Detroit Red Wings Legends

A Big Thank You

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:19:00 +0000

It's official! In October GreatestHockeyLegends.com, now entering it's 4th season, had the third busiest month in site history!

When you combine sister site HockeyBookReviews.com I blew away my previous best for readership.

A big thank you goes out to my loyal readers.

Detroit Red Wings Greatest Players

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Sid Abel
Gary Aldcorn
Larry Aurie
Pete Babando
Doug Barkley
Marty Barry
Gary Bergman
Mud Bruneteau
Roger Crozier
Alex Delvecchio
Alex Faulkner
Sergei Fedorov
Viacheslav Fetisov
Danny Gare
Warren Godfrey
Bob Goldham
Ebbie Goodfellow
Danny Grant
Dominik Hasek
George Hay
Paul Henderson
Flash Hollett
Gordie Howe
Willie Huber
Syd Howe
Red Kelly
Petr Klima
Joey Kocur
Vladimir Konstantinov
Igor Larionov
Reed Larson
Tony Leswick
Joey Kocur
Vladimir Konstantinov
Mike Korney

Igor Larionov
Reed Larson
Tony Leswick
Ted Lindsay
Carl Liscombe
Harry Lumley
Len Lunde
Parker MacDonald
Bruce MacGregor
Frank Mahovlich
Dale McCourt
Bucko McDonald
Doug McKay
Billy McNeill
Johnny Mowers
John Ogrodnick
Jimmy Orlando
Marty Pavelich
Dennis Polonich
Bob Probert
Marcel Pronovost
Mickey Redmond
Dutch Reibel
Leo Reise Jr.
Earl Robertson
Terry Sawchuk
Enio Sclisizzi
Glen Skov
Brad Smith
Normie Smith
Black Jack Stewart
Joe Turner
Norm Ullman
Bugsy Watson
Benny Woit
Steve Yzerman

Sergei Fedorov

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Sergei Fedorov became a man larger than life. He was one of the flashiest and best hockey players of his day, paid millions and millions of dollars. He was known outside of the game for fast cars, nice clothes and his relationship with tennis sex symbol Anna Kournikova (and Tara Reid and Danielle Meers, for that matter).

There was a time when Sergei lived a much simpler life. The Russian was born in Pskov, just outside of what we now call St. Petersburg, but he grew up in Apatiti, a town literally north of the Arctic Circle. He learned to skate on the frozen rivers, and before he was a teenager was playing in the local adult hockey league, with his father Viktor as the center.

Word of Sergei's incredible hockey ability traveled fast, even from the Arctic. By the age of 13 his family agreed to let him move to Minsk, in what is now known as Belarus, to attend a special sports school to hone his hockey skills. It would not be long before he was relocated again, this time to Moscow to train with the Red Army and the famed Russian national team.

The national team and father Viktor pushed Sergei because they all knew he was a true hockey prodigy, somebody who very possibly would one day be considered the greatest hockey player from Russia ever. Remember, this was still in the days of communist Soviet Union where a star player like Sergei was essentially developed to be part of the superiority propaganda machine of the Kremlin. It was very important that Sergei and others become the best hockey players possible.

Sergei needed no extra incentives as wanted to be the best he could be. The only thing was Sergei had a much different vision of the future than did the Russian hockey authorities. Sergei wanted to be the best player in the National Hockey League, and he wanted the freedoms of western life.

Sergei made that vision a reality in 1990, with the help of the Detroit Red Wings who drafted Sergei 74th overall in 1989. With the Soviet team playing at the Goodwill Games in Seattle. Fedorov snuck away from his KGB watchers and into a waiting limousine who took the young Russian star to the airport. He boarded Red Wings owner Mike Illitch's private jet, and touched down in Detroit before the Russians even knew he was missing.

"It was both a scary and happy time for me," Fedorov recalled. "I just wanted an opportunity to play the game I loved. But it was tough for me to leave my country, very tough."

Fedorov loved his homeland very much, but he knew he had to leave. Unlike countrymen and fellow defector Alexander Mogilny, he purposely waited to defect until his mandatory military training was complete before bailing. That way he could not be declared a traitor to his country. In fact, though the details have always been murky, Sergei may have even have beaten the official defector label thanks to post-event negotiations.

Despite the language difficulties and a very different world he found himself in, Sergei immediately established himself as one of the best players in the National Hockey League. When all was said and done he won three Stanley Cups, 2 Selke trophies, 1 Hart Trophy and 1 Pearson Trophy and the highest scoring Russian player in NHL history.

Of course the political world changed drastically following Sergei's jump to freedom, and he was able to compete for his country again, playing in 2 Olympics (will he make it 3 in 2010?), 2 Canada Cups/World Cups, 1 World Championship and 3 World Junior Championships.

Fedorov was a near perfect hockey player, perhaps the most versatile player of the modern generation. He was so heady and understood the game so well that he could play any position, even defense, a true rarity of the hockey elite. His phenomenal skating prowess and agility complimented his intelligence so that he could excel in any situation.

He was trained in the mould of a classic Russian centerman, which is why he was so good defensively. He knew where to be so that he would be in perfect position. Sometimes he was unfairly criticized for not keeping his feet moving when playing defensively. So many 4th line defensive specialists pump their legs to keep up, whereas the powerfully footed Fedorov only needed a stride or two to make the play.

"It's not always how many times you score, it's what you do to help the team win. Stopping goals or creating opportunities is just as important as any goal you score," he once philosophized very accurately.

Fedorov only won 2 Selke trophies as best defensive forward, but he likely would have won more had he not put up such gaudy offensive numbers, too. He was a dazzling puck handler with an absolute lazer of a shot. He saw the ice brilliantly and was a top playmaker, especially springing linemates on the transition offense.

Fedorov had the ability to dominate any game. He was critized for taking nights off during the regular season, and it was fair comment. But the bigger the game, the better Fedorov was. He put together 4 consecutive Stanley Cup playoffs with at least 20 points, an incredible feat.

I often wonder how great Fedorov's legacy would have been had he remained in Detroit longer. He left in 2003, chasing the money and the stardom Anaheim promosed. But he wasted away in relative obscurity in California, then in Columbus, before he had a minor resurrection with Alexander Ovechkin's Washington Capitals late in his career.

Had he stayed in Detroit he could have won more Stanley Cups and, with Steve Yzerman battling injuries then retiring, possibly be recognized as the game's best player. I've often wondered if Fedorov has any regrets over leaving, too.

In my mind, there was no more perfect a hockey player than Sergei Fedorov on the top of his game. He could play on my team any day of the week.

Dennis Polonich

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:13:00 +0000

Foam Lake Saskatchewan is a small town to the east of Saskatoon that lives and breathes hockey. The small town has produced some fine hockey players over the years - most notably St. Louis Blues Hall of Famer Bernie Federko, Winnipeg 30 goal scorer Pat Elynuik and Detroit Red Wings tough guy Dennis Polonich.

If you look at Polonich's penalty minute totals - you'd assume he was a hockey goon. He had 1242 career PIM in just 390 games, including one season with 302 PIM. But when you take a look at his size - just 5'6" 166 pounds - and you can not help but be amazed that this man took on the NHL's heavyweights like Hammer Schultz, Tiger Williams and Clark Gillies!

Polonich was a Theoren Fleury-like player out of the Flin Flon Bombers of the WCJHL. Mostly because of his size, he was passed over by NHL teams until 1973, when the Red Wings took a late round flyer on him in the NHL Entry Draft. Polonich had spent the previous season playing for the London Lions in Britain of all teams, a Wings experimental affiliate team. The Wings liked his spunk and brought him to training camp.

