ATD 2012 Bios Thread (as complete as possible: pic, quotes, stats, sources, etc)

[Hedberg]

LW Al Secord

273 G, 222 A, 495 Pts in 766 GP
6th in Goals, 1983
Played in 1982 and 1983 All-Star Game

Legends of Hockey

After spending two and a half-mediocre seasons with the Bruins he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks where his career took off. His first full season with the Hawks saw Secord collect a career high in goals, assists and points while being named to the All-Star Game. Adding to his scoring touch, he racked up 303 penalty minutes on his way to becoming a feared player in the NHL. The next season, 1982-83, saw Secord top his goal and point production from the previous year with 56 goals and 86 points in 80 games while appearing in his second straight All-Star Game.

Chicago Blackhawk Legends

He took over from Bobby Hull as the Blackhawks 50 goal scorer. At the same time he took over from Keith Magnuson as the Hawks enforcer and heart and soul. It sounds like almost the perfect combination for a hockey player. For a couple of seasons in the 1980s, Al Secord was that player.

In Cam Neely-like fashion, Secord could hurt you two ways - with his goals, or with his fists. Playing on Chicago's "Party Line" with Denis Savard and Steve Larmer, Secord scored 40 goals three times, including 54 in 1982-83. At the same time he was a hard crashing forechecker and a feared fighter.

Secord's first full season in Chicago, 1981-82, was his break out year. Playing on left wing with superstar Denis Savard, Secord scored 44 goals and 75 points, while amassing an amazing 303 penalty minutes.

"I was playing with Denis Savard regularly. My presence gave him more time to operate on ice and I got more ice-time than ever before. I played really physical game that year and I fought quite a bit. Even though I had a lot of penalty minutes that year, I never thought I got penalties because of my reputation. The referees respected me and I respected them."

Secord took his game to the next level in the 1982-83 season, becoming only the 2nd Blackhawk player to score 50 goals. He finished with 54 goals, 20 of them on the power play, and 86 points. With his obvious scoring importance, he toned his fighting game down, and picked up only 180 PIMs.

Former teammate Terry Ruskowski had was glad Secord was on his team.

"Secord was very strong in the corners. He intimidated a lot of people and because of his presence he got the puck. In front of the net he got a lot of deflections. Guys were scared to move him out because if they cross-checked him or hit him too hard, Al was coming back to get revenge on them.

"A lot of people thought Al was just a tough guy who couldn't play. He worked hard in the corner, he had a very good shot, and he was strong on his skates. With Savard, he

After a 50 goal season and 2nd consecutive all star game nod, all seemed to go well with Secord's career. But then disaster struck when he was forced to deal with a serious injury. He missed all but 19 games with torn abdominal muscles. The season after that he missed considerable time with pulled muscles in his thigh. Doctors determined the two serious injuries were related as Secord had one leg that was measurably shorter than the other.

Backchecking: Al Secord stays 'under the radar'nes, based in Dallas.

Imagine a former NHL player who used to fly down the wing, flying through the sky guiding a commercial jet. A man, who just 25 years ago, was using his intuition to make the right play on the ice, now making crucial decisions and the right play in the air.

Al Secord, who played from 1978-79 through 1989-90 for Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia, is now a first officer for American Airli

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

Harry Westwick

Style/Ability:

Westwick began his hockey career as a goalie for the junior league Ottawa Seconds. He later changed positions to rover on advice from one of his coaches, who was impressed by his skating and puckhandling skills. Westwick's elusive movements made him both an offensive and defensive force, allowing him to excel at the now-extinct position. Because of his diminutive size and quick and shifty movement on the ice, he soon earned the nickname "Rat".

Westwick showed strength in his two way play, and was to become a mainstay on the team for the next ten seasons.

Source

Westwick on the Ottawa forward line played the best game for the home team. He was always on the puck and his condition was magnificent for he stood out the match to the end at which time he could spurt as fast as at the beginning.

Source

The Ottawa team will greatly benefit by his (Westwick) being on their forward line, as he is one of the best all-round players to-day.

Source

Harry Westwick is a better rover than Glass, though his shooting is not as deadly, Glass plays in spasms, while Westwick is always on the go.

Source

Their checking back was effective and it was the skillful stick-handlings of Westwick, Smith, Phillips and Walsh that pulled Ottawa out of many dangerous corners.

Source

Toughness:

Westwick's shifty style always led some teams who could not stop him to try and injure him. The best example of this came in that heated March match against the hated Victorias. The Vics knocked him out of the game three times, each time culminating in a brave Westwick return, before finally managing to break Westwick's leg just above the ankle. Tough as nails, the Rat skated off the ice, ankle bone protruding from his sock, to be tended to.

Source

Leadership:

In their first championship year, Westwick, then team captain

Source

Conclusion:

Under the old style, the rover had to do the bulk of the checking back. In baseball parlance, it was the duty of the rover to back up every play. He had to check any man who got away from his cover; in short, he had to assume the responsibility for any weak spots on his team. One thing that characterised a good rover was his ability to get goals off rebounds. Another way of putting it is that he almost had to play "inside home." He likewise had to go into the corner after stray pucks. He had to be an almost superhuman player. Every man in the history of hockey who made a name for himself as a rover had inhuman characteristics to a marked degree. Take for instance Rat Westwick, of the old Ottawa silver seven; Russell Bowie of the old Montreal Victorias; Lester Patrick, formerly of the Wanderers, Renfrew, and now of the Coast League; Pud Glass, of the Wanderers; the undying Newsy Lalonde; Si Griffis, of Rat Portage; Bruce Stuart of Ottawa and Wanderers; every one of these men were hockey machines, with the mechanical element eliminated and brains substituted.

Source

Not sure what to make of it, most of what is said fits with what is said elsewhere of Westwick. And he was named first among rovers. But it's always hard to attribute when it's indirect.

When I look at what I've read, I get the impression that Westwick was an all-round support guy. He was Ottawa's best defensive forward (rovers are typically described as part of the forward corps.) but less important to the defence than Pulford. He could score, but McGee and Smith scored more, and when Westwick was the man, Ottawa was worse for it. He could lead, but only when Smith was elsewhere. He's a team first guy with an incredible motor. A prototypical little man with a big heart.

 

[JFA87-66-99]

Riley Hern, G

- 5'9, 170 lbs
- Member of the HHOF (1962)
- Stanley Cup (1907, 1908, 1910)
- Retro Vezina Trophy (1907*, 1909*, 1910*)
- Four Other League Titles (1902-WPHL, 1904-USPro, 1905-IHL, 1906-IHL)
- Five-Time Postseason All-Star (1902-WPHL, 1905-INL, 1906-IHL, 1907-ECAHA, 1909-ECAHA)
- Led his league in GAA six times (1904-US/World Pro, 1905-IHL, 1907-ECAHA, 1909-ECAHA)
- 97-43-2 in 142 recorded regular season pro games (3.88 GAA)
- 10-4 in 14 Stanley Cup Games (3.86 GAA)

If you consider leading your league in GAA, being an all-star, or winning the Stanley Cup or league championship a "significant" season, then Hern had 8 significant seasons in 9 years from 1902-1910!

Originally Posted by loh.net
Hern turned pro with the Pittsburgh Keystones of the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League in the 1901-02 season and led the league with nine victories in 14 games as the Keystones took the WPHL title. Hern's play was recognized in his selection to the league's First All-Star Team that year. The following season he led the league again, this time in losses, recording only one victory while losing ten!

He moved on to play the next two seasons with Houghton-Portage Lakes of the International Hockey League, leading them to the league title in both years as well as earning a First Team All-Star selection in 1905 and a Second Team All-Star selection the following season. Hern began the 1906-07 season with the Montreal Wanderers and would lead the Redbands to the Stanley Cup in four of the next five seasons before his retirement in 1911.

Riley Hern was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.

Originally Posted by Players: The Ultimate A-Z Guide Of Everyone Who Has Ever Played In the NHL
One of the earliest superstar goalies, a player who won seven championships in his first nine seasons of hockey.

Originally Posted by Joe Pelletier
Signed by the Montreal Wanderers in 1906-07, Hern is often credited for the team winning their first Stanley Cup championship that season. The Wanderers went on to repeat their victory in 1908 and 1919 with Riley tending the net.

Originally Posted by Without Fear
Perfect 10-0 record with the Montreal Wanderers in 1906-1907 season; one of only four goalies to win at least four straight Cups (with Jacques Plante, Ken Dryden, and Billy Smith).

"Although it's difficult to know much about Riley Hern's style of play, it's clear that he was one of the best in the world at the turn of the century. You can imagine that a team like the Wanderers would have had there pick of goaltenders. All that is written about Hern suggests he was extremely quick around the net, and was a very smart player.

"Riley Hern was hockey's first truly professional goalie. His reputation was not one of being a great technical goalie, but much like Gerry Cheevers and Grant Fuhr of later eras, he didn't worry about goals-against average. All he did was win, recording a .720 winning percentage."

With almost 100 years now passed since Hern stood as sentinal for the Montreal Wanderers of the Natinal Hockey Association, it is difficult to unearth the intricacies of his style, and yet it remains obvious that he is deserving of a place among the all-time best. He was the chosen goalkeeper on a Wanderers team that relatively speaking might have been one of the best assemblages of talent ever to win Lord Stanley's chalice.

Journalistic accounts of the time suggest that Riley Hern relied on quickness and composure as his chief strengths. In describing Hern's play in the Wanderers 7-2 win against Kenora during a Stanley Cup series game on March 26, 1907 the Manitoba Free Press wrote: "Hern gave one of the finest exhibitions of goalkeeping ever seen here. He was quick as a flash in getting the puck away. He was undoubtedly given his team a stone wall in net". Evidence also suggests that Hern was a smart player who relied as much on his intellect as his athleticism. In the December 29, 1908, Montreal Star, a reporter offered that "Riley Hern was as careful and painstaking as ever. He treats his goaltending as he does his private business and that is probably the secret th his success"

"The father of professional goaltending, by some accounts. Hern knew how to take care of business on and off the ice. He was the first to translate sports fame into profitability. Hern was a winner because he backstopped a powerful Montreal Wanderers team.

Hern's GAA vs. the League Average in top-level play

Hern played 7 full seasons at the top levels (IHL, ECAHA, ECHA, NHA) - aside from his last season at age 32, he was always well ahead of the pack in GAA:

Year | League | Hern | Avg | Diff
1905 | IHL | 3.54 | 4.12 | -14%
1906 | IHL | 3.46 | 4.73 | -27%
1907 | ECAHA | 3.94 | 7.53 | -48%
1908 | ECAHA | 5.12 | 6.77 | -24%
1909 | ECHA | 5.03 | 6.9 | -27%
1910 | NHA | 3.42 | 6.47 | -47%
1911 | NHA | 5.43 | 5.12 | 6%
Totals | (Weighted) | 4.17 | 5.57 | -25%

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their twenty-second round pick (673) in the 2012 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: RW, Bobby Gould

Career Highlights:

Stanley Cup Finalist 1990
2 x Selke Finalist (3rd, 3rd)
4 x 20+ Goal Scorer




Vitals:
Born: Sept 2, 1957
Position: RW
Height: 6-0
Weight: 195
Shoots: Right


Regular Season:

In addition to scoring 20+ goals 4 times, Gould received Selke votes in five different seasons and was a finalist for the award twice:

Season|Selke Finish
82-83| 3rd
85-86|T16th
86-87| 3rd
87-88|T13th
88-89|Token

Career Regular Season Stats:

GP|G|A|Pts|+/-|PIM|EV|PP|SH|GW
705|147|159|304|37|572|133|6|6|26

Playoffs:

Gould was part of a Washington team that came of age and started making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history during the mid-80s.

The farthest those teams would advance would be the second round.

However, he did make it to the Stanley Cup Finals with Boston in 89-90 only to lose to the Edmonton Oilers dynasty.


Career Playoff Stats:

GP|G|A|Pts|+/-|PIM|EV|PP|SH|GW
78|15|13|28|5|58|12|1|2|1

Quotations and Perspective:

He did, however. [Bobby Gould] beat [Mario Lemieux] to the punch and landed a solid right uppercut that turned Lemieux' legs into jelly. A couple of more punches and Lemieux was being helped off the ice, to spend the night at George Washington University Hospital.

The Lemieux knockout was Gould's 20th fight in six NHL seasons. He has mixed it up with some of the good ones-Mark Messier, Al Secord, Mark Hardy, Brad Maxwell, Paul MacLean, Barry Melrose. But never has Gould given away so much in size-six inches and 25 pounds.

Lemieux apparently tried to use his left arm to grab Gould-with the intent of punching with his right-and, when he missed, was wide open for Gould's punch. CAPTION: Penguins trainer Steve Thomas, left, and Dan Quinn help Mario Lemieux off the ice after fight with Capitals' [Bob Gould].

...

The Capitals this year have found themselves rich at forward, especially center, where [Bobby Gould] has applied his defensive expertise the past three seasons. Capitals general manager David Poile looked down his roster before training camp and told Gould he wouldn't be protected in Monday's waiver draft.

....
Bobby Gould, a member of the Washington Capitals, grew up in Petrolia and played on the Pee Wee All-Stars with Dave. Dick, of course, was the coach. Gould describes Dick as tough but very fair. "I can remember one game," Gould says. "We were winning 7-0 against a team of lesser caliber. Things started to get a little sloppy during one of our shifts, and Dick told the guys on the bench that if the other team scored a goal, whoever was on the ice for us was through for the day. Well, just then the other guys scored, and when we skated to the bench, Dick said, 'You're through. Get inside.' We didn't know what was going on. We were the top line. But we skated off, changed and waited up in the mezzanine for the game to end. Dick encouraged us to play both ways. If we won 4-0, it was a better game than if we won 8-4."

...
While still willing to scrap, Lemieux is not a good fighter by NHL standards. Two years ago he took on the Washington Capitals' Bob Gould, who had been shadowing him, and Gould coldcocked him. Lemieux now rarely fights, but to survive in the black-and-blue Patrick Division, he has become adept at elbowing rivals, slashing them, kicking their skates out from under them and, on rare occasions, putting them in headlocks.

..
The Caps' penalty-killing, anchored by a steady old pro such as Bobby Gould

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their twenty-first round pick (672) in the 2012 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: G, Chris Osgood

Career Highlights:

3 Time Stanley Cup Champion (2 as starter)
2 Time Stanley Cup Finalist (1 as starter)
William M. Jennings Trophy Winner 1995-96, 2007-08
NHL Post Season All Star Team (2nd) 1995-96
NHL All-Star Game 1996, 2008.
Currently 10th all time in regular season wins (401).
Currently 8th all time in playoff wins (74).




Vitals:
Born: Nov 26, 1972.
Position: G
Height: 5-10
Weight: 180
Catches: Left



Regular Season:


Career Regular Season Stats:

GP|W|L|T|SV%|GAA
744|401|216|95|.905|2.49

Playoffs:


Career Playoff Stats:

GP|W|L|Sv%|GAA
129|74|49|.916|2.09

Quotations and Perspective:

...
Second Team

Goaltender

Chris Osgood
Teams: Detroit (2000-01 and 2005-present); New York Islanders (2001-03; St. Louis Blues (2003-04)

All Chris Osgood does is win. A lot. And often. And in big spots.

Osgood is one of the few athletes who's been getting better as he gets older. He left Detroit when he wound up as the odd-man out in the fall of 2001, and all he did was lead the Islanders to their best season since 1992-93. He led the Blues to the playoffs the following spring, then returned to the Wings in 2005 and reinvented himself as an even better goaltender than the one who led Detroit to the Stanley Cup in 1998.

Osgood was a key to the Wings' Cup win in 2008 and nearly got them another one last spring. He's approaching 400 career wins and is putting together a resume that will make it tough to keep him out of the Hall of Fame.

http://ingoalmag.com/news/how-far-a-rebuilt-osgood-really-came-for-400-nhl-wins/

Watching a triumphant Chris Osgood mobbed by his Detroit Red Wings teammates in Denver on Tuesday night after becoming just the 10th goaltender in NHL history to record 400 career wins, it was hard to imagine him on his knees, soaked with fatigue, staring face down at another sheet of ice, cursing out loud about being no better than a Mite goalie. But that’s exactly where the now three-time Stanley Cup champion was six years ago, brought to his knees in frustration by less an hour of basic goaltending movements that, truth be told, most 12-year-old goalies today would probably breeze through and laugh off.

During his run to a third Stanley Cup in 2008, Osgood made no secret of the fact he re-jigged his game during the NHL lockout in 2004-05, admitting to anyone who asked that he’d torn down his technique and rebuilt himself with a modern butterfly.

...

The result was this feature below, which seems appropriate to re-print after Osgood, who long-time friend and Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland once described as “an NHL goalie who had high school technical skills,†joined an impressive list of goaltenders in the NHL’s exclusive 400-win club:

“The first time we worked together we spent an hour and 20 minutes on movement, we didn’t shoot a puck. That’s how poor it was,†says Matwijiw, a former minor-pro goaltender who spent time as the goaltending coach at the University of Michigan while also running Bandits Goaltending School.

...

“I asked what he has was looking for out of this, and his exact words were ‘I want you to tear my game apart and rebuild it,’ so that’s what we tried to do,†Matwijiw says, admitting he didn’t really know what that would entail until that eye-opening first session on the ice. “Boy, he had a long road ahead of him, let’s put it that way. Everything from not stopping with the correct leg, to not looking where he was going, his angles were poor, he couldn’t get off his line, I mean everything was wrong. Everything. To the point that 45 minutes in, picture him gas tired and all we’re doing is movement, and he has his elbows on his knees and he’s looking down at the ice and he shakes his head and he just picks his head up and says to me, ‘I feel like a Mite goalie out here, this is embarrassing.’ And after an hour and 20 minutes of straight movement I called it a day because he was so frustrated and … almost ashamed of himself.â€

Matwijiw says this not with ridicule in his voice, but respect, not to criticize, but to give credit. Because as bad as his technique looked that day, that’s how much hard work Osgood put in to fix it, coming back three or four times a week, 90 minutes at a time, from August through April 2005, determined to get it right.

