ATD 2013 BIO Thread (quotes, stats, pics, sources, everything)

[BubbaBoot]

Viktor Shuvalov
center

• Shoots: Left • Height: 6-0 • Weight: 190 lbs. •
• Born: December 15, 1923 • Ruzayevka, USSR •
• Played: 1947/48 - 1957/58 •
• USSR / Russia Hall of Fame: 1953 •

• Championships •
1951 VVS Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1952 VVS Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1953 VVS Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1955 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)
1956 CSKA Moscow (USSR/Russia Elite)

• International Medals •
1954 - Gold • World Championships / European Championships (Stockholm)
1955 - Gold • European Championships (West Germany)
1956 - Gold • Olympics / World Championships / European Championships (Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy)
1955 - Silver • World Championships (West Germany)
- - The IIHF counted the 1954 & 1955 European and World Championships as one.
- - The IIHF counted the 1956 Olympic Games, European and World Championships as one.

• Awards •
1950 • Best goal scorer (USSR/Russia Elite)
2013 • IIHF Milestone Trophy (member: 1954 Soviet Union World Championship team)

• Honors •
1949-50 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1950-51 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1951-52 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1952-53 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team
1953-54 USSR/Russia Elite All-Star Team

• USSR/Russia Elite MVP Voting •
- 1952 (8th)

• Achievements •
• Games Played
- Career International • 51 (40 goals)
- Career USSR/Russia Elite League • 150 (222 goals)

• Goals
1949-50 • VVS Moscow (USSR/Russian Elite) - 31 (1)
1950-51 • VVS Moscow (USSR/Russian Elite) - 25 (2)
1951-52 • VVS Moscow (USSR/Russian Elite) - 31 (2)
1952-53 • VVS Moscow (USSR/Russian Elite) - 44 (1)

[courtesy below from seventieslord bio]
- Finished 2nd, 2nd, 3rd on Russia in his three Int'l tournaments - only ever finished behind XXXXXXX and XXXXXX.
- Placed 1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 4th in Russian League Scoring (1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954)
- Had 4 of his 5 top-5 seasons separate from XXXXXX/XXXXXX.

• career stats •

| gms| G | A | TP | PIMs|+/-| G/gm| A/gm| PP| SH
USSR/Russia Elite | 150 |222 | | ||| 1.48 | ||
International | 51|40|||||.78||||

• Accolades •

Viktor Grigoryevich Shuvalov (Russian: Виктор Григорьевич Шувалов; born December 15, 1923) is a retired ice hockey player who played in the Soviet Hockey League. He was born in Ruzayevka, Russia. He played for HC CSKA Moscow. He was inducted into the Russian and Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame in 1953. He also played soccer in the Soviet Top League for VVS Moscow from 1950 to 1952.

Bobrov and Guryshev were among the goal scorers when the Russians humbled Toronto East York in 1954 for their first world title. But the the chief Russian threat was Viktor Shuvalov.....

Like many other early Soviet ice hockey players, Viktor Shuvalov excelled in football in the summer and ice hockey in the winter. Shuvalov started his career in 1947 with Dzerzhinets Chelyabinsk (now Traktor Chelyabinsk), where he played both football and ice hockey. In 1949 he joined VVS Moskva, where he played until 1953. He then joined CSKA Moskva and he ended his career in 1957-58, playing with SKA Kalinin (now Tver). Shuvalov won five Soviet Championships (1951-53, and 1955-56) and was the best goal scorer at the Soviet Championships in 1950 (31 goals) and 1953 (44 goals, with Aleksey Guryshev).

Internationally, Shuvalov, with his club mates from VVS Moskva and later with CSKA Moskva Vsevolod Bobrov and Yevginy Babich, were considered one of the best lines in the mid-50s. The trio scored about 200 goals in 50 or so matches from 1954 to 1956. Besides his Olympic gold, Shuvalov was World Champion in 1954 and 1956 and was second in 1955. He also won European Championships in 1954-56.

When still an active player in 1957, Shuvalov started to work as a head coach of SKA Kalinin. After retirement in 1958, he continued to coach SKA Kalinin until 1964. He was head coach of Kristall Elektrostal and in 1969-70 was an assistant coach of Spartak Moskva, winning Soviet Championships with them in 1970 and placing second in 1969. He then worked with the Soviet Committee for Physical Culture and Sports and was also a children’s hockey coach in Spartak Moskva.

Playing in the shadows of Vsevolod Bobrov and Yevginy Babich, center Viktor Shuvalov is a forgotten early great of Soviet hockey.

The 5-time Soviet all star and USSR league champion often played with Vsevolod Bobrov and Yevginy Babich. Shuvalov, who scored 222 goals in 150 Russian league games, was described as "equally outstanding" as his more famous linemates. Shuvalov was "the driving force behind Bobrov's troika.".

Shuvalov sacrificed his own offensive desires to allow his less-than-defensive-conscious linemates to exploit napping defenses. Shuvalov, like all classic Russian centermen, always came back deep in the defensive zone, helping out the dmen. He then would spring his wingmen with breakout passes, trailing behind them almost like a defenseman jumping into the rush nowadays. He would often stay high for defensive purposes, but at other times he would park himself in the slot.

Being the line's defensive conscious meant that he was underrated not only historians but by opponents at the time. They would focus primarily on Bobrov and also Babich, often leaving the trailing Shuvalov unguarded, allowing him to score often.

Shuvalov, one of the earliest Soviet proponents of the slap shot, was a great athlete. He actually played 2 years of soccer at the highest Russian level.

(from seventieslord bio)

Shuvalov was a leader, had strong character... Their relationship wasn't always smooth because Bobrov always demanded that the game be focused on him... Once Shuvalov understood that it was Bobrov who always drew at least two opposing players to the center line, he reconciled himself to the fact that Bobrov was the dominant member of the line.

..his style of play changed acordingly. At the beginning of an attack, Shuvalov would get Bobrov and Babich to the opposing team's goal with a series of strategic passes. If the attack folded up, Shuvalov could be counted on to back up his partners, and he frequently functioned as an offensive defenseman. he had quickly become a skillful and versatile player. Shuvalov also varied his game in front of the goal. He would position himself not right in front of the goal itself but farther back, giving the opportunity to attack and if need be, fall back and take up a defense position.

The fact that opposing teams beefed up their efforts to guard Bobrov and Babich meant Shuvalov was often left unguarded, and he lost no time taking advantage of that situation. He would fire the puck on the fly without bothering to set it up. His stability on ice was a great boon to him... with bowed legs spread wide in a low crouch he could avoid sudden bodychecks.

A hockey master is remembered by fans because of his unique abilities and individuality. This can take many forms - superb stickhandling, shots on goal, speed, and superior strategy. Viktor Shuvalov had a number of original techniques, among them his famous slapshot that flew four to six inches above the ice...Despite Bobrov's dominance, Shuvalov was a very valuable member of the famous forward line. His often dazzling and original playing style was backed up by high-scoring performances. When Shuvalov played alongside Bobrov at the WC, their scoring performances were virtually equal... He was a man who had his own views on the game, which is perhaps why he quit so early to take up coaching...

 

[tony d]

Left Winger Dean Prentice

Position: LW ▪ Shoots: Left
Height: 5-11 ▪ Weight: 180 lbs.
Born: October 5, 1932 (Age 80) in Schumacher, Ontario

Some stats on Prentice:

-4 time NHL All Star
-1 time post season all star
-2 Top 10 finishes in goal, 1 time top 10 in assists and 1 time top 10 in points
-391 goals and 469 points for 860 points in 1370 games
- 1 top 10 finish in PP goals and 3 top 10 finishes in SH goals

Legends of Hockey:

Prentice eventually settled onto a line with Andy Bathgate and Larry Popein. The trio became the Rangers' most successful unit. Prentice became the two-way standout who excelled at backchecking, killing penalties, working the corners and jumping onto the powerplay. But his quiet, unassuming personality took a back seat to the more colourful Bathgate who was the dipsy-doodler and scorer among the trio. As such, Prentice has been characterized as the most underrated forward of his era.

A solid 2 way forward Prentice should slot in well on Baltimore's 2nd line with Adam Oates and Peter Bondra.

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their 22nd round pick (688) in the 2013 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: G, Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Career Highlights:

2003 Conn Smythe Tropy Winner (Anaheim)
2007 Stanley Cup Champion (Anaheim)


Vitals:

Born: May 16, 1977
Position: G
Height: 6-1
Weight: 202 lbs


Regular Season:

Up until 2011-2012 JS Giguere has racked up 246 wins in the NHL while being a very solid 79.1 goals better than a league average replacement.
Source:http://hockeygoalies.org/bio/giguere.html


Playoffs:

JS Giguere will always be most well known for his playoff performances:

During the 2003 season, he backstopped the underdog Anaheim team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals while posting an incredible 0.945 save percentage and 1.62GAA. Over 21 games in that playoff run, he was over one goal per game (21.8 goals) better than replacement! For his efforts he was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP in spite of the fact his team was unable to win the Stanley Cup.

In 2007, Giguere would finally drink from Lord Stanley's Cup as he backstopped Anaheim to the finals once again, this time prevailing. He posted a 0.922 save percentage and a 1.97 GAA during that playoffs.

Source:http://hockeygoalies.org/bio/giguere.html


Quotations and Perspective:

After tonight's 4-0 victory, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks lead the Western Conference finals by 3-0 over the Minnesota Wild. But some questions remain.

Can the Wild score a goal in this series against Jean-Sébastien Giguère? Perhaps.

Can the Wild win a game? It's possible.

Can the Wild win four consecutive games and reach the Stanley Cup finals? Not likely.

...

Giguère became the sixth goalie in league history to have three consecutive shutouts in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He is the first goalie to record three consecutive shutouts in a conference finals.

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/15/sports/hockey-what-can-the-wild-do-against-giguere-nothing.html

Took them to task. Called them out. Told them about their business.

Whatever you want to call it, the first turning point of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, 2-2, going into Thursday's Game 5, might've been Friday's public scolding from Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

In the two games before Giguere's comments, the Mighty Ducks didn't look just happy to be here. They looked just ambivalent about being here. New Jersey's complete control of Games 1 and 2 was accepted meekly.

In the two games after Giguere's comments, the Mighty Ducks carried the play and got two deserved overtime wins.
...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XCgqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MUgEAAAAIBAJ&dq=giguere&pg=5392,500664

Poor, underappreciated Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

One game away from the Stanley Cup finals and rarely has a kind word been spoken about the Ducks' netminder, who has been almost unbeatable throughout the postseason.

...

Giguere has, of course, been splendid this spring. He has a 1.78 goals-against average and .935 save percentage. He also remains a rock in overtime, when he has a 12-1 lifetime postseason record, the best run to start an NHL playoff career.

"We've always asked our goaltenders, and I don't think we're any different than any other group, to give you a chance," Carlyle said. "And, some nights, he's required to be more of an outstanding individual than other nights.

"And I think the whole thing about this is that he hasn't made too many mistakes. He's played solid. We've given up some prime chances where he's been in position."

As far as the overtime record, Carlyle said Giguere has risen to one of the game's most difficult challenges.

"It's a mark that the individual has been able to rise to the occasion and raise the level of his game in intense situations," Carlyle said. "It's not a lot of fun where you're playing overtime and the one shot can beat you. He's the last line of defense and it takes a lot of courage and a lot of resiliency and a lot of confidence in his style and the way he plays."

Giguere did not start the first four games of the playoffs while tending to his infant son, who was born with an eye deformity on the eve of the playoffs. He spoke Monday about how the trauma has reinforced his perspective on family.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2007/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2878765

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere was reluctant to dwell on his sixth career post-season shutout after his team beat the Ottawa Senators 1-0 in Game Two of the Stanley Cup finals on Wednesday.

Giguere, the Conn Smythe winner (Stanley Cup playoff MVP) when the Ducks lost to the New Jersey Devils in 2003, had to make only 16 saves as his top-rated defense held firm.

"I'm feeling pretty good on the ice but this is a totally different season," the 30-year-old from Montreal told reporters after the Ducks went 2-0 up in the best-of-seven series.

"Our team is a lot more talented, we have a lot more offensive power and a lot more size.

"It makes my job much easier. I just have to go out there and give our team a chance to win. That's all I try to do, that's what I focus on."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/05/31/us-nhl-stanley-giguere-idUSN3145873120070531

​

 

[Johnny Engine]

Yevgeny Babich

Born: January 7, 1921, Moscow, Soviet Union
Died: June 11, 1972 (aged 51)
Height: 5'7"
Weight[:/B] 160 lbs
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Left
Team: HC CSKA Moscow.

Gold Medal winner, 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics
Inducted into the Russian and Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame: 1953.

Yevgeny Babich is a versatile forward who should be considered an excellent 4th line defensive option, or a capable spare glue guy in offensive roles.

Joe Pelletier on Babich:

Tarasov admired Bobrov's skill level, but he felt Babich was the better player. Babich was a complete player who sacrificed the spotlight for the good of the team. Babich, who could probably be compared to a Sergei Fedorov, and Shuvalov did the "hard labour" while Bobrov finished plays off with a scoring chance. The trio worked as a team, with the purpose being to get the puck to Bobrov.


