ATD 2015 Bio Thread

[Rob Scuderi]

Lennart Svedberg, D

3x IIHF AST (1968, 1969, 1970)
1x WC Best Defenseman (1970)
7x Swedish League AST (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971)

Svedberg was close to Suchy in AST voting two years he was named to the IIHF AST

1968
DEFENSE:Jan Suchy 33, Lennart Svedberg 28

1970
DEFENSE:Jan Suchy 78, Lennart Svedberg 58

Svedberg's puckmoving and rushing
Svedberg was a strong skater, which coupled with his stickhandling ability, made him a dangerous rusher. He'd often wheel around his own net and hit the neutral zone with speed when starting a rush. One thing I noticed was he'd often look to pass the puck off in the neutral zone to a teammate in space or making a cut, rather than take it end-to-end himself. He had a real talent for threading a pass through a maze of opposing sticks and skates which aided his tendency to look for a teammate to dish it off to.

[collapse=VM 1970 #4]

Svedberg wheels around his own net and rushes to the neutral zone before sending a pass across to Tord Lundstrom who gets a partial breakaway past Jan Suchy.

Here is another smart pass from Svedberg that gives his teammate a clean entry in the CSSR zone.

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Stickhandling
[collapse=VM 1969]

This play shows off Svedberg's skating and stickhandling as he rushes past a few checkers along the left wing before passing off to a teammate and falling back to a defensive position.

Here you really get to see Svedberg's stickhandling abilities. He picks up the puck behind his own net while shorthanded and dangles a CSSR checker who goes flying into the end boards. Svedberg's simple pass leads to a 3-on-2 rush for Sweden even though they were short. (note: icing was called against shorthanded teams so he couldn't simply slap/lift it out of the zone)

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Threading the needle with his passes
[collapse=VM 1969 #2]

An example of Svedberg's ability to pick pucks out of traffic as he holds the blueline and then slips a pass to a teammate which eventually leads to a scoring chance.

A final example of his ability to get the puck through tight windows begins with Svedberg's greatest skill defensively: aggressively breaking up plays in the neutral zone. Svedberg picks off a pass and then cleverly enters the zone drawing two CSSR defenders towards him before slipping a pass through them to a teammate.

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Rushing the puck and Svedberg's fake slap shot
[collapse=VM 1970 #2]

As I said before, Svedberg was dangerous when he chose to rush the puck himself. Below is his finest play I have seen. He rushes the puck from below his own goal line all the way into the Soviet zone, where he fakes a slapshot which both of the defenders bite on. This allows him to make a cross-crease pass for his defensive partner tap in, as was coming out of the box.

Here is another example of Svedberg using a fake slapshot to freeze a defender after gaining the zone. Ragulin hesitates for a second allowing Svedberg takes a shot from the face off dot.

Svedberg works a give-and-go in his own end before rushing the puck into the offensive zone and putting a slapshot on net.

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Svedberg putting his talents to use in the offensive zone
[collapse=VM 1969 #3]

Here Svedberg jumps up to prevent a CSSR player from clearing the zone. After gaining the puck he puts his fake slapshot to use and sends a pass to a teammate alone in front of the net.

Svedberg neatly stickhandles around a checker while Sweden are on the PP. After some passing around, Svedberg skates towards the net to only to feed a wide open Tord Lundstrom in the slot for a quality chance.

Svedberg again jumps up to pick off a weak clearing attempt by Ragulin. He then stickhandles around a recovering Ragulin and takes a wrister from the net that leaves a juicy rebound that Sweden can't bury.

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Svedberg's defensive game
The most prominent feature of Svedberg's defensive game was his aggressive play in the neutral zone. He constantly jumped up to confront opposing puck carriers, from the opposing blue line to his own blue line. He also had a great feel for jumping up to pick off passes. I could post dozens of videos of him doing this.

He was also very good at playing "help" defense and swooping in to check the puck away as his teammates impeded a puckcarrier's path. He was solid in his own zone, but not as strong as he was in the neutral zone.
[collapse=VM 1970 #3]

Svedberg pokes the puck off the stick of a rushing player to a teammate who has a 1-on-1 going the other way. Note that Svedberg rushes up ice after him in attempt to catch up and provide another option off the rush.

Svedberg picks off a pass while his partner is tracking back. He rushes into the offensive zone and slips a pass to a teammate for a shot from the slot.

He picks up an errant pass and gains the offensive zone before passing off to a teammate. This leads to the Soviets clearing their zone and Svedberg eventually starting another breakout behind his own net after stickhandling around a forechecker.

Svedberg jumps up after a missed pass and leads a rush the other way.

Twice Svedberg breaks up Soviet attempts to get through the neutral zone.

With time expiring, he knocks away a pass from a rushing CSSR player in the neutral zone.

An example of Svedberg's ability to play "help defense"

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Defensive Zone
[collapse=VM 1969 #4]

Here you see Svedberg poking the puck clear of his zone and then jumping up to break up a rush.

Svedberg catches Mikhailov from behind to stop a breakaway.

Good work in own end to breakup centering pass and then poke the puck into the corner.

Good position and takeout defending a 1-on-1

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Mistakes
Svedberg would make defensive mistakes at times. Being a converted forward he did look awkward in his own zone at times. He could also get caught up ice through his aggressive neutral zone play. His partner often jumped up too which compounded the issue.

[collapse=VM 1969 #5]

Svedberg misses jumping up on a 4-on-4 and it leads to a goal against

He very poorly defends a 2-on-1 and the subsequent rebound

Misses jumping up in neutral zone and after eventually recovering he puts the puck on Kharlamov's tape in Sweden's end

[/collapse]

Swedish Coach Arne Stromberg said his plan was to check heavily - he dressed six defencemen - and break up the Czech patterns. Big Lennart Svedberg did just that, upsetting one Czech foray after another.

Besides Holmqvist, another hero of the Swedish victory was Lennart Svedberg, a Soviet-trained defenceman. He stickhandled the length of the ice to set up Carlsson's goal.

 

[Dreakmur]

John McKenzie !!!


Award and Achievements:
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1970, 1972)

Second Team All-Star (1970)

All-Star voting - 2nd(1970), 3rd(1968), 3rd(1971), 5th(1972)


Scoring Accomplishments:
Points - 8th(1971), 10th(1970), 12th(1968)
Goals - 12th(1968), 16th(1971), 17th(1970), 20th(1969)
Assists - 12th(1970), 13th(1968), 14th(1971), 16th(1972)

Play-off Points - 4th(1970), 4th(1972)
Play-off Goals - 7th(1970), 10th(1972)
Play-off Assists - 2nd(1970), 3rd(1972)


5-Year Peak: 1968-72
13th in Points, 72% of second place Bobby Orr
13th in Goals, 74% of third place Frank Mahovlich
13th in Assists, 80% of third place Stan Mikita
8th in Play-off Points


Scoring Percentages:
Points - 81, 79, 77, 59, 52, 51

Best 6 seasons: 399

My custom at the start of the games was to take a run at somebody on my first shift. I just wanted to stir things up and plant the idea that if a squirt like me can go after them - particilarly if my target was a big star - then why not everybody? I tried to act the same way when we were sagging in a tight game.

The David who takes on all the sketing Goliatihs. When Johnny McKenzie stepped on the ice, he was like a runaway grenade.

....

McKenzie was an integral part of both the 1970 and 1972 Cup-winning machines.

....

None was tougher than McKenzie. Standing 5'9", 178 pounds, Pie was thirty years old when he came to Causeway Street, but his enthusiasm bubbled like that of a ten-year-old... Despite his notorious roughhouse style, McKenzie's penalty minutes never reached triple figures - 77 minutes in 1970-71 was his high point - but he was always intimidating... It was not merely McKenzie's bronco-busting style that endeared him to the balcony crowd. For whever reasos, the numbers that he couldn't put up in Chicago, Detroit and New York became evident in Boston.

....

Milt Schmidt preferred calling him a "mood-setter". Snarly was the mood that best befit the Bruins when they began taking dead aim at the NHL's stratosphere. Derek Sanderson, Ted Green, Wayne Cashman, and Ken Hodge all coontributed to the club's aggressive image, but it was McKenzie who seemed to do the most as agitator-extraordinaire.

....

[from Fred Stanfield bio]

Pie McKenzie worked the ice like a tireless hornet, constantly disrupting the fore while melding neatly with his linemates.

He made it to the Bruins in 1966 and finally began to see regular action. In his second season, his union with Fred Stanfield and Johnny Bucyk allowed him to blossom into a valuable part of the club as an agitator and scorer. His scoring totals were also given a lift through his regular spot on the powerplay with Bucyk and Esposito. McKenzie once joked that third-man-in rule killed his career. He specialized in needling his opponents until their blood boiled to throw them off their game. But he didn't fight very often. He'd just get things going and then let the big boys take over. He even managed to complete his career with all of his teeth intact.

But don't forget John "Pie" McKenzie, the diminutive pest who was a real leader and fan favorite on that team. He was so popular that Boston fans bought 100s of bumper stickers that said "No matter how you slice it, Pie is the greatest."

....

He didn't drop the gloves with great regularity, but that's what McKenzie instigated his rivals to do on numerous occasions, usually resulting in a Boston power-play.

In his best season the 5'9", 180-pounder netted 31 goals and recorded 77 points in 1970-71, despite missing 13 games due to a shoulder separation that required an operation.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Ernie Russell, C/Rover/RW

- Born 1883
- 5'6, 160 lbs (5'10'' 200 lbs adjusted for era +4/40)
- Member of the HHOF (1965)
- Stanley Cup (1906, 1907, 1908, 1910)
- ECAHA 1st All-Star Team (1907)
- ECAHA 2nd All-Star Team (1908)
- Stanley Cup Scoring:
- 1906: 1st on Wanderers, T4th overall
- 1907: 1st on Wanderers, 1st overall
- 1908: 1st on Wanderers, 1st overall
- 1910: 1st on Wanderers, 6th overall (Wanderers played 1 game, Ottawa played 4)
- NHA PIM Leader (1912)
- 184 Goals, 368 PIM in 101 Top-Level Games (assists not recorded most of his career)
- 31 Goals, 51 PIM in 11 Stanley Cup Games


Retro Hart Trophy
(ECAHA) 1907

Retro Art Ross Trophy
(ECAHA) 1907

Retro Conn Smythe Trophy
(ECAHA) 1907 vs Kenora - 2 games - March 23 and 25 (Russell scored a team leading 5 goals, in the 12-8 win)

Retro Conn Smythe Trophy
(ECAHA) 1908 vs Ottawa - 2 games - January 9 and 13 (Russell scored an insane team leading 10 of 22 goals in the 22-4 drubbing. Next closest player had 4)

Retro Conn Smythe Trophy
(NHA) 1910 vs Berlin - 1 game March 12 (Russell scored 4 of 7 goals in single Cup challenge game)





REGULAR SEASON SCORING FINISHES - TEAM - LEAGUE


1905 (CAHL) - 1st On Montreal AAA's - 5th overall
1906 (ECAHA) - 1st On Wanderers - T4th overall (T4th is misleading considering he scored 21 goals in 6 games = 3.5. Whereas Joe Power had 21 in 10 and Bowie 30 in 9, both less per game. Frank McGee was best at 4 GPG)
1907 - 1st On Wanderers - 1st overall - 42 goals in 9 games (Arguably most dominant pre-consolidation year ever, considering he beat Bowie by 4 goals and in 1 fewer game + substantial playoff success)
1908 - 1st on Wanderers - 6th overall
1909 - Didn't player (retired)
1910 (NHA) - 1st on Wanderers - 2nd overall (2nd to Lalonde, surmise to say Russell could be argued as a 1st team if we split Lalonde and Russell between Rover and C. Otherwise he's a clear 2nd team C)
1911 - 1st on Wanderers - 8th overall (again misleading as he had 18 goals in 11 games. Pitre had 19 in 16 games. Lalonde 19 in 16. Cleghorn 20 in 16. Ridpath 23 in 16. Only Kerr and Walsh averaged better GPG than Russell of anyone in top 10 scoring)
1912 - 1st on Wanderers - T2nd overall (Pitre also had 27 in 18 games. considering Pitre was a W, you again could argue that Russell was worthy of at least a 2nd Team AS. Joe Malone was next closest C in scoring at 21 goals in 18 games.)


Notice that Russell was easily the most important offensive player on every team he played on between 1905 and 1912. He was 1st in scoring every year other than 1909 when he retired. Coincidentally the ONLY year the Wanderers failed to win the SC between 1906 and 1910 was the year he didn't play.

1907 was easily one of the most dominant pre consolidation season ever, top to bottom. He was awarded a retro Hart, Art Ross, Rocket Richard, and likely Conn Smythe when you consider he led all scorers in the playoffs for the SC winning Wanderers. You'd be hard pressed to find more than a handful of seasons in NHL/Hockey history that were so dominant.

1910, as shown above should have netted him at least a 2nd team NHA all star nod. Led his team in scoring again, finished 2nd overall to the elite Lalonde, and won yet another SC championship.

1911, was a year he probably would have been an AS had he played 18 games as others did ahead of him in the scoring race. His GPG were better than all but 2 players.

1912, only Skene Ronan has a legitimate case for 1st Team AS nod at C, as he led the league in scoring with 35 goals. No other C was close to Russell in scoring from the C position


Basically, given all the research I've done, stats, and game reports read, I would say that Russell's AS nods would look like following in today's world (this is an educated hypothesis)

1st Team AS - ECHA 1907
2nd Team AS - ECHA 1908
2nd Team AS - NHA 1910 (possibly 1st if you put Lalonde at Rover, which is palatable)
2nd Team AS - NHA 1912 (behind Ronan and ahead of Joe Malone and Marty Walsh for example)
3rd Team AS - NHA 1911 (behind Walsh and Lalonde at C although one could possibly argue him being over Lalonde here as Russell scored 18 goals in just 11 games, whereas Newsy had 19 in 16.)
3rd Team AS - ECHA 1906 (behind Bowie and McGee, although on a per game basis Russell was a better scorer than Bowie)
5th Team AS - CAHL 1905


USING 2ND PLACE IN POINT TOTALS AS A BENCHMARK WE INVESTIGATE RUSSELL'S SCORING PROWESS.

1905 - 57.9 (19 goals is BM)
1906 - 75 (30 goals is BM)*
1907 - 110 (38 goals in BM)**
1908 - 75 (28 goals is BM)
1910 - 100 (Russell is BM)
1911 - 54.5 (33 goals is BM)***
1912 - 100 (Russell and Pitre are BM)

*Russell's 75 in 1906 is misleading because he only played in 6 games vs 9 for Bowie who was the benchmark. Ernie Russell averaged 3.5 goals per game. He scored 21 in 6 contests, whereas Russell Bowie scored 30 in 9, which is 3.33 goals per game. Because seasons were so short, it's much easier to hypothesize a players few missed games production vs somebody over 70 or 80 games. At 9 games Russell would have likely scored at least 30 goals, given his per game average. Now, Frank McGee scored 28 in 7 games, so he was best in the league at 4 GPG. If we give him 2 more games he's at 36, give or take a goal. Harry Smith had 31 in 8 games, and giving him a 9th game puts him at 35.

So if you project 9 games for each of the top scorers, you have McGee leading the league at 36 goals. Smith at 35, Russell at 31 and Bowie at 30. Using Smith as the BM, Russell's score would improve to 88.6 for 1906

**1907 could be underrating the score of 110 for Russell. Bowie is 2nd in scoring with 38 goals, but the 3rd place player (Blair Russell) scored 25. 38 goals is probably too high of a BM here. Something around 31/32 seems more accurate, splitting the difference between 2nd and 3rd. Doing so puts Russell's score at 135.

***1911 again is misleading, just as 1906 was. Every other player in the top 10 scoring played 16 games. Russell played 11 and scored 18 goals at 1.63 per game average. Had he played another 5 games, he likely finishes with 26 goals, putting T3rd place behind Kerr and Walsh. His VsX score then moves up to 78.8

-As it stands on a per game basis the only season where Russell wasn't truly among the best, or best overall, was his first full pro season in 1905, in the CAHL and to a lesser degree 1908



BREAKDOWN OF POSITIONS PLAYED BY RUSSELL PER YEAR

1905 - Seemingly played rover for the Montreal AAA's. Some issues on game day are not available.
1906 - Found multiple game reports listing him as a right wing. Some game reports not available in archives. Predominantly a RW in 1906 by my estimation (likely all year).
1907 - Early part of the year played RW, then converting over to C full time when Lester Patrick moved to cover point full time as shown in quote below on March 26, 1907
1908+ - Almost exclusively at C as far as I can tell but more than a handful of game recaps are not available in google archives.

-So in his first full year with the AAA's in 1905, Russell played the rover spot, which basically went anywhere and everywhere on the ice. 1906, which saw Russell score 3.5 goals per game, seemingly came at RW, and he looked to have played there in December then transitioning over to C sometime in January. After that, he was a C as far as I can tell, full time.

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Trail Of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1
Ernie Russell was a small man who probably did not weigh over 140 pounds (SIHR has him at 160)... his size was no problem on the ice. There are many of his ardent fans who compare him with the great Russell Bowie and certainly they had several attributes in common. Ernie was a fast skater and accomplished stickhandler, equally at home playing rover or centre (I found games where he was a LW too!) He was the only player of the era who seriously threatened Bowie as a goal scorer. Russell had the advantage of playing on much stronger teams than Bowie and in consequence was on four Stanley Cup Winners.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Players: The Ultimate A-Z Guide Of Everyone Who Has Ever Played in the NHL
Playing center or rover, Russell was a premier scorer in the early years of the 20th century... he was speedy and shifty...

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Renfrew Millionaires
An accomplished skater & stickhandler

Russell was the star of game 1 of the 1906 Finals when the Wanderers surprised the cocky Ottawas with a 9-1 pasting:

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Patricks: Hockey's Royal Family
the defending champions were 2:1 betting favourites, but the Wanderers obviously weren't listening to the neighbourhood bookies. Their fans went wild as Ernie Russell got four goals, Pud Glass got three and Moose Johnson shared a pair with Patrick in the hometown 9-1 victory.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Trail Of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1
Ernie Russell figured prominently in the scoring.

