Glen Skov

Glen Skov played 10 seasons in the NHL with Detroit, Chicago and briefly with Montreal. Along with Marty Pavelich and Tony Leswick, he led a terrific trio that specialized in checking opposing scorers and contributed greatly to the rise of the Detroit Red Wings dynasty in the early 1950s. While his line was in charge of smothering the likes of Rocket Richard and Jean Beliveau, they did chip in with some timely goals. Their yeoman work allowed Skov to share in three Stanley Cups.

Skov was later traded to Chicago as part of the NHL effort to save the crumbling Black Hawks organization. The NHL at that time should have stood for Norris Hockey League, as the Norris family had their hands deeply in the pockets of 3 of the 6 teams. Skov was sent to bolster a sad sack team.

"I think what we did eventually was instill a good attitude. Let's not be a last place team. Let's make ourselves contenders and work up the ladder."

Eventually the Hawks did become respectable again.

Skov's last professional season was spent as a playing coach with the Hull-Ottawa farm team of the Montreal Canadiens.

"I did not want to be a playing coach. We were very successful. We won the championship. I just felt it would be better to be behind the bench. They did want me there but we could never come to an agreement on a contract."

That was too bad for Skov, as the Canadiens thought very highly of his coaching prospects.

"I always heard that I was prominently being considered as a possible successor to Toe Blake."

Despite the great interest in his coaching services, Skov opted for the security of his "day job." He works for PMS, a plastics manufacturing firm. He headed a division out of Chicago and worked closely with another former Blackhawk in Stan Mikita.

Skov and Mikita also share a special interest in running a hockey school for deaf children.