Detroit Red Wings Legends

Dalton Smith

2012-01-28T22:15:00.000-08:00

This is Dalton "Nakina" Smith. He and his brother Carl (aka Winky) were career minor leaguers who both got called up to the Detroit Red Wings in the 1943-44 season. One source suggests both were called up at the same time.

Dalton played in 10 games, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists. His only goal was the game winner against Toronto.

By the way, this Dalton Smith is not to be confused with another Dalton Smith. The Columbus Blue Jackets drafted a different Dalton Smith 34th overall in the 2010 NHL draft. The two Dalton Smiths are of no relation, though the younger Dalton does have some interesting bloodlines of his own. He is the son of former NHLer Derrick Smith, and the nephew of Keith and Wayne Primeau.

Carl "Winky" Smith

2012-01-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

This is Carl "Winky" Smith. He and his brother Dalton were career minor leaguers who both got called up to the Detroit Red Wings in the 1943-44 season. One source suggests both were called up at the same time.

Carl, who replaced Johnny Sherf, played 7 games, scoring 1 goal and 1 assist. He started on a line with Joe Carveth and, interestingly, defenseman Bill Quackenbush. (Dalton played in 10 games, scoring 1 goal and 2 assists.)

Carl passed away in 1967 in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1949 he ended his hockey career with several seasons with the Omaha Knights of the USHL. He and linemate Nelson Boyce were popular both on and off the ice. They were dubbed as Blinky and Winky.

Bill Dineen

2012-01-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

This is Bill Dineen. He was a speedy depth winger with the Detroit Red Wings (and briefly with the Chicago Black Hawks) in the 1950s. He was a teammate of Gordie Howe back then, which is ironic in that both established great family dynasties. Dineen, in fact, played a big role in establishing the Howe family legend.

Dineen, nicknamed Willie and Foxy, was born in Arvida, Quebec. His father, Matt, was a star defenseman with the University of McGill who later tried out for, but never played with, the Montreal Maroons. He became a civil engineer instead.

Bill played his youth and junior hockey in Ontario, starring with the Ottawa St. Pats and the St. Michael's (Toronto) Majors. Education was important to Bill's father, hence his playing at the legendary St. Mikes. The University of Michigan also offered a scholarship and a chance to play, but Bill wanted pursue his NHL dreams.

In 1953 Dineen jumped directly from junior to the NHL - no easy task in those days of the Original Six. Many star players had to apprentice in the minor leagues before making the jump. Dineen was no star, but he established himself as a useful NHL player with the powerful Detroit Red Wings. He helped Howe and the Wings win Stanley Cups in 1953 and 1954.

Dineen's rookie season was something special. He finished as a runner up for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year to Camille Henry of the New York Rangers. But Dineen finished ahead of the much hyped Jean Beliveau in rookie of the year voting. Dineen scored 17 goals, and possibly could have hit the impressive 20 goal level. However the Wings, under orders from boss Jack Adams, benched Dineen late in the season. Had Dineen reached 20 goals the Wings would have had to pay him a $6,000 bonus. The cheap Wings had no intention of allowing that to happen.

Perhaps his confidence was shaken by the undeserved benching, because he was never quite the same player again. He played 23 playoff games over the next two seasons but only picked up one assist. His offensive numbers over the next 4 seasons steadily declined, even though the Wings dynasty had begun to fall apart and were looking for bigger contributions from newcomers.

On December 17th, 1957 Dineen was traded to Chicago by Detroit with Billy Dea, Lorne Ferguson and Earl Reibel for Nick Mickoski, Bob Bailey, Hec Lalande and Jack McIntyre. It was a huge shuffle but Dineen couldn't find his game in Chicago either. After that season he was down in the minor leagues.

Dineen continued to play hockey, toiling in the minor leagues while riding the buses and scraping by with puny pay checks. Dineen stilled loved hockey, but you have to wonder if he ever wished he followed his father's desire for education and have a steady job. Dineen had a growing family - 6 boys and 1 girl - and quite simply had to keep playing hockey for the pay check to help keep his family afloat.

Dineen eventually retired in 1971, 13 years after his last stint in the NHL. He then turned to a long life of coaching, mostly in the minor leagues.

In 1972 Dineen got a big break. He was asked to coach the new WHA team the Houston Aeros. He knew he wanted an 18 year old youngster named Mark Howe. Mark of course was the son of Dineen's old teammate Gordie Howe. Dineen immediately set about acquiring the WHA rights to Mark and Gordie's other hockey playing son, Marty. Then he approached Gordie with the idea of coming out of retirement to play with his sons. Houston badly needed some sort of draw if hockey was to succeed in the Texan city. Gordie agreed to return to the ice, and counts playing with his sons as his career highlight.

The legend of the Howe family is well known. But Dineen's own family is quite the story. Three of his sons played in the NHL - Peter, Gord and most noticeably Kevin, who was a NHL standout for years.

Interestingly Bill Dineen, too, returned to the NHL in the 1991-92 season, as he was surprisingly named as Paul Holmgren's replacement as Philadelphia's head coach. He would coach the Flyers for the remainder of the season and the entire season following that before being fired himself.

Dineen's hiring was a surprise in that he was essentially a career minor leaguer, both as a player and as a coach. But no one was more surprised than Kevin Dineen, then playing for the Flyers, that his dad would now be his NHL coach!

Darren McCarty

2012-01-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

The Detroit Red Wings were a team best known for their high skill level and beautiful theory of how hockey should be played. With the likes of Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov and Igor Larionov, they were a beautiful team to watch.

In stark contrast to many of his teammates, Darren McCarty provided the necessary grit and toughness needed come playoffs. He was big, mean, tough and fearless. He fit in perfectly with Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby on the famous Grind Line, energizing the team with his physical intensity, fierce forechecking and determined backchecking. He even added a few goals, none more pretty than this:

He was an awkward skater and not a great fighter, but he was such a valuable contributor to four Stanley Cup championships in Detroit. His teammates never wavered in their belief that McCarty would be there for them if trouble was ever brewing. They also knew that he could be counted on to rattle their own cage if the team ever needed to be shaken from a sluggish game.

In 758 games, he recorded 127 goals, 288 points and 1,477 penalty minutes. Over 174 playoff contests, McCarty racked up 23 goals and 49 points.

McCarty was an admirable character, but he faced his own troubles away from the rink. He loved live and lived it with much of the reckless abandon that he was famous for on the ice. He was renowned for his love heavy metal music and professional wrestling. Far more concerning was his increasing dependence of alcohol and growing financial difficulty. He eventually sought help for his alcoholism and filed for bankruptcy.

Much of his off ice struggles coincided with his father's death from cancer. He set up the McCarty Cancer Foundation which he created to assist in the battle against multiple myeloma, a terminal cancer that took his father's life in 1999.

Slava Kozlov

2012-01-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

In my estimation little Slava Kozlov is one of the most underrated players in hockey history. He played in the shadows of the likes of Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov and Brendan Shanahan in Detroit, and later Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley/Marian Hossa in Atlanta.

But in his own right Kozlov was a wonderful offensive player. The darting winger had a great knack for shaking his check at just the right time, seemingly materializing out of nowhere for scoring chances. Unlike so many Russian players (especially of his generation) he was never shy to shoot the puck. He had a quick release and loved to pick the top corners of the net.

A wonderful skater, he could be a frustrating player for some fans. He liked to hold the puck, often a little too long at times. While he was willing to take a hit to make a play, the 5'10" and 180lb winger/center generally did not thrive in physical contests.

Playing alongside Fedorov and Doug Brown the native of Voskresensk, Russia, helped the Red Wings capture back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 1997 and 1998 and once owned the Detroit franchise record with 12 game-winning goals in the playoffs. One of his biggest fans was coach Scotty Bowman, who described him as reliable - a trait the coaching legend valued highly.

The Red Wings moved Kozlov to Buffalo on July 1st, 2001 in exchange for goalie Dominik Hasek. Replacing Buffalo's most popular and greatest player would be anything but enviable. He was outspoken about his unhappiness in Buffalo, which hardly endeared him to the fans. And it went from bad to worse when he missed much of the second half of the season with a 75% tear of his Achilles tendon. The Sabres moved Kozlov to Atlanta in the summer of 2002.

It turned out to be a great move for Kozlov. He recovered from his foot injury fully and meshed perfectly with countryman Ilya Kovalchuk and later Marian Hossa, his long time Atlanta linemate. But the Thrashers just never had enough depth or luck, and only made the playoffs just once in Kozlov's tenure.

"I've very much enjoyed my time in Atlanta ever since I got traded from Buffalo," said Kozlov. "It's a good organization here, they've treated me really well."

But he desperately missed the NHL playoffs where Kozlov shined the brightest.

"The atmosphere at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit was unbelievable," he said. "I miss those times. I miss being in the playoffs. I think it's the greatest thing in hockey."

In his career Kozlov scored 20 or more goals 11 times. Five times he topped the 70 point mark. In total Kozlov scored 356 goals, 497 points and 853 points in 1192 NHL games. He added another 42 goals and 79 points in 118 Stanley Cup games - all but four of which came in his 7 full seasons in Detroit.

Kirk Maltby

2012-01-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

With 128 goals and 260 points in 1072 career NHL games, it is clear that Kirk Maltby did not survive all those NHL wars because of his offense. Although he was a 50 goal scorer in junior hockey, Maltby never scored more than 14 goals in a single NHL campaign.

"We have a handful of guys on our team that had to adjust their roles as hockey players from what got them drafted originally. And we've been able to adjust to it and accept it both mentally and physically," said a wise and mature Maltby later in his career.

Maltby was drafted by Edmonton but traded to Detroit in March, 1996 (in exchange for Dan McGillis). In Detroit Maltby, who scored just 3 goals in the season prior, was forced to accept a lesser (but no less important) role if he wanted a NHL paycheck. After all, Detroit featured such superstars as Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Keith Primeau, Brendan Shanahan and Igor Larionov.

Adjust he did, and he found a home for the next 13 seasons. He even earned four Stanley Cup championships in Detroit. He was also named as an elite role player for Team Canada in their 2004 World Cup of Hockey championship.

Maltby used his good speed to his advantage. He worked tirelessly in pursuit of pucks and puck carriers, and loved to flatten opponents with clean but emphatic hits that suggested he was much bigger than he actually was.

Skating was his forte, obviously in speed but also in balance. But he was also a great student of the game. He was very coachable, and as a result he came to understand the game expertly from the role player's vantage point.

A member of the Red Wings famous Grind Line with Kris Draper and Darren McCarty, Maltby was a great penalty killer, an opportunistic forechecker and a fearless shot blocker. He also was an agitating presence, suckering more than a few opponents into taking penalties against him.

"I know my role as a hockey player in this organization," says Maltby. "I think that's one of the reasons why our team has been so successful over the last 10 years, because we've got players that are willing to change their game or they know their roles and want to win for the best of the team and not from an individual standpoint."

Maltby was a big part of setting that championship example in Detroit.

Steve Black

2012-01-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

A junior star out of Port Arthur, Steve Black joined the Detroit Red Wings in the 1949/50 season. He had apprenticed the previous two pro seasons with the St. Louis Flyers.

Black was mostly a reserve player on a Red Wings team that would capture the Stanley Cup in the spring of 1950. Black contributed 7 goals and 21 points in 69 regular season games. He skated in 13 of Detroit's 14 playoff games, but failed to register a single point.

Black was traded to Chicago Black Hawks by Detroit Red Wings with Lee Fogolin Sr. for Bert Olmstead and Vic Stasiuk, Dec. 10, 1950. He would score just 4 goals and 10 points in 39 games to end the season. He was later dispatched out west where he played out his hockey days in Calgary, retiring in 1954.

Black returned to Ontario following his hockey career. From 1955 through 1985 he worked with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. He died in Thunder Bay in 2008.

Floyd Smith

2011-12-28T19:43:00.000-08:00

Many Sabres fans know Floyd Smith. He was the coach of the magical 1974-75 Buffalo team that marched tot he Stanley Cup finals before bowing out in a classic playoff battle with the Philadelphia Flyers.
But not a lot of fan remember that Floyd Smith played for the Sabres as well.

A serviceable though rather unmemorable utility forward, Smith carved out a lengthy professional career. He turned pro in 1955 but spent most of his time in the minor leagues. He did get a couple of chances to play with both the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, but it wasn't until he joined the Detroit Red Wings organization in 1962-63 that he earned a full time NHL job. He found a home on a line with two of hockey's biggest names - Norm Ullman and Paul Henderson.

All three members of that line, along with Doug Barrie, were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1968. The deal was one of the biggest in NHL history, as the Wings got Frank Mahovlich, Carl Brewer, Pete Stemkowski and Garry Unger in return. Smith, Ullman and Henderson continued to play together in Toronto

When the Buffalo Sabres hired former Toronto boss Punch Imlach to create their team for the 1970-71 season, Smith was one of the players Imlach went out and acquired Smith and named him as the Sabres first team captain. He was a good choice. He was a very upbeat guy in the locker room. He was quiet and humble, but not afraid to say something when the situation warranted it.

Smith hung up the blades early in the 1971-72 season and became a very successful coach with the Sabres affiliate team in Cincinnati. He would be promoted to the Sabres in 1974, taking the place of Imlach himself. Smith remained with the Sabres through 1977 before joining the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rest of his hockey career. He would serve in a variety of roles including coach, scout and GM.

Johnny Wilson

2011-12-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

Johnny Wilson's 12-year National Hockey League career extended over three decades (1949-62). The left winger broke into the NHL in 1949-50 season with the Detroit Red Wings after playing junior hockey across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario with the Windsor Hettche Spitfires in the International Hockey League.

Wilson played from 1947-49 with the Spits where he compiled 43 points (26G-17A) in 29 games played. After 4 games in the 1948-49 season with Windsor, Wilson was sent to the Omaha Knights of the USHL where he played 70 games that year, scoring 41 goals and 39 assists with 46 penalty minutes.

One of the things that Wilson says helped keep him and his teammates focused on making the NHL during their days with the Spitfires was that he and his teammates would receive passes to go to Olympia on Sunday nights and watched the guys at the big club play. In addition, guys like Ted Lindsay and Gordie Howe use to come and watch them play in Windsor. Wilson credits the attention with providing a boost to his professional career.

In the 1949-50 season, Wilson played one game with the Red Wings before being sent to Indianapolis for more experience. He played the remainder of that season and part of the next with the Indy Capitals before making the NHL club. During his time at Indy, Wilson played in 112 games scoring 94 points (59G-35A).

Later in the 51-52 season, Wilson was called up to the Detroit club and played in 28 games. While he only managed 4 goals and 5 assists, Wilson's NHL career started to take off.

Johnny remained a wearer of the Winged Wheel until after the 1954-55 season when he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. This was a familiar trade route for many Detroit and Chicago players as the same family, the Norris', owned both teams. Wilson was part of a 7-man trade that year as he, Tony Leswick, Glen Skov and Benny Woit were sent to the Windy City for Dave Creighton, Bucky Hollingsworth and Jerry Toppazzinni.

Wilson would play 140 games with the Hawks over the next two seasons before being sent back to Detroit in a deal that saw an out of favor Ted Lindsay head for Chicago. Lindsay was being punished for his involvement in attempting to start the NHL Players Union, and team management wanted him out of Detroit.

After another two seasons with the Wings, Wilson was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Barry Cullen. After scoring 31 points in 70 games for the Leafs that year, he was sent to the New York Rangers the next season. After two seasons in New York, Wilson decided that he had had enough.

Wilson stated that New York was a tough place to play because you traveled a lot and didn't have the same luxuries that he had at Detroit and other cities. Since the team leased ice time from Madison Square Gardens, they would practice at another rink, which caused some problems. In addition, the Gardens didn't own the parking lot that they players used and it cost to park for every game. That added to having to cross four tunnels to get downtown and the costs of babysitting, and playing the game was starting to become expensive.