"Polo," as he was affectionately known as, made a good impression on the Wings in his first NHL training camp - fighting and clawing anything in site. The Wings rewarded him with a trip to the minor leagues - something which seemed unlikely even just a year ago. Dennis went to the AHL Virginia Wings and played admiringly, and was rewarded for his fine play with a 4 game call up. Dennis rarely got to play in his first 4 NHL games, however.

In 1975-76, a spot on the Red Wings roster was opened up thanks to the departure of hot young superstar Marcel Dionne. Polonich benefited from this as he got a chance to play somewhat regularly in the NHL - 57 games. While no one ever said Polonich was the guy who directly replaced Marcel Dionne and his 121 points from the season before, in a way he did. He certainly did not have the skill or the style or the offensive statistics of Marcel, but Dennis brought his fiery style of play to the Motor City much to the delight of Red Wings fans. Dennis came to play every single night, and left every ounce of exhausted effort on the ice by the time the game was over. He had just 11 goals and 23 points that season - and a well earned 302 minutes in penalties. But he was named as the Wings most exciting player and almost instantly became a fan favorite in Detroit.

Fans of the lackluster 1970s teams in Detroit had little to cheer about their team in those days, but they loved their Dennis.

"I was popular," Polonich said. "I can remember them chanting, 'Polo, Polo, Polo.' When I look back, those are the things that warms the heart."

Polonich would play 4 and 1/2 more seasons in Detroit. For a time he captained the team, and he always led by example.

"I was a feisty little disturber on the ice," Polonich said, "and I played against some of the all-time great lines."

While many disliked the violence of hockey back in the 1970s, Polonich makes no apologies for the way he played.

"I played with a lot of emotion and I tried to get the team to play with emotion," he said. "In hindsight, some of the time it was called for, and maybe some of the times it was unnecessary. But that's the way I played and that's what I had to do to survive."

Polonich was involved in one particularly ugly incident ion October 28, 1978. After getting speared in the face, Colorado Rockies Wilf Paiement hits Detroit's Dennis Polonich in the face with his stick, causing some serious facial injuries. County prosecutors investigated the incident, but unlike a few other on ice incidents in the time period did not press any charges. While Paiement was suspended for 15 games, that wasn't good enough for Polonich who then opted to sue Paiement, who was covered by an insurance policy for such events. Polonich and his lawyers apparently agreed to settle out of court for $50,000 but the insurance company wanted to try it's hand with the judicial system. That proved to be a costly error as a US federal jury awarded Polonich a princely sum of $850,000!

Polonich was never quite the same after the ugly incident. In 1979-80 he had just 2 goals and 127 PIM in 66 games. By 1980-81 he was sent down to the minor leagues by the mid way point of the season. Aside from an 11 game call up in 1982-83, Dennis would remain the minors until he retired in 1987.

Dennis scored 52 goals and 82 assists for 141 points in 390 NHL games. He will be remembered as a cult hero in Detroit and as a feisty heart-and-soul type in the colorful yet violent 1970s.

Doug McKay

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:14:00 +0000

There have been a number of great players who have played well over 1000 NHL games but never won a Stanley Cup. Names like Harry Howell, Mike Gartner, Borje Salming, Gilbert Perreault, Brad Park, and Marcel Dionne headline that list.

While those players enjoyed incredible careers, you have to wonder if they'd trade all of that for what Doug McKay has.

McKay, a native of Hamilton, Ontario, played in only one NHL game in his entire hockey career, but it just happened to be at the right place at the right time. He got called up by Detroit in game 3 of the 1950 Stanley Cup finals. The 20 year old rookie just helped the Indianapolis Capitals capture the AHL championship and Detroit figured he could give them a little boost.

Although he travelled with the team for the rest of the series, he never played again. But when Detroit's Pete Babando scored in overtime in game 7 the Wings emerged as the victors and the Stanley Cup champions. Because McKay appeared in the series he earned the right to have his named engraved on Lord Stanley's Grail.

It was McKay's first and last game. He remained in the Wings' farm system for a couple more years before going to Stratford Ontario where he retired from pro hockey but continued to play senior hockey. McKay would go on to become a successful coach, earning two Turner Cup championships in the IHL.

Mike Korney

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:56:00 +0000

Mike Korney was a well travelled minor leaguer. He was a defenseman by trade who also played considerable time at right wing throughout his career. He was an imposing figure at 6'3" and 200+ pounds of pure muscle. Although he was not really noted for his physical play, he was as strong a player as there was in his day.

George Pesut, who often prepared for the hockey season with "Captain Kornball," said "Naturally everybody wanted him to fight, and on a lot of night's Mike was just a gentle giant, or too tired from his escapades the night before, or cleaning out the bar in a bar room brawl and a little too tired to continue on the ice. If you ever got him mad watch out! In junior his favorite trick was just picking the player up in mid air, and body slamming them against the glass with his incredible strength."

Just how strong was he? George shares this great story:

"I use to organize the ice for all the pro's in Saskatoon before we went to camp,and we had about 40 guys just from Saskatoon who played in the NHL back in the 70's.One thing that I can always remember from those skates in august each year was something Mr. Kornball use to do. I have never seen anybody able to do this feat with that little round disc! He use to line up five pucks at the blueline and skate in from the redline and wrist the biscuit over the net with one hand, and it was not a wobbly shot! That's one for the Ripley's Hockey Hall of Fame!"

The Dauphin Manitoba native spent his first professional season of 1973-74 split between 4 teams in 4 leagues. Most of that season was spent in London England where he was one of the top players with London Lions. He also appeared in his first two National Hockey League games with the Detroit Red Wings.

Year two of pro hockey was his best from an NHL standpoint. Due to a plethora of injuries, Korney was able to get into 30 games with the Wings, and chipped in 8 goals and 10 points. However he continued to rack up those frequent travel miles as he actually played with 5 teams in 1974-75. Each of his minor league stops were brief.

Korney got into the Wings lineup 27 times in 1975-76, mostly as a defenseman and receiving little ice time. He did get a goal and 8 points in that time, but split the rest of the season between the AHL and the CHL. In mid season he was actually traded in a 6 player swap with Philadelphia, although he never would play for the Flyers.

Korney never got into a single NHL game in 1976-77, but Korney must have enjoyed staying in one city for an entire season. Korney had played the entire year with the Kansas City Blues, a farm team of the St. Louis Blues, even though he wasn't under contract to the St. Louis organization. He spent the following year bouncing once again between three teams and three leagues but was rewarded for his resilience in the summer of 1978.

In typical Korney-fashion, Mike attended the Blues training camp and made a good impression. However waiver draft complications meant that the Blues would risk losing him for nothing since they did not intend to protect him. So the Blues moved Korney to the Montreal Canadiens, only to have the New York Rangers claim Korney two days later.

It worked out well for Korney as he picked up a NHL pay check for 18 games with the Rangers. He also, of course, spent a spattering of time between to minor league teams in an injury plagued season.

Korney spent one more year in professional hockey, spending the entire 1979-80 campaign with the AHL Syracuse Firebirds.

Korney retired at the turn of the decade, scoring 9 goals and 19 points in 77 NHL games and collecting 1000s of travel miles! He opted to return to western Canada once he gave up the professional game, but he never gave up the game. He became a player coach with the senior league Cranbrook Royals. He splayed and coached for two years, capturing the Allan Cup in 1982.

