Chicago Blackhawks Legends

Ty Jones

2012-01-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

Tyler Jones left a pretty unnoticeable footprint on the history of the National Hockey League. He played in 14 games, split between Chicago and Florida.

A member of the 1998 Stokane Chiefs Memorial Cup winning team, there was a time when he was considered to be a pretty good prospect. Chicago drafted him in the 1st round, selected 16th overall, in 1997.

But he never really caught on. Then in 2002 he missed much of the season with a terrible shoulder injury, thanks a hockey fight. He missed 6 months after doctors put six screws into his shoulder.

That is when his story becomes really interesting. Norfolk coach Trent Yawney suggested he may be entitled to workers' compensation. He applied, was denied and challenged the system through the court system.

The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission finding that ''fighting is an integral part of the game of hockey'' and that American Ty Jones' injury arose in the course of his employment as an ''enforcer.''

Neither the court system nor the compensation board ever released how much money he was entitled to.

Al Dewsbury

2012-01-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Blackhawks were not a very good team in the 1950s. They were so bad that the NHL invoked a couple of reinforcement plans, having teams send players to Chicago to prop them up.

Al "Dews" Dewsbury, pictured to the right, was part of such a plan. On July 13th, 1950 Detroit traded Dewsbury along with Harry Lumley, Jack Stewart, Don Morrison and Pete Babando for Jim Henry, Bob Goldham, Gaye Stewart and Metro Prystai. Dewsbury was still basically just a farmhand in Detroit at the time, though he did play 4 playoff games in the spring of 1950, helping the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup.

The move to Chicago was a good one for Dewsbury, as he gained regular NHL employment in Chicago over the next 4 and a half seasons. The big, 6'2" 200lb blueliner totalled 357 NHL games, scoring 30 goals, 78 assists and 108 points. He was a notable physical and intimidating defender. He had 365 PIMs in his career.

Al Dewsbury will go down in history as a forgotten NHLer from hockey's glory days. Hopefully GreatestHockeyLegends.com has played a small role in preserving his memory.

Ray Powell

2012-01-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

This is Ray Powell, a lanky offensive minded center. He only played 31 NHL games, all with Chicago in the 1950-51 season. But he was a long time hockey player blessed with speed and passing ability. Tall and wiry at 6'0" and 160lbs, he probably was a bit of 1950s version of Wayne Gretzky.

Born in Timmins, Ontario in 1925, Powell moved around the minor leagues quite a bit, but put up impressive numbers everywhere. He starred with Kansas City of the USHL in the final years of the 1940s. In his last two seasons in KC he put together remarkable campaigns of 48 goals, 58 assists and 106 points in 61 games, and 27 goals, 84 assists and 111 points in 61 games.

The Blackhawks gave Powell his NHL chance the following season. He chipped in with 7 goals and 22 points in 31 games, but was dispatched there after.

Powell went on to lead the American Hockey League in scoring (with 97 points) in the 1952 season. He also beat out popular goaltender Johnny Bower for the league's most valuable player award, the Les Cunningham trophy.

Powell would play one more season in the AHL before moving on to several seasons of senior hockey in Quebec and British Columbia. His career came to an end after breaking his leg in a game with the Kelowna Packers.

Powell would remain in Kelowna after his hockey career was over, coaching the Packers until 1960 when he resigned in a pay dispute. He died in the Okanagan city in 1998.

He starred everywhere he went. So why did Ray Powell not stick in the NHL longer than he did? His lack of size was likely a determining factor, as old school hockey men dismissed the slight star before he even hit the ice. One has to wonder if that was a mistake. We will never know.

Matt Ravlich

2011-12-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

It took a while, but after several seasons in the minor leagues Matt Ravlich became a regular if unheralded defenseman in the last few years of the Original Six. Ravlich graduated from the St. Catherines Teepees, then a Chicago junior affiliate, in 1958. But he did not make the Blackhawks roster until 1964-65.

Ravlich, a close friend of Phil Esposito, was an ornery defender known to make life difficult for oncoming attackers. Though his penalty minute totals were not outrageous. He was also known to drop the gloves on more than a few occasions. Even for his era he was somewhat small at 5'10" and 180lbs, but even the big tough guys respected Ravlich and his damaging upper cut. He goes down in history as all but forgotten, but those who dropped the gloves with him always remembered.

By 1969 Ravlich was off to Detroit, then Los Angeles for a season and a half and Boston for a handful of games. He continued playing in the minor leagues with the Bruins farm team until 1974. He served as coach as well.

In 410 NHL games Matt Ravlich scored 12 goals, 78 assists and 90 points to go along with 364 well earned minutes in the penalty box. He added another goal and six points in 24 playoff contests.

Art Somers

2011-12-18T16:53:00.000-08:00

This is Art Somers. Note the old school sweater of the Chicago Black Hawks, with all the striping on top.

Somers played with the Hawks from 1929 through 1931. The Winnipeg native was a junior star (winning the Memorial Cup with the Winnipeg Falcons in 1921) and senior star with the Winnipeg Maroons (competing for Allan Cup in 1923) for many seasons before being discovered by the pros. After one season with the Vancouver Lions of the PCHL, it was off to Chicago.

After helping the Hawks reach the Stanley Cup final in 1931, Somers was off to New York to play for the Broadway Blue Shirts. He played four seasons with the Rangers, although he essentially missed the 1933-34 season. A fractured jaw became infected and left Somers in grave condition. He was confined to a hospital room for a couple of weeks. His wife helped him pass the time "by consistently beating him at checkers."

Somers made a full come back the following season, playing in 41 games. But after going goalless with 5 assists, he gave up on the NHL. He headed to Moose Jaw to play and later coach senior hockey.

In 222 NHL games Art Somers scored 33 goals and 56 assists for 89 points. He added 1 goal and 6 points in 30 Stanley Cup playoff games, most of which came with the Rangers in 1933.

Louis Trudel

2011-12-16T15:08:00.000-08:00

This is a photo is of a 1938 collector's edition hockey matchbook cover. The striking young man (pun fully intended) is Louis Trudel, one of the earliest American born hockey players in NHL history.

That being said, it would be inaccurate to call him an American hockey star. Louis Napolean Trudel was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 21st, 1912. His parents mad moved south from Montreal to start a new career. However the family soon moved to Edmonton, where young Lou grew up.

Trudel was a solid defensive forward who added some pop-gun offense. He was described as a polite player, and his penalty minute totals reflect that.

Trudel joined the Chicago Black Hawks in 1933, just in time to help the Hawks win the Stanley Cup. He would play 5 seasons in Chicago, exiting in 1938 after winning a second Stanley Cup title in the Windy City.

He extended his NHL career by playing parts of the next three seasons in Montreal before a long tenure in the minor leagues, first as a player, then as a coach, and later as goal judge.

Louis Trudel died of cancer in 1971. He was just 58 years old.

Bobby Hull - The Golden Jet

2011-11-21T22:49:00.001-08:00

Long before he joined the NHL, Bobby Hull was labeled a sure-fire NHL player. And he didn't disappoint anyone.

Although he didn't invent the slap shot, his uncanny accuracy and amazing power popularized the shot to this day. Goalies would cower when he wound up. Hull led the league in goal scoring in seven seasons. He scored an amazing 610 regular season goals, and over 300 more with the WHA's Jets. He was the first player to record more than 50 goals in one season (54); won the Art Ross Trophy three times, the Hart Trophy twice, the Lady Byng once, and the Lester Patrick Trophy once; Bobby also dominated all-star selections, being named to 10 first all-star teams, and 2 second teams. No wonder why Bobby is considered by many to be the best left winger in the history of the game.

Hull helped bring a Stanley Cup to Chicago, in 1961, as the Black Hawks beat the Detroit Red Wings four games to two. Hull, in his first Stanley Cup Finals, scored two goals in Game One, including the game-winner. The Black Hawks went to the finals twice more, losing in 1962 to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and in 1965 to the Montreal Canadiens.

Hull represents a link to another era, when pro sports weren't such big businesses, when the innocence of the sport fostered unabashed adoration of idols. Hull, the charismatic, goal-scoring goodwill ambassador who throughout the 1960's simply was the Chicago Blackhawks, takes us back to another day, when it was so much easier to be young at heart.

"We played just for the sheer enjoyment. We made a boyhood dream come true to play in the NHL," he said. "That's all we wanted to do, to stay there, play the game and enjoy it. Hopefully, the fans enjoyed it.

"We had to make our own fun," Hull recalled. "We stayed together. We went out after games together. On the road, we went out after games together. By the time game-time came around, we didn't have to get to know one another. We spent so much time together we were one unit."

His blonde good looks and sparkling charisma combined with his on ice speed and swagger earned him the nickname "The Golden Jet." Oddly enough, Hull would become a Jet when he signed with Winnipeg of the WHA. Hull became hockey's first millionaire, and the WHA gained instant credibility. The NHL was left shocked as one of their elite attractions walked away to play for another league. Ironically hockey's era of innocence which Hull still represents suffered a severe wake up call.

In Winnipeg he starred for years with Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson. The NHL was furious with his WHA signing and tried legal action to block the move, and then punished Hull by leaving him off of the 1972 Summit Series Team Canada squad. And ironically, it was Winnipeg that opened up the wallets and started handing out big contracts in an effort to lure some of the games top players. Ironic because Winnipeg would lose the NHL version of the Jets in 1996 because they couldn't compete economically.

When the WHA merged with the NHL in 1979, Hull ended up with the Hartford Whalers, where he played one final season. In 1981 Hull, who scored 303 goals in the WHA, attended the New York Rangers training camp as a 42 year old. The Rangers also had Hedberg and Nilsson and were looking to recapture some WHA magic, but it was not meant to be.

Hull was hockey's faster skater (28.3 mph with puck, 29.7 without it) and had the hardest shot (once reportedly recorded at 118.3 mph, some 35 mph above the league average). He was hockey's ultimate hockey player, blending together the talents of his most famed predecessors - the speed of Howie Morenz, the goal scoring prowress of Maurice Richard, the strength and control of Gordie Howe - plus the looks and charisma of a movie star. Hull did more than any other player to popularize the game of hockey in the United States prior to Wayne Gretzky.

Stan Mikita, Hull's long time teammate once was quoted as saying "To say that Bobby is a great hockey player is to labor the point. He was all of that of course. But the thing I admired about him was the way he handled people. He always enjoyed signing autographs for fans and was a genuine nice guy."

Bobby Hull was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1983. One day Bobby's son Brett will join him in the Hall. Brett was Bobby's equivalent during the late 1980's and 1990s, though was overshadowed by Wayne Gretzky.

Denis Savard

2011-11-21T22:49:00.000-08:00

Denis Savard is one of the most electrifying players in the history of hockey, and almost certainly the most exciting of his era. That is quite a claim considering Savard played in an era that boasted the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. The Great One and Super Mario left crowds wowed and thinking "Did I just see that?!" but they couldn't pull the fans out of their seat quite like Denis Savard.

Savard was one of the quickest players in the league, with tremendous one step acceleration. He was so fun to watch as he'd dart in and out of danger, rapidly change directions, and even perfect the "Savardian Spin-a-rama" in which he'd do a full 360 degree turn while carrying the puck to protect it from checkers. His great skating was complimented nicely by his incredibly soft hands. He could stickhandle through an entire team and was an excellent playmaker. He was also a very good shooter, particularly with his laser-like wrist shot. He was also known for taking bad angle shots. He was a puny player in terms of size but he had a solid center of gravity that made him tough to knock off the puck if you were lucky enough to catch him.

Savard would put all of those qualities together and leave defensemen dizzy and fans amazed!

"Denis is one of those players who is not only a great hockey player but a player with charisma," explained Bob Pulford, the long time general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks. "He's got that quality that keeps people coming out see him play."

Lou Nanne, then the general manager of the Hawks arch rival Minnesota North Stars, agreed.

"There just isn't a better skater in the league than Denis Savard. When Denis has the puck, he's got the ability to do a million things with it."

Of course Savard didn't think much of the idea that he was as much an entertainer as much as a hockey player. To him, he was just doing his job.

"I'm still surprised when people say I'm exciting to watch, even after all this time. Sometimes I'll try to put the puck between my legs or fake a pass, things like that. or maybe I spin a few times. It seems to make people talk. But mostly it's just instinct," Savard said. "I want to get the puck to a certain place, so I fake in and turn around on the defense because I feel the defense is confused. I don't do it to excite people. I know what I'm doing is different. I just don't know why."

Comparison's to the league's best player, Wayne Gretzky, were common.

"In my opinion, Savard is trickier than Gretzky. He moves better side to side than anybody in the league, and you never know what he will do when goes behind the net," said Vancouver Canuck goalie Richard Brodeur.

While comparison's to number 99 may be the ultimate compliment, style-wise, Savard and Gretzky were dissimilar. The essence of Savard's game is speed, agility and quickness. Gretzky' incomparable statistics have been attained mainly by an unmatched ability to foresee, comprehend and react to any given situation. Though he excelled alongside line mates Steve Larmer and Al Secord, Savard was more of a soloist than Gretzky.

"The Savardian spins and all the moves nobody else had . . . You can look at guys and try and learn their moves, but Denis was the inventor of the moves; he was the guy everyone else copied. In the middle of a play he'd come up with a new move. Just amazing," remembers coaching legend Dave King

Denis Savard was chosen by the Blackhawks' as their first-round pick (3rd overall) in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. Many were shocked that Denis fell past number one, as the Montreal Canadiens held the first pick. Savard, a Quebec native from Point Gatineau, was a junior standout with the Montreal Jr. Canadiens, and everyone expected the Habs would take perhaps the most exciting junior francophone since Guy Lafleur. Instead, the Habs took Doug Wickenheiser, who had an even better junior season than Savard, but would prove to be an ultimate draft bust.

Savard broke into the league immediately after being drafted and showed he belong, scoring 28 goals and 75 points during his rookie season, and went on to post 119 points the following year, making him the second Blackhawk to score 100+ points in a single season. He was named to the NHL All-Star second team during the 1982-83 season, when he compiled 35 goals and 86 assists in 78 games. Though he played 7 all star games, it would be the only time he'd be honored as a post season All Star member due largely to the logjam of great centers in the 1980s.

Following his third 100+ point season in 1984-85, Savard tallied a career-high 47 goals during the 1985-86 campaign. He tallied career highs in assists (87) and points (131) during the 1987-88 season. His 131-point outburst in 1987-88 is a Blackhawk record and his 87 assist seasons in 1981-82 and 1987-88 are also Blackhawk records.

"Savard basically turned the Chicago franchise around," remembers former teammate Bob Murray. The Hawks had long been also-rans in the NHL power rankings. Not unlike Bobby Hull in the 1960s or Tony Esposito in the 1970s, Denis Savard was the identity of a proud franchise

Those were great days in Chicago, but playoff success was not part of the puzzle.

"I had great years in Chicago. We had a number of shots at winning the Stanley Cup in my first 10 years, but we lost in the semifinals five times. The Edmonton Oilers - by far the best team in hockey at the time - stopped us from getting the job done, but getting that far was still a great thrill," said Denis in Chris McDonell's book For The Love Of The Game.

Once Iron Mike Keenan arrived in the Windy City, Savard's days were numbered. The two did not see eye to eye. So in 1990, after 10 seasons as Mr. Chicago Blackhawks, Savard was traded to, ironically, the Montreal Canadiens for Chris Chelios in 1990.

While Chelios would become a true star in Chicago, Savard played three seasons for the Habs, compiling 179 points in 210 games, and more importantly winning the Stanley Cup in 1993. He wasn't nearly as dynamic as he was in his heyday, but he remained a serviceable player, creating a much needed offensive spark at times.

Savard extended his career with a short stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning before returning to Chicago in a late season trade in 1995. He helped spark the Blackhawks in the 1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading the team with 7goals, 11 assists, and 18 points as they advanced to the Conference Finals.

Savard would hang up the blades after the 1996-97 season. He had posted some of the greatest offensive numbers ever seen. 473 goals and 865 assists for 1338 points in 1196 games was good enough to get him elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.

Had it not been for Wayne Gretzky, perhaps Denis Savard would be recognized as the most electrifying and dominant player of the 1980s. Regardless, he is recognized as a Legend of the Ice.

Ed Belfour

2011-11-11T09:47:00.001-08:00

Eddie Belfour will always be remembered in two ways. 1) As one of hockey's all time great goaltenders, and 2) as a prickly personality.

Eddie "The Eagle" Belfour has a tremendous resume with a Stanley Cup championship (1999), a Canada Cup title (1991), Olympic Gold Medal (2002), 2 Vezina trophies, 4 Jennings trophies, 1 Calder, 484 career wins (3rd best all time), 76 shutouts (9th all time).

As he enters the Hockey Hall of Fame now it is hard believe Belfour almost never made it to the NHL. He was undrafted out of the University of North Dakota. But Belfour, a devoted disciple of Vladislav Tretiak (hence jersey number 20), was hockey's most determined man.

That determination not only got him a chance at the NHL, but carried him to one hockey's greatest careers and now all the way to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

For all his popularity for what he accomplished on the ice, Eddie Belfour was misunderstood as one of hockey's bad guys off of it.

"Eddie was a unique teammate. Socially, he probably wasn't real tight with anybody, but we all admired the seriousness he took at this position. He prepared himself. He was the first guy there and the last guy to leave," Joe Nieuwendyk told ESPN.com.

Belfour's legendary determination often meant needed solitary focus to be at his best. If things were not quite to his liking, his rough edges would show, including temper tantrums on and off the ice.

"But we accepted it because we knew the type of goalie that we had," Nieuwendyk continued."We knew the competitor he was. He was maybe the best biggest-game goaltender I ever played with."

Nieuwendyk would know. The two were instrumental in Dallas' Stanley Cup victory in 1999. Nieuwendyk may have won the Conn Smythe Trophy and Brett Hull may have scored the famous (infamous?) goal but think about what Belfour had to do. In the 1999 playoffs Belfour beat Grant Fuhr, Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek to win the Stanley Cup.

ESPN's Scott Burnside may have said it best when he said:

"Whatever the motivation was -- the desire to prove people wrong, the desire to be loved or needed -- Belfour focused all of his energies into preparing to win. And though he was demanding of his teammates, he saved his greatest demands for himself."

Clem Loughlin

2011-09-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

Clem Loughlin never had probably never planned on playing in the NHL, so his arrival in the league must have surprised him.

The Carroll, Manitoba native played 6 seasons of senior hockey in Winnipeg before heading west armed with a contract from the Portland Rosebuds of the PCHA. Loughlin moved to Victoria, BC after just two seasons as the 'Buds folded. Louglin would be a standout defenseman with Victoria for 8 strong seasons.

Clem Loughlin, at the age of 32, debuted the next season in the NHL. The Detroit Cougars (later named the Red Wings) purchased the entire Victoria Cougars hockey club and all its player contracts, forcing Loughlin to move to the Motor City. Loughlin was a key player in the first season with Detroit, scoring 7 goals and 10 points in 34 games, a solid contribution for a defenseman.

Loughlin was moved to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for cash in 1928. Loughlin, who by this point was starting to show his age, had slowed down considerably. He scored only 1 assist in 24 games with the Hawks, and finished the season in the minors.

Clem Loughlin signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1929 only to have the Leafs trade him to London of the IAHL on the very same day. Loughlin finished his long career with London before turning to coaching. He even made it back to the NHL as a coach, guiding the Chicago Black Hawks for three seasons from 1934 through 1937.

At 5'11" and 180lbs, Loughlin's best years were with Victoria in the PCHA. He was a 4 time PCHA all star.

Clem spent his off-seasons and retirement in Viking, Alberta where he was first a rancher and later a hotelier. He stayed active in the local youth hockey scene. All six of the Sutter brothers who made it to the NHL will attest to Loughlin's contribution to hockey in Viking.

Clem passed away on February 8th, 1977.

Bill Orban

2011-05-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

This well travelled pro played for 10 different clubs in 11 years.

Bill Orban was born in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1944 but lived in places like Champaign-Urbana, Illinois., Ottawa and Saskatoon as a youngster. His father Dr. Bill A. Orban Sr. worked for Canada's federal Government and was later named the dean of the University of Saskatchewan.

Bill played his junior hockey in Saskatoon for the Quakers until going to IHL and the Fort Wayne Comets for a year (1964-65),he then spend two seasons playing for the Los Angeles Blades in the WHL winning the rookie of the year award in 1966. As the NHL expanded in 1967-68 Bill made the Chicago Blackhawks lineup and played 39 games that season. The next season he played 45 games for Chicago before being traded to Minnesota with Tom Reid for Andre Boudrias and Mike McMahon on February 14,1969. He played another 21 games for Minnesota that season.

Bill didn't crack the North Stars lineup at the start of 1969-70 season and was send to Waterloo, Iowa in the CHL. Minnesota recalled Bill on a couple of occasions and he played a total of 9 games for Minnesota that season. That season he had his most productive campaign in his pro career and notched 75 pts in 65 games for Iowa. He was also named to the second CHL All-Star team. His 9 game stint in Minnesota was his last in the NHL. He was picked up by Chicago in the intra-league draft and was on a couple of Blackhawk training camps but never made the last cut. Bill played for Cleveland and Springfield in the AHL and Portland in the WHL the next couple of seasons.

On thanksgiving night 1972, while playing for Portland he almost suffered a career ending injury when he was playing with a charley horse in his left leg,and recieved a severe blow to the leg. His leg got swollen but he still insisted on playing the next night against Phoenix tightly taped. The leg was hit again, this time slightly lower and Bill was out for the season,missing almost 60 games. He suffered from such a bad swelling that there was no place for the muscle to go. The muscle literally exploded causing a lot of internal bleeding.

Bill had an operation to the leg but the problem was that no calcium had formed in the leg so it took seven months before he could even skate or jog or ride a bicycle. He later only had 60 % of the normal flexibility in his left thigh.

Despite this he fought on and played another two seasons. This time in the CHL for the Tulsa Oilers and Dallas Black Hawks before retiring 31 years old in 1975. Bill was a real team player who worked as hard or harder than anybody on his teams. As a minor leaguer he was often used as a penalty killer. He was also used in powerplay situations. He was a descent two-way player who also played well in the corners. A pretty complete player although not the best skater.

Bill Orban played a total of 114 regular season NHL games (8 goals, 15 assist for 23 points) and went pointless in 3 playoff games.

Gus Bodnar

2011-05-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

When a rookie plays in his first game, he wants to try and do something to get himself noticed by the coach. Good hustle, smart defensive play or a big hit would all do the trick. But it would be hard to top what Gus Bodnar did in his first NHL game. On October 30, 1943 the rookie Toronto Maple Leafs center scored just 15 seconds into his first NHL game. That feat is a long standing record for the faster goal by a player in his first NHL game!

Bodnar's fast goal not only lifted his confidence, but also that of his coach's. Bodnar would go on to enjoy a spectacular first year, scoring 22 goals and 40 assists for 62 points in 50 games while capturing the Calder Trophy as the league's best newcomer.

Bodnar, who was fantastic playmaker from Fort William, Ontario, would play parts of 4 season with the Leafs, but his play would slip dramatically towards the end of his Toronto tenure. His second season he scored 44 points in 49 games, but only 8 goals. By his 4th season he spent some time in the minors. He started the 1947-48 season in the minors before being involved in one of the league's biggest trades of all time. Toronto packaged Bodnar, Gaye Stewart, Bud Poile, Ernie Dickens and Bob Goldham to Chicago for Max Bentley and Cy Thomas.

While Bentley would sparkle in Toronto and lead the Buds to 3 Stanley Cups, the Blackhawks would go into a tailspin that saw them finish near the bottom for a number of years. Bodnar was a solid center for them for almost 7 full seasons however. He would often be linemates with fellow former Leafs Stewart and Poile on the "Flying-Forts" line as all three were from the Fort William.

Bodnar's highlight of his Chicago tenure came on March 13, 1953. That night is a very well remembered in hockey circles as it is the night that Chicago's Bill Mosienko scored the fastest hat trick in history - 3 goals in just 21 seconds!. While that record is seemingly unbeatable, Gus Bodnar also set an improbable record that night as well - the fastest 3 assists in NHL history - also in 21 seconds. Bodnar set up Mosienko for all three of his well celebrated goals that night.

Bodnar was traded to Boston late in the 1954 in exchange for Jerry Topazzini. Bodnar would play one final season in Boston before retiring to become a long time junior coach.

Dick Redmond

2011-04-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

This poorly lighted photograph was turned

Dick Redmond was a confident, almost cocky, defenseman blessed with all the tools - great skater, good vision, and a blistering shot which made him a good power play quarterback. He was not exactly noted for his defensive game, which may have only been average at best, but that was not why he was in the lineup..

Redmond was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. The son of former minor league player Ed Redmond, Dick and older brother Mickey would play hockey for hours on end after school and on the weekends. It paid off as both made it to the National Hockey Leagues and were both upper-echelon players of the 1970s. They were as competitive against each other on NHL ice as they were on the frozen ponds back home.

His 771 game career over parts of 14 NHL seasons were well travelled, but he was best known as a Chicago Blackhawk. He helped the Hawks reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1973. He had his best season personally in '73-74 with 17 goals and 59 points. Three years later he lit the lamp 22 times and accumulated 47 points.

Drafted by Minnesota, Redmond got his first real chance to play while with the California Golden Seals for a couple of seasons. A trade to Chicago proved beneficial for both player and team. For the next 5 seasons Redmond put in yeoman's work with Chicago. He would move on to play with St. Louis, Atlanta and Boston, too.

Though he was a top 10 scorer amongst defensemen in the 1970s, Redmond was never considered to be on the top level with the likes of Larry Robinson, Brad Park, Denis Potvin or of course Bobby Orr. Instead, Redmond was one of those players who had a real nice skill set but something prevented him from taking that next step. What that something was exactly frustrated fans and coaches alike. Instead he was a level or two below the best - a serviceable offensive blue liner who seemed to wear out his welcome eventually.

In 771 NHL games Dick Redmond scored a respectable 133 goals, 312 assists and 445 points.

Steve Ludzik

2011-04-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

Steve Ludzik and Steve Larmer's careers will always be intertwined. The good buddies still share a laugh about it all.

In the late 1970s Larmer and Ludzik were partners in scoring prowess with the Niagara Falls Flyers of the OHA. The two formed a lethal and explosive scoring combination, and though Larmer would continue to score in the NHL whereas Ludzik became an stellar defensive player, it was Ludzik who was the more prolific of the two in junior hockey.

The Chicago Blackhawks drafted the dynamic duo in 1980, Ludzik was drafted 28th overall and Larmer, surprisingly, slipped to 120th. The two spent a year apprenticing together in the minor leagues with AHL New Brunswick, leading the Hawks to the Calder Cup championship, before making the jump to the NHL in 1982-83.

During that rookie season, one of the most famous hockey card mistakes of all time occurred. O-Pee-Chee issued each player's rookie card, but mixed up the photos. Ludzik's rookie hockey card depicted Larmer, while Larmer's depicted Ludzik.

The constant mixing up of the two Steve's ended fairly quickly. Larmer would star on the top line with Denis Savard, constantly scoring 40 goals a year. Ludzik would come to embrace a checking role during his nine years in the NHL. Playing with the likes of Tim Higgins, he transformed himself into a grinder with good speed and good anticipation. His scoring game never did materialize. His best year was 1984-85 when he scored a paltry 11 tallies.

Following a trade to the Buffalo Sabres in September 1989, Ludzik played in just eleven more NHL games before he was relegated to the minors with the AHL Rochester Americans.

Upon retirement he became quite interested in coaching, and quickly went from Colonial League coach of the year to IHL Turner Cup champion to Tampa Bay Lightning head coach. He also established himself as a television personality.

Eric Daze

2011-03-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

When thinking back on Eric Daze, the words "what if . . . " come up a lot.

Daze, drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 4th round, 90th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, was a giant of the hockey arena, standing tall at 6’6″ and 222 pounds, even without his skates. The guy was as strong as a bull, although that left everyone just wanting more. He never backed down from anybody, but on too many nights he failed to initiate much on the physical end of things. As a result Daze always had his fair share of critics calling for a higher compete level from him.

Making him more impressive was his hand skills. He had the soft hands, for shooting and puckhandling, that are usually reserved for players much smaller than him. He had a strong shot without much of a back swing and enough dangle while carrying the puck to draw defenders to him, allowing him to slip the puck into the vacated space to a streaking teammate.

Big number 55 was hardly a speed-demon either, though in his era he had decent skating ability amongst the lumbering big men. He skated well enough to play alongside Alexei Zhamnov and Tony Amonte for some time in Chicago.

Ultimately, Daze never really fulfilled his potential. Even the biggest men in hockey can not effectively play through serious back injuries, and that is exactly what happened to Daze. Three times in 5 years he had surgeries to repair herniated discs in his back. But the multiple come back attempts always were met with constant pain.

As a result Daze played only 20 games in his final two seasons, even though he had taken a full year off in between those campaigns (due to the NHL lockout).

Daze played in 601 NHL games, scoring 226 goals and 172 assists for 398 points. Four times he topped the 30 goal mark, including in his best season, 2001-02 when he scored a career high 38 goals and 70 points.

Denis Dejordy

2011-03-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

When Denis Dejordy debuted in his first NHL game, he instantly became the answer of one of the most famous hockey trivia questions. That's because his first game was November 7, 1962, and it was the first time anyone other than the great Glenn Hall had tended the Chicago years. Hall of course played in an unthinkable 502 straight games!

