A major goal of mine in roster selection has been period variety, at least in what could be considered the time of the original 6 teams. There are so many forgotten legends in need of effusive recognition. By no means am I an expert on the history of hockey, but I've been putting in quite a lot of research these weeks to improve my understanding. It's been my favorite part of this draft.
1920s: Cook
1930s: Cook, Conacher, "Babe" Siebert, Gardiner
1940s:
1950s: Moore
1960s: Firsov, Savard
1970s: Savard, Clarke, Maltsev, Park, Lapointe
1980s: Gilmour, Stevens, Kasatonov
1990s: Gilmour, Stevens
2000s+: Luongo
As you see, there's a big fat hole where the 1940s are. Not helped by the war years, it certainly seems like one of the least popular eras of hockey in retrospect, minus Rocket Richard, who was no less associated with the 50s. The 1940s doesn't quite have the daydream feel of the 20-30s; it doesn't have the immediacy of the modern 50s with Beliveau and Howe. But there were superstars of that era too, and I'm damn well taking one.
The Honolulu Ghibli select as their legend center, Max Bentley (moving Maltsev to RW, which he often played in tournaments).
Max Bentley, known by the amazing nickname "'Dipsy-Doodle Dandy from Delisle' because of his fancy skating and superb stickhandling," was one of the biggest stars in the NHL in the 40s, despite missing 2 prime years to serve in the Canadian Army. A Hart trophy winner (5-time top 4 finisher in the decade) and 2 time scoring title winner for the Blackhawks -- a mediocre team in spite of his dominance -- Bentley was not describable in the usual sort of burly, heroic way for historic players. He cut a gaunt figure -- he was advised to give up hockey, including at a Canadiens try-out, due to his sickly appearance and shopping list of maladies.
He was renowned for his ability to uncannily avoid contact and beat opponents with his elusiveness, before dishing the puck with his high end passing skills. If that sounds familiar, here's a quote from the HHoF: "Max became famous for his drive to the net, his aggressive play to score and the fact that he was constantly in motion. He never stopped skating and as contemporaries suggest, had as many moves as Wayne Gretzky later did during his era." A great description of his wheels: Bentley skated "like a scared jackrabbit." In my experience, skating is more often a knock or swept under the rug for many old timers, so to point it out so forcefully, Bentley must have been
truly exceptional. He certainly pops in footage and his transition skills would look at home even today:
Bentley was involved in one of the most shocking, biggest trades of the era when he was sent to the Leafs for 5 players -- literally, an
entire line. With the Leafs unmatched center depth, Bentley's individual numbers dipped slightly, but he was an integral component to 3 Cups in 4 years, with spectacular playoff performances. The Hawks, however, remained a bottom feeder during this time.
@DancingPanther