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

[ck26]

Sergei Zubov
Серге́й Алекса́ндрович Зу́бов
"The Sultan of Sagacity"​

Defenseman
Born 22 July 1970 in Moscow
6'01" 200 lbs
Shoots right

Stanley Cup winner: 1999, 1994
Stanley Cup finalist: 2000, 1999, 1994
Olympic gold medal: 1992
World juniors winner: 1989
World juniors finalist: 1990, 1989

NHL second-team all-star: 2006
NHL all-star game: 2000, 1999, 1998
3x top-10 in assists (all skaters) … 93-94: 77 (Gretzky, 92) … 97-98: 47 (Gretzky, 67) … 05-06: 58 (Thornton, 96)
12 straight 30-assist seasons (1996-2008)
Highest-scoring Russian-born defenseman in NHL history
FIRST DEFENSEMAN TO EVER LEAD A FIRST-PLACE TEAM IN SCORING (1994 NY Rangers)
SECOND DEFENSEMAN TO EVER LEAD A STANLEY CUP CHAMPION IN REGULAR-SEASON SCORING (Bobby Orr, 1970 Boston Bruins)

Norris Trophy Voting:
1993-1994: 4th (Bourque, Stevens, MacInnis)
1999-2000: 9th (Pronger, Lidstrom, Blake, Desjardins, Gonchar, Chelios, Bourque, X)
2000-2001: 8th (Lidstrom, Bourque, Stevens, Blake, Leetch, Gonchar, MacInnis)
2002-2003: 8th (Lidstrom, MacInnis, D Hatcher, Gonchar, Blake, Jovanovski, Chara)
2005-2006: 3rd (Lidstrom, Niedermayer)
2006-2007: 9th (Lidstrom, Niedermayer, Pronger, Boyle, X, Phaneuf, Gonchar, Souray)

CAREER STATS
88-89 CSKA Moscow 29gp 1g 4a 5p 10pim
89-90 CSKA Moscow 48gp 6g 2a 8p 16pim
90-91 CSKA Moscow 41gp 6g 5a 11p 12pim
91-92 CSKA Moscow 36gp 4g 7a 11p 6pim
92-93 Binghamton (AHL) 30gp 7g 29a 36p 14pim +31 11gp 5g 5a 10p +2
92-93 NY Rangers 49gp 8g 23a 31p 4pim -1
93-94 NY Rangers 78gp 12g 77a 89p 39pim +20 22gp 5g 14a 19pts 0pim
94-95 NY Rangers 38gp 10g 26a 36p 18pim -2 10gp 3g 8a 11p 2pim
95-96 Pittsburgh P 64gp 11g 55a 66p 22pim +28 18gp 1g 14a 15p 26pim
96-97 Dallas Stars 78gp 13g 30a 43p 24pim +19 7gp 0g 3a 3p 2pim
97-98 Dallas Stars 73gp 10g 47a 57p 16pim +16 17gp 4g 5a 9p 2pim
98-99 Dallas Stars 81gp 10g 41a 51p 20pim +9 23gp 1g 12a 13p 4pim
99-00 Dallas Stars 77gp 09g 33a 42p 18pim -2 18gp 2g 7a 9p 6pim
00-01 Dallas Stars 79gp 10g 41a 51p 24pim +22 10gp 1g 5a 6p 4pim
01-02 Dallas Stars 80gp 12g 32a 44p 22pim -4
02-03 Dallas Stars 82gp 11g 44a 55p 26pim +21 12gp 4g 10a 14p 4pim
03-04 Dallas Stars 77gp 07g 35a 42p 20pim e 5gp 1g 1a 2p 0pim
05-06 Dallas Stars 78gp 13g 58a 71p 46pim +20 5gp 1g 5a 6p 6pim
06-07 Dallas Stars 78gp 12g 42a 54p 26pim e 6gp 0g 4a 4p 2pim
07-08 Dallas Stars 46gp 04g 31a 35p 12pim +6 11gp 1g 5a 6p 4pim
08-09 Dallas Stars 10gp 00g 04a 04p 0pim -4
09-10 St. Petersburg (KHL) 53gp 10g 32a 42p 32pim +8 4gp 0g 2a 2p 0pim

Dallas Stars Season-by-Season Results
Zubov's years with Dallas bolded. The only other significant additions Dallas made for 1996/1997 were the free agent signings of 53-point scorer Pat Verbeek and grinder Dave Reid. Most Stars fans / media will describe that summer's trade of Kevin Hatcher for Sergei Zubov as far-and-away the best in franchise history.
1993–94 … 84 GP … 097 pts … 3rd, Central division, 2nd round of playoffs
1994–95 … 48 GP … 042 pts … 5th, Central division, 1st round of playoffs
1995–96 … 82 GP … 066 pts … 6th, Central division, missed playoffs
1996–97 … 82 GP … 104 pts … 1st, Central division, 1st round of playoffs
1997–98 … 82 GP … 109 pts … 1st, Central division, Conference Finals
1998–99 … 82 GP … 114 pts … 1st, Pacific division, Stanley Cup Champions
1999–00 … 82 GP … 102 pts … 1st, Pacific division, Stanley Cup Finals
2000–01 … 82 GP … 106 pts … 1st, Pacific division, 2nd round of playoffs
2001–02 … 82 GP … 090 pts … 4th, Pacific division, missed playoffs
2002–03 … 82 GP … 111 pts … 1st, Pacific division, 2nd round of playoffs
2003–04 … 82 GP … 097 pts … 2nd, Pacific division, 1st round of playoffs
2005–06 … 82 GP … 112 pts … 1st, Pacific division, 1st round of playoffs
2006–07 … 82 GP … 107 pts … 3rd, Pacific division, 1st round of playoffs
2007–08 … 82 GP … 097 pts … 3rd, Pacific division, Conference finals
2008–09 … 82 GP … 83pts … 3rd, Pacific division, missed playoffs
2009–10 … 82 GP … 88 pts … 5th, Pacific division, missed playoffs
2010–11 … 82 GP … 95 its … 5th, Pacific division, missed playoffs
2011-12 … 82 GP … 89 pts … 4th, Pacific division, missed playoffs

After his retirement, Zubov was re-united with former GM Doug Armstrong and former coach Ken Hitchcock as a hockey operations consultant for the St Louis Blues.

In the late 1990s, the Dallas Stars emerged as one of the dominant franchises in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 and returning to the finals in 2000. Night in and night out, coach Ken Hitchcock sent out an incredible lineup that boasted goalie Ed Belfour and skaters Brett Hull, Mike Modano and Joe Nieuwendyk, to name just a few. But it may be said that no other player has been as crucial to the team's success as its Russian defenseman, Sergei Zubov.

An offensive-minded rearguard, the 6-foot 1-inch, 200-pound Zubov adds tremendous scoring as well as consistent leadership on the power play. "He brings his great skill with him, and his performance has been so consistent," says Stars general manager Bob Gainey.

Zubov played four seasons with Moscow's Central Red Army team, between 1988 and 1992. In 1990 the New York Rangers drafted Zubov in the fifth round with the 85th overall pick. They assigned him to their AHL farm team in Binghamton, New York, in 1992, and after 30 games he'd registered 36 points and earned a promotion. In his first 49 NHL games he generated a promising 8 goals and 31 points. His second season, 1993-94, he reached his offensive zenith, scoring 77 assists and 89 points. He added 5 goals and 19 points during the playoffs to help the Rangers win their first Stanley Cup since 1940.

After parts of three seasons in the Ranger organization, Zubov was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After only one year in Penguin black and gold, he was dealt to the Dallas Stars. He quickly became a favorite of the Texas fans, wowing them with his strong skating and superb stickhandling, both traits that were at a premium within coach Hitchcock's defensive system.

Although Zubov has traditionally taken few penalties, he is not afraid of physical play. He specializes in quick rushes out of the defensive zone and is an expert at making short, hard passes to set up a forward [breaking out of the defensive zone]. In 1996-97, his first season in Dallas, he was tops among all NHL defenders with 47 assists.

Zubov and the Stars returned to the finals yet again in 2000, only to fall short against a talented New Jersey Devils squad. One of the more durable players in the league, Zubov played in his 700th NHL game during the 2001-02 season and registered career point number 500 that same year, while helping team Russia earn a bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

I finally have a chance to write about the Stars again, and more specifically, the story that is in the process of completion as speak: The exit of the great Sergei Zubov.

I think many of us hate to see this happen. Zubov is one of my absolute favorite Dallas Stars for years and years. Imagining this organization moving on without him is as tough to process as moving on without Mike Modano or Jere Lehtinen. But, there comes a time. And that time is now it would appear. Zubov and his agent claim that they have up to 9 teams who are interested in Zubov. That is a believable number, and in reality, you wonder what the other 20 teams are thinking. A healthy Zubov merits a spot on any team in the National Hockey League. A healthy Zubov is amazing.

A healthy Zubov, say one that is somewhere between the ages of 25-37, is one that kills all of the penalties, powers all of the power plays, and plays roughly 30 minutes of every 60 minute playoff game. He is the calmest player on the ice, but also plays with incredible vision and clarity of what each moment calls for. There is no question that Sergei Zubov is a player who belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and it will be an absolute travesty if that doesn’t happen.

But, that is for later. What about now? [While Zubov was out injured] Didn’t the Dallas Stars have the 27th best Power Play in the NHL? And, didn’t they also have the 24th best Penalty Kill in the NHL? And would anyone argue that he is the very best defensemen on both of those units that the Dallas Stars have EVER had? – (Some might suggest Derian Hatcher was the better penalty killer for his fine work clearing the crease in front of Ed Belfour, but I would roll with Zubie) – I think back to the firing of Dave Tippett, and when Joe Nieuwendyk was at the press conference he made reference to the special teams not being terribly special. I would interject that Dave Tippett was trying to make due without his best option on the ice.

He has been a fabulous member of the Stars organization, and his #56 must be retired moments after he does.

http://stars.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=39282
http://insidecorner.dmagazine.com/2009/07/16/preparing-for-life-after-zubov/

Alex Goligoski’s struggles with the Stars this season have given me a greater appreciation of Sergei Zubov. Sellout crowds serenaded GK Ed Belfour at the turn of the 2000 decade when the Stars were among the best teams in hockey. Those crowds also cheered the goal-scoring theatrics of Brett Hull, Mike Modano and Joe Nieuwendyk. But I always believed Zubov was the glue that held that team together. The Russian influence on the NHL was puck control. There was no wasted motion, no wasted passes, few wasted shots. The Igor Larionovs, Sergei Fedorovs and Alexander Mogilnys dazzled North American hockey with their skating and stick work. They controlled pucks and games.

Zubov was a master at it. Hockey is played at an often-frantic pace, but when Zubov claimed the puck, the game slowed down. A calm was restored in the Stars’ defensive end. Everyone in the building could exhale because the Stars would no longer be in danger in their own zone.

Zubov was going to move the puck in the other direction. He could single-handedly win a game of keep-a-way. AFTER ZUBOV ARRIVED IN DALLAS IN 1996, THE STARS BEGAN COMPETING FOR STANLEY CUPS. THEY MADE A QUANTUM LEAP IN THE STANDINGS FROM 66 POINTS TO 104 THAT SEASON AND WON THEIR FIRST DIVISION TITLE IN 13 YEARS. WHEN A HIP INJURY ENDED ZUBOV'S NHL CAREER IN 2008, THE STARS STOPPED COMPETING FOR STANLEY CUPS. THEY HAVENT' BEEN BACK TO THE PLAYOFFS SINCE HIS DEPARTURE.

What Zubov gave this franchise would be difficult for anyone to match. The Stars have seven 100-point seasons in franchise history, and Zubov was on the ice for all of them. Literally. He annually ranked among the league leaders in ice time, averaging almost 26 minutes per game in his Stars career. In the 1999 Stanley Cup championship season, Zubov averaged better than 30 minutes per game in the playoffs. Zubov was the franchise’s security blanket. The Stars wanted him on the ice as much as possible because when he touched the puck, good things happened. HE WAS A PLUS-148 IN HIS NHL CAREER.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...oski-needs-to-be-this-team-s-sergei-zubov.ece

ZUBOV IS KEY TO VICTORY
Sergei Zubov, whose absence the last month left Dallas's power play sagging, assisted on two goals with a man advantage last night as the host Stars beat San Jose, 4-0, in the opener of their second-round series.

The Stars came into the game just 2 for 26 on the power play this postseason, but that was without Zubov, who usually runs the unit.

Zubov had a hand in the first one as he backhanded a shot into Shields that caromed to Modano. He was wide open in front of the net and swatted it in for a 2-0 lead with 5:59 left in the first period.
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/29/sports/nhl-last-night-zubov-is-key-to-victory.html

"He's like Troy Aikman would be to any NFL team. He's a quarterback, and a great one. He can quarterback the powerplay and he can quarterback the team during even strength."http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAIBAJ&pg=6984,5703035&dq=sergei+zubov&hl=en

By that, Hitchcock means Zubov is a master of directing traffic. Like a basketball point guard, he gets his teammates the puck in the places where they're most comfortable shooting. He's also an exert at zipping the "breakout" pass from his own goal line to the red line, thus springing his forwards for breakaway rushes.http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAAIBAJ&pg=6984,5703035&dq=sergei+zubov&hl=en

youtube highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROeVF5VTUEk ... go to 3:21 and watch Zubov dangle an entire team, then listen to Darryl Reaugh's (Stars color commentator and former NHL goalie) reaction

more stats and quotes and stuff …

 

[Dreakmur]

Anatoli Tarasov !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Hockey Hall of Fame (1974)
IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame (1997)

3 x Olympic Gold Medalist (1964, 1968, 1972)

7 x World Championship Gold Medalist (1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971)
3 x World Championship Silver Medalist (1958, 1959, 1972)
World Championship Bronze Medalist (1961)

16 x Soviet League Championship (1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975)


Coaching Record:





Coaching Philosophy:

To me, a top class hockey player should be an all-round physically developed athlete with speed and strength plus. Such a player has an explosive starting reaction and a will that is as strong as iron. His bag of technical tricks should be big and varied, enabling him to perform his role in the line-up and make lightning decisions in tactics at any and every moment of the game. And all these qualities in modern hockey are absolutely out of the question if the sportsman lacks a high culture of the game: I have in mind tactical intuition, precision work with his partners, perfect orientation, a feeling of the game, the ability to see, understand, and even anticipate the actions of the closest and furthermost opponents and partners. And what is most important, all these qualities must be retained and put into use in the toughest moments of the game, when the pitch of a game is at its highest, when the emotions of players are as taut as bow strings.

I don’t think it’s possible to play a defensive game against a strong team and win, except perhaps once, by sheer luck. Because, when you play a defensive game, you forfeit the main thing – initiative. And it is initiative that most often decides who will win.

We must try to avoid solo actions and keep it a team effort. In teamwork we are the best.

We have to hunt in groups. One player body checks, the other takes the puck away.

It is important for an athlete to always look at himself with impartial assessment, to look at himself, not with admiration, but with the stern eyes of a critic.

The second conclusion I made then was that the centre forward had to be the best player on the team.

....

There is simply no place in the game for cowards, squeamish or weak-willed people - there is simply no reason for such people to come out on the ice.

....

He defines courage as industriousness. Never being lazy on the ice. Patience and "constancy."

....

Together, with Arkadi Chernishov we give ratings to each player after every game.

....

Hockey is not a game of speed or courage, but of minds.

....

He goes into a section about stars. Basically they have to selfless and be willing to fit into the team concept. Having players that are better than the others is fine, as long as they buy in.

....

The essence of our teamwork? Passing!

....

He focuses a lot on how he believes stick-handling is the most important aspect of hockey.

....

Arkadi Cherishov has an easier nature than mine. He is more soft-spoken, he is more prone to forgive a person. But I have a reputation for being more than harsh.

....

for our creative type of hockey, powerhouse hockey is out of the question. I prefer to see our boys strong and smart at the same time, even sly, in the good sense of the word.

....

He really doesn't believe in puck-carrying when leaving the defensive zone. He mentions that he wants no more than two strides before a defenseman whips a pass up to another player who already has a head of steam.

....

The number of passes in the offensive zone must be constantly increased.

....

An attack should be built up rationally.

....

Sometimes I have been asked if pressing [ed. note: his system] is a defensive or offensive system...Does this answer lie only in the difference of level of their technique and skills? I believe the answer lies in the following: one team employs attacking pressing, while the other resorts to defensive pressing.

Reasonable employment of all players at all stages of the game - and in attack and defense, and in the fight for the puck in the neutral zone, and in the assault on the "enemy" gate, and dedicated and competent protection of its own - will characterize hockey future.

....

I have already said that the fundamental difference between the tactics of pressure in our execution is that Canadians engage in this tactical idea with three players, and we - five players. Two of their athletes aspire to join the combat, the first - going for a military clash, the second - trying to pick up the puck and if the partner is missed, correct his mistake. Third - works for the insurance, covering, usually free next board to rival could prokinut puck, throw it out of the zone.

....

And the defenders? Defenders, lying on long positions only contemplate this fight attackers, they fear. And if the action forwards sometimes seem wasteful, it is the right impression Canadians attacking play at times risky, because they worry about their rear.

....

But is there any guarantee that the founders of the world hockey will also base their actions and in the seventies? Hardly! I strongly believe that the desire to retain the area to keep it, the desire to experience, test the strength of our defense force them to follow a set of forwards all the players to play with personal care, covering all possible moves.

....

With TALO be, we have to find new ways to succeed, to change something, something strengthened. In particular, I believe, we will strengthen our front-speed maneuver the attackers. Their functions will be included as a compulsory and a maneuver that would allow them at least for a moment to be free from the defender and get the puck.

....

I have no doubt that by the time our leadership team, including the national team, will move to the "system".

He was exacting, passionate, a personality unlike other Russians…

….

In Tarasov the Russians had their ice doctor, their hockey Buddha. Anatole Tarasov, his mind an inferno, was half-wisdom, half-bluster – a quack to some, a genius to others. A theatrical man, built like a pear, he roared and brooded among his players, impulsively setting them to all kinds of strange training regiments.

His deep-thinking, creative approach to the game found a would-be imitator in North America with the mid-seventies antics of Pheladelphia coach Freddie Shero. “The Fogâ€, as he was labelled, studied Tarasov and fell into his own seeming trances, once sending his players at practice to skate for as long as possible on one leg. With help from gangland warfare, as well as Tarasovian teachings, Shero’s Flyers captured two Stanley Cups.

….

Tarasov stressed athleticism, all round physical excellence in preparing the hockey player: weightlifting, dry-land training in other sports, relentless conditioning. He was trying to create his own Sparta. His gladiators would be the best-conditioned, the most technically superior, and, in keeping with the collective philosophy, they were to have a quality that gave rise in the West to the notion that they were automatons, robots – they were to be even-tempered, emotional yet unemotional. The individual personality was supposed to merge into the personality of the whole, the mass. Tarasov desired quiet courage, imperturbable efficiency. He would achieve it, he vowed, by stepping up the intensity of training so that the athleticism of a player would be perfected, so that his character would be “tempered from day to day like steel is tempered.â€

….

Speed on defence was always a higher priority in the Tarasov school than bodychecking. Unlike in Canada, where the custom was to change forward lines and defensive pairings reparately, the Soviets liked to play in five-man units. The idea was that a player should not only have an intimate feel for the moves that his forward partners, but his defencemen as well.

….

So after innumerable hours over a model ice rink, Tarasov and Boris Kulagin, then his assistant on the Central Army team, came up with an altogether new concept – a one-two-two formation. There would be one deep defenceman as a backstop, two helter-skelter rovers, traversing all over the ice as the occasion necessitated, and two forward wingers whose responsibility was only to attack and score.

….

Arkadyev simply announced one day that the Central Army soccer team would change to a three-three-four formation. But the team members, consistently winning under their normal set-up, saw no reason for such an overhaul. Their resistance soon prompted the esteemed coach to drop the plan.

Mindful of this, Tarasov tried to usher in the new system slowly. He too was dealing with an Army club that was consistently winning with its traditional style.

The "father of Soviet hockey", Tarasov demonstrated to the North Americans that European creativity could be used to advantage in the NHL. His teams were among the first to persuade both Canadian and American fans that the best hockey was not necessarily played on this side of the Atlantic.

When Tarasov began coaching in the early 1940s, Canada was the premier team in international hockey. Tarasov studied the highly physical Canadian style of play and combined it with the finesse of Russian hockey, creating a unique blend of skill and aggressiveness. In addition, Tarasov developed what became known as “the great Soviet hockey machine,†a system of early recruitment and training of young athletes. His methods proved highly effective as his teams dominated competition, winning 18 national titles and 11 European championships.

In 1958, Tarasov took the reins of the USSR nationals for the first time, and his team gave up the gold at two World Championships and the 1960 Olympics. The veterans of the Central Red Army temporarily ousted him and once again Arkady Chernyshev came to the helm of the national squad. He didn't win either. But before the 1963 World Championship, Chernyshev and Tarasov appeared as a duo to lead the national squad. They went on to sweep every championship for the next 10 years, topping that winning streak off with the 1972 Olympic title.

Tarasov was very ambitious, perhaps even too ambitious for a model Soviet citizen. Hockey, previously a curiosity from overseas, offered him the chance to express himself 100%. With no precedent to follow for the development of the game in the Soviet Union, hockey in Tarasov's hands became the clay out of which he molded whatever came to mind. He rigorously copied the methods of the best coaches in soccer and other sports and, some would say, even drew upon some of the lesser qualities of politicians. Tarasov could act and he could charm people - whoever and whenever necessary. He also knew how to leave a person speechless, and how to compel a person to think profoundly.

He squeezed every ounce of energy and performance out of his players. Even the slightest hint of self-importance was dealt with immediately. According to Tarasov, egoism on the ice was the gravest of all sins. In the end, Tarasov must be given credit for his work in creating a phenomenon in Soviet hockey unparalleled elsewhere - superstar forward lines. The members of those lines interacted with one another apparently without the slightest effort, as if they had no need to see each other and could function purely on instinct.

By the end of the 1960s, many of the Soviet leaders had had their fill of Tarasov, complaining that he'd built a state within a state and crowned himself king in an autocratic USSR. To make matters worse, he led his Central Red Army team off the ice in 1969 during a decisive game against Spartak - and in the presence of leading statesmen. For 40 minutes, they tried to talk Tarasov into sending his players back out on the ice, but he objected to the referee's disallowing a goal scored by his team. He did lead the team back onto the ice but lost the game, and Tarasov was subsequently stripped of his Merited Coach title. He handed the reins of the Central Red Army over to second coach Boris Kulagin, who quickly established himself as the main coach and began rejuvenating the lineup.

In subsequent games, however, Tarasov began sitting closer and closer to the Army bench. And in the final match to determine the Soviet entry at the European Championship, with the Central Army losing 5-3 to Spartak and the whole country watching at home, Tarasov could no longer contain himself. He went over to the bench and in a fit of temper began running the show. The Central Red Army suddenly came back to life and whipped Spartak 8-5. To add insult to injury, Tarasov gave Kulagin a public tongue-lashing for "bringing such a glorious team to ruin by senselessly reshuffling the lineup."

Tarasov and Chernyshev left the national team in the winter of 1972, half a year before the Summit Series. Tarasov worked with the Central Army club for another two years, but after losing the championship in 1974, he stepped aside to make way for Konstantin Loktev. He ended his career behind the bench before exhausting a coach's best years. After that, he conducted hockey competitions for young amateurs throughout the country. He did some teaching and became a hockey observer for the leading newspapers.

Whenever I think about Anatoly TARASOV, the words of my professor in Theater Arts University in Moscow come into my mind:
"Arthur, get ready for the time when you'll become a theater director and no one will like you."

In a way, it's true for the coaches in the elite hockey of the Soviet times. Their success was measured not by who personally liked or personally disliked them. On Tarasov's level, it was mostly about his winning track, gold medals at the Olympics, World and National Championships. Looking back from nowadays to his time in hockey, one can be easily appalled by his coaching methods. He was a dictator. Hockey players were treated like chess pieces in the game that Tarasov played. Whether one played for the Team USSR or the Red Army club, he demanded total dedication to HIS hockey and HIS team. Things like personal matters, being tired, impossible training or game tasks simply had never been accepted by Tarasov. He was ruthless on his road to success. Some players were psychologically broken by his methods. Some managed to become champions.

Tarasov was a legendary coach. In a way, he was the "father" of the Soviet hockey. Together with the other legendary coach, Arkady Chernyshev from Dynamo Moscow, Anatoly Tarasov laid down the foundation of what now is branded as the "Soviet hockey school". Although most experts refer to Tarasov's innovations in the theory of the game, he wasn't exactly a typical scholar. He was rather a practical coach who relied more on his instincts than on what was written in the books. He was definitely very innovative but, as descibed by one of the famous Soviet journalists of that time, Tarasov didn't read much and mostly listened to the radio. It's interesting that the "father" of the Soviet hockey got his Ph.D. in Education with only a high school diploma for his educational background.

Both Tarasov and Chernyshev retired from coaching the national team after the Soviet squad won the gold at Olympics in Sapporo in 1972. It was Vsevolod Bobrov and Boris Kulagin that led the Team USSR at the 1972 Summit, but most of the players were still graduates of Tarasov's hockey universities. Whether one likes or doesn't like Tarasov's approach to hockey, it doesn't seem to be fair to underestimate the role of one of the greatest Soviet coaches while paying tribute to the impressive performance of the Soviet team in September 1972.

Anatoli Vladimirovitch Tarasov is regarded as the architect of the Soviet Union's hockey power. Yet he alienated the Soviet hockey higher-ups enough to land him in hot water several times, including for the 1972 Summit Series.

Tarasov was a product of Soviet hockey himself. He was a workmanlike winger who was overshadowed by the flashy Vsevolod Bobrov. Tarasov lacked Bobrov's natural skill, but made up for with an incredible understanding of the game and a willingness to experiment.

The two would continue their mostly friendly rivalry for years off the ice as well. Both became successful head coaches. Tarasov coached his country's national team to nine straight world amateur championships and three consecutive Olympic titles before he retired after his team's gold win at Sapporo in 1972. He was the undisputed king of Soviet hockey until he was abruptly unseated shortly after the 1972 Olympic win and shortly before the 1972 Summit Series showdown with the Canadians. He was replaced by Bobrov.

But why?

According to Lawrence Martin's book The Red Machine, the final straw between Tarasov and the political bosses he answered to. Tarasov, with a history of insubordination if he felt it was beneficial for the team, clashed with the head of the Soviet Sports Committee, a fellow named Mr. Pavlov, over money accepted from the Japanese. The Japanese offered Soviet players $200 a piece to play 2 exhibition games prior to the Olympics. This of course was very unacceptable in the Communist world. Pavlov, who was closely monitored by the Kremlin, was furious.

Following the Olympics Tarasov, and his national team assistant coach Arkady Chernyshov, asked for time off to rest from the rigors of coaching. Pavlov agreed, but gave them both a permanent break. In essence they were fired from the national team. Tarasov was replaced by the skating legend Bobrov behind the bench.

Initially it looked like a bad move for the Soviets. Bobrov led them to the silver medal in the World Championships. For most nations that would be a major accomplishment but that marked the first time the Soviets had finished without the gold in a decade. To make matters worse key players Anatoli Firsov and Vitaly Davydov protested by not playing for the national team.

Bobrov ultimately wouldn't last long. He relaxed the stringent and rigid game Tarasov had preached and was so successful with. The players quickly grew to appreciate the freedom and responsibility, and it showed in the performance at the 1972 Summit Series. However the political bosses would favour a young up and coming coach named Viktor Tikhonov

He disappeared from hockey after his dismissal. He continued to coach the Red Army club team until 1974 and supervised the Soviet Gold Puck tournament for boys. More than 1,000,000 youngsters were registered for the various youth competitions.

Tarasov also travelled the world attending seminars and making personal appearances. In 1987 he served as a coaching consultant to the NHL's Vancouver Canucks during training camp.

Anatoly Tarasov is widely regarded as the father of modern Russian ice hockey (Russian ice hockey also describes the sport as played in the Soviet Union, or USSR, until 1989). Tarasov began coaching in the Russian club leagues in the late 1940s, at the conclusion of his successful playing career. As a young man Tarasov had also been a well regarded soccer player as well as a proficient bandy player, a game with some similarities to field hockey. Tarasov first attracted the attention of the leadership of the national Soviet ice hockey program through his success as the coach of the Moscow club team CSKA in the early 1950s. Tarasov became the national team coach in 1958, a position he held until 1972; he continued to coach CSKA until his retirement in 1974.

