Detroit Red Wings Legends

Detroit Red Wings Greatest Players

2008-07-07T14:08:00.001-07:00

	Sid Abel - "Old Bootnose" was most famous for centering the Production Line with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. But Sid Abel brought a Stanley Cup to Detroit by himself in 1943.
	Larry Aurie - Have you ever wondered why no Red Wing wears jersey #6? Because it was retired after Larry Aurie starred with the team. So why isn't his jersey hanging in the rafters?.
	Pete Babando - Pete Babando Stanley Cup heroics have stood the tests of time. His double overtime goal in game 7 of the 1950 Stanley Cup finals is still talked about to this day.

	Marty Barry - Long forgotten, there was a time Marty Barry was amongst the best players in all of hockey.
	Mud Bruneteau - A very good hockey player, Mud Bruneteau's career is overshadowed by a single goal he scored. It was the game winning goal in the longest game in NHL history.
	Roger Crozier - Though he never won a championship, Roger Crozier deserves recognition as one of Detroit's finest puck stoppers ever.
	Alex Delvecchio - Overshadowed by many of his teammates, Alex Delvecchio outlasted most of them.
	Alex Faulkner - The first "Newfie" to leave the island and play in the National Hockey League, Alex Faulkner will always be Newfoundland's favorite hockey playing son.
	Viacheslav Fetisov - Viacheslav Fetisov will always be remembered as a warrior - on the ice and off of it.
	Gerard Gallant - Steve Yzerman's LW absolutely hated to lose.
	Danny Gare - This Buffalo sparkplug teamed with Don Luce and Craig Ramsey on the Sabres' other great line during the 1970s
	Ebbie Goodfellow - A pre-WWII superstar started as a center and ended as a MVP defenseman.
	Dominik Hasek - Unconventional Dominik Hasek may be the greatest goalie of all time. His greatest achievement was backstopping his country to Olympic gold in 1998.
	George Hay - A great player out of the early western Canadian professional circuits, George Hay became the Detroit's first hockey star.
	Paul Henderson - A solid though ordinary player, Paul Henderson became forever a hockey immortal thanks to his 1972 Summit Series heroics

	Gordie Howe - Forget about Gretzky or Lemieux. Old time hockey fans will insist Gordie Howe is the greatest of all time, with great merit. Mr. Hockey could do it all
	Syd Howe - Before Detroit Red Wings fans had ever heard of Gordie Howe, Hockeytown was celebrating the greatness of the unrelated Syd Howe.

Red Kelly - A superstar defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings, he later became one of the most cerebral centers in hockey history while with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

	Petr Klima - Blessed with mouth-dropping talent, Petr Klima lacked the work ethic to become a true superstar.
	Joey Kocur - One of the two Bruise Brothers, there may have never been a better knockout fighter than Joey Kocur.
	Vladimir Konstantinov - The Vladinator had emerged as the toughest defenseman in all of hockey and as a Stanley Cup champion. Days later, a car accident ended his career and almost took his life.
	Igor Larionov - "The Professor," the "Chessmaster of the ice," the "Russian Wayne Gretzky." However you describe Igor Larionov, he is most undoubtedly a hockey legend.
	Tony Leswick - This undersized pest made a big name for himself as a defensive specialist. He was particularly well known for his battles with Rocket Richard.
	Ted Lindsay - "Terrible Ted" Lindsay not only goes down as one of the greatest players ever, but one of the most important figures in hockey history as well.
	Carl Liscombe - A magnificent offensive player in the 1940s, Carl Liscombe probably deserves a little more credit than history has granted him.
	Harry Lumley - "Apple Cheeks" Lumley is often forgotten about nowadays, but he was once one of hockey's top goaltenders.
	Frank Mahovlich - After a huge trade with Toronto, The Big M came to Detroit and played on a daunting line with Alex Delvecchio and Gordie Howe.
	Dale McCourt - One of the most important figures in NHL draft history, McCourt was a bit of a bust in the National Hockey League.
	Bucko McDonald - Nearly forgotten as a hard hitting stay at home defenseman, Bucko McDonald's claim to fame may be the fact that he coached Bobby Orr as a youth and was instrumental in his development.
	Johnny Mowers - After a meltdown in the 1942 Stanley Cup finals, Mowers led the Wings to the championship in 1943 in convincing fashion.

	Jimmy Orlando - Jimmy Orlando was a no-nonsense defender best remembered for a nasty stick swinging incident with Toronto's Gaye Stewart.
	Marty Pavelich - Pavelich was a key but forgotten member of the Red Wings 1950s Stanley Cup dynasty.
	Bob Probert - Hockey's ultimate tough guy rarely lost a battle on the ice. Unfortunately he's lost more than a few off of it.

	Marcel Pronovost - A fearless, rugged rearguard with Detroit Red Wings and later the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pronovost won 5 Stanley Cups
	Mickey Redmond - Mickey Redmond was the first 50 goal scorer in Detroit Red Wings. He may be more of a fan favorite now more than ever.
	Leo Reise Jr. - An under-noticed defenseman with the great Wings teams of the 1950s, Reise Jr. was a playoff hero.
	Earl Robertson - This veteran minor league goalie made his NHL debut in game one of the 1937 Stanley Cup Finals. He would play the whole series, winning the Cup with two shutouts in the final two games!
	Terry Sawchuk - Though modern fans will likely choose Patrick Roy or Dominik Hasek, veteran fans will tell you Terry Sawchuk is the greatest goaltender of all time.
	Enio Sclisizzi - Foster Hewitt couldn't pronounce his name, so he dubbed him Jim Enio.
	Normie Smith - One of the least known of the Stanley Cup winning goalies, Normie Smith was spectacular in the 1936 playoffs.
	Black Jack Stewart - As one of the most devastating hitters in NHL history, Hall of Famer Black Jack Stewart was not to be mess around with.
	Joe Turner - Joe Turner was a promising young goalie for the Red Wings. He died serving in World War II.
	Norm Ullman - Even though he was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame, Norm Ullman remains one of hockey's most underrated stars.
	Bugsy Watson - Nicknamed "Bugsy" by Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio, Bryan Watson had a memorable playoff in 1966 against Chicago's Bobby Hull.
	Benny Woit - Hard hitting Benny Woit was a favorite defense partner of Red Kelly.
	Steve Yzerman - What more can be said about Stevie Wonder? He was one of hockey's greatest players and classiest people.

Joe Turner

2008-07-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Joe Turner was a promising young goalie prior to World War II.

Born in Windsor Ontario, Turner was the top goalie in his junior days with the OHA and MOHL. In his first season of pro hockey, Turner shone with the Indianapolis Capitals of the AHL. He led all goalies that year with 34 wins and also had a minute 2.63 GAA.

