ATD2021 Bio Thread

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Art Ross, D

This is a consolidation of work done by jarek, overpass, Leafs Forever, HT18 and me.

Height: 5'11
Weight: 190 lbs.
Shoots: Left

Stanley Cup Winner (1907, 1908)

Awards and Achievements
MHL Pro 1st All Star Team (1907)
ECAHA 1st All-Star Team (1908)

Points Amongst Defensemen
MHL Pro (a few notable names): T-2nd (with Si Griffis) (1907)
ECHA: T-1st (1908)
NHA: 1st (1912), 2nd (1913), 2nd (1916), T-4th(1910)*, 5th (1911)

*A newspaper article found states Ross was actually 3rd in this year, and stood alone at 3rd.

seventieslord VsXD scores: 131, 94, 87, 83, 72, 45, 43, avg. 79.3

In addition to an exemplary career as a defenseman, He contributed to the development of hockey through his off-ice endeavors. He recorded 85 goals in 167 regular-season games and provided stability and savvy in the defensive zone.

In 1905 he made his first appearance for a major hockey organization by scoring 10 goals in eight games for the Westmount franchise in the Canadian Amateur Hockey League. He rapidly earned the distinction of being one of the top rushing defensemen in the game.

The following year he skated for Brandon of the Manitoba Hockey League. His play attracted the attention of the Kenora Thistles, who worked out a loan agreement with Brandon in time for their Stanley Cup challenge against the Montreal Wanderers in January 1907. During the two-game set, he received numerous ovations from the Montreal crowd. Although he didn't score, he made a number of quality offensive rushes that contributed to Kenora's Stanley Cup win. A year later, hiss services were purchased by the Wanderers in a move that strengthened an already formidable outfit. He was a key reason the Red Bands finished at the top of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association standings and then beat back the Stanley Cup challenges from Winnipeg, Toronto and Edmonton.

Rushing and stickhandling:
Hockey Notes:

In late 1910, he rejoined the Wanderers, putting up four seasons there before joining the Ottawa Senators. "Ross played like an eel," XXXXX once said. "He was one of the greatest stickhandlers I ever saw. He could spin on a dime, and he was so tricky there was no blocking him."

Legends of Hockey - One on One With Art Ross

Ross was pioneering the defence position, and many compare him to Bobby Orr of more recent hockey. He was a rushing defenceman during an era when players in that position either shot the puck down the ice or passed to a forward. Instead, Ross carried the puck up the ice into the offensive zone.

Fearless fighter

Hockey Blog in Canada

He was viewed as a fearless player who never backed down from a fight in his life. Ross' highest PIM total was in 1913-14 with the Wanderers in the NHA. In 18 games, he spent 74 minutes in the penalty box! From 1912-17, Ross would never spend less than 55 minutes in the penalty box in one season despite only averaging 18 games per season in the NHA.

February 17, 1915 saw Ross square off in a fight with Toronto Blueshirts' player r Roy "Minnie" McGiffin which ended up with both players being arrested for assault. The fine of $1 each was paid in total by McGiffin who lost a coin toss to Ross while in jail. Referee Cooper Smeaton was almost arrested as well for his inability to control the fracas, but he escaped without penalty.

As still a player, Ross invented, "kitty-bar-the-door," probably the earliest version of a trapping defense in hockey

It was while Ottawa was travelling to Montreal for the 1915 NHA championship that Ross invented "kitty-bar-the-door" hockey, thinking that the fast, powerful Wanderers could be stopped by stringing three defensemen across the width of the ice, 30 feet in front of the goalie, defying any Montreal forward to skate through. The confident Wanderers, playing on home ice, even had a fleet of taxis waiting outside the rink to take them to the railway station so they could head west to meet Vancouver for the Stanley Cup. Their pride and Art Ross's defensive shell ensured that the taxis came in handy for the Ottawa Senators instead, who won the round on goals and caught the train to the coast.

"The greatest hockey player" "the finest defenseman in the east"

When Art Ross quits hockey the winter game will lose "the greatest player it ever produced." That batter title has been tossed about a bit, confered on first one and then another, but when they've all been rattled through the sifter Ross stands out as the brainiest, most consistent player over a long period of years that the game has ever known

Six feet in height, perfectly proportioned, always in the pink of condition, Ross in his hey-day added these assets terrific speed and a stick-wizardry that was little short of marvelous. In later days he lost his high flight of speed, but the ability to puzzle opponents with sheer trick skill has not deserted the big Scotsman. Although he doesn't flash and circle about the ice with the meteoric dash of yore, opposing defense still find it a difficult task to get the puck off Ross's elusive stick. Add to this a hockey brain of far more than average keeness which stored up the experience of many years, and Ross is still today a formidable addition to any game.

The ice game has never had a smarter player than Ross. How, when playing with Ottawa, he euchered the Wanders out of the championship of 1914-15 is still fresh in the minds of contemporary fans....

The dope was that Ottawa would try to make their defensive stand through a strong offense, and that was the style the Wanderers primed themselves for. Instead, when the game started Ross spread out three players in front of the Ottawa net. …

It was a neat a bit of ice generalship as was ever seen, and was a peculiarly gratifying victory to Ross.

Headline: Art Ross, Known as Best hockey Player, to quit

Art Ross, on defense, is the finest player in his position in the east.

ART ROSS Who's work at cover point for the Wanderers is subject to much comment in hockey circles. He has been in the professional ranks for many years and is still considered to be the most formidable defence man in the game.

It is a question if a better defense man than Art Ross was ever seen in the business. He was a terror to all other teams and it was a cry all over the circuit to watch Ross and beat the Wanderers. He was the particular player that the Ottawa watched but with all the precaution that the team took. Ross got away and it was his pair of goals that won the game that gave his team the silverware.

It was said by Jim Coleman that if you wanted to win the Cup, you went out and got Art Ross:

If you wanted to gather a team to win the Stanley Cup it was a good idea to hire Art Ross. That's the reason he played on so many different teams because when anybody was building for a Cup bid they'd get Ross to anchor their defense

Adding Art Ross was the reason Kenora was able to beat the Ottawa Silver Seven after losing. After Kenora, Ross moved on. The Wanderers hired Ross because he was the main reason they'd been beaten, so it made sense to put the lad in the red Wanderers jersey. The next season they won the Cup.

Contemporary comparison of Ross to Hod Stuart and Lester Patrick:

A discussion was started yesterday to the relative merits of Ross and the late Hod Stuart as hockey players. Nearly all who attended the Gardens in recent years have seen the great cover point, who met such an untimely death, play and regard his as the greatest ever. But there are many who declared Ross is superior, and not a few will watch his work tonight to make their own deductions.

(quoting an Ottawa Free Press writer) Reports of Arthur Ross being the sensation of the year have not been exaggerated. He is another Hod (sic) Stuart and then some. Speed, magnificent stick handling, ability to dodge everything and anybody, backed up by a fine shooting arm, places (sic) the celebrated athlete on a pinnacle few may hope ever to attain. Ross has everything. The cool head is ever prevalent. He can work by himself or with the rest of the team, has no disposition to be selfish and is gifted with a powerful physique to round off his other accomplishments.

Lester Patrick is stated to be as in good condition as he was when he played for the Wanderers two years ago, but this is doubtful. It is considered by the challengers that he has finer points in his stickhandling than Ross, but Ross is a stronger man at withstanding attacks and he has almost as spectacular and certainly a more aggressive manner of going up the ice. In Montreal Ross is regarded as the greatest defense player in hockey.

This particular passage suggests Ross was a selfish player compared to Stuart. There may have been some truth to that, but the accounts of him using his teammates exceed any mentions of selfishness.

Far Short of Hod Stewart
Ross fills the place on the team left by the late "Hod" Stewart, but he hasn't the finish that that great player had. His play is too much on the selfish order; he wants to score, and that is where Stewart had it on him. Stewart was satisfied to carry the puck into the opposing side's territory and pass to someone else to do the shooting. Thus he not only made a name for himself but one for the man who did the scoring. As a defence player Ross is not to be criticized, but when he sallies forth to do the scoring, he makes a mistake.

While Ross was better known for his offense, his defense also appears to have usually been strong:

Art Ross did the bulk of the work for Halleybury. He alone was successful in warding off the attacks of the Ottawa players...Ross was in game at all time, and had it not been for his sterling work Ottawa would run up a much bigger score.

Hooper (coverpoint), who had been handicapped by a late start this season, showed more speed last night and made one or two last night. He is still weak in blocking, however. For a time Ross and Hooper changed positions last night, but Ross is too strong a man in keeping a forward line out to justify a shift.â€

Art Ross made his first appearance in an Ottawa uniform and was a great factor in their victory He played a brilliant game on the defence- breaking up Toronto rushes on many occasions when scores seemed certain. He bowled the champions over with his body and there was an excuse for his rough work as he became the target for the Toronto tripping and slashing...Ross was very unselfish and figured in several clever two man rushes with Gerard.

Ross was one of the best men on the ice, his checking and rushing being sensational.

Ross and Cleghorn were never better and their clever defence play had much to do with the result.

As it was, Vics lacked a scorers, and against the good defense that Ross and Howard presented their attacks as a rule were broken up with ease.

With Ernie Johnson and Art Ross forming a great defense in front of the Wanderers' goal, the Ottawa attacks were rudely smashed...

Art Ross and Ernie Johnson, the two highly paid Montreal stars were very much alive. They tore through the Ottawa team repeatedly with irresistible aggressiveness.

There was one bright feature to the game, and that was the play of Art Ross, the Wanderer point. Ross has improved every time out this year, and last evening he gave one of the finest exhibitions of defence playing yet seen at the Arena. In breaking up attacks he was cool and fearless. He waited until the man was in, and seldom missed stealing the disc of intercepting the pass. From the start he kept rushing back into Victoria quarters, and his great speed and splendid stick handling made him too difficult a proposition for the challengers to solve. The crowd was not slow to appreciate the fine work he was doing, and every rush he made was greeted with increasing applause from all sides. Towards the end there was a tremendous call to the big cover-point to "come on yourself" every time he touched the disc.â€

Art Ross, who has starred with spectacular rushes in all his games this year, only once or twice got past centre ice in the first half. Patrick, who starred in the Quebec game with similar plays, was in much the same position as Ross, although more successful for a time. The forwards kept checking back relentlessly and it was almost impossible for one player to advance alone for any distance. In the second half, when there were weak spots on both teams, the individual's chances became better and Ross and Smaill on the one side and Patrick and Gilmour on the other pulled off some long runs.

Ross and (Frank) Patrick, playing much the same style of game, shone in dashes down the ice, but Ross had the shade better of it, as a defence player. Both Ross and Patrick figured for a goal on the score sheet, the result of end-to-end runs.

The defense was its strongest point, and had it not been for the work of Riley Hern and Art Ross, Ottawa would have scored twenty more goals...Ross tried innumerable rushes, his speed and stickhandling proving him to be a star of the first water. Ross, however, found Taylor and Pulford to be an impregenable combination

Ross was easily the individual star of the match and stood head and shoulders above all others, his brilliant work evoking round after round of applause. His speed was phenomenal, his stick handling superb, and his checking very effective.

When they did get in on the poles either Hern or Ross was there to save the day, and both the latter put up a good game.

Great defensive work may be expected of Ross at point, for he knows the game inside and out...

More comments on offensive game:

The Thistles grabbed (Ross) as an up and coming defence star. He could stickhandle and score like a forward, and after an outstanding series against the Montreal Wanderers he soon was back in his home town playing the game.

He later moved to the Ottawa Senators and during his stay there helped evolve the kitty-bar-the-door defence.

Taylor, according to the Ottawa men who saw Thursday night's game, is faster than Art Ross, but not the same finished stick handler.

Sensational plays on the part of the champions were numerous indeed and frequently the crowd arose and cheered enthusiastically the long rushes of Art Ross...Ross was easily the individual star of the match and stood head and shoulder over all others, his brilliant work evoking round after round of applause. His speed was phenomenal, his stick handling superb, and his checking very effective.

Ross was the most effective player of the Easterners, although he played on a strange pair of skates. He scored three goals as the result of end to end rushes right through the opposing team.

Art Ross was back in his old form and time and time again carried the puck from end to end passing it out to his forwards when nearing the opposite goal.

Hern, Ross, and Blachford were the stars...Ross's play was greatly admired by the crowd. Quebec could not solve his serpentine runs.

...all received a warm welcome last night. Especially was this true of the Cleghorn brothers, who once played with one of the local teams, and Art Ross, who for years has been recognized as one of the greatest of hockey players. Although under a tremendous handicap last night, Ross gave an exhibition that scintillated with brilliancy all the way, and his spectacular trips up and down the ice drew forth round after round of cheers.

Several days ago, while playing at home, Ross sustained a serious bruise on his back and right side. He went into this game so heavily bandaged that the protection stood out like huge pads under his heavy sweater. That his playing was affected by this injury could be plainly seen several times, when he was forced to rest after a brilliant display of his cleverness, but the injury was not enough to dim his lustre. His journeys up and down the rink were easily the features of the game that brimmed over with features.

When Ross set out to carry the puck through the opposing team he left the Ottawa players behind him as if they were standing still, cleverly eluding one and then another without any apparent exertion. A massed defense at the goal usually stopped his tries for a goal, but he managed to shoot two past the noted Le Sueur, both of them being at the finish of spectacular juggling.

Next to Ross the star playing for the Wanderers was done by Odie Cleghorn and Hyland...

The game was a series of splendid plays by both teams, the Wanderers easily excelling in spectacular feats. Sprague Cleghorn excelled in dazzling serpentine runs down the ice, for the Ottawa defense watched Art Ross closely and had him boxed when he approached the mouth of the net. In the open rink, however, Ross easily dodged and zigzagged his way through the Ottawa skaters.

Ross, out-generalling the opposing skaters who crowded about him, toyed and poked the rubber through the Ottawa players' skates, and always came out of the scrimmage with the puck and a broad smile.

Comments on his physicality and toughness:

One exciting encounter took place between Art Ross, of the Wanderers, and Mummery of the Quebecers. Both are 200 pounders, and they came together with a resounding crash. Both tried eachother's skill at tripping, and they were sent from the game for five minutes. Later on they repeated the rough work and were banished again.

Art Ross played against his old team mates and was one of Ottawa's best men. Prodgers prove the individual stud in the early stages but Ross met him with a crash and took all the steam out of the London Man.

The climax arrived when Art Ross and Mummery got into a fight and rolled around the ice, locked in eachother's arms. They were quickly seperated and both sent to the timers to cool off.

Ross was laid out by being struck with a puck over the heart, but the veteran continued pluckily.

Ross and Smaill, the two sturdy defence men, fairly took away the breath of those who were allowed into the preliminary canter. The way these giants sped over the mammoth surface was phenomenal... (sturdy could also be referencing defensive play)

The Wanderer defence was its strong point, Hern being the most effective. Ross was as good at point, although not up to last seasons's form, and Smail at cover was another source of strength.

Art Ross, who has earned a very enviable reputation in the past as a clean, honest player, was a vicious offender in the heavy work, and frequently sent to the side.

A fist-fight marked the closing minutes of the game and some of the spectators rushed on the ice to get a better view of the combat. Ross of the Wanderers and Oatman of Quebec were the principals in the clash.

With Oatman in the lead, the unruly pair skated towards the penalty timer's box and, as the Quebec player started to mount the rail Ross, angered at the crack he received on the head, pulled off his glove and struck Oatman a hard blow over the eye with his bared first. This was the signal for about fifty excitable spectators to jump on the ice but they were soon shooed off by the Westmount police and Arena officials. After Ross had punched him, Oatman was eager to continue the fray, but peacemakers kept the belligerents separated.

The fight occured with but two minutes of play remaining...when the game finished policemen were placed to guard the dressing rooms.

It was not a good game from the hockey point of view...that the Wanderers are fallen idols was plain from the attitude of the crowd. Most of the spectators seemed to support Quebec.

...Ross charged into Cameron, knocking him unconscious...McGiffin finally began to mix things up with Ross and tripped the ex-Wanderer player. Ross waited his opportunity and then sent McGiffin head over heels into the boards with a body. It dazed the Toronto man and took much of his effectiveness away.

Play was rough towards the close. Art Ross and Percy Leseur having several tiffs. Ross persisted in bothering Leseuer and Lake

A few negative passages

He did seem to be selfish at times:

Ross, it is claimed, has not been playing his game of last winter, when he was acclaimed as the greatest point in hockey, and his showing in the Saturday night match was not considered satisfactory. It is further said that he might have won Saturday's game for Wanderers had he displayed better judgment and passed the disc to Vair when Lesueur ran out to block him in the thrilling play of the last four minutes of the big match. Ross tried to score the goal off his own stick when he had only Lesueur to elude. Weakness in passing, it is claimed, has spoiled his efficiency this winter and Wanderers have decided on a change.

He had some bad games too:

Ross, Hyland, and Roberts look just about due for the ash heap, while Russell and Millar were sent there some time ago. Ross looked like a sick duck in his dying efforts to break into the limelight, and only once did he break away from the watchful "Minnie" who was working hard to get a chance to put him away.

Performance in the 1915 Stanley Cup Final

Ross seemed to get a little too dirty (penalty trouble) when things didn't go his way:

The first goal scored by the visitors came after Lehman had stopped a wicked shot from Art Ross. Darragh caught the rebound and slipped the runner into the net without giving Lehman a chance.

In front of (Benedict) Merril and Ross gave good support, but stellar stick-handling on the part of Vancouver forwards repeatedly beat them. Ross particularly seemed to suffer from the hard-going of the match and if anything marred his work by a little too free use of the stick.

Ross initiated many rushes, but was too much inclined to rough it. Ross went to the penalty bench a couple of times but at that got away with a lot of stuff that escaped the eyes of the officials.

Gerard was the most effective man on the Ottawa line...Merrill and Ross found the Vancouver forwards too speedy for them. Ross initiated many fine rushes down the ice.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Barry Beck, D

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Captain of Rangers 1981-1986
Rangers MVP — 1981-82 (co-winner), 1983-84

All-Star Team Voting: 6th (1978), 5th (1979), 6th (1980), 9th (1982), 17th (1983), 8th (1984)
Norris Trophy Voting: 6th (1978), 7th (1979), 6th (1980), 7th (1982), 9th - 2 votes (1984)
Hart Trophy Voting: 6th (1982)

Estimated TOI Team Ranks:
1978 (CLR) - 1st by 3.457, 1st in ES
1979 (CLR) - 1st by 1.458, 1st in ES
1980 (NYR) - 1st by 2.888, 1st in ES
1981 (NYR) - 3rd behind by 0.52, 3rd in ES
1982 (NYR) - 1st by 2.788, 1st in ES
1983 (NYR) - 1st by 4.449, 1st in ES
1984 (NYR) - 1st by 0.927, 1st in ES
1985 (NYR) - 1st by 3.901, 1st in ES

1979 NHL coach's poll: 2nd (tie) best fighter, 3rd toughest player, 4th hardest shot
1981 NHL player's poll: 1st hardest hitter

Played for Team Canada in 2 best-on-best tournaments (1979 Challenge Cup, 1981 Canada Cup)

One of the biggest and most imposing defensemen ever to wear a New York Rangers uniform, Barry Beck gave the Blueshirts a massive presence on the blueline throughout the first half of the 1980s.

Although Beck would not be able to match the scoring totals of his first year in New York, the former No. 2 overall draft pick of the Rockies was still one of the Rangers` highest scoring defensemen over the next three seasons, picking up a total of 32 goals and 106 points. In the 1981 playoffs, he led all Rangers blueliners with five goals and 13 points in only 14 games, which was at that time a scoring record for Rangers defensemen in postseason.

At the same time Beck was still making big contributions on offense, he also added a remarkable physical element to his game — jumping from 98 penalty minutes in his first season with the Rangers to a career-high 231 in 1980-81. His 231 PIM were a Rangers record that stood for nearly a decade.

Beck represented the Rangers at the NHL All-Star game in each of his first four years with the team, but he wasn`t just big and talented. He was also a great leader, and the Rangers were quick to give him the captaincy at age 23, making him the second-youngest captain in team history.

Only injuries could slow the man nicknamed "Bubba", who struggled to stay healthy for much of his time in New York. He missed part of the 1981-82 season and a big chunk of 1984-85 with injuries to his left shoulder, which ultimately played a role in his decision to retire from the NHL in 1986 at age 29.

Beck excelled at playing the stay-at-home partner next to a small offensive defenseman:

Barry Beck and Reijo Ruotsalainen

If any defense pairing could be called the odd couple, it was Beck and Ruotsalainen, simply because of their difference in size. Beck was a behemoth at 6’3″, 216 pounds. Ruotsalainen was 5’8″, 170 pounds.

They played together for five years with Beck playing the role of the stay-at-home defenseman while Ruotsalainen (known as Rexi) would embark on end-to-end rushes. Rexi topped the 20 goal mark twice with a high of 28 in 1985. Beck had scored 22 goals as a rookie for the Colorado Rockies, but as Ruotsalainen’s partner, never topped 12 goals.

The team made the playoffs every year from 1981 to 1986 when they were a pair, but they had the misfortune of running into an Islander dynasty the first three years and made it to the Conference Finals in 1986, but lost to Montreal.

Ruotsalainen was a catalyst for the Herb Brooks coached Rangers teams, known for their “Smurfs.” Flyers coach Bob McCammon gave the Rangers that name due to their smaller players like Ruotsalainen, Mark Pavelich, Mike Rogers and Rob McClanahan. Beck was the anti-Smurf, but his teaming up with Ruotsalainen was very effective.

What’s notable about the duo is that both Beck and Ruotsalainen quit on the team after the 1985-86 season. Despite the team’s success, they had issues with coach Ted Sator who had taken over for Brooks and after the season, Ruotsalainen signed with a Swiss team and Beck effectively retired, citing his differences with Sator.

Five greatest defense pairs in Rangers team history

Scouting Reports (from @Rob Scuderi's 2013 profile):

The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1979 said:

(Rockies) Defense:The 305 goals-against represented just a two goal drop from the year before, and that isn't good enough. So much depends on Barry Beck, the wunderkind defenseman with the scoring touch and the hard-nosed enthusiasm. Beck scored 22 goals last season, and probably will be the next defenseman to score 30 goals after Bobby Orr and Denis Potvin. It should be mentioned that Orr an Potvin have won the Norris Trophy. That doesn't seem out of Beck's reach even on the basis of just one (very impressive) season in the league.

One of the best young defenseman to come out of juniors in years...Tough, strong, agile and has a knack for scoring important goals...Broke Denis Potvin's rookie defenseman record for goals...Also surpassed Potvin's rookie defenseman record for points...
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The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1980 said:

(Rockies) Defense: The Rockies defense can be summed up in about two words. Barry Beck. He remains an outstanding player-a crushing checker, a smart passer and a good goal-scorer. Even though he missed 17 games with injuries last season, Beck improved his game and again made his presence felt-usually in the form of a devastating hip check. The mouths of other coaches water when they see Beck. Until, of course, they see the other Colorado defensemen.

Prized young defenseman who can do it all...Strong and mean when has to be...Raised eyebrows with spectacular effort in first game against Soviet team in Challenge Cup series...One the most sought-after players in the league after only two seasons...Rockies have reportedly turned down $1 million from various teams...
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The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1981 said:

(Rangers) Defense: Barry Beck occasionally throws a crushing check that sends someone toppling to the ice, which is good for effect. But Beck must take control of the game more than he has demonstrated. Because of his size and his reputation, he is the player the other Rangers look to for protection and inspiration. It's about time for him to become an all-star. If not, the team is trouble.

Monstrous player who delivers monstrous body checkes...Twice within a week loosened glass boards at Madison Square Garden with teeth-chattering checks...Expected to lead team to first Stanley Cup in 40 years...Instead he floundered during the playoffs...Must hit to be effective...Can handle the puck but isn't a goal-scorer
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The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1982 said:

Finally made earthshaking trade look good for Rangers....Struggled first season but rebounded strongly last season...Emerged as imposing force in playoffs...Throws the hardest body checks around...Was fabulous in quarterfinal against Blues, then had disappointing semifinal against Islanders...Was on nice nine times when Isles scored...Was never on ice for a Ranger even-strength goal...Still won hearts of Ranger fans with tenacious defense...Has booming shot from point
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The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1983 said:

(Rangers) Defense: Barry Beck is the dominant force among the corps of defenseman...

Perhaps the most dominant defenseman in the defensive end of the ice in the league because of his size, strength, and ability to neutralize rival forwards with jarring bodychecks...Capable of rushing with the puck and being a dynamic offensive threat but played more of a defensive role last season...Seldom makes a bad play...Feared so much as a fighter that few opposing players challenge him...Has developed into a forceful, respected team leader as Rangers' captain...
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The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1984 said:

(Rangers) Defense: His new teammate, 6-3 Barry Beck, is one of the fiercest checkers in the game...

At times one of the most dominant players in game...A feared bodychecker...Has powerful shot from point and handles puck well for a big man...Extremely competitive, takes losing hard...
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The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1985 said:

"He's a dominant force every time he's on the ice," says Buffalo GM-coach Scotty Bowman...Best known for neutralizing opposing forwards with smashing body checks...Has powerful, accurate shot form blue line but usually concentrates on defense more than offense...
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The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1986 said:

That he managed 56 games is a tribute to his character...Has not quite achieved the star status predicted but has been a fine performer for eight seasons...Devastating bodychecker and fine defensive defenseman, but has never scored like expected...Intelligent, articulate, but has a temper...
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The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1987 said:

Will he play again? That will be one of team's most important questions this season...Continued shoulder problems limited him to 25 games one year after he suffered a separation...When he's healthy he's one of game's most physically dominating players..."Bubba" is one of NHL's highest paid players...Garden fans, dreaming of Stanley Cup, booed Beck in his first two seasons...Now they love him
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The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey - 1988 said:

(Rangers) Defense: Help is needed here for a team that finished 19th in the league with 323 goals allowed last season. And it could come in the form of Barry Beck, who returns after a year's self-imposed retirement.

Returns after sitting out 1986-1987 season in protest initially over differences with then Ranger coach Ted Sator...Bubba plagued by injuries throughout career...A huge defensive plus if he and his body can make the grade again...Devastating body checker and defensive defenseman who has never scored up to expectations...Year off cost him an estimated $450,000.
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Articles (from Rob Scuderi's 2013 profile)

Sports Illustrated - 10/23/1978 said:

In 6'3", 216-pound Barry Beck he had the prize avocado of last year's exceptional crop. Beck is built like an unusually strong football player. His nickname is Bubba, after former NFL Defensive End Bubba Smith. When asked after whom he modeled himself as a young hockey player, Bubba says, " Dick Butkus." He is not, however, a "goon," as evidenced by his scoring totals as a rookie...

...Beck, who grew up in ex-Canadien brawler John Ferguson's Vancouver neighborhood, earned a reputation as a fighter. Early in the season, Philadelphia's Paul Holmgren inadvisedly challenged Bubba and got a pounding for his bravado, making Beck the unofficial heavyweight champ of the league, if a highly reluctant one.

...but it is Beck whose defensive skills most nearly match his offensive talents. "The western Canadian coaches teach you that the man who doesn't have the puck is the most dangerous guy," Beck says. "That's the Russian theory, too, and it's made it easier for me to adjust to the speed of this league. Still, it will be four or five years before I reach my peak. Defensemen take longer because there's more to learn. Guy Lafleur's a forward, and it took him three years. Denis Potvin just reached his peak after five." Well, avocados take time to ripen, too.
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Sports Illustrated - 2/6/1978 said:

"Most teams rely on their veterans to provide leadership," says General Manager Ray Miron. "We can't. So we're asking these three kids to try to do it. Especially Beck. No other rookie is being asked to shoulder what he's shouldering. He's an all-star already, and he still hasn't begun to realize how good he is."

Although his steady accumulation of goals and his run at Denis Potvin's 54-point scoring record for rookie defense-men helped Beck gain all-star status, he is not an offensive defenseman in the style of Bobby Orr. He seldom rushes the puck, choosing to stay back while Van Boxmeer tries his Orr imitations.

"I've always preferred to be a defensive defenseman," says Beck. "My job is to prevent goals, not score them. The good teams always have the lowest goals-against averages. When I have to, I carry the puck, and when I see an opening in the offensive zone, I take it. But I'm not someone who likes to rush the puck all the time."

"It's ridiculous what Bubba has to do," says Goalie Doug Favell..."Not only is Beck our best defenseman, he often has to do it all by himself. No one can do that, although he certainly tries."

Beck averaged more than 200 penalty minutes a year in the juniors, but he has had just two fights in the NHL. Coach Pat Kelly doesn't want him in the box and, anyway, he doesn't have to fight. From the waist up, he may be the biggest man in the league. One frown from Beck tends to discourage most rivals from crowding Colorado's goaltender.
​

Sports Illustrated - 10/13/1980 said:

2) Barry Beck, New York Rangers. Shero practically mortgaged the franchise last November to acquire Beck from Colorado. Supposedly a muscle-flexing, puck-carrying defenseman, Beck rarely hit anybody and made no rink-long rushes that reminded people of Bobby Orr. Harry Howell, maybe, but definitely not Orr. Beck also suffers from a lack of quickness and mobility. Now he has got headaches, too. But the biggest migraine in New York belongs to those Ranger diehards who have gone 40 years without seeing their team win the Stanley Cup. Too bad, but the best advice for this season is to keep the aspirin at the ready.
​

Sports Illustrated - 12/8/1980 said:

Beck, the 6'3", 215-pound monster man, a franchise type, was supposed to guarantee New York's return to the finals—if not another banner. But Beck has played without a great deal of verve in New York; he has been reluctant to carry the puck, or even to attempt to gain control of a game. His biggest hits have come against small players, and at home. The same people who once saw the Beck trade as cause for celebration, now believe it to be the downfall of the organization. They contend that it cost the Rangers their youth, speed and depth.
Beck himself says, "Anybody who thinks it was a bad trade is stupid." He contends his game was limited by Shero, and maybe it was. Patrick has loosened the reins Shero kept on Beck, and Beck has been more offense-minded and more physical since the coaching change. But he lacks the mobility to beat fore-checkers one-on-one, a la Montreal's Larry Robinson, and he lacks the passing talent to spring forwards, a la the Islanders' Denis Potvin.
​

Sports Illustrated - 5/4/1981 said:

In the end, which came last Friday night when the New York Rangers eliminated the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of their Stanley Cup quarterfinal series, it may have been Barry (Bubba) Beck who gained the most.

Beck's reward for his playoff performance has been peace of mind. He didn't silence his critics, who had called him overrated, so much as the nagging voice at the back of his mind that had him wondering if he would ever again play as well as he had as a rookie...

"Beck emerged as the leader in that stretch," says injured Ranger Goaltender John Davidson. When Esposito retired and Tkaczuk was injured, there was a void at the top, and the players looked to Beck. The Ranger management made him captain, and the extra responsibility had a marked effect on his play. His selection also affected the rest of the team. "He doesn't have to say very much, but you listen because he's so damn big," says one teammate.

"The main thing is, people believe in me now," says Beck. "That means a lot to me. When I first came here I was supposed to be [Denis] Potvin, [Larry] Robinson and [Bobby] Orr all rolled into one, but I still had a lot to learn. Now I'm playing with confidence, and there's no doubt in my mind I'm at the top of my game."

The top of his game, it turns out, is pretty far up there. Against St. Louis, which missed finishing first in the regular-season standings by three points, he knocked people down, scored, blocked shots and generally controlled the games in the way that separates the great from the merely good. "Beck gave them a lot of poise and authority," said losing Coach Red Berenson.

They also did a lot of intimidating. Not the kind you hear about most often—the intimidation of my fist in your face—but six straight games of clean, hard bodychecking. Led by Beck, New York simply pounded the Blues into giving up the puck.

Blake Dunlop: "Every aspect of their game has picked up. Beck was taking the man out. I've never seen him play with as much control."
​

Sports Illustrated - 5/11/1981 said:

Beck is the defenseman who led the Rangers—13th place in the regular-season standings—to lopsided upsets over fourth-place Los Angeles and second-place St. Louis in the first two rounds of the come-one, come-all playoffs. Those triumphs set up the second semifinal Battle for New York showdown between the Islanders and Rangers in three years, which opened last week on the Isles' ice. Despite having finished 36 points behind the Islanders (110-74), the Rangers were confident they would be the team to advance to the finals; they remembered '79, and the Islanders hadn't beaten them in Madison Square Garden since then. But by late last Saturday night, the Rangers' confidence had been shattered. After two lopsided defeats in the Nassau Coliseum, the Rangers succumbed at last on home ice. That 5-1 rout gave the Islanders a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. "The Islanders are the best team I've ever played against," said Beck.​

 

[Dreakmur]

Jacques Plante !!!


