedish Elitserien) •
• Played: 1977/78 - 1985/86 \\\ 1970/71 - 1976/77 - - 1986/87 - 1989/90 Sweden •

• Championships •
1975 National silver Medal (Elitserien)
1976 National Champion (Elitserien)
1977 National Champion (Elitserien)
1980 New York Islanders (NHL)
1981 New York Islanders (NHL)
1982 New York Islanders (NHL)
1983 New York Islanders (NHL)
[The first European-trained player to hoist the Stanley Cup].

• International Medals •
1973 - Silver • European Championships
1977 - Silver • World Championships (Vienna)

• Awards •
1976-77 Top Defenseman (Sweden Elitserien)
1980 Swedish Athlete of the Year

• All-Star Team Voting •
- 78-79 (9th) / 80-81 (13th) / 81-82 (19th) / 83-84 (T14th)

• Norris Trophy Voting •
- 78-79 (T11th) / 80-81 (T15th)

• Achievements •
• Games Played
- 1980-81 NHL 80 (2)
- Career • 622
- Career PLAYOFFS • 102

• Assists
- 1977-78 NHL 0.76 (8)
- Career • 317
- Career PLAYOFFS • 50 (25th all-time for defensemen)

• Assists Per Game
- 1977-78 NHL 0.76 (8)
- Career • 0.51 (T21st all-time for defensemen)`
- Career PLAYOFFS • 0.49 (T15th all-time for defensemen)

• Points Per Game
- 1977-78 NHL 0.76 (8)
- Career • 0.59
- Career PLAYOFFS • 0.56 (19th all-time for defensemen)

• Plus/Minus
- 1978-79 NHL 38 (10)
- Career • 176 (82nd all-time)

• career stats •

| gms| G | A | TP | PIMs|+/-| G/gm| A/gm| PP| SH
NHL | 622 |52 |317 |369 |574|+176| .08 |.51 |30|0
NHL PLAYOFFS| 102 |7 |50 |57 |69 || .07| .49 | 6|0
International | 44|6|2|8|56||.14|.05|||
Sweden Elitserien | 109| 19|32|51|163||.17|.29||

• career team records - for defensemen •
NY Islanders (NHL) - games (2) / playoff games (3) / goals (4) / playoff goals (5) / PP goals (2) / EV goals (5) / goals per game (7) / playoff goals per game (T5) / assists (2) / playoff assists (2) / assists per game (3) / playoff assists per game (2) / points (2) / playoff points (2) / points per game (5) / playoff points per game (3) / PIMs (7) / playoff PIMs (9) / +/- (2) / Most points by a rookie defenseman

• Accolades •

Vancouver's Canuck forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin are the winners of 2011 Victoriastipendiet - Athlete of the Year. Victoriastipendiet is awarded a Swedish athlete every year since 1979 on Öland 14 July, the birthday of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden. Only two hockey players received a similar trophy - Stefan Persson in 1980, and Peter Forsberg in 1994.

Persson's responsible, defensive style was endorsed highly by the Islanders head coach, Al Arbour, and Persson's career in the NHL started swiftly. Persson also showed an adept passing ability and an occasional scoring touch. This was no more apparent than during the Islanders first Stanley Cup playoff run in Game 1 of the 1980 Finals against the Philadelphia Flyers. It was late in the third period, when Persson scored the game-tying goal to force a sudden-death overtime that the Islanders would win. Outdoing his regular season output of four goals, Persson scored five goals in the 1980 playoffs, and had serious consideration to become the first Swede to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded for MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Islanders will honor the 17 players that comprised the Islanders dynasty, along with GM Bill Torrey and Coach Al Arbour at the Core of 4 Celebration on Sunday, March 2 at 2:00 pm when the team hosts the Florida Panthers. This [Stefan Persson] is one in a series of tributes to the members of the Core of 4.

Selected in the 14th round of the 1974 NHL Entry Draft – yes, you read that correctly – defenseman Stefan Persson was as integral a member of the Core of 4 as any Islander player.

Persson spent two more seasons developing in Sweden before deciding it was time to come to North America. He stepped in to the Isles’ lineup as if he had played in the NHL for years, providing puckhandling and passing that belied his lack of North American experience.

As a 23-year-old rookie in 1977-78, Stefan rang up 50 assists, and NHL record for rookie defensemen. (His 56 points were a team record for first-year blueliners that still stands). He was at his most dangerous on the power play, handling the right point with Denis Potvin on the other side. He was a smooth puckhandler, smart passer, and superb tactician – a perfect complement for Potvin.

In each of Persson’s first two NHL seasons, the Isles converted on more than 31 percent of their power-play chances. In 1980-81, with Potvin and Persson orchestrating the attack from the blue line, the Isles set an NHL record with 93 power play goals while converting nearly 30 percent of their chances. No NHL team since has come close to that kind of sustained efficiency.

But Stefan was no slouch at even strength, either. He and Langevin, his longtime regular partner, offered a No. 2 pairing that most teams would have been happy to feature as their top unit. Persson’s passing and puckhandling skills were a perfect match for “Bammer’s” physical style of play and ability to clear the slot.

The 6’1″ defender from Sweden was a member of all four Stanley Cup championship teams and was one of Al Arbour’s most reliable blue-line options. Persson might not have been the offensive juggernaut that Denis Potvin was for the Isles, but the defenseman more than held his weight in New York.