On February 5, 1942, Turner got what proved to be his only shot at NHL action when Detroit's starting goalie Johnny Mowers became injured. In his only NHL game, Turner earned a 3-3 tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Turner, like a large number of hockey players, had to put his hockey career on hold in 1942 as he served in World War II. Sometime in January 1945, Turner, a Canadian, was killed in action while serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in Holland.

The Joseph Turner Memorial Cup was created and annually awarded to the winners of the International Hockey League (IHL) championship.

Lest we forget Joe Turner.

Roger Crozier

2008-05-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

"I like everything about hockey,'' Crozier told Jim Hunt in the 1967 book The Men in the Nets. "The travelling, the friends I've met, the interviews. I like everything but the games.''

The game of hockey was more torture than joy Bracebridge, Ontario native Roger Crozier.

Crozier developed his first ulcer playing junior for the St. Catharines Teepees from 1959-62, winning the Memorial Cup in 1960. He would be hospitalized with pancreatitis more than 30 times during his NHL career. An early infection nearly killed him.

He made his big-league debut in 1963 as a 21-year-old call-up from the AHL Pittsburgh Hornets. Maskless, he had his cheekbone fractured by a Frank Mahovlich slapshot early in his first game, yet toughed it out to finish with a 1-1 tie before being sidelined for two weeks.

Unlike a lot of goaltenders Crozier never had great self esteem., especially after Detroit waived the great Terry Sawchuk. "Detroit have had such great goalies - Sawchuk, Glenn Hall and Harry Lumley. Now they're stuck with a little runt like me,'' he said.

But the runt earned the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie in 1964-65, playing all 70 games, winning 40, earning six shutouts and losing the Vezina as the league's top goaltender to Bower and Sawchuk by two goals in the season's final game, a 4-0 Toronto victory over Detroit.

An acrobat on skates, he took Detroit to the 1966 Stanley Cup final against the Canadiens, a six-game loss, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy and its $1,000 bonus and gold Mustang convertible as the playoffs' most valuable player. He starred in every match, despite an ankle badly sprained in Game 4.

Crozier's frayed nerves were legendary. Having lost three straight games at age 25, he quit hockey and returned home to Bracebridge to work as a carpenter. He had a change of heart four months later, and in June 1970 was traded to the expansion Buffalo Sabres for Tom Webster.

In Buffalo he again led a team to the Stanley Cup finals, this time losing a six-game Stanley Cup final to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1974-75. Crozier retired in 1977 after three games, having being dealt to Washington Capitals.

The reluctant Crozier endured a 518-game NHL career that included 206 victories and 30 shutouts.

On January 11, 1996 Roger Crozier died after a long bout with cancer. He was just 53 years old.

Four years later, the NHL and MBNA Bank America, who Crozier worked for in hockey retirement, combined to honor Crozier's memory by awarding the MBNA Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award. The award is presented to the goaltender who finishes the season with the highest save precentage.

Sid Abel

2008-04-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Go Ahead. Name the third member of the "Production Line." Sure you can name Gordie Howe. Most of you could name Ted Lindsay too. Give up? The answer is Sid Abel.

While Howe and Lindsay brought a mixture of styles and aggression that would intimidate their opponents, Abel's creativity and savvy was the backbone of the line and the Red Wings. But don't think he was soft. He could hit as hard or be as abrasive as his line mates.

The intimidating "Production Line" is without doubt one of the greatest combinations in hockey history. To illustrate just how good they were together, in 1949-50 they finished 1-2-3 in the scoring race. Lindsay had 78 points, Abel had 69 and Howe was third with 68.

It can be argued that Abel, not Howe, Sawchuk, Lindsay or Kelly, was the backbone of the great Red Wings team of the 1950's. Hockey historian Ed Fitkin was once quoted as saying "Sid will go down in the Red Wings' history as the greatest competitor and inspirational force the Red Wings ever had."

While with Wings, Abel helped lead the team to the Prince of Wales trophy 5 times as the best team in the Prince of Wales conference.

In 1942 Abel, often nicknamed "Old Bootnose," was named to the Second Team All Star at left wing. In 1949 and 1950 he was named to the First Team All Star at center. Abel was the first player to attain All Star status at two positions.

Also in 1949 Abel won the Hart Trophy as league MVP. In 69 games he would lead the league in goals scored with 28. Most of his 28 goals were either game tying or game winning tallies.

Detroit won the Stanley Cup with Abel's leadership in 1943, 1950, and 1952. Abel delivered the 1943 championship before the arrival of Howe, Lindsay and Sawchuk.

In 1952-53 Abel was released from the Red Wings and signed on with the Chicago Black Hawks as a playing coach. He took over a pathetic team that finished dead last in 5 of the previous six seasons. Yet "Old Bootnose," with the help of 1954 Hart Trophy winning goalie Al Rollins, turned the Hawks around, and into the playoffs. They would go on to take the powerhouse Canadiens to seven games in the semi-final before finally bowing out.

Abel would return to Detroit as coach in 1958 and would become GM in 1963. He would remain with the Wings until 1971 when he would sign on to coach St. Louis.

Abel would rightfully be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.

Carl Liscombe

2008-04-27T17:09:00.001-07:00

Anticipating the retirement of Herb Lewis and disappointed with the showing of his Stanley Cup champions at the start of the 1937-38 season, manager Jack Adams of Detroit brought up Carl Liscombe from Pittsburgh of the AHL.

Carl was about the same build as Lewis and had many of his attributes, being fast and a smart stickhandler. He led his the team offensively, scoring goals in bunches. In one game in his rookie season he scored three goals in 1 minute and 52 seconds, a record that would stand until Bill Mosienko scored his famous 21 second hat trick in 1951-52. In the same game he dropped the gloves with Red Horner, universally considered hockey's baddest man.

He was on a first place team and Stanley Cup winner in 1942-43 playing on the top line with Syd Howe and Mud Bruneteau. In the playoffs he led the scorers with 6 goals and 8 assists.

The following year was his best individual season when he scored a whopping 36 goals and had 73 points in 50 games in 1943-44. He finished 2nd in NHL goal scoring and 4th in NHL point scoring. In the final game of the playoff series with Boston in the 1944-45 season, he practically won the game single-handedly by scoring 4 goals as the Red Wings won 5-3. The Red Wings would come up short against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup finals, however.

He played one more year with Detroit before Jack Adams let him go. He was to have two phenomenal seasons with Providence of the AHL, as in 1947-48 he rewrote the AHL record book by scoring a whopping 50 goals and 118 points. The following season he scored 55 goals to lead the AHL in goals once again. Both of these years he won the AHL most valuable player award and for a time the AHL leading scorer trophy was named after him.

