Hockey History Corner

[cwpucks]

I'm a big hockey card and memorabilia collector. I love the history of the sport, I thought I would post some topics every once and a while on Players, Cards, memorabilia and history of hockey. I hope you Enjoy.

Terry Sawchuk

One of the best if not the best goalie ever in the NHL. He played 21 years in the NHL With a state line below. But was If you look at just the 1st 6 years of his career from 1949-50 through 1954-55 he was amazing. The Reg Wings won the Stanley Cup 3 team in his 1st 6 years. In 1955 Trader Jack Adams traded Sawchuk to Boston due to the Red Wings having Glenn Hall knocking on Terry's doorstep. After two not so happy years in Boston trader Jack brought Terry back and traded some bum named Johnny Bucyk to Boston. and trading Glenn Hall to Chicago. By 1957-58 Trader Jack Adams had dismantled a lot of the Detroit Dynasty due to Ted Lindsay trying to form a players association.

So as you can see below the 1st 6 years % of his total career stats are listed below in the last line. The most telling numbers to me are 45% of his total wins and 55% of his total SO all came in the 1st 6 years. on the flip side only 24% of his total loses and 28% of his total GA came in his 1st 6 years. so what does this tell us? was Sawchuk a 6 year wonder HHOF goalie and a 15 year average goalie? Or was it due to playing injured and personal demons?

I say he was a beyond HHOF best goalie ever in his 1st 6 years and was a HHOF goalie the rest of his career. I still think he was the best ever. but that is me. Hope you enjoyed.

Yrs------ GP----W----- L----T-----Min------ GAA---SO----GA-----W%
6 --------345---199-----81--65---20644-----1.94----57----669----.577
21-------972---446----332-171--57254-----2.51--103---2391----.459
% --------35 ----45-----24---38-----36-----------------55-----28

[Rraincock]

I wonder.... is Trader Jack a cousin to Trader Joe? Good chips that fella has...


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[cwpucks]

Todays hockey history corner is about weekly hockey newspaper that was sold in the mid to late 1930’s called “The Puck A national News Net” The Puck was 1^st issued in 1933-34 NHL season. From the 4 issues I have it was just like The Hockey News that began publishing in 1947. The Puck was based out of Montreal and was sold for 5 cents an issue. With in their 1^st year but defiantly by their 3^rd year they seem to have been a well liked and well known publication. In either 1936-37 or 1937-38 they merged or changed their name to Sport Fan and The Puck. From their I have lost track of what became of them.

However in their 3^rd year Issue number 2 dated Nov 21^st weekending Nov 30^th (this would be the 1935-36 season) the Headline is “Truth About Howie Morenz by Leo Dandurand.” Leo Dandurand was the Montreal Canadiens GM that traded the great Howie Morenz from the Canadiens back in Oct 1934.

Below is the opening paragraph to this article quoted by Leo Dandurand..

“Morenz sold down the river!” “ Thats an absolute distortion of fact. Its a tribute to the still great Morenz that his case still is in mind, but I’m both surprised and annoyed that in intelligent writer like Leslie Roberts would use that expression. And Its all the more irritating to read it in “The Puck”. I have seen “The Puck” in New York, Chicago, Boston- Everywhere in the hands of the important men of big time hockey - and this is a statement which rubs me the wrong way.”
“With Morenz starting in on his third season with Chicago and -happy -satisfied with what I did for him. Its High Time that the true story be told.”
“No newspaper has come out with the real facts. “The Puck” with its wide hockey audience provides the right platform. Morenz would support me in everything I have to say if he were here right now.”

Here are some quotes in the article from LEO.

“That statement of Roberts in your 1^st issue about Howie having been “sold down the river” is a distortion of fact. He was never sold under such conditions. He was not sold at all. I could also say honestly that he was not even traded. What come more in line with the facts is the statement that he change was made to suit Morenz himself and at his own request.”

“Howie Morenz asked for a change.”
“And do you know why he suggested that the change should be made?” “The Montreal Public. Canadien supporters themselves brought about his transfer to Chicago. It so happened that certain conditions pertaining to the club allowed of his request being met a little sooner then even he expected.”

There is so much more to this article and to me is an amazing look into a trade that was on par with the Gretzky trade from Edmonton. In regards to pure shock and out rage when it happened.
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