Perhaps just as hard for other athletes (never mind those who already had two Stanley Cup rings and 305 career wins) would have been finding enough humility to admit their game needed fixing. All of which is part of the impressive mental makeup that allowed Osgood to succeed for all those years on flawed technique, not to mention playing a huge role in leading, yes leading, the Red Wings to a Cup this year.

...

“He’s always been mentally strong,†said captain Nicklas Lidstrom. “That’s one of his strengths. If he has a bad game, or a bad goal is let in, he doesn’t seem to get rattled by it. We’ve seen that in the playoffs and we’ve seen that back in the ’90s as well. (But) he’s really matured as a goalie and as a person, too. I’ve never seen Ozzie look so relaxed in goal. He’s not scrambling around like he once did. He’s real solid positionally. Bottom line: He’s strong for the entire 60 minutes … and that gives the whole team confidence.â€

...

“All our goalies are in a no-win situation, especially when you don’t get the credit when you win, but you do
get the blame if you lose,†said Holland, adding he’s never seen a goalie forget a bad goal or a game faster. “The fans’ perception was always that we won because of our skill and we lost because of our goaltending. But because we don’t give up many chances, we need big saves at the right times. I don’t think Ozzie even knows there’s pressure. … To me, the best part of Ozzie is his makeup. You won’t find anyone more mentally tough. He’s laid-back, but there’s a passion burning inside of him. It takes a strong mental toughness to stand there for 15 minutes and then – boom – you have to make a big save. I’m not going to tell you that he is one of the top five or six goalies in the game, but for our team he is perfect. … We’ve outshot teams for a long time. But sometimes when the other team gets a chance, it’s a Grade A chance.â€

...

PITTSBURGH -- Perhaps now, the Rodney Dangerfield of the NHL, as hockey analyst Barry Melrose called Chris Osgood, will get some respect.

Despite his impressive career statistics, Osgood has not been regarded by many as one of the game's best goaltenders. He always has battled a perception that his success is largely due to the talented team in front of him.

But there is no denying the significant impact he had in helping the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup. In some ways, he was their savior, after taking over for Dominik Hasek in Game 5 of the first round against Nashville. Osgood went 14-4 with a sparkling 1.55 goals-against average in the playoffs, providing a calming effect for his team.

"Just ecstatic, trying to take it all in,'' Osgood said on the ice, following Wednesday's clinching 3-2 victory over Pittsburgh at Mellon Arena. "Emotionally and mentally drained. Just feels great to do it again.''

...

"Nothing leaked through, he made big saves when we needed a save, and if a puck went in, he wasn't rattled,'' Holland said. "I'm so happy for him. He's taken some criticism through the years; it's not his fault he's on a good team. You can't win championships without great goaltending and he gave us great goaltending.''

The Red Wings have had several future Hall of Famers in recent years. Osgood is likely to get serious consideration as well.

"When you pull your goalie in the first round of the playoffs, usually you're going fishing in about two or three days,'' Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "But Ozzie played so well all year, and actually for the last two years.

"This is a guy no one wanted a few years back. He's one of the best goalies in the game. When you look at numbers, he's got Hall of Fame numbers.''

...

NBC analyst Mike Milbury was the general manager of the New York Islanders in 2001, when he claimed Osgood in the waiver draft, three months after the Red Wings had traded for Hasek.

"We offered him a long-term contract, $16 million for four years, and he turned it down. That would give you an indication of what we thought of him,'' Milbury said. "Everyone will say it's because of a great team, but he has to get some Hall consideration down the line. He's had a heck of a career and he's going to get some votes regardless.''

Melrose said Osgood's impact shouldn't be minimized because of the talent surrounding him.

"Marty Brodeur (of New Jersey) probably saw less shots than Ozzie's seen, with the Devils in their prime, and yet everyone thought he's such a great goaltender,'' Melrose said. "So I don't think Ozzie gets enough respect. He doesn't have to be great. He has to make key saves at key times. He always does that.''

Osgood summed up his remarkable career resurrection by saying, "I got a big heart and I'm mentally tough and I always have been.''

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their sixteenth round pick (481) in the 2012 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: coach, Pat Quinn

Coaching Career Highlights:

2-time Jack Adams Award Winner 1980, 1992

Stanley Cup Finalist 1980, 1994

2002 Olympic Gold Medal Winner
2004 World Cup Winner

2008 IIHF U18 Gold Medal Winner
2009 IIHF U20 Gold Medal Winner

Coached the 1980 Flyers to a record 35 game unbeaten streak in 79-80.




Vitals:
Born: Jan 29, 1943.
Position: D
Height: 6-3
Weight: 215
Catches: Left



Regular Season:

Quinn has coached 5 NHL teams: Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto and Edmonton.

His 1400 career games coached and 684 career wins currently place him 4th all time.

Games|W|L|T|OL|Pct
1400|684|528|154|34|.556

Playoffs:

Quinn took the Flyers to the finals in 1980 where they lost to the emergent Islanders dynasty in 6 games.

He also took an underdog Vancouver Canuck team to the finals in 1994 where they went 7 games and lost to the NY Rangers.

During his time in Toronto, the Maple Leafs made it to the final four twice: 1999 and 2002.

Games|W|L|Pct
183|94|89|.514

Quotations and Perspective:

The Canucks traveled this road earlier in these playoffs. Down by 3-1, they faced elimination in five games by Calgary; they responded by winning three games in overtime to start their valiant march to the Stanley Cup finals.

The Canucks will have another chance to write the comeback script against the Rangers tonight in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals because they did several things well, strategically and physically, in their 6-3 triumph over the Rangers Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

Coach Pat Quinn came up with the strategy that called for splitting up the team's top line, and the players took care of the physical execution on the ice.

...

The line shuffling consisted of Quinn putting Murray Craven in place of Trevor Linden with Pavel Bure and Greg Adams and putting Linden with Geoff Courtnall and Lafayette.

The result was that Bure and Courtnall played their best game in the series and produced two goals each. They were the main party poopers on a night every Canuck was determined to extend the series beyond five games.

Quinn said he had thought about splitting his top line in a number of other games. He did this time, he said, because of the way Rangers Coach Mike Keenan was using his top line.

"It seemed that they wanted to play Messier against Bure more than against Linden," Quinn said. "So, I thought Craven, Adams and Bure had played quite well for us during the season, and I thought it would be a chance to spread some things around."

Quinn's decision to split his top line gave the Canucks a different look, and, perhaps coincidentally, their defensemen became more involved in the attack and created more space for themselves.

(during a season when the Leafs make the final four!)

See, the consensus for some time has been that [Pat Quinn]'s ability as a coach significantly outstrips his ability as a general manager. So, while he might have been able to resist Ken Dryden's sensible desire to have Bob Gainey installed as GM and would prefer to have his own puppet candidate assume the position, it figures that Quinn won't be able to hold out much longer unless he can pull a rabbit from a hat and begin to look more like Sam Pollock and less like Irving Grundman.

If Quinn is indeed a better coach than a GM, it might be thin praise indeed, for there have been times in the very recent past when Quinn's coaching has reeked of utter incompetence.

When a rookie coach like Bryan Trottier somehow engineers a match- up like [Pavel Bure] vs. [Carlo Colaiacovo] on the road, it isn't a flattering moment for a veteran bench boss like Quinn.

(before the gold medal game which Canada won)

Herb Brooks didn't call for an offensive across the 49th parallel yesterday. But he did get in his share of shots at his opponents for today's Olympic gold medal game.

While not directly targeting head coach Pat Quinn, Brooks decried Canada's dump-and-chase tactics, saying: "Playing that style is their style, their philosophy in Canada.

"They like that style. I think the game is a little more profound than that. I think the ability of the players can allow them to do so much more. It seems kind of stupid to me to work hard to get the puck and then say, 'I'm going to give it back to you, then try to get it back again.' "

...


I told you so: Though he received a stern pep talk from Quinn early in the tournament about raising his level of play, Theo Fleury's behavior at the Games has been beyond reproach.

They have [Wayne Gretzky] to thank. From start to finish, Team Canada was a Wayne Gretzky production.

These were Gretzky's players, and Pat Quinn was Gretzky's coach. "I just felt Pat was the right guy," Gretzky said. "I knew he would work well with the co-coaches [Kevin Lowe and Steve Tambellini]. The players respected him, and they liked him."

...

[Pat Quinn] will love what Kings' coach Andy Murray had to say about the Leafs.

"They went to the conference final last spring and they've got a lot of the same personnel," said Murray, whose players took the practice ice shortly after the Leafs. "They're going to get their game going. Pat Quinn is a great coach."

All season, the Philadelphia Flyers have been winning for Coach Pat Quinn. This weekend, they couldn't win without him.

Quinn began serving a three-game suspension Saturday for his role in a Feb. 22 brawl his Flyers and the Vancouver Canucks engaged in. Without their inspirational boss behind the bench, the Flyers tied Toronto 3-3 Saturday, then were drubbed 5-1 by Montreal on Sunday.

"When you've got a coach of that caliber and you lose him," said Bobby Clarke, who played and also helped Joe Watson coach the Flyers this weekend, "it's like taking your best player off the ice.

"He may have had something to say on the bench, seeing real quick what the other team was doing, and making some adjustements."

After Rick MacLeish's two goals helped the Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Islanders 6-3 Thursday night to stay alive in the National Hockey League's championship series, Flyer coach Pat Quinn tried a psychological ploy.

"The Islanders have a bugaboo in their past," Quinn said, referring to New York's upset losses in the playoff semifinals the last two seasons. "This sure should give them something to think about on Saturday."

...

Vancouver, once a nameless, fameless team, has rebounded from a smidgen-over-.500 regular season, emerging as the best subplot in the National Hockey League this season. They will face the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals Tuesday night.

"Some of our names might seem strange to you," said Mike Penny, Vancouver's director of player development and scouting, who has been with the club since 1980. "I think it's because they're dropping the puck out here while everyone back East is going to bed. Then people look around and say, 'Vancouver? Where'd they come from?' "

The word Canucks is a euphemism for Canadians. And the team became a series of playoff conundrums for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames.

Begin with Pat Quinn, the former coach of the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers. Hired as the club's general manager and president in 1987, Quinn took over as coach at the end of the 1991 season.

Free to lead as he wanted under the Canucks' vice chairman and governor, Arthur R. Griffiths, Quinn remains the only N.H.L. coach to wear three hats -- G.M., president and coach. His engineering of two key trades with the St. Louis Blues over the past three years helped trigger Vancouver's playoff resurgence. The Team Architect

"The whole thing began to take shape when Pat Quinn came in," Penny said. "What you see on the ice today, he is basically the architect of that."

 

[Hedberg]

LW/RW Irvine Ace Bailey

111 G, 82 A, 193 Pts in 313 GP

1st (28-29), 7th (30-31) in Goals
3rd (26-27), 4th (28-29), 6th (30-31), 8th (29-30) in Assists
1st (28-29), 4th (30-31), 6th (26-27) in Points
1932 Stanley Cup champion
Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame


Toronto Maple Leaf Legends

Yet in his short 7 seasons in the NHL, Bailey established himself as a premier scoring threat and excellent defensive forward.

With his electrifying speed and heavy shot, he had star written all over him.

He allowed these sensation kids to score the goals while he became one of the game's fiercest defensive players. He was a penalty-killer extraordinaire and a great shadow.

Though his scoring totals were down, in no way was Bailey any less an important member of the Leafs than when he was their scoring hero. In fact his selfless defensive sacrifice and gritty play and leadership made him more valuable than ever, and it showed in the team's success. In 1932 he spirited a great playoff run which was capped off with the Stanley Cup championship - the first and only of Bailey's career and the first for the city of Toronto in over a decade.

disastrous collision with Bruins legend Eddie Shore resulted in Bailey fracturing his skull. At the Boston Garden, the Bruins hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. King Clancy was unceremoniously dumped by Red Horner in the Toronto zone. As he was skating back, he mistakenly checked Toronto's Irvine "Ace" Bailey instead of Horner from behind. It was a basic slew-foot - as simple as it was unsportsmanlike. But as Bailey fell he hit his head on the ice and fractured his skull. He lay twisted and twitching in a seizure-like state. Bailey had two brain operations and hovered between life and death for 10 days. Bailey eventually recovered to live a normal life but his hockey career was finished.

Hockey Hall of Fame

He made the team--as well as an immediate impression--with both his speed and his shooting ability. During his brief career, he was once the league's leading goal scorer and in 1928-29 he won the scoring title with 22 goals and 10 assists in 44 games.

Bailey was one of the most popular players ever to skate for the Leafs during his few years in the NHL

Ludington Daily News, Jan 23, 1935

The accident ended Bailey's brilliant career, almost ended his life,

Great Defencemen: Stars of Hockey's Golden Age By Jim Barber (quote originally posted by Stoneberg)

In the second period, the Maple Leafs were assessed two consecutive minor penalties, so the Bruins were on a five-on-three power play. Dick Irvin Sr., the Leaf's coach, did what any smart coach would do in such a situation: he sent out his two best defensemen - Red Horner and Francis "King" Clancy - as well as his most defensive-minded forward, Irvine "Ace" Bailey.

Bailey won the first face-off and managed to carry the puck around the ice, eluding the entire Bruins team, for nearly a minute.

When he won the next face-off, he ragged the puck again, before firing it the length of the ice into the Bruins' end.

The Montreal Gazette Feb 3, 1928 (quote originally posted by Stoneberg)

Irvin Bailey, who was the best man on the ice, started early in the game to "get" Aurel Joliat's noted "goat". And Bailey did this with such effect that the pair shared six penalties in the first period. They packed high sticks against one another throughout the tussle. Joliat was put completely off his game...

The Ottawa Citizen Jan 9, 1930 (quote originally posted by Stoneberg)

Bailey came back just in time to break up a Hec Kilrea-Lamb rush that looked dangerous.

The Vancouver Sun Oct 26, 1933 (quote originally posted by Stoneberg)

When the Toronto Maple Leafs players are penalized this season Coach Dick Irvin won't have to depend entirely on xxx and "Ace" Bailey to keep the puck out of the Leaf end of the rink until his team is back to full stregnth. For Irvin is drilling most of his staff of forwards in the fine art of "ragging" a nicety of hockey business at which few players are adept.

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their twentieth round pick (609), the Guelph Platers have selected Hockey Hall of Famer: D/Rover/W, Hobey Baker

​

http://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep194502.shtml

...

While attending St. Paul's, Hobey was introduced to a fledgling game called hockey. He was an exceptionally fast skater and worked diligently on his puckhandling by skating on the frozen ponds nearby after school, working on skating with the puck on his stick and not looking down at either his feet or the puck.

...

Princeton won the 1914 national championship with a record of ten wins and three losses. Although statistics were not kept of his time at Princeton, Hobey is estimated to have collected more than 120 goals and 100 assists during his three-season career. Besides his obvious skill, Baker was regarded for his sportsmanship. After every game, he visited the dressing rooms of his opponents and shook hands with every player.

...

He joined the St. Nicholas Club, an amateur hockey club based in New York. Well known from his hockey exploits at Princeton, the marquee at the St. Nicholas Rink often read: 'Hobey Baker Plays Tonight.' Uncomfortable with the attention, Baker eventually asked the building manager to take down the sign.

While playing with the St. Nicholas Club, he was offered a contract of $20,000 to play three seasons with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey Association. He declined, preferring to remain amateur.

On March 24, 1917, Baker played his final hockey game at the Winter Garden at Exposition Hall in Pittsburgh. The game featured an amateur all-star team from Philadelphia, led by Baker, pitted against an all-star team from Pittsburgh's amateur leagues. The Philadelphia team defeated Pittsburgh in overtime by a score of 3-2, with Baker scoring all three Philadelphia goals.

The St. Nicks, present holders of the league title, are the favorites in the race. New Yorkers think they will again win the championship, but Boston hockey followers are confident the Boston A.A. will capture the honors. While the St. Nicks had a hard time beating the Toronto University team here, the Boston A.A. combination gained a rather easy victory over the Canadians last week.

In Hobey Baker the St. Nicks have the star player of the league and undoubtably the best player in the country. Many Canadians have said he is as valuable a man as any player in the Dominion. Baker played great hockey for Princeton, but in the game with Toronto at the St. Nicholas Rink he showed he is better than ever. Practically single-handed he defeated the Canadian collegians.

The St. Nicks have several other starts in addition to Baker.
...
Baker, Willetts, and Kilner are all products of St. Paul's School. They have been playing the game as long as most of the Canadians, and with the other St. Nick players make an all-around star combination that promises to be hard to beat. Baker is the power of the St. Nick's offense, but the defense seems to be of an unusually high calibre.

...

..

The Tigers, with their famous retinue of stars, headed by "Hobey" Baker, are eager to add the hockey title to their other athletic achievements, and Yale, equally keen to check the aspirations of their rivals, will put forward the strongest line of expert players they can muster to win.

Close to 3,000 people saw the Princeton varsity hockey team defeat the St. Nicholas club, 3 to 2, in an exciting game that marked the informal opening of the Hobey Baker memorial rink here last night. The game, replete with thrills, was worthy tribute to the late Hobey Baker, whose sensational playing still lingers in the memory of his former followers.

Greatest of All Amateur Hockey Players Will Be Here Next Friday to Play against Harvard-- Dartmouth-Yale Game Monday Is of Prime Importance in College Hockey World--Arena Team Meets Canadian Group Tonight

Feb 12 is an important date in local hockey circles. It falls on Friday of next week, at which time Hobey Baker will play on the St. Nicholas team of New York against Harvard at the Boston Arena. When Baker played here not long again against B.A.A. many regrets were expressed that he would not be seen in action in Boston again this winter. He played such a spectacular game that the crowd was delighted and cheered him to the echo every time he made a rush down the ice or shot a goal.

...

Brilliant Princeton Hockey Player Asked to Play on Team to Meet Canada

New York Mar 12-- Selection of a team of all-American stars to play the best amateur hockey team in Canada in this city in the near future was announced last night.

The Canadian team probably will be the All-Stars, of Winnipeg, which recently defeated the Victorias, of Winnipeg, for the Sir Montague Allan trophy which represents the amateur championship of Canada.

...

The choice of rover is really divided between Morgan, of the St. Nicholas and "Hobey" Baker, the brilliant Princeton player. Baker has been asked to join the team which he is willing to do, if the Princeton faculty consents.

...

