Eddie Kullman

Eddie Kullman, an aggressive right winger out of Winnipeg, was a defensive forward extraordinaire with the New York Rangers from 1947 through 1954, excluding the 1949-50 season when he was sent to the minor leagues.

Teammate Glen Somnor described Eddie as "the most diligent checking forard I've ever played with. Kullman never would think about scoring; just trail his check wherever the guy went."

Two of Kullman's primary targets were larger than life legends Maurice Richard and Gordie Howe. Kullman would inferiorate his opponents with his aggressive shadowing. Somehow he would eventually master the art of grabbing his target hard enough to stop him while hiding out of the sight of the referee!

Of course frustrating the league's top players can be a dangerous job, especially when you are ticking off two of the shortest-tempered players of all time in Richard and Howe. Once Richard turned around and clubbed Kullman over his bare head with his stick, poleaxe style. The resilient Kullman was taken off the ice but returned, wearing a helmet!

Howe once sucker punched Eddie behind the play. Howe kayoed Kullman with all his might!

Not surprisingly, Kullman's professional hockey career was relatively short. When the Rangers discarded him at the end of the 1954 season, he headed back to western Canada where he split a season between Saskatoon and Vancouver before hanging up the skates for good.