Awards and Achievements:
6 x Stanley Cup Champion (1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)

Retro Conn Smythe Award (1960)
Hart Trophy Winner (1962)

7 x Vezina Trophy Winner (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1969)

3 x First Team All-Star (1956, 1957, 1962)
4 x Second Team All-Star (1957, 1958, 1960, 1971)

Hart voting - 1st(1962), 5th(1971), 9th(1963), 10th(1959), 12th(1969)
All-Star voting - 1st(1956), 1st(1959), 1st(1962), 2nd(1957), 2nd(1958), 2nd(1960), 2nd(1971), 3rd(1955), 3rd(1963), 3rd(1969), 3rd(1970)

Statistical Accomplishments:
Save Percentage - 1st(1956), 1st(1959), 1st(1962), 1st(1969), 1st(1971), 2nd(1958), 3rd(1957), 3rd(1960), 5th(197), 6th(1970), 6th(1972)
Play-off Save Percentage - 1st(1955), 1st(1957), 1st(1958), 1st(1959), 1st(1960), 1st(1970), 2nd(1956), 2nd(1963), 2nd(1969)

Hockey is an art. It requires speed, precision, and strength like other sports, but it also demands an extraordinary intelligence to develop a logical sequence of movements, a technique which is smooth, graceful and in rhythm with the rest of the game.

He was a winner. He was an expert. He was creative and he was durable. He won the Hart Trophy as the National Hockey League's most valuable player in 1962 and won the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie from 1956 through 1960 and again in 1962 and finally, sharing it with Glenn Hall, in 1969. He was named to the First All-Star Team in 1956, 1959 and 1962 and to the Second Team in 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1971.

Unlike Terry Sawchuk, whose skills eroded with time, Plante was in mint condition at the age of forty when he starred for the St. Louis Blues. Plante played for six Stanley Cup-winning teams and eight clubs that finished in first place. And, more than Sawchuk, Plante was the most innovative of the modern goaltenders. In fact it would be safe to say that Jacques did more to revolutionize he modus operadni of puck-stopping than anyone in the past thirty years. On top of that Plante, plain and simply, was a vey interesting character.

... He was confident to the point of being cocky and betrayed a bizarre goaltending style that would soon be copied by other netminders around the league. It was Plante's idea that he would be aiding his defensemen by roaming out of his cage, formerly a strict taboo, and behind the net when the pucks were caromed off the boards and skidded behind the cage. By doing so, Plante was able to control the puck and pass it off to a teammate, while scrambling back to his goal crease before any shots were taken.

....

The Blake-Plante reparte was, perhaps, even more ominous than it sounded. Severe to a fault, the coach was down on his goaltender and was to become more and more disenchanted with Plante's behaviour as the seasons progressed.

It was ironic that the Plante-Blake rift widened at the precise point when Jacques executed one of his most courageous acts. That date was November 2, 1959. Plante was in the Canadiens' net facing the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Right wing Andy Bathgate of the Rangers, one of the league's hardest shooters, released a quick shot that struck Plante squarely in the nose and sent him bloodied to the ice. His face looking like a mashed potato laden with ketchup, Plante was helped to the dressing room where seven stitches were taken in his pulverized proboscis.

Until then, Plante had been experimenting during practice sessions with a mask that was molded to his facial contours. Blade, and old school hardliner, was irrevocably opposed to Jacques using the face piece in a regular game but, this time, the Canadiens had no spare goalie and Plante would not go back onto the ice without a mask. Blake had no choice but to oblige and, on that night, history was made. Plante wore the mask, won the game and vowed to continue wearing the device as long as he played. Blake was not the least enamoured of the idea although he publicly asserted that, as long as it helped Plante keep pucks out of the net it would be all right. For 1959-60 the mask proved effective enough to enable Plante to win the Vezina Trophy.

But Blake was a hard man and his grievances against Plante - anger that transcended the mask issue -simmered within him, and often, without.

....

Through the years Plante rubbed several people the wrong way and many have never forgotten what they interpret as his abrasive manner. But no follower with a sense of hockey history will ever forget the comprehensive contributions made by Plante or his consummate skill at blocking pucks.

There was nobody like him before and there will not be anyone like him again. An original. A craftsman.

Jacques Plante was more than simply a great goaltender. He was a complete and obsessed student of the game. He never hesitated to share his knowledge.

Plante never socialized with his teammates, even on the bus he sat in the front seat, left-hand side, far away from the back and the safety of the group. While his teammates went out on the town on the road, Plante stayed in his hotel room, knitted and answered fan mail.

....

Like any great innovator, Plante borrowed liberally from the strengths of others to find a better way. Chuck Rayner's stand-up style, Terry Sawchuk's balanced crouch and Johnny Bower's obsession over maintaining the correct angle all went into Plante's technique.

The result was a remarkable career. Bewteen 1956 and 1960, "Jake the Snake" won five consecutive Vezina Trophies. He won seven in all, more than any other goalie and fashioned a 2.23 goals against average in his 11 seasons with Montreal. Plante compiled a 2.13 goals against average in post-season play for the Canadiens, claimed six Stanley Cups and was named the league's first team all-star three times.

Goaltender Jacques Plante made his mark in hockey history as an innovator. His best known contribution to the game was the result of a game on March 1, 1959 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Rangers' Andy Bathgate ripped a backhand shot at a screened Plante who did not see the puck until it hit him smack in the face, tearing open his nose. With no backup available on the bench in those days, Plante skated off to get stitched. After repairs were completed, Plante told Montreal coach Toe Blake he would not return to the net without a face mask. The Canadiens won the game 3-1, went on to win their fifth consecutive Stanley Cup while Plante won the Vezina Trophy. Plante was not the first goalie to use a mask but his perfromance made sure that it was here to stay.

Another first from Plante was to come out of the net to handle the puck. He did this in junior hockey when he played behind a poor defense. Taking matters into his own hands, he started to clear the puck out of his own end. When it proved to be effective, he kept doing it. Plante also started the practice of raising hi arm signifying an icing call to help out his defensemen.

When he wasn't busy thinking of new ideas, Plante also did a great deal of puck stopping. He was the last goalie to win the Hart Trophy.

Plante was as eccentric in life as he was brilliant in goal. He found knitting relaxing and made the tuques he liked to wear in net. Denied this comfort by Blake, who didn't like the look of it, Plante knitted undershirts instead.

Plante was a private man off the ice and egotistical to boot, but he was the ultimate team player on the ice. He constantly called out helpful advice to his teammates and was the first goalie to signal impending icing calls for his defensemen. But Plante's greatest contribution to the art of goaltending was his willingness to roam from the crease, a strategy that he first devised when he was playing in the Quebec junior league during it's expansion from four to 11 teams in 1947.

Jacques Plante was one of the most influencial goaltenders in NHL history. He was one of the first netminders to roam from his crease, and, more important, he was the first goalie to popularize the face mask.

The Snake was a paradox. He was an extrovert on the ice, tending his nets with panache. Off the ice, though, he was an oddball. He was moody, rarely associating with his teammates on any level. He knitted his own tuques to relax. Back on the ice, he was a reflex goalie with a lightning-quick glove-hand. He was also an exceptional skater - the best skater on the Canadiens, in fact. Such speed allowed him to roam out of his nets to stop errant passes or to fire the puck up-ice to a forward. Although a common practice among goalies today, roaming was almost unheard of in Plante's era. His nickname, according to Jean Beliveau, was a tribute to his way of striking out at shooters.

Plante's goaltending was all about the science of the position. He emphasized being at the right place at the right time to make the save. A strong student of the game and self-taught, Plante was never shy about innovative moves. For instance, he was the first goalie to step out of his crease to handle the puck, the first to raise his arm to indicate an icing and, most importantly, the first netminder to regularly wear a face mask. Keenly aware of his crease and net, he could tell if a goalpost was the proper height simply by backing into it. Plante was a supremely confident goalie and wouldn't hesitate to tell his defensemen they had made a mistake. His quirky style didn't always go over well, but there was no disputing Plante's results.

Plante won his awards and earned his recognition with a stand-up style that changed as needed. He would flop and scramble as the situation dictated but was always cautious of the angle he was giving to the shooter.

All professional athletes dream of leaving behind a legacy long after they are gone but few impact their sport the way Jacques Plante did. The Habs’ goaltending legend did it all during his glorious career, including literally changing the face of hockey forever.

Change and innovation are not always well received. While today’s hockey world would recoil in horror at the thought of a barefaced goaltender, it was the norm when Plante designed and fashioned his first mask. Forbidden to wear it in games, Plante was grudgingly allowed to use his device in practice.

....

Plante backstopped the Canadiens to the Finals in his first full season with the team. Winning 33 of 52 regular season games and posting a 2.14 goals-against average, he ranked third among NHL netminders. Things only got better in the years to come, both for Plante and for the Canadiens.

A pillar in goal and one of 12 men who were members of all five Stanley Cup-winning teams between 1956 and 1960, Plante played the angles to perfection, constantly analysing the play in front of him. Rarely caught out of position, even after his forays beyond the crease, Plante coolly turned back oncoming attackers with a consistency that other goaltenders could only aspire to.

As the Canadiens piled up the silverware, Plante earned his fair share of personal glory. Each of the Stanley Cup Championships was accompanied by individual honors for Plante. When the NHL had the perennial All-Star’s name engraved annually on hockey’s Holy Grail, they sent along the Vézina Trophy to undergo the same treatment.

Plante developed a highly unusual playing style, venturing from the crease to thwart attackers with his stick and skate behind the net to settle the puck. To some hockey purists, this was goaltending sacrilege, but Plante thought it was pointless playing as if he were chained to the pipes. With the Citadelles in particular, Plante was flanked by defensemen who didn't skate well, so if he could get to the puck first, why not?

"Possession of the puck is No. 1," Plante said. "That's all I'm doing -- getting control until one of my teammates comes along."

....

"If you jump out of a plane without a parachute, does that make you brave?" Plante said. "No, I think that makes you stupid. I will never play without the mask again."

If not the best goalie of all time, Jacques Plante was certainly the most important - the man who introduced the art of modern goaltending to the NHL and whose influence is seen every night a game is played. "Jake the Snake" was born in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, and from the time he started playing, his destiny was to play for the Montreal Canadiens.

....

Plante was a pioneer of the style of play for goaltenders as well. While there had been other goalies before him who periodically came out of their crease to play the puck, he was the first to skate in behind the net to stop the puck for his defensemen. He also was the first to raise his arm on an icing call to let his defensemen know what was happening on the ice, and he perfected a stand-up style of goaltending that emphasized positional play, cutting down the angles and staying square to the shooter. His book, On Goaltending, was the first of its kind and solidified his place in the game as not just a great stopper but a man who truly understood hockey and wanted to have an influence on how the game would be played in the future.

Plante started many trends which we now simply take for granted. He was the first goalie to signal with one of his arms to his teammates when icing was going to be called. His strong skating ability - something goalies of older eras were not noted for unlike today - enabled him to come out of his net and challenge shooters, thus cutting down the angles. Yet another taken-for-granted play started by Plante was stopping the puck behind the net. Prior to Plante, no goalie would regularly roam around the ice and stop the puck and give it to his defenceman. That was unheard of!

....

Jacques and Toe never really saw eye to eye. That was probably because Blake, like many of the media, fans and hockey people of the day, was a traditionalist, and Jacques was revolutionizing the game. Many of today's goaltending techniques are attributable directly to Plante.

Jacques Plante was one of the great innovators of the game. But he was also one of the games greatest players.

....

Jacques, like many goalies of his day, was a little bit "off." He was aloof among many of his teammates and the public in general. Like many goalies he had an odd habit. His was a fascination for knitting. While traveling on trains or while sitting in the dressing room, he'd knit every thing from underwear to toques. Some said he did it because the concentration required kept his mind off of hockey. Others said he did it to save money for his family.

There are a lot of very good goalies, there are even a fair number of great goalies. But there aren't many important goalies. And Jacques Plante was an important goalie.

....

That was a big barrier for the coaches to get over - that visual of the open net. Years later, Toe Blake still had nightmares of Jacques Plante going out of his net.

....

Jacques Plante probably had a few more eccentricities than the average goalie, but they are exactly the same ones that we all have, and I think it's the basic insecurity of the position and the personality that plays it.

He's one of the cockiest, most confident goaltenders I've met.

I rate him and Terry Sawchuk as the best goalies I've ever seen. With Ken Dryden, Glenn Hall, Bernie Parent and Patrick Roy on the next rung down.

You got to appreciate the character of Jacques Plante. What amazes me the most about him is having the guys to go back as say I'm not going back in if I don't have a mask.

Will I ever see another goaltender who will play better than Plante did? I have my doubts - I really do.

....

He was different. He was a splendid goaltender. He's certainly the best goaltender that I ever say, and I've seen a few over the years. I gotta tell you this about Jacques Plante - he played for Toe Blake for eight years. Toe Blake hated Jacques Plante - I mean really hated the guy. Toe liked to be in control. That's what made him a great coach. He controlled the players - he told them what do to, but he just couldn't move Plante around the way he did the other players. I'm talking about guys like the two Richards, Beliveau, and Geoffrion and Moore. I still remember him telling me, in the five years that the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, Jacques Plante was the best goaltender he'd ever seen. You have to know Toe Blake to understand what kind of admission that is, because when Toe Blake didnt like somebody, everything was bad about the guy. So when he says Jacques Plane was the best that he'd ever seen for those five years, it's coming from the right guy.

....

I've never met anyone who studied the game as much - who knew more about the game, who knew more about the job that he had to do, who was more proud of the job that he did in hockey.

....

Was he cheap? Let's say he was a trifle tight.

Jacques was a big instrumental player in those squads. He kept us in the game - like I can go and talk about Boston, and it's like yesterday, they'd hold us in our zone for ten minutes and Jacques Plante would keep us in the game and wouldn't et them score. We needed that goaltending, and he was the guy that did the job.

....

He used to sleep thinking hockey. He would wake up playing the game. This guy knew hockey inside and out. He studied every hockey player that ever played against him - he knew how they attacked, whether it was a slapshot, or a deke, or whatever. He knew all their shifts on the ice.

....

Jacques was more of a loner, but he did come to a lot of the team functions. Like after the game, we'd meet and have a few, but at that time we'd anti up two dollars... Jacques would only put one in, cuz he said he only had one. He was that type of guy, but we knew this.

I played a lot of yeas with Jacques Plante. I played with him in Buffalo in the American Hockey League, I played nine years with him in Montreal, and then when we came to the Rangers. And then the last year I was in the league we were both playing for Toronto. I thought he was an excellent goalkeeper. He was very innovative. He was one of the first to go behind the net to stop the puck and the first goalkeeper to wear a mask.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Eddie Oatman

Statistics (from Dreakmur's 2018 bio)
Stanley Cup Champion (1912)
PCHA League Champion (1916, 1922, 1924)

OPHL First Team All-Star (1910)
PCHA First Team All-Star (1914, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1920, 1922, 1923)
PCHA Second Team All-Star (1919)
*1916 at center, and 1922 at defense

Portland Rosebuds Captain - 1915, 1916, and 1918
Victoria Aristocrats Captain - 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923
Calgary Tigers Captain - 1924, 1925 and 1926
Minneapolis Millers Captain - 1927
Boston Tigers Captain - 1929
Buffalo Americans Captain - 1931

Offensive Accomplishments:
OPHL Points - 4th(1910)

NHA Points - 7th(1912), 9th(1917)
NHA Goals - 7th(1912), 7th(1917)
NHA Assists - 9th(1917)

PCHA Points - 3rd(1915), 3rd(1920), 4th(1918), 5th(1914), 6th(1916), 8th(1913), 8th(1919), 8th(1922)
PCHA Goals - 3rd(1914), 4th(1915), 5th(1919), 6th(1920), 7th(1918), 9th(1922)
PCHA Assists - 1st(1920), 3rd(1916), 3rd(1918), 4th(1915), 5th(1921), 6th(1913), 6th(1922), 9th(1914), 9th(1919), 9th(1923)


Consolidated Points - 7th(1920), 9th(1918), 11th(1912), 11th(1914), 12th(1915), 12th(1916), 12th(1919), 15th(1917), 20th(1913)
Consolidated Goals - 8th(1914), 10th(1919), 11th(1912), 12th(1918), 13th(1915), 15th(1917), 16th(1920)
Consolidated Assists - 1st(1920), 3rd(1918), 5th(1916), *6th(1913), 6th(1921), 13th(1915), 15th(1917), 16th(1919), 18th(1922)
*NHA did not record assists

Scoring Percentages:
Consolidated Points - 81(1920), 74(1912), 69(1914), 69(1915), 63(1918), 60(1916), 56(1919), 53(1913), 53(1917), 53(1921), 49(1922)

Best 6 Seasons: 416
​

Quotes from the Calgary Herald unless otherwise noted

January 15, 1918

One feature that marred the game was a slight fracas in which Lloyd cook and Eddie Oatman engage with the result that both got major penalties that took them off the ice for the rest of the third period. Oatman came in on the local defense fast, and when he and Cook met, Cook lost a tooth....Referee George Irvin bravely stopping hefty swats as he stood between two angry athletes bent on making permanent dents in each other

October 18, 1923

Tigers Getting 60-minute player in Eddie Oatman

Both the Calgary lads have fine reps, but Eddie Oatman stands out as one of the pillars of ice hockey on the coast. He has been playing here for ten years and not one fan will point an admonishing finger at him and say he hasn't given of his best everytime he went out on the ice to play

As a hockey player Eddie Oatman is splendidly equipped for speed, good skating, back-checking, stick handling and goal-getting, but anyone will tell you that his outstanding qualification is his fighting spirit. The order to quit never went up from Eddie until the final gong sounded no matter how many goals down the Cougars were.

January 24, 1924

Keats who followed in to the box pushed Oatman aside by placing a husky mitt on the local skipper's face and this displeased Eddie, making him somewhat wrathful so he went at Keats. They didn't get very far in the battle before someone banged Keats on the head with the blade of a stick and blood trickled down his collar

March 6, 1924

Hay and Irvin were very slippery, but against the close checking of Oatman and Wilson coupled with Morris and Crawford they were well controlled.....

Oatman stepped into the limelight in the third period; in fact he was an outstanding worker in the second and pulled a series of stick-handling and back checking feats that puzzled the Caps.

March 7, 1924

Eddie Oatman the fighting leader of the Bengals has been suffering from a cold which is bothering his throat interfering with his breathing somewhat....Oatman gave wonderful service against Regina, his back checking and fighting spirit when hard pressed being a great incentive to his Tiger mates

February 22, 1919

Oatman was working like two men when the third period started and after seven minutes he evened up the game with a fine shot,

Quotes from 70s bio with the migration glitches fixed

Professional hockey may be the most physically challenging of all sports.The strenuous leg exertion - the grueling player contact - the playing arena coldness - the ice hardness, all takes their toll on the player. The professional career is fewer than a dozen years. Bobby Hull's 20-year career is exceptional. To play 32 years in the demanding sport should be impossible, yet that is the extraordinary accomplishment of Eddie Oatman.
While there is relatively little known about his personal life, the Internet did reveal information about his hockey career. Though Eddie never played in the National Hockey League, he was among the elite goal scorers of his era. During his 32 years playing professional ice hockey, Eddie was picked 10 straight seasons as an all-star with the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. He was a star with the Quebec Bulldogs when it won the 1912 Stanley Cup. Eddie played with clubs that won five league championships, and he was a successful coach and captain of five different hockey teams.
...He signed with New Westminster Royals. In the 1914-15 season, he was named to the PCHA all-star team. The Royals became the Portland Rosebuds and Eddie became the team captain. The following year, he also was its coach and was an all-star again when the club won the league championship. However, the Montreal Canadians won their first Stanley Cup title beating Portland three games to two in a best-of-five playoff. With Portland's near victory over Montreal, expectations grew for their chances in the 1916-1917 season, but these hopes ended when Eddie enlisted in the Canadian armed forces as part of the 228th Battalion.
When the 228th Battalion secured a franchise in the NHA for the 1916-17 season, Oatman joined the roster. But when the 228th was sent to Europe for military action in the First World War, Oatman was discharged "for special circumstances." The following season Eddie went back to Portland, again as its coach and captain. When the Rosebuds suspended operations, Eddie joined the Victoria Aristocrats as their captain and remained with the team for the next five years. As result of another player's injury, he saw action with the Vancouver Millionaires when they lost the Stanley Cup to the Toronto St. Pats in 1922.
Eddie was traded to the Calgary Tigers in 1923-24. He helped the team win the Western Canada Hockey League title, but were denied a Stanley Cup championship when they again lost to the Montreal Canadiens. From 1924 to 1926, he was the Tigers' coach and captain, leading them to back-to-back championships in 1924 and 1925. Unfortunately, pro hockey collapsed in the West after the 1925-26 season, but he continued to play minor-league hockey. Eddie was the team captain of the Minneapolis, Minnesota, club in the American League in 1927. Then, for the next three years, he played for the Boston Tigers in the Canadian-American League (1928-1930), and as their captain led them to the league championship in the 1929. In 1931, he played as captain for the Buffalo Majors in the American League. He later served as a player-coach in Yorkton, Prince Albert and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, until his hockey-playing career ended when he was 50.
Eddie died 24 years later in 1973 at age 74. Although hockey was his life, Eddie was a barber by trade and found time to marry and have one son. There is a triangular stone for him at the Springford Cemetery, Oxford County, Ontario, where he is buried next to his brother Russ. He was also the subject of a Ripley's "Believe It Or Not" article for playing 32 years in professional hockey and is featured on at least two trading cards.
Following his death, Ed's family tried unsuccessfully to have him inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

...He played a few games on defense with Ernie Johnson and then took over his regular RW spot with ******** and *******. The next year playing rover and RW with the Royals, he made the PCHA All-Star team, in spite of being out two weeks with a broken toe. The team was moved to Portland where he repeated on the All-Star team when the Rosebuds won the championship but failed to win the cup... When the 228th Battallion secured an NHA franchise, Oatman was in the lineup and although their best player, earned some unfavourable publicity when the battallion went overseas... he returned to Portland where he played Rover... had four years with Victoria playing rover and RW, and also did a spell on defense with Clem Loughlin... He outlasted his old teammates Joe Malone and **** ********. He was a first class player, numbered amongst the elite who scored over 200 goals.

Was Eddie Oatman a star?
Those who were there, frequently said he was.

Waterloo without Oatman is like a ship without a rudder.

...Eddie Oatman is a dandy, Eddie's heady and he's handy,
He is sure the real candy, as he more than once has shown...

Oatman is considered by many to be one of the best men in the N. H. A.

Eddie Oatman, star rover of the New Westminster Royals...

Toronto World, March 4, 1913

The Stanley Cup championship team had been riddled by the Western raid, losing three of its finest players, Prodgers, Oatman, and ********.

Montreal Daily Mail, November 16, 1913

Eddie Oatman, the clever forward who figured so prominently on the Portland club's lineupin the World Series agains the Canadiens last season...

Two top PCHA stars Eddie Oatman and Art Duncan had signed up... it started to look as if Oatman's real role with the 228th was as a ringer for the hockey club.

Toronto Star, November 6, 1916

In Eddie Oatman, late of Portland, now with the 228th, and Gordon Keats, who will again be with Torontos, the local N.H.A. clubs have two of the best centre players in the game.

Toronto World, November 22, 1916

According to Frank Patrick, the National Hockey Association, in signing Eddie Oatman and Art Duncan, has secured two of best players in hockey today... "Of Oatman, I have nothing but admiration. He is a wonderful player, and the fact that during his four years service on the coast he was selected as an all-star each season shows clearly that he is one of the stars of hockey."

Toronto World, November 30, 1916

Eddie Oatman, the Tillsonburg player, who has been performing on the Pacific Coast for a number of seasons, but who is now a member of the 228th Battallion, made his initial appearance and featured the practice with his work. To say that he will be one of the sensations of the NHA is no exaggeration. He is a natural hockey player, is very speedy, and has the weight to carry through the opposing defense.

Toronto Star, December 9, 1916

Eddie Oatman, Who will play on the forward line for the 228th Battalion N. H. A. team this winter. He is one of the best forwards in the game.

Globe and Mail, November 4th, 1918

Eddie Oatman, former NHA star...

He was a first class player

Lester Patrick, his coach for five years in Victoria said Oatman was one of the greatest players of his time. Frank Selke referred to Oatman as a gentleman and a fine team player.

How did Oatman play?
For the past few drafts we really haven't had much evidence in regards to Oatman's play and that was a big question mark on him as a pick. Thanks to some old newspaper research by overpass and myself of actual in-game descriptions, we finally have many clues. Oatman was a well-balanced offensive player who was probably a better playmaker than goalscorer. He was chippy and gritty, a very hard worker, responsible defensively, and he could skate and shoot.

Toronto Star, January 17, 1911

Oatman did a lot of fighting, and was finally chopped down by McNamara, the Renfrew captain. Both were chased to the ice box for the balance of the match, about ten minutes of playing time remaining.

Here's Oatman taking on a guy 3 inches taller and 35 pounds heavier:
Montreal Gazette, February 27, 1911

A fist fight marked the closing minutes of the game... Ross and Oatman were the principals... There had been considerable rough play preceding the trouble, and Oatman, who is no drawing-room player himself, was a mark for some hammering. Smaill bored in on Quebec, but was checked by Oatman, who got the puck, but Smaill didn't let him pass, and gave him the knee. Following this, Oatman was thrown agains the rail by Ross. This so enraged the Quebec player that he struck the Wanderer point with his stick. Ross tried to retaliate but was prevented. Both players were then disqualified... With Oatman in the lead, the unruly pair skated to the penalty box, and as Oatman started to mount the rail, Ross, angered at the crack he received, pulled off his glove and struck Oatman a hard blow over the eye with his bared fist... Oatman was eager to continue the fray, but peacemakers kept the two belligerents separated.

Daily Telegraph, January 23, 1912

Eddie Oatman the Worker - Eddie Oatman is without a doubt the hardest worker in the league, and is effective. When Ottawas came down here a few weeks ago, he had **** played to a standstill and he did the same thing with Sprague Cleghorn last week, and last night he kept Payan guessing.

Toronto Star, December 11, 1912

Fred Taylor, the sensation of the N. H. A. for many years, stood out head and shoulders above every other player on the ice. Other players who showed exceptional class were: Eddie Oatman, late of Quebec, *****, of Winnipeg, and Si Griffis, the former Kenora player.

Look at the review of the 1913 NHA/PCHA All-Star Game. Seems Oatman was the only noteworthy western player on a team that featured Taylor and The Patricks:

Globe and Mail, March 27, 1913

Nighbor and Ross played a brilliant game for the Easterners, while Oatman was the only Westerner who played a good game.

Toronto Star, February 8, 1913

In the last period Griffis and Oatman came together and both were sent off for ten minutes for fighting.

Ottawa Citizen, December 13, 1913

Westminster's showing has been the surprise to date... The defense of Oatman and Johnson is one of the best ever seen at the coast.

Toronto Star, December 17, 1915

As a sequel to the fistic battle which was staged between Cully Wilson, who had the reputation of being the “bad man” of hockey in the East last season, and Eddie Oatman in Seattle Tuesday night, a warning went out from the office of President Frank Patrick yesterday that a repetition of such a scene would bring down a suspension, with the possibility of a more drastic penalty... Wilson, of the Seattle club, and Oatman, of Portland, collided shortly after the opening of the final period, both being sent off for fifteen minutes each and fined. Several stitches were necessary to repare Wilson’s anatomy and Oatman’s head.

NY Times, March 26, 1916

Lalonde of the Montreal team and Johnson and Oatman of Portland were threatened with arrest for striking eachother with sticks and fists.

NY Times, April 5, 1916

Moose Johnson, with Oatman as his chief assistant, made many daring and spectacular raids on the Canadien cage.
Half a minute later Oatman stole up while the whole Canadien team was gathered up in a convention around the cage and jabbed the puck through with the point of his stick.

Some interesting quotes from an article following a game between the 228th Battallion and a team of NHA all-stars:

Toronto World, December 18, 1916

At the end of the game, when you would have expected to see the overworked regulars show signs of tiring, it looked as though they could have left Oatman, ******, and a goalie on the ice and still played rings around the all-stars... The Blueshirts were called the all-stars, probably because Lalonde, Pitre, and ***** journeyed upon from the east to don skates... Oatman and ****** were the pick of the soldiers. The way those boys went down made the fans gasp. Each scored three goals. Oatman gets back with his man faster than ******* does, and that's saying a lot... Oatman went through the whole team to score 228th's fifth... ***** went down for a shot on ********, then Oatman took it all the way back and scored.

Toronto Star, January 4, 1917

Randall and Oatman tried to compete for the “Bad Man” championship held for so many years by Joe Hall. They only succeeded in getting in wrong with everybody. The public likes good, hard, square body-checking, but not slashing and chopping, and cross-checking with the stick.

Toronto Star, January 8, 1917

Oatman and G. McNamara each accounted for two, while Arbour and Prodgers bulged the twine on passes from Oatman…Scoring six goals for his team, “Goldie” Prodgers was the star of the evening. He was closely followed by Eddie Oatman…

Montreal Daily Mail, January 11, 1917

For the Soldiers, Eddie Oatman stood out among the remainder of the team, except ********. Oatman's stickhandling was first rate, but he received little to no support from his wings.

Toronto Star, Feb 8, 1917

Noble and ******* outlasted their checks and were going great guns at the finish. For the soldiers, Oatman played a horse of a game. He did a prodigious amount of work and was always dangerous.

Toronto Star, January 23, 1919

With but 51 seconds separating the two clubs from an overtime contest, Eddie Oatman, the leader of the visitors, snagged a pass from Dunderdale and banged the rubber past Goaler C. Holmes for the point that won the fastest battle of the year.

Toronto Star, March 18, 1922

Eddie Oatman and Ernie Parkes did the relief work, and both were good. Oatman has speed and a shot.

Toronto Star, March 24, 1922

The Cameron-Oatman argument was certainly a dandy while it lasted. Oatman smothered a Cameron rush rather rudely, and the Irish defenser objected by clouting Oatman one in the ribs. Oatman raced at him, knocked him down, and then patted him on the head with his stick, raising a hickey about the size of a powder puff. The coast boy was inclined to (parcel?) more of Cammy’s sparse hair when Noble horned in with a cross-check behind Oatman’s ear that laid him flat on the ice. Referee Smeaton, who is a husky chap, tossed Noble to one side and waved the original battlers to the bench for a 10-minute term and fined them $15 each.
Duncan and Randall were already in the skookum house for mussing each other about a bit, so that left it four a side. With the ice cleared the coast people had lots of room to manoeuvre in, and they kept Roach as busy as a one-armed paperhanger in flytime, but they did not get one by until 18 minutes had passed and sides were normal again. Oatman got that one. The Irish were thoroughly beaten at this point and just filled in the time... Adams and Skinner and Oatman were the firebrands of the forward line, and the all played swell hockey...

And a few quotes from when Oatman was a 41-year old man playing in Buffalo. He was still a prominent player, and the leader of the team.

Chicago Daily Tribune, December 26, 1930

The Buffaloes made it 3-0 when St. John rammed one home after taking a pass from Oatman.
...a few seconds later, Oatman sought to use his blade on Timmins...

Chicago Daily Tribune, January 12, 1931

Oatman broke away from a melee mid-rink and skated into the Green defense, where Mulligan and Headley bodychecked him. Clayton came racing back, bumping Eddie out of a falling posture to a skating position, and Eddie went through to pick it up in front of Timmins. It was a simple matter to score as timmins lurched out to smother the shot.
Two minutes later again oatman came down and went to the side, passing back to Heyd on the other side. Heyd made a short pass to St. John, and he likewise fired it in.

Montreal Gazette, November 18, 1931

Coach Eddie Oatman, a star in the old Pacific Coast League days and still able to hold his own as a defenseman

Pittsburgh Press, February 4, 1935

Eddie Oatman ought to be qualifying one of these days as a veteran hockey player. He's in his 26th season as a professional puckster. But he can still handle that disc in the St. Paul central league.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Fred "Bun" Cook, LW

Position: Left Wing
HT/WT: 5'11", 180 lbs
Handedness: Left
Nickname(s): "Bun"
Born: September 18, 1903 in Kingston, Ontario

- inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.
- 4-time Top-10 in All-Star LW Voting - (2, 3, 3, 5)
- 2-time Stanley Cup Champion - (1928, 1933)
- 1 acknowledgment for Second NHL All-Star Team - (1931)
- scored 158 goals, 144 assists for 302 points in 473 regular season games played, adding 444 penalty minutes.
- scored 15 goals, 3 assists for 18 points in 46 playoff games played, adding 50 penalty minutes.


General Finds From Websites:

New York Rangers Legends: Bun Cook

--Noted as hard nosed goal scorer in first first pro season (WCHL)Frank Selke quoted as saying Bun Cook was key to Bread Line's attack (you see further evidence as we go along)

--Bun created the drop pass and was believed to be one of the earliest proponents of the modern slap shot

--Fan favorite at the Garden due to "hustling speed and reckless physical play"

--Had star celebrity/star power. Babe Ruth, Lou Gerhig and Ed Sullivan all praised him.

--Serious arthritis ended his playing career

--HOF coach in the AHL

Most of Fred "Bun" Cook's Hall of Fame career was spent in the shadows of his two line mates. Playing left wing on perhaps the greatest line in NHL history, Bun teamed with his brother Bill on right wing and Frank Boucher at center to dominate the NHL throughout the 1930s.