Wilson was able to have the honor of helping to bring along a couple of players to help carry the torch for the Rangers. His final season in the NHL (61-62) marked the first time in a number of years that the Rangers had made the playoffs, and Wilson broke in a couple of young guys named Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert. In that post season, they nearly knocked off Toronto but were eventually eliminated by the Leafs.

Had Wilson remained in the NHL, he could have probably played quite a few more years as, unknown to him at the time, expansion loomed on the horizon. Players that did stick around, like Howe and Alex Delvecchio, were able to almost indefinitely extend their careers.

After being out of the game for a few years, Wilson decided that he missed the ice and took a coaching position with the Detroit Red Wings. Wilson coached 145 games in Detroit over two seasons (71-73), and posted a 67-56-22 record.

Wilson also coached the Michigan Stags franchise, which played in downtown Detroit at Cobo Arena during the 1974-75 season. The Stags had relocated to Detroit from Los Angeles where their moniker was the Sharks. The troubled franchise didn't find the Detroit market to be financially better and they packed up in mid season and headed to Baltimore, where they eventually folded for good.

Following his Michigan-Baltimore experience, Wilson headed to Cleveland where he coached another WHA franchise called the Crusaders. When Johnny got to Cleveland, he found that they were running out of money as well. The team shortly disbanded.

Out of a job, Wilson heard about a NHL team that was moving from Kansas City to Colorado and was looking for a head coach. After making a phone call to Muncie Campbell, Wilson was named the bench boss of the Rockies.

Once his hockey days were all said and done Wilson returned to live in the Detroit area, holding a sales job with a local company. He was also an active member of the Detroit Red Wing Alumni and played numerous charity games each season in and around Michigan.

On December 27th, 2011 Johnny Wilson passed away at the age of 82. He had suffered a long battle with a lung disease.

Bobby Connors

2011-12-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

Bobby Connors was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1904 but grew up in Port Arthur, Ontario playing the great Canadian game.

Connors was quite the player in Port Arthur and later in Niagara Falls as an amateur player. In 1927 he finally turned pro, appearing in 7 games with the NHL's New York Americans.

Connors had moved to Detroit in 1927-28, finding early success on the Cougars (later renamed Red Wings) top line with Herbie Lewis and Larry Aurie. The speedy winger finished his only complete NHL season with 13 goals in 41 games.

In 1929-30 Connors game fell to reserve status, playing rarely and scoring just three times in 31 games. He last later demoted to the minor leagues.

The picture above shows him in a jersey of the Seattle Eskimos of the PCHL. He played out west for the 1930-31 season before he was suspended for the rest of the regular season for a viscious stick attack on Doug Brennan of the Vancouver Lions. Newspaper reports suggest the PCHL was increasingly unhappy with Connors thuggery that season. He literally broke his old, heavy, solid wood hockey stick over Brennan's forehead.

Uncertain of his future in hockey Connors returned home to Port Arthur, but no one could have guessed what would happen next. Connors life came to a tragic end in July, 1931. The 27 year old broke his neck and fractured his skull diving into shallow waters near his home town of Port Arthur. He was paralyzed from the neck down and died a day later.

Pete Bellefeuille

2011-12-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

This photo is of Pete (Pierre) "The Fleeting Frenchman" Bellefeuille. He played 92 NHL games in the late 1920s with Detroit and Toronto, scoring 25 goals and 4 assists.

The right winger from Trois Rivieres, Quebec was more or less utilized as a substitute back then. In those days the best players played most of the game, and were spotted by bench players here and there for short breaks. Bellefeuille spent a lot of time sitting on the bench.

When given a chance to play at the minor league level Bellefeuille was a regular scorer. He also played the game with an edge, if his penalty minutes are to be a clue into his temperament.

Stan McCabe

2011-12-20T17:52:00.000-08:00

Born in Ottawa in 1908, Stan McCabe became a well known hockey player in Detroit.

After playing senior seasons in Ottawa and North Bay, McCabe moved to Detroit in 1927 and made it his life long home. He started with two and a half seasons with the Detroit Olympics of the Can-Pro league, but joined the Detroit Cougars (later renamed Falcons then Red Wings) when they arrived in the National Hockey League.

The tiny left winger played the 1929-30 and 1930-31 seasons in the NHL, scoring 9 goals and 4 assists in 69 games. He returned to the Olympics (now of the IHL) for the 1931-32 season.

McCabe attempted to return to the NHL in 1932-33, but the Montreal Maroons claimed him from Detroit on waivers. The obedient McCabe left Michigan for five seasons, all for the paycheck. He would only play in 9 games with the Maroons (his final games of his NHL career) and instead bounced around from Quebec, Windsor, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Oakland and Spokane in various leagues.

McCabe ended those vagabond days by returning to Detroit in 1937, playing with the MOHL Detroit Pontiacs for a couple of seasons before hanging up the blades.

McCabe stayed in the game as an on-ice official, working the lines for many NHL games, mostly out of Detroit. He also worked for Ford at one of their factories, rising all the way to foreman.

In 1958 Stan McCabe died of a heart attack. He was just 50 years old.

Dave Gatherum

2011-12-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

On October 11, 1953 Dave Gatherum made his debut in the National Hockey League. Thanks to an injury to Detroit's regular goaltender Terry Sawchuk, the Red Wings summoned Gatherum from the Quebec Senior League for 3 games. He went 2-0-1

In his very first game Gatherum became the 7th NHL goaltender to record a shutout in his first career game as the Red Wings won 3-0 over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.

He stretched his shutout to streak to 100 minutes and 21 seconds, setting a NHL record for longest shutout sequence by a goaltender from start of career. In fact, his three games he allowed only three goals.

Not bad, eh? 2-0-1 with the a GAA of 1.00 with 1 shutout. You would think that would earn him another trial. But Sawchuk returned and Gatherum was released and never surfaced in the NHL again.

Gatherum returned to Quebec to play senior hockey. He later moved to Edmonton then to British Columbia where he starred with the Kelowna Packers for several seasons.

In 2009 a pretty cool story emerged. The Detroit Red Wings acknowledge Gatherum's contributions 55 years earlier by giving him a Stanley Cup ring. The Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1954. Though Gatherum had played just 3 games and was not around in the playoffs, they gave him a Stanley Cup ring 5 decades later.

The box arrived at his Thunder Bay home completely unannounced with a note from Mike and Marian Illitch:

"We are very pleased to be able to acknowledge your past Stanley Cup Championship by presenting you with a 2008 championship ring. We sincerely thank you for the pride you brought to the team, the city of Detroit, and the State of Michigan, and we congratulate you on your accomplishment.

Mike and Marian."

Emil Hanson

2011-12-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

In 1932-33 the Detroit Red Wings signed a fellow named Emil Hanson to a contract. They would use him for only 7 contests (0 points). But in doing so they signed the first and, as of 2011, only player born in South Dakota.

Aside from those handful of games Hanson made a good living playing hockey in the AHA with teams in Minneapolis and St. Paul. He was known for his versatility, playing both on defense and on the wings.

Frank "Frosty" Carson

2011-12-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

This good looking fellow here is Frank "Frosty" Carson, brother of fellow NHLers Bill and Gerry. He's pictured here in a New York Americans jersey from the 1930-31 season, his only season with the Amerks. He was better know for playing with the Montreal Maroons from 1925 through 1928 (winning the Stanley Cup in 1926) and the Detroit Falcons/Red Wings from 1931 through 1934.

Born in Bracebridge, Ontario, Carson was from quite the hockey family. Like his brothers Bill and Gerry, "Frosty" was a heck of an amateur player. This sturdy winger was a "lion-hearted" hockey sensation in Stratford, playing junior with the Midgets and senior with the Indians.

Carson retired from hockey in 1934 and worked for Industrial Acceptance Corporation in the Chatham/Windsor region. In 1950 he settled in Crumlin, Ontario (near London) where he operated a grocery/hardware store. He died of a heart attack in 1957, just 55 years old.

In 2004 the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame in Parry Sound inducted this local legend, saying he was "a determined competitor and a consummate team player. He was a smooth and graceful skater and possessed great puck handling skills. He never took or invited too many penalties. He was somewhat of a philosopher and looked upon hockey as a lot of fun and a good trade. He was always held in very high regard for his integrity and perseverance from all those who had contact with him."

Howie Young

2011-12-03T23:13:00.000-08:00

NHL president Clarence Campbell called Howie Young “"the worst detriment to the NHL to ever lace up a pair of skates." Frank Sinatra simply called him “Howie baby.”

Raised by his grandparents in what is now southeast Toronto, Howie was blessed with natural athleticism. He wanted to be a cowboy like his idol, John Wayne, until he saw his first game at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Despite the fact he was an alcoholic by age fifteen, his play and ferocious style attracted NHL scouts and at 18 he was invited to Canadiens' training camp. Unfortunately, his hard partying ways left him hung over and sick and the Habs sent him home.

He played first in the OHL, then for the QMJHL Chicoutimit Sagueneens, where he racked up 180 PIM in 50 games. After that, he played one season for the WHL New Westminster Royals. He saw little action with them, playing only four games. Finally after two seasons in the AHL and 330 PIM, Young broke into the Detroit Red Wings lineup for the 1960-61 season.

His crushing bodychecks and fast, smart play helped Detroit to the 1961 Staley Cup Finals, and in 1962-63, compiled a then-record 273 penalties in 64 games. The same year, he made the cover of Sports Illustrated, despite being extremely hungover at the photo shoot.

By this time, Young had been arrested several times for public drunkeness. Despite his winning smile and gregarious personality, his life was going downhill quickly. The Red Wings had run out of patience, and sent him to the Blackhawks, who had even less patience. After only 39 games, they traded him to the WHL Los Angeles Blades while retaining his NHL rights.

While playing for the Blades, Frank Sinatra called. Impressed by Young's good looks, Sinatra wanted the troubled hockey player to play a combat Marine in his movie None But the Brave. Young departed the team for the shoot in Hawaii, remaining drunk or hungover the entire time.

"Wild Thing" returned to the Blades, but his life was finally reaching its nadir in May 1965. His second marriage falling apart, he woke up in an L.A. jail cell after being arrested yet again. This time, he had been trying to break into his own apartment. Sitting in the jail cell, he vowed to get sober. Two days later, he joined AA.

“On the bench I would say, 'Please God, just get me through this game,' “ said Young, looking back. “Then it was, 'Hey, God, just get me through this period.' Finally, it was, 'God, just get me through this shift.' “

Sober and working to regain his fitness, he once again attracted the attention of the Red Wings, who brought him back for the 1966-67 season and posted a +16 in 1967-68. A reporter asked Gordie Howe what he thought of Young's transformation, to which Howe replied “He's still going around in circles – but different circles.”

Despite his remarkable turnaround, the Wings let Young go once again. He bounced around the WHL and AHL, spending the 1968-69 season with the Blackhawks and the 1970-71 season with the Canucks.

After several more years in the minor leagues, Young made one final major league appearance in the WHA with the Phoenix Roadrunners and Winnipeg Jets for the 1974-77 seasons. Three years later, he quit hockey and worked in the Southwest United states, doing everything from washing dishes to truck driving.

After a brief comeback, first with the IHL Flint Spirits and then ACHL New York Slapshots, he finally settled in New Mexico with his partner, China. In the predominately Navajo town of Thoreau, he owned a ranch and drove school buses, fulfilling his dream of being a cowboy. He also became active in the community, trying to raise money for a town rink, and his goal was to nurture the NHL's first Navajo player. “These kids are such natural athletes. All I've got to do is bring the ice, and they'll do the rest.”

Young died of pancreatic cancer on November 26, 1999 at age 62.

Howie Young is another example of a good hockey player ruined by personal demons. However unlike the John Kordics and Steve Durbanos of the world, Young could have really been somebody.

Jack Adams, the former Detroit Red Wing general manager, once described Young as having a "chance to become a second Eddie Shore."

"He could have been in the Hall of Fame," said Mike Nardella, a long time Blackhawks trainer "Howie could skate backward better than most could skate forward."

Jack Adams, the former Detroit Red Wing general manager, once described Young as having a "chance to become a second Eddie Shore."

Special thanks to Jennifer Conway and Patrick Houda

"Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe

2011-11-21T23:06:00.000-08:00

Gordie Howe was once quoted as saying "Hockey is a man's game." In the game of hockey, Gordie is the man.

Hall of Famer Bill Gadsby claimed "He was not only the greatest hockey player I've ever seen, but also the greatest athlete."

The right winger was a giant in his time at 6'1" and 205 lbs. He had the build of a heavyweight boxing champion. And he knew how to fight.

Part of the legend of Gordie Howe is his unmatchable toughness. He had "windshield wiper elbows" and like to give "close shaves" to anyone who dared to challenge. Ask any hockey experts who they'd choose as the toughest NHLer ever, and most would put their money on Gordie Howe against anyone else.

Those who knew Gordie away from the rink would never believe his on ice instincts.

"Despite an even temperament and a real distaste for combat, there is a part of Howe that is calculatingly and primitively savage," Mark Kram wrote in Sports Illustrated in 1964. "He is a punishing artist with a hockey stick, slashing, spearing, tripping and high-sticking his way to a comparative degree of solitude on the ice."

Gordie had a nasty habit of never forgetting and always getting even. One hockey legend serves as a fine example of this would have been an exchange with Maple Leaf defenseman Bob Baun. In 1957, Baun knocked Howe down with vicious intent. Howe had to be helped to the bench. 10 seasons later in 1967, Baun was playing for Oakland and was defending Howe on a one-on-one rush. Howe took a shot and the follow through of the stick caught Baun in the throat. Baun was down on the ice bleeding. Howe mercilessly stood over him and said "Now we're even."

While few in the game were tougher than "Mr. Hockey," even fewer were more talented. In his prime in the 1950s and 1960s he was routinely described by coaches as the smartest player, the finest passer, the best playmaker and the most unstoppable puck carrier in the game. Aldo Guidolin, an opponent of Howe back in the early days, understatedly remarked "Gordie plays a funny kind of game; he doesn't let anyone else touch the puck!"

Gordie Howe not only outperformed everybody, but outlasted everybody. Gordie played from 1946 until 1980. In his last season he was a 51 year old grandfather playing with and against players the were old enough to be his son! Howe played 33 seasons in the pros. One with Omaha of the USHL, 26 in the NHL (25 with Detroit) and 6 with the WHA.

While Wayne Gretzky has since dwarfed all of his statistical achievements, Howe dominated the game over many different eras.

His credentials speak for him. He won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960, and 1963. He led the NHL in scoring in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957 and 1963. He finished in the top 5 of NHL scoring in 20 consecutive seasons. He was a 21 time All Star.

During the 1950s the standard argument was "Who's better? Howe or Maurice ("The Rocket") Richard. Upon The Rocket's retirement, Richard admitted Howe was the best. "Gordie could do everything" he said.

When it comes to who is the greatest player of all time, one of Howe's chief rivals is the Boston Bruins stand out Bobby Orr. Howe was already a NHL star when Bobby Orr was born in 1948, and was still in the big leagues when Orr retired in 1979. No skater can compare to Howe when it comes to the test of surviving time.

It's too bad the New York Rangers did not have a crystal ball. They were the first NHL team to discover him, and at age 15 invited him to their junior training camp in Winnipeg. A homesick Howe performed poorly and wanted to go back to the family farm in Saskatchewan. The unimpressed Rangers never thought twice about it, and let the quiet kid go without signing him to their organization.

