Lefty Wilson

Ross "Lefty" Wilson was the long time equipment trainer of the Detroit Red Wings. However when he first started he also served as the team's practice goalie, and since team's only carried one goal at the time, he also served as an emergency replacement if a team's goalie got hurt!


Wilson was a capable backstopper in junior hockey, but he had a less than memorable professional career. He was signed by the Wings in 1944 and reported to the Wings farm team in Omaha where he'd also serve as the assistant trainer, a job he took only to make sure he got to play in Omaha.


Red Wings boss Jack Adams pretty much summed up Wilson's career on the ice in this quote - "As a goaltender, he makes a pretty good trainer."


Wilson eventually was promoted to the Red Wings to serve as the equipment trainer as well as practice netminder. He quickly made a name for himself as the loudest man in hockey, as he loved to yell words of encouragement to his players, not to mention some less than kind words to the referees.


As mentioned earlier, Lefty would also serve as the emergency replacement goalie if one of the team's goalies got hurt. This happened on three occasions.


The first was on October 10, 1953 when he replaced the legendary Terry Sawchuk, who hurt his kneecap. Wilson stepped in and never surrendered a goal in 16 minutes of play.


On January 22, 1956, the Maple Leafs Harry Lumley had to leave a game against the Wings and Lefty had to dress up for the Leafs, and face his usual comrades. Much to the excitement of the crowd, Wilson shut down his own team in 13 minutes of action. On one rush he picked the net off of its moorings and turned the net around facing the boards so that the wings couldn't score on him! The referees of course were not amused, but Lefty would claim it was an accident. The NHL had to change the rule after that incident.


On December 29, 1957, Wilson dressed for the Boston Bruins as their starting goalie Don Simmons pulled out of the game just 8 minutes in. Wilson played brilliantly for the final 52 minutes, surrendering his only NHL goal against en route to tying the team that gave him his pay checks.


For a trainer, his goaltending stats are quite remarkable. Just one goal against in 85 minutes of action gave him a career GAA of 0.71! He is also almost assuredly the only man in NHL history to play in just three NHL games, each of which were played with a different team.