New York Rangers Legends

Saturday

Muzz Patrick

Muzz Patrick, a former player, coach and general manager for the New York Rangers born into a family steeped in hockey tradition, died July 23rd, 1998 at the age of 83. Patrick apparently died of a heart attack.

Muzz Patrick was the son of Hall of Famer Lester Patrick, who along with his brother Frank was one of hockey's greatest builders and innovators. Muzz's brother Lynn also played and coached in the NHL, as did his nephews Craig and Glenn.

Patrick's grandfather Joseph helped build the first artificial ice rinks in Canada, at Vancouver and Victoria.

As a player, the 6-2, 205-pound Patrick was a rough and tumble defenseman. He played 166 games over four seasons with New York, winning a Stanley Cup in 1940.

Nicknamed "Muzz" since childhood because of his hair cut, Patrick gained renown for a one-punch victory over Boston defenseman Eddie Shore at Madison Square Garden in 1939.

Patrick's hockey career was interrupted in 1941 when he served in the army. After the war, he returned to the Rangers for one more season, 1945-46, before turning to coaching and managing minor league teams in Seattle and Victoria.

He followed his father and brother as coach of the Rangers on Jan. 6, 1954, succeeding Hall of Famer Frank Boucher. At the end of that season, Phil Watson became the coach and Patrick moved up to become GM from 1955-64. He swung several memorable trades, including acquiring Doug Harvey from Montreal to become player-coach in 1961 and later swapping Gump Worsley to Montreal for Jacques Plante in a trade of all-star goalies.

Patrick's record as Rangers coach was 46-66-27. He worked a variety of executive positions at the Garden before retiring in 1973.

Phil Watson

The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers both claimed Phil Watson as being on their negotiation list, but NHL president Frank Calder ruled in favor of the Rangers. Watson would break in with the Rangers during the 1935-36 season.

He was a fiery right wing who played center also and often his temper got him into trouble. The most hilariously funny incident involving Fiery Phil - as he came to be known - occurred early in his career when his knowledge of English was limited. It was a common insult in the NHL in those days to call a player a "has been", since there were plenty of players over thirty years of age in those days. Johnny Gottselig of the Chicago Blackhawks needled Phil one night and finally Watson had enough. After being knocked down by Gottselig, Phil yelled at Gottselig "You, you... lousy BEEN has!!"

Watson was a key player in the spring of 1940, when the New York Rangers famously won the Stanley Cup. Watson was brilliant in the semi-finals against Boston, checking the famed "Kraut Line," who finished 1-2-3 in NHL regular season scoring. Watson held them to just a lone goal in their six game series. Watson, meanwhile, scored twice, including the winner in game one. Watson would do a similar defensive job against Toronto, while adding a lead-tying 5 points in the finals.

Watson went on to make the 2nd All-Star Team in 1941-42. Largely due to war time travel restrictions, he joined the Canadiens in 1943-44. On January 11th, 1944, he foolishly attacked linesman Jim Primeau, and was suspended indefinitely from the NHL by new NHL president Red Dutton, who had replaced Frank Calder after his death in 1943. Watson explained to Dutton that he was tied up by the linesman while his glove dropping partner continued to pound him. As a result Watson got mad at Primeau. Apparently referee Bert Hedges was inclined to give Watson the benefit of the doubt as Watson was reinstated after missing one game.

Watson played in the NHL until 1947-48 and then retired. He turned to coaching in 1948-49 and coached the New York Rovers of the EHL. He tended to needle his players and treat them like children, as Gump Worsley said.

"Phil had his whipping boys, and I was one of them." Gump recalled "He knew hockey top to bottom, but he didn't know how to handle players."

Ironically, Watson became coach of the Rangers in 1955-56 and Worsley was his goalkeeper. Watson needled Worsley about his drinking and tendency to overindulge at the dinner table. Worsley swallowed his anger and gave Watson three straight years in the playoffs, and Watson was convinced.

The high-stung Watson suffered a bleeding ulcer in 1959-60 and quit as coach. He coached Providence of the AHL and returned to coach the Boston Bruins to a pair of last place finishes and was fired. He later coached Philadelphia of the WHA in 1972-73.

Born in 1914, he died in his sleep of a heart attack February 1st, 1991.

Alex Shibicky

Alex Shibicky was signed by the New York Rangers while playing junior in his hometown of Winnipeg. He joined the Rangers in 1935-36, splitting the season between the big club and the Can-Am League's Philadelphia Ramblers. It was in the minor leagues that Shibicky formed a special bond with the Colville brothers, Mac and Neil. The trio would become the Rangers' bread and butter for the rest of the 1930s until World War II.

The trio were dubbed the Bread Line, and were trained by Lester Patrick to mimic the Ranger's previous great line featuring a set of brothers - Bill and Bun Cook with Frank Boucher. Both lines played "beautiful hockey," known for intricate passing plays and creative offense.

Shibicky was the triggerman on the line. He would score 110 goals in 324 games. In the years leading up to World War II, only seven players scored more often than Shibicky. In 1938-39 he registered his best season, notching 24 goals, tying him with the great Toe Blake for second in the league, just two tallies behind Roy Conacher.

Shibicky was known for his deadly accurate shots. His arsenal included an early form of slap shot. While most credit Bobby Hull with popularizing the slap shot, old timers will tell you that Alex Shibicky experimented with it years earlier. Shibicky learned of the shot while watching Bill Cook in practice.

The 1939-40 season was the most magical of seasons for anyone associated with the Rangers in those days. The Rangers finished the 1939-40 season in second place behind the Boston Bruins, with these two teams met in the semi-final. The Rangers escaped that series, thanks in part to Shibicky's 2 goals and 2 assists in six games.

In the Stanley Cup final of 1939-40, New York faced the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shibicky left game three early because he broke his ankle in three places. Amazingly, after missing game 4, Shibicky returned to the series with his foot frozen. In game 5 Shibicky played a big role in the Rangers' opening goal, setting up center Neil Colville. The Rangers would win that game in overtime.

In what proved to be the decisive game six, the Rangers entered the third period down 2-0. But the Rangers would gain momentum, thanks to another Neil Colville goal set up by Shibicky. Alf Pike scored two minutes later to tie the game. Deadlocked, the game went into overtime. At 2:07, Bryan Hextall scored to give the New York Rangers the Stanley Cup!

It was the only Stanley Cup championship won by Alex Shibicky during his outstanding career, played entirely with the New York Rangers.

In those days the players did not get to take the Stanley Cup home with them for a day in the summer time. During the NHL lockout lost season of 2004-05, the Hockey Hall of Fame decided to send the Cup to many of these old timers, finally giving them their day with the Cup. Sadly, Alex Shibicky died of congestive heart failure just two weeks before the Cup was to have arrived. He was 91 years old.

In life after hockey Shibicky coached minor league hockey and taught at hockey schools and invested in a restaurant chain and, with lifelong friends the Colville brothers, in an 1,100-acre grain farm near Winnipeg. He and the Colvilles often took golf and fishing trips. All three would settle and retire in the Vancouver area.

Neil Colville

Neil Colville was a celebrated junior hockey player in his hometown of Edmonton when the New York Rangers discovered him. The Rangers sent original Ranger Murray Murdoch, a western Canadian hockey legend who grew up close to Edmonton, out west to sign Neil. He was given permission to sign brother Mac Colville too, if that is what it took to get Neil to New York.

The rest as they say is history. After some minor league seasoning, the Colvilles and fellow western Canadian Alex Shibicky formed one of the greatest lines in the N.H.L.'s six-team era, anchoring the Rangers 1940 Stanley Cup championship. Known as the Bread Line, the three were groomed by Lester Patrick, who orchestrated the Ranger clubs that won Stanley Cups in the late 20's and early 30's, to follow in the footsteps of the Cook brothers and Frank Boucher.

Neil Colville was the best of the three, hence his inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He cracked the the top ten in scoring five times in a row. He also earned spots on 3 NHL All Star Teams.

Following his military service as a navigator with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Neil returned to New York but the time away had eroded the Bread Line's chemistry. Neil reinvented himself as a defenseman and team captain for four season.

Neil went on to coach the Rangers in 1950 and for part of 1951. He had to leave the post because of health reasons. Severe recurring ulcers forced doctors to remove half of his stomach.

After getting out of hockey Neil relocated to Vancouver. He became heavily invested in laying television cable all the way up to the Yukon, so much so that when money was being stretched too thin he would go up north to climb poles and lay line himself.

He was selected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967. By 1975 he was asked to be a member of HHOF selection committee, a post he cherished for 9 years. He was forced to retire from that job as he lost his leg to cancer.

Neil Colville passed away the day after Christmas, 1986, following a long struggle with bone cancer.

Mac Colville

Mac Colville teamed with his brother Neil, a Hall of Famer, to help propel the Rangers to the 1940 Stanley Cup championship.

In the late 1930's and early 40's, Mac Colville on right wing, Neil Colville at center and Alex Shibicky at left wing formed one of the top lines in the National Hockey League. The unit was known as the Bread Line because it was considered the bread and butter of the Rangers' offense.

