tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305265711337613252024-02-20T19:44:16.239-08:00Ottawa Hockey LegendsOttawa Senators Greatest PlayersJoe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-42458864469545585542013-05-06T20:41:00.001-07:002013-05-06T20:41:42.215-07:00Gustav Forslund<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is Gustav "Gus" Forslund. He played one season in the National Hockey League. In 1932-33 the 5'10" 150lb right winger played the whole 48 game season with the Ottawa Senators. He scored 4 goals and 13 points and then quickly disappeared from the NHL and pro hockey altogether.<br />
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But by making the NHL he became the answer to a very good trivia question. That's because Gustav Forslund became the first Swedish born player in National Hockey League history.<br />
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Now there is an asterisk attached to this story. Forslund was born in Umea, Sweden but he moved to Canada as a youngster. He grew up playing the great Canadian game on the frozen sloughs near Port Arthur, Ontario, better known today as Thunder Bay.<br />
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<br />Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-21648719914857877582013-02-21T12:03:00.001-08:002013-02-21T12:03:55.238-08:00Harvey Pulford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For some 15 seasons Harvey Pulford dominated the hockey scene in Ottawa. That and every other sporting scene in the area as well.<br />
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Hockey wasn't the only sport in which he was good at. Pulford was a superb athlete who excelled in several sports. He won the Eastern Canada light-heavyweight and heavyweight boxing titles. He held the title of Canada's champion in both single and double-blade paddling and won international honors in the sport of rowing.
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He was a member of the Ottawa Rough Riders team that won Canadian football titles in 1898, 1899, and 1900 and also played a vital role on a superb Ottawa Capitals lacrosse team in the late 1890's. On top of that he was also a very good squash player, winning the Ottawa championship long after his hockey days in 1922-23.<br />
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But it was on the ice where Pulford was most famous. A defenseman not noted for his offense, Pulford joined Ottawa HC in 1893. Whether they were known as Ottawa or the Silver Seven or the Senators, Pulford was a mainstay for four Stanley cup championships.<br />
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Here's how the famous hockey history book The Trail of The Stanley Cup describes Pulford's play:<br />
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It was not until 1901 that Pulford attempted any of the rushing tactics featured by Mike Grant of the Victorias. Throughout his career, he favoured playing back of what would now be his blueline ad it would be a rare occasion to justify a sortie up the ice. He would steer opponents into corners or catch them with thumping body checks away from the boards. If he relieved an opponent of the puck, he would most likely hoist it to the other end of the rink with a towering backhand lift. This technique was standard with most defence players at that time but now would be called icing the puck. His style of play is reflected in his scoring. He played almost seven years before he scored a goal and only netted eight in his whole career.</blockquote>
Pulford was notable for his physical play and leadership. He was hockey's strongman and was fully respected by foes and friends alike. He was knocked for his skating ability because he lacked speed. but he had great balance thanks to "the thinnest blades in hockey." He was impossible to move off of the puck.<br />
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Pulford might have put down his stick in 1908 but he kept his skates handy. He became a long time referee, including in the NHA and NHL.<br />
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By 1921 Pulford took a job with a life insurance company. He stayed there until his death in 1940. He was 65 years old.<br />
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When the Hockey Hall of Fame was founded in 1945, Pulford was one of the original nine inductees.
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<br />Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-90937360668065673742013-02-21T11:33:00.002-08:002013-02-21T11:33:17.492-08:00Eddie Gerard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is Eddie Gerard, one of the early greats of the game. An inaugural member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, some writers back in the day claimed he was better than Eddie Shore.<br />
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He was born February 22nd, 1890. He would grow up to be a great athlete, also starring in football, paddling, cricket, tennis and lacrosse.<br />
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But it was hockey he loved most, and he excelled at his whole life. And he did it all in his hometown of Ottawa.<br />
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Gerard played his amateur hockey with Ottawa New Edinburghs before turning professional with the NHA's Ottawa Senators in 1913-14 as a left wing. It was far from an easy decision, as Gerard had a stable job with Geodetic Survey of Canada.<br />
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But the chance to play hockey against the best in the world proved to be too strong of a calling for Gerard. Well, that and money. The Senators offered Gerard a $400 signing bonus, a significant sum in those days. Gerard's father is said to have proclaimed that the hockey team were "a bunch of damned fools" for such a signing bonus.<br />
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It paid off for the Sens though, and quite handsomely at that. Gerard had 10 assists in 1914-15,which in those days was exceptional. He played in the Stanley Cup final that season, but Ottawa lost to the Vancouver Millionaires.<br />
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In 1917-18, the NHL was formed and he served as the Senators player-coach After a losing season he gave way to Alf Smith. It was in 1917-18 that Gerard moved back to defense for good, and this is where he would prove to be so great.
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In 1918-19 Gerard was outstanding this year, both offensively and defensively as Ottawa gave up the fewest goals against for the next five years, largely in part due to Gerard's outstanding play. Gerard would be named captain of the Senators and the team would go on to win the Stanley Cup - the first of four championships for Eddie.<br />
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1920-21 was one of his best seasons. Not only did he score 11 goals in 24 games, but Ottawa continued to be the best defensive team in the NHL, and Gerard's great passing and stickhandling abilities left little room for rough play.
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But he ran wild in the 1921 playoffs, getting 53 minutes in penalties in 7 games to lead all performers in that dubious distinction. The Senators also won their second straight Stanley Cup that year.<br />
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Gerard had another great year in 1921-22 with 7 goals 11 assists for 18 points in 21 games. Oddlly, he would play on a Stanley Cup champion this year as well, but not with the Senators. The Toronto St. Patricks had beaten Ottawa and played Vancouver for the Cup. During one of the games Harry Cameron was injured and the St.Pats asked permission of the Patricks to use Eddie Gerard and were granted permission. He played well in that one game, and that prompted Frank Patrick to withdraw his permission for the final game.
But it was too late as Toronto defeated Vancouver 5-1 to win the Cup.<br />
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Gerard was back with Ottawa for 1922-23, but misfortune struck him. He was struck in the throat by Sprague Cleghorn, damaging his vocal cords. He would only have a weak voice for the rest of his life. But he stuck it out and played 23 games for the Senators that season.
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Despite injuries, he played well in the Stanley Cup classic and when the undermanned Senators won the Stanley Cup that year, Frank Patrick, president of the PCHA called them the greatest team he had ever seen.
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But Gerard had enough as a player, as the asthma and the throat injury convinced him to retire.