The next year, a Red Wings scout discovered him and invited him to the team's training camp in Windsor, Ontario. A more mature Howe impressed, as the Red Wings acquired his playing rights. Two years later, at 18, Howe was playing in the NHL.

Howe did not set the league on fire right away. Howe spent more time establishing his physical reputation in that time, scoring a total of only 35 goals but dropping the gloves with any and all comers. The Red Wings were able to convince him that he would be better served to stay out of the penalty box, the ambidextrous shooter scored 35 goals in 1949-50, second in the NHL to Rocket Richard's 43.

A playoff game in March 1950 defines the essence of Gordie Howe. It happened in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Red Wings bitter rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs. The result almost ended his life, never mind his hockey career. Teeder Kennedy was carrying the puck when Gordie attempted to intercept him. A fraction of a second before impact, Kennedy pulled up, catapulting Gordie head first into the boards. He laid crumpled on the ice with a fractured skull. He was considered extremely lucky to survive such a blow and was told he'd never play hockey again. The next year he was the league's scoring leader by 20 points. It was the first of four consecutive Art Ross trophies as scoring champion.

His 1951-52 MVP season was even sweeter. After leading the NHL in scoring (86 points) and goals (47), he led Detroit to an 8-0 record in the playoffs in its sweep to the Stanley Cup.

In 1952-53, Howe became the first player to score at least 90 points, notching 95, with a career-high 49 goals. The Red Wings, who were upset by Boston in the first round of the playoffs that season, rebounded by winning the Cup in 1954 and 1955, giving them four championships in six years. The Wings enjoyed one of hockey's greatest dynasties, but it proved to be Howe's last Stanley Cup.

Howe would continue to dominate in this six-team, 70-game era. He became the NHL's career scoring leader in 1960 when he passed Richard's 946 points on Jan. 16, 1960. In 1962-63, Howe won his sixth MVP and scoring championship (86 points). On Nov. 10, 1963, he became the league's all-time leading goal scorer with 545, passing Richard again.

In 1968-69, in the second year of expansion, Howe achieved his first 100-point season. On the day before his 41st birthday, he scored four points in the season finale to give him 103.

Gordie retired from the Detroit Red Wings in 1971 to take a front office job. But after two years of inactivity, Gordie made one of the most astonishing come backs in pro sport history. At the age 45, he signed with the Houston Aeros of the WHA where he was teammates with his two sons Mark and Marty. The Howes lead their team to the WHA title twice under his leadership.

In 1977 he and his boys joined the WHA's New England Whalers. When the Whalers joined the NHL as the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80, Gordie made his triumphant return to the NHL at the unthinkable age 51! He drew capacity crowds as the fans wanted to see the 50 year old grandfather play against the young stars like Bryan Trottier, Marcel Dionne and Wayne Gretzky. In the Whalers first year they made playoffs. Then-Whalers president Howard Baldwin credited Howe, who scored 15 goals, with that feat. Howe wasn't exactly in his prime at that age, but he didn't look out of place on many nights either.

Over a period of 32 years (combining NHL and WHA totals) Gordie Howe scored 1071 goals 1518 assists and 2589 points. Only Wayne Gretzky's career totals are better. Howe was a gifted power forward, an accomplished defensive player, a feared giant and the only player to have dominated three different eras - postwar NHL, the Golden Era of the 1960s and the Expansion Era.

Steve Yzerman

2011-11-21T23:05:00.001-08:00

Heroic. Unselfish. Intelligent. Leader. Complete. These are just a few of the adjectives used to describe Hockeytown's Steve Yzerman.

Once he was scoring machine that used to single-handedly destroy the opposition with mind-boggling individual efforts night after night. Later he became forever remembered as the grizzled veteran captain that puts the team ahead of himself and accepts responsibility for all situations on the ice.

Steve Yzerman is a winner.

Stevie Y came out of junior hockey straight into the Detroit Red Wings camp in 1983. The Nepean, Ontario native was an outstanding center with legendary junior coach Dick Todd and his Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League, from 1981 to 1983. He had 91 points in 56 games in his second year with the Petes, but his numbers were far from what a future NHL phenom would have had because Peterborough skated four lines, each having equal playing time.

Jim Devellano, the Wings GM at the time, had originally set his sights on Michigan native Pat LaFontaine for the 1983 draft, but his plans were foiled when LaFontaine was taken 3rd by the Islanders. With some disappointment, the Red Wings were left with the small Yzerman with the 4th overall pick. (Brian Lawton and Sylvain Turgeon went 1 & 2, respectively.)

Any notion of disappointment or concern about his size quickly disappeared. Yzerman arrived at training camp in 1983, "he immediately was our best player," said Devellano, who opened camp already deciding Yzerman would return to Peterborough. Instead Yzerman jumpstarted the Motor City, immediately giving the Wings hopes that finally they had found the player that would lead them back to respectability. In his rookie season, Yzerman scored 39 goals and 87 points and announced to the hockey world the Y-man had cometh.

Steve's great play would continue, but it was in the spring of 1987 when Yzerman first began is catapult to superstardom. That year he led the Wings deep into the playoffs, scoring 18 points in 16 games. He followed that up the next season by registering his first 50 goal and 100 point campaigns, and he did that in only 64 games.

The following season saw his point totals explode to the level that only Gretzky and Lemieux dared to enter. In 80 games Stevie Y scored 65 times while assisting on 90 others for 155 points! All three of those stats are Red Wing team records. For his efforts, Yzerman was voted by the players as the best player in the league that season, winning the Lester B. Pearson Trophy.

Proving that the previous season was no strange fluke, Yzerman duplicated his scoring feats by registering 62 twine-twisters with 65 assists for 127 points.

Despite the incredible offensive output by the Cranbrook, BC-born superstar, Yzerman never once made either the First or Second All Star Team. Nor did he win an Art Ross as the scoring leader. That's what happens when Gretzky and Lemieux were also around in their primes. No one, not even Stevie Y, could obtain their status or touch their trophies. Once you include the great Mark Messier as well, players as great as Steve Yzerman were unthinkably left off of Team Canada's national teams at Canada Cups.

Back in Detroit, despite being the one-man highlight film, the Red Wings had little playoff success to speak of.

This one man show of offensive fireworks would continue until the 1993-94 season when something happened in Yzerman's career. He sacrificed his own scoring exploits to become one of the best two way players in the history of the game.

While this transformation coincided with the arrival of Scotty Bowman, who gets much of the credit for the reworked masterpiece, it was Yzerman who deserves full credit. Dating back to his junior days he was always a solid two way player. Now he opted to focus his gifts equally all over the ice as opposed to just on offense. Stevie Wonder would turn from a rather one-dimensional offensive machine into one of the greatest two way players in the history of the sport.

Yzerman became perhaps the most complete player of the 1990s, continuing his offensive production, though at a lower rate, while dominating his defensive zone with vigor. In the process, Yzerman became a leader. He knew that becoming a more complete player was what was necessary for him to succeed and the Wings to win. His example spurred great things in Hockeytown.

Soon after this transformation, the Wings have began a mini-dynasty. Three Stanley Cups in five years, including back-to-back championships.

In 1995, Yzerman led Detroit to its first Stanley Cup finals series, the first for the team since the 1960s, but they were swept by the New Jersey Devils. In 1996, Detroit finished with an NHL record 62 regular season wins but they lost in the Conference finals to the eventual champions Colorado Avalanche.

In 1997, Yzerman led Detroit to its first Stanley Cup in 42 years by sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers in 4 straight games. The following year Detroit repeated the feat, taking four in a row from the Washington Capitals. Yzerman's leadership and 24 points earned him the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP. In an act of class, Yzerman handed the Cup first to the paralyzed Vladimir Konstantinov, a Red Wing defenseman who had been injured severely in a car accident just six days after the Cup victory in 1997.

Playoff frustrations would haunt the Red Wings in the following years, but they would regain the silver chalice in 2002. That year Yzerman turned in one of the most amazing seasons by any player in NHL history. Due to a hobbling knee injury, Yzerman, almost literally playing on one leg, led Canada to its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years before leading the Wings to their 3rd Stanley Cup championship in five years.

Steve Yzerman is no longer the high scoring one-man show of the Detroit Red Wings. Instead he is one of the game's most complete players ever. He is one the greatest leaders the ice has ever known. And most importantly, he is the captain of the 3 Stanley Cup Championships.

One of the NHL's true all time greats, Steve Yzerman is what hockey is all about.

The 41-year-old Yzerman is a Detroit sports icon, the longest-serving captain in NHL history (19 seasons). He and Gordie Howe are widely regarded as the greatest players in franchise history. Yzerman ranks seventh on the NHL's career list in goals (692) and assists (1,063) and sixth in points (1,755).

Ted Lindsay

2011-11-21T23:05:00.000-08:00

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.

Corrado Micalef

2011-08-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

Something about Corrado Micalef always intrigued me. Maybe it was his unique name (he was born in Montreal but most of his family moved there from Italy or Malta). Or maybe his funny looking mask, as seen here in my favorite hockey card of his. Or maybe it was because he could be a flashy and spectacular goaltender. When on the top of his game he was entertaining to watch.

The problem was he often played spectacularly bad. His balance was questionable, and he was weak on his angles play. He relied heavily on his reflexes, but his goaltending fundamentals were his weakness at the NHL level. Experts at the time also often criticized Micalef's mental game, specifically his fragile focus and his lack of consistency.

Ultimately Corrado Micalef disappeared quite quickly from the NHL scene. In 113 games (all with the Detroit Red Wings), he had a weak record of 26-59-15 with a 4.24 GAA. Hey, it was the 1980s and the Red Wings at that time were a very weak team. Terry Sawchuk would not have thrived with the Wings at that time.

Micalef left North American pro hockey in 1986. But he continued playing in Europe for many seasons, playing in Switzerland, France, Italy and Germany, retiring in 2002. He also play professional roller hockey in the summer time, playing with the Montreal Roadrunners (1994, 1995), Orlando Jackals (1996) and San Jose Rhinos (1997).

Kris Draper

2011-07-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

When the Detroit Red Wings acquired a young rookie named Kris Draper from the Winnipeg Jets, they did so with the most lopsided trade in NHL history.

The Jets had a handshake agreement with Draper. If he was unable to make the Jets in 1993 (after 3 years in the minor leagues he had only played 20 games in Winnipeg) they would move him to another team. The Jets kept their word, selling Draper to Detroit for a measly $1.

Seventeen seasons later, Draper finally retired, still a member of the Red Wings. All told Draper finished his career with 161 goals and 203 assists in 1,157 regular-season games. He found a home on Detroit's third and fourth lines (often playing along side "Grind Line" mates Kirk Maltby and Joe Kocur/Darren McCarty), crashing, banging and shutting down the other team's top lines. He was also a huge part of Detroit's elite penalty killing.

Talk about a buck well spent. Draper was an integral part of the Red Wings powerhouse teams that won four Stanley Cups. In an amazing 222 playoff games, Draper scored 24 goals and 46 points. He also played in the Olympics, the World Cup and four World Championships.

Speed and leadership were his two fortes. He may not have been named Yzerman, Fedorov or Lidstrom, but he was a pretty special piece of the Detroit Red Wings' undying success. He was a superstar role player.

Paul Ysebaert

2011-05-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

Paul Ysebaert is the perfect example of how a great supporting player can't always be a go to guy.

Ysebaert was a college star at Bowling Green, where he majored in marketing and promotion while setting records at the rink. Originally drafted by New Jersey, Paul couldn't crack the NHL until three years after college. He lit up the AHL, and was the league's highest scorer and MVP in 1990 before the Devils traded him to Detroit.

He was a decent two way winger with good offensive pop on a deep Detroit squad. A natural center, he was forced to play on the wing with the likes of Steve Yzerman, Sergei Federov and Jimmy Carson at center, Paul was moved to the wing in 1991-92 and responded incredibly. He scored a career high 35 goals, 40 assists and 75 points while also posting a league high +44, earning him the Alka Seltzer Plus Award. He backed that up with another strong year in 1992-93, with 34 goals and 62 points. Despite putting up great numbers, Ysebaert was never considered a go to guy. He never faced the strict defensive coverage that was reserved for teammates like Yzerman, Federov, Dino Ciccarelli or Ray Sheppard.

Ysebaert however found himself traded to Winnipeg in the summer of 1993 and suffered through a horrendous season. Paul couldn't find his groove in Winnipeg where he was expected to be a big part of the Jets offense. However in 60 games he scored 9 goals and 18 assists. By the trading deadline in March of 1994, he found himself traded to Chicago.

Paul, who owned and enjoyed racing thoroughbred horses, stepped up his production a bit in Chicago, but only played there in 26 regular season games with the Hawks before he was sent to the lowly Tampa Lightning.

In Tampa he struggled with a serious and reoccurring groin injury that hampered him for much of the next three seasons.

He managed to stay healthy for the entire 82 game season in 1997-98, and responded well. Ysebaert led his team in scoring with 40 points. But remember back in '91-92 when he posted a league best +44? Well somehow in '97-98 Ysebaert ended up with the worst plus-minus (-43) in the NHL.

Ysebaert played just 10 games in 1998-99 and finished the year in the minor leagues. Following the year he became an unrestricted free agent and headed to Europe.

Paul was a decent player, especially when in a complimentary role. He had explosive speed which made him a good penalty killer and forechecker. He had a quick hard shot which he used well in Detroit, but rushed too often in Tampa Bay. He wasn't much of a physical force, but was a competitive player who would take a hit to make a play any day.

Fred Williams

2011-04-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

When Fred came out of the juniors he was highly regarded by pro scouts. He played five seasons for the Saskatoon Blades (WHL) and scored 265 points (82+183) in 319 games. These weren't any remarkable stats for a player picked in the 1st round, 4th overall in 1976, like Fred was.

But Detroit who were desperately looking for a strong centerman in 1976 liked the total package in Fred. Hall of Famer Alex Delvecchio who at that time was Detroit's GM was a big fan of Fred.

"We wanted an all-around player, not just a goal scorer or 'Fancy Dan'. We would have drafted Bernie Federko, but we felt from watching Freddie that he was the kind of a guy we wanted - a better all-around player." Delvecchio said shortly after Fred had been drafted.

Bernie Federko of course went on to score 1130 points in the NHL, which was 1123 points more than Fred ever did. At that time back in 1976 it was generally regarded that Federko played with some good wingers in the juniors, while Fred had no help at all. At the same time Fred was considered to be a much better two-way player.

Toronto's head scout, ex-NHL'er Bob Davidson also liked Fred.

"He shows a lot of poise for a rookie, and he doesn't throw the puck away" Davidson said after the 1976 pre-season. Fred's scouting report read:

"A very good skater who makes good plays. Excellent forechecker. Good shot. Good penalty killer. Plays point on the powerplay. Quiet personality. Great anticipation and hockey sense. "

Fred had a very impressing training camp as a rookie and it looked like Detroit had made a great pick. In his very first NHL game against Washington on October 7,1976 Fred was teamed with Buster Harvey and Bill Lochead. Fred scored the go-ahead goal (3-2) in the second period in the game that ended in a 3-3 tie.

Little did people know that he would only score one more goal in his NHL career.

There was a lot of pressure on Fred and when he failed to score more points in the next few games then his confidence hit a real low. Fred only played 44 games for Detroit that 76-77 season, scoring two goals and adding five assists. He never played any more NHL games.

He was sent down to Rhode Island (AHL) in the middle of the season to get his confidence back, but he struggled there as well. (26 points in 34 games).

Although Fred made a couple of more training camps for both Detroit and Philadelphia, (where he was traded in 1979) he just couldn't crack the lineup of an NHL team. Fred played for the Kansas City Red Wings (CHL), Philadelphia Firebirds (AHL) and Maine Mariners (AHL). In 267 AHL games he scored 180 points, having a 55 and 51 point season in Maine as his best seasons. He retired only 26-years old in 1982.