Bun started his career by joining his brother out west in the WCHL. He quickly gained a reputation as a hard nosed goal scorer, and the NHL soon took notice of both of the Cook brothers, who were playing with the legendary Nels Stewart while in Saskatchewan.

The WCHL collapsed after 1926 and the New York Rangers signed both of the Cooks. The Rangers were about to embark on their inaugural NHL season in 1926-27, and were desperately seeking some electrifying talent to steal some of the Broadway spotlight. The Cooks came in and quickly teamed with Frank Boucher to form what would arguably become the best forward unit for the next 10 years. In an era of dominant line combinations, none were better than "the Bread Line."

Historians often tried to compare the Bread Line's intricate passing offense to that of the Soviets several decades later. And none other than Frank Selke acknowledged Bun Cook as the key their attack.

"Men who would know credit Bunny Cook with the introduction of the passing attack," wrote Frank Selke. "The Cook-Boucher line introduced a style of attack completely their own — each member kept working into an open spot, passing the puck carefully and adequately and frequently pushing the puck into the open net after confusing the defensive force of the opposition. This was a repetition of lacrosse as played by the great Indian teams."

While Bill was known as the goal scorer and Boucher the playmaker, Bun was known as a bit of both. Many claim it was Bun who innovated the drop pass in the offensive zone. Some even suggest it was Cook who invented the slap shot.

A solid offensive contributor, Bun was a fan favorite in the old Madison Square Garden because of his hustling speed and reckless physical play. He was a bit of a celebrity, drawing praise from the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ed Sullivan

"When Bun Cook is hot, he is one of the most amazing players in hockey," wrote Sullivan. "At such moments, he attempts plays that stagger the imagination. At his peak, there is no player so enjoyable to watch."

By 1936, that reckless physical play caught up with Bun. Having developed a serious arthritic condition, Bun was forced to sit out the rest of the year. He attempted a comeback in 1936-37, but the Rangers didn't think he'd be able to contribute. They sold him to the Boston Bruins where he finished out his career. He was ineffective in 40 games with the B's as he battled the arthritis and a new ailment - a throat illness which eventually led to his retirement at the end of the year.

Through his NHL career, Bun Cook played 473 regular season NHL contests, scoring 158 goals, 144 assists and 302 points.

Bun turned to coaching at the AHL level where he found immediate success. He won the Calder Cup championship with the Providence Reds in 1938 and 1940. He then moved on to the Cleveland Barons where he won 5 league titles and then the EPHL before retiring in 1958.

Bun was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995, 7 years after he passed away.

So what about the nickname Bun? Where the heck did that come from? It makes most sense that it was a reference to his rabbit like quickness on skates - Bunny, shortened to Bun over time. However Fred's wife insists that Fred's brother Bill nicknamed him Bun as a kid because of his big nose. His short fuse carried over into his coaching days in the AHL where the media punned his name to "Hot Cross Bun" when he lost his temper.

Bun Cook Article

--Skating speed/ability referenced (will see this many times)

--Another reference to Bun being instrumental to the Bread Line' success (more evidence later)

--Passing ability noted (will see this many times)

--Referenced as no stranger to mucking it up the corners (more evidence later)

Bun Cook: Developer of slap shot, drop pass

Brothers Bill and Fred "Bun" Cook began their hockey careers on the ponds and rinks of Kingston, before ascending to fame and glory in the National Hockey League. Ultimately, their journey would end with both being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, recognized among the greatest legends to ever play the game. While Bun was overshadowed somewhat by his older brother Bill, he was a fine player in his own right - and he might have been an even better coach than a player.

Bun Cook was born in Kingston on Sept. 18, 1903, seven years younger than older brother Bill. He played hockey for St. Mary's School in Kingston before moving to Brantford when he was 1

5 to play junior hockey. Next he migrated to Sault Ste. Marie, where he played both junior and senior hockey and was a member of the 1923-24 Allan Cup-winning team. When brother Bill returned from the First World War, they moved west to farm and wound up joining the semi-pro Saskatoon Sheiks. Both were stars in the Western Canada Hockey League in the mid-1920s, but when the league ran into financial difficulties, the brothers were purchased by the fledgling New York Rangers, a new National Hockey League team.

The Cook brothers, along with centre Frank Boucher, formed the NHL’s highest scoring line for about a decade, helping the Rangers win Stanley Cups in 1928 and 1933. Bun was the defensive specialist on the line but he could also score. During his career with the Rangers, he tallied 158 goals and 144 assists for 302 points in 473 regular-season games. He added 15 goals and 3 assists in 46 playoff games.
"Quick as a bunny"

Bun Cook was renowned for his fast skating; indeed, his fleetness on the blades inspired a sports journalist to write that he was "quick as a bunny," which, shortened to "Bun," became his nickname. He is also recognized as a hockey innovator who helped introduce the slap shot and drop pass to the game. As he once said, "I had a dream about the drop pass one night and at our next practice, I told Frank and Bill about it. They thought I was crazy, but they decided to humour me. By gosh, it worked! I'd cross over from left wing to centre as I moved in on the defence. I'd fake a shot and leave the puck behind and skate away from it, with Frank or Bill picking it up. We got a lot of goals off the criss-cross and drop pass."

Indeed, the line was known for its strong passing game. "Men who know would credit Bunny Cook with the introduction of the passing attack," wrote Frank Selke. "The Cook-Boucher line introduced a style of attack completely their own - each member kept working into an open spot, passing the puck carefully and adequately and frequently pushing the puck into the open net after confusing the defensive force of the opposition. This was a repetition of lacrosse as played by the great Indian teams."
A great success at coaching

Bun Cook retired as a player after a brief stint with the Boston Bruins in the 1936-37 NHL season, then turned to coaching where he enjoyed great success. Coaching in the American Hockey League with Providence and Cleveland, he led his teams to the playoffs in 18 of 19 seasons and won seven Calder Cup championships. The most championships won by any coach in the history of the AHL (no other AHL coach has won more than three), his 636 career coaching wins is also an AHL record that still stands today.

After retiring from the coaching ranks, Bun returned to Kingston in the late 1950’s and spent three seasons as a trainer with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Eastern Professional Hockey League. He died in 1988 at the age of 84.

Bun Cook was inducted into Kingston’s International Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966 and to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in 1995.

New York Rangers all-time top forward lines

The line dominated games as evident by scoring every goal of a five game Stanley Cup winning series in 1928. Bill Cook was the line’s goal scorer, a burly right winger with flashy moves. He scored the first goal in New York Rangers history and led the NHL in goal scoring three times. Cook remains the all-time leader in hat tricks with 9 despite never playing 50 games in a season. He scored the overtime Stanley Cup winning goal in the 1933 and served as team captain for eleven seasons.

His brother Bun was the key to the attack with intricate passing and the ability to move and pass into an open space. He also was no stranger to mucking it up in the corners. Boucher was perhaps the best of the three players, orchestrating the attack with brilliant playmaking skills which often resulted in one of the Cooks pushing the puck into the open net.

Chronological Look At Bun's Career via Newspaper Articles:


19 Nov, 1924, The Leader Post, Regina
https://www.newspapers.com/image/494886847/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Much is expected of Bunny Cook, former Soo Grehound, and brother of Bill. Bunny is only a youngster, but he’s husky, skates well and handles a mean hockey stick. Dandurand thinks the lad will be one of the sensations of the prairie loop this winter. “

20 Nov, 1924, Edmonton Journal
https://www.newspapers.com/image/470838853/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“The champions started their regular lineup of last season and used but two substitutes, while Lalonde had Bunny Cook, late of the Soo, on the forward line, but his nine other players were with the Sheiks last year.

Cook made a decidedly good impression on the spectators and it looks as if Lalonde had secured a good player and he is destined to become a regular.”

28 Nov, 1924, Star Phoenix
28 Nov 1924, 11 - Star-Phoenix at Newspapers.com

“Bunny Cook was the scoring star for Saskatoon, netting both goals.

The second period was more than ten minutes old before the first goal was registered. Bunny Cook of Saskatoon, in a brilliant individual rush, eluded the bruin defense and shot and impossible one past Heck Fowler.

Saskatoon took the lead again after nine minutes of play in the third period.

Newsy Lalonde carried the puck all the way down the rink and passed to Bun Cook in front of the net. Cook sank the shot.”

9 Dec, 1924, Saskatoon Daily Star
https://www.newspapers.com/image/508255312/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

"Bunny Cook Makes Hit with Fans in First Professional Engagement:

Bunny Cook, chip of the Cook hockey block, garnered a little of the glory not collared by Hainwsworth. The youngster looked like a seasoned veteran in his first official appearance in pro company, and opinion of last night’s gather is “he’ll do”.

Bunny Cook and Newell came together. Mickey Ion chased them to the cooler."

11 Dec, 1924, Saskatoon Daily Star

Cook sensational

Already a hit with fans looking at the first few game reports

Early in first pro season and already mentions of his fiend like back checking

https://www.newspapers.com/image/508255451/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

"Bunny Cook’s performance last night was even more sensational than in the first game. He back checked like a fiend and his rushes were well timed.

Bunny Cook went to the fence for putting McVeigh into the boards.

There was much indiscriminate rushing. Bunny Cook came on and his work immediately gave Saskatoon fans much to enthuse over."

15 Dec, 1924, Star Phoenix
https://www.newspapers.com/image/507840851/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Bunny Cook, Leo Bourgault and Corbett Dennenay, the newcomers to the team, made a great impression, all three checking well and sending in dangerous rushes.

Just before the period ended, Bunny Cook took a shot at a corner of the Victoria net, hitting the twine at the edge of the cage.”

29 Dec, 1924, Star Phoenix

You can see multiple instances now of brilliant individual rushes by Bun, confirming his raw speed and skill

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507841261/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

"The thunder of the applause that greeted this tying goal had barely died away before the Sheiks were back in the lead again, Bunny Cook going through on a brilliant solo rush in twenty seven seconds to beat Stuart.

Bunny Cook shapes up like a comer, though he is still some distance away from the class of his talented brother."

16 Jan, 1925, Vancouver Sun

Here you can see Cook's hockey IQ and improvisational skill leading to his scoring a goal on Hall of Famer, Hap Holmes

https://www.newspapers.com/image/490332643/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“It was not until 13 minutes of the third period had passed when the tie was broken, Bunny Cook turning the trick on a splendid play.

He received the puck near center ice, and with Bill Cook and Harry Cameron, rushed for Victoria goal. He faked two shots and a brace of passes to completely baffle the Cougars’ defense before skating in on top of Holmes, giving the latter no chance on the shot."

19 Jan, 1925, Star Phoenix

Cook scores masterpieces goals

Bun fakes Jack Walker out, and makes one of the greatest goals ever seen on the ice surface to score go ahead goal against Holmes.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507782880/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Of the four goals scored for the Sheiks, the distinguished members of the Cook family got the full total, dividing them evenly at two apiece.

These Cook boys know how to do things thoroughly. Bunny’s two goals were masterpieces, while one of Bill’s had every earmark of a great play.

When the first period was more than half gone, Bill slipped Bunny a pass clear across the ice. The latter headed for the corner, stopped dead, eluded Gordon Fraser and dashed in on an astounded Happy Holmes to score Saskatoon’s first goal.

The youngest member of the Cook clan playing under the direction of Monsieur Newsy Lalonde, rose to hitherto unknown heights and made himself solid with the fans by making the greatest play ever seen on the ice surface.

In a rush with Harry Cameron and Bill Cook, Bunny eluded Jack Walker with a fake pass. He came in on the defense and faked a shot. This carried him nearly through but he faked another pass and was clear with only Holmes to beat. Another fake shot and Holmes moved. Bunny put the puck behind the talented custodian and the Sheiks were ahead again.”

22 Jan, 1925, Star Phoenix, Saskatoon

Here you can already see Cook playing short handed

Puck ragging on the kill, which he will become famous is already being highlighted

"A la Duke Keats"

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507782935/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Bunny Cook who had been playing brilliant hockey all evening increased the locals lead to four goals when he took a pass from Dennenay in center ice, circled Traub and drove the puck straight for a corner of the cage.

Bunny Cook looked just as much like a precious jewel as in the Victoria game.

His two goals were stick affairs and the fruits of clever playing. On two occasions when Saskatoon was shorthanded, Bunny floated around the rink with the puck, “a la Duke Keats” and kept off the Regina horde until relief came."

24 Jan, 1925, (Star-Phoenix) Saskatoon

Fights Eddie Shore (each fined $5)

“On a rush with Cameron and Reise, Bunny Cook evened the score with a low shot that bounced over McCuster’s stick into the net.

The period ended 1-1.

Bunny Cook and Eddie Shore were given 10 minutes apiece and fined $5 by Mickey Ion for their scuffle.

McCuster distinguished himself through saves from Cook and Reise in a scramble near the Regina goal, while a drive from Bunny Cook barely gave Red a chance to get his hand to the rubber.”

29 Jan, 1925, Star Phoenix

Noted famous rush

Another instance of faking a pass to elude Red Dutton and score a goal

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507783025/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“The Sheiks, with Bunny Cook, Bill Cook, and Harry Cameron at the helm, looked like the well-known million iron-men to Saskatoon in the second and third frames.

If ever the Red and White-garbed crew looked like a championship unit it was during the final barrage on the Calgary nets in the third period.

Bunny Cook opened the scoring with one of his now famous rushes which results in the tricking of the defense.

He faked a pass and went around Dutton to score from close range four minutes after the game started.”

10 Feb, 1925, Star Phoenix

Back checking noted again

Cook served up body checking, courtesy of tutelage by the rough and tumble George McNamara

Didn't score but still referenced as playing a swell game

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507783192/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Dennenay tallied the third goal of the evening when he flicked in a pass from Bunny Cook and Leo Reise contributed the fourth on a pretty solo rush.

Both sets of forwards did some clever back checking. Newsy Lalonde and Bunny Cook led the Sheiks in this department of the game.

What they did was plenty. Bill Cook helped himself to a couple of goals, with Newsy, Harry Cameron and Leo Reise each bagging one.

Bunny Cook served up a pretty bit of body checking that George McNamara showed him while with the Soo Greyhounds and it sure tickled the crowd, especially when he exchanged bumps with Gordon Fraser and Clem Loughlin.

Bunny didn’t get any goals but he played a swell game just the same.

21 Feb, 1925, Star Phoenix

Cook scores go ahead goal, which was best score of evening

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507783347/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

The second period had less than two minutes to go when Bunny Cook put the Sheiks in the lead again. He secured the puck near his own goal and went down the left wing. A shot from the side caught Winkler flat footed, finding the upper corner of the cage. It was the best goal scored during the evening.

3 Mar, 1925, Star Phoenix

Cook scores another go ahead goal, taking a pass in full flight from Bill and scoring one of prettiest goals of evening.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507779630/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Exactly two minutes later Bunny Cook scored the goal that put the Sheiks out in front.

He came strong down center ice after passing to brother Bill, who slipped the rubber back again and Bunny went through at full speed to score. It was one of the prettiest goals of the evening.

Joe Matte tied the score by getting a goal on a pass from Heige Bostrom, coming in fast to catch the corner of the goal from the left wing.

Corbett Dennenay put the Sheiks in the lead after a succession of shots on Lehman, finally batting a rebound from Bunny Cook’s shot into the twined cage.”

7 Mar, 1925, Saskatoon Daily Star

Team back checking noted

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507970447/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Of the forwards every one played remarkably good hockey. The regulars, Lalonde and the Cook brothers were strong attackers and back checked in fine style.

3 Dec, 1925, Saskatoon Daily Star

Cook noted as stealing puck multiple times and scoring goal

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507835272/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Bunny Cook secured the faceoff and passed to Bill Cook. The latter’s shot missed by inches.

Scott got away on a rush but was checked by Trapp. Irvin got the latter’s pass but Bunny Cook stole it from him.

On a rush with Reise, Bunny Cook got in close enough to make no mistake and hanged home the first Saskatoon goal of the season.

Dutkowski again started but Bunny Cook slid alongside and robbed him.

Cameron took the rebound and passed to Bunny Cook, the latter bringing McCuster to his knees to make a spectacular save.”

15 Jan, 1926, Saskatoon Daily Star

Bun stars for locals.

Scores from long range

Here, there, everywhere, back checking consistently, with great bursts of skating/stickhandling

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507778321/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Two minutes before the end of the period Leo Reise scored again for Saskatoon, the husky defense man batting in Bunny Cook’s rebound for the tally.

In the third period, Bunny Cook registered his first goal of the season in a home game.

Reise gave him a pass at the blue line, Bunny faked a shot and a pass. His shot from some distance out fooled Lehman completely, the driving finding the upper right hand corner of the hemp for the final counter of the evening.

Bill Cook has played better games than he played last night, but the goal getting William had plenty of tough luck and was hounded closely.

Laurie Scott and Corbett Dennenay played up well, but it was Bunny Cook who starred for the locals.

Bunny was here, there, and everywhere, back checking consistently, and putting on a great burst of clever skating and stick handling.”

27 Jan, 1926, Star Phoenix

Dazzling stick handling electrifies crowd leads to one of the prettiest goals scored at the rink all winter

https://www.newspapers.com/image/507974130/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Saskatoon got a life in the opening frame when Bunny Cook electrified the crowd with a dazzling bit of stick handling after taking a pass from Dennenay and finishing the work by poking the biscuit in behind Herbie Stuart. It was the culmination of lightning fast play on the part of both aggregations.

“Bunny Cook played great hockey for the Sheiks in their losing battle last night.

That goal of Bunny’s in the first period was one of the prettiest scores in the rink here this winter.”

16 Feb, 1926, Calgary Herald

Another long range goal

Multiple assists

https://www.newspapers.com/image/481654794/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“The first goal fell to Bunny Cook.

He dodged the defense, which was playing far out, and shot a high one that caught the upper corner, where it lodged quite safely. Two minutes later, Bill Cook got another, Bunny Cook passed to him as they hit the blue line. Bill dodged around the defense and fooled Winkler with a wicked drive, shooting while he was off balance.

Just before the end of the period, Corbett finally got his first goal of the night. Bunny Cook drew the defense over, passed to Denneny and the latter’s streaming shot went by Winkler so fast that the goalie never had a chance.”

16 Feb, 1926 Star Phoenix

Heavy/fast shot noted

16 Feb 1926, 5 - Star-Phoenix at Newspapers.com

The game was a hummer, and both goals had narrow escapes.

Bunny scooped up the puck, slipped down the left boards and over the blue line and started a meteor that tore past Winkler so fast the breeze nearly caved in his ribs.

The deafening howl that followed this had not died down when, just two minutes later, Brother Bill took a pass from Bunny and caught Winkler flat footed again.

29 Mar, 1926, Star Phoenix

Cook ties series.

More fake shots, fooling goalie, Worters, scoring a gem.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/508241193/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Bunn Cook Ties Series:

Bunny Cook’s goal in the third period tied up the series. It was one of the brightest plays of a thrilling period.

He broke from his own end and fooled the defense by faking shots, his final effort from right front of Worters fooled that person for he was expecting a hard shot, whereas Bunny pushed the rubber past him on the ice. Worters didn’t have a chance to save.

3 Apr, 1926, Ottawa Citizen

High class left winger

https://www.newspapers.com/image/456406981/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Bill Cook, at right wing, has few equals, if any, in the Calder circuit, and his brother Bunny is a high class left wing player.

3 Sep, 1926, Ottawa Citizen

Big, rugged, paddle through heavy going

https://www.newspapers.com/image/456356657/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Bunny Cook, the younger of the pair, was seen here with Sault Ste. Marie the year the Greyhounds went through to win the Allan Cup, and joined brother Bill in Saskatoon the following season. He has more than made good in the “big time”

Both boys are big, rugged chaps, who can paddle their way through the heavy going, and are both possessed of plenty of hockey ability.

17 Nov, 1926 (Times Union) Brooklyn NY
17 Nov 1926, 14 - Times Union at Newspapers.com

Bun Cook’s Shot in Second Period Wins Contest.

Their passing was faultless and their stick work brilliant. Boucher, Bill Cook, Bun Cook and Johnson were all over the ice, up and down the rink covering each other and piercing the Maroon defense almost at will.

The lone score came after 18 minutes and 37 seconds of play in the second period.

The Cook brothers gathered in the score, on a pass from Bill to Bun. It was a short range shot, coming out of a scrimmage behind the cage that resulted in the Maroon defense being drawn out into the open.

27 Nov, 1926 Calgary Herald

Bun bright and shining light of game

Gorgeous stickhandling and brilliant hockey

https://www.newspapers.com/image/481591187/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Bunny Cook, a slim, youthful player, displayed some of the most brilliant hockey of the evening, and seems to be a player of sorts.

It fell to Bill, however, to score the only goal of the game, but the pass came from Bunny, which kept it all in the family.

Bunny Cook gave a gorgeous exhibition of stickhandling when he took the puck down alone but Benedict flicked it off.

Bill and Bunny Cook then staged a great brother act, and after a brilliant sally down the ice, Bill scored. Bunny passed from the left out to Bill who had practically an open net as Benedict had fallen when he blocked the preceding shot.

In the Cook Brothers and Boucher, the New York Rangers have three outstanding players of the great ice game. Each fits in at his proper place just that right manner that goes to make successful athletes.

Bunny Cook was the bright and shining light of the game and will certainly earn a great reputation for himself if he turns in many more performances such as last night.”

29 Nov, 1926 (The Gazette) Montreal

Detailed penalty killing situation noted

Bun Cook and Boucher completely shutting down the Canadiens on the kill.

Cook scores clinching goal late.

29 Nov 1926, 16 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com

“The most thrilling moments of the play came in the early stages of the second period when, through penalties, Rangers were forced to play three men against the full Canadian team.

Able, Johnson, and Mackey were the men penalized for roughing it, leaving Frank Boucher, Bunny Cook and Lorne Chabot to battle the Canadiens.

Even with this marked advantage Canadiens were held scoreless. Boucher and Cook played well back with Chabot, and as the Canadiens closed in, their only efforts were with poke checks which spoiled with poke checks, which spoiled many of the shots from the French players who fairly swarmed around the New York net.

To Chabot, must go a great deal of the credit of stalling off the attack for almost three minutes, as he made stops that were almost miraculous, turning aside shots with his feet and hands that looked to be tagged for the net.

The locals became almost desperate in their efforts and rushed the net time and again only to be turned back by the outside work of Cook and Boucher, who on one or two occasions, broke through the Canadiens attack to shoot the puck far up the ice to get a breathing spell.

Coming out for the final twenty minutes Rangers opened the attack and again carried the locals off their feet until Fred Cook assured his clubs victory by scoring on a pass from Abel, who carried the puck up the ice and passed out to the wing where Cook was unchecked, affording him a clear shot at Hainsworth, which the latter was unable to handle.”

24 Dec, 1926, The Gazette (Montreal)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/421270701/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Bunny Cook was playing a dashing game for the Rangers and led charge after charge on the Ottawa nets.

10 Jan, 1927, The Daily News

Bun scores goal going a mile a minute.

Juggled rubber beautifully

https://www.newspapers.com/image/411593607/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

The Rangers meanwhile had a jolly time exhibiting their best stuff in all departments of the game.

They all played well, though Bill and Bunny Cook and Stan Brown were perhaps the most prominent. Boucher’s poke check was brilliant, as it usually is.

The second score by Bunny Cook on a pass from Stan Brown, was a gorgeous effort. The pass was worked around the Detroit defense while both men were going a mile a minute. Bunny juggled the rubber beautifully as he dashed straight at the helpless goalie and slipped it from the goal’s edge.

12 Jan, 1927, The Gazette

Cook brothers too fast for Broadbent and Seibert

Both smothered Montreal rushes with clever back-checking

Ranger defense is tight largely due to back checking of forwards

12 Jan 1927, 14 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com

“Speed was the chief factor in the Rangers victor. The Gotham clan, directed by the crafty Lester Patrick, fairly swept through the slower, heavier Maroon combination, especially the regulars.

The two Cooks were too speedy for Broadbent and Siebert, both while on attack and in doubling back to smother Montreal rushes with clever back-checking.

New York sparkled throughout the game. They have speedy sets of forwards, the two Cook’s showing great dash on the wings and being ably assisted by the crafty play of Frank Boucher at center.

Their defense is tight, though this is largely due to the persistent back-checking of the forwards”

24 Jan, 1927, Times Union

Bun Cook saves goal at last second by diving across goal mouth to block/smother a shot.

24 Jan 1927, 19 - Times Union at Newspapers.com

“The consistently good hockey displayed by the Rangers was a revelation to those who has seen the in and out brand put up by the Hammond boys this season. It has always been felt that the one clear cut advantage of the Americans over their rivals was superior skating speed, but last night it was the dashing up ice sweeps of Abel, Bun Cook and Brown, that left the Americans flat footed.

Bun Cook saved a certain score near the end, Chabot being drawn out of the cage for the first and only time, Bun threw his body across the mouth of the cage in the nick of time and smothered Reise’s shot.

It was Bun who drew first blood for the Rangers nice seconds after the start. He caught on to one of brother Bill’s shots which rebounded from Forbes glove and jammed the rubber home.”

28 Jan, 1927, Times Union
28 Jan 1927, 19 - Times Union at Newspapers.com

“Bill and Bunny Cook went down center ice in a short passing combination thrust. It was too much for the Canadiens defense. Bill scoring on a pass at the net. Joliat protested it as off side, but the referee ruled it a goal and the score was tied.

28 Jan, 1927, The Gazette
28 Jan 1927, 16 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com

“Twice Bill Cook scored for the visiting sextette and on both occasions in combination with brother Bunny. His first goal, which tied the count early in the second period, came after a snappy short passing attack between the two brothers, Bill taking a pass when on top of Hainsworth to count.

It was a dazzling play, which not only tricked the Canadien defense, but also fooled either Aurel Joliat, Canadien wing, or the referees. For after the goal, Joliet claimed offside and laid his arguments before referee O’Hara. The official saw differently, ruling that a goal had been scored.

Their second one was tagged by Dame Fortune, but there was no argument about the deciding tally scored by Bill Cook in the final period to break the deadlock and give the visitors the honors.

Again it was Bunny Cook who made the play.”

11 Feb, 1927, The Gazette

Bun Cook scores tying and game winning goals against St. Pats, one of which was prettiest goal of the night.

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“Bunny Cook split the St Pat’s defense to right in and tie the score, in 6 minutes.

The Cook brothers and Boucher combined right through the Toronto defense, but Boucher shot over the net when a goal seemed sure.

Boucher and Bill Cook were right in but Roach made a nice stop. Bunny Cook grabbed a loose puck in the corner, skated in front and drew Roach out to net the prettiest goal of the night.

The final period was close and spectacular with the superior generalship of the Rangers deciding the issue in their favor. Bun Cook, left winger, scored the tying and winning counters for his team in this period.”

7 Mar, 1927, The Gazette

More team defense

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“Rangers turned in a finished display of defensive hockey, with the two heavyweights, Johnson and Abel starring both on defense and in crashing rushes.

Bill Cook, Bun Cook, Boyd, and Murdoch launched fast rushes for the Gotham team, but they were content to shoot and get back on their wings, without boring in over much for rebounds. Frank Boucher confined his attentions to center ice where be brought his poke check into use with devastating effect.”

26 Mar, 1927, Daily News

Pretty assist noted

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“Bunny Cook scored the third goal of the period when he took a pass from Brown. The Rangers simply took the heart out of the visitors with those three goals.

Boucher scored his second tally of the evening on a pretty pass from Bunny Cook.”

30 Nov, 1927, Ottawa Citizen

Bun burns up the ice

Steals the puck off Nighbor

Played better than brother

https://www.newspapers.com/image/456449389/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Kilera and Clancy, Ottawa’s pair of speed merchants, uncorked many sensational dashed which carried a thrill in every stride and Bunny Cook of the Rangers, also “burned up” the ice at times.

Last night, however, Frankie fairly excelled himself. He was the pick of several classy performers in New York Uniforms although Bunny Cook ran him a close race was not far behind.

Bunny Cook stole the puck on Nighbor and tested Connell with a hot one.

Bill and Bunny Cook both played good hockey for the Patrick team, but Bun was better than Bill. The latter has not yet struck his true stride and was not as dangerous last night as in past appearances here.”

30 Dec, 1927, The Gazette

Montreal paper notes Cook is unselfish

https://www.newspapers.com/image/421279751/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“Hay of Detroit with two and two, and unselfish Bun Cook of the Rangers who makes the plays for others, and is up with the leaders through one goal and three assists.”

11 Dec, 1927, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Very important piece here shows Bun Cook, this season, is the catalytic agent to the line after Boucher was the line's engineer the previous season.

Bullet like drives noted, but at this stage of career not controlled yet

Cook serves excellent purposes beyond scoring

https://www.newspapers.com/image/59867309/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Describing the forward line of the New York Rangers, it is easiest to refer to it as a “reversible reaction”, a term borrowed from chemistry.

Last year it was Frankie Boucher who carried the puck into the opponent’s territory and passed to Bill Cook, who would score.

It is reverse this season.

Bunny Cook might be referred to as a “catalytic agent,” whose presence is necessary, though he does not figure in the actual scoring very often.

With Bill Cook and Frank Boucher swapping passes for scores, the spares tearing through opponent’s defenses like veterans, and Bunny Cook harassing goalies with his bullet-like drive, Lester Patrick can sing a sweet melody.

Bunny fits in well with his brother. The two are as good a pair as can be found the NHL. Bunny has a very hard left handed shot, but cannot control the level. He drives it far too high to be the sort of shot that slips by even the most vigilant goal keeper.

Lester Patrick has given up trying to break him of that habit. It’s energy wasted and as Bunny serves other excellent purposes on the ice, everything is jake in Denmark.”

4 Jan, 1928, The Gazette

Fine/perfect passing by Bun

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The Rangers kept up an incessant attack and at last met with success when Bun Cook gave his brother a fine pass and Bill flipped the puck past Holmes with a clever back hander for the first goal in 5.50.

Boucher missed a glorious chance of drawing level by bobbling a perfect pass from Bun Cook which came right across the goal mouth.

10 Feb, 1928, Ottawa Citizen

Speed and stick handling noted

Bun outstanding Ranger

https://www.newspapers.com/image/456478105/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Bunny Cook Outstanding:

While all the regular Rangers played exceedingly well, the performance of the younger of the Cook brothers, Fred, who is better known as Bunny, was outstanding.

Bun had an abundance of speed on tap and gave remarkable displays of stick handling, but the older brother Bill was not far behind him, nor was Frankie Boucher who turned in one of his best games on local ice.

24 Feb, 1928, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Pete Green's Kitty Bar the door noted

Cook scores multiple goals

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“The Pirates won every game in which they scored first until they haled the New York Rangers on Feb. 4. Before that time they lost every game in which the opposition tallied the first counter. Fred Bunny Cook scored on Pittsburgh and they came back to win 4 goals to 2 and have been winning from behind ever since.

That is a fine example of what the goal means. With one score in the bag the Buccaneers defense was impenetrable. Even a mediocre defense is difficult to piece when they order KITTY, BAR-THE-DOOR”.

This Mr. Worters was the proposition the Rangers had to face at Madison Square Garden last night.

Prospects of the Rangers coming out of their scoring slump were none too bright with the diminutive Roy in the Yellow Jackets nets.

On Feb 4 Fred Bunny Cook scored two goals in Pittsburgh against the Pirates.

The second of this brace came in 2 minutes and 18 seconds in the second period. Following that goal the Rangers went scoreless for four successive games and the greater part of the contest last night.

Quite appropriately, Bunny figured in the score which broke the ice.

He shot a pass to Frankie Boucher in the first period which the clever center speared into the net before Worters had a chance.

The Rangers went 341 minutes and 43 seconds without scoring, or, should we say 5 hours, 41 minutes and 43 seconds. But when the Boucher-Bunny Cook combination got started they scored two goals in 40 seconds on the best goalie in the league. Alex Gray added a third tally for the Rangers while the Buccaneers were held scoreless, chalking up another shutout victory for Lorne Chabot.”

29 Feb, 1928, The Gazette

Bun Cook on the PK again, puck ragging.

Cannonball shot noted

https://www.newspapers.com/image/419617011/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“The Rangers were doing everything but score and Toronto rarely got beyond center ice, Bailey at last raised the hopes of the Maple Leafs by breaking away on the right and cleverly dodging around Johnson tore through towards Chabot. Abel held him back and got the first penalty of the game.

Bun Cook got the puck and stalled for time with his side one man short, which drew a lot of booing from the crowd.

Roach performed wonders by stopping three terrific shots in quick succession from Boucher, Bun Cook, and Abel.

Cook’s shot came at Roach like a cannonball, which shook the goalie from head to foot.

A clever back pass by Bun Cook to Boucher nearly led up to another goal, but although Roach slipped up, he managed to grab the puck.”

19 Mar, 1928, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Cook with 2 assists, one being beautiful

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In the third period Frankie Boucher received a pass from Bunny Cook and shot, and then drove his rebound. Forbes stretched his stick out to prevent the disc from rolling in, but it languidly crossed the blue line, and that’s all that’s necessary.