Mac scored two goals in the opener of the Rangers' semifinal playoff series in 1940 against the Boston Bruins, and the Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers did not win another championship until 1994.

Neil Colville was more the scorer while Mac, 17 months younger, paid attention to defensive play.

"I did all the backchecking," Mac told The Globe and Mail of Toronto in 1986. "Old Lester Patrick told us never to give the puck away because the other team couldn't score if we had it," he added, referring to the Rangers' general manager.

Matthew Colville, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, made his N.H.L. debut with the Rangers in the 1935-36 season and remained with them through 1947 except for the World War II years, when he played with Neil Colville and Shibicky on the Canadian Army's Ottawa Commandos. He had 71 goals and 104 assists in nine N.H.L. seasons.

He later coached in the minors and worked for the province of Alberta.

Thursday

Andy Aitkenhead

Andy Aitkenhead certainly isn't as famous as the man who replaced him - all time great Davey Kerr.

Aitkenhead was the Rangers goalie from 1932 through 1934. The Glasgow, Scotland born Aitkenhead, who had grown up in Saskatchewan, had two incredible seasons to begin his NHL career. In year one, his play was described as brilliant, leading the Rangers to the Stanley Cup with 2 shutouts and a 1.60 GAA in 8 playoff games. The next season he had 7 regular season shutouts (including two 0-0 games in Dec 1933) and posted a tiny 2.27 GAA but the Rangers faltered in the playoffs.

You'd think after two solid seasons like that, Aitkenhead would be set for a lengthy career. However, like many early goalies, Aitkenhead's nerves became shot.

Dave Kerr remembered hearing stories of his predecessor's troubles.

"When I joined the Rangers I replaced Andy Aitkenhead. They tell me he got so he'd lock himself in his room after a game and play the game over and over. By the time the next game rolled around, he'd played 48 games in that room."

Such neurotic behavior must have worried the Rangers brain trust enough to look for a replacement goalie, and they obviously found one in Kerr. The man dubbed as "The Glasgow Gobbler" appeared in just 10 games in 1934-35 season and finished the year in the minors, never to play in the NHL again.

Whether the stories of Aitkenhead's obsessions are myth or fact, Andy continued to play hockey for several more seasons. He returned to the team that he was with before joining New York - the Portland Buckaroos of the PCHL.

Brian Noonan

Born in Boston, Brian Noonan took an unconventional route to the NHL for an American kid. He opted for the Western Hockey League over college hockey. He joined the New Westminster Bruins in 1984-85 after two years of high school hockey. He stepped right into the WHL and scored 50 goals and 116 points, not looking one bit out of place.

Noonan was drafted a couple of years earlier, picked 179th overall by Chicago in 1983. Noonan struggled to play in the NHL for several years. Despite impressive numbers in the minors, it wasn't until 1991-92 that Noonan finally established himself as an NHLer.

One of the main reasons for his arrival in the NHL was coach Mike Keenan. Iron Mike was known for having a few favorite players. Noonan - like fellow utility players Stephane Matteau, Greg Gilbert, and Peter Zezel to name a few - would ultimately follow Keenan around the league.

When Keenan departed from Chicago, it wasn't long before Noonan was gone too. The Hawks traded Noonan and Stephane Matteau to the Rangers for Tony Amonte and the rights to Matt Oates on March 21, 1994. It was good timing for the two former Hawks, as they joined the Rangers just in time for their playoff journey that ultimately ended with the Stanley Cup. Noonan played very well in those playoffs, and even assisted on Mark Messier's Stanley Cup-clinching goal that season.

Keenan left the Rangers to take a job as GM/coach of the St. Louis Blues in the summer of 1994. A year later Keenan acquired his old buddy Noonan. Noonan would play parts of 2 seasons in St. Louis before being sent back to New York and then on to Vancouver.

Noonan was probably one of the few happy Canucks players to learn that Keenan was hired as coach in Vancouver shortly after his arrival. Keenan's reign was short however, and ultimately so was Noonan's.

The Canucks did not renew Noonan's contract, and allowed him to become a unrestricted free agent. However there was little interest in the aging right winger. He ended up logging 65 games with the IHL's Indianapolis Ice before signing with the Phoenix Coyotes for the final seven games plus the playoffs in 1999.

"I was Phoenix's insurance plan for the playoffs, in case someone got hurt," Noonan said. "Fortunately for me, some guys did. Otherwise, I would have sat out the last couple months of the season."

After being released by Phoenix, Noonan returned to Chicago, but not the NHL. He joined the IHL's Chicago Wolves.

"I still wanted to play, and I knew not much would happen in the NHL," Noonan said. "This was the perfect opportunity for me."

Brian will probably be best remember as a hard nosed player who threw his weight around. He was most effective when he was forechecking tenaciously. Though no speedster, he had incredible skating strength and balance, making him near impossible to knock down. He excelled in the corners, often winning battles for pucks or at least drawing a penalty. He kept his game simple, finishing his checks and crashing the crease. He was reliable defensively and surprisingly crafty if observed over a period of time.

Brian Noonan was a scorer at every level except the NHL, though he did show streaks of brilliance at times. One of those times was just after Christmas in 1991. Noonan exploded, scoring 3 goals against Winnipeg and 4 goals 2 days later against Detroit! He became the first Hawk to record consecutive hat tricks since Stan Mikita in 1965-66.

Despite Noonan's great play, his true colors were shining through in his comments about the games.

"What I remember most is that we didn't win either game," Noonan said. "We tied the first and lost the second. Throughout my career, I was a streaky scorer. I just didn't streak as much as I wanted to."

Noonan remained in the Chicago area following retirement. He stays active in hockey by coaching youth hockey.

Sunday

Petr Nedved

My fascination with the National Hockey League Entry Draft more or less began in 1990 with Petr Nedved.

As a young fan of the lowly Vancouver Canucks, the draft represented hope. With Trevor Linden in place as the heart and soul, the team desperately needed a scoring superstar. With the draft in Vancouver and with the Canucks holding three of the first twenty-three picks, including #2 overall pick, these were exciting times.

The draft was said to be, and would prove to be, one of the deepest in history. Mike Ricci entered the previous season as the consensus top pick, but Owen Nolan and Keith Primeau caught up quickly. Jaromir Jagr would have undoubtedly been the top choice but there was still risk because his availability was still in doubt as political reform was still in progress.

But the man I wanted was another Czech player - Petr Nedved.

There was no worries about Nedved's immediate availability. As a 17 year old junior player with Litvinov, he made a daring decision that most of us can not even comprehend. While playing in Calgary at the Mac's Major Midget tournament, Nedved slipped into the night carrying nothing but his hockey bag. He had defected, with dreams of playing in the National Hockey League.

"The defection, that night, is something I'll remember the rest of my life. It was the biggest decision I ever had to make. I thought about staying even before I left for the tournament but I wasn't sure and I didn't know really what to expect. There were a lot of questions I was asking myself.
Am I able to go back home? Will my parents be okay with my brother? I was almost more scared for my family than me. But I knew I wanted to play in the National Hockey League and, other than that, I didn't know much ... there were a lot of unknowns. Looking back now I'm surprised I was able to make that decision," Nedved told the Calgary Herald years later.

The center of an international dispute, Nedved hid out in Calgary for 5 months while he waited for his landed immigrant status.

All eyes were on the spindly Czech kid who did nothing to hide his fascination with Wayne Gretzky. He emulated him in every way. He tucked in his shirt the same, wore the same Jofa helmet, and copied his hunched over skating style. He'd fly down the win, curl at the blue line looking for an amazing pass, although he really should have been more greedy and use his laser of a shot more often.

Nedved tore up the Western Hockey League with 65 goals and 145 points in 71 games. His offense was undeniable. He had the creativity and vision of #99. He was a game breaker through and through. He had already showed more courage than any other player possibly could.

I, like probably most west coast fans, desperately wanted Vancouver to take Nedved. Keith Primeau, with his hulking size, was my other choice, although Philadelphia was supposedly offering Ron Sutter and Scott Mellanby if Vancouver flipped picks and slipped down to #4. They wanted Nedved too.

The Canucks did take Nedved, but did not really not what to do with him. He made the NHL team immediately, but he was too slight to make an impact. But sending him back to junior was not an option either, as he was too good for that league, and he had no other place to play. So the Canucks coddled him on the 4th line. To this day I believe Nedved's development was stagnated by this decision. He probably should have been returned to junior, even if the WHL offered no competition.

Nedved, despite glimpses of brilliance, never really found his way in the NHL until his third season, when he scored 38 goals and 71 points, despite getting next to no prime power play time. You see, by now the Canucks had secured Pavel Bure. With his 60 goals and explosive skating, the Russian Rocket became the offensive dynamo Vancouver was looking for. Nedved was second fiddle. The Canucks were trying to change his game to more of a two way game, as his Gretzky-mirroring did not mesh well with the puck-hogging Bure.

