In Memoriam Former pro hockey player/management deaths (Chris Simon, Konstantin Koltsov)

Howie Hodge

Zombie Woof
Sep 16, 2017
4,422
4,027
Buffalo, NY
Dick Gamble, 89 -- March 22
View attachment 107049

Hm. Former Buffalo Bison. Traded to Rochester for Dave Creighton in 1961. Creighton only played one season in Buffalo, had a few decent seasons after the trade, mostly with Baltimore and then Providence of The AHL.

Gamble on the other hand was very productive for another 7 or 8 years in Rochester.

(Dave Creighton's son Adam had a decent, but not great NHL career ....)
 

Robert Gordon Orr

Registered User
Dec 3, 2009
978
2,038
R.I.P.

Larry Leach [1936-2018] and Jim Hay [1931-2018]

Leach played for Boston 1958-60 and 61/62, while Hay played for Detroit 1952-55

1962_Topps_Larry_Leach.jpg

Larry Leach




jim_hay_bucks_1962.jpg

Jim Hay
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tarantula

Robert Gordon Orr

Registered User
Dec 3, 2009
978
2,038
R.I.P.

Michel Archambault [1950-2018] who played three games for Chicago in 1976/77

Bob Sullivan [1957-2018] who played 62 games for Hartford in 1982/83

michel-archambault-a0043ccc-217e-4d9e-8a49-debcd26320b-resize-750.jpeg

Michel Archambault


bob-sullivan-1983-46.jpg

Bob Sullivan
 

Tarantula

Hanging around the web
Aug 31, 2017
4,451
2,863
GTA
With all the talent the Bruins had it seemed like he hardly got mentioned but was always a favourite of mine.

Johhny Buyck wrote about him in his book as they were linemates for quite a while.

RIP :(
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chief Nine

Howie Hodge

Zombie Woof
Sep 16, 2017
4,422
4,027
Buffalo, NY
Farewell Johnny "Pie" McKenzie.
Happy Trails our friend...

John McKenzie, nicknamed "Pie," was born Dec. 12, 1937 in High River, Alberta, about 40 miles south of Calgary. He was a rodeo competitor early in his life, earning the nicknames "Cowboy" and "Bronco." Those came before "Pie Face," for his apparent resemblance to a Canadian candy bar's cartoon illustration, which would be shortened to "Pie" for the shape of his face (or his posterior, according to old friend and Bruins teammate Phil Esposito).

cut.jpg
 

Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
Sponsor
Sep 26, 2007
68,585
98,266
Cambridge, MA
Farewell Johnny "Pie" McKenzie.
Happy Trails our friend...

John McKenzie, nicknamed "Pie," was born Dec. 12, 1937 in High River, Alberta, about 40 miles south of Calgary. He was a rodeo competitor early in his life, earning the nicknames "Cowboy" and "Bronco." Those came before "Pie Face," for his apparent resemblance to a Canadian candy bar's cartoon illustration, which would be shortened to "Pie" for the shape of his face (or his posterior, according to old friend and Bruins teammate Phil Esposito).

View attachment 124605

xpie-jpg.123885
 

Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
Sponsor
Sep 26, 2007
68,585
98,266
Cambridge, MA
@Killion

Johnny ‘Pie’ McKenzie, 80, Big, Bad Bruins’ spark plug - The Boston Globe

In 1971, Mr. McKenzie was limited to two goals in seven games when the Bruins were upset by the Canadiens in the first round, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. An X-ray revealed that he had played with a fractured skull, which he suffered in the first game.

Mr. McKenzie shrugged off the injury. “It really wasn’t much as skull fractures go,” he said, according to NHL.com. “Just a little bone where the nose is hooked onto the forehead. It was unhooked.’’


The 1972 Stanley Cup finals between the Bruins and Rangers was an emotional time for Mr. McKenzie. With a 3-1 lead going into Game 5, Boston was poised to end the series at Boston Garden, but lost, 3-2.

“My dad was quite ill and in a wheelchair, but he made it to Boston from Calgary and I was hoping that we’d win it here. I told him that if we did, I’d throw him in the shower” Mr. McKenzie recalled in a 1987 Globe interview.

His father arrived wearing a Bruins jacket and old pants so he wouldn’t ruin any good clothes if they got soaked. “I’m sorry we didn’t win it in Boston for two reasons — our fans and my dad,” said Mr. McKenzie, who added that his father “drank from the Cup a few days later” when the Bruins won Game 6 in Madison Square Garden. His father, he said, “died the following year.”
 
  • Like
Reactions: Killion

Robert Gordon Orr

Registered User
Dec 3, 2009
978
2,038
R.I.P.

Jack Borotsik [1949-2018]
He played on game in the NHL for St. Louis Blues.
Borotsik saw limited ice time in a 3-10 loss to Chicago on October 27, 1974

161115+Borotsik+old.jpg
 

Robert Gordon Orr

Registered User
Dec 3, 2009
978
2,038
R.I.P.

Leo Thiffault [1944-2018]
He appeared in five playoff games for Minnesota in 1968.
In the mid 60s as a junior in Peterborough, he formed a high scoring line with André Lacroix and Danny Grant.

000029588.jpg
 

Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
Sponsor
Sep 26, 2007
68,585
98,266
Cambridge, MA
Former NHL goalie, 35 years old, drowns

Former NHL goaltender Ray Emery has drowned in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. He was 35.

Hamilton Police said Emery was identified as the victim of a swimming accident Sunday morning. Staff Sgt. Paul Evans said police received a call just after 6 a.m. that an adult swimmer did not surface and that the Niagara Police assisted in the recovery effort.

Emery's body was recovered just before 3 p.m. Sunday. Hamilton Police said the cause of death would be confirmed after a postmortem.

Nicknamed "Razor" for his aggressive style, Emery played parts of 11 seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks from 2003-2015. He helped the Senators reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2007 and won it as a backup with the Blackhawks in 2013.
 

Robert Gordon Orr

Registered User
Dec 3, 2009
978
2,038
R.I.P. Václav Burda [1973-2018] who fell asleep behind the wheel and died in a head on collision with a truck early monday morning.

Not an NHL'er, but he was the Director of European Scouting for Edmonton.
He is also credited as being one of the men responsible for drafting Erik Karlsson
when he was a scout for Ottawa. As a player Burda represented the Czech Republic
at the 1998 World Championships. He played for Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic and Lulea in Sweden.

burda-vaclav.jpg
 

Robert Gordon Orr

Registered User
Dec 3, 2009
978
2,038
R.I.P. John Schella [1947-2018]

Played 115 games with Vancouver Canucks. Also played six seasons with Houston (WHA).

0db4c7323cc9d16b64326fb16943c14a--nhl-games-vancouver-canucks.jpg
 

iamjs

Registered User
Oct 1, 2008
12,569
931
Ab was also the first captain with the Penguins and also scored the first goal for the WHA Jets.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tarantula

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->