Taffy took a beautiful pass from Bun Cook and drove it into the goal post.

28 Mar, 1928, Times Union

Cook stands out like beacon

Joy to watch

28 Mar 1928, 13 - Times Union at Newspapers.com

“Bun Cook and Lorne Chabot stood out like beacons for the Rangers, although every man on the team played excellently. Bun had on his speed skates last night and way he careened through the Pirate defense and skipped hither and you along the side boards was a thing of joy to watch.

Frank Boucher was the first to score after less than five minutes of play and Bun Cook came through with a pretty goal midway in the period.”

02 Apr, 1928, Times Union

Puck battle win by Cook, who promptly turns into great pass to Boucher for goal

2 Apr 1928, 17 - Times Union at Newspapers.com

“Some premonition kept Boucher idling near the net and his hunch clicked for Bun Cook while struggling for possession of the disc on the right got the rubber in the crook of his stick and wheeling, spun the puck across the goal mouth and Boucher banged it in. What a yell across then."

4 Apr, 1928, Times Union
4 Apr 1928, 16 - Times Union at Newspapers.com

“Boston came back strong at it appeared as if the home team still had a chance, but Bun Cook dashed the hopes of a capacity Arena crowd by racing through alone to score number 3.”

16 Apr, 1928, The Gazette

Montreal paper says Bun Cook "leagues best puck ragger"

16 Apr 1928, 16 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com

“After Saturday’s game, Bun Cook can claim the title as the league’s best puck ragger. He has the time killing tactics down to a fine art.”

12 Dec, 1928, Times Union

Bullet drive and sizzler shot score goals

https://www.newspapers.com/image/559956430/?terms=bun cook&match=1

"Bun Cook’s bullet like drive beat Chabot to tie the score midway through the period….

Four minutes after the Toronto goal had been chalked up the Rangers had equalized. Keeling flashed down the right wing alley and passed out from behind the net. Bun’s sizzler was ticketed goal and Chabot had no chance to save".

14 Dec, 1928, The Gazette
14 Dec 1928, 18 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com

"Outplayed throughout a fast, brilliant clever hockey exhibition, the Rangers were two goals down to the local team until halfway through the final session of the match and should have been down a lot more, but for the miraculous goal keeping of John Roach.

Then suddenly Bun Cook went down in a swerving rush, pulled the Canadien defense to his right, and then took a wide sweep to the left for a clear shot on the Canadien net.

It was Bun Cook who notched the first; Bill Cook who made the play which allowed Boucher to tie up the game, and Frank Boucher to Bill Cook which produced the winning counter."

21 Dec, 1928, Brooklyn Daily Eagle
https://www.newspapers.com/image/59899020/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“Ottawa sent four men into the forward line, riding the indoor wind, in a last desperate rally to tie the score. Kilera went careening for the net, but he couldn’t get his stick free from Bun Cook and the Ranger defense men.”

31 Dec, 1928, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Cook PKing

Geometric assist to Boucher

https://www.newspapers.com/image/59906576/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“Bun had to go it alone directly when his brother and Clapper were ruled off for five minutes for roughing.

Again the Cook boys made life hazardous for Tiny Thompson. First Bill, then Bun shot.But astigmatism set in the next minute.

Bun Cook passed to Frank Boucher, geometrically in the center of the rink and right in front of the Bruin lair. His wicked flip went past Thompson, and the deadlock was broken as last week’s pie crust.”

7 Jan, 1929, Times Union

Cook star of game

Wicked drives and brilliant skating caused crowd to gasp and roar any time he was on ice

Cook plugged up defensive holes in brilliant fashion, flashing back at critical moments

Broke up numerous attacks

Apparently looked like Charles Lindbergh

https://www.newspapers.com/image/558655094/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“Ignoring the goaltenders, who are bound to come in for their full share of credit for such a performance as last night’s, Bun Cook, Ranger wing was the star of the game.

While productive of no scores, Bun’s wicked drives gave the crowd plenty to gasp over and his brilliant skating and stickhandling had the Ranger fans in an uproar all the time he was on the ice.

Captain Bill Cook and Frank Boucher, the other members of the forward trio, looked to be somewhat jaded, but Bun shining by contrast, was at the top of his game. Had his mates been as active there would have been no such unsatisfactory results as a glorious tie.

In addition to penetrating deeper and more threateningly into American territory than any of his mates, Bun Cook effectively plugged up defensive holes in brilliant fashion. Flashing into the back line at critical moments, the fair haired winger who looks like Lindbergh, broke up numerous Star Spangled sallies that waxed menacing early in the game.”

18 Jan, 1929, The Gazette

End to end slick goal

https://www.newspapers.com/image/419801001/?terms=bun cook&match=1

"Bun Cook Decides Issue on Solo Thrust in Fast and Cleanly-Fought Contest:

For 45 minutes of wide-open hockey, the Chicago Black Hawks held the New York Rangers, leaders of the National Hockey League, on even terms tonight before Bun Cook, speedy left wing, scored the goal that gave the Rangers a 1-0 victory.

The Chicago goalie made 30 saves in the first two frames, many of them of the sensational variety.

Early in the third period, Cook got the puck behind his own goal and carried it to the length of the ice to score the only goal, drawing Gardiner to one side of the net and slipping the rubber in the far corner.”

1 Feb, 1929, Times Union

More Pk'ing

https://www.newspapers.com/image/558657716/?terms=bun cook&match=1

"Bun Cook was the only one of that name on the ice, as Bill was serving a penalty for three majors. Bun performed nobly, both on the front line and on defense."

8 Feb, 1929, The Gazette

Montreal paper highlights how important Bun was to Bread Line

His absence "dislocated famous line"

Usually smooth/accurate line, ragged, owing to absence of Bun Cook

https://www.newspapers.com/image/419621790/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Rangers were without Bun Cook and his absence dislocated their famous forward line combination and what was left of it was paralyzed by the way-laying hook check of Nighbor.

Vail took a hard body-check from Clancy and was temporarily disarranged.

The Ranger forward line play, usually so smooth and accurate, was somewhat ragged, owing to the absence of Bun Cook.

22 Mar, 1929, Times Union
https://www.newspapers.com/image/559683842/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Keeling and Thompson won the game but there was no outstanding hero. Boucher shone by reason of his clever stick handling, checking and quick thinking in the pivotal position and Bun Cook because it was he who gave Worters the most difficult shots to handle.

15 Nov, 1929, The Gazette

Bun Cook puck carrier

Scores great backhand goal

https://www.newspapers.com/image/419381053/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“The three broke clear from a rather desultory attempt to check them on the part of the Maroon forward line and raced away together with Bun Cook doing the puck carrying.

He fed Quenneville a pass outside the blue line, while Goldsworthy dashed in unchecked to the very goal mouth. Quennville laid a perfect pass that slipped ten feet forward to the stick of the waiting Goldsworthy and Benedict was a helpless victim.

The Rangers nursed their one-goal lead carefully, getting more cautious as the game advanced and nearly five minutes of the third period had elapsed when an over eager Maroon team allowed Bun Cook to slip away with only the defense to beat.

Bun swung around the Maroon defense while the pair of local guards looked on almost helplessly and tossed a back hand shot into the far corner on which Benedict fanned completely.

It was a fine effort on the part of the graceful Ranger winger.”

22 Nov, 1929, Times Union

Attack on Nels Stewart

https://www.newspapers.com/image/556505580/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“The Garden was in such an uproar that the gong ending the game was unheard and Bun Cook unlatched the door of the penalty box to tell the referee before the surge of players about the Ranger net might produce a goal.

Dave Trottier, thinking that Bun, who had just been banished, was trying to get back into the play, grabbed the younger cook and wanted to know where he was going.

Bun shook himself loose and the brusque movement looked enough like a roughhouse to give Nels Stewart an excuse to take his best sock out of Ching Johnson. Johnson gave a foot or two and in so doing staggered Bill Cook behind him.

All that Bun Cook saw was that Bill was in trouble and without hesitation he laid his blade alongside Stewart’s ear.”

6 Jan, 1930, Times Union

Cook monster game 2+3

Outstanding figure of game

His hockey IQ displayed as well as expert stickhandling noted

Effectiveness of play drove scoring

https://www.newspapers.com/image/559986154/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“Frank Boucher with three goals and three assists, Bun Cook with two goals and three assists, Bill Cook with two of each.

As far as the rest of the team went (Roach was 1st star), Bun Cook was the outstanding figure.

Bun christened Frederick Joseph around the amendment to the new hockey rules which prohibits players crossing the blue line ahead of the puck.

He repeatedly backed up through the free zone in center ice and took passes from Bill or Boucher, stickhandling so expertly that he was able to continue into attacking territory in stride.

Once there he would either dash for the goal or suck the defense out of position and whip a pass to one of the other forwards.

How effective this was may be gathered from the fact that only once during the game did the regular forward line fail to score while it was on the ice.”

13 Jan, 1930, The Gazette

Gets in 2 fights

https://www.newspapers.com/image/419403927/?terms=bun cook&match=1

All the scoring was done in the third period, and all the fist fighting took place in the second. The first battle of fists came between Art Somers and Bun Cook of the Rangers.

No sooner had Bun Cook returned to the game than he became involved in a fight with Teddy Graham. He and Graham exchanged rights and lefts furiously with players on both sides tossing in a helpful jab here and there.

15 Jan, 1930, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Yet another instance of his league best puck ragging skills and PK usage.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/58234508/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Bun Cook a Swell Staller

“It is a common practice in hockey when one of one’s team rests in the bullpen for two minutes or more to dillydally around on the ice holding the puck just as long as one’s opponents will permit.

It takes a clever stick handler to work the gag well and always kept he puck under control.

Paul Thompson is pretty good at it. Most of the hockey players aren’t. It takes a deftness and skill finer than demanding in sending the puck winging hard and fast at a goal.

Bunny Cook is about as good as there is at the business of stalling.

One of his favorite tricks is to get the puck out in the middle of the ice and then wheedle it up and down inside the blue line, snatching it first from one man then staving off the pokes of another.

While Leo Borgault was off the ice and the Rangers had no yet piled up their three tallies, Bun Cook had plenty of opportunity to pull this dallying act and each time with success.”

24 Jan, 1930, The Gazette

Hat trick

https://www.newspapers.com/image/419409385/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“Bun Cook starred throughout by scoring three great goals, but as was the case last Sunday, Ching Johnson relieved his team’s defense consistently by taking the puck down the ice a score of times with spectacular solo raids.

Bun Cook started his masterful work with two goals in 3.55 and 4.50 respectively, his brother and Boucher lending valuable assistance.

After Bill Touhey had cut down the lead at 7.44, Bun Cook came through again with Bill’s help which enabled the Rangers to lead by 4 to 1."

(Edited in from dishing the dirt)

This out of the Times Union (Brooklyn NY) Jan 24, 1930

Great highlight of defensive impact

Scores hat trick

"Contributed plenty of other work that doesn't show up in the official report"

“His back checking was effective and, in general, unerring. He exhibited his customary knack of being on the spot when the visitors threatened and, as the Senators grew desperate, his accurate blade more than once saved Roach the trouble of clearing from a rally near the goal.”

19 Feb, 1930, Daily News

Perfect pass to Bill for goal

Draws major penalty from Art Duncan

https://www.newspapers.com/image/413148547/?terms=bun cook&match=1

You can’t hope to see a faster period than that first one.

The Cook brothers teamed up for an opening goal, Bill taking a perfect pass from Bun for the marker.
Then the fun began.

Bun Cook slashed Art Duncan with his stick. The big Toronto defense man returned the compliment and followed it with a right hook to the jaw. Art drew a major penalty and a moment later Charley Conacher drew a minor for slashing.

24 Mar, 1930, Ottawa Citizen

Cook corner work, beats massive check to score slick back hand goal

https://www.newspapers.com/image/455804547/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Hardly had they been parked there when Bunny Cook worked his way out of the corner, stood up under Starr’s shattering check, and slid in close to lay a backhander into the far side of the net from a stick lengths out.

Gagne and Keeling got the gate for banging each other around. Bun Cook whacked a terrific shot at Connell, then took a pass from Frankie Boucher, raced in on Starr’s side and backhanded a terrific shot into the net, and the Garden went wild. Papers and programs showered down onto the ice acclaim the goal that tied the series again.

26 Nov, 1930, The Gazette

Knocks goalie out cold with shot

https://www.newspapers.com/image/419672839/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“The game had not been on for 30 seconds when Walsh’s injury came. The puck came shoulder high from the stick of Bun Cook who was swinging down the left boards, and it struck Fiat on the forehead and bounced over the net. Fiat remained standing for about three seconds with a completely blank expression on his faced and then slumped down on the ice, out cold.”

1 Dec, 1930, Ottawa Journal
https://www.newspapers.com/image/48459906/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Bun Cook 1 goal + 2 assists

8 Dec, 1930 Ottawa Citizen
https://www.newspapers.com/image/455821587/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Bun Cook put the Rangers on even terms about seven minutes later, snapping up a loose puck and stickhandling his way in on top of Chabot, giving him no chance to save.

10 Dec, 1930, Ottawa Citizen

Bun with lightning pass out of corner to Bill for goal (said to be perfect example)

Scores twice

https://www.newspapers.com/image/455824477/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Early in the final session, a stiff Ranger attack, while Hec Kilera was off the ice, brought a goal by Bun Cook and tied the count once more.

A lightning fast pass from Bun Cook to Bill gave the Rangers a goal five minutes after the start. Boucher also got an assist. It was a perfect example of a pass from the corner and Connell had no chance to save.

Bill Regan slipped the puck out of a mass of players in the corner, and Bun Cook got it in front of the net with no one near him. His shot easily beat Connell.

26 Dec, 1930, Ottawa Journal

Hat trick

https://www.newspapers.com/image/48460453/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“With Bunny Cook leading a systematic offensive with three goals, Rangers shoved the Senators farther into the cellar and marked up an impressive 4-1 triumph in last night’s holiday fixture.

It was a case of too many Cooks spoiling the soup for Senators, and in this instance Bunny and Bill were the gentlemen who provided the trouble last night.

Coupled with Frank Boucher the Cook brothers formed the backbone of the Rangers attack.

Bunny marked up three of his team’s scoring total and Bill supplied the other.

Their systematic work on the front line overshadowed the Senators efforts and when Dave Gill’s charges did threaten, the hard skating New York snipers harried the opposing puck carriers and spoiled well intended scoring attempts.

Before the period ended Bun Cook slapped in Frankie Boucher’s rebound and sewed up the issue.

Patrick used his forwards lavishly but always had the Cook brothers and Frank Boucher on duty when Senators threatened.

Bunny Cook put the Rangers out in front shortly after the start of the second period, carrying the puck over the blue line and shifting into center for a low shot that slipped in behind the cage. Brother Bill went in after it and shoved a slow pass across the goal mouth that Bunny batted in behind Connell for the first score of the game.

While he was in the box, Bill Cook took a pass from Bunny and backhanded a low drive behind Connell to put the New York outfit two goals in front.

Near the close of the period, with Lamb in the penalty box, Bun Cook snared Boucher’s pass and skated in unmolested to draw Connell, from the cage and snap the rubber behind him.

Rangers continued the same smooth attacking tactics in the final frame and less than three minutes after the start; Bun Cook skated in close to bat in a Boucher rebound, which fell in front of the Ottawa cage."

14 Jan, 1931, Calgary Herald

Calgary paper talking Cook up

https://www.newspapers.com/image/479161904/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Bunny Cook is one of the fastest skating left wingers in the National League, one of its leading marksmen and certainly one of the most popular performers. He’s an idol in every city he plays-and visiting players aren’t usually idolized.

18 Feb, 1931, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Very cool scouting report.

Bun apparently had one of quickest shots on top of hardest in NHL

Notes taking puck on awkward (offhand) side.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/57573640/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“Bun and Bill Cook with some slight assistance from Frank Boucher, evened everything shortly.

Bill passed out to his brother from the southeast corner of the Garden, Bun taking the puck on his awkward side. But Bun is one of the quickest forwards in the NHL in getting rid of rubber, and shot successfully from an awkward stance.”

27 Feb, 1931, Daily News

Assists

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Just how brilliantly the regular Ranger forwards can function was proved in the triple pass play which produced the first goal.

Boucher took the puck near the Leafs blue line and passed to Bun Cook, who was waiting beside the boards parallel with the cage.

Bun nursed the puck till his brother got clear in front of the net and then flipped it to him. Bill batted it in.

With Blair and Day off the ice, the Rangers again followed a basketball technique for their third goal. Bun Cook passed to his brother, who netted a short shot, while Boucher and Johnson acted as decoys.

6 Apr, 1931, Vancouver Sun

Vancouver calls Bun "wizard stick handler"

Duplicates Cyclone Taylors feats of puck holding (ragging) on the PK

Expert puck manipulator

https://www.newspapers.com/image/490528645/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“See Bunny Cook, the wizard stick-handler, who can turn on a dime and has been known to duplicate Cyclone Taylor’s famous feats of puck holding when Johnson or Jerwa are sent off the scene to repent in blankets and the ashes of remorse

Today the experts rank Bunny as the finished product. Bill brought him to perfection and the kid brother is now rated one of the greatest puck manipulators in the NHL.

It is Bunny who does the artistic stalling for the Rangers when their usual worries against opposition are enhanced by an absentee or two.”

11 Apr, 1931, The Province (Vancouver)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/499328069/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Bill and Bun Cook were very much in the picture, tickling the paid attendance with their dazzling speed, aided and abetted by Boucher.

The Cooks scored twice each, while Boucher has failed to sag the hemp in two starts.

14 Apr, 1931, The Province

Puck carrying again

His and Paul Thompson's bullet shots noted

https://www.newspapers.com/image/499330344/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“Bill Cook, Keeling and Thompson proceeded to put the visitors well out in front, Cook netting twice. Boucher Thompson and Bun Cook were credited with assists.

Play was fairly even in the second period though Jackson saved the Coast Leaguers, as the Rangers invariably shot from close range.

The game was nearly fifteen minutes gone in the final frame when Bun Cook tallied on a pass from Boucher and just before the end Sandy Sanderson slipped a hard shot past Roach for the last counter.

Paul Thompson and Bun Cook gave one of the cleverest exhibitions of bullet shots seen here in many seasons.

Driving the rubber on a snap wrist shot when necessary, they invariably drove the puck straight at the net and with terrific force.

Bun Cook and Osmundsen had a little tiff and were chased.

In less than a minute Bill Cook took Bun Cook’s pass and beat Jackson again, Bun carrying the rubber all the way."

14 Apr, 1931, The Vancouver Sun

Vancouver scouting report

Slap shot noted

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“Bun Cook is versatile

He can shoot a puck orthodoxly from far out or close in. He can also “slap” it dead on the nets from most any distance.

He actually had Sy Mower excited with his slap socks!”

16 Apr, 1931, The Province
https://www.newspapers.com/image/499331338/?terms=bun cook&match=1

The most peculiar score of the night came off Bun Cook’s stick in the middle of the period.

Bun took the puck a minute after the faceoff in center ice and lifted it high in the air. It went dead on the net, however, and when Jackson got his eyes on the disc, it was lying behind him for a goal. Cook dashed for the goal and was in the goal mouth as the score was made, though he didn’t interfere with Jackson.

Peters and Murdoch of the Rangers drew penalties. Bun Cook back checked to clear inside the defense.

17 Nov, 1931, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Writer talking about seeing Bun Cook body checking

https://www.newspapers.com/image/686193719/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Picture Taking Spoils Day for Ranger Sextet:

Your Garden ambassador went p***y-footing down the line of lockers, looking for items. But he was soon disillusioned.

“Is your paper taking this picture?” demanded the ordinarily mild-mannered Bun Cook threateningly.
I hastened to put in a disclaimer, having seen Bun in just such other moments body-checking up on the ice.

25 Nov, 1931, The Gazette
https://www.newspapers.com/image/419706628/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“After a scorching hot opening both teams started to bombard the goalies, who were in their best form. The session went along to 17:18 when a clever combination play by Bun Cook, Ching Johnson and Frank Boucher resulted in Cook receiving the puck in the left alley and swift, low shot beat the clever Gardiner for the first goal.”

11 Dec, 1931, Calgary Herald
https://www.newspapers.com/image/481686077/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Bunny Cook Stars:

“Bunny Cook smooth skating left winger and a member of the powerful Patrick front line, was the hero of the Rangers 3-2 win over Maroons.

The former Saskatoon athlete gave the Rangers an early lead when he whistled a long shot from center ice past Smith in the Montreal citadel.

Rangers pressed hard while Maroons were shorthanded early in the second but Norm Smith continually turned back Ranger thrusts until Bun Cook picked up a loose puck outside the blue line, rounded the Maroon rearguard and went right in on the Montreal net guardian to notch his second goal.”

23 Dec, 1931, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Bun Cook quick shot noted

https://www.newspapers.com/image/686199952/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Thirty one seconds after the start of the last period, Bun Cook whizzed one of his quick shots past the bewildered Hainsworth, and a wreath of razz berries came drifting down from the galley to crown the French goalie.

Joaliat hushed the chorus temporarily. But the crowd mockingly cheered every Hainsworth save, and when Bill Cook, on passes from Bun Cook and Boucher, made the sixth Ranger goal the crop of bitter fruit was twice its original yield.

25 Mar, 1931, Ottawa Journal
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Bun Cook drew the Rangers level on a pass from Earl Seibert. The defensemen split the defense and passed backwards to Bun who stepped in close for a sure shot to the corner.

26 Feb, 1932, Boston Globe

Bun shot blocking

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In the last minute of the period the Cook brothers and Boucher got together on a brilliant passing play to break the deadlock.

Bunny Cook started the puck down, Bill picked it up, bounced it off the end boards past a Bruin player when his shot was cut off, then passed it out to Boucher. The center came down just in time to connect and flip a quick shot into the net.

Shore almost repeated his scoring feat on another solo, but Roach managed to stop two shots and Bun Cook deflected a third when the goalie was sprawled on the ice.

A moment later Bun Cook and Jerwa were penalized for roughing.

28 Mar, 1932, The Gazette

Cook puts Pit Lepine in hospital

28 Mar 1932, 16 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com

“Further misfortune visited the Canadiens in the third period of tonight’s game. In a terrific Canadien offensive, Pit Lepine and Bun Cook collided at center ice. The Canadien center went down heavily and as the play continued, he began to drag himself towards the bench. He was carried into the dressing room where a hurried examination revealed a broken right leg."

30 Mar, 1932, The Gazette
30 Mar 1932, 16 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com

The New Yorkers barged through for two goals, tied the score up at three-all and after over 59 minutes of overtime, Bun Cook counted the goal that gave Rangers a 4-3 victory.

6 Apr, 1932, Boston Globe

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“Bunny Cook was the most effective of the Rangers, getting the first and last of their tallies.

6 Apr, 1932, Ottawa Journal
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Happy Day and Bun Cook scored in the first and teams moved along evenly until the Leafs wild rampage cropped out in the second.

In a desperate struggle in the goal mouth, Bun Cook picked up the puck from Boucher and sent in another. From then on until the final few minutes Rangers went on a wild rampage.

Rangers tied the score at 1-1 a moment after the Leafs regained full strength, when the Cook brothers did their act as the battle raged far inside the Leafs defensive zone. Bill passed to Bun who was camped in front of the net and Chabot had almost no chance.

In the terrific going Red Horner and Bun Cook were chased for roughing.

Hard, rugged checking held off for a spell until a veritable swarm of players rammed in on Chabot. The red light flashed as Chabot, puck and players flopped into the cage.

The goal went to Bun Cook with an assist given to Boucher.

8 Apr, 1932, The Morning Call (Patterson NJ)
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“Jackson and Cotton scored the other Leaf goals, while Bun Cook and Doug Brennan put New York in the scoring column.

The Cook brothers shone to put New York out front early in the opening chapter, Bun Cook dragging the puck through three opponents to sink a low shot in the corner.”

25 Nov, 1932, Times Colonial (Victoria, BC)
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Scoring exploits of the Bread Line

2 Dec, 1932, Detroit Free Press

Bun knocks Dave Young out cold with massive, clean, hip check then gets rebound and leads attack passing to Dillon for goal

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“The disorder was caused by a questionable goal allowed the Rangers late in the third period following a bristling attack by five Red Wings on the Rangers’ goal. It was scored by Cecil Dillon after two plays had been completed while Doug Young lay prone on the ice, the victim of a hard body check by Bun Cook.

Young was carrying the puck down the left wing and cut loose a back hand shot that Goalie Aitkenhead stopped.

As Young got away the shot, Bun Cook hit him squarely in the middle with his hip, crashing Young into the fence. He dropped to the ice and Larry Aurie smacked the rebound back at Aitkenhead.

Young was still stretched out when Bun Cook picked up the second rebound and broke away with Dillon, leaving all of the Red Wings behind it was a simple matter for Dillon to take the pass five feet out and flick it home.

Members of both teams raced up and down the ice throughout the second period and the rival goal tenders turned every shot aside until only three minutes remained to be played when Bun Cook golfed brother Bill’s rebound into the net.”

7 Dec, 1932, Daily News
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The Cook Brothers kept the Garden ice too hot for the Red Devils last night and served steaming goals faster than Les Canadiens could take them. As a result the Rangers scored a 5-3 victory in an effervescent hockey game and kept pace with the Boston Bruins for leadership in the American division.

Bill and Bun each scored two goals.

Frank Boucher streaked through the French defense, passed back to Bun Cook before the goal and the latter’s shot was hard and true.

A minute later the front line went down again, with Boucher passing to Bill, who flipped to Bun, who made the goal.

9 Dec, 1932, Daily News

Pinpoint shooting

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The puck bounced away and Bun Cook whizzed up and flipped in a goal in 1:01.

Their joy was short lived, however, for the competent Cook brothers swung into action. Bun took a pass from Bill and sneaked it under the goalie’s elbow in 4:31.

26 Dec 1932, Daily News
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Bun Cook Gets Both NY Goals in Last Period

Mr. Cook did some fast and fancy skating and presented enough points to his New York hockey companions so that they could defeat the Montreal Maroons 2 to 0.

With prices somewhat reduced, the attendance swelled noticeably. More than 16,000 terraced themselves in the Garden and sat through two scoreless periods, but were rewarded when Bun Cook found opportunities to whiz the rubber past Goalie Walsh twice in the final period.

A knot of Montreal and New York skatesmen was revolving rapidly in front of the webbing when Frank Boucher of the Rangers suddenly slapped a pass to Bun Cook. Cook took a vigorous poke at the rubber and lifted it from the icing. It buzzed over Walsh’s right shoulder and when the Montreal goal minder turned around he discovered the disk was under his heels. The time of Cook’s first goal was 1:56.

With less than two minutes left to play, Bun Cook scored again.

6 Mar, 1933, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Cook brothers doing some PK work

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“The Rangers were short Ching Johnson when they scored their lone goal, the Cook brothers making a checker play of it.

Bill saw that he was about to be body checked in the second period and passed behind him to Bun who drew Thompson away from his net and passed the rubber into the string behind him.”

5 Apr, 1933, The Gazette
5 Apr 1933, 12 - The Gazette at Newspapers.com

SCF game

Bun Cook scores 1st goal of game in 5-1 win.

10 Apr, 1933, The Victoria Dailey Times (Victoria BC)

Team defense

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Even the heaviest scoring forward line in hockey, Bill and Bun Cook and Frankie Boucher, concentrated on defensive measures, checking back furiously like so many juniors.

15 Dec, 1933, Ottawa Journal

Scores game winner

Leads slick scoring effort

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Struggling with energy and no end of enterprise to secure at least an even split in the points, the Senator stampeded Rangers into a strictly defensive role after Bunny Cook had accounted for what proved the deciding goal two minutes and 40 seconds after the closing canto opened.

Bill Cook and Frank Boucher had a hand in the goal but it was the light haired Bunny who finally reefed it in. Bill sailed in behind the net in search of the rubber, nailed it and passed it out to Boucher. The latter replayed it further out where Bunny took charge and heaved it low through a maze of players for a goal. Beveridge missed it cleanly.

A five man attacked failed to change the complexion but the moment Johnson returned Boucher and Bun Cook finally clicked on a private scoring party which had failed in two previous attempts.

Darting away from near his own blue line, Cook sailed down the right wing, crossed the blue line in full swing.

He checked himself momentarily as if to shoot, then backhanded a pass to the trailing Boucher who promptly laid the rubber up at the mouth of the net. Half turned around and waiting for the return, Cook accepted it and whipped it behind Beveridge who had little chance to avert a score.

It was the play that settled the game, a characteristic effort on the part of the two veteran Ranger forwards and one that was accomplished with a polish and ease that drew rounds of applause from the crowd.

Within six minutes of the start of the second period Ottawa moved to within one goal of a tie before Bunny Cook sank his second counter.

29 Dec, 1933, Times Union

Scores game winner

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“Although it had unforeseen results, the tie was received with great hilarity in the Ranger camp and Bunny Cook’s third period goal, that brought off the deadlock, actually so convulsed the Blueshirts that they didn’t have the strength to try and win.

He returned to his place and the puck came to Bunny Cook after the face off. Bunny set himself and let fly from the blue line. The disc came whistling through the air, gave Hainsworth the horselaugh and would up amid the cords and loud guffaws”.

19 Jan, 1934, Daily News

multi point game

19 Jan 1934, 583 - Daily News at Newspapers.com

Cecil Dillon netted the second on a pass from Bun Cook in 16:14 with the Hawks undermanned.

Again Conacher exploded and again the Rangers scored, this time with Boucher denting the nets on passes from Cecil Dillon and Bun Cook.

In the third period, Bun Cook scored in 10:20 on assists from his brother Bill and Boucher.

26 Jan, 1934, Ottawa Citizen

Hat trick

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Bun Cook led the New York attack, getting three goals, while Ott Heller, Butch Keeling and Cecil Dillon accounted for the other three.

29 Jan, 1934, Times Union

More evidence of his hockey IQ and strategic innovation

Lulled Boston to sleep and scored great goal

29 Jan 1934, 11 - Times Union at Newspapers.com

“But for an effectively conceived bit of low down strategy by Bunny Cook, the prediction of Manger Art Ross that his Boston club would be transformed from clowns to champs by Eddie Shore’s return would have been realized in the Garden last night.

They went down fighting too, although a perceptible change in spirit induced by Bunny Cook’s treachery and fostered by the cleverness of Butch Keeling brought on their defeat.

Nearing the middle of the second chapter, the younger Cook put on the stunt that tore the nails out of the Bruins menace.

Three times he rushed the stronghold, holding the puck out invitingly on his extended blade. Three times he Bruins lunged for it and Bunny dropped it back for Bill or Frank Boucher. And three times the shorthanded Bruins had a close call but succeeded in clearing.

This was obviously getting the Rangers nowhere and the fans hollered for Boucher, but it was Bunny who ambled to the attack again.

Nonchalantly he skated across the Boston blue line and the Rangers spread in battle formation. Bunny’s stick was extended invitingly with the puck on the end. But the Bruins weren’t to be fooled. Not much.

They stood tensed, ready to rush the recipient of the drop pass. And they were still tensed, still poised only to rush forward when Bunny marched through with the puck and bore down on Tiny Thompson. Tiny of course, had no chance.”

2 Feb, 1934 Daily News
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The Cook family put the Rangers back into the altercation in the third period.

Bun, assisted by Bill, first teed off, then Bill himself, tying the score.

But Primeau hammered the Leafs into the lead a jiffy later, when less than four minutes were left to the shindy, Bun Cook made a drive that squared the match.

7 Feb, 1934, Daily News
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“The Rangers got off to a flying start two minutes and twenty seconds after hostilities began by caging the first tally.

Bun Cook took advantage of a traffic jam in front of Les Canadiens goal to slide the rubber past Chabot, the Canadien goal tender.

14 Feb, 1934, The Boston Globe

Couple of assists

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Shortly after the halfway mark the Rangers simply ran wild, scoring three times under a blanket of less than four minutes, just before the three quarters mark.

It was Boucher, Bun Cook and Cecil Dillon in that garrison finish for the Rangers, with Bun Cook getting in two assists and Seibert and Vic Ripley one each.

The Bruins defense was simply shot to bits.

Beattie made on heart breaking miss, and then the Rangers performed the tie-up act again when Boucher counted in pretty combination with Bun Cook and Earl Seibert.

The goal which made it 4 to 4 came in 11 minutes, 38 seconds, and in about a minute and a half later Earl Seibert again made up the play.

This time it was Bun Cook who shot from an angle before Thompson could get over.

23 Feb, 1934, Daily News

Cook and Boucher force Aurie into turnover on fore check, score goal

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The game was a bit beyond a minute old when Frank Boucher, snaring a pass from Bun Cook, banged the biscuit past Goalie Wilf Cude.

The second stanza, as hard fought as the first, remained scoreless until 17:30, when Larry Aurie, skating leisurely behind his own goal with the rubber, suddenly found himself trapped by Boucher and Bun Cook.

They took it from him. Bun flicked it off the end boards and Murray Murdoch, on fixed post before the net, caught the disk and shot by Goalie Cude.

23 Feb, 1934, Detroit Free Press

Cook's corner work highlighted.

