ATD 2015 Bio Thread

[Hawkey Town 18]

Brent Sutter

Shot: Right
Height: 6’0â€
Weight: 192 lbs

Selke: 4, 5, 8, t-10, t-11, 13, t-16, t-17

All Star Voting: 4

Stanley Cup: 1982, 1983

Best on Best Team Canada: 1984, 1987, 1992

Scoring in Canada Cups: 25 GP – 6 G – 6 A – 12 Pts

Captain New York Islanders: 1987-88 to 1991-92

Top 10’s NHL Points: 10th

Brent wasn't any different from his five brothers. He possessed the same trademarks as all of them. To sum up the Sutter brothers there are a few words that immediately comes to mind. Persistence, heart, leadership, grinder, mucker, fighter, team-player and winner. Most of the qualities that any player needs comes to mind when we think of a Sutter.

Duane, Brent's older brother (No.3 on the Sutter tree) personified a Sutter when he said:

"The way we've been taught to play hockey is to give everything we've got for each shift. We go out there to do our jobs all over the ice and, if we score or set up a goal, great. But we don't build our games around scoring."

Indeed, the Sutters never put personal achievements ahead of the team. Brent was no exception. He played for the Red Deer Rustlers in the AJHL between 1977-80 where he scored 285 points in 179 games. He then played for the Lethbridge Broncos where he scored 280 points in only 101 games.

By 1981-82 Brent was a regular on the Stanley Cup champions, playing 43 games during the regular season and was an instant success, scoring a point per game, including 21 goals while at the same time collecting 114 PIMs playing feisty in your face "Sutter type" of hockey. He and linemates Duane Sutter and Clark Gillies were one of the top lines heading into the playoffs, but after Brent made a rookie mistake he was bench for much of the playoffs. He spent most of his time sitting on the bench while taking the occasional shift on the 4th line until the final 2 games of the Stanley Cup finals. It was a great learning experience for Brent.

In 1982-83 Brent had a more defensive role and scored 40 points during the regular season. But then in the 1983 playoffs Brent played on a line with brother Duane and speedster Bob Bourne and they formed the best line of the playoffs. Together they scored a fine 70 points, including 27 goals, in 20 games. Brent himself had 10 goals and 21 points in the 20 games, and was taking many of the key faceoffs for the Isles. This line was a big reason why the Islanders won their fourth straight Cup.

In 1983-84 Brent scored 34 goals and played another Cup final. This time the NY Islanders lost to Edmonton though, ending perhaps the most impressive dynasty in all of hockey.

Brent's fine play won him a tryout for the 1984 Canada Cup team. Oldest brother Brian was also invited but was eventually one of the last players cut from the team, something that Glen Sather later said was one of the hardest things he ever had to do, to tell a hardworking guy like Brian that he was cut from the team.

Brent made the team and formed one of the best lines of the tournament together with his NY Islanders teammates Mike Bossy and John Tonelli, who was the Canada Cup MVP that year. Canada won the Canada Cup, making Brent's early career accomplishments nothing short of sensational. Two Stanley Cups, three trips to the finals and one Canada Cup victory after only three seasons. Brent would go on to win another two Canada Cup titles in 1987 and 1991.

Al Arbour who was very impressed with the lines play in the Canada Cup left the line intact at the start of the 1984-85 season. The line continued with their torrid pace throughout the season. Sniper Mike Bossy had 117 points, John Tonelli, the tenacious left winger had 100 points and Brent Sutter chipped in with a career high 102 points including 42 goals in 72 games despite the fact that his shoulder was separated at the tail end of the year.

That season was Brent's finest from an offensive standpoint. Brent's consistency was remarkable and the following seasons he had 55, 63, 60, 63, 68 and 53 points for the Islanders despite nagging shoulder injuries. He would become the Islanders team captain in 1987.

Brent scored a total of 60 points that 91-92 season and helped Chicago reach the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 21 seasons. Chicago eventually lost to Mario Lemieux and the powerful Penguins in four straight games.

Brent's scoring exploits tailed off soon thereafter, however he continued his defensive excellence. He drew the major checking assignments and took all of the crucial face-offs.

Brent truly was a leader wherever he played. Everybody looked up to him. Often he played hurt but he still worked harder than anyone else on the team. He never quit, no matter what the score was. In each and every of his 1111 regular season games and 144 playoff games he played his heart out in typical Sutter fashion, making his parents, brothers, teammates and millions of hockey fans proud of a hockey player who at all times put his team ahead of himself.

Brent played the classic "Sutter" game, but he was likely the one who took the family business to the highest level.

Brent also played for Team Canada as a member of the notorious Kamikaze Line along with Rick Tocchet. "I might not score as often as I once did," he said modestly later in his career, "but other areas of my game are better than when I was younger." Hawks coach Craig Hartsburg once described Brent's style of play: "He does all the little things that need to be done for a team to be successful." That sums up the Sutter family recipe for success on the farm and on the ice.

Toronto Star Coaches’ Poll, February 13, 1993
Best Defensive Forward: Tied 4th (behind Gilmour, Otto, Francis, tied with Graham)
Best Faceoff Man: 1 vote

1989-90 THN Yearbook “The Book of Listsâ€
Top Faceoff Players: 6th (behind Otto, Messier, Carbonneau, Sundstrom, Ron Sutter)

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Henrik Lundqvist

Catches: Left
Height: 6’1â€
Weight: 188 lbs

Vezina Record: 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6, 6*
*only received 1 vote
(for those that are thinking big market media bias, please remember that the Vezina is voted on by the GM's not the media)

Hart Record: 3, 9, 14

2005 Swedish Elite League MVP

2004 WC All Star Team

NYR Team MVP: 7x (07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13)

Olympics Starting Goaltender Team Sweden: Gold Medal (2006), Silver Medal (2014), Did Not Medal (2010)


Top 10’s
SV%: 4, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10
GAA: 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 8, 8
Wins: 1, 3, 4, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10
Shutouts: 1, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7*
Games Played: 2, 2, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6
*Current season

Assets: Excels under pressure. Has great anticipation and can make spectacular saves look routine. Extremely competitive, he has performed at a very high level in just about every league or tournament he's played in. Takes away most of the bottom of the net and has spectacular lateral movement.

Flaws: Can be beaten upstairs by NHL shooters, since he is usually very deep in his crease to take away the lower part of the net. Can also wear down if overused. Doesn't move as quickly when leaving the crease as some elite netminders.

Career Potential: Elite workhorse goaltender.

(Several Quotes from BillyShoe1721)

Lundqvist is considered a butterfly style goalie, though unorthodox because of the aggressive way he performs the butterfly. He is best known for his sensational quickness, athleticism and strong positional play.

By the second month of his second season, Lundqvist had already made a name for himself among the hockey world, his fellow players and the Ranger fans. Because of his spectacular athletic ability and work ethic, he earned the nickname, "The King". "King Henrik" is the other alternative.

