Val Hoffinger

Who was the first Russian born player in the history of the National Hockey League? Here's a hint: it is not one of more modern Soviet players.

A lot of people believe the answer to be Chicago's Johnny Gottselig, who was born in Odessa, Russia but raised in Canada. Gottselig starred in the NHL from 1928 through 1945.

But the correct answer is another Chicago defenseman named Val Hoffinger. Hoffinger was born in Seltz, Russia but also raised in Canada. He only played in 28 games in the NHL, but he debuted in the 1927-28 season, beating Gottselig by just a smidge.

Hoffinger's life is quite the interesting story. He was certainly well travelled.

Born in Russia on New Year's day in 1903, he grew up in Salvador, Saskatchewan

Val Hoffinger will always be known as one of the most colourful athletes to come from Saskatchewan. Born on January 1, 1903, Hoffinger grew up in Salvador, Saskatchewan. He starred for the Saskatoon Sheiks before turning pro.

Unfortunately for Hoffinger, circumstances kept him in various minor hockey leagues and cities rather than the NHL. He did appear in 28 NHL contests, scoring just 1 lonely assist.

After retiring as a player in 1935  Hoffinger accepted a high paying offer to coach the German Olympic hockey team for the 1936 Olympics. He enjoyed coaching in Germany, but never intended on staying, especially given  the circumstances developing at that time.

The problem for Hoffinger was he was not allowed to take any of his earnings out of the country. So he decided he would leave with an education. He studied chiropody, better known today as podiatry, and became a foot doctor.

When Hoffinger returned to Canada in 1939 he open his practice in Toronto. Hoffinger became a foot doctor of the stars, so to speak, as he was the personal foot doctor to several movie stars including someone named Danny Kaye.

More interesting than that Hoffinger later married Bernice Scholls, daughter of the famous Dr. Scholls, and together they inherited the entire Scholls company.

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Ron Murphy

Ron Murphy was a useful utility forward for nearly 900 NHL games. He was a Stanley Cup champion (1961) and a Memorial Cup champion (1952). But fans remember him mostly for an infamous and vicious stick-swinging incident with Montreal's Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion.

Murphy was just a youngster at the time, 20 years old and with the New York Rangers. The Rangers beat the visiting Habs 3-1 on the night of December 20, 1953, but the most memorable part of that game came in the second period.  Boom Boom Geoffrion took a two-handed swing with his stick, striking Murphy on the left side of his face, breaking his jaw and leaving him with a concussion. Murphy was also guilty of swinging his stick, though he never made contact thanks in part to the linesman holding on to this stick with one hand.

Geoffrion, who actually missed Murphy on his first swing but attacked again, was suspended for five games, as well as for any further matches between the two teams that season including the playoffs. Murphy, who shockingly got up and skated off the ice on his own that night, missed the remainder of the season.

Murphy obviously survived the incident and did return to the NHL. He went on to a lengthy career playing in 889 regular season games with the Rangers, Chicago, Detroit and Boston. He scored 205 goals, 274 assists and 479 points.

“Ron can skate and he plays good positional hockey,” said Ranges' teammate Harry Howell. “He was one of those players who seemed to get around 10 to 15 goals a year and never better."

As Howell later noted, Murphy's best years came in Chicago.

“But he really changed when he went to Chicago three years ago,” Howell continued. “He told me he was never happier."

Murphy played a nice role on Chicago's Stanley Cup winning team in 1961. He scored a career high 21 goals that year.

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Art Wiebe

For 10 seasons and over 400 NHL games Art Wiebe quietly patrolled the Chicago Blackhawks blue line. More often than not he and Earli Seibert formed an effective pairing.

From 1934 through 1944 Wiebe diligently took care of his own zone, rarely contributing much offensively. He scored a grand total of just 14 goals and 41 points in his career. 

Wiebe was also an excellent golfer and curler, winning amateur championships in both. After hanging up the blades Wiebe became the president of an oil drilling company while tending to his farm in Vermillion, Alberta. He originally retired from hockey to run a bakery in Vermillion.

Wiebe succumbed to cancer in 1971 at the age of 59.

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Red Mitchell

World War II commitments depleted a lot of NHL rosters during the early 1940s. That opened up jobs for minor league players as fill-ins.

The Chicago Blackhawks blue line was particularly ravaged, and they sought out the help of veteran minor league tough guys like Leo Corbal, Joe Matte and Bill "Red" Mitchell among others.

Mitchell may have been the best of the bunch as he played in parts of three seasons, including most of the 1942-43 and 1944-45 seasons in Chicago. The Toronto born Mitchell scored 4 goals and 9 points in 82 career NHL games, along with a fairly quiet 67 PIMs.

Mitchell had previously led AHA in PIMs in 1938-39 and finished in the top 4 leaders on 5 total occasions.

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