Russell was huge against Ottawa in clinching the ECAHA Championship to retain the cup:

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Trail Of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1
Ottawa's hopes for a championship rested on defeating the Wanderers in their return match at the capital on March 2nd... there seemed little doubt as to the outcome after play got started. The smooth skating Patrick and Johnson were all over the Senators. Russell played a magnificent game, scoring five goals...

He was the only Wanderer who could score when Tommy Phillips' Thistles came to whisk away the cup. He scored both of their goals in a 4-2 defeat and then two goals in game 2, an 8-6 defeat:

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Trail Of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1
Patrick, Russell, and Johnson were the best for the Wanderers.

However, when it was time to take the cup back, Ernie delivered the goods and the team won this time, taking game one 7-2 on the strength of Russell's four goals, before losing game two 6-5 but still winning the series:

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Trail Of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1
The super sniper Ernie Russell scored four.

Russell was again the star in the 1908 cup defense against the Ottawa Vics, scoring 10 of the team's 22 goals over 2 games.:

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Trail Of the Stanley Cup, Vol. 1
Art Ross and Ernie Russell starred for the Redbands.

Russell also spoiled the Renfrew Millionaires' anticipated debut in 1910:

Originally Posted by The Patricks: Hockey's Royal Family
They were bombed 7-2 as the Wandrers' big scoring machine, Ernie Russell, ripped four shots in, three of them in the game's opening minutes.

That Scappy Little Bugger...

I think Russell was a scrappy player with a good 4th line mentality. Thanks to there being very little detail about his play to validate this, I present to you a list of drafted forwards born within 4 years of Ernie Russell (1879-1887) - Ernie put up more PIMs per game than any of them. (Note that only Lalonde, Bowie, and Tommy Smith were top-5 in goals in their league more often among this generation! - Smith's totals include three times in slightly lesser leagues: OPHL and IHL.)


ONLY NEWSY LALONDE AND TOMMY SMITH FINISHED IN THE TOP 5 IN GOAL SCORING MORE TIMES THAN RUSSELL FOR PLAYERS BORN BETWEEN 1879 AND 1887. IT'S AN ELITE GROUP OF HOCKEY PLAYERS.

OF ANY PLAYER ON THE LIST BELOW WITH 100+ GAMES PLAYED, NOBODY HAS A HIGHER GOALS PER GAME AVERAGE THAN ERNIE RUSSELL AT 1.92

Name | DOB | GP | G | PIM | G/GP | PIM/GP | GP w/PIM* | Top-5s
Name | DOB | GP | G | PIM | G/GP | PIM/GP | GP w/PIM* | Top-5s in Goals Ernie Russell | 1883 | 112 | 215 | 419 | 1.92 | 3.74 | | 6
Bruce Stuart | 1881 | 104 | 111 | 280 | 1.07 | 3.33 | 84 | 3
Harry Smith | 1883 | 65 | 150 | 211 | 2.31 | 3.25 | | 4
Newsy Lalonde | 1887 | 254 | 329 | 769 | 1.30 | 3.03 | | 11
Tommy Phillips | 1883 | 45 | 71 | 100 | 1.58 | 2.56 | 39 | 1
Marty Walsh | 1884 | 75 | 167 | 181 | 2.23 | 2.41 | | 4
Pud Glass | 1884 | 103 | 109 | 221 | 1.06 | 2.15 | | 0
Tom Dunderdale | 1887 | 289 | 226 | 527 | 0.78 | 1.82 | | 5
Didier Pitre | 1883 | 239 | 267 | 433 | 1.12 | 1.81 | | 6
Tommy Smith | 1886 | 175 | 274 | 288 | 1.57 | 1.65 | | 7
Cyclone Taylor | 1885 | 228 | 246 | 355 | 1.08 | 1.56 | | 4
Russell Bowie | 1880 | 82 | 249 | 43 | 3.04 | 1.39 | 31 | 10
Frank McGee | 1882 | 41 | 135 | 56 | 3.29 | 1.37 | | 4
Blair Russell | 1881 | 69 | 109 | 68 | 1.58 | 1.36 | 50 | 5
Herb Jordan | 1884 | 61 | 146 | 19 | 2.39 | 0.31 | | 4

* Some players had seasons where PIMs were not recorded; to avoid skewing results, their PIMs are divided only by the number of games they played in seasons where PIMs were recorded. This only counts top-level hockey: NHA, PCHA, St-Cup, ECAHA, ECHA, OPHL, CAHL, FAHL, IHL.

* It may be said that Ernie Russell's "generation" is truly the players born from 1879-1884, with Russell right on the tail end of that generation, but that would be too subjective and I decided to use an objective 9-year range with his birth year right in the middle to define his generation.

RUSSELL'S STANLEY CUP SCORING DOMINANCE

According to The Trail Of the Stanley Cup, here are the playoff and cup final goals leaders through 1926:

Name|GP|G
Frank McGee|22|63
Frank Foyston|47|37
Alf Smith|22|36
Ernie Russell | 11 | 31
Newsy Lalonde|29|27
Tom Phillips|16|27
Harry Westwick|24|26
Marty Walsh|8|25
Ernie Johnson|21|23
Joe Malone|15|23
Pud Glass|16|23
Harry Smith|7|21

But, not all cup games are created equal. Some players played in easy Stanley Cup matches, including Russell. Let's look at the leaders as apples-to-apples, three different ways. First, here are these leaders with "easy" matches removed:

Name|GP|G
Frank Foyston|47|37
Newsy Lalonde|29|27
Frank McGee|14|26
Tom Phillips|14|23
Ernie Russell | 8 | 18
Ernie Johnson|16|18
Alf Smith|14|14
Harry Smith|5|13
Pud Glass|11|13
Harry Westwick|16|11
Joe Malone|12|9
Marty Walsh|3|7

Russell is one of only three on this list who averaged over 2 GPG in the "legitimate" matches, the others being Harry Smith and Marty Walsh, who combined for 8 "legitimate" matches.

Now let's look at only the Wanderer forwards during the years in which they played cup games (1906-1910) since the core of the team stayed mostly the same:

Name|GP|G
Ernie Russell | 11 | 31
Pud Glass|16|23
Ernie Johnson|16|19
Lester Patrick|8|11
***** *********|7|5

But of course, some of those were the easy, lopsided games. Let's look at these Wanderers forwards based on just the "legitimate" matches:

Name|GP|G
Ernie Russell | 8 | 18
Pud Glass|11|13
Ernie Johnson|11|13
Lester Patrick|6|7
***** *********|5|4

So not only did Russell carry the offensive load for this dynasty, but he also relied very little on lopsided matches to boost his totals.


Ernie Russell evidence playing on wing (for most of 1906, early part of 2007)

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: March 3, 1906:
Blatchford is not yet in shape to play, but Lester Patrick is, and he will be out in the rover position, Ernie Russell leaving centre for the wing.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: December 27, 1906:

Russell.....R. Wing

Lester Patrick and Russell were the most consistent players throughout, their work being evident in the first half as well as in the second.

New Glasgow was a man short when Russell moved into the limelight and scored goal three.

Lester Patrick moved down the ice in nice style and handed the puck to Russell, who slipped it past Morrison.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: February 15, 1906:

Wanderers win 6-2 over Montreal

Russell.......Right wing

Summary:--

2.....Wanderers....Russell.......3.00
5.....Wanderers....Russell.......2.00

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: March 12. 1906

Russell......Right......

SUMMARY.

1. Wanderers....Russell....6.55
2. Wanderers....Russell....10.05
3. Wanderers....Russell....6.00

SECOND HALF.

6. Wanderers....Russell....4.55
8. Wanderers....Russell....2.32
13. Wanderers...Russell... .22

Russell Scores 4 Goals against Hugh Lehman in Stanley Cup Championship at RW

Originally Posted by Wikipedia
NHA league champions take over Stanley Cup[edit]
The Wanderers having won the O'Brien trophy won regular season championship of the NHA and took possession of the Cup from Ottawa. They had a challenge from Berlin, champions of the Ontario Professional Hockey League and easily defeated them. For 1910, there would be two Stanley Cup holders, Ottawa until March, and Montreal for the rest of the year.

§Wanderers vs. Berlin[edit]
March 12

Berlin 3 at Wanderers 7

Hugh Lehman, Capt. G William "Riley" Hern|
Albert Seibert 1 P Jack Marshall|
Harvey Corbeau 1 CP Ernie Johnson|
E. "Toad" Edmunds RO Frank "Pud" Glass, Capt.|
Roy Anderson C Harry Hyland 3|
Ezra Dumart RW Ernie Russell 4|
Oren Frood 1 LW Jimmy Gardner|

How did Ernie Russell stack up to Russell Bowie once he made his entrance into the ECAHA from 1905-08?

1905-06:

Name|GP|G
Ernie Russell |6|21
Russell Bowie|9|30

1906-07:

Name|GP|G
Ernie Russell |9|43
Russell Bowie|10|39

Ernie Russell 2 year totals = 64 goals in 15 = 4.3 GPG

Russell Bowie 2 year totals = 69 goals in 19 = 3.6 GPG

1907-08:

Name|GP|G
Ernie Russell |9|20
Russell Bowie|10|31

Ernie Russell 3 year totals = 84 Goals in 24 games = 3.5 GPG

Russell Bowie 3 year totals = 100 in 29 games = 3.44 GPG


So from a goal scoring standpoint there is virtually no difference. The interesting thing to note is Russell was producing at the same clip as Bowie even though he was aged 22-24 during this 3 year stretch when they shared the same league whereas Bowie was 25-27, a more experienced/established player in his prime years.


Ernie Russell outscores Russell Bowie 4 goals to 1 in head to head match up. February 6, 1908
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19080206&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Russell outscores Bowie 2 goals to 1 in head to head match up. February 25, 1905 (as Rover which he played most of 1905)
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19050228&printsec=frontpage&hl=en



How did Ernie Russell stack up against Newsy Lalonde in NHA goal scoring when their careers overlapped?

NHA career goals:

Name|GP|G
Ernie Russell |69|89
Newsy Lalonde|104|150

Russell totals = 1.29 GPG

Lalonde totals = 1.44 GPG

Not a shabby comparison on total numbers, although if you break it down into 3 year peak goal scoring it tightens up some. Russell's career was winding down by his 3rd NHA season, while Lalonde was heating up.

Russell's best 3 year goal scoring totals = 80 in 42 = 1.9 GPG

Lalonde's best 3 year goal scoring totals = 90 in 44 = 2.05 GPG


BETWEEN THE 1905-06 AND 1911-12 SEASONS NOBODY SCORED MORE GOALS PER GAME THAN ERNIE RUSSELL IN THE ECHA/NHA/ETC. TOMMY SMITH SCORED 194 GOALS BETWEEN 1906-07 AND 1911-12 BUT DID SO IN 95 GAMES, IN LEAGUES LIKE THE IHL/WPHL/OPHL/MPHL.

Name|GP|G
Ernie Russell | 66 | 164
Marty Walsh|62|141
Tommy Smith|95|194
Newsy Lalonde|81|176

*Walsh seasons between 1907-08 and 1911-12. He played 2 games in CHA in 1909, 5 total seasons.
**Smith seasons between 1906-07 and 1912-13. Played in IHL, WPHL, OPHL and MPHL, 6 total seasons.
***Lalonde between 1906 (IHL) and 1911-12 (PCHA) with seasons in the OPHL and NHA mixed in, 6 total seasons



FINAL THOUGHTS:

• If Bowie consistently goes in the top 250, why does Ernie Russell go in the 5 to 600's?
  
• Bowie played in leagues (as shown below with examples) that did not have the depth of talent the NHA did beyond 1910.
  
• Who was competing against Bowie in 1900-01-02 etc?[/B] Bruce Stuart? Blair Russel? Harry Westwick? ATD regulars but hardly elite competition in the grand scheme.
  
  [*]In the NHA days you had Lalonde, Nighbor, Malone, Lester Patrick, Didier Pitre, Sprauge/Odie Cleghorn. Marty Walsh and Jack Darragh are similar drafted player to the CAHL players mentioned above. Goalies like Georges Vezina, Clint Benedict, Percy Leseaur and Riley Hern blow anything the CAHL had out of the water.
  
  [*]Russell and Bowie overlapped together in the same leagues between 05-06 and 07-08, and Russell scored 84 goals in 24 games = 3.5 goals per game vs 3.45 goals per game by Bowie who scored 100 in 29 games.
  
  [*]Consider the sheer dominance of Russell in the postseason for Montreal with 33 goals over 11 games and 27 in 9 Stanley Cup finals games. Russell was the offensive star and heavy lifter of the Wanderers that won the Stanley Cup in 1906, 1907, 1908, and 1910
  
  [*]I wonder if we are underrating Ernie Russell by a decent margin
  
  [*]How much value do we put on Bowie's dominance in the CAHL? I mean, once Ernie Russell showed up and they played in the same league (ECAHA) there clearly wasn't a gap by my estimation at least as goal scorers.
  
  [*]How do we look at Russell's first 3 years of nearly 2 goals per game in the NHA (professional league) as his career was winding down into his late 20's relative to Bowie's 2.73 GPA at the turn of the century and very early 1900's in the CAHL against inferior (to some degree) competition.
  
  [*]I think the moral of the story is that Bowie deserves to go somewhere in the mid to late 200's (give or take), based on his sheer dominance throughout his career, but we are greatly under rating players like Ernie Russell if they are being taken in the 5 or even 600's (like 2015 ATD). I simply don't see the massive gap when pointing out the numbers and accolades above. Also remember that you have to take into account Russell's sterling postseason record as a dominant scorer. Rarely was there a Stanley Cup game where Russell didn't completely own the competition.
  

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS AND STORIES OF IMPORTANCE:



https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=CH8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6575,5613445&hl=en

On the Wanderer side Ernie Russell rested and Cecil Blatchford took his place, playing right wing.

Ernie Russell was elected Captain for the 1908 season (which Montreal would again defend the SC crown)
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=HX8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2459,4070101&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Oct 15 1907

RUSSELL CAPTAIN:

The annual general meeting of the Wanderer Hockey Club was held at the Windsor last night, but beyond the adoption of reports and the election of officers there was little or no buisness transacted and owing to the fact thet opening of the hockey season is still a long way off, there were no announcements of importance to be made. Ernie Russell, centre forward on the champion team, was elected captain.

Contemporary praise for Russell. Notice 3 of the 4 names are on the Pirates 2016 ATD team
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=XKgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6915,1865184&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Jan 16 1934
Gardner still follows the game with keen enthusiasm. Of those he played against, rates, Ernie Russell, of the Wanderers, Russell Bowie, of Victorias, Frank McGee, of Ottawa's Silver Seven and Art Farrell, of Shamrocks among the best he ever saw. Georges Vezina he picks as the greatest goaltending of all time. Cyclone Taylor was the fastest player that ever donned skates.

Russell showing consistent effort and passing ability
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=CH8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3587,5404865&hl=en

Montreal Gazette 27 1906
Lester Patrick and Ernie Russell were the most consistent players throughout, their work being evident in the first half as well as in the second.

Ernie Russell finally closed affairs by sailing along and trasferring the puck to Glass, the latter netting the disc after a scuffle.

Lester Patrick moved down the ice in nice style and handed the puck to Russell, who slipped it past Morrison.

Russell scoring, passing, fighting and defensive ability stealing puck
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19110303&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Mar 3 1911
Russell, who repeated his fine playing against Canadians, divided the forward line honors with Hyland, and led in the scoring with four shots in the cage.

Glass snapped one in from Russell when right up on the nets, but it was called back as the pass was regarded offside by Brenan.

...but it was not until Ridpath returned that they got one through Lesueur. Johnston and Russell did the trick on the nicest combination work, Russell taking the shot.

Ottawa were still a man shy when Russell got another on a pass from Smaill, who carried the puck up the side from half-way down the rink.

Lake was sent to the side for soaking Russell, who was boring in all the time on the Ottawa nets.

Wanderers opened the scoring in the third period. Russell stole the puck from Lake, who had just started a run, and scored with a short shot.

Russell and Currie were sent to the side for five minutes after they cracked each other with their sticks. Ottawa's left wing cross-checked the Wanderer man, and he tried to retaliate.

Russell starring vs Cyclone Taylors's Renfrew's team
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19110308&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Mar 8 1911
Taylor again did great work for the Renfrew team, while Ross and Russell starred for the visitors.

Russell combination work
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19130109&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Jan 9 1913
Both teams checked back after going up with the play, both indulging in perhaps more combination work that has been seen in any of the previous games here.

From the face off Russell and Hyland combined, Russell evening matters up again.

Clear evidence that Russell was a hard worker and after puck always.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19050112&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Jan 12 1905
The Montreal forward line showed improvement since the opening game (cannot make out next 2 words) and the busiest worker of the lot was Russell, who was always after the puck.

Russell singled out for his play
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19050228&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Feb 28 1905
There was nothing flukey about the results, as Montreal certainly won on its merits. Their forwards out-skated and out played the Vic forwards at every point, and the defence was steadier (blank) better and blocked more effectively.

Montreal gave a nice exhibition of clean, fast hockey, Russell and Sargent in particular showing up well.

Fights and Russell being singled out for playing very well
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19050309&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Mar 9 1905
The feature which marked the final quarter was a carnival of rough work, which increased in intensity as the minutes went by, finally ending, a few seconds before the close of layer, with a scrap between Russell and Foulis. As Foulis went down the ice with the puck, Russell struck him across the shins. Foulis struck back and then Russell used his fists.

The suddenly aroused interest dropped when Russell made it five to three a minute before time expired.

The Montreal men won the contest on their merit, the forwards showing more cohesion in their play, out skating their opponents and outpointing them when it came to close work in on the nets. Russell in particular played a good game throughout.

Evidence of passing ability by Russell as well as hard work throughout game
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19070307&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Mar 7 1907
Relief came to the Irishmen when McCarthy got half way down the ice with the rubber, but Glass robbed him, and coming down, collided heavily with Mulcair, the latter having to retire for repairs, Patrick going off to even up matters.