Boston stopped the St. Nicholas offensive in mid-ice by a combination of five men abreast, which had even Hobey Baker, the New York star, helpless.
...

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F50715FA395B17738DDDAD0894DC405B858DF1D3

On his return to Toronto with the St. Michael's hockey team after its defeat at the hands of the St. Nicholas seven of this city recently, Jimmy Murphy, manager of the Canadian club, in an interview in which he discussed the merits of the New York team and the ability of Hobey Baker particularly, expressed the opinion that the former Princeton star, although a good player, is "not finished," and cannot possibly be regarded as the best amateur hockey player in the world.

Mr. Murphy, in the course of his interview, said that, taking Baker's showing against the st. Michael's Club seven in its recent game at the St. Nicholas rink as a criterion of his ability, he could not class the New York star above Harry Meeking of the Toronto Vics, nor could baker, in his judgment, approach Dick Irvin, who was with the Winnipeg seven last year as a skillful player.

Another feature of Mr. Murphy's remarks was the fact that, while he gave the local seven credit for being a clever aggregation, he maintained taht either the St. Michael's Club or the Toronto Victorias could defeat the New York team on Canadian ice.

....

Naturally I watched Hobey Baker closely, and while I cannot admit that he is deserving of all the praise lavished on him by the New York press, I am quite free to say that he has the makings of a great hockey player. He has natural speed that compares favorably to Ranking at his best. He has one weakness; he circles far too much. Taking the puck at his end he circles back of the net and works across the ice two or three times on his way down. In our game he would be continually throwing his team offside. His stick handling is good, but not "finished." I would not rate him, on his showing against us as a better man than Harry Meeking, of the Toronto Victorias, nor is he anything like as pretty a player as Dick Irving, who was here with the Winnipeg team last year. I consider Irvin the greatest amateur hockey player I have ever seen in action.

...

His success has not gone to his head. He was checked persistently in the St. Michael's game and never got a goal, but he failed to show any of the peevishness a star usually displays when bottled up. He is ambitious to become a great player, and is willing to be taught. Baker saw the Wanderers and the Canadiens play in New York, and after watching the speedy Frenchmen and the Cleghorn boys, he is said to have remarked: "I have a lot to learn at hockey yet."

Stolen from Mr. Bugg's bio last year

Before a crowd that taxed the Arena to its capacity Saturday night the Princeton hockey team retrieved its defeat of a week and a half ago by beating the University seven, 3 to 2, in a hard-fought contest. As was expected, Baker, the Princeton rover, was the star of the game and his dashes down the rink easily put him on a par with (Art) Ross and (Cyclone) Taylor, the two Canadian professionals who played here last winter.

(Princeton) Coach Hornfeck says: "Baker, who is almost without question the greatest hockey player in the country at the present time naturally has no peer among college men. A natural born player, he possesses wonderful speed, dribbles cleverly and shoots with remarkable accuracy. If 'Hobey' has a weakness it is his defensive work, but his speed can overcome this to a great extent."

Baker fairly out did himself last night. He was all over the ice, in every mix-up, one time sliding along on his back, another time riding over half a dozen prostrate opponents, but always a stick's length from the elusive puck. It seemed as if he had a magnet at the tip of his stick that kept the puck glued through thick and thin.

Hobey scored three goals for the St. Nick's, and that was the smallest part of his night's work. Time after time there would be a mix-up behind the St. Nick's goal, and then a single skater would shoot out, thread through the maze of tangled players, dodging some, plowing through others, but always going like lightning, with the puck safe at the business of his stick. It always the omnipresent Baker.

"Hobey" Baker, who starred for the Orange and Black in all of the intercollegiate championship matches last year, bore the brunt of the attack and the defense for the Tigertown team. He was in and out of many scrimmages almost as elusive as a willow-wisp, and easily the best man in the game. Responsible for two of the four goals obtained by his team, Baker was the pivot around which the whole of the opposition revolved, as he was invariably in possession of the rubber...

Baker's eleven-point game:

Captain "Hobey" Baker is given credit today for Princeton's win over Williams College in their annual hockey match, played last night at the St. Nicholas rink and won by a score of 14 goals to 1. Of the victors' number, Baker scored eight goals and assisted in three of the remaining six. Seldom has such a brilliant player been seen at the local rink.

Baker's 30-shot game:

Due to the wonderful work in goal by XXXX XXXXXXXX of Harvard, the great "Hobey" Baker was unable to do much execution. Time and time again he attacked the Harvard goal, and of XXXXXXXX's 42 stops more than 30 were on drives from the Nassau star.

HOBEY BAKER ALMOST A TEAM IN HIMSELF AGAINST CORNELL'S SEVEN AT ST. NICK'S

Hobey Baker almost alone defeated the Cornell hockey team at the St. Nicholas rink last night by a score of 9 to 0. Hobey played the role of rover as the name implies, and he roved in and out of the Cornell skaters with such startling speed that the little, bounding puck was at the end of Baker's stick during the greater part of the game. Baker scored five of Princeton's goals and carried the puck down the ice and passed it cleverly in front of the Cornell goal so that his teammates could drive it home.

 

[Dreakmur]

Roger Crozier !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Conn Smythe Trophy (1966)
First Team All-Star (1965)

Hart voting – 4th(1965), 7th(1966)
All-Star voting – 1st(1965), 3rd(1966), 5th(1973), 6th(1967), 6th(1972)

AHL Second Team All-Star (1964)
3 x OHA First Team All-Star (1960, 1961, 1962)

An acrobat on skates, he took Detroit to the 1966 Stanley Cup final against the Canadiens, a six-game loss, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy and its $1,000 bonus and gold Mustang convertible as the playoffs' most valuable player. He starred in every match, despite an ankle badly sprained in Game 4.

In their first year in the National Hockey League, Roger Crozier, perhaps more than any other player, gave the Buffalo Sabres instant credibility. An aging veteran with a laundry list of injuries and ailments, Crozier was often out of the lineup, unable to play during his tenure in Buffalo. When he was healthy, Crozier was a force to be reconed with. An acrobatic goalie who challenged shooters with reckless abandon, Crozier's experience and veteran poise gave the Sabres a chance to win any time he was between the pipes. That's saying a lot when you consider the lackluster Sabres defense in the first couple of years of the team's existence. Crozier often faced between 40 and 50 shots against a game during the team's first two years in the NHL. Still, despite all the illness and adversity he faced while with the Sabres, the young team was competitive from the start, thanks in large part to the contributions of Roger Crozier.

Crozier said he has one fear-the fear that he will play a bad game, “It’s the same-fear every goalie has when he first hits the ice-because he can’t be sure if he’s going to be good or bad.”

SO WHY DID CROZIER become a goalie? “When I was a kid, goaltending seemed like a pretty good idea,” he explained, “I worked at it hard and the first thing I knew it was the only position I could play with ability.”

Sabre fans are happy that Roger Crozier, the great goaltender with the marvelous moves, does not have that choice. Tonight, when the Sabres meet the Vancouver Canucks in Memorial Auditorium, could be a special night in the life of Roger Crozier. Roger could reach a milestone, if he makes 26 saves, he’ll reach the 4,000 save plateau as a Sabre goaltender. That’s more than half-ton of vulcanized rubber he has kept out of the net in less than three years.

Tremblay, a left winger, crossed over and stormed in from the right side for his try. He had Crozier well out on a good angle and lashed a low backhander, one that he described as one of his best shots of the season, for the far corner. Roger's right hand snaked out and gloved the sizzling puck.

Seconds later, it was Big Jean, one of the most feared close-in marksmen in the game, powering in alone from the left side. Like Gilles (Tremblay), he had Crozier well out, with the far side yawning an invitation. He let go with a thunderbolt, but Crozier's right hand was quicker than the shot.

 

[vecens24]

Jack Walker

Trail of the Stanley Cup Vol 1:

This fine player is best remembered for his uncanny skill as a hook check artist and in this respect he was rival of Frank Nighbor.

In the Stanley Cup series that followed with Canadiens, the famed line of Morenz, Joliat and Boucher found Walker and his hookcheck the stumbling block. The veteran broke up their attacks time after time and scored four goals in the series and the Cougars won the Cup.

This small clean-playing but aggressive player was on seven championship teams, in as many Cup series and three Stanley Cup winners.

Ultimate Hockey:

Selke: NHA: 1914; PCHA: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1924; WCHL: 1925

The Tens
Best Defensive Forward
Jack Walker was for many years the best defensive forward in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, perhaps in all of hockey.
Best Shadow
Jack Walker shut down many a top gun with his jabbing poke-checks and sweeping hooks. Lalonde, Pitre, Morenz, Joliat... the "Old Fox" had their numbers.

Walker joined the Victoria Cougars for 1924-25 and figured in yet another Cup win, scoring four goals and two assists in four contests against the Montreal Canadiens. In that series, he shut down superstar Howie Morenz.

During his playing days and later as a coach, Walker spent hours helping the rookies, teaching them the art of the hook-check. Walker was as good at poke-checking as Frank Nighbor was.

Hockey Hall of Fame Biography:

He turned pro at the start of the 1912-13 season with the Toronto Blueshirts of the NHA but jumped ship after one game and traveled East to finish out the season with the Moncton Victorias of the Maritime Pro Hockey League. He was back in Toronto the following season and led the league with 16 assists in 20 games as the Blueshirts captured the Stanley Cup, the first of three in Walker's career.

He went West after completing the 1914-15 season with Toronto and hooked up with the Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA, playing with the Mets for nine years, from 1915 to 1924. During that time he was noted as being an outstanding defensive forward and his play won him selections to the PCHA First All-Star Team in 1921, 1922, and 1924, to go with previous Second Team honours he received in 1917, 1919, and 1920. He played on his second Stanley Cup champion team while with Seattle in 1916-17 as the Mets became the first United States based team to win the Cup.

In 1924-25, Seattle dropped out of the PCHA, leaving the league with franchises in Vancouver and Victoria. These two clubs joined the Western Canada Hockey League and Walker signed with the Victoria Cougars on November 10, 1924. He led the league in penalty minutes with the modest total of 14, in 28 games played that season. More importantly, however, the Cougars went on to win the Stanley Cup when they defeated the Montreal Canadiens three games to one in the spring of 1925. The Cougars were the last non-NHL team to win the Cup. Walker had now won the Stanley Cup three times with three different teams in three different leagues.

Offense:
Scoring:
Points – 4th(1914), 4th(1924), 8th(1923), 9th(1916), 9th(1919), 10th(1917)
Goals – 4th(1924), 5th(1916), 7th(1915), 9th(1914), 9th(1919), 9th(1923)
Assists- 1st(1914), 4th(1916), 4th(1923), 5th(1919), 6th(1924), 8th(1922), 9th(1926), 10th(1925)

Play-off Points- 1st(1914), 1st(1924), 3rd(1919), 3rd(1920)
Play-off Goals-1st(1914), 2nd(1920)
Play-off Assists- 1st(1919), 1st(1924), 2nd(1920)

Stanley Cup Points- 1st(1925), 4th(1919), 4th(1920)
Stanley Cup Goals- 1st(1925), 3rd(1919)

Hockey Hall of Fame, Would be Conn Smythe winner Jack Walker: http://web.archive.org/web/20110604140220/http://www.hhof.com/html/newsconn.shtml

Led Victoria shooters with four goals and five points in the final. Had the game-winning goal in game one and two goals in game two. Had the first goal in each of the first two games and four unassisted tallies. He also had goals in each of the four league playoff games to reach the finals.

The Spokesman Review: January 17, 1917

Against the Rose City seven the Mets tallied six goals and previous to this encounter they ran up a total of 12 goals on the Vancouver team. In both of these contests the work of Bernie Morris and Jack Walker was sensational.

Edmonton Journal March 27, 1919 (listed as wing)

At the opening of the second period play continued about even, with the puck first at one end then the other. Jack Walker’s wizardly stickhandling featured the start.

Jack Walker seemed to solve the outer defense of the Flying Frenchmen, for several times he dodged the entire field only to lose the puck at the goal

Pittsburgh Press, December 9 1927:

Walker, slightly bald, but still gifted with great speed, skill in puck-juggling and a wicked shot, is a fine hockey player today after 20 years at least in senior amateur and professional ranks.

The Morning Leader March 19 1925 (listed as right wing)

Then Walker riveted home a hot shot on a pass from Fredrickson three minutes before the close of the game.

The Calgary Daily Herald March 17 1925

In the third period, Jack Walker, the vulpine veteran, hoisted a tar washer to the lattice from ten feet inside the blue line, beating Winkler as defensemen obstructed his view.

The Morning Leader February 19 1925:

Jack Walker tricked Lehman for the first goal by finding an opening at the right of the net.

The Calgary Daily Herald: March 31 1920:

Foyston’s all around play featured. He led most of the Seattle attacks and figured largely in most of the goal scoring. His stickhandling was brilliant, as was that of Jack Walker and Morris.

Toughness/Physicality:
Edmonton Journal: March 27, 1919 (listed as wing)

“Bad Joe” Hall they call him back east, and the Seattle spectators will admit that he is well named. Two Seattle players are nursing injured ankles from Hall’s wicked stick; Jack Walker had three stitches taken above his eye as a result of Hall’s lunges…

Jack Walker went down and out with a bad cut to his head Wilson replaced him….Walker was back on the ice with a big patch over his right eye. He replaced Rowe.

Walker was ruled off for bodychecking…

Defense:

"Walker played a wonderful game, and is certainly the best hockey player seen around here in a long time. He is superior to Nighbor, who was considered the best left wing player in the National Hockey Association last season. He scored three goals and assisted in several others." - Montreal Gazette - Jan. 8, 1914

The Morning Leader, March 19 1917 (listed as rover)

In purely defensive play, Jack Walker with his clever hook check was the Seattle star. Walker took the puck away from the best stickhandlers the Flying Frenchmen could produce as easily as taking off his hat and it was his work that spilled most of the offensive rushes of the Canadiens.

The Saskatoon Phoenix: March 21st 1917 (listed as wing):

The local lads went after Pitre early in the game and after Jack Walker worked his little pet check on the “Bullet” for about five minutes, Pitre was through for the night.

Edmonton Journal: March 27, 1919 (listed as Wing).

Jack Walker drew applause for his nifty checking. He took the puck from Cleghorn after the latter had carried it the length of the ice.

The Morning Leader March 22nd 1919

Jack Walker and Cully Wilson led in Seattle peppery defense.

The Saskatoon Phoenix March 22, 1920

It has been understood that Seattle would use the great Jack Walker as centre against Frank Nighbor, but Muldoon intimated that Frank Foyston would hold down the mid-ice position tomorrow and that Walker would switch to right wing. This would bring Darragh and Walker together.

Fan Favorite? And other Random quotes about Jack Walker:

“Jack Walker of the Detroit Cougars, a thoughtful, brainy type of player, is generally credited with being the inventor of the poke check. He developed this system of purloining the puck from opposing forwards 20 years ago, while a member of the Port Arthur, Ont., amateur club, and out on the coast he taught it to Frank Nighbor, brilliant veteran forward of the Ottawa club. Nighbor, a player of precisely the same mental and physical type as Walker, developed and improved on Walker's basic idea of sweeping his stick along the ice to foremost exponent of a style of play that is now used by scores of forwards, though Nighbor is still one of the most skillful poke-checkers in sport.
Walker, slightly bald, but still gifted with great speed, skill in puck-juggling and a wicked shot, is a fine hockey player today after 20 years at least in senior amateur and professional ranks.” – The Pittsburgh Press, December 9th, 1927

“It is surely an honor to Jack Walker to be chosen as the most popular of the champion hockey team and to get a free trip to Merlin Springs, Texas; where both the Giants and Toronto Internationals are in training. The choice was well made for Walker in not only one of the cleverest of the Blue Shirts, but also the most reliable.” – The Montreal Daily, March 18th, 1914

Seattle Hockey.net, Hall of Fame: http://web.archive.org/web/20081206074605/http://www.seattlehockey.net/HOF/walker.htm

When Walker learned of the construction of the new Civic Arena in Seattle and the founding of a new league there in 1928, he obtained his release from Detroit and joined the Seattle Eskimos, managed by his old coach Pete Muldoon. Though he was now 40-years-old and arguably past his prime, Jack was an old fan favorite and a good drawing card in the early days of the new team. While he didn't score a lot of goals, he did lead the league in assists twice and continued to play good, competitive hockey.

Ottawa Citizen: May 3, 1927

Jack Walker, veteran center-ice player with Detroit Cougars during the past season, has been judged the most popular player on the Detroit team, which is not surprising.

Walker, like Frank Nighbor of the champion Senators, is a type of player that plays the puck and not the man. Like Nighbor, he is poke-check expert, and also like the famous Senator star, he is a clean-living athlete and a credit to the game in which he has been a prominent figure for fifteen years.

Hockey owes much to players like Jack Walker.

Montreal Gazette March 25 1919 (listed as rover).

Walker went onto the ice a second after the period opened and was given a big hand.

The Saskatoon Phoenix March 22, 1920

Bobby Rowe, Jack Walker, and Frank Foyston and others who had played here before were singled out and made to feel very much at home.

The Calgary Daily Herald March 31 1920:

Foyston and Walker were the individual stars of the game and they drew many cheers for their flashy work.

The Sunday Sun: October 26 1928

When the Pacific Coast league came into being in Seattle a few days ago, the various club managers agreed…that no former players connected with the PCHA or with the WCL would be sought.
One exception was made, one only. That was Jack Walker, now with Detroit, who is anxious to return to the coast, where for so many seasons he was a bright and shining figure on the steel blades.
Every sport has its heroes and in most of the athletic avenues down the ages there have been figures that stood out for the best in sportsmanship like Walter Johnson of Washington, Willie Hoppe in billiards, or Tommy Gibbons among the Queensberry Quarrelers.
Cyclone Taylor was that type in hockey, and so is Jack Walker, the fox who played regularly in the NHL all last season.

I was a little bit happy with what I found with his offense. I'd say he's below what a second liner should be in that regard, but not by a terrible amount. If you were creating a two-way shutdown second line like I did here, you should have no problem having him there now and I would think that he'll put up some points. Defintiely in the lower end of second liners though, if not the lowest, but it won't be by a crazy amount. He was defintiely known as one of the top stick handlers of his time, and had a hard shot, but it's accuracy wasn't as strong as many back then (I noticed a few references to him missing the net), which I think led to inconsistency in scoring numbers back in that day, which is why you see him being among the lower end offensive players. Due to his stick handling ability, I also think that if assists were kept better in his day, his numbers wouldn't look as bad.