Denis only got into 11 games in his first two years because of Hall's dominance. But Dejordy was no slouch either, as his years in the AHL suggest. He was a AHL All Star, MVP and top goalie in two years prior to arriving in Chicago.

Dejordy finally got a chance to play more regularly in 1964-65. He got into 30 games, and despite a 16-11-3 record including 3 shutouts and a 2.52 GAA, it wasn't enough. He was sent to the minors for the entire 1965-66 season.

Dejordy was recalled in 1966-67 and split the schedule with Hall, and the two shared the Vezina Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the league. Denis had a nice 22-12-7 record with 4 shutouts and 2.46 GAA Over the next two years Denis became more and more the number one goalie, playing over 50 games in each year, posting respectable though not outstanding numbers.

Early in the 1969-70 the Hawks traded Dejordy once Tony Esposito arrived and took over the number one job. He was traded with Gilles Marotte and Jim Stanfield to Los Angeles for Bill White, Bryan Campbell and Gerry Desjardins. He became the Kings number one goalie, but the team was very poor, and so were Dejordy's stats as a result.

Dejordy was traded to to Montreal during the 1971-72, but only got into 7 games as he became a backup to the great Ken Dryden.

In 1972-73 he was dealt to Detroit, playing 24 games, though struggling with a weak "Dead Wings" team. He only played one NHL game in 1973-74, despite starring in the minor leagues with the Baltimore Clippers. In fact, once again Dejordy became an all star at the AHL level, just like had over a decade earlier.

Denis retired after that season, having amassed a 124-127-51 record in 316 NHL games, including 15 shutouts.

Stewart Adams

2011-03-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Calgarian Stewart Adams enjoyed a long professional career. In addition to 106 games in the NHL with the Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs, Adams was a notable player for the Minnesota Millers of the AHA and later CHL.

Adams was acquired by the Hawks during the 1929-30 season and he would play most of the next three seasons there, although somewhat irregularly. It is unclear if this was due to injury or, perhaps more likely, just a lack of playing time. He scored 9 goals and 33 points in 85 games with the Hawks over that time.

The Leafs acquired Adams for the 1932-33 season, briefly replacing the injured Charlie Conacher on the vaunted Kid Line. Ultimately his career as a Leaf was undistinguished, picking up 2 assists in 19 games.

After his pro career was over Adams returned home to Calgary where he was a hockey legend. He had helped the Calgary Canadians junior team to three Memorial Cup tournaments in four years. He continued to play hockey in the senior leagues with the Calgary Tigers while also working at a local distillery.

Frantisek Kucera

2011-02-23T19:52:00.000-08:00

Frantisek Kucera was a serviceable defenseman at the NHL level. Because he never really embraced the more physical North American game - an almost must for any NHL defenseman - Kucera was best suited as third pairing defenseman who could move into a 4th D role.

In such roles he was a reliable depth defender. He could read the oncoming play well and had good mobility to defend one on one on the rush, but not in the corners or in front of the net. He could be counted on to make a safe though never spectacular clearing of the zone. He rarely rushed the puck. Rather he would bank the puck off of the glass, or make a strong pass out. He was a right handed defender, a bit of a rarity in hockey, making it a touch easier for him to stay employed.

Including all his time in the Czech Republic during and after his NHL days were done, Kucera had a long career. In the NHL he played in 465 NHL games with Chicago, Hartford, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Washington, never really staying in one place very long.

From 1998 through his retirement in 2005 he mostly played back home with his native HC Sparta Praha and on the Czech national team. He was a member of the 1998 Olympic gold medal team

Doug Lecuyer

2011-02-18T20:35:00.000-08:00

"In this corner, standing at 5 foot 9 inches tall weighing in at 180 pounds, from the Winnipeg Jets, the veteran of many fights Doug Lecuyer!"

"And now entering the ring, in his first professional bout, standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 175lbs if he has all of his hockey equipment on, Wayne Gretzky."

Wait a minute. Wayne Gretzky in a fight?

Yep. It is true. The Wayner actually received three 5 minute major penalties for pugilism. Mind you he wasn't very good at it.

In an interview with the CBC's Peter Gzowski Wayne talked freely about his fight with Minnesota's Neal Broten at Christmas time in 1982. Wayne insisted he won that fight of Ghandi-impersonators. However Gzowski reminded Wayne about a fight a couple of years later with Chicago's Bob Murray. Wayne didn't want to talk too much about that one. Obviously he didn't fare as well against big Bob. Mind you I'm sure Bob had Dave Semenko among others gunning for him for a number of games afterwards.

But what the Gzowski interview failed to point out that Gretzky's first fight was with a kid from Wainright Alberta named Doug Lecuyer.

Now Neal Broten was a lot like Wayne in that he couldn't hurt a fly. Bob Murray was big and strong but not much of a fighter. But Doug Lecuyer certainly knew how to handle himself in a fight.

A fine junior player in Edmonton, Calgary and Portland (WCJHL), Doug put PIMs total in junior was 1317. He stood only 5'9" and 180lbs, so he was hardly a heavyweight, but rather he played a fiesty, pesty Theoren Fleury-like game.

The fight came late in Gretzky's rookie season. Coincidentally, it was Lecuyer's rookie season as well. On March 14, 1980, the two somehow got entangled and dropped the gloves. Its tough to uncover much about this tilt. But I can assure you that as soon as the Oilers realized that Wayne was in a fight of all things they all jumped. The fight was pretty short, and not a classic. It led to a bunch of brawling and lots of name calling!

So who is this Lecuyer guy? He played an abrasive style to survive because he was so small. Scouts had always told him that he wouldn't make it to the big leagues because of his size. But Doug did make it to a certain extent. He played 126 games over 5 pro seasons.

Originally drafted by Chicago 29th overall in 1978, Lecuyer was pretty good with the puck too. He scored 40 goals 3 times in junior and was a point-a-game player at the minor league level. In his 126 NHL games he scored 11 goals and 31 assists for 42 points, to go along with 178 PIM. 3 of his 11 goals were game winners too.

Doug was playing a very minor role as a rookie with the Hawks in 1979-80. Lecuyer of course made a name for himself when he fought "The Kid" of all people. Shortly after, Lecuyer had a strong player, scoring 4 goals in 7 games. The 4 goals matched his career production in the previous 55 games.

Lecuyer's name was becoming well known in hockeyland after that, and his stock went up. The Hawks, who saw him play all season, realized his stock would likely never get higher and took the chance and traded him away to Winnipeg with Tim Trimper in exchange for Peter Marsh in December of 1980. Lecuyer went on to score 6 goals and 23 points in 45 games with the Jets that season.

Lecuyer played the entire 1981-82 in the CHL with the Tulsa Oilers where he played well. He scored 30 goals and 38 points in 69 games, but never got recalled to the NHL.

On October 4, 1982, the Pittsburgh Penguins plucked him off of the waiver wire. Lecuyer played 12 games with Pittsburgh, scoring 1 goal and 4 assists, but spent most of the year with the Pens farm team in the AHL. It proved to Lecuyer's last season of professional hockey.

Lecuyer can claim he once fought Wayne Gretzky. But he can also claim he played hard for 126 NHL games, and earned every one of his paychecks.

Fred Sasakamoose: Chief Running Deer

2011-02-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

It is believed that Fred Saskamoose was the first full blooded Native Indian to play in the National Hockey League. It was fitting that he played with the Chicago Blackhawks. Fred played center for 11 games for the Hawks in the 1953-54 season.

Fred grew up on the isolated Sandy Lake Reserve in Saskatchewan. In his early years there was no such things as cars, phones or even electricity! But there was lots of snow and ice, and Fred loved to play hockey - complete with a stick carved out of an old willow tree branch!

Fred soon left the reserve though, as the Catholic church convince his parents that he needed a good education, and that could only be accomplished by leaving the reserve and going to Duck Lake. While education wasn't high on Fred's task list, he became a great athlete as the clergy worked the children hard on the local farms. Fred would be in great physical shape before long after he and the others had to take care of 80 milking cows and 50 acres of gardens at the school, not to mention lots of sports - soccer, baseball, boxing, but especially hockey.

Fred had enough by the age of 15 though and yearned to be at home with his parents. He left the school and returned to the reserve. But by this time he had already gotten quite a name for himself as a hock talent at the midget level, and this had caught the eyes of junior hockey scouts. Although he was reluctant to leave home again, he agreed to join the the Moose Jaw Canucks.

Fred continued to develop and excel as a hockey over the next 4 seasons. By his 4th season he was named as the best player in the league.

By this time Fred had already signed a C-Form with the Chicago Blackhawks. A C-Form was used to acquire an amateur player's professional rights in the days long before the NHL had an entry draft. Fred had actually attend Blackhawk training camps in the past. In fact on one occasion he centered hockey's most culturally diverse line - Al Laycock, a Black left winger and Jimmy Chow, of Asian descent, joined the Native Canadian.

Late in his 4th season in Moose Jaw Fred was actually called up to the National Hockey League by the Chicago Blackhawks, and finished the year with the Hawks. Fred was as strong as a moose and a great skater. Legend has it that he actually shot the puck harder than Bobby Hull - the great Chicago Blackhawk who is considered to be the heaviest shooter of all time!

For Fred the whole experience was at first overwhelming, but he later took in as much as he could. He was in shock to arrive in Toronto, and then when the game started he couldn't believe how many people were there watching the game, and that after years of listening to games on radio and tv, he too would be part of Hockey Night In Canada! He even met Foster Hewitt, who asked how to properly pronounce his name.

Fred took his place in the NHL for granted a bit and was surprised by his demotion to the minor leagues in 1954-55. He played for the New Westminister Royals and Chicoutimi Sagueneens before joining the Calgary Stampeders of the WHL in 1955-56. He would never make it back to the National Hockey League.

Fred quit the pro hockey only 2 games into the '55-56 season as he wanted to be with his wife who refused to leave the Sandy Lake Reserve. Tired of being told what to do my hockey bosses, Fred took a taxi 600 miles from Calgary to Sandy Lake to be with his wife.

Angry at Fred's leaving, the Hawks refused to grant him his amateur status until 1957. He would play senior hockey in the Okanagan Senior Hockey League. He was quite the attraction as fans wanted to see a former NHLer and an Indian hero.

Saskamoose would later go on to become a band chief in 1980. His name was "Chief Running Deer" although he was also known as "Chief Thunder Stick" because of his booming slap shot. Fred devoted his energies to Indian affairs in Saskatchewan.

Fred Saskamoose, one of best men in all of Canada, played 11 games with the Hawks, recording no points and 6 penalty minutes. He was inducted into the Saskatchewan Indian Hall of Fame in 1994.

Doug Zmolek

2011-02-06T18:57:00.000-08:00

Doug Zmolek was close to achieving every hockey playing Minnesotan kid's dream. Then a funny thing happened.

Born in Rochester, Minnesota in 1970, Zmolek grew up playing the game as long as he can remember. He first became a star at John Marshall high school, leading to a scholarship to the University of Minnesota.

Now that is the dream for many Minnesotan kids, or at least their parents. But Zmolek took it to another level. He became a collegiate all star, an member of the United States World Junior team, and highly sought after by NHL scouts. He had size, a mean streak and good agility on his skates.

So high, that he went 7th overall in 1989. Even better, he was draft by the Minnesota North Stars.

A big, physical stay at home defenseman, Zmolek would become solid NHL depth defender for 8 seasons. But a funny thing happened before he left university - the Minnesota North Stars were no more.

In a complicated move, the North Stars moved to Texas to become the Dallas Stars. But first the franchise was split into two, with half of the players dispersed to a new franchise - the San Jose Sharks. Complicated yes, but Zmolek's future was clear. He was heading to California.

Zmolek stepped directly into the NHL after leaving university, playing admirably with a weak expansion franchise. He accepted the role of the tough, hard as nails defender, never an easy task. Over the years he would settle into a more comfortable role as a stay at home, positional defender who would display his physicality when needed.

Zmolek played two seasons in San Jose before he was reunited with the other half of his original franchise. He would play about 2 seasons in Dallas, then 2 seasons in Los Angeles and finally 2 seasons in Chicago. Because he had little offensive upside he was expendable, thus the vagabond career.

Life has come full circle for Zmolek. He returned to Rochester, Minnesota and became head of hockey operations for youth in the city. He also runs his own hockey school there.

Doug played 467 career NHL games, scoring 11 goals and 53 assists for 64 points. He added 905 penalty minutes.

Max Bentley

2011-01-09T20:06:00.001-08:00

One of the most exciting players of any era in National Hockey League was Max Bentley. He was nicknamed "The Dipsy Doodle Dandy" because of the way he zigged and zagged his way through an opposing team "like a scared jackrabbit." Several NHL old timers were quick to compare Wayne Gretzky upon his NHL debut to the electrifying Bentley. Others favor the modern day comparison of Denis Savard or Gilbert Perreault.

Although he was puny at just 5' 8" and 155 pounds, Bentley quickly learned to use his superior skating abilities to survive the rough and tough NHL. He was also brilliant with the puck. He could stickhandle through a maze of players at top speed - a true rarity in any era. He was a deft passer and had a laser like wrist shot.

Bentley credited his incredible wrist shot to his farm chores back home in Delisle, Saskatchewan. His father would tell him that milking cows would make his wrists strong, and in turn would provide him with an excellent shot.

The Bentleys, like most western Canadian farming families, worked hard to earn their living but relished athletics almost as much. Bill, the father better known as "Boss," was a blazing speedskater in his day, and taught all of thirteen his children to skate expertly. All 6 of his sons went on to star at various levels of hockey, including Max, Doug and briefly Reg in the NHL. Even the seven daughters formed a team that would often beat any local teams looking for a scrimmage, including the brothers.

In 1938 Max and Doug headed to Montreal to try out for the Canadiens. But Max became ill and upon further examination was diagnosed with a severe heart condition. He was told to never play hockey again in order to maintain a normal and long life.

Max returned to the farm and initially followed the doctor's orders, which left him miserable as could be. Eventually, with the encouragement of his wife Betty, he returned to the rinks and joined 5 of his brothers with the Drumheller Miners of the Alberta Senior Hockey League.

Doug got another training camp invite, this time with the Chicago Black Hawks. Doug stuck with the Hawks and impressed immediately. The following season, 1940-41, Max got an invite and also made the team.

Almost from the get-go the Bentley brothers took the Windy City by storm. Originally paired with Bill Thoms, the dynamic duo became the terrific trio once Bill Mosienko joined the Bentleys on the top line. Using their great speed and intricate passing plays, they became known as "The Pony Line." They patterned themselves after their heroes Frank Boucher and Bill and Bun Cook. Both the Pony Line and the Rangers "A Line" have been compared in modern terms to the great Soviet Red Army teams of the 1970s and 1980s.

Not including the two years he missed for military duty, Max enjoyed 5 seasons in Chicago. However it was his two year stint following WWII duties (1945-1947) that Max really asserted himself as one of the game's elite. Nicknamed the "Dipsy Doodle Dandy from Delisle," Max won the Hart Trophy (1945-46), the Art Ross Trophy (1945-46 and 1946-47) and was voted to the first All-Star team (1945-46) and second All Star team (1946-47).

Despite the Pony Line's success, the Black Hawks were never able to acquire enough depth to become true contenders in the competitive 6 team NHL. So on November 4, 1947, they went looking for depth, and sacrificed Max Bentley to get it. In one of the biggest trades in all of hockey history the Hawks sent Bentley to the Toronto Maple Leafs for 5 players - an entire forward unit consisting of Gaye Stewart, Gus Bodnar and Bud Poile, plus defensive pairing Ernie Dickens and Bob Goldham.

Max was initially heartbroken about the trade, and NHL insiders didn't understand why the Leafs gave up such a big part of their team to get just the one player - even if it was the great Max Bentley. The trade would quickly backfire on the Hawks instead and stands as one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. The Hawks floundered without Max, missing the playoffs for the next several years.

Meanwhile in Toronto, Max was a key player in three Stanley Cup championships (1948, 1949 and 1951). Playing on a much deeper team (Max had to share ice time with fellow centers Syl Apps - who retired in 1948 - and Teeder Kennedy), Max never posted the same offensive statistics during the regular season in Toronto. However come playoff time he was unstoppable - twice leading all scorers in assists and once in points.

Max, who often played with Joe Klukay and Nick Metz (then Ray Timgren after Metz's retirement), was a fan favorite in Toronto. Perhaps his greatest moment as a Maple Leaf came final game of the 1951 Cup finals against Montreal. With the Canadiens up 2-1 in the dying seconds, the Leafs pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker. Bentley managed to manoeuvre his way right into the slot and set up Sid Smith who in turn hit the goal post. Tod Sloan was there to make sure the game headed into overtime. The Leafs won the game - and the Cup - in the extra frame, thanks to the heroics of Bill Barilko.

Bentley's career was winding down by 1953, but he wanted to end his career by once again playing with his brother Doug. The two reunited briefly with the New York Rangers before both waved good bye to the NHL, and returned to Saskatchewan until his death in 1984.

Fittingly, both Max and Doug Bentley are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Killer Kaleta

2010-12-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

According to some, the term hat trick originates with Alex "Killer" Kaleta in the 1946-47 season.

The myth goes like this: The term "hat trick" was allegedly coined when a Toronto haberdasher named Sammy Taft told Blackhawk Alex Kaleta that he would give him the hat that he had been eyeing if Alex would score 3 goals in that night's game. Kaleta did, and the term has been used ever since.

That is just one of a few such stories regarding the origin of the word hat trick. But it certainly made Alex Kaleta famous.

Canmore, Alberta's Alex Kaleta, the son of a coal miner, was described as a magnificent playmaking left winger. I like to include player's strengths and weaknesses and tendencies, but memories of Kaleta have been tough to find.

Except for this one little tidbit that certainly made me laugh. Although his penalty minute totals suggest otherwise, with a nickname like Killer you'd expect him to be a pretty tough customer. He may very well have been, but maybe not as tough as his wife as Wild Bill Eznicki found out one night.

"During the 1948-49 season, the Rangers' Alex Kaleta picked a fight with bigger, meaner Bill Ezinicki of Toronto. Though Ezinicki won the fight, he not only wound up in the penalty box with a five-minute major, but also, as Emile Francis recalls, "Kaleta's wife comes out of the stands, down to Ezinicki in the penalty box, and hits him with her purse.""

Kaleta had another nickname - Seabiscuit. It is said Kaleta earned the moniker for his speed and tenacity on the ice.

Kaleta turned pro in 1941 after 3 seasons starring in the Alberta senior leagues. He had an impressive rookie season, but would return to Alberta a year later. Not as a demotion, but for war duty. He spent three more years in Calgary working with the army there, while also playing for the Army hockey team.

Upon his discharge from the army he returned to Chicago to play three more seasons, enjoying his best years playing on a line with Snuffy Smith and Red Hamill. He would also spend two more years with the New York Rangers before settling in Saskatoon to play and later coach with the WHL's Quakers.

Kaleta would late coach in Moose Jaw and Medicine Hat before taking a job as recreation director and arena manager in "the Hat." He retired from that job in 1984, dying three years later.

- Special thanks to Jennifer Conway

Frank Martin

2010-11-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

Frank Martin was a great junior hockey player in his native St. Catharines, Ontario. He starred with the junior TeePees for 3 years, excelling at both the forward and defense positions. He played defense exclusively as a professional.

Martin also excelled on the baseball field. In fact, he had the unusual choice of attempting a career in eithe rpro hockey or pro baseball, as the Brookly Dodgers invited him to thier training camp. Since it was so rare for a Canadian to break in to the major leagues of baseball, Frank opted to stay with hockey.

Martin was introduced to the NHL by the Boston Bruins in 1952-53, though it wouldn't be until the following year that he'd make the Bruins blueline full time. Frank was having a tremendous first full NHL season but halfway though the year "things went kind of flat for me" he explained. During the summer, Martin was traded to Chicago.

Frank can only speculate how good he could have become if he stayed in Boston however.

"If I had've stayed there (Boston), as I got a little more seniority, who knows what could've happened?" he couldn't help but wonder.

Martin put in three full seasons in Chicago before "things started to really fall apart."

"I really couldn't put my finger on what was going on," Martin said of his diminishing playing ability.

The Hawks sent Martin down to the minors in 1957.

"I knew when I went there (the minors), I wouldn't be coming back," he said.

And he was right. He'd spend the next 8 years in the American Hockey League, first with Buffalo and later with Quebec before one final season in Cleveland. He retired in 1965.

Martin became a skilled carpenter after retirement and got into the home improvement business. He was later hired as a maintenance man for the city of St. Catharines.

Hank Ciesla

2010-11-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

From 1955 through 1959, Ciesla toiled with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. A big man who Chicago had hoped would develop into a first class banger, Ciesla was more of a skater and scorer who was not overly interested in the physical game. As a result he was traded to New York. His stay in New York was short as he had a falling out with coach Phil Watson. The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Ciesla after the fallout, and he initially reported to their farm team in order to get back in shape. However Ciesla got injured and Pat Hannigan got called up instead of him. Ciesla never played in the NHL again, spending the next 6 years bouncing around the AHL.

In the minors Ciesla rediscovered his scoring prowess he demonstrated in junior. In his last year of junior (1954-55) he scored 47 goals in 45 junior games. In the NHL he only scored 26 goals in 269 NHL games, but then became a steady 25+ goal threat in the minors until his last year or two. In 1962-63 he led the entire AHL with 42 goals.

After his hockey days were over with, Hank returned to St. Catherines, his hometown and home of his junior hockey glory days. He helped the St. Catherines TeePees with the Memorial Cup in 1954, after all.

Ciesla was focused on other things than hockey upon his return to Ontario city. He co-owned a Massey-Ferguson dealership, but he soon fell ill and was eventually diagnosed with stomach cancer. He died at age 39 in 1976, leaving behind a wife and daughter.

Larry Wilson

2010-11-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

Larry Wilson was born in a small Ontario city named Kincardine, on the Eastern shore of Lake Huron.. Larry grew up playing hockey with his brother Johnny, who once held the "Iron man" record in the NHL for most consecutive games played (580). They both played high school and juvenile hockey together although Johnny was a year and a half older. They both played for Windsor Spitfires in the OHA and Detroit Hettche in the IHL.

Scouts from both Detroit and Toronto were interested in them. Both teams placed Larry and Johnny on their lists and sent telegrams to the NHL offices. NHL solved the problem by putting Larry on Detroit's list and Johnny on Toronto's. Johnny eventually ended up in Detroit and the brothers wound up as pros for the same team. They both went on to play for the Omaha Knights in the AHL before they got called up to the Red Wings on the same night during the 1949-50 season.

Ted Lindsay had been sent to Hot Springs, Ark., for a rest, and Sid Abel was given the night off before a game vs Chicago. This left two spots open on Gordie Howe's line. Larry centered the line with Gordie and brother Johnny on his flanks. This was the Wilson's only appearance in the NHL that year, and although the line was held scoreless it was the brother's biggest thrill ever.

Larry continued to play in the minors in 1950-51 before Detroit boss Jack Adams told Larry to put on 15-20 pounds before reporting to training camp at the start of the 1951-52 season. So instead of his usual 160 Ibs, Larry came in at 178. Jack Adams was happy with that number but the extra weight gave Larry problems as he slowed considerably. It took Larry about ten games to lose that extra weight, but by that time he was sent down to the minors for the rest of the season.

Larry had several opportunities to play alongside Howe and Lindsay but never impressed enough to convince the management enough to stay around. He was eventually shipped to the Chicago Blackhawks where he saw regular duty on the team. Larry played two full seasons in the Windy City between 1953-55. He was the leading scorer for Chicago in 1953-54 with 42 points, one point ahead of teammate Bill Gadsby. Chicago only won 12 out of 70 games that year.

At the start of the 1955-56 season Larry hurt his knee when the great Doug Harvey hit him. He twisted his left knee and tore his knee ligaments. Amazingly enough Larry continued to play that game despite the injury. That game proved to be his last NHL game ever. Larry went on to play for the Buffalo Bisons in the AHL for many years. He stayed in Buffalo until 1968, scoring almost 800 pts in the AHL.

Larry retired after the 1969-70 season. His professional career saw him play over 1000 games as well as scoring over 1000 points.

Larry passed away at the young age of 48 in 1979. His son Ron Wilson became a NHL player and successful NHL coach.

Wayne Presley

2010-11-09T19:52:00.000-08:00

Wayne Presley played hard. He skated hard. He hit hard. He worked hard.

Born in Dearborn, Michigan, Presley took the unconventional route for an American to the NHL - via the Canadian junior league. He played in three seasons with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. The 5'11" 195lb right wing was carving out a fine reputation as a goal scorer. He scored 63 goals and 139 points in his second season with the Rangers. He'd score 132 goals and 236 points before his junior career of 182 games was over. Presley was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks 39th overall in the 1983 Entry Draft.

In 1986-87, his first full season in the NHL, he scored 32 goals and 61 points. All was going well for Wayne until next season. A horrible knee injury cause Presley to miss half of the 1987-88 season and was never able to recover to the level that he had achieved in his first season.

While he was unable to regain his scoring touch, Presley reinvented himself and lengthened his NHL career where most players would have struggled with frustration. Presley became a valuable player as a no-nonsense winger who would break up the opposition with his in-your-face tenacity. He became a good penalty killer in addition to his regular havoc-creating shift.

In 1991 the Hawks traded the fiesty winger to San Jose for a draft choice, but his stay in the Bay was short as he was moved to Buffalo in exchange for Dave Snuggerud after just 47 games with the Sharks. Presley played three strong seasons in Buffalo, always bringing his lunch bucket to the rink. Few worked harder than Presley. He earned everything he ever got from the game of hockey.

Presley played one last season in the NHL in 1995-96 split between the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. But his long list of injuries were starting to catch up with him and he was losing his effectiveness. Presley would continue his pro career by playing the minor leagues after leaving the NHL.

Presley scored 155 goals and 147 assists for 302 points in 684 career games. A true playoff warrior, Presley added 26 goals and 17 assists in 83 playoff games, but never won a Cup.

Ed Litzenberger

2010-11-02T15:01:00.001-07:00

Ed Litzenberger has passed away at the age of 78.

Litzenberger was a National Hockey League player of significant repute in the 1950s and 1960s. Litzenberger was a rangy center who also played some right wing, known for his consistency and leadership abilities, much like Trevor Linden as a modern day comparable. At 6'3" and 195lbs, Litzenberger was a giant player in his era. He never played with a lot of snarl though. Litzenberger was known throughout the league as a gentlemanly figure on and off the ice who had everyone's great respect.

Litzenberger was a junior standout with the Regina Pats (twice helping the WHL team reach the Memorial Cup tournament). He was invited to the Montreal Canadiens training camp in 1952, although he certainly did not plan on a NHL career.

"I was supposed to be an engineer," he told Frank Pagnucco in the book Heroes: Stars of Hockey's Golden Era. "I went down to the University of Colorado and registered. Then I went to the Montreal training camp and they offered me a contract and I kind of forsook my college degree."

Litzenberger would play a couple of seasons with the senior league Montreal Royals while making a couple of call ups to the Canadiens. It was a big adjustment for the kid from Nedorf, Saskatchewan.

"It was a matter of growing up," Litzenberger continued. "When you're a big fish in a little pond and all of a sudden you're a little fish and there's an awful lot of big fish, you become confused. I found out in a week that I had grown up and that I was not only good but better than most of the guys."

Despite his promise, the Canadiens mysteriously "sold" Litzenberger's playing rights to the floundering Chicago Black Hawks. It was the "Help The Hawks Plan" as Litzenberger described it, a deliberate attempt by the NHL to stock the Chicago team with good players to rescue them from their terrible struggles.

"I cried real tears," said Litzenberger of the trade to Chicago. The night before he had scored the game winning goal for Montreal, and then his world was turned upside down. "You become a little bit of an instrument but I look back with affection. It gave me a chance to learn what (life) was all about."

Litzenberger was a significant factor in the Black Hawks resurgence, leading the way with class and distinction, not to mention goals.

Despite the mid-season trade Litzenberger would earn the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year, scoring 40 points in the final 40 games. Gangly but deceptive, he would go on to become a regular linemate of Bobby Hull (with Lorne Ferguson), a 6 time All Star Game participant and score 32 or more goals in three consecutive seasons.

Perhaps most importantly, he was the leader of the Hawks, named team captain, and he led by example with hard work and pure class. Though his scoring had dried up, he helped complete the Black Hawks return to glory by leading the team to the Stanley Cup championship in 1961!

Litzenberger had to overcome personal tragedy to enjoy that championship. A year earlier he and his wife were in a serious car accident, hitting a viaduct on icy roads. His wife, who was driving, died while he suffered cracked ribs, contusions of the liver, and a bad concussion.

After the Cup win, Litzenberger remarried but he was never the same player on the ice. The Hawks traded off their team captain after that Stanley Cup championship. Litzenberger briefly went to Detroit (playing in 32 games) before find a home in Toronto. It could not have been better timing for Litzenberger. His veteran presence helped secure the rise of the Toronto Maple Leafs dynasty. Litzenberger and the Leafs won the next three Stanley Cups - in 1962, 1963 and 1964!

By the third championship Litzenberger had become a bit player with the Leafs. He continued to play in a mentoring role with the Leafs farm teams in Rochester, where he would win two Calder Trophy championships in 1965 and 1966. Imagine that - Litzenberger is the only player who won a league championship title in six consecutive seasons!

Litzenberger sensed it was time to leave the ice in 1966. He retired with 178 goals and had 238 assists in 618 regular season games. In the playoffs he scored 5 goals and had 13 assists in 40 games.