Lundqvist is the all time leader among goaltenders, and eleventh overall of all players, in games played for the Swedish national junior's ice hockey team.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrik_Lundqvist

In the fall of 2005, Lundqvist made his NHL debut with the Rangers and was instrumental in leading his team to the post season.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=19762

The New York Rangers are on top of the Eastern Conference standings, and there is no way they would be there without the stellar play of goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

The Rangers are eighth in the Eastern Conference and 13th in the NHL in goals scored per game with 2.67, but have a comfortable lead in the standings because of the stellar play of "King Henrik."

There are some who say goalies should not get much support for league MVP, and no netminder has won the award since Jose Theodore in 2002. But anyone who has watched Lundqvist play this year knows he is one of the best in the game at any position and that the Rangers would be nowhere near the top of the Eastern Conference without his contributions.

http://*******************/articles...dqvist-among-favorites-in-nhl-mvp-race/page/3

Henrik Lundqvist plays behind a weaker overall defence than Thomas does as the Rangers do not have any defenceman on the level of Zdeno Chara. A Boston goalie has led the NHL in saves percentage for the last three seasons before this year and that is a testament to the Bruin defence. Lundqvist is on pace to play 61 games this season. That is more than the 57 games Thomas played. Lundqvist is on pace to break Thomas’s saves percentage record from last season. Henrik Lundqvist will hold the record for the highest saves percentage ever.

Henrik Lundqvist is having an MVP season. He is having an outstanding year with the New York Rangers. If you believed that Tim Thomas should have been in the MVP race last year, you should believe the same about Lundqvist because he is having an even better regular season statistically.

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/psh/comments/mvp_so_far_this_season4/

The franchise goalie plays in his third NHL All-Star Game today — joined by teammates Marian Gaborik and Dan Girardi as well as coach John Tortorella — and likely will be named the Rangers' MVP for a sixth straight season.

"I think it calms us to see that he's so in control of what he's doing," defenseman Steve Eminger said. "He's not an arrogant or cocky guy. He's confident in himself and I think that confidence rubs off on us."

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/138280364_Henrik_perfect_guy_for_the_job.html?c=y&page=3

In leading the Rangers to a sweep of the Thrashers, goalie Henrik Lundqvist deserved to be treated like royalty

AMONG THE scores of Swedish kings of the past 1,000 years, there have been Sverker the Older, Erik the Lisp and Lame, and six fellows named Gustav, but Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is the first King Henrik. The title was bestowed by the New York Post following some spectacular performances early last season. In this year's playoffs, after allowing only six goals in New York's four-game rout of the Thrashers (the Rangers' first postseason series victory since 1997), Lundqvist has proved that he's worthy of the designation, but a lingering question is the actual size of King Henrik's realm.

The NHL's most underrated goalie, Lundqvist might be the toast of Broadway—and, as Rangers goaltending coach Benoit Allaire contends, among the top five netminders in the league—but at times he seems to be the No. 3 goalie in the metropolitan area. To the west is the Devils' Martin Brodeur, who is on his way to becoming the winningest goalie in NHL history, and to the east is flamboyant Islanders goalie-for-life Rick DiPietro, whose frenetic style sometimes gives him more the appearance of a court jester.

"You rate guys over a career and a body of work," veteran Rangers winger Brendan Shanahan says. "But as far as the present, he's playing as well as anybody I've ever played with."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1110947/index.htm

...the irrefutable MVP of a dominant Rangers squad this season...

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/hockey/post/_/id/7807/lundqvist-out-vs-crosby-pens

By most accounts, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is a lock to win his first Vezina Trophy. He leads the league in save percentage and shutouts, ranks second in goals-against average and is the single biggest reason why the Rangers are among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2012/03/around_the_nhl_rangers_henrik.html

For most of this season, Flyers fans have been watching with frustration as Henrik Lundqvist was having an MVP season for the New York Rangers. Lundqvist looked to be unstoppable as he helped the Rangers race to the best record in the league.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ycn-11099604

Not every year is there a goaltender worthy of even being thrown into the Hart Trophy mix, but this season Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers isn't just in the conversation, one could easily make the case he's the front-runner.

King Henrik hasn't posted a season with less than 30 wins and he's been a consistent strength of the Rangers throughout his career.

As the Rangers sit pretty atop the Eastern Conference, Lundqvist has been the backbone of a New York team looking for their first Stanley Cup since 1994. In 42 starts, Lundqvist has posted 27 wins, a 1.77 goals-against average, .941 save-percentage, and seven shutouts.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...ik-lundqvist-hart-trophy-front-193227911.html

2014 Playoffs

With the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings left standing in the Stanley Cup final, a few players have emerged as Conn Smythe Trophy favourites.
The final four to seven games will have a lot to do with who wins MVP honours. But unlike other pro sports, this isn’t an award determined only by the final game or series.

Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers
Lundqvist is reason No. 1 why the Rangers are in the Cup final. He has a sparkling 2.03 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. He has allowed two or fewer even-strength goals in 17 of 20 starts, and New York won 12 of those games. How Lundqvist goes, the Rangers go, and if he’s good enough in this series he could win it even if the Kings are champions.

Looking to put a cap on business with New York in Game 4 of this Stanley Cup Final series, the Kings laid out a more than admirable effort Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The difference was the man between the pipes for New York.

The Kings had just about total control over the Rangers’ game Wednesday evening. They played simple, disciplined hockey, and dictated the pace while possessing the puck throughout the majority of the game. The one thing they couldn’t direct, or beat, was Henrik Lundqvist.

The Kings fired away for 41 shots Wednesday night, including a merciless onslaught in the third period, but were stonewalled by New York’s goaltender just as the Rangers were with Jonathan Quick in Game 3.

“He played very well for them tonight,†Drew Doughty told reporters following the game regarding Lundqvist’s performance. “He came up with some big saves at some big times. We knew that he was going to play like this every game. We need to get more bodies in front of him. We need to bury our rebounds, and pucks are layng behind home, those have to go in too.â€

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

(Credit Most of this to EagleBelfour and Leafs Forever)

Roy Conacher, LW

Height: 6'1''
Weight: 175 lbs
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Date of Birth: October 05, 1916
Place of Birth: Toronto, Canada
Date of Death: December 29, 1984 (Age: 68)

Stanley Cup Champion (1939, 1941)
First All-Star Team Left Wing (1949)
Stanley Cup Game Winning Goal (1939)
Art Ross Trophy (1949)
Maurice Richard Trophy (1939)
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1998)

Top-10 Scoring (1st, 6th, 7th, 10th, 10th, 10th)
Top-10 Goalscoring (1st, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th)
Top-10 Assist (2nd, 8th)
Top-10 Playoff Scoring (3rd, 4th, 7th)
Top-10 Playoff Goalscoring (2nd, 4th)
Top-10 Playoff Assist (3rd, 6th, 7th)
Calder Finalist (2nd)
Top-10 Hart Nomination (3rd, 8th)
Top-10 Lady Bing Finalist (3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th)
Team Scoring Leader (1942, 1949, 1950, 1951)
Team Goalscoring Leader (1939, 1941, 1942, 1947, 1949, 1951)
All Star Voting: 1, 3, 5, 5(RW)


- Roy was very close with his twin brother, Bert. A fantastic hockey player himself, Bert lost the vision in his left eye at age 16.
- As a rookie in 1939, Conacher led the league in goalscoring, a feat only accomplished again by Teemu Selanne in 1993
- In 1982, Barry Perderson beat Roy Conacher's 24 goals rookie-season record for the Boston Bruins
- From 1939 to 1942, he scored more goals than every player but Bryan Hextall Sr.
- Roy lost 4 years of hockey due to World War II
- When he return from the War, from 1947 to 1951, he was third in goals and points, only behind Maurice Richard and Ted Lindsay
- During the years he was in the NHL (1939-42 and 1947-51), Conacher was the league's highest scoring player
- Roy scored more goals in the NHL than his brother Charlie
- In 1988, Mario Lemieux became the first scoring champion on a non-playoff team since Roy Conacher in 1949
- Roy Conacher and his brother Charlie are the only brother combination in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy
- Roy, Lionel and Charlie are the only three brothers in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

While not as well-known as his two older brothers, Lionel and Charlie, Roy Gordon Conacher was an excellent hockey player in his own right.

Like the other Conacher boys, Roy was a big man, through slimmer than his brothers. He was a sure stick-handlerwith a sharp, heavy shot, the trademark of the hockey-playing Conachers.

Peak Years 1939-43
In a Word SHOOTER

He was a big man like his brothers but somewhat slimmer. He was an excellent stickhandler with a terrific shot.

Roy, quiet and modest about his talents, may have been the most naturally gifted hockey player in the family.

He began skating earlier than his brothers and was therefore much smoother on the ice. He combined speed with strength and was a resourceful goal scorer.

At the age of 22, he was put on the Beantown roster, playing on the left wing alongside center Bill Cowley, a future Hall of Famer whose style meshed perfectly with the talented Conacher's goal-scoring touch and ability to anticipate plays.

Conacher, with all that natural talent easing his transition from his military break.

Roy Conacher entered the NHL in 1938-39 and immediately made an impact. As a rookie he led the entire NHL in goals with 26 and also helped his Boston Bruins capture the Stanley Cup. Conacher would help to duplicate the Beantown Cup Championship again in 1941 but then saw his career put on hold due to World War II.

Conacher enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was stationed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and later Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for a total of 3 years. He played a total of 27 senior games as an amateur in that time, scoring 23 goals in a fairly competitive league which featured other pro-hockey players who were also stationed in the area for military service.

Following the end of the war Conacher returned to Boston but only played in 4 games in 1945-46. The following season he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings where he scored a career high 30 goals and 54 points. However a contract dispute saw Roy on his way out again, this time to the Chicago Blackhawks (he was initially traded to the New York Americans but refused to go to the Big Apple). Conacher enjoyed 4 fine seasons with the Hawks, none finer than the 1948-49 campaign when he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer.

The Bruins are tops this season because of the three most spectacular first-year players in the league—Goalie Frankie Brimsek, Defenseman Jack Crawford and Wing Roy Conacher.

Art Ross's other prize performer was 22-year-old Roy Conacher, brother of famed Pucksters Charley and Lionel. Throughout the season Roy has pounded home 22 goals, has the experts saying he might be even better than either Charley or Lionel.

- ''My biggest mistake as a coach and general manager was trading Roy Conacher.'' - Art Ross

Tough Breaking In
Some of the Conacher Boys Friends were a little sad when they heard Art Ross commissioned Roy for his great Boston machine. The boy had to fit pretty hefty company, they pointed out. Lionel had a reputation as a great all-around athlete when he came to the league with Pittsburgh at the age of 25, while Charlie though only 20 made a good name for himself in the amateur ranks.

Roy was just another good Toronto senior- a professional prospect, no more.

So Roy showed them by becoming the forward-line find of the year. He may never be the great two-way player that Lionel was or the actual scoring menace that Charlie was in his hey-day. But you've got to hand it to him for doing what no one expected.[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by The Milwaukee Journal- Jan 5, 1949

The National Hockey League has a new individual scoring leader- Roy Conacher, hard driving right wing of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The youngest member of hockey's Conachers picked up five points last week to replace line mate, Doug Bentley.

The third member of Chicago's high scoring line- Jim Conacher, no relation to Roy- is third.

Note on his right-wing is confirmed by Edmonton Journal Jan 5, 1949


Sites:
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=P199801#photo
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/ind98.htm
http://blackhawkslegends.blogspot.com/2008/04/roy-conacher.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,789520,00.html
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PpZNkkBkZE&feature=player_embedded
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/Lege...ayer&list=&page=video&mem=p199801&bw=hi#photo
Audio:
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/media/conacher.wav

 

[BillyShoe1721]

C Don McKenney

VsX Scores: 86, 83, 83, 82, 70, 65, 57, 54, 53, 47 (7 year avg. 75.8)
7x AS Game Participant
4x Top 10 Goals (6, 7, 10, 10)
2x Top 10 Assists (1, 6)
4x Top 10 Points (7, 8, 8, 10)
1x Stanley Cup Champion
3x Top 10 AS Voting (3, 5, 7)
9th Hart Trophy Voting, 1958-59
Boston Bruins Captain, 1961-63
1959-69 Lady Byng Winner

Tall and rangy, he was a clean and elegant center, winner of the 1960 Lady Byng Memorial trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player. He was noted for his excellence at both ends of the ice. He was a polished offensive talent, known for good speed and play-making ability. He was equally as brainy while defending, relying on great anticipation skills and strong positioning.

http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2011/12/don-mckenney-beautiful-bruin.html

Don McKenney's clean, elegant style gained formal recognition among the NHL elite, when awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1960 as the player adjudged to have shown the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high level of performance in play. McKenney's distinguished frontline presence, an exemplar of white collar finesse, ensured several inclusions among the Lady Byng award finalists during his years in Boston.

Don McKenney's seemingly nonchalant stance and slick brand of maneuvering, individualistic traits of a flashy and dashing marauder, coalesced with the more defensive minded qualities of a versatile team player, such as effective checking skills and positional acuity. "The Quiet Producer" excelled on both the power play and periodically, the penalty killing special units. A natural centreman with a good face-off record, rangy number 17 patrolled left wing in select instances.

Often critically at odds with a faction of the Boston Garden faithful, McKenney's phlegmatic manner stood in contrast to the rugged, hard hitting image traditionally associated with the Boston Bruins. His lanky demeanor gave the deceptive impression of a fragile player; Don "Slip" McKenney was in fact a solid and steady performer, appearing in 266 consecutive games amid his halcyon period with the Black and Gold. As a study in savvy stoicism befitting his reserved, self-possessed nature, Donald Hamilton McKenney eschewed serious injuries and consequently, missed few matches throughout his NHL career.

A sterling talent gifted with elusive speed and prescient mobility, Don McKenney's sleek playmaking dexterity proved him a tactically inventive strategist on attack. The high flying raider led an early version of the fast charging, open breakaway Torpedo system, the exciting mode of hockey later adapted by the Swedish national hockey team. The polished Bostonian comprised, along with the vaunted Uke line, an integral cornerstone of the Bruins' prolific offense of the late 1950s.

