ATD 2015 Bio Thread

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Tim Horton - D

1. 
   Named to NHL First All-Star Team in 1964, 1968, and 1969
   Named to NHL Second All-Star Team in 1954, 1963, and 1967
   1961–62 – Stanley Cup champion
   1962–63 – Stanley Cup champion
   1963–64 – Stanley Cup champion
   1966–67 – Stanley Cup champion
   1977 – Inducted (posthumously) into the Hockey Hall of Fame
   1982 – Inducted (posthumously) into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame[22]
   1996 – Number 2 retired by the Buffalo Sabres
   1998 – Ranked number 43 on The Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
   2004 – Ranked number 59 in The Greatest Canadian list by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Quotes on Tim Horton:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c.../05/tim-horton.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Gordie Howe, hockey's most physical hockey hero, called Horton "hockey's strongest man."

Bobby Hull, who many consider to be the strongest player to have ever played, once said "Few players brought more dedication or brought more honor to the game. He was my idea of a super pro."

Goalie Jacques Plante said that Horton had "probably the toughest slap shot in the league."

Montreal Canadiens tough guy John Ferguson said "Horton's the hardest body-checker I've ever come up against. He's as strong as an ox and hits with terrific force."

Jim Schoenfeld, a Horton protégé in Buffalo and a standout defenseman in his own right, is very fond of Horton for helping him along as a youngster. "I always remember him saying 'Jimmy, the hard way is the easy way,' because he felt practicing the difficult things made it easier under game conditions. He was right. It's a guideline I still follow to this day."

Teammate Frank Mahovlich perhaps sums Tim Horton up best: "I never knew a player so steady. No flash, no polish, all hard work."

http://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep197702.shtml

Coach Punch Imlach commented, "I think Horton, more than any other one player, was the key to those glory days."

"Horton is typical of the new type of defenseman who must be equally adept on attack and defense," wrote Canadian Weekly in 1965.

"We had young, green defensemen and I knew there was no player to set an example better than Horton," said Imlach at the time (referring to Buffalo's team).

NHL scout Gerry Melnyk added, "His stamina and strength are amazing. At 43, he's playing as well as he performed 10 years ago when he was helping Toronto win Stanley Cups."

Vic Hadfield stated, "I couldn't have had a better friend, on or off the ice.

Similar feelings were expressed by George Armstrong at the time of Horton's death, "No finer person, teammate or hockey player ever lived."

Allan Stanley added, "He was the finest man I knew on or off the ice. He was a great leader without a mean streak in him. Playing with him was a wonderful experience."

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/24-7/greatest-maple-leafs-no-7-tim-horton/

“You could always depend on him,†remembers Frank Mahovlich, who played with Horton for 11 years in Toronto. “He was strong, moved everybody away from the net. He was a great defensive defenceman but he could also carry the puck up the ice."

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/remembering-tim-horton-1.1333425

"I never knew a player so steady," Frank Mahovlich told The Globe and Mail hours after the tragedy. "You always knew what Tim Horton was going to do."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zctRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_GwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6279,2828525

"He was the kind of man you looked to for leadership, said Ron Schock, captain of the Penguins and close friend of Horton. I never heard anyone say a bad word about him."

"He was a real inspiration to me," said Dave Burrows who played beside Horton during Tim's season with the Penguins. "I learned from him both by his example and by the things he said."

Odds and ends:


http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/24-7/greatest-maple-leafs-no-7-tim-horton/

Built like an oversized blacksmith, he went on to protect the Leafs blueline for 18 years, manhandling opponents with his body (but never his fists) and blocking shots with every part of his being, including his face when the need arose.

A six-time all-star and four-time Stanley Cup winner, Horton stood just five-foot-ten but was 210-lb. of solid muscle twisted around a skeleton that could withstand more punishment than any other player of his generation. Renowned by his opponents for the rib-shattering bear hug he’d deliver to those who dared take a swing at any of his teammates, Horton amassed 458 points in a Leafs career that spanned 1,185 games, including a record 486 consecutive regular-season games between 1961 and 1968.

A natural leader in the Leafs dressing room, Horton was an ox who could drag the team behind him during the early and mid-’60s.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p197702&page=bio

The team went through a minor slump in 1965 and for part of the season coach Punch Imlach moved Horton to the right wing on a line with George Armstrong and Red Kelly, another defenseman turned forward. Horton scored 12 goals, many of them with his huge slapshot from close range.

http://www.timhortons.com/us/en/corporate/media-tim-horton.php

Gordie Howe has called Tim Horton hockey's strongest man. In a fight, Horton was known to edge into the melee and "grab a couple" of players to help keep the peace. But despite his legendary strength, he was not a proponent of violence on the ice. Some claim Tim invented the slap shot, and he could always be counted on to get the puck out of his own end of the ice with his "heads up" skating style.

http://proicehockey.about.com/od/history/a/tim_horton.htm

For the next two decades, Horton defined the bruising, reliable defenseman who can rush the puck and deliver a hefty slapshot. In today's jock talk, he was a blueline stud - muscular, smart, tough, mobile and sure-handed, a man the coach could send out for 30 minutes a night without worry.

Will continue to add to this.....can merge into links when i'm done. Thanks!

Click to read more...

 

[ResilientBeast]

Post your bios here

 

[nik jr]

EDOUARD "NEWSY" LALONDE

Born: 31 October, 1887 in Cornwall, Ontario
Died: 21 November, 1970 in Montreal, Quebec
Height: 5'9
Weight: 168 pounds
Position: Center, occasionally played Rover and Coverpoint/Defense
Shot: right
Jersey Number: 4

Newsy Lalonde was the greatest and most colorful hockey player of the era covered by this record....His ability as a hockey and lacrosse player is legendary. More has been written about this athlete, both in praise and abuse, than possibly any other. his followers turned out to cheer him and others bought their way in to scream "Get Lalonde!" Great hockey stars shone in Newsy's era but they never could move the limelight for long from the original flying Frenchman.

A great fighter with a fiery temper, he went after opponents, spectators and even teammates on occasion. All the bad men of his time carried marks of their tangles with Newsy... A born leader, he was almost always the captain or playing manager of his team. There were no desultory performances without incurring the whiplash of his tongue.

In 1911 he rejoined the Canadiens... He was fairly active in his fistic and stick battles this year and the roars of "Get Lalonde!" reached a crescendo. In 1919 they won the championship of the NHL. They went west to defend the cup against Seattle and in this series Newsy was sensational and won the acclaim of his west coast critics. It was practically Lalonde against Seattle in the second game when he scored all (4 of) the Canadien goals.

He scored more goals than any other player of this era. He was frequently referred to both in the east and the west as the greatest player in the game....The most colourful player hockey has ever seen.

He led the WCHL in [goalscoring] at the age of 36, his fifth time as a leading scorer.... A cutup to the last, they never got Lalonde.

Lalonde was the complete package: he could skate, shoot, stick handle, and pass expertly. He also was a skilled fighter with a volcanic temper.

Lalonde was the top scorer of the period before the 1927 consolidation of NHL and western leagues.

Top Scorers, 1909-1926, from the Hockey Compendium

Name | Games|Goals|Assists|Points
Newsy Lalonde | 296 |362 |81 |443
Joe Malone | 273 |343 |58| 401
Cy Denneny | 259 |258 |82 | 340
Frank Nighbor | 287 |238 |96 | 334
Frank Foyston | 297 |223 |72 | 295
Cyclone Taylor | 169 |189 |104| 293
Mickey MacKay | 247 |198 |92| 290

His record of 455 goals in major league hockey was not surpassed until '55 by Maurice Richard.


Lalonde won 5 scoring titles in 3 different leagues.
OPHL: '08
PCHA: '12
NHA/NHL: '10, '19, '21

Lalonde likely would have won the scoring title in '20, if not for a fluke game between Ottawa and Quebec. Joe Malone passed Lalonde in the last game of his season, when Ottawa was resting players since they had already secured the NHL Championship.

Winning Streak of Champion Senators Stopped at Nine Straight as Lowly "Bulldogs" Defeated Them 10-4 over Slushy Sheet of Ice. Ottawas Were Without Frank Nighbor and Joe Malone Ran Wild. Scoring Six Goals.

Joe Malone ran wild in the absence of Nighbor and scored 6 goals for Quebec, beating out "Newsy" Lalonde for the league honors.

Lalonde was a great sniper and led his league in goals 6 times.
OPHL: '08
PCHA: '12
NHA: '10, '16
NHL: '19
WCHL: '23

note his longevity: Lalonde led the OPHL in scoring at age 20, and the WCHL in goals at age 35.


courtesy of overpass:

In the East, they claim that Pitre, the sensational Canadien, propels the puck at the goal tend with greater speed than any other player, but at the coast there is a smouldering suspicion that "Newsy" Lalonde is peerless in the art of inspiring the man between the nets with watchfulness and care.

Lester Patrick thinks Lalonde is the most dangerous shot in hockey. "He shoots every bit as hard as Pitre," says the former Montreal Wanderer, who has seen the best of them in the last fifteen years, "and he is much more deadly."

PITRE DOESN'T COMPARE WITH LALONDE FOR ACCURACY​

"Lalonde has a wicked knee-high shot that is almost impossible to keep out of the goal if he has a clear area from which to discharge the rubber. A goal tend never knows whether to block with his pads or his hands, and by the time he has figured out which to employ, the puck is nestling against the back of the wire. Pitre drives them with terrific force, but he shoots high and is not in the same class with Lalonde for accuracy."

Lester was asked how it was that Newsy didn't score more goals on Victoria, the team that is under the management of the lanky point. "Because it didn't take long to discover a way to keep Lalonde from scoring."

"And is that method easy?"

HOW NEWSY CAN BE KEPT FROM SCORING​

"It's very simple. All that is necessary is to keep the puck away from him. Failing in that, it is good policy to have 3 or 4 players -- more if you can spare them -- skate him to the side and pocket him before he has a chance to get into shooting position."

Lalonde led the coast league in scoring last season and was a close runner-up for the lacrosse scoring honors this season. He was only a few goals behind Spring, the Westminster scoring star, and he played in less games. Burke Wood used to make the rubber sing and the boards quiver whenever he missed the goal. Burke, however, could only shoot with his whole force from one angle. Lalonde is the same. "Newsy" is probably without a rival today in shooting when driving the puck from his favorite position. Pitre shoots with tremendous force, but he is as wild as a hawk.

TOMMY PHILLIPS GREATEST OF THEM ALL​

That's why all these players famed for hard shooting will have to doff their hats to Tommy Phillips. "Nibs," it will be remembered, had a habit of going down the ice like a streak of greased lightning. He would never stop to brace himself for a shot, and it didn't matter what angle Tommy was in -- he could shoot just as hard and true from the left as from the right. In this respect his equal has never been seen in hockey.

Newsy Lalonde got his shot away fast, just like Richard does today.

I'm going to hire some old-timers, even if they have beards, to do nothing but shoot penalty shots. Take a fellow like Newsy Lalonde; he'd never miss."

Although Lalonde was most noted as a goalscorer, he was also a good playmaker. Assists were rarely recorded during his career, but he was often described with words like "heady," "foxy" and "brainy," partly due to his clever passing in combination plays.

for example:

"Newsy" Lalonde played a very heady game, but "Didier" Pitre was not up to the mark, although he worked hard during the early stages of the combat.
....
Noble and Lalonde carried out a nice piece of combination, but again Benedict proved the stumbling block.

The Canadiens arrived without Pitre and were minus the services of the foxy Lalonde in the 1st period.

after the Canadiens won the cup in 1916:

However, the heroes' crowns must be given to "Goldie" Prodgers and "Newsy" Lalonde. These two boys played wonderful hockey during the series Prodgers' end to end rushes being one of the big features, while foxy "Newsy" used his head every minute.
...
Much of the credit for the Canadiens' excellent showing is due to their heady little playing manager "Newsy" Lalonde, who topped the NHA in scoring.

In 1954, Lalonde compared himself to Ted Kennedy, but with better goalscoring ability.

"Honestly," he mused, "I never see myself as a Richard, a Howe or a Lindsay. My forte was playmaking and my stride deceptively fast. Every time I see Toronto play I see myself in Teeder Kennedy, but with a helluva lot more goals!"

Lalonde led the NHL in assists in '19 and was 2nd in '21. In '19, Lalonde became the 1st NHLer to lead the league in goals, assists and points.

Players who led the NHL in goals, assists and points in the same season
Gretzky: '82, '83, '84, '85, '87
Lemieux: '89, '96
Esposito: '73
Howe: '51, '53
Morenz: '28
Lalonde: '19


Total assists in NHL (regular season), '18-'22
Nighbor: 52
Cameron: 44
Noble: 43
Lalonde: 41

Assists per game in NHL (regular season), '18-'22
Nighbor: .547
Darragh: .467
Reise: .47 ------------ played only 30 games
Shore: .444 ------------ played only 18 games
Lalonde: .418
Cameron: .415


Newsy Lalonde's impact on his linemate Joe Malone in '18:

To provide a sense of Lalonde’s importance to the team, and to Malone in particular:

Malone with Lalonde: 13 games, 32 goals (2.46 gpg)

Malone without Lalonde: 7 games, 12 goals (1.71 gpg)

Some of this is coincidental with the presence of Frank Nighbor in Montreal's games vs Ottawa.

Malone with Lalonde in games vs Ottawa without Nighbor: 16g, 2a in 4 games
Malone without Lalonde in games vs Ottawa without Nighbor: 7g in 3 games

Malone with Lalonde in games vs Nighbor: 0p in 1 game
Malone without Lalonde in games vs Nighbor: 1g in 2 game

When a man like "Newsy" Lalonde, the brilliant, dashing, but heady little forward of last year's Toronto professionals, signifies his intention of casting his lot with the local league, it means to students of the game that Pittsburgh hockey has received a decided acquisition. Lalonde, while only a youngster, is probably the most talked of player in the game today. In this respect he ranks closely with Arthur Ross, the brilliant gem on the world's champion Wanderers, of Montreal.

Breaking in with Toronto last year practically an unknown, before the season had gone half its length, he was the wonder of the year. When the Torontos won the championship of their league, they tackled the Wanderers for the Stanley Cup. They were beaten in a slashing game by a score of 8 to 7, and the crowd that left the Montreal arena that night declared Lalonde better than any of that magnificent quartet of forwards which wore the Wanderer colors.

This year every manager in Canada is after this star, but he wants to come here, and he is the kind of man who can get pretty nearly anything he wants at this stage of the game.

Ottawa Journal: Newsy Lalonde, the greatest of all hockey players, will remain in the East this season.

Canadiens brought the old reliable Newsy Lalonde, who is no new comer in the Queen City. He was easily the star of the game and until he retired, was the most aggressive player on the ice. His opponents recognized his ability and dogged him wherever he went, but even at that the wily Frenchman got away long enough to score 2 goals, both of which he secured practically unaided. His work stands out head and shoulders above the rest, not only for stickhandling and speed, but for cleanness.

Physicality and Violence

Newsy Lalonde was unique. He was a tough battler who neither asked nor gave any quarter. He figured that anything which helped produce victory for his team was justified. It was no wonder that his friends loved him and his opponents hated his guts, but he went on about his business in hockey and lacrosse without paying the slightest attention to what people thought about him. I am certain that Newsy must be rated as one of the all-time great hockey stars. He was superlatively great. ... Surely a tougher battler has never been known on the Canadian sporting scene.

A remarkable scorer who could also play a rough style of hockey, Edouard "Newsy" Lalonde was one of the premier forwards in the early days of the NHL. His tenacity on the ice became as legendary as his natural affinity for putting the puck in the net. ... But during his hockey-playing days, he earned a reputation as one of the game's bad boys because he knew how to take care of himself. Dick Beddoes wrote that "Lalonde was a survivor of a truly permissive age when hockey was genuinely a mug's racket, mottled with roughnecks who preferred to drink an opponent's blood at body temperature, or near there."

"The game got pretty rough at one stage and, when Newsy made one of his usual rushes from end to end, trying to push his way through the defense, Joe Hall did not even bother to body-check him. He let the weight of his stick down on Newsy's collar bone. Joe Hall was penalized. Lalonde went off for repairs and was out for some 20 minutes. I did not expect to see Newsy back on the ice. It was a pretty bad cut.

He reappeared, however. Some few minutes later, after Lalonde's return to the ice, Joe Hall tried one of his remarkable rushes from the end of the ice. Lalonde was waiting. He, too, did not bother with the body-check, but lay Joe down with the same kind of blow, same side of the collar bone.

You know it was remarkable with Lalonde in all his playing career whether hockey or lacrosse. You almost got it back in the same spot and you did not have to wait very long for the return." -- letter from a fan named Ed Landry

Pitre came on again, but Lalonde was given a major foul for heaving Gerard over. It looked like a perfectly legitimate body-check, but referee Marshall sent Lalonde to the penalty bench.

In fact there was very little deliberate rough work until within 2 minutes of the call of time when Lalonde knocked Nighbor cold with a jab on the head with the butt end of his stick. The blow knocked Nighbor cold and it was several minutes after the end of the game before Nighbor recovered consciousness. Lalonde was given a match foul for the offense.

same event from a different paper:

Lalonde was checking back and after Nighbor passed the puck he went to pass Lalonde, who hit him in the mouth with the butt end so that the Ottawa player was stretched out and after being taken to the dressing room, had 3 stitches put in the cut.

Lalonde was then suspended for game 2 of the '17 NHL finals.

Walking in together were Newsy Lalonde, an old lacrosse and hockey cut-up who played with Ion on a Vancouver lacrosse team away back in the early 1900s; King Clancy, wiry little- defenceman with the old Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs who refereed a few years with Ion, and Frank Nighbor, the Pembroke peach and famed poke-check artist with the Senators.
The talk got around to Newsy.
"I remember facing off with this 'guy and somebody yelling at me; 'Watch the scratch,' " recalled Clancy. "Scratch? I thought that referred to money. So the next thing I know, I'm getting Newsy's stick all the way up from my knees to my hairline. He creased me good."
"I know all about it," said Nighbor. "Look at me; I hardly have any eyebrows left."
"Yeah," said Lalonde. "But I didn't do it when Mickey was on the ice. He was too smart for me."
Ion sat back and smiled.

As a rule there were 3 or 4 men in the penalty box, another fight that caused intense excitement occured between Lalonde and LeSueur near the close of the match. They, too, had been having trouble all night, finally closing in at the Ottawa nets. Lalonde knocked LeSueur off his feet and struck Ottawa goaler several times in the face, LeSueur jumping up andhitting back just as hard. They clinched again and rolled all over the ice, Jordan separating them and sending Lalonde, whom he decided was the aggressor, off for 5 minutes. When Lalonde came on he made a jab at LeSueur and cut him painfully on the chin with the end of his stick.

Lalonde scored 6 goals, and Cyclone Taylor scored his famous backwards goal.

The game, which was lightning fast for the first two periods, degenerated into a rough house affair in the third canto and ended in a free for all fight in which players of both teams joined...

George Irvine, judge of the play, jumped in to stop the fight and Lalonde skating up just then swung his stick and cut the official across the face. Referee Ion immediately sent Lalonde off the ice, and fined him $25 for hitting Irvine.

The only demonstration occured in the 3rd period when Lalonde scored a goal that was disallowed by referee Smeaton. The ruling of the official brought cheering and booing in turn. Lalonde showed a display of temper and grabbed Smeaton in the heat of argument but got away with it without a penalty.

Both Odie and Sprague Cleghorn repeatedly made jabs at Lalonde's head, but luckily were unable to land him.

When Newsy checked Russell it was nothing more than a stiff body check and the force the two men were traveling at pit both of them flat on the ice, but a man who will deliberately skate up and smash another with a stick on the head when he is lying on the ice is a contemptible individual and should be put where he belongs. And why is this allowed? one asks, and the reply is that it is sport. This is what is designated as sport and the dear public pay their good money to see a worthless scamp thereby gain notoriety.

Sprague Cleghorn was suspended for 4 weeks, and the total cost of lost salary and fines came to $675.

Leadership

A born leader, he was almost always the captain or playing manager of his team. There were no desultory performances without incurring the whiplash of his tongue.

Lalonde was player-coach and captain of the Montreal Canadiens from '15-'21. He became the player-coach of the Saskatoon Sheiks in '23.

from game 5 of 1919 finals:

To Captain Lalonde and his players credit is due for staging one of the greatest comebacks in hockey history. Many a hockey team with a 3 to 0 score staring them in the face has been known to curl up and call it a bad night. But not the Frenchmen last night.
...
Cleghorn was the man who scored the first Canadien goal, but it was the great Lalonde who was more responsible for the Montreal win. Urging his team on, Lalonde was not only a tower of strength on defense, but he scored the second and tying goals himself. His second effort, a brilliant shot of a rebound, and a well-placed shot over Holmes' shoulder, was a beautiful piece of strategy.

Newsy Lalonde is the greatest pinch-hitter in hockey. The old boy was head and shoulders over anybody else at the Arena last night and he beat the Arenas all by himself. The Canadiens won the heat 7 to 6 and it was Newsy's noddle that turned the trick. The centre ice wizard saved himself thruout the game, opened up the spurts when they counted in the last period, scored 2 goals and made the 3rd Canadien tally of this round possible. This tells the tale of the finish to the best pro fixture of the year.
....
The Canadiens arrived without Pitre and were minus the services of the foxy Lalonde in the 1st period. Lalonde misjudged the width of the projecting iron on the nets in the first few minutes and cut a bad gash in his head by bumping the iron. He did not appear until the 2nd period.
....
The Great Newsy
Newsy Lalonde hogged the play in the last round. He tied up the score soon after the start. He combined with Corbeau and went right thru with pretty dodging. Once again the Arenas took the lead. Crawford went thru and passed back to Skinner, who scored. Old Newsy soon took the advantage away. He opened up a burst of speed and sidestepped the whole local crew, went up and pulled Lindsay aside and scored. Newsy made the winning goal possible. Lalonde carried the puck in and faked a pass and then slipped it over to Corbeau to score.

"Newsy" Lalonde, the Canadiens' leader, before the game explained that his team was in a pretty bad condition. However, with characteristic gameness, he gathered his team of veterans and tried to make the best of things.
...
Next to Vezina, Lalonde was Canadiens' best man. The veteran of many a hockey game tried every available piece of strategy, but he was playing against hopeless odds.

Tommy Smith replaced "Newsy" Lalonde (out with illness), and while he played a fair game, he did not direct the Canadiens' offensive movements as Lalonde does.

Defense
Lalonde's defensive play as a forward is almost never mentioned, other than things like bodychecking and cheapshots, which indicates he was probably average or worse defensively, but he sometimes played very well as a defenseman.

Lalonde had his pokecheck working to perfection when back on the defense.

from '17 NHA finals:

Corbeau was still off ice, Lalonde staying back on the defense. Canadiens were thus ahead by 2 to 1 at the finish of the second.

from '19 finals:

Cleghorn was the man who scored the first Canadien goal, but it was the great Lalonde who was more responsible for the Montreal win. Urging his team on, Lalonde was not only a tower of strength on defense, but he scored the second and tying goals himself.

Newsy Lalonde gave a great exhibition of skating and scored all four of the Canadiens' goals. Lalonde was the star of both teams. The leader of the visitors was a fiend on the defense and was impossible to stop when he gained possession of the rubber.

Malone was sent in with MacDonald by the Canadiens, and Lalonde dropped back on the defense to relieve Corbeau.

Throughout the 1st period, Manager Green kept his extra man near the defence, and it was evident, as Lalonde also lay back on the Canadien defence, that both were playing cautious hockey.

Lalonde played coverpoint for at least a few games in '20. 3 March vs Quebec, 7 February vs Quebec, 31 January vs Ottawa


Longevity

Newsy Lalonde, coach of Canadiens, was hockey's greatest "rover," though he played at centre all his life. He roamed from Montreal to the Pacific Coast and back again, playing in every major pro hockey league that has ever existed and he has been a manager or coach in every professional circuit in the East. .... In 20 years of campaigning, he had one of the longest active careers of any who lived by the ice game. He started his senior hockey career at 16 and now at age 51, is coach of Canadiens, the team with which he made his greatest fame as a player.

 

[Dreakmur]

Bobby Clarke !!!