Defintiely tough despite his size as well, so I will feel confident with him going up against some of the bigger RWs in my division.

Finally, I defintiely think he should be credited as a F, as opposed to a LW. I found too many references to him playing different positions overall (any reference I found I placed in the bio). I would have no problem lining him up at any spot on my forward units and I would expect his production to be the same personally.

Shoutouts to Dreakmur and BM67 for a little bit of help on this one.

 

[Hedberg]

D Eddie Shore

105 G, 179 A, 284 Pts in 550 GP

1929, 1939 Stanley Cup Champion
32-33, 34-35, 35-36, 37-38 Hart Trophy
30-31, 31-32, 32-33, 34-35, 35-36, 37-38, 38-39 1st Team All-Star
33-34 2nd Team All-Star
2nd (32-33), 5th (34-35), 9th (30-31) in Assists
10th (28-29), 10th (32-33) in Points
1st (27-28), 1st (28-29), 1st (30-31), 1st (32-33), 1st (34-35), 2nd (29-30), 2nd (31-32), 2nd (35-36), 3rd (26-27), 4th (38-39), 6th (37-38), 9th (33-34) in Defense Points
Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame

Legends of Hockey

An imposing blend of raw talent and intimidation, defenseman Eddie Shore was one of the greatest ever to play his position in any era and his end-to-end rushes became every bit as famous as his crushing bodychecks and nasty disposition.

Old Blood and Guts was an instant star in Boston, and his fearless style of play and passion for the game helped ensure the success of big-league hockey in Beantown. During his first NHL season, Shore established a new record with 130 penalty minutes while also scoring 12 goals. His goal total exceeded that of all but three Boston forwards and it became apparent that he was capable of fully controlling a game when he was on the ice.

During the 1928-29 season, Shore led the Bruins to first place in the American Division. They went through the playoffs without losing a game and won the first Stanley Cup in team history. Shore was at his hard-hitting and playmaking best as Boston eliminated the Montreal Canadiens in the semifinals prior to a two-game sweep of the New York Rangers.

The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan

One of the most intimidating and talented defensemen to play in the NHL, Eddie Shore was born in Fort Qu’Appelle on November 25, 1902. He played two seasons with the Melville Millionaires before joining the Regina Caps in 1924–25 and the Edmonton Eskimos the following season. When the Western Canada Hockey League folded at the end of the 1925–26 season, Shore was traded to the Boston Bruins, where he established a new record of 130 penalty minutes in his first NHL campaign. Shore anchored the Bruins to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in the 1928–29 season. Known for his crushing body checks, Shore collided with Toronto’s Ace Bailey in a December 1933 game, ending the latter’s playing career. Despite this, Bailey shook Shore’s hand at centre ice prior to the start of the Ace Bailey Benefit Game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and a team of All-Stars in February 1934. Shore himself suffered numerous serious injuries as a result of his violent style of play.

All Star Defenseman and Management Villain

Also known as "the Edmonton Express" and "Old Blood and Guts," Eddie Shore is always listed among the great defensemen of all time. He also carries a reputation as one of hockey's most vicious and vindictive men. The Boston Bruins took full advantage, promoting him as the NHL's number-one hoodlum in a career that ran from 1926 to 1940.

Shore did his best to live up to the billing. He set an NHL record with 165 penalty minutes in his second season. His career is sprinkled with tales of broken bones, bloodied faces and long-running vendettas. Opposing players are said to have pooled money in a bounty on his head. Shore even took on team mates, once nearly losing an ear in a brawl at a Bruins' practice.

His defensive skills and ability to control a game were never in doubt. Shore was named the NHL's most valuable player four times in the 1930s. But his hot temper earned him lasting infamy in 1933, when his attack on Irvine "Ace" Bailey ended the career - and nearly the life - of the Maple Leafs' star.

In 1940, Shore purchased the Springfield Indians, a minor league club that became known as "hockey's Siberia" for the next quarter-century. Acting as owner, manager, coach, trainer, ticket puncher - you name it - Shore was the man nobody wanted to play for. He made players walk the streets with sandwich boards advertising games. He fed them a vile home remedy of how own making. He called them in to blow up balloons or sweep the aisles when the Ice Capades came to town. He once called a meeting of players' wives, asking them to withhold sex until the men played better. He was a legendary penny-pincher, forcing his players to use the cheapest sticks and equipment.

Edmonton Oilers Heritage

By the time Eddie Shore reached Edmonton in the autumn of 1925, the native of southern Saskatchewan was already a legend across the prairies. Body checking was still an awkward art in the game, so Shore’s ability to lay out opponents with brute force, without raising his stick or drawing penalties, made him one of the most-feared hockey players to date.

Shore’s take-no-prisoners style of hockey lit fires in the hearts of his Eskimos’ teammates. In 1926, they reached the WCHL final. A badly injured Shore played in the final against Victoria, despite the fact his leg bled so badly during the game that blood pooled in his skate. Shore and the Eskimos fell short in their quest to beat the defending Cup champs from Victoria, the last non-NHL team to raise Lord Stanley’s mug. The Cougars won the WCHL, but lost the Stanley Cup to the NHL champion Montreal Maroons.

Shore’s performance brought the Boston Bruins to the bargaining table. The Bruins’ owner Charles Adams, knowing about the Eskimos’ and the WCHL’s financial troubles, offered $50,000 for Shore and six other players. Shore left Edmonton for the NHL.

Boston Bruins Legend

He was born (November 25,1902) and grew up in the farming community of Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, and didn't pick up hockey until a relatively late age (18 or so) His father was a strict (but fair) man who laid ground for Shore's toughness later on in his life. Eddie Shore's first sporting loves was baseball and soccer. His brother, Aubrey, was the family hockey player, and it wasn't until Eddie had enrolled at Manitoba Agricultural College in Winnipeg and had been told by his big brother, 'You'll never make a hockey player,'' that he began to take the game seriously.

Shore joined the Boston Bruins in 1926 and went on to personify the most vigorous aspects of the rough and fast game of hockey. His explosive temper was only matched by his incredible talent. While setting up offensive plays he would literally knock down any opponent that got in his way. This of course led to many hard fought and legendary battles. American Hockey League president Maurice Podoloff once observed, ''Eddie Shore did not walk; he stalked'

"In order to succeed," said Frank Boucher, a star in his own right with the New York Rangers, "the league needed a superstar of extraordinary dimensions."

Eddie Shore was the right man, and at the right time. The "Edmonton Express" put professional hockey on the American map almost single handedly.

Absolutely fearless and unbelievably talented, Shore was indestructible. Perhaps the best way to describe him would be to say he was an early day Gordie Howe who played on the blueline. It certainly wouldn't be a stretch to say that. No one who hit as hard as he did was ever hit harder - or more often - in return. In his heyday, opponents seemed to save all their energy
in order to deal with Eddie Shore. ''He was bruised, head to toe, after every game,'' recalled Hall of Famer Milt Schmidt, a four-year teammate.' Everybody was after him. They figured if they could stop Eddie Shore, they could stop the Bruins.''

Shore's style was all his own. Pugnacious and downright mean, he was also very skilled. '' Most people of the day would skate down the side,'' said Schmidt. ''But Eddie always went down the middle of the ice. People bounced off him like tenpins"

Almost as amazing was his ability to play the entire game! He would average 50-55 minutes a contest. Well, at least in games when he wasn't spending that much time in the penalty box!

Ross who was a genius always had a show-biz flair, and Shore was a willing accomplice. One year he actually had the other Bruins take the ice first before bringing Shore out last to the accompaniment of ''Hail to the Chief.'' Shore would skate onto the ice in a matador's cloak, which would then be removed, Gorgeous George-style, by a valet.

There are hundreds of Eddie Shore stories to tell and they are all part of his legend. His toughness was almost legendary even before he had played in the NHL. One time when he played for the Edmonton Eskimos his leg was cut deeply by a skate that required 14 stitches. He was told by the doctor to stay off the leg, yeah right, the next game Shore played full-out and popped all the stitches ending up with his hockey pants soaked in blood.

Or when he played for the Melville Millionaires against Winnipeg in a championship game, his coach told him to not take a penalty no matter what happened. Shore was targeted for the entire game and lost six teeth, suffered a broken nose and a broken jaw and got knocked out a couple of times. After having played a full 50 minutes he was knocked out a third time and was helped off the ice unconscious. He never did draw a penalty...

In the NHL it started right away with his knockdown-dragout fight with teammate Billy Coutu and how he found his own doctor to sew his ear back on.

And then there is the unofficial record that Eddie holds that is sure never to be beaten - most fighting majors in a single game.

On November 23, 1929 the Boston Bruins were playing the Montreal Maroons. Eddie Shore got five fighting majors in that game, something that has never been equaled to this day, and since a player automatically gets tossed out from the game after three fights, this record seems to stand eternally.

Shore, who's reputation was the only thing more feared than his fists, got into a fight with the Maroons' Buck Boucher. At the completion of the fight he picked up his stick and proceeded to butt end Dave Trottier, who just happened to be the nearest Maroon. Understandably, the Maroon's spent the rest of the night trying to even the score with Shore. Even though he was extremely fatigued and bruised, Shore never once backed down.

The game had to be stopped in the third period so all the blood could be scraped up. Trottier, Siebert and Shore all ended up in the hospital. Eddie Shore had a broken nose, lost four teeth, had two black eyes a gashed cheekbone, cuts over both eyes and a concussion.

We could go on mentioning a lot more of the hilarious stories that Shore was involved in as a player and coach, but that could make an entire book. His 978 stitches, 4 broken noses and 5 broken jaws gives us a pretty good picture of his playing style and toughness.

The Windsor Star Dec 19, 1956

Eddie Shore, one of the greatest, toughest, and meanest men ever to play in the National Hockey League... Shore was the indesctructible iron of 14 NHL Seasons. He once scored two goals and assisted on another playing with three broken ribs against Montreal.

The Montreal Gazette Nov 17 1962

Shore is generally rated the best rushing defenceman of all time

The Calgary Herald Dec 23 1948

In an interview here the one time great rushing defenceman who could also bounce opposing forwards with an abandon seldom seem before or since his time, said few minor league hockey players are performing to the best of their ability

Saskatoon Star-Phoenix Mar 28 1938

Shore was the bashing, rushing Bruin leader of old

The Telegraph Herald Nov 18 1936

Fiery Eddie Shore of the Boston Bruins not only excels at breaking up opposing plays, but is the most powerful offensive defensive man in hockey

The Calgary Herald Dec 16 1929

Eddie on the other hand, plays an up-and-at-'em offensive game besides being a good defence player, which fact is popular enough with the fans, but is noted by the veteran players with many grave shakings of the head

The Calgary Daily Herald Mar 13 1931

Known as the Babe Ruth of hockey, Shore is absolutely fearless on the ice. Some of his body checking stunts are amazingly daring and at times he is so aggressive and colourful that he is a target for the fan's abuse all over the NHL circuit.

"I play a wide open style of hockey" Shore said in explaining why he is one of the league's most penalized players. "I go down the ice expecting to be bodychecked and I expect to check anyone and everyone who gets in my way."

"I have never done anything to an opponent that I would not take myself. If you watch me during the average season, you will note I digest just as much and probably a bit more punishment than I give."

 

[tony d]

With Pick 174 in Round 6 of the 2012 ATD Garnish selects Left Winger Woody Dumart:

Some stats on Dumart from hockeyreference.com:

-2 time NHL All Star
-3 Time 2nd Team All Star
-3 Top 10 Finishes in Goals for a season
-2 Top 10 Finishes in Assists for a season
-2 Top 10 Finishes in Points for a season
-211 Goals and 218 Assists for 429 Points in 772 Career NHL games
-Member of the famous Kraut line in Boston
-2 Time Stanley Cup Champion
-Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1992

Legends of Hockey profile on Dumart:

An outstanding defensive left winger with an above-average scoring touch, Woodrow "Woody" Dumart played nearly 800 regular-season games for the Boston Bruins between 1935 and 1954. He was best known for his achievements with Milt Schmidt and Bobby Bauer on the feared Kraut Line. His leadership and high standard of play made Dumart a fan favorite and helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup twice.
Dumart gained valuable experience with the Boston Cubs of the Can-Am league in 1935-36 and earned a one-game call-up to the NHL. The next year he appeared in 17 games for the Bruins, but his development wasn't rushed. Dumart played two-thirds of the year with the Providence Reds of the AHL in an effort to polish his game. It was here that he was first paired with Schmidt and Bauer on an effective forward unit. Providence coach Albert "Battleship" Leduc originally labeled them "the Sauerkraut Line" in reference to their German ancestry.

The young winger made an impression during his first full season in the NHL in 1937-38 when he was paired with his old friend Schmidt and Dit Clapper. He proved to be a determined competitor who relished the chance to perform a checking role. Dumart also chipped in with a respectable 27 points in 48 games that year.

By the 1938-39 season, the Kraut Line was working wonders in the NHL. Their offensive proficiency and competitive spirit were crucial to the Bruins' second Stanley Cup win in franchise history in 1939. Dumart continued to check the top right wingers in the game and also recorded his first 20-goal season in 1939-40. The following season he helped Boston win its second Stanley Cup title in three years. Dumart's stellar contribution didn't go unnoticed. Following both the 1939-40 and 1940-41 seasons he was voted to the NHL's Second All-Star Team.

Late in the 1941-42 season, Dumart and his linemates joined the Canadian effort in World War II. That spring they played on the Ottawa RCAF and helped the unit win the Allan Cup, the top senior amateur title in Canada at that time. In 1944 and 1945 Dumart served overseas. After the war, he returned to the league and enjoyed some of his finest seasons, statistically. He recorded four 20-goal seasons between 1946 and 1951 and took part in the first two annual NHL All-Star games in 1947 and 1948. The veteran was placed on the Second All-Star Team for the third time in his career after the 1946-47 season.

Dumart left the Bruins after their elimination at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1954 semifinals. In the following year, he played 15 games for the Providence Reds of the AHL before retiring. Over the years he accumulated 211 goals and 429 points while becoming one of the most respected and popular Bruins of his era.

The classy veteran was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.

Joe Pelletier:

Coach Lynn Patrick called him Porky, but he was best known as Woody. Woody Dumart was one third of the Boston Bruins famed Kraut Line along with fellow Kitchener Kids Milt Schmidt and Bobby Bauer.

Named after the American president at the time, Woodrow Wilson Clarence Dumart was born on December 23rd, 1916 in Kitchener, Ontario. Actually, back then it was named Berlin, but they renamed the city due to Germany's role in World War I.

Like most of the kids in Kitchener, Woody fell in love with the game of hockey, playing it on the frozen outdoors ponds and sloughs. Soon enough he and his friends caught the eyes of the bird dogs of the Boston Bruins. All three would sign on with the B's.

The three famous linemates did not play on the same line as youths or in junior. In fact, Dumart played defense for much of his youth. It was not until the three turned pro that they became a line. Former NHLer Battleship Leduc first put them together when he was coaching the Providence Reds in the AHL during the 1936-37 season. Battleship even coined their original nickname - the Sauerkraut Line.

The following season the three became NHL regulars, and their play was anything but sour. Bauer was a sniper. Schmidt was the complete center. Dumart was the standout defensive left winger with a timely scoring touch. His hard work made him a natural leader and fan favorite.

By 1939 the Kitchener Kids could also call themselves Stanley Cup champions. That season was special for the line. The trio became the first line in NHL history to finish 1-2-3 in league scoring. They would win another Stanley Cup in 1941.

World War II interrupted their run. All served in Canada's war efforts, although in their case they were not very close to battle. They were stationed in Ottawa and played hockey with the Royal Canadian Air Force team, winning the Allan Cup as Canada's amateur champions in 1942. Dumart actually did serve overseas for two hockey seasons.

When the war was over the Kraut line returned to Boston. Dumart recorded four 20+ goal seasons and was named to the end of season Second All Star team in 1947, the third such honour in his career.

Dumart continued to play with the Bruins through 1954, although he became more of a utility forward towards the end. He finished his career with 211 goals and 218 assists in 772 games. His numbers would have been even more impressive had he not lost 4 prime seasons to the war. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992.

Dumart suffered heart trouble Oct. 4, 2001 on his way to Ray Bourque Night at the FleetCenter. He died 16 days later. He was 84 years old.

Who's Who in Hockey

One of Dumart's least-publicized but most effective performances occurred in the 1953 playoff semi-finals against Detroit where he was tasked with shadowing Gordie Howe. Dumart did so well that Howe only scored 2 goals in the 6 game series and Boston won the series

Really like Dumart. Messier and Cournoyer will obviously bring the scoring to this line but Dumart will provide loads of grit to the line.