It was really a shame for Fred that things didn't work out for him in the big league. He was a very modest person who was really down to earth and who didn't get a "big head" when he signed his lucrative contract with Detroit. His father worked with crane rentals and his mother was a jewellery store clerk in Saskatoon and they raised him well. Unfortunately the expectations together with his lucrative contract put more pressure on Fred then he could handle.

Carson Cooper

2011-04-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Carson Cooper was one of the greatest amateur right wings to ever play hockey. Three times the man with the "Shovel-Shot" led the OHA Senior league in goals, including an incredible 33 goals in 10 games in 1924, and scored another 5 in 2 playoff games that year. He played for the OHA Senior league's Hamilton Tigers, a team that featured the great Green brothers. In 55 career games in Hamilton (over 6 seasons) Cooper netted 108 tallies

Perhaps Cooper might have joined the NHL's Hamilton Tigers like the Green brothers, but in 1924-25 a new team had entered the NHL. The Boston Bruins needed players so Cooper accepted a generous contract and started his NHL career in Beantown.

A bad charley horse made sure his first season was not impressive, but his second season certainly was, scoring 28 goals (2nd most in the whole league) in 36 games, establishing him as one of the NHL's best right wings. He played alongside "Sailor" Herberts. The two were dynamically noted for the speed and perplexing passing plays, catching many defenses off guard.

The following season Cooper got off to a slow start (4 goals in 10 games) and was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Billy Boucher. In 12 games with the Habs Cooper fired home 9 goals.

He was sold to the Detroit Cougars just before the 1927-28 season and became a solid though not spectacular scoring threat. In 5 years with Detroit he never missed a game and regularly challenged the 20 goal mark.

Always overshadowed by stars like Howie Morenz, Nels Stewart, Aurel Joliat or Bill Cook, Cooper didn't always get the credit he deserved. When the NHL let up on passing restrictions, Cooper decided to instead of star, set up goals for others. He had 18 goals and 18 assists and because of his unselfish work, George Hay had 18 goals, a figure he might never have achieved without Cooper's help. Hay was in the twilight of his career and it took an unselfish forward like Cooper to give Hay or Herbie Lewis the scoring chances they needed. Lewis scored 20 goals that season.

Cooper scored 14 goals and had 14 assists the next season, 1930-31, and was now slowing down a bit. He exited the NHL in 1932, only to stay in Detroit to play and coach with the IHL's Detroit Olympics for a couple of seasons. He later returned to now-renamed Red Wings and was a long time scout. His most famous find - Gordie Howe. He also is credited with finding Red Kelly, Ted Lindsay, Terry Sawchuk, Harry Lumley and Alex Delvecchio.

He was born in 1899 and died July 4th, 1955 of an apparent heart attack.

Special thanks to Derek Thurber

Dennis Sobchuk

2011-04-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Dennis Sobchuk is still a hockey legend in Regina, where he starred with the junior Pats in the early 1970s. He played 200 games from 1971 to 1974, registering 191 goals and 225 assists. He was named the most valuable player of the 1974 Memorial Cup. He later had his number retired and is undoubtedly one of the greatest Pats of all time.

Lorne Davis, the long time Edmonton Oilers scout, remembers his junior exploits well.

"He played with a lot of energy. He could stickhandle and he could really shoot. He played with Clark Gillies (a Hockey Hall of Famer) at the time, people thought that Dennis would be the next great player. That didn't really happen but he had a great junior career."

His junior career was so impressive that he became the first player to sign with a professional hockey team before leaving major-junior hockey. He signed a 10-year, $1-million contract with the WHA's Cincinnati Stingers in 1973. He played the 1973-74 season with the Pats and was loaned to the Phoenix Roadrunners for the 1974-75 season because the Stingers didn't have an arena in which to play.

It was a very controversial move at the time, because of the money and because it was likely Sobchuk would have been the top player selected in the 1975 NHL draft. The WHA stole him before the NHL even had a chance, opening up a controversial practice the WHA would use with many of Canada's top junior players.

Sobchuk played for Phoenix, Cincinnati and Edmonton in 348 WHA games from 1974 through to 1979. He scored 145 goals and recorded 186 assists. His best offensive season was with the Stingers in 1976-77 when he had 44 goals and 51. Not bad, but his scoring and his play deteriorated from that season onward. He later tried resurrect his career in the NHL, but to no avail.

"Discipline-wise it may have helped me to go to the NHL," said Sobchuk, who played 35 games in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings and Quebec Nordiques. "They were more structured in their foundation. In the WHA, we were just happy to have 18 guys on a team. One game we were supposed to play the Minnesota Fighting Saints and the Houston Areos came out because Minnesota folded that day. It was hard for a 20-year-old to be as serious in hockey as I would have been in the NHL."

Injuries really hampered Sobchuk's career.

"I had three shoulder separations and the third time they removed about six inches of my clavicle,'' Sobchuk said. "They told me at the time that when I turned 50 that I would have arthritis. It's hard to believe that I ever got to 50. It doesn't bother me now.

"It happened during the middle of my career when I was rolling," Sobchuk said. "The injuries happened one, two, three and it took the burning desire out. It seemed like every year I was battling to get back in shape. The guys were bigger. It wasn't as easy to get back in the stirrups. It wasn't fun again. It was work."

Sobchuk retired in 1983. He briefly returned to Regina to try his hand at coaching, but soon relocated to Bellingham, Washington, just south of the British Columbian border. He was involved in the construction of the local arena there, and soon turned to building and selling homes.

Jack Adams

2011-03-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

Jack Adams was born on June 14, 1895 in Fort William, Ontario.

Jack started playing hockey at the age of sixteen when he played in the Northern Michigan Senior League. He went on to have amateur stops in Peterborough and Sarnia. Adams decided against playing amateur and moved up to the professional league.

In 1918 he played for the Toronto Arenas. During his first year he helped Toronto to the Stanley Cup. He stayed there for another year before heading to Vancouver. It was when he was in Vancouver that he emerged as a scoring threat. In twenty four games he scored twenty four goals and eighteen assists. He joined the NHL's Toronto St. Pats the following year.

Jack spent four seasons with the St. Pats. The time he spent there showed him to be a steady goal scorer. He had three 26+ point seasons. In 1926-1927 seasons, Adams went to the Ottawa Senators where he had a dismal season...in forty games he had only five goals and one assist, but he did win the Stanley Cup that year.

Jack played along side such stars as King Clancy, George Boucher, Frank Nighbor, Cy Denneny, and Alex Connell.

Adams' face was not a stranger amidst the hockey world. He signed a contract with the Detroit Cougars who were starting their second season. His job was to be the coach and general manager. While in Detroit, Adams sold hockey on and off the ice. He also pioneered the farm system in hockey. He made a tradition of turning out winning teams. In his career he built twelve league championships, seven of them in a row. He can also add seven Stanley Cups to his resume. He is the only person to have his name on the Stanley Cup as player, coach and GM

In Adams' thirty five years with Detroit, they only missed the playoffs seven times. His personal satisfaction was bringing a young boy from Floral, Saskatchewan named Gordie Howe and made him a superstar and legend.

Adams was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1959. He remained with Detroit until the end of the 61-62 season. When New York presented the Lester Patrick Trophy to the NHL in 1966 to recognize outstanding service to hockey in the United States, Jack Adams was named the first recipient.

Adams became president of the Central Hockey League after his departure from Detroit. Adams passed away on May 1, 1968 while working at his desk.

Fern Gauthier

2011-03-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

Don't laugh, but Fern Gauthier literally couldn't put a puck into the Atlantic Ocean. Or so legend has it, anyways.

First some background. The native of Chicoutimi had been a decent scorer with New York in 1943-44 (14 goals) and Montreal in 1944-45 (18 goals). The Detroit Red Wings eagerly pursued Gauthier's rights, as GM Jack Adams figured he could top 20 goals in a Red Wings uniform.

However Gauthier never did. He in fact only scored 14 goals over the next 5 years, though he did add 5 goals in 18 playoff games. But his usual lack of production became the joke of the Detroit media. They quickly said Gauthier couldn't puck the puck into the ocean!

Detroit Times hockey writer Lew Walter apparently put the charge to the test when the Red Wings visited New York for a road game. Walter and a photographer, armed with pucks and sticks, convinced Gauthier to head down to the docks of Manhattan, so that Gauthier could literally attempt to put the puck into the vast ocean.

Fern of course was able to put the pucks into the ocean. However he appeased Walter and allowed him to write a fictitious story. The grand tale Walter concocted had Gauthier missing the first two shots! Supposedly on the first shot a seagull swooped down and snatched the puck before it hit the water. And on the second shot the puck landed on a tugboat pulling a string of barges, one of which intercepted the puck.

Walter later revealed the truth and congratulated Fern on taking part in such a rib.

Fred Glover

2011-03-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Fred Glover's NHL career of 13 goals in 93 games hides the fact of a great hockey player. His AHL stats show a different story. When he retired as a player after the 1967-68 season, Glover was the all time leader in every category that the AHL kept stats in, games played (1201), goals (522), assists (815), points (1337) and penalty minutes (2402). He may have been the greatest player ever in the AHL.

How is it that such a player could get lost and play in the top minor league as its best player for 15 straight seasons after his final appearance in the NHL? The world of pro hockey during the six team era of the NHL was another world compared to how the game is today. With the sponsorship system in place, where junior aged players were signed to pro contracts that assigned their rights to the NHL team which sponsored their junior team, the NHL clubs had a massive number of players with NHL potential in their systems. With only six NHL teams, the competition to make the the big team and stay in the NHL was intense. Their always was an upcoming prospect or a young minor league player challenging for your position on the team.

With that much competion between players for jobs, not only did your performance on ice figure into your career, your relationship with the management was also a factor in what kind of stay in the NHL you would have. Management ruled hockey, and if a player didn't like it, then they could be banished into the minor leagues forever because there always was another guy to immediately step into the vacated position.

When Fred Glover signed with the OHA team in Galt in 1945 he became property of the Detroit Red Wings. After his first season in Galt, the Red Wings wanted him to move up the ladder in their system and offered him an official pro contract. Glover, because of the original type of contract he had signed, had the option to play another year in junior. When he decided to stay in Galt, the Red Wings weren't too happy with
their future prospect.

"Detroit offered me a pro contract," Glover explains, "they told me that certain players had signed and went pro for the same amount. I told them that it didn't make any difference to me because I had the option to return to junior. Right away, that put me high on their list as a trouble maker."

When Glover did finally turn pro he was sent to the Red Wing's farm team in Indianapolis where he had two stellar seasons, especially the second which saw him lead the league in goals. The next season he was on the big league club until near the end of the season when he was sent back down to Indianapolis.

Glover's stay in Detroit was extremely rocky. The Red Wings were managed by Jack Adams who ran the team in a ruthless manner. It was follow his way or else. In Glover, Adams had a player who had already challenged his authority. The team was in the middle of a run which would net four Stanley Cups in six seasons and Adams didn't need Glover's talents as much as a lesser club might. Glover sat on the bench and listened to Adams bark at him.

"In Detroit, you were always getting yelled at for something you didn't do," Glover remembers. "Half the time Adams would be yelling at the wrong guy. The players didn't have a chance in hell, you couldn't do anything but listen to it. If you didn't stay, then you could just go home. One game, I scored two goals and got one assist and all Adams did was chew on me about how I had only one hand on my stick. I just got sick of it all."

When the Red Wings farmed him out at the tail end of 1951-52, Glover went to Adams and told him that if his stay in Indianapolis was prolonged, then he wanted out of Detroit. Adams obliged by traded him to Chicago in the off season. The problem was that the Blackhawks were owned by the brother, and brother -in-law, of the owners of the Red Wings. Glover played even less in the Windy City and he was again banished to the AHL by mid-season. 1952-53 would be the last year he would ever play in the NHL.

The AHL back then was a very strong league. It's champions were dubbed "the seventh best team in hockey," but in reality, depending on the fortunes of the bottom rung NHL teams, the argument could be made that the best of the AHL was actually the fourth or fifth best team in all of hockey. The top franchise in the league was the Cleveland Barons. The Barons were for all intents and purposes an NHL team in a minor league. They ran their own farm system, drew well and were on par with any of the other US based NHL franchises at the time.

Glover's stay with Chicago's farm team in St. Louis lasted about two weeks before he was traded to Cleveland. The situation in Cleveland was unique for players, they were in the minors but playing with a major league franchise. "The minimum salary for a NHL players was $5,000 back then," Glover explains, "But, the AHL teams wouldn't meet that minimum, that was except in Cleveland. General Manager Jim Hendy had a policy where any player who came to the club from a NHL team got paid that salary. No other team did that. And, on top of that, you didn't get the verbal abuse you got in the NHL." Fred Glover had found a home on the shores of Lake Erie.

Glover had a chance to return to the NHL in 1954 with the Rangers. The scout who had known Glover in the Detroit organization had started working for the Rangers and through his recommendation they invited him to training camp. Glover didn't want to go, but he agreed after being badgered about that decision. "What a screwy camp that was," he said. "It was like a club, if you were in, you were okay. If not, you were considered an outsider. I went there wearing a knee brace because if I wore it I wouldn't have any problems with my knee, and I didn't. I told the trainer that, but right away, they thought I had a bum knee. So, by mutual agreement I went back to Cleveland. Hell, I didn't want to go there anyway. It was all the usual NHL garbage anyway."

As much as his off ice troubles defined the course of his career, his on ice career was defined by two words, "desire" and "guts". John Ferguson played with Glover in Cleveland for three seasons. "Glover influenced me a lot," he says. "He was the greatest competitor I ever saw. For example, even when he was badly hurt, he still insisted on playing. He'd be taped from head to foot and yet he's still be out there battling like nothing was wrong. I'll always remember his advice, 'never let anyone fight you off the puck.'"

"He also fought a lot because of his style," Ferguson recalls, "and he occasionally lost. I've seen him get whipped worse in fist fights than any other player I ever saw, but two minutes later Freddie would be up and at it, going after the guy who had just beaten him to a pulp. Just being around Glover was enough to pick up another player's spirit."

Not only did Glover have the drive to endear him to team mates and fans alike, he also had good hands which meant that he could score. Within no time at all Glover was the scourge of the AHL and the darling of the Cleveland fans. When Jackie Gordon became player coach of the team in 1956-57, Glover was named captain to take his place. By the time Gordon retired from coaching after 1961-62, Glover was not only the best player in the AHL, he was the heart and soul of the whole Cleveland operation.

Glover was named playing coach to replace Gordon in 1962-63 and after his first season as coach the Barons experienced a management squabble where a majority group of shareholders made a move to get rid of team President Paul Bright and Gordon who was now the General Manager. They wanted Glover to stay as coach and as they pushed on in their bid to restructure the front office, Glover informed them that he would quit if Bright and Gordon were replaced When the shareholders didn't heed Glover's warning, he quit as soon as they had gone public with the management change. Glover's retirement was catastrophic for the stockholders, not only did they stop the announced changes, they then sold the club to a group organized by Bright. Hockey in Cleveland couldn't thrive without Glover. The season that followed was perhaps the best of Glover's as a coach. He led the team to sweep of the Calder Cup in eight games, the only time in league history a team didn't lose a game in the playoffs.

Fred Glover finally left Cleveland with the start of the 1968-69 season. He was hired to coach the Oakland Seals of the NHL. It was an opportunity he couldn't pass on. The Seals of the year before were an embarrassment. Picked to be the best of the new expansion teams, the team was the worst and the players bickered under the strong hand of coach Bert Olmstead. With Glover the Seals were the most improved team in the league and zoomed to second place in the Western Division standings. A first round playoff loss could not hide the fact of a remarkable season and Glover was named Coach of the Year by The Hockey News.

