In other news, did some research on Ullman today in old THN issues:
from January 23, 1960, an indication that just four years into his career, Ullman had already established himself as an "untouchable" for detroit. It's not worth speculating on what teams wanted him, when his own team didn't want to get rid of him. Of course, the moment passed and he lasted 8 more years in Detroit:
GM Jack Adams, displeased with the play of two "untouchables" - Alex Delvecchio and Norm Ullman - talked trade with Ranger GM Muzz Patrick without success. "They aren't untouchable any longer if I can work a deal which will help the club. but I'd have to get big men in return for any trade involving them."
Some good passages from November 6th, 1960, showing how Ullman had really come of age by then and had become a key all-around player:
A regular Red Wing observer remarked one night last week that Norm Ullman "is starting to dominate play when he's on the ice like Gordie Howe."
it has been that way recently and especially this season... he seems to be everywhere at once, starting plays, digging in the corners, camped by the net. he's on for powerplays and when the wings are shorthanded. So far, Ullman has been little short of sensational this fall...
the first mention of a recurring theme: Ullman being very underrated. Also, the first of many mentions of his forechecking. April 1st, 1961:
when it comes to underrated Hockey Players, the Red Wings have a contender for first honors - Norm Ullman.
...although he doesn't get lot of headlines, Ullman has ben particularly valuable since coming up to the Wings when he was only 19... he's a persistent forechecker and is one of the Red Wing penalty killers. .. while Ullman's own penalty minutes don't run high, he's a rugged swinger when he reaches his boiling point.
Some strong praise for his defensive ability, forechecking (again) and a shoutout to two players who had to be the two worst 2nd line NHL wingers as of March 21, 1964:
Ullman has long been one of the Wings' best defensive players and he ranks with the best at poke-checking, picking off passes and hounding a player. He kills penalties and centers the second like with Larry Jeffrey and Floyd Smith on the flanks.
Four years after the last mention of him being underrated, another fromDecember 5, 1964:
Ullman is considered by the league's coaches as the most underrated player in the game along with Bob Pulford. Both are dogged checkers, tireless skaters...
and another a week later goes into more detail: December 12, 1964:
He's the model of consistency and consistently he's been neglected in the All-Star voting... not that his worth isn't known - every coach in the league calls him one of the most underrated players and the name almost always linked with ullman's in that phrase is Toronto's Bob Pulford.
Ullman is as valuable defensively as he is on offense, a superb puckhandler, penalty killer, tireless skater. But he hasn't been able to break through the All-star dominance of Beliveau, Henri Richard and Mikita.
More glowing praise about his defense from March 20, 1965. Also, this is one of many mentions from the 65-66 season of his clutch scoring. I have no idea whether this was a recurring theme for Ullman, but for this season at least, it seemed every time an important goal was scored, he had something to do with it:
Ullman, always one of the best defensive centers in the game, a point often overlooked...
...his eight game winning goals are tops in the league, and, just as importantly, he has assisted on seven winning goals, aided in one tying goal and scored the tying goal in another deadlocked game. In addition, he's scored several "clinching" goals.
from January 29, 1966, a little taste of what he may have accomplished if he had an elite linemate regularly:
He's always been recognized as a top player even though he never made a first or second all-star team... always the two underrated centers were Ullman and Bob Pulford. Both play the same kind of game - skate and check, check and skate.
Ullman has played two positions for the Wings so far this season and sparkled at both. When the Wings couldn't buy a victory in the early going, Abel put him up with Delvecchio and Howe, moving Ullman in at left wing. As you know, the line prospered, the wings prospered and Ullman prospered, scoring 8 goals and assisting on 15 in the 15 games the line was together. Then Abel reacquired Parker MacDonald for the Howe line and Ullman returned to his usual 2nd line pivot post and he rattled off eight goals in seven games.
