Nitzy's Hockey Den

So, Mike Modano has been elected to hockey's Hall of Fame. I guessss he's a Hall of Famer. It's just that when I think Hockey Hall of Famer, Modano doesn't really jump out at me. Then again, neither do Clark Gillies, Bernie Federko, Dick Duff and many more. The hockey Hall is relatively easy to gain election (tell that to Eric Lindros), and because of that I don't really have a problem with Modano. I just would have put Mark Recchi in before him.   Recchi and Modano were both rookies in 1989/90 even though Recchi had played 15 games the previous season and they finished 5th and 2nd respectively in Calder Trophy voting (behind old-man Makarov). They both retired 21 years later. Modano was integral in the winning of his one Stanley Cup in 1999 and Recchi was a large part of winning three Cups. In Recchi's first Cup he finished second in scoring with 34 points behind only Mario Lemieux. Modano also was second in scoring during his Cup year as well as the...

Les Binkley was a fine goaltender of the first expansion era of the NHL. After having played 12 quality seasons in the high minor leagues with teams from Baltimore and Charlotte to Cleveland and San Diego, he finally got his shot at the NHL thanks to the 1967 expansion to twelve teams. Drafted by Pittsburgh at the age of 31, Binkley played almost 200 games over five seasons with the Penguins before jumping to the WHA in 1972. He wound down his career at the age of 39 after four years with the Ottawa/Toronto franchise. Amazingly, Binkley got his start in high-level hockey way back in 1951 at the age of 14. As a member of his hometown Junior B Owen Sound Mintos, he was asked to join the senior Owen Sound Mercurys on their quest for the Alan Cup. He travelled and practiced with the team that included two ex-NHLers (Jack Ingoldsby and Pat McReavy) as well as former AHL scoring leader Tom Burlington. In Stan and Shirley Fischler's 1971 book "Up From The Minor League of Hocke...

In front of 10,000 spectators at Montreal's Forum, the NHL Oldtimers' Associations of Ontario and Quebec put an an entertaining display of hockey expertise. The date was Wednesday, January 6, 1954 and when all was said and done the Quebec masters beat the Ontario elders 11-9. This was the first meeting of the ex-NHL stars and was organized by Ontario's Lorne Duguid and Albert 'Battleship' Leduc of the Quebec Association. The proceeds of the match went to helping handicapped children. The array of former stars was truly mind-boggling, pictured above is the elderly version of Toronto's famed Kid Line (left to right, Charlie Conacher, Joe Primeau and Busher Jackson. Other Ontario stars included Dit Clapper, Nels Stewart, Billy Taylor, Cy Wentworth and goaltender Roy Worters. Charlie Conacher, who was joined in the match by brothers Bert, Roy and 52-year old member of parliament Lionel. Charlie and Roy notched two goals each while ex-Bruin Bill Cowley count...

Here's some great pics from the 1964 Toronto Maple Leafs calendar. They show the Leafs celebrating 1963 Stanley Cup victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Toronto beat Detroit by four games to one, winning the last game by 3-1. They had finished first overall in the NHL that season with 82 points in 70 games, this marks the last time in franchise history that the Leafs would pull of this double feat. The image below shows NHL President Clarence Campbell presenting the jubilant Leafs with the Cup. The inset shot pictures Frank Mahovlich enjoying a celebratory beverage. The bottom picture has Gardens Vice President (and future crumudgeon) Harold Ballard toasting the win with Toronto Mayor Donald Summerville. On the right we see Punch Imlach topping up the Cup with another round of victory drink.

This is one of the oldest hockey programs I have in my collection, from the 1937/38 season of the Springfield Indians. They were part of the International American Hockey League, predecessor of the American Hockey League which began operation in 1936. This game on February 19, 1938 was against the Syracuse Stars, minor league affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lineup pages are pictured below. The goaltenders in the game were Springfield's Benny Grant vs. Phil Stein of Syracuse. Grant had played previously in the NHL with Toronto and the New York Americans and in 1943/44 would play 20 games for the Leafs once again. Stein would play only one game in the NHL for Toronto in 1939/40. Pete Langelle of Syracuse would go on to play three full seasons with the Leafs, Murray Armstrong would play five years with the Americans and the Red Wings. Jack Markle of Syracuse would lead the league in scoring with 54 points, his third time leading the circuit in four seasons. Howev...

In honour of the Edmonton Oil Kings capturing the 2014 Memorial Cup, here's a look at the Oil Kings Cup winning squad of 1963. The team photo is from a Toronto Maple Leafs calendar I own and pictures two of hockey's all-time great leaders and characters as well as many future NHLers. The lineup is shown below. Top row, fourth from right is Glen Sather and middle row, second from right is Pat Quinn. Other future NHL players are Ron Anderson, Butch Paul, Bob Falkenberg, Bert Marshall, Dave Rochefort and future Canadian Olympian Roger Bourbonnais.  Edmonton had gone 22-11-1 in the regular season and on the way to the Cup beat Calgary Buffaloes, Trail Smoke Eaters, Estevan Bruins and Brandon Wheat Kings. They then beat Niagara Falls Flyers four games to two in the Memorial Cup final. 

Bill Dobbyn was a 23-year old, highly regarded defense prospect for the New York Rangers in 1958/59. The bruising 6 ft, 190 lb rear-guard was coming off a terrific season with Vancouver Canucks of the Western League where he had 10 goals, 30 points and finished third in PIM's with 164. His 8 points in 11 playoff games helped the Canucks to the WHL Championship as well. Dobbyn was the last cut of the Rangers before the 1958 season and was sent to Buffalo in the American Hockey League. By Christmas that year he was in the middle of another fine campaign with 10 points in 30 games, then tragedy struck. On December 27, 1958 in a game against Hershey, Dobbyn was struck in the left eye by the stick of Hershey captain Ellard "Obie" O'Brien. Dobbyn suffered a loss of the eye, and just like that, his NHL dream was over. Dobbyn himself took it all in stride saying,"Sure, I lost an eye, but I figure I'm pretty lucky anyway, I've got lots to be thankful for and...