Outmuscled two players along boards to get a pass off to net front for goal

Brilliant fienting noted

https://www.newspapers.com/image/97659285/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Frank Boucher scored the opening goal on a clever pass from Bun Cook.

Almost at the outset of the first period, Bun Cook outwrestled two Detroiters along the end boards and passed out in front of the cage. Boucher stepped in fast and batted the puck into the goal.

Bun Cook gave a brilliant exhibition of feinting to get in for a close up shot that brought a remarkable save from Cude.

21 Mar, 1934, Ottawa Journal

PK work

https://www.newspapers.com/image/46124189/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Ching Johnson was chased for dumping Bill MacKenzie as he rushed.

Bun Cook and Earl Seibert put up a great defense as Maroons pressed with five men up the ice.

As Ching came back Hooley Smith was sent off for boarding Cecil Dillon.

2 Nov, 1934, Windsor Star
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The third period opened with a burst of speed from the Red Shirts.

Dillon made good on a pass from Bun Cook after four minutes, and Keeling put Rangers ahead on a pretty solo effort a minute later.

19 Nov, 1934, Times Union

Boucher and Cook's superior hockey IQ noted

Dillon noted to be faster skater at this point

https://www.newspapers.com/image/576214533/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Bill was in great shape, nobody on the club but Earl Seibert and Bunny Cook, looked better.

Frank Boucher and Bunny were ill at ease because of Cecil Dillons’s greater speed. Cecil was upset by Frank and Bunny’s superior hockey intelligence.

His embarrassment was marked after Frank and Bunny engineered the Rangers “perfect play” and he batted up the final pass for the goal. His presence however, made Boucher free to go in deep with his plays and this single factor will eventually show heavily in the scoring column.

(edited in from dishing the dirt)
Times Union, 27 Nov, 1934:

Defensively he is "star among star forwards"

Habit of arriving at crucial moments to clear puck

"Bunny stands out as a great natural skater, possibly the finest there is"

"Defensively, though, he is a star among star forwards. In 9 seasons the writer hasn't seen him make a wrong move on defense, and during that time has saved probably 300 sure goals.

"Bunny has a habit of arriving from nowhere at the crucial instant and grabbing a loose puck just as it rebounds and just before the opponent swats it into the net"

24 Dec, 1934, Ottawa Journal

Cook's deadly sniping noted

Pinpoint goal scored again shows he improved his accuracy over time

https://www.newspapers.com/image/46268142/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Dave Kerr and Bun Cook Shine in Match at the Forum

“Deadly sniping of Bun Cook, and the sensational goal tending of Davie Kerr earned New York Rangers a 2-1 victory over Montreal Maroons in a NHL game here Saturday night.

The veteran front line combination of Bill Cook, Bun Cook, and Frank Boucher accounted for both the Ranger goals on typical plays of this trio.

Frank Boucher started both plays, sweeping smoothly over the blue line and relaying the puck smartly to Bill Cook.

Bun Cook in each case got a perfect pass from his brother from close in.

Bun Cook snapped in his two goals with well-placed shots, one of them knifing through the narrow space between Alex Connell’s elbow and the goal.”

26 Dec, 1934, Brooklyn Daily Eagle

PK work

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Bunny was right-the Rangers didn’t squander their lead and the way Bill and Bun Cook, Frankie Boucher and Seibert stood of the five forwards sent on by Joe Simpson in the last period, when the Rangers lost Mason for two minutes for hooking, was a sample of Ranger superiority.

The Blue Shirts deserved to win this one, which evened the city series.

9 Jan, 1935, The Gazette
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“After a scoreless first period, Rangers flashed into the lead after four minutes of the middle session had passed.

Frank Boucher fed Bun Cook a pass and the winger counted on Connell from a difficult angle on the left side of the net.

For the Rangers, Davie Kerr was the outstanding star, with Harold Starr and Bun Cook showing up to good advantage.”

6 Feb, 1935, The Gazette

Scores game winner

Perfect pass leads to goal earlier

https://www.newspapers.com/image/419784765/?terms=bun cook&match=1

The winning marker of a 5-4 victory came with only 15 seconds to play from the stick of Bun Cook who scored his second goal of the night. Two tallies by the younger Cook beat Maroons 2-1 on December 22.

Left uncovered in front of the Maroon cage, Bun took Heller’s passout from behind the cage and drilled a shot to the corner. Connell thrust his leg out in time only to partially block the shot. The puck bounced off his toe and rolled only about a foot. But it dropped over the goal line as Connell made a belated and frantic clutch for the elusive rubber and by a mere matter of inches Rangers had added their 13th victory to their remarkable showing since Kerr joined the club.

Rangers reclaimed one of these tallies before the session ended when Butch Keeling slapped home Bun Cook’s perfect pass from close in and the same Keeling tied the score in eh 10th minute of the middle session on Connolly’s fine pass.

The first of Bun Cook’s two tallies gave the Rangers the lead for the first time a minute later, but Bill Miller’s drive cross fire shot tied it up four minutes later.

8 Feb, 1935, The Bangor Daily News (Bangor Maine)

Maine paper with major remarks on the impact Bun Cook had on the Bread Line

https://www.newspapers.com/image/664785884/?terms=bun cook&match=1

Bun Cook is Bill’s younger brother.

He is the least publicized of the trio, but is as instrumental in the success of the Rangers as Boucher or Bill.

He plays left wing, and teamed up with the former mounty and his brother, acts like a blocking back in a football game. All work and little recognition on All-America teams.

Bun is just as important to the trio’s attack as Bill or Boucher.

Each is dependent on the other for the perfect team play they display. And that’s what enables the Rangers to ride so rough and what has enabled them to ride for such a great distance.

10 Mar, 1935, St Louis Globe Democrat
https://www.newspapers.com/image/573347556/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“The Blue Shirts, however, never relented a furious pace, and the last two counters were by Patrick from Bun Cook and Boucher from both Bill and Bun Cook.”

11 Sep, 1936, Star Phoenix

Hops on agile skates like a "bunny"

https://www.newspapers.com/image/508184548/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

“Fred Cook, better known as Bunny, and who hops about on agile skates not unlike a rabbit, was sold yesterday by New York Rangers to Boston Bruins. The deal signalized the breaking up of a forward line ranked among the greatest the sport has known the last decade.

The sale of Bun Cook marks the breaking up of a Ranger attack line that was one of the most colorful and most effective in the long history of the winter pastime.

Bunny is now 32 years old.

Right from their debut in the National circuit, the Cooks and “Gentleman Frankie” were stars. The Cooks were deft skaters and veritable magicians with the puck. The slender Ottawan, was and still is one of the games really great playmakers."

2 Nov, 1937, Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg PA)

Pennsylvania paper calling Cook one of greatest left wingers hockey ever

https://www.newspapers.com/image/41496994/?terms=bun cook&match=1

“Bun Cook who was one of the greatest left wingers ice hockey ever knew, will play for the Providence Reds tomorrow nite when the Hershey Bears get some more workout”

15 Dec, 1942, Edmonton Journal

Long retired, Roy Conacher stickhandling reminds fans of Bun Cook. Had simliar shots.

Famous fake shot noted as well

https://www.newspapers.com/image/468877191/?terms=bunny cook&match=1

Vic May of the Saskatoon Star says Roy Conacher reminds fans there of Bunny Cook.


While the Conacher blistering shot caught the eye of the fans Vic writes, his tricky stickhandling reminded many an old-timer of Bunny Cook when he teamed with brother Bill on the front line for Saskatoon Sheiks. Bunny had a style all his own of quickly shifting the puck around his opponents and this couple with his famous fake shot, made him one of the deadliest marksmen in professional ranks.

Conclusion?

1. Cook was very good defensively.

I think, having read such a large portion of the Rangers exploits from 1926 through 1935/36, that Cook was the best all around defensive player on the Rangers though total impact is probably between he and Boucher.

Frank Boucher's poke check is noted often and many times it's held in the highest of regards. The most consistent part to Boucher's defensive game was that it often took place in neutral ice. He played a defensive style very similar to Nighbor, not surprising as they are very similar players. Boucher had a devastating impact around center ice.

But Cook was noted to be an impact all over the ice. He battled in corners, was a physical presence, something Boucher was not. He blocked shots, flung himself in front of the goal to save sure markers, was, IMO, the most heavily used player when the Rangers were down a man and clearly was thought of as good or better than anyone in the league at ragging the puck a man (or more) down.

And you see a career spanning mention of his defensive exploits. Being called such things as "star among stars, defensively".

You also see the praise in numerous city papers, not just NY.

Regardless, I think it's safe to say that the Selke's and Patrick's of the world who talked about his defensive game after he was retired are quite accurate. He was a a good one.


2. Impact of the Bread Line was significant

Another key conclusion, especially after examining all the above information, is that Bun Cook was instrumental to the success of the Bread Line.

He was clearly noted as a catalytic presence and drove the line at various times.

No doubt he wasn't as good as Bill or Frank, but his all around game was critical to the success.

You see, in multiple city papers, across a wide span of time talking about how, in the rare instance Cook was out of the line up (he didn't miss many games), the negative impact it had on the chemistry and performance was striking.

This wasn't a guy who was bland, vanilla, riding the coat tails of two superior players.


3. His skating and stickhandling were clearly elite and that made him an excellent PK player

So many mentions of his usage on the kill, with numerous exploits of his puck ragging, again in multiple city papers, highlights the impact Bun had for the Rangers while short handed.

His skating allowed him to give his team valuable time to rest, clearly skillful enough with the puck on his stick to elude slower players at faster speeds. He didn't just dump pucks. Smarts.

And this obviously was a huge benefit in terms of transition, being able to make brilliant end to end dashes or working in combination with other players.


4. He was quite physical and good in the corners

One of the biggest revelations was Cook's status as a big, husky, player who had loads of speed and wasn't afraid to use his size to his advantage.

He put Lepine in the hospital at center ice. He knocked Doug Young out cold with a huge/clean hip check.

He was an able and willing fighter, going up against some tough customers.

There were multiple instances of him winning puck battles along the boards, in the trenches, outmuscling multiple defenders to get passes or shots off, more than once leading to goals.

You see the scouting reports, writers first hand accounts of his body checking. Apparently learned the art of body checking from George McNamara in the jumor ranks, who IIRC, was a big time checker himself. One of the very first entries into the bio talks about his reckless, physical play.

I don't think he was quite on Northcott's level physically, but then again, Cook was better offensively, almost surely as good defensively, faster, and I'd wager smarter player.


5. Star power

Was actually surprised to see how popular he was.

Got great reactions no matter where he went. Folks like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig apparently praised him.

Ed Sullivan (yes, the same guy) talked about how electrifying Cook could be at peak performance.

Fans seemed to love him.

He was obviously overshadowed by Bill, but make no mistake, Bun was a known commodity.

Also, probably lost out on an AS nod in 1929-30 (the NHL wouldn't introduce those officially until the following year). He was peaking in the late 20's/early 30's.

 

[Dreakmur]

Brian Sutter !!!

As a coach, I can preach hard work and determination, but Brian shows them on the ice.

Tough, durable and a goal-scorer besides... Pound-for-pound, one of best scrappers in league...

Foundation of team's rebuilding... Youngest player ever to captain the Blues... Earned respect with offensive skills and relentless effort... Tough and ornery...

Tough, hard-working, dedicated... Blues' captain...

Team captain who sets standard of hard work and dedication... compensates for lack of pure skill with ambition and aggressiveness... Smart attacker...

Sutter isn't pretty or smooth and he proves that hard work can produce goals.

....

Not a great skater or stickhandler, doesn't have a big shot... His 46 goals last season prove what determination and hard work can accomplish... Tough and aggressive...

Not especially talented but a splendid player who demonstrates what can be done through hard work and aggressiveness... Voted toughest player in the league in a poll of coaches...

In Brian Sutter the Blues have one of the league's best cornermen, workers and leaders.

....

One of the game's most respected leaders and one of its better players, too... Incredibly hard worker... Strong, smart, and as evidenced by his scoring at least 30 goals in each of his last five seasons, a pretty good touch around the net...

A tempest... The NHL's most influential leader... Players come home from All-Star Game talking about him as much as the game itself... Team captain... God have mercy on the teammate who doesn't live up to his demands.

 

[ResilientBeast]

Lennart Svedberg
​

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[/quote]

Commentary from the HOH non-NHL Euros project

Found this post in the International Hockey Reference thread which gives a possible explanation to this.

Svedbergs high-risk high-reward style of play is also mentioned in his Swedish HHOF profile.

"Han kunde förivra sig i farliga lägen framför egen bur och glömma markeringen, för att i nästa sekund få en hel publik att tjuta av förtjusning när han på sitt eleganta vis snitsade sig förbi motståndarförsvaret."

He could act hastily in dangerous situations in front of his own net and forget his marking, just to in the next second make the whole audience howl with delight when he in his elegant manner made his way past the opposing defence.

Even if Svedbergs strong Swedish all-star record shows that he was highly regarded domestically too I get the feeling that his style of play was not as highly appreciated by the swedish observers as by the international ones at the time. With this said I would also like to add that Svedberg has a very strong legacy in Sweden and that I personally think that he soon should be added to the list. Of the defencemen I have both Sologubov and Ragulin ahead of him at the moment though.

I have paraphrased three contemporary comments on the performance of Lennart Svedberg (and Jan Suchý) at the 1970 World Championship. They are taken from a Soviet recap of the tournament published in December 1970. I intend to post more from this publication later on as time permits. Here are the paraphrases of the comments dealing explicitly with Svedberg:

Aleksandr Kolodny and Dmitry Ryzhkov (both journalists):
In the first round of the WHC, Svedberg's offensive play earned him the praise of the international journalists. According to Kolodny and Ryzhkov the essence of their praise amounted to the claim that Svedberg was a "great forward" (!). However, team coach Arne Strömberg thought this offensive play was not always to the benefit of the team, so he made Svedberg play more conservatively. Apparently with good results: Kolodny and Ryzhkov say that the pairing of Lennart Svedberg and Arne Carlsson "was probably the most reliable" one in the second round of the WHC.

Oleg Spassky (journalist):
Spassky quotes Tarasov and says he was certainly right when he said that Suchý and Svedberg are offensive defencemen who love to play at the forefront of the attack. Both are great players, but Spassky has an objection: their play is not without risk. For example, in the first WHC game between Sweden and Finland (March 17, Finland won 3-1) Svedberg gave the puck away on one of his forays which led to a breakaway opportunity for the Finns who promptly scored to make it 1-0. The Soviet defencemen, Spassky says, were "less visible" than Svedberg and Suchý because they played "safer" and with "strict tactical discipline" – in Spassky's eyes "a testimony of moral maturity".

Dmitry Boginov (coach):
Boginov is among the critics of Suchý and Svedberg. He says that in 1969 both players were recognized as exemplary "modern attacking defencemen" for being reliable defensively and for participating in the offence. In 1970 however the defensive reliability was missing, says Boginov. His original condemnation had already been published during the WHC tournament in the "Sovietsky Sport" newspaper where Boginov claimed he wouldn't like to have someone playing like Suchý or Svedberg on his own team. Boginov concedes that this original criticism had possibly been too brusque, but he repeats that he is not convinced Suchý and Svedberg were the best defencemen at the 1970 WHC. The brilliance displayed by both players in their individual forays was sure to draw the applause of the audience, but did it actually help their teams to win? Every time they lost the puck the opponent had a good opportunity for a counterattack. In the first game against Finland Jan Suchý got 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists), but he also had "four or five blunders in defence", one resulting in a goal for Finland. Lennart Svedberg played very well offensively against the Soviets, but in the second match Boris Mikhailov had three breakaway opportunities because Svedberg, "joining the attack, forgot his defensive duties". Boginov concludes that these "attacking defencemen" had essentially turned into forwards and that a real demonstration of what modern defencemen should play like was rather given by players like Oldřich Machač (Czechoslovakia), Arne Carlsson (Sweden) and Juha Rantasila (Finland) who also joined in the attack but only when it was safe to do so. What about the Soviets? According to Boginov the Soviet defencemen failed to contribute offensively like modern defencemen should. Being unable to combine defensive reliability with offensive contribution, they rightly focused on their core job: to defend.

Other Commentary from HOH board

@VMBM

Then Lennart Svedberg, continuing straight from Suchy:
Originally Posted by Jyrki Laelma

(...) A similar kind of player was also Lennart Svedberg, Sweden's most promising defenceman of all-time, the predecessor of Börje Salming, <the one> whom erratic life-style lifted up and lowered, dropped and lifted up <again> until that day when a car-accident ended all at once.
"Lill-Strimma" was a hockey wunderkind, an artist, who was sometimes content with playing just for himself and for the audience without caring about the team at all. Svedberg, who was born on leap day in 1944, started in the <Swedish> league as a 16-year old and a year later was playing for Tre Kronor - successfully of course: in his first international game (in Stockholm against Czechoslovakia) he was naturally the player who weaved his way up the ice and scored the 3-3 equalizer for Sweden.
At that moment he was a forward sensation.
He was a sensation anyway: Svedberg never enjoyed playing on the same team for many seasons. During the first years he went from Wifstra/Östrand to Grums and from Grums to Brynäs - <but> because Brynäs was full of national team level forwards anyway, Thure Wickberg made Strimma a defenceman.
Nobody had to regret this move. Still, the joy did not last long - when he got what he wanted (the Swedish championship), Svedberg moved to Mora. And from Mora to Timrå.
Many eyes followed Svedberg on the ice: the Detroit Red Wings took him to their training camp. CSKA Moscow invited him to their summer camps.
The IIHF Directorate named him the best defenceman of the 1970 World Championships; Svedberg shrugged his shoulders, patted the smaller Suchy on the head and said out loud: 'Sorry Jan - those poor old men don't understand this game!'

Quotes from the Calgary Herald - mostly repeated by the Globe and Mail

January 8, 1968

The Soviet Union 4-2 victory over Canada's national team in the deciding game of the Canadian International hockey tournament......

The other all-star selections were goaltender Leif Holmqvist of Sweden, defenceman Lennart Svedberg of Sweden, center Victor Populpanov and left wing Anatoli Firsov of Russia, and Roger Bourbonnais of Canada

March 31, 1969

The all-star forward line picked by the news media had Anatoli Firsov of Russia at LW, Nedomansky at RW, and Ulf Sterner at center. The all-star defencemen were Jan Suchy of Czechoslovakia and Lennart Svedberg of Sweden.

January 12, 1970

Star defenceman Lennart Svedberg.....

The Globe and Mail Feb 19, 1968

Two rushing defensemen were named as all-stars Jan Suchy of Czechoslovakia and Lennard Svedberg of Sweden

The Montreal Gazette - 22 févr. 1969

Svedberg is an excellent puck carrier.....

The Montreal Gazette - 31 mars 1969

Swedish coach Arne Stromberg said his plan was to check heavily - he dressed six defensemen - and break up the Czech patterns. Big Lennart Svedberg did just that, upsetting one Czech foray after another. Svedberg and Suchy were picked as the all-star defenceman in a poll of sports writers at the tournament.

The Montreal Gazette - 21 mars 1970

Besides Holmqvisty, another heo of the Swedish victory was Lennart Svedberg a Soviet0-trained defenceman. He stickhandled the length of the ice to set up Carlsson's goal

This next section is a copy and paste with mod/god powers of Rob Scuderi's bio from 2015

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.

[/collapse]

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)

[/collapse]

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.

[/collapse]

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.

[/collapse]

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.

[/collapse]

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"

[/collapse]

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

[/collapse]

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]

Henrik Lundqvist !!!

Awards and Achievements:
Olympic Gold Medallist (2006)
Olympic Silver Medallist (2014)

Vezina Trophy (2012)

First Team All-Star (2012)
Second Team All-Star (2013)

Olympic All-Star (2014)
IIHF All-Star (2004)

Hart voting - 3rd(2012), 9th(2006), 14th(2011)

Vezina voting - 1st(2012), 2nd(2013), 3rd(2006), 3rd(2007), 3rd(2008), 4th(2011), 5th(2015), 6th(2009), 6th(2010), 6th(2015)
All-Star voting - 1st(2012), 2nd(2013), 3rd(2006), 4th(2008), 5th(2011)

Ranked 24 among all players and 2 among goalies

The absence of a lights-out playoff run prevents Lundqvist from being higher on the list, but in the regular season few goaltenders have put together his impressive body of work.

Ranked 19 among all players and 1 among goalies

He couldn't win the Stanley Cup he so craves, but that was hardly Lundqvist's fault. He's the heartbeat of a Rangers team that relies on him heavily.

Ranked 24 among all players and 3 among goalies

The Rangers found out what is was like without Luqvist for an extended period for the first time in his career: His injury had no effect on his play, but the time to win the Cup is now.

 

[Dreakmur]

Bill White !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Summit Series Winner (1972)

3 x Second Team All-Star (1972, 1973, 1974)

Norris - 3rd(1972), 3rd(1973), 3rd(1974), 7th(1968), 7th(1971), 9th(1969)
All-Star - 3rd(1972), 3rd(1974), 4th(1973), 6th(1971), 7th(1969), 7th(1975), 9th(1968)

Offensive Accomplishments:
Points among Defensemen - 4th(1968), 5th(1973), 10th(1969)

Play-off Points among Defensemen - 5th(1968), 5th(1969), 6th(1973), 6th(1974), 7th(1970), 10th(1971)

Scoring Percentages:
Even Strength Points among Defensemen - Percentage - 97(1968), 80(1973), 77(1972), 69(1970), 60(1971), 59(1969)

Best 6 Seasons: 440


1974 NHL Coaches' Poll:
1st Best Defensive Defenseman

1975 NHL Correspondents Poll:
1st Best Defensive Defenseman

1976 NHL Coaches' Poll:
2nd Best Defensive Defenseman

Ultimate Hockey's Best Defensive Defenseman of the 1970s

A relatively late bloomer, Bill White developed into one of the game's steadiest defensemen. Although he didn't play in the NHL until he was 28 years old, he enjoyed an exemplary 11-year career. While playing with the Chicago Black Hawks, he formed one of the top blue line tandems in the league with Pat Stapleton. He was an effective positional rearguard who didn't have to play rough to achieve his goals.

...Chicago tried to acquire the lanky defender (from Springfield) but, as was his style, Shore demanded too much in return. In the meantime, White's mental toughness and defensive game were strengthened as he played under one of the strictest coaches in the history of the game. In May 1967 White finally caught a break when his rights were acquired by the expansion Los Angeles Kings. White went on to demonstrate the benefit of increased roster space for NHL-caliber players.

White scored 38 points in 74 games as a "rookie" in 1967-68 and helped solidify the club's blue line. Many felt he outplayed Calder Trophy winner Derek Sanderson, but the fact that he was 28 years old may have played a role in his not winning the top rookie honors. He played one more full season on the West Coast and led all West Division backliners with 28 assists. Then his career changed forever when he was involved in a multi-player trade with Chicago in February 1970. The Hawks were in the midst of jumping from last to first in the standings in one season and were assembling a top-flight defensive unit to play ***** ****'s style of hockey.

It was in the Windy City with defense partner Pat Stapleton, that White found his niche as a pro. Playing superb defense and making smart offensive plays when called upon, White helped the Black Hawks reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1971 and 1973 and was placed on the NHL Second All-Star Team for three straight years from 1972 to 1974.

A high point in his career came when he played seven of the eight games for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series versus the USSR. White's only goal of the series was a crucial one that tied the score 3-3 in the second period of the eighth and deciding match. It was his textbook defense and ability to thwart opposition attacks without ending up in the penalty box that made White such an important member of the blue line corps.

White remained a pillar on the Chicago defense after his long-time partner Stapleton joined the WHA in 1973. White's career was ended by an injury he suffered during the 1976 quarterfinals versus the Montreal Canadiens. While chasing a puck in the corner, Habs forwards Doug Jarvis and Bob Gainey converged on him, causing White to fall awkwardly into the boards. He was diagnosed with an injury to the cervical nerves route and wasn't able to gain full use of his right arm for months.

Bill White's road to stardom was long, although it wasn't until after the famous Summit Series in 1972 against the Russians that he got the recognition among the fans that he deserved as arguably the league's best defensive defenseman.

White was selected by Canada's coach to bolster the defense and Bill proved to be the calm and collected defenseman needed in such a series. Bill White was an outstanding defenseman with Team Canada 1972, contributing 1 goal and 1 assist in seven games played. Not exactly a flashy player, White's inclusion on the team may have surprised casual hockey fans, but certainly not his teammates.

White of course counts game eight as his favorite memory of the series - Henderson's goal and the celebrations. But don't forget the Canadians had to kill off the final 34 seconds of the game following Henderson's goal - 34 seconds which felt like an eternity.

Who was put out on the ice to help kill off the final seconds? Bill White. In fact it was White who relieved the pressure the Soviets were applying late in the game when he flipped the puck high down the ice. White's clearing attempt was perfect, as it was not far enough for icing. That effectively killed off the rest of the game.

The Russians constantly praised White for his steady and classy play.

...Eddie Shore was every hockey player's nightmare and Bill's situation wasn't any different. Although Bill was clearly good enough for the NHL, Shore denied him the opportunity to play in the NHL. Several teams showed their interest in Bill but quickly changed their minds when Shore told them what he wanted in return.

...White made his NHL debut for Los Angeles as a 28-year old. He played a steady, cautious game with few errors, relying on his lengthy reach and surprisingly mobile skating ability. He was the kind of defensemen most fans and media won't notice during a game, but his coach and teammates appreciate.

A contract dispute lead to strained relations with the Kings, and ultimately a trade to Chicago. At the time of his arrival, Chicago's anchor on defense Pat Stapleton was injured. Bill filled that spot more than adequately and the duo became a vital cog for the Chicago defense for years.

Coach ***** **** was especially thankful to have White on his blue line.

"He's not spectacular, but he does a solid, workman-like job. He doesn't make too many mistakes. He's not going to dazzle anyone, but he's just the steady, dependable sort of defenseman we need."

Bill's steady but unspectacular play saw him appear in six straight All-Star games between 1969-74. He was also a 2nd team All-Star for three consecutive seasons between 1972-74. He helped the Hawks reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1971 and 1973, though they came up short both times.

Although White was robbed of many good years in the NHL he managed to play in 604 regular season games and 91 playoff games until he retired after the 1975-76 season.

An editorial in The Hockey News said, "He isn't a heavy hitter, but he locks up attackers in his long arms, reaches out and lifts the puck from them and clears it by skating out with strong, sure strokes or by laying a perfect pass on a teammate's stick"... After the Summit Series, one of the Soviet coaches praised the effort of "that bald fellow" on defense. White's strong play didn't go undetected, as he won honours as Canada's co-player of the game for Canada following the seventh game... After Stapleton left, he often teamed effectively with **** *******, who said playing with White was "like going to school for defensemen".

Living with Shore would either teach a player one hell of a lot about hockey, or turn him into a basket case. In White's case, he became a damn good defenseman. He's long and tall and does his job without fanfare. He can lug the puck out with great speed and elan, but his forte is behind the blue line.

Bill White was often described as the league's best defensive defenseman during his career, possessing defensive skills that were nearly flawless. While on the ice, he emphasized keeping things in order in the Hawks end and feeding accurate passes to the forwards... The fact that he wasn't a great goal-scoring defenseman wasn't because he didn't have the ability to be one. Rather, it was because of the strict defensive system that the coach emphasized... "We tried to get him out of Springfield several times", explained Tommy Ivan...

He notched a career-high 11 goals as a rookie and always moved the puck well to his forwards, but White's primary contribution was on defense. "He's darn hard to get around because of his height and reach. He is a good, sound player who takes his man into the boards but doesn't get you into trouble with stupid penalties.", said his coach.

A superlative defenseman...not flashy but consistently efficient. He fit the Blackhawks' scheme like a glove, and his steadying influence was the perfect match for the team's exuberant spirit... Often described as the league's best defenseman during his career.

Bill White was the same way, no big advance notices, just a solid, stand up defenseman who played as well at his position as anyone we had.

...as opposed to a ******* or White, who could protect their goalies by poking the puck away from opponents, and knew how to maneuver them into the boards...

I never liked Bill White (prior to the summit series)... Bill White always played a steady game. He was an all-star and played exceptionally well... Our defense corps in '74 wasn't as good at the 1972 team because that team had Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe, Bill White - that group of guys knew how to play.

Our own Billy White, for example, masters the corners by stealing the puck right off an opponent's stick.... an easygoing, gentle sort of guy who psyches himself up for games just like a rookie. Bill can suddenly turn not so gentle if he's pushed.

Bill White remembers feeling honoured to be asked to play on Team Canada, but also feeling he has a duty to do it, "lke going and being on jury duty. You can't turn it down."... inserted into the lineup for game 2, Stapleton and White were so effective that they played the rest of the series... Both Savard and White are tall and have long arms; reach will make a difference in checking the Soviet forwards, who often move too fast, or pass too elusively, to bodycheck... (in the closing seconds of game 7) Bill White and Pat Stapleton threw their bodies all over the ice to block Soviet shots in the closing seconds...

Bill White, tall, lean, and cobra-bent, was already in 1972 a veteran... Eschewing the power game, he played with great finesse, using his long arms and stick to break up plays, sending his teammates into open ice with clever, penetrating passes.

On the ice he looked much taller than he actually was... In action, White was a mixed bag of contradictions. His compact skating style was a cross between stride and glide that was fluid but never appeared to move his large frame quickly enough, although he was always there, in the road, blocking the way. He used his skates well, smothering loose pucks in the corner, and had unusually large, beefy hands at the end of a reach bordering on illegal. He was inordinately strong and was workmanlike in the corners and in front of the net, where he could wrestle with the biggest centres or drape himself all over the small ones like a construction scaffold. He was a deft passer and had no problem jumping into the rush. At his best weight, 200 pounds, he was spread sparsely over a lean frame, but he packed a punishing check when the opportunity merited, and with his reach, size, and skating style, he seemed to be in several places at once. Understandably he was a coach's dream, and in the realm of defensemen he was simply an outstanding example of how to play the game most efficiently and effectively.

Leafs are seeking to bolster their rookie defense, one reason Gregory is interested in Bill White of Los Angeles... "I'd have to be out of my mind if I didn't want White," Gregory said... White, 30, is considered one of two or three good defensemen in the expansion division... Los Angeles coach Hal Laycoe said: "White's a big part of his team. He doesn't put people in the building like Bobby Hull, but in a modest way he's our Hull."

The Complete Handbook Of Pro Hockey 1972]Was always rated one of the best defensemen in the minor leagues... one of the tallest defensemen in the league and one of the best puckhandlers too...

In addition to his modesty is his remarkable ability to psyche up for games just as if he were a rookie. Seeing such great desire in a 33-year old pro is a true inspiration. And Bill's rock-solid teperament has a Gilbraltarlike infulence on the Black Hawks today... picture me and Bill bent way over in our stalls - concentrating like mad before the start of a big game. "Maggy", he murmurs, giving me a nudge of reassurance, "winning's the only way." This has now become one of my favourite expressions.

White's defensive mistakes over a season can be counted on the fingers of Goal-tender Tony Esposito's left hand.

Penalty Killing:
Bill White killed 65% of his team's penalties, which were 12% better then league average.

Chicago was killing penalties better than even Ramsay's Sabres, Orr's Bruins, and Gainey's mighty Habs. Only the Parent-led Flyers were better during this time.

In the 1977 season, Chicago's first without White, their PK% dropped to 78.01%, 13th out of 18 teams. This represents a 29% increase in goals against per opportunity.

The LA Kings took a bit of a tumble after trading White, too. In their two full seasons with White, they killed 79.73% of their penalties. In the two full seasons after, it was 76.43%. This was a 16% increase in goals against per opportunity.

Bill White was by far the most important member of the NHL's 2nd-best penalty kill. During his 6 full seasons in Chicago, he was on the ice for 60% more PPGA than any other player, and had twice as many as all but two players. His per-game average was double all but five players, and only Stapleton and someone else had even 2/3 as many PPGA/GP as White.

​

 

[Dreakmur]

Ryan McDonagh !!!


Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup Champion (2020)

Norris voting - 8th(2014), 8th(2019), 11th(2012), 11th(2015)

Offensive Accomplishments:
Points among Defensemen- 15th(2019), 18th(2014), 18th(2017)
Even Strength Points among Defensemen - 5th(2013), 6th(2019), 7th(2012), 16th(2014)

Play-off Points among Defensemen - 2nd(2014), 9th(2015)

Scoring Percentages:
Even Strength Points - Percentage - 88(2012), 85(2013), 80(2019), 67(2014), 65(2016), 62(2017)
Best 6 Seasons: 447





Ice Time:
PK TOI - 1st(2017), 1st(2018), 1st(2019), 1st(2020), 1st(2021), 2nd(2012), 2nd(2013), 2nd(2014), 2nd(2015), 2nd(2016), 4th(2011)

Killed 55% of penalties for teams 16% better than league average.

Can log a lot of ice time and play in all game situations, including a shutdown role. Has good size, mobility, physicality and offensive acumen. Also has a good shot and a strong skating stride. Is not a natural power-play quarterback or high-octane offensive defenseman, so he should not be counted on as a first offensive option from the back end at the National Hockey League level.