Mike has become an expert helicopter pilot and who spent time in the Persian Gulf.

Len Lunde

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:19:00 +0000

This is Len Lunde. He was a solid second or third line checker with some play making ability. His professional hockey career would last 18 seasons, taking him all over the world, but only 321 times did he participate in a NHL game. Given how hard it was to crack a NHL line up in the days of the Original Six, this was no small feat.

The Campbell River, BC born Lunde was a dominant scorer in junior, starring with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the mid 1950s.

A prospect of the Detroit Red Wings, Lunde would remain in Edmonton for the first two years of his professional career, playing with the WHL Edmonton Flyers. Though hockey would take Lunde far, far away beginning in 1958, Edmonton had become his home. One day, long after retiring as a hockey player, he would play a big role in the Edmonton Oilers success in the 1980s.

After an impressive 1957-58 season with the Flyers, where he scored 39 goals in 67 games, Lunde got his shot at the NHL. Lunde joined the Red Wings for four years starting in 1958-59. He proved to be a steady utility player who helped the Wings reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1961. He was far from spectacular though. His goal scoring totals in his four seasons in Detroit were 14, 6, 6 and 2.

In the summer of 1962 he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks. He found a nice home on a checking line with Eric Nesterenko and Ron Murphy, scoring 28 points.

The following season Lunde began a long career in the minors. Aside from brief appearances with Chicago and Minnesota in the NHL, Lunde starred with teams like the Buffalo Bisons (AHL), Portland Buckaroos (WHL) and Vancouver Canucks (WHL).

When the Canucks joined the NHL in 1970, Lunde returned to the league. Unfortunately for him, he only was able to participate in 20 games.

The Canucks had brought in Finnish hockey legend Lasse Oksanen to training camp in September, 1970, introducing Lunde to a few Finnish contacts. Lunde spent the 1972 and 1973 seasons playing in Finland with Ilves Tampere, while also coaching the Finnish national team.

Lunde loved his time in Sweden, but he had to make a tough decision that was best for his family. At the time there was inadequate English schooling in Finland, so he returned to Canada after getting an offer to play hockey with the WHA Edmonton Oilers.

Although he scored 26 goals in 71 games with the WHA Oilers, he hung up the blades after that season. He honed his coaching skills by spending the next two years developing a hockey program for Native Canadians on a reserve near Edmonton.

Calls from Europe continued to entice Lunde. He returned to Europe, specifically Sweden this time, where he coached and also acted as a scout for the Edmonton Oilers, now of the National Hockey League. The Oilers were one of first teams to really exploit Europe in the early 1980s. Lunde played a big role in finding and monitoring many of them, including Esa Tikkanen, Risto Siltanen and Jari Kurri.

Tired of all the travel, Lunde settled down in 1983. He returned to Edmonton and got into the leasing business.

Parker MacDonald

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Parker MacDonald, a native son of Sydney Nova Scotia, was a journeyman left winger.

His career began with 6 inconspicuous years in the NHL before establishing himself as a full time NHLer. From 1953 through 1955, Parker spent 63 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, scoring 8 goals and 3 assists plus 4 playoff appearances.

In 1956 he was claimed by the New York Rangers in an Intra-League draft and played in 119 games the next 4 years, scoring 15 goals and 18 assists.

Things took a turn for the better for Parker when the Detroit Red Wings acquired him in the Intra League draft of 1960. By 1962 he found himself in Ted Lindsay's old spot, playing left wing on the top line with the legendary Alex Delvecchio and Gordie Howe! MacDonald turned in his best year ever, scoring 33 goals and 61 points. He followed that up with two more solid seasons, scoring 46 points in each of those campaigns.

At the end of the 1965 season Parker was involved in a blockbuster deal that saw him go to Boston. Albert Langlois, Ron Harris and Bob Dillabough accompanied him while Ab McDonald, Bob McCord and Ken Stephenson headed to the Motor City. However Parker's stay in Beantown was short lived. He played in 29 games with the Bruins before he was traded back to Detroit in exchange for Pit Martin. The move came on December 30 1965 - a nice way to ring in the new year for MacDonald.

Parker spent the rest of that season and the next toiling in obscurity with the Wings. In 1967 the NHL doubled in size thanks to expansion, and Parker was picked up by the new Minnesota North Stars. Expansion lengthened MacDonald's career by two years

By the conclusion of MacDonald's second year in Minny (1969), he had decided it was time to hang up the skates. The 39 year old accepted a minor league coaching position with Minnesota's CHL farm team in Iowa. It was the start of a second career in hockey for Parker, as he would go on to coach both Minnesota and Los Angeles, although without much success.

After being fired by the Kings, MacDonald stayed in Los Angeles to manage a soccer team. Wanting to get back into hockey, he moved back to the east coast, specifically New Haven. He set up some hockey schools as well as helped a friend in the construction business, but spent most of his time fishing.

Glen Skov

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:54:00 +0000

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.

Gary Aldcorn

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:37:00 +0000

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,

Warren Godfrey

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 23:08:00 +0000

Life after hockey can be tough for hockey players of every generation, but especially those average players back in the days of the Original Six. They weren't paid very well, and suddenly in their 30s they found themselves looking for work most often with no education or no trade.

Take Warren Godfrey, for example. He was hard hitting defenseman most notably with the Wings and Bruins in the 1950s and 1960s. He hit so hard they called him "The Rock" or "Rocky" for short. He played in 786 NHL contests, scoring 32 goals and 125 points.

He retired in 1969 after a season in the minor leagues, but he needed to find a job because he needed the money.

One of the jobs he took was as a cement truck driver, even though he had no experience. Author Frank Pagnucco tells us of his steep learning curve.

"Because Rocky Godfrey is the likeable sort that he is, the other drivers took him under their collective wing and taught the ex Red Wing the basics to prepare him for his first solo run. The day arrived and he successfully maneuvered the big truck out of the parking lot, past the cheering fellow drivers urging him on. He wheeled out onto the highway on what seemed to be a flawless maiden voyage. The wail of a police siren brought the run to an unexpected conclusion. Godfrey, it seems, had forgotten to press a certain control, and had motored down the road leaving a liberal wake of wet cement."

Godfrey was not fired over the incident, but he also opted to move on. More often than not he found himself in the restaurant business, operating eateries in Florida, then North Carolina and then Georgia.

Godfrey may have struggled outside of hockey, but the restaurant business was likely a lot less painful than hockey. In his career Godfrey listed his injuries to include "200 stitches in the face, a broken jaw, a broken nose, dislocated shoulders, damaged elbows, cracked ribs, broken fingers, five knee operations, broken toes and 12 missing teeth.

Godfrey, who came to Detroit from Boston as part of the big trade for Terry Sawchuk, was a main stay in the NHL from 1952 through 1963. He continued on until 1969 ("when my knees wouldn't let me play anymore") often shuttling between Detroit and the minor leagues.

Bill McNeil

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:41:00 +0000

This handsome man is Billy McNeill. The image is courtesy of the 1959-60 Topps hockey card set.

Edmonton, Alberta's Bill McNeil played in 257 NHL games back in the days of the Original Six, all with the Detroit Red Wings. There is no doubting his proudest moment in the NHL - the night he set up Gordie Howe for his record breaking 545th career NHL goal.