On resumption, Russell secured and passing to Johnston, the latter flashed it past Currie.

Russell, who scored 8 goals during the match, was the only man in the Wanderer line-up who worked at all in this half, and seemed bent on running up a big total. Some of his combination runs with Blachford were quite worthy of their reputation

.



Great scouting report talking about Russell's ability to stick handle and shoot and an elite level
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19070326&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Mar 26 1907
The strength of Wanderers was vastly increased by the move; it gave the team the fastest defence in the league and at the same time allowed Russell to get back to his old position at centre, giving him the opportunities to score, which he has turned to such good account in all the intervening matches.

Ernie Russell, the centre, for all that he is the smallest player on the team, has come pretty close to triple honors in Canada's three great sports-lacrosse, hockey and football. His hockey prowess is an affair of today; in football he is a half-back on the Montreal team, which won the Quebec championship and slayed off the Dominion honors last autumn; in lacrosse he was a member of Montreal's senior twelve in 1905 and would have had a place last year had he cared to play. As it was, he kept out on account of th emuddle in the professional and amaetur question. Russell got his start with Sterling Juniors, a team with which a brother of his played this past season.

He is one of the great scorers of the game today; his manipulation of the disc is lightning fast, and his shots are accurate and baffling.

Stanley Cup Dominance
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=EZkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6919,1424103&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Mar 10 1934
Glass played centre for Wanderers and in the famous ECHA title, when the local six beat the capital team 8-2, only to see the Ottawans tie up the round on home ice, Glass shared the honors with Ernie Russell by scoring three goals.

Stanley Cup Final Dominance

ECAHA Playoff
As the season produced a tie for the season championship, the defending champion Ottawas and Wanderers played a two-game playoff, with the winner being awarded the Stanley Cup. The series took place on March 14 in Montreal and March 17 in Ottawa. The Wanderers would win the series 9–1, 3–9 (12–10) in dramatic fashion..

Game one
Ottawa was installed as 2–1 betting favourites, but the Wanderers upset the bookies.[2] In the first game in Montreal, the Wanderers dominated Ottawa, as Ernie Russell got four goals, Frank Glass got three and Moose Johnson would get two for a 9–1 victory.

Evidence of Russell on the Wing
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19060314&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazettte Mar 14 1906
Unless a change is decided upon at the last moment, the Wanderers line-up will be the same as on Saturday last against Shamrocks, that is, Menard, Strachan and Kennedy on defencel Glass and Patrick in centre ice, and Johnson and Russell on the wings.

Stanley Cup dominance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Stanley_Cup_challenge_games#1906.E2.80.9307

Although the Montreal Wanderers won the 1908 ECAHA title by finishing the season with an 8–2 record, they played in three Cup challenges that season. In January, they defeated the 1907 FAHL champion Ottawa Victorias, 22–4, in a two-game total goals series. Ernie Russell scored 10 goals as he led the Wanderers to 9–3 and 13–1 victories

Great bio on Russell. It compares him to Nels Stewart due to being the most feared goal scorer in the hockey world (along with Bowie). As you will see wit other newspaper clippings, it does seem that Russell started loafing more AFTER he came back out of retirement for the 1910 season. Seems like he drifted more from 1910 onward, but I found multiple papers stating he was a hard worker and very active player all over the ice prior to this time.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19340110&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Jan 10 1934

Turning Back Hockey's Pages by D.A.L MacDonald

Russell played on all four of the Stanley Cup Wanderer teams and consistently figured among the leading scorers of the ECHA and its successor the NHA. In 1907, Russell led all scorers with 43 goals, beating out his great rival, Russell Bowie, of Victorias, by five points. In 1910, after a year in retirement, Russell finished second to Newsy Lalonde in the NHA scoring list with 32 goals.

Russell had a championship career. In 1904 he played with the Sterling juniors, the team which won the Dominion title by defeating Eddie Gerard's famous Lansdowne sextette. In 1905 he joined the Montreal AAA team and then followed his career with Wanderers, a team that captured the Stanley Cup three straight years and then regained the trophy in 1910. Russell retired in 1909 to devote all his time to business, but was finally coaxed out of retirement to return for one season.

It is significant that over a period of five seasons, the only year in which the Wanderers failed to annex the trophy, Russell was not with them.

Russell had the distinction once of scoring four goals in a Stanley Cup final. In 1907 when Winnipeg came east in search of the famous trophy, bolstered two great stars of the Ottawa Senators, Alf Smith and Rat Westwick, the Red Band won both games and Russell scored 4 times in one contest. In the famous series with Ottawa for the ECHA championship in 1906 Wanderers defeated the team from the capital, 9-1 and Russell got four goals.

Ernie Russell was one of the forerunners of the Nels Stewart style for no more accurate shot from close in ever was seen in hockey. He had an uncanny ability to loaf offsides, particularly in his later days, and along with Bowie was the most feared sniper in the major league. Ernie was a right handed shot.

Russell's championship career was not confined to hockey. In 1907 he played on the backfield of the Dominion championship MAAA football team.

Russell is a keen follower of present day hockey and is a regular patron at the Maroon games. However, he laments somewhat the passing of the old days of stickhandling, a feature of hockey that has all but disappeared.

More evidence that Russell was a very tough/aggressive player
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=QikDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4493,2611725&hl=en

Toronto World Mar 8 1912
While Wanderers are apparently the worst offenders, their superior position is very largely due to Ernie Russell, the redoubtable little centre.

He was also the only player in the league to reach the limit of five major fouls and as each new foul calls for a penalty of $5 heavier than the last he paid in for his major fouls the substantial sum of $75. His minor fouls cost him $35 more.

Russell aggressive tactics and support among fanbase
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AAIBAJ&sjid=1dgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6569,563475&hl=en

Ottawa Citizen Jan 10 1908
Wanderers won on their merits, the speed of Ross, Hooper, Johnston, combined with the aggressive tactics of Russell, Glass and Smaill being to much for the Federal champions.

Supporters of the champions reserved a special amount of applause for Ernie Russell.

From a scramble behind the Vics nets Smaill snapped the rubber out to Russell who slammed in another.

Up and down play followed until Ryan returned. Hooper going off for cross checking Ross, Russell dodged in for the next giving Wanderers stock another boost.

Russell fighting and assisting/passing reference in legendary SC game vs Ottawa Silver Seven
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=A38FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4500,1464790&hl=en

Montreal Gazette Mar 19 1906

Ernie Russell was sent to the dungeon for mixing in with Smith.

Ottawa made some gailant efforts to drive back their rivals, now playing with more vim, but the other chaps had another taste of victory and were not to be denied. They swept Ottawa away in a snappy rush, the puck going to Kennedy to Russell to Patrick, and the latter notched another goal, making the score nine to three, and placing the Wanderer two to the good on the series.

Ernie Russell was such a threat that it took Frank AND Lester Patrick to shadow him. But he seemingly still played good hockey despite the added attention and this obviously would create space for others.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AAIBAJ&sjid=N9kFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6398,371800&hl=en

Ottawa Citizen Feb 25 1910

Ernie Russell was so closely covered on the line that he did not get a goal, but at the same time he was there with the good work at all times, commanding the attention of Frank and Lester Patrick from beginning to end.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=YDsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3722,4232857&hl=en

The Evening Telegram

How the Teams Line Up

r. wing..............Russell

 

[Dreakmur]

Harry Oliver !!!

Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (1929)

GM-Voted 2nd Team All-Star (1928)
2 x WCHL First Team All-Star (1924, 1925)
WCHL Second Team All-Star (1923)

Lady Byng voting - 3rd(1929), 4th(1931), 5th(1927), 5th(1928)


Offensive Accomplishments:
NHL Points - 7th(1929), 9th(1927), 16th(1931), 19th(1928)
NHL Goals - 4th(1929), 5th(1927), 18th(1931)
NHL Assists - 11th(1931), 17th(1936), 18th(1927), 19th(1928), 20th(1929)

WCHL Points - 2nd(1924), 2nd(1925), 5th(1923), 7th(1926), 10th(1922)
WCHL Goals - 2nd(1924), 3rd(1923), 5th(1925)
WCHL Assists - 1st(1925), 2nd(1924), 3rd(1926), 8th(1923), 9th(1922)

Big-4 Points - 3rd(1921)


NHL Play-off Points - 1st(1927), 4th(1929), 8th(1928), 8th(1930)
NHL Play-off Goals - 2nd(1927), 2nd(1928), 5th(1930), 6th(1929)
NHL Play-off Assists - 2nd(1927), 3rd(1929)

WCHL Play-off Points - 4th(1924)



Consolidated Points - 4th(1924), 7th(1929), 9th(1925), 9th(1927), 12th(1923), 16th(1931), 17th(1926), 19th(1928)
Consolidated Goals - 3rd(1924), 4th(1929), 5th(1927), 9th(1923), 15th(1925), 18th(1931), 19th(1928)
Consolidated Assists - 5th(1925), 8th(1926), 11th(1931), 13th(1924), 17th(1936), 18th(1927), 20th(1929)


Scoring Percentages:
Points - 94, 79, 75, 72, 70, 70, 63, 58, 51

Best 6 Seasons: 460


Team Scoring Placements:
Points - 1st(1923), 1st(1924), 1st(1925) 1st(1926), 1st(1927), 1st(1928), 1st(1929)

Scoring Lead Percentages: 165, 156, 148, 138, 121, 109, 108

In a era when a small man could finesse his way to professional hockey, Oliver was considered to be in a class by himself. He move with the speed and grace of a greyhound. Always the perfect gentleman on and off the ice, Oliver never smoked or drank and was always dressed to the nines. As a skills player, he let the likes of Red Dutton, Eddie Shore, Billy Coutu and Sprague Cleghorn do the fighting.

Oliver, with linemates Marty Barry and Galbraith, softened up the opposition for the Dynamite Line.

In the 1927 playoffs, he was a star.

He was again the scoring-leader for Boston when they won the Cup in 1929, playing mainly with Bill Carson and Galbraith. This line was outstanding when the Bruins defeated the Rangers in the final. In 1930 Art Ross put together his famous 'Dynamite' line of Clapper-Weiland-Gainor which led the league in scoring but the starting line was Oliver-Barry-Galbraith who softened up the opposition. Harry was a star in the rough series against Montreal Maroons this year when Boston won the championship. He scored the winning goal in a great overtime battle. He was a clean and gentlemanly player who left the brawling to others and got on with the game.

....

1927 Playoffs
[Against Ottawa]- Ottawa lay back with their lead in the final period and Harry Oliver promptly worked his way through for a neat goal.
- Oliver made it close for Boston on a nice solo effort

1929 Playoffs
[Against Montreal]- Shore, Oliver and Gainor were prominent for Boston
[Against New York]- Early in the second period Harry Oliver split the Rangers defence and fooled Roach on a close in shot
- Bill Carson scored the winning goal on a pass from Oliver

1930 Playoffs
[Against Montreal]- Finally, at the fourty-five minute mark, Galbraith rushed and passed to Barry who shot brining Walsh to his knee; Harry Oliver pounced on the rebound and lifted it over the prostrate Montreal goaler to win the game
- The Bruins pressed in the second period and secured good lead on goals by Barry, Oliver and Clapper

With no time left in the 3rd period, as Woodward tells it, "Another Ranger rush met defeat at the Boston defense and Harry Oliver jumped back with Carson on his left. The twin pachyderms of the Ranger defense edged toward Harry. His pass to Dr. Bill was perfect, however, and the Doc blazed it into the far side with the hoist that meant the Stanley Cup.

....

In the days following that game, Ross, who was not given to effusively praising his men, let it be known that he was pleased with his team, marvelling that the combination of Frank Frederickson, Percy Galbraith and Harry Oliver was the smoothest-working forward line he had ever seen.

....

"Oliver", as Woodward's dispatch the next day read, "put on the dizziest piece of stickhandling of the season, fooled Abel and Johnson, and shot high and to the left, from between them. The puck went in and came out like a shuttle, but everyone in the rink saw it score, and the red light went on."

Oliver played like a gentleman on the ice and behaved like one off of it as well... he skated like the wind and moved with balletic grace... his career was marked by an effortless on-ice grace

An unsung hero, Harry Oliver played on a line with Galbraith and Carson and this threesome carried the team to victory. Oliver started Boston on the road to victory with a great solo rush to open the deciding game.

Oliver was a star of the 1928 playoffs for the beantowners, almost singlehandedly pulling off an upset over the strong Ottawa Senators in the Cup finals... Oliver led the Bruins in scoring again in 1929. Boston steamrollered to the cup, flattening the Rangers and Harry, once again, was outstanding in the finals.

Harry "Pee Wee" Oliver was a self-taught hockey player, perfecting his craft as a youngster on the frozen river near his home.

Although he was one of the lightest players in the league he had speed and grace of a thoroughbred, and was named to the WCHL First All-Star Team in 1924 and 1925. He possessed great stick handling abilities and an accurate shot.

Oliver's behaviour was always exemplary, both on and off the ice.

But Oliver was the team’s superstar. From 1921 to 1926, he scored 90 goals for the Tigers, and later scored 127 goals in 11 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins and New York Americans. Oliver was the opposite to the hard-nosed Dutton; weighing barely over 150 lbs., Oliver shied away from the penalty box.

The nifty winger played on a Stanley Cup winner in 1929 and was traded to the New York Americans in 1934, where he played another three years before retiring. During his pro career, he scored 218 goals, 144 assists, 362 points.

Harry Oliver was outstanding and earned the featured player selection of the night. He is now being compared favorably with the Cook brothers of New York and Joliat of Montreal.

....

They call him “Pee Wee†– but he’s not so little. In fact, Harry Oliver continues to be a big shot even when he’s surrounded by the greatest gallery of hockey stars ever skating under one team’s colors – the world’s champion Bruins, and even though he’s a veteran, 31 years old.
And Oliver isn’t such a mite of a man either – the way he throws his 156 pounds into the whirl of scrimmages and body checks. He is a clean player, a remarkable poke checker and a deadly shot.

Harry Oliver stood close to Cook in the matter of overall effectiveness, and he proved a tower of strength both in the attack and the defense. His checking was beautiful to behold, and his rushing was well executed. In addition, he took part in many of Calgary's forward movements, which proved him a dangerous player. He work in several combination plays and his passes were well times.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Georges Mantha LW/D!

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends:
Georges Mantha, the brother of Hockey Hall of Famer Sylvio Mantha, played 498 regular season games in the NHL, all with the Montreal Canadiens in the 1930s. The winger had 89 goals and 191 points in that time. He added another 6 goals and 7 points in 33 Stanley Cup playoff games. He would be a part of Montreal's Stanley Cup championship teams in 1930 and 1931.

Blessed with blazing speed, Georges Mantha was described as a "whirlwind" of a player. Though never a big scorer, he was an effective scorer who also took a number of shifts on defense. He was very responsible defensively, and was mostly utilized as a checking forward.

Georges began his NHL career in 1928-29 but did little. In 1929-30 he wasn't Howie Morenz by any means, but he did get to play on his first Stanley Cup champion.

The next year he scored 11 goals as a substitute and added 5 more in the playoffs as the "Little Men of Steel" won their second straight Stanley Cup. That Montreal Canadiens team was a legendary one that had 4 Hall of Famers on it - Morenz, Aurel Joliat, George Hainsworth and brother Sylvio Mantha. Georges would never be a Hall of Famer. After a 1 goal season in 1932-33 he re-emerged as an offensive player through the next few years. In 1936-37 he had 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points. In 1937-38 he scored 23 goals and had 19 assists for 42 points, finishing 4th in NHL scoring.

Originally Posted by EyesOnThePrize: 1928-29 Hainsworth the Human Wall
ANOTHER BROTHER ACT
George Mantha was the brother of Sylvio. A winger, a six years his sibling's junior at 20, he would have the longest association with the team of all this season's newcomers. A solid defensive forward who never reached high goal totals, the younger Mantha was a sound team citizen who would never see another NHL sweater by the time his big league career ended in 1941.

The younger Mantha was a versatile addition, as he could perform on both defence and left wing. A fine puck handler with and sharp shooter, he would help most on the power play and in the transition game regardless of position played. Born in Lachine, Quebec, Mantha played junior with the Montreal Victorias and senior with the city's Bell Telephone squad before joining the Canadiens for 21 games this season. Starting next season, Mantha would be a regular in the Canadiens lineup.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: January 26, 1936
Joliat, Lepine and George Mantha played outstanding games for Canadiens. Young Mantha shared speed records on the ice with Morenz, while Lepine's sweep check was devastating at centre ice.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: February 21, 1934
G. Mantha, Joliat Star

Pete Lepine passed to George Mantha and the young left wing laid a perfect pass from the left boards diagonally forward to Johnny Gagnon. The Black Cat, parked just to the right of the net, whipped the puck into the far corner.

Joliat snared a loose puck and shot it to the goal mouth where Goerge Mantha and Leo Bourgault stood. Mantha slipped the the disc to Bourgault and Leo drove it past a helpless Hainsworth.

George Mantha, besides getting himself two points, did a fine job in covering the league's leading scorer, Charlie Conacher, against whom he was pitted the whole game, and holding him scoreless.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: November 11, 1930
He was particularly fortunate when Mantha zig-zagged through like a streak of lightning and then fired a backhander from point-blank range. Broda fanned on the the shot, bu the puck hit the post and bounded clear.

Orignally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: March 13, 1936
A brilliant rush by George Mantha and his perfect pass to LeRoy Goldsworthy gave Goldie the opening for the first goal in 46 seconds.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: February 29, 1932
Morenz, as has been noted, took pre-eminence over his teammates by his two goals, but every member of the squad played splendidly and it was hard to choose between them. Joliat, Gagnon, Larochelle, George Mantha, Pete Lepine and Armand Mondou whirled about the ice at high speed every minute they were in action and were a threat every time they moved goal-ward and were always in the road of Boston attacks with their unceasing back-checking.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: March 6, 1935
Canadiens' youthful speed fiend George Mantha, playing despite the handicap of torn nerves in his left shoulder, broke the Leaf spell momentarily, when he took a swing at his brother Sylvio's long shot and propelled the puck past Hainsworth.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: December 29, 1930

George Mantha Stars.