In the early 1950s, Canada was recognized as the dominant world ice hockey power. Canadian teams comprised of second- and third-tier ice hockey talent had regularly won both world championships and Olympic gold medals both before and after the Second World War (1938–1945). During this period, the team sent to represent Canada at a world championship was the men's senior amateur championship team from the previous season. National Hockey League professionals were prohibited from participating in these events due to the strict rules in that era concerning the division between amateur and professional international sports.

The first inkling that USSR teams had moved to a position where Canadian hockey dominance could be successfully challenged was at the World Championships in 1954, when the Soviet national team won a decisive victory over the Canadian representatives. By the time Tarasov assumed control of national team in 1958, the foundation had been established for a powerful international Soviet hockey presence. The political leadership of the Soviet Union had determined that ice hockey success would be a primary objective of the national sport program.

Tarasov was one of the first hockey coaches to appreciate the importance of the comprehensive physical condition of his players to achieve team success. In the 1950s, the standard fitness program for North American ice hockey players was to "skate their way into shape" at a preseason training camp in September, in advance of the October start to the professional season; little or no attention was paid by athletes or coaches to the concept of year-round fitness. Tarasov believed that dry-land training, the general expression for all physical training conducted away from the playing surface, was the most important part of his program. Tarasov incorporated various forms of aerobic and anaerobic exercises into the team practices through out the entire year. The players were provided specialized weight training programs, customized for the individual, and there was formal practice time devoted to sports such as soccer and handball, because Tarasov believed that the cross-training benefits of these sports were ideally suited to the development of hockey excellence.

Tarasov also furthered the interest of his own club, CSKA, throughout this period. CSKA had strong ties to the Soviet Red Army. Through Tarasov's active recruitment of hockey players who would first be drafted into the army, high-quality hockey talent was directed by the Red Army to the CSKA. Tarasov won a further 16 national championships with CSKA during his coaching career.

Between 1958 and 1972, the methods of Tarasov paid remarkable dividends to Soviet hockey. The national team won Olympic ice hockey gold medals in 1964 and 1968, in addition to the nine world championships captured during that period; Tarasov was deposed as national team coach when the Soviets failed to win gold at the 1972 Olympics. The hallmark of Tarasov-coached teams were the speed and the skating ability of the players, combined with a precision passing style that valued the creation of quality scoring opportunities, as opposed to simply taking as many shots as possible at the opposing goal. Tarasov's methods are proof that the sincerest form of flattery is by imitation; his revolutionary approaches to hockey training in the 1950s are now standard procedure today throughout the entire ice hockey world.

The coaching influence of Tarasov became evident in a different direction when his coaching career ended in 1974. His daughter, Tatiana Tarasova, is regarded as one of the most successful Russian figure skating coaches in the history of that sport. Tarasova has coached skaters who have won a total of eight Olympic gold medals in various figure skating disciplines.

Trasov's coaching brilliance has been recognized throughout the world of ice hockey. He was inducted into both the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame (1977) and the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame (1974). Tarasov was also named a Master of Sport, the Soviet Union's highest athletic honor.

I trusted Tarasov, trusted his every word, even when he criticized me for letting the pucks in my net during practice. There was a method to his madness. My coach didn’t want me to be indifferent to being scored on. He wanted me to feel that each puck in my net was a personal defeat.

….

Tarasov’s demands never seemed unreasonable to me, however, because I understood, then as now, that Tarasov had only one goal: to make Soviet hockey the best in the world.

Anatoly Tarasov was a very well-organizaed person. He knew his purpose in life and didn’t like lazy people. I owe very much to that man.

….

I can honestly say that there wasn’t one practice to which Tarasov came without new ideas. He amazed all of us every day. One day he had a new exercise, the next an innovative idea, and the next a stunning combination to remove the effectiveness of our opponents.

….

I will never forget Tarasov’s lessons. Now, looking back after many years, I clearly understand that he was not only teaching us hockey, he was teaching us life.

….

He taught us to be noble and proud of how hard we worked.

An outstanding Soviet coach, Anatoly Tarasov, is widely known as the father of Russian ice-hockey. His innovative methods of coaching established the Soviet Union as the dominant force in international competitions. He led this country’s national squad to the victories at three Olympic Games and nine world championships.

Our colleague Carl Watts, who happened to be a rink announcer at many hockey tournaments, says:

“I got acquainted with Anatoly Tarasov many-many years ago. He was the Head coach of the Soviet Army team, and I was doing the rink announcing. I was told later by people who sat beside him that he asked, “Why did you invite an American to do the announcing on the ice?†And they said, “Anatoly, this is our guy.†“Introduce me to him.†So they introduced me to Anatoly Tarasov. He was a great man, he was a great coach. One of the seasons when he was head coach of the Soviet Army team, the season lasted for forty games. The Army team won every game. You could bet on the Army team. Everybody betted on what score they would beat the other team. And I remember when he had the work-outs with the players, after a work-out they could barely make it to the dressing room, because he took everything he could out of his players. Yes, he was hard-tempered, he maybe used some foul language, but nobody heard it. Anyway, when he was on the ice, he was a commander. He was the best coach I think that we had in the Soviet hockey period. When somebody speaks about the greatest hockey coach we had in the history of this country, naturally, everyone will say Anatoly Tarasovâ€.

Those who knew Tarasov describe him as a remarkable personality and a born leader. Beginning as a successful bandy player in the 1930s, he soon developed an interest in coaching. After the Second World War, Anatoly Tarasov – together with his brother Yuri – began playing the “Canadian†hockey, at that time a newly-adopted sport in Russia. As an on-ice coach of the Soviet Army team, he won 100 games, scoring 106 goals. That speedy and dangerous sport became his life-time passion. “For me hockey is always new, everlasting and unique,†Tarasov wrote in one of his books. He imparted much of his enthusiasm and fervor to his trainees. For nearly thirty years he coached the stellar Soviet Army team, whose players made up the backbone of the Soviet national squad. Under his supervision the Soviet Army Club won the USSR champion’s title 18 times. Together with another coaching legend, Arkady Chernyshev, Tarasov founded the world-famous Soviet hockey school. He developed his own system, based on skating skills, speed, and precision passing – the system he polished for years and that yielded remarkable dividends, witness brilliant victories of the Soviet national team in many international tournaments.

Tarasov’s training methods are regarded by many as ruthless. A tireless worker and a maximalist by nature, he made his players exert themselves to full capacity, always setting them for victory. Having won the reputation of a ‘tough coach’, Anatoly Tarasov, nevertheless, was able to mould unique personalities and make star players. During his career he coached dozens of world-class masters, many of whom became world and Olympic champions. One of them, the legendary Valery Kharlamov, recalled: “It was very interesting to play for Tarasov. It was very hard. You always felt stiff with him. But it was worth it.†“I love my guys very much,†Anatoly Tarasov said. “That’s why I demand so much from them, as no one else would do.†For one, Tarasov insisted that his trainees continued their education. “It’s easier to work with educated people,†he would say. The great coach was convinced that a hockey player had to be a versatile athlete, so his off-ice training program included long-distance running, soccer, swimming, and weight-lifting. He had the same requirements for both the beginners and experienced players – tough discipline and total dedication to hockey and to the team he was in charge of. And that was the team of like-minded persons, according to Yevgeny Mishakov, one of Tarasov’s ex-trainees. Tarasov never wasted words. When he was angry, he could be deliberately polite, addressing his players in a quiet ‘chilly’ manner. At such moments they knew: Tarasov is enraged. For Anatoly Tarasov hockey was not just a game. He believed sports must bring aesthetic pleasure. He compared good hockey players with gifted actors, and the profession of a coach, he said, was akin to that of a conductor of an orchestra, where all the musicians bend to his will.

A tough instructor on the ice-rink, Anatoly Tarasov was also strict to his two daughters, especially to Tatyana, now a famous figure-skating coach, who inherited from her father love of sports and strong character. He taught her to swim in a very simple way, as she recalled. When the girl was five, he just threw her out of the boat. Anatoly’s wife, Nina, whom he met when he was a student of the Higher School of Coaches in Moscow prior to the Second World War, was his life company until his death in 1995. She staunchly shared with her celebrated husband the bitterness of defeats and the joy of victories.

After retiring from big sports in the 1970s, Anatoly Tarasov organized and conducted competitions for young amateur players, raising future hockey stars. He was one of the first Russians to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada. His outstanding legacy is still studied by hockey schools in Europe and overseas. One of the divisions of the Continental Hockey League bears the name of Anatoly Tarasov, the architect of Soviet ice-hockey. In May of 2008, after a break of 15 years, Russia’s national ice-hockey team won the World Championship in Canada, reviving the traditions of the great Tarasov, who taught his players to win.

When Anatoli Tarasov became a coach, he changed Russian hockey forever. He masterminded creating his own version of hockey – a game of speed, endurance and winning. He was the master of the team and his players were like chess pieces. When the USSR entered its first team into the World Championship in 1954, they won. Likewise, the Soviet team finished first at the 1956 Olympics. Once Tarasov took over the national team’s reigns, the “CCCP†team won gold at the World Championships in Stockholm in 1963. That was just the beginning of nine consecutive World Championship victories, through to 1971. During that timespan, the Soviet Union also won eight European Championships and three consecutive Olympic gold medals (1964, 1968, 1972). The Soviet hockey program was recognized as the premier in the world and earned the nickname “The Big Red Machine.†Tarasov also coached the Central Sports Club of the Army (CSKA), to seventeen league championships from 1947 to 1974. Tarasov’s colleague – Arkady Chernyshev also played an influential role in the development of Soviet hockey.

Anatoly Tarasov, the fiery and inspirational coach who led the former Soviet Union to become a dominant world power in international hockey, died in Moscow. He was 76.

A Russian news agency said he died after a long illness.

In a letter to Mr. Tarasov’s family, Russian President Boris Yeltsin called Mr. Tarasov a “living legend and an example to Russian athletes.†Yeltsin said his death was an “irreparable loss for national hockey, for Russian sports, for many people to whom he was more than a coach, more than a teacher.â€

Mr. Tarasov was widely regarded as a coaching genius. He helped introduce the Canadian version of hockey into the Soviet Union in 1946 and, eight years later, his team won the international amateur hockey championship. He adapted the Russian version of hockey, which at that time resembled outdoor soccer on ice, to the style that is played indoors on smaller rinks. He then defeated the Canadians and Americans at their own game.

Still, he often regarded the play in the National Hockey League as “primitive.†When the prevailing Canadian style would be for a skater to plow his way by a defensive player, Mr. Tarasov’s team would try to finesse and find a way to pass the puck and skate around him.

Before he dropped the puck for a face-off in a practice once, he used his stick against the face of one player and shoved an elbow into another’s chin. “We do these things,†he explained later, “so our players get used to the tactics of the Canadians.â€

He was widely known as the “father of Russian hockey†and coached the Central Army club for 29 years. Under his leadership the Soviet team won every world championship from 1962 to 1971. His teams won the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics, plus 11 European championships.

Mr. Tarasov, who retired after the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, explained the Soviet’s loss to the United States “Miracle on Ice†team in 1980 at Lake Placid, N.Y., by saying, “We let you win every 20 years to have good relations between our countries.â€

Both Canadian and American hockey coaches attempted to copy his highly successful methods, and many of them saw him as a composite of the American football coaches Knute Rockne and Vince Lombardi. Mr. Tarasov was the first European coach to have his portrait in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

He also wrote more than two dozen books on tactics and strategy. In 1987, the last-place Vancouver Canucks hired him as a consultant. Mr. Tarasov virtually mesmerized N.H.L. coaches with his intricate maneuvers and dazzling skating and passing. His brand of hockey became a chess game on ice.

“Even though there is a limit on how fast a hockey player can skate,†he said, “there is no limit to creative endeavors and progress.â€

A visiting American coach asked him in 1974 to reveal his coaching secrets. “Do you think we have secrets?†he replied. “Today’s secret is tomorrow’s common knowledge. All you have to do is look. There is no secret in hockey. There is imagination, hard work, discipline and dedication to achieving whatever the goal is. But there are no secrets, none at all.â€

He said a hockey player “must have the wisdom of a chess player, the accuracy of a sniper and the rhythm of a musician.†But more important, he said, “He must be a superb athlete.â€

Tarasov's importance as a coach goes far beyond that. He built up the Soviet Union's hockey program from the ground up. His innovations, his tactics, and his training took it from nothing, to almost at our level, in 30 years. Tikhonov, IMO, doesn't compare - he maintained the Russian program, I don't think it got any better. I don't think he "made" any players, either. They appear to hate him and lack respect for him. Some hated Tarasov, but they all respected him. He was a teacher and a father figure. No one in history was more trusted universally by his players.

 

[Velociraptor]

Phil Goyette, C

Position: Centre
HT/WT: 5'11", 170 lbs
Shoots: Left
Nickname(s): "Thin Man", "The Professor"
Born: October 31st, 1933 in Lachine, QC

- 4-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)
- 1-time recipient of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy - (1970)
- 5-time top-10 in All-Star C Voting (3, 4, 4, 8, 8)
- scored 207 goals and 467 assists for 674 points in 941 games, adding 131 penalty minutes.
- scored 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 94 playoff games, adding 26 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Goals - 1x - (9)
Assists - 5x - (2, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Points - 3x - (4, 7, 8)
Powerplay Goals - 1x - (6)
Game Winning Goals - 2x - (4, 10)

Voting Record

Hart Trophy Voting:

7th (69-70), 10th (66-67)

Quotes:

Greatest Hockey Legends

Phil Goyette came out of junior as a slick passing, high scoring offensive dynamo in the Montreal system. Unfortunately for Goyette, Montreal didn't need another high scoring center as they already boasted Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard and Ralph Backstrom

As a result of this overcrowding down the middle, Phil spent 3 years in the minors before catching on with Les Habitants in 1957-58 on a full time basis. While in the minors Phil learned to become a defensive center. He learned the fine art of defensive anticipation, shadowing your check and face-offs. Phil finally caught on with Montreal as a defensive minded 4th line center.

In his official rookie season Phil played strong defensively but also showed a good playmaking side. He scored 9 goals and 37 assists for 46 points in 70 games. In the playoffs he played an integral role, scoring 4 goals in 10 games in capturing another Cup.

However for the first time in a long time Phil got some serious ice time and he responded strongly. There was never any doubt that he had offensive skills, but finally he got to display them as he registered 24 goals and 41 assists for 65 points.

Goyette, an extremely clean player who only had 131 career PIM in 941 games

Phil helped the Blues reach the Stanley Cup finals, scoring 3 times and assisting on 11 others for 14 points in 16 games.

He also used his vast playoff experience to help the Rangers to a strong playoff showing.

Legends of Hockey

Some say that he had eyes in the back of his head because of his great peripheral vision and smooth passing skills. He was fast becoming a well-balanced craftsman who could play effectively at both ends of the ice.

He'd always been a fiercely dedicated Hab. Nonetheless, he donned his Rangers' sweater and continued his role as a slick playmaker who was well versed in all facets of his game.

ourhistory.canadiens.com

The smooth skating, Lachine, Quebec native with a nose for the net came up through the ranks, playing with the Montreal Junior Canadiens, Cincinnati Mohawks and Montreal Royals before breaking in with the big club in 1956-57.

Breaking into the lineup to stay in 1957-58, the young center joined a team that already featured Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard at his position. Goyette became a reliable defensive specialist, solidifying his hold on a roster spot with his ability to skate with the best of them, doggedly shadowing his opponent while managing to remain largely within the limits of what officials permitted.

Christian Science Monitor - Nov. 1, 1963

For the better part of six full seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Phil Goyette centered the Habs' checking line against the best three-some the opposition had to offer.

Ottawa Citizen - Jun. 5, 1963

Phil Goyette is a centre, listed as a terrific penalty killer.

 

[DoMakc]

Jean Joseph Denis Pronovost, RW

Trophy voting record:
Calder: 6
Lady Bing: 2, 8, 11, 20
Selke: 13, 33
All Star Team: 2, 5, 5, 7, 8, 9

Scoring finishes:
Goals: 4, 7, 8, 10, 15, 20
Assists: 18
Points: 10,
vs. 2 point finishes: 87, 69, 61, 58, 53, 52
ES-Goals: 4, 5, 8, 9, 14
PP-Goals: 9, 11, 17
SH-Goals: 3, 8, 9, 9, 14

Among teammates:

Goals: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 4
Points: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4

Quotes:

Having an all-star defenseman for a brother convinced the younger Pronovost that playing a well-rounded brand of hockey with defense as a foundation was the best way to insure success.
[...]
In 1968, however, the Bruins committed a serious error when they sold Pronovost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the Pens, his full potential came to the surface. Over the next ten seasons, he was a pillar of consistency, cruising his lane with speed and determination, defending against foes, digging into corners, making smart passes, and picking up the big goals.

In 1975-76, on a line with Syl Apps, Jr. and Lowell McDonald, he achieved the pinnacle of his career when he scored 52 goals in 80 games. In 1978, Pronovost was traded to the Atlanta Flames for Gregg Sheppard. In Georgia, Pronovost continued to play his usual rock-solid, two-way game. But the club failed to generate even a hint of contending for the Cup?the one elusive achievement lacking in his career

[QUOTE="100 Things Penguins Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" by Rick Buker]...Pronovost developed into a solid all-around player who paid equal attention to his offensive and defensive chores.
[...]
Despite his lofty production Pronovost never strayed from his two-way foundation.A complete player, 6'0 185-pounder worked the corners and back checked with authority, qualities that endeared him to the Steel City faithful. "Let's go, Pronovost" was a popular chant at the Civic Arena throughout the 1970s.

When Ron Schock was traded in the fall of 1977 Prony assumed the captain's "C" [/QUOTE]

He [Pronovost] was underrated dedicated player who rarely had an off game.

Pronovost was excellent all-around player and the first Penguin to score 100 points.
[...]
Whenever team needed a big goal Pronovost seemed to get it

Quick, who's the fourth leading goal-scorer in the National Hockey League? Well, er, uh, let's see. There's Phil Esposito and Guy Lafleur and Rick Martin and, er, uh...

Jean Pronovost. Jean Pronovost?

Surely you must be aware of Jean Pronovost, the Pittsburgh Penguins' high-scoring right wing. He is so well-known that a feature story about him a recent issue of "Goal," the NHL's program-magazine, was accompanied by a picture...of teammate Lowell MacDonald.

"The lack of publicity doesn't bother me," said the 29-year old native of Shawinigan Falls, Que.

"I'm not a flashy-type player," said Jean. "I just go up and down my wing and do my job."

He also was named the Penguins' most valuable player [last season].

"Maybe people do underrate him, but we'll gladly keep him," said Coach Marc Boileau. "Maybe he's not noticeable out there because he just goes about his job but you look at the statistics after each game and you'll see he's got a goal here, an assist there..."

"I think Pronie belongs in the Martin-Lafleur class as a scoring wing. But no one says anything about him. He's taken for granted. He deserves a little more recognition."

Pronovost and Hickey have been the Canadians' No. 1 penalty-killing forward tandem, and Pronovost has been used on the power play...

Pronovost said he enjoys the heavy workload because he loves to skate and feels he's a good skater. "The style they play in Europe is my style. They give you more room to operate and you can do a lot of things - zigzag, come back - that's my game."

Pronovost is in a peculiar situation in Pittsburgh. He is a bona fide all-star and last year he became the first Penguin in history to chalk up a 50-goal season. ... Yet he has never been happy in Pittsburgh. He would love to play for Montreal and there was an attempt made last year to effect just such a move. But the Penguins' management wanted Larry Robinsonin return and that put an end to those talks.

 

[BubbaBoot]

Brian Propp
left wing

• Shoots: left • Height: 5-10 • Weight: 195 lbs. •
• Born: February 15, 1959 • Lanigan, Saskatchewan •
• Draft: Philadelphia • 1st round (14th overall) • 1979 NHL Entry • from: Brandon Wheat Kings (WCHL) •
• Played: 1979/80 - 1993/94 /// 1992-93 Switzerland /// 1994-95 France •

• International medals •
1987 GOLD - Canada Cup
1982 BRONZE - World Championships (Finland)
1983 BRONZE - World Championships (West Germany)

• Awards •
1975-76 Rookie of the Year (SJHL)
1975-76 MVP (SJHL)
1978-79 CCM Player of Year (WHL)

• Honors •
1975-76 SJHL All-Star Team (1st)
1976-77 WCJHL All-Star Team (2nd)
1977-78 WCJHL All-Star Team (1st)
1978-79 WHL All-Star Team (1st)

• All-Star Games •
WCHL/WHL - 1978 / 1979
NHL - 1980 / 1982 / 1984 / 1986
NHL - 1990

• NHL All-Star Voting •
- 81-82 (8th) / 82-83 (12th) / 83-84 (4th) / 84-85 (4th) / 85-86 (4th) / 86-87 (8th) / 87-88 (10th)

• Calder Trophy Voting •
- 79-80 (4th)

• Hart Trophy Voting •
- 85-86 (T16th)

• Selke Trophy Voting •
- 86-87 (T24th)

• Achievements •
• VsX • Points • 7 yr peak
- 65 / 49 / 62 / 66 / 73 / 72 / 69 / 62* / 54 / 46 = 460 (MEAN = 66) / 10 yrs = 623 (MEAN = 62)

• VsX • Goals • 7 yr peak
- 64 / 45 / 69 / 61 / 71 / 74 / 66 / 53* / 49 / 46 = 450 (MEAN = 64) / 10 yrs = 593 (MEAN = 59)

• VsX • Points (vs span LWers) • 7 yr peak/span
- 81 / 78 / 99 / 89 / 91 / 97 / 93 / 80* / 79 / 84 = 624 (MEAN = 89) / 10 yrs = 887 (MEAN = 88)

• VsX • Goals (vs span LWers) • 7 yr peak/span
- 74 / 61 / 88 / 74 / 89 / 100 / 90 / 69* / 56 / 76 = 576 (MEAN = 82) / 10 yrs = 776 (MEAN = 78)

• VsX • PP Goals (vs span LWers) • 7 yr peak/span
- 24 / 36 / 93 / 93 / 65 / 80 / 58 / 47* / 33 / 81 = 442 (MEAN = 63) / 10 yrs = 580 (MEAN = 58)

* (Injured, played 53 games)

10 yr span (1979/80 - 1988/89) rank vs. LWers:
- games (2nd)
- goals (2nd)
- EV goals (2nd)
- PP goals (3rd)
- SH goals (1st)
- goals/game (7th)
- assists (1st)
- assists/game (5th)
- points (2nd / 8 pts behind Michel Goulet)
- points/game (4th)
- PIMs (23rd
- +/- (1st)

• Goals
- 1976-77 WCHL 55 (7)
- 1977 WCHL PLAYOFFS • 7 (T1)
- 1977-78 WCHL 70 (4)
- 1979-79 WHL 98 (1)
- Career NHL • 450 (70th all-time / 9th for LWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 64 (T20th all-time / 1st for LWers)

• Goals Per Game
- Career NHL • 0.42 ( 83rd all-time / 26th for LWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 0.45 (T70th all-time / T20th for LWers)

• Power Play Goals
- Career • 120 (94th all-time / 14th for LWers)
- 1987 NHL PLAYOFFS 5 (1)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 27 (T8th all-time / 1st for LWers)

• Even Strength Goals
- 1981-82 NHL 31 (10)
- Career • 283 (67th all-time / 9th for LWers)
- Career PLAYOFFS • 34 (39th all-time / 8th for LWers)

• Short-Handed Goals •
- 1984-85 NHL 7 (2)
- 1986-87 NHL 5 (5)
- Career NHL • 22 (53rd all-time / 6th for LWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 3 (T59th all-time / T11th for LWers)

• Assists •
- 1975-76 SJHL 92 (1)
- 1976-77 WCHL 80 (4)
- 1977-78 WCHL 112 (1)
- 1978-79 WHL 100 (1)
- 1979 MEMORIAL CUP • 7 (1)
- Career NHL • 579 (83rd al-time / 4th for LWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 84 (36th all-time / 1st for LWers)

• Assists Per Game •
- Career NHL • 0.57 (87th all-time / 9th for LWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS •*0.53 (T13th for LWers)

• Points •
- 1975-76 SJHL 168 (1)
- 1976-77 WCHL 135 (3)
- 1977-78 WCHL 182 (1)
- 1978-79 WHL 189 (1)
- 1979 WHL PLAYOFFS • 39 (1)
- Career NHL • 1004 (79th al-time / 7th for LWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 148 (28th all-time / 1st for LWers)

• Points Per Game
- 1986-87 NHL 1.26 (10)
- Career NHL 0.99 (61st all-time / 13th for LWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 0.93 (T66th all-time / 11th for LWers)

• Plus/Minus
- 1979-80 NHL 45 (6)
- 1984-85 NHL 46 (9)
- 1986-87 NHL 39 (9)
- Career NHL • +310 (25th all-time / 4th for LWers)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • +18 (67th all-time / T8th for LWers)

• career stats •

| gms| G | A | TP | PIMs|+/-| G/gm| A/gm| PP| SH
NHL | 1016|425 |579 |1004|830|+310| .42 |.57 |120| 22
NHL PLAYOFFS| 93 |57 |32 |89 |168 |-9| .61| .34 |25|1
International | 34| 11|8|19|14||.32|.24||
Europe |51|53|25|88| 106||1.04|.49||
WHL | 213| 219|292|511|374||1.03|1.37||
SJHL| 57| 76|92|168|36||1.33|1.61||

• career team records •
Brandon Wheat Kings (WCJHL / WHL) - goals (3) / assists (1) / points (1)
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) - games (3) / playoff games (T4) / goals (2) / playoff goals (2) / assists (2) / playoff assists (2) / points (3) / playoff points (2) / PIMs (20) / playoff PIMs (14) / EV goals (4) / playoff EV goals (2) / PP goals (3) / playoff PP goals (3) / GPG (T7) / SH goals (7) / playoff SH goals (T3) / playoff GPG (3) / APG (6) / playoff APG (14) / PPG (4) / playoff PPG (7) / +/- (3) / playoff +/- (T4) / Flyers Hall of Fame (1999)
Minnesota/Dallas (NHL) - PP playoff goals (8 / complete series - 1991)

• Accolades •

He will go down in history as one of the most underrated left wings in NHL history. When he retired he was the 7th highest scoring left winger of all time.

Named greatest left wing in Canadian major junior hockey history by a CHL panel in 1999

The Philadelphia Flyers in the 1979 Amateur Draft then snapped him up. He joined the club the following season and found himself on a line with Bobby Clarke and XXXXXX XXXXX. The trio clicked as Propp established himself as a complete player who could work the corners, check opponents, make creative passes, and score goals.

From there, the foundation was set as Propp became a solid fixture on the Flyers forward lines for a total of ten and a half seasons. During that time, his team made it to the Stanley Cup finals three times, he made four trips to the All-Star game, and, during regular season play, his consistent work ethic brought home a notable percentage of game-winning goals.

By the time he turned professional Brian held the Canadian junior career scoring record with his 511 points including 219 goals and 292 assists in just 213 games. While the record has since been bettered, there is no doubt that Brian Propp is a legend in Canadian junior hockey history.

While he never had a single enormous offensive season, Propp's strength was his consistency, as his point total with the Flyers suggest. During the 1980s he scored 75, 66, 91, 82, 92, 97, 97, 67, 76, and 78 points in successive seasons. He was one of the league's best left wingers during the 1980's but his work often went unnoticed by the media and the fans outside of Philadelphia.

But scoring stats never properly told the story of Brian Propp. He was quiet and shunning of any spotlight. He always placed the team's goals ahead of his own, and he worked hard to become a complete player. He became a tremendous defensive player while averaging over a point per game. Blessed with speed and strong anticipation skills, he and Dave Poulin formed a tremendous penalty killing tandem, perhaps the best of the 1980s.

He also played next to Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux in the 1987 Canada Cup, so it's obvious that Propp was a player who could truly play the game.

"Brian has really developed into a fine playoff performer and he's demonstrating that this year", Flyers coach Mike Keenan said after watching his gritty left winger set up all four goals. Propp's four points gave him a team leading 27 points on 11 goals and 16 assits. His four assists also ties a team playoff record shared with three others.