Awards and Achievements:
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1974, 1975)
Summit Series Winner (1972)
Canada Cup Gold Medal (1976)

3 x Hart Trophy Winner (1973, 1975, 1976)
Selke Trophy Winner (1983)

2 x First-Team All-Star (1975, 1976)
2 x Second-Team All-Star (1973, 1974)


Hart voting - 1st(1973), 1st(1975), 1st(1976), 2nd(1977), 4th(1974), 6th(1978), 6th(1983), 8th(1972), 10th(1971), 10th(1980), 16th(1879)

Selke voting - 1st(1983), 4th(1978), 8th(1979), 11th(1984), 18th(1981)

All-Star voting - 1st(1975), 1st(1976), 2nd(1973), 2nd(1974), 3rd(1977), 6th(1979), 6th(1983)

Offensive Accomplishments:
Points - 2nd(1973), 2nd(1976), 5th(1974), 6th(1975), 8th(1977), 8th(1978), 10th(1972)
Goals – 12th(1974), 13th(1972), 16th(1973)
Assists - 1st(1975), 1st(1976), 3rd(1973), 4th(1978), 5th(1983), 6th(1977), 8th(1980), 9th(1979), 10th(1974), 17th(1972)


Play-off Points - 4th(1975), 4th(1976), 5th(1974), 6th(1980)
Play-off Goals - 9th(1974), 9th(1977), 10th(1980)
Play-off Assists - 1st(1975), 1st(1976), 3rd(1974), 7th(1980)


5-Year Peak: 1973-1977
2nd in Points, 91% of first place Phil Esposito
19th in Goals, 69% of second place Rick Martin
1st in Assists, 115% of second place Phil Esposito

2nd in Play-off Points
1st in Play-off Assists

10-Year Peak: 1971-1980
4th in Points, 95% of second place Guy Lafleur
18th in Goals, 66% of second place Guy Lafleur
1st in Assists, 108% of secnond place Phil Esposito

3rd in Play-off Points
1st in Play-off Assists


Scoring Percentages:
Points - 100(1973), 100(1976), 91(1975), 86(1977), 82(1974), 82(1978), 69(1972), 69(1983), 63(1971), 63(1979), 58(1980), 53(1970), 48(1981), 48(1984), 43(1982)

Best 6 Seasons: 541
Next 6 Seasons: 375


Team Scoring - 1st(1971), 1st(1972), 1st(1973), 1st(1974), 1st(1975), 1st(1976), 1st(1978), 1st(1983), 2nd(1977), 2nd(1979), 4th(1970), 5th(1980), 5th(1981), 5th(1982), 5th(1984)

Point Leading Percentages - 165, 147, 124, 124, 123, 106, 104, 102

1971 Coaches' Poll
1st Hardest Worker

1974 Coaches' Poll
1st Best Penalty Killer
1st Best Checker
1st Hardest Worker
2nd Most Valuable Player
2nd Best on Face-Offs
3rd Smartest Player
3rd Best Playmaker

1976 Coaches' Poll
1st Most Valuable Player
1st Player to Start a Team
1st Best Checker
1st Best Penalty Killer
1st Best on Face-Offs
1st Best Playmaker
1st Hardest Worker
2nd Smartest Player

1979 Coaches' Poll
1st Best on Face-Offs
1st Hardest Worker
4th Smartest Player

1984 Coaches' Poll
2nd Hardest Worker
4th Best on Face-Offs

1981 Players' Poll
1st Best Forechecker
1st Best on Face-Offs
2nd Best Defensive Forward
3rd Best Backchecker

There was something in the way Bobby Clarke played hockey that suggested he was playing hockey for his soul. Few players in the NHL's 80-year history have poured so much of themselves into winning. To him, there was no excuse for losing.

The key to Clarke's becoming a superstar was a remarkable work ethic, which he developed early.

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During games, he would block everything else out. Nothing - big leads of hopeless deficits; January road games in half-empty arenas; illness, pain, or fatigue - could keep him from giving his all. His will bordered on the superhuman.

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Clarke was hardly swift or elusive but he always seemed to get the jump on the puck. His otherworldly corner work and face-off skills were his bread and butter. He only had an average shot, but until Wayne Gretzky came along the gritty Flyer was the best at the NHL at passing the puck. As a result, he racked up three 100-point seasons.

In a Word: WILLPOWER

Bobby Clarke was the NHL's answer to Pete Rose. Clarke accomplished so much in hockey with so little natural talent. The Flyers captain, who had incredible drive, spirit, work ethic, and insticnts, could defeat you in so many ways.

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Bobby Clarke would do anything to win. Anything.

What Pete Rose has meant to any baseball team with which he has been affiliated, Bobby Clarke has been to the Philadelphia Flyers. From 1969 when he made his National Hockey League debut, until his retirement in 1984 the gap-toothed center was the Charlie Hustle of hockey.

"Clarke," said Dave Schultz, who teamed with him on the 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup-winning Flyers teams, "was the heart and soul of our club."

....

It always has been less than easy for Clarke. A diabetic, he lacked the smooth skating skills of a Bobby Orr or Guy Lafleur. His shot was never particularly potent but he made the most of what he had. "Guts is what he has," said ex-Flyer Larry Zeidel. "Not everybody saw his qualities at first but, after a while, they realized that he was a winner."

One of hockey's greatest leaders and one of its dirtiest players, Bobby Clarke earned both tags. Each characterization was intrinsic to Clarke's role in the 1970s as captain of Philadelphia's infamous "Broad Street Bullies", a team that constantly tried to blur the line between aggression and violence. Red Kelly, then coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, added an important nuance: "I don't think I'd call Clarke dirty - mean is a better word."

"Guys who complain about me being dirty," countered Clarke, "should go home with my body at night. I've eaten quite a few too."

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"Clarke is our leader," noted Flyers goalie Bernie Parent. "He works so hard himself that the other guys just have to keep up. He is the guy that makes us go." Clarke was indeed visibly industious, with his head bobbing as he raced around the ice, but he was also a gifted player. He danced with the puck and threaded slick passes to his teammates. Yet there were games when Clarke did seem to dig deeper than humanly possible, dragging his team up by the bootstraps to victory, particularly in the 1974 Stanley Cup final.

He scored big goals but Bobby Clarke's secret weapon was a gift for saying what his team needed to hear.

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His willingness to offer blunt assessments for the good of the club was one f the reasons Clarke was a terrific leader.

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In the dressing room, Clarke was tasked with taming a pack of wolves. The Flyers came by their 'Broad Street Bullies' moniker honestly, and it was the captain's job to remind the boys when it was time to stop using the butt-ends of their sticks and score some goals with the blades.

"Clarke is the one NHL hockey player we like watching the most," said a Soviet hockey official. "We have rarely see a man work so hard on the ice."

Ultimate Hockey's Best On-Ice Instincts of the 1970s
Ultimate Hockey's Smartest Player of the 1970s
Ultimate Hockey's Most Able Instigator of the 1970s
Ultimate Hockey's Dirtiest Player of the 1970s


Bobby Clarke led Flyers to back-to-back Stanley Cups - YouTube

He had a famous, captivating smile - with about a dozen missing teeth. That is how Bobby Clarke will be remembered by those who saw him on ice. One of the best checkers in the entire history of the league, he was also a ruffian and a warrior. And a victor.

No hockey player worked harder than Bobby Clarke, the tenacious leader of the Philadelphia Flyers for 15 enjoyable years. As a result, no one personified the Philadelphia Flyers better.

A wonderful talent blessed with great vision and playmaking skills, Clarke is better remembered for his physical talents - a relentless work ethic, a powerful leadership presence, and an unquenchable thirst to win complete with a willingness to do anything it took to capture victory.

....

Clarke was absolutely essential to the Flyers two Cups in the 1970s, the first time an expansion team won the prized trophy. Dave Schultz called him the "heart and soul of our club." Coach Fred Shero said there would be no championships in Philadelphia without Bobby Clarke. Clarke played with so much determination and all of his heart and soul, and he demanded it from every single one of his teammates.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say Clarke was the Pete Rose of hockey, a Charlie Hustle on skates. It could be game in the middle of January and up or down by 6 goals, but Clarke played every shift as if it was overtime in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.

His super-human will should not overshadow his high skill level. Clarke was an incredible defensive player. He was almost always the guy to take the big faceoff, kill a key penalty or defend a lead in the last minute of play. As the statistics suggest, Clarke was a great playmaker as well. Twice he led the NHL in assists, and had 852 in total in his career, compared to 358 goals.

The three-time Hart Trophy winner connected so deeply with a generation of fans that it's hard for outsiders or those who only knew of Clarke as the team's general manager to fully understand how deeply the Flyers' captain was engrained in the hearts and minds of people in the Delaware Valley.

Before there was the fictitious Rocky Balboa character, there was Bobby Clarke leading an underdog hockey team to the sport's ultimate prize in two straight seasons (and nearly a third). The fact that Clarke came from a humble working class background, overcame diabetes, was passed over in the first round of the NHL draft because of the disease and became the NHL's Most Valuable Player despite having less natural ability than many of his peers made him all the more endearing to the sporting populace.

Fred Shero once called Clarke a 'dream dressed in work clothes' and it was an apt description of the way both his team and the fans viewed him. On a club filled with leadership and hard-working, team-oriented players, Clarke was the pace-setter.

'I never thought I was working hard, it was just the only way I knew how to play the game,' Clarke has said on many occasions.

But to his teammates, Clarke's work ethic set the tone for a winning environment. As long as his fellow players devoted themselves fully to the success of the team, Clarke supported them to the hilt. The foundation of the Broad Street Bully era's extraordinary bond on and off the ice was forged and zealously protected by its captain.

"Clarkie's always been about actions more than words," said long-time Flyer Bob Kelly. "We all knew what it meant to wear the Flyers uniform, and Clarkie was a big, big part of that. It wasn't about stats or any of that other individual stuff. Every night, the only goal was to win. Clarkie never acted like his role was more important than anyone else's, and that was a huge thing for all of us.

Twenty guys came into the locker room together, and twenty left together. We were all Flyers."

When one thinks of the Philadelphia Flyers, their style, their history, their leader, the first name that arises is Bobby Clarke.

....

Clarke was not the world's fastest skater, nor did he possess the blistering shot, but there is one thing he always brought to the rink - a burning desire to play and succeed. He not only demanded this from himself, but his teammates as well.

He seems to be everywhere at the same time, working harder than anyone else.

He could score 50 goals every year if he wasn't so unselfish.

Bobby's like a leech. Check, check, check. Bobby's the ultimate competitor. He'll fight everybody and beat'em.

He makes the Flyers go. He is on top of the puck all the time. He punishes his body terribly and goes all-out all the time.

If I wanted to fill an arena, I'd pick Perreault. If I wanted to win, I'd puck Clarke.

Forget the baby face, the easy going smile, the refreshing modesty. When the game begins, the face grows hard, the young man grows mean. For a couple of hours a night, 78 nights a year - plus playoffs - the sweet, lovable guy who scores all those goals and kills all those penalties and wins all those games for the Flyers turns into one of the meanest so-and-so's in the NHL.

The heart of the Broad Street Bullies, Bobby Clarke would do absolutely anything to win.

Contemporary Scouting Reports:

A Bobby Clarke to set the pace... Clarke's teammates say they don't dare loaf when they see their captain checking, scoring, killing penalties, winning faceoffs.

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Has established himself as a superstar and valued team leader... Respected by all his teammmates for hustle on the ice, low-key leadership off the ice...

Bobby Clarke is still checking, winning faceoffs, killing penalties and scoring, besides setting such a furious pace that his fellow forwards don't dare let up.

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Ended Phil Esposito's six year reign as all-star center... Rated hardest worker, best forechecker, best leader in league... Has changed from shy lad to team spokesman...Makes sure all his teammates are taken care of with appearances, recognition...

Rated best two-way worker in hockey... Symbolizes Flyers' hustle and aggressiveness... Respected for ability, desire, and leadership... Outstanding playmaker, checker and team man... Excells as penalty killer... Outstanding on faceoffs...Always skating, always working...

Mr. Everything... Does it all and does it well... One of the NHL's leading centers... Excellent two-way player who has stack of awards to prove his worth... Typifies team's tireless, aggressive style... Outstanding on faceoffs... Outstanding checker... Outstanding team player...

No longer the league's dominant offensive player but still a leader... Still tries harder than anyone else... Typified aggressiveness of Flyers' Stanley Cup years...Still the heart of the team...

No longer a big goal-scorer but still a big playmaker... And still a big guy in the clutch... Top point-scorer for club in playoffs...

Still the guts of the team... No longer a dominant player over a full season but remains dominant for a game... Will beat you with a pass, goal, penalty or faceoff...plays on power plays... Kills penalties...

Now into the sunset side of a brilliant career but still regarded by rivals as one of the best team players in the game... Never stops working in all three zones... An unselfish athlete from the old school... Firece competitior who hates to lose... Outstanding team leader who has served as Flyers' captain and playing assistant coach... Plays the game the way Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard did: not shy about giving an opponent a jab with his elbow or stick...Outstanding all-around center who ecxells at winning faceoffs, forechecking, backchecking, killing penalties and setting up plays with crisp power-play passes...

Has drunk from the fountain of youth... Still going strong when others have long since faded... Will do anything to win, and has... Still excellent on faceoffs...

The biggest thing the Flyers are missing this season is Bobby Clarke, a man for all season, the heart and soul of the Flyers, their captain and leader, outstanding playmaker and checking center and faceoff winner supreme.

 

[Dreakmur]

Sprague Cleghorn !!!


Awards and Achievements:
3 x Stanley Cup Champion (1920, 1921, 1924)
2 x Stanley Cup Finalist (1925, 1927)

Hart Trophy voting - 2nd(1924), 2nd(1926)

Offensive Accomplishments:
Points among Defenseman - 1st(1914), 1st(1915), 1st(1920), 2nd(1913), 2nd(1917), 2nd(1922), 3rd(1912), 3rd(1916), 3rd(1919), 3rd(1923), 3rd(1925), 5th(1911), 5th(1924), 7th(1926), 8th(1921)

Play-off Points among Defensemen - 2nd(1919), 2nd(1925), 3rd(1921), 3rd(1924)


Cleghorn played his peak years in an era where many great players played in different leagues. Considering all those players, he is what his scoring finishes may have looked like...
Consolidated Points among Defensemen - 1st(1915), 2nd(1914), 3rd(1917), 3rd(1920), 3rd(1922), 4th(1919), 4th(1925), 5th(1911), 5th(1912), 5th(1913), 6th(1923), 7th(1916), 8th(1924)


Scoring Percentage - 164(1915), 100(1914), 99(1917), 94(1919), 94(1920), 85(1925), 76(1922), 70(1923), 56(1912), 56(1916), 55(1913), 55(1924)

Best 6 Seasons: 636
Next 6 Seasons: 368


All-Time Great Teams:
Sprague Cleghorn was widely regarded as one of the best defensemen to even play the game. He was listed as one of the top 2 defenseman on the following all time teams.

McLean's Magazine in 1925
Lester Patrick in 1925
Tommy Gorman in 1928
Red Dutton in 1938
Duke Keats in 1942
Sam Rothschild in 1943
Shorty Green in 1944

Sprague broke in with the Renfew Creamery Kings where he performed briefly as a forward and was then moved back to the defense. Playing alongside the great Fred Taylor, he emulated the Cyclone's famous rushes. His sensational end-to-end dashes, frequently culminating in a goal, were featured for many years.

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He was one of the most aggressive players the game has ever known and to get by him, opponents had to face up to bodychecks, crosschecks, elbows, buttends and fists. His rushing was equally aggressive and whoever might relieve him of the puck would not come by it easily.

They called Sprague Ceghorn 'Peg' and of the rambunctious talents that dotted the NHL and its predecessors, he was perhaps the most unruly.

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Cleghorn scored 163 pro goals, 84 in the NHL, and his chipp, abrasive style made him one of the most notorious and colorful players in the NHL's earliest days.

There are still some octogenarians around who will tell you that hockey really was a tougher game forty years ago and when it comes time to citing chapter and verse the name Sprague Cleghorn instantly enters the conversation.

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Sadly, it was Sprague's reputation as a hyperaggressive defenseman that be-clouded the fact that he was one of the foremost backliners in an era when professional hockey was burgeoning on both sides of the border.

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Almost immeditely, Sprague Cleghorn became the leader Canadiens' leader. When Newsy Lalonde briefly walked out on the team Dandurand appointed Cleghorn as a sort of "ice gerneral." Sprague's idea of generalship was to move uo to the front lines and knock the enemy flying. It was an extraordinarily rough brand of hcokey which would be immediately condemned today.

Nobody was more vigerous than Cleghorn...

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His fights notwithstanding, Cleghorn accumulated 154 goals in 296 games, a substantial amount for a defenseman in an era when they concentrated on defense and not scoring. He was a champion, albiet a rough and blemished one. But his scraps should not detract from his superiority at his position. Sprague Cleghorn deserved his membership in the Hall of Fame and certainly earned his place on Hockey's 100.

Despite a capacity for outright savegery, Sprague Cleghorn was on of the finest defenders the game of hockey has ever known. Fists, sticks, and swearing aside, he was the "Clark Gable of his day", able to make effortless transisions between physical game and whirling rushes.

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While Cleghorn was adept with the puck, he was possibly better without it. So harsh was his treatment of opposing forwards that many were scared to hang around the net. Despite what has been said about Cleghorn's unpredictibility, his defensive ability compared quite favorably to contemporaries such as Eddie Gerard, Ching Johnson, or Buck Boucher. Cleghorn was by no means a dime-a-dozen goon.

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Despite his violent on-ice streak, Cleghorn had a reputation around the dressing room as a practical joker. The man whose favorite comedic prop was a joy buzzer wouold "keep the boys stitched with many a giggle and chuckle".

Sprague Cleghorn was not only the master of the clenched fist coming out of nowhere, we was also the master of the skate to the groin, the elbow to the head, the stick accross the face, the stick in the face, the stick over the head, the full-force frontal cross-check, the slam headfirst into the boards, the running charge from behind, and, his favorite move of all, the butt end in the ribs. Cleghorn was a real bloodletter, and Detroit's Jack Adams called him an "unwashed surgeon".

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Despite his dirty play, Sprague Cleghorn was also a superb hockey player. In elevel NHL seasons, playing defense, he managed to score eighty-seven goals, and over the course of his very long hockey career he demonstrated an ability to overcome great adversity.

He played a leading role in the championships we won in those years, because he was fearless and a terrific two-way performer. He was ice-cold and the slugger type. He gave the younger fellows on the club all the confidence in the world because he went out of his way to protect any fellow playing on his side. I might also add that Sprague didn’t need any excuse or reason to knock down or hurt an opponent. He liked trouble on the ice, reveled in the heavy going.

He was one of the best -- he could shoot like the dickens and skate like the dickens. I played both with and against Sprague. I don't know of a more sincere and tough competitor. We had our little tiffs on the ice like all hockey players, but we soon got over them.

Bill Brydge was gonna give us some muscle. He was gonna be our bad man. And when Cleghorn came down, he did give it to him, the knee, the elbow the stick. But Cleghorn paid no attention; he just waited. Then, when the time came and, my, he did straighten out Mr. Brydge. He just made of mess of him. Fifty stitches.

Contemporary Reports:

As professionals they have both jumped into favor with the Canadian experts, and Sprague Cleghorn is hailed as the best defense player in Canada to-day.

Sprague Cleghorn was the best defence man playing in the National Hockey Association a year ago and has already signed his contract, even at a reduction in salary.

Sprague Cleghorn excelled in dazzling serpentine runs down the ice... Sprague Cleghorn holding his stick with one hand blocked his opponent with the other and bore down on the Ottawa net in many a speedy dash... The game was so free from roughness that a penalty was not inflicted... Then with lightning speed Sprague Cleghorn sped from one side of the rink to the other until he was well in the enemy's territory and scored from a difficult angle... After Sprague Cleghorn had scored after another dodging journey through the Ottawas.

Artie Ross and Sprague Cleghorn gave Moran valuable assistance on the defense, and time and again they stopped the Vancouver charge when it looked as if nothing could stay Taylor's spectacular rushes. The only bit of roughness last night was contributed by Ross.

Sprague Cleghorn, who has been elected captain of Montreal Wanderers this season, is perhaps the best all-around defence player in the NHA. He can hold down either the line or defence, is fast, a fine stick-handler, and carries a grand shot. He led all defence men in scoring last season. His great forte is intercepting a pass or busting a rush and getting off to a flying break for the other end of the rink. He stands alone in this stunt. Sprague has a head as well as hands and feet.

Ottawa hockey fans saw the greatest exponent of the modern game at his best Monday night when Sprague Cleghorn, of the Montreal Wanderers, unbuckled his case of samples and exposed the whole lot to view. Not since the days of the late Hod Stuart has a player of such all-around excellence as Cleghorn been seen on a hockey arena. And it is just doubtful if the great Hod, who was cut down at the height of his hockey career, could quite touch the general efficiency of the man who is now playing for the same team and same position Stuart held down when he passed away.

Big and strong, far-seeing and intelligent, Cleghorn is the mainspring of the Wanderers' machine. When he engineers a rush, it accomplishes something more often than it fails, and that is beyond all proportions of the average rush. Of Wanderers' 7 goals Monday, Cleghorn was directly responsible for 4. On each occasion he caught the three Ottawa line men coming in, intercepting the puck, and with his rivals going the other way, he broke like a sprinter straight down the centre. And his teammates were watching him, for 2 of them broke with him, giving the old "odd man" advantage that made winning lacrosse teams, and is the first principle in hockey. Both defence men bunched, hoping to guess which side the pass would go, and with Cleghorn working the puck in jigger fashion, they appeared hypnotized.

The rubber was always snapped sharp and clean, and the wing man was always close behind the angle to get it, and be on-side. With such a skillful man as Geordie Roberts with only the goaler between himself and the net, the result was inevitable. Four times Cleghorn performed this feat in identically the same manner last night. Four goals resulted.

By reverting to the files of 1915, it will be seen Mr Cleghorn was in the habit of pulling this stuff a year ago. With him it is no flash in the pan. He dopes out the situation and catches the opposition coming in. He strikes where the opposing team is the weakest, and he doesn't have to be told where rivals are in that condition. Cleghorn's teammates watch him like a hawk and are off with him when he breaks away. He is the Hod Stuart of present-day hockey.

They believe Cleghorn just the man they require and are convinced that his presence on the Ottawa team will more than offset any effectiveness they might have secured through the addition of Hyland, Ritchie and Crawford. Captain Eddie Gerard has highly recommended Cleghorn and other members of the team are tickled at the prospect of having the Montreal boy shooting up and down the ice in a barber pole sweater. Cleghorn comes high, but should prove one of the sensations of the season.

Sprague Cleghorn, rated as the best defense player in pro hockey, will make his initial appearance in a St Patrick uniform on Wednesday night.

(Tommy Gorman quoted)
While Nighbor stood out as the most brilliant player on the ice... the real hero of the sensational struggle was not the flashy Nighbor. It wasn't Darragh... nor was it Broadbent, who notched the winning goal. It was big Sprague Cleghorn. Ottawa took a chance in starting Cleghorn on the defence and shifting Boucher to the line, and in the first five minutes it looked as though the management made a bloomer, but Cleghorn quickly regained his old-time form and thereafter was the most useful man on the ice. He stepped into the Vancouver forwards time after time, sent McKay, Adams and others sprawling into heavy body checks and intercepted pass after pass when goals seemed certain. Cleghorn carried the puck down for Ottawa's first goal in the opening period, and it was he who brought it thru again and enabled Broadbent to tally the decisive one.

Cleghorn intercepted a pass close to the Canadien nets and went down centre ice alone, the rest of the team, panting from their mighty effort, dropping back on defence to catch an instant's rest.

Cleghorn got through until he faced both Cameron and Stewart. He stood directly in front of them, juggling the puck, as if uncertain what to do, apparently cornered. Then, suddenly, when he seemed ready to quit the effort, he slid the rubber between Cameron's feet, jumped around that astonished player before he had time to move, grabbed the rubber again, sailed in on Roach, and whipped the puck across his ankles and into the net.

Spectacular? And then some! There hasn't been such a piece of clever juggling and quick thinking on local ice this year.

When Sprague Cleghorn, captain of the Montreal Canadiens, world's professional hockey champions, was relieved in the last period of the recent Stanley Cup series match against Calgary, he is believed to have completed a record for continuous professional hockey play which will stand for a long time. It was the first time in the seventy-six games that he has played with the Canadiens that he ever stepped out for a rest. In 1922 Cleghorn played twenty-four complete games. He played the same number in 1923 and this year he participated in twenty-three regularly scheduled league games and five play-off battles.