Some post-trade musings, from December 21, 1968. Also, a lot of descriptions of his play that paint Ullman as someone who really makes things happen out there:
At mid-december, teeter-tottering back and forth, the Ullman-Mahovlich trade swung over to Toronto's favor... previous to that weekend, the experts always insistd that Detroit got the best of the famous hockey deal. It was the first time since that day that there was talk that Toronto, after all, did not fare too badly...
...against New York, two of his goals were unassisted, which were a result of his tremendous ability to forecheck. "That Ullman played a heck of a game," said opposition manager Emile Francis. "He's probably the greatest forechecker in hockey."
Manager Punch Imlach was pleased with his center's performance... "That Ullman is some hockey player. He owned the puck out here tonight."
Ullman's performance was so great that he rated two full columns from Milt Dunnell of the Daily Star and Dick Beddoes of the Globe and Mail. Beddoes called Ullman "a prize package under the Toronto tree."
And then after years of calling him underrated, on March 15, 1969 they made it official:
who is the most underrated player in the NHL? Acording to the circuit's coaches, he is Norm Ullman of the maple leafs, by a thin margin over Ted Green of the Bruins. The mentors were polled, and the full results, including the first ten more underrated performers in the majors, appear in the April issue of Hockey pictorial...
... in addition (to scoring), Ullman has always been regarded as an outstanding two-way player, who not only can shoot goals and set them up, but works on defense and is one of the greatest forecheckers ever. He has been overshadowed throughout his career by such teammates as the great gordie Howe with the Wings and such rival centers as Stan Mikita, who has been the first team all-star six of the last seven years, Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard, and now Phil Esosito of Boston. Ullman has gotten little publicity in relation to his production. Yet, he is well-regarded by coaches and players. Toronto's manager and coach Punch Imlach has said, startlingly, "Ullman is the best center, the best all-around player I've had in Toronto." Sid Abel concedes he hated to let Ullman go, but felt he had to make moves to stimulate his slumping team,,, rival coaches certaninly respect Ullman, attesting his #1 ranking in the Hockey pictorial poll.
Some more praise following his signing of a whopping $57,000 contract, October 10, 1969. Also, a hint that Imlach had wanted Ullman for a while before pulling the trigger on the trade:
The Maple Leafs will pay Norm Ullman more money this season than they've ever spent on a player before... ullman, of course, is worth a hefty salary... he's a superb 2-way center who will be called upon to spearhead Leafs' attack and, with Dave Keon, to provide all-important forechecking... leafs have never had a center like Ullman on their side... Ever since he reached the NHL in 1955, he's been one of the league's most industrious workmen, the perfect example of a Toronto centre. He was Punch Imlach's ideal, a relentless and fast forechecker, a reliable backchecker, a shrewd playmaker, and on top of everything else, an opportunistic scorer. An Imlach dream came true in the spring of 1968, when he was able to obtain Ullman from the Red Wings.
from Ullman's "last hurrah" season, February 1, 1974, again more evidence that he was someone who drove the play and did the bulk of the puck-ragging for his line:
Ullman's selection to the Eastern all-star team, not by coach Scotty Bowman filling out his lineup, but by the voters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, was a tipoff to one of the least noticed improvements of the Maple leafs. Ullman was skating with all of his skills at their most obvious, twisting away from defensemen, showing mastery with the puck, crossing bluelines and making plays like a card shark.
...his high ranking among the league's top scorers attracted enough attention to get him more votes than such centers as Jacques Lemaire and Jean ratelle...
The most common mistake in judging Ullman is in concluding that when things are going badly for him, his legs must have run out. With Ullman, it's more likely his hands or his ankes. "I do seem to get more than my share of the little injuries that bother you, but shouldn't keep you out of games," he says, reviewing a history of broken thumbs, bruised ankes and crunched knuckles. Ullman's injuries seldom keep him out of games, but they do ruin his foremost ability, that of playing tricks with the puck and wheeling away from checkers. says Leafs' coach Red Kelly: "Maybe it's a little because of his style that he picks up so many of those injuries. Because he holds the puck longer than most, he ends up taking a lot of two-handers. He absorbs a lot of punishment."