"Brian Propp has been a great player for the Flyers for many years"

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Tom Johnson, D​

Summary:

• Excellent defensive defenseman - and capable of defending with either finesse or brutality
• Not as good a skater as Harvey, so he rarely joined the rush, but he was an excellent puck handler and passer and could get the puck up to the forwards with efficiency. "Part of Montreal's rapid transition game."
• His trademark move was to strip a forward of the puck without body contact and pass it up to his forwards before the opponents could get turned around.
• Anchored the Montreal penalty kill (and second defensive pairing) at a time when Doug Harvey played the full power play.
• Had a career year offensively when Harvey was injured and Johnson was finally given time on the power play.
• An extremely dirty player. Johnson was among the league leaders in PIMs in his rookie year, but for most of his career, he seems to have usually gotten away with it.

From the Manitoba prairie town of Baldur, Johnson was an excellent skater and an intelligent defender. He was highly regarded as a playmaker and he was tenacious in corners and along the boards. He became a penalty-killing specialist primarily because fellow Habs defenseman Doug Harvey anchored the power play. Johnson was often used as a forward late in games with his team down a goal. He broke Harvey's skein of four straight Norris Trophies when he won the award in 1959. Harvey won again the next three years. Johnson had career highs of 10 goals, 29 assists and 39 points in 1959 and was named to the First All-Star Team.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=384557

An accomplished skater and puckhandler, defenseman Tom Johnson played a valuable role on the powerful Montreal Canadiens teams of the 1950s. He contributed to the Habs' rapid transitional game and would have scored more points had the team not already been blessed with Doug Harvey to quarterback the power-play. One of his key traits was an ability to recover almost immediately after making a rare mistake on the ice.
...
Johnson stepped into a starting role with the Habs in 1950-1951 and impressed them with his eagerness and durability in playing all 70 regular-season games. He was, however, vulnerable to common rookie mistakes such as hasty decision-making and taking unwise penalties. Johnson soon became a stalwart on the penalty-killing unit, where the team utilized his speed and his ability to win the majority of the battles in the corners. One of Johnson's patented moves was to steal the puck from an attacking forward without bodily contact. This allowed him to feed a pass to one of his teammates while the opposition was still heading toward the Montreal net. Although Johnson rarely saw power-play duty, coach Dick Irvin often switched him to center if the Habs needed a goal late in the game. Johnson won his first Stanley Cup ring in 1953 when the Habs defeated Boston. He later played a vital role on the Canadiens squad that won the Stanley Cup an unprecedented five consecutive times from 1956 to 1960.

By the time the team began dominating the NHL, Johnson was beginning to receive his due credit. In 1956 he was selected to the NHL Second All-Star Team. Three years later, he won the Norris Trophy and earned a spot on the First All-Star lineup. That year he was arguably the most valuable player on the team as he stepped into the void created when Doug Harvey was injured. Johnson didn't have Harvey's speed but he was a superb stickhandler and a consistent, accurate passer who rarely erred in his own end of the rink.

After apprenticing under the great Butch Bouchard, Johnson settled in with Jean Guy Talbot as long time defensive partners. A slow-footed defender, Johnson rarely received any power play time but was a key penalty killer for Les Habitants. The 6 time Stanley Cup champ was also known for his physical, sometimes dirty play.

Johnson may have been underrated by awards voters due to being overshadowed by teammates:

Johnson was a hard working defensive blueliner who played much of his career along side Doug Harvery, perhaps the greatest d-man in NHL history. Playing in Harvey's shadow, Johnson's talents and contributions went largely unnoticed.

"I was classified as a defensive defenceman. I stayed back and minded the store. With the high powered scoring teams I was with, I just had to get them the puck and let them do the rest," said Johnson, who wore #10 long before Guy Lafleur made it immortal.

New York Rangers' GM Emile "The Cat" Francis was one of Johnson's fans. "Johnson's trouble was playing on the most colorful team in hockey history. With guys like Maurice Richard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Jacques Plante and Jean Beliveau in the lineup, nobody ever noticed Johnson. But he was the real worker on the team."

''He was never, ever really appreciated in Montreal, even though he played on all those great teams,'' said veteran Montreal beat reporter Red Fisher. ''The reason for it was he, and others with him, played in the very long shadow of Doug Harvey. The only defenseman I ever considered better than Doug Harvey was No. 4 Bobby Orr.''
....
Johnson escaped Harvey's shadow for one season - 1958-59. With Harvey hurt for much of the season, Johnson posted a career high 10 goals and 29 assists while earning the Norris Trophy. The Norris Trophy win interrupted Harvey's 8 year ownership of the award.

Johnson was selected the most underrated player in the NHL in a 1957-58 Coach's Poll, which supports Pelletier's claim that he was generally underrated in Montreal.

Johnson was a very dirty player (though his PIM totals show that he seems to have usually gotten away with it):

"Johnson's on my black list," explained Stan Mikita, a long time Blackhawk. "He liked to hit you from behind. When he got into a fight he never dropped his stick. Instead of using his fists, he used his stick for protection.
....
Johnson was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970. The election was one of the most controversial in Hall of Fame history. It was a bit of a surprise to some, including Tom. Eddie Shore in particular was so outraged by Johnson's inclusion that Shore threatened to buy back his own induction. Shore didn't appreciate Johnson's questionable stick work or alleged cheap shots.

Author Todd Denault (Canadiens Fan on hfboards) on how the 1950s Canadians used their defensemen:

Johnson and Harvey were rarely if at all paired as a duo. Toe Blake pretty much rotated the other three (sometimes four) defenseman around Harvey and Johnson. If you watch some of the old games you'll see that there is rarely a moment where the Canadiens don't have either Harvey and Johnson on the ice, but rarely, if ever are they paired together.

having watched all of the available footage (including some unavailable to the general public), in addition to having comprehensively interviewed Red Fisher, Dick Irvin, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Dickie Moore, Phil Goyette etc ... all (in the research for my Jacques Plante biography) I think I have some grasp of the issue.

In the course of my research I was also fortunate to be able to discuss Doug Harvey at length with Jean-Guy Talbot and 'Junior' Langlois (two Habs defensemen of the time) and it is from these discussions (and then a later check of the available footage) that I became aware of Toe Blake's penchant for not having Harvey and Johnson on the ice at the same time, and of rotating his other defensemen through them.

To repeat, according to the available footage, as well as the testimonials of Talbot and Langlois ... Harvey and Johnson were not a regular defense pairing.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=719716

I asked Todd for more specifics on the usage of Johnson (and Harvey) via PM. This is his response:

No problem, glad to help.

At even strength both Harvey and Johnson would generally play the right side with the other defenceman rotating around the two of them.

However, on penalty kills Toe Blake would often move Harvey over to the left side beside Johnson.

From what I watched Johnson almost always played the right side, while Harvey tended to move between the two quite frequently.

Hope that helps.

Todd Denault

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Gary Bergman, D​

Gary Bergman was a solid all-around defenseman in his 12-year NHL tenure. A fine skater with a knack for making smart decisions on offense, he also took a physical approach to the game when guarding his end of the ice. Known primarily for his decade long service in Detroit, Bergman also impressed as a member of Team Canada during the 1972 Summit Series.
...
His well-rounded play made him useful on both the power-play and penalty-killing units for the Wings. Although he incurred his share of penalties, Bergman wasn't considered a surly opponent on the ice. He rarely looked for trouble but also never backed down from an onrushing opponent, whether he was a fancy scorer or a power forward.
...
Bergman's consistent play often went unnoticed in the early 1970s. All eyes were on young superstars like Bobby Orr and Brad Park.

Bergman was never a superstar, but he was quietly one of the NHL's best all-round defensemen for about 7 years.

7 straight years of all star consideration:

10th in 1967
8th in 1968
15th in 1969
11th in 1970
12th in 1971
8th in 1972
8th in 1973

From overpass's Bergman profile:

Bergman played a lot of minutes during his prime in the NHL. While time on ice was not recorded at the time, we can estimate it from the number of goals the player was on the ice for, starting in 1967-68.

Here are the leaders among defenceman in estimated time on ice per game over the six years from 67-68 to 72-73.

1. Bobby Orr, 30.3
2. JC Tremblay, 28.7
3. Pat Stapleton, 28.6
4. Gary Bergman, 28.2
5. Jacques Laperriere, 27.9

The leaders in estimated even strength ice time per game over the same period.

1. Gary Bergman, 22.9
2. Pat Stapleton, 22.8
3. Jacques Laperriere, 22.6
4. Bill White, 22.3
5. Bobby Orr, 22.2

Bergman had some offensive skills. Over the period 1966-67 to 1971-72, he had 206 points, 4th among defencemen over that time (Orr, Stapleton, Tremblay). 154 of those points came at even strength, 3rd among defencemen (Orr, Stapleton).

Bergman is best known for playing all 8 games of the Summit Series as Brad Park's more defensively-oriented partner.

From overpass's bio last year:

Gary Bergman played in all 8 games for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. From Joe Pelletier's profile of Bergman, here are some quotes about his play there.

"I'm so happy when I look back on that series that we picked him,'' Sinden said 28 years later. " We thought he had the character, integrity and type of personality that would add to our team, and we were exactly right in our assessment.

"He was one of the biggest surprises in terms of contribution that we had. We felt he could be a regular member of the team but his contribution exceeded that. He was a terrific member of the team, and well respected.''

"Team Canada was loaded with offensive talent and I believe I did what the situation dictated. I decided I could be more useful by bumping into the opposition and keeping my own end of the rink clean.", Gary said a few years after the series.

Paul Henderson, the hero of the 1972 series and a former teammate of Gary in Detroit. "From my perspective, he was one of the great unsung heroes of that series,. He just played incredible hockey.''

"He was an above-average player in the NHL at that time and he proved that during the series,'' Bill White, one of the 1972 team's other defencemen, said. " Bergie gave a great account of himself in that whole series. The steadiness of his play is what I remember most.''

"He was a rock,'' said Bobby Orr who didn't play in the series due to a knee injury but who travelled with the team and was impressed with Gary's steady play.

"We hit it off really good for guys who didn't know each other very well,'' said his defensive partner Brad Park. " I was more of an offensive guy so we jelled very well together.

"Right away I realized what a classy guy he was in how he handled himself on and off the ice, and what a great competitor he was. He had a lot of confidence in his ability and wasn't worried about how he was going to play. He just went out and played. He was as solid a defenceman as has ever played the game.''

Pat McLean of the blog Black Dog Hates Skunks rewatched the 1972 Summit Series on DVD and tracked shots at net and scoring chances for both teams, recording the Canadian players who were on the ice for each event.

Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
Game 4
Game 5
Game 6
Game 7
Game 8

Here are his numbers for Bergman, along with his observations.

Game 1: Scoring chances with Bergman on - 9-5 ES, 3-0 PP, 0-1 SH.

Bergman and Park are quite strong and end up a plus in both metrics, they do get dinged late in the third a bit. Park is terrific and Bergman, an unheralded defensive defenceman, is solid, breaking up a two on one easily, angling his men just fine. In other words although he benefits from playing with Park he holds his own and never looks out of place.

On the other hand the second pair gets smoked right from the start. Basically when Park and Bergman are on the ice the puck is in the right end and when XXXXX and XXXXX are on the ice its the opposite.

Game 2. Scoring chances with Bergman on - 4-2 ES, 2-0 PP, 0-2 SH.

The D pairings are fairly reasonable. Park and Bergman take on the majority of the defensive draws in the first two periods while Stapleton and White are sheltered, they get all neutral or offensive zone faceoffs up until the third. Savard and Lapointe only get a couple of defensive draws in the first two periods. Truth is though, the Russians get very few draws in Canada's zone in periods one and two so while I do think Sinden runs out Park and Bergman as much as he can I also think he is able to do so because Canada has the advantage. In the third the Russians come on a little and get more draws in the Canadian zone. I think Sinden goes to a regular rotation at this point for a few reasons. He can't run Park and Bergman out over and over again. Also while they have been good they have not been great. And finally I think that the other two pairs have been fine and thus have gained the coach's confidence.

Game 3. Scoring chances with Bergman on - 10-4 ES, 0-0 PP, 0-3 SH.

On the blueline Sinden runs three pairs again. For the most part he rolls them. It looks to my eye like Bergman and Park tend to get the Kharlamov line quite a bit but overall there isn't much going on.

Park and Bergman end up with terrific numbers again and its easy to see why. Park was considered the second best defenceman of that generation, behind only Orr. He is a tremendous skater, closes to his man immediately, moves the puck swiftly. He's not a gambler at all though. Makes the safe play. Does tend to leave his feet and sprawl at times though. Bergman, who I barely had heard of (I certainly did not know the role he played in this series), is the prototypical defensive defenceman. Just plain solid. Makes his reads, reacts quickly. Active stick. Good decisionmaking. Never leaves his feet.

For the third straight game they are either even or in the black. Just as in game one their numbers are extraordinary.

Game 4. Scoring chances with Bergman on - 10-10 ES, 0-0 PP, 0-0 SH.

Park and Bergman are not as good as they have been but their numbers are either in the black or even.

Game 5. Scoring chances with Bergman on - 3-9 ES, 2-0 PP, 0-0 SH.

The carnage is widespread. The normally reliable Park and Bergman are bloodied.

Game 6. Scoring chances with Bergman on - 3-0 ES, 1-0 PP, 1-2 SH.

On the blueline all three pairs contribute but its a sign of the Canadian strength that the pair that he leaned on early in the Series, Park and Bergman, are now relied on a little less. They do get the five on three duty but its Savard and Lapointe who get the PK minutes in the third, including at the end of the game.

For all three pairs the game is fantastic really. Its a tribute to their work and that of the forwards as well that while the Russians spend plenty of time in the Canadian zone (Savard and Lapointe's Corsis are in the red, Bergman and Park barely in the black) they don't generate anything in the way of scoring chances. Bergman and Park are not on for one chance against at evens. The Soviets can't break down the Canadian defence and are left to lobbing pucks at Dryden from the perimeter (sometimes not a bad idea - the first goal is a long shot which I did not rate as a chance).

Game 7. Scoring chances with Bergman on - 1-1 ES, 0-0 PP, 0-1 SH.

The score is close in this game but almost across the board the Canadians own the Russians at even strength. Sinden basically runs out five man units although not exclusively. The Clarke line goes out with Savard and Lapointe and generally get the tough matchup. Ratelle goes out with Stapleton and White. Esposito with Park and Bergman

Game 8. Scoring chances with Bergman on - 11-2 ES, 0-0 PP, 0-3 SH.

On the back end Park and Bergman are excellent, only two SC against at ES, although one ends up in the net when Park blows his coverage on a draw. Still, an outstanding night.

Overall numbers for Bergman - 51 scoring chances for and 33 against at even strength. 8 for and 0 against on the power play, 1 for and 12 against while shorthanded.

Total Canada numbers - 171 scoring chances for and 125 against at even strength, 30 for and 6 against on the power play, 7 for and 27 against while shorthanded.

Overpass scouting report

I couldn't find much on Bergman's style of offense. But I watched him in the 1972 Summit Series. Here's what I saw of his play there, particularly his play with the puck.

Moves quickly and confidently with the puck, but isn't particularly creative. Makes the safe play with the puck when pressured, either up the boards or to his partner - he doesn't dangle forwards like his partner Park. He's a fast straight-ahead skater, and when he gets some space in front of him he doesn't hesitate to take that space and rush the puck. He also jumps up to join the rush as a fourth trailing skater when he has room - he doesn't hang back. Not a stay-at-home guy but not a creative offensive player.

Plays the power play sometimes. Nothing fancy - holds the point well, moves the puck quickly or throws it at the net. He played the power play less as the Series went on and Sinden figured out he had better options.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Milan Novy, C​

Official All-Star Teams existed in Czechoslovakia from 1969-1977.

TIP magazine named "best defenseman, best goalie, and best forward" in Czechoslovakia from 1977 (notice the one year overlap) to 1992. These seem official too, as they are quoted in Dominik Hasek's TSN profile: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=126.

• Czechoslovakian All-Star Center in 1975
• Czechoslovakian All-Star Center in 1976
• Czechoslovakian All-Star Center & Best forward in 1977
• Czechoslovakian Best forward in 1978
• Injured for half of 1979
• Not best forward in 1980, but 2nd to Peter Stastny in Golden Stick voting
• Czechslovakian Best forward in 1981 (after Stastny's defection)
• Czechoslovakian Best forward in 1982

Czechoslovakian hockey was in decline by 1981 and 1982 due to retirements and defections, but it is noteworthy that for 4 straight years from 1975-1978, Novy at least has a case as the best forward in the country that won 2 of 4 gold medals at the World Championships over the USSR and that finished 2nd to Canada at the Canada Cup.

Novy's best performances in International Tournaments were the 1976 Canada Cup, when he was named Tournament All-Star and MVP of the Silver Medalist Czechoslovakian Team and the 1980 Olympics, which he led in scoring. He was also an All-Star at the 1976 World Championships along with a few teammates.

Milan Nový

Nickname: Balik (Country Bumpkin), Balvan (boulder)
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 196 lbs
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Date of Birth: September 23rd, 1951
Place of Birth: Kamenne Zehrovice, Czech Republic

Czechoslovakian Extraliga Champion (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980)
Olympics Silver Medalist (1976)
WEC-A Gold Medalist (1976, 1977)
WEC-A Silver Medalist (1975, 1978, 1979, 1982)
WEC-A Bronze Medalist (1981)
WEC-A First All-Star Team (1976)
WEC-A Czechoslovakia Top-Three Player (1982)
Canada Cup Silver Medalist (1976)
Canada Cup Bronze Medalist (1981)
Czech Golden Stick Trophy (1977, 1981, 1982)
Czechoslovakian Extraliga Scoring Leader (1976, 1977, 1978)
Czech League Goalscoring Leader (1975, 1976, 1977)
Canada Cup All-Star Team (1976)
Canada Cup Czechoslovakia MVP (1976)
Czech League All-Star (1977)
Team Captain (1980-1982)
Czech Hockey Hall of Fame (____)
IIHF Hall of Fame (2012)


Czechoslovakian Elite Hockey League: [1970-to-1982; 1987-to-1989]

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
14|563|446|361|807|218

No Data:
Penalty minutes: 1970-1973; 1976-77; 1978-79

Top-10 Scoring (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 9th)
Top-10 Goalscoring (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 7th, 9th)
Top-10 Assist (1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 6th, 9th, 9th)

Playoffs [1971; 1973]
Only a handful of players are recorded in each of those playoff years. In parenthesis, only forwards

Season|GP|G|A|PTS
1971|9|7|2|9

Scoring: T-3rd (Over Jiri Holik, Jaroslav Jirik, Josef Augusta / Under Vaclav Nedomansky, Richard Farda)
Goalscoring: T-1st (Over Richard Farda, Jaroslav Jirik, Josef Augusta, Jiri Holik, Josef Cerny)
Assist: T-6th (Over Jaroslav Jirik / Under Josef Cerny, Richard Farda, Jiri Holik, Vaclav Nedomansky)

Season|GP|G|A|PTS
1973|10|9|3|12

Scoring: 2nd (Over Vladimir Veith, Stanislav Pryl, Jiri Holik, Jiri Novak, Eduard Novak, Vaclav Nedomansky, Vladimir Martinec, Julius Haas, Jaroslav Holik / Under Bohuslav Stastny)
Goalscoring: 1st (Over Bohuslav Stastny, Vladimir Veith, Stanislav Pryl, Jiri Holik, Jiri Novak, Eduard Novak, Vaclav Nedomansky, Vladimir Martinec, Julius Haas, Jaroslav Holik)
Assist: T-6th (Over Vladimir Martinec, Julius Haas / Under Bohuslav Stastny, Vladimir Veith, Stanislav Pryl, Jiri Novak, Vaclav Nedomansky, Jaroslav Holik)


World and European Championship:

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
7|62|32|25|57|24

Years|GP|G|#|A|#|PTS|#|PIM
1974-75|10|4|24th|4|18th|8|17th|4
1975-76|10|9| T-1st |6|10th|15| 4th |4
1976-77|10|6|15th|10| 2nd |16| 3rd |2
1977-78|9|4|24th|0|---|4|54th|2
1978-79|5|0|---|2|43rd|2|81st|4
1980-81|8|6| 5th |2|52nd|8|12th|2
1981-82|10|3|20th|1|55th|4|38th|6

Olympic:

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
2|11|14|10|24|0

Years|GP|G|#|A|#|PTS|#|PIM
1976|5|7| 1st |2|31st|9|6th|0
1980|6|7| 2nd |8| 2nd |15| 1st |0

Canada Cup:

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
2|13|6|5|11|9

Years|GP|G|#|A|#|PTS|#|PIM
1976|7|5| T-1st |3|17th|8| 4th |2
1981|6|1|33rd|2|25th|3|38th|7

National Hockey League: [1982-83]

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
1|73|18|30|48|16

Czechoslovakian Golden Hockey Stick Nomination:

1973: 8th position
1975: 4th position
1976: 3rd position
1977: 1st position
1978: 4th position
1980: 2nd position
1981: 1st position
1982: 1st position

The Greatest Czech gunner, Milan Novy. On a domestic or even a world scale, there has probably never been a better center. His brilliant play determined the outcome of many matches, and he holds his place in history among the rankings of all Czech and Slovaks who ever played hockey. He also put out solid performances in the NHL, in Switzerland, in Austria and in lower-level competition. At least one goal of his career made history. It was scored in the 1976 Canada Cup in a game against the home team. Czechoslovakia won 1-0 and for the first time ever beat the pick of the NHL.

Milan Novy wasn't the kind of hockey player whose personal style captured the imagination of fans. At first glance, he wasn't too tall - rather inconspicuous, in fact - but he was a very tough forward and remarkably efficient. Always at the right place at the right time and very quick to take a shot, he could reap the maximum benefit from almost every opportunity.

The essence of his efficiency on the ice was his sense of timely approach for a pass, for a hard, accurate flick of the wrist, a short swing, and a determination to follow through on a play.

Novy never took shortcuts in training, It was often reported that in addition to regular workouts with the team, he took private lessons. He would go for long jogs with weight on his chest.

Stamina was Milan Novy's other great strength. He earned another record by not missing a single game in the league eight season in a row.

Novy's brilliant play determined the outcome of many matches, and he holds his place in history among the rankings of all Czechs and Slovaks who ever played hockey. He also put in solid performances in the NHL, in Switzerland, in Austria and in lower-level competition. At least one goal of his career made history. It was scored in the 1976 Canada Cup in a game against the home team. Czechoslovakia won 1-0 and for the first time ever beat the pick of the NHL in the country that gave birth to the game of hockey.

Six times he was named the team's most productive player, and three times he won the Golden Stick Award for being the best player in the league. With Kladno, he won the, national title five times. And in 1976 and 1977 he became a world champion.

Stamina was Milan Novy's other great strength. He earned another record by not missing a single game in the league eight seasons in a row.

Milan Nový is regarded as one of the all-time greats in Czech hockey history.

Milan's strength was that he could score from anywhere. He beat the goalies with slapshots, wristshots, high, low or dekes. He also handled the passes delivered to him on the fly better than most players. He was truly a world class player. Some journalists labeled him the best skater outside of the NHL, outranking several Soviet stars of the day.

On skill alone, few could keep up with Milan Novy. He was a star in the Czechoslovak league, played a year in the NHL, and shone brightest on the international stage, winning a medal eight of nine times he played at the Olympics or World Championships.

From his first international tournament in 1975 to his last (1982), Novy failed to win a medal only once, the 1980 Olympics. But at the Lake Placid games, Novy led all scorers with 15 points in just six games.

Novy was one of international hockey's greatest stars between 1975 and 1980. He led Czechoslovakia to two IIHF World Championship gold medals in 1976 and 1977, scoring 15 points (9+6) in the 1976 event and 16 points (7+9) a year later. He was named to the Worlds' All Star Team in 1976.

He led the Czechoslovak league in scoring three times thanks largely to his speed and skill, and excellent shot which he mastered by practicing off ice with a steel puck.

A very well conditioned athlete who was a deadly shooter. He had a very accurate shot and positioned himself very well for scoring chances.

Milan Novy, known as Europe's counterpart to Philadelpia's Bobby Clarke for his hardworking style of play.

-'' Life goal? I have no such thing. Every goal scored was equally important to me.'' - Milan Novy

-''It takes a little bit of everything. Talent, honest preparation, being lucky with teammates. But the most important are the prerequisites. Having a good feel for goals constitutes up to 70% of success. If someone isn't naturally gifted, all the hard training - weeks, months and years - will not help. I learned to skate on a pond, and when I came to Kladno for my first practice, I had no hockey gear and knew no one. But I started firing those goals in right away, even though no one taught me how to do it before. I guess it was in me.'' - Milan Novy


-''If you want to make it to higher levels, you must do something for it. I, too, had moment when I couldn't score. That's when I intensified my training. When you work hard, you overcome crises better and get back into shape faster.'' - Milan Novy

Vladimir Martinec, Vaclav Nedomanaky & Milan Novy comparision:

- It's a summary of the seasons they played all together in the same league. I will do a far more complete overview when writing my complete biography

- I am NOT trying to say that Novy is equal or superior to Nedomansky and Martinec, but to bring a discussion as to how well or bad he compares to these great players

- All three played in the same league in the Czech league from the 1970-71 season to the 1973-74 season (4 total)

Vladimir Martinec: 21 years old to 25 years old - 4th season in the league +
Vaclav Nedomansky: 26 years old to 30 years old - 9th season in the league +
Milan Novy: 19 years old to 23 years old - 1st season in the league +

1970-71 season:
Vladimir Martinec: 21 years old: 6th in scoring, 8th in goals, 4th in assists
Vaclav Nedomansky: 26 years old: 2nd in scoring, 2nd in goals, 9th in assists
Milan Novy: 19 years old: 13th in scoring, 13th in goals, 9th in assists

1971-72 season:
Vladimir Martinec: 22 years old: 3rd in scoring, 4th in goals, 5th in assists
Vaclav Nedomansky: 27 years old: 1st in scoring, 1st in goals, 4th in assists
Milan Novy: 20 years old: 9th in scoring, 9th in scoring, 11th in assists

1972-73 season:
Vladimir Martinec: 23 years old: 1st in scoring, 3rd in goals, 1st in assists
Vaclav Nedomansky: 28 years old: 5th in scoring, 8th in goals, 4th in assists
Milan Novy: 21 years old: 3rd in scoring, 2nd in goals, 11th in assists

1973-74 season:
Vladimir Martinec: 24 years old: 4th in scoring, 3rd in goals, 6th in assists
Vaclav Nedomansky: 29 years old: 1st in scoring, 1st in goals, 1st in assists
Milan Novy: 22 years old: 2nd in scoring, 2nd in goals, 2nd in assists

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

Career results in the Czechoslovakian league:


Vladimir Martinec: [1967-1981]
Top-5 Scoring (1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th)
Top-5 Goalscoring (1st, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th)
Top-5 Assist (1st, 1st, 5th, 5th)

Top-5 Czech Hockey Stick (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 3th, 4th, 5th)

WEC Best Forward (1976)
WEC All-Star (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977)

Vaclav Nedomansky: [1964-1974]
Top-5 Scoring (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 5th)
Top-5 Goalscoring (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
Top-5 Assist (2nd, 5th)

Top-5 Czech Hockey Stick (3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th)

WEC Best Forward (1974)
WEC All-Star (1969, 1970, 1974)

Milan Novy: [1970-to-1982]
Top-5 Scoring (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd)
Top-5 Goalscoring (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd)
Top-5 Assist (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 5th)

Top-5 Czech Hockey Stick (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th)

Canada Cup All-Star Team (1976)


Conclusion:

Now, I am not that biased or foolish enough to call those players out on those statistics alone. We have to put those stats into context, while also giving credit to things I havn't heavily research yet.

All three: Incredible offensive machine, but Nedomansky was renown as someone who never backcheck in Czech, while I found nothing on Novy in the defensive zone. Martinec also was an all offensive guy. Tell me if I'm wrong, but none of them bring intangible worth a big plus in the positive column. Actually, Novy was probably the toughess, and he was someone know as resilient who could take care of himself, but nothing more.