Though Vezina was the team's star, Sprague Cleghorn and X were great defensively, and the former figured in both his team's goals.
... Sprague Cleghorn played one of his cool, calculating games, directing the plays, and at times staging rushes.

Thursday night Tex Rickard's Rangers play the Boston Bruins, a lineup which includes Sprague Cleghorn, one of the fastest of all the hockey stars.

Cleghorn has developed into a prominent figure in Canadian hockey since he left here and is rated as one of the strongest defensive players in the professional game.

Peg Steadies Bruins
The appearance of Sprague Cleghorn on the Bruins' defence had a steadying effect. The "Big Train" handled his players with rare judgment and turned in a sound game defensively, himself, and above all, played cleanly.

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At times, only one man would remain back of the blue line in front of Connell, and indeed, there was one time when they were all up on the offensive, but the strategy of Cleghorn, aided by continuous hard checking of the locals, foiled them.

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The driving force of Sprague Cleghorn behind the team was very much in evidence throughout, and it made what earlier in the season appeared to be a very ordinary team, look like logical contenders.

Perhaps the biggest star of the Boston outfit, if not the best known player in the National League today, is Sprague Cleghorn, who plays a defense position and captains the team. Cleghorn is a slashing type of player feared by his rivals because of his driving power on offensive play. Sprague has been playing professional hockey for sixteen years and has competed in more world's championship series than any other professional hockey man in the game today. Cleghorn is a two handed hitter, holding his stick with both hands in making a shot, and the puck travels at a terrific speed.

Eddie Shore and Lionel Hitchman are stronger offensively than either Capt Sprague Cleghorn or Billy Coutu. Defensively, Cleghorn is superior to the others.

Sprague Cleghorn belongs to the rollicking age of hockey when the cross check was a more effective weapon than the poke check. He could smack an opposing player as hard as Red Horner but with that he had the finesse of a Hitchman and the showmanship of a Shore. He was one of the "bad men" of an age in hockey when "men were men" and as a contemporary hockey critic has so pungently put it, "He was the Clark Gable of his day." He treated them rough. But in the final analysis of his career, Sprague emerges as one of the great figures of hockey, for when all-time all-star teams are chosen, Sprague seldom fails to make a place on the defense.

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But Sprague could "take it" as well as hand it out. Playing against the Toronto St. Pats one night at the Arena, he took flush on his adam's apple a drive from Babe Dye, then the ace sniper of the league and a winger who packed one of the hardest shots in hockey. It would have been "taps" for most players, even the bad men, but Sprague gulped a couple times, shook his head and stuck to his post.

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He teamed on the Senator defense with Eddie Gerard and the pair constituted what was proably the most able defense the game has ever seen. Both were great tacticians and keen students of the hockey. Going to the Canadiens, Sprague had the fiery Coutu as his partner and this pair will go down in history as possibly the most forbidding se f defensemen that any forward line ever had to face.

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No story of Sprague would be complete without a mention of his practical jokes....

Jimmie Kelly of New York's "village" doubts if he ever saw a hockey player who could skate backwards with Sprague Cleghorn, a talent which made that Canadiens star one of the greatest defensemen - his eye was never off the puck.

Mr. Clancy finally yielded the information that the greatest axeman of all-time was Sprague Cleghorn. In fact, Clancy also said that, in his opinion, Cleghorn was the greatest of defensemen.

(Shorty Green's All-Time Team Selection)
Gerard and Sprague Cleghorn he regards as top defencemen for their ice generalship and thumping rearguard play.

Gorman feels Sprague was such a great star because he was a terrific scorer. A forward before he settled back to a defence post, Sprague led many a rush. He could take a pass on either side and could fire the puck as hard as any forward in the game at that time.

"He gave us a lot of trouble off the ice. He was always trying some practical joke on someone, but he more than made up for it on the ice. And, off the ice, he was a great fellow. I liked him.", said Gorman

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“Sprague was the original Iron-Man of hockey. In fact, I’d go so far as to say he was in a class by himself when it came to going the route and doing the iron man stunt. He’d go 60 minutes some nights, as he often did, and I’d kid him when he came off the ice. ‘Didn’t see you out there at all’, I’d laugh, and Sprague just grinned back ‘I was around, all right, Tommy, ask some of the fellows on the other team.

“Now athletes have to take time out with bruised ankles and other minor ailments, but Sprague wouldn’t think of missing a game unless one of his arms or legs was broken and dangling loose. He didn’t know what it meant to rest up.”

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Described by Frank Selke as "one of the truly great old-time hockey players", Cleghorn was a powerfully-built defenseman... fast, fearless, a skillful puckhandler, Cleghorn was recognized as a defense great of his era... Old-timers recall the rugged Cleghorn as a practical joker in a game which was becoming steadily more serious. He could tell a funny story when pressure on his team was heaviest, iron nerves undisturbed by sports crises.

....

Sprague was a notorious practical joker and selected his victims impartially. Once, when he was coaching the old Montreal Maroons, they opened the season in Ottawa. Sprague had been having a lot of fun with a metallic buzzer which he concealed in the palm of his hand. When he shook hands, the buzzer would give the other man something of a shock.

The governor general at the time was Viscount Byng, a great hockey fan, who went to the Ottawa bench before the game started to shake hands with the players. Then he started across the ice to go through the same ritual with the Maroons. Just before he reached the bench, the late Jimmy Strachan, president of the Maroons, was seen clutching Sprague's arm.

"I had a brain wave, and I had it just in time," he explained later. "That gol durn Sprague was all set to give the governor general the buzzer. Can you imagine what would have happened?"

 

[BraveCanadian]

RW, Martin St. Louis

Personal Info:

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 180lbs
Shoots: Left
Birth: June 18, 1975, Laval Quebec


NHL Accomplishments:

2003-2004 Stanley Cup Champion
2003-2004 Hart Trophy
2003-2004 Art Ross
2003-2004 Lester B. Pearson (now Lindsay)
2009-2010 Lady Byng
2010-2011 Lady Byng
2012-2013 Art Ross

1st Team Post Season All Star - 2003-04
2nd Team Post Season All Star - 2006-07, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13.

Played NHL All Star Games 2003,2004,2007,2008,2009,2011.


International Accomplishments:

World Cup of Hockey Champion - 2004
World Championship Silver - 2008
World Championship Silver - 2009
World Championship All Star - 2009
Olympic Games Gold Medal - 2014

​

Regular Season:

St. Louis has been a durable and consistent offensive producer.

Top 20 Scoring Finishes:

Goals:
4, 5, 16, 20

Assists:
1, 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 17, 19

Points:
1, 1, 2, 5, 6, 12, 16, 18


VsX 7 Year: 92.9 (Top 10 among right wingers 1927-2014)
VsX 10 Year: 87.8 (Top 10 among right wingers 1927-2014)


Voting Records:

Hart: 1, 3, 9, 14, 17

Post Season All Stars: 1 x 1st Team, 4 x 2nd Team, 1 x 3rd Team.

Selke: 4, 18, 19, 39.


Playoffs:

A strong playoff performer, St. Louis led the playoffs in assist and was 2nd in points when the Tampa Bay Lighting captured their first and only Stanley Cup.

Top 10 Playoff Finishes:

Goals: 3, 4, 4, 6
Assists: 1
Points: 2, 5, T10



Analysis:

Assets:

Has great speed and shiftiness thanks to powerful legs. Is extremely durable and versatile. Likes to make things happen and is always on the go to create plays from the wing position. Is a dangerous penalty-killer and possesses the heart of a lion.


Flaws:

Doesn't score as much as he sets linemates up, so he could stand to be more selfish at times. Also doesn't have ideal NHL size (but it has never really hampered him much). Age is starting to creep up on him, so how much gas does he have left?

Career Potential:

Savvy, elite veteran scoring winger.

http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockeynews/hockey/player.php?669

The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning managed to find the cap room to keep both Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier on their team.

...

"I've said it many times in the past and I continue to maintain that Martin St. Louis is the 'heart and soul' of our hockey team," Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said in a statement.

...

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2005-08-24-stlouis-free-agent_x.htm

...
"Today is a great day for the Lightning organization," Yzerman said. "Marty means so much to this franchise, both on and off the ice. His hard work and dedication are unsurpassed and we are thrilled that he will finish his career here in Tampa Bay."
...

sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5346350

...
Martin St. Louis dares go where much larger players fear, both on the ice and in his own heart. He has seen the darkness of a life without pro hockey, and so the darkness of a Friday in late May without hockey is nothing to him. In Game 6 Wednesday, just like in his entire unlikely career, the 5-foot-8 St. Louis played as big as the moment, even when the moment became too much for others to bear.

St. Louis stood up before the Lightning's fourth elimination game of these playoffs and spoke to his teammates. Then he delivered for them not only by scoring the two biggest goals of a 5-4 win over Boston, but by barreling his way into places reserved for low blows, lowered shoulders, and nasty cross-checks. That's nothing new for him, as he literally meets all that violence at eye level. How many other Hart Trophy candidates can say they are among their team leaders in blocked shots?
...
St. Louis is wonderfully gifted as a passer, and his speed is breathtaking, but that raw skill covers up his truest gift -- the ability to make tough plays in tough places.
...
St. Louis is doing it again this season with Stamkos, who suddenly looked both more relaxed and more lethal when put on St. Louis' line midway through this season. "You see how hard Marty works during the game," Stamkos says, "but you don't see what happens in the room. He's the first guy to step up and get the guys going. He's obviously been through every type of experience and every single type of championship you could win. He's been there."
...

http://www.thepostgame.com/features...ning-leader-wears-low-expectations-badge-hono

...
"I truly think it worked out for me in Calgary," St. Louis said. "I wasn't drafted. I had nothing. Here's a team that gave me an opportunity to reach my dream and I relished that. I loved it. I was playing more of a checking role, but if that was the role that was going to bring my to the NHL or stay in the NHL, that's what I was going to do."
...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...aNcjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SdEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=925,3100917

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Dit Clapper, D/RW

(credit to Nalyd's previous bio)

-Three time Stanley Cup Champion (1929, '39 & '41)
-Two time Captain of the Stanley Cup Champions (1939 & '41)
-Three time First Team All-Star (1939, '40 & '41 as a D)
-Highest vote-getter in Defenseman All-Star Team voting twice (1940, 1941)
-Three time Second Team All-Star (1931 & '35 as a RW, 1944 as a D)
-Second and Third in Hart Voting (1941, 1940)
-Four times Top 10 in NHL goal scoring (2nd: 1930, 5th: 1935, 8th: 1931 & 10th: 1937
-Two times Top 10 in NHL assist scoring (7th: 1932, 10th, 1930)
-Two times Top 10 in NHL scoring (3rd: 1930, 8th: 1932)
-Four times Top 5 in NHL scoring by a Defenceman (1st: 1941, 2nd: 1939 & '40, 5th: 1943)
-Captain of the Boston Bruins for 13 seasons, 4th longest for any player, held the record for approximately 50 years.
-Named to the Third Team of Red Horner's All-time team at right wing in 1938, behind Bill Cook and Charlie Conacher
-Spent 10 seasons at right wing to start his career, and 9 at defense to end his career

Clapper switched to defense full time starting in the 1937-38 season. After one season getting up to speed, he made the All-Star team in three consecutive years, finishing ahead of established All-Star Earl Seibert each year. Two of these years he led all defensemen in voting points for the equivalent of a retro Norris Trophy. In 1942 Clapper had his Achilles Tendon severed taking him out of AST consideration.

1938-39| Eddie Shore | Dit Clapper |Earl Seibert |Art Coulter
1939-40| Dit Clapper |Ebbie Goodfellow |Art Coulter |Earl Seibert
1940-41| Dit Clapper |Wally Stanowski |Earl Seibert |Ott Heller
1943-44| Babe Pratt| Earl Seibert |Emile Bouchard | Dit Clapper

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

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

Called better defensively than Eddie Shore in 1938, praised for his working clearing rebounds

Aubrey "Dit" Clapper, of the Bruins, rates as the best "second goalkeeper" in the NHL since Lionel Conacher was stopping and smother shots in front of the Maroon netminders...Clapper is even better than Shore in this respect and between the two of them they contribute a lot to Frank Brimsek's amazing success, although nobody can take any credit away from the rookie phenomenon...Other goalkeepers, however, will tell you that the most useful support Brimsek gets from his defencemen is the manner in which they clear...Brimsek can take care of any shots that come his way, but he doesn't have to worry much about rebounds: Shore, Clapper and company look after them...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...iIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZqgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3145,2986610

Called the greatest of defensemen in 1942

Dit Clapper, rated as the greatest of defensemen, suffered a severed achilles tendon...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...L80AAAAIBAJ&sjid=oHEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2639,2522043

He and Seibert were called the prototypical two-way defenseman for assembling a championship quality squad in 1942

Five men- one-third the numerical strength allowed a NHL team in action - are sufficient foundation on which to build a championship hockey team, if you get the right five men...And finally one pillar-of-strength two-way defenceman as your spark and rallying-point (an Earl Seibert or a Dit Clapper)...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...78tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QZkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6714,5250586

Clapper's injury in 1942 made way for Seibert to come out as the big winner in AST voting

Seibert was returned to the first team for the first time since the 1934-35 season although he has made the alternate club every season since. This time, with the great Clapper injured the last six weeks of the season, there was no one to give Seibert much opposition and he polled 18 first-team ballots.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...3gtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3JgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4085,1111889

Strong praise from Frank Boucher, calling Clapper the greatest ice general he ever saw

Coach Frank Boucher of New York Rangers, in an interview tonight, said he believes Aubrey (Dit) Clapper, Boston Bruins defenceman, is the greatest player in present-day hockey.
...
The New York mentor termed Clapper "the greatest ice general" he ever saw. He has highly developed power of leadership and the ability to inspire and preserve balance among his associates. Clapper knows hockey perhaps better than anyone else in the business, Boucher said.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n..._kuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BdwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3071,3778139

Called the most important player on a team of star players on a 16 game undefeated streak

Giving all due credit for Boston's remarkable streak-now 16 games without a loss-to such players as Bill Cowley, Milt Schmidt, and the other high-scoring forwards, and to the Bruins' fine goalie, Frank Brimsek, it's hard to imagine them achieving such a record without a big fellow named Aubrey Clapper in the lineup every game.

Clapper, better known as "Dit," is 34 years old, and he has been playing pro hockey in a Boston uniform 14 seasons, but he's still about the most important single individual on the Bruins' team. Once a star forward, he's now the mainstay of a defense that is one of the best in the National Hockey League. He still has the speed to go down and score a goal in an occasional "clutch."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...4xAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=r6QMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6720,2494104

The Bruins defense was repeatedly praised, even after Shore retired and Clapper led the group

The Leafs cut loose with everything at the start of the third, but the Bruins "all-star" defense of Eddie Shore and Dit Clapper tightened in front of Brimsek.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...qlQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ECIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6511,5380587

...while the rearguard, built around those stout supports, Eddie Shore and Dit Clapper, afforded young Frankie Brimsek such protection that the cat-like kid won the Vezina Trophy for having least goals-against him in the league, 76, and also walked off with the shutout honors...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...I38uAAAAIBAJ&sjid=75gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3100,280183

[Stanowski] was a mainstay for the Leafs from start to finish just as the veteran Dit Clapper was for the Bruins. They form a solid combination with the smooth Mr. Clapper providing a steadying influence for the rushing Stanowski. Clapper, himself, passed the double-century mark in goals this season and could lend the puck-carriers on this all-star outfit considerable help.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...AMvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1dsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5318,3906388

Those sets of forwards, who can cut loose with terrific power and speed, canny stickhandling and youthful enthusiasm in turn, will operate in front of one of the league's strongest defensive squads, veteran Dit Clapper, the player-coach, Jack Crawford, Murray Henderson, Pat Egan and Jack Church.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...CQzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BtwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6099,4224947

More evidence he could pair well with a rushing defenceman

Capt. Dit Clapper appears to be the mainstay of the defense line and teams well with Flash Hollett.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...vZEAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qboMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5670,4591275

Clapper was a good fighter as well

Lester's husky son packs the kick of a mule in that lightning straight right of his and Eddie never will go anywhere but down throwing hooks a thim..Dit Clapper is the boy to handle the belting [Muzz] and all the latter has to do to get that 210-pounder on his neck is take a poke at his pal Frankie Brimsek, as a couple of the Rangers did Tuesday night in New York..

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...RIqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J2oFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1327,7196568

The clubs staged a rough preview of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Twice, Dit Clapper and Art Coulter came to blows, and each drew major penalties for the second fisticuffs.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...7g0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=z20FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4337,3936104

Mariucci is fast and rugged but, he should be advised, not so much so that he can slug it out with Dit Clapper, as he was trying to do last until Referee King Clancy intervened, just when that burly Bruin was uncorking his Sunday punch.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...IDFkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=S_gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3101,418845

Clapper won the award for Bruins MVP and finished runner up another year

By unanimous vote, Capt. Dit Clapper was adjudged the "most valuable" Boston Bruins player Wednesday by the Boston hockey writers and will be presented the Elizabeth Dufresne trophy. The other others who have been so honored were Goalie Tiny Thompson...and Eddie Shore...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...7NQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YCIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5019,6058444

Tiny Thompson has been voted the most valuable player on the Boston team on home ice, in the opinion of Bruin writers for the second successive season...Dit Clapper was runner-up.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...38uAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CpkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3751,4510966

 

[Dreakmur]

Cy Denneny!!!


Awards and Accomplishments:
5 x Stanley Cup Champion (1920, 1921, 1923, 1927, 1929)
Art Ross Winner (1924)


Scoring Accomplishments:
Points – 1st(1924), 2nd(1918), 2nd(1922), 2nd(1923), 2nd(1925), 2nd(1926), 3rd(1921), 4th(1919), 5th(1916)
Goals – 1st(1924), 2nd(1918), 2nd(1921), 3rd(1916), 3rd(1922), 3rd(1923), 4th(1919), 4th(1925), 4th(1926), 8th(1927)
Assists – 1st(1918), 1st(1925), 2nd(1926), 3rd(1923), 4th(1922), 8th(1919)

Play-off Points – 1st(1923), 2nd(1922), 2nd(1924), 3rd(1921), 3rd(1927), 4th(1919)
Play-off Goals – 1st(1922), 1st(1923), 1st(1927), 2nd(1921), 2nd(1924), 5th(1919)
Play-off Assists – 4th(1919)

Cup Challenge Points - 2nd(1921), 2nd(1923)
Cup Challenge Goals - 2nd(1921)
Cup Challenge Assists - 1st(1920), 2nd(1923)


5-Year Peak: 1922-1926
1st in Points, 107% of second place Babe Dye
2nd in Goals, 95% of first place Babe Dye
1st in Assists, 111% of second place Reg Noble

10-Year Peak: 1918-1927
1st in Points, 132% of second place Babe Dye
1st in Goals, 122% of second place Babe Dye
2nd in Assists, 93% of first place Frank Nighbor


Consolidated Scoring Accomplishments:
Points - 2nd(1918), 2nd(1925), 3rd(1924), 3rd(1926), 4th(1922), 5th(1921), 8th(1919), 10th(1916), 11th(1927)
Goals - 1st(1924), 2nd(1921), 3rd(1916), 3rd(1923), 4th(1925), 6th(1916), 6th(1922), 6th(1926), 8th(1919), 8th(1927)
Assists - 1st(1925), 2nd(1926), 4th(1918), 10th(1922), 10th(1923)

Play-off Points - 3rd(1921), 3rd(1927), 6th(1919)
Play-off Goals - 1st(1927), 2nd(1923), 5th(1921), 7th(1919), 7th(1922), 10th(1924)


Scoring Percentages:
Points - 100(1925), 99(1924), 98(1921), 96(1918), 92(1923), 91(1926), 85(1922), 67(1916), 66(1919), 64(1927)

Best 6 Seasons: 576
Nest 6 Seasons: 343


Team Scoring:
Points - 1st(1918), 1st(1921), 1st(1923), 1st(1924), 1st(1925), 1st(1926), 1st(1927), 2nd(1916), 2nd(1919), 2nd(1922), 4th(1920)

Point Lead Percentage - 230, 183, 148, 144, 134, 121, 104

One of the top-scoring left wings of his era, he topped the 20-goal mark eight times in his stellar career. Although he wasn't the swiftest skater, he used his shot to deadly effect. Much to the chagrin of opposing netminders, he also became one of the first players to experiment with a curved stick… He was a productive scorer despite the fact that he was often in charge of protecting his good-natured linemates Jack Darragh and Frank Nighbor.

....

One of the most dangerous shooters in league history… He contributed valuable leadership and savvy while helping the Beantowners win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history by defeating New York Rangers in 1929.

Though best remembered as a sniper, he was also quite the physical player, not afraid to mix things up with the opposition…

After joining the Senators in 1917, he made protecting Frank Nighbor and Jack Darragh, his sweet-natured linemates, job one. Later, he played with Punch Broadbent. The two were referred to as the "Gold Dust Twins" on account of their ability to keep opposition bad boys honest…Short and stocky, he looked more like a bulldog than a goal-scorer. Not an exceptionally fast skater, he possessed one of the more accurate shots of his day and was one of the first players to use opposing defensemen as screens...

A rough-and-tumble type of player… sometimes cast into an enforcer’s role when looking out for smaller, mild-mannered players… a fantastic scoring machine…

Although he was small in stature, Cy was chunky and knew how to take care of himself. In fact he was the policeman for the mild mannered Nighbor and Darragh. Broadbent was more his type and they were sometimes called the Gold Dust Twins when cleaning up the opposition.

When Sprague Cleghorn was carrying on his vendetta with Ottawa, Denneny's policing duties brought him more than a fair share of Cleghorn's sticks and elbows.

Contemporary Reports:

A fight between Lalonde and Denneny occurred in the game, and Lalonde was blamed as the starter of the trouble. He was checked by Denneny in a scrimmage near the Ottawa nets, and was prevented from getting a shot. He retaliated by clinching with Denneny and the pair engaged in fisticuffs. They were separated, and Lalonde poked Denneny in the mouth with his stick, the upshot being that they began to mix it up with each other, and both players were given a match penalty.

In this chapter Randall created a little excitement when he mixed matters with Cyrill Denneny. The two started into furnish a lively battle, but both were banished...Denneny attempted to start a fracas with Mummery, but the Blue Shirts Hercules grasped him around the waist in a bear-hug and held him helpless until the Ottawa's temper cooled.

Something of a general fracas was precipitated by Denneny and Corbeau coming to blows just after the former had scored Ottawa's fourth goal. They clinched and were rolling around on the ice before officials could separate them...

Ottawa played magnificant hockey with Sprague Cleghorn, Cy Denneny, and Clint Benedict as the Outstanding heroes.

Corbeau and Denneny came to blows in the second period, and each drew a major. They swung at one another and then grappled.

Denneny shone in all departments except shooting, and in this particular he was way off-colour. He got in the Seattle defense at least a half-a-dozen times, and was either outguessed by Holmes, hit the letter, or shot wide.

Denneny was the most bothersome of the Ottawa crew owing to the fact that he was let sail down unchecked nearly every time he had the puck. He packs a bad shot, and the result was that he grabbed all three of the Ottawa goals.

Denneny, the left wing, is the second best scorer in the NHL. He is a fast skater and travels with reckless abandon in a rush.

With more speed than Skinner Poulin, he resembles that old Coast veteran more than any other player not in this league. He never lets up and worries the life out of an opposing check.

Boucher and Denneny did strong comebacks...

The most effective man on the ice for either team was "Cy" Denneny. He led the attack by the Senators at all times, and his pace never slowed during the game.

Their olive crab uniform is a negative looking garment, and their lack of finish was painfully apparent against such smooth and subtle performers as Nighbor, Denneny and Boucher. ... Cyrus Denneny played a fine game on his wing and helped in two timely counters. His back-checking was a big feature.

Hooley Smith and Denneny on the wings played their positions to perfection. ... Billy Boucher worked hard throughout but was too closely looked ater on his side of the ice by brother George and Cy Denneny to get many shots on Connell.

Cy Denneny, while never flashy, played a steady game throughout. His shooting was always deadly.

Clever pokechecking by Smith and Denneny on the Ottawa forward line often broke up the New York attacks almost before they got started.