The Canucks were knocked out of the 1993 playoffs by Gretzky's L.A. Kings. At the conclusion of the final game Nedved sheepishly asked The Great One for his stick. That would prove to be Nedved's final act in Vancouver.

Showing the same resolve that he used to defect to Canada as a teenager, the principled Nedved held out in a contract dispute. The two sides were far apart in terms of money, but rumors had Nedved unhappy in Vancouver and demanding to be traded.

Interestingly, Nedved would stay in the news that season. He had gained his Canadian citizenship, and since he never play for the Czech national team, he was allowed to play with the Canadian national team that season. Wearing number 93 for the year he gained citizenship, he and Paul Kariya would lead Canada to a silver medal in the Olympics in the days before full NHL participation.

Following the Olympics his NHL future was finally solved. The St. Louis Blues signed him, which led to a compensation trade that saw Jeff Brown, Bret Hedican and Nathan Lafayette come to Vancouver. The move worked well for Vancouver, as the defensive depth and mobility allowed them to challenge the New York Rangers for the Stanley Cup that spring.

Despite the contract dispute and despite the less-than-great three years in Vancouver, I remained a Petr Nedved fan. He seemed really likeable, and being a Gretzky fan myself, I really wanted Nedved's mimicking game style to work on the west coast.

I didn't get to follow Nedved's career as closely after he left Vancouver. His tenure in St. Louis lasted only a few months as he was moved to the New York Rangers. Because Mark Messier did not take a liking to him, Nedved was then moved on to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Playing with Ron Francis and countryman Jaromir Jagr (not to mention the great Mario Lemieux in power play situations), Nedved posted his best season in 1995-96. Still, his 45 goals and 99 points were a far cry from the promise of Gretzky.

Another principled contract dispute saw Nedved return to New York, this time getting the chance to play with Gretzky. He called it his career highlight, but somehow I always felt Nedved lost his drive to be the next Gretzky. Perhaps all the money and the playboy lifestyle of a NHL star made him complacent to be Petr Nedved instead of being "the next one," which was fully his intention when he defected as a 17 year old.

Nedved would toil with Edmonton, Phoenix and Philadelphia before his NHL career quietly came to an end in 2007. Upon his return to the Czech Republic, he had scored 310 goals, 407 assists and 717 points in 982 games.

Thursday

Bryan Hextall

Bryan Hextall was one of the highest skilled and most respected players ever to grace a sheet of NHL ice. Hall of Famer James Dunn was once quoted saying "He is a very clean-living individual and an excellent ambassador for professional hockey."

He was also one of hockey's hardest hitters. Herb Goren, a long time reporter for the New York Sun once said "He was the hardest bodychecking forward I had seen in more than forty years of watching hockey."

Hextall starred for years as an juvenile and amateur on Canada's prairies before turning pro with the Vancouver Lions of the Western Hockey League in 1934. After leading the Lions won the WHL championship in 1935-36, Hextall jumped to the NHL's New York Rangers.

Often playing on a line with Phil Watson and Lynn Patrick, Hextall played with the Rangers from 1936 through 1948. During that span he skated in 449 league games, scoring 187 goals and earning 175 assists. He scored 20 goals in 7 consecutive seasons back in the days when 20 goals was a benchmark of a very good player.

The most famous goal Bryan scored immortalized him New York sporting history forever, although he didn't know that at the time. Bryan scored the overtime winning goal of game six of the 1940 Stanley Cup game against Toronto. That would be the last Stanley Cup the Rangers would win for 54 years!. Needless to say Hextall's heroics became legendary over the years as it provided solace for long suffering Ranger fans.

"I took a pass from Dutch Hiller and Phil Watson," Hextall fondly remembered years later. "The puck came out from behind the net and I took a backhand shot to put it past (Turk) Broda."

In 1939-40 and 1940-41 Hextall led all NHL snipers in goals scored. In 1941-42 he captured the Art Ross trophy as the league's leading point scorer. On four other occasions he was in the top ten of scoring. With three selections to the First All-Star team and another to the second All-Star team, it is obvious that Bryan Hextall was the dominant right winger of the era directly before the arrival of Rocket Richard and Gordie Howe.

Hex may have continued on as the best right winger in hockey had his career not been interrupted by World War II. Hextall served in the Canadian military during the 1944-45 season. He would miss most of the 1945-46 season as well due to a serious stomach and liver disorder.

Once his NHL career was over Bryan started a lumberyard and hardware business before opening a commercial shooting lodge in Poplar Point, Manitoba. Poor circulation in his legs forced doctors to amputate both legs below the knees in 1978. Bryan Hextall died in 1984.

Bryan Hextall was the first of three generations of Hextalls to play in the NHL. Sons Bryan Jr. and Dennis and grandson Ron enjoyed lengthy NHL careers.

Wednesday

Bun Cook

Most of Fred "Bun" Cook's Hall of Fame career was spent in the shadows of his two line mates. Playing left wing on perhaps the greatest line in NHL history, Bun teamed with his brother Bill on right wing and Frank Boucher at center to dominate the NHL throughout the 1930s.

Bun started his career by joining his brother out west in the WCHL. He quickly gained a reputation as a hard nosed goal scorer, and the NHL soon took notice of both of the Cook brothers, who were playing with the legendary Nels Stewart while in Saskatchewan.

The WCHL collapsed after 1926 and the New York Rangers signed both of the Cooks. The Rangers were about to embark on their inaugural NHL season in 1926-27, and were desperately seeking some electrifying talent to steal some of the Broadway spotlight. The Cooks came in and quickly teamed with Frank Boucher to form what would arguably become the best forward unit for the next 10 years. In an era of dominant line combinations, none were better than "the Bread Line."

Historians often tried to compare the Bread Line's intricate passing offense to that of the Soviets several decades later. And none other than Frank Selke acknowledged Bun Cook as the key their attack.

"Men who would know credit Bunny Cook with the introduction of the passing attack," wrote Frank Selke. "The Cook-Boucher line introduced a style of attack completely their own — each member kept working into an open spot, passing the puck carefully and adequately and frequently pushing the puck into the open net after confusing the defensive force of the opposition. This was a repetition of lacrosse as played by the great Indian teams."

While Bill was known as the goal scorer and Boucher the playmaker, Bun was known as a bit of both. Many claim it was Bun who innovated the drop pass in the offensive zone. Some even suggest it was Cook who invented the slap shot.

A solid offensive contributor, Bun was a fan favorite in the old Madison Square Garden because of his hustling speed and reckless physical play. He was a bit of a celebrity, drawing praise from the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ed Sullivan

"When Bun Cook is hot, he is one of the most amazing players in hockey," wrote Sullivan. "At such moments, he attempts plays that stagger the imagination. At his peak, there is no player so enjoyable to watch."

By 1936, that reckless physical play caught up with Bun. Having developed a serious arthritic condition, Bun was forced to sit out the rest of the year. He attempted a comeback in 1936-37, but the Rangers didn't think he'd be able to contribute. They sold him to the Boston Bruins where he finished out his career. He was ineffective in 40 games with the B's as he battled the arthritis and a new ailment - a throat illness which eventually led to his retirement at the end of the year.

Through his NHL career, Bun Cook played 473 regular season NHL contests, scoring 158 goals, 144 assists and 302 points.

Bun turned to coaching at the AHL level where he found immediate success. He won the Calder Cup championship with the Providence Reds in 1938 and 1940. He then moved on to the Cleveland Barons where he won 5 league titles and then the EPHL before retiring in 1958.

Bun was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995, 7 years after he passed away.

So what about the nickname Bun? Where the heck did that come from? It makes most sense that it was a reference to his rabbit like quickness on skates - Bunny, shortened to Bun over time. However Fred's wife insists that Fred's brother Bill nicknamed him Bun as a kid because of his big nose. His short fuse carried over into his coaching days in the AHL where the media punned his name to "Hot Cross Bun" when he lost his temper.

Monday

Alf Pike

Alf Pike has one of the game's all time great nicknames: The Embalmer.

Pike did not earn his nickname by being one of the game's great villains like you might expect. No, he came about his handle much more innocently and literally - he was a licensed mortician.

But first and foremost Pike was a hockey player, and a very versatile one at that. He started in the NHL as a center, moved back to defense and completed his career on the wing. But he was probably best known as the Rangers third line center. He was a utility player if there ever was one.

Pike was another Winnipeg product the Rangers found during the years of World War II. He joined the Rangers as a 22 year old in 1940. As any good Ranger fan knows, that was a good year to join the team, as the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. Pike, who centered Dutch Hillier and Snuffy Smith, scored the overtime winning goal in game one.

Like many players, the war would interrupt Pike's career. Beginning in 1943 he would serve two years with the Royal Canadian Air Force, but at least he was based back home in Winnipeg.

Pike returned to New York in 1945 to play a total of 64 games over the next two seasons to round out his playing career. In total he played 234 NHL games, scoring 42 times and assisting on 77 others.