Vladimir Martinec: The first contradiction arise in between the scoring results of Martinec and his placement in the Golden Stick. By a wide margin, Martinec has provide the less spectacular results in the Czech league, compare to both Novy and Nedomansky. So why as he placed that high in the Golden Stick voting? An obvious and a perhaps less unanimous conclusion arise in my opinion. First of all, the obvious conclusion: Martinec was incredible in the World Championship and in the Olympics. In his prime, he was name on the All-Star team four straight years, while winning best forward in 1974. Those performances do count when voting for the best Czech player award (unlike the Hart Trophy, where only the regular season count). He was a clutch player for his national team (even though his overall statistics arn't earth shattering compare to the other two, look at the bottom of my conclusion). The second conclusion, perhaps that will be less openly received, his the fact that Martinec was an extremely flashy and love hockey player. Martinec was the poster boy for his nation, and I think it did play a role in his award recognition. Obviously, the first reason far exceed the importance of the second reason, but you will see where I'm going with this conclusion with Nedomansky and Novy.

Vaclav Nedomansky: An amazing goalscorer, my opinion the best of the three. However, as you can see, I believe Novy was really close to him in term of scoring goals. In term of overall offence, all three are actually pretty close together, all thing consider. Martinec > Nedomansky >> Novy on the international stage, but Novy = Nedomansky > Martinec in the Czech league (look at Novy conclusion for the explanation). In 1972 and 1974, Nedomansky finished 1st in scoring in the Czech league. Golden stick result: 4th and 5th. Even though he was an incredible offensive machine, with great success in the local and international stages. However, he never received a golden stick, or even a very serious nomination, even at his best. Why? It's difficult to comprehend, but I return again to my second conclusion in the Martinec bio: Nedomansky always been a loner on and off the ice. Never the one to talk loudly. I may be stretching the reality, and I hate to give too much credit to a guy feeling, but I really can't figure out those Golden Stick results in a way that statistics would prove them completely correct.

Another thing is to give credit for his career outside Czechoslovakia:

WHA Scoring: 12th, 18th, 3Xst
NHL Scoring: 3Xst, 3Xst
WHA Most Gentlemanly Player (1976)

Just how much does those results affect positively Nedomansky overall career? It sure is a positive, and showed that he could adapt to the NA style of hockey. However, he didn't set the WHA or the NHL on fire. It's a small plus, but his legend lays in his country.

Milan Novy: Surprisingly (well, I was surprise!), Novy did incredibly well in the Czech league. Statistics alone without analyzing them would give Novy the edge over Nedomansky and the greater edge over Martinec. However, I feel I need to give Nedomansky some credit to get all those results during the shorter period of the two. However, Novy was incredible all the way to his last few season in the Czech league. 1980: 2nd in scoring over the Stastny, Martinec and at least five players that will be selected. 1981: 1st in scoring over Martinec, and at least 3 players that's going to get picked. 1982: 1st in scoring over four players that will be selected. Was the mid-to-late 1960's (where Nedomansky got a part of his great results) superior in term of elite players, than the early 1980's? I think the forward corp are about equal, but both Pospisil and Suchy were there. Overall, perhaps I slightly prefer Nedomansky to Novy in the Czech league, but it is VERY close. Another think to add: with those results, his Golden Stick results are kinda underwhelming ... but Novy was known to have a style of play that was not catching attention ... I'm just saying!

Internationally, Novy is behind both Martinec and Nedomansky, and didn't received the awards both of them got. However, Novy was still a very important part of those teams and his offensive results are not far behind when compare to both of them:

WEC & Olympics:
Martinec: 134GP, 124PTS (0.925PPG)
Nedomansky: 124GP, 142PTS (1.145GGP)
Novy: 105GP, 113PTS (1.076GGP)

THE BIGGER CONCLUSION

At the end, I believe Nedomansky and Martinec are extremely close together, but giving a small edge to Nedomansky. While Martinec received better awards on the international stage, Nedomansky isn't far behind. Nedomansky czech league results, adding his results on the North American soil, give him the edge over Martinec. In my book, Novy is the third player on this list, mostly because he didn't receive that much awards on the international stage. However, Novy was definitely just as offensively talented as those two.

Vaclav Nedomansky: 171st overall
Vladimir Martinec: 197th overall
Milan Novy: 371st overall

I think I've proved clearly that Novy shouldn't be taken 200 picks after Nedomansky and 180 pick after Martinec. I actually prove that the difference isn't even close to be those numbers. I think Novy one of the better value of the draft, and an invaluable part of my team. Milan Novy should be taken at the very least a few rounds earlier.

Signing, Trades & Injuries:
- Novy was selected 58th overall by Washington Capitals in NHL Entry Draft in 1982


Fun & Interesting Facts:
- Novy studied law at Karlova University in Prague
- In 1976-77, Novy scored 59 goals in 44 games playing on a line with Eduard Novak and Lubomir Bauer
- Buffalo GM Scotty Bowman signed Novy early in 1982, when Czech authorities indicated he would be available after that season. Before the 1982 draft, new Capitals GM David Poile traded two picks in exchange for Alan Haworth and the rights to draft Novy
- In June 1983, Novy was released by Washington after having played only one season, because he had difficulty adjusting to the NHL style of play and wanted to continue his career back in Europe.
- In his last season in the Czech league, Novy played on a line with 16 years old Jaromir Jagr
- Novy was Kladno team secretary for seven years after his retirement
- Novy was ranked the #2 European player of all-time behind Vladislav Tretiak in a pre-draft poll of European journalists
- He made several comebacks in the Czech and Slovakian Extraliga between 1997 and 2003 and played his last league game at the age of 52 years


Miscellaneous:
- Milan Novy was simultaneously a rookie and the oldest player on the Washington Capitals in 1982
- Novy spoke no English when he arrived in North America and had to do all of his interviews through an interpreter
- Before the 1981-82 season, he left for the NHL, where he played for the Washington Capitals. The number 6 he usually wore on his jersey was already taken. At first he wore number 26 and then 66, later made famous by Mario Lemieux. ''Originally, I wanted it right away. But at the time only true stars could afford to have their way. In the first match, however, I scored and got two assists. Before the next match I came to the cabin and was surprised. Apparently the club management wanted to show their appreciation of my efforts.''
- Novy now work in the cosmetic business

Novák, Eduard: Played 16 seasons and 560 league games in Czechoslovakia (306 goals). He was primarily a finisher. He had a very quick release of his shot. Worked well with Milan Nový. Novy played on the same line as Martinec numerous time in the WEC-A.

Abbreviation:
IIHF: International Ice Hockey Federation
WEC-A: World and European Championship - Pool A


Youtube:


Famous Milan Novy goal against Canada in the Canada Cup 1976


Internet Sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan_Nový
http://www.sihrhockey.org/member_player_sheet.cfm?player_id=2819
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13865
http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2006/09/milan-novy.html
http://www.zlatahokejka2009.cz/historie?rubrid=39
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=36252
http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1982/82058.html
http://www.azhockey.com/No.htm#Milan Novy
http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/iihf-hof-2012.html
http://caps-memories.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html

Special Thank You: Dreakmur

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Duke Keats, C
5'11, 195 lbs.
Right handed shot
WCHL/WHL First All-Star Team (1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926)
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958 (before peer Cy Denneny)

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Morning Leader, Jan 13, 1923
The Duke is an ideal type of athlete, of husky build, quick on his skates, and possessing a good abundance of grey matter. He has one fault and that is temperament
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultimate Hockey
Keats hit his peak in Edmonton. The "Iron Duke", hailed on all sides as one of the most dominating forces ever seen, was the best player in the league. Throngs of people clamored to see this big, strong center perform miracles with the puck. He shot as well as anyone anywhere, combining unparalleled offensive ability with a hard, clean style to become the greatest player to play in Edmonton before Gretzky.
Note: I have to disagree that Keats played a clean style, considering all the quotes that call him the "bad man" of the WCHL.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken McConnell, journalist
He was the hero of Edmonton and undoubtedly one of the greatest center icemen who ever laced up a skate
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Patrick
Duke is the possessor of more hockey grey matter than any man who ever played the game. He is the most unselfish superstar in hockey. I have watched him innumerable times. In one game, I especially checked up on his play. He gave his wingmen thirty chances to score by perfectly placed passes. He's the brainiest pivot that ever pulled on a skate, because he can organize plays and make passes every time he starts
Scoring
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDevilMadeMe
The strength of the Big 4/WCHL/WHA and Duke Keats' competition for scoring finishes

Much earlier, someone questioned the competition Duke Keats faced in the WCHL, so I decided to do a season by season account of his competition. I meant to get to it earlier, but technical problems prevented it from happening until now.

Keats' first professional season was 1915-16 at the age of 21.

1916 NHA
1. Didier Pitre 39
2. Joe Malone 35
3. Newsy Lalonde 34
4. Duke Keats 29
5. Cy Denneny 28
6. Gord Roberts 25
7. Frank Nighbor 24

1917 NHA
Keats was 5th in points per game, but only played 2/3 of the season before leaving for military service during World War 1. He finished 12th in scoring at the end of the year.

Keats was a top 5 scorer in the NHA in his first two seasons

Keats missed 1918 and 1919 (aged 23-24) to fight in World War I.

1920 Big 4
1. Duke Keats 32
2. Keats' RW 22
3. Keats' LW 18
4. Herb Gardiner 17
5. Won't be drafted 14

1921 Big 4
1. Duke Keats 29
2. Keats' LW 25
3. Keats' former RW 21
4. Undrafted HHOFer 20
5. Won't be drafted 20

I think it's pretty clear the Big 4 was a fairly weak league, but Keats dominated it like you would expect

1922 WCHL
1. Duke Keats 56
2. George Hay (24 yo) 34
3. Joe Simpson (29 yo) 34
4. Keat's LW (different guy) 33
5. Keats' former RW 31
6. Dick Irvin (30 yo) 27
7. Keats' RW 21
7. Will be drafted 21
No typo, Keats was really that far ahead of everyone. Not as good as the NHA or PCHA, but George Hay, Joe Simpson, and Dick Irvin were all in their prime.

1923 WCHL
1. Keat's RW 43 in 29 games (1.48 PPG)
2. Duke Keats 37 in 25 games (1.48 PPG)
3. George Hay (25 yo) 36 in 30 games (1.20 PPG)
4. Newsy Lalonde (35 yo) 35
5. undrafted HHOFer 32
6. Joe Simpson 29
7. Keats' LW 28
8. Bill Cook (28 yo) 25

1922-23 was Bill Cook's first professional season (at the age of 28).

1924 WCHL
1. Bill Cook 40
2. Undrafted HHOFer 34
3. Duke Keats 31
3. George Hay 31
5. Keats' former RW 26
6. Won't be drafted 25
7. Bernie Morris (34 yo) 23

The PCHA folded after the season and its talent was absorbed into the WCHL. The 1925 and 1926 WCHL was probably stronger than the NHL at that point.

1925 WCHL
1. Mickey MacKay 33
1. undrafted HHOFer 33
3. Duke Keats (29 yo) 32
4. Bill Cook (29 yo) 32
5. Frank Fredrickson (29 yo) 30
6. Frank Boucher (24 yo) 28
7. Keats' LW 23
8. Joe Simpson 23
9. George Hay 22 (in 20 of 28 games)

1926 WHL
1. Bill Cook 44
2. Dick Irvin 36
3. Corb Denneny (32 yo) 34
4. Keats' RW 33
5. George Hay 31
6. Duke Keats 29
7. Undrafted HHOFer 25
8. Frank Fredrickson 24
9. Frank Boucher 22
10. Keat's former RW 22

The WHL folded after the season. 1926-27 is the first year of the consolidated NHL

1927 Consolidated NHL
1. Bill Cook*-NYR 37
2. Dick Irvin*-CBH 36
3. Howie Morenz*-MTL 32
4. Frank Fredrickson*-TOT 31
5. Babe Dye*-CBH 30
6. Frank Boucher*-NYR 28
Ace Bailey*-TOR 28
8. Billy Burch*-NYA 27
9. Undrafted HHOFer *-BOS 24
Duke Keats*-TOT 24

1928 Consolidated NHL
1. Howie Morenz*-MTL 51
2. Aurele Joliat*-MTL 39
3. Frank Boucher*-NYR 35
George Hay*-DTC 35
5. Nels Stewart*-MTM 34
6. Keats' former teammate 30
7. Bun Cook*-NYR 28
8. XXX 26
9. Frank Finnigan-OTS 25
10. Bill Cook*-NYR 24
Duke Keats*-TOT 24

Keats was 31 in 1925-26 and clearly on the downswing of his career as you can see from his decline the previous season in the WHL.

I bolded the top 10 NHL scorers in the first two seasons after consolidation who played with Keats in the WCHL/WHL. It is more than half of them.

Conclusion: Duke Keats was a borderline top 5 offensive player in the world for about a decade. When you consider his intangibles - elite physical game, solid leadership and defensive play, he was probably top 5 forward in the world for the greater part of a decade.

 

[BillyShoe1721]

LW Kevin Stevens

3x Top 2 AS Voting(1, 2, 2)
3x NHL All Star Game Participant
2x Stanley Cup Champion
4x Top 16 Goals(2, 8, 15, 16)
7th in Assists, 91-92
4x Top 23 Points(2, 12, 21, 23)
2x Top 2 Playoff Goals(1, 2)
2x Top 7 Playoff Points(4, 7)
2x Top 3 Playoff Points(2, 3)
VsX: 106, 75, 75, 73, 69*, 54

*Was on pace for score of 69, played 1.00PPG hockey in lockout shortened 94-95 over 27 games

In first 4 full years before Pilon hit:

6th in Goals(.58GPG)
23rd in Assists(.69APG)
12th in Points(1.27PPG)

After Pilon hit:

GPG-.255
APG-.3422
PPG-.5972

It's clear that when Stevens broke his nose and most of his face, his production took a massive hit. It's not as though he just fell off for no reason, that injury changed the course of his career forever. There was no indication of him slowing down before that hit.

90-91 to 92-93 Playoffs

2nd in Goals
2nd in Assists
2nd in Points

During Peak(89-90 to 94-95) among LW

2nd in Goals(2nd in GPG)
3rd in Assists(2nd in APG)
2nd in Points(2nd in PPG)

Brockton, Massachusetts is also the birthplace of Kevin Stevens, hockey's ultimate power forward in the early 1990s. The hockey player who was knocked down several times during his 13-year professional career.

Playing alongside the great Mario Lemieux, Kevin soon emerged as not only one of Pittsburgh's best players but also as one NHL's premier power forwards. He helped Pittsburgh win their first Stanley Cup in 1991 and scored 86 regular season points and another 33 in the playoffs.

He set an NHL record for most points by a left wing, 123, in 1991-92 and finished second in league scoring behind line mate Mario Lemieux. His 123 points was also an NHL record for an American born player in the NHL. He was also the first NHL player to score 50 goals, 100 points and 200 penalty minutes in one season. He helped Pittsburgh to their second straight cup picking up 28 points in the playoffs.

Kevin's stellar play continued the following season as he scored 55 goals, tying the NHL record for American born players. His 111 points was good enough for 12th overall in the league.

Stevens was about much more than scoring. At 6'3" and over 215lbs, he had the size coaches covet and opponents dread. He was a deceptive skater and he relished the physical game. He was a weak defensive player, but he made up for that with goals and hits, and lots of them.

Kevin never was a great skater, but he always had a good shot with a quick release. In the past he never thought twice about where his shot was going, which made him dangerous. He had great hand-eye coordination and was especially dangerous on power plays.

http://penguinslegends.blogspot.com/2007/12/kevin-stevens.html

The NHL's premier power forward in the early 1990s, Stevens is a 6'3", 230-pound banger who ruled the boards and was harder to get rid of than lice when he parked in front of the net. He had 54 goals, 69 assists and the toughness to be assessed an astounding 254 penalty minutes for the Stanley Cup-winning Penguins in 1991-92.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1018276/1/index.htm

"When I got traded to Pittsburgh [in 1992], I instantly knew where all the team's energy came from—Kevin Stevens," says Tocchet. "Mario was a quiet leader who did it on the ice, so he was ecstatic to have Kevin in the dressing room. Kevin provides all-around energy, and if you're going to win in the NHL, you have to have that."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1019780/2/index.htm

By Kevin Stevens, the take-no-prisoners leftwinger of the Pittsburgh Penguins, his 111th point of the season, breaking the NHL record for points by a U.S.-born player. Stevens, 26, a new-wave power forward at 6'3", 217 pounds, earlier became the first player to rack up 100 points and 200 penalty minutes in a season.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1003595/index.htm

This is what is meant when it is said of players like Theoren Fleury, Kevin Stevens, Shjon Podein, and Michael Peca that they come ready to play each and every game.

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

During Pittsburgh's championship years, Kevin Stevens was the best left wing in hockey. He topped 50 goals and 100 points two years in a row.

http://books.google.com/books?id=J4...ins&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UqEuUcTJEIS60AHn-YHQCQ&ved=

Like his pugilistic cousins, Stevens packed a wallop. Over a 4 year span in the early 1990s, the burly left winger piled up 190 goals while establishing himself as the premier power forward in hockey.

At his best in big games, Stevens tallied three straight game winning goals against Washington during the Patrick Division finals.

In 1991-92 Stevens was virtually unstoppable. A veritable freight train on skates, he set a slew of records, becoming the first player in NHL history to reach 50 goals and 200 penalty minutes in a season.

"Kevin's probably the purest power forward in the league," marvled linemate Rick Tocchet. "He reminds me of a big running back in the NFL who just wears you down.

http://books.google.com/books?id=F0...a=X&ei=UqEuUcTJEIS60AHn-YHQCQ&ved=0CEYQ6AEwBQ

Kevin Stevens created opportunities using the "freight-train" approach. The burly left winger skated right through opponents, often leaving a trail of spinning skaters in his path.

http://books.google.com/books?id=7z...Bg#v=onepage&q=kevin stevens penguins&f=false

When Kevin Stevens smiles he can light up a room. Playing left wing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, he can also turn on the lights behind the goal nets with his blazing shots

https://www.google.com/search?q=kev...79,d.dmQ&fp=55f1580a16201b64&biw=1366&bih=611

Faced with the league's ultimate heavyweight, Mario Magnifique, itwas a game plan doomed in the classroom. Where there is no room, Lemieux finds it. If he can't, then the Penguins have the likes of Mark Recchi and Kevin Stevens to do the skating and grinding it takes to win.

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/...ins'+year+put+on+ice+by+Penguins&pqatl=google

They have a quick-skating team that includes Joey Mullen, Kevin Stevens and Mark Recchi.

https://www.google.com/search?q=kev...79,d.dmQ&fp=8c9e18e3d191fe8e&biw=1366&bih=611

Stevens and Tocchet were a couple of big, tough battleships with good hands and excellent instincts. Their collective physical nature created more room for Mario, and their touch around the net converted the opportunities Lemieux provided time and time again.

http://old.post-gazette.com/sports/columnists/20030927madden0927p1.asp

Stevens will to win may not let his team lose

"Iafrate's got to be the strongest player in the league when he hooks on to you." Stevens said.

Maybe, but last night that was like Moby Dick complimenting Ahab.

Stevens was loose in front of the net 3 times in the first 5:05, twice flicking his rebounds past the stiletto-sharp Don Beaupre for an early 2-0 Penguins lead. That was immensely important on two fronts. It meant he was back to forcing the offense by carrying the puck, and it meant he had wired up his scoring touch again.

Kevin Stevens was an overwhelming physical and emotional presence, yes, indeed.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=5323,8581878&dq=kevin+stevens+physical&hl=en

''Kevin Stevens is a bigger, stronger player than Luc,'' he said. ''Kevin plays more of a physical game.''

According to Stevens, Smith and Campbell, Stevens is most effective when playing in the corners and creating traffic in front of the net to clear the way for linemates.

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20816FD3A550C7A8EDDA10894DF494D81

Most impressive was his physical work. From the drop of the puck, he used his 6'3" 230 pound frame-still as chiseled as ever-to pound the Mighty Ducks.

Ten minutes later, Stevens turned in his best shift. He took a pass from Jagr and bulled his way from behind the Mighty Ducks' net to try a wraparound on goaltender Guy Hebert, but it was stuffed. He then manhandled Anaheim's Matt Cullen along the boards to allow the Penguins to keep the puck, darted behind the goal and set up Lemieux for a golden chance 10 feet in front of Hebert."

"That stuff has to be part of my game," Steven said. "I'm not going to run around and look for hits all the time, but if I get a chance to forecheck and make some contact, that's what I've got to do."

Stevens, 35, last played for the Penguins May 28, 1995, and that was pretty much the last time he was viewed as a top-shelf power forward, a guy who could produce 40 or 50 goals. After that, he was employed by 4 teams, all of which cast him primarily in a checking role.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=6684,4394280&dq=kevin+stevens+physical&hl=en

After Lemieux, Stevens is the player the Penguins can least do without. He is the sport's best left wing. He proved that last season when he popped in 40 goals, then reaffirmed it during the playoffs when he scored 17, more than any player.

But Stevens' production is only part of what he has to offer. He is the Penguins' leader, even more than the spectacularly gifted Lemieux. We saw that during the Wales Conference finals when he guaranteed a series victory after the Penguins lost the first two games to the Bruins.

Stevens' role on Lemieux's Penguins is comparable to what Mark Messier's role was on the great Gretzky teams in Edmonton. Gretzky clearly was the star, but Messier was the heart, the soul, the guts.

Stevens' leadership shouldn't be underestimated, especially not this season. Coach Bob Johnson is gravely ill. Stevens' presence will be more critical than ever.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=5828,6023249&dq=kevin+stevens+two-way&hl=en

 

[Dreakmur]

Pierre Turgeon !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Lady Byng Trophy (1993)

4 x NHL All-Star (1990, 1993, 1994, 1996)

Hart voting – 5th(1993)

Lady Byng voting – 1st(1993), 3rd(1994), 4th(1990), 4th(1992), 7th(1997), 8th(1996), 8th(1998), 12th(2000), 12th(2001)

All-Star voting – 6th(1990)


Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 5th(1993), 7th(1990), 13th(1992), 13th(1997), 14th(1994), 16th(2001), 17th(1996), 18th(1989)
Goals – 6th(1993), 12th(1995), 14th(1992), 17th(1990)
Assists – 8th(1997), 9th(1990), 10th(1998), 11th(1993), 11th(2001), 19th(1996), 20th(1992)

Play-off Assists – 10th(1999), 10th(2001)


5-Year Peak (1990-1994)
7th in Points, 89% of 2nd place Adam Oates
8th in Goals, 84% of 2nd place Luc Robitaille
14th in Assists, 70% of 2nd place Adam Oates

10-Year Peak (1989-1998)
6th in Points, 89% of 2nd place Steve Yzerman
6th in Goals, 88% of 2nd place Steve Yzerman
10th in Assists, 87% of 3rd place Ron Francis


Scoring Percentages:
Points – 89(1993), 85(2000), 82(1990), 82(1992), 80(1996), 78(1994), 78(1997), 75(1998), 70(2000), 69(1991), 67(1995), 63(1989), 61(1999), 52(2002)

Best 6 Seasons: 496
Next 6 Seasons: 422


Team Scoring:
Points – 1st(1989), 1st(1990), 1st(1992), 1st(1993), 1st(1994), 1st(1995), 1st(1996), 1st(1997), 1st(2001), 2nd(1991), 2nd(1998), 2nd(1999), 2nd(2000), 3rd(2002)
Goals – 1st(1989), 1st(1990), 1st(1992), 1st(1993), 1st(1995), 1st(1996), 2nd(1991), 2nd(1994), 2nd(1997), 2nd(1999), 2nd(2000), 2nd(2001), 3rd(1998)
Assists – 1st(1989), 1st(1990), 1st(1992), 1st(1993), 1st(1994), 1st(1995), 1st(1996), 1st(1997), 1st(1998), 1st(2001), 2nd(1991), 2nd(2002), 3rd(1999), 3rd(2000)

Point Leading Percentages - 152, 129, 126, 125, 119, 112, 109, 104, 102





There are many quotes and more analysis in Seventieslord's Biography​

 

[BenchBrawl]

Tony Amonte , RW

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/16/sports/pro-hockey-amonte-of-rangers-sees-stock-growing.html

The rookie had 33 goals, and that was a sound qualification right there.

But there were other reasons why Ranger right wing Tony Amonte picked up an endorsement this weekend for rookie of the year from linemate Mark Messier. They had to do with the way Amonte skates, those huge shoulder pads flapping in the breeze, toward the goal.

"He's like a kamikaze, the way he goes to the net with abandon," Messier said. "He's one of our hardest workers. An unbelievable talent, with a great disposition to go with it."

The topic was Amonte, because the 21-year-old forward out of Boston University is hot, and because he appears to have a real shot at the Calder Trophy when voting takes place in a couple of weeks. On Saturday night, he scored his first career hat trick, against the Blues, who were without the ailing Brett Hull, during a 6-0 Ranger rout in St. Louis. Amonte has five goals in his last two games.

And this endorsement:

"He got mine a long time ago," Neilson said. "He's got this really active stick that just finds the puck."

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/11/s...key-goal-and-the-unbeaten-streak-goes-on.html

The play was one of trust as much as technique or design. Adam Graves, his back to the goal, turned and slid a blind pass back through the slot. Tony Amonte, not a regular on the club's top line, was where he should have been; where Graves gambled he would be.

Graves was right. Amonte was alone. Trust was rewarded. The Rangers' run of perfection was intact.

...

Amonte, starved for goals and forced to content himself with the unglamorous, often unrecorded contributions of a grinder, accepted the puck and stared at a yard of open net. Winnipeg goaltender Bob Essensa, stoicly spectacular all night, was overcommitted and vulnerable. Amonte, asked only to temper his ambition and deposit the goal, did it and then exhaled loudly enough to be heard over the crowd's roar.

"He's been right there so many times," Coach Mike Keenan said of Amonte.

"He hasn't changed roles completely," Messier said with a smile. "We're still looking for him to score."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=6732,9412976&dq=amonte+chicago&hl=en

Chicago - Tony Amonte.
Heading into the all-star break, there's where the list of all that's right with the Chicago Blackhawks begins and ends. Aside from the high-scoring, hard-working Amonte and a few role players, everybody on the team - including supposed standouts Ed Belfour, Chris Chelios, Alex Zhamnov and Eric Daze - has fallen well short of expectations.

...

Asked about the nearly invisible play of Zhamnov, coach Craig Hartsburg didn't stop there.

"Zhamnov and Daze, both. Those guys are supposed to be two of our best offensive players. They have to give us more," Hartsburg said after a 2-0 loss Monday to Tampa Bay. "We're very tired of the roller-coaster ride with those guys - up and down, one night good and one night bad."

http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/76/76award.asp

MVP: Tony Amonte, Chicago Blackhawks: Don't get us wrong, Dominik Hasek was a tremendously deserving MVP winner. But here at LCS Hockey we like to give attention to the guys that often get overlooked. And Tony Amonte deserves far more attention than he's receiving from the main stream media.

Amonte was a one-man team this season in Chicago. When Jeremy Roenick, Joe Murphy, and Bernie Nicholls all left down over the off-season, it was widely believed that the Blackhawks' offense went with them. Don't tell that to Amonte. The speedy right winger became a national hero in the United States for scoring the winning goal for the stars and stripes at the World Cup. He carried that momentum into the regular season, along with a flowing mane of hair, to become an honest to goodness superstar.

Known previously as a secondary scorer that could chip in 30 goals, Amonte stepped forward as the go-to guy for the 1996-97 Blackhawks, leading the team with 41 goals and 77 points. Amonte was the Chicago offense, accounting for 18.4% of the team's total goals. He just became a much better finisher this season. Amonte started to gain a rather infamous reputation in recent years as someone who never buried enough of the chances that his speed produced. Whatever the reason for the turnaround, whether it be the confidence from the World Cup or the strength derived from his Samson hair style, Amonte was a different man this season. It showed most on breakaways, where he even developed a lethal backhand-forehand deke that left many a goaltender swimming.

And it wasn't just that he was scoring goals, it was how he scored them. Amonte took charge of games and dominated with his speed and determination. He came through with the big goals in the big games and he did all the little things to make himself and his team better. When he wasn't blasting shots on net or streaking in on breakaways, Amonte became a much more aggressive hitter and took care of business in the defensive end, racking up an incredible +35. The guy did it all.

Without Amonte in the Chicago lineup, the Hawks would have been a joke. Jagr had Lemieux, LeClair had Lindros, Selanne had Kariya, but there was no one to help Amonte carry the load. Sure, Alexei Zhamnov was around, but he isn't even close to the same stratosphere as those other players. Amonte was the show. In a season that was almost completely void of excitement, Amonte was a bolt of lightning.

http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/110/110tony.asp

[Tony Amonte is fast. When he's on the ice, it's best if you don't blink, because you could miss something amazing. Tony Amonte is really fast. If there's a breakaway to be had, Tony Amonte will get it. Tony Amonte is really, really fast. That's why he leads the NHL with 22 goals.