"It was at Olympia Stadium on Nov. 30, 1963. Gordie and I were killing a penalty when I fed Gordie a pass inside the Canadiens' blueline. He fired a 30-footer that beat Charlie Hodge to overtake Rocket Richard's all-time career goal-scoring record. The Detroit fans went wild. I still get chills thinking about the ovation."

McNeill must have been playing center that night, which was a rarity for him in the NHL. Although he was a natural centerman with an impressive junior and minor league resume, the Wings used McNeill mostly on right wing, much to McNeill's dismay.

"The right wing wasn't where I was supposed to play," he told author Frank Pagnucco. "It's where (coach) Jack Adams wanted me to play. It was one of my misfortunes there that I didn't play center ice in the National Hockey League. One of my big arguments, of course, with Adams was that he had four right wingers. With Gordie Howe being there playing 45 minutes a game (not unusal back then), it didn't leave much ice time for the rest of us."

As a result, McNeill, who used an incredibly short hockey stick, was constantly shuttled between Detroit and the minor leagues.

"You'd get hotter than a firecracker and come back up again. Maybe in my particular case I was with the wrong team at the wrong time. Center ice was the logical spot for a river skater from Alberta. But we had no choice."

On February 5, 1960, McNeill was to be traded to the New York Rangers with Red Kelly for Bill Gadsby and Eddie Shack, but Kelly and McNeill refused to report and the transaction was cancelled. As a result Kelly temporarily retired and McNeill was suspended for the rest of the season. New York then picked him up in an intra-league draft in June of that year, only to trade him back to Detroit in January 1961, who in turn assigned him back to the Flyers in Edmonton.

In 1964 McNeill was once again demoted by the Wings, but this time he was never to return. He continued playing until 1971, most notably with the WHL Vancouver Canucks. Twice he would be named as the WHL's MVP while with the Canucks in the 1960s.

It was in Vancouver that McNeill took up permanent residence. After retiring from hockey he pursued a business interest in a Vancouver hotel. He later became a sales rep for Carling-O'Keefe Breweries for many years.

Billy McNeill succumbed to a 4 year battle with cancer on August 31st, 2007.

Dutch Reibel

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:15:00 +0000

#14 in white in the photo above is Detroit Red Wings center Earl "Dutch" Reibel. The image is of 1954-55 Parkhurst Hockey card #97. Beckett hockey card price guides list this card, if in near mint condition, at around $100.

Dutch Reibel was born on July 21st, 1930 in Kitchener, Ontario. He was a scoring star all through youth hockey. The Red Wings were quick to add him to their protected lists. In the season of 1949-50 Reibel was added to the Wings OHA junior team the Windsor Spitfires where he put together one of junior hockey's most amazing seasons. In just 48 games he scored 53 goals, 76 assists and 129 points!

He would spend the next three seasons apprenticing in the minor leagues, playing in Omaha, Indianapolis and Edmonton. He would finally join the Wings for the 1953-54 season.

What a debut impression Reibel made. He assisted on all four Red Wings goals as Detroit knocked off the New York Rangers by a score of 4-1. That mark still stands as a NHL record for most assists by a player in his first NHL game (equalled by Roland Erksson of Minnesota in 1976).

The playmaking centerman found a home on a line with none other than Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay.

"They were two of the greatest players. You couldn't beat them, not only as players but as gentlemen, too."

The now long forgotten Reibel was pretty good in his own right. He helped the Wings win Stanley Cups in 1954 and 1955. He was the winner of the 1956 Lady Byng trophy. He finished in the NHL's top ten in scoring in his first three seasons. And in 1954-55 he was the only player between 1950 and 1964 to lead the Red Wings in scoring not named Gordie Howe.

In 1957 Reibel was part of an eight player mega-trade that sent him to Chicago. The move devastated Reibel, who had bled Wings' red for all his hockey career. He had a tough time moving on, feeling betrayed by the team he was so loyal to.

He finished the season in Chicago and played the next in Boston, but his game was lost.

"Once I left Detroit, things just went downhill," he told author Frank Pagnucco. "It just wasn't the same. I enjoyed Detroit . . . you play with an organization for so long."

Reibel finished his career with two seasons with the AHL Providence Reds, hanging up the blades for good in the summer. He returned to Kitchener and worked for Brewer's Retail.

Motor City Smitty - Brad Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:16:00 +0000

Detroit is at heart a blue collar town with blue collar heroes. There have been few blue-collared heroes more beloved than Brad Smith, better known as Motor City Smitty.

That he became synonymous with Detroit is odd in that in 5 seasons with the Red Wings he spent more time in the minor leagues and injury reserved list than he did on the ice. He played more in Vancouver, Calgary and later Toronto than he did for Detroit.

Smith was, well, a character. He rarely scored, notching just 28 career goals in 222 career games. And the joke was he could barely skate.

The helmetless winger certainly did look awkward as he hustled on the ice, giving it his all. He had little talent, but he was the ultimate hustler. Even on icing calls he had no chance of eliminating, he would try as if his career depended on it. By doing so he set the tone for his teammates and the atmosphere in the stands.

And that is why Smith became a fan favorite everywhere he went. He worked his butt off and sacrificed his body with big checks and countless fights.

After retiring as a player Smith became a coach with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires, guiding the likes of Cory Stillman and Todd Warriner to the NHL. He later became a top scout in the business, serving as a key pro scout during the Colorado Avalanche's Stanley Cup run in 1996.

Danny Grant

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:01:00 +0000

Danny Grant never got the credit he deserved for being a good hockey player.

A rare NHL player from New Brunswick, he was a junior star in Peterborough. He would sign professionally in the Montreal Canadiens system, but was never able to crack the Hab's vaunted line up.

Always thinking of the future, in 1968 the Habs moved Grant to Minnesota as part of a package for the North Stars' first round pick four years later in 1972. Montreal would select Dave Gardner, who would play 350 NHL games, but only 36 with Montreal. Meanwhile, Grant became a star with the North Stars.

Grant immediately cracked the Minnesota line up, scoring a team-leading 34 goals and earning NHL rookie of the year honours in the 1968-69 season. The 34 goals became the modern day rookie record (since bettered).

Grant would continue to be a top marksman for the North Stars over the following five seasons, only once failing to notch at least 29 goals in a campaign. Though defined by his wrist shot, he was also noted as a clever and durable winger, once playing in 566 consecutive games.

Grant did have his critics. He was not the swiftest of skaters, and he had to rely of hard work rather than glitzy skill that other teams' stars seemed to have. The North Stars had some pretty weak teams back then, which probably contributed to Grant's labelling as a one-way, offense only forward.

Looking to shake up the roster, the North Stars traded Grant to Detroit in exchange for defensive forward and Minnesota native Henry Boucha. What a lop-sided trade that turned out to be. Boucha would last only one season with the North Stars. Grant, on the other hand, erupted for his best NHL season yet.

Playing along side Marcel Dionne, Grant exploded for 50 goals and 87 points. He also was lauded for his defensive effort, and even became a regular on the penalty kill unit.

Still the critics persisted. Grant's success was directly a result of playing with Dionne. Grant did call Dionne the best linemate he ever had, but Dionne also had a great respect for Grant, once calling him the "the best left winger I ever played with. He was always working, had a great shot and was always near the net."

In the summer of 1975 the Red Wings lost their superstar as Dionne headed west to Los Angeles. Grant, by now named captain of the Wings, was left without his set up man, but a far bigger blow came late in 1975 when he suffered a torn right thigh muscle requiring season ending surgery.