The fact that Aurel Joliat, the might atom, was not with Canadiens due to a one game suspension did not hamper the Flying Frenchman in the least. Young George Mantha filled in at left wing, starting on the forward line with Morenz and Johnny Gagnon, and filled in so effectively that Joliat himself could have done no better. George was one of the scoring aces of the night, netting two goals and providing one assist.

George Mantha opened the third period with a great play to give Johnny Gagnon an assist for Canadiens' sixth goal. He swept in on the left wing, evading checks and still holding possession of the puck, as both Lamb and Starr in turn tried to charge him out of the play. Both Lamb and Starr landed on the ice for their pains, while George, still on his feet and clear of interference, whipped a perfect pass from behind the net to Gagnon on right wing. Gagnon whistled it past an astonished Billy Beveridge.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: December 5, 1930
The moving spirit in Canadiens' final bid for victory was young George Mantha, brother of Sylvio. Young George is fast establishing himself as a bulwark of the Canadiens' attack, as well as much of the idol of the fans as his elder and more experienced brother. George has been improving with each game, particularly during the time Canadiens have been suffering from injuries. Last night he starred, rising above a host of striving teammates to lead the club to victory.

His individual goal in the last minute of the second period gave Canadiens a lead, breaking a 3-3 tie. But Frankie Boucher, combining with Butch Keeling, six minutes through the third period, erased that margin.

But once more young Mantha rose to the occasion, engineering the play that again broke the deadlock and brought the winning goal from Howie Morenz's stick.

George was skated wide at the defence, forced to the boards back of the net. But he came out, and even with Roach blocking the near corner, young Mantha poked an forced the puck between John Ross's skates into the net.

Then George Mantha swung down the ice with Howie Morenz. There was a scramble in front of the Ranger net. Morenz circled behind it and as he emerged, Mantha slipped him a perfect forward pass from ten feet out, and Morenz slapped the disc into the cage.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: March 23, 1931
The score at this stage was 3-2 for the Quakers, but a minute later George Mantha made it three-all on a clever play. Mantha was forced behind the Quaker goal on a rsh. he made a move to go behind the opposite side of the net, and as Cude and a defencemen rushed to cover him on that side, he crossed them up and skated around to flip the puck in the other and uncovered side of the net.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: January 29, 1932
Canadiens played their best hockey of the game to tie the socre before the session ended. A concerted attack on Flat Walsh's goal saw Larochelle score on a pass from George Mantha and then, near the close of the period, Wasnie batted home a loose puck in a terrific scramble around the Maroon net.

George Mantha, Gagnon, and Larochelle were the most aggressive of the French forwards and played brilliantly.

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: December 21, 1932
George Mantha continues to play superb hockey, constantly dangerous on the attack and his terrific speed makes him a difficult check to elude defensively.

Originally Posted by The Ottawa Citizen: December 18, 1939
George Mantha has been refered to as one of the most versititle players in the NHL. He played left wing, centre, right wing in one game....

Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette: March 30, 1931
Twenty-two year old George Mantha, one of the two youngest members of the team stands forth as a hero of heroes. To him goes the unique honor of having won two playoff games in succession. He is upholding brilliantly the hockey tradition of the Mantha family.

Young George was a star as an amateur, playing with three championship Bell Telephone squads in the Railway-Telephone Hockey League; and was a member of the Martin team, of the Mount Royal League that reached the provincial final against Victorias several seasons back.

In those days he was a defencemen, and a clever one, teaming alongside such amater stars as Luclen Brunet and Stew Shearer. But when he turned professional with Canadiens in 1928-29, Manager Cecil Hart decided to make him a left wing. The change had a slightly detrimental effect on his play that season, but once he became accustomed to his new position, he rapidly established himself as a comer. He improved game by game last season at left wing, and during the schedule just past was a constant and successful scoring threat.

George amassed 17 points, through 11 goals and six assists, during the 1930-31 schedule and proceeded into the playoffs to score three goals and win two games.

He is a beautiful skater, packing into his stride a speed that equals if it does not surpass that of Howie Morenz himself. His shot is not of the bullet variety, but fast, deceptive and accurate. His shifty style and brainy work about the nets give a goal keeper little chance when young George gets in on him.

From Saturday night, March 21, when Canadiens closed their schedule against Philadelphia here, until last Saturday night, George has scored five goals. He has figured as a brilliant factor in three of four games in one week. With two goals in the Quaker game a week ago, George twice brought Canadiens from behind to earn a tie, and then Thursday his lone goal evened up the Boston series, and he gave the Flying Frenchmen the jump over the Bruins in the third game Saturday with two tallies that won the verdict.

There is none prouder of George among the Canadiens, who smothered him him congratulations and back slapping when his overtime goal beat the Bostonese Saturday, than his elder brother, Sylvio. Sylvio himself a star in the series, skaed over to the timers' bench just after George's second goal Saturday, while the crowd went wild over the victor and the rest of the Canadiens went wild over little George, to see that there was no official error in crediting the winning tally.

George Mantha hosts a massive feast at his farm
http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...PKcxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QKgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4452,591292


Much, much more to add, but it's off to the land of Philly (ugh) for the day.....

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Ryan Suter, D

Height: 6’1”
Weight: 200 lbs
Shoots: Left

Norris record: 2, 4, 8, 11
All-Star record: 2, 5, 6, 10, 15

2010: Olympic Silver Medal
2013: THN Best Defenseman (Bobby Orr Award)

Suter is also likely underrated by his overall awards record because he spent the majority of his career in the shadow of the flashier and higher scoring Shea Weber, and Suter proved when they were separated that he was anything but the product of Weber.

TOI per season (2005-06 to present): 17:21, 20:09, 21:35, 24:16, 24:59, 25:12, 27:30, 27:17, 29:25, 29:03

Possesses an excellent all-around game. Loves to move the puck swiftly up ice and can rack up points on the power play, mainly due to a heavy point shot and pinpoint passing skills. Loves a heavy workload.

 

[Dreakmur]

Bob Pulford !!!


Awards and Achievemetns:
4 x Stanley Cup Champion (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967)

Retroactive Conn Smythe Trophy (1964)

Hart voting - 6th(1966), 10th(1960)
All-Star voting - 5th(1965), 5th(1966), 6th(1967)

Scoring Accomplishments:
Points - 12th(1966), 14th(1960), 20th(1964), 20th(1967)
Goals - 10th(1960), 10th(1966), 12th(1959)
Assists - 18th(1967), 19th(1964)

Short-Handed Goals - 1st(1959), 1st(1960), 1st(1964), 2nd(1965), 2nd(1966), 2nd(1968), 3rd(1962), 7th(1967)

Play-off Points - 3rd(1967), 9th(1959), 9th(1963), 10th(1962), 11th(1960), 11th(1964)
Play-off Goals - 2nd(1962), 4th(1960), 4th(1964), 7th(1959)
Play-off Assists - 1st(1967), 8th(1963)

Play-off Short-Handed Goals - 1st(1959), 1st(1962), 1st(1964)


5-Year Peak: 1964-68
18th in Points, 58% of second place Bobby Hull
14th in Goals, 59% of second place Stan Mikita
1st in Short-Handed Goals, 117% of second place Erik Nesterenko

10-Year Peak: 1959-68
13th in Points, 59% of second place Bobby Hull
13th in Goals, 65% of second place Gordie Howe

1st in Short-Handed Goals, 180% of second place Eric Nesterenko
7th in Play-off Goals, 66% of second place Jean Beliveau


Scoring Percentages:
Points - 72(1966), 65(1960), 64(1967), 62(1964), 60(1968), 54(1963), 48(1971), 47(1965), 46(1962), 45(1959), 44(1958)

Best 6 Seasons: 377

Pulford was a good defensive player and a top penalty-killer for the Leafs: he scored six short-handed goals in 1959-60. A versatile player, he could also play on left wing, but was probably best known for his penchant for scoring timely goals.

Although his arrival in Toronto wasn't heralded by much pomp and ceremony, he would become one of the cornerstones of four Stanley Cup championship clubs in the 1960s... A tenacious winger, he teamed with Keon and George Armstrong to give Toronto a checking line unmatched in the NHL. Pulford was a truly superb penalty-killer, capable of thwarting an enemy power play and hurtling up the ice for a shorthanded marker. While not the speed-burning kind, he was a solid skater. And as his 281 goals over 1,079 games attests, he could score a bit, too.

Some players just have a knack of scoring important goals. Bob Pulford was one such player for the Maple Leafs.

....

Pulford's heroics should not be considered as much of a surprise. He was an honest hockey player who worked very hard at shutting down the opposition's top talents. His forechecking and physically abrasive style put him in great position to score timely goals.

He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1956-57 and earned a reputation as a hard-working player who was a top two-way talent.

Toronto won three consecutive Stanley Cup championships, then added a fourth in 1966-67. Bob Pulford had played an integral role with the Maple Leafs as they grew from also-rans to victors. He was regarded as an outstanding two-way forward, responsible defensively yet able to score timely goals.

Bob was one of the most reliable players in the NHL during his 16-year NHL career that spanned over three decades. He played 1079 regular season games and 89 playoff games in the NHL, scoring a respectable 643 pts (51 in playoffs) and winning four Cup titles.

....

His value to his teams couldn't be measured in stats. He reached the 20 goal plateau only four times and the 50 point plateau three times. Bob was considered one of the best fore-checkers in the NHL with a knack of scoring important goals. He thrived under pressure and was especially valuable during the playoffs when the checking got tougher.

Legendary Montreal coach Toe Blake was once asked who he would pick from the Toronto team if he could. Toe didn't pick Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon or Tim Horton, but he chose Bob, and when asked why, his simple explanation was, "He's the heart of that hockey club."

Pulford is one of my private headaches because he has to be classed as one of hockey's greatest forecheckers. There's a deep knowledge of the game in his forechecking, hook, poke check, strength of arms, quickness, the whole bundle of wax.

Bob Pulford is known in the trade as a hockey player's hockey player. It's a rating that any National Hockey Leaguer would trade a few bushels of headlines for. It means that in goals for and goals against (by his covers), he's always on the plus side. Or, to put it more plainly, he's a hard working, two-way player. A coach with a team of such forwards wouldn't have a worry in the world.

Bob Pulford is a piece man. Any time he's near you he gets a piece of you. He's possibly the most combative of the modern players.

He can play havoc with our club when he wants to. I would like to have him.

It was indicative of his chips-down ability and marked him as born for the NHL. His fireball attitude in the dressing room was also typical of major league performers. He by-passed minor league pro hockey, went straight to the Leafs and stayed up; I'm glad because oddly, he might not have done so well in the minor pros.

He is one of the most complete hockey players the game has produced in recent years and one of the hardest-working. He plays all facets of the game at both ends of the ice and he never lets up. He gives his best at all times. He is good and he is inspirational.

 

[BillyShoe1721]

LW Paul Thompson

VsX Scores: 100, 100, 83, 83, 78, 75, 59, 44 (7 year avg. 83.2)
3x Stanley Cup Champion
4x Top 10 Goals (3, 6, 7, 10)
3x Top 10 Assists (4, 7, 10)
5x Top 10 Points (2, 3, 8, 10, 10)
3x Top 3 AS (1, 2, 3)
2nd Hart Trophy Voting, 37-38

Thompson scored 20 goals twice in Chicago and he scored 15 or more goals in 7 out of his 8 season with the Blackhawks. Thompson was a 2-time all-star but his biggest contribution during his playing days was being on both the 34 and 38 Stanley Cup winners in Chicago. Thompson was an all around good player that didn’t shy away from any aspect of the game. He played physical, played in front of the net, and still had an excellent shot.

http://blackhawkup.com/2014/08/01/blackhawks-top-100-69-paul-thompson/

Paul Thompson was a skillful left-winger during his 13 years in the NHL beginning in 1926-27. He was a well-rounded player who could check as well as contribute on offense in a career that yielded three Stanley Cups. The slick forward was also the younger brother of star netminder Tiny Thompson.

http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=14536

Paul Thompson was one of the top players in the National Hockey League during the tough days of the 1930s. He led the Chicago Blackhawks in scoring six times in his eight seasons in the Windy City.

It wasn't until Thompson joined the Chicago Blackhawks that his offensive numbers took off. Traded for Art Somers and Vic Desjardins, Thompson slotted in nicely on the Hawks top line with Doc Romnes and Mush March. Thompson would twice top the 20 goal mark. In both of those seasons, 1934 and 1938, he led the Hawks to Stanley Cup championships.

"Paul Thompson was an excellent player," recalled former teammate Cully Dahlstrom. "He was great around the net and shooting the puck. He was a good coach. He wanted everybody to work hard and work as a team, which we tried to do."

http://blackhawkslegends.blogspot.com/2007/03/paul-thompson.html

The Hawks made several determined bids thereafter but their only dangerous stickman was Paul Thompson, speedy brother of the Boston goalie, who came here leading the league’s scorers.

Conacher thought that when he went into the locker room between periods that I was going to go with him. [Along with linemates Paul Thompson and Butch Keeling] We shadowed them pretty good. When that line came on the ice, we had to go on against them.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Tommy Smith

On more than one occasion, though, he surprised some of the more rugged types in the league when they tried to slap him around. He was also the top face-off man of his era.

Like his brother Harry, Tommy Smith was a hockey mercenary. He had played exactly one season of high-level senior hockey in his hometown of Ottawa before going to Pittsburgh to play for pay. He played for seven different clubs in the next seven seasons, before finally settling down (mostly) in Quebec for a few years, where he had his greatest success in terms of the Stanley Cup.
...

Tommy Smith scored buckets of goals, wherever he went. have a look at his Point Allocation results. He scored in Ottawa, he scored in Pittsburgh, he scored in Brantford, he scored in Galt, he scored in Moncton, he scored in Toronto, and he especially scored in Quebec. He led three separate leagues in goals (the Federal Amateur Hockey League, the Ontario Professional Hockey League, and the National Hockey Association twice), missed leading the Maritime Professional Hockey Association by one goal in 1911/12, and would surely have also led the Western Pennsylvania league in 1908/09 had the team he was playing for not folded halfway through the schedule (his goals-per-game was over twice that of the man who actually led the league, and only his brother Harry was close on a per-game basis).

Smith was quite a durable player - he never missed a significant number of games due to injury; it took typhoid fever to knock him out for most of the 1909/10 season. He was also apparently excellent at taking faceoffs, something not often noted at the time, despite playing wing when he was teamed with Malone.

2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1906, 1913)
5 x Stanley Cup Finalist (1906, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1917)

As teammates in Quebec, 26-29 year old Tommy Smith handily outscored 22-25 year old Joe Malone.

Smith had 123 goals in 69 games (1.78 GPG).
Malone had 108 goals in 73 games (1.48 GPG).

Here is how it breaks down:

Season|Player|Age|GP|Goals
1912-13|T Smith|26|18|39
1912-13|J Malone|22|20|43
1913-14|T Smith|27|20|45
1913-14|Joe Malone|23|17|24
1914-15|T Smith|28|9|23
1914-15|Joe Malone|24|12|16
1915-16|T Smith|29|22|16
1915-16|Joe Malone|25|24|25
Total|T Smith||69|123
Total|J Malone||73|108

Although Joe Malone is today the best-known player on the great Bulldog teams of the 1910s, there seems little doubt to me that Smith was actually their best player. As it happens, Malone was four years' Smith's junior, and as such was able to hang around long enough to produce in the NHL, rather than the NHA, and as such is known to even some less-than-hardcore fans as the man who scored 2.2 goals per game in the current league's inaugural season. No disrespect intended to Malone, of course, who was a great player in his own right. But Smith doesn't get the respect today that he deserves.

Sources from his early 20s (before he played in the NHA)

As a star rover:

Tommy Smith, the brilliant little rover of the Pittsburgh hockey team, is known by nearly all those who attend the games as "Snake" ... for when he secures the puck, one might as well try to catch and hold a reptile as he.

Smith comes from a family of hockey players and is a star. His position at rover gives him many opportunities to display his well-known dodging ability, and in this style of play, he has no equal. Smith has been playing hockey since he was old enough to walk. Some say he knew what a puck was before he knew his name.

Smith's first game of note was with the Liona College team of Montreal in 1902. The next season he was playing in the Emmets City League, playing left wing. During those two years, he made a wonderful reputation for himself as an all-round player...

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...gsbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=z0gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2959,1390828

Smith was highly sought after before coming to Pittsburgh of the new WPHL:

A player who needs no introduction, and one who, despite playing but one season in this city, had probably more admirers than any youngster who ever wore a Pittsburgh uniform, is Tommy Smith, the fast and aggressive rover of the locals last season. Smith will be received with open arms, as he was one of the most sought-after players in Canada this season, and it was only for his good opinion of Pittsburgh and his friendship with the hustling manager that he consented to return here.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...hobAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CEkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1948,5588328

Description of his star power and comparison to his older brothers from a preview of the inaugural season of the WPHL:

Tommy Smith, who will play at his old position, rover, is so well known that nothing can be said about him that the followers of hocked (sic) do not already know. He is the brother of Al Smith and Harry Smith, whose reputations are world-wide. Tommy is as good as either of his famous brothers. He is one of the most popular players who ever donned a pair of skates.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=vUgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5897,1740486&hl=en

In 1908, Tommy Smith was selected one of two ringers for a playoff game in the IPL:
The Pittsburgh Press, March 18, 1908

Tommy Smith was a legitimate star in the NHA

In 1914 in the NHA, Ottawa was desperate to sign Tommy Smith, but Toronto, which held his rights, considered him too good to set a price tag on:

Smith is anxious to play hockey, if the Ontarios refuse to trade or sell him, he will have to play with the Toronto team. Tommie, with that bullet like shot, would undoubtedly be a great addition to the Ottawa team. They needed a scorer last year, and would be the one best bet for the championship with Smith added to their squad.
...
The players are pushing hard to get Tommie Smith on the team. He is not only a brilliant team-mate, but with opposing teams, he generally does he best to beat Ottawa and generally succeeds. It is said that the Ottawans once offered Smith $800 for the whole season. He smiled and replied to the generous bid by signing with Quebec. Since then, he has always been a thorn in the side of the Senators.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...XEuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P9kFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6903,5856183

Single game quote about Punch Broadbent failing to check Tommy Smith. Smith is listed as "wing" in this game

Broadbent just could not hold Tommy Smith... T Smith and Joe Malone starred for Quebec but both appeared "under wraps" in the third.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...18xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dioDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2654,3933402

Mentioned with Joe Malone, Newsy Lalonde and "other ace snipers" decades after he retired:

(article discusses the need to research NHA statistics, starting with Frank Nighbor)... along that route some startling figures would be unearthed or un-iced and they would have reference to Joe Malone, "Newsy" Lalonde, Tommy Smith and other ace snipers. These were probably the most prolific scorers ever developed and they did their tallying in an era when it was very dangerous business to come close grips with hard hitting defensemen.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...vwuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=E9wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3991,4092911


Contradictory quotes about his defensive play

Quebec-based paper praising Smith's all-round game:

Tommy Smith was good both on attack and defence and is one of the best all around players on the team.