"If we rejected the 1+2 principle (one scorer and two assistants)," [Tarasov] wrote, "then how were we to build our forward line? Perhaps, we should include three aces, three Bobrovs, all the more so since with the passing of time more high-calibre players appeared. However, was it possible for three Bobrovs' to play on the same line - three outstanding but quite similar attacking players? I do not think so. But three men like Babich could have made a winning combination. In fact, I feel sure that even the best defensemen in the world could not stop a line of three Babichs. Because Babich could do everything. He would wind up a beautiful attack, he could feed his partners sizzling passes and if need be, he could play defense!"

The great international hockey book Kings of the Ice describes Babich as "a real spark plug" who "constantly revved up the pace of the game by rushing forward and raising the intensity of every play." He was small and slight, but he could absolutely jet down the wings. Then he would stop on a dime and feed a beautiful pass to a trailing attacker, all the while opening up a large avenue directly to the net.

 

[tony d]

Right Winger Peter Bondra

Position: RW ▪ Shoots: Left
Height: 6-0 ▪ Weight: 200 lbs.
Born: February 7, 1968 in Luck, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Bondra's stats:

-503 goals and 389 assists for 892 points in 1081 career games
-56 points in 80 career playoff games
-5 time regular season all star
-2 time leader in goals for a season
-2 time 50 goal scorer

Legends of Hockey:

Bondra has always been willful, a fighter who does not shy away from rough play but will not tolerate cheap shots. But he is best known as a skilled sharpshooter who can pick off a corner of the net from almost any distance. As early as his second season with Kosice he was considered one of the top shooters in the Czech league. He even helped Kosice win a championship in 1988.

Bondra was truly a workhorse for the team, which even managed to eliminate the Buffalo Sabres who were led by the phenomenal netminding of Dominik Hasek in the Eastern Conference finals

Joe Pelletier:

Bondra was an explosive skater with a wide skating stance that gave him impenetrable balance. With a loose puck up for grabs he was like a sprinter out of the starting blocks. He could handle the puck too at top speed, often cutting in on his off wing and shooting in stride.

Though he was not a noted playmaker, Bondra was a very committed team player. He did not neglect his defensive duties, and was a regular on the PK unit.

Really glad to have Bondra on the Blades. Him and Adam Oates on the same line should be all kinds of good.

 

[Dreakmur]

Billy Boucher !!!


Awards of Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (1924)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Points - 3rd(1923), 3rd(1924), 7th(1925), 12th(1922)
Goals - 2nd(1923), 2nd(1924), 8th(1922), 9th(1925)
Assists - 3rd(1924), 3rd(1925), 12th(1923)

Play-off Goals - 2nd(1924), 5th(1925)


Consolidated Accomplishments:
Points - 5th(1924), 6th(1923), 8th(1925)
Goals - 3rd(1923), 6th(1924), 13th(1925), 20th(1922)
Assists - 3rd(1925), 4th(1924)


5-Year Peak: 1922-1926
3rd in Points, 72% of 2nd place Babe Dye
3rd in Goals, 67% of 2nd place Cy Denneny
5th in Assists, 77% of 2nd place Reg Noble


Scoring Percentages:
Points - 93(1924), 84(1923), 71(1925), 44(1922), 31(1926), 16(1927)
Best 6 Seasons: 339


Team Scoring:
Points - 1st(1923), 1st(1924), 3rd(1922), 3rd(1925), 3rd(1926)

Billy Boucher was a dangerous scorer who spent the bulk of his career in the 1920s with the Montreal Canadiens. At his peak he topped the 15-goal mark four straight years and played a gritty style when necessary.

The Ottawa native spent four years in the local senior league with the Munitions club beginning in 1916-17. After playing in the NOHA for Iroquois Falls Paper in 1920-21, Boucher made his NHL debut with the Canadiens. He scored 23 goals in 1922-23 then registered eight points in five playoff games the next year to help Montreal win the Stanley Cup. In addition to his offensive exploits, Boucher led the NHL in penalty minutes in 1923 and 1925.

A strong skater with dangerous offensive skills, the rookie right wing scored 17 goals, serving notice that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with.

The following year, Boucher let his opponents know that despite standing 5-foot-7 and weighing only 155 pounds, he would not be intimidated by underhanded tactics. Fouls were returned in kind and as a result, the diminutive forward led the NHL in penalty minutes. His 24 goals in as many games were good enough for second place in the league and the scrappy forward finished fourth overall in the scoring race.

In 1923-24, Boucher and left wing Aurèle Joliat were assigned a rookie center named Howie Morenz, forming a trio that would wreak havoc on defensemen around the league for the next several seasons. Boucher led the Canadiens in scoring that year and was runner-up for league scoring honors.

​

 

[VanIslander]

left winger Charley "Rabbit" McVeigh, the 1923 WCHL all-star, 1927 NHL retroSelke as a fast and feisty fan-favorite Chicago Blackhawk, who went on from there to the NY Americans for seven years through the early 1930's as a top-3 scorer for the woeful club. He played all three forward positions on the top line, though is most often cited as a left winger. The tough little 5'6 superpest was a scoring line role player, having played nine full NHL seasons mostly on one of the top lines after five years in the Western league, having four times scored double digits in NHL goals, his last six years double digits in assists. He is identified as the star of the game in ending the Bruins 14-game winning streak in 1930. He had 172 points in 397 NHL games, and retired as one of the most popular players for the defunct NHL franchise, the NY Americans. McVeigh went on to a career as an NHL linesman and referee.

"Pint-sized Charles ("Rabbit") McVeigh came home from World War I hard of hearing and full of fight. Like many another Canadian, he turned to U. S. hockey for a living. A star forward, the scrappy little fellow made a name for himself as a rough-&-tumble player, who never minded how big they came. Some time ago National Hockey League Linesman McVeigh, fractious as ever, called a close one on the Detroit Red Wings. Up streaked burly Ebbie Goodfellow, Red Wings captain, to give the umpire a piece of his mind. Calmly eying the big man hovering over him, McVeigh waited until he paused for breath, then let him have one. 'Listen!' said he icily, 'In the last war I got a dollar ten a day for killing big tramps like you!'"

... the pestiferous Rabbit McVeigh...

... McVeigh skated up fast and regained the rubber...

... his speed and agility earned him the reputation as the league's best ragger...

He not only had a dynamic personality and plenty of color but he gave the best at all times and was a credit to the game.

Forward Charley McVeigh was a consistent two-way player for nearly 400 games in the 1920s and '30s. He managed to hit double figures in goals four times despite playing on weak teams for most of his career.

... is always dangerous on the attack...

McVeigh, the tiny veteran who won his name by his agility at jumping over his rival's sticks without losing the puck.

It was Rabbit McVeigh, the distinctive American.. who stood out for the losers. McVeigh broke like a flash and scurried by the Canadian defence to test Hainsworth brilliantly,..."

The team came to Chicago with a fair amount of talent, including a trio of speedy forwards: Charles "Rabbit" McVeigh, Dick Irvin and Mickey MacKay.

"Dick Irvin, Mickey MacKay, George Hay and Rabbit McVeigh were the cornerstone of the Chicago franchise."

McVeigh, a real goal-getter as well as a skating whirlwind and amateur contortionist. McVeigh is called the most popular player in Chicago and it's not all because he can tumble around the ice like a jumping jack.

The Black Hawks played a lively and determined sort of hockey,... The Chicago attack was strong with McVeigh and Keats leading the van,...

"McVeigh is a colorful player and will be well liked by the fans"

Here he ties up the game with 5 seconds remaining in a come from 0-4 behind 5-4 victory for the Chicago Blackhawks over the Montreal Maroons in 1927: http://books.google.ca/books?id=COb...esnum=1&ved=0CAUQ6AEwADgU#v=onepage&q&f=false

Charles ' Rabbit' McVeigh induction ceremony video into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQipnWhS5F8

 

[tony d]

Left winger J.P. Parise

Biographical Information:

Position: LW ▪ Shoots: Left
Height: 5-9 ▪ Weight: 175 lbs.
Born: December 11, 1941 (Age 71) in Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario

Some stats on Parise:

-594 points in 890 career games
-58 points in 86 career playoff games
-2 time all star
-1 time top finish in each of assists, points, game winning goals

Legends Of Hockey:

While toiling with the Rochester Americans in December 1967, the big-league doors swung wide open as his rights were secured by the Minnesota North Stars. In Minneapolis, Parise found the perfect venue for his defensively sound, two-way game. He became known as the four-wheeled drive of the Stars' attack. He joined Jude Drouin and Bill Goldsworthy on a line that brought credibility to the club's attack up front.

Over the next seven-and-a-half years, Parise hustled as a popular but unsung type who carried his pick, shovel and lunch pail to work each night to dig for pucks and to score clutch goals from time to time.

His working-class anonymity quickly dissolved, however, when he was selected as a checking specialist for Team Canada during the Summit Series of 1972. He joined Wayne Cashman and Phil Esposito as the designated corner man assigned to feed pucks to goal-crease resident Esposito.

1972 SummitSeries.com

A self described journeyman hockey player, J.P. Parise was a surprise inclusion on the initial version of Team Canada. But his hustle and determination proved to be valuable assets for the team, and the man who was surprised to play any games ended up playing in 6 out of 8 games against the Soviets.

Parise's stats may not jump out at anyone but the guy should provide the Blades with hard work throughout the season, glad to have picked him.

 

[tony d]

Centre Brent Sutter

Biographical Information:

Position: C ▪ Shoots: Right
Height: 6-0 ▪ Weight: 192 lbs.
Born: June 10, 1962 (Age 50) in Viking, Alberta

Some stats on Sutter:

-363 Goals, 466 Assists for 829 Points in 1111 Career NHL games
-74 Points in 144 Career Playoff games
-1 Time All Star
-18 Career Short Handed Goals (82nd most all time)
-1 Top 10 Finish in Points for a Season

Legends Of Hockey:

He (Sutter)was known around the league as a tough, hard-working player with a complete game, as adept at scoring goals as he was at mixing it up in the corners. Brent played the classic "Sutter" game, but he was likely the one who took the family business to the highest level.

Joe Pelletier:

Brent's scoring exploits tailed off soon thereafter, however he continued his defensive excellence. He drew the major checking assignments and took all of the crucial face-offs.

Brent truly was a leader wherever he played. Everybody looked up to him. Often he played hurt but he still worked harder than anyone else on the team. He never quit, no matter what the score was. In each and every of his 1111 regular season games and 144 playoff games he played his heart out in typical Sutter fashion, making his parents, brothers, teammates and millions of hockey fans proud of a hockey player who at all times put his team ahead of himself.

Really glad to have gotten Sutter on my team, seems like such a hard worker which is the type of style I'm trying to achieve with this team.
Legends Of Hockey:

 

[Velociraptor]

Gerry Cheevers, G

Position: Goaltender
HT/WT: 5'11", 190 lbs
Catches: Left
Nickname(s): "Cheesey"
Born: December 7th, 1940 in St. Catharines, ON

- Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.
- 4-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1970, 1972)
- Finished Top-10 6 times in All-Star Voting - (3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7)
- Played in the NHL All-Star Game once - (1969)
- 1-time recipient of the WHA Top Goaltender Award - (1973)
- 1-acknowledgement for WHA First All-Star Team - (1973)
- 2-acknowledgements for WHA Second All-Star Team - (1974, 1975)
- 230 wins, 26 shutouts, career GAA of 2.89 in 418 games played.
- 53 wins, 8 shutouts, career GAA of 2.69 in 88 playoff games played.

Top 10 Finishes:
Wins - 8x - (2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8)
Goals Against Average - 6x - (6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 10)
Shutouts - 7x - (2, 5, 7, 8, 8, 8, 10)

Quotes

Certainly we had Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito, but I'm sure we couldn't have won the Cups without Gerry Cheevers.

Greatest Hockey Legends

Beyond the mask, Cheevers is remembered as one of the greatest goaltenders in history, despite never winning a Vezina or never making a NHL All Star team.

He was an extremely popular figure and among the most entertaining goaltenders in hockey history. "Cheesey" had a style described as "aggressive and instinctive." He loved to skate around the ice and handle the puck, becoming one of the earliest goalies to roam the ice. A standup goalie who charged out of his net to challenge shooters, he was far from the perfect textbook goalie. Instead he relied on great reflexes and anticipation, often making saves look incredibly spectacular.

"Cheevers is the most exciting goalie you'll ever see," said Joe Crozier, a former goalie great and Cheevers minor league coach in Rochester. "He'll have your fans on the edge of their seats all night."

He was also very combative, not afraid to mix it up and take matters into his own hands, much like a later-day Billy Smith or Ron Hextall. The truculent goalie's combined 304 career PIMs between the NHL and WHA were once a major league record.

He was also recognized as one of hockey's true clutch goaltenders. He backstopped the Bruins to two Stanley Cup championships, in 1970 and 1972, and helped them reach the finals in 1976-77 and 1977-78. Cheevers was one of the all time best "money" goalies. When the games were big, Cheevers was at his best.

One of the first aggressive, straying goalies, Gerry "Cheesy" Cheevers was the backbone of the offensively talented Boston Bruins that won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972. It was an improbable peak to a career that began inauspiciously during the Original Six years, when there were exactly six goalies in the National Hockey League - and he wasn't one of them.

By 1968 he was the number one man in Boston, the savior on a team that had the incomparable Bobby Orr and, soon, Phil Esposito and the other great scoring stars. While all the others were in the offensive zone putting the puck in the net, Cheevers was frequently left to his own devices to prevent goals. The only criticism, one that stuck with him his whole career, was that he roamed too much, sometimes with negative consequences.