Pike could not leave the ice, however, and he became a coach until 1970. He started back in junior hockey where he guided the Guelph Biltmore Madhatters to the Memorial Cup title in 1952. He would coach in every corner of the continent as he jumped from minor league team to minor league team.

He also briefly returned to New York to coach the Rangers, replacing Phil Watson for a single season. His short tenure as coach in NYC was explained as "Alf Pike is simply too nice of a guy to be a coach.”

Hy Buller

At one point it looked liked Hy Buller would be a career minor leaguer.

Having graduated from the junior leagues for the 1943-44 season but needed seasoning in the minors. Because of War time shortages of players, Buller did get promoted to play in 9 games with the Detroit Red Wings. But if it wasn't for the war, one would have to wonder if Buller ever would have gotten an NHL shot.

After his short stint in the NHL, Buller did not reappear in the NHL until 1951. In the meantime Buller established himself as one of the all time greats in the American Hockey League, first with Hershey and then more so with Cleveland from 1948-1951. In those 3 1/2 seasons with the Barons, t he "Blue Line Blaster" was a two time all star and posted some great statistics. For instance, in what proved to be his final season in the AHL he scored 16 goals in 57 points in 66 games. Those are mind-boggling numbers for a defenseman in 1950!

The Cleveland Barons were very reluctant to let Buller go, but they were desperate for some funds. So they effectively sold Buller and another future long time NHLer Wally Hergesheimer for a host of minor leaguers plus an undisclosed amount cash to the New York Rangers.

Buller teamed with Allan Stanley to form an immediately effective blue line tandem. Buller had a heck of a "rookie" season in New York. He was a second team all star scoring 12 goals and 35 points in 68 games. He was also twice named player of the week by The Hockey News, while he finished a close second to Boom Boom Geoffrion in Calder Trophy balloting for rookie of the year..

Buller was not an aggressive defenseman, which drew comparisons to the great Bill Quackenbush.

"Sure, I'd like to see him crack (the opposition)," said his Rangers coach Frank Boucher. "But you can't have everything. Bill Quackenbush doesn't hit them either, and he's quite a defenseman. They're both exceptional stick checkers, fine stickhandlers and rushers. Buller, like Quackenbush, is very good on point in power players. He has our best shot from the blue line and can it away without a windup. The most noticeable thing about Buller is his coolness and quick thinking under fire. He'll adapt himself to any situation."

That was quite a word of recommendation from one of the all time greats! Unfortunately for Buller, his wonderful season was just that - one season. He tailed off considerably the following year, perhaps due to his advanced age. Remember he spent almost a full decade in the minors before becoming a NHL rookie..

By the following season the Rangers farmed out Buller to the Saskatoon Quakers of the WHL. His NHL rights were traded to his hometown Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 1954, but the deal was later reversed as Buller opted to retire instead of reporting to camp, as he felt he would just end up in the Habs WHL farm team in Victoria BC.

Murray Murdoch

Doug Jarvis is hockey's all time Iron Man with 964 consecutive games played. Before him it was Garry Unger and before him it was Andy Hebenton. Before all of them there was Murray Murdoch - hockey's original Iron Man, and an original New York Ranger.

Murdoch played in 11 successive seasons, never missing a single game. In total, he played in 508 straight regular season games, as well as 55 Stanley Cup playoff matches. This of course was during the days of a less than 50 game schedules, otherwise he probably would have reached a higher total of games played in succession.

Born on May 19, 1904 in Lucknow, Ontario, but raised in Edgerton, Alberta, Murdoch was a standout with the University of Manitoba. It was there where he was discovered by Conn Smythe who built the original New York Rangers team. Smythe, who would be replaced by Lester Patrick before the Rangers ever played a game, offered Murdoch a $5,000 salary and $1,500 signing bonus.

Murdoch was hesitant to leave to New York at the time. Smythe sent a telegram telling Murdoch to travel to Duluth, Minnesota to talk contract. Murdoch replied by telling Smythe to go out of his way and see him in Winnipeg! Smythe did, and Murdoch obliged, and despite the money being discussed he intended to say no.

"I remember sitting in the lobby of the Fort Garry Hotel, thinking it over, and I was just about to say no when Conn leaned over a coffee table and slowly counted out $1500 in $100 bills," remembered Murdoch. "That clinched it. For a young guy just married and with a summer job selling insurance, that looked like an awful lot of money."

Patrick placed Murdoch on a checking line with Billy Boyd and Paul Thompson where Murdoch utilized his studious understanding of the game. Later Butch Keeling and Cecil Dillon would fill in on the checking line. The 5'10" 180lb left winger scored 84 goals and 192 points in his 508 straight NHL games. More of a playmaker than a goal scorer, Murdoch was an integral part of two Ranger Cup wins in 1928 and 1933.

At the time Murdoch's iron man streak was quite the story. After he reached 400 games in a row, the Rangers honored him at Madison Square Gardens. The Yankees' Lou Gehrig, sports' most famous iron man, presented Murdoch with a plaque.

Murdoch's effectiveness began to erode following the 1933 Championship. In fact in his final two NHL seasons he only scored 2 goals and finished his career with the Philadelphia Ramblers of the American Hockey League.

However Murdoch received an offer to become a collegiate coach in 1939 which convinced him to retire as a player. He became the head coach at prestigious Yale University, helping to popularize hockey not only at Yale, but throughout American colleges. Murdoch coached for 28 seasons at Yale, establishing himself as a hockey legend on the collegiate level. His lifetime record at Yale was 263-236-20. He won Ivy League titles in 1940 and 1952 and led his 1952 team to the NCAA Frozen Four. In 1972, Yale established the Murray Murdoch Award to honor its annual hockey MVP.

In 1974 Murdoch was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for service to hockey in the United States.

Before his death in 2001 at the incredible age of almost 97, Murdoch was able to share some of his very vivid personal memories. He was an encyclopedia of knowledge, able to share thoughts and first hand accounts of some of the great players we have only heard about.

Players like Eddie Shore.

"I knew Eddie when he was 15 and I was 17 and we went to the same school in Winnipeg. He got kicked out for smoking, as I recall. But he became a great defenseman. He had a way of coming around the net and up the ice, weaving along. It was hard to take the puck from him. But because I knew him, I knew you had to get him as he was coming around the net."

And Howie Morenz.

"He was the greatest player I ever saw. When he got the puck and took off up ice, he was one of the fastest skaters I have ever seen. He was like a streak of light."

And the Maple Leafs' "Kid Line" of Charlie Conacher Joe Primeau, and Busher Jackson.

"Conacher thought that when he went into the locker room between periods that I was going to go with him. [Along with linemates Paul Thompson and Butch Keeling] We shadowed them pretty good. When that line came on the ice, we had to go on against them."

And the most common question he got was about Lester Patrick's famous donning of the pads as a 44 year old coach in 1929.

"He went in and of course we had three or four coaches [from other teams] come down to coach the team while Lester was in the net. Montreal was shooting from a long distance and Lester was stopping them. Lester had played a certain amount of goal because we only carried one goaltender and when we scrimmaged he sometimes put on the pads and played goal and coached the defense. He could coach from that position. If they did something wrong, he was able to point it out to them.

"He let one goal in and Frankie Boucher scored the game-winner [in overtime]. It was 2-1."

Before his death he was asked about the evolution of the game.

"I never thought the game would go worldwide. It's surprising to me. When you read the names, they're hard to pronounce. The players come from all over the world. When I played, it was solely a Canadian game. We never dreamed there would be teams in Phoenix, San Jose, Florida.

"I like today's game very much. It's very fast. The stars are better today than they were when I played, but there aren't as many of them."

Sunday

Larry Melnyk

If you were a NHL general manager in the 1980s and you were looking for a no-nonsense, no frills journeyman defenseman, then you did not need to look much further than Larry "Bud" Melnyk.

Described as "a Ken Morrow type of defenseman," Melnyk was pretty unheralded in his day. He quietly went about blocking shots, clearing the front of the net and sacrificing his body in anyway it took to get his job done. For his efforts he was rewarded with a 432 NHL game career and two Stanley Cup rings.

Melnyk was born and raised in New Westminister, BC, which is essentially a suburb of Vancouver. He played for his hometown New West Bruins for three seasons. The Boston Bruins liked what they saw, and drafted him 78th overall in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft.

Melnyk's story from there is one of perseverance and dedication. He was a poor skater, with no speed and little mobility. That kept him out of a regular NHL job until 1985 when he joined the New York Rangers. He road the buses in the minor leagues, constantly working on playing his position while understanding his limitations. He grew to learn to read the oncoming play and master the angles of defending and anticipative positioning. He would force the opposition wide until they ran out of room. He would then eliminate his check, though he was not a devastating hitter. Melnyk also became one of the league's best shot blockers, making him a regular on the penalty kill. He would fearlessly drop in front of a speeding bullet.

Before arriving in New York Melnyk spent parts of two post seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. That seems like an odd fit given that Melnyk was a poor skater and had no offensive game whatsoever. Though he did not play regularly he would earn two Stanley Cup championships.