(via Hockey Historysis)

[Tommy] Smith, unlike his brother Harry, is a speed merchant and is always in the thick of the fray.

(via Hockey Historysis)

Quebec-based paper criticizing Smith's lack of backchecking (he played LW in this game):

Tommy Smith got in some nice tricky rushes, but it is regrettable that he does not check back as Jack Marks and Joe Malone do.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...sJAfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J9QEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1921,760755

Smith criticized for loafing by an opposing team's paper:

[Tommy] Smith, while he loafs almost all the time, never fails to be on the job for a pass, and his shooting is a feature of the forward line.

(via Hockey Historysis)

Tommy [Smith] was always ready to join in any Quebec rush if some one else would carry the puck three-quarters of the way up the rink to where he was usually loafing.

(via Hockey Historysis)

Smith called a "champion loafer" in passing by that same paper:

Quebec, who trimmed the Canadiens handily on Wednesday night, play the Torontos at the Arena New Year's night. The Ancient City outfit are big favorites here and combine nicely at all times. Tommy Smith, champion loafer, is captain of the Quebec team.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...xdLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1SkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1855,4814251

Hockey Historysis' interpretation:

To a certain degree we can attribute the Quebec opinion to homerism; however, in the same respect we can attribute the Toronto opinion to anti-homerism, if you will, or beating up on opposing players while dressing up your own. So the truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

My interpretation is that Smith had some defensive skill, but did not use it all the time, as a tactical decision. He was most valuable on offence, so did not spend too much energy on defence. However, both when in Quebec and Moncton, at least, he was noted for always being in the thick of it. I interpret that to mean that while he did not necessarily backcheck, he was an aggressive forechecker.

Another interpretation: Smith was a fine all-round paper in 1912-13, but became a "loafer" for the next few years.

 

[Dreakmur]

Joe Pavelski !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Olympic Silver Medal (2010)

2nd Team All-Star (2014)

Hart voting - 7th(2014)
All-Star voting - 2nd(2014)

Selke voting - 8th(2014), 11th(2012), 20th(2009), 24th(2011)


Offensive Accomplishments:
Point - 8th(2014), 11th(2015)
Goals - 3rd(2014), 4th(2015), 20th(2012)
Assists - 19th(2011)

Play-off Goals - 7th(2010)


5-Year Peak: 2011-15
20th in Points, 84% of second place Alex Ovechkin
7th in Goals, 72% of second place Steven Stamkos


Scoring Percentages:
Points - 91, 90, 67, 63, 54, 54, 47

Best 6 Seasons: 419

Team Playing Time:
TOI - 1st(2012), 1st(2015), 2nd(2013), 2nd(2014), 3rd(2009), 3rd(2011), 4th(2010)
ES TOI - 1st(2015), 2nd(2012), 3rd(2013), 3rd(2014), 5th(2009), 5th(2010), 6th(2011)
PP TOI - 2nd(2011), 2nd(2012), 2nd(2015), 3rd(2014), 4th(2009), 4th(2010), 4th(2013)
PK TOI - 1st(2012), 1st(2014), 1st(2015), 2nd(2010), 2nd(2011), 2nd(2013), 3rd(2009)​

 

[ResilientBeast]

​

- IIHF Hall of Fame 1997
- Olympic All-Star Team 63/64
- Olympic Best Goaltender 63/64
- World Championship All-Star Team 60/61, 65/66, 63/64
- World Championship Best Goaltender 60/61, 62/63, 65/66
- World Championship - Gold (1961)
- World Championship - Bronze (1966, 1967)

Canadian goalie Seth Martin was officially named the outstanding goalie in the eight country tournament for the 1966 world hockey championships, tournament officials announced last night, Named outstanding defenseman and forward were two members os the champion Russians, Alexander Ragulin 24, and Konstantin Loktev, 32 respectively.

The directoate of the International Ice Hockey Federation picks the outstanding goalie, defenseman and forward after the annual championship tournament.

Martin who won a similar honor at the 1963 tournament in Stockholm Sweden, was also the top choice of newspapermen and nation team coaches as the best goalie here.

A unanimous choice of the 236 European and North American sports writers covering the tournament, he was one of the three Canadians named along with three Russians to make up the unofficial all-star team of the press.

What about Martin? The Nats already have two excellent goalkeepers in Ken Broderick and Wanye Stephenson.
Mcleod agreed but noted that Martin is something of a living legend in Europe.

When he can boast only one gold medal for his four appearances in the world competition, Seth has only to appear to beat some of the European teams. In particular he has always given the Czechs a bad time.

Goalie Seth Martin performed brilliantly for Canada and got cheer after cheer from the crowd- a partisan lot which waved Maple Leaf flags and chanted "Let's go Canada." They drowned out groups of Russian supports and their chants of "Shaybu, shaybu." (puck, puck)

Martin stopped 27 shots and Russia's Victor Konovalenko had 16.

Martin Outstanding Despite Heavy Cold; Johansson Hits Mark

Martin made several brilliant saves as he kicked aside 32 shots in the first two periods, playing and outstanding game in spite of a heavy cold that obviously bothered him.

Martin, 34, has been a top international performer and won frequent all-star honors in his four world championships

As the game progressed, the Russians gradually gained ascedancy. But the superd goaltending of Seth Martin forced them to struggle for their narrow victory


Against the Russians, the Canadian defense back by Martin proved to be as good as it's high reputation. For the first time in the tournament, the Russians encountered opposition worthy of the name.

Suddenly, Firsov's bizzare shot dropped out of the air. The Russians gained in confidence and, as their passing movements took their usual fluidity, they began to hem the Canadians in. But Martin kept Russia out, with 10 saves to Konavalenko's two in the second period.

Goalie Martin who pulled off saves that had the Russians gesturing in despair at times..

Three Canadians yesterday made the All Star world hockey championship team picked by sportswriters, radio and television commentators.

The Team:
Goal - Kjell Sevenswon, Sweden; defense Alexander Ragulin, Russia and Harry Smith, Canada; centre, Ad Tambellini, Canada; wings, Jack Mcleod, Canada and Miroslav Vlach, Czechoslovaki

The second team:
Goal-Seth Martin, Canada; defense, Roland Stolta, Sweden and Frantisek Tikal, Czechoslovakia; centre, Ulf Sterner, Sweden; wings, Hans Mild and Carl Goran Oberg, Sweden

Martin playing in Rossland in 1959, was struck in the face by a slap shot. His nose was broken, several teeth were broken out. He required more than 100 stitches inside his mouth and hospital recuperation.

On recovery, Martin fashioned the fiberglass mask that become his trademark in an era when only one other goaltender of note wore one- Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens.

If Seth did not become a better braver goaltender than he had been before he certainly became a safer, more relaxed one.

When the famed Trail team of 1961 went to Geneva for the World Cup Tournament, Martin was the first goaltender to wear a mask in Europe. Trail won that tournament beating the powerful national teams from Sweden and Russia. That was the last time Canada, birthplace of hockey was to win the world competition.

Martin was named the tournament's outstanding goaltender. He was to win that honor in four of his five trips to the World Tournament and the Olympic games as a member of team Canada.

Seth's goaltending style resembles Hall's, but then it did before they played for St. Louis. He's a form goalie. He doesn't emphasize one tool-the stick, the glove or the pads-over another though his swift sure catching hand might be his strongest weapons.

Seth seldom anticipates. He's a goalie who doesn't beat himself. He stays on his skates where he's uncanny at denying re-shootable rebounds. His Knowledge of the angles and his memory for the shooting tendencies of opposing forwards are superb.

Statistics

1964 Olympics

Player| Team | GA | SV | SV%|GAA
Lennart Haggroth|SWE|8|74|86.8%|N/A
Kjell Svensson|SWE|8|128|92.4%|N/A
Viktor Konovalenko |USSR|10|132| 91.7%|1.57
Vladimir Nadrchal |CSSR|14|181| 89.3%|N/A
Seth Martin|CAN|6|155|92.5%|1.21
Ken Broderick|CAN|12|119|87.0%|4.16

Svensson is closest to Martin in SV% however faced 30 less shots and gave up two more goals.


In his one season in the NHL backing up Hall

Player| GP | W | L | T/O| SO | GAA
Glenn Hall|49|19|21| 9 |5|2.48
Seth Martin|30|8|10| 7 | 1 | 2.59

 

[BillyShoe1721]

D Steve Duchesne

3x NHL AS Game Participant
1x Stanley Cup Champion
1986-87 1st Team All Rookie
10x Top 20 Goals Among Defensemen (3, 3, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9, 12, 16)
9x Top 20 Assists Among Defensemen (3, 5, 5, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17, 17)
10x Top 20 Points Among Defensemen (2, 4, 4, 5, 9, 9, 11, 13, 13, 15)
4x Top 15 Norris Voting (5, 5, 7, 15)
6x Top 12 AS Voting (5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12)

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

He was an exceptionally mobile skater who never shied away from joining the attack or cheating into the slot.

He did not make breakout passes as well as Coffey (then again, very few ever have), preferring to rush the puck out of the zone. He was of average size, yet he was never likely to engage in physical battles.

http://lakingslegends.blogspot.com/2009/07/steve-duchesne.html

 

[BillyShoe1721]

LW Lynn Patrick

VsX Scores: 100, 100, 85, 77, 66, 65, 63, 53, 48 (7 year avg. 80.0)
2x Top 5 Goals (1, 5)
2x Top 10 Assists (6, 7)
3x Top 10 Points (2, 2, 4)
1x Stanley Cup Champion
4x Top 4 AS Voting (1, 2, 4, 4)
3rd Hart Trophy Voting, 1941-42

Lynn Patrick (#27)

Virtually all professional athletes, including some of the Rangers' biggest stars, get booed at one time or another. But it's safe to say that left wing Lynn Patrick probably had the thickest skin of them all.

Ar six-feet, 200 pounds, Patrick had a better-than-average hockey body [...] He was a finesse player, prefer to dazzle on his skates and with his stick, eschewing the more robust exploit of some of his teammates, particularly the his rolllicking, hard-checking brother Muzz.

Madison Square Garden crowds often teased him with nicLknames such as ''twinkletoes'' or ''Sonja'', the latter a reference to the world-famous figure skating star of the era, Sonja Henie. Patrick merely shrugged it off, much as he had criticism and doubt that came earlier from, of all places, within his own family.

As great as Lynn's athleticism was, his father, Lester, the boss of the New York Rangers at the time, simply didn't think Lynn could make it in the NHL. Veterans Bill and Bun Cook, plus Frank Boucher, through otherwise, and pestered Lester mightily enough that he finally signed his eldeest son to a contract in 1934.

Montreal Gazette, April 1, 1935:
Quote:
Lynn Patrick picked up the loose disc near the Maroons cage and, as Wentworth vainly tried to check him, flipped a quick shot to the corner that gave Connell no chance
Montreal Gazette, January 17, 1941
Quote:
Hardly had they settled back in their seats when Lynn Patrick got his two goals, the first going off of Jack Crawford’s skate and the second aimed directly at the corner of the net.

The Windsor Daily Star: December 26, 1935
Quote:
Lynn Patrick, speedy son of Rangers’ manager Lester Patrick, clinched the game with a brilliant solo rush.
Kings of Ice:

Quote:
Lynn was a smooth skater and strong puck carrier and the more refined of the two (Muzz Patrick) [...] He was solid workmanlike player in his first five years in the league.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Glen Harmon, D

All-Star voting finishes: 3rd (1949), 4th (1945), 8th (1947)
All-Star game participant (on merit): 1950
Stanley Cup winner: 1944, 1946 (Montreal)

Praise for his play:

One writer called Harmon "the quietest superstar."

Of course, one defenceman can make a great difference to a club, as Dick [Irvin] points out. In the first half of the 1942-43 schedule Canadiens scored only 78 goals and had 104 scored against them. Then Glen Harmon joined the team. From there on Canadiens scored 103 goals while having only 87 scored against them. Dick attributes much of this difference to the presence of Harmon in the lineup and considers him one of the league’s top rearguards, though a highly underpublicized one.

"They're the team to beat." And asked if any one individual had played a leading part in the Habitents rise, Jack (Adams) said: "You can say that again. That boy Glen Harmon has put plenty of life into them....He's travelling all the time. He's got speed to burn. He clears pretty well, is shifty, and seems to give the team more pep than they ever had early on in the season.
...
"Before he came up, Canadiens' big fault was getting the puck out of their own end. They don't have that trouble now, and from what I've seen Harmon has been the man to remedy that fault." (said Mowers)

The team went on ahead, and Tommy (Gorman) turned serious when somebody mentioned the pro Canadiens: "You know the most underrated player on the team? Glen Harmon! Boy, he's a dandy. He always gets a goal when it's badly needed, like the tying one in Toronto on Saturday. And he has been on the ice for only 16 goals scored against the club all season !"

Strengths and Style:

A sound positional defenseman with the offensive skills to support his forwards, Harmon was an able skater who could carry the puck himself or relay it to teammates with his crisp, sharp passes.
...
His stocky frame and low center of gravity were put to good use, thrilling the Forum crowds as Harmon laid some of the league’s most jarring bodychecks on enemy players.

Glen Harmon looks at times as though he might suddenly develop into a standout. He is so fast that he can make mistakes and yet get back in time to cover up, a trait that made King Clancy great.

They have one of the most mobile rearguards in the game in Glen Harmon, an underrated player who moves fast enough to cover up his mistakes and even those of his teammates, and if there is a defenceman in the league who can come out of his own end-zone with the puck faster than Glen, then we haven’t seen him.

Caption in English: "Glen is perhaps the smallest defenseman in the Dave Campbell circuit. On the other hand, he is the fastest, and certainly there is no blueliner who can start the attack as quickly as he can. What he has done for the club, especially since the absence of "Butch", is really incredible."

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Billy Reay, coach

Toronto Maple Leafs coach 1957-59 - Record: 26-50-14
Chicago Blackhawks coach 1963-77 - Record: 516-335-161

- 3-time Cup finalist: 1965, 1971, 1973
- the Hawks never had a losing record with Reay as coach
- retired 2nd all-time in wins as a coach, behind Dick Irvin
- voted 2nd best coach in the 1974 Toronto Star coaches poll (Shero)
- voted 3rd best coach in the 1976 Toronto Star coaches poll (Arbour, Shero)

Players' coach:

“I feel badly about Reay,†[Bill White] added. “There was a closeness between Billy and the players. He had to contend with a lot of injuries this season and can’t be faulted for the record.â€

Billy ranks among the all-time leaders in games coached, wins, and playoff appearances. His former players all speak highly of him and the way he treated them. Scotty Bowman told me that Billy was respected for his knowledge of the game, and his players were always prepared.

Reay was known for coaching in a dignified manner, and never showed up his players. "He treated the players like men," Hall-of-Famer Stan Mikita once said. He preached defense first, as demonstrated by his famous mantra, "None Against."

He was regarded as a great psychologist as a coach. Billy told me he developed that approach from the legendary Montreal coach, Dick Irvin.

Mikita feels that Billy Reay was a “hell†of a coach who knew how to read his players and used a psychological approach to motivate. Stan remembers one game in which the team played a lousy first period and were getting beat. The coach delayed his appearance in the locker room between periods. Just before they were to go back on the ice for the second period, Reay came in and started shouting at his players. He singled out his two stars: Mikita and Hull. He told his players: “Don’t expect these guys to bail you out every game. They weren’t too hot in the last period, either! Now let’s go out there and do something!†As the players headed up the stairs to the ice, Reay pulled Mikita and Hull back and whispered to them, “Do you think my speech will get them going?†Apparently it did, as the team went on to rally and win the game.

It was during my first season that Billy Reay started to become the most influential figure in my life. Without a doubt he taught me more about life than my dad ever did
...
I had such a great group of teammates and a coach (Billy Reay) I had an immense amount of respect for.

Billy Reay was like a father to me after having lost my own dad. He became my role model. He looked out for me because I was so young. He taught me how to respect the game and how to represent the city of Chicago. He wasn't into butting heads with his players. He was into guiding them, getting them to work together.

[QUOTE="Blood, Sweat, and Cheers: Billy Reay" - Blackhawks.com by Stan Mikita and Bob Verdi]Billy Reay was a terrific coach, and l’m sure I’m not alone when I say I consider myself fortunate to have played under him for so many years with the Blackhawks. Beyond that, though, he was a good man. I guess it’s unusual to call your coach or your boss a friend, but that’s how I felt about Billy.
...
Billy never socialized with us, but he helped encourage our attitude of togetherness. Today, they call it “chemistry.†Billy was good at stressing the team concept and having us play for one another. We did, for the most part, and we also wanted to play hard for him. Not only because we didn’t like going into his office where he looked at us with that glare of his—we called him "X-Reay"—but we didn’t want to let him down, either.
...
He respected us as we respected him, and he was a man’s man. I never heard anybody say a bad word about him—except maybe the referees—and I know players appreciated the fact that he never threw us under the bus in public. Billy wasn’t afraid of letting guys have it for poor play in a team meeting or one on one, but you knew you weren’t going to pick up the morning newspaper and read about him criticizing his players. That was private, and long before you started hearing the term "a players’ coach," Billy was one. He got his point across in his own way, and one way he always did it was with honesty. He was brutally honest, and we appreciated that. I imagine that reporters wished he’d have been a little more quotable, but that just wasn’t Billy’s style.[/QUOTE]

Coaching Philosophy:

"It was disappointing, very much so," Ivan frankly admits about being champion just once with players the caliber of Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull and Glenn Hall and never winning the big one with Tony Espositio in goal.