Denneny sniped one of his heady goals and drove a dozen other near-goals at Lehman from all angles. He backchecked well and his all-around game was great.

Adams and Denneny played sound hockey while they were on the ice and each came very close to scoring, Denneny on several occasions with his whistling shots from the portside gave Benedict plenty of trouble. ... Jack Adams and Cy Denneny, the ever reliable veterans, subbed effectively and held the fort when Ottawas were riddled by penalties.

Cy Denneny sank the good ship Boston with all hands on board when he blazed in that third goal. He checked Shore at the Ottawa blue line, streaked away through centre and then swerved wide on the weakened Boston defense. As he rounded the outer coron, he sent himself and crashed the puck at the net with such force that, although it hit Winkler's pad, it swept on and nestled in the near corner of the twine.

Denneny is reputed to be the laziest player in the league

It is probable that Denneny who did quite well against Canadiens may well be started out Saturday night. Cy imparts a steadying influence, and his shot is always a potent offensive weapon.

Denneny sailed through to cut loose one of his famous drives from left wing. It was like one of Cy's old time smoking drives and it shook Benny from stem to stern. A moment later Cy was rushing through to try a repeater when Ward spilled him headlong with an intended trip.

Despite his high goal average, Denneny hadn't had a hard shot as weing men go, but he was craft itself close in, and mst of his tallies were scored in faking the netminder out of position. Cy used his head as well as his stick to compile his great record. Some of his shots that beat goaltenders never left the ice.

 

[Dreakmur]

Frank Brimsek !!!


Awards and Achievements:
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1939, 1941)

2 x First-Team All-Star (1939, 1942)
6 x Second Team All-Star (1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948)
2 x Vezina Trophy Winner (1939, 1942)

Hart voting - 2nd(1948), 3rd(1942), 5th(1943), *10th(1949)
All-Star voting - 1st(1939), 1st(1942), 2nd(1940), 2nd(1941), 2nd(1943), 2nd(1946), 2nd(1947), 2nd(1948)


Last year TDMM made a compelling case that Brimsek likely should have received more 1st team all-star selections, since that seemed to just go to the Vezina winner. That can be viewed here:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=58663347&postcount=38

"Mr. Zero."

There was never one before, and there will never be one again. Frank Brimsek was the original, an after him they threw away the mold. One would be hard-pressed to find an American-born player who made a more emphatic impact on "The Game" than Frank Brimsek. Were it not for a World War II stint in the United States Coast Guard - which significantly disrupted his future - Brimsek might well have emerged as the greatest exponent of goaltending ever known.

Hap Day called Brimsek the "greatest goalie he had eve seen." Frank Selke and Art Ross also though Brimsek to have been the best goalie of their time. The greatest American goalie ever, the man with one of the fastest glove-hands in the history of the game, ended his career with two Stanley Cup rings, two Vezina trophies, and eight All-Star Team nominations.


In a Word: LIGHTNING

Ultimate Hockeys Best Glove Hand of the 1940s

Brimsek is the toughest goalie I ever faced.

He's as quick as a cat, and trying to get him to make the first move is like pushing over the Washington Monument.

He's got the best left hand in the business, and nobody plays the angles as well as he does.

When Brimsek was in his prime I think he was the best stand-up goalie I've ever seen - when he was hot, he was hot! Any goaltender who can come up with five shutouts in a row has to be fantastic. The thing that I remember most about Brimsek was how well he could handle the puck with his stick...

Take it from Art Ross and Cooney Weiland, who direct the operations of the pace-setting Boston Bruins, that Frankie Brimsek has the "most amazing powers of concentration" of any goaler they ever saw...That quality, they contend, is the basic one on which his success is founded...Linked to this is cat-like speed and a great pair of hands to complete the picture of "the best goaler in the league right now," according to Ross...To demonstrate just how deeply Brimsek concentrates on his work, Ross points out that Frankie has made some 15 or 20 saves, of deflected shots, hardest for a goaler to get to, since he joined the Bruins...In other words, he never removes his eyes from the puck and nothing can distract his attention...His quickness of movement does the rest...To aid his speed, Brimsek wears the lightest possible equipment...Ross relates that Frankie, in ordering his pads, specified, "Make 'em light. Never mind the bruises I'll get. I don't mind 'em"...Not a very communicative person at any time, Brimsek is a sphinx in the dressing room...He does not allow his concentration on a game to be interrupted during the rest intervals, for then he sits as if in a trance, looking down at the floor, and saying nothing...This fits right in with Ross's scheme of things, for he prefers his men to maintain a tranquil quiet in the dressing room between periods as a nerve-soothing medium to counteract the hurly-burly of the action on the ice.

Brimsek an All-Time Goaltending Great

In his day, Happy Day has seen a lot of goaltenders, and played with and against most of those he saw. Included in the group were such past masters of the art as Georges Vezina, Clint Benedict, Alex Connell, Hughie Lehman, George Hainsworth, Roy Worters, Chuck Gardiner and Cecil "Tiny" Thompson. Yet the best netminder Hap Day ever laid eyes on was not one of these. The best goaler the Toronto coach and former defense star ever saw was Boston's Frank Brimsek.

Day has a pretty sweet netminder of his own in Turk Broda and a great admiration for him, but when it comes down to brass tacks and all sentiment aside, Hap plumps for Brimsek as the best in the league today - and the best he ever saw.

"That Brimsek belongs among the all-time great goalkeepers: no questions about that," said Day, "and don't forget playing goal nowadays is a lot more difficult than it used to be."

Happy says one reason he thinks so highly of Frigid Frank is because he has never, never seen Brimsek play a bad game, and he usually sees him against Toronto. Day goes on, "He's practically unbeatable against us any time; and it was he who stopped us in the playoffs last spring no question about it. I said I never saw him play a bad game, and that goes for the playoff game we beat Boston 7-2. Brimsek was still phenomenal. We'd have had 15 goals that night but for him."

Day knows, though he rarely sees Brimsek in action against other clubs, that Frank seldom if ever plays a bad game against anybody.
....

Two Hallmarks of His Work

There are two points that impress Day particularly about Brimsek; one is that he always seems to be in position, waiting for the puck - like a top-notch outfielder in baseball, the kind who never has to make spectacular catches because he is always there ahead of the ball - and because of the shots Frank stops with his hand; shots that whip goalward four of five inches off the ice to the corner; shots that beat other netminders, but shots that Brimsek picks off with that hand of his.

Happy says, "You know, for quite a while, I kept telling my boys, 'You're always shooting right at Brimsek. Put that puck where he isn't.' But the more I see of him, the more I realize that there isn't anywhere around the nets that Brimsek isn't. I mean the fellows always seem to be shooting at him, because he always gets in front of the puck. He must have all the angles figured to a tee, and probably all the habits of the men who shoot at him, too. He anticipates where the shots are going to go. It's not often you see Brimsek making that last sensational, hair's-breadth save, like a lot of goalers have to do. He is there waiting for it ahead of time."

...

In this new game of heavy pressure and constant attack, it's a lot tougher on a goalkeeper than in the good old days, says Day. "You don't see goalies standing around, taking it easy now," Hap declares, "they have to be more active; they have to watch for pucks coming at them out of a forest of figures; often they have to make their moves instinctively on screened and deflected shots. And despite all those handicaps, Brimsek is the best I've ever seen."

Day adds that if you don't believe him you should talk to Gordie Drillon about Brimsek. Drillon - a pretty fair hockey player himself who averages about 40 scoring points a year for Toronto, including some 25 goals which win a lot of hockey games for the Leafs - played amateur with Brimsek in Pittsburgh, and even then Gordie had him tabbed as a coming great. When Drillon first went to Toronto, he told the Leafs then of this Brimsek. Drillon was sold on Brimsek that far back. And to show you just how serious Frigid Frank was about his work from the very beginning, big Gordie relates that scoring a goal on him in practice was like cutting Brimsek's heart out.

Reports credit Brimsek with playing a sensational game but that much can be taken in stride. Any time Brimsek fails to come up with a sparkling effort the Bruins are going nowhere. He is the best goaler in the pro circuit these days and the main reason the critics hate to dismiss the Krautless Bruins.

Frigid Frankie Brimsek played his usual cool and brilliant game, and time and time again broke up goal-labelled thrusts. Frankie was immense despite his team's loss.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Hod Stuart D

6'0'' 190 lbs (Would be about 6'4'' 230 lbs today adjusting for era). He was a BIG man back in his day.

Red color Quote = my additions to Dreak's bio. (much more to type/add)

Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (1907)

WPHL League Champion (1903)
IPHL League Champion (1905)

Named WPHL’s Best Cover-Point (1903)
2 x Named IPHL’s Best Cover-Point (1905, 1906)
WPHL First Team All-Star (1903)
2 x IPHL First Team All-Star (1905, 1906)

Offensive Accomplishments:
Points among Defensemen – 1st(1900), 1st(1902), 1st(1903), 1st(1905), 1st(1906), 1st(1907), 2nd(1901)​

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utimate Hockey – Biography
With the Montreal Wanderers, the team that went on to win the 1907 ECHA title, Stuart came through big-time. Instead of anchoring himself to the blue-line, he rushed the puck with remarkable ease and fluidity. With his help, the Redbands were able to regain the Cup from the Kenora Thistles. At the time, Stuart was being called the “greatest hockey player in the world,†although he would not have long to savor the praise…

….

Stuart stands among a select group of hockey legends. He was capable of controlling a game’s flow, much like Doug Harvey of the Montreal Canadiens some 50 years later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Putting a Roof on Winter: Hockey Rise from Sport to Spectacle
William Hodgson Stuart, the star of the Pittsburg Bankers, accepted an offer from Portage Lake, and in Stuart, the team had the kind of player who is today called “the franchiseâ€.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Patricks: Hockey’s Royal Family
Hod joined the Wanderers for their first game two weeks later, and this diamond-in-the-rough – a doggedly tough and tenacious defenseman…

If there was ever a “team policeman†in those days to equate with today’s designated “hit manâ€, it was Hod Stuart.

....

He (Lester Patrick) was trapped by two Ottawa players who homed their sticks, plainly intent on administering a lesson in submission. They were slashing at him with their sticks when Stuart, just back on the ice and barely recovered from his own ordeal, came roaring to the rescue. With blood still oozing from the hastily stitched gash on his forehead, he waded in and took on all four assailants.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legends of Hockey
He was as complete a player as there was back in the days of the "onside" game. He could skate, shoot, and make the big play from his point position.

....

Stuart was a clean player who played for keeps. His punishing checks and long reach frustrated his opponents as much as his offensive rushes dazzled the fans.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends
Just how good was Hod Stuart? When the Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1945, the powerful skating defenseman, the Bobby Orr of his era, was included as one of the 12 initial inductees. That tells you just how highly acclaimed he was.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chauncer Elliott
He could skate, shoot, play-make, and play-break…. and he was a good fellow as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel Mason, hockey historian
One of hockey’s first great defensemen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Stuart
He has more speed and genuine science than any two players on the other teams.

Ultimate Hockey's All-Star Team of the 1900s

Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Offensive Defenseman†of the 1900s
Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Defensive Defenseman†of the 1900s
Ultimate Hockey’s “Best Skater†of the 1900s


Quote:

Originally Posted by The Ottawa Citizen – February 13, 1899
Hod Stuart's work at cover point was grand, and he stopped McCarron's rushes many times.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – December 2, 1902
Stuart, besides being a good hockey player, is an all around athlete. He for several years was a member of the Rough Riders football team that held the championship of Canada, and up north he is considered one of the best defensemen in hockey.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – March 16, 1904
Hod Stuart and Gibson are undoubtedly the greatest defense men that ever performed in the garden and it was pleasing to the Houghton partisan to watch their excellent work last night. The Victoria forward men were unable to get away with the puck when they secured it for any distance, and the few times they did get started near the Portage Lake part of the ice big Hod was always on the spot and put an end to the play by taking away the rubber.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – December 18, 1904
Hod Stuart is a whole team by himself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – January 10, 1905
He is a good man on defense, and with Hod Stuart in front of him, the pair had no trouble in preventing the Pittsburgh seven from scoring.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – September 13, 1905
The presence of Hod Stuart in this city has occasioned much comment. The big fellow who on short notice developed a winning team last year is considered to be the greatest exponent of the Canadian pastime who ever put on a skate; in fact he is as valuable to a team fortuante in having him on their lineup as three ordinary good players.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – December 11, 1905
Hod Stuart has been barred from the International Hockey League, the western contingent claiming he won too many championships and that he is too rough. He is one of the best hockey players on this continent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – January 15, 1906
Hod Stuart is as clever as ever he was. In the last two games played here, he has done magnificent work, and has not been rough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – January 17, 1906
Spittal referred to Hod Stuart, the local’s famous cover-point, as undoubtedly the greatest hockey player who ever donned skates. And “Baldy†was correct there, too…

Hod has been accused of being a rough and dirty player, but there was nothing in the least offensive in his work last night. He was here, there, and everywhere, always following the puck when it went down the rink, and yet never losing sight of his opponent. When the Canadians line would start towards the Pittsburgh goal, with the puck in its possession, Hod always got busy. He would skate in and out between the opposing men, and nearly every time take the puck away from the man who was dribbling it.

He did his work without any rough tactics, but Stuart was so big that when a Canuck bumped him it was usually a case of the fooler being fooled, for Suart skated on, while the aggressive Soo man was sent sprawling to the ice.

Stuart is undoubtedly in a class by himself, when it comes to coolness, quick thinking, and speed…

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – January 27, 1906
Hod Stuart, of course, put in another great game. He can’t play any other way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – February 10, 1906
Hod Stuart was in the game every minute. He made three of Pittsbugh's scores.

Quote:

The Pittsburgh Press – February 14, 1906
There is no wonder that Hod Stuart’s name is mentioned wherever hockey is played. His work toward the last half of the second half was sensational. Stuart plays both offense and defense, and what he doesn’t do in a game is not worth doing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The St. John Sun - October 19, 1906
Pittsburg is so far away from here that little is heard of its team for next year. Hod Stuart, the greatest of all cover-points, is at its head, and will doubtless get a fast seven to represent the Smoke City.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – November 25, 1906
Hod Stuart – than whom there is no better – is here…

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Montreal Star – December 4, 1906
Two weeks ago, the Star announced that Hod Stuart, considered the greatest hockey player in the world, was going to play with the Wanderers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press - December 14, 1906
The defence work of Hod Stuart and Billy Baird could not be improved on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – December 17, 1906
Is the Pittsburgh International Hockey League team to lose its wonderful leader, Hod Stuart, the greatest hockey player in the world?

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – March 6, 1907
Harry Smith, after playing only 40 seconds, hit Hod Stuart with his stick, putting him out for ten minutes. But after Hod returned to the game he went to work as he never did before and scored four of the ten goals for his team.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press – March 8, 1907
Bruce Stuart is not any more lamb-like than his brother Hod. The Stuart boys never run away from trouble.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette – March 14th, 1907
While he was on the ice, Stuart exhibited many of those qualities which have gained him renown in the hockey world. He handled his stick with marvelous dexterity, skated rings around most of the men on the ice, broke up rush after rush with ease, and several times carried the puck down through the whole Toronto team, his great speed carrying his huge bulk along with almost irresistible force.

....

When he was at cover-point Stuart was generally the turning point of every attack, and during the entire period the defense appeared well nigh impregnable. After his retirement the locals had comparatively little difficulty in sifting through or circling right up to the posts. With Stuart in the dressing room, the Wanderers appeared to be little better than the average team. The big fellow appears to be the backbone as well as the brains of the outfit. He instills confidence and spirit into the men in front of him, wakens them when they lag, steadies them when they are inclined to give way to the rattles, is cool and collected in an emergency, and is in every way the life of the team.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette – March 25, 1907

Hod Stuart's Great Game.

Hod Stuart is given credit by his teammates of playing the greatest game of his life, and he certainly gave one of the finest exhibitions of defence work ever seen here. He blocked rush after rush, and inaugurated many dangerous attempts. He checked hard, hit cleanly, and was never even warned, although he had much provocation. When it is considered the big cover point played with a broken finger, his was truly a remarkable exhibition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette – June 24, 1907
Stuart's work throughout the winter is well known here and requires little comment. He was the backbone of the team, and without him the Wanderers would have been lost. He was a real general of the game, he knew it thoroughly himself, and could play any position from forward to point, and he had the ability to impart what he knew to others. One feature won Stuart hosts of friends here in Montreal, and that was that in all the many hard games he took part in during the winter he played clean, gentlemanly hockey all the way through.

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Pittsburgh Press - June 24, 1907

Hod Stuart was one of the best known and most popular hockey players ever to appear in Pittsburgh. For nearly two years he played cover point and captained the local team in the International Hockey League. His work was always on the sensational order and was the idol of the fans, occupying much of the same sphere as Hans Wagner and Napolean Lajoie do in baseball.

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Ottawa Citizen - June 24, 1907

Stuart was the most talked of hockey players in Canada last winter. He was considered by competent judges to be the finest exponent of hockey in the world and his work for the Wanderers made it apparent that there was good grounds for this opinion.

Little or no comment is required on Hod's work here throughout the winter. He was the backbone of the team, a real general of the game, knowing the game thoroughly himself and being able to impart his knowledge to others. He could play any position from forward to point, and without him the Wanderers would have been lost. His gentlemanly playing in all the hard games he took part in, won hosts of friends for Stuart in this city. In the famous Ottawa match, which led to the summonsing of two of the players to a police court, Stuart bore the brunt of the rough work without either flinching or retaliating. Although laid unconscious in the course of the match, he came back and finished it out as if nothing had happened.

In the return match in Ottawa late in the season, he stood punishment the same way, all the time going on with his play and being that night the largest factor in the Wanderer victory. His work as a player was prominent in the Kenora series out West, when Wanderers succeeded in winning back the Cup lost to Kenora earlier in the season.

Mr James Strachan, the president of the Wanderer club, with which Stuart played last season, said: "I cannot tell you how greatly shocked I was to hear of the terrible accident, and how deeply I regret poor Stuart's untimely death. He was a splendid hockey player, and one of the finest fellows in the game, and no one who knew him as I did could have anything but good to say of him. In his death Canadian sport suffers a very great loss."

Mr William Strachan, known to hockey fans as "Billy", also expressed his regret. "I didn't play very much with Stuart." he said, "but the little I did play in his company gave me a very high opinion of him as a player and as a man. He was a fine fellow and all who knew him liked him. I was greatly surprised and grieved to learn of his death."

One of the officers of the Ottawa Hockey club, discussing the sad ending of the famous cover-point's life, remarked that the hockey world had undoubtedly lost one of its greatest exponents. "I believe Stuart was the greatest cover-point in the world," he stated to a Citizen representative. "Whether he played for or against Ottawa,his heart was in the game, and he did his best to turn the tide of victory in favor of his team. Stuart was a hero on the ice and a gentlemen off it and his death came as a great shock to the players and officers of the Ottawa Hockey club. His is one of the saddest deaths I have ever heard of and no persons sympathize more deeply with his bereaved widow and family than the members of the Ottawa Hockey club. We will always remember Hod Stuart and his wonderful prowess as a hockey player."

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette – 1907
Hod Stuart, cover-point for the Wanderers, Canadian hockey champions and holders of the Stanley Cup, considered one of the finest all-round athletes in Canada and perhaps the greatest exponent of defense play in Canada’s winter sport.

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette - January 28, 1933
It was there that Hod Stuart, still called by historians, the greatest hockey player who ever lived, flashed his stuff, in the pioneer days....

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette - March 29th, 1934
He was rated the finest player who had ever handled a stick up to that time and one of the best all-round athletes that Canada has ever produced. Playing cover point for Wanderers, he was not only the greatest exponent of defense play of his time but he was undoubtedly the most talked of athlete in the Dominion.

....


Of almost perfect physical build, Hod Stuart was over six feet tall and weighed about 175 points. He was rather slim but strong and muscular and was possessed of splendid courage.

All Time All Star Teams:
In 1925, MacLean's magazine in Canada published an "All-Star, All-Time, Canadian Hockey Team" which "represents the opinions of sporting editors and other critics throughout the Dominion."

On Defense:
First team: Sprague Cleghorn, Hod Stuart
Second team: Eddie Gerard, George Boucher
Third team: Joe Simpson, Lester Patrick and Art Ross (tie)

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...,2006058&hl=en

Lester Patrick, who helped found the PCHA and competed as a player there, must have been very familier with Moose Johnson, the star PCHA defenseman. He appeared to prefer Hod Stuart too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends – Tommy Phillips Biogaphy
In a 1925 article Patrick was asked to select his all-time all-star team. Here's what he said:

"My opinion is based on consistency of players over a period of years, and the fact that men selected possessed nearly all the fundamentals of an ideal player - physique, stamina, courage, speed, stick-handling, goal-getting ability, skill in passing, proper temperament and, above all, hockey brains."

Patrick selected Hughie Lehman in goal, Sprague Cleghorn and Hod Stuart on defence, and up front he chose Tom Phillips, Arthur Farrell and Fred "Cyclone" Taylor.

One major caveat: As Patrick admits, he places a high value on "hockey brains." One of his three forwards was Arthur Farrell, as well (better?) known for writing what I think was the first popular book on hockey strategy as he was for what he did on the ice.

(And once again note that Patrick apparently preferred Stuart to Gerard too. But like overpass says, it's hard to tell how much of that is nostalgia for the player who died in the middle of his prime).

 

[Dreakmur]

Vladimir Martinec !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Olympic Silver (1976)
Olympic Bronze (1972)

Canada Cup Runner-up (1976)

WC Gold (1972, 1976, 1977)
WC Silver (1971, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)
WC Bronze (1970, 1973, 1981)

Extraliga Championship (1973)


IIHF Best Forward (1976)
4 x IIHF All-Star (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977)


Golden Stick voting - 1st(1973), 1st(1975), 1st(1976), 1st(1979), 3rd(1974), 4th(1977), 5th(1980), 6th(1981), 7th(1972), 7th(1978)


Domestic Scoring Accomplishments:
Points - 1st(1973), 2nd(1976), 2nd(1979), 3rd(1972), 4th(1974), 6th(1971), 6th(1975), 9th(1977), 10th(1970)


International Scoring Accomplishments:
Olympic Points - 5th(1976), 11th(1972)
Olympic Goals - 2nd(1976), 8th(1972)
Olympic Assists - 7th(1976)

World Championship Points - 1st(1976), 2nd(1974), 3rd(1977), 9th(1975), 11th(1978), 12th(1972), 12th(1981)
World Championship Goals - 1st(1976), 3rd(1974), 7th(1978), 8th(1975)
World Championship Assists - 1st(1976), 2nd(1972), 2nd(1977), 4th(1974), 6th(1981)

Vladimir Martinec was one of the smartest and most technically skilled European player ever. It is doubtful if there has ever been any player in Europe as eager to improvise as Martinec. He was extremely creative with the puck and drove his opponents crazy.

Few players were treated more brutally than Martinec. This small (5'9" and 178 Ibs) right wing somehow always seemed to bounce back totally undisturbed and more often than not with a smile on his face. His constant smile was a sort of a trademark and frustrated his opponents even more. A lot of reporters used to ask him why he always was smiling, even after a vicious crosscheck in the back. He said that he did it because he enjoyed the game so much and always had fun.

It was evident that he loved the game as he always did something extra with the puck that left the fans absolutely stunned. Martinec was known as "The Fox" for his cleverness around the net as he simply outsmarted his opponents. He was extremely popular among his teammates who knew him as "Marcello".

He was one of the Czechoslovakia’s greatest pure finesse players of all-time and all but impossible to stop 1-on-1.

 

[Dreakmur]

Duncan Keith !!!