Persson’s steady production and sound defensive play certainly endeared him to his coaches and teammates as the defender was yet another Islanders player that showed up every night to battle for the team’s two points. Persson’s 15 points during the 1980 and 1982 Stanley Cup Playoffs were undoubtedly a big help for New York and it is safe to say that Persson was one of the first players to prove the old stigma of, “one can’t win with Europeans on their roster,” wrong.

 

[BubbaBoot]

Brian Rolston
center / left wing

• Shoots: Left • Height: 6-2 • Weight: 215 lbs. •
• Born: February 21, 1973 • Flint, Michigan •
• Draft: New Jersey, 1st round (11th overall) • 1991 NHL Entry • from: Lake Superior State (CCHA/NCAA) •
• Played: 1994/95 - 2011/12 •

• Championships •
1992 Lake Superior State (CCHA)
1992 Lake Superior State (NCAA)
1993 Lake Superior State (CCHA)
1995 New Jersey Devils (NHL)

• International Medals •
1993 Gold • Tampere Cup (Finland)
1996 Gold • World Cup of Hockey
2002 Silver • Olympics (Salt Lake City)
1992 Bronze • Jr World Championships (Germany)
1995 Bronze • World Championships (Vienna)

• Honors •
1991–92 NCAA National Championship All-Tournament Team
1992-93 NCAA West - All-American Team (2nd)
1992–93 CCHA All-Star Team (1st)

• All-Star Games •
NHL - 2007

• NHL All-Star Voting •
- 98-99 (T10th)

• Selke Trophy Voting •
- 98-99 (T10th) / 01-02 (5th) / 02-03 (5th) / 03-04 (14th) / 04-05 (10th) / 05-06 (16th)

• Achievements •
• Goals
- 1992-93 CCHA 33 (3)
- Career NHL • 342
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 20

• Game-Winning Goals
- 2001-02 NHL 7 (9)
- 2007-08 NHL 8 (6)
- Career NHL • 72 (36th all-time)

• Shorthanded Goals
- 1998-99 NHL 5 (1)
- 2001-02 NHL 9 (1)
- 2002-03 NHL 5 (2)
- 2005-06 NHL 5 (3)
- Career NHL • 33 (13th all-time)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 6

• Points
- 1992-93 CCHA 64 (T4)
- Career NHL • 761
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 34

• career stats •

|gms | G |A |TP |PIMs|+/- |G/gm|A/gm|PP |SH
NHL | 1256 |342 |419 |761 |472 |+65 |.27 |.33 |98 |33
NHL PLAYOFFS| 77 |20 |14 |34 |38 |+1 | .26 |.18 | 6 |6
International| 53 |23 |18 |41 |20 | | .43 |.34 | |
US National | 41 |20 |28 |48 |36 | | .49 |.68 | |
NCAA | 196 |73 |87 |160 |106 | |.37 |.44 | |

• career team records •
New Jersey Devils (NHL) - games (15) / playoff games (34) / goals (16) / playoff goals (T18) / assists (T23) / playoff assists (T40) / points (22) / playoff points (T34) / PIMs (37) / playoff PIMs (38) / EV goals (19) / PP goals (T15) / playoff PP goals (T14) / SH goals (T5) / playoff SH goals (T1) / GPG (T21) / playoff GPG (10) / APG (T30) / PPG (26) / playoff PPG (T24) / +/- (24) / playoff +/- (14)
Boston Bruins (NHL) - games (T55) / playoff games (22) / goals (49) / playoff goals (6) / assists (T55) / playoff assists (T17) / points (56) / PIMs (72) / EV goals (38) / PP goals (T30) / SH goals (T6) / GPG (T33) / APG (T37) / PPG (35) / +/- (T44)
Minnesota Wild (NHL) - games (T19) / playoff games (22) / goals (5) / playoff goals (T6) / assists (6) / playoff assists (7) / points (5) / playoff points (T6) / PIMs (17) / playoff PIMs (15) / EV goals (6) / PP goals (3) / SH goals (3) / playoff SH goals /GPG (2) / playoff GPG (5) / APG (2) / playoff APG (T3) / PPG (2) / playoff PPG (2) / +/- (4) / playoff +/- (T4)

• Accolades •

Rolston is considered a utility forward, as he can play as a centre, left wing and right wing competently. The 6'2', 214 pound forward is best known for his highly regarded two-way ability. Rolston was drafted in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils as their second pick in the first round. Prior to his NHL career, Rolston played for Lake Superior State University (where as a freshman he scored the game-winning goal and earned Most Outstanding Player honors in the National Championship game, which his team won)

Recchi's influence in the locker room on the young core, in particular Patrice Bergeron, is well documented. But Brian Rolston has plenty to add to this team without doing his best Mark Recchi impersonation. With each game, Rolston appears more comfortable and in better game shape. Always a tremendous skater, Rolston remains one of the faster guys on the team, surpassing many of his younger counterparts. Not to mention, his booming shot has been showcased multiple times over his recent hot streak. A solid passer and welcome presence on the Bruins' inconsistent power play, Rolston has the ability to help his team on both ends of the ice.