The injury would plague him for the rest of his days. He would come back in 1976-77, but never could find his game. He would score just twice in 42 games.

1977-78 saw Grant's wishes fulfilled as he was traded to Los Angeles. Grant had hope being reunited with Marcel Dionne could reignite his career, but the injuries still hampered his effectiveness. In two seasons in LA he was limited to 41 and 35 games, respectively, scoring just 10 times in each campaign.

Danny Grant's excellence was short lived, but exciting to witness. It is a pity that injuries decimated the career of this hard working, diligent sharp shooter.

Marcel Pronovost

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:50:00 +0000

Marcel Pronovost loved to play hockey. Want proof? He played an incredible 20 NHL seasons and over 1200 games despite being known as hockey's most injured man. He suffered nearly every injury in the medical dictionary - fractured vertebras, cracked cheekbones, broken noses and broken limbs - and yet somehow managed to perform at a level very few others have reached.

His kamikaze style of play was the only way he knew how to play, and all the bruises, stitches, breaks and separations in the world didn't stop him.

"Making a dangerous play on the ice didn't make me any more nervous than crossing the street might make someone else. He doesn't worry about getting hit by a car and I don't worry about getting hurt on the ice. If I did, I'd probably go crazy."

Marcel never went crazy, but there was probably a lot of people who thought he was when he repeatedly attempted his reckless abandon. He was a strong skater and puck carrier, often compared to Kenny Reardon before him or, for more modern audiences, a Ed Jovanovski after him. Often he would make a spectacular rush from one end to another. Sometimes these rushes would end up in an equally spectacular crash - into the boards, into another player, or into the goalie. But they were fun to witness.
Defensively Marcel was never considered to be a hard rock defenseman, though he sure tried to be. He would attempt to hit anything in sight with reckless abandon. He was one of the best stick and poke checkers the game has ever seen.

Marcel played 20 years in the league. The last 5 of those were in Toronto where he helped the Leafs win the 1967 Stanley Cup. But Marcel is best known as a Detroit Red Wing. From 1949-50 to 1965 he was a standout on the defense, although he was often overshadowed by bigger names on the team - Gordie Howe, Red Kelly, Terry Sawchuk, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio and Bill Quakenbush to name a few.

Marcel's big break came part way through the 1950 playoffs. Gordie Howe was forced to miss some action due to injury, and the Wings filled that immense hole by moving rearguard Red Kelly up to the forward units. To fill the void on defense the Wings called up the rookie Pronovost who had never played an NHL game previously, although he had a strong season with the Omaha Knights, the Wings farm club, where he scored 13 goals and 52 points in 69 games and was named as the USHL rookie of the year.

Marcel stepped into the Detroit lineup admirably. He played in 9 games and picked up only 1 assist, but helped the Wings win the Stanley Cup!

It was widely expected that Marcel would make the Wings the following season, however that changed during training camp. In a pre season game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Marcel tried to carry the puck on one of his patented dashes, only this time, like many other times, he was creamed by the veteran defensemen Leo Reise and Bob Goldham. The two Leaf defenders sandwiched Marcel, and Goldham's stick managed to facture Marcel's cheekbone.

As a result, Marcel was sent to the minors to recover. He played 34 injury free games down there before being called up to Detroit around the mid-season mark. This time Marcel was here to stay in the NHL for good.

The Detroit Red Wings of the 1950s are an often forgotten about dynasty in hockey history. They were strong in the early portion of the decade - winning the Cup (Marcel was a member of all the championships) in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955. They are overshadowed by the unparalleled Habs dynasty from 1956 to 1960 that saw 5 consecutive championships.

Although his statistics don't really suggest it, Marcel was definitely a star on that team. Although he didn't get any real recognition until the late 1950s. By then the Wings had traded their top d-man - Red Kelly - to Toronto. Marcel took over as the top rearguard. Also by this time Marcel had mellowed his crazy style somewhat and became more of a reliable two way defender. As a result of these two items, Marcel was named to the NHL First All Star team in both 1960 and 61, and the NHL Second All Star Team in 1958 and 1959.

Marcel joined Kelly and a host of other veterans in Toronto for the 1965-66 season when he was traded in a huge deal which saw Aut Erickson, Larry Jeffrey, Ed Joyal and Lowell MacDonald also head to Toronto for Billy Harris, Gary Jarrett and Andy Bathgate. Marcel, as mentioned previously, enjoyed 5 strong seasons in Toronto and is a member of the famous 1967 Maple Leafs championship team.

Marcel, who's brothers Claude and Jean also played in the NHL, finished his career by serving as the playing coach of the Maple Leafs farm team in Tulsa. He served in this capacity for the 1969-70 season and part of the 1970-71 season.

Had Marcel played in Toronto his whole career, it is arguable he would be held in even higher regard today. He wouldn't have been overshadowed to the degree that he was in his earlier years, and he would have been a household name playing for "Canada's Team."

Marcel was certainly held in high regard when he played though, as is obvious by his inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Pronovost scored 88 goals and assisted on 257. During the playoffs he recorded eight goals and 23 assists. In addition to his five Stanley Cup Championship rings he was a four time season's end All Star and participated in 11 all star games.

Gary Bergman

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:32:00 +0000

When Gary Bergman was selected to play for Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviets it raised more than a few eyebrows among hockey fans in Canada.

He had been a solid performer for the Detroit Red Wings since 1964 but it wasn't until after the 1972 series that fans fully appreciated his play. Gary was only one of seven players on that 35-man roster who played all eight games. Coach Harry Sinden paired him with Brad Park.

"I'm so happy when I look back on that series that we picked him,'' Sinden said 28 years later. " We thought he had the character, integrity and type of personality that would add to our team, and we were exactly right in our assessment.

"He was one of the biggest surprises in terms of contribution that we had. We felt he could be a regular member of the team but his contribution exceeded that. He was a terrific member of the team, and well respected.''

"Team Canada was loaded with offensive talent and I believe I did what the situation dictated. I decided I could be more useful by bumping into the opposition and keeping my own end of the rink clean.", Gary said a few years after the series.

When asked if he had learned any new techniques in the series Gary replied:

"No, I didn't learn anything that I didn't know before the series began. But I did come out of it with an enormous respect for the players who were my teammates. Certain players surprised me. I never expected them to react so well. When things got tough the whole team put it all together, came up with the guts, and did a hell of a job."

Gary was not a rushing defenseman in the Bobby Orr mold but in the early years he was quite offensive minded and a good two way defenseman. He was also a fine bodychecker and very good shot blocker. Because of his fine skating in the early years he was also used as a left wing on occasions.

Gary was pretty large boned and burly. He had a Scottish mother and a Swedish father, whose Christian name of Gunnar became Gary's second name. Gary's dad used to play hockey himself and by the time Gary was three years old he was skating.

Gary played his junior hockey for the Winnipeg Braves and Winnipeg Warriors. He was barely 18-years old when he already was the property of Montreal Canadiens. Gary anchored the defense when he led the Winnipeg Warriors to the Memorial Cup in 1959. He chipped in with a league leading 20 assists in the playoffs.

Despite Gary's fine season he was ignored and forgotten by Montreal who at that time had just won their fourth straight Stanley Cup. Montreal went on to win a fifth title the following season and had one of the strongest teams of all time.

Instead of playing in the NHL Gary spent a long time in the minors, four years to be exact. It wasn't until Gary was claimed by Detroit in the intra-league draft 1964 that he got his first shot in the NHL. He made his NHL debut on opening night of the 1963-64 season, a 3-5 loss to Toronto (October 15) and never looked back. He played ten seasons in Detroit before he was suddenly traded to Minnesota for Ted Harris on November 7,1973.