Cheevers was considered the finest playoff goalie of his day thanks in part to his team attitude. He didn't care how many goals he let in as long as his Bruins scored one more. Shutouts and trophies meant nothing. Only the Stanley Cup counted. His career playoff record was 53-34, one of the best ratios in league history.

 

[Velociraptor]

Alvin McDonald, LW/C

Position: Left Wing (predominantly)/Centre
HT/WT: 6'3", 192 lbs
Handedness: Left
Nickname(s): "Ab"
Born: February 18th, 1936, Winnipeg, MB

- 5-time top-10 in All-Star LW Voting (5, 5, 8, 9)
- 4-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961)
- played in five NHL All-Star Games - (1958, 1959, 1961, 1968, 1970)
- scored 182 goals and 248 assists for 430 points in 762 games, adding 200 penalty minutes.
- scored 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points in 107 playoff games, adding 84 penalty minutes.

Top 10 Finishes:
Assists - 1x - (7)

Quotes

I guess we got our nickname because we moved the puck around so well and that we were all over the ice when we played. We just seemed to hit it off just right when we were put together. It was the highlight of my career playing with these two guys. We scored a lot of points during the time we were together. We were a good two-way line. Not only could we score, but we could check as well. And that was something I had learned during my days at Montreal. Since I didn't score many goals with the Canadiens when I played with them. I had to do something else in order to survive. So I became a checker, a two-way player. That was something Montreal couldn't take away from me. I just took it with me to Chicago and used it to my advantage

Greatest Hockey Legends

Ab was a heady hockey player, a good playmaker whose size made it difficult for opposite defensemen to move him out of the slot. He was a good positional forward who made few mistakes. He was not the fastest player around but his lanky stride got him moving pretty well.

How many players can claim that they were in eight Stanley Cup finals with four different teams, winning the Stanley Cup four times as well as winning the Stanley Cup the first four years in the league? Not many, but Ab can.

Legends of Hockey

Left-winger Ab McDonald was a creative offensive player who could also stay with his check and kill penalties. He played nearly 800 games for six different clubs in a career that lasted from the late 1950s to the early '70s.

The Leader-Post - Dec. 3, 1969

Ab McDonald of St. Louis Blues must be considered the comeback player of the year in the National Hockey League. McDonald the 33-year-old left winger who was supposably washed up in 1965, is currently third in league scoring and his efficiency around the opposition has made him an instant star.

He has scored six goals while the opposition was shorthanded which ties him with teammate Phil Goyette as the most efficient power play scorer in the league.

Montreal Gazette - Mar. 29, 1960

Ab mcdonald the lanky left - winger who does everything a hockey player should ...

The Leader-Post - Jan. 9, 1970

Left winger Ab mcdonald and netminder Jacques Plante, both with St. Louis Blues, topped the balloting for the National Hockey League's West Division All-Star Team

Quotes revealing McDonald's sometime physical evidence.

Boston Globe - Apr. 3, 1962

Bill Head, physical threrapist with the Canadiens, said that center Ralph Backstrom suffered a left shoulder separation when he was checked by Ab McDonald ...

New York Times - Oct. 20, 1960

Fleming hit McCartan with a right-hand swipe during a melee at the Rangers' net. ... Then the Rangers had a fiveminute edge when Ab McDonald sat out for a dangerous check.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

RW/D Barney Stanley

2x WCHL 1st All-Star Team (1922, 1923 may have been spare this year)
x1 PCHA 2nd All-Star Team (1918)

Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1962

One of Stanley's greatest thrills in hockey occurred during his first game with Vancouver when Cyclone Taylor assisted on his first professional goal in a game at Portland. Vancouver moved on to the PCHA championship that season and hosted the 1915 Stanley Cup series against Ottawa Senators, winners of the National Hockey Association championship. Stanley scored four goals in the third game of the series as Vancouver defeated their Eastern opponents handily by a combined score of 26-8. The victory brought Vancouver its first and only Stanley Cup.

Stanley was a PCHA Second Team All-Star in 1918 and continued with Vancouver until the 1919-20 season when he gained amateur reinstatement and was named the playing coach with Edmonton of the Big-4 League. He turned professional once again with Calgary of the Western Canadian Hockey League in 1921-22 and played with teams in Regina and Edmonton until 1926. After a season as playing coach with the Winnipeg Maroons of the AHA, Stanley was named manager and coach of the Chicago Black Hawks in September 1927. He posted a 4-17-2 record behind the bench and even appeared in his one and only NHL game that season.

He moved from Chicago the following season and participated in his last games as a player with the Minneapolis Millers of the AHA in 1928-29.

Barney Stanley is proving a real wonder in practice and gives promise of being another real find for Frank Patrick. He is going in great trim in the workouts and will be given a chance to show his mettle to the fans this week.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YTNmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eYgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1409,2272359

For the visitors Cook and Stanley were the stars...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iAVkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yXoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4384,3697777

Not only is Frank Patrick pleased to have Stanley back on his roster, but local fans will be just as pleased to know that the Iron Man will once more be on hand...During that time he has steadily improved and towards the end of last season was rated by the crowds as one of the best players in the league. Certain it is that he is among the best. He is a clever stick handler, is fast on the steel blades and is a great back checker.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7TpmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bYgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4427,5688088

...Barney Stanley, formerly a star in the coast league, will undertake the formation of a professional hockey league in Alberta and Saskatchewan, in which will be used many returned soldiers who had hoped to be able to play amateur hockey this winter.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Kw5kAAAAIBAJ&sjid=23oNAAAAIBAJ&pg=936,3074814

It would be a shame to give either team credit for carrying the play. The Eskimos were aggressive, but not as consistent as the Wanderers...while Trapp and Stanley were stars from the drop of the hat.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6BNlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2YcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1563,4292842

Can you think of a stronger array of talent for a forward line than Stanley, Jocko Anderson and Brandow?

...Barney Stanley arrived in Calgary on this morning's train to take over the management of the Calgary Tigers in the Western Canada Professional Hockey League. He is leading the boys out in practice this afternoon at Crystal rink and will continue the workouts daily. He has also decided to systematize the training of the players and there will be regular practices and gym classes for the team to keep in condition.

Barney is satisfied Calgary will have a winning club, and he is out to whip the material into shape as rapidly as possible. He's look upon as the ace of leaders in pro hockey and the Tigers are fortunate to get him.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DxBkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6noNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1363,4887845

Barney Stanley, the sterling skipper of the Bengals, along with Brandow and Herb Gardiner, were the oustanding satellites for the invaders. The pilot is one of the smartest players in the league...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7g5kAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2XoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1813,88428

Barney Stanley deserves much credit for the victory, for in addition to scoring what proved to be the winning goal, his work was a revelation to his team throughout. He was strong on attack and good in back checking.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AA9kAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2XoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2157,2649556

It was a rough game and in the closing moments a fight started between Stanley and Keats in which several other players became involved and which had been proceeding for nearly half a minute before Referee Poulin discovering anything was happening.

Contrary to his nature Keats tried to escape the fight and was struck several times before he even offered to put up his hands in defense. A number of fans rushed on the ice, but after a few moments the Eskimo players, headed by Keats, cleared the crowd away and then proceeded to separate Arbour and Stanley, who were battling. Both were sent off for the remainder of the game which was only 35 seconds.

Keats, Simpson and Arbour were outstanding players for Edmonton, while Stanley and Dutton with Reid were the pick of the visitors.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TgFTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wzcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4197,3576933

His place will be taken by the former Calgary ice general, Barney Stanley, who otherwise would be working along with Dick Irvin at centre ice. Stanley will team up with Percy Traub, the old reliable, and they will be a hard combination to beat.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gV9YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7TcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6535,1445289

Hay and Stanley, the greatest team in the world, at least when Dick Irvin is out of the game, went down the ice like a racing team for Regina's next goal.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JgdkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7HoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1781,7545662

Barney Stanley unquestionably is the star sub of the league. The General has always been a regular until he joined the Caps this winter, and he became a sub only because the great Dick Irvin holds down center ice for Regina. During Irvin's absence from the game, Barney has shown his worth and there are many local fans who prefer his style of play to Irvin's. He is one of the cleverest, brainiest and most popular members on the team, and, he has been well named "The General".

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NAhTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6DcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1938,1950921

Barney Stanley, who reported at Winnipeg today to take up his duties as center and captain of the Regina Caps, will have absolute authority over the red, white and blue on the ice this season.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zgdTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5DcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5300,2128548

...while the defense, well aided by Barney Stanley, who acted as a very capable third defense man most of the evening, were equal to the best Ottawa had to show.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1wdTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5DcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6808,3777653

Barney Stanley played his usual heady game...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pudSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5zcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4222,4215932

Barney Stanley, ex-Capital, was the leading point-getter when almost every member of the Edmonton club benefitted by the goal-scoring spree. Barney played the best hockey he has shown here this winter and picked up four points for three goals and an assist.

Joe Simpson scored first on a perfect pass from Stanley.

Loughlin and Stanley tangled and raised sticks, both going off. Barney got back 30 seconds from the end of the period and immediately proceeded to make up for lost time by stick-handling right through, to score the Esks' third goal. It was a pretty bit of work.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jQxTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9jcNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6597,1978925

W.J. Holmes, owner of the Winnipeg club in the American professional hockey league announced last night that Barney Stanley, famous professional player and leader, will play defense and manage the team.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yQ9kAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8XoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2518,869084

A clash between Barney Stanley, Maroon defense and Oatman, Minneapolis forward enlivened the contest. Barney objected to Oatman's check and the two players clinched. Other players rushed into the scrap.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IHBmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=64gNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6059,3595683

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

most info taken from Eagle Belfour and tony d bios

Woody Dumart
Left Wing
6’1â€
190lbs
LHS

Stanley Cup Champion (1939, 1941)
Stanley Cup Finalist (1946, 1953)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1947, 1948)
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1992)

All Star Team Voting Record
4th (1938-39)
2nd (1939-40)
2nd (1940-41)
4th (1945-46) only one vote
2nd (1946-47)
3rd (1947-48)
4th (1949-50)
*Missed part of 1941-42, all of 1942-43, 1943-44, 1944-45, and part of the 1945-46 due to WWII


Top-10 Scoring (2nd, 9th)
Top-10 Goalscoring (2nd, 8th, 8th)
Top-10 Assist (6th, 9th)
Top-10 Playoff Scoring (5th)
Top-10 Playoff Goalscoring (5th, 6th)
Top-10 Playoff Assist (8th, 9th, 9th)
Top-10 Lady Bing Nomination (2nd, 5th)


Legends of Hockey

Known as the one of the best two-way players in the game, Woody Dumart played 16 years in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins.

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.

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.

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.

Over the years he accumulated 211 goals and 429 points while becoming one of the most respected and popular Bruins of his era.

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.

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 honor 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.

Wikipedia

Dumart - at 6'1", one of the largest wingers of his day - was the skilled checking and defensive component to the line, while contributing good scoring, and helped lead the Bruins to Stanley Cup victories in 1939 and 1941. His contributions were recognized by being named the left wing on the Second All-Star Team in both 1940 and 1941.

In the Game

An excellent two-way performer, the 6'1, 190 lb. Dumart was a five-time 20-goal scorer and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team three times in 1940, 1941 and 1947. Not only was he a dangerous offensive performer, but Dumart often drew the task of shadowing opponents' top snipers.

Who's Who in Hockey

The Boston Bruins' crack Kraut Line usually spotlighted center Milt Schmidt or right-winger Bobby Bauer. But it's left-winger, Woodrow Wilson Clarence ''Woody'' Dumart, packed a hard shot and did the less flashy checking that kept him more in the shadows than his pals.

One of Dumart' least-publicized but most effective performances occured during the 1953 Stanley Cup semifinals against the first-place Detroit Red Wings. Woody, an aging veteran, was asked to shadow the inimitable Gordie Howe, Detroit's crack right wing. Dumart accomplished his task so well that the Bruins upset the Red Wings in six games and Howe was limited to only two goals.

Ultimate Hockey

Dumart was the least publicized of the Krauts. Still, with his clean, hard checking and shot of the wing, he was a valuable member of the Boston Bruins through his career.

You'd think a player of Dumart's size would of racked up more penalty minutes. Not so. He was an honest player who played heads-up hockey. He was especially reliable in important games.

Dumart, as one of the finer two-way talent of his time, was often called upon to cover some of the game's greatest players. Just as the Canadiens' Claude Provost would do to Bobby Hull years later, Dumart shut down Gordie Howe in the 1953 playoffs. Big Howe scored only twice in six games. Dumart's linemate at the time, Joe Klukay, did a fine job silencing Ted Lindsay in that series. Dumart and Klukay were the reason Boston upset the powerhouse Red Wings.

Woody Dumart, a beefy, hard-working left-flanker.

Peak Years 1940-44
In a Word STOUT

Trail of the Stanley Cup, vol.2

[In 1937], the big left winger was yet to display his prowess as a goal-getter.

