Sid Abel

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

<templatestyles src="Module:Infobox/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Sid Abel
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1969
SidAbel.jpg
Born (1918-02-22)February 22, 1918
Melville, SK, CAN
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Farmington Hills, MI, USA
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for NHL
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Black Hawks
AHL
Pittsburgh Hornets
Indianapolis Capitals
Playing career 1938–1954

Sidney Gerald "Sid" Abel (February 22, 1918 – February 8, 2000) was a Canadian Hall of Fame hockey player, coach and general manager in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Detroit Red Wings, and was a member of three winning Stanley Cup teams in 1943, 1950, and 1952.

Playing career

Born in Melville, Saskatchewan,

"Old Bootnose", as he was known,

Abel was demobilized late in the 1946 season, regaining his team captaincy, just in time for the playoffs.[1]

In 1947, Abel and Lindsay was teamed up with rookie right winger Gordie Howe as a forward line by Red Wings' coach Jack Adams. While Abel's effectiveness late that season and in the playoffs was limited by an attack of pleurisy, the line paid immediate dividends, turning Lindsay into a star and leading the team to a playoff berth.[2] The following season, Lindsay, Abel and Howe finished 1-3-4 in team scoring, while leading the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals.[2]

By the 1949 season, the newly dubbed "Production Line" led the Wings to the first of seven consecutive regular season first place finishes, an unsurpassed NHL record, hampered only by serious injuries that cost Howe and Lindsay much of the season. Abel was tied with Lindsay for third in NHL scoring while leading the league in goals and recording career highs in goals and assists,[3] and was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player, as well as being named to the First All-Star Team.[4]

The next three seasons saw Abel lead the Production Line to surpass any other forward line in points, and in 1950 season Lindsay, Abel and Howe finished 1-2-3 in league scoring, the only time in NHL history that three linemates had achieved that feat.[4] Abel repeated his First All-Star Team honor in 1950 en route to playing for his second Stanley Cup champion, and was named Second Team All-Star in 1951.[4]

Abel was traded from the Red Wings to the Black Hawks for in 1952,[5] and was named coach of the team. He served as player-coach for the next two seasons, and was the last full-time player-head coach in NHL history.

Though his #12 was honored by the Wings, Abel wore 4, 7, 9, 12, 14, 19 and 20 throughout his career.[6]

Retirement

Abel returned to the Red Wings in 1957–58 and served as Detroit's coach through the 1969–70 season.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Abel worked as a color commentator on Red Wings radio and television broadcasts.

Legacy

Sid Abel was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969. In 1998, he was ranked number 85 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Abel's #12 banner hanging in Joe Louis Arena.

Abel's older brother, George was a Canadian Olympic ice hockey player. In Olympic competition at Oslo, Norway, he scored the winning goal in the final game, securing the only Canadian gold medal of the Olympics. Sid's son Gerry also briefly played in the NHL, and his grandson Brent Johnson is a goaltender who last played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Awards and achievements