" I wasn't surprised, but I was definitely dismayed when they traded me," Gary said back then. " I think it's very difficult to make a change after playing in one city as long as I did. I cannot say I was exactly attached to the people who operate the Red Wing organization because there have been so many changes in Detroit. " But I had become a little spoiled. " I was in my tenth year as a Detroit resident and I never even had to leave home to get to training camp. Now that's a real plus. Aside from hockey, my wife and I had our own special activities that we were sorry to leave and our three children had made a lot of friends. The difficult part of a trade is pulling up roots and transplanting ourselves. I had been doing things the Red Wing way for so many years."

Gary's stint in Minnesota lasted only for 57 games, that was the rest of the 1973-74 season before he was traded back to Detroit less than a year later. He played the 1974-75 season in Detroit before he was once again traded. This time it was to the Kansas City Scouts who were in desperate need for a reliable veteran defenseman. Gary provided Kansas with leadership and a 38 point season (5+33), his second best output of his 12 year NHL career. His best came in 1967-68 when he had 41 points (13+28) for Detroit. Despite his offensive outburst for Kansas he decided to retire. Gary was after all 38 years old.

He served as the president of the Red Wings Alumni Association in 1981 and from 1997 to 2000.

Gary had a malignant melanoma removed from his back in 1994 and there were no other health problems until he got a new diagnosis on April, 2000 that confirmed it had spread.

It's a great shame that Gary didn't make it to the 1972 Team Canada reunion held at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on November 3, 2000. Almost all the players from the 1972 team were there but Gary was too ill to attend. The heroes of 1972 were saddened to hear about Gary's condition.

"The guys who played knew Bergie's value to the team,'' said Paul Henderson, the hero of the 1972 series and a former teammate of Gary in Detroit. " He was a friend in Detroit, too, and I developed a deep respect for him as a husband and a father.''

"From my perspective, he was one of the great unsung heroes of that series,. He just played incredible hockey.''

"He was an above-average player in the NHL at that time and he proved that during the series,'' Bill White, one of the 1972 team's other defencemen, said. " Bergie gave a great account of himself in that whole series. " The steadiness of his play is what I remember most.''

"He was a rock,'' said Bobby Orr who didn't play in the series due to a knee injury but who travelled with the team and was impressed with Gary's steady play.

"We hit it off really good for guys who didn't know each other very well,'' said his defensive partner Brad Park. " I was more of an offensive guy so we jelled very well together.

"Right away I realized what a classy guy he was in how he handled himself on and off the ice, and what a great competitor he was. He had a lot of confidence in his ability and wasn't worried about how he was going to play. He just went out and played. He was as solid a defenceman as has ever played the game.''

Sadly Gary passed away on December 8, 2000. He was 62 years old.

The 1972 Summit Series was the highlight of Gary Bergman's hockey career so it's only appropriate to finish this biography with a memorable Gary Bergman quote about that series:

"As we skated off the ice after the last game, I stopped for one more look around the old barn. I realized that never in my life would I be prouder or have more respect for a group of men than I did at that moment."

The feeling from his teammates was very mutual.

Bob Goldham

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 04:21:00 +0000

It is an immeasurable skill that only a few have been able to master. It is an undertaking that perhaps takes more guts as ability. It is an attribute that far too often goes without much praise or thanks - except from the goalies.

We are talking about shot blocking.

Shot blocking is now an integral part of a hockey team's defensive game plan. In fact the Dallas Stars 1999 championship was filled with countless blocked shots. Some games it seemed that the players were stopping more pucks than goalie Ed Belfour!

But who was hockey's first shot blocking expert? Defenseman Bob Goldham, a tough defensive defenseman from 1941 through 1956 with Toronto, Chicago and Detroit.

In the early 1940s the Maple Leafs coach Hap Day tried to convince all of his players the art of shot blocking. None of them were willing to sacrifice their bodies by dropping in front of a frozen rubber bullet. None except for Goldham.

Goldham would drop to one knee and keep his hands besides his body, taking up as much room as possible. If the puck didn't just hit him, he'd swat at the puck with his gloves.

"He used to get down on his knees and look the puck in the eye," explained former Red Wing teammate Max McNab in amazement. "He's the first totally fearless guy that I ever saw."

You had to be fearless back then as the equipment was paper thin and primitive by today's standards. While shot blocking became a lost art during the days of Bobby Hull's booming slapshot, it has returned with vengeance in today's game, largely due to impenatratable armor that players wear today.

Goldham first appeared in the NHL with the Leafs in 1941-42. He was part of the memorable Stanley Cup championship team that rallied from a thee games to none deficit in the finals.

Goldham missed the next three years due to service in the World War II with Canada's Navy. However, Goldham was back in a Maple Leafs uniform by 1945-46.

Goldham was part of a 5 player package traded to Chicago in exchange for superstar Max Bentley on November 4, 1947. While the Blackhawks were a weak team, Goldham's skills as a big league defenseman improved greatly under the tutelage of Bill Gadsby.

On July 13, 1950, Goldham was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. Bob enjoyed his finest years as a member of the Wings. He spent six seasons with what many consider to be the strongest team of all time. Goldham was a big part of 5 first place regular season finishes and 3 Stanley Cup championships - 1952, 1954, and 1955. In 1954-55 Bob received a rare piece of personal recognition when he was named to the NHL Second All Star Team.

Bob retired after the 1955-56 season and later became a long time television analyst for the CBC's Hockey Night In Canada. Bob was also instrumental in campaigning for increased pension benefits for retired NHLers.

Bruce MacGregor

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:20:00 +0000

In the 1960s and early 1970s speedy Bruce MacGregor was so fast he was nicknamed "The Redheaded Rocket."

He was hometown legend growing up in Edmonton in the 1950s, starring with the junior Edmonton Oil Kings and later the senior Edmonton Flyers.

In those days, Edmonton was very much Detroit Red Wings territory. If you played for the Oil Kings and/or Flyers, you were a good NHL prospect. MacGregor fit that description to a tee, and it was not long before he became a regular in Detroit, the team he grew up dreaming of playing for.

Despite being an Edmonton hometown hero and a Red Wings fixture in the 1960s, nowadays "The Redheaded Rocket" should be re-nicknamed as "The Forgotten Man."

MacGregor was a slick and speedy forward who was a coach's dream. He was never an outstanding scorer, topping 20 goals only three times in his 13 year career, but he would do anything the coaches needed him to do, and with great proficiency. Using his incredible acceleration and his equally impressive hockey sense, he was a great utility player, filling in admirably wherever and whenever the team asked him to. He was also a mainstay on the penalty kill unit.

1965-66 was his most memorable campaign as the Red Wings met the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals. The Wings surprised nearly everyone by winning the first two games, in Montreal to boot, with MacGregor scoring his the winner in game 2. Montreal would storm back and win the next four to end Detroit's unlikely run.

MacGregor would remain in Detroit until February 1971 when MacGregor and Larry Brown were traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Arnie Brown, Mike Robitaille and Tom Miller.

For the next four years MacGregor brought his steady game to Manhattan. In the spring of 1972 MacGregor had one final chance to sip from the Stanley Cup, but again it was not meant to be. After upsetting the Montreal Canadiens, the Rangers would fall short to Bobby Orr's Boston Bruins.