Although a big man, Dumart was not as aggresive as Schmidt who was regarded as the policeman. However, Woody could take care of himself and played hard clean hockey

Milt Schmidt

- Woody Dumart with his tremendous offense, with his shot, his very heavy shot. [...] But beside that he probably regard as one of the most capable defensive hockey players in the National Hockey League beside scoring his goals.''
- Woody was a very quiet person and the success which he enjoyed in the NHL he accepted with grace. He never was the one to brag and was always someone to pat someone else on the back, but himself. It's just the kind of a person he was.
- He is noted, no doubt about it, as one of the better defensive forward in the National Hockey League ever.
- There is many games I can think of, particularly the 1938-39 season where we won the Stanley Cup and the job he did on Alex Shibicky against the New York Rangers. Woody did a great job on Shibicky during that series. Also the 1940-41 series, he was tremendous in the playoffs. In those days when the playoffs were around, it was very tight, there was not many offence like it is today, but in our day Woody was really a tremendous player for that reason that he was a great defensives hockey player and a great playoff hockey player
- I think that you can ask anyone outside of myself who played with him for great many years that he was a hockey Hall of Fame material. Woody deserve that through his great play and through his steady play continuously through his whole career
- I know few man who excelled Woody in his talent, both ways on the ice. Opponents always hated to play against him because he was so strong and checked them so closely. But they never resented him, because he played the game so cleanly

 

[Hobnobs]

Jan Erixon

Jan "X:et" Erixon

1962-07-08
JWC gold, Selke trophy finalist in '88
NHL: 556-57-159-216-(+38)-167
POs: 58-7-7-14

Not flashy, not a guy who was going to score a lot of goals (he had just 57 in 11 seasons with the Blueshirts), Erixon was quite simply one of the best defensive forwards in the league when he played. Erixon often drew the assignment of shadowing Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky, and did as well as could be expected at shutting down the legends. For his defensive efforts, Erixon was a finalist for the Selke trophy in 1988, losing out to Guy Carbonneau of the Canadiens.

Erixon grew up playing hockey in Sweden and was a star player from a young age in his home city of Skelleftea. As a junior, Erixon represented Sweden in 1981 and was selected to the all-world first-team all-star team. Erixon played several years in the Swedish Elite League before being convinced to give the NHL a try.

Well I was a hard-working two-way player. Back home in Sweden I produced a lot, but when I got to the NHL, I ended up in a defensive role. They place the player in either an offensive or defensive role, and I fell into the latter category and got to kill many penalties. In this role, you can not take too many risks offensively with passes and the like, but we tried to keep the puck and not risk anything. Therefore, there werent many pooints scored, but you got a lot of ice time and commended for your loyalty

- It was Phil Esposito who wanted to do something for me when he thought I did so well myself, and did much crap job without getting attention for it. Therefore he introduced the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award would go to "the police officer who had been shot in the service." I got the price the first year, and I got a big trophy and a car so it was cool.
*** - Two seasons later, I got the price again, and then it was the fans who voted for who would win, and it was obviously an honor.

 

[Hobnobs]

Bob Probert

Bob Probert

NHL: 935-163-221-384-(-30)-3300
POs: 81-16-32-48-5-274

During his prime Bob Probert was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the NHL. In fact many experts rank him as the greatest fighter in hockey history.

He quickly built a reputation as a feared fighter who rarely lost. He had some legendary battles with Bob McGill, Tie Domi, Troy Crowder, Todd Ewen and Craig Coxe.

Probie was the epitome of a tough guy. He had a long career. I'm glad I'm not him. If you were waiting to prove yourself as a tough guy, you had to prove it with Probie. Now there's no legitimate No. 1 guy

Lost in the bloodshed was the fact that was Probert was a very good hockey player. He was a top line player with Detroit for much of his stay there, often riding shotgun with Yzerman and Gerard Gallant. Five times in his career he scored at least 14 goals despite sitting out at least 237 minutes in penalties. In his best year was 1987-88 when he scored 29 goals and 62 points despite accumulating an astonishing 398 PIMs. That year he was invited to the mid-season all star game, and assisted on a goal by Wayne Gretzky. He was dubbed by some members of the media as the most intimidating combination of power and skill aside from Mark Messier.

Back then me and Bob carefully used to go through the opponents lineup before each game. That way we could put up a strategy against the guys we were supposed to go up against

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Ivan Hlinka
Center
6’2â€
220lbs
LHS


Czech League Top 10’s
Top-10 Scoring: 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 8th
Top-10 Goals: 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 6th, 6th, 6th, 8th
Top-10 Assists: 1st, 1st, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 7th, 9th



Czech League Career Regular Season
544GP – 348G – 332A – 680Pts


Top 10’s Czech Golden Hockey Stick (non-forwards in italics)
- 1971: 8th (1st on Team, 5th among forwards, behind Pospisil, Suchy, Nedomansky, Cerny, Holecek, Farda, Ji. Holik)
- 1972: 9th: (1st on Team, 6th among forwards, behind Pospisil, Ja. Holik, Dzurilla, Nedomansky, Holecek, Ji. Holik, Martinec, Kochta)
- 1973: None
- 1974: 4th (1st on Team, 3rd among forwards, behind Holecek, Ji. Holik, Martinec)
- 1975: 8th (1st on Team, 4th among forwards, behind Martinec, Holecek, Ji. Holik, Novy, Pospisil, Machac, Dvorak)
- 1976: 4th (1st on Team, 3rd among forwards, behind Martinec, Holecek, Novy)
- 1977: 2nd (1st on Team, 2nd among forwards, behind Novy)
- 1978: 1st
- 1979: 7th (1st on Team, 4th among forwards, behind Martinec, M. Stastny, Bubla, Kralik, Sakac, P. Stastny)
- 1980: None
- 1981: 7th (1st on Team, 6th among forwards, behind Novy, Dvorak, Lala, Kokrment, Pouzar, Martinec)


Czech Golden Hockey Stick Summary
Overall Finishes: 1, 2, 4, 4, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9
Finishes Among Forwards: 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6


Hlinka was getting high scoring finishes and MVP results despite being on one of the bottom teams in the CSSR domestic league…

HC Litvinov’s CSSR League Placements During Hlinka’s Career
1967-68: 7th (Hlinka is 18 yrs old)
1968-69: 8th
1969-70: 9th
1970-71: 8th
1971-72: 9th
1972-73: 7th
1973-74: 8th
1974-75: 4th (Hlinka is 25 yrs old)
1975-76: 11th
1976-77: 9th
1977-78: 2nd
1978-79: 5th
1979-80: 11th (Hlinka is 30 yrs old)
1980-81: 5th

Hlinka's Team Compared to the other Big 3 CSSR Forwards (eliteprospects.com)

Year | Hlinka | Martinec | Novy | Nedomansky
1968 | 7 | 8 | DNP | 4
1969 | 8 | 4 | DNP | 3
1970 | 9 | 7 | DNP | 2
1971 | 8 | 6 | DNP | 4
1972 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2
1973 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3
1974 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 7
1975 | 4 | 2 | 1 | DNP
1976 | 11 | 2 | 1 | DNP
1977 | 9 | 4 | 1 | DNP
1978 | 2 | 7 | 1 | DNP
1979 | 5 | 6 | 4 | DNP
1980 | 11 | 10 | 1 | DNP
1981 | 5 | 7 | 3 | DNP

Czech National Team: 1970-79, 1981
Czech National Team Captain: 1977-80


Canada Cup
Silver: 1976
7GP – 2G – 2A – 4Pts

Olympics
Silver: 1976
Bronze: 1972
11GP – 8G – 6A – 14Pts

World Championships
Gold: 1972, 1976, 1977
Silver: 1971, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979
Bronze: 1973
WC All-Star: 1978
89GP – 42G – 43A – 85Pts


NHL Regular Season (2 Seasons, Ages 32-33)
137GP – 42G – 81A – 123Pts

NHL Playoffs (Ages 32-33)
16GP – 3G – 10A – 13Pts


Legends of Hockey

On the ice, Hlinka's excellent physique and great stickhandling often led him to generate his own plays, but he could also work well with his teammates to create opportunities. A natural leader, he gave the play purpose. He was an infallible scorer with his wrist shot and a master of both long and short passes. With the exception of a six-month contract he signed with Dukla Trencin in 1978 that lasted until the 1980-81 season, Hlinka played almost exclusively for Litvinov from the age of nine on. Even at the end of 1986-87, when the team sank to near the bottom of the standings, he briefly returned to the ice. He took part in 11 World Championships, two Olympics and the 1976 Canada Cup with the national team. In 1978 he won the Golden Stick Award as the country's most valuable player.

He spent his best years in the former Czechoslovakia because in his time hockey players couldn't live abroad legally. But in 1981 he and defenseman Jiri Bubla became the first Czech hockey players in a very long time to get the blessing of the communist regime to play in the NHL.
The 1981-82 season had become the most successful in the history of the Vancouver Canucks. For the first time, they made it to the Stanley Cup finals. Hlinka, who according to rules of the time was still considered a rookie, drew attention by earning 23 goals and 60 points, a rookie record for the club. While Bubla spent a total of four years with the Canucks, Hlinka returned to Europe after two seasons and spent an equal length of time with the Swiss EV Zug hockey club. After that, he decided it was time to move on.

Chidlovski

Achieved legendary status both as a hockey player and coach on international level. Was a very skilled elite player with good balance and strength, mastered exceptional counter attacks.

The following 2 bits of info are from HC Litvinov Team Website (Hlinka’s CSSR League Team) It was mostly translated with google. MadArcand also helped translate a few of the more important parts.

Hlinka Bio - http://www.hokej-litvinov.cz/zobraz.asp?t=zaslouzili-hraci

When Litvinov played in western Europe in the 70s, the club was presented also like this: 'Hlinka & Litvinov'

Nobody else affected the way a club was being ran during their active career and afterward like Ivan Hlinka did.

A native of the nearby village of Meadow at Litvínova learned to skate on the local pond Coufalová. Then he moved with his parents to Litvinov and his sports career into just completed Zimák full speed. Involved the Voříšek Francis, Professor Reznicek and more.

In a league debut under coach Planička fourth December 1966, ie nearly 17 years. His career closely supervised official, club and later coach Ivan Hlinka father Josef.

Already in 21 years, Ivan became the captain of the "A" team. Soon they called him into the first selection of the country. He became a three-time world champion (1972, 76 and 77).

In Litvinov is still holds many club records (see Landmarks). The first Czechoslovak player along with George ceded Bubla in the Stanley Cup Finals in Vancouver jersey in the NHL. After two seasons also went to two years in Zug, Switzerland.

An exceptional individual, leader and the linchpin of the team, with the ability to rouse his teammates and decide the games. An unmistakable figure, style of skating, puck carrying, and stickhandling.

Personality was also coaching license, leaning on a great intuition. He started in Litvinov next coach Duma in 1985.

In January 1987 he won the fans of his return to the ice to help trápícímu the team that his presence on the ice calmed down significantly raised the production rate and without problems rescue.

Already in 1991, took over Ivan Hlinka first representation. He led it to victory at the Winter Olympics in Nagano (1998), to the team was not afraid to nominate eight Litvínov players. As a coach won the world title (1999).

The league title was close in 1991, when its Litvinov led to the final play-off against Jihlava.

He was chairman of the board, general manager and head coach of the club, best expressed: his boss with everything. He also became the first European coach, who led the NHL club (Pittsburgh) as head coach throughout the season.

Honorary citizen of the town of Litvinov (1998) and Meadow community at Litvinov.

He died tragically in a car accident near Karlovy Vary at a time when the Czech team preparing for the World Cup. Winter Stadium in Litvinov bears since 2004 his name.

Club History - http://www.hokej-litvinov.cz/zobraz.asp?t=kronika-klubu

70’s years

Hlinka with Bubla boys grew into stars Litvinov and the national team and became triple world champions (1972, 76 and 77). It is their generation, the first generation of young players in the "A" team, took care of the premiere club success in domestic competition. In 1975, it was first the first location in the top half of the table (4th place with the first active score). Three years later, in season 1977/78, then 2 place.

In this year of hockey in Litvinov spent huge boom. Most home games were sold out or nearly sold out. The team recorded the first double-digit win in the league (10:0 over Kosice), long dominated the table. Silver medal secured a landmark victory in the last round at home against Sparta in a straight fight for second place (result 3:1).

Senior hockey in the city put down strong roots. Still improving youth work and rising interest in viewers.

Hlinka was something of a clutch/big-game performer. He also had his fair share of struggles adjusting to the NHL, but still was a valuable player…
The Vancouver Sun – April 16, 1982
In springtime, Hlinka blooms

â€There is a saying in Czechoslovakia,†says Ivan Hlinka, “It is that hockey will never be a rose garden. But then some times of year are better than others.â€

And best of all is spring. Spring is when the blossom comes to his native Bohemia and when a player of Hlinka’s class reaches out for the limits of his skill. Before it was world championships. Now it is the Stanley Cup, another stranger manifestation of North American hockey, something as odd as the ever-changing times zones and great stretches of an endless season which means nothing or next to nothing.

Hlinka is warming in the spring. His goals and his often sublime work on the ice Thursday night were another dimension to the extraordinary march of the Canucks.

Hlinka on several occasions has been called into the coaches room to study specific clips of film which in the opinion of the coaches told a story of much squandered talent…â€There was a feeling of disappointment,†says Smith. “We felt that Ivan was very much overestimating this league and underestimating his own potential to inflict himself. We listed some points he should think about, some things he could work on to improve his contributionâ€

They included:

More shooting. “His reluctance to shoot, considering his skill, was becoming a problem. He didn’t seem to have the confidence.â€

More urgency. “He needed to hurry it up when he didn’t have the puck. When another guy had the puck we felt he should be moving over 20 feet at a faster rate.â€

Increased willingness to carry the puck. “You saw him do it in wonderful bursts, like a locomotive on a curved track. But you wanted more. Now when the chips are down he is doing it. I heard him say the other day, ‘This is an interesting time of year.’â€

In the dressing room Thomas Gradin says. “Ivan is one of the older ones. Maybe it is showing now. He has so much skill, and it is wonderful for the team when it surfaces like that.â€

Hlinka is happy with his performance but insists, “I have played better than this in North America. But I admit it was a good game for me and it is true that the playoff hockey is more interesting for me. Back home the challenge, the big challenge, always came at this time of year. Naturally you lift yourself.