The Oakland franchise was sore spot for the NHL, fans didn't show up during the dismal first season and still didn't come out to the rink despite the good reverse of fortune due to Glover's coaching. The attitude of the fans might have caught up with the players the following season because the team simply didn't play with quite the drive and determination as it had before. The Seals barely made it into the last playoff spot and quickly exited the playoffs again. With the situation desperate for money to refianance the team, the NHL Governor's leaped at the offer Charles O. Finley, the notorious owner of the baseball Oakland A's, made to purchase the team over the summer.

When Finley got control of the team in 70-71 he immediately changed the team's named to California, dressing the team in bright yellow and green uniforms, and made the players don white skates. The season turned into a stunning disaster with the team limping home to set a new record of futility with 53 losses. Glover's magic with the team had eroded and Finley spent the off season restructuring the front office by hiring Garry Young, director of player personal for the Bruins, to runthe club. The writing was on the wall for Glover and he lasted only three games into the following season before he was replaced by Vic Stasiuk.

Glover's unemployment lasted two weeks when the Los Angeles Kings made him only the second coach in NHL history to coach two teams in the same season. Unlike the first, Dick Irvin, who had guided the Leafs to Stanley Cup after being replaced in Chicago, Glover went the opposite way and lead the Kings into another last place finish. The Kings fired him at the conclusion of the regular season.

With the WHA starting up for 72-73, the Cleveland Crusaders of the WHA were more than willing to link the future of their team with the city's hockey history of the past and they hired Glover to a front office position. A position from which he resigned in a matter of two weeks. As he explained it, "I just didn't feel right stealing other team's players." Another Crusader official explained it this way, "Glover was hired while I was on a three week vacation. By the time I got back Freddie was gone."

Where Glover ended up was back in Oakland with the Seals. Charlie Finley and Garry Young had a falling out because Finley accused his GM/Coach of keeping some Seals from leaving for the WHA by signing them to contracts of which he hadn't approved. The point of contention between them grew to the point of where Finley pressed charges against Young and by mid-season he had fired him and Glover was back in to running the team. The Seals were decimated by defections to the WHA, losing a total of eight regulars and they finished last again. Ironically, the Crusaders were the team that had hit the Seals the most, signing away three players off the team.

When Finley had bought the Seals in 1970, the league finally thought it had solved the health of the failing franchise. By 1972, the NHL was pretty tired of Finley's antics in Oakland and saw the courtcase between him and Young as sure sign that he had no other intentions but to manage the Seals as a tax write off for his more profitable baseball operations. Whereas he had been a flamboyant and meddling operator of his baseball team, he was strictly a hands off owner with the hockey club. Infamous in the media for meddling in all aspects of his baseball team, Glover had this to say about his handling of the Seals, "Charlie doesn't meddle at all. I have no problem with him ever being in my office."

With his baseball team not as nearly solvent as it was when it was winning World Series in the early 70s, by the middle of the 1973-74 season Finley was making it well known that he had enough of the hockey club and the NHL Governors, desperate to rid themselves of him, bought the team outright. When the team was sold, Glover decided he had enough of the NHL and the sorry situation with the Seals. The management team the NHL was going to name to control the team eventually would have fired him, so Glover beat them to the punch and resigned right after the sale. With that, one of the greatest minor league players ever not to star in the NHL passed from any involvement with the game.

Special thanks to Patrick Houda

Dolly Dolson

2011-03-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

With all the great goaltenders that have played for the Detroit Red Wings, who do you think holds the team record for the lowest goals against average over one season? Terry Sawchuk? No! Apple Cheeks Lumley? Good guess, but nope. Chris Osgood? Sorry.

The answer is Clarence Dolson!

Who?

Clarence Dolson.

Born in Hespeler, Ontario way back in 1897, Dolson was a pint-sized goalie who wowed everybody but Detroit (at that time they were called the Cougars) boss Jack Adams. Despite having an incredible 1928-29 rookie season which included 19 wins in 44 games, 10 shutouts and a GAA of just 1.37, Adams didn't feel that the man nicknamed Dolly was a legitimate big league netminder.

Adams replaced Dolson with Bill Beveridge for the 1929-30 season, but had to return to Dolson in 1930-31 when Beveridge joined the Ottawa Senators. Dolson wasn't able to duplicate his magic of two years ago, though he was respectable with 6 shutouts and a 2.29 GAA on a bad team.

The following year the Ottawa Senators folded up shop for the year and their players were dispersed around the league. Detroit was quick to gobble up star netminded Alex Connell. Connell would play only the one season in Detroit, and the Wings acquired John Ross Roach from the New York Rangers to guard the net.

Clarence played sparingly from 1931-1933 in the minor leagues with the IAHL's Cleveland Indians.

Jim Nahrgang

2011-03-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

Jim Nahrgang was a defenseman who wasn't very fast but solid positionally.

This Millbank, Ontario native played his junior hockey for the Ottawa 67's and Kitchener Rangers between 1967-70 before playing four seasons (1970-74) for Michigan Tech (WCHA) where he studied business administration. He was an excellent student. One year he served as vice president of the Michigan Tech chapter of Blue Key, the National Honor Society.

Nahrgang captained the Michigan Tech team in his last year and was also chosen as a 1st team All-American All-Star. Twice he was named as Michigan Tech's Athlete of the Year, and after all was said and done he was induction to the school's athletic Hall of Fame.

Despite his fine college performance he never really caught on in the NHL. He was drafted by Detroit in 1971 (7th choice, 86th overall) and spent most of his time in the minors with Virginia and New-Haven (AHL) and Kansas-City (CHL) except for a one game stint with Detroit in 1974-75 and a three game stint with Detroit in 1975-76.

In 1976-77 he filled in for 53 games with Detroit, doing quite well, collecting 16 points. he was a real utility player that season, not only playing on defense but taking shifts at all three forward positions. Despite his yeoman's effort, he would not be back the following year.

Nahrgang reported to the minors to play for the Kansas-City Red Wings (CHL) and Philadelphia Firebirds (AHL). After that season he hung up his skates, only 27 years old.

Nahrgang returned to his alma mater and took up coaching until the mid 1980s. He then moved on to become a vice president of Minneapolis based Ryan Companies, a commercial real estate development firm.

By the way, Jim has a couple of interesting family relationships. He is the brother in law of former NHLer Bob Lorimer. He is also the father of 2002 Olympic biathlete Andrea Nahrgang.

Jim Niekamp

2011-03-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

Shot blocking defenseman Jim Niekamp, a native of Detroit, started out playing hockey in Motown's recreation leagues. He then moved on to play his junior hockey for St.Jerome Alouettes and Hamilton Red Wings. He spent four seasons in the minor leagues (IHL,CHL and AHL) before getting his first taste of NHL action with his home team, the Detroit Red Wings.

Jim played 24 games with Detroit in 1970-71 recording two assists. He then had a 5 game stint with Detroit the following season. These 29 games was the only NHL action that he saw during his career. Jim was bound for the minor leagues but got saved by the WHA. The Los Angeles Sharks selected him in the WHA General Player Draft in 1972. Jim enjoyed five seasons in the WHA with the Sharks and Phoenix Roadrunners.

Although he had a very fine shot he never scored more than 7 goals in a season. Jim's strongest asset was without a doubt his ability to block shots. Many believed that if WHA would have had shot blocking as an official stat that Jim would be at the top every year. Jim's teammate in Phoenix, goalie Jack Norris also agreed that Jim was a great shotblocker.

"He's really got it perfected. Lots of guys try to do it and they stop a few with their legs. Jimmy doesn't seem to have any fear at all. He'll take it in the midsection, the chest, anywhere. If he starts down on a shot, he can get up quickly. And if he goes down, he always freezes the puck. He doesn't screen out a goaltender. In fact, he's one of the reasons the shots against us aren't higher. He's blocking between five and ten shots every game."

Jim started out as a winger when he was a youngster but as soon as he shifted to defense his great shot blocking came automatically. He in fact even helped develop a new piece of protective equipment that helped prevent injuries when blocking shots. It was a light foam-rubber pad that covered a player's chest and took out the sting out of blocking a shot with the upper body. The equipment was then manufactured by Cooper in Canada and KOHO in Finland.

Jim's last professional season came in 1977-78 when he played for the Phoenix Roadrunners in the PHL (Pacific Hockey League). Besides the 29 NHL games he also played 383 WHA games, scoring 16 goals and 96 points for 112 points.

By the way - Jim Niekamp's nickname was "Shitter." I do not know the story behind the nickname. In fact, I'm not sure I want to know.

Jud McAtee

2011-03-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Jerome McAtee, better known as Jud, passed away on February 22nd, 2011. He was 91.

Born in Stratford, Ontario, McAtee was a standout with the Oshawa Generals, winning Memorial Cups in 1939 and 1940. In the early 1940s he turned professional, somehow avoiding any military time during World War II. For three seasons he apprenticed with the Indianapolis Capitols, earning 1 game try outs with the Detroit Red Wings in the latter two campaigns.

By the 1944-45 season McAtee became a full time member of the Red Wings, thanks largely to war depleted NHL lineups. The 5'9", 170lb left winger scored 15 goals and 26 points in 44 regular season games. He also added 2 goals and an assist in 14 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Unfortunately for McAtee, the Red Wings came up just short in game seven of the finals.

That game would prove to be McAtee's last in the NHL. Regular stars began returning to NHL lineups and callups like McAtee were demoted back down to the American Hockey League. McAtee played in the "A" with St. Louis and Hershey until 1949.

McAtee moved to Oklahoma in 1949 and wound down his playing career with 2 seasons in USHL with the Tulsa Oilers. He would remain in Oklahoma after hanging up his skates, at one point owning the Cosmopolitan Lounge in Tulsa. He passed away in Collinsville, OK.

Hank Bassen

2011-02-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

This red-haired goalie was never a regular in the NHL. He was a utility goalie who did his backup job very well. Being a back-up is one of the most difficult roles in hockey but Hank filled that role admirably. He even got the tag "Mr.Emergency" because of the way he was called in for duty. Unfortunately for Hank he played on NHL teams with great goaltenders. In Chicago he was stuck behind Al Rollins and in Detroit it was Terry Sawchuk (and later Roger Crozier).

"My career started as a back-up goalie and it seemed, more-or-less, to stay that way, Bassen recalled. "I did have some pretty illustrious partners and that had something to do with it. "

Hank was never the No.1 goalie in the NHL but he had a long and successful minor league career that saw him play in the AHL (Buffalo, Springfield, Pittsburgh), WHL (Calgary, Seattle, Vancouver, Edmonton), EPHL (Sudbury) and CHL (Cincinnati). Hank played his junior hockey back home in Calgary for the Calgary Buffaloes and later on for Medicine Hat Tigers

Hank's playing style was unorthodox which didn't always sit well with his trainers. When Hank played for the legendary Eddie Shore in Springfield in 1958-59, he was wandering too much out of his position and flopping to the ice. So ol' Eddie Shore tied a rope around Hank's neck and the crossbar so that Hank wouldn't flop to the ice and wander out of his crease without getting strangled. Eddie however might have had some impact on Hank who was the WHL MVP, best goalie and a first team All-Star in 1960 when he led the league in several categories.

Hank made his NHL debut in 1954 with Chicago.

"Al Rollins got injured and Chicago called me up from Buffalo of the AHL" Hank said, " I'll never forget that flight to Chicago. To this day, I've never been more excited about anything."

He won that first start against the Bruins but was soon sent back to the minors again. In 1957 Hank was traded to Detroit in a five player deal which included Hall of famers Glenn Hall and Ted Lindsay.

Hank never won the Stanley Cup but remembered when his Detroit lost to Chicago in the 1961 Cup finals. Hank was in goal for Detroit in game six of the finals that Chicago won 5-1.

"I allowed a couple of soft goals that night but Chicago really wanted to win the Cup badly. We (Detroit) had been champions on a number of occasions in the previous decade but Chicago hadn't won the Cup for more than 20 years. As a result, they were really flying in that series and deserved to come out on top," Hank said.

In 1965-66 Hank backed up Roger Crozier in Detroit. In the 1966 Stanley Cup finals against Montreal he played in game four when Crozier wrenched his knee. Bassen allowed goals from Ralph Backstrom and Jean Beliveau as the Canadiens won 2-1 at the Olympia. He might not have won the Stanley Cup but he won the Calder Cup (AHL) with Pittsburgh Hornets in 1967. Hank played one more season in the NHL when he got picked up by the expansion Pittsburgh Penguins in 1967.

After the 1967-68 season Hank retired to operate an excavating business in Calgary. He also managed the junior Calgary Wranglers between 1984-86 before going on to become a sales representative for a printing firm.

The Bassen family showed up in the NHL again in 1985 when Hank's son Bob emerged in the league. Bob went on to play 14 seasons in the NHL between 1985-99.

Special thanks to Patrick Houda.

Glenn Merkosky

2011-02-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Glenn Merkosky is one of those guys who never really got the NHL chance he deserved. For various reasons he was often overlooked, despite amassing one of the better AHL careers in history.

Glenn is the Adirondack Red Wings' all-time leader for both regular season and playoffs in goals, assists and points. He is the 10th-leading goal-scorer, and 22nd-leading overall scorer, in AHL history. The two-time winner of the Fred Hunt Trophy, the AHL's version of the Lady Byng, is the only player to have his jersey number (15) retired by the Wings.

Curiously, Glenn was never drafted by an NHL team. He did sign with the Hartford Whalers organization in the summer of 1980, one year after playing his overage year of junior hockey. "Merk" put in a couple of solid years with the Whalers AHL affiliate in Binghampton, and even earned a 7 game cup of NHL tea in 1981-82, but was released in the summer of 1982.

The Edmonton Alberta native singed on with the New Jersey Devils for the next three years. He did play in 39 NHL games, accomplishing little. He chipped in with 5 goals and 10 assists. But he did put in 3 solid years with the Devils farm teams

The Detroit Red Wings signed "Merk" in the summer of 1985. The Wings were looking for a solid minor league player to help their kids on the farm team, and never really gave Glenn an opportunity to play at the NHL level. That was unfortunate as Merkosky really matured with the Wings farm team in Adirondack, and became a great AHL level player.

For the next 6 years Glenn was an incredible player in Adirondack. He rewrote the team's record book, and even led the whole leage in goal scoring with 54 tallies in 1986-87. Despite this, Glenn only got into 20 NHL games over the 6 years.

Glenn was a complete player who did everything well, but nothing particularly outstandingly. He had a big heart, and a goal scorers touch. He was perhaps a tad small and a tad slow at the NHL level. Also affecting his chances at NHL employment was Detroits investment in other, younger players. Glenn wasn't as skilled as first overall draft pick Joe Murphy. He didn't have the size and strength of Adirondack teammate Adam Graves. And he didn't crash and bang as noticeably as Randy McKay.

Had he played in the waterdown 30 team NHL 10 years after his prime, Glenn would have enjoyed a few seasons in the NHL.

Glenn went on to become a long time scout for the Red Wings.

Dean Morton

2011-02-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

Dean Morton became the second player in NHL history to score a goal in his only NHL appearance. Rolly Huard of the 1930 Toronto Maple Leafs was the first.

Morton was a defensive d-man if there ever was one. He only scored 4 goals in 202 AHL and IHL games, though did pop in 6 in the the lowly Colonial Hockey League. He was a physical force both in junior and minor pro but wasn't a great skater and was a replaceable commodity, thus explaining his short career.

Drafted 148th overall from the Ontario Hockey League by Detroit in 1986. He turned pro a couple of seasons later, spending two years with the AHL's Adirondack Red Wings. In the 1989-90 season Morton got his only shot at NHL action, and made the most of it by scoring a goal.

