Oldest player to make his NHL debut? (modern era)

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Impossibles

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May 14, 2003
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Since 1967, which player made his NHL debut latest in life?

There is a player on the Islanders who is going to make his NHL debut at 27 y/o, but there has got to be a lot of players much older than that.

These should lead to some pretty interesting stories.
 

justsomeguy

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Sep 2, 2004
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Jim Anderson was also the first coach of the Washington Capitals in their record-setting inaugural season. Setting an NHL record for losses was not his worst hockey experience. Anderson played for Eddie Shore for 12 years.

Think Connie Madigan was the oldest rookie ever with St. Louis in their first season.

Name might ring a bell among folks that have seen SLAPSHOT too many times.
 

hfboardsuser

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Bob Barlow was 34 when he did for the North Stars. On the very first shot of his very first shift, he buried it.

"What's so hard about playing in this league?" He said.

That's Mr. Barlow in my avatar, by the by.
 

Marcus-74

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Apr 27, 2005
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One interesting name is Helmut Balderis; I think he was 37 when he played some games in Minnesota North Stars (in the 1989-90 season). This Latvian guy was one of the best and fastest skaters ever, and probably the most dangerous forward in the Soviet national team in the late ´70s.

It was a great disappointment for Minnesota that he never became the new Gretzky :D
 

Darz

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justsomeguy said:
Think Connie Madigan was the oldest rookie ever with St. Louis in their first season.

Name might ring a bell among folks that have seen SLAPSHOT too many times.

...or anybody that lives in Thunder Bay.

Actually Connie was my mother's neighbour when she was growing up. He and my uncle were/are good friends.

Connie was a little nuts mind you. The entire Madigan family was a little nuts. I remember hearing stories about the father and son, or brothers throwing each other out doors, or windows, or......
 

Chili

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Where's pnep?

Connie Madigan would have been 38, Jim Anderson ~37, Balderis 37.

All time my guess would be Lester Patrick at 44, when he played his only NHL game.
 

pnep

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Chili said:
Where's pnep?

Connie Madigan would have been 38, Jim Anderson ~37, Balderis 37.

All time my guess would be Lester Patrick at 44, when he played his only NHL game.

Player -- SEASON -- TEAM -- Born(Month/Day/Year) -- Age -- POS -- GAMES
========================================================================
Patrick Lester -- 1926-27 -- NYR -- 12/30/1883 -- 43 -- D -- 1

Lehman Hugh -- 1926-27 -- CHI -- 10/27/1885 -- 41 -- G -- 44

Rowe Bobby -- 1924-25 -- BOS -- //1886 -- 39 -- D -- 4
Walker Jack -- 1926-27 -- DET -- 11/28/1887 -- 39 -- F -- 37

Laviolette Jack -- 1917-18 -- MTL -- 7/27/1879 -- 38 -- D -- 18
Madigan Connie -- 1972-73 -- STL -- 10/4/1934 -- 38 -- D -- 20
Balderis Helmut -- 1989-90 -- DAL -- 6/30/1952 -- 38 -- RW -- 26

Thompson Kenneth -- 1917-18 -- MTW -- 5/29/1881 -- 37 -- LW -- 1
Anderson Jim -- 1967-68 -- LA -- 12/1/1930 -- 37 -- LW -- 7

Hall Joe -- 1917-18 -- MTL -- 5/03/1882 -- 36 -- D -- 20
Lindsay Bert -- 1917-18 -- MTW -- 7/23/1881 -- 36 -- G -- 4
Foyston Frank -- 1926-27 -- DET -- 2/02/1891 -- 36 -- C -- 41
Gardiner Herb -- 1926-27 -- MTL -- 5/08/1891 -- 36 -- D -- 44
Bostrom Helge -- 1929-30 -- CHI -- 1/9/1894 -- 36 -- D -- 20
Sjoberg Lars Erik -- 1979-80 -- PHO -- 5/5/1944 -- 36 -- D -- 79

Cook Lloyd -- 1924-25 -- BOS -- 3/21/1890 -- 35 -- D -- 4
Winkler Hal -- 1926-27 -- BOS -- 3/20/1892 -- 35 -- G -- 31
Stanley Barney -- 1927-28 -- CHI -- 6/1/1893 -- 35 -- RW -- 1
Ailsby Lloyd -- 1951-52 -- NYR -- 5/11/1917 -- 35 -- D -- 3
Schaefer Joe -- 1959-60 -- NYR -- 12/21/1924 -- 35 -- G -- 1
Martin Seth -- 1967-68 -- STL -- 5/4/1933 -- 35 -- G -- 30
Barlow Bob -- 1969-70 -- DAL -- 6/17/1935 -- 35 -- LW -- 70
Mcleod Jim -- 1971-72 -- STL -- 4/8/1937 -- 35 -- G -- 16
 

Chili

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Jun 10, 2004
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Thanks!

The expansion in 67/68 opened the door for alot of career minor leaguers (several on the list within a few years of that expansion).

It was pretty tough to crack an NHL roster when there were only 6 teams.
 

MiamiScreamingEagles

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In Brian McFarlane's "The History of Hockey" he notes that Marv Edwards and Bob Barlow, "both 34 became the oldest rookies in NHL history" during the 1969-70 season. Later, Connie Madigan, age 38, broke the record when he played for the Blues on 2/6/73 in a win against Vancouver (source: "Total NHL" by Dan Diamond.
 
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Tricolore#20

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pnep said:
Player -- SEASON -- TEAM -- Born(Month/Day/Year) -- Age -- POS -- GAMES
========================================================================
Patrick Lester -- 1926-27 -- NYR -- 12/30/1883 -- 43 -- D -- 1

Lehman Hugh -- 1926-27 -- CHI -- 10/27/1885 -- 41 -- G -- 44

Rowe Bobby -- 1924-25 -- BOS -- //1886 -- 39 -- D -- 4
Walker Jack -- 1926-27 -- DET -- 11/28/1887 -- 39 -- F -- 37

Laviolette Jack -- 1917-18 -- MTL -- 7/27/1879 -- 38 -- D -- 18
Madigan Connie -- 1972-73 -- STL -- 10/4/1934 -- 38 -- D -- 20
Balderis Helmut -- 1989-90 -- DAL -- 6/30/1952 -- 38 -- RW -- 26

Thompson Kenneth -- 1917-18 -- MTW -- 5/29/1881 -- 37 -- LW -- 1
Anderson Jim -- 1967-68 -- LA -- 12/1/1930 -- 37 -- LW -- 7

Hall Joe -- 1917-18 -- MTL -- 5/03/1882 -- 36 -- D -- 20
Lindsay Bert -- 1917-18 -- MTW -- 7/23/1881 -- 36 -- G -- 4
Foyston Frank -- 1926-27 -- DET -- 2/02/1891 -- 36 -- C -- 41
Gardiner Herb -- 1926-27 -- MTL -- 5/08/1891 -- 36 -- D -- 44
Bostrom Helge -- 1929-30 -- CHI -- 1/9/1894 -- 36 -- D -- 20
Sjoberg Lars Erik -- 1979-80 -- PHO -- 5/5/1944 -- 36 -- D -- 79

Cook Lloyd -- 1924-25 -- BOS -- 3/21/1890 -- 35 -- D -- 4
Winkler Hal -- 1926-27 -- BOS -- 3/20/1892 -- 35 -- G -- 31
Stanley Barney -- 1927-28 -- CHI -- 6/1/1893 -- 35 -- RW -- 1
Ailsby Lloyd -- 1951-52 -- NYR -- 5/11/1917 -- 35 -- D -- 3
Schaefer Joe -- 1959-60 -- NYR -- 12/21/1924 -- 35 -- G -- 1
Martin Seth -- 1967-68 -- STL -- 5/4/1933 -- 35 -- G -- 30
Barlow Bob -- 1969-70 -- DAL -- 6/17/1935 -- 35 -- LW -- 70
Mcleod Jim -- 1971-72 -- STL -- 4/8/1937 -- 35 -- G -- 16

What's sad about that list is that they pretend like teams like the Jets and the North Stars never existed. I hope books that document the history of the game never forget about these teams like this.
 
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