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He was a gentleman on and off the ice and played his defense position well and cleanly. He signed as an assistant coach of the Montreal Canadiens in 1923-24. During 1924-25, Hart was both manager and coach, but resigned as coach at mid-season, leaving the coaching to Gerard. When Hart was fired at season's end, Gerard was named general manager as well.<br />
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Gerard accompanied Cecil Hart to the new Montreal Professional Hockey Club which would be named the Maroons in 1925-26. Gerard was also instrumental in signing Babe Siebert and Nels Stewart. These two led the Maroons to win the Stanley Cup in 1925-26.<br />
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Gerard went to the finals yet again in 1928, but lost to the New York Rangers in that classic series where Gerard refused to lend Alex Connell or Hugh McCormick to the Rangers to replace the injured Lorne Chabot in goal. In an unsportsmanlike gesture, Gerard chuckled as he told the Rangers 44 year old coach Lester Patrick to take to the nets himself. Patrick did, and he unthinkably beat the Maroons in that game for one of the most famous moments in Stanley Cup history. Joe Miller finished the series for the Rangers as they defeated the Maroons for the Cup.
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After a last place finish in 1928-29, Gerard's Maroons finished first for the first time in 1929-30, but they lost in the playoffs. Gerard received a lucrative contract offer from the New York Americans, though the stint would prove to be unsuccessful. He would return the Maroons and later coached the St. Louis Eagles, but his magic seemed to be lost.<br />
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Throat cancer claimed the life of Eddie Gerard in August of 1937. He was only 47 years old and all of those who knew him mourned.There had been another death that year of another great of the game, Howie Morenz, who also died too young.
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For recognition of his great contributions to hockey, Gerard was one of the nine charter members elected to the brand new Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, which later moved to Toronto.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-49115917306760961362012-11-23T19:44:00.000-08:002012-11-23T19:44:49.246-08:00Pascal Leclaire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pascal Leclaire was known for his quick reflexes and for making spectacular saves. His talent was undeniable. And had he been healthy he had a chance to be the most dynamic showman of his goaltending generation.<br />
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But first and foremost he will be remembered as a goalie who never really reached his potential due to serious injuries. Leclaire played seven seasons in the NHL before being forced out of the game due to injury.<br />
He announced his decision during the NHL lockout of 2012. Sadly his retirement may have gone unnoticed due to the labour dispute. In some ways that was a fitting ending to an unceremonious career.<br />
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Leclaire was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the eighth pick in the 2001 NHL Draft. He was the first goaltender taken in a draft that also featured Martin Gerber, Ray Emery, Dan Blackburn and Peter Budaj.<br />
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Leclaire’s best season came in 2007-08 with the Jackets, when he played in a career high 54 games. He posted a 24-17-6 record and was second in the league with nine shutouts. But an ankle injury derailed him the following season and all the promise he showed was lost. He never played more than 35 games in any other year. Leclaire suffered from a variety of ailments through his career, including injuries to his groin, ankle, knee, hip and face<br />
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After spending the first six seasons with Columbus, Leclaire was traded to the Ottawa Senators. Instead of a finding a fresh start in the nation's capital, he found more injuries. In one game he suffered a fractured cheekbone when a puck struck him in the face while he sitting on the bench. Serious hip problems ultimately required three unsuccessful surgeries and ended his career.<br />
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In 173 NHL games, Leclaire went 61-76-15 with a 2.89 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage and 10 shutouts.<br />
Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-64102759245702980362012-10-02T14:24:00.001-07:002016-03-11T20:29:44.160-08:00Brad Shaw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Brad Shaw was a heady, offensive defensemen who I always cheer for. He was very smart at head manning the puck and quarterbacking a power play. But he was too small to thrive in the NHL game for more than short stretches.<br />
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In Shaw's case, he played smaller than he was. 6'0" and 190lbs is at best average for a NHL defenseman, but Shaw played smaller than that, hampering his own game. He was not very strong, and did not hit with much authority. He relied on strong positional play and active stick with his good reach to play defense. Physically he would push players with his stick but never intimidated a soul.<br />
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He was far more comfortable with the puck. He was a good skater with a long stride, though he was by no means quick. He was a very intelligent player with the puck, and could read plays as they were developing. He would often advance the play with a well placed pass.<br />
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Detroit drafted Shaw in 1982. Shaw would complete his junior career with some outstanding offensive numbers with the Ottawa 67s and also was a strong member of two Canadian world juniors entries. In his last season, 1982-83, he was named as the OHL's top defenseman.<br />
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Despite his strong showing Shaw and Detroit were unable to come to a contract so the Red Wings moved him to Hartford in 1984 for next to nothing.<br />
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It took 5 seasons of apprenticing in the minor leagues, but Shaw finally made it to the NHL on a full time basis in 1989-90. His 3 goals and 35 points was the second most among "rookie" defensemen that season. Only Viacheslav Fetisov (who had even more experience than Shaw) had more.<br />
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Shaw would quietly play two more seasons in Hartford before joining the expansion Ottawa Senators via the expansion draft. Shaw would play two seasons in Ottawa, scoring a nice 11 goals and 64 points in that time, though his combined minus-88 was a little scary. Ottawa often chose to team Shaw with even more undersized Norm MacIver together. MacIver, a fan favorite, took the role of offensive catalyst and tended to wander all over the ice. Shaw was asked to play more of the conservative defensive role, on his weak side, to boot. He was game but never really thrived in the situation.<br />
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Aside from a brief re-appearance with Washington and St. Louis, Shaw rounded out his career with the Detroit Vipers in the IHL.<br />
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Shaw was an effective player who gave a full and steady effort to the best of abilities. He must be admired for that. And he used his hockey intellect to become an excellent coach, including half a season behind the bench as the head coach of the New York Islanders.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-88604227076721855082012-07-03T20:02:00.001-07:002012-07-03T22:11:32.180-07:00Petr Schastlivy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Petr Schastlivy grew up in a small Siberian town of Vikhorevka, playing hockey all winter long - indoor and outdoors even in -35 degree weather - and soccer all summer long. His dad was his coach, which proved to be the real secret to his success. You see, his dad played and coached an adult team. As a 12 year old young Petr was playing against 25 and 30 year old men.
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Talk about a great learning curve. Soon enough Petr was starring in youth tournaments, catching scouts attention in Russia. Petr's dad allowed him to leave home early. He moved to Angarsk for six years, which proved to be the necessary steppingstone to the Russian Elite League with Torpedo Yaroslavl.
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NHL scouts certainly started noticing as he performed well with Yaroslavl. The Ottawa Senators selected him in the fourth round (101st overall) of the 1998 NHL entry draft.