Don McKenney ascended to Boston's spearhead in goals scored during four seasons and the vanguard of Bruins' total points for three years. The clever triggerman finished among the NHL top 10 scoring leaders on four occasions and appeared in seven All Star games. Along with a centreman's flair for feathered passes and cagey drop feints, seminal elements of intricately designed plays, McKenney's deft scoring touch allied a lethal backhand shot with stealth like opportunism around the net, often in the form of subtle deflections.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_McKenney

A season later, he was summoned to play for the Boston Bruins where he quickly established himself as a smooth skater and slick playmaker. During his nine seasons in Boston, he topped the 20-goal level seven times.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13657

In the late 1950's and early 1960's, Don McKenney was regarded as an "untouchable" forward on the Boston Bruins. A center who could also play left wing, Don was a mild mannered skater who graduated to the pros...

McKenney played superbly in the 1964 Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points as Toronto won the cup.

https://books.google.com/books?id=w...=0CCEQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=don mckenney&f=false

McKenney quickly established himself as a good goalscorer and excellent playmaking center who could also play solid defensive hockey. He led the Bruins, and ranked 7th in the NHL with 60 points in 1956-57, and was a top 10 scorer again each of the next 3 years.

https://books.google.com/books?id=z...=0CC0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=don mckenney&f=false

Later on, Punch made a controversial deal with New York when he traded for Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney. Those two players were a big reason we won the cup in '64.

https://books.google.com/books?id=e...CC4Q6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=don mckenney&f=false

Frank Selke, general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, says Boston Bruins center Don McKenney should have been named to the National Hockey League All-Star Team.

"I would have voted for him as my center," Selke said. "He has done a tremendous job this year and he has been overlooked because he's playing with a last place club."

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=yP4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5665,2905144&hl=en

Utilizing his great speed, McKenney scored two goals and two assists for the home team which ended a four-game losing streak.

McKenney was a constant thorn in the side of the Blackhawks, who had lost only 2 of their previous 12 starts.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=9QAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5092,4980198&hl=en

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Evgeni Malkin, C

Shot: Left
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 195 lbs

Awards
Hart Voting: 1, 2, 2
AS Voting: 1, 1, 1
Conn Smythe: 2009
Ted Lindsay: 2012
WC MVP: 2012
WC Best Forward: 2012
WC All Star: 2007, 2010, 2012
Pittsburgh Penguins MVP: 2008, 2009, 2012

7-yr Vs.X non-weighted comparison to other modern Centers
Peter Forsberg: 90.3
Adam Oates: 90.0
Evgeni Malkin: 89.2
Mark Messier: 89.2
Peter Stastny: 87.9
Ron Francis: 87.4

Top 10’s
Points: 1, 1, 2
Goals: 2, 4
Assists: 1, 3, 6, 10
Points Per Game: 1, 2, 2, 3, 7, 8
Goals Per Game: 2, 6
Assists Per Game: 1, 2, 3, 6, 10, 10

Playoffs
96 GP – 42 G – 69 A – 111 Pts
Points: 1, 5, 6

Stanley Cup: 2009
WC: Gold (2012, 2014), Silver (2010), Bronze (2007, 2005)

Assets: Racks up points as well as anyone in the NHL when on his game. Has the ability to keep the puck on a string and sift through defenders. Is a monster talent that can play any forward position. Elevates his game when it matters most.

Flaws: Can struggle on face-offs. Isn't as dominant when he plays either wing position, since he is denied the puck more often along the wall. Takes bad penalties and is a little careless with the puck in the defensive zone.

Career Potential: Elite playmaker and scoring center.

Evgeni Malkin has been unstoppable ever since the Stanley Cup Playoffs began nearly two months ago.

It was in the way he hit, in the way he inspired teammates by working the corners and in the way he scored with such regularity that it became ridiculously routine. It was quite a turnaround for a player who appeared overwhelmed by his first trip to the Final last spring, when he had just 1 goal and 2 assists in Pittsburgh's six-game loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

Malkin proved to be a force when the Penguins needed him most this spring. He led all scorers in the Stanley Cup Final with eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in seven games and paced all scorers with 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) in 24 playoff games. It's the most points by any player since Wayne Gretzky had 40 for the Los Angeles Kings in the spring of 1993.

For his efforts, Malkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP Friday night after his Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made the announcement prior to handing the Stanley Cup to Pens captain Sidney Crosby.

Even before this year's playoffs began, forward Bill Guerin knew that Malkin was up to the challenge this spring.

"He told us before the playoffs started that he was going to lead us to the Stanley Cup," Guerin said. "That kid is an amazing competitor and amazing player. He has a lot of character and a lot of heart."

Malkin proved to everyone that he was a big-time performer when the stakes were highest. At 22, he's the third-youngest player to win the Conn Smythe and joins Gretzky, Guy Lafleur, Phil Esposito andMario Lemieux as the only players since 1968 to sweep the regular-season and playoff scoring titles in the same season. Malkin won the Art Ross Trophy after scoring a League-leading 113 points (35 goals, 78 assists) in 82 regular-season games.

"Geno's a loose guy, but at the same time he has the talent and the drive to kind of make those types of things happen," Pens defenseman Rob Scuderi said, using Malkin's nickname. "He was fantastic for us the entire playoffs, and I'm real glad that he got the Conn Smythe. After last year, he was pretty down about everything and it's nice to see him get all the way back."

During his team's playoff run in 2008, Malkin scored 10 goals and 22 points in 20 games. However, he struggled badly in the Final -- and his lack of production was a big reason the Pens lost to Detroit,

But that was then. This is now.

"He came back with a vengeance the entire season, and the playoffs were just unbelievable," Scuderi said.

"Do you need to talk about (Malkin's play in the postseason)?" defenseman Hal Gill said. "I think he sums it up every time he is on the ice. He plays a level above everyone."

In the final game of the season, Malkin was credited with the only assist on Max Talbot's first goal of the game at 1:13 of the second period after forcing a turnover deep in the Red Wings end. He saw just under 20 minutes of ice time, won 57 percent of his faceoffs on seven draws and blocked two shots. He finished the playoffs with 41 hits, a League-leading 27 takeaways and 104 shots on goal.

"He's been helping the team all season long and is just a workhorse," forward Miroslav Satan said. "His skills are just unbelievable and he always had a knack for knowing what was going to happen next. I'm really happy that he won the MVP."

Malkin had 12 multi-point games in the playoffs -- including six in a row at one point -- and had six points in his last five games against the Wings.

"He's very deserving of MVP," defenseman Mark Eaton said. "He's been phenomenal for us and here, in the Final, what he did is a testament to his will and his personality and he deserves all the accolades he gets."