“Sure it has been a big adjustment. You get told to shoot as often as you can from possible and impossible positions and you have to change all your thinking. In Czechoslovakia you carry the puck, you make goals, well, artistically. It is different here but then I didn’t come here to change Canadian hockey.â€

“Maybe the worst thing for me,†he says, “has been the time zones, the feeling of distance and that sometimes has made me tired.†In Czechoslovakia he has sat through day-long trips on a rattling team bus, but there was never the psychological dislocation. A big man from a small country, Hlinka may have been dwarfed by the sheer logistics of his new league.

The problem seems academic now. Milford is the spy who came in from the cold. And Hlinka, for the moment at least, is another rose in his lapel.

Later in their careers Hlinka surpassed Martinec…
The Saturday Windsor Star – May 29, 1981
Jets select Hlinka in draft of Czechs

Winnipeg Jets made centre Ivan Hlinka the first of four veteran Czechoslovakian national team members selected Thursday in a special draft by the National Hockey League clubs…Detroit Red Wings were next and took left winger Bohuslav Ebermann. Colorado Rockies followed by selecting defenceman Jiri Bubla and Hartford Whalers concluded the proceedings by picking right winger Vladimir Martinec…Hlinka, Bubla and Martinec are all 31, while Ebermann is 32.

The Saturday Windsor Star – May 29, 1981
Drafting Ebermann one thing, getting him here quite another

Drafting first, Winnipeg took Ivan Hlinka, which was anticipated because Hlinka, a centre, owns a stronger scoring record than the other three.

HF Poster VMBM

Well, it is no big crime by any means, but overall, I don't think he was even the best Czech player of his time. I'm pretty certain that most would take Nedomansky and Martinec over him (and so would I). Most would probably prefer Novy too, although I'd possibly disagree with that (at least in the national team, Hlinka was a more important player IMO). And yes, unless Makarov and a few other European greats get in first, forget the HHOF (players' category). For a couple of years (around 1978), though, Hlinka might have been the best Czech player; he was definitely that in the 1978 and 1979 World Championships at least.

Whatever his HHOF chances are, I remember him being very dangerous and always among the best players, when Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union faced each other in the late 1970s. Good speed and great skills for such a big guy; not really a Phil Esposito type of player IMO like he is sometimes described (although he too was pretty strong in front of the net).

I guess few have had a better career both as a player AND a coach.

 

[tony d]

Right Winger Dirk Graham

Position: W ▪ Shoots: Right
Height: 5-11 ▪ Weight: 198 lbs.
Born: July 29, 1959 (Age 53) in Regina, Saskatchewan

Some of Graham's stats:

-489 points in 772 career games
-44 points in 90 career playoff games
-1991 Selke Trophy winner
-5 Top 10 Finishes in Short Handed Goals for A Season
-9th All Time in short Handed Goals

Legends Of Hockey:

Graham played the finest hockey of his career in Chicago. He scored at least 20 goals four times, helped the team reach the Stanley Cup final in 1992 and served as the team's captain from 1989 to 1995. He was an inspirational leader on and off the ice and was an exemplary worker on both specialty teams. In 1991 Graham's stellar work without the puck earned him the Frank J. Selke trophy. A few months later represented his country at the Canada Cup and scored a key shorthanded goal when the team vanquished the United States in the two-game final.

Joe Pelletier:

Meet Dirk Graham - Mr. Chicago Blackhawk.

Dirk Graham was a hard-hitting, defensive-minded forward in his eight years with the Blackhawks. His hustling aggressive style was very typical of the Hawks in those days. He was a tireless worker who did anything necessary to help Chicago win hockey games.

He was also pretty good with the puck. He had 152 goals, 190 assists and 685 penalty minutes in 546 games for Chicago from 1988 to 1995. He also set a team record for most short-handed goals in a season, 10 in 1988-89.

Jeremy Roenieck:

"Dirk Graham, I've said many times, is the captain of captains. He is a man that has gone through so much adversity, who has paid his dues well beyond anybody's expectations."

Joe Murphy:

"I think Dirk Graham is probably the most important player on our team, being the captain right now. He holds the group together. He's our captain. He's the guy the guys look up to. He's a quiet leader, but when he has something to say, the guys listen to him. He just goes out and plays hard. Night in and night out he does it.

Really glad to have Graham on the team. His being 9th all time for short handed goals was a surprise to me but I think he should be a great asset to my team. As far as checking 3rd line wingers go Graham is up there amongst the best.

 

[tony d]

Left Winger Ryan Smyth

Position: LW ▪ Shoots: Left
Height: 6-1 ▪ Weight: 192 lbs.
Born: February 21, 1976 (Age 37) in Banff, Alberta

Some stats on Smyth:

-814 points in 1178 Career Games
-59 Points in 93 Career playoff games
-91st All Time in Career Power Play Goals with 55
-Led League in PPG in 1996-1997 with 20
-2 time Olympian

Legends Of Hockey:

Entering the summer, Ryan Smyth was one of the most sought after players set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st 2007. As expected, Smyth received contract offers from numerous NHL clubs including the New York Islanders. After carefully reviewing the multiple offers, the gritty forward decided to sign a five-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche.

Aside from his gold medal at the 1995 World Junior Championships, Smyth has represented his country on numerous occasions. A six-time member of Canada's World Championship team (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005), Smyth went on to capture gold in both 2003 and 2004, was a gold medalist with Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and played a key role in Canada's victory at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Smyth represented Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and has represented his homeland so often that he has been referred to as "Captain Canada".

Smyth's one of those heart and soul guys every team loves to have, glad to have him on the team.

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Doug Gilmour
Center
5’11â€
177lbs
LHS


Stanley Cup: 1989
Hall of Fame: 2011

Top 25 Points: 4, 5, 7, 17, 17, 19, 22, 24
Top 10 Goals: 10
Top 10 Assists: 2, 2, 5, 6, 8

All-Star Team Finishes: 3, 3, 5
Hart Finishes: 2, 4, 5, 9
Selke Finishes: 1, 2, 5, 6, 6, 9, 13


NHL Playoff Scoring Top 5 Finishes
1986: t-1st (Conference Finals)
1989: t-5th (Finals)
1993: 2nd (Conference Finals)
1994: 4th (Conference Finals)

NHL Playoffs Scoring Top 5 On Own Team Finishes
1984: 1st (11GP)
1985: t-3rd (3GP)
1986: t-1st (19GP)
1987: t-2nd (6GP)
1988: 1st (10GP)
1989: 3rd (22GP)
1990: Not Top 5 (6GP)
1991: Not Top 5 (7GP)
1992: Did not make playoffs
1993: 1st (21GP)
1994: 1st (18GP)
1995: 2nd (7GP)
1996: 1st (6GP)
1997: Not Top 5 (10GP)
1998: 1st (6GP)
1999: Did not make playoffs
2000: Not Top 5 (5GP)
2001: t-1st (12GP)

NHL Playoffs Summary
Top 5’s in League: 1, 2, 4, 5
Top 5’s on Own Team: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3


NHL Regular Season
1474GP – 450G – 964A – 1414Pts

NHL Playoffs
182GP – 60G – 128A – 188Pts


Joe Pelletier

There is a modern generation of fans who probably think Doug Gilmour is the greatest player to ever wear the blue and white jersey of the Toronto Maple Leafs. While his tenure in comparison to other Leafs greats was short, those fans might just be right.

Gilmour was a spectacular player. He played with a contagious enthusiasm and passion that so few players can match. He is one of the most intelligent superstars in league history. Although never a top goal scorer he was as good a playmaker in his era other than Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Yet unlike those two the brilliance of Gilmour’s game was his status as a defensive player with few peers. He also was a great leader, always leading by example. Though he was tiny by NHL standards, he played with a level of fearlessness that instantly won over the hearts of NHL fans everywhere.

For years Doug Gilmour was one of the best kept secrets in the National Hockey League. He was drafted only 134th overall in 1982 and played in relative obscurity in St. Louis for 5 solid seasons. He was earning rave reviews for his defensive excellence right out of junior hockey and for his spunk, but it wasn’t until 1985-86 when he erupted with a spectacular playoffs. After post his typical 53 point season Doug Gilmour established himself as one of the game's best. The upstart St. Louis Blues made it all the way to the Campbell Conference Championship only to lose out to the Calgary Flames. The Blues went on to play in 19 post season matchups. Gilmour and teammate Bernie Federko ended up tied for the post season scoring crown, as Gilmour posted 9 goals and 12 assists for 21 points. Doug Gilmour had arrived.

Gilmour proved it was no fluke when in 1986-87 when he emerged with a 105 point season which included a career high 42 goals. Yet he maintained his gritty defensive game.

During the summer of 1987, Doug Gilmour was named, perhaps a surprise to some, to Team Canada in the 1987 rendition of the Canada Cup. His competitiveness and savvy were exactly what Team Canada was searching for, as the lineup boasted many top guns. They were looking for Gilmour's intangibles and passion to help them win. Gilmour didn't disappoint either. After seeing limited ice time in the round robin portion of the tournament, Gilmour rose to the occasion in the final 3 games against the Soviets. He was arguably the best Canadian player – particularly in game one of the finals.

The 1987-88 season reaffirmed Gilmour's excellence, scoring 36 times and adding 50 helpers. After leading the team with 17 points in just playoff ten games, the Blues felt they needed to make a change in order to solve the team's lack of playoff success. So in what turned out to be one of the greatest trades of all time, Gilmour was moved to Calgary in a 7 player deal. Gilmour then teamed with Joe Mullen to be one of the top offensive tandems in the league. Gilmour scored 26 goals and 85 points his first season in Calgary, plus added 22 points in 22 playoff games as Gilmour won his first Stanley Cup that spring.

The Calgary Flames were a scoring machine during the 1980's, so Gilmour became just one of many scorers on that team. His tenacious checking however is what assured him of plenty of ice time. While he became somewhat overshadowed in Calgary, there is no doubting just how important he was to that team.

A contract dispute eventually saw Gilmour moved to Toronto in what proved to be perhaps the biggest trade in hockey history, at least in terms of bodies exchanged. Gilmour was the centerpiece of the 10 player deal in January of 1992. Gilmour would finish the season with Toronto with 49 points in 40 games, but more importantly proved that he was ready to step out from the shadows of others and take the next step to establish himself as a superstar.

In 1994-95 he, like the team and especially his linemates, struggled through the NHL lockout-shortened schedule. Over the next two years he seemed to have slowed a bit – perhaps age and his lack of size were finally catching up with him.

The Leafs traded Gilmour to New Jersey in the 1996-97 season. It was hoped Gilmour could be the final piece of the Devil’s championship puzzle, but it was not meant to be. While he continued to play excellent defensively, he really struggled offensively – picking up just 4 assists in 10 playoff games.

In a way that playoff season summed up most of the remainder of Gilmour’s career. He toiled for parts of two seasons with each of the Devils, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres, but never could live up to his reputation as the great player from his younger days – particularly his days in Toronto. His play was actually very good, even if his offensive contributions were not. Many people started calling for Gilmour’s retirement, but that competitive fire in his heart could not be extinguished.

Instead of retiring Gilmour signed on with the Montreal Canadiens in 2001-2002. After a slow start, Gilmour was instrumental in returning the injury and illness plagued Habs to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

One thing is for sure. Doug Gilmour is one of the game's all time best players. In fact, it is arguable that, despite only playing 392 of his 1500 (and counting) career games in a Leaf's jersey, he deserves consideration as the greatest Toronto Maple Leaf of all time. That is quite a compliment considering the rich and deep history of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs of the early 1990’s were his team, and few players in Leaf history reached the zenith of a hockey players career that Gilmour did.

Legends of Hockey

Gilmour's size worried management in St. Louis and he almost began his professional career in Germany when he couldn't reach a deal with the Blues. St. Louis finally signed him and he joined the team two weeks before the 1983-84 season. Gilmour found himself near the bottom of the team's depth chart at centre, but a depleted roster allowed him to play on the fourth line as a defensive specialist and he returned to his checking ways. The Blues' captain at the time, Brian Sutter, nicknamed Gilmour 'Killer' for his intensity.

After three full seasons hovering around 50 points, Gilmour began to play a more open game and during the 1986 playoffs, he had 21 points in 19 games when the Blues came within a game of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. The next season, 1986-87, he finished the regular schedule with a career-high 42 goals and 105 points and was selected to represent Team Canada at the 1987 Canada Cup. He scored two important goals in the series against the Soviet Union and was instrumental in Canada's victory at the tournament.

Gilmour played his best hockey with the Leafs. He was a pesky defensive forward who seemed fearless in his checking. Offensively, he was the focal point of an improving team, setting a franchise record with 127 points in his first full season with Toronto in 1992-93. He became only the second Leaf after Darryl Sittler to register over a hundred points in a season and also led the team to within a game of the Stanley Cup Final, placing second in playoff scoring and leading the league with 25 assists. Gilmour placed second to Mario Lemieux in the race for the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player but won the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward, a remarkable achievement for a player with such offensive numbers.