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The highlight of Schastlivy's career came in 1999 as he was part of Russia's gold medal winning World Junior team.<br />
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The next year he crossed the Atlantic to pursue his NHL dream, but spent most of the next two seasons in the minor leagues adjusting his game and his life to the North American way.<br />
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Despite some promising skill and talent, he never did fulfill his NHL potential. Inopportune injuries played a big role in that. But he was also slight and polite, and that generally does not bode well for long term NHL employment. He had an absolute laser of a wrist shot, but he was reluctant to use it.<br />
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In 2003-04 the Ottawa Senators traded him away to Anaheim. It was not an easy decision, as the Senators had previously cut Pavol Dimetra loose prematurely, only to watch him blossom into a star. There was some fear that Schastlivy would do that, too, especially in Anaheim as it was said none other than Sergei Fedorov requested he join the team.<br />
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Yet it was just not in the cards. After quietly completing the season in California, he headed home to Russia where he continued to play for many years.<br />
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In 129 NHL games Petr Schastlivy scored 18 goals, 22 assists and 40 points. He married Latvian Olympic long jumper <span style="background-color: white;">Ineta Radevica.</span>Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-27684695548809180862012-07-02T22:56:00.001-07:002012-07-02T22:56:13.452-07:00Radek Bonk<br />
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Radek Bonk was the jewel of 1994 NHL Entry Draft. The teenager from Czech Republic came to North America and dominated the IHL minor league with 42 goals and over 200 minutes and penalties. Expectations for the 6'3", 215lb man-child were through the roof.<br />
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The Ottawa Senators selected Bonk 3rd overall. He would spend the rest of his career struggling to live up to the unrealistic expectations.<br />
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Bonk's skating was a terrible detriment, and prevented him from early scoring success in the NHL. But eventually he found his niche as a strong, two way power pivot.<br />
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"Maybe the expectations were for something that is not his strength," suggested Claude Julien, Bonk's coach in Montreal. "When you draft players in the first round, all of a sudden people have a tendency to think he should be your leading scorer. You can't have 20 leading scorers, everybody's got to be really good at their jobs."<br />
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Bonk admits that the years failing to meet those lofty goals in Ottawa began to wear on him and eventually affected the way he played the game.<br />
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"You were trying to do things that normally you don't try," he said. "When you try to do something different, you don't play your role and that's when your game collapses. So I really want to concentrate on my role (in Montreal) and leave the goals to the goal-scorers."<br />
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Bonk did emerge as a regular 20 goal, 60 point threat in Ottawa. And he did play in the NHL over 1000 games (including playoffs). He scored 194 goals, 303 assists and 497 points - a pretty nice career when all was said and done.<br />
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But you definitely got the feeling Bonk was happy to leave Ottawa after 10 seasons of failing to meet expectations.<br />
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"I want to do whatever I can to help the team win," Bonk said. "We have a great group of players here and we all want to win the Cup. Everyone believes in each other and that makes a huge difference."<br />
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"I don't mind have more demands put on myself," he added. "I'm very demanding on myself. I want to win and I want to be a big part of this team being a success."<br />
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Bonk joined Montreal in 2005, then Nashville in 2007. He left for Europe in 2009, playing one season with Yaroslavl of the KHL before returning home to the Czech Republic to play several more seasons.<br />Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-74918247512608229442011-07-30T18:45:00.000-07:002011-07-30T18:45:24.944-07:00Patrick LalimePatrick Lalime sure knew how to make a first impression.<br />
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Lalime, a mid round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1993, wrote his name into the NHL record book in 1996-97 by going 16 straight games to start his career without a loss. He went 14-0-2, breaking Ken Dryden's record! He would cool off as the season went on, finishing with a 21–12–2 record, 2.94 GAA and a save percentage of .913. He would end up backing up Ken Wregget in the playoffs.<br />
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Despite Lalime's amazing start, he quickly disappeared in the 1997-98 season. A contract dispute saw him play in the minor leagues until the Penguins finally traded him away to Anaheim for Sean Pronger. Lalime's struggles continued when he failed to make the Ducks roster for the 1998-99 season. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-700KMM635dM/TjSznWqRCNI/AAAAAAAAMEw/rjKavNG5Hao/s1600/lalime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-700KMM635dM/TjSznWqRCNI/AAAAAAAAMEw/rjKavNG5Hao/s320/lalime.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>Lalime finally resurfaced in the 1999-2000 season as he joined the Ottawa Senators.<br />
Over the next 5 seasons Lalime would have strong regular seasons, topping the franchise all-time wins (146), shutouts (30) and games played by a goalie (283) lists. But the team's spotty playoff record smudged his legacy.<br />
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After the 2005 lockout Lalime, a licensed helicopter pilot, bounced around the NHL, playing with St. Louis, Chicago, and Buffalo. <br />
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He retired in 2011 to become a French hockey broadcaster, covering the Senators. All told he played in 444 NHL games, winning 200, losing 174 and with 32 ties/shootout losses.<br />
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Lalime, famous for his Marvin the Martian helmets, was a bit of a throw back goalie as he liked to play the stand-up style more so than the butterfly. He usually looked cool under pressure, though he had a temper as Philadelphia's Robert Esche found out when Lalime jumped him in a famous goalie fight. <br />
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Lalime received a lot of criticism for Ottawa's playoff failures, even though that was more of a reflection of the whole team than the goalie. For example, Lalime became only the 14th goalie in NHL history to record 4 shutouts in one playoff year (2002). <br />
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Lalime should be remembered as a hot and cold goalie who showed great resiliency and should have gotten more recognition as a good goalie than he did.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-85913567159923024842011-07-02T22:17:00.000-07:002011-07-02T22:17:04.024-07:00Bill Touhey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dovCDJ1dZ-Y/Tg_5zK3G3dI/AAAAAAAAMAs/ISPwBMoR-NI/s1600/touhey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dovCDJ1dZ-Y/Tg_5zK3G3dI/AAAAAAAAMAs/ISPwBMoR-NI/s320/touhey.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Described as a solid checker who could chip in on offense, left winger Bill Touhey played in 273 NHL games, most notably in his hometown with the original Ottawa Senators. He 65 goals, 40 assists and 105 points in his career.<br />
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Not a whole lot is known about Touhey,'s career, but after hockey Bill remained active in Ottawa in both the hockey and business scenes.<br />
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He coached the Ottawa RCAF Flyers during the 1941-42 Allan Cup playoffs and was an original investor in the Ottawa 67s junior hockey team. A long time member of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, he was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 1978. <br />