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Sergei Makarov, RW

Shot: Left
Height: 5’8â€
Weight: 185 lbs

Awards
Soviet League MVP: 3x (1980, 1985, 1989)
Soviet MVP Voting: 1, 1, 1, 2*, 2*, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 8
Soviet League Most Points: 9x (1980-82, 1984-89)
Soviet League Most Goals: 3x (1980-81, 1989)
Soviet 1st Team AS: 10x (1979-88)**
Soviet Best Line: 8x (1981-1987, 1989)
CC AS Team: 1984,
Izvestia Golden Stick: 3x (1980, 1986, 1989)
WC Best Forward: 2x (1979, 1985)
WC All Star Team: 8x (1979, 1981-83, 1985-87, 1989)
WC Most Points: 3x (1983, 1985, 1986)
WC Most Goals: 2x (1979, 1983)

*Both 2nd place finishes were to Fetisov, so Makarov was the Top Forward vote getter 5x
**1979 + 1980 AS Team at LW

Canada Cup (1981, 1984, 1987)
22 GP – 16 G – 15 A – 31 Pts
Above equates to contributing to 31.31% of USSR’s goals (99 total)
All Star Team: 1984
NHL-USSR Super Series
18 GP – 9 G – 10 A – 19 Pts

World Championships
101 GP – 56 G – 67 A – 123 Pts

Olympics
22 GP – 11 G – 17 A – 28 Pts

WC: Gold-8, Silver-1, Bronze-2
Olympics: Gold-2, Silver-1
Soviet League Championship: 11

Sergei Makarov enjoyed a good NHL career, but his legacy should not be judged by his North American career.

Makarov's greatest feats occurred during the 1980's when he played for the communist regime in the old Soviet Union. Because of that regime and the ever existent Cold War, we rarely saw Makarov play other than at world championships, Olympics, Canada Cups and NHL exhibitions. Because of the political and social settings we were raised to hate him, yet secretly we marveled at his awesome skills.

Makarov was a crazy legged skater, blessed with dazzling speed and agility. He was as dangerous of a one-on-one player as there ever has been, emulating the bold and sudden dashes of his idol Valeri Kharlamov. He had a laser of a shot and as much of a goal scorer's mentality as the Soviet system allowed. But he was every bit as lethal with his great passing game, be it short give-and-goes or impossible breakout passes.

He played 11 years for CSKA Moscow of the Soviet league with his team winning the league title each season. He also participated in 3 Winter Olympic Games and 11 World Championships and has been a member of 13 gold medal-winning teams: Canada Cup (1981), World Jr. Championships (1977, 1978), Olympics (1984, 1988), World Championships (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990).

An 11-time Soviet National League All-Star and 8-time World Championship First-Team All-Star, Makarov also was a 2-time winner of the "Gold Stick" award as the outstanding player in Europe.

Makarov's greatest honor from his playing days in the U.S.S.R. would be his placing among 23 others as a Masters of Sport in Russia, an honor equivalent to Hall of Fame selection.

Here's a look at Sergei Makarov's career stats prior to joining the National Hockey League: 519 league games; 322 goals, 388 assists for 710 points. Keep in mind that this is just Soviet League games and does not include Olympic or World Championship games where Makarov and his linemates shone brightest. Makarov scored 189 goals in 315 games in 14 seasons with the Soviet national team.

Sergei Makarov was the greatest right winger in all of Europe during the 1980s, and the late Valeri Kharlamov's heir as the Soviet's most electrifying and deadly weapon. Together with linemates Igor Larionov and Vladimir Krutov, Makarov was a magnificent player, as good as anyone in the world, except maybe Canada's Wayne Gretzky. The KLM Line was certainly the top line in all of hockey in the 1980s, and perhaps the most awesome offensive trio ever.

The fall of Iron Curtain allowed Makarov, along with linemates Larionov, Krutov, and defense partners Fetisov and Kasatonov amongst others to leave the Central Red Army and pursue a career elsewhere in 1989, and the NHL was waiting. Although they all came in their twilight of their careers, all have had varying success in the NHL. Despite being under an intense microscope, Makarov made the immediate adjustment the easiest of all the old Russian players, as he would score 24 goals and 62 assists with the Calgary Flames in 1989-90, earning him the Calder trophy as the NHL's best first year player.

Despite being critical of North America's dump-and-chase game as compared to the Soviet's intricate passing and puck control game, he would go on to put up impressive statistics for 4 more years before age caught up with him. Other than 4 lonely games in Dallas, Makarov finished his NHL career in San Jose, playing on the "ov line" with Igor Larionov and Swedish player Johan Garpenlov.

Sergei Makarov electrifying speed and stickhandling terrorized Canadian hockey fans for most of the 1980s, which is why he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2001. When he joined the NHL people doubted he could do it against NHL competition over an 80 game schedule. Despite some tough circumstances, Makarov proved them otherwise. Yet it is not his NHL career that earns him his place as a one the Greatest Hockey Legends.

Chelyabinsk native Sergei Makarov was a masterful one-on-one player with magical hands who could make the most incredible moves. He always put up big numbers regardless of what linemates he played with.

Makarov became the best right wing in Europe. After the tragic death of Kharlamov he became the successor of this great player. His marvellous stick handling, unbelievable speed and scoring instinct made him one of Coach Name Omitted’s most dangerous weapons. He became assistant captain and silenced the criticism of the past.

The 21-year-old Makarov had been creating mayhem from the beginning of the game, and indeed, from the beginning of the Olympics. If his teammates weren't playing with urgency, he sure was.

He was a relentless offensive machine that never quit.

Tikhonov had a new Kharlamov. He was elastic-legged Sergei Makarov. Though not quite capable of the electricity generated by the bold and sudden dashes of Kharlamov, the lantern-jawed Makarov had the Russian right stuff. There was no better lateral skater in hockey. He dazzled as a one-on-one player and he had the prerequisite of all the best passers in the game – rink-wide eyes.

Sergei Makarov was among the best players of his age group in the NHL

He came to the NHL in 1989-90, at age 31, a little bit past his prime (steve141's numbers above prove he was falling off in international play a bit before coming over). And despite having to adapt to a completely different style of play, he was the top age 31+ scorer in the NHL:

Top scorers in the NHL 1989-90 to 1991-92 (age 31+)

1. Sergei Makarov 226 GP 76-159-235
2. Joe Mullen 202 GP 95-100-195
3. Peter Stastny 217 GP 71-124-195

http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=points

Top scorers in the NHL 1989-90 to 1993-94 (age 31+)

1. Sergei Makorov 377 GP 124-236-360
2. Joe Mullen 358 GP 166-169-335
3. Wayne Gretzky 200 GP 85-231-316 (first 2 seasons of the time frame omitted as he's 2 years younger, 3 seasons of Gretzky > 5 seasons of anyone else, lol)

http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=points

He was one of the top age 30+ scorers (despite this including players a year younger)

Top scorers in the NHL 1989-90 to 1991-92 (age 30+)

1. Wayne Gretzky 152 GP 72-212-284 (first season of the time frame omitted as he was 29)
2. Mike Gartner 234 GP 134-102-236 (1 year younger than Makarov)
3. Sergei Makarov 226 GP 76-159-235
4. Joe Mullen 202 GP 95-100-195
5. Peter Stastny 217 GP 71-124-195

http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=points

Top scorers in the NHL 1989-90 to 1993-94 (age 30+)

1. Wayne Gretzky 278 GP 126-353-479 (first season of the time frame omitted as he was 29)
2. Mike Gartner 399 GP 213-155-368 (1 year younger than Makarov)
3. Sergei Makorov 377 GP 124-236-360

Followed by Bourque, Messier, and Mullen.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/pla...val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=points

Makarovs peak is as previously mentioned in this thread pretty hard to point out because of his long period of dominance. What I consider to be his extended peak however is the period between the 1983 world championship and the 1986 world championship so from the spring of 83 to the spring of 86. During this period he performed very well internationally winning the scoring title at 3 straight world championships and made the all-star team at the 1984 Canada Cup. He also won his domestic scoring titles with very big margins.