"There were times we could have won and didn't."

Reay added: "Our defense was a little overrated. I agree wholeheartedly with that. Defense is the thing. It wins championships in the long run. But I've forgotten about it and remember the good times."

"When Bobby Hull left," Reay noted about Hull's defection early in the 1970s to the World Hockey Association, "it opened a big hole."

"It took us 10 years to recover," said present Hawks owner Bill Wirtz, speaking especially of the club's image after that loss.

Reay survived through good and bad until Christmas Eve 1976, when he was dismissed.

Reay, however, longs for the days when the Hawks played more of a possession game, when they skated the puck into the opposing zone more than dumped and chased it.

"I've always liked players who carry the pucks, guys like Denis Savard and Mikita," Reay said. "That's the game to me. Now, there's so much shooting the puck into the zone."

What made the Canadiens such an enjoyable team to watch, said Reay, was the fast-skating, hard-shooting game they epitomized.
…
“We believe you should play the game the way it was meant to be played,†Billy Reay was saying over the phone from his coach’s office at Chicago Stadium yesterday, “It’s a game of skating and shooting.â€

Reay preached defense, but he also believed in a possession-based attack built around skilled puck-carriers. Over the course of his career, the Blackhawks, led by superstars Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, were almost always among the best offensive teams in the league:

Season | GF Finish
1963-64 | 1st [of 6]
1964-65 | T-1st [of 6]
1965-66 | 1st [of 6]
1966-67 | 1st [of 6]
1967-68 | 5th [of 12]
1968-69 | 2nd [of 12]*
1969-70 | 2nd [of 12]*
1970-71 | 3rd [of 14]
1971-72 | 5th [of 14]
1972-73 | 5th [of 16]
1973-74 | 6th [of 16]
1974-75 | 11th [of 18]
1975-76 | 12th [of 18]

*behind the Bruins

special thanks to overpass

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Vladimir Vikulov, RW

Soviet League Champion (1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979)
Soviet First All-Star Team (1970, 1971, 1972)
Soviet Second All-Star Team (1967, 1968, 1969)

Olympics Gold Medalist (1968, 1972)
WEC-A Gold Medalist (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975)
WEC-A All Star Team (1971, 1972)

Comparison of Vikulov and Yakushev's international scoring records:

Vladimir Vikulov

Year|Games|G |A|P |Place|Tournament|Awards
1966 |7 |4 |2 |6 |7th |WEC-A |--
1967 |7 |6 |6 |12 |5th |WEC-A |--
1968 |7 |2 |10 |12 |T-2nd |WEC-A/Olympics |--
1969 |9 |2 |4 |6 |T-20th |WEC-A |--
1970 |10 |9 |5 |14 |5th |WEC-A |--
1971 |10 |6 |5 |11 |T-4th |WEC-A |All-Star
1972 |10 |12 |4 |16 |2nd |WEC-A |All-Star
1972 |5 |5 |4 |9 |T-2nd |Olympics |*
1975 |6 |6 |3 |9 |T-16th |WEC-A |--
Total | 71 | 52 | 43 | 95 |-- | Points-Per-Game | 1.34

Alexander Yakushev

Year|Games|G|A|P|Place|Tournament |Awards
1967 |2 |1 |0 |1 |-- |WEC-A |--
1969 |6 |1 |1 |2 |-- |WEC-A |--
1970 |6 |3 |3 |6 |T-23rd |WEC-A |--
1972 |10 |11 |4 |15 |T-3rd |WEC-A |--
1972 |5 |0 |3 |3 |-- |Olympics |*
1973 |10 |9 |6 |15 |T-5th |WEC-A |--
1974 |10 |7 |7 |14 |3rd |WEC-A |All-Star
1975 |8 |11 |5 |16 |T-4th |WEC-A |All-Star; Best Forward
1976 |10 |6 |1 |7 |T-24th |WEC-A |--
1976 |6 |4 |9 |13 |4th |Olympics |*
1977 |10 |7 |4 |11 |T-10th |WEC-A |--
Total | 83 | 60 | 43 | 103 |-- | Points-Per-Game | 1.24

Descriptions of Vikulov's game:

Vikulov's qualities were truly impressive. He was a terrific skater with outstanding speed, an incisive shot and brilliant intuition around the goal. Vladimir was unpredictable in attack, often leaving opponents grasping, not knowing what to expect as he rushed at them. Vikulov was, above all, an excellent stickhandler, for which he earned the nickname "slalom racer", and then the informal title of "craftiest" forward in the world. His actions on the rink were always sudden, unexpected, but at the same time sure and purposeful.

In virtually every match Vikulov and Firsov demonstrate their creativity, improvise, and confound the opponent with one riddle after another - they were also doing a great deal of work, and very eagerly so, pulling back whenever they would lose the puck. So if I had played more offensively with my former partners (Petrov and Mikhailov), caring little about defence, now that I was on ice alongside such eminent players, it would be embarrassing to carry on playing instead of going back and helping them. To play any different from how they played or to work any less on the rink would be tantamount to disrespecting them.

Invention, initiative - Vikulov had these qualities over everyone. He was always in motion, searching, offering himself to receive a pass, aiding the defense, if necessary. Having received the puck at the red line, he doesn't wait for numbers to attack - initiates the attack himself, takes over the game. Physically strong, agile, nimble, not afraid of the physical game, and almost never loses battles. But always very polite, correct - is very seldom sent off! Weaknesses? His shot. Ah...Vikulov's shooting - the butt of many jokes! How often we laughed at him, trying to get him to shoot on goal from the blueline (18 meters) - it was useless. Volodya does not favor hard shots. For him, a goal from far away is not a goal. To deke the defenseman in the "slot", to "lay down" the goaltender with a clever feint, and flip the puck into an empty net - this, he considers a real success. Volodya doesn't always hunt for goals - he is not greedy for them. Even when he is in a good position, he will gladly give the puck to his linemate - let him have the goal. Vikulov doesn't seem to mind.

Cunning, very cunning, unusually cunning hockey player. Understands the game very well. Artistic forward. Controlling the puck, carrying it with great speed, seeing the ice clearly and thinking, thinking...his pass is precise...punishes his opponent for the slightest, most imperceptible error. Tremendous hockey sense. Loves the puck, knows what to do with it, but gives it up willingly, gladly. Of course, not out of kindness - Vikulov has a keen sense for the moment, the time to "deliver" a pass. And our production, our goals — Volodya's passes, his work.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Venjamin Alexandrov, LW

10x Soviet League Champion (1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968)

2x Olympic Gold (1964, 1968)
4x WEC-A Gold (1963, 1965, 1966, 1967)
2x WEC-A AST (1966, 1967)

Praise for Alexandrov from North American observers

Lynn Patrick, manager of Boston Bruins, said Saturday night he would like to sign four members of Russia's hockey team to National Hockey League contracts.

"Defencemen Nikolai Sologubov and Ivan Tregubov and forwards Veniamin Alexandrov and Yuril Kopylov are the Russians who have impressed me the most," Patrick said.

"I would like to take those four Russians back with me - but that's just a dream," Patrick said. "I've seen lots of other good players but I don't think any of them are ready for major league hockey in the states."

Firsov has been rated by NHL scouts as the best forward to come out of Russia since Benjamin Alexandrov appeared in the mid-50s. Chicago Black Hawks had Alexandrov on their negotiations list for a year or two but it never did them any good

In any event Firsov has not been in evidence thus far in the Loyola visit, though he was initially listed as one of the host lecturers. His place has been taken by 36-year-old Yevgini [sic] Alexandrov who has been more than impressive in on-ice drills.

So much so Fred Shero of the Philadelphia Flyers says Montreal can have Firsov.

“Give me this guy Alexandrov,” says Fred “and I’ll have it made. I don’t care how old he is. I’ve seen his condition in the dressing room and his moves on the ice. Around the net he’s as quick as a big Camille Henry. He’s just got to be a super hockey player.”

Praise for Alexandrov from Tarasov and other European sources

"Konstantin Loktev - Alexander Almetov - Veniamin Alexandrov - these outstanding forwards were the driving force of CSKA and the Soviet national team in the mid 1960s. Different characters, different styles of play, cemented by the same highly creative understanding of hockey, pursuit of the intellectual game and, of course, a strong friendship. As a result of this unity on the ice, Loktev, Almetov and Alexandrov developed great technique together, intuition necessary to guarantee the highest synchronicity of action. This was the first line on our team; they started the intuitive game, paving the way for the others."

His main advantage as a player, and the force which drove his play, was outstanding technique. When executed by Alexandrov, any complex technique seemed simple, accessible to everyone. But no one could use these techniques as Alexandrov did. His service to Soviet hockey is that he acted as creator and pioneer, opened a lot of new, interesting techniques, and brought them to perfection. To play in the style of Alexandrov meant to play cleanly, easily and naturally.

"Sometimes inexperienced hockey fans, and not only them, but also some sports commentators, wonder who would win if Babich, Shuvalov and Bobrov would play Loktev, Almetov and Alexandrov. The question is, of course, naive. Hockey is different now. Loktev, Almetov and Alexandrov certainly know all that their predecessors knew, but they have gone further (and how could they not?...for hockey, as well as life, in general, progresses!). Take Alexandrov, who is now called the second Bobrov, but really plays like Alexandrov. He has managed to rid himself of the vice of individualistic play. For him, as well as for his center Almetov, one could not say that improvement is needed. Alexandrov can and loves to use his teammates, and remains at the same time the brightest "star" in the hockey sky. I have already said that in the one-touch passing game, individual players may seem to remain in the shadows. But when the one-touch line of Alexandrov and Almetov play, is it impossible not to notice Alexandrov! One sees immediately how amazingly sharp, witty and cunning are his passes, how strikingly accurate they are in power, and unexpected in timing."

He once admitted that his toughest opponent was Soviet forward Veniamin Alexandrov. Most memorable for Stoltz were the games against the USSR nationals in Moscow in 1957 and the Canadian team in Colorado Springs in 1962 and the Olympic hockey tournament at Innsbruck in 1964.

"A few words about the purpose of stickhandling. True, they say there are different types of stick handling past an opponent. It is one thing when the attacker gets past his guard by skating around in a big arc, deviating from his goal, that is to say, just to get past his opponent without creating a dangerous moment. But it is altogether something else when an attacker stick handles past a player causing panic in the enemy ranks, when there is a threat to the goal.

Some of our leading players have developed such an important quality when it comes to stick handling - purposefulness. I have in mind Veniamin Alexandrov or, for instance, Anatoli Firsov. Defensemen really start sweating when they see these two players rocketing down on them."

But I remember not only the cheering crowds in the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Finland whenever he came out on the ice, I remember not only the posters reading "ALEXANDROV" at stadiums in the United States and Canada.
...
Alexandrov's main weapon is perfect technique. He never allows himself to rest on his oars. For him there is no limit to learning. The famous French painter, Degas, once said: "If you have talent worth a hundred thousand francs, buy another five sous worth." And Alexandrov will always spend those five sous. At training sessions, he keeps on polishing new feints, passes, fake motions. If he does not know how to do something, he will keep on practising until he does.
...
It is indicative that he is not afraid of taking chances and will show something new, something that he did not have before, not only at training sessions, but even during a most crucial game.

Here Tarasov responds to the claim that Alexandrov was too cautious, or even a coward

"In such an outstanding hockey player as Veniamin Alexandrov courage also acquires peculiar features.

In fact, at one time it even became quite popular to speak and write about his cautiousness, and even cowardice. Moreover, one highly respected Soviet newspaper claimed that this was the case. But is it right?

No, a thousand times no! Alexandrov is a brave, resolute and courageous hockey player. The fact that he has 280 goals scored speaks for itself. Alexandrov is, in fact, the highest scoring player in the history of the USSR National team. He has chalked up 68 goals in the World Championship games. He was high scorer in the 1966 World Championship Tournament. And all this is difficult and rough games against the Canadians, the Swedes and the Czechs, in games where there were no compromises in the fight for the world hockey crown. Only a courageous sportsman, knowing sports, taking chances when need be, able to play cautiously, attentively, and at the same time, presenting a great danger to the enemy, could have attained such results.

In a game against a strong opponent you will never score if you do not fight for the puck, and take chances. It is not so easy to score from the wings of from the blue line. This means is it necessary to get into a more convenient position to get a shot at the net. But this 'kill zone' is especially well-guarded. And any player who is taking a shot at the enemy net or in a scramble near the goal is almost sure to get hit by the opponent.

How then is it possible to label Alexandrov a coward? Of course, he can be lucky in one or two games, but he cannot always be lucky, not in every game, and for so many seasons in a row!

Any forward charging in on the enemy net at top speed stands a chance of being cut down. But even in the most crucial moments, Alexandrov never loses his head, nothing can distract from his shot at the net.

I remember my conversation with the famous Maurice 'The Rocket' Richard. When I asked him how he had managed to score more than 500 goals playing against such strong teams in the NHL, he told me that he always kept the goal in his line of vision, and secondly, he tried to get the goalie out of the net by some fake motion, or a pause when the goalie's nerves give in and he starts to move in the direction of the expected trajectory of the puck. Richard said that he always tried to bear it or not pay any attention to the knocks he got from the burly defensemen. He really knew how angry the enemy would be when he scored and did not pay and attention to them.

And this is why I thing our Alexandrov, by his style of game, by his ability to keep a level head even in the most explosive situations, looks something like Maurice Richard, that brilliant master of attack."

Tarasov apparently held Petrov back in the 1969-70 season, not wanting him to break Alexandrov's record of 53 goals in a season

Tomorrow will be 40 years to the day, as CSKA striker Benjamin Alexandrov set a phenomenal record, scoring in the national championship 53 goals. CSKA Moscow in the season 1962/63 held 37 matches.
...
Closest to the now seemingly fantastic achievement Veniamin Alexandrov came in the last forty years, another striker CSKA Moscow - Vladimir Petrov. In the USSR Championship-1969/70, he scored 51 goal - only two less than the champion. Since then, the mark "50" could not reach anyone.

Tarasov hold

- Vladimir Vladimirovich, to a record you do not have quite a bit. When approached him know how much remained to score?

- Imagine not. But Anatoly Tarasov knew and apparently did not want me to hit the target. How Come? We can only guess. Whether he thought I was too young for this, whether the matter is something else. One way or another, and Tarasov became suddenly much less give me to play in the protection set. I tell the guys that do not understand why this happens. They told me: "What are you, like a record performance to beat?" Me: "What other record?" I had no idea who scored 53 goals, who - much more. So just do not think about it, all by itself going.

Statistical evidence

Soviet league Vs2 numbers for 1960-61 to 1969-70 seasons

Alexandrov:
159, 100, 100, 95, 94, 88, 78
Total: 714
7-season average: 102

Firsov:
138, 100, 100, 94, 92, 83, 70
Total: 677
7-season average: 96.7

Mayorov:
107, 100, 100, 92, 90, 88, 81
Total: 658
7-season average: 94

Starshinov:
110, 108, 100, 87, 85, 84, 80
Total: 654
7-season average: 93.4

Almetov:
103, 100, 100, 84, 83, 69, 67
Total: 606
7-season average: 86.6

Assist figures for 60s Soviet stars in Soviet league games

|GP|Assists|Assists Per Game
Boris Mayorov|211|77|.36
Veniamin Alexandrov|203|68|.33
Konstantin Loktev|109|34|.31
Anatoli Firsov|319|92|.29
Alexander Almetov|162|38|.23
Vyacheslav Starshinov|343|68|.20

Comparison of Alexandrov and Starshinov's international tournament scoring records

Veniamin Alexandrov international performance:

Year | GP | G | A | P | Place | Tournament | Awards
1961 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 8 | T-8th | WEC-A | --
1962 | *|*|*|*|*|*|*
1963 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10| T-9th | WEC-A | --
1964 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | T-13th| Olympics | --
1965 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | T-6th | WEC-A | --
1966 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 17| 1st | WEC-A | All-Star
1967 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14| 4th | WEC-A | All-Star
1968 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | -- | WEC-A/Olympics| --
Total | 46 | 37 | 34 | 71 | -- | Points-Per-Game | 1.54

Vyacheslav Starshinov international performance:

Year | GP | G | A | P | Place | Tournament | Awards
1961 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 9 | T-5th | WEC-A | --
1962 | *|*|*|*|*|*|*
1963 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 11| T-6th | WEC-A | --
1964 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10| T-3rd | Olympics | --
1965 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 8 | T-9th | WEC-A | Best Forward
1966 | 7 | 11| 1 | 12| 3rd | WEC-A | --
1967 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | -- | WEC-A | --
1968 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 12| T-2nd | WEC-A/Olympics| --
Total | 49 | 48 | 20 | 68 | -- | Points-Per-Game | 1.41

* USSR did not compete in the 1962 WEC-A tournament.

This excludes the following:

Alexandrov:

Year | GP | G | A | P | Place | Tournament | Awards
1958 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 12| T-4th | WEC-A | --
1959 | 8 | 4 | ??| ??| ?? | WEC-A | --
1960 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 13| 4th | Olympics | --

Starshinov:

Year | GP | G | A | P | Place | Tournament | Awards
1969 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 7 | -- | WEC-A | --
1970 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 10| T-7th | WEC-A | --
1971 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 | T-9th | WEC-A | --

 

[Johnny Engine]

George Hainsworth

Vitals (as per Hockey-Reference)

Born: June 26, 1895 
Died: October 9, 1950

Catches: Left 

Height: 5-6
Weight: 150 lbs

Hall of Fame: 1961

NHL Finishes:
GAA: 1, 1, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4
SOs: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3


From the Hockey Hall of Fame:

George Hainsworth was one of hockey's dominant goaltenders of the 1920s and 1930s and his netminding heroics became a legacy that lasted many years after he retired. He appeared relaxed while performing between the pipes, as though giving a minimum of effort. His laid-back approach and exceptional puck-stopping ability continually frustrated opposing players.