Ranked 22 among all players and 6 among defensemen

The playoffs were McDonagh's coming-out party, but those who have watched him closely over the years already knew how valuable he is to his team.

....

The 'D' stabilized in the second half, led by Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. McDonagh, who blossomed offensively, is a future Norris Trophy contender.

Ranked 26 among all players and 8 among defensemen

For the second straight season, McDonagh was the best player on the Rangers in the playoffs. And he wasn't bad in the regular season, either.

Ryan's one of the most complete defensemen in the NHL. Not only does he skate so well, but he does a lot of the gritty things - blocks shots, gets in the corner, clears the front of the net. He's great at moving the puck, he's great at joining the rush, so he can play any style you want.

 

[overpass]

John Carlson, D

​

Awards
2018-19 NHL 2nd team All-Star
2019-20 NHL 1st team All-Star

Won the Stanley Cup in 2018 with Washington, leading the Capitals in ice time (25:38/game) and in goals, assists, and points by a defenceman (5-15-20 in 24 GP).

Scoring Finishes
1st in defenceman scoring in 2017-18 (15-53-68)
4th in defenceman scoring in 2018-19 (13-57-70)
1st in defenceman scoring in 2019-20 (15-60-75 in only 69 games played)

Statistical Notes from Carlson's historic 2019-20 season

• With 49 even strength points (13-36-49) in 69 games in 2019-20, Carlson was on pace for a 15-43-58 even strength line if the season had finished. That point total would surpass Erik Karlsson’s 56 even strength points (15-41-56) in 2015-16 for the most single season even strength points by a defenceman since Paul Coffey left Edmonton.
• Carlson had 38 first assists in 2019-20. Since 1993-94, only Brent Burns has had more first assists by a defenceman in a season (39 in 2018-29). Carlson just needed 2 assists in his last 13 games to surpass Burns.

Situational Stats

• Since Carlson's first full season in 2010-11, he has an EV% of 40%, PP% of 57%, and a SH% of 49%.
• He is one of 9 players to have at least an EV% of at least 38%, a PP% of at least 50%, and a SH% of at least 40% over this time. The others? Alex Pietrangelo, Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty, Ryan Suter, Mark Giordano, Shea Weber, Roman Josi, and Kris Letang.

2010-11 through 2019-20

Player	GP	EV%	PP%	SH%
Alex Pietrangelo	741	43%	53%	55%
Duncan Keith	734	42%	54%	51%
Drew Doughty	756	43%	69%	50%
Ryan Suter	749	44%	71%	50%
Mark Giordano	698	39%	65%	53%
John Carlson	735	40%	57%	49%
Shea Weber	670	39%	69%	53%
Roman Josi	632	43%	59%	45%
Kris Letang	591	44%	78%	43%

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Quotes
The Athletic, Scott Burnside, June 9, 2020

“It’s a timeworn chestnut to say a player makes other players around him better, but with Carlson, it’s how he does it. He makes more time and space for his defence partner – usually Michal Kempny – and his wingers and centers maybe more than any other defenseman in the NHL right now, Cohen said.

“He doesn’t bring one forechecker, he brings two,” Cohen said. “If you watch him move up and down the ice. It’s easy for him. He brings so much attention and he’s so good at distributing the puck from his own goal line to center ice.”

“If I’m a forward I want to be on the ice when he’s on the ice because I’m going to have time and space.”

Paul Coffey

He’s got good leadership skills. He’s strong, and I don’t mean physically. He’s strong mentally. He knows who he is and he’s not afraid to make plays.

 

[ted2019]

​

​

 

[Voight]

Claude Giroux !!​

Didn't you quit the draft?

 

[Dreakmur]

Carol Vadnais !!!


Awards and Achievements:
2 x Stanley Cup Champion (1968, 1972)

Norris voting - 11th(1975), 12th(1969)
All-Star voting - 6th(1974), 7th(1975), 9th(1969), 9th(1976), 10th(1972)

Offensive Accomplishments:
Points - 2nd(1970), 3rd(1974), 4th(1975), 5th(1969), 7th(1972), 7th(1976), 10th(1977)
Goals - 2nd(1969), 2nd(1970), 2nd(1976), 3rd(1972), 5th(1971), 5th(1974), 5th(1975)

Play-off Points - 2nd(1974), 4th(1979)


5-Year Peak: 1969 to 1973
4th in Points among Defensemen, 80% of second place Brad Park
2nd in Goals among Defensemen, 135% of 3rd place Brad Park
3rd in PIMs among Defensemen

10-Year Peak: 1969 to 1978
3rd in Points among Defensemen, 82% of second place Brad Park
2nd in Goals among Defensemen, 101% of third place Brad Park
4th in PIMs among Defensemen​

Scoring Percentages:
Points among Defensemen - 100(1970), 100(1974), 97(1975), 91(1969), 77(1972), 76(1976), 62(1979), 60(1977), 58(1978), 57(1973), 51(1971)

Best 6 Seasons - 641​

 

[ted2019]

Didn't you quit the draft?

So?

 

[Voight]

So?

Just seems weird to do a bio when you quit on the whole thing.

 

[ted2019]

Just seems weird to do a bio when you quit on the whole thing.

I "quit" when my depression went into overload. I explained that on here and on the HOH Section

 

[ted2019]

Just seems weird to do a bio when you quit on the whole thing.

You win, I won't do one.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Fern Flaman, D

Legends of Hockey: ""Basing his game on discipline and a strong physical presence, Ferdinand Charles Flaman was one of the game's top stay-at-home defensemen in the 1950s. Although he contributed to his team's transitional game when needed, it was as an open-ice bodychecker and for his ability to clear opponents from around his goal that Flaman acquired his reputation"

• Stanley Cup Champion (1951)
• Stanley Cup Finalist (1957, 1958)
• EAHL First All-Star Team (1945, 1946)
• Second All-Star Team Defense (1955, 1957, 1958)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (1952, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959)
• Bruins Team Captain (1955-1961)

Norris record:

1955: 3rd (behind Harvey and Kelly)
1956: 5th
1957: 3rd (behind Harvey and Kelly)
1958: 3rd (behind Harvey and Gadsby)
1959: 5th

1958 Coach's poll (the only such poll we have for the Original 6 period):

• Doug Harvey won for "best defensive defenseman." Flaman and Pronovost are the only other two defensemen with votes.
• Flaman finished 1st for "best fighter."

Flaman was likely the best player on the Bruins teams that went to back-to-back finals in 1957 and 1958

• 1957 Bruins: Flaman and Leo Boivin were the only HHOFers to play in the playoffs for the Bruins. Flaman had finished 3rd in Norris voting, while we don't have records of Boivin receiving votes.
• 1958 Bruins: Flaman and Boivin were joined by young Johnny Bucky and Allan Stanley. Flaman had again finished 3rd in Norris voting in the regular season. Boivin was 8th and Stanley received no votes. Bucyk was still 22 years old and quite a few years from his statistical prime.

Stats (via EagleBelfour's 2011 profile):

Top-10 Scoring Among Defence (4th, 5th, 5th, 10th, 10th)
Top-10 Goalscoring Among Defence (3rd, 7th, 7th)
Top-10 Assist Among Defence (3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th)
Top-10 Penalty minutes (1st, 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 6th, 7th, 8th)
Top-10 Penalty minutes Among Defence (1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 5th, 9th, 10th)

Top-10 Playoff Assist (10th, 10th)
Top-10 Playoff Penalty minutes (2nd, 4th, 5th)
Top-5 Playoff Scoring Among Defence (2nd, 3rd)
Top-5 Playoff Goalscoring Among Defence (1st, 3rd*, 3rd*)
Top-5 Playoff Assist Among Defence (1st, 4th, 4th*)
Top-5 Playoff Penalty minutes Among Defence (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
*Achieving these results with one goal or one assist

More info (via EagleBelfour's 2011 profile):

Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame (1965)
Northeastern Hall of Fame (1989)
Collegiate Hall of Fame (____)
Saskatchewan Hall of Fame (____)
Hockey Hall of Fame (1990)

- Named the #88 best Toronto Maple Leafs players of All-Time by the book Maple Leafs Top 100: Toronto's Greatest Players of All Time. He played 3 1/2 seasons (228 games) with them

Legends of Hockey said:

Basing his game on discipline and a strong physical presence, Ferdinand Charles Flaman was one of the game's top stay-at-home defensemen in the 1950s. Although he contributed to his team's transitional game when needed, it was as an open-ice bodychecker and for his ability to clear opponents from around his goal that Flaman acquired his reputation.

Despite the load of players they acquired in exchange for Flaman, many Bruins observers panned the deal as a detriment to their club. Flaman fitted in with his new club and became renowned for his hitting. Later that spring, he played an integral role on the blue line when Toronto won the Stanley Cup.

During his second stint in Beantown, he took on a greater leadership role than previously.
​

Joe Pelletier's Greatest Hockey Legends said:

Ferny Flaman, the Scott Stevens of his day.

Flaman was a rugged, no-nonsense defenseman with the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs for 15 National Hockey League seasons. He scored just 34 career goals, but Flaman was known more for his vicious body checking, his aggressive play and his uncanny shot blocking ability.

After establishing himself as a feared enforcer, thanks largely to memorable battles with the Leafs' Bill Eznicki and Gus Mortson, Flaman never went looking for a fight, though he found more than a few anyways. He was always the first player to arrive on the scene should one of his teammates find themselves in any sort of peril.

Far more impressive than his fistic ability was his feared status in the bodychecking department.

Flaman developed a reputation as one of the leagues most feared hitters and classic defensive blueliners while in Toronto.
​

Mike Wyman; Golden Years: Fern Flaman said:

Warren Zevon wrote a hockey song about a big farm boy from Saskatchewan. He called it “Hit Somebody,†a title that pretty much sums up Fern Flaman’s career. A big, strong kid from Saskatchewan’s farm country.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder joined a team that featured the kraut Line of Schmidt, Dumart and Bauer up front and was backstopped by Frank Brimsek in nets. Flaman’s role was a simple one. As a stay-at-home defenceman he was charged with defending his territory against invaders by whatever means necessary.

With both the physique and the attitude needed, he did the job for the next three complete seasons. Flaman flattened forwards coming too close to the Bruins net and laid others out in open ice with body checks that made many opponents reluctant to return to his side of the ice. When it was bare-knuckle time, Flaman administered more than a few thrashings to pugilistic foes, carving out a reputation as one of the NHL’s top brawlers that would follow him for the rest of his career.

Flaman’s robust approach was a major contribution to the Leafs success the next spring as they rolled over his old mates from Boston in five games.

Back in black, Flaman showed that he had a few offensive skills, picking up 18 points in 1954-55, the most he had put on the score sheet as a big leaguer while continuing to be a guy opposing forwards kept an eye out for when they crossed the Boston blue line.

Named captain upon Milt Schmidt’s retirement, Flaman kept the C for the rest of his Boston tenure, a forceful presence who led by example and took his somewhat underpowered team into the playoffs in three of the next six seasons.
​

Who's Who in Hockey said:

Before Bobby Orr and the Big Bad Bruins came along in the late 1960's, the Boston hockey club was notorious as a bashing sextet. From 1954 through 1961, it's chief basher was defenseman Ferdinand Charles Flaman, a smooth-skating defenseman who broke into hockey as a teenager during World War II.

Rare was the night when Flaman lost a fight. He decisioned Rangers' badman Lou Fontinato at Madison Square Garden and once nearly killed Montreal's Henri Richard with a devastating, but legal body check during a game at Boston Garden.
​

Joseph R. Beare; Boston's Fern Flaman: The consummate Bruin and Husky (1/31/2007) said:

Flaman, who is famous both for his storied NHL career and his 19-year tenure as a division one NCAA coach, retired from hockey in 1989, but left a mark on Boston sports history that will not soon fade.

Born on January 25, 1927, in Dysart, Saskatchewan, Flaman quickly developed into a hard-nosed and steady stay-at-home defenseman. Flaman was famous for his grit and character.

In the "Original Six" era, teams often played each other in back-to-back games, so resentment from previous nights would invariably spill over to the next contest. Flaman did not take lightly any slights against his club and was notorious for having his gloves off, and his stick cast aside, before the finish of the national anthems.

His willingness to battle for teammates and refusal to shy away from the rough aspects of the game made him a perfect candidate for Bruins captaincy and he served as Boston’s leader from his return in 1955 until his retirement in 1961.
​

Fred Cusick: voice of the Bruins said:

From the outset, Fernie was a fan favorite. He was a hard-hitting defenseman who could deliver open ice body checks and keep the front of the net clear.
​

The Bruins Black and White: 1924-1966 said:

When it came to defending the territory in front of the net, Fernie Flaman gave no quarter. Flaman fought battles with some of the premier hard hitters of the era: Rocket Richard, Ted Lindsay and Lou Fontinato.
​

Boston Bruins: Greatest Moment and Players said:

Fernie achieved permanent status in 1946-47 with the Bruins and became an instant favorite in Beantown, where his lusty bodychecks and potent fists endeared him to the Boston Garden faithful.

Thus, it seemed eminently appropriate that the Bruins reclaimed Flaman in a trade at the start of the 1954-55 season. Having matured while losing none of his mustard, Flaman added spice to the Boston backline that made him one of the most feared player in hockey.
​

Hockey's Glory days: the 1950's and 6s said:

Fern Flaman was a tough, stay-at-home defenseman known for his powerful bodychecks and his ability to cleat the area in front of his team's goal.
​

Weekend Magazine (02/09/1959) said:

Strickly of the hockey hardrock is defenseman veteran Ferdinand Charles Flaman, captain of the Boston Bruins.

While an extensive sin-bin record dosn't carry an automatic stamp of greatness, it must be borne in mind that a bashing defenseman may influence people, but he hardly wins friends among opposition. It was recently figure that Fern has probably had more bouts on ice than Floyd Patterson has had in the ring. nd it must be added that Fern dosn't pick his spots - among those with whom he has slashed have been ''Rocket'' Richard, Fontinato, Beliveau, Skov, Harvey, Jack Evans, Olmstead and Prystai.

He has been a major star ever since. Boston likes his hockey in the bashing tradition of Eddie Shore and Flaman was made for Boston.
​

Quotes (via Eagle Belfour's 2011 profile):

- ''When hockey players talk shop, they frequently discuss the matter of who is their toughest opponent. A note of something bordering on awe creeps into the conversation when the name Flaman comes up. It is not a question of fear, for Flaman is not a vicious player, but a question of knowing that Flaman can deal a devastating body check, that he is among the most competent of defencemen in the business, and that, if aroused, he is one of the most capable fisticuffers in the league.'' - Sportswriter Jim Proudfoot

- ''If there were slurs about him, we had guys on our Bruins, guys like Fern Flaman and Leo Labine, that would go right after them.'' - Bronco Horvath, on Willie O'Ree

- ''Hockey players are rough, but they are clean. One who isn't wouldn't last long against the rough competition in the NHL. From what I have seen and from what I hear other players say, Fern Flaman of the Bruins is the roughest. Some of his own teammates agree with me and they ought to know.'' - Tom Johnson

- ''I think almost every team had a tough fella you had to be careful of. Not necessarily for fighting, but for bodychecking. Pierre Pilote. Fernie Flaman. Leo Boivin. Bobby Baun. Doug Harvey in Montreal. - Andy Bathgate on the toughest competitor in his time

- ''Fernie was a solid bodychecker and was a his best when things were rough.'' - Milt Schmidt

- ''I was pretty cocky then, so I hit him and he fell down. He was mad after that. That turned out to be one of the biggest mistake I have ever made, because every time we played Boston he used to nail me two or three time during the game. Flaman was the toughest player I ever came up against. He wasn't too dirty against me, but he hit me every chance he got.'' - Camille Henry

- ''I think the roughest player in the league is Fernie Flaman.'' - Vic Stasiuk

- ''That Flaman, he bothers me more than anybody else in our league. I can't think or anyone else who gives me such a bad time. He always got his stick between my legs or hooks my stick or something.'' - Henri Richard

- ''Any other player I do not worry about, but when I go near that fellow, believe me I look over my shoulder.'' - Jean Béliveau

- ''He's the toughest defenseman I ever played against.'' - Gordie Howe

Biographical Information

Biography & Personal Life:
*Achnowledgement: part of this biography is taken words for words from the book Boston Bruins: Greatest Moment and Players. I peppered some additional information on top of the original article.

''My first hockey was played on outdoor rinks. I'd spend as much time as possible and listen to any person who could give me advice about the game. There was one fellow in town, who worked for the fire-department and was a hockey bird-dog on the side, who recommended me. I would up on the Bruins chain - they had a farm team in the Eastern League called the Boston Olympics - but they had too many players, so they loaned me to another team in the Eastern League called the Brooklyn Crescents. Next thing I know, I'm playing against the Curtis Bay, Maryland Coast Guard Cutters, a wartime club that had NHL stats such as Frankie Brimsek of the Bruins, Johnny Mariucci of the Blackhawks and Art Coulter of the Rangers. What a thrill that was; the first time I had ever been exposed to NHL players and I'm skating against them. I was in awe.''

When an opening developed on the Boston Olympics, Flaman took the train to Beantown and wore the white jersey with the winged crest and soon became a fixture at Boston Garden: ''They paid me 75$ a week,'' he recalled. ''I played for the Olympics for three years in one heck of a league. We'd go in to Madison Square Garden and play the New York Rovers and there would be crowds as big of those the Rangers got.''

Flaman improved to the point where the Bruins organization moved him to the highest minor league club, the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. He realized that it would only be a matter of time before he replaced one of the older Bruins' defenseman. ''There's a real touch of irony here,'' Flaman explained. ''When I was a kid, playing peewee hockey in Saskatchewan, we had numbers on our jerseys and we also had the names of an NHL player we hoped to play like. Well; the name on my jersey was Babe Pratt, who had been a terrific defenseman with the Rangers, then the Maple Leafs, and finally, the Bruins. When I was ran in Hershey, Babe was in Boston. The ironic aspect of the story is that when Babe was sent down to Hershey in 1946-47, I was the guy who replaced him. That sure made me feel strange.''

If Fernie wasn't the most popular Bruin, he certainly was always among the top three favorites at Boston Gardens. Considering his youth, Fernie had good reason to expect that he would be wearing the black and gold for several seasons. That's why the trade to Toronto stunned him to the core.

''The trade was the lowest point in my life,'' Flaman said. ''I had felt a part of Boston. I had played three years with the Olympics and nearly three more years with the Bruins. On top of that, it had been in the papers that I would not be traded, that I was an ''untouchables''. Next thing I know, I'm with the Maple Leafs.''

Flaman spent the next four seasons in Toronto. In his first year with the blue-and-white, Flaman played mostly beside rugged defenceman Bill Barilko. That season, Flaman won his first and only Stanley Cup in his illustrious career. After the Leafs outscored Flaman's former team 17 to 5 in the semi-final, they then triumphed over the Montreal Canadiens, also in five games. Every match needed a few minutes of extra time to bring things to a conclusion and Toronto won it on Bill Barilko’s last goal.

Upon the tragic death of playoffs hero Barilko, Flaman was then paired with the equally rough-and-tumble defenceman Leo Boivin. During his years in Toronto, Flaman was less boisterous and did not seems the own thesame edge in his game when he was wearing the royal blue and white of the maple leafs. During the summer of 1954, GM Conn Smythe invited him into his office one day for a conference: ''He asked me if I'd like to go back and play for the Bruins. That was awfully nice of him, being that my wife was from Boston and my home was there. Yes, I told him, I would like to be a Bruin again. I respected Smythe for letting me know in advance where things stood. You don't find many people in sports as decent as he was to me.''

Flaman became a Bruin again in time for the 1954-55 season and, for Fernie, it was a golden period: ''The homecoming was great. I was named assistant captain and played under Milt Schmidt, who had been my teammate in the previous run with the Bruins. Working for Milt was good and the fans treated me just great. In 1959, while I still was playing, they tossed me a Fernie Flaman Night and presented me with a car and many other gifts. Getting the respects of the Boston fans and the Night was a highlight of my career.''

Off the ice, Flaman was on the quiet side, humorous and perceivable. In the summer, he worked in sales promotion for a floor-covering firm in Boston's Walpole district.

Like so many other hockey ''cops'', Flaman experienced little pleasure in relating his battles of yesteryear: ''They never were a highlight of my career. Of the guys I played against, Gordie Howe was the toughest. We didn't fight because we had a mutual respect for one another. But we both played it hard and I'm sure I received a few nicks from him, and I gave him a few too.''

Also, although he was known as the toughest defenseman in the league, Flaman did not necessarily want that advertised: ''I've got a wife and daughter to support,'' Flaman told reporter Herb Ralby back in 1948. ''I can't have everybody in the league after me which is what happens to a player with that reputation.''

Although Flaman never played on a Stanley Cup winner after he left Toronto, several of his Boston clubs were extremely competitive and twice reached the Cup Finals, losing to the powerful Montreal Canadiens in 1957 and 1958.

In the late 1950's, alongside Doug Harvey, Ted Lindsay, Jimmy Thomson and Gus Mortson, Flaman was one of the founders of the first players' association to be recognized by the NHL, the crude precursor to the union that was formalized in 1967.

Upon the end of the 1960-61 season, his last year in the NHL, Flaman's 1,370 penalty minutes were third in league history at the time of his retirement. Though he had trained himself for a career as electrician following his athletic career, he was not yet ready to give up the game he loved. He took a job as a player/coach with the AHL’s Providence Reds, where he is credited with playing a big role in developing a young Eddie Giacomin, later a Rangers’ net minding legend. Not only was he the team's best defenseman, but as coach he guided the Providence Reds to the league's best record in 1962-63. Most significantly, this experience in the AHL made Flaman discovered a passion for coaching.

After three years in the dual role and a fourth in a coaching capacity, Flaman moved on to become coach and general manager of the Fort Worth Red Wings of the Central Hockey League. Flaman then returned to the Bruins organization as a scout. His chief responsibility was assessing college prospects in the northeastern U.S., something that tided him over until a more permanent proposition came his way.

That proposition came in 1970 and Flaman accepted a position as the head coach at Northeastern University, a post he held for almost two decades. Don McKenney, the famous Boston center of the 1960's, would be his assistant to Fern Flaman for 19 years.

Among his high points as a college coach was the ECAC and NCAA coach of the year award in 1982, one ECAC title and an appearance in the NCAA Final Four. He also won four Beanpot tournaments, symbol of hockey supremacy in the Boston area. Flaman’s influence on Northeastern’s hockey program is unparalleled as nearly every accomplishment in the history of the club was achieved with Ferny at the helm: ''If you look at the peaks of Northeastern hockey, it is all Ferny,'' laughed Jack Grinold, Athletics Director of Communications at Northeastern, who worked in the athletics department throughout Flaman’s entire tenure. ''We have only won four Beanpots; Ferny won ‘em all. He coached here longer than any coach, 19 years, and had more victories than anyone else.'' Indeed, when Flaman announced his retirement from coaching on Valentine’s Day of 1989, he registered an amassing a 255–301–23 record with the club.

But Flaman’s road to success at the collegiate level did not pass without sadness. In 1984, his family was stricken by tragedy when his son, Terry, a former captain of the Harvard hockey squad, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. That year, the Huskies would advance to the Beanpot championship under Flaman’s guidance and, in what is remembered as one of the most poignant moments in Beanpot history, Flaman’s gravely ill son, by then confined to a wheelchair, was brought in to the dressing room before the contest to give his father’s team a pep talk. The Huskies then went out to the ice, dominated play and took home the coveted Beanpot trophy, but not before Ferny’s son was wheeled around the rink, clutching the cup victoriously. Unfortunately, Terry passed away a few months after the events.

Aside from being a legend behind the bench, Ferny also possessed a quick wit and a sharp business mind: ''During the 80s, at one time we wanted to measure the effectiveness of our coaches as business men, how they were handling their budgets,'' said Grinold. ''We had a coach who had a masters in business from an Ivy League college, and here Ferny who was without a high school degree. He was our most efficient manager, and our MBA graduate was our most inefficient manager.''

After his coaching career, Flaman couldn't get himself to take a break, and accepted a position as a scouts for the New Jersey Devils, a hob he would held from 1991 to 1995: ''I love scouting,'' said Flaman, ''I scout high school defensemen mostly. Kids around 17 and 18. But if I see a good forward, I'll put him in my report. It keeps me young.''

Flaman was awarded the highest honour of his career when he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, in 1990. The fathers of two boys and a girl, Flaman will always be best remembered for the multi-faceted career that he led in the city of Boston. He defined leadership and heart throughout a career that spanned five decades, and his long-standing contributions to hockey in New England are immeasurable.

Fun & Interesting Facts (via EagleBelfour's 2011 profile):

- Flaman was a good amateur boxer in his teens
- A naturalized United States citizen, Flaman was only the third American player to play for the Maple Leafs. The first two were Doc Romnes and Roger Jenkins
- Gordie Howe recorded his first hat trick on October 11, 1953 in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs when he fought Maple Leaf’s player Fernie Flaman, got an assist and scored a goal
- According to a poll taken of the six general managers in 1958 to determine the toughest player they had ever seen, Flaman appeared on every list.
- In late-1959, Andy Bathgate wrote a controversial article, mentioning Doug Harvey, Tom Johnson, Fern Flaman, Pierre Pilote, Ted Lindsay and teammate Lou Fontinato as spearing specialists: ''None of them seems to care that he'll be branded as a hockey killer.'' (Bathgate was fine by the NHL for writing the article)
- For most of his career, either in Toronto or his second stint in Boston, Flaman pairing partner was Leo Boivin, who played a similar kind of game. They were one of the most feared duo of defenceman in the league.
- In 1995, Flaman won the Stanley Cup as a scout for the Devils
- Once during a tense, rough and brawling hockey game, courageous Camille Henry, one of the tiniest players in the National Hockey League, lost his temper and tangled with big tough defenseman Fernie Flaman. As they grappled, shoulder to shoulder, pint-sized Henry suddenly shouted a warning at his huge opponent who outweighed him by more than fifty pounds: ''Watch out, Fernie, or I'll bleed all over you!''

 

[Voight]

Phil Kessel

Awards and Achievements:
Stanley Cup 2016, 2017
Olympic All-Star Team 2014
Olympic Best Forward 2014
Led 2014 Olympics in Goals & Points
6x 30 Goals

All-Star voting - 3rd(2018), 3rd(2014), 4th(2013), 5th(2012), 13th(2009)

Offensive Accomplishments:
Points - 6th(2014), 6th(2012), 7th(2013), 7th(2018)
Goals - 5th (2014), 6th (2012)

Playoff Points - 3rd(2017), 4th(2016)
Playoff Goals - 3rd(2016), 4th(2017)


5-Year Peak: 2013-2018
9th in Points, 90% of 2nd place Patrick Kane
12th in Goals, 87% of 2nd place Tyler Seguin
14th in Assists, 76% of 1st place Nicklas Backstrom

10-Year Peak: 2009-2019
9th in Points, 85% of 1st place Sidney Crosby
7th in Goals, 91% of 3rd place John Tavares
13th in Assists, 77% of 1st place Nicklas Backstrom

"Phil Kessel is a proven winner, an elite goal scorer and one of the most productive point producers in the NHL for a sustained period of time"

Sidney Crosby edged Phil Kessel in what may have been the closest vote in the 51-year history of the Conn Smythe Trophy, according to ballots obtained by TSN.
Kessel led the Penguins in the playoffs in goals (10), points (22) and shots (98). He does not have the defensive penalty killing responsibilities of Crosby, but Kessel was Pittsburgh’s most consistent offensive force in the postseason. His HBK Line with Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino was an undeniable driving force for the Penguins.

“I’m obviously happy for me, but the guy I’m next most happy for is Phil,” Bonino said after winning the Cup. “He’s such a great guy to play with, to be around. He gets a bad rap. I don’t know why. He continually scores goals and in the biggest moments of the playoffs. He puts up points and does what he can to help the team win. I’m not sure where that stigma comes in. I hope this quiets down most of it. He’s a hell of a guy and it was my pleasure to be able to play with him and Haggy.”

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, however, described Kessel as his No. 1 target, evidently undeterred by the griping about Kessel’s persona and an on-ice performance trending in the wrong direction.
Rutherford was intrigued by Kessel’s speed and scoring ability. Both were prominent factors in Kessel’s finest post-season.
Kessel scored 10 goals en route to the Cup, leading the Penguins with 22 points. His line, which included speedster Carl Hagelin and centre Nick Bonino, was easily Pittsburgh’s most effective.

Kessel produced at least six points in every round of the post-season, scoring with his quick shot or setting up teammates with passing ability that’s long been called underrated and should now be well-established as part of Kessel’s arsenal.
Kessel had two assists in Game 4 of the final and the first goal in a 2-1 overtime victory in Game 2. He set up Evgeni Malkin for a goal in a Game 5 defeat. He has 23 goals and 43 points in 46 career playoff games, numbers that qualify him as one of the more effective post-season players of the past two decades.
Since 1996, only 13 players have produced more points per game in the post-season (minimum 40 games) than Kessel (0.94). The Wisconsin native sits a touch below Alex Ovechkin (0.98), but ahead of similar scorers, past and present, like Dany Heatley, Corey Perry, Paul Kariya and Brett Hull, albeit in significantly fewer games.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has suggested throughout the post-season that Kessel became a more complete player as the months have passed in Pittsburgh.
“Phil’s game right now,” Sullivan said after Game 4. “When I watch him play, I say to myself, he’s committed, he’s committed to helping us win.”
Sullivan observed Kessel’s diligent play away from the puck and intensity in competing for loose pucks in the defensive zone.

He's a nice addition to our team said Crosby. Obviously he's a great scorer. He brings a lot. Offensively, he's going to help any team."

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

The following is just a minor reworking of @seventieslord's massive 2017 bio that became glitchy with the server migration. Thank you to @ResilientBeast for helping me access the original info.

Serge Savard, D

- 6'3', 210 lbs
- Inducted into the HHOF (1986)
- Stanley Cup Champion (1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979)
- Conn Smythe Trophy (1969)
- Bill Masterton Trophy (1979)
- Summit Series Champion (1972, 1976)
- NHL 2nd All-Star Team (1979)
- Six times top-8 in Norris voting (4th, 5th, 5th, 5th, 6th, 8th)
- Six times top-8 in All-star voting (4th, 5th, 5th, 5th, 6th, 6th)
- 6th in Hart Voting (1979)
- Best Defense VsX scores: 80, 74, 70, 70, 66, 53, 53 (total 466, average 66.6)
- Top-4 on his team's defense in TOI 15 times (2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4)
- Top-4 on his team's defense in ESTOI 14 times (1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4)
- Played 24.57 minutes (20.67 ES) per game for 1038 post-expansion games (teams 45% better than average)
- In his 8-year prime, played 26.12 minutes (21.40 ES) for teams 65% better than average
- Killed 58% of penalties for teams 22% better than average
- Montreal Canadiens Captain (1979-1981, including 1979 Cup Victory)
- All-Star Game Participant (1970, 1973, 1977, 1978)
- Finished 2nd behind Larry Robinson in both a 1979 coach's poll and a 1981 player's poll for "best defensive defenseman"

Biographical

Rangy defenseman Serge Savard played 17 seasons in the NHL, 15 (his first season consisted of two games) with his hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens, and two with the Winnipeg Jets, who lured him out of retirement after he'd left Montreal following the 1980-81 season.
A member of the Canadiens "Big Three" defensive stars along with Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson, Savard was known as "the Senator" by his teammates for his involvement in activities - mostly in politics - outside the game. In the mid-1980s, he served as general manager of the Habs.
By the 1968-69 season, only his second full one in the NHL, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Habs won the Cup in a four-game sweep over the Blues in the finals.
Although Savard was overshadowed by his better-known teammates, he did win another significant award during his years as a player. In 1979 the NHL presented him with the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
Savard almost didn't make it much further in NHL play, however. In a game during the 1970-71 season against the Rangers, he skated after New York's Rod Gilbert, trying to stop a breakaway. Savard dove for the puck and felt his left leg crumble underneath him. The result was five separate fractures and three operations that took him out of the game for three months.
After a complete recovery, Savard continued to have problems with the leg and further injuries. In the 1971-72 season, he suffered a new fracture to the same leg after being hit. In 1973 he injured his ankle severely as he tried to help firefighters break down a door during a fire at the Canadiens' hotel in St. Louis.
But the injuries failed to stop Savard. Upon his return to the game, he started to blend his patient, hard-working style with the hard-charging, rushing play of Lapointe and Robinson, the skillful scoring of Guy Lafleur and the outstanding play in the net of Ken Dryden. The result was another Cup for the Habs in 1976, when they swept the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers in four straight games, a victory that many relieved fans hailed as a triumph of skilled play over the fight-filled game of the Broad Street Bullies.
Internationally, Savard's attitude was rewarded by his being named to the Canadian team for the 1972 Summit Series. He appeared in five of the eight games, and - as Savard liked to remind people - Canada won four of those games and tied the other.