Liscombe later played senior hockey in the OHA Senior League retiring after the 1953-54 season.

Johnny Mowers

2008-04-27T16:57:00.001-07:00

Johnny Mowers had a fine amateur career as an goalkeeper with Niagara Falls of the OHA Sr. League, and then played for Detroit of the MOHL and Omaha of the AHA.

His fine 1.91 goals against average in 1939-40 made Jack Adams decide to sign him for the 1940-41 season. Veteran Tiny Thompson was not living up to expectations, and it was decided that his best years were behind him. Mowers impressed so much in his first year that he almost pulled off the Frank Brimsek feat, nearly winning the Calder Trophy and Vezina Trophy, losing to Johnny Quilty and Turk Broda respectively.

Mowers suffered that malady known as the sophomore jinx the next year as his goals against soared and Detroit plummeted to fifth. He regained his form in the 1942 playoffs as he led Detroit to the Stanley Cup finals, where he continued to shine, as Detroit won the first three games, beating Toronto and having the Leafs on the ropes.

But then he and the Wings unthinkably collapsed. Mowers gave up 19 goals in four games as Toronto executed the greatest comeback in hockey history coming from a 3-0 deficit winning four straight games. The New York Islanders 33 years later would do the same thing, though not in Stanley Cup finals competition.

Despite the meltdown, the Wings kept their team in tact, including goaltending Mowers. With redemption fueling them all season long, 1942-43 was all Detroit and Mowers. He won the Vezina, the Red Wings finished first, and he led the Wings to the Stanley Cup.

This was the end of his stardom, though, as he did what so many did during World War II---enlisted in the armed forces to serve his country. When he came back, he found his job lost to the great Harry Lumley.

He played 7 games in 1946-47, all badly, so it was obvious he couldn't regain his old form and was weak in the playoffs. He tried to regain his form by playing two games for Indianapolis of the AHL, but it was a lost cause and he retired.

Black Jack Stewart

2008-04-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

When people discuss who is the greatest defenseman of all time, names like Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Eddie Shore, Ray Bourque and Larry Robinson are always mentioned. But one name that is rarely mentioned is that of Black Jack Stewart's.

Jack Stewart perfected the bone crushing body check. Despite being relatively small at 5'11" and 185lbs, perhaps no defenseman delivered punishing body checks like Black Jack.

He gave it all he had and then some more in every game he participated in. He was the stalwart defenseman on the Detroit Red Wings for 10 years in the 1930s and 1940s. He was paired with ultra-clean Bill Quackenbush and later Red Kelly, both of whom received many more accolades than did Stewart. It was his job to do the heavy work while his partner would move the puck into the offensive zone and join the attack.

Black Jack was more than just a hitter, even though that's how he'll always be remembered. He was a superb shot blocker and cleared the slot effectively and always made the safe pass. He finished his career with 31 goals, 84 assists for 115 points in 565 games. He was named to 5 all-star teams and helped the Wings to two Stanley Cup championships. Obviously the stats do not do justice for Black Jack Stewart.

Such physical play took its toll on the rugged defenseman late in his career. He joined the Blackhawks late in his career where he was sidelined with a slipped disc in his back, and then a fractured skull, forcing him to retire in the 1951-52 season.

Jack Stewart was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964. In 1998, he was ranked number 97 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Earl Robertson

2008-04-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

Earl Robertson was the unlikely hero of the 1937 Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup championship squad. Robertson, a 10 year minor leaguer, was called up to replace the Wings' starting goalie Normie Smith. Smith injured his elbow in round one against Montreal. It swelled up so much that he could not play against the New York Rangers in the finals. In total Detroit was missing five regulars for the finals.

For Robertson it was his first taste of NHL action. Imagine that! It is your first game and you are in net for game one of the Stanley Cup finals! Talk about pressure! But Robertson performed miraculously in leading the Wings to the Cup. He led Detroit to a three games to two victory. In the final two games he recorded consecutive shutouts!

After adding a Stanley Cup ring to his resume, Robertson was all but assured of NHL employment the following season. However the Wings decided to stay with Smith and traded Robertson to the New York Americans for Red Doran and cash. It was a good move for Robertson. He was the team's undisputed number one goalie for the next three years, posting 51 wins and 15 shutouts while missing only 2 games. He was even named to the NHL second all star team in 1939.

However Robertson's fine play could only carry the financially troubled Americans so far. The team in front of him was one of the weakest in the league, and by 1940 it really showed in the standings. The team went 15-29-4 and missed the playoffs. That was the beginning of the end for Robertson.

The Americans had a hot young prospect waiting for a chance to play in the net. That prospect was future Hall of Famer Chuck Rayner.

Rayner and Robertson battled it out for the starting job for the Americans, with Robertson playing 36 of 48 games in 1940-41. Rayner played the remaining 12 games but also was fine tuning his game in the minor leagues. By 1941-42, the tables were turned. Rayner played in 36 games while Robertson played in just 12, and played most of the season in the minor leagues.

The Americans folded in the summer of 1942. Robertson retired while Rayner would play with the cross town rivals Rangers after a 3 year stint in the military.

Herbie Lewis

2008-04-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

Herbie Lewis was a small but explosive skater from Calgary, Alberta. Following a prolific junior career, Herbie joined the Duluth Hornets of the AHA where he starred for four strong seasons. He was such a star that he was nicknamed "The Duke of Duluth" - a name that would stay with the sharp shooting left winger for the rest of his hockey career. Lewis was the big fish in the small pond known as the AHA. He was that league's brightest light, and was well paid for his services.

It wasn't until 1928-29 that Lewis was finally lured to the National Hockey League as the Detroit Cougars (later renamed Falcons and then finally Red Wings) acquired his rights in 1928. It marked the first year of an 11 year stay in the Motor City, and what a stay it was!

Lewis teamed with right winger Larry Aurie and a variety of fellow-Hall of Fame center men in his NHL tenure. First it was the great Ebbie Goodfellow, but soon Cooney Weiland stepped in between the two sharp shooting wingers. Toronto Maple Leaf boss Conn Smythe once described the line of Lewis, Weiland and Aurie as "the best line in hockey." Despite some great success with these guys, it wasn't until the arrival of Marty Barry in 1935 that the Wings emerged as Stanley Cup champs. The lethal combination of Lewis, Barry and Aurie led the Wings to back to back championships in 1936 and 1937 - the first two championships in Detroit's history.

Named as the Wing's captain in 1933, Herbie was elected as the starting left winger in the first-ever NHL All-Star Game, held for the benefit of Ace Bailey in 1934. One of the most electrifying players in the 1930s, Lewis play for the Wings until 1939 when he opted to move to Indianapolis to play with the AHL Capitals and later coached the team.

Elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989, Lewis registered 148 goals, 161 assists and 309 points in 483 games played. He added 13 goals and and 23 points in 38 playoff games as well.

Herbie passed away on January 21, 1991.

Normie Smith

2008-04-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

Normie Smith was enjoying a pretty nice rookie season in the NHL in 1931-32, until he ran into Howie Morenz. Actually, it was the other way around.

The rookie goalie broke in with the Montreal Maroons in 1931 and played 20 games before the dazzling Howie Morenz was sent flying into the Maroon's net. Smith took the brunt of the collision and was injured so badly he was out for the rest of the season.

Smith spent the next two seasons in the minors, improving his rebound control and all around game. It is there that he discovered that wearing his trademark peaked cap over his eyes cut down the glare from the overhead lights, allowing him to follow the play more easily.

In 1934, Jack Adams of the Detroit Red Wings signed him. Adams was soon displeased with Smith's play and he brought in John Ross Roach to take over for the second half of the 1934-35 season.

Smith got a second chance the following year and was in the Detroit goal for one of the most remarkable games ever played. After the Wings and Maroons finished on top of their respective divisions, they met in Montreal in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. On March 24, 1936, Smith and Lorne Chabot were in their respective nets when the teams faced off at the Montreal Forum before more than 9000 fans. Many of those fans would not be around for the finish of the match - they would be back home and fast asleep when the Wings Mud Bruneteau scored the game's only goal at 2:25 - at 16:30 of the sixth overtime period! Norm Smith had recorded a shutout in the longest game ever played! 176 minutes and 30 seconds. Years later the Guinness Book of World Records also listed Smith's 92 saves as a world record.

Smith's mastery over the Maroons continued into game 2 of the series. He chalked up his second consecutive shutout when the Red Wings blanked the Maroons 3-0.

In game three, back in Detroit, the Maroons Gus Marker finally put a puck past Smith in the first period, ending Smith's shutout streak at 248 minutes and 32 seconds. But Johnny Sorrell and Scotty Bowman (no, not the famous coach, a different guy altogether) replied for the Wings, who won the game 2-1, ending the best of 5 series.

The Red Wings went on to defeat Toronto in the finals, three games to one, to capture the Stanley Cup!

The next year, thanks largely to Smith who won the Vezina Trophy, the Red Wings repeated as league champions. In the playoffs that spring, Smith suffered an elbow injury in game 3 against the Canadiens and was forced to the sidelines. He came back for game 5 and was in the net for a Detroit win that required 52 minutes of overtime.

In the finals against the Rangers, his sore elbow acted up, keeping him on the sidelines. Rookie netminder Earl Robertson took over and played a starring role as the Red Wings won their second straight Stanley Cup!

The Wings slipped badly in 1937-38, missing the playoffs and plummeting to the American Division basement.

Smith played just 4 games in 1938-39 before bolting from the team after a game in New York. Adams suspended him and quickly acquired veteran Tiny Thompson from Boston to replace him.

It had appeared that Smith's NHL career was over, but Adams soon invited him back. Desperate for goaltending help due to World War II enlistment, Adams invited Smith back 5 years later in the 1943-44 campaign. He played 5 games that year, and one more the following year, and then was dismissed.

His career was short, but memorable. A Vezina Trophy, 2 Stanley Cups and over 9 periods of shutout hockey in the playoffs!

Benny Woit

2008-04-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Benny Woit had a long professional hockey career - 18 seasons altogether - but just 5 full seasons in the NHL. In those 5 NHL seasons Woit was fortunate enough to win 3 Stanley Cups - more than most players get in long time career.

"I was fortunate" remembers Woit. "I just happened to be with the right guys I guess. Guys like Lindsay, Howe and Sawchuck...you couldn't go wrong with that bunch."

Woit's statement is typically understated, always downplaying his role. In reality Woit was a valuable if not noticeable member of the 3 championships. While he was a quiet, unassuming man off the ice, Woit was a bit of a hunter on the ice. He was a very defensive minded blueliner (he also briefly saw some action on RW during his career) who loved to take the body.

The one guy who appreciated Woit more than most was Red Kelly, the Red Wings superstar defenseman who often wandered into the offensive zone. He could do so secure in the fact that Woit, his defense partner, had the back end covered.

"I loved to play with Benny Woit," said Kelly. "He wasn't necessarily the fastest of the best skater in the world, but he could skate and he could hit. And when Benny would hit them, they knew they were hit. He delivered solid checks. I would be carrying the puck, and Benny would be hitting, and we'd work well together. Benny always had a great attitude, but Jack Adams liked to ride him all the time."

Adams was the Red Wings tyrannical boss, and he had many whipping boys. Woit was one of his favorite targets, but Woit would learn a unique way to deal with it.

"After a game, Jack would come into the dressing room and head straight to Benny," explained Kelly. "Pigeon-toed Adams would stand in front of Benny chewing him out for something real or imagined. After this happened a few times, Benny figured out what to do. He would rush in, grab an orange or two, and then he would toss the peels on the floor. Now Jack would come flying toward Benny, and he would slip on the peels and forget what he was saying! Benny was quite the jokester."

It was in junior hockey that Woit, a two time Memorial Cup champion as well, first became noticed for his incredible body work. In one game he drilled a foe named Ray Gariepy so hard that Foster Hewitt, who was broadcasting the game, "nearly jumped out of the booth!" Gariepy eventually picked himself off of the ice and continued to play. "I don't think he knew who he was for a couple of weeks" joked Woit.

"I tried to hit them in the NHL but they were a little faster and a little better. I caught a few of them, though it wasn't good enough. That was our game."

Woit was traded to Chicago in 1955 where he spent a year and a half before going to the minors in 1956. He continued his career there until 1966 when he returned to Northern Ontario, Thunder Bay to be exact, where he worked as a longshoreman, something which he did in the summer time even when he played in the NHL.

"The boat comes in. We get on, load the pipes and give him what he wants," describes Woit of his days since hockey. He also loved to hunt and fish and work around the home.

Enio Sclisizzi

2008-03-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

There always seemed to be confusion over his name.

Enio James Sclisizzi's name was never easy to pronounce. Most of his friends and teammates called him Jim or Sils. Famed play by play broadcaster Foster Hewitt, famous for butchering a few names in his career, gave up and called him "Jim Enio"

This hot-blooded Italian was born in Milton, Ontario, on August 1st, 1925. He fell in love with the game of hockey and worked his way up from the Stratford Indians (OHA) to the professional ranks.

Stuck in the strong Red Wings system, he mainly played for their farm team, the Indianapolis Capitols in the AHL where he posted 280 points in 314 games between 1946-52.