The Toronto native enjoyed a strong amateur career in Berlin (later Kitchener), Ontario. It began with a solid season with the Berlin Union Jacks junior outfit in 1911-12, leading the league in victories. This was followed by four years with the city's senior club. In the second year he backstopped the team to the OHA championship. In all four seasons, Hainsworth led the OHA in wins while developing a reputation as one of the top amateur goaltending prospects in Canada. The emerging star spent the 1916-17 season with the Kew Beach team, based in the east end of Toronto. Hainsworth next moved on to play six seasons with the Kitchener Greenshirts senior OHA team and he added another honour to his portfolio with an Allan Cup triumph in 1918.
...He spent three years with the Saskatoon Crescents of the WCHL/WHL before becoming a legend in the NHL. In 1924-25, he led the club to a second-place finish in the regular-season standings. Hainsworth's goals-against mark of 2.70 was bettered only by Harry "Hap" Holmes of the Victoria Cougars. The Crescents met the favored Cougars in the playoffs. Hainsworth was strong but the Saskatoon club lost a tough series by a 6-4 aggregate score. In each of the three years he spent out west, he led the league in games played.
Hainsworth signed with the Montreal Canadiens on August 23, 1926, ...
He won the Vezina Trophy each of the first three years it was presented, from 1927 to 1929. In 1928-29, he enjoyed his greatest season by allowing only 43 goals in 44 games and registering 22 shutouts. A veritable workhorse, Hainsworth led all NHL goalkeepers in games played for nine years out of 10 from 1926 to 1936. He hit double figures in shutouts in his first three years in the league while posting a goals-against mark of less than 1.50.
Following his record-breaking season, the NHL's forward passing rules were modernized, making it virtually impossible for Hainsworth to post such remarkable numbers again. Still, he backstopped the Habs to the Stanley Cup in 1930 and 1931.
In 1933 he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Lorne Chabot. This transaction made the two netminders the first goalies to play for both storied franchises. Hainsworth helped Toronto win two Canadian Division titles and make appearances in the Stanley Cup finals. On February 14, 1934, he was the Toronto goaltender in the historic Ace Bailey Benefit Game.
As a member of the Maple Leafs, Hainsworth twice led the NHL in wins, but in 1936-37, the club decided to go with … Turk Broda.
"Little George" retired in 1937 with a 1.91 career goals-against mark, the lowest in NHL history along with Alex Connell. His 94 career shutouts were an NHL record until Terry Sawchuk surpassed him in 1963-64. His professional total would include 10 shutouts in the WHL, giving him 104 - one more than the NHL's all-time leader. His miniscule 1.91 goals-against mark reflected the low scoring climate that existed during all but two of his seasons. Although the rule changes saw his average climb only late in his career, Hainsworth was one of the top backstoppers of his time.

From Joe Pelletier:

George Hainsworth played brilliantly for 11 seasons in the National Hockey League. No season was more brilliant than the 1928-29 season.

Hainsworth allowed only 43 goals in a 44 game schedule and recorded a remarkable total of 22 shutouts. Amazingly, his team only won 22 games that season. That's right! If Hainsworth did allow a goal, the Montreal Canadiens would not win. They finished with a 22-7-15 record. Hainsworth posted a miniscule 0.92 GAA and captured his third consecutive Vezina Trophy.

He turned professional with Saskatoon of the Western Hockey League in 1923-24 and remained with that team until 1926-27. Replacing the ..Georges Vezina, Hainsworth won the Vezina Trophy in his first three seasons with the Canadiens. In a combined 132 consecutive games played, Hainsworth posted a 76-32-24 record and an amazing 49 shutouts. In those three seasons he posted a combined 1.20 GAA.

The 1929-30 season saw rule changes such as forward passing in order to increase offense …and his GAA ballooned to 2.42. He once again led the NHL in shutouts, but this time with only 4.

The only blemish on Hainsworth's record was his lack of success in the playoffs. This changed in the new NHL, as Hainsworth backstopped the Habs to back-to-back championships in 1930 and 1931.

…

He enjoyed 11 solid seasons in the NHL. Not bad considering he started out as a 31 year old rookie. He retired with a career 1.91 GAA, the lowest in history (shared with Alex Connell). His 94 career shutouts were an NHL record until … 1963-64. Although his statistics were greatly aided by the pre-1930 rules, there is no doubt George Hainsworth was one of the greatest goalies of his era.

Despite that status, Hainsworth was almost apologetic for his lackluster style. While some goalies were quite acrobratic, Hainsworth preferred the stand-up style that blocked pucks.

"I'm sorry I can't put on a show like some of the other goaltenders. I can't look excited because I'm not. I can't shout at other players because that's not my style. I can't dive on easy shots and make them look hard. I guess all I can do is stop pucks."

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Ryan Kesler, C/RW

4th in goals and 15th in points in 2011
Stanley Cup finalist and 6th in playoff scoring in 2011
Selke Trophy voting: 1 (2011), 2 (2010), 3 (2009), 5 (2012), 11 (2008)

Twice represented Team USA in the Olympics

Assets: A polished two-way performer, he displays both offensive acumen and shutdown capability. Can play wing if need be and has tremendous determination. Has the size teams crave at the center position. Gets under opponents' skin. Is money standing in front of the opposing goal on power plays.

Flaws: Is a little inconsistent when it comes to both producing points and playing the body. Will occasionally cross the line in his attempt to get opponents off their game, and has become increasingly reluctant to drop the gloves. Injuries have crept up due to his rugged style of game.

Career Potential: Excellent two-way center.

Though Ryan Kesler shares the majority of the "starting in the defensive zone while down a man" duties with teammate Brad Richardson (they often start on the ice in the defensive zone together, with one of them quick changing after a clear), he plays a few additional short-handed seconds per game and is significantly better at preventing shots against. In fact only Pacioretty prevents shots against at a better rate among all NHL forwards (who play more than 1:20 short-handed per game), and considering that Kesler's short-handed usage is heavier, his mark is probably more impressive.
The league leading Vancouver penalty-kill is very conservative through the neutral zone (they rarely forecheck short-handed, usually applying pressure only when the goaltender is handling the puck). The team looks to disrupt entries, so they use a 1-3 formation in the neutral zone and Kesler is most commonly the low forward.

Kesler essentially is tasked with puck retrieval on dump ins, and pressuring puck carriers as they cross the blue-line. He's ludicrously good at both.

Kesler is the best penalty-killer on the best penalty-killing team in the league, and no one tasked with as significant a burden 4-on-5 is as good at preventing shots. He'd be the clear cut number one on this list except that...[writeup on Sean Couturier]

http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/402290

Kesler has proven to be a valuable component in the Ducks’ forward group and is helping the team in a positive way at both ends of the ice. He ranks third on the team in scoring with 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists), first in shots (193), second in power-play goals (five) and opposes the toughest competition of any Ducks forward, per BehindtheNet.ca. Kesler is making a difference in the faceoff dot, too. His 55.8 faceoff percentage leads the Ducks and ranks among the league leaders. This success in the dot has helped Anaheim improve from 20th in faceoff percentage last season to ninth this year. Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau has relied a lot on Kesler in all situations this season, including the power play and penalty kill. He’s averaging 19:53 of ice time, including 4:47 of special teams ice time, per game. Getzlaf is the only Ducks forward receiving more overall ice time and special teams ice time. Kesler also has been durable for Anaheim. He’s played in all 75 games to this point, which is encouraging given his history of injuries in recent seasons.

http://nesn.com/2015/03/ryan-kesler-proving-to-be-valuable-addition-to-anaheim-ducks/

 

[Johnny Engine]

Mr. St. Louis Blue...

Bernie Federko

Vitals (as per hockey reference)
Shoots: Left
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 178 lbs
Born: May 12, 1956
Draft: St. Louis, 1st round (7th overall), 1976
Hall of Fame: 2002

Scoring finishes:
Assists: 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8
Points: 8, 9, 9, 9, 10

Award voting:
All-Star Team, Center: 4, 5, 6, 6
Lady Byng: 5, 7, 7, 9

Additionally, stray votes for the Hart and Lady Byng in several other years.

---

From the Hockey Hall of Fame:

With a seemingly consistent low profile throughout the rest of the hockey world, Bernard Allan Federko was respected and loved by the fans of St. Louis, Missouri. Never one to bask in the limelight, his consistency earned him 1,130 points during a 14-year NHL career…

…quickly proved his junior stats were not a fluke and the St. Louis Blues had chosen wisely. After a strong training camp the gifted pivot was sent to the Blues' Central Hockey League farm club in Kansas City. He would record 69 points in 42 games for the baby Blues and along with linemate Brian Sutter, earn an immediate recall to St. Louis. There he would procure a permanent NHL job with 23 points in 31 games for the Smythe Division leaders. Despite missing the second half of the season, his efforts in KC were not forgotten as the CHL awarded him with a berth on the 2nd All-Star Team and the Ken McKenzie Trophy as Rookie-of-the-Year.
The 1977-78 season marked the beginning of 12 consecutive seasons for Federko as a member of the St. Louis Blues. The 1978-79 season proved to be a break-out year, leading an extremely weak Blues' club with 64 assists and 95 points, eighth in the entire league. Rapidly the ever-patient playmaker led St. Louis to noted improvements, recording his first of four 100+ point seasons in 1980-81 and coinciding with a second-place overall finish for the Blues with a club record 45 wins and 107 points.
During his 13 seasons as a member of the Blues, Federko led the Blues in scoring nine times, including eight consecutively from 1979-86, along with three straight 100-points seasons from 1984-86. "The Magician" as he came to be known in St. Louis circles, led the Blues to within a single goal of the Stanley Cup Final in 1986. Despite playing in only three rounds, Federko finished as the leading playoff scorer with 21 points. Then Blues' Head Coach Jacques Demers stated, "He's got to be the most underrated player in this league." This was proven to be accurate by his participation in only two All-Star contests during his career. The consummate playmaker was a wizard behind the net, ala Wayne Gretzky, becoming the first player in NHL history to record 50+ assists for 10 consecutive seasons, leading his General Manager Ron Caron to quip, "He makes the average or above-average player look like a star at times."
Before leaving the Blues in 1989, Federko would achieve numerous personal milestones. On March 19, 1988, he would, appropriately, record an assist to become only the 22nd NHL player to reach the 1,000 point barrier. He spent his final season with the Blues as captain, a reward for his dedication to both the team and the city. Following the 1988-89 season, Federko held 11 St. Louis Blues' career records, including games played (927), goals (352), assists (721) and a record he had broke at the beginning of his 8th season, points (1,073).
Following a shocking trade of St. Louis' favourite son during the summer of 1989, Federko played one final season with the Detroit Red Wings, enabling him to reach the 1,000 games played milestone. He would retire after a 57-point campaign for the Wings and on March 16, 1991, his number '24' sweater was raised to the rafters of the St. Louis Arena, becoming just the fourth Blues player to have the honour bestowed upon him.

From Joe Pelletier

Bernie Federko is one of the greatest players to play in the NHL, only not everyone knows it.

Federko was one of the game's best playmakers in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. His outstanding hockey sense and anticipation combined with his soft hands placed him among the league's elite playmakers. Unselfish is probably the best adjective to describe Bernie, although under-rated also comes to mind. Wayne Gretzky of course popularized using the area behind the net (better known as Gretzky's Office) as an area to set up plays, but Bernie was also adept in that area, and actually used that area to his advantage earlier than Gretzky did.

Bernie was an average skater, a step slow in comparison to the Gretzkys and Yzermans of the league. He however had great balance which made him hard to knock off the puck, despite his average size. This also enabled him to excel in traffic. Federko was never a physical player, but was always willing to take or give a hit in order to make a play.

Bernie was an under-rated goal scorer as well. He was a consistent 30 goal threat during his prime. He peaked at 41 in 1983-84 and scored more than 20 in 11 consecutive seasons. His wrist shot was particularly deadly.
…
Federko went on to play 12 full seasons with the Blues. He notched seven 30-goal seasons and he had nine seasons with at least 80 points, including a career best 107, also in 1983-84. He became Mr. St. Louis Blue, leading the team in all major career scoring statistics.
After 13 years in St. Louis, Bernie was traded to the Detroit Red Wings prior to the 1989-90 campaign. Federko and fellow veteran Tony McKegney in exchange for Paul MacLean and Adam Oates - a younger but very similar player to Federko. He played just one season in Detroit, scoring 17 goals and 57 points in 73 games. It was a tough year for Federko.

 

[Stoneberg]

Boris Mayorov, LW/RW

Domestic:
- Member of Russian Hockey HOF
- Soviet League Champion (1962, 1967, 1969)
- Soviet League All-Star (1959, 1962, 1966*, 1967, 1968*, 1969*) *-2nd/3rd team. These nods are at both LW and RW.
- Top-5 in Soviet League Scoring 7 Times (2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 5th)
- 255 Goals in 400 Soviet League Games

Was Mayorov the best playmaker of the 60's Soviet stars?

Assist figures 60s Soviet stars

|GP|Assists|Assists Per Game
Boris Mayorov|211|77|.36
Veniamin Alexandrov|203|68|.33
Konstantin Loktev|109|34|.31
Anatoli Firsov|319|92|.29
Alexander Almetov|162|38|.23
Vyacheslav Starshinov|343|68|.20

Offensive comparison to contemporaries Starshinov & Alexandrov:

Okay here it is:

Mayorov

Seasons|Games|G|A|P
1961-1968|278|198|101|299

Alexandrov

Seasons|Games|G|A|P
1961-1968|270|238|90|328

Starshinov

Seasons|Games|G|A|P
1961-1968|282|243|54|297

*Note: Adjustments and assumptions made for 1961 and 1964 where assists, and GP totals are not available

International:
- Member of the IIHF Hall Of Fame
- Olympic/WC Gold (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968)
- Was Soviet National Team Captain (1963-1968)
- 1st in scoring at 1961 Worlds, 2nd in 1964
- Mayorov got into a fight in the 1961 worlds, while leading the tournament in scoring.
- World Championship Top Forward (1961)
- Original Choice for the Top Forward of the 1964 Olympics (see below)
- 30 goals, 32 assists, 62 points in 50 major international games (Starshinov had 48-20-68 in these games)

Quotes & anecdotes:

The best line in the history of Moscow Spartak and in the world (?) in the late 1960s. Starshinov's line was famous for their aggressive style. Starshinov and, especially, Boris Mayorov loved to fight.

Starshinov lost count of the goals he scored on passes from Boris Mayorov. These passes, according to Starshinov, were extremely opportune and proved totally unexpected for the opposition. His opponents were familiar with Mayorov's style of play, but somehow he always managed to fool them and alert Starshinov through a shared sixth sense when a pass was coming.

captain Mayorov was key to six world championships for the Soviet Union in the 1960s, leading the tournament in scoring in '61 when he was named the tournament's best forward. He won the gold at both the '64 and '68 Olympics and played on a line with ******* ******* and Vyacheslav Starshinov.

The Starshinov line was distinguished by its synchronous actions and total reciprocal awareness. Boris played LW and the center slot was filled by Starshinov... Boris was able to end his career with the national team with dignity. Before the 1969 Worlds, he was straightforward at a meeting with his teammates, telling them honestly that due to injuries he would be unable to play at his best in all the games... Boris Mayorov was a natural-born leader, and Starshinov cited him as a prime mover and innovator.

Robbed of the "Best Forward" award in the 1964 Olympics:

Following the Soviet Union’s 3-2 victory over Canada to lock-up the gold medal in the last match at Innsbruck, the International Ice Hockey Federation Directorate chose USSR right wing BORIS MAYOROV for their Best Forward award. The 25-year-old Soviet captain finished the seven-game final round-robin with seven goals and ten points. This left the Spartak Moscow skater tied with four others, including Soviet teammates VYACHESLAV STARSHINOV and VIKTOR YAKUSHEV, for the second-highest point total at Innsbruck.

Soviet hockey officials, meanwhile, took the award and handed it EDUARD IVANOV. This despite the fact that the 25-year-old CSKA Moscow man was, in fact, a defenseman. Ivanov did score four goals in seven round-robin games, which set a new record for Soviet rearguards at the Winter Olympic Games.

Incredible as it may seem today, the IIHF accepted this and, thus, into the record books went Ivanov’s name.

http://www.goironpigs.com/?cat=67


English translation of Boris Mayorov's profile at the Russian site Championat:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The man eventually became a seminal figure in the history of Soviet hockey, but there was a time when the great Starostin believed he would become a soccer player...

"He had a great love for the game. He never sat on the bench peacefully, but struggled constantly in the crucible of competition. And when we let him out on the ice, he did not simply skate, but took off as though on wings. He was full of pride and ambition - conceded nothing, to no one. This includes the referees - though Boris was seldom sent off, in my opinion, he never once agreed with the decision when he was."

Anatoli Tarasov spoke thusly of our hero, and it is difficult to disagree with the legendary trainer.

The future two-time Olympic and many-time World Champion was born on February 11, 1938. He did not come into the world alone; his twin brother Evgeny also became a well-known hockey player and won a pile of gold medals, but Boris's career was more conspicuously great. This ingenious man was called Spartak's greatest player; fans of the red-and-white idolized him, and he repaid them with magnificent play. He fit with the team like a favourite stick fits a strong hand, and he never gave reason to doubt his devotion. Boris Aleksandrovich always set lofty goals for himself, and he always achieved them. He won his first medal long before he joined Spartak – at school. At that time, it was silver, but eventually he developed a taste of gold.

Mayorov treated every match against rivals CSKA and Dynamo like the last game of his life, and the legendary red-and-white line was irreplaceable.

The "extraterrestrial" 1961 World Championships in Switzerland were the first serious test for the Mayorov brothers and Vyacheslav Starshinov. Boris and Evgeny were 23 years old at the time, and Vyacheslav only 20, but they were already recognized as leaders of the national team – Tarasov held them in awe, teammates recognized their skill, and opponents were demoralized. This line scored three goals in a victory over Sweden (6:2) and three more in a loss to Czechoslovakia (4:6). The hero of our story became the leading scorer of tournament, with seven goals and ten assists, but that year, they wore only bronze.