83/84
1. Sergei Makarov 44 gp, 36 g, 37 a, 73 pts
2. Vladimir Krutov 44 gp, 37 g, 20 a, 57 pts 0.219
3. Nikolai Drozdetsky, 44 gp, 31 g, 20 a, 51 pts 0.301

84/85
1. Sergei Makarov 40 gp, 26 g, 39 a, 65 pts
2. Vladimir Krutov 40 gp, 23 g, 30 a, 53 pts 0.185
3. Helmuts Balderis 39 gp, 31 g, 20 a, 51 pts 0.215

85/86
1. Sergei Makarov 40 gp, 30 g, 32 a, 62 pts
2. Igor Larionov 40 gp, 21 g, 31 a, 52 pts 0.161
3. Vladimir Krutov 40 gp, 31 g, 17 a, 48 pts 0.226

He also dominated the NHL-players he faced at the World Championships with pretty big margins during this period.

1983:
Makarov: 10 GP, 9g, 9a, 18p
Dionne: 10 GP, 6g, 3a, 9p
Goulet: 10 GP, 1g, 8a, 9p
Propp: 10 GP, 4g, 4a, 8p
Gainey: 10 GP, 0g, 6a, 6p
Gartner: 10 GP, 4g, 1a, 5p
Taylor: 10 GP, 1g, 4a, 5p
Sittler: 10 GP, 3g, 1a, 4p
Stevens: 10 GP, 0g, 2a, 2p

1985:
Makarov: 10 GP, 9g, 5a, 14p
Lemieux: 9 GP, 4g, 6a, 10p
Murphy: 10 GP, 2g, 6a, 8p
Yzerman: 10 GP, 3g, 4a, 7p
Francis: 10 GP, 2g, 5a, 7p
Taylor: 10 GP, 3g, 2a, 5p
Stevens: 8 GP, 1g, 2a, 3p
Nicholls: 10 GP, 0g, 2a, 2p

1986:
Makarov: 10 GP, 4g, 14a, 18p
Hull: 10 GP, 7g, 4a, 11p
Sutter: 10 GP, 4g, 7a, 11p
Dionne: 10 GP, 4g, 4a, 8p
Taylor: 10 GP, 3g, 4a, 7p
Hawerchuk: 10 GP, 2g, 4a, 6p
Andreychuk: 10 GP, 3g, 2a, 5p
Potvin: 7 GP, 1g, 4a, 5p
Danyeko: 7 GP, 0 g, 0a, 0p

Soviet League Scoring During Makarov’s Prime:
7-yr Vs.2: 1.23
10yr Vs.2: 1.13
*Note: Just looked at vs. #2 scorer, did not take out any outliers.

1979-80 (44 games)

1 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 29 39 68
2 Helmut Balderis CSKA 26 35 61
3 Viktor Shalimov Spartak 34 19 53
4 Mikhaïl Varnakov Gorki 30 20 50
5 Boris Mikhaïlov CSKA 27 23 50
6 Nikolaï Drozdetsky CSKA 31 18 49
7 Aleksandr Skvortsov Gorki 24 25 49
8 Aleksandr Golikov Dynamo 29 17 46
9 Piotr Prirodin Dynamo 27 18 45
10 Boris Aleksandrov Spartak 22 23 45

1980-81 (49 games)

1 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 42 37 79
2 Sergueï Kapustin Spartak 36 25 61
3 Nikolaï Drozdetsky CSKA 30 28 58
4 Valeri Belousov Chelyabinsk 23 35 58
5 Viktor Zhlutkov CSKA 29 26 55
6 Viktor Shalimov Spartak 21 32 53
7 Helmut Balderis Riga 26 24 50
8 Sergueï Shepelev Spartak 28 20 48
9 Igor Larionov Voskresensk 22 23 45
10 Vladimir Petrov CSKA 19 25 44

1981-82 (47 games)

1 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 32 43 75
2 Aleksandr Kozhevnikov Spartak 43 28 71
3 Vladimir Krutov CSKA 37 29 66
4 Viktor Shalimov Spartak 27 32 59
5 Igor Larionov CSKA 31 22 53
6 Sergueï Kapustin Spartak 30 22 52
7 Viktor Tyumenev Spartak 21 29 50
8 Aleksandr Orlov Spartak 11 39 50
9 Nikolaï Drozdetsky CSKA 28 16 44
10 Helmut Balderis Riga 24 19 43

1982-83 (44 games)

1 Helmut Balderis Riga 32 31 63
2 Aleksandr Kozhevnikov Spartak 35 22 57
3 Vladimir Krutov CSKA 32 21 53
4 Aleksandr Skvortsov Gorki 27 20 47
5 Igor Orlov Spartak 22 23 45
6 Vyacheslav Bykov CSKA 22 22 44
7 Alekseï Frolikov Riga 30 12 42
8 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 25 17 42
9 Viktor Tyumenev Spartak 16 26 42
10 Sergueï Lapshin Leningrad 30 11 41

1983-84 (44 games)

1 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 36 37 73
2 Vladimir Krutov CSKA 37 20 57
3 Nikolaï Drozdetsky CSKA 31 20 51
4 Vyacheslav Fetisov CSKA 19 30 49
5 Aleksandr Kozhevnikov Spartak 33 14 47
6 Viktor Shalimov Spartak 24 21 45
7 Valeri Bragin Voskresensk 19 26 45
8 Sergueï Kapustin Spartak 22 21 43
9 Sergueï Shepelev Spartak 21 21 42
10 Igor Larionov CSKA 15 26 41

1984-85 (40 games)

1 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 26 39 65
2 Vladimir Krutov CSKA 23 30 53
3 Helmut Balderis Riga 31 20 51
4 Vladimir Zubrilchev Dynamo 23 24 47
5 Igor Larionov CSKA 18 28 46
6 Sergueï Abramov Izhevsk 16 23 39
7 Viktor Shalimov Spartak 16 22 38
8 Sergueï Shepelev Spartak 21 16 37
9 Aleksei Kasatonov CSKA 18 18 36
10 Valeri Bragin Voskresensk 14 22 36

1985-86 (40 games)

1 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 30 32 62
2 Igor Larionov CSKA 21 31 52
3 Vladimir Krutov CSKA 31 17 48
4 Sergueï Kapustin Spartak 23 13 36
Vyacheslav Lavov Leningrad 23 13 36
6 Anatoli Semenov Dynamo 18 17 35
7 Sergueï Svetlov Dynamo 15 20 35
8 Vyacheslav Fetisov CSKA 15 19 34
9 Anatoli Stepanishev Kiev 12 22 34
10 Yuri Khmylev Krilya 24 9 33

1986-87 (40 games)

