Hockeys Forgotten Man
Oh, the irony.
Earl Seibert:
He was a First or Second Team All-Star defenseman for 10 consecutive years.
He was, according to hockey old-timers, the equal of Boston's great star Eddie Shore in almost every way. What set them apart was, perhaps, flair, color, and controversy.
Eddie Shore said he was the only player he'd be afraid to fight.
He became part of the first father and son player combo in the Hall of Fame, when he followed his father, Oliver, into the Hall in 1963.
He help the Black Hawks win the Stanley Cup in 38. He played about 55 minutes a game, and set a record for defensemen by scoring 5 playoff goals.
I mentioned irony?
Brian McFarlane, in his Original Six series, calls him "hockey's forgotten man".
In his book Century of Hockey, he recounts minor trades and contract issues a plenty. Yet fails to mention that Earl was traded from the Rangers to the Black Hawks, after bringing in his father to negotiate his contract, for another future HoFer, Art Coulter.
He doesn't mention his name when talking about the hit that ended Howie Morenz's career. Earl was the player that hit him when his leg shattered.
None the above got Seibert mentioned in the book. The first mention of him is when Bobby Orr breaks his record for playoff goals for defenseman in 1970.
Hockey's forgotten man indeed!