It's remarkably difficult to find a good contemporary account of Fern Flaman's game. Most of the quality narratives are from later sources, such as the usual lineup of website profiles. This is almost certainly due to his defensive style of play, which doesn't make for much commentary in game summaries.
Here's an overview of his career.
Summary: Flaman was one of the meanest s.o.b.s at a time when hockey in general was a much more violent sport. He's almost singular in his legacy of carving a wide path through Original Six superstars, with perhaps only Gordie Howe at his toughness level (we'll get to that shortly). As a contemporary news article said, Flaman was not paid to score goals -- his role was that of a pure shutdown defender, the type who could intimidate even high-quality opposition enough to get them completely off their game.
First stint in Boston
Depending on your source, Flaman first began playing in the Bruins organization at the age of 15 or 16. This would have been around 1942, as the league was bleeding talent due to the War. Even at the time, 15 was a remarkably young age to be able to hold one's own with grown men. Flaman secured a spot with the Boston Olympics, the local amateur team, and was right on the spot when the Bruins began to struggle and look for new blood.
Flaman didn't enter the NHL with the intent of becoming an agitator -- "I've got a wife and daughter to support. I can't have everybody in the league after me, which is what happens to a player with that reputation." -- but as an accomplished amateur boxer he fell into a violent role almost immediately. The following is from the summary of his very first game in 1947:
The Boston Daily Globe 1/16/1947 said:
You can't judge the Boston Bruins or the new players on one game, but they certainly appear to be a vastly improved team and the new players provided much of that improvement. ...
All four new men played important roles... Fernie Flaman rated an all-star from Manager Art Ross.... Manager Art Ross picked his three all-stars in the following order: Pat Egan, Flaman, and Milt Schmidt. ...
[Red] Hamill liked Flaman on defense but warned, "He better keep that stick on the ice more."
As the article suggests, Flaman was a key part of the Bruins' resurgence in the second half of the 1947-48 season. Prior the roster shakeup, the Bruins were 11-14-8. With Flaman on the team, they were 15-9-3. He was described as "the new sensation" after only a few games.
One of the nice things about Boston game summaries of that period is that Art Ross would pick All Stars, as you see above. Flaman was frequently chosen in Ross' top-3, despite playing on a team with the Kraut Line as well as defensive standouts in Egan and Jack Crawford. I think that says something about the impact that a young Flaman had on the Bruins, which is fortunate because otherwise his defense-first style didn't make many headlines.
When they lost to the Habs in the playoffs that season, Art Ross told the local papers that Flaman and the other rookies had played too "tightened up". The next season, in their loss to Toronto, Flaman did a total 180 and was one of the best players on the team:
Christian Science Monitor 3/31/1948 said:
If you had to single out any one Bruin as top man ... If you wanted a defenseman you would have to name Fernie Flaman. [He, Brimsek and Ronty] were superstars trying to take care of the slack caused by the absentees.
Bear in mind that Flaman did not score a single point in that series, so whatever he did to deserve that "superstar" label is left up to our imagination. One gets the impression that we're talking about Langway-esque defense or something of the sort.
The Bruins continued to improve in 1948-49, finishing second in the league. Flaman, still only 22 years old, was the second-leading scorer on the team despite playing an almost entirely defense-oriented style. Accounts suggest that his slapshot was at least respectably strong.
In 1949-50, the bottom fell out for Boston. Coach Dit Clapper was replaced with George Boucher, and legendary goalie Frank Brimsek was sold to Chicago. The Bruins sank like a stone, and I suspect it's no coincidence that Flaman's PIM doubled as the team ceased to play meaningful games.
In Feburary 1950, on a team with Bill Quackenbush at his peak, Boston Globe writer Herb Ralby stated flatly that Flaman was the only Bruin deserving of an All Star berth.
Traded to Toronto
When the Bruins once again stumbled out of the gate in 1951, winning only one of their first 13 games, Art Ross pulled the trigger on a series of trades to reshape the roster. The biggest and most shocking of these sent Flaman to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Christian Science Monitor 11/17/1951 said:
The loss of Flaman, Smith, and Maloney will be noticed here in Boston. They have won a legion of freinds, particularly Flaman and Smith. ...
It need be no surprise if Flaman, Smith and Maloney do well elsewhere. The first two have been here a long time and were not profiting from the atmosphere of a losing club.
The Boston Daily Globe 11/17/1951 said:
There is strong resentment among the hockey fans over Ferny Flaman's departure ... Ferny was popular here and his many fans have threatened to boycott Bruins games.
The Boston Daily Glove 11/18/1951 said:
The deal with Toronto principally hinged on Flaman. ... A colorful and hard-hitting youngster, Flaman has been popular with Boston fans through the years. ... Reports from Toronto indicate that Smythe was adamant that Flaman be included in any deal with the Boston club.
The next time the Bruins played, Bill Ezinicki remarked, "If the Bruins still had Fernie Flaman, this would be the toughest club in the league to beat."
For his part, Flaman was shocked and dismayed. He had always been a good soldier in Boston hockey circles, going back to his amateur days, and didn't see the trade coming.
One on One with Fern Flaman said:
The trade was the lowest point in my life. I had felt a part of Boston. I had played three years with the Olympics and nearly three more years with the Bruins. On top of that, it had been in the papers that I would not be traded, that I was an 'untouchable.' Next thing I know, I'm with the Maple Leafs.
The trade turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Flaman, at least temporarily. Toronto was red-hot, and the addition of Flaman helped them to the league's lowest GAA. The Leafs stormed through the playoffs to the Cup final, with Flaman on a defense pairing with young Bill Barilko.
After Barilko's death, the Leafs never really got the magic back. Flaman and Jim Thomson were the core of a defense that gave Harry Lumley a Vezina, but the team lacked firepwoer. Flaman was paired primarily with another hard-hitter, young Leo Boivin, and his offensive numbers were all but non-existent. Likewise, he seemed to have lost an edge when traded to the Leafs:
Boston Bruins: Greatest Moments and Players said:
Flaman was less boisterous and, somehow, did not seem the same when he was wearing the royal blue and white of the Maple Leafs.
Back in Boston
Rather than tweak the roster, Conn Smythe decided to dismantle it. He had the good grace to send Flaman back to Boston, where he was welcomed back with open arms.
The Leader-Post 10/1/1954 said:
A rugged, hard-hitting defenceman, he is expected to give the Bruins' rearguard the solid thump it has lacked since his departure.
A funny thing happened when Flaman got back to Boston. His PIM totals skyrocketed by about 50% over the norm, leading the league for the only time, and he also made the 2nd All Star team for the first time. Perhaps that says something about the value of Flaman's aggressive physicality -- how many defensemen have made an AST while leading the league in PIM and being outside the top-10 in points? In 1957, during this prime run, he started a 6-year run as Bruins captain.
All 4 defensemen who joined him on the ASTs in 1957 and 1958 have been added to our list already -- Harvey, Kelly, Gadsby, Pronovost. Then there's Flaman.
Even though the Bruins struggled during the regular season with Flaman as their #1 defenseman, they showed well in the playoffs in '57 and '58. Unfortunately the Montreal Canadiens showed even better in the midst of their 5-Cup run. The Bruins were looking good for a third straight Finals appearance when both Flaman and his partner, Doug Mohns, went down with injury in a 7-game series loss to the Leafs. That was Flaman's final appearance in the playoffs, and he hung around only a couple more years before going the player-coach route in the minors.
In 1990, Flaman was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame by veterans' committee.
Legacy
In Boston, Flaman was regarded along the same lines as consummate Bruins like Eddie Shore and Dit Clapper. At that time, only Clapper had been longer tenured as captain of the team. Prior to his retirement, the organization staged a "Fernie Flaman Night" that was similar in scope to the "Gordie Howe Night" hosted by the Red Wings a year earlier.
Outside Boston was a different story. The sheer consensus of opinion says it all:
Gordie Howe said:
He's the toughest defenseman I ever played against.
Jean Beliveau said:
Any other player I do not worry about, but when I go near that fellow, believe me I look over my shoulder.
Henri Richard said:
That Flaman, he bothers me more than anybody else in our league. I can't think or anyone else who gives me such a bad time.
Andy Bathgate said:
I think almost every team had a tough fella you had to be careful of. Not necessarily for fighting, but for bodychecking. Pierre Pilote. Fernie Flaman. Leo Boivin. Bobby Baun. Doug Harvey in Montreal.
Camille Henry said:
Flaman was the toughest player I ever came up against. He wasn't too dirty against me, but he hit me every chance he got
Tom Johnson said:
From what I have seen and from what I hear other players say, Fern Flaman of the Bruins is the roughest. Some of his own teammates agree with me and they ought to know.
Vic Stasiuk said:
I think the roughest player in the league is Fernie Flaman.
Jim Proudfoot said:
When hockey players talk shop, they frequently discuss the matter of who is their toughest opponent. A note of something bordering on awe creeps into the conversation when the name Flaman comes up. It is not a question of fear, for Flaman is not a vicious player, but a question of knowing that Flaman can deal a devastating body check, that he is among the most competent of defencemen in the business, and that, if aroused, he is one of the most capable fisticuffers in the league.
To be certain, there are weaknesses in Flaman's candidacy. He was not a major offensive contributor, similar to a Langway. His PIM were not purely a result of brawling, as evidenced by the number of game summaries noting goals scored with him in the box. And his style of play inevitably lead to injury, at times coming during important playoff pushes.