During these years he played only sparingly for Detroit. He found himself behind such fine left wingers veterans as Ted Lindsay, Marty Pavelich, Tony Leswick (L/R), Glen Skov (L/R), Johnny Wilson and Vic Stasiuk on the team's depth chart

Jim saw most of his NHL time during the 1948-49 season when he appeared in 50 games, scoring 9 goals and 9 assists during the regular season, plus appearing in 6 playoff games.

Unfortunately for Jim he missed out on the Stanley Cup winning Detroit seasons in 1950 and 1952. He appeared in some games those seasons, but it wasn't enough for a ring. Despite that, his name was originally put on the Stanley Cup in '52, only to be removed when the Cup underwent reconstruction in 1957.

On August 14, 1952 he was traded to Chicago together with line mate Fred Glover. He played 14 games for Chicago that season but spend most of his time in the minors (AHL and WHL). He never played another game in the NHL and finished his career by playing the last 6 seasons in the WHL and AHL before hanging up his skates in 1959.

His biggest individual accomplishments was an AHL 1st All-Star selection in 1952 and a WHL 1st
All-Star team selection in 1954. He also won the AHL and WHL title.

All in all "Jim Enio" played 81 NHL regular season games, scoring 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) as well as appearing in 13 playoff games.

Bryan "Bugsy" Watson

2008-03-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

Nicknamed "Bugsy" by Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio, Bryan Watson was known to be an agitator extraordinaire. He bothered people, doing whatever it took to make them lose their concentration.

In spite of Bryan's small size (5'9" and 175 Ibs), most people were distinctly aware of his presence. Ken Schinkel, a former teammate and coach of Bryan once said " Bryan is very verbal, and will take whatever steps are necessary to do his thing. That thing means to get into fights, give elbows, and make people boo when he comes to the ice."

Schinkel also recalled when he played against Bryan.

"I felt it when Bryan came to say hello in the corners. You always knew you got hit when Bugsy got to you. "

Watson himself used to say that the contact felt good and got his circulation moving. Pete Stemkowski of the Rangers called him a "Madman". Denis Potvin once described how during a fight Bryan drove his head right into his cheek. Anything counted in Bryan's book. His style of play could easily be seen on his PIM totals. Bryan had 2212 Pim's in only 878 games.

Intimidation was the name of the game for Bryan. He was a pretty bad skater and shooter but he had more guts than most players and that is what kept him in the NHL for such a long time. He only scored 17 goals in the 878 games and had 152 points.

A loyal and absolutely fearless player who never hesitated to stop pucks with his head if the situation called for it, Bryan was a great teammate. In the dressing room he was always on the lookout for a good practical joke. He knew when to lighten the bench, and when to set a fire under someone's ass. He was definitely one of those players who every team liked to have on their side.

But among his opponents he was the kind of player that you loved to hate in the same fashion as an Eddie Shack, Theoren Fleury, or Sean Avery. In other words, you loved to have him on your team but you hated to play against him, because he could be really mean.

This Bancroft, Ontario native played his junior career for the Peterborough Petes in the OHA. He then toiled a short while in the minors before being called up to the Montreal Canadiens where he played 39 regular season games during the 1963-64 season as well as 6 playoff games, but he didn't make much of a name for himself. It was apparent that Bryan's bruising style was not going to fit the fleet style of play that the Canadiens were noted for, so they traded him to Chicago on June 8, 1965. One day later he was claimed by Detroit in the intra-league draft.

Watson spent two years in Detroit, drawing some praise for his job checking Bobby Hull in the 1966 playoffs. Yet he would be claimed by Minnesota in the expansion draft in 1967. The North Stars traded him back to Montreal the same day. Once again he had a short stint with the Canadiens and spend most of his time in the AHL and CHL. Needless to say, Watson's luggage was starting to get worn out after all this movement.

It was during the 1967-68 season that Bryan drew some fame. He managed to lead the CHL in penalty minutes (293) in only 50 games, but he also was named the best defenseman in the CHL as well as being the MVP of the league and a first team All-Star.

He was traded to Oakland in 1968 and then to Pittsburgh in 1969. He managed to stay over 5 seasons in the Steel City, and led the NHL with 212 PIMs in 1971-72.

But Bryan continued to be a well traveled player. He played in St. Louis and Detroit once again before finishing his career with three seasons in Washington. In 878 NHL games he scored just 17 times while setting up 135 others. He retired with 2212 PIMs, then a NHL all time record.

After a short coaching tenure with the early 1980s Edmonton Oilers, Watson would stay in the Washington area in retirement, opening up Bugsy’s Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar in nearby Alexandria, Virginia.

Marty Barry

2008-03-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Marty Barry didn't make it to the NHL until he was 24 years old but once he did, he quickly established himself as one of the game' s greatest.

A great skater and prolific playmaker, Barry played briefly with the New York Americans during the 1927-28 season but didn't stick in the NHL until he joined the Bruins in 1929. In Bostone became an solid second line center but by 1933 he developed into perhaps the Bruins top offensive threat. He led his Bruins in scoring for 3 consecutive seasons.

Barry joined the Wings in 1935 after six years with Boston. He played on a line with Larry Aurie and Herbie Lewis. Nicknamed "Goal-a-game" Barry, he led the American Division in scoring in 1935-36, and was second overall. Barry played in 4 seasons with the Wings, 3 of which he led them in scoring. He helped Detroit to win the Stanley Cup in both 1936 and 1937. He was also a First All Star and Lady Byng Trophy winner in the 1936-37 season.

A Detroit sports writer of the times compared Barry to Detroit Tigers' outfielder Charlie Gehringer.

"Like the great Black Knight of the Tiger infield, Marty Berry possesses that faculty of mechanical perfection. He sweeps the ice with such smooth, rhythmic strides his play seems effortless. He is called hockey's greatest passer," wrote Detroit Times writer Bob Murphy.

While with Detroit he played in the longest NHL game on record March 24, 1936, a playoff game against the Montreal Maroons at the Forum in Montreal. The Wings won 1-0 on a goal scored by Mud Bruneteau at the 16-minute mark of the sixth overtime period. The game lasted 176 minutes, ending at 2:25 the next morning.

Barry described that game. "The rink seemed like it was miles long along about 10 minutes to 2 o'clock in the morning. Players of both teams were praying for somebody to score before we all fell from exhaustion."

Barry would finish his career by playing one season for the Montreal Canadiens before turning to coaching.

He somehow managed to escape major injury in his career playing in 509 consecutive games over 10 years without missing one. The closest he came to missing a contest was when his wife was having trouble in child birth.

Marty Barry scored 195 goals, 192 assists and 387 points in his career. He added another 15 goals and 18 assists in 43 playoff matches.

Barry died of a heart attack in 1969 at age 64. He was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965.

