Thommie Bergman

The NHL and WHA began importing Sweden's top players in the 1970s, beginning the internationalization of North American hockey. While many easily remember Borje Salming and Inge Hammarstrom in the NHL and Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson in the WHA, not every remembers the first Swede to cross the Atlantic Ocean - Thommie Bergman.

The Detroit Red Wings signed the Munkfors-born defenseman in the summer of 1972 on the advice of scout Jack Patterson. Patterson was impressed with Bergman's play at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. Sweden finished just off of the podium in 4th place.

The Wings had to spend a reported $30,000 to Bergman's old club, Vastra Frolunda, to secure his release, but it was worth it as he soon established himself as the top defenseman on a very poor Detroit team. In his first year he teamed with Ron Stackhouse regularly, scored 9 goals and 21 points and posted a respectable +6 rating. The 6'3" 195lb defenseman he tried to embrace the more physical side of the game, dropping the gloves with none other than Dave "The Hammer" Schultz and Bobby Clarke. It was this gusto that attracted Bergman to scout Patterson in the first place.

Life was quite different in the NHL than back home for Bergman and the following Swedes. For instance, Bergman worked at an ad agency as his day job back home. He was also a very studious fellow, earning a master's degree in economics while also studying engineering. In Detroit though there was little time to embrace such pursuits as he spent so much time playing, practicing and travelling. He lamented the down time, saying watching television was a bad habit he was picking up.

The long schedule wore Bergman down, like it did for so many of the early European players. Injuries, particularly a troublesome knee he originally injured back in Sweden playing a game of pick-up basketball, and fatigue limited his effectiveness, and after a less than impressive season and a half following up his rookie year, he was traded to the WHA Winnipeg Jets.

Bergman enjoyed 4 solid seasons with the Jets, a franchise noted for embracing European players. In addition to Nilsson and Hedberg Bergman also counted the likes of Veli-Pekka Ketola, Willy Lindstrom, Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Mats Lindh, Heikki Riihiranta and Curt Larsson as teammates, with Dan Labraaten and Markus Mattsson joining later on.

Late in the 1977-78 season Bergman was released by the Jets. He found his old team from Detroit interested in his services, despite a wonky knee.He would play parts of three more seasons with the Red Wings before going home to round out his career in Sweden. He would later get involved in management with the Gothenburg team and become the chief European scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Crazy Fact - Like a baseball player in that time era, Thommie Bergman played while chewing snuff. He said the chewing tobacco relaxed him without wearing down his cardiovascular conditioning like cigarettes would.

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Jack Arbour

Jack Arbour was the younger brother of fellow NHLer Ty Arbour. The two Waubaushene, Ontario brothers combined for over 35 years experience in big league hockey, including the National Hockey League. While Ty played over 200 games in the NHL, Jack would get into only 47 contests with the old Detroit Cougars and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Like his brother Jack headed west to start his big league hockey career. Jack would star with the Calgary Tigers of the WCHL for four years and with the Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA for a season. He was a popular player in Calgary, but what appears to be a serious injury cost him most of the 1924-25 and the entire 1925-26 season.

When the western league closed up shop Arbour was sold to the newly formed Detroit Cougars. He played in 37 games in his only full NHL season, scoring 4 goals.

The next season he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Sailor Herberts. He would spend the bulk of the season playing in the minor leagues, but he did appear in 10 games with the Blue and White.

Jack would never be seen in the NHL again beyond 1929. He spent the next several years playing in Windsor before headin back to the American northwest, playing with the Seattle, Portland and Spokane.

Jack Arbour's last game came sometime in the 1938-39 season. After hockey he resettled back in Calgary where he worked road maintenance for the city of Calgary. He also regularly worked at the Calgary Stampede.

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Murray Armstrong

The son of the local blacksmith, Murray Armstrong was born on New Year's Day, 1916 in Manor, Saskatchewan. He would grow up as the local hockey hero, one day graduating to the junior Regina Pats.

By 1935 he would turn professional in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, but he would spend the bulk of four seasons playing in the minor leagues, most notably with the Syracuse Stars of the AHL. He did get into 12 games of NHL action with the Leafs, plus three more in the playoffs. He picked up one assist. The Leafs of the 1930s were a powerhouse team, despite their lack of playoff success.

His otherwise unnoteworthy career to this point got a major jolt of rejuvenation when he was traded to the New York Americans in 1939. Armstrong, likely because of his affiliation up state in Syracuse, was a throw in to complete a major trade. The Leafs moved Armstrong, Buzz Boll, Busher Jackson and Doc Romnes for Sweeney Schriner, the best left winger in the game.

Much to many people's surprise, Armstrong emerged as a very solid NHL citizen in 1939-40. Playing with Jackson and Lorne Carr he scored 16 goals and 36 points in 47 games, very solid numbers for the era.