Amonte has used his speed and skill to his advantage this season, getting solid scoring chance after scoring chance on a Chicago Blackhawk team that hasn't seen a legitimate scoring sensation since the old-school days of Jeremy Roenick.

Sure, the 28-year-old winger has several high-profile centermen to aid him in his quest for 50 goals, but the numbers show that Amonte has had to do most of the work himself. Alexei Zhamnov and Doug Gilmour are the main two centers on the Hawks roster, but both are having sub-par seasons. And without those two guys, Amonte is the lone gun in Chicago. He his scoring around 30 percent of his team's goals, which is an impressive stat in itself.

Amonte's speed is his biggest asset. He shows an ability to chase down loose pucks and clearing attempts and turn them into great scoring chances.

And once he gets in tight on a goalie, he's pure money. Amonte's favorite move is when he skates in on a goaltender and fakes to his backhand. But instead of going that direction, he practically stops dead in his tracks in the crease and tucks the puck around the sprawling goaltender on his forehand. The move almost never fails. Amonte's quick skating and even quicker hands make the move impossible to defend against. Unless, you know, a goaltender gets all wild and crazy and flings every appendage he has in Amonte's general direction...

...

If Mike Keenan had his way, Tony Amonte probably wouldn't be among the list of favorites to take the crown. Keenan, you see, never saw eye to eye with Amonte when he was coach of the New York Rangers and Amonte was an up-and-coming star for the Blueshirts. Amonte scored 35 goals in his rookie season in New York in 1991-92, then 33 more the next season.

But then Keenan took over the helm in the Big Apple and Amonte's numbers were reduced to 16 goals in 72 games during the 1993-94 season. Keenan dealt Amonte near the trade deadline to Chicago in exchange for Stephane Matteau and Brian Noonan. Keenan and the Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup that year, while to this day Amonte continues to fight for his chance to meet Lord Stanley.

"(Keenan) definitely didn't like me, and I didn't like him and I don't think I still do," Amonte said of his former coach. "But it was business at the time, and that's what I felt. He didn't feel that I was going to be any help to the (team), and the way I felt at the time, he had me believing that I wasn't going to be any help to the club. So I think it was a good career change for me, and I was thrilled just to get a chance just to come to Chicago.

"You know, coming out of New York, you don't know where you're going to go. But getting a chance to come to Chicago, I'm as happy as could be. But I was a little disappointed not staying for the Stanley Cup run, but that's life. And that's what Mike Keenan says: `Life is not fair.' "

http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/103/103right.asp

4. Tony Amonte, Chicago Blackhawks: When discussing the best all-around forwards in the game, the usual names come up: Peter Forsberg, Ron Francis, Mike Modano, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov. Well, it's about time that people start to realize that Amonte belongs in that group.

While his skating and scoring always gets the majority of the attention, Amonte is a tremendous defensive player. A tireless worker without the puck, Amonte uses his fearsome speed to pressure the play all over the ice and seldom misses an opportunity to finish a check. Once the puck does get turned over, Amonte's speed again comes into play, making him one of the most dangerous transition players in the game.

Even though he scored 31 goals last season and 41 the previous year, Amonte isn't really a natural goal-scorer. He works hard for everything he gets. If he could finish even half the chances his speed creates he'd be a perennial 50-goal man. One area where he has improved is on breakaways where he's developed a lethal forehand move over the past two years that usually leaves goaltenders wrecked. But he still probably misses more than he makes. Yet, while more goals would be appreciated, it isn't like he's playing with the '84 Oilers. Amonte, who has missed only two regular season games the past four years, is on his own most nights. The guy can only do so much.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...ppearance-all-star-jeremy-roenick-tony-amonte

Graham also points to Amonte's development as a total player for his inclusion in that group. Even a few seasons ago, Amonte and defense weren't on a first-name basis. At times, they weren't in the same rink.

But Graham says Amonte has become one of his most responsible defensive players, not a bad admission coming from the 1991 winner of the Frank Selke Trophy, awarded to the forward who best excels at defense.

"Tony has always been able to score," says Graham. "The biggest thing he has been able to accomplish is becoming a strong defensive player. He didn't have that when he first got here. That's the key to his whole success. He does the little things defensively and gets all kinds of scoring chances because of it. That's part of rounding out your game."

Indeed, Amonte has come a long way from his first few seasons, when he crashed into the league with the New York Rangers and scored 35 goals his first season, finishing second to Pavel Bure for the Calder Trophy.

Not that Amonte doesn't look at those days fondly. He got to play with two of the league's greats--Mark Messier and Adam Graves--on some of his most impressionable and development-starved days in the league.

But he also remembers, at times, how little of a clue he had.

"Coming into the league, you don't know much about the game and style of play," Amonte says. "It is totally different from any other league in the world and you have to adapt your style to playing in the NHL. There are very few who step in and are successful right away.

"I was fortunate enough to play with Mark and Adam on a line for two solid years every night. I played 160 games with those guys and they taught me a lot about competing and showing up every night and being there for your teammates and playing hard. It was a great way for me to break into the league.

"But I didn't know what defense was then. As the years go on, you pick up more things. Three years ago when I scored 40 goals (actually, a career-high 41 in the 1996-97 season), I was thrown into a bigger role than I had ever had in this league. I was a goal scorer and a top-line guy and a go-to guy. That is an opportunity everybody in this dressing room waits for. I'm just trying to make the most of it."

http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/111/111all.asp

Tony Amonte, Chicago Blackhawks (41-23-13-36): With all due respect to the great Chris Chelios, Amonte is the only reason to watch a Chicago game. He's a phenomenal player. He works the defensive zone like a demon, he hits, he scores goals, he sticks up for his teammates, and oh yeah, he can skate really, really fast. It's gotta be the hair. Amonte is simply one of the coolest players in the NHL.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-12-19/sports/0012190293_1_captain-battle-hawks

When Blackhawks captain Tony Amonte steps onto the ice, he is a personification of the city in which he plays.

"I always think of Tony Amonte as a blue-collar superstar," says Nashville coach Barry Trotz. "He has world-class, elite skills. He has a lot of flair and flash and pizzazz. "To go with his high skills, he has a very strong work ethic. He always comes to play and battle. He never takes the night off."

For 279 consecutive regular-season games, the longest streak by an active NHL player, Amonte has come to play and battle.

...

Individually, Amonte got off to a splendid start and appeared to be in a position to surpass his career high of 44 goals in 1998-99. But in his last 14 games he has been able to score only two goals, giving him 14 for the season.

One of the reasons is because he is a marked man on a team that doesn't have a lot of weapons.

"Chicago has two prominent lines, but we feel if you shut down Amonte, you have a chance of winning the hockey game," said Trotz after his Predators were shut out by the Hawks 3-0 Saturday night in Nashville. "We did that in this game, but their other top players made things happen."

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/..._general-manager-mike-smith-hawks-free-agents

By his standards, Amonte is having an off year with 13 goals and 20 assists at the halfway point. But factor defensive play, durability and attitude into the Amonte equation and he becomes much harder for the Hawks to replace. His streak of 369 straight games is the longest in the NHL.

http://www.lcshockey.com/july02/amonte.asp

But Amonte should flourish in Phoenix. Amonte proved in the past that he could score with little help in the offensive zone. He will have to do the same in Phoenix. Outside of little man Daniel Briere and Daymond Langkow, the Coyotes have little to offer offensively.

http://www.lcshockey.com/sept02/topright.asp

9. Tony Amonte, Phoenix Coyotes: Ed Belfour, Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, and now Tony Amonte... Chicago has the rare knack of recognizing its best player and then allowing him to leave town without getting much, if anything, in return. It's genius, really. Who needs identity? Heart and soul can be so overrated.

Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes were more than happy to take advantage of Chicago's ignorance, signing Amonte to a multi- million dollar contract to bring him to the desert. Why the Blackhawks would be willing to part with Amonte is puzzling.

Amonte's numbers were down last year. An eight-time 30-goal scorer, his 27 goals in 2001-02 snapped a string of six consecutive seasons with at least 30 red lights. But if the Hawks are betting Amonte has nothing left, they're fooling themselves. He still has the speed and shot to put up another 35 or 40 goals this season for the Coyotes. If anything it was the grief of his contract situation that hampered his scoring, not a deterioration of skills.

Amonte could score 10 goals and he'd still be a tremendous addition to any club. No one works harder. He plays every shift like it's his last. He's not some pretty boy goal scorer living off the sweat of his teammates. Amonte does all his own dirty work. And you know he's gonna show up every night. Amonte hasn't missed a game in five years, and he's only missed two contests over the past eight seasons. Death and taxes aren't so reliable.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Calgary/2005/10/04/1247764-sun.html

Iginla is happy to have Amonte in the mix as a teammate and linemate.

"He's a very talented player, very quick. He works hard all the time ... He's happy to be first in there on the forecheck," said the Flames captain, adding Amonte is more than just a flashy scorer. "Before you play with him, you just think that he's very talented and fast and everything and (don't) really get to appreciate how much he digs and grinds and competes."

 

[BubbaBoot]

Vladimir Lutchenko
defense

• Shoots: Left • Height: 6-0 • Weight: 205 lbs. •
• Born: January 2, 1949 • Ramenskoya, USSR •
• Played: 1967/68 - 1980/81 •
• USSR / Russia Hall of Fame: 1970 •

• Championships •
1968 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1969 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)
1970 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1970 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)
1971 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1971 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)
1972 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1972 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)
1973 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1973 CKSA Moscow (USSR Cup)
1973 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)
1974 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)
1975 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1976 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)
1977 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1977 CKSA Moscow (USSR Cup)
1978 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1978 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)
1979 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1979 CKSA Moscow (USSR Cup)
1979 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)
1980 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1980 CSKA Moscow (European Champions Cup)

• International Medals •
1969 - Gold • World Championships
1969 - Gold • European Championships
1970 - Gold • World Championships
1970 - Gold • European Championships
1971 - Gold • World Championships
1971 - Gold • Izvestia Tournament
1972 - Gold • Olympics (Sapporo)
1972 - Gold • Izvestia Tournament
1973 - Gold • World Championships
1973 - Gold • European Championships
1973 - Gold • Izvestia Tournament
1974 - Gold • World Championships
1974 - Gold • European Championships
1974 - Gold • Izvestia Tournament
1975 - Gold • World Championships
1975 - Gold • European Championships
1975 - Gold • Izvestia Tournament
1976 - Gold • Olympics (Innsbruck)
1976 - Gold • Izvestia Tournament
1978 - Gold • World Championships
1978 - Gold • Izvestia Tournament
1979 - Gold • World Championships
1979 - Gold • European Championships
1979 - Gold • Izvestia Tournament
1980 - Gold • Izvestia Tournament
1970 - Silver • Izvestia Tournament
1972 - Silver • World Championships
1972 - Silver • European Championships
1976 - Silver • World Championships
1976 - Silver • European Championships
1977 - Silver • Izvestia Tournament
1978 - Silver • European Championships
1976 - Bronze • Canada Cup
1977 - Bronze • World Championships
1977 - Bronze • European Championships
Played in 1972 and 1974 Summit Series

• Awards •
1970 • Merited Sports Master (USSR ZMS)

• Honors •
1970-71 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1971-72 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1972-73 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1973-74 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1974-75 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1975-76 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1976-77 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team

• USSR/Russia Elite MVP Voting •
- 1972 (8th)

• Achievements •
• Games Played
- Career International • 276 (T22nd all-time / T10th all-time for USSR/Russia)
- Most IIHF World Championship tournaments (top pool) • 11 (T20th / T10th all-time for USSR/Russia)

• career stats •

| gms| G | A | TP | PIMs|+/-| G/gm| A/gm| PP| SH
USSR/Russia Elite | 459 |58 | | ||| .14 | ||
International | 271|35|||||.13||||

• Accolades •

Lutchenko began playing along side aces Alexander Ragulin and Viktor Kuzkin. Coach Anatoli Tarasov, who never made allowances for players just because the were young, appointed the 19 year old defenseman to the first lineup. Soon Vladamir was considered one of the fastest and most mobile defensemen. With his heavy hitting style, opposing forwards were loathto clash with him in fron of either the CKSA's or the Soviet national teams's net.

Lutchenko trailed only Liapkin as the highest scoring defenseman on the team. While Liapkin is remembered more for giving up the puck to create the famous Paul Henderson goal, Lutchenko is remembered as an incredible defender in the series.

"Vladimir Lutchenko played very well defensively," said Russian sports writer Vladimir Dvortsov. "He showed that even against the Canadians a defenseman can use clean bodychecks effectively. He played the real sty le of Soviet hockey - smart, elegant and clean."

Vladimir is arguably one of the best defensive players in the history of Soviet hockey. Lutchenko was notorious for his steady performance and unprecedented consistency throughout his career in hockey. He was well respected among his teammates and recognized as an extremely reliable player in both SCKA and the national team.

Although he had a powerful slapshot, his strongest part was his performance in defense. Lutchenko set up the record for Soviet defense players when he scored 4 goals in a game against Sweden at the Ivestia Cup in 1975. His record still remains unbroken.

The Red Army top line consisted of Vladimir Petrov, Valeri Kharlamov and Boris Mikhailov. All had played in the ’72 and ’74 series and would be mainstays on the National team for years. Patrolling the blue line were Alexander Gusev, Valery Vasiliev, who was on loan from Dynamo Moscow just for this series, and Vladimir Lutchenko arguably one of the greatest defensemen in Soviet hockey history. In goal was Vladislav Tretiak, known simply as the best goaltender in the world.

“"We had always beate them [Canada] in the Olympics and world championships. I'd often heard that their best players were in the NHL and it bothered me that we weren't playing against them. The series proved finally that we were as good as they were."â€

 

[Leaf Lander]

C/RW Aloyisus Martin Sloan

Click this bar to view the full image.


Nickname: Slinker
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 175 lbs
Position: Center / Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Date of Birth: November 30, 1927
Place of Birth: Pontiac, Quebec, Canada

Memorial Cup Champion (1945)
Memorial Cup Finalist (1946)
Ontario Hockey Association Junior MVP (1946)
Calder Cup Finalist (1950)
Stanley Cup Champion (1951, 1961)
World Championship Silver Medal (1962)
NHL Second All-Star Team Centre (1956)
NHL Unofficial Third All-Star Team Centre (1954*)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1951, 1952, 1956)
J.P. Bickell Memorial Award (1956)
Team Assistant Captain (1954-1958)

* Tod Sloan finished half-a-point behind Ted Kennedy for the second All-Star Team Centre position. (The Windsor Daily Star (04/23/1954))


Seasons
GP
G
A
PTS
PIM
13 745 220 262 482 831

Top-15 Scoring (5th, 8th, 8th, 13th)
Top-10 Goalscoring (3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th)
Top-15 Assist (8th, 11th, 12th, 14th)
Top-10 Penalty Minutes (6th, 8th, 9th, 9th)


Playoffs
GP
G
A
PTS
PIM
8 47 9 12 21 47

Top-10 Playoff Scoring (4th, 8th)
Top-10 Playoff Goalscoring (3rd)
Top-10 Playoff Assist (2nd, 9th)
Top-10 Penalty Minutes (3rd)


Awards Nomination:

Hart Memorial Trophy:
1955-56: 2nd position (Jean Beliveau) (-8.5%)


Season
Position
1950-51 RW
1951-52 RW/C
1952-53 C
1953-54 C
1954-55 C/RW
1955-56 C
1956-57 C
1957-58 C/RW
1958-59 C
1959-60 C
1960-61 C

Quote:
Originally Posted by Legends of Hockey
Known as a tough forward who could give and take a check with the best of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Pelletier's Greatest Hockey Legends
Sloan was a creative center who relied on quick, shifty movement to get the puck into dangerous scoring positions. He was unique to say the least, so unique that not everyone new what to make of him and his unorthodox style of play in those days.

Tod had an excellent career, highlighted by his 8 full years as a Leaf. The small but resilient center had a great rookie season in 1950-51. After a 31 goal rookie season, Sloan picked up 9 points (third highest on the team) in 11 playoff games en route to the Stanley Cup championship.

Sloan was a top player for the Leafs for the next seven years, although they never were able to duplicate their playoff success for the remainder of the decade.

Sloan returned to lower scoring totals over his final two seasons in Toronto, thanks in part to a bad shoulder. however the Leafs traded their pint-sized fireball to Chicago in 1958.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Three Stars and Other Selections: More Amazing Hockey Lists for Trivia Lovers
An excellent all-around forward, Sloan played nearly a decade with the Maple Leafs including the 1951 championship season. Twice he topped the 30-goal mark and he was placed on the NHL 2nd All-Star Team in 1956.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tales from the Chicago Blackhawks
Glenn Hall was in his second season, captain Ed Litzenberger was a 33-goal scorer, veterans Ted Lindsay and Tod Sloan provided experiences for youngster Bobby Hull, Elmer Vasko, Ken Wharram, and Pierre Pilote was establishing himself as a top flight defenseman.

Newspaper Clips:
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Lewiston Daily Sun; Leafs Tip Hawks (11/23/1950)
Sloan started the Leafs on the way to their 11th victory by scoring in the first period on a passout from behind the Chicago nets. The puck went in off Harry Lumley's skate. Then Sloan capped the night by blazing a shot past Lumley early in the third period.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottawa Citizen; Tod Sloan Scores 27th Tally As Leafs Tie Habs (02/16/1951)
Aloysius Martin Sloan, better known to hockey fans as Tod, has the misfortune of playing right wing in the same league as Detroit's Gordie Howe and Montreal's Maurice (Rocket) Richard.

Otherwise, the 23-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs star, would be sure to find himself more often in the spotlight reserved for players with exceptional ability to put the puck in opposing nets.

While National Hockey League writers plod along, continually discussing the merits of Howe and Richard, Tod Sloan is running up a record that rate more than casual mention.

The little guy from Vinton, Que., who has been commuting between the majors and minors for six years, demonstrated his dependability once again last night by scoring a goal as Toronto played a 2-2 tie with Montreal Canadiens.

It was Sloan's 27th tally of the season, only two less than Howe and five below Richard who was held scoreless in last night's meeting. In addition it moved Sloan into a tie with Richard for fourth place in the NHL point standings.

Still young, Sloan appears to have found his scoring eye in the last couple of years. Last season he scored 37 goals for Cleveland Barons. In two previous seasons with Toronto he had a total of three.

It's only recently that Tod was moved from center to right wing and since it tallies with his increasing scoring punch it might be an indication that Sloan will be a serious threat in coming years to the domination of the right wing spot by Howe and Richard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Calgary Herald; Trade Rumors Fly In N.H.L. (06/02/1952
Speedy forward Tod Sloan
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette; Tod Sloan Tallies Two goals To Pace Leafs; Kaiser Scores
The first was a spectacular play. Sloan took a pass from Max Bentley at his own blue line, started toward his own goal, then turned and streaked down the ice all alone. He went by all four Montreal defenders and slid a backhand past Gerry McNeil. The right winger capped his night's work by helping Johnny McCormack score late in the game.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Ottawa Citizen; Loss of Tod Sloan Terrific Blow To Leafs in Series With Detroit (03/24/1956)
Toronto's brittle-as-bone chances for the Stanley Cup appear at the breaking point.

The Maple Leafs' hopes were shaken Thursday night on the rinkside boards of Detroit Olympia when ace center Tod Sloan crumpled on the ice with a fractured shoulder bone.

Sloan, whose 37 goals during the regular 1955-56 National Hockey League campaign made him the most productive Leaf player in 10 years, is out for the rest of the Stanley Cup semi-finals against Detroit Red Wings.

It was a big blow to Leafs. Sloan, center on their big line with rookie left winger Dick Duff and right winger George Armstrong, was the key man in Toronto's run to the fourth and last playoff spot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottawa Citizen; Bonuses at 6000$ As Jean Beliveau Wins Hart Trophy
Beliveau polled 94 votes out of a possible 180 to narrowly edge Tod Sloan, of Toronto Maple Leafs, as ''the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.''

The voting was divided into half seasons, with Worsley carrying the majority in the opening half and Sloan finishing ahead in the second half, but Beliveau's consistent strength was enough to give him the trophy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette; Playing the Field by Dunk Caroll (10/15/1958)
Sloan scored 13 goals last season for the Leafs and the latter didn't see fit to protect him from the draft. The Black Hawks picked him up for 15 000$ and he is already beginning to show his gratitude, since he hasn't made any secret of the fact that he wasn't too happy with the Toronto club for several seasons. He was a good hockey player for the Leafs away back when he was happy, and if he is happy in his Chicago surrounding he could become a good one again for the Hawks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Windsor Daily Star; Pilous Certain He Has 'Answer' (03/26/1959)
Otherwise, Pilous is expected to repeat with his other two lines. His big scoring punch admittedly rests with Tod Sloan, who scored two goals Tuesday, Eddie Litzenberger and Ted Lindsay.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ottawa Citizen; Youthful Bob Hull Leader For Oncoming Black Hawks(12/09/1959)
Last year Sloan, pivoting the ''pappy line'' with Litzenberger and Ted Lindsay, was a eye figure in Chicago's upsurge.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Star Weekly, Toronto; Stars of the World's Fastest Game - Tod Sloan's magic means goals for Chicago (01/18/1960)
Aloysius Martin ''Tod'' Sloan is give him his full name, is a real magician inside the blue line, and the closest he gets to the goal the greatest his magic.

Purchased by Chicago from Toronto Maple Leafs at start of the '58 season, the Slinker centered the highest scoring line in the NHL last season. With Eddie Litzenberger on right wing and Ted Lindsay on left, the line ran up a total of 197 points for the Black Hawks.

Ted potted his 200th goal this season in his 11th NHL campaign.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicago Tribune (12/21/1969)
Tod Sloan, the hard working veteran.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Windsor Star; Solution came at left wing (04/01/1967)
For years, the Chicago Black Hawks tried to find a centreman who could mae an effective third line.

They tried Len Lunde, Gerry Melnyk, Fred Stanfield, Bill Hay, Murray Hall, Camille Henry. There were few fellows they didn't try. It was considered by one and all to be the Chicago dilemma, the reason for a failing in depth, and, consequently, failures to win championships, some of them startling.

When Tod Sloan retired in 1961, which was the last time the Hawks won a Stanley Cup, they began to have trouble making a third line.
Hockey Cards:
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1953-54 Parkhurst #5
Known as ''Slinker Sloan because of his deceptive style of play, he came to the Leafs in 1950 via Pittsburgh and Cleveland. He has been alternated between Right Wing and Center, being able to play both position equally well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1954-55 Parkhurst
A clever man with a hockey stick. Tod can work his way through opposing players to set up a goal, or score one himself. He finished 14th in scoring last season, and while he only garnered 11 goals, his 31 assists boosted him well up the scoring ladder. A fiery aggressive player, Sloan sometimes let lets his temper overrule his better judgment and he picks up a lot of penalties. But when he settles down to play hockey he is as good as any pivotman in the league.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1955-56 Parkhurst #10
As good a stickhandler as there is in the NHL, Tod works hard for every point he gets. He was a standout junior, but needed 3 chances to make the big league. Teamed up with Kennedy and Smith in his first season in 1950-51 and formed the league's most feared forward line. However, he has since shifted to centre and hasn't been able to find the wingmen who can convert his plays.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1957-58 Parkhurst #T5
Tod is on his way to his greatest season scoring goals like he did in 1955-6 when he potted 37 to tie Gaye Stewart's record of most goals by a Leaf. Next to Smith Tod is the oldest player on the Leafs team but his speed and play does not indicate any slowing down. Tod took a bad beating in the 1955-56 playoff which hurt his play last year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1958-59 Topps #42
Called ''slinker'' because of hulahula shift which makes him too elusive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1959-60 Topps #13
Purchased by Hawks from Toronto, ''Tod'' centered so-called pappy line and jumped goal-scoring from 13 in previous year to 27. Sometimes called ''Slinker'' by his slippery skating style, needs 11 more to achieve 200 as big leaguer.

Quotes:

- ''Tod is his own boss. He does what he likes with the puck. It took us a few years to discover the best way to handle him is to leave him alone.'' - Conn Smythe


Biography & Personal Life:

Of Irish descendant, Aloyisus Martin Sloan was born on November 30, 1927 in Pontiac, Quebec, while his mother was visiting relatives in this little town of a little more than 5000 souls. However, Sloan grew up in Falconbridge, Ontario. Sloan played his minor hockey in Copper Cliff, which was one of the only three towns across Ontario that had an indoor rink. The Toppazzini brothers, Tim Horton and George Armstrong were all huddled together under that one roof, raising the level of each other's play.

Sloan is one of the greatest products in a long line of greats who played for the Saint-Michael's College. He had two stellar seasons for Saint-Michaels, leading the league in goals with 45, assists with 32, and points with 75 in just 25 games during the 1945-46 season. Not surprisingly, Sloan was named as the Junior Ontario Hockey Association's Most Valuable Player that season. In two season of junior hockey, Sloan participated both time at the Memorial Cup, winning the trophy in his first season.

The next season, Sloan moved up to the AHL with the Pittsburgh Hornets were he played his first season of professional hockey, notching 15 goals in 64 games. For the next two seasons, Tod split his time between Toronto in the NHL and Pittsburgh in the AHL, playing 1 and 29 games respectively. In 1949, although he had played 29 games with the Leafs, his name was left off the Stanley Cup.

During his time in the AHL, Sloan was already very adept in playing either the right wing or at the centre position. However, it is the latter where he would play the most. It is also reported that the Maple Leafs demoted Sloan in his first two try with the club because of his diminutive size. It would take Sloan to gain 15 pounds and stop smoking before he was able to earn a full-time spot with the big club.

The 1949-50 season would be his last season in the AHL. Indeed, his impressive play for the Cleveland Barons during the 1950 playoffs, were he recorded 10 goals and 14 points in 9 games, earned him a full time job with the Leafs the following autumn, and he never had to look back.

In his rookie year, Sloan played in his first All-Star Game and saw his first action in the Stanley Cup playoffs. On a line with Sid Smith and Ted Kennedy, all three of them were recognize as one of the most fearful line in the National Hockey League. Including the playoffs, Sloan registered an impressive total of 65 points that season, but none of them were as big as his goal at 19:23 of the final period of the final game against the Montreal Canadiens. His goal tied the game and forced overtime, setting the stage for the heroics of Bill Barilko and a Maple Leafs Stanley Cup championship. With 32 seconds remaining, while goaltender Turk Broda was already on the bench for an extra attacker, Sloan fired the puck through a maze of bodies and past goaltender Gerry McNeil. Actually, before Barilko overtime goal, Sloan was the definite hero of this game, as he had scored the two regulation goal for his team.

After his second complete season in the NHL and a 25 goals season, there was a strong rumour sending Tod Sloan to the Detroit Red Wings for defenceman Leo Reise. At the time, Jack Adams stated that he knew nothing about those rumours, but the newspaper of the time said that they were given this piece of information by a reliable source. This rumour seemed to make sense, as the Toronto Maple Leafs were in need of a defenceman while the Red Wings needed a body up front. However, this trade never happen, and Sloan remained a Maple Leafs.

The mid 1950's were difficult for Tod Sloan and the Toronto Maple Leafs. From the 1952-53 season up to the 1954-55 season, Sloan registered only a total of 39 goals and 96 points in 200 games. Even with less than half a point per game, Tod still finish 1st, 4th and 6th in team scoring, which show the overall poor performances of the Maple Leafs at that time. Sloan was now playing mostly at the centre position, as the magic of the first season with Sid Smith and Ted Kennedy was long gone. It was also reported that the various winger who played alongside 'Slinker' couldn't convert the plays Sloan was setting up. The Maple Leafs playing a more defensives style of hockey during those years might also partially explain those sub-par performances.

Nonetheless, with a poor 1954-55 season to his standard, Sloan salary was drastically cut prior to the 1955-56 season. As he explained: ''I have to take the worst salary cut of my career but I have a chance to make it my richest. My contract calls for bonuses if I get 20 goals, then 25 and so on.''

Perhaps the bonuses clauses motivated Sloan to switch gears and perform his best season of his career, but by his own admittance, Sloan decided to take his own physical health before and during the season more seriously. As he recall: '' I knew I wasn't producing, so I gave myself a good talking and decided to do something about it. [...] giving up smoking put the weight on me. I went 167 playing weight and I stayed on a diet to keep it there. I also ran for four weeks every morning regularly, four and five miles. When I hit training camp, I was breezing.''

