Last Active Player To Play Before You Were Born

[arrbez]

Good catch. I'm another January 1984 and had thought Yzerman was the answer. Never thought of Claude Lemieux.

I'm January 5th, you?

 

[arrbez]

Any bet on the identity of the player that will be next to Recchi on the list?

There is no 90-91 players still in the league since this year (though it's possible that Nolan and Draper play again). Draper played 3 games in 90-91, while Nolan played a full season.

I wouldn't entirely write off Jagr either. And if we're just counting active players, he's still at it in Russia and "only" 38.

 

[MXD]

To continue the timeline a bit:

Nov 1941 - Oct 1942 : Ken Mosdell
Nov 1942 - Oct 1944: Maurice Richard
Nov 1944 - Sept 1946: Ted Lindsay
Oct 1946 - Sept 1960: Gordie Howe
Oct 1960 - Dec 1964: Dave Keon
Jan 1965 - Sept 1968: Wayne Cashman
Oct 1968 - Oct 1969: Brad Park
Nov 1969 - Feb 1971: Butch Goring
Mar 1971 - Sept 1971: Gilles Meloche
Oct 1971 - Dec 1972: Guy Lafleur

 

[Peter9]

To continue the timeline a bit:

Nov 1941 - Oct 1942 : Ken Mosdell
Nov 1942 - Oct 1944: Maurice Richard
Nov 1944 - Sept 1946: Ted Lindsay
Oct 1946 - Sept 1960: Gordie Howe
Oct 1960 - Dec 1964: Dave Keon
Jan 1965 - Sept 1968: Wayne Cashman
Oct 1968 - Oct 1969: Brad Park
Nov 1969 - Feb 1971: Butch Goring
Mar 1971 - Sept 1971: Gilles Meloche
Oct 1971 - Dec 1972: Guy Lafleur

Ken Mosdell was also the last NHL player around to have played for a pre-Original Six team that was not one of the Original Six--i.e., the Brooklyn Americans, formerly the New York Americans.

 

[seventieslord]

Ken Mosdell was also the last NHL player around to have played for a pre-Original Six team that was not one of the Original Six--i.e., the Brooklyn Americans, formerly the New York Americans.

that's right, he just barely outlasted Harry Watson in that regard.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

To continue the timeline a bit:

Nov 1941 - Oct 1942 : Ken Mosdell
Nov 1942 - Oct 1944: Maurice Richard
Nov 1944 - Sept 1946: Ted Lindsay
Oct 1946 - Sept 1960: Gordie Howe
Oct 1960 - Dec 1964: Dave Keon
Jan 1965 - Sept 1968: Wayne Cashman
Oct 1968 - Oct 1969: Brad Park
Nov 1969 - Feb 1971: Butch Goring
Mar 1971 - Sept 1971: Gilles Meloche
Oct 1971 - Dec 1972: Guy Lafleur

The range for Gordie Howe is predictably impressive...

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

To continue the timeline a bit:

Nov 1941 - Oct 1942 : Ken Mosdell
Nov 1942 - Oct 1944: Maurice Richard
Nov 1944 - Sept 1946: Ted Lindsay
Oct 1946 - Sept 1960: Gordie Howe
Oct 1960 - Dec 1964: Dave Keon
Jan 1965 - Sept 1968: Wayne Cashman
Oct 1968 - Oct 1969: Brad Park
Nov 1969 - Feb 1971: Butch Goring
Mar 1971 - Sept 1971: Gilles Meloche
Oct 1971 - Dec 1972: Guy Lafleur

Cashman was up and down between the minors and the NHL between 65 and 68, so I'm not sure I'd call him an 'active' NHL player for the whole of Jan 65 to Sept 68. An argument could be made that Keon recaptured the crown for portions of Jan 65 to Sept 68.

 

[phxroadrunner]

Dave Keon 1960-61
I was born Nov '60.

 

[Infinite Vision*]

I think it's Lemieux for me. 86-87 to 05-06.

N/M. It's Chelios for me.

 

[MXD]

I'm pretty sure that the guy "above" Ken Mosdell would be Milt Schmidt, whose career spanned from midway through 1936-37 to midway through 1954-55.

Nobody else playing a single game during that season started their career before Mosdell (unless Butch Bouchard and Jim Henry started their season the day before Mosdell started his, or something like that). So if somebody here is born between Jan/Feb 1936 to Oct. 1941 (I think it's possible...), the last active player to play before you were born would be Milt Schmidt.

And afterwards, I'm pretty sure it goes like this

Dumart - Nick Metz - Clapper - Frank Boucher.

After Boucher, I really don't have a clue, and since it was a player who probably NOT started his career in the NHL, hockey-reference is a weebit useless.

To continue the timeline a bit:

Nov 1941 - Oct 1942 : Ken Mosdell
Nov 1942 - Oct 1944: Maurice Richard
Nov 1944 - Sept 1946: Ted Lindsay
Oct 1946 - Sept 1960: Gordie Howe
Oct 1960 - Dec 1964: Dave Keon
Jan 1965 - Sept 1968: Wayne Cashman
Oct 1968 - Oct 1969: Brad Park
Nov 1969 - Feb 1971: Butch Goring
Mar 1971 - Sept 1971: Gilles Meloche
Oct 1971 - Dec 1972: Guy Lafleur

 

[MXD]

By the way, the list from Richard to Meloche wasn't made by me
I just added Mosdell.