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On the business side Touhey owned the Albion Hotel in Ottawa from the late '40s to the late '60s.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-66704188021539839762011-07-02T21:24:00.000-07:002011-07-02T21:24:45.605-07:00Hec Kilrea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KKISLHlNPw/Tg_tfOPLY5I/AAAAAAAAMAk/dZR8ZtCYvAw/s1600/heckilrea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KKISLHlNPw/Tg_tfOPLY5I/AAAAAAAAMAk/dZR8ZtCYvAw/s320/heckilrea.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br />
"Hurricane" Hec Kilrea joined the Ottawa Senators in 1925-26 at the of age 18. The Sens were powered by the great line of Frank Nighbor, Cy Denneny and Hooley Smith, winning the Stanley Cup in 1926-27. Kilrea and fellow substitute Frank Finnigan saw little ice time.<br />
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That changed in 1927-28. Amid rumors of financial dire straits, the Ottawa Senators sold Hooley Smith to the Montreal Maroons in exchange for $22,500 and player Punch Broadbent. But the youngsters Kirea and Finnigan began seeing increasing ice time. Kilrea began showing Ottawa fans his blazing speed. He was a speed skating champion, after all.<br />
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By 1929-30 Joe Lamb took over as the top center between Kilrea and Finnigan, and the result was career years for both Lamb and Kilrea. Kilrea scored 36 goals - the 5th highest total in the NHL that season. The biggest benefactor was the Sens, who finished just 1 point out of first place overall that season.<br />
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Ottawa's continued financial problems forced the gutting of the team, as top prospects like Syd Howe, Allen Shields and King Clancy were sold off for cash. The result was a last-place finish and Ottawa's withdrawal from the NHL for 1931-32. Kilrea was signed by Jack Adams of the Detroit Falcons while the Senators regrouped. Hec played on a line with Larry Aurie and Ebbie Goodfellow and scored 13 goals.<br />
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Ottawa returned to the NHL for 1932-33 and continued in the doldrums, so they sold Kilrea (for Bob Gracie and $10,000) to Toronto where his linemates were Bill Thoms and Buzz Boll. He was with the Maple Leafs for two years when they headed the Canadian Division and beat Boston in the 1935 playoffs. The Leafs lost the Cup to the Montreal Maroons and Kilrea was benched for the final game of the series by Conn Smythe for a drinking incident.<br />
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Jack Adams was now manager-coach of the new Detroit Red Wings, and he admired his former teammate of the Senators 1927 Cup winners and again signed Hec for his team. The Wings won two consecutive Stanley Cups with Kilrea playing with Syd Howe and Ebbie Goodfellow. He was the hero of the fifth and deciding game of the 1937 opening round against the Montreal Canadiens when he scored the winning goal at 11:49 of the third overtime period that won the series for Detroit. The Red Wings then beat the New York Rangers in another close series to win its second straight Stanley Cup. He played three more seasons with Detroit and now was showing his age.<br />
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Finally he was sent to the minors after 12 games in 1939-40 and this is where he completed his career.<br />
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After his retirement from professional hockey he became an U.S. citizen. Like many other players he enlisted for military service in World War II. He would receive the Distinguished Service Cross (the second highest military decoration of the United States Army), Purple Heart and French Croix de Guerre.<br />
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After returning to civilian life he worked with Ford in Detroit until he retired.<br />
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Born in Blackburn, Ont. June 11th, 1907, Hec Kilrea died after a long illness on October 8th, 1969Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-41805952284600420962011-04-16T22:44:00.000-07:002011-04-16T22:44:27.383-07:00Andreas Dackell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J6i5lYdYsH0/Tap-KaDbQXI/AAAAAAAALxE/wb9h--rXDnc/s1600/andreasdackell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J6i5lYdYsH0/Tap-KaDbQXI/AAAAAAAALxE/wb9h--rXDnc/s320/andreasdackell.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>This is Andreas Dackell. He was a very solid defensive winger, far tougher than his size and penalty minutes suggested.<br />
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Dackell was a subtly valuable role player. He had good hockey sense and was very sound defensively. He protected pucks well, killed penalties nicely, and could always be counted on to protect a lead in the last minute of play.<br />
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Though he scored some timely and big goals, offensively Dackell never broke out. Like so many Swedes he did not shoot enough. He also lacked the speed to breakaway for loose pucks.<br />
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At 5'10" and 190lbs Dackell was not big by any stretch, and definitely not a banger and crasher. But he finished his checks and was never intimidated, not even when famously crushed by Philadelphia's Eric Lindros, who was like twice his size. Dackell was concussed and suffered facial cuts, but he returned with enthusiasm.<br />
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Dackell left his native Brynas of the SEL to join Ottawa in 1996. For the next 5 years he was a perfect third line right winger, chipping in his usual 15 goals and 35 points.<br />
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In 2001 he joined the Montreal Canadiens, though his game slowly deteriorated in three seasons with the Habs. In 2004 he returned to Brynas where he continued to play until 2009.<br />
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Andreas Dackell quietly played in 613 NHL contests, scoring 91 goals and 159 assists for 250 career points. He added another 5 goals and 10 points in 44 playoff games.<br />
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Dackell was also part of Sweden's gold medal winning 1994 Olympic team.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-34414079607620419402011-04-16T20:57:00.000-07:002011-04-16T20:57:29.361-07:00Magnus Arvedson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTAP1cRlvjo/Tapk_wsDblI/AAAAAAAALw8/3bRj29y6TD8/s1600/arvedson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTAP1cRlvjo/Tapk_wsDblI/AAAAAAAALw8/3bRj29y6TD8/s320/arvedson.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>Magnus Arvedson was a strong defensive winger. A Selke Trophy runner-up in just his second season, Arvedson had his best season in 1998-99 playing on the top line with Marian Hossa and Radek Bonk.<br />
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Arvedson was never able to fulfill his true potential in the NHL. A big, strong winger, he could had the strength, speed and smarts to handle almost any checking assignment. He also had the ability to contribute offensively, possessing a heavy shot and good vision. But a terrible back injury plagued him over the years, and eventually forced him into retirement by 2004.<br />
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Arvedson was definitely a late bloomer. He became a regular in the Swedish Elite League at the age of 23 (1993) and only then caught the attention of NHL scouts. At the age of 25 the Ottawa Senators took a flyer on him, drafting in 119th overall in 1997, thanks to a strong showing at that year's World Championships. Magnus helped Sweden capture the silver medal.<br />
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He stepped immediately into the Senators' lineup. He was initially used in a third line checking role but was increasingly moved up to more offensive lines. By his second season he was a regular on the top line, cashing in his best performance - 21 goals, 47 points and a +33 rating. He narrowly missed out on the Selke Trophy to Dallas' Jere Lehtinen.<br />
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Injuries would seriously plague Arvedson over the next couple of years. The Senators had the tough decision to let him walk as an unrestricted free agent in 2003. The Vancouver Canucks took a chance on the injury prone forward.<br />
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Arvedson provided a strong upgrade on Vancouver's wings. Playing alongside Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Arvedson was on a hot scoring streak when the injury bug appeared again. This time Arvedson blew out his knee, costing him not only the rest of the season, but his career.<br />