 

[JFA87-66-99]

Mike Bossy RW

- 6'0, 186 Ibs- Shoots: Right, Born: 1/22/57 in Montral, Quebec
- Member of the HHOF (1991)
- Stanley Cup Champion, 4 Times (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
- Stanley Cup Finalist (1984)
- Calder Memorial Trophy (1978)
- Conn Smythe Trophy (1982)
- Retro Maurice Richard Award, 2 Times, (1979, 1981)*
- Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, 3 Times (1983, 1984, 1986)
- NHL 1st All-Star Team, 5 Times (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986)
- NHL 2nd All-Star Team, 3 Times (1978, 1979, 1985)
- NHL Challenge Cup All-Star (1979)
- Canada Cup All-Star Team (1981)
- Top 7 In Hart Trophy Voting, 5 Times (7th-1979, 4th-1981, 3rd-1982, 6th-1984, 6th-1986)
- NHL All-Star Game, 7 Times (1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986)
- Top 10 in Goals, 9 Times (2nd-1978, 1st-1979, 5th-1980, 1st-1981, 2nd-1982, 3rd-1983, 7th-1984, 3rd-1985, 2nd-1986)
- Top 10 in Assists, 3 Times (9th-1979, 4th-1982, 6th-1984)
- Top 10 in Points, 8 Times (6th-1978, 4th-1979, 4th-1981, 2nd-1982, 4th-1983, 5th-1984, 6th-1985, 5th-1986)
- Top 5 in Even-Strength Goals, 6 Times (1st-1979, 2nd-1981, 2nd-1982, 5th-1983, 2nd-1984, 4th-1985)
- Top 5 in Power-Play Goals, 5 Times (1st-1978, 1st-1979, 1st-1981, 3rd-1983, 3rd-1986)
- Top 5 in Game-Winning Goals, 6 Times (2nd-1979, 4th-1980, 1st-1981, 2nd-1982, 2nd-1984, 1st-1986)
- Top 5 in Plus/Minus Rating, 3 Times (3rd-1979, 4th-1982, 3rd-1984)
- Top 3 in Playoff Goals, 4 Times (3rd-1980, 1st-1981, 1st-1982, 1st-1983)
- Top 3 in Playoff Assists (1st-1981)
- Top 3 in Playoff Points, 3 Times (2nd-1980, 1st-1981, 2nd-1982,)
- Led Playoffs in Power-Play Goals, 4 Times (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)

Accomplishments

As of 2011, Mike Bossy holds or shares the following NHL records:

- Most consecutive 50+ goal seasons: 9 Seasons
- Most 50+ goal seasons (not necessarily consecutive): 9 (tied with Wayne Gretzky)
- Most 60+ goal seasons (not necessarily consecutive): 5 (tied with Wayne Gretzky)
- Highest Goals-Per-Game average, career: .762 goals per game
- Most Power-Play Goals, one playoff season: 9 (tied with Cam Neely)
- Most consecutive hat tricks: 3 (tied with Joe Malone, who accomplished this twice)

Here is a selected list of other official NHL record categories where Mike Bossy was once the record-holder and/or is ranked very highly:

- Goals, career: 19th all-time with 573, achieved in about 200 fewer games than anyone else in the top 50
- Goals, regular season and playoffs combined, one season: seventh all-time with 85 (was a record at the time it was achieved)
- Assists by a right wing, one season: second all-time with 83 (was a record at the time it was achieved)
- Points by a right wing, one season: second all time with 147 (was a record at the time it was achieved)
- Goals by a rookie, one season: second all-time with 53 (was a record at the time it was achieved)
- 100+ point seasons, career: fourth all-time with 7
- Goals per game, playoffs, career: Second all-time with .659
- Goals per game, regular season and playoffs combined, career: Second all-time with .747
- Points per game, career: Third all-time
- Assists per game, career: Seventeenth all-time
- Shooting percentage, career: fourth all-time with 21.18%
- Hat tricks, one season: tied for third all-time with 9 (was a record at the time it was achieved)
- Hat tricks, career: third all-time with 39

Mike Bossy has several significant career achievements that are not official NHL records. He reached 100 career goals faster (in terms of career games played) than any other player in modern NHL history, requiring just 129 games to accomplish this. He was also the fastest to various other milestones such as 200 (255 GP), 300 (381 GP), 400 (506 GP) and 500 (647 GP) goals at the time he achieved them, but Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have since surpassed these marks. In the 1980–81 NHL season, he scored 50 goals in the first 50 games of the season - only the second player, and the first in almost 40 years, to achieve this. He remains one of only five players who can claim to have accomplished this. He is the only player to score 17 goals in three consecutive playoff years.

Bossy was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991. His #22 jersey was retired by the Islanders on March 3, 1992. In 1998, he was ranked number 20 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Originally Posted by Legends Of Hockey
Bossy's goal was to become the best player of his era, but that title was always awarded to someone else: Guy Lafleur, Bryan Trottier, Wayne Gretzky. He was regarded more as a natural-born sniper than a great hockey player. Besides, Bossy was never the highest scorer in a season. Many of his individual records were eclipsed long ago. Gretzky scored 50 goals in 39 games. But in the record books, the most 50-or-more goal seasons list is headed by Mike Bossy (nine times). On top of that, Mike Bossy has four Stanley Cup rings to his credit. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991 and had his number retired by the Islanders.

Originally Posted by Joe Pelletier
The New York Islanders dynasty in the early 1980's ranks among the greatest teams of all time. Mike Bossy, often playing on one of the most feared lines in hockey history along with Bryan Trottier and Clark Gillies, was a key component of the success enjoyed on Long Island.

Hindsight is 20/20, but it seems hard to believe the Islanders were able to snatch up "Boss" with the 15th overall pick in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft. How could 14 other teams over look a guy who average 77 goals a year in a brilliant 4 year junior career?! At the time the QMJHL was notorious for developing the small snipers who didn't know how to play defensively or physically, and despite their knack for scoring goals NHL teams feared taking a chance on a boom or bust situation.

The Islanders were happily surprised to snatch up Bossy at number 15, and he would quickly prove that he would be no bust. Bossy is considered by many to be the best pure sniper in the history of hockey - even better than a Brett Hull or Ilya Kovalchuk for modern fans. And Bossy worked very hard at becoming a well rounded player. He openly admitted to not playing any defense in his junior days, but he became a very reliable back checker with the Isles.

He carried his goal scoring ways right into the NHL, scoring a then-rookie record of an unheard of 53 goals and earning the Calder trophy as top rookie. Bossy, always a very confident person, even had predicted to team general manager Bill Torrey that he would score 50 goals in his first NHL season - something never before seen in the NHL.

He would go on to score 50 goals in every single season he played in, except his final campaign which was plagued with back problems. He also scored 50 goals in as many games during the 1981 season. It was only the second time a player had accomplished that milestone that Hall of Famer Maurice "Rocket" Richard made so famous in 1945.
Mike Bossy's brilliant career included: 573 goal along with 553 assists for 1,126 points; In playoff action, Bossy tallied 85 goals and 160 points in 129 games; At least 60 goals on five occasions, and seven 100 plus points seasons; Four Stanley Cup rings; he scored the series winning goal in both the 1982 and 1983 Stanley Cup finals making him the only player in NHL history to record Cup winning goals in consecutive seasons; the 1982 recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy awarded to the playoffs' Most Valuable Player; awarded the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play three times; A first team All-Star five times and a second team All-Star three times; And his 573 goals also put him high on the NHL's all-time list.

Bossy was also a member of Team Canada in the 1981 and 1984 Canada Cup Tournaments. It was his overtime goal in the 1984 sudden death semi-final that eliminated the Soviets and sent Team Canada to the final and eventually to their second Canada Cup championship.

Bossy was and remains outspoken about violence in hockey. As one of the most gifted and talented players ever to grace the game, he was often the target of thugs. However Bossy took great pride in never stooping to retaliation. The three time Lady Byng Trophy winner who accumulated only 210 PIM in his career, Bossy was often criticized for not fighting back. Critics passed him off as not tough enough. Bossy's sweet revenge would however often come in the following 2 minutes after the cowardly attacks. Bossy - perhaps the greatest power play weapon in the game's history - would score on the man advantage, and that would only upset the other team even more. Of Bossy's 573 career goals, 181 were scored on the power play.

A chronic bad back forced Bossy to retire prematurely. Oddly enough, the back injuries that still haunt him to this day were caused by the constant abuse he had to take on the ice. In his final season he tallied 38 goals, the only season in which he did not record at least 50 goals. Bossy termed the "failure" to score 50 goals as his biggest disappointment. In actuality he probably shouldn't have played that year either, as his back was just that bad. Bossy's love of the game outweighed doctors advice. But by doing so Bossy forever silenced his critics. He played through immense pain and showed the hockey world just how tough he really was.

It is an absolute shame Mike Bossy had to call it quits so soon. He is perhaps the greatest goal scorer the game has ever seen. But he also took great pride in working on his all around game, and became a very dependable defensive player and underrated playmaker.

Originally Posted By NHL Source
Mike Bossy played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was a crucial part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s. Among many other remarkable achievements, he was the only player in NHL history to score consecutive Stanley Cup winning goals, in 1982 and 1983, the only player to record four game-winning goals in one series (1983 Conference Final), is the NHL's all-team leader in average goals scored per regular season game, and is one of only five players to score 50 goals in 50 games.

Bossy was known for being able to score goals in remarkable fashion, the most incredible, perhaps, in the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals against the Vancouver Canucks when, up-ended by a check from Tiger Williams and flying several feet in the air, parallel to the ice, Bossy nonetheless managed to hook the puck with his stick and score. Bossy was also noted for his clean play, never resorting to fighting (and being one of the first players to speak out against violence on the ice), and winning the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play three times: 1983, 1984, and 1986.

During a Wayne Gretzky interview with the New York Post in 1993, he praised Bossy as the best right-winger ever to play, saying that their scoring totals would have been even higher if the two had played together.

In 1982, Bossy set a scoring record for right-wingers with 147 points while also winning the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Originally Posted By Who's Who In Hockey
Among right wing sharpshooters, Mike Bossy ranks at the top with Maurice "The Rocket" Richard and Gordie Howe. Alongside Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, and Clark Gillies, Bossy was an integral part of the Cup-winning New York Islanders who put together 19 consecutive playoff series victories between 1980-1984.

A perfectionist by nature, Bossy retired in 1987 and to this day remains one of the most underappreciated superstars ever to come down the pike.

Originally Posted By The Top 100 NHL Players Of All-Time
It was always with Mike Bossy, about magic. First, the wondrous apparition: time and time again Bossy seemed to materialize, unchecked, in scoring position with the puck on his stick. Then came the sleight of hand " When he " Poof. Red light. Like magic

Originally Posted By Ultimate Hockey
However dandy a player Trottier was, Mike Bossy was the star attraction. Al Arbour couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a talent as great as Bossy: "When he shoots it doesn't even look like he touches the puck. He's got the quickest hands I've ever seen on a hockey player, even quicker than Rocket Richard's."

Although Wayne Gretzky scored more goals in Edmonton, Bossy was the most dangerous man around the net for many years. As his own goalie, Billy Smith said, "I've faced them all and Mike's shot is the toughest to handle

Best Shot Of The 1980's
Best Sniper Of The 1980's

Here's Seventies study on Elite Goal-Scoring. Keep in mind that Mike Bossy only played 10 seasons in the NHL, and his final one he wasn't 100%. He still finishes this exercise with Five Top-2 seasons (Elite Goalscoring), Eight Top-5 seasons (Top-End Goalscoring), Nine Top-10 seasons (Great Goalscoring), Nine Top-15 seasons (Consistent Goalscoring), and all ten of his seasons he placed in the Top-20 in Goals (Sustained Goalscoring).

Consistency In Goalscoring: Players listed by most times finishing in the top-2 in goals

# | Name | Top-2 | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-15 | Top-20
1 | Howe | 10 | 14 | 19 | 21 | 22
2 | Bo. Hull | 9 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13
3 | M.Richard | 8 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14
4 | Esposito | 7 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 15
5 | Bi.Cook | 6 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 11
6 | Bossy | 5 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10
7 | Gretzky | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9
8 | R.Conacher | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9
9 | Dye | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7
10 | C.Conacher | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7
11 | Jagr | 4 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10
12 | Malone | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9
13 | Selanne | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8
14 | Lafleur | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6
15 | Br. Hull | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 13
16 | Lalonde | 3 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11
17 | N.Stewart | 3 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 14
18 | Beliveau | 3 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 12
19 | Lemieux | 3 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 11
20 | Mahovlich | 3 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14
21 | Mikita | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10
22 | Lindsay | 3 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 12
23 | Cy Denneny | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 11
24 | B.Hextall | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8
25 | Bure | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6
26 | Morenz | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10
27 | Dionne | 2 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 11
28 | Geoffrion | 2 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 13
29 | Bondra | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6
30 | Kovalchuk | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6
31 | Kurri | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7
32 | Ovechkin | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4
33 | Pitre | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 9
34 | Yzerman | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7
35 | MacKay | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10
36 | D.Moore | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7
37 | Cain | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6
38 | T.Smith | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5
39 | Iginla | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8
40 | D.Bentley | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8
41 | E.Russell | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3

 

[tony d]

With Pick 220 in Round 7 of the 2012 ATD Garnish selects Centre Mats Sundin:

Position: C
Shoots: Right
Height: 6-5 Weight: 231 lbs.
Born: February 13, 1971 in Bromma, Sweden

Some stats on Sundin courtesy of hockeyreference.com:

-1349 points in 1346 Career Games
-82 Points in 91 Career Games
-8 Time Regular Season All Star
-2 Time 2nd Team All Star
-3 Top 10 Finishes in Goals for a Regular Seasons
-96 Career Game Winning Goals (7th Most All Time)
-First Swede to be picked first overall
-Toronto's captain from 1997 to 2008
-160 Career Power Play Goals (31st Most All Time)
-Member of the 2006 Swedish Olympic Gold Medal Team

Legends Of Hockey

Mats Sundin has gone on to become an ambassador for Swedish sport, unarguably one of the most popular Swedish sportsmen ever. But there was a time when Mats Sundin was banned from Swedish hockey. There was even a time when controversial Swedish Ice Hockey Association boss Rickard Fagerlund promised he'd see to it that Mats Sundin never again played in a blue and yellow jersey.
That was a decade and three World Championships ago. In 1991 in Helsinki, in 1992 in Prague and in 1998 in Zurich, Sundin led the proud Tre Kronor to gold medals in competition with the best the world could offer.

After winning the Swedish title with Djurgarden and competing successfully with Tre Kronor in the Bern World Championship, Sundin left for North America without further notice in the summer of 1990. At that point, he had become one of the all-time greats in Swedish hockey. Only two players besides Sundin have won three World Championships, Jonas Bergqvist of Leksand and the legendary Sven Tumba, a 1950s and 1960s star with Sundin's Djurgarden.

Mats Sundin and countryman Peter Forsberg are currently two of the dominant players on the world hockey stage. Since a very quick decision made when Sweden needed reinforcements for the 1991 championship team, Fagerlund has had no reason to regret his decision to let Sundin back into Swedish hockey. It was only a year earlier that the 19-year-old Sundin had "defected" from Djurgarden to try his luck with the Quebec Nordiques, the team that in 1989 chose Sundin as their first pick. Sundin became the first European ever to be chosen first overall in a draft.

Sundin left Sweden under a barrage of fire and slander from various hockey personalities. His decision was hard to fathom. But passions cooled and Mats Sundin was invited to return home in time to play with the national team in Ebo and Helsinki. Sundin was an instant smash hit when he single-handedly won the trophy for Sweden by scoring the most important goals of the tournament. He scored three goals in the game against archrival Finland (4-4) and then the decisive goal against Russia (2-1) in the finals. In all, he registered seven goals in the tournament.

He put in the same kind of performance in Prague in 1992. Accompanied by a team with 17 rookies among them Peter Forsberg, then a 17-year-old hockey wonderkind from MoDo Sundin played at his best. He scored a very important goal in the 2-0 game against Russia that propelled Sweden into the final game against Finland. Sweden won 5-2, securing its second World Championship trophy in two years.

And in Zurich in 1998 came the third trophy for Sundin, who was once again one of the most valuable players on the team.

After being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, the young Swede became a smashing success. In just one year he rose to stardom in a city well known for its taste for fine hockey and fighting spirit. He won the honor of being named the team's captain, the first foreign captain in the history of the Maple Leafs.

Since joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, Sundin has enjoyed a number of accomplishments while leading the club in scoring for each year except one. In 2002-03, he became the first Swedish born player to reach 1,000 points at the NHL level, and as of 2006-07 he has more career goals, assists and points than any other Swedish born NHL player.

In Sundin's thirteenth season in Toronto, the nine-time all-star tallied 32 goals and re-wrote the Maple Leaf record book. After breaking Darryl Sittler's team record for all-time goals scored in a Leaf sweater, Sundin took sole possession of the club's all-time lead for points scored. During that same season, the Leafs quickly fell out of playoff contention and Sundin became the focus of numerous rumours as the trade deadline neared. However, Sundin didn't believe in being a "rental player", and subsequently refused to waive his no-trade clause built into his contract. Sundin became a free agent on July 1, 2008 and the Vancouver Cancuks promptly offered the former Quebec Nordique a two-year $20-million dollar contract. The Maple Leafs, Canadiens, and Rangers also offered contracts to Sundin, who took until December, 2008 to make his final decision.

On December 18, 2008 the Vancouver Canucks announced that Sundin had signed with the club. His two-year $20-million dollar contract made him one of the highest paid NHL player at the time of the signing.

In international compeition, Sundin is recognized as being one of the elite players in the hockey world. He has represented his homeland at 14 international competitions, has one Olympic gold medal, and won gold in three World Championships. Sundin has held the position of team captain for the national squad for the better part of the last decade.

Who's Who In Hockey

A 5 time All Star and 2 time Olympian, Sundin was definitely a presence in the NHL agile on his feet and almost perfecting the art of goal-scoring and true leadership for Toronto.

Pat Quinn on Mats Sundin:

Mats wasn't going to belittle anyone; he was going to bring them up. Mats raised the level of his team and teammates

Sundin is one of my favourite picks, just such a likeable guy and someone that will do each and every role well that he is asked to do.

 

[Velociraptor]

Pierre Mondou, C/LW

Position: Centre/Left Wing
HT/WT: 5'10", 185 lbs
Handedness: Right
Nickname(s):
Born: November 27th, 1955 in Sorel, QC

- 3-time Stanley Cup Champion (1977, 1978, 1979)
- 194 goals, 262 assists, 456 points in 548 regular season games played, adding 179 penalty minutes.
- 17 goals, 28 assists, 45 points in 69 playoff games played, adding 26 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Plus/Minus - 1x - (4)
Game Winning Goals - 1x - (6)

Quotes

Legends of Hockey

Centre Pierre Mondou was a talented offensive player who checks and kills penalties. He produced at all levels of hockey and was a key role player then leader on the Montreal Canadiens.

Following the dismantling of the Stanley Cup dynasty, Mondou was a key player for the Habs in the early '80s. In 1981-82, he scored 35 goals playing with Tremblay and Rejean Houle and was a veteran leader along with Larry Robinson and Mario Tremblay. He was forced to retire in 1985 after he suffered an eye injury caused by Ulf Samuelsson. This was a huge blow to the Canadiens since, at the time of his injury, Mondou was playing excellent hockey with Mats Naslund and Mario Tremblay.

ourhistory.canadiens.com

In 1976-77, he increased his offensive productivity, leading the AHL with 44 markers while ending the season as a Calder Cup champion. The championship wouldn’t mark the end of Mondou’s hockey season, however. He got the call to join the big club, playing four games in the Finals to become one of the select few players in history to earn a Stanley Cup title before appearing in an NHL regular season game.