He has a great shot and plays a hard-nosed-drive-to-the-net North American style of hockey, something that the Rangers desperately need. He can also play the point on the powerplay and quarterback it, something else the Rangers need. I've said it before, how I hate having forwards play the point, but Rolston is an exception. He is also a great defensive forward.

Speaking of the defense in him, Rolston has always been dangerous in his career while shorthanded. With Straka done as a Ranger, Rolston will be right there to replace him on the penalty kill. He is also a product of the New Jersey Devils' farm system and knows how to play defense. As my dad always says, "Once a Devil, always a Devil."

"We're extremely fortunate to have him. He brings a lot to the table, not only the goals and points, but he plays the game on a consistent basis. He shows up to play every game and he plays in all three zones. Guys like him know what it takes to play for a long time and to win in this league."

Tied with Olympic teammate Mike Modano for second in U.S. National Junior Team career scoring with 20 points (10-10), and is the all-time U.S. leader in games played with 22.

Rolston uses his exceptional speed to be a scoring threat even when killing penalties.

Rolston has always been a slick, point-producing forward with great skating skills and a big shot.

As a teenager, Brian Rolston started his junior career with the Detroit Compuware Junior B's. He didn't have to look very far to find a role model or two. The Compuware's line-up also included future NHLers Eric Lindros and XXX XXXXX. According to Rolston, Lindros, at age 16, was already a tower of strength and skill that made everyone on the team reach higher in an effort to imitate the best parts of his game. After a half season of Junior B, Rolston went to play for the Lake Superior State Lakers in 1991. During his two years on campus, he excelled as an NCAA and CCHA All-Star, leading the Lakers to a NCAA championship in 1992.

Rolston also picked up international experience by joining Team USA at the World Junior Championships during both of his years at university. In 1993-94, he hooked up with the U.S. National Team for a year that led to an appearance at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, France. Rolston then closed out the eventful year with the AHL's Albany River Rats, a New Jersey Devils affiliate. He stayed on with the River Rats for the start of the following campaign, but then got a permanent promotion to the big leagues, joining the Devils halfway into the season. From that moment on, Rolston secured his place in the NHL on the strength of his fine skating, penalty killing, and ability to score short-handed goals.

"Over my career, I have seen a lot of players who aren't that good built up by the media. I haven't had that kind of buildup, but I would like to think the people in the organization and my teammates appreciate what I do. "

 

[BubbaBoot]

Tom Lysiak
center / left wing

• Shoots: Left • Height: 6-1 • Weight: 185 lbs. •
• Born: April 22, 1953 • High Prairie, Alberta •
• Draft: Atlanta, 1st round (2nd overall) • 1973 NHL Amateur • from: Medicine Hat Tigers (WCJHL) •
• Played: 1973/74 - 1985/86 •

• Championships •
1973 Medicine Hat (WCHL)

• International Medals •
1978 Bronze World Championships (Prague)

•*Awards •
1971-72 WCHL Brownridge Trophy (Points Leader)
1972-73 WCHL Brownridge Trophy (Points Leader)
1974-75 NHL Atlanta Ellmans Trophy (MVP)
1975-76 NHL Atlanta Ellmans Trophy (MVP)
1976-77 NHL Atlanta Ellmans Trophy (MVP)

• Honors •
1971-72 WCHL All-Star Team (1st)
1972-73 WCHL All-Star Team (1st)

• All-Star Games •
NHL - 1975 / 1976 / 1977

• NHL All-Star Voting •
- 98-99 (T10th)

• Calder Trophy Voting •
- 73-74 (2nd )

• Hart Trophy Voting •
- 75-76 (T15)

• Selke Trophy Voting •
- 82-83 (4th)

• Achievements •
• Games played
- 1975-76 NHL 80 (1)
- 1977-78 NHL 80 (3)
- Career NHL • 919
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 76

• Game Winning goals
- 1979-80 NHL 7 (6)
- Career • 43
- Career PLAYOFFS • 2

• Assists
- 1971-72 WCHL 97 (1)
- 1972-73 WCHL 96 (1)
- Career NHL • 551 (98th all-time)
- 1973 WCHL PLAYOFFS 23 (1)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 38

• Assists Per Game
- Career NHL • 0.60 (57th all-time)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 0.51

• Points
- 1971-72 WCHL 143 (1)
- 1972-73 WCHL 154 (1)
- Career NHL • 843
- 1973 WCHL PLAYOFFS 39 (1)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 63

• Points Per Game
- Career • 0.92 (97th all-time)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 0.86 (T86th all-time)

• career stats •

|gms | G |A |TP |PIMs|+/- |G/gm|A/gm|PP |SH
NHL | 919 |292 |551 |843 |567 |+65 |.32 |.60 |75 |8
NHL PLAYOFFS| 76 |25 |38 |63 |49 |+1 | .33 |.50 | 10 |0
International | 7 |1 | 1 |2 |4 | | .14 |.14 | |
WCHL | 195 |118 |209 |327 |312 | | .61 |1.07 | |

• career team records •
Atlanta Flames (including Calgary) (NHL) - games (21) / playoff games (T95) / goals (14) / playoff goals (71) / assists (9) / playoff assists (T55) / points (11) / playoff points (T60) / PIMs (25) / EV goals (13) / PP goals (T19) /SH goals (T22) / GPG (13) / playoff GPG (T40) / APG (6) / playoff APG (T14) / PPG (7) / playoff PPG (25) / +/- (28)
Chicago Black Hawks (NHL) - games (39) / playoff games (T23) / goals (31) / playoff goals (10) / assists (20) / playoff assists (T13) / points (22 ) / playoff points (10) / PIMs (72) / playoff PIMs (T52) / EV goals (T25) / playoff PP goals (T11) / PP goals (20 ) / playoff PP goals (T6) / SH goals (T23 ) / GPG (T27) / playoff GPG (T11) / APG (T7) / playoff APG (T11) / PPG (T10) / playoff PPG (8) / playoff +/- (21)
Medicine Hat Tigers (WCHL) - goals (T18) / assists (6) / points (9) / Most assists in a season 71-72 (2)...72-73 (4) / Most points in a season 71-72 (3)...72-73 (4)
WCHL records - Most points in one game (four goals, six assists for 10 points vs. Edmonton at Medicine Hat on Dec. 30, 1971, shares record with four other players)

• Accolades •

"He plays like a veteran, I haven't seen a rookie like him come into the league since Gilbert Perreault."

Tall and lean, Atlanta Center Tom Lysiak stirs memories of the illustrious Jean Beliveau in Coach Boom Boom Geoffrion. "The kid skates like the classic center—head up, stick way out front and eyes on his wings."

"Tommy is really our true leader. He has matured a lot. Away from the game he is still a happy-go-lucky type. But when we're here, [Chicago Stadium], he's serious and the guys really listen to him".

On the ice, Lysiak played on a line with Jacques Richard and Larry Romanchych. In that setting, he established himself as a leader who put team goals ahead of his own. He also affected the scoring sheet with his deft sense of timing in front of the opposition's net. He tended to take his time with the puck until just the right moment for the shot. And if the going got rough, he wasn't adverse to tossing the odd elbow or dropping his gloves. He once impressed his fans by chasing down Flyer thug Don Saleski to challenge him to a fight.

Tom Lysiak quietly was one of the most talented stars of hockey. He had an uncanny sense of anticipating the flow of the play and was used in every game situation. He played the power plays, he killed penalties and was often asked to play against the other teams' top center. Tom was a fine skater and created a lot of chances thanks to his mobility. A solid two-way player, his vision was complimented nicely by his creativity and soft hands.

Lysiak showed few weaknesses. An occasional lazy streak maybe, but he scored regularly, passed well, stick handled brilliantly, played the point on power plays, showed a willingness to backcheck on defense, and even took on Philly's legendary tough guys Dave "The Hammer" Schultz and Don Saleski in a couple of fights. Lysiak finished his rookie season with 64 points, including a team record 45 assists.

Darryl Sutter was once quoted considering Lysiak as the best player he's ever played with, an interesting admission considering he played with guys like Denis Savard and Doug Wilson.

Playing behind Denis Savard and Troy Murray, Lysiak adopted a more defensive role, thus hurting his once consistent offensive production. [But earned him 4th place in 1982/83 for the Selke Trophy Voting, his only ever appearance] His 46 points in 1984-85 was a career low to that point, but he followed that with just 21 points in his last season as an active player in 1985-86.

The sparkplug in Atlanta is the 20-year-old Lysiak, who leads the Flames in scoring and, with Denis Potvin of the Islanders and Borje Salming of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is a top candidate for Rookie of the Year. Lysiak skates erectly, carrying the puck out away from his body, and prefers to set up his wings rather than make plays for himself.

Lou Nanne of the North Stars calls Lysiak " Atlanta's Bobby Clarke." Like Clarke, Lysiak is from western Canada, and like Clarke he has learned some of the subtleties that separate the Clarkes from the nondescripts.

Tom Lysiak is the personification of old school hockey, playing 13 NHL seasons with the Atlanta Flames and the Chicago Blackhawks from 1973-1986. He doesn't recognize today's game; not only because they legalized the two-line pass, for which he admits his palpable jealousy, but because the anarchic moments and raucous personalities of his playing days have been sanitized for the mass audience's protection.

"We're in an environment now where politically correct is the way you have to be," said the sandpaper-voiced 57 year old, speaking from his home in Georgia. "Not only is it screwing up the country, it's screwing up sports. You're always going to step on somebody's toes."

He fondly remembers those chaotic years in the NHL, when the brawlers got the best-looking groupies and the League would send memos out about pulling hair in fights rather than about concussion prevention. Sure, it was an unhealthy Thunderdome of reckless, injurious play that repulsed as many fans as it enchanted.