Gerard Gallant

2008-02-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Looking for an All Star power forward who, in his prime, averaged 37 goals, 80 points and 236 PIMs a year? Look no farther than Gerard Gallant.

One of the few natives of Prince Edward Island to play in the National Hockey League, Gerard Gallant was competitive, chippy, sometimes dirty player. His game was as a no-nonsense, up and down winger with good hockey sense and he absolutely hated to lose. Although he was only 5'10" and 185 pounds, he played like he was 6'3" and 215 pounds. One of Detroit's "Bad Boys" with the likes of Joey Kocur and Bob Probert, Gallant became a fixture on superstar Steve Yzerman's left wing in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Although he was certainly no heavyweight, he showed up every night and kept the opposition honest. Much like Kevin Dineen, Gallant showed up to the rink every single night determined that no one would out hustle him that game. But Gallant also had the finesse tools to play with one of the league's most electrifying players in Yzerman.

Not a great skater, Gallant benefited greatly from playing with Yzerman. Yzerman would draw the attention of the entire other team with is chaotic display of puck control and skating excellence. Meanwhile Gallant's job was to get himself open and in scoring position. More often than not, Gallant had a gift wrapped pass on the tape of his stick. Once he had that puck he used his heavy and accurate shot to bury it.

But it should also be said that Yzerman benefited from Gallant's play too. Early in his career Yzerman was all offense, and later became the gritty, solid player that he is best known for. But during those early years when Yzerman was putting up mind-boggling numbers, it was Gallant who would dig for the puck in the corners and in front of the net, doing the dirty work for Stevie Y. Gallant loved to play a physical game, often initiating contact and and hitting anything in sight. Gallant gave everything he had on every single shift.

Drafted 107th overall by the Wings in 1981 out of the QMJHL, Gerard joined the Red Wings during the 1984-85 season. After a season and a half of tearing up the American Hockey League. He stepped into Detroit and added some infectious enthusiasm plus 6 goals and 18 points in 32 games. He wouldn't return to the minor leagues until very late in his career.

Gallant battled some injuries in his first full NHL season - 1985-86. He only got into 52 games but notched 20 goals.

In 1986-87 Gerard proved he was one of the top players in the game. Playing with Yzerman on a full time basis, Gallant played in all 80 games and scored 38 goals, 72 points and had 216 PIM! 17 of his goals were scored on the power play. He was also a big part of a surprising playoff run that post season - scoring 8 goals and 14 points in 16 games.

Gallant proved that that was no fluke in the following seasons. In 1987-88 he notched 34-39-73 totals in 73 games (plus 242 PIM!) while his Wings repeated their 16 game romp into the playoffs. Gallant scored 6 goals and 15 points that post season, but the Wings fell just short to advancing into the Stanley Cup finals.

1988-89 proved to be Gerard's best season, as well as Steve Yzerman's. Gallant was named as a second team NHL All Star after achieving career highs in all major categories - 39 goals, 54 assists and 93 points. he added 230 PIM for good measure. Yzerman, thanks in part to his mighty mite left winger, catapulted himself into a hockey stratosphere reserved only for Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux at the time. He scored 155 points and was simply dominant. Unfortunately the Wings weren't dominant enough in the playoffs, as they were shockingly bounced in the opening round.

Gallant played in only 69 games in 1989-90, but he had another typical Gallant season when he scored 36 goals, 44 assists and 80 points while notching a career high 254 PIM.

However in 1990 Gallant's problems started, as he started complaining about back problems. Those back problems quickly limited Gallant's effectiveness. He would only play in 41 games in 1990-91. He returned to somewhat regular duty in 1991-92 and 1992-93 when he played in 69 and 67 games respectively, but by this time he had lost a step and lots of ice time, as he no longer was a regular on Yzerman's left side or on the Detroit power play.

Gallant played in Detroit until he was released in the summer of 1993. The Tampa Bay Lightning had hopes that he could step into their lineup and fill a hole, but he struggled in 52 games with the Bolts. By 1995 his back gave out on him again. Gallant tried to work through it by reporting to the minors where he had hoped to get back into game shape, but after less than 20 games it became obvious. He also briefly saw time in the minor leagues before retiring and getting into coaching

In 615 NHL games Gerard was a very nice player. He scored 211 goals, 269 assists and 480 points plus 1674 penalty minutes.

Bill Quackenbush

2008-01-26T18:03:00.000-08:00

Bill Quackenbush played with the Detroit Red Wings and the Boston Bruins in his 14 year career in the NHL. The 5'11" 180lb blueliner was not only one of the best defensive blueliners, but also, much like Niklas Lidstrom in the modern NHL, was as gentlemanly as he was efficient.

While playing with the Red Wings he was teamed with such pugilists as Terrible Ted Lindsay, Black Jack Stewart and of course Gordie Howe. Later Bill would play for the Big Bad Boston Bruins. Quackenbush's play was completely contradictory to that of his teams. Instead of using violence and brute strength, he would use a clean, pure version of defense. He seemingly knew what the opposing team would do before it would happen and he'd break-up the play without having to resort to physically manhandling the player. His positioning was perfect, his defense as elegant as it was disciplined

Quackenbush was an extraordinary thinker. To play NHL defense and to do it without taking many penalties requires an incredibly intelligent level of hockey sense. That being the case, Quackenbush certainly would have to qualify as one of the games most intelligent players ever.

Bill, who had a brother named Max who also played in the NHL, won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1949, an incredibly rare accomplishment for defensemen. It was hard to not give it to Bill that year though as the NHL First All Star Team defenseman did not commit a single foul in the entire season. In fact, Bill once went a span of 137 consecutive games (spanning 3 different seasons) without taking a single penalty! He probably should have won the trophy more than once.

Hubert George "Bill" Quackenbush was born in Toronto on March 2 1922. The 5 time all star never won a Norris trophy as the league's best blueliner but always a candidate. "Quack" would play in 774 games, rarely missing any to injury. He would score 62 goals and assist on 222 others while accumulating a miniscule 95 minutes in penalties.

Bill Quackenbush was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976. Long time teammate Gordie Howe said it best about Bill when he said "He's one of the best all-around players I've ever played with."

There has often been talk about creating an award for the best defensive defenseman in the National Hockey League. There is an award for best defensive forward, so why not for the best defensive blueliner? There would be few better candidates to name such a trophy after than Bill Quackenbush.

Quackenbush lived an interesting life after retiring from hockey in 1956. In 1962 he received his degree in civil engineering from Northeastern University, but ultimately it was sports that would continue to preoccupy him. In 1967 he became head coach of Princeton University until 1975. In 1971 he added the varsity golf team to his duties, a position he held until 1985. And in 1978 he became head coach of Princeton's women's hockey team, also until 1985.