In his second NHL season, Savard was becoming the dominant team player we reflect back upon today. For a second straight season, Montreal not only finished first in the East, but proceeded to capture the Stanley Cup. Savard was outstanding, blocking shots, clearing the zone and collecting ten points in fourteen games. His four goals was one shy of an NHL record for playoff goals by a defenseman in one season and helped earn Serge the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable playoff performer as his Canadiens swept the St. Louis Blues in four games.
But injuries hampered Savard's continued progress. In a March 1970 game against the Rangers, Serge crashed into a goal post and broke his leg in five places. "There was a time when I was afraid I wouldn't play again. My leg was broken in three big places besides the chips and I got scared after the doctor took off the cast for the first time. The break was moving inside," Serge recalls. But to complicate matters, Savard returned to the Canadiens only to break the same leg again in February 1971. Caught by a Bob Baun hipcheck in a game against Toronto, the break put Serge out of action for close to a year. But the break did more than put Savard out of action; it changed his style of play. "When I was younger, I was more of a rusher but after the two bad leg injuries, I didn't have the same speed so I became more of a defensive defenseman," states Serge. Although never afraid to carry the puck, Savard was found to be invaluable in his own end. "Not many guys are hurt stopping shots," Serge explains, describing his skill as a shot blocker. "You could get killed if you get hit in the temple but the average is good. I turn sideways from twenty to twenty-five feet away and let the goalie take it. He can see it better. To me, there's no danger if you time it right. You have to be almost on top of the shooter before falling."
Despite missing substantial portions of two seasons, Serge Savard was chosen to be a member of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviets. From that celebrated series, sixteen players went on to earn Hall of Fame honours. But it almost ended prematurely for Serge. Prior to the fourth game, a game played in Vancouver, a Red Berenson shot in practice caught Savard on the ankle and he sustained a hairline fracture. It was expected that Savard was done for the series, but because there was gap between Games Four and Five, owing to travel from Canada to Europe and an exhibition tour of Sweden, Savard was able to get ten full days of rest at home before returning to action. Ignoring the advice of Montreal management and his doctors, Savard travelled with Team Canada to Europe. He sat out the two exhibition games in Sweden as well as Game Five in Russia, but dressed and played in Games Six, Seven and Eight. "Lucky for me, it turned out to be just a slight crack and not another fracture," Savard sighs. Team Canada did not lose in any of the five games in which Savard played, winning four and tying one.
Serge Savard played fourteen seasons as a Montreal Canadien, and was part of eight Stanley Cup championships during that time, including four consecutive between 1976 and 1979. Serge was Montreal's captain from 1979 to 1981. But on August 12, 1981, Savard decided that he had had enough…That afternoon, Savard stated, "This is the most difficult decision of my life. As a player, you know this day is coming but you never want to believe it." Toe Blake, the former coach of the Canadiens, added, "It's been said that anyone can be replaced, but that's not the case here."
Winnipeg joined the NHL in 1979-80 and missed the playoffs in its first two seasons of existence. But with the leadership and influence of Savard patrolling the blueline, the Jets added 48 points to their regular season total of 1980-81 and finished in second place in the Norris Division in 1981-82.
Winnipeg's defense corps was very green - twenty-year olds Dave Babych and Moe Mantha, twenty-two year olds Don Spring and Tim Waters, twenty-six year old Bryan Maxwell and Barry Legge, who was the old man at 27, were joined by thirty-five year old Savard, who lent the team the knowledge of what it took to win. Serge Savard spent two seasons with the Jets, guiding the team to the division semifinals both seasons.
But individual awards eluded the wily veteran, even though his considerable presence contributed greatly to the eight Stanley Cup championships won during his prestigious career. "I never pay attention to individual awards and I think that sometimes, too many people place too much value on them."

Serge Savard was a key component of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty in the 1970s. A consummate professional, Savard sacrificed personal awards and statistics for the success of his team and his teammates. Such selflessness allowed the Guy Lafleurs, Steve Shutts and Larry Robinsons achieve great acclaim, although Savard too received much recognition for his fine play.
Savard, nicknamed "The Senator" and the "Minister of Defense," played 16 seasons with the Habs, including being named captain for 2 of those years. With Savard in the line up, the Canadiens won 8 Stanley Cup championships, including 4 successive Cups from 1976 to 1979.
Savard is best known as a member of The Big Three. Along with Larry Robinson and Guy Lapointe, Savard helped to make what many consider to be the best blue line in NHL history. No other team, say many experts, has ever iced three defenseman of the same quality as The Big Three.
Savard was the elder statesman of The Big Three. A native Montrealer, Savard graduated from the Junior Canadiens to turn pro in 1966. By the 1967-68 season he was on his way to a standout career, winning his first Stanley Cup.
In just his second NHL season, Savard progressed nicely during the regular season, but dominated in the playoffs. He played incredibly through the entire post season, and picked up 4 goals and 10 points in 14 games to earn him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player in the playoffs. Savard became the first defenseman in history to win the award.
Tragedy struck Savard on January 30, 1971. In a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had already had a history of knee and leg injuries, broke bones in both of his legs. He would be able to participate in only 60 games over the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons.
Despite the major set back, Savard was cleared to play for the the 1971-72 season. Before the season got underway Serge was asked to represent Canada against the Soviets in the now-fabled 1972 Summit Series. It is well documented just how much trouble he Canadians had with their Soviet counterparts, but Savard had a calming influence on the team and made a significant difference when he played. Savard played in only 5 of the 8 games against the Russians, and Team Canada never lost a match, going 4-0-1. Coincidence? Maybe, but there can be no doubt that Savard was a big part of the games that he did play in.
Savard returned to the NHL and continued his steady and spectacular play. However he was never noted as much of an offensive threat until the 1974-75 season. Coming off of a 4 goal, 18 point season the previous year, Serge exploded with a 20 goal, 60 point season. That season proved to be a bit of a fluke, as Serge never returned to those numbers again, although he was a consistent 5-10 goal and 40+ point threat through the rest of the Canadiens dynasty in the late 1970s.
Savard stayed in Montreal until the conclusion of the 1980-81 season. The Habs were looking to bring in some youth and exposed Savard on the preseason waiver draft. The Winnipeg Jets, the worst team in hockey, eagerly claimed the wily veteran. The Jets, who had never made the playoffs and finished the previous season with an awful 32 points, convinced Savard to play for them as opposed to retiring. In Savard's first year with Winnipeg, the Jets made the playoffs and improved by 48 points!
Despite suffering two broken legs early in his career, Savard has an impressive collection of awards. Savard earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1969, and was also awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. He was also named in 1979 to the NHL Second All-Star Team. Serge likely would have been named to more All Star Teams but he was overshadowed by the offensive likes of Bobby Orr, Brad Park, Denis Potvin and teammates Robinson and Lapointe. Nonetheless, Serge is also an enshrined member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

chidlovski.com[/URL]] One of the finest NHL defensemen of all time, Serge Savard had an outstanding career with the glorious Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the 1970’s. He was recognized as a very slick blueliner and an amazing team player who always put team interests above his personal ambitions and results. His slick technique in skating and puck handling, dedication to hockey and sportsmanship brought him numerous individual and team professional hockey awards.
PERFORMANCE IN THE 1972 SUMMIT
Serge Savard played in five games of the 1972 Summit. Needless to say, that none of these five games was lost. By all means, Savard was one of the best Canadian defensemen in the tournament. He arguably earned a lot of respect and appreciation for a very fine performance by the Soviet fans.

When the Canadian team was being assembled to compete against the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series, assistant coach John Ferguson convinced head coach Harry Sinden that Serge Savard had to be in the mix. Although Savard was recovering from the second of two consecutive broken legs, restricting his play to just 23 games in 1971-72 and 37 the year before, Ferguson had been a teammate of Savard's in Montreal and knew him to be a fierce competitor with considerable skills.

The first of the “Big Three†to make the NHL roster, Savard saw spot duty during the 1968-69 season, getting more ice time as the season progressed. That spring, the Stanley Cup was paraded down Ste. Catherine Street for the third time in four years. Savard would be a member of seven other triumphant Habs squads in his 12 years patrolling the blue line.
He came into his own the following season, taking a regular shift from the opening game and himself as one of the NHL's rising offensive defensemen. Fast, manoeuvrable and a skillful stickhandler, Savard’s dizzying spins to avoid checkers regularly made the highlight reels. Legendary broadcaster Danny Gallivan coined the phrase “Savardian Spin-o-rama” to try to describe the move.
The Habs made the playoffs and Savard picked up 10 points in the 14 games it took for the Canadiens to capture the 1969 Stanley Cup. This time, Savard had his own silverware to show off, adding a Conn Smythe Trophy to his collection to become the first defenseman to ever earn playoff MVP honors.
Over the course of his career in Montreal, Savard missed very few games in most seasons. When he did go down, however, it was for extended periods of time. He suffered two leg fractures a mere 11 months apart, costing Savard most of two complete seasons and robbing him of much of his speed.
When he came back to play the final games of the 1971-72 season, Savard adapted his game. No longer the speedy, offensive threat he had once been, Savard became one of the league’s best stay-at-home blue-liners, using smarts, size and an uncanny ability to block shots to compensate for his lost swiftness.
Selected to play for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, Savard played in five games - the lone tie as well as all four Canadian victories – proving himself on the international stage.
The Canadiens piled up the Cups and Savard, learning from the veterans who preceded him, became a respected elder statesman on the team. In 1978-79, he won the Bill Masterton Trophy. The next fall, he succeeded Yvan Cournoyer as team captain, proudly wearing the "C" until his retirement following the 1980-81 season.

The big, easy going defender had his first taste of stardom in 1969.. a key member of the 1972 Team Canada that beat the Soviets.. early in his career, his game was one of skating, puck control and defensive excellence. Like J.C. Tremblay before him, Savard knew how to set a game's tempo: during the latter half of the 70s, the man whose silky smooth play inspired the term "Savardian Spin-o-rama", was one third of what is still considered possibly the finest defensive trio ever assembled... Winnipeg had failed to make the playoffs in its first two NHL seasons. With Savard on the roster, they earned 80 points and made the postseason at last.
In a word: MELLOW

#81: Serge Savard: the only player in the 1972 Summit series who did not play in a losing game, gifted, resourceful defenseman, an outspoken critic of violence in hockey.

A star Canadiens blue-liner during the 1970's...Canadiens farm system spawned a pair of promising young defensemen, Carol Vadnais and Serge Savard. The latter became a Montreal icon..

#12: Serge Savard: the greatest defensive defenseman in franchise history; before his leg injuries, Savard was establishing himself as an offensive defenseman, but the days of headlong rushes up the ice ended shortly after his 25th birthday. "I don't think I ever recovered 100%. I didn't take as many chances and I really became a defensive defenseman. I think, too, it forced me to become a smarter player." Robinson's forays up ice were always executed with knowledge that Savard was watching his back. In fact, there were years Robinson won the Norris trophy and acknowledged Savard should have been the winner. Savard had a signature move in which he would use his big body to protect the puck and spin around to avoid forecheckers; it seems amazing now Savard was a postseason all-star just once; as Savard got older and his game began to deteriorate, fans in Montreal turned on him. He was often booed mercilessly at home and made the decision to retire at 35 in the summer of 1981

Fans and coaches alike began to appreciate the defensive ability and all-around play that Savard brought to the team. "His versatility is one of his strong points," said Floyd Curry. "Just look at the length of his arms and you'll see the reason why he can poke out his stick and break up so many plays." Scotty Bowman was a little less philosophical regarding Savard's contributions to the team. "There are few superior players in the league, and there are few who contribute more to this team. And there are few who have shown more courage."

He was not the puckhandler that Larry Robinson was but he was a big man who could check with the best of them...

Savard's game was built around his great ability to handle the puck and use his size effectively. Always a clean player, he rarely lost his temper. He was a good skater and didn't mind lugging the puck. Never one to panic in his game, he was very smooth defensively.

A flashy skater until a badly broken leg slowed him down, Savard was a rock in his own zone and one of the best ever at moving players from in front of the net.

With a little over two minutes remaining in the game, Guy Lapointe shoots the puck behind the net on to the stick of his defensive partner, Serge Savard, who carries the puck up the boards. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a streaming Paul Henderson darting through center ice. Thanks to Savard's amazing precision and awareness, the puck and Henderson meet at the Soviet blue line. Confronted by two Soviet defenseman, Henderson manages to get around them, and while falling, pinches the puck between Tretiak's arm and body for the winning goal....backing them up is the twosome of Guy Lapointe and Serge Savard, who were one of the most valuable defensive pairings for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series....Alexander Gusev finds an opening to take a slapshot on the Canadiens' goal, only to have the puck deflected into the crowd by an alert Serge Savard.

Any teenager has attributes and faults, and Savard was no exception. On the plus side, he was big and strong, and a fluid skater who maintained his poise. On the downside, he was weak defensively and had a poor shot, but he was able to overcome the former through experience and coaching, and the latter through good old-fashioned practice and hard work; his role continued to grow and grow, and he even played the occasional shift at left wing when injuries left Toe Blake's team a little vulnerable on that side... his conn smythe trophy was given to him based on two factors. One, he was the best penalty killer in the playoffs, and two, he contributed key offensive points.., (after his injury) his days of end-to-end rushes and wild play were over, and he devoted himself to strong positional play and more modest offensive contributions...

One-liners

There's a reason I love Savard. He is the one of the most unsung players in NHL history. Take Savard away from those Canadiens teams and they don't win four cups in a row.

Jean Beliveau and Serge Savard were unbelievable....I thought it was a huge move, and he put in three gritty players, Serge Savard, Billy White, and Patty Stapleton..the game-winner was scored in overtime by Serge Savard. Serge was steady, not flashy. God, he was good. He twirled at the blue line. He came in and blasted one over J.D.'s left shoulder...

The Soviets assistant coach Arkady Tchernishev agreed, singling out Orr and fellow defensemen Jim McKenny and Serge Savard for praise.

...If you need a team to be cool and unflappable, you need at least one Savard, to reassure you, to let you know that the time and the team needed to do what you want are still there.

Serge Savard was the ultimate defensive defenseman.

A true testament to Serge Savard's early reputation came at the 1967 expansion draft when Pollock left Carol Vadnais available so he could protect the emerging, speedy hulk.

If I see them now, like a Dryden or Savard, even if I had an average rapport with them when they were playing, I often comment that I didn't realize how good they were. When I watch games now that Serge Savard played in I know I never realized how he made very few errors. He played something like Nicklas Lidstrom.

Savard was inserted to shore up the play in Canada's end.

The other natural wit on the Canadiens is their elder statesman, Serge Savard, a man who is so good at what he does that you can't believe that he's doing what he's doing while he's doing it.

They came at us in brigades, but our defensemen, particularly Serge Savard, repeatedly broke up their passing plays near the net.

Clippings, Cards, Scouting Reports From During His Career

Savard has come along as one of the most promising young rearguards in the league. So much so that Montreal may have a real problem in the draft to protect other defensemen... retained in place of Carol Vadnais, Savard had always played mostly on the left side; then Terry Harper started having trouble with his knee and Savard got a real opportunity on the right side. “I hesitated to use him regularly on the right,” recalled Ruel. “But then he started playing well and I decided the right side was his best spot. Serge proved to me that he’s willing to work and when he decides to skate he’s hard to beat. This kid is loaded with talent. I said before the season that he has the making of one of the best defensemen in the league in a couple of years and now I’m sure of it.” Savard, a likeable young man with a touch of class off the ice, started out a little nonchalant and was making silly mistakes for a while. However he picked up tremendously in the second hal fof the season and has had a hot hand in putting Canadiens into contention... the youngster has speed, makes a good pass, fires a fairly accurate shot and rates as one of the finest stickhandlers among NHL defensemen. His man fault is a tendency to rush too often… besides his strong efforts on defense...he can bodycheck when necessar... Savard has emerged as a fine penalty killer. Recently he took Gilles Tremblay’s place as a partner to Claude Provost and held the opposition scoreless during six powerplays.

EXCITING SERGE SAVARD NEW HABS SUPERBOY
There are times when his coach and teammates would like to strangle Savard. Meantime, they’ve named him “Superboy” as the early star of the playoffs. Some nights he has been bent on self destruction after costing the team a big goal as he did in game 2 against Boston. Although killing a penalty, he made the mistake of trying to carry the puck deep in his own zone instead of clearing or passing. Johhy Bucyk checked him and John McKenzie wound up with a goal. But then Savard does a turnabout for some great plays that makes him want to live a little longer. Like a great burst of speed to break up a 2-on-0 rush, crowding the crease to get the tying goal with only 69 seconds to play and firing the point shot that pays off in overtime.
Savard has earned the "Superboy" tag in a joking way from teammates, somewhat critical of the way the 23-year old reardguard, penalty killer and at times left winger tries to do things all by himself. He enjoys lugging the puck, often at a deceptively slow pace without passing, or giving his mates heart failure by spinning in his own zone even as the last man back. "Serge is an example of the spirit you need in the playoffs," says Ruel. "You can't ask for more than he has given my club since the start of the season."...most critical of Savard's daring play has been Gump Worsley who keeps warning the young rearguard to "stay back once in a while." However, the Gumper had nothing but praise for Savard's overall effort in the semifinal against New York... "I didn't play so much during the first part of the season. I'd go on on the ice for a shift and not really know whether I'd be back again. Now, even if I make a mistake, I know I'll be back and it makes everything a lot easier. I know where I am going.

Serge Savard, in fact belongs in the present tense. He revealed in the Boston series that he is 1-2 with Robert Orr as the prodigal young defensemen in hockey, and not necessarily 2.

Claude Ruel is not complaining about the choice of Serge Savard as playoff MVP. "Serge was marvelous the way he made so much progress all season."
"The writers kept telling me I was going to win the trophy but I didn't really believe them." Savard had a big part in each series win for the Habs. Besides filling his defense post, Superboy also turned in strong efforts as a penalty killer and wound up as Montreal's 4th leading point scorer¦

he was a green youngster in pretty classy company but his playoff work was truly sensational. He played well on defense all the way through, he moved up to the forward line when penalties left Canadiens understaffed, and he also contributed four important goals and six assists. "Boston can have Bobby Orr," said coach Claude Ruel. We're happy with Savard."

In the weekend double against Chicago and Detroit, Savard worked mostly as a penalty killer , a role he fills about the best in the league

Serge Savard, one of the most consistent performers all season on defense penalty killing and left wing, was sidelined for the season. He crashed into the goalpost early in the 3rd period of that March 11th game... Savard had made a great play by getting back in time to check Vic Hadfield but lost his balance and fell against the cage...loss of the versatile youngster was felt right down the line of Canadiens who realized his value to the club all season. He had been one of the stars of that win over New York... Claude Ruel tried to take it in stride "we're going to miss Serve but maybe the rest of the guys will think of the money he helped put in their pockets in the playoffs last year."

everyone agrees what when it comes to outstanding young defensemen, Serge Savard is one of the best, right up there with Bobby Orr and Brad Park. Yet, his future was very much in doubt heading into the 1970-7 season... it is by no means certain he'll make a complete recovery... it is no secret how important he is to the Canadiens' overall well-being... Large and mobile, Savard does two jobs for the Canadiens: He is a reliable defenseman and, when Montreal is penalized, he moves to the forward line as one of hockey's most adept penalty killers.

What does the future hold for Serge Savard? The medics can't tell as yet because it's too early to determine what effects a second broken leg in less than a year will have on him...he will be in a cast for anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months... Canadiens are certain to feel the pinch. He was just starting to regain the form that once made him a Conn Smythe winner... Coach Al Macneil was crestfallen at the news... lately Savard and Laperriere had been playing like they never missed a shift

...as it turns out, the Canadiens won the game 5-3, and they were paced for most of the 60 minutes by a tall, husky french canadian named Serge Savard. "He's like two players," said Ranger GM/coach Emile Francis. "He plays a solid defense and he can kill penalties with the best of them." During one of his late tours of ice duty Savard made a desperate lunge to prevent a Ranger goal and in the process fell heavily on his leg, breaking it in two places... the talented Savard was through for the season... it was a loss the Canadiens could ill afford to sustain because Savard, in the eyes of many, was the most valuable player on the team... In describing the Habs not long ago, Peter Gzowski pinpointed their distinct quality: "on the ice, they swoop, skating like fury and burning with zeal; they are somehow romantic, like Scaramouche or Cyrano of Jean Gascon."... Savard is relatively new, but there is strong evidence he will someday be compared with such honoured montreal backliners as Bouchard, Reardon and Harvey... his long strides, his thudding bodychecks and his calm in the face of stormy games suggested he could be an all-star in a couple of years... in the 1969 playoffs all of a sudden Savard became a commanding figure, lugging the puck on long rink-length dashes, playing the stout defensive game and looking like a man who would never need a cold shower to awaken him... after 2 games in the finals, Savard could boast that he (a) set up all three Montreal goals in the opening match, (b) tied the game in the second contest, and (c) assisted on the sudden death winner in game 2. Suddenly critics began noticing the young man whom Ruel had been touting all along. "Serge is an example of the competitive spirit you need in the playoffs. It is impossible to demand more from him than he gave since the start of the season." The kudos weren't limited to Montreal observers, either... the Boston Globe singled out Savard as the top man in the series. "Savard has matured into one of the Habs' most accomplished players in the playoffs."... throughout the final speculation was rife over which Montreal player would skate off with the Conn Smythe trophy as the MVP. Beliveau, Duff, and Vachon were all candidates but the favourite remained Savard. "He did everything for the Canadiens," said Jim Proudfoot, "even including a spot of goaltending when the regular netminders got trapped out of position. He played defense, he was point man on the power plays and he moved up to a forward position during most Montreal penalties. He excelled in each role and even found time to contribute some vital scoring plays."

A superb defenseman whose career has been threatened by a broken leg two years ago... refractured the leg last season and now must try to come back again... developed so quickly that Canadiens were able to trade another youngster, Carol Vadnas, to Oakland... excellent penalty killer...only question is whether his leg will mend well enough.

there is grave doubt about Serge Savard's future in hockey, and that is a tragedy because only two years ago this superbly gifted youngster led the Canadiens to a Stanley Cup victory and won the Conn Smythe trophy. "We're hopeful (that he can recover) because we can really use him. He's a fine defenseman and has the speed to move up on the forward line to kill penalties.

The man who may prove to be the answer to a lot of the Habs' checking problems will have to sit it out for a while longer. Doctors have advised Serge Savard that his injured leg will benefit from additional rest... he came to the Canadiens in 67-68 and impressed with his size, speed and mobility

Savard, a star of the first magnitude before suffering two leg fractures over the past two seasons, returned to action earlier this month... early reports on his play were encouraging- "some guys said I'd be worried about going into the corners when I got back; they were wrong." Savard's size, speed and puck sense made him one of the most valuable defensemen on the team and the Habs have missed him plenty. He had also developed into a penalty killer almost without peer.

His first game back was against Chicago, and he picked up two assists, while showing a willingness to mix it up along the boards and in corners... watching him in the games, you could see flashes of the old skill and ability. At his best, Savard is one of the most mobile rearguards in hockey and he still has the nifty moves. It's the pace at which he makes them that's changed. He is, not surprisingly, a lot slower than he used to be. "I haven't really hit full stride. It will take time. And, timing. You lose that when you're on the shelf."

It is no coincidence that the revival of Team Canada in this hockey showdown with the Soviet Union dates back to Serge Savard's return to the defence corps. Nor is it any accident that the Canadians have won three and tied one of the four games in which Savard has been available to add mobility and offensive thrust to an otherwise awkward rearguard.

Team Canada never lost a game to Russia while Savard was in the lineup... it meant that after three years of tragic misfortune, Savard was once again the versatile young defenseman who'd won the Conn Smythe trophy for dominating the 1969 playoffs...the Canadiens have missed his dynamic two-way play

was on his way to stardom when he fractured his leg again.... one of the biggest defensemen in the NHL....can carry the puck from his own end or feed crisp passes to his forwards... hits hard and has become a polished stick checker.

Serge is another of the Canadiens' fine puck-carrying defensemen. A series of leg injuries have hampered his progress, but he missed only four games last season. A strong skater with good puck sense, he won the Conn Smythe trophy in 1969 and is just now returning to the all-star form he displayed that season.

Montreal hockey fans are appreciative of his contributions during the 1972-73 campaign and the Canadiens' march to the Stanley Cup last May. Serge's play was so impressive that onlookers were quick to remind each other that he looked just like the Savard of 1969 when he paced the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup... but a series of crippling injuries not only intervened but threatened to end his career, and it was only after last season that Savard once again put together the kind of defensive portfolio that once made him Orr's closest rival.... he explains that maturity has made him "more of a defenseman now" than he had been in his youth...

Serge is an offensive type of defenseman who relies on superior skating ability to create scoring opportunities. Injuries have plagued him, but when he's healthy, Serge is one of the most dependable defenseman around...a free-wheeling skater able to rush down ice and recover his position quickly.

Ranks among the league's best rearguards... still superb puck carrier and hard hitter.

one of the league's top two-way defenseman... kills penalties as a forward.

defended efficiently and often moved to the forward line against opposition power plays, working with Jimmy Roberts on that detail.

Another excellent season for this respected defender...moves to forward killing penalties.

Praise from the opposition is absolutely the best kind and Philadelphia defenseman Joe Watson said during last spring's playoffs: "To me, Serge Savard is the best player in hockey today. Nobody controls the puck the way he does and, when all is said and done, what else do you want a defenseman to do?"

A superb puck carrier and playmaker, Serge was the 2nd highest scoring montreal defenseman last season. He plays a fine positional game, and always keeps the puck moving.

SAVARD STILL DOING IT ALL AS HABS KEEP ROLLING.
…save a small cheer for Serge Savard, who says he is not playing the best hockey of his career, but pretty close to it... as far as Montreal fans are concerned, Savard is an all-star in every sense of the word. Bowman doesn't hesitate to use him, no matter what situation the Canadiens face on the ice... He is used on his regular shift, kills penalties and sees some action on the power play... often when the Canadiens are forced to kill a penalty, Bowman will go with three defensemen, using Savard as a forward because of his checking ability and also his talents at ragging the puck... his play this year has been exceptional and is part of the reason why the Canadiens continue to enjoy a huge amount of success.

In the so-called Big Three, Savard is usually considered the key to the defense, the cool catalyst who controls the tempo of the game; took over as interim captain when Yvan Cournoyer underwent spinal surgery late in season¦ noted for two courageous comebacks from broken legs... same mobility as others on Montreal blueline allows him to move to forward at times to kill penalties

When Yvan Cournoyer was hospitalized with back problems last season, Serge Savard was chosen to take over as temporary captain. It was an accurate measurement of the esteem with which he is regarded by both his bosses and his colleagues. He is a team leader and the Canadiens' "most versatile player"... since receiving the Conn Smythe trophy he has never agan received any such nomination or significant all-star support. Yet many rate him the best rearguard in the business. "His main asset is his tremendous mobility," says Scotty Bowman. He's great at getting the puck out of his own zone. And he skates so well that I move him up the forward line when we're shorthanded. He's an excellent penalty killer ... perhaps it's his versatility that's deprived him of some of the recognition he should be getting. All I know is that when he's on the ice, he totally controls the play."

A WINNING PLAYER
Savard is one of the lesser recognized members of the star-studded Canadiens, but he is one of the better reasons why Montreal is making a strong run at a 3rd consecutive cup... most of the glory goes to the spectacular skater and scorer, Guy Lafleur, or the enormous rushing defenseman, Larry Robinson, or towering goalkeeper Ken Dryden, which is fair enough, but if you want to get into the guts of this tremendous team, you start to talk about the Serge Savards, Bob Gaineys and Jacques Lemaires, who shine in the shadows. "Ah, I just do a job," shrugs the large, dark, scowling Savard... he has given everything to the game, surviving a series of severe injuries, and becoming one of the dominant defensive defensemen in the sport... he was a rushing defenseman when he turned pro... big, strong, swift and mobile, he hit hard and had a hard shot... in the playoffs, he scored four goals, assisted on six others, defended flawlessly and for his spirited and effective all-around play he was selected as the first defenseman to ever win the Smythe. "so much was expected of me I couldn't have lived up to it. The injuries give me an excuse for not being what I might have been, he grins. "I'm not the rushing player I once was, but I'm a better player than I ever was. I'm not blind, I know you have to get goals to get all-star votes. But I only go for goals when we need them." The Norris trophy is supposed to go to the best defenseman, but when Larry Robinson won it last season he said Savard should have won it...

He's the big, dependable defenseman on hockey's stingiest team... nevertheless, he has always been overlooked when it came to handing out awards, but hockey people recognize him as an all-star

It is almost incredible that in 11 seasons, Serge Savard has never made an all-star team and has never won a prize for regular season achievements...even though he undeniably is one of the best defensemen in the game. "maybe his versatility hurts him," coach Bowman suggests. "He plays on the forward line a lot when we're killing penalties and he always does a lot of offensive work." Says Philly veteran Joe Watson: "Savard is the best player in the league. He controls the puck all the time he's on the ice, like Bobby Orr used to for Boston.

classy, intelligent old pro of best defense in NHL, he usually stays back and allows Larry Robinson or Guy Lapointe to make rink-length rushes

Hockey people had always considered it a terrible miscarriage of justice that Savard hadn't won any individual awards since the 1969 Conn Smythe. For a whole decade he'd been one of the very best defensemen and one of the finest all-around performers in the business

crafty, wise defenseman who knows all the subtle little tricks of playing the position... among hockey's most respected men.

When Cournoyer's retirement became official, Savard was confirmed as the new captain. He'd occupied the post temporarily during 1978-79... unfortunately, Savard wasn't able to provide the necessary leadership during his first year on the job. He spent most of the schedule with his right foot in a cast, and a lot of the remaining time trying to regain his conditioning...just when he seemed at his best again, the Canadiens were eliminated...losing the cup, of course, was a rare experience for Savard.

No one was shocked; some people were sad. Serge Savard announced his retirement from hockey last month; he admitted he knew his career was over last April. He was the last to leave the ice after the Canadiens were eliminated, and had intimated to his teammates that he had played his last game with them... throughout the 1980-81 season, he struggled and was often jeered by the critical paying customers at the Forum. "the last two years have been sad for me. I didn't like the way things went the last two years."

Plucked from the waiver wire, Savard said he would consider the invitation to play for the Jets. "He seems interested," said John Ferguson... Meanwhile, the Canadiens scoffed at the mere suggestion Savard would even consider playing for another NHL team... The team is young and improving, but it needs Savard's leadership, his experience and his stabilizing features. "Having Savard on the team would be a Christmas bonus," said Tom Watt. "I know he would help me. Young players would benefit from having him around. He would see many things that would elude me. I think he would be ideal." But can he still play? "You bet he can," said Watt. "Two years ago he was one of the premier defensemen in the NHL. You can't tell me he's slipped that much."

complications (in signing Savard) arose when it becamse known that he had received his entire salary from the Canadiens for the current season with the stipulation that he would neither work nor play for any other NHL teamâ.. left unprotected in the waiver draft, Savard was selected by the Jets...Savard is interested, but doesn't want to return the money paid to him by the Canadiens, who blundered by not putting him on the voluntary retired list... Ferguson expected to have the matter cleared up by December. But he's not inclined to give the Canadiens a thin dime for a player they were obviously prepared to give up...Savard is well aware of the Jets' crying need for an experienced defenseman... "I'm convinced Serge could play at least 2 more years. The Canadiens thought so too."

JETS LOOKING FORWARD TO APRIL HOCKEY
Today, it's a different story and a man who is playing an instrumental role in the turnabout of the Jets is Savard... Undoubtedly he is their leader. Teammates worship him... "I'm very happy I made the decision I did," said Savard... he has been an imposing figure on the Jets' defense. Huge by Winnipeg's standards, Savard can bump and grind with the biggest forwards, reach far in every direction and make the subtle moves that can shrug off a checker and allow him to send a forward on his way. He plays according to the score, slowing the pace down when the Jets are ahead in an almost hypnotic fashion and leading rushes when they are behind... "this team is starting to believe in itself. I think we realize we are as good as Chicago. Maybe better." He doesn't miss the strain associated with being a member of the Canadien... Savard's conditioning has improved remarkably. Some nights he appears to be in the ice for at least half the game. "I'm quite pleased with myself," he said. "I feel I can play a game the way I always could. It's a great feeling when you are out there, knowing you can be effective again." "You can't help but improve playing on the same team as Serge," said Dave Babych. "You can learn just by watching him."

until now, Serge Savard has had nothing but good things to say about the Canadiens. But he was upset with the Habs on the eve of his return to the forum. It was all because the Canadiens had made the decision to give Jeff Brubaker his old sweater - #18. "For my whole career, I've spoken out against violence. But the thing that bothers me is that they have given my sweater to a guy who established an NHL record by fighting three times in his first 40 seconds on the ice against Philadelphia.

On this night, both players were typically efficient. At their ages, neither will attempt many solo rushes. But offense isn't what their teams want from them. What the Blues and Jets want is their intelligence, leadership, and the benefit of their vast experience. Since Savard was coaxed out of retirement, he has provided Winnipeg exactly what it wanted... when Lapointe and Savard were at their peaks in Montreal, it was a joy to watch! Robinson was the only one of the three to win the Norris, but if you had voted for Lapointe or Savard, no one would have escorted you out of town or checked your marbles. That's how good they all were... with half a season in Winnipeg, we've seen what a contribution Savard has made. The Jets are the NHL's most improved team thanks largely to Savard's calming influence behind the blueline and off the ice.