Gilmour was named the team captain in 1994-95 before the lockout-shortened season and remained a popular player in Toronto even as the team began to struggle. When the Leafs went into rebuilding mode midway through the 1996-97 season, Gilmour was sent to the New Jersey Devils.

On January 31, 2009, Gilmour became the seventeenth player to be honoured by the Toronto Maple Leafs when his number 93 was raised to the rafters of the Air Canada Centre. In 2011, Doug Gilmour was selected for Induction to the
Hockey Hall of Fame.

Feb. 1993 Coaches Poll
Best Defensive Forward: 1st
Hardest Worker: 1st
Best Penalty Killer: 2nd (behind Poulin)
Best Playmaker: 3rd (single vote, behind Oates and Lemieux)
Smartest Player: t-3rd (behind Lemieux and Bourque, tied with Gretzky and Oates)
Best Faceoff Man: t-4th (behind Otto, Stastny, and Francis, tied with Oates)
Most Underrated: t-5th (single vote)
Toughest Player: t-5th (single vote)
Best Shot: t-6th (single vote)
Most Infuriating: t-7th (single vote)

Jan. 1994 Coaches Poll
Hardest Working Player: 1st
Smartest Player: 2nd (behind Gretzky)
Best Defensive Forward: t-2nd (behind Fedorov, tied with Skrudland)
Best Penalty Killer: t-2nd (behind Fedorov, tied with Carbonneau)
Best Playmaker: 3rd (behind Gretzky and Oates)
Toughest Player: t-3rd (behind Neely and Lindros, tied with Clark)
Best Player: t-3rd (single vote)
Best Faceoff Man: t-3rd (single vote)
Most Infuriating: t-5th (single vote)

May 1994 Coaches Poll
Best Defensive Forward: t-2nd (behind Fedorov, tied with Carbonneau, Otto, Skrudland)
Best Faceoff Man: t-3rd (behind Otto and Francis, tied with Lindros and Messier)
Best Penalty Killer: 5th (behind Carbonneau, Fedorov, Graves, and Otto)
Players You Hate to Play Against: t-6th (single vote)

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Dennis Hull
Left Wing
5’11â€
198lbs
LHS


All-Star Finishes: 2, 4, 5, 8, 8

Top 25 in Scoring: 12, 20, 22, 22, 25
Top 10 in Goals: 5, 7

NHL Regular Season
959GP – 303G – 351A – 654Pts

NHL Playoffs
104GP – 33G – 34A – 67Pts


Joe Pelletier

A fine player in his own right, Dennis was always overshadowed by his older brother Bobby, and years later by his nephew Brett. But since his playing days Dennis has carved out a tremendous career as a celebrity spokesman. With his families natural charism and humour and his large collection of stories to tell, Dennis has become quite the entertainer.

Like his brother Bobby, Dennis was known for his hard slap shot. He compared the two shots once - "Someone once said that Bobby could hit a puck through a car wash and not get it wet and that I could hit it just as hard, but not hit the car wash. That was the difference."

Dennis was solidly built just like his brother was. Strength was the forte of the Hulls, all 11 of them. They were born and grew up in a farming community of about 500 in Point Anne, Ontario. Dennis and Bobby Jr. worked in the fields, storing hay and chopping down trees in the woods that surrounded the farm. This developed tremendous back muscles and forearms on both brothers.

Dennis and Bobby learned to skate at the Bay of Quint. Dennis possessed many similar traits that his brother Bobby did - particularly his hard shot and good speed. He wasn't nearly as colorful as Bobby, but he was a valuable player for Chicago.

Playing on the MPH line with Pit Martin and Jim Pappin for most of 8 seasons, the Hawks were a team to be reckoned with.

Dennis really stepped up his play in the post season.

"I really enjoyed playing in the playoffs," he said. "It is what I loved to do."

Chicago was on the verge of big things in the early part of the 1970s. The Hawks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1971, but fell to the Canadiens in seven hard-fought games. Dennis was the star of that playoffs.

"In 1971, the press decided to vote for the Conn Smythe Trophy just prior to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final. It was secretly decided that if Chicago had won, I would get the award because I led the league in playoff points. If Montreal won, Ken Dryden would get it. We lost the game - and I lost the Conn Smythe - in the third period."

Without a Stanley Cup ring to cherish, Dennis fondly calls the 1972 Summit Series as his career highlight.

"Not winning the Cup was disappointing, but the saving grace for me was playing for Team Canada in 1972. After the final game in Moscow, we came storming into the dressing room on an unbelievable high. I was sitting next to Yvan Cournoyer, and I asked him if this was like winning the Stanley Cup. He replied 'No, this is ten times better!' I still think to myself that I've won only one less Stanley Cup than Henri Richard (11 time Stanley Cup champion)."

"Once Chicago let Billy Reay go - the most instrumental person in my life and my only NHL coach - I lost all my desire to play. I was 19 when I arrived in Chicago in 1964 and Billy taught me everything an adult needs to know about how to treat people properly, not just how to play hockey."

To Dennis it didn't matter if it was a free wheeling game or a close-checking one, he always played his game. He was an honest hockey player. He went up and down the ice and did his job. He gave you the same game every time.

Dennis retired with approximately half as many goals as brother Bobby got. But 303 goals are still an impressive amount, with 351 assists for 654 points. He was overshadowed and under-appreciated by fans and media, but not by those who got to know him.

Joe Pelletier – Summit Series Heroes

With Bobby Hull, arguably the best Canadian player not on Team Canada, watching from the stands because of a dispute with the NHL over his departure to the WHA, Dennis Hull helped to add some of the Hull's legendary scoring punch in somewhat limited ice time.

Dennis only dressed for 4 of the 8 games, but chipped in 2 goals and 2 assists. He took over from Vic Hadfield on his usual left wing spot on the New York Rangers "Goal A Game" line with Hall of Famers Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert.

"As we went along in the series, [head coach Harry Sinden] started selecting players who were role-players," Hull said. "In the last game, the left wingers were J. P. Parise, myself and Paul Henderson. Those weren't exactly household names.

Legends of Hockey

In the early going, he had to contend with his older brother Bobby's reputation as much as he did with the opposition. The two were compared endlessly with Dennis coming out on the short end. In his second year in the Windy City, Dennis was dispatched to play 40 games with the St. Louis Braves of the CHL. According to Hull, they were among the toughest games he ever had to play. It seems that many a minor leaguer figured that maiming a Hull might be just the right ticket to make the NHL.

He survived the attacks, however, and made his return to the Blackhawks in 1966-67. From that point onwards, he held a secure job at the NHL level. His offensive numbers became increasingly solid as many began to wonder who had the hardest slapshot, brother Bobby or perhaps Dennis. The consensus seems to ride with the latter of the two siblings. It is also thought that by the time Dennis had matured as a major leaguer, he would have been considered a star on most other teams across the league. But in Chicago, there was that huge shadow cast by "The Golden Jet."

Along the way, Hull eventually settled onto a line with Pit Martin and Jim Pappin. The trio gelled together as a finely balanced unit that could score goals and play great defense. In 1972, Hull got the nod to join Team Canada for the Summit Series against the Soviet Union. The experience counts among the highest points of his career, particularly considering that the Stanley Cup eluded his and his team's grasp for so many seasons when it appeared to be within reach.
Hull remained a fixture with the Hawks until 1977. It was at that time that family friend Ted Lindsay, then the GM of the Detroit Red Wings, asked Hull to jump to the Motor City. He did just that, playing one final campaign before retiring in 1978.

 

[BraveCanadian]

With their 23rd round pick (721) in the 2013 ATD, the Guelph Platers have selected: RW/C, 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/C
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

More evidence of Gould playing center with Miller and Duchesne:

Bob Gould scored two goals, both on passes from Gaetan Duchesne, to lead the Washington Capitals past the Edmonton Oilers, 5-3, Sunday at Edmonton.

Gould's second goal came with 4:02 left, sealing the victory for the Capitals, who broke a three-game losing streak.

"It's been a consistent thing for that line," Washington Coach Bryan Murray said of Gould, Duchesne and Kelly Miller. "The last few games they've had both offensive chances and goals."
...

http://articles.latimes.com/1987-02-16/sports/sp-2350_1_nhl-roundup

...
"There's no secret at all," said Bob Gould, who centered for Duchesne and Kelly Miller to form a line that put the clamps on Gretzky.

"It's just five guys going out there and making sure they don't get caught. No turnovers at the blueline, no blind passes that they can turn around."
...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U-JLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2YsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3689,4482794


​

 

[BraveCanadian]

delete me please

 

[BubbaBoot]

Claude Julien
coach

• Height: 6-0 • Weight: 198 lbs.(koff*) •
• Born: April 23, 1960 • Blind River, Ontario •
• Coached:2002/03 - present (NHL) \\\ 1996/1997 - 1999-00 QMJHL) \\\ 2000/01 - 2002/03 (AHL) •

• Championships •
1997 Jean Rougeau Trophy (QMJHL) - Hull Olympiques
1997 Memorial Cup (CHL) - Hull Olympiques
2011 Stanley Cup (NHL) - Boston Bruins

• International Medals •
2014 - Gold • Canada (asst. coach) • Olympics (Sochi, Russia)
1999 - Silver • Canada (asst. coach) • World Jr. Championships (Manitoba, Canada)
2000 - Bronze • Canada • World Jr. Championships (Sweden)

• Awards •
2002-03 Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award (AHL)
2008-09 Jack Adams Award (NHL)

• Honors •
1997-98 - All-Star Team (coach) • QMJHL (2nd team)

• Achievements •
• Games Coached
- Boston Bruins (NHL) • 430+ (currently 3rd all-time)
- NHL CAREER • 676+ (currently 43rd all-time)
- Boston Bruins PLAYOFFS (NHL) • 63 (1st all-time)
- NHL CAREER PLAYOFFS • 74 (T33rd all-time)

• Wins
- Boston Bruins (NHL) • 247+ (currently 2nd all-time)
- NHL CAREER • 366+ (currently 37th all-time)
- Boston Bruins PLAYOFFS (NHL) • 36 (1st all-time)
- NHL CAREER PLAYOFFS • 40 (currently 30th all-time)

• Win %
- Boston Bruins (NHL) • .710%(currently 2nd all-time)
- NHL CAREER • .605% (currently 17th all-time)
- Boston Bruins PLAYOFFS (NHL) • .571% (1st all-time)
- NHL CAREER PLAYOFFS • .541% (currently 28th all-time)

• Record
(NHL)
regular 366 - 224 - 86 - .605%
playoffs 40 - 34 - .541%

(AHL)
regular 98 - 77 - 30 - .551%
playoffs 9-8 - .529%

(QMJHL)
regular 141-109-16 - .560%
playoffs 39 - 19 - .672%
[NOTE: Hull made the QMJHL playoffs all 4 seasons Julien coached. 3 times they went to the finals. Once they went all the way and won the Memorial Cup. In typical Julien fashion, during those 4 years Hull had only 1 1st team all-star / 1 2nd team all-star / 2 rookie team all-stars. In his last season, they had the 2nd highest goals scored and 4th fewest goals allowed. No Hull player made either all-star team.]

(International)
Canada (W-Jr) 4 - 3 - .571%

• Accolades •

Julien began his professional coaching in the QMJHL for the Hull Olympiques, with whom he won the Memorial Cup in 1997.

From 2000–2003 he served as head coach for the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs.

In 2000, Julien won a bronze medal as the head coach of Canada's national junior ice hockey team. He also served as an assistant coach to Marc Habscheid at the 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.

On January 17, 2003, Julien became head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. In 2004, his first full season as an NHL head coach, he led Montreal to a 93 point performance (41–30–7–4 record) and the second round of the playoffs. He was fired and replaced by GM Bob Gainey on January 14, 2006. Julien accumulated a win-loss-tie-OverTimeShootOutLoss record of 72–62–10–15 during his three seasons.

Julien was then announced as the head coach of the Devils on June 13, 2006. He was the 15th head coach in Devils history. On April 2, 2007, the New Jersey Devils abruptly terminated Julien, despite his coaching the Devils to a 47–24–8 record which at the time was leading the Atlantic Division and tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello replaced Julien, the second straight season in which Lamoriello left the front office to coach the Devils at the end of the season. Lamoriello cited the team's lack of readiness to challenge for the Stanley Cup as his reasoning for firing Julien.[4] The Devils went on to lose in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Ottawa Senators.

On June 22, 2007, it was confirmed by various sports websites that Julien had been named as the 28th head coach of the Boston Bruins. In his first season as Boston coach, he led the team back to the playoffs. His team struggled with consistency over the course of the season but this was in large part due to the many injuries that plagued the Bruins throughout the 2007–08 season. Most notably, forward Patrice Bergeron.

On February 17, 2009, Julien coached his 200th winning NHL game, a 5–1 Bruins road game defeat of the Carolina Hurricanes. On June 18, 2009, Julien was awarded the Jack Adams Award as the best coach in the NHL.

On May 14, 2010, following an upset win against the Buffalo Sabres in the quarterfinals, the Bruins became only the third NHL team to lose a best-of-seven-series after being up three-games-to-none when they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers (the other two teams were the 1942 Detroit Red Wings and the 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins); Boston held a 3–0 lead in game 7 but the Flyers tied and eventually won the game, 4–3.

Injuries to (3) star Bruins forwards David Krejci (broken wrist), Marco Sturm (torn ACL), and Marc Savard (concussion) as well as midseason acquisition defenseman and an undisclosed injury to former Vezina goaltender Tim Thomas (hip) that prevented his playing in the series and ultimately required surgery in the offseason, contributed to the defeat.