1 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 21 32 53
2 Vladimir Krutov CSKA 26 24 50
3 Igor Larionov CSKA 20 26 46
4 Anatoli Semenov Dynamo 15 29 44
5 Vladimir Shchurenko Voskresensk 24 18 42
6 Sergueï Svetlov Dynamo 20 19 39
7 Vyacheslav Bykov CSKA 18 15 33
8 Andrei Khomutov CSKA 15 18 33
9 Vyacheslav Fetisov CSKA 13 20 33
10 Aleksei Kasatonov CSKA 13 17 30

1987-88 (51 games)

1 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 23 45 68
2 Igor Larionov CSKA 25 32 57
3 Nikolaï Sukhanov Chelyabinsk 22 29 51
4 Vyacheslav Bykov CSKA 17 30 47
5 Valeri Kamensky CSKA 26 20 46
6 Aleksandr Koshevnikov Krilya 25 20 45
7 Andrei Khomutov CSKA 29 14 43
8 Vladimir Krutov CSKA 19 23 42
9 Anatoli Stepanishev Kiev 27 14 41
10 Anatoli Chistyakov Chelyabinsk 14 27 41

1988-89 (44 games)

1 Sergueï Makarov CSKA 21 33 54
2 Vladimir Krutov CSKA 20 21 41
3 Anatoli Chistyakov Chelyabinsk 9 31 40
4 Vyacheslav Bykov CSKA 16 20 36
5 Andrei Khomutov CSKA 19 16 35
6 Evgueni Shastin Kiev 21 13 34
7 Aleksandr Belyavski Riga 19 15 34
8 Yuri Khmylev Krilya 16 18 34
9 Dmitri Kvartalnov Voskresensk 20 12 32
10 Ramil Yuldashev Kiev 19 13 32

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Jamie Langenbrunner, RW

Shot: Right
Height: 6’1â€
Weight: 205 lbs

Selke: 10, 17

Led NHL Playoffs in Points: 2003
5th in NHL Playoff Points: 1999

Stanley Cup: 1999, 2003

Team USA Captain: 2010 Olympics
New Jersey Devils Captain: 2007-08 to 2010-11

Olympics: 1998, 2010 (Silver)
World Cup: 2004

"He's a role player's superstar.''

That's how New Jersey coach Pat Burns described Jamie Langenbrunner.

''He's got all the skills to be an offensive threat and yet he has the temperament to fill a role as a solid two-way player. Great heart."

A powerful though choppy skater Langenbrunner was an intense forechecker and diligent defensive forward. But he also had a nice touch around the net. He scored a very respectable 243 goals and 663 points in 1109 career games. He had a good shot and was a smart and playmaker. In many ways he was very much an unsung hero.

Langenbrunner started his career in Dallas. The native of Cloquet, Minnesota was drafted by the Stars in 1993 and played with the team from 1995 through 2002. The highlight of his stay in Texas was easy - helping the Stars win the Stanley Cup in 1999. He scored 10 goals in that playoffs - tied for second most on the team.

Dallas would return to the Stanley Cup final in 2000, but they would lose to the New Jersey Devils.

For Langenbrunner, it was very much a case of "what a difference a year makes."

''I wasn't happy," recalled Langenbrunner. "Guy Carbonneau retired in June 2000 and (Coach) Ken Hitchcock made me a checker. My last couple of years there, they were kind of experimenting by playing me at center. Maybe a part of me didn't want to accept the demotion. I don't know. But it felt like I was kind of an odd-man out, so coming here was a good opportunity for me. But it was still a shock after all the success we had as a team winning one Stanley Cup and then losing to the Devils the next year."

One team that did appreciate what Langenbrunner could do was the Devils. They traded for Langenbrunner and Joe Nieuwendyk in a blockbuster trade for Randy McKay and Jason Arnott and a 1st round draft pick.

It was a great move for the Devils. They would win another Stanley Cup in 2003. Meanwhile Langenbrunner really rounded out his game as a very solid two player. He excelled within the Devils tight defensive-oriented system while putting up some good offensive numbers along the way.

His teammates sure appreciated what he brought to New Jersey.

"What hasn't he done?" captain Scott Stevens asks. "I mean, he's a guy who just doesn't stop working. He comes to play every night. He's got a lot of energy, he competes. That's what the playoffs are all about. It's about competing, it's not about skill. It's about how hard you work and how much determination you have."

Langenbrunner would stay with the Devils through 2011. He extended his career with a brief return to Dallas and a brief stop in St. Louis.

Langenbrunner was also a notable international player. He competed for USA in two World Juniors as well as the 2004 World Cup. He was an Olympian in 1998 and finally returned to sports grandest stage in 2010 where he served as USA's team captain. Under his guidance USA won the silver medal.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Ebbie Goodfellow

Hart Trophy voting finishes: 1st, 3rd, 4th (center)
All-Star voting finishes: 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd (center), 4th (center), 5th, 5th

Stanley Cup winner: 1936, 1937, 1942 (Detroit)

Praise for his play:

After a scoreless first period, Ebbie Goodfellow turned a seeming Red wing handicap - a penalty to Hec Kilrea - into an advantage in the fifth minute of the second period. On a lone rush, Goodfellow, all-star defenseman and rated one of the best all-around hockey players in the league, catapulted a terrific screened drive from right wing, beating Wilf Cude, who never saw the shot until too late, into the far corner.

Big Ebbie Goodfellow, the blond Ottawan with the winning smile, shattering body check and world of speed, will be on the spot in Detroit tonight when the Detroit Red Wings meet Chicago Blackhawks in the only NHL game of that night.

Opinion has been growing lately that Goodfellow's absence for some weeks with an arm injury is the answer to the dismal showing of the last season's world champions. Ebenezer is expected to lift the Wings out of the cellar, and Detroit fans won't be surprised if he does.

And that's why the star defenseman will be on a spot.

Jack Adams, manager of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League, announced on Wednesday that Ebbie Goodfellow, the team's star defenseman, would "succeed me in running the team" for the 1940-41 season.
...
He was a member of two Detroit teams that won the Stanley Cup in successive years and was a driving force in the victories. The Wings won the Cup in 1925-36 (sic); 1936-37. They also won the NHL championship those two seasons.

Ebbie had been a great hockey player with the Detroit Red Wings, possibly the best all-around player that club has ever had.

Shot:

Goodfellow was born in Ottawa 24 years ago. He weighs 175 lbs., is a long-striding skater, a talented stickhandler, and packs one of the best shots in hockey.

National Hockey League coaches and managers are casting about in their ranks these days to find the most dangerous shot on the roster. The reason is the new penalty shot rule which comes into effect this year and which, though by no means an innovation in hockey, has not been seen in the east for several seasons.
...
Ebbie Goodfellow, a marksman who specializes in a low drive to the corner, will be hard to beat from 38 feet out. It looks like woe to those already over-worked goaltenders.

"When you have a set of men who can apply the pressure, the other team doesn't play quite so hard. They want to avoid penalties. They know that losing a man is almost like giving a team a goal."

"That's the way it was from 1935 to 1937 when we had Marty Barry, Larry Aurie, Johnny Sorrell, Lewis and Goodfellow to throw in whenever the opposition was penalized. They scored 32 times on that play in 1935-36, an average of 3 goals every 2 games. Next season, it worked almost as well."