Chicago Blackhawks Greatest Players

2010-09-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Tony Ahlin
Taffy Abel
Ty Arbour
Frank Ashworth
Murray Bannerman
Doug Bentley
Max Bentley
Reg Bentley
J.P. Bordeleau
Helge Bostrom
Bob Carse
Lude Check
Chris Clifford
Roy Conacher
Adam Creighton
Cully Dahlstrom
Don Dietrich
Tony Esposito
Reggie Fleming
Lidio "Lee" Fogolin Sr.
Charlie Gardiner
Johnny Gottselig
Michel Goulet
Dirk Graham
Stu Grimson
"Mr Goalie" Glenn Hall
Red Hamill
Bill "Red" Hay
Bucky Hollingworth
Pete Horeck
Bobby Hull
Dennis Hull
Lou Jankowski
Mike Karakas
Cliff Koroll
Steve Larmer
Hugh Lehman
Hec Lalande
Ed Litzenberger
Sam LoPresti

Tom Lysiak
Mickey MacKay
Keith Magnuson
Dave Manson
Mush March
John Mariucci
Pit Martin
Ab McDonald
Din McFayden
Stan Mikita
Alfie Moore
Bill Mosienko
Grant Mulvey
Troy Murray
Eric Nesterenko
Gary Nylund
Ed Olczyk
Jim Pappin
Pierre Pilote
Rich Preston
Al Rollins
Terry Ruskowski
Cam Russell
Phil Russell
Denis Savard
Al Secord
Earl Seibert
Steve Smith
Gary Suter
Brent Sutter
Darryl Sutter
Steve Thomas
Paul Thompson
Bill Thoms
Mike Veisor
Kenny Wharram
Bill White
Behn Wilson
Doug Wilson

Chris Clifford

2010-09-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

On January 7th, 1987, Kingston Canadians goaltender Chris "Cliffy" Clifford made OHL history when he became the first Ontarioi junior goalie to score a goal.

Nowadays every goalie is expected to be a good puckhandler. Clifford was one of the earlier goalies to conquer the skill. He also recorded 14 assists in his OHL career.

Clifford was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks 111th overall in 1984. Ultimately Clifford was destined to a minor league career spent in the IHL and ECHL, but he did get into two NHL games.

The first, in 1985, came in a third period relief appearance. Starter Murray Bannerman had fallen behind 7-2 against Buffalo. Clifford played the third, stopping all 8 shots he faced.

He later played all of 4 minutes in a game in 1988-89, again in Buffalo.

Hec Lalande

2010-08-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

Former Chicago Black Hawk Hec Lalande died on August 18th, 2010 at the age of 75.

A junior sensation with the Galt Black Hawks in the early 1950s, Lalande got his first taste of the National Hockey League at the age of 19. He would play regularly if unspectacularly with Chicago from 1955 though 1958, finishing that third NHL season with the Detroit Red Wings.

He scored 21 goals and 60 points in 151 games over three NHL seasons with the Black Hawks and Red Wings. Lalande was described as a very good playmaker. Although his penalty minute totals do not hint at it, he was also known as a tough player who never backed down from anybody.

He was also known as a great baseball player. He would return home to North Bay, Ontario in the summertimes and play ball.

For whatever reason, Lalande left the NHL after three seasons. He would continue to play in the minor leagues until 1967. He spent several seasons with Hershey of the AHL, leading the Bears to two Calder Cup championships. He later put up back to back 100 point seasons with the Clinton Comets of the EHL.

After hockey Lalande returned to his dear North Bay and coached local hockey and baseball teams. He also was active in organizing and coaching sled hockey for disabled athletes, and enjoyed hunting. Lalande was inducted into the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.

Don McFadyen

2010-08-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Born in Crossfield, Alberta, Don McFadyen grew up in Calgary. He was a star at every level of youth hockey, leading the Calgary Canadiens to Memorial Cup finals in three straight years, finally winning the Canadian junior championship title in 1926.

Though his promise as a hockey player was well known, McFadyen opted for an unusual next step in his hockey career. Instead of turning pro or potentially earning even more money on a company sponsored senior team somewhere. While there was undoubtedly interest, McFadyen opted for the halls of academia, a very unusual route for a future NHL player back then.

"I got an athletic scholarship at Marquette University in Milwaukee, and we won a couple of intercollegiate championships there."

He earned All-America acclaim from 1928-30 and served as captain of the 1928-1929 squad. Marquette won intercollegiate championships in 1928, 1929 and 1930. In 1972 he would be inducted into the Marquette University Athletics Hall of Fame, the only hockey player to be so honored.

McFadyen left school in 1930 after receiving two offers from professional teams in Chicago.

"The NHL didn't want to allow Jim Norris in," he said, "So he put a team into the American Association called the Chicago Shamrocks. The Black Hawks offered me $3,000 but the Shamrocks offered $4,000, so I decided to go with them. That was a good league then, with St. Louis, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Tulsa and cities like that."

Norris would join the NHL a couple of years later, gaining control of the Black Hawks. McFadyen followed in suit, "but they cut my salary back to $3,000."

McFadyen would be a quiet role player in his NHL tour. He played in 179 games, scoring 12 career goals and 25 points. He was a utility forward who could be used to spot star players from time to time.

The highlight of McFadyen's career came in 1934 when he was part of the Black Hawks team to win the Stanley Cup! McFadyen was an unlikely playoff hero that year. He only scored one lonely goal in the regular season, but scored two crucial tallies in the semi-final against the Montreal Maroons. That advanced the team to the Stanley Cup finals where they knocked off Detroit.

McFadyen would spend his summers completing his education, attending the University of Chicago law school. By 1936 he quit hockey to practice law, although for four years he worked in the NHL as a linesman.

After serving in World War II McFadyen set up his own law practice in Chicago. He stayed in touch with the local hockey scene, counting many clients as hockey fans. But he would eventually have enough of the winters and picked up shop and moved to Florida. He practiced law for 25 years in Pompano Beach. He was also elected an associate judge in the municipal court of Pompano and served for three years before retiring.

Don McFadyen died on March 26th, 1990.

Special thanks to Jennifer Conway

Mike Veisor

2010-06-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

In the early 1970s Chicago Blackhawks fans must have been very ecstatic about their goaltending. Tony Esposito had quickly established himself as one of the best in the business. And soon after Michael Dumas and Mike Veisor engaged in a battle for the back up role.

Veisor eventually won that spot. The had quite a track record. He played much of his junior career in Hamilton, under coach Harry Neale, before being traded to Roger Neislon's Peterborough Petes. The Petes, led by Bob Gainey, went all the way to the Memorial Cup final in 1972 before losing to the Cornwall Royals (with Richard Brodeur in net) in a thrilling 2-1 OT game.

Veisor, once described as "One of the most agile goaltenders around, plays goal like a trapeze artist," would be drafted by the Blackhawks in the third round, 45th overall, in the 1972 Draft. He had an opportunity to jump straight into the WHA, but opted to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks.

"That was the year the WHA started and Ottawa had my rights," he recalled. "The money there was better, but I always wanted to play in the NHL."

And he would play in the NHL, but spent a lot of time in the minor leagues first. He spent parts of four seasons with the Chicago's Dallas farm team, where Neilson also was the coach, and led the Central League in goaltending twice, with 2.75 and 2.93 averages. He was rookie of the year his first season and a first all-star twice.

After call-up appearances during those years, Veisor finally stuck in the NHL for good starting in 1977. Serving as Esposito's back-up, he did not get to play very much.

"He was the best goalie in hockey, so I didn't get to play much," Veisor said. "But I learned a lot from him. I accepted my job as a role player, getting in every two or three weeks. I always felt fortunate that I was a pro athlete, I was ready when they needed me, and I would have gone to the moon if they had asked me to play there."

Much fan fare was made of his religion when he first broke into the league. He was dubbed as the first Jewish goalie in NHL history. That proved to be false, as he was actually the third behind Ross Brooks and Bernie Woolf.

Nicknamed "Werm" because of his playing style, he ended up suffering from phlebitis which some thought would end his career. Interesting, his phlebitis led to an interesting equipment innovation. Doctors figured his blood clots in his legs and lungs developed in the calf area. A fiberglass protector around the calf was designed and solved the problem.

With the arrival of Murray Bannerman in Chicago, Veisor was was traded to the Whalers in 1980. He later briefly played for the Winnipeg Jets.

In 10 NHL seasons, he averaged only 14 games a year. His career record - 4.09 goals-against average, five shutouts, 41-62-26 won-lost-tied record in 139 games.

He remained in the Hartford area after retiring. He worked for a Toyota dealership and also served as rink manager and goaltender coach at Avon Old Farms prep school.

He also continued to play in Whalers' oldtimers games for charity, the same team that Gordie and Marty Howe would play for on occasion.

"Finally, after all these years, I'm a starting goalie again," he cracked.

Red Hamill

2010-06-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

Born in Toronto on January 11th, 1917, Robert "Red" Hamill was about as tough as they come. He was sort of an early day Wendel Clark-type of hockey player.

The 5'11" 180lb left winger broke into professional hockey with the Boston Bruins organization in the late 1930s. Although he had a splendid reputation in the minor leagues, he just could not seem to make the permanent jump to the NHL. He played sporadically for the Bruins, impressing them with his willingness to play physically but disappointing them in his continued inability to score with any consistency. He did help the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 1939, although he went scoreless in 12 post-season games.

In 1942 the Bruins sold him to Chicago (although Montreal was said to be seriously interested as well) where he flourished into a solid NHL regular. He finished the year strong, with 18 goals in 34 games with the Hawks. Only Lynn Patrick of the New York Rangers would score more goals than Hamill in the NHL that season.

Hamill went on to record a career high 28 goals that first full season with the Hawks in 1942-43, although his reputation was clearly being made for his hard hitting style. Still, it was impressive that only teammate Doug Bentley (33 goals)and Montreal's Joe Benoit (30 goals) scored more than Hamill.

Hamill missed the next two NHL seasons as he left the team for two years of service in World War II. He later returned five more seasons as the Hawks spirited spark plug.

Hamill would turn to coaching in the junior leagues before tragedy struck him hard. Despite four operations to try to fix mysteriously poor circulation in his left leg, doctors were forced to amputate. Undeterred Hamill learned to skate well enough on an artificial leg so that he coach kids hockey. But doctors would have to take off his right leg for the same reasons some time later.

Red Hamill died in Sudbury, Ontario in January 1985.

Hamill scored 128 goals and 94 assists for 222 points in 419 NHL games. He picked up only 160 penalty minutes, which suggests even though he had a zest for the rugged part of the game, he was very clean. Still, this is a surprisngly low total when newspaper archive searches turn up repeated stories of him in wild battles.

Bucky Hollingworth

2010-04-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

The story of Gordon "Bucky" Hollingworth is a heartbreaking one.

Hollingworth was a solid and rugged defenseman out of Montreal. A year after turning pro, in 1954-55, he was in the National Hockey League playing with the Chicago Black Hawks.

He was traded to Detroit in the off-season as part of the Tony Leswick-Goose McCormack transaction. He would play good parts of the next three years with the Red Wings, but would be buried in the minor leagues from 1958 forward.

Hollingworth was a very serviceable AHL rearguard as the 1960s began. Hollingworth had found a nice home as the team captain of the Hershey Bears, too.

That is when tragedy struck. A simple visit to the doctor's office would change his life forever.

Feeling too ill to play hockey one night, doctor's quickly diagnosed Hollingworth with chronic leukemia.

Hollingworth's hockey days were immediately over. Doctor's felt a change in lifestyle would increase the length of his life, but that meant toning down the physical activity.

Hollingworth retired to Hampton Beach, New Jersey where he operated a hotel and became involved with the chamber of commerce. After a few years he even returned to hockey, doing some scouting for the St. Louis Blues while reffing amateur and high school games in the area.

Bucky Hollingworth did not last long. In 1974 Hollingworth died, 12 years after he was forced off of the ice. He was just 40 years old.

Helge Bostrom

2010-03-31T20:43:00.001-07:00

Bulgy Helge Bostrom was a clerk by trade, but masqueraded as a long time hockey player, including with the Chicago Black Hawks from 1929 through 1930.

Bostrom was already 35 years old when he finally debuted in the NHL in 1929. He had spent the previous decade bouncing around the minor leagues in western Canada and Minnesota following his discharge from his service in World War I with the Canadian army. He served in France, along side hockey legends like Bullet Joe Simpson and Rabbit McVeigh, as a cook. Simpson arranged for a fake honor for Bostrom, claiming Helge "eliminate or wounded more Canadians with your skillet than the whole German Army."

Described as "a colorful player" with "the reputation of being the most stitched player in the ame." He was a likeable sort, equally at home on the ice or the baseball diamond.

On January 6th, 1933 Kenneth Fry of the United Press recalled a horrific injury to Bostrom. Earl Siebert stepped on Bostrom, severing four tendons above an ankle. 142 stitches where needed to close the gash. Doctors wondered if he would ever walk properly again, let alone skate, but he did return to action.

The crossword puzzle loving Bostrom was let go by the Blackhawks in 1933, but he continued on. He played until 1936 when he turned 42 years old.

Bostrom later served as a minor league coach and as a scout.

Lou Jankowski

2010-03-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

Not many sources reporting it, but former NHLer Lou Jankowski died on Saturday. He was 78.

Jankowski played 130 NHL games with the Red Wings and Blackhawks back in the 1950s. He lived his later years in Florida where he was a regular at Tampa Bay Lightning games.

Lou played only briefly in the NHL, spending just 130 games of his nearly 20-year career. This despite a record breaking junior career with the Oshawa Generals that saw him set league records with 124 points, including 65 goals, in 1950-51.

As a youngster in the early 1950s he was buried in a very deep Detroit Red Wings team, the Stanley Cup champions at the time. He only got into 23 Red Wings games before joining lowly Chicago in 1953.

Jankowski played a season and a half with the Black Hawks before being sent to the minor leagues where he emerged as a star scorer, first with the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL and then with the Calgary Stampeders of the WHL. He would total five consecutive 40 goal campaigns, including a WHL record 57 goals in 1960-61.

Jankowski, a versatile forward who played center and right wing, was named league MVP that season and seemed set in Calgary. Then he shocked everyone by announcing he was leaving the game and going back to his farm in Simcoe, Ontario. The Stamps convinced him to come back by training camp though. He would play until 1969, also playing with the Victoria Maple Leafs, Phoenix Roadrunners and Denver Spurs.

He would serve as a long time scout for the NHL Central Scouting, the St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers before retiring in 1993. He spent his golden years split between Calgary and Florida.

Pistol Pete Horeck

2010-03-24T00:14:00.001-07:00

Pistol Pete Horeck played in 426 NHL games with Detroit, Boston and Chicago in the 1940s and 1950s.

Pete was born in Massey, Ontario on June 15th, 1923. He was the son of shoemaker, and was one of 8 boys in the family. Obviously that was a perfect set up for a very competitive household, especially when it came to their favorite game - hockey. Brothers John and Danny were quite the players, but it was Pete who was destined for hockey greatness.

Horeck would leave home for Parry Sound. Armed with his first pair of new skates courtesy of the local train conductor, he joined the Parry Sound Shamrocks and played with another promising youngster named Doug Orr. You probably have heard of his son Bobby.

Both were recruited by the Boston Bruins, although Orr did not sign as he opted for service in World War II instead. Horeck did turn pro, and after a few seasons in the minor leagues, he became a NHL regular for 10 years of Original Six hockey.

Horeck got his first shot at the big leagues with Chicago, who acquired him from the AHL's Cleveland Barons to replace departed star Doug Bentley. Horeck would put up back to back 20 goal seasons (in 50 game schedules) before being traded to Detroit late in 1946. He played three seasons with the Wings, two more with the Bruins and a final season back in Chicago, but never saw the 20 goal mark again. He did score 106 goals and 224 points in his NHL career.

He would play senior hockey for almost another decade after leaving the NHL, eventually settling in the Sudbury area.

Horeck died in the summer of 2009 after a long and courageous battle with prostate cancer.

Stu Grimson

2010-03-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Stu Grimson was a skating contradiction in many ways. The son of a RCMP police officer and devoutly religious Christian made his living in one of the most violent occupations known to North Americans - NHL tough guy.

"I've always felt, why can't a born-again Christian play an aggressive role in a physical sport?" the man nicknamed "The Grim Reaper said. "Christ stuck up for people who were weak or lame in the Bible. (Fighting) takes place within the context of the game. This is just a game."

Further adding to his list of contradictions was his interest in education, not something normally associated with hockey players, and especially not with the goons.

He left the ice world of violence and joined the halls of academia, earning his degree in economics from the University of Manitoba and later a law degree at the University of Memphis.

Grimson actually began his degree at Manitoba before going to the NHL. Coming off of three seasons in the tough Canadian junior leagues, the 6'5" giant was twice drafted by the NHL (Detroit in 1983 and Calgary in 1985) but he was struggling to accept a life of hockey violence.

"I think it was the whole prospect of playing professional hockey, and specifically playing the role I was playing. That was pretty intimidating to me, and I really wrestled with that a lot. I was just never comfortable in that role at that stage in my life, and I was prepared to walk away from the game altogether."

He opted to attend university while continuing to play hockey for the Bisons and head coach Wayne Fleming. He would credit this time away from big league hockey as a chance to grow up emotionally and be better prepared for professional hockey. He accepted his role as tough guy and defended his teammates with great pride.

In 1987 Grimson would turn pro, and play in the Calgary Flames minor league system. Over the next two seasons he accumulated 665 penalty minutes in just 109 games.

Those staggering penalty minute totals earn him a trail with the NHL Flames, who of course battled their provincial rivals from Edmonton with both pucks and fists. Grimson was called up, quickly solidifying his reputation as a feared NHL tough guy in a couple of showdowns with Edmonton's hulk Dave Brown. It wasn't easy though, as Brown fractured Grimson's cheek and orbital bones.

Grimson was ultimately returned to the minor leagues, but other teams took notice. The Chicago Blackhawks acquired the Reaper and he became a NHL regular.

Life with Chicago was never easy. The Hawks were in the old Norris Division, nicknamed the Chuck Norris Division with good reason. Grimson would become very well acquainted with Detroit's Bob Probert and Joey Kocur, Toronto's Wendel Clark and Ken Baumgartner, Minnesota's Shane Churla and Basil McRae and St. Louis' Tony Twist.

Grimson would play two seasons in Chicago before moving on to the expansion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He would bounce around the league a lot over the years, with stops in Hartford/Carolina, another stop in Anaheim, as well as games with Los Angeles and Nashville. Over the years he was probably involved in 100s of fights. His last came against Edmonton's Georges Laraque, who ended The Reaper's career by dealing him a severe concussion.

Stu Grimson played in 729 wars, scoring just 17 goals and 39 points. He was not much of a player with or without the puck, often stapled to the bench as his hulking size made him a clumsy and slow player. But he earned everyone's respect, both on and off the ice. He became very involved with the Players' Association as he used this outlet to satisfy his interests in business.

Grimson on Bob Probert - "A very good fighter. Great with both hands. A very busy fighter, I have a lot of respect for him."

Grmson on Tony Twist - "Heavier hitter than Bob. A very good fighter. He's a real threat, very effective at setting you up and getting his right hand free. I respected him very much."

Frank Ashworth

2010-02-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

Frank Ashworth was a spectacular junior player, twice leading the Saskatchewan junior league in scoring while twice leading the Moose Jaw Canucks to the Memorial Cup. Both times, in 1945 and 1946, his team would come up short in the Memorial Cup game. But the 5'8" 155lb Ashworth put up some ridiculous numbers, including a 17 goal, 27 assist, 44 point playoff campaign in 21 games!

The Chicago Black Hawks owned his NHL rights and rushed him into the Windy City for the 1946-47 season. He only got into 18 games and scored just 5 goals and 9 points before being sent down to the minor leagues, forever.

He ended up in first in Kansas City then in Tulsa of the USHL, but by 1950 he refused to report back to Tulsa resulting in a season long suspension that kept him off the ice. The issue was resolved by 1951 and returned to the ice, this time popping up in Calgary where he starred with the Stampeders.

Ashworth would play until 1957 when he retired and opened up a gas station in Calgary. He later moved to BC.

Tony Ahlin

2010-02-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

Tony Ahlin, a 5'11" 175lb left winger who played one game in the NHL with the Chicago Black Hawks, was born less than a year before the legendary goaltender Frankie Brimsek was born in the town of Eveleth, Minnesota. The two very likely spent a lot of time playing with and against each other as youth in Eveleth, and later with the CHL Eveleth Rangers.

While Brimsek went on to become America's first great NHL player, Ahlin was destined for a solid career in the minor leagues. He is best remembered for playing with the AHA Kansas City Greyhounds.

Ty Arbour

2010-02-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

Ernest "Ty" Arbour is a long forgotten about hockey player having played way back in the 1920s with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Black Hawks of the NHL. In total the Waubaushene, Ontario native played in 207 NHL contests, providing a bit of offense with 28 goals and 56 points in his career. He added 2 goals in 11 Stanley Cup games.

Like his brother Jack, Arbour made a name for himself out west. He was a solid scoring winger for the Edmonton Eskimos of the WCHL and later the Vancouver Maroons. When that league folded he, like so many those great Western players, headed east to the NHL.

After his NHL career came to an end, Arbour briefly returned to Edmonton to continue playing hockey. He would ultimately return home to Waubaushene where he bought 250 acres of farmland. He raised cattle and harvested hay until he sold the farm later in life.

Bill Thoms

2009-12-13T22:11:00.000-08:00

Bill Thoms was a quiet, underrated player whose outstanding contributions never got the credit he deserved. In parts of seven seasons in Toronto he played in the shadow of the great Joe Primeau. Then was traded to Chicago where the weak Black Hawks struggled for wins and respect.

Thoms was a great amateur with the Toronto Marlboros of the Senior OHA before turning pro with the Syracuse Stars of the IAHL.

Thoms joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1932-33 and the team finished first three straight years. He was the center for Hec Kilrea and Frank Finnigan, filling in on the 'Kid Line' occasionally when Joe Primeau was hurt.

Though he was noted more as a playmaker than goal scorer, Thoms and Charlie Conacher led the NHL in goals in 1935-36 with 23. That year Thoms centered a line with Buzz Boll and Finnigan, and made the second all-star team. Although he didn't have the polish of Joe Primeau, he was nevertheless an excellent two-way center and got his share of points.

He had one of his best years in 1937-38 playing with Boll and Pep Kelly, once again helping the Leafs to another first place finish. The Leafs would falter in the playoffs yet again. In the 1930s the Leafs went to the Stanley Cup finals 8 times, losing 7 of them!

Conn Smythe saw fit to make changes and traded Thoms to Chicago for Doc Romnes in 1938-39. He played five good years for the Black Hawks where he quietly continued to be one of the NHL's best two-way centers. He was said to be very adept with the poke-check and was a very good stickhandler.

He really had a good year in 1941-42 with 15 goals, 30 assists for 45 points, finishing 7th in NHL scoring. He was out of action for much of 1943-44 and then Chicago sold him to Boston during 1944-45 where he finished his career.

The native of Newmarket, Ontario played in 548 NHL games, scoring 135 goals, 206 assists and 341 points.

Lude Check

2009-05-13T19:38:00.001-07:00

This is Lude Check, one of hockey's all time great names.

Check, of Brandon, Manitoba, played in 27 NHL games, 26 with Chicago, during the late stages of World War II. When NHL regulars returned from the war, Check did not find employment in the NHL. Instead he became a star with the Ottawa Senators of the Quebec senior hockey circuit until 1951. He was a key player in the Senators Allan Cup championship in 1949.

Check died on Monday, May 11th, 2009. He was 91 years old, although there appears to be some confusion about his birth year.

His obituary does not hint at his cause of death. He spent his post-hockey career working for Hiram Walker's for three decades. He has remained in the Ottawa area all of these years.

Ludie Check's memorial service is today, May 14th, 2009. You can leave comments and condolences at his online guest book.

Steve Smith

2009-04-02T11:53:00.001-07:00

It never mattered how good of a defenseman Steve Smith became. And he became a very good one.

But he will always be remembered for this:

It is one of the most famous goals in Stanley Cup playoff history, if only for all the wrong reasons. Smith accidentally puts the puck in his own net in the third period of a tied game seven, putting his team on the brink of elimination. The two time defending champion Edmonton Oilers never recovered, and are knocked out of the playoffs by their arch rivals, the Calgary Flames.

Smith was just a rookie then. Such a devastating occurrence could easily have wrecked many a young defensemen's career. While most people will remember Steve Smith for the mistake, people should remember him for his resolve and becoming one of the better defensemen of his era.

Never Came Easy

Success in hockey never came easy for Smith.

He was never drafted by a junior team. He grew up out of the scout's radar in the tiny town of Cobourg, Ontario. When his teams traveled to tournaments, scouts were unimpressed with the gangly kid who found his big body too awkward to be effective.

Smith stuck with the game, and by age 17 he grew to 6'3" and 180lbs, enough to catch the attention of his hometown London Knights. Smith, who was actually born in Glasglow, Scotland of all places, made the team, though played the first half of the season as the 4th line right winger.

By his NHL draft year he filled out to 225lbs, and played regularly on the blue line. Despite his promising skill set, he was a mid round draft pick, selected 111th overall by the Edmonton Oilers.

Smith was not even the highest selected Steve Smith of his draft class. Taken in the 1st round, 16th overall by Philadelphia, was another Steve Smith, this one of Sault Ste. Marie.

That Steve Smith was supposed to be more of a sure bet, but he only played in 18 career NHL games.

Meanwhile the Oilers Smith went on to become one of better defensemen of his era, playing in 804 games, scoring 72 goals, 303 assists, and 375 points while winning three Stanley Cups and a Canada Cup.

We would be remiss to not mention his career 2139 penalty minutes, which is amazing given that he was not a noted fighter. Smith was an intimidating monster back on the blue line, not afraid to impose his 6'4" 220lb body on any incoming forward.

Blessed with balance and agility on his skates and ridiculously long reach, Smith was tough to beat one on one. He was also very good at reading the oncoming plays and was always in good position to defend.

Smith was much more than just one dimensional shut down defenseman. He had surprising mobility, able to cover more ice and maximize his physical impact. He could rush the puck out of the zone when needed, but more often than not relied on an effective first pass out of the zone to key the transition offense.

Smith had a solid offensive game, relying mostly on slapshot from the point. His shot was not particularly overwhelming, but he had a good knack to get the shot through traffic and on net.

Smith persevered after the playoff disaster to become one of the Oilers best defenders. When the Oilers recaptured the Stanley Cup in 1988, captain Wayne Gretzky immediately handed the silver chalice to young Smith.

As the dynasty became dismantled over the next few years, Smith became the Oilers top defender. At the same time he became a bit a whipping dog for coach John Muckler. Muckler obviously recognized Smith's resolve and used that continuously prod him. He recognized Smith's unique package of skill and size, and wanted used old-school coaching techniques to see Smith reach his potential.

Like so many of the Oilers Stanley Cup stars, contract disputes forced Smith out of town. In October 1991 the Oilers moved Smith to Chicago in exchange for Dave Manson and a draft pick used to select Kirk Maltby. Smith had sat out the Oilers training camp and was prepared to sit out the beginning of the season in search of a new contract.

In the first two seasons with Chicago Smith became a steady standout along side Chris Chelios in Chicago. Injuries derailed Smith's career over the final four years in Chicago. Twice Smith broke his leg, and he constantly battled a bad back. Smith would miss more games than he would be able to play in.

The Blackhawks did not in 1998. The back injury scared all teams away except for, of all teams, the Calgary Flames.

Smith joined the Flames and put in a yeoman's effort, playing through the pain to participate in 69 games while providing a badly needed veteran presence.

Smith's back would give out though. Combined with a severe concussion suffered against Minnesota, Smith would appear in only 33 games over the next two seasons, eventually being forced into retirement and behind the Flames bench as an assistant coach.

Don Dietrich

2009-04-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Blackhawks player wearing #32 in this picture is Don Dietrich.

By all standards Don Dietrich does not rank as a Legend of Hockey. He played in just 28 NHL games in a professional career spanning a decade. He never scored a single goal, and picked up seven assists.

People often ask me why I profile "lesser" players. Don Dietrich does not deserve a spot alongside Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr at a website called Greatest Hockey Legends.

They may be right. But I do it because these players also have amazing stories to tell. Don Dietrich is the perfect example.

Dietrich tells his own story in his autobiography No Guarantees.

It is an amazing story on two levels.

Firstly, it is a great hockey story. We have heard time and time again the often similar stories of the greats of the game. It is those stories that formulate the stereotypical hockey dream we all once had. But Dietrich's story is the far more common story. Most players who turn professional do not make it to the NHL. They play on in the minor leagues chasing the dream. Usually the only thing keeping them going is not the money or the glory, but the passion for the game.

This describes Dietrich to a tee. And he has some incredibly entertaining stories to tell. Like ordering a steak with Doug Wilson and breaking in Phil Russell's gloves, to contracts and trades and an unbelievably horrible Olympic experience; From the lows of minor league politics to the glories of European leagues to the troubles of life immediately after hockey, Dietrich is very open and honest, making this is a very refreshing hockey book.

"Dieter" is a great storyteller. He lacks a little polish and he could use an occasional fact check, but through it all he becomes a very lovable protagonist of the book, an underdog who the reader will find himself rooting for.

That emotion becomes quite exacerbated as the book takes on a second focus late in the book though, leaving hockey behind. Dietrich is dealt one severe blow after another. First he is diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, then two battles with cancer, the second one of the rarest and deadliest forms of cancer.