Award and Achievements:
3 x Stanley Cup Champion (2010, 2013, 2015)
2 x Olympic Gold Medalist (2010, 2014)

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner (2015)
2 x Norris Trophy Winner (2010, 2014)
2 x First Team All-Star (2010, 2014)

Hart voting - 16th(2010)
Norris voting - 1st(2010), 1st(2014), 6th(2009), 6th(2013), 7th(2015), 9th(2011), 11th(2008), 11th(2016), 13th(2012)
All-Star voting - 1st(2010), 1st(2014), 5th(2013), 7th(2009), 7th(2015), 9th(2011), 11th(2008), 11th(2016), 15th(2012)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Olympic Points - 10th(2010)
Olympic Points among Defensemen - 2nd(2010)

World Championship Points - 8th(2012)
World Championship Points among Defensemen - 1st(2012)

Points among Defensemen - 2nd(2010), 2nd(2014), 5th(2017), 12th(2013), 14th(2015), 17th(2011), 19th(2012), 20th(2009)
Even Strength Points - 1st(2010), 2nd(2009), 2nd(2014), 4th(2017), 7th(2007), 9th(2019), 10th(2008), 13th(2013), 13th(2015)

Play-off Points among Defensemen - 1st(2015), 2nd(2010), 3rd(2013), 6th(2014)


5-Year Peak: 2010-2014
1st in Points among Defensemen, 102% of second place Erik Karlsson
3rd in Time on Ice among Defensemen
2nd in Play-off Points among Defensemen

10-Year Peak: 2006-2015
3rd in Points among Defensemen, 99% of second place Nicklas Lidstrom
2nd in Time on Ice among Defensemen
4th in Play-off Points among Defensemen


Scoring Percentages:
Points - 100, 100, 75, 75, 74, 73, 71, 69, 57, 49, 48

Best 6 Seasons: 497

Team Ice Time:
TOI - 1st(2006), 1st(2007), 1st(2008), 1st(2009), 1st(2010), 1st(2011), 1st(2012), 1st(2013), 1st(2014), 1st(2015), 1st(2016), 1st(2017), 1st(2018), 1st(2019), 1st(2020)
ES TOI - 1st(2006), 1st(2007), 1st(2008), 1st(2009), 1st(2010), 1st(2011), 1st(2012), 1st(2013), 1st(2014), 1st(2015), 1st(2016), 1st(2017), 1st(2018), 1st(2019), 1st(2020)
PP TOI - 1st(2011), 1st(2012), 1st(2013), 1st(2014), 1st(2015), 1st(2017), 1st(2018), 2nd(2010), 2nd(2016), 3rd(2019), 3rd(2020), 4th(2007), 4th(2008), 4th(2009), 5th(2006)
SH TOI - 1st(2006), 1st(2008), 1st(2010), 2nd(2009), 2nd(2011), 2nd(2014), 2nd(2015), 2nd(2016), 2nd(2017), 2nd(2018), 3rd(2007), 3rd(2012), 3rd(2013), 3rd(2019), 3rd(2020)


Hockey News top 50 in 2011 preview - Ranked #7 (top defenseman)
Hockey News player polled top 50 - Ranked #44 (eight defenseman)
Hockey News top 50 in 2014 preview - Ranked #14(third defenseman)
Hockey News top 50 in 2016 preview - Ranked #5 (top defenseman)

The Hockey News: The Best of Everything in Hockey
4th Best Skater

With the Blackhawks, Keith emerged as one of the premier two-way defenseman in the National Hockey League, often paired on the blueline with partner Brent Seabrook.

Keith is probably a little undersized by NHL standards for a defenseman, but there isn't another blueliner in the game who is as smooth a skater. Keith uses his mobility to both create offense from the back end and shut down his opponents. After the playoffs, his courageousness can't be questioned.

His work in the 2010 Cup run was Conn Smythe-worthy, even if Jonathan Toews was the award. Keith munches minutes, forming a super-tandem with Brent Seabrook and now tutors Dylan Olsen.

Perhaps his value has been inflated a little with his play in the Blackhawks' run to the Stanley Cup, which was terrific. A little undersized for the position, Keith skates the puck out of the zone as well as he passes it.

You look at Keith and wonder how this undersized, skinny guy gets it done. But he wins Norris Trophies because he plays both ends of the ice with equal ablomb and logs big minutes, patricularly in the playoffs. There might not be a better pure skater from the back end in the NHL today.

Keith's Conn Smythe Trophy puts an emphatic stamp on his value. Even though he wasn't a finalist for the Norris, Keith was a cyborg during the post-season, logging enormous amounts of ice time and keeping his game at a ridiculously high level at both ends of the ice.

Assets: Is as good a skater as you can find from the back end. Can log ridiculous amounts of ice time effortlessly. Excels at using his mobility to shut down opposing forwards. Has above-average two-way instincts for the blueline position. Plays a very cerebral game, too.

Flaws: Is a little undersized to play against giant-sized NHL forwards. May not be capable of taking his offensive game to the next level, as he's not a natural power-play quarterback. Could also stand to improve his shot from the point.

Career Potential: Elite all-round defenseman.

He thinks the game as well as anyone. He's so calm and you don't notice him a lot of the time because he's doing everything so well.

Keith offers a heady mix of high-end speed, smart reads and courage without any noticeable holes, unless you count the chasm where seven of his front teeth had been rooted until they intercepted a puck two weeks ago at the end of the Western Conference final.

Keith might soon have a Cup, with a side order of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.He already has that other modern measure of success—6,824 members of the Facebook group Duncan Keith's Missing Teeth. The Blackhawks, who faced a possible clincher on Wednesday after a wild 7--4 win over Philadelphia in Game 5, have been chasing a Stanley Cup dream that has languished since before the age of color television. The genesis of the revival of an Original Six franchise from moribund to incandescent, from patsy to powerhouse, probably started in 2002 when the team drafted Keith in the second round. Although Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are the faces of the franchise, Keith, a Norris Trophy finalist, is the face of playoff hockey. In the finals against a Flyers club with almost cartoonlike resilience, Keith has been more than a missing piece of the puzzle. He is the whole damn Jigsaw.

Offense pays the bills in the NHL, and Keith's 69 points this season (Seabrook had 30) was second among all defensemen in the league. His upside remains enormous. A couple of years ago, when the team went through physicals, former Blackhawks skating coach and retired Olympic speed skater Dan Jansen noted that the only person he's seen with a higher VO2 max (a measure of aerobic capacity and fitness) than Keith was Lance Armstrong. It's safe to say that the 28 minutes of ice time Keith averaged during these playoffs (about four minutes more than Seabrook; for one thing, Keith generally gets additional time on the power play) didn't take a toll on his body. Keith's athleticism and ability to recover have always set him apart. "When we saw him at Michigan State, he skated like his feet never touched the ice," Tallon says.

Yet for all his dynamic ability—he has drawn comparisons to Norris Trophy winner and skating wizard Scott Niedermayer—and all his deceptiveness with the puck, Keith understands and appreciates what Seabrook does to help trigger his game. Just as Rangers great Brian Leetch thrived next to Jeff Beukeboom and the Oilers' Paul Coffey was helped by being alongside Charlie Huddy, Keith benefits from the security Seabrook brings.

"Keith's an exciting guy to watch," says one impressed Eastern Conference scout, "he's not only a great skater, he's a fluid and effortless one as well. His acceleration allows him to join the rush, and his passing will bring a solid transition game to any team he's on."
...
Keith is well aware of this despite his 5-11, 168-pound frame that some traditionalists might consider less than desirable for a defenseman.
...
"His size isn't a problem with me," Mason explained, "even though it may not be preferred at the pro level, they're finding out in the NHL that skills are being more appreciated and recognized in players his size. He'll fill out, and by the time he's up to 180, he'll have everything he needs."

"He does need to get stronger," said another scout bluntly, "but with the tools he has, a guy his size can be successful because of his skating ability."
...
Gazing into his crystal ball, Keith hopes to someday become the finest mixture of Bobby Orr, Brian Leetch, and Nicklas Lidstrom.

"Those three are pretty much my idols," said Keith, who rooms with fellow 2002 draft hopeful Jim Slater. "I've watched old tapes of Bobby Orr, and try and bring part of his game to mine, but I also like how Leetch jumps up and anticipates the play and gets open for a shooting lane or pass, and I like Lidstrom's calm on the ice, and how he controls the play."

​

 

[Velociraptor]

Joe Sakic, C

Position: Centre
HT/WT: 5'11", 195 lbs
Handedness: Left
Nickname(s): "Burnaby Joe", "Mr. Clutch"
Born: July 7th, 1969 in Burnaby, British Columbia

- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.
- 2-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1996, 2001)
- 12-time Top 10 in All-Star C Voting - (1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6, 7)
- 3 acknowledgements for the First NHL All-Star Team - (2001)
- 1-time recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy - (1996)
- 1-time recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy - (2001)
- 1-time recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy - (2001)
- 1-time recipient of the Lester B. Pearson Trophy - (2001)
- scored 625 goals, 1016 assists for 1641 points in 1378 games played, adding 614 penalty minutes.
- scored 84 goals, 104 assists for 188 points in 172 playoff games played, adding 78 penalty minutes.

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

Voting Record

Hart Voting: (gained votes over a 16-year period, there's some longevity for ya.)
1st (00-01)
7th (90-91)
7th (95-96)
7th (01-02)
7th (03-04)
8th (06-07)
14th (99-00)
15th (96-97)
15th (98-99)

Selke Voting:
2nd (00-01)
9th (01-02)
10th (99-00)
13th (02-03)
15th (03-04)
15th (06-07)

Quotes

The Finesse Game

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

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

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

 

[tony d]

Guy Lafluer, Right Wing

This information courtesy of hockeyreference.com:

Position: RW ▪ Shoots: Right
Height: 6-0 (183 cm) ▪ Weight: 185 lbs.

Born: September 20, 1951 (Age 63.138) in Thurso, Quebec
Draft: Montreal, 1st round (1st overall), 1971 NHL Amateur
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1988

Stats on Lafluer:

-1353 points in 1126 Career Games
-3 Time Art Ross Winner
-2 Time Hart Trophy Winner
-6 Time 50 Goal Scorer
-3 time Playoff Points Leader

Legends Of Hockey:

afleur joined the Montreal Canadiens the very fall he was drafted and became the first player in NHL history to score at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons. When asked about developing his talent from a young age up to that of a consistent 50-goal scorer, Lafleur said: "I think it was always there and it was maybe a matter of bringing it out. It was harder than I thought it would be and I had to try harder. I had to regain my confidence, maybe the most important thing. I have learned a lot to relax. I know what I can do now, and I do it."

Lafleur was a First Team all-star in all six of those consecutive 50-goal seasons and won the scoring title three times, the Hart Trophy twice and the Conn Smythe Trophy once. He has the highest career point and assist totals in Montreal history, as well as the second-highest goal total behind Rocket Richard. And when Lafleur reached the 1,000-point mark, he did it in just 720 games, the shortest time taken to hit that milestone in NHL history. After that, he concluded: "I'm not going to say that now that I have 1,000 points I can sit down and relax. I've got five or six years to go and I can shoot for more."

Sportswriter Bill Libby said that Lafleur "typifies what is best about this sport. He is an artist on skates, creating scoring plays the way a painter puts a vivid scene on a canvas with a brush. His start is explosively quick and his stride is swifter than the others. He sees where his opponents and teammates are and anticipates where they will be. He is a spectacular athlete in a spectacular sport and it is wonderful watching him work."

Joe Pelletier:

In his fourth season " The Flower" blossomed into the scoring machine everyone knew he was capable of. Lafleur, who wore a helmet his first three years but removed it at the beginning of year four, erupted 53 goals and 119 points.

That was just the beginning of an era where the Canadiens were the dominant team in pro hockey, and Lafleur eclipsed Bobby Orr as the game's dominant player. He would go onto lead the league in scoring the next three years in a row, and recorded an amazing 6 consecutive years with at least 50 goals. Twice he was named as the NHL MVP and three times he was awarded the Pearson Trophy. He was the most exciting player in the second half on the 1970's, and helped lead the Habs to five Stanley Cup Championships, including four straight to end the decade.

His blazing speed and long flowing hair combined with his puck wizardry placed him first in Montreal Canadiens all time scoring and second on Montreal fan's all time favorite list, behind the immovable Rocket Richard, of course. He was one of the rare players that got you out of your seat almost every time he touched the puck. And to witness him score a goal was more often than not an event onto itself.

Glad to have Lafleur on the team, the guy is a great building block for the team.

 

[Velociraptor]

Valery Kharlamov, LW

Position: Left Wing
HT/WT: 5'8", 165 lbs
Handedness: Left
Nickname(s): "The Spaniard" (lol..)
Born: January 14th, 1948 in Moscow, Russia

Awards & Honours

Soviet League
- USSR League MVP (1972, 1973)
- USSR League All Star (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978)
- USSR League Champion (1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981)
- European Cup Champion (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981)
- Scoring Champion, Goals (1971)
- Scoring Champion, Points (1972)

International
- Gold Winter Olympics (1972, 1976)
- Silver Winter Olympics (1980)
- Gold IIHF World Championship (1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)
- Silver IIHF World Championship (1972, 1976)
- Bronze IIHF World Championship (1977)
- IIHF Best Forward World Championship (1976)
- IIHF All Star (1972, 1973, 1975, 1976)

Other
- Hockey Hall of Fame (2005)
- IIHF Hall of Fame (1998)

Top 10's

Soviet League
Points – 1st(1972), 2nd(1971), 3rd(1969), 3rd(1970), 4th(1975), 4th(1978), 5th(1976), 5th(1979), 6th(1974), 9th(1977), 10th(1973)
Goals – 1st(1971), 2nd(1972), 3rd(1969), 4th(1978), 5th(1970), 5th(1974), 7th(1976), 7th(1977), 9th(1973), 9th(1975), 12th(1979)
Assists – 1st(1972), 2nd(1975), 3rd(1969), 3rd(1970), 3rd(1978), 4th(1976), 5th(1971), 5th(1979), 6th(1973), 9th(1974), 12th(1980)

MVP Voting – 1st(1972), 1st(1973), 2nd(1975), 2nd(1976), 4th(1969), 4th(1971), 5th(1970), 5th(1974)

International

Olympics
Points – 1st(1972), 5th(1976), 5th(1980)
Goals – 1st(1972)
Assists – 1st(1972), 1st(1976), 1st(1980)

World Championships
Points – 2nd(1971), 2nd(1979), 3rd(1973), 4th(1975), 4th(1977), 5th(1969), 7th(1970), 8th(1972), 10th(1974)
Goals – 2nd(1977), 2nd(1979), 4th(1969), 4th(1970), 4th(1973), 4th(1975), 8th(1972)
Assists – 1st(1971), 2nd(1973), 3rd(1969), 3rd(1979), 4th(1972), 4th(1978), 6th(1974)

Summit/Super Series’
Points – 4th(1974), 5th(1972), 5th(1976)
Goals – 4th(1972)
Assists – 1st(1976), 3rd(1974), 4th(1972)

Quotes

The Mikhailov-Petrov-Kharlamov line was different from the classic Canadian pattern of playmaker-triggerman-soldier. Any of that Soviet lines three players could function in any of the three roles.

^ nice quote regarding Kharlamov's versatility, making him an incredibly value asset in the ATD.

Kharlamov made the Canadian defenders look like they were old-timers, minor-league wannabes or something. What he was doing to them was very intimidating. The Canadians were always looking at Kharlamov with their mouths open. But they just couldn't accept it. He was just this skinny guy. But on the ice, a magician... He was definitely one of the most talented players in the history of the game.

Despite a relatively small size even by hockey standards of the 1970's, Kharlamov was an author of unforgettable 1-on-1 moves that left the best defense players in the world wondering how he managed to outsmart them. He had simply amazing skating and stick handling skills. But, he wasn't just a fast skater. He was able to constantly change the gears of his skating speed depending on his on-ice maneuvers... Being very creative and unpredictable on ice, Kharlamov was one of the major attractions to the game when he played hockey.

If I could do half of what Kharlamov did, my name would be heard everywhere - morning, day, and night

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Aurele Joliat

I guess I was tough enough. You had to be to survive. But I wasn't the toughest. That mule-headed, son of a ***** Eddie Shore was the meanest, toughest player I ever met. I was rushing up the ice at the Forum one night when my lights went out. Shore hit me with a check that almost killed me. I was what? 130 pounds at the time and he must have been 190. He dislocated my shoulder and they carried me off in a lot of pain. Then I look around and Shore is leading a fancy rush. Forget the sore shoulder. I leapt over the boards and intercepted the big bugger. Hit him with a flying tackle. Hit him so hard he was out cold on the ice. He had it coming, I'd say!

Joliat was one of the first 4 still-living men to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (in 1947), along with Eddie Shore, Frank Nighbor, and Dit Clapper. (Everyone enshrined in 1945 was deceased).

Joliat had amazing longevity/consistency as a top player for his era:

Keep in mind that the 1927 and 1928 All Star Teams are the only ones we've been able to dig up from before 1931, and Joliat is on both:

• 5th in Hart voting in 1925 (split league)
• GM-voted 2nd Team All-Star in 1927 (thanks overpass) - one of the few seasons when Joliat dropped out of the top 10 in scoring - actually fell out of the top 20 ) - shows how much his abilities without the puck were valued by contemporaries
• GM-voted 2nd Team All-Star in 1928

Now after the official All-Star Teams were created for 1931

• 1st Team All-Star LW in 1931
• 2nd Team All-Star LW in 1932
• 5th in AS LW voting in 1933
• 2nd Team All-Star LW in 1934, HART TROPHY
• 2nd Team All-Star LW in 1935, 5th in Hart voting
• 3rd in AS LW voting in 1936
• 4th in AS LW voting in 1937

1934 was his first season without Morenz, which I'm sure contributed to his Hart Trophy. On the other hand, he was surely hurt in Hart voting by playing with Morenz before then.

3 x Stanley Cup Champion (1924, 1930, 1931)

In 1944, Shorty Green picked Joliat as the best LW of all-time. In 1962, Frank Boucher picked Joliat as the best LW he ever played against.

The following is cut and pasted from Dreakmur's profile:
Offensive Accomplishments:
Points – 2nd(1928), 3rd(1925), 5th(1924), 5th(1926), 6th(1933), 8th(1932), 8th(1934), 9th(1923), 10th(1931), 15th(1937), 19th(1929)
Goals – 2nd(1925), 2nd(1928), 3rd(1934), 5th(1924), 9th(1926), 9th(1933), 10th(1937), 11th(1923), 11th(1936), 13th(1929), 14th(1935), 17th(1932), 18th(1927), 19th(1930)
Assists – 3rd(1926), 5th(1928), 5th(1931), 5th(1932), 6th(1925), 7th(1923), 7th(1933), 10th(1924)

Play-off Points – 2nd(1924), 3rd(1923), 4th(1929)
Play-off Goals – 2nd(1923), 3rd(1924), 6th(1929), 7th(1933), 8th(1927), 9th(1932)
Play-off Assists – 1st(1924), 1st(1931), 3rd(1929), 5th(1937), 6th(1930)


5-Year Peak: 1924-1928
2nd in Points, 88% of 1st place Howie Morenz
2nd in Goals, 85% of 1st place Howie Morenz
2nd in Assists, 95% of 1st place Howie Morenz

10-Year Peak: 1924-1933
2nd in Points, 81% of 1st place Howie Morenz
4th in Goals, 89% of 2nd place Nels Stewart
3rd in Assists, 95% of 2nd place Howie Morenz


Scoring Percentages:
Points – 100(1928), 98(1925), 89(1933), 85(1924), 80(1934), 78(1932), 73(1931), 71(1937), 66(1926), 62(1935), 59(1929), 58(1936), 56(1923), 50(1927), 50(1930)

Best 6 Seasons: 530
Next 6 Seasons: 389

“A good big man will always better a good little man†may be a useful maxim, but it did not apply to the game of hockey when Aurel Joliat was setting the league on fire. At his playing weight of 135 pounds, Joliat set a constant pattern of dizzy pin-wheel turns and spectacular pirouettes on the ice, transporting the world of ballet to the hockey arenas of the thirties. Time and again he would rush at the defence, and then pivot away to leave the rearguards helpless, staggering to regain their balance, as he finished his attack with a brilliant scoring play. This was skating at its dramatic best – tricky hockey which really paid off in victories.

Aurel Joliat may not have had the drive of the heavier Howie Morenz, with whom he played for ten years to make up one of the fastest lines Canadiens have ever had, but this remarkable pair hung up their skates with identical scoring totals of 270 goals to tie for second spot in N.H.L. records – eclipsed only by Nels Stewart’s famed 323. In fact, Morenz and Joliat functioned as a unit. It is impossible to estimate the smaller man’s contribution to the meteoric career of the “Stratford Streak†and it is fitting that their names stand together for posterity in Hockey’s Hall of Fame.

….

St. Pats had a powerful team that year, and their veteran line had little difficulty breaking up the Canadiens’ youthful squad. The only man they couldn’t tag was Mr. Joliat. Like a bolt of electric power the little left-winger whirled about, grabbed the puck at will, then tore down the ice like a cyclone, whipped behind the Toronto net, took a rebound from the boards and shot as he reversed!

Joliat's forte was stickhandling. He could pass with the best of them and many oldtimers insist that he was similar in style with Gil Perrault.

....

A ferocious five-feet-six and 135 pounds, Joliat earned the nick-name "Mighty Mite" with his amazingly tough, physical style. A marvelous stickhandler and passer, as well as a lethal shot, Aurele combined finesse and feistiness to become one of the most respected players of his time.

When anyone speaks of the best players of the early era of professional hockey, the name Aurel Joliat inevitably comes up. Listed officially at 5’7†and 136 pounds, Joliat was something of a dynamo who impressed all those who watched him play hockey. He understood the game very well and could sizzle with his stickhandling abilities. Joliat was quick on his skates and not the least bit afraid to use his stick if he had to protect himself.

….

Joliat could spin and turn like few other players and showed a great sense of anticipation. He could break up plays and counterattack quickly, knowing that he had to excel at the finesse game.

….

Throughout his career Joliat never lost any of his feisty nature. Even after suffering two displaced vertebrae, the result of falling some 35 feet off a roof, he was still able to play with an edge to his game. Joliat would take on the legendary Eddie Shore, a much bigger man with an even larger reputation for being tough.

Probably the smallest player in the league, he only weighed about 140 pounds. His tricky skating made it difficult for bigger players to hit him with a solid check and he came in for a lot of trips and holding.

Aurel Joliat proved that a small man can hold his own in hockey by becoming one of the finest left wingers ever to play. For 16 seasons, the little man soared up and down left wing with the Montreal Canadiens.

….

Joliat was an exceedingly tricky and agile skater, a winger so fast and so small he was difficult to hit. He didn’t have a hard shot, but it was accurate. Joliat scored 284 goals in 708 regular season and play-off contests. This master stick-handler could fade away from checkers like a wraith. But he was best known for his bullet-like speed.

Joliat was a magnificent two-way player whose 270 goals would tie Morenz on the all-time list.

Joliat was five foot 6 inches and 135 pounds. That made him one of the smallest and lightest players in NHL history, but he was one of the fastest, slickest, and toughest players of his era.

….

During one memorable game in the 1930s, Joliat controlled the puck during a penalty kill for a minute and a half.

….

Joliat might not have had Morenz’s speed but according to Rangers Frank Boucher, he was “as slippery as Howie Morenz was sift.†Joliat’s quickness was so frustrating that during one game, Babe Dye of the Toronto Maple Leafs skated over to the Montreal bench and said to Canadiens owner, Leo Danurand, “I’m tired of chasing that shadow of yours, the Flying Frenchman Joliat. Move him to centre, hold a mirror to each side of him, and you’ll have the fastest line in hockey.â€

At just 5-foot-6 and tipping the scales at 136 pounds, Joliat played in an era when men took care of themselves on the ice. Bigger men intent on inflicting physical damage soon found out that that Joliat refused to back down and often felt no obligation to drop his stick, especially when settling accounts with adversaries 50 pounds heavier.

Toughness combined with speed, smarts and shiftiness were Joliat’s trademarks for the next 16 seasons. Most NHLers of the 1920s and 30s had nicknames; Joliat had two. He was known as both “The Little Giant†and “The Mighty Atomâ€.

Wearing his trademark peaked cap, Joliat was an instant scoring sensation, finishing among the NHL’s leaders in his rookie campaign. A complete player, he was as proficient at thwarting an enemy’s rush down the ice as he was at creating his own scoring chances. Joliat was paired with Howie Morenz the following season and the two went on to form one of the most potent scoring duos of the NHL’s early years.

Joliat was a member of three championship teams. His first title came in 1924, before the Stanley Cup became exclusive property of the NHL. The Canadiens had to defeat both the Vancouver Millionaires and the Calgary Tigers to lay claim to being the top hockey team in Canada.

….

After a dozen years patrolling the left wing for the Montreal Canadiens, Joliat’s value to the team was officially recognized. He received the Hart Trophy, as the league’s most valuable player.