His goal-a-NHL-game pace didn't impress many people apparently. He would spend the next three seasons bouncing around with 6 teams in 3 leagues before hanging up the skates in 1993.

Morton would return to the NHL as a referee in 2000.

Max McNab

2011-02-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

Max McNab was often called the nicest guy in all of professional hockey - a title he was quite deserving of.
However, despite being a promising prospect, Max never was able to make it to the big time, at least as a player.

A product of Watson, Saskatchewan, McNab was brought up in the Detroit Red Wings organization, and was being groomed as the heir apparant center to Sid Abel - the aging center on the famed Production Line with Ted Lindsay and Gordie Howe.

McNab was on his way to showing he was ready for the big time in 1947-48 when he led the entire USHL in goal scoring with 44 goals in the same amount of games. That same season he got his first audition in the NHL, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists in 12 games.

The following season Max was given most of the season to earn a big league job, but failed to impress. He scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 51 uninspiring games. He played just well enough to continue to toil in a 4th line role in 1949-50, when he played in 65 games, but picked up just 4 goals and 4 assists.

McNab was demoted to the minors following that season, only to reappear as an emergency injury replacement in the 1951 playoffs. After a season with the Indianapolis Capitals of the AHL, his career looked to be all but over when a bulging disc in his back forced him to miss the entire 1951-52 season. McNab however recovered fully and resettled out west, playing in the Vancouver suburbs with New Westminister Royals from 1952 through 1959

After his playing days were over, McNab became a highly respected hockey executive. He helped to make San Diego a hot though small hockey hotbed. He briefly served as the president of the old Central Hockey League before retuning to the NHL as the expansion Washington Capitals as the general manager.

John Sorrell

2011-02-02T22:41:00.001-08:00

Johnny Sorrell was a lanky left winger with the Detroit Falcons/Red Wings and New York Americans during the 1930s and early 1940s. Standing nearly 6 feet tall but weighing just 155 lbs, John was instantly nicknamed Long John.

Born in Chesterville Ontario on January 16, 1906, Sorrell's hockey career began in the Can-pro league in 1927 with the Quebec Beavers. In 1928 he moved on to play with the Windsor Bulldogs. He was technically the property of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. The Habs moved Sorrell to the London Panthers of the IAHL for the 1929-30 season.

The mild mannered Sorrell exploded with the Panthers, leading the entire IAHL with 31 goals in just 42 games. Instantly, every NHL team was interested in Sorrell's services.

It was the Detroit Falcons (later renamed Red Wings) who won the Sorrell sweepstakes when they traded Herbie Stuart to London on February 8, 1930. For the next 7 1/2 seasons Sorrell was a key contributor to the Detroit franchises' success. Part of that success included back to back Stanley Cup championships in 1936 & 1937. That first Stanley Cup championship was Sorrell's career highlite. He scored 7 points in as many games to help his team realize the dream of hoisting the Stanley Cup.

A skilled player with good skating ability, Sorrell twice led the Wings in goal scoring. This was quite an accomplishment considering his teammates included the great Ebbie Goodfellow, Syd Howe and Mud Bruneteau.

As his production hinted of slowing down, Sorrell was traded to the NY Americans in 1938 in exchange for Hap Emms. Sorrell played 3 1/2 seasons in New york and a couple more in the minor leagues before turning to the world of coaching in Indianapolis.

John was also a heck of a baseball player. In the hockey off season he played semi-professional baseball.

Lefty Wilson

2011-02-02T22:41:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alex Delvecchio

2011-01-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

Everybody considers Gordie Howe one of the greatest players ever partly because of his longevity. That being said, Alex Delvecchio also deserves mention among the game's legends.

Alex played 24 NHL seasons, only missing a ridiculously miniscule total of 43 games due to injury. Unlike Howe, Delvecchio spent his entire career with the same team - the Detroit Red Wings. Delvecchio was as consistent a player as you'll find.

Many words describe Alex Delvecchio. Consistent. Durable. Gentleman. Winner. Leader. Loyal. If forced to choose just one word to sum up his legacy, it would have to be legend.

Alex Delvecchio was born on December 4, 1932 in Fort William, Ontario, which is now a part of the city of Thunder Bay. He got his first pair of skates at the age of six and taught himself to skate on the many frozen ponds in his rural Ontario setting.

He didn't start playing organized hockey until he was 12, but he was quickly identified by a Red Wings scout named Lou Passador. On Passador's advice, Red Wings boss Jack Adams signed the youngster and assigned him to a junior B team in his native Fort William. It was there that Delvecchio matured into a man and intimidating hockey player, gaining 5 inches and 20 pounds in 2 years.

Soon Delvecchio was transferred to Detroit's main prospect mill in Oshawa where former NHL great Larry Aurie coached the OHA Generals. Delvecchio would credit Aurie with becoming a smart hockey player, focusing on puck control and playmaking, and maturing on the ice.

Delvecchio's favorite junior passing target was a fellow named Lou Jankowski. Jankowski led the entire league in scoring, with 65 goals and 59 assists for 124 points. Delvecchio finished right behind with 49 goals and 72 assists for 121 points. But it was Delvecchio who made the immediate jump to the 1951-52 Red Wings, perhaps the greatest team of all time. Jankowski essentially became a bust by NHL terms.

After starting the season in the minor leagues, Delvecchio broke into the Wings' line-up as a centre, replacing Larry Wilson. He would often play with wingers Johnny Wilson and Metro Prystai, though many games the trio didn't see a lot of ice time. Yet the rookie scored 15 goals and 22 assists, helping Detroit finish first through the regular season. More importantly, that spring the Wings won the Stanley Cup in eight straight games.

Delvecchio will never forget how special that team was.

"That was a great team we had and I felt proud to be among so many players that were true stars of the game. Terry Sawchuk was in goal and in those eight playoff games against Toronto and Montreal, he only gave up six goals. We had Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel, Gordie Howe, Glen Skov, Tony Leswick, Metro Prystai and Marty Pavelich up front. Marcel Pronovost, Red Kelly and Bob Goldham were three of our defensemen," Delvecchio recalled.

That nucleus was the toast of the league for most of the early 1950s, capturing two more Stanley Cups in 1954 and 1955. That gave Delvecchio 3 Stanley Cup championships. For the Red Wings they had 4 championships in 6 seasons, and finished the regular season in first place in 7 consecutive seasons.

Delvecchio was just entering his prime, and fully replaced Sid Abel on the Production Line with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. Through his prime years in the late 50s and 1960s, Delvecchio finished in the top 10 in scoring 10 times. Like a fine wine Delvecchio seemed to only get better with age, recording his best season in 1968-69 when he scored 25 times and assisted on 58 others for a total of 83 points. In 13 of his 24 seasons he scored 20 or more goals, contributing towards a career total of 456 goals and 825 assists, plus 35 goals and 69 assists in playoffs.

Delvecchio and Howe in particular shared a special chemistry. Later on it was Frank Mahovlich who was the perfect fit for Delvecchio.

"They just said, 'give it to Gordie. He'll put it in the net,' " Delvecchio said. "When Gordie was there it was `give it to Gordie' and when Frank (Mahovlich) was there they said `give it to Frank'. I concentrated on playmaking."

Bruce MacGregor, a former teammate of "Fats" Delvecchio, fondly recalls the days where Number 10 centered a line with the Big M.

"Alex was a natural athlete. His biggest assets were his skating and passing, a fluid skater with an effortless style. I remember him centering for big Frank Mahovlich. Frank had that big, sweeping stride, and it was tough for centers to judge where he'd be for a pass. But Alex would him almost every time, right on the money. Alex was the best center man at making consistently perfect passes that I've ever seen."

Alex was truly one of the game's most sportsmanlike gentleman. A three time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy, Alex was only penalized for 383 minutes in 24 years. The two time all-star was also a leader, taking over from Gordie Howe as team captain in 1962 until the day he retired in 1973. He was also extremely loyal to the Detroit Red Wings. In fact he was so loyal to Detroit that he turned down a lucrative offer from his longtime sidekick Gordie Howe to join the Houston Aeros of the WHA in 1973.

After his playing career was over he was offered to coach Detroit. Which he gladly accepted.

"My goal was to be a coach in the NHL someday," he confessed. "So I was elated when I was approached about the job."

When asked to describe his coaching philosophy, he replied:

"Theories and systems ? Are you kidding ? You can't play hockey by a lot of theories and systems. It's too fluid a game for that. You've got to make quick decisions on the ice and you can't be wondering if the decision fits into your system."

Well, with an approach like that I guess it's not surprising that Coach Delvecchio didn't last too long. In parts of 4 seasons he posted a 82-131-32 record 245 games, a winning percentage of just .400. He also served as general manager.

He remained in the Detroit area and became a salesperson for a customer appreciation business that provides signs and novelty items to firms wanting to give their clients tokens of appreciation. He also became very active with the Red Wings Alumni Association.

Whoever said "nice guys finish last" should learn about Alex Delvecchio. He was largely overshadowed by his Detroit teammates, but Delvecchio earned the immortal spotlight of Hockey Hall of Fame enshrinement in 1977.

George Gee

2010-12-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

Pete Babando is forever etched in hockey folklore. He scored one of hockey's biggest goals of all time when he notched the Stanley Cup winning goal in game 7 of the 1950 Stanley Cup finals to give Detroit the edge over the New York Rangers.

Babando is now part of hockey legend, but so should be George Gee, the man who made the Cup winning tally possible.

Gee, who played 3 1/2 seasons with Chicago before being dealt to Detroit, centered a line with Babando and Gerry "Doc" Couture. The trio lined up in traditional fashion for a faceoff deep in the Rangers zone when Gee maneuvered a new formation. He had Babando step back from the line of scrimmage. Babando took his position at a 45 degree angle to Gee's left, thus freeing Babando from his check by 3 or 4 feet. Gee won the all important face-off cleanly and right on to the stick of Babando. Unchecked, Pistol Pete let a quick shot go that eluded Rangers goalie Chuck Rayner. Gee's assist was his 6th of the post-season which led all players in that category.

"Hully" returned to the Black Hawks in 1951-52 and played through the 1953-54 season. He played left wing on a line with Gus Bodnar and Bill Mosienko the night Mosienko scored 3 goals in 21 seconds.

In total the crafty center scored 135 goals and 183 assists in 551 career National Hockey League games.

Gee died in an unusual fashion. According to Total Hockey, he died during an old-timers game in 1971. He was skating for the Red Wings alumni team against the Wyandotte Juniors.

Pete Goegan

2010-11-25T17:14:00.000-08:00

Pete Goegan played 383 games over 10 seasons in the National Hockey League. Best remembered on the blue line of the Detroit Red Wings, Goegan shuttled back and forth to the minors a lot in his day. In fact many old time fans may better remember his as a Pittsburgh Hornet of the American Hockey League.

"If you didn't produce, you were gone for a month or two and called back up. Up and down, up and down," he said.

Production was tough to define for a classic stay at home defenseman like Goegan. He scored 19 goals and 86 points in his career.

I guess production in Goegan's case came down to how physical he played. He accumulated 365 penalty minutes in his NHL career, not an outrageous amount for a hard hitting defenseman. But he was described as "rugged" and "surly."

Goegan, who also played briefly with the New York Rangers and Minnesota North Stars, hung on to NHL dreams as the NHL expanded in 1967. But when it became apparent the veteran warrior was destined to stay in the minor leagues. Goegan decided to leave the life of professional hockey behind in 1969.

His decision to leave was partly due to "old age" and partly because he broke his ankle when he fell off a ladder while painting his home. Goegan returned to his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario where he took up work as a carpenter. During his hockey career he usually returned home to work on construction sites and to build homes. He finally hung up his tool belt in 1990 when the wear and tear on his back and hips was just too much.

Sadly, he all but completely gave up the game of hockey. A sense of duty led him to coach a kids hockey team at the midget level early into his retirement, but he quit because "the parents got to me."

Metro Prystai

2010-11-21T22:06:00.000-08:00

Metro Prystai, one of the great names in hockey history, grew up playing hockey on the frozen ponds near native Yorkton, Saskatchewan. He later starred for three years of junior hockey with the powerful Moose Jaw Canucks that won three straight provincial titles. In 1945 and 1947, the team advanced to the final of the Memorial Cup, losing both times to St. Michaels out of Toronto.

Prystai, whose real first name was Dmytro, was such a legendary figure in Moose Jaw that it was said that the day they hung his picture in Thatcher's hardware store on Main Street was his proudest moment in hockey!

Prystai left the little town of Moose Jaw for the big city lights of Chicago to play with the Black Hawks in 1947. Three years later the pint sized center was the team's most popular player, leading the way with 29 goals in 1949-50. But the Hawks packaged Prystai to Detroit in a nine-player deal, which, at that time, was the biggest in National Hockey League history.

"I was disappointed because it looked like the Hawks were an up-and-coming organization but Detroit had so many good players that, after a while, I was happier than heck. They used me as a swing man because I could play all three forward positions, though I spent most of the time on right wing. For a while I was with Ted Lindsay and Gordie Howe, then on a checking line with Marty Pavelich and Tony Leswick, then with Alex Delvecchio and Johnny Wilson."

Prystai was on the Wings' 1952 Stanley Cup team that swept the playoffs in eight consecutive games, beating Toronto and Montreal.

"We never allowed a goal at home," Prystai said with great pride. "We played four games and Terry Sawchuk had four shutouts. We won the final game 3-0 and I had two goals and one assist. Terry was 225 pounds and so big that you could hardly see the net, but quick as a cat. One year Jack Adams (the Detroit manager) got mad as hell and said he was too big and told him to cut out drinking beer and lay off the potatoes, and he came back the next season 30 pounds lighter, but he was pretty sick from something."

Prystai was the game's first star in the Stanley Cup clinching game in 1952, scoring 2 goals and 1 assist.

The Wings sent Prystai back to Chicago in 1955 in a not so secret attempt to bolster a weakened Chicago team, owned by James Norris, brother of Wings owner Bruce Norris.

"The teams got together and said, 'Look, we're going to send one player apiece to help Chicago.' I was part of the help-the-poor deal," recalled Prystai. "I was kind of half-popular because I had a fairly good year. I wasn't happy to go back because I was enjoying Detroit."

A year later, the Hawks sent Prystai back to Detroit, again. He would slide in and out of the line up, battling injuries, most notably a foot injury that really hobbled him. The Wings sent him to the minor leagues in hopes that he would find his game, but he ended up breaking his leg twice, all but ending his playing days.

When asked if he ever wished he played in the modern era of big money hockey, Metro answered very humbly. His father emigrated from Ukraine with very little, and provided the best he could for his family, and Metro was always very thankful for that.

"If I had a chance to do it over again I would like to do it over again the same, even the same bloody way, even though we didn't get paid a lot of money or anything like that," he said. "But you know I came from a little town. We had nothing. It was just after the Depression. Nobody had any money. Then all of a sudden, - bang-o! You're living first class, you're travelling first class, you're making pretty good money. It was pretty darn good money. We were making close to $10,000 a year but I had buddies at home who worked for 12 months for $3,000 or $4,000."

In all Metro Prystai scored 151 goals, 179 assists in 674 NHL games. He tried his hand at coaching for awhile, first in Omaha then back home in Saskatchewan teaching junior kids in Moose Jaw and Melville. He ultimately left hockey for a variety of careers, including brewery salesman, real estate and insurance sales, and later in life settle in Wynyard, Sask. selling automobiles and raising his family. He also owned a fishing lodge in Northern Saskatchewan where he loved to spend time.