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Arvedson rehabbed his knee as much as possible, but prior to the 2004-05 season he announced his retirement. In 434 career NHL games he scored 100 goals and 225 points. In addition to the aforementioned 1997 World Championship team, Arvedson also represented his native Sweden at the 2002 Olympic Games.<br />
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In retirement he returned to Sweden and took up coaching.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-26133787042609508842011-02-15T18:44:00.000-08:002011-02-15T18:44:06.659-08:00Kevin MacDonald<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9u_r4vbgWQ/TVs55REczLI/AAAAAAAALg4/1DIujVzEHhE/s1600/kevinmacdonald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9u_r4vbgWQ/TVs55REczLI/AAAAAAAALg4/1DIujVzEHhE/s1600/kevinmacdonald.jpg" /></a></div>Kevin MacDonald had to fight and fight and fight for just one chance at the NHL. Literally.<br />
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MacDonald was a rugged, stay at home defenseman who played 4 seasons (1983-87) with the OHL's Peterborough Petes. Having not been drafted he attended St. Thomas University as a 20 year old and impressed minor league scouts well enough to earn a try out with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. After just one year of schooling Kevin quit school to chase his dream of playing professional hockey.<br />
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Kevin was a fringe defenseman at the IHL level but a top pugilist. He racked up penalty minutes like there was no tomorrow! He was a spirited guy who gave it his all on the ice. Unfortunately he didn't have a whole lot to offer other than his physical, bruising play.<br />
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His spirited play did not go unnotice. By 1990 the Edmonton Oilers signed Kevin. The Oilers were look for a minor league tough guy and had no plans for Kevin at the big club, so that never worked out. But he continued to scratch and claw and fight his way at the IHL level, never giving up his dream of making it to the NHL.<br />
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As the NHL began expanding in the 1990s, Kevin's hopes were renewed that maybe, just maybe, some team would take a chance on him. That chance was finally granted in the form of an early Christmas gift. On December 22, 1993 the Ottawa Senators signed Kevin to a contract for the remainder of the year.<br />
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MacDonald was placed in the minors, not surprisingly. He earned 245 PIM in just 40 games with the PEI Senators. The Sens of course were awful that year, and by the end of the year were giving anyone their protected list a look-see. That included Kevin. He was called up late in the year and appeared in his lone NHL game.<br />
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Kevin was released at the end of the year and no other NHL team expressed interest. But Kevin wouldn't give up. He returned to the IHL and took his pugilism to a new level. He led the IHL with a career high 390 PIMs. MacDonald would continue to bounce around the minor leagues for the next few years, never earning another shot at the NHL.<br />
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Kevin wasn't a very good hockey player to be honest. There's guys in your recreational leagues that are better. But Kevin was one tough SOB who knew that the only way he could make a living as a professional hockey player was to fight. He did just that, and even was rewarded with fulfilling his dream of playing in the NHL, albeit just for one game.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-91902189512980013332011-01-22T11:03:00.000-08:002011-01-22T11:03:09.079-08:00Bruce Stuart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/TTsocljWjkI/AAAAAAAALWg/mFu-5-risOo/s1600/brucestuart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/TTsocljWjkI/AAAAAAAALWg/mFu-5-risOo/s320/brucestuart.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>Bruce Stuart, brother of the more famous Hod Stuart, was a fine hockey player in the early 20th century.<br />
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He originally joined the Ottawa Senators for the 1898-99 season, when he scored 12 goals in 6 games. After a season with the Quebec Bulldogs, he rejoined Ottawa for the 1901-02 schedule. Stuart spent the next five years playing in the International League with teams such as Houghton, Pittsburgh and Portage Lake, before moving to the Montreal Wanderers. He assisted Montreal to the Stanley Cup in 1907-08 and then rejoined the Senators as their captain.<br />
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Bruce and the Senators immediately recaptured the Cup in 1908-09. After losing it the following season, Ottawas again crowned champion in 1911. Participating in three Stanley Cup victories, Stuart alone scored 17 goals in seven games. His best single game record against Quebec when he netted 6 tallies.<br />
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Stuart retired after the end of the 1911-12 season and will be remembered as an excellent all-around forward. Stuart was elected in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961. He had been battling health problems late in life, and died several weeks after his induction. He was 80.<br />
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For many years (1906 through 1952) he had operated a famous shoe store in his name on Bank Street in Ottawa, earning high praise in the business community. He was also a noted golfer and curler.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-23480928238864390892011-01-14T16:24:00.000-08:002017-09-30T16:09:55.731-07:00Frank Nighbor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"The Flying Dutchman." "The Pembroke Peach." Frank Nighbor had many nicknames. That was because he was one of the most creative geniuses ever to play the game.<br />
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Newspaper archives heap generous adjectives on Nighbor. "An effortless skater," he was "a marvel of physical endurance" who often played the entire game without a rest. He was "a crafty and unselfish playmaker" (when he retired he was the NHL's all time leader in assists) and also, when needed, "a flashy goal scorer." With his famed poke check he embraced the defensive side of the game with equal zeal. "One of the brainy greats of the game" was quite possibly the most complete and "peerless" player in hockey in his era. The great Howie Morenz even once said, "I won the (Hart Trophy) but Nighbor is the greatest player in hockey."<br />
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Here's how Frank Selke described Nighbor in the Montreal Gazette in 1962:<br />
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With all due respect to the many wonderful players who have come and gone since 1900, there are few who could be rated above Frank Nighbor. Someone once called him the "peerless centre," and I can think of no label which would have been more apt. We always felt he could have played a complete game of hockey in formal attire without even putting a wrinkle in his suit. He was a leading scorer, an expert passer and a playmaker; and no rival forward could come close to him in defensive skill. Along with Jack Walker he developed the poke-check to such an extent that his contemporaries were forced to revamp completely their style of play in order to cope with him.<br />
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Born in Pembroke, Ontario, Nighbor started his professional hockey career with the Toronto Blueshirts of the National Hockey Association (predecessor to the NHL). He would join the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey League for a couple of seasons, getting his first taste of champaign from Lord Stanley's mug in 1915. The next season he returned home (partly to tend to his ailing mother), joining the Ottawa Senators. He would remain an integral part of the Senators until 1928. He played one final season with Toronto in 1929.<br />
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Nighbor is best known as an Ottawa Senator. He played on Stanley Cup championship teams in 1920, 1921, 1923, and 1927. He was also the initial winner of two of the games greatest trophies: The Hart (1924) for Most Valuable Player; and the Lady Byng (1925 and 1926) for gentlemanly play and sportsmanship.<br />