He joined the Rangers in 1985-86 and finally proved what he was adamant about all along - he was a NHL defenseman. For the next 2 and 1/2 seasons he patrolled the Rangers blue line with vigor.

Melnyk enjoyed a home coming in the 1987-88 season, coming back to Vancouver to play out his career. Though he helped solidify a traditionally porous blue line. He was a very popular teammate, and, judging by the injuries suffered, may have been the toughest man on the team.

Shortly after arriving in Vancouver Melnyk took a Randy Carlyle slap shot to the face, giving him a concussion and fracturing his left orbital bone. In another incident he severed a tendon his right arm. And most of his time in Vancouver he played with chronic back pains, which eventually forced him to retire just before the 1990-91 season.

I liked Larry Melnyk. He was an honest, hard working guy, who believed in himself and was a great teammate.

Saturday

Reijo Ruotsalainen

With his alphabet soup name and his unbelievable skills package, Reijo Ruotsalainen is impossible to forget for anyone who ever watched him play.

Routsalainen joined the New York Rangers in 1981, unable to speak much English but with a hockey resume that spoke for him. The son of a coach back in his native Finland, Ruotsalainen was sought after by top professional Finnish teams from the age of 14.

At the age of 16, coach Kari Makinen finally convinced Reijo and his parents to join Karpat Oulu. Although he was now playing against men 4-10 years older than him, within a couple of months he became the top defenseman on the team, and was well on his way to becoming one of the best Finnish players ever.

Over the next six years he'd represent his country at 4 world junior championships, 2 senior world championships and the 1981 Canada Cup. After joining the NHL he'd add 3 more worlds, 1 more Canada Cup and 1 Olympics to his impressive international resume. Rangers scout Lars-Erik Sjoberg, a very similar defenseman who starred in Sweden and the WHA, was one of his biggest fans and convinced the Rangers to select him 119th overall in 1980.

When he arrived in New York he was instantly paired with defenseman Barry Beck. The hulking Beck would take care of the physical game, as the diminutive "Rexi" quarterbacked the offense. In his rookie year Routsalainen scored an impressive 18 goals and 56 points. He followed that campaign up with seasons of 16 goals and 69 points and 20 goals and 59 points. His best season came in 1984-85 when he scored 28 goals and 73 points, though a significant portion of that season saw him skate on a forward line with Mark Pavelich and Anders Hedberg.

Paul Coffey was Ruotsalainen's most comparable peer. Like Coffey, Rexi's skating ability was simply phenomenal. He had an incredible set of wheels, blessed with great speed and the ability to get into gear within a step. And he skated backwards and laterally equally as well, perhaps even better than Coffey. In fact he could skate better in reverse than most forwards could skate forward! He effortlessly drifted across the ice as the opposition skaters strained to keep up. It was nothing short of beautiful, and perhaps only equaled by a Scott Niedermayer or a Katerina Witt!

Also like Coffey, Routsalainen loved to rush the puck, often bursting down the left wall, or sneaking off the point and into the slot. He was an excellent stickhandler, able to cradle the puck at any speed. His passes were soft and on target. And his shot was almost as good as his skating. He had an absolute rocket from the point. It took him a bit to learn to keep his shots on net, but once he did he may have been the best one-timer in the league.

Where Coffey and Ruotsalainen differed was in their size and physical ability. While Coffey was big and sported a physical nature, Ruoutsalainen was just too small to be effective. At just 5'8" and 170lbs, Ruotsalainen didn't shy away from the physical play, but he would stay away from the big battles and try to defend from the outside by using his smarts and skates.

So why didn't Routsalainen create a bigger NHL legacy? Under coach Herb Brooks he thrived in New York, but he did not get along with new coach Ted Sator. Rather than return to the Rangers, Ruotsalainen left for Europe, joining SC Bern in Switzerland where he remains a legend.

Seeing the obvious comparison's to Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers GM Glen Sather desperately sought Ruotsalainen's services. He made a complex trade to acquire his NHL rights, but he could not buy out his contract from SC Bern. Instead he waited until after the Swiss season for Routsalainen to join the team. The Oilers would win their third Stanley Cup that spring.

Ruotsalainen opted not to stay in Edmonton, but return to Europe again the following season. The big draw was the 1988 Olympics, something Ruotsalainen had yet to participate in. With NHL participation not guaranteed back then, Ruotsalainen opted to play for a Swedish club team as well as the Finnish national team. The Finns surprised many in those Olympic games, winning the silver medal.

Rexi returned to SC Bern in 1988-89, but joined the New Jersey Devils in 1989-90. By the end of the year the Oilers came knocking again, making another trade for Ruotsalainen's services for another successful Stanley Cup run. By this time the nickname "Rental Rexi" was firmly part of Ruotsalainen's image. So much so that even to this day when the Oilers need help on defense sports casters often joke that the team is inquiring about Ruotsalainen's availability.

Though he probably still can skate better than many NHLers, Ruotsalainen is no longer available as he retired back in 1998. After spending much of the 1990s with SC Bern, he finished his career off where it started, spending two more seasons with Karpat Oulu.

Friday

Larry Cahan

Larry was a rock'em sock'em type of defenseman. He could deliver some very punishing hits with his large frame. It hurt to play against him.

"I used to be mean when I was young," Larry once said late in his career. "I used to fight at the drop of a hat. But you play about 10 years and I guess you mellow a bit. Besides, I don't think that I have to prove myself. I've fought the biggest and the best guys around in three leagues."

"It's a funny thing, if I were a little bit smaller, maybe I would be going out of my way to be rougher. Or maybe it's just my nature. But I still don't think I have to prove anything."

Cahan started his career in his hometown of Fort William. He spent his entire junior career playing for the Fort William Hurricanes between 1949-53. There he was spotted by Leafs scout Squib Walker.

In 1953-54 Larry made his professional debut with a bang. He racked up a league leading 179 PIMs, most of them well earned for the Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL).

"I guess I just forget myself a bit now and then," he said at the time.

The following season he made the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup.

"I think they brought me up too soon. I had played all my amateur hockey in Fort William where I was born. I was still just a kid when I went from Pittsburgh to Toronto." Cahan said. "When I came up in the Toronto organization, they had just won three Stanley Cups."

"A lot was expected of anyone who went to training camp or who made the club. And then comes that old problem that's kind of hard to explain. They only give you a few real shots at the NHL. If you don't make it early, then they seem to put a tag on you that says you can't make it. And when they bring you up later, you still have that tag."

"This seems especially true if you are a little older, say 27 or up," Cahan claimed. "I honestly think that you can't make it even if you have a really outstanding training camp."

Cahan lasted two seasons in Toronto until he was claimed by NY Rangers for $ 15,000 in the intra-league draft 1956. NY Rangers were looking for a tough blueliner and Cahan fit the bill perfectly. He had previously split his time between Toronto and AHL's Pittsburgh Hornets. While in the AHL he picked up 160 PIMs in only 39 games.

NY Rangers GM Muzz Patrick was excited to get Cahan:

"He's good enough to make our team right now, and there's no reason in the world why he shouldn't improve with experience. He should make our defense a little tougher than it used to be."

Cahan sure made them tougher...when he was up to it.

Like on December 3, 1961 when he toyed with tough guy Ted Green of Boston.

"I could have busted his head on the ice," Cahan said. "But I was too tired and besides the referee kept yelling that he would give me another misconduct."

Or on December 29, 1964 when he took on Montreal's Jean Beliveau, Jean-Claude Tremblay and Jacques Laperreire all at the same time. Larry was slapped with major, misconduct and game misconduct penalties.

Swedish import Ulf Sterner who was the first European trained player in the NHL and a teammate of Cahan in New York once told him: "If you played in Sweden, they would put you in jail."

Bill Davidson, a former teammate of Larry in the WHL once said: "It's a good thing that Larry wasn't born mean. He'd kill somebody."

Talk about great foreshadowing. More about that later.

Cahan played for the Rangers until 1965. He then played three seasons in the WHL for Vancouver Canucks. There in his final season (1967) he won the Hal Laycoe Cup (WHL's top defenseman) , was a 1st team All-Star and set a new WHL record for defensemen in the playoffs with 16 points in 7 games.

That All-Star season gave Larry a new chance to play in the NHL as Oakland Seals claimed him in the 1967 Expansion draft. He played one season in Oakland putting up career highs for goals (9), assists (15) and points (24), but he is best remembered for one big hit that led to a revolution in hockey.

In the first period of a game on January 13, 1968, Cahan and partner Ron Harris combined to cleanly take out 29 year old rookie Bill Masterton. Masterton, who like virtually all players at that time, was not wearing a helmet. He fell backwards and cracked his head on the ice, resulting in significant damage to his brain stem. Two days later the injury proved to be fatal, as Masterton died in Minneapolis hospital. He is the only player to die as the result of on-ice injury.

The following season (1968-69) he was let go by the Seals, claimed by Montreal in the Intra-League draft only to be traded to Los Angeles a few weeks later.