 

[BubbaBoot]

Reggie Fleming
forward / defense

• Shoots: Left • Height: 5-8 • Weight: 170 lbs. •
• Born: April 21, 1936 • Montreal, Quebec •
• Played: 1959/60 - 1970/71 \\\ 1972-73 - 1973/74 (WHA) •

• Championships •
1961 Chicago Black Hawks (NHL)

• All-Star Games •
NHL - 1961

• NHL All-Star Voting •
-64-65 (T12) / 66-67 (T10)

• Calder Trophy Voting •
- 60-61 (7)

• Achievements •
• Games
- 1961-62 NHL 70 (1)
- 1970-71 NHL 78 (3)
- Career NHL • 749
- Career WHA • 120
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 50
- Career WHA PLAYOFFS • 12

• Shorthanded Goals
- 1964-65 NHL 2 (6)
- Career NHL • 3
- Career WHA • 1

• PIM's
- 1960-61 NHL 145 (2)
- 1962-63 NHL 99 (10)
- 1963-64 NHL 140 (5)
- 1964-65 NHL 136 (9)
- 1965-66 NHL 166 (1)
- 1966-67 NHL 146 (2)
- 1967-68 NHL 132 (7)
- 1968-69 NHL 138 (8)
- 1969-70 NHL 134 (7)
- 1970-71 NHL 159 (10)
- Career NHL • 1468 (137th all-time / 19th in the O6 / 1st during his career span)
- Career WHA • 142
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 106
- Career WHA PLAYOFFS • 12

• career stats •

|gms | G |A |TP |PIMs|+/- |G/gm|A/gm|PP |SH
NHL | 749 |108 |132 |240 |1468| |.14 |.18 | |
NHL PLAYOFFS| 50 |3 | 6 |9 |106 | | .06 |.12 | |
WHA |120 |25 |57 |82 | 142 | | .21 |.48 |8 |1
WHA PLAYOFFS | 12 |0 |4 |4 |12 | | .00 |.33 | |
QJHL / OHA | 134 |11 |26 |37 |279 | |.08 |.16 | |
QHL | 112 |8 |24 |32 |336 | |.07 |.22 | |

• career team records •
Chicago Black Hawks (NHL) - games (112) / PIMs (41) / playoff PIMs (T21)
Boston Bruins (NHL) - games (261) / PIMs (118) / playoff PIMs (38)
NY Rangers (NHL) - games (121) / PIMs (27) / playoff PIMs (T105)
Chicago Cougars (WHA) - games (14) / goals (T11) / assists (7) / points (10) / PIMs (6) / EV goals (T13) / PP goals (T7) / SH goals (T2) / GW goals (T4)

• Accolades •

His professional career spanned over 20 years. He was known as an aggressive and combative player who could play both forward and defence, as well as kill penalties.

Fleming played four full seasons on a talented Chicago club alongside stars like Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Glenn Hall and Pierre Pilote. Fleming's aggressive style of play added an important physical presence to the Blackhawks and helped the team win the Stanley Cup for the 1960–61 season, which was Fleming's first in Chicago.

A popular player with Chicago, he was known for his grit and team spirit. His involvement in a number of notorious incidents gave him a reputation around the league as a tough customer and an intense competitor.

Prior to the 1964-65 season, Chicago dealt Fleming to the Boston Bruins. Boston primarily used Fleming as a forward and he recorded personal highs of 18 goals and 23 assists for the 1964-65 season.

Midway through the next season, he was traded to the New York Rangers.He would spend the remainder of that year and the following three with a rapidly improving Ranger club. Although a popular and consistent performer with the Rangers, he was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 1969-70 season. His experience and combativeness helped the small and unaggressive Flyers team. Left unprotected in the 1970 expansion draft, Fleming joined the Buffalo Sabres, where he recorded his career high in penalty minutes in 1970-71, his last NHL season.

Reg Fleming was a hard-nosed player for six teams between 1959-60 and 1970-71. He was able to play defence and left-wing while providing grit and a bit of offense in his 749-game career. Although he wasn't the biggest player on the ice, his guile and combative will bettered many an adversary.

He was no superstar, but Reggie Fleming, who died over the weekend, deserves not to be forgotten with the passage of time. If you are a fan of a certain age, you know well who Reggie Fleming was. You either booed or cheered him, but you always noticed him, his thick body and his brush cut hairstyle.

In an era when guys who were frequent fighters could actually play hockey, Reggie was an effective and enthusiastic pugilist, a very reliable defensive player who — especially during his years with the Rangers — showed he could score a bit as well.

What Reg Fleming did best was fight and agitate. Today, the role of fighting is hotly debated. In Reg Fleming’s day, before the mid-’70s Flyers elevated it to a strategic weapon, that role was never questioned. It was merely integral to the game, an internal mechanism of policing a sport that could veer off into violence.

Fleming was a good, versatile N.H.L.’er who could play defense or wing. On the rugged Blackhawks team that won the Stanley Cup in 1961 — the most physical team in the six-team N.H.L. of the early ’60s — he was the main cop on the beat.

When the Hawks played the Red Wings, Fleming was assigned to left wing to check Gordie Howe. When they played the Maple Leafs, he shadowed Frank Mahovlich. Against the Rangers, he skated against Andy Bathgate. After he was traded by the Hawks, he lined up against his old teammate Bobby Hull. His coaches knew he could play the game. He was also a good penalty killer.

And during his only full season with the Bruins and most of his Rangers career, Reg would annually hit double digits in goals.

Fleming was known as a great teammate, loyal to the guys on his side on and off the ice. As with so many of hockey’s fighters, away from the game, Fleming had a reputation unlike that his tough-guy image. He was a gentle guy. He saw his role on the ice as a job he had to do.

Reggie Fleming was a very hard-nosed player. He was a highly effective utility forward though he originally was a defenseman. Born in Montreal, Fleming spent most of his junior and minor league career playing defense. However due to his small size (5'8" 170lbs) he was converted to a left wing for much of his NHL career.

With his decent speed and physical, hustling style he was an extraordinary penalty killer. Another reason for his great penalty killing was he was a superb defensive forward, as many players are once they are converted from the blueline to the forward position. Fleming already had a great understanding of defensive positioning by the time he moved up.

He was also a pesky player. He loved to get under the skin of the opponents, disrupting them from their game, thus giving his team a much better chance of victory. The opposition hated him, but Chicago fans loved him.

Long before the myth of the taciturn, two-fisted loner was appropriated by the Spaghetti Western, it had taken up residence in sports like boxing and the NHL of the mid-20th century.

Few embodied that idiom, and its righter-of-wrongs code, like Reggie Fleming.

He was a mere sapling by the redwood standards of today's NHL - he stood 5 foot 10 and weighed 185 pounds - but his beefy arms and tightly cropped pate earned him the nickname Mr. Clean. It was an appropriate moniker for a versatile player known above all for stepping in to sort out messes created by opponents or overzealous teammates.

He's 39 now, Fleming, but looks older; his hair, once a thick and golden brushcut, running thin and wispy, his stomach fat and soft. It's hard to believe he was once, and not so long ago, one of hockey's most brutal, meanest players; short on talent but long on the stick, a bully who carved his notoriety in the flesh of opposing players. He was a fighter and a good one and as long as he was that, the czars of hockey embraced him.

His was the role of the good cop, always reflecting on his own special station in life, loyally serving the czars, nurturing his loyalty to friends and, above all, dedicating himself to the cause, the fine and honorable cause.

For 16 years Fleming played and fought in the National Hockey League, first with Montreal, then Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Buffalo. Then he went to the WHA, where he spent two years with the Chicago Cougars. He played and fought, he'll tell you often, when the NHL was the best hockey in the world, before expansion in 1967. He never did score 20 goals in a season, the figure that historically separates the haves from the have-nots, although he did manage 23 his first season with the Cougars.

But he wasn't expected to score goals. He was expected to fight. He did get penalties, plenty of them, and his ability to beat people up was always the root of his ego. In one season, 1965-66, he had more penalty minutes than any other player in the NHL. Today, he ranks seventh on the all-time list for penalty minutes, 1,468 minutes, more than 24 hours in the box. But he ranks first for getting those penalty minutes for fighting. He had a ferocious left hook, a decent right and a beautiful head butt. He fought all the tough ones: Howe, Fontinato, Lindsay, Harris, Ferguson - and seldom lost.

http://www.hockey-fights.com/forum/showpost.php?pid/1087208/

"When he was on the ice, he was an unbelievable competitor, a very physical presence. Off the ice, he was a great guy and he would do anything for anybody."

"Look, I just love hockey, that's all, I love hockey. I think I can still play hockey the way I always played it, does there have to be a damn reason? I'm supposed to be embarrassed or something because this is a nothing league, a bunch-a bunch of bums they say? I don't give a damn what people think of me, I don't care, I can still play hockey and that's what I'm doing, okay"

 

[Hobnobs]

Syd Howe, C/LW

HHOF member
Stanley Cup Champion 3 times (1935-36, 1936-37, 1942-43)
2nd team NHL all star in 1944-45
Top 16 in goals 9 times [6 top 10]: 3,5,6,8,9,10,12,15,16
Top 20 in assists 8 times [5 top 10]: 4,5,6,7,9,14,15,19

... a two-way, passing talented HHOF three-time Stanley Cup champion who retired ironically as the NHL's all-time leading career leader in points (surpassing Stewart) the season before another player with the same last name began his career in the same city, Detroit's #8

When Gordie Howe came to Detroit, no one really knew much about the big kid. The most common question he was asked was "Are you related to Syd Howe?"

The answer is no, they aren't related. But for Gordie at that time, it was quite an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as the great Syd Howe.

Former Wings owner credited Syd with creating interest in hockey in Detroit, years before it became known as "Hockeytown." Howe was also a major part of the 1936, 1937 and 1943 Stanley Cup championships. A versatile player who played in all positions except goal, Syd was used primarily at center and on left wing by the Wings. A remarkably consistent player...

Howe was an all-around player, shifting between left wing and centre as needed, killing penalties and dropping back to play defence in a pinch. Those who watched the team closely reported that Howe's ice time with Detroit would constitute an amazing total.

Syd Howe, veteran fore ward, was on the ice most of the game for Detroit and played a great i game although not figuring in the 'scoring.

The Wings repeated as Stanley Cup winners in 1937. "For the greatest all around performance, you can't overlook Syd Howe's play in the 1937 series," mentioned xxxx, referring to the semi-final against the Canadiens. "Howe played defense, left wing and centre in the final game of that series." Detroit beat Montreal 2-1 in the third overtime period of that contest.
I believe Howe playing all those positions hurt him in the all star team voting for the regular season.

Syd Howe streaked down the ice and fired a whistler from the left side that also got past [the] Goalie...

Most noteworthy, according to Manager Jack Adams, was the play of Syd Howe on defense.

Detroit went ahead again early in the second period by counting while shorthanded, Syd Howe taking a beautiful pass from Kilrea.

Syd Howe set the play in motion, by rapping a sizzling shot off stick. The New York goalie could not control the rebound...