Armstrong would have two more solid years with the Amerks before he committed to Canadian military efforts of World War II. He was stationed back in Regina, home of much of Canada's military training exercises, and continued to play in the Saskatchewan senior circuit.

When Armstrong returned from his one year hiatus he ended up in Detroit with the Red Wings. During his absence the NY Americans had closed up shop and the players' rights were dispersed around the league. Armstrong put in three solid seasons with the Red Wings, with his NHL career ending in 1946.

"Army" continued to play in the minor leagues with the Buffalo Bisons and Dallas Texans in 1946-47, and that is where he caught the coaching bug. He returned home to Regina in 1947 to coach the Pats, by now a Montreal Canadiens feeder team, and pursue business interests that included two billiard halls and a clothing business.

Armstrong remained coach of the Pats until 1956 when he accepted the intriguing job as head coach of the University of Denver hockey team. He would guide the collegians for 21 years, winning five NCAA titles with one of the strongest hockey programs ever seen in US College hockey. His NHL graduates included Cliff Koroll and Keith Magnuson.

For all his efforts at the University of Denver, Murray Armstrong was rewarded with the Lester Patrick Trophy for contributions to hockey in the United States upon his retirement in 1977.

Like any good Canadian snowbird, Armstrong opted to retire in the warmth of Florida.

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Gary Aldcorn

Born in Shaunovan, Saskatchewan, Gary Aldcorn was like most of the other prairie boys. Skating for hours at a time while chasing hockey pucks on the frozen ponds of endless prairie was the norm, as was dreaming of playing for the big leagues.

But the brainy left winger was not like most of the other prairie boys - he was better. He was one of the few lucky ones who was able to achieve the Great Canadian Dream.

Aldcorn had to leave home for Winnipeg where he played with the junior league Monarchs from 1951 to 1954. He was a pretty good player in that league, although not a star. Perhaps his biggest break came in 1954-55 when he switched junior teams and leagues and played for the OHA's Toronto Marlboros. Aldcorn was a standout on that 1955 Marlies team which captured junior hockey supremacy by winning the Memorial Cup

Aldcorn's success of course caught the eye of the NHL, particularly the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs acquired his rights in 1956, and, after a year back in Winnipeg, Aldcorn returned to Toronto for parts of three seasons with the Leafs. While he spent as much time in the minor leagues as he did in the NHL from 1956 through 1959, he did manage to score 15 goals, 18 assists and 33 points in 86 games in the blue and white jerseys.

Aldcorn's best year in the NHL came the year after he left Toronto for Detroit. Aldcorn found himself often playing on the left wing with Gordie Howe. Aldcorn blossomed into a 22 goal scorer with 51 points in a full 70 games played.

"It was a big experience - a big thrill! I found that I could think with Gordie. I wasn't the greatest skater in the world, but on a hockey comprehension level, I was almost with him."

Despite their one season success together, Aldcorn and Howe were broken up in 1960-61, and Aldcorn's numbers plummeted. By mid season he was traded in a large trade with Boston. Aldcorn quietly rounded out the schedule with Boston before he decide to return home to Winnipeg.

Aldcorn was more than just brainy on the ice, he was super intelligent off the ice too. He was one of the rare players of his era to take part time university courses during his hockey career. By the time his education was done, he had a Master's degree in virology which led him to starting up his own biological company. Starting the company allowed Gary to realize he was an entrepreneur at heart, so he returned to school to get a Masters of Business Administration.

While his education pursuits were of great interest to him, hockey always remained close to his heart. He played in Winnipeg while studying, and briefly played with and later coached the Canadian national team. He helped to create a national coaches certificate program that gave youth and amateur coaches better opportunities and guidance.

Aldcorn's entrepreneurial spirit and love of hockey collided by the late 1970s when he founded the national sports magazine Hockey Player. He later targeted hockey equipment. He helped to revolutionize hockey equipment by creating Flak Equipment, which was later bought out by hockey giant Bauer.

Nowadays Aldcorn is mostly retired, and has found a love for sculpting.

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Gerry Abel

The great Sid Abel is one of the greatest players in Detroit Red Wings history. But did you know his son also played for the Red Wings?

Born in Detroit on Christmas Day, 1944, upon signing his first NHL contract Gerry Abel was once quoted as saying "If I could be half as good as my dad, I'd be happy." His dad definitely heard the comment. After all, he was the Red Wings general manager at the time, and had signed his son.

Gerry, a low-scoring, lanky left winger would apprentice in Memphis in the minor leagues, but was called up for his first NHL game on March 8th, 1967. The game was said to be unnoteworthy in every other way if it were not for son Gerry's presence on the bench. You see, by this time father Sid was behind the bench coaching the team! Sid put Gerry on a line with Doug Roberts and Sid's old running mate, the great Gordie Howe.

That would prove to be Gerry Abel's only NHL game. He returned to Memphis for the balance of that season, and played the 1967-68 season in Fort Worth before hanging up the blades.

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