At the tail end of the 1955-56 camp, Sloan and 25 years old Georges Armstrong, who could also play centre of the right wing, switch position. Now Sloan being the centre, the duo clicked immediately. It was a 19 years old rookie of the name of Dick Duff, who also played his junior hockey in Saint-Michael College, that would finish the trio.

It would be a career year for the 27 years old veteran, who would finish first in his team scoring with 37 goals and 66 points, in 70 regular season games. His 37 goals campaign was the best a Maple Leafs ever registered, equalizing the mark of Gaye Stewart, the shifty left winger, who had done the same 10 years ago. Astoundingly enough, the second goalscorer on his team was Dick Duff with 18 goals, less than half Sloan's total! For this remarkable season, Sloan was named to the NHL's Second All Star Team and barely miss on the Hart Memorial Trophy, both time slightly outperform by the great Jean Beliveau.

The Toronto Maple Leafs played the Detroit Red Wings in the 1956 Stanley Cup semifinals. Toronto fans were incensed when their star player, Tod Sloan, broke his shoulder in a collision with Detroit's Gordie Howe in the second game of the series. Indeed, in the second period, Ted Lindsay and Sloan engaged in a nasty stick swinging incident that left Lindsay with a bloody gash above his eye. Later in the game, Gordie Howe hammered Sloan into the boards. Sloan had to be carried outside the ice with a broken right shoulder blade. He would not play again in those playoffs and the Red Wings breezed through the Leafs in only five games. That shoulder injury would be a recurrent and nagging problem for the rest of Sloan's career.

Although he deservedly receive an enormous pay increase after his 1955-56 campaign, the Maple Leafs organization started to get wary and unhappy of some of Sloan's action. Indeed, Jimmy Thomson, the veteran defenceman, and Sloan begin the process of unionization, as they reveal plans to form a labour. Because Sloan and Thomson took an active part in organizing the NHL Player's Association and that Conn Smythe was a man to carry a grudge, both players were traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for cash; Thomson first, followed a year later by Sloan.

Although he had played many games as a right winger in his last season with the Leafs, it's as a centre that Sloan would help the Blackhawks. He found himself centering Ed Litzenberger and the key man in the players' association movement Ted Lindsay while with them. Nicknamed 'The Pappy Line', due to the relatively old age of the three players, the trio clicked immediately and were the highest scoring line in the NHL in, with 197 points.

In his last two season in the league, Sloan settle as the third line, defensive center for the Hawks. It's with them that Sloan would registered his 200th goal of his career. As one newspaper stated that he was happier than a kid on Christmas morning, Sloan told: ''I never thought I'd get it. After all, I don't have much longer to go in this game, but now maybe after this, they'll bring me back for one more crack next year.''

The Blackhawks indeed brought the hard working veteran back for a final season, a move they would never regret, as his contribution helped them winning their first Stanley Cup in 23 years.

After playing a single season in the Senior Ontario Hockey Association, Sloan sought reinstatement as an amateur. Once he was granted that status, he joined the Galt Terriers and represent Canada in a silver medal performance at the 1962 World Championships. Even at 35 years of age, he lead all players in assists, while finishing two points off the league leader. After this tournament, Sloan announced his retirement of the game he loved for good.


Fun and Interesting Facts:

- Tod Sloan and Dave Keon are cousins
- During the summer of his playing days, Tod worked as a brewery salesman
- Winning the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 1961, Tod Sloan was engraved as Martin A. Sloan
- For thirteen NHL seasons, Tod Sloan's pension paid him 4176$ a year, which even at the time was below the poverty level in Canada


Signing & Trades:

- On April 30, 1946, Sloan was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
- On September 6, 1949, Sloan, Sloan was loaned to the Cleveland Barons by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the trade of Ray Ceresino and Harry Taylor for Bob Solinger (AHL)
- On June 6, 1958, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks by the Toronto Maple Leafs for 15 000$


Injuries & Fines:

- Sloan missed some games of the 1947-48 season due to a pull groin
- On October 17, 1952, Sloan received 5 stitches when Leo Labine cross checked him into the board. Eight days later, Sloan was fine 100$ for a stick swinging incident with Labine
- On November 26, 1954, Sloan lost a tooth and had 11 stitches taken in his lips
- On March 23, 1954, Sloan received a game misconduct and a 75$ fine for pushing referee Ed Chadwick by the throat
- On March 18, 1956, Sloan received a cut on the back of his hand by defenceman Larry Hillman that required eight stitches
- On February 15, 1957, the Maple Leafs lost the service of Sloan for at least a week with the recurring problem at his right shoulder


Miscellaneous:

Click this bar to view the full image.

Click this bar to view the full image.



- The Toronto Maple Leafs played the Detroit Red Wings in the 1956 Stanley Cup semifinals. Toronto fans were incensed when their star player, Tod Sloan, broke his shoulder in a collision with Detroit's Gordie Howe. Both Howe and Ted Lindsay received death threats. It was suggested that rookie Cummy Burton wear a Red Wings jersey with Lindsay's number 7 on the front and Howe's number 9 on the back. The idea was for Burton to skate onto the ice to see if anything happened. Wisely, Burton refused to be the guinea pig.
- Rudy Pilous, Chicago BlackHawks Coach: ''Now, we had some players on that team who liked to bet on the horses. I guess that I was the leader in that department. But a group of us used to go out to Sportsman's Park when we were home in Chicago. There was Tod Sloan and Murray Balfour and myself and occasionally, Stash Mikita. But you never could get Hall or Hull to go out to the racetrack. They stayed downtown, watching their money.''


Abbreviation:
AHL: American Hockey League
JOHA: Junior Ontario Hockey Association
NHL: National Hockey League
SOHA: Senior Ontario Hockey Association


Internet Sites:
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/Legen...p?player=14342
http://www.sihrhockey.org/member_pla...id=3541&mode=2
http://mapleleafslegends.blogspot.co...tod-sloan.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tod_Sloan_(ice_hockey)




Special Thank You: overpass

 

[Leaf Lander]

Gaye Stewart lw

Quote:
The following season, he got off to a great start and made a big hit with the fans because of his aggressive play-Joe Pelletier
Quote:
He was a fine stickhandler, aggressive but clean in his play and perhaps the best skater of his day.-Joe Pelletier
Quote:
In 1942-43, he completed his first full season as a Leaf and outdid rookie Rocket Richard to take the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie of that year-LOH
Quote:
...he led the NHL with 37 goals in the 50 game schedule. That was downright wonderful goal total when you consider only Max Bentley was the other 30 goal man in the NHL that season with 31. He made the first all-star team this year.-Joe Pelletier
With our 15th selection, the Cairo Desert Dogs proudly select, a big, aggressive, scoring winger...


GAYE STEWART!

Awards and Achievements
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1942, 1947)
1 x First Team All-Star (1946)
1 x Second Team All-Star (1948)

Top 20's
Goals- 10th(1943), 1st(1946), 4th(1948), 11th(1949), 7th(1950), 17th(1951)
Assists- 6th(1948), 18th(1952)
Points- 16th(1943), 2nd(1946), 4th(1948), 16th(1949), 20th(1950)

Top 10 Playoffs
Playoff Assists- 3rd(1947)
Playoff Points- 5th(1947)

Biography
Gaye Stewart had an outstanding amateur career before coming to the NHL, with some great seasons in the TBJHL and OHA. He would make his debut in 1942 in some very unique circumstancesl he'd play his first NHL game in the stanley cup final.

In the fourth game, Stewart replaced someone and did so well that he remained in the lineup as Toronto came back to win the cup, making Stewart a stanley cup champion after only 3 games in the NHL.

In 1943 Stewart would have a superb rookie year, winning the Calder trophy and scoring 24 goals in 48 games. But his great season would come to an end in the playoffs, as he hurt his knee and did not play in the final two games when the Leafs were eliminated.

After a two-year stint with the Army in World War II, Stewart would return in 1945-46 and light up the league, as hed led the league in goals ande made the first all-star team. The next season, he would perform admirably and help the Leafs become stanley cup champions.

The next season he would be traded to Chicago, who were unfortunately cellar-dewllers at the time. Sterwart would continue to perform however, notching 27 goals and making the second all-star team.

He would score 24 goals in 1949-50, before being traded to the Red Wings. He would not last long there, being traded the Rangers as the Wings already had plenty of scoring from the production line.

He would become more of a playmaker in New York, putting up some respectable numbers. He would do little else after that one productive season in New York, before retiring in 1954-55.

Fun Fact
Quote:
Interestingly, Gaye Stewart had twice won the Stanley Cup, on both occasions, his name was engraved incorrectly. In 1941-42, the spelling read 'GAYE STEWARD.' In 1946-47, it was 'GAVE STEWART.' LEAFS FOREVER

 

[Velociraptor]

Bobby Smith, C

Position: Centre
HT/WT: 6'4", 210 lbs
Shoots: Left
Born: February 12th, 1958 in North Sydney, NS

- 1-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1986)
- 2-time top-10 in All-Star C Voting (6, 7)
- Won the Calder Trophy in 1979.
- Played in 4 NHL All-Star Games (1981, 1982, 1989, 1991)
- scored 357 goals and 679 assists for 1036 points in 1077 games, adding 917 penalty minutes.
- scored 64 goals and 96 assists for 160 points in 184 playoff games, adding 245 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Assists - 2x - (7, 8)
Points - 1x - (8)
Powerplay Goals - 1x - (2)
Game Winning Goals - 3x - (6, 6, 9)

Voting Record:

Hart Trophy Voting:

10th (81-82)

Selke Trophy Voting:

20th (88-89) 22nd (81-82)

Quotes

With his size, [Smith] can reach across what looks like half the rink.

If we can shut down Bobby Smith, we shut down their offense.

I was going to make sure we finished last, so I could draft Bobby Smith, the No. 1 player in junior hockey ...

I wouldn't want to see Bobby Smith skating against my team

"Instead of four years, I should've signed him to seven ... he's so good" said Lou Nanne as he watched one of Smith's peripheral vision passes to Al MacAdam for another goal.

Bobby Smith is going to put a lot of people in our seats because he is the type of player who will put people off their seats.

You have to be around Bobby Smith a long time to gain an appreciation for what he brings to a hockey club. He is not a one-day splash ...

The Montreal Gazette - Jan. 8, 1986

The following article explains Smith doesn't feel like he has to put up points to feel good about winning a game, he'll gladly contribute defensively because he knows it is a very integral part to helping his team win games.

Better defence has improved Bobby Smith's scoring

Eleven games into the season, Canadiens centreman Bobby Smith had only scored two goals - both on the power play. He also had eight assists. After his first 19 games, he had four goals and 16 assists. In his last 19 he's scored 12 goals and 18 assists.

That outpouring of productivity has moved people such as Canadiens GM Serge Savard to offer the view that Smith is now playing the finest hockey of his career. Better for example than in his early years with the Minnesota North Stars, when he scored 114 points in one season and was one of the NHL's top scorers.

"in a lot of ways that's true." said Smith. "I feel I'm a more complete player now, and a lot of that can be credited to the way Jacques Lemaire coached the last couple years.

"I'm a better player defensively" he said "A lot of my offence starts in my own end."

"At Minnesota, I was regarded as an offensive player," he said. "They expected me to score a lot of points. I played against other teams' checking lines. It wasn't a great concern of mine to play defensively because the way I was playing was measured by the number of points I scored. That's changed now.

"I take more pride in a 3-1 win now if I feel I've contributed defensively in the game," said Smith. "It doesn't really matter if I get any points."

The Montreal Gazette - Jan. 24, 1985

Smith definitely appeared to be in a groove at the time of his injury. He was solidly entrenched as the teams No. 2 centre and was contributing both offensively and defensively.

The Sun - Jan 7, 1986

Last year on the defensive-minded Canadiens, Smith usually centred the teams fourth line. But with a new offensive-minded coach, Smith centres the Canadiens' most productive trio.

Smith, who now has 50 points, compared with 56 for all of last season, said the switch to thinking offence instead of defence suits him.

"It (defence) was very satisfying but it wasn't the type of hockey that suited me best. I'm taking a few more chances. Our line has big scorers on it."

Greatest Hockey Legends

Bobby was a big part of the Stars return to the playoffs in 1979-80. While battling through an injury shortened 61 games, Smith scored 27 goals and 83 points to lead the Stars to the post season. And the Stars didn't just make the playoffs, but performed great in them, surprising many teams. Smith himself only scored 1 goal but added 13 assists in 15 games. While he took some heat for not scoring more himself, his tremendous playmaking and play without the puck was a huge part of the Stars quick turnaround.

While some were calling the Stars playoff run of 1980 a fluke, Smith and the Stars proved that wasn't so in 1981. The Stars not only duplicated their previous run but bettered it by reaching the Stanley Cup finals against the defending champ New York Islanders. While the upstart Stars were little match to the powerful Islanders, everyone had a new found respect for the youthful Stars, and particularly Bobby Smith who led the team with 25 points (8 goals, 17 assists) in 19 playoff contests.

The Stars felt Smith's threat was real and complied with his trade demand. They traded the gigantic forward to Montreal in exchange for Keith Acton, Mark Napier and a draft choice (Ken Hodge Jr.). It was a great match for Smith. Montreal was relatively close to his old stomping grounds in Ottawa. It was also a great experience from a hockey standpoint.

Smith continued to play strong two way hockey for his 6 1/2 seasons in Montreal. But by far his best season would have been 1985-86. He posted 31 goals and 86 points (he posted better numbers - 93 points - in 1987-88 with Montreal) and helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup. It was a surprise Cup victory for Montreal and a special feeling for Bobby, as it would be his only Cup championship.

Smith continued to play 3 more seasons in Minnesota. He struggled to post respectable numbers but was a standout as always in the playoffs. In fact in 1992 he helped power the North Stars back to the Stanley Cup finals before bowing out to might Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Smith scored 8 goals and 16 points in 23 games. It was almost like the old days a decade earlier.

ourhistory.canadiens.com

A BIG-GAME PLAYER, BOBBY SMITH PUT HIS TALENT ON DISPLAY IN MONTREAL, HITTING THE 80-POINT BENCHMARK AS A CANADIEN IN THREE SEPARATE SEASONS.

A gifted playmaker, Bobby Smith stood out for his creativity on the ice as well as his numerous superlative postseason performances.

During his seven-year stay in Montreal, Smith proved to be a potent offensive force. After a memorable junior career in the OHA, where he set a single-season points record and was named 1978’s Player of the Year, the big forward became one of Montreal’s most reliable producers.

Smith’s playoff statistics reflect his superb springtime performances. His 160 career postseason points are the same number both Gordie Howe and Mike Bossy recorded, placing him among the NHL’s all-time top 20.

Total Hockey

Smith plays a physical, unselfish game, and he has national league anticipation ...

Who's Who in Hockey

Six feet four and smart on the puck ...

NHL Central Scouting, 1978

Bobby Smith is an excellent skater who has the agility and coordination of a smaller man ... has exceptional hockey sense ... is a level-headed individual with tremendous potential.

St. Paul Pioneer Press - Feb. 5, 1992

Hockey fans who follow the Minnesota North Stars are familiar with the long reach of Bobby Smith, who uses that advantage to guard the puck from opponents

 

[BenchBrawl]

Montreal select Tommy Gorman , coach

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...BAJ&pg=5325,5461321&dq=gorman+forecheck&hl=en

Forecheck Wins in Hockey Title

Forechecking, a new development in professional hockey, instead of the usual rushes and back-checking won the Stanley Cup for the Chicago Blackhawks according to Manager Tommy Gorman. The radical idea developed in the last six weeks of the season, will be generally used throughout the National Hockey League before the end of another season, he added.

The idea of "forechecking", he explained, is to bottle up the opposing forwards in their own defensive zone. Our system consisted of the center and wings doing right down into the opponents' territory while our defense men moved over our own blue line. The Canadiens gave us more trouble than any of the other clubs because of the speed of Howie Morenz and the great stickhandling of Aurel Joliat.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...&pg=4176,2923533&dq=gorman+forechecking&hl=en

"Forechecking" Becomes Latest Hockey Style
Tommy Gorman Discusses Success of System

Forechecking, a new development in professional hockey, won the Stanley Cup and world championship for Chicago, Tommy Gorman, manager of the victorious Black Hawks, explained today. Before leaving for his Ottawa home, Gorman told about the system he believes will be generally used by National League teams next season.

The Hawks, he said, used a revolutionary idea for the last six weeks of the season and in downing Montreal Canadiens, Maroons and Detroit Red Wings in the playoffs. Perhaps it explains why the Hawks had more shots on goal than their foes and yet played near-perfect defensive hockey.

"True, our backchecking was great," said Gorman, "but it was our forechecking that downed all our rivals. About five weeks ago, just prior to playing the Rangers in New York, we conceived the idea of bottling up the opposing forwards - not letting them our of their own zone.

"We studied and developed a system which consisted of the centre and wings going right down into their opponents' territory while our defensemen moved over our own blue line. Canadiens gave us more trouble than any of the other clubs because of the terrific speed of Morenz and the great stickhandling of Joliat and Gagnon.

"In Montreal, in the first game of our series against Maroons Johnny Gottselig scored the first goal for us in less than a minute when he dashed in and stole the puck off the goaltender's pads. We carried the play right to them and scored in 40 seconds.

"In the third period, when they expected us to lay back, having obtained a lead of one goal, we again gave Maroons the works and scored twice in less than two minutes. When Maroons returned here we tallied the opening goal in 25 seconds. Against Detroit, we carried out the same system with equal success. We scored on them in 28 seconds in last Sunday's battle here and would have made it three straight if Chuck Gardiner had been himself.

"Jack Adams was the first of the opposing managers to see through our new system. He tried to beat it by having the defensemen trap the puck and then whip it over to their forwards at the blue line. In Sunday's game it looked as though Jack had us bewildered, but our forwards kept on going in and the Red Wings could never get organized.

"The forechecking fo the Black Hawks in Tuesday's game won the championship. Weiland, Lewis, Auris and other Detroit forwards were completely baffled. Lewis became so disgusted on one occasion that he golfed the puck down the ice. Goodfellow could never get going as MacFayden followed in like a leech and kept poking the puck off his stick.

"It was necessary to change our attack every minute or so, but all three lines stood up wonderfully well. In each playoff series we stam-rollered our opponents and wore them down. Instead of backing out of the enemy zone, the Black Hawks kept charging in. The system worked much better than we expected.

"Here are examples of what our prowling forwards did in close. Thompson's winning goal in the first overtime game at Detroit was scored after Romnes had poked the puck off Teddy Graham's stick. In the instance of March's winning goal here, our defensemen moved up and refused to let Detroit get the puck out of their own territory.

"Conacher finally trapped it behind the Red Wings' net and then March held it against the boards. Both Coulter and Conacher moved up and when Romnes drew the puck from Weiland, he had three men to pass to. Goodfellow was off at the time and March was uncovered. Then followed his winning shot."

Gorman, who built the Hawks into a championship outfit in one season, said he expected every club in the NHL would employ some variation of forechecking next season. "They will have to," he said, "just as they had to follow suit when Major McLaughlin, owner of the Hawks, introduced his three forward lines four years ago."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...IBAJ&pg=658,2490843&dq=gorman+forecheck&hl=en

Montrealers Score Second Win in Final Stanley Cup Series

Thomas P. Gorman, king of optimists, painter of dreams that come true, whooped "three straight for us" tonight, and his obedient Montreal Maroons promised to make this extraordinary Stanley Cup series as short and painless as possible for Conny Smythe's Toronto Maple Leafs.

To the great consternation of a thrilled crowd of 14,147 last night, Maroons accomplished three bits of spectacular sniping to overthrow the aroused champions of the National Hockey League, 3-1, and reach a point only one win distant from the most prized bauble in the hockey world.

They won the first of the best-of-five series Thursday night here, 3-2, in overtime, largely because of defensive perfection. They made it two straight, in spite of being shaken for two periods by crackling Toronto artillery that every minute threatened to blast the Redmen from the rink entirely.

Maroons Have Edge

The chuckling Gorman, the mastermind behind Montreal's drive, took his Maroons back home after the triumph with the hope that the series would be all over Tuesday night. If a fourth game is necessary, it will be played on Montreal ice also. The Leafs must square the series by winning both games away from home, if a fifth is to be played back here.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...BAJ&pg=2987,4526044&dq=gorman+forecheck&hl=en

Reign of Forechecking and Sponsor Unbroken

The reign of forechecking and its chief sponsor, Thomas Patrick Gorman, extended through 1935 in the National Hockey League, although the former Ottawa newspaperman changed his place of abode, took charge of a complete new set of players and faced one of the strongest hockey teams in the world, Toronto Maple Leafs.

Gorman accomplished this spring with Montreal Maroons exactly what he accomplished the previous year with Chicago Black Hawks. He kept the Stanley Cup at his elbow and became professional hockey's most successful administrator. Those critics who said Gorman wasn't a great manager were made to eat their words.

In a campaign that brought some of the most sensational developments in years, some of the best individual feats and a dramatic coup by Maroons at the finish, Gorman was always in the midst of the fight. Sometimes he was merely talking for the fun of it, and these funny sayings made interesting reading along in April when they had all come true.

Gorman was merely talking, they said, on January 1 when he predicted his Redmen would win the Stanley Cup and probably beat the Maple Leafs in the final. Toronto's Charlie Conacher was on the way to his second straight scoring championship at the time and the Leafs didn't look as though they ever would be beaten. Eddie Shore, staging a great comeback after his collapse following the Ace Bailey accident in the late 1933, had Boston Bruins moving steadily ahead.

Detroit Red Wings looked powerful, Clem Loughlin was scoring a success with the Chicago club and on one was counting out New York Rangers. That was in January 1, 1935. By April, Gorman's Maroons had won second place in the Canadian section and polished off the Black Hawks and Rangers. They were ready for the big test.

The Leafs had won the Canadian section and beaten Shore and the Bruins in four grueling games for the NHL title. To the astonishment of the hockey world, they were then humbled in three straight by Maroons in the classic Stanley Cup series. That is how Gorman consolidated his position of head man.

Here is an article from 1938 showing that the Leafs had adopted Gorman's forechecking system by then:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...&pg=6600,1513758&dq=gorman+forechecking&hl=en

Toronto's Maple Leafs, noted for their penchant for an incessant attack, did an about-face last night at the Forum and resorted to strictly defensive hockey. The strategy was immediately successful because it enabled the Leafs to shut out Canadiens, 2-0, but it failed to provide a crowd of 7,000 with much in the way of spectacle.

...

Thomas Patrick Gorman, the Forum's manager who this year looks on at hockey as merely another spectator, must have had his eyes opened by the Leafs' display of a defensive system he evolved at Chicago in 1933-34 which helped the Black Hawks win their first Stanley Cup, said system being forechecking. For the Torontonians gave a remarkably effective demonstration of this type of play bs repeatedly, at Canadiens' blue line and in the centre-ice area, before they were well started.

...

The Leafs, despite their defensive attitude, had more good chances than the Habitants, because they broke faster, but they managed to capitalize on only two of them. Busher Jackson, skating as smoothly and as fast as ever on left wing, started the play for the initial goal. He went in on the left after a loose puck and passed to Gus Marker, the ex-Maroon on right wing. Marker bumped into Thoms on the play, touched the puck, but Thoms grabbed it and drove an off-chance backhander at Wilf Cude. Cude kicked at the low shot and missed, and the puck entered the net on the short side.

Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - 17-4-1934:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...+stanley&hl=en

While Joliat was the pick of the sports writers he was not without competition. Big Lionel Conacher, defensive bulwark of the Hawks, around whose bulky figure Tommy Gorman built up the strategy which resulted in the Stanley Cup going to the Western United States city for the first time in history, ran Aurel a close race.

Ottawa Citizen - 11-4-1934:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...+stanley&hl=en

To Tommy Gorman and his Blackhawks must go unlimited credit. They were not rated prospective Stanley Cup winners before the playoffs started on March 22 last. But, they marched through all opposition to the finals, won two games on Detroit ice and the necessary one of two played in Chicago.

When Gorman took charge of the Hawks late last season, they weren't much, but by judicious re-building, he moulded them into a Stanley Cup winning team in one season.

Jack Adams and his Red Wings are also entitled to great credit. Like the Hawks, the Wings were "outsiders" in opinion of the experts, yet they won the National Hockey League championship and were worthy opponents for the new world champions in the Stanley Cup series.

Rochester Journal - 27.11.1935:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...+stanley&hl=en

It seems to bring a special sort of pleasure to Tommy Gorman, the man of a few million words who coached the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup triumph two years ago, then won the same trophy last season with the Montreal Maroons, to prove that his system of hockey is a little better than any other.

Since Gorman left Chicago, the Blackhawks have abandoned the tight "fore checking" system he taught and done pretty well in the National Hockey League with a more open style.

The Calgary Daily Herald - 21.3.1938:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...,2105428&hl=en

Cecil Duncan, president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, last night gave out a decision regarding the rule about "icing" the puck in amateur hockey. The rule has been enforced to date this season with a view to preventing a team from deliberately delaying the game, play being stopped and the puck brought back and faced-off in the defending team's zone when a shot from that zone has crossed the second blue line.

 

[tony d]

Rod Gilbert, RW

Vitals:

Height: 5-9 ▪ Weight: 180 lbs.
Born: July 1, 1941 in Montreal, Quebec

Stats courtesy of hockeyrefernece.com

-406 Goals and 615 Assists for 1021 Points in 1065 Career Games
-67 Points in 79 Career Playoff Games
-8 Time All Star
-2 Post Season All Star Selections
-5 Top 10 Finishes in Goals, 7 Top 10 Finishes in Assists, 5 Top 10 Finishes in Points
-108 Career Powerplay Goals

Joe Pelletier

Gilbert was a fan favorite in New York, and is often considered to be the greatest New York Ranger in the team's long history. Given the competition such as Frank Boucher in the early days and Mark Messier in the current era, that is a fascinating feat on its own.

"Rod Gilbert was our Wayne Gretzky, or our Bobby Hull, or our Rocket Richard," said undrafted.

Legends Of Hockey

Rod Gilbert was a consistent scorer during an excellent NHL career with the New York Rangers that lasted 18 seasons. He blossomed as the right winger on the famous G-A-G Line (Goal-A-Game) with Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield, and although he never played on a Cup champion, he was often at his best in the post-season.

Really glad to have Gilbert on the team. Think he'll be a tremendous performer for the team.

 

[tony d]

Roy Worters

Vitals:

Position: G ▪ Catches: Left
Height: 5-3 ▪ Weight: 135 lbs.
Born: October 19, 1900 in Toronto, Ontario
Elected to Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969

Stats:

-171 Career Wins in 484 Career Games (86th All Time)
-67 Career Shutouts (13th Most All Time)
-2 Seasons of 10 or more Shutouts
-1929 Hart Trophy Winner, 1931 Vezina Trophy Winner
-11th Lowest Career G.A.A. (2.27)

Legends Of Hockey:

Despite his 5'3" frame, the aptly named "Shrimp" Worters seemed like a giant to opposing shooters. He became one of the NHL's all-time great goalkeepers, chalking up a phenomenal 66 shutouts in only 12 seasons

In 1925-26, Worters made his first foray into the NHL with the expansion Pittsburgh Pirates. The new club boasted essentially the same lineup as the Yellowjackets' championship team of 1924-25, but Worters would have topped the new team's wish list in any event.

Even though the Americans remained weak, Worters continued to rack up shutouts and keep his goals-against mark respectable. He was placed on the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1932 and 1934.

He retired after the 1936-37 season. Gritty to the end, he refused to take himself out of the lineup in his final days even though he was suffering from a painful hernia. He never played on any powerhouses, which made his 67 shutouts, 171 wins and his durability all the more impressive.

Joe Pelletier:

Worters is seldom mentioned when discussing the greatest goalies of all time, likely because he played with some pretty bad teams. It would be tough to imagine how bad those teams would be without Worters.

In perhaps Worters' greatest accomplishment, he became the first goalie to win the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player in 1929. After arriving from Pittsburgh after a lengthy contract dispute, Worters instantly made the Amerks into a solid team, recording a second place overall record of 16-12-10, a tremendous improvement over the last place finish the season before. That set up a memorable playoff showing with the cross-town Rangers, but the Rangers would prevail.

Worters also is known as a goaltending innovator. He w as the first goalie to really use the blocker as a tactic. In those days the blocker was really just a heavily padded glove, but he was the first to use that hand to deflect shots into the corner as opposed to trying to catch them.