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Nighbor was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1945. He concentrated on his insurance business until retiring in 1961. He died of cancer in Pembroke in 1966.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-66220296373904360552011-01-12T19:37:00.000-08:002011-01-12T19:37:49.018-08:00Tony Cimellaro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/TS5zXE4RSFI/AAAAAAAALVo/EgejjsBR41M/s1600/Cimellaro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/TS5zXE4RSFI/AAAAAAAALVo/EgejjsBR41M/s1600/Cimellaro.jpg" /></a></div>Tony Cimellaro is a veteran of 2 NHL games, something which has carried him far in his interesting hockey career.<br />
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The Kingston Ontario native was signed as a free agent by the Ottawa Senators after playing as an overaged junior in the OHL. Ottawa, just granted an expansion franchise were looking for cheap players to fill up their minor league system with for its first couple of seasons.<br />
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Cimellaro, who struggled offensively in junior hockey, actually had a decent first professional season with the Sens' affiliate in New Haven, scoring 18 goals and 34 points. The Senators endured one of the worst seasons in NHL history and recalled many of its minor leaguers including Cimellaro. He dressed for 2 games, registering 4 shots on goal and +/- rating of -2. Ta-dum! That was it! That was Tony Cimellaro's NHL experience.<br />
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Tony struggled the following season with the Sens farm team, now located in Summerside PEI. The Senators released the 5'11" 180lb center. Cimellaro wouldn't let his love of hockey die there though. He took his act overseas, armed with 2 games of NHL experience on his resume, and started to travel the world with hockey being his ticket. He played in Britain, Italy, Denmark and Germany. For a struggling Canadian hockey player with few options back home, Cimellaro has made the most of his hockey resume to travel the world, experience different cultures, and enjoy life.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-33664223158441152102011-01-10T20:04:00.000-08:002011-01-10T20:04:30.848-08:00D'Arcy Coulson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/TSvV2ckcfgI/AAAAAAAALVM/0PHL-ghQ8Xo/s1600/coulson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/TSvV2ckcfgI/AAAAAAAALVM/0PHL-ghQ8Xo/s1600/coulson.jpg" /></a></div>Meet D'Arcy Coulson - hockey's first millionaire hockey player. Granted Coulson did not earn his millions from playing hockey. He was the son of an Ottawa based millionaire, making a fortune in the hotel industry and owned a golf club..<br />
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Coulson played hockey recreationally in the Ottawa Senior leagues where he earned a reputation as one of the nastiest and dirtiest players. A stay-at-home defenseman, Coulson was invited to the Philadelphia Quakers camp in 1930 and made the team. He played in 28 games, but scored no points. He did tally a surprisingly high 103 PIM that season though!<br />
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The Quakers franchise bit the dust with the Great Depression setting in. The players were dispersed and Coulson was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens. However Coulson never reported to Montreal, and did not play anywhere competitively for the next three years.<br />
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He did resurface in the Ottawa Senior leagues by mid-decade. By then it was believed he had joined his dad in the hotel business.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-37201771363792800002010-08-06T13:03:00.000-07:002010-08-06T17:23:57.438-07:00Neil Brady<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/TFxjirHPF-I/AAAAAAAAKnY/ygX8m7E2SIQ/s1600/neilbrady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/TFxjirHPF-I/AAAAAAAAKnY/ygX8m7E2SIQ/s320/neilbrady.jpg" /></a></div>This is Neil Brady, the man who scored the first goal in the history of the new Ottawa Senators way back on the opening night of the 1992-93 season.<br />
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He would only score six more goals that season. That goal will forever be the most notable moment in the once very promising career of Neil Brady.<br />
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Born in Montreal but raised in Calgary, Brady was a quick sensation with the Medicine Hat Tigers upon his arrival in 1985-86 season. With his strapping size and playmaking ability, the big center instantly clicked with left winger Mark Pederson to form a dangerous duo. Brady put up 81 points in 72 rookie games, and then added a strong playoff performance with 20 points in 21 games <br />
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The strong campaign combined with his size and promise skyrocketed him up the NHL scouts draft rankings. He was almost an after-thought heading into the season, but when all was said and done the New Jersey Devils made Brady the 3rd overall draft pick in the 1986 draft, taking him ahead of Vincent Damphousse, Brian Leetch and Craig Janney.<br />
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Brady was returned to junior, but a funny thing happened to Brady. Even though Pederson returned, too, and Trevor Linden and Rob Dimaio soon arrived, Brady's offense mysteriously disappeared. He started out well with enough with 83 points in 57 games, but he all but disappeared in the Tigers' run to the Memorial Cup with just 1 goal and 4 assists in 18 games. <br />
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Things did not get any better in 1987-88 when Brady could only muster 51 points in 61 regular season games and then just 3 lonely assists in 15 playoff contests. Apparently he was very distracted during this season, as his mother was dying from cancer. She died as the Tigers' were capturing their second consecutive Memorial Cup championship.<br />
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Brady's game had gone from top prospect to deep suspect before he even turned pro. The Devils had hoped he would be able to regain his game as he put his mother's plight behind him.<br />
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Brady had one major flaw - he lacked speed in serious regard. He had the size and he had wonderful hands to be a good playmaking pivot, but he simply lacked any jump in his game to get anywhere. To be successful, he needed to embrace the power forward role, but lacking the speed to get that extra step on the defenseman to cut towards the net, he was more often than not rendered ineffective.<br />
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New Jersey tried developing Brady in their farm system. They experimented with him on the wing where he could bring a playmaker's touch to the wing. He put together a couple of strong AHL seasons, but he never could catch on in the NHL. He never embraced the bang and crash role he was asked to adopt. He simply did not have the nasty temperament to bull his way through the opposition. The pro coaches saw this big man with nice hands and wanted him to retrieve loose pucks and set up the offense. But too often Brady did nothing with his size and was often invisible on the ice.<br />
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The unrealistic expectations of the high draft selection certainly did not help Brady, as he failed to live up to expectations. The Devils were happy to move Brady to the expansion team in Ottawa in the summer of 1992.<br />
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That first year Ottawa Senators team was down right brutal. For all the expansion fees they had to pay they got table scraps for talent. Brady played in 55 games that season, by far a career high. He scored 7 goals and 24 points but clearly he was a journeyman forward at best. It was unlikely he would be able to crack most established rosters.<br />
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The Senators did not renew Brady's contract after one season. The Dallas Stars took a chance by signing him as a free agent. Aside from 5 NHL games, he would quietly contribute to the Stars farm team until the end of the decade, never to be seen in the NHL again.<br />
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Brady finished his NHL career with 89 career games, scoring 9 goals, 22 assists and 31 points.<br />