Leo Reise Jr.

2008-01-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

I guess you can say Leo Reise Jr. was born into hockey.

The nine-year NHLer was born while his father Leo Sr. was playing in the 1920s with the Hamilton Tigers, New York Americans and New York Rangers. during his own eight-year NHL career. Leo Jr. followed in his footsteps in fine form and by doing so they became the first father and son tandem to play in the NHL.

After splitting his first two seasons between the Chicago Blackhawks and the minors, Leo Jr. joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1946-47. He played six seasons with the Wings where he worked as a fiercely proud journeyman in the shadows of the likes of Gordie Howe. Reise Jr. never really minded, as was part of two Stanley Cups championships.

Reise Jr.'s fellow defensemen included Black Jack Stewart, Marcel Pronovost, Red Kelly and Bill Quackenbush. Talk about a great blue line! But don't dismiss Reise Jr. as a spare part.

His third-period shorthanded goal in Game 7 of the 1949 semifinal against Montreal snapped a 1-1 tie and propelled the Wings to a 3-1 victory. That goal was reputed to be Reise vs the Canadiens, as Reise gathered the puck in his own zone and battled along the boards past all five Montreal skaters before driving a 40-foot shot past Canadiens goalie Bill Durnan.

"Leo Reise scored that goal that broke the tie because he absolutely refused to give up," Wings coach Tommy Ivan said. "He lost the puck twice and got it back because he kept fighting for it."

Then against Toronto in the 1950 semifinals, Reise whipped a backhand off the leg of Leafs defenseman Gus Mortson and behind goalie Turk Broda after 20:38 of overtime for a 2-1 victory. With the seventh game of the series scoreless and into the second OT session, Reise lifted a 35-foot backhander through a crowd past Broda and the Wings moved on to meet and beatt the New York Rangers in the final.

The first Stanley Cup championship in 1950 ranks as Reise Jr.'s career highlight.

"Well I think it has to be the year we won the Stanley Cup in '49-50 when I scored the two overtime goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs to eliminate them out of the semi-finals. It was a pretty rough series. I think those goals I scored in overtime were probably the highlights."

Reise definitely knew how to pick up his game in the playoffs. During his career, he averaged a goal every 18 games during regular-season play, but tallied once every six games in Stanley Cup competition.

Reise Jr. also counts playing in the six-team era as a true highlight. The rivalries were intense, even if Detroit often came out on top in those days.

"Well, we just had rivalries against … a couple years we only lost 11 hockey games. Eleven games one year and only 13 games the next year so we didn't mind playing against anybody. The toughest of all our games were against Toronto and the Canadiens. Richard was a fantastic hockey player. Very great competitor and he was tough to play against. We didn't have any particular team we were afraid of or anything like that. We could beat anybody at any given time. The last few series we only won in eight games. In '51-52 we won the series in eight games, so we were powers."

Reise Jr. mentioned a couple of other players he had great admiration for.

"From the standpoint of great hockey players, Jack Stewart was a fine, great defenceman. Guys like Milt Schmidt were great competitors that played with Boston. But these were great hockey players. You don't idolize them but you want to make sure you can emulate them really."

Reise then finished his career off by playing two more seasons with the New York Rangers. Over his nine NHL seasons, Leo Jr. scored 28 goals, 81 assists, and 109 points in 494 regular season games while adding eight goals and 13 points in 52 playoff contests.

He got out of hockey and returned to Hamilton, operating a plumbing wholesale house which grew to 11 outlets across Ontario. He would later start up a plastic company that he ran for 17 years before he sold his shares.

You get the feeling Reise Jr. is as proud of his non-hockey life as he is of his hockey life, which is the way it should be. Though he was born into hockey and it played a big part of the first half of his life, he moved on and had many interests.

"Well, hockey was a big part of my life for only for nine years. After that, I had business to attend to. And when I got out, I went to McMaster and I got my degree in science there and I got out of that and I went back to accounting which I started when I went into the service and the navy. So I got my Certified General Accountant designation after that. I was busy studying and raising kids and all that sort of stuff. Very busy man."

Leo Reise Jr. was a hard worker, on and off the ice.

Jimmy Orlando

2008-01-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Orlando was a mean spirited, hard hitting defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings for 4 full seasons in the 1940s prior to his involvement in World War II

Aside from his aggressive play, his rarely-shaven face was a recognizable characteristic of Orlando's. And on one night it cost him a lot of blood.

In a game in 1942-43 between the Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, Orlando unceremoniously thumped Leafs rookie Gaye Stewart. Stewart didn't like it much, and got up and yelled "Why don't you get yourself a shave!"

Orlando didn't say a word, but rather leaned back and hurled a devastating punch at Stewart, knocking him out instantly.

Stewart recovered and later in the game returned to the ice. Soon enough the two collided again. As Stewart raced down on Orlando with the puck, Stewart suddenly forgot about the puck and took a home run swing at Orlando with his stick. The stick connected with Orlando's head, causing much blood to be spilled.

"The only other time I saw more blood was the day I was taken on a tour of the cattle killing floor of an abattoir," said famed writer Jim Coleman.

Orlando recovered from the incident and continued to play until he 1944 when he was arrested by the FBI. He was charged and convicted of draft evasion and falsifying documents suggesting he held an essential war job and therefore was exempt from military service. Orlando avoided jail time by enlisting in the Canadian armed forces.

Once he returned from the war, he stayed in his native Quebec and played in the QSHL with Montreal and Valleyfield.

After retiring from hockey altogether in 1951, he remained in the Montreal area until his death in 1992. I have not been able to confirm what he did in his life after hockey, but I have some unconfirmed reports that he befriended legendary wrestling promoter Eddie Quinn. Orlando may have become the manager of Montreal's famous 'El Morroco' night club. Other reports suggest he may have actually stepped into a wrestling ring himself, but as a referee.

Ted Lindsay

2007-10-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

No man on skates was ever too big or too tough for Ted Lindsay to challenge. At 5'8" and 160lbs he used his big stick and his fists to cut down some of the biggest meanest men in National Hockey League history.

He was known as Scarface or Terrible Ted. The scars on his rugged face represented his courage in his many on ice battles. How many scars he can't tell you, because he lost count after 400 stitches. The nickname "Terrible" only referred to his reputation, because his play was magnificent.

The son of NHL goaltender Bert Lindsay, Ted Lindsay broke into the league in 1944 making the big jump to the NHL at age 19. Lindsay was a celebrated junior player with the St. Michael's Majors in Toronto, but somehow escaped the talent scouts of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Renfrew-born, Kirkland Lake raised Lindsay was property of the Detroit Red Wings, much to the chagrin of Leafs boss Conn Smythe.