Adams said the play needed men with specialized techniques in shooting, and he believes he has them in Conacher and Goodfellow. Like the Big Bomber, Goodfellow has one of the strongest shots in the NHL.

Caption: Age 26, born in Ottawa. Was brought to the Falcons by draft from the Americans. Played one year with the Olympics and stepped into stardom his second year as a prolific goalgetter. He is a remarkable backchecker.

Physicality:

Ebbie Goodfellow, whose idea of tact in a hockey game was to skate up to an opponent and knock him flat, is serving as the Detroit Red Wings' diplomatic representative in Windsor, Ont., Can., smoothing the way for the boys to cross the border.

One Punch Fighter

Goodfellow, long known as the "best one-punch fighter in hockey's history", takes command as the Detroiters again seek to seize the elusive fourth victory to close out the series with the Leafs.

The second outcrop of viciousness was at a hockey game on Christmas Eve at Boston Garden. The Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings had been on the verge of warfare throughout the game, and the crowd blamed a Detroit player named Ebbie Goodfellow. This inaptly named character may not have been a troublemaker but he certainly was one who took no gruff from anyone and he did nothing to spread peace and good will.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Ted Kennedy

Hart Trophy voting finishes: 1st, 2nd, 5th, 5th, 5th, 6th, 7th
All-Star voting finishes: 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th

Stanley Cup winner: 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951 (Toronto)

Praise for his leadership and play:

He was a player of tremendous drive and strength, and despite his lack of slick physical skill, he was a great, great player. Definitive Maple Leaf.

Ted "Teeder" Kennedy became a remarkable leader with an infectious combination of determination and confidence. Known as one of the game's great faceoff men and an antagonistic forechecker, Kennedy had the ability to score the important goal, to make the right check at the right time - to do all the little things that win big games and championships, which his Toronto Maple Leafs did on a regular basis.

"Ted Kennedy was not a superbly gifted athlete the way some players were,'' Smythe said. "But he accomplished more than most of them by never playing a shift where he did not give everything he had."

No one ever worked harder at the game than Ted Kennedy. I don't think the Toronto Maple Leafs ever had a better captain, and they have had some great captains. He wouldn't let you have a bad night. He wouldn't let you have a bad shift. He was a leader both on and off the ice.

Upon Kennedy’s passing in 2009, Canadiens’ legend Jean Beliveau said “I was certainly happy to play against him and I’m so sorry to hear (of his death). He was a complete centreman, a good playmaker, a good passer, good on faceoffs.â€

I don't think he ever played a shift in his life without his teetch clenched.

Defensive Play:

All too many defensemen think in terms of the goals they can score rather than the goals they can prevent. In the case of forwards, offensive play is fun, defensive play is a chore: therefore, the defensive success of the team as (sic) whole and the player as an individual depends to a large extent on his attitude. Ted Kennedy, a high-scoring center and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is also one of the hardest working forwards in the NHL. The Sports College Hockey Survey showed that his work level is exceptionally high; he really "gives" on both offense and defense.

He was an important piece of the Leafs’ puzzle, as he could score, make plays, and was becoming one of the better checking forwards in the league. In the playoffs that year, Kennedy also gained a reputation for turning in clutch performances.

“Late in a game toward the end of the season, from sheer effort, Teeder’s face would look like skin stretched over walnuts,†says Goldham, who suited up as both a teammate and opponent of Kennedy’s. “He often looked like hockey was a sort of torture forced on him. But he was so effective everywhere on the ice, both as a player himself and as the leader of the team. How could his teammates watch him and not give all they had to the cause?â€
...
“Elmer Lach was a tough, skilled veteran who tried to physically intimidate most opposition centres,†Davidson recalled. “When they lined up for the opening faceoff in the first game, Lach leaned close to the kid and said, ‘Stay away from me or I’ll cut your head off with my stick.’ Teeder leaned right back even closer to Lach and said, ‘If you try that, I’ll put you in the hospital.’ We knew then we had a young guy who wouldn’t be frightened by anyone.â€

Kennedy battled Lach for every inch of ice and scored three goals as the Leafs won the series in six games, then beat the Red Wings in a seven-game Final.

The Canadiens were called the greatest team in the history of hockey. They had Rocket Richard, who had just scored 50 goals, and they had the greatest goaltender of that time in Bill Durnan. The Leafs were decimated because of the Second World War. So many of their best players had gone off to fight. They were without their best player, Syl Apps, and Turk Broda, the best clutch goalie of his time was also gone. In the Stanley Cup semifinal, the Leafs were given virtually no hope of winning.

The player who actually led the Leafs in that series was Ted Kennedy, who was only 19 years old at the time. It was Kennedy's line who went up against the great Richard line of Elmer Lach and Rocket and Toe Blake, and they just checked them into the ice and the Maple Leafs won the series.

Penalty Killing:

The Leafs looked good in the opening few minutes, particularly when penalties to penalties to Fleming Mackell and Garth Boesch left them two men short for one minute and 21 seconds. Ted Kennedy and Joe Klukay each had a turn as the lone forward on the ice with defensemen Thomson and Gus Mortson. They checked so fiercely that the Red Wings only got one shot at Broda.

But Kennedy became a great hockey player in spite of his labored skating style. He was a driving player and a real work horse for the Leafs, as well as being their "take charge" guy.

He is another fellow who seemed to be on the ice for about 45 minutes of every game. Besides taking his regular turn, the Leafs used him on the power play and to kill off penalties. Maybe that's why he felt washed up at 29 and decided to quit.

One fellow who should welcome his return is Sid Smith, who has never been the same without his old linemate. In Teeder's last season, Smith scored 33 goals and made the all-star team at left wing. The following year, Smith scored exactly four goals and spent the last part of the season riding the bench.

Skating, Passing, Stickhandling, Faceoffs:

The game of hockey that I learned - they didn't have the red line in. You just had the blue lines and you had to stickhandle the puck out over your own blue line. You couldn't pass it out over your blueline, you see, and so stickhandling and playmaking...they were very, very important elements in the game.

They took him to Montreal to go to school and play in the war years as a kid just out of Port Colbourne high school, and he didn't like it and he said he wasn't going back. The coach of the team was the great old Montreal Maroon Nels Stewart. And Stewart said 'You don't have great skating speed, so you compensate for that with good passing,' and really drilled him in passing, and he was a wonderful passer.

He made up for it with his competitive zeal that would make him arguably the greatest leader in franchise history, and maybe in hockey history. He led by example, fearlessly battling some of hockey's all time greats. He could shoot and pass and stickhandle with the best of them, yet was a proud defensive player and a superior faceoff specialist.

Theodore Kennedy was an exceptional play-maker, and always seemed to know where and when to set up his man. As well as being an excellent defensive center, he was thought by many sportwriters of the day to have been the best face-off man in the NHL.

But beside his plodding skating style, he managed to get from point A to point B as well as any and better than most.

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Sources:

Ted Kennedy LOH video

The Hockey Writers article on Kennedy

Sportsnet Greatest Maple Leafs: Ted Kennedy