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Interestingly, Brady was not the only member of the very strong 1980s Medicine Hat teams that could not translate junior success into NHL stardom. Mark Pederson, Scott McCrady, and Wayne McBean were also integral parts of the Tigers' success but never found regular NHL employment.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-79810777326876707782010-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:002010-07-04T13:59:05.061-07:00Ottawa Hockey Legends<table border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td width="100%">Ottawa Senators - Modern</td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="100%"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://goaltendinglegends.blogspot.com/2007/07/craig-billington.html">Craig Billington</a><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/alexandre-daigle.html"><br />
Alexander Daigle</a><a href="http://lakingslegends.blogspot.com/2009/07/steve-duchesne.html"><br />
Steve Duchesne</a><a href="http://goaltendinglegends.blogspot.com/2007/07/craig-billington.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/03/darcy-loewen.html">Darcy Loewen<br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/08/norm-maciver.html">Norm MacIver</a><a href="http://broadstreetbullies.blogspot.com/2009/11/brad-marsh.html"><br />
Brad Marsh</a><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/03/darcy-loewen.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/03/ron-tugnutt.html">Ron Tugnutt</a> </span></td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="100%"></td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="100%">Ottawa Senators - Original</td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="100%"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/clint-benedict.html">Clint Benedict</a> <br />
<a href="http://legendsofhockey.blogspot.com/2006/12/bill-beveridge.html">Bill Beveridge<br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/punch-broadbent.html">Punch Broadbent</a><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/04/morley-bruce.html"><br />
Morley Bruce</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/punch-broadbent.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/sprague-cleghorn.html">Sprague Cleghorn</a> <br />
<a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/alec-connell.html">Alec Connell</a> <br />
<a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/jack-darragh.html">Jack Darragh</a><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/12/cy-denneny.html"><br />
Cy Denneny</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/jack-darragh.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/frank-finnigan.html">Frank Finnigan</a><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/04/letham-graham.html"><br />
Leth Graham</a><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/04/harry-helman.html"><br />
Harry Helman</a><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/03/len-grosvenor.html"><br />
Len Grosvenor</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/frank-finnigan.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/dubbie-kerr.html">Dubbie Kerr<br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/fred-lake.html">Fred Lake<br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/06/percy-lesueur.html">Percy Lesueur</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/03/jack-mackell.html"><br />
Jack Mackell</a><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2010/04/frank-mcgee.html"><br />
Frank McGee</a><br />
<a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/06/bruce-ridpath.html">Bruce Ridpath</a> <br />
<a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/hamby-shore.html">Hamby Shore<br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/05/cyclone-taylor.html">Cyclone Taylor</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/hamby-shore.html"><br />
</a> <a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/marty-walsh.html">Marty Walsh</a><a href="http://ottawahockeylegends.blogspot.com/2009/12/weldy-young.html"><br />
Weldy Young</a></span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-12852192788359076332010-04-26T21:35:00.000-07:002016-03-04T11:54:18.410-08:00Frank McGee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/S9ZpTI_kI1I/AAAAAAAAKJI/k1AVS1i2iK0/s1600/mcgee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/S9ZpTI_kI1I/AAAAAAAAKJI/k1AVS1i2iK0/s320/mcgee.jpg" /></a></div>
Frank McGee's accomplishments are astounding, considering his best years with Ottawa's Silver Seven came after he lost sight in one eye and before the tender age of twenty-three. “One-Eyed” McGee's record of fourteen goals in one Stanley Cup match still stands 105 years later.<br />
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Born to a prominent Ottawa family, Frank's uncle was Thomas D'Arcy McGee (a Father of the Confederation) and his father Joseph was Clerk of the Privy Council. Frank excelled at sports, playing lacrosse and rugby as well as hockey. As half-back for Ottawa City rugby team, he helped win the Canadian championship in 1898.<br />
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Unfortunately, in 1900 Frank's career appeared at an abrupt end after a nasty blow to the left eye by an opponent's stick during a charity match in Hawkesbury, Ontario left him blind in that eye. Frank didn't remain out of the game for long, however, taking up the one position in which perfect vision wasn't necessary: he became a referee.<br />
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Being a referee only made him miss playing more, so despite the risks, he joined the Ottawa Senators in 1903. Despite the rough-sounding nickname, “One-Eyed” McGee became known for his immaculately clean and pressed uniform and play-making.<br />
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At only 5'6,” he was one of the smallest players in a brutal game. Size never mattered though, as Frank scored two goals in his first game to help Ottawa win. Soon thereafter, he was averaging three goals (or more) a game, and his 63 goals in 22 Cup games stands as a pre-NHL era record. His most notable accomplishment, a record fourteen goals in a single Cup game came on January 16, 1905 against the Dawson City Nuggets. Eight of those goals were scored at nearly a goal-a-minute pace.<br />
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McGee's remarkable skill and accuracy helped lead Ottawa to three consecutive Stanley Cup championship years from 1903 to 1906, defeating the Rat Portage Thistles, Winnipeg Rowing Club, Toronto Marlboros, Brandon Wheat Kings, and Montreal Wanderers along the way. He wasn't the only star of the club, merely its brightest, playing alongside fellow future Hall of Famers Alf Smith, Harry Westwick, Billy Gilmour and Tommy Smith.<br />
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McGee had somewhat of a reputation as a practical joker: when the team was invited to dine with Governor General Lord Minto [Elliot] at Government House, other team members worried about their ignorance of Ottawa society etiquette. McGee, being from Ottawa high society, told them not to worry, to imitate everything he did. McGee then proceeded to pick up his finger bowl and slurp from it. Innocently, his teammates copied him. It is reported that even the Governor decided to drink from his finger bowl!<br />
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After Ottawa lost the Cup to the Montreal Wanderers in 1906, McGee retired at age twenty-three. Apparently, his job with the Bureau of Indian Affairs prevented him from travelling with the team much.<br />
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When World War I began, McGee somehow managed to enlist in the army in 1915, despite his bad eye. The story is that McGee passed the physical by simply switching the hand covering his eye, and not the eye. Since Frank's disability was part of his legend, the examining doctor couldn't quite play along; on McGee's physical, the doctor simply wrote “good” for vision in the right eye and the blank for the left eye was left empty. He became Lieutenant Frank McGee, of the 43rd Regiment (Duke of Cornwall’s Own Rifles) of the 21st Infantry Battalion in early 1915. In December of that year, he was travelling in an armoured car in Belgium, hit by a shell and suffered a knee injury. He recuperated in England and was offered a desk job at Le Havre, France, which he refused. On September 16, 1916, Lt. McGee was killed in action at Courcelette, one of 624,000 Allied troops who gave their lives during the Battle of the Somme.<br />