When the WHA was throwing around big contracts to NHL regulars, MacGregor jumped at the chance to return home to Edmonton and play for the new team known as the Oilers.

MacGregor would play two season for the Oilers, but he would very much be associated with the Oilers as they grew into WHA powerhouse and NHL dynasty, serving as one of Glen Sather's top aides, serving as the long time assistant general manager.

Doug Barkley

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 02:51:00 +0000

Lethbridge, Alberta's Doug Barkley was a big and physical defenseman who started his NHL career at a late age and had it end far too early.

He could have become one of the most dominant defensemen of his time if it was not for a career ending eye injury.

In fact, he was so good that legendary hockey scribe Stan Fischler once compared Barkley to a latter day Larry Robinson.

"Tall, tough and tenacious, Barkley was a Larry Robinson before the latter arrived on the scene to redefine defensemen's play for the Montreal Canadiens," Fischler wrote.

Barkley was originally a Chicago Black Hawks prospect but only saw action in 6 games in 5 years while spending most of his career in the minors. Perhaps battling a case of home-sickness, Doug struggled while playing with the AHL's Buffalo Bisons but regained his confidence when he returned to Alberta to play for the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Hockey League. In fact in the 1961-62 season Doug blossomed to scored 25 goals and 74 points while playing on the blue line for the Stamps.

After his All Star season in the WHL, Barkley was a hot commodity again in the NHL marketplace. The Hawks ended up trading the 26 year old to the Detroit Red Wings for 2 players - Len Lunde and John McKenzie - on June 5 1962.

Finally getting a chance to play in the NHL, Barkley responded positively by scoring 3 goals and 24 assists in 70 games in the '62-63 season. His performance finished second only to Toronto defenseman Kent Douglas in Calder Trophy balloting. Both Barkley and Douglas spent a long time in the minors before playing regularly in the NHL.

Barkley followed his rookie season with a promising second NHL campaign. Known for his size (6'2" 185lbs) and aggressiveness (he had 382 PIM in only 253 games), Doug added a bit of an offensive element to his game that he had previously shown in the WHL. Doug scored 11 times and assisted on 21 others.

Doug was unable to step up his offensive production significantly the following season (5 goals and 25 points in 67 games) but showed promise in the 1965-66 season. In only 43 games he scored 5 goals and 20 points.

However the 43rd game of that season proved to be Barkley's last in the NHL. He suffered a career-ending eye injury while playing against Chicago on January 30, 1966. The Hawks' Doug Mohns accidentally clipped Barkley in the right eye with the blade of his stick. Despite multiple surgeries, doctors failed to restore enough of Barkley's sight to his eye to allow him to play again.

Doug Barkley scored 24 career goals while adding 80 assists for 104 points in 253 games. He appeared in 30 playoff contests, adding 9 assists.

Barkley would stay in the game as a scout, coach and broadcaster.

Willie Huber

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:23:00 +0000

Big Willie Style. Its a bad song by a good actor. It's also the way Wilhelm Heinrich Huber played defense in the National Hockey League.

So what exactly is Big Willie Style on ice? Well, adventuresome to say the least. He was an offensive defenseman, particularly in his 5 years with Detroit in the early 1980s. In the offensive zone the 6'5" 230lb giant used his reach to great advantage. And when he leaned into a shot with all that weight behind him, he could really let a shot rip. He had a good read of the offensive play developing in the other team's zone.

But in the defensive zone he was down right awful on many nights. In fact Willie never had a season where he was a plus on the plus/minus scale. Collectively he was -203 in his career!

Huber was an awful skater. Going forwards he was alright because of his long stride. But he could barely skate backwards and he turned like a 747 airplane! He had difficulty reading the oncoming rush and often strayed out of position. And despite his impressive size, he was anything but an aggressive player.

Born in Germany but raised in Canada since the age of 10 months, Willie must have been a frustrating player for his coaches. He had lots of offensive talent, and unmatchable size especially at that time. Yet his defensive shortcomings and his wild inconsistencies must have drove his coaches nuts!

Being so big, Huber had to battle a natural weight problem. He was a little more mobile if he could stay around 225lbs. In fact it was said that the Rangers included a clause in his contract that if he could keep his weight down to that 225lb level, he would receive a $10,000 bonus!

Willie was drafted 9th overall by the Wings in 1978 and enjoyed 4 14+ goal season in his 5 years in Detroit. However he was traded to New York Rangers in 1983. Although he never put up good numbers in New York, he was counted on as an offensive defenseman. He played 5 seasons before youngsters like James Patrick, Brian Leetch and Terry Carkner came along and made Big Willie expendable.

The Rangers moved Willie to Vancouver early in the 1987-88 season but he finished the year in Philadelphia. That proved to be his final stop in the NHL. The Flyers offered him a one year contract with a significant pay cut. Huber was insulted and held out the entire 1988-89 season, hoping a better contact would come. He retired at the conclusion of the season.

Reed Larson

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 04:31:00 +0000

Reed Larson ranks as one of the greatest American born and raised hockey players in the history of the sport. That being said, he is rarely recognized as such. This is partly because his career pre-dated the generation of American stars that first gained acclaim in the NHL, players like Jeremy Roenick, Brett Hull and Chris Chelios.

Reed Larson's hockey sense was uncanny, as he could read plays develop better than most players. He was a top offensive defenseman throughout the early 1980s, thanks largely to his effective shot. He would score many goals in his career, and many of his assists were a result of rebounds or deflections from his booming point shot.

Larson, a Minneapolis, Minnesota native, who starred in Minnesota high school hockey and later at the University of Minnesota before leaving school early to join the Detroit Red Wings in 1977. Though he left university early, he always cherished his time as an amateur. He led the team to a national championship in his second year, and he should have won another but his school was upset by Michigan Tech.

Larson was drafted 22nd overall by the Red Wings in 1976 but returned to school after he couldn't agree on a contract with the Wings. However when Reed was suspended from WCHA competition for the rest of the season after assaulting an on-ice official, Larson decided to join the Red Wings with 14 games left in the NHL season.

Reed proved he was ready for the NHL almost from day one as he embarked upon one of the greatest hockey careers any American defenseman has ever had. He finished as runner-up in the NHL rookie of the year race thanks to an impressive 19 goal, 60 point season. That was just a sign of great things to come. Over the next nine years as a Red Wing, the smooth skating defenseman amazingly never scored fewer than 17 goals or 58 points! Those totals included five consecutive 20-plus goal seasons including a career high 27 in 1980-81; and he had 8 of 9 seasons with over 60 pints, including a career high 74 in 1982-83. As a Red Wing he participated in three NHL all star games, as well as the 1981 Canada Cup and 1981 world championships.

A late season trade in 1986 saw Larson become a member of the Boston Bruins, where he played for parts of three seasons. It was with Boston that Reed tallied his 200th NHL goal, a milestone for defenseman and the single most celebrated statistic in his career.. He was the first American and only the 6th NHL player to reach the lofty level.

A serious auto accident occurred prior to the 1988-89 season, leaving serious nerve damage in his left arm. It was terrible timing for Larson as Reed had no NHL contract at the time. Reed did make a comeback for the 1989-90 season, splitting the season with Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars. He admittedly was not at 100% health.

Larson left the NHL to play in Italy for 5 years starting in 1989-90. Reed left, admittedly early, largely because of his health. He did return to the NHL for a one game appearance as a member of the Buffalo Sabres at the conclusion of the Italian 1989-90 season, but he returned to the country where he would be a standout for 5 seasons, scoring 65 goals and 150 assists for 215 points in 159 games.