MASTER OF DEFENSE
Serge Savard- rangy and rising 37 and old by the standards of the 1982 NHL hasn't allowed the seasons to steal his style. It was gratifying to see him on the Winnipeg defense this past winter..Savard was the hub of the Winnipeg rearguard... came to the Jets from another time to remind them how defense used to be played in the NHL. Here he was, making passes quick and accurate and soft enough to handle. Here he was, sating in stately fashion, moving as Rex MacLeod once described Allan Stanley, "snoeshowing in from the point." From the distance of the stands, it seems that Savard is unscarred by the years. Yet he was hampered by broken bones in three of his first six seasons.... To see him on a night not long ago in Toronto was to realize that at least one defenseman in the NHL knows more than how to merely spell d-e-f-e-s-n-e.
Toronto's John Anderson would come riding down the left wing and there'd be Savard to ride him off, impeding him with a stick across the torso just long enough to throw him off stride and escape the ref's attention. Or Bill Derlago would throw a pass to Rick Vaive on right wing that wasn't completed because Savard got there first to knock it away with a long poke check. Savard was breaking up plays on the right and left sides, because, depending on who his Winnipeg partner was, he played right and left defense. A Toronto attacker would try to escape along the boards and, frequently, Savard scrubbed him along the fence, steering him out of the play. Chances are Savard isn't as effective against the few respectable NHL teams as he was against the Leafs...
From the pressbox you can't see the seams in Savard's expression or the bend in his nose. You can't count the pucks he's intercepted or the flashy forwards he's ridden off. You can remember the big sweeping manner he rushed the puck, or, in the act of shooting, the way he spun around on one leg for his spin-o-rama shot... he's left much of himself in places such as the Forum and Luzhniki Arena in Moscow... a constant winner on teams going for the Stanley Cup or the championship of the planet. What he's been has gone slowly, not as a hockey stick breaks, but as many nights gash the ice of hockey rinks. Savard is still prepared to squander himself in these playoffs, a stranger in the playpen. The Jets may not be good enough to beat Minnesota for the title, but they are something above the ordinary, as long as they have Serge.

The wise, crafty Savard, who's slow in the feet but swift in the head, played sound defense and was invaluable in aiding the young backliners. He became the club's unofficial leader who showed the Jet kids how a classy big leaguer handles himself, on the ice and off...becamse anchor of Jets’ backline... not flashy on the attack but excellent defensively.

Jets got their leader when John Ferguson finally persuaded Savard to give up retirement before the midway point of the season. "I knew he'd play tremendous hockey for us... I knew he'd teach our guys a lot. And off the ice, he'd show the kids what it means to be a big leaguer and winner....And sure enough, it didn't take Savard long to become just as efficient as his old teammate predicted he'd be. "It's unbelievable, the difference Serge made," says 20-year old Dave Babych. "I learn just by watching him. Like, I previously thought of playing the man first and then the puck. He showed me how you've got to do both things at once."

Savard still going strong after 1000 NHL games
"there was a time when people thought he was injury prone; they feared his career would last fewer than 200 games, let alone 1000...mayne he didn't rush as much after two broken legs, but the great power he has in his arms and his mind, well, I knew he would be around for a long time," says Ferguson. "personally, I haven't changed. I'm still a defensive player. But the league has changed. There are more shootouts now. It's become a wide open league."
"I've been impressed by him," says Ferguson. "He can still play. And I'm certainly interested in keeping him for as long as he wants to play." Savard has made an impact on people. Fans find him entertaining, the media engaging, his coach enhancing and his teammates enchanting. "Serge does coach, but in his own way," said Tom Watt. "He chirps at the right time when he is working with layers. Often we discuss defensive alignments together. But he has no titles. He is just a player. That's how he wants it." Watt appreciates the influence he has had on the Jets' defensemen, most of whom have barely started their careers. "I can't describe how much he's helped me,"said Tim waters. "He's settled me down, helped me relax. Since day one, I've admired the way he can control a game. He has great confidence in himself." If one player has profited immensely by savard's influence, Dave Babych has. He is no longer as flippant as he once was. He does not bog down as easily. Today, he is playing instinctively, intelligently and forcefully... Perhaps a fraction slower but infinitely wiser, Savard has lent size, maturity and moxy to a team that appears to be going places under his example and direction.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
Savard was an ideal combination of skill and smarts during his career. Serious leg injuries decreased his speed, but few backliners in history took a more cerebral approach to the sport... Savard was a member of perhaps the best defense ever owned by an NHL team... no other club has ever had three of the game's best 6-7 defensemen on its roster at one time... a few Savard boosters were puzzled that he wasn't named to more all-star teams or picked for other awards... At the Stanley cup luncheon in 1979, Savard was asked about the lack of trophies in his career. "Oh, you think I've never won any trophies? Well there's a big silver cup over there on that head table that means everything in the game and if you look closely, you'll see my name on it a few times."

In his own words:

That game convinced me that God must be a Russian. If he's not, how do you explain a tie when we outplay them by so much?

The team is in the culture of the people around here. If you're from here (Montreal), you felt that way all through your youth. It's in people's blood. People identified with our club and it doesn't have anything to do with language.

When I was younger, I was more of a rusher but after the two bad leg injuries, I didn't have the same speed so I became more of a defensive defenseman.

My duties were clear. No one expected me to carry the club on my shoulders.

I had been on Stanley Cup teams but it was nothing quite like winning against the Soviets that year.

I was a member of eight Stanley Cup teams, but this was the greatest experience of my career! I don't think that was the best team I ever played on. That would have to be the '76 Canada Cup team with Bobby Orr. As far as Montreal teams go, the '76-77 team was the best. I thought it was a great team.

The Best Penalty Killing Defensemen Since Expansion

Savard is definitely in the conversation. Here is the list of all defensemen with post-1967 primes, with at least 600, 50+% PK usage, and with team results at least 6% better than the average:

(Note: I am limiting this to defensemen who played mainly post-expansion, because it appears it was easier for dmen to rank up high usage before the expansion. Otherwise, the top 3 - since 1960 when we have stats - would be Jacques Laperriere, J.C. Tremblay, and Marcel Pronovost).

Bill White: 65% usage, teams 12% better than average, 604 GP
Bobby Orr: 62% usage, teams 21% better than average, 657 GP
Zdeno Chara: 59% usage, teams 12% better than average, 1553 GP
Serge Savard: 58% usage, teams 18% better than average, 1040 GP
Bill Hajt: 57% usage, teams 23% better than average, 854 GP
Raymond Bourque: 58% usage, teams 12% better than average, 1612 GP
Chris Chelios: 57% usage, teams 15% better than average, 1651 GP
Jim Schoenfeld: 56% usage, teams 23% better than average, 719 GP
Scott Stevens: 56% usage, teams 12% better than average, 1635 GP
Derian Hatcher: 56% usage, teams 11% better than average, 1054 GP
Jimmy Roberts: 56% usage, teams 11% better than average, 1006 GP
Willie Mitchell: 56% usage, teams 10% better than average, 907 GP
Ryan McDonaugh: 55% usage, teams 16% better than average, 662 GP
Niklas Hjalmarsson: 55% usage, teams 10% better than average, 780 GP
Chris Pronger: 55% usage, teams 9% better than average, 1167 GP
Rob Scuderi: 55% usage, teams 9% better than average, 763 GP
Alex Pietrangelo: 54% usage, teams 11% better than average, 758 GP
Andy Greene: 53% usage, teams 19% better than average, 933 GP
Denis Potvin: 53% usage, teams 18% better than average, 1060 GP
Rod Langway: 53% usage, teams 17% better than average, 994 GP
Guy Lapointe: 53% usage, teams 24% better than average, 884 GP
Marc-Andre Vlasic: 53% usage, teams 10% better than average, 1035 GP
Nicklas Lidstrom: 52%, usage, teams 19% better than average, 1564 GP
Richard Matvichuk: 52% usage, teams 14% better than average, 796 GP
Dan Girardi: 51% usage, teams 16% better than average, 927 GP
Kevin Hatcher: 51% usage, teams 8% better than average , 1157 GP
Craig Ludwig: 51% usage, teams 7% better than average, 1256 GP
Dan Hamhuis: 51% usage, teams 6% better than average, 1148 GP

Savard is #4 in average usage since expansion, but with many more games than White or Orr and better team results than White or Chara.

 

[Voight]

Roman Josi

Awards and Achievements:
Norris Trophy (2020)
First Team All-Star (2020)
Most Valuable Player, Best Defenseman, Tournament All Star Team (2013 World Championships)

Norris voting - 1st(2020), 5th(2015), 5th(2016), 7th(2018), 7th(2019), 11th(2017)
Hart voting - 7th(2020)
All-Star voting - 1st(2020), 5th(2015), 5th(2016), 7th(2018), 7th(2019), 10th(2017)


Offensive Accomplishments:

Points among Defensemen - 2nd(2020), 4th(2016), 4th(2016), 5th(2015), 8th(2019), 9th(2017), 11th(2018)
Goals among Defensemen - 2nd(2020), 4th(2018), 5th(2019), 6th(2015), 6th(2017), 7th(2014), 8th(2016)
Assists among Defensemen - 2nd(2020), 4th(2016), 5th(2015), 6th(2017), 9th(2019), 13th(2018)


Playoff Points - 2nd(2017)
Playoff Goals - 1st(2017)
Playoff Assists - 4th(2017)

5-Year Peak: 2015 to 2020

5th in Points, 82% of first place Brent Burns
4th in Goals, 95% of second place Dougie Hamilton
7th in Assists, 85% of first place Brent Burns

At the age of 20 he headed across the Atlantic to join the Nashville franchise. Solid in defence, and blessed with beautiful attacking skills, he soon became a key player.

“The thing about Roman is he’s always been exceptionally talented in terms of the skating and hockey I.Q.,” said Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz, who coached Josi for his first three years in Nashville. “But what’s been underrated, I think, is that he’s in the Nashville market and he’s been overshadowed by bigger names.
“To me, he’s a top-five defenceman in the league, for sure.”

Though P.K. Subban has made headlines during the final for battling with Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby — both verbally and physically — it was actually Josi who has seen the most of out the Penguins captain. And it is Josi who has been frustrating Crosby the most.
Josi held Crosby to zero shots on net, while also scoring a goal and two assists, in a 5-1 win in Game 3. Even in the 6-0 blowout loss in Game 5, a game where no one on the Predators looked particularly good, Josi somehow managed to avoid being on the ice for a single goal — a task that was especially difficult considering his defence partner Ryan Ellis was injured at the start of the second period.
The Predators have always been high on Josi, whom they selected 38th overall in the 2008 draft. It was why the team didn’t seem all that upset when Ryan Suter walked as a free agent after Josi’s rookie season in 2012.

“I think Roman is a guy that we count on a nightly basis to deliver a 200-foot game both ways,” Laviolette said prior to Game 6. “He does it consistently."

“The defensive part of his game, ever since he was paired with Shea Weber a couple of years ago, it took a giant leap forward,” said assistant coach Phil Housley. “Those were the guys getting the big minutes and facing the big lines. He’s done a tremendous job. It’s his mobility. He gets back to pucks first, has a plan and can break a forecheck so easily. That’s what frustrates teams the most. They can’t slow him down.”

“There’s no question that when Shea departed, Roman took up a bigger role. Any loose ends that Shea was a part of during his time, Roman has picked them up, whether it’s as a leader on or off the ice. He’s filled that void.
“The rest of the league is finding out just how good of a player he is.”

Josi had a breakout year in 2014-15, and he can only improve from there. His 55 points last season ranked fifth most among all NHL defensemen in scoring. After the all-star break, Josi scored 27 points (8 g, 19 a), second most among NHL defensemen. Most of that offense was generated by Laviolette allowing him to move the puck up the ice. Josi is the one of the best puck-moving defensemen in the NHL. He can finish the rapid attack with his accurate shot. Not only is Josi good offensively, he is reliable defensively. He placed second in the NHL in blocked shots (209). Josi’s 26:28 of average time on ice per game was the highest on the Predators and ranked fourth most in the League.

"Not only is he one of our best players, but he's also become one of the top defensemen in the entire League. He's respected by his teammates, coaches and opponents and he represents our organization and logo with the utmost class and integrity on and off the ice. I know Roman is ready to become captain and I have no doubt he will fulfill these duties with the same passion we've become accustomed to seeing from him day after day."

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Pierre Pilote, D

Awards:

• 3 consecutive seasons as a 2nd Team All-Star (1960, 1961, 1962)
• 5 consecutive seasons as a 1st Team All-Star (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967)
• Retroactive Conn Smythe for 1961, when he led the playoffs in scoring, outsourcing all forwards

Norris record by season:

56-57: 10th
57-58: 8th
58-59: 6th
59-60: 4th
60-61: 4th
61-62: 2nd (to Harvey)
62-63: 1st
63-64: 1st
64-65: 1st
65-66: 2nd (to Laperriere)
66-67: 2nd (to Howell)
67-68: 6th

Pilote’s biggest standout skill was his hockey-sense.

In 2008, an NHL.com staff writers ranked Pilote the 5th smartest player he had seen, after Gretzky, Lemieux, Lemaire, and Gainey. After Pilote were Bourque, Howe, Keon, Lidstrom, and Trottier.

His style seems to have been a cross between Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Leetch:

“Pierre Pilote -- Time passes and memory fades, but Pilote was the Leetch of his day, a rushing defenseman with superior skills in every aspect of the game. A high percentage of Bobby Hull's points came on give-and-goes with Pilote. The give-and-go was his signature play and contributed greatly to the Blackhawks being the only team of the era to dominate the Canadiens at their own game, firewagon hockey. His defensive skills were excellent and, much like Lidstrom, he kept the game in front of him at all times. Like everyone else on this list, his ability to anticipate what would happen next stood out among his peers.”

Pilote Among Smartest Players In NHL History

His offense: 2nd best offensive defenseman of the Original 6 era after Red Kelly

Points amongst Defensemen - 10th(1957), 5th(1958), 3rd(1959), 1st(1960), 2nd(1961), 3rd(1962), 5th(1963), 1st(1964), 1st(1965), 1st(1966), 1st(1967), 6th(1968)

Play-off Points amongst defenseman - 1st(1961), 2nd(1962), 1st(1963), 1st(1964), 2nd(1965), 2nd(1967)

3rd All-time behind Orr and Coffey in "VsX among defensemen." Adjusting for competition, 4th place Red Kelly was probably better offensively than Pilote, however:

Pilote - underrated offensive defenseman

As @kruezer suggested, I tried doing a quick-and-dirty seven year VsX just for defensemen. I'm not yet confident enough in the results to present them here, but I will say this - Pilote looks exceptional. In fact, right now the numbers have him in 3rd place (behind Coffey who's comfortably in 2nd, and very narrowly ahead of Red Kelly in 4th). But part of that is due to him beating up on weaker competition. Here's a quick summary:

• 1958 - 5th in defenseman scoring (but only one point out of 3rd place - which is a tie between Red Kelly, who missed nine games, and Allan Stanley)
• 1959 - 3rd in defenseman scoring (decisively behind Bill Gadsby, but just two points behind Tom Johnson in 3rd, and well ahead of Marcel Pronvost in 4th)
• 1960 - decisively leads defensemen in scoring (45 points; three Hall of Fame defensemen - Stanley, Horton and Gadsby - are closely bunched together with 33, 32 and 31 points respectively)
• 1961 - tied for 2nd in scoring (slightly behind Harvey in 1st; tied with Gadsby in 2nd)
• 1962 - 2nd in scoring behind Jean-Guy Talbot (leading Horton, Gadsby, Stanley and Harvey after that)
• 1963 - missed 11 games to injury (still finishes 4th in scoring, only two points out of second)
• 1964 - runs away with the scoring race 53 to 36. But this is a weaker year - Howell, Doug Barkley and Laperriere are the top competition.
• 1965 - obliterates the scoring race 59 to 35. Only Orr has ever had larger margins of victory. But again it's a weaker field - Ted Green, Kent Douglas and Tim Horton.
• 1966 - a weird year where most of the top defensemen miss time. Pilote manages to lead defensemen in scoring despite missing 19 games - he narrowly beat JC Tremblay who missed 11 games, Pat Stapleon who missed 15, a healthy Harry Howell (how's that for alliteration?), and Jacques Laperriere who missed 13 games.
• 1967 - another decisive victory (over a rookie Orr, then Howell and Gary Bergman).
• 1968 - 6th in scoring (but only six points out of second place), then downhill from there.

If you exclude 1964 to 1967 entirely (when he was putting up tremendous numbers against a relatively weak field), his seven-year VsX score puts up roughly on par with Brad Park (and Phil Housley and Sergei Gonchar). I think excluding those years entirely is too harsh, but after making some reasonable adjustment for competition, Pilote (in terms of regular season offense) is probably on par with Harvey, Potvin and Lidstrom. For the record, Clancy is also (roughly) in this range.

(In case it isn't clear as to why Pilote ranks much higher than Park under this method, when he was far behind in the original VsX table - Park's offense looks better relative to the league as a whole, because defensemen as a whole were more involved in the offense during his era. But Pilote's offense was much more impressive than Park's, relative to other defensemen of his era).

Pilote was the dominant even strength and power play defenseman of his time:

Moving on to defencemen, we’ll start with the leading defencemen based on their even strength role. The top defencemen in EV%.

Player	GP	$ESP/70	$ESGF/70	$ESGA/70	R-ON	R-OFF	EV%
Red Kelly	50	21	82	97	0.85	0.90	58%
Pierre Pilote	517	30	90	63	1.43	1.14	52%
Jim Morrison	89	19	74	89	0.83	0.90	51%
Doug Barkley	247	22	86	70	1.23	1.00	50%
Doug Harvey	275	20	87	77	1.12	0.98	50%
Pat Stapleton	215	20	78	90	0.87	0.98	49%
Tim Horton	547	22	80	69	1.17	1.27	49%
Harry Howell	551	18	76	87	0.87	0.73	48%
Bill Gadsby	453	20	71	81	0.88	1.02	48%
Marcel Pronovost	525	16	74	72	1.03	0.94	48%
Jacques Laperriere	256	16	75	68	1.10	1.25	47%
Terry Harper	271	14	82	61	1.35	1.13	47%
Moose Vasko	455	17	74	61	1.22	1.25	46%
J.C. Tremblay	438	19	79	63	1.24	1.28	46%
Leo Boivin	517	22	68	92	0.73	0.73	46%
Allan Stanley	499	22	76	63	1.20	1.22	46%

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Red Kelly’s numbers here are based on only his partial season in Detroit, his last as a defenceman. Pierre Pilote had the highest EV% of any defenceman who played the full time. He also had the best plus-minus ratio of any defenceman, was the leading scorer at even strength for defencemen, and played major roles on both special teams. It’s clear that he was the leading defenceman in the NHL for this time period.

Here are the leading defencemen on the power play for this time.

Player	GP	$ESP/70	EV%	$PPP/70	PP%	TmPP+
Bobby Orr	61	26	44%	18	95%	0.71
Pierre Pilote	517	30	52%	17	77%	1.07
Doug Harvey	275	20	50%	16	66%	1.25
Doug Mohns	338	23	42%	16	69%	0.78
Jacques Laperriere	256	16	47%	14	75%	1.20
Kent Douglas	244	7	26%	12	75%	1.00

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Most teams played 4 forwards on the power play in the 60s. Some teams played 5, like Detroit did with Howe and Delvecchio at the points. The offensive defenceman revolution had not yet arrived, and relatively few defencemen played a big role on their team’s power play.

As dominant as he was at even strength and on the power play, Pilote does not seem to have been as useful on the PK (perhaps due to lack of size)?

Pilote’s PK usage in his 3 Norris-winning seasons was 43.5%, 48.8%, and 34.0%, lower than the average Norris-winning defenseman, basically Coffey/Wilson level:
Top 10 defensemen of all-time?

A terrible PK in the playoffs is a major reason Chicago lost in the playoffs so often in the 1960s. At 30% PK usage over this time, the fault does not primarily lie with Pilote, but he also wasn’t helping things: The 1960's Chicago Blackhawks

Quotes about Pilote's all-round and physical game (courtesy of Leafs Forever's 2011 bio):

Pierre Pilote was one of the most outstanding defensemen of his time.- Joe Pelletier

Playing the game full-tilt was Pierre's philosphy. He never held anything back, and went like heck every game.- David Dupuis, co-author of upcoming Pilote biography.

Pilote was a superb defenseman at both ends of the ice. In his own zone he blocked shots fearlessly, but he also wasn't afraid to join the rush and he was a first-rate passer-Legends of Hockey

He was one of the most feared defensemen of Original Six hockey-Legends of Hockey

Pierre Pilote won the norris trophy in 1963, 1964, and 1965. Pilote was an eight time All-Star with the Chicago Blackhawks. Blessed with superb all-around skills, Pilote was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.- Hockey's Most Wanted
Headline: Pierre Pilote- The Best Before Orr

Pierre Pilote was an aggressive defenseman who could play the body and rush the puck effectively. Though he did not play organized hockey until 16, he became a skilled playmaker who consistently ranked amongst the top scoring defenseman of his day. -Hockey's Glory Days

Pierre Pilote made his debut along the blueline for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1955. Pilote became a full-time starter the following season, becoming a fixture for the next 12 seasons. In that 2nd season of 1956-57, the tough and physical defender began a streak of not missing a game for five seasons, a total of 376 straight contests. A fine passer and shot blocker, Pilote was named the team's captain in 1961, helpind lead the Hawks to their 1st cup in 23 years. -Right on the Numbers

Pilote also became renowned as a tough guy who should be avoided, a reputation enhanced when he knocked both Henri and Maurice Richard out cold during the same mix-up.-Legends of Hockey

Pilote should be classed with the Orrs, Robinsons, and Macinnises in the playoff record books, given that he was the only Original six defenseman to earn top points in a post-season scoring race. He would win the Norris Trophy as top rearguard on three successive occasions...but perhaps Pilote's greatest achievement came mid-career in Chicago's breakthrough playoff year of 1961. The Hawks' D-man led the rush and worked the corners, besting Chicago's marquee gunners, Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, to tie Gordie Howe as playoff scoring leader and record 15 points.- The Biggest Book of Hockey Trivia

The Hawks became Stanley Cup champions in 1961. Pilote scored the winning or tying goal in every Blackhawks victory that year-Joe Pelletier

The Blackhawks were quite confident they could shut down any team in the 1960s due to the terrific defensive play of Pierre Pilote.- 06/07 "Captains" Retro Card

Pilote is definitely one of the best defencemen in the National Hockey League right now. He has been a key man this series and during the regular season he was one of the most dependable players we had. He has great defensive ability, can carry the puck and is extremely valuable on the powerplay. Above all, he is a team man.

He weighs only 170 pounds but he offsets this weight disadvantage, if any, by his smartness and effectiveness.- Rudy Pious, Chicago Coach via the Windsor Star, Apr 12, 1961, during Stanley Cup Finals Series.

Pilote flooring Beliveau with an open ice hit: (courtesy of BenchBrawl)

 

[overpass]

Wendel Clark, LW

Clark was a defenceman in junior hockey, and was selected with the #1 pick in the 1985 draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Clark went on to become one of the most beloved athletes in Toronto history, and is one of 14 Leafs to have a statue on Legends Row.

Clark retired with 330 goals, 564 points, and 1690 penalty minutes in 793 regular season games, and 37 goals, 69 points, and 199 penalty minutes in 95 playoff games.

Jim Proudfoot, Toronto Star, December 4, 1987:
The Maple Leafs can't win without Wendel Clark. Not consistently, anyway. Not frequently enough to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs, not even in the low-rent district known as the Norris Division.
...
With Clark the story is different somehow. His is the feisty, indomitable presence they desperately need. With him they rise beyond their usual limitations. He can awaken a certain something deep within these guys - something that eludes Brophy.

David Shoalts, The Globe and Mail, November 9, 1993:
The most important factor in this revival is that Clark has managed to stay healthy after back and knee injuries kept him out of 245 regular- season games from 1985-86, when he joined the Leafs as the first pick overall in the entry draft, to 1992-93.

Others around the NHL point to an equally important factor: Clark is now an important part of the whole, rather than the heart of the team.

For too long during the late 1980s, when the leadership of Harold Ballard and Gerry McNamara produced the worst years in the franchise, Clark was expected to carry the team by himself. It was just too much to ask of one player, even one with as prodigious work ethic as Clark, to rally a collection of mediocre, selfish and lazy players.

The arrival of Leaf president Cliff Fletcher has meant the arrival of Doug Gilmour, now the team's pre-eminent superstar, and other talented players.

"The burden of the team was lifted off his shoulders somewhat," said Red Wing general manager Bryan Murray, whose coaching career came to an end when Clark helped the Leafs upset the Wings last spring. "He had to suffer being in a losing environment for a while, with people pointing at him. Now that's been taken away.

"Cliff and Pat (Burns, the head coach) have taken it off by getting more players that can play. The whole scenario around their locker room is better. Now Wendel can just go out and play, which for any player is all you can ask."

Austin Murphy, Sports Illustrated, May 23, 1994:
Conn Smythe would have loved Wendel Clark. Smythe, one of the early patriarchs of the NHL and the fellow who built Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, was fond of saying, "If you can't beat 'em in the alley, you can't beat 'em on the ice."

Clark, the Maple Leaf captain, has a style suited for either venue. His eight goals through two playoff rounds include a pair he scored last Saturday night in Toronto's 4-2 Game 7 win over the San Jose Sharks at the Gardens, a victory that advanced the Leafs to the Western Conference finals against the Vancouver Canucks. And when Clark isn't illuminating the little red lamp, he's lighting up opponents.

Ask Chicago's Chris Chelios, who crawled to the bench after being freight-trained by Clark during Game 6 of the Maple Leafs' first-round series against the Blackhawks. Ask San Jose's Jeff Norton, who was bent into a horseshoe by Clark in front of the Shark bench in Game 4 of their series. So enthusiastically did Clark finish his check that Norton was left gazing up into his teammates' nostrils, then was helped off the ice, semiconscious.

Around the NHL, Clark is given wide berth even though he doesn't drop his gloves as often as he did when he first arrived in the league, nine years ago. "He can still fight like a bastard," says Toronto assistant general manager Bill Watters. "He's just more selective." Adds Leaf defenseman Todd Gill, "There's not a guy in the league that wants a piece of him. Wendel isn't swinging for show. He's swinging to hurt you."

He's also swinging to score. With a wonderfully soft touch in close, rare for a pugilist, and one of the most dangerous wrist shots in the game, Clark has learned that he can do more damage with his hands wrapped around the shaft of a stick. This year the left wing had a career-high 46 goals during the regular season. Says Gill, "Wendel's finally using his hands to score, not fight."

Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, February 27, 1995:
For nine years in Toronto he tried to make everyone around him play a little bigger, a little better—at least when he wasn't hurt, which was so often that he missed the equivalent of three seasons. Clark, 28, was the one force on the Maple Leafs in the mid-1980s, an old-style wing who could score and muck and fight, combining 71 goals with 498 penalty minutes his first two seasons. (After the second year he opened a hockey school that promised to teach kids to play "the Wendel way." Leaf executives wondered if that meant whipping a wrist shot from the blue line and punching out the guy next to you.) He was the most familiar face in Toronto's mid-1990s renaissance, scoring 19 goals in 39 playoff games the past two seasons. He also played his best at the most important times. His Game 7 totals were six goals, three assists and a plus-nine in four matches.

He was ideal for the team whose logo mirrors the nation's—a poster boy for old-time Canadian virtues like industriousness, grit, modesty. A regular Exhibit Eh.

Marcel Aubut, Quebec Nordiques owner:
"We got Wendel for his dedication, loyalty, leadership, character, community work, scoring, yelling, hitting. He's our dream athlete...The greatest impact Wendel has had has been on Sakic. His coming has made Joe a different player and a different person."

Gare Joyce, Ottawa Citizen, January 11, 2000:
"He wasn't a player so much as a folk hero. He had the greatest wrist shot folks had ever seen, threw his body around like a slam dancer at The Last Pogo, and fought all comers. His epic tilts with Bob Probert are all the more impressive when you figure that he gave away 30 pounds to Probert and that Wendel looks up to a lot of people who are 5-11."

Scotty Bowman ranked Wendel Clark #87 of all time on his Top 100 Canadian Players of All Time list

83. Tony Esposito
84. Steven Stamkos
85. Brendan Shanahan
86. Bob Pulford
87. Wendel Clark
88. Rob Blake
89. Rodrigue Gilbert
90. Guy Carbonneau
91. Shea Weber

Leaf blogger Sean McIndoe had a series of posts about the Top 17 Wendel Clark Moments.

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

Jamie Benn, LW

AS Voting: 1, 1, 2, 5
Hart Voting: 3, 12, 12
Olympic Gold Medal: Canada 2014
Art Ross Trophy: 2014-15
Dallas Stars Captain: 2013-14 to Present (2021)
7yr Vs.X (through 2019-20): 81.4
10yr Vs.X (through 2019-20): 71.2
7 yr Period from 2013-14 to 2019-20: 6th in Power Play Goals


TSN 2021 Scouting Report

Assets	Has an excellent frame, plus plenty of scoring and all-around acumen. Leads by example and is driven to succeed. Is dangerous in front of the opposing goal. Owns underrated passing skills, too.
Flaws	His face-off skills are not at an elite level, which may be why he was moved off the center position (he is far more effective at left wing). Can take a few bad penalties due to over-exuberance.
Career potential	Excellent scorer, power forward and leader.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Mike Babcock – ESPN.com – Nov 2, 2015 (Babcock coached Benn on Team Canada)

"Yeah, he's not bad," the Maple Leafs' head coach said, smiling, at his purposed understatement. "I'm a big fan of him because he's got some nastiness to him. He has fun playing the game, he's not scared of any situation. I like good pros that love being a good pro. He loves to score, loves to check, he can play any way you want. He just shows up to play, he's a good player."

ESPN.com - Nov 2, 2015

The difference this season is that the top players on this team are truly embracing a better team game. Change doesn't occur until your most important players buy in.
"Definitely," a rival Western Conference head coach responded via text message Sunday when asked whether he saw that change in the Stars this season.
"What I see is their top players working harder away from the puck."
That's the leadership of Benn taking another step.
"Jamie Benn is now Jamie Benn the captain, the leader of the team. He's got it," Stars general manager Jim Nill said Monday morning. "He's always had it in him, but it's really coming out now. He's taken it upon itself."

Bleacher Report – Aug 13, 2013

Ranking the Best Two-Way Forwards in the NHL
(Article Ranked the Top 11 and then had 4 Honorable Mentions, HM is Where Benn Was Listed)

Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars: Benn is a two-way player who could have a dynamite 2013-14 campaign. Last season the physical scoring-winger registered 71 hits, he had 41 takeaways and tallied 33 points. He is going to have to elevate his game this season, but he is definitely an underrated player.

The Dallas Morning News - Feb 20, 2012

Hockey Night in Canada joined with the NHL Players Association to do a poll of players on some key questions, and the Stars received a little love.
Finishing second and third in the Most Underrated Player category were Jamie Benn (6% of the vote) and Loui Eriksson (4% of the vote). Boston's Patrice Bergeron finished first in the category with 8% of the vote.

2020 Cup Run

ESPN.com – Sep 21, 2020

Entering Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, Benn has 18 points in 22 games this postseason, including eight goals. He's been a physical force, a clutch performer and an emphatic leader. The closer to the championship the Stars have gotten, the better he has played, with 14 points in his past 13 games.

Yahoo Sports – Sep 15, 2020

It’s true that it’s not all about scoring with Benn, who has always been a strong defensive forward that hosts the physical tools few others in the NHL can match

. But for Lites and team owner Tom Gaglardi, who reportedly routinely shot text messages back and forth to each other with complaints over Benn (and Seguin), surely the feeling is unsatisfactory, and the belief has been that the captain hasn’t lived up to his end of the bargain since signing the contract that makes him one of the single-highest earners in the NHL.
It’s likely surpassed the point where that will change. Benn isn’t about to morph back into that power winger that feasted almost every night and scored in the few top percentiles while competing for individual honours over the course of the weeks and months of the regular season.
But that won’t matter much if Benn delivers when it matters most — like he’s done for the Stars on their path to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.
….
Yet, as the postseason continues to round into shape, and since the Stars have knocked out the two favourites in the Western Conference in succession, the captain’s value has reached a point where it has become unmistakable.
Benn was quite clearly the most dominant skater for the Stars in their short series victory over the Golden Knights. He scored in crunch time in each of the final three games to close them out, and had a hand in five of the nine goals that Dallas managed over the tandem of Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury.
An absolute handful in the offensive zone, showing glimpses of his most dominant days, Benn finished first in shot attempts, second in actual targets, and nearly had more individual scoring chances than the next two Stars — Corey Perry and Joe Pavelski — had combined.