I consider Worters one of the most under-appreciated goalies in hockey history. Looking at how well he did given the teams he played on you have to think Worters would have been in the Brimsek, Parent, Durnan tier of goalies in the all-time goalie rankings. In any event glad to have Roy Worters on the team.

 

[BillyShoe1721]

C Butch Goring

4x Stanley Cup Champion
1x NHL All Star Game Participant
Masterson Trophy Winner, 1977-78
Lady Byng Trophy Winner, 1977-78
Conn Smythe Trophy Winner, 1980-81
9x Top 9 Shorthanded Goals(2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 9)
4x Top 25 Goals(15, 16, 24, 25)
3x Top 15 Assists(10, 15, 15)
4x Top 25 Points(12, 12, 22, 25)
2x Top 6 Goals in Playoffs(5, 6)
7th in Assists, 1980 Playoffs
2x Top 9 Points in Playoffs(8*,9)
5x Top 24 Selke Voting(12, 13, 17, 23, 24)
VsX: 81, 75, 70, 67, 66, 61, 58, 57, 47, 44, 43, 42

*Won Conn Smythe despite not even being close to leading in points, shows his contributions other than offense were highly valued

Butch Goring as a Penalty Killer

Year|Rank in SH TOI/G|Team PK%|League Average PK%|Difference
73-74|1st|80.49|80.91|-.42
74-75|1st|85.32|79.67|+5.65
75-76|2nd*|81.54|79.46|+2.08
76-77|1st|81.69|80.17|+1.52
77-78|1st|80.51|78.85|+1.32
78-79|1st|77.55|77.28|+.22
79-80|4th|77.60|78.14|-.54
80-81|2nd|79.35|77.47|+1.88
81-82|1st|80.42|77.15|+3.27
82-83|1st|83.38|77.08|+6.3
83-84|1st|81.67|78.09|+3.58
84-85|1st|80.12|77.80|+2.32

*2 seconds behind first place

So during this time when teams heavily relied upon Goring to kill penalties, their PKs were, on average, 2.265% better than the league average

When a player is nicknamed "Butch" usually he is known for three things: Incredible hustle; unmatchable work ethic; and high penalty minute totals. Goring earned the nickname Butch because of his hustle and work ethic, but he was the epitome of clean textbook hockey. In fact, Goring, the 1978 Lady Byng winner, only accumulated 102 career penalty minutes in 1107 NHL games!

1978 proved to be Goring's 15 minutes of fame. Goring's work ethic and clean play were rewarded with the Lady Byng and the Bill Masterton Memorial trophies.

Playing behind the offensive dynamo likes of Trottier and Bossy, Butch Goring's scoring exploits slowed down as he stayed with the Islanders, but his work ethic never did. He was rewarded for his hard work by being an integral part of one of the NHL's greatest dynasties. Goring earned a total of 4 Stanley Cup rings. He was also honored as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1981 as the MVP of the playoffs.

http://nyislanderslegends.blogspot.com/2006/05/butch-goring.html

In Los Angeles he developed into one of the most complete players in the league. An excellent penalty killer, he could also score goals with the best of them. He was good on faceoffs and was a team leader in the dressing room. His passing was first rate and he had a reputation for being one of the best shooters on breakaways. He also had an "iron man" streak, going 379 games without missing one to injury.

In all, he won four championships in a row with the Islanders and filled just about every role imaginable on the team.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=12752#.UTLKf1e84sI

He became well known for his skilled faceoff, defensive and penalty killing work, scoring 30 or more goals in a season four times. In 1978, Goring was awarded both the Bill Masterton Trophy and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

http://www.msg.com/network-talent/butch-goring.html

Goring came on like a hatch of blackflies; he killed penalties, worked the power play, forechecked, exhorted and scored five goals, including two in the Islanders' clinching 5-1 victory last Thursday night.

"I learned when I was a kid that the only way to get the puck is to go and get it. Since I'm not six-foot-three [he's 5'9", 166 pounds], I've got to trick them and use speed and pester them."

"I can remember when I was a kid watching Goring on TV and saying to myself, 'That's how I want to play,' " says Tonelli. "When he's working, it makes me want to work that much harder. He turns me on. He deserved that award."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124517/1/index.htm

But late that night, in what now may be viewed as a stroke of genius, General Manager Bill Torrey pried Butch Goring, a scruffy 30-year-old center who always plays at a breakneck pace

While Goaltender Battlin' Billy Smith has been spectacular throughout the playoffs for New York, and while the massive Gillies (6'3", 220 pounds) has at long last assumed the role of policeman and played it perfectly, the key to the Islanders' unexpected success has been Goring.

When Goring showed up, Coach Al Arbour finally had a second real-live All-Star-caliber center at his disposal.

Torrey acquired Goring for his personality and leadership traits as well as for his hockey skills. The Islanders had become an insecure finesse team. What they needed was a take-charge Bobby Clarke type in the locker room. In Goring, they finally seem to have their man.

"What I like about Butch the best is that he's a hockey player. He's a real throwback, a guy who loves to play, who's happy in his career, and to whom hockey is very, very important. He's the classic professional who works his butt off and knows what he is."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1123429/2/index.htm

Butch Goring, at 5'9", 170 pounds, was proof that size is no measure of skill when it comes to hockey. With his bowlegged, choppy skating style and ancient hockey helmet, he might have been laughable to fans, but his peers knew better.

http://books.google.com/books?id=wp...a=X&ei=D84yUcfrGYu68wSf8IDgAw&ved=0CEUQ6AEwBg

Pesky Butch Gorings Sends North Stars South

Credited with giving the Islanders the grit that pushed them over the top one year before, Butch Goring led all scorers with 5 goals in the finals as the Islanders made it 2 in a row.

They were missing the "intangible", the one player who can excel at all facets of the game and perform any role, regardless of the physical price and without regard for fame or fortune. For the New York Islanders, that intangible was named Butch Goring, and when he arrived on Long Island, the blueprint for Stanley Cup success was created. Goring's impact may not have been evident on the scoresheet, but it was noticed by every member of the Islanders team who saw the diminutive dynamo give maximum effort on every shift of every period of every game.

It was Hurricane Butch that blew the Minnesota North Stars south in the 1982 Stanley Cup finals. Since arriving in Long Island late in the 1979-80 season, Butch Goring had established himself as teh team's most efficient role player. Goring, a 5'9" 166 pound human dynamo, could play tough nosed defense, skate circles around the opposition as a penalty killer, pluck passes out of midair with the dexterity of a wide receiver, and deliver feather-light feeds to his teammates with the accuracy of a Big 10 quarterback.

http://books.google.com/books?id=rE...=0CEsQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=butch goring&f=false

For a while Torrey had been talking with the LA Kings about Butch Goring, a feisty, speedy center who provided a perfect #2 behind Kings star Marcel Dionne.

"Butchie was outstanding in that series," Torrey said. "Just because it was a physical series, it didn't bother him at all. I don't think anybody lasted in the NHL without taking a big hit as long as Butchie."

Goring, a consistent 30 goal man and faceoff specialist, had just signed a 5 year, 1 million contract with the Kings in the offseason and was happy enough to stay there for the rest of his career.

http://books.google.com/books?id=no...X&ei=ENUyUd-WC7Gj4AO37YCgCA&ved=0CC0Q6AEwADgK

It wasn't just with his scoring and offensive abilities that Goring upgraded the Islanders team...if the linseman ruled him too aggressive and threw him out of the faceoff circle, he was replaced by another natural centre and excellent faceoff player in Goring.

http://books.google.com/books?id=mz...CFMQ6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q=butch goring&f=false

Goring was considered one of the league's most complete players. He excelled at faceoffs and on the penalty kill, was a solid passer, great on breakaways, and could put the puck in the net.

http://books.google.com/books?id=0J...CDQQ6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=butch goring&f=false

By the 3rd period the Islanders lead 4-2. Butch Goring, who has been covering Gretzky, has done a good job. By bumping Gretzky off his stride, tugging at his arm discreetly, Goring has thrown him off his game. Several times Islander checkers ahve sent Gretzky sprawling.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Ci...X&ei=StcyUennErTl4APMh4DwDg&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBDge

But nobody is better in pressure situations than the trio of Butch Goring, John Tonelli and Bob Nystrom.

"The three of us were disappointed in the series we were having," said Tonelli. "Our checking may have been fine but we were not producing goals. So we concentrated on having a big game.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...J&pg=5601,1238954&dq=butch+goring+check&hl=en

It was Goring who nearly single-handedly eliminated the North Stars as he used his relentless brand of two-way hockey. Aside from being New York's best checker, the 12 year veteran was an offensive force when the Isles were most in need, just as he was last season in sparking the Islanders to their first championship.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...&pg=997,2807766&dq=butch+goring+two-way&hl=en

Boston Bruins GM Harry Sinden acquired Butch Goring on waivers in January, looking for a player who was suited to the Bruins style of play.

Goring's solid, two-way play was seen as a badly needed boost to the Bruins' playoff hopes.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...pg=1444,1012316&dq=butch+goring+two-way&hl=en

Last spring, when the New York Islanders were making their relentless run to the NHL championship, one of the team's sparkplugs was Butch Goring.

Without Goring, whom they obtained in a trade with LA in the final month of the season, the Islanders might well have fallen short of the Stanley Cup.

So the pesky Goring, one of the premier two-way players in the NHL, took matters into his own hands. With the Rangers on a power play, Goring broke out of his own one on a 2-on-1 rush.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...&pg=5452,129565&dq=butch+goring+two-way&hl=en

The centers - Trottier, Sutter, Butch Goring - are especially fine two way skaters.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...pg=6067,5901684&dq=butch+goring+two-way&hl=en

Pesky Butch Goring, one of the Isles' most versatile performers, centers the second line, with massive Clark Gillies on left wing...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...pg=5413,1894902&dq=butch+goring+two-way&hl=en

Butch Goring said the NYR needed to defeat his NYI in Game 2 to make a series of it. Then he went out and made sure it didn't happen.

Islanders coach Al Arbour, who had praised Goring's play in Game 1, was even more enthusiastic this time.

"He was outstanding," Arbour said. "The shorthanded goal gave us the spark we needed. We started to roll. They had capitalized on our first period mistakes and we capitalized on their 2nd period mistakes.

"Goring was a complete pest in the Rangers' side."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...pg=2158,55584&dq=butch+goring+defensive&hl=en

"Detroit may have another Butch Goring," Wings coach Wayne Maxner said after Kirton, acquired last season from the Toronto Maple Leafs, scored 2 goals and added an assist. Goring, a center for the LA Kings, is considered an excellent offensive and defensive player.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=4234,4621001&dq=butch+goring+defensive&hl=en

Arbour, understandably, isn't saying what the Islanders are planning this time around, but assistant coach and defensive specialist Butch Goring said Gretzky would undoubtedly draw extra attention.

"You certainly don't watch other players with the same attention you do Gretzky," said Goring, who figures to spend a good part of his time shadowing him.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...=6496,2246438&dq=butch+goring+defensive&hl=en

If there has been a key in the way this series has gone - apart from the obvious experience of the Islanders - it has been the play of New York centre Butch Goring.

He has been the one consistently dominant player on the ice throughout this series. He has been unstoppable.

His performance alone has been the catalyst in two of the three victories the Islanders have.

In game 1, he was the key factor in deciding a New York victory in the first period when his sensational exhibition of killing off a 5 minute penalty to Bob Bourne resulted in two devastating Islander goals.

Then on Sunday night, he was more than the ferocious forechecker or magnificent playmaker. He was the go to goal-scorer on a team which includes in its offence and the the imposing names of Bossy, Trottier, and Potvin.

When Goring has been on the ice, he has controlled the play. With the puck, he has been the key. Without it, he has still been the key.

So dominant was his performance when killing off Islander penalties that for a time in the series you could sense the fear the North Stars felt when the referee gave them a power play opportunity.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=4413,613538&dq=butch+goring+defensive&hl=en

Gainey leads the case for the defense

After Gainey, a group of players including St. Louis' Larry Patey, Buffalo's Craig Ramsay, the New York Islanders' Bryan Trottier and Butch Goring, Chicago's Terry Ruskowski and Rich Preston, and Boston's Don Marcotte come to mind.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=6142,785971&dq=butch+goring+defensive&hl=en

"You didn't see us play Islander hockey in the first 2 games," said Butch Goring, whose superb penalty killing work-along with Bryan Trottier, Anders Kallur, Greg Gilbert, Billy Carroll and the entire defensive unit in front of goalie Billy Smith - helped New York foil 9 of 10 Montreal power plays in Game 4.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=1148,530279&dq=butch+goring+defensive&hl=en

The forwards - most notably Bryan Trottier, Butch Goring, and Pat LaFontaine - were more physical with and without the puck.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=4122,4069308&dq=butch+goring+physical&hl=en

"He's their sparkplug," New York Rangers goalie Steve Baker said last night after Goring nicked him for two goals.

"Pete Rose is the Charlie Hustle of baseball," continued Baker. "Well, Goring is the Charlie Hustle of hockey. At least in this series."

Goring, a speedy and heady player, rescued the Islanders from what could have been a stick situation...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...g=4661,204522&dq=butch+goring+forecheck&hl=en

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Jerry Toppazzini, RW​

Jerry Toppazzini was an aggressive forechecker and expert penalty killer who played a key role as a second line winger for the Boston Bruins during his 12 year NHL career.

Hockey's Glory Days - the 1950s and 1960s by Dan Diamond, Eric Zweig, page 155

Goals: 12th, 19th
Assists: 12th, 17th, 19th
Points: 18th, 20th, 20th

"3rd Team All Star" in 1957 behind Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard, ahead of healthy Andy Bathgate

Played in the 1955, 1958, and 1959 All Star games, all on merit.

Won the Elizabeth C Dufresne Trophy twice in a row, in 1956-57 and 1957–58, as the best performing and most popular Boston Bruin at home games.

Most Shorthanded points 1952-53 to 1966-67 (via overpass):

Player | GP | SHG | SHA | SHP
Gordie Howe | 1030 | 19 | 15 | 34
Eric Nesterenko | 894 | 22 | 10 | 32
Jerry Toppazzini | 783 | 19 | 13 | 32
Don Marshall | 862 | 16 | 13 | 29
Bob Pulford | 727 | 23 | 5 | 28
XXX | 964 | 14 | 12 | 26
Alex Delvecchio | 1024 | 16 | 9 | 25
Red Kelly | 990 | 12 | 10 | 22
Fleming Mackell | 483 | 10 | 8 | 18
Allan Stanley | 901 | 2 | 14 | 16
George Armstrong | 942 | 7 | 9 | 16
Bobby Hull | 674 | 10 | 5 | 15
Norm Ullman | 817 | 6 | 9 | 15
Dave Keon | 472 | 9 | 5 | 14
Tim Horton | 978 | 3 | 11 | 14

Hall of Fame referee Red Storey called Toppazzini the best penalty killer he ever saw. (Sources= Pelletier, William Boyd - All Roads Lead to Hockey)

1957-58 Coaches Poll - Toppazini was selected the best penalty killer in the NHL

An industrious checker and penalty killer who wore his NHL career on his face, Jerry Toppazzini never won a Stanley Cup.
...
Toppazzini made it to the Stanley Cup final twice with the Boston Bruins, but it was right in the middle of the Montreal Canadiens run of five straight titles. He regularly drew the assignment of checking guys like Rocket Richard and Gordie Howe and earned most of his facial road map when Ted Lindsay clubbed him across the face, breaking both orbital bones and his nose.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jerry-toppazzinis-minor-role-had-165000341--nhl.html

Sounds like Toppazzini would sometimes switch to LW to shadow Howe or Richard

Topper was a popular, grinding third liner known for his enthusiastic forechecking, the type of lunch pail player Boston fans love. He was a consistent 15 goal, 45/50 point threat back in the day. He was a leader in the dressing room, too, known for his incessant chattering.

Topper earned his stripes as a hard-driving winger who could kill penalties and score his share of goals. In 1957-58, he set, what was at the time, an NHL record, scoring 7 short-handed goals in one season.

Toppazzini was known as a hard-nosed winger who could kill penalties and chip in some goals

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2012/04/22/hockey-legend-jerry-toppazzini-passes-away

Willie (O'Ree) was one of the few guys who could take Topper's crazy chatter, give it back to him and shut him up. Topper was always giving everybody the business, keeping up a competitive atmosphere. Drove me nuts

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=370282

I picked him because he never stops hustling when he's on the ice. He isn't the most graceful player in the world, but he's dangerous around the net.

The Calgary Herald, Dec 16, 1953

It was typical of Jerry Toppazzini that when he ran into trouble with his legs last season and came up with only an even dozen goals, three quarters of them were scored against the high-flying Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Black Hawks.

A hardrock son of Copper Cliff, Ont., the "Topper" also contributed assists on 33 other goals...

At 29 he conveys the impression of a youthful zest with a particular liking for the game when the going gets rough.

The type of player coaches class as "spark plug, Topper came up from the Barrie, Ont. Flyers...

Five feet, 11 inches tall and a compact 180 pounds, Toppazzini is a right-winger but has also turned in good service as a centre. He shoots right-handed.

A bunch of energy and enthusiasm, his main asset, aside from upper-bracket playing ability is his contribution to team spirit.

Ottawa Citizen, Jan 21, 1961

"The best (I ever played with in junior hockey) was Jerry Toppazzini. The guy was so intense. He loved any competition."

(Sam) Cancilla says that Red Storey, the veteran on-ice hockey official and a Barrie native, had called Toppazzini probably the best penalty killer he'd ever seen. This was after Toppazzini had scored 7 shorthanded goals in one season, a record at the time. "And I can see why, because of the tremendous intensity. Even in road hockey."

All Roads Lead to Hockey: Reports from Northern Canada to the Mexican Border, by William T Boyd, pg 14-15

 

[Rob Scuderi]

C/LW Red Berenson

(stats and some quotes pulled from Dreakmur's previous bio)

Scoring:
Points – 8th(1969), 7th(1970)
Goals – 7th(1969), 8th(1970)
Assists – 10th(1969), 14th(1970)

Play-off Points – 8th(1969)
Play-off Goals – 8th(1968), 3rd(1969), 4th(1970)

Scoring Rank on his own Team:
Points – 1st(1968), 1st(1969), 2nd(1970), 3rd(1972), 3rd(1974), 3rd(1978)
Goals – 1st(1968), 1st(1969), 1st(1970), 3rd(1972), 3rd(1974), 3rd(1977)
Assists – 2nd(1968), 1st(1969), 3rd(1970), 3rd(1972), 2nd(1974), 1st(1978)

Hart Voting – 4th(1969), 3rd(1970)
Center AST: 3rd (1969), 6th (1970)
LW AST: T7th (1970) only 4 voting points

6 x All-Star Game (1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974)

“A solid all-around performer, Gordon "Red" Berenson enjoyed 17 productive years in the NHL. He was a fine sportsman who could check or score equally well depending on the situation. Along the way he registered seven 20 goal seasons and played on one Stanley Cup championship team in Montreal.... Berenson was a gift scorered.... His speed and skill with the puck impressed the officials of the Belleville McFarlands as they prepared to compete in the World Championships, and Canada captured the gold medal thanks in part to Berenson's nine goals.... a true workhorse.... plenty of time with both specialty teamsâ€

....a defensive specialist with Montreal.... Sticking with the Canadiens for 1963-64, his only complete campaign with the Habs, the 6-foot, 185-pound pivot picked up 16 points while still thriving in his defensive role.

"Red has had a magnificent career," said St. Louis general manager Emile Francis. "He typified what a player should be...I don't think you could find anyone more dedicated or determined."

Best seasons with the Blues

Three months ago, when St. Louis was last in the West and Goalie Glenn Hall was the one player not giving fans the lowercase blues, Lynn Patrick, who had been doubling as coach and general manager, put the 34-year-old Bowman behind the bench. Bowman immediately made a trade for New York's Gordon (Red) Berenson and, lo, the team started winning. Since then St. Louis has been just about the hottest of the expansion teams, and the youngest coach in the NHL is already beginning to look like one of the best.

A big (6 feet, 185 pounds) center with long arms and legs to match, Berenson started off slowly in St. Louis, mainly because he had gotten out of shape sitting on the bench in New York. Then he caught fire, and now he has become the Stan Mikita of the new league, scoring the big goals and setting up his teammates. St. Louis fans are in love with No. 7, with reason: Berenson, along with Wayne Connelly of Minnesota's North Stars, is one of the West's first potential superstars.

"Just watch him," says Hall, the All-Star goaltender who played 10 years with Mikita and Bobby Hull in Chicago. "Red seems to combine the skills of both Stan and Bobby. There isn't anything he can't do. He's a great play-maker and his shot—well, the only trouble with his shot is that sometimes he shoots too hard."

Berenson always could skate, pass and shoot; in fact, he was considered one of the finest prospects in the Montreal chain until he made the apparent mistake of accepting a scholarship to the University of Michigan. "As far as the Canadiens were concerned, Red was going to waste four of the most critical years in his development," says Bowman. "They didn't want him traipsing off to play hockey in the States. When he came back—with just about every record in his league—he was tabbed as just another American who wouldn't stand up to the beating he would get in the pro game."

"I remember a plane trip I made with Emile last spring," says Bowman. "He said that someday, somewhere, Berenson was going to make somebody a helluva hockey player. He said he only wished it could be in New York." It has happened instead in St. Louis, to the surprise of neither Bowman, Francis nor Berenson himself—although few others in hockey expected any such miracle.

Without Berenson, says Bowman, the Blues would merely be playing out the season for experience. But without Bowman, say the experts, the team would have those blues you can't lose.

The Red Baron may eventually be on the winning side.

The latest hero to bear the famous nickname is Red Berenson of the St. Louis Blues. Unlike the World War I German pilot and the unseen nemesis of Snoopy is the kind of winner who may bring the rest of his side to victory.

When Berenson joined the Blues last Nov. 29, the Blues with a horrendous start in their first season of existence had a record of 4-13-2 and were in the last place 18 points behind the front-running Philadelphia Flyers in the Western Division of the National Hockey League.

The Red Baron immediately began his raids on the enemy, and the Blues began the long climb through the division's standings. With Berenson is uniform the Blues have a record of 20-15-13 and have climbed into a tie for third place with a chance to move into first in the last two weeks of the season.

Berenson has scored 20 goals, more than any other member of the Blues, in the 47 games and during on stretch of the season and had 13 goals in 15 games.

Hockey fans can't see Berenson's red crewcut because he wears a helmet on the ice, but the Red Baron is a colorful player who brings the fans to their feet. He is undoubtedly the fastest skater among the Blues and has the ability to lead the rest of the team on the attack.

Berenson also has what you might call a victory complex. "Winning is more fun than anything," he said. "I'm as good a sportsman as any guy in the league, but there's nothing like winning; it's so different from losing."

St. Louis owns the best second-half record (12-8-12) of any expansion team, Center Red Berenson hasn't stopped scoring since the Blues acquired him last December from New York where he never strayed far from the bench.

6 goal game

A fringe player before the NHL added six new teams last season, Berenson scored six goals Thursday night to tie a modern league record.

Berenson, a 28-year-old centre from Regina, scored four of the goals in the second period to tie another record for most goals in one period.

It was a night that Berenson, a spare forward during his years with Montreal and New York, will never forget.

Berenson, used infrequently by the Rangers early last season, went to the Blues in a four-player trade Nov. 29. St...Given a chance to perform on a regular line, Berenson immediately became a success in St. Louis. He scored 22 goals in 55 regular-season games and added five more in 18 playoff games - a far better record than he had ever compiled in the old, six-team circuit.

Putting Berenson on a checking line is a risk because of his scoring ability, but geez, it worked. The Blues beat Detroit 2-1, Thursday.

Leading vote-getter in the West for 1969 all-star game

Hull, Howe, and Orr topped voting in the East, drawing up the maximum 90 points apiece, while St. Louis center Red Berenson headed the West team with a total of 86 points.

The noticeable absence from the West team is the Blues' Red Berenson, considered the first big star developed when the new division was created in 1967. The Red Baron is tied for 19th place in scoring, with 15 goals and 33 assists, but he was unable to nudge Mikita or Martin for one of the center spots.

Playoffs with the Blues

Last year the defence-conscious Blues gave Montreal Canadiens a real run for their money. The veteran goaltending combination of Jacques Plate and Glenn Hall has added a bit of scoring punch, mainly on the coming-of-age of Red Berenson.

A Regina product and long-time Montreal chattel, Berenson was always considered a great practice player, but he was never the same on a game day. Finally, Canadiens peddled their 'extra' centremen off to New York Rangers, but Berenson still didn't belong.

A graduate of Michigan university, Berenson had a good job waiting for him in the Detroit area, and let it be known that he would like to be traded to Detroit. But in the end St. Louis grabbed him, the owners convinced him that St. Louis was the ONLY place to play and now Berenson plays on Sundays the way he used to practice on a Friday.

Los Angeles Kings are worried about a lack of muscle and Red Berenson.

Regan also hinted that coach Red Kelly may put someone on Red Berenson fulltime to keep him off the scoresheet. Berenson was a one-man wrecking crew in the opening game, scoring three consecutive goals in the second period to tie a playoff record as the Kings were shutout 4-0.

"You just can't let a player like Berenson roam around loose," said Regan. "He's just too dangerous."

Rookie goaltender Gerry Desjardins, who will probably start tonight, knows what it's like to face Berenson. "All the time during the faceoff, he just kept staring at me as if he were saying: 'You're going to get it'", Desjardins said.

The Canadiens' Ralph Backstrom shadowed Gordon (The Red Baron) Berenson so closely that the Blues' top scorer during the regular season (35 goals and 47 assists) hasn't had a real good shot on the net in two games.

Berenson has been hampered somewhat with a charley horse which he picked up early in Sunday's game.

The St. Louis Blues, powered by Red Berenson and Ab McDonald, shot into the semifinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota North Stars Thursday night.

...while Berenson added a goal and two assists as the Blues reached the West Division semifinals against Pittsburgh.

Adversity early in his career

Back in 1962, there was a very loud rap against college-trained hockey players. It is true that Bill Hay, who was playing for the world-champion Chicago Blackhawks was (Shh! Whisper it, please) a graduate of Colorado College. However, Hay had the decency to serve a year's apprenticeship in a minor professional league before he entered the NHL. Hay played a full season for Calgary in the Western Hockey League.

But, Red Berenson made the jump directly from the University of Michigan campus to the bench of the Montreal Canadiens. Toe Blake, the Montreal coach, was a gentleman of the Old School who, at that time, suspected that a U.S. college education and a hockey career were incompatible. Furthermore, Berenson made the terrible error of arriving at camp with one of those protective helmets which are obligatory equipment in US college hockey. In professional circles, there was a suspicion that hockey players who wore helmets were excessively timid.

It was an unfortunate combination of circumstances. Red was bounced in and out of the NHL for six seasons without really "making it." Then, still wearing his offending helmet, he emerged as a star with the St. Louis Blues in the chilly spring of 1968.

Many of Berenson's problems have resulted from the fact that he was equipped with a distressing overabundance of intelligence. He was too damn' smart in school. He matriculated from high school when he was 16.

Berenson is one of The Senior Statesmen at the Team Canada training camp in Toronto. Not only is he one of the elders, at the age of 32, but he is the president of the NHL Players' Association. Furthermore, he is one of the few active members of the Canadian squad who has actual experience in international hockey.

"I was looking forward to getting a break, finally." Berenson said wryly yesterday. "I got one after five games - I stopped Bobby Rousseau's slapshot with my toe and I was out of action until Christmas. I'd never have broken a bone in my life, up to that point. Then, about three games about I got back in the lineup. I got an elbow in the face from Eric Nesterenko and I went out with a broken cheekbone."

St. Louis provided the catalyst to which changed Berenson's life from boredom to stardom. The coach at St. Louis was Scotty Bowman, who had been struck by Red's hockey ability when both men were connected with the Ottawa team five years earlier.

If I was asked to describe Gordon Arthur (Red) Berenson in one concise phrase, I'd opt for this "an intelligent, exceptionally mature professional."

Red Berenson, who holds a masters degree in business administration, plays hockey in a business-like manner. Berenson scored 35 goals for St. Louis Blues an assisted on 47 others for 82 points to lead scorers in the NHL's Western Division.

"The years with Montreal and New York Rangers were not productive and could have been better spent," Berenson said. "I never got the chance in Montreal. I was part of their depth, their $1,000,000 bench.