- stick tap to Jennifer Conway

Detroit Red Wings Greatest Players

2010-09-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Detroit Red Wings Legends

Sid Abel Larry Aurie Roger Crozier Alex Delvecchio Sergei Fedorov Ebbie Goodfellow Gordie Howe Ted Lindsay Harry Lumley Marcel Pronovost Mickey Redmond Terry Sawchuk Black Jack Stewart Norm Ullman Steve Yzerman

Other Notable Red Wings

Gerry Abel Gary Aldcorn Jack Arbour Murray Armstrong Pete Babando Doug Barkley Marty Barry Gary Bergman Thommie Bergman Mud Bruneteau Frank Carson Billy Dea Don Deacon Clare Drouillard Alex Faulkner Viacheslav Fetisov Bobby Francis Danny Gare Warren Godfrey Bob Goldham Danny Grant Dominik Hasek George Hay Paul Henderson Flash Hollett Hap Holmes Willie Huber Rusty Hughes Petr Klima Joey Kocur Vladimir Konstantinov Mike Korney Igor Larionov Reed Larson	Tony Leswick Carl Liscombe Bill Lochead Len Lunde Parker MacDonald Bruce MacGregor Frank Mahovlich Dale McCourt Bucko McDonald Walt McKechnie Doug McKay Billy McNeill Harry Meeking Johnny Mowers Gerry Odrowski John Ogrodnick Jimmy Orlando Marty Pavelich Dennis Polonich Bob Probert Dutch Reibel Leo Reise Jr. Earl Robertson Enio Sclisizzi Glen Skov Brad Smith Normie Smith Joe Turner Bugsy Watson Benny Woit

Gerry Odrowski

2010-09-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

Gerry Odrowski put the well in well-travelled.

Let's see if I can get all the teams he played for, in chronological order of course:

Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL), San Francisco Seals (WHL) with a short stop with the Quebec Aces, Vancouver Canucks (WHL), Oakland Seals, San Diego Gulls (WHL), Phoenix Roadrunners (WHL), St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Sharks (WHA), the Phoenix Roadrunners now in the WHA, the Minnesota Fighting Saints (WHA) and finally a short stint with the Winnipeg Jets (WHA).

Odrowski could have grown a complex over teams moving him all the time. But the worst had to be when Odrowski had to leave an Oakland Seals game vs. the New York Rangers with an injury. Odrowski remained in hospital because the Seals left town and forgot to arrange for him to come home.

Aside from that moment, the kid from Trout Creek, Ontario sure seemed to enjoy hockey in California. But he never stayed with one team very long. The longest stay was four seasons with the San Francisco Seals, which made him an obvious choice to join the Oakland Seals when they joined the NHL in 1967.

Former Seals teammate Kent Douglas called him "a beauty - he was one of a kind. He gave 150% on every shift. I've never seen anybody sweat like him. He worked very hard and was deceptively quick."

Odrowski was a stay at home defenseman who at times in his career, most notably in Oakland, killed penalties as a forward (with Charlie Burns). He was widely respected by his teammates for his hard work but also his great sense of humor. That sense of humor must have been relied on a few times in the Seals sorry history.

A self described "average hockey player," one thing Odrowski was not known for was scoring goals. In 309 NHL games he scored just 12 goals (and 31 points). In 282 WHA games he lit the lamp 16 times (plus 114 assists for 130 points).

Odrowski was easily identifiable because of his bald head. He began losing his hair at the age of 10.

"Nobody knows what caused it," he recalled. "For a while other kids called me 'baldy' but four or five years later it started to grow back, and I figure by the time I'm 65, I'll have a full head of hair just when everybody else will have lost theirs."

As a youth Odrowski was coached by long time NHL star (and member of Parliament) Bucko McDonald. It was Bucko who taugh Odrowski how to play defense.

"If it wasn't for Bucko, I would have never made it in hockey."

Odrowski was described "an efficient passer who was tough to get around in his own end." That sounds pretty much just like Bucko McDonald when he was a hard hitting player with the Leafs. He later went on to coach many young defensemen, including a young Bobby Orr.

Odrowski left the game behind in 1976, but not on good terms. He sued the Jets because he felt they failed to pay him a $12,500 bonus. He did eventually settle the suit but never got much money for it.

After retiring from the ice Gerry went to work for his brother Tony in North Bay selling automotive parts. He later got into politics serving on city council in South Himsworth Township, Ontario.

Stick tap to Jennifer Conway

Bobby Francis

2010-09-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

Bobby Francis grew up in the rich tradition of the National Hockey League since the day he was born. His father Emile "The Cat" Francis who played 12 professional seasons as a goaltender, 6 with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. He is better known as a Hall of Fame builder in hockey after a long coaching and managing career including lengthy stays with the the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Hartford Whalers.

Born in North Battleford Saskatchewan in 1958, Bobby grew up largely in New York where Emile became a front office fixture for the Rangers starting in 1962. Bobby developed his skills in the New York Metro Junior Hockey League. Because of the large population, ice time was hard to come by. So Bobby learned much of his hockey training by playing roller hockey. Of course Rollerblades or inline skates didn't exist back then. Like fellow New Yorkers Joey and Brian Mullen and Nick Fotiu, Bobby learned the game of hockey on those old roller derby skates!

But by playing on wheels Bobby's game improved immensely. When he did get a chance to get on the ice, he was already far better than the kids who didn't play on wheels. That, plus the fact that his dad was a former NHLer, helped open doors for Bobby.

Following Bobby's junior days, Bobby walked through one of those open doors when he decided to continue his education at the University of New Hampshire where he earned All American Honorable Mention. Bobby was a fantastic hockey player at UNH as well. During the years at New Hampshire, Bobby's team was the team to beat in the Eastern Collegiate Conference. After a 19 goal performance his senior year, another door was opened for Bobby when he signed as a free agent with the Calgary Flames.

During his first pro season, 1980-81, the 5'9" 175 pound center scored 22 goals while splitting the year playing for Birmingham (CHL) and Muskegon (IHL). However it was the 1981-82 that was the season to remember for Bobby. Bobby would set new scoring records while playing for Oklahoma City of the CHL. He not only earned the scoring title, and the Rookie of the Year honors, but the Most Valuable Player award as well. After scoring 48 and 114 points, Bobby returned to the CHL in 1982-83 with his sights set on the CHL scoring record. This time with Calgary's affiliate team in Colorado, Bobby was off to a fantastic start - scoring 20 goals and 36 points in 26 games. He even scored 5 goals in one game!

However his chase of the CHL scoring record was put on hold after the 5 goal game. Bobby was traded by Calgary to Detroit of the National Hockey League. Bobby was quickly called up to the Red Wings where he would make his NHL debut.

"Playing in the National Hockey League was something I always dreamed of, everybody does. It was real gratifying to know I had finally made it," said Francis.

However, this Cinderella story ends with the call-up to the big show. Despite his obvious promise, Bobby never got a great shot at making the Red Wings roster. While on the Red Wings roster, there were 7 other centers on the team. And with Detroit in a playoff race there was no chance that a raw rookie like Bobby would get some playing time.

"It was then I opened my eyes to the other things that go on off the ice in hockey," Francis said. "Everybody in the Detroit organization was new and they were having a tough time adjusting. Things just didn't go like I thought they would."

Bobby played in only 14 games, scoring 2 goals and no assists.

Bobby was shipped to the American League to play with Adirondack to finish the season. In 16 games Francis scored only three goals. The promising CHL star had trouble adjusting to the higher level of competition, and that left Bobby frustrated.

"As the season came to a close, I had to consider my future in the game. There were several offers from European teams and one of the offers looked real good. Then out of the blue, Doug Spedding (owner and president of the Colorado Flames) called me and asked what it would take for me to play with the Flames," Francis recalled.

Bobby ended up signing a 1 year contract with the Colorado CHL team. The popular #9 had a strong season, scoring 82 points (32 goals, 50 assists) in just 68 games but opted to leave Colorado in the summer of 1984. He continued his career in his new home of Salt Lake where he played with the IHL's Golden Eagles. He started out slowly in the IHL, scoring 40 points in 53 games in 1984-85. The following year he improved to 76 points in 82 games before scoring his second best professional season of 98 points in his final year of pro hockey in 1986-87.

Bobby quit playing hockey but remained with the Golden Eagles until 1993 in a coaching capacity. He was an assistant coach until 1989 when he was named head coach . Bob decided to pursue opportunities outside of Utah that would lead him to a NHL coaching job. The Golden Eagles at the time were a Calgary Flames affiliate, but their number one farm team was the St. John Maple Leafs. The Flames were impressed with Francis enough to offer him the head job with the St. John Flames from 1993 through 1995.

Bobby left the Flames organization to coach the Boston Bruins farm team in Providence from 1995 through 1997.

By 1997 Bobby Francis - like his dad many years before him - had become one of the top coaching prospects in all of hockey. The Bruins promoted him to the NHL where he served as an assistant coach under Pat Burns.

By 1999 Bobby reached his ultimate goal by becoming the head coach of his own NHL team. The Phoenix Coyotes hired Francis. He did an admirable job with a ownership-in-limbo situation and superstar goalie Nokolai Khabibulin's contract squabbles.

"I have been spending a lot of years to prepare for this opportunity. I was the head coach in the minor leagues for nine years and I had the luxury and the good fortune to be an assistant coach for Pat Burns and work for Jacques Laperriere for two years in Boston. You tend to -- I think you have to be your own person. You have to generate your own style. If you try to emulate somebody else, I think the players can read through that and the things have to come natural, they have to come from your own thought process. You learn a little bit from different people you work with throughout the years. Again, I think like any individual, you learn most from your parents growing up and what they stand for and you try to implement those beliefs in your daily process," he said of his coaching abilities.

By 2002 he was named as the Jack Adams Award winner as best coach in the NHL. Less than two years later he was fired as the Coyotes on-ice performance wilted significantly.

Bill Lochead

2010-09-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

Bill Lochead was a fine junior player, scoring 140 goals and 278 points in only 158 games for the Oshawa Generals. He was chosen to the second OHA All-Star team in 1973 and the first in 1974. In 1974 he was awarded the Red Tilson Award as the MVP in his last season of junior hockey.

His fine junior career of course attracted a lot of attention from the NHL scouts. Bill was eventually drafted by the Detroit Red Wings with their 1st round draft choice, 9th overall in 1974. He had a solid rookie season in the NHL 1974-75, scoring 16 goals (28 points) in 65 games and was selected as the team rookie-of-the-year by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

But the following season Bill only scored 9 goals (20 points) in 53 games. He also played 24 games in the minors, playing for New Haven (AHL) where he scored 30 points (17 goals + 13 assists). Detroit´s management was impatiently waiting for Bill to blossom, yet he was showing no signs of coming around, scoring 16 goals and 14 assists in 61 games for Detroit during the 1976-77 season.

In 1977-78 Bill showed flashes of his potential when he scored 20 goals and added 16 assists in 77 games for Detroit. During the 1977-78 season Bill's coach Bobby Kromm described his style like this: "Bill depends on skating and forechecking in the opponent's end. He tries to force their defense to cough up the puck and make mistakes. He's a quick, hard skater, and so far, he's been very effective."

He also went on to score his most important goal in a Red Wings uniform in the playoffs that season. For one night on April 13, 1978 he was the king of Hockeytown before there was such a kingdom. Bill's two third-period goals against Atlanta in the playoffs, including the winner with 1:34 left, made the Wings the toast of the city. The goal that brought Red Wings fans to their feet and the Atlanta Flames to their knees got etched into the Olympia Stadium lore until this day. Bill's goal clinched the Wings first playoff series in 12 years.

The goal was Detroit's most electrifying playoff goal in a long time and belonged to an underachieving first-round draft pick whose tiptoe through the Flames was a shining moment in a decade of darkness. "For me, it was the best time I had in professional hockey," Bill said.

The 1977-78 Detroit team was coming off the franchise's worst season to that point (16-55-9), when they failed to make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. But first-year coach Bobby Kromm and general manager Ted Lindsay assembled an electrifying blend of players who helped the Wings double their victory total with a 32-34-14 record. Among the players on the team was chippy team captain Dennis Hextall, tough defenseman Terry Harper, fast forward Nick Libett, hustling wing Dennis Polonich, rookie Dale McCourt, Paul Woods, hard shooting defenseman Reed Larson, goalie Jim Rutherford, big winger Vaclav Nedomansky and 20 goal scorer Bill Lochead.

A strong second half propelled the Wings to a 78-point season, good for second place in the Norris Division behind Montreal and a first-round playoff date with Atlanta. The best-of-three preliminary series pitted the Wings against the Flames, perennial playoff chokers. Atlanta was a big, physical team that featured Tom Lysiak, Willi Plett and goaltender Dan Bouchard.

In Game 1 at the Omni, Detroit won, 5-3, after having scored three power-play goals. Two nights later, a Thursday, an Olympia-record crowd of 16,671 crammed into the old red barn, anticipating Detroit's first series victory since 1966. All the fervor that had evaporated from the glory years in the 1950s and '60s was back. After a scoreless first period, the teams traded second-period goals from Lysiak and Vaclav Nedomansky. Lochead scored at 8:58 of the third to put the Wings up for the first time, 2-1. Five minutes later, Atlanta tied it on Bobby Lalonde's unassisted goal.

With less than two minutes left, the Lochead-McCourt-Woods line was ready to return to the bench. A TV time-out revived them for one more face-off. On his off-wing, the right-handed Lochead took a pass from Woods at his blue line and dashed up the left boards.

"I remember coming up on Dick Redmond and just missing his hip check at the blue line," Bill said. "Bouchard came out trying to take away the shot. Instead of going to the net, I dragged the puck into my feet as if going behind the net. At that point, I was on the goal line, and Bouchard was out of position, but I'm really flying now." As he continued around the net, Bill kicked the puck toward the crease and -- while standing behind the goal -- reached over the crossbar and tucked it into the net with a one-handed flick of the wrist. With 94 seconds left, the Wings' bench and the Olympia throng exploded in an ice-littering celebration that halted play for five minutes.

"I think Bouchard's jock was still in the rafters when they tore the building down," Dennis Hextall joked 20 years later.

"It amazes me after all these years and all the nice goals that have been scored, that goal still stands out in the minds of a lot of people,"

Bill said "It's nice to have one game where things went as they should have gone as a No. 1 pick."

It was Detroit's last playoff victory at Olympia. The Wings played Montreal in the quarterfinals. Although they won one of the first two games at the Forum, the Canadiens swept the final three games by a combined 16-4 en route to a third consecutive Stanley Cup.

Bill,the speedy winger failed to live up to the high expectations that came with him as the team's top draft choice in 1974 also failed in training camp the following fall. Bill suffered a knee injury and was out several months. He was claimed off waivers by Colorado and traded to the New York Rangers after the season.

Bill retired from the NHL after the '79-80 season and then headed out for Europe where he stared for almost a decade. Bill played for German teams Bad Nauheim, Kaufbeuren, Mannheim and Swiss team Chur before ending his career in Austria and WEV Wien in 1986-87. Bill began coaching in Germany in 1991 after a four-year hiatus in the private sector in London, Ontario. Today he lives in Germany. He's coached ECD Iserlohn, Frankfurt Lions, Kassel Huskies of the German Elite League.

Walt McKechnie

2010-08-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Born in London, Ontario, Walt McKechnie became the hometown hero with the junior London Nationals as well as the star quarterback of the high school football team.

Those were grand old days for McKech. He was coached by Leafs legend Turk Broda and would be drafted by the Leafs, the team he cheered for as a young boy. His teammates included Garry Unger, Jim Dorey, and Darryl Edestrand.

Those were days of stability for McKechnie, something he was never afforded such luxury as a professional, as the forward was a well travelled player, never allowed to stay in one place long enough to ever feel like his home was really much of a home.