Forty feet out, xxx shot while Team. mate Syd Howe rushed toward the Chicago nets to screen the shot. As Syd arrived there, the disc hit his stick ...

Here's how legendary Wings coach/manager Jack Adams remembers his first impressions of Gordie Howe:

"We had a flock of young kids in at training camp and I couldn't take my eyes off a big rangy one. I called him over and asked his name. 'Gordon Howe' he drawled back and added, 'But I'm no relation to that other Howe over there.' I told the kid that if he worked hard, some day he might be as good as Syd Howe, one of our best forwards at the time. But honestly, I never dreamed that he'd do it."

Perhaps Howe's greatest game came on February 3, 1944. In that game, line mates Don "Count" Gosso and Mud Bruneteau set up Howe for 6 goals in one game! "I had a good
chance to break the all time record (Joe Malone's 7 in 1920) but I couldn't do it."

Thanks to Stoneberg for making the original bio.

 

[VanIslander]

Fred Lake, the 'point' defenseman who replaced a retiring Harvey Pulford in 1909, immediately helping Ottawa win two Stanley Cup championships (1909, 1911), re-united for four years with Hamby Shore at coverpoint, the two having played together back in Manitoba earlier in their careers. Lake was rough, gave big hits, worked hard, skated fast with a great shot. Both Lake and Shore had been forwards before (as had been all the Ottawa players, even goalie Lesueur, on a squad renowned for its puck handling), and each could surge on transition, though Shore played up ice more at coverpoint and appears to have rushed a lot more often. Significantly, Fred Lake had twice been a 1st team all-star in the IHL, in 1906 and 1907, the first pro league with all-time greats Lalonde, Taylor, Hall, Pitre, Stuart, and Tommy Smith. If Lake had been a forward in those days, as suspected, then it's even more impressive that he was twice a 1st team all star there given the level of competition! (Lake was almost certainly a winger when playing for Pittsburgh in 1903 and winning the championship against Houghton). After the IHL, he went to the WPHL, where he was thrown out of the league after only three games for "rough play". The very next season (1909) he was a 1st team all-star once again, with the cup-winning Senators in the ECAHA, 3rd in scoring among defensemen in the league. The year after he won his second Stanley Cup, Lake was 5th in NHA scoring among defensemen. He played thirteen seasons and is mentioned numerous times as one of the stars of the teams he played for. He certainly was paid as well as the top couple of players (see below quotes).

Lake was known as an outstanding player in several other cities where he performed.

A rugged, dependable defence player, the late Fred Lake held down the point position in the hockey lineup of the time. He combined with Fred Taylor and Hamby Shore to give the Ottawa team a defence that was respected by their opponents in the major competition of the time

Fred Lake, the stock point man of the world's champions, is 29 years old and tips the beam at 178 pounds. Lake is a Winnipeg boy and was unfortunate in his first professional game, in losing the sight of his left eye. Lake is better than the average man with the sight of both optics, however, and is without a doubt the greatest point man in the professional game. He has played with Ottawa for three seasons, helping in that time to win two championships. Lake is very fast, and has a great shot, and is, above all, game.

Lake's most prominent years came alongside defense partner Hamby Shore. The two first teamed up in Winnipeg in the Manitoba Hockey League before spending 4 years together in Ottawa. Standing tall before goalie Percy Lesueur, the duo of Lake and Shore helped the Senators capture the 1909 and 1911 Stanley Cup!

Fred Lake gave ***** the finest body-check of the night. ***** sailed through the air like one of the Wright brothers.

The best sight for the eyes of the pro fans was the appearance of Fred Lake, the good Ottawa defenceman. Lake was on the job early and worked like an Indian for the full practice. He will surely land a job.

Fred Lake teamed with Hamby Shore to form a solid defense pairing for Ottawa...

Freddie Lake and Cyclone Taylor made a tough defensive pairing.

The 1911 season was unique in that it was the first in which the NHA instigated a salary cap, limiting teams to a payroll of $5,000. Sens players Walsh, Fred Lake and xxxxx all took large pay cuts, reducing their salaries from the $1,200 each earned in 1910 to $600 for the subsequent season.

The O'Briens were prepared to put up whatever money it took to realize their dream. They launched an open raid on the Ottawa team, aggressively pursuing Taylor, Walsh, Lake, and xxxxx.

Jack Darragh and Hamby Shore earned $1500.00. Fred Lake earned $1350 and Percy LeSueur $995.99.

 

[VanIslander]

coach Art Ross, the man who chose "Bruins" as Boston's nickname to reflect ..."an untamed animal displaying speed, agility, and cunning", establishing an ethos of hard work and hard play in Boston that remains to this day. "The dour Scot" is the winningest coach in Boston Bruins history, with 361 wins behind the bench during four stints as the Bruins' coach between 1924 and 1945, only twice missing the playoffs. Four times they went to the Stanley Cup finals and won it all in 1939. Ross was selected as NHL coach of the year in 1939, a 2nd team all-star coach the year before and four years later. He led the Bruins to five regular season 1st place finishes in the thirties and "Ultimate Hockey" selected him as best coach of a decade. Ross had a habit of stepping away from coaching and doing more general manager and president duties when times were good, going back behind the bench each time the Bruins began to struggle. He is famous for several innovations including pulling the goalie to ice an extra attacker.