 

[Krotak]

Just look at this one:
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=8665

Dominik Hasek started his career in Czechoslovakia in 1981, in NHL in 1990 and currently in season 2010/2011 he is still playing in KHL. Crazy man.

By the way i was born in 1987.

 

[seventieslord]

I'm pretty sure that the guy "above" Ken Mosdell would be Milt Schmidt, whose career spanned from midway through 1936-37 to midway through 1954-55.

Nobody else playing a single game during that season started their career before Mosdell (unless Butch Bouchard and Jim Henry started their season the day before Mosdell started his, or something like that). So if somebody here is born between Jan/Feb 1936 to Oct. 1941 (I think it's possible...), the last active player to play before you were born would be Milt Schmidt.

And afterwards, I'm pretty sure it goes like this

Dumart - Nick Metz - Clapper - Frank Boucher.

After Boucher, I really don't have a clue, and since it was a player who probably NOT started his career in the NHL, hockey-reference is a weebit useless.

At some point I think Newsy Lalonde was the longest-playing player left. Also, a decade earlier, Jack Marshall could probably have made that claim. Before him, likely Harvey Pulford, and then we have the whole timeline complete.

 

[reckoning]

Does Moe Roberts 20 minute stint in goal during the 51-52 season about 20 years after he retired count?

 

[kaiser matias]

For what its worth, Reg Noble was the last active player from the first NHL season.

Retired in 1933.

Though I doubt anyone here was born in 1917 or 1918.

 

[Peter9]

My mind is getting old, and perhaps that's why I have this question. Isn't the answer to the posed question provided by a list of the players who at one time or another had the longest NHL careers among active players?

 

[MXD]

My mind is getting old, and perhaps that's why I have this question. Isn't the answer to the posed question provided by a list of the players who at one time or another had the longest NHL careers among active players?

Yes and no.
Technically, yes.

No, because there were some special cases, like WW2 where some guys remained and some didn't (that's the case with Mosdell, Schmidt), and Frank Boucher coming back to play a few games at 42 years old.

Also, the WHA might have been a factor. But apparantly wasn't.

 

[Shootmaster_44]

I'm fairly certain Mark Messier is the answer for me. Though being born in summer of 1982, it does encompass the 1981-82 season. So that might mean there was someone who may have had a cup of coffee in the NHL that year, that might have played beyond Mess.

Best thing about being born in the summer is that I don't have to figure out the day and month a player debuted in the NHL. It falls during the off-season, so I'm certain no NHL events occurred on my birthday. I'd be surprised whether any transactions even occurred that day.

Not to turn this into who's the oldest person here, but I wonder if there are anyone on this site, who predates the Original Six era? What I mean is were alive when the Brooklyn/New York Americans were still in the NHL.

 

[seventieslord]

So that might mean there was someone who may have had a cup of coffee in the NHL that year, that might have played beyond Mess.

Nope. by the time mess retired he had been in the NHL quite a bit longer than anyone else.

 

[RobertKron]

I think I'm Ron Francis. I was born the summer of '83, and Francis started in 81-82, and last played in the playoffs in '04.

 

[RobertKron]

I'm fairly certain Mark Messier is the answer for me. Though being born in summer of 1982, it does encompass the 1981-82 season. So that might mean there was someone who may have had a cup of coffee in the NHL that year, that might have played beyond Mess.

Best thing about being born in the summer is that I don't have to figure out the day and month a player debuted in the NHL. It falls during the off-season, so I'm certain no NHL events occurred on my birthday. I'd be surprised whether any transactions even occurred that day.

Not to turn this into who's the oldest person here, but I wonder if there are anyone on this site, who predates the Original Six era? What I mean is were alive when the Brooklyn/New York Americans were still in the NHL.

Ron Francis played 59 games in 81-82, and played in the playoffs in 03-04, which puts him 12 games later than Messier, if we want to get technical.

Off-topic, what's the story with Francis' 81-82 season? Did he get sent back from Hartford to the OHL after putting up 68 points in 59 games??

 

[Cyclones21]

Man, this thread makes me feel old!! This is hard to research. I was born December 1974. Larry Robinson played until 92.

 

[mitchdisaster]

Mark Messier 79-80 to 03-04.

same here. born in '81

 

[reckoning]

Off-topic, what's the story with Francis' 81-82 season? Did he get sent back from Hartford to the OHL after putting up 68 points in 59 games??

He played the first month in the OHL, was leading the league in scoring, then Hartford brought him up in November.

 

[iamjs]

Any bet on the identity of the player that will be next to Recchi on the list?

There is no 90-91 players still in the league since this year (though it's possible that Nolan and Draper play again). Draper played 3 games in 90-91, while Nolan played a full season.

91-92? Lidstrom, Weight, Foote, Whitney, Brodeur are still active, while Guerin might come back.

92-93? Hamrlik, Kovalev, Selanne.

93-94? Marchant, Pronger, Niedemayer, Arnott (possibly Maltby and Laperriere)

Weight would have a step up on Lidstrom, Foote, etc., since he played one playoff game for the Rangers during the 1990-91 season.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=5672