Soon after being a first-round draft choice of the Leafs, Toronto traded him to Phoenix of the Western League. He played the season with the Roadrunners before being sent to the Minnesota North Stars late in the season.

Over the next 16 seasons McKechnie played for nine teams including two stints with Detroit.

McKech not only bounced around the league, but he played almost exclusively with the worst teams in the NHL in the 1970s and early 1980s - the Stars, the Wings, the California Golden Seals, the Washington Capitals, the Leafs eventually and the Colorado Rockies. Save for a 53 game stint in Boston, where he barely played, McKechnie never played for a winning hockey team.

In fact, in 16 years in the NHL only twice did he get to play in the playoffs. In a total of 15 playoff games, McKech scored 7 goals and 12 points.

Why the short stays? He didn't get along with coach Tom McVie in Washington. The Leafs traded him to Colorado after someone hid a tape of a game that coach Floyd Smith planned to use to show players some of their mistakes.

"It wasn't me," McKechnie said. "But I know who hid it, and it seemed kind of funny at the time. I got blamed for a lot of things because I always tried to stick up for the players. I was basically a journeyman and my greatest disappointment is that while I came close, I didn't quite get to play 1,000 games."

McKechnie was actually a centerman who could do a lot of things well, but nothing great. He was a notably good stickhandler with good size and good on faceoffs, but a lack of foot speed really hurt his game. A lot of people compared McKechnie to Phil Esposito because of his size and reach and lumbering skating, although needless to say that comparison was never fair. It didn't help that he never had a lot of great players surrounding him like Espo did.

He also got himself in trouble with coaches more than a few times because of his love of practical jokes. But he was well liked by his teammates, who unfailingly called him a great guy.

One of the career highlights for McKechnie still came in the spring, even though it was not in the NHL. He competed in the 1977 world championships in Vienna. He scored one goal in 10 games, but was best remembered for being criticized because he did not stand at attention during the playing of the Soviet national anthem.

"We got a bad press that year but people forget that we were just one win away from taking everything," he said. The team was criticized for "shameless" aggressive play all tournament long. McKechnie, normally considered a bit of a pacifist by NHL standards, was particularly liberal with the use of his stick.

McKech retired from hockey in 1983 and went home to Haliburton and opened his own restaurant and lounge called McKeck's Place.

Special thanks to Jennifer Conway

Don Deacon

2010-04-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

Newspaper archives suggest the Detroit Red Wings really felt Deacon could have been a very special NHL player had he been able to control his weight. Standing at just 5'9" tall, he struggled to keep his weight below 200lbs, therefore slowing him down.

Other sources suggest the roly poly center from Regina lacked the drive to become a NHL regular. While playing with the AHL Pittsburgh Hornets, player-coach Larry Aurie fined Deacon for "lack of hustle and interest." Deacon's listless play in that 1938-39 season had gotten so bad that he was the target of the boo-birds amongst the Duquesne Garden faithful. What makes that so surprising is he recovered from his rocky start to register 66 points in 46 games, a new record in that league.

Despite his misgivings, Don Deacon managed to average 40 points in a pro career that lasted seven years, most notably with the Hornets and Cleveland Barons. Parts of three of those years were spent with the Detroit Red Wings where he scored 6 goals and 10 points in 40 career NHL games.

In 1942 Deacon became part of Canada's military effort in World War II. He was stationed in Calgary for two years, helping a local team capture the Alberta senior championship.

Unfortunately Deacon never got his discharge from the army, as he died in a freak accident on Christmas night, 1943. While serving with an army unit in British Columbia, Deacon somehow accidentally fell off of a friend's balcony, plummeting 25 feet to the ground. He died soon thereafter with a fractured skull and internal bleeding.

Billy Dea

2010-04-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

Billy is mostly remembered for his "iron man" status.

He didn't miss a single game in the AHL between 1958 and 1967. He played almost 700 straight games in the AHL for the Buffalo Bisons. He became the all-time ironman on Christmas night 1965 in Cleveland when he appeared in his 526th consecutive regular season game. Oddly enough, the man who's mark Billy was erasing played with Cleveland that night. His name was Bill Needham, a defenseman who had previously played 525 straight games.

Billy never saw himself as an ironman although he admitted that it would take something special for him to miss a game.

"I'm no hero. I'm not the type who would go out and play with an injury just to set a record, although I will say it would take more to keep me out of the lineup than ordinary."

Although his penalty minute totals do not suggest it (just 44 minutes in 397 career NHL games), Dea was a very robust player. He was nicknamed "Kayo" and "Hard Rock" for good reason. The Edmonton born Dea was commonly called a "honest" hockey player, which was a great compliment for the pint-sized player. He stood just 5'8" and weighed 175lbs.

After a solid junior career with Lethbridge which saw him score 207 points, including 123 goals, in 142 games, Dea went on to a three game tryout with the Saskatoon Quakers in the WHL.

He played very well and was soon signed by the NY Rangers. Billy debuted for the Rangers during the 1953-54 season and played 14 games. He then played two seasons in Vancouver (WHL) but battled pneumonia for over two months and never regained his strength. The Rangers dealt him to the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit sent him to Edmonton (WHL) where Billy had a fine season in 1955-56, scoring 71 points in 70 games. The next season Billy cracked the Detroit lineup and became a regular in the NHL for the first time, spending some time on Gordie Howe's left wing. He scored a respectable 15 goals and 30 points.

In the midst of the 1957-58 season Billy was traded to Chicago in a eight player deal and finished the season in Chicago.

For the next nine seasons Billy played in the AHL for the Buffalo Bisons where he became very popular. His Bisons coach Phil Watson's praise for Billy was simple.

"Billy is a hardworking hockey player and he's a good hockey player."

And the Bisons GM Fred Hunt liked Billy from another standpoint.

"He's a wonderful team man. He never causes any trouble. Even at contract time, he just comes in and signs without any haggling. You never know he's on the club except when he's on the ice."

This was everything a team or a GM could wish from a player and that's exactly what they got from Billy.

Everybody, including Billy, thought that his playing days in the NHL were over until Chicago called for his services during the 1967 playoffs. Billy's next break came with the expansion. Pittsburgh Penguins claimed Billy in the 1967 expansion draft and he went on to play two full seasons with Pittsburgh, scoring a fine 16 goals for the expansion team in 67-68 and followed it up with another solid campaign.

At the start of the 1969-70 season Billy was traded to his old club Detroit. He played 70 games for Detroit and was a valuable checker. He played another season in Detroit before being sent down to the CHL.

Billy's last active season came in 1971-72 when he played for the Tidewater Wings in the AHL. At the time of his retirement he was 39-years old.

Dea, who was a second cousin of New York Rangers star Don Murdoch, would stay in hockey all of his life. For a time he would coach the Red Wings and later in life he would serve as a scout for the Wings and the Florida Panthers. He also ran a ladies' hair salon in Fort Erie, Ontario.

Hap Holmes

2010-04-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hockey Hall of Famer Harry "Hap" Holmes played only 103 NHL games, but enjoyed a 15 year career with 5 different leagues. He was one of hockey's early star puck stoppers, and had he not spent his best years out west, Hap Holmes almost certainly would be bigger legend in hockey circles today.

Holmes strapped on the pads for Toronto of the NHA, Seattle of the PCHA, Victoria of the WCHL which would later become the WHL, and Toronto and Detroit of the NHL.

The cap-wearing Holmes backstopped four Stanley Cup winners, including two in Toronto, one in the NHA days and another in the NHL's very first season. He also backstopped Seattle and Victoria.

However his most famous feat came in one of hockey's most infamous moments.

That moment was the 1919 influenza cancelled Stanley Cup finals. The series featured the two best goalies of early hockey history, as Holmes went head to head with his nemesis, Georges Vezina. The final game was a 0-0 draw. Due to the flu, the referee called the game off to rest the weary players. That set up a 7th game showdown. Unfortunately that 7th game was never played, as the flu claimed the life of Joe Hall.

Though much of his career pre-dated the NHL or was spent out west in the PCHA/WHL, the legendary Holmes finally became a NHL star at the end of his career. He, like most surviving members of the Victoria Cougars, relocated to Detroit. He played the final two seasons of his career in the Motor City, earning an impressive 17 shutouts in 85 games.

Described as both fearless and non-chalent almost to a fault. Some mistook his "nerveless" approach to the net as lazy, just like some mistook his efficient play as unspectacular.

Following his retirement from the crease, Holmes became instrumental in bringing AHL hockey to Cleveland. To honour his contributions, "Hap" Holmes is now forever immortalized in the American Hockey League. The top goalie in that league is awarded the Hap Holmes Memorial Trophy.

Illness forced Holmes to seek warmer climates later in life. He relocated to Florida and operated a fruit farm until his death in 1941. He was just 53.

The NHL honoured Hap Holmes with his posthumous induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972.

Make no mistake, Hap Holmes truly was one of the best goaltenders in the world in his long, 15 year career. He was arguably the best goalie in the PCHA for six straight years. He saved his best play for the playoffs. His four Stanley Cup championships with four different teams should be stuff of legend. He even outduelled the likes of Georges Vezina and Clint Benedict.

Harry Meeking

2010-03-31T18:40:00.000-07:00

Dubbed "Hurricane Howie," left winger Harry Meeking was a member two landmark Stanley Cup championship teams.

Meeking's first pro season was with the Toronto Arenas team that won the Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League's inaugural season (1917-18). Meeking recorded a playoff hat trick, a Stanley Cup first by a National Hockey League player.

After spending two seasons in Toronto (scoring 19 goals in 34 career games), Meeking headed west. From 1919 through 1926 Meeking played in the British Columbian capital city of Victoria. He starred with the Aristocrats/Cougars, winning the Stanley Cup in 1925. That Victoria team was the last non-NHL team to win the Stanley Cup.

After the PCHA collapsed and the Victoria Cougars moved to Detroit (where several years later they were renamed the Red Wings), Meeking returned to the NHL. He started the 1926-27 season with Detroit but was traded to Boston after six games for none other than Frank Frederickson.

Meeking, hailed "for his fine skating more than his goal scoring," scored only 1 goal in what proved to be his final NHL season. He played a couple more seasons of minor league puck before retiring in 1929.

Born in Berlin (Kitchener), Ontario, Meeking's departure from Toronto where he was an amateur star, is of interest. He was suspended by the Arenas before the completion of the 1918-19 season and then released. Toronto manager Charlie Querrie refused to divulge the reason for the estrangement, though the Toronto World newspaper hinted at a possible gambling tie-in.

Rusty Hughes

2010-03-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

Did you know the Detroit Red Wings were originally a transplanted team from Victoria, British Columbia named the Cougars. Detroit kept the Cougars name until 1930 when they changed it to the Falcons. Two years later new owner James Norris renamed the team yet again, this time settling on the Red Wings.

James "Rusty" Hughes was a rough and tumble defenseman with the Detroit Cougars in the 1929-30 season. He played 40 games, but picked up no goals and just one assist. It was his only season in the NHL, though he did play pro hockey until 1936. He was a fan favorite everywhere he went.

He appears to have earned a quiet and innocent 48 penalty minutes in his only NHL season, but in reality he was a bit of a ruffian, messing with biggest and baddest players of the day. In one brawl with Toronto's Red Horner, the NHL's penalty minute king of the dirty thirties, Hughes was ejected from the game after severely cutting Horner's mouth. Hughes also engaged Boston's legendary tough guy Eddie Shore in a stick swinging incident.

Hughes, who worked in gold mines in Northern Canada in the off-season, appears to have stepped into the boxing ring to fight as a professional in 1932, although I do not know much more about his off-ice brawling career other than he weighed in as a heavyweight. He may have also grappled with the world of wrestling.

Clare Drouillard

2010-03-27T13:32:00.001-07:00

Clare Drouillard had a long and varied career in pro hockey. He didn't have to go too far to play in the NHL, albeit for only 10 career games. The Windsor born 5'7" 150lb center just had the cross the river (and the border) to play for the Detroit Red Wings in 1937-38.

By then Drouillard had already been nearly four years removed from his dominant performance in the 1934 Memorial Cup championships. He scored 15 goals and 35 points in 11 games to pace the St. Michael's Majors to the title. Other notable players for St. Mike's that year included Bobby Bauer, Art Jackson, Pep Kelly and Nick Metz.

For the two seasons immediately following his last junior year Drouillard returned to Windsor and played with the Bulldogs. By 1936 he found himself at home with the minor league Pittsburgh Hornets, where he would spend most of four of the next five seasons. The speedy center seems to have been dubbed "Mickey" in Pittsburgh, which I believe may reference Clare's older brother. He was a notable Windsor hockey star, too, although he never played in the NHL.

Interrupting Clare's tenure in Pittsburgh was a season in Hershey and the 10 game call up to the National Hockey League. The crafty Drouillard was used sparingly, however, and only managed a lone assist on his career scoring record.

Despite his lack of opportunity in the National Hockey League, Drouillard did have interest from many NHL teams. In addition to Detroit, Boston, Toronto, and the New York Americans all owned his playing rights at one time or another.

Drouillard would bounce around the minor leagues until 1942 when he returned home to Windsor. He continued to play in the Windsor City Hockey League, joining his brother for a time.

Frank Carson

2010-03-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

The Carson family remains legendary in Parry Sound, Ontario. Patriarch D. M. Carson was a lumber baron in the area, moving from Bracebridge in 1905. He built a beautiful Victorian home on 33 Church Street and raised four sons, three of whom went on to play in the National Hockey League in the 1920s and 1930s. The family home still stands in Parry Sound. It is now a bed and breakfast simply known as The Carson House.

"Doc" Bill Carson was perhaps the most famous of the three NHL brothers. He was the first player in Toronto Maple Leafs history to score 20 goals and later returned home to become long time dentist.

Gerald "Stub" Carson played in 261 NHL games, mostly with the Montreal Canadiens, but scored just 12 goals. Bad knees forced him off of the ice prematurely.

Then there was middle brother Frank Carson. He was the most easily identifiable of the three because of his hair which had turned completely grey in his early twenties. This earned him many nicknames including The Silver Fox, The Grey Eagle and Frosty.

Frank Carson first rose to prominence on the hockey scene in Stratford where he played on a powerhouse line with Butch Keltenbourne and someone named Howie Morenz.

Morenz, of course, went on to become the NHL's first superstar with the Montreal Canadiens. Carson remained in Stratford to play senior hockey for a few years, before he too jumped to Montreal to play in the National Hockey League. Carson never played for the Habs though. He played for the cross town rivals the Montreal Maroons.

He played parts of three seasons in Montreal, never really catching on. His highlight there would have been in the spring of 1926. Still a NHL rookie, he helped the Maroons capture the Stanley Cup.

He briefly returned to senior hockey in Windsor, Ontario before giving the NHL another try in 1930-31. The 5'7" 165lb right winger noted for his defensive play participated a full 44 games with the New York Americans that year.

The Amerks would trade Carson to Detroit in 1931. Carson enjoyed three seasons with the Wings, taking them to Stanley Cup finals in the spring of 1934. He would retire from pro hockey following that unsuccessful Cup run, settling in London, Ontario where he ran a general store until he died of a heart attack in 1957.

Frank Carson played in 248 NHL games, scoring 42 goals and 90 points. In 27 Stanley Cup playoff games he picked up 2 assists and one Stanley Cup championship.

Thommie Bergman

2010-02-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jack Arbour

2010-02-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Murray Armstrong

2010-02-04T19:52:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gary Aldcorn

2010-02-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

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.

Gerry Abel

2010-02-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

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

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

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

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

Sergei Fedorov

2009-11-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-28T05:37:00.001-07:00

Warren Godfrey

2009-06-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

#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

2009-03-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-02-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T20:21:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-10T23:15:00.001-07:00

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

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.