Aurele Joliat was a prolific scorer and relentless backchecker during 16 rewarding seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. He never allowed his comparatively small frame to impede his progress in the NHL. Joliat often teamed with his good friend Howie Morenz to form one of the most potent offensive duos in league history. His blazing forays down the port side made him one of hockey's most exciting left wingers of all time, and his combination of speed and small size made him one of the trickiest skaters to bodycheck.

Joliat was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens when he was traded for the legendary Newsy Lalonde in one of the most controversial trades of hockey's early years. But in his rookie season, the Mighty Atom impressed fans with his speed and puckhandling abilities. He was also a feisty adversary who frustrated his larger opponents.

He was a marvelous stickhandler and had an unusual abundance of "hockey sense," he simply did the right thing at the right time.

One Montreal writer of his era said, "He rolled away from 200-pounders, faded from the path of charging rivals and sidestepped and hurdled his way clear of smashing body-blows, flying elbows and jabbing butt-ends. His amazing quickness saved him from untold punishment over the years and kept him going like a brook, apparently forever."

….

Despite six shoulder separations, three broken ribs, and routine injuries such as five nose fractures, Aurel went on to score 270 goals, tying Morenz on the all-time list. He was also an outstanding checker, capable of stopping an opponent and then quickly starting a rush of his own.

….

Aurel was also known for a strange idiosyncrasies. For example, he wore a black baseball cap while he played, and wouldn't chase the puck without it. He was often the target of opponents who would swipe at that cap with a gloved hand. If they managed to dislodge it, a mighty roar of yeas and boos followed from the crowd. Aurel always retrieved his cap and put it on again to cover his bald spot. This lack of respect always infuriated Aurel, who played his best hockey when it happened.

And if Aurel didn't score then he saw to it that he slashed the cap-disturber across the ankles with a two-hander. Aurel was also noted for taunting his opponents, needling them until they ended up making mistakes.

Morenz may have been 'the Babe Rush of Hockey' but Jolait was more of an artist, a stickhandler. Aurele always made beautiful passes. He wasn't as fast as Morenz but he could move when he wanted to.

Aurele was as slippery as Howie Morenz was swift.

Aurel Joliat was the playmaker on that line and the greatest playmaking left-winger of all time.

He would dodge, flit, and with split-second timing, he could back pedal, evading the most formidable body checks, leaving some large and embarrassed defensemen floundering on the ice

….

He was smaller, you understand, and he fought back in his own way. He as singularly adept at sinking the butt end of his stick into the opponent’s ribs.

If it wasn’t for Joliat, you wouldn’t be writing about me so much.

I think Aurel is the brainiest hockey player now in the game and one of the brainiest who ever played. He has more hockey sense than 10 ordinary players.

Joliat was more of an artist, a strickhandler. Aurel always made beautiful passes. He wasn’t as fast as Morenz, but he could move when he wanted to. Joliat skated with short, choppy strides and manipulated the puck as if it were stuck to his stick.

One shift my first year, I remember I tried to run him through the boards. He put a deke on me, and I almost went through the boards myself. I was trying to knock that black cap off his head, and he skated by me and said, ‘Don’t try that again, young fella.’ He was small, but nobody could hit him. If they did, he could handle himself.

Joliat was as slippery as Howie Morenz was swift.

Ultimate Hockey's All-Star Team of the 1920s

Aurel Joliat, chosen by 22 out of 37 sports writers of National Hockey League cities for left-wing on a mythical all-star team, and by one for centre berth, is the “Mighty Atom†of Montreal Canadiens, Canadian group leaders and holders of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the world’s professional title. A tricky little offensive player and a smart checking center ice defence man, Joliat is one of the cleverest stickhandlers hockey has ever seen.

Weighting only 135 pounds and about 5 feet 7 inches in height, Joliat’s slim, wiry figure is ever in the thick of the play. His stick beats a brisk tatoo on the ice as he stickhandles his way through opposing teams. Diminutive compared with the majority of big league players, Joliat’s size and weight have not handicapped “Quetteâ€, as French-Canadian fans know him. He skates fast and can turn on a dime, stopping with disconcerting suddenness in the midst of a rush so that his pursuers swing past him as he shifts, leaving him clear to continue his bewildering weaving dash in another direction.

The modern “David of the NHL†is not afraid of anybody, and has even upset such hockey goliaths as big Ching Johnson, massive Ranger defenceman, with a well-timed body check. He plays with a long-handled stick with scarcely any bend in it, enabling him to carry the puck far in front of him with better control. Remarkably quick on his feet, Joliat hurdles the sticks of opposing defencemen with grace and agility and has scored many a goal with a quick snap shot after stealing the puck off the stick of an opposing player. He often stickhandles his way around the goalkeeper to push the puck into the net.

(Frank) Boucher tapped for his all-time team goalie Chuck Gardiner of the Chicago Black Hawks, defense men Eddie Shore of the Boston Bruins and Ching Johnson of the Rangers, Center Frank Nighbor of Ottawa, left winger Aurel Joliat of the Montreal Canadians and right winger Bill Cook.

Red Dutton, in his coming hockey piece, goes reminiscent and picks an all-time all-opponent hockey team with Tiny Thompson, Boston goalie, the only active player on the list…

On the forward line Dutton puts Bill Cook, Dick Irwin, and Aurel Joliat… Spreague Cleghorn and Eddie Gerard get his call for the defence jobs…

Aurel Joliat was a prolific scorer and relentless backchecker during 16 rewarding seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. He never allowed his comparatively small frame to impede his progress in the NHL. Joliat often teams with his good friend Howie Morenz to form one o the most potent offensive duos in league history. His blazing forays down the port side made him one of hockey's most exciting left wingers of all time, and his combination of speed and small size made him one of the trickiest stars to bodycheck.

...

Many labeled Morenz as the key member of this explosive unit, but Joliat was unquestionably of equal value as a catalyst. Morenz himself said: "If it wasn't for Joliat, you wouldn't be writing about me so much."

...

His ability to break up plays defensively and quickly lead the counter attack provided the Canadiens with a feared transitional game. Over time, he earned the respect of many of the toughest players in the NHL because of his fearless refusal to back down in on-ice confrontations.

​

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Bryan Hextall, Sr, RW

(This is a combination of BenchBrawl's old profile with some added research from the HOH Wingers project.

All Star Team Finishes: 1st , 1st , 1st , 2nd (39-40, 40-41, 41-42, 42-43 in order)
Top 10 Goals Finishes: 1st , 1st , 2nd , 5th , 5th , 10th
Top 10 Assist: 2nd
Top 10 Points: 1st , 2nd , 6th , 7th
Stanley Cup Champion in 1940
Scored the Championship Goal in Overtime
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969
Games Played: 1st , 1st , 1st , 2nd , 2nd , 2nd , 2nd , 2nd

Hextall was the best player on the best line in the league. Like Maurice Richard after him, he played his off wing, a LH shot on the right wing.

He had a late start, making the NHL at age 24. And he wasn't a star after 30 - he took two years off because of the war, and like many players his age had trouble getting back up to speed in the faster post-war NHL. As a result, he didn't have as many years as a star as some others - especially Bucyk and Shanahan - but he was a consistent scorer and an iron man during his short prime.

Hextall became a star in 1939-40 on the Rough House line with Phil Watson and Dutch Hiller. They played against other team's top lines all season, famously shutting down the Kraut line in the 1940 playoffs. Hextall led the league in regular season goals, and scored an overtime Cup-winning goal in the playoffs. He continued his scoring success in the next three seasons, forming the most dangerous scoring line in the league with Watson and Lynn Patrick.

Hextall was definitely a power forward of his day. Here's an AP piece published in the January 5, 1944 edition of the Troy Record with very high praise for his physical play.

"Toughest fire-eater on ice"..."hands out more body checks than 99% of defense men"..."invariably see Hextall skate out of the corner with the puck"...

1939-40 - The Rangers had three strong lines that played together all season. The team was incredibly healthy so changes weren't required because of injuries. All three lines scored at least 35 goals.


Hiller - Watson - Hextall (44 goals and checked top lines)
Shibicky - N Colville - M Colville (37 goals)
L Patrick - Smith - Macdonald (35 goals)

The lines were the same for the first half of the 1940-41 season, except that Alf Pike was in the lineup as a 10th forward and was in the mix with the third line. Phil Watson, who had been second to Cowley in league scoring for much of the first half, missed 8 games to injury and the lines became

Shibicky - Smith - Hextall
Patrick - N Colville - M Colville
Hiller - Pike - MacDonald

After Watson returned, he was back with Hextall on the top line, with first Shibicky and then Patrick. Hiller had a poor second half to the season and was banished to the third line and traded after the season.

Patrick played with Watson and Hextall in each of 1941-42 and 1942-43.

The two constants for the Rangers lines in Hextall's prime were:
1. Neil and Mac Colville played together
2. Bryan Hextall and Phil Watson played together.

Everything else changed at various times.

It's interesting that Watson was a RHS and Hextall a LHS, but Hextall played on his right. Can anyone think of any other great C-W combinations where they were on each other's backhands on the rush? Edit: I got one - Ovechkin and Backstrom.

More newspaper articles:

The Lewiston Daily Sun April 4 1940:

The New York Rangers , paced by Bryan Hextall , overpowered the Toronto Maple Leafs , 6 to 2 , to gain their second straight victory in the final playoffs series for the stanley cup.

Hextall , the NHL's leading goal-getter during the regular season , slammed three goals past goalie Turk Broda of the leafs and drew an assist on another.In addition , he was indirectly responsible for a couple of other goals.

...a fast cross-fired shot by Bryan Hextall...

...Hextall raced in to scoop up the rebound for a score

The Lewiston Daily Sun - Google News Archive Search

New York Times January 10 1941:

Bryan Hextall moved the Rangers in front half way through the second period after a scramble

MAPLE LEAFS WIN FROM RANGERS, 3-2; Apps's Goal Snaps Deadlock Three Seconds Before End of Overtime at Toronto GOLDUP INJURED IN CRASH Suffers Fractured Left Hip -- Chicago Tops Canadiens, 3-1, on Two Extra-Period Shots

New York Times December 26 1941:

Bryan Hextall gave a fine passing exhibition that carried them to the mouth of the Chicago goal

BLUE SHIRTS WIN ON GARDEN ICE, 5-2; Rangers Move to Third Place -- Yield Both Chicago Goals Before Beating Lo Presti LYNN PATRICK SHOWS WAY Warwick, Mac Colville, Kuntz, Smith Follow -- No Penalties in Game Seen by 13,126

Philadelphia Daily News - Nov 16, 1986:

At 5-10, 195 pounds, Bryan Hextall Sr. was a bullish winger who could skate over an enemy defenseman without breaking stride. He played tough, but seldom fought. He didn't feel a man had to drop his gloves to prove himself on the ice.

Secondary Sources:

Who's who in hockey:

He had a terrific burst of speed , was appropriately tough , and could stickhandle with the best of them.

Joe Pelletier:

Bryan Hextall was one of the highest skilled and most respected players ever to grace a sheet of NHL ice.

He was also one of hockey's hardest hitters. Herb Goren, a long time reporter for the New York Sun once said "He was the hardest bodychecking forward I had seen in more than forty years of watching hockey."

He scored 20 goals in 7 consecutive seasons back in the days when 20 goals was a benchmark of a very good player.

Hex may have continued on as the best right winger in hockey had his career not been interrupted by World War II. Hextall served in the Canadian military during the 1944-45 season. He would miss most of the 1945-46 season as well due to a serious stomach and liver disorder

The most famous goal Bryan scored immortalized him in New York sporting history forever, although he didn't know that at the time. Bryan scored the overtime winning goal of game six of the 1940 Stanley Cup game against Toronto

In 1939-40 and 1940-41 Hextall led all NHL snipers in goals scored. In 1941-42 he captured the Art Ross trophy as the league's leading point scorer. On four other occasions he was in the top ten of scoring. With three selections to the First All-Star team and another to the second All-Star team, it is obvious that Bryan Hextall was the dominant right winger of the era directly before the arrival of Rocket Richard and Gordie Howe.

Poor circulation in his legs forced doctors to amputate both legs below the knees in 1978. Bryan Hextall died in 1984.

HockeyLegends:

He would become a permanent fixture with the Blueshirts the following year playing on his "off wing," many years before the tactic was to become common practice in the league. Hextall found that he had a better shooting angle, as a left-handed shot, by cutting in on goal from the right wing

Hextall was considered the dominant right winger of his day

NYHistory:

Bryan Aldwyn Hextall was a key piece in the superb Rangers teams of the pre-World War II era that won the Stanley Cup in 1940

Dennis Hextall:

Bryan Sr. scored 20 or more goals in seven of his 12 NHL seasons. "A 20- goal season then was the equivalent of a 40-goal season today," Dennis Hextall said. "It was a different game. If you scored 20 then, you were a helluva player."

"Our father never talked about his career," said Dennis Hextall, now a manufacturers representative in Detroit. "He was a modest guy. If he had pushed himself (in the press) he could have been an NHL coach. But it wasn't his nature. He was low-key.

"Our father would come to our junior games," Dennis said, "and he'd curse us out if we fought. I had 20 goals and 20 major penalties (fighting) in one season. My father said, 'You'd have 30 (goals) if you didn't spend so much time in the box.'

"I told him, 'Dad, if something happens out there, I'm not gonna back away.' He understood, he just didn't like the cheap penalties. He said there was a difference between being tough and being dumb."

James Dunn:

"He is a very clean-living individual and an excellent ambassador for professional hockey."

Ron Hextall:

"He told me to quit taking dumb penalties," the Flyers' goalie said. "He told me to leave the fighting to the other players. I had a pretty short temper back then."

 

[ImporterExporter]

To make the formatting better

Red Quote = my additions to bio (more to add after translations of french papers are finalized)

Didier Pitre

[/IMG]

Nickname: Cannonball, Old Folks, Pit, Bullet Shot
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 185 lbs
Position: Right Wing / Defenceman
Shoots: Right
Date of Birth: September 1st, 1883
Place of Birth: Valleyfield , Quebec, Canada OR Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
Date of Death: July 29, 1934 (Age:50)

Stanley Cup Champion (1916)
Stanley Cup Finalist (1909, 1918, 1919)
IHL First All Star Team (1906, 1907)
NHA First All-Star Team (1917)
Art Ross (1906 *IHL*, 1915 *NHA*)
Maurice Richard Trophy (1906 *IHL*, 1915 *NHA*, 1916 *NHA*)
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1963)

- #29 on the book 'Habs Heroes' list of Top-100 Best Montreal Canadiens players of All-Time
- Named the best shot of the 1910's by Ultimate Hockey Didier Pitre was the early hockey's Bobby Hull. In 1914, chicken wire was installed in Victoria's arena to protect fans from his shot.
- Named the fastest player of the 1910's by Ultimate Hockey Didier Pitre turned speed into a drawing-card feature. Today's practice of splitting up the ice before stopping is said to have been started by Pitre!


International Hockey League: [1904-1907]

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
3|58|77|11|88|63

No Data:
Assists: 1904-1906

Top-10 Scoring (1st, 5th)
Top-10 Goalscoring (1st, 9th)
Top-10 Assist (4th)
Top-10 Penalty minutes (9th)


Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association: [1907-1908]

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
1|10|3|1|4|15

National Hockey Association: [1909-1913; 1914-1917]

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
7|127|156|32|188|251

Top-10 Scoring (1st, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 5th, 9th)
Top-10 Goalscoring (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 6th)
Top-10 Assist (1st, 7th, 8th, 10th)
Top-10 Penalty minutes (3rd, 3rd)

Playoffs:
1916-1917
(Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators)
1st in Scoring
T-1st in Goalscoring
T-1st in Assist
1st in Penalty Minute

Stanley Cup Dual:
1915-1916
(Montreal Canadiens vs. Portland Rosebuds)
T-2nd in Scoring
T-1st in Goals
T-3rd in Assists
5th in Penalty Minutes
1916-1917
(Montreal Canadiens vs. Seattle Matropolitans)
T-3rd in Scoring
3rd in Goalscoring

Pacific Coast Hockey Association: [1913-1914]

(*Didier Pitre played as a rover in 1913-14*)

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
1|16|14|2|16|12

Top-10 Scoring (11th)
Top-10 Goalscoring (9th)


National Hockey League: [1917-1923]

(*Didier Pitre played as a defenceman from 1921 up until his retirement in 1923*)

Seasons|GP|G|A|PTS|PIM
7|128|64|33|97|87

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

(*Didier Pitre played as a defenceman during the 1919 and 1923 Playoffs & Stanley Cup Dual*)
Top-5 Playoff Scoring (T-4th)
Top-5 Playoff Assist (T-1st, T-3rd)
Top-5 Playoff Penalty minutes (3rd)

Stanley Cup Dual:
1918-1919
(Montreal Canadiens vs. Seattle Metropolitans)
T-4th in Scoring
T-1st in Assists

---
Seventieslord Studies:
Goalscoring:

Name|Top-2 |Top-5|Top-10|Top-15|Top-20
Didier Pitre|2|3|7|9|9

Playmaking:

Name| Top-2|Top-5|Top-10|Top-15|Top-20
Didier Pitre| 1|2|3|3|4

Year|League|Team|Position
1903-04|FAHL|Montreal Nationals|D
1904-05|IHL|Michigan Soo Indians|?
1905-06|IHL|Michigan Soo Indians|RW
1906-07|IHL|Michigan Soo Indians|RW
1907-08|ECAHA|Montreal Shamrocks|?
1908-09|FAHL|Renfrew Creamery Kings |D
1909-10|NHA|Montreal Canadiens|D
1910-11|NHA|Montreal Canadiens|D
1911-12|NHA|Montreal Canadiens|RW
1912-13|NHA|Montreal Canadiens|RW
1913-14|PCHA|Vancouver Millionaires|Rover
1914-15|NHA|Montreal Canadiens|RW
1915-16|NHA|Montreal Canadiens|RW
1916-17|NHA|Montreal Canadiens|RW
1917-18|NHL|Montreal Canadiens|RW
1918-19|NHL|Montreal Canadiens|RW/D
1919-20|NHL|Montreal Canadiens|RW
1920-21|NHL|Montreal Canadiens|RW
1921-22|NHL|Montreal Canadiens|D
1922-23|NHL|Montreal Canadiens|D

Professional Career:

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette - January 22, 1908
The Shamrock defence again proved itself a good one, Pitre, Laviolette and Nicholson all in turn doing fine work in keeping down the score, especially when the line in front of them began to weaken.

Originally Posted By The Montreal Gazette - December 3, 1908
Pitre, the clever cover-point of the Shamrock team of last season, one of the best defence men in the league, will leave for Edmonton today, and will be on of the seven to come East after the Stanley Cup the last week of this month....

The loss of Pitre throws out Shamrocks' plans for their defence and may cause further delay in signing up a team. Tim Slattery stated last night that as yet they had no signatures to contracts. He regretted the loss of Pitre, whom the Shamrocks expected to land finally. The Shamrocks regarded Pitre as without a peer as a defence player in the ECHA last year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Toronto World: November 23, 1915

The Pacific Coast hockey magnate announced last night that he was going after XXXXXXX and Didier Pitre, two of the biggest stars in the eastern hockey circles. Pitre played out here some two years ago, and became famous as "the Bullet", owning to the fact that his shots at goal had the speed and damaging effects commonly attributed to the shells of six inch guns.

Quote:
I think this should diminish the notion that Pitre was out of shape and overweight for several reasons. One, you have a legit account of somebody who was around Pitre for many years and really the notion that he was overweight and out of shape tend to be from his final few seasons when he was in his late 30's. This to me shows that from at least 1917 and prior, Pitre was a hell of an athlete. How could a man so out of shape and heavy be the fastest in the league, logically? Or possess such acclaim nationally in lacrosse?

The other notion that he was soft should be re-evaluated. I think people tend to mislabel him as "soft" or "gentle" because he wasn't knocking people out with sticks or leading the league in PIMs. Much like a previous pick of mine, Hod Stuart, he seemed to have no trouble throwing his body around, but in a much cleaner manner than what was accustomed in that period.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Daily Mail: March 31, 1917

You've got to hand it to this big hearted deep chested Frenchman, Didier Pitre! He stands out as one of the athletic marvels of a decade. Hockey and lacrosse admittedly are nearer the extremes in physical tests than any other game, yet Pitre has been prominent at both, not for two or three seasons, but for the past twelve years. His record will, no doubt, shine out as one of the finest ever created.

Pitre first came under the spotlight as a member of the old National hockey club at Montreal, with which he and the other Canadien veteran, Jack Laviolette, starred away back in 1904.

Possessing a remarkable constitution, Pitre generally rounds into shape in fast time. A great skater, Pitre appears able to travel with equal speed backwards or forwards. He also has a terrifying shot and a reach that enables him to play havoc with all sorts of combination work. According to goalkeeper Clint Benedict, Pitre's shot is the most dangerous of any of the NHA snipers uncover. Didier is a veteran of the game, but this winter he probably played the fastest hockey of his career. According to George Kennedy he trains as faithfully as any athlete in the East, cuts out smoking in the winter time and always gives his best.

"Pitre earns every cent he gets." Kennedy recently remarked. "He would play until he dropped of sheer exhaustion. I consider him one of the greatest athletes in the country."

At lacrosse Pitre has won equal fame. He has figured on the National attack for about twelve seasons and is regarded as the best outside home in the National Union.....there is a touch of spectacular in everything he does, Pitre is the idol of every French lacrosse enthusiast in the East.

Pitre may have his faults, one of which is a mad temper, but he always plays the game fairly. If he hits a man it is usually with his fist and from the front. He takes and gives punishment without a murmur and never offers excuses. "Didier will never earn any medals for gentlemanly hockey because his checking is naturally hard and he is so big that everything he does appears glaring, yet despite his rather exciting record there is something like-able about the dark haired Frenchman. He goes on the ice or the lacrosse field full of determination; he comes of just as determined to succeed the next time out. The Canadien giant seldom smiles in the thick of play. He carries a frown from start to finish, and may have gained the impression that Pitre must be surly and cranky. Not so, however, for in his tallor mades Pitre is just as amiable a chap as one would possibly want to meet. In fact he is invariably the life of the Canadien and National squads.

George Kennedy attributes Pitre's remarkable staying power and preservation to the fact that he keeps in shape all the year around by playing lacrosse and hockey. Except for a few weeks in the spring, he is constantly training. Pitre himself thinks that his lacrosse has helped his hockey and contends that every man should remain in sport as long as he possibly can.

Many say Pitre is about forty years of age; Didier himself says that he will soon be thirty-two. However, be he thirty, forty, or fifty, the fact remains that on the lacrosse field or on the ice area he is just as fast and as flashy as the youngest recruit in the game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quebec Telegraph: March 31, 1917

Fans who follow both hockey and baseball differ in regard to whether a puck can be shot faster than a baseball can be throw. In other words, is Walter Johnson's ball faster than a shot from the stick of Didier Pitre? asks the Vancouver Sun.

For the first time an authority on the subject has submitted an opinion. Harry Cheek, who used to catch for the Vancouver Beavers, and who saw Pitre shoot, made some effort to time the shots. He has also seen Walter Johnson pitch and while he has no figures on Walter Johnson's speed, and was unable to get anything like accurate figures on Pitre's bullet shooting he declares that as far as he can judge he would rather, any day stand up and catch a ball from Walter Johnson than take Harry Holmes' place in the net and catch a shot from the stick of Pitre.

He argues that Pitre's shot is the faster traveller, because while can see a ball pitched by Johnson, you can't see a shot from Pitre until it is right upon you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ottawa Citizen: January 26, 1946

....The road was very rough, but at home or away the Blueshirts never took a backward step and now in looking back Frank Nighbor says:

..."I was only nineteen years of age. When we met Canadiens I was opposing the late Didier Pitre, who tipped the scales at 190 and he could fly on those steel runners."

"Pitre was not a dirty player, but he was very foxy..."

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Manitoba Ensign: April 12, 1952

Young Geoffrion is still no Lalonde, Morenz or Richard, but he has the kind of shot that sends the hockey fans out of the rink buzzing with excitement. Montreal sports writers are already comparing him with the immortal Didier Pitre whose now legendary feats include splitting pine boards on the fence behind the net with his cannon-ball shot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Stubbs The Montreal Gazette

Nearly a century ago, this was the label perfectly worn by Didier (Cannonball) Pitre, the first Canadien in franchise history to sign a playing contract.