In 1996 Reed Larson became a deserving member of the United States hockey hall of fame. He scored a total of 222 goals, 463 assists and 685 points in 904 NHL games. He got into just 32 NHL playoff contests, scoring 4 goals and 11 points.

John Ogrodnick

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:24:00 +0000

Despite 6 seasons of 35 or more goals - including the 1984-85 season when he scored 55 goals and 105 points - John Ogrodnick never really got his due as one of hockey's top left wingers in the 1980s.

I suppose that is partially because of his contemporaries. Top players around the league were scoring 50-60 goals, even higher in the case of Wayne Gretzky, with regularity. Somehow Ogrodnick's usual 40+ goals was reduced to look just ordinary.

Ogrodnick was a streaky scorer who broke in with Detroit in 1980 when the team was nicknamed the Dead Wings. For much of his 7 years in Detroit Ogrodnick was one of the few bright lights in the darkness before Steve Yzerman's arrival.

Johnny O just went about his job contently, uncomplaining about his lack of stardom.

The Wings drafted Ogrodnick in the 4th round of the deep 1979 Entry Draft. Two years later he was playing in the NHL All Star game.

When Ogrodnick called up to the Wings after half a season in the minors, he was immediately placed on a top line with Dale McCourt and Mike Foligno. By 1980-81 he responded with a 35 goal campaign and his inclusion at the mid-season classic.

Trades would see McCourt and Foligno leave Detroit, leaving Ogrodnick struggling to find similar chemistry with new linemates.

After a disappointing drop to 28 goals in 1981-82, Ogrodnick started a string of 4 strong seasons where he proved to be one of the top left wingers in all of hockey. He scored 41, 42, 55 and 38 goals in the following 4 seasons, often playing on a line with Steve Yzerman. He was even named to the NHL first all star team in 1985.

At the time 55 goals was a team record. That's quite the feat for a team with the likes of Mickey Redmond, Marcel Dionne and Gordie Howe in its past.

The key to Ogrodnick's game was his exceptionally quick release which he was never shy to use. He had a goal scorer's mentality, always looking to shoot first and may a play second. He was especially adept at using defensemen as screens.

"I think the key to scoring is hitting the net with your shot. You very seldom have time to find a corner so you have to get the shot off quickly - and get it somewhere on the net," Ogrodnick advises.

Naturally he was very proficient on the power play. He had good first step acceleration to get himself into open holes and he could read the offensive play forming nicely.

Ogrodnick was a scorer, but he needed a good playmaking center to set him up. Early in his career that was Dale McCourt's job, then it was Steve Yzerman's. Because Ogrodnick was not much of a grinder the line would usually rely on a mucker on the right side in order compliment Ogrodnick and the center.

"What I try to do in the offensive zone is anticipate the rebounds and find the holes. I like to move around and stay in the open so the center has someone to pass it to."

A suspect backchecking game by Ogrodnick got him into hot water with coach Brad Park. That, combined with Detroit's continued failure to find success, ultimately saw Johnny O's departure from Detroit. He was traded to Quebec but a year later he found himself in New York with the Rangers.

Ogrodnick's career seemed to be closing when he erupted in 1989-90 with a 43 goal season that saw him earn Rangers' MVP awards. The line of Ogrodnick, Kelly Kisio and Brian Mullen was the talk of New York, but the fame dissipated after one season.

Ogrodnick returned to the Red Wings for a 19 game cameo appearance in 1992-93, but he would miss out on all of the Wings success in the years following.

Ogrodnick retired after the 1993 season. He played in 928 games and scored 402 goals and 827 points. He added 18 goals in 41 playoff contests.

In retirement Ogrodnick remained in the Detroit area and took a job as an investment counselor.

Flash Hollett

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:15:00 +0000

William Hollett was a high scoring defenseman overshadowed by other great blue liners of his time.

Names like Eddie Shore (who was often Hollett's defensive partner), Dit Clapper and Art Coulter dominated the era. However it was Hollett who was often topped the offensive leader board from the point. In fact, in 1944-45 while with the Detroit Red Wings, Hollett became the first defenseman to score 20 goals in one season.

Hollett, dubbed Flash because of his great speed on skates, started his NHL career when he was loaned to the Ottawa Senators in 1933-34 by the Maple Leafs before being teamed with Hap Day in Toronto in 1934-35. In 1936 he was sold to the Boston Bruins for a significant sum of cash - rumored to be $16,000. Despite his ability and promise, Hollett wore out his welcome with Conn Smythe. His abrasiveness would come into play throughout his career.

It was in Boston where Hollett established himself as a solid NHLer. Teamed with Shore, Hollett would enjoy 7 seasons with the Bruins, tying NHL records for defensemen when he scored 19 goals in both the 1941-42 and 1942-43 season. Harry Cameron originally set the record in 1921. In 1943 Hollett did break Tom "Cowboy" Anderson's record for most points by a defenseman with 44.

But Hollett's greatest moment as a Bruin came in 1939, and at the expense of his old team. It was Hollett who scored a crushing goal in the finals against Toronto to give the Bruins the Stanley Cup! Hollett and the Bruins would win another title in 1941.

Yet all was not well in Boston. Hollett clashed with boss Art Ross. It was once said that Art Ross toyed with the notion of burying him in the minor leagues. Despite the feud, Ross knew he needed Hollett. He was an extraodinary offensive presence from the rear and he had great versatility. Ross would move Hollett up on a forward line whenever a forward got hurt. Hollett would also take turns as a forward while on the penalty kill.

Hollett was on pace for another near-20 goal season in January 1944 when the Bruins traded away the now 32 year old veteran to Detroit for Pat Egan, a young defensive prospect who would go on to enjoy a lengthy NHL career.

In Hollett's first full season with Detroit he would break Cameron's goal record by defensemen. He scored 20 goals and 21 assists in the 1944-45 season. What makes this even more unthinkable is that he did this in 50 game schedule. Even during the high scoring 1980's when Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque and Doug Wilson were challenging 30+ goals routinely, 20 goals by a defenseman was still considered to be quite the feat. The record of 20 goals would stand for 24 years until a young man named Bobby Orr came along.

Pairded with Earl Seibert, Hollett's performance in the 1945 playoffs were quite legendary in Detroit. Down three games to one against Toronto in the finals, Hollett spurred an unlikely Detroit comeback, winning three straight games before falling just short in game seven.

Hollett's production faltered significantly in 1945-46 as he battled groin and knee injuries and had a falling out with Wings boss Jack Adams. The argument was over Flash's contract. Hollett wanted a $500 a year raise and even retired in the summer of 1946 over the dispute. When he did retire Adams threatened Hollett that he would make sure that Flash would never be placed in Hockey's Hall of Fame. Suspiciously, even years after Jack Adam's passing, Hollett, one of the games top blue liners of that era is still not in the Hall.

To end the dispute Hollett was traded to the New York Rangers, but the aging veteran opted to retire and attend to his young family rather than move to Manhattan. He returned to the Toronto area, where he continued to play senior hockey. In 1950 he led the Toronto Marlboros to the Allan Cup championship.

When Hollett retired he was the highest scoring defenseman in the history of the National Hockey League. He scored 132 goals and 181 assists for 313 points in 565 NHL games

Flash Hollett died in 1999.

Joe Turner

noreply@blogger.com (Joe Pelletier) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:58:00 +0000

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.