Don Dietrich was not supposed to live much longer after the second diagnosis of cancer. That was well over a decade ago now. Through excessive medical treatments, strong family support and a stubborn determination, he has amazingly extended his life with inspiring positivity and dignity.

Inspiring is definitely best term to describe this book. Must-read is another, for all hockey fans and even non hockey fans.

Bob Carse

2009-03-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

This is Bob Carse. He was a promising hockey player out of Edmonton by winter, a gas station manager by summer.

He never fulfilled his NHL hockey promise because of World War II. He was one of the first professional hockey players to enroll in basic military training. He was quickly identified as a promising rifleman, and by August 1944 he was pulled off the ice and sent overseas, one of the few NHLers to see dangerous warfare action on the fields of Europe.

Dangerous indeed. In October his wife received a a telegram dated October 12th, 1944 stating that Carse's status was officially listed as Missing In Action. In actuality, he was wounded with a bullet to the shoulder, and captured by Nazi forces. Bob Carse, by this time a four year veteran of the Chicago Blackhawks, was a prisoner of war.

Douglas Hunter's amazing book War Games details Carse's plight quite nicely. Carse was treated in a Nazi hospital in Holland until he was declared healthy enough to be transferred to a prisoner of war camp. Hunter tells of Carse's ability to simply walk out of the hospital to talk to local Dutch people who offered to hide him. He refused to leave his fellow captured Canadians, and simply walked back into the hospital. He did arrange to have news of their capture and well-being sent back home to Canada via shortwave radio.

Carse and the Canadians were shipped east by train. While on the crowded rail car he trades his watch, a Christmas gift from his wife, to a French soldier in exchange for a loaf of bread, a pound of prunes and 300 cigarettes - the ultimate currency even in Nazi prisons. He is able to parlay the cigarettes into favors from the guards.

Hunter also goes on to tell a heartbreaking story. When the Soviets made significant gains into German territories leading to the end of the war, the Nazis force-marched Carse and the other POWs through a severe winter's storm, barely surviving the trip. By mid January, 1945 he is seriously malnourished, weighing just 110lbs.

By late March Carse is freed when his Nazi guards fled in the dark of the night knowing allied forces were about to strike. It was still a very dangerous situation for the POWs. Carse did not know he would be safe until he is found by a medical officer originally from Pittsburgh. As the two get to talking, it turns out the officer spent many nights at the Duquesne Gardens watching the hometown Hornets take on the Providence Reds, Carse's team in 1939-40.

Carse was transferred to a US military hospital where he met more people who know him as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.

In mid April he is transferred to Canadian military hospital in Britain, where he is treated for severe malnutrition, peripheral neuritis and dysentery. Returning to the NHL was probably the last thing on his mind when he touched down back in Canada in June and made his way home to Winnipeg to be reunited with his wife and two daughters.

But he would return to the ice. It was no small miracle he was able to. His wounded shoulder in particular threatened to hamper him most. It was enough of a concern for the Blackhawks that they traded his playing rights to Montreal.

In his first season back, Carse opted to return to Edmonton, site of his junior hockey glory days. He had led the Edmonton Athletic Club to a couple of Memorial Cup appearances. He returned to Edmonton, after successful reinstatement as an amateur, hoping to once again find his game.

After a season with the Edmonton Flyers it was apparent he would be able to return as a top hockey player. He returned to the pro ranks, but, with the exception of 22 games, Montreal farmed him out to Cleveland of the AHL for the next four years.

It was a good fit for Carse. He would become one of the greatest Barons' players of all time. In 1947 he led the AHL in assists and barely missed winning the league scoring title. The next year the Barons would win the Calder Cup. In his short tenure the Barons also won three division titles and Carse was twice named as a first team all star at left wing.

During his four years with Cleveland before retiring from the rink in 1950, Mr. Carse helped lead the team to three Western Division titles. In the 1947-48 season and playoffs, the Barons played 30 consecutive games without a loss and won the Calder Cup.

Upon retirement in 1950, Carse remained in Cleveland. He became a very successful insurance salesman while also remaining in hockey. He ran a youth hockey program in Ohio for 15 years, while also serving as a linesman in the 1950s. He would return to big league hockey in the 1970s, serving as the NHL's official scorer for the NHL's Cleveland Barons and WHA's Cleveland Crusaders.

Carse did not retire from the insurance business until 1994. His wife died a year later. They had been married an amazing 58 years.

Carse himself died on July 27th, 1999, just eight days past his 80th birthday. He died at a Cleveland hospice while trying to recover from a broken hip.

Reg Bentley

2009-03-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Max Bentley is a Hall of Famer and 3 time Stanley Cup Champion. His Brother Doug Bentley is also a Hall of Famer and former NHL scoring leader. Reg Bentley was the third Bentley brother from Delisle Saskatchewan to play in the NHL. However unlike his Hall of Fame brothers, Reg played in only 11 NHL games.

Reggie's 11 games all came during the 1942-43 season. The first time three brothers were linemates in a game was on January 1, 1943, when Chicago coach Paul Thompson sent Max, Doug, and Reg out as a unit against the Rangers. Two days later Reg scored his only NHL goal, with his brothers drawing each of the assists.

Reg, who was the oldest of the three, played a lot of Senior hockey in Alberta and Saskatchewan before turning pro in the AHA with the Kansas City Americans in 1941. Reg would play two seasons with Max in Calgary as both were stationed there during the Second World War. Following the war, Reg played with the New Westminister Royals (PCHL) and the Saskatoon Quakers (WCSHL) before hanging up the skates on his largely semi-pro career.

Happy Day Reg!

One of the funniest stories involving the lesser known Bentley brother happened in 1951. Former Leaf defenseman and coach Hap Day was in Saskatoon on a scouting trip. Day recognized Bentley and during the pre-game warm up said "Hi Reg!" However Reg was puzzled as to who the man was. Day then told him his name. "Happy Day!" he said. Reg answered "Thanks, and same to you." before skating away.

There you have it. Reg Bentley - really polite guy.

Behn Wilson

2009-01-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

Behn was born in Toronto, Ont. Named after his grandfather who was from Scotland thus explaining how he got the H in his name.

When growing up his sports activities never centered around any particular sport. Hockey would eventually become the No. 1 sport for Big Behn. Along with his sports interest was his interest in school as well. When he enrolled at the University of Toronto it was to pursue his interest in pre-medicine. Behn's parents encouraged him to not let sports consume all of his time. When he was in grade 2 he started going to speech and drama courses, something that he really liked. He studied Shakespeare and many of the classical plays. He took Canadian poetry and did phonetics and speech therapy

But when Behn put on his skates his poetry was gone with the wind. He was mean and tough. Opposite players hated to play against Behn, who always was ready to deliver a devastating hit or a sneaky punch. He was a brutally punishing hitter, and smashing fighter. But playing that way every shift is not easy, not even for someone of Wilson's size. He was often criticized letting up on players, especially players significantly smaller than him.

Though he had a reputation as a thug, he actually had the makings of a very good player. He was a good skater for such a big man, blessed with speed and balance, although lacking great agility. He also had a low, heavy slap shot from the point and knew when to pinch in off of the blue line. When he was on his game he was a top four defenseman on any team in the league.

But Wilson was enigmatic, not able to play to his potential many nights. He hurried his decisions, often making bad passes in all three zones which resulted in turnovers and odd man breaks against. As one NHL analyst once said, " Behn Wilson has all the talent and a full deck of cards to go with it. His only problem is the cards are shuffled the wrong way."

Behn played his junior career for three OHA teams between 1975-78: The Ottawa 67's, Windsor Spitfires and Kingston Canadians. He played a total of 163 games in which he scored 154 pts. (35+119) and picked up 470 Pim's.

Philadelphia had traded their veterans Orest Kindrachuk, Ross Lonsberry and Tom Bladon for Pittsburgh's 1st round choice in 1978. Philadelphia liked what they saw in the young defenseman. He not only displayed fine overall skills but was big (6'3" 210 Ibs) and tough as nails, so they used the 1st round choice to select Behn 6th overall in the 1978 draft.

Behn didn't disappoint and had a fine rookie season (1978-79) playing all 80 games scoring 49 points, including 13 goals. He not only contributed fine offensively but also engaged in numerous fights against players like Tiger Williams, Willi Plett and Gary Howatt. He eventually ended up with 197 PIMs in his rookie season. Behn played five seasons for Philadelphia and reached a career high in 1981-82 with 16 goals, 47 assists and 63 points, as well as 237 PIM's.

Behn's reputation however wasn't the best in the league. He was responsible for several questionable altercations and Philadelphia felt it was better for him to move on. He was traded to Chicago in June 1983 for Doug Crossman and Philadelphia's 2nd round choice in 1984 (Scott Mellanby) in the 1984 draft.

Often playing with Keith Brown, Behn continued his hard nosed style of play in Chicago and had three very solid seasons on the Blackhawks blueline before sitting out the entire 1986-87 season with a back injury. He eventually returned for the 1987-88 season but it was evident that his back wasn't 100%. After the season Behn announced his retirement, only 29 years old.

Wilson went into business for himself after hockey. He had been studying economics from the University of Toronto during his off-seasons while still in the NHL.

Lidio "Lee" Fogolin Sr.

2009-01-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

Last week I wrote a piece about Lee Fogolin, the veteran Edmonton Oilers defenseman from the dynasty days of the mid-1980s.

Did you know that Fogolin was a second generation NHL star?

Lidio "Lee" Fogolin Sr. played 427 games in the NHL, mostly in the 1950s. The statistics tell us he played 2 and 1/2 seasons in Detroit before playing 5 and 1/2 seasons in Chicago, where son Lee Jr. was born. Father and son played very similar stay-at-home, hard hitting styles of defense. Lee Sr. scored 10 goals and 58 points in his career. He got into 28 playoff games, scoring 2 assists.

I was not satisfied with the little bit of information the statistical record provides. I wanted to know more about Lee Fogolin Sr. I turned to an old book I found in a used bookstore once upon a time - Frank Pagnucco's Heroes: Stars of Hockey's Golden Era, published in 1985.

Pagnucco interviewed Fogolin, asking him to describe himself.

"They always teamed a hitting defenceman with a rushing defenceman," Fogolin explained. Despite strong skating and a hard shot, Red Wings boss Jack Adams welcomed him to the NHL in 1948 saying "Listen, kid, I got enough fancy pants on this team. I need guys who'll stay back there and hit 'em.

Fogolin took the advice the heart, and lasted nearly a decade in the league. He became a feared bodychecker.

Fogolin remembered one big hit on Dean Prentice.

"He passed the puck and made the fatal mistake of admiring the beautiful pass he made. I was right inside our blue line. I took one step. I used to hit with the shoulder . . . and I can still remember . . . I was scared really. I caught him with my shoulder in the breastbone and down he went. I said, 'Oh my god, I think I killed him.'"

Fogolin was forced out of the NHL by 1957 after breaking his elbow twice. He tried to extend his career playing pro hockey in Calgary, but soon retired. He later returned to his home town of Thunder Bay, Ontario. He tried coaching locally, but soon became involved in the service station business before working for a steel firm. He would regret not staying more involved in the game after retiring as a pro.

But his career highlight in hockey was still to come. His son would soon make the NHL, and, unlike his father, would lift the Stanley Cup over his head.

"In all my years of hockey I never worked myself into such a frenzy," Fogolin told Pagnucco. "I wanted to see him win a Stanley Cup. The ultimate thing in your career is winning the Stanley Cup and getting your name on it."

Dave Manson

2009-01-08T21:27:00.000-08:00

When a player is affectionately known as "Charlie" Manson, it comes as no surprise he was one of the most feared NHL tough guys of his era. But he could play too, a terrific package of terror and talent.

The pride of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, the former hometown Raiders star Dave Manson played in over 1100 NHL games, most notably with the Chicago Blackhawks. He also played well in Edmonton, Winnipeg and Montreal before toiling with Toronto and Dallas late in his career.

Manson quickly established himself as a rough and tumble customer. He had nearly 2800 career penalty minutes, including a Chicago single season record (since broken) of 352 penalty minutes in his third season, 1988-89.

The following season he would have bettered his own record if he was not suspended three times - twice for pushing a linesman and returning to fights, and once for biting the hand of Scott Stevens.

With his rugged approach to the game he was an obvious fan favorite in the Windy City. He had some real battles in that old Norris Division, and Chicago had some long time rivalries. Bob Probert and Joey Kocur were in Detroit. Basil McRae in Minnesota. Todd Ewen and later Scott Stevens in St. Louis.

That Stevens bout was quite the classic. Let's take a look:

Manson backed down from nobody, and you can not accuse him of having a bark worse than his bite. You see, Manson often had to let his physical play send messages for him, as he his voice was reduced to a raspy whisper courtesy of Sergio Momesso, then with Vancouver. Big Momesso punched Manson right in the throat during one altercation, and Manson contracted a permanent case of laryngitis. Even after two major surgeries, Manson still talks very softly and gravelly.

Despite the nickname and impressive pugilistic resume, one should not be too quick to jump to the conclusion that he was simply a goon. No, in fact he was also an offensive defenseman who twice played in NHL all star games.

Remember that '88-89 season where Manson sat in the penalty box for 352 minutes? The defenseman also registered 18 goals and 54 points that year.

Blessed with a heavy shot, Manson was a natural on the power play. He loved to tee up one timers but was also smart enough to change up his shot now and again. And he was never afraid to pinch up and surprise the penalty killers with his straying from the left point.

That year Manson really put it altogether. There is not a coach in the league that would not want a defenseman with Manson's scary combination of physical aggression and offensive intimidation. He was always playing on the edge, but he constantly struggled to keep that right balance.

The problem was Manson was never able to maintain the right mixture over any length of his career. This was due to discipline and hockey sense.

First and foremost was discipline, but with penalty minute totals like his that comes as no surprise. Too often he would unnecessarily engage in scrums after the whistle instead of just concentrating on hockey. He would often throw himself off his own game as he ran around out of position and taking bad penalties. With his well-established reputation as one of the most feared men on ice, he did not need to do this. He needed to learn let his reputation do a lot of the intimidating for him, and just concentrate on playing hockey.

Discipline in hockey also refers to playing the game smartly and patiently. This is also known as hockey sense.

At times Manson was too over-exuberant in his offensive game too, making bad pinches, impossible passes, and plenty of turnovers. He was very much a gambler with the puck, and he got burned many times. This only led to a significant number of minor penalties, for hooking and tripping, because he did not have the superior foot speed to make up for his gaffes.

Had Manson learned to be more patient with the puck and just make the safe if unspectacular play, he would have been one heck of a defender. He might not have been as noticeable on the ice if he played more conservatively, but given his turnover history that might have been a good thing.

Defensively he could be an adventure, too. Certainly the opposition did not like to put the puck into his corner, given the likelihood he would try to put you into the first row of seats. But the opposition knew Manson would stray too far from his optimal position to make a big hit or to unnecessarily help out his defense partner. Poor reads by Manson led to wide open scoring chances for attackers too often.

Manson may have been a big city star who lasted over 1100 wars in the NHL, but he never forgot his hometown roots. He was always a Saskatchewan boy at heart, proud of his hometown of Prince Albert where he led the WHL Raiders to the Memorial Cup in 1985. Following the conclusion of his NHL career, Manson returned to Prince Albert and became involved in coaching with the Raiders.

Pit Martin

2008-12-01T14:40:00.000-08:00

A small but speedy NHLer for parts of 17 seasons, Pit Martin was a fine player who was overshadowed by the player he was traded for.

On May 15, 1967 Pit, Jack Norris and Gilles Marotte left Boston for Chicago in exchange for Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield in one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. The Bruins went on to become a two-time Stanley Cup championships while the Hawks had quiet glimpses of success. Moreover, the trade was broken down more into Martin for Esposito - one promising center for another. Espo went on to a Hall of Fame career including 4 Art Ross scoring championships. Martin, while an effective player for Chicago for over 10 years, had a quiet career in comparison.

Hubert Martin, nicknamed Pit after a popular French comic strip character, broke into the NHL in 1961 after leading his junior team, the Hamilton Red Wings, to the Memorial Cup championship. He split his first five professional campaigns between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League. For a period of time in 1963-64, he found a home on a line with Larry Jeffrey and Bruce MacGregor, replacing Newfoundland's Alex Faulkner.

The powerful and agile skater was traded from the Red Wings to the Boston Bruins midway through the 1965-66 season, where he spent a season and a half. Pit then moved to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1967 where he played another 11 years. He eventually won over Chicago fans with is speedy attack and insistent digging for loose pucks in the corners.

Martin welcomed the trade to Chicago. The Bruins were wallowing in the NHL basement, whereas Chicago had been an underrated league power in the 1960s. History would show that roles would be reversed soon after the trade. Esposito's huge success put a lot of pressure on Martin. Martin didn't make relations with Chicago fans any easier when he held out for the first 17 days of his first Chicago training camp. After missing the playoffs in 1968-69, Martin was quoted in The Hockey News criticizing Hawks players and management.

Martin was able to overcome his rocky reception and become a Hawks fan favorite. He found particular success on the MPH Line with Jim Pappin and Dennis Hull for the better part of six seasons.

"We, as a trio, worked very well together. We all got along. I think the biggest thing was that none of us were selfish. We had the same type of philosophy about the game. We were serious about it and we wanted to be recognized as good hockey players. We didn't care who scored the goals as long as our line produced," said Martin.

Martin enjoyed several good seasons in Chicago. Eight times in his career he scored at least 20 goals, and three times at least 30. His best season came in 1972-73 when he scored 29 goals and 61 assists for a career high 90 points. Later in the playoffs he scored 10 goals and 16 points to help the Chicago Blackhawks advance to the Stanley Cup finals.

The Quebec native finished off his pro career with two seasons in Vancouver. Pit retired from the NHL with 324 goals, 485 assists and 809 points in 1,101 regular season games while adding 27 goals and 58 points in 100 playoff contests.

While his career was not nearly as decorated as the man he was traded for, Martin was fiercely proud of his 1970 Masterton trophy award for dedication to the game of hockey. Martin called it "the most important trophy I'll ever receive."

After retiring, Martin initially did some broadcasting for Hockey Night In Canada before settling in Windsor, Ontario. The avid recreational pilot ventured into several business opportunities, including a restaurant and a swimming pool servicing outfit.

J. P. Bordeleau

2008-10-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

J. P. Bordeleau spent his entire career in Chicago.

Jean-Pierre, the brother of both Christian and Paulin Bordeleau and the uncle of Sebastien Bordeleau, is the most successful of the Bordeleau NHL clan. He played in 519 NHL games, scoring 97 goals and 223 points. In 48 playoff contests he added 3 goals and 9 points.

The native of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec was quite the celebrated junior player, especially following a strong performance in the playoffs where the OHA's Montreal Junior Canadiens to the Memorial Cup championship in 1969.

Because of his strong play that spring, Bordeleau was chosen 13th overall by the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1969 Amateur Draft. That first round draft included talent like Ivan Boldirev, Moose Dupont and Bordeleau's junior teammates Rejean Houle and Marc Tardif.

It was not until the 1972-72 season that Bordeleau became a NHL regular. He spent the better part of three seasons in the minor leagues learning English and how to play the much more physical professional game. His efforts were rewarded with a 41 goal season with Dallas of the CHL, and an Allan Cup championship in 1972.

The following year Bordeleau made the jump to the NHL, scoring a career high 15 goals and helping Chicago reach the Stanley Cup finals.

Bordeleau would continue to play in Chicago until 1980, matching his 15 goal season three more times. For the most part he was a very unheralded role player.

In 1980 his tenure with Chicago came to a close. Long time teammate Keith Magnuson took over as coach and he did not get along with all of his former teammates. Bordeleau was banished to the AHL minor league affiliate in New Brunswick for two seasons.

Bordeleau never got a chance to return to the NHL. A slash by young Clint Malarchuk forced Bordeleau to retire because he had no feeling in his right upper leg.

Sadly, Bordeleau received no compensation from the NHL, NHLPA or NHL Alumni association.

Bordeleau has done okay for himself since. He began by selling insurance before opening a Tim Hortons franchise in 1985.

Bill "Red" Hay

2008-08-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

Bill Hay came from an athletic family. His father, Charlie Hay, was an outstanding goalie for the Regina senior team in the early 1920's. In 1923 he lost out in the Allan Cup finals to the famous and very strong Toronto Granites team. His mother, the former Florence "String" Miller was one of Canada's great track and field stars. His uncle, Earl Miller played in the NHL in the late 1920's, early 30's.

Bill played his first hockey around Regina, Saskatchewan. and had a solid junior career with the Regina Pats (WCJHL). In two seasons he scored 78 points (30goals, 48 assists) in 62 games. He also played a couple of games for the University of Saskatchewan in 1953-54, but dropped out.

Bill's life and hockey career were at a crossroads at this point. The Montreal Canadiens owned his NHL rights, and expected him to report to training camp. But Bill had other ideas, and literally hitch-hiked his way down to Colorado Springs where he literally convinced Colorado College to give both him and good friend Bob McCusker athletic scholarships. Through CC he would complete his degree in geology.

He had two splendid seasons with Colorado College Tigers (116 points) and led the entire league in points in 1957-58. He was selected to the first WCHA All-Star team in both seasons (1957 & 58). Bill also was named to the NCAA West first All-American team both years. He helped lead the Tigers to the 1957 national championships.

Bill originally did not intend to pursue a NHL career, and rather use his geology degree and join his father in the oil industry. But, despite it being almost unheard of to have a college player make it to the NHL, Bill decided to give pro hockey a shot.

He attended Montreal Canadiens training camp in 1958-59. The vaunted Habs were so overstocked with talent that he of course did not make the team, so they loaned him to the Calgary Stampeders of the WHL, which at that time was Chicago Blackhawks farm team. Bill impressed everyone and scored a fine 24 goals and 54 points in 53 games. In April 1959 Chicago bought him from Montreal who reluctantly sold him for $ 25,000.

Bill was an immediate hit in the NHL as he scored 18 goals and 37 assists for 55 points in 70 games as a rookie, good for 13th place overall in the league. His fine season earned him the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year, the first collegiate player to do so.

His linemates during that season were Murray Balfour on the right side and a young superstar in Bobby Hull on the left. They were quickly dubbed "The Million Dollar Line"

The rangy redhead was one of the slickest stickhandlers and playmakers in the NHL. He often "quarterbacked" the Hawks power play and provided fine leadership to the team overall. In only his second season with the team he became the assistant captain. As a sophomore he scored 59 points in 69 games and helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup.

Teammate Stan Mikita raved about Hay's leadership abilities being such a key to the '61 championship.

The trick in making us a winner was getting the team working. This is where a leader comes in and Billy Hay was just such a leader."

His best season offensively came in 1961-62 when he had 63 points in only 60 games. Bill continued to be a steady player, scoring a career high 23 goals in 1963-64 (56 points). In 1965-66 he had 20 goals and 51 points in 68 games.

Although Bill loved hockey he decided to retire at the end of the 1965-66 season to pursue a business career. However his retirement was shot as he returned to the Hawks mid-way through the 1966-67 season and picked up 20 points in only 36 games.

Chicago left him unprotected in the expansion draft that summer and he was claimed by St.Louis. But this time Bill decided to hang em' up for good, only 31 years old.

Bill obviously did well in the business aspect of his life, finally jumping into the family business of oil. At one point he had enough money to be a part owner and team president of the Calgary Flames. He would later add the presidency duties of the Hockey Hall of Fame to his resume.

Roy Conacher

2008-04-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

The 1998 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies included Roy Conacher, who maybe now will finally get some recognition as a great player in his own right.

Despite his own athletic achievements, Roy Conacher has always been best known as the younger brother of fellow Hockey Hall of Famers Charlie and Lionel. Charlie was probably the best hockey player while Lionel was named Canada's male athlete of the half century in 1950 as he also starred in the Canadian Football League, minor league baseball, lacrosse, boxing and wrestling.

Roy Conacher entered the NHL in 1938-39 and immediately made an impact. As a rookie he led the entire NHL in goals with 26 and also helped his Boston Bruins capture the Stanley Cup. Conacher would help to duplicate the Beantown Cup Championship again in 1941 but then saw his career put on hold due to World War II.

Conacher enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was stationed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and later Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for a total of 3 years. He played a total of 27 senior games as an amateur in that time, scoring 23 goals in a fairly competitive league which featured other pro-hockey players who were also stationed in the area for military service.

Following the end of the war Conacher returned to Boston but only played in 4 games in 1945-46. The following season he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings where he scored a career high 30 goals and 54 points. However a contract dispute saw Roy on his way out again, this time to the Chicago Blackhawks (he was initially traded to the New York Americans but refused to go to the Big Apple).

Conacher enjoyed 4 fine seasons with the Hawks, none finer than the 1948-49 campaign when he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer. Though he was teamed with Doug Bentley and Bill Mosienko, the Hawks failed to make the playoffs yet again. During his entire tenure with the Hawks, the team was the cellar dwellars of the league.

Roy Conacher comes from one of Canada's top athletic families. Roy's nephews Peter and Brian also saw time in the NHL. Though he is not as famous as brothers Charlie and Lionel, he, too, is one of hockey's all time greats.

Conacher retired in 1951 with 226 career goals, one more than big brother Charlie.

Adam Creighton

2008-03-23T13:15:00.001-07:00

Adam Creighton is the son of Dave Creighton, an NHL star throughout the 1950s and an AHL star throughout the 1960s. Dave even spent 1 season, 1961-62, in the city of Buffalo while playing with the AHL Bisons. Adam's uncle Fred was also a professional hockey player and later an award winning coach.

With those bloodlines it comes as no surprise that Adam Creighton was a highly talented hockey player. A giant of a hockey player at 6'5" and 220 pounds, Creighton was drafted 11th overall in the 1983 Entry Draft by Scotty Bowman following a fantastic junior career. The following season he led his junior team, the Ottawa 67's, to the Memorial Cup championship. He led all players in scoring and was named as the tournament MVP. His performance in that 1984 tournament ranks as one of the greatest in the storied history of the Memorial Cup.

The beginning to Adam's professional career was not as smooth however. He never seemed to get untracked under coach Scotty Bowman, and was quickly dubbed as one "Bowman's Busts" as a high draft pick who didn't appear to be working out. He split his first 2 pro seasons between the AHL and NHL. Despite his obvious puck skills and sense of the game, the big man lacked speed and agility to be a true scoring star at the NHL level. .

Adam didn't make it the NHL on a full time basis until 1986-87 when he scored 18 goals and 40 points in 56 games. He seemed to find some real confidence under new coach Ted Sator. However Adam did battle injuries and missed 24 games.

In 1987-88 the injury problems continued as a severe shoulder and knee wounds limited Adam to just 36 games. He may have been one of the biggest players in the National Hockey League, but he appeared to be fragile and shied away from the physical play.

In 1988-89 Adam was shifted to left wing because of the emergence of players like Pierre Turgeon and Benoit Hogue at center ice. Adam never adjusted and the Sabres traded Creighton away to Chicago in exchange for veteran sniper Rick Vaive.

In Chicago Adam played under Mike Keenan. Keenan is a dictatorial coach who has broken many players, but Adam thrived under him. In his first full season in Chicago, 1990-91, Adam erupted for his best season. He scored 34 goals and 70 points. His new found success was in large part because he embraced the physical game, picking up 224 penalty minutes. Although his offensive production tailed off in the playoffs, he remained as a physical force as the Blackhawks went to the Stanley Cup finals.

Creighton came back to earth somewhat in 1990-91, as he continued to struggle with the one thing that prevented him from being a very good player in the National Hockey League - consistency. The Hawks moved Adam to the New York Islanders late in the 1991-92 season in a trade for Brent Sutter.

Adam's stay on Long Island was brief. He finished the year with 12 points in 11 games, but was exposed on waivers prior to the 1992-93 season. The Tampa Bay Lightning selected him and employed him with little fanfare through 1994.

Adam returned from anonymity when he was reunited with Mike Keenan in St. Louis staring in 1995, but he became a low scoring role player at that point of his career.

Adam would end his NHL career with a return to Chicago for the 1996-97 season but appear in only 19 games. He would later round out his career playing in Germany.
Adam Creighton scored 187 goals and 403 points in 708 National Hockey League games.

Gary Suter

2008-02-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

When you think of the crème de la crème among American blueliners, most of them belonged to the same generation, played during the same period, and have either retired in the last few years or are approaching retirement: Brian Leetch, Chris Chelios, Phil Housley, Mathieu Schneider, Derian and Kevin Hatcher.

And, of course, who can forget #20 Gary Suter. Looking back, Suter's résumé was loaded with accomplishments, whether it be during his seventeen years in the NHL or in international competition representing the US. Suter's name is universally acknowledged as a necessity on any list of great American-born defensemen.

Having been passed up in both the '82 and '83 entry drafts, Suter (a product of the University of Wisconsin) spent the following summer lugging cases of beer at a brewery in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, wondering if he would ever get a chance to play in the big leagues. Finally, he was selected by Calgary in the 9th round of the '84 draft. Although neither Suter nor the Flames were terribly ecstatic at the time, this turned out to be one of the best late-round investments ever.

In his inaugural season (1985-86), Suter exploded offensively with 68 points (highlighted by a 6-point night against Edmonton), earning him the Calder Trophy. Two years later, he topped that mark by setting a career high 91 points (scoring in 16 consecutive contests), and he finished third in Norris Trophy voting after Ray Bourque and Scott Stevens. During eight and a half seasons in Calgary, Suter tallied 60 or more points six times, finished fourth among league defensemen in scoring six years in a row, and was offered a spot in the All-Star Game four times. Injuries precluded him from skating in both the 1986 and 1989 Stanley Cup Finals; nevertheless, he understood what it meant to be a big-time player and consistently carried his scoring touch into the playoffs.

During his years in Calgary, Suter roomed with and manned the point alongside Hall of Famer Al MacInnis. Together, they provided one of the best defensive pairings (if not the best) in the NHL. Said former Flames Assistant GM Al MacNeil, "[both Gary and Al] were magic on the powerplay." While Big Al's booming slapshots tended to overshadow Suter's floating wrist shots, Suter was still respected as one of the best defensemen in the league. When he left Calgary in 1994, he ranked second all-time in team scoring behind MacInnis (making Calgary the only club ever to, at any particular time, have two defensemen as its top two all-time scorers).

Suter split the second half of his career between Chicago and San Jose. While his numbers diminished, and while he slowed down due to injuries, he remained a Top Ten defenseman, and continued to have a significant impact on his teams' success. While with Chicago, he credited Chris Chelios for helping him play a stronger game in the defensive zone. "I've learned a lot defensively just from watching [Chelios] in practice and getting pointers from him," he said at the time. "Just how to play odd-man rushes better: two-on-ones, three-on-ones." He and Chelios were also fitness freaks and would workout intensely in the Blackhawks' sauna several mornings during the week.

By the time he hung up his skates in 2002, Suter had amassed over 1,100 games and over 800 points.

Outside the NHL, Suter donned the red, white and blue in a multitude of events: two Olympics (winning a silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games), one World Cup of Hockey (capturing the first ever title in '96), two Canada Cups, two World Championships (named co-MVP in 1985), and one World Juniors. Such an extensive list of appearances is nothing short of amazing, and it is truly indicative of Suter's indispensability to Team USA over the course of his career.

Sadly, his play on the international stage was overshadowed by on-ice injuries he inflicted on Andrei Lomakin during the '87 Canada Cup, Wayne Gretzky during the '91 Canada Cup, and Paul Kariya right before the '98 Olympics. In spite of these incidents, Suter remained in high regard by his teammates and opponents, never looked at as a mean or dirty player. However folks in Canada will remember him for his vicious stick play.

Suter's brother Bob was a member of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team that struck gold in Lake Placid, and Bob's son Ryan is currently skating for the Nashville Predators. There was some speculation that Gary would come out of retirement to join his nephew in Nashville, but that never materialized.

Written by guest writer Vikash Khanna

John Mariucci

2007-12-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

John Mariucci is regarded as "The Godfather of Minnesota Hockey". He played a major role in establishing the successful Minnesota high school program, and leading the University of Minnesota hockey team to national prominence. He also inspired a lot of NHL coaches like Herb Brooks, Bob Johnson, Glen Sonmor and Lou Nanne.

Lou Nanne was coached by Mariucci and remembered him as a very tough but fair coach.

"As a coach he was very tough and demanded a lot, but he was always fair. I learned a lot from him."

Herb Brooks had about the same recollection of John.

"As a coach he put fear of the Lord in everyone. He was mean and ornery and a stickler for details, but always fair and always a winner."

In 1952 when his hockey playing career was over John went on to coach the University of Minnesota for 14 seasons, When he left in 1966 he had an excellent record of 215-148-18.

He also coached the United States Olympic hockey team in 1956 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Mariucci took a lot of heat for loading up his Olympic team with 11 Minnesotans, but he obviously knew what he was doing as Team USA came home with the silver medal.

Mariucci was born in Eveleth, Minnesota on May 8, 1916. He played his early hockey, as well as football, for the University of Minnesota where he enjoyed an All-American season as a Minnesota senior in 1940. He debuted in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks as a solidly built 5'11" 200 Ibs defenseman during the 1940-41 season. At that time American born players in the NHL were very rare.

Mariucci remembered how it was in the beginning.

"When I entered the NHL I was a little freak. I took a lot of ribbing. I always played hard, but it took a couple of rough checks and punches in the nose to really get some respect from the older guys."

John's face was a good remainder of how his "battle for respect" had looked like. Herb Brooks jokingly once said: "Just looking at John's face probably helped inspire the rule requiring face masks in modern day youth hockey."

Mariucci's NHL career spanned over five seasons, all with Chicago. He played between 1940-42 and 45-48 in the windy city. He also played for the Coast Guard Cutters in the EHL where he was an All-Star. He also played for St. Louis Flyers (AHA), Minneapolis Millers (USHL) and the St. Paul Saints (USHL) until 1952. Though short, he was a feared physical defenseman who put in a workmanlike effort. But coaching was his true calling.

Mariucci hockey work earned him the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1977 given to him for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. Mariucci is also in both the Hockey Hall of Fame and United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

John Mariucci passed away in 1987.

Gary Nylund

2007-09-23T13:27:00.001-07:00

Gary Nylund is the hockey legend who should have been.

When Gary Nylund was drafted 3rd overall in 1982, he was expected to become the next Larry Robinson. The WHL's top defenseman was also a Memorial Cup all star and World Junior gold medal champion. He was a hulking 6'4" 200lb combination of physical domination and skating mobility, with a mean streak to boot. He may not have been projected to be dominant offensive NHL player at that time, but he would own the defensive end and make opponents pay upon entering it.

Unfortunately for Gary Nylund, injuries would not let him fulfill his destiny.

The BC boy grew up dreaming of playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs and at Maple Leaf Gardens. Yet shockingly, his agent advised him to tell the Leafs he would not play for the team if they drafted him. His meddling agent, Norm Caplan, figured Nylund's future was better served in Philadelphia, who owned the 4th pick. The naive Nylund mumbled through with his agent's request, but Toronto picked him anyways.

Nylund was ever thankful that the Leafs didn't listen to him that day, and selected Nylund. Soon he would sign the most expensive rookie contract, to that point in time, in Maple Leafs history. And Nylund would soak up his childhood dream of playing in Maple Leaf Gardens, perhaps the highlight of his career.

The dream came to a quick and abrupt end before his rookie season even began. In a pre-season game against the Quebec Nordiques, Nylund was hit innocently by Wilf Paiement, but his left knee buckled. It was dubbed a hyper-extension, and Nylund's rookie season would be delayed until after Christmas.

Nylund returned, and finally got his chance to play in the NHL. But his dream returned to nightmare after just 16 contests. A accidental bump with linesman John D'Amico not only re-aggravated the knee injury, but made it far worse. Nylund's ACL was torn, costing him the rest of his rookie season and half of the following season.

At this time Nylund was still a teenager, and as such was losing some of the most valuable development time a NHL hockey player has. Instead of fulfilling his destiny, he was busy rehabilitating his bad wheel. Nylund would return, but with his lost mobility he settled into a nice role as a defensive defender.

Nylund's stay in Toronto certainly wasn't how he envisioned as child, either. The team was at its all time low-point under owner Harold Ballard, and Nylund wanted out. So much so that he signed with Chicago as a restricted free agent, a true rarity in those days. As such the Leafs were owed compensation. The Leafs demanded Chicago-born scorer Ed Olczyk in return, but NHL arbitrators assigned Jerome Dupont, Ken Yaremchuk and a 1987 fourth-round pick (Joe Sacco) as compensation.

Nylund jumped at the Hawks offer because they offered the most money, a 4 year deal worth reportedly $150,000 a year. That certainly was not an insignificant sum in those days for a defenseman with a bad knee.

Nylund would enjoy 2 and 1/2 seasons in another Original Six city, but interestingly he would always regret signing with the Hawks. The Hawks weren't a whole lot better than the Leafs in those days, and were never Stanley Cup contenders. Interestingly, Nylund chose the Hawks over the Edmonton Oilers strictly because they offered more money. Nylund knew Edmonton would have offered him a chance to play with the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, and almost certainly would have won a Stanley Cup. As it turned out the Oilers won 3 Stanley Cups in the span of Nylund's contract. Nylund and the Hawks won nothing. Nylund's decision to choose money over opportunity would always be his biggest regret in hockey.

The Blackhawks traded Gary Nylund and Marc Bergevin to the New York Islanders in exchange for Steve Konroyd and Bob Bassen. Nylund would put in 2 and 1/2 seasons of yeoman's work on the Isle's blue line before disaster struck again. He would blow out his ACL again. The only good news was this time it was his other knee.

Nylund began the lengthy period of rehab, but somehow his heart and mental mind frame just weren't into it at the time. After a short comeback he would end up walking away by making another business decision. By retiring within 20 games played of the injury, he would received a NHL disability pension. Like when he chose Chicago over Edmonton, he took the money, but would later regret the decision. Gary Nylund still wanted to play hockey. He was still looking to capture childhood dreams.

I met Gary Nylund on the Oldtimers charity tour. He travels with that team quite a bit, looking to recapture the camaraderie of his NHL days. He was an intimidating sight even from the stands, a real monster on the ice. The Kitimat team the Oldtimers were playing tended to take the game too seriously, and would play disrespectfully against the NHL veterans. I remember Nylund approaching a couple of Kitimat's more aggressive players. He bumped them just enough to make it look accidental, but sent them flying on to the seat of their pants. The mean streak was still in him, and that's when I became a Gary Nylund fan.

Nylund travels with the Oldtimers when his work schedule allows. The son of an RCMP officer returned to Surrey BC and became a firefighter. On July 31, 2001, fire at a paper products warehouse on Annacis Island, in which he went back into a building burning to rescue two of his trapped colleagues, who were buried under some of the warehouse's cardboard boxes. In June 2003, Nylund and two other firefighters received British Columbia's prestigious Medal of Bravery for their efforts in the warehouse rescue, and in 2004 he was given the national Governor General's Decoration for Bravery.

Phil Russell

2007-06-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Phil Russell was one of the most physical defensemen in the NHL through out the 1970s and mid 1980s. He played the game like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Some called him exuberant, while others called him just downright nasty.

But everyone called him valuable.

Phil wasn't valuable just because he was so feisty. Yes he intimidated more than a few opposition forwards to be sure, but 6'2" 200lb monster was also a very good skater - which is a bit unusual for defensemen of this sort, especially in that era. As a result, Phil was a standout on the blue line as his mobility proved to be a real asset. He could cover a lot of ice without the puck, and was able to do more than just fire the puck out of the zone once he gained possession.

Phil was never much of an offensive threat. He scored a career high 45 points in 1976-77 and a career high 13 goals in 1982-83. But this didn't prevent him from earning recognition as one of the game's best rearguards as witnessed by his 3 inclusions in the mid season all star game (1976, 1977 and 1985).

Phil, who was as nice a guy off the ice as he was mean on it, was drafted in the 1st round, 13th overall, by the Chicago Black Hawks after terrorizing the Western Junior Hockey League with his hometown Edmonton Oil Kings. He was able to step into the NHL immediately and contributed nicely in Chicago for almost 7 years.

The Hawks weren't going anywhere by the late 1970s and were looking to make a major shake-up. The accomplished this by trading Phil along with Ivan Boldirev and Darcy Rota to Atlanta in exchange for a host of players, most notably Tom Lysiak.

Phil was a steadying influence on the Flames blue line for 5 seasons before he was again on the move, this time to New Jersey. Those were some pretty lean years in Devil-ville, but Phil kept his teammates hustling and his opponents honest.

Phil wound down his NHL career in Buffalo as well as playing a short stint in international hockey and with the IHL Kalmazoo Wings.'

The most telling stat of Phil's career is 1016 games played in the NHL. In most of those games Phil was a key player who was counted on heavily by the coach and his teammates. In those games Phil scored 99 times, assisted on 325 others and had 424 points. He earned 2038 minutes in the penalty box in that time as well. He added 4 goals and 26 points in 73 post season affairs.

Since retiring as a player Phil has worked as a scout and also as a minor league coach.

Steve Thomas

2007-05-20T20:06:00.001-07:00

Steve Thomas earned a reputation as a clutch goal scorer while a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Time and time again he would score dramatic goals late in games, much to the delight of the Maple Leaf faithful. As a result he is one of the most popular Leafs in the modern era.

The fire-hydrant sized Thomas was a clutch scorer, once standing as the all time leading scorer in regular season overtime with 21 points. He had more than 70 career game winning goals, ranking him among the all time best in terms of highest game winning goal average compared to goals scored for players with more than 50 win clinching goals scored in a career.

Thomas was a high energy player, relying on explosive speed bursts to key a ferocious fore-check. With his low center of gravity and tree trunk legs, he was almost impossible to remove from the puck once he took it from a player. He possessed and absolutely lethal shot, a weapon that allowed him to score 421 times in the NHL. Unfortunately he always thought shot, and he could have benefited from developing a passing game after forcing turnovers on the forecheck.

Steve has the unusual birth place of Stockport, England, but he grew up in Toronto idolizing the great Darryl Sittler. Steve joined the Toronto Marlies junior team full-time in 1982-83. That year, he scored 38 points in 61 games as an OHL rookie. In 1983-84, he improved to 51 goals and 105 points. Despite these numbers he was passed over in the NHL entry draft. Fortunately the Leafs gave the local kid a tryout. His energetic play combined with an obvious but still developing knack for finding the net earned him a contract. Over the following couple of decades Thomas would play exactly the same way as he did in that training camp, and he developed into one of the NHL's most consistent snipers over that time.

"Stumpy" as he affectionately is called, apprenticed in the AHL with St. Catherines Maple Leafs in 1984-85. Thomas proved he was a definite NHL prospect in less than a full season there. He scored 42 goals and 90 points and won the Red Garrett Trophy as the league's top rookie, and was named as a First Team All Star. All this despite spending 18 games as an NHL call up - scoring his first NHL goal against Detroit's Colorado Micalef.

In 1985-86 Thomas was again demoted to the minors but was recalled permanently after scoring 18 goals in 19 games. He finished the year strongly in Toronto - scoring 20 goals and 57 points in 65 games. He then paced all Leafs scorers with 6 goals and 14 points in 10 playoff games.

In 1986-87 Thomas' 35 goals were only bettered by Wendel Clark, while he paced the team with 7 game winners. He followed that up with another strong playoff as the Leafs entered the second round of the playoffs for the second year in a row.

However that appeared to be the end of Thomas' fast rising career in southern Ontario. A blockbuster trade saw the Leafs prized youngster along with veteran leader Rick Vaive traded to division rivals Chicago Blackhawks for Ed Olczyk and Bob McGill. The trade was much discussed in the media and the fans - while Toronto was excited to get silky Ed Olczyk, they were saddened to lose Thomas. Thomas, who essentially was an opportunistic mucker and grinder. His physical game made him popular wherever he played.

Furor over the loss of Thomas was quieted quickly as Thomas struggled through two injury plagued years in Chicago. He rebounded in 1989-90 when he scored 40 goals in a full season, but fell to 19 goals the following year. Early in the 1992-93 season Thomas was traded in another big trade. He and big Adam Creighton were moved to Long Island in exchange for Brad Lauer and the great leader Brent Sutter. Thomas enjoyed several good personal years in New York despite some weak teams. He set a personal best of 87 points in 1992-93 and with 42 goals in 1993-94.

Beginning in 1995 Thomas joined New Jersey and over the course of 3 seasons his numbers dwindled in the offense-stifling Devil's system of play. His career appeared to be over until the Maple Leafs came calling - giving the local kid another shot.

Thomas did not disappoint. In his first year back he was teamed often with Mats Sundin, and scored 28 goals and 73 points - an increase of almost 50 points from the year before! His 7 game winning goals helped the Leafs become a true contender once again. He followed that up with 26 goals and 63 points, but had 9 game winners in 1999-2000.

Injuries limited Thomas to just 8 goals in 2000-2001. That was the final year of his contract and the Leafs made an unpopular decision not to bring back their energetic leader. Thomas did find a familiar home though, as he returned to Chicago.

After two forgettable years in Chicago, Thomas had one last hurrah after joining in the Anaheim Ducks at the trading deadline of 2003. The notoriously streaky scorer proceeded to explode for 10 goals in the final 12 games of the season (after scoring just 4 all year in Chicago), and scored 4 big goals in the playoffs. He helped the Ducks advance to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, but the New Jersey Devils would prove to be too much. In his 19 year NHL career, it was Thomas' first trip to the Stanley Cup finals.

Thomas returned for one last season in the NHL, playing with Detroit in 2003-04. He retired at year's end, with 1235 career games played, 421 goals, 512 assists and 933 points. He added 54 goals and 107 points in 174 career playoff games.

Dirk Graham

2007-04-10T23:23:00.000-07:00

Meet Dirk Graham - Mr. Chicago Blackhawk.

Dirk Graham was a hard-hitting, defensive-minded forward in his eight years with the Blackhawks. His hustling aggressive style was very typical of the Hawks in those days. He was a tireless worker who did anything necessary to help Chicago win hockey games.

He was also pretty good with the puck. He had 152 goals, 190 assists and 685 penalty minutes in 546 games for Chicago from 1988 to 1995. He also set a team record for most short-handed goals in a season, 10 in 1988-89.

Originally a draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks, Graham 6 seasons in the minors waiting for his chance to play in the NHL which finally came on a full time basis in 1985 with the Minnesota North Stars. His total NHL stats include 219 goals and 489 points in 772 games.

But most importantly, he was a leader. He was captain for 6 1/2 seasons and part of the 1992 squad
that won 11 straight playoff games before losing to Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup finals.

"It's a commitment to team, a commitment to your teammates, playing with heart, playing with desire," Graham said. "If you come to play every night, play hard and leave everything on the ice ... we're going to win our share of hockey games."

A young Jeremy Roenick was awed by Graham's leadership.

"Dirk Graham, I've said many times, is the captain of captains. He is a man that has gone through so much adversity, who has paid his dues well beyond anybody's expectations."

Joe Murphy agreed.

"I think Dirk Graham is probably the most important player on our team, being the captain right now. He holds the group together. He's our captain. He's the guy the guys look up to. He's a quiet leader, but when he has something to say, the guys listen to him. He just goes out and plays hard. Night in and night out he does it.

Graham, who won the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward in 1991, was a playoff warrior. In the 1990 playoffs he played with a frozen leg due to a cracked knee cap. In 90 career playoff games Graham potted 17 goals and 27 assists to go along with countless body checks and dogged determination.

Graham was also a member of Team Canada at the 1991 Canada Cup. He scored a key short-handed goal against the United States in the two game finale.

Graham was named coach of the Blackhawks in 1998. The move was a surprise since Graham had only one season as an assistant coach under his belt.

"I played with the guy. I knew what kind of leadership he has," said Bob Murray, Chicago's general
manager and former teammate. "I know the kind of instantaneous respect he commands when he walks in the locker room."

Graham biggest disadvantage as a coach was that he didn't have Dirk Graham playing for him. He was quickly replaced behind the bench by Lorne Molleken.

Troy Murray

2007-04-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Blackhawks didn't really know just how good of a player they drafted when they snatched up Troy Murray 57th overall in the third round of the 1980 NHL entry draft.

The Calgary native was playing tier II in St. Albert, where he was a teammate of a young Mark Messier, before heading south to the University of North Dakota to study business administration and engineering. A dean's list student, Murray excelled on the ice too. He had a reputation as a great offensive player and a devastating bodychecker, but he would develop into a complete player at UND thanks to legendary coach Gino Gasparini.

"I was always a goal scorer," confessed Murray. "Gino Gasparini is the coach who really stressed playing in the defensive end. I give him more credit than anybody that I've gotten even as far as I've gotten."

Murray got far. He led the Sioux to the 1982 NCAA Championship. Over the Christmas break he captained Team Canada to the World Junior Championship.

Murray would leave school early to sign with the Hawks, though he finished his degree at DePaul University in the off-seasons of professional hockey. Though his first couple of seasons were not significant in terms of scoring, he made a big impression on NHL opponents.

Al Secord, an aggressive thumper in his own right, was impressed with Murray's play.

"When he first came to the club, I guess the biggest thing that stands out with me is how he used to throw out these real hard body checks. He used to nail guys and straighten them up. He's a very, very strong guy. He's very dedicated in the off season in conditioning. He comes to play.

Terry Ruskowski, another teammate, was also impressed.

"Because he was so strong on his skates and had such good balance, when he hit somebody, the guy was hit. To try to knock him off his skates was almost impossible. He was very sturdy on his skates. He was a good shot, and he handled the puck well."

Playing on a line with veteran Curt Fraser and hometown hero Eddie Olczyk, Murray enjoyed an incredible breakout year in 1985-86. He scored 45 goals and 54 assists for 99 points. Though he was one of the highest scorers in the league, his fine defensive play continued and for that he was recognized with the Frank J. Selke trophy as the league's pre-eminent defensive forward.

Murray was the perfect second punch up the middle that season, paying behind the dipsy doodle dandy Denis Savard. But Murray was never able to duplicate the offensive contributions like that again. Though he had good hands and excellent vision and anticipation, he was unable to or perhaps under-utilized when it came to creating offense.

Murray and Warren Rychel were traded to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a young, hard hitting defenseman named Bryan Marchment in the summer of 1991. Though the native Winnipeger was named team captain, he would return to Chicago in another trade a season and a half later. He would continue to bounce around the league until his retirement in 1997. His stops included Ottawa, Pittsburgh and Colorado, where he won a Stanley Cup title in 1996.

Troy Murray played in 915 NHL games, scoring 230 goals, 354 assists for 584 points. In retirement Murray has done both radio and television analysts of Hawks broadcasts, as well as worked as a stock trader on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Eddie Olczyk

2007-04-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

A Chicagoan native who grew up cheering on the Blackhawks, Eddie Olczyk's status as hometown hero was both a blessing and a curse.

Olczyk, along with another young American prodigy named Al Iafrate, crossed the border and played junior B hockey in Stratford, Ontario. He would not pursue junior hockey any further, instead focusing on making the 1984 US Olympic team. At the age of 17 he was the youngest American in Sarajevo. A center throughout his youth, he switched to play left wing on the "Diaper Line" with fellow American youngsters Pat LaFontaine and David A. Jensen. In six Olympic games he scored 9 points.

The Chicago Blackhawks made the local boy their first pick, third overall in the 1984 draft, directly behind Mario Lemieux and Kirk Muller, and ahead of the likes of Shayne Corson, Gary Roberts and Iafrate. The Hawks actually had to trade up from the 6th spot, offering Los Angeles goalie Bob Janecyk to swap picks. The Hawks then had to give New Jersey future considerations in order to assure the Devils would not take the native of Palos Heights, Illinois.

The hometown hero was an instant hit in Chicago.

"In my first game, I scored a goal and the fans started chanting my name like they used to for Tony Esposito. I'd never felt better in my whole life."

Olczyk settled in on Chicago's second line, the "Almost Clydesdales Line" with Troy Murray and Curt Fraser. With Murray just missing a 99 point season, Olczyk slipped in nicely with 20 goals and 50 points. In year two Eddie O scored 29 goals and 70 points, his best effort with the Hawks.

Being a Chicago native was both a source of pride and of stress for Olczyk. Reportedly his popularity and special treatment by media, sponsors and fans made some of his teammates envious. Olczyk, who was an emotional guy and perhaps a tad immature to handle all the pressures and benefits of his instant celebrity, suffered, turning in a third season with just 16 goals and 51 points.

The poor season precipitated a trade to Toronto where he would be reunited with Al Iafrate. Olczyk and aging warrior Al Secord went to Toronto in exchange for Steve Thomas and Bob McGill.

"I think he just got into the position here where he had a lot of pressure on him because he was the hometown kid. Maybe getting out was good for him," said Chicago teammate Bill Gardner.

Often centering a line with Mark Osborne and Gary Leeman, Olczyk turned in some good seasons in Toronto, a city where intense fan and media attention made it no easier to play from a pressure standpoint. But Olczyk did fine, scoring 42 goals and 75 points in his first season. One of several young guns that promised hope for long suffering Leafs faithful, Olczyk upped his totals to 90 and 88 points in years two and three, respectively.

The never-patient Leafs broke up the young team after repeated playoff failings. He was moved to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for tough guys Kris King and Tie Domi. Olczyk would put together one 30 goal year in the Manitoban capital, but a variety of injury problems would soon limit his effectiveness.

Olczyk moved on to the New York Rangers in time for the team's 1994 Stanley Cup championship. However Olczyk does not have his name on the Cup. He played less than the mandatory 40 games in the NHL that season due to a severe thumb injury.

Olczyk's vagabond days took him back to Winnipeg as well as Pittsburgh and Los Angeles before finding his way home to Chicago. He finished out his NHL career with two final season in the Windy City, retiring in 2000.

Ed Olczyk played in 1031 NHL games, scoring 342 goals, 452 assists and 794 points. He was blessed with natural hockey sense, although he was always more of a shooter than a playmaker. He suffered from constant shuffling between center and right wing, as he could have benefited learning one position only in his NHL career. A good skater with an excellent snapshot, Olczyk was known for occasional glaring defensive lapses and for not using his great size more to his advantage. He stayed away from high traffic zones, preferring to play on the perimeter.

Grant Mulvey

2007-04-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

Born in Sudbury but raised in British Columbia, Grant Mulvey quickly fell in love with the game of hockey in his youth. Bigger than most kids at every level he played at, Mulvey was always one of the top players growing up. At age 16, he joined his hometown Penticton Panthers of the BCJHL in 1972-73, and at 17 the WHL's Calgary Centennials. It was in Calgary where he combined his size and a 30 goal season to make NHL scout drool.

The Chicago Blackhawks made Mulvey the 16th overall draft choice in 1974. The Hawks passed on the likes of Bryan Trottier, Mark Howe, Guy Chouinard, Danny Gare and Tiger Williams to grab the abrasive right winger.

Mulvey jumped directly to the NHL in 1974-75, finding instant chemistry with WHA recruits Terry Ruskowski and Rich Preston. The trio were dubbed the RPM Line.

"We roomed together, and we went out after games together. It was a close-knit line. We always cared for each other. If you want to have a successful team, a successful line, you've got to have that kind of camaraderie in the line. At one point we were one of the better lines in the NHL. We did very well on the team, so playing with those guys was definitely a highlight."

The trio combined for one of the greatest moments in Hawks history on February 3rd, 1982. Playing against the St. Louis Blues, Mulvey had the night of his life, scoring 5 goals and 2 assists for 7 points. Mulvey's output bested Max Bentley's team record set back in 1944.

In typical fashion, "Granny" was quick to pass credit for his big night to his playmaking center.

"Terry Ruskowski was the recipient of, I believe, four of the five goals and I was just able to whack it in. Terry was everything that night."

Mulvey's outburst was not typical. He was not a prolific goal scorer by any means. He scored 149 goals in 586 career NHL games, most of them of the garbage goal variety. He had two monster years, scoring 39 goals in 1979-80 and 30 in 1981-82. Otherwise he averaged about 13 goals a year. He made his contributions by playing physically, although he was criticized at times for not be consistent in his belligerent approach.

A poor fighter with a demeanor not fit for an aggressor, Mulvey also battled serious injuries. He missed part of 1975-76 season with broken foot. Much of the 1980-81 season was written off with shattered left forearm suffered just before Christmas. That injury required surgery in which doctors inserted eight pins, a plate and a graft of bone from Mulvey's hip. He missed most of 1982-83 season with a serious knee injury that would eventually end his career.

After bouncing around the waiver wire from Pittsburgh to New Jersey and the minor leagues, Mulvey returned to Chicago after retiring in 1984. Grant, who worked for a Chicago printing company in the summers when he was still playing, explored several opportunities both in and out of the game. He opened up Midwest Elite Hockey School, which allowed him to give back to the game and the city he loved. He became involved with DRL Enterprises, a company that created NHL license products from tattoos to sew-on jersey patches. He would earn a certificate of business administration from the University of Illinois and became a leading figure in IHL expansion to Chicago. Mulvey served many capacities with the Chicago Wolves, including coach, manager and part owner.

Cliff Koroll

2007-04-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

One of the most consistent wingers during the 1970s, Cliff Koroll held a special relationship with the much more famous Chicago teammate Keith Magnuson.

Koroll and Magnuson had been best friends since youth hockey. Though both dreamed of playing in the NHL, they skipped junior hockey for the NHL road much less travelled at that time. The duo attended the University of Denver, leading the school to the NCAA title in their senior year.

In 1969-70 both players cracked the Chicago Blackhawks lineup, and would become mainstays through the 1970s. Magnuson, with his great looks and ultra-aggressive style of play, became an instant fan favorite. Koroll went about his work much in a much more unheralded fashion.

Koroll was brought in to replace Kenny Wharram, who had to retire in 1969 with heart problems. After scoring an early season hat trick, Koroll permanently took over Wharram's spot on Stan Mikita's right wing.

Mikita would play a pivotal role in Koroll's career.

"Mikita was my road roomie for 20 years. "Stosh" taught me how to play on the ice and how to live off of it."

Mikita had nothing but praise for the young Koroll, too.

"I had a bad back for most of the time Cliff was breaking in. He knew this and did more of the dirty work in the corners than anyone realizes. And he listens and learns and works hard, harder than most people believe. He practices longer than many and never stops trying to improve his shot and other phases of the game.

To Koroll's own admission, the hard work paid off.

"I think I was the type of player that could do a lot of things. I was an offensive player. I scored quite a few goals in college. But I think the strong point was the defensive play which was taught to us by (University of Denver coach) Murray Armstrong. I think that really helped me make it in the National Hockey League. I always played the power play and I killed penalties all the time so I was sort of an all-around type player. I wasn't going to be a 50 goal scorer by any means, but I certainly had some great years. Thirty three goals was the highest I had the one year (1972-73). But I had several 20-plus seasons.

"As my career went on, I got into more of a defensive mode, our line having to play the top lines on other teams, becoming a checking line so to speak, and spending a lot of time penalty kill. So the goal production dropped off because of more emphasis on stopping the opposition as opposed to doing all the scoring."

One of Koroll's admirers was Vic Hadfield, the New York Rangers sniper who had to fend off the tenacious checking of Koroll whenever the Rangers played Chicago.

"I will tell you what he reminds me of," Hadfield told The Hockey News in January, 1976. "You know those big table hockey games where you pull the knob and the players just go up and down the wing? Well that's Cliff Koroll. Up and down, never strays, always there, nothing flashy."

Koroll went on to score a quiet 208 goals and 462 points in 814 games. Twice helped lead the Hawks to the Stanley Cup finals, in 1971 and 1973. Both times they lost to the Montreal Canadiens, but the '71 loss was the toughest to take.

"We were ahead 2-0 in the Chicago Stadium, but they won 3-2. I still have nightmares over that. It's the one void in my life."

After retiring, Koroll became an assistant coach with the Hawks for another seven season. He would also work in the front office before leaving to become an executive with Cargill, the major supplier to McDonald's fast food restaurants.

Though he was very successful off the ice and raised a wonderful family, his off ice devotion became the Chicago Blackhawks Alumni Association. The Alumni was the baby of Magnuson, but Koroll took it upon himself to over see the continuation of Magnuson's vision after tragedy claimed his best friends life in 2003.

"His death was the worst thing to happen -- not just to me, but everybody who knew this wonderful, funny, unselfish man, husband and parent. I spent 15 hours at Cindy's house with her, son Kevin and daughter Molly after the accident. Not an hour goes by that I don't think of him."

Koroll delivered the eulogy for the ever-popular hockey star.

"The toughest thing I've ever had to do. I bawled my eyes out practicing it and thought, How am I ever going to get through this?' But Kevin was so strong speaking ahead of me that I got through my part without breaking down. I was proud of myself for that, but not nearly as proud as I was for Kevin."

Pit Martin

2007-04-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

Stan Mikita

2007-04-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

Born in Sokolce, Czechoslovakia, Stan Mikita was the first Czechoslovakian-born player in the NHL. Born Stanislaus Gvoth, he was adopted by his aunt and uncle and he moved with them to Canada at the age of 8 in order to escape poverty and the growing communist movement.

Stan, as he became known in Canada, knew nothing of hockey when he came over to Canada, but he became intrigued when saw some neighborhood kids playing on a local pond and on the streets. Although he didn't know much English or how to skate, he soon fell in love with the game.

He would soon join organized hockey and develop into one of the top prospects in the game. As a teenager he would join Chicago's junior team in St. Catherines. Following an outstanding junior career with Tee Pees, Mikita would star in the NHL for 22 seasons as a center for the Hawks from 1958 to 1980.

Described as hockey's ultimate playmaker, his skill and finesse game was often overlooked by his vicious stick work and aggression. Hall of Fame defenseman Bill Gadsby once described Mikita as "a miserable little pain in the butt. He'd cross-check you, he'd spear you in the belly. You'd be going around the back of the net, and he'd spear you in the calf. Down you'd go."

Despite that reputation, never doubt just how a great of player he was.

His coach, Billy Reay, was understandably a big fan of Mikita.

"I have to say that I have never seen a better center. Maybe some could do one thing better than Stan, like skating faster or shooting harder. But none of them could do all the things that a center has to do as well as Stan does. And very few of them came close to being as smart as he is. He's about the brightest hockey player I've ever seen. He's a hard nosed hockey player. One of his biggest assets is that he has got a lot of pride."

Mikita didn't exactly set the league on fire in his first two seasons in the NHL, but did show nice creativity with Bobby Hull as the Hawks emerged from their decade long doldrums in the early 1960s. By the playoffs of 1961, Mikita led all goal scorers with six and was a key reason behind the franchise's first Stanley Cup win since 1938.

The following season Mikita emerged as an elite NHL skater as he joined new linemates Ken Wharram and Ab McDonald on the original Scooter Line. That year he scored 77 points and was voted onto the NHL First All-Star Team. Mikita enjoyed an outstanding post-season with 21 points in 12 games, however the Hawks failed to repeat as Cup champs when Toronto beat them in the finals.

In 1963-64, he won his first Art Ross Trophy with 89 points and duplicated the feat the next year with 87 points despite accumulating a career high 154 PIMs. By this time, Doug Mohns had replaced McDonald on the Scooter Line and helped the unit attain even greater heights. In 1964-65, the team also reached its third Stanley Cup finals of the decade but the Hawks lost to the Montreal Canadiens.

Mikita would soon prove his greatness. Playing in his 8th NHL season, Stan Mikita turned in one of the greatest seasons in NHL history in 1966-67, becoming the first player to capture three major individual trophies. Not only did he win his third league scoring title, tying the then-NHL single season record of 97 points and setting a new high mark with 62 assists, he also captured the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player. Unexpectedly, at least prior to the start of the season, Mikita, one of the NHL's top hatchet men, won the Lady Byng trophy for gentlemanly play and sportsmanship. Straddled with a well deserved reputation for dirty play, "Stosh" had always been among the league leaders in penalty minutes, registering four 100 PIM seasons. But Mikita vowed to change his ways when his young daughter could not understand why he played that way.

While some pundits of the day championed Mikita's amazing season as the most dominant in NHL history, many simply couldn't fathom what he had accomplished. Mikita proved his season was no fluke, repeating the same trophy hat trick in 1967-68. Mikita's scoring title was his 4th in 5 seasons.

An 8 time all star, Mikita is the Blackhawks all time leading scorer with 541 goals, 926 assists and 1467 points in 1394 games. A serious back injury in 1969 would hamper Mikita's play for the remainder of his career, but he was always capable of a spectacular night.

One of his favorite memories in hockey would have to be the 1972 Summit Series. Though the cagey veteran would get into only two games against the Soviets, he had his own unforgettable moment two days after Paul Henderson's famous goal. After leaving Moscow Canada was slated to play an exhibition game in Prague against the Czechoslovakian national team. Named captain for the game, Mikita enjoyed an emotional homecoming. For the first time in his long career he was able to play before his parents and siblings. He had visited his family several times once he could afford the expensive trip thanks to professional hockey, but had never performed in front of his family.

In retirement, Mikita started the Stan Mikita Hockey School for the Hearing Impaired.

Charlie Gardiner

2007-04-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Charlie Gardiner was Chicago's first hockey superstar. He led them to the top of the league and eventually their first Stanley Cup in 1934 and put hockey on the map in the Windy City.

Born in Scotland in 1904, the Gardiner family moved to Winnipeg when Charlie was 7. It was in Winnipeg where he discovered two sports that loved - hockey and trap shooting. While playing with the amateur Winnipeg Maroons, the Chicago Black Hawks, who were the League's cellar-dwellers, found the goalie that would turn them into champions.

Though Gardiner's play was spectacular, the turnaround was far from immediate. In his rookie campaign, 1927-28, Chicago finished dead last and Gardiner led the league in losses with 32. As a sophomore Gardiner lost a league high 29 games despite a 1.93 GAA. The Hawks won only 7 games. But Gardiner continued to play with unbreakable spirit, and earning high praise despite the statistics. The great Howie Morenz once claimed "Bonnie Prince Charlie" was the toughest goalie to score upon.

The Hawks continued to struggle as the 1930s progressed, but Gardiner emerged to become what many people feel was the best goalie of his day. He posted 42 shutouts and 2.02 GAA in 7 seasons. He won the Vezina Trophy in 1932 and 1934 and was named to 4 All Star Teams. He played with a team that offered very little offensive support (the whole team scored only 33 goals in 44 games in 1928-29). But Gardiner's play, much like that of Dominik Hasek years later with Buffalo, made the team a contender to reckon with.

Gardiner's finest moment came in the 1934 playoffs, as "Smiling Charlie" advanced the Hawks to the Stanley Cup Finals against Detroit. This despite the fact that Gardiner was feeling quite ill at the time. Unbeknownst to him or his doctors, Gardiner had long suffered from a chronic tonsil infection. The disease had spread and had begun to cause uremia convulsions. Undaunted, Gardiner pressed on as winning the Stanley Cup had become an obsession with him. Though playing in body-numbing pain, the Hawks prevailed over the Wings. He permitted only 12 goals in 8 playoff games - a 1.50 GAA.

A well liked and jovial fellow, Gardiner served as the Blackhawks captain, a rarity for a goalie even when it was allowed. Before the decisive 4th game, the "Roving Scotsman" showed his leadership and reportedly told his teammates that they would only need to score one goal that night. Sure enough, the game had gone into double overtime at a 0-0 tie. Suffering from growing fatigue, Gardiner was weakening considerably as the game went on. But he managed to hold the Red Wings scoreless until Chicago's Mush March finally scored.

The Hawks hoisted their first Stanley Cup, but Gardiner, the only goalie to captain a Cup champion, was just as happy he could escape the ice and collapse in the dressing room. A few weeks later Gardiner underwent brain surgery after suffering a massive brain hemorrhage. Unfortunately complications from the surgery would cost him his life on June 13, 1934.

Had Gardiner been healthy enough to continue his career, he undoubtedly would be looked upon as one of the greatest goaltenders in hockey history. As it is, he persevered with an incredibly weak team and, with championship effort, he led them to the Stanley Cup in his short 7 year career.

That championship effort landed Gardiner into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945.

Earl Seibert

2007-04-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

Earl Seibert was born on December 7, 1911. He is the son of Hall of Famer Oliver Seibert.

In 1931 Siebert was traded from Springfield of the Canadian - American Hockey League to the New York Rangers. In New York he was part of the outstanding defensive corps that included Ching Johnson, Doug Brennan and Ott Heller. Seibert quickly developed into a star on the blue line. In 1933 Seibert helped the NY Rangers win the Stanley Cup.

Seibert quickly emerged as a no-nonsense defender with a reputation as among the toughest in the game. His arrival allowed the Rangers to replace Taffy Abel, another monster on the blue line, who they moved to Chicago a couple of years earlier. Seibert was paired with Abel's defense partner, the sinister Ching Johnson, quickly reinstating New York's ultra-aggressive back line.

Johnson was happy to play with the 6'2" 220lb Seibert.

“Let’s put it this way, no one wanted any part of ‘Si’ in a fight. Even Eddie Shore (Boston) and Red Horner (Toronto) steered clear of him, and Shore and Horner were considered the toughest guys in the League at the time," said Johnson.

But Seibert was much more than just a rearguard roughian. He was a great shot blocker, and he was a far better skater and puck handler than the departed Abel. Seibert rarely gets remembered as the excellent hockey player that he was. Between 1934-35 and 1943-44, he made the All Star team 10 seasons in a row, six times on the first squad and four times on the second squad. Some old timers insist only Eddie Shore was better.

Seibert's hulking presence must have made it easy for fans to spot him on the ice, although he wore a special piece of equipment that made it even easier for them. After suffering a serious concussion in Springfield, he permanently wore a helmet, making him the first NHLer to do so.

Though he was intimidating and unforgiving, most of the time Seibert was very clean. That is why it is unfortunate that he is remembered for one hit in particular. On January 28, 1937 Siebert cross checked Howie Morenz from behind, sending the Montreal Canadiens' superstar sliding feet first into the end boards. Morenz crumpled in pain and Seibert fell on top of his helpless leg, breaking it in four places. Morenz would never skate again, and six weeks later the great Howie Morenz died.

By this time Seibert was playing for the Chicago Blackhawks. In 1935-36 Siebert was traded, due largely to his multiple contract disputes with the Rangers, to Chicago for Art Coulter. He played a huge role in what was his second Stanley Cup championship in 1938. It was an unexpected, Cinderella run to the championship by Chicago.

Seibert was exiled to Detroit in the 1944-45 season, for Cully Simon, Don Grosso and Byron McDonald. It was said that previous owner Major McLaughlin had given Seibert a percentage of ownership in the team, but once McLaughlin died, manager Bill Tobin wouldn't recognize the deal and banished him to the Motor City. Seibert would play through 1946 before retiring as a player.

Earl Siebert finished his career with 645 games played, 89 goals and 187 assists for 276 points and 746 PIM. In 1964 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, joining his father and becoming the first father-son combination to achieve such distinction.

In his post-hockey career, Seibert owned and operated a liquor store in Agawam, Massachusetts. He died at the age of 79, succumbing to cancer.

Doug Bentley

2007-04-04T16:40:00.001-07:00

Doug Bentley only weighed in at an amazing 145 pounds, but his speed, anticipation and heart made up for any shortcomings his diminutive stature forced upon him.

Doug was united with his flashy brother Max and Bill Mosienko on one of the NHL's all-time great forward lines - the Pony Line. All three scored more than 200 goals during their NHL careers, with Doug Bentley getting 219 and winning a scoring title in 1942-43 while tying the then-league record 79 points in a season. In that season he once scored 5 points in a single game, then a NHL record. The following season Bentley again challenged the record with 77 points, but finished second in the scoring race to Herb Cain who set a new record with 82 points.

A 3 time First All Star team (1943, 1944, 1947) and 1 time Second All Star (1949) left winger, Doug was given a very special award when a Chicago newspaper voted him the Half-Century Award as Chicago's best player.

Interestingly, Doug missed the entire 1944-45 season due to problems crossing the US-Canada border. Prior to the NHL season the Hawks were in Canada to play an exhibition game. When they went home, border guards refused to allow Doug Bentley to leave. He was forced to stay for the entire hockey season.

While Max Bentley is considered to be the best of the hockey playing Bentley brothers (Reggie also play in Chicago, briefly on a line with his siblings. He only played 11 games total though), Doug proved to be the ultimate replacement for Mighty Max when the Hawks shocked the hockey world and split up the brother act, sending Max to Toronto in 1947. Doug ended up moving from left wing to center to pivot a new line with Mosienko and Roy Conacher. In his first full season as a center he led the league in assists while finishing 3rd in the scoring race, clearly proving he could excel without his brother.

Doug quit hockey after only 8 games in 1951-52 in order to return to Saskatchewan as coach of the WHL Saskatoon Quakers, but did return for one final NHL season with the New York Rangers in 1953-54. He was reunited with brother Max in the Big Apple for that season. The brothers combined for 8 points in their first game back in New York.

Doug never did get his named engraved on Lord Stanley's Mug, but hockey is forever grateful for his contributions to the game. After retiring as a player in 1954, he remained active as a scout and coach.

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964, Doug Bentley quietly passed away on Nov. 24, 1972.

Taffy Abel

2007-04-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Growing up, Clarence "Taffy" Abel never could have imagined he would become the first American born player to stick in the National Hockey League.

Amazingly, Abel did not begin to play hockey until he was 18 years old. Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in 1900, he would learn the game with the senior league Michigan Soo Nationals from 1918 until 1922. At 6'1" and 225lbs, he was a giant of a man by the standards of the day, and he liked to use his size to his advantage. Under the rules of the day (the NHL did not allow forward passing until 1929) the hard hitting Abel quickly emerged as a quality defenseman.

By 1922 Abel decided to give hockey his best shot, and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota to play in the USAHA. His solid play and intimidating size earned him a spot of the US Olympic team for the 1924 winter games held in Chamonix, France. Other than the powerhouse team from Canada, Olympic competition was pretty weak in those days. Abel, never a noted offensive player, scored 15 goals in 5 games. Only Canada held him scoreless, although he made his presence felt in a more typical way. He got involved in three altercations and reportedly spent a lot of time in the penalty box (PIM statistics for those games are very sketchy).

His impressive Olympics catapulted Abel's stature. In 1926 the expansion New York Rangers signed Abel and teamed him with the equally mean-spirited Ching Johnson to form one of the most physical defensive pairings in the league. They quickly established their NHL reputation as well, as their physical intimidation was an important piece of the Rangers' Stanley Cup championship puzzle just two years later.

Abel and Johnson's finest moment came in those 1928 playoffs. With goalie Lorne Chabot falling to an eye injury during game 2 of the finals against the Montreal Maroons, 45 year old coach Lester Patrick donned the goalie equipment for the first time in his life and played goal. Abel and Johnson played the game of their life, protecting their inexperienced goaltender en route to one of the most unexpected victories in Stanley Cup playoff history. One report suggests Abel and Johnson allowed only 3 shots on goal against Patrick.

Somewhat surprisingly, Abel was sold to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1929 for the princely sum of $15,000. He would patrol Chicago's blue line for 5 seasons, proving to be a fan favorite. In his last season, 1934, he again tasted champagne from Lord Stanley's Mug, as the Hawks captured their first Stanley Cup title.

Never known for his offensive capabilities, Abel was a scary stay- at- home defenseman. His best offensive season was in 1926 - 27 when he scored 8 goals for 12 points. Abel finished his 8 season campaign with 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points and 359 PIM's.

After retiring as a player he tried his hand as a coach and manager, but settle on returning to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan where he opened "Taffy's Lodge," a tourist resort.

In 1973 Clarence became one of the charter members in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Hugh Lehman

2007-04-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Though he is remembered by NHL historians as the first goalkeeper of the Chicago Blackhawks and mentor to Chuck Gardiner, one of the greatest goalies of all time, Hugh Lehman's Hall of Fame hockey career pre-dated his arrival in the National Hockey League

Born in 1885, Lehman's long hockey career in began in 1903-04 in his hometown of Pembroke, Ontario. He established himself as a top goaltender with Berlin (now known as Kitchener) of the Ontario Professional League.

Word of Lehman's stature as a top goalie reached all the way out west, where brothers Frank and Lester Patrick were creating the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and were in search of hockey players. They lured Lehman to come out west and play for New Westminster, a suburb of Vancouver. He would not disappoint, playing three seasons with the Royals and leading them to a PCHA title in 1911-12.

When the Royals folded, he moved on to the Vancouver Millionaires and it was in this city he would spend the rest of his days in the PCHA/WCHL. He led the Millionaires to the Stanley Cup in 1915, beating the powerful Ottawa Senators. The Millionaires would contend for the Cup in 1918, 1921 and 1923 because of Lehman's excellent goalkeeping, but the NHL teams proved to be too powerful in those match ups.

In 1922-23, the Millionaires became the Vancouver Maroons and Lehman continued in goal. His excellent goalkeeping in the 1923 playoff against Ottawa wasn't enough, but it won the respect of hockey writers, and even the Senators players. Frank Patrick called the Senators the greatest team he'd ever seen.

By this time Lehman had all but cemented his status as the best goalie outside of the NHL. He led the PCHA in goals against six times and played in 8 Stanley Cup finals. He was an innovator, becoming one of the earliest goalies to venture out of his net to stickhandle the puck. One mythical story has Lehman skating up ice and scoring a goal. No evidence of this feat exists in Vancouver newspaper archives, although some suggest it may have happened back when Lehman was still playing in Ontario.

But age was finally catching up with Lehman. The PCHA ran into financial trouble and merged with the WCHL, and Lehman's goaltending seemed to act almost a barometer to the problems of the western leagues. In 1925-26, Lehman did poorly and so did the WHL. The league disbanded and its players joined NHL teams.

The 41 year old Lehman joined the brand-new Chicago Blackhawks in 1926-27, but he was now over the hill and gave up the most goals against in the NHL. The next season he was awful in five games and gave way to Chuck Gardiner, whom he tutored. He became coach of the Blackhawks that season, but was fired at season's end.

In his days after hockey he embarked on a lengthy career in the road construction business, working his way up to company president of a paving outfit. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958, "Old Eagle Eyes" died April 8th, 1961.

Mickey MacKay

2007-04-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Duncan "Mickey" MacKay dazzled west coast audiences with his trademark blazing speed and unparalleled agility. One of the greatest rovers/centers of his time, history hasn't immortalized "The Wee Scot" quite like it has the man he was most often compared to - Cyclone Taylor

Born in Chelsey, Ontario, MacKay turned professional with the Vancouver Millionaires/Maroons of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and later Western Canadian Hockey League. The PCHA/WCHL, which at the time was an equal league to the NHL, folded in 1926, paving MacKay's route to the National Hockey League.

MacKay headed west in 1912, first to play senior hockey in Edmonton and later Grand Forks, BC. By 1914 he signed with the Vancouver Millionaires, becoming an instant star. As a rookie he led the entire PCHA in scoring with 33 goals, 10 more than famous teammate "Cyclone" Taylor. The duo would lead Vancouver to the city's only Stanley Cup championship in 1915. Vancouver would launch other Stanley Cup bids, notably in 1918, but never came close to capturing the silver chalice again.

Unlike Taylor, a veteran MacKay did join the National Hockey League after the collapse of top-level pro hockey in western Canada. MacKay joined the Chicago Blackhawks for two seasons, 1926-27 and 1927-28. With 14 goals and 22 points he led Hawks in scoring in his first year, and finished second to another western Canadian hockey star, Dick Irvin, in his second year. MacKay would later skate for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Bruins in 1929. That year MacKay was able to taste Stanley Cup victory one last time as the Bruins defeated the New York Rangers to capture their first championship.

MacKay returned for one more year in Boston, though the veteran stopped playing late in the season and became an assistant coach to Art Ross for the remainder of the year and playoffs.

Soon after his playing days were over, MacKay returned to beautiful British Columbia where his heart had never left. Always a fan favorite in BC, he became heavily involved in mining in his post-hockey career. He also coached local hockey teams in his new home town of Grand Forks, BC.

Over the course of the two superstars' career in Vancouver, many arguments as to whether MacKay or Taylor was the better player. Lester Patrick, the father of west coast hockey and the man who lured MacKay to Vancouver, had the best view of MacKay's career and said the following in a May 31st, 1940 Canadian Press article:

"(MacKay) was perhaps the greatest center we ever had on the coast; an equal favorite with Fred (Cyclone) Taylor in the mind of the masses. I always held to the theory that Taylor was the best all-rounder, but many differed.

"MacKay was a great crowd pleaser. He was clean, splendidly courageous, a happy player with a stylish way of going. He was sensational in making quick breakaways. He was a sure shot alone with the goalie. He could handle his stick and was almost as good a hook-check as Frank Nighbor. MacKay was one of those who helped make pro hockey a great game. He was outstanding in every way."

Unfortunately that article was written as MacKay's memorial. The day before MacKay died after suffering a heart attack while behind the wheel of his car while driving through the tiny mining community of Ymir in British Columbia's Kootenay area. His car then crashed into a telephone pole. It is unclear which of the heart attack or the car crash was the official cause of death. He had just turned 46 years old.

Al Secord

2007-03-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

He took over from Bobby Hull as the Blackhawks 50 goal scorer. At the same time he took over from Keith Magnuson as the Hawks enforcer and heart and soul. It sounds like almost the perfect combination for a hockey player. For a couple of seasons in the 1980s, Al Secord was that player.

In Cam Neely-like fashion, Secord could hurt you two ways - with his goals, or with his fists. Playing on Chicago's "Party Line" with Denis Savard and Steve Larmer, Secord scored 40 goals three times, including 54 in 1982-83. At the same time he was a hard crashing forechecker and a feared fighter.

Secord started out in Boston after being drafted from the Memorial Cup champion Hamilton Fincups, where he played both left wing and defense. He was as strong as they come at that age, taking boxing lessons and working as forest fire fighter in the summers. The Big Bad Bruins seemed like the perfect fit for the belligerent Secord, but he never really got untracked in Beantown.

Secord quickly found out the Bruins didn't draft him for his playing skills, but rather for his zest for the physical game. He quickly established himself as a Don Cherry favorite, right along side the likes of Terry O'Reilly, John Wensink and Stan Johnathan, often playing on a line with O'Reilly and Peter McNab. He had memorable fights with Paul Stewart, Clark Gillies, Dave Hutchison and his career long nemesis Willi Plett. He also was one of the Bruins who got into it with fans at Madison Square Gardens.

"Terry O'Reilly was hit by a spectator and O'Reilly went to the stands with Stan Jonathan. They catched the guy who had hit O'Reilly, but there were three brothers with their father and they all attacked our guys. While they had their own fight going, one guy tried to escape and was running up the stairs but Peter McNab caught him and pulled him down, right between the benches. I went and pummeled the guy while Mike Milbury was beating the guy with his own shoe. Seven Bruins-players were sued and one million dollars was asked from every one of us as a compensation. Later on, the case folded somehow," explained Secord in an interview with After The Whistle.com

He didn't get a lot of playing time in Boston, but still managed to score 16 and 23 goals, respectively, in his two full seasons there. He always had to work hard for whatever ice time he did get. That focus became extremely trying during the 1980-81 season. He was a regular scratch or a 4th line player, picking up 0 goals and 3 assists in 18 games. He was even demoted to the minors for a short stint.

Fortunately for Secord, the Chicago Blackhawks were interested in the hulking winger. A week before Christmas, the Hawks traded defenseman Mike O'Connell to the Bruins for Big Al.

Secord's first full season in Chicago, 1981-82, was his break out year. Playing on left wing with superstar Denis Savard, Secord scored 44 goals and 75 points, while amassing an amazing 303 penalty minutes.

"I was playing with Denis Savard regularly. My presence gave him more time to operate on ice and I got more ice-time than ever before. I played really physical game that year and I fought quite a bit. Even though I had a lot of penalty minutes that year, I never thought I got penalties because of my reputation. The referees respected me and I respected them."

Secord took his game to the next level in the 1982-83 season, becoming only the 2nd Blackhawk player to score 50 goals. He finished with 54 goals, 20 of them on the power play, and 86 points. With his obvious scoring importance, he toned his fighting game down, and picked up only 180 PIMs.

Yet somehow Secord felt he could have been even better that season.

"Steve Larmer came to our line. Me and Denis Savard were very fortunate to have Steve Larmer. We were a solid line. I didn't have that much penalty minutes, because our coach asked me not to fight so often. Actually, even though I scored well, I felt like I didn't play the way I was supposed to play. I was also told not to hit guys so often. I needed to play physical, and I didn't. It's big part of my game, to be on the other guys skin. When I hit a guy and the crowd starts chanting, it brings energy to me and to my team-mates. And I was missing that element. It felt strange."

Secord still had some memorable fights. In Chicago the southpaw had a real war going with the Hawk's natural arch rivals from Minnesota. Big Willi Plett joined that team, and Basil McRae was another regular combatant. He also had numerous bouts with Larry Playfair, and knocked out tough guy wannabe Kim Clackson in one punch.

Former teammate Terry Ruskowski had was glad Secord was on his team.

"Secord was very strong in the corners. He intimidated a lot of people and because of his presence he got the puck. In front of the net he got a lot of deflections. Guys were scared to move him out because if they cross-checked him or hit him too hard, Al was coming back to get revenge on them.

"A lot of people thought Al was just a tough guy who couldn't play. He worked hard in the corner, he had a very good shot, and he was strong on his skates. With Savard, he

After a 50 goal season and 2nd consecutive all star game nod, all seemed to go well with Secord's career. But then disaster struck when he was forced to deal with a serious injury. He missed all but 19 games with torn abdominal muscles. The season after that he missed considerable time with pulled muscles in his thigh. Doctors determined the two serious injuries were related as Secord had one leg that was measurably shorter than the other.

Secord returned to a full 80 game season in 1985-86, and even hit the 40-goal mark for once more. In one game he equaled the NHL record for fastest 4 goals by one player, scoring on 4 shots in 8:24. But the injury continued to hamper him, affecting both his skating and his conditioning. He would spend only one more season in Chicago.

Secord was traded to Toronto in 1987-88, spending a season and a half with the hapless Leafs. It was a real tough time for Secord, who was in real pain from his injuries. Disappointed that he was the Secord of a few years ago, the Leafs made him a frequent scratch, and when he did play he was utilized strictly as a tough guy. That came to an end when the badly injured Secord was horribly mismatched against a young gunslinger for the Islanders named Mick Vukota. Vukota kayoed Secord, the only man to do so.

Secord would move on to Philadelphia before returning to Chicago to wind down his NHL career. He would play on for a couple more years with the IHL's Chicago Wolves, but he simply had to quit because of the pain of his injuries, and probably should have done so some time sooner.

He retired with, including playoffs, 294 career goals and 550 points. His PIM total was 2475 minutes, over 41 hours spent in the penalty box.

Now outside of hockey, Secord has been able to find a second career that he is equally as passionate about. Back in his youth he had spent summers fighting forest fires in Ontario, often while in an airplane. This sparked a life long obsession with flight. Secord had gained his pilot's license while still playing in the NHL, and now he acquired his license to fly commuter jumbo jets both in USA and Canada. Now based out of Dallas, Texas, he currently works for American Airlines.

Keith Magnuson

2007-03-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

Without doubt, Keith Magnuson is one of the most memorable Chicago defensemen of all time.

Keith Magnuson was born on April 27, 1947, in Wadena, Saskatchewan, the son of an insurance salesman. He grew up dreaming of playing in the National Hockey League, which made his chosen route all the more unlikely. Magnuson played college hockey at the University of Denver, where he helped the Pioneers to the NCAA championship in 1968 and 1969.

At that time it was extremely rare for a college player to make the NHL. The best bet was through the junior hockey systems. One of the reasons Keith chose Denver was because childhood best friend Cliff Koroll was also going there. Both would graduate to the become mainstays with the Chicago Blackhawks. Jim Wiste, briefly a Hawk, also played at the U of D.

"I brought Maggy to the University of Denver the year after I got there and I was responsible for keeping him there," Koroll said. "We knew each other for 45 years."

The fiery and emotional Magnuson was a mainstay on defense for the Blackhawks from 1969 to 1979, signing as a free agent. He was probably best known for his willingness to drop the gloves at any time, and with anybody. He still holds the Blackhawks team record for penalty minutes in a career, with 1,442.

He was hulking aggressor, almost too proud to be the Blackhawk's chief.

"That symbol, the Indian warrior, meant more to Maggy than to anyone else I've ever known," Troy Murray, a longtime Hawk from a more recent era.

The "Red Headed Barbarian" would take on all comers, no matter how many times he was beaten down. He had memorable battles with Bobby Orr and Dave "The Hammer" Schultz.

"Maggy told me about the time we were playing Philadelphia," said Murray. "The Flyers were a pretty bad bunch and we were winning big. 'Every Flyer who came over the boards wanted to fight Maggy. Back in those days, you could go from fight to fight. Anyway, Maggy would fight one guy, get through, and there would be another guy waiting for him. He would finish and it would be 'Next.' ''

But as tough as Keith was on the ice, off the ice he was always a gentleman. He would often stay late after games to sign autographs for anybody who wanted one.

"Maggie typified the spirit of Blackhawk hockey, which the Chicago fans appreciated. He was not a dirty player who took cheap shots, even though he piled up penalty minutes that would amount to a total of more than two dozen games in his career," wrote Harvey Wittenberg, author of "Tales From The Chicago Blackhawks."

In his first season, 1969-70, Magnuson and fellow collegiate stars Koroll, Jim Wiste, and Tony Esposito, helped turn the last place Hawks to 1st place. Magnuson set a Hawk record for penalty minutes in his rookie campaign. He never scored a goal that year, and would only score 14 in his career.

The Hawks fortunes continued to rise dramatically in the early 1970s. In both 1971 and 1973 the Hawks advanced to the Stanley Cup finals, finishing just short each time.

Keith played all of his 589 games for the Blackhawks before retiring due to knee injuries in 1979. But his career with the Blackhawks didn't end there. Magnuson went on to become an assistant coach under Eddie Johnston, before being hired as the Hawks' head coach in 1980. Keith had limited success as a head coach, compiling a 49-57-26 record in 132 games, but there was little doubt that he gave everything he had to the Blackhawks organization.

Upon retirement he continued to live in the Chicago area and worked as an executive for Coca-Cola. He helped establish the Blackhawks alumni association, and made frequent guest appearances at hockey events and various functions.

On December 15th, 2003, at the early age of 56, Keith Magnuson died in an automobile accident in Vaughan, Ontario. Magnuson was returning from the funeral of former NHL player Keith McCreary, when his car, driven by former NHLer Rob Ramage, was part of a three car collision just south of Toronto. Ramage faced three charges, including impaired driving causing death, which had a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Ramage still awaits trial.

"His death was the worst thing to happen -- not just to me, but everybody who knew this wonderful, funny, unselfish man, husband and parent," says Koroll. "I spent 15 hours at Cindy's house with her, son Kevin and daughter Molly after the accident. Not an hour goes by that I don't think of him."

Bill Mosienko

2007-03-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

It is said that everyone gets 15 minutes of fame. Bill Mosienko only had 21 seconds.

Bill Mosienko holds an amazing NHL record that likely will never be matched. On March 23, 1952, Mosienko scored three goals in a 21 second time frame! And legend has it he actually missed what should have been an easy goal just afterwards, thus preventing him from scoring 4 goals in less than one minute! All three goals were assisted by Gus Bodnar, and they came in the third period helping the Hawks get by Lorne Anderson and the New York Rangers by a final score of 7-6.

The following day's issue of the New York Times suggests Rangers fans at Madison Square Gardens were immediately appreciative of this display of greatness.

"The crowd of 3,254 cheered Mosienko with a volume that seemed to come from twice that number when the record breaking accomplishment was announced," and that "Anderson might have stopped Mosienko on the Hawk star's first shot, an open thrust from the center alley. But the second and third shots were neatly executed, and could have fooled any goalie in the league."

"That record will never be broken. Never," suggested Hall of Fame teammate Bill Gadsby. "It was just fantastic, it was damn near the same play off the face-off each one. He could really skate. he could really fly and he scored those three goals. I mean, it was unbelievable just to watch it!"

Obviously Mosienko was quite pleased with the feat.

"It was quite an accomplishment, I hope (the record) stays. After I scored the third goal, Jim Peters skated up to me and told me to keep the puck because I had set a new record. I was very happy and proud. It was like being on cloud nine."

His achievements have been overshadowed, for better or worse, by that amazing performance, but he was much more than just the answer of an excellent trivia question. A Hall of Fame player, Mosienko was a talented and solid right winger on the "Pony Line" with the brothers Bentley, Max and Doug. Together they were one of the greatest lines in hockey history.

In his 14 year career spent exclusively with the Chicago Blackhawks, Mosienko tallied 258 goals and 282 assists. He was the recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy in 1945 as the most sportsmanlike player. Although he and the "Pony Line" made Chicago a true Stanley Cup contender for many seasons, the two time All Star never did have his named engraved on the Stanley Cup.

After retiring, the Manitoba native went home to Winnipeg where he operated Billy Mosienko Lanes, a bowling alley, for many years.

Sam LoPresti

2007-03-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

Eveleth Minnesota's Sam LoPresti is the answer to an interesting trivia question - which NHL goaltender made the most saves in a 60 minute regular season game? Modern fans may recall Ron Tugnutt then of the Quebec Nordiques facing 73 shots against the Boston Bruins back in the early 1990s, but the answer is Sam LoPresti who had 83 pucks fired his way.

On March 4, 1941 made 80 saves on 83 shots by the Boston Bruins. That's a save percentage of .964! As you might expect when your team surrenders 83 shots in a game, the Chicago Blackhawks lost that game, but by a remarkable score of only 3-2. He stopped 27 shots in the first period, 31 in the second and 22 more in the third. By the way, Bruins goaltender Frank Brimsek, who like LoPresti was another product of Eveleth, Minnesota, only had to face 20 shots.

LoPresti had just been called up from minors, replacing Paul Goodman to become Chicago's starting goalie. Lopresti played 1 1/2 seasons with the Hawks. A career record of 30-38-6 with a 3.13 GAA in 74 games, LoPresti also appeared in 8 playoff games, going 3-5 with a 1.92 GAA.

LoPresti left the NHL to serve in World War II at the end of the 1942 season. LoPresti never returned to the NHL, and more importantly almost never returned, period. A member of the US Navy, LoPresti was aboard a US-escorted merchant ship that was torpedoed off the coast of Africa while trying to deliver supplies. LoPresti and 20 crewmates spent 42 days floating in a lifeboat at seas before being rescued by a passing freighter. LoPresti reportedly lost 55 pounds at sea, and he would not get proper medical treatment until the freighter landed in Brazil.

Lopresti never retuned to hockey regularly until the 1949 season when he returned to Eveleth to play as an amateur while also running a tavern.

Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973, Sam's son Pete also appeared in the NHL as a goaltender. Pete played quite regularly during the late 1970s, appearing in 175 games (43 wins, 102 losses, 20 ties) with Minnesota and Edmonton.

Mike Karakas

2007-03-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

Alphonse Lacroix and Moe Roberts were the first American born goalies to play in the NHL, but it was Mike Karakas who became the first American-born star goalkeeper. He also was the goalie who introduced the now common trapper glove to the NHL by having a catch-all strap sewn from the index finger to the thumb. Some claim it was Frank Brimsek, another American goaltender, but he made it popular. It was Karakas who introduced it.

And he used that glove hand spectacularly. It was said that Karakas had the quickest glove hand of his time. He was a maddening goalie in that he was highly inconsistent. He tended to be at his best in big games, but otherwise really struggled with consistency.

Born in Aurora, Minn. in 1911, Mike Karakas played high school hockey at Eveleth. Karakas turned pro with the Chicago Shamrocks of the AHA. He was a sensation with them and continued great with the St. Louis Flyers and Tulsa Oilers.

It was only a matter of time before an NHL team would sign him, and when all-star goaltender Lorne Chabot was injured in the Chicago Blackhawks training camp, Mike took over as Chicago's goaler in 1935-36.

He was so good that Chabot was out of a job. His first season saw Karakas post a great 1.92 goals against average and 9 shutouts, earning him NHL rookie of the year honours. He also was an all-star.

Karakas could not duplicate his freshman success, and he flopped in 1936-37, giving up the second most goals. The Blackhawks plummeted right along with him into the cellar of the American Division. He was just as bad the following year, but the Hawks avoided the cellar thanks to Detroit taking the plunge after two straight Stanley Cups.

The Blackhawks didn't look like they'd last long in the 1938 playoffs, but not only did they, but they shocked the experts by beating the powerful Leafs to win the Stanley Cup. Karakas played very well in the semifinal and final, even though Karakas was forced out of the first two games of the finals with a broken toe. Alfie Moore took over and won the game. After Moore was ruled ineligible and Paul Goodman lost the second game, Karakas returned for game three and four wearing a steel toe guard and completed the storybook upset over the Leafs. Allowing only 15 goals all post-season, Karakas was very sharp, giving the Hawks their last Cup until 1961 when a new generation took over.

The Blackhawks and Karakas resumed their indifferent play in 1938-39 and finished last. Karakas was demoted to the minor leagues and replaced by Goodman. Karakas was loaned to the Montreal Canadiens when they lost Wilf Cude with a shoulder injury. He didn't win one of his 5 games, only tying one.

Karakas was seemingly forever banished to the AHL, where he starred with the Providence Reds, leading the team to the 1941 Calder Cup championship. It took World War II to bring him back to the NHL. The war had taken the NHL's talent and suddenly the Blackhawks needed Karakas again because the inexperienced Hec Highton was showing a bad display of goaltending.

Karakas returned and showed improved consistency. He played the final 26 games of the 50 game schedule in 1943-44 and his great goalkeeping helped the Blackhawks into the playoffs. He had a 3.04 goals against average and three shutouts in the high-scoring NHL, which was remarkable. In the playoffs he unthinkably led another Cinderella Hawks team into the Stanley Cup finals. But this time the Montreal Canadiens were unbeatable in the playoffs, and though Karakas was good, he wasn't good enough to stop the Habs powerful attack. The Blackhawks were swept in four straight games.

The next year, Doug Bentley joined his brother Max in the armed forces and only the goalkeeping of Karakas prevented the Hawks from avoiding the cellar. That he recorded a league high 4 shutouts was miraculous, and he was selected for the second all-star team.

In his last NHL season, the Blackhawks were in first place at one point and it seemed as if they might just be a serious contender for the Cup. But in the 1946 playoffs, the Canadiens just demolished the Blackhawks and Karakas looked weak.

With players returning from the war, and new netminder Paul Bibeault now available, the Hawks returned the 35 year old Karakas to Providence to round out his hockey career.

Karakas is an original member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. He died May 2nd,1992.

Paul Thompson

2007-03-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Paul Thompson was one of the top players in the National Hockey League during the tough days of the 1930s. He led the Chicago Blackhawks in scoring six times in his eight seasons in the Windy City.

The Calgary-born brother of four time Vezina Trophy winner Tiny Thompson, Paul Thompson broke into the league with the New York Rangers in 1927. He would play for five years in Manhattan, winning the Stanley Cup in 1928. Often toiling on the second line notably with Murray Murdoch and Butch Keeling and sometimes with Alex Gray and Reg Mackey, Thompson's line always played second fiddle to the Frank Boucher-Bill Cook-Bun Cook trio that dominated the entire league in those days.

It wasn't until Thompson joined the Chicago Blackhawks that his offensive numbers took off. Traded for Art Somers and Vic Desjardins, Thompson slotted in nicely on the Hawks top line with Doc Romnes and Mush March. Thompson would twice top the 20 goal mark. In both of those seasons, 1934 and 1938, he led the Hawks to Stanley Cup championships.

A two time all star, Thompson totaled 153 goals and 179 assists for 332 points in his 582 game career. He would turn to coaching the Hawks in retirement, lasting 6 seasons.

"I was offered a raise from $8500 to $12500 to coach. I was a damn fool and took it for the money," said Thompson regretfully. He was always conscious of the bottom line. In New York, where he played for just $3500 a year, the good looking Thompson moonlighted for $200 a month as a poster boy for Camel cigarettes.

"Paul Thompson was an excellent player," recalled former teammate Cully Dahlstrom. "He was great around the net and shooting the puck. He was a good coach. He wanted everybody to work hard and work as a team, which we tried to do."

Thompson guided the Hawks to the Stanley Cup finals in 1944 before being swept by the Montreal Canadiens.

Later he would move to British Columbia, coaching the Vancouver Canucks to the Pacific Coast League title in 1945 and later running a cattle ranch in sunny Kamloops. He would later move back to his hometown of Calgary where he purchased the Westgate Hotel until his retirement in 1981.

Johnny Gottselig

2007-03-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Although many history books list Johnny Gottselig as being born in Calgary,. Alberta or Winnipeg. Manitoba, he was actually born in Odessa, Russia. So how did this confusion transpire?

Gottselig's family moved to the Canadian prairies when he was just an infant. Later on in life. as his hockey career progressed to the point where he was constantly crossing the Canadian/American border to play in the National Hockey League, he would often create great delays since he declared his birthplace as being Russia. At that time relations between the Soviet Union and the Americans were beginning to thaw as a prelude to the Cold War, hence the reason why Johnny was of interest to American authorities. Eventually Johnny realized that it would be a whole lot easier to filled out his border crossing papers as being born in Canada.

This makes Gottselig the first born Russian player in the history of the National Hockey League, although he was raised and trained completely in Canada. Likewise, when he later became head coach of the Chicago Black Hawks, he became the first European head coach in the NHL, again with an asterisk.

Gottselig the player was a nifty skater and puck handler, and a noted penalty killer who liked to rag the puck. He was respected around the league as a creative left winger "who could make a fool out of you if you didn't watch him closely." He'd probably compare nicely to a modern day Slava Kozlov.

After helping the Regina Pats win the Memorial Cup in 1924-25, Gottselig joined the Chicago Blackhawks in 1928. It was the first of 18 years with the Hawks as a player. In total he played in 589 games, picking up 176 goals and 371 points.

Gottselig was a big part of Stanley Cup wins in 1934 and 1938. During the 1938 post-season he led all scorers with eight points in ten games. The following season he scored a career best 39 points and was named to the NHL second all-star team.

He would coach the Hawks for 3 years and later served as their publicity director and worked on the radio broadcasts. He would eventually leave hockey to become an executive with Stone Construction, a manufacturer of concrete pipes.

Like many prairie players of his era, Gottselig's other passion was baseball. In 1942 Gottselig was instrumental in the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the brain child of Chicago based Philip K. Wrigley, the chewing gum mogul. Gottselig's contacts back in softball-hotbed Saskatchewan led to many Canadian girls joining the four team league, notably Mary "Bonnie" Baker, All-Star catcher for the South Bend Blue Sox. Gottselig himself was the first manager of the Racine Belles in 1943, leading the team to the AAGPBL's first championship. He later managed the Peoria Redwings and the Kenosha Comets.

Alfie Moore

2007-03-28T10:42:00.001-07:00

Alfie Moore was a talented goalie who had 16 years of junior and professional hockey behind him before he got his first NHL start as a 31-year old.

Moore played in the OHA, OHA Sr., AHA, IAHL, Can-Pro, Can-Am and AHL leagues between 1920-36. He was a star in every league and was always at the top in the goalie standings.

Moore finally got to play in the NHL during the 1936-37 season when the NY Americans bought him from New Haven Eagles (AHL) in January 1937. Alfred fought admirably between the NY pipes for 18 games as a backup to Roy "Shrimp" Worters. His GAA of 3.46 was good considering the fact that the Americans was easily the worst club in the NHL that season.

The greatest story in the Alfie Moore saga came the following season and is one of the best playoff stories ever. In 1937-38 Moore spent the season playing for the Pittsburgh Hornets in the AHL and did very well, having a fine GAA of 1.98 with 7 shutouts.

Meanwhile, in the NHL playoffs Chicago was playing Toronto in the Stanley Cup finals. Chicago's regular goalie Mike Karakas came down with a broken toe and was unable to play. The Hawks regular replacement Paul Goodman had not arrived to Toronto in time for game one, leaving Chicago without a goaltender to open the series. Furthermore, Toronto refused to let New York Rangers goalie Davey Kerr fill in.

Johnny Gottselig, who at that time was Chicago's captain remembered the situation very well:

" We had a noon meeting before the first game in Toronto that night, and Bill Stewart (player/referee Paul Stewart's grandfather) told us that Mike Karakas couldn't play, his toe was so bad. Our minor league goalie, Paul Goodman hadn't arrived. Alfie Moore was a minor league goaltender who lived in Toronto, so Stewart told me to go get him.

" I knew Alfie. I went to his house and his wife, Agnes, she said he's down at the tavern, you can find him there. I went down to the tavern and a guy told me Alfie just left here, you can find him at another one. I caught him at the second one, and he's sitting there with three or four other hockey players who were through for the season.

" I walked in and Alfie looked at me and said, ' By God am I glad to see you. I'd love to get a couple of tickets for tonight's game.' And I said, 'Boy, Alfie you got the best seat in the house.' When I told him he was going to play that night, he said, ' Boy, it's about time. That Connie Smythe is going to rue the day he ever sent me down to Pittsburgh. I should have been playing up here instead of Broda, I'll show that Connie Smythe.'

" Then he said let's have one more drink on that before we go. He'd had about ten or a dozen before that. We brought him back to the hotel, when Stewart, who was a non-drinker, saw him he said, ' Get him out of here, he won't play for us tonight.' I said, ' Hell, I'm not going into those nets Bill, and I don't think Mush March will (also a forward). This guy is going to play or else.'

" ' Well,' Bill said. 'It's your money fellows, if you want to use this guy go ahead and use him.'

"We took him out to the rink and put some coffee into him and put him under the shower. By game time he was in pretty good shape. The first shot they threw at him, it went in, the first shot of the game. But after that they couldn't put a puck by him and I guess that night he did show Connie Smythe."

Chicago won that first final game, April 5, 1938, 3-1. And beside the Gordie Drillon goal after 1:53, Alfred shut out the Maple Leafs. Gottselig by the way had two goals in that game. It was Alfred's only game of the playoffs, as the Leafs insisted the Hawks had to use Goodman now that had arrived. But Chicago went on to win the Stanley Cup and Alfred got his name inscribed on the Cup. As further show of their appreciation, the Hawks gave Moore an engraved watch.

Alfred went on to play a couple of more games in the NHL the following two seasons (for NY Americans and Detroit Red Wings). He then played until 1942 in the AHL where split his last season between the Philadelphia Rockets and Buffalo Bisons.

In his 22-year hockey career his finest moment was undoubtedly his heroic effort in that first Cup final 1938, after having been dragged out from a tavern with a dozen cold ones fully savored. It's a classic story from a player who otherwise never made his mark in the NHL.

Pierre Pilote

2007-03-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Pierre Pilote was one of the most outstanding defensemen of his time. In the days before Bobby Orr redefined how defensemen played the game, Pilote was already establishing himself as an offensive catalyst.

"Pierre changed the game quite a bit. He was even pre-Bobby Orr. With the defense moving in to be part of the offense, he was certainly influential," suggested Hawks goaltending great Glenn Hall. Pilote was essentially bridging the generation gap between Doug Harvey and Orr.

Pilote's blue line offensive style was due to his metamorphosis from a center to a defenseman in his late teens. He had always grown up as one of the top offensive forwards. His game was very raw and creative, as he never played organized hockey while growing up. But he tried out for and made the St. Catherine's Tee Pee's junior hockey team by switching to defense.

"And then when I started playing defense, I had to learn the position, but I was always thinking offensively, if you know what I mean. I guess it evolved when the Blackhawks started getting guys like (Bobby) Hull and (Stan) Mikita and stuff like that. We became more offensive minded I guess. I was involved in that kind of trend," recalls Pilote.

It took some time for Pilote to make the big leagues. He apprenticed for four seasons with the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL before making it to stay in 1956-57 with the basement dwelling Chicago Blackhawks. By 1961 he was a Stanley Cup champion and later was named team captain.

The Hawks had floundered for years prior to Pilote's arrival. But with the likes of Pilote, Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Glenn Hall, the Hawks became Stanley Cup champions in 1961. Pilote scored the winning or tying goal in every Blackhawks victory that year. 1961 pre-dated the Conn Smythe Trophy, but Pilote was the obvious playoff MVP. His 15 points led all players.

Pilote started piling up assists as his confidence improved, and he quickly became one of the best blue liners in the league. The unflappable defender became a master of the give-and-go, a tactic his teammates came quick to rely on. In 1963-64, Pilote recorded 46 assists, tying an NHL record at the time. His best offensive season came in 1964-65 when he scored 59 points, breaking Babe Pratt's record of 57 points by a defenseman.

"Points came easy for me. It was like a game of checkers. I could always see the next move," he said. "I played with some good players. I could have been more offensive-minded, but if I had been with guys who couldn't score goals, the coach would have said dump it in. I had guys like Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull, who was my favorite target, and Kenny Wharram, who could always score goals.

"Another important thing about being an offensive defenseman, you have to have a good goalie back there. We had Glenn Hall, the best. Some people say Terry Sawchuk was better, but I think Glenn was. Glenn never played behind as good a team as Detroit had in the 1950s."

Although fairly small for a defenseman he played an aggressive game. In fact one year he led the NHL in penalty minutes with 165. His all-round play earned him the Norris Trophy in 1963, 1964 and 1965 and was a first team all star 5 straight times.

Pilote was a great influence for many of the NHL's following generation of defenders.

"Growing up, I was a big Chicago Blackhawks fan so I watched Pierre Pilote and Elmer Vasko, Doug Jarrett and all those guys that played on that team," remembered Larry Robinson, the great Montreal rearguard. "Before Orr, there was Pierre and Doug Harvey. Those were the guys who pioneered defensemen taking the puck and rushing up the ice with it and tried to control the play."

"What Pierre Pilote did for me was show me that a defenseman had to have his head up and the puck in front of him so that he is always ready to move the puck," said New York Islanders standout Denis Potvin. "Starting in my junior career and later in the National Hockey League, that's the way I tried to play: Always ready to make a pass.
Pierre was not a huge defenseman but he was one of the best ever at separating a player from the puck and that's very important. A defenseman's two most important jobs are to stop the opposition and generate the offense and I saw Pierre as one of the best at doing that."

For more modern fans, many old-timers also compare today's Scott Niedermayer to Pilote, although Pilote was never as gifted as a skater.

Pierre Pilote's great career was recognized in 1975 when he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. He retired having played 890 regular season NHL games, in which he scored 80 goals, 418 assists and 498 points.

Cully Dahlstrom

2007-03-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

When Cully Dahlstrom made his NHL debut for Chicago Blackhawks in 1937-38 he was one of very few American born players in the league. Chicago's owner was Major Fred McLaughlin. One of his dreams was to put together an all-American Stanley Cup winning team. This of course never happened but he had several Americans on the Chicago team that won the Stanley Cup in 1938.

One of them was 24 year old Carl "Cully" Dahlstrom. Cully recalled McLauglin's dream of having an all-American team.

"I think that since his team was in an American city he wanted American born players playing there, But he soon found out that there weren't enough Americans to go around to build one team with. I don't think it took him very long to discover that.", Cully said.

Cully was born and grew up in Minneapolis where he played high school hockey. He played for the Minneapolis Millers from 1932 through 1934, and then went on to play professional hockey for the St.Paul Saints of the strong AHA league where he was a First team All-Star in 1936.

A couple of years before his NHL debut he was invited to the Boston Bruins training camp. Cully soon discovered that he wasn't ready for the big league.

" After the first couple of days I realized that I wasn't ready to jump to the NHL yet," he recalled. " Those guys just skated circles around me. It was as though I was going in slow motion the way those players played. That's why it really didn't bother me when I went back to the minors."

It was a wise choice by Cully because he took the experience back with him and knew how to make himself a better player. When he returned to the NHL with Chicago, he would win the Calder Trophy as the "rookie of the year" in 1937-38.

That first year was Cully's high point of his playing career. Not only did he win the Calder but he also won the Stanley Cup.

" We had quite a team that first season," Cully recalled. "We really didn't do that well during the regular season (winning just 14 games and finishing 30 points behind the divisional leader Boston). But when we got to the Stanley Cup playoffs that year everything seemed to fall into place for us. We had some real good players like Paul Thompson and Mike Karakas, who really carried the team. We just took the playoffs one game at a time. I guess as a team we surprised quite a few people that year. But we just refused to give in that year," Cully said.

Cully himself played a vital role in the playoffs as he scored some key goals. In game two of the semi-final against NY Americans Cully scored the only goal of the game, an overtime goal after 33:01 of OT to tie the series which saved Chicago from elimination. He also scored the first goal against Toronto in the 4-1 win that brought the Stanley Cup to Chicago.

Cully recalled an oddity about the Stanley Cup win.

" The funny thing about winning the Cup that year is the fact that we never got to drink champagne out of it the night we won the championship. It seems as though certain people were so sure that the Cup wasn't going to come to Chicago, that it was never brought down from Toronto."

Cully's best season point wise in the NHL came in 1943-44 when he scored 42 points, including 20 goals, in 50 games. He played one more season before retiring from hockey. He was best known as a two-way center and a regular penalty killer. He was one of USA's pioneers in the NHL and was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.

After his hockey career Cully went on to work as a real estate appraiser. In later years he lived in Escondido, California

Kenny Wharram

2007-03-27T23:21:00.000-07:00

Ken Wharram wasn't exactly an overnight success. He came out from Galt Black Hawks in the juniors appearing sporadically in the NHL between 1951-56. Most of the time he played in the AHL and the Buffalo Bisons were he racked up four stellar seasons (306 points in 244 games). He attended three training camps with Chicago before finally getting a regular spot on the team in 1958-59.

At 5'9" and 160Lbs he wasn't exactly the ideal NHL player, but the North Bay, Ontario native had great speed which was his greatest asset. He was also a tenacious worker who could put in some finesse into the game when needed. Ken also was one of the most accurate shooters in the NHL. He constantly finished among the top ten in shooting accuracy, leading the entire league in 1963-64, scoring on over 20 % of his shots.

Chicago's coach Rudy Pilous put Wharram on a line with fellow rookie Stan Mikita during the 19 58-59 season. Eventually the line would be rounded out by Ab McDonald, and later Doug Mohns, and be dubbed "The Scooter Line" due to their terrific speed.

"The Scooter Line was one of the most famous scoring combinations of the 1960s," wrote author Paul Greenland in his book "Hockey Chicago Style." "What made it click so well was the combination of Mikita's superior playmaking and athletic abilities, Wharram's speed and agility, and Mohns' size, checking ability and heavy slap shot.

Wharram and Mikita shared a special bond. Ken and Stan were in fact almost as inseparable off the ice as they were on the ice. They were very good friends.

Greenland also quotes Wharram's former teammate Ed Litzenberger. "Kenny could skate a 100 miles an hour, but he really didn't come into his own until he hooked up with Stan and Ab McDonald. Stan had the ability to slow the game down. Kenny would come from behind and would give him the puck, and he would put the puck in the net. Ab would grind it out of corners and it was a marriage of talent is what it was. Kenny was a quiet guy. A good guy."

The "Scooter Line" was feared all around the league during the late 1960's. Although Bobby Hull was the most feared individual on those Hawks teams, it was often the "Scooters" that decided the outcome of the games and were the nightmare of the oppositions coaches.

During the 1960-61 season Ken scored 3 goals and 5 assists during the playoffs and helped Chicago win a Stanley Cup. From there on Kenny enjoyed a lot of success on the "Scooter Line". He had four 20+ goal seasons and three 30+ goal seasons. His 39 goals and 71 points in 1963-64 earned him a 1st team All-Star spot, a feat that he duplicated during the 1966-67 season. He also won the Lady Byng trophy in 1963-64 as the league's most sportsmanlike player.

Ken had racked up three straight 60+ point seasons and looked better than ever during the 1969 training camp when he suffered myocarditis, a virus that attacks the muscles of the heart with symptoms similar to a coronary, and was forced to retire. It was a tragic end to a career that was hard fought and that had a lot more to give.

"Whip" as he was known to his teammates could look back at a very solid NHL career. Where he scored 533 points including 252 goals in 766 NHL games.

Bill White

2007-03-27T22:51:00.000-07:00

Bill White's road to stardom was long, although it wasn't until after the famous Summit Series in 1972 against the Russians that he got the recognition among the fans that he deserved as arguably the league's best defensive defenseman.

White was selected by Canada's coach Harry Sinden to bolster the defense and Bill proved to be the calm and collected defenseman needed in such a series. Bill White was an outstanding defenseman with Team Canada 1972, contributing 1 goal and 1 assist in seven games played. Not exactly a flashy player, White's inclusion on the team may have surprised casual hockey fans, but certainly not his teammates.

White of course counts game eight as his favorite memory of the series - Henderson's goal and the celebrations. But don't forget the Canadians had to kill off the final 34 seconds of the game following Henderson's goal - 34 seconds which felt like an eternity.

Who was put out on the ice to help kill off the final seconds? Bill White. In fact it was White who relieved the pressure the Soviets were applying late in the game when he flipped the puck high down the ice. White's clearing attempt was perfect, as it was not far enough for icing. That effectively killed off the rest of the game.

The Russians constantly praised White for his steady and classy play.