Pitre starred in the club’s first game, a 7-6 overtime win over the Cobalt Silver Kings at Montreal’s natural-ice Jubilee Rink on Jan. 5, 1910.

With Jean Baptiste (Jack) Laviolette and Édouard (Newsy) Lalonde, he was one of the club’s original Flying Frenchmen, so nicknamed by sportswriters, a defenceman turned forward whose speed belied his bulk in fledgling seven-a-side pro hockey.

Pitre was Bernie Geoffrion decades before the Boomer – his heavy, loud shot, reflected in his nickname, was romantically said to move the end boards.

Together, Pitre and Laviolette won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1915-16, the team’s first of 24. Pitre had four goals in five playoff games, bagging a hat trick against the Pacific Coast league’s Portland Rosebuds, well earning his $238 Cup-winner’s share.

He scored 219 times in 255 games through 13 seasons with the Canadiens of the NHA and, from 1917, the NHL. That included a career-high 30 in just 20 games in 1914-15, nearly half his team’s total output, when shifted from defence to forward.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyes on the Prize: 1911-12 Newsy Goes West

When it came to facing the Canadiens, Didier Pitre was now the man to stop. Since being converted from a defenseman to playing the rover position, his devastating shot began to terrorize opposition goaltenders. Percy Lesueur of the Senators, fearfull of the rising shots, asked permission of the NHA to begin wearing a mask to protect himself. Wanderers goalie Riley Hern, a four time Cup champion in the early 1900's, quit from fear of being dinged by one of Pitre's blasts. It was a common sight at games, when Pitre wound up, to see fans jumping behind seats to protect themselves.

Quote:

That Championship Season
The Story of the 1917
Seattle Metropolitans

The Pacific Northwest Forum
Volume VII, Number 2, Pages 29-53
Summer-Fall, 1994

by Gary M. Bernklow


On St. Patrick's Day, 1917, the Canadiens drew first blood in the series, winning the opening game easily. Led by the great goaltending of Georges Vezina, the Montreal team "skimmed over the ice like feathers floating down an airshaft." The aging winger, Didier Pitre, scored four goals for Montreal, all on fifty-foot shots that whizzed past Seattle netminder Hap Holmes "so fast that Holmes could not see them."(48) At 40 years old, Pitre was one of the oldest players in either league. But if his age slowed him down, he didn't show it. In the NHA, he was recognized as having the hardest shot in the league. "Whenever the whirlwind forward for the Frenchmen hooked his stick on the puck, 'Happy' Holmes folded his arms, closed his eyes, and prayed."(49)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Montreal Canadiens: 100 years of Glory

Vezina stopped sixty-four shots, but in the eyes of many the night belonged to Didier Pitre, the last of the original Canadiens. By now, Pitre was thirty-nine. He had played eighteen seasons of professional hockey and scored 240 goals. Under Dandurand, he was a substitute, seldom used and frequently berated for being overweight. But on this occasion, he played of his finest games. "Didier Pitre was sensational on defense," La Presse reported. "One expected him to be exhausted after a few minutes, but he was like a wall against the Ottawa attack." Afterward, he announced his retirement.

Quote:

Originally posted by: Montreal Canadiens: Thrilling Stories From Canada's Famous Hockey Franchise
By Jim Barber

The original Flying Frenchman, Lalonde was the biggest prize for the Canadiens, aquired by team assistant manager Jack Laviolette. The concept of the Flying Frenchman was truly realized with the acquistiion of another speedster, the graceful Didier Pitre. Pitre, like Lalonde, was fast and talented, both as a stickhandler and shooter.

Pitre was also tough. Former Ottawa Senators defenceman Cy Denneny remembers how hard it was to check Pitre. "No matter what i did," he told a sportswriter, "Didier would get away for a shot on goal." Coach Eddie Gerard suggested that Denneny slash Pitre in the legs, in order to get him angry and off his game. It didn't work; Pitre continued his dangerous and often scoring rushes. So, Denneny decided to use a little pyschological warfare instead. He began taunting Pitre, repeatedly calling him every name in the book every time he stepped onto the ice. Again, no luck. "A little later, we discovered our mistake," Denneny reported. "Didier didn't fathom a word of English!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by HockeyGods.com

Pitre spent a year playing with the Vancouver Hockey Club / Vancouver Millionaires. Pitre returned to Montreal the next year. In 1916, Pitre led the National Hockey Association in regular season assists and points. He scored 24 goals, 15 assists (assists in those days were one per goal and only if the official scorer thought it contributed to the goal being scored) for 39 points. He also helped lead the Canadiens to their first ever Stanley Cup. He led the playoffs in goals as well. In the 1919 Stanley Cup playoffs, which were never completed due to the influenza epidemic, he led the playoffs in points. By 1921, the Canadiens had so much depth at forward, and an opening on defence due to the death of future Hall of Famer Joe Hall in the influenza epidemic, so they decided to try Pitre as a defenceman; not as difficult a transition as one might think, because he had previously been a "Rover" during the days of "seven man" Hockey. He remained with Montreal through the formation of the NHL and into 1923.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eyes On The Prize 1915-16: The first of many Stanleys

Newsy Lalonde, who had played only 7 games for the Canadiens due to a contract dispute the previous season, returned to the team full time, satisfied with his new deal. He would center a line featuring Jack Laviolette on the left side and Didier Pitre on the right. Pitre would total 39 points ( 24 goals,15 assists ), but officially the scoring championship was won by Lalonde with 28 goals, as assists did not yet count in the scoring race.

Didier "Cannonball" Pitre was generally credited with having the hardest shot of his day and there were more than a few times when his goals were contested because they had gone right through the net. He was a big man, as far as hockey players go, but was never a rough player in an era marked by rugged play. He was also noted as one of the fastest skaters of his time and it has been said that he could skate backward as fast as he could skate forward.

French Canadiens have a long storied history of producing great hockey talent. The long list begins with Didier Pitre.

Pitre was nicknamed "Cannonball" because of his dynamic wrist shot. His perfected shot and superior skating made Pitre a hot commodity in hockey's early days when pioneers routinely joined teams for even just one game. That was just how it was done in early frontier hockey.

Pitre, the man reported to skate as fast backwards as he could forwards, was coming to Montreal. Pitre's classy play graced Montreal until 1923. He played 13 seasons with the Canadiens, with a single season in Vancouver with the Pacific Coast League. Pitre was a large man at over 200lbs, and he learned to use his size to his advantage, especially when shooting. When he put every pound of muscle into his shot, players tried to get out of the way. He once had a goal contested because the puck went right through the net. Despite his size advantage, however, he was never a noted physical player.

There were many players over the years who were rated as possesing a hard and accurate shot. It is doubtful if any player was better qualified than Didier Pitre in this regard. The goalkeepers of his day had bruises to attest this and fans were impressed by the resounding thump of his shots that might hit the boards. In consequence, he earned the nickname 'Cannonball'. He drilled the puck hard and accurately with a long sweep of the arms and twist of the wrists. There was no golfing of slap shot technique in his day.

Laviolette was moved up from defence to play left wing and the two speed merchants centred by Lalonde brought the Canadiens their first championship and Stanley Cup in 1916. Pitre was a star in the Cup series with Portland. They did so well that most of them were holdouts the next year and Kennedy had quite a job signing Pitre, Lalonde and Laviolette.

Pitre was having trouble keeping his way down and the fans would tease him when he began to puff. [...] In the unfinished Cup series with Seattle, he had Lalonde were the stars. In the fifth game when Joe Hall was taken sick and had to retire, this pair moved back to defence and held off the Mets as the Canadiens went on to win in overtime.

He had two more years on a line with Lalonde and Berlinquette but his weight then got the better off him and he was relegated to the bench as a substitute. The veteran had now compiled well over 200 goals and he is second only to newsy Lalonde in the number scored in the uniform of Canadiens.

His final bow came in the 1923 playoffs against Ottawa. In the first game at Montreal, Ottawa established a two-goal lead and Sprague Cleghorn and Couture the regular Canadiens defence men had been suspended for attacking Ottawa players. The situation looked hopeless for Canadiens in the return match at Ottawa. Didier and Odie Cleghorn were pressed into service to fill the vacant defence posts and the veteran Joe Malone took over Odie's regular position at centre. They played their hearts out and won the game 2-1 but lost on the round. It was a great finish for the veteran of nineteen years and he got a big hand from the fans.

1917 playoffs: The Canadiens scored a big surprise when they defeated Seattle 8-4 in the series opener played under western rules. Didier Pitre was the star, scoring four goals with his bullet shot on which Hap Holmes looked very weak.

1919 playoffs: - The first game was played under the western rules which the Canadiens found baffling and they made little use of their extra forward. Lalonde and Pitre were skating fast and showed some great stickhandling.
- During the overtime Lalonde and Pitre moved back on defence and proved impregnable.

1923 playoffs:With their regular defence men suspended it seemed that Canadiens would hardly make much of a showing in the final game at Ottawa. However, the veterans Didier Pitre and Joe Malone put on astonishing display. [...] Pitre was playing his last game and the veteran of nineteen years in hockey did a great job on defence.
---
Didier Pitre had a long and colorful career commencing with Nationals and Shamrocks andthen with the exception on one year in Vancouver, the balance of his time was with Canadiens. Didier was a right wing with a very hard shot that earned him the nickname Cannonball. Inclined to run overweight he had to be occasionally disciplined to get him in shape but when in form he was a star. A great scorer he was very popular with the fans and closed his career with an outstanding performance in the 1923 playoffs.

Pitre, though, is known better as an elite player, part of a small group of players who made up the first superstars ofthe game. Pitre was nicknamed 'Cannonball' and 'Bullet Shot' becasue of his devastating shot. And even though he battled a weight problem through much of his career, he was one of the fastest skaters the early pro game had seen.

It took some time for that first team to find his stride, but there is little doubt Pitre and Lalonde combined to give the Canadiens an offensive presence other teams simply could not match.

Pitre won just one Stanley Cup with the Canadiens, but his offensive panache was always on full display.

A great defenceman when he got his start with the Canadiens in 1909, Didier Pitre showed so much speed that Canadiens coach George Kennedy decided to move him up to a winger slot the following season. Born in Sault-Ste-Marie, Ontario in 1884, Pitre possessed such a fearsome shot that it was known to leave welts and bruises on opposing goalies. The shot became known around town and round the league as the ''Cannonball''.

In 1915-16, Pitre, then 32, played a key role in winning the Canadiens first Stanley Cup, leading all Canadiens scorers during the series. The Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup. Didier Pitre was the star of the series, with four goals in five games.

[...] Didier Pitre sounded the charge on then lead the way for his Canadiens teammates in Game 3, with a hat-trick in a 6-3 shoot-out, putting the Canadiens ahead in the series.

ONE OF THE FIRST PLAYERS TO EVER DON A CANADIENS JERSEY, RIGHT WINGER DIDIER PITRE WAS AN EXCEPTIONAL SKATER, EARNING HIM THE NICKNAME “CANNONBALL” FROM HIS TEAMMATES.

“Cannonball” Pitre was an awesome offensive machine who could score almost at will.

One of hockey’s early speed merchants, legend has it that Pitre skated as fast backwards as he did forwards. He also had the hardest shot in the game. At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Pitre generally avoided the rough stuff, although when trouble crossed his path he met it head-on.

A charter member of the Habs, Pitre could usually be found at or near the top of the heap in the scoring department. In his prime, the dominating right-winger scored better than a goal per game, registering five 20-goal campaigns with the Canadiens during the team’s NHA years.

Pitre’s 27 goals in 1911-12 put him in second place among all NHA skaters. The following season, he got 24 and, declaring himself a free agent, decided that the pastures were greener west of the Rockies. Pitre spent the 1913-14 season with the Vancouver Millionaires.

Rejoining the Canadiens in 1914-15, he proved that he hadn’t left his scoring touch on the West Coast, netting a career-high 30 goals. The following year, he continued his offensive productivity, notching 24 tallies during the regular season. He also became adept at feeding his teammates, picking up 15 assists in a time when assists were almost as rare as helmets.

The NHA folded after the 1916-17 season and a new league rose from the debris to fill the demand for high-level hockey. The 34-year-old Pitre had slowed down somewhat but he was still a potent offensive force, scoring 61 times in the NHL’s first four years of play.

Didier Pitre was the ''bullet shot'' of pre-modern hockey and one of the very first French-Canadian hockey heroes. Weighing upwards of 200 pounds, he had huge legs able to support a thick, strong frame. Those legs drove him along at a smashing clip, giving him the momentum he needed to drive the pucks with violence force. He could also stop on a dime, scraping a huge cloud of ice into the air as he dug his blade into the ice.

Ironically, Pitre shelled out most of his salary that year in fines for breaking training. Indeed, he was noted for deplorable training habits and missing practices. It has been said the burly Frenchman ''trained on champagne,'' and that was not just hyperbole: Pitre would indeed reinforce himself between periods with a pint of ice-cold bubbly.

Pitre was a rugged individualist on whom team play was often lost, but whom was highly valuable nonetheless. Picture the flame-red Canadiens uniform and his hair flying in the breeze ... a man moving with a grace uncommon in a man of his size.

The 5’11” 190lb, muscular winger/blueliner was exceptionally fast for a man of his stature. The story goes that he could even skate just as fast backwards as he could going forwards.

His combination of speed and size, along with blistering shot that terrorized goalies, had earned him the nickname “Cannonball”.

Pitre's French-Canadian heritage helped give his line-mates the nickname the Flying Frenchmen, brought upon by his exceptional speed.

By 1921, the Canadiens had so much depth at forward, and an opening on defence due to the death of future Hall of Famer Joe Hall in the influenza epidemic, so they decided to try Pitre as a defenceman; not as difficult a transition as one might think, because he had previously been a "Rover" during the days of "seven man" hockey. He remained with Montreal through the formation of the NHL and into 1923.

Quotes:

- ''He didn't take any bullshi't'' - Ernie Fitzsimmons (With record from that era incomplete and sketchy, there is also some dispute over whether Pitre was a tough player)

- ''Didier was sensational on defence. One expected him to be exhausted after a few minutes, but he was like a wall against the Ottawa attack.'' - Journal La Presse (The Canadiens lost the series by one goal. Despite the losing effort, being overweight and used as a substitute during most of his final season, the 39 year-old saved his best defensive effort for his last game)

- ''Pitre was a very loyal player with a generous heart. The fans liked his lively character, his engaging repartee, his extraordinary drive and the unbelievable speed of his rushes'' - Unnamed journalist

- ''When you think of it, you could say that Didier Pitre and Newsy Lalonde were responsible for pro hockey as we know it today. If they hadn't stayed and the NHA had jumped around from place to place, I don't know what would have happened'' - Ernie Fitzsimmons

- ''Many played brutally, but Pitre was not one of them. It is doubtful if the big, good-natured Frenchman ever did a mean, or unsportsmanlike thing in his whole career.'' - Elmer Ferguson

- ''One of the fastest skaters of all time.'' - Cy Denneny

- ''He was kind of the Bobby Hull of his era, just really fast with an amazing, hard shot'' - Bob Duff


Signing, Trades & Injuries:

- On January 5th 1905, he signed with Michigan Soo (IHL)
- On December 15th 1907, he signed with Montraal (ECAHA)
- On December 3rd 1908, he signed with Edmonton (FAHL)
- On January 3rd 1909, he signed with Renfrew (FAHL) for 2000$
- On December 15th 1909, he signed with Montreal (NHA)
- On November 24th 1913, traded to Vancouver (PCHA) by Montreal (NHA) for Newsy Lalonde
- On November 18th 1914, signed with Montreal (NHA)


Fun & Interesting Facts:

- Pitre was a teammate of Laviolette’s with the Soo Indians of hockey’s first professional loop, the IHL
- In 1909, Pitre played defence with Lester Patrick with the Edmonton Cup Challengers
- Didier Pitre was the first player Jack Laviolette signed with the newly founded Montreal Canadiens
- Pitre was one of hockey's first high-priced stars, a man not averse to holding out ever-higher pay. One year, he signed for a whooping 3,000$, at a time the average salary was about 500$.
- In a January 16th, 1919 game against the Ottawa Senators, Pitre, with the Montreal Canadiens, and Jack Darragh, of Ottawa, each had natural hat tricks in a 10-6 win for the Canadiens. That feat was not repeated until Jonathan Cheechoo, with the San Jose Sharks, and Ryan Smyth, Edmonton Oilers, each did in a 6-4 Edmonton victory on October 19, 2006
- On November 30th 1923, he announced his retirement as a player and was added to the NHL officiating staff
- Pitre was a Coach and referee in Michigan Soo area after his retirement
- He was the uncle of Vic Desjardins, a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
- Pitre played alongside 22 Hall-of-Fame players during his career


Miscellaneous:

- Montreal boss George Kennedy told a story of a game against the Montreal Wanderers, in which the star winger was being checked by Gordie Roberts. Roberts was tripping and butt-ending Pitre, sending him falling to the ice.
Kennedy screamed at Pitre, ''Are you afraid of Roberts?''
''No, sure not,'' was Pitre's surprised response.
''Well, why don't you hit him back?'' Kennedy snapped.
''How can I hit back?'' Pitre asked. ''Roberts, he is very polite, very nice. Each time I fall, he helps me get up and apologizes and says it is an accident ... can I hit a man who is apologizing to me? No, never, it is not done.''

- Laviolette sent for Pitre, who had been working the off-season in Sault-Ste. Marie via telegram. The key phrases of that telegram read: ''New League formed. New Canadien team formed. Big Money available. Come to Montreal.'' Pitre immediately quit his job and hopped a the first train available to unite with his longtime friend. Unbeknownst to Pitre, the Montreal Nationals of the CHA were also in the midst of recruiting him for their team. Pitre met up with a Nationals representative on the train ride to Ottawa. Thinking this was the team Laviolette spoke of, he signed on with them en route. Realizing his error on meeting Laviolette, Pitre signed with the Canadiens. His case went to court where, in a precedent setting decision, the judge ruled that under Quebec law no man could be forced to act against his will.

- It is even said that he was once criticized by his coach for apologetically helping an opponent up after he had knocked him to the ice.


Abbreviation:

ECAHA: Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association
FAHL: Federal Amateur Hockey League
IHL: International Hockey League
NHA: National Hockey Association
PCHA: Pacific Coast Hockey Association


Internet Sites:
http://www.sihrhockey.org/member_player_sheet.cfm?player_id=3012&CFID=1042741&CFTOKEN=76655908
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=P196216
http://habslegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/didier-pitre.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didier_Pitre
http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Didier-Pitre
http://joueursducanadiens2.voila.net/Didier_Pitre.html
http://www.thewantlist.ca/all-time-greats/greats-didier-pitre/
http://dennis-kane.com/didier-pitre-looked-splendid-anyway/
http://bleacher report.com/articles/246663-the-habs-legend-they-called-cannonball

[/QUOTE]

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Johnny Bower, G

All-Star Team record (per TDMM)
1st Team All Star (1961) - over Glenn Hall and Gump Worsley
3rd Team All Star (1962) - behind Jacques Plante and Glenn Hall
3rd Team All Star (1964) - behind Glenn Hall and Charlie Hodge
3rd Team All Star (1965) - behind Roger Crozier and Charlie Hodge
3rd Team All Star (1968) - behind Gump Worsley and Ed Giacomin

Hart Trophy voting record: 2nd (1961), 7 (1962), 7 (1964)

4x Stanley Cup winner, primary starter three of those times
2x Stanley Cup finalist, primary starter both times
Awarded 1963 retro Conn Smythe when Bower posted a .949 SV% compared to the .911 playoff average

3x AHL MVP winner
5x AHL 1st AST
1x AHL 2nd AST
1x WHL Best Goalie (per nik jr)

bower's sv% numbers are very impressive.
'54: .922 (4th) -- NYR

'59: .913 (2nd)
'60: .919 (1st)
'61: .923 (1st)
'62: .917 (2nd)
'63: .914 (2nd)
'64: .933 (1st)
'65: .924 (1st)
'66: .930 (1st)
'67: .918 (3rd)
'68: .934 (1st)
'69: .910 (8th)

I wanted to add a bit more information on just how outstanding Johnny Bower's save percentage numbers were in the 1960s, because that would essentially be the case for him to be considered for a top four spot here.

I already gave his year-by-year rankings, but here's a simple list of overall save percentage from 1958-59 to 1967-68, both regular season and playoffs, among goalies with 150 or more regular season games played:

Rank|Goalie|Reg GP|Reg Sv%|Reg SA/60|PO GP|PO Sv%
1|Johnny Bower|451|.922|32.2|70|.924
2|Glenn Hall|595|.916|30.6|87|.914
3|Jacques Plante|400|.914|31.2|36|.915
4|Gump Worsley|428|.910|33.3|38|.929
5|Charlie Hodge|269|.910|28.6|12|.922
6|Ed Giacomin|168|.909|30.2|10|.904
7|Terry Sawchuk|435|.904|30.1|56|.908
8|Bruce Gamble|156|.904|34.8|0|N/A
9|Roger Crozier|241|.902|29.6|22|.897
10|Ed Johnston|262|.898|33.9|0|N/A
11|Don Simmons|180|.897|30.3|3|.889

There are very few goalies who have ever been that far ahead of the rest of the league over a decade span. This isn't really a cherry-picked period either, as it includes all of Bower's seasons with more than 20 games played with the exception of his one-off year as a starter in New York in 1953-54. It should be noted that this period was mostly a down time for Plante and Sawchuk, that there was a lot of goalie turnover and platooning around the league near the end of the O6 era, and that the Leafs were a strong defensive team during this period, but even taking all that into account Bower's performance was still pretty impressive.

When the Leafs had all those guys, they generally didn't allow more shots than most teams. When they were missing a few of them and most of the rest were getting old, then Toronto did allow more shots against than average.

1959: Bower 31.7, League 30.37 (Horton 29, Brewer 20, Stanley 32, Baun 22)
1960: Bower 33.0, League 31.50 (Horton 30, Brewer 21, Stanley 33, Baun 23, Kelly 32)
1961: Bower 32.0, League 32.20 (Horton 31, Brewer 22, Stanley 34, Baun 24, Kelly 33, Keon 20)
1962: Bower 31.1, League 31.72 (Horton 32, Brewer 23, Stanley 35, Baun 25, Kelly 34, Keon 21)
1963: Bower 29.7, League 31.97 (Horton 33, Brewer 24, Stanley 36, Baun 26, Kelly 35, Keon 22)
1964: Bower 31.5, League 32.89 (Horton 34, Brewer 25, Stanley 37, Baun 27, Kelly 36, Keon 23)
1965: Bower 31.4, League 30.37 (Horton 35, Brewer 26, Stanley 38, Baun 28, Kelly 37, Keon 24)
1966: Bower 33.6, League 31.39 (Horton 36, Stanley 39, Baun 29, Kelly 38, Keon 25)
1967: Bower 35.0, League 31.79 (Horton 37, Stanley 40, Baun 30, Kelly 39, Keon 26)
1968: Bower 34.3, League 30.39 (Horton 38, Stanley 41, Keon 27)

To reiterate, I think Bower was definitely helped by his teammates defensively, and maybe it's possible that his stats overstate his performance in other ways (as I posted before, home/road save percentage splits for that period are on my to-do list). But I don't think the shots against numbers can be dismissed simply by pointing to the Leafs' roster in those seasons.

in ATD, i calculated bower's SA on road and at home for a few seasons. i was planning to calculate all of them, but i did not want to take the time.

TML tended to have a much better record at home than on road, and allowed a lot more SA on road.

TML shots against per game
'59 at home: 28.97
'59 on road: 33.83

'60 at home: 29.48
'60 on road: 35.89

'61 at home: 29.22
'61 on road: 34.80

'62 at home: 29.06
'62 on road: 33.62

'63 at home: 27.51
'63 on road: 29.31

TML outshot opponents at home, but were outshot on road (sometimes by fairly large margins) in all of those seasons except '63. '63 was the only season TML had the best record, but their record was actually better in '61 and '62 than in '63.

Imlach's personal All-Star team from his first 10 years of coaching:

Frank Mahovlich - Norm Ullman - George Armstrong
Tim Horton - Carl Brewer
Johnny Bower
http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...7kFAAAAIBAJ&pg=953,511131&dq=tim+horton&hl=en

"He has done wonders for us," says coach Muzz Patrick. "He is one of the best I've seen in a long time."