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When the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted its first members in 1946, Frank “One-Eyed” McGee was one of them. In 1966, he was also inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. A fitting tribute to not only a hockey hero, but also a national hero.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-90562727230296728742010-04-04T21:36:00.000-07:002010-04-04T22:08:33.489-07:00Morley Bruce<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/S7lvZwstFuI/AAAAAAAAKDw/W4iLSYK13i4/s1600/morleybruce.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 285px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/S7lvZwstFuI/AAAAAAAAKDw/W4iLSYK13i4/s400/morleybruce.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456514911895885538" border="0" /></a>Morley Bruce, born in North Gower, was another hometown hero amongst the original Ottawa Senators.<br /><br />Bruce, a center, had starred as a junior with New Edinburgh before joining the Senators for the NHL's inaugural season in 1917-18. He was identified as one of the best players to come out of the Ottawa City League. His brother Bower was also a noted city league star, although he would ultimately take a civil servant's job and pass on any hockey opportunities.<br /><br />Bruce's season was interrupted just 7 scoreless games in, as he signed up for service with the army in World War I. He would miss the entire 1918-19 season too.<br /><br />He returned from military duty and rejoined the Sens in 1919. He played the next three seasons with the Senators, including in 1920-21 when the Senators won the Stanley Cup. He seems to have left the game after the 1921-22 season.<br /><br />I do not know a whole lot about what type of hockey player Morley Bruce was, although his statistics suggest he was a reservist who was sent in on spot duty to allow the stars to rest. One newspaper source suggested he was specifically Frank Nighbor's sub. He played in 71 career NHL games, scoring 8 goals and 11 points. He also participated in 3 Stanley Cup games.<br /><br />But I do know he left the ice and jumped into the fire, serving as an Ottawa fireman until 1953. For 25 of those years he was the fire department's assistant secretary, originally serving in that capacity to another hockey star-turned-fireman, Alex Connell. Bruce, by then an avid curler and lawn bowler, later served with the fire prevention bureau in the last 7 years with the force. Upon retirement from the department he took a clerk's job at Higman's Hardware Store on Wellington Street until his death.<br /><br />He died in 1959, at the age of 65, "after a brief illness." His wife, Ida, lived on until 1996, dying at the age of 98! Both rest at Norway Bay Cemetary in Quebec.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-4227642792163201452010-04-04T16:09:00.001-07:002010-04-04T19:56:43.653-07:00Letham GrahamLocal boy Letham "Leth" Graham was an Ottawa hockey star through the 1910s and early 1920s.<br /><br />Graham originally starred with the Ottawa Senators before the NHL even existed. Graham played the 1913-14 and 1914-15 seasons with the Sens in the NHA - National Hockey Association, fore-runner to the NHL.<br /><br />Graham's hockey statistics are sketchy at best, making it hard to follow his hockey career. After the 1915 season he does not surfaced again until 1920-21, where he helped the NHL Ottawa Senators win the Stanley Cup.<br /><br />Graham's absence is unknown to me. Service in World War I is a definite possibility, with one source hinting at four years of service. Also, newspaper archives suggest Graham and friend Howard Boorne were seriously hurt when their tandem bicycle they were riding was hit by an automobile in 1915.<br /><br />Graham, who was also a top lacrosse player in Ottawa, appears to have remained active with the Senators until 1926, although he played very sparingly. Including a five game appearance with the NHL Hamilton Tigers, Graham's six season NHL career consisted of just 27 games. Perhaps this was because of conflicting schedules with his day job with the Ottawa Electric Company. He scored just 3 goals, 2 of which came in his only game of the 1921-22 season.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-30749972011041106182010-04-04T15:39:00.000-07:002010-04-04T19:57:32.896-07:00Harry Helman<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/S7kV8S46SOI/AAAAAAAAKDg/SjVbFckCAP4/s1600/harryhelman.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TwAbZhMGVEw/S7kV8S46SOI/AAAAAAAAKDg/SjVbFckCAP4/s320/harryhelman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456416549142939874" border="0" /></a>Described as "a good forward and very speedy," Harry Helman has become a forgotten member of the original Ottawa Senators team.<br /><br />The 5'6" 145lb right winger played with the Sens for three NHL seasons, including in 1922-23 when the local boy helped them win the Stanley Cup.<br /><br />That season was Helman's only full season in the NHL, though he was used sparingly. He played in 24 games, but failed to register a single point. He did pick up 5 minutes in penalties. In the Stanley Cup playoffs he has been credited for two more games played, but again went pointless. His post-season was cut short when he suffered a serious cut to his face courtesy of a teammate's skate blade during a practice.<br /><br />Helman returned to the Sens the following season, scoring what would prove to be his only NHL goal. It was his only point in 19 games that season.<br /><br />A veteran of World War I and an established Ottawa hockey sensation prior to joining the NHL Senators, Helman returned for just one game in the 1924-25 season. He sat out the entire 1925-26 season from big time hockey, resurfacing in Saskatoon where he played for the Shieks of the Prairie Hockey League for one season.<br /><br />I know very little about Helman's life after hockey, although he appeared to return to Ottawa shortly after his season in Saskatoon. I'd love to hear from you if you do have any clues or knowledge.<br /><br />Helman died in 1971. He was 76 years old.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-35444341362682614602010-03-27T11:03:00.000-07:002010-03-27T11:38:20.259-07:00Len GrosvenorOne of the least known Ottawa Senators players of the original era is hometown boy Len Grosvenor.<br /><br />Grosvenor was born in Ottawa on July 21st, 1905 and lived there most of his life. He was quite an athlete, starring in football and baseball. But hockey was where his future lay, with the NHL's home team.<br /><br />As a hockey player he played in 144 NHL games from 1927 through 1933, all but 16 of which were with Ottawa (12 with NY Americans and 4 with Montreal Canadiens). Unfortunately for Grosvenor his arrival with the Sens came just after the team's Stanley Cup dynasty of the early 1920s.<br /><br />This forward quietly scored 9 goals and 20 points in his career. He was used as a substitute player. Way back teams used their best players for most of the game, only spelling off tired or injured players when need be with the designated sitters. It appears Grosvenor never really shook this label.<br /><br />His most noteworthy inclusion in the newspaper archives appears to surround his star status as a pitcher in city baseball leagues and for an automobile accident involving another car and an old-time street car. Grosvenor was hospitalized with a crushed arm.<br /><br />After his NHL career was over his career gets a little spotty. It appears he may have played in Quebec Beavers of the Can-Am League although stats do not seem to exist for this.<br /><br />He definitely spent some time coaching in Noranda in northern Quebec. One source suggests Grosvenor returned to Ottawa at some point to take a civil servant's job, while another suggests he and his family remained in Noranda for many years. Another source suggested his non-hockey life was spent working on the railroads. Obviously this remains a mystery to us for now.<br /><br />Len Grosvenor died in Ottawa on March 15th, 1981. His obituary suggests he died suddenly, but does not mention how. It does mention in lieu of flowers donations should have been made to the Ontario Heart Foundation.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2230526571133761325.post-31392059701410983692010-03-18T11:24:00.000-07:002010-03-18T11:39:36.630-07:00Jack MacKellJack MacKell was a 5'7" 150lb swingman, playing both on right wing and right defense. He was a rover in his youth and early days.<br /><br />Born in Ottawa in 1894, much of his hockey career either pre-dated the National Hockey League or was interrupted by his service in the First World War. He did play two seasons in the NHL, both times winning the Stanley Cup with his hometown Ottawa Senators (1920 and 1921).<br /><br />He retired and moved to Montreal where he excelled in a career with lithography. He also raised a family, including son Fleming who went on to enjoy a 13 year career in the NHL with Boston and Toronto. Jack also had two daughters, Joanne and Maureen.<br /><br />Jack MacKell died of a heart attack on November 25th, 1961. Always a sports fan, he was watching a football game at the time of his death.Joe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.com0