Rick Kehoe
Pens fan, is my guess (since he also likes Randy Carlyle and Mario).Certainly not a common choice, begs the question as to why? Has to be a story there no?
Certainly not a common choice, begs the question as to why? Has to be a story there no?
Pens fan, is my guess (since he also likes Randy Carlyle and Mario).
Yep ... being from Pittsburgh, it was hard not to like the guys who were on the ice for the Pens -- even when they weren't so good.
When I went to my first game in December of 1977 ... Rick Kehoe stood out -- and since he was scoring goals, I always noticed. I also learned that he lived not too far from me, so as a kid -- it was kinda cool to think that a real life hockey player lived near my neighborhood.
Later in life, I'd frequent a bar Kehoe owned near me. Turns out he's a super nice guy too. Also used to have a few beers with Mike Lange at another bar -- but that's another story.
Orr, of course. At least 3/4 of all the kids I knew growing up in Alberta in the early 70s loved Orr. The only ones who didn't were the Habs fans who loved the Big M or the Roadrunner.
Rick Vaive.
Watching HNIC with my grandfather after Saturday dinner, those early 80s Leaf teams were awful yet still my heroes. Vaive, Salming, Palmateer, Derlago.
Bill Delargo.... jeez that's a name I haven't thought of in probably 30 years or more since his stint on the jets.
I've already posted my answer but i got to thinking...
First favorite for each franchise!
(since i started watching hockey in 1977, this isn't so useless a task).
Habs - Dryden
Canucks - King Richard Brodeur
Oilers - Coffey
Flames - Iginla ( scorned the team for so long beforehand)
Kings - Deadmarsh (Wings killer)
Ducks - Kariya
Jets - Byfuglien
Coyotes - NONE (i liked Nagy a bit, fav too strong a word)
Avalanche - Forsberg
Blues - Pronger
Wings - Yzerman
Blackhawks - NONE (actually, studying history, several past players I've liked, the first historical fav being Bobby Hull)
Stars - Lehtinen
Sabres - Peca
Leafs - Yushkevich
Preds - Weber
Isles -Trottier
Rangers - Rucinsky
Panthers - Vanbiesbrouck
Lightning - Hedman
Hurricanes - Irbe
Devils - Lemieux
Bruins - Bourque
Flyers - Hartnell
Penguins - NONE (ugh)
Caps - Langway
Knights - Schmidt
Sharks - Marleau
Sens - Hossa
Blue Jackets - Jenner
Wild - Burns
Americans - McVeigh (I wrote an awesome ATD/MLD bio announcement about him years ago. He was a huge fan favorite!)
Tigers - HHOFer Shorty Green (one great year then union attempt fiasco).
Quakers - Syd Howe! (It was the first full NHL season for the future NHL career points leader and HHOFer.)
Pirates - Cotton (There are some interesting descriptions of tough ol Baldy)
Maroons - Hooley Smith (In juniors he moved from center to wing to play with the great Moose Watson. Both are HHOF inducted, but Moose decided not to turn pro and intrigued me as an underappreciated alltime great. I grew more interested in Hooley in doing research on Moose)
Scouts - Paiement ( an ATD solid 4th line right winger)
Seals - Bert Marshall (a long term leader and respected dman, from my hometown Kamloops)
Whalers - Rick Ley (former WHA star dman, flashy physical, went on to coach Canucks under Quinn)
Flames - Clement (i was impressed with defensive accolades in a depth alltime draft bio a few years ago)
TIME magazine said:"Pint-sized Charles ("Rabbit") McVeigh came home from World War I hard of hearing and full of fight. Like many another Canadian, he turned to U. S. hockey for a living. A star forward, the scrappy little fellow made a name for himself as a rough-&-tumble player, who never minded how big they came. Some time ago National Hockey League Linesman McVeigh, fractious as ever, called a close one on the Detroit Red Wings. Up streaked burly Ebbie Goodfellow, Red Wings captain, to give the umpire a piece of his mind. Calmly eying the big man hovering over him, McVeigh waited until he paused for breath, then let him have one. 'Listen!' said he icily, 'In the last war I got a dollar ten a day for killing big tramps like you!'"
the Montreal Gazette said:... the pestiferous Rabbit McVeigh...
Morning Leader said:... McVeigh skated up fast and regained the rubber...
Induction ceremony into Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame said:... his speed and agility earned him the reputation as the league's best ragger...
Lester Patrick said:He not only had a dynamic personality and plenty of color but he gave the best at all times and was a credit to the game.
Legends of Hockey said:Forward Charley McVeigh was a consistent two-way player for nearly 400 games in the 1920s and '30s. He managed to hit double figures in goals four times despite playing on weak teams for most of his career.
NHL Stars Series-A 44 Card said:... is always dangerous on the attack...
The Border Cities Star said:McVeigh, the tiny veteran who won his name by his agility at jumping over his rival's sticks without losing the puck.
Montreal Gazette said:It was Rabbit McVeigh, the distinctive American.. who stood out for the losers. McVeigh broke like a flash and scurried by the Canadian defence to test Hainsworth brilliantly,..."
The Story of the Chicago Blackhawks said:The team came to Chicago with a fair amount of talent, including a trio of speedy forwards: Charles "Rabbit" McVeigh, Dick Irvin and Mickey MacKay.
Blades on Ice said:"Dick Irvin, Mickey MacKay, George Hay and Rabbit McVeigh were the cornerstone of the Chicago franchise."
The Border Cities Star said:McVeigh, a real goal-getter as well as a skating whirlwind and amateur contortionist. McVeigh is called the most popular player in Chicago and it's not all because he can tumble around the ice like a jumping jack.
New York Times said:The Black Hawks played a lively and determined sort of hockey,... The Chicago attack was strong with McVeigh and Keats leading the van,...
Ottawa Citizen said:"McVeigh is a colorful player and will be well liked by the fans"
Speaking of indepth, here's my first favorite New York American: left winger Charley "Rabbit" McVeigh, the 1923 WCHL all-star, 1927 NHL retroSelke as a fast and feisty fan-favorite Chicago Blackhawk, who went on from there to the NY Americans for seven years through the early 1930's as a top-3 scorer for the woeful club. He played all three forward positions on the top line, though is most often cited as a left winger. The tough little 5'6 superpest was a scoring line role player, having played nine full NHL seasons mostly on one of the top lines after five years in the Western league, having four times scored double digits in NHL goals, his last six years double digits in assists. He is identified as the star of the game in ending the Bruins 14-game winning streak in 1930. He had 172 points in 397 NHL games, and retired as one of the most popular players for the defunct NHL franchise, the NY Americans. McVeigh went on to a career as an NHL linesman and referee.
I think it happened to many. Kids love the scorers.I wonder that there are certain hockey players who have never been anyone's favorite player. That might actually be kind of depressing... You're seeing kids run up to your teammates and say, "You're my favorite", and it never happens to you.
I think it happened to many. Kids love the scorers.