His minor league days behind him for good, Mondou stuck with the Canadiens to start the 1977-78 season and remained with the team for the next eight years. He scored in his first regular season game, continuing to showcase his offensive talent at the NHL level.

While Mondou was a gifted offensive performer, his services as a defensive specialist were as valuable to the Canadiens as his three 30-goal campaigns. He countered the opponents’ top scoring lines night after night and was also one of Montreal’s top penalty killers, rarely being called for infractions while thwarting enemy forwards’ efforts.

A complete player, Mondou was often overshadowed by the achievements of his flashier teammates. He quietly and steadily played his game, an important youthful cog on Stanley Cup Championship squads in his two first official seasons in the league.

Unlucky when it came to injuries, Mondou missed significant parts of two seasons, causing him to fall short of 25-goal campaigns in both 1980-81 and 1983-84. A veteran Mondou took to the ice in 1984-85, looking forward to playing a complete season.

It wasn’t meant to be. With 13 games left on the regular season calendar, in a game against the Hartford Whalers, Mondou was celebrating his 18th goal of the season when an errant stick caught him in the eye, resulting in a career-ending injury. He is one of a handful of players to have added their name to the score sheet in both their first and last NHL games.

In 548 regular season contests, all with Montreal, Mondou scored 194 goals and picked up 262 assists. He added another 17 goals and 28 helpers in the postseason.

The Hockey News: A Century of Montreal Canadiens

Mondou was a superbly talented playmaker and scorer who adapted his game to fit Montreal's strict two-way system. He developed into a responsible checking winger and was a versatile member of the Habs' secondary scoring force. He was forced to retire at 29 with an eye injury during the 1984-85 season.

Over the Line: Wrist Shots, Slap Shots, and Five-Minute Majors

Hockey fans who remember that era will agree that people like Doug Risebrough, Jimmy Roberts, Doug Jarvis, Pierre Mondou, Rejean Houle, Brian Engblom, and XXXX XXXXX would have excelled on any team in the league.

Robinson for the Defence

We had good young players coming up, like young centre Pierre Mondou from Sorel of the Quebec league

The coolest guys on ice

...involving Montreal's nifty Pierre Mondou in which Mondou suffered a career-ending cut on the eye w hen Samuelsson s stick nicked him

Men's health and illness

For example, a scornful joke circulating in Canadian ice hockey circles a few years ago had Pierre Mondou, a small, skillful player as its target:

It took Pierre Mondou 71 games to get get his 25th goal goal last season And despite limited ice time, the blonde Sorel centre has reached that mark after 58 games en route to what he hopes will be a 30 goal season.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Duke Keats, C

• 5'11, 195 lbs.
• Right handed shot
• WCHL/WHL First All-Star Team (1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926)
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958 (before peer Cy Denneny)

The Duke is an ideal type of athlete, of husky build, quick on his skates, and possessing a good abundance of grey matter. He has one fault and that is temperament

Keats hit his peak in Edmonton. The "Iron Duke", hailed on all sides as one of the most dominating forces ever seen, was the best player in the league. Throngs of people clamored to see this big, strong center perform miracles with the puck. He shot as well as anyone anywhere, combining unparalleled offensive ability with a hard, clean style to become the greatest player to play in Edmonton before Gretzky.

Note: I have to disagree that Keats played a clean style, considering all the quotes that call him the "bad man" of the WCHL.

He was the hero of Edmonton and undoubtedly one of the greatest center icemen who ever laced up a skate

Duke is the possessor of more hockey grey matter than any man who ever played the game. He is the most unselfish superstar in hockey. I have watched him innumerable times. In one game, I especially checked up on his play. He gave his wingmen thirty chances to score by perfectly placed passes. He's the brainiest pivot that ever pulled on a skate, because he can organize plays and make passes every time he starts

Scoring

The strength of the Big 4/WCHL/WHA and Duke Keats' competition for scoring finishes

Much earlier, someone questioned the competition Duke Keats faced in the WCHL, so I decided to do a season by season account of his competition. I meant to get to it earlier, but technical problems prevented it from happening until now.

Keats' first professional season was 1915-16 at the age of 21.

1916 NHA
1. Didier Pitre 39
2. Joe Malone 35
3. Newsy Lalonde 34
4. Duke Keats 29
5. Cy Denneny 28
6. Gord Roberts 25
7. Frank Nighbor 24

1917 NHA
Keats was 5th in points per game, but only played 2/3 of the season before leaving for military service during World War 1. He finished 12th in scoring at the end of the year.

Keats was a top 5 scorer in the NHA in his first two seasons

Keats missed 1918 and 1919 (aged 23-24) to fight in World War I.

1920 Big 4
1. Duke Keats 32
2. Keats' RW 22
3. Keats' LW 18
4. Herb Gardiner 17
5. XXX 14

1921 Big 4
1. Duke Keats 29
2. Keats' LW 25
3. Keats' former RW 21
4. Harry Oliver 20
5. XXX 20

I think it's pretty clear the Big 4 was a fairly weak league, but Keats dominated it like you would expect

1922 WCHL
1. Duke Keats 56
2. George Hay (24 yo) 34
3. Joe Simpson (29 yo) 34
4. Keat's LW (different guy) 33
5. Keats' former RW 31
6. Dick Irvin (30 yo) 27
7. Keats' RW 21
7. XXX 21
No typo, Keats was really that far ahead of everyone. Not as good as the NHA or PCHA, but George Hay, Joe Simpson, and Dick Irvin were all in their prime.

1923 WCHL
1. Keat's RW 43 in 29 games (1.48 PPG)
2. Duke Keats 37 in 25 games (1.48 PPG)
3. George Hay (25 yo) 36 in 30 games (1.20 PPG)
4. Newsy Lalonde (35 yo) 35
5. Harry Oliver 32
6. Joe Simpson 29
7. Keats' LW 28
8. Bill Cook (28 yo) 25

1922-23 was Bill Cook's first professional season (at the age of 28).

1924 WCHL
1. Bill Cook 40
2. Harry Oliver 34
3. Duke Keats 31
3. George Hay 31
5. Keats' former RW 26
6. XXX 25
7. Bernie Morris (34 yo) 23

The PCHA folded after the season and its talent was absorbed into the WCHL. The 1925 and 1926 WCHL was probably stronger than the NHL at that point.

1925 WCHL
1. Mickey MacKay 33
1. Harry Oliver 33
3. Duke Keats (29 yo) 32
4. Bill Cook (29 yo) 32
5. Frank Fredrickson (29 yo) 30
6. Frank Boucher (24 yo) 28
7. Keats' LW 23
8. Joe Simpson 23
9. George Hay 22 (in 20 of 28 games)

1926 WHL
1. Bill Cook 44
2. Dick Irvin 36
3. Corb Denneny (32 yo) 34
4. Keats' RW 33
5. George Hay 31
6. Duke Keats 29
7. Harry Oliver 25
8. Frank Fredrickson 24
9. Frank Boucher 22
10. Keat's former RW 22

The WHL folded after the season. 1926-27 is the first year of the consolidated NHL

1927 Consolidated NHL
1. Bill Cook*-NYR 37
2. Dick Irvin*-CBH 36
3. Howie Morenz*-MTL 32
4. Frank Fredrickson*-TOT 31
5. Babe Dye*-CBH 30
6. Frank Boucher*-NYR 28
Ace Bailey*-TOR 28
8. Billy Burch*-NYA 27
9. Undrafted HHOFer *-BOS 24
Duke Keats*-TOT 24

1928 Consolidated NHL
1. Howie Morenz*-MTL 51
2. Aurele Joliat*-MTL 39
3. Frank Boucher*-NYR 35
George Hay*-DTC 35
5. Nels Stewart*-MTM 34
6. Keats' former teammate 30
7. Bun Cook*-NYR 28
8. XXX 26
9. Frank Finnigan-OTS 25
10. Bill Cook*-NYR 24
Duke Keats*-TOT 24

Keats was 31 in 1925-26 and clearly on the downswing of his career as you can see from his decline the previous season in the WHL.

I bolded the top 10 NHL scorers in the first two seasons after consolidation who played with Keats in the WCHL/WHL. It is more than half of them.

Conclusion: Duke Keats was a borderline top 5 offensive player in the world for about a decade. When you consider his intangibles - elite physical game, solid leadership and defensive play, he was probably top 5 forward in the world for the greater part of a decade.

Here are Duke Keats' consolidated numbers from my project.

Points – 1st(1922), 7th(1923), 9th(1916), 10th(1924), 10th(1926), 11th(1925)
Goals – 2nd(1922), 9th(1916), 9th(1925), 10th(1926), 11th(1923), 12th(1924)
Assists – 1st(1922), 5th(1923), 9th(1916), 13th(1924), 16th(1926), 17th(1925)

The above is missing Keats' 2 Seasons in the Big 4 and the 3 Seasons affected by World War 1.

Duke Keats proved before his military service that he was an elite player in his first two seasons in the NHA, and then afterwards, he went on to be the best player in the leagues he played in for seven straight seasons. Especially considering what Keats did before his time in the Big-4, WCHL and WHL, why does he not deserve credit for these seasons? I find it impossible to imagine a world where a guy who played incredibly well his first two seasons, then absolutely dominated his league for the next 7 seasons would not have been a dominant player if those 7 seasons were played in a stronger league. He was consistently top-5 in scoring, and a couple times absolutely destroyed his peers. What reason do we have to believe that Keats suddenly would not have been an improved player in the PCHA/NHA during these seasons? I can understand not subscribing to this argument if the player couldn't show his best stuff against strong competition before these seasons, but Keats did incredibly well, all things considered, in his first two pro seasons against experienced vets. He was so valuable to Toronto, that Toronto attempted to block the 228th battalion from snapping him up, saying that if he would not play in Toronto, then he would not play at all. It did not work, but obviously Toronto must have felt they had a star in the making if they went to these lengths to keep this player. This argument is further validated by the fact that when he went to the NHL, despite having slowed considerably, he still played well enough to be twice in the top-10 in scoring out of 3 seasons that he played more than 5 games.

Keats was admired for his stickhandling and physical play

The "Duke" was a stickhandling wizard. Men who have watched them come and go for 20 years say that in his prime there was none like "Duke" - and yet it was the howling of the crowd rather than the cheers that spurred him on. "I'd rather play hockey in Saskatoon than any other place in the country." Keats once told us, yet he probably came in for more razzing in that city than anywhere in the west. Many the night Keats had to duck rotten eggs, lumps of coal, oranges, peanuts - and even chairs - and on more than one occasion he exchanged punches with half a dozen fans before reaching the Edmonton dressing rooms. But nobody loved a fight more than Keats. He used to skate up and down the sidelines before a game, feinting blows at fans with his stick, slamming the boards to scare some sky-gazer - anything to tantalize the crowd. Seldom did he fall and the harder the crowd howled and booed the harder "Duke" played. It's not likely he tried to get away with such tactics in the American Association, but he did out west for years and both on the prairies and coast they'll tell you Keats was the most hated hockey player that ever stepped on a rink - and the greatest stickhandler of them all.

Keats' two-way game is a big reason he was selected as WCHL first team all star

Of all the positions in The Leader's All-star prairie hockey team, none caused us more profound meditation than the center ice job. We weighed the pros and cons of our two best bets - Duke Keats and Dick Irvin - until we were beginning to order Keats sandwiches and Irvin pie along with our coffee at the restaurant across the way. First we thought Irvin would be our ultimate choice; then the Duke popped up with an overlooked asset. Barney Stanley crossed their path for a minute; then Irvin again looked like a winner, until finally we had the merits and demerits of the two candidates trimmed down to such a nicety that we knew exactly where we stood. And we gave Keats the call. Both Keats and Irvin are pretty much invalids right now, but this fact was entirely overlooked in selecting the best man for the job. What turned the balance in favor of the Edmonton bad man was his back-checking ability. He is a two-way man, while Dickenson has a tendency toward a one-way ticket. Irvin is a better shot than the Duke and a better stick-handler, but Keats himself is far from being a slouch on the attack; he is an ideal pivot man, plays his position to perfection and knows all there is to know about combination. And his vigorous back-checking adds all kinds of strength to his team. There is no better shot in professional hockey than Dick Irvin. The Regina boy is a wizard at finding the treasured spot in the net. And his wonderful manipulation of the puck had won him friends wherever he has played. It is unfortunate that such a star as Dickenson should have to be passed up in favor of another; but backchecking is an invaluable asset to a hockey team, and just as we were on the point of awarding the position to Irvin, we recalled this very important factor and could do nothing else in fairness but to give Duke the job. Keats originally played hockey in the east but acquired little prominence until he burst into the limelight with the Eskimos last year. Ever since he has been one of the biggest noises in prairie hockey. The Duke is an ideal type of athlete, of husky build, quick on his skates, and possessing a good abundance of grey matter. He has one fault and that is temperament. ... There are man who will think Barney Stanley deserves the call. The General has been playing wonderful hockey lately while Irvin has been resting up. He is the most unselfish player in the league and one of the most effective. But he can't shoot like Irvin or check back like Keat

Keats was a very aggressive player, sometimes too aggressive

Keats and Joe Simpson are players who could make the grade in any club playing major hockey. Keats has earned his reputation as the best centre ice man in the four prairie league clubs. He also holds the doubtful honors as the league's bad man. In physique he is a small but thoroughly aggressive and has figured in many a wild fracas on the ice.

Many more quotes can be found in jarek's bio: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=31104898&postcount=70

 

[Dreakmur]

Wade Redden !!!​

Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Finalist (2007)

2 x NHL All-Star (2002, 2004)

Norris – 5th(2006), 9th(2003), 10th(2004), 11th(2000), 12th(2001)
All-Star – 6th(2006), 9th(2003), 10th(2004), 11th(2001)

World Cup Gold Medalist (2004)
World Championship Silver Medalist (2005)

IIHF Best Defenseman (2005)


Statistics:
Points among Defensemen – 11th(2003), 12th(2006), 13th(2001), 13th(2004), 21st(2008), 24th(2000), 24th(2002)
Play-off Points among Defensemen – 4th(2003), 4th(2007), 6th(2006)

Time on Ice per Game ranking - 1st(2000), 1st(2001), 1st(2002), 1st(2003), 1st(2004), 1st(2007), 2nd(2006), 2nd(2009), 3rd(1999), 3rd(2008)

Has excellent passing skills. Plays with ice water in his veins and never gets rattled. Is extremely durable and owns an accurate point shot.

The Loydminster, Saskatchewan native emerged as one of the top all-around defenceman in the NHL, posting a career high 47 points during the 2000-01 season and continues to be a leader on the ice leader with the Sens.

Following the NHL lockout of 2004-05 the Senators re-signed the defenceman. Over the next three seasons, Redden would anchor the club's blueline and contribute offensively. In 2006-07, Redden and the Senators came within three wins of capturing the Stanley Cup. At the end of the 2007-08 season, Redden s contract came to an end and although he stated that he would take a hometown discount , the Senators opted not to re-sign the defenceman. On July 1, 2008 Redden signed a six-year, $39 million contract with the New York Rangers.

Aside from his World Junior experience, Redden, is a three-time member of Canada's World Championship team (1999, 2001 and 2005) a member of Canada's World Cup winning team in the Summer of 2004, and was a member of Canada's Olympic Team in the 2006 Olympics.

He proved himself a true young star in the league and a player the Senators would need if they were going to win in the playoffs. Big, tough, and unflappable, Redden led the defense by example. He never panicked and never tried to do too much. The result was that he became a natural team leader.

His panic point is very low. He makes the right decisions under pressure, and he makes it look easy.

He's not the most vocal guy, but he really leads by example. He's got the respect of all the guys.

Redden has tried to pattern his game after Ray Bourque, and the youngster has a few things in common with the Boston great. He is a good skater who can change gears swiftly and smoothly, and his superb rink vision enables him to get involved in his team's attack. He has a high skill level. His shot is hard and accurate and he is a patient and precise passer.
Redden plays older than his years and has a good grasp of the game. As he has been tested at higher and higher levels of competition he has elevated his game. his poise is exceptional.

Redden's work habits and attitude are thoroughly professional. he seems to be a player who is willing to learn in order to improve his game at the NHL level.

Redden is not a big hitter, but he finishes his checks and stands up well. What he lacks in aggressiveness he makes up for with his competitive nature. He can handle a lot of icetime. He plays an economical game without a lot of wasted effort, is durable, and can skate all night long.

Redden was Ottawa's best defenseman down the stretch and into the playoffs. He has such a laid-back demeanour that perhaps the urgency doesn't hit him until the finish line is in sight. He raises his game when something is on the line.

His ability to move the puck is one of his best assets... He consistently plays against other teams' top lines... has a very long fuse.

Redden was mature when he broke into the game. He is smart and his level rises with the competition.

 

[JFA87-66-99]

Bob Gainey LW

- 6'2, 200 Ibs- Shoots: Left, Born 12/13/1953 in Peterborough, Ontario
- Member of the HHOF (1992)
- Stanley Cup Champion, 5 Times (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986)
- Stanley Cup Finalist (1989)
- Canada Cup Champion (1976)
- Frank J. Selke Trophy, 5 Times (*1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981) *Retro
- Conn Smythe Trophy (1979)
- NHL All-Star Game, 4 Times (1977, 1978, 1980, 1981)
- Top-9 In Frank J. Selke Trophy Voting, 5 Times (2nd-1982, 6th-1983, 9th-1984, 9th-1985, 6th-1986
- Top-11 In All-Star Voting, 6 Times (8th-1977, 6th-1978, 4th-1979, 4th-1980, 11th-1981, 11th-1982,
- Gainey was ranked number #86 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players in 1998.
- His #23 was retired by the Montreal Canadiens on February 23, 2008.

Originally Posted By Legends Of Hockey
Termed the world's best all-around player by Soviet national team coach Viktor Tikhonov, Bob Gainey brought many elements to the Montreal Canadiens during his 16-year NHL career. The burly left winger was a tenacious competitor, relentless checker, respected team leader and capable contributor on the offense. His presence on the Habs' roster helped the team win the Stanley Cup five times in the decade between 1976 and 1986.

As a rookie, Gainey demonstrated his commitment to defensive hockey and his clean but feared bodychecking. He showed even more poise as a sophomore in 1974-75, when he played on the team's second line with Jacques Lemaire and Yvan Cournoyer. Following his third NHL season, Gainey was picked to represent his country in the inaugural Canada Cup in 1976 and his combination of speed, tenacity and physical play enabled him to fill an important role on the victorious Canadian contingent. While helping Montreal win four consecutive Stanley Cup titles from 1976 to 1979, Gainey became a star despite never being a flashy scorer. His name appeared in the game summary far less frequently than most of his teammates, but without him the Habs quite possibly wouldn't have won.

Gainey exploded for 16 points when the Habs won the Cup for the fourth straight time in 1979. In the finals, the Rangers won the first match and started strongly in the second. Gainey's winning goal in game two shifted the momentum in Montreal's favour and sent the Habs on their way to the Cup. For his immense contribution, he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Gainey's style of play and ability to check and skate with the NHL's top forwards inspired the league to create a new post-season award. Beginning in 1978, the NHL presented the Frank J. Selke Trophy to the top defensive forward in the game. Fittingly, Gainey was the recipient in each of the first four years it was awarded.

Prior to the 1981-82 season, Gainey was named Serge Savard's successor as captain of the Canadiens. As one of the few remaining links to the glorious 1970s, he was expected to oversee the passing along of the organization's winning tradition to the younger players. The team remained a top-flight outfit in the regular season but experienced three straight first-round playoff losses from 1981 to 1983. In a reversal of the pattern, the team attained a disappointing 75 points in 1983-84 before embarking on a surprising run to the semifinals. Gainey and linemates Guy Carbonneau and Chris Nilan played a key role in shutting down the top guns on the heavily favored Bruins and Nordiques before giving the defending champion Islanders all they could handle in the semis.

The veteran captain hoisted the Stanley Cup for the fifth time in his career in 1986. Playing with the energy of a rookie, Gainey scored five goals and 10 points while patrolling his wing with customary efficiency. His poise and leadership helped the team register consecutive 100-point seasons in 1987-88 and 1988-89. In the latter of those, the Habs reached the finals, then succumbed to the Calgary Flames in six games. Following the series, Gainey announced his retirement.

Originally Posted By Joe Pelletier
Take a look at Bob Gainey's career statistics. This is perhaps the most obvious case that statistics do not tell the whole story.

An impressive 1160 games played but "only" 239 career goals, 262 assists for 501 points. Throw in 25 more goals and 73 more points in 182 playoff games, and it appears Bob was a fairly average player.

Gainey never scored more than 23 goals or 47 points in a single season, yet the Russians once called him the greatest player in the world.

Gainey was a defensive specialist. He was constantly bumping, grinding, tormenting, frustrating and nullifying his opponents. The NHL didn't hand out an award for the game's best defensive forward until 1978, and Gainey's awesome largely responsible for the creation of the award. Gainey was the first recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy and won it 4 years in a row.

" I am happy to be the kind of player that this trophy honors, but hope to round off my all-around abilities," Bob said when he won the Selke Trophy for the first time. " Because of all the great scorers in the game, he added, " this trophy was an added incentive for a player like me to work towards. First I just wanted to make the team, and next to play regularly. But then to be given a major award by the league...it's quite an honor."

When Gainey played as a junior for the Peterborough Petes he had a reputation of being a defensive player with great potential. Montreal drafted him as their first choice, 8th overall in 1973. In his final season under coach Roger Neilson he still wasn't an outstanding goal scorer, netting 22 goals and 21 assists in 52 games.

Gainey regarded his own goals and assists as icing on the cake. Because of his specific role with the Canadiens, he was never able to really get a chance to show he could contribute offensively. But nonetheless he was an extremely important cog of 5 Stanley Cup championships and a Canada Cup championship. Bob was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 1979 playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens fourth consecutive Stanley Cup. Bob participated in four NHL All-Star games, despite not being a prolific scorer.

" Bob Gainey is just as important to the Canadiens as Guy Lafleur," teammate Larry Robinson once said.

Bob Gainey was a key member of Team Canada during the 1976 and 1981 Canada Cup tournaments. He also impressed during exhibition games between Montreal and the touring Soviet clubs. Red Army and Soviet National Team coach Viktor Tikhonov described him as technically the world's best player.

When Montreal played a classic against the Red Army team on New Year's Eve in 1975 (3-3) it was Bob who set the tone for the entire evening.

A few seconds after the opening face-off, the puck slid into the Soviet end, where Alexander Gusev picked it up, nonchalantly wheeled, and then waltzed down the right side, his eyes on the puck. Bob came roaring across the ice and smashed Gusev into the boards, rattling his bones. The hit was so hard that both players fell to the ice. It was a typical Bob Gainey play.

Bob was an all-around athlete who enjoyed any sport. He retired in 1989 after 16 years with the Montreal Canadiens, and five Stanley Cup championship rings. Bob also served as the Habs' captain from 1981 to 1989, conducting himself with utmost class, both on and off the ice.

In retirement he became one of the NHL's most respected coaches and managers.

Originally Posted By Top 60 Since 1967
Definitive Defensive Forward, But did the father of Soviet hockey really say Gainey was the best player in the world? Probably not. Over the years, the statement has evolved in Tarasov saying that Gainey was "The Most Complete Hockey Player in the world".

It could be argued that Gainey got more mileage out of less natural skill than any Hall of Fame player in history. Sure, he could skate very, very well, and he was strong, and he seemed to think the game on a higher level than most of his peers. His scoring ability was actually underrated during his career- He scored 20 goals four times in 16 seasons and finished his career with a respectable 501 points in 1,160 games- but no elite forward in history defined himself by his ability to defend more than Gainey did.

"There's a lot of dirty work to be done if you're going to win any hockey game, "and I'm one of the guys who goes out and does it. I'm a defensive forward, and I do my job right, no one scores, so no one notices me."

Gainey did gain plenty of notice by capturing the first four Selke trophies as the league's best defensive forward. On a Canadiens team that was so full of speed and artistry in the forwards ranks, Gainey provided the defensive conscience, and while he was shutting down opponent's star players, the Canadiens stars never had to face anyone as good as Gainey defensively and were able to display all there offensive magic.

Gainey said several times during his career that he was glad he never had to face Guy LaFleur, but he did get a steady of diet of players such as Bobby Clarke, Reggie Leach, Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Mike Bossy, and Bryan Trottier. And he shut them down using defensive skills that were every bit as sophisticated as the offensive traits possessed by those whom he was trying to prevent from scoring.

Unlike many checkers who relied on tenaciousness and cheating, Gainey relied on attributes such as superior skating, proper positioning, and angling to take quality ice away from his opponents. He combined that with Physical strength, with which he was able to keep scorers to the outside, far away from the danger areas.

Legacy: The NHL's Best-Ever Shutdown Forward and he did it with class.

Originally Posted By The Top 100 Players In NHL History
Bob Gainey was a steward of the game, a game-shaper who could change the flow and the direction of a game without registering a point. Gainey recorded four 20-goal seasons, but it was his ability to neutralize the opposition's top scorers that made him such an identifiable contributor to the Montreal Canadiens four-year Stanley Cup run of the late 1970's." I can't think of anybody who means more to our team than Bob Gainey," Serge Savard said. " A few guys, like Robinson, LaFleur, Lapointe mean as much, but they're not more important than Gainey".

Originally Posted By Kings Of The Ice
The burly left winger was a tenacious competitor, relentless checker, respected team leader, and a capable contributor on offense.

Originally Posted By Ultimate Hockey
"It starts from the moment he gathers the puck in the graceful curve of his stick. Head up, eyes blazing like hot little coals, he gets beyond one man...then another, and now there is no longer a crowd in Montreal Forum, but a noise engulfing it. This is Bob Gainey"-From Ken Dryden's Book "The Game"

Gainey was one of the finest defensive forwards ever to have performed in the NHL. In "The Game", teammate Ken Dryden's book he wrote: " If I could be a forward, I would want to be Bob Gainey".

Gainey's marvelous combination of defensive and offensive skill spurred the creation of the Selke trophy in 1978. He also won the Conn Smythe trophy in 1979, he represented Canada in the 1976 and 1981 Canada Cups as well as the 1979 Challenge Cup, and earned berths on Four NHL All-Star aquads. He was a man the Soviets called "The World's Best All-Around Hockey Player".

Best Penalty-Killer Of The 1970's
Best Defensive Forward Of The 1970's
Best Corner-Man Of The 1970's

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

John Ross Roach, G

• Stanley Cup starter in 1922
• Third in Hart voting in 1923-24, 1st among goalies.
  This was an incredibly tight vote:
  1. Frank Nighbor, Ott C 37
  2. Sprague Cleghorn, Mtl D 36
  3. John Ross Roach, Tor G 35
• 1931: Single 1st place vote for AS Goalie
• 1932: 4th in AS voting behind Gardiner, Worters and Hainsworth
• 1933: 1st Team All Star. Charlie Gardiner was 2nd. This is the only time from 1931-1934 that Gardiner was beat out. One of two sources indicates that Roach was third in Hart voting.

John Ross Roach was one of the smallest and most exciting goaltenders ever to backstop in the NHL.

Durability:

• Ross Roach played every game of the schedule 9 times
• When he retired in 1935, he ranked 1st in career NHL games played by a wide margin. He had 491 GP. Roy Worters was 2nd with 413 followed by George Hainsworth at 410.
• When he retired in 1935, he ranked 2nd behind Hainsworth in career NHL wins. He had 219 wins, Hainsworth had 221. 3rd place Alec Connell was behind with 191 wins.

• John's thirteen shutouts in 1928-29 were second only to George Hainsworth's NHL-record 22, and has only been surpassed five times in the history of the league.
• In Game One of the 1930 Stanley Cup Semifinals between Roach's Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens, Roach was finally beaten by Gus Rivers near the end of the fourth overtime, ending one of the longest games in Stanley Cup history

His rookie season marked the beginning of a 14-year run in the NHL, a lengthy career by the standards of his day. And during many of those seasons, he was a league leader in games played by a goaltender.

In all, Roach played his feisty brand of acrobatics for the St. Pats and later, the Maple Leafs for seven seasons. In 1928-29, he was traded to the New York Rangers where he led the league in games played for each of his four years on Broadway. All went well until the playoffs of 1932. While facing the Leafs in the finals, the little netminder gave up six goals in each of his three appearances. Toronto took the Cup while Roach was ushered out of town in a cash deal that sent him to Detroit.

In the Motor City, he played solidly and by season's end missed winning the Vezina Trophy by only a fraction of a percentage point. To ease his sorrow, however, he was selected to the All-Star team.

By 1933-34, signs of age and wear began to show in his game. His ice time gradually decreased to the point that he was demoted to the minors with the Detroit Olympics of the IAHL in 1934-35. It was there that Roach hung up his pads for good.

 

[JFA87-66-99]

Neil Colville C/D

- 5'11, 175 Ibs, Shoots: Right, Born 8/4/1914 in Edmonton, Alberta
- Member of the HHOF (1967)
- Stanley Cup Champion (1940)
- Retro Frank J. Selke Trophy (1941)
- NHL 2nd All-Star Team, 3 Times (1939, 1940, *1948) *Defensemen
- Top-10 In Goals, 3 Times (10th-1938, 7th-1939, 6th-1940)
- Top-10 In Assists, 2 Times (10th-1940, 2nd-1941)
- Top-10 In Points, 4 Times (10th-1938, 10th-1939, 7th-1940, 7th-1941)
- NHL All-Star Game (1948)
- Top-7 In All-Star Voting, 5 Times (6th-1937, 5th-1938, 3rd-1941, 6th-1942,*7th-1947)
- Top-5 In Hart Trophy Voting (5th-1938)

Originally Posted By Legends Of Hockey
Neil Colville was both a prominent NHL playmaker and scorer until joining the war in 1942.

From 1942 to 1945, Neil served with the Canadian Armed Forces, stationed in Ottawa where he captained the 1942-43 Allan Cup-winning Ottawa Commandos.

Upon returing to the NHL near the end of the 1944-45 season, he and his brother, both a step slower, took their place on the blueline, the first ever brother combination to do so. Neil's conversion to defence was seamless, and he became the first player to be named to All-Star teams both as a forward and defenceman.

Originally Posted By Joe Pelletier
Neil Colville was the best of the three, hence his inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He cracked the the top ten in scoring five times in a row. He also earned spots on 3 NHL All Star Teams.

Following his military service as a navigator with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Neil returned to New York but the time away had eroded the Bread Line's chemistry. Neil reinvented himself as a defenseman and team captain for four season.

Originally Posted By Ultimate Hockey
Before World War Two, the Rangers were looking to form a line to replace the legendary combination of Bill and Bun Cook, and Frank Boucher. They found the right stuff in Neil Colville, who signed on October 18, 1935, his 19-year old brother Mac , and another youngster Alex Shibicky. The trio, all right-handed shots were an instant hit and Depression-era New York writers dubbed them the "Bread Line". The prematurely grey Neil, at center, was the backbone of the line. He was a fancy stick-handler and play-maker who employed a deceptive body motion. The line was patterned after the Cooks-Boucher trio, noted for precision passing and razzle-dazzle play. In 1942, New York lost the Colville-Colville-Shibicky line to the war effort. While posted in Ottawa, Neil performed for the Ottawa Commandos of the Quebec Senior League, scoring 12 goals and 42 points in only 22 games. The Commandos, combining the collective talent of Colville and a number of NHL stars, won the Allan Cup in 1943. Neil Colville returned to the NHL for four games in early 1945 and was a full-time again for the 1945-1946 season. Colville played defense for the next three seasons. Colville was one of the smarter players of his day. By the mid to late 1940's, he was considered a "Master at the Rangers' style of precision passing". He served as team captain for a number of years, during which time he was named to the Second All-Star Team three times. late in the 1948-1949 season Colville sustained a serious groin injury and retired. He went on to coach the blueshirts.

Not much has been said abou the tall, prematurely grey center and later defenseman who wore the Rangers blue for many seasons. He was one of the finest all-around players of the time

Comparable Recent Player- Ron Francis
In A Word- Veteran
Most Consistent Player Of The 1940's

 

[Velociraptor]

Glen Wesley, D

Position: Defenseman
HT/WT: 6'1", 207 lbs
Handedness: Left
Born: October 2nd, 1968 in Red Deer, AB

- Won the Stanley Cup in 2006.
- 128 goals, 409 assists, 537 points in 1457 games, adding 1045 penalty minutes.
- 15 goals, 37 assists, 52 points in 169 playoff games, adding 141 penalty minutes.

Legends of Hockey

In 1988-89, Wesley scored 19 goals and 54 points from the blueline. He also played in his first mid-season All-Star Game.

In 1989-90, he scored 36 points as the Bruins won the Adams Division season title. In the playoffs, Wesley and the Bruins won the Prince of Wales Trophy before losing once again to the Oilers in the Stanley Cup finals.

In 1990-91, the Red Deer native scored eleven goals and 43 points as the Bruins won the Adams Division season title. In the playoffs, the team reached the Wales Conference finals before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who would go on to win their first Stanley Cup. In what appeared to be a case of déjà vu in next year's playoffs, they again reached the Wales Conference finals before losing to the Penguins, who would go on to win their second successive Stanley Cup.

On August 26, 1994, Wesley was traded to the Hartford Whalers for three first-round draft picks (1995, 1996, and 1997). In 1997-98, he moved with the franchise to Carolina (now the Hurricanes) and scored 25 points while playing all 82 games. In 2001-02, Wesley was a key component on the Hurricane blue line as the team reached the Stanley Cup final for the first time in team history. After knocking off the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina fell in five games to the Detroit Red Wings.

Greatest Hockey Legends

Wesley was a quiet, underrated NHL defenseman for 20 seasons in the NHL. He is perhaps the most popular player in Carolina Hurricanes history.

Showing poise beyond his years, Wesley broke into the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 1987-88. He jumped straight out of junior hockey with the WHL Portland Winterhawks after being drafted 3rd overall in the NHL entry draft. The Bruins acquired that draft choice along with a young Cam Neely from Vancouver. Wesley, had been named the WHL western conference defenseman of the year in each of his last two seasons of junior, sure would have looked good in Vancouver.

The Bruins did not hesitate to included him in their line up. After all, the great Raymond Bourque was in his prime, and would serve as a great mentor. Wesley had an amazing rookie year, being named to the All Rookie team after a season of 7 goals and 37 points. He was an absolute standout in his very first Stanley Cup playoffs that spring. He scored 6 goals and 14 points in leading the Bruins all the way to the finals against eventual winners Edmonton.

The Red Deer native exploded for 19 goals and 54 points in his second season, but somehow there was always this sense that he was being shoe-horned into an offensive role that he really was not suited for. He was an amazing skater and a gifted breakout passer, but for the most part he was just really good at most aspects of the game - but not elite. His offensive totals were inflated somewhat by playing alongside Bourque, especially on the power play.

That is no knock by any means. The Bruins realized this and cut back on his offensive play time and let him evolve into a truly multi-dimensional defenseman. He was the consummate professional - smart, positional defender that was hard to sneak by even though he did not punish anyone physically, and good at headmanning the attack or even joining it at the right times. He rarely made mistakes.

Wesley was traded by the money-tight Bruins in the summer of 1994. The Hartford Whalers, seeking a veteran to guide newcomer Chris Pronger, made an offer that was just too good for the Bruins to pass up - first round picks in 1995 (Kyle McLaren), 1996 (Johnathan Aitken) and 1997 (Sergei Samsonov).

Interestingly, even though the Bruins draft NHL players with the picks, they went into a tailspin without Wesley. Bourque was getting past his prime and without Wesley the Bruins never really had the same depth on the blue line to help him out.

Wesley in the mean time went on to become one of the most respected players in Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes history. He was never a standout and sometimes miscasted as a number one defenseman, but fans and especially coaches appreciated his steadying influence and consistent performance night in and night out.

He would play 13 seasons with the franchises, interrupted only by a playoff rental stint with Toronto in 2003.

The highlight of his career was definitely in 2006 when the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup. Wesley had been fighting for the silver chalice for nearly 2 decades by that point. After getting so close in both his first and third years in the league with Boston, and again in 2002 with the 'Canes, Wesley must have thought the day would never come.

IT WASN'T A TOTAL LOSS TO WESLEY - May 26, 1988

Glen Wesley stunned the capacity crowd early in the second period by swooping on Wayne Gretzky as The Great One fiddled with the puck at the blue line on an Edmonton power play. When Gretzky finally made his move, Wesley kicked away the puck with his skate and started up the ice with Oilers defenseman Kevin Lowe in pursuit. Wesley had Ken Linseman on his left side, but elected to fire the puck himself.

Edmonton goalie Grant Fuhr made the initial stop, but Wesley poked home the rebound for a shorthanded goal at 6:12 to cut Edmonton's lead in half, 2-1.

Just 1:25 later, Wesley struck again, this time with a slap shot from the point on the power play. Linseman took just three seconds to flick him the puck off the faceoff, and the Bruins had grabbed a 3-2 lead.

Wesley reaches stride - Apr 18, 1991

What happened to [Glen Wesley] on his three-year journey to the stars was that, according to [Mike Milbury], "expectations for him ran so high and Ray Bourque's shadow was so large . . . he had to learn to play through the physical stuff, not that he backed off . . . last summer he worked hard and added a little beef. And he has become more consistent at his level than Ray." That takes a little deciphering. Milbury wasn't saying that Wesley is playing better than Bourque, but that he has lifted his game to his own level of consistency.

He was one of the reasons the Bruins reached the Stanley Cup finals in '88. Along that path, Wesley got his first live taste of a Boston-Montreal playoff. "I'd heard about it out West when I was just a kid," he recalled. "Everyone out there talked about it." He remembered being a "a little nervous" in that first series, "but you're always a little nervous in any playoff series." Playing against Montreal, he learned, was everything it was cracked up to be -- "two great organizations with so much tradition, the great old buildings. It's true, it makes the spring great," he said.

SI.com - Mar 9, 2003

Glen Wesley, the anchor of Carolina's defense for nine seasons, was traded Sunday to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a second-round draft ...

Hartford Courant - Aug 27, 1994

The Whalers had planned to sign [Glen Wesley], a restricted free agent, without going through the Bruins. But NHL bylaws forbid teams from having offer sheets out on two players at the same time. The Whalers already signed right wing Steve Rice and are preparing for an arbitration hearing with the Edmonton Oilers for compensation. Both --sides submitted briefs to the league Friday declaring players sought and offered.

So the job is open for Wesley, a top skater with a hard but erratic shot. The Whalers expect Wesley to quarterback the power play, which has been a sore spot.

 

[Velociraptor]

Paul MacLean, RW

Position: Right Wing
HT/WT: 6'2", 218 lbs
Handedness: Right
Nickname(s): "Big Mac"
Born: March 9, 1958 in Grostenquin, France

- 6th in All-Star RW Voting in 1986.
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1985)
- scored 324 goals, 349 assists, 673 points in 719 games played, adding 968 penalty minutes.
- scored 21 goals, 14 assists, 35 points in 53 playoff games played, adding 104 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Powerplay Goals - 3x - (3, 9, 9)
Shooting Percentage - 5x - (4, 5, 6, 9, 10)


Quotes

Legends of Hockey

After a solid junior career, MacLean was drafted by the St.Louis Blues late in the 1978 Amateur Draft. Disillusioned at not making the Blues right away, he decided to attend Dalhousie University in Halifax and play for Canada's Olympic Team rather than play in the minors. The decision was sound, and MacLean feels that the year playing college hockey and for his country fast-tracked his hockey abilities, allowing him to excel once he stepped into the NHL on a full-time basis.

After appearing in but one game for the Blues, Paul MacLean was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 1981. While playing regularly in Manitoba, the big winger blossomed on a line with Dale Hawerchuk. In his rookie season (1981-82), he scored 36 goals. In fact, in his seven seasons with the Jets, MacLean enjoyed three 30-goal seasons and three 40-goal campaigns.

During the 1984-85 season, he went on a tear and finished the season with a career-best 41 goals and 60 assists for 101 points. Winnipeg traded MacLean to Detroit for much-traveled Brent Ashton in 1988, and that season he added another 30-goal season to his resume. But a year later almost to the day, MacLean was part of a blockbuster deal. He and Tony McKegney were sent to Detroit for St.Louis for Adam Oates and Bernie Federko.

Returning to the team that originally drafted him, Paul MacLean enjoyed another thirty-goal season. It was his eighth, but unfortunately, also his last. In 1990-91, he tore rib cartilage, reducing his effectiveness and his games played to 37. He retired that season to take a scouting job with the St.Louis Blues. Although never selected to either the NHL's All-Star team, MacLean put up starring numbers. He retired after ten seasons with 324 goals, 349 assists and 673 points.

Greatest Hockey Legends

Paul MacLean and his big bushy moustache was Dale Hawerchuk's regular right winger for most of his time with the Winnipeg Jets.

Big Mac was a very underrated player in his day, with much of his success immediately credited to his superstar center. The dirty work on that line (often with Brian Mullen on LW) often ended up on MacLean's plate. He was a solid defensive player and, thanks to his size and balance, an above average grinder. It was often MacLean's job to retrieve pucks from the heavy traffic areas in the corners and the slot. He was a handful for defensemen to handle, but because he was generally such a clean player he rarely garnered the notice other lesser players have received.

MacLean had good anticipation skills and surprising speed for such a big man. Offensively he relied on his terrific wrist shot, which feature a very quick release. He was far from one dimensional though, as he had good vision and, with soft passes, he utilized his linemates well.

Despite the promise shown in his first season, little did MacLean know his future did not lie in St. Louis. He was part of a package of players including goalie Ed Staniowski and defenseman Bryan Maxwell shipped to Winnipeg for a big young defenseman named Scott Campbell.

Campbell never really found his way in the NHL, but MacLean sure did. Over the next 9 seasons he was a regular 35 goal scorer. In three seasons he topped the 40 goal mark. Only once in that time span did he fail to reach 30 goals. That injury plagued year he still registered 27 red lights.

All told, Paul MacLean scored 324 goals, 349 assists for 673 points in 719 career games. He became a long time coach following his playing days, finally landing a NHL head bench job in Ottawa in 2011.

If I were to compare Paul MacLean to any other player in NHL history it would have to be Dave Taylor, the long time LA Kings right winger. Both were really solid, physical wingers who played in the shadows of superstar centers (Hawerchuk in Winnipeg and Marcel Dionne in Los Angeles.)

VanIslander

He owned the corners and the boards, drawing defensemen wide, opening up room for his team's centre, burning defenses when they didn't commit physically... 324 goals, 673 points in a mere 719 NHL games (career average of 37 goals a season over 9 seasons!! almost a point per game average!), three 40+ goal seasons, eight 30+ goal seasons, six 100+ PIM seasons (968 PIM total), all-star game (1985), a strong power forward, 4th in Winnipeg Jets all-time career scoring

Toronto Star - Dec 11, 1988

for seven seasons, [Paul MacLean] was a Winnipeg Jet right winger on a line with [Dale Hawerchuk] and only the elite duos of the NHL outscored them. ...

The Pittsburgh Press - Mar 19, 1983

Despite shuffling lines all season to find proper chemistry for the Jets. Watt hasn't touched the line of Paul MacLean, Dale Hawerchuk and XXXXX XXXXXX.

Last night the threesome scored 12 points, to lead the Jets to a 7-3 victory over Toronto.

 

[Hedberg]

D Steve Duchesne

227 G, 525 A, 752 Pts in 1113 GP

2002 Stanley Cup Champion
1994 World Championship Gold Medal
Played in 1989, 1990, 1993 All-Star Game
2nd (88-89), 4th (92-93), 4th (97-98), 6th (94-95), 9th (89-90), 9th (90-91) in Defense Scoring

Legends of Hockey

Duchesne signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings on October 1, 1984. Two seasons later, he made his NHL debut on October 11 against the Islanders. Just four nights later, he scored his first goal against the Detroit Red Wings. In his rookie season he dressed for 75 games, scoring 13 goals and 38 points and was named an All-Rookie Team defenceman. In 1987-88, Duchesne had 55 points and followed that up the following year with 75 points to lead all Kings' defensemen in scoring and was selected to play in his first NHL All-Star Game.

On May 30, 1991, Duchesne was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers and that season, he led all Flyers' defencemen in scoring with 18 goals and 38 assists for 56 points.

King Legends

Steve Duchesne was an excellent offensive catalyst from the blue line. He was an excellent power play quarterback, with his hard, low shot which he somehow usually got through traffic; and his crisp and sudden passes combined his ability to read the breakdowns in the defensive coverage.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Lester Patrick, Coach

As a Player, Coach, or Manager, his teams participated in 15 Stanley Cup Finals (this was highlighted by several newspaper articles when he retired from hockey).

Head Coach of Vancouver Aristocrats / Victoria Cougers (1920-1926)

• His Aristocrat teams were built around defense and goaltending.
• WCHL Championship in 1925 and 1926
• Stanley Cup in 1925 - The only WCHL Team to win the Stanley Cup

Head Coach of the NY Rangers (1926-1939)

• His Rangers Teams were offensive juggernauts
• Only missed the playoffs once as coach of the Rangers
• Won Stanley Cups in 1928 and 1933
• Reached Stanley Cup finals in 1929, 1932, and 1937.
• NHL 1st Team All Star Coach in 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938
• 3rd in All Star Coach votes in 1937, 1939
• Patrick was also GM of the Rangers from 1926-1946

Beginning in 1903, Lester "The Silver Fox" Patrick played a significant role in hockey history for nearly half a century. As a player, he was one of the top rushing defensemen of his day and a team leader. Patrick was also an inspirational coach and a respected team administrator.

Is there one person who has had more impact on the game of hockey than any other? The answer is yes: Lester Patrick - hockey's "Silver Fox".

He is generally regarded as the architect of modern day hockey as his name is identified with many of the major developments in style of play, the organization and expansion of the game.

Artificial ice was not the only invention to the game that the Patricks brought about. Other revolutionary innovations included:

Numbered Jerseys
Blue Lines
Penalty Shots
Allowing of goalies to leave their feet to make a save
Allowing of players to kick the puck
Rewarded assists on goals
"On the fly" line changes
Encourage rushing defensemen
Inaugurated a farm team system
Devised a profitable playoff system which is now used universally.

The NHL adopted everyone of Patrick's innovations, and are still in use today.

Profiles in Excellence

Unfortunately Matt Diabase's Profile of Lester Patrick is not on the internet anymore, but he does mention Lester a few times in profiles of other prominent coaches during the time.

Frank Patrick was the younger brother of Lester Patrick but differed from his more illustrious brother in subtle ways. Lester was charming and convivial in manner; Frank was somber and introspective.

However both brothers shared the same intellectual, cultural, and athletic versatility; and both brothers shared the same genius, passion, and inventiveness for the playing, promoting, coaching, and administration of professional hockey.

http://insidehockey.com/profiles-in-excellence-frank-patrick

Muldoon’s teams were unlike those of Frank and Lester Patrick. Frank Patrick won primarily with offense; Lester, with defense and goal-tending. Muldoon’s teams were the most consistently well-balanced in the PCHA.

http://insidehockey.com/profiles-in-excellence-pete-muldoon

Note that Diabase is specifically talking about Lester as coach of the Aristocrats/Victorias of the PCHA/WCHL. In his (now down) article on Lester Patrick, he specifically mentioned how Patrick could win both ways - with defense and goaltending in the PCHA/WCHL and with offense in the NHL (as head coach of the Rangers).

Books

It said something of Lester's leadership qualities that after being made captain of the Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Wanderers in his second year, he was named skipper of the Renfrew Millionaires in their first season, before the players had even had their first casual skate together

"With five minutes to go, Lester Patrick spoke to the timekeeper and to each Wanderer individually", wrote Bill Westwick of The Ottawa Journal in a cup flashback article in 1957. "It was probably one of the greatest pep talks ever spoken." "It was a masterly stroke; the genius of a general," said the 1906 Ottawa Journal writer about Patrick.

Like Smythe, Patrick was a martinet who demanded strict obedience from his charges. He, too, was particularly rigid regarding curfews.

Newspapers

A year ago when Fowler joined the Spokane club he was carefully coached by Lester Patrick, told what to do and when to do it. Lester tore loose with one of his great before-the-battle speeches and Fowler, sitting idly by took it all in without even cracking a smile. Altogether Lester used up five minutes of his most valuable time in coaching his goalie and when it was all over the youngster, stretching himself and yanking on his pads, observed - "I take it that you want me to go out and play my usual game." That after-dinner remark made him famous. He stepped out and played a sensational game in goal - his usual game, he called it - and he's been doing the same ever since

It was Lester Patrick, guiding genius of the New York Rangers, talking after seeing his charges throw back the first game challenge of the hockey-weary Toronto Maple Leafs...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=5352,1930070&dq=lester+patrick&hl=en

When it comes to hockey player psychology, Lester Patrick need doth his hat to no man.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AIBAJ&pg=6603,3032566&dq=lester+patrick&hl=en

I don't think it is possible to fully describe the many contributions he made to the game in his lifetime as a player, coach, manager, team owner, league governor, and most recently, chairman of the selection Committee of the Hockey Hall of Fame

He was identified with most of the major developments in style of play, the organization and expansion of the game...

-Patrick's Obituary, June 2, 1960

Was Lester Patrick the First Coach in Hockey to Implement a Regular Shift System?

Blame Dandurand For Wide Margin

Victoria Paper Declares Canadiens Were Crippled by Failure to Use Subs

Commenting on Saturday night's game the sporting editor of the Times says: "Canadiens might have held the score much closer had they taken the game and particularly the western rules more seriously. An effort was made to explain fully the new forward pass to them, but they thought they could familiarize themselves with it within a few minutes of play. They never solved the play, which Victoria had developed on this new rule, once during the night, and that is why Sprague Cleghorn and Coute were made to look so foolish so many times. After the game Vezina said he never saw so many pucks in his life.

"Manager Dandurand made a grave error in making Joliat, Morenz and Boucher go the full distance. This trio had to work against two forward lines which Lester Patrick operated at ten minute stretches. Morenz, brilliant though he was, could not cope with Fredrickson for ten minutes and then have the tricky Foyston thrown at him for another ten minutes. The same applied to the wings, Hart and Meeking working shifts against Boucher while Walker and Anderson paired off against Joliat.

The Morning Leader, March 24, 1925

It seems that Lester Patrick may well have been the first coach in hockey history to implement a regular shift system, and that this system succeeded in getting performance out of a couple of players in Foyston and Walker who had looked somewhat past their primes before the PCHA folded. As we will see later, Patrick's system was most likely essentially a system of "pressure hockey" - high energy, tight checking hockey that wasn't unusually potent offensively, but left the opposition breathless with its defensive energy.

Moving onto Game 4 (the Vics' clincher), we again see descriptions of Lester Patrick's hard skating shift system, considered a novelty at the time.

Lester Patrick tonight realized an ambition he has cherished for 12 years when his Cougars handily trimmed the Canadiens in the fourth and deciding game of the world series for possession of the Stanley Cup. The score was 6 to 1 and left no question as to which team was the superior. Victoria skated the visitors to death and in the final period had 21 shots on goal while Dandurand's former Stanley Cup holders had but six. As a result of the win, Victoria becomes the home of the world's championship for 1925.

In the opening period the Cougars looked like a different team to the one which floundered to defeat before the Canadiens here last Friday night. They set a terrific pace all the way and Lester Patrick substituted his line every five minutes to as to give the Frenchmen no chance to catch their breath.

Regulars Play Whole Game

Manager Dandurand made his six regulars go the full route and they lay back on the defense quite often in order to recuperate from the hard going and the particularly stiff body-checking of the Victoria defense. The Canadiens did not take any too kindly to the bouncing methods of Victoria, and Coutu ran into a fight with Loughlin, and Joliat alse resented a jolting hip from the Victoria skipper.

Five minutes after the start Fredrickson, whose flashing attack was the bright light of the first period, fooled Vezina with a wicked shot. Despite the terrific pressure by Victoria, Vezina failed to ease up on any more shots.

Morning Leader, March 28, 1925

It seems that Victoria swamped the Canadiens with depth and speed and simply skated them into the ground, using perhaps the first short shift (if one can call five minutes short) system in hockey history to great effect.

We will see later that Frank Fredrickson was considered a good two-way player, but in the context of this Cup series, the credit for keeping the Canadiens and specifically Howie Morenz under wraps (other than his Game 3 hat trick) has to be spread around. Jack Walker, the old hook check master, was the Vics' best defender in open ice, and surely helped defend not only his own lane, but also the entire ice with his hook checking. Frank Foyston also got half of the icetime against Morenz, and seems to have played quite well. And then of course there is Lester Patrick, the old fox, the brain behind the system. So while it's a nice feather in Fredrickson's cap to have been part of a tight defensive pressure system that shut down the Flying Frenchmen, he was far from alone in the effort.

Brief Video about Lester Here: http://www.historica-dominion.ca/content/heritage-minutes/lester-patrick

 

[BillyShoe1721]

G Henrik Lundqvist

3x NHL All Star Game Participant
2x Top 14 Hart Voting (9, 14)
6x Top 6 Vezina Voting (3, 3, 3, 4, 6, 6)
6x Top 9 AS Voting (3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9)
6x Top 10 Wins (4, 4, 5*, 6, 8, 10)
6x Top 8 GAA (3*, 5, 6, 6, 8, 8)
5x Top 10 SV% (2*, 4, 7, 8, 10)
4x Top 6 Shutouts (1, 1, 1*, 6)

*-denotes current 11-12 NHL season

5x New York Rangers MVP(2007-2011
NHL All-Rookie Team, 05-06
2006 Olympic Gold Medalist
2x World Championships Silver Medalist(03, 04)
2002 World Championship Gold Medalist
World Championships Best Goaltender & AS Team, 2004
Only goaltender in NHL history with 30 wins in each of his first 7 seasons(the most anyone else has had is 3)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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