"He's wonderful, just wonderful," Boucher says. "With all that minor league experience behind him, Bower is no nervous, fidgety rookie. He's cool and poised. Bower doesn't leave his feet very often. He's the quickest one to get to his feet after he's been down that I've ever seen."

He's been one of their most valuable players since then [1958-59] and this season he's the league's top goalie.

"He's playing better than any goalie in the league right now," says his coach, Punch Imlach, who feels that wizardry, rather than overall defensive skill, is responsible for Bower having the league's best goals-against average.

Imlach and Clancy suggest bower should have led first half of 62 AST voting over Plante

"There is no question in my mind that Bower played better during the first 35 games," Imlach said. "True, Plante has been a standout in the last few games, but the voting was supposed to have been on the first 35 games of the season."

The selectors - hockey writers and radio and TV observers - gave Plante 73 points against 49 for Bower, who made the second team.

Punch Imlach: "The hardest working player on our club is Johnny Bower."

 

[Dreakmur]

Ott Heller !!!


Awards and Achievements:
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1933, 1940)

Second Team All-Star (1941)

All-Star voting - 4th(1941), 5th(1940), 6th(1937), 7th(1939), 10th(1942), 10th(1944)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Points among Defensemen - 3rd(1939), 3rd(1944), 4th(1937), 6th(1935), 7th(1933), 7th(1936), 7th(1940), 8th(1943), 9th(1938), 10th(1941)
Assists among Defensemen - 1st(1939), 3rd(1937), 3rd(1938), 3rd(1944), 4th(1936), 5th(1935), 5th(1940), 5th(1941), 9th(1933), 9th(1943)

Play-off Points among Defensemen - 1st(1932), 1st(1933), 2nd(1940)


5-Year Peak: 1935-39
4th in Points among Defensemen, 92% of second place Earl Seibert
1st in Assists among Defensemen, tied with Eddie Shore

10-Year Peak: 1933-42
3rd in Points among Defensemen, 89% of second place Earl Seibert
1st in Assists among Defensemen, 105% of second place Eddie Shore


Scoring Percentages:
Points among Defensemen - 88, 81, 77, 73, 72, 68, 68, 54

Best 6 Seasons: 459

Though the red-haired Heller was said to be a very personable character off the ice, on the ice he was a quiet, steady defenseman who excelled at keeping opposition forwards outside of the slot and towards the perimeter. He was said to have incredible upper body strength, allowing him to quickly pin his opponent and by doing so avoiding many penalties. He was tough too, often training with local boxers at a local gym.

Heller was a great skater, and not afraid to join or even lead the rush from time to time.

Ott was a hockey player, simple as that. He was as tough as nails, and not an ounce of fat on him. What an athlete. It seemed like the guy played forever, and at such a high level. He was amazing.

Outstanding on defense for the Blueshirts was Ott Heller, who roamed all over the ice in front of his team’s cage picking off enemy rushes.

Heller, 36-year-old veteran from Kitchener, Ont., long was rated one of the outstanding defencemen in hockey.

Heller was a top defenseman with New York Rangers of the National Hockey League for many years.

 

[Dreakmur]

Rod Brind'Amour !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (2006)

2 x Selke Trophy Winner (2007, 2008)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Points - 11th(1994), 14th(1998), 16th(1999)
Goals - 8th(1998)
Assists - 12th(1999), 14th(1994), 14th(2007), 16th(1996)


Play-off Points - 5th(1997), 6th(2006)
Play-off Goals - 1st(1997), 2nd(2006)


5-Year Peak: 1992-1996
20th in Points, 79% of second place Mario Lemieux
36th in Goals, 65% of second place Alexander Mogilny
20th in Assists, 70% of second place Wayne Gretzky

10-Year Peak: 1990-1999
22nd in Points, 76% of second place Adam Oates
29th in Goals, 73% of second place Luc Robataille
22nd in Assists, 61% of second place Adam Oates


Scoring Percentages:
Points - 81, 81, 73, 72, 69, 66, 66, 61, 58, 58, 56, 54

Best 6 Seasons: 442
Next 6 Seasons: 353

Team Ice Time:
TOI/g among Forwards - 1st(2001), 1st(2002), 1st(2003), 1st(2004), 1st(2006), 1st(2007), 1st(2008), 2nd(1998), 2nd(1999), 2nd(2000), 2nd(2009)
ES TOI/g among Forwards - 1st(2001), 1st(2002), 1st(2003), 1st(2004), 1st(2006), 1st(2007), 2nd(2008), 3rd(1998), 3rd(2000), 4th(1999), 4th(2009)
PP TOI/g among Forwards - 1st(1999), 3rd(1998), 3rd(2007), 4th(2002), 4th(2003), 4th(2006), 5th(2000), 5th(2001), 5th(2009), 6th(2004), 7th(2008)
SH TOI/g among Forwards - 1st(2001), 1st(2002), 1st(2003), 1st(2004), 1st(2006), 1st(2007), 1st(2008), 2nd(2000), 3rd(1998), 3rd(1999), 3rd(2009)

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

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

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

​

 

[ResilientBeast]

Peter Forsberg, C

Awards
1994-95 NHL Calder Memorial Trophy
1996-97 NHL Second Selke Voting
1997-98 NHL Sixth Selke Voting
1998-99 NHL Eighth Selke Voting
2002-03 NHL Art Ross Trophy
2002-03 NHL Hart Memorial Trophy
2002-03 NHL Fourth Selke Voting


Honors
1994-95 NHL NHL All-Rookie Team (1st)
1995-96 NHL Fifth in Center Voting
1996-97 NHL Third in Center Voting
1997-98 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)
1998-99 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)
2002-03 NHL NHL All-Star Team (1st)

Championships
(Minimum 1 playoff game)
1996 Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
2001 Colorado Avalanche (NHL)

Assists
1994-95 NHL 35 (10)
1995-96 NHL 86 (4)
1996-97 NHL 58 (9)
1997-98 NHL 66 (3)
1998-99 NHL 67 (2)
2000-01 NHL 62 (6)
2002-03 NHL 77 (1)

Points
1995-96 NHL 116 (5)
1997-98 NHL 91 (2)
1998-99 NHL 97 (4)
2000-01 NHL 89 (9)
2002-03 NHL 106 (1)

One of the most dominant players of his era until injuries curtailed his career, Peter Forsberg can boast of hugely successful careers in both the National Hockey League and representing his homeland in international competition.

The Avalanche finished first overall in 1996-97, and while Forsberg contributed significantly, an injury reduced the number of games in which he could play. It was a harbinger of things to come for the power forward.
The Avalanche won a second Stanley Cup championship in 2001, but Forsberg had his spleen removed during the post-season and was unable to play after the second round. The injury was serious enough that he sat out the 2001-02 season, but returned to lead the playoffs in scoring.

Healthy and rested, Peter Forsberg led the NHL in scoring with 106 points in 2002-03, earning him the Art Ross Trophy. He was also awarded the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player.

http://www.hhof.com/htmlinduct/ind14Forsberg.shtml

But Peter Forsberg was anything but cuddly. In fact, no player did more to change the image of a one-dimensional Swede. At six-feet and about 201 pounds, he was five inches smaller and about 20 pounds lighter than contemporary Mats Sundin. Yet he was a power forward in every sense and took the abuse that came with it in an era when stars were fair game.

Foppa (the Swedish equivalent of Mac, Smitty or Jonesy) could hit and score, duel in the faceoff dots, do whatever it took. When injuries ended his career — some of them an unfortunate legacy of his rough-hewn style — he ranked eighth in NHL history in career points per game. His 1.25 average, higher than any European other than Peter Stastny, and a plus-238 will follow him into the Hall of Fame, but the bruises he inflicted are remembered, too.

“That’s what separated him from so many great players,†Colorado teammate Claude Lemieux said at the ceremony to retire his No. 21 in Denver. “He was great and he also was tough and physical and a pain to play against.â€

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/11/11/hockey-hall-of-fame-set-to-induct-peter-forsberg

Peter Forsberg’s playoff run that year was as incredible as his regular season. The sad part for him, though, is that he was really overshadowed by his teammate Joe Sakic. Sakic put up historic numbers that playoff, but Forsberg was just as impressive. His crowning moment that season came against Florida in the Stanley Cup Finals. His hat trick in game two, completed in the first period, was one of the highlights of my time watching Colorado.



It was a remarkable playoff run for Forsberg and the Avalanche. They beat the record-setting Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference finals which sparked one of the best rivalries in the history of hockey. Then they swept the Panthers in Finals to bring Colorado its first professional sports championship in the state’s history. Joe Sakic was always going to win the Conn Smyth that year for the insane numbers he posted in the playoffs, buf Forsberg wasn’t far behind. He was a superstar. A second year pro scoring more than 100 points and helping to lead his team to a Stanley Cup is one of many examples of Forsberg’s immense talent and will.

Peter Forsberg was able to take games over as well. There was this idea as an Avalanche fan that the team was never out of the game if Forsberg was playing. He had this physicality that made it almost impossible to take him off the puck. He could control the puck in his own end for a long time on his own, just skating around and around waiting to make a play. One story that many Avalanche fans will be quick to tell was a game against the Florida Panthers in March of 1999. Colorado were down 5-0 until late in the second when Forsberg made it 5-1. In the third period it was all Forsberg. Forsberg finished that game with 6 points, and the Avalanche won it 7-5 with 6 3rd period goals.

He was able to make plays that nobody seemed to have any business making. His strength on the puck was second to none when he was in his heyday. He helped lead Colorado to their second Stanley Cup in 2001. His regular season was again an impressive campaign. 89 points in 73 games continued his record as a more than a point per game player. He obviously missed the last two rounds of the playoffs but his help in winning the President’s Trophy went a long way in securing home ice advantage for Colorado.

http://thehockeywriters.com/peter-forsberg-colorados-swedish-king/

Despite playing in pain for most of a decade Forsberg never backed down as hockey's ultimate warrior. Though his body took a nightly beating, Forsberg played a fearless, power game in the relentless era of clutching and grabbing. As Andrew Podnieks wrote in The Hockey News book "The Top 60 Since 1967," "Forsberg is a man of the highest skills and standards, a player whose body could be bruised, but never his heart."


Peter Forsberg was an amazing player. Despite constant pain in every stride, he was an explosive skater with excellent vision. He was a playmaker more than a goal scorer, and he relished the physical battles. There was definitely some of Gordie Howe's magic in this Super Swede. He is proud and fierce, sometimes a little bit cocky, with a mean streak necessary to survive the NHL battles. He was also a great playoff warrior.

http://quebecnordiques.blogspot.ca/2007/12/peter-forsberg.html

 

[nik jr]

MIKE RAMSEY​

Born: December 3, 1960
Position: D
Height: 6-3
Weight: 195 lbs
Shoots: Left


- Member of Team USA Olympic Gold Medal Team 1980 - Miracle on Ice
- Played in the NHL All Star game 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986
- Member of Team USA for the 1984 and 1987 Canada Cup
- Member of NHL Team for Rendezvous '87
- Stanley Cup Finalist 1995
- Captain of the Buffalo Sabres 1991-1992
- Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001

Ramsey was 11th among all defensemen in +/- over the course of his career, despite playing mostly for Buffalo. In his prime with Buffalo, Ramsey was routinely near or at the top of his team in +/-, despite being a low scoring defenseman who was matched against star players.

Points production doesn't paint the proper picture of Mike Ramsey. He never scored more than 9 goals in a single season, and scored only 79 in a career that spanned 1070 games and 18 NHL season. He never scored more than 40 points in a season, and had only 345 in his career.

But make no mistake, Ramsey was a star. he was a perennial All Star candidate and 5 times as a Sabre he represented the team at the mid-season celebration, including in 1987 when the NHL put together a team of 20 players to take on the Soviets in Rendez-Vous '87. He also twice represented the United States in the Canada Cups, once in 1984 and once in 1987. He also played in the 1982 World Championships, but usually couldn't compete in that tournament as he was too busy leading the Sabres into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ramsey was a very intelligent defenseman with a great understanding of the game. He was always in great position and always made a solid play and clearing the zone dependably. He also was an honest physical player - very tough in front of his net and a good open ice hitter. He was also recognized as one of the game's best shot blockers. His work ethic, dependability, and importance to the team made him a natural choice to serve as the Sabres captain after undrafted's departure in 1990.

--Joel Pelletier's Greatest Hockey Legends


NHLers voted Ramsey the NHL's best defensive d-man in 1990:

Best defensive defenseman: M Ramsey (34), B McCrimmon (17), K Lowe (14), C Ludwig (13), R Bourque (8)

1994 poll of NHL coaches:

Best Shot Blocker
1. Guy Carbonneau (12) 2. Craig Ludwig (4).
Others (1) Garth Butcher, Steve Chiasson, Mike Keane, Craig MacTavish, Craig Muni, Joel Otto, Mike Ramsey, Paul Ranheim, Kjell Samuelsson, Mark Tinordi.
This category was the stumper for most voters.
"That's a lost art," said Crisp, who chose Butcher.
"Carbonneau," King said, "but only because Curt Giles is gone. It's a dying art."
Berry chose Ramsey of Pittsburgh before the playoffs. Otherwise, he might have backed Dallas' Ludwig, who blocked many shots in the Round 1 sweep of the Blues.

Mike Ramsey, defense: Blocks many shots, usually plays at or near an All-Star level, effective in his end, but can be caught out of position if he tries to do too much.

Buffalo's best defenseman is Mike Ramsey, not to be confused with winger Craig Ramsay. Ramsey is a proven leader: he played for the United States Olympic team which won the gold medal in 1980 at Lake Placid, N.Y. He's a hitter behind the blueline and an excellent shot blocker.

Associated Press - Buffalo, N.Y. --- If a player's value to his team were measured only by goals, the Buffalo Sabres might have traded veteran defenseman Mike Ramsey long ago.

The fact that they haven't despite the fact he scored only 56 goals in his first nine years in the NHL is testament to his importance to the team. "He's been one of the best defensemen for the last decade," said Sabres' coach Ted Sator, not one to give effusive praise. "If a team had 20 Mike Ramseys, they would be a perennial Stanley Cup team."
...
For his part, Ramsey says he just wants to continue doing the little things that have earned him All-Star honors 4 times and established him as one of the NHL's top defensive defensemen.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Darryl Sittler, C

(Thanks to Dreakmur's bio for a number of these quotes)

1x 2nd AST (1978)
1x 3rd in AST voting (1974)
Hart Trophy voting record: 3rd (1978), 8th (1980), 9th (1976), 9th (1977)

5x Top 10 Point finishes: 3rd (1978), 8th (1974), 8th (1977), 9th (1976), 9th (1980)
3x Top 10 Goal finishes: 6th (1978), 8th (1977), 9th (1974)
2x Top 10 Assist finishes: 2nd (1978), 8th (1980)

2nd in 1977 playoff scoring behind Lafleur despite playing in only two rounds

Sittler led his teams in scoring 7 times, by margins of: 30, 26, 19, 15, 7, 2, 2, and tied for the lead once

- Voted fourth in the Most Valuable Player poll in 1973-74 by NHL coaches.
- Voted fifth in the Most Valuable Player poll in 1975-76 by NHL coaches.
- Voted fourth in Hardest Worker poll in 1975-76 by NHL coaches.
- Flyershistory mentions Sittler finishes 1st or 2nd in five categories in these polls following the 1978 season.

In a poll on NHL coaches he finished near the top in faceoffs, playmaking, hardest worker, most valuable & leader (ironically finishing first or second in each of those categories with Bobby Clarke).

..hard-working Darryl Sittler...One of the bet young playmakers in NHL...Also has good wrist shot and can fight...A winger his first two seasons, but never felt comfortable there: "I play best when I'm aggressive, making contact and going after the puck."...

In a poll conducted among writers, GIMs and scouts, he rated among the league's best in six categories (best playmaker, hardwest worker, most valuable, best on faceoffs, best team leader and a player you'd pick first for your team)...A quiet type, yet the team captain leader and representative..

Has finesse skills but his intensity and toughness set him apart.

Has good skill but much of his success has been the result of hard work...

Provides leadership and productivity at both center and left wing...Fits in well immediately with Flyers' aggressive, physical style...Determined and feisty

A good skater with deceptive speed. Darryl is a sound playmaker, a tough forechecker & fine scorer.

Center Darryl Sittler (38 goals) has learned to retaliate against the terror tactics often used against him. Mark him down as a young man with star portential.

“One of the greatest leaders the blue and white has known... A fierce competitor, a leader, a gentleman off the ice, he was everything a great player should be.”

“He played a determined game... he began to establish himself as an offensive star”

“An intense competitor, he led by example; working hard for every goal he scored... On and off the ice, he was the leader of the Maple Leafs.”

“He tried to make himself a better player every day and season. He showed a willingness to battle (breaking teammate _______'s nose at camp) and worked extra hours with Dave Keon to improve his game... He showed a strong desire to lead his teammates. He was the undisputed leader of the team and ran the dressing room through consensus, though he was not afraid to tell a teammate to get his act together, and he did so with goalie _______ and defenseman _______ The Sum of his Parts was greater than any one part. He was not the fastest skater, yet he was seldom knocked off his feet. His shot was not overpowering, but still very accurate. And while he was not a league heavyweight, he could still throw punches with just about anybody and wasn't averse to stirring things up if the Leafs weren't playing well. His skill level did not match some of the other top players in the NHL, but nobody outworked the fiery Leaf... There was no better captain in the NHL at the time because he cared about his teammates and wanted to see people treated decently”

“When he went to Team Canada’s training camp, Scotty Bowman told be after, he and Lanny McDonald, big offensive players, came and said, “ we really hope to make this team, Scotty, so if you want us to kill penalties or sweep the dressing room, we’ll do that”. And Scotty said, “of course you gotta keep guys like that around”, and in the end, they were two of the most valuable guys that Team Canada had in the tournament”

“He wasn't the best stickhandler in the world and he didn't have the greatest shot. He wasn't the toughest guy in the league either, but was probably in the top quarter of every division. You put it all together and add a huge heart, you've got a guy you'd like to go to war with.”

Darryl Sittler, the center from the Philadelphia Flyers, repeatedly won important faceoffs, often in penalty-killing situations, to get the Canadians out of trouble.

Darryl Sittler was the team captain and never took the easy way out. I'll always admire him. He worked for everything and demanded the same from his teammates.

One time I had twenty-five points in twenty-one games and had either come off the ice early after practice or gone on late before practice. Darryl grabbed me by the throat and said. "Listen, you have got to stay on and work harder. That's why you're not up here full-time. I'm the best player on this team, and I work the hardest. If I'm still on the ice, you should still be on the ice." I became a better player for it.

Sittler fought 61 times in his career according to dropyourgloves.com

This included tough players like Bob Nystrom, Keith Magnuson, Moose Dupont, Terry O'Reilly, Orland Kurtenbach, Vic Hadfield, Jerry Korab, Rod Langway. Paul Holmgren, Garry Howatt, Paul Shmyr, Stan Jonathan, Brad Marsh, Don Saleski, and Steve Durbano.

Hadfield set the tone just 23 seconds into the game when he engaged in a fight with Toronto center Darryl Sittler.

And then after the period ended, there was a bench-clearing rumble. It started between Darryl Sittler and Howatt, then spread around as everyone paired off in a sweat pull...

Williams and Maxwell, both of whom required facial stitches, began fighting after an altercation between Toronto's Darryl Sittler and Minneosta's Paul Shmyr behind the Minnesota net.

The Leafs playoff series in 1978 against the Islanders was reported to be very physical. This article questioned whether the teams would shake hands after the deciding game seven following the animosity throughout the series. Sittler made these comments following Game 6 which saw Bossy get taken off the ice on a stretcher after being boarded by a Leaf. This was a few nights after Sittler and Isles enforcer Garry Howatt started a bench clearing brawl.

There have been 341 penalty minutes assessed in the six-game set, well short of the 525 amassed during the seven-game 1975 quarter-final between the Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers. But this series' total is an indication of the teams' feeling for each other.

"Maybe they should start playing basketball instead of hockey if they can't take it," said Toronto center Darryl Sittler after the Maple Leafs' 5-2 triumph in Game 6 Thursday night even the matchup at three victories per team..."Mike Bossy's just got to learn to take it. We all did. Hockey's meant to be a tough game," said Sittler, an eight-year veteran.

Some video of Sittler's fighting ability. The first video shows him bust open Doug Smith of the Kings, and scroll to 1:05 of the second video to watch him one punch Ken Houston also of the Kings.

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[ResilientBeast]

Bullet Joe Simpson other nickname's include "Peerless" Joe

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- Member of the HHOF
- Stanley Cup Finalist (1923)
- Allan Cup Champion (1916)
- WCHL 1st All-Star Team (1922, 1923, 1925)
- WCHL 2nd All-Star Team (1924)
- Twice in the top-10 in WCHL goalscoring (4th, 8th)
- Three times top-3 in WCHL assists (2nd, 2nd, 3rd)
- Three times top-10 in WCHL points (2nd, 6th, 7th)
- Four times top-2 in WCHL scoring among defensemen (1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd)
- 4th in points among NHL defensemen (1930)

Didn't join the Edmonton Eskimos until he was 27 years old.
Didn't make the NHL until he was 32 years old.

dubbed Bullet Joe by a reporter due to his darting moves on the ice, and because of his military past... Simpson, along with New York native Billy Burch, was one of the first outstanding gate attractions, and thus partly responsible for making New York a hockey hotbed that it is today... a lightweight weighing as little as 155lbs, but he played like he was 200lbs. Bill Corum, a columnist of the New York Journal-American, described Simpson as "a rollicking, rocking man, flashing down the rink with the puck on the end of his stick."

His end-to-end rushes were the stuff of legend, his skating without compare.

The Great Joe Simpson also introduced some improvments in defensive strategy most notable of which was a never failing poke-check. This was heart-breaker for the Caps and blighted many of their scoring hopes.

Joe Simpsom was 100 percent efficency. His dazzling speed, wonderful stickhandling and defensive tactics left nothing to be desired.

Deacon White Makes Selection of Hockey Players From Coast and Prairies Leagues That Will Startle Many Fans - Reviews Work of Players in Both Loops Throughout Present Season

Lehman - Goalie
Simpson - Right Defence
Clem Loughlin - Left Defence
Frederickson - Center
Gagne - Right Wing
Hay - Left Wing
Keats - Sub Center
Mackay - Sub Right Wing
Riley - Sub Left Wing
Cook - Sub Defence

Simpson the King of All Defence Players Anywhere
Joe Simpson is the king of all defence players that we have see in these two leagues and we jump to the conclusion - of any league. And that too when he does not posses the avoirdupois that naturally belongs to the position of a defence player. But he more than makes up for the lack of weight in quickness on his skates and uncanny skill in using his stick. On the defence end alone of his position he ranks above them all. His tactics are remarkable. If he fails to hook the puck away from an opposition plaguing with his stick, at which he is an adept he plunges low into the legs of his opponent like a rugby player making a tackle and invariably stops the man. he is sucj a quick starter that opponents can not stick handle around him. Joe is able to stay right with them until he brings them down or steals the puck away from them. But it is on the attack that Simpson shines the brightest. His rushes down the ice with the puck are the most spectacular and most effective in the business...

His stick-handling ability is unexcelled his speed is blinding and he packs a powerful and accurate shot. It looks as though he would have made the greatest forward in the business, not excepting Frederickson.

"Joe Simpson the flashy Edmonton defence man covered himself with glory by defeating the Maroons with his brilliant goal. Frank Patrick regards Simpson as the most sensational player in hockey and fans here will not have forgotten his corkscrew rushes and brilliance defending."

It was Peerless Joe Simpson who grabbed off the largest share of the glory for the win. Joe scored the winning counter. Coming into possession of the puck at the Esks' end of the rink. Joe turned on full speed. The rest of the team stayed back to protect Winkler. Down Joe went like the Twentieth Century Limited. Stick-handling and corkscrewing his way through the entire Seattle team, Joe planted the puck fairly and squarely behind Holmes for a great finish to a wonderful game.

Simpson is playing remarkable hockey both defensively and offenesively

"Bullet" Joe is one of the Amerk originals, having broke in with the star-spangeled team when the ice game was first introduced here by the old Hamilton Tigers.

Since 1925 Simpson has played fine hockey for the Dwyer men being outstanding on both defence and possessing enough old-time speed to fill in capably on the front line when dash and experience was needed.

"Bullet" Joe Simpson American defence players, was outstanding for the losers giving the Americans most of their early lead. He scored twice in the first period...