Lindsay stepped in as a rookie and played on a line with the great Syd Howe and playoff hero Mud Bruneteau. Lindsay, though a small player, made his on-ice presence felt. He was full of moxie and never showed any hesitation in waging wars with the biggest and baddest men in the league. He was rough, often mean and occasionally dirty.

It was with a different line and with a different Howe that Lindsay would be famous for. For much of his career he played left wing on Detroit's famous "Production Line" with Gordie Howe and Sid Abel. With Lindsay in the lineup the Red Wings won eight regular season titles and four Stanley Cup Championships in the 40s and 50s.

Lindsay's place among hockey's great LWs is not in doubt. He was a 9 time all star, include 8 selections to the First Team. The 1950 Art Ross trophy winner scored 379 career goals, 472 career assists and 851 career points. He also had over 1800 PIMs in a 1000+ game career, all amazing numbers for the Original Six era.

Although he ranks as one of if not THE greatest left wingers in hockey history, perhaps his off ice achievements are his greatest legacy. He, and Doug Harvey, organized a handful of players who were courageous enough to stand up and challenge team ownership and organize the first professional hockey player's union, now known as the NHLPA.

On February 12th, 1957 the NHLPA's formation was announced, and almost immediately NHL owners looked to squash the movement. Each team began the successful disintegration of the player's movement, and they went to whatever lengths were deemed necessary. Jack Adams, the Red Wings legendary boss, was particularly irate and intimidate everyone of his players, and in most he was very successful. He unleashed a system campaign of lies and personal attacks on Lindsay, scaring most of the Red Wings players into backing away from certification votes.

The most notable name to back down was Gordie Howe, the best player in the league. Without Howe's commitment, the NHLPA was doomed to fail, and Lindsay knew it. This whole episode caused a major rift between the two that has never been fully healed.

For his union organizing activities, Detroit had little choice but to trade Lindsay to Chicago in 1957.

"A series of rumors about my attitude, as well as derogatory remarks about myself and my family showed me that the personal resentment of the Detroit general manager toward me would make it impossible for me to continue playing hockey in Detroit," said Lindsay.

Lindsay would play three years in Chicago, but his heart was always tattooed with Detroit's Winged Wheel. He retired a beaten man, an empty man.

Amazingly, after 4 years of retirement, he rejoined the Red Wings to finish off his career. "I just had the desire to wind up my career with the Red Wings," said Lindsay. "I liked playing in Chicago, and I gave them everything I had, but I knew in my heart I was a Red Wing."

"Through the years, I have so many wonderful memories of playing with the Red Wings: winning four Stanley Cups, scoring big goals, going into battle every night side by side with my teammates, playing with every ounce of effort I could muster."

The comeback only lasted one season but it was a season in which the Red Wings would lead the league for the first time in 8 years. Lindsay then re-retired and was inducted into the Hall of Fame a year later.

"Looking back, I've never had one regret," he said.

Marty Pavelich

2007-10-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

When you think of the great Detroit teams of the 1950s you automatically recall Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Red Kelly, Terry Sawchuk, Sid Abel....the list is seemingly endless. One of the names on that team that time seems to have forgotton is Marty Pavelich. That's our job here at IceLegends.com - to forever immortalize yesterday's heroes online.

Marty wasn't the most explosive scorer in the league but he put up respectable offensive totals and was a 4 time NHL All Star. But his job was more that of a defensive winger. He excelled in shutting down the other team's top gun.

So good was he at shutting down the opposition, Stan Fischler, a famous hockey author, ranked him as the 4th best defensive forward of all time in his book Hockey's 100. Only Claude Provost, Joe Klukay and Ed Westfall ranked ahead Marty

"Complementing the Production Line (Howe/Abel/Lindsay) on the awesome Detroit Red Wings of the 1950s was this slithery center (though he played mostly LW) who tormented the foe with his tenacious checking" wrote Fischler.

Probably Pavelich's best known opponent to shadow was Rocket Richard, who Pavelich held in high regard.

"Well, Richard, that was my job to check him for 10 years and to me, he was the greatest goal scorer of all time. Even anybody playing today. Richard would have scored … he had a knack of getting the puck to the net. He was a very determined hockey player. Very, very fierce competitor.

Pavelich also had high regard for several other players as well, as he told NHLPA.com.

"The two Bentleys (Max and Doug) and (Bill) Mosienko. That line had speed to burn. That was a real good hockey line. And of course big Milt Schmidt, one of my all-time favorites with Boston. He was an outstanding hockey player. And of course you had some in Toronto. You had Teeder Kennedy who was the big gun in Toronto at that time. Then I played against Syl Apps, too, and he was a pretty good hockey player in his day. There were a lot of good guys. A lot of guys that were very competitive and we would do battle all the time. And of course (Doug) Harvey, we always thought that without Harvey on that team we could beat Montreal because he really was controlling the puck back on that blueline. He'd pick it up and take his time, get it out, move it out, get the guy in the open and throw it to him and away they'd go. To me, he was one of the greatest defenceman to ever play."

Born in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, Pavelich's hockey career began in Galt, Ontario. The left winger played three seasons of junior hockey with the Galt Red Wings where he recorded back-to-back 22-goal seasons before joining the NHL's Red Wings for the 1947-48 campaign. In Galt he got to know Gordie Howe (teammate) and Red Kelly and Ted Lindsay (opponents with the St. Mikes Majors) very well. The foursome all went on to be a huge part of the Detroit hockey scene.

Pavelich split his first NHL season between the Red Wings and the Indianapolis Capitals of the American Hockey League. He then played his first full NHL season with Detroit in 1948-49, recording 26 points in 60 games. The following year Marty helped the Wings capture the Stanley Cup, his first of four, and he played in his first NHL All-Star game (In this era it was customary for the Stanley Cup champions to play against a league all star team for the All Star game).

Marty enjoyed the same success in 1952. Again he played in the league's All-Star game and he also helped lead the Wings to another league championship. That year he also set career-highs with 17 goals and 36 points.

Pavelich enjoyed similar success in 1954 and 1955. In both of those seasons, Marty played in the All-Star game and, more importantly, he helped the Wings to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories.

Marty played two more seasons with the Wings before deciding to hang up the blades after the 1956-57 campaign. Over his career with the Wings, Pavelich had amassed 93 goals, 159 assists and 252 points in 634 regular season games.

Following retirement he and Ted Lindsay got into the plastics industry, supplying the automotive industry.

Times have changed a lot in the NHL since Pavelich played. Despite being on 4 Stanley Cup champions, there was never such a thing as a Stanley Cup parade in Detroit in those days. So when the Wings finally won another Cup in the 1990s, they invited former Wings including Pavelich to be a part of the Stanley Cup parade. You have got to love an organization that cares about the history of the team.