Larry Aurie and Marty Barry
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That photo is from the era of the Wings' first hey-day in the mid to late 1930s, Aurie and Barry among the first star players in Wings' history and leading them to the team's first Cup win in 1936 (over Toronto) and again in 1937 (Rangers, though without an injured Aurie). The third player in line is unidentified, but notable for wearing a helmet. Apart from one Bruins player for one season in the late 20s, helmet use didn't start untiil after Eddie Shore ended Ace Bailey's career in December 1933. Shore immediately afterward started wearing a helmet, the first prominent NHLer to do so. Others tried it, some coaches briefly insisted on it (including Jack Adams), but most discarded it after a brief experiment. Too hot, too embarrassing. Among the first Wings to wear one were Ralph (Scotty) Bowman, Ebbie Goodfellow and Wilfred (Bucko) McDonald, one of whom is probably that third player in line. Others wore it only briefly while recovering from cuts to the head and concussions. It took more than 40 years after this photo was taken for helmet use to become mandatory for all new players.