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1936–37 Melville Millionaires S-SJHL
1936–37 Saskatoon Wesleys N-SJHL 3 6 2 8 2
1936–37 Saskatoon Wesleys M-Cup 8 8 5 13 6
1937–38 Flin Flon Bombers N-SSHL 23 12 16 28 13 8 4 4 8 17
1937–38 Flin Flon Bombers Al-Cup 7 6 1 7 4
1938–39 Detroit Red Wings NHL 15 1 1 2 0 6 1 1 2 2
1938–39 Pittsburgh Hornets IAHL 41 22 24 46 27
1939–40 Detroit Red Wings NHL 24 1 5 6 4 5 0 3 3 21
1939–40 Indianapolis Capitals IAHL 21 7 11 18 10
1940–41 Detroit Red Wings NHL 47 11 22 33 29 9 2 2 4 2
1941–42 Detroit Red Wings NHL 48 18 31 49 45 12 4 2 6 8
1942–43* Detroit Red Wings NHL 49 18 24 42 33 10 5 8 13 4
1943–44 Montreal RCAF QSHL 7 5 4 9 12
1943–44 Montreal Canada Car MCHL 2 1 0 1 4
1944–45 Montreal RCAF MCHL 4 6 8 14 4
1944–45 Lachine Rapides QPHL 2 2 2 4 2
1944–45 Kingston RCAF Exhib. 2 2 1 3 0
1945–46 Detroit Red Wings NHL 7 0 2 2 0 3 0 0 0 0
1946–47 Detroit Red Wings NHL 60 19 29 48 29 3 1 1 2 2
1947–48 Detroit Red Wings NHL 60 14 30 44 69 10 0 3 3 16
1948–49 Detroit Red Wings NHL 60 28 26 54 49 11 3 3 6 6
1949–50* Detroit Red Wings NHL 69 34 35 69 46 14 6 2 8 6
1950–51 Detroit Red Wings NHL 69 23 38 61 30 6 4 3 7 0
1951–52* Detroit Red Wings NHL 62 17 36 53 32 7 2 2 4 12
1952–53 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 39 5 4 9 6 1 0 0 0 0
1953–54 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 3 0 0 0 4
NHL totals 612 189 283 472 376 97 28 30 58 79
    • Name was engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Division rank Result
CHI 1952–53 70 27 28 15 69 4th in NHL Lost in first round
CHI 1953–54 70 12 51 7 31 6th in NHL DNQ
DET 1957–58 33 16 12 5 37 3rd in NHL Lost in first round
DET 1958–59 70 25 37 8 58 6th in NHL DNQ
DET 1959–60 70 26 29 15 67 4th in NHL Lost in first round
DET 1960–61 70 25 29 16 66 4th in NHL Lost in Stanley Cup Final
DET 1961–62 70 23 33 14 60 5th in NHL DNQ
DET 1962–63 70 32 25 13 77 4th in NHL Lost in Stanley Cup Final
DET 1963–64 70 30 29 11 71 4th in NHL Lost in Stanley Cup Final
DET 1964–65 70 40 23 7 87 1st in NHL Lost in first round
DET 1965–66 70 31 27 12 74 4th in NHL Lost in Stanley Cup Final
DET 1966–67 70 27 39 4 58 5th in NHL DNQ
DET 1967–68 74 27 35 12 66 5th in East DNQ
DET 1969–70 74 38 21 15 91 3rd in East Lost in First Round
STL 1971–72 10 3 6 1 7 3rd in West Fired
KC 1975–76 3 0 3 0 0 5th in Smythe Interim Coach
Total 964 382 427 155 919

See also

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Carroll, M. R. (2001). The Concise Encyclopedia of Hockey. Vancouver: Greystone Press.
  • Diamond, Dan and Eric Zweig, eds (2003). Hockey's Glory Days: the 50s and 60s. Kansas City: Andrew McMeel.
  • Fischler, Stan (2002). Detroit Red Wings: Greatest Moments and Players. Sports Publishing Co.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Awards
Preceded by Winner of the Hart Trophy
1949
Succeeded by
Chuck Rayner
Sporting positions
Preceded by Detroit Red Wings captain
1942–43
Succeeded by
Mud Bruneteau
Preceded by Detroit Red Wings captain
194552
Succeeded by
Ted Lindsay
Preceded by Head coach of the Chicago Black Hawks
195254
Succeeded by
Frank Eddolls
Preceded by Head coach of the Detroit Red Wings
195868
Succeeded by
Bill Gadsby
Preceded by Head Coach of the Detroit Red Wings
1969–70
Succeeded by
Ned Harkness
Preceded by Head coach of the St. Louis Blues
1971–72
Succeeded by
Bill McCreary Sr.
Preceded by Head coach of the Kansas City Scouts
1975–76
Succeeded by
Eddie Bush
Preceded by General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings
1962–71
Succeeded by
Ned Harkness
Preceded by General Manager of the St. Louis Blues
1971–72
Succeeded by
Chuck Catto
Preceded by
Position created
General Manager of the Kansas City Scouts
197476
Succeeded by
Ray Miron