Born and raised in Toronto, Bill captained the famed Toronto Marlboros as a junior. After four years with the Marlboros he played three seasons with the Rochester Americans in the NHL. On June 8, 1962, the Maple Leafs shipped away White with four other players for Kent Douglas who had just been proclaimed as AHL's best defenseman. Bill was traded to the Springfield Indians of the AHL, a team that was owned by the legendary Eddie Shore. Little did White know what impact Shore would have on his hockey career. The good news was that Bill developed into one of AHL's best defensemen under Shore's tutelage, a NHL caliber defender at that. The bad news was that he got stuck with Shore and Springfield for five years.

Shore was every hockey players nightmare and Bill's situation wasn't any different. Although Bill was clearly good enough for the NHL, Shore denied him the opportunity to play in the NHL. Several teams showed their interest in Bill but quickly changed their minds when Shore told them what he wanted in return.

During the 1966-67 seasons some of the Springfield players revolted and threatened to strike if the conditions wouldn't improve. This was a start of a new regime where the players paved the way for themselves to call a few shots of their own. The following summer the wealthy Jack Kent Cooke bought the entire Springfield team with the intent to move the team to Los Angeles where the best players would form the base for the expansion Los Angeles Kings. These events proved to be the break for Bill that he had waited for a long time.

White made his NHL debut for Los Angeles as a 28-year old. He played an steady, cautious game with few errors, relying on his lengthy reach and surprisingly mobile skating ability. He was the kind of defensemen most fans and media won't notice during a game, but his coach and teammates appreciate.

A contract dispute lead to strained relations with the Kings, and ultimately a trade to Chicago. At the time of his arrival, Chicago's anchor on defense Pat Stapleton was injured. Bill filled that spot more than adequately and the duo became a vital cog for the Chicago defense for years.

Coach Bill Reay was especially thankful to have White on his blue line.

"He's not spectacular, but he does a solid, workman-like job. He doesn't make too many mistakes. He's not going to dazzle anyone, but he's just the steady, dependable sort of defenseman we need."

Bill's steady but unspectacular play saw him appear in six straight All-Star games between 1969-74. He was also a 2nd team All-Star for three consecutive seasons between 1972-74. He helped the Hawks reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1971 and 1973, though they came up short both times.

Although White was robbed of many good years in the NHL he managed to play in 604 regular season games and 91 playoff games until he retired after the 1975-76 season.

Although Eddie Shore denied him the opportunity to play in the NHL it was thanks to Shore that he developed into such a fine defenseman.

"I am grateful to Shore for some things, though," he admitted to the Sporting News in 1979. "He was a very patient coach and really taught his players what the game is all about. He'd have you do a certain thing over and over until it became automatic. I owe a lot to Shore's practices."

Murray Bannerman

2007-03-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

As Tony Esposito's career wound down in Chicago, eventually ending in 1983-84, the Blackhawks had a young goalie from Fort Frances, Ontario apprenticing to take over between the pipes. His name was Murray Bannerman.

"Murray was a guy that started off as a real good goaltender," explained former teammate Terry Ruskowski. "He was in the shadow of Esposito for a number of years, but when it was his time to play, he played, and he played very, very well.

Originally a 5th round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 1977, Bannerman was traded to Chicago as part of the Pit Martin trade after playing just a single game with the Canucks. He would apprentice with the Hawks farm team in New Brunswick and then as Esposito's understudy, taking over the starting role in 1982-83.

Bannerman was a standout early in his career, playing well enough to earn NHL All Star game invites in both 1983 and 1984. Ultimately he did not have the focus to take a poor Hawks team to a higher level. The intense scrutiny placed upon him as the man replacing Tony Esposito certainly did not help him.

He had all the tools to be a starting goalie, but critics agree he lacked the concentration skills. He was very inconsistent from game to game and even from period to period. When he was good he was good, but when his game fell apart he would sit too far back in his net and flopped in his goal crease like a fish out of water. An excellent skater and one of the earliest puckhandling goalies, Bannerman liked to stray from his crease, with some spectacularly disastrous results early in his career.

After seven years with the Hawks, Bannerman was sent to Saginaw of the IHL early in the 1987-88 season. He quit professional hockey soon after.

"I knew they were going to get some other goaltenders. The only thing I was upset about was when I talked to them all summer, they told me to come to camp, work hard and 'we'll give you a good chance to be a member of the team again.' Obviously, when you don't play one league game, that's not much of a chance. It's their right to make changes. But is it really so much to tell a guy you're not in the plans? i don't feel they ever really did it. Judging by the way many things have been handled, I guess you can't expect it."

Bannerman's NHL career spanned 8 seasons and 289 games played. His record in that time was 116 wins, 125 losses with 33 ties. He had 8 career shutouts and a lifetime 3.83 GAA.

Rich Preston

2007-03-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

Rich Preston was a fantastic defensive forward during the 1980s with Chicago, also spending 2 seasons in New Jersey. He was also a standout in the WHA.

Preston started his hockey career at the University of Denver before turning professional with Houston of the WHA, citing the chance to play with Gordie Howe as his main reason for opting to jump to the WHA. It was with Houston that he first formed a dynamic partnership with center Terry Ruskowski.

In the final season of the WHA, Ruskowski and Preston joined the Winnipeg Jets, and lead the team to the Avco Cup championship. Preston, with 8 goals in 10 playoff games, was named as the post-season MVP.

When the WHA collapsed in 1979, Preston joined the Chicago Blackhawks.

"When the merger talks (between the WHA and NHL) cropped up last season, four or five teams were interested in me, and I was a free agent, so I could talk with them. I signed with Chicago because I like the city, and I know Cliff Koroll and Keith Magnuson from Denver. We all went to college there, and that meant something to me."

Preston will always be remembered in Chicago as a member of the RPM Line with Grant Mulvey and Ruskowski.

The RPM Line was a very close knit trio, both on and off the ice. Ruskowski and Preston had played together in both Houston and Winnipeg, and Mulvey complimented them nicely.

"Grant Mulvey set himself in a position where he could just one-time it. We worked on it a long time; just passing and one timing it. He was a goal scorer. I passed it to him and he put the biscuit in the basket as we say. Preston was great in the corners. He had very strong legs and a strong upper body. He really dug the puck out. So, it was a combination of three people doing what they do best," explained Ruskowski,

Preston immediately stepped into a Chicago lineup and scored 31 goals and 61 points, turning many heads.

As the Blackhawks team got stronger over the coming couple of seasons, Preston was relegated more to a defensive role, a role which he enthusiastically took on and excelled at. He was a student of the game and had a good understanding of any situation on the ice. He was a key penalty killer for Chicago as well.

An aggressive player despite an average build, Preston was excellent in the corners, a poor man's John Tonelli. Preston was also a super team guy in the dressing room as well. He had a contagious attitude. His up beat and positive attitude helped young players and other veterans alike.

While Rich Preston's hockey career is forgotten about by most now, he should be looked back upon as a good role player whose true contributions could never be quantified, but always were appreciated.

Terry Ruskowski

2007-03-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Terry Ruskowski was born and raised just outside of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Learning the game on the frozen ponds on the family farm, he immediately battled the rap that he was too small. After his first season with Humboldt in the Saskatchewan junior league he asked his coach about moving up to the junior A at Swift Current. He was told he would never be big enough, sparking Terry's characteristic desire work ethic and desire. Nothing would stop him from achieving his dream of playing for the Swift Current Broncos

Terry would have had a hard time in the juniors if he hadn't decided right away to play the way he did. He wasn't a speedy skater or a prolific scorer so he chose the gritty and chippy style of play. Or as Terry put it: " You had to decide on a style. You can't kid yourself because that's when the pros are watching. I realized my only chance was to fore-check the best I could and hustle like crazy. "

This style indeed worked for Ruskowski. After establishing his territory in the league, he developed a playmaker's vision that would serve him well throughout his career. In three years with the Swift Current Broncos he 273 points in 188 games, including 195 assists. His 556 Pim's gave a clear indication that he was a guy who never backed down.

This was also acknowledged by the Chicago Blackhawks who selected him in the 4th round, 70th overall in 1974. At the same time WHA's Houston Aeros also selected him in the 2nd round of a so-called "secret draft". Terry negotiated with Chicago all summer long and when it was apparent that Chicago's plans was to ship him to their CHL farm team in Dallas he jumped on Houston's offer instead. They not only offered him better money but they also seemed more eager to acquire Terry than Chicago.

Terry wound up proudly playing four seasons for Houston between 1974-78, winning the AVCO Cup during the 19 74-75 season alongside the legendary Gordie Howe. Houston was about to fold and sold Terry to Winnipeg in 1978. Terry enjoyed Houston and was sad to leave the town and to leave coach Bill Dineen, who he credited as the most influential coach in his career.

Terry played the 78-79 season for Winnipeg and won another AVCO cup title. Not only did he play in the last WHA game ever but he also recorded 4 assists in that final game. Terry's WHA stats were a very solid 337 points in 369 games, including 83 goals and 254 assists. He also had 761 PIMs.

Ruskowski was one of the top players in WHA history, and very proud of the league and his Avco Cup championships.

"We cherished that trophy as if it was the Stanley Cup. You want all your life--and you fight all year long--to win a championship. I had won the Avco Cup with the Aeros, but the second time was more meaningful because I participated more. When I won with Houston, I was on the fourth line. I was just a rookie. With the Jets, it was more of a baffle. We had been through league wide changes and coaching changes and trades and everything. This was great."

At the time of the WHA-NHL merger the four new teams were allowed to protect two players each. The Winnipeg management dreaded having to leave Terry unprotected, but they had little choice. John Ferguson, the Winnipeg GM at that time said: "I'm not only giving up probably the best player in our league, I'm giving up the heart of our hockey club. They have a name for that. It's called rape."

Ferguson grabbed Bobby Hull in the Expansion draft from Chicago who had claimed Hull from Winnipeg only four days earlier. Ferguson knew that the Chicago crowd would love to have Hull back in Chicago, so his plan was to trade Hull for Ruskowski, but the Chicago management were not interested in such a deal and nothing happened.

Terry didn't disappoint in Chicago his first year there and led the team in both scoring and penalty minutes. He was the key on the "RPM Line" together with Rich Preston (31 goals) and Grant Mulvey (39 goals).

The RPM Line was a very close knit trio, both on and off the ice. Ruskowski and Preston had played together in both Houston and Winnipeg, and Mulvey complimented them nicely.

"Grant Mulvey set himself in a position where he could just one-time it. We worked on it a long time; just passing and one timing it. He was a goal scorer. I passed it to him and he put the biscuit in the basket as we say. Preston was great in the corners. He had very strong legs and a strong upper body. He really dug the puck out. So, it was a combination of three people doing what they do best," explained Ruskowski, who could be favorably compared to Dale Hunter.

Just 12 games into Ruskowski's NHL career, long time Chicago favourite Keith Magnuson had to retire and Terry Ruskowski was named captain of the team. This wouldn't be his first stint as a captain for an NHL team. Terry later captained Pittsburgh and Los Angeles as well which clearly shows the great leadership qualities that he had.

A sloppy skater, Ruskowski always admitted that he relied on work ethic over natural talent for his success on the ice. "When you can't rely on talent - and I'm not really a good skater, a good shooter, a good stick handler - when you can't depend on talent, you have to depend on working harder. It's my natural response, reaction; my natural instinct is to try and do the best I can, to do things right. I think I've felt that way since I was a kid."

On October 24, 1982 Terry was traded to Los Angeles where he played three seasons before signing as a free agent with Pittsburgh on October 3, 1985. He often played left wing on Mario Lemieux's line. After two good years in Pittsburgh Terry signed as a free agent with Minnesota in July 1987 to finish his career there.

Terry retired at the beginning of the 1988-89 season and finished his NHL career with 113 goals, 313 assists and 426 points 630 games. "Roscoe" added 1354 PIMs in a career where he will be remembered by all those who played with him as one of the finest leaders in pro hockey.

Cam Russell

2007-03-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

When Cam Russell retired he said he was going from a "stay-at-home defenceman to a stay-at-home dad."

"I'm hanging them up, that's what I'm doing," said the father of two, who returned home to Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, the same hometown as Sidney Crosby. "It's been about a year and a half since I hurt my shoulder and it is not much better now than it was last November. I've gone through four rehab programs and there's been progress, but not enough to play at that (NHL) level."

It was very disappointing for Russell to retire under his circumstances. A left shoulder injury suffered Feb. 14, 1999 while playing for the Colorado Avalanche never healed sufficiently after reconstructive surgery to allow him to return to the NHL.

"It's tough to really have any regrets after playing 10 years in the NHL. The only hard part of it is you are not going out on your own terms, but I can't complain. I enjoyed a great career."

A rough and sinewy defenseman who made the most of a six-foot-four, 200-pound frame, Russell came just four regular-season games short of 400 in his career. He had another 44 playoff games. He collected just nine goals and 21 assists in his career. His most impressive statistic was his 872 penalty minutes.

Russell is undecided about his immediate future after hockey. He is a minority owner of the Halifax Mooseheads and was an assistant coach during the Memorial Cup run.

Russell, a QMJHL graduate of the Hull Olympiques, was a draft pick of the Blackhawks in 1987. He played parts of 10 seasons for the Blackhawks before a trade to the Avalanche for centre Roman Vopat and a draft pick in November 1998. He had 35 games for Colorado before the injury.

His highlight came in the 1991-92 season when the Blackhawks went to the Stanley Cup final before being swept by Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"I got that close to the Stanley Cup with all the excitement and hype," he said. "My parents flew in. That was probably the most exciting part of my career."

Russell was best known as a Hawk, where he evolved from an enforcer into a serviceable depth defenseman.

In his rookie season, Russell would take on all comers. Sometimes he'd fare better than others.

"I was out trying to impress (coach) Mike Keenan. I dropped the gloves with (Philadelphia Flyers enforcer) Dave Brown. I don't think I'll ever forget that one. It was over pretty quick and I wasn't on top to say the least. I was seeing stars for awhile after that."

Russell credits Keenan's successor Darryl Sutter for making him into a reliable everyday player.

"He just really believed in me and gave me a lot of chances. He let me know that if I worked hard, it didn't matter if I made mistakes, as long as I gave it 100 percent every night."

Steve Larmer

2007-03-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

Steve Larmer very quietly assembled one of hockey's finest resume's. The 1983 Calder Trophy recipient played huge roles in both the 1991 Team Canada victory in the Canada Cup and the New York Ranger's Stanley Cup victory in 1994.

Larmer, a superb two-way forward, didn't miss a game in 11 years with Chicago and his 884 consecutive regular-season games is the third-longest durability streak in NHL history behind Doug Jarvis (964) and Garry Unger (914). Nine times in those 11 years, Larmer scored 30-plus goals and he broke Jim Pappin's club record for points by a right winger with 101 in 1990-91. The same year, he was honored as The Hockey News/Inside Hockey "Man of the Year" and his breakaway goal against Mike Richter was the decisive marker in Team Canada's victory over Team USA in the final of the Canada Cup tournament.

With all that success it's hard to believe that Steve was considered to be a longshot prospect when he was drafted in 1980. In hindsight Steve is one of the best players of that draft, but at the time he wasn't drafted until 120th overall. And aside from a 4 game and 3 game NHL trial respectively, Larmer was cut from the Blackhawks training camps for more seasoning in his first two years.

The first cut saw Steve return to Niagara Falls to play another season of junior hockey with the Flyers. That turned out to be a great thing for him. Steve had previously played well in junior hockey, but he took his game to a new level in 1980-81. He posted superstar stats with 55 goals and 133 points in 61 games.

The second year Steve was sent to the American Hockey League where he was to learn the professional game. Steve called his demotion to the minors perhaps the best thing that ever happened to him. Instead of sitting on the bench as a NHL rookie, Steve was receiving tons of ice time with the New Brunswick Hawks. He scored 38 goals and 44 assists and helped the Hawks go deep into the playoffs with 6 goals and 12 points in 15 contests. More importantly he became one of the most relied upon and favorite players of minor league head coach Orval Tessier.

The Tessier factor weighed in nicely for Larmer in 1982-83. Tessier was promoted to head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks and that seriously upgraded Steve's chances of playing in the NHL. The Chicago brass wasn't overly happy with Steve's training camp and pre-season performance, but Tessier stuck with his young star and insisted that Steve be part of the team. Tessier was right about his prodigy. He often played him on what proved to one of hockey's top lines with Al Secord and Denis Savard. Secord recorded 54 goals while the spectacular Savard had 121 points. Larmer chipped in nicely with 43 goals and 90 points - good enough to win him the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.

Injuries to the rugged Secord prevented that line from staying together much after that season, but Larmer was always a fixture on Savard's right wing. He played a two way role which complimented the offensive wizard Savard very well. He allowed Savard to "cheat" offensively by playing sound defense, yet at the same time provided Savard with the matching skill to finish off the scoring chances Savard created.

Larmer' was incredibly consistent over his years with the Hawks. He was a constant 35-40 goal scorer and 85-90 point man. And he never missed a game in a Hawks uniform.

That games played streak came to an end in 1993 when Larmer asked to be traded. He felt (and history would prove him to be correct) that the Hawks were about to head in a downward spin and he wanted to get his career back on track with a new perspective in a new city. The Hawks apparently promised him he would be dealt over the summer, but the trade didn't happen until 13 games into the 1993-94 season. Larmer was disappointed that the longevity streak was broken, but he knew what he was doing was right for him and was willing to sacrifice that.

The big trade actually saw Larmer traded twice as it was a three team deal. The Hawks move Larmer and Bryan Marchment to Hartford for Eric Weinrich and Patrick Poulin. The Whalers then moved Larmer along with Nick Kypreos, Barry Richter and a draft pick for Darren Turcotte and James Patrick.

Larmer instantly fit in and was a big part of the New York Rangers first Stanley Cup win in 54 years.

"Playing for the Rangers was an unbelievably good experience. The script couldn't have been written any better. We had a great year with a talented team, a close team, " said Larmer in the Chris McDonell's great book "For The Love Of The Game."

Winning the Cup was of course the highlight of Larmer's career, but so was playing and winning in the Big Apple.

"I don't know that there's a better city in the world to win in than New York. They gave us a ticker tape parade and even teammates who had won the Cup before had never experienced anything like that. Between 1 million and 2 million people lined the streets and hung out of office buildings - it was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. A lot of the guys said they'll remember that more any hockey game."

The 1994-95 owner's lockout convinced the 34-year-old forward to call it quits after the 1995 abbreviated season.

"The lockout of 1994 gave me the opportunity to do 'normal' things in the fall and winter. It was a real eye-opener to see what else is out there. My heart was in hockey; on the other hand, the time away planted a seed for retirement," Steve said in Chris McDonell's great book "For The Love Of The Game."

"I've been lucky," said Larmer in typical fashion. "I've been on good teams and played in the Canada Cup with Mr. Gretzky. Winning the Stanley Cup is something you'll never forget and there was no better city to win it in than New York."

Before he retired Steve managed to reached the 1,000 plateau in both points and games played. When he told Rangers GM Neil Smith in June that he wasn't coming back, Larmer ended a Hall of Fame-like career with 441 goals and 556 assists in 1,006 regular-season outings. He added 56 goals and 75 assists in 140 playoff contests.

"He was one of the best forwards to ever play the game and more importantly, one of the finest people I have ever met," said former teammate Doug Wilson.

Mush March

2007-02-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

Harold "Mush" March was a fiery little right wing who played his entire career of 17 years with the Chicago Blackhawks. Dit Clapper is the only player of this early era who exceeded March's record of service with one club.

March was born in Silton, Sask. October 18th, 1908, March was an excellent amateur player, capturing the Memorial Cup with the Regina Monarchs in 1928. Later that autumn he turned pro with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Hawks were one of the worst teams in the NHL at that stage, but thanks to some timely scoring by March, they soon became a Stanley Cup contender. March was at his best on a line with Vic Ripley and Art Somers when they eliminated Toronto but lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals in 1931.

He was not the greatest scorer of his time, but he had a penchant for scoring famous goals. It was Mush March who scored the very first goal ever scored in Maple Leaf Gardens when the Leafs and Hawks played the very first game there in 1931-32, as Chicago won the game and sent fans home disappointed that the Leafs lost the first ever game played in that famous stadium.

March reached his peak in 1933-34 when teamed with Doc Romnes and Paul Thompson. He scored the winning goal to oust the Canadiens in the first round and was the man who won the Blackhawks very first Stanley Cup with his goal at 10:05 of the second overtime period - the only goal of the game - that clinched the Stanley Cup against Detroit.

March, nicknamed "Mush" after a diminutive cartoon character of the day, described his goal in John Devaney and Bert Goldblatt's book "The Stanley Cup:"

"Well on that goal that won the series, they had a face-off. I shot it and it went through Cude's legs (Wilf Cude, the Detroit goaler who later starred with the Montreal Canadiens) and into the net. I didn't realize it at the second, you know, that we'd won the Stanley Cup, but it was great. I rushed in and got the puck and then the fellows grabbed me and wheeled me on their shoulders all the way around the rink. It was nice to see my name on it for the first time. It's always nice to be a champion."

The Romnes-Thompson-March line played together another four years following that Stanley Cup win, quietly being one of the most feared units in hockey. The line was driven by the diminutive March. Just 5'5" and 155lbs, the spunky right winger mixed it up with the roughest players in the league, as his penalty records attest. His timely scoring and abrasive approach made him very popular with the Chicago fans and became the standard of comparison for all right wing candidates for the team.

Although Chicago finished third in the American Division in 1937-38, led by March, Romnes and Thompson, the Blackhawks provided one of the biggest upsets in NHL history when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3 games to 1 to win the Stanley Cup. March suffered a groin injury in game one of the finals and he was missed as Toronto won game two. But March came back for game three and four and Chicago won the Cup.

There were changes in the Chicago lineup for 1938-39. Romnes and Thompson were replaced by Johnny Gottselig and Cully Dahlstrom, but the mighty mite March carried on at right wing and continued his unselfish play. A couple of years later he was teamed together with the magical Bentley brothers, Max and Doug, and the veteran could still skate with the young fellows.

The first serious threat to March's job came when Bill Mosienko was signed for 1941-42. Mush worked on second line with George Allen and Dahlstrom for 1943-44. He had a good season but hurt his knee badly in the playoffs against Detroit which completely slowed him down. Unable to get untracked in the 1944-45 season, March decided the time had come to retire. He would stay in the NHL for 11 years, skating as a linesman.

After retirement on the ice he worked his way up to a vice president position and part owner of a bearings company and lived in North Riverside, Illinois. When Maple Leaf Gardens was closed in 1999, he and Red Horner dropped the final ceremonial first puck of the final Leaf game played in Maple Leaf Gardens. Horner, 89, and March, 90, were the two remaining survivors of the very first game played there that November night in 1931.

March passed away on January 9th, 2002, at the age of 93. Then living in Paxton, Illinois, he was said to have died peacefully in his sleep while battling pneumonia in a nursing home.

Tony Esposito

2007-01-31T22:16:00.000-08:00

One of the game's greatest forwards and one of the game's greatest goalies grew up in the same family home. Phil, the older of the two, practiced shooting against brother Tony for hours on end. By 1970 both had reached the top of the hockey world. Both we're named to the NHL First All Star Team.

Tony Esposito was one of the first players of the modern era to reach the NHL after playing American college hockey. One of the reasons he went this route was to deliberately delay his professional debut. When he started there was only 6 NHL teams and the use of one goalie was still common place - hence only 6 jobs. But just around the corner the NHL would double in size due to expansion, and carrying a backup goalie would soon become an accepted practice. He played three seasons with the Michigan Tech Huskies while studying business. He signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 1967.

The Habs assigned Tony to the WHL Vancouver Canucks for the 67-68 season, where he continued to dominate, leading the league in games played, minutes played, shutouts, and amazingly both wins and losses. Esposito felt that his time in Vancouver was a great hockey education for him. He had only played 20 or so games in the college schedule, but would face lots of ice time and shots in 63 games

Tony O played part of the 1968-69 season with the Montreal Canadiens and earned his only Stanley Cup ring there while serving as the backup goalie. His first NHL game came against brother Phil's Boston Bruins and resulted in a 2-2 tie. In total that season Esposito would only get into 13 contests, with a 5-4-4 record. He did post 2 shutouts, including a 0-0 tie against Phil and the Bruins.

The following year he was acquired by Chicago. The Canadiens had to choose between the young Esposito and the veteran legend Gump Worsley. While the Habs did have Ken Dryden a couple of years away, the move could have proved to be disastrous if Dryden hadn't emerged. Tony inherited Glenn Hall's position in Chicago and played phenomenally for the next fifteen years.

His first full season saw him win the Calder and Vezina Trophies as he posted a 2.17 GAA and 15 shutouts in 63 games. The 15 shutouts is a modern day record for most in one season. He would go on to win or share 3 Vezinas, and five All Star berths. He thrived on a heavy work load. In fact, over 8 year stretch he averaged 68 games a season.

Despite Esposito's incredible play, the Hawks were never able to achieve elite status, which probably holds Tony Esposito back when it comes to discussions about the game's greatest goalies. He was clearly an elite goalie though, and was chosen to play in the 1972 Summit Series with Team Canada. He played in 4 games and by most accounts outplayed number one goalie Ken Dryden.

Tony O also played in the 1981 Canada Cup, but not for Canada. He had acquired his US Citizenship just in time for the tournament, and agreed to play of Team USA since he wasn't invited to Canada's training camp. Tony O instantly gave Team USA some credibility, but ultimately wasn't able to give them enough wins to make a splash in the tournament.

Tony would play past the age of 40, retiring as a Hawk in 1984. He would later go on to NHL management positions with Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay.

He was a bit of an unorthodox goalie. He would play the butterfly style to stop shots, which back then was not as common as it is today. He often would cheat to one side when facing a shooter, displaying extra room and forcing the shooter to shoot, but then would quickly take it away with his quick glove hand. A noted poke-checker, the only thing more active than Esposito's stick was his mouth. He was a loud and talkative goalie, always yelling directions to his defensemen.

One thing is for sure - Tony was an exciting goalie to watch!

Jim Pappin

2006-09-18T00:25:00.000-07:00

Jim was tabbed as a "can't miss" big leaguer after his two junior seasons with the Toronto Marlboros (1958-60). It would, however, take him seven seasons before he made it big in the NHL, scoring 21 goals with Toronto Maple Leafs in 1966-67. He also topped all playoff scorers with 7 goals and 15 points that season. Before that he had played in the EPHL for the Sudbury Wolves and AHL for the Rochester Americans. He also had three stints with Toronto, always creating a puzzle to why a player of his talent - good speed, fine shot and combative attitude - could miss.

The turnaround for Jim was when Leafs coach / GM Punch Imlach put him on a line together with Pete Stemkowski and Bob Pulford. They clicked immediately and led Toronto to the Stanley Cup. Jim scored the Cup winning goal in 1967, the last time Toronto won the Stanley Cup. "You can't top anything like that," Jim said. " That is something you can only dream of."

Jim couldn't quite match his fine effort the following season and only scored 13 goals in 58 games. Unfortunately Jim's days in Toronto were numbered when he couldn't get along with Punch Imlach. Jim always said what was on his mind and that didn't sit well with his coaches. Don Cherry - who coached Jim in Rochester - recalled in his book that Jim had "the most cutting tongue of any person I have ever met, cruel and to the point."

Jim agreed that he got himself in trouble on many occasions thanks to his frankness.

"I always said what was on my mind, whether it was good or bad. That's the type of person I was then, and still am now. I figured that if I played hard, day in and day out, then everyone should as well," Jim said. "That's how I got into trouble several times over contracts. I believed in a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. I could never figure out why a guy who got paid more than me, produced less statistically than me That's why I felt I should be paid more. But guys like Punch Imlach didn't agree with me. That's why I couldn't get along with Punch at the time I played with the Leafs."

In those days players didn't hold out for money like today. If they tried a stunt like that they were black balled in the NHL. So it was 'sayonara' Toronto...Jim was shipped to Chicago on May 23 for Pierre Pilote and spent the next seven seasons in the Windy City.

Jim mostly played on a line together with Pit Martin and Dennis Hull. They were dubbed the "M.P.H. Line" Jim had a very productive career in Chicago (30, 28, 22, 27, 41, 32, 36 goals and 70, 53, 45, 48, 92, 73, 63 points), but never got the appreciation from the Chicago fans or press that he deserved. His relationship with reporters was never good due to his sharp tongue and bluntness. But the fans probably didn't appreciate his play as much as they should have. Maybe it was because he was never afraid to make an unorthodox move just to foil the opposition. When the play backfired he could look bad personally. But he was always willing to sacrifice his own glory for the team's benefit.

Jim never won the Cup in Chicago but was close on a couple of occasions.

"There is no doubt in my mind that we could have won two or three Stanley Cups in Chicago," Jim said. "I don't think we lost because of a lack of talent. We had the talent with guys like (Bobby) Hull and (Tony) Esposito. Hull could fire the puck into the net. Esposito could stop them in goal. Unfortunately we ran into a stopper from the team we would face in the playoffs. I guess the year that sticks out most for me was in 1971 when we lost to the Canadiens, or should I say their goaltender, Ken Dryden. Dryden was just unbelievable. He stopped almost everything we threw at him. He was the difference in the Canadiens winning the Stanley Cup that year."

Jim's days in Chicago were over on June 1, 1975 when he was traded to the Cleveland Barons. He never hit it off in Cleveland as he got shelved with a back injury. He only played 32 games in 1975-76, scoring 19 points. The following season he played even fewer games (24) and decided to hang em' up.

During his 14-year NHL career Jim developed into a fine two-way hockey player who was very sharp in front of the net. He was hard to move from the slot and he scored a lot of goals on rebounds and tip-ins.

After his playing career was over he moved back to Chicago and worked as Blackhawks director of U.S. scouting.