it was he who instilled the Bruins' toughness and aggressive play right from the beginning

http://books.google.ca/books?id=4Mz...&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result

He was hired to coach the Hamilton Tigers for the 1922–23 season, and adopted new methods in training camp that emphasized physical fitness, including work off the ice. However, the Tigers finished with a record of six wins and eighteen losses, last in the NHL for the third successive year, and Art Ross did not return the next season. His next coaching appointment arose from meeting Boston grocery store magnate Charles Adams during the 1924 Stanley Cup Finals. Before the 1924 season, the NHL awarded Adams an expansion team, which he named the Boston Bruins. He hired Ross as general manager, coach and scout. Ross utilized his many hockey connections throughout Canada and the United States to sign players. Even so, the team started poorly. Early in the first season the University of Toronto hockey team was in Boston for matches against local universities. The team's manager, Conn Smythe, who later owned and managed the Toronto Maple Leafs, said that his team could easily defeat the Bruins—Ross's team had won only two of their first fifteen NHL games. This began a feud between Smythe and Ross which lasted until Ross's death; while mostly confined to newspaper reports, they refused to speak to each other at NHL Board of Governor meetings. The Bruins finished their first season with six wins in thirty games, one of the worst records in the history of the league. Several records were set over the course of the season; the three home wins are tied for the second fewest ever, and an eleven game losing streak from December 8, 1924, until February 17, 1925, set a record for longest losing streak, surpassed in 2004 and now second longest in history. With 17 wins in 36 games the following season, the team greatly improved, and finished one point out of a playoff spot.

In 1926 the Western Hockey League, the other top professional hockey league, was in decline. The Patrick brothers, who controlled the league, offered to sell the remaining five teams for $300,000. Ross realized the potential talent available and convinced Adams to pay the money. As a result, the Bruins acquired the rights to several future Hall of Fame players, the most notable being defender Eddie Shore. Ross signed goaltender Cecil "Tiny" Thompson in 1928, who was with a team in Minnesota, despite never watching him play; Ralph "Cooney" Weiland was also brought over from Minnesota. Art Ross acquired Cy Denneny from Ottawa and made him a player-coach while he assumed the role of team manager. On November 20, 1928, the Bruins moved to a new arena when the Boston Garden opened. The team played the Canadiens who won the match 1–0 in front of 16,000 fans. The players signed by Ross helped the Bruins to improve quickly, and they won the Stanley Cup in 1929. Denneny retired after the Cup win and Ross resumed his role as coach, guiding the team to several league records in the 1929–30 season. The team won 38 of 44 games for an .875 winning percentage, the highest in league history; the five losses tied a record for fewest ever, and the four road losses tied a record for second fewest. The Bruins also only finished one game in a tie, a record for fewest ties in a season since the NHL began recording the record in 1926. One of the longest winning streaks was also set during the season. From December 3, 1929, until January 9, 1930, the team won fourteen games in a row, a record that lasted until 1982 and now tied for third longest, as of October 2010. A home winning streak began the same day and lasted for twenty games, until March 18, 1930, which was tied for the longest of its kind in 1976. In 1930–31, the Bruins again lost only one home game, which equalled their previous record.

In a playoff game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 26, 1931, Ross substituted goaltender Tiny Thompson for a sixth skater in the final minute of play. Although the Bruins lost the game 1–0, Ross became the first coach to replace his goaltender with an extra attacker, a tactic which became widespread practice in hockey. Stepping aside as coach in 1934 to focus on managing the team, Ross hired Frank Patrick as coach with a salary of $10,500, which was high for such a role. However rumours spread during the season that Patrick, a Methodist, was drinking heavily and not being as strict with the players as Ross wanted. After the Bruins lost their playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1936 playoffs, the result of a 8–1 score in the second game, a newspaper claimed that Patrick had been drinking the day of the game and had trouble controlling the team. Several days later, Ross relieved Patrick of his duties and once again assumed the role of coach.

Ross took over an improved team. He had recently signed three players, Milt Schmidt, Bobby Bauer and Woody Dumart, who all grew up together in Kitchener, Ontario, and had them play on the same line, soon nicknamed the Kraut Line in reference to the German heritage of all three. Along with them, Ross had acquired a new goaltender in 1938, Frank Brimsek; after Brimsek earned six shutouts in his first eight games, the Bruins traded away Tiny Thompson to allow Brimsek to play. With these players the Bruins finished first in the league in 1937–38; Ross was named as the second best coach in the league, selected for the end of season All-Star Second Team. The next season the Bruins won 36 of 48 games, and won the Stanley Cup in the playoffs; Ross was named to the First All-Star Team as the best coach in the league for the season and the team only tied two games, which is tied for the second fewest in a season. He hired the recently retired Cooney Weiland to coach the Bruins for the 1939–40 NHL season. The Bruins would win the Cup again in 1941, and tied their record of only four away losses all season. Ross once again took over as coach of the team before the 1941–42 season began, as Weiland became coach of the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, and led the team to 25 wins in 48 games, which was enough to earn third place in the league. By this time the Second World War had caused several Bruins players, including the entire Kraut Line and goaltender Brimsek, to enlist in their respective armed forces. The Bruins finished second in the NHL during the 1942–43 season with 24 wins in 50 games and Ross was again named in the Second NHL All-Star Team as second best coach in the league.