"During the game, he liked to receive the puck from the defense and quickly move it through the neutral zone with his linemates, attacking the opponent like a whirlwind. Boris did all of this not only with great passion, but also with a surprising beauty which could not help but leave an impression on the viewer."

This is how Tarasov described him. They say that because of Mayorov, fans at soccer stadiums began to shout "Puck...Puck"...Spartak fans thus supporting the famous hockey player even at soccer matches.

Boris Aleksandrovich was the real driving force of the line. Around the world, defensemen knew that when the puck got to this fast, agile forward, the goal was immediately in danger. After the defeat in 1961, for three World Championships in a row (including the 1964 Olympic Games), Mayorov and his linemates remained at the top of the hockey world. But then Evgeny Mayorov was dropped from the national team, and his place on the legendary line was taken by a succession of different players. None of them gelled completely with Mayorov and Starshinov, but the masters, though they may have grumbled, were true professionals, and did not allow it to affect their style or quality of play. As before, the famous Spartak linemates scattered their opponents and bulged the twine behind opposing goaltenders. After Mayorov's retirement from top-level hockey, no trace of the line's signature style remained. Starshinov's skill allowed him to become a world champion three more times, but Vyacheslav Ivanovich, alone, was not enough to preserve the line's great tradition.

The Spartak captain compiled very impressive statistics. In 400 games in the Soviet League, he scored 255 goals, and in 50 matches between the World Championships and Olympics, he scored 30 goals. Boris Mayorov was a real fighter, one who could not be driven into a corner because he attacked without interruption or rest. Some foreign commentators considered him to be a rude fellow, but Boris Aleksandrovich was simply very emotional. Unfortunately, he could be enraged by the provocation of opponents, but he compensated for going to the penalty box by scoring goals, so much so that provocateurs were left dumbfounded.

His soccer career was also of interest. Twice, Boris Aleksandrovich took the field for the Spartak senior team. This happened in 1961, at the beginning of his career, when the red-and-white played against Pakhtakor and Kayrat. The leaders of the country's sporting association, however, having learned of this decision by the Spartak coaching staff, gave Nikolay Starostin and Nikita Simonyan a real dressing down for letting Mayorov play. "If he is injured and cannot play hockey, we will be sunk at the World Championships", officials said. Starostin was forced to obey, though in personal conversations with Boris Aleksandrovich, he stated more than once: "I am embarrassed to look at you; you are a lost man. What a soccer player you could have become!"

However, soccer remained among Mayorov's favourite sports for a long time: he played for the Spartak senior team in the Moscow championship, and for the second team in the Soviet championships.

Everyone who knew Mayorov well understood his extraordinary dedication. He was always willing to sacrifice himself for the common cause, putting team and teammates before himself. He entered any skirmish, any collision without fear, but with the smile and passion of a man who has lived his whole life on a raging sea, and fears not to jump into the rapids of a small river. Once Boris Aleksandrovich understood the burden of leadership – and that the great "Red Machine" could stall - he became a true leader, fired up his teammates, encouraged them. In the tensest situations, he always kept his focus, inspiring his teammates to smile, and joyfully go out and get one back or score still more goals.

This great forward could lay an absolutely unpredictable pass at the perfect time, could help his team on defense, block a shot, enter a scrum, work in on goal. And what clever passing! Sharp, quick movements allowed Mayorov to escape defenses and create scoring chances literally from nothing. And if he managed to get in on the goalkeeper, the latter was usually doomed – an easy feint, a twitch, an imperceptible movement of the stick - and the puck went into the net as if returning home. Often, he shot without windup, and the goalkeeper simply could not react to the puck flying past him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further statistical comparison to 60's soviet stars:

Crunching some Vs2 numbers from this data. First a couple of points:

- the 1960-61 to 1969-70 timeframe captures basically the entire peaks of the following players: Veniamin Alexandrov, Boris Mayorov, xxxx, Vyacheslav Starshinov and Anatoli Firsov. This is not perfect...Alexandrov and Mayorov both have single good seasons in the late 50s, and Firsov played well into the early 70s, though he was clearly past his peak (at least in terms of domestic league scoring) by then.

- this is meant only to be a Soviet-league-in-the-1960s-internal scoring comparison. Any resemblance to VsX numbers for post-consolidation NHL scoring is just a matter of formatting. I know that any intelligent person can understand this, but I want to make it completely clear.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexandrov:
159, 100, 100, 95, 94, 88, 78
Total: 714
7-season average: 102

Firsov:
138, 100, 100, 94, 92, 83, 70
Total: 677
7-season average: 96.7

Mayorov:
107, 100, 100, 92, 90, 88, 81
Total: 658
7-season average: 94

Starshinov:
110, 108, 100, 87, 85, 84, 80
Total: 654
7-season average: 93.4

xxxx:
103, 100, 100, 84, 83, 69, 67
Total: 606
7-season average: 86.6

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes on the above:

- Alexandrov, Mayorov and xxxx benefit from somewhat softer competition over their first couple of peak seasons (Firsov didn't really start peaking until 1963-64), and Firsov and Starshinov are hurt by stiffer competition in their last couple of peak seasons when the K-P-M line stars started to peak.

- Alexandrov, Mayorov and Firsov are hurt by the lack of complete assist records, and by the generally quite stingy Soviet league assist tabulation, in general. Starshinov is clearly helped by these factors, while the effect on xxxx is probably neutral.

- so, in general, Firsov is disadvantaged twice by the above, and xxxx is advantaged, while the net effect on Alexandrov, Mayorov and Starshinov is roughly neutral, I'd guess.

- I don't doubt that Firsov was the better player, but how far behind him can Alexandrov really be?

- these numbers seem to reinforce the claim in the Championat bio that Boris Mayorov was, in fact, the best player on the famous Spartak line of the 60's.

- I wanted to fit Loktev into this analysis, but he sadly didn't have enough relevant good seasons in this timeframe.

Credit to Sturm, TDMM, seventies, VI, & RS for various quotes and stats (I've just compiled everything in one place)

 

[tony d]

Hec Kilrea, Left Wing

Personal info and stats courtesy of hockeyreference.com:

Position: LW ▪ Shoots: Left
Height: 5-8 (173 cm) ▪ Weight: 175 lbs. (79 kg)

Born: June 11, 1907 in Blackburn, Ontario
Died: September 8, 1969

-2 top 10 finishes in goals for a season
- Adjusted totals of 691 points in 633 games
- 3 time Stanley Cup winner

Legends of Hockey:

Left-winger Hec Kilrea played 633 NHL games for three different teams. The "Hurricane" was a fast skater and a strong checker who could score when allowed to play a more offensive role.

Kilrea spent nearly five years with the Red Wings where he was an effective two-way player with linemates Gord Pettinger and Syd Howe.

Joe Pelletier:

Kilrea began showing Ottawa fans his blazing speed. He was a speed skating champion, after all.

By 1929-30 Joe Lamb took over as the top center between Kilrea and Finnigan, and the result was career years for both Lamb and Kilrea. Kilrea scored 36 goals - the 5th highest total in the NHL that season.

Final Thoughts: Glad to get Kilrea, his skating should prove benefecial within my bottom 6.

 

[tony d]

I'm going to do some damage because I got Rob Ramage

Stats and personal info courtesy of hockeyreference.com:

Position: D ▪ Shoots: Right
Height: 6-2 (188 cm) ▪ Weight: 200 lbs. (91 kg)

Born: January 11, 1959 (Age 56.076, YY.DDD) in Byron, Ontario
Draft: Colorado, 1st round (1st overall), 1979 NHL Entry

- 4 time All Star
- 2226 career penalty minutes and 2882 career shots
- 50 points in 84 career playoff games

Legends of Hockey:

With the Blues, he fell under the tutelage of former NHLer Barclay Plager. Plager went to work immediately to iron his protégé's game into the smooth surface it was meant to be. Ramage quickly evolved into a defensive mainstay, performing on power plays, killing penalties, contributing key offensive plays, and keeping his own zone clear.

Rob Ramage gained fame among professional scouts during his three-year term with his hometown London Knights of the OHA. There the big blueliner looked like rock-solid NHL material with a complete package of offensive and defensive tools. He also displayed a penchant for leadership

Joe Pelletier:

Rob was one of the best two way blue liners in his 15 years in the NHL. He was big, physical and good in both ends of the rink. He was a great leader and character player. He was an excellent skater for his size (6'2" 200lbs), a smart playmaker and power play quarterback. He was solid in his own zone as well. The only thing Ramage lacked was speed.

Final Thoughts: Glad to get Ramage, seems like the perfect bottom pairing defenseman who can do it all.

 

[tony d]

Lorne Chabot, Goalie

Stats and Personal info courtesy of hockeyreference.com:

Position: G ▪ Catches: Left
Height: 6-1 (185 cm) ▪ Weight: 185 lbs. (84 kg)

Born: October 5, 1900 in Montreal, Quebec
Died: October 10, 1946 (Aged 46.005)

- Career NHL record of 201-147-62
- 71 career shutouts are 11th most all time
- 2 time Stanley Cup champ

Legends Of Hockey:

Prior to the 1928-29 schedule Chabot was sent to Toronto, where he posted a career-best 1.61 goals-against average and 12 shutouts. In 1931-32 he helped the franchise win its first Stanley Cup under the Maple Leafs banner. In the fifth game of the 1933 semifinals against Boston, the teams played 164 minutes and 46 seconds of scoreless hockey before the Leafs' Ken Doraty scored in the sixth overtime period. Chabot earned the shutout in what was the longest game in NHL history to that date. But in the finals the Rangers prevented the Leafs from repeating as champions.]

Joe Pelletier:

Think of all the great goalies in the Hall of Fame. Ken Dryden. Turk Broda. Gump Worsley. Terry Sawchuk .... the list is seemingly endless. Or is it? If it was truly complete, then Lorne Chabot would be there too.

A veteran of 10 NHL season, Chabot retired with 73 career shutouts with a career goals against average of 2.04! His playoff GAA is an even smaller 1.50. Those stats compare favorably with Hall of Fame goaltenders, and in many cases are better. It's ridiculous that one of the game's true greats isn't in the Hall of Fame.

Summary: Chabot probably won't play much with Benedict as my #1 but he still should do good in spot duty.

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Chris Chelios

Defenseman
Shot: Right
Height: 6’0â€
Weight: 191 lbs

Norris: 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6
All-Star Voting: 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 6, 6, 7, 7, 9
Hart: 7, 10

Canada/World Cup All Star Team: 1991, 1996
Olympic Best Defenseman: 2002
Olympic All Star Team: 2002

Stanley Cup: 1986, 2002, 2008
Canada/World Cup: Gold (1996), Silver (1991)
Olympics: Silver (2002)

Co-Captain Montreal Canadiens: 1989-90
Captain Chicago Blackhawks: 1995-96 to 1998-99
Mark Messier Leader of the Year Award: 2006-07

Playoffs
Led Own Team in Points: 1989, 1992 (Lost in Finals both years)
Led All Players in +/-: 1992, 2002

Played for Team USA in Best on Best Tournament: 1984 CC, 1991 CC, 1996 WC, 1998 Olympics, 2002 Olympics, 2006 Olympics

Chris Chelios was a skating contradiction. On one hand he was no-nonsense S.O.B but on the other he was a sentimental sap.

Chelios has fused these two character traits into a Hall of Fame hockey career. His emotional passion for hockey has created a hockey resume that leaves most jealous: A Stanley Cup championship with Montreal in 1986 and two more in Detroit in 2002 and 2008. Three Norris Trophies, four first-team NHL All-Star selections and eleven appearances in the All-Star game. He was the first American born defenseman to win the Norris Trophy. He became the first blueliner in Hawks history to lead his team in scoring. He also participated in Canada Cups, World Cups and in four Olympics.

You get no argument here that he is the greatest American born hockey player ever.

Chelios never has taken his NHL job for granted. And he loved to play for Chicago. Before long he sounded totally different than the day he first arrived in Chicago.

"Every time I look back and see the position I'm in -- every single game -- I'm just as excited as I was the first game I ever played in," Chelios says. "I'm fortunate to be playing in my hometown and to be playing for the Blackhawks. To me, it's a great honor to play in the NHL and especially for the Blackhawks."

Chelios in a Red Wings jersey soon did look right. He played in the Motor City for 10 more seasons, winning Stanley Cups in 2002 and 2008.

Towards the end of the decade Chelios, an extreme fitness nut, openly mused with the idea of playing into his 50s, bettering Gordie Howe's amazing record of playing until the age of 52. His ice time was severely cut in Detroit, so in 2009-10 he moved on to Atlanta hoping to extend his career. But he could not make the lowly Thrashers team, playing in just 7 games and spending the rest of the season in the minor leagues.

It may have been a whimper of an end for one of hockey's greatest warriors. But he played on, for the love of the game.

But Darryl Sutter, who coached Chelios when he was in the prime of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, remembers something else: How good Chelios really was – the greatest American-born player of all time – he says; how Chelios could play all night, if he had to, and in the playoffs, when match-ups become all-consuming for coaches, he often did.

Sutter had it set up with Chelios this way: The latter would come back to the bench for a quick breather and when he was ready to go again, he’d give Sutter a wink, the signal to send him back out. If Chelios needed a few more seconds to recover, he wouldn’t make eye contact.

They had lots of great moments together, but Sutter remembers one game in particular, when Eric Lindros first arrived in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1992, and was being promoted as the biggest thing since Wayne Gretzky. The Americans had had a glimpse of Lindros in the [1991 Canada] Cup and everybody wanted to test themselves against this wrecking ball of a kid.

“I remember when Eric Lindros was still a young guy,†Sutter said. “We played him for the first time in Chicago Stadium and Chelios was driven – driven – to make sure Lindros was not the centre of attention that night, or the guy who made a difference in the game.

“That’s how Chelly was. He always wanted to take charge. I don’t know if he ever appreciated himself how good he was, but he was such a great competitor that he wanted to be better than whoever he was out playing against. Not just as good. Better.

“He was such a young guy when he came to Chicago, basically a rebel, with a desire to be a great player. Then, he became the whole package in terms of his training. And he cared about everybody. That’s his thing. He never forgets where he came from or what he’s about – family, blue collar. It doesn’t matter. He could always come back to that – always and instantly,†Sutter said. “Those were his roots. Everything was dead honest all the time.
“Whether everybody liked it or not, that’s okay. But that’s how he is.â€

"I used to do everything to Sergei," I told Sports Illustrated writer Michael Farber. "Those were the days when you could elbow a guy and not worry about getting suspended. I took advantage of that."

Legendary head coach Scotty Bowman had the Wings playing a puck-possession game, so I had more freedom to join the rush under his command. In fact, I was supposed to jump into the play on certain breakouts, and I forgot a couple of times in my first few games. In Chicago we moved the puck from defenseman to defenseman and then fired it up the boards.

My minutes were trimmed in Detroit, but in a good way. In my last three games in Chicago, I had averaged more than 30 minutes per game. In my first three games in Detroit, I averaged just under 25 minutes per game.

Via pnep on this thread on top penalty killing units, Chris Chelios has a wide lead over other defensemen in the category "number of times on the top PK pairing of a top 3 PK in the league" since the 1967 expansion:

Chris Chelios (9 times)
Bill Hajt (6 times)
Dennis Potvin (5 times)
Raymond Bourque (5 times)
Serge Savard (4 times)
Mike Ramsey (4 times)
Scott Stevens (4 times)
Tim Horton (4 times)
Nicklas Lidstrom (4 times)

***Hockey Outsider's Chelios - Robinson Comparison***


Toronto Star Coaches’ Poll February 13, 1993
Best Defensive Defenseman: 1st (Bourque-2nd, Stevens-3rd)
Best Offensive Defenseman: Tied for 2nd with Bourque, behind Housley (ahead of Coffey, Leetch)
Toughest Player: 1st (Roberts-2nd, Tocchet-3rd)
Most Infuriating: 1st (C. Lemieux/Kasparitis/Ciccarelli/Roenick/Granato – Tied 2nd)
Best Player: Tied for 2nd but only 1 vote, behind Lemieux
Smartest Player: 1 vote
Best Skater: 1 vote
Best Shot: 1 vote

Toronto Star Coaches’ Poll January 22, 1994
Best Defensive Defenseman: 2nd (behind Bourque, ahead of Stevens)
Best Offensive Defenseman: 1 vote
Smartest Player: 1 vote
Toughest Player: 1 vote
Most Infuriating: 1 vote

St. Louis Dispatch Coaches’ Poll May 7, 1994
Best Defensive Defenseman: 2nd (behind Bourque, ahead of Stevens)
Best Powerplay Point Man: 1 vote
Player You Hate to Play Against: 1 vote

"He may be the most hated guy in the league," says one opponent of Chelios, who apparently joins Verbeek in representing the most aggravating of combinations: a cheap-shot yapper.

Rick Vaive and Craig Simpson's choices for the toughest defencemen in front of the net:

Vaive: Rob Ramage, Chris Chelios, Lee Norwood, Gilbert Delorme and Curt Giles.
Simpson: Brad McCrimmon, Ramage, Chelios, Scott Stevens and Kjell Samuelsson.

"He is the most loyal teammate you will ever meet. He always invites the young guys to hang out with him and when a veteran player needs something he's the guy who knows someone who can help you out," McCarty said with a laugh
His workout habits are legendary. "He might be the hardest-working athlete I've ever met," McCarty said. "This is a guy who rides a stationary bike in the sauna."

...

"Chris Chelios changed the culture of the Chicago Blackhawks," former Chicago coach Mike Keenan said. "He was one of the fiercest competitors I ever coached. He was without fear, courageous in his play, a risk-taker, but also an intelligent hockey player."

...

"He didn't look good doing it," Roenick said. "He wasn't graceful. He wasn't the Paul Coffey type, the smooth-skating defenseman who stood out. He had a choppy look. He wasn't fluid. But he always got there. He was always in position. He was always frustrating to play against. He always hurt you in some way."