A broken toe and a fractured cheekbone put Berenson on the sidelines just when he thought he could win a regular spot with the Rangers in 1966. "I was backup for Jean Ratelle. He was going great and I was going nowhere."

Berenson has attained the super-star status in St. Lous. But even the fact that he was presented with a new station wagon after scoring six goals in an 8-0 victory over Philadelphia Flyers last November hasn't changed his outlook.

"The thing I enjoy most is being part of the team situation here."

Trade to Detroit

For the past 3.5 years, the St. Louis Blues have had a love affair with their howling, devoted fans one that Red Berenson and Tim Ecclestone found hard to break off when traded to the Detroit Red Wings recently.

There were screams of rage, consternations and horror when the fans learned that their beloved Red Baron was going. They told anyone who would listen how they felt and they told Berenson and Ecclestone, too.

PA politics play a role?

Acknowledged as the original super star of Expansion I, Berenson, in slightly more than three seasons in St. Louis, had become the toast of the town.

As president of the NHL Players Association, Berenson was drawn into a decision whether his group should renew its contract with Licensing Corporation of America for handling endorsements, or form a long-term partnership with an agency associated with the club owners. In mid-January at the All-Star break, the player representatives voted, 14-0, in favor of Licensing Corporation. Berenson believes that shortly thereafter, Bowman and the Salomons voted, 3-0, to get rid of him.

"I was very honest with them (the Salomons) about my situation." he said, "and they were dishonest with me. they assumed a lot of things. The Salomons built up a real case against me."

On Feb. 5, several hours before the Blues faced the Penguins in St. Louis, Berenson said he learned for the first time he would be traded. Attempting to clear the air, he met with Bowman for two hours in the afternoon.

"There aren't many good listeners around the league," Berenson said. "Scotty isn't a good listener. He already had made up his mind to trade me. He adds up a lot of little things. Pretty soon, he's got a blizzard and it hasn't even rained."

It was Red Berenson, however, who did the main job on Esposito, holding him to two shots. Under Delvecchio, Berenson is playing his best stick since arriving from St. Louis.

Checking the Bruins with Berenson draped on Esposito was Delvecchio's idea, but Alex said, "It isn't something you can do every game. You have to score goals in these times. Teams can't afford checking lines the way it used to be."

Gordon (Red) Berenson, Detroit Red Wing center, on his team's troubles: "I've been with Detroit for 3 years. In that time we've had 11 goalies and four coaches. Once we acquire stability, I'm sure this club has potential."

Played Left Wing early in career and first season with the Blues

The likelihood is that either Bill Hicke or Red Berenson will take over Gilles Tremblay's spot on left wing with Bobby Rousseau on the right side...The versatile Hicke may also play right-wing with Berenson on the left left.

The Canadiens need a left-winger and they'd like to get Larry Jeffrey, who looked so good in the playoffs for the Wings. But the latter were said to be so badly off for left-wingers themeselves that they were thinking of shifting Bruce Magregor and Paul Henderson to the left side. If they deal with the Canadiens, Red Berenson is sure to be involved because he can play the position and has a following in the Detroit area from his undergraduate days at Michigan.

He had Beliveau centering Red Berenson and rookie Jim Roberts.

Sid Abel, the Detroit GM and coach, and Canadiens' new general manager Sam Pollock came close to making a trade Tuesday with Red Wings' left-winger and centre-forward Red Berenson of the Habs as key materal. It fizzled out when neither party could come to an agreement on the rest of the trade.

The New York Rangers acquired left winger Red Berenson from the Montreal Canadiens in Tuesday...

Others are Red Berenson, the left-winger drafted from Montreal Canadiens...Penalty killing will be important if the team continues the aggressiveness it displayed last season. Berenson and Kurtenbauch should help out in that department.

Stanley Cup Line-up
New York Rangers Montreal Canadiens
...24 Red Berenson Left Wing Dick Duff 8

Left Wing was a problem last season.

Larry Keenan, bothered by bad knees, played only 40 games during the regular season and Dickie Moore didn't come out of retirement until Dec. 3.

Red Berenson, the Blues top scorer with 22 goals and 51 points in 55 games, didn't join the club until Nov. 27, five days after Bowman took over...

Berenson, a left winger, was three behind Goyette at 72 points...

 

[BubbaBoot]

Claude Provost
right wing

• Shoots: Right • Height: 5-9 • Weight: 168 lbs. •
• Born: September 17, 1933 • Montreal, Quebec •
• Played: 1955/56 - 1969/70 •

• Championships •
1956 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
1957 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
1958 Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
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 •
1967-68 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (NHL)

• Honors •
1964-65 NHL All-Star Team (1st)

• NHL All-Star Team Voting •
- 61-62 (3rd) / 64-65 (1st) / 65-66 (6th)

• All-Star Games •
NHL - 1956 / 1957 / 1958 / 1959
NHL - 1960 / 1961 / 1962 / 1963 / 1964 / 1965 / 1967

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

• Lady Byng Trophy Voting •
- 61-62 (2nd) / 64-65 (5th)

• Achievements •
• Games Played
- 1957-58 NHL 70 (1)
- 1959-60 NHL 70 (1)
- 1961-62 NHL 70 (1)
- 1964-65 NHL 70 (1)
- 1965-66 NHL 70 (2)
- Career • 1005 (39th all-time for right wingers)
- Career PLAYOFFS • 126 (24th all-time for right wingers)

• Goals
- 1961-62 NHL 33 (2)
- 1964-65 NHL 27 (5)
- Career • 254 (74th all-time for right wingers)
- Career PLAYOFFS • 25 (T60th all-time for right wingers)

• Power Play Goals
- 1964-65 NHL 11 (3)

• Short-Handed Goals
- 1963-64 NHL 1 (7)
- 1967-68 NHL 3 (2)

• Game-Winning Goals
- 1964-65 NHL 5 (5)
- 1965-66 NHL 5 (10)

• Goals Per Game
- 1961-62 NHL 0.47 (2)
- 1964-65 NHL 0.39 (7)
- Career • 0.25
- Career PLAYOFFS • 0.20

• Assists
- 1964-65 NHL 37 (6)
- 1965-66 NHL 36 (10)
- Career • 335 (59th all-time for right wingers)
- Career PLAYOFFS • 38 (T39th all-time for right wingers)

• Assists Per Game
- 1964-65 NHL 0.53 (9)
- Career • 0.33
- Career PLAYOFFS • 0.30

• Points
- 1961-62 NHL 62 (10)
- 1964-65 NHL 64 (6)
- Career • 589 (67th all-time for right wingers)
- Career PLAYOFFS • 63 (T49th all-time for right wingers)

• Points Per Game
- 1964-65 NHL 0.91 (7)
- Career • 0.59
- Career PLAYOFFS • 0.50

• career stats •

| gms| G | A | TP | PIMs|+/-| G/gm| A/gm| PP| SH
NHL | 1005 |254 |335 |589 |469|| .25 |.33 ||
NHL PLAYOFFS| 126 |25 |38 |63 |86 || .20| .30 | |
QJHL| 143|93|104|197|158||.65|.73||

• career team records •
Montreal (NHL) - games (5th) / playoff games (10th) / goals (T13th) / playoff goals (T22nd) / GPG (T43rd) / playoff GPG (T51st) / assists (17th) / playoff assists (22nd) / APG (51st) / playoff APG (T50th) / points (14th) / playoff points (23rd) / points/G (T44th) / playoff points/G (T51st)

• Accolades •

The Montreal Canadiens of the 1950s and 1960s are considered to be one of the greatest teams of all time. With names like Beliveau, Richard, Geoffrion, Harvey and Moore, the Habs had offence to spare. Someone had to accept the unglamorous role of checker and role player. Claude Provost sacrificed his own offensive output for the team. His unselfish style of hustling and aggressive checking earned him a place as a Legend of Hockey.

Known for his incredible shadowing of the other team's superstars, most notably Bobby Hull, the wide-jawed Provost played over 1000 NHL games, recording very respectable totals of 254 goals and 589 points. Despite his aggressive checking style, he earned only 469 penalty minutes. While he would average 16 goals a season, his scoring increased after he noticed Gordie Howe used a short stick. Provost followed suit in the 1960s, and his scoring contributions grew.

Admittedly an average shooter and awkward skater (though he was deceptively speedy), he relied on his ability to read oncoming plays and closing off options of the other team's top stars.

While many forget to mention Claude Provost as one of the greatest Habs of all time, it should be noted without his selfless team play and willingness to the dirty work on a team loaded with superstars, the Montreal Canadiens wouldn't have been as successful during the 1950s and 1960s without Claude Provost.

When Toe Blake took charge behind the bench of the Montreal Canadiens in 1955-56, he introduced Claude Provost to the club's star-studded roster on the basis of his aggressive and hard-working approach to checking opponents. His peculiar, wide-stance style of skating concealed surprising speed. One observer humorously noted that when he hit the ice, he looked like a drunken sailor walking on a ship's deck during a hurricane. But however awkward he appeared, he used his hustle to good end, serving as Bobby Hull's shadow throughout the 1960s.

Bobby Hull had high praise Tuesday night for Montreal's Claude Provost, who has limited the great Chicago winger to five shots on goal in two Stanley Cup final games. He described Provost as a "hell of a good skater, strong, and dedicated."

Provost was Hull's master again Tuesday night, keeping the blond winger to four shots on net as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Chicago Black Hawks 2-0 for a two-game lead in the series.

Asked if it was Provost's labors - or his own ineptness - that has prevented him from breaking out, Hull replied: "I imagine it's Provost."

“Another Canadien worth mentioning is Claude Provost, a former teammate of mine and one of the unsung heroes of the NHL. Provost was never a star in the true sense of the word, but because of his great desire, his perseverance, and his love of work, he became one of the most valuable of the Habitants and the best defensive forward in hockey.â€

“Claude Provost was the typical front-line soldier, a good guy, usually quiet, but capable of laughter, too. NHL play during the 1960’s was dominated by Bobby Hull, except when the Hawks came up against the Canadiens, and the reason why we prevailed against them can be summed up in two words, Claude Provost.â€

"What you have to remember about 'Joe' was that he made sure that everything he brought to the game was his best. Everybody liked him. All of us liked the way he worked, the way he hustled, the way he checked the best players in the game. He could score goals, too but the biggest reason all of us liked him was that he was a team man. Everything he did was for the team."

During his life and career, Claude Provost was one of the most underappreciated members of two great Montreal Canadiens dynasties. [He] played an integral part on nine Stanley Cup championship teams. He was recognized as the premier defensive forward of his generation. He was a first team all star once and played in 11 All Star games.

1968 also saw Provost honored as the first winner of the Bill Masterton trophy for his dedication to hockey. This rare recognition of his talent and achievement was long overdue.

In 1992, Bob Gainey was deservedly elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In many ways Gainey was the player who took up the defensive forward mantle for the Canadiens after Provost’s retirement.

Bob Gainey played 16 years with the Canadiens scoring 239 goals and 501 points. Claude Provost played 15 years with the Canadiens and scored 15 more goals and 88 more points while playing in 155 fewer games than Gainey.

CLAUDE PROVOST, WHO PLAYED 15 SEASONS IN MONTREAL, IS ONE OF ONLY FIVE PLAYERS IN TEAM HISTORY TO SUIT UP FOR 1,000 GAMES.

Provost played a tough but clean style of hockey, earning the respect of the guys he was assigned to cover. He was penalized much less frequently than most of the more primitive defensive specialists around the league, averaging about 35 penalty minutes a year.

As the Canadiens knocked over the Bruins and the Black Hawks in supporting bouts to the Stanley Cup final it was only natural to open nominatuons for the Conn Smythe Trophy. Gump Worsley, Jacques Laperriere, Jean Beliveau, Claude Provost, JC Tremblay and even rookie Jacques Lemaire were, and still are, worthy contenders.

Provost was on nine Stanley Cup teams in his 15 seasons with the Canadiens. In 1968, he was awarded the first Bill Masterton Trophy as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. And while he is best-remembered as a defensive player, in 1961-62 he was voted to the first all-star team on the strength of his career-high 33 goals. That year, he was also runner-up to Toronto's Dave Keon for the Lady Byng Trophy.

Consistency is what "Joe" Provost was all about. On the ice and off it, he was the poster boy of what the NHL was all about ... the pure joy of playing in the world's best league. He played in 11 all-star games and delivered goals in double-digit numbers throughout his career.

Numbers alone don't begin to describe what Provost meant to this team. Where he truly excelled was in shutting down the opposition's best players. When the Canadiens faced the Detroit Red Wings, wherever Gordie Howe went, Provost was alongside him. When Bobby Hull and the Chicago Blackhawks were at the Forum or the Canadiens visited Chicago Stadium, Provost was there.

It had nothing to do with Provost's size - he was 5-foot-9 and a mere 175 pounds. It had everything to do with the fun of playing, of the pride he felt in wearing the Canadiens jersey, of being in the company of his teammates, starting with his closest friend, Henri Richard. The bigger and stronger players Provost checked found it really hard to knock him off his feet.

He was this good. Bob Gainey was the winner the first four Frank Selke trophies, introduced in 1978 to honour the league's best defensive player. That was seven years after Provost retired. There's no question Provost would have won at least as many, and perhaps more, if the trophy had been introduced during his playing days.

When the Canadiens retired Gainey's sweater, he made it plain he doesn't take credit for the Selke, saying he didn't invent defensive hockey. Provost, Gainey said, "represented that style of player."

 

[BubbaBoot]

Bob Pulford
left wing / center

• Shoots: Left • Height: 5-11 • Weight: 188 lbs. •
• Born: March 31, 1936 • Newton Robinson, Ontario •
• Played: 1956/57 - 1971/72 •
• NHL Hall of Fame - 1991 •

• Championships •
1955 Toronto Marlboros (OHA-Jr) Memorial Cup
1956 Toronto Marlboros (OHA-Jr) Memorial Cup
1962 Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
1963 Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
1964 Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
1967 Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

• Honors •
1952-53 OHA-Jr-B All-Star (1st)
1958-59 J.P. Bickell Award (Maple Leafs team MVP)
1974-75 Jack Adams Award (Los Angeles Kings / NHL)
2011 Lester Patrick Award

• NHL All-Star Team Voting •
- 64-65 (5th) / 65-66 (5th) / 66-67 (7th)

• All-Star Games •
NHL - 1960 / 1962 / 1963 / 1964 / 1968

• Hart Trophy Voting •
- 59-60 (T10th) / 62-63 (T12th) / 65-66 (5th)

• Lady Byng Trophy Voting •
- 65-66 (T9th)

• Achievements •
1956/57 - 1957/58 > 2 yrs > Played at LW
1958/59 - 1962/63 > 5 yrs > Played at CTR / 3 All-Star appearances / 2 Stanley Cups
1963/64 - 1971/72 > 9 yrs > Played at LW / 2 All-Star appearances / 2 Stanley Cups

• VsX • Points (at LW) • 7 yr peak
- 55 / 47 / 72 / 56 / 60 / 32 / 37 = 359 (MEAN = 51)

• VsX • Points (at CTR) • 5 yrs
- 41 / 70 / 32* / 51 / 54 = 248 (MEAN = 50)

• VsX • Goals (at LW) • 7 yr peak
- 49 / 49 / 89 / 49 / 50 / 23 / 44 = 353 (MEAN = 50)

• VsX • Goals (at CTR) • 5 yrs
- 57 / 71 / 23* / 55 / 53 = 259 (MEAN = 52)

• VsX • Points (among span LWers) • 7 yr peak/span
- 87 / 71 / 98 / 94 / 73 / 44 / 53 = 520 (MEAN = 74)

• VsX • Points (among span CTRs) • 5 yrs/span
- 60 / 71 / 35* / 57 / 66 = 289 (MEAN = 58)

• VsX • Goals (among span LWers) • 7 yr peak/span
- 62 / 73 / 88 / 69 / 67 / 23 / 56 = 438 (MEAN = 63)

• VsX • Goals (among span CTRs) • 5 yrs/span
- 72 / 71 / 34* / 69 / 55 = 301 (MEAN = 60)

* - injured, played 40 games.

• Games Played
- 1957-58 NHL 70 (1)
- 1958-59 NHL 70 (1)
- 1959-60 NHL 70 (1)
- 1961-62 NHL 70 (1)
- 1962-63 NHL 70 (1)
- 1963-64 NHL 70 (2)
- 1965-66 NHL 70 (2)
- 1967-68 NHL 74 (2)
- Career • 1079
- Career PLAYOFFS • 89

• Goals
- 1955-56 OHA-Jr 30 (T10)
- 1959-60 NHL 24 (10)
- 1965-66 NHL 28 (10)
- Career NHL • 281
- 1956 OHA-Jr PLAYOFFS 16 (1)
- 1956 Memorial Cup PLAYOFFS 13 (1)
- Career NHL PLAYOFFS • 25

• Power Play Goals
- 1965-66 NHL 11 (4)

• Short-Handed Goals
- 1963-64 NHL 4 (1)
- 1964-65 NHL 4 (2)
- 1965-66 NHL 2 (2)
- 1966-67 NHL 1 (7)
- 1967-68 NHL 3 (2)

• Goals Per Game
- 1961-62 NHL 0.47 (2)
- 1964-65 NHL 0.39 (7)
- Career • 0.26
- Career PLAYOFFS • 0.28

• Assists
- Career • 362
- 1967 PLAYOFFS 10 (1)
- Career PLAYOFFS • 26

• PIMS
- 1961-62 NHL 98 (3)
- Career • 792
- Career PLAYOFFS • 126

• career stats •

| gms| G | A | TP | PIMs|+/-| G/gm| A/gm| PP| SH
NHL | 1079 |281 |362 |643 |792|| .26 |.34 ||
NHL PLAYOFFS| 89 |25 |26 |51 |126 || .28| .29 | |
OHA-Jr| 112|59|56|115|142||.53|.50||

• career team records •
TorontoMaple Leafs (NHL) - games (7th) / playoff games (T5th) / goals (9th) / playoff goals (T9th) / GPG (T35th) / playoff GPG (T23rd) / assists (10th) / playoff assists (T16th) / APG (T45th) / playoff APG (T34th) / points (8th) / playoff points (11th) / points/G (T42nd) / playoff points/G (T26th) / PIMs (22nd) / playoff PIMs (11th)
Toronto Marlboros (OHA-Jr) - Hall of Fame (2008)

• Accolades •

"He is one of the most complete hockey players the game has produced in recent years and one of the hardest-working. He plays all facets of the game at both ends of the ice and he never lets up. He gives his best at all times. He is good and he is inspirational."

"Pulford is one of my private headaches because he has to be classed as one of hockey's greatest forecheckers. There's a deep knowledge of the game in his forechecking, hook, poke check, strength of arms, quickness, the whole bundle of wax."

Pulford starred with the Marlboros and helped the team win the Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions in 1954-55. The Marlies, a Maple Leaf-sponsored junior squad, included future Leafs XXXXX XXXXXX and Bob Baun. The Marlies won a second consecutive championship, earning the Memorial Cup again in 1955-56. Pulford's teammates included Harris, Baun, XXX XXXXX, Carl Brewer and future 'Hockey Night in Canada' broadcaster, Harry Neale. In that year's playoff, Pulford led all post-season scorers in goals (16) and points (24), accomplishing the feat in just 11 games.

With a nucleus of youth that included Pulford, Baun, Brewer and XXXXXX from the Marlboros, along with Dick Duff and Frank Mahovlich from Toronto's other junior squad, St. Mike's, the Maple Leafs finished second in 1959-60, 1960-61 and 1961-62. In the latter year, Toronto defeated the reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago Black Hawks to win hockey's greatest prize.

Toronto won three consecutive Stanley Cup championships, then added a fourth in 1966-67. Bob Pulford had played an integral role with the Maple Leafs as they grew from also-rans to victors. He was regarded as an outstanding two-way forward, responsible defensively yet able to score timely goals. "I plugged more and worked hard and got my share of goals," Bob says. "I think hard work can make up for a lot of things that a hockey player may lack.

His value to his teams couldn't be measured in stats. He reached the 20 goal plateau only four times and the 50 point plateau three times. Bob was considered one of the best fore-checkers in the NHL with a knack of scoring important goals. He thrived under pressure and was especially valuable during the playoffs when the checking got tougher.

Legendary Montreal coach Toe Blake was once asked who he would pick from the Toronto team if he could. Toe didn't pick Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon or Tim Horton, but he chose Bob, and when asked why, his simple explanation was, "He's the heart of that hockey club."

Many wonder why Bob Pulford is in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player. Well his 1964 playoff performance undoubtedly has a lot to do with it. The Pulford [Line] held the vaunted Jean Beliveau - Boom Boom Geoffrion - XXXX XXXXXXXX line of the first place Canadiens to only three goals in seven games in round one. In round two he put an end to the brilliant scoring run by Norm Ullman of Detroit, whose line had four goals in the seven games against the Leafs. Pulford was the Leafs star in a 3-2 loss to Montreal, scoring both goals including one shorthanded. He was mentioned as one of the Leafs best players in three of the other games against Montreal for his hard checking and brilliant penalty-killing. In addition to his game one heroics he had two goals and one assist as Toronto won 4-3 in overtime in game six. He had his third short-handed marker in that one and set up the famous overtime marker to take game six.

The man who should know says the goal that gave Toronto Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead in games in their best-of-seven Stanley Cup series with Detroit Red Wings was a "perfect play." Bob Pulford scored with just two seconds remaining in regulation time to give Toronto a 3-2 win before 14,0745 fans in the Maple Leafs Gardens Saturday night. Red Wings ace Gordie Howe, the all-time scoring leader in NHL playoff competition, described Pulford's unassisted breakaway goal as "a perfect play".

"Bob Pulford is known in the trade as a hockey player's hockey player. It's a rating that any National Hockey Leaguer would trade a few bushels of headlines for. It means that in goals for and goals against (by his covers), he's always on the plus side. Or, to put it more plainly, he's a hard working, two-way player. A coach with a team of such forwards wouldn't have a worry in the world."

"Bob Pulford is a piece man. Any time he's near you he gets a piece of you. He's possibly the most combative of the modern players".

"....the most dangerous of the Leafs".

"He can play havoc with our club when he wants to. I would like to have him."

[after Pulford scored more goals in the Memorial Cup playoffs than he did in the longer regular season] "It was indicative of his chips-down ability and marked him as born for the NHL. His fireball attitude in the dressing room was also typical of major league performers. He by-passed minor league pro hockey, went straight to the Leafs and stayed up; I'm glad because oddly, he might not have done so well in the minor pros".

Conn Smythe, still managing director of the Maple Leafs when Pulford and a strong crop of juniors joined the team, grumbled that you couldn't serve two masters by both attending school and playing professional hockey. But a large number of players, including Carl Brewer, Dick Duff, XXXXX XXXXXX, XXX XXXXX and Pulford, did both, and did so admirably. "After I turned pro, I attended night school and went to McMaster in the summer until I got my degree," Pulford explains. "I don't buy the argument that hockey prevents a boy from continuing his education. More players are coming out of the American schools all the time." It took Bob seven years of off-time study, but in 1963, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in economics and history, from the Hamilton university.

"My story is this, a Canadian kid who can play the game well is the luckiest kid in the world. There is no limit."

 

[Velociraptor]

Craig MacTavish, C

Position: Centre
HT/WT: 6'1", 195 lbs
Handedness: Left
Nickname(s): "Mac T"
Born: August 15th, 1958 in London, ON

- 4-time Stanley Cup Champion (1987, 1988, 1990, 1994)
- killed 48% of his teams penalties.
- Last player in NHL History to play without a helmet.
- scored 213 goals and 267 assists for 480 points in 1093 games, adding 891 penalty minutes.
- scored 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points in 193 playoff games, adding 218 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Shorthanded Goals - 3x - (3, 8, 8)

Voting Record:

Selke Trophy Voting:

4th (89-90), 9th (90-91), 11th (91-92), 19th (87-88), 22nd (92-93), 24th (86-87)

Quotes

He's a good skater and to me he's the kind of player you can't say no to. He's a player who doesn't come along every day.

It was nice to see him get a couple right away. As hard as you work in this game, like Craig does, you need some breaks. I think those goals will give him confidence. He's always had a great camp for us. This year he really thought his job was in jeopardy. We had something like nine left wingers in camp - it was no secret that we were looking for someone to score. But Craig came out of it all right. He never said a word, never got depressed. He just kept working.

Legends of Hockey

Center Craig MacTavish played nearly 1,100 NHL games between 1979 and 1997. He was a tenacious checker and team leader who could also be dangerous in the offensive zone. The hard-nosed competitor was the last player in the NHL to ply his trade without a helmet. He entered the 2001-02 in his second year at the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers.

Born in London, Ontario, MacTavish spent two years at The University of Lowell, a Division II school in Massachusetts where he was an all-American in 1979. He was taken 153rd overall by the Boston Bruins in 1978 and recorded 28 points in 46 games as a rookie in 1979-80 after starting the year in the AHL. Over the next two seasons, the young pivot spent more time in the minors working on his overall game. He returned in 1982-83 as a solid checker and penalty killer and helped the club reach the semifinals.

The veteran pivot's ability to win face-offs and keep his cool in big games helped the Blueshirts win their first Stanley Cup since 1940. MacTavish split his last two seasons between the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues before retiring in 1997

Greatest Hockey Legends

"Mac T" proved to be an irreplaceable asset for the Oilers as he pivoted the checking line for close to 9 seasons and 3 Stanley Cup championships. He was also named as the Oilers captain from 1992 until 1994. Although his job was to do check the opposition so guys like Gretzky and Messier could light up the scoreboard, MacTavish posted some pretty decent numbers too. A strong skater, he scored 20 goals in 4 different seasons. MacTavish was a strong body checker, shot blocker and a great face-off specialist.

Toronto Star - May 17, 1987

The Red Wings shut down Gretzky, but that left them vulnerable to the powerful Messier. Craig MacTavish may be the best third line centre in the NHL. He's having an excellent playoff.

Great Moments: Flyers Battle to Brink of 1987 Stanley Cup

Beyond that formidable group, Edmonton boasted the likes of frequent 40-to-50 goal scorer Glenn Anderson, two-way talent and mega-pest Esa Tikkanen, solid defensemen Kevin Lowe and Charlie Huddy, shutdown center and top faceoff man Craig MacTavish and one of the toughest enforcers in NHL history in Marty McSorley

Ottawa Citizen - Feb. 13, 1985

Glen Sather was blunt Tuesday when he explained the reasons for signing ex-Boston Bruin forward Craig MacTavish to a two-year contract with the Oilers. "I'm not a do-gooder. That wasn't the object here. He made a mistake and he's paid for his error, but I want him because he's a whale of a player.

Boston Globe - Oct. 1, 1982

But it quickly became apparent that he intended to make Boston his permanent address. In 46 games, he scored 11 goals and left the overwhelming impression that he'd be an offensive force in the future.

Washington Post - May 3, 1994

No, [Craig MacTavish] is neither an idiot, nor a fool. At 35, he is the elder statesman on this Rangers squad and he predates the mandatory helmet rule, enforced for players entering the league after 1979.

Because of his age and experience, the Rangers grabbed MacTavish from the Edmonton Oilers in a March 21 trade for Todd Marchant. While with Edmonton, MacTavish had played with a number of current Rangers, including star center Mark Messier, so he fit in smoothly. He brought with him leadership and hustle.

One of MacTavish's main assignments in the Rangers' best-of-seven, second-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals is to shadow Capitals center Joe Juneau, a deft playmaker who rang up 19 goals and 66 assists this season.

New York Times - May 2, 1994

The rest, Leetch said, is just "common sense." Noonan, one of four players obtained at the trade deadline, scored his first at 16:28 of the first period, breaking a 1-1 tie, after some aggressive forechecking by Craig MacTavish, who forced the play along the right wing boards, followed the puck to the left side and outmuscled Juneau for it.

Philadelphia Inquirer - Sep. 23, 1995

Center Craig MacTavish will be out of action for about 2 1/2 weeks because of arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle, Flyers coach Terry Murray said yesterday. MacTavish, a 15-year veteran who specializes in killing penalties, injured his ankle in July when he stepped awkwardly off a curb.

thehockeyguys.net

The career of Craig MacTavish could be summed up in one word: brilliant. He made use of the limited skills he possessed and turned it into a lengthy stay at the worlds top league. He then took those skills he had and carried them out over his 19 season on the ice.

...

Not only did he realize his offensive side with the Oilers, scoring 23 goals his first season their (the most of his career) but he would demonstrate his faceoff and backchecking skills as well.