The 2010–2011 season saw Julien coach the Bruins to the 3rd-seed in the NHL Playoffs, and a first-round matchup versus the rival Montreal Canadiens. After dropping the first two games at home, Julien made some lineup adjustments, and helped his team come back to win the series in 7. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Bruins got a chance to redeem themselves from the previous year in a much-anticipated series against the Philadelphia Flyers. After winning Game 1 7–3, they went on to sweep the Flyers out of the playoffs in 4 straight. In the Conference Finals, the Bruins faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning for a chance to go to the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1990. The Bruins came out victorious in their second consecutive 7-game series, including wins of 6–5, 2–1 and a penalty-less 1–0 win in Game 7.

This set the stage for a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, against the number-1 seeded Vancouver Canucks, who possessed the best offense, defense, goaltending, powerplay, and special teams in the NHL, statistically speaking.

Entering the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, Claude Julien’s career playoff record in game 7’s was 1-3. The 3 losses all came as Boston's coach (vs. Montréal in 2008, Carolina in 2009 and Philadelphia in 2010). His one game 7 win came in 2004 as Montréal's coach against Boston. With the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoff game 7 wins against Montréal, Tampa Bay and Vancouver, Julien improved to 4-3. Also in the 2011 playoffs, Julien (now with 33 wins) passed Don Cherry (31 wins) for the most playoff wins by a Boston Bruins coach.

During the 2011-12 regular season, Claude Julien reached a few personal coaching milestones. On 17 Dec 2011, he collected his 200th regular season win.

On 29 Jan 2012, Julien (and his Bruin bench staff) coached Team Chara to a 12-9 win over Team Alfredsson in the 59th National Hockey League All-Star Game. It was his second appearance and second win as an All-Star Game coach, having also appeared in the 2009 game.

On 19 March 2012, he coached his 400th game behind the Bruin bench, an 8-0 pummelling of Toronto. The win completed a perfect 6-0 sweep of the season series with the Maple Leafs.

The 2012 post-season would however not be as memorable for Julien's defending Cup champion Bruins, as they fell in the first round to the Washington Capitals and their upstart rookie goalie Braden Holtby in 7 games. The series was the closest, most evenly fought series in NHL history, with all seven games (including 4 overtime games) being one-goal decisions.

Julien's playoff game seven record falls to 4-4. Despite the early exit for the Bruins in the 2012 playoffs, on July 23, 2012 the Bruins signed Julien to a new contact as their coach for an undisclosed "multi-year" term

Julien followed up his 12 pro seasons as a player (he played 14 NHL games with the Quebec Nordiques in the mid-eighties) by being the bench boss of Hull of the QMJHL. There, he led Hull to the postseason in four straight season behind the Olmpiques' bench, with their most impressive run coming in 1997 when they won junior hockey's Memorial Cup.

"One of the things that stuck in my mind…was not so much the 1997 team," said Chiarelli of his friend's career. "It was the team two years later, when he had 17 rookies.

"He went to the Quebec league final only to lose against a really good team with a goalie you might know. Roberto Luongo."

Corralling the excitement and raw talent of first year players to bring them to the verge of a championship is no easy task, but it's Julien's reputation as a teacher, which brought his young skaters' talent to the fore.

"He's always had success with his teams by implementing a disciplined, hard system," explained Chiarelli.

What exactly is a hard system?

"(When) I say hard system I mean it's aggressively executed," explained Chiarelli.

"I am looking forward to the challenge of bringing this team to the level of expectation that the organization, the players and, most importantly -- the fans, want," Julien said. "This team has a lot of potential and has a lot of great players.

"Basically I want to come in here, like I've done with many of my teams in the past, and be a team that is well structured and a team that is going to work together as a group, going in the same direction.

"And," he said, finally, using the phrase that is becoming the theme of the 2007-08 season," I want us to be harder team to play against."

What exactly does that mean, Coach?

"When we talk about harder…defensively you want to certainly cut down on the goals against and you want to make sure that you limit the scoring chances. Also, harder to play against can (also mean) the physical part of it.

"We want to go at them and be able to finish our checks and obviously driving the net.

"And doing the things that it takes to score goals," explained Julien.

The bottom line?

"You want to be gritty in all areas," said the new coach. "And I think that's what we want to establish here, not only with a few players, but with a whole group…you want to be aggressive.

"You want to recover the puck as quick as you can and it's always important that the first fore checker goes in there hard and finishes his checks.

When he moved on to Hamilton, he taught a former Bruin draft pick and future member of the Black & Gold named Bobby Allen his system and The Metro West Daily New's Doug Flynn wrote yesterday that Allen was clearly in favor of Julien's candidacy for the B's big job.

"He's one of the better coaches I've had in my career," Allen, now a free agent, told Flynn. "I can speak for all the guys I played with in Hamilton; we all thought he was a great coach."

That's not to say he did not know how to tear into a player, however, and via Flynn, Allen explained that Julien could be very tough, too.

"You could talk to him anytime," said Allen. "He's a good guy to have around. He's always joking with the guys, makes everybody feel calm and relaxed. But at the same time, he's not afraid to call guys out. He'll get in your face, and that's important. A coach has to do that to keep guys sharp."

"We're fortunate to have players who can play a variety of roles. With the new rules and all the penalties, we have to be in a position where we can get as many people involved so that our top players aren't on the ice all the time."

• Playing Record •
• defense •
• from: 1977/78 - 1980/81 (ON-Jr.A /OHL) \\\ 1980/81 - 1991/92 (IHL / CHL / AHL / NHL / France) •

• career stats •

| gms| G | A | TP | PIMs|+/-| G/gm| A/gm| PP| SH
NHL | 14 |0 |1 | 1 |25|||||
AHL | 469 |40 |206 |246 |472 || | | |
IHL | 136|22|59|81|198|||||
CHL | 146 |18 |65 |83 |310 ||| | |
Minors PLAYOFFS | 59|9 | 27| 36 | 103|||||
Jr| 127 |21 |66 |87 |264 || | ||
France| 36 |15 |50 |8 |65 || | ||

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Carl Brewer
Defenseman
5’9â€
180lbs
LHS

Stanley Cup: 1962, 1963, 1964
WC Most Outstanding Defenseman: 1967
WC All-Star Team: 1967
WC Bronze Medal: 1967
IHL Turner Cup: 1968
Finish League Championship: 1969
Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame: 2004


Norris Finishes: 2, 3, 4, 6, 6, 9, 9
All-Star Finishes: 2, 3, 3, 4, 5

Regular Season NHL Career
604GP – 25G – 198A – 223Pts

Playoff NHL Career
72GP – 3G – 17A – 20Pts


The Big Story on Brewer is that he left the NHL right in the middle of his prime. When he came back he was a 2nd Team AS behind Orr and Park. By looking at what he did before, after, and during his time away from the NHL, we can see that those years he missed were indeed prime years and it’s extremely likely they would have added to his NHL resume…

Carl Brewer NHL Career Timeline
1957-58: TML – 2GP
1958-59: TML – Becomes Regular (69GP)
1959-60: TML – 9th in Norris voting (2nd on own team behind Stanley)
1960-61: TML – t-6th in Norris voting, 5th in AS voting (1st on team - tied with Horton for Norris, but beats him in AS)
1961-62: TML – 4th in Norris, 3rd in AS (1st on Team)
1962-63: TML – 2nd in Norris, 2nd in AS (1st on Team)
1963-64: TML – Injured, only 57GP, 9th in Norris (3rd on own team behind Horton and Baun)
1964-65: TML – 6th in Norris, 4th in AS, (1st on team – slightly behind Horton for Norris, but well ahead for AS)
1969-70: DRW – 3rd in Norris, 3rd in AS, (1st on Team)
1970-71: STL – Injured, only 19GP
1971-72: STL – Injured, only 42GP
1979-80: Attempts comeback at age 41, plays 20 games for TML


Brewer had incredible results in each of the three prime years he spent away from the NHL…

Carl Brewer Non-NHL Years
1966-67: Plays for Team Canada in World Championships – Bronze Medal, named Most Outstanding Defenseman, named to All-Star Team

1967-68: Plays for Muskegon Mohawks in IHL – Won Turner Cup, Unanimous choice for 1st All-Star Team, Muskegon finishes 1st in regular season, wins go from 27 to 43, and goal differential goes from -37 to +89.

1968-69: Player-Coach for HIFK Helsinki in Finland, Won League Championship, Later inducted into Finish HHOF

1973-74: Plays in WHA for Toronto, 77GP


Joe Pelletier

Brewer was both a thinker and a rebel, and always controversial. It started out with many incidents like this on the ice, but soon continued off of it.

Punch Imlach had a love-hate relationship with Brewer. The Leafs GM-coach knew how valuable he was to the Leafs on the ice, but the two butted heads over many issues over the years, but none more so than Brewer's introducing of Alan Eagleson and subsequently other player agents to the NHL. Brewer was a significant driving factor in Eagleson's ascendancy to power in hockey, which is greatly ironic considering Brewer helped to bring down the former hockey czar on fraud charges in the 1990s.

In addition, early in his career he was very standoffish with the media and fans. He seemed to want to avoid the pressures associated with the limelight of being one of the best hockey players in the world. He even clashed with teammates on occasion, most notably once blowing up with goalie Johnny Bower.

Lost in all the controversies is the fact that Carl Brewer was an excellent defender. Brewer was part of three Stanley Cup championships in Toronto. Often pairing with Bobby Baun, the four time all star epitomized the thinking man's defenseman. He had a perfect poke check and was a brilliant passer out of his own zone. Baun took care of much of the rough stuff, even though Brewer had a blustery reputation as one of hockey's baddest men.

The tandem of Brewer and Baun was one of the best defense tandems the NHL has ever seen, and they always had the Leafs in contention for the Stanley Cup. The Leafs could win many Stanley Cups some believed. But Brewer did not share the same visions as the Leafs and their fans. He shocked the hockey world when he quit the Leafs in 1965, choosing to complete his bachelor of arts degree at the University of Toronto.

That was just the beginning of bizarre career moves, at least in the eyes of the hockey establishment and hockey fans. One of the best defensemen in the game just upped and left to the U of T. He would return to hockey though, struggling to regain his amateur status so he could skate with the Canadian national team for two years. He would then be a player-coach with Muskegon in the International Hockey League before accomplishing the same role with HIFK Helsinki and the Finnish national team! Imagine one of Canada's top defensemen quitting the NHL in the late 1960s to coach in Finland!

Somewhere along the line Brewer's pendulum of disenchantment swung back the other way, as he decided he needed to return to the evils of the NHL and all of his enemies that he once escaped.

Brewer lasted a season in Detroit, posting career highs for assists and points in the more offensive league. Yet Brewer left the Wings at season's end, opting to take a job with the KOHO hockey stick company. Brewer returned to the ice only after the Wings traded him to St. Louis late in the 1970-71 season. He would play 61 games with Scotty Bowman's Blues over two seasons, before quitting again, off to work on one of his many business ventures he would dream up. Yet he would return to hockey again, this time back to Toronto in 1973-74, and play a season with the WHA Toronto Toros.

Brewer stayed in the business world after that season, leaving NHL circles completely unsure what to think of him. Yet, six years later, he would return, crazily enough with Punch Imlach's Maple Leafs. The 41 year old would play 20 games, collecting 5 assists.

"I guess I've always had it on my mind, to die a Maple Leaf," he said.

The NHL had not heard the last of Carl Brewer though. Over the years he grew suspicious of Alan Eagleson. Brewer and his long time partner Susan Foster supplied much information to journalist Russ Conway, who authored a report on how Eagleson misused the players' trust and their money. Soon they went to the FBI, and brought perhaps the most powerful man in hockey down.

The bringing down of Eagleson is Carl Brewer's lasting legacy. But he should also be remembered as a loose cannon who always kept the pot boiling. He should also be remembered as one of the best defensemen of his day. That, it seems, it is always overlooked due to all the turmoil he caused.

Legends of Hockey

Nobody ever knew what Carl Brewer was going to do next. On the ice, he was a tough but agile defenseman who could stickhandle with a deceptive creativity. He had the ability to cross the opposing blue line and then pause, using dekes to ward off checkers, waiting for a teammate to get into the open for one of his feathery passes. In the defensive zone, he was adept at getting in an opponent's way, using clean tactics and not so clean tactics, such as cutting the palm out of his gloves to facilitate a sneaky kind of holding. Off the ice, he was a scholar and a freethinker who retired several times from hockey, only to turn up later playing on different teams or in different countries.

The Leafs' savvy defensive standouts Brewer, Allan Stanley, Bob Baun and Tim Horton were the foundation of the Toronto team that captured the Stanley Cup for three consecutive seasons beginning in 1961-62.

During training camp in 1965, Brewer had an on ice disagreement with teammate Johnny Bower that continued into the dressing room. Imlach sent the defenseman home for a few days "to think about it." Brewer did think about it, and decided to retire from professional hockey. He would stay out of the NHL for four years.

While Brewer was away, his professional rights were traded by the Leafs to the Detroit Red Wings, along with Frank Mahovlich, Pete Stemkowski and Garry Unger, for Norm Ullman, Paul Henderson and Floyd Smith. It took Detroit manager Sid Abel more than a year to sign Brewer, which he did one hour before those rights would have reverted to the Maple Leafs. Brewer was partially convinced by Mahovlich and Bob Baun, former teammates in Toronto whose careers were rejuvenated with the Red Wings. Mahovlich, who had wilted under Imlach's intense pressure in Toronto as well, called Brewer in Finland several times to encourage his return to the NHL. Brewer had an incredible season in 1969-70 with the Red Wings, earning a place on the league's Second All-Star Team.

1969 Punch Imlach choose his All-Star Leafs team composed of players he coached over the past 10 years.
Frank Mahovlich - Norm Ullman - George Armstrong
Tim Horton - Carl Brewer
Johnny Bower


Montreal Gazette, 1969

On Brewer, Imlach said, "As good a skater as I have ever had on my hockey teams. He could afford to make mistakes because he was so fast he could recover."

Montreal Gazette, 1974

It wasn't until 1963-64 that Horton made the first all-star team and he did it twice later, taking grip of the Toronto defense in four Stanley Cup years as Carl Brewer went through the change from superstar to free spirit.

Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame

Three-time Stanley Cup winning defenseman Carl Brewer was the first foreign star player in the Finnish hockey league.

Brewer led HIFK to the championship title as player-coach in 1968/69. This was his only season in Finland, but he left a permanent impact on HIFK, club known ever since for its gritty and physical style of play.

Ottawa Citizen – Aug. 30, 1967
Big salary for amateur Brewer

Carl Brewer, three times a National Hockey League all-star defenceman who quit Toronto Maple Leafs after the 1964-65 season has been signed to play with Muskegon Mohawks of the International Hockey League.

Mohawks owner, Jerry Delise said Tuesday Brewer had been signed to a contract calling for a salary “high in the five-figure†bracket
…
The 28-year-old Brewer, who completed seven season with the Maple Leafs, bowed out to seek a degree in education at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.

He played last year with the Canadian national amateur team that competed in the world hockey championship tournament at Prague, Czechoslovakia, losing out to the Soviet team. Brewer was named the outstanding defenceman in the tournament.
…
During his career with the Leafs, Toronto won one regular season championship, finished second three times and captured the Stanley Cup three times.
…
Alan Eagleson, Toronto lawyer who is executive director of the NHL players organization, has said previously that some NHL teams have offered up to $250,000 in efforts to get Brewer’s services.

Montreal Gazette – Mar. 27, 1968
Brewer Named All-Star

Carl Brewer, a former all-star with Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League was a unanimous choice for the first all-star team in the International Hockey League this season.

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

After acrimonious negotiations with the NHL, Brewer succeeded in regaining his amateur player status in 1966, allowing him to join Canada’s National Team. He competed at the 1967 World Championship and won recognition as the best defenseman at the tournament.

Brewer was soon after appointed as player-coach for the IHL team in Muskegon, Michigan. In 1968, he was invited further afield to coach the IFK Helsinki team in Finland and, within a year, led this team to its first league championship. He aided the development of hockey in Finland to such an extent that Finns regard him as the “Father of Hockey†in their country.

TheDevilMadeMe – HOH Top Defenseman Project

In 1961-62, Horton was 3rd in scoring among defensemen, but was not a First or Second Team All Star. First Team was Doug Harvey (6th in scoring among D) and Jean Guy Talbot in his career year (1st in scoring among D). Second team was Pierre Pilote (2nd in scoring among D) and Carl Brewer (9th in scoring among D). Horton outscored his teammate Brewer 38-23, yet Brewer was the 2nd Team All Star.

In 1962-63, Brewer and Horton tied with 25 points, but Brewer was the first team All-Star and Horton was the 2nd Team All Star.

Horton was a 1st Team All-Star for the first time in 1963-64.

From the all-star voting, it appears that Carl Brewer had a better defensive reputation than Horton in the regular season for the first 2 of the 4 Cups.

The DevilMadeMe – HOH Top Defenseman Project

Carl Brewer - Great peak and a key member of 3 Stanley Cups in a row - he was actually considered Toronto's #1 defenseman at the beginning of the 3 year run, a job that Tim Horton slowly took over. You can only imagine how much better his all-star record would be if he didn't lose 4 prime years due to a feud with his coach Punch Imlach. In modern times, he could have just asked for a trade and star for another team, and be done with it. At the height of the feud (before Brewer returned to the NHL), Imlach thought Brewer was one of the best two defensemen he had ever coached (along with Horton). Other defensemen Imlach coached included Allan Stanley and a past his prime but still very effective Marcel Pronovost.

A great article about Brewer working out with the Soviets and what Tarasov thought of him…
The Windsor Star – Dec. 21, 1968
Carl Brewer ‘guinea pig’ for Russians

Former Toronto Maple Leaf defenceman Carl Brewer ahs been used as a guinea pig by the Russians to learn the intricacies of National Hockey League play. Russian coach Anatoly Tarasov talked Brewer into working out with the Russians last September and wrote about the experience in a Soviet weekly sports publication.
…
Tarasov said in the article he talked with Brewer in a Helsinki motel room after the Russians had defeated Finland 12-3 in a game and persuaded him to practice with the Soviet team the next day.

Tarasov wrote that he had seen Brewer play in the NHL and for Canada in the 1967 world championships at Vienna and had great admiration for his skill.

“For the first time I could observe a Canadian professional, make him perform all the exercises, get to know his manner of playing and compare it to ours,†Tarasov said.

The Russian coach used Brewer as a forward in preliminary scrimmaging, putting him with two of his best players because “he will be pleased with such companionship…and I will be able to compare his technique and hockey culture with that of our masters.

“First we had limbering up, where Brewer together with Alexandrov and Firsov had to waltz and perform other athletic tricks: jump, squat, pass the puck, take it in different ways from the opponent. Our players are used to all these exercises, that is why they over-did Brewer in them

“In the tactics exercise with three forwards attacking the goal against two defencemen, Brewer (on defence) was quite at home. I made no remarks at first. Each forward tried to get the upper hand over Brewer alone by skating around him, but would be driven to the corner and done with.

But then I changed the tactics. They danced around Brewer with different rythms, rushed to him unexpectedly tried to hit him before he hit them, and sometimes our guest was rather at a loss…but more often he was brilliant.

“He was a real fighter, decisive, thoughtful, self-possessed. Coming close to him our fellows would get into sort of a trap, with their sticks, arms, or even heads clasped under his arm, or his stick stuck between their feet.â€

Turning to the intra-squad game that followed, Tarasov wrote: “Brewer was superb in his zone especially when the opponent was slow and awkward. He not only took the puck, but also knocked the player down. But when the player was quick and active, Brewer was rather in difficulty.

The Russian coach said he asked Brewer how the Soviet team would do against NHL teams and Brewer replied the Russians would win at first then lose later.

“Professionals wouldn’t consider you worthy opponents until you beat them,†Brewer said. “And the point is that your tactics and ways are unfamiliar to them, so at first that would be to your advantage. But after you beat them once they would change their tactics. So you could only win because you really play another brand of hockey.

Frank Mahovlich – Former Leaf Carl Brewer Remembered

He was a brilliant hockey player. He should be in the Hall of Fame. He had so much talent.

We won three Stanley Cups with him in the early ‘60s. I remember in ’64 he played a very strong series to win the Cup for us.

Red Kelly – Former Leaf Carl Brewer Remembered

Carl was a strong and quick skater. He was a great piece of our team in the days.

Who’s Who In Hockey

He was a four-time All-Star, and all-time philosopher. “The game of hockey itself is very easy,†he professes. “It’s the thinking about it that makes it hard.â€

 

[BillyShoe1721]

C/LW Gregg Sheppard

1976 NHL All Star Game Participant
3x Top 8 SHG(3, 7, 8)
Top VsX Scores: 61, 62, 64, 54
3x Top 10 Playoff Goals(2, 9, 10)
2x Top 9 Playoff Assists(6, 9)
2x Top 11 Playoff Points(2, 11)
SH TOI/G Ranks(among F): 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1
13th in Selke voting, 1979

This is Gregg Sheppard, defensive forward with the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins back in the 1970s.

http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2009/12/shoebox-memories-gregg-sheppard.html

When you are surrounded by great players like Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, and Brad Park it's nice to be considered to be the unsung hero of the team, the guy who gets the job done and doesn't need a press conference to let everyone know it. This is former Boston Bruin and Pittsburgh Penguin centre Gregg Sheppard.

He eventually joined his new club and become a team player as always. The Pens were expecting Sheppard to be a goal scorer, but the days of scoring 30 a season were over and he became more of a fore checker.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=14296

Joining the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins in 1972 as a result of the parent club losing players to expansion and the new World Hockey Association, Sheppard - showing both scoring prowess and exemplary defensive and penalty killing skills - had a fine rookie season, finishing second in balloting for rookie of the year honors. The following season Sheppard made his true mark in the playoffs, scoring eleven goals in sixteen playoff games as the Bruins went to the Cup finals.

He was a mainstay in Boston for six seasons in all, scoring thirty or more goals three straight years—and only a serious injury costing him much of the 1978 season cost him a fourth—as well as proving himself as one of the league's premier faceoff men and penalty killers. He was named to play in the All-Star Game in 1976, during which he won the Bruins' Seventh Player Award as the team's unsung hero and the Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy for the player judged best in home games. His best statistical season was 1975, in which he scored 78 points and finished with a plus/minus rating of +45.

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

Gregg Sheppard, a 5'8" center, replaced Esposito and tickled the Garden crowd with his scrappiness.

When the Bruins dealt penalty killing specialist Greg Sheppard to Pittsburgh...

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The 5'8" center from Saskatchewan was a true Bruin. He played hard on both ends of the ice. While his main job was shutting down the opponent's best scorer, he could also score.

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Jean Ratelle, hard-working Gregg Sheppard, and veteran left winger John Bucyk are considered the Bruins top forwards.

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Sheppard, the talented Boston Bruin center, performs best when the pressure is heavy and the checking is tight. He starts putting his game together in February and keeps improving until he is at a peak for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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Good penalty killing work by George Ferguson and Gregg Sheppard, along with solid checking from the forwards, helped Pittsburgh hold the Sabres to 24 shots.

"It's a shame that Sheppard and Ferguson don't get their names on the score sheet, because they did a great job killing penalties," said Garner. "We needed a win bad."

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It takes more than a pesky knee injury to stop a hockey player with the heart of Boston's Gregg Sheppard.

In just his 3rd game back after missing 26 contests because of strained knee ligaments, Sheppard, the Bruins' 5'8" center, fired in a hat trick to lead Boston to a 6-1 victory over the LA Kings Tuesday night.

"He's a great little hockey player," said captain Wayne Cashman, who also scored a goal in the runaway. "The fans(14,402 of them) respect his ability and effort..."

Sheppard, 28, lacks the natural ability of more gifted players like Montreal's Guy Lafleur and the Islanders' Bryan Trottier, but his relentless hustle and persistent checking has made him a favorite in Boston Garden. He's also a consistent goal scorer, tallying 30, 31, and 31 goals the last 3 seasons.

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Don Marcotte, the left wing on a so-called checking line with Gregg Sheppard and Terry O'Reilly...

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For more than a month, Gregg Sheppard, Erroll Thompson and George Ferguson were drawing high praise for their defensive performance and criticism for their lack of offensive production.

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If their Sheppard keeps leading the Penguins the way he did last night, fans will be flocking onto the bandwagon in record numbers.

But if you're searching for heroes in the Penguins' record 6th straight victory, look no further than their checking line and penalty killing unit. You'll find Gregg Sheppard at the hub of both.

The nine year veteran center, whose unheralded but solid work this season was interrupted only by three injuries, made several priceless contributions to the streaking Penguins' latest triumph.

He limited Marcel Dionne, the league's second leading scorer, to just two shots. In all, Sheppard and wingers Thompson and George Ferguson allowed the Triple Crown Line (albeit sans Charlie Simmer) only one goal - and a disputed one at that.

"I can't give enough credit to Shep's line for the job they did on Dionne," praised coach Eddie Johnston.

Actually, it was Sheppard's third magnificent performance against Dionne, who came into the contest with 48 goals and 61 assists. He yielded 6 shots but no points to his crafty counterpart during a 3-3 tie Dec. 17 in LA. A month later in the Igloo, Dionne got one goal, one assist, and 7 shots off Sheppard. But the Pens won the game, 5-4.

Last night, all Dionne got was an assist amid controversy, and eventually tripped Sheppard out of sheer frustration in the final period.

Why is Sheppard so successful against Dionne and other top centers?

"Maybe I dwell on that aspect of the game more," he reasoned. "I guess I'm just more defensive minded than offensive minded."

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Pittsburgh escaped six shorthanded situations unscathed during the game, a fact which pleased coach Eddie Johnston.

"That's why (Gregg) Sheppard is a very, very valuable man on our hockey club," Johnston said of the man who caused Buffalo's power play unit the most grief. "With him on our club, we can keep our penalty killing above 80%."

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Another factor in the Penguins' penalty killing difficulties is the absence of veteran center Gregg Sheppard. Sheppard, whose faceoff skills helped make him a steady penalty killer, was released this past summer.

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Sheppard, 33, the Penguins' most efficient penalty killing forward last season, was placed on waivers late last week and as of Sunday, no one had claimed him.

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MacLeish was teamed with veteran Gregg Sheppard, who moved back to center after spending most of the season at left wing.

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"We just have to have Shepp going -killing penalties, playing the point in the power play, taking a regular shift. For us to go anywhere he's got to play the way he did tonight."

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Veteran Gregg Sheppard has been employed almost exclusively in penalty killing roles to best capitalize on his defensive skills...

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