Larry played three seasons in California and was LA's captain between January and April 1970. He eventually finished his career in Seattle (WHL) and Chicago (WHA) where he was a captain for both teams.

Larry was no big scorer but he was a devastating hitter.

Monday

Dave Maloney

Though not a true number one defenseman, Dave Maloney was a good puck moving defenseman with a physical dimension. His mobility and hockey sense made him a useful member of both specialty team units.

The native of Kitchener, Ontario, Maloney starred with the hometown Kitchener Rangers for two years before being selected 14th overall by the New York Rangers in 1974. After two years of seasoning with the AHL's Providence Reds, Maloney earned a full time slot with New York in 1976-77.

Maloney assumed a key role as quarterback of the Rangers power play. Often playing with Barry "Bubba" Beck, Maloney was quite aggressive himself, as his 1154 career penalty minutes attest. The solid rearguard played so well during his first two years that by 1978-79 he succeeded Phil Esposito as the Blueshirts' captain. Under his leadership, Maloney helped the team reach the Stanley Cup finals. That was an especially proud moment for the Maloney family as younger brother Don joined the team. The two would star on Broadway until Dave's departure up state to Buffalo for the 1984-85 season.

In Buffalo Maloney was a stabilizing influence during the last 52 games of the 1984-85 season and the first round of the playoffs before retiring. He scored 71 goals and 317 points in 657 NHL games.

In retirement Maloney has worked, amongst other jobs, as a Wall Street stock broker and as an in-studio analyst for Fox Sports. He also coached youth hockey in Connecticut.

Here's some other interesting facts about Dave Maloney:

During 1973-74 season, Maloney's stick caused severe eye injury to major-junior star Greg Neeld, costing Neeld the vision in his left eye and a chance for an NHL career. Neeld did try to play in the WHA, wearing a protect shield that was the first forerunner to what today is commonly used and known as the eye visor.
Maloney visited Romania during summer of 1978 as a guest of the Romanian Hockey Federation.
In 1979 he worked at Mike Nykoluk's hockey school in Switzerland.
He was a regular instructor at Bobby Orr's hockey camp in his early career.
In addition to his brother Don, Maloney is also related to NHLer Doug Sulliman (brothers in-law). However Don and Dave Maloney are not related to NHLers Dan or Phil Maloney.
In 1977 he was a member of Canada's first entry at the World Championships that allowed professional players.

Don Maloney

Born in small Lindsay, Ontario, Don Maloney was one of seven children in a close knit family. He left home to learning his hockey craft in a classic Canadian town Kitchener, Ontario, where he started with the OHA Rangers.

So you can imagine what a daunting task it was for him when Don Maloney packed his bags and headed to the bright lights of exciting Manhattan, New York. It must have been a whole other world to the young left winger.

Fortunately for Don Maloney, he had big brother Dave to help him out. Dave, a defenseman, broke the trail back in 1976, and certainly made the Don's transition easier, both on and off the ice. Certainly Don has his big brother to thank for easing his transition to the big city.

Once he arrived, Don took the Big Apple by storm. He finished the 1978-79 season in the NHL, making a big impression on "The Mafia Line" with Don Murdoch on right wing and the legendary Phil Esposito at center. The line drew it's nickname from the reference of a Godfather (Espo) and two "Dons."

In 28 games Don tallied 9 goals and 26 points, and added another 7 goals and 20 points in 18 games during a lengthy post season run that saw the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup finals.

Esposito raved about his new found winger, comparing him favorably to an old friend from Boston.

"He's like (Wayne) Cashman to me. He gets the puck out of the corner. It's been a long time since I didn't have to help out in that respect."

Coach Fred Shero compared him to another great from the past.

"His scoring is a bonus. He's a bumper and a grinder. He reminds me of Bert Olmstead, the great left winger on the Montreal Canadiens power play two decades ago."

The line combination was short lived, however, as Don Murdoch's game fell apart as the city of New York consumed him. He went from an out-of-nowhere toast of the town to a washed up playboy with drug and alcohol problems.

Maloney would not suffer the same fate. He was an honest, hard working kid from small town Canada, and that never changed about him. He would enjoy enormous personal success in New York, though he was never singled out as a star.

That was fine by him, as he was more than happy to be a great support player. In 1980, at the young age of 22, he was named as the Rangers' team captain. He would play in the 1983 and 1984 NHL All Star games, surprising everyone by earning game MVP status in '84. He would also help Canada win a silver medal at his lone World Championship tournament in 1985.

Maloney's unforgiving physical play took it's toll on him over the years. In one memorable collision with New Jersey defender Bruce Driver, Maloney broke his leg and ankle as well as suffering ligament damage. He would miss most of the 1984-85 season recovering.

Though his heart was always a Ranger, he would be moved on to the Hartford Whalers and New York Islanders.

Following his days as a player Don Maloney went into NHL management where he quickly developed a reputation for his scouting and talent development. He would work with the Islanders, including briefly as GM, Sharks and Rangers in this regard before taking the general manager's post in Phoenix in 2007.

Sunday

Andy Bathgate

Andy Bathgate is one of the NHL's greatest players ever to grace a sheet of NHL ice, yet it is amazing that he even played hockey after suffering a horrific injury in juniors.

In 1951, while playing with the Guelph Juniors, he received a check that severely damaged his left knee. A steel plate was fixed beneath the kneecap yet it plagued him throughout his career. Despite this, he missed only five games in more than eleven seasons with the New York Rangers.

Even though this undoubtedly limited Bathgate's play, his immense talent prevailed. Bathgate was named twice to the NHL's first and twice to the second All-Star teams. He undoubtedly would have made it more times except that his principal rivals were Gordie Howe, Boom Geoffrion and Maurice Richard.

Andy was never much of a backchecker or a physical player, but when he had the puck there were none better. He could weave his way through a team single-handedly, and possessed one of the hardest shots ever witnessed

Bathgate enjoyed his greatest season in 1958-59 when he scored 40 goals and 88 points and won the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP. In 1961-62 he tied Bobby Hull for the league lead in scoring, though Hull got the Art Ross trophy because he scored more goals.

Bathgate was a less charismatic version of Hull. He was a smooth skater and a deft puckhandler, but he too was known for his heavy shot. In fact some say it was Bathgate, not Hull or Geoffrion who perfected the slap shot. Regardless, his shot was feared around the league. It was his shot that hit Montreal goalie Jacques Plante in the face and saw witness to the birth of the goalie mask in the National Hockey League.

Being the first true hockey superstar since the days of Frank Boucher and brothers Bill and Bun Cook, Bathgate was the toast of Manhattan. He was the first Rangers player ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His penalty shot goal against Detroit on March 14th, 1962 that all but assured the Rangers of a playoff spot is still talked about by the old time hockey fans in the city.

Andy was traded to Toronto in 1963-64. It is in Toronto that Andy earned his only Stanley Cup ring. He was later acquired by Detroit, then by Pittsburgh in the 1967 expansion draft.

In total, Handy Andy Bathgate played in 1069 games, scoring 349 goals and 973 points. He was included in Hockey's Hall of Fame in 1978. He briefly played and coach in Switzerland and the WHA following retirement from the National League.

Bathgate stayed in Southern, Ontario upon his departure from the ice. His new passion became golf, and he ran a golf facility in Mississauga for years.

Bones Raleigh

Here's the skinny on Don Raleigh: He was skinny.

Hence the nickname that he became best known by, "Bones" Raleigh.

At 5'11" and 145-150lbs, the slender center was never a physical player. But he was a skilled puck technician. Best known as an elusive playmaker, he was an underrated goal scorer with a knack for scoring big goals.

Born in Kenora, Ontario, Raleigh was raised and became a junior hockey star in the Winnipeg area. His knack for winning championships at the bantam, midget and junior hockey levels assured him entry into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.

Raleigh joined the Rangers for the 1943-44 season, a call up due to a roster depleted by World War II. At 17 he became the youngest full time player in team history. His season lasted only 15 games though, as he suffered a broken jaw in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The following season Raleigh returned to Canada and joined the Canadian Army. Based in Winnipeg, he also played hockey with several teams during his years of service, including with the University of Winnipeg where he also found time to study and with the senior Winnipeg Flyers who competed for the Allan Cup in 1947.

Upon the end of the War, Raleigh returned to Manhattan for the the 1947-48 season. The Rangers were a decent team back then, but goaltender Chuck Rayner made them a threat. In the 1950 playoffs Rayner and Raleigh led the Rangers within a whisker of the Stanley Cup championship! Playing against the Detroit Red Wings, it was Raleigh who scored back-to-back overtime game winning goals in games 4 and 5 to keep the Rangers alive. Raleigh had his chances to score another OT goal in game 6, but ultimately the Red Wings emerged from that game as the Stanley Cup champions.

The Rangers teams sunk back to mediocrity for much of the next couple of decades, but Raleigh emerged as the team's offensive heart until his departure in 1955. In fact, in 1951-52 Raleigh set a team record (since surpassed) with 42 assists, and led the team with 61 points, the 4th best total in the entire league.

Despite Raleigh's best efforts, the Rangers were spinning their wheels and ownership decided a change was needed. Fiery Phil Watson was brought in as coach in 1955-56, which all but ended Raleigh's days in New York. Watson wanted a team of big, physical grinders, and Raleigh simply did not fit in his game plan.

Raleigh returned to Western Canada, playing in Saskatoon and Brandon before leaving the game at the age of 32 in 1958. He returned to Winnipeg and got into the insurance business, owning his own insurance and consulting firm. He would later do some television analyst work with the WHA Winnipeg Jets upon their arrival in 1972.

Thursday

Tom Laidlaw

"(Tom) Laidlaw plays defense the way it is supposed to be played," said New York Islanders legendary coach Al Arbour back in 1985.

Arbour then continued, " He almost never makes a mistake, he takes the man out in the slot, is mobile enough to get the puck out of his own end by skating it, or, more likely, hitting the open man with a precise, accurate, pass. If he gets a chance to rush he'll take it, but he understands that is not his job. And he plays it the way most defensemen did in the old six-team NHL."

Tom's playing style was a throwback to the old six-team era, an art form almost extinct in today's hockey He never tried to be fancy with the puck, he just concentrated to do his job and that was to keep his opponents and the puck away from his defensive zone.

Tom was born in Brampton, Ontario where his father Don was a district fire chief. Tom grew up idolizing legendary Gordie Howe. Tom first played for the Bramalea Blues and then played four seasons for Northern Michigan University (CCHA) while he majored in speech. He was also a good football player.

At NMU he was coached by Rick Comley who had a great influence on the young Tom.

"He stuck with me when I would make a mistake and sent me back out there," Tom recalled. "He helped me personally, and in my life. And he helped my hockey."

Tom quickly gained reputation for his toughness. Many years after he had left NMU people still talk about how he broke his stick over his head, purposefully, following his first goal at NMU.

In 1980 he helped the Wildcats advance to the NCAA championships before bowing out to the University of North Dakota. Tom was selected to the All-NCAA tournament team in 1980. He also was a CCHA First All-Star in 1979 and 80. All in all he scored 90 pts in 124 games for NMU.

NY Rangers selected Tom in the 1978 draft (78th overall). He immediately took a regular shift from opening night (October 9,1980 vs. Boston) and never looked back. During his first four NHL seasons Tom only missed 2 out of 320 games. Then in his 5th season he ruptured his spleen against Boston (January 5,1985) and missed 19 games.

Some people compared Tom to Ranger legend Harry Howell. It didn't take Tom many years before he was constantly paired up with rookies on defense to "break them in".

On March 10, 1987 Tom was traded to Los Angeles where he played for almost four years. He retired in 1990 while playing a few games for Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL).

Among teammates Tom was simply known as "Cowboy".
"I like Westerns and my boyhood hero might have been described as any cowboy. I like watching football, driving my jeep, country music and anything to do with hockey. My favorite actor is John Wayne for obvious reasons.", Tom said back then.

Tom always accepted his defensive role and not being in the spotlight of things.

"You don't win the Stanley Cup without defense. All the wheeling and dealing up ice with the puck is great for the fans, but not for the coach if you get caught out of position. Defense still wins in the NHL," Tom said.

Laidlaw's philosophy was simple: Don't let 'em through. Maybe it could have been dubbed as Laidlaw's Law.

Speaking of law, Laidlaw went on to become a prominent NHL player's agent in his off-ice career.

Sunday

Brad Park

Brad Park was a highly efficient defender, combining size and clean but dogged tenacity with an uncanny awareness of the game. A noted hip-checker, Park was brash and unintimidated. But with the puck he became a natural chessmaster on the ice. more-than-likely make a perfect pinpoint pass to clear the puck out of the zone and start the attack. With a short burst of speed he would often jump to join the rush as a fourth attacker, and was a true power play quarterback. Park, not unlike Ray Bourque years later, was a consistently steady defender with often brilliant offensive instincts.

In almost any other time period Brad Park would have been considered the best defenseman of his time. But Park played in the enormous shadows of Bobby Orr in Boston and Denis Potvin on Long Island. The only thing that kept the spotlight on them as opposed to Park was their team success and a combined 6 Stanley Cup championships to Park's zero.

That's right, Brad Park never had the chance to sip champagne from the Stanley Cup, despite participating in the playoffs each of his 17 NHL seasons. Along with the likes of Marcel Dionne, Gilbert Perreault, and Mike Gartner, Park may be the best player ever not to have tasted Stanley Cup victory.

Park went from unbridled prodigy to popular sensation in New York, ranking him as perhaps the greatest defenseman in the long history of the Blueshirts.

"Park reminds me of Pierre Pilote," once said Chicago coach Bill Reay. "Both were relatively compact men who could accelerate better than most forwards."

Though it was popular with Manhattan fans, Park was brash off the ice as well. He penned the book Play The Man in 1971 where he was very forthcoming in his thoughts, notably badmouthing Boston fans, calling them animals and players, calling them thugs.

The Bruins fans hated Park and their natural rivals from New York, which made the feud all the more ironic when Park would be part of a blockbuster trade with the Boston Bruins. Perhaps the biggest the trade to that date, Park was the centerpiece of a Ranger/Bruin swap that saw the legendary Phil Esposito leave Beantown. Looking to find a fill-in for the often injured Orr, the Bruins also sent Carol Vadnais to New York and also received veteran Ranger Jean Ratelle.

The trade was uncomfortable for Park, who openly cried and considered not reporting. The two teams were bitter rivals. The only thing that could have been worse is if the Red Sox traded for a Yankee's starting pitcher.

But Park's cerebral play would quickly win over the fans. But the Bruins got a different, more mature Park than the one who so often dominated games against them. Park's play in Boston tamed down somewhat, mostly due to necessity. By the time he was 28 he had undergone five major knee surgeries and four arthroscopic surgeries. But his play remained sterling, in some ways better than ever under the Bruins tight checking system.

"My wheels aren't as good, but my brain is better," Park said at the time. "When I was younger and quicker I was capable of controlling a whole game over the whole rink. Now I've got to be content to control our zone. Basically I'm prepared to do less and do it well rather than try doing what I used to do and do it badly."

Park served another seven and a half seasons with the Bruins. He would finish his career in 1985 after 2 seasons in Detroit.

In a total of 1,113 NHL games, Park netted 213 goals and assisted on another 683 for 896 points, while accumulating 1,429 penalty minutes. He also posted 125 points (35 goals, 90 assists) in 161 playoff contests.

Park was a First Team All-Star in 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976 and 1978 and second team in 1971 and 1973. He would be shutout from Norris trophy nods as the game's best defenseman, but finished 2nd place a heartbreaking six times. He was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1984 and was also a valuable member of the Team Canada defense corps in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviets.

Lester Patrick

Is there one person who has had more impact on the game of hockey than any other? The answer is yes: Lester Patrick - hockey's "Silver Fox"

Lester Patrick, along with his brother Frank, made countless contributions to the game of hockey throughout his lifetime as a player, coach, manager, owner and National Hockey League governor. Together the Patrick's pioneered hockey as big business.

Though he was born in Drummondville, Quebec, Dec. 30, 1883, Lester Patrick grew up and learned to play the game as a youngster in Montreal. The son of a very successful lumberman in Quebec and later British Columbia, Lester was also was known as a star athlete in cricket, rugby and lacrosse.

Lester first became prominent as a hockey player out west as he dropped out of McGill University in order to pursue puck dreams. Known for his great speed and puck skills, in 1903-04 he used his abilities as one of game's earliest offensive defensemen to help a team from Brandon Manitoba fall just short of a Stanley Cup championship against the Ottawa Silver Seven. He then returned to Montreal to play with Westmount before joining the Wanderers in 1905-06. Patrick was part of two Stanley Cup championships with the Wanderers before he moved to Nelson, British Columbia in order to work in the family lumber business.

Lester, and his equally talented brother Frank, played in the small town of Nelson, BC until 1909-10. That season both Patrick brothers headed to Renfrew, Ontario where they signed up to play with the Renfrew Millionaires of the newly formed National Hockey Association - the direct forerunner of the National Hockey League.

However the Patricks returned to the west in 1911 and started their own circuit - the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. The PCHA was the most serious big league alternative that the NHA/NHL ever faced, even bigger than the World Hockey Association challenge of the 1970s.

The Patricks borrowed money from the million dollar family lumber business in order to finance the league. Both would continue to, as well as serve as coach, manger and owner of teams - Frank in Vancouver and Lester in Victoria. The money went to create Canada's first artificial ice rinks as well as pay players - who were mostly taken from the NHA. There were other franchises in Edmonton, Seattle, Calgary, New Westminster, Regina and Saskatoon.

Artificial ice was not the only invention to the game that the Patricks brought about. Other revolutionary innovations included:

Numbered Jerseys
Blue Lines
Penalty Shots
Allowing of goalies to leave their feet to make a save
Allowing of players to kick the puck
Rewarded assists on goals
"On the fly" line changes
Encourage rushing defensemen
Inaugurated a farm team system
Devised a profitable playoff system which is now used universally.

The NHL adopted everyone of Patrick's innovations, and are still in use today.

"The Patricks" wrote famed sports writer Elmer Ferguson "legislated hockey into modernism."

The PCHA eventually would have to fold eventually, and the Patricks sold the league and all of its players rights to the NHL in 1926. Lester would follow suit, being named as the architect of the New York Rangers, taking over from Conn Smythe, in 1926. Patrick served as coach of the Rangers until 1939 - guiding them to Stanley Cup championships in 1928 and 1933 in addition to being named as the NHL's best coach 6 times (there was no official trophy given to the top coach at that time, but hew as named to the NHL first all star team as coach 6 times). He continued to serve as manager of the Rangers until 1946.

His many accomplishments as a player and innovations as a builder are shadowed by one night in the 1928 NHL playoffs.

Six years earlier, while in charge of the Vancouver Millionaires, Patrick allowed Toronto to use Eddie Gerard, a borrowed player, as an emergency replacement as the Toronto team was decimated by injuries. Patrick did it as a show of sportsmanship and for the good of the game of hockey, but Gerard when on to be the star from that point on and cost Patrick and the Vancouver Millionaires the Stanley Cup. Six years later, Gerard and Patrick would cross paths again in the playoffs in 1928 with Patrick coaching the New York Rangers and Gerard managing the Montreal Maroons. Teams back then didn't carry back up goalies, and when Ranger starter Lorne Chabot was injured, Patrick asked to use a borrowed goaltender as a replacement, but Gerard refused knowing the Cup would be his almost certainly with the Rangers lacking a true goalie. Patrick, at the age of 44 decided to put the pads on himself. This move energized his Rangers. They played inspired hockey and the game went in to overtime. In a game that Hollywood couldn't dream of, Frank Boucher went on to score in overtime for the Rangers. The Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup.

At that moment Patrick was immortalized forever. This is one of the NHL's most legendary moments.

After stepping down as the Rangers boss in 1946, Lester returned to his beloved Victoria where he ran the minor league Cougars until 1954.

He is generally regarded as the architect of modern day hockey as his name is identified with many of the major developments in style of play, the organization and expansion of the game. He is also credited with expanding the game to western Canada, particularly British Columbia, as well as popularizing it in the north eastern United States.

Today Lester Patrick is remembered by the Lester Patrick Memorial Trophy. It is given out annually to recipients who shows "outstanding service to hockey in the United States." The award only honours a part of Lester's great hockey contributions, but at least he is forever remembered by the NHL in some way.

Wednesday

Phil Goyette

Phil Goyette came out of junior as a slick passing, high scoring offensive dynamo in the Montreal system. Unfortunately for Goyette, Montreal didn't need another high scoring center as they already boasted Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard and Ralph Backstrom.

As a result of this overcrowding down the middle, Phil spent 3 years in the minors before catching on with Les Habitants in 1957-58 on a full time basis. While in the minors Phil learned to become a defensive center. He learned the fine art of defensive anticipation, shadowing your check and face-offs. Phil finally caught on with Montreal as a defensive minded 4th line center.

Phil was actually a late season call up in 1956-57 where he played in 14 games down the stretch before appearing in 10 playoff games to help the Habs win their second of five consecutive Stanley Cups.

In his official rookie season Phil played strong defensively but also showed a good playmaking side. He scored 9 goals and 37 assists for 46 points in 70 games. In the playoffs he played an integral role, scoring 4 goals in 10 games in capturing another Cup.

Goyette suffered a bit of a sophomore jinx in his second full season. He scored 10 times but added just 18 assists in 63 games. He went goalless in 10 playoff games, though did pick up 4 helpers.

Goyette's best season as a Hab came in 1959-60, the last year of the Canadiens great reign. Goyette scored 21 goals and 43 points and added 2 goals and 1 assist in the playoffs to capture the team's 5th consecutive championship, and Goyette's 4th.

1960-61 was a rough year for Phil. The amount of ice time he saw shrank and he scored only 7 goals and 11 points in 63 games. He had a strong playoff, scoring 3 goals and 6 points in 6 games. However the season ended on an unusual note for Goyette. For the first time in Phil's career, the season did not end with him and his teammates hoisting the Stanley Cup.

Phil continued to be buried in Montreal's great depth until he was traded to the New York Rangers with Don Marshall and Jacques Plante for Gump Worsley, Dave Balon, Leon Rochefort and Len Ronson. In New York, Goyette was teamed up with Marshall and Bob Nevin - all good defensive forwards. However for the first time in a long time Phil got some serious ice time and he responded strongly. There was never any doubt that he had offensive skills, but finally he got to display them as he registered 24 goals and 41 assists for 65 points. Goyette scored more than 60 points twice more in his 6 seasons in New York, but the Ranger's only made the playoffs in three of those seasons. While Phil finally got a chance to display his worth, the success that he saw early in his career in terms of championships was a long ways off.

Goyette, an extremely clean player who only had 131 career PIM in 941 games, was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for big and bad Moose Dupont in 1969. Phil responded with his best season, responding with career highs in goals (29), assists (49) and points (78). Despite totaling a second best 16 PIM total, he was rewarded for his fine season with the Lady Byng trophy for gentlemanly play. More importantly, Phil helped the Blues reach the Stanley Cup finals, scoring 3 times and assisting on 11 others for 14 points in 16 games.

Because of his advancing age Phil, who was often nicknamed "Thin Man" or "The Professor," was left exposed in the 1970 expansion draft. Phil was selected by the Buffalo Sabres. In Buffalo Phil put together another strong season, scoring a point a game with 61 points (15 goals, 46 assists) in 60 games.

Goyette's age was catching up with him during the 1971-72 season. Off to a slow start, the Sabres sold his rights back to the New York Rangers late in the season. Goyette rounded out his career by scoring 5 points in 8 regular season games. He also used his vast playoff experience to help the Rangers to a strong playoff showing. Phil chipped in with 1 goal and 4 points in 13 games.

Phil totaled 207 goals, 467 assists and 674 points in 941 NHL games. He added 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 94 career playoff games. It was in the playoffs when Phil was at his best, as his 4 Stanley Cup rings attest.

Upon retirement Goyette was named as the first coach of the expansion New York Islanders back in 1972. It was not a great experience for all involved, and he was quickly fired.

Goyette then returned to his native Lachine, Quebec, where he worked with a custom brokerage business that he had apprenticed with during the summers while still playing hockey in the NHL.

Don Marshall

Don Marshall was a very good player who was cast into the utility player role on perhaps the greatest team ever.

Though he had the skills to be a front line player, Marshall never once complained about taking a checking role on the great Montreal Canadiens teams of the 1950s that won 5 consecutive Stanley Cups. A swift skater who would never allow himself to be outworked, Marshall was extremely consistent. He was also a very clean player, accumulating only 127 penalty minutes in just shy of 1200 games! His highest single season PIM total was just 14 minutes. Yet somehow he was never recognized as a Lady Byng trophy winner.

Marshall started his career in the Montreal organization as the captain of Montreal Junior Canadiens of the QJHL. Graduating from the junior ranks in 1952, it wasn't until 1955-56 that Marshall played his first full season in the NHL. It was great timing on Marshall's behalf too, as it marked the first of five consecutive years that the Habs would win the Stanley Cup. Marshall quietly worked on the third and fourth line as a defensive checker and penalty killer. His thankless work was a big part of the Habs success.

His hard work did not go unnoticed around the rest of the league. Throughout their championship reign Marshall's name came up often in trade talks. It wasn't until 1963 that the Habs traded Marshall in a blockbuster deal with the New York Rangers. Marshall, Phil Goyette and Jacques Plante were sent to the Big Apple in exchange for Dave Balon, Leon Rochefort, Len Ronson and Gump Worsley.

Marshall continued to be a top penalty killer in New York but also received more ice time and therefore a more offensive role. Four times in 5 seasons with the Blue-shirts Marshall scored more than 20 goals, including a career high 26 in 1965-66. In 1966-67 he scored 24 goals and 46 points and was named to the NHL Second All Star team.

Following an injury filled 1969-70 season the Rangers exposed Marshall in the expansion draft where the Buffalo Sabres eagerly snapped up the veteran. He scored 20 goals and 49 points for the Sabres. However Toronto claimed Marshall from Buffalo in 1971-72 and Marshall struggled in what proved to be his final NHL season. He scored just twice in 50 games.

Marshall played in 1176 games, scoring 265 goals and 324 assists for 589 points. He won 5 Stanley Cups and played in 7 NHL All Star games. A lot of adjectives describe Donny Marshall as a player - tireless, consistent, clean, hard-working - but one word describes him best - winner.

After retiring, Marshall returned to Montreal and worked full time for a local firm that dealt with mechanical power transmissions. Marshall had worked this same job during the summers as an active player. Marshall also became a regular commentator on Hockey Night In